Columbia
A 14th-century fresco by Giotto, restored in 2002, depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph presenting the infant Jesus to Simeon in the Temple of Jerusalem, as the prophetess Anna (at right) looks on. The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord
40 days after Christmas, on Feb. 2.
3 For the greater glory of God
A renewal of devotion to the Sacred Heart helps us grasp God’s unfailing love for us and our own identity in Christ.
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
4 Learning the faith, living the faith
During the Jubilee Year 2025, we are invited to open our hearts to the Lord and receive his love and mercy.
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
6 Building the Domestic Church
A series of columns on family life, leadership and financial stewardship
26 Knights in Action
Reports from councils and assemblies, representing Faith in Action
22
by John Grabowski 16 8 13 20
Hope In the Heartland
Iowa Knights help found a pregnancy resource center to serve their local community.
By Dawn Prosser
Speaking About Abortion
In the post- Roe era, effective pro-life advocacy must lead with charity and our duty to protect the most vulnerable.
By Erika Bachiochi
Homes With a Mission
Knights in Virginia establish group residences for adults with intellectual disabilities.
By Zoey Maraist
By Leaps and Bounds
Special Olympics Young Athletes program boosts development and confidence of children with disabilities.
By Elisha Valladares-Cormier
Investing In the Light of Faith
The Church has principled and practical advice on how to make morally responsible investments.
ON THE COVER
Karlee Jones holds her daughter, Wrenlee, outside New Creation Pregnancy Resource Center, which was co-founded and is supported by Knights in Carroll, Iowa.
Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church. kofc.org/join
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Columbia
From Shadow to Light
EVERY FEB. 2 since 1887, people have flocked to a hilltop in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in observance of Groundhog Day. Indeed, millions of people far and wide have celebrated this holiday for decades, thanks in part to the popular 1993 movie by the same name. Yet, the origins of the holiday, together with the plot of the film, go much deeper than the changing of seasons, a legend about a groundhog seeing its shadow, or the comical premise of someone stuck in a never-ending time loop.
First, it is no coincidence that Feb. 2 is the liturgical feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas. The feast celebrates Mary and Joseph’s bringing the infant Christ to the Temple of Jerusalem for consecration, 40 days after his birth, in accordance with Jewish law. When the elderly Simeon, a righteous and devout man filled with the Holy Spirit, recognizes the child as the promised Messiah, he declares to God, “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Lk 2:30-32).
During his homily for the feast in 2017, Pope Francis noted, “Simeon’s canticle is the hymn of the believer, who at the end of his days can exclaim: ‘It is true, hope in God never disappoints’ (cf. Rom 5:5). … Life is worth living in hope, because the Lord keeps his promise.” The traditional blessing of candles on this day signifies the light of Christ and the hope of new life that he brings. And the Candlemas customs of countries from Scotland to Germany, from which modern Groundhog Day traditions take their inspiration, are similarly related to the themes of light, life and hope.
Pope Benedict XVI reflected on another integral theme, referring to Simeon’s prophecy that Christ would be “a sign of contradiction” (cf. Lk 2:34), in his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. “Redemption is not ‘wellness,’ it is not about basking in self-indulgence; on the contrary it is a liberation from imprisonment in self-absorption,” Benedict observed. “This liberation comes at a price: the anguish of the Cross. The prophecy of light and that of the Cross belong together” (86). St. John Paul II, for his part, focused on yet more themes on Feb. 2, 1997, the inaugural World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Along with consecration, he said, the Presentation of the Lord “also has a broader meaning: it recalls the gratitude we owe the Creator for every human life.”
Even the movie Groundhog Day, while not explicitly Christian, reflects in a way such themes as well. The protagonist, weatherman Phil Connors, undergoes a remarkable transformation over the course of the film — going from a life of selfishness and manipulation to nihilistic despair before ultimately surrendering with humble gratitude for life and discovering, one might say, “that man … cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (Gaudium et spes, 24).
Thus, especially during this Jubilee Year 2025, and as we redouble our efforts to build an authentic culture of life, we are called not to despair amid the world’s darkness. Rather, in faith, hope and charity, we put our trust in the One who says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). B
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
Sacred Heart of Jesus Pilgrim Icon Program
The Order’s new Pilgrim Icon Program features the most famous depiction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, painted in 1767 by Pompeo Batoni and venerated in the Church of the Gesù in Rome. More than 300 framed copies of the image blessed by Pope Francis have arrived in jurisdictions Orderwide and will be used by councils as part of the program’s Sacred Heart Holy Hour prayer service. For more information and resources, visit kofc.org/sacredheart.
PUBLISHER
Knights of Columbus
SUPREME OFFICERS
Patrick E. Kelly
Supreme Knight
Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. Supreme Chaplain
Arthur L. Peters
Deputy Supreme Knight
John A. Marrella
Supreme Secretary
Ronald F. Schwarz
Supreme Treasurer
John A. Marrella
Supreme Advocate
EDITORIAL
Alton J. Pelowski
Editor
Andrew J. Matt
Managing Editor
Elisha Valladares-Cormier
Senior Editor
Paul Haring Manager of Photography
Cecilia Engbert Content Producer
Blessed Michael McGivney (1852-90) – Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us.
HOW TO REACH US
COLUMBIA
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New Haven, CT 06510-3326 columbia@kofc.org kofc.org/columbia
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He Loved Us First
A renewal of devotion to the Sacred Heart helps us grasp God’s unfailing love for us and our own identity in Christ
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
STARTING IN JANUARY, the Knights of Columbus will begin its newest Pilgrim Icon Program, featuring the most famous depiction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Painted in 1767 by Pompeo Batoni, the original image is now venerated in the Church of the Gesù in Rome. In the painting, inspired by the mystical visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus holds out his heart, which is enflamed with love and surrounded by a crown of thorns. Framed copies of this image, each bearing the apostolic blessing of Pope Francis, will travel between councils and parishes in every jurisdiction of the Order.
One might be tempted to think of devotion to the Sacred Heart as outdated or perhaps overly sentimental, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is, rather, as relevant as ever in its focus on the timeless and bold promise that God has made to us. That promise is his limitless love for us — a love that brings us new life and eternal salvation through the life, death and resurrection of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Christ meets us in our human weakness, and his Sacred Heart touches and brings unity to our own hearts, which are wounded and often broken.
True devotion to the Sacred Heart comes only after first grasping God’s profound love for us — and that is what the image is all about. The First Letter of John puts it this way: “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an expiation for our sins. … We love because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:10,19).
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is our loving response to the fact that God has loved us first. It is the story of a God who is so devoted to us that he will not — cannot — give up on us.
This past October, Pope Francis issued his fourth encyclical, Dilexit Nos (He Loved Us), which focuses on the human and divine love
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In this beautiful document, the pope makes a plea for us to return to the heart — to rediscover our own heart, our own center, by returning to the heart of Jesus Christ. Christ poured out his blood for us, and our hearts find wholeness when they are united with his.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is needed, the Holy Father writes, because contemporary society is “dominated by the hectic pace and bombarded by technology.” The result is that we are at risk of losing our very selves because we are losing the ability to “engage in the processes that an interior life by its very nature requires” ( Dilexit Nos , 9). We must return to the heart of Jesus, the pope tells us, for it is the “unifying principle of all reality” (31).
Now is the time to renew our devotion to the Sacred Heart and to make it a priority. In many ways, this devotion is perfect for the Knights of Columbus and our families. In his human and divine love for us, Christ sends us on mission: “Wherever you may be,” Pope Francis writes, “you can hear his call and realize that he is sending you forth to carry out that mission” (215).
We live in an age marked by many fears and anxieties — in our culture, in our homes and even in our own hearts. At times, we can feel tossed about on the waves of these difficulties, but keeping our gaze fixed on Christ and trusting in his boundless love for us will keep us from being overwhelmed. The Sacred Heart of Jesus can calm the waters.
The Lord is faithful to his promises. The heart of Christ is all we need. So as we begin this Jubilee of 2025, dedicated to the virtue of hope, let us follow the wisdom of the Psalmist, who said it best: “Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the Lord” (Ps 31:25).
Vivat Jesus!
Christ meets us in our human weakness, and his Sacred Heart touches and brings unity to our own hearts, which are wounded and often broken.
Photo by Michael Collopy
The Door of Hope
During the Jubilee Year 2025, we are invited to open our hearts to the Lord and receive his love and mercy
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
ON DEC. 24, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In so doing, he inaugurated the Jubilee Year of 2025, dedicated to hope. In opening the Holy Door, Pope Francis symbolically opened the door of hope for the Church and for the whole human family.
The pilgrims who pass through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s will enter a most magnificent church. Their eye will be drawn to its beautifully restored baldacchino, a structure that rises nearly 10 stories above the papal altar, the focal point of the entire basilica. Behind the baldacchino, under the famed window of the Holy Spirit, they will see the Altar of the Chair — that is, the Chair of Peter — gleaming with renewed splendor.
Centuries of grime and dirt have been removed from both masterpieces so that their beauty might shine forth anew. These restorations, accomplished through the generosity of the Knights of Columbus, stand as a metaphor for what the Holy Father desires as the fruit of this Jubilee Year: a restoration of hope — in our hearts, in the Church, and in the world.
But what is hope? Is it wishful thinking? Does it rely on optimistic predictions too good to be true? Is it a belief that somehow everything will turn out fine? No, hope is not airy optimism. It does not mean that we will be spared illness, financial hardship, rejection, or even having our worst fears come true. Rather, amid life’s joys and sorrows, its aspirations and anxieties, the virtue of hope fixes our gaze upon something that appears at the forefront of our minds and in the depths of our hearts: something so good that it could not be better.
Hope is our deepest yearning for that reality, enabling us to receive it and to discover at length that it has a name, a face, an identity: Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, the One “who loved us and handed
himself over for us” (Eph 5:2). If this is who God is, and if this God is on our side, who and what can be against us? (cf. Rom 8:31).
