KNIGH T S O F C O L U M B U S
J ULY 2015
COLUMBIA
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F E AT U R E S
10 ‘To Care for Him Who Shall Have Borne the Battle’ Knights accompany wounded warriors and other U.S. pilgrims on military pilgrimage to Lourdes. BY COLUMBIA STAFF
16 Drawn by Faith From covers featuring medieval knights to lighthearted interior cartoons, Columbia has a rich history of artwork that inspired and entertained. BY PATRICK SCALISI
20 On ‘Changing’ Catholicism The Church proclaims the timeless teachings of Christ in every age, undeterred by the winds of cultural change BY FATHER JAMES V. SCHALL, S.J.
22 Cuisine With Compassion A K of C culinary team serves both parish and community under the leadership of a renowned French chef BY JEAN DENTON
Military personnel hold candles during a candlelight vigil during the annual International Military Pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.
D E PA RT M E N T S 3
Building a better world
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The Church responds to the challenge of secularization with prophetic wisdom regarding marriage, family and the human person. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON
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BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI
PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month
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BY MATTHEW MACK
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Building the Domestic Church Because God is the Father of orphans and defender of widows, we want to reach out to all those who are lonely and abandoned.
Knights of Columbus News
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Knights in Action
CNS photo/Paul Haring
Supreme Knight Participates in Conference on Blessed Junípero Serra • Knights in Mexico, Canada March for Life
Fathers for Good Natural family planning helped me to discern and discover God’s plan for life and married love.
Inspired by faith and charity, our parishes and families are called to be open to neighbors in need.
Knights of Columbus News State Deputies Meeting Emphasizes Charity That Evangelizes
Learning the faith, living the faith
JULY 2015
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E D I TO R I A L
Continuity and Reform SINCE THE Second Vatican Council concluded nearly 50 years ago, the challenges of the modern world have continued to expand and multiply at a rapid pace. Still, the authentic purpose of the council is as relevant as ever. In his address opening Vatican II in October 1962, St. John XXIII said, “The greatest concern of the Ecumenical Council is this: that the sacred deposit of Christian doctrine should be guarded and taught more efficaciously.” This remains the concern of the new evangelization today. In December 2005, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a speech to the Roman Curia in which he famously articulated two contrary ways that the Second Vatican Council was understood and implemented in the decades that followed. The council has too often been interpreted with a “hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture,” he explained, as opposed to a “hermeneutic of continuity and reform.” In contrast with those who would make a sharp distinction between a pre- and post-Vatican II Church, he added, “The Church, both before and after the Council, was and is the same Church — one, holy, catholic and apostolic, journeying on through time.” Indeed, in his 1962 address, John XXIII made it clear that the council’s intention was “to transmit doctrine pure and integral, without any attenuation or distortion.” At the same time, the Church is called to constant reform and renewal. “Our duty is not only to guard this precious treasure, as if we were concerned only with antiquity,” John XXIII
said, “but to dedicate ourselves with an earnest will and without fear to that work which our era demands of us.” With this dynamic of continuity and reform, the Church is called to proclaim the perennial truths of revelation in a way that modern ears can hear. In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis explained, “Christ is the ‘eternal Gospel’ (Rev 14:6); he ‘is the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Heb 13:8), yet his riches and beauty are inexhaustible. He is for ever young and a constant source of newness.” In solidarity with Pope Francis, the Knights of Columbus embraces the task of the new evangelization. One way the Order does this is by strengthening the Christian family, the domestic church, which faces different threats now than in Father McGivney’s era, but remains of crucial importance to the health of the Church and society. There are also countless examples of K of C programs — from the Ultrasound Initiative to the Christian Refugee Relief Fund to the Order’s support of wounded warriors — that aim to creatively apply the Columbian virtues to the varying circumstances of our day. Even Columbia magazine itself has adapted its style and content through the decades while staying true to the Knights’ mission. This mission continues today, as we seek to meet the needs of the present and look to the future with hope.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR
Pilgrimage Resource: Guide to Lourdes In 1919, immediately following World War I, the Knights of Columbus organized the first-ever military pilgrimage to Lourdes and published a popular pilgrimage booklet titled Guide to Lourdes after repeated requests from American pilgrims. Beginning with a history of the Marian apparitions to St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, the booklet provides a descriptive account of the Sanctuary grounds. The booklet was reprinted for the 2015 Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage (see page 10). 2 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Logan T. Ludwig DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME SECRETARY Michael J. O’Connor SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi SENIOR EDITOR ________
Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4210, option #3 PRAYER CARDS & SUPPLIES 203-752-4214 OTHER INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
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Copyright © 2015 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER A father teaches his son to pray in this painting by artist Donald J. Winslow, which first appeared on the cover of the February 1968 issue of Columbia.
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
The Enduring Call to Love The Church responds to the challenge of secularization with prophetic wisdom regarding marriage, family and the human person by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson IN 1980, ST. JOHN PAUL II convened the first Synod of Bishops during his pontificate and chose for its theme the Christian family. Following the synod, he wrote the most important document on the pastoral care of marriage and family in the history of the Catholic Church: his apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio (On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World). John Paul II began Familiaris Consortio with a magnificent vision of the human person. He wrote: “God created man in His own image and likeness: calling him to existence through love, He called him at the same time for love…. God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion. Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being” (11). In his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, written in 1979, the pope had already identified the fundamental pastoral and cultural challenge facing Christians in our time: “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it” (10). In short, St. John Paul II saw that all the so-called “social issues” related to procreation, marriage and the family relate to our vocation of love.
A decade later, Professor James Davison Hunter of the University of Virginia popularized the term “culture wars” — a term that continues to be a way of understanding the conflict between religious and secular approaches to social issues. But John Paul II never used such language. Although he often spoke about a “culture of life” and a “culture of death,” for him the question was always one of witness, dialogue and openness to others. A Christian’s vocation to love always applies to those with whom one might disagree. John Paul II wrote in Redemptor Hominis that “the Church’s consciousness must go with universal openness, in order that all may be able to find in her ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’” (4). POPE OF THE FAMILY During the first five years of his pontificate, St. John Paul II instituted seven major initiatives to strengthen Catholic marriages and families. The first was his series of 129 Wednesday catecheses on human love. Begun in 1979, these addresses have come to be known as the theology of the body. The pope, however, chose another title for the series: “Human Love in the Divine Plan.” In addition to the synod in 1980 and the publication of Familiaris Consortio the following year, the Holy Father also established both the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.
Finally, in 1983, he promulgated The Charter on the Rights of the Family and presented a more pastoral approach to the Church’s law on marriage through the revised Code of Canon Law. The key to understanding St. John Paul II’s theology of human love is that there can be no authentic “theology of love” abstracted and divorced from the Creator’s design of the human body and human sexuality. The body has a meaning in the Creator’s plan for the vocation and redemption of every human person. Likewise, the body has “meaning” that is not only biological, but also theological and spiritual. In Familiaris Consortio, John Paul II put it this way: “Man is called to love in his unified totality. Love includes the human body, and the body is made a sharer in spiritual love” (11). Elsewhere John Paul II explained that in the Creator’s design there is a “language of the body,” which each person is expected to speak truthfully as part of the marital communion of spouses. One of the extraordinary aspects of John Paul II’s theology of love is the way it reintroduces the idea of natural law. It does so by reintroducing an understanding of the Creator’s design for his created order through an experience that everyone
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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
shares — namely, the search for authentic love and communion. John Paul II knew that without a connection between human experience and the design of the Creator for human action, issues of procreation and marriage could easily be reduced to the latest sociological studies or public opinion polls.
