Columbia
Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s gilded bronze baldacchino in St. Peter’s Basilica is pictured before (left) and after (right) its recent restoration, a project completed with the Order’s support (see page 10).
Świder 20 10 16 24
‘More Sublime Than Ever’
Bernini’s baldacchino and Chair of St. Peter monument are restored for the Jubilee Year of Hope with K of C support.
By Columbia staff
Caring for the Called
The Order marks $100 million in RSVP aid to men and women pursuing a priestly or religious vocation.
By John Burger
A Light to the World
An interview with Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s permanent observer at the United Nations, about the Holy See Mission’s 60-year presence at the U.N.
‘We Do Not Forget’
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori visits Ukraine to meet with Knights and victims of the war.
By Karolina
3 For the greater glory of God
A jubilee year is a grace-filled time in which we are invited to place our unreserved trust in God.
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
4 Learning the faith, living the faith
God is always searching for us, and the light of Christ shines even amid the darkness of loneliness and isolation.
By
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
6 Knights of Columbus News
Villa Maria Guadalupe Celebrates 20 Years • New Supreme Directors, State Deputy Installed • Midyear Meeting Underscores Faith, Friendship • Supreme Knight Updates U.S. Bishops on Cor
8 Building the Domestic Church
A series of columns on family life, leadership and financial stewardship
26 Knights in Action
Reports from councils and assemblies, representing Faith in Action ON THE COVER
A dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit hovers over the papal altar in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome from the ceiling of Bernini’s baldacchino.
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
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Strength in Humility
IN A SCENE OF the 1993 biopic Rudy, the title character sits pensively in the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The church is nearly empty when Holy Cross Father John Cavanaugh approaches and sits in the adjacent pew. Rudy, who aspires to play football for the Fighting Irish, is uncertain about his future and asks the priest, “Have I done everything I possibly can? Can you help me?”
Father Cavanaugh responds, “Son, in 35 years of religious studies, I’ve come up with only two hard, incontrovertible facts: There is a God — and I’m not him.”
The brief, simple scene is among the film’s most memorable, largely because of its simplicity and the wisdom it conveys. Whether or not such a conversation happened in real life, the dialogue is also significant because of who Father Cavanaugh was. The president of Notre Dame from 1946 to 1952 and then director of the Notre Dame Foundation, he had many friends in high places, including Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and others in the Kennedy family. That is, he was no stranger to power and influence. Yet, his response in the film emphasizes a foundational and often underappreciated virtue: humility.
Last May, Pope Francis concluded a cycle of catechesis on the vices and virtues with a reflection on humility, which, though not numbered among the cardinal and theological virtues, is “at the base of the Christian life” and “the gateway to all the virtues.” He went on to observe, “In the first pages of the Gospels, humility and poverty of spirit seem to be the source of everything.” Indeed, at the center of history and the redemption of humanity stands Jesus Christ, the eternal Word become flesh,
born of a woman whose lowliness magnifies the greatness of the Lord (cf. Jn 1:14, Lk 1:46-55).
It is difficult to overstate humility’s importance. In a letter to a young man named Dioscorus, St. Augustine outlined the path to truth and to the kingdom of God: “That first way is humility, the second way is humility, and the third way is humility; and as often as you ask, I would say this.” The opposite of humility, of course, is the sin of pride, which fails to recognize God — not our own excellence or efforts, apart from him — as the source of all goodness. Whenever we do express “pride” in people, organizations and achievements, it is therefore critical that we do so in a true spirit of humility. Father Cavanaugh was mentioned several times in Columbia over the years, including in reference to Notre Dame’s prestigious Laetare Medal being awarded to members of the Knights of Columbus during his tenure. In 1955, a photo featured him with a bishop receiving a $600 check for seminarian support from a local council — foreshadowing what would later become RSVP, the Order’s long-running vocations support program. It is thanks to initiatives like RSVP (see page 18), support for various projects at the Vatican (see page 10), and countless examples of service to local parishes that the Order is called “the strong right arm of the Church.” Nonetheless, as humble workers in the Lord’s vineyard, we must always remember that any strength of the Church’s members comes from its head, who for our salvation “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave … becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:7-8). B
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
Featured Resource: Vivat Jesus 2025
The 2025 edition of the Vivat Jesus Spiritual Planner is now available in English, Spanish or French through the Order’s Catholic Information Service. This pocket-sized book is designed to help men make a plan for their spiritual lives and stick to it. It includes a personalized daily prayer plan, liturgical feast days, the supreme chaplain’s monthly challenge, traditional Catholic prayers and devotions, spiritual reflections and more. To purchase, visit kofc.org/shopcis.
Columbia
PUBLISHER
Knights of Columbus
SUPREME OFFICERS
Patrick E. Kelly
Supreme Knight
Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.
Supreme Chaplain
Arthur L. Peters
Deputy Supreme Knight
John A. Marrella
Supreme Secretary
Ronald F. Schwarz
Supreme Treasurer
John A. Marrella
Supreme Advocate
EDITORIAL
Alton J. Pelowski
Editor
Cecilia Hadley
Editorial Director
Andrew J. Matt
Managing Editor
Elisha Valladares-Cormier
Associate Editor
Paul Haring
Manager of Photography
Cecilia Engbert Content Producer
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
The Anchor of Hope
A jubilee year is a grace-filled time in which we are invited to place our unreserved trust in God
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
ON CHRISTMAS EVE, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the official start of the Jubilee 2025. In the Catholic tradition, a jubilee year, also called a holy year, is celebrated every 25 years. It’s an ancient practice, dating back to 1300. The Church teaches that a jubilee year is a special time of reconciliation and conversion — an opportunity to look back on our lives, to ask the Lord for forgiveness and to seek his help as we strive to lead lives of greater holiness. Pilgrimage is also a fundamental aspect of a holy year. Most especially, it’s a year to encounter Christ through the grace of the sacraments — particularly, the Eucharist and reconciliation.
The opening of the Holy Door is also an ancient practice that is rich in symbolism. It recalls the words of Christ: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). By walking through the Holy Door, pilgrims affirm that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the gatekeeper, and make an intentional decision to be guided by Christ.
Pope Francis has made hope the central theme of the Jubilee 2025. An estimated 35 million “pilgrims of hope” will travel to Rome during the holy year. As they pass through the Holy Door and enter St. Peter’s Basilica, they will see two 17th-century masterpieces of sacred art — both by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and recently restored to their original splendor with the support of the Knights of Columbus: the baldacchino above the main altar and the Chair of St. Peter monument in the apse of the basilica. The baldacchino is the nearly 10-story canopy that rises over the papal altar and the tomb of St. Peter. The Chair of St. Peter monument contains the ancient wooden throne held by tradition to be the cathedra, or seat, of St. Peter, the first pope.
By sponsoring these restorations, the Order is doing more than assisting in the preservation of historic works of art. We are helping to inspire millions of pilgrims whose faith and hope will be renewed by their journey to the Eternal City. And with those pilgrims, we will once again renew our profession of faith in Christ and in his promise to entrust the keys of the kingdom to St. Peter and his successors.
Writing about the jubilee year, the Holy Father reminds us that hope is the virtue that gives our lives “inward direction and purpose” ( Spes Non Confundit , 18).
The Christian symbol of hope is the anchor, Pope Francis explains, because it “helps us to recognize the stability and security that is ours amid the troubled waters of this life.” He then adds, “The storms that buffet us will never prevail, for we are firmly anchored in the hope born of grace, which enables us to live in Christ and to overcome sin, fear and death. This hope … makes us rise above our trials and difficulties, and inspires us to keep pressing forward, never losing sight of the grandeur of the heavenly goal to which we have been called” (25).
Hope is an essential virtue, but it can be elusive in our day-to-day lives. The Scriptures remind us that, as Christians, hope is our inheritance. The author of the Letter to Hebrews tells us that God has made us a promise so that “we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner” (6:18-20).
Let’s take these words to heart. And in this coming Jubilee Year of Hope, let’s pray to have greater confidence in the hope that is truly ours through Jesus Christ.
Vivat Jesus!
Hope is an essential virtue, but it can be elusive in our day-to-day lives. The Scriptures remind us that, as Christians, hope is our inheritance.
Lost and Found
God is always searching for us, and the light of Christ shines even amid the darkness of loneliness and isolation
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
ASK ANYONE WHO works with me. I’m always losing things like umbrellas, keys and cellphones. A misplaced umbrella means I’ll get wet. Lost keys mean I’m locked out. A misplaced cellphone means I’m cut off from civilization — or so they say.
Losing possessions is one thing. Being lost or feeling lost is another. And sometimes the sense of loss runs deep. We may feel we’ve lost our friends or have been forgotten by them. We may even feel we’ve lost God’s friendship or that God has forgotten us.
Sins, weaknesses and spiritual and emotional wounds are part of every life. But when these get the better of us, we may think that God and other people have given up on us. This is, of course, a lie, planted in our hearts by Satan, the father of lies. Yet, the sense of being lost to God and lost to our friends can seem very real. Indeed, one of the traits of contemporary culture is a sense of isolation, of being alone in the world. Many people don’t have a relationship with God, nor do they have close friends. There is an absence of love in their lives. Yet, without love, life makes no sense. When love is lacking, so is hope. And when hope is lacking, it is all the more difficult to deal with those sins, weaknesses and wounds that bedevil us.
Recently, someone said to me, “How I dread this time of year. Daylight is short. The hours of darkness are long. That’s how I feel.” My heart went out to her, and I shared with her a short sentence from the beginning of John’s Gospel: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (1:5).
In the darkness of Advent, the light of God’s love shines all the more brightly if, in the grace of the Holy Spirit, we believe and understand that the Lord has come in search of us. God does not want any of
us to be lost. The Father loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son into the world to find us, to save us, to gather us into the family of the redeemed. To do this, the second person of the Trinity forever assumed our humanity — not just our flesh, but a human mind, heart and will. The Son of God who preached the good news and went about healing, forgiving and raising from the dead experienced hunger, thirst, pain and sorrow. And ultimately, he laid down his life for us on the cross. This is the length to which God went to find us. Moreover, he continues searching for you and me at this very moment.
