Columbia December 2021

Columbia KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

DECEMBER 2021

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CONTENTS

Columbia DECEMBER 2021

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VOLUME 101

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NUMBER 11

Departments 3 For the greater glory of God Pope Francis expresses his gratitude for the Knights’ steadfast loyalty to the successor of St. Peter and ongoing work

By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

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Tanguy Levesque, a member of Sainte Geneviève Council in Nanterre, France, carries his son on his shoulders during the Great March of St. Joseph, a 10-week pilgrimage in which a statue of St. Joseph (right) was transported from Paris to Cotignac in southern France.

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An Icon of Sanctity

The Order begins a new prayer program to foster devotion to St. Joseph and meditate on his example.

Learning the faith, living the faith God’s gift of his Son, present among us in the Blessed Sacrament, is the answer to our heart’s deepest longing.

By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

6 Knights of Columbus News Midyear Meeting Underscores Faith as Key to Growth • New Edition of Military Prayer Book Published • Pope Meets With Supreme Knight at Vatican • K of C Insurance Ranked Among Forbes ‘Best’ 27 Knights in Action Reports from councils and assemblies, representing the four pillars of the Faith in Action program model

• Hope of the Sick By Francis Denis • Protector of the Afflicted By Adrian Walczuk • Pillar of Families By Cecilia Hadley

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ON THE COVER

The Holy Family at work is depicted in stained glass in the Crypt Church of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal. The window, one of a series illustrating the life of St. Joseph, was created in 1919 by Perdriau and O’Shea Workshops.

Charity, Unity and Fraternidad

Outreach to Hispanic Catholics and other immigrant communities reflects the origins and growth of the Knights of Columbus.

By Elisha Valladares-Cormier

ON THE COVER: Photo by Bruno Olivier

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Partners in Evangelization

An interview with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle about the Catholic faith in the Philippines, the witness of Father McGivney and the power of charity.

The K of C Battle Against Soviet Ideology

Through education and advocacy, the Order combatted the Soviet Union’s biggest export: atheistic communism.

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.

kofc.org/join Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved

By Andrew Fowler and Maureen Walther DECEMBER 2021 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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EDITORIAL

Holy Families THE SOLEMN FEAST of the Holy Family,

celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas (this year Dec. 26), focuses our attention on the sacred home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth. “What St. Paul will call the ‘great mystery’ found its most lofty expression in the Holy Family,” wrote St. John Paul II in his 1994 Letter to Families. “Thus the family truly takes its place at the very heart of the New Covenant.” The Holy Family, moreover, can rightly be called the “prototype and example for all Christian families” and the “original domestic church” (Familiaris Consortio, 86; Redemptoris Custos, 7).

Despite its profound significance, widespread devotion to the Holy Family, like devotion to St. Joseph, is a relatively new development in Church history. In fact, these two devotions go hand in hand. In his 1889 encyclical on St. Joseph, Pope Leo XIII affirmed, “The special motives for which St. Joseph has been proclaimed Patron of the Church, and from which the Church looks for singular benefit from his patronage and protection, are that Joseph was the spouse of Mary and that he was reputed the father of Jesus Christ. From these sources have sprung his dignity, his holiness, his glory.”

Devotion to the Holy Family was growing rapidly by the late 19th century — especially in places like France, where an Association of Christian Families Consecrated to the Holy Family was founded in 1861, and in Canada, a land dedicated to St. Joseph two centuries earlier. In 1892, a decade after Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to meet the practical and spiritual needs of Catholic families, Leo XIII wrote, “Nothing more salutary and effective can be found for

Christian families than the model of the Holy Family, which contains in itself the perfection and crowning of all family virtues.”

The pope also linked the Holy Family to his social teaching, articulated the previous year in Rerum Novarum, noting that the family forms the basis of society, and not the reverse. The following year, in 1893, he formally established the feast of Holy Family, initially celebrated after Epiphany; it was not until October 1921 that Pope Benedict XV made the feast an obligatory celebration for the universal Church.

A century later, these twin devotions — to St. Joseph and the Holy Family — speak clearly to the needs of our time, just as they illuminated Catholic teachings about the family and the dignity of work in the face of atheistic communism in the 20th century (see page 22).

By spreading devotion through Faith in Action programs such as Consecration to the Holy Family, Keep Christ in Christmas, and the new St. Joseph pilgrim icon program (see page 8), the Order promotes the enduring identity and mission of the Christian family today.

So as the Year of St. Joseph declared by Pope Francis draws to a close, our eyes remain fixed on that “earthly trinity” of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who remain our models and guides on the path of holiness and missionary discipleship. “They do not live in Nazareth simply a life of pleasure and joy in one another,” wrote the Swiss mystic and author Adrienne von Speyr.

“They live there already for the Christians to come — for us. The house at Nazareth is no closed house, nor a closed paradise; it has doors and windows that open out into the Church.” ✢ Alton J. Pelowski, Editor

Featured Resource: Journey to the Inn The Posada is a traditional Advent celebration brought to the New World by 16th-century missionaries. It is a prayer, play and party all in one that reenacts Joseph and Mary’s search for an “inn” or “shelter” (Spanish: “posada”). The Knights of Columbus has published a booklet on how to host a Posada. A free digital, printable version of Journey to the Inn: An Advent Celebration (#9898) and other Faith in Action resources can be found at kofc.org/christmas.

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Columbia PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus SUPREME OFFICERS Patrick E. Kelly Supreme Knight Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. Supreme Chaplain Paul G. O’Sullivan Deputy Supreme Knight Patrick T. Mason Supreme Secretary Ronald F. Schwarz Supreme Treasurer John A. Marrella Supreme Advocate EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski Editor Andrew J. Matt Managing Editor Cecilia Hadley Senior Editor Margaret B. Kelly Associate Editor

Blessed 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 COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 columbia@kofc.org kofc.org/columbia ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org COLUMBIA INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 K OF C CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995

C O L U M B I A ✢ DECEMBER 2021

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F O R T H E G R E AT E R G LO R Y O F G O D

A Sign of Unity Pope Francis expresses his gratitude for the Knights’ steadfast loyalty to the successor of St. Peter and ongoing work

By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

Photo by Laura Barisonzi

SINCE OUR ORDER’S founding, one of the

great hallmarks of the Knights of Columbus has been our loyalty to the successor of Peter, the pope. In 1882, Father Michael McGivney proposed “Unity and Charity” as our first principles. Unity — that is, in the Catholic faith — is mentioned even before Charity. Christ Jesus is the center of true unity, and as he built his Church on the rock of St. Peter, the successor of Peter is always the visible center of the Church’s unity on earth.

I had the great honor of pledging our continued loyalty to Pope Francis when he received me in a private audience at the end of October.

The Holy Father welcomed Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori and me with remarkable warmth and kindness. On a personal level, it was a moving experience to be introduced to the pope by our worthy past supreme knight.

I’ve worked closely with Past Supreme Knight Anderson and with Archbishop Lori for many years, so it meant so much for me to be with these two great men as I met with Pope Francis for the first time as supreme knight.

It was, in a sense, a passing of the baton from one supreme knight to another. And it was a privilege for me to speak with the Holy Father about our continuity of leadership and mission. I reaffirmed the Order’s commitment to serve him as the successor of Peter, and I shared details about our work around the world. I also thanked the Holy Father for the great gift of declaring the Year of St. Joseph.

Pope Francis was very pleased to learn about our new Pilgrim Icon Program featuring an image of St. Joseph. I gave him a copy of the program book in Spanish and informed him that the reflections in the program are taken from Patris Corde, his beautiful letter on St. Joseph published last year.

The pope was grateful that we made St. Joseph a central focus of our spiritual efforts.

He expressed his enthusiasm not only through his words, but also by blessing and signing the framed copy of the icon that I had brought to the audience.

I also presented a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney to the Holy Father. His reaction was deeply moving. He took the reliquary from its box, and then, with much reverence, he venerated the relic with a kiss.

Pope Francis has already done much to draw attention to Father McGivney’s life, and it was clear in that moment that he has a personal appreciation for the exemplary parish priest who founded the Knights of Columbus. That, too, should be a source of pride for every Knight.

Moreover, the Holy Father was tremendously encouraging of the Knights, not only for our work in advancing unity, but also for our steadfast work of charitable outreach and building Christian fraternity. He encouraged us in our formation of Catholic men and support for a healthy sense of fatherhood.

It is not every day that you receive such a boost from the pope, the bishop of Rome. But when it comes to bishops praising the work of the Knights of Columbus, it’s certainly nothing out of the norm. I’ve spoken with many bishops since becoming supreme knight less than a year ago — and I’ve been so encouraged by what I’ve heard. They are deeply grateful for the Knights and everything we do.

Even more, they have what I would call a deep affection for the Order.

Our work of building charity, unity and fraternity in the Church does not go unnoticed.

Nor does it fail to bear fruit. By continuing on, strengthened by our faith and by the intercession and inspiration of St. Joseph, Blessed Michael McGivney and Our Lady of Guadalupe, this fruit will continue to be multiplied.

Thank you, brother Knights, for all that you do — particularly in your efforts to build unity in our parishes and in our Church.

Vivat Jesus!

‘The Holy Father was tremendously encouraging of the Knights, not only for our work in advancing unity, but also for our steadfast work of charitable outreach and in building Christian fraternity.’

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

The Gift of the Eucharist God’s gift of his Son, present among us in the Blessed Sacrament, is the answer to our heart’s deepest longing

By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES and the

effects of the pandemic fade, people are looking to get back to “normal.” Many are planning Christmas parties and venturing into stores to buy gifts, perhaps for the first time in many months. Seeing a child’s face light up with joy when he or she unwraps a present, knowing that we gave just the perfect gift, receiving gifts in return — these moments are all part of the charm of this season.

Social occasions and gift exchanges are wonderful and even necessary traditions.

Yet no amount of party going or gift giving will ultimately fill the void in our lives; even the most valuable or thoughtful gift fails to bring us lasting happiness.

The real gift we are seeking, at Christmas and throughout the year, is love. Not fleeting affection, nor a love blemished by ulterior motives. Rather, we are seeking a love that is at once passionate and pure. We are seeking a love that corresponds to that spark of divinity deep within us. We are seeking to be loved for our own sake, eternally and infinitely. Even the most authentic forms of human love do not fully satisfy the restless yearnings at the root of our being.

Christmas is indeed about gift giving. On the first Christmas night, God the Father gave us his only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. On that star-lit night, the eternal Son of God, clothed in our humanity, entered history. He came to save us from our sins. He came to reveal the depth, beauty and utter goodness of his Father’s loving heart. Christmas is all about that pure, infinite and eternal love for which our hearts are longing.

For some, this gift of love seems out of reach, an event locked in the past, removed from the hardscrabble realities of our lives.

But it is not so. Just as God the Father gave the world its redeemer on that first

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Christmas night, so too, Jesus, our great high priest, continuously gives himself to us in the Eucharist, just as he did at the Last Supper and on the Cross. In the Eucharist, we truly receive the One who loves us like no other — the One who emptied himself, became one of us, preached, healed, suffered and died, rising from the dead to defeat sin and death. In the Eucharist, we make living contact with Jesus, the gift of the Father, the gift of love and the gift of peace.

