Pope Leo XIV has appointed Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. The Vatican announced Kelly’s appointment on Aug. 25.
The dicastery was created by Pope Francis in 2016 to promote, as stated in its statutes, “the apostolate of the lay faithful, the pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God’s plan and for the safeguard and support of human life.” The dicastery is also the Vatican office responsible for organizing the international World Youth Day (WYD).
Its members are not full-time staff and do not need to relocate to Rome. Rather, they attend plenary sessions in Rome and vote on decrees.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell has served as its prefect since 2016, the year it was founded.
Kelly first joined the Knights of Columbus in 1983 while a student at Marquette University in Wisconsin. After studying law at Marquette University Law School and theology at The Catholic University of America, where he earned a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, he served 24 years in the United States Navy, earning several military honors.
Before joining the leadership of the Knights of Columbus, Kelly served as an adviser to several U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Department of State. As senior adviser to the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom at the U.S. Department of State, he served as a liaison between the U.S. government and other countries, including the Holy See, on religious freedom issues.
In 2006, Kelly was named vice president for public policy of the Knights of Columbus. He became deputy Supreme Knight in 2017 before being elected Supreme Knight in 2021.