Let us then prepare our hearts for Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation, the great reason for our hope. We do this by allowing the Lord to find us. Often, when we feel the absence of God’s love, it is because we have hidden ourselves from it. There may be painful realities in our lives that we don’t want to face, so instead we blame, we deflect, we hide, we self-isolate. During these days of Advent, let us allow the Lord to break through these self-imposed barriers that prevent us from receiving God’s love and loving others. This happens when we make an unburdening confession of our sins. Or when we reach out in love to someone else in need. Or have an honest conversation with a trusted friend or spiritual director.
On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to inaugurate a Holy Year, a Jubilee of Hope. The theme of this special year of grace is “Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5). May the celebration of Christmas and this Jubilee fill your hearts with joy and hope! B
God does not want any of us to be lost. The Father loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son into the world to find us, to save us, to gather us into the family of the redeemed.
Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge
A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Gospel for Dec. 1, Lk 21:36)
To remain watchful is a frequent exhortation of Jesus, for we do not know when the end will come. For most people, their end will come at the moment of their death. We trust in God’s grace, but grace requires our response: We must not grow lax and presume we have plenty of time to repent. We must pursue holiness and seek God’s will at all times so that we stand ready to meet him at any time.
Challenge: This month, in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I challenge you to meditate on the poor shepherds who watched over their flocks on the night he was born and identify one way you can better incorporate watchfulness into your own life.
Find accompanying reflection questions at kofc.org/monthlychallenge
Catholic Man of the Month
Father Albert Lacombe (1827-1916)
OBLATE FATHER Albert Lacombe took a priest’s responsibility to walk with his flock literally. The Canadian missionary spent nearly 70 years trekking across several provinces to evangelize, serve and advocate for Indigenous communities. “I will die happy among my neophytes, ministering to them as long as I have strength,” he once wrote to his bishop.
Lacombe was born in Saint-Sulpice, Lower Canada (modern-day Québec), to a family of farmers; his mother was a descendant of an Ojibwe chieftain. He felt a call to the priesthood early in life, entered seminary as a teenager, and was ordained a priest in 1849 at the age of 22. Stirred by the stories of missionaries he met, he ministered in a part of the Red River Valley that is now North Dakota and southern Manitoba, where he accompanied nomadic Métis hunters on the plains. He returned to Lower Canada for a short time but went back to Red River in 1852.
After joining the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate three years later, Father Lacombe spent the next decades establishing missions in present-day
Alberta and Manitoba. Known for his linguistic skills, he learned the Cree language to serve Cree and Métis communities, eventually developing Cree and Blackfoot dictionaries and translating the New Testament into Cree.
Father Lacombe’s influence allowed him to act as peacemaker between warring tribes, establish several schools for Indigenous children, and protect Indigenous interests in negotiations with the Canadian government and Canadian Pacific Railway. So beloved was he by the communities he served that they called him “The man of the good heart.”
In his final years, Father Lacombe founded a home for orphans and the elderly near Calgary. He died there on Dec. 12, 1916, at age 89. B
Liturgical Calendar Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention
Dec. 3 St. Francis Xavier, Priest
Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Dec. 9 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec. 13 St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Dec. 25 The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Dec. 26 St. Stephen, The First Martyr
Dec. 27 St. John, Apostle and Evangelist Dec. 28 The Holy Innocents, Martyrs Dec. 29 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
We pray that this Jubilee Year strengthen our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and that it may transform us into pilgrims of Christian hope.
Villa Maria Guadalupe Celebrates 20 Years
SUPREME OFFICERS and their wives visited Stamford, Connecticut, in October to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Villa Maria Guadalupe, an international retreat center directed by the Sisters of Life and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
The Knights of Columbus purchased the property from the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters in 2004. Under the leadership of then-Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, founding superior general of the Sisters of Life, it was dedicated Oct. 20, 2004, with a special mission of serving as a spiritual center for the culture of life. Villa Maria Guadalupe now welcomes more than 1,000 retreatants a year, including men and women involved with the pro-life movement, pregnant women, single mothers and those wounded by abortion.
The Sisters of Life hosted the Knights and their wives for a votive Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe — celebrated by Father John Connaughton, pastor of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel Parish in Stamford — and a small celebratory dinner Oct. 29.
In a card presented to the Supreme Officers, Sisters of Life superior general Mother Mary Concepta thanked the Order for its years of support and generosity, in particular for entrusting the Villa Maria Guadalupe to the sisters’ care.
Sister of Life Bernadette Thérèse, superior of the Villa Maria Guadalupe retreat center in Stamford, Conn., holds a baby after the center’s anniversary dinner Oct. 29, capturing the attention of her fellow sisters.
“We rejoice and give thanks for all the graces that have been poured forth from the Heart of Jesus in the past 20 years,” she wrote. “We give glory to the Father for the miracles of new life that have taken place in the souls of those who walked through the doors.” B
New Supreme Directors, State Deputy Installed
TWO NEW SUPREME DIRECTORS and a new state deputy were formally installed by Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly during a meeting of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors in Puerto Rico this October.
Christopher Kolomjec, past state deputy of Michigan, and Herbert Yang, state deputy of British Columbia, were elected to the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors during the 142nd Supreme Convention in August and began their three-year terms Sept. 1. Carlos Hernández-Santiago was recently elected as the new state deputy of Puerto Rico following the sudden death of State Deputy Eric Colón-Rodríguez on Oct. 2.
The supreme knight conferred their medals of office Oct. 11 at the conclusion of a votive Mass of Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago, a lay catechist and Knight of Columbus. Bishop Eusebio Ramos Morales celebrated the Mass at the Cathedral Dulce Nombre de Jesús in Caguas, where Blessed Carlos Manuel is buried.
In his remarks at the installation, Supreme Knight Kelly commended the work that has been done by Puerto Rican Knights since the Order was established in the jurisdiction in 1911, saying, “Puerto Rico has regularly produced strong, faithful leaders.”
Before the Mass, the supreme directors prayed at the tomb of Blessed Carlos Manuel, sometimes called
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly confers medals of office on (from right) Supreme Directors Christopher Kolomjec and Herbert Yang and Puerto Rico State Deputy Carlos Hernández-Santiago.
“Blessed Charlie.” Born in Caguas in 1918, Blessed Carlos Manuel was an active member of Pope John XXIII Council 2033. Known for his love of the Eucharist, he dedicated much of his life to evangelization. He died of colon cancer in 1963, at age 44, and was beatified in 2001. B
BOTTOM:
Photo by Miguel Angel
Midyear Meeting Underscores Faith, Friendship
THE LONELINESS and perceived lack of purpose afflicting so many men today is not merely a social problem, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly told state deputies gathered for their Midyear Membership Meeting. It is a spiritual crisis, he said, and the Knights of Columbus can be the antidote.
Speaking during the meeting’s opening business session Nov. 2, Supreme Knight Kelly added, “The Knights can change this for men. … We can be that place of friendship that brings men together.”
Fraternal leaders from around the world discussed these challenges and opportunities at the annual gathering, held Nov. 1-3 in National Harbor, Maryland. In addition to hearing keynote remarks from the supreme knight and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, the deputies participated in workshops, fraternal events, Eucharistic adoration, and daily Mass. In his homily Nov. 1, All Saints Day, Archbishop Lori recalled Blessed Michael McGivney’s beatification and described the K of C founder as “a priest of the beatitudes.”
Supreme Knight Kelly urged leaders to invite more men into the fraternity of the Knights, growing the Order through their witness of faith and charity. He pointed to the example of the Philippines, where membership has more than doubled in the last 20 years; the secret of their growth, he said, is the Filipino Knights’ deep love of God and the Church and their joyful service to those in need.
The Order’s Cor initiative is a key to helping men grow in faith, the supreme knight continued.
“For many men, Cor might be the beginning of real friendships and a real relationship with Jesus Christ. For others, Cor might be the rekindling of that relationship with Christ,
State
and Prince
greet each other after the closing session of the Midyear Membership Meeting on Nov. 3.
maybe a relationship that has gone cold over the years,” he said. “Ultimately, I think Cor can lead to quiet miracles, miracles of faith and friendship in the lives of men.”
One of the inspirations for Cor — Latin for heart — is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be the centerpiece of the Order’s new Pilgrim Icon Program. Reproductions of an 18th-century painting of the Sacred Heart from the Church of the Gesù in Rome (see page 15) will soon be sent to all K of C jurisdictions and begin traveling among councils in early 2025. As the meeting concluded, Archbishop Lori led the Knights in praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart. B
Supreme Knight Updates U.S. Bishops on Cor
SUPREME KNIGHT Patrick Kelly addressed the annual plenary assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore Nov. 13, offering the Order’s assistance in the bishops’ evangelization efforts and asking for their support of Cor.
The Knights of Columbus launched Cor in 2023, first as a pilot program in 16 jurisdictions and later that year across the Order. Cor groups have now formed in more than 3,000 parishes to provide Knights and other men with opportunities for prayer, faith formation and fraternity.
“Men of all ages are hungry for spiritual community. And we know many
priests want to set up small groups to meet that need, but they can’t quite do it on their own. Cor is the solution,” the supreme knight told the bishops. “It enables priests to draw on the structure and resources of the Knights of Columbus, getting small groups off the ground quickly, and — importantly — sustaining them over time.”
The supreme knight asked the bishops for their help spreading the word about Cor in their dioceses and promised that the Knights will continue to carry out Blessed Michael McGivney’s mission in support of the Church and the family.
