Columbia August 2015

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K N I G H T S O F C O L U M BU S

AUGUST 2015

COLUMBIA

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A BROTHER K NIGHT CAN CHOOSE NO BETTER COMPANY FOR THE PROTECTION OF HIS FAMILY. I N CHOOSING K NIGHTS OF C OLUMBUS I NSURANCE , HE IS MAKING A COMMITMENT TO HIS FAMILY ’ S FUTURE ; HE IS MAKING A COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL INVESTMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ; AND HE IS MAKING A COMMITMENT THAT BENEFITS HIS C HURCH AND COMMUNITY. — SUPREME K NIGHT C ARL A. A NDERSON

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AUGUST 2015 ♦ VOLUME 95 ♦ NUMBER 8

COLUMBIA

F E AT U R E S

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His Cause Marches On For 125 years, Venerable Michael McGivney’s life and practical spiritual vision have inspired devotion.

BY BRIAN CAULFIELD

14 On Holy Ground Historic Jesuit martyrs’ shrine receives support from Order to continue its legacy as a place of pilgrimage and witness.

BY MARY DETURRIS POUST

18 Order Aids African AIDS Orphans Children in Uganda and Kenya receive education and hope through partnership with the Apostles of Jesus.

BY JENNIFER REED AND JACINTA W. ODONGO

22 Laudato Si’: A Call to Right Relationship Pope Francis’ new encyclical addresses questions about how we relate to God, each other and creation.

BY JONATHAN REYES

24 Persecution Rising Christians continue to be in the firing line of Islamic State militants and other terrorist groups across the globe.

BY LORD DAVID ALTON

A statue of St. Isaac Jogues stands in the Coliseum Church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y.

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world

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CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

Learning the faith, living the faith The vitality and mission of the local Church is closely linked to the formation and evangelization of families.

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Knights Observe Fourth Annual Fortnight for Freedom • Order Launches New Rosary Program • John Paul II Institute Celebrates New Graduating Class

By honoring the places where the Catholic faith first took root in North America, we rediscover our call to be disciples today.

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

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Knights of Columbus News

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Fathers for Good A father shares insights about how families can foster religious vocations.

Building the Domestic Church Because no one should be isolated, remember that the parish is a family of families.

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2015-16 State Deputies

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Knights in Action

BY BRENDAN GLASGOW

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

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‘An Attitude of the Heart’ IN HIS NEW encyclical letter, Laudato Si’ (Praise Be To You), Pope Francis presents a passionate and challenging appeal to “ecological conversion,” developing the teaching of St. John Paul II (38). Throughout the document, the Holy Father reflects not only on our relationship with the natural world, but also on our relationships with God, with each other and even with ourselves (see page 22). There is a need for a true “human ecology,” the pope says, that recognizes both the moral law and the fact that man has a given nature, which is intimately connected with the rest of the world. This unity of creation, he goes on to argue, generates a “universal fraternity” and inspires charity, which is “the key to authentic development” in social, economic and political life (228, 231).

In this way, charity, unity and fraternity are described as integral to a civilization of love — in contrast with our contemporary world’s obsession with power, technology and consumption.

The temptation today, Pope Francis observes, is a practical relativism that “sees everything as irrelevant unless it serves one’s own immediate interests” (122). It is difficult to foster wonder and hear the call to love, he adds, “amid constant noise, interminable and nerve-wracking distractions, or the cult of appearances” (225). As part of his response, the pope urges us to “slow down and look at reality in a different way” and to cultivate “an attitude of the heart, one which approaches life with serene attentiveness” (114, 226).

Such an attitude of the heart calls to mind Pope Benedict XVI’s insight that the Christian, like the Good Samaritan, is to have “a heart which sees … where love is needed and acts accordingly” (Deus Caritas Est, 31). It also calls to mind the life and mission of Venerable Michael McGivney, who died 125 years ago this month (see page 8). Though his work ethic was legendary, Father McGivney’s actions were grounded in prayer. Our founder did not suffer from the modern lack of balance that leads to “frenetic activity” (cf. Laudato Si’, 225), but rather was present to the people whom he served, seeing where love was needed and acting accordingly.

The mission and legacy of the Knights of Columbus remains the same today. On an international level, the Supreme Council does what it can to meet the needs of others, whether they are AIDS orphans and other needy children in Uganda and Kenya (see page 18) or Christian refugees who have been displaced as a result of religious persecution and civil unrest in their home countries (see page 24). On a local level, too, countless K of C initiatives respond to needs in parishes and communities.

Nonetheless, Knights and their families are not immune from the temptations and distractions of the world. Let us therefore heed Pope Francis’ call to conversion, fostering environments of rest, wonder and prayer, so that our actions may bear life-giving fruit.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR

Papal Encyclical: Laudato Si’ POPE FRANCIS’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ (Praise Be to You) is an appeal to all people to reflect “On the Care for Our Common Home.” In the face of global environmental deterioration and a throwaway culture, the Holy Father calls for restoration of our most fundamental relationships. The official Vatican text is available free online at vatican.va. Several printed versions are also available.

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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Logan T. Ludwig DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME SECRETARY Michael J. O’Connor SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi SENIOR 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 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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Copyright © 2015 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER Students holding Venerable Michael McGivney prayer cards stand outside of the Marengoni Primary School in central Uganda.

COVER: Courtesy of the Apostles of Jesus

E D I TO R I A L

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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

Memory and Martyrdom By honoring the places where the Catholic faith first took root in North America, we rediscover our call to be disciples today

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson On June 13, I made a pilgrimage to the the Gospel message was proclaimed, Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Au- sometimes by preaching, other times riesville, N.Y., where I presented a grant by living, and in the end by dying. on behalf of the Knights of Columbus for When we remember what the misthe renovation and upkeep of the historic sionaries did on this continent, we enWe live on a continent that met site (see story on page 14). In place of my counter an immense truth. As St. Christ through the tireless, selfless monthly column, I would like to share Irenaeus tells us: “The glory of God is work of missionaries, and this ensome of the remarks I delivered on that man fully alive.” But what does it mean counter — more than any other attriboccasion: to be “fully alive” in this way? It means ute — is what unites our continent.

There are special places around the to live a life that overflows with such The example of these heroic misglobe where the spiritual history of the love of God and love of neighbor that sionaries calls out to us to live lives of world unfolded. These places are holy no evil on earth can triumph over it.

Christian witness. These champions of ground. We think of St. Peter’s the first evangelization reach Basilica in Rome, built atop across time to inspire us to the burial place of our first take up a new evangelization.

The New World was made truly As Pope Francis has written: pope, or Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City, where Our Lady of “All of us are called to offer “new” because the Gospel was Guadalupe appeared and others an explicit witness to changed the course of evangethe saving love of the Lord” proclaimed by preaching, by lization for an entire hemi(Evangelii Gaudium, 121). living, and in the end by dying. sphere. Today we think of Today, we honor the French Auriesville, N.Y., where the Jesuit martyrs of this place as blood of martyrs brought supreme examples of that forth within a single generation a lily St. Isaac Jogues returned here even saving love.

— St. Kateri Tekakwitha — from the after he had been brutally tortured, his We are pleased to join with our people who had spilled that blood. fingers bitten off, made to run the brother Knights of Columbus What happened here was a fate every gauntlet. Little wonder the Mohawks throughout New York to help renomissionary to the New World knew called him “the indomitable one.” But vate the shrine of these great marwas not just a possibility, but a proba- what impressed his former captors tyrs. Soon, a spiritual son of St. bility. As St. Isaac Jogues wrote to a Je- most? That he loved them.

Ignatius Loyola will visit our counsuit colleague in France, “I shall go, but Across the country, we learn a similar try. Pope Francis reminds us that I shall not return.” Martyrdom for lesson from Blessed Junípero Serra, the “every Christian is a missionary” and these brave men was not an abstrac- Apostle of California, whom Pope that all of us are called to be “mistion. And yet they came.

Francis will canonize this September in sionary disciples” (120).

Places like Auriesville are spiritual Washington, D.C. When Native If we answer this call, then the most heritage sites. They are holy places Americans murdered one of his Fran- enduring shrine to the martyrs of this where people changed the spiritual fu- ciscan confreres, Father Serra success- place will not be made of bricks and ture of our nation. The history of fully argued against the death penalty timber. It will be those pilgrims who America is incomplete without the for those responsible. Such a punish- leave this place renewed with a spirit of memory of such places. Here, the New ment, he said, was not consistent with missionary discipleship.

World was made truly “new” because the witness to the Christian faith.

Vivat Jesus!

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

The Parish: A Family of Families The vitality and mission of the local Church is closely linked to the formation and evangelization of families

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori IN HIS APOSTOLIC exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis speaks about the importance of parish life. He affirms St. John Paul II’s description of a parish as “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters” (cf. Christifideles Laici, 26).

He then goes on to say: “This presumes that [the parish] really is in contact with the homes and lives of its people, and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed group made up of a chosen few” (Evangelii Gaudium, 28).

Pope Francis insists that a parish is called to be the presence of the Church in a community, providing a place where people can hear God’s word, grow in discipleship, and extend themselves in love to the poor and needy — a place where they can pray, worship and celebrate.

BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER As I reflect on Pope Francis’ words, I think about my own experience. Almost every weekend I try to visit at least two parishes. Usually I celebrate a Sunday Mass and meet informally with parishioners afterward. Time and time again, I am struck by how families are the heart and soul of our parishes. It is a special joy when I see young families taking part in the Mass and engaged in the life of the parish. I do not mind when babies are crying or fidgety children are making a lot of noise; these are signals that the Church is young and alive.

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Likewise, what a beautiful thing it is to see an extended family at Sunday Mass. You can sense the joy of grandparents when they see that they have managed, in spite of so many challenges, to pass the faith along to the next generation. So often, these are the families who welcome newcomers and who open their homes to those who have lost loved ones or lack support. Indeed, in a 2005 address, Pope Benedict XVI described the parish itself as “an extended

We need to ask whether our dioceses and parishes are adequately welcoming and supporting families. family” that “brings together brothers and sisters who have no desire for power or selfish interests but who live in the joy of the charity of God who is love.”

This is a beautiful vision, but it should also cause all of us, myself included, to do some soul-searching. As happy as we are to see wonderful families at Mass on Sunday, shouldn’t we ask about the families who aren’t at Mass?