What should be our response to so great a gift? At the very least, we should participate in holy Mass every Sunday — unless we have a truly serious reason for not doing so. Not to take part in the Eucharist is like refusing to open a present from a loved one on Christmas morning. Unthinkable! The way we “open” the gift of the Eucharist is through faith, which is itself a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith enables us to believe in, accept and indeed welcome Jesus’ gift of self — in our own lives and in our parishes and communities of faith. How important that we nurture and strengthen the gift of faith we received through baptism — by daily prayer and conversation with the Lord, by reading Scripture, and by regularly confessing our sins.

As you may know, the bishops of the United States are preparing to launch a multiyear Eucharistic Revival project and I am grateful that the Knights of Columbus is giving this effort wholehearted support.

Each of us can play our part in supporting this effort by reviving and strengthening our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, by attending Sunday Mass, as well as daily Mass when possible, and by participating in eucharistic adoration.

As Christmas dawns, may we gratefully receive the gift of the Eucharist and experience the amazing love contained in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. ✢

‘In the Eucharist, we truly receive the One who loves us like no other ... we make living contact with Jesus, the gift of the Father, the gift of love and the gift of peace.’

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Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge

Catholic Man of the Month

A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

IN 1886, 22-year-old Alfred Etlin left Switzerland to enter a Benedictine monastery he had never visited in a country he had never seen. A few weeks later, he was received as an aspirant at Conception Abbey in Missouri.

“I feel so happy,” he wrote to his parents. “Not for all the gold in the world would I change my resolution.”

Growing up in a small town in the Alps, Alfred excelled in art, enjoyed taking comic roles in plays and loved fishing. He also had a deep prayer life, and his parents were not surprised when he discerned a religious vocation. They were surprised, however, by his intention to join a new abbey in the United States. He professed vows in 1887, receiving the name Lukas, and was ordained four years later. Except for one trip to Europe, he would live in Missouri for the rest of his life.

Father Etlin had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and spent hours in prayer before the tabernacle, often at night. He wrote about devotion to the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart, and as a longtime chaplain of the Sisters

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” (Gospel for Dec. 5, Lk 3:3-4)

FROM TOP: Courtesy of Conception Abbey — CNS photo/Lisa Johnston, St Louis Review — CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters

The preaching of John the Baptist reminds us what Advent is all about: turning away from sin and preparing for the coming of the Lord. It’s all too easy to get sidetracked or distracted by Christmas shopping and parties and fail to prepare spiritually for Christ’s coming. My brothers, let us truly prepare our hearts this Advent — and help our families do the same — so that we might fully and fruitfully celebrate Christ’s birth.

Father Lukas Etlin (1864-1927)

Liturgical Calendar Dec. 3 St. Francis Xavier, Priest

of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Mo., Father Etlin led the design and construction of the sisters’ adoration chapel. He also painted striking murals in the Conception Abbey basilica.

In the wake of World War I, Father Etlin launched a one-man relief program called “Caritas,” raising more than $2 million for impoverished monasteries, convents and orphanages in Europe. His efforts also helped 2,800 young men finish their studies for the priesthood.

Father Etlin was killed in a car crash Dec. 16, 1927, only hours after reminding a class of school children, “We must at all times be ready to die.”

His cause for canonization was opened in 1960. ✢

Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention

Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Dec. 8 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dec. 9 St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin Dec. 13 St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

Challenge: This month, I challenge you to prayerfully incorporate both an Advent calendar and Advent wreath into your Christmas preparations. Second, I challenge you to undertake the Keep Christ in Christmas Faith in Action program.

Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church Dec. 25 The Nativity of The Lord (Christmas) Dec. 26 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Dec. 27 St. John, Apostle and Evangelist Dec. 28 The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

Let us pray for the catechists, summoned to announce the Word of God: may they be its witnesses, with courage and creativity and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Midyear Meeting Underscores Faith as Key to Growth

FRATERNAL LEADERS from nearly 70 jurisdictions gathered Nov. 5-7 in Nashville, Tenn., to discuss the Knights’ mission and priorities at the annual Midyear Meeting of State Deputies. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly outlined those priorities in several addresses, urging K of C leaders to focus on growing in faith and strengthening the Order by following in the footsteps of Blessed Michael McGivney.

“Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to form Catholic men capable of overcoming the challenges of their time. When men saw the spiritual strength of the Order, they came rushing in,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “Let’s do what Blessed Michael McGivney did in his time and form the Catholic men in our time.”

Inviting Catholic men to join the Knights of Columbus is a way to help them become the men God is calling them to be, the supreme knight affirmed.

“A lot of men, especially young men, are looking for meaning and answers. We offer both — a life of service and a life of meaning,” he said, adding, “Faith is the why behind what we do. It’s the most compelling reason to join the Knights. At the end of the day, faith is the most important benefit we offer.”

In addition to remarks from Supreme Knight Kelly, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore and others, the three-day meeting featured a panel discussion focused on “Leading with Creative Courage” and breakout sessions that addressed topics like evangelization and faith formation, membership growth, marketing and member experience.

On Nov. 6, the supreme chaplain celebrated a votive Mass in honor of St. Joseph, at the conclusion of which the 6

Order’s new prayer program dedicated to St. Joseph was inaugurated (see page 8 for details).

In his homily, Archbishop Lori noted that St. Joseph exemplifies two essential virtues that Knights are called to cultivate: obedient faith and trustworthiness.

“St. Joseph’s vocation to foster the earthly life of Jesus is, of course, unique, but all of us have been called to the obedience of faith,” the supreme chaplain said. “Father McGivney envisioned his Knights, above all, as men of obedient faith, who, with their wives and children, would live their vocation to the fullest.”

Regarding trustworthiness, Archbishop Lori noted, “In choosing Joseph to care with a father’s love for the incarnate Son of God, the eternal Father recognized in St. Joseph a man of utmost integrity.” Father McGivney, he added, “called us ‘knights’ to challenge us to be persons of highest integrity. … When good faithful Catholic men see in us this virtue of trustworthiness, they will want to join us.”

One highlight of the meeting occurred during its closing session Nov. 7, when Supreme Knight Kelly honored four Knights with the St. Michael Award for many years of exemplary service to the Order. The award was established in 2013 by then-Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who accompanied Supreme Knight Kelly in presenting it to the following men: Augustinian Father John Grace, former director of chaplains for the Knights of Columbus; Former Supreme Warden George W. Hanna; Supreme Master Dennis Stoddard; and retired Marine Col. Charles “Chuck” Gallina, the supreme knight’s advisor for military and veterans affairs. ✢

Photo by Jeffrey Bruno

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly delivers remarks Nov. 6 at the Midyear Meeting of State Deputies in Nashville, Tenn.

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New Edition of Military Prayer Book Published

Pope Meets With Supreme Knight at Vatican

TOP LEFT: Photo by Taylor Henry/Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA — TOP RIGHT: Vatican Media/L’Osservatore Romano

A GROUP of Knights of Columbus,

including some serving in the military, delivered the first of 100,000 new copies of Armed with the Faith, a Catholic prayer book for service members, to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, on Nov. 9.

Now in its 6th edition, the prayer book was developed by the Order in partnership with the military archdiocese in 2003 and is printed on waterproof, tear-resistant stock to endure rugged conditions. The new edition features an introduction by Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy.

“Throughout my military career, my fellow service members and I were strengthened and comforted by a daily commitment to prayer, as we asked for God’s intercession to protect our nation and help us preserve our freedoms,” said Supreme Knight Kelly.

“It’s my hope that today’s active-duty military personnel will find the Armed with the Faith Catholic prayer book their indispensable resource for reflection and prayer.”

Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio blessed the prayer books upon their arrival and commented, “Once again, I renew my gratitude to my brother Knights of Columbus who actively contribute to the spiritual growth and welfare of the men and women in uniform and their families.

Armed with the Faith is a precious example of their solicitude, which is expressed in so many ways.”

Since 2003, more than 600,000 copies of the prayer book have been distributed. ✢

POPE FRANCIS received Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly in a private audience

Oct. 25 for the first time in his new role as leader of the Knights of Columbus.

The supreme knight was accompanied by his predecessor, Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore.

Supreme Knight Kelly presented the pope with a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney and expressed deep appreciation for the beatification of the Order’s founder last year. He also pledged continued prayers and support for the Holy Father on behalf of the Order’s 2 million members around the world.

During the audience, Pope Francis blessed the icon of St. Joseph that will serve as the centerpiece of the Order’s new St. Joseph Prayer Program (see page 8). ✢

K of C Insurance Ranked Among Forbes ‘Best’ FORBES MAGAZINE named Knights of Columbus Insurance to its 2022 list of best insurance providers in the United States.

The “America’s Best Insurance Companies 2022” list, announced by Forbes on Sept. 29, is based on a survey of more than 16,000 U.S. citizens with at least one insurance policy conducted by the market research firm Statista.

The survey considered customers’ satisfaction overall and in five subcategories: financial advice, customer service, price/performance ratio, transparency and damage/benefit ratio.

A loyalty score was calculated based on customers’ likelihood of keeping their insurance policy under different

circumstances, and the length of time that consumers have held policies with the same insurer.

Knights of Columbus ranked #6 among life insurers that issue permanent life insurance.

“Knights of Columbus Insurance is excited to be recognized by Forbes and Statista for our industry-leading insurance products and the quality of service we deliver to our members and their families,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “As a Catholic fraternal benefit society, the Knights of Columbus is uniquely positioned to offer an array of top-quality insurance products that align with our members’ needs and values.” ✢ DECEMBER 2021 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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AN ICON OF SANCTITY

The Order begins a new prayer program to foster devotion to St. Joseph and meditate on his example

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Archbishop Lori, in his homily during the Nov. 6 votive Mass, noted that the intent of the pilgrim prayer program is to spread devotion to St. Joseph and to inspire men to put faith in action.

“In choosing Joseph to care with a father’s love for the incarnate Son of God,” the supreme chaplain said, “the eternal Father recognized in St. Joseph a man of utmost integrity — a man who perhaps had no idea what God had in mind for him but nonetheless went about his daily life and work with honesty and reliability.”

Since its inception in 1979, the Knights of Columbus Prayer Program, featuring numerous sacred images as its centerpiece, has included more than 174,000 local council and parish prayer services, drawing some 22 million participants.

The image of St. Joseph that was chosen for the current prayer program was created by iconographer Élizabeth Bergeron, based on a drawing by Alexandre Sobolev, and resides at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal. Learn more and find resources by visiting kofc.org/pilgrimicon. ✢

TOP AND LOWER LEFT: Photos by Jeffrey Bruno —LOWER RIGHT: Vatican Media/L’Osservatore Romano

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cores of icons of St. Joseph and the Christ Child were blessed Nov. 6 at the Midyear Meeting of State Deputies in Nashville, Tenn., officially launching a new pilgrim icon prayer program in honor of the saint. Over the next two years, the images will travel from council to council in each of the Order’s 77 jurisdictions, serving as a focal point for prayer and devotion in thousands of parishes.

