Columbia January 2014

KNIGH T S O F C O L U M B U S

J ANUARY 2014

COLUMBIA

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS JANUARY 2014 ♦ VOLUME 94 ♦ NUMBER 1

COLUMBIA

F E AT U R E S

8 Marching Orders Midyear meeting of K of C leaders focuses on evangelization as key to Order’s growth and mission.

BY COLUMBIA STAFF

12 The Gospel of Life According to Pope Francis Throughout his ministry as archbishop and pope, the Holy Father has issued a clarion call to affirm life.

16 Hope on Wheels Mobile ultrasound units deliver life-changing images to pregnant women nationwide.

BY J.D. LONG-GARCÍA

20 Casting Out Fear Couples facing prenatal diagnoses find support and consolation from local Catholic services.

BY MARYBETH T. HAGAN

23 Reunited After 75 years, two brothers — and brother Knights — meet for the first time.

BY MICHAEL C. GABRIELE

In less than five years, Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative has placed at least one ultrasound machine in every state — and more than 400 nationwide.

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world

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Learning the faith, living the faith

Photo by J.D. Long-García

As the head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph teaches us how to live out the vocation of husband and father.

Knights of Columbus News

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Knights in Action

Knights Provide ‘Food for Families’ During Holidays • Major Archbishop Blesses Order in Ukraine

Pope Francis challenges all Knights to embrace a missionary spirit of charity that reaches the peripheries.

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

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Fathers for Good The next Vatican synod will focus on challenges for the modern family.

BY BRIAN CAULFIELD

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

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The Pope’s Pro-Life Appeal AS WE ONCE AGAIN anticipate the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade and consider the perennial task of protecting human life, some will no doubt object.

On the one hand, many people argue that abortion is a religious issue, which has no place in politics. On the other hand, others argue that abortion is a political issue, which has no place in religion. While holding seemingly opposite positions, both sides agree on one thing: the topic of abortion should be avoided. Last September, each side felt vindicated when, in a widely publicized interview, Pope Francis implied that some Catholics focus too much on certain topics, including abortion. Nonetheless, if we look closer at Pope Francis’ teachings and actions, it does not take long to see that the Holy Father is very concerned with defending and promoting human life.

Throughout his ministry as archbishop of Buenos Aires, and on choice occasions already during his pontificate, Pope Francis has spoken unequivocally on life issues (see page 12). Most recently, in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), he made an explicit appeal to protect the unborn, “the most defenseless and innocent among us.” He went on to say that “reason alone is sufficient to recognize the inviolable value of each single human life,” even if faith allows us to see this more clearly. Moreover, although the Church is accused of being “ideological” when presenting her position on life issues, “defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right” (213). In other words, the Church rightly emphasizes the defense of

human life, and this emphasis cannot simply be reduced to religious belief or partisan politics.

What, then, did Pope Francis mean when he said that Catholics should not focus exclusively on topics such as abortion? Well, he meant just that. While the Church’s concern about moral issues related to life, marriage and chastity goes beyond conventional notions of religion and politics, this concern is itself grounded in something greater — the Gospel message. As Pope Francis often emphasizes, Jesus sets us free from sin, emptiness and death, and invites us to live in the joyful witness of his love and salvation. If we stay focused on this larger picture of the Church’s mission, it will affect how we respond in word and deed to the troubles besetting the world today.

In the face of a “throwaway culture,” Pope Francis urges Christians to “go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel” (EG, 20). And in reference to the Gospel of life, he calls us to “accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution to their profound anguish” (214). Such challenges resonate deeply with the Knights of Columbus, founded on the first principle of charity. The Church’s mission to reach out those on the “peripheries” was underscored at the recent midyear meeting of K of C leaders (see page 8). And this mission is likewise evident in the efforts of councils everywhere to build a culture of life.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR

Culture of Life Resource: Ten Universal Principles WHEN HUMAN LIFE is at stake, what principles do we use to guide our decisions and actions? Can we find “public arguments” that do not rest on religious grounds that both believers and nonbelievers can embrace? In Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues (Ignatius Press, 2011), Jesuit Father Robert J. Spitzer sets out 10 core principles for thinking and talking intelligently about moral and ethical issues regarding human life today.

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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 EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi SENIOR EDITOR Kaitlyn Landgraf EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ________

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 © 2014 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER Pope Francis blesses a baby as he leaves at the end of his Wednesday general audience in St Peter’s Square May 1, 2013.

COVER: Photo by Reuters//Tony Gentile

E D I TO R I A L

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

Mission to the Frontiers Pope Francis challenges all Knights to embrace a missionary spirit of charity that reaches the peripheries

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

IN HIS NEW apostolic exhortation, But when we “act to meet that Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the need,” we are personifying a “charity Gospel), Pope Francis has written of the that evangelizes.” In this way, we are also and above all in what I call the ‘exneed to foster within the Church a realizing a form of “missionary disci- istential peripheries’? Or are we closed greater “missionary spirit” and for pleship” — a discipleship that is cen- in on ourselves, in our own groups, in Catholics to take more seriously their tral to the vocation of the laity to our own little churches? Or do we love calling to “missionary discipleship.” In transform society according to the the great Church, Mother Church, the the brief time that he has been pope, Gospel.

Church that sends us out on mission we have seen that this missionary spirit At this moment in the history of and brings us out of ourselves?” is central to Francis’ pastoral focus.

Pope Francis has also said that an asour Church, the Knights of ColumIn his 1990 encyclical letter on the bus has an extraordinary opportunity pect of Jesuit life that attracted him as Church’s mission, Redemptoris Missio, to serve on the frontline with Pope a young man was St. Ignatius’ “fourth Blessed John Paul II wrote vow” of obedience: Jesuits about what is at the heart of should always be ready to be this missionary spirit. He said sent on a mission by the We are realizing a form of that a true “missionary is a perpope. But why should this be discipleship that is central to the son of charity…. He is a sign of a challenge only for Jesuits?

God’s love in the world” (89).

Should not every Catholic vocation of the laity to transform In this way, too, we see an listen attentively to the words extraordinary witness by Pope of our Holy Father? And if society according to the Gospel.

Francis — of his love for the we listen carefully to Pope sick, the suffering and the Francis, will we not hear that poor. It is a witness that has captured Francis in his witness of charity. St. we are all being sent on a mission? the imagination of the world.

This is especially true of the Knights Ignatius of Loyola once told a group As an organization, the Knights of of Jesuits that “no commonplace of Columbus. In a private audience Columbus stands shoulder to shoulder achievement will satisfy the great ob- with the supreme officers and directors with our Holy Father in making this ligations you have of excelling.” The Oct. 20, the Holy Father praised the witness. In thousands of different ways, same can be said of today’s Knights of “quiet strength, integrity and fidelity” of our Order. He thanked us for our our councils offer the opportunity for Columbus. nearly 2 million Catholic men to be For this to become a reality, we commitment to charity, and he chalpersons of charity and missionaries must not be content with the status lenged us to continue this great work. after the example of Pope Francis. And quo. We must embrace a missionary As a new year begins, let us adopt a in doing this, we answer the call of spirit — one that extends the limits of new missionary spirit and reaffirm — Blessed John Paul II for a “charity that what we do in service to our neigh- with quiet strength, integrity and fievangelizes.” bors. We must be willing to go to the delity — our commitment to a charity Many of our brother Knights would frontiers and reach out to those on the that evangelizes. Let us proceed in this great work in the tradition of the hardly think of themselves as mission- margins. aries or evangelists. Instead, most would In an address to pilgrims last June, Knights of Columbus: as a Catholic say with humility, “We just see where a Pope Francis asked, “Are we really a brotherhood building greater communeed exists in our parish or community Church united to Christ in order to go nities of charity, unity and fraternity. and we act to meet that need.”

Vivat Jesus! out and proclaim him to everyone,

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

Guardian of the Mystery of God As the head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph teaches us how to live out the vocation of husband and father

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part three in a special series on men’s spirituality.

his apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph. “St. Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood,” the pope wrote.

“In recalling that ‘the beginnings of our redemption’ were entrusted ‘to the faithful care of Joseph,’ the Liturgy specifies that ‘God placed him at the head of his family, as a faithful and prudent servant, so that

Vatican Council had in mind when it NO WORDS spoken by St. Joseph said of Jesus: “He worked with human are recorded in the Gospels. But in hands, he thought with a human mind the words of Blessed John Paul II, … and loved with a human heart” “the silence of Joseph has its own spe(Gaudium et Spes, 22). cial eloquence, for thanks to that siJoseph, as Jesus’ foster father, took lence we can understand the truth of seriously his responsibility to care for the Gospel’s judgment that he was ‘a all the needs of his child. Parents are just man’” (Redemptoris Custos, 17; cf. the first teachers of their children in Mt 1:19). the ways of culture and faith.

In light of the feast of the Jesus acquired much of his Holy Family, which was celehuman knowledge from both brated on the final Sunday of Not only is Joseph a model of a Joseph and Mary, who together December, and following last provided his first earthly experimonth’s column on the spiridevoted husband and father, but ence of love and influenced the tual leadership of St. Joseph, development of his personality. the Holy Family is rightly called Mary and Joseph also handed on I would now like to delve deeper into Joseph’s role as to Jesus the faith of Israel, teach“the prototype and example of the father of Jesus and the ing him how to pray and to live head of the Holy Family. the Law; their home was the all Christian families.”

As so many Knights of “seminary” for the great High Columbus can attest, the dayPriest. to-day role of father and head While Scripture speaks often of household is complex, requiring a with fatherly care he might watch of Mary’s love for her Son, it also dediverse skill set. After all, a father is over his only begotten Son’” (Re- picts the quiet strength and love of called on to do many things — from demptoris Custos, 8).

Joseph toward his foster child. Both making repairs around the house to Although the Gospels do not pro- were powerfully displayed when Joseph protecting his family from harm and vide many details about Joseph, we and Mary, after searching for three helping to form the faith and moral know that he supported Jesus and days, found the 12-year-old Jesus in foundation of his children. Fathers play Mary by his work as a carpenter and the temple. Mary, exasperated, asked: a critical role in the stability of families, that he was a man of prudence, pro- “Son, why have you treated us so? Beand Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was tective of his family and ever attentive hold, your father and I have been lookno exception. to God’s voice. Like many fathers, ing for you anxiously” Jesus replied, Joseph taught his son a trade, and the “How is it that you sought me? Did JOSEPH’S FATHERHOOD Son of Man learned from his earthly you not know that I must be in my FaThe importance of St. Joseph’s exam- father how to make a living through ther’s house?” (Lk 2:48-49). Of this faple as a husband and father is perhaps hard work and the sweat of his brow. mous biblical scene, John Paul II best summarized by John Paul II in It was this historic fact that the Second wrote, “The reply of Jesus in the Tem4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

ple brought once again to the mind of his ‘presumed father’ what he had heard on that night twelve years earlier: ‘Joseph … do not fear to take Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit’ (Mt 1:20).

