Draft:David M. Knight - American Catholic Priest, Author, Speaker, Retreat Leader, Spiritual Director


 * Born March 16, 1931, Dallas TX
 * Baptized May 1, 1931, by Thomas Gaughan at Holy Trinity Church, Dallas TX
 * First Vows as member of Society of Jesus, September 8, 1950 at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, LA
 * Ordained September 2, 1961, Lyon France
 * Final Vows at member of Society of Jesus, February 2, 1968, at Sacred Heart Church, Grand Coteau, LA
 * Died March 21, 2021, Huehuetenango, Guatemala at Monastery of St Clare
 * Languages Spoken: English, French, Spanish, German (able to read Latin and Greek)

David Buell Knight was born in 1931 in Dallas, Texas, to Marion Armstrong Knight and Elizabeth (nee Buell) Knight. Later in life, he chose to use “Maria” as his middle name in honor of Mary, Mother of Jesus. His books, articles, and signature, include “M” as his middle initial. He died in 2021 in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. At the time of his death, he was a retired Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, TN ( https://cdom.org/ ), director of His Way House, a center of spiritual growth in Memphis, TN, and President of Immersed in Christ, a non-profit he founded to propagate the teaching of the Immersed in Christ Spiritual Growth Plan.

Education

 * High School Diploma, Jesuit High School, Dallas TX, 1947
 * Holy Cross College, Worcester MA, 1947-48
 * St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, LA, 1948-52
 * Spring Hill College, Mobile AL, summers of 1952, 1955,1956
 * Bachelor's degree (AB-Humanities) Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA  1954
 * Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L.) Mt. St. Michael, Spokane Washington, 1954
 * Master’s degree (Philosophy), Gonzaga University Spokane, WA  1955
 * Licentiate in Theology from Séminaire des Missions (Fourvière), Lyon, France, 1962
 * Doctorate in Theology (STD), Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 1970

Early Ministry as a Jesuit (1950-1972)
Knight was a member of the Southern Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for 30 years. His early education and formation in the Jesuits included: juniorate at Grand Coteau, AL (1950-1952), summer courses at Spring Hill College, Mobile AL (1952); Philosophy studies, Mount St. Michael’s, Spokane, Washington (1952-1955); teaching religion and English at Jesuit Tampa (1955-1958); youth work in El Paso at Our Lady's Youth Center (1957); theology studies at Fourvière, Lyon, France (1958-1961); theology studies at Gonzaga University (1954-1955).

Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1961 on September 2, 1961 in Lyon, France, by Bishop Jean-Marie Villot, Knight served three years as pastor of St. Paul's parish, Danamadji, Chad (Africa). Upon returning to the United States, he earned his doctorate in theology at Catholic University of America. He subsequently served as acting rector of the Jesuit novitiate in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. From 1970 to 1972, Knight was the pastor of two parishes in Grand Coteau — one black, one white — with the mission of integrating them. This story is told in Tanner Colby’s book Some of My Best Friends Are Black, Viking/Penguin 2012. During 1972 and 1973, he was the Spiritual Director of Jesuits at Loyola University in New Orleans, where he also taught some classes in spirituality.

Transitional Years (1973-1980)
Knight took a leave of absence from the Jesuits in 1973 to help found a religious order of nuns called The House of the Lord in Memphis, TN. On January 6, 1979, the House of the Lord established as Pious Association with a celebration of Mass taking place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. However, the founding of a full religious order never came to pass. Knight left in 1982 and The House of the Lord was dissolved by 1990. During the time he was engaged in the formation of the House of the Lord, his Jesuit provincial suggested he join the Diocese of Memphis, into which he was incardinated on May 13, 1980.

Later Ministry (1981-2022)
During the time he lived in Memphis he served in numerous capacities, including Diocesan Spiritual Director of Cursillo, Diocesan Spiritual Director of the Hispanic Catholic Community of Memphis, and chaplain to five different communities of women religious, both active and contemplative. For several years he was a regular columnist for the Marian Helpers Bulletin and also for Common Sense, the Catholic newspaper for Western TN (now called Faith West Tennessee (see article). For two years he taught and discussed his books on Matthew's Gospel on the radio for an hour every Saturday morning in Spanish. From 1982 through 1986, Knight served as College Campus Minister at Christian Brothers College (now Christian Brothers University) in Memphis.  He was the Pastor of a multi-lingual parish (English, Vietnamese, and Spanish) Sacred Heart Church from 1988 until his retirement from active ministry from the Diocese of Memphis on June 6, 2002.

After his retirement as an diocesan priest, Knight continued to teach graduate courses in theology for the Master of Arts in Catholic Studies at Christian Brothers University; give numerous missions and retreats in the United States and other countries; preside at Mass regularly at the Monastery of St. Clare in Memphis; supply ministry in other parishes upon request; teach in the Diocesan Institute for Liturgy and Spirituality; host the Spanish Cursillo weekends and Retiros de Evangelización and other retreats at His Way House in Memphis; give talks to various groups in Memphis, such as the Cursillo and “Theology on Tap”; and engage in ecumenical outreach with ministers involved in spiritual formation. He also continued writing books, articles, and letters of spiritual direction to his many spiritual students and friends until his death. He normally devoted four to six hours each day to writing.

