Virgil C. Dechant
Encyclopedia
Virgil C. Dechant was the twelfth Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
from January 21, 1977 to September 30, 2000.
He was born September 24, 1930, in Antonino, Ellis County, Kansas
, and lives in Kansas City, Kansas
. He and his wife Ann L. Dechant have four children and 12 grandchildren. His ancestors are German-Russians from the Mariental region. Standing at six feet four in height, he is said to have hands so large that they can reach from Kansas all the way to Missouri.
In 1998, Dechant was the recipient of the National Right to Life award along with Senator Jesse Helms
.
Mr.Dechant is the vice president of the Vatican Bank
, a Gentiluomo di Sua Santità (a Gentleman of His Holiness), and a Councillor on the State Council for Vatican City
. He is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX
, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
, and a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
. He is the most decorated Catholic layman.
He had the honor of escorting President George W. Bush
to the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
He stepped down as Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus on September 30, 2000 at the age of seventy after serving the longest term ever by a Supreme Knight. He was succeeded by Carl A. Anderson
.
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
from January 21, 1977 to September 30, 2000.
He was born September 24, 1930, in Antonino, Ellis County, Kansas
Ellis County, Kansas
Ellis County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 28,452. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays...
, and lives in Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. He and his wife Ann L. Dechant have four children and 12 grandchildren. His ancestors are German-Russians from the Mariental region. Standing at six feet four in height, he is said to have hands so large that they can reach from Kansas all the way to Missouri.
In 1998, Dechant was the recipient of the National Right to Life award along with Senator Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
.
Mr.Dechant is the vice president of the Vatican Bank
Vatican Bank
The Institute for Works of Religion , commonly known as the Vatican Bank, is a privately held institute located inside Vatican City run by a professional bank CEO who reports directly to a committee of cardinals, and ultimately to the Pope...
, a Gentiluomo di Sua Santità (a Gentleman of His Holiness), and a Councillor on the State Council for Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. He is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX
Order of Pius IX
The Order of Pius IX , also referred as the Pian Order , is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.-Classes:The Order comprises five classes:...
, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
, and a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...
. He is the most decorated Catholic layman.
He had the honor of escorting President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
He stepped down as Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus on September 30, 2000 at the age of seventy after serving the longest term ever by a Supreme Knight. He was succeeded by Carl A. Anderson
Carl A. Anderson
Carl Albert Anderson, KSG is the thirteenth and current Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. Anderson is vice president of the Washington session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family....
.