From that time onward he knew that he was a guardian of the mystery of God” (Redemptoris Custos, 15).

ORDINARY HOLINESS Not only is Joseph a model of a devoted husband and father, but the Holy Family is rightly called “the prototype and example of all Christian families” (Familiaris Consortio, 86).

This family lived in cultural circum-

POPE FRANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring — BLESSED FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS: CNS photo/courtesy National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis GENERAL: That all may promote authentic economic development that respects the dignity of all peoples.

MISSION: That Christians of diverse denominations may walk toward the unity desired by Christ.

stances vastly different from ours today, but Jesus, Mary and Joseph teach us certain perennial truths about family life — truths upheld by Knights of Columbus and their families throughout the world. One such truth is the importance of the ordinary. By becoming one of us and choosing to live in an ordinary family, Jesus Christ demonstrated the value that God places on mothers, fathers and children attending to their daily responsibilities. The Lord taught us that our salvation is worked out in our everyday life. God’s will for us is often all too obvious.

The example of the Holy Family

also teaches us that parents are called to take a direct and personal role in the education of their children, helping them to acquire important life skills and to know the reality of God’s love.

As Knights of Columbus, you help parents fulfill their vocation through your example and your prayers. Let us look upon the Holy Family with gratitude as we ask the intercession of Joseph and Mary for families everywhere — for those that are healthy and for those that struggle.

Through these prayers, may family life experience an authentic renewal as we meet the challenges of the new evangelization.♦

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

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867) BORN JAN. 11, 1819, in Bavaria, Germany, Francis Xavier Seelos was raised among 11 siblings in a devoted Catholic family. As a child, when his mother asked him what he wanted to do with his life, he pointed to a picture of his patron saint and said, “I’m going to be another St. Francis.” At age 23, he entered the missionaries of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a society dedicated to ministering to the neglected and marginalized, especially immigrants to America.

Francis arrived in the United States in April 1843 and was ordained a priest in Baltimore in 1844. The following year, he was sent to Pittsburgh, where he assisted Father John Neumann, the future bishop and saint. Father Seelos became well-known for his joy, compassion and gift of preaching in German, English and French. People often traveled miles to go to confession with him.

In 1860, it was recommended that Father Seelos be ordained bishop of Pittsburgh. In response, he wrote to Pope Pius IX requesting “to be liber-

ated from this calamity.” His request was honored, and he continued his work with the Redemptorists. A few years later, during the Civil War, Father Seelos traveled to Washington to meet with President Lincoln. As superior of the Redemptorist seminary, he successfully petitioned that seminarians be exempted from military service.

After a period of itinerant mission work through much of New England and the Midwest, Father Seelos was assigned to New Orleans. His ministry there was brief, since he contracted yellow fever from caring for victims of the deadly disease. He died in October 1867 at the age of 48. Pope John Paul II declared him blessed in April 2000, and his feast day is celebrated Oct. 5.♦

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Knights Provide ‘Food for Families’ During Holidays AS PART OF the Order’s Food for Families initiative, Knights of Columbus councils participated in a wide range of programs that provided holiday meals to low-income families.

In addition, the Supreme Council donated $20,000 to the Connecticut Food Bank in order to give Thanksgiving dinners to families in need. The donation covered the cost of 1,000 turkeys and 2.5 tons of trimmings. K of C members and home office employees also participated in the annual “Fill the Bowl” event sponsored by the Connecticut Food Bank at New Haven’s Yale Bowl before the annual Yale-Harvard football game.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Knights of Columbus, who are making the holiday season a bit brighter for thousands of low-income Connecticut families,” said Nancy L. Carrington, president and CEO of Connecticut Food Bank.

In neighboring Massachusetts, Fairview Council 4044 in Chicopee conducted its annual community Thanksgiving dinner. Volunteers served more than 3,700 meals to people in need — a record 2,150 were delivered to the homebound — surpassing last year’s tally by 200 meals. A portion of the cost was covered by council funds, but additional fundraising and donations raised nearly $10,000.

For the 23rd year, Fairview Council 4044 in Chicopee, Mass., hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner, serving more than 3,700 meals throughout the week to the needy.

“We had tremendous support from the community,” said dinner chairman Ronald Belair.

The Supreme Council offers financial rebates to councils that donate food or money — $100 for every $500 or every 500 pounds of food — to a parish food pantry, community food bank or soup kitchen, up to a maximum refund of $500 per council per fraternal year. Visit kofc.org/food for more information.♦

ON NOV. 6, 2013, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, led a Divine Liturgy in Kiev, Ukraine, to celebrate the creation of the first Knights of Columbus councils in that country. As announced at the 131st Supreme Convention in August 2013, the Order established two councils in Ukraine and a round table in Lithuania, constituting the Knights’ first international expansions since councils were established in Poland in 2006.

In his homily, Major Archbishop Shevchuk expressed joy regarding the establishment of the Order in Ukraine.

“Knighthood has always been the builder of the future, for it lays the unshakable foundations of personal, family and community life,” the major archbishop said. “The Knights of Columbus was established in order to live out the Gospel within the complex social structure that prevailed in the 6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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Members of St. Volodymyr Council 15800 stand with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kiev, Ukraine.

United States in the 19th century. We rejoice that knighthood is taking root in the life of our Church.”

To date, more than 125 Ukrainian men have joined the Knights of Columbus, including laity, priests and

bishops. After the liturgy, Major Archbishop Shevchuk participated in an organizational meeting for St. Volodymyr Council 15800 that focused on how to effectively communicate the Order’s principles to “the Ukrainian soul.”♦

KIEV: Photo by Yaroslav Pavliuk of St. Volodymyr Council 15800

Major Archbishop Blesses Order in Ukraine

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

Families Welcome The next Vatican synod will focus on challenges for the modern family

by Brian Caulfield

W

Thinkstock

hen bishops throughout the world gather at the Vatican Oct. 5-19 for a synod convoked by Pope Francis, they will address a theme that hits close to home — the family. In the meeting’s preparatory document, bishops are asked to respond to questions about family life, marriage, passing on the faith, and adherence to Church teaching.

Laypeople have also been invited to offer input on these topics, providing a wonderful opportunity for Knights and their families to ponder questions that affect their lives and faith in today’s world.

The theme of the meeting is “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” At first you may wonder why the family is being considered in connection to evangelization. After all, families face enough challenges today without worrying about having to spread the faith far and wide. But the synod is approaching the concept in terms of the new evangelization, which is not solely a job for professed missionaries preaching in foreign lands. Laypersons are called to share the Gospel closer to home, in places where the Church is no longer vibrant or plays little part in the lives of those who are baptized. In this context, the family emerges as a central agent in evangelization, for it is here that children first learn of God, are brought to the sacraments, and are taught the values and virtues of the Catholic faith. Families are also at the center of their parishes, their communities and the larger culture as they live out their faith as public witnesses called to “give a reason for (their) hope” in Christ (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).

A family living out the Catholic faith with peace, patience and joy, even amid earthly struggles, can be a powerful witness to the beauty and necessity of God’s grace. Such a family, by simple example, can bring Christ to those who are searching for meaning and seeking happiness in a world that offers many pleasures that fail to satisfy.

Of course, this is not the first time a major Vatican gathering has discussed the family. Blessed John Paul II convened a synod of bishops on “The Role of the Christian Family” in 1980. The following year, he published Familiaris Consortio,

an apostolic exhortation that has become known as the “magna carta” for the pastoral care of marriage and families.

The task of renewing and strengthening marriage and family life remains of utmost concern to the Church today. The upcoming synod’s preparatory document states, “The social and spiritual crisis, so evident in today’s world, is becoming a pastoral challenge in the Church’s evangelizing mission concerning the family, the vital building block of society and the ecclesial community.”

It is all too evident how popular culture, changes in public policy, and the media undermine the integrity and definition of marriage. Materialism, consumerism, separation and divorce threaten even faithful Catholic families. In the preparatory document, the bishops ask how the Church can respond pastorally to the challenges families face and the needs they express. How can families support one another in dealing with these challenges and living out the faith?

In addition to these questions, the synod document addresses issues such as how people understand the concept of marriage based on the natural law; the quality of marriage preparation in dioceses and the extent of continuing pastoral care for married couples; the effects of cohabitation and samesex “marriage” on society; and how a couple’s faith corresponds to their openness to life and the spiritual upbringing of their children.

You can access the preparatory document on the Vatican website (vatican.va). Take some time to read and discuss it with your spouse, bringing your children into the conversation when appropriate. Even if you don’t have definite answers, the questions will help you focus on important issues regarding the Catholic faith and family life. The Church we pass on to the next generation will depend greatly on how well we address these challenges today, for as John Paul II wrote, “The future of the world and of the Church passes through the family” (Familiaris Consortio, 75).♦ BRIAN CAULFIELD is editor of Fathers for Good.

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

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MARCHING ORDERS Midyear meeting of K of C leaders focuses on evangelization as key to Order’s growth and mission

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gainst the backdrop of the scenic St. Lawrence River, the leadership of the Knights of Columbus gathered in Québec City Nov. 6-10, 2013, for their midyear meeting. The supreme officers, board of directors and 70 state deputies, together with more than 50 state chaplains, including four bishops, came together to discuss the Order’s goals and priorities for the remainder of the 2013-14 fraternal year.

Several speakers during the meeting made reference to Pope Francis’ recurring call to avoid becoming a “self-referential” Church and to reach out to the “existential peripheries” of human experience and suffering. The Order shares in the Church’s mission of charity and evangelization, they said, and it is for this reason that the growth and spiritual formation of the membership is crucial.

“The Knights of Columbus cannot become a self-referential organization, closed in on itself,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson in his keynote address Nov. 7. “We must be moving outward … and that must be the challenge for every one of our councils.”

CELEBRATING OUR ROOTS The midyear meeting began with a pilgrimage of K of C leaders to the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec. The Archdiocese of Québec is the oldest see in the New World north of Mexico, and Notre-Dame de Québec — one of the oldest parishes in North America — celebrates its 350th anniversary jubilee in 2014. Meeting in Québec City during the anniversary year “expresses in a very concrete way the unity of the Knights of Columbus,” the supreme knight said.

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Above the main altar of the cathedral-basilica hangs a painting of the Immaculate Conception, which is the centerpiece of the Order’s latest international Marian Prayer Program. Reproductions of the image, blessed by Pope Francis, were entrusted to state deputies during the 131st Supreme Convention in August 2013.

Archbishop Gérald C. Lacroix of Québec, primate of Canada, welcomed the Knights to the cathedral-basilica on Nov. 7 for a solemn Mass, which was concelebrated by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore and the gathered state chaplains.

In his homily, Archbishop Lacroix exhorted the Knights to rescue people from a “selfish life that leads only to sadness and emptiness” and to reach out to those who have fallen away from the Church.

“Brother Knights of Columbus, the Lord Jesus counts on us today to be the ones who will go out to search and find those who are lost,” said the archbishop, who is a member of Charlesbourg Council 6289. “There is an urgency for us to go out to reach the growing number of people who are without Christ, without the Church, and often without hope, without direction for their life.”