the fact that he asked it from a prison cell. Bonhoeffer answered his own question in the simple but profound act of his witness — a witness that led to his death. St. John Paul II spent his entire life confronting secular atheism — often in its most virulent and violent forms. The claim of these totalitarian systems was essentially the same: The answer to man’s problems will come in the events of social, economic and political change, whether realized by Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich or Marx’s workers’ paradise. John Paul II responded to the challenge of secularism on many
family in their daily lives. Will Christian spouses find the theological, spiritual and pastoral resources necessary to help them live this way? Will Christian parents find the catechetical resources to help them transmit this way of life to their children? In many places today those resources are not sufficiently available to the faithful. These questions, too, will CONFRONTING SECULARISM need to be addressed. Fifty years ago, Protestant theologian For John Paul II, human love in Harvey Cox argued in his book The the divine plan can never be divorced Secular City that Christians must find from the redemption of human sexa new openness and acceptance of uality. That may appear to be an imsecularism as Western societies tranpossible task in today’s culture, but sition from a Christian to a secular we are told that if we have faith — culture. Cox wrote that to even as small as a mustard avoid becoming “a prisoner seed — wonderful things of his own past,” man must will happen. understand that “God comes In the days ahead, some Christians cannot take up their to us today in the events of pundits may see Catholics vocation of love in regard to social change.” He added that engaged on a new front in the question of what it means the “culture wars.” And marriage and at the same time to be a Christian will “be ansome critics of the Church swered by events that take will claim that this engageignore their vocation of love in place in the future.” ment is motivated by hostilregard to their neighbor. This view has obvious imity or animus. plications for the way ChrisBut that was not the way of tians respond to changes in St. John Paul II, just as it is society’s views of personal morality levels. But most notably he re- not the way of Pope Francis. and family structure. Such an ap- sponded to this challenge in his Christians cannot take up their voproach has done very little — if any- prophetic ministry to married cou- cation of love in regard to marriage thing at all — to reverse the decline ples and families. and at the same time ignore their voof many mainline Protestant denomcation of love in regard to their inations that appear to have adopted THE PATH OF neighbor. it. In their rush to avoid being “pris- CHRISTIAN WITNESS We must remember the words of oners of the past,” they have in a way Today, both our culture and our St. Augustine in The City of God, that become “prisoners of the future.” Church are confronting new ques- “among our most declared enemies But this is only one response to the tions about what it means to be mar- there are now some, unknown to problem of secularization. ried and, in particular, what it means themselves, who are destined to beWriting from a Nazi prison cell to be married as a Christian. come our friends.” shortly before his execution, another These questions have been brought On this path of Christian witness, Protestant theologian, Dietrich Bon- into sharp focus by recent legal deci- the words of St. Teresa Benedicta of hoeffer, put the problem starkly: “We sions in the United States and other the Cross (Edith Stein) are a guiding are proceeding toward a time of no countries. They are questions that light. Canonized by St. John Paul II religion at all…. How do we speak of will be addressed by the World Meet- in 1998, this great 20th-century witGod without religion?” ing of Families in September and by ness and martyr declared, “Do not Bonhoeffer’s question continues to the Synod of Bishops in October. accept anything as the truth if it lacks resound today, especially in his native In an increasingly suspicious and love, and do not accept anything as Germany and elsewhere in Europe. hostile culture, married Christians love which lacks truth! One without But Bonhoeffer’s greatness lies not in will find it difficult to witness to the the other becomes a destructive lie.” the question he asked, but rather in Creator’s design for marriage and Vivat Jesus! 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS
State Deputies Meeting Emphasizes Charity That Evangelizes
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson addresses the annual Organizational Meeting of State Deputies in New Haven, Conn. FRATERNAL LEADERS from each of the Order’s 74 jurisdictions gathered in New Haven, Conn., June 37 for the annual Organizational Meeting of Knights of Columbus State Deputies. The event featured keynote addresses on the work of the Order and workshops on charitable programs, membership and insurance, in addition to daily Mass and fraternal activities. In his keynote address on Friday, June 5, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson announced that the Knights of Columbus had reached new heights in charitable giving and volunteer hours in 2014. The Order set new records with $173,550,680 in donations and more than 71.5 million hours of service. “These figures indicate that the Knights of Columbus has the courage to witness to charity and are committed to a fraternal outreach to those in need,” the supreme knight said. He highlighted ongoing K of C programs such as Coats for Kids, Food for Families and the Ultrasound Initiative, as well as partnerships with organizations like Special Olympics and the Global Wheelchair Mission. Among the Order’s more recent initiatives, the supreme knight spoke about the Knights’ ef-
forts to provide aid to Christian refugees in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. Throughout the meeting, Supreme Knight Anderson and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore also underscored the Order’s efforts to strengthen Catholic family life and to foster evangelization. Looking forward to events such as the first visit of Pope Francis to the United States in September, which will include the World Meeting of Families and the canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra, the supreme knight said that the Knights must work to overcome cultural challenges and continue to advance. “Junípero Serra’s motto was ‘Always forward, never back,’” he said. “That’s not a bad motto for state deputies.” In his homily during a June 5 Mass at St. Mary’s Church, the Order’s birthplace, Archbishop Lori said, “Venerable Father Michael McGivney is urging you not just to be a practicing Catholic, but an avidly practicing Catholic who takes your faith to heart and lives it daily.” He then encouraged state deputies to “lead many to join the Order so as to be good Catholics, good husbands, good and loving followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The meeting provided an opportunity for K of C leaders to gain valuable advice through formal talks and working lunches led by senior management and executives from the Supreme Council. Presentations focused on the essential support that a jurisdiction’s leadership provides in promoting yearlong membership recruitment, service programs to those in need, and the fraternal-insurance partnership, thereby building star councils and helping the Order to grow. As the Knights’ worldwide membership nears 1.9 million and insurance in force approaches $100 billion, speakers emphasized the direct relationship between the Order’s record-breaking charitable giving, its growth in membership and its insurance program. In his closing remarks June 7, Supreme Knight Anderson encouraged all state deputies to bring the Order’s guiding principles to bear in their lives and communities. “We have seen that our charity is an engine for evangelization, a charity that evangelizes,” he said. “Along with that is also a unity that evangelizes and a fraternity that evangelizes. Combined they are a powerful engine for the Order, for our communities and for our Church.”♦
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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
A Study in Contrasts Inspired by faith and charity, our parishes and families are called to be open to neighbors in need by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
IN RECENT MONTHS we have been reflecting on the family as a domestic church. Just as a parish proclaims and teaches God’s Word, so too do parents have the beautiful and awesome responsibility of sharing the Church’s faith with their children. Both the parish and the home should be places of prayer. Yet, there is still another aspect of parish life that flows from faith and worship and that should be reflected in the family: reaching out to those who are poor, vulnerable, lonely, abandoned or otherwise in need.
notice is that the parish is concerned mainly with its own operations, activities and the bottom line. There are few, if any, opportunities to reach out beyond the church walls, such as to the homeless in the downtrodden part of town. Parish No. 1 pretty much lives in its own selfcontained world. Parish No. 2 is much like the first, with stable demographics. Parishioners are friendly and it is very family-oriented. Married couples feel they can
The parish runs a food pantry, conducts a ministry to the homebound, supports a local pro-life clinic, and works to repair run-down homes throughout town. Young people feel involved, often through service projects to the poor and vulnerable.
FAMILY PRIORITIES In a similar way, we can compare two imaginary families: Family No. The Knights of Columbus can A TALE OF TWO PARISHES 1 and Family No. 2. After reading play a significant role in forming the comparison, ask yourself which We might understand the importance of serving our neigh- parishes and families that welcome family you’d rather belong to or like bors better if we draw a contrast to see your children grow up in. between two imaginary parishes In Family No. 1., Mom and and serve their neighbors. — let’s call them Parish No. 1 Dad have been married for nearly and Parish No. 2 — and then 20 years. In fact, they were high decide which we’d rather belong to. turn to their parish for support in living school sweethearts. They both have reaParish No. 1 is located in a zip code their vocation to marriage and family. sonably good jobs and work hard and with largely stable neighborhoods. Most The support comes not only from the consider themselves upwardly mobile. parishioners have been there for years pastor and the parish staff, but also from While not wealthy, they provide a nice and know each other rather well. It is a other families who are trying to do the home and a stable income for themlarge, self-sustaining parish with a school same thing. selves and for their three children. and catechetical program, and a full Parish No. 2 also has the same kind This family is busier than Grand Cenrange of groups and committees, from of groups, but these consistently reach tral Station at rush hour. Virtually every parish and finance councils to men’s, out to attract and welcome new mem- waking moment is scheduled. Dad is on women’s and youth groups. The priest bers. The preaching and teaching are his way to work by 6 a.m. After getting and parish staff are diligent, even not simply faithful to the Church’s the kids ready for school, Mom is on her dogged, in sustaining the parish. Atten- teaching, but also link people’s daily way by 7:30 a.m. At school, the children dance at Mass has gradually declined but lives to the love of God in a way that are involved in just about everything: seems to have leveled off. gives them the strength to live as joyful soccer, basketball, swimming, drama, Nevertheless, newcomers to this disciples of Christ. music lessons and more. parish hesitate because they do not reAs a result, the faith and worship of But it’s almost never the case that the ceive a warm welcome. Some say it’s like this parish is expressed in acts of love and whole family spends an evening at home trying to break into a club. What they service to those in need. together. If they do, mobile devices ab6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
sorb their attention. Mom and Dad still consider themselves Catholics, but between sports, the need to catch up with friends and everything else, there is little or no time left on Sunday for Mass, let alone for service projects. One day, this family wakes up to discover that love has faded in their home. They have become like a collection of independent contractors living under one roof. Family No. 2 also faces the same pressures as No. 1. Both parents work and work hard. Their children are involved with lots of activities. The family has a
HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS
Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis
PoPe FrANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring – bleSSeD louIS mArTIN: CNS photo/courtesy of Sanctuary of lisieux
GENERAL: That political responsibility may be lived at all levels as a high form of charity. MISSION: That, amid social inequalities, Latin American Christians may bear witness to love for the poor and contribute to a more fraternal society.
