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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S
O CTOBER 2018
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MDRT
The Premier Association of Financial Professionals ® Robert Abbate – Virginia Beach, VA * Matthew Albers – Aviston, IL Blaine Anhel – Tappen, BC Ben Baca – Whittier, CA * Jimmy Bell – Irving, TX Walker Bormann – Hiawatha, IA Benji Borrelli – Biloxi, MS Daniel Bouchard – Leduc, AB * Allen Bourne – Woodstock, GA Gregory Bronson – Rescue, CA Adam Bruna – Belleville, KS D. Frank Burns – Sarasota, FL Robert Callaway – Burtonsville, MD * Robert Canter – Upper Marlboro, MD * John Canter – Crownsville, MD David Cary – Colorado Springs, CO Wesley Casaus – Anthem, AZ Cleo Castillo – Winnipeg, MB John Cesta – West Palm Beach, FL Wayne Cherney – Devils Lake, ND * Timothy Coskren – Walpole, MA Paul Daigle – Thompsons Station, TN Jon Deakin – York, PA Mark Deaton – Cypress, TX Jeffrey Denehy – East Walpole, MA John DiCalogero – East Walpole, MA * Matthew DiCalogero – Medfield, MA Robert DiCalogero – Canton, MA * Joseph DiSalvo – Merrick, NY Matthew Doty – Woodstock, GA Shane Duplantis – Thibodaux, LA Denis Duval – Garson, ON * Joe Flores – Poway, CA David Gallagher – Ottawa, ON Kevin Garza – Diamond Bar, CA Daniel Gimpel – Sarnia, ON Jeffery Goralczyk – Syracuse, IN Robert Gordon – Mooresville, NC Brian Graham – Kensington, MD * Mitchell Hebert – Lafayette, LA Mark Hedge – Butler, OH * Joel Herman – Harwood, ND AJ Hingle – Metairie, LA Darrell Hinkebein – Nixa, MO Scott Hinkebein – Nixa, MO Larry Hoelscher – Jefferson City, MO * Dennis Hoffman – Bryan, TX John Hoolick – Wilkes Barre, PA Ted Hunkins – Pacific, MO Thomas J. Jackson – Brighton, CO *
A commitment to excellence, outstanding service and the highest ethical standards: These are the traits of all Knights of Columbus field agents, but the dedication of the agents listed here has earned them membership in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) for 2018. MDRT is an international organization that recognizes the top 1 percent of financial professionals in the world. We salute these men for their devotion to continuing Father McGivney’s mission of protecting Catholic families.
2018
Court of the Table Members Dustin Dean Lafayette, Louisiana Dylan Pashia Saint Peters, Missouri James Johnson – Regina, SK Douglas Kelly – Omaha, NE * Steve Kluthe – Omaha, NE Joseph Kong – Nanaimo, BC Jack Kopmann – Washington, MO Brian Lawandus – Lakewood Ranch, FL Jean-Marc LeBouthillier – Repentigny, QC William Lewchuk – Calgary, AB * Michael Ley – Fort Wayne, IN Michael Lodato – Fort Collins, CO Anthony LoMonaco – Vail, AZ Kevin Maxwell – Leesburg, FL Chad McAuliff – Broken Arrow, OK Robert McFadden – Iselin, NJ * Michael, McGranahan – Fullerton, CA * Tyler Meyer – Kingman, KS Gregory Miskiman – Calgary, AB * Robert Monaco – Lancaster, CA Kevin Moran – Virginia Beach, VA Paul Morassutti – San Ramon, CA Michael Mullin – Colborne, ON Ryan Murray – Hope Mills, NC Jason Nelligan – Hamilton, ON Timothy Nowak – Ogallala, NE Edward O’Keefe – Middle River, MD * Guy Ouellette – Legal, AB Paolo Pacana – Whittier, CA Kevin Paish – St. Albert, AB * Robin Pati – Metairie, LA Craig Pfeifer – Madison, NE Neil Pfeifer – Norfolk, NE * Henry Rangel – Cypress, TX Daniel Reed – Ellsworth, KS Darin Reed – Ellis, KS Bobby Renaud – Sudbury, ON * Jean-Pierre Ricard – Glen Robertson, ON Louis Rouleau – Edmonton, AB John Ruffo – Middletown, CT Benjamin Salazar – Virginia Beach, VA Alfred Sanchez – Midland, TX
Ronald Sandoval – San Gabriel, CA Jayme Sanford – Englewood, CO Sonny Sangemino – Windsor, ON * Kevin Schubert – Linn Creek, MO Raymond Selg – Norfolk, VA Daniel Sheehan – Neoga, IL Victor Silva – Flagler Beach, FL Troy Snow – Tulsa, OK David Soukup – Kansas City, KS John Spencer – Marietta, OH Joseph Spinelli III – Tallahassee, FL Jason Staas – Estero, FL Phillip Stackowicz – South Bend, IN Robert Stevens – Tecumseh, OK John Stewart – Sagamore Beach, MA Shon Stice – Daphne, AL John Stoeckinger – Lincoln, NE * Blake Stubbington – Edmonton, AB Douglas Supak – La Grange, TX * Jody Supak – La Grange, TX * James Swartz – Harbor Beach, MI * Raymond Terwilliger – Mountain Top, PA Andrew Tice – Hurst, TX Jeffrey Toeniskoetter – Boynton Beach, FL Young Tran – Portland, OR Daniel Turnwald – Glandorf, OH John Vanderbeek – Kearney, NE Joseph venderBuhs – Abbotsford, BC Alexander Vu – Spring, TX Michael Wasielewski – Marshall, MI Kevin Weber – Gretna, NE Trey Welker – Edmond, OK Louis White – Joliet, IL Michael Wilson – Hacienda Heights, CA Pete Wimer – Spokane Valley, WA Christopher Winston – Warrenton, VA Joseph Wolf – Round Rock, TX * Mark Yubeta – San Clemente, CA Pierre Zermatten – Palatine, IL Stephen Znoj – Canton, GA *Denotes MDRT Life Member
Exemplary Dedication.
Extraordinary Service.
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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S october 2018 ♦ Volume 98 ♦ Number 10
COLUMBIA
The Knights of Columbus Board of Directors is pictured at the 136th Supreme Convention, which took place in Baltimore Aug. 7-9.
136th SUPREME CONVENTION August 7-9, 2018 2
‘Bear Witness to the Love of God’ Greetings from Pope Francis sent to the Supreme Convention by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin
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Knights of Charity Assembled in America’s first diocese for the 136th Supreme Convention, Knights celebrate the Order’s mission and achievements
16 Knights of Columbus News World Youth Day Cross and Icon Visit Saint John Paul II National Shrine • Three New Board Members Elected • Supreme Knight Calls for Reform, Reparation and Renewal • Knights of Columbus Leaders Speak at World Meeting of Families
18 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight 20 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 32
Knights of Charity Culture of Life Aiding Persecuted Christians Patriotism and the Armed Forces Additional Charity and Support Financial Protection International The Future Conclusion
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‘Bear Witness to the Love of God’ H
is Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to learn that from 7 to 9 August 2018, the 136th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus will assemble in Baltimore, Maryland. He has asked me to convey his warm good wishes to all present, together with the assurance of his closeness in prayer. The theme of this year’s Convention — Knights of Columbus: Knights of Charity — clearly evokes the founding spirit and the distinguished history of your Order. It was the inseparable bond of faith and charity that led Venerable Father
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P
FRANCIS IS CONFIDENT THAT YOUR ORDER WILL OPE
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT ABOVE ALL TO NEW GENERATIONS OF YOUNG MEN, WHO
…
SEEK TO REMAIN
CHRIST AND LOYAL SONS OF THE CHURCH. FAITHFUL DISCIPLES OF
Michael McGivney and the first Knights to establish a fraternal society committed to the Christian formation and mutual support of its members. In our own day, the Holy Father has summoned the entire Church to a renewed consciousness of this, our responsibility to be guardians of one another and to live concretely the faith which expresses itself through love (cf. Gal 5:5). In his recent Apostolic Exhortation on the Call to Holiness, Pope Francis spoke of the Beatitudes as the “identity card” showing that we are true followers of Christ. Indeed,
CNS photo/Paul Haring
Greetings from Pope Francis sent to the Supreme Convention by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin
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COVER: Photo by Nick Crettier
PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________
the Sermon on the Mount gives us “a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 63), especially through loving concern for the least of our brothers and sisters. The great saints, whose imitation of Christ continues to inspire us, daily united faith, prayer and practical charity. In the Holy Father’s words, “mental prayer, the love of God and the reading of the Gospel in no way detracted from their passionate and effective commitment to their neighbors” (No. 100). For this reason, Pope Francis encourages the persevering efforts of the Knights of Columbus, at every level, to bear witness to the love of God through concrete love and solidarity for the poor and those in any need. The innumerable acts of charity undertaken often in quiet and unassuming ways by members of the local councils, show the truth of those words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta so close to his own heart: “God bends down and uses us, you and me, to be his love and compassion in the world… He depends on us to love the world and to show how much he loves it” (cf. Gaudete et Exsultate, 107). It is the Holy Father’s hope that the Knights’ “Faith in Action” program, through the addition of a “Helping Hands” component, will bear fruit in a creativity of charity, ever more adapted to the new forms of poverty and human need that are emerging in society today. As His Holiness prepares to travel to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, he wishes me to express his gratitude to the Knights of Columbus worldwide for their commitment to proclaiming the Gospel of the Family, encouraging men in their vocations as Catholic husbands and fathers,
and defending the authentic nature of marriage and the family within society. As he noted in the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, “the Church is a family of families” (No. 87), through which the faithful and redemptive love of Christ constantly expands in our world, drawing hearts to himself and bringing that peace which the world cannot give (cf. Jn 14:27). He is confident that your Order will continue to provide guidance and support above all to new generations of young men, who in a world filled with lights contrary to the Gospel, seek to remain faithful disciples of Christ and loyal sons of the Church. Finally, the Holy Father renews his gratitude for the charitable outreach of the Knights of Columbus towards our brothers and sisters, members of the larger Christian family, who endure prejudice and persecution for their faith. He asks the Knights and their families to continue to pray for peace in the Middle East, the conversion of hearts, a sincere commitment to dialogue and the just resolution of conflicts. Commending the deliberations of the 136th Supreme Convention to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, His Holiness assures the Knights and their families of a special remembrance in his prayers. With great affection he imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord. Yours sincerely,
SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Patrick E. Kelly DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Michael J. O’Connor SUPREME SECRETARY Ronald F. Schwarz SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Margaret B. Kelly ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org PRAYER CARDS & SUPPLIES 203-752-4214 COLUMBIA INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 K OF C CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
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Pietro Cardinal Parolin Secretary of State
Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER A crucifix and altar candles are pictured at the 136th Supreme Convention in Baltimore, with a K of C banner in the background. OCTOBER 2018
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Knights of Charity Assembled in America’s first diocese for the 136th Supreme Convention, Knights celebrate the Order’s mission and achievements
T
he 136th Supreme Convention Aug. 7-9 in Baltimore was a return to the basics. More than 2,000 Knights of Columbus, family members and guests gathered under the theme Knights of Charity, underscoring what has been a fundamental principle of the Order since its founding in 1882. Nearly 100 bishops and cardinals, as well as priests from around the world, were also present for concelebrated Masses and other events. A letter of greeting from Pope Francis (see page 2), sent by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, noted “the inseparable bond of faith and charity” that inspired Father Michael J. McGivney and which bears fruit today “in innumerable acts of charity undertaken often in quiet and unassuming ways by members of the local councils.” 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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In the past fraternal year, Knights exceeded more than $185 million in charitable donations and logged a record 75.6 million volunteer hours. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson discussed these achievements and the Order’s future in his annual report during the opening business session Aug. 7 (see page 18). In addition to highlighting grassroots activities, ongoing partnerships and the new Faith in Action program model, the supreme knight emphasized last year’s hurricane relief efforts and the Order’s continued work to assist Christians in the Middle East. He also announced a new Marian prayer program featuring a pilgrim image titled Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians (see page 10), and he congratulated the jurisdictions of Ukraine and South Korea on being designated the
Order’s newest state council and territory, respectively. This year’s convention marked the first time that a supreme chaplain served as the host ordinary, as Archbishop William E. Lori welcomed Knights and guests to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the premier see of the United States. Guests also had the opportunity to visit Baltimore’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, America’s first cathedral. It was there that Father McGivney was ordained to the priesthood in 1877, five years before he founded the Knights of Columbus. The following pages feature photos, news and excerpts from the convention’s proceedings, together with the supreme knight’s annual report, slightly adapted for print. For more coverage, visit kofc.org/convention.♦
Photos by Matthew Barrick and Nick Crettier
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Top: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivers his annual report during the Supreme Convention’s opening business session Aug. 7. • Above, clockwise: Anthony Colbert, past state deputy of the District of Columbia, sings the “Opening Ode.” • State deputies process with images of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians, the centerpiece of the Order’s new Marian prayer program, following the concelebrated Mass Aug. 8. • A sign raised during a business session indicates the support of Knights in Ukraine, newly designated as a state council. • A family from Saskatchewan waves the province’s flag during the annual States Dinner Aug. 7. OCTOBER 2018
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THIS MORNING, our place of worship is adorned with a graceful image of the Holy Spirit found within the oculus of the great dome of America’s first cathedral, Baltimore’s National Shrine of the Basilica of the Assumption. This image has hovered over all those who, for more than 200 years, have worshipped the living God within the basilica’s hallowed walls. … How, then, did the Holy Spirit accompany those who went before us in faith? Surely, the hand of the Lord was with those Catholic and Protestant pilgrims who journeyed in 1634 from England to the shores of Maryland. They journeyed aboard ships named the Ark and the Dove — names that suggest Mary’s maternal love as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Spirit imaged as a dove hovering over Christ at his baptism. 6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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Those settlers came here at the invitation of the Catholic Lord Baltimore who had received Maryland as a grant from the Protestant King of England, Charles I. Among other things, Lord Baltimore envisioned Maryland as a place where Catholics and Protestants could escape Europe’s religious conflict and oppression and instead live together in freedom and harmony. With the founding of Maryland, the seed of religious liberty was planted in this land; but it would take endurance, character, and unflinching hope for this seed to mature. … Those same Catholics … formed the core of this nation’s first diocese, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, a fledgling diocese destined to play a crucial role in the organization and growth of the Catholic Church in these United States.
Indeed, in 1877, as the Church in America was coming of age, under the gaze of the Holy Spirit in the dome of the Baltimore cathedral, Archbishop James Gibbons ordained Father Michael J. McGivney to the priesthood. Only five years later, in 1882, Father McGivney would found the Knights of Columbus, surely also a work of the Holy Spirit that has flourished and spread to many countries. … This morning, let us ask the Holy Spirit to accompany us on our journey through life. Let us open our hearts to the Spirit who leads us into depths of Christ’s loving heart, even as we strive to love others as the Lord has first loved us. — Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore Homily, Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, Aug. 7
CNS photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review
Knights of Charity C 136th Supreme Convention
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Photos by Matthew Barrick and Nick Crettier
Opening Mass
Clockwise, from top: Two sergeants of the 82nd Airborne Division, who are members of Chaplain Maj. Charles J. Watters Assembly 3459 in Fort Bragg, N.C., followed by Supreme Master Dennis J. Stoddard (center) and vice supreme masters, lead the recessional after the opening Mass. • Missionaries of Charity sisters sit with Supreme Directors and guests during the Mass. • Baltimore seminarians serve as acolytes and process with the metropolitan cross of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which was given to Archbishop-designate James Roosevelt Bayley in 1872. Also used during Mass was the chalice of Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal, third archbishop of Baltimore. Pope Pius VII presented the chalice to Archbishop Maréchal in 1822 for Baltimore’s new cathedral, and then-Archbishop James Gibbons likely used it at the ordination of Father Michael J. McGivney at the Cathedral of the Assumption Dec. 22, 1877.
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I, TOGETHER WITH Archbishop Mokrzycki, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lviv in Ukraine, and four other priests, were among the first to be enrolled in the Order in Ukraine. And today, seven years later, we are witnesses to a historical event — Ukraine being granted the status of state jurisdiction, joining the worldwide community of the Knights of Columbus. On behalf of the Ukrainian Knights, I am deeply grateful to the Supreme Council, and, in particular, to our Supreme Knight, Mr. Carl Anderson, for this recognition and for his willingness to take such a risk with our country. … The idea of knighthood is very relevant and alive among the Ukrainian people. A knight is someone who represents higher values and is eager to sacrifice even his own life for these ideals. So when our men first heard about the four principles of the Order — charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism — they found them very close to their hearts. That is why this invitation to knighthood was, and continues to be, so attractive to more than 1,000 Knights of Columbus in Ukraine. 8 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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I find that it was truly providential that the first council was established in Ukraine’s capital city — Kyiv, five years ago, just before the beginning of the Maidan, or “Revolution of Dignity” as we call it in Ukraine, and our brother Knights demonstrated courage and charity by joining hundreds of thousands of other men and women who wanted to defend their right to live in a just society where human dignity would be respected. But soon after, war knocked at our doors, initiated by our eastern neighbor — and in the last four years, Ukraine has lost eight percent of its territory due to this war. More than 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes in eastern Ukraine, leaving behind all their property…. This war has already claimed more than 10,000 lives and left more than 24,000 people injured, with unimaginable destruction. … The Knights of Columbus in Ukraine have responded generously and wholeheartedly to the most basic need of Ukrainian society — service to one’s neighbor, diakonia. The Order has been very instrumental in mobilizing
Ukrainian men to help people in need. We are immensely grateful to the Knights of Columbus for your prayerful and financial support, through which we were able to realize so many charitable activities. Paradoxically, because of the war, many internally displaced persons from eastern Ukraine, who used to have a hostile attitude toward the Catholic Church as a result of Soviet propaganda, have encountered the loving face of the Catholic Church, which cares for its people regardless of their ethnic background or religious beliefs. — Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halyč, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church States Dinner keynote address, Aug. 7
Photos by Matthew Barrick and Nick Crettier
Knights of Charity C 136th Supreme Convention
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States Dinner
Ukraine Designated Newest State Council The expanSion of the order to Ukraine began 13 years ago with a simple plea. Speaking at the 123rd Supreme Convention in Chicago, Cardinal Lubomyr husar, then major archbishop of Kyiv-halyč, expressed his fervent desire that the Knights of Columbus be established in his country. Some 100 Ukrainian men were welcomed into the order in 2011, and within two years, with the help of Knights from poland, the order formally expanded to Ukraine with councils in Kyiv and Lviv. Ukraine officially became a K of C territory in 2016, and today the country counts more than 1,000 Knights in 25 councils. in his annual report aug. 7, Supreme Knight anderson announced that the Board of Directors has designated Ukraine as a state council.♦
From left: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Major ˘ Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halyc, of Baltimore and Supreme Secretary Michael J. O’Connor stand with the Ukrainian flag following the States Dinner.