Following Mass at the cathedral-basilica, Archbishop Lacroix, Supreme Knight Anderson and Archbishop Lori paused at the tomb of Blessed François de Laval to pray for the Church in Québec and across Canada. In his keynote address, Anderson later called Blessed François “a man of courage, a man of vision, a man of evangelization.”

As the first bishop of “New France,” Blessed François set

Photo by Tom Serafin

by Columbia staff

Above: After concelebrating a Mass of pilgrimage at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec Nov. 7, 2013, bishops and priests lead the congregation in singing the Salve Regina before the image of Mary as the Immaculate Conception above the main altar. • Opposite page: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivers his keynote address to the assembled state deputies and state chaplains.

Photo by Daniel Abel/Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec

the foundation for the Knights’ founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, to begin his seminary studies at the Seminary of Saint-Hyacinthe in Montreal nearly 200 years later.

“Father McGivney is a spiritual son of Blessed Bishop de Laval and the French Catholicism of his day,” the supreme knight said.

THE MISSION OF THE LAITY The unique role of the laity, which was recognized by Father McGivney in the late 19th century, was a central theme of the meeting in Québec. Both the supreme knight and Archbishop Lori emphasized that the laity is essential to the Church’s evangelizing mission, citing Blessed John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America: “The renewal of the Church in America will not be possible without the active presence of the laity. Therefore, the laity, the lay faithful is largely responsible for the future of the Church” (44).

Supreme Knight Anderson noted that Father McGivney demonstrated the “practical and spiritual genius of giving laymen leadership roles and [founding] an organization that in a thousand different ways every year has created means … to express the Christian values of charity, unity and fraternity for all to see.”

In order to fulfill this mission, the supreme knight said, it

is essential for the Order to increase its membership. “The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 to find one,” he said. “How can we have councils that are happy with the one and refuse to go after the 99?”

Speaking on behalf of the chaplains gathered at the meeting, Archbishop Lori highlighted how Knights of Columbus are particularly equipped to take part in the new evangelization. He observed that the Order is “the premier organization in which laymen, together with their wives and families, can become equipped spiritually, morally and intellectually to bear witness to the Gospel and to bring the Gospel out of the four walls of the Church and into the world.”

The supreme chaplain also discussed the Knights’ emphasis on building strong marriages and families: “The Order helps us all see how the vocation to authentic marriage and family life is essential to the Church’s mission of evangelization — for it is in the heart of the family where the Gospel is to be received and lived, and it is authentically Catholic families, joyful and united, that bear witness to the Gospel and serve the common good.”

In light of cultural challenges facing the Church and declining religious practice, Archbishop Lori further underscored the need for Knights to make a conscious decision to embrace their faith.

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“We find ourselves in a situation not unlike the early Church — in which every Christian had to intend to be a Christian, [knowing] it would be a life-changing decision,” he said. An “intentional disciple,” he added, is “someone in whom the Gospel has hit home, and who is willing to bear witness to the truth and joy of his faith before others.”

OPEN DOORS Supreme Knight Anderson and Archbishop Lacroix were among the speakers who referenced Pope Francis’ appeal that the Church go out to the “peripheries” and avoid becoming self-enclosed.

Referring to the pope’s challenge, Anderson emphasized the importance of ministering to the needs of the underprivileged and suffering through charity, the first principle of the Order.

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Quoting Pope Benedict, he stated, “The Church is a great family in which no one should be hungry or lack the basic necessities of life” (Deus Caritas Est, 25).

Among the Knights’ many charitable initiatives, the supreme knight pointed to the Food for Families program, which included 500 million pounds of food donations last year, and the Supreme Council’s pledge of $250,000 to aid the Philippines in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan.

The supreme knight also emphasized how important it is for the Knights to resist stagnation and complacency. “We cannot be accepting of councils that are happy with a status quo, that are closed in on themselves, that are not interested in expanding and opening their doors and bringing in new members,” he said.

As part of Notre-Dame de Québec’s jubilee anniversary

Photos by Tom Serafin

Clockwise from top left: Supreme Knight Anderson speaks to the meeting participants about membership recruitment. • Archbishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix of Québec, primate of Canada, delivers his homily during the Mass of pilgrimage. • Archbishop Lacroix shares a prayerful moment with Supreme Knight Anderson and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore before the tomb of Québec’s first bishop, Blessed François de Laval. • Mississippi State Deputy David Scott offers input during a business session. • Supreme Warden George Hanna leads a discussion of jurisdiction progress reports. • State deputies and state chaplains work together in spiritual and membership development workshops.

THE POWER OF ONE

celebration, the Supreme Council, the Québec State Council and the Canadian Association of the 10 Canadian provincial councils teamed up to donate $500,000 to underwrite the creation of a Holy Door for a side chapel of the cathedral-basilica. The massive bronze door is the first Vatican-sanctioned Holy Door in North America and the seventh such door in the world. It bears the emblem of the Order in recognition of the Knights’ support for its creation and will remain open throughout the jubilee year, until Dec. 28, 2014.

“Entering through the Holy Door will most certainly be a profound spiritual experience, a public expression of coming to Christ, drawing closer to him,” Archbishop Lacroix said. “But it should also produce in us a profound desire to go out, as Jesus invites us, to meet our brothers and sisters in need.”

THE “One Member Per Council Per Month” recruitment initiative exists because the future of the Knights of Columbus depends on our councils growing their membership. How can our K of C leaders and all Knights promote membership growth? First, we need to believe in our councils and in the overall future of the Order. We must also remember that charitable programs are the reason for membership. Such activities provide an opportunity to serve our Church and our communities, as well as an opportunity for future members to see who we are and what we do. Lastly, working together with our brother Knights, chaplains and insurance agents, we need to commit ourselves to inviting eligible Catholic men to join us.

Think of the initiative as a pyramid. At the summit is the “One Member Per Council Per Month” goal. The following three steps point the way.

1. One First Degree each month District deputies should make a concerted effort to ensure that First Degree ceremonies are held each month and that councils bring at least one new member to each ceremony. Soon, it will be easier than ever for state and district deputies to ensure that councils hold First Degree ceremonies every month. A forthcoming DVD containing the entire First Degree ceremony will be available, which can be played in the council chamber without a dedicated degree team.

2. One new council per diocese per year New council development, council reactivation and round tables will expand the Order’s base for continued growth in future years. Reactivated councils are a great source of new members, and new councils can recruit, on average, 10-25 Catholic gentlemen.

3. Star Council development Star Councils — that is, councils that achieve their membership quotas and conduct service programs in various categories — help ensure the success of their districts and, in turn, jurisdictions. This kind of excellence rises all the way to the top to help the Order as a whole reach new heights.

— Adapted from a presentation by Lou Barbour, vice president of membership growth, which was delivered during the midyear meeting.

The archbishop likewise urged the Knights to embrace their call to share the Gospel with those who are lost and suffering around them. “It would be wonderful if people around you and me, around your councils and assemblies, would say: ‘These Knights of Columbus, they welcome sinners and eat with them,’” he said. “That would mean that we resemble more and more our Savior Jesus Christ.”♦

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The of According to Pope Francis Throughout his ministry as archbishop and pope, the Holy Father has issued a clarion call to affirm life

Pope Francis kisses a child as he arrives to lead his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 8, 2013.

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D

uring his 15 years as archbishop of Buenos Aires and his 10 months as Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio has consistently defended the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. In the face of what Pope Francis has called the “throwaway culture” of our times, a recurring theme in his teaching has been concern for the most vulnerable and defenseless human beings, including children — born and unborn — the disabled, and the elderly. While he made it clear in a widely publicized interview that “it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time,” it is equally clear that Pope Francis has not hesitated to speak out time and again about the crucial task of building a culture of life.

In the following pages, Columbia presents excerpts from some key pro-life statements by Cardinal Bergoglio-Pope Francis.

PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY The [Aparecida] document asks governments, regulators and health care providers to defend the inalienable value of life, and to encourage conscientious objection in the face of laws or government regulations that are unjust in the light of faith and reason. This is a matter of “eucharistic consistency,” which means “to be conscious that they cannot receive holy Communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia and other grave crimes against life and the family are encouraged. This responsibility weighs particularly over legislators, heads of governments and health professionals” (436). …

I want to focus in particular on two stages of life that I consider essential for the growth in peace of different generations: childhood and old age. They are the two extremes of life, and they are the most vulnerable and the most forgotten. A society that abandons its children and eliminates its elderly is mortgaging its future.

— Article titled “The Family in the Light of the Aparecida Document” (Familia et Vita, 2008).

CRYING OUT TO THE LORD The Holy Father [John Paul II] warns us that “nowadays a model of society appears to be emerging in which the powerful predominate, setting aside and even eliminating the powerless: I am thinking here of unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and incurably ill, subjected at times to euthanasia; SIGNS OF HOPE and the many other people relegated to We are aware that the tragedy of our the margins of society by consumerism time is the split between the Gospel VERY CHILD WHO, and materialism. … This model of soand culture. Families, institutions and ciety bears the stamp of the culture of society in general are unable to find RATHER THAN BEING death, and is therefore in opposition to new ways of sustaining themselves and the Gospel message. Faced with this growing. In our country, we are faced BORN, IS CONDEMNED distressing reality, the Church commuwith the loss of values that are at the UNJUSTLY TO BEING nity intends to commit itself all the root of our identity, with the resulting more to the defense of the culture of risk of the unraveling of our social ABORTED, BEARS THE FACE life” (Ecclesia in America, 63). ... fabric. …

We are like Peter that night on the In spite of such social fragmentaOF J ESUS C HRIST.” lake: On the one hand, the presence of tion, fundamental values endure in our the Lord encourages us to accept and homeland: the battle for life from conface the waves of these challenges; on ception to natural death; the defense the other hand, the environment of of human dignity; the ability to appreself-sufficiency and arrogance — pure pride — that this cul- ciate freedom, constancy and concern for the demands of justure of death is creating threatens us, and we are afraid of sink- tice; the effort to educate children well; esteem for the family, ing in the midst of the storm. The Lord is there: We believe friendship and affection; and a sense of celebration and popit with the certainty that the power of the Holy Spirit gives ular creativity that does not give up but seeks to firmly resolve to us. And, in defiance of the Lord, there is the muffled difficult situations in daily life. All these are signs of hope that scream of countless unborn children: this daily genocide, encourage us to proclaim Jesus Christ as we seek new ways to silent and protected. There is also the cry of the dying ones transmit the faith, a transmission so battered by the crisis dewho have been abandoned and who are begging for a tender scribed above. caress that this culture of death cannot give. And there is the — Address during the “Ad Limina” Visit to His Holiness Benemultitude of families reduced to shreds by the proposals of dict XVI, March 14, 2009. consumerism and materialism. In the midst of this conflict and in the presence of Jesus Christ in glory, united today as ON EUTHANASIA AND ABORTION the faithful people of God, we cry like Peter did when he Our morality also says that one has to do what is necessary began to sink, “Lord, save me” (Mt 14:30), and we stretch and ordinary, in those cases where the end is foreseeable. out our hand to grasp the only One who can give true mean- Quality of life must be ensured. The strength of medicine, in ing to our going into the waves. terminal cases, is not so much about making someone live an— Meeting of Latin American politicians and legislators, Aug. 3, other three days or three months, but rather in making sure 1999. the body suffers as little as possible. One is not obligated to

CNS photo/Stefano Rellandini, Reuters — TITLE DESIGN: Laurel Dugan

“E

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Pope Francis greets pilgrims with disabilities and senior citizens after celebrating Mass for “Evangelium Vitae” Day June 16, 2013. The day called attention to care for the aged, the unborn, the sick and those with disabilities.