nice house but nothing grand. In fact, this couple has made a few important decisions about their priorities. First, they take their faith seriously and let it guide their married lives and how they raise their children. Second, they provide well for their family but also teach them that having the latest and greatest doesn’t bring happiness. Third, they pick and choose activities carefully so that they can still spend time with one another and their children in friendship and prayer. Finally, they make a point of welcoming and reaching out to others. At
Thanksgiving, a person with nowhere to go is at their table. At Christmas, they join a group of parishioners to prepare meals for the homeless. They bring their power tools down to the nearby Habitat for Humanity project and pitch in. So which parish and which family would you like to be a part of? I leave it to you. Knights of Columbus councils are likewise challenged to reach beyond themselves. And in so doing, they can play a significant role in forming parishes and families that welcome and serve their neighbors.♦
C AT H O L I C M A N O F T H E M O N T H
Blessed Louis Martin (1823-1894) THE THIRD OF FIVE children, Louis Martin was born in Bordeaux, France, on Aug. 22, 1823. He was raised in a lively Christian family that eventually settled in Alençon, about 125 miles west of Paris. Martin left home at age 19 to study watchmaking. For a time, he considered a religious vocation, but he discerned that God had other plans for him. He established a watchmaking business in 1850, later adding a jeweler’s shop. In April of 1858, Martin met Zélie Guérin, a skillful lacemaker who had also considered the consecrated life. Discovering a profound spiritual harmony, the affectionate couple soon became engaged and were married that July. They eventually had nine children, five of whom survived. The Martin household was marked by deep faith, as the family attended daily Mass and practiced the works of mercy. Louis was fond of singing, fishing and hiking, and delighted in making toys for his children. His youngest daughter, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, once recalled, “I cannot say how much I
loved Papa; everything in him caused me to admire him.” Though the family enjoyed financial security, the Martins also experienced hardship. Zélie died in 1877 at age 46 after a battle with breast cancer. Moving to Lisieux with his daughters that same year to live near his in-laws, Louis later suffered a series of strokes that left him paralyzed. Before his death July 29, 1894, Martin saw each of his five daughters enter religious life. “God does me the honor of asking for all my children,” he said. “I give them with joy.” Beatified together in 2008, Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin are expected to be canonized in October. Their feast day is July 12.♦
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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS
Supreme Knight Participates in Conference on Blessed Junípero Serra THE ARCHDIOCESE of Los Angeles and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America co-sponsored a day of reflection in Rome May 2 on the life and legacy of Blessed Junípero Serra, the Franciscan missionary who will be canonized during Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September. The Pontifical North American College hosted the conference, which was titled “Fra Junípero Serra: Apostle of California and Witness to Sanctity.” Featured speakers included Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles; and Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. The daylong event concluded with Mass celebrated by Pope Francis — the first time a pope has visited the U.S. seminary in 35 years. In his homily, the pope called Serra
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson is pictured with Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles (left) and Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, at a conference on Blessed Junípero Serra held in Rome. a “tireless missionary” who “ushered in a new springtime of evangelization.” He added, “We know that before leaving for California, he wanted to consecrate his life to Our Lady of
Guadalupe and to ask her for the grace to open the hearts of the colonizers and indigenous peoples.” Earlier in the day, the supreme knight delivered an address titled “Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother and Guide of Fra Junípero Serra, Patron of America,” in which he likewise discussed the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe as the key to understanding “what drove and motivated Junípero Serra and the other missionaries.” Noting that Our Lady appeared in 1531 as a woman of mixed race, he explained, “Father Serra created an environment he hoped would protect the native peoples from the abuses of colonization that he feared might otherwise befall them, and he stood up to the abuses he saw. He died surrounded by the people he loved and who loved him in turn.”♦
KNIGHTS AND THEIR FAMILIES were among the 12,000 participants in the fourth annual March for Life in Mexico City April 25, and among the nearly 25,000 who gathered May 14 for Canada’s 18th annual March for Life on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill. The march in Mexico, which drew a record-breaking number of participants, began at a pro-life monument dedicated to mothers, continued to the Chamber of Deputies government building and concluded with a Life Festival, which included testimonials from young people in defense of life. Citizens from Canada similarly gathered for three days of events focused on prayer and pro-life witness, including a candlelight vigil at the Human Rights Monument, adjacent to Ottawa’s city hall, on May 13. Canadian Knights have been regular supporters and participants in the march, rally and related events, which held particular significance this year following the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision to legalize physician-assisted suicide. In addition to the Ottawa event, the British Columbia and Yukon State Council co-sponsored a pro-life rally and march in Victoria, British Columbia.♦
Right: Knights participate in Canada’s 18th annual March for Life May 14 and Mexico’s fourth annual March for Life April 25. 8 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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ToP: Photo by Alessia Giuliani/CPP — oTTAWA mArCH: Photo by Andre Forget
Knights in Mexico, Canada March for Life
FAT H E R S F O R G O O D
Learning, Trusting, Witnessing Natural family planning helped me to discern and discover God’s plan for life and married love by Matthew Mack
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Thinkstock
hen my wife, Andrea, and I got married 13 years ago, I wasn’t ready for natural family planning. I’d been praying for my future spouse long before I met her, and now that we were married, I wasn’t willing to let anyone else tell me about marital intimacy. Since then, I have grown not only to accept but to actually cherish the Catholic Church’s teaching on the matter. NFP has been an integral part of the journey of learning about, trusting in and bearing witness to God’s will for our marriage. Within a few months of getting married, my rejection of NFP began to subside as I learned about the medical benefits it can provide. Andrea suffered from endometriosis, which caused painful cycles, but the secular health community’s only recommended treatment option was to mask the condition with a hormonal contraceptive pill. I recognized that the pill can act as an abortifacient by preventing the implantation of a conceived embryo, and reasoned that the Catholic Church must have a better solution. By God’s grace, we discovered the Pope Paul VI Institute and its “NaProTechnology” approach to treat the underlying causes of Andrea’s endometriosis, beginning with learning the Creighton Model of NFP. My skepticism began to disappear as we learned about the science of fertility and as NFP helped us to embrace all aspects of married love. A couple years later, Andrea became a teacher of the Creighton Model and learned more about how the charting information can be used by trained physicians to treat many underlying causes of infertility. She also recognized from our own charting that starting a family would not be easy for us. Through testing and surgeries, doctors at the Paul VI Institute worked to get Andrea healthy and restore her fertility. But as months and then years passed, the possibility that we might never have children on our own began to weigh heavily on both of us. I now see that God was calling us to the next phase of trusting him and his will. Trusting myself is natural, and
trusting my spouse became easier through the trials. Somehow, trusting in the all-knowing God proved hardest; realizing that my plan was meaningless unless it matched his will was not easy to swallow. Yet while attending Mass after Andrea’s final surgery, I said a prayer of surrender to God, accepting the fact that we would likely never have children. I remember leaving church that evening at peace. The next month, we learned that through the beautiful mystery of God’s grace, a tiny but mighty miracle had taken place: my wife was pregnant. Our overwhelming happiness, though, was quickly followed by the anxiety of not knowing if we could maintain this pregnancy. After facing so much uncertainty for nine months, and with the support of the Pope Paul VI Institute and many prayers from family and friends, we welcomed the birth of our first son. Our second son was born two years later, and we were overjoyed with the direction our family was going. Unfortunately, Andrea’s endometriosis returned, and in recent years we’ve faced additional surgeries and the unbearable heartache of multiple miscarriages. During this time, which has often felt hopeless, we have leaned on our faith to sustain us, looking to the intercession of Mary and Joseph and knowing that God’s plan is grander than ours. Through this experience, Andrea and I have felt called to a new phase of witnessing to others, including engaged couples, about the simple beauty of life. We start with our sons, teaching them to treat each other in a way that reflects the love of Christ. Are new trials ahead? Certainly. But with new challenges come new blessings. God has once again done what we thought was impossible: We are awaiting the arrival of our first daughter in July. To God be the glory! EDITOR’S NOTE: National NFP Awareness Week is July 19-25.♦ MATTHEW MACK is a member of Resurrection Council 11363 in Grand Island, Neb.
FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT FATHERSFORGOOD. ORG .
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‘TO CARE FOR HIM WHO SHALL HAVE BORNE THE BATTLE’ Knights accompany wounded warriors and other U.S. pilgrims on military pilgrimage to Lourdes by Columbia staff
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s retired U.S. Marine Paul McQuigg approached the sacred baths at the Marian shrine in Lourdes, France, he assisted a young brother Marine in and out of the cool waters. The drenched young warrior was visibly moved by the experience, and McQuigg, a fellow wounded warrior, was himself 10 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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stirred by the presence of scores of soldiers gathered in prayer. “It was extremely humbling,” said McQuigg, a member of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Council 9111 in Oceanside, Calif. “No one prays harder for peace than those who have been through war.”
The 2015 Warriors to Lourdes pilgrims are pictured outside of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in France. Participants included more than 80 wounded, sick or disabled military pilgrims, in addition to K of C representatives, clergy, family members, support staff and volunteers. McQuigg was among the more than 200 U.S. pilgrims who took part in the Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage for Wounded or Disabled Military Personnel May 13-17. Organized by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus for the third consecutive year, the pilgrimage coincided with the 57th International Military Pilgrimage (Pèlerinage Militaire International or PMI), which included delegations from approximately 35 countries. U.S. Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio and Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer led the U.S. pilgrims — a group that included active troops, military veterans, family members, chaplains, volunteers, support staff and a Fourth Degree honor guard. They were joined by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and other K of C representatives, and together had the opportunity to pray and worship at what has long been one of the most popular sites of Catholic devotion in the world.
