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As the United States celebrates Independence Day, Pope Leo XIV received Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori in a private audience at the Vatican. The July 4th audience was the first meeting of the U.S.-born pope with the leader of Knights of Columbus — which was founded in New Haven, Conn., in 1882 — and the leader of the Archdiocese of Baltimore — the first diocese in the U.S., established in 1789. The Supreme Knight and Supreme Chaplain pledged the Order’s loyalty to Pope Leo and promised ongoing prayers and support for his pontificate. They also provided the Holy Father with an overview of the Knights of Columbus, highlighting the Order’s charitable activity and men’s faith formation initiatives. The Order’s leaders presented special gifts relating to the patriotic occasion of the audience, as well as the Pope’s Augustinian background. The first was a framed archival photo of the launching of LST-286, the tank-landing ship on which Louis Prevost — the Pope’s father — served during the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. The gift was of special significance, given the Supreme Knight’s own service in the Navy and the fact that Archbishop Lori’s father — Francis Lori — also served on an LST during World War II. They also presented two early English editions of works by St. Augustine of Hippo — his famous autobiographical Confessions (printed in 1660, London) and Meditations(printed in 1728, London), consisting of selections from three Augustinian works of piety: De meditatione, Soliloquies and Enchiridion. God bless America — and Pope Leo XIV!