Fr. Shyshkowich Council # 8925 was granted its Charter on March 27, 1985 from Supreme Council with 63 Charter Members registered. Since its establishment, the council has grown to its present total of 106 members. Br. Peter Machulenko and Fr. Bohdan Lukie C.Ss.R. were instrumental in establishing and naming the council. Br. Peter was our first Grand Knight and Fr. Bohdan was our first Chaplain.
The Knights of Columbus are founded on a foundation of four core principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.
Our Council was named after a Redemptorist Priest, Rev. Gregory Shyshkowich C.Ss.R. He was born in Bukovina, Ukraine on February 4, 1892. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Chomyshyn in Stanislaviv, Ukraine on June 16, 1918. He joined the Redemptorist Fathers in 1918 and began missionary work in Stanislaviv and Volva, Ukraine. After ten years of missionary work in Ukraine, he commenced missionary and pastoral work in Canada on December 22, 1928.
His missionary activities extended to hundreds of parishes in Canada and the United States. He was regarded by the Ukrainian Canadians as the “Ukrainian Missionary”. He will always be regarded as an eloquent speaker and a deeply spiritual man. He was instrumental in assisting Rev. Denischuk in founding St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish and was the first Superior of St. Joseph’s Monastery from 1957 to 1968.
Reverend Gregory Shyshkowich C.Ss.R. died in the Jordan Feast in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan January 6, 1981.