He concluded, “To all of you, our
bishops, we thank you for your support and recommit ourselves to standing in steadfast solidarity with you. And as always, we pray for you, just as we count on your prayers for us.” B
Connecticut
Deputy Joseph Rahtelli (left)
Edward Island State Deputy Savio Dias
MISSION OF THE FAMILY
Leadership and Suffering
By Joseph McInerney
I once asked a group of students if Christ would have as many followers as he does if he had not suffered. Their unanimous answer was no. Easy question. Then I asked them why that was. Why would suffering attract followers? It’s a harder question because most humans I know — me included — don’t find suffering attractive. It’s also an important question for Christians to ask because Christ tells us, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38). So why follow a leader who not only suffers, but also says that you must suffer if you are to be his follower?
Despite these concerns, my students stuck to their guns. They said Christ’s message and leadership had to account for suffering because we live in a world of suffering. A leader who promises an easy path when the path is not easy will have little credibility. More importantly, suffering is the proof of love. “Love will make men dare to die for their beloved — love alone,” Plato writes in his Symposium . If leaders are willing to suffer for their mission and their people, their followers will do the same. Indeed, it is the bond of love manifest on the cross and present in the Eucharist that has joined Christ to his followers for almost 2,000 years. B
— Joseph McInerney is vice president of leadership and ethics education for the Knights of Columbus.
Raising Boys and Girls
Parents have the challenge and responsibility of fostering mature masculinity and femininity in their children
By Tom Hoopes
IT’S TOUGH TO RAISE boys and girls in the 21st century.
As a parent of five sons and four daughters, I can’t help but notice how different the sexes are — and research confirms what I have seen: A mammoth 2012 Gallup poll of 80,000 people in 76 countries showed clear gender differences that cross cultural and geographic boundaries.
At the same time, mainstream parenting advice tells me that I should go out of my way to minimize gender difference. UNICEF recommends: “Refrain from harmful language … for example, ‘he cries like a girl’ or ‘she’s too bossy’” — and that we choose toys, books and games that challenge traditional gender roles. These suggestions make a certain sense: We shouldn’t pigeonhole boys and girls into strict roles that may have existed for good reasons in earlier eras, but no longer apply — and while gender differences are generally true, few if any of us have all the attributes common to our gender.
But my wife, April, and I have chosen a better way. Drawing from April’s studies at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family 35 years ago, we focus on the beautiful way God balances male and female virtues. And we model our parenthood on the example of families we know who have raised sons and daughters we admire.
Gallup says that women are more patient, but rather than seeing men as impatient , we prefer to see them as driven . We want our boys to become men of honor,
not men of excuses and avoidance — so we promote self-sacrifice, integrity, resourcefulness, initiative, endurance and protectiveness. We do this in things small (requiring they let girls eat first at events) and large (putting them in charge of projects from the laundry to car maintenance).
Gallup sees men as too risky and women as risk averse, but we see different forms of courage — the courage to go out to meet danger versus the courage of close care and protection. Rather than create “girl bosses” who manipulate situations to serve their own interests, we want daughters who practice what St. John Paul II called “feminine genius” — cultivating environments where each person’s virtues come to the fore through understanding, sensitivity, creativity, acceptance, receptivity and generosity. We mustn’t be afraid of acknowledging the different qualities our boys and girls have. God made them that way with a purpose. B
TOM HOOPES is vice president of college relations at Benedictine College and a member of Sacred Heart Council 723 in Atchison, Kan.
How can I involve my children in charitable giving?
By Dennis J. Gerber Jr. FAMILY FINANCE
As fathers, we are called to model for our families Jesus’ example and his commandment of charity. Involving our children in charitable giving helps instill in them selflessness and empathy, strengthens family bonds and deepens the family’s relationship with God. Start with a family “generosity meeting” where you discuss what charitable causes matter most to everyone and identify issues that resonate with the whole family. This practice fosters unity and encourages intentionality in giving as you discern together how best to
FOR YOUR MARRIAGE
serve others in the name of Christ. Simple acts of service, such as volunteering at a local charity or organizing a family donation drive, can have a big impact. These shared experiences, accompanied by prayerful reflection, help your family understand the spiritual meaning of generosity.
Monetary donations are another way to practice stewardship, show gratitude for God’s blessings, and support the Church’s mission of charity and evangelization. Jesus told his disciples, “Sell your belongings and give alms” (Lk 12:33). Giving of one’s money and possessions cultivates a spirit of detachment from material wealth, helping your family follow Christ’s example of selfless love.
No matter what strategy your family decides to implement, it is for you to
The Virtue of Fun
When pursuing holiness in marriage, remember that lightheartedness is serious business
By Chris Stefanick
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE you to a virtue you’ve likely never heard of: eutrapelia. From the Greek term for “ready wit” or “liveliness,” it’s the virtue of good humor, playfulness and fun.
Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas both wrote about this virtue, which like any virtue is a spiritual muscle, a power of soul, that enables us to do hard things more easily. In the case of eutrapelia, it allows us to more easily avoid the “worldly anxiety and the lure of riches” that choke the word of God (see Mt 13:22). It puts the seemingly all-important but passing “stuff” of life in its proper place. G.K. Chesterton quipped in his book Orthodoxy, “Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly.”
Fun that has no practical purpose serves this purpose: It reminds us of our inviolable human dignity and worth by elevating what matters most.
When my wife and I just pause and go out to dinner or watch a movie, I’m proclaiming to her that we are more
lead the way. Consider making your family’s generosity meeting a regular occurrence to discuss charitable goals. They are also a great opportunity to share stories about the organizations you support and how your family’s sacrificial giving has made a difference. Visit kofc.org/familyfinance for resources and more information. B — Dennis J. Gerber Jr. is the Order’s vice president of charitable giving and president of Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund.
important than whatever struggle we’re facing. When I have fun with my kids even though paying the bills is stressing me out, I model the Father’s providential love and show by example that life is “more than food and the body more than clothing” (Mt 6:25).
Be intentional about having fun in marriage and family life. It’s important to maintain moments of levity and silliness, and time for leisure, even in hard times — or maybe I should say, especially in hard times.
There’s no one way to build the virtue of fun. Just be sure you don’t neglect this spiritual muscle. The crazier life gets, the more we need it. B
CHRIS STEFANICK is founder and president of Real Life Catholic and a member of Our Lady of Loreto Council 12336 in Foxfield, Colo.
‘More Sublime Than Ever’
Bernini’s baldacchino and Chair of St. Peter monument are restored for the Jubilee Year of Hope with K of C support
By Columbia staff
The closing Mass of the Synod on Synodality was celebrated Oct. 27 in St. Peter’s Basilica under the newly restored Bernini baldacchino, now free of scaffolding and gleaming brightly after a monthslong cleaning and preservation project supported by the Knights of Columbus.
The nearly 10-story canopy over the papal altar, constructed in the 17th century directly over the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, was last refurbished more than 250 years ago.
Beginning in late February, a team of master restorers worked methodically to remove centuries of dust and grime from the massive bronze, marble and wood structure and its many gilded details. They finished ahead of schedule, allowing the baldacchino to be unveiled at the close of the synod instead of, as originally projected, in conjunction with the upcoming Jubilee Year of Hope.
Pope Francis drew attention to the restored baldacchino — or baldachin, in English — in his homily at the closing Mass. “As we admire the majestic Bernini baldacchino, more sublime than ever,” the pope said, “we can rediscover that it frames the true focal point of the entire basilica, namely the glory of the Holy Spirit. This is the synodal Church: a community whose primacy lies in the gift of the Spirit, who makes us all brothers and sisters in Christ and raises us up to him.”
At the conclusion of Mass, the Chair of St. Peter was placed in front of the papal altar for Pope Francis, the bishops and the faithful to venerate. The ancient wooden throne, now believed to date to the 9th century, was held for centuries to be the cathedra of the first pope. It will remain on display until Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Fresh from its first comprehensive restoration in more than 250 years, Bernini’s baldacchino towers over the papal altar in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 26.
Photo by Tamino
Petelinšek
In his homily, the pope urged the bishops to contemplate the Chair with the “wonder of faith” and to “remember that this is the Chair of love, unity and mercy, according to Jesus’ command to the Apostle Peter not to lord it over others, but to serve them in charity.”
Normally housed in a gilded bronze sculpture at the basilica’s apse, the relic was displayed for the first time since 1867 while the massive bronze monument, also by Bernini, is restored with support from the Knights. The Chair of St. Peter monument restoration is targeted for completion by Christmas Eve, when Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica to begin the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori and the other Supreme Officers had the opportunity to venerate the Chair of St. Peter privately Oct. 24. They also climbed the scaffolding that encases the Chair of St. Peter monument to see the restoration work in progress. Donning hard hats and safety harnesses, they also viewed the baldacchino’s upper reaches from mechanical lifts
high above the basilica floor.
“It was an extraordinary experience to be on top of the baldacchino, and to be with the artisans and see the great care they bring to their task of restoring this magnificent work of art,” the supreme knight said. “The baldacchino brings together two realities: The reality that God comes to dwell with us, to be with us, and the reality that we are called to raise our hearts and our minds to him in prayer and in gratitude.”
EVANGELIZATION THROUGH BEAUTY
The restorations of Bernini’s baldacchino and Chair of St. Peter monument are just the latest in a series of more than 20 Vatican projects sponsored by the Knights of Columbus since 1980. These include the cleaning of St. Peter’s façade in 1985; the restoration of the Maderno Atrium and Holy Door in anticipation of the Jubilee Year 2000; extensive restoration and construction in the Vatican Grottoes; and restoration of revered frescoes and other sacred art dating to the 14th and 15th centuries. All the projects were led by the Fabbrica di
Clockwise, from top left: Hundreds of bishops gather in St. Peter’s Basilica for the closing Mass of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican on Oct. 27, a few days after the scaffolding around the baldacchino was taken down. • Pope Francis prays before the ancient Chair of St. Peter after the closing Mass of the synod. • Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori stand in St. Peter’s Basilica Oct. 24 with Dr. Pietro Zander, head of the Necropolis and Artistic Heritage Section of the Fabbrica di San Pietro.