SAVING TWO LIVES With respect to the [veto of the] non-punishable abortion law in Buenos Aires, we sense once again that we are deliberately moving toward the limitation and elimination of the supreme value of life and ignoring the rights of unborn children. When 14 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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talking about a pregnant mother, we are talking about two lives. Both must be preserved and respected, because life has an absolute value. …

Abortion is never a solution. For our part, we must listen, support and understand in order to save two lives: to respect the smallest and most defenseless human being, to adopt measures to preserve his life, to allow him to be born and then to be creative in finding ways that will lead to his full development.

— Message regarding the approval of the law on non-punishable abortions, Sept. 9, 2012.

SAYING “YES” TO LIFE All too often, as we know from experience, people do not choose life, they do not accept the “Gospel of Life” but let themselves be led by ideologies and ways of thinking that block life, that do not respect life, because they are dictated by selfishness, self-interest, profit, power and pleasure, and not by love, by concern for the good of others. It is the eternal dream of wanting to build the city of man without God, without God’s life and love — a new Tower of Babel. ...

Dear brothers and sisters, let us look to God as the God of Life, let us look to his law, to the Gospel message, as the way to freedom and life.… Let us say “Yes” to life and not death.

Let us say “Yes” to freedom and not enslavement to the many idols of our time. In a word, let us say “Yes” to the God who

CNS photo/Paul Haring

conserve life with extraordinary methods, which at times can go against the dignity of the person. But active euthanasia is different — this is killing. I believe that today there is covert euthanasia: Our social security pays up until a certain amount of treatment and then says, “may God help you.” The elderly are not taken care of as they should be, but rather are treated like discarded material. Sometimes they are deprived of medicine and ordinary care, and little by little this kills them. …

The moral problem with abortion is of a pre-religious nature because the genetic code of the person is present at the moment of conception. This means that a human being already exists. I separate the issue of abortion from any religious concept. It is a scientific problem. To not allow further progress in the development of a being that already has the entire genetic code of a human being is not ethical. The right to life is the first human right. Abortion means killing someone who cannot defend himself.

— Book of conversations in 2010 between Cardinal Bergoglio and Rabbi Abraham Skorka, titled Sobre el Cielo y la Tierra (On Heaven and Earth).

Coleman-Rayner News and Picture Agency

is love, life and freedom, and who never disappoints. … Let us ask Mary, Mother of Life, to help us receive and bear constant witness to the “Gospel of Life.”

— Homily for “Evangelium Vitae” Day, June 16, 2013.

requires going against the tide and paying for it personally. The Lord is also counting on you to spread the “Gospel of Life.”

— Address to the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, Sept. 20, 2013.

CALLED TO BE WITNESSES THE FOUNDATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS A widespread mentality of the useful, the “throwaway culture” Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care that today enslaves the hearts and minds of so many, comes with particular love and concern are unborn children, the at a very high cost: It asks for the elimination of human be- most defenseless and innocent among us. Nowadays efforts ings, especially if they are physically or socially weaker. Our are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with response to this mentality is them whatever one pleases, a decisive and unreserved taking their lives and pass“yes” to life. … Things have ing laws preventing anyone a price and can be sold, but from standing in the way of people have dignity; they this. Frequently, as a way of are worth more than things ridiculing the Church’s efand are above price. So fort to defend their lives, atoften we find ourselves in tempts are made to present situations where we see that her position as ideological, what is valued the least is obscurantist and conservalife. That is why concern for tive. Yet this defense of unhuman life in its totality has born life is closely linked to become in recent years a the defense of each and real priority for the every other human right. It Church’s Magisterium, esinvolves the conviction that pecially for the most dea human being is always safenseless (i.e., the disabled, cred and inviolable, in any the sick, the newborn, chilsituation and at every stage dren, the elderly, those of development. Human whose lives are most debeings are ends in themfenseless). selves and never a means of In a frail human being, resolving other problems. each one of us is invited to Once this conviction disaprecognize the face of the pears, so do solid and lastLord, who in his human ing foundations for the flesh experienced the indifdefense of human rights, ference and solitude to which would always be subwhich we so often condemn ject to the passing whims of the poorest of the poor, the powers that be. Reason Pope Francis blesses the unborn baby of actress Ali Landry and her huswhether in developing counalone is sufficient to recogband Alejandro Monteverde, director of the pro-life film Bella, at the tries or in wealthy societies. nize the inviolable value of Vatican April 11, 2013.

Every child who, rather than each single human life, but being born, is condemned if we also look at the issue unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears from the standpoint of faith, “every violation of the personal the face of the Lord, who even before he was born, and then dignity of the human being cries out in vengeance to God and just after birth, experienced the world’s rejection. … And every is an offense against the creator of the individual” (Christifielderly person, even if he is ill or at the end of his days, bears deles Laici, 37). the face of Christ. They cannot be discarded, as the “throwaway — Apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Nov. 24, 2013. culture” suggests! They cannot be thrown away! …

Be witnesses and diffusers of the “culture of life.” Your being Pope Francis’ statements during his time as archbishop were drawn Catholic entails a greater responsibility: first of all to your- from a special fall 2013 issue of Familia et Vita titled The Teachings selves, through a commitment consistent with your Christian of Jorge Mario Bergoglio-Pope Francis on the Family and Life (1999vocation; and then to contemporary culture, by contributing 2013). The issue was prepared by the Pontifical Council for the to recognizing the transcendent dimension of human life, the Family and published in Spanish and Italian by Libreria Editrice imprint of God’s creative work, from the first moment of its Vaticana. Excerpts from the Holy Father’s pontificate are from the conception. This is a task of the new evangelization that often Vatican website. All excerpts are used with permission.

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HOPE on wheels Mobile ultrasound units deliver life-changing images to pregnant women nationwide

by J.D. Long-García 16 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Mike Mohr, a member of Deacon Raphael Longpré Council 10441 in Tucson, Ariz., and a supporter of the Tucson-based Fatima Women’s Center, stands with Barbara and Gaby Copeland in front of the center’s Hope Mobile. The unit features a laptop ultrasound made possible by the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.

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eter Starbuck started promoting a culture of life before he was even born. Two years ago, 50 teenagers gathered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Tucson, Ariz., to witness an ultrasound firsthand, and they saw Peter in utero on a large screen. Andrew and Susana Starbuck, Peter’s mother and father, say this has had a lasting impact on the teens. Andrew is an associate youth leader at the parish, and Peter, now 17 months old, often sits in on confirmation programs. His presence is an ongoing reminder to the teens of the personhood of the unborn.

“We’re getting the word out about the culture of life,” Andrew said. “The thing that’s going to change their minds is if they can see a real person in there. And the ultrasound is one way to help them do that.”

It was while preparing for a pro-life march that Andrew and Susana, who was pregnant with their first son, decided to share the ultrasound with the teens. They called Kelly and Barbara Copeland, the husband-and-wife founders of Fatima Women’s Center in Tucson, for help. The Copelands offered use of a mobile ultrasound machine that was made possible JANUARY 2014

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through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.

Since it was launched Jan. 22, 2009, the initiative has, through the Order’s Culture of Life Fund, provided matching funds raised by local councils to purchase ultrasound units for qualifying pregnancy centers. In less than five years, Knights have placed more than 400 ultrasound machines — valued at more than $20 million — throughout the country, including at least one in every state. This includes supplying machines for a growing number of mobile medical units, like those used by Fatima Women’s Center and others, as pregnancy care centers seek creative ways to reach women in need.

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS Kelly Copeland, a member of Deacon Raphael Longpré Council 10441 in Tucson, and his wife, Barbara, founded Fatima Women’s Center in 2009. A year later, while on stage at a fund-raiser, Kelly joked about how much they needed to try a new approach and get Fatima Women’s Center out on the road. That very night, a couple who had personal experience with abortion donated their $75,000 recreational vehicle.

Getting the RV, though, was only half the battle; the center also needed an ultrasound machine. Our Lady of the Valley Council 6842 in Green Valley, Ariz., stepped in to raise the 18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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necessary money through breakfasts and other fund-raisers.

“They say once a woman hears her child’s actual heartbeat, they change their mind about abortion,” noted Past Grand Knight James Acitelli.

The fully equipped mobile unit, named the Hope Mobile, soon enabled Fatima Women’s Center to reach out to women in crisis pregnancies, rather than waiting for the women to come to them.

“Timing can be everything,” said Barbara, who serves as executive director of the center. “We need to get to them before it’s too late. Once you have an abortion, you can’t change that.”

This critical aspect of timing isn’t lost on New York-based Expectant Mother Care, which has operated pregnancy centers for nearly 30 years and has 12 locations in New York City. Founded by Chris Slattery of Cardinal Hayes Council 3995 in Yonkers, N.Y., Expectant Mother Care has received three ultrasound machines through the Ultrasound Initiative, including one that is used in a full-time mobile clinic.

K of C councils have also provided ultrasound machines for pregnancy centers collaborating with organizations that specialize in mobile medical vehicles.

ICU Mobile, for example, is one of the pioneers in the custom design and manufacture of mobile ultrasound vehicles.

Founded in 2003, the Akron, Ohio-based organization has created a fleet of more than 43 mobile medical units nationwide. Five of them have been outfitted with ultrasound machines provided by K of C councils in San Diego, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Wake Forrest, N.C. Knights have also partnered with Save the Storks, a Colorado Springs-based group founded in 2011 to deploy its own brand of ultrasound-equipped vehicles. Originally inspired by the work of Expectant Mother Care, Save the Storks was founded on the belief that providing information through its compact Stork Buses will “empower abortionminded women to choose life.”

Joe Baker, founder and president of Save the Storks, said that pregnancy care centers cannot simply rely on traditional means — like the Yellow Pages — to reach mothers facing difficult pregnancies. “Pregnancy centers need to become creative and innovative to meet the needs of pregnant mothers,” he said. “Going mobile is the future. It’s how we meet these women in the first place.”

A San Diego-based initiative called Light and Life 70x7 Mobile Ultrasound is helping southern California pregnancy care centers that are looking to expand their outreach.

