Knights of Columbus Museum
New Haven, Connecticut
January 26, 2019
We went back to New Haven at the end of January for the annual gathering of a student group we both belonged to when we were students at Yale. While most of our time was spent socializing with fellow Old Blues and current undergraduates, we took a little time for – what else? – checking out some local museums.
We had found information online about the Knights of Columbus Museum, when we were looking up Sunday Mass times at St. Mary’s church near campus. The Knights were formed in New Haven in 1882, at St. Mary’s parish by Father Michael J. McGivney, so it is appropriate that their museum is located in that city. We were impressed with the museum. It is large, newly built, and well furnished. We had not realized how big it was when we planned our visit, so spent our limited time viewing mostly the special exhibitions. We left the permanent collection for another time.
There is a gallery near the museum entrance devoted to Father McGivney. When we visited, a relic of St. John Paul the Great was also on temporary display in the McGivney gallery, namely a piece of the cassock the pope was wearing when he was shot in 1981. We spent a few minutes in silent prayer then moved on to the other exhibits.
We were particularly interested in the special exhibition on World War I, which will continue its run through April 14. It offered general information about the causes of the war and other general information, but most of the displays focused on the experience of the soldiers. There was an excellent video playing with archival footage near the entrance. In another area there were replica uniform jackets and helmets that visitors can try on, which we did. Near that was a sample pack visitors can lift, to get an idea what infantry soldiers had to carry when they were on the march. Actual historic uniform jackets, helmets, and caps were also displayed. One room was designed as a sample trench, and it gave a good idea of the height and dimension of an actual trench. It was clean and dry, though – not at all like the miserable muddy and vermin infested reality the troops had to endure.
Other display cases contained a wide range of personal items once carried by soldiers, such as books, playing cards, a sewing kit, soap and other toiletries, and musical instruments, to name just a few. There were also several pieces of trench art – some soldiers carved bullet and shell casings during their waiting time in the trenches, making pieces like the scrimshaw carved by sailors in earlier generations. One soldier had carved the Knights of Columbus logo on the wall of a limestone cave, and a cast of that piece was on display.
Near the end of that exhibit was a large display devoted to Father John B. DeValles, the “Angel of the Trenches.” Father DeValles was born in the Azores in 1879 and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents as a young child. He served as a parish priest in New Bedford, Massachusetts. When the war began, he was appointed as the Knights of Columbus chaplain attached to the 104th Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division and was one of the first K of C chaplains to arrive in France. Later he was commissioned as a chaplain in the regular U.S. Army. He often entered No-Man’s Land to search for wounded and dying Allied and German soldiers. Father John, as he was known to the troops, risked his life on many occasions. Once, he did not return to the trenches, and searchers found him unconscious and wounded next to a dead soldier whom he had been trying to help. His injuries damaged his health, and although he survived to return to the U.S., he died from complications of his wounds in May 1920. He was only 41 at the time. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guerre, and the Legion of Honor. General Edwards, who presented the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously said that he had known men as brave as Father DeValles but not braver. Photos and a summary of his service can be seen on this video of a recent Massachusetts National Guard ceremony honoring him.
After the World War I exhibit, we strolled through the Christmas in Poland exhibit. There were some beautiful creches of a type known as szopka, commonly made in and around Krakow. They are shaped like miniature churches, often with multiple floors, and contain nativity figures and other scenes inside them. Some looked a bit like dollhouses, open to show the rooms and figures inside. In addition to szopkas from Poland, the museum also displayed many made by local Connecticut students, as part of a competition sponsored by Polish cultural groups.
The museum is free, and it offers free parking under the building. Donations are welcome, of course. It is fully accessible. Staff were numerous, cheerful, and helpful. We really enjoyed our visit, and to any Knights who read our blog, we say thanks for supporting this excellent facility.