How many other families have drifted away from the Catholic Church? What about those parents who send their children to Catholic schools or to religious education and youth programs, but who never find their way to Mass or to other parish activities? We need to ask whether our dioceses and parishes are

adequately welcoming and supporting such families — or in Pope Francis’ words, whether we “really are in contact with the homes and lives” of the families that make up our dioceses and parishes.

At the diocesan level, this means evaluating what is in place to help couples in their marriages. This includes a marriage preparation program, a natural family planning office, and programs and resources designed to strengthen and support family life in these challenging times.

How effective are such programs in helping parishes reach out to couples, especially those who may be struggling or in the critical early years of their marriages?

SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER God has called most of the people in our congregations to the vocation of holy matrimony and family life. Nonetheless, how many homilies are addressed to the concerns of families? How many convey the authentic teaching of the Church on marriage and family, or hold up the high ideals of married life in the Church and society? How many encourage struggling families or address young people?

Again, I ask these questions not only of others but of myself. The fallout from the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex “marriage” sets in sharp relief the evangelical and catechetical challenges that are before us.

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

An important principle comes to mind: No one can faithfully, joyfully and fruitfully live any vocation in the life of the Church alone and isolated.

As a bishop and priest, I need the prayerful support of other bishops and priests, often in small informal gatherings where we can pray, listen to God’s Word and speak from the heart. Such opportunities are also necessary for parish families. It might be a women’s group that gets together to study Scripture and seeks to apply it to their lives and marriages. It might be small groups of couples that get together to pray and

POPE FRANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring – BLESSED FRÉDÉRIC JANSSOONE: Courtesy of the Father Frédéric Janssoone Archives, Trois-Rivières, Canada.

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis GENERAL: That volunteers may give themselves generously to the service of the needy.

MISSION: That setting aside our very selves we may learn to be neighbors to those who find themselves on the margins of human life and society.

discuss the art of parenting. Couples also need support in being formed in the faith so that they can form their children in the faith.

We know how well Father Michael J. McGivney knew and loved the people of the parishes he served. He understood their joys and sorrows, leaving plenty of evidence of how engaged he was in their lives. In founding the Knights of Columbus, he involved husbands and fathers more deeply in the faith. He reached out in concern to widows and their children. In these and many other ways, he envisioned the

Knights as a way to transform our parishes into extended families. How important, therefore, that our K of C council meetings and local programming help to build up family life and make each parish “a family of families.”

Not long before he died, St. John Paul II spoke to pastors and young couples in four parishes in Rome. “Guide with tender concern those families in difficulty or in precarious conditions,” he said, “helping them to understand and carry out God’s authentic plan for marriage and the family.” We should take this parting advice to heart.♦

C AT H O L I C M A N O F T H E M O N T H

Blessed Frédéric Janssoone (1838-1916) THE YOUNGEST OF 13 children, Frédéric Janssoone was born in Ghyvelde, France, on the Belgian border, on Nov. 19, 1838. He grew up in a family of prosperous farmers who valued faith and Christian charity.

Janssoone was just 9 when his father died. An exceptional young student, he began to pursue a vocation to the priesthood but interrupted his studies at age 17 to support his family. With his love for others and a knack for business, Janssoone became a successful traveling salesman. Six years later, after the death of his mother, he completed his education.

Janssoone joined the Order of Friars Minor in 1864 and was ordained a priest four years later. After serving as a military chaplain in the Franco-Prussian War, he helped to found a friary, but his heart was set on becoming a missionary.

In 1876, Father Janssoone received permission to serve in the Custody of the Holy Land, which maintains ancient Christian sites. For 12 years, he carried out demanding administrative tasks with remarkable diplomacy. An ardent preacher, he also led pilgrimages

and restored the custom of pilgrims praying the Stations of the Cross in the streets of Jerusalem.

After a fundraising trip to Québec in 1881, Father Janssoone returned to Canada for good in 1888, settling in Trois-Rivières. While continuing to raise funds for the Holy Land, he became a pilgrimage organizer for the nearby shrine of Our Lady of the Cape. He also published religious works, rejuvenated the Third Order Franciscans and became friends with St. André Bessette.

For the remainder of his life, Father Janssoone worked on fundraising projects, traversed Québec on foot and became popularly known as “the holy Father.” The joyful Franciscan died Aug. 4, 1916, and was beatified in 1988.♦

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Knights Observe Fourth Annual Fortnight for Freedom

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori delivers his homily in the Baltimore Basilica during the opening Mass of the Fortnight for Freedom June 21. for others to disagree with the Church’s teaching but quite another to discriminate against the rights of believers to practice our faith, not just in word but in the way we conduct our daily life, ministry and business.”

Order Launches New Rosary Program THE KNIGHTS of Columbus will launch a new program to foster greater devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to strengthen the faith of members, their families and others in the parish community.

Beginning Sunday, Aug. 30, councils are encouraged to lead a community rosary on every fifth Sunday that falls within a month. The program should be discussed with the pastor or council chaplain, and the dates and location, whether it be the church, parish hall or another meeting place, should then be announced.

Conducting the program during the 2015-16 fraternal year will also qualify councils as fulfilling the Church Activity requirements for the Columbian Award.

To help councils participate in this program, kits containing a supply of rosary rings, promotional materials and prayer cards on how to pray the rosary are available from the Supreme Council. For more information, call 203-752-4571 or visit kofc.org/forms.♦ 6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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This year’s theme was “Freedom to Bear Witness.” The two-week observance closed July 4 — Independence Day — with Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.♦

John Paul II Institute Celebrates New Graduating Class

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson congratulates Father Anthony Craig, one of more than 20 graduates to receive advanced degrees in theology this year from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. Bishop Peter J. Uglietto (left), auxiliary bishop of Boston and an alumnus of the institute, celebrated the graduation Mass May 11 in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Washington session of the institute has received assistance from the Supreme Council since it was founded in 1988. Anderson, who serves as vice president, told graduates, “Your years of study at our institute have uniquely equipped you to engage in the great drama of our time: the encounter between the Gospel and culture.”♦

TOP: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Baltimore — GRADUATION: Photo by John Whitman

KNIGHTS AND THEIR families throughout the United States participated in the fourth annual Fortnight for Freedom June 21-July 4.

A Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore marked the beginning of the two-week period of prayer, education and advocacy focused on the role of faith in public life and the preservation of religious liberty rights. Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who is also the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad-Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, was the principal celebrant of the Mass, which included a Fourth Degree honor guard.

“Religious institutions in the United States are in danger of losing their freedom to hire for mission and their freedom to defend the family,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “It is one thing

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FAT H E R S F O R G O O D

My Sons the Seminarians A father shares insights about how families can foster religious vocations

by Brendan Glasgow

CNS photo/Paul Haring

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t is a tremendous joy and blessing to have two sons attending St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C. Brendan Jr. entered the seminary as part of the new school’s inaugural class in the fall of 2011. James followed him in the fall of 2014.

When Brendan entered, I knew I did not control his vocation and learned to simply let go. I asked the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary to guide him in his discernment and spiritual formation.

Since then, I have not experienced any anxiety about what the future holds for my two sons because God is so evidently with them. My wife, Beth, and I are incredibly joyful as we witness our sons’ response to God’s call. Their openness is truly inspiring.

There was a time when I helped teach and guide them in their faith, but now I learn from them — a role reversal that has been both humbling and rewarding.

Some say there is a crisis of vocations, but I believe the real crisis is in responding to the call. With two of my boys on the path to priesthood, I am sometimes asked for my “secret.” I respond that three persons are most responsible — the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary and my wife. Brendan and James were both homeschooled through high school, and my wife was their first and most important catechist. Her love and knowledge of the faith planted the seed, and her wisdom and devotion taught them how to live the faith daily by word and deed. In addition, I cannot overemphasize the importance of family prayer for fostering vocations, whether to the priesthood, religious life or marriage.

About 20 years ago, I first heard the family described as a “domestic church.” This spoke deeply to me and changed how I viewed family life. While I am my sons’ biological father, their creator and spiritual father is the Lord. My role is to pass on the faith to them by instruction and example. When Brendan first told us that he was applying to seminary, my spirit rejoiced. His heavenly Father knew

better than I what he should do with his life, and my expectations for him were no longer relevant.

For James, the path was less direct. He entered The Catholic University of America as a physics major, switched to math, and then decided to enter seminary at the end of his junior year while spending a semester in Ireland. While we were aware that he was considering the priesthood, God led James to that decision in his own time, and that fact also brought us much joy.

One thing that has helped to foster our sons’ vocations has been to invite priests and religious into the home. My wife has done this exceptionally well. Her invitations and hospitality to priests and religious sisters resulted in the boys seeing them as ordinary men and women who opened their lives to God’s grace. They didn’t view priests as distant figures on the altar with whom they had no connection; rather, they learned what life as a priest was like, and the extraordinary impact that one man can have on the parish community and beyond.

In the seminary, Brendan and James receive wonderful human and spiritual formation and a solid academic education. They are taught by dedicated priests who inspire them by example, and they share their lives with brother seminarians who are also a source of grace, fellowship and wisdom.

I encourage parents who may be unsure or anxious about how to respond to a child’s interest in the priesthood or religious life to remain confident that the Lord knows what their vocation should be. He will lead them if you prepare and encourage them to respond to the call.

Remember what Mary said to the servants at Cana: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5).♦ BRENDAN GLASGOW lives in Olney, Md., where he is a member of Father Peter Paul Maher Council 6793. He and his wife, Beth, are the parents of seven children.

FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT FATHERSFORGOOD. ORG .

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His Cause Marches On For 125 years, Venerable Michael McGivney’s life and practical spiritual vision have inspired devotion

by Brian Caulfield

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s a parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney developed a spirituality suited to the hard lives and open hearts of his parishioners. The eldest of 13 children of Irish immigrant parents, Father McGivney had a practical, workaday attitude.

Confident that a religious vocation need not separate him from others, he resolved to serve God amid the cities and factory towns of Connecticut.

Following ordination in 1877, Father McGivney was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. There he founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882, in part to keep Catholic men from joining secret societies and to provide for their families in the event of the breadwinner’s death. Two years later, he was assigned as pastor of St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, a manufacturing town just north of his hometown of Waterbury, which was known for its brass mills.

Whether serving in the shadows of Yale University or in the heart of a working-class community, Father McGivney exhibited the same simple spirituality coupled with an innovative vision that sought hands-on collaboration with laypeople, who knew his love for them and returned it in full.

Worn down while tending to a large flock, paying down a parish debt, and venturing into unsanitary conditions to minister to the ill and dying, Father McGivney eventually contracted the flu, which soon turned into pneumonia. He died peacefully on Aug. 14, 1890, two days after his 38th birthday.

