Columbia January 2012

KNI GHT S O F CO LUMBU S

J ANUARY 2012

COLUMBIA

STABILIT Y

in a ti m e of unce r ta int y

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january 2012 ♦ Volume 92 ♦ number 1

COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S

Love Without Limits

8

Amid the challenges of caring for children with Down syndrome, families experience unexpected blessings.

BY COLLEEN ROULEAU

12 Converted Hearts Pro-life converts share their stories about how prayerful witness pulled them out of the abortion industry.

BY CAROLEE MCGRATH

16 We Will Be a Family Adoption and ethical fertility treatments gave us hope that we would welcome the gift of children.

BY CARLOS GAMUNDI

22 Matters of Life and Death Assisted suicide as a medical treatment fails to respect patients’ rights and dignity.

BY JASON NEGRI

24

In Defense of Life, Love and Freedom Prof. Helen Alvaré discusses religious liberty and the effect of a 50-year social experiment shaping views about human life and sexuality.

Joseph Fahlman, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth, plays with toys in his family’s Saskatchewan home. Raising Joseph and experiencing his love has brought immeasurable joy to his parents. Read more on page 8.

BY ALTON PELOWSKI

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world Because it conflicts with the natural moral law, Roe v. Wade can never be regarded as “settled.”

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Photo by Van Steelandt Photography

4

Learning the faith, living the faith The second luminous mystery of the rosary foreshadows Jesus’ saving death and resurrection.

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month

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Knights of Columbus News Meeting of State Deputies, Chaplains Emphasizes Spiritual Formation, Charitable Activities and Membership Growth • Catholic Information Service to Launch Series on New Evangelization • Patriotic Degree Introduced in Poland

20 Culture of Life

21

Fathers for Good Considering the importance of end-of-life decisions, we all need to have an emergency plan.

BY KATHLEEN M. GALLAGHER

26

Knights in Action

32

Columbianism by Degrees

The pro-life movement needs witnesses to act through personal relationships and daily actions.

BY ROBERT A. DESTRO JANUARY 2012

♦ COLUMBIA ♦ 1

The Pro-Life Solution SINCE JAN. 22, 1973, the day Roe v.

Wade legalized abortion throughout the United States, the death toll has surpassed 50 million. Although the rate of abortion has fluctuated over the years, the number of unborn children lost in the name of “choice” continues to be staggering. The most recent data indicates that in both the United States and Canada, there is a ratio of at least one abortion to every four live births. The statistics are even more shocking in places like New York City, where two children are killed through abortion for every three who are born.

In light of this, even supporters of abortion rights pay lip service to reducing the number of abortions overall.

After all, it has become increasingly difficult to deny that abortion is morally wrong, since advances in ultrasound technology and the science of genetics have provided indisputable proof of the humanity of the unborn.

Yet, even if people recognize abortion as a tragedy, they often perceive it as a necessary evil.

Twenty years ago, as the legal arguments for abortion rights stood on shaky ground, the U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey reexamined Roe v. Wade’s central findings. The court’s 5-4 majority opinion in 1992, justifying the policy of abortion on demand, made a remarkable observation that the Roe decision “could not be repudiated without serious inequity to people who, for two decades of economic and social developments, have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of them-

selves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.”

In other words, the court recognized that the separation of sex, love and procreation that is entailed in contraception has led to a radical shift in societal thought and behavior, such that the perceived need for abortion is a logical consequence. It is ironic, therefore, that the government’s strategy to reduce the rampant rates of unwanted pregnancies and abortions is to more aggressively promote the use of contraception (see page 24). The pro-life solution could not be more dissimilar. Addressing the problem at its root must involve thinking differently (recognizing, for instance, that every human life is a gift and that we are created to be for others) and living differently (embracing the most vulnerable in society, practicing the virtue of chastity, etc.).

This issue of Columbia highlights a few of the many ways that people witness to the sanctity of life today, such as through raising children with special needs (see page 8) and welcoming children through adoption (see page 16). As more people recognize that the culture of death is marked by brokenness, confusion and false promises, we are presented with the opportunity and challenge to build a culture of life. It is indeed a challenge, because the path of the Gospel of Life is not the path of least resistance. It is, however, the path to happiness that offers the world new hope.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI MANAGING EDITOR

Resource: Human Nature, Basis for Morality PART OF THE Luke E. Hart Series published by the Order’s Catholic Information Service, Human Nature, Basis for Morality (#112 E,F,S) explores topics such as natural law, conscience, free will and freedom, in contrast to the typically modern understanding of morality. Written by philosopher and popular author Peter Kreeft, the 30-part series of booklets is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and is available free online in MP3 audio and PDF formats. For more information, visit kofc.org/cis.

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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Dennis A. Savoie DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME SECRETARY Logan T. Ludwig SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski alton.pelowski@kofc.org MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi patrick.scalisi@kofc.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brian Dowling brian.dowling@kofc.org CREATIVE & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ________ GRAPHICS Michelle McCleary LAYOUT

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4580 OTHER INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

________ Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER Robert Fahlman and his son Joseph are pictured at their home in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, where Robert is a member of St. Michael’s Council 9949.

Photo by Van Steelandt Photography

E D I TO R I A L

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

Standing for Justice Because it conflicts with the natural moral law, Roe v. Wade can never be regarded as “settled”

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

THIS MONTH we observe nearly hateful system of de jure segregation four decades of pro-life activity in re- throughout much of the United States sponse to the infamous decision by and took 58 years to overturn. the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v.

The Supreme Court’s decision in permitted by the court’s ruling.

This presents another lesson that can Wade. I am proud that the commit- Plessy v. Ferguson was based upon an unment of the Knights of Columbus in truth — the court rejected the obvious be learned from the civil rights movebuilding a culture of life has grown fact that the legally enforced separation ment. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stronger each year. of the two races “stamped” African- never hesitated to remind the people of Some say that Roe v. Wade should be Americans “with a badge of inferiority.” the United States of their Judeo-Chrisaccepted as “settled law” and that at- The court went on to say that if tian values. In his famous 1963 Letter tempts to restrict or overturn it should African-Americans thought “separate from Birmingham Jail, he even relied end. This argument has appeal because but equal” laws were demeaning and upon the Catholic natural law tradition. King wrote: “One may there should be clarity and well ask, ‘How can you advocertainty in our laws. But it cate breaking some laws and falls short because there is a obeying others?’ The answer is principle more important If we remain determined and found in the fact that there are than certainty in our legal syscommitted, Roe v. Wade will two types of laws: there are tem — justice. just and there are unjust laws.

Although there are many one day be brushed into I would agree with Saint Auproblems with the legal reagustine that ‘An unjust law is soning in the Supreme Court’s the dustbin of history. no law at all.’” opinion in Roe v. Wade, the He continued, “Now what most fundamental is that the is the difference between the court’s decision rests upon a falsehood, which is expressed in Justice unfair, it was only because they chose two? How does one determine when a Blackmun’s statement, “We need not “to put that construction on” such laws. law is just or unjust? A just law is a resolve the difficult question of when In his dissent, Justice John Marshall man-made code that squares with the life begins.”

Harlan contended that the court’s view moral law or the law of God. An unjust Whatever Blackmun may have be- was pure fiction and that people knew law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the lieved in 1973, it is simply untrue in it to be so.

2012 to say that abortion does not take The same must be said of Roe v. terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unthe life of an unborn human being. Be- Wade. If we remain determined and just law is a human law that is not cause of this reality, abortion will never committed, it too will one day be rooted in eternal and natural law.”

A law “that is out of harmony with be settled law in the United States and brushed into the dustbin of history. must someday be overturned.

Roe v. Wade will also one day be the moral law” can never be regarded as As I wrote in my first book, A Civi- swept away for another reason: As I “settled” as long as there are men of lization of Love, our situation is similar showed in my latest book, Beyond a conscience, men of determination and to that faced by the civil rights move- House Divided, the decision has failed men who understand that our nation ment after the Supreme Court ruled in to gain the support of the American will be judged by the respect we give to the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson that people after nearly four decades. Most every person — even to “the least “separate but equal” laws were consti- Americans want legal restrictions on among us.”

Vivat Jesus! tutional. That decision enshrined the abortion that go far beyond what is

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

The Wedding Feast at Cana The second luminous mystery of the rosary foreshadows Jesus’ saving death and resurrection

by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori

CARDINAL JAMES HICKEY, a son to reveal something of his glory former archbishop of Washington, in anticipation of his “hour” — that once hosted a dinner for his priests. is, the hour of his saving death and Praying the rosary, we refer to this As his priest-secretary, I made sure resurrection. that such events went smoothly. After Mary did not wait for Jesus to an- sign as a “mystery” — a real occurthe invocation, the cardinal wanted swer, but instead told the waiters, rence in which something of God’s to propose a toast, but the wine had “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). hidden glory comes to light. Jesus not yet been served. Calling me to his The waiters did so, filling six large worked this miracle not only to help table with a note of urgency in his stone jars with water, and Jesus, in a newly married couple in distress, voice, he pointed to his guests and turn, transformed the water into the but also to reveal the glory of the self-giving love that he has shared said, “They have no wine.” I glibly best of wines. from all eternity with the Fareplied, “What would you have ther in the Holy Spirit. me do? My hour has not yet The miracle at Cana forecome.” He then said, “Do whatshadowed the wine that ever I tell you!” would become the blood of If such a delay at the cardiSympathizing with the couple’s the new and eternal covenant, nal’s dinner was distressing, shed for the remission of sins plight, Mary asked her son to imagine the embarrassment of (see Mt 26:28). The miracle the young husband and wife help them, just as she often also reminds us of what Jesus who ran out of wine at their would say at the Last Supper wedding feast in the Gospel of intercedes for us. after instituting the EuJohn. In that time, wedding charist: “I shall not again feasts went on for as many as drink the fruit of the vine 10 days, and wine was an imuntil I drink it new in the portant part of the celebration. kingdom of God” (Mk 14:25) — Fortunately for this couple, Mary, GLORY REVEALED Jesus and his disciples were in atten- In the story of the wedding at Cana, that is, until after he had risen from dance. Sympathizing with this cou- Mary’s loving intercession is clearly the dead. This leads to another clue ple’s plight, Mary asked her son to evident. Whenever we ask Mary to that unlocks the meaning of this help them, just as she often inter- “pray for us sinners, now and at the Gospel account: John tells us that the cedes for us. hour of our death,” we acknowledge miracle took place “on the third day” At first, Jesus seemed reluctant to the power of her prayers. But the de- — which brings to mind our profesbecome involved in this matter. He tails of this Gospel account, describ- sion of the resurrection.

The miracle at Cana looks ahead said to Mary, “Woman, what concern ing the first of Jesus’ “signs,” have an is that to me?” and added, “My hour even deeper bearing on our life of to what St. Paul would say of Jesus’ saving death and resurrection truly is not yet come” (Jn 2:4). Yet, Mary prayer and holiness. persisted, remembering the signs and In changing water into wine, Jesus re-presented in the Eucharist: “For wonders that accompanied Jesus’ “revealed his glory and his disciples as often as you eat this bread and coming into the world. She urged her began to believe in him” (Jn 2:11). drink the cup, you proclaim the 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

JANUARY 2012

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

death of the Lord until he comes in glory” (1 Cor 11:26).

