Supreme Knight Carl Anderson receives Benedict Award March 24

BELMONT — Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, received the inaugural Benedict Leadership Award from the Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College March 24.

The Benedict Leadership Institute was founded in 2016 to develop and inspire Catholic leaders to transform society in light of their faith. The Benedict Leadership Award is a key activity of the institute.

It selected Anderson for his leadership in aiding and advocating for persecuted Christians in the Middle East. As the head of the Knights of Columbus, Anderson has repeatedly called for the protection of Christians facing genocide in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Under his leadership, the Knights have raised more than $12 million for humanitarian relief of Christian refugees since 2014, including $2 million in new assistance for Syrian and Iraqi Christian refugees that Anderson announced earlier this month.

“It’s an honor to receive this inaugural award,” Anderson said during his acceptance remarks.

This article first appeared at CatholicNewsHerald.com