The Holy Door that the Lord wants most to open is the door of our hearts — hearts that are sometimes shut tight because of sin, anger, fear or discouragement. But no matter how many times we ignore him, the Lord continues to knock at the door of our hearts (cf. Rev 3:20). When we perceive that the Lord is knocking, let us hasten to open our hearts. He will not necessarily grant our wishes, but he will satisfy our yearning to see his face and to be loved infinitely, even amid our frailty.
Could it be that the door to the confessional is also the door of hope? So many people, fearful of this great sacrament of mercy, hesitate to open that door, to enter, and to make a good unburdening confession of their sins. Yet, when we do this, we profess our hope in God’s love and mercy, so powerful that it can wipe away our sins. If God loves us while we are yet sinners (cf. Rom 5:8), should that not fill us with hope and joy? Going to confession is something like wiping away the grime and dirt that had accumulated on the baldacchino. When we are cleansed of sin, we shine forth with the splendor of hope — hope of life eternal.
Finally, it is when hope overtakes us that we begin opening doors of hope for others. As the family of the Knights of Columbus, we know something about this. Our first principle is charity, which is the key to hope. When we love, and when we experience love, our hearts are opened. That is why the service we render to the widow, the orphan, and to those in need opens doors of hope every day.
In this Holy Year, may you experience the “hope [that] does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts” (Rom 5:5). B
Hope is our deepest yearning for that reality, enabling us to receive it and to discover at length that it has a name, a face, an identity: Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Mary.
Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge
A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
“[A]nd on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.”
(Gospel for Jan. 5, Mt 2:11a)
The solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord recalls the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. The Magi recognize the newborn king and offer him homage. This great feast occurs during the liturgical season of Christmas, which begins on Christmas Eve and continues through the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During Christmas time, we all remember and celebrate the reality that God assumed our human nature and became a little child. May this season also remind us to recognize the dignity of all children — including unborn children — today.
Challenge: This month, I challenge you to work toward greater recognition of the sanctity of unborn human life by participating in a peaceful pro-life demonstration or supporting a pregnancy resource center.
Find accompanying reflection questions at kofc.org/monthlychallenge
Catholic Man of the Month
Venerable Frederic Baraga (1797-1868)
NOTHING COULD STOP Father Frederic Baraga from sharing the truth of his Catholic faith. As a young priest in Slovenia, he defended the faith against the Jansenist heresy. As a missionary, he later traveled hundreds of miles on foot throughout northern Michigan, where he became known as the “Snowshoe Priest” and the “Apostle of the Lakelands.”
Baraga was the fourth of five siblings, born in 1797 to a wealthy family in Slovenia. Both of his parents died by the time he turned 16. A gifted student, fluent in several languages, he went on to study law at the University of Vienna. Inspired by St. Clement Hofbauer, then living in Vienna, he entered seminary and was ordained for the Diocese of Ljubljana two years later, in 1823. After ministering in Slovenia for seven years, he was drawn to serve in mission territories and arrived in the United States on New Year’s Eve 1830.
Among Father Baraga’s first assignments was serving an Odawa Indigenous community in present-day Cross Village, Michigan. He used his legal background
in defense of Native Americans and would publish 20 books in Indigenous languages over the course of his ministry. On one occasion, he walked 57 miles through the snow to baptize an Indigenous girl who was dying.
Beginning in 1840, he also served immigrants to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He would start each day at 3 or 4 a.m., praying for several hours before embarking on his missionary duties. He once wrote, “What a consolation, what ineffable bliss, to gain immortal souls for Jesus Christ.”
In 1853, Father Baraga was named bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, where he served until his death on Jan. 19, 1868, at age 70. He was declared venerable in 2012. B
Liturgical Calendar Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention
Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Jan. 2 Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen
Jan. 4 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (USA)
Jan. 5 The Epiphany of the Lord (USA)
Jan. 6 St. André Bessette (Jan. 7 in Canada)
Jan. 12 The Baptism of the Lord
Jan. 17 St. Anthony, Abbot
Jan. 21 St. Agnes
Jan. 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children (USA)
Jan. 24 St. Francis de Sales
Jan. 25 The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle
Jan. 28 St. Thomas Aquinas
Jan. 31 St. John Bosco
Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.
Jesus and the Motivating Power of Love
By Joseph McInerney
Perhaps the most powerful motivation leaders can offer is to show that they care about those whom they lead. It is a simple but powerful idea: If leaders care about their followers, followers will care about their leaders and respond accordingly.
The Gospel accounts in which Jesus demonstrates his love for his disciples are too numerous to name. He spends time with them, teaches them, feeds them, heals them, consoles them, and even weeps with them. In so doing, Jesus is the paradigmatic leader. He declares, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. … and I will lay down my life for the sheep” (Jn 10:14-15). And he later gives his disciples a new commandment: “Love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:12-13).
In his passion and death, Christ laid down his very life for his followers’ salvation, and they in turn laid down their lives for him and for the people that he loved. This simple formula is still at work today: It is the loving self-sacrifice of leaders that attracts loyalty and the motivation to follow in kind. B — Joseph McInerney is vice president of leadership and ethics education for the Knights of Columbus.
Living Abundantly
In our marriages and families, God calls us to witness to the sacredness of human life and to live to the full
By Ryan Verret MISSION OF THE FAMILY
WHEN I WAS a college student in Boston, a priest named Father Tom and a sidewalk counselor named Eleanor invited me to join them in praying outside a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The experience was heavy and heartbreaking, with glimpses of God’s grace. I witnessed the courage and compassion of Father Tom and Eleanor, whose unwavering presence spoke volumes to me about the value of every human life. Their example stayed with me, planting seeds for the family that my future wife and I would one day build together with God.
Before meeting Mary-Rose, I was also part of a group of young Catholic men who gathered for what we called the “John 10:10 workout” — named for Jesus’ declaration, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” I didn’t realize how much this promise of abundant life would unfold in ways I could not yet imagine.
Now, as parents of six children ranging from toddlers to teenagers, this promise is lived out daily in our home — from the chaos of breakfast before school to the stillness of family prayer before bed. It’s beautiful, but it’s also real and raw. God has woven his love into the fabric of our marriage and family, reminding us that when we open ourselves to him, he shows up in the most surprising places.
As a family, we’ve embraced the call to defend life in small, consistent ways — through prayers for the unborn, pro-life marches, donating to our local pregnancy resource center, bringing meals to
new moms, and supporting friends considering adoption. Watching our children pray for mothers and babies is a humbling reminder that this mission is about so much more than us. It’s about God working through us and through our children.
When our daughter was 6, she asked, “How does a child come into a family?” Before I could answer, she said, “But I already know, and I will tell you. First, you see, a child is born in God’s heart, and he thinks about that child and what family it should be in. Then that child is born from God’s heart into the parents’ hearts, and God makes the baby grow in its mommy’s tummy. Babies are always born in God’s heart first.” Amazed, I said, “You were right when you said that you already know!”
As we renew our commitment to being witnesses of love, joy and abundant life, we find ourselves drawn back to the heart of God. B
RYAN VERRET is a member of Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard Council 2398 in Breaux Bridge, La. He and his wife, Mary-Rose, are founders of Witness to Love, a Catholic marriage preparation and enrichment program.
FAMILY FINANCE
How can I establish wise financial goals for myself and my family?
By Joseph Monestere
The new year is an excellent opportunity to assess your financial health. Here are four ways to get started: Take stock of any recent changes. Our goals tend to change throughout life as we navigate milestones — new family members, career changes or retirement, and more. Does your current lifestyle align with your values, responsibilities and future plans?
Remember your “why.” Keep in mind your motivation for pursuing your financial goals. Are you seeking a better work/life balance; to move your family to a better neighborhood; to prepare for
your children’s college years or wedding? Are you preparing for retirement? Have you protected against the what-ifs or unknowns? Do you want to donate more time and money to charity?
Put a detailed plan in place. If you aim to get spending under control, choose a specific goal to get you there — perhaps tackling one area of debt or developing a budget. If you want to be better prepared for retirement, consider concrete actions, such as increasing contributions to your 401(k). Don’t let your well-meaning financial resolutions vanish by April because of a lack of specificity.
Take a team approach. If you’re married, discuss financial goals with your spouse and family to build a support system that reinforces changes. Our insurance agents can guide you with a financial needs analysis, and our financial
FOR YOUR MARRIAGE
Love Beyond Borders
Openness to God’s will can bridge seemingly unbridgeable distances between spouses
By Jake Samour
I AM OFTEN in awe of God’s plan to bring me and my wife together. From vastly different backgrounds — Ramie, a farm girl from Kansas, and me, an immigrant from El Salvador with Middle Eastern heritage — it seemed impossible that our paths would cross. Even if they did, what would we have in common?
In 2003, the Lord led us each to enroll at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. It was there, under the patronage of our beloved Holy Father, that we met and became captivated by the depth and beauty of the plays John Paul II wrote as a priest and bishop in Poland. Together with a group of classmates who shared our passion, we created a theater group and memorized his 1960 play The Jeweler’s Shop: A Meditation on the Sacrament of Matrimony, which we then performed across the United States and at World Youth Day in Germany.
advisors can explore investment solutions tailored to your specific needs.*
To learn more about resources for assessing financial goals or to find your local K of C financial professional visit kofc.org/familyfinance . B — Joseph Monestere is chief distribution officer for the Knights of Columbus and a member of Father William J. Fenerty Council 7208 in Downingtown, Pa.
*Knights’ representatives are not financial planners and do not provide tax or legal advice. Investments are offered through KoCAA.
These experiences deepened our understanding of human love in relation to God’s mercy, which can overcome all obstacles. It ultimately led me to ask, “Ramie, will you be my life’s companion?” We both realized, as Andrew did with Teresa in Act 1 of The Jeweler’s Shop , that “it must be so. Today I see that my country is also her country.”
A saintly Polish priest transformed our lives through his play and helped us discover our vocation. Twenty years of marriage and six children later, it is a testament to God’s providential plan (cf. 1 Cor 2:9). B
JAKE SAMOUR is director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life in the Diocese of Wichita, Kan., where he is a member of Magdalen Council 10408.