Opposite page, top: Knights and family members from Mexico and other jurisdictions wave flags and sing during the annual States Dinner Aug. 7. • Above: Delegates from Visayas wave the Philippines national flag and the flag of the Knights of Columbus. • Right: Fourth Degree members from the Calvert Province, which covers Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, present the national colors.
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Knights of Charity C 136th Supreme Convention
WE GATHER for this greatest prayer of all, the holy sacrifice of the Mass, on the feast of St. Dominic. This towering saint gives us an abundance of attributes to celebrate: his preaching — so renowned that his spiritual sons are called “the order of preachers”; his 10 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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intellect — the spring that gave us scholarly giants such as St. Albert and St. Thomas Aquinas; his zeal — as St. Dominic was non-stop in his teaching, preaching, travel, and work, all for Jesus and his Church. Might I dwell rather on what generated the renowned preaching, scholarship, and evangelical energy of St. Dominic — his prayer. His earliest biographers insisted that St. Dominic’s prayer was patient, persistent, and persevering. No surprise in that, because that’s precisely how Jesus instructed us to pray: with patience, persistence, and perseverance. — Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, Homily, Memorial of St. Dominic, Aug. 8
Order Begins New Marian Prayer Program AT THE CONCLUSION of Mass on Wednesday, Aug. 8, the Knights of Columbus inaugurated its 18th Marian prayer program, featuring a pilgrim image titled Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians. K of C jurisdiction leaders processed with framed copies of the image, which was created by Italian iconographer Fabrizio Diomedi and commissioned by the Supreme Council. The image depicts the Blessed Mother with recent Christians martyrs, including one of the six Mexican Knights of Columbus martyrs. The blessed images will serve as the centerpieces of a new Marian prayer program, bringing greater awareness to the ongoing plight of Christians in the Middle East. It is the 18th Orderwide prayer program featuring a pilgrim image. Since 1979, these rosary-based programs have included some 167,000 local council and parish prayer services with approximately 20 million participants.♦
Photos by Matthew Barrick and Nick Crettier
Above, from left: Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, archbishop of Québec and primate of Canada, celebrates Mass for the memorial of St. Dominic, Wednesday, Aug. 8. Approximately 75 cardinals and bishops celebrated the Mass, which took place on the second day of the Supreme Convention. • Following the Mass, state deputies process with copies of the newly commissioned image titled Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians. The pilgrim images will travel throughout each of the Order’s jurisdictions as the centerpiece of a new Marian prayer program.
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Concelebrated Mass
AS THE ARCHBISHOP of the historic see of Aleppo in Syria, where a man named Saul was brought into the Church to become St. Paul, I address you with a great sense of hope as we inaugurate this Knights of Columbus Marian Prayer Program. This icon of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians touches my heart and the hearts of my people in the Middle East who have suffered so much simply for professing the name of Jesus. … Her protection of our faithful in Aleppo has been significant — if not miraculous — on many occasions. Several times, Our Lady protected hundreds of our Christians while praying in the church under heavy bombing. And on four oc-
casions, I myself felt her hand save me from imminent dangers of kidnapping or death. That is the reason why I am happy for this inspired initiative of the Knights of Columbus. … You, my brother Knights, have heard the pleas of my people, and of all those who are persecuted for their faith in the Middle East. You, my brother Knights, have responded with great charity through the Christian Refugee Relief Fund…. You have brought food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, shelter to the homeless, schooling to children, and smiles to the faces of so many who thought they would never have a reason to smile again. I look at this icon of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians and see a title for Mary that is tragically needed for our times. I see Christian martyrs united under the mantle of Mary, with Jesus blessing them and us. I see the crosses of different Christian traditions uniting us in prayer, from East and West; North and South; bishops, priests, lay people, men and women religious, all united at the foot of the cross, with Mary as our Mother. I ask everyone to continue to help my people through the Knights of Columbus. Thank you, Supreme Knight, and you, my brother Knights, for helping us see more deeply into the mystery of love and mercy that God wishes to work through his people. Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians, pray for us! — Melkite Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria Remarks at inauguration of the 18th Knights of Columbus Marian Prayer Program, Aug. 8 OCTOBER 2018
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Knights of Charity C 136th Supreme Convention
Awards Session Honors Outstanding Achievements
Church Activities: after their church was destroyed by arson, St. luke the evangelist Council 12455 in raleigh, n.C., came to the aid of their pastor and fellow parishioners. First, a council member offered space in his business to hold Mass, while others transported items from the damaged church to a temporary location. then, at the pastor’s request, the council organized parish dances to strengthen unity among the parishioners. Council 12455 also held a series of fundraisers for the building project and contributed $7,500 for a new cross. overall, members donated more than 22,200 volunteer hours to help rebuild the church, concluding their service by organizing a dedication ceremony, presided by Bishop luis Zarama of raleigh. Community Activities: in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, members of Father roach Council 3217 in Dickinson, texas, used boats to help stranded individuals evacuate their homes, and also helped evacuate a priest from the nearby Shrine of the true Cross. Because the shrine was so badly damaged by floodwater, Council 3217 turned its hall into a makeshift church. When Dickinson roads were reopened to traffic, Council 3217 mobilized to help local residents clean their damaged homes. at night, council members and their families loaded trucks full of supplies and delivered them to those hardest hit by Harvey. others remained at the council hall to serve some 6,000 meals to families. in the midst of dealing with storm damage of their own, council members and their families donated more than 9,500 hours 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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of disaster relief volunteer service to their neighbors in need. Council Activities: Members of Holy Spirit Council 15196 in Memphis, tenn., opened their personal and professional employment networks and developed the Knights Career assistance Program. the program aims to help young Knights start or continue a career, or to discern a religious vocation. each candidate receives a personal assessment; customized resources; and coaching in résumé development, interviewing skills, social media presentation and networking. after the preliminary work, the young Knight is then paired with a mentor from a pool of Knights based on his area of interest. Culture of Life Activities: Members of Blessed trinity Council 15181 in Dawson Springs/Princeton, Ky., learned that a local pro-life pregnancy center wanted to reach more people by opening a satellite center in the small town of eddyville. the council worked to renovate the new facility and then raised enough funds to enable the pregnancy center to purchase a 3D ultrasound machine for the satellite office through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound initiative. after the machine was installed last spring, Bishop William Medley of owensboro blessed the center and machine. Family Activities: Meadow lake (Saskatchewan) Council 5259 came to a family’s aid when members learned that a brother Knight’s daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. the girl, Hana, needed specific treatment in Germany and $15,000 a month for medications. the council partnered with the Saskatchewan Charitable Foundation to hold a series of fundraisers that raised $110,000. this sum, together with $80,000 donated though the council’s charity fund, were given to the family to help cover Hana’s treatment. Council 5259 later organized a family Christmas
concert at the parish that raised an additional $5,000. after complications developed with her illness, Hana died last February. the council continued its service by hosting a funeral lunch at the parish and remembering Hana and her family in prayer. Youth Activities: our lady of Częstochowa Queen of Poland Council 14004 in radom, Poland, sponsored 20 young people from war-torn areas of Ukraine for a two-week visit to Poland, where they participated in a religious summer camp at the council’s parish. the first week of camp included mountain trail hikes and visits to locations such as the Shrine of Divine Mercy. During the second week, K of C families hosted the young people in their homes, while the guests participated in a variety of social and spiritual events, culminating in a kayaking trip. Leading General Agents: Kevin Pierce of oklahoma (231 percent of his quota) and ryan lister of Missouri (162 percent of quota). Leading Field Agents: Dylan Pashia of the lister agency in Missouri (730 percent of quota) and Dustin Dean of the Dougherty agency in louisiana (652 percent of quota). Top Recruiter: eduardo Valdez of Don Bosco Council 10277 Council in Surrey, British Columbia, was recognized as the top recruiter for 2017-18 for the order’s insurance territories, signing up 118 members.♦
Photos by Matthew Barrick and Nick Crettier
Six international service awards, as well as other honors for exemplary achievement in charitable outreach, membership growth and retention, and insurance sales, were given aug. 8 at the annual Supreme Knight’s awards Session.
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Supreme Knight’s Awards Session
Ryan and Elizabeth Young of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., are pictured with five of their seven children at the 136th Supreme Convention in Baltimore.
