In honor of slain U.S. District Judge John Roll, who was killed in the Jan. 8 mass shooting, the Knights of Columbus Tucson Chapter has changed its name to "Chief Judge John M. Roll Chapter."
The board of directors of the Knights of Columbus announced Wednesday that it approved a petition to change the name.
"He was one of ours, and we thought he was just an exemplary role model for all of us," chapter secretary Peter N. Karculias said.
Roll, who died at 63, was a fourth-degree member of the organization, serving for 24 years. He was killed along with five others in the shooting that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wounded. Former President George H.W. Bush appointed Roll to the U.S. District bench in 1991.
The chapter now named for Roll coordinates activities among the 27 Tucson-area councils.
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The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization. It was established in 1882 and boasts more than 1.8 million members in more than 15,000 councils. In 2010, the organization made more than $154 million in charitable contributions and members did more than 70 million hours of volunteer work.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
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