Yet another eucharistic overtone in the miracle at Cana is the sheer abundance of wine. Each of the six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washings, held as much as 30 gallons.

This foreshadows the miracle in which Jesus took what few loaves he was offered and produced superabundant food — more than sufficient to satisfy the hunger of the crowds who had gathered to hear him.

THE ETERNAL WEDDING FEAST It is noteworthy that Jesus first manifested his glory at a wedding feast. In

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI GENERAL: That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives.

PoPe: CnS photo/Paul Haring — PeyTon: CnS photo/Family Theater Productions

MISSION: That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will.

the Gospels of Matthew (22:1-14) and Luke (14:15-24), we find Jesus’ parable of a king’s wedding feast.

Many of those who were invited refused to attend, just as many of those who are invited to the Eucharist each Sunday remain absent.

St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians captures the significance of the miracle at Cana and Jesus’ other references to wedding feasts (see Eph 5:21-32). Paul presents marriage as a fundamental way of understanding Christ’s relationship to his Church: Christ is the bridegroom, and the Church is the bride. Christ gives himself in total, sacrificial love to his

Church, eliciting from us, his people, a graced response of loving worship and holiness of life. Christ’s relationship with his Church also helps us to understand marriage in God’s plan. Christian marriage symbolizes the love of Jesus for his Church and, in a sense, makes this love present in the world.

Ultimately, the miracle at Cana points to the paschal wedding feast of heaven, where Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, is exalted at the right hand of the Father. Here, the angels and saints rejoice not with earthly wine, but with the new wine of God’s own life and love.♦

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

Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. (1909-1992) PATRICK PETYON was born in western Ireland, the sixth of nine children, to a family with a small cabin on 14 acres of rocky farmland. He worked to help his family make ends meet and each night would kneel as his father led everyone in praying the rosary.

In Peyton’s teens, the economy in Ireland forced him to look abroad for opportunity. In 1928, he immigrated to the United States with one of his brothers, settling in Scranton, Pa. The following year, the brothers were introduced to priests from the Congregation of the Holy Cross and, in 1932, entered the seminary together for the order.

After his ordination in 1941, Father Peyton received an assignment in Albany, N.Y. While there, he founded Holy Cross Family Ministries and began to write to bishops, laity and even non-Catholics, asking them to pray the rosary.

Strong support of his rosary-themed radio broadcasts and retreats encouraged Father Peyton to produce a rosary broadcast on national radio. The debut broadcast on May 13, 1945, featured Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York, U.S. President Harry Truman and Bing Crosby.

The program’s success helped form Fam-

ily Theater Productions, which is part of Holy Cross Family Ministries to this day.

Father Peyton became known as the “Rosary Priest” and popularized the adage, “The family that prays together stays together.” His organization has distributed millions of rosaries worldwide and has held large rosary rallies in more than 40 countries.

The Knights of Columbus worked closely with Father Peyton through the decades and, in 1956, named him the Order’s first honorary Fourth Degree member. He died in 1992, and the cause for his canonization opened in 2001.♦ JANUARY 2012

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Meeting of State Deputies, Chaplains Emphasizes Spiritual Formation, Charitable Activities and Membership Growth STATE DEPUTIES representing the Order’s 72 jurisdictions gathered for their midyear meeting in Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 17-20, 2011. Throughout the meeting — which included concelebrated Masses, addresses, workshops and discussion opportunities — K of C leaders turned their focus to growing and retaining membership while continuing to expand charitable activities. Just as the state deputies’ meeting in June invited the participation of state secretaries, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration at the state council level, the November meeting coincided with a gathering of more than 50 state chaplains, stressing the importance of spiritual development for Knights everywhere.

On Nov. 17, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivered a keynote address to state deputies and state chaplains, discussing the Order’s mission and potential to strengthen the life of the Church.

He explained that a Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization will take place in October 2012, marking the beginning of a Year of Faith announced by Pope Benedict XVI. “If we are going to be the strong right arm of the Church, we need to be at the center of the Year of Faith and the new evangelization,” he said.

Anderson then noted that the Knights of Columbus has always stood “in solidarity with our priests,” and said that councils should work to become “fully integrated” into the life of their parishes and Catholic communities. Although the Order, in many places, is known for social events, he said, councils should also be the center of charitable and spiritual activities as well.

“Where the Catholic community is active, the Knights of Columbus must be active,” he said.

The supreme knight cited many of the Order’s accomplishments, including its insurance program, volunteer hours and donations to charity. “The

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Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivers remarks to a joint session of state deputies and state chaplains during their midyear meeting Nov. 18 in Nashville, Tenn. foundation to all of this is spiritual strength,” he said.

In conclusion, he identified three pillars at the center of the Order’s mission: the Eucharist, devotion to Mary and dedication to promoting a culture of life.

The chaplains’ meeting, led by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., and Augustinian Father John P. Grace, director of chaplain programs and development, further emphasized the Order’s spiritual and catechetical formation.

During several addresses, Bishop Lori discussed the significance of the Year of Faith and the Synod on the New Evangelization, as well as the work of the U.S. bishops’ new Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, of which he is the chair.

Addressing a joint session of state deputies and state chaplains Nov. 18,

Bishop Lori explained that in recent years there has been “a recognition that many of our brother Knights are looking for ‘more’ — so that they can be equipped to practice their faith, live their vocation, develop their relationship with Christ, and know how to live and defend their faith in the public arena.”

This has led to an increased focus on the role of K of C chaplains. “The model and the emphasis here come from Father McGivney,” Bishop Lori added. “It was his vision that the Knights be a lay organization and in this he was far ahead of his time. But Father McGivney provided the Knights with a spiritual foundation for their mission: the principles of charity, unity and fraternity, coupled with his priestly presence and zeal.”♦

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Catholic Information Service to Launch Series on New Evangelization THE CATHOLIC Information Service — a division of the Knights of Columbus that provides Catholic booklets and online content — recently announced that it will launch a new series of booklets.

The series will consist of online content and booklets focused on issues of evangelizing modern culture — an idea brought forth by Pope Paul VI, who called for a “new period of evangelization” in his 1975 apostolic exhortation, Evangelium Nuntiandi. The new series will draw primarily from the extensive discussion of the new evangelization by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. John Paul II coined the phrase “new evangelization” early in his pontificate in Poland in 1979. Over the next 25 years, he often returned to this theme in his speeches and writing. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, has continued to champion the idea.

“Pope Benedict XVI has made the new evangelization a priority,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. “In the next year, the Church will explore the new evangelization during the synod of bishops and will ask all Catholics to live out the new evangelization in their own lives during the Year of Faith. It is our hope that this new CIS series will help Catholics to learn about their faith in a way that allows them to participate first hand in the Church’s mission.”

Michelle Borras, Ph.D., the newly appointed director of the Catholic Information Service, will serve as general editor of the new series.

CIS currently publishes more than 75 booklets in two series, with many available as free podcasts and PDFs. The booklets cover many aspects of the Catholic faith.

The Luke E. Hart Series, named for a past supreme knight and written by

Patriotic Degree Introduced in Poland

Former Supreme Master Joseph P. Schultz (left) and Supreme Master Dennis J. Stoddard (right) stand with State Deputy and Master of the Patriotic Degree in Poland Krzysztof Orzechowski following the Nov. 11 exemplification. Orzechowski holds a display case showing pins representing each of the five countries where the Patriotic Degree is active.

Boston College philosophy professor and popular author Peter Kreeft, was designed to give a systematic introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Veritas Series offers Catholic perspectives on a wide variety of issues that range from the existence of God to annulments to stem-cell research.

For more than 60 years, CIS has printed and distributed millions of booklets, and thousands of people have enrolled in its catechetical courses. It has expanded its audience in recent years with French, Spanish and Polish translations of many of its resources. Today, it continues the Order’s tradition of evangelization by providing low-cost, Catholic publications to the general public, as well as to parishes, schools, retreat houses, military installations, correctional facilities, legislatures and the medical community. For more information, visit kofc.org/cis.♦

POLISH KNIGHTS held their first exemplification of the Patriotic Degree Nov. 11, coinciding with Poland’s Independence Day. In addition to the 24 candidates who participated, among those in attendance were Supreme Master Dennis J. Stoddard, State Deputy and Master of the Patriotic Degree in Poland Krzysztof Orzechowski and Former Supreme Master Joseph P. Schultz.

Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, archbishop emeritus of Kraków, celebrated Mass before the event, which took place at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki.

The Order expanded to Poland in 2006, but until now, members were only able to advance to the Third Degree.

The Patriotic Degree, commonly known as the Fourth Degree, was established in New York in 1900 and spread to the Order’s other jurisdictions steadily over the next half century. Patriotic Degrees were inaugurated in Canada in 1907; in Mexico in 1918; and in the Philippines in 1949.♦

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love

wit ho ut l i mi ts

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Amid the challenges of caring for children with Down syndrome, families experience unexpected blessings

by Colleen Rouleau

W

Photos by Van Steelandt Photography

atching the falling snow, 7-year-old Joseph John Paul Fahlman wants to go tobogganing — immediately. At other times, he loves spending time with the animals on his family’s rural property 10 kilometers (six miles) northwest of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Joseph has an irresistible smile and enjoys playing video games, reading and riding his bike.

He has also introduced his parents, Robert and Theresa Fahlman, to the joys and struggles of raising a child with Down syndrome. Also known as trisomy 21, the genetic condition is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome that leads to both physical and mental challenges.

Theresa, a registered nurse, was 43 when she learned that she was pregnant with Joseph, the couple’s seventh child. Though surprised by the news, they were happy to welcome another child into their family, and routine ultrasounds gave no indication of any abnormalities.

During the pregnancy, the Fahlmans chose not to learn the sex of their baby. They were thrilled when a boy arrived three weeks early — just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2005 — as one of Saskatchewan’s first centennial babies. Although the labor and delivery seemed ordinary, Robert felt apprehensive.

“I had a sense that we were in for something,” recalled Robert, who is a member of St. Michael’s Council 9949 in Prince Albert.

Soon after Joseph was born, the medical staff put him on oxygen and whisked him away. While Theresa was resting, the doctor delivered the diagnosis of Down syndrome to the concerned parents. Both Robert and Theresa felt devastated.

“There were some pretty tough moments for both of us,” Robert said. “Yet, at the same time, Joseph was accepted — completely.”

Facing page: Joseph Fahlman races down a hill near his house in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, as his father and brother look on from the top. Above: Joseph and his older brother, Isaac, read a book in their living room. • The Fahlmans go for a walk in the woods near their house.