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore blessed the state deputies, as they held the icons at the conclusion of a special votive Mass of St. Joseph. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly also led those present in praying the Litany of St. Joseph.

Since taking office as the Order’s 14th supreme knight last March, Kelly has consistently urged Knights to emulate the saint’s “creative courage” — thereby echoing Pope Francis’ 2020 apostolic letter Patris Corde, which announced the Year of St. Joseph. The supreme knight also consecrated his administration to St. Joseph when he was installed on June 11.

“During my installation, I knelt before a beautiful icon of our Lord’s foster father,” Supreme Knight Kelly recalled in his first annual report, delivered at the 139th Supreme Convention in August. “It is from St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal, and that image will be the centerpiece of our next pilgrim icon program. It will travel in every jurisdiction for the next two years. Seek it out. Ask for St. Joseph’s inspiration and intercession — for you, for your family, and for the Order.”

On Oct. 25, Pope Francis blessed the icon during a private audience with Supreme Knight Kelly at the Vatican.

Later addressing state deputies during the Midyear Meeting, the supreme knight affirmed, “The Holy Father was grateful that we’ve made St. Joseph a central focus of our spiritual efforts.”

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From top: State deputies stand with blessed images of St. Joseph icon that will serve as the centerpiece of the Order’s new pilgrim icon prayer program. • Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore leads a prayer of commissioning at the conclusion of a votive Mass of St. Joseph on Nov. 6. • Pope Francis blesses a St. Joseph pilgrim icon that was presented by Supreme Knight Kelly during a private audience in the Vatican Oct. 25.

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JOSEPH Centers of devotion to St. Joseph around the world draw Knights for prayer and pilgrimage

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Top: Québec Knights and family members gather outside St. Joseph’s Oratory during a pilgrimage last month to honor Canada’s patron saint and St. Brother André Bessette, founder of the Oratory. • Above: Brother André stands with then-Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty (front left) and other Knights during a K of C pilgrimage to the Crypt of the Oratory during the year dedicated to St. Joseph in 1921. • Opposite page: A view of the Oratory shows a statue of St. Joseph in the foreground that reads, in Latin, “Ite ad Joseph” (“Go to Joseph”).

FROM TOP: Photo by Bruno Olivier — Photo courtesy of the St. Joseph Oratory

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Hope of the Sick Knights in Canada and beyond come to St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal to pray for healing and peace

CNS photo/Bob Mullen

By Francis Denis

FOR MORE THAN a century, Knights of Columbus have been making pilgrimages to St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest church in Canada and the world’s largest shrine dedicated to St. Joseph.

Located on Mount Royal, the highest point in Montréal, the shrine was founded in 1904 by St. André Bessette, a humble Holy Cross brother who, in 2010, became Canada’s first male saint.

Brother André, born Alfred Bessette in 1845, developed a deep devotion to St. Joseph from a young age. He entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross in December 1870 and served as the doorman of Montréal’s Notre-Dame College.

There, he received many visitors, including many sick people seeking solace and aid. Brother André, who himself suffered from poor health throughout his life, would pray with them and anoint them with oil from a lamp burning before a statue of St. Joseph in the college chapel. News of his healing touch spread as people began to recover.

“Nothing that I do in the cures comes from me,” Brother André once said. “Everything comes from St. Joseph, who obtains these extraordinary graces from God. I am nothing more than a lowly instrument.”

In thanksgiving for the many favors obtained through St. Joseph’s intercession, Brother André formed a plan to build an oratory in his honor. The gifts Brother André received from many of his grateful visitors allowed him to erect a wooden chapel on Mount Royal in 1904. After construction on the Crypt Church began in 1915, Knights and other pilgrims began coming in large numbers.

Many people today, such as Thomas Altenburg, grand knight of Montréal Council 284 (Canada’s first council), are drawn to the shrine by devotion not only to St. Joseph but also to Brother André.

“I’ve developed a great friendship with Brother André, in part because I’m an eyewitness of miracles he still performs today,” said Altenburg. For nearly 20 years, Altenburg has worked directly with people suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction, and he often accompanies them to the shrine.

“Such visits allow them to reconnect with the loving presence of God, from whom they have sometimes drifted away,” he said. “The most surprising thing is that I’m often not the

one who suggests we go to the oratory — they do it on their own accord.”

What remains perhaps the Knights’ largest and most significant pilgrimage to the shrine took place 100 years ago, during a year consecrated to St. Joseph called for by Pope Benedict XV in 1921. Thousands of Knights and their families, including Supreme Knight James Flaherty, traveled to the Oratory, where they also met with Brother André, then 76 years old. Another large contingent of Knights visited two years later, when the Supreme Convention was hosted in Montréal.

Though Brother André died on Jan. 6, 1937, his life’s dream came to fruition when the massive oratory was finally completed in 1967.

Following Brother Andre’s canonization in 2010, then-State Deputy Pierre Beaucage of Québec, who was present in Rome for the occasion, was inspired to organize an official K of C presence every year at the Oratory on St. Brother André’s feast day, celebrated in Canada on Jan. 7. Beginning in 2012, hundreds of Knights have participated in the annual Mass.

Though COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible for Knights to gather together in large numbers in 2021, State Deputy Richard Paratte of Québec is hopeful that the feast day Mass next month will take place.

“We are praying to St. Joseph, Hope of the Sick, that in the coming year we will be allowed to pursue what has now become a K of C tradition in honor of St. Brother André.”

Last month, a group of K of C pilgrims and family members made the trek up to the shrine to express their devotion. Among them was Patrick Alcaide, faithful navigator of San Lorenzo Ruiz Assembly 3103 in Montréal.

“St. Joseph is an unparalleled model for men and especially for Knights,” said Alcaide. “While St. Joseph teaches men how to sanctify ourselves in the professional world, he reminds us that we must maintain a balance, and that Sundays belong to God and one’s family. That’s why we often go to the Oratory of St. Joseph — to recenter ourselves on what’s essential as Catholics.” ✢ FRANCIS DENIS is a journalist and producer at Salt + Light Media and a member of Côte St-Paul Council 3193 in Montréal.

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Protector of the Afflicted National shrine in Poland and Dachau liberation bear witness to St. Joseph’s intercessory power

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS in could be rescued. The priests Poland are blessed to have a turned to St. Joseph. A commitparticularly historic place for tee was formed to prepare prispilgrimage during this Year of St. oners for an act of consecration Joseph: the world’s oldest shrine to the saint; at the center of the dedicated to the protector of preparations was a novena. the Holy Family. The National On April 22, the last day of Shrine of St. Joseph in Kalisz, the the novena, about 800 prisoners oldest city in Poland, is home to consecrated themselves to St. the first crowned image of Jesus’ Joseph. A week later, American adoptive father — an image that soldiers liberated the camp. It has been associated with countwas later learned that, according less miracles since 1670. to Heinrich Himmler’s orders, That year, St. Joseph appeared the prisoners were due to be exin a dream to a man in the nearby ecuted just a few hours after the village of Szulec. The man was camp was liberated. paralyzed, and his suffering The priests made a pilgrimage was such that he had prayed to of thanksgiving to the shrine in God to end his life. St. Joseph Kalisz in 1948 and returned each promised him that he would year for many decades afterward, recover if he had an image of the fulfilling the vow they made in Holy Family made according to Dachau to spread devotion to his instructions and gave it to the St. Joseph. In 1970, they created church, which itself dates back to a memorial chapel, called the the 12th century. The man folChapel of Martyrdom and Gratilowed the mysterious command tude of the Dachau Priests, in the and was healed. basement of the church.

Soon, many Catholics began Years later, St. John Paul II In the late 18th century, this venerated icon of the Holy coming to Kalisz to make rereferred to the miraculous events Family at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Kalisz, quests in front of the extraordiin the Nazi camp when he visited Poland, became the first image of St. Joseph to be nary image of St. Joseph, who is Kalisz in 1997. “I would like to canonically crowned. depicted with Mary, Jesus, God ... thank the priests, prisoners of the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Dachau [who] entrusted their In 1770, due to numerous graces suffering, their Dachau fate to received in answer to prayers, the painting was deemed “mithe Guardian of the Church of God,” the pope said. “On raculous,” and 26 years later a representative of Pope Pius VI pilgrimage to the St. Joseph Shrine in Kalisz, they pray visited the shrine to ceremonially crown the image. By the annually for their persecutors, and they also remember end of the 18th century, the shrine had received about 1,000 their brothers who were not given the chance to survive votive offerings given in thanksgiving for healings and help the camp and live long enough to see the day of freedom in obtained through the intercession of St. Joseph. their homeland.”

Among the many miracles attributed to the intercession of The story of the Shrine of St. Joseph in Kalisz and the St. Joseph of Kalisz, the story of the prisoners in Dachau conliberation of Dachau is told in the K of C-produced docucentration camp during World War II is of special importance. mentary St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father. Learn more about A large group of prisoners in that camp were Polish priests the film at kofc.org/stjoseph. ✢ who had a great devotion to St. Joseph of Kalisz. In the spring of 1945, as the war was coming to end, they sensed ADRIAN WALCZUK writes from Kraków, Poland, where he is a that their Nazi captors would liquidate the camp before they member of Father Michał Sopoćko Council 17667.

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Photo by Bożena Sztajner/Niedziela

By Adrian Walczuk

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Pillar of Families Thousands take part in a nearly 600-mile pilgrimage across France organized with K of C support

By Cecilia Hadley

KNIGHTS Luc de Moustier and Arnaud

Boutheon were participating in the annual March of St. Joseph in Paris last spring when they had an audacious idea. In this Year of St. Joseph, why not dream bigger? Why not a Great March — not across Paris but across France?

From that inspiration was born the Grande Marche de Saint Joseph, a 70-day, 950-km (590-mile) walking pilgrimage from Paris to southern France. The event was organized with leadership and support from numerous Knights of Columbus — including de Moustier, who is a member of St. Martin of Tours Council 16910 in Paris, and Boutheon, who serves as territorial deputy of France, where the Order has had a presence since 2015.

Beginning from Sacré-Cœur Basilica on June 7, pilgrims wended their way through 14 dioceses toward the Shrine of Our Lady of Graces and the Monastery of St. Joseph in Cotignac, where tradition holds that St. Joseph appeared to a shepherd in 1660. The faithful were encouraged to join for as long or as short as they were able: a few weeks, a few days, even a few hours. By the end of the Great March on Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption, nearly 10,000 people, including scores of Knights and their families, had participated.

One person who made the entire trek was St. Joseph himself, in the form of a statue created by de Moustier. The sculptor, who designed the statue in 2017, wanted to portray St. Joseph in a more natural, masculine pose than he appears in many statues. “Why show him carrying a child as a mother normally does?” he thought. “Why should we not make a St. Joseph carrying the child Jesus on his shoulders, like fathers often do?”

