By Catholic News Service • Posted August 12, 2019

MINNEAPOLIS (CNS) — A Catholic family from the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, has been chosen as the Knights of Columbus 2019 Family of the Year.

Joseph and Nicole Krebs and their eight children are members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help St. Mary’s Parish in Albany, Oregon.

The Knights announced the Krebs as the 2019 family Aug. 8, the last day of the organization’s 137th Supreme Convention held Aug. 6-8 in Minneapolis.

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“The Knights have offered me an excellent path for how to be a better man, husband and father of my family,” said Joseph, a member of Knights of Columbus Council 1577 based in Albany.

“We were awestruck,” Nicole said after learning her family won the award. “Just imagining all the incredible families across the world that we were measured with and to have the honor of that title being given to us, our responsibility is amazing.”

The Krebs children are: Isabel, 18; Caledon, 17; Maximilian, 13; Lucianna, 12; Gabrielle, 9; Theodore, 5; Benedict, 3; and Emilia, 1.

Joseph and Nicole also sponsor a child in Guatemala and another in India, providing for their education, food and medicine.

Joseph, an operations manager for an animal health and pet supply distributor, and his family have become a staple in their parish community since moving to the Albany area.

They are leaders and workers at several parish events such as the Shrove Tuesday Festival, Easter Egg Hunt, Summer Festival and Stations of the Cross. Some of the children are altar servers and youth group leaders at various events, including the Vacation Bible School.

Joseph also serves as family director of his Knights council. In that capacity he helps lead such programs as Food for Families, free-throw and soccer competitions, Scouts and Cots for Kids, and helps hosts breakfasts to help raise funds for local charities.

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He also is involved in faith-based family programs such as Family Prayer Night in which families gather in a local park to pray the rosary.

Nicole established the Little Flowers Girls Club, which helps teach catechesis to girls in their parish. This year, the couple Joe and Nicole sponsored the Little Flowers Father-Daughter Dance.

“We have a very active council, which is why I was drawn to the Knights,” Joseph said. “It is fun to have brothers; the relationship portion of what we do is important. The council is also a built-in family that can easily involve our wives and kids, who get involved in many of the events.”