Less than a year later, Edward Downes, whose brother was saved from court-ordered foster care by Father McGivney’s generous intervention, offered a heartfelt tribute: “He was a man of the people. He was ever zealous for the people’s welfare, and all the kindliness of his priestly soul asserted itself most strongly in his unceasing efforts for the betterment of their condition.”

For 125 years since his death, Knights have expressed their appreciation for Venerable Michael McGivney’s life and legacy, inspired by his practice of humility and charity, and by his pastoral efforts that have changed millions of lives for the better. To this day, a growing number of people across the world pray for the cause of Father McGivney’s canonization and seek his intercession.

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AN UNASSUMING HERO The initial impact of Father McGivney’s relatively short life was on display when vast numbers of people turned out for his funeral Mass, filling the Thomaston church where he served and spilling out onto the streets. Thousands more thronged the streets of Waterbury, where the city’s largest-ever funeral cortege at the time carried his remains to a family gravesite.

Appreciation for Father McGivney’s priestly ministry was expressed not only among Knights but also throughout the community. A Waterbury paper captured well the balanced aspects of his character, noting that while he was a prominent figure and “well-known throughout Connecticut” for founding the Knights of Columbus, he was “unassuming in manners.”

Over the years, devotion to Father McGivney continued to grow among people of faith, leading the Archdiocese of Hartford to open his cause for canonization in 1997. Just over a decade later, in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree of heroic virtue recognizing the Order’s founder as a Venerable Servant of God. Today, as Venerable Michael McGivney’s cause continues, the faithful have embraced his reputation for holiness and seek him out as a powerful intercessor in needs large and small.

This devotion is clearly embodied by the Father McGivney Guild, which promotes his canonization, publicizes facts on his life and legacy, and documents favors received through his intercession. Open to anyone dedicated to Father McGivney’s memory — including Knights and their families — the guild has more than 158,000 members worldwide (see sidebar).

“There is nobody like Father McGivney,” said George Frates, who serves as both state warden and Father McGivney Guild chairman for the California State Council. “I tell our Knights: How can you represent the Order if you don’t know the founder? He was a wonderful man of God with a prophetic vision that remains very powerful for our times. We really need to pray to him for his intercession and also pray for his canonization.”

Many Knights have embraced this message in California, which leads all jurisdictions in guild membership (11,000 members), followed by Illinois (8,000 members). For instance,

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Knights carry a statue of Venerable Michael McGivney in procession at Manila’s San Augustin Church following the opening Mass of the 9th Philippine National Convention April 27, 2012. members of Father Michael J. McGivney Council 15034 in Valinda, Calif., not only adopted Father McGivney’s name for their council but also established a 20-member McGivney Choir, which performs at K of C functions.

“We want to show our devotion to Father McGivney as a sign of where the Knights come from,” said Grand Knight Jerry Lee. “The choir also gives us a chance to reach out to others.”

A PLACE OF HONOR In addition to its relatively high participation in the Father McGivney Guild, Illinois boasts the only U.S. high school named for the Order’s founder. Father McGivney High School opened in 2012 with 19 freshmen boys and girls.

Members of that inaugural class will soon return as the first seniors at the school, which has been relocated to a newly constructed building in Glen Carbon and now has an enrollment of 150 students.

According to Principal Mike Scholz, Father McGivney is a perfect patron for the school, in part because of the concern

the parish priest expressed for young people, helping them to build a brighter future.

“All the students learn about Father McGivney, his life and virtues, in theology class,” Scholz explained. “He is very much a part of what we do and who we are at the school. It’s in his spirit that our students develop a commitment to service.”

Another high school named for the Order’s founder, Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy, opened in 1992 in Markham, Ontario. With an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, the school is “guided by Gospel values and Catholic virtues,” according to its mission statement.

Canada is also home to a prominent place of pilgrimage and devotion to Father McGivney: the Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney Honoris (Latin for “place of honor”) at St. Patrick’s Basilica in Ottawa. Located in the basilica’s lower level, the honoris opened in 2012 with a centerpiece 4-foot statue of Father McGivney, produced by the guild for council homes and churches. The site includes kneelers for the faithful to pray, a printed history of the life of Father McGivney in English and French, prayer cards, and a second-class relic consisting of a AUGUST 2015

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piece of his cassock. There are also offertory boxes where people can place the names of deceased loved ones and ask prayers for special intentions.

“The honoris was placed here in order to keep Father McGivney front and center in all the Knights of Columbus do, and also to make him known to those outside the Order who would look to him for intercession,” said Michael J. O’Neill, a member of St. Patrick’s Basilica Council 12158, who developed the idea for the site. “A constant flow of working people from Ottawa and visitors come to the basilica for four daily Masses and five or six weekend Masses, and we have given out about 30,000 Father McGivney prayer cards.”

Newly installed Ontario district deputies gathered at the honoris in late June following a Mass celebrated by Bishop Marcel Damphousse of Alexandria-Cornwall, the Ontario state chaplain.

“I have been a Knight since I was 18 years old,” said Bishop Damphousse, “and it is a great privilege to be able to serve as state chaplain and also honor the memory of Father McGivney. He was a simple, humble parish priest who knew God’s call for his time. That inspires me to be a simple, humble bishop and chaplain who seeks the will of God today.”

WIDESPREAD DEVOTION Enthusiasm for Father McGivney’s cause for canonization can be found wherever the Order is present. Devotion in the Philippines has spread especially quickly in the past three years, since a Father McGivney office opened in Manila in cooperation with KCFAPI, the Knights’ insurance organization in the Philippines, and the national bishops’ conference. The office distributes prayer cards in the major Filipino dialects, publishes a newsletter, is active on social media, sends representatives to talk about Father McGivney at schools and parishes, and sponsors a pilgrim statue program through the four Philippine jurisdictions.

When Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Visayas coastal region in November 2013, the office supplied funds and materials for K of C relief efforts and produced a banner with Father McGivney’s image that was displayed at all emergency distribution sites.

“Even though he was an American priest, Filipinos have a great devotion to him because he founded the Order that they love and that does so much good all the time,” said Philippine Supreme Director Alonso L. Tan. In the Prayer for Canonization, Father McGivney is called

An unemployed man, seeking a job for months, is hired by a company close to home. A dispirited mother gets a call from her drug-addicted son, who tells her that he has entered rehab and is making progress. Parents whose children fell away from the Church despite a good Catholic upbringing are thrilled when they return to the sacraments. A family experiencing extreme financial hardship receives funds from an unexpected source.

These incidents are just a few of the many hundreds of favors received by those who have prayed for the intercession of the Knights of Columbus founder Venerable Michael McGivney. Reported to the Father McGivney Guild month after month, such favors show a discernible pattern of intercession.

It can be said that Father McGivney appears to be continuing today the work he performed so well on earth, providing for the physical, spiritual and financial welfare of those who come to him for help.

Occasionally, the guild receives reports of physical healings or recovery from serious illnesses. These cases are presented to the postulator in Rome, who decides whether to submit them to the Vatican as a possible miracle.

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2008, declaring him to be a Venerable Servant of God. One miracle through Father McGivney’s intercession is needed for beatification, and another would be required for canonization or sainthood.

As the process at the Vatican continues, there are three main ways that Knights and their families, and all people devoted to Father McGivney, can help: joining, praying and reporting.

Joining the Father McGivney Guild is simple and free. You can do it online at fathermcgivney.org or by sending in the application form attached to this issue. Members receive a regular newsletter with spiritual encouragement, reports of favors and updates on the cause. In addition, Mass is offered weekly for the intentions of members.

All are encouraged to regularly recite the Prayer for Canonization to advance the cause of Father McGivney, as well as to seek God’s help through the intercession of Father McGivney in all of life’s needs, especially in serious medical conditions.

The final step is to report to the guild any favors received through Father McGivney’s intercession. These reports reveal God’s grace at work through his servant and provide inspiration for other members to persevere in prayer. Also, through the report of an extraordinary favor, we may discover an event that will be deemed a miracle.♦

Portrait by Richard W. Whitney, Oil on canvas, 1989

JOIN, PRAY, REPORT The Father McGivney Guild helps to promote the cause for canonization of the Knights’ founder

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Photo by Jake Wright

Cameron Beare, a member of St. Patrick’s Basilica Council 12158, is pictured with his wife, Angela, and their son at the Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney Honoris (place of honor) at St. Patrick’s Basilica in Ottawa. “protector of the poor and defender of the widow and orphan,” and Knights invoke him as “Apostle to the Young” and “Protector of Christian Family Life.” These are all appropriate titles that capture the essence of his character and priestly ministry, said Dominican Father Peter John Cameron, who studied Father McGivney’s life for a play he wrote titled He Was Our Father, which premiered at the 2005 Supreme Convention in Chicago.

Today, the earthly remains of Father McGivney lie in a polished granite sarcophagus at the rear nave of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. They were moved there in 1982 as a place of prayer and pilgrimage where Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus 100 years earlier.

For the past year, St. Mary’s has organized a weekly holy hour in Father McGivney’s honor. Fourth Degree Knights

from Hon. W. Patrick Donlin Assembly provide an honor guard each week, and members from nearby councils take turns leading the prayers, which conclude with the Prayer for Canonization at the tomb.

“It’s our mission to keep the holy hour going and to bring in as many Knights as possible for prayer,” said Anthony Mansi, who heads up the assembly’s participation. “We have people from all over coming in, including Yale students, and they really love the devotion and the quiet time. We do it for the good of the Order and for Father McGivney.”♦ BRIAN CAULFIELD is vice postulator for the cause of canonization for Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney and editor of Fathers for Good, a Knights of Columbus initiative for men and their families.

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AUGUST Because no one should be isolated, remember that the parish is a family of families.

Pope Francis has said, “The family comes alive as it reaches beyond itself.” He has also expressed his desire “that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!”

As Christians, we are called to reach out to our brothers and sisters, bringing mercy, healing and hope through our witness of love and truth. Our parishes and families are challenged to help and protect the abandoned and those in need.

Bring Song Into Your Home

Family Project Reach out and invite someone who may be alone or marginalized to join your family for Mass, a social event, or another activity. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).

Council-Wide Event: Movie Night August’s movie recommendation is Toy Story. Before the movie begins, ask families to share their experiences with other members of the parish.

Psalm of the Month (Psalm 8) Pray the Psalm of the Month during every Sunday of the month at your family prayer space. On the last Sunday of the month, discuss as a family which verse stood out most for each member.