In his statue, the saint leans forward, climbing a step, his hands around the

French Knights and other pilgrims wheel a statue of St. Joseph through the Burgundy countryside during the Great March of St. Joseph this past summer.

Christ Child’s ankles. Secure on his perch, Jesus raises a hand, pointing the way. Pilgrims transported the statue on a rolling platform the entire route, through Parisian suburbs, small villages and summer-green fields. Along the way, they prayed especially for the unity of families, for workers and the unemployed, and for the sick. They also collected prayer intentions from people they met.

These encounters with the people of France brought joy and hope to the organizers of the pilgrimage.

“Children, older people, people from all walks of life came out to walk behind Jesus and St. Joseph,” said de Moustier, who walked about 125 miles (200 km) of the route. “St. John Paul II wrote that the greatest joy for an artist is to bring joy. I must admit that I have been fulfilled.”

Boutheon was particularly moved by the warm welcome that local parishioners gave the pilgrims each night and the positive reactions they received even from people who

were ostensibly far from the Church.

“Authentic evangelization was made possible,” he affirmed. “And many hearts were opened.”

The revival of faith in France was the primary intention the Knights entrusted to St. Joseph during the Great March, and Boutheon believes that the French Knights will continue to play an important role in this mission. In helping to organize the pilgrimage, he said, they demonstrated the creative courage that Pope Francis praised in St. Joseph.

“This pilgrimage illustrated in a concrete way the power of mobilizing Knights, in the complementarity of their talents, in service to the Church,” Boutheon said. “The future of the Church relies on creative minorities and great friendships. The young Knights of Columbus in France can be this band of brothers who will be on the front line, with humility and boldness, for the re-evangelization of our country.’” ✢ CECILIA HADLEY is senior editor of Columbia.

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Charity, Unity and Fraternidad Outreach to Hispanic Catholics and other immigrant communities reflects the origins and growth of the Knights of Columbus

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hen Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882, many of its first members were — like Father McGivney — the children of immigrants, or immigrants themselves. Rooted in a shared faith, the Order forged bonds of unity, charity and brotherhood, and within a matter of decades, it expanded internationally with councils in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and beyond. Today, even as Catholic men around the world join the Knights of Columbus, a growing group within the Church shares a close similarity with those very first Knights: Hispanic Catholics in the United States.

“The Hispanic community — including the immigrant and refugee communities — is the best reflection today of 14

the early Knights of Columbus,” explained Supreme Director Antonio Bañuelos, a past state deputy of Iowa who immigrated to the U.S. from Chihuahua, Mexico. “I have seen how the Order has helped immigrant and refugee families integrate more fully into the Church and take more active roles in church leadership.”

As of 2016, Hispanics made up more than 40% of the Catholic Church in the United States, and an even greater proportion — more than half — of American Catholics under the age of 29. However, while the Hispanic population in the U.S. Church has grown rapidly for decades, surveys indicate the practice of the faith decreases by roughly 10% with each generation: More than 6 in 10 immigrants from

Photo by Nancy Wiechec

By Elisha Valladares-Cormier

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Opposite page: Members of St. Anne Council 10540 in Gilbert, Ariz., meet to discuss Into the Breach, the 2015 apostolic exhortation to Catholic men by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix.• Right: Past Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson speaks with participants at the V (Fifth) National Encuentro of Hispanic/ Latino Ministry in Grapevine, Texas, in September 2018.

Latin America identify as Catholic, but the same is true for only 43% of the grandchildren of immigrants. These demographic changes raise a question for the Knights of Columbus: How can the Order provide pastoral care to the largest segment of the Church in the United States today?

The answer is more than simply hosting events or creating councils that cater to speakers of a particular language, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly told K of C leaders at the Midyear Meeting of State Deputies last month. It’s a matter of personal invitation.

“Hispanic men are interested in how the Knights can help them grow in faith and as husbands and fathers. We know this because they tell us,” the supreme knight said. “Now is the time for us to lay a foundation in the Hispanic community on which future generations can build.”

BROTHERS AT HOME AND ABROAD

Photo by Juan Guajardo

The Knights of Columbus has a long history of building unity among Catholics throughout North America. The first Latin American council was established in Mexico City in 1905, taking the name Our Lady of Guadalupe. During the persecution of the Church in Mexico in the 1920s and ’30s — when simply being a Knight could be cause for arrest or even execution — K of C leaders worked strenuously to bring attention to the plight of their Mexican brothers. Since 2000, nine members of the Knights of Columbus have been canonized or beatified as martyrs of the persecution.

The blood shed by these martyrs “has united forever the Knights of Columbus with the people and the land of Mexico,” Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said in 2011. “The Order’s history is forever linked to this history of this great nation.”

“We need to understand that Hispanic ministry or outreach is not only about doing things in Spanish. It is about a true identification with our brothers and sisters, as Jesus prayed to the Father: ‘Let them be one as you and I are one.’”

As Mexican Knights sought refuge in the United States, they started their own councils, beginning in 1927 with Tepeyac Council 2635 in South Los Angeles. In 1931, members of this council helped start an annual procession in honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, their home country’s patroness and a source of comfort during persecution. The oldest religious procession in Los Angeles, the event continues to draw tens of thousands of participants each December.

In Cuba, Knights faced a similar persecution for standing against anti-Catholic policies in the early 1900s. By the 1960s, the Order had been forced underground to avoid imprisonment by the Castro regime, and Cuban refugees in the United States began establishing new councils to revive their brotherhood in their new country.

“It’s part of the history of the Knights that immigrant brothers who don’t have families here find their family in the Knights of Columbus,” said District Deputy Ricardo Hernandez, a past grand knight of La Virgen de Guadalupe Council 17815 in Canby, Ore., and a former state membership director.

Another link between the Hispanic community and the Order is shared devotion to the Blessed Mother under her title Our Lady of Guadalupe. She revealed herself to St. Juan Diego as “your compassionate mother, yours and all of the people who live united in this land and of all the other people of different ancestries” — a mother attentive to all of her children’s needs and suffering.

Past Supreme Knight Anderson drew inspiration from St. John Paul II’s 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, in which the pope referred to the Virgin of Guadalupe as “an impressive example of a perfectly inculturated evangelization.” Standing before the miraculous tilma with Our Lady’s image, Anderson entrusted the Knights of Columbus to Our Lady of Guadalupe’s protection during his installation in Mexico City in February 2001. She remained a constant guide throughout his 20-year administration.

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canonization, collectively drew hundreds of thousands of people and increased devotion to Our Lady nationwide.

In his final column in Columbia in February 2021, the past supreme knight said Our Lady of Guadalupe was “key to our role in this great mission [of evangelization] and for our own development.”

When Hispanics learn of the Order’s devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, said Hernandez, they feel at home: “She’s our mother, and anyone who’s going to make your mother feel welcome and special, you’re drawn to that person automatically. It’s as simple as that.”

GROWING INTO THE FUTURE

Knights of Columbus leaders like Bañuelos and Hernandez point out that bringing Hispanic men into the unity and fraternity of the Knights of Columbus is of increasing importance today. While Hispanics are expected to make up 50% of the Catholic population in the United States by 2030, the Order’s membership currently does not reflect that trajectory. And with young people, including Hispanics, rapidly becoming less likely to maintain their faith 16

as adults, the Order can’t miss this opportunity to reach Hispanic men.

“Both the Church and the Order need to do a better job in connecting with Hispanics,” Bañuelos said. “Not so much in thinking about how to minister to them, but rather focusing on how Hispanic Catholics are needed for the development and growth of the Body of Christ.”

While some Hispanic immigrants are familiar with the Knights of Columbus in their home countries, many are not — or simply don’t understand the Order’s purpose, said Hernandez, whose parents and grandparents immigrated from Honduras. Supporting the parish, serving the community and growing in faith are all ingrained in Hispanic culture, he said, but “the dots aren’t always connected that this is an organization that allows you to do all of that and helps you be a man of God.” Helping Hispanic men connect those dots will require a change in how local councils approach them, Bañuelos said.

Instead of waiting for Hispanic men to come to them, Knights need to approach those men with an attitude of “How can we make you feel more welcome in our community?”

Photo by Corky Miller

Msgr. Eduardo Chávez prays with Fourth Degree Knights in Portland, Ore., during Guadalupe Encounter, a day of prayer and spiritual instruction organized by the Oregon State Council in 2019. The shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, located at the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, was funded and built by local Knights and completed in 2016.

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Knights at Sacred Heart Church in West Des Moines, Iowa, raise funds by selling Thanksgiving pies after Mass. The parish is home to both Sacred Heart Council 9632 and a Spanish-language round table of Hispanic Knights.

Speaking to state deputies during the Midyear Meeting, Supreme Knight Kelly noted, “Most Hispanics have no cultural attachment to the Knights of Columbus. That’s a stark contrast to many of us. I am a third-generation Knight.

Many, if not most, of you have fathers and grandfathers who were Knights. Yet virtually all the Hispanics we need to reach would be the first Knight in their family.”

In addition to emphasizing opportunities for spiritual growth and fraternal benefits related to the material needs of families, councils are encouraged to organize activities that allow different cultures to be shared.

“We have to show our Hispanic brothers that the Knights of Columbus is an instrument to feed us, to get closer to God — to reach santidad (holiness),” said Hernandez, whose parish is affiliated with two K of C councils: La Virgen de Guadalupe Council, which is Spanish-speaking, and St. Patrick’s Council 3484. Both councils, he said, do an excellent job sharing their cultures with one another, whether participating together in Las Posadas — a traditional Latin American Advent celebration — or marching in the city’s Fourth of July parade as a united, multiethnic group.

As the Order adapts to a changing Church, its very origins give Bañuelos hope for the future of the Knights. As he sees it, each new wave of immigrants to the United States has brought rich gifts and traditions to the Church in this country. Now it’s time for Hispanic Catholics to contribute to this great heritage, and the Order has a role to play in it.

“We need to understand that Hispanic ministry or outreach is not only about doing things in Spanish,” he affirmed. “It is about a true identification with our brothers and sisters, as Jesus prayed to the Father: ‘Let them be one as you and I are one.’ If a Catholic man wants to be more integrated with the local Church, grow spiritually and create a legacy for future generations, we need to bring him home into the Knights of Columbus.” ✢ ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER is a freelance writer from Sandusky, Ohio, and a member of Bishop John Mussio Council 9804 at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Invincible Mother A century ago, a bombing failed to damage the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe or the devotion of the faithful ON THE MORNING of Nov. 14, 1921,

Luciano Pérez Carpio, an employee of the Private Secretariat of the Presidency in Mexico City, entered the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and placed a flower arrangement containing a bomb below the revered image. When the bomb exploded, it shattered nearby vases, damaged candlesticks and mysteriously bent an iron and bronze crucifix weighing close to 75 pounds, as if containing the blast. But Our Lady remained unscathed.

“They wanted to destroy the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, but it was Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who defended his mother, our mother,” said Msgr. Eduardo Chávez,

postulator of St. Juan Diego’s cause for canonization and a canon at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The 1921 attack, he said, was an “awful moment, but at the same time a God-filled moment,” because it is a testimony to God’s love.