HOPE IN THE HEARTLAND
Iowa Knights help found a pregnancy resource center to serve their local community
By Dawn Prosser | Photos by Kathryn Gamble
A1-year-old bundle of energy named Wrenlee was the center of attention at New Creation Pregnancy Resource Center in Carroll, Iowa, when she and her mother, Karlee Jones, visited the familiar facility this past December.
“Being a mom is the best thing in the world,” Jones said with a smile. “I wouldn’t want someone to miss out [on motherhood] or feel like they didn’t have any help.”
When Jones faced an unexpected pregnancy and later gave birth to Wrenlee in December 2023, she was in a vulnerable, albeit common, situation.
“I had a lot of emotion,” the 26-year-old mother recalled. “It’s scary to be a new mom and to do it alone, not knowing how I was going to adjust to my new life and provide for her.”
That’s when family friend Jason Schwarte, grand knight of Carroll Council 780, reached out with a lifeline. Schwarte and District Deputy Clay Gubbels, a past grand knight, had been working with several others to establish a new pregnancy resource center in Carroll. The effort was inspired by the council’s longtime support of other pregnancy resource centers in the area, through participation in the Order’s Ultrasound Initiative and ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) program, which assists nearly 2,000 pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes throughout the United States.
New Creation Pregnancy Resource Center opened its doors in January 2024, featuring a warm and welcoming reception area, office, boutique of baby items and a room for education. The building also includes a rear parking area and entrance for clients seeking privacy.
Karlee Jones and her daughter, Wrenlee, stand with board members and volunteers of New Creation Pregnancy Resource Center in Carroll, Iowa. District Deputy Clay Gubbels (back, center) and Grand Knight Jason Schwarte (right) of Carroll Council 780 helped to found the center in January 2024. Also pictured, from left: Chase Werden, a fellow board member and Knight; and volunteers Renee Anderson and Diane Gubbels.
“I didn’t even know there were centers like this. It’s so welcoming there,” said Jones, who received mentoring from the center’s volunteers and other assistance, such as clothes and baby items.
The center’s services have grown, as has the number of clients it serves. When Jones recently learned that a friend was facing an unexpected pregnancy, she referred her to New Creation, knowing that her friend would find the support that she needs.
BIRTH OF A PREGNANCY CENTER
After the 2022 Iowa State Convention, Council 780 in Carroll raised $10,000 to support three pregnancy resource centers in nearby counties of western Iowa. Half went toward the purchase of a new ultrasound machine for the closest center, Crossroads of Crawford County, located 30 miles west in Denison. The Carroll Knights pondered how they might help establish a center to serve their own rural community of 10,000 people.
“I really love the work we’ve done with the ultrasound machines,” Grand Knight Schwarte told Gubbels, who serves as the Iowa State Council ultrasound chairman. “But I wish we did more for the women who have made the courageous decision to choose life when faced with difficult circumstances.”
That same summer, the Supreme Council announced the ASAP program, and Council 780 immediately got involved. During a visit to the Crossroads center in Denison,
Schwarte and Gubbels learned about two fellow parishioners of St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll, Amy Dea and Allison Schoonover, who had long shared the Knights’ goal of serving families in their local community. The group met for the first time in June 2023.
“We threw some ideas around and did some investigating to what it takes to get a center going,” Gubbels recalled.
Within a month, a five-member board of directors was in place, and the group applied for 501(c)3 nonprofit status for a new Carroll facility. Gubbels, the board president, contacted a local realtor who found an available space that met the needs of a new pregnancy resource center. The building’s owners even offered a discounted rent in support of the prolife initiative. Grateful, the group soon got to work cleaning, painting and remodeling the 1,500-square-foot space on the outskirts of Carroll.
“It was exactly what we wanted, and the rent was what we could do,” Gubbels explained. “All five of us pitched in to get the facility ready to serve clients.”
Their dream to establish a local pregnancy resource center came true as New Creation opened last year. An affiliation with Heartbeat International provided the startup with invaluable guidance and training.
“Heartbeat International provided training materials for mentors and volunteers. God walked with us the whole way,” Gubbels said of the affiliation.
Heartbeat International also provided access to an online curriculum called BrightCourse, featuring hundreds of short
One-year-old Wrenlee pauses for a photo in the lobby of New Creation Pregnancy Resource Center, where she and her mom, Karlee, have received warm support.
videos on parenting, relationships and life skills that New Creation clients are encouraged to watch.
“Watching videos is one way for clients to earn points,” Schwarte explained. “Then you can use those points to obtain items out of the boutique — a package of diapers, wipes, formula, whatever is needed.”
Once board members shared the good news about the new pregnancy resource center, the community rallied around the initiative with their time, talent and treasure.
“The feedback we got was outstanding,” said Schwarte, who made personal appeals at each of the churches that make up St. John Paul II Parish and Good Shepherd Parish. “Last year, before the doors opened, we received $5,000 worth of goods — car seats, baby monitors, diapers, wipes and clothing. It was overwhelming.”
Seed money for the center was raised through a variety of events, including a pancake breakfast jointly organized by the local Knights, the Kiwanis Club of Carroll and Iowans for Life. In December 2023, Advent “Giving Trees” placed in two churches yielded more than $5,000 in clothing and other items for the center’s baby boutique.
Further support from Council 780 was supplemented by a grant from the Supreme Council through the ASAP program. At the 2024 Iowa State Convention last May, Council 780 received the Culture of Life Award and Schwarte was named Grand Knight of the Year in recognition of their pro-life efforts.
“A lot of Knights have personally donated,” Schwarte said. “I have taken several $1,000 checks from Knights who wanted to help, and wives have volunteered. I don’t think it would have happened without the support of our local Knights, our parishes and our community.”
One local supporter handed Schwarte $10,000 to cover several months of rent for the new center, while local churches of different Christian denominations also pitched in to raise cash with projects like baby bottle drives. In addition to financial assistance, community groups, organizations and individuals have donated baby blankets, clothing and other supplies.
LIFE-CHANGING SUPPORT
“The thing we ask for the most is prayers — that we’re able to find the people most in need and give them good counsel,” Schwarte said. “We also ask for volunteers and mentors to assist in our daily operations.”
Ashlea Ahrenholtz was sitting in a pew when she heard Schwarte’s plea to help New Creation. She followed up with her own research and prayerful discernment before deciding to step up and be trained as a volunteer, a process that takes several weeks.
“The training [from Heartbeat International] can be self-guided,” explained Ahrenholtz. “However, the center chose to do it in person. It was a lot more personal, and we were able to have hands-on, role-playing scenarios to discuss some vulnerable topics.”
Ahrenholtz, who serves as a New Creation mentor and joined the center’s board of directors in September 2024, recently welcomed a young client with a newborn seeking
support and medical insurance for her child.
“I have learned a lot, and it’s very fulfilling to help someone who was expressing a need,” she said.
Ahrenholtz’s message to expectant mothers in need and parents looking for help is one of love and compassion.
“I would tell them you are not alone. You are loved,” she said. “We are here to listen, to help you and to pray for you.”
Another volunteer, Joleen Schulz, whose career was in counseling, welcomed a young pregnant woman who needed maternity clothing, but also wanted to talk about her difficult situation.
“What really surprised me, and I think her too, was that our conversation was very natural,” Schulz recalled. “It actually continued for two hours!”
During their meeting, Schulz provided the client with maternity clothes and explained the variety of resources that were available.
“I told her that we were there to support her not only through her pregnancy, but also beyond, and we’d love to see her back,” Schulz said. “She was happy about that and set up an appointment.”
In 2025, the New Creation board is looking forward to enhancing services for mothers and families, Schwarte noted. As the five board members and 16 active volunteers operate the center on a limited basis, the board plans to hire an executive director to keep the doors open for additional hours.
In the next year, the board will monitor use of ultrasound exams in Denison to determine whether ultrasound equipment is warranted at New Creation. If not, the center could arrange for transportation to the Denison facility for the exam.
After mothers give birth at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, they will receive a certificate from the center inviting parents to come select items for their baby, including diapers, wipes and clothing.
Spreading the word about New Creation is also a priority, in order to assist more families, women and children.
“I would love for people to learn more about all aspects of the center and that it’s not only about pregnancy,” Ahrenholtz said.
Organizers were advised by directors of other pregnancy centers and Heartbeat International that it would take time to inform the community of the services New Creation provides. Despite being open for just a year, the center is already making a difference in the lives of area children and families.
Clients reaching out to New Creation will experience care and support as they raise their child, said Karlee Jones, the young mother with a toddling 1-year-old.
“I can bring other people going through something similar — being a single mom or having a baby unexpectedly — to the center so they can benefit from those resources,” Jones said. “That’s why I’ve tried to tell people who would benefit from it as much as I can. I’m very thankful for the support that I’ve had.” B
DAWN PROSSER is director of communications for the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa.
The Hearts Beat On
Approaching 2,000 machines donated, the lifesaving impact of the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative continues to grow
ON A SUNNY DAY last June, dozens of Knights and family members joined Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis at Pregnancy Choices in Apple Valley, Minnesota, to celebrate the dedication and blessing of a new ultrasound machine donated by the Knights of Columbus.
Six councils, an assembly and a ladies’ auxiliary raised $23,000 in nine months — an amount matched by the Order’s Culture of Life Fund — to purchase the machine, which replaced one purchased by Knights about 10 years ago.
“None of these councils could have done it on their own,” said Paul Laursen, a member of Lakeville Council 8367 and one of the key organizers of the effort. “It had to be a collaboration.”
At the dedication, Archbishop Hebda reflected on the miracle of loaves and fishes, in which Christ took the people’s offering and fed 5,000 people. Today, he said, God uses the Knights’ offerings to help expectant mothers witness the miracle of their babies’ lives.
The Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative provides much-needed ultrasound machines to qualified pregnancy resource centers and prolife medical clinics. Local councils and assemblies raise half the cost of a machine or mobile ultrasound unit; the Supreme Council, through the Culture of Life Fund, provides the rest. (For councils that entirely fund or refurbish a new mobile unit, the Supreme Council will fund up to 100% of the vehicle’s ultrasound machine.)
Since the flagship pro-life program was launched in January 2009, Knights in the United States and Canada have helped place more than 1,900 machines, worth a total of $91 million.
They are on pace to reach 2,000 machines later this year.