Founded in 2012 by Greg Anthony of St. Pius X Council 3487 in La Jolla, Calif., and Steve Beuerle of Point Loma Council 3947 in San Diego, the group has placed ultrasound machines in two ICU Mobile units so far, and is working on placing a third machine in cooperation with Save the Storks.

According to Beuerle, mobile units allow pregnancy care

All photos by J.D. Long-García

Dr. John Graziano, who volunteers at the Fatima Women’s Center, performs an ultrasound.

centers to reach many women who may not otherwise get an ultrasound. “It’s about getting to women early in the process,” he said. “The average woman, if she has to travel more than eight miles to get to a pregnancy center, won’t make the trip.”

WALKING WITH WOMEN IN NEED From the mobile units come stories of life-saving changes of heart: a woman who said that hearing her baby’s heartbeat made a difference; an abortion-minded couple, both in the military, who changed their mind after seeing the ultrasound; a woman, 20 weeks pregnant, who chose life and left with pictures of her unborn daughter.

According to Beuerle, the majority of women who see ultrasound images of their unborn children choose life. Meanwhile, people take notice of who’s responsible for this life-saving work. “It helps people see the Knights are men of action,” he said. “We don’t just make pancakes.”

Beuerle and others noted that cultivating a culture of life requires being present early in the process and working to address the needs of women facing unplanned pregnancies.

“The pro-life movement isn’t just about praying in front of abortion clinics,” Kelly Copeland said. “It’s walking with mothers all the way through.”

Barbara Copeland emphasized how important it is to “sit, listen, and make an emotional connection.” It can take more than one visit for an abortion-minded mother to change her mind, she said, recalling a high-school student she met on the Hope Mobile. After several visits, the young woman eventually revealed that her boyfriend, who was leaving for college, was pressuring her to have the abortion and threatened to break up with her if she didn’t go through with it.

Barbara helped her realize that the father would not be a part of her life, with or without the pregnancy. That realization allowed the woman to do what she knew was right — to choose life.

In addition to pressure from parents, boyfriends, husbands and others, Kelly said that financial burdens are also a strong factor for women considering abortion. The majority of women who come to Fatima Women’s Center do not have health insurance, he added.

“Making pregnancy affordable is key to helping pregnant mothers choose life,” said Dr. John Graziano, who volunteers at the center.

Fatima Women’s Center now operates two mobile units,

Kelly Copeland, a member of Deacon Raphael Longpré Council 10441 in Tucson, holds a mobile ultrasound machine, made possible through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative. though they only have one mobile ultrasound so far. The Hope Mobile often makes successful journeys to the University of Arizona in Tucson, as well as to 40 Days for Life and Justice for All events. Mothers in need are then referred to Tucson-area pregnancy resource centers — Catholic or not — depending on their location.

The center also works with Catholic Social Services to make sure adoption is always part of the conversation. And it offers classes on natural family planning, Kelly said, recognizing that an education in chastity plays an essential role in both avoiding unwanted pregnancy and affirming dignity.

As pregnancy care centers strive to provide comprehensive support for women in need, the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative continues to play a significant role in their life-saving work. Whether in medical buildings or out on the streets, ultrasound technology is an essential tool, helping staff to give hope to mothers and empowering them to choose life.

“A lot of women feel they’re alone,” Barbara said. “They’re not. We don’t turn anyone away. We want people to see Christ through the care we give.”♦ J.D. LONG-GARCÍA is the former editor of The Catholic Sun, the newspaper of the Diocese of Phoenix.

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CASTING OUT FEAR Couples facing prenatal diagnoses find support and consolation from local Catholic services

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here’s suffering and there’s joy. We had a taste of both.” With these words, Michael Henthorn of All Saints Council 14475 in Lake Wylie, S.C., recounts the experience of losing his daughter, Lily-Ann Rose, before she was born.

Just 13 weeks into the pregnancy, Michael and his wife, Andrea, received a devastating prenatal diagnosis: Lily-Ann had Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder that creates life-threatening medical and developmental problems.

Each time specialists at the local maternal-fetal medical center discussed the prognosis, they offered only one solution: “We can terminate.” Michael recalled how one doctor even referred to his daughter as “the throwaway baby.”

Still, such callousness was offset by kindnesses. The Henthorns received help and encouragement from Michael’s K of C council and others. The family was also referred to Be Not Afraid (BNA), a Catholic service that offers support to parents following difficult prenatal diagnoses.

In addition to providing a local service in the Diocese of Charlotte for couples like the Henthorns, BNA has earned a growing positive reputation in Catholic communities nationwide. In 2012, the Supreme Council donated $50,000 to BNA in support of their efforts in this often-overlooked, yet increasingly urgent, dimension of the pro-life movement.

THE VALUE OF SUPPORT Sandy Buck and Tracy Winsor developed BNA in 2008 after encountering parents in a parish-based perinatal bereavement ministry.

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“Sometimes they would come to us after aborting, sometimes after the birth of a baby, but not having told anyone about the diagnosis,” said Buck.

Eighty percent of parents end pregnancies complicated by a serious prenatal diagnosis, Winsor noted. But that percentage is significantly lower when parents are offered comprehensive support, she added, since most parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis want a better option than abortion.

When no one in the medical community in Charlotte was willing to establish a service providing support to parents carrying to term, Buck and Winsor found a medical counseling model that fit their needs and made the necessary adjustments to accommodate Catholic teaching. BNA was featured in a national webinar hosted by the National Catholic Partnership on Disability in 2010 and was incorporated as a private nonprofit two years later. To date, BNA has supported service development and/or provided workshops for dioceses in 10 different states.

Monica Rafie, who serves as chair of the BNA board, explained that the Supreme Council’s donation contributed to these national outreach initiatives: “The donation allowed us to focus nationally on supporting other Catholic communities developing services, as well as serving parents outside the Charlotte Diocese. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with the Knights in support of life.”

The Henthorns know the significance BNA and the Knights’ support firsthand. When Lily-Ann’s heart stopped beating at 15 weeks, Andrea’s doctor would not honor her wishes to deliver Lily-Ann by way of a hospital induction so that Andrea could meet and hold her precious daughter.

Photo courtesy of Kate and Gaetano Chetta

by Marybeth T. Hagan

Above: Michael Henthorn of All Saints Council 14475 in Lake Wylie, S.C., and his wife, Andrea, are pictured on the steps of All Saints Church with their three children. Their fourth child, Lily-Ann Rose, died from prenatal complications. • Opposite page: Gaetano and Kate Chetta look upon their stillborn daughter Liliana, whose name inspired the Catholic prenatal support service Lily’s Gift.

Photo by Faith Massey

“I wanted to see her. I wanted to count her fingers and toes and see how wonderfully made she was,” said Andrea.

BNA peers, however, were able to suggest another physician, and three of them spent hours with Andrea during the induction in April 2012.

“BNA support was incalculable in our healing process,” Michael added.

In the weeks that followed, Michael’s K of C council arranged for three Masses to be said for Lily-Ann and presented the family with three K of C teddy bears that bring Andrea comfort to this day.

“When you feel like no one could possibly understand what you are going through,” explained Andrea, “the presence of others who care deeply makes you realize how truly good God is.”

THE LILIES OF THE FIELD The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has long recognized the need to offer comprehensive support for parents who receive difficult pregnancy diagnoses, said Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Kathleen Schipani, director of the archdiocese’s Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Apostolate. Each year, more than 100,000 couples find themselves in this heartwrenching situation.

“We feel like we’re on the right track thanks to BNA,” Sister Schipani said of the archdiocese’s newly instituted Lily’s Gift ministry for parents carrying to term following a poor prenatal diagnosis.

Sister Schipani applied BNA’s model of care and service to the development and launch of Lily’s Gift in November 2013.

“BNA’s trainers have extensive experience, and they are engaging presenters,” she said.

With BNA’s help, Lily’s Gift now has 16 trained peers and 10 trained auxiliary volunteers to assist parents in the Philadelphia area. Each peer either carried her baby to term after a prenatal diagnosis or lost her child via miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. This personal experience aids their work as companions and consolers.

“I’m in awe of the generosity of the peers. It’s a remarkable, sacred experience when people share from their own grief and are able to help others,” Sister Schipani said.

Kate and Gaetano Chetta of Audubon, Pa., turned to Sister Schipani for such support after seeing a notice about the group, which did not yet have a name, in their church bulletin.

“We wanted to make the most ethical and moral decisions for Liliana,” Kate said, referring to the daughter she carried for 26 weeks.

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Bea and Al Martin hold their son, Xavier, at home. The Martins received support from BNA and Lily’s Gift following Xavier’s lifethreatening prenatal diagnosis.

A BLESSING FOR FAMILIES Though it is only three months old, Lily’s Gift is already proving to be a wonderful resource for parents, including Bea and Al Martin of St. Charles, Mo. In the case of their son, Xavier, ultrasound tests were “huge blessings,” Bea said. These tests indicated that their baby had complex congenital heart defects that had to be addressed and provided the family with time to plan ahead. The Martins identified the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the best location for Xavier’s birth and cardiac care.

“Without surgery upon birth,” Bea added, “our baby would have died.”

Bea was already receiving BNA support when her peer explained that BNA was supporting service development in Philadelphia. As delivery approached, the Martins connected 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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MARYBETH T. HAGAN writes from Rose Valley, Pa. She is the author of Abortion: A Mother’s Plea for Maternity and the Unborn (Liguori/Triumph, 2005).

CATHOLIC RESOURCES FOR PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS Parents facing a difficult prenatal diagnosis can find comprehensive support based on the Be Not Afraid model in the following Catholic dioceses: Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Omaha, Charlotte, Providence, Allentown and Raleigh. For more information, visit the Knights of Columbus section under the resources tab at benotafraid.net.

Photo by Sid Hastings

During an early pregnancy screening, the Chettas learned that Liliana was at high risk for Down syndrome. After an ultrasound at 20 weeks, Kate went to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for further testing. Liliana was diagnosed with congenital CMV, an infection that causes premature birth and permanent health problems or disabilities. Doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy. “They actually used the word ‘interrupt,’” Kate said. “We were left numb and in shock. We knew we weren’t going to do that.”

Liliana came into the world stillborn on April 25, 2013.

“Sister Kathleen came and sat with me when I was induced in the hospital,” Kate said. “She was invaluable.”

Kate’s input, in turn, inspired naming the group Lily’s Gift after Liliana. Sister Schipani said she was led to include Liliana’s name after Kate offered the scriptural passage: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these” (Mt 6:28-29).

with Sister Schipani and a Philadelphia peer, both of whom were available to support the family in their adopted city.

Together, BNA and Lily’s Gift provided prenatal support in the weeks before Xavier’s birth and in the months since. Sister Schipani showed the family around the city and arranged for a late-night baptism and confirmation on the evening Xavier was born. The surgery, in turn, was a complete success.

“Xavier is truly a miracle,” said his mother.

Though not every story has a happy ending, the assistance of groups like Be Not Afraid and Lily’s Gift remains a blessing for families who experience loss as well as joy. Kate Chetta, for one, is happy that her Liliana lives on in the good works of Lily’s Gift.