San Pietro, the institution responsible for maintaining the historical and artistic patrimony of the Vatican.
“The Knights have been partners for many years now in the conservation and enhancement of the basilica,” said Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and president of the Fabbrica di San Pietro. “Their mission clearly fits in with our objectives, which ultimately is to offer to those who come here — not only Christians but also non-Christians — the opportunity to come into contact with the spiritual dimension of existence.”
In this context, the Order’s efforts to preserve the art and architecture of the Vatican are part of the Church’s long tradition of evangelization through the beauty of sacred art and architecture.
“We make the beauty of this work visible as much as possible,” the cardinal said of the baldacchino restoration, “in its colors, also in its materials, restored to their original state.”
The innovative sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), considered the father of Baroque sculpture, was only 24 years old when he was commissioned to create an ornate baldacchino over St. Peter’s tomb by Pope Urban VIII. A “baldacchino” — from the ancient Italian word for Baghdad, which was known for its luxurious fabrics — was a cloth canopy over a throne. In Rome, such canopies came to be placed over altars in honor of Christ, the King of Kings. Bernini’s baldacchino, constructed from 1623 to 1634, was his first commissioned work in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A ‘WONDERFUL SHOCK’
The restoration work on the baldacchino was completed by several teams of specialists in Bernini’s various building materials — bronze, wood, stucco, masonry and different types of gilding. They spent months cleaning every surface of the baldacchino, its intricate ornamentation keeping them busy from morning to night. The baldacchino’s four twisting columns are adorned with cherubs, dolphins, lizards, plants and insects.
“All these meticulously painted bees!” laughed master restorer Susanna Sarmanti, referring to the more than 100 gilded bees scattered over the sculpture, an allusion to Pope Urban’s family coat of arms. “And what fun discoveries we made — on the top of our column we found a bronze cricket!”
Master restorer Sante Guido marveled the beauty of the baldacchino’s gilded bronze. “The final approach will be fantastic because the gold is shining again,” he said.
Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, predicted that the results of the restoration would be “an incredible and beautiful and wonderful shock for everybody.”
Now the same experts are working on the Chair of St. Peter monument, which Bernini built from 1657 to 1666 at the request of Pope Alexander VII.
Pietro Zander, head of the Necropolis and Artistic Heritage Section of the Fabbrica and a longtime collaborator with the Order on restoration projects, considers the backto-back refurbishment of the baldacchino and the Chair of St. Peter monument as providential in the context of the Jubilee Year 2025 .
“We were all aware that once the golden luster of the baldacchino was restored, then the Chair of St. Peter must necessarily follow,” Zander explained. “Otherwise, the Chair would remain in a pitifully neglected condition. For example, the four statues of the Greek and Latin doctors of the Church currently appear very obscure — but all of them are actually golden underneath! So it is symbolically important, therefore, in view of the upcoming Jubilee, to present these two monuments, which were conceived to dialogue together, in their rediscovered beauty and integrity.”
Cardinal Gambetti expressed his hope that the newly restored Bernini masterpieces will leave a lasting impression on visitors of every kind. “May they be attracted by the beauty and splendor of this work,” he said, “and thus allow themselves, in the end, to let go, to allow that desire for the absolute, for the infinite, to be awakened in their heart.” B
by Tamino Petelinšek
Photo
Supreme Knight Kelly, his wife, Vanessa, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop Lori, and other K of C leaders gather Oct. 24 at the top of the Chair of St. Peter monument with some of the experts who are now restoring the monument with support from the Knights.
Devoted to the Heart of Jesus
Order sponsors the restoration of a renowned image of the Sacred Heart, centerpiece of the new Pilgrim Icon Program
THE ORDER’S LATEST project to preserve the artistic patrimony of the Church is taking place not in the Vatican, but about a mile away in the Church of the Gesù, the mother church of the Jesuit order. A side chapel there was renamed the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in 1920, when an 18th-century image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was enshrined above the altar.
In honor of the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the Knights of Columbus is sponsoring the restoration the 325-year-old chapel, as well as the renowned image itself. The 1767 painting by Italian artist Pompeo Batoni will also serve as the centerpiece of the Order’s upcoming Pilgrim Icon Program.
Supreme Officers gathered at the Church of the Gesù on Oct. 23 for Mass and a briefing on the restorations by Jesuit Father Claudio Pera, the church’s rector, and the restoration team.
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori celebrated a votive Mass of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in the chapel with Jesuit Father James Conn, superior of the Pontifical North American College’s Casa Santa Maria, concelebrating.
In his homily, Father Conn called devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus “the symbol of the boundless and passionate love of God for humankind” and reflected on the all-encompassing intentions of the traditional “Morning Offering” prayers to the Sacred Heart.
“I was very pleased to know that the Knights of Columbus had decided to reproduce this image and to share it with all of their members, especially during this coming Holy Year,” Father Conn added. “It occurred to me that that is what we seek as we contemplate
on Oct. 23.
the intentions of the Most Sacred Heart: What is it that Jesus desires? What is it that he hopes for? What is it that he desires of us and the world, seeking to redeem all mankind? It is our privilege, not just to reproduce this image, but to reproduce the reality of the boundless and compassionate love of God in our own lives and in our care for our brothers and sisters.”
Pope Francis discussed these themes in his new encyclical dedicated to the Sacred Heart, Dilexit nos (He loved us), published the next day.
“The heart of Christ, as the symbol of the deepest and most personal source of his love for us, is the very core of the initial preaching of the Gospel,” the pope wrote. “It stands at the origin of our faith, as the well-
spring that refreshes and enlivens our Christian beliefs” (32).
On Nov. 3, at the Midyear Membership Meeting of State Deputies (see page 7), the supreme knight reflected on the Sacred Heart of Jesus in light of the encyclical, encouraging all Knights to make devotion to the Sacred Heart a priority in their families.
“Devotion to the Sacred Heart is simple — it reminds us of God’s love for us. And it’s meant to inspire our love in return for Christ,” the supreme knight told the state deputies. “In many ways, this encyclical is perfect for the Knights of Columbus. The pope writes that we live in a fragmented and divided society, but the heart of Christ is a unifying center. The heart of Christ is the source of truth and goodness that we all need.” B
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, with Supreme Officers and other K of C leaders, celebrates Mass in the Sacred Heart Chapel of the Church of the Gesù in Rome
CARING FOR THE CALLED
The Order marks $100 million in RSVP aid to men and women pursuing a priestly or religious vocation
By John Burger
Zachary Samples was a third-year seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in 2019 when his mother died suddenly in a traffic collision. In the time of intense grief that followed, the care packages he received every month in the mail from Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Council 11582 carried new weight. Council 11582 in Mount Zion, Illinois, had been supporting Samples through the Order’s Refund Support Vocations Program for several years, giving him $750 annually and regularly mailing him treats, small gifts and cards.
“The monthly care packages they sent were always appreciated, but to feel the love of my brother Knights during that season of my life was especially important,” said
Father Samples. “I would get those packages and smile during a time period when it was pretty difficult to smile.”
Knights of Columbus councils have been supporting seminarians like Samples — as well as men and women discerning religious life — through the Refund Support Vocations Program since 1981. Ordained in 2022, Father Samples can attest that the program involves more than just financial aid. Spiritual and moral support are essential to the program and take different forms — from praying for beneficiaries before council meetings to sending them letters or cards expressing encouragement.
As for financial support, the program offers councils and assemblies in the U.S. and Canada a $100 refund for every
FROM TOP:
Photo by Curtis Trent —
Photo courtesy of Father Zachary Samples
Opposite page, from top: Father Jake Mullin, associate pastor of St. Theresa Parish in Edmonton, Alberta, sits in his church with leaders of Holy Trinity Council 17034 in nearby Spruce Grove: (left to right) Past Grand Knight Glenn O’Neill, Grand Knight Brad Medernach and Past Grand Knight Ben Beil. • Father Zachary Samples, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., is pictured after his ordination in 2022. • Right: Sister Maria Lourdes smiles during her first profession as a member of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist at Christ the King Church in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 2021.
$500 they donate directly to a seminarian or religious postulant or novice, up to a limit of $2,000 per individual. Recipients can use the grants for books, transportation or personal needs. Over the years, these RSVP donations have added up. As of October, Knights have contributed over $100 million to more than 125,000 men and women pursuing their vocations to the priesthood or religious life.
Currently, more than 3,700 individuals are receiving financial assistance from 2,600 K of C units through the program. Below are four examples of how councils in the U.S. and Canada are making a difference in the lives of the seminarians and postulants, and through them, in the life of the Church itself.
‘THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH’
Holy Trinity Council 17034 in Spruce Grove, Alberta, near Edmonton, has participated in RSVP since the council came into existence, the product of two councils merging 10 years ago.
“We’re called as Knights to support our clergy and to be steadfast in that support,” said Grand Knight Brad Medernach, who estimates that Holy Trinity Council has donated $20,000 through RSVP over the past decade.
One year, the council was supporting three seminarians from the local community at the same time.
“In our parish, we quite often have one or more young men who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood,” explained Medernach. “In supporting any young man who thinks he might be called, we want to do everything we can to let him know we stand with him. We’re in support of him financially, and we’re going to support him with our prayers and our fraternity. And I think our members really enjoy seeing the young man progress in his education and formation, God willing, to ordination.”
The council frequently invites seminarians to events at Holy Trinity Church, Medernach added, to “make sure that they know they have a whole host of brother Knights who are thinking of them.”
One such seminarian is Jake Mullin, who was ordained a priest in June. His father, Shane Mullin, spearheaded the council’s RSVP support in the beginning and recently entered formation for the permanent diaconate.