The new ultrasound machine in Apple Valley was the 56th donated by Minnesota Knights. The participating councils organized baby bottle campaigns and other fundraisers. Laursen’s council mailed donation requests to each of the council’s 200 or so members, and his wife, Ruth, coordinated a cinnamon roll fundraiser with her ladies’ auxiliary.
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make something like this happen,” Ruth Laursen said.
The donation of the new machine came at a particularly crucial time for Pregnancy Choices. In 2023, the state legislature passed a bill redirecting $3 million away from pro-life pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. Pregnancy Choices, facing the need for a new ultrasound machine, lost about $180,000 in state funding — roughly 25% of its annual budget.
“In spite of that setback, here they are with a new ultrasound machine,” said Paul Laursen. “We even raised extra money to help them remodel the ultrasound exam room.”
Pregnancy Choices sends regular updates about the lives that are changed — and saved — because of the machine, including a woman who came recently to Pregnancy Choices for a pregnancy test, an ultrasound, and a conversation about pregnancy options.
“She was undecided about how to move forward,” the update read. “[The baby] was unplanned and in conflict with her future plans. Seeing the ultrasound — confirming the pregnancy and seeing the heartbeat — confirmed her decision that she wanted to parent. She walked away … excited for the new life growing in her.”
Learn more about the Ultrasound Initiative at kofc.org/ultrasound . B — reported by Elisha ValladaresCormier, senior editor
Photo by Little Mac Design, courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis (center) joins Knights, family members and staff from Pregnancy Choices in Apple Valley after a ceremony to bless the new ultrasound machine the Knights placed at the center in June 2024.
SPEAKING ABOUT ABORTION
In the post-Roe era, effective pro-life advocacy must lead with charity and our duty to protect the most vulnerable
By Erika Bachiochi
Adeep frustration for older Americans in our techmediated world is the way in which the meanings of words we thought we understood just yesterday begin to signify something like their opposite. As the mother of three teenage boys, I experience this unsettling occurrence weekly. Take “disgusting” — a word commonly employed for centuries to signify aversion or displeasure. Circa 2020, according to various online sources (and my sons), “disgusting” in teen dialect somehow came to mean its literal opposite: “really cool.” But the relatively minor distress this teen wordplay gives me is nothing compared to the real instability our culture has experienced in the speedy transformation of basic terms like “woman” and “man.”
In the United States, the pro-life movement’s post-Roe losses at the ballot box over the past two years may well have as much to do with the instability of language as with being outspent by veritable blood money in every jurisdiction. Consider the word “abortion” itself: In the public mind — with the help of the powerful progressive media — “abortion” has come to mean anything from a morally licit lifesaving medical procedure that rescues the maternal patient but unintentionally loses the prenatal one, to a very intentional, elective ending of the unborn child’s nascent life. As one whose professional work is to labor over ideas and their expression in law and policy, I’ve found this particular misunderstanding incredibly frustrating, especially when it’s the product of intentional misrepresentation. But Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859), that great and prescient observer of democracy in America, suggested in his book by that name that the tendency to employ and then remake abstract terms is a feature of democracy itself. He writes, “As [those living in democratic countries] never know whether the idea they express to-day will be appropriate to the new position they may occupy to-morrow, they naturally acquire a liking for abstract
terms. An abstract term is like a box with a false bottom: you may put in it what ideas you please, and take them out again without being observed.”
Now, the term abortion isn’t so abstract — or at least it shouldn’t be. But other key terms employed in the abortion debate very much are, and their meanings too are shifting, and have been over a much longer period.
In particular, the terms “person” and “rights” signify distinctive realities on either side of the abortion debate. Therefore, our work is not only about persuasion — or employing sweet reason to attract another to our way of seeing the world. It’s also the work of translation: We simply can no longer rely on “person” and “rights” as the verbal shortcuts they once were.
As such, a very short history of ideas is in order — first, to understand the origin of these two terms in the classical and Christian traditions (the worldview that has guided Western civilization for almost two millennia); and then, to understand their modern-day individualistic conceptions, especially in the way our historical moment tends to understand “women’s rights.” And from this, we can consider a path forward to communicate to our culture, transforming it into a culture of life.
RIGHTS AND DUTIES
In Roman law, to be a “person” was to enjoy a legal status that entailed both rights and responsibilities. Christians then universalized this classical view on the basis of the Book of Genesis. All human beings, not just those well born, are made in the image of God and thus enjoy the dignified status of “persons” (analogous to the Trinity of divine persons). The Western legal tradition, deeply informed by this account, defined human persons by their concrete and particular nature: We are fleshy, embodied beings who are individually
endowed with awesome rational capacities. And we are each in a dependent relationship with our Creator and in interdependent relationships with concrete and particular others who are like us in all these ways. In this view, such embodied, interdependent human persons are owed respect and care, simply because they are created in God’s image. “Persons” then are those who are owed basic respect.
What, then, are “rights”? Rights was the name eventually given to what the person is concretely owed, or due. In the early Christian legal conception, there was only one word for rights and duties — ius, which is the root of justice — because rights and duties never exist independently of one another. They are the two sides of the same coin.
Let me make this explicit in the issue of abortion. In the traditional legal framework, a mother and father owe their unborn child duties of nurture and care simply because of the existential relation of dependency the vulnerable human child has with her parents. As such, the child has a correlative claim (“right”) on that care, or most basically, a right not to be killed. Just law recognizes these maternal and paternal duties and the child’s correlative rights as one and the same. When the law explicitly exempts, in cases of elective abortion, the natural (and legal) duties of nurture and protection that parents owe their children, it should be understood as a violation of an age-old concept embedded in our constitutional order — that the law must treat each and every person, whether rich or poor, low or mighty, without favor, and with “equal protection of the laws.”
This conception of rights and duties as tightly bound up with one another is the very conception to which the early American women’s rights advocates appealed in their own rights claims in the mid-19th century. This is why even the most radical of the 19th-century advocates — such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) and Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927) — were opposed to elective abortion, likening it to infanticide. It would have made no sense to them to think that a woman should have a “right” to intentionally end the life of her child, since the early women’s rights advocates sought their civil and political rights to better carry out their duties to their children, and beyond.
Indeed, these early advocates understood women to be mothers — with all the responsibilities of motherhood — not when their children were born, but from the time they began developing in their mothers’ wombs. Our nation’s earliest female doctors, for their part, knew the science of embryology and worked to ensure that ordinary women understood it, too. As Dr. Alice Bunker Stockham (1833-1912), one of the nation’s first female OB-GYNs, put it: “By what false reasoning does [a woman] convince herself that another life, still more dependent upon her for its existence, with equal rights and possibilities, has no claim upon her for protection?”
LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Today, “persons” are no longer regarded as concrete and particular human beings owed respect and care. Rather, with the marked philosophical shift from Christian to secular
humanism in the West, persons are now abstractly conceived as wholly independent, autonomous, self-determined consciousnesses who are carried around by their machine-like, manipulable bodies. Personal identity — the “I” the law should care about — is, in this paradigm, in the mind; the body, its sex and other essential features, is merely a tool employed by the I’s will.
In this disembodied mythical perspective, then, what are “rights”? They are no longer connected necessarily with particular responsibilities to concrete others. No, now rights are conceived as abstract liberties — protections from others who may impinge on my own self-concept, my own autonomy, my own self-determination and will.
In the context of abortion, then, the pregnant woman is, of course, a complete “person” with consciousness and self-determination. But because in this new paradigm she owns her body as a kind of tool or property, she is understood to enjoy an absolute right to exclude another, even employing the use of force as necessary against her own dependent child. This absolute right to bodily autonomy is the essence of “reproductive freedom,” the slogan used in several state referendums. And to many, unfortunately, it sounds very American.
Pro-lifers respond to all of this with, “But the unborn child has rights, too!” Yet, when “rights,” and freedom itself, have been redefined as self-making self-ownership in both the legal and cultural imagination, it’s very difficult for ordinary people to recognize “rights” in the dependent unborn child. After all, the tiny, still-developing unborn human being is not — at least until viability — “independent” of her mother, and so would not seem, in this property-rights paradigm, to “own herself,” to be a “person” worthy of “rights.”
This is all to say that in such a cultural and legal context, we just can’t assume that arguing the child is equally a “person” with a “right” to life has the kind of explanatory power it once did.
“When we invite fellow citizens to think in these more concrete terms, they do tend still to believe that we human beings owe duties of care to one another: to the weaker, the dependent, the vulnerable, and especially to our own children.”
by
What, then, are we to do?
First, we should work to shift the debate out of the highly abstract context of competing “rights” claims. We can no longer simply assert, in the first instance, that the unborn child has a right to life. Rather, to translate that claim for our time, it is better to state that mothers and fathers owe duties of care to their vulnerable children — care that is proportionate to the child’s vulnerability, duties that are equal if distinctive between moms and dads. And as Catholic social teaching makes very clear, we ought also to insist that social institutions owe duties to the family — in terms of good family policy — to encourage and support the undertaking of these culturally essential (and very concrete and particular) maternal and paternal responsibilities. No individual, no family, is an island; we are interconnected and responsible to one another, interdependent parts of greater wholes.
I have found that when we invite fellow citizens — left, right and center — to think in these more concrete terms, they do tend still to believe that we human beings owe duties of care to one another: to the weaker, the dependent, the vulnerable, and especially to our own children. Indeed, if you ask them about the kind of people they think others ought to be, that they personally want to be, they still tend to value those who faithfully carry out their responsibilities. The mistrust of our institutions is due, in large part, to too many in authority abdicating their sacred duties.
We also need to resist falling into the “autonomy” frame of thinking by imaging the unborn child floating alone, independent of her mother and the rest of society, as though legal protection on its own could save the child. The very reality of the existential dependence of each child upon each
mother — not to mention how readily one can find abortion pills — means that if we are truly going to protect unborn children, we are going to have to bring each and every pregnant woman on the side of her child’s life. And this means we are also going to have to bring each father to cherish both mother and child.