SITE OF GROWING DEVOTION Located in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, the town of Lourdes was visited in 1858 by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who appeared to a 14-year-old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous. Dressed in white, Our Lady appeared in the hollow of a granite cave, or grotto, and revealed herself as “the Immaculate Conception” on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25. Mary directed St. Bernadette to uncover an underground spring and to “tell the priests to come here in procession and build a chapel here.” By the late 19th century, pilgrims began flocking to the shrine. Within a few decades, the Knights of Columbus organized the first-ever military pilgrimage to Lourdes in the aftermath of World War I. In a message to this year’s pilgrims, Supreme Knight Anderson explained, “From its beginnings, the Knights of Columbus JULY 2015
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has understood the sacrifices of those in military service,” noting that the Order established Army Hut facilities throughout the United States and Europe during World War I. In the spring of 1919, with an official K of C Army Hut established in Lourdes, Knights in France coordinated a pilgrimage that attracted thousands of U.S. soldiers stationed across Europe. According to a report from the period, some 3,000 soldiers had arrived by the feast of the Annunciation. “All of Lourdes was there,” the report said. “‘I have lived in Lourdes for twenty years,’ said a French lady, ‘but I have never seen anything so wonderful as this.’” Following the pilgrimage, repeated requests from American pilgrims prompted the Order to publish a Guide to Lourdes in May 1919. Nearly a century later, 6 million pilgrims visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes annually to seek physical, psychological or spiritual healing. During the opening Mass for this year’s Warriors to Lourdes pilgrims on May 14, Archbishop Broglio welcomed the more than 200 participants. “We come to this wonderful shrine with many intentions,” Archbishop Broglio said in his homily. “For some it will be health of mind and body; for others it might be part of a vocation search. Still others ask the Virgin for blessings on families. We all pray for those deployed in harm’s way, and we beg our Mother to intercede with her Son so that the world might experience that peace only he can bring.” ‘MY BROTHER’S KEEPER’ Since the Knights of Columbus started co-sponsoring the wounded warriors pilgrimage in 2013, the number of attendees has steadily increased. Growing from 125 participants in 2013 to more than 160 in 2014, this year’s contingent of 203 included more than 80 wounded, sick or disabled military pil12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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grims, many of whom sustained physical injuries in battle or who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition to family members, clergy, support staff and 45 volunteers, an honor guard from Father H. Timothy Vakoc Assembly at Ramstein Air Base in Germany took part in all major events. Together, the Warriors to Lourdes group accounted for just over half of the total U.S. delegation. In his homily at the welcome Mass for all U.S. pilgrims May 15, Bishop Spencer urged those present to use the gift of their time in Lourdes together wisely. “Let us to heed our Blessed Mother’s call to conversion of heart,” he said, “so that the world might be a better place for all as we truly live and are our ‘brother’s keeper.’” Bishop Spencer’s statement echoed the theme for this year’s international pilgrimage — “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” — which, in turn, was inspired by an address given by Pope Francis in September 2014 at the Italian cemetery in Redipuglia, where some 100,000 soldiers who died during World War I are buried. Altogether, more than 12,000 people participated in this year’s international pilgrimage. Major events included the opening ceremony, featuring international marching bands in full regalia, a Marian procession and candlelight vigil, a sports challenge event, and the concluding Mass. The Warriors to Lourdes pilgrims also participated in a number of other events and spiritual activities, including private Masses, K of C-organized faith and fellowship sessions, a tour of the sanctuary grounds and a visit to the baths. McQuigg, who was severely wounded while leading a troop of Marines in Iraq in 2006, was accompanied on the pilgrimage by his wife and son. For nearly a decade, McQuigg has lived with constant pain from his combat injuries, which included a shattered jaw, the loss of more than half of his tongue, and neurological damage to his left arm and leg.
A Fourth Degree honor guard from Father H. Timothy Vakoc Assembly at Ramstein Air Base in Germany lead pilgrims to an event on the sanctuary grounds. • U.S. pilgrims are among those in attendance at an English-language Mass at the Lourdes grotto May 16. • Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, delivers the homily during Mass for U.S. pilgrims in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary May 15. “I’ll always feel the effects,” he said. “But after the baths, my chronic pain has diminished a great deal.” What was equally impressive, McQuigg added, was the unity of faith among the military pilgrims. “To be there with so many of our allies, and to see their devotion to Christ and to peace, was an amazing testament.” ‘A SIGN OF HOPE’ Among this year’s volunteers who were instrumental in galvanizing council support to send wounded warriors to Lourdes was William Schecher, a member of Stella Maris Council 3772 in San Clemente, Calif. Just months before his departure for the pilgrimage, Schecher “got a spur-of-the-moment idea,” as he put it. “I went to my council with flyers printed in huge block letters that read: HELP SEND A WOUNDED WARRIOR TO LOURDES ,” he explained. “In less than two months we collected just under $6,000. One donation for $2,600 — the full cost for one wounded warrior — came from a fellow council member who is a West Point grad and Vietnam vet.” Wounded warriors also received support from the Washington State Council, Father Anthony McGirl Council 7907 in Issaquah, Wash., Our Lady of the Lake Assembly in Pell City, Ala., Delaware’s Fourth Degree district and California’s Central district. “This is a fantastic way for councils to help out the wounded warriors who have done so much and sacrificed so much for us,” said Schecher, who volunteered in an “at-large” capacity during this year’s pilgrimage.
In his second inaugural address, just seven years after the apparitions in Lourdes, President Abraham Lincoln called upon the country “to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” Now, 150 years later, the Knights’ sponsorship of the Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage seeks to provide such care and foster such peace. In his homily during the international pilgrimage’s concluding Mass on Sunday, May 17, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and a former archbishop of Québec, said, “At present, we find ourselves in the midst of a ‘third world war’ on multiple fronts,” echoing an expression that Pope Francis has often used. “The presence of military ordinaries and their faithful here in Lourdes today is a sign of hope in the dramatic times that we are living,” added Cardinal Ouellet, who has been a Knight since 2002. As more than 20,000 people filled the shrine’s Basilica of St. Pius X, the cardinal urged those present to draw from “the fountain of living water of the Spirit of Christ” and “to pray the rosary as often as possible, that the intercession of Mary may obtain for us the grace to be bearers of good news — authentic signs of fraternity, compassion and peace.” For more information about the Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage and how to sponsor a wounded warrior in 2016, visit warriorstolourdes.com.♦ JULY 2015
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Because God is the Father of orphans and defender of widows, we want to reach out to all those who are lonely and abandoned. GOD WATCHES OVER and guards all of his creation. In a special way, he is the “Father of the fatherless and defender of widows” (Ps 68:5). Particularly in the ancient world, orphans and widows were the most vulnerable members of society. With no one to care for them, they were defenseless. God cares so much for us that he sent Jesus Christ, his only Son, to save us (cf. Jn 3:16). Jesus was especially close to the sick, hungry, lonely and poor, and he pointed to the Good Samaritan as a model to follow (cf. Lk 10:29-37). In this way, he gives us the answer to Cain’s question: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9). Every man is his “brother’s keeper,” for God has entrusted us to one another.
Bring Song Into Your Home
Reading of the Month (Isaiah 58)
Ubi Caritas (Taizé chant) Ubi caritas et amor, Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est.
Pray the Reading of the Month during every Sunday of the month at your family prayer space. On the last Sunday of the month, discuss as a family which verse stood out most for each member.
Family Project Like the Good Samaritan, we are called to live out the corporal works of mercy: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the imprisoned, and bury the dead. Think about a person or family who may be neglected or alone, new to your parish or school, or otherwise in need. Reach out to them in a concrete way — extend a welcoming hand, offer to help or visit them, or invite them over to your home for a meal.
Council-Wide Event: Movie Night July’s movie recommendation is Disney’s animated The Jungle Book. Before the movie begins, invite families to relate their experiences of assisting or sharing a meal with someone who was lonely or in need.
Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.
THIS IS THE TENTH MONTH OF BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH: THE FAMILY FULLY ALIVE, A K OF C INITIATIVE FOR FAMILIES. 14 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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(Where there are charity and love, God is there.)
BU I L D I N G T H E D O M E S T I C C H U RC H
Volunteering Together Project: Habitat for Humanity Knights at the local level are very involved in assisting Habitat for Humanity in helping to build or renovate houses for families in need. According to the Survey of Fraternal Activity, council members worked more than 1.16 million hours on nearly 170,000 Habitat projects last year in jurisdictions where the Order is present. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian organization founded in 1976 that seeks to eliminate “poverty housing” and homelessness. The organization assists in providing quality-built, affordable homes to needy families by involving the future homeowner with community volunteers to build or renovate the home. In addition to a down payment, recipients provide “sweat equity” by working alongside the builders and are then provided with an affordable mortgage plan. In 2014, Habitat assisted an estimated 300,000 families. Knights can support Habitat’s mission by volunteering at construction
K of C volunteers work at a Habitat for Humanity build site in New Haven, Conn. Last year, Knights volunteered more than 1 million hours on Habitat projects. sites, working at the organization’s supply stores (known as ReStores) or donating building materials. Locate your local Habitat branch by visiting
Meditation Jesus wanted to belong to a family who experienced hardships, so that no one would feel excluded from the loving closeness of God. The flight into Egypt caused by Herod’s threat shows us that God is present where man is in danger, where man is suffering, where he is fleeing, where he experiences rejection and abandonment; but God is also present where man dreams, where he hopes to return in freedom to his homeland and plans and chooses life for his family and dignity for himself and his loved ones. Today our gaze on the Holy Family lets us also be drawn into the simplicity of the life they led in Nazareth. It is an example that does our families great good, helping them increasingly to become communities of love and reconciliation, in which tenderness, mutual help and mutual forgiveness is experienced. — Pope Francis, Angelus Address, Dec. 29, 2013
habitat.org/local and arrange a day for your council families to volunteer and help someone receive the gift of shelter.