O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!

I will sing of your majesty above the heavens with the mouths of babes and infants.

You have established a bulwark against your foes, to silence enemy and avenger.

When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place — What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him rule over the works of your hands, put all things at his feet: All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!

THIS IS THE ELEVENTH MONTH OF BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH: THE FAMILY FULLY ALIVE, A K OF C INITIATIVE FOR FAMILIES. 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Magnificat My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.

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Volunteering Together Project: Bringing Families Together Encourage Knights and their families to make the Holy Family their model. Celebrate all aspects of the family, which is the basic cell of society and of fundamental importance to the Knights of Columbus, by sponsoring council programs that allow families to enjoy each other’s company and grow in friendship together.

• Hold a council and family project to repair, paint or clean the home or yard of a senior citizen or person in need.

• Sponsor a family retreat, rosary or Mass with children participating as altar servers and family members serving as ushers and lectors.

• Sponsor a family picnic featuring a cookout, games and other fun activities.

• Host family sports competitions (tug of war, volleyball, horseshoes, bocce, sailing, swimming, softball, bowling, etc.).

• Hold a family pizza party and social with music, dancing and karaoke or a sing-along for younger children.

• Hold a banquet to honor and present certificates to the “Family of the Month” (#1843) or “Family of the Year” (1843A) recipients. Both certificates are available in English, French and Spanish from the Supply Department.

Meditation Among the fundamental tasks of the Christian family is its ecclesial task: the family is placed at the service of the building up of the Kingdom of God in history by participating in the life and mission of the Church.

In order to understand better the foundations, the contents and the characteristics of this participation, we must examine the many profound bonds linking the Church and the Christian family and establishing the family as a “Church in miniature” (Ecclesia domestica) in such a way that in its own way the family is a living image and historical representation of the mystery of the Church.

It is, above all, the Church as Mother that gives birth to, educates and builds up the Christian family,

by putting into effect in its regard the saving mission which she has received from her Lord. By proclaiming the word of God, the Church reveals to the Christian family its true identity, what it is and should be according to the Lord’s plan; by celebrating the sacraments, the Church enriches and strengthens the Christian family with the grace of Christ for its sanctification to the glory of the Father; by the continuous proclamation of the new commandment of love, the Church encourages and guides the Christian family to the service of love, so that it may imitate and relive the same self-giving and sacrificial love that the Lord Jesus has for the entire human race.

— St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 49

Questions for Reflection 1. How have the sacraments, such as the Eucharist, confession and matrimony, enriched our family? In addition, how have parish programs and activities enhanced our faith?

2. How can our family be more open to the graces that the Church and our parish make available to help our family grow in holiness?

3. How can our family become more involved in the parish — shaping the parish with our love in the same way that parishes shape families with Christ’s love?

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LIST OF MONTHLY THEMES AND MEDITATIONS, VISIT KOFC.ORG/DOMESTICCHURCH. AUGUST 2015

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On Holy

Ground Historic Jesuit martyrs’ shrine receives support from Order to continue its legacy as a place of pilgrimage and witness

by Mary DeTurris Poust s you walk the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y., the saints who lived and died there speak through a holy silence that permeates this sacred place — even when it’s bustling with activity. From the hauntingly spiritual experience of hiking the ravine in the footsteps of martyred Jesuit missionaries to the three towering red crosses that mark the entrance to the main grounds in memory of those who died for the faith, the shrine is a living piece of Catholic history in North America.

Established in 1885 on 400 acres of land, what was once the Mohawk village known as Ossernenon, the shrine has long been a favorite pilgrim destination for Catholics in New York and beyond. Not only is it the place where three Jesuit saints — Father Isaac Jogues, surgeon René Goupil and lay missionary John LaLande — were killed by members of the Mohawk Iroquois tribe for preaching the Gospel, but it is also the birthplace of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized.

In recognition of the shrine’s pivotal role in commemorating the roots of the Church in America and in honor of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pontiff, the Knights of Columbus recently donated a combined $600,000 to restore and renovate the shrine so that it can continue to inspire pilgrims for years to come.

On June 13, K of C leaders from the Supreme Council and New York State Council joined other pilgrims for a Mass of Thanksgiving in the shrine’s famous Coliseum Church.

“Places like Auriesville are spiritual heritage sites. They are holy places where people changed the spiritual future of our nation,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson in remarks following the Mass, which was celebrated by Jesuit Father George Belgarde, shrine director. “Here, the New World was made truly ‘new’ because the Gospel message was proclaimed: sometimes by preaching, other times by living, and in the end by dying.”

Calling the early Jesuits “champions of the first evangelization,” the supreme knight added that the North American martyrs “reach across time” to energize Catholics in the mission of the “new evangelization” today.

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THE JESUIT LEGACY New France in the 17th century was a land filled with both promise and danger for European missionaries such as the Jesuits and their lay companions. On fire with the love of Christ, these young men gave up everything they knew to share the Gospel with the native people.

While based in Québec, the French Jesuits preached and worked among the Huron tribes throughout the region.

In 1642, members of the Mohawk tribe captured Jesuit Father Isaac Jogues and René Goupil, who accompanied Father Jogues as a surgeon and later took vows as a Jesuit brother.

The men were brought to Auriesville, where they were tortured and treated as slaves. Undeterred, Father Jogues and Goupil continued to preach the Gospel and teach the Native Americans about Jesus. When Goupil was seen making the sign of the cross over a young boy, his fate was sealed. Upon

Photos by Tom Serafin

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Above: Crosses representing the martyrdom of three Jesuit missionaries — Sts. René Goupil, Isaac Jogues and John LaLande — mark the entrance to the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y. • Left: Jesuit Father George Belgarde (center) receives checks totaling $600,000 from Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Immediate Past State Deputy Carmine V. Musumeci of New York. Also pictured are Father Brian E. McWeeney, Supreme Director Arthur J. Harris and current State Deputy Robert D. Weitzman. returning from praying the rosary on Sept. 29, he was clubbed to death with a tomahawk and thrown into a ravine.

Walking the path through the ravine today, pilgrims can learn what happened next by reading a series of signboards posted with excerpts from St. Isaac Jogues’ diary: “I could not hold back my tears. I lifted up the body and, with the Algonquin Indian’s help, lowered it into the stream. I weighted it down with large stones to hide it from view. I intended to bury René the next day...”

After a storm swelled the creek and carried off his friend’s lifeless body, Father Jogues recovered Goupil’s skull and a few bones, burying them in an unmarked grave. Today, the entire ravine area of the shrine is considered a reliquary and burial ground.

Father Jogues, who had already lost several fingers during earlier torture, continued to endure unthinkable conditions, all the while carving crosses and the name of Jesus into trees, a practice that is memorialized at the shrine today on trees throughout the grounds.

“How often on the stately trees of Ossernenon did I carve the most sacred name of Jesus so that seeing it the demons might take to flight, and hearing it they might tremble with fear,” Father Jogues wrote.

The Jesuit priest eventually escaped and traveled back to France, but he returned to Ossernenon as a peace ambassador in 1646. When negotiations broke down, he was martyred on Oct.

18 of that year. His companion, Jesuit lay missionary John LaLande, was killed the next day. Their bodies were never recovered.

Father Jogues, Goupil and LaLande, together with five other Jesuit missionaries martyred in Canada in 1648 and 1649, became known as the eight North American Martyrs.

Canonized as a group in 1930, their feast day is celebrated Sept. 26 (Canada) and Oct. 29 (United States).

SANCTIFYING AMERICAN SOIL As history has so often shown, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, to quote Tertullian’s famous phrase from the turn of the third century. This is certainly true of the advent of Catholicism in the United States and Canada, which began as a direct result of the martyrs’ intrepid witness to the faith given on the land where the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs now stands.

“It is a very significant place from the viewpoint of spreading the faith. They shed their blood here and, because of that, this is sacred ground,” explained Jesuit Father Belgarde, who served at the shrine in the 1960s and returned in 2011 to become director.

The Jesuit priest noted that the first chapel built on the shrine property in 1884 is still in use today.

“You can tell when you walk onto the grounds that there’s something unique about it,” he said. “The Holy Spirit guides the shrine, not the Jesuits. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit.”

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Clockwise, from top: Pilgrims are pictured in the 10,000-seat Coliseum Church during a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Richard J. Cushing, then-archbishop of Boston, in 1959. • Knights gather for Mass in the Coliseum Church June 13, 2015. • Supreme Knight Anderson and his wife, Dorian, pause while visiting the ravine where Jesuit missionaries were martyred. • The Coliseum Church is seen from overhead.

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TOP: Courtesy of the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs — BOTTOM RIGHT: Photo by Tom Serafin — OTHER: Photos by Ken Rohling

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CNS photo/Nancy Phelan Wiechec

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The feeling of gratitude and awe for the sacrifices made by the saints of Auriesville has spread far beyond the confines of the shrine itself. Albany Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, whose diocese encompasses Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine, calls the North American martyrs “transcultural and countercultural heroes.”

“Their journeys, rather than of conquest or commerce, were repeated pilgrimages of self-sacrifice, in which they emptied themselves of all the comforts and securities one ordinarily associates with home and the good life,” said the bishop.

The same can be said of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, who was baptized in nearby Fonda, N.Y. (see sidebar). Kateri, Bishop Scharfenberger explained, recognized that the missionaries stood out from others in the culture — both the Europeans’ and her own.

“In a stunning way, the Blackrobes, as they were called, and Kateri magnify the courage and purity of each other’s Christian witness,” he said, noting that Kateri was drawn to Christ through the martyrs’ witness. In turn, through her own courage in the face of persecution, St. Kateri drew others to Christ as well.

“In this encounter of two diverse cultures in need of purification and redemption, the personal presence of souls open to the power of the Cross bridged what oceans of fear and cultural pride separated, and forged a holy union which sanctified our American soil,” said Bishop Scharfenberger. “We are all blessed for their sacrifice.”

In the 130 years since the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs was established, its spiritual and natural beauty has remained constant, but its physical structures have gradually fallen into disrepair. Faced with the prospect of closing the shrine due to lack of funding, the shrine leadership launched a capital campaign in 2014 toward major repairs and renovations.

The first projects have included electrical work in the Coliseum Church, repairs to the two-ton rooftop cross and the replacement of 200 windows dating back to the 19th century.

Additional renovations will include repairs to the St. Kateri Chapel, the Coliseum’s cracked walls and structures in the ravine.