This is the really hard part. It is the sacred work of each Catholic man and woman, each family, each parish, each community: It means each of us working, very concretely, for a culture that is far more hospitable to, and encouraging of, family life. The Catholic Church recognizes the family as “the original cell of social life,” which “has a decisive responsibility [that] flows from its very nature as a community of life and love” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , 2207; Evangelium Vitae , 92).
To support a renewed flowering of family life, our responsibility to one another will have to extend beyond the needs of families to each and every person. To build a culture that truly values every human life, each of us has to learn, day by day, by God’s grace, to encounter each other — to be responsible for one another — as human persons who are owed love and respect simply by virtue of imaging the divine, a Trinity of persons united by Love. B
ERIKA BACHIOCHI , a wife and mother of seven children, is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and a senior fellow at the Abigail Adams Institute in Cambridge, Mass., where she founded and directs the Wollstonecraft Project. She is the author of The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision (University of Notre Dame Press, 2021) and the editor-in-chief of the online journal Fairer Disputations .
Knights of Columbus and other pro-life advocates hold K of C “Love Life, Choose Life” signs as they rally on the National Mall Jan. 19, 2024, before the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Photo
Matthew Barrick
HOMES with a mission
Knights in Virginia establish group residences for adults with intellectual disabilities
By Zoey Maraist
With a pair of scissors in hand, Sonji Rawson readied herself to snip the ceremonial ribbon that stood between her and her new home. Well-wishers cheered as she and her housemate made the cut. Sonji triumphantly pumped her fist in the air as bits of ribbon fluttered to the driveway of the suburban home in Winchester, Virginia. She and her mother, Judy, had been waiting for this day, Sept. 28, 2024, for a long time.
Sonji, who has intellectual disabilities, lived with her mother all her life. But when she turned 55, she said, “I’m a senior adult, and I want to be independent.”
The process of finding a safe, nearby group home was long and arduous. Then, in early 2024, the mother and daughter learned that a new single-sex group home was opening just 3 miles away from them.
The Winchester abode is the ninth house purchased, renovated and maintained by Marian Homes, a nonprofit organization established nearly 30 years ago by St. Mary of Sorrows Council 8600 in Fairfax Station, Virginia. The new home in Winchester, a city in the Shenandoah Valley, is the first Marian Home outside of Fairfax County. Together, the nine Marian Homes serve some 45 residents.
“The Knights of Columbus got involved because we’re committed to helping the widow and the orphan and the outcast,” said Jim McHugh, the current president of Marian Homes and a past grand knight of Council 8600. “Many people in our society want to push away people with intellectual disabilities and forget about them and hide them. We say no — we want them to be accepted and celebrated in our communities.”
LAYING THE FOUNDATION
In 1994, Dick LaFrance was the grand knight of St. Mary of Sorrows Council 8600. As he and his brother Knights looked for ways to reinvigorate their council, they felt they needed a new initiative to unify them.
With the Order’s longstanding support for people with intellectual disabilities in mind, the idea for Marian Homes, named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was born.
“I can’t even begin to tell you the challenges that we had, because we knew nothing about either purchasing the home or navigating through different legalities,” LaFrance recalled.
Father Bob Cilinski, then president of a similar charity called Gabriel Homes, as well as chaplain of nearby George Mason University and its K of C council, became a mentor to the Knights of Council 8600. Fairfax County administrators shepherded the Knights through the process and introduced them to Chimes Virginia, an organization that signed on to run the first group home. KOVAR, a Virginia
Knights of Columbus nonprofit dedicated to the needs of the intellectually disabled since 1971, also supported the initiative with grant money.
“We had our little fundraisers at (the parish) hall at St. Mary’s — ours was nickels and dimes,” LaFrance recalled with a laugh, adding that a September 2024 gala in Fairfax raised $15,000 for Marian Homes.
In 1998, just two years after Marian Homes was founded, the first home opened for five women with intellectual disabilities. LaFrance credits the whole process to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Ercole Barone, Fred Walker, Tom McFarlane and Bill Crowder, each of whom served as officers of Council 8600, succeeded LaFrance as presidents of Marian Homes.
Today, the Knights have a good idea of what it takes to open a new Marian Home, said current president Jim McHugh.
Photo by Daniel Kucin
“It encouraged me to believe that God always helps us when we are doing his work,” he said. “Clearly Marian Homes was part of his plan. Even to this day it’s unbelievable.”
“We start on Zillow, and then go into the houses and inspect them,” he explained. “Sometimes extensive renovations are needed. It’s a big challenge and a big undertaking, but the teamwork from fellow Knights and members of the community to turn a house into a home for people with intellectual disabilities is rewarding and uplifting.”
Renovations often include making houses wheelchair accessible, so the residents can age without requiring a move. The homes are then dedicated. Arlington Bishop
Sonji Rawson (left) and her housemate, Joann Sisk (front right), are pictured with Marian Homes president Jim McHugh (center) and guests after cutting the ribbon at the opening of Our Lady of Guadalupe Home in Winchester, Va., on Sept. 28, 2024.
by Matthew Barrick
Photo
Michael Burbidge has blessed four of the homes during ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
“Marian Homes reflect our response to the mandate of Jesus to love one another, especially those in need,” Bishop Burbidge said. “People with intellectual disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our society. Providing them a home where they can feel safe and where their dignity as children of God is celebrated shows our care and compassion in response to the Gospel of life.”
EXPANDING THE BLUEPRINT
Marian Homes opened its second group home in 2010, later followed by a quick succession of new Fairfax County homes in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. But recently, Marian Homes has grown in a different way.
“We’ve been very proud to do this on our own for so many years, but we knew that it needed to get bigger,” said McHugh. “We changed our bylaws, and we made rules to expand this fraternity.”
The new Marian Home in Winchester, named after Our Lady of Guadalupe, is more than 60 miles from Fairfax County. And though Marian Homes continues to be Knights-of-Columbus-run, the board of directors has added other members as well.
Lisa Anthony-Price is one of them. About a year ago, she and Steve Cantu, a past grand knight of Deacon Edward L. Christianson Council 3572 in Winchester, were talking about how to bring an organization like Marian Homes to the area.
“I have a daughter who has intellectual disabilities, and there are just no good options here,” said Anthony-Price, who works as executive director of operations and development at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester. “Although I don’t know if my daughter is going to end up living in a Marian Home, it’s lovely for me to see such a beautiful place where people like my Tessa can live and contribute to society.”
The need for these kinds of group residences is enormous, said McHugh.
In Virginia alone, “there’s a waiting list of over 15,000 people [with disabilities] looking for affordable housing in a group-home setting,” he explained. “We know that we’re not going to be able to fulfill that need for all 15,000, but we’re going to do our little part to make a difference in the world.”
McHugh believes the work of Marian Homes is the kind of work Blessed Michael McGivney would have envisioned for the Knights of Columbus.
“We’re committed to changing the world for the better,” he affirmed. “When we knock down walls, we’re knocking down barriers in the community. And in every community that we’ve been in, we’ve changed hearts and minds.”
MAKING THE MOVE
As Judy Rawson looked into the new house in Winchester as a possible residence for her daughter, Sonji, she knew she had found the right place.
“Whenever God calls me home,” Judy said, “I want her to be grounded and to have other people that she can be close to. She’s already calling the other residents her little sisters. She said she was going to pray with them and talk with them at night if they get lonely.”
“I love it,” said Sonji, who has embraced the new adventure and is happy to have her own room.
A resident of another Marian Home, 49-year-old Tommy Komara, was similarly excited to pick out his room when he moved two years ago. His walls are now decorated with movie posters and religious art, and his dresser is covered with photos of family and friends. He enjoys working parttime at the TJ Maxx in Fairfax and participating in outings with his two housemates.
Even before he moved, Tommy, who is a member of Council 8600, was helping his council grow the Marian Homes ministry. He and his father, Thomas, also a member, were part of the interior demolition teams for two Marian Homes in need of renovations.
“The demolition was really fun,” recalled Tommy, who helped knock down some walls with a sledgehammer.
Thomas helps lead the Knights’ efforts to maintain the homes, serving as a house captain of one of the properties, which is rented and operated by a partnering organization.
“I do an inspection every month to make sure that the house stays up and running. We take care of the property, the building, the furnace, all of the appliances,” Thomas explained. “Every one of the homes has a house captain who does the same thing, and we have a meeting once a month to discuss priorities for all the homes.”
Being familiar with Marian Homes made Tommy’s move easier, said his mother, Rita.
“We had discussed with Tommy the eventuality of moving to a residence, because he knew and we knew that such a day would come,” Rita said. “And we just prayed for the right fit and the right place.”
The family looked into another housing organization, but its homes were farther away and had a yearslong waiting list. When the Our Lady of Angels Home opened in 2022, they decided to apply, since it was only 10 minutes away and Tommy’s siblings also lived in the area.
“The path was leading us right to this house,” said Thomas.
When the Komaras were moving back to northern Virginia after years in North Carolina, Tommy remembered how unexpected and exciting it was when they were able to find a home in the boundaries of his sister’s parish, St. Mary of Sorrows. It ultimately led them to Council 8600 and to Marian Homes.
Opposite page: Tommy Komara (center), a member of St. Mary of Sorrows Council 8600 in Fairfax Station, Va., stands with his parents, Thomas and Rita, outside Our Lady of Angels Home in Fairfax, where Tommy has lived since the home opened in 2022.
“I think it’s all part of God’s life plan for me and my family,” Tommy said. “I think it’s a blessing.” B
ZOEY MARAIST writes from northern Virginia.
BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Special Olympics Young Athletes program boosts development and confidence of children with disabilities
By Elisha Valladares-Cormier | Photos by John Tully
To the average onlooker, it might not seem especially significant to see children carry an egg on a spoon across the gym at St. André Bessette Parish in Laconia, New Hampshire. Nor would they bat an eye at a child swinging at a suspended balloon like a baseball on a tee.
However, every activity of a Special Olympics Young Athletes program has a deeper purpose. Most of the participants, ages 2-7, have a physical or intellectual disability. Carrying an egg on a spoon increases children’s wrist and grip strength, which they will use to hold a utensil to feed themselves; swinging pool noodles like a bat strengthens their core muscles and diaphragm, helping with speech and swallowing.