Questions for Reflection 1. How does our family enjoy spending time together? 2. Is there someone we know who lacks the love of a close family, whether because of distance or circumstance? How can we reach out to help share our family with them? 3. Do material things and busy schedules isolate members of our family, perhaps taking people in different directions all the time or excluding a parent, spouse, child or sibling? 4. Is there a way to imitate the Holy Family’s “simplicity of life” to ensure that those in our family do not feel alone? 5. Do our elderly relatives feel lonely? What are some ways we could make them feel more included in the family’s love?
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LIST OF MONTHLY THEMES AND MEDITATIONS, VISIT KOFC.ORG/DOMESTICCHURCH. JULY 2015
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Drawn by Faith From covers featuring medieval knights to lighthearted interior cartoons, Columbia has a rich history of artwork that inspired and entertained by Patrick Scalisi
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an Paulos belongs to a unique fraternity of artists. Of those who provided artwork for Columbia magazine in the decades before color photography became the dominant visual medium for modern publications, he is one of only a few who are still living. At the time, Paulos worked with paper cuts, sketching intricate designs on black and white paper that he later carved into silhouettes using delicate hand tools. His portrait of Christ in profile, crowned with thorns and carrying the cross, graced the cover of Columbia in March 1988. “I had published a book with some of my silhouettes in it, and [the editors] contacted me,” recalled Paulos, 65, who today works primarily with stained glass. Paulos is among the dozens of artists, illustrators and painters who provided artwork for Columbia between 1921 and the early 1990s. A new exhibit at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Conn., titled The Art of Illustration: Columbia’s Cover Story, includes approximately 70 original works from the museum’s permanent collection. And though many of the artists have died in the past 20 years, they leave behind a legacy of artwork that forms the tapestry of Columbia’s visual history. ILLUSTRATION’S GOLDEN ERA When Columbia debuted in 1921, it was very much a magazine of its time. Featuring the same cover aesthetic and paper size as the Saturday Evening Post, the new Knights of Columbus magazine was designed to appeal to a wide family audience. 16 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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By the end of the decade, the magazine’s circulation had grown to more than 700,000, and it was among the top 10 largest general magazines in the United States. An array of freelance artists provided cover art and interior illustrations to complement the magazine’s content, which included articles on social issues, religion, history and the arts, as well as short fiction and advertisements. In August 1929, Columbia switched to a four-color press that allowed for more vivid covers. In a memo to then-Supreme Advocate Luke E. Hart at the time, Columbia’s General Manager Matthew T. Birmingham wrote, “I think we are going to be all dressed up for the Summer, with our August cover.” Regular Saturday Evening Post contributor J.F. Kernan (1878-1958) contributed the first four-color cover, which depicted a boy sneaking his clothes past a sleeping sheriff after bathing in an off-limits swimming hole. These colorful cover trends would continue for nearly six decades. During illustration’s golden era, Columbia contracted with
Pictured is a sampling of Columbia covers from 1921 — the year the magazine began publishing — to 1991. During these seven decades, more than 70 different artists contributed cover art, creating an estimated 800 original compositions. From humorous and patriotic illustrations to depictions of faith and fraternalism to artwork celebrating historic moments of the 20th century, Columbia cover artists never failed to capture the imagination of readers.
At right is Donald J. Winslow’s original artwork for the February 1968 issue of Columbia, the printed version of which is shown above. Winslow, who studied briefly under Norman Rockwell, created a number of covers for Columbia in the 1960s through the 1980s. This painting and several others by Winslow are currently on display at the Knights of Columbus Museum in an exhibit titled “The Art of Illustration: Columbia’s Cover Story.”
artists from a variety of backgrounds. Some worked for design companies or in advertising; others made ends meet by drawing comics or paperback book covers; while still others worked with some of the most iconic institutions of the 20th century. THE ARTISTS Among the most prolific artists to work with Columbia was William Luberoff. Born in Philadelphia in 1910, Luberoff ’s artistic output was legendary. He began selling freelance work to magazines in the 1930s, served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and resumed his artistic career after the war. From the 1930s to the 1980s, Luberoff created more than 60 covers for Columbia, including images that commemorated some of the Order’s most important milestones, as well as several of the most notable events of the 20th century. For example, Luberoff was working at his easel for Columbia when the first U.S. astronaut orbited Earth, when the infamous Roe v. 18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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Wade decision was handed down, when John Paul II was elected pope, and when the Knights of Columbus celebrated its 100th anniversary. Like Luberoff, Perry Barlow was another Columbia contributor who was no stranger to the magazine industry. Born in Texas in 1892, Barlow is best known for his work for The New Yorker magazine, for which he created 1,574 drawings and 135 covers. Barlow’s whimsical watercolors of everyday American life lent a streak of levity to Columbia from the mid1960s until the artist’s death in 1978. Other notable illustrators included Donald J. Winslow (1923-79), who studied for a time under Norman Rockwell and posed for several of Rockwell’s covers; Rudolph Zallinger (1919-95), who created the famed Age of Reptiles mural at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven; and John R. McDermott (1919-77), who worked for Walt Disney Studios, notably as an effects animator for the film Pinocchio.
Pictured is an illustration for a short story in the August 1977 issue of Columbia drawn by Bill Colrus. Colrus illustrated more than 25 pieces of short fiction for Columbia between 1970 and 1984. He also created the cover of the June 1983 issue.
AN ENDURING HERITAGE As current Columbia editors can attest, copies of artwork featured on the cover are frequently in high demand — and not just because it is the first thing that readers see when the magazine arrives in their mailboxes. In a world oversaturated with high-resolution photography, and with artists working with Photoshop instead of with paint and brushes, artwork often resonates in a way that photos cannot. “I think art, as opposed to photography, makes a better connection with people,” said Bill Colrus, 82, who provided interior art for Columbia from 1970 until 1984 and who illustrated the magazine’s June 1983 cover. “Photography is wonderful in its own right, but it’s all over the place.” Now, thanks to the new exhibit at the Knights of Columbus Museum, readers can view some of the original Columbia cover art that has been all but forgotten. Of the more than 200 pieces in the museum’s permanent collection, 63 original cover images are on display, as well as a number of conceptual
sketches and final printed covers. While most of the earliest paintings commissioned to appear on Columbia’s cover were returned to the artists or otherwise lost to history, many from the 1950s to the 1980s have been preserved by the museum and can now been seen on display. Fittingly, the oldest work in the exhibit comes from Luberoff, who crafted the February 1939 cover in honor of Catholic Press Month. In the image, a knight representing Catholicism wields the sword of Truth to slay the twin serpents of Error and Ignorance. The newest piece in the exhibit is Paulos’ papercut of Christ, which commemorated the 1988 Lenten season. Paulos still recalls receiving a number of letters from Columbia readers who admired his silhouettes. “I am far from being perfect,” Paulos said. “But the artwork, I always felt, was inspired, was necessary.”♦ PATRICK SCALISI is the senior editor of Columbia. JULY 2015
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On ‘Changing’ Catholicism The Church proclaims the timeless teachings of Christ in every age, undeterred by the winds of cultural change by Father James V. Schall, S.J.
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ince Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in life, such as in quantity, quality or capacity — and substantial March 2013, we have had countless discussions of changes. When a man dies or a star blows up, such changes “change” in the Church. Pope Francis himself has frequently remove the subject itself of accidental changes. spoken about changing things in the curia, or in pastoral apWe cannot help but be familiar with both kinds of change. proaches, or in emphasis on this or that in areas of civil life They happen around us all of the time. Yet, we also live in a — poverty, hunger, economics and politics. His words and world in which some things do not change at all. Even though actions are very closely, even excitedly, followed in the media. rabbits can come in different colors or may lose one of their He has gained international publicity as a “new” kind of pope. legs to foxes, the idea of what-it-is-to-be-a-rabbit does not Nothing Pope Francis says is ignored — except when he change. Even if no actual rabbits now exist, we could still reaffirms that nothing basic in Christian teaching will or can know what a rabbit is. Mathematical things do not change. be changed. For example, his opposition to abortion and God does not change. First principles do not change. “gender theory” is known, but hardly mentioned when he On the question of whether Catholicism “changes,” we again speaks about it. On more than one ocmake the basic distinctions — substancasion, the pope has told reporters that tially, no; accidentally, yes. Cardinal he is “a son of the Church” and that John Henry Newman spoke famously the Church’s teachings are clear. of the “development of doctrine.” By T IS A SIGN OF HUMILITY Yet, the pope’s most famous quotathis terminology, he did not mean that tion remains “Who am I to judge?” the original teachings of Christ have TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT Many conclude from this way of putchanged. He meant that they do not ting things that Pope Francis seeks to change in substance, but it is always GOD’S TRUTH IS BETTER approve of things like same-sex “marpossible to convey Christ’s teachings FOR MEN THAN ANY riage” or even the homosexual lifestyle. more clearly or understand them more But it turns out that he does not at all profoundly. In Newman’s words, doc‘TRUTH’ CONCOCTED BY intend this type of change. Rather, pretrine develops just as “the butterfly is a supposing that a person sincerely development of a caterpillar.” MAN.” wants to follow God’s will in every Pope Francis wrote in his apostolic way, he was simply recognizing that exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The God has the final judgment in everyJoy of the Gospel), “Today’s vast and thing. Such recognition is standard Catholic teaching, not a rapid cultural changes demand that we constantly seek ways new doctrine of Pope Francis. of expressing unchanging truths in a language which brings Of course, there are some ways in which the Church can out their abiding newness.” Quoting St. John XXIII, he then and does adapt to historical circumstances. However, these added, “The deposit of the faith is one thing... the way it is changes never alter the deposit of faith that the Apostles en- expressed is another” (41). trusted to the Church through sacred Scripture and Tradition. The new evangelization, as St. John Paul II said, is to be “new in its ardor, methods and expression.” It is not new in EVER ANCIENT, EVER NEW its essential content, which is to say that the Gospel does not The word “change,” which means that something becomes change. Still, this does not mean that the Gospel is stagnant different from what it was in one way or another, has deep or can ever become obsolete, for it remains the source of philosophical roots. From Parmenides (“Nothing changes”) “abiding newness.” to Heraclitus (“All things change”) to Aristotle (“Some things Jesus established the Church and said that “the Gates of change; some do not”), the Greek philosophers pretty much Hell shall not stand against it” (Mt 16:18). This is taken to cover the field of possibilities. Aristotle also distinguished be- mean that what Christ revealed to us will remain throughout tween accidental changes — changes that are a part of daily all ages. The Church exists not to bring forth “new” practices
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or teachings, but rather to ensure that all of what God wanted men to know would remain available and intelligible, unchanged in essence, at all times. In the normal proceedings of its ordinary life, the Church has seen to it that what Christ taught in the first century was also taught in every century since, including our own. Even up to today, the history of heresy — though we seldom use that noble word — is a constant changing presentation of human thinking and living. It upholds an alternative to the precise Christian understanding of man and God. In retrospect, it seems quite clear that the only way that God could guarantee that human beings would not change the essence of what he wanted them to know was to guarantee it himself. The office of the pope is not justified by the wisdom of its “changes.” Rather, its primary purpose is not to change. Revelation was designed to tell us — everyone — what we need to know for our salvation, both what is true and what we need to do.