K of C Family of the Year Serves Parish, Community, Youth RYAN AND ELIZABETH Young of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., have their hands full. Not only are they the parents of seven children, ages 10 months to 18 years, but they have been helping to form thousands of other young people in the faith for more than a decade. Recently named the 2018 Knights of Columbus International Family of the Year, the Youngs are active members of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Poughkeepsie, where Ryan is a religious education instructor and cantor, and four of the children are altar servers. Ryan is
also a member of St. Martin de Porres Council 7551, and the family participates in various community outreach programs. In 2008, after 10 years of marriage, Ryan and Elizabeth founded Camp Veritas, a Catholic pilgrimage experience approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and designed to help teens in grades 7 to 12 grow in faith and love of Christ and his Church. The weeklong events feature outdoor activities and sports, together with spiritual activities such as Mass, adoration,
rosary, confessions, educational talks and personal testimonies. The spiritual program is led by diocesan priests and supported by several religious orders. Camp Veritas rents space from existing facilities, such as camping venues or Catholic colleges, and has served some 10,000 young people at locations in New York, Maryland, Florida and Ireland. Last year, the Youngs similarly started Fearless Retreats, a weekend teen retreat program hosted by Catholic high schools and parishes in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.♦ OCTOBER 2018
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Memorial Mass
Order Prepares Nationwide Tour of St. Jean Vianney’s Heart THE BASILICA of Ars, France, has entrusted to the Knights of Columbus a major relic, St. Jean Vianney’s incorrupt heart, for a national tour in the United States from November 2018 through May 2019. Father Patrice Chocholski, rector of the Shrine of St. Jean Vianney in Ars, brought the relic to the 136th Supreme Convention in Baltimore, where it was solemnly processed by Knights from France (pictured above) and presented for veneration after the annual Memorial Mass Aug. 9. In a Sept. 8 letter to Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of
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Galveston-Houston and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson explained that the pilgrimage may be seen as a “spiritual response” to the crisis facing the Catholic Church in the United States and elsewhere. “We welcome as providential,” he wrote, “this opportunity to invoke the intercession of the patron of parish priests, whose holiness and integrity are a singular model for clergy.” For more information about the pilgrimage, including the schedule, visit kofc.org/vianney.
THE OLDER I GET, I must confess, the more I read obituaries. … Most obituaries, as you know, provide minimal information about the deceased. But some highlight a major accomplishment. … What about the saints whose relics we venerate this morning — what could be said of their lives? How does their so-called “obituary” read? St. Jean Vianney, we would say, had a priestly heart and revived a dying parish by the sheer force of his holiness and integrity. The Mexican Martyrs, priests and members of the Knights of Columbus, defied anti-clerical laws that forbade their ministry and paid the ultimate price. St. Edith Stein discovered deeply the truth of Christ, became a Carmelite nun, and gave her life for the Truth in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was led to the fullness of faith, had a passion for educating the young, and founded the Daughters of Charity in nearby Emmitsburg, Md. … What about us? What would you like to see in the first line of our obituaries? … I’m proposing a reality check on the overall trajectory of our life. … For someday, we’ll stand before the Lord, in the particular judgment at the end of our lives and in the final judgment described for us today in the Gospel of St. Matthew. … What rolls off our tongue every time we pray for Father McGivney’s canonization? … “Let the inspiration of your servant prompt us to greater confidence in your love, so that we may continue his work of caring for the needy and the outcast.” As members of the Knights of Columbus, as Knights of Charity, this is what we should be known for! This should be what’s written on our souls when we stand before the merciful Judge. — Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, Memorial Mass homily, Aug. 9
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Business Sessions
Photos by Matthew Barrick and Nick Crettier
From top: Supreme Advocate John A. Marrella reads proposed resolutions during the closing business session Aug. 9. Projected on the back wall is a shield image that was adopted by the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors in 1918 as “the War Emblem of the Order” and used in conjunction with the Knights’ World War I activities. • The delegation from South Korea greets Antonio F. Pascua (left), state treasurer of Nevada, before the opening business session Aug. 7. During his annual report, the supreme knight announced that South Korea has been designated a K of C territory, consisting of the three military councils on U.S. bases in South Korea and four councils that have been chartered in the country since 2015. • A delegate holds a prayer card featuring a portrait of the Order’s founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, and the prayer for his canonization. • Delegates raise signs to show the support of their respective jurisdictions.
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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S N E W S
World Youth Day Cross and Icon Visit Saint John Paul II National Shrine
Three New Board Members Elected DURING THE AUG. 8 business session at the 136th Supreme Convention in Baltimore, convention delegates elected three new members to the Order’s Board of Directors — each to three-year terms starting Sept. 1.
NEARLY 800 PEOPLE gathered at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., as part of an international procession of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon across the National Mall Aug. 25. The cross and icon were on a nineday tour in the United States as it traveled to Panamá in advance of World Youth Day, to be held in Panama City Jan. 22-27, 2019. Many Knights and their families attended and assisted with the daylong event, which began at the Lincoln Memorial and proceeded to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine for an afternoon of liturgical and cultural activities. A number of bishops gave brief addresses along the way, including Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panamá, Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell Jr. of Washing16 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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ton and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore. Participants, including college Knights from The Catholic University of America, Georgetown University and George Washington University, took turns carrying the cross. Members of the District of Columbia state council also carried the cross during the final procession to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a vigil Mass celebrated by Archbishop Lori. “You came not as tourists but as pilgrims, attentive to God’s word,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “All of us this evening should share the hope and the joy of these young pilgrims who, in spite of many obstacles, remain with the Lord and his Church and seek to root their lives deeply in their Catholic faith.”♦
Supreme Director Terry L. Simonton, 70, is a past state deputy of Texas (2014-16). A convert to Catholicism, he has been a Knight for more Terry L. Simonton than 32 years and is currently a member of Temple (Texas) Council 3444. He retired in 2010 after a long career as a land surveyor and project manager. Supreme Director Arcie J. Lim, 64, is a past state deputy of British Columbia and Yukon (201517). A Knight since 1982, he is a member of St. Mary’s Arcie J. Lim Council 13072 in Vancouver. Lim is very active in various movements and committees in his archdiocese and in the Canadian Filipino community.♦
TOP LEFT: Photo by Sarah Gorham — OTHER: Photos by Matthew Barrick
College Knights from the District of Columbia and State Deputy Otto Heck (left) carry the official World Youth Day Cross by the entrance of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. Religious sisters follow, carrying the World Youth Day Marian Icon. St. John Paul II entrusted the cross and icon to the youth and young adults of the world in 1984.
Supreme Director Anthony V. Minopoli, 50, joined the Order in 1994. He served as grand knight of Council 4716 in Bridgeport, Conn., and is Anthony Minopoli a charter member of Council 14014 in Shelton. He joined the Supreme Council staff in 2005 as senior vice president of investments and is now executive vice president and chief investment officer.
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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S N E W S
Supreme Knight Calls for Reform, Reparation and Renewal IN AN AUG. 21 LETTER addressed to all council chaplains, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson asked for a novena of Masses to be offered in reparation for sins committed by clergy following new revelations of sexual abuse, and for the healing of victims. “The issues that have come to light concerning sexual abuse by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report are cause for grave concern,” the supreme knight wrote, noting the sense of betrayal felt by so many Catholics. “We must commit the Knights of Columbus to work for repentance, reform and rebuilding of the Church.” In addition to a number of urgent, concrete reforms — including a full investigation of sexual abuse led by an independent commission that includes laity; complete transparency by the Catholic hierarchy into all matters of criminal sexual misconduct past or future; and an independent ethics hotline for reporting of criminal and other conduct at odds with Catholic teaching on the clerical state of life — the supreme knight called on the Order to take up the spiritual arms of reparation.
“Knights of Columbus will help renew our Church on a national level through a Novena of Masses in reparation for these sins that have so grievously wounded the Body of Christ,” he wrote. “I take this opportunity to ask that you offer this Novena of Masses for our Church at your earliest opportunity.”♦
TOP: Photo by Alton Pelowski — BOTTOM: Photo by Dermot Byrne
Knights of Columbus Leaders Speak at World Meeting of Families SUPREME KNIGHT Carl A. Anderson and Deputy Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly participated in the 9th World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland, Aug. 21-26. Held every three years since the global event was inaugurated by St. John Paul II in 1994, this year’s meeting was organized under the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World.” Supreme Knight Anderson delivered remarks titled “The Family as an Agent of Peace” as part of a panel discussion he moderated Aug. 24. Deputy Supreme Knight Kelly took part in a panel discussion on the vocation of fatherhood the previous day. In his remarks, the supreme knight underscored the missionary role of the family and highlighted the Order’s “Building the Domestic Church While Strengthening Our Parish” initiative. He concluded: “Pope Francis reminds
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivers remarks Aug. 24 during the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. us, as did his predecessors, that the Christian family is called to be a domestic church — not as some unapproachable ideal, but as a pilgrim
church on a journey, walking in the ways of the Lord. And in so doing, radiating God’s love and the fruit of that love — peace.”♦
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Annual Report of the Supreme Knight M
y brother Knights, it was the summer of 1873 and a young man was at a crossroads. With his father’s blessing, he had left home for school some months before filled with hopes and dreams. But now his father was dead, and he was back at home. He had no money for tuition. He had a mother and younger brothers and sisters to support. His only option was to find a job. But the Holy Spirit intervened. Powerful people became aware of the young 18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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man’s plight. They saw in him character. They saw in him a deep faith. And most of all, they saw in him promise — the promise of a man on a mission. So, they arranged for a scholarship, a concept little known at the time. And on Sept. 14, 1873, Michael McGivney of Waterbury, Conn., entered St. Mary’s Seminary, just a few miles from here. Four years later, he was ordained by Baltimore’s Archbishop James Gibbons in the Cathedral of the Assumption.
