Triumvirate Fellow Program

For the first time in 28 years, the Cardinal Medeiros Fellow Program is being expanded and improved to include more charitable causes and to honor more Cardinals with ties to the great state of Texas! The “NEW” Texas State Council Charities Fellow Program will be known as the

“Triumvirate Fellow Program”

and it is available now to recognize a deserving Knight or to expand your giving to very worthwhile State Charities causes!

The Cardinal Medeiros Fellow program was initiated in 1998 and as of the beginning of the 2026/27 fraternal year, there has been about 400 Brother Knights or their wives who were nominated and named Cardinal Medeiros Fellows. Considering that there are about 110,000 Knights in the State of Texas, this has been a very exclusive group! For each of those Fellows a minimum $1,000 donation was made to the Cardinal Medeiros Trust Fund and the interest from that fund has been used to finance our Annual Texas State Charities Scholarships and Educational Grants. The program has also served as a great way to honor the contributions of deserving Knights, living or deceased, or their spouses and to pay tribute to Humberto Cardinal Medeiros who served the Diocese of Brownsville and the Texas State Council specifically.

So, why are we initiating changes to the program and initiating “The Triumvirate Fellow Program”?

Opportunity to grow: With over 110,000 Knights in Texas and a program that has been in place for 28 years, we should have many more Fellows than 400.
Broaden our Charitable causes: In addition to strengthening our educational aid cause, we will be able to impact other worthy charitable causes like Retired Priests’ welfare and Seminarian aid.
Increase the number of Cardinals we pay tribute to: While Cardinal Medeiros had a great impact and legacy in Texas and with the Knights, there are other Cardinals with strong Texas heritage and ties that many Knights would like to honor as well.
Increase awareness of the “Fellow” Program and thus the overall contributions to Texas State Charities.
Create new levels of opportunity to recognize individual achievement among our Brothers and/or their spouses or generosity in giving.

How Will The Triumvirate Fellow Program Work?

Beginning October 1, 2026, the Triumvirate Fellow Program will be a progressive and sequential program with three levels of Fellowships:

The Humberto Cardinal Medeiros Fellow
The Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Fellow
The Kevin Cardinal Farrell Fellow

There are plaques and lapel pins to recognize achieving each of these three levels, however, upon achieving all three Fellowships, a Brother Knight or his spouse will receive special recognition on the Texas State Honor Roll and will forever more be known as a Texas:

“Triumvirate Fellow”

What Are The Requirements To Become a Fellow?

Any Knight in good standing or his spouse, living or deceased, is eligible to be nominated for a Fellowship.
Knights are also welcome to self-nominate.
These Fellowships are sequential — in other words, one must start as a Cardinal Medeiros Fellow, followed by becoming a Cardinal DiNardo Fellow and finally a Cardinal Farrell Fellow.
A completed nomination form must accompany the nomination.
A minimum $1,000 contribution to Texas State Council Charities is required for each fellowship.
Multiple levels of Fellowships can be requested at any time.
Existing Cardinal Medeiros Fellows remain as such but are most welcome to advance to other levels of Fellowship and ultimately to become a Triumvirate Fellow.

Where Do The $1,000 Donations Go?

Donations related to the Cardinal Medeiros Fellowship go directly to the Cardinal Medeiros Trust Fund that was established in 1991. Annually, the interest from this fund is used to fund Texas State Council Need-Based Scholarships and Educational Grants.
Donations related to the Cardinal DiNardo Fellowship will go to benefit Retired Priests in the State of Texas.
Donations related to the Cardinal Farrell Fellowship will be used to benefit Seminarians in the State of Texas.

How Will A Fellow Be Recognized?

A Cardinal Medeiros Fellow will receive a personalized 7x9 Cardinal Medeiros walnut plaque, a lapel pin with the image of Cardinal Medeiros and recognition on the Texas State Honor Roll which is on display at the Texas State Council office and at all State Conventions.

A Cardinal DiNardo Fellow will receive a personalized 7x9 Cardinal DiNardo walnut plaque, a lapel pin with the image of both Cardinal Medeiros and Cardinal DiNardo and unique recognition on the Texas State Honor Roll which is on display at the Texas State Council office and at all State Conventions.
A Cardinal Farrell Fellow will receive a personalized 7x9 Cardinal Farrell walnut plaque, a lapel pin with the image of Cardinal Medeiros, Cardinal DiNardo and Cardinal Farrell and unique recognition on the Texas State Honor Roll which is on display at the Texas State Council office and at all State Conventions. Upon attainment of the Cardinal Farrell Fellowship, the Brother will have the distinct honor of being recognized as “Triumvirate Fellow”!

Please click here for the Nomination Form for any or all the three Fellowships.

For any questions related to the Triumvirate Fellow Program please contact Brother Jake Fleischer, Cardinal Medeiros Fellow Chairman, at johnfleischer7@gmail.com or (214) 232-1084.