Throughout his priesthood, Knight spent the majority of his time writing, providing spiritual direction, and leading retreats and workshops around the world. During his lifetime, he led more than five hundred workshops, missions and retreats on the religious vows and lay spirituality, and performed ministries throughout the mainland United States, Hawaii and Alaska; and in Australia, Canada, Chad (Africa), England, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guam, Guatemala, Haiti, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Saipan, Sierra Leone, Spain, and Sweden. He led priests' and deacons' retreats or performed other ministry in most of dioceses within the United States.

Legacy: Immersed in Christ and the WIT Prayer
Knight’s lifetime of ministry focused on helping ordinary people grow to deep levels of holiness. His most important work related to the creation, development, and propagation of his Immersed in Christ Spiritual Growth Plan, a long-term plan of spiritual formation of the laity as individuals and in parishes. The Immersed in Christ Spiritual Growth Plan explains and makes explicit the five-fold mystery of Christian Baptism, which 1. transforms the baptized person into a child of God; 2. calls the baptized person to be a disciple (student) of Jesus Christ; and consecrates the baptized person to continue the three-fold mission of Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King by 3. bearing witness as prophets, 4. ministering as priests by Baptism, and 5. taking the responsibility of leadership in establishing the reign of God on earth in peace, justice, and love. The Immersed in Christ Spiritual Growth Plan is a method for making Christianity a way of life by assimilating these five mysteries of Baptism.

In 2014, Knight founded the non-profit organization Immersed in Christ to continue to teach the Immersed in Christ Plan of Spiritual Growth.

In addition, he is known for authoring the WIT Prayer:

Jesus, I give you my body.

Live this day With me;

live this day In me;

live this day Through me.

Let me think with your thoughts,

and speak with your words,

and act as your body on earth.

Death and Burial
In 2019, Knight traveled to Guatemala at the request of Bishop Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri, to assist the Franciscan Poor Sisters of Saint Clare community in Huehuetenango. He had visited this monastery many times during his lifetime and had even used his family inheritance to fund the construction of the Monastery Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the property. Although he planned to return to the United States in March 2020, the Covid-19 Pandemic caused disruptions in travel, causing him to remain in Guatemala longer than expected. Eventually, he contracted Covid-19 and died due to complications from Covid-19 and an enlarged heart a few days after his 90th birthday. Knight is buried in the cemetery adjoining the Monastery Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Huehuetenango.

Writings
Knight’s first book was Cloud by Day-Fire by Night Volume I (1976), a book on the religious vows, published first by the Canadian Religious Conference, then by Dimension Books, then republished and widely used in India. His second book, His Way, is a book on the spirituality of the laity, which sold over 200,000 copies and was used in renewal programs in Catholic dioceses throughout the United States. His Way was used as a follow-up by the Cursillo Movement in many dioceses throughout the United States.

The warm reception of Cloud by Day-Fire by Night Volume I and His Way encouraged him to continue writing. During his lifetime, he published more than forty books, plus several dozen booklets and manuals, and over fifty articles in twenty-nine different periodicals. A “second generation” version of His Way — entitled Reaching Jesus – Five Steps to a Fuller Life (1998) — has been translated into Spanish, French, Korean, Arabic, Polish, Italian, and Indonesian and republished in Indonesia, India, Korea, Poland and Peru. In 2018, the book was republished as Reaching Jesus: Five Steps to the Fullness of Life. Most recently, 2019, it has been republished in India by Thomas Vattathara (V.M.) SDB, under the title With the Lord 24/7.

Some of Knight’s many books of his have been published in India, Canada, the Philippines, and Australia. Bayard Presse published many of his last books: A Fresh Look at Confession, Nuts and Bolts of Daily Spirituality, A Fresh Look at the Mass, The Way of the Spirit, A Fresh Look at the Our Father, plus two versions of the Way of the Cross and yearly series of daily Advent reflections from 2014 to 2018.

Knight also wrote verses to a sung version of the Rosary. His recording of the song was created at Music and Arts Studios in Memphis Tennessee and released on CD as “The Sung Rosary by Father David Maria Knight” in December 2019. (See YouTube and numerous streaming services.)