“There is hope, goodness and purpose amid the grief and loss,” she said.

The Henthorns, too, recognize that God’s hand was present throughout their experience of losing Lily-Ann Rose.

“It was tough on my wife. It was tough on me,” said Michael. “But we received so many graces. It brought us closer together.”

The loss of her daughter has led Andrea to be more active in pro-life activities, including praying outside a local abortion facility, participating in the parish pro-life group, and recently completing online training as a BNA peer.

“Our family was forever changed by Lily-Ann,” she said. “It is amazing that a person that little can have such an impact.”

Tracy Winsor, co-founder of Be Not Afraid, contributed to this article.♦

R eunited

After 75 years, two brothers — and brother Knights — meet for the first time

by Michael C. Gabriele

I

Photo by Mike Ehrmann

t was, at first glance, just another large family gathering on a Sunday afternoon in the suburbs of central New Jersey. On a breezy October day, guys gathered around the television to watch football; children played in the backyard, kicking balls through the fallen leaves; and women visited throughout the house, talking and sharing photos.

However, this family gathering was far from ordinary. It was the backdrop for an incredible reunion, a celebration of two long-lost brothers, reconnected after being separated for more than seven decades.

The day began with Mass at nearby St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Kendall Park, with Father Charles Fuld of the Diocese of San Diego serving as celebrant. Addressing the parishioners, he said, “It’s an absolute delight to celebrate this liturgy with you today at the invitation of my newfound brother, Robert Mate, and his family.”

Father Chuck Fuld, a past state chaplain of California and member of Ascension Council 7902 in San Diego, and his brother Robert Mate, a past state deputy of New Jersey and member of St. Augustine Council 6345 in Kendall Park, N.J., share a laugh at Mate’s home in October 2013.

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♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 23

DIVERGING PATHS Charles Fuld and Robert Mate were born three years apart in New York City: Charles on Nov. 4, 1933, and Robert on July 12, 1936. Their mother, Theresa Mate, worked as a livein domestic and sought assistance to care for the two boys.

As a baby, Charles stayed with the Fuld family in the Bronx. Robert spent time at the New York Foundling Hospital, run by the Sisters of Charity, before he was placed with a foster family on Long Island. For a time, Theresa did her best to make ends meet and visited each child as often as pos24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

JANUARY 2014

sible. Finally, no longer able to shoulder the burden, she agreed to have the Fuld family adopt Charles.

Charles and Robert have the same birth father, but neither knew him, and until recently, each was completely unaware of the other’s existence.

“I never knew I had a brother — not even the slightest idea,” Father Fuld said during the October family festivities in New Jersey. In fact, he has only a dim memory of seeing his mother for the last time — at a courthouse in the Bronx when the adoption agreement was finalized.

“The Fuld family wanted me, but at the time the only thing I could think of was: Why didn’t my mother want to keep me? I had the idea that I wasn’t ‘good enough.’ Today, I can appreciate the stress that my mother must have gone through.”

Robert Mate noted that it was not uncommon for people during that time to be so poor that they couldn’t afford to feed their children. He added, “You’ll never understand our story — about why my brother and I were separated and why my mother did what she did — unless you understand what it was like to be brought up during the Great Depression.”

Theresa Mate eventually married and reunited with Robert when he was 14 years old. But the two “lost” brothers set off on separate life journeys.

Charles graduated from New York University in 1955 and entered Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. He was commissioned as an ensign one year later. He married Elaine Gibbons on Oct. 5, 1957, and spent 20 years in the Navy, retiring with the rank of commander. The couple had three children (Theresa, Linda and Michael) and for a period of time lived in Hawaii and Long Beach, Calif., before eventually landing in San Diego. Elaine died in 1969, leaving Charles to raise the children as a single father.

Following his wife’s death, Charles became involved in community organizations. One night, on his way home from a Boy Scout meeting, he drifted off into a pensive mood. “I stopped and said to myself: ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life?’ My very next thought was: ‘Well, I know I’m certainly not going to become a priest!’”

Those curious existential reflections stuck with Charles, who soon became immersed in Church activities and felt called to discern a priestly vocation. He entered St. Patrick’s

Photo by Mike Ehrmann

Later, the celebration shifted to Bob Mate’s home in North Brunswick, and the brothers recounted the striking family resemblances they had recently discovered. Though the brothers clearly shared physical characteristics, their fraternal bonds ran even deeper. Living apart for more than 75 years, each man had embraced the Catholic faith, joined the Knights of Columbus and even served in leadership roles with his respective state council.

Photo by Michael C. Gabriele

Seminary and University in Menlo Park and was ordained July 12, 1986 — on what happened to be his brother Robert’s 50th birthday.

Robert Mate, on the other hand, graduated from New York’s Power Memorial High School in 1953 and served in the Air Force for four years. He studied electrical engineering at the RCA Institute of Technology and later graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia with a degree in business management. He has worked the last 27 years as the director of sales for the New Jersey-based Allied Beverage Group LLC. He married Patricia Werner and adopted her daughter, Christine, who has special needs. (Patricia’s first husband died suddenly after just two years of marriage). Patricia and Robert then had three more children: Bridget, Julie and Robert.

HIDDEN HISTORY Theresa Mate passed away in 1978, having never revealed to Robert the story of his older brother. Nonetheless, the gaps in his early childhood continued to puzzle him. In the spring of 2012, his daughter contacted the Foundling Hospital and was able to obtain a 111-page file. Robert read the report and learned he had an older brother.

“Can this be true?” Robert thought, in disbelief. “Why did my mother tell me ‘no’ when I asked her whether I ever had any brothers or sisters?”

Additional online research followed, and Robert located Father Fuld in San Diego.

In June 2013, he placed a call to The Southern Cross, the newspaper of the Diocese of San Diego, where Father Fuld serves as the managing editor.

“I said I had a good story for him,” Robert recalled with a mischievous smile.

From the start, it was a peculiar phone conversation as Robert recounted details of Father Fuld’s early life in the Bronx, which he had obtained from the Foundling Hospital file.

Finally, Father Fuld asked in astonishment: “How do you know all these things? Who are you?”

Robert answered: “I believe I’m your brother!”

Two months later, Robert flew out to San Diego, where the two men reunited with a joyful embrace. Following that initial meeting, arrangements were made for Father Fuld and his family to come to New Jersey in October.

Their faces bearing an unmistakable family resemblance, Father Fuld and Robert have shared plenty of smiles since their reunion, spontaneously interacting with one another and dispensing one-liners without missing a beat. Both men even drive the same type of car — a 2010 beige Ford Fusion — which had virtually the same mileage at the time they reconnected.

A past state deputy and past state chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, respectively, the two brothers also said that they treasure their membership in the Knights, since it embodies the values of the Catholic faith and the good work of the Church.

Brother Knights Robert Mate and Father Chuck Fuld visit at Mate’s home in New Jersey (above) and stand before the main altar at St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Kendall Park, N.J. (opposite page).

Mate first joined the Knights in 1962 when he lived in Falmouth, Mass. A member of St. Augustine Council 6345 in Kendall Park, N.J., he served as chair of the New Jersey State Council’s religious and civil rights committee for 12 years, as state deputy (1992-1994) and as vice supreme master (20052009).

Father Fuld, a member of Ascension Council 7902 in San Diego, joined the Knights in July 1992 after he became a pastor in the Diocese of San Diego. He served as a council chaplain for many years, until finally serving as California state chaplain (2008-2009).

“When I was a pastor, I realized the Knights were my strong right arm,” Father Fuld said. “They supported the parish and made things happen. They also serve as the welcoming hand of the Church.”

Mate, meanwhile, was drawn to the Knights’ focus on building a culture of life and helping the less fortunate.

“I went to my first state convention in 1977 as New Jersey was rallying its membership to join the battle to fight the Roe v. Wade decision,” Mate recalled. “It was at this convention I also recognized that the poor were in need of more assistance than they were receiving.”

In recent years, Father Fuld has compiled tales of his life in an unpublished memoir, which he hopes to pass on to his children and grandchildren. However, considering the momentous discovery of his long-lost brother, he admits that he now must rewrite many chapters of his autobiography.

“If there’s a grand, spiritual theme to our story, it’s this: Every time you think you have it all figured out, lo and behold, God pulls the string on you,” he said. “We must have faith and be prepared for the unexpected things that God reveals to us.”♦ MICHAEL C. GABRIELE is a freelance writer based in Clifton, N.J. JANUARY 2014

♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 25

KNIGHTS IN ACTION

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES

[Above] Members of Our Lady of the Incarnate Word Council 15199 and Our Lady of the Incarnation Assembly, both in Rio Rancho, N.M., along with their families, load cases of bottled water onto a truck for delivery to the village of Magdalena, about 125 miles south. Magdalena experienced a severe water shortage when the village’s only water well went dry last summer. In response, Knights hosted a bottled water drive to help the town weather the shortage until a new well could be drilled. • [Left] Mike Ybarra and David Avalos of Robert B. Baca Council 2664 in Socorro, N.M., stand with a load of bottled water that the council collected for Magdalena. In response to the crisis, Knights set up several collection points to gather bottled water to aid residents.

BENEFIT BREAKFAST

Bay Council 15135 in Suttons Bay, Mich., hosted a charity breakfast to benefit a local boy who has brain cancer. Nearly 100 guests attended the event, which raised more than $1,500 to support the boy and his family.

MILITARY MONUMENT

Our Lady of the Pines Council 9852 in Whiting, N.J., planned, funded and erected a military monument between St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church and the Manchester Memorial Home.

Knights conceived of the project in 2012 and formed a committee to find a suitable site, architect and landscaper.

More than 150 people at26 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

tended the dedication of the monument, which honors members from all branches of the service, past and present.

PROSTATE CLINIC

Joseph P. Doherty Council 6730 in Morristown, Tenn., hosted a prostate screening clinic at the Hamblen County Health Department.

More than 160 men took advantage of the clinic, which was offered at no out-ofpocket cost for patients.

John Francis Regis Council 7914 in Hollywood, Md., collected DVD videos at its parish and at local schools to build up the film library at the Charlotte Hall Veteran’s Home.

BEEF RAFFLE

Msgr. Adam A. Micek Council 8410 in Harrison, Ark., raffled two sides of beef that had been donated by a parishioner. The raffle netted $2,554 for the council’s charitable fund.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR VETERANS

BISHOP’S DINNER

Holy Cross Assembly in Lynchburg, Va., collected 500 music CDs and 300 DVD movies at two area churches for donation to patients at the Salem VA Medical Center. Meanwhile, St.

Father Robert W. MacDonald Council 395 in Richmond, Va., hosted a dinner for Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ordination as

JANUARY 2014

bishop. The net proceeds from the dinner were donated to programs that assist people with intellectual disabilities. At the event, state officers also presented Bishop DiLorenzo with $15,000 from the Virginia State Council to support diocesan vocations.