Church that does not think its teachings or practices are of divine origin, a philosophy that is not rooted in reason, a Church that does not claim that it is true. When this happens — and many think they see it happening — we can welcome these stubborn Catholics into the “modern world.” In an address during his visit to Korea in August 2014, Pope Francis warned against “the deceptive light of relativism, which obscures the splendor of truth and, shaking the earth beneath our feet, pulls us toward the shifting sands of confusion and despair.” He added, “It is a temptation which nowadays also affects Christian communities, causing people to forget that in a world of rapid and disorienting change, ‘there is much that is unchanging, much that has its ultimate foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever’” (Gaudium et Spes, 10; cf. Heb 13:8). So, in the end, there is much at stake in these widespread discussions and urgings for “change” in the Church. Once all of the changes that TRUTH AND CONVERSION Pope Francis envisions are put Everything that we could think in place, however, the Church as an alternative to what God will still be teaching exactly the has revealed has already been same things it always has tried at some time or other. taught. To that final “nonPope Francis leads Benediction outside the Basilica of St. Mary What we call “multiculturalism” change,” I suspect, only two alMajor on the feast of Corpus Christi in Rome June 4. today frequently means that all ternatives are possible — these “alternatives” to Catholiconversion or persecution. cism are equally good. We are St. Paul writes to the left with no criterion with which Corinthians that “we shall all be to judge them once we have rejected revelation and the changed … in a twinkling of the eye” (1 Cor 15:51-52). That grounds for its truth. Often, what is behind demands for is, we will be “changed” into what we are intended to be from “changes” in the Church is precisely this relativism, which the beginning. This last change, effected by the Lord and not wants the Church to tone down or transform its deposit of ourselves, is the one few want to hear about, lest it require truth into what men have proposed. an admission that truth and conversion to it are at the heart We are told that it does not matter what we believe or do; of our human reality. that we all have a “right” to define our own happiness; that EDITOR’S NOTE: A version of this article previously appeared we all have the same destiny no matter what we do or think, on CatholicPulse.com, a website of the Knights of Columbus featuring commentary and daily news.♦ because there is no “final” judgment. Catholics would hold, on the contrary, that it is a sign of humility to acknowledge that God’s truth is better for men JESUIT FATHER JAMES V. SCHALL is professor emeritus of Georgetown University. His most recent books include Reasonthan any “truth” concocted by man. It is often pointed out that the Church is the last major in- able Pleasures: The Strange Coherences of Catholicism (Ignatius stitution in civilization to maintain that truth exists in things, Press, 2013) and Political Philosophy & Revelation: A Catholic including human things. But many desire a “changed” Reading (The Catholic University of America Press, 2013). JULY 2015
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CUISINE WITH
COMPASSION A K of C culinary team serves both parish and community under the leadership of a renowned French chef by Jean Denton | photos by Doug Buerlein
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satisfied smile spread across Bob Rosbaugh’s face as he watched a guest at this year’s annual French Food Festival in Richmond, Va., lift a plate to his lips and savor every last drop of beef burgundy sauce. “With French cooking, it’s all about the sauces,” said Rosbaugh. He had arrived at the festival kitchen at 4:30 that morning, April 25, to assist his friend and culinary mentor, Master Chef Paul Elbling. They were soon joined by three more assistants as they began the meticulous process of preparing five sauces for the day’s event — 120 gallons in all, which would delight the palates of thousands of festival attendees who had come to sample the French fare of the internationally acclaimed “Chef Paul.” Rosbaugh and the other souschefs were part of Elbling’s recently formed “culinary team,” a group of fellow Knights from Msgr. Charles A. Kelly Jr. Council 14129 in Richmond who have been helping him serve fine cuisine for charity. LEARNING HOW TO SERVE The popular French Food Festival, now in its seventh year, is the main fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged, which is administered by the Little Sisters of the Poor in Richmond. It was a natural outgrowth of a friendship between the sisters, whose order originated in France, and French-born Elbling, who has been a patron of their ministry to the elderly poor for more than 40 years. 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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Every spring, Richmond foodies flock to the festival on the wooded grounds of St. Joseph’s Home. Strolling among brightly decorated, French-themed booths hosted by multiple local chefs, festivalgoers sample quiches, crepes, French bread and wine. Most come for love of the Little Sisters and the opportunity to taste Elbling’s renowned cooking. “They come to get Chef Paul’s food, and we Knights of Columbus are going to make sure that happens,” said Rosbaugh, an information technology professional who coordinates the culinary team. Elbling’s brother Knights from Council 14129 have volunteered to help run the French Food Festival since its beginning. But last year, Rosbaugh and several others wanted to do more to help Elbling, 74, maintain the event’s success. Rosbaugh approached Elbling with the idea of forming a team of Knights to learn the finer art of cooking and to assist in preparing the food. “I felt like we couldn’t just have Chef Paul here and not learn from him,” Rosbaugh explained, noting that Elbling is a culinary icon in Virginia and beyond. Elbling, who strives to be “a good Catholic and a good American,” was born in France’s Alsace Province. He began his training as an apprentice at age 13 and earned a scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu Paris Culinary Arts School. He received his European Master Chef certification in Germany before coming with his wife, Marie-Antoinette, to the United States in 1967.
Above: Master Chef Paul Elbling is pictured with fellow culinary Knights from Msgr. Charles A. Kelly Jr. Council 14129 in Richmond, Va. Opposite page: A fresh serving of Coquille St. Jacques, prepared by the Knights, is pictured at this year’s French Food Festival, a fundraiser for the Little Sisters of the Poor. In 1976, about five years after Elbling moved to Richmond, he accepted an invitation from a good friend at St. Mary’s Church to join the Knights of Columbus. “I loved it, and I still love it — it’s a part of my life,” he said. Elbling’s list of culinary accomplishments and awards is long, and he’s served on the boards of several prestigious culinary schools. His rise to prominence, however, came largely from his 34 years as the executive chef and owner of Richmond’s La Petite France restaurant, which he ran in full partnership with his wife. “We did it together,” Elbling said. “She ran the dining room while I ran the kitchen.” Since selling their restaurant and retiring in 2006, the couple has been involved in programs serving disabled children and the poor in Richmond, and they continue to support the Little Sisters. When presented with the prospect of sharing his love of food and the culinary arts with his brother Knights, Elbling was delighted. He and Rosbaugh hand selected a team of 10 men, based on the varied gifts they would bring to the group. Their first year has proven to be not only an education, but also an experience of spiritual growth under the master chef ’s tutelage. “I love it, and they enjoy so much the food and learning
how it is prepared and presented,” Elbling said in his thick French accent. That much was obvious at the most recent French Food Festival. One could easily identify culinary team members under Elbling’s proud, watchful eye in the festival kitchen. They were the ones who gave extra attention to the food, who carefully ladled out the sauces and who correctly pronounced bouchée à la reine. One team member, Jack Sheehan, joked that his abilities have risen “to where my wife now lets me cook at home,” adding how grateful he is for Elbling’s mentorship. “Chef Paul is so great to work with,” Sheehan said. “He loves what he’s doing and never loses his cool. If you do something wrong, he’ll just nudge you and say, ‘Here, let me show you.’ He’s such a great teacher.” PRACTICING HOSPITALITY Elbling’s special relationship with the Little Sisters of the Poor began in 1975 when he and Marie-Antoinette arrived in Richmond and opened La Petite France. They became familiar with the sisters’ work and saw their need. “We could see they were in very bad financial shape,” Elbling said, “so we decided we must do something special to help them.”