The idea of becoming a priest kept coming back to Father Mullin as he was growing up. He was at a crossroads
in life when his father encouraged him to enter seminary. He was glad he did.
“Over the course of my seminary journey, I realized just how much joy and how much fulfillment I get out of helping people, being with them and all aspects of their lives, of being able to minister to them and journey alongside them,” said Father Mullin, who currently serves at St. Theresa Parish in Edmonton, where he is a member of St. Peter Council 7070.
“For my eight years of formation, I think the Knights’ support was really helpful,” he said. “And then, of course, they’re praying for me as well, which you can’t put a value on. So I do my best whenever I’m back in Spruce Grove to be with them and thank them. They were involved the whole way through.”
“In supporting any young man who thinks he might be called, we want to do everything we can to let him know we stand with him. We’re in support of him financially, and we’re going to support him with our prayers and our fraternity.”
A BEACON OF JOY
In late 2013, Kenneth Hulewicz, then chancellor of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Council 7444 in Milford, Michigan, learned through his wife, Millie, about a vibrant religious community, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in nearby Ann Arbor.
“You know, our council should be involved with religious support of some kind,” Hulewicz recalled telling a brother Knight, Paul Castiglione. “That should be one of our core values.”
In discussion and a vote at a subsequent meeting, the council wholeheartedly agreed. Since then, Council 7444 has raised some $70,000 in RSVP support through concerts, fish fries and other events for more than 20 Dominican Sisters of Mary and about a dozen seminarians.
Grand Knight Steven Battle said the council confers with the congregation’s leadership, who identify specific sisters who could use the support. Each recipient generally receives $500.
One beneficiary is Sister Maria Lourdes, who in 2021 took her name from the renowned shrine in France where she had received confirmation of a call to religious life. As a student at St. Mary’s High School in her native Phoenix, she was inspired to follow the example of some of her teachers, who were Dominicans from Ann Arbor.
“It was my first exposure to religious life and young religious who were on fire with their faith,” said Sister Maria Lourdes. “They loved the Lord enough to give their whole life to him and in service of the Church. They have
something that the world doesn’t have — they’ve got this joy. I was really struck by that.”
She entered the order in the fall of 2020 and now, as part of her formation, is studying elementary education at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.
For the last three years, Sister Maria Lourdes has received grants from the council totaling $1,500, which has helped with education as well as medical expenses.
“I had some exposure to the Knights when I lived in Phoenix, and I just was always struck by their care and service for the local Church and community,” she said, adding that the RSVP support demonstrates her benefactors’ “heart for serving the Church.”
The feeling is certainly mutual.
“We think it’s essential to support these sisters, and it’s really become a great relationship over the years,” said Battle. “At least once during our Lenten fish fry season, we invite some of them to come over and have dinner with us. They will sing songs, and people from the parish want to come and see them and hear their stories.”
Hulewicz couldn’t agree more: “To have such a joyful group share an evening with us is really rewarding. They’re a beacon to all the parishioners.”
BLESSINGS MULTIPLY
Col. Walter Parsons Council 3205 in College Station, Texas, was among the first K of C units to participate in RSVP. Since 1981, the council has supported 30 seminarians with
by Sarah Greaud
Photo
Father Thomas Swierc, parochial vicar of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, is pictured at his parish, where he is a member of St. Philip the Apostle Council 9220.
Then-seminarian Daniel Sessions stands with members of Prince of Peace Council 11537 and parishioners during a 2021 visit to Prince of Peace Catholic Church and School in Hoover, Ala. Front row, left to right: Assistant Principal Bridget Carter; Deacon Rick DiGiorgio; Daniel Sessions; then-Grand Knight Don DeCesare. Back row: Principal Connie Angstadt; Father José Luis Guevara, associate pastor; and Jerry Gordon.
more than $50,000 in grants. In recent years, the council has typically supported three to five seminarians per year, and this year sponsored a religious sister for the first time.
“Usually, the grant is in the form of a $1,000 check tucked into a Christmas card sent out in late November or early December,” said Grand Knight Darrell Perkins. “It’s meant to facilitate a home visit at Christmastime.”
Most of the funds are raised during the council’s chili sale over Super Bowl weekend. Volunteers prepare 250300 quarts of spicy chili and sell them for $10 each after Masses at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in College Station. In addition, a couple of parishioners send the council $500 to $1,000 each year specifically for RSVP.
Occasionally, recipients are seminarians with family connections to the parish. One such recipient is Father Thomas Swierc, who grew up in the parish and whose father, also named Thomas, has been a member of Council 3205 for more than 30 years.
Ordained in 2023 for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Father Swierc attributes his vocation in large part to spending time in Eucharistic adoration, a practice that his parents introduced him to at a young age.
The RSVP grants were “an extreme blessing,” Father Swierc affirmed, since the monthly stipend of $135 he received at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston didn’t go far.
“At the time, I was still driving my old pickup truck, which liked gasoline, and that made it a little hard on the wallet to make the three-hour trip one way to see Mom and Dad,” he said with a laugh.
Father Swierc’s dad, who goes by Tommy, pointed out that seminarians are not allowed to take a job because they’re
supposed to dedicate themselves to their studies.
“They wouldn’t have the time to keep a job,” he explained, “so the council’s donation helped quite a bit.”
Grand Knight Perkins noted that when a council-supported seminarian becomes a priest, “we try to get as many people to go to the ordination Mass as we can, and we’ll present him with another $1,000 check so he can purchase vestments or whatever he chooses.”
In addition to praying for their RSVP recipients at the end of council meetings, Council 3205 sends them cards multiple times a year and organizes a monthly Holy Hour for vocations.
OUR FUTURE PRIESTS
For Father Daniel Sessions, the financial support he received from brother Knights in Prince of Peace Council 11537 in Hoover, Alabama, was important. But he also received something that he cannot quantify.
Prince of Peace began participating in RSVP just four years ago, when Sessions was a student at the North American College in Rome, preparing for the priesthood for the Diocese of Birmingham. The council asked him if he might be willing to speak via Zoom with students in the parish school about his life as a seminarian.
“Having that connection to home and a personal connection with the students was nice,” said Father Sessions, who was ordained in 2023 and serves at Holy Spirit Parish in Huntsville. “It was a wonderful chance to share my story and the wonderful work that God has done in my life, the many blessings he has so generously bestowed on me.”
Past Grand Knight Don DeCesare recalled how enthusiastic the sixth, seventh and eighth graders were to speak with Sessions on each call.
“The students absolutely loved it,” he affirmed. “They asked him questions, and he would walk around, showing them pictures and his surroundings in Rome.”
For his part, Father Sessions said that he appreciated the Knights’ approach and priorities when they reached out to him about RSVP.
“The importance to them was connecting seminarians with school children,” he said. “The money aspect was almost secondary.”
Through its annual Pennies from Heaven campaign, initiated by DeCesare, the council has raised a whopping $130,000 for seminarians over the past four years, with the students at Prince of Peace School raising more than $3,500 every year. Each of the Diocese of Birmingham’s 18 seminarians has received $3,000 to help with their expenses, and the refunds from the Supreme Council are given to the seminarians too.
“Our seminarians are our future priests,” said DeCesare, who now serves as Alabama’s state vocations chairman. “Anything that we can do to help them is beneficial for our future.” B
JOHN BURGER writes for Aleteia.org and is a member of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Council 16253 in New Haven, Conn.
Pope Paul VI addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Oct. 4, 1965. The unprecedented event was part of the first-ever papal visit to the United States.
A Light to the WORLD
An interview with Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s permanent observer at the United Nations, about the Holy See Mission’s 60-year presence at the U.N.
Ban Ki-moon, then secretary general of the United Nations, greeted Pope Francis before the Holy Father addressed world leaders gathered for the U.N.’s annual General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 25, 2015. “Your Holiness,” he said, “welcome to the pulpit of the world.”
It was the fifth time a pope had spoken from that unique pulpit since the Holy See attained permanent observer status at the United Nations in 1964. For the past 60 years, the Holy See Mission to the United Nations has worked diligently and creatively to give global resonance to the Church’s teachings and perspective.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly noted the 60th anniversary in his annual report in August, saying, “To celebrate this milestone, we’re strengthening our long history of support for the Mission, as it brings the Church’s prophetic voice to the world stage.”
To this end, the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors pledged last spring to financially assist the Holy See Mission in renovating its New York City office — 30 years after the Order helped to acquire the building as a gift to Pope John Paul II.
The Holy See Mission is currently led by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, appointed permanent observer by Pope Francis in 2020. Archbishop Caccia, a native of Italy and a longtime member of the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, spoke with Columbia about the history and purpose of the mission, his role as permanent observer and some of the ways that the Order has shown its support.
COLUMBIA: What is the primary purpose of the Holy See Mission to the U.N.? How has this mission developed over the last 60 years?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: I would like to begin by quoting a message that St. John Paul II addressed to Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, then secretary general of the U.N., in 1989: “It was in 1964 that my predecessor, Paul VI, chose to establish an ad hoc Mission to the United Nations. He did this in light of new orientations that were taking place within the Church,
and in response to the appreciation which the international community had long manifested with regard to the Holy See’s efforts in favor of peace and solidarity among the nations. By sending an Observer to your Organization, he intended to demonstrate the Holy See’s concern for all initiatives aimed at promoting the human, social, cultural, political and moral growth of the community of nations. He likewise desired to make the Church’s contribution more effective within the United Nations’ deliberations on matters of world concern.”
Building on these foundations, the observer mission to the U.N. has grown from the presence of just one person — Msgr. Alberto Giovannetti, the first permanent observer appointed in 1964 — to the current team composed of the permanent observer (who is an apostolic nuncio); two other diplomats of the Holy See; a local priest collaborator; four young lay people engaged as “negotiators”; a network of “experts,” mainly university professors; and 24 interns from all over the world.