CONCRETE WORK

As part of the council’s church maintenance program, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Council 7547 in Elizabeth City, N.C., installed concrete handicap ramps and replaced portions of the sidewalk at Holy Family Church.

Knights broke up old pieces of concrete and hauled away thousands of pounds of dirt and stone to complete the project.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION

bral palsy. Similarly, St. Thomas More Council 8129 in Dallas, Ore., constructed a ramp at the home of council member Kevin Kiel. The ramp will allow Kiel’s son, Tim, to enter and exit the house safely in his wheelchair.

KNIGHTS ARE

FISHING TOURNAMENT

Francisco R. Camacho of St. Patrick Council 3051 in Wilmington, Calif., gives a council-made faith packet to a first communicant at St. Peter and Paul Church.

Knights gave packets that included a rosary, a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary and a eucharistic adoration prayer card to 170 first communicants.

ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS

Homewood Council 4304 in Birmingham, Ala., launched an Alzheimer’s awareness and support program at Our Lady of Sorrows Church.

The group features occasional talks, as well as bimonthly meetings for people who have family members and friends with the disease.

HELPING POLICE

All Saints Council 9441 in Clinton, Ind., hosted a charitable spaghetti dinner to raise funds for the Clinton Police Department. The event raised $1,600 to help the department purchase new equipment.

LETTER BLOCKS: Getty Images

WHEELCHAIR RAMPS

Middleboro-Lakeview (Mass.)

Council 223 used the proceeds from its annual fund drive for people with intellectual disabilities to erect an aluminum ramp for a local 3-year-old boy who has cere-

Bishop Fenwick Council 2927 in Fenwick, Ohio, held its annual Special Olympics fishing tournament. Each of 28 athletes was paired with a fishing coach, who assisted the athlete in landing their catch. The council provides lunch, dinner and awards for athletes and their families.

COOKING FOR CHARITY

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Council 11080 in West Brookfield, Mass., cooked for two community events.

Knights prepared food for Brookfield Heritage Day, which included a Civil War camp reenactment. Knights also cooked hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage for the town’s Asparagus Festival, raising $1,500 for charity.

HAITIAN HOME

Belltown Council 6190 in East Hampton, Conn., donated $1,000 to the Haitian Health Foundation to build a new home for a family in Jérémie, Haiti. The council donated an additional $150 to the home recipients to purchase a pregnant goat that will supplement the family’s income.

RELIGIOUS ED SUPPLIES

Alamosa (Colo.) Council 2096 regularly sponsors charity breakfasts to benefit the religious education program at Sacred Heart Church. Over the past three years, Knights have raised $9,000 to purchase books and other supplies.

THE ORDER’S commitment to the pro-life cause is almost legendary. In the years leading up to the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, the pages of Columbia sounded a clarion call at all levels for Knights in the United States to champion life from conception to natural death. And over the past four decades, Knights have offered support at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., watching it grow from a protest to a national movement that attracts thousands of people each year.

In Canada, Knights stage prayerful vigils outside of abortion facilities, and Canadian Knights have recently gotten involved in the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative for the first time. And in the Philippines, Knights have protested legislation that would expand access to abortion and contraception.

At the grassroots level, Knights routinely find inventive ways to help the pro-life cause. Here are just a few examples: • Whitehaven Council 5062 in Memphis, Tenn., spearheaded a drive in the Diocese of Memphis and the Diocese of Jackson to purchase a new ultrasound machine for the Care Center of Southhaven through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.

Among other fundraising, Knights held a pro-life day at Colonial Hills Baptist Church, where they distributed pro-life literature to attendees and organized a “Jail and Bail” event that netted $10,000.

• Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Council 7612 in Owings Mills, Md., presented a check for $11,700 to the Tender Care Pregnancy Center. Funds for the donation came from a pro-life baby bottle drive.

• Every Wednesday, members of Temecula Valley (Calif.) Council 9964 hold a prayer vigil outside of a facility that provides abortions and abortifacient drugs. Knights pray the rosary outside of the facility, display signs and recite the Stations of the Cross.

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♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 27

KNIGHTS IN ACTION

Georgia Institute of Technology. At the request of Father Kevin Peek, the school’s campus minister, Knights prepare the food at their parish center and transport it 18 miles to the school since the university’s Catholic center has a very small kitchen. The meals, in turn, provide the students with an opportunity to socialize and strengthen their faith community.

ROSARY MINISTRY

PROJECT NICARAGUA

Mary, Star of the Sea Council 4752 in Grand Island, N.Y., collected about eight tons of clothing, household items, toys and more for the Nicaragua Mission Project, an organization that provides outreach to poor communities in Central America. The council also purchased several cows for poor families to supplement their incomes.

stalled parking curbs at the newly renovated parking lot at Our Lady of St. John of the Fields Church.

CEMETERY CLEANING

Easton (Mass.) Council 238 conducted its annual cleanup at the cemetery at Immaculate Conception Church.

Knights trimmed grass around the gravestones to make the cemetery more presentable.

WHEELCHAIR DONATED

Father Howard J. Lesch Council 7667 in Niceville, Fla., presented a new wheelchair to Daniel Davis, a WalMart employee whom the council met while conducting its annual fund drive for people with intellectual disabilities at the store. Knights obtained the wheelchair through the Order’s partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission.

PARKING CURBS

St. John of the Fields Council 10887 in Mission, Texas, in28 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

HELPING THE LEGION

St. Joseph Council 3402 in Keyport, N.J., hosted a spaghetti dinner complete with salad and dessert to benefit the American Legion in Union Beach. More than 140 people came to the event, which raised $1,875 to help make repairs to the American Legion building.

MEALS FOR STUDENTS

Holy Family Council 9792 in Marietta, Ga., cooks regularly for Catholic students at the

JANUARY 2014

‘SURVIVAL PACKS’

Holy Name Council 7179 in Shillington, Pa., prepared “survival bags” for people who participated in a pro-life walk from Berks Catholic High School to Cabrini Academy. Each survival bag contained an apple, a granola bar and a bottle of water for participants of the 2-mile walk, which was held to raise awareness of pro-life issues.

Knights also manned a grill at the walk’s conclusion.

MOVING HELP

St. Anne-Oratory Council 6756 in Rock Hill, S.C., helped council member Eli S. Furo Jr. and his wife, Charlotte, move from South Carolina to New Hampshire to be closer to family. Knights helped the couple load a moving truck with their belongings in lieu of hiring professional movers.

RECOVERY AFTER BREAK-IN

Bishop Nold Council 6557 in Spring, Texas, donated $500 to St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church after a recent break-in in which equipment and several icons were stolen.

An unidentified volunteer scrubs a headstone at the St. Boniface Church cemetery as part of a beautification project undertaken by St. Anthony Council 2439 in Sublimity, Ore. Knights raised $4,200 to renovate the burial sites of three former church pastors and to erect an iron fence and stone walkway.

Knights also worked with parish volunteers, students and Boy Scouts to clean the headstones at the cemetery.

TOP: Photo by Rod Mar, courtesy of Special Olympics Washington)

Bob Gage of Father Richard Stohr Council 12175 in Seattle and Joseph James, Special Olympics chairman for the Washington State Council, present a check for $34,000 to Barrie MacDonald, chairman of Special Olympics Washington, during the opening ceremony of the state summer games at Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Tacoma. The check represents the funds that the Washington State Council and all local units collected for Special Olympics.

Our Lady of Lourdes Council 8768 in Selah, Wash., provides ongoing support for council member Bill Stilwater to make handmade rosaries for missions around the world. Stilwater is in a wheelchair and on a ventilator, but this does not stop him from making thousands of rosaries each year, which sometimes include handsculpted roses made from melted glass rods. Most recently, the council donated $600 to Stilwater’s project, not including donations from individual members.

The council also donated 800 of Stilwater’s rosaries to first communicants at five parishes.

VETERANS’ PICNIC

Bishop Griffin Assembly in Mercer County, N.J., and Bishop George W. Ahr Assembly in Allentown cosponsored a picnic for 100 veterans and staff from the Lyons VA Hospital. The event featured food, entertainment and door prizes for all those in attendance.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION REVERSE AUCTION

At a recent clergy appreciation event, Knights from Ontario District #53, 89 and 102 held a reverse auction to benefit Deacon Fuad Neimer-Boutros, who was injured in an accident and whose therapy is not covered by insurance. The fundraising netted more than $7,500 to assist with NeimerBoutros’ medical expenses.

CHARITY BALL

John Tatham Assembly of Burlington County, N.J., held its annual charity ball at a local country club. Between two raffles at the event, Knights raised approximately $34,000 for seminarians in the Diocese of Trenton.

BURN VICTIM

St. Columban Circle 2955 in Chillicothe, Mo., hosted a

dinner fundraiser for a circle member who was injured in a fire. On April 26, Shayler Keller was burned in an accident at his home. He spent 27 days in the burn center at the University of Kansas Hospital, undergoing several surgeries. When news of the accident reached Circle 2955, members planned a sit-down dinner for 250 people with food prepared by members of Chillicothe Council 1084.

The event also featured raffles and auctions, and raised almost $8,000 for the Keller family.

BIBLES DONATED

Alpine (Texas) Council 5096 donated $700 to purchase 50 Bibles for Our Lady of Peace Church. The Bibles will be used by parish groups, as well as religious education classes for adults and children.

ANNIVERSARY RESTORATION

St. Kevin Council 13881 in Montreal, Québec, hosted a benefit dinner-dance to celebrate the 75th anniversary of St. Kevin Parish. Knights provided food, service and entertainment for the event, which raised more than $2,000 to assist with church restorations.

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Two girls participate in a sack race during a children’s day organized by Father Grzegorz Roszczyk of St. Padre Pio Council 15015 in Starachowice, Poland, and supported by members of the council. The day included a bike ride, games and contests. Knights served as safety marshals during the ride, ensuring that participants were monitored and helping younger children on more difficult stretches of the route.

St. Dominic Council 3729 in New Orleans hosted a charity dinner to benefit Ben Todd, a council member who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Since his accident, Todd has undergone multiple surgeries and physical therapy. The event, which included dinner and prizes, raised close to $14,000 to assist with Todd’s daily living expenses.

Fourth Degree Knights from in and around Grand Junction, Colo., stand with Special Olympics athletes who received medals in a gymnastics competition at the Colorado Summer Games. Immaculate Heart of Mary Council 13621 in Grand Junction enlisted members from as far away as Denver to help at the event. Knights provided an honor guard for the opening ceremony and presented medals to athletes.

“Desert Meal” to raise funds for seminarians at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. The inspiration for the event came from a desire to send the seminarians on a “desert experience” pilgrimage in order to strengthen their faith. The event raised more than $2,900 to help send the seminarians to visit holy sites in Europe.