Father McGivney had arrived in that rare 19th-century American city — a city where Catholicism was accepted, even popular. In fact, it was the birthplace of the Catholic Church in the United States. It was America’s first diocese and the home of our first American bishop, John Carroll, whose family lived at the intersection of faith and liberty in the new nation. The bishop’s cousin, Charles Carroll, was the only Catholic to sign the
Photo by Spirit Juice Studios
Baltimore, Maryland • August 7, 2018
TOP: Photo by Matthew Barrick
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Declaration of Independence, and he became one of our nation’s first senators. Bishop Carroll’s brother, Daniel, signed both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. So at a time when Catholics in the colonies were ostracized or outright attacked, the Carroll brothers and their cousin stood firm in their faith. They believed that religious freedom for all was the bedrock of freedom in the New World. More than a century later, another man came to Baltimore and addressed the world from that cathedral of baseball — Orioles Park at Camden Yards. St. John Paul II had lived through his own period of deep religious persecution. He saw that freedom and democracy cannot, in his words, “be sustained without a shared commitment to certain moral truths about the human person and human community.” “The basic question before a democratic society,” he told us, is “how ought we to live together.” But there was more. Freedom and democracy are not ends in themselves. And they are not guaranteed. They demand vigilance and an eye to higher things. St. John Paul II proclaimed, “Catholics of America! Always be guided by the truth — by the truth about God who created and redeemed us, and by the truth about the human person, made in the image and likeness of God.” And then he challenged us to “always be convincing witnesses to the truth.” A century earlier, a young priest from Waterbury had sought to do just that with a new initiative — an initiative that would change the history of Catholicism in North America. In the aftermath of a bitter civil war, he proposed that we should live as brothers, in charity and in unity. And following in the footsteps of the Carrolls, we should be patriots. In their own ways, St. John Paul II and Father McGivney understood a simple truth: People protect what they value. If we value only self-interest, we will get discord and division. But if we value
Above: The Historic Seminary Chapel, built in 1808, is located on the original site of St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, where Michael McGivney studied before being ordained Dec. 22, 1877. • Below: This portrait of Father McGivney, painted by artist Chas Fagan in 2016, is displayed at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Conn. • Opposite page: Supreme Knight Carl Anderson visits Knights and Texas Gulf Coast communities impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in September 2017. charity — if we value unity and fraternity — we will build a society where the common good is protected. And if we value these things, then we will protect the freedom that makes them possible. Our nation’s founders sought to protect freedom of religion as the first freedom in our Bill of Rights. They knew the foundation of freedom is respect for the dignity of conscience. They knew that only by safeguarding conscience can we hope to achieve America’s promise of E pluribus unum: “Out of many, one.” The Catholicism first nourished here in Baltimore contributed to the American experience through other commitments as well — commitments that could be summarized in this simple, but powerful Gospel insight: The person in need whom we encounter is not a stranger but a brother or a sister. Catholics coming to America were
not looking to build a nation of strangers; they wanted to build a fraternal society of brothers and sisters. Michael McGivney was 21 years old when he entered St. Mary’s. Because others cared about him and because of their charity, he stayed for four years. He studied hard and was ordained in 1877, at the Cathedral of the Assumption. We are told by the authors of Parish Priest that Father McGivney “emerged from school with … an ability to see situations from a host of perspectives. In the tragic early death of his father, McGivney walked for a terrible summer in the uncertain steps of the poor and troubled people he so boldly sought to assist through his vocation. Bereft even temporarily of the security and order that previously marked his life, he was tempered for the work before him.” OCTOBER 2018
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Knights of Charity NOW, BEFORE talking about the work before us, it’s important to reflect on what we have accomplished these past 12 months. It’s safe to say that we’ve never had a fraternal year quite like this one. I’m proud to say that our charitable contributions surged to more than $185 million. That’s an increase from last year’s record of $177 million. And it is one of the largest year-to-year increases in our history. Let me commend and thank every jurisdiction that helped us achieve this goal. The Order also donated more than 75.6 million volunteer hours, an increase of more than 500,000. The cumulative numbers are impressive. But, more impressive is the fact that these works are done by individual Knights in their local communities — works done by men who are true Knights of Charity: men who are everyday heroes. Pope Francis has called charity “the heart of the Church,” and “the soul of its mission.” At no time was this embodied more than in the weeks just after we met last year in St. Louis for our Supreme Convention. The hurricanes with their crippling floods first hit Houston. When hurricane season was over, huge areas of Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico had been destroyed. It was a time of devastation, but it was also a time of heroes. Let me remind you of Army 1st Lt. Jacob Cortez, who was at home in Houston watching the news with his wife and newborn child. In the words of this brother Knight, “We realized the storms were rising extremely quickly. So at that point everything changed.” He put on his military uniform and a life vest, got his father, Paul, and together they set off down the street in a kayak. “It was much like Afghanistan,” he said. “You could feel a sense of danger in the air.” 20 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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Knights in Puerto Rico continue relief and recovery efforts months after Hurricane Maria swept across the island in late 2017.
As the current raged around them, they ignored their own safety and rescued their neighbors. All in all, they saved more than two dozen people — bringing them to the safety of a local shelter. In Jacob’s words: “The Knights of Columbus have always been about helping families who can’t help themselves, and I think that was something paramount we did during the rescue. The news will fade away, but the Knights will not. We’ll be here for the community.”
Last October, I was honored to present our Caritas Medal to Paul and Jacob Cortez, both members of Santa Francesca Cabrini Council 15321 in Houston, in recognition of their bravery and service. By then, Hurricane Maria had laid waste to Puerto Rico. Countless homes and businesses were destroyed. The island’s power grid was crippled. Tens of thousands of people were without food and water. And in stepped José Lebron, one of our general agents and member of San Francisco de Asis Council 15849 in Las
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Above left: U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jacob Cortez (right) and his father, Paul, both members of Santa Francesca Cabrini Council 15321 in Houston, stand with the kayak they used to rescue 27 neighbors trapped in their homes following Hurricane Harvey. For their bravery, they were presented with the Order’s Caritas Award in October 2017. • Right: Supreme Knight Anderson joins General Agent José Lebron-Sanabria (right) and Field Agent Edgardo Santiago (left) in April 2018 to present a $50,000 donation to Sister Claribel Camacho Figueroa for repairs to a girls’ orphanage and school in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
TOP RIGHT: Photo by Nelson Javi Navarros —OTHER: Photos by Spirit Juice Studios
Piedras. He organized a convoy of 10 pickup trucks to distribute food, water and power generators. Over the next months, José was one of the island’s volunteer leaders in helping people throughout Puerto Rico. I am proud to say that Knights and their families responded to the challenge of supporting hurricane victims. We raised an astounding $4.2 million for disaster relief last year. And of that, $1.6 million was spent in Puerto Rico. Another $1.6 million was spent in Texas and nearly $900,000 in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Several months ago, I visited Puerto Rico, where it was my pleasure to meet with Archbishop Roberto González of San Juan, who has been such a true leader of his flock in providing relief to people on the island. At one stop, I visited an orphanage and a school for girls that had taken a direct hit. As the storm ripped the roof off their building, the sister in charge huddled with the girls in the school library to protect them. Now, five months later, the roof was not repaired and the girls in the orphanage were still in temporary homes.
Top 10 jurisdictions for dollars donated Texas: $9.8 million California: $7.4 million Illinois: $7.2 million Florida: $6.9 million Michigan: $6.4 million Ontario: $5.2 million New Jersey: $5 million Missouri: $4.9 million New York: $4.8 million Wisconsin: $4.4 million
When I gave that heroic sister a check for $50,000 from the Knights of Columbus to make the needed repairs, she broke into tears. We will continue to set new records for charity. But you know it is not about numbers; it’s about the lives that we change. We show that we care and that the poor and the marginalized and the broken are not forgotten. Through our time and money, we change lives in ways that only we can — because we make a fraternal difference. We treat them like a brother or a sister.
Top 10 jurisdictions for volunteer hours Texas: 4.6 million Luzon North: 4.4 million Luzon South: 4.3 million Florida: 3.9 million Illinois: 3.4 million California: 3.2 million Ontario: 3 million Mindanao: 2.4 million Michigan: 2 million Pennsylvania:1.9 million OCTOBER 2018
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Culture of Life
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And we will continue to be. Throughout the world the leading causes of death are disease and poverty — but not in the United States. Here, the leading cause of death is abortion. Since 1973 abortion has caused the deaths of more than 60 million children. My brother Knights, the evidence is overwhelming. Today we ask, “Do you not have eyes that see, and ears that hear?” I will repeat what I have said before from this podium — I do not see how it is possible to build a culture of life in America as long as our elected officials harden their hearts to the cries of unborn children. I urge every member of the Knights of Columbus and all Catholics to join the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a nationwide Novena for the Legal Protection of Human Life. ... Recently, Pope Francis described abortion as “the murder of children.” Then he said, “Last century, the whole world was scandalized by what the Nazis did to purify the race. Today, we do the same thing but with white gloves.” Strong words from a strong pope. Some may be shocked by their forcefulness. But as we hear in the Gospel, “What did you come into the wilderness to see? A reed bending in the wind?”