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Photos by Van Steelandt Photography

THE SCHOOL One night, before Joseph unOF SUFFERING derwent more tests, Theresa Steve and Donatella Brown of opened a booklet of meditaSilver Spring, Md., shared a simtions while holding her son. ilar experience with their fourth The booklet read, “Joseph, son child, Carlo. In December 2001, of Jacob, faith perfected several days after birth, Carlo through the school of sufferwas diagnosed with Down syning.” Reflecting on that modrome. He had difficulties ment, she said, “God always breathing, and the Browns spent provides for us. It is not easy, the first two weeks shuttling bebut he gives us the grace.” tween home and the neonatal The team of pediatricians intensive care unit. that cared for Joseph was su“It was totally out of my perb, but the doctors could not horizon,” said Donatella, who pinpoint the cause of all of his had never known anyone with ailments, especially his trouble Down syndrome. “If I had a breathing during sleep. After prenatal diagnosis, it would months of testing, Joseph was have been a very long nine finally diagnosed with gastric months, full of preconceptions. reflux and required a feeding Discovering after his birth, I altube inserted into his small inready had someone real in front testine. Together with the oxyof me, a person. He had all the gen tube, it would remain until same needs as my other chilJoseph was almost one year old. dren: feeding, sleeping and At about the same time that changing. I had to respond to Joseph finally had the tubes rehim very concretely.” moved, the local paper mill Theresa Fahlman also did where Robert worked shut not have a prenatal diagnosis, down. This necessitated that but she wasn’t entirely surTheresa return to work full prised that Joseph had Down time. For Robert, though, this “Joseph has taught us to slow down proved to be an unexpected syndrome. The pregnancy, she said, was a little different from blessing. and look at things in a new light. the others in that the baby had “I was now the one caring He has been a real witness to the not kicked or moved as much for Joseph full time,” he said. as her other children. The “I think I’m particularly close potential of anyone.”

Fahlmans learned that this is to him because of that. I’ve because babies with Down synseen a lot, been through a lot drome do not have the same with him.” muscular strength.

Joseph remained in the hospital for two weeks on oxygen — SEEING IN A NEW LIGHT a stressful time for a family concerned about his health. “But The Fahlmans have learned a whole new set of skills in parentthe fact that Joseph was given to us on the Solemnity of Mary ing Joseph. Because their expectations have changed, each milethe Mother of God was so reassuring to me,” Theresa said of stone is something momentous. Nothing is taken for granted. the Jan. 1 birth. “I knew that God would take care of us.”

Joseph enjoys participating in Fundamentals, a program As Joseph continued to face health challenges, particularly sponsored by Special Olympics that encourages children to during his first year, Theresa experienced several other mo- have fun while being active. Last winter, Robert also became ments of consolation. During a hospital stay in March 2005, involved with Special Olympics, helping his council build a she watched television reports of Pope John Paul II’s suffering large snowshoe track for a competition. Knights also volunduring his final days. teered at the event.

“As I was lying beside Joseph, hooked up to the ventilator, I “Joseph has taught us to slow down and look at things in prayed for the Holy Father. I thought, ‘If he can go through a new light,” said Robert. “He has been a real witness to the this suffering, then so can we,’” she said. potential of anyone.”

Likewise, Donatella Brown sees clearly how her son Carlo, who is now in third grade, has the gift of enlarging the hearts Above: Joseph holds an egg laid by one of the Fahlmans’ chickens. of those around him. “His presence has made me realize that

the value of your life doesn’t depend on what you do, but because you are,” she said. As a part-time math teacher, this appreciation influences the way Donatella sees her students.

“Their life is positive no matter what their condition,” she said. “They’re all of value in themselves, not based on their accomplishments or achievements.”

Since Carlo’s birth, the Browns have been blessed with two more children, Michael and Anna-Maria.

“As the older children have grown, Carlo falls somewhat behind,” said Donatella. “But his younger siblings are there as playmates for him. They are a blessing from all points of view. Carlo has these two little friends who continue to push him along.”

A few of the Browns’ other friends have since had children with Down syndrome, and knowing Carlo has made it easier for them, Donatella said. And the Browns have recognized that despite the difficulties that come with caring for a child with

special needs, there are also special graces.

“When I lose my patience with Carlo, someone else in the family comes in and is ready to start over again with him,” said Donatella. “He has a strong capacity for relationship. Carlo demands totally, but he gives totally.”

The Fahlmans have also noticed that Joseph has a tremendous desire to love. “He’s a bit shy at first, but once he knows you, he just loves you,” said Theresa. “He has really reinforced everything we always believed was important.”

Robert added that his son’s cheerfulness and unconditional love inspire a greater passion for life. “Joseph is just the happiest little guy. There is so much joy we have been given,” he said. “I almost can’t describe it, but I can hardly wait to see him every morning.”♦ COLLEEN ROULEAU writes from Edmonton, Alberta.

Photo by Pierre PerrIn/Gamma-rapho via Getty Images

SCIENCE AT THE SERVICE OF LIFE: DR. JÉRÔME LEJEUNE IN 1958, WHEN THE FIELD of genetic research was just beginning, a young research physician in Paris named Dr. Jérôme Lejeune made an important discovery. While examining samples of the 21 chromosomal pairs that form each person’s genetic makeup, he noticed that rather than the typical couplet on the 21st chromosome, some had three — a trisomy. During this time, the condition commonly known as Down syndrome carried a heavy stigma, since it was mistakenly attributed to maternal syphilis. Lejeune’s research confirmed his intuition that the condition had a genetic cause, which he named trisomy 21.

Understanding that science must be at the service of life, Lejeune dedicated his entire career to protecting children with Down syndrome, these “dear little ones,” as he called them. He traveled extensively, advocating for those with intellectual and physical disabilities. On one occasion, he flew from Paris to Tennessee for one day to testify in court to the scientific fact that life begins at conception.

Lejeune’s discovery, however, had a dark and unintended consequence: Today, prenatal genetic testing results in an estimated abortion rate of 92 percent for unborn babies who are diagnosed with Down syndrome. The fact that his genetic discoveries were used against the

unborn made Lejeune even more committed to defending life. Through his work, he became a close friend of Pope John Paul II, who appointed him to the Pontifical Academy of Science in 1981.

The pope later named him the first president of the Pontifical Academy of Life in 1994, the year of Lejeune’s death.

Clara Lejeune-Gaymard, Lejeune’s daughter, wrote a memoir titled Life is a Blessing, in which she recounted her father’s love for all of reality. As he lay dying, he told his children, “If I can leave you with just one message, the most important of all, it is this: We are in the

hand of God.” Lejeune’s cause for canonization was opened on June 28, 2007.

Lejeune’s legacy today is continued by the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, established in 1996 in France. Since its inception, the foundation has provided approximately $21 million in funding for Down syndrome research. The foundation is unique in that it combines care, advocacy and research for those with trisomy 21. A large percentage of those with Down syndrome suffer heart ailments and many develop dementia as they age, but the reasons for these and other complications are not well understood.

“There are approximately 400,000 people with Down syndrome in North America alone,” explained Jean-Marc Guilloux, executive director of the newly founded Jérôme Lejeune Foundation USA. “Yet, because so many diagnosed with the condition are aborted, researchers have been very reluctant to put time and money towards a better understanding of the condition.” Guilloux, who is a member of Father Widmer Council 7877 in Stafford, Va., said that by filling the gap in research funding, the U.S. foundation aims to improve the quality of life of those with Down syndrome. For more information, visit lejeuneusa.org.

— Colleen Rouleau

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C ONVERTED H EARTS Pro-life converts share their stories about how prayerful witness pulled them out of the abortion industry

by Carolee McGrath

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n the early 1980s, Dr. Anthony Levatino saw abortion as she walked off the job in 2009 during a 40 Days for Life just part of his job as an obstetrician-gynecologist. He es- prayer campaign. timates that in five years he performed 1,200 abortions. In There are many lesser-known stories as well, including that medical school, he said, doctors quickly learn to compartmen- of Catherine Adair. A former medical assistant at an abortion talize aspects of their work. facility in Boston, Adair said someone must have been praying “There’s a corpse on the table,” he said. “You have to take for her conversion. She admitted that she had strayed far from it apart. You don’t think there are emotions involved in that? the Catholic Church in her late teens and had stopped going You learn to shut them out, and you do a job.” to Mass after confirmation. When she became pregnant in But on June 23, 1984, something happened that changed college, she went to her mother for help.

Levatino’s point of view. When his 5-year-old daughter, “I was afraid to tell my mom,” Adair recalled. “When I did, Heather, ran into the street to proshe said, ‘Don’t worry about it. tect her younger brother, she was We can set up an appointment struck and killed by a car. and terminate.’”

Levatino dealt with his daughAnd that’s what she did. ter’s death the best he could, tak“In my world, I was expected ing a few weeks off from work. to finish college and have a caIn the nearly four But this time, the heartbreak over reer,” Adair said. “I couldn’t supdecades since Roe v. Wade, his own loss gave him a new perport a baby. I thought an spective when he saw the aborted abortion would take care of it.” there have been a number remains of an unborn child.

After college, she applied for a “All of a sudden, I didn’t see the job at Planned Parenthood in of high-profile conversions patient’s wonderful right to 1996. “I saw it as a progressive, of former abortionists choose,” he recalled. “All I saw was pro-woman organization. I somebody’s son or daughter.” thought it would fit with who I and clinic workers Within eight months of was,” she said.

Heather’s death, Levatino stopped Adair worked there for a year doing abortions. “A change had as an office worker. She was then come that I couldn’t take back,” he trained as a counselor and later said. “Once you finally realize that as a medical assistant. Part of her killing a baby at 20 weeks is wrong, then it doesn’t take too job, she explained, was to clean the examination and procelong to figure out that killing a baby of any size is wrong.” dure rooms between abortion appointments.

One day in particular still haunts her. Adair was sent to LEARNING THE TRUTH clean a room following a second-trimester abortion. In addiIn the nearly four decades since Roe v. Wade, there have been tion to the usual blood spatter on the floor, she saw a table a number of high-profile conversions of former abortionists with a jar containing tiny body parts. and clinic workers — including Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who “I stood there in shock not knowing if I was seeing what I was instrumental in legalizing abortion throughout the was seeing,” she said. “I remember I backed out of the room United States in 1973. Witnessing an ultrasound-guided and was sick to my stomach.” abortion that same year led Nathanson to dramatically reassess Adair said she didn’t immediately walk off the job, because his position. He later converted to Catholicism and was a pas- she didn’t know what to do. Instead, she went back to work sionate pro-life advocate until his death last February. Abby the next day and the day after.

Johnson, the former director of a Planned Parenthood facility But when she became increasingly unhappy, Adair left her in Bryan/College Station, Texas, has also made headlines since position at Planned Parenthood and went to graduate school 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Photo by robert Schoen

Catherine Adair, a former medical assistant at an abortion facility in Boston, sits with her daughter at their home in Massachusetts. Adair quit her job in the 1990s and later joined the pro-life movement.

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Dr. Anthony Levatino, a pro-life gynecologist in Las Cruces, N.M., once performed first- and second-trimester abortions as part of his practice in Troy, N.Y., in the 1980s. He is pictured with an ultrasound machine purchased for his clinic through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.