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Clockwise, from top: Kevin Ogborne assists Chef Paul in preparing a tray of Coulibiac de saumon au coulis de homard (filets of fresh salmon with spinach wrapped in puffed pastry crust and served with a lobster cream sauce). • Mike Morrissey (right) and his brother Knights serve festivalgoers. • Mother Marie Edwards (right), administrator of St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged, is pictured at the festival with other Little Sisters of the Poor.
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Months later, the Elblings hosted a black-tie dinner at their restaurant with the considerable proceeds going to the Little Sisters’ ministry. They’ve continued to hold the gala every year since. Elbling estimates that the annual dinner and the French Food Festival have raised nearly $5 million for the sisters over the past four decades. “I love the Little Sisters,” he said. “They work so hard. I feel it’s my home. When I come here to visit and see the older people’s smiles, it is the joy of my life.” The Little Sisters in Richmond care for about 100 residents and must raise 60 percent of St. Joseph Home’s annual budget, said Mother Marie Edward, the facility’s administrator. Elbling’s events, she noted, contribute significant financial support and provide community awareness of the sisters’ work. “It’s great PR,” she said. “People come who say they’ve never heard of us even though we’ve been in Richmond for 140 years.” Elbling’s culinary team shares his commitment to serving people in need in the community. Rosbaugh explained that while team members enjoy honing their fledgling culinary skills, their ultimate purpose is to glorify God through their service, while raising funds for charity. In fact, before they even begin cooking, the Knights join in a prayer composed by team member Rich Gasperini, a local attorney, and conclude by invoking the intercession of St. Lawrence, patron of cooks, and St. Martha, patron of waitstaff. Witnessing the development of the culinary team over the last year has been particularly meaningful for Father Michael Renninger, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, where the council is based. Father Renninger said that the Elblings have imbued the Knights with a new “sense of hospitality” that has greatly enhanced other parish functions the team has begun hosting.
“They created events that were welcoming and gracious, and of course the food was superb,” said Father Renninger. The result is that attendance and participation at parish events have skyrocketed. “These Knights from very different walks of life are coming together and feeding this parish constantly,” Father Renninger said. “As a parish, we receive Christ at the table of the Eucharist. With the culinary team, we also experience God’s goodness at their banquet tables throughout the year.” As its reputation has grown, the team has been invited to serve food at numerous events. At a council-sponsored blood drive, the team treated donors to made-to-order omelets. And at a pastor appreciation event last fall, the menu featured lobster soufflé and bison tenderloin. “We present cuisine in a way not normally representative of Knights of Columbus events. Our forte is kicking it up a notch,” explained Gasperini. He admitted, however, that everyone in the group had plenty of experience with barbecues and fish frys. Indeed, Rosbaugh, who is generally considered the most ardent culinary pupil among them, pointed out that this unique opportunity to develop new skills in cooking and hospitality has simply reinforced the team’s primary purpose. “It’s all about service. It’s about how we live the four principles of being a Knight,” Rosbaugh said, noting that men have become “extremely close” through learning and working together. “This is the way we serve — one another, our community and our Lord,” he added. “It’s what we are called to do.”♦ JEAN DENTON is a correspondent for The Catholic Virginian, the newspaper of the Diocese of Richmond.
THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR AND THE HHS MANDATE Threatened with crippling government fines, the sisters await the imminent ruling on their appeal THE MISSION of the Little Sisters of the Poor, the religious order founded by St. Jeanne Jugan in France in 1839, is to provide “the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed as Christ.” Today, the Little Sisters serve more than 13,000 elderly poor persons in 31 countries, embodying Christ’s call to care for “least of these.” In the United States, where the sisters operate more than 30 homes, the Little Sisters’ mission has been at risk as a result of the Department of Health and Human Services’ contraception mandate, which is part of the Affordable Care Act. Because of their refusal to provide their employees with insurance plans that cover abortifacient drugs, contraception and sterilization, the Little Sisters have been threatened by the U.S. government with millions of dollars in annual fines. In September 2013, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Little Sisters challenging the federal mandate. Since then, the Supreme Court has intervened twice in the case — first in the final hours of 2013, when Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a temporary order preventing enforcement of the mandate against the sisters, which was due to begin Jan. 1, 2014, and again in January 2014 when the entire Court intervened to prevent enforcement of the mandate until the federal courts resolved the sisters’ appeal. On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 2014, the Little Sisters of the Poor had their day in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, one step below the Supreme Court. The Tenth Circuit is expected to reach a decision on the appeal, titled Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell, in the coming weeks. — Reported by Scott Lloyd JULY 2015
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KNIGHTS IN ACTION
REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES awarded the medal for his courage and leadership at the Battle of New Market Heights in 1864. CHALLENGE GRANT
Raising funds through various activities, including Sunday breakfasts and smoked chicken sales, Father Michael J. McGivney Council 5967 in Austin, Texas, donated $1,000 to help St. Louis School meet a challenge grant. WHEN I WAS IN PRISON…
Teddy bears donated by Peter T. Villano Sr. Council 9576 in Pickens, S.C., adorn a Six Mile Volunteer Fire Department truck. Knights donated more than 70 bears to the Pickens Fire Chiefs’ Association for distribution to children during fires, emergencies or other catastrophic events. Each bear wears a T-shirt that reads “I’m Casey (K.C.)” and features the emblem of the Order.
WRITING ON THE WALL
Father Philip De Carriere Council 10484 in Haines City, Fla., donated $800 to fund new blackboards for use during religious education classes at St. Anne’s Church. Father Robert Mitchell, pastor of St. Anne’s, offered a matching donation, ensuring that every classroom received new blackboards. After the purchase was complete, members of the council assisted in installing the blackboards. EAGLE SCOUT SUPPORT
Msgr. Francis J. Desmond Council 13348 in Lewes, Del., assisted Sean Davis in funding his Eagle Scout project of constructing outdoor Stations of the Cross at St. Jude the Apostle Church. 26 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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The council gathered funds for the project through dinners and lotteries, raising more than $12,000. Meanwhile, Father John F. Hogan Council 14236 in Dartmouth, Mass., supported a local Eagle Scout project to create a memorial garden at St. Mary’s Church in South Dartmouth. Several Knights provided materials for the garden’s walkway, which includes personalized bricks in memory of deceased members of the community. SPIRITUAL EDUCATION
Msgr. John R. McGinley Council 1170 in Steven’s Point, Wis., held a barbecue fundraiser for St. Peter’s Middle School. The funds raised during the event, which totaled $2,333, went toward the purchase of
Members of Risen Lord Council 13553 in Binan, Luzon, spent numerous hours visiting the detainees in police stations throughout the province of Laguna, providing them food, necessities, and the opportunity to attend Mass and confession.
Bibles and rosaries, and provided assistance to fund other spiritual programs at the school. SQUIRES RETREAT
St. Francis of Assisi Circle 1002 in Etobicoke, Ontario, participated in a retreat at Mount Alverno Retreat Centre, which is located northwest of Toronto. During the retreat, each Squire received a Tau cross blessed by Capuchin Friar David Connolly, minister provincial of Central Canada. MEDAL OF HONOR PLAQUE
St. Thomas Aquinas Council 7382 in Sugar Land, Texas, donated a plaque to Houston’s Buffalo Soldiers National Museum commemorating Sgt. Maj. Milton M. Holland, who was
Richard Podrasky of Santa Maria Council 553 in South Bend, Ind., smiles as he accepts a donation from a patron at the South Bend Farmer’s Market during the council’s annual fund drive for people with intellectual disabilities. Assisted by family members and cheerleaders from Marian High School, the Knights raised more than $1,000 in a single afternoon. The funds are earmarked for Covilla, the Christ Child Society and the Michiana Down Syndrome Family Advocacy Group.
KNIGHTS IN ACTION BUDDY WALK
Newburgh (Ind.) Council 8746 participated in a Buddy Walk event in support of SMILE on Down Syndrome, an organization in Evansville that provides pro-life resources for expectant parents of babies with Down syndrome and offers ongoing support for families. MILITARY BURIAL
Our Lady of the Pines Council 9852 in Whiting, N.J., teamed with the New Jersey Mission of Honor (NJMOH) to memorialize seven veterans who served in World War II and Vietnam and whose cremated remains had been abandoned. NJMOH works to find and identify the cremains of abandoned and forgotten veterans and to provide them with a proper military burial service. More than
200 people attended the memorial at a local funeral home that donated use of its facilities for the program. Also in attendance were various veterans groups. STATUE FOR PARISH SCHOOL
Perrysburg (Ohio) Council 7978 donated to St. Rose of Lima School a statue of the school’s namesake. The statue of St. Rose, which was placed in the school’s main lobby on a pedestal made by council member Bob Bidwell, was blessed at the first school-wide Mass of the academic year. HANDS OF MERCY
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 13300 in Wildwood, Fla., organized a collection of baby items for Hands of Mercy Everywhere Inc., a Christian home for teenage mothers. Knights collected highchairs, strollers, baby clothes and various personal care items, including more than 1,200 diapers and wipes. HONORING VETERANS
Riders line up at the start of a charity dice run sponsored by four councils in Kansas and Missouri. Thirty-two bikes started in Pleasant Hill, Mo., with registration and a dice roll before proceeding on to Harrisonville, Mo., Louisburg, Kan., and Wea, Kan., for addition rolls. Concluding with a final roll in Harrisonville — in which prizes were awarded for highest and lowest scores — the event also included a lunch for all attendees and raised more than $2,000 for Special Olympics.
