Contact: Knights of Columbus (Convention Media Center), 407-238-4011; Andrew Walther, 818-522-2005 cell; Peter Sonski, 203-410-4693 cell;

ORLANDO, Aug. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The 124th Knights of Columbus International Convention will conclude on Thursday, Aug. 3, with a news conference at the conclusion of the 124th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. Media are invited.

News Conference Details---

Who: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

When: Aug. 3, 1:30 PM

Where: The Orlando World Center Marriott, Diamond Suite – 5th Floor

Why: The news conference will cover the Supreme Knight’s annual report on the state of the Knights of Columbus. In addition, the resolutions passed by the Convention delegates will be announced, along with other items including the donation of $100,000 to humanitarian relief in Lebanon this week and the Knights support of Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a swift and just solution to the conflict.

More than 2,000 Knights of Columbus and family members have come together in Orlando, Fla. this week for the international organization’s 124th annual convention Aug. 1-3 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center. This is the first time Orlando has hosted the convention and the fourth time that it has been held in Florida. On the previous occasions – in 1946, 1966, and 1975 – the convention was held in Miami.

Convention delegates representing the organization’s 1.7 million members came from all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces as well as from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, the Philippines, Guam, and Saipan. This year’s event marks the first official participation of Knights from Poland, established there after last year’s convention in Chicago. More than 90 Catholic bishops from around the country and world also attended.

Resolutions adopted at annual conventions have had a broad impact. Previous resolutions have resulted in everything from changes in U.S. foreign policy to Mexico to the addition of the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. (The KofC was instrumental in adding those words to the Pledge in the 1950s and is currently a defendant in the legal challenge being mounted against the wording of the Pledge.) In addition to a new resolution on the Pledge of Allegiance, resolutions likely to be considered this year include several on life issues including freedom of conscience for health care providers, stem-cell research and abortion; the protection of traditional marriage; school choice; and decency in the media.