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List, a Washington-based political action committee that works to elect pro-life candidates. But most importantly, Adair wants women to know the truth about abortion and give them a glimpse into an industry that claims to help them.

PATIENCE IN PRAYER In his own personal testimony, which he has shared with audiences for two decades, Levatino offers a graphic description of a typical abortion procedure. As difficult as it is for his listeners to hear, the horror has never worn off for Levatino. He believes that it is important for people to know the truth of what the procedure entails.

“It is as if people think the doctor waves his hands and the baby disappears. It doesn’t happen like that,” explained Levatino, now a gynecologist in Las Cruces, N.M. Until his daughter’s death, Levatino spent the early part of his career doing first- and second-trimester abortions as part of his obstetrics and gynecology practice in Troy, N.Y.

Photo by Ken Stinnett

to become a teacher. In 1998, she married her college boyfriend and started a family. Still, as time went on, she felt that something — or someone — was missing in her life.

Adair and her husband started looking for a church, visiting a few different services before walking into a Catholic parish in Fitchburg, Mass., in 2006. She then attended Sunday Mass for three years without receiving the Eucharist.

“I finally worked up the nerve to go to confession. When I went, I couldn’t stop crying,” she recalled. The priest, she added, was very kind and nonjudgmental. “As penance, he asked me to pray the rosary.”

Adair’s devotion to Mary soon drew her closer to Christ than she thought possible. As she prayed for healing, God revealed to her the truth about the “right to choose” — a right that she had championed for so many years.

“God pulled aside that final veil of ignorance about the fact that these are babies,” she said. “I knew he was prodding me.”

Last year, Adair began sharing her story publically across the country. She has also worked with the Susan B. Anthony

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“Charges ranged from $600 to $700 for a second-trimester abortion,” he said. “In 15 minutes, I was making 50 percent of what I was making delivering a baby, which took 10 months, hours awake in the middle of the night and almost unlimited liability afterwards.”

Levatino said he knows God was working in his life long before he converted to the pro-life position. One of his patients was part of a group that protested abortion in front of his office. He recalled that on one occasion, the woman told him, “Jesus loves you, and this is not what he intended for you.”

Levatino politely listened but was very annoyed.

“I had this overwhelming thought that I had to hustle this woman out of my office,” he recalled.

But the woman, who was always kind and respectful, never gave up on him. She sent him cards from time to time, including one after Levatino’s daughter died. The message eventually got through.

Not long after Levatino stopped doing abortions, a local church group invited him and his wife to a pro-life potluck supper. His wife, who had always been opposed to abortion, wanted to go. Until that time, the couple had agreed to disagree on the issue and decided they wouldn’t talk about it. Levatino finally agreed to attend the event, and the kindness of many people there changed his opinion about the pro-life movement. Soon after, he decided to share his story.

Levatino said that people need to pray constantly for those who work in the abortion industry and reach out to them if possible. He said that even though people in the pro-life movement may get discouraged or assume that the staunchest supporters of abortion are a lost cause, conversions take time. “You need tremendous patience in prayer,” he said. “You have to develop a relationship and say to them, ‘The Lord loves you.’ That’s how you start.”

Likewise, Adair believes that prayer is the most effective way to change the hearts and minds of people inside the abortion industry. “They are caught up in a web of lies,” she said. “The only thing that can penetrate it is prayer. Reason can’t.

Intellect can’t.”

But God can, said Adair. She and Levatino agree that God will always be searching for his sheep, no matter where they are. Levatino added that he will never forget what an elderly woman told him years ago about Christ’s love and mercy. “She said, ‘He knows you, sweetie. He’s going to get you sooner or later.’” And he did.♦ CAROLEE MCGRATH, a freelance writer and mother of four, writes from Massachusetts.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ULTRASOUND INITIATIVE SAVES LIVES

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT love at first sight, they are usually referring to a romantic interest. But when a mother and father see their baby for the first time, it is almost impossible not to fall head over heels in love.

“The most objective information you can give a woman is seeing her baby on a TV screen. You don’t have to say a word,” said Dr. Anthony Levatino, director of the Turning Point Pregnancy Center in Las Cruces, N.M. The Knights of Columbus has been giving women facing crisis pregnancies the opportunity to see that critical image since launching the Ultrasound Initiative in 2009. In that time, the Order has funded 165 ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers across the United States, including one at Turning Point in Las Cruces.

“The Knights were right there,” said Levatino. “Because of them, we have an ultrasound machine and save lives in Las Cruces.”

Through the program, state or local K of C units must raise half of the funds necessary to purchase an ultrasound machine.

The Supreme Council, using its Culture of Life Fund, then matches this money to purchase machines for qualified pregnancy resource centers.

Christa Brown, a registered nurse, is the director of Women’s Care Center offices in both La Porte, Ind., and in Niles, Mich.

The Knights of Columbus has funded ultrasound machines for five of the 17 Catholic-based Women’s Care Center facilities.

“When we first started using ultrasound, I was amazed at the results,” said Brown, who had previously counseled women for eight years without the assistance of ultrasound technology.

“They are able to see their babies moving, determine fetal gestation, heart tone and placement. It’s difficult to deny what they are seeing is life when the baby flips over or holds up his hand.”

In the past three years, Knights-supported ultrasound machines have helped thousands of expectant mothers and fathers — many who originally considered abortion — to choose life.

For more information about the Ultrasound Initiative, visit kofc.org/ultrasound.

— Carolee McGrath

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WE WILL BE A

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Adoption and ethical fertility treatments gave us hope that we would welcome the gift of children

by Carlos Gamundi

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y wife, Emily, had tears in her eyes over the new reality that we were facing — we did not know whether or not we would ever be able to conceive a child. Our desire to start a family, as well as our anxiety, grew immensely after each cycle.

In the midst of this uncertainty and disappointment, I told my wife, “We will be a family.” I said this not because I thought she would eventually get pregnant, but because we were open to the gift of adoption, which brought a sense of hope where there appeared to be none.

I proposed to my wife on March 19, 1999, the feast of St. Joseph. My proposal combined two related questions: “Will you be my wife and the mother of my children?” Her “yes” would mean not only a wedding, but also motherhood. Our exclusive, conjugal love would allow each of us to become a parent, and our children would be the fruit of our love. We were open to life from the beginning, but we did not know that this openness would also mean being open to adoption.

We married in our early 20s, right after graduating from Loyola University New Orleans. Because we were both young and healthy, we never worried about the possibility of infertility. But we soon learned that not only children, but also fertility itself, are gifts that should not be taken for granted. Considering that a woman’s fertility sharply declines in her 30s, or even her late 20s, according to experts, this reality affects a growing number couples who marry later in life. After one year of marriage and failing to conceive a child, we discussed alternative ways to become a family.

The author and his family sit in a park near their house in Louisiana.

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SEEKING HELP The powerlessness we experienced in failing to achieve a pregnancy led us to register for a natural family planning class, which taught us to read the signs of fertility. More than merely being open to life, we actively sought to create life, and NFP enabled us to know which days provided the best chance for conception. It also allowed us to discover irregularities related to a potential health problem.

We turned to a local fertility clinic in New Orleans for more answers. I remember passing by a wall of baby pictures at the clinic, which offered an initial sense of hope that maybe one day our newborn baby’s picture would be there as well.

But at what ethical price?

As I sat next to my wife, the doctor told us, “We want results.”

I quickly responded, “No, I want my wife to be healthy.”

Each month as I observed the severe physical pain my wife endured at the end of her cycle, I wanted her first and foremost to feel well. Continuing our consultation with the fertility doctor, though, it became clear that he was not interested in discovering the root causes of my wife’s infertility. As I learned later, achieving a pregnancy, instead of healing the whole person, is commonly the primary goal of fertility clinics and of parents.

My wife and I agreed that the way we became a family was important. Following the treatment plan set forth by the fertility doctor would have required technicians to control and manipulate my wife’s body. With the path of in-vitro fertilization, our child would have been “made” using sterile in-

Photos by mary lou uttermohlen

We turned to a local fertility clinic in New Orleans for more answers.

I remember passing by a wall of baby pictures at the clinic, which offered an initial sense of hope that maybe one day our newborn baby’s picture would be there as well.

But at what ethical price?

struments rather than “begotten” from our conjugal love.

Though every child is a gift no matter how they come into the world, not every child is afforded the dignity that he or she deserves at conception. After leaving the clinic, we turned our attention to adoption and looked for a different doctor.

THE PATH LESS TAKEN Adoption is usually an infertile couple’s last option when all other avenues have been exhausted. But for us, it became a real and joyful alternative as soon as we accepted the possibility that we may never conceive. We asked ourselves, “How long are we willing to wait? And for that matter, why wait for something that may never happen? Let’s become a family now rather than later.” The decision to adopt helped us to see more clearly what we truly desired — family life.

We signed the paperwork to begin the adoption process after almost three years of marriage. We didn’t realize that it would take three more years of paper signing, interviews, home studies and personal reports before we would receive our son, Antonio.

In the meantime, my wife came into contact with Dr. Thomas Hilgers at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in Omaha, Neb., through a friend who taught the Creighton method of NFP. Emily sought treatment from Dr. Hilgers through mail and phone correspondence. After analyzing three consecutive months of her fertility charts and blood specimens, Dr. Hilgers prescribed medication to help regulate her hormonal levels. Emily was also scheduled to have surgery for endometriosis. But three months before the scheduled surgery, we discovered that she was pregnant.

Our five years of infertility had suddenly come to an end.

After a long history of negative pregnancy tests, we experienced the joy of seeing test results read positive. Nine months later, Ignacio was born. And after four months of being a family, we received news about the referral for Antonio.

I remember seeing the picture the adoption agency had sent us via email. Staring at the computer screen, I cried, realizing that Ignacio would soon have a brother to play with. Our family would grow again, but this time it would be through the gift of adoption. Since that time, my wife has given birth to two daughters, Caterina and Lucia.

SURPRISE AND WONDER Our family’s experience helped my wife and me to understand more profoundly the reality that every child is a gift. The giftedness of the child rests upon who he or she is — a unique person who elicits from his parents joy and gratitude. The nature of this gift includes surprise and wonder, because children come to their parents as they are, not as we want them to be.

Without this sense of surprise and wonder, we can turn a child from a “someone” to a “something,” from a gift to a right.

And if we see having children as a right, then we are tempted to justify any means necessary to secure that right.

When Emily and I struggled to conceive, we were comforted by the fact that the Catholic Church recognizes that

the desire for a child is a natural part of conjugal love, and that infertility can involve great suffering. The Vatican’s 1987 instruction on Respect for Human Life notes that the desire to conceive “can be even stronger if the couple is affected by sterility which appears incurable” (Donum Vitae, 8). The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages infertile couples who have exhausted legitimate medical options to pursue adoption, to practice generous service and to “unite themselves with the Lord’s Cross” (2379).