Msgr. Chávez, who coauthored the book Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love with Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson in 2009, recounts in further detail the story of the bombing in a new Spanish-language book titled La persecución desconocida contra la Iglesia Católica (The Unknown Persecution Against the Catholic Church).

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PARTNERS IN EVANGELIZATION An interview with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle about the Catholic faith in the Philippines, the witness of Father McGivney and the power of charity

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for an exclusive interview with Columbia — reflecting on the 500th anniversary of the Catholic faith in the Philippines, the lessons he has learned from Blessed Michael McGivney and his hopes for his brother Knights of Columbus in the future.

COLUMBIA: The year 2021 marks 500 years since the

Gospel arrived in the Philippines. What does this anniversary and its theme, “Gifted to Give,” mean for Filipino Catholics today?

CARDINAL TAGLE: First of all, we recognize that this is a gift of God. It is an unmerited gift. We know that the Gospel had reached other parts of Asia before coming to the Philippines. And we also marvel at the fact that this island group somehow received and has continued to receive it, such that the Philippines has the single largest Christian population in Asia. This is a moment of gratitude.

CNS photo/Eloisa Lopez, Reuters

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ardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2019 and now prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has a long association with the Knights of Columbus. As a youth, he served as chief squire of Rajah Soliman Circle 2180 in Imus, Luzon South, while his father served as grand knight of Imus Council 5896. As a seminarian, he received the Knights’ Father George Willmann, S.J., Scholarship, and he later earned a doctorate in theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Currently a member of Mary, Mother of God Council 15427 in Imus, Cardinal Tagle also serves as president of Caritas Internationalis, a network of 165 Catholic national charities that operates in 200 countries worldwide.

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Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle delivers a homily during Mass at the Walk for Life in Quezon City, Philippines, Feb. 16, 2019.

But as we are grateful to God for this gift, we know that we cannot keep the gift to ourselves. It must be shared — to begin, with Asia, the largest continent in the world, where the Church is a tiny minority. So, as we are grateful, beholding the gift, we also tremble at the responsibility that it imposes on the Filipino Christians. The danger is to say, “We have already been evangelized. There’s nothing more to do; we are a finished product.” This is not true.

Every day we need to receive the gift of the Gospel, but then also to share it. Go share Jesus, share the Gospel, beginning with Asia and then the rest of the world.

COLUMBIA: How has the Church

in the Philippines celebrated this anniversary?

CARDINAL TAGLE: We actually started preparing 10 years ago. Every year was devoted to a pastoral priority leading up to the theme of 2021, which is Missio ad Gentes [Mission to all peoples].

We had a year dedicated to the youth, the family, the poor, the small Christian communities, etc. All of them, celebrating the gift of faith, and then listening to the calling, how to re-evangelize ourselves so that we can be evangelizers.

Because of the pandemic, many of the planned events this past year — like the festivities, pilgrimages, conferences and all of those things — had to be suspended. But thanks to social media and also the creativity of local communities, the celebration continued, but in another mode. For the national celebrations, I would say it worked out better. As originally planned, every diocese would send a few delegates to those national conferences or celebrations. But with the pandemic restrictions, anyone in a diocese could join in through online streaming. So I think more people in general were able to participate.

COLUMBIA: While the Catholic populations in Western countries are contracting, the Church in the Philippines is blessed with growth in many areas, including vocations to the priesthood and religious life. To what do you attribute this flourishing of the faith?

CARDINAL TAGLE: Just a few days ago I spoke with the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown from the United States. He told me with joy and exuberance that the number of baptisms in the Philippines last year was almost equal to the number of baptisms of all the countries of Western Europe combined. He was ecstatic. He said, “I could barely believe it, but I’m joyful. And I’m glad to be here.”

I, too, was very happy, yet humbled, because we are just like other people in the world. We have our faults, our weaknesses, our limitations. But then there is this openness to the faith.

Yet we should not rest on our laurels.

The danger is to say, ‘We have already been evangelized.

There’s nothing more to do; we are a finished product.’

This is not true.

Every day we need to receive the gift of the Gospel, but then also to share it.

I think we need to study and ask: Is this purely cultural Catholicism? Is bringing our children to baptism a social convention?

This is a calling for us: How do we continuously purify the understanding and practice of the faith? Let it penetrate the culture, well and good. But let it be a real ferment in the culture rather than becoming a cultural ritual, divorced from the faith.

COLUMBIA: How did you first become acquainted with the Knights of Columbus, and what impact has it had on your priestly ministry?

CARDINAL TAGLE: My father was a member of the Knights of Columbus and also a grand knight. So I grew up seeing my father go to council meetings.

The Knights were very active in church, and then they started the Columbian Squires and made sure their sons joined. Even though I did not understand what it was at first, I became one of the founding members of the Squires in our parish. Since I was hesitant, my peers elected me as the leader so that I would be obliged to participate. And that brought me closer to the parish, not just attending Masses or the sacraments, but really getting involved with lots of projects for the parish.

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Cardinal Tagle, joined by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori and Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, blesses wheelchairs donated by the Knights of Columbus for Afghan refugees. The blessing took place outside the Order’s Campo Sportivo Pio XI in Rome Oct. 24, following Mass with the Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo Filipino Community, which meets regularly at the sports center and its chapel.

Father Erwin Balagapo, who is pictured holding the Book of Blessings, serves as the community’s spiritual director.

COLUMBIA: Last year, Blessed Michael McGivney, the

founder of the Knights of Columbus, was beatified. Would you agree that he and his witness are a sign for our times?

CARDINAL TAGLE: Yes, definitely. As a priest, I learned a lot from the witness of Blessed Michael McGivney. Leading up to the beatification, I was very much touched on reviewing his life how he had encountered poverty and the rejection of immigrants and of Catholics.

And when he became a priest, he was sensitive to the woundedness of the people. When he saw a brother, a sister, I imagine that he saw himself in them and had a soft spot for them in his ministry and preaching. He would also make sure that the Gospel took a social form of compassion in the family, especially when a family’s life was disrupted by a death or accident or sickness.

In Blessed Michael McGivney, there is this consistency of personal and religious experience becoming a ministerial experience. I’m really amazed by this consistency, because we 20

often fall into the temptation of living a compartmentalized existence, with one aspect disconnected from the others. I pray that more of us priests would live such a consistency of life.

He was a simple priest with a simple background, but also prophetic in seeing what the Second Vatican Council would later stress: the dignity of all the baptized. The call to holiness of all the baptized is a call to be a servant Church, a missionary Church, according to our gifts. Blessed Michael McGivney, especially through the Knights of Columbus, harnessed the gifts of laymen in a prophetic way, calling them to holiness and, at the same time, to the service of others.

COLUMBIA: In 2015, as archbishop of Manila, you opened the cause for canonization of Jesuit Father George Willmann, who is sometimes called the “Father McGivney of the Philippines.” Could you say a word about Father Willmann’s witness?

CARDINAL TAGLE: Father Willmann came to the Philippines even before ordination and taught in a Jesuit school. After his ordination in the United States, he came back to the Philippines, and during the Second World War he was sent to a prison camp.

He went through rough times, but the wounds did not become purely trauma, or causes for resentment or bitterness.

The wounds of life do not have to lead to anger and hatred and pessimism; wounds can lead to more compassion. Father

Photo by Tamino Petelinšek

Later on, when I decided to enter the seminary, I received a K of C scholarship. So my four years of philosophical studies in the seminary were supported by the kindness and generosity of the Knights. In this way, significant stages of my youth and my faith are connected to my father’s vocation to be a Knight of Columbus, and my being a Columbian Squire. I was just recently made an honorary Fourth Degree life member.

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Members of Manila Council 1000 — the first council in the Philippines — gather in celebration of the beatification of Father McGivney following a Mass at St. Augustin Church Oct. 31, 2020.

Willmann could have said, “I’m too traumatized; send me to a safer place.” But he stayed. He then helped many communities to recover after the war and was very attentive to the poor.

So, aside from building up the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, his main concern was the mission to help the poor — especially poor children through education.

Charity, it was all about charity. All of this inspiration comes from a heart that was wounded, a heart that had every reason to say “no.” It is really a gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s Jesus.

Jesus assumed the wounds of humanity, but from those wounds we are saved. This is what I see very much in both Father Willmann and Blessed Michael McGivney — what Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti calls a “penitential memory.” In our woundedness, we can journey together toward a more fraternal world.

Photo by William De Leon Jr.

COLUMBIA: As president of Caritas Internationalis since

2015, can you say a word about the importance of the Christian witness of charity today?

CARDINAL TAGLE: Because of my work with Caritas, I have to travel to different countries destroyed by typhoons, earthquakes and even wars. And in some of these places, Christians are a small minority. But the disinterested love of Christians always puzzles the non-Christians. And some are amazed.

I remember visiting a place where there was not a single Christian, and the people staged a program of thanksgiving for Caritas. The head of the village said, “You Christians, you are different from us — very, very different. Why do you think of us? Why do you come here?” He asked those questions with more than curiosity; I think he was magnetized by the mystery of these very concrete acts of love. I felt that he was opening the door for me to proclaim the Gospel, and I replied, “Our Lord and Master Jesus taught us to love everyone.” Later, he said privately, “I want to get to know your master.”

So, through concrete acts of charity, if we Christians do it clearly as an expression of love of God, that will be felt and sensed by others. And it’s also a point of healing. Peoples of different religions somehow get attracted to the message of love.

COLUMBIA: You also serve as prefect for the Congregation

for the Evangelization of Peoples. How can laypeople — and in particular, Knights of Columbus and their families — live out their Christian vocation as missionary disciples?

CARDINAL TAGLE: It’s significant that we are having this interview on World Mission Sunday. I noticed that these past years, the messages of the Holy Father on World Mission Sunday are a reminder that all of us are called to be evangelizers, and we are told to go back to the experience of the first apostles.

We are brought back to St. Peter being forbidden by the Sanhedrin to proclaim Jesus after the cure of the crippled man. And St. Peter said, “But how can we not speak of what we have seen and heard?” (Acts 4:20). The apostles lacked the educational, cultural preparation, but what they had was a gripping experience of the Son of God. And they were the first ones who were changed by their encounter with Jesus.

And they could not keep that experience to themselves — it is the wellspring of what we call missionary zeal. So, I think the first invitation for all of us is to go back to that root, that experience of Jesus. Is Jesus real to me? Do I have a relationship with the Lord? And with that, then you go out.

My wish, especially now that I am in the Office of Evangelization, is for the Knights of Columbus to take evangelization seriously, so that fraternity is grounded in the Gospel.

And then as fathers and leaders in their communities, they can impart the Gospel, especially through acts of charity.

Many people are thirsting for the message of the Gospel.

