Joe Reali

On a Sunday in late 2014, walking into Holy Name of Jesus Church in Woodbury, N.Y., Joseph Reali, approached a Knights of Columbus information table with great curiosity. His brother, Michael Reali Jr., wasn't interested; he had been told, "That's for old guys." As Mass began, Joe had a huge smile on his face. "I signed up for the Knights!" he exclaimed. "Why did you do that?' Michael asked. Still smiling, Joe replied, "I signed you up, too." 

The font of holy water on the wall of the Reali home and the refrigerator covered with pictures of saints attest that Joe was raised in a pious Catholic family. The youngest of four children, Joe grew up praying the rosary with his parents and siblings every evening. In their shared bedroom, Michael would find Joe kneeling in prayer before an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Joe once wrote about his upbringing, "...the events that took place in my childhood made me feel obligated to stand up for my faith, because I have no doubt in my mind that God and Jesus Christ do exist and are present in the Mass". Being a daily Communicant who loved the rosary, Joe's love for the faith showed itself in his habit of bringing others to church. He often took friends to attend Teen Bible Study and afterward treated them to ice cream or pizza. "There was nothing hypocritical about Joseph," recalled Msgr. Richard Bauhoff, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church. "It was natural to him, part of his daily living to be a disciple of Christ and live his life according to the Gospel. Joe's piety and goodness were evident." "Joseph was a light in the world," said his sister Luciana Corsello. "He received God's love through the sacraments, especially confession and the Holy Eucharist, and radiated it to everyone he met."

While Joe was firmly rooted in his faith, he was also a guy who enjoyed hosting parties, going dancing with his friends or blasting music while canning tomatoes with the family. He had a playful side, with a fondness for pranks and fireworks. With good looks and a quick smile, Joe was popular with girls. He would tell his friends that women should always be respected. "Treat every girl like your mother," he would say and quickly add, "The Blessed Mother!"

Joe loved playing football at Syosset High School and Long Island University Post. A 6-foot-tall wide receiver, he proudly painted crosses in black under his eyes before games. Family came first, so in 2009, when his mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and could no longer care for her grandson, Joe quit football and switched to night classes so that he could look after his young nephew. According to Toni-Marie, he didn't treat this as a sacrifice but instead responded with characteristic joy and generosity of spirit. "When I see how others get inspired by him, I realize that the way he made me feel was the way he made others feel," she said.

Having been diagnosed years earlier with an enlarged heart condition, Joe died unexpectedly but peacefully in the family home at age 25. 

Michael Sr. recounted that during Joe's wake at the church and later at his funeral Mass, Holy Name of Jesus Church was overflowing with people whose lives his son had touched. Altogether, some 3,000 people gathered, and many shared stories about how Joe had made them feel loved, helped them in a time of need, brought them to church or otherwise changed their lives for the better. One woman, for example, had driven hours from Pennsylvania to pay her respects, since Joe was responsible for talking her son, who had run away, into returning home.

Joe has been posthumously honoured in many ways. Councils on Long Island are typically named after Our Lady or other saints. But when Council 16261 was formed in July 2015, Joe's was the only name considered. The legacy of this devout yet fun-loving young man lives on in the newest council on Long Island: Joseph Mario Reali Council 16261. A 2016 Star Council, it has attracted approximately 60 Knights since it was chartered. 

For a brief time, Joe had entered seminary, and his seminary essay included a favourite quote by football legend Vince Lombardi, who was himself a member of the Knights, this quote would define Joe's life:

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle — victorious."