If you ever visit the Pope Paul VI Institute, you will find a picture of our family on the wall with many others. The difference between the institute’s wall of baby pictures and the one I saw at the fertility clinic lies in how those infertile couples became a family. This how determines whether or not children will be treated as persons from the moment of their conception.

With much gratitude, Emily and I are now expecting our fifth child in June 2012. We know that each pregnancy may be our last and are grateful for the children God has blessed us with. Today, the desire to become a mother and father is full of hope, thanks to adoption agencies and to a growing number of doctors who offer ethical treatments for infertility.

I can attest to the fact that for the married couple who is struggling with infertility, there is still hope of becoming a family.♦ CARLOS GAMUNDI, a member of St. John Council 10176 in Folsom, La., is a Ph.D. candidate at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C.

RESOURCES ♦ Adoption Services THE FRUITS OF ADOPTION can be priceless for a couple who suffers from infertility and yearns to start a family.

In 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families estimated that about 30 percent of American families have considered adoption, but only 2 percent have actually done so.

The adoption process can be a complicated and expensive undertaking. Adoption laws vary from state to state and from country to country, and each different type of adoption — confidential, semi-open and open — carries its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Thankfully, couples looking to pursue adoption have a strong ally in Catholic Charities. In addition to helping mothers choose life for their babies through adoption placement services, local Catholic Charities agencies also provide resources and assistance for those looking to adopt. For more information, visit catholiccharitiesusa.org and click “Programs.”

— Patrick Scalisi

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C U LT U R E O F L I F E

Everyday Activism The pro-life movement needs witnesses to act through personal relationships and daily actions

by Robert A. Destro ast May, doctor-assisted suicide emerged “as the most controversial cultural issue” in Gallup’s 2011 Values and Beliefs poll. The issue divided Americans, as 45 percent found it morally acceptable while 48 percent found it morally wrong. Also in 2011, Gallup found that half of American adults consider abortion to be morally wrong with even less support for laws “allowing pharmacists and health providers to opt out of providing medicine or surgical procedures that result in abortion.” How is it possible that more people are not opposed to these practices after nearly 40 years of organized, pro-life political activism at the local, state and national levels?

If we hope to change more hearts, we need to look at these and other pro-life issues through what Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer and speaker, calls “a new lens,” which enables individuals “to look at the ordinary and see the extraordinary.” This process of discerning the needs and potential of others is what Jones calls “everyday creativity.”

Applied to the pro-life movement, we might call this “everyday activism.” For most people, activism is political. But everyday activism is personal and local. An everyday activist will learn as much as possible about themselves and the personalities of family members, friends and neighbors. An everyday activist learns how humans grow, how we develop, how we learn and process information, and how we decline and die. With this knowledge — and the wisdom it imparts — it is possible to help others withstand the societal pressures that lead people to have abortions, to abandon sick and elderly loved ones in nursing homes, or to vote for laws that do not respect the dignity of human life.

Consider patients who have what neuroscientists call “acquired brain injuries,” from elderly people with some forms of dementia to injured soldiers. Caused by trauma, stroke, disease or substance abuse, these injuries are more common than people realize, and depression and thoughts of suicide are significant problems among those who have suffered them. A lack of companionship, rehabilitation or

treatment — or financial support from insurance companies — makes patients with these injuries likely candidates for doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia.

At the same time, neuroscience shows that the brain is plastic, that it has the ability to rewire itself to compensate for injuries if a rehabilitation program stimulates the brain around the injured area. The elderly, who may be lonely and depressed because their friends are gone and their families live far away, often begin to recover if neighbors visit regularly and see that their needs are being met. In short, pro-life advocates can do a great deal of good if they are willing to step into the breach.

Pro-life activism comes in many forms, but the most fruitful activism takes place during our interactions with family members, friends, neighbors, parishioners, customers and business partners.

We become everyday activists whenever we use knowledge and skills to help others, even if we think of ourselves only as friends and volunteers.

From the perspective of everyday creativity, any concerned citizen can be an activist. A stay-at-home mother might devote her spare time to taking a census of the homebound residents throughout her neighborhood, or a retiree might visit a local nursing home with his grandchildren to ensure that no one is deprived of “the human element” that science confirms is so essential to healing and mental health.

We must not forget that all politics is local and that Jesus built his Church from the ground up. If we want poll numbers to change, each of our friends and neighbors needs to hear the Gospel of Life “in his own native language” (Acts 2:8), and it is our obligation to teach it in all that we say and do. When we spread this Gospel as everyday activists, we can transform the world.♦ ROBERT A. DESTRO is a professor of law and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Law & Religion at the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America. He is a member of Potomac Council 433 in Washington, D.C.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PRO - LIFE INITIATIVES AND RESOURCES , VISIT KOFC . ORG / PROLIFE .

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When a Heart Attack Hits Home Considering the importance of end-of-life decisions, we all need to have an emergency plan

by Kathleen M. Gallagher

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he first big snowfall in upstate New York this winter brought back memories of a family crisis last year, when my husband, Joe, suffered a heart attack after shoveling. He had all the symptoms you hear about but never imagine you will witness: shortness of breath, chest pain and numbness in the arm. Fortunately, my younger son and I were home at the time and able to get Joe to the hospital.

A top-notch cardiology team met us in the emergency room, and within 90 minutes, a stent had been placed in the artery, blood was flowing again, and we were told there was only minimal heart damage. The doctor explained everything with precision, simplicity and compassion. He also told us that we should have called 911 instead of driving to the emergency room so that Joe could have gotten expert treatment earlier. Today, my husband is eating healthier, exercising more and happy to be alive.

Nonetheless, the episode was terrifying for our family. It demonstrated, up close and personal, the fragility of life. My husband is a healthy and fit 62 years old, and his cholesterol level is so low that his doctor joked that Joe was the least likely candidate for heart trouble. It just goes to show that any one of us can be here one minute and gone the next. Or we can face debilitating heart failure, stroke, illness or injury. That’s why it’s so important to plan in advance.

Many people think that end-of-life decisions are only for the elderly or terminally ill. Not so. Every one of us — young, old, healthy, sick — should plan now for a time when our ability to reason or communicate our medical decisions is compromised. Most states, like New York, have a health care proxy or similar durable power of attorney law. Joe and I completed our health care proxies soon after we were married, and named each other as our health care decision-makers.

We discussed what the Catholic Church teaches about the end of life. We understand our moral obligation to provide each other with the basics of food, water and bed rest, as well as ordinary treatments that do not bring undue burdens or hardships. We also know we are not morally bound to use every possible medical treatment available to prolong life. Believing that death is a doorway to eternal life in the loving embrace of God, we are prepared to accept natural death when it occurs.

Who is better to name as your health care proxy than your spouse — or your brother, sister or other close relative? Since your proxy’s voice will become your voice should you become unable to speak or decide for yourself, you need to choose someone who knows you well, and who understands, respects and hopefully shares your beliefs. Take it from me: Talk to that person now about your feelings, fears and concerns about the end of life. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Following Joe’s surgery, there were a few medical setbacks and nerve-racking hours at the hospital where I had no idea what was happening to my husband. A million questions raced through my mind: What exactly are they doing to his heart now? Will he survive? Will he be able to do all the things he used to do?

Fortunately, I didn’t have to also ask, “Can I legally make medical decisions for my husband?” Copies of our health care proxies are stored carefully at home, at our doctor’s practice and at our lawyer’s office. We thankfully haven’t had to use them. But they are there, just in case.

Life is fragile. Handle with care.♦ KATHLEEN GALLAGHER is director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, the public policy organization of the New York state bishops. Her husband is a member of Geneva (N.Y.) Council 272.

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

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Matters of Life and Death Assisted suicide as a medical treatment fails to respect patients’ rights and dignity

by Jason Negri

e live in an age that values people solely for what they can do, rather than who they are. While problematic, this attitude is particularly dangerous when it marginalizes the elderly or people with disabilities and results in bold cries demanding that assisted suicide and euthanasia be considered medical treatments.

First, some definitions may be helpful. Euthanasia is when someone other than the patient performs the last act that intentionally causes that person’s death. For example, administering a lethal injection would be considered euthanasia. In some European countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, euthanasia by lethal injection — even involuntary euthanasia — is an established practice, and doctors in the Netherlands sometimes refer to it as “life-terminating treatment.”

By contrast, in the case of assisted suicide, the person who dies performs the last act. In most cases, this involves a person receiving assistance from a doctor to end his or her life, usually by a prescription for poison. In countries such as Canada, New Zealand and the United States, advocates of doctor-prescribed suicide are waging campaigns to achieve their goal of death on demand.

THE RIGHT TO DIE? Much of the news about end-of-life controversies employs the phrase “the right to die,” a sound bite crafted by supporters to gain support for their position. But when it comes down to it, every human being has this right already: Anyone can legitimately refuse medical treatment, and if a doctor ignores a patient’s wishes and provides medical treatment anyway, that doctor can be sued for battery.

Current discussions, however, are not about an individual’s right to die. There are many who instead want assisted suicide to be a legitimate option that can be chosen by anyone of sound mind. But what starts today as an individual choice can rapidly become an expectation. A new standard is set, which affects insurance coverage, hospital policies, public attitude and the practice of medicine itself.

In the Netherlands, where euthanasia was formally legalized in 2002, citizens have seen fewer hospices, an increase in involuntary euthanasia, the euthanizing of disabled infants, and seniors who carry “do not euthanize” wallet cards.

In a 2009 interview, Dr. Els Borst, the former health minister and deputy prime minister who guided the euthanasia law through the Dutch parliament, acknowledged that medical 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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care for the terminally ill had declined since the law came into effect. The remarks were published in a book about the history of euthanasia by Dr. Anne-Marie The. Dr. The also contends that a number of Dutch seniors request euthanasia out of fear, because of an absence of adequate palliative care.

And this only stands to reason: Where euthanasia is an accepted medical solution to patients’ pain and suffering, there is less incentive to develop programs which provide modern, effective pain control for patients.

In Oregon and Washington, where assisted suicide is considered a medical treatment, patients have received letters from their health insurance providers refusing to cover the cost of life-saving medication but offering to cover a prescription for suicide. Certainly, not every desired treatment will be covered by insurance, but the insensitive offer to pay for assisted suicide is but one of the unforeseen consequences of establishing it as a right.

The effort to transform the practice of assisted suicide from a crime into a legitimate medical treatment is currently underway in both Vermont and Massachusetts. Vermont’s governor has publically declared that the legalization of assisted suicide is a priority. Supporters have since raised a bill and have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into promoting public acceptance of what they call “death with dignity.”

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As more governments allow assisted suicide and euthanasia, everyone over the age of 18 should have a well-drafted durable power of attorney for health care, which designates someone to make medical decisions on his or her behalf if they become unable to make those decisions on their own, either temporarily or permanently. This is different from a living will, which is a potentially harmful document, as it is subject to interpretation by others who might not share your values or have your best interests in mind.