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The K

of

C Battle

Against

Soviet Ideology Through education and advocacy, the Order combatted the Soviet Union’s biggest export: atheistic communism

By Andrew Fowler and Maureen Walther

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for souls and nations throughout the 20th century — a war that would culminate in the dissolution of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day, 1991. By leveraging media to inspire and inform, promoting Catholic social teaching through action and advocacy, and supporting the work of St. John Paul II, the Knights played a small yet significant role in the Soviet collapse 30 years ago this month.

‘THE MENACE OF BOLSHEVISM’

Today, the atrocities of the Soviet Union are well documented. But the horrors that would leave an estimated 100 million people dead — the gulags, forced famines, wars, genocide — were unimaginable to most people in the years after Vladimir Lenin’s successful Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.

Yet even before the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics coalesced in December 1922, the Knights of Columbus was alert to the dangers of communist ideology. Pope Leo XIII’s pivotal encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) had set the stage, promoting the rights of workers against both the abuse of employers and overreach by the state in societies that suppressed religion.

The Columbiad, the predecessor of Columbia, promoted Church teaching on socialism as early as 1901. By 1914, the Order was sponsoring annual lecture tours against socialism, communism and anti-Catholic bigotry. The lectures featured two Knights — former socialist leader and Catholic convert David Goldstein and trade-union leader Peter W. Collins — who traveled 270,000 miles and addressed 200,000 people in the first year alone.

Knights of Columbus Multimedia Archives

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s Cardinal József Mindszenty of Hungary celebrated Christmas Mass in 1948, he may have sensed that danger was closing in. The muzzling of free speech and closure of churches and monasteries had already brutally illustrated Hungary’s status as a Soviet satellite state. Communist crosshairs centered almost magnetically on noncompliant citizens, especially religious ones, who were becoming the primary voice of dissent left in the country.

After the government issued an order to nationalize Catholic schools earlier that year, Cardinal Mindszenty drove from village to village with a sound truck, urging the populace to resist forfeiting church property. When parliament confirmed the seizure of schools, he made sure protest rang from every church tower, tolling the bells as if for a funeral.

“Communism is an atheistic ideology; hence by its very nature it is opposed to the spirit of the Church,” the cardinal stated fearlessly in an open letter. In response, the secret police made sure that his Christmas season resembled Calvary more than Bethlehem. Arrested Dec. 26 on trumped-up charges, the cardinal was tortured until compliant enough for a show trial.

Eventually, on Feb. 8, 1949, he was condemned to life imprisonment. Silenced in the first of many prisons, he could not foresee that a Catholic fraternal organization across the Atlantic would come to his aid as part of its decades-long battle against communist ideology.

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Russian State Library/Wikimedia Commons

A Soviet propaganda poster in Ukrainian, dating from the late 1920s, reads in part, “Down with religious holidays! Join the League of Militant Atheists! Religion is a tool for the enslavement of the working people.” • Opposite page: An ad printed in the May 1962 issue of Columbia affirmed that the Order was “taking a leading role in the struggle to combat and to overcome the evils of the World Communist Conspiracy.”

“Socialism here is no mean foe; it has already succeeded in gaining a vast deal of sympathy … while radical education is raising new generations fully imbued with the blasphemous notion that God is a myth,” Goldstein stated. “If then our country is to be saved from the tyranny of a Godless victory, it is perfectly clear that Catholics must come to the rescue.

For, as none other, they are fitted for the heroic task.”

When the United States launched its first military response to communism during the Russian Civil War, the Order expanded its World War I work to support troops stationed in Siberia. Knights of Columbus field secretaries in France also equipped 100 American pilots who had volunteered to fight the Soviets in Poland. In light of these efforts, K of C Overseas Director William Larkin affirmed, “The Knights of Columbus can now go on record in their fight against the menace of Bolshevism.”

Meanwhile, Knights at home were launching a nationwide initiative touching on the issue of labor — helping World War I veterans obtain education and reenter the work force.

While the main motivation was gratitude and justice, the program’s effectiveness as an antidote to communism was not lost on one of its leaders, Jesuit Father John J. Wynne.

The K of C state chaplain for New York and the founder of America magazine, Father Wynne noted that “this supplementary schooling will, by stressing applied patriotism and practical citizenship, be a strong weapon against the philosophy of Bolshevism.” From 1919 to 1921, more than 300,000 veterans of all races and religious affiliations found jobs through the initiative.

During this time, a concern arose that atheistic communism would take root in the Americas. In 1924, Mexico became the first country in the hemisphere to establish diplomatic relations with the USSR, bringing the Soviet threat close to home. Less than a decade after Lenin’s Bolshevik victory, Mexico was seen, in some ways — particularly by the Knights of Columbus — as an early case study for how similar totalitarian ideologies could propagate beyond the Soviet border.

Although the Mexican government suppressed the communist party, it may be more accurate to say that it crushed the competition. The government under President Plutarco Elías Calles and subsequent leaders enacted harsh, Soviet-style policies of religious persecution, disinformation, seizure of land and nationalization of some industries, and government control of religious institutions.

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The Knights of Columbus famously condemned the Mexican government’s brutality, raising and spending $1 million to care for refugees and raise awareness. K of C leaders lobbied for the United States to intervene during a meeting with President Calvin Coolidge in September 1926. In response to the Order’s efforts, Columbia was banned in Mexico, and members were targeted and even martyred during the persecution of the Church in the years that followed.

GETTING THE WORD OUT

The need to understand communism and fascism acquired a new urgency in the 1930s, as both were on the rise in Europe. In 1937, under Supreme Knight Martin Carmody, the Order established the Knights’ Crusade Program, which urged councils to combat communist propaganda in a variety of ways. Across the United States, councils exposed communist campaigns and organized anti-communist events, including a national Knights’ Crusade rally on March 21, 1937.

Two days prior to the rally — on the feast of St. Joseph — Pope Pius XI released Divini Redemptoris, an encyclical that decried the dangers of atheistic communism. To magnify the Church’s voice, the Supreme Council soon printed and distributed nearly 1 million copies of the document through local councils.

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Another nationwide lecture tour educated the American public about communism and fascism as well. “The problem facing Americans is to know and understand what Communism is — what it stands for — and how the problems of the day can be met in the Christian manner,” said George H. Derry, the lead lecturer and a former member of the K of C Historical Commission. Derry’s talks drew more than 100,000 people from November 1937 to June 1938.

These efforts did not go unnoticed by the Daily Worker — the official communist newspaper in the United States — which often attacked the Knights of Columbus. But as a Columbia editorial in May 1937 noted, “When Communists speak favorably of us, we shall have reason to worry.”

While World War II excised the Nazi regime from Europe, the Soviet Union gained viral momentum. In response, Supreme Knight John Swift renewed a vigorous anti-communist campaign, with an emphasis on the Church’s social encyclicals.

As part of this response, the Order established the Crusade for the Preservation and Promotion of American Ideals in 1946, led again by Derry. Within two years, local councils had formed more than 1,000 discussion groups to study American principles and freedoms, as well as the rights of workers and ethical economic principles. The Order also

Bettmann/via Getty Images

Cardinal József Mindszenty (second from right), the primate of Hungary, who had been sentenced to life in prison by the communist government in 1949, stands with his liberators during the Hungarian Revolution, Nov. 2, 1956. After Soviet troops crushed the shortlived revolution, the cardinal sought asylum at the U.S. embassy in Budapest, where the Order covered his monthly expenses for the next 15 years.

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RealyEasyStar/Fotografia Felici/Alamy Stock Photo

Pope John Paul II greets a huge crowd of pilgrims outside Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, on June 4, 1979, during his historic nine-day apostolic trip to his homeland.

sponsored multiple radio series about the oppressive conditions in countries under communist rule and distributed Msgr. (later Archbishop) Fulton J. Sheen’s “Communism, the Opium of the People.”

This initiative gave greater attention to promoting and discussing Catholic social teaching, including teachings on work, society and economic structures. When, in 1954, “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance thanks largely to K of C advocacy, it served as a stark contrast to communist efforts to remove God from the public square.

The Order also continued its robust support for religious liberty for those suffering under communist regimes.

Hungary was a prime example. After Cardinal Mindszenty’s sentencing in 1949, the Knights of Columbus organized and took part in protests. The New York Chapter’s prominent parade for George Washington’s birthday was transformed into a protest of the cardinal’s maltreatment. About 10,000 people took part in the march in New York City, which finished at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mass.

During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Supreme Knight Luke Hart urged President Dwight Eisenhower and the United Nations to try to restrain Soviet hostilities toward Hungarian freedom fighters. Every Catholic

newspaper in the Western Hemisphere was also contacted to magnify the plea.

During this time, Cardinal Mindszenty was released from prison. Within days, however, Soviet forces quashed the Hungarian Revolution, and his life was again in jeopardy.

The cardinal took refuge at the U.S. embassy in Budapest, where he lived for the next 15 years. While the embassy gave him political asylum, it was the Knights of Columbus who paid the cardinal’s expenses during those long years before his eventual exile to Vienna.

Knights on the local level, meanwhile, aided refugees from communist countries. For example, Knights in Calgary, Alberta, provided beds and eating facilities for 70 Hungarian refugees, and the Wyoming State Council committed to resettling dozens more. Other local councils assisted refugees from communist Cuba and North Korea, and later from Vietnam as well, while the Supreme Council condemned each of those regimes.

HOPE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN

In 1978, the election of Pope John Paul II — whose opposition to communist control in Poland was well known — caused consternation among communist authorities.

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President Ronald Reagan and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli meet during the 1982 Supreme Convention to discuss formalizing diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See.

“Perhaps, in God’s providence, we are witnessing the answer to that prayer. And perhaps, by our early support for the Holy Father’s dream, we Knights helped in some way to bring it about.”

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ANDREW FOWLER is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus Communications Department.

MAUREEN WALTHER is co-author, with her late husband, Andrew Walther, of The Knights of Columbus: An Illustrated History (2020).

Photo by Jack Sleeper

The Knights, however, took great joy in supporting John Paul II’s papacy, which proved to be instrumental in the USSR’s eventual collapse — as chronicled in the award-winning documentary Liberating a Continent: John Paul II and the Fall of Communism, produced by the Knights of Columbus in 2016.

Early in the pontificate, the Knights’ work in media and communications helped push back against communist propaganda. Because the media in Poland was bent on concealing John Paul II’s popularity from his countrymen, the Order helped fund a documentary of his trip to Mexico. The film was smuggled into Poland before his visit there in 1979 and presented an entirely different view of the Church than the Soviet-run media. Afterward, the Knights of Columbus funded the editing of the raw footage of the groundbreaking trip. An estimated 13 million Poles attended at least one of the pope’s public events, and the nine-day visit is widely seen as a harbinger of communism’s demise in Poland.

The Soviet Union’s war on the Church extended to strategically rewriting history, expunging Christian memory as far as possible. One effort that countered this was the 1981 International Colloquium on the Common Christian Roots of the European Nations. With funding from the Knights, it discussed Europe’s cultural and moral debt to Christianity while challenging the Soviet Union’s anti-religious propaganda in Eastern Europe. It also aimed to renew dialogue

between Slavic and Western cultures. At the pope’s request, the Order smuggled copies of the proceedings into countries behind the Iron Curtain.