The Supreme Council’s donation of $500,000 and the New York State Council’s donation of $100,000 have helped to secure the immediate future of the shrine — allowing a new generation of visitors to commemorate the missionary spirit of the North American martyrs.

“Pope Francis reminds us that ‘every Christian is a missionary’ and that all of us are called to be ‘missionary disciples,’” Supreme Knight Anderson said. “If we answer this call, then the most enduring shrine to the martyrs of this place will not be made of bricks and timber. It will be those pilgrims who leave this place renewed with a spirit of missionary discipleship.”♦ MARY DETURRIS POUST is a retreat and pilgrimage leader, public speaker, and author of six books on the Catholic faith, including Everyday Divine: A Catholic Guide to Active Spirituality (2012).

LILY OF THE MOHAWKS Less than a decade after Father Isaac Jogues, René Goupil and John LaLande were martyred, Kateri Tekakwitha was born in Auriesville, N.Y., in 1656. The daughter of a Mohawk chief and a Catholic-Algonquin captive, Kateri lost her parents and brother to smallpox and suffered lasting scars and vision problems from the disease.

Her name even bears witness to her afflictions: Tekakwitha means “she who bumps into things.”

Although Kateri’s uncle, who adopted her after the death of her parents, was opposed to Christianity, Kateri secretly started learning about the Catholic faith. She was later baptized five miles away in the town of Fonda and eventually fled to St. Francis Xavier Mission near Montreal to escape persecution. She died at age 24 on April 17, 1680.

Canonized Oct. 21, 2012, St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American saint and is known as the patron of ecology and the environment. At her canonization, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Her greatest wish was to know and to do what pleased God. She lived a life radiant with faith and purity.”

Since 1938, a shrine in Fonda has paid tribute to the site where Kateri was baptized. And although she lived only the early part of her life on the grounds of what is now the Auriesville shrine, Kateri’s presence there is palpable. On the day of her canonization in Rome, 8,000 pilgrims packed the Coliseum Church for a simultaneous liturgical celebration.♦

Above: A statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha stands amid trees on the grounds of the shrine dedicated to her in Fonda, N.Y. AUGUST 2015

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Order Aids African AIDS Orphans Children in Uganda and Kenya receive education and hope through partnership with the Apostles of Jesus

by Jennifer Reed and Jacinta W. Odongo t first sight, the Marengoni Primary School in the village of Kikumango, in the Central Uganda district of Nakaseke, resembles other highly regarded educational facilities. It includes classrooms, dormitories, an administration block, a library and a student hall, each with clean, brightly colored walls. But behind the smiles of students eager to learn, each one has a painful personal history to bear, for this is a school for orphans and needy children. Most of them have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS, which has afflicted Uganda for over two decades.

Named after Comboni Missionary Father Giovanni (John) Marengoni — who co-founded the Congregation of the Apostles of Jesus with Comboni Bishop Sixtus Mazzoldi in 1968 — the school’s construction was funded by the Knights of Columbus beginning in 2012. Thanks to the Order’s support, the school currently provides education to more than 300 pupils, ranging in age from 4 to 13, including 160 girls and 60 boys who board there.

“This partnership between the Apostles of Jesus and the Knights of Columbus has made such a huge difference — more than we ever expected,” said Father Paul Gaggawala, director of mission promotion for the Apostles of Jesus.

“Dreams that we once felt were impossible to ever be realized have come true because of this partnership.”

MISSION TO THE MOST VULNERABLE Three decades ago, Nakaseke was the site of a guerrilla war, during which residents lived in almost complete isolation and deprivation. Hundreds of thousands were internally displaced or killed.

In 2008, a schoolteacher named Judith Kaizi, whose family had fled the area during the war, recognized the educational needs of the local children. Though the war had ended, they were now affected by the AIDS epidemic and abject poverty.

Kaizi organized classes with 56 students, meeting under a tree.

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them were lured into use of drugs, while the girls were getting married at a very tender age. I knew that something had to be done to help these children, especially the girls.”

In 2009, Kaizi received help from the Apostles of Jesus and soon found a better location for the school.

The effort was a natural extension of the community’s work. More than 400 miles away, in Nairobi, Kenya, the Apostles of Jesus AIDS Ministry (AJAM) had been mobilizing clergy, religious and laity since 2000 in a faith-based response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. According to the U.N., approximately 70 percent of the estimated 35 million people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Knights’ charitable support for the Apostles of Jesus’ ministries began on a local level when Father Gaggawala was serving as the state chaplain of Pennsylvania.

In 2010, Robert Klugiewicz of Holy Name of Jesus Council 14018 in Harrisburg, Pa., and his wife, Jane, accompanied Father Gaggawala on a mission trip to see the congregation’s work in Africa. Upon his return, Klugiewicz relayed his experience to his fellow Knights and immediately garnered assis-

Courtesy of the Apostles of Jesus

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Students at the Marengoni Primary School in Uganda hold up Venerable Father McGivney prayer cards featuring the prayer for his canonization. Also pictured are Sister Eliamulike Kiungai (left), principal of the school and a member of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary; Father Paul Gaggawala, director of mission promotion for the Apostles of Jesus and a former Pennsylvania state chaplain; and Sister Getrude Kenema, a teacher at the school. tance from his and other local councils and assemblies. The Knights’ material support provided essential items for the Marengoni Primary School and its children: clothing, school furniture, used textbooks, mosquito netting for children’s beds, and even starter livestock for the adjacent self-sustaining farm run by the Apostles of Jesus.

“This program fits completely with the mission of the Knights of Columbus,” Klugiewicz said. “Every Knight is responsible for showing charity to those he encounters. If we can provide charity for the Marengoni Primary School, it certainly can bring about a different life for these children.”

During his annual report at the Supreme Convention in August 2011, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson announced that the Supreme Council would partner with the Apostles of Jesus to expand services for orphaned children in Uganda and Kenya.

“Of course, the Knights of Columbus cannot do everything

— we cannot solve every problem. But where we can help, we do so. And I believe that we can help alleviate the suffering of at least some children orphaned by AIDS,” the supreme knight said.

The Supreme Council initially provided $350,000 for the school in Uganda and a dining hall and classrooms for AJAM in Kenya.

Klugiewicz, shortly after becoming grand knight of his council, returned with his wife to Africa in 2012 as construction was underway. This time, they brought pictures of Venerable Michael McGivney, which were hung in the student hall named in his honor.

Archbishop Emeritus Eusebius J. Beltran of Oklahoma City, who was the first U.S. bishop to invite the Apostles of Jesus to minister in his diocese, also traveled to Uganda that year to visit and dedicate the school.

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Upon his arrival, the archbishop was presented with a cow — an immense symbol of affection and appreciation. He asked the children to take care of it for him on the farm there.

“The great joy that the people showed in welcoming us is memorable,” Archbishop Beltran said. “They have gratitude for whatever help the Church gives them.”

The archbishop, who has been associated with the Knights of Columbus since his teenage years as a Columbian Squire, immediately recognized the portrait of Father McGivney and the emblem of the Order.

“I was delighted to see that the Knights of Columbus was sponsoring this effort,” he said. “I’m a tremendous supporter of the Knights because I see them as a sign of the fulfillment of the mission of the Church. That’s what the Church is all about — proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.”

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EDUCATION, HEALING AND HOPE Among the K of C-supported programs of the Apostles of Jesus in Kenya is a school for children whose parents have died from the AIDS epidemic or who are living with the disease themselves. The school facility provides meals, education, religious instruction and medical care to upward of 400 children, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

“Education is key,” said Father Gaggawala. “The more they are educated, the more they can get over the stigma or discrimination because of their illness. They come to understand the disease and how to live with it. It is essential for them to reclaim their dignity and to know that they can participate in the life of society.”

According to Father Firminus Shirima, the director of AJAM, new HIV infections in Kenya declined from 166,000 per year in 2009 to 100,000 in 2012. HIV in adults has likewise declined from its peak of nearly 14 percent in 2001 to its current level of 6.4 percent.

“All these outcomes could not have been attained without the joint efforts of many sectors and stakeholders, including our Church,” Father Shirima said.

In fact, faith-based organizations such as the Catholic Medical Mission Board and Caritas Internationalis provide the majority of AIDS-related services in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural areas.

In 2013, a year after providing funds for the dining hall and classrooms in Kenya, the Supreme Council purchased a new bus to transport children to and from school each day.

Additional K of C grants covered the cost of bringing electricity to the Marengoni Primary School in Uganda and constructing a new girls’ dormitory there.

“When the District Education Officer of Nakaseke visited us last year, he was speechless,” said Father Godfrey Manana, director of the school, which employs 15 teachers plus 12 support staff. “He couldn’t believe that such a remote area can have a school of this standard and supplied with electricity.”

Together with its rigorous Catholic academic program, the Ugandan school offers a range of extracurricular activities, including music, dancing, soccer, volleyball and farming. As a result, the students demonstrate a strong desire to take care of the

TOP: Courtesy of the Apostles of Jesus — BOTTOM: Photo by Jacinta Odongo

Kenyan children board a school bus provided by the Knights of Columbus for the Apostles of Jesus AIDS Ministry in Nairobi, Kenya. • Students are pictured as they study in a classroom at the Marengoni Primary School in Uganda.

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Photo by Robert Klugiewicz

Children are pictured waving together in the new Father Michael McGivney Dining Hall at the Apostles of Jesus AIDS Ministry center in Kenya. buildings and grounds. “They dedicate every Friday afternoon to general cleaning of the whole school,” said Father Manana.

One of the students, 13-year-old Lawrence Mutagwa, beamed with pride as he described his educational experience.

“My school is the best in Uganda because it has everything good for me to get a quality education — good classrooms, school furniture and even electricity to help me study at night,” he said.

The partnership between the Knights and the Apostles has not only built facilities, it has also built relationships.

“Those children, right now, as young as they are, if you say, ‘Knights of Columbus,’ they know what you are talking about,” Father Gaggawala said. “If you say, ‘Father Michael McGivney,’ they know who he is.”

Upon the completion of the girls’ dormitory at the Marengoni Primary School earlier this year, the children asked Father Gaggawala how they could thank the Knights of Columbus for their generosity. In response, the priest presented them with prayer cards for the canonization of Father McGivney, urging them to pray.

“To my surprise, when I returned four weeks later, they could say this prayer by heart!” Father Gaggawala exclaimed. “Every morning at assembly, they say their prayers together, and this is one of the prayers they say by memory. There is a bond that this has created, much more profound than simply structures.”