Sometimes, when people imagine what it would be like if they were unable to do the simple things they now enjoy or even perform basic functions like walking or bathing, they tend to think, “I wouldn’t want to live like that.” Moreover, they speak as if there is a societal consensus about what kind of life is no longer worth living. They assume that because they wouldn’t want to live like that, no one would. But this doesn’t account for the reality that people’s understanding of the value of life changes over time. It’s common for people who swore that they would rather die than no longer be able to live in a certain way to fiercely want to live when actually faced with a disability.

Instead of offering assisted suicide as an easy out, we need to offer proper medical responses and comfort care to those in need. Pain alleviation has made tremendous strides in the past few decades, such that no one should have to live with intractable pain.

Members of the Knights of Columbus have always been steadfast in their commitment to life and to service. We don’t alleviate suffering by killing those who suffer. Let us meet the needs of the suffering, protect the vulnerable, comfort the afflicted and continue to make a stand for life.♦ In Massachusetts, supporters of assisted suicide have filed a petition to put a measure called the Massachusetts “Death With Dignity Act” on the 2012 ballot. The proposal mirrors the Oregon and Washington laws by the same name.

A HIGH PRICE TO PAY Once legalized, assisted suicide may be offered as simply one more form of treatment, but there is one big difference: It is the least expensive option. Many nations are discussing the rising costs of health care, particularly the cost of treatment at the end of life. Under these circumstances, assisted suicide may quickly become the new standard of care.

Leaders in the movement to legalize prescribed death have been saying for years that economics, not the quest for broadened individual liberties, will drive assisted suicide to the plateau of acceptable practice. It is time for Americans to ask themselves whether they are prepared to let this happen.

A person battling severe illness or pain is already vulnerable to suggestion and pressure. In addition to his pain, uncertainty and fear, he may also worry about becoming a burden — financially and otherwise — to those he loves.

Acting out of love, he might be tempted to choose assisted suicide to alleviate that burden, when in fact he may well recover or enjoy more good years with his family.

JASON NEGRI, an estate-planning attorney, is assistant director of the Patients Rights Council and a member of Holy Spirit Council 7891 in Hamburg, Mich.

INFORMATION & RESOURCES • The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops provides various articles and fact sheets on assisted suicide and euthanasia. In June, the bishops published a policy statement titled To Live Each Day with Dignity: A Statement on Assisted Suicide. For more information, visit usccb.org/toliveeachday.

• The Patients Rights Council is a human rights group formed to promote and defend the right of all patients to be treated with respect, dignity and compassion, and to work with individuals and organizations to resist attitudes, programs and policies that threaten the lives of those who are vulnerable. The organization has carefully crafted and made available a durable power of attorney for health care, with different versions available to comply with various state laws. For more information, visit patientsrightscouncil.org.

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IN DEFENSE OF LIFE, LOVE AND FREEDOM Prof. Helen Alvaré discusses religious liberty and the effect of a 50-year social experiment shaping views about human life and sexuality

by Alton J. Pelowski

I

n September, the U.S. bishops formed an Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty to address concerns affecting religious liberty and conscience protection of individuals and religious institutions. The committee, chaired by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., has focused on a number of recent public policy concerns related to the Church’s teachings about human life and sexuality. For example, the U.S. bishop’s Office of Migration and Refugee Services was recently denied federal funding for its services, due to new U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services regulations requiring that contraception and abortion be made available to victims of human trafficking.

To explore the implications of such policies, Columbia interviewed Helen M. Alvaré, an associate professor of law at George Mason University School of Law in Fairfax, Va., and former spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

COLUMBIA: How does the Department of Health and Human Services mandate for insurance coverage of contraception and sterilization in virtually all private health insurance plans relate to religious freedom and to public health?

HELEN ALVARÉ: What the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services did was to mandate coverage of contraception, sterilization, and some emergency contraception that can act in an abortifacient way, under the rubric of “preventive health care services.” They provided what they called a “conscience clause,” but framed it so narrowly that any religious entity that either serves or employs people of other faiths cannot take advantage of this exception.

The U.S. bishops’ delivered excellent First Amendment comments to HHS. The comments delivered by a conscience task force team that I chair at the Witherspoon Institute focused not only on the indispensable contribution of religious freedom to American society, but also on current scholarship indicating convincingly that the HHS mandate is not “preventive health.” To the contrary, it could even have the effect of increasing unintended pregnancies, out-of-wedlock births and abortions. This is due to a phenomenon called “risk compensation,” whereby, when the federal government floods the population with birth control, more people engage in the risk of sex outside of the committed relationship of marriage. The notion that this mandate is “preventive” is really absurd.

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COLUMBIA: Similar requirements by HHS and the U.S. Agency for International Development threaten the work of Migration and Refugee Services and Catholic Relief Services, respectively. What is the foundation for such policies?

Helen Alvaré: In both cases, there is demand that the Catholic Church — a long-term, high-quality and renowned service provider — engage in services that violate its conscience. I believe this demand flows out of an ideological commitment to abortion and contraception. The former is called a “tragedy” even by its supporters and there is no proof that the latter has solved any of the health problems it has been deployed to cure. At the same time, there are a lot of people, whether in international or domestic service programs, who want a service provider who respects all human life and the full meaning of human sexuality. Undoubtedly, there are many recipients of the Church’s services who would like to avoid providers that believe the body is an object, sex is an animal instinct, and the unborn child is less than human.

The federal government, more than ever before, will not abide the slightest dissenting voice on the subject of human sexuality. They have put their vision of the human person directly in conflict with religious freedom.

COLUMBIA: How might Catholic medical institutions be affected by such laws pertaining to conscience rights and religious freedom?

HELEN ALVARÉ: If the federal government refuses to back down, it is possible that Catholic institutions will change in a variety of ways. Some might disappear whether because of funding cut-offs or because they are simply not permitted to operate under the terms of a law. Others might begin employing and serving only their fellow Catholics, withdrawing from the public square in that way. Despite the fact that religious institutions have been superior providers in education, health care and social services, the federal administration appears to prefer that the government cooperate with, or even allow to exist, only those organizations strictly agreeing with the government’s philosophy.

As a result, religious institutions could grow smaller and, in some cases, disappear.

COLUMBIA: In light of the widespread use of contraception, the Catholic Church’s teachings related to life and sexuality are often seen as out-of-touch, or at least as purely private religious beliefs. How do you respond to this?

HELEN ALVARÉ: For the last 40 to 50 years, policies at both the federal and the state level have suggested that separating procreation from sex will make people happier, alleviate poverty, and prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases. The Center for Disease Control and other experts tell us that the vast majority of women who have ever had intercourse have used contraception. It is very difficult to imagine that you could saturate the population any more. Yet, we have the highest rates of nonmarital pregnancies and births in our history, and continuing high rates of abortion and sexually transmitted diseases — higher than before the government became so activist on birth control. There remains,

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however, a tendency for both federal and state governments to back into human sexual relationships. Rather, I believe that polcontinue to propose more birth control as the answer to nearly icymakers have adopted a philosophy that some authors have everything, and the greater availability of abortion as the answer called “sexualityism.” Sexualityism is a belief that sex has nothing to do with procreation or even the unity between two peoto everything else.

The fact that this solution has been proposed for so long and ple, but only wants to preserve the good of expressing yourself has failed so utterly is actually leading to public reflection. sexually for the pleasure — psychological, physical or otherwise Maybe this is precisely the time — it gives you as an individual. to encourage a new disposition If the government retreated on toward human sexuality. When its current policies on contracepyou separate sex from babies and tion and abortion, people would reduce sex to just another activity, once again have to think about it’s not only the children who sufsex in its relationship to the good fer because of the resulting aborof the other partner and the good tions and unstable family of the child. situations, but the adults as well.

In addition to the birth control Women, in particular, are made mandates, I think the clearest exmiserable in the new market for pression of the federal governrelationships made possible by ment’s embrace of this ideology is widespread birth control and its refusal to defend the Defense abortion; they feel they must subof Marriage Act. Think about it! mit to sex as the price for a relaThis means that our federal govtionship. The current situation is ernment is affirming sexual exthe result of a gigantic, half-cenpression with no possibility for tury experiment of distorting the procreation — in same-sex relasacredness of sex. tionships — as of equal value We have an opportunity right with sexual expression intrinsinow to speak about the fact that cally related to procreation. the Catholic approach, which is based on natural law, is actually COLUMBIA: Amid the spectrum of political issues that voters the better path for happiness, for have to consider, how important authentic equality between men is it for Catholics to vote for canand women, for the wellbeing of didates and policies that uphold children, and for the health of sothe Church’s principles about ciety. It is a different approach to There is an opportunity right now these issues? sex, to marriage, to parenting that HELEN ALVARÉ: It is very imporpeople will find attractive, beto speak about how the Catholic tant now for all Catholics as citicause they have new evidence and zens to know what the Church have seen the government’s exapproach, which is based on teaches about human sexuality, periment go terribly awry. natural law, is actually the better marriage and family, and to recognize that this teaching has to do COLUMBIA: What accounts for path for happiness, for authentic such an aggressive push for conwith human happiness and freetraception despite the fact that equality between men and women, dom, the wellbeing of the vulnerthe data is opposed to it? able and the equality of men and for the wellbeing of children, and women. The health of their own HELEN ALVARÉ: The fact that government leaders won’t confamilies, communities and really for the health of society. front the data is a really stunning their nation is at stake. Catholics feature of this debate. First, I need to take these teaching serithink that they have decided to ously and seek out candidates place their faith in technology — who support this view of the they simply refuse to believe that a technological fix, involving human person. They also need to contact members of their fedmore effective contraception, won’t move these problematic eral and state delegations, because there is a tremendous amount numbers in a more favorable direction. going on right now with regard to marriage, respect for life, Second, it appears that they can’t abide a proposed solution health care and educational policy that closely relates to whether — the kind the Catholic Church would promote — that in- or not Catholics will even be permitted to act publicly, or even volves sexual restraint and putting the dignity and sacredness speak publicly, about their convictions in these crucial areas.♦ JANUARY 2012

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KNIG HTS IN ACTI ON

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES

Achilles S. Kiwanuka, a council member who visits Vancouver every year to celebrate Mass and raise funds for the seminary.

CHALICES FOR DEACONS

Danny Garcia, Juan Benjamin and Jerome Villarreal of St. John the Baptist Council 10232 in Madison, Ala., look on as Joyce Fecteau passes out right-to-life signs during a 40 Days for Life campaign outside the Alabama Woman’s Center. Knights from throughout the Diocese of Birmingham participated in the campaign by praying the rosary and witnessing to life outside of area abortion facilities.

CARING FOR A MEMBER

Dave Scholl, a member of St. Peter Council 10378 in Dixon, Calif., needed a bone marrow transplant, but the Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center would not perform the procedure until

Scholl hired a 24-hour caretaker to monitor his recovery for 100 days after the surgery.

Instead of hiring an outside service, members of Council 10378 signed up to cover more than half of the needed care — one Knight even arranged to telecommute for three weeks to help Scholl recover. The transplant was successful, and Scholl has shown no signs of lymphoma ever since.

