Matthew Snider: A young Knight

College student hopes to get more young men involved in Knights of Columbus on campus

You could say being a Knight is in his blood, with both a grandfather and uncle who have served in the fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus. So when Matthew Snider came to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville six years ago, he didn’t let being a student stop him from joining and becoming the grand knight of the campus organization his senior year.

From his sophomore year on, Snider made it a goal to involve more young men interested in growing their Catholic faith and community.

When he isn’t studying for his electrical engineering degree, he spends time at St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish, the church on campus, leading a men’s Bible study and lectoring for Masses.

Beyond Bible studies, the Conway native also helped organize activities such as a poker night for guys, a Naturals baseball game and cookouts for the 12-20 men that regularly come to events.

But that is a number Snider, 24, would like to see increase this fall.

“The key to having more men involved is to get them involved,” Snider said. “That was always my goal, to bring more men along.”

Certainly, Snider understands the equation for growing numbers and growing faith.

“The first step is just inviting them,” he said. “Once they come for a fun activity, they will want to attend Mass too.”

 

• If you could be any saint, who would it be?

“If I could be a saint, it would most definitely have to be St. Thomas Aquinas. He is perhaps the best philosopher and theologian of all time ... Whenever I have questions about the faith or am in need to defend it, I usually end up rummaging through Aquinas’ works.”

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