Books and Booklets Authored by Knight

 * 1) ·        Cloud by Day, Fire by Night Vol I (Canadian Religious Conference, 1976)
 * 2) ·        His Way (St Anthony Messenger Press, 1977)
 * 3) ·        Confession Can Change Your Life (Claretian Press, 1977)
 * 4) ·        Cloud by Day, Fire by Night Vol II (Canadian Religious Conference, 1979)
 * 5) ·        Cloud by Day, Fire by Night Vol III (Canadian Religious Conference, 1979)
 * 6) ·        The Good News About Sex (1979, St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 7) ·        Obedience, Who Can Stand It? (1980 Crux/Clarity Press)
 * 8) ·        Poverty, Who Needs It? (1980 Crux/Clarity Press)
 * 9) ·        Why Jesus? (Dimension Books (1981 Dimension Books)
 * 10) ·        Lift Up Your Eyes to the Mountain (1981, Dimension Books)
 * 11) ·        A Change Within/First Steps in Christian Discipleship (1982, Dimension Books)
 * 12) ·        Make Me a Sabbath of Your Heart (1982, Dimension Books)
 * 13) ·        Saving Presence ((1983, Dimension Books)
 * 14) ·        Cursillo Spiritual Formation (1984, National Ulltreya Publications
 * 15) ·        Chastity, Who Lives It? (1985 Crux/Clarity Press)
 * 16) ·        Living the Sacraments (1985, Our Sunday Visitor)
 * 17) ·        His Word (1986, St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 18) ·        An Armchair Retreat (1987, Our Sunday Visitor Press)
 * 19) ·        Mary in an Adult Church (1988, His Way Communications)
 * 20) ·        Life to the Full (1995, Creative Communications)
 * 21) ·        Living God's Word: Year A (1998, St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 22) ·        Reaching Jesus: Five Steps to a Fuller Life (1998 St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 23) ·        To Follow His Way (1998, St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 24) ·        Living God's Word: Year B 1999, (St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 25) ·        No Power But Love (1999, His Way Communications)
 * 26) ·        Living God's Word: Year C (2000, St Anthony Messenger Press)
 * 27) ·        Until He Comes (2001, His Way Communications)
 * 28) ·        Overview Handbook for Immersed in Christ (2009, Abbey Press)
 * 29) ·        Experiencing the Mass (2011, Abbey Press)
 * 30) ·        Five Steps to the Father (2011, Path of Life Publications)
 * 31) ·        The Five Promises of Baptism (2012, Path of Life Publications)
 * 32) ·        A Fresh Look at Confession (2013, Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 33) ·        Nuts and Bolts of Daily Spirituality (2013, Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 34) ·        A Fresh Look at the Mass (2015, Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 35) ·        In Joyful Hope (2014, Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 36) ·        A Season of Mercy (2015, Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 37) ·        A Season of Praise (2016, Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 38) ·        Mystery of the Cross: Praying with Pope Francis (2017, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 39) ·        A Season of Wonder and Praise (2017, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 40) ·        30 Days on the Mass (2017, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 41) ·        A Season of Holiness (2018, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 42) ·        30 Days on Confession (2018, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 43) ·        30 Days Toward a Vibrant Spirituality (2018, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 44) ·        Reaching Jesus: Five Steps to the Fullness of Life (2018 Immersed in Christ)
 * 45) ·        Stations of Hope (2020, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 46) ·        Praying the Stations for Healing (2020, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 47) ·        A World Full of Promise (2020, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 48) ·        Alcanzando a Jesus (2021 Immersed in Christ Publications)
 * 49) ·        The Way of the Spirit (2021, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 50) ·        Examination of Conscience based on the Holy Spirit (2021, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 51) ·        A Fresh Look at the Our Father (2022, Bayard/Twenty-Third Publications)
 * 52) ·        The Sung Rosary Audio CD (2022, Immersed in Christ)

Sample of Articles by Knight

 * https://www.hprweb.com/2013/09/jesuitizing-the-church-under-francis-would-that-be-so-bad/
 * https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/07/05/plea-and-challenge-jesuits-embrace-authentic-poverty
 * https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/675/faith-focus/heart-matter
 * https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/six-questions-for-bishops-theres-only-one-answer/12991
 * https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/an-issue-unaddressed-when-is-denying-communion-blasphemy/12883
 * https://international.la-croix.com/news/ethics/the-difference-between-sin-and-crime/12859
 * https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/should-protestants-receive-communion-at-mass/12797

Links on other websites

 * https://pastoral.center/david-m-knight
 * https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVptQHFAsst4yhSK39R-8A
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueOy3CvRVwI

About his death

 * https://www.haitianproject.org/features-and-news/2021/4/6/remembering-fr-david-knight
 * https://www.ncronline.org/news/memphis-priest-who-was-popular-retreat-leader-chaplain-author-dies-90
 * https://www.psrmemphis.org/memphis-priest-prolific-author-dies-serving-poor-in-guatemala/
 * https://cdom.org/father-david-buell-maria-knight-obituary/
 * https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/celebrating-a-shepherd-to-the-gospel-ministry/14042
 * https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/2021/3/22/rest-in-peace-father-david-knight-1931-2021



Referenced in other books

 * Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America by Tanner Colby, 2012
 * Hope & Healing: Words From the Clergy of a Southern City, 1996 (article by Knight appears in the book)