CROSS FOR CHAPEL

Members of St. Paul Council 15001 in Phoenix hand out water during a benefit run to support the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of Our Lady of Solitude Monastery. Knights distributed water to some of the 1,300 people who participated in the event’s various competitions to help the sisters construct their monastery and chapel.

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East Dubuque (Ill.) Council 7527 presented a handcarved crucifix to the pastors of St. Mary Church for display in the church’s new perpetual adoration chapel.

SOCCER EQUIPMENT DONATED

St. John the Evangelist Council 12983 in Vancouver, Wash., and parishioners at St. John Church donated athletic shoes and soccer balls to Sacred Heart Seminary in Mubende, Uganda. Knights provide ongoing support to the seminary through Father

JANUARY 2012

Eucharistic Adoration Assembly in Houston presented Knights of Columbus chalices to three new priests from the Czech Republic who were ordained in mid-2011.

EYEGLASSES & CELLPHONES

St. John the Baptist Council 11106 in Silver Spring, Md., collected used eyeglasses and cellphones to benefit needy members of the community.

The eyeglasses are donated to the Lions Club for distribution to those in need, while the cellphones are given to the Montgomery County Police Department, where they are reprogrammed to dial only 9-1-1 and distributed to people who otherwise would not have access to a cell phone in an emergency.

SERVING AT MASS

Since All Saints Church in Dunwoody, Ga., is not associated with a parish school, the church often had trouble getting altar servers to assist at funeral Masses. Since 1998, members of All Saints Council 11402 in Atlanta have served in this capacity.

About 70 council members are grouped into five teams that take turns serving at all of the parish’s funerals. Each server wears a navy blue sports jacket and a K of C tie.

FIRE VICTIMS

In a tragic turn of events, an area woman was severely injured in a house fire that took the life of her 18-yearold sister and destroyed all of

Members of Msgr J.J. Seimetz Council 869 in Decatur, Ind., looks on as a piece of playground equipment is removed from St. Joseph School. Council members volunteered 300 hours to remove existing playground equipment so that a parking lot could be created for the school’s new gym. Knights donated the use of trucks, trailers, heavy equipment and hand tools for the project, while several wives prepared meals for the workers. Later, council members assembled equipment at the school’s new playground and modified the old play set for donation to an area park. their possessions. St. George Council 10843 in London, Ontario, held a special parish breakfast to raise funds for the woman, who faces many months of recovery and rehabilitation and has almost no family left in the area. The event raised $3,000.

CANCER BENEFIT

Tri-Cities Council 1098 in Granite City, Ill., hosted a dinner-dance and silent auction to raise funds for a local member of the community who has cancer. About 450 people attended the event, which raised $10,000.

K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N NEW ALTAR

$6,500 to kelp offset medical bills and expenses not covered by the Knight’s insurance. Elsewhere, Father Peter J. J. Juba Council 4922 in Orange, Calif., assisted in registering 180 parishioners at St. Norbert Church as potential blood marrow donors.

Knights worked with the National Marrow Donor Program to sign up donors who may one day be matched with patients nationwide.

Holy Family Council 9085 at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana donated a new altar to the David Wade Correctional Center in Homer.

The altar was given in memory of Father Richard Pusch, a former council chaplain who ministered at the correctional center for many years.

WALKING FOR LIFE

Wardsville-Osage Bend Council 8399 in Jefferson City, Mo., co-sponsored a Walk for Life with the Wardsville Lions Club and the pro-life committee at St. Stanislaus Church.

The event netted $7,600, which was raised by selling pro-life merchandise, by partnering with several local businesses as sponsors, and by challenging students at St. Stanislaus School to collect pledges for the event. All of the proceeds were divided among several pro-life agencies.

saving his life before the ambulance arrived to bring Cook to the hospital.

FAITH FORUM

SEMINARIAN FUND

Sir Knight Modesto Sanchez Circle 5332 in Peralta, N.M., hosted a forum for young people on how to be a better Catholic that was coupled with a Mass and breakfast.

Speakers included several area professionals who offered testimony on their faith lives.

Father Emil J. Kapaun Council 10022 in Lakehurst, N.J., hosted its annual benefit dinner to support the council’s seminarian fund. Started in 1998, the fund has provided

Members of St. Andrew Council 14437 in Erie, Pa., lay the groundwork for a reflection garden at St. Andrew Church. When council member Jerry Martin obtained a large crucifix from St. Mary’s Home in Erie, he organized his fellow Knights to create a reflection garden at their parish with the crucifix as its focal point. With help from parishioners, Knights landscaped the entire area and created a brick walkway with memorial pavers to help defray the overall cost of the project.

SAVING A BROTHER

John Kuhlthau Jr. and Kevin Kosobucki of Our Lady of Victory Council 2061 in Parlin, N.J., were honored by the Sayreville Emergency Squad for saving the life of fellow council member Michael Cook after he collapsed at the council hall.

Kuhlthau began chest compressions on Cook while Kosobucki set up the council’s automatic external defibrillator. Cook was shocked twice before his pulse and heartbeat resumed. The emergency squad credit Cook’s brother Knights with

Players throw down their cards and chips during a game night for seminarians hosted by Sacred Heart Council 14423 in Shelby, Neb. Fifty-three seminarians from St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward enjoyed an evening of food, fellowship and card games capped by a brief prayer service.

more than $64,000 to men who are studying for the priesthood. This year, seven seminarians received grants of $1,000 each.

CATERING TO LIFE

Joseph Sidle Council 5511 in Brookings, Ore., provided support for the annual fundraiser banquet held by the Pregnancy Care Centers of Brookings and Crescent City, Calif. In previous years, the centers had hired caterers to prepare the banquet but were unable to do so this year because of the economic downturn. That’s when the council stepped in to help.

Knights prepared a meal for 320 people for only $500, and the event raised more than $12,000 for the Pregnancy Care Centers.

TRANSPLANT FUNDS

Immaculate Conception Council 9021 in Norwood, N.J., held a pancake breakfast to benefit a council member who was undergoing a bone marrow transplant. The event raised

BASEMENT CLEAN UP

St. Monica Council 11529 in Jackson, N.J., provided assistance to a council member whose basement flooded after a serious storm. Knights helped clean the basement, which developed a major mold problem, and transported all of the unsalvageable materials to a local transfer facility.

HISPANIC DINNER

Conception Seminary College Council 13750 in Conception, Mo., hosted a Hispanic charity dinner for about 150 people. Knights offered four different ethnic entrees at the event, which raised more than $2,000 for an orphanage in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

David Quirk of Chisholm (Minn.) Council 3539 holds a 10-pound sack of potatoes that was donated to the Chisholm Food Shelf. Knights donated 100 of these sacks to the food pantry, which will help feed needy residents throughout the area.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N

Knights painted the damaged room, which also received new carpet from an area flooring business.

TORCH RUN

Members of Galena (Ill.) Council 696 paint the interior of a former convent that now houses the religious education center for two area parishes. Knights, with help from local businesses, secured $2,900 worth of materials for the renovation project, including paint for the entire interior of the building, as well as some carpeting and plumbing fixtures.

ROOM RESTORED

Murrieta (Calif.) Mission Council 11393 came to the aid of Lillian Sax, a local woman who is homebound, when a boarder trashed one of the rooms in her home.

Sax, who took on a tenant to supplement her expenses, was dismayed when the man and his pets destroyed the room they were renting.

Msgr. Leopoldo Diaz Escudero Council 13567 in Chilancingo, Mexico South, participated in Carrera Guadalupana, a torch run in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Knights provided pastries, snacks and water for those who participated.

COUPON SALES

Saratoga (N.Y.) Assembly spearheaded repeated fund drives in conjunction with an area department store to benefit the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center. Knights sold coupon books for the store at area parishes, generating $6,000 in donations for the hospital. The funds, in turn, were used to purchase televisions, warming blankets and other items for hospitalized veterans.

SCHOOL, CHURCH PAINTED

Father Jeremiah J. Reilly Council 6561 in Merrick, N.Y., painted the rectory at Sacred Heart Church and the cafeteria at Sacred Heart School. Knights also repaired several walls in the school’s former gym. The council provided all materials needed for the project, saving the parish and school approximately $10,000.

BRINGING UP BABY

David Gilreest and Chet Sieruga (left) of Our Lady of the Mountains Council 10799 in Sierra Vista, Ariz., look on as a local man browses the merchandise at a council-sponsored yard sale. The sale generated more than $2,000 for the council’s charitable fund.

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When St. Francis Church in Hoboken, N.J., decided to host a pasta and meatball fundraiser to assist with the medical expenses of a local baby who was born extremely premature, Mary Immaculate Council 12769 in Secaucus helped to make the event a success. Knights worked behind the scenes to purchase tablecloths, plates, cups,

JANUARY 2012

utensils and serving tins for the event, while one council member secured $150 dollars worth of donated prizes for the dinner’s 50-50 raffle. Finally, the council donated $500 to the baby’s family, bringing the night’s total donations to $14,000.

SOCK IT TO ME

Marquette Council 1437 in New Orleans hosted a “Sock it to Me” drive for Ozanam Inn, a shelter and soup kitchen operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

After learning that the shelter was in desperate need of socks for the homeless, Knights organized a drive that netted more than 400 pairs of stockings, among other care items.

COMPUTER RECYCLING

Jesuit Father Francisco Javier Alegre Council 4214 in Veracruz, Mexico South, collected one ton of unused, outdated or broken computer equipment for recycling or proper disposal. Some of the working computers were distributed to needy members of the community.

Members of Sacred Heart of Jesus Council 14958 in Garchitorena, Luzon, mix concrete while repairing a street in Barangay Pambuhan. Realizing that the street was severely damaged, Knights undertook the task of repairing it in advance of several local festivals and processions. were able to expand their vision after raising more than $6,100 for the undertaking.

In the end, the council installed a new sign with a timed light fixture, replaced the pavers and steps of the front walkway, installed a new retaining wall, repaired a large crack between the sidewalk and the walkway, and landscaped the entire area, adding a wooden cross.

SACRED HEART STATUE

St. Catherine of Siena Council 12686 in Metairie, La., concluded a six-year effort to raise funds for a statue of the Sacred Heart at St. Catherine of Siena Church. Knights held a number of parish dinners and fundraisers to raise more than $15,000 for the statue.

ENTRANCE TO HOLINESS

Madawaska (Maine) Council 2638 undertook a project to renovate the entrance of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, which had not been upgraded in 25 years. Knights originally planned to simply replace the church sign, but

Members of Santa Maria Council 1443 in Haddonfield, N.J., paint one of the entrances at St. Rose of Lima Church. Knights prepared, primed and painted the church’s exterior entry and two side porches.

K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N

cent R. Capodanno Assembly at the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss., teamed up with Our Lady’s Rosary Makers to donate 50 handmade rosaries to deploying Navy chaplains. The chaplains, in turn, will distribute the rosaries among Catholic personnel as requested.