From top: K of C families are among the 22,000 participating in the Marcha por la Vida (March for Life) April 28 in Mexico City. • Young people raise signs displaying the Knights’ “Love Life: Choose Life” slogan during this year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19. I say to you now: You will not see a reed bending here. And let no one think that our defense of life is a narrow, religious cause. As St. John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae, “The issue of life and its defense and promotion is not a concern of Christians alone. … The value at stake is one which every human being can grasp by the light of reason; thus it necessarily concerns everyone…. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good.” On this issue we will not yield. We will never give in. The Knights of Columbus will never abandon the field.
TOP: Photo courtesy of Pasos por la Vida — OTHER: Photo by Spirit Juice Studios
AS KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS and Knights of Charity, we also defend life from conception to natural death. One way we do so is by showing mothers and fathers the beauty of the life they have helped create. Last year, we set a goal of saving one million lives by using ultrasound technology to help mothers choose life over abortion. I’m pleased to announce that we have already placed more than 950 ultrasound machines and that we will meet our goal of 1,000 later this year. But even when we reach our goal, our work will continue because what greater legacy can a council leave than to save the life of a child? And this program will save one million lives. We will also remain at the forefront of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., working in close partnership with March for Life President Jeanne Mancini. And we will continue to support pro-life marches from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Canada, Mexico and the Philippines. I am grateful to my brother Knights who work so hard to make these marches possible. Our annual Marist poll, a unique survey that asks Americans to consider abortion beyond political labels, confirms that millions of Americans agree with us. For a decade, the poll has consistently found that a majority of Americans consider abortion “morally wrong,” and more than three quarters of them want substantial legal limits to abortion. In his most recent apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, Pope Francis writes, “Our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred.” No organization knows this better than the Knights of Columbus. We have been “clear, firm and passionate” in our defense of the dignity of every human life.
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Photo by Martyn Aim
Aiding Persecuted Christians NOR WILL WE abandon our brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith. Another way we live our mission of charity is our work in the Middle East. The simple, hard truth is that Christians are on the verge of extinction in the Middle East. We must not allow this to happen. Since 2014, we have committed more than $20 million to aid Christians and those of other religions in their care. This money has provided food, shelter and clothing to our neighbors who lost everything in Iraq and Syria because they refused to give up their love of Christ. And I’m honored today to recognize Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart, our brother Knight who joins us from Aleppo, Syria. Many of you have seen the photos of Aleppo on the news, a city shattered by the war in Syria. But that has not stopped Archbishop Jeanbart from serving his people and providing global leadership on this issue. Last year, I reported to you on the Iraqi town of Karamles. It had been a Christian town for centuries before ISIS overran it, drove out its inhabitants, destroyed their homes, and desecrated their churches. When Karamles was recaptured from ISIS, the Christians were ready to return. But their town was in ruins. Who would help them rebuild? You met that challenge. Today, with $2 million from the Knights of Columbus the town is being rebuilt, and Christian families are returning home. Our efforts have provided more than financial aid. We worked closely with then-Secretary of State John Kerry to ensure that Christians and other religious minorities were recognized as victims of genocide. And now we are working with Vice President Mike Pence to ensure that these same minorities are included in U.S. and U.N. assistance in Iraq. When the conflict between Kurdistan and the government of Iraq threatened
A Chaldean Catholic family stands in front of their damaged house in Karamles, Iraq, in August 2017.
an ancient Christian town that had just been rebuilt, we alerted the State Department and the White House. We worked with them to help de-escalate tensions and avoid a bloody conflict that could have ended the Christian presence in Iraq. Archbishop Bashar Warda, the courageous archbishop of Erbil, pays a great compliment to all of us when he says that without the support of the Knights of Columbus, Christianity might have died in Iraq. My brother Knights, think about that. Because of our commitment,
Christianity lives in his country. Because of our commitment, churches, schools and homes are open. Because of our commitment, life goes on for our brothers and sisters. But our work is not over. It is not time to turn away. We must continue. In recent years, the Knights of Columbus has been assisting in the construction of McGivney House, a 140unit apartment building that will provide housing for both Syriac and Chaldean Christian families. The building is nearing completion, but more needs to be done. OCTOBER 2018
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Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, and Supreme Knight Anderson greet each other at the United Nations’ conference on “Preserving Pluralism and Diversity in the Nineveh Region” in November 2017. The event coincided with the “Week of Awareness and Education for Persecuted Christians,” co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Last year, as I mentioned, you responded to the challenge and raised $2 million for Karamles. This year I’m asking you to raise $1 million to finish the McGivney House project and provide a place for these Christians to live. And I would encourage our councils to follow the lead of Supreme Director Mike Conrad and St. John the Baptist Council 10305 in Fort Calhoun, Neb. They raised $163,000 for the families of Karamles. Our work in Iraq has brought a message of solidarity and of hope — no
Christian community is an island. Every Christian is “a piece of the continent.” Every Christian is a member of the Body of Christ. No Christian has been abandoned by the Lord. And no Christian should be abandoned by us. Today I am proud to announce that this year’s Pilgrim Icon program will help us focus the eyes of our Church on the sacrifice of so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Their suffering continues. And our work must continue.
Our Pilgrim Icon was especially commissioned for our program. Created by the Italian iconographer Fabrizio Diomedi, it is titled Our Lady, Help of Persecuted Christians. With this icon we make these words of St. John Paul II our own: “The precious heritage which these courageous witnesses have passed down to us is a patrimony shared by all the Churches. “May the memory of these brothers and sisters … grow still stronger! Let it be passed on from generation to generation, so that from it there may blossom a profound Christian renewal!” To focus the attention of our nation on the plight of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, this fall we will begin a national awareness campaign. My brothers, we will do everything we can to ensure they are not forgotten.
“The work of the Knights helping the displaced Christians is a historic work. Without this support, Christianity would disappear in our region.” – Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, Iraq Left: Archbishop Warda is pictured at McGivney House, a 140-unit apartment building that will provide housing for displaced Christian families in Erbil. 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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TOP: Photo by Thomas Serafin — LEFT: Photo by Claire Thomas
from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain
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Patriotism and the Armed Forces ONCE AGAIN, the experience of our wounded veterans and military personnel on the annual Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage was unforgettable. Under the leadership of Archbishop Timothy Broglio and Col. Chuck Gallina, and accompanied by Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Mike Rose, a past grand knight, we brought more than 200 pilgrims to Lourdes. Our group joined 14,000 soldiers from more than 50 countries for the 60th International Military Pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine. On the day of our first Mass, Past Grand Knight and retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant Paul McQuigg served as our lector. That would not have been remarkable except for the fact that Paul McQuigg has endured 54 operations to his face and mouth to repair combat wounds suffered in Iraq. I also met a mother and a daughter. The daughter had received a severe head wound in Afghanistan. Her recovery continues, and remains very difficult. Neither one of them is a Catholic. But I’ll never forget what the mother told me. She said that being in Lourdes had changed their lives, and that they would never forget their experience. It was easy at times, she said, to believe the world had forgotten them. But then the Knights of Columbus called. Soon after our return, I received an email from a married couple who had joined us. Both had served in combat in Iraq. They had filed for divorce shortly before they had joined our pilgrimage. Their moving account of spiritual healing concluded with these words: “The celebration of the rosary and the candlelight procession filled me with peace and hope for my family’s future and the families of all the wounded warriors. The most amazing experience was being part of all the nations praying for world peace.”
Hundreds of members of the armed forces of English-speaking nations attend Mass at the Grotto of Massabielle during the 2018 Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage. And peace has also come to their marriage — they have turned away from divorce. Col. Gallina, Capt. Rose, Sgt. McQuigg: to you and to the millions of heroes like you, we say, “Thank you for your service.” We are also proud of our partnership with the Archdiocese for the Military Services and our support for the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program. This program educates future military chaplains, and thanks to the continued generosity of the Fourth Degree, we will continue our annual grants of $200,000 for two more years. That raises our total contribution to $2 million — double our initial goal.
The Patriotic Degree
The Fourth Degree added 17,426 members last year, bringing total membership to 364,131. In addition, 41 assemblies were added for a total of 3,453.