The Knights of Columbus also facilitated the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the United States. When President Ronald Reagan was invited to the 100th Supreme Convention in 1982, Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant arranged a private meeting between the president and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli. The two discussed a need for a U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, and less than two years later, official diplomatic ties were established.

As the Soviet grip on Eastern Europe weakened through the 1980s, the Knights of Columbus assisted in bringing the faith to the region in many ways. For example, the Order supported Vatican broadcasts of John Paul II’s Christmas midnight Mass in East Germany and Hungary in 1989 and his Good Friday services in 1991, which were televised in the Soviet Union.

Writing in the April 1990 issue of Columbia, Supreme Knight Dechant noted the dramatic political developments in the Soviet bloc and attributed them, in part, to Pope John Paul II’s work to strengthen the faith in Eastern Europe and his prayer for a unified continent.

“Perhaps, in God’s providence, we are witnessing the answer to that prayer,” he wrote. “And perhaps, by our early support for the Holy Father’s dream, we Knights helped in some way to bring it about.”

The following year, the Soviet empire that had once seemed indomitable was no more. On Dec. 25, 1991, President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, and the communist “hammer and sickle” flag came down over the Kremlin.

In a discussion of his tenure conducted for The Knights of Columbus: An Illustrated History (2020), Supreme Knight Dechant later affirmed that the Order’s behind-the-scenes efforts against communism were the most consequential.

In the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s dissolution, the Order reached out to support Catholics in Eastern Europe and sponsored a “Rosaries for Russia” program led by Venerable Father Patrick Peyton. The Supreme Council also began funding the Pontifical School of Theology in Kraków to help train priests. Since then, the Order has established a presence in former Soviet bloc countries, including Poland in 2006 and Ukraine and Lithuania in 2013, and it continues to be a stalwart voice for religious freedom throughout the world. ✢

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Faith PRAYING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

Members of St. Catherine of Siena Council 12686 in Metairie, La., hosted and served as ushers and greeters at the 18th annual Jefferson Parish First Responders Mass, celebrated

by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans.

The Mass also included a tribute to military service members, prisoners of war and those missing in action.

Members of St. Michael the Archangel Council 15250 in Fort Bragg, N.C., pray at the new Blessed Sacrament altar in Fort Bragg’s Main Post Chapel. Grand Knight Steven Kroll (in white shirt) led a project to improve the tabernacle alcove at the request of the base’s Catholic community. The Knights handcrafted the new altar out of oak to replace a deteriorating plywood structure and restored the gold tabernacle.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING

Members of St. John Paul II Council 17730 in Wieluń, Poland, led a rosary before the Blessed Sacrament and participated in a Mass of Thanksgiving for the beatifications of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka.

TOP RIGHT: Photo by Maya Reagan — BELOW: Photo by Maciej Maziarka

ST. PATRICK’S PATRONAGE

Members of St. Michael the Archangel Council 17316 in Łeba, Poland, install a new cross the council purchased for Assumpton of Our Lady Parish in Łeba. The Knights placed the cross in front of the church at the opening of a series of parish retreats.

TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE

St. Philip Council 7764 in Franklin, Tenn., helped purchase eight new computers for Dominican sisters studying at Aquinas College in Nashville. The council organized a drive to raise funds for the machines, which replaced the sisters’ 7-year-old models.

Members of Our Lady of Fatima Council 3118 in Fergus Falls, Minn., presented a statue of St. Patrick to Father Patrick Hoeft, a brother Knight, to celebrate the first anniversary of his ordination. The presentation was made at the annual outdoor Mass at Our Lady of Victory Parish, where Father Hoeft is parochial vicar.

EVANGELIZING MAIN STREET

LEADING THE ROSARY

CAMP HUMPHREYS WELCOME

St. Philip the Apostle Council 17028 in Lancaster, Pa., hosted a Blessed Michael McGivney Prayer Hour at St. Philip the Apostle Church. Father Lawrence Sherdel, pastor and council chaplain, and Past State Deputy Wayne Freet, state chairman of the Father McGivney Guild, participated in the rosary-centered prayer service.

Members of St. Stanislaus Latin Mass Council 17027 in Nashua, N.H., and fellow parishioners of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church manned a table in downtown Nashua to distribute rosaries, Catholic literature and bottled water to passersby.

Bishop John J. Kaising Council 14223 and Bishop Joseph W. Estabrook Assembly 3348, both at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, presented Capt. Father Guillermo León Mora Gómez, a new chaplain at the post, with a chasuble and stole in celebration of the 25th anniversary of his ordination.

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Family

FAMILY EMERGENCY FUND

Upon learning that a local family had lost their home in a fire, St. Joseph’s Council 3402 in Keyport, N.J., donated $2,500 from its general fund to help them purchase necessities.

GOSPEL MISSION

St. Raphael’s Council 6791 in Duluth, Minn., collected $7,000 in emergency funding from 10 area councils for Union Gospel Mission, a Christian social services ministry. The organization, which aids local families in need, had experienced a decline in donations during the pandemic and was facing a budget shortfall.

LATE BROTHER’S BELONGINGS

Members of Msgr. James H. Willett Council 7847 in Hopkinsville, Ky., cleared out the garage, workroom and storage spaces of a recently deceased

member at the request of his family.

The Knights then delivered reusable items to the thrift store at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish.

PARISH CHAMPIONS

After presenting awards to its Soccer Challenge champions, Yukon (Okla.)

Council 6478 gave each winner’s parents a commemorative K of C coin to thank them for their families’ participation in council activities and parish life at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church.

MEALS FOR HOUSING FAMILIES

Moncton (New Brunswick) Council 1310 hosted a series of family breakfasts after Sunday Masses at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church. The council served a meal buffet for a small fee and donated surplus food to House of Nazareth, a free temporary emergency shelter for families in need.

GRAFENWÖHR GIFT BASKETS

Members of St. Maximilian Kolbe Council 15700 of the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria in Grafenwöhr, Germany, assembled 11 food and gift baskets for local families in need.

CHANGE FOR FAMILIES

St. John Paul II Council 8 in Stratford, Conn., sponsored a “Coins for a Cause” campaign at St. Mark Church. The Knights collected change from parishioners and donated the funds to Bethlehem House, a transitional residence for formerly homeless families operated by Catholic Charities of Fairfield County.

TOP LEFT: Photo by Clem Spalding

Alan Gonzales (right), grand knight of St. Margaret Mary Council 17314 in San Antonio, and other members serve hungry customers at a sandwich sale outside St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. The council used the proceeds to purchase school supplies for parish families who had difficulty affording them.

A member of Mary, Queen of Apostles Council 9877 in Parañaque, Luzon South, gives food to a woman experiencing poverty. The Knights collected supplies to assemble and distribute nearly 100 food packs to local families in need.

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Community RAMP REQUEST PARTNERSHIP

Members of Clare (Mich.)

3029 built a ramp at the home of an octogenarian member who had recently broken his leg. To fund the project, the council applied for a $1,000 Home Depot Community Impact Grant, which the company awards to nonprofits sponsoring volunteer service projects.

Dennis Befante of St. Joseph the Worker Council 12933 in East Patchogue, N.Y., joined

by Past Grand Knight Gregory Colichio and his family, sits in his 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible during a car show sponsored by the council. The event raised funds for the council’s charitable programs, including Food for Families and Coats for Kids.

RESTORING ENERGY

Members of St. John’s Council 10176 in Folsom, La., cooked lunch for the linemen who restored their community’s electrical power in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. The Knights prepared and served more than 400 hot meals.

TOP RIGHT: Photo by Gregory A. Shemitz

PAVILION PROJECT

Harold MacDonald of Archbishop McCarthy Assembly 799 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, places Canadian flags on the graves of veterans at Holy Cross Cemetery. Shortly before Remembrance Day, members of Assembly 799 and Halifax (Nova Scotia) Council 1097 participated in a “dressing the grave” ceremony to honor Canadian service members killed in the line of duty.

Members of Joseph C. Zajicek Council 6625 in Maryville, Ill., built an outdoor pavilion on the grounds of Mother of Perpetual Help Church to replace a storage building and shelter that had fallen into disrepair. Their pastor, Father Robert Johnson, blessed the pavilion at a post-Mass reception organized by the council.

COATS FOR CAROLINA KIDS

Participating in the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program for the first time, Father James E. Waters Council 12017 in Wilmington, N.C., purchased 120 coats for children at two local Catholic parishes and a domestic violence shelter.

BREAKFAST-TO-GO

Father Duncan MacDonnell Council 6363 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, held a drive-thru pancake breakfast at Our Lady of the Angels Parish, raising more than CA$500 for the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank. The Knights also collected more than 60 pounds of donated food.

KEEP THEM WARM

St. Genevieve Council 14772 in Panorama City, Calif., distributed blankets to homeless veterans in Santa Monica to keep them warm during the colder months. The council purchased the blankets with a grant from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

CLEANING THE COAST

St. Paul’s Conversion Council 12279 in Bingawan, Visayas, have been organizing regular environmental stewardship projects for decades. Most recently, council members put in a day’s work cleaning the coastline and planting mangrove trees to prevent erosion.

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Life BLOOD OF LIFE/ LE SANG DE LA VIE

Berthierville (Québec) Council 2928 organized a blood drive at École Secondaire Pierre-de-Lestage, a local public school.

DENGUE AWARENESS

Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City blesses the Pregnancy Choice Utah Mobile Ultrasound Clinic and its new ultrasound machine funded by Utah Knights. Utah State Deputy Nick Nielson (left) and Mary Taylor, president of Pro-Life Utah, join Bishop Solis in prayer.

BRICK BY BRICK

St. Scholastica Council 14485 in Lecanto, Fla., constructed a commemorative walkway at the Pregnancy and Family Life Center, a pregnancy resource center in Inverness. Donors paid to have bricks inscribed with their names or messages; the Knights special-ordered them and built the path. The fundraiser brought in $5,000 for the center.

SHEPHERDS OF LIFE

Mark Villamor, a member of Holy Name of Jesus Council 4783 in Brooklyn, N.Y., carries an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at a “Witness for Life” event in New York City. The pro-life prayer service and demonstration began with Mass, followed by a rosary procession through the streets.

Members of Good Shepherd Council 15789 in Colleyville, Texas, and other parishioners of Good Shepherd Catholic Community gathered to pray the rosary and peacefully demonstrate outside a Planned Parenthood facility in Hurst.

council, the students crafted wooden trains to be donated to babies born at a regional hospital.

SPECIAL HELP FOR OREGON

Members of Our Lady of the Dunes Council 15773 in Florence, Ore., collected donations at a local supermarket for Special Olympics Oregon. In five hours, the maximum time allowed by the store, the Knights raised approximately $700.

SIGNS OF LIFE

Msgr. Joseph P. McDonough Council 7403 in Lake Ariel, Pa., funded two “Choose Life!” billboards on a local state highway for five months.

BABY’S FIRST TRAIN

Father Stanley Bowers Council 8698 in Dundee, Mich., worked with the Dundee High School construction trades class to make toys for newborns.

