Our Lady of Guadalupe Province
In 1900, the Fourth Degree was established to celebrate patriotism and “the idea that Knights are loyal to both God and country.”1 During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Catholics were barred from joining trade unions and elite institutions, motivating early Knights to foster connections through the brotherhood of their council. Beyond theological differences, Catholics were seen as not fully American, as Protestants feared the alleged influence of Rome amongst the laity. To counteract, the Knights publicly adopted overt symbols of patriotism, including embracing Christopher Columbus as a link between Catholicism and the country’s founding.
Through the Fourth Degree, the Knights created a public memory of Catholic citizenship by showcasing veterans in patriotic marches. Symbols and text read at Fourth Degree Exemplifications reflect remembrances of Catholicity in American history and democracy.
The History of the Fourth Degree in Texas
On April 9, 1906, the entire state of Texas was created as a separate Fourth Degree District within the DeSoto Province. Two years later, El Paso was combined with New Mexico and Arizona in a new separate district. After national redistricting in 1910, the state was split into the Northern Texas and Southern Texas Districts. Twenty years later, Texas was once again combined into a single district, and El Paso was returned as a separate New Mexico-West Texas District. In 1937, Texas would then split again into Northern Texas and Southern Texas districts
In 1950, Texas districts were rezoned through grouping counties from their respective diocesan boundaries to form the Guadalupe Province. In 2001, the Guadalupe Province was renamed the “Our Lady of Guadalupe Province.”2