The mission has grown also in terms of the space it occupies, from just one office in the premises of Holy Family Parish near the U.N. headquarters, to a residence where the pope stays when visiting New York, as well as another building closer to the U.N. where the mission offices are now situated.
COLUMBIA: What are your primary responsibilities and those of your staff? What are some of the things you have overseen and observed since your appointment in 2019?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: Like other diplomatic missions, we provide information about the life of the U.N. community and participate in the discussion and preparation of the resolutions of the General Assembly and the entire organization. We provide our input, translating messages from the Holy Father into the agenda of the U.N. and helping the international community to maintain a global perspective beyond the narrow interests of its single members.
I arrived in New York in mid-January 2020 and after just a few weeks, having had the opportunity to get to know the job better and become acquainted with the other permanent
Partners for Peace
Highlights from more than three decades of K of C support for the Holy See Mission
1994 — The Knights of Columbus provides an interest-free $1.5 million loan that allows the current office of the Holy See Mission to be purchased.
1995 — Pope John Paul II blesses the building during his visit to the U.N. and recognizes the Knights for their leadership in the Church in the United States and around the world.
1998 — Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant presents Pope John Paul II, who advocated for debt forgiveness in anticipation of the Jubilee Year 2000, with the paid-in-full $1.5 million mortgage note to the mission’s New York City office.
2001 — Supreme Knight Carl Anderson receives the Champion of Peace Award from the Path to Peace Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Cardinal Raffaele Martino in 1992 to support the Holy See Mission.
2007 — The supreme knight moderates a panel on interreligious dialogue hosted at the United Nations headquarters by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, then apostolic nuncio to the U.N.
2016 — The Path to Peace Foundation presents the Order and Supreme Knight Anderson with the Path to Peace Award for their work on behalf of Christians in the Middle East, especially those persecuted in Iraq and Syria.
2017 — The Knights and the Holy See Mission sponsor a conference at the U.N. on the need for pluralism and democracy in the Middle East.
2021 — Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly visits the Holy See Mission and speaks to staff and interns, 20 years after he served the mission as a legal intern. B
representatives of the 193 member states, we were all confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic. This shook the entire world and put great stress on the international community; it was a moment in which everyone understood very clearly that only with global answers can we overcome global crises.
After that shock, another one arrived — one which undermined the very essence of the United Nations, which was, in the words of the preamble to the Charter, created “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The invasion of Ukraine came first, and the explosion of conflict in the Middle East followed. That is to cite just two of the many wars currently being waged in the world, which are a strong reminder of the need for the United Nations, but also of its limits. The continued appeals and efforts of the pope to open ways of dialogue, of reconciliation and of peace have been a priority, and continue to be at the core of a renewed approach of trust and fraternity among peoples.
Another global crisis that Pope Francis has addressed, and one to which he has tried to propose ways forward, is climate change. We remember clearly his encyclical letter Laudato si’ on care for our common home, as well as the initiatives that the Church, together with all people of good will, have developed to tackle this problem in a holistic, not just environmental, way.
I would also like to highlight the work of the Holy See regarding a theme that is now the focus of worldwide attention: artificial intelligence. After the “Rome Declaration” outlined an ethical approach to this new technology, Pope Francis put AI at the heart of his Message for the World Day of Peace on Jan. 1 this year.
In addition to these major global challenges, I do not want to forget the daily work of the mission, which takes up the bulk of our time, related to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 goals.
COLUMBIA: How does your consultation with the Holy Father and the Vatican Secretary of State affect your ongoing work?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: We are in constant consultations with the Secretariat of State of the Holy See so that there is full coordination between our work and the views and messages of the pope about the different questions that concern the common good of humanity and our common home.
Four popes have officially addressed the General Assembly, and, on each occasion, they have given a message of hope and signaled the support of the Holy See for achieving the noble goals inscribed in the U.N. Charter: peace, human rights, development and the rule of law.
Photo by Arturo Mari/ L’Osservatore Romano
Above: In October 1998, Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant presents Pope John Paul II with a paid-in-full mortgage note, in the amount of $1.5 million, on the Holy See Mission’s office building in New York City.
The first visit came Oct. 4, 1965, and was made by Pope Paul VI, who was also the first pontiff to visit the United States. His speech was memorable, and remains the cornerstone of the presence, mission and contribution of the Holy See to the United Nations. Unforgettably, he defined the Church as an “expert on humanity” and made a resounding cry for “no more war.”
One year after his election, Pope John Paul II came to New York in 1979 and expressed “the wish that, in view of its universal character, the United Nations Organization [would] never cease to be the forum, the high tribune from which all man’s problems are appraised in truth and justice.”
When he returned in 1995, he addressed the subject of freedom, saying, “Freedom is not simply the absence of tyranny or oppression. Nor is freedom a license to do whatever we like. Freedom has an inner ‘logic’ which distinguishes it and ennobles it: freedom is ordered to the truth, and is fulfilled in man’s quest for truth and in man’s living in the truth.”
Pope Benedict addressed the General Assembly in 2008, affirming, “The United Nations embodies the aspiration for a ‘greater degree of international ordering,’ inspired and governed by the principle of subsidiarity, and therefore capable of responding to the demands of the human family through binding international rules and through structures capable of harmonizing the day-to-day unfolding of the lives of peoples.”
Finally, Pope Francis came in 2015 and “reaffirm[ed] the importance which the Catholic Church attaches to [the U.N.] and the hope which she places in its activities.” His visit coincided with the launching of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which he described as an “important sign of hope.”
Reading their speeches we can see the achievements, the struggles and the problems of the international community in the last 80 years through the lens of the Holy See and its engagement with the U.N.
COLUMBIA: What role has the Knights of Columbus played in supporting the Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. in recent decades?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: First, we are immensely grateful to the Knights of Columbus because, as indicated on the plaque at the entrance to our offices: “This building was acquired through the special generosity of the Knights of Columbus as a gift to His Holiness Pope John Paul II as a means of assisting him in calling the family of nations to walk together on the path to peace.”
Since then, the support the Knights has offered to the Holy See Mission has been constant and enabled many initiatives. Only recently we received a very generous contribution to start important renovation work needed to ensure that our building — the same one where we have operated since 1994 — is brought up to the regulatory standards of New York City.
In addition to material assistance with the buildings and programs of the Holy See Mission, the Knights of Columbus
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly visits Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, at the Holy See Mission office May 23.
has also made a very real human contribution. The present supreme knight, Patrick Kelly, was an intern at the mission and contributed to its work with generosity and dedication. In fact, I am pleased to be able to say that the strong faith, good character and lively intelligence that marked Patrick Kelly’s contribution as an intern are hallmarks of the successive groups of the wonderful young Catholics whom we welcome each year. The generous contribution of the Knights of Columbus ensures they are able to be with us in New York and contribute firsthand to the Holy See’s mission in the international arena.
COLUMBIA: Is there anything else you would like to share with Knights of Columbus worldwide and their families?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: I came to know well the activity of the Knights of Columbus in my previous mission in the Philippines. I especially appreciate the way in which the Knights try to implement the teachings of the Church in the daily life of their members so as to build a better society for all, especially for those who are in greatest need.
I encourage each and every member to rediscover the beauty and the importance of their call and to engage with generosity at all levels with the spirit of your founder, Blessed Michael McGivney. I have been privileged to witness this here in the United States and in other parts of the world, and I want to express the sincere gratitude of the Holy See and my own. May God bless you all! B
‘We Do Not Forget’
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori visits Ukraine to meet with Knights and victims of the war
By Karolina Świder | Photos by Andrii Gorb
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore visited Ukraine Oct. 19-21, his second visit to the war-torn country. For three days, he saw firsthand various efforts of the Knights of Columbus to serve those in dire need and assured victims of the ongoing war of the Order’s continued support.
The supreme chaplain’s journey highlighted the founding mission of the Knights of Columbus, rooted in the vision of Blessed Michael McGivney and its principles of unity, charity, fraternity and patriotism. He reflected on those principles during Mass at the Cathedral of St. Alexander in Kyiv on the first day of the trip.
“We must remember that the unity Christ calls us to is not simply a theoretical concept but a living reality. In times of suffering, unity becomes our greatest strength,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “Here in Ukraine, we see this unity vividly in the work of organizations like the Knights of Columbus …. Their work is a testament to the Gospel values of charity, unity and fraternity.”
Mass in Kyiv was followed by a meeting with Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, and local Church leaders.
The supreme chaplain then departed for Bucha, a city about 18 miles (30 km) northwest of the capital that has been particularly affected by the war. Russian forces seized Bucha in the first days of their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
When they withdrew weeks later, several hundred civilians, including children, were found massacred; some had been tortured or sexually assaulted. Bucha is now dotted with monuments commemorating the victims.
Archbishop Lori and his delegation stopped to pray at the memorial near St. Andrew the First-Called Church, where more than 100 Ukrainians were buried in a mass grave. He also joined Knights from Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky Council 16890 in nearby Irpin to distribute coats to children of fallen soldiers.
“One of the things the Knights do to bring a little bit of cheer and a little bit of goodness is to provide warm winter coats for young people,” Archbishop Lori explained to families at the distribution. “I’m very happy to work with the Knights of Columbus in Ukraine and present you with these coats.”
On Saturday evening, the supreme chaplain was able to meet widows and orphans of the war during a dinner organized by local Knights. The gathering included prayer, a shared meal and the presentation of gift baskets to the women and children, whom Archbishop Lori invited to turn to Father McGivney as an intercessor, describing his particular care for the vulnerable and the abandoned.
“For those of you who have lost loved ones, who are carrying the heavy burden of grief and loneliness, Blessed Michael McGivney’s life speaks to you,” said Archbishop Lori in his
From left: Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, standing with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv (center) and Past State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy, prepares to bless an ambulance Oct. 21 in Lviv, Ukraine. The ambulance is a gift from the Knights to a hospital in Chornomorsk. • The supreme chaplain assists with a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids distribution in Irpin on Oct. 19.
remarks. “He reminds us that we are called to hope — not a blind hope that ignores the reality of suffering, but a Christian hope that looks beyond it.”