With funds and direction from the

See more at www.kofc.org/knightsinaction Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org

TOP RIGHT: Photo by Castletown Media — BELOW: Photo by Jeffrey Bruno

Members of St. Pedro Calungsod Council 13648 in Pagadian City, Mindanao, conducted a campaign to educate the community on the prevention of dengue. An acute mosquito-borne fever, dengue is an endemic health threat in the Philippines.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N ✢ G L O B A L I M P A C T

PHILIPPINES

AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION AND LAWS GOVERNING THE SUPREME COUNCIL ENACTED AT MEETING HELD IN NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT AUGUST 3-4, 2021 RESOLUTION NO. 388 AMENDING SECTION 71.2 OF THE LAWS OF THE ORDER RESOLVED, that Section 71.2 of the Laws of the Knights of Columbus be revised to read as follows: 2. Where, upon the death of the insured, it appears that the certificate holder has failed to make any designation, or that all of the named beneficiaries are dead, or if the designation shall fail for illegality or otherwise, then the death benefit shall be paid in the order of precedence as herein set forth: First: The insured’s spouse.

Second: The insured’s children. Under this section, the term “children” shall be defined as: (1) all biological children of the insured; (2) all legally adopted children of the insured; (3) any step-children of the insured from the insured’s marriage to his/her spouse at the time of death; (4) (3) any children of a predeceased biological or legally adopted child of the insured – such children shall take their share of the deceased parent. The term “children” does not include the insured’s step-children unless they are legally adopted.

Third: The insured’s natural parents, or in the event the person insured had been legally adopted, his or her adoptive parents.

Fourth: Any surviving brothers or sisters of the insured.

Fifth: The insured’s estate.

CANADA A boy in Qaraqosh, Iraq, receives a wheelchair donated by Canadian Knights. Three Ontario councils — St. Joseph Chaldean Council 16977 of North York, St. Joseph Syriac Council 17309 of Mississauga and St. Agnes Ky Tsao Council 15176 of Markham — purchased 75 wheelchairs and 150 canes for disabled Christian refugees returning to Mosul. The equipment was distributed at the Syriac Catholic Holy Family Center in Qaraqosh by its director, Father Bashar Kthea.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that this amendment shall take effect on January 1, 2022.

RESOLUTION NO. 389 AMENDING SECTION 124 RESOLVED, that Section 124 be and hereby is amended as follows: Each subordinate council shall hold at least two regular meetings each month, one of which is an officers’ business meeting open to all members, and one shall be designated as a regular membership meeting. One shall be a council meeting, and one shall be an officers’ planning meeting. Both meetings shall be open to all council members who wish to attend.

At each and every meeting of subordinate councils, whether regular or special, the The flag of the country in which the council is located shall be prominently displayed during the entire meeting at monthly council meetings.

The meeting place or council chambers of a council located in a city, town or village where more than one council exists shall not be moved without the written permission of the State or Territorial Deputy.

Members of Most Holy Rosary Council 7868 in Rosario Cavite, Luzon South, place flowers at a portrait of Blessed Michael McGivney prior to a votive Mass in honor of the K of C founder.

RESOLUTION NO. 390 AMENDING SECTION 125 RESOLVED, that Section 125 be and hereby is amended as follows: The following shall form a part of the order of business and procedure at regular membership meetings of every subordinate council: 1. Call to Order.

2. Warden’s Report on Membership Card.

3. Prayer.

4. Pledge of Allegiance to Flag or some other suitable patriotic display of loyalty.

5. Opening Ode.* 6. Roll Call of Officers.

7. Chaplain’s Message.

8. Reading of Minutes of Previous Meeting(s).* 9. Grand Knight’s Report.

10. Report of Standing Committees Including but not limited to:* a. Admissions Committees, Reading of Applications, and Balloting of Membership b. Board of Trustees Report 11. Report of Special Committees.

12. Initiations.

13. Unfinished Business.

14. New Business.* (When elections are in order, this is the first item under New Business.)

15. Insurance Agent’s Report. (If present) 16. District Deputy’s Report. (If present) 17. Good of the Order.

18. Chaplain’s Summation.

19. Closing Prayer. *Parts of the order of business marked with an asterisk may be omitted. At regular membership meetings minutes of all meetings to and including the last regular membership meeting shall be read if not previously published.

Council meetings and Officers’ Planning meetings shall be conducted according to Agendas published and amended from time to time by the Supreme Knight and approved by the Board of Directors.

RESOLUTION NO. 391 AMENDING LAWS OF THE ORDER RESOLVED, that the term “monthly council meeting” shall be substituted for the terms “meeting,” “regular meeting,” “regular business meeting,” and “council meeting,” as they appear in the following sections:

TOP LEFT: Photo by Ahssan Gage

MEXICO Members of Tres Aves Marías Council 13531 in Aguascalientes, Mexico West, and fellow parishioners venerate first-degree relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux during Mass at Tres Aves Marías Catholic Church. The visitation of the relics was coordinated by the Knights in partnership with a local group of Discalced Carmelite brothers. The Knights also distributed novena pamphlets and roses to participants.

109.1 (Disposition of Application) 112 (Inspection of Ballot) 113 (When Several Candidates) 116 (When Initiation Stayed) 122 (Council Funds) 123 (Assessments by Councils) 128 (Election) 129 (When to Qualify) 131 (Vacancies) 135.6 (Read Vouchers, Etc.) 135.7 (Read Notices Relative to Fourth Degree) 180 (Fines and Costs) 217.2 (Restoration of Membership - Readmission) 217.3 (Restoration of Membership - Reapplication) 225 (Action Upon Presentation) RESOLUTION NO. 392 REPEALING SECTION 135.5 OF THE LAWS OF THE ORDER RESOLVED, that in order to harmonize Section 135 with Section 140, Section 135.5 be repealed.

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Bringing Comfort and Joy Ontario Knights honor widows of the Order with special Christmas visits

OFFICIAL DECEMBER 1, 2021: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 065061492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy.

In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982.

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 554, ELMSFORD, NY 10523.

CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3.

PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

“IT WAS A VERY hard time for me,

because it was my first Christmas without him,” recalled Judith Dumais, whose husband, Ronald, died in May 2016.

Ronald was a member of the Knights of Columbus for 27 years, and as Christmas neared, his brother Knights in Sainte-Marie d’Orléans (Ontario) Council 11500 called Judith to ask if they could visit.

“I think about it, and I have chills,” Judith said. “The word in French is émue, which means you’re touched and feel like crying.”

Yet, the simple act of charity was natural for the Knights of Council 11500, who have long tried to put into practice the Order’s founding mission and principles. As Blessed Michael McGivney noted in an 1885 letter, “The Knights of Columbus comes to the relief of the widow.”

In 2018, Louis Brousseau, then grand knight of Council 11500, proposed a formal program to bring holiday cheer to widows like Judith.

Members overwhelmingly supported

the idea, and for the past several years have offered well-wishes and a small gift to wives of deceased members. The program has since been adopted by other Ontario councils, and in 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19, Knights in three districts presented Christmas cards and gifts to more than 50 widows.

“We just wanted to make their Christmas a little brighter,” explained Past Grand Knight Mario Duguay, who sent a summary of the program to Ontario State Deputy David Peters.

Peters, in turn, asked for the program to be presented to all Ontario district deputies, and the Ontario State Council now encourages participation throughout the jurisdiction.

For Duguay, it all goes back to Father McGivney’s mandate to care for widows. “It’s fitting to show them that they’re still part of our community, part of our family,” Duguay said.

“The Knights of Columbus is like another family,” affirmed Judith Dumais.

“If your husband was a Knight, you’re not alone. The Knights are going to be there for you.” ✢

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

(Act of August 1, 1970: Section 3685, title 39, U.S. code) 1. Publication Title: Columbia 2. Publication Number: 12-3740 3. Filing Date: October 2021 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 11 6. Annual Subscription Price: $6 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters of Publisher: 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor: Publisher: Patrick E. Kelly/Knights of Columbus 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 Editor: Alton J. Pelowski 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 10. Owner: Knights of Columbus, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 11. Known Bondholders: None 12. Tax Status: (X) Has not changed during the preceding 12 months

( ) Has changed during the preceding 12 months

13. Publication Title: Columbia 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: OCTOBER 2021 15. Extent and nature of circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

a. Total no. copies (net press run): 1,666,510 1,662,131 b. Paid and/or requested circulation 1. Outside-county mail subscriptions stated on Form 3541: 1,296,760 1,295,564 2. Paid in-county subscriptions stated on Form 3541: 0 0 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS distribution: 0 0 4. Other classes mailed through the USPS. 0 0 c. Total paid and/or requested circulation: 1,296,760 1,295,564 d. Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary and other): 1. Outside-county as stated on Form 3541: 2,430 2,410 2. In-county as stated on Form 3541: 0 0 3. Other classes mailed through the USPS: 0 0 4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution outside the mail (carriers or other): 0 0 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate distribution: 2,430 2,410 f. Total distribution: 1,299,190 1,297,974 g. Copies not distributed: 300 300 h. Total: 1,299,490 1,298,274 i. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 99.9% 99.9% 16. Paid electronic copies 0 0 I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

ALTON J. PELOWSKI, Editor 10/1/2021

Photo by Jake Wright

Past Grand Knight Louis Brousseau presents a poinsettia and other gifts to Jeannette Ouellet at her home in Orléans. Ouellet was among the more than 50 widows to whom Ontario Knights delivered gifts in 2020.

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KNIGHTS OF CHARITY

Photo by Bruce E. Stidham

Knights of Charity Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.

Steven Bishop of Holy Spirit Council 9533 in Springfield, Mo., helps a boy try on a jacket at a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids event.

The distribution was co-hosted by Springfieldarea councils at Hammons Field, the home of the Springfield Cardinals minor league baseball team.

To be featured here, send your council’s “Knights in Action” photo as well as its description to: Columbia, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or e-mail: knightsinaction@kofc.org COLUMBIA DEC 21 ENG COVERS 11_17 FINAL r1.indd 33

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PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

‘Open wide your heart to Christ.’

Father Estevan Wetzel Diocese of Phoenix Most Holy Trinity Council 7306, Phoenix

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Photo by Brandon Sullivan

A difficult freshman year of high school left me feeling alone and far away from God, in part because of my sins. I decided to do something different and attended a Catholic youth conference. It was there that I heard Jesus say, “Estevan, you’re not just a face in the crowd. I love you, and I’m calling you to be a saint.” From that moment on, I sought to give my life to him.

Gradually, as my faith became more intentional, I experienced a great love that I needed to share, and my heart opened to the priesthood. After graduating high school, I entered the seminary.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to lean into the Lord’s grace. His richness has sustained me through trauma and tragedy and has shown me a freedom that can only be found in Jesus. As sons and daughters of the Father, we have no reason to be afraid or let the chaos of the world rob us of our peace. No matter where your discernment leads, open wide your heart to Christ, and he will not disappoint you.

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