Supporting Our Military
The Knights of Columbus is one of the Veterans Affairs’ largest volunteer partners. Led by the Fourth Degree, Knights donated nearly 67,000 hours of service at more than 100 VA medical centers. For this and other efforts on behalf of the U.S. armed forces, including the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program, Archbishop Timothy Broglio honored the supreme knight and the Knights of Columbus with the Medal of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Nov. 18, 2017. OCTOBER 2018
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AT HOME, we continue our work to promote charity, unity and a greater sense of brotherhood. During the past fraternal year, we distributed more than 105,000 new coats to children. We provided nearly 4 million pounds of food and nearly $2 million through our Food for Families program. We donated 7,649 wheelchairs through our partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission. And 3,122 councils donated more than $3.8 million to 6,348 seminarians and postulants through our Refund Support Vocations Program. We also added 2,000 college Knights and 11 new college councils, including one at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. And collectively, our college Knights donated $281,000 and 411,000 hours to charity. In a private audience last fall, I presented Pope Francis with $1.6 million in earnings from the Knights of Columbus Vicarius Christi Fund. Since the fund’s inception in 1981, more than $59 million has been donated for the personal charities of the Holy Father. And in June, Pope Francis became the beneficiary of the Knights of Columbus life insurance program when I presented him a check for more than $110,000 on behalf of a deceased priest who made the Holy Father the beneficiary of his insurance and annuity policies. Knowing we can’t rely on the mainstream media alone to tell the Catholic story, we continued to support a variety of Catholic media. One example is our funding for EWTN’s Washington-based News Nightly program. We are also proud to support the Salt and Light Catholic Television Network in Canada, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in July under the leadership of Father Thomas Rosica. I’m especially pleased to note that Salt and Light’s new state-of-the-art studio in Toronto is named after Father McGivney and is a tribute to the friendship 26 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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and collaboration between the Knights and Salt and Light. And knowing the importance of communications in a crisis, we donated $78,000 to Católica Radio at the Catholic University of Puerto Rico and $50,000 to Teleoro Channel 13 of the Archdiocese of San Juan. This year also marked the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics — and the 50th anniversary of our partnership with this extraordinary organization. Our councils donated nearly $6 million to Special Olympics and other programs for persons with intellectual disabilities. In addition, 76,000 Knights gave more than 350,000 hours of their
time at more than 12,500 events. Last October, I joined Chairman Tim Shriver in Rome for the Special Olympics Unified Football Tournament held at our Knights of Columbus soccer fields overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica. No organization in the world has done more to promote respect and inclusion for those with mental disabilities than Special Olympics. And the Knights of Columbus is proud to have supported this effort from the very beginning. On this occasion, I think back to some time I spent with Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver at the Special Olympics in Dublin in 2003. I remember Sargent, himself a brother Knight,
Photo by Christian Rizzo
Ongoing Charity and Support
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Photos by Spirit Juice Studios
Opposite page: Supreme Knight Anderson joins 200 athletes from nine countries at the awards ceremony of the Special Olympics Unified Football Tournament, held at the Knights’ Pius XI Athletic Center in Rome in October 2017. • Above: Students of St. Agnes of Bohemia Catholic School in Chicago show off two of the hundreds of warm coats distributed by Illinois Knights and former NFL coach Mike Ditka at a Coats for Kids event in September 2017. • Right: Members of Georgia Tech Council 14496 take time out of their busy fall semester to assist with an Atlanta Habitat for Humanity build in October 2017. Nationwide, Knights raised more than $594,000 and gave more than 1 million volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity projects last year.
saying that the Knights “have always seen the beauty of the human heart.” But those of us who have participated in Special Olympics know that it is the courage, joy and dignity of the Special Olympics athletes themselves which enables us to see the beauty of the human heart. Our work to promote respect and inclusion continues on many fronts. We support our bishops’ efforts against racism, and I am honored to serve as a consultant to the bishops’ new Committee Against Racism. During the past fraternal year, we made special efforts to promote Dr.
Martin Luther King’s legacy of nonviolence in the pursuit of racial justice. More than 60 years ago, Rev. King told us that the only way “to cut off the chain of hate” was “by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives.” And in that same spirit, we recall the work of Baltimore’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Our tradition of American parochial schools can be traced directly to her. After anti-Catholic prejudice blocked her plans to open a Catholic school in New York City, she came to Baltimore — providing a free education for poor girls. She later moved her school to nearby
Emmitsburg. And there she also founded the Sisters of Charity, who continue to serve the poor in the United States and Canada. Today, I am proud to announce that the Knights of Columbus has joined with our supreme chaplain, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, to ensure that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s legacy continues. We are contributing $1 million to the completion of a regional community school that will make available to innercity children a quality, state-of-the-art Catholic education. This school will be the first opened by the archdiocese in half a century. OCTOBER 2018
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Financial Protection
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Supreme Knight Anderson joins General Agents (left to right) Neil Pfeifer (Nebraska), Ben Baca III (California/Hawaii), Kevin Pfeifer (Nebraska), Marc Bouchard (Alberta) and Daniel Duval (Ontario) during a three-day conference in July 2018.
for 2018. The Knights of Columbus has received that distinction for five straight years, and is one of just three insurance companies so honored. Pope Francis has challenged Catholics to take up what he calls “an ethics of fraternity.” This is also the vision of Father McGivney. And this is what we have been doing for more than 135 years. We should remember that in Father McGivney’s day there were already insurance companies in Connecticut. He could have referred his parishioners to one of these companies. But he did not. Father McGivney wanted something different. He wanted something new. He wanted something distinctly Catholic. Father McGivney wanted a new Catholic fraternity that would transform the practical men of his day into a committed brotherhood of men capable of helping each other. That is what he founded, and that is what we remain today. At the Knights of Columbus, we have developed a strong, successful business model based upon “an ethics of fraternity.” It is what we mean when we say
“insurance by brother Knights for brother Knights.” This same ethic applies to Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors. Established just three years ago, Asset Advisors is now a go-to advisor for more than 200 dioceses, religious orders and other organizations, offering them a way to invest consistent with our shared respect for life, human dignity, family and religious freedom.
Photo by Don Shepard
NOW, I’D LIKE to turn our attention inward. Once again, the growth of our life insurance program was impressive. When I was elected supreme knight, I said that we have a moral obligation to offer membership in the Knights of Columbus to every eligible Catholic man. And today, I tell you we have a similar obligation to offer our greatest fraternal benefit — Knights of Columbus Insurance — to every eligible Catholic man. Our assets under management are more than $24 billion. Our surplus is up by $188 million to more than $2.1 billion. We are ranked among the Fortune 1,000 list of America’s largest companies. And just recently, Standard & Poor’s listed the Knights of Columbus as one of the six strongest life insurance companies in North America — putting us at the very top of the industry. Father McGivney knew from personal experience how uncertain a family’s life can be. If we are to be faithful to the vision of Father McGivney, then we all have the responsibility to ensure that every brother Knight can secure the financial future of his family. Our mission is to help every brother Knight be a responsible steward, so if the unexpected happens, his home is secure, his wife is protected, and his children have a promising future. I’m especially proud of our recognition by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies
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International Around the world, we have had another stellar year of service — and of growth. In Asia, europe and latin America, brother Knights are building for the future. Just before our meeting today, our board of directors designated South Korea as our newest territory. And I am proud to announce that Bishop Francis Xavier Yu, a Fourth degree Knight, has agreed to serve as our first territorial chaplain, and Father Gerard hammond, our most recent Gaudium et Spes Award recipient, will serve as our associate territorial chaplain. I will soon appoint the first territorial deputy. the new territory will include the three military councils on u.S. bases in South Korea, as well as the four South Korean councils that have been chartered since 2015. with this development, we will enhance our ability to bring the Knights of Columbus way of charity and unity to the Korean peninsula. I am also proud to report that the board has designated ukraine — with 25 councils and more than 1,000 Knights — as our newest state council. this comes two years after it became a territory under the leadership of the first territorial deputy Bogdan Kovaliv. I’d also like to recognize his Beatitude, the Major Archbishop of Kyivhalyč, and the Archbishop of lviv. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, thank you for being here today. we are one with you in praying for a peace in your country that respects the territorial sovereignty of your nation. In Poland, brother Knights helped collect more than 830,000 signatures to petition the parliament to amend the country’s abortion laws to provide greater legal protection to unborn chil-
dren. In March, Poland’s President Andrzej duda met with a delegation of Polish Knights to thank them for their disaster relief efforts. Mexican Knights put their faith in action last September after back-to-back earthquakes battered Mexico with a death toll of more than 300. the Supreme Council sent $100,000 that was distributed among the dioceses of Mexico City, Puebla and Cuernavaca. And our councils in Mexico South and Mexico Central set up collection centers for food, water, medicine and clothing. they also delivered supplies to the diocese of Cuernavaca, one of the most damaged areas. In Canada, our brother Knights continue to answer the call of our first principle — charity. there are many examples. Consider Father Bonner Council 7599 in edmonton, which has raised more than $140,000 in support of the parish and community since 2014. during that same time the council has also contributed nearly 1,800 volunteer hours and $12,000 to habitat for humanity. then there was St. Mark’s Council 8870 in Calgary where brother Knights renovated the church, saving the parish $150,000. we continue to grow in France, where we partnered with the Archdiocese of Paris to commemorate the centennial of the First world war, with a stunning light show projected on the façade of notre-dame Cathedral, titled “Queen of hearts.” recently, our brother Knights in France mobilized to honor Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, a gendarme and Catholic hero who sacrificed his life to save another during a terrorist attack. with the diocese of the French Armed Forces, they helped organize a Memorial Mass in Paris and printed thousands of prayer cards. we continue to experience tremendous growth in the Philippines, and there are countless examples of the great work our brother Knights do there.