On Sunday, Oct. 20, the supreme chaplain celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv alongside Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Odesa, who is state chaplain of the country’s Ukrainian Greek Catholic Knights.
In his homily, Archbishop Lori spoke again of hope and faith.
“This war may try to destroy your homes, your communities and your peace, but it cannot destroy your identity as the temple of the living God,” he said. “You are his people, and he walks with you in every step of this difficult journey.”
After the Mass, the delegation prayed at the tomb of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the revered head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 2001 to 2011, who died in 2017. The cardinal was instrumental in bringing the Order to Ukraine in 2013.
The supreme chaplain spent his final day in Ukraine, Oct. 21, in the Lviv region, where he visited several charitable initiatives — including St. Clement Church, where the Knights plan to open McGivney House, a resource center for community members in need, and a cluster of modular homes for internally displaced families in Briukhovychi.
He also visited the Field of Mars military cemetery in Lviv to pray for Ukrainian soldiers who have lost their lives.
“As I walked past one grave after the other, the enormity of this war began to dawn on me,” he commented later.
In Lviv, Archbishop Lori also formally presented an ambulance to Bishop Bubniy on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. The ambulance, emblazoned with the emblem of the Order, will serve the hospital in Chornomorsk, Ukraine, which has suffered a lack of critical resources.
“This ambulance is more than just a vehicle — it is a symbol of hope and compassion, a testament to the unwavering support we offer to those who are suffering,” the supreme chaplain said. “We pray that this gift will bring healing, save lives and offer comfort to those in need.”
The ambulance was received by hospital director Serhij Soltyk, who, in words of gratitude to the Knights, said, “Your commitment to providing help to those in need — whether through medical aid or moral support — demonstrates the depth of your compassion and the strength of your mission. This ambulance will be an essential tool for our hospital, helping us save lives and deliver medical assistance to those who need it most.”
At the conclusion of his visit, Archbishop Lori met with more than 60 K of C chaplains and members of the state council, and other guests, listening to testimonies of the courageous work of the Ukrainian Knights and chaplains in times of war.
“I came to Ukraine on behalf of our supreme knight, Patrick Kelly, simply to tell you that the whole Order remembers you,” said the archbishop to the gathered Knights. “We do not forget. … I simply wanted to come to reaffirm the commitment of the Order to all of the projects and all of the needs of the people in Ukraine.”
Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, who was present at the meeting, thanked the supreme chaplain for his prayerful support and for his visit.
“This is very important,” Archbishop Mokrzycki said, “not only for us chaplains of the Knights of Columbus, but also for our Ukrainian Church in general, and for our lay brothers. Such a presence is very important, because it reminds everyone that the war goes on.” B
KAROLINA ŚWIDER writes from Kraków, Poland.
Archbishop Lori prays Oct. 19 at a memorial to 119 victims of the 2022 Bucha massacre on the grounds of St. Andrew the First-Called Church in Bucha. Volodymyr Ostapchuk (right), a member of Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky Council 16890 in Irpin, was present in Bucha during the Russian occupation and guided the supreme chaplain during his visit.
Father Paul Sullivan, pastor of St. Gregory Catholic Church and a longtime Knight, coaches seminarians to victory during the annual JPII Basketball Classic at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. The Arizona State Council has sponsored the game between seminarians (the Phoenix Sons) and diocesan priests (the Church Fathers) for the past nine years, raising more than $35,000 for the diocesan vocations office in that time. Some of the funds from this year’s event will go toward expanding the diocese’s Nazareth Seminary.
APOSTLE OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
More than 5,000 people venerated a relic of St. Jude — a piece of bone from his arm — during its visit to St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in Santa Clarita, Calif. Knights from St. Kateri Tekakwitha Council 12489 in Saugus served as ushers, and members of Santa Clarita Assembly 2421 provided an honor guard for the public veneration, which lasted from 11 a.m. to nearly midnight.
PARISH SHRIMP BOIL
Msgr. Carroll A. Badeaux Council 3054 in Lockport, La., and its associated women’s group sponsored a shrimp boil fundraiser to benefit Holy Savior Catholic Church. The event raised nearly $12,000 to help the church pay for expenses incurred by damage from Hurricane Ida in August 2021.
PILGRIMAGE HONORS
PIONEER PRIEST
Knights in the Diocese of Madison, Wis., organized a motorcycle pilgrimage to several churches in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa built by Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, a Dominican priest who
served as a missionary in the Midwest from 1828 to 1864. The Knights visited four churches and a religious order established by Father Mazzuchelli, praying a decade of the rosary at each site. They concluded their ride with Mass at St. Patrick Church in Benton, Wis., where Father Mazzuchelli is buried.
AID TO HOLY LAND FAMILIES
Sts. Brigid and James Council 16179 in Louisville, Ky., organized a pancake breakfast at St. Brigid Church to benefit Shepherds of Bethlehem, a group that sells olive wood religious carvings and other artwork to support Christian families in the Holy Land. More than $600 was raised for the organization.
25 YEARS STRONG
National Shrine of the Little Flower Council 12408 in Royal Oak, Mich., presented Father John Bettin with a chalice, as well as a stole and chasuble embroidered with the emblem of the Order, as part of the council’s 25th anniversary celebration. Father Bettin serves as rector of the shrine and is a member of Council 12408.
Faith
SEVEN SWORDS FOR SEVEN SORROWS
Annunciation Council 3826 in Barnegat, N.J., organized a Seven Sorrows prayer service for Catholic women at St. Mary of the Pines in Manahawkin. More than 70 parishioners participated, hearing reflections on Mary’s Seven Sorrows and praying the Seven Sorrows rosary. Members of Father Charles Joseph Watters Assembly 3527 provided an honor guard for the service.
Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Conn., holds a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney for veneration after Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral. Several hundred Knights and their family members attended the Mass, during which K of C leaders presented Bishop Caggiano with the relic as a gift to the diocese; it will be permanently enshrined at the cathedral.
Family
Greg Nelis, a member of Father O’Byrne Council 3574 in Jacksonville, N.C., and his daughter sand down lumber that will be used to make a child’s bed during a build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. More than 130 volunteers from three councils helped complete over 160 beds, which will be distributed to families in need in southeastern North Carolina.
TRANSPLANT FOR TODDLER
More than 65 people attended a trivia night fundraiser organized by Father Gilbert Carlton Council 9360 in Janesville, Wis., to help a parish family whose toddler needed a heart transplant. The event at St. John Vianney Church raised $3,600, and the Wisconsin State Council donated an additional $2,000 from its charity fund. The child is doing well after receiving the transplant in June.
A+ SERVICE
With District Deputy Narciso Gonzales, Knights from Trinidad (Visayas) St. Isidore Council 9387 participated in a Brigada Eskwela service day at Tagum Sur National High School. The volunteers painted, repaired broken seats and mixed cement that was used to renovate classrooms.
KEEPING SIBLINGS TOGETHER
Christ Our Redeemer Council 13527 and Father Howard J. Lesch Council 7667 in Niceville, Fla., jointly sponsored a fundraising dinner that raised more than $3,100 for Children in Crisis. The organization provides shelter for children who have been removed from their living situations due to abuse, neglect or other reasons.
ESSAY EXCELLENCE
Regina Coeli Council 2274 in Easton, Md., sponsored an essay contest for ninth and 10th grade students at Sts. Peter and Paul High School. The contest had two topic categories — faith and patriotism — and scholarships ranging from $400 to $1,500 were given for the three best essays in each category.
FEASTING ALL YEAR
More than 9,000 pounds of food were collected by Union (N.J.) Council 4504 during a drive the council conducted throughout the 2023-2024 fraternal year. Most of the food was given to a food pantry operated by St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, with some going to St. Joseph’s Church Food Pantry in Maplewood. Knights also volunteered at the pantry around Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter to prepare food baskets for people in need.
STACK CHAMPIONS
For the past six years, Our Lady of the Grove Council 13448 in Buffalo Grove, Ill., has organized an annual cup stacking tournament for young people in the area. More than 120 competitors, including people with special needs, participated in this year’s event.
RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
Marian Council 3779 in Shreveport, La., donated more than $1,500 to the Renzi Education and Art Center, which provides free art and academic programs to K-12 students in Shreveport. Council 3779 raised the funds with a jambalaya dinner.
Knights and family members from Father Timothy P. Molony Council 2681 in Scottsbluff, Neb., are joined by State Deputy Bob Wolf (top right) for a Christmas distribution last year. The council partners each year with Valley Christian Neighbors In Need and St. Agnes Catholic School to provide food, clothes and toys to more than 100 families.
by Sage Macke
Members of Powell River (British Columbia) Council 5417 stand with Savanna Dee (center), director of the Powell River Action Centre, and client Josh Alexander after delivering nearly 50 Coats for Kids to the center for distribution to children in need. The council also installed donation boxes at local grocery stores to collect items for the center’s food bank.
GUATEMALA MISSION TRIP
For more than 20 years, Msgr. Thomas Skindeleski, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Miami and former state chaplain of Florida, has organized a K of C mission trip to Guatemala in support of Asociación Ak' Tenamit. Founded by brother Knight Steve Dudenhoefer, the organization serves about 1,000 Indigenous students at two schools in the country’s rural Rio Dulce region. Thirteen Knights, including Supreme Director Scott O’Connor and Past State Deputy Robert Read, participated in the mission this year. The group spent four days working at the Ak' Tenamit schools, constructing new tables and benches, installing electrical wiring and completing other projects.
LEARNING TO SAVE A LIFE
Nearly 20 people attended a CPR training organized by St. Cecilia Council 10195 in Wilbraham, Mass., at St. Cecilia Parish. The training, which was led by the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, also included instruction on how to use an automated external defibrillator.