FLOOR WAXING

Lincoln (R.I.) Council 4005 stripped and re-waxed the floor at the parish hall of St. Joseph Church. Knights spent the day redoing the floor in preparation for an upcoming event and for all the events that are held at the hall. Likewise, St. Columba Council 8637 in Chester removed all of the pews from its church in order to strip and refinish the floor. Before replacing the pews, Knights also made minor repairs to any pews that were damaged.

INTO THE DESERT

Msgr. John Eppenbrock Council 3615 in Trenton, Mich., held its annual

MILITARY REGALIA

St. Mary’s Council 6763 in Fannett, Texas, donated $500

to the Southeast Texas Veterans Service Group to assist with purchasing regalia.

STVSG provides proper military honors for the funerals of deceased veterans in southeast Texas.

PIES FOR SMILES

At its monthly family dinner, Father John M. Grady Council 503 in Port Chester, N.Y., hosted a pie auction to benefit Operation Smile. Knights and their families donated all of the pies for the auction, which raised $240 to sponsor one cleft palate surgery for a needy child.

GUNNING FOR IT

St. Cecilia Council 13357 in Houston, Texas, hosted a gun raffle that netted more than $7,000. A portion of the money was donated to St. Cecilia Church to offset parish debt and to support multiple parish ministries.

The council also participated in the parish’s annual spring shooting social, which raised an additional $11,000 for the church.

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♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 29

KNIGHTS IN ACTION

to serve in the military (previous recipients were all missionary priests). Fourth Degree Knights from throughout the state provided an honor guard for the presentation, which was followed by brunch.

MEN IN BLACK

Gerard Occhiuzzi of Our Lady of the Highway Council 3835 in Little Falls, N.J., walks to collect money from a driver during the council’s annual fund drive for people with intellectual disabilities. Knights solicited donations at a local intersection, raising more than $12,000 for various groups that work with people with special needs.

Father Thomas F. Price Council 2546 in Raleigh, N.C., hosted Bishop Michael F. Burbidge’s annual “Men in Black” picnic and kickball game. The event is held to honor seminarians from the Diocese of Raleigh. Following Frisbee and kickball games, seminarians and their families, along with priests from across the diocese, are invited to the council’s hall for dinner.

adults and children who made their confirmation at St. Mary’s Church.

TESTIMONIAL DINNER

Narragansett Council 21 in Westerly, R.I., held a testimonial dinner “roast” in honor of Father Francis Giudice, chairman of St. Pius X School. The event raised more than $10,000 for the school.

Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy Assembly of West Broward County, Fla., presented a Knights of Columbus stole and vestments to the assembly’s faithful friar, Father Carlos Vega.

the family’s home at a time and date of their choosing.

Occasionally, when there is a large extended family, the dinner is served at a church hall. Launched more than 20 years ago, this initiative provides an opportunity for a family to gather and reflect during a difficult time.

WHEELCHAIR LIFT

Shepherd of the Valley Council 10788 in Canutillo, Texas, donated $475 to purchase and install a wheelchair lift on the car owned by council member Manuel Galvan and his mother. Knight Joe G. Martinez took the lead on the project, identifying a vendor to obtain the lift and taking it to the shop to be installed.

HOMELESS PROM

Denver Council 539 donated use of its council hall for the Denver Homeless Ministry’s prom for homeless children.

Knights ensured that the hall was decorated for the event and that the youths had a live band, finger foods and punch.

MILITARY CHALICE

REMEMBRANCE MEALS

Whenever a local member of the Knights of Columbus passes away, Father Joseph Barnes Council 5299 in Creston, British Columbia, organizes a dinner for the family of the deceased. The dinner is a full-course, sitdown meal and is delivered to 30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

South Dakota Knights of Columbus presented a chalice to Father Andrew Young in memory of Sir Knight Steven Jones. Father Young is the first priest to be selected under a recent change to the state’s chalice program that extends eligibility to those who are military chaplains or have a commitment

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St. James Council 4557 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, donated $1,700 to St. Charles School to purchase a new electronic keyboard for the school’s music program.

Funds for the donation were raised at the Manitoba State Curling Bonspiel. A portion of the funds from the bonspiel will also be used to provide ice time for students to learn how to curl.

A PROMISE FULFILLED

St. John Vianney Council 10370 in Barrie, Ontario, fulfilled a seven-year, $75,000 pledge to the Cancer Treatment Centre at the Royal Victorian Hospital. The council was able to surpass its goal by $1,000 — for a total donation of $76,000 — by raising funds through its regular bingo games.

ROSARIES, POUCHES DONATED

Frederick Harrington Council 7863 in Marysville, Wash., donated 105 rosaries and carrying pouches to

Brian Boutte of Sacred Heart Council 10407 in Gardner, Kan., demonstrates a tomato trellising technique to youth volunteers at a community garden sponsored by the council. Located on a five-acre plot next to Divine Mercy Church, the Gardner Community Garden consists of small plots for individuals and families, and a large communal garden that is used to grow and sell vegetables for people in need.

Knights received a $5,000 grant from Kansas State University to develop the garden, as well as donations from a local carpenter’s union and members of the parish and community.

Knights, youth volunteers and other civic groups maintain the garden.

TOP: Photo by Rod Mar, courtesy of Special Olympics Washington)

CURLING FOR MUSIC STOLE AND VESTMENTS

KNIGHTS IN ACTION DINNER CRUISE

St. Andre Bessette Council 15162 in Stayner/Wasaga Beach, Ontario, chartered a boat for a dinner cruise in Georgian Bay for parishioners and the community.

More than 100 people attended the event, which included an evening cruise, dinner and music. The cruise raised $1,000 for repairs to St. Patrick’s Church in Stayner and St. Noel Chabanel Church in Wasaga Beach.

RIDING MOWER REPLACED

When Father Sabastian Ugochuckwu was scammed into purchasing an unusable riding lawnmower, Marlborough (Mass.) Council 81 stepped in to help him purchase a new one and recoup his losses. Knights first arranged to have the mower

brought to a power equipment service center to determine if it could be fixed.

When this was not an option, the council collected funds to help Father Ugochuckwu purchase a new mower.

USO DONATION

St. Gianna Molla Assembly in Alpharetta, Ga., donated $200 to the USO at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Knights work with the USO to assist troops who are coming from and going overseas.

MEETING SPACE

For the past 20 years, Robert H. Jones Council 3078 in Lincoln Park, Mich., has donated use of its council hall for the Downriver Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to hold its monthly luncheon meetings. In 1993, the newly formed group was desperate to find a meeting space when the Knights offered their support.

FIGHTING FOB

Al Capuano of St. Luke the Evangelist Council 14895 in Indianapolis fits a young rider with a bicycle helmet during a council-sponsored barbecue and bike inspection event.

Knights provided an opportunity for children to have their bikes inspected, while also making sure that their helmets fit correctly and that they knew the proper rules for biking on the road. The council also provided helmets to children who did not already own one.

Clyde (Ohio) Council 1175 held two breakfasts and a bake sale to benefit a young girl named Ali who is fighting Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOB), a rare disease that affects only about 185 people in the country.

The events together raised more than $4,000 to assist Ali and her family while she waits for a full double-lung transplant.

CHARITY DRIVE

Trinity Circle 2020 in Verona, Pa., held a drive at St. Joseph Church to benefit needy parents who are given assistance through Catholic Charities. Squires collected 25 packs of diapers and $472 in cash donations to assist single mothers and fathers with much-needed baby supplies.

Chuck MacDonald of Daniel Patrick Sullivan Council 10208 in Hot Springs, Ark., looks on as a Special Olympics chaperone plays the council’s ring-toss game during the Arkansas Summer Games at Harding University in Searcy. For the past 10 years, Knights have run the “Olympic Town” at the games, a place where athletes, chaperones, friends and family can relax in a non-competitive atmosphere by playing games and participating in other fun activities.

COMFORT-A-VET

St. Joachim Circle 5086 in Bartlett, Tenn., launched its “Comfort-A-Vet” program to provide care packages to veterans. Squires collected toiletries and packaged them into gift bags for the Memphis VA Medical Center.

STATIONS REPAIRED

Brother Mathias Barrett Council 10560 and St. Joseph the Worker Assembly, both in Albuquerque, N.M., repaired the outdoor Stations of the Cross at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Church.

Knights installed new railroad ties and gravel at the stations, which had weathered over the years.

GARBING ALTAR SERVERS

Father McRedmond Council 3175 in Oak Ridge, Tenn., donated a full set of cassocks and surplices for the altar servers at St. Mary Church.

Previously, the servers had been forced to wear attire that was very old and worn.

CORRECTIONS The November 2013 article titled “Ringing From on High,” featuring the 50th anniversary of the Knights Tower Carillon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., mistakenly omitted the fact that the carillon must be played by a musician. Dr. Robert B. Grogan, who has served as the Shrine’s carillonneur since 1964, presented a prelude and postlude of carillon music during the Order’s Year of Faith pilgrimage Sept. 8, 2013.

A photo caption in the November issue misidentifies the Knight pictured on page 9. The man featured in the photo is Tom Weber.

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

JANUARY 2014

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P RO M OT I O NA L & G I F T I T E M S

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Please enroll me in the Father McGivney Guild: NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE/PROVINCE

OFFICIAL JAN. 1, 2014: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2014 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

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JANUARY 2014

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ZIP/POSTAL CODE Complete this coupon and mail to: The Father McGivney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or enroll online at: www.fathermcgivney.org

KNIGH T S O F C O LU M B U 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.

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C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW

David (last name not given), a patient at the pediatric dialysis unit at St. Joseph Hospital, plays with a tablet computer that was donated by San Antonio de Padua Council 9195 in Anaheim, Calif., while undergoing treatment. During a visit to the hospital, council member Jack O’Connor got the idea to donate entertainment items for use by the young patients. Knights donated televisions, iPads, and a Nintendo Wii system with games — all valued at more than $3,000 — for children to use while undergoing the three-hour dialysis procedure.

“K NIGHTS IN A CTION ” H AVEN , CT 06510-3326

PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO : OR E - MAIL : COLUMBIA @ KOFC . ORG .

JANUARY 2014

♦ 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 H E F A I T H A L I V E

‘I SIMPLY TRY TO LISTEN MORE THAN GET IN THE WAY.’

BROTHER DAVID DERADOORIAN, FSC Brothers of the Christian Schools Napa, Calif.

Photo by Mary Steinbacher

I call it the spirituality of the rearview mirror — looking back at our lives, we can sometimes see God working more clearly than we can in the moment. During college, I worked with the Brothers of the Christian Schools in programs for underserved youth, and there discovered an overwhelming sense of wholeness, peace and fulfillment. There were no grand moments, just subtle, grace-filled instances that kept urging me forward.

The classroom is a privileged place to respond to the call of the Gospel to love our neighbor — by teaching, mentoring, listening, and walking with young people on their journey of faith. Every day, my students are manifestations of Jesus. Our founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, tells us to touch the hearts of our students. But it is usually they who touch my heart!

The reason I am a brother today continues to be God’s responsibility — I simply try to listen more than get in the way. My life of prayer, community and the call to serve are clearly the ways that God continues to work in my life.