While not as well-known as other Special Olympics programs, Young Athletes introduces children of all abilities to basic sports skills to help them advance developmentally and socially. It also prepares them to compete in other Special Olympic activities as they age out of the program. Last September, Laconia Council 428 established the first Young Athletes program in the state’s Lakes Region. Knights organize and oversee the weekly gatherings at St. André Bessette Parish, helping the participants navigate athletic challenges.
“It’s so rewarding to see the response, not just from the kids but the parents too,” said Grand Knight David Karl. “They’re just so pleased that there’s a program like this available to them.”
The seeds of Council 428’s involvement were planted about two years ago, when council member Philip Woodbury was searching for programs that his son, who was born with a form of congenital muscular dystrophy, could participate in. He discovered Special Olympics Young Athletes but learned there were only four such programs in New Hampshire and none in their community.
“I proposed to our council that we bring Young Athletes to Laconia, and they were all for it,” recalled Woodbury. “It took me a year to get everything together, and the first few weeks of the program were a little nerve-racking, but it’s been a blessing.”
Activities during the weekly sessions can range from balancing on a beam on the floor to beanbag tosses to work on eye coordination — every activity has an underlying developmental goal. But the Knights have noticed that a significant secondary effect has been character development and emotional growth in the children. They’re more confident, more outgoing.
“Everything we do builds trust with the children,” said Karl. “As you see them go through the program, they loosen up and stop worrying about running to the parent who’s sitting there. They start to get a little independence.”
An important aspect of Special Olympics Young Athletes is that children with disabilities play on equal footing and learn from children who don’t have disabilities, Woodbury said. He recently met a woman who takes care of a grandson with autism and invited her to check out the program.
Doug McBride, a member of Laconia (N.H.) Council 428, encourages two girls participating in the Special Olympics Young Athletes program that the council organizes and hosts at St. André Bessette Parish.
Right: Philip Woodbury, a member of Council 428, greets a participant of the Special Olympics Young Athletes program, which he leads each week. • Below: Knights and other volunteers gather with parents and participants of the Special Olympics Young Athletes program in St. André Bessette Parish Hall, a former school gymnasium.
“I started talking to her, and she said, ‘Well, I don’t know if he can even do that,’” Woodbury recalled. “But she agreed to bring him.”
When they came, Knights had set up an obstacle course that required participants to step or jump over foam blocks. In no time, the boy joined the others in jumping over every obstacle, much to his grandmother’s surprise.
“She came up to me and said, ‘I had no idea he could jump,’” Woodbury said. “And this is someone who’s with him every day. The program’s peer modeling helps children learn from each other and, for those with disabilities, discover that they’re capable of more than they or others believed they might be.”
Terry Locke wanted his 5-year-old son, who has autism, to participate in something that would help him make friends and enjoy the positive aspects of sports. Participating in Council 428’s Young Athletes program has achieved that and more.
“There aren’t a lot of programs like this out here,” Locke said, “and what the Knights provide here is fantastic. Not only is he playing with kids his own age, but he’s learning skills that he can bring into the classroom.”
Council 428 now has a waitlist of children who want to join the program, and Woodbury is in the process of traveling around the state to pitch other councils on the idea
of starting their own Young Athletes program. It’s important, he says, because the program complements the Order’s partnership with Special Olympics and its support for children with intellectual disabilities, but relatively few Knights are aware of it.
“This program cost $0 to start,” noted Woodbury. “All you have to do is work with your local Special Olympics and they’ll help you get set up with all the supplies. You just have to show up and give the kids some time.”
And in the meantime, Woodbury and his brother Knights will continue to help their Young Athletes group take further steps toward growth and independence, one balance beam at a time. B
ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER is senior editor of Columbia and a member of Sandusky (Ohio) Council 546.
INVESTING IN THE LIGHT OF FAITH
The Church has principled and practical advice on how to make morally responsible investments
by John Grabowski
Money matters. That goes without saying in the worlds of investment and finance, but it is equally true from the perspective of faith.
The Bible says a lot about money — its right use as a gift of creation versus the danger of it becoming an idol that diverts us from God, our true end and happiness. Some might be shocked to learn there has been more official Church teaching on issues of social, economic and environmental justice over the past 150 years than on marriage, sex, the family and life issues.
The Church has offered teaching both in the form of moral principles and more specific guidance to help investors implement strategies for “faith-consistent investing.” These include statements by national conferences of bishops and by various Vatican dicasteries.
Two such statements — the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Socially Responsible Investments Guidelines, updated in 2021, and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences’ 2022 document Mensuram Bonam: Faith-Based Measures for Catholic Investors — provide us with key principles and an excellent starting point for faith-consistent investing.
FOUNDATIONAL TEACHINGS
Recent years have seen a growing interest in environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns on the part of asset managers and companies. Investors are increasingly taking ESG factors into account when deciding what to do with their money. These concerns lead to excluding bad corporate actors from investment portfolios and consciously seeking out good ones. Many of these ethical concerns are also shared by Catholic teaching. As Mensuram Bonam observes, “Many of the underlying factors for ESG resonate with the aims underlying CST [Catholic social teaching]” (42).
Yet, ESG has definite limitations, and the same Vatican document notes that “ESG is not a synonym for CST,” adding that there are “no internationally ascertained and validated evaluation criteria” for ESG investing. Some deeply important dimensions of the Church’s teaching escape the ESG lens. Thus, there could be cases where a firm scores high on ESG criteria “while producing or marketing a specific
product that is incompatible with the norms and values of faith” (42).
In the U.S. context, it is evident that some ESG concerns are actually driven by views hostile to the faith. For example, since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade, it has become commonplace for many corporations to advertise their public support for abortion or to tout abortion-related travel coverage for employees in states with laws that aim to protect the lives of the unborn. According to some, this is an application of the human rights concerns of ESG. For Catholics, the direct killing of the innocent can only be a human rights violation of the first order.
Likewise, legitimate ESG concerns for promoting authentic diversity in labor practices and corporate management are sometimes highjacked by politics. The result is that including certain numbers of people who identify as gender non-conforming or same-sex attracted in labor and management is seen as equally important as positive features of human diversity such as race, ethnicity or sex. Those who oppose such practices are often silenced regardless of their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. While both sides might appeal to “social justice” as the basis of their positions, definitions of what this entails clearly differ widely.
Rightly understood, Catholic social teaching is broader than just a set of political or economic concerns. Its foundation is the nature and dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26-28). It includes and integrates the Church’s teaching on the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death and the irreplaceable nature of the family as the basic cell of human society. A society or a business can only be just if it is built on these foundations. In other words, Catholic social teaching can be used synonymously with the moral teaching of the Church.
DO NO HARM
The USCCB guidelines point to two overall goals for Catholic investors: avoid harm and work for change. In terms of concrete investment strategies for avoiding harm, the U.S. bishops mention two: 1) Refuse to invest in companies whose
The renowned Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, a medieval Benedictine monastery off the coast of Normandy, France, is seen illuminated at dusk.
products and/or policies are counter to the values of Catholic moral teaching; and 2) Divest from such companies.
The decision to forgo investment in a problematic company or to divest when it becomes clear that a company is engaged in morally illicit activity is a decision based on concerns about unacceptable forms of cooperation with evil and the possibility of giving scandal to others.
In some cases, only a small part of what a company does may be morally problematic. In these cases, the bishops point out, prudence is needed to determine whether the activity or the amount of a company’s profits which it comprises is morally significant or whether it could be an occasion of scandal. Even if much of what a company does is good or the investment promises significant returns, if the form of cooperation is morally unacceptable or there is significant possibility of scandal, the company should not be held by the Catholic investor. St. John Paul II in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor ( The Splendor of Truth ) reminds us of the teaching of St. Paul: “it is not licit to do evil that good may come of it” (cf. 79-83; Rom 3:8).
This principle is foundational. Yet, there is more to being a Christian than just avoiding evil. We are called to positively do good — to love God and our neighbor, and to put this love into action. This call holds true in the realm of business and investment. When Christians enter the marketplace, they are called to pursue and promote virtue in their business dealings and to use their money for more than the mere pursuit of profit.
St. Augustine told his North African congregation, “The Lord says this: ‘Take this gold which I’m giving you, and make good use of it. Instead of adorning yourself with it, you should adorn it. Instead of hoping to derive honor and
beauty from it, your way of living should beautify your gold and not bring disgrace upon it’” (Sermon 21).
Both Mensuram Bonam and the USCCB guidelines point to proactive measures that investors can take to use their investments to effect positive change. The U.S. bishops seek to influence corporate cultures, policies and decisions through “dialogue with management, through votes at corporate meetings, through the introduction of resolutions and through participation in investment decisions.” They encourage partnering with other like-minded investors to increase the impact of this advocacy and to engage in impact investing aimed at promoting the common good, especially for the poor or historically marginalized groups.
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
The two interrelated strategies of avoiding harm and working for positive change are implemented through an evaluation of companies’ products, practices, and commitments in a variety of areas corresponding to components of Catholic teaching. The USCCB guidelines focus on the following areas: protecting human life, promoting human dignity, enhancing the common good, pursuing economic justice, and saving our global common home.
To protect human life, the USCCB document excludes investment in companies whose work includes direct participation in or support of abortion, euthanasia or assisted suicide. It defines “direct participation” as the manufacturing of materials produced and/or marketed specifically for abortion (including abortifacients), euthanasia or assisted suicide, as well as companies that perform abortions or facilitate assisted suicide or euthanasia. It also excludes companies engaged in assisted reproductive technologies (such as in vitro fertilization),
embryonic stem-cell research, or human cloning.
The guidelines mention the importance of pressing companies that have some tangential connection to abortion, euthanasia or assisted suicide (e.g., a food service company that donates to Planned Parenthood) to eliminate this connection, while also advocating for drugs and vaccines both domestically and abroad to be affordable and not reliable on cell lines derived from procured abortion.