CHARITY REVS UP
Father Thomas Rehill Council 16106 in Watertown, Minn., held its annual classic car show at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, with Father Peter Hughes, pastor and council chaplain, blessing the cars and about 100 motorcycles brought by members of the community. The event raised $10,000, from which donations of $2,000 each were made to SouthWest Options for Women, Special Olympics Minnesota and Hometown Heroes. With the remaining $4,000, Council 16106 purchased an outdoor tent for parish and council events.
VETERANS SHELTER FURNISHED
St. John Neumann Assembly 478 in Utica, Mich., organized a collection of used household items for the Vets Returning Home shelter, which provides transitional housing to veterans in need. The collected items were delivered to the shelter, to be given to residents when they establish a residence of their own. Assembly 478 also donates $2,000 worth of hygiene products to the shelter each year.
Community
Faithful Navigator Edward Kligge of St. John Neumann Assembly 933 in Bristol, Pa., lays a wreath at the headstone of Raymond Celotto — an assembly member who served in the U.S. Air Force and died in 2021 — in Washington Crossing National Cemetery. The assembly sponsored 10 wreaths to be placed at the graves of veterans during a Wreaths Across America event at the cemetery last year.
FLYING OLD GLORY
Noticing that the flag at Discovery House retreat center in Mullica Township, N.J., was in poor condition, members of St. Vincent Pallotti Assembly 680 in Hammonton arranged for it to be replaced and the flagpole rededicated. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew was present at the ceremony and provided a flag previously raised over the U.S. Capitol to be flown at the retreat center.
TIOP LEFT:
Photo by Paul Galinski/Powell River Peak
Life
FUNDRAISER IS RIGHT ON THE MARK
Our Lady of Humility Council 13598 in Beach Park, Ill., organized a bag toss tournament that raised $3,700 to support the establishment of a religious education ministry for people with disabilities at the parish. The proceeds will be used to remodel a meeting room for the group at Our Lady of Humility Church and to purchase some initial educational supplies.
Members of Msgr. P.J. Carey Council 1605 in Pascagoula, Miss., solicit donations in front of a local grocery store for the council’s annual fund drive for people with disabilities. The campaign raised $1,000, which Council 1605 donated to Jackson County Exceptional School, an educational facility that serves students with disabilities.
Knights from Our Lady of the Seas Council 17517 in Homer, Alaska, lead a Walk for Life from St. John the Baptist Parish to Water’s Edge Pregnancy Care Center. At the end of the walk, council members presented Water’s Edge with a donation of about $4,000 in funds and baby supplies. Since the donation was made through the ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) program, the Supreme Council will donate an additional $400 to the center.
BAKING UP PRO-LIFE SUPPORT
Traverse City (Mich.) St. Francis Council 13958 organized a bake sale at St. Francis Parish that raised more than $1,600 for Thrive Medical Clinic.
BLOOD DONATIONS MULTIPLY
Good Shepherd Council 9272 in Smithville, Mo., worked with the Community Blood Center of Kansas City to sponsor five blood drives last year, collecting more than 130 pints of blood — enough to assist nearly 400 people. Since Council 9272 started the blood drive program in 2007, more than 2,500 pints of blood have been collected.
COMMUNITY ULTRASOUND
More than 360 people, including 300 pregnant women, received ultrasound imaging during a community clinic organized by St. Anthony of Padua Council 9471 in Masbate, Luzon South. Among them was a woman who traveled from two hours away; the ultrasound exam she received saved her life when it revealed that her unborn child had died. More than 130 Knights and other volunteers assisted at the two-day event, for which Council 9471 raised 70,000 PHP (about $1,200). The Luzon South State Council
sponsors similar events twice a month throughout the jurisdiction, primarily in rural and poor communities.
IDAHO’S PRO-LIFE
PRAYERS
St. Thomas Council 1363 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, hosted a Knights of Columbus Silver Rose for a pro-life prayer service at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. Members of Bishop Edward J. Kelly Assembly 185 provided an honor guard for the service, which was led by pastor and council chaplain Father Mariusz Majewski.
CORRECTIONS
On page 2 of the November issue, the date of Father Michael McGivney’s ordination should have read December 1877. • On page 27, the namesake of Council 5439 in Howells, Neb., should have read Pope John XXIII.
See more at www.kofc.org/knightsinaction
Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org
TIOP:
Photo by Andrew Tomey
Knights and volunteers from Father Theobald Spetz, C.R. Council 5135 in Waterloo, Ontario, organize donations to the council’s annual toy drive for families and children in need. An initiative that began in 1997 with 175 donations now brings in tens of thousands of new toys annually, making it the largest toy drive in southwest Ontario. Last year, the council collected more than 35,000 toys to distribute to more than 35 charitable agencies.
Children competing in the Knights of Columbus Cup in Ivano-Frankivsk say a prayer before the games begin Oct. 5. More than 50 young people participated in the annual sports event, which Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Council 15804 has organized for the past four years. Many of this year’s competitors were children from internally displaced families who are staying in shelters in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Knights and family members from San Judas Tadeo y Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Council 17546 in Ixtapaluca, Mexico South, gather for a parade during the annual parish festival at Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Church. At the request of pastor Father Rubén Alanís, the Knights provided a pro-life witness during the event by escorting a Knights of Columbus Silver Rose (in wooden box) in the procession.
FROM TOP:
Photo by Castletown Media — Photo courtesy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk
Deputy Grand Knight Dominick Kreiner and other members of Bishop Joseph H. Albers Council 4090 in Davison, Mich., prepare bags of food for families in need during a recent distribution with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. The Knights helped with the food bank’s distributions from May to October, giving out an average of 22,000 pounds of food to as many as 200 families each month.
Knights in France prepare care packages for newly ordained priests throughout the country to show the Order’s support for their ministry. Each of the 80 packages contained a stole, a small computer bag, information about the Knights of Columbus and a letter with several prayers for priests.
Above: Members of St. Lawrence Council 4574 in Eastern Samar, Visayas, assemble to plant mangroves in a local neighborhood. The Knights planted 100 trees during the monthly event, bringing the council’s total this year to 300.
Left: Members of Our Lady of Częstochowa Council 14004 in Radom unpack winter jackets purchased with funds raised by Knights in Canada. The jackets were delivered to Ukraine by a K of C Charity Convoy with other humanitarian aid and distributed by Ukrainian Knights to children in need.
Philippines
Poland
United States
France
More Important Fish to Fry
North Carolina Knights serve hundreds of hot meals to people recovering from Hurricane Helene
By Cecilia Engbert
on Nov. 1.
A LITTLE OVER a week after Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina in late September, the Knights of Father Bernard McDevitt Council 15085 in Waynesville learned that 400 pounds of rainbow trout filets would soon be delivered to their parish.
With many of their restaurant accounts canceled following the hurricane, two local trout farms had a surplus of fish to give away. About half of the fish fit in the freezer at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, but the rest had to be refrigerated.
“Obviously, it was going to thaw out,” said Grand Knight Mark DeMarco. “So we approached our pastor, Father Paul McNulty, and said, ‘Hey, we have this resource. Would it be OK if we put on a fish fry?’”
Led by DeMarco, an executive chef at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, the Knights went on to host three fish fries for the community, serving around 900 hot meals in the five weeks following Helene.
Waynesville experienced significant flooding and winds during the hurricane, which damaged or destroyed many homes. Soon after
the storm, Knights helped to set up an emergency relief center and food bank in St. John’s parish hall, and the trout dinners were a flavorful addition to those efforts. People searching for supplies at St. John’s would learn about the dinners and stop by for fresh fish and camaraderie.
“The meals were so important because [they] provided not just nutrition, but nurturing,” explained council member Mickey Itchon. “[People] could engage us in conversation, tell us their story. And there were a lot of stories.”
The Knights also loaded up to-go boxes to take out into the community, bringing meals to people stranded in flooded neighborhoods or washing clothes in the local laundromat.
“For a lot of folks, this was their first hot meal in some time,” said DeMarco. “They were extremely thankful to us for doing this and reaching out to them. … We wish it didn’t have to be under these circumstances, but we’re grateful that we could play some part in people’s lives and hopefully make them feel just a little bit better about their situation.” ✢
— Cecilia Engbert is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus Communications Department.
OFFICIAL DECEMBER 1, 2024:
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.
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by Angela Wilhelm
Stephan Jameson (left) and Robert Wigard serve food at a community fish fry hosted by Father Bernard McDevitt Council 15085 in Waynesville, N.C,
Photo
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.
Carrying the flags of their country, the Vatican and the Order, Knights in France embark on an 8-mile walk across the shallow bay between the Normandy coast and Mont Saint-Michel, home to the Catholic abbey of the same name. About 150 Knights attended a jurisdiction-wide retreat at Mont Saint-Michel that included prayer, talks and fraternity.
Photo by Tamino Petelinšek
‘Mary has been my guiding star.’
Growing up as a Protestant in southern Michigan, I was incredibly blessed to have parents who took seriously their responsibility of raising me with faith. I didn’t think there was anything missing in my life until I met joyful Catholics for the first time when I was a teenager. Through their witness and friendship, I learned more about the faith — and found myself surprised by truth.
These friends invited me to attend a Catholic family camp, and it was there I first came to believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, learned to pray the rosary and felt called to religious life. There was only one problem — I wasn’t even in RCIA yet!
I was received into the Church about a year later, and I kept my heart open to the Lord’s call. He led me to the Queenship of Mary Community in Ottawa, Ontario. Mary took me on a deep journey of healing and trust, and, thanks to her, I made my final vows in 2016. Mary has been not only my guiding star, but the sea carrying me home.
Photo by Patrick Doyle
Sister Philomena, Daughter of Mary Queenship of Mary Community Ottawa, Ontario