The principal of the school, Sister Eliamulike Kiungai, a member of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary, the counterpart to the Apostles of Jesus, summed up how profoundly the partnership has touched hearts and transformed lives.

“The Knights’ support has provided care for orphans and educational opportunities to needy children by providing healing to hurting hearts, hope for a better future and practical skills that can change the course of a child’s life for the better,” she said. “These children are the leaders of tomorrow, and they are also children that God cares about today.”♦ JENNIFER REED is managing editor of The Catholic Witness, the newspaper of the Diocese of Harrisburg.

JACINTA W. ODONGO is a media officer for the Uganda Episcopal Conference.

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LAUDATO SI’: A Call to Right Relationship Pope Francis’ new encyclical addresses questions about how we relate to God, each other and creation

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ated May 24 and officially published June 18, Pope Francis’ new encyclical letter titled Laudato Si’ (“Praise Be to You”) has already been interpreted in varied and conflicting ways. With many voices saying many things, it is a challenge to understand the wide-ranging reflection that Pope Francis presents in the document.

As with any document, we should begin by listening to the author himself. Pope Francis writes, “In this Encyclical, I would like to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home” (3).

The encyclical, which takes its name from the first words of St. Francis of Assisi’s famous hymn celebrating God’s creation, is above all an invitation to everyone to an honest conversation. Given the complexities and disagreements about issues that the pope raises, it is important to keep this desire for conversation in mind.

The question, then, is what exactly Pope Francis wants us to discuss. At the heart of the encyclical is a vision of what the pope repeatedly calls “integral ecology.” Building on the work of his predecessors, in particular St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, Francis teaches that we are all interconnected: “Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor ... ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the earth” (70).

‘EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED’ Pope Francis grounds Laudato Si’ in the classical understanding of justice: a state of affairs in which we relate to God, others and the natural world in a proper way. We are all called to relate to God as beloved sons or daughters, offering praise in love to our Creator; to others as to Christ, seeing in them the face of our Lord; and to the natural world as God would have 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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us act in his place, that is, as stewards caring for a created universe that testifies to the Creator’s majesty by virtue of its very being (cf. Gen. 2:15).

As to our call to be caring stewards, Pope Francis draws our attention to the link between the Creator and his creation.

“Every creature is the object of the Father’s tenderness, who gives it its place in the world,” the pope writes. “Even the fleeting life of the least of beings is the object of his love, and in its few seconds of existence, God enfolds it with his affection.”

He then concludes, “Consequently, we can ascend from created things ‘to the greatness of God and to his loving mercy’” (77).

True justice, then, respects the natural world as a gift of the eternal, all-powerful God. Conversely, injustice can be seen as the rupture of right relationships, reflected in an individualistic, consumption-driven culture that increasingly discards both human beings and the good things of the earth.

“There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature,” the Holy Father writes, “without a renewal of humanity itself. There can be no ecology without an adequate anthropology” (118).

He then goes on to explain, “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.

Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature” (139).

To Pope Francis, human trafficking, abortion, the destruction of human embryos and disregard for the plight of the poor are all evidence of deep, interrelated impediments to communion — obstacles we must remove if we ever hope to “hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected” (117). Real justice requires that we heal our relationships. All of them.

CNS photo/Paul Haring

by Jonathan Reyes

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MORE THAN JUST POLITICS justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry In order to begin this healing process, the pope calls us to a “new of the earth and the cry of the poor” (49). and universal solidarity,” which recognizes that we are a single human family in need of right relationships with one another, WONDER, LOVE AND PRAISE our Lord and our natural world (14). To understand this funda- Much of the media coverage of the new encyclical has focused mental truth is to make sense of the many other themes and rec- entirely on climate change. While discussing this topic and other ommendations in the encyclical. ecological crises head-on, Pope Francis is hardly breaking new For example, Pope Francis considers scientific information in ground. There is a real sense of urgency in Laudato Si’ to dialogue a very deliberate way, recognizing that the Church has long dis- honestly toward prudent action on environmental difficulties, cussed such matters even while not claiming specific technical but Francis isn’t the first pope to assert this. expertise (cf. 61).

We are reminded, for instance, of the messages of St. John Despite a history of openness by the Church to science and Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for the World Day of Peace in significant scientific contributions by many of her faithful, it has 1990 and 2010, respectively. Here and elsewhere, Pope Francis’ become a popular myth that the Church and science are some- predecessors discussed environmental crises such as the deplehow incompatible. As Christians we cannot accept such a false tion of the ozone layer, climate change, pollution and the deopposition. To do so is to surrender to others fertile ground for forestation of equatorial and tropical regions. helping humanity understand God and his marvelous design.

In addition to practical considerations and theological reflecPope Francis takes on this challenge directly, urging that “sci- tion about environmental issues, Pope Francis also offers pastoral ence and religion, with their distinctive approaches to under- promptings toward prayer, hope and joy. He connects the sacrastanding reality, can enter into an intense mental life of the Church, particularly dialogue fruitful for both” (62). in the Eucharist, to care for creation: “It However, he also warns about reliance is in the Eucharist that all that has been on purely technological solutions. Just created finds its greatest exaltation.

HERE CAN BE NO because humankind becomes capable of Grace, which tends to manifest itself doing something, does not mean that we tangibly, found unsurpassable expresRENEWAL OF OUR RELATIONought to do it. If, though, “we acknowlsion when God himself became man SHIP WITH NATURE,” THE edge the value and the fragility of nature and gave himself as food for his creaand, at the same time, our God-given tures” (236).

HOLY FATHER WRITES, abilities, we can finally leave behind the At the heart of this message is a summodern myth of unlimited material mons toward a simpler way of life. Invit“WITHOUT A RENEWAL OF progress. A fragile world, entrusted by ing individuals and communities alike God to human care, challenges us to deto an “ecological conversion,” Pope HUMANITY ITSELF.” vise intelligent ways of directing, develFrancis quotes these words from Pope oping and limiting our power” (78).

Benedict XVI’s inaugural homily: “The The pope similarly asks us to critically external deserts in the world are growing reflect upon the dominant “technocratic paradigm and the cult because the internal deserts have become so vast” (cf. 217). of unlimited human power” (122).

Pope Francis challenges us to shed those things that make us Pope Francis is a pastor, not a politician. He hopes we will lay insensitive to our brothers and sisters in need, cause us to fill aside partisanship and come together to solve real crises facing our lives with superficial novelties and activity, or crowd out the human family. He urges us to humanize the systems we rely our ability to gaze upon the created universe with a sense of on to meet our material needs, ensuring that they are at the serv- wonder (cf. 113, 204, 206, 209). ice of all people. We ought to incorporate strong ethical criteria In short, Pope Francis presents us with an integrated teaching, within economic and political decision-making, which all too inviting us to enhance our conversations about care of our comoften reduces people to mere data. mon home, whether at the kitchen table or the negotiating table.

The pope writes extensively about approaching development in The encyclical Laudato Si’ ultimately calls us to prayerfully grow a manner that honors cultural heritage, takes stock of the human in our love of God, one another, and the world that the Creator toll of our economic decisions and refuses to link unacceptable re- has given us to till and keep. If we are open to Pope Francis’ mesproductive health requirements to assistance in poorer nations. He sage, we will soon become better instruments of God’s love, exdirectly rejects population growth as a problem, calling population pressing it more profoundly in right relationship with him and control programs “one way of refusing to face the issues” (50). all of his creatures.♦ A key and recurring theme is solidarity with the poor — that is, those who suffer the most, contribute the least to ecological JONATHAN J. REYES, PH.D., is executive director of the Deproblems, and yet have the greatest difficulty adapting. Pope partment of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the U.S. Francis calls on wealthy nations to assist poorer countries in de- Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is a member of George veloping sustainable technology and “to integrate questions of Brent Council 5332 in Manassas, Va.

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Persecution Rising Christians continue to be in the firing line of Islamic State militants and other terrorist groups across the globe

by Lord David Alton EDITOR’S NOTE: Lord David Alton, a member of the British House of Lords and professor of citizenship at Liverpool John Moores University, published a special report on the worldwide phenomenon of Christian persecution for the Geopolitical Information Service (www.geopolitical-info.com) July 1, 2015. The text below is abridged from his report and is reprinted with permission. To support the ongoing efforts of the Knights of Columbus Christian Refugee Relief Fund, visit www.kofc.org/refugees.

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oday, Christians are being persecuted from North Korea to Pakistan, from China to Sudan. In the Middle East, where Christians made up a quarter of the population 100 years ago, they now number less than 5 percent. If current demographic trends continue, the Middle East’s population of 12 million Christians will be halved by 2020.

Systematic persecution is not a new phenomenon. The 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Roman Empire outlawed the new growing Christian faith and condemned all believers to death. The campaign against Armenian Christians was among the first genocides of the 20th century 1,600 years later. According to Gyula Orban, an official of the Catholic relief agency Aid to the Church in Need, approximately 10 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world suffer persecution today.

AGONY IN SYRIA AND IRAQ In Syria, militants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) have already killed thousands and are terrifying the Christian population in Aleppo, the second largest city in that country.

According to Aleppo’s Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart, his archbishopric has been hit more than 20 times by mortar shells and is under fire again.

“After attacks on Maloula, Mosul, Idleb and Palmyra, what

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A Syrian man passes a child to safety as thousands of refugees cross the border into Akçakale, Turkey, June 14. Five years of civil war and Islamic State attacks have left 7.6 million Syrians — nearly half the country’s population — either refugees or internally displaced.

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

the destruction of Christian churches and the defilement of Shia mosques. The fall of Palmyra in Syria follows the bulldozing of the ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq, and demolition of Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Buddhas and the Sufi monuments in Mali. In an attempt to eradicate the collective memory of humanity, IS is destroying all that is “different,” while cynically smuggling and selling the antiquities that they do not destroy to fund their campaign.

IS is also at war with other Muslims and other faith traditions. The group presents this as a clash of civilizations, but the manner in which they debase all that is civilized simply pits civilization against barbarism. The IS terrorist attack in June, in which 38 tourists were killed in Tunisia, accompanied by atrocities in France and Kuwait, highlights the murderous outrages the group is willing to commit.

is the West waiting for before it intervenes?” said Archbishop Jeanbart in a desperate email message in late May. “What are the great nations waiting for before they put a halt to these monstrosities?”