Concern for human dignity, the U.S. bishops explain, may require divesting from companies known to violate the human rights of their workers or to collaborate with governments that consistently do so. It also means eschewing investment in firms whose “sole purpose is to appeal to an indecent interest in sex … through the production of sexually explicit films, videos, or internet sites or services” or that “directly participate” in gender transitioning procedures. Finally, the bishops will not invest in “companies that manufacture contraceptives or derive more than 10% of their revenue from the sale of contraceptives.”
A third area of focus in the guidelines has to do with enhancing the common good, defined by CST as “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1906).
Promoting the common good is a moral responsibility of every member of society. The U.S. bishops eschew investment in companies that produce weapons of mass destruction or those which do not discriminate between enemy soldiers and noncombatants, such as anti-personnel land mines. Instead, they allow for investment only in companies which produce weapons for “hunting and/or legitimate military or law enforcement organizations.” They likewise reject “companies whose primary purpose is to derive revenue from gambling or the production of tobacco or the recreational use of cannabis,” as these products or practices are potentially addictive and destructive to communities.
In the pursuit of economic justice, the guidelines focus on positive measures aimed at effecting change for the good. These include the promotion of profit sharing, worker-led social responsibility, and initiatives to enhance human dignity, and economic justice such as supporting ethical banking, fair credit and lending, more affordable housing options, and increased capital to better serve historically marginalized communities.
Finally, the U.S. bishops, following the lead of Pope Francis, address our moral responsibility to save “our global common home” for future generations — a task that involves a whole series of proactive, prudent and practical measures.
FAITH INTO ACTION
In the parable of the talents, Our Lord tells of a rich man who entrusts some of his wealth to his servants (Mt 25:14-30). The first two servants invested wisely, earning a 100% return and their master’s praise. The third dug a hole in the ground and earned nothing. In the end he lost what he had been given and was punished and cast out by his master.
“When Christians enter the marketplace, they are called to pursue and promote virtue in their business dealings and to use their money for more than the mere pursuit of profit. ...
Faith-consistent investing aims at putting love into action.”
On one level the parable offers lessons familiar to investors: Successful investment cannot be a passive activity.
But the parable is about more than investing. Matthew 25 also contains parables on readiness or the Last Judgment — the definitive return of the Master. In that context, we can take the “talents” of the parable more broadly as all the gifts entrusted to us by God. Christian witness and discipleship are also not passive enterprises. Faith must be put into action.
Love of God and neighbor must bear fruit in good works. More than simply avoiding evil, it must actively seek to promote justice, to give witness to the faith, and to share the love with which we ourselves have been loved first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19).
In the parable of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46), the Lord divides humanity into groups of sheep and goats. What separates the two groups is precisely their response to the marginalized — the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the imprisoned. The righteous learn that in caring for these persons they were, in the words of Mother Teresa, caring for Jesus in his various “distressing disguises.”
The return they seek is not just financial. Faith-consistent investing aims at putting love into action in order to build God’s kingdom in our suffering world. Ultimately, it hopes to hear the affirmation given to the wise servants of the parable of talents: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt 25:21, 23).
Editor’s Note : This essay was abridged and adapted from a white paper published in partnership with Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors. For the complete text and more information, please visit kofcassetadvisors.org. B
JOHN
GRABOWSKI, professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., serves as an advisor to Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors.
Photo by Paul Haring
Invest With Integrity
Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors celebrates 10 years of serving Catholic institutions and families, building up the Church through ethical investing and charity
FOR THE PAST DECADE, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors has helped Catholic dioceses, institutions and individuals ethically manage their investments to ensure they are consistent with Catholic social teaching. Now with $28.9 billion in assets under management for nearly 6,000 clients, KoCAA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Knights of Columbus, has grown significantly since it was established in February 2015.
The idea to enter the underserved Catholic institutional investment market came in 2011, from a K of Csponsored conference in Chicago on the topic of sustainable and ethical investments. Dioceses, religious orders and other institutions had searched for decades for ways to invest confidently without risking their integrity and Catholic values. Discussions during and after the conference suggested that the Knights, with its robust record of faith-consistent investment for its general fund, could offer a solution.
“It’s important to Catholics that their investments are not in conflict with their faith and values,” said Anthony Minopoli, KoCAA president and chief investment officer. “Part of our mandate as the Knights of Columbus is that we refuse to invest in companies whose products or policies contradict Catholic teaching, so people can have confidence in that.”
All securities managed by KoCAA are likewise screened and analyzed to ensure they align with Catholic values, based on guidelines from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. After six years of primarily serving Catholic institutions, KoCAA launched the Investment Advisor Representative program in 2021, providing individual investors — both Knights and others — access to faith-based investment solutions.
“We are poised to become the go-to financial resource for Catholic families,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in his inaugural annual report in 2021. “Father [Michael] McGivney created the Order to protect those families. And we are advancing that mission into exciting new territory.”
To that end, from guaranteed income fixed annuities offered directly through Knights of Columbus to growth opportunities from KoCAA mutual funds, Catholic families can take a holistic approach to their financial and retirement goals. Investors can also find KoCAA-managed funds on popular wealth management platforms.
And unlike an investment firm’s typical model, where profits go to the shareholders or partners, a portion of KoCAA’s profits returns to the Knights of Columbus and supports the Catholic Church, evangelization and charity within the community. As investments grow with KoCAA, so too the potential
positive impact on causes close to the hearts of Knights.
“We want to help Catholics achieve their financial goals so they can care for their families and communities,” Minopoli explained. “And unlike Wall Street firms, our priorities don’t just include strong performance and competitive fees, but also compliance with Catholic teachings, and our profits support the charitable mission of the Order and the Church.”
KoCAA is also finding ways to promote faith-consistent investment funds in all corners of the world. In November, KoCAA sponsored the second Mensuram Bonam Summit; held in London, the summit was named after a 2022 document from the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences that discusses key principles that Catholics should consider in relation to ethical investing (see page 22).
For more information, please visit kofc.org/familyfinance B
Members of the investment management and support team led by Supreme Director Tony Minopoli (sitting, second from right), chief investment officer and president of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, are pictured at the Order’s headquarters in New Haven, Conn. KoCAA has a growing team of nearly 200 financial advisors across the United States.
Fourth Degree Knights from several California assemblies stand at attention as Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles blesses a statue of St. Junípero Serra at the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura last August. The statue, which stood in front of Ventura City Hall for more than 30 years until it was removed in 2020, was installed at the basilica in 2024. The statue dedication followed the closing Mass of the annual St. Junípero Walking Pilgrimage, in which more than 300 people traveled about 35 miles over two days from Mission Santa Barbara. Local Knights fed pilgrims during their overnight stop at St. Joseph Church in Carpinteria.
STANDING AT ATTENTION
Fourth Degree Knights from Dr. J. M. Uhrich Assembly 1066 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, provided an honor guard as Bishop Stephen Hero of Prince Albert blessed a new extension of the cemetery at St. Leon Catholic Church in Jackfish. The blessing took place during an event celebrating the parish’s 130th anniversary.
HONORING THE DEAD
Knights from St. Francis Council 11746 in Blairsville, Ga., helped install a new brick memorial walkway at St. Clare’s Haven Columbarium at St. Francis of Assisi Church. In addition to maintaining the columbarium grounds, council members regularly help prepare for and assist with interments.
PRIESTS THANKED FOR SERVICE
Sts. Peter and Paul Council 11475 in Palmyra, Va., organized a luncheon to thank the 22 priests from Uganda who are ministering in the Diocese of Richmond. The Knights presented
their guests with certifications of appreciation at the event, which also gave the priests a rare opportunity to spend time with each other amid their busy schedules.
PIZZA! PIZZA!
Members of St. Paul VI Council 14664 in Hamden, Conn., made 500 fried dough pizzas for St. Paul VI Parish’s annual family picnic. The event brought together members of the parish, which consists of three churches, and celebrated the 35th anniversary of priesthood of Father Christopher Tiano, pastor and council chaplain.
TRANSFORMATIVE TRIPS
More than 30 Catholic young people from parishes near West Winfield, Mass., attended a youth conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville thanks to a $10,000 donation from St. Joseph the Worker Council 1805 in West Winfield. The council has been helping to organize and raise funds for trips to the conference for the past decade.
Faith
CHRIST’S VESSELS
For nearly 30 years, Bishop Vath Assembly 2302 in Birmingham, Ala., has honored recently deceased Knights by engraving their names on chalices to be donated to a priest, usually a council chaplain or newly ordained priest. To date, the assembly has donated 31 of these Fourth Degree chalices to priests and seminarians in the Diocese of Birmingham and to priests in South Korea, Mexico and Brazil.
Members of Holy Family Council 6071 in Mandaluyong City, Luzon North, guide a carriage bearing the Eucharist for a procession to mark the solemnity of Christ the King. The monstrance was carried by Father Wilmer Rosario, rector of the Shrine of Espiritu Santo and council chaplain.
TOP: Photo by John Rueda/Archdiocese of LA
Family
Father Justin Vakko, pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church and chaplain of Prince of Peace Council 8791 in Ormond Beach, Fla., stands with two altar servers wearing nametags supplied by the council. Council 8791 worked with several parish groups to host “Name Tag Sunday” to encourage parishioners to get to know one another. About 1,100 people received name tags to wear at Mass and at the reception that followed.
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
Mother of Perpetual Help-Hingotanan West (Visayas) Council 18307 organized a marriage enrichment seminar at Holy Child Parish in Bien Unido for 17 married couples. The seminar included 12 sessions that focused on different aspects of married life and concluded with Mass.
CENTURY OF SERVICE
For more than 100 years, the Indiana State Council and numerous local councils have supported Gibault Children’s Services, which serves at-risk youth at campuses in Terre Haute and Schererville. Knights founded the organization in Terre Haute in 1921 as the Father Gibault Home for Boys and continue to serve on the organization’s board and play an active role in its mission. For example, after a storm passed through Terre Haute last summer, a group of Knights came to campus to clear trees and other debris. Indiana councils also donated more than $100,000 to Gibault last year.
MEN ON A MISSION
Nearly 50 members of John F. Kennedy Council 6004 in Artesia, Calif., traveled to Banga, Visayas, for a medical and dental mission, during which more than 1,000 people received medical attention. The Knights, along with members of Banga Council 5362, served hundreds of meals to participating families and gave out bags of food to families in need. Additionally, Council 6004 helped
renovate a shrine to Blessed Michael McGivney at St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Banga and made donations totaling $1,400 to St. John the Baptist Cathedral and to two local priests who assisted with the mission.