Pat Daly of Our Lady of Fatima Council 14961 in Delanso, N.Y., removes dead leaves and brush during a workday at Our Lady of Fatima Church. Knights tidied the parish grounds, cleaned the Stations of the Cross, and painted the altar, the pulpit and the bases of several statues.

ROSARIES FOR TROOPS

After seeing a notice that a member of George F. Monaghan Council 2690 in Livonia, Mich., was collecting rosaries to send to troops overseas, members of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Council 7444 in Milford worked with parishioners and other K of C units in the area to assembly more than 3,000 rosaries for the collection effort. Elsewhere, Father Vin-

SERVICES AUCTION

St. Stephen the Witness Council 14987 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls put its volunteer manpower into action for the first annual Knights Service Auction. While volunteering at an event at the university’s Catholic student center, Knights auctioned off a number of services, such as yard work, a cooked dinner for two and computer technical support. The auction raised close to $600 for charity.

PARISH UPDATES

Holy Trinity Council 9063 in San Miguel, Mindanao, cleaned the grounds of its parish by removing weeds and overgrown bushes, and by repairing the council’s prolife billboard. Knights also assisted in the building and furnishing of a new office for the parish council.

HONORING OUR FOUNDER

CONCERT USHERS

• Divine Mercy Council 11112 in Libertyville, Ill., in collaboration with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the respect life and women’s ministries at St. Paul the Apostle Church, organized a 54day novena to Venerable Michael McGivney.

VETERANS PLAZA

Mother Teresa Assembly in Schertz, Texas, donated $500 to help build a new Veterans Plaza on a city-owned site across from the council’s hall.

The donation was matched by assembly member Ed Higgs.

YOUNG ADULT DINNER

John W. Mackay Council 2310 in Glen Head, N.Y., hosted a steak dinner for the young adults at its parish and their families. Each youth in attendance also received a $25 gift certificate from the council.

COMEDY NIGHT FOR LIFE

Members of St. John the Evangelist Council 13255 in Marble Falls, Texas, roast corn for attendees at a youth day festival in their community. Knights roasted and distributed more than 1,000 ears of corn during a four-hour period.

Richard Jordon and Andy Aneuhofer of Heartland Council 7567 in Nocatee, Fla., roast two pigs over an open fire pit during a councilsponsored pig roast. The barbecue raised more than $750 for the council’s charitable fund.

Marian Council 3784 in Cherry Hill, N.J., held a comedy night fundraiser to benefit the National Life Center in Woodbury. More than 200 people attended the event, which raised $5,000 toward the purchase of an ultrasound machine.

Members of Pope John Paul I Assembly in Ocala, Fla., served as ushers during a performance by the Ocala Symphony Orchestra at Queen of Peace Church. Dressed in their tuxedos and baldrics, assembly members assisted patrons after receiving instruction on their duties as ushers from Tom Cernera, a Knight and member of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra Inc. DINNERS FOR LIFE

New York District #8 held a spaghetti dinner and Chinese auction to benefit the Life Center of Long Island. More than 380 people attended the event, which raised approximately $23,000. Meanwhile, Good Shepherd Council 10811 in Merrillville, Ind., hosted a meatloaf dinner and 50-50 raffle that saw nearly 300 guests in attendance.

Proceeds from the event were donated to pro-life causes.

• Joseph Miguel Ros Council 3067 in Georgetown, S.C., sponsored a series of novenas to Father McGivney to pray for the pro-life cause.

• When Clement Messing, a 38year member of Ruth (Mich.)

Council 3823, passed away, his family donated $4,000 to the council in his memory. After much deliberation, Knights decided that the most appropriate use of the funds would be to purchase a statue of Father McGivney for placement at the council’s hall. Knights also purchased an engraved plate in honor of Messing, while another council member constructed a custom case for the statue.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N SHRINE CLEANED

Durango (Colo.) Council 1408, St. Joan of Arc Council 12392 in Arvada and Holy Trinity of Los Pinos Council 14407 in Ignacio organized a work crew to upgrade the Stations of the Cross Shrine in San Luis. Knights rewired and added outdoor lights, erected new signs, and cleaned the bronze statues at each station.

Members of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom Council 14542 at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette play a game of table tennis during a service trip to St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict. Knights visited the abbey to cook a gumbo dinner for the facility’s 75 seminarians and 25 priests and staff. Prior to dinner, Knights met with seminarians to relax and play games.

RED, BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET

California District #34 and Holy Spirit Assembly in Dublin honored the region’s top fire and police personnel during the Knights’ Red, Blue and Gold Banquet.

More than 300 guests were on hand to applaud the officers chosen to receive awards.

As an added benefit, the event raised $1,765 for the Martin C. Kauffman 100 Club of Alameda County and the 100 Club of Contra Costa County. These organizations provide financial relief to the families of officers who die in the line of duty and college scholarships to the children of these heroes.

FIRE RELIEF

Msgr. Tjebbe Bekema Council 12060 in Thibodaux, La., donated $200 to a council member whose home was damaged in a fire. The funds were used for the Knight and his family to replace clothes and other items that were damaged during the blaze.

‘GIVING CRIB’

Paul Marrier of Pope John XXIII Council 5481 in Worcester, Mass., removes trash from the shore of Lake Quinsigamod during a clean-up event held in conjunction with several area residents. Knights removed trash, debris and other items that can damage the ecosystem there.

Knights have assisted with the annual clean-up for seven years.

30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

Father William A. Daly Council 2122 in Manhasset, N.Y., sponsored a “Giving Crib” to benefit Regina Residence, a pregnancy resource center operated by Catholic Charities. Knights, with help from Don Bosco Circle 548, decorated the crib with gift suggestions that were later purchased by parishioners at St. Mary Church. The council also accepted monetary donations.

JANUARY 2012

RECOVERY HELP

Father M. J. Monahan Council 4851 in Hollywood, Fla., held a fundraiser to benefit a 5-year-old girl who was hit by a tow truck March 22.

Knights raised $5,000 to assist with the medical expenses of the girl, who needed to be fitted with a prosthetic limb.

BINGO FOR HOSPITAL

Sarnia (Ontario) Council 1429 donated $25,000 toward the construction of the new Bluewater Health hospital in Sarnia. Funds for the donation were raised through a series of bingo games held over the course of a year.

Bluewater Health replaces another health facility that had become outdated.

Knights Jonathan Gibbons, Joseph Goldsmith, David Gaines and Levi Hartle perform as the a cappella group Sixtus at an event sponsored by The Catholic University of America Council 9542 in Washington, D.C. The members of Sixtus sang a number of songs — including selections from classic rock, gospel and even rap — while interspersing the concert with stories about the various vocations within the Catholic Church. After the show ended, the gentlemen remained to answer questions, talk with the students and sing a few more songs. death, and Knights asked permission to donate the unit to the nursing home in the man’s name. The council has also provided Westwood Nursing Home with canes, walkers and wheelchairs.

BLANKET RAFFLE

PAYING DUES

Holy Angels Council 10766 in Portsmouth, Va., raffled a hand-crocheted blanket that was made and donated by an area woman. Proceeds from the raffle exceeded $1,200, which was donated to Virginia Knights of Columbus Charities.

Johnstown (Pa.) Council 467 asked its members to donate to a pro-life cause when paying their annual dues. As a result of the campaign, the council was able to donate $200 each to local, state and national pro-life agencies.

HOSPITAL BED

St. Matthew Council 14275 in Statesboro, Ga., donated a new hospital bed to Westwood Nursing Home after the bed’s owner passed away unexpectedly. The family of an elderly parishioner at St. Matthew Church purchased the bed right before his

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JANUARY 2012

♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 31

C O LU M B I A N I S M B Y D E G R E E S

Unity MEMBERS OF Waterloo (Iowa) Council 700 look on as the base of a statue honoring the five Sullivan Brothers is relocated to its new home next to the council’s hall. George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert Sullivan were Waterloo natives serving aboard the USS Juneau when it was sunk by the Japanese in 1942. All five brothers were killed in action, and a statue was erected in their memory at St. Mary’s Church and School. When the parish closed in 2006, the statue fell into serious disrepair. Council 700 undertook a project to restore and relocate the statue and its base, and to create a cement display area around it.

Charity

Fraternity

Patriotism

MIKE MIDAS (center) of St. George Council 6622 in Newnan, Ga., and his wife, Agnes (second from left), stand with the new ultrasound machine that K of C councils in Georgia District #19 donated to the new Holy Innocents Center in Kingston, Jamaica, through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative. Councils in District #19 raised approximately $11,900 to purchase an ultrasound for a deserving pregnancy center, and Midas, an associate member of the Missionaries of the Poor, suggested that it be sent to the organization’s new pregnancy center in Jamaica.

ROB LOULA of Father Edward Fitzgerald Council 12772 in Plain City, Ohio, and Duane Lord of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Assembly in Marysville present Father Patrick A. Toner with a handmade cherrywood chalice and paten. The Knights presented Father Toner with the gifts in appreciation for his service to the council and the assembly. Father Toner has been a Knight for 36 years and has served as the chaplain of Council 12772 since 2001.

MEMBERS of St. Ann Council 14620 in Kaneohe, Hawaii, work with the USO to set out drinks, snacks and gift bags for soldiers at the Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu. Knights spent time working with the USO to provide goodies for the troops prior to their deployment.

• John Paul I Council 7165 in Woodbridge, Va., hosted a special drive to assist wounded soldiers who are recovering at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Knights collected and delivered approximately $2,000 worth of clothing, $800 worth of phone and gift cards, and several boxes of toiletries.

32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

JANUARY 2012

KNIGHT S O F CO LU MBU S

Building a better world one council at a time 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.

TO

BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S

C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW

Mr. and Mrs. Villa Vito (center) cut the ribbon to a new community leisure park with assistance from Prudel Paredes (second from left) and Luis Ricafort (far right) of Immaculate Conception Council 14405 in Cainta, Luzon. Knights worked with area homeowners to develop the park as a recreation area for young and elderly members of the community, and were present for the park’s dedication and blessing.

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JANUARY 2012

♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 33

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

KEEP T HE FAITH ALIV E

‘THE CALL WAS THERE, BUT I WASN’T LISTENING.’ My parents raised my siblings and me in the faith. My twin brother and I were altar servers, and I first thought about becoming a priest while in junior high school. Kneeling at Mass and watching the priest elevate the host, I knew that this is what I was called to do. But I pushed the thought away and never talked to anyone about it.

The call was there throughout high school and college, but I wasn’t listening. For several years, I enjoyed a successful career as an accountant, but I knew that there was something else I was supposed to be doing with my life. After much prayer, I realized that Christ was calling me to be a priest. I entered the seminary in 2004 and was ordained June 4, 2011. I have never been happier.

Working as an assistant pastor and as chaplain of a Catholic high school allows me to bring Christ to our next generation of Catholic leaders, guiding young men and women to discern their own calling from the Lord.

Photo by Michael S. Confer

FATHER JASON F. STOKES Diocese of Allentown, Pa.