There are fewer than 100,000 of the 250,000 Christians left in Aleppo. Churches and ancient monasteries have been blown up, and bishops and priests — such as Father Jacob Murad, Bishops Hanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazici — have been abducted, some executed. Torture, beheadings and even “crucifixion” — by hanging corpses of the executed on crosses — has become commonplace.

In the seventh century, Christians living in what is now Syria had to pay half an ounce of gold to pay for the privilege of living under the protection of the Islamic caliphate. Failure to pay left two options: convert or be killed. So too Syrian Christians living in areas controlled by IS today are forced to convert to Islam or pay a punitive jizya tax.

Vast tracts of Syria and Iraq have become lawless and ungovernable. Law-abiding minority communities — mainly Christians — have been caught in the crossfire. They have lived in places like Aleppo and the Nineveh Plains for 2,000 years and continue to worship and speak in the Aramaic language. Many Christians have attempted to flee Syria, some risking treacherous journeys across the Mediterranean.

The brutality of IS manifests itself in beheadings accompanied by a blitzkrieg on antiquities and ancient artifacts, and

HAVOC AND FEAR IS describes itself as the Islamic State, but such a title is a misnomer. It is certainly not a state and many Muslim scholars challenge the Islamic basis on which it forces Christians to convert or die. This same hatred of Christians has been nurtured by other radical groups from the Taliban to al-Shabaab and Boko Haram.

In April, al-Shabaab-affiliated Islamist militants in Kenya specifically singled out Christians in an attack where 147 students died at Garissa University College.

Boko Haram is creating havoc and fear in Nigeria, graphically illustrated by the February 2014 abduction of young girls and the murder of 59 students from the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, while they slept. Churches have been bombed, pastors executed and Christians targeted despite the government’s insistence that it is tackling Boko Haram. The terror group, which killed more than 80 people in attacks in June, openly says its interim goal is “to eradicate Christians from certain parts of the country.”

More than 10 years since Sudan’s civil war, unremitting violence has led to a massive displacement of predominately Christian populations there and a vast number of refugees.

Sudan’s neighbor, Eritrea, is the North Korea of Africa with one of the world’s most repressive regimes. Nearly 18 percent of the 200,000 immigrants reaching Europe in 2014 come from Eritrea, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In May, protestors gathered in London to mark the 13th anniversary of the imposition of severe restrictions on churches in Eritrea, the deposing and house arrest of the Eritrean patriarch, Abune Antonnios, and the imprisonment of other Christians. Fleeing Eritrean Christians braved arduous journeys to reach Libya only to be captured there by IS and beheaded.

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A Nigerian man is pictured March 29 praying at St. Charles Catholic Church in Kano, Nigeria, the site of a 2014 bomb attack by Boko Haram Islamic insurgents. media first need to become literate about religion. The BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, said, “If you don’t understand religion — including the abuse of religion — it’s becoming ever harder to understand our world.”

The central question of how nations learn to live together, tolerantly respecting and rejoicing in the dignity of difference, is at the heart of all these challenges. It means emphasizing a common humanity; promoting the ability of members of all religious faiths to manifest their religion; and allowing all people to contribute openly and on an equal footing to society.

Aid programs and humanitarian interventions have to reflect values and be used to protect minorities, provide security, and Egypt was horrified in February by the beheading of 21 open the possibility of decent lives for those currently trying to Egyptian Copts who were working in Libya. Egypt’s President flee their native homelands. Countries can apply “soft power” Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for a “religious revolution” in 2015 — or smart power — in the way aid is provided and by shutto re-examine those aspects of Islamic thinking that “make an ting it off, or threatening to shut it off, where necessary — and enemy of the whole world.” But, despite his calls for religious in how values are shared through education and the media. renewal, “contempt of religion” and blasphemy charges are ocThe immediate and overarching concern remains the plight curring more frequently. of Middle Eastern Christians. The inAmong the many other countries in ternational community has to be more which Christians and others are perseconsistent in its moral outrage rather cuted for their beliefs is Pakistan. than denouncing some countries for OUNTRIES HAVE TO British politicians have raised the their suppression of minorities while tragic case of Nauman Masih, a 14appeasing others who directly enable MAKE THE CAUSE OF THOSE year-old Christian boy, who was jihad through financial support. WestWHO SUFFER FOR THEIR beaten, tortured and burned alive in ern powers are seen as hypocrites when Lahore April 9, after he was identified business interests determine responses RELIGION OR BELIEF THE as a Christian. to human rights abuses.

In late 2014, a Pakistani Christian Nonetheless, this is not about ChrisGREAT CAUSE OF OUR couple was burned alive in a kiln by a tians versus Muslims. Religious persemob of more than 1,200, and a year cution takes place all over the world, TIMES.” earlier, 85 Anglicans were killed by a and those responsible should be prosebomb attack while praying in their cuted. The three Abrahamic religions church in Peshawar. These incidents — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — followed the assassination of Pakistan’s only Christian Cabinet need to ask deep questions about what they can do to remedy Minister, Clement Shahbaz Bhatti in 2011. Nobody has been these issues — and become transformative agents in conflict convicted for this crime. management, reconciliation and healing. Can the great faiths Pakistan’s first President, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, said at its motivate their followers to be peace-makers, peace-builders, founding in 1947, “Minorities, to whichever community they protectors of minorities, and practitioners of pluralism, tolermay belong, will be safeguarded. Their religion, faith or belief ance, mutual respect and the upholding of the rule of law? will be secure. … They will have their protection with regard Countries have to make the cause of those who suffer for their to their religion, faith, their life and their culture.” religion or belief the great cause of our times. Christians, Jews Yet the minorities in Pakistan — including the 3 million and Muslims privileged to live in free societies have to challenge Christians, accounting for 1.5 percent of a population of 182 cold indifference and speak up and defend humanity.♦ million — are neither safeguarded nor protected today.

LORD DAVID ALTON, professor of citizenship at Liverpool OUR COMMON HUMANITY John Moores University and a former member of the British World leaders face the challenge of championing and uphold- House of Commons, was nominated to the House of Lords ing the rule of law and the protection of religious minorities. in 1997 and speaks regularly on human rights and religious The UN and our Western legislators, policymakers and liberty issues.

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AP Photo/Ben Curtis

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S TAT E D E P U T I E S 2015-16

ALABAMA R. EVAN PARRISH

ALASKA RONALD L. REINHARDT SR.

ALBERTA W. CHARLES RUSSELL

ARIZONA LAURENCE J. BECKER

ARKANSAS ADRIAN E. DOMINGUEZ

BRITISH COLUMBIA ARCIE J. LIM

CALIFORNIA EDWARD P. HUESTIS

COLORADO JAMES D. CAFFREY

CONNECTICUT THOMAS J. VITA

DELAWARE BARRY E. SWAIN

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TIMOTHY M. SACCOCCIA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ROBERT H. CAMPUSANO-PEREZ

FLORIDA DONNIE GOOLESBY SR.

GEORGIA MARK J. McMULLEN

GUAM DAVID S. DUENAS

HAWAII STEPHEN D. LOPEZ

IDAHO KERRY M. HENNESSY

ILLINOIS WILLIAM L. DOERFLER

INDIANA SCOTT C. CUNNINGHAM

IOWA JON C. ALDRICH

KANSAS PATRICK D. WINCHESTER

KENTUCKY FRANCIS J. SHAY

LOUISIANA VERNON F. DUCOTE

LUZON NORTH JOSE C. REYES JR.

LUZON SOUTH RAMONCITO A. OCAMPO

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MAINE DAVID J. ROY

MANITOBA KARL J. BROSCH

MARYLAND STEPHEN J. ADAMCZYK

MASSACHUSETTS RUSSELL A. STEINBACH

MEXICO CENTRAL GERARDO D. CARSTENSEN-VELÁZQUEZ

MEXICO NORTHEAST ANGEL A. MALDONADO-PÉREZ

MEXICO NORTHWEST JUAN MANUEL ALVAREZDEL CASTILLO

MEXICO SOUTH JOSÉ ANTONIO FERNÁNDEZ-FERNÁNDEZ

MEXICO WEST SALVADOR ROJAS-HERNÁNDEZ

MICHIGAN ROBERT W. FOX

MINDANAO REYNALDO C. TRINIDAD

MINNESOTA JOSEPH M. KONRARDY

MISSISSIPPI MARION J. McCRAW II

MISSOURI KEITH A. MILSON

MONTANA STEVEN P. ZACHMANN

NEBRASKA ANTHONY W. HERGOTT

NEVADA GREGORY A. SPRIGG

NEW BRUNSWICK RONALD OUELLETTE

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR EMILE J. CABOT

NEW HAMPSHIRE WAYNE P. GRIFFIN

NEW JERSEY BRUCE E. DeMOLLI

NEW MEXICO RICHARD J. ESPINOSA

NEW YORK ROBERT D. WEITZMAN

NORTH CAROLINA COLIN R. JORSCH JR.

NORTH DAKOTA BRENT J. MIKKELSEN

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NOVA SCOTIA GEORGE M. MCCORMACK

OHIO ROBERT F. COLLINS JR.

OKLAHOMA ROBERT L. MELKO

ONTARIO ALAIN E. CAYER

OREGON ROBERT J. KISH JR.

PENNSYLVANIA STANLEY A. GLOWASKI

POLAND ANDRZEJ ANASIAK

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND LLOYD E. KELLY

PUERTO RICO MIGUEL A. VIDAL-LUGO

QUÉBEC RICHARD DESROCHERS

RHODE ISLAND PETER N. LENTINI

SASKATCHEWAN DENIS A. F. CARIGNAN

SOUTH CAROLINA FRANKLIN L. DAVIS

SOUTH DAKOTA THADDEUS R. LIEBIG

TENNESSEE STEPHEN B. COMM

TEXAS TERRY L. SIMONTON

UTAH JERALD P. HANTEN

VERMONT PETER M. LARAMIE

VIRGINIA STEPHEN P. RASCHKE SR.

VISAYAS ANTHONY P. NAZARIO

WASHINGTON EDDIE L. PARAZOO

WEST VIRGINIA GERALD P. SOMAZZE

WISCONSIN RONALD F. FAUST

WYOMING JOHN E. BENEDIK JR.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Knights waited with a military helmet following Mass, encouraging parishioners to donate. The drive raised $1,600 for the military archdiocese.

THE WHOLE SPECTRUM

Members of the Holy Cross Academy Crusaders coed soccer team battle for the ball during a game in their 2014-15 season.