Polish President Andrzej Duda meets with Polish Knights of Columbus leaders and volunteers March 20. President Duda arrived in Brusy, a town in northern Poland, and thanked the Order for supporting people affected by hurricanes in the region in August 2017. Speaking with State Deputy Tomasz Wawrzkowicz (far left), President Duda expressed admiration for the Knights’ solidarity and readiness to provide long-term support. But today, I want to announce a special initiative for the Philippines. Catholics in the Philippines are preparing to celebrate 500 years of Christianity in their country in 2021. I have appointed our Supreme director from the Philippines, Judge Jose reyes, to be my special representative and to lead a special initiative to rally our brother Knights in this upcoming celebration. this year we will participate in an effort to bring Jesus into every Catholic home through our initiative of building the domestic church, in which we ask every council to take up our Consecration to the holy Family program. we are so pleased that Cardinal orlando Quevedo is here with us today from the Philippines. Your eminence, please bring home to your brother bishops our commitment to support this historic event.
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The Future ONCE AGAIN this year, the Knights of Columbus set a record for membership with a total 1,967,585 members. I’m also proud to say that the state of the Fourth Degree is strong and getting stronger. Membership grew to 364,131, an increase of more than 17,000. So yes, my brother Knights, I’m proud to say that the state of our Order is good! Which is precisely why we must turn our attention to what’s ahead. We should address the future needs of our beloved Order now from a position of strength. Our future success is not automatic, and our continued growth is not guaranteed. We must step up now to bring younger men into the Order. We must reach out to where they are — not to where we think they should be. Our mission continues to involve their families; to account for their spiritual well-being; and to provide leadership opportunities for their service. This is what Father McGivney did using the means and tools of his day. And this is what we will do using the tools of our day. It is time to think in new ways for a new generation. Our program, “Surge with Service,” was begun in 1971. John McDevitt was our supreme knight and Pope Francis had been a priest for only two years. “Surge with Service” has served its purpose well. But it is time for a new approach. Last month, at the start of our fraternal year, we launched a new program model called “Faith in Action.” The name encompasses what it means to be a Knight of Columbus and a true Knight of Charity. It’s our way of proclaiming that in today’s world there are men who put their faith into action — men who bring value to our communities and hope to our nations. You will learn more about this program model from your state leaders. 30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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But simply put, Faith in Action will encourage councils to engage in new activities to promote faith, family, life and community. Our Faith in Action program rests on the solid foundation of our “Building the Domestic Church” initiative. As Pope Francis reminds us in Amoris Laetitia, “A family’s living space could turn into a domestic church.” This is the heart of our domestic church program. Put simply, it is the idea that the Catholic family has the same mission as the Church — to pray together, and to build up each other in the faith; to be a place of mercy, reconciliation and love; and to take up Christ’s mission of charity.
Membership by the Numbers
Total members: 1,967,585 Total councils: 15,900
College Knights: 34,854 College councils: 374
Online members: 2,227 as of Aug. 7, 2018
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FAITH IN ACTION RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS FAITH Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) Into the Breach Marian Prayer Program Building the Domestic Church Kiosk Rosary Program Spiritual Reflection Program New Holy Hour New Sacramental Gifts New FAMILY Food for Families Family of the Month/Year Keep Christ in Christmas Family Fully Alive Family Week Consecration to the Holy Family Family Prayer Night New Good Friday Family Promotion New
COMMUNITY Coats for Kids Global Wheelchair Mission Habitat for Humanity Disaster Preparedness Free row Championship Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest Soccer Challenge Helping Hands New LIFE Marches for Life Special Olympics Ultrasound Program Christian Refugee Relief Silver Rose Mass for People With Special Needs New Pregnancy Center Support New Novena for Life New
www.kofc.org/join
The Knights of Columbus Online Membership program is already proving to be a valuable recruiting tool for councils. Future Knights need only visit kofc.org/join to enroll in our digital program, which sets them on the path to becoming engaged in K of C spiritual and council life. As shared by State Deputy Steve Kehoe of Virginia, whose territory served as a test market for Online Membership: “This program is only going to strengthen and grow the Order. Knights are a vital part of our parishes and communities, and these additional members will help us to continue Father McGivney’s dream.” Nearly a quarter of the men who join the Order through the Online Membership program later joined a local council within weeks of signing up online, and many more express interest in doing so.
Left: Brandon and Sarah Reid are pictured with their children outside of their home in Abbotsford, British Columbia. A member of Archbishop Johnson Council 6767 in Abbotsford, Brandon joined the Knights through the Online Membership program.
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Conclusion I BEGAN MY REMARKS with Michael McGivney entering St. Mary’s Seminary. We all know what happened next. He came back to Connecticut where he served his people tirelessly and founded the Order we all love. But now I’d like to introduce you to someone else. In 2009, Zachary Crowley left home for the University of Maryland with dreams of becoming a doctor. He became active in the college Knights council there. In the process, he returned to the Catholic faith. He told us: “The Knights’ role in my reversion was really showing me the fraternal side of Catholicism. And charity was a way of engaging the faith on the ground level.” By the time he graduated, he had dropped plans for medical school. Instead, he entered St. Mary’s Seminary. Virtually every day, he walks past a bust of Father McGivney. It’s a reminder, he says, that “The man who founded this incredible organization did the same things in the same seminary that I am in.” The biggest thing with the Knights, he says, is that “we are all about charity.” Father McGivney and Zachery Crowley form part of a continuum that is our history and our future. They embody the idea of a man on a mission — a mission to which all of us, as Knights of Columbus, have been called. Finally, as many of you know, the Knights of Columbus has had a long connection with the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. We provided the financial resources to build the Knights’ Tower nearly 70 years ago and, more recently, the Knights of Columbus Incarnation Dome. Earlier this fraternal year, the great Trinity Dome of the Basilica was completed — another project made possible by our financial support. Before its solemn dedication, the rector of the basilica, Msgr. Walter Rossi, invited a delegation to the very top of the 26,000 32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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The Blessed Virgin Mary and saints significant to the Church in America are depicted in the mosaic of the Trinity Dome at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. square foot dome. Artisans had placed there 15 million pieces of Venetian glass that make up the mosaic. As Msgr. Rossi pointed out where the words “Please pray for the Knights of Columbus” had been added to the dome mosaic, I thought how wonderfully appropriate to place the Knights of Columbus under the protection of Our Lady in the house for her that we have helped to build, and surrounded by the saints that did so much to bring the Gospel to our continent. Standing there at the highest point of this magnificent basilica honoring Our Lady, I thought of another, much smaller, beautiful church named for her where a group of committed men had met in the basement. Those men would not build a church, but they would build a magnificent organization — an organization that brings Christ’s charity to millions around the world. Christ lives in the history of each of our nations. He has changed their history. And we believe that the future of each of our nations is directed toward him. Because of what you have accomplished, the Knights of Columbus now lives in their history as well. Today, let us resolve that as Knights of Charity, Knights of Unity, Knights of Fraternity, we will continue to change lives — and that by doing so we
will continue to change history. My brother Knights, let us so conduct ourselves that some day a future supreme knight will look out from the great dome of Mary’s basilica to see an entire continent embracing a new culture of life under the protection of Mary and surrounded by saints. Vivat Jesus!
OFFICIAL OCTOBER 1, 2018: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.
COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3 PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.
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K N I G H T S O F C O LU MBU S
Knights of Charity Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.
Nine new members of St. Philip the Apostle Council 11671 in Clifton, N.J., stand with New Jersey State Deputy Robert Hatler (center) in front of an 80,000-pound tank at the 9th annual New Jersey Knights of Columbus Tank Pull Challenge. The competitive team event was spearheaded by Council 11671 to support disabled veterans and is part of the parish carnival each June. The nine new Knights helped organize the event and also assisted with food preparation, supervision of youth games and other activities. To date, the Tank Pull Challenge has raised more than $1 million for local vets and veteran’s organizations.
TO BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S “K NIGHTS IN A CTION ” PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO : C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW H AVEN , CT 06510-3326 OR EMAIL : KNIGHTSINACTION @ KOFC . ORG .
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PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
K E E P T H E FA I T H A L I V E
‘THE CALL TO
It was the bells of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu that first drew my 8-yearold self to the Church. I fell completely in love with the Mass and wanted to be a priest from that young age. Little did I know that, 20 years later, I would be ordained a priest of Jesus Christ in that very church. Still, my discernment journey was not easy as I faced the lures of the world. During high school, I became determined to become a forensic pathologist. But God had other plans. Shortly after I graduated, my father died unexpectedly, and I had to stay home in Hawaii and work to help make ends meet. I ended up getting a job as assistant to the rector at the cocathedral. The call to become a priest grew stronger, and it was difficult to run away, especially with the vocations director in residence. After two years, I took the leap of faith and entered the seminary. During my first semester, my mother lost her battle to cancer. God gave me the grace necessary to continue, and I don’t regret answering the Lord’s call to follow him. FATHER ALFRED GUERRERO Our Lady of Good Counsel Council 11636 Pearl City, Hawaii
Photo by Dana Edmunds Photography
BECOME A PRIEST GREW STRONGER.’