RELIEF FOR FLOOD VICTIMS
Iowa Great Lakes Council 5043 in Spirit Lake, Iowa, donated $4,800 to Our Lady of the Lakes Council 3965 in Spencer to help families affected by flooding in the area in June 2024. Council 5043 raised most of the money with a pancake breakfast and added $1,000 from its charitable fund. Council 3965 used the funds to purchase fans, dehumidifiers, gift cards for gas and food, and more.
THREAD OF SOLIDARITY
Richmond (Texas) Council 7445 donated nearly $4,000 to Common Threads, a program operated by the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District that provides clothes and school supplies to students in need. The money was raised by a fund drive at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Knights from Suffolk (Va.) Council 7363 gather in front of a trailer after helping a family from St. Mary of the Presentation Catholic Parish move to a new home. The council received a call from the mother asking for assistance because mold had been discovered in the family’s house, and they needed to relocate quickly. Twelve Knights spent six hours packing and moving the family’s belongings to a new residence.
Members of St. Stephen Council 12458 in Bentonville, Ark., repair a gazebo at St. Stephen Catholic Church after it was damaged by a tornado. A series of tornadoes swept through northwest Arkansas in late spring 2024, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. Council members responded quickly to assist the parish and families who were affected. A Knight who works for a construction company provided heavy equipment to facilitate the reconstruction of the gazebo.
CANADIAN COWBOYS
Msgr. John S. Smith Council 9658 in Calgary, Alberta, raised more than CA$9,000 during the annual Calgary Stampede rodeo and festival by selling parking during the 10-day event and organizing a Stampede Pancake Breakfast at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Council 9658 will donate the funds to the cathedral’s St. Vincent de Paul conference, local Catholic schools, the Faithful Companions of Jesus and other groups.
SPIRITUAL CARE FOR VETERANS
Since 1997, members of Marian Council 3827 in Minneapolis have helped coordinate spiritual care for the residents of the Minnesota Veterans Home-Minneapolis. Knights lead a rosary at the nursing residence every week and serve as ushers and lectors for Mass twice a month. They also facilitate Communion services when a priest is not available to celebrate Mass.
PROVIDENTIAL PASTA
St. Robert Bellarmine Council 8964 in Bayside Hills, N.Y., organized a pasta fundraiser that raised $8,500 for Rock Steady Boxing, a therapeutic exercise
program for people with Parkinson’s disease run by the New York Institute of Technology. The donation will fund scholarships for people who can’t afford the program’s cost.
PATRIOTISM REVS UP
Knights from Father Robert Dabrowski Assembly 2613 in Broken Arrow, Okla., helped place 30 U.S. flags around the perimeter of a local car dealership in honor of Veterans Day. The Knights organize the patriotic display on five holidays each year. In turn, the dealership donates $1,500 in the assembly’s name to the Coffee Bunker, which provides support and community to veterans.
CANDY AND COATS
Lewistown (Mont.) Council 1508 partnered with the coat closet ministry at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church to organize a Candy and Coats event on Halloween. Nearly 110 winter jackets, which Council 1508 donated through the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program, were given to people in need, as well as winter gloves, hats and Halloween candy.
Community
Grand Knight Al Brooks of Father Mark Mueller Council 9230 in Janesville, Wis., presents Donna Anderson, executive director of Acts of Kindness, with one of the 48 articles of winter clothing donated to the charity by Council 9230. The clothing is distributed by Acts of Kindness to children between the ages of 9 and 16.
HONORING
OLD GLORY
Mother of Divine Mercy Assembly 3771 in Ponte Vedra, Fla., works with St. Johns County and a local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to collect worn or tattered flags; more than 240 have been placed in the assembly’s box at St. John Paul II Catholic Church for proper disposal according to the U.S. Flag Code. The effort is led by Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Spigelmire, a member of the assembly.
Life
EVERY LIFE IS PRECIOUS
To observe Respect Life Month in October, St. Katharine Drexel Council 16660 in Sugar Grove, Ill., organized a display of more than 60 crosses in front of St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, representing children lost to abortion. The crosses were accompanied by a series of signs that together read “Every life is precious from conception to natural death. God forgives, God heals, God is love.”
Frank O’Neil (left) and Joe Gallant, members of Father Clair Tipping Council 9235 in Brampton, Ontario, welcome donors to the council’s recent blood drive at a local church. Council 9235 has organized monthly blood drives with Canadian Blood Services for 20 years, holding them at area churches and community centers.
Fourth Degree Knights from several assemblies in Guam stand at attention during the opening ceremony of Special Olympics Guam’s track and field championships last year. About 30 Knights and family members provided volunteer support for the event’s various competitions and helped distribute food and water to athletes, coaches and spectators.
MEMORIAL MAINTAINED
Members of Father John S. Nelligan Council 5730 in Scotch Plains, N.J., landscaped the area around a memorial to unborn children outside Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Knights took on the project at the request of Father Mike Ward, council chaplain and pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.
TEE OFF FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Mario “Chick” Alberghini Council 13277 in Navarre, Fla., held its third charity golf tournament to benefit Special Olympics Florida. The event raised $20,000 for the organization.
LOUSIANIANS FOR LIFE
Msgr. N.F. Vandegaer Council 3642 in West Monroe, La., purchased $500 worth of baby supplies — including diapers, wipes and other requested items — for Life Choices Pregnancy Resource Center.
BRISTOL BLOOD DRIVES
St. Mary of the Annunciation Council 11574 in Bristol, Ind., has organized two blood drives each year for the past
16 years. In 2024, donors gave about 60 pints of blood, bringing the drive’s overall total to more than 1,270 pints.
PRO-LIFE PRAYERS
Father Carl Anthony Council 3213 in Wadsworth, Ohio, hosted a Knights of Columbus Silver Rose pro-life prayer service at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. During the event, Council 3213 donated an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn, to be hung in the church’s nave.
WALKING WITH MOMS IN NEED
Members of Most Holy Trinity Council 11995 in Pass Christian, Miss., passed out bottles of water to people participating in the annual Walk for Life organized by Pro-Life Mississippi’s Gulf Coast District. Council 11995 also donated $200 to the organization.
See more at www.kofc.org/knightsinaction
Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org
United States
Ukraine
Members of Holy Mother of God Council 18186 in Pidkamin stand together behind a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney at Dormition of the Holy Mother of God Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, one of several stops of the relic’s tour through the jurisdiction since October 2024. As of December, 16 councils in Ukraine had organized prayer services to host relic for veneration.
Canada
Grand Knight Brian Klopp of St. Michael Council 7311 in Grand Ledge, Mich., and his daughter Reagan prepare food packages during a Cross Catholic Outreach packing event in Lansing. Local Knights, family members and other volunteers packaged nearly 62,000 meals for families in Guatemala. In the past fraternal year, Knights in Michigan worked with Cross Catholic Outreach to prepare more than 180,000 meals for families in need around the world.
Andrij Lazurko (left), a member of Bishop Budka Council 5914 in Regina, Saskatchewan, interviews Father Vasyl Tymishak, chancellor of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon and member of Council 5914, during the annual Knights of Columbus Carol Festival fundraiser organized by the Regina K of C Chapter. More than 20 musical groups, including Father Tymishak’s Ukrainian Carolers, performed during the two-day event, which raised more than CA$14,000 for local charitable programs for children, including the Knight of Columbus Coats for Kids program.
TOP: Photo by Erica Baker — BOTTOM RIGHT:
Photo by Tyler Woloshyn
Deputy Grand Knight Rodrigo Sandoval of San Francisco de Asís Council 17128 in Nochistlán, Mexico West, gives a new coat to a girl at San Pedro Apóstol Parish in Apulco. Council 17128 purchased nearly 200 new coats and more than 100 blankets with money donated by St. Frances Cabrini Council 9748 in Granbury, Texas, and distributed them at three events in the Nochistlán area. This is the second time the two councils have collaborated to give coats to people in need.
Members of St. Isidore Council 14910 in Cadijay, Visayas, prepare food for students at Canawa Elementary School during a recent service day at the school. In addition to feeding about 200 students, Knights gave them supplies like pencils and notebooks, and cleaned up the area around the school.
Knights from three councils in Stalowa Wola pray at the grave of Władysław Borek, a member of St. Padre Pio Council 15759 who died in 2020. Each year, Knights go to the local cemetery to pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet for deceased priests who ministered in the city and for other deceased Knights.
TOP: Photo by Juventino Melendrez
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Knights of Charity
Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.
Nelson Guzman (left), a member of Todos Los Santos Council 38 in Bridgeport, Conn., and Steve Trifone, a member of Santa Fe Council 2978 in Cheshire, help Amahle, 7, choose a winter coat during a Coats for Kids distribution at All Saints Parish in Waterbury. Connecticut Knights, family members and other volunteers distributed around 600 coats during the event, which was sponsored by Sheridan Council 24 in Waterbury.
Photo by Paul Haring
‘My vocation gives meaning to my life.’
Thanks to my parents’ strong faith and values, I had the great opportunity to attend Catholic school. My participation in youth groups and the exemplary witness of a parish priest then led me to discover God’s call to the priesthood. I also felt called to work in mass media and wanted to make Christ present on what Pope Benedict XVI called the “digital continent.” While attending university to study communication, I became involved in apostolates helping young people grow closer to God and his Church. All these experiences motivated me to enter seminary and, after my ordination, to pursue further studies in social communication in Rome.
In my 15 years as a priest, I have served in various parishes and in the communications ministry for the Archdiocese of Yucatán. My vocation gives meaning to my life, for it allows me to use the gifts God has given me to make his kingdom known. I make Pope Francis’ recent words to professional communicators my own: “I dream of a communication from heart to heart … a communication that is a tool for communion.”
Father Jorge Martínez Ruz
Archdiocese of Yucatán
Mons. Fernando Ruiz Solorzano Council 13963
Mérida, México
Photo by Luis Correa Photography