When reports of the violent persecution of Christians and other minority groups in Iraq began to circulate last summer, the Holy Cross soccer team decided it wanted to help refugees in a tangible way by raising money for each goal scored during the season. The team’s first sponsor was E. Bart Hanifin Council 473 in Oneida, N.Y., which agreed to donate $25 for every goal. Knowing that the Supreme Council had set up a fund to aid refugees, other donors soon came aboard. By the end of the season, the Crusaders had scored 58 goals and raised $3,325 for the Christian Refugee Relief Fund.

NEW CHAPEL

Excmo. Sr. Obispo Cazares y Martínez Council 4637 in Sahuayo, Mexico Central, converted unused space at its council hall into a permanent chapel in honor of Blessed José Sánchez del Río. Knights raised more than 125,000 pesos (about $9,200) for the project and volunteered 1,200 hours on the chapel’s construction. The new prayer space, which is open to the public, will benefit more than 100 nearby families.

SWEATS FOR VETS

Father John T. Dewan Assembly in Fort Washington, Md., donated 35 sweat suits and 35 pairs of socks to the Charlotte Hall Veterans Center. Knights learned that the 30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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center was in need of warm clothing in anticipation of the fall and winter months.

St. Thomas More Council 2188 in Westwood was a major sponsor for a walk-athon benefiting Spectrum for Living of Northern and Central New Jersey. Knights assisted with set-up and teardown activities, and grilled hot dogs for 600 participants.

The event raised $41,000 to assist adults with intellectual disabilities by providing quality housing, clinical and home-care services.

CROSS REPAINTED

Father Eugene O’Leary Council 6595 in St. John, New Brunswick, repainted the steeple cross at St. Anne Church in Glen Falls. A local glass company donated use of its aerial boom to reach the roof, while the council supplied the needed materials.

BAMBOO PLANTING

HUNGER WALK

Cauayan (Luzon) Council 6704, in partnership with the Environment and Natural Resource Government Office, planted bamboo along the banks of a local river to protect local areas damaged by deforestation and to prevent further soil erosion. The council placed bamboo at three different sites, planting a total of 200 seedlings along the Cagayan River.

Father Robert G. Smith Council 7591 in Vassar/ Millington, along with parishioners from St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church, participated in the interfaith CROP Hunger Walk. Participants raised more than $6,800 to support local food pantries and overseas hunger initiatives.

PASSING THE HELMET

St. Mary of Sorrows Council 8600 in Fairfax, Va., held a “helmet collection” to benefit

BILLBOARD PLACED

St. Hubert Council 10341 in Crown, Pa., erected an interchangeable, dual-sided billboard along Route 66 in Crown near St. Mary Church. Knights secured per-

mission from the property owners to erect the permanent billboard and oversaw its planning and construction.

WIDOW MOVED

Father Robert Kennedy Council 9458 in Milledgeville, Ga., provided moving services for a parish widow after she had a stroke. Knights volunteered to paint and prepare the woman’s new home before moving all of her belongings.

LOOKING OUT TO SEA

At the request of fellow council member Deacon Patrick Lapoint, director of the Stella Maris Seafarers Center in Lake Charles, La., members of Sulphur Council 3015 traveled to the facility to erect a flagpole. Operated by the Apostleship of the Sea, the center cares for seafarers, fishers and their families.

MIX & MINGLE

St. Francis Xavier Council 12067 in Mississauga, Ontario, and the Catholic Women’s League co-hosted a “Mix & Mingle” event at St. Francis Xavier Church to help reduce parish debt. The

Members of Antonio Rodriguez Menendez Council 7045 in Yauco, Puerto Rico, present a food basket to a needy family in the community. Knights presented food baskets, filled with staples such as pasta and coffee, to two needy families.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION ADAPTIVE BICYCLE

Joseph Robenhymer (far right) of Pope Pius XII Council 5295 in Narragansett, R.I., unfurls a Knights of Columbus banner at the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine with help from Boy Scout Troop #1 in Narragansett.

The council partners with the Boy Scouts to organize hikes throughout New England. In particular, Knights and Scouts undertook a five-day camping and hiking trip on the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

event raised more than $2,100 to help the church pay down its mortgage.

At the request of Elijah and Angie Daley, Highland (Ill.) Council 1580 raised $4,000 to purchase an adaptive bicycle for two of the Daleys’ children. Six-year-old twins Elijah and Kadence were born 15 weeks premature with severe developmental disabilities and medical problems. The adaptive bike will help both children as they continue to develop their motor skills.

SANDWICH MAKERS

Twice each month, members of Msgr. John F. Callahan Council 3600 in West Hartford, Conn., join volunteers in making sandwiches to deliver to the House of Bread service ministries. Knights serve lunch at the center, delivering any remaining sandwiches to the needy and homeless at the nearby Immaculate Conception Shelter.

Members of Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 in Potomac Falls, Va., prepare to pull a Federal Express jet down the runway at Dulles International Airport in support of Special Olympics. The K of C team raised $1,500 by hauling the airplane.

of collecting donations, a caravan of vehicles filled with boxes and bags delivered the items to Sunshine House, which provides daycare services for needy families.

FIRE RECOVERY

DIACONATE STUDIES

Our Lady of Fatima Council 3118 in Fergus Falls, Minn., hosted a breakfast to benefit Craig Stich, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Lakes Church in Battle Creek who is studying to become a deacon. The event raised nearly $900 to help Stich with his studies.

BABY BLANKETS

UPPER RIGHT: Photo by Patrick Korten

Father Hecker Council 14586 at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., worked with GVSU Students for Life to make baby blankets for a Grand Rapids-area pregnancy resource center.

RELIGIOUS ED MEDIA

St. Victor Council 4112 in San Jose, Calif., purchased two televisions and two DVD players for its parish to assist with religious education classes.

THE BARONE TRIANGLE

St. Bernard Council 14269 in Brooklyn, N.Y., adopted a small park called the Barone Triangle after it fell into disrepair. The Brooklyn park honors Cosmo L. Barone, a lifetime resident of nearby Bergen Beach, who belonged to the Knights of Columbus and died in the Vietnam War. Capping the restoration of the triangle, Knights hosted a ceremony dedicating a flagpole that was erected in Barone’s honor.

RAY OF SUNSHINE

St. Marguerite d’Youville Council 12905 in Lawrenceville, Ga., initiated a clothing, toy and household goods drive to benefit the small town of Crawfordville (population 575), where 30 percent of families live below the poverty line. After weeks

Immaculate Conception Council 11842 in Butuan City, Mindanao, helped residents in a neighboring community whose homes had been damaged or destroyed in a recent fire. Council members assisted with repairs, cleaning and reconstruction.

FATHERHOOD WORKSHOP

Three Polish-speaking councils in greater Toronto — Cardinal Wyszynski Council 9296, Maximilian Kolbe Council 9612 and St. Eugene de Mazonod Council 12916 — teamed up to invite Dr. Dariusz Cupiał from Poland to host a two-day intensive workshop on fatherhood.

Cupiał is the founder of TATO.net, an organization that helps “fathers be better fathers.” Thirty-two dads from the community partici-

pated in the event, which was based on the book 7 Secrets of Effective Fatherhood by American author Ken Canfield.

The councils defrayed twothirds of the $120 ticket price to make the workshop more affordable to attendees.

CORRECTIONS In the bottom photo on page 15 of the June issue, the military official saluting Cpl. Kyle Hockenberry is misidentified as a Naval officer. He is a Navy SEAL senior chief petty officer.

In the collage on pages 1617 of the July 2015 issue, the original publication date of the center Columbia cover in the top row should have read “August 1930.”

While preparing possible covers for the issue, the image was changed to read “July 2015.”

kofc.org exclusive See more “Knights in Action” reports and photos at www.kofc.org/ knightsinaction

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AUGUST 2015

Matthew Hoffman, second from right, is pictured with fellow teammate Ariadne Cerritelli at the unveiling of the winning papal altar design for Pope Francis’ visit to the United States next month. Also pictured are (left to right) John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America; Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; and Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington.

A COLLEGE Knight of Columbus is part of the three-person team that designed the winning altar that will be used for Pope Francis’ open-air Mass in Washington, D.C., next month.

Matthew Hoffman, an architecture student at The Catholic University of America and a member of CUA Council 9542, created the winning design alongside teammates Ariadne Cerritelli of Bethesda, Md., and Joseph Taylor of Eldersburg, Md. “I am really honored, being so young and a student, that I have gotten the opportunity to design something that will be used publically, and especially for such an important person,” said Hoffman. “I consider myself a devout Catholic, and to design something that will be used by the pope was more than I could have ever hoped for.”

The design for the altar and liturgical furniture, which was unveiled at CUA June 2, features arches in the Romanesque-Byzantine style of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and consists of two types of marble that match the church’s interior pillars. A symbol featured in the center of the altar will pay homage to Mary.

During the unveiling ceremony, Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl thanked the architecture students for making an altar that millions around the world will see when Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Washington.

“Thank you for reminding us [that] whatever we do, we do it to the glory of God,” he said.

The papal Mass will be celebrated Sept. 23. Eighteen teams of at least two students each participated in the design competition, which was sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington and the national shrine. This is the second time that CUA students have designed furnishings for a papal visit to Washington; they also did so for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in 2008.

— Reported by Zoey Di Mauro, via Catholic News Service, and Patrick Scalisi

CNS photo/Jaclyn Lippelmann, Catholic Standard

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Mari Fisher (right) hugs John Tecklenburg in front of a social hall owned by Rev. P. N. Lynch Council 704 in Charleston, S.C. The council was among several businesses and civic groups that unfurled large banners in front of their buildings in a show of solidarity with Emanuel AME Church following a shooting there June 17 that left nine people dead.

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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 F A IT H A L I V E

‘GOD OFTEN COMMUNICATES IN ORDINARY WAYS.’ Growing up in a small town in central Washington did not give me the opportunity to attend a Catholic school, but I was able to learn about my faith from my community, which was dedicated to sharing what it had: a love for God, family and each other.

I remember as a child wondering whether God might choose to call me. Little did I realize that God was already speaking to me through my parish priest, who prepared me for my first Communion, and through the many people who shared their living faith with me.

From the moment I made my consecration to Mary at a young age, I knew that the Mother of God was at my side as my protector.

After college, I served as a teacher in a small Eskimo village in western Alaska and there discerned my vocation. I discovered that while a religious vocation is extraordinary, God often communicates that calling in ordinary ways, through a shared faith with others. It was this gift that led my heart to be open.

Photo by Alex McKnight

FATHER SEAN MORRIS, O.M.V. Oblates of the Virgin Mary Venice, Fla.