Members of St. Bernard Council 8702 in Osceola, Iowa, and St. Maximilian Kolbe Council 12216 in Mt. Ayr raise a double-sided, 14-by-7-foot pro-life sign along I-35 in southern Iowa. Knights used $2,500 in proceeds from its annual sweet corn fundraiser to fund the design and creation of the sign.
was a Catholic chaplain who died in a POW camp during the Korean War. MASS KIT PRESENTED
Shamrock Council 7769 in Osage City-Scranton, Kan., and Father John Handley Assembly in Dodge presented Father Anthony Kiplagat, a
Msgr. Kirwin Council 787 in Galveston, Texas, held an event honoring its members who have served in the armed forces. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY
Sts. Simon and Jude Council 11564 in West Chester, Pa., came to the aid of parish visitors requiring handicap accessibility. The Knights installed automatic doors at Sts. Simon and Jude Church, dedicating them to the memory of Lou Mancine.
HONORING FATHER KAPAUN
Father Emil Kapaun Assembly in Paoli, Pa., participated in a ceremony honoring the assembly’s namesake at the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Knights provided an honor guard for the ceremony, which included Mass and the unveiling of a memorial to Father Kapaun at the organization’s Medal of Honor Grove. Father Kapaun
Kenyan priest serving in the Kansas City Archdiocese, with a chalice and Mass kit to use when he returns to his home country. The chalice was offered in memory of deceased Knight Carl Schriner and was engraved with the Fourth Degree emblem.
HEARING AID Willy A. Pabellano of San Isidro Magsaska Council 13150 in Lucena City, Luzon, distributes rosaries and prayer guides to students at the Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc. The council distributed the items to encourage students to pray the rosary more.
After being approached by the mother of a 4-year-old girl with moderate bilateral hearing loss, St. Ann Council 10289 in Raynham, Mass., raised funds to help defray the cost of the girl’s hearing aid system. Within two months, the council raised $2,000, covering 80 percent of the equipment cost.
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KNIGHTS IN ACTION
OHIO KNIGHTS PRESENT PAINTING TO K OF C MUSEUM
the VFW provided lunch for all those in attendance, including a busload of military veterans. CHAPEL RESTORATION
STORAGE SPACE
Bishop Vincent S. Waters Council 9030 in Laurinburg, N.C., designed and built a new storage facility for St. Mary Church. Knights donated more than $14,500 in materials and volunteered about 1,500 hours to erect the storage building, which was later blessed by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh. CHURCH STAIRWAY REPAIR
East Kildonan Council 4107 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, co28 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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ordinated a project to repair and refinish the main stairway to St. Alphonsus Church. Volunteering almost 50 hours of service, the Knights removed peeling paint, repaired crumbling concrete and cleaned rusting surfaces prior to repainting the stairs and wrought-iron handrails. ALTAR SERVER MINISTRY
The George Washington University Council 13242 in Washington, D.C., offers an altar server ministry, through
which council members train young people to reverently serve at Mass. The ministry is also involved with providing servers to various Masses throughout the area. VETERANS RIDE
St. Bartholomew Council 14206 in Newaygo, Mich., sponsored a veterans motorcycle ride beginning in Grand Rapids and ending in Newaygo. The event raised approximately $7,500 to purchase blanket warmers and televisions for a local veterans home. Members of
MOTHER-SON DANCE
Following the success of its annual father-daughter dance, St. Edward Council 6546 in Richmond, Va., arranged a dance for mothers and their sons. The dance gave those attending an opportunity to cherish and strengthen family relationships. BENCHES INSTALLED
Jesuit Father J. Fred Reidy Council 1021 and Holy Family/Spirit of Christ Council 13022, both in Missoula, Mont., installed granite benches at two local parishes, St. Anthony Church and St. Francis Church. Each bench is engraved with biblical quotes that illustrate Catholic commitment to the sanctity of life. The councils worked with pastors at each parish to raise funds for the benches and to design them.
Photo by Marc Arriens
District Deputy Joseph Fraser of Ohio District #73 (far left) and District Deputy Joseph McKarns of Ohio District #72 (far right) join artist Margaret Blackburn, in pink, and her extended family during a May 12 presentation at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Conn. Fraser, McKarns, and the artist and her family traveled to Connecticut to present Blackburn’s painting “The Christmas Midnight Mass” to the museum on behalf of all Ohio Knights. Deputy Supreme Knight Logan T. Ludwig accepted the gift, extolling the painting’s subject matter as a pivotal moment in U.S. Catholic history. “The Christmas Midnight Mass” depicts the site in Dungannon, Ohio, where Dominican Father Edward D. Fenwick offered the first Mass in the Youngstown Diocese in 1812. Father Fenwick established a parish in 1817, using a log cabin to celebrate Mass for three years before building the first brick church. The painting is scheduled to go on display in the museum’s States Gallery, which exhibits artifacts from the regions where Knights are located around the world. The Ohio delegation also brought a print of the painting to be given to Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of Hartford, Conn.
Roy Champeau Council 8077 in Tucson, Ariz., and its round table spearheaded the restoration of the chapel of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Oro Valley. After suffering water damage from a leaky roof for several years, the chapel was in dire need of repair — inside and out. Knights painted the exterior of the chapel, then raised funds and secured grants to repair the roof, including the removal of asbestos tiles. With this complete, the council and round table began work on the interior, repairing all water damage, painting and cleaning.
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
Haiti. The funds for the donation, which were matched by an anonymous donor, were raised through a Knights-sponsored fish fry. CELEBRATING MISSIONARIES Members of the Iowa Knights of Columbus Executive Committee participate in an ice bucket challenge to raise funds for the John Paul II Medical Research Institute, a pro-life organization that researches ethical treatments for various diseases, including multiple sclerosis. The challenge occurred at the end of the committee’s annual meeting with the four bishops of Iowa. Pictured are: Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City with District Master Joseph A. Ramirez; Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines with State Warden Antonio Banuelos; Archbishop Michael O. Jackels of Dubuque with State Secretary Jon C. Aldrich; and Bishop Martin J. Amos of Davenport, assisted by Program Director Jason Follett, with State Deputy Daniel J. Werner.
During a Marian celebration at La Salette Shrine in Enfield, N.H., Knights from throughout the state honored the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, a religious community that has served in the area for more than 80 years. Lebanon Assembly provided an honor guard during the celebrations, which were presided over by Bishop Eduardo Nevares of Phoenix, Ariz.
HELPING THE HOMELESS
Accompanied by an honor guard from San Jose Assembly in Willimantic, Conn., parishioners from St. Philip the Apostle Church in Ashford took part in a procession to dedicate the parish’s new outdoor Stations of the Cross and a mosaic of the resurrected Christ. More than 10 years ago, members of Father Walter J. Dunn Council 6934 in Ashford began raising the $10,000 required for the outdoor stations by hosting regular spaghetti dinners. That dream was finally realized with the Stations’ dedication.
MARCH FOR LIFE AND FAMILY
Divine Mercy Council 15726 in Dębica, Poland, participated in a diocesan march for life and family. The event began with Mass at the Church of Divine Mercy, followed by a talk by Canadian pro-life activist Mary Wagner. The day culminated with a march of about 5,000 people and a family picnic. OUTDOOR STATIONS
Meadville (Penn.) Council 388 donated funds to St. James Haven, a shelter for homeless men that was founded by the Associates of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwest Pennsylvania. The facility is open throughout the year, and has been operating at full capacity in recent months. HOMES IN HAITI
Our Lady of the Lake Council 9240 in Mandeville, La., donated $3,200 to Food for the Poor to help build a home for those in need in
Local fishermen and state and local officials from the Knights of Columbus prepare to launch a number of new fishing boats in Sitio Lamintao Talisay that were donated as part of the Order’s Livelihood Project to assist local residents in the Philippines who lost their source of income following Typhoon Haiyan. Prior to the launch, Msgr. Sinforoso S. Padilla, district chaplain, blessed the boats, reminding the fishermen to pray before heading out each day.
POTATO DRIVE
St. Hubert Council 11357 in Langley, Wash., held its annual potato drive to aid organizations in and around Whidbey Island. Along with a donation from Maple Wood Farms in Mount Vernon and transportation assistance from Hanson’s Building Supply, Knights collected thousands of pounds of potatoes that volunteers separated into 10-pound bags. The spuds will help needy families and individuals have access to fresh produce instead of processed food. 5K RUN AND WALK
Central Thumb Council 8892 in Cass City, Mich., held its first 5K run and walk event. Supported by members from Holy Trinity Assembly and Father Carl Cahill Council 8582, the Knights raised $1,500 for the St. Agatha Food Pantry. SPECIAL RETREAT
St. Robert Bellarmine Council 10108 in Omaha, Neb.,
sponsored a retreat under the theme “Jesus My Friend” for adults with intellectual or physical disabilities. Benedictine Father Eugene McReyolds led the retreat and spoke to attendees about Christ’s personal love for each of them. LIVING EXPENSES
St. Dominic Council 3729 in New Orleans sponsored a spaghetti dinner to benefit Troy Martin, the son-inlaw of council member John Pippenger. Martin has to undergo a kidney transplant due to the severity of his diabetes, and the funds will help cover his family’s living and medical expenses during the three-month recovery period. The event raised close to $9,000 for the family. USO COOKOUT
St. Francis of Assisi Council 9543 in Madison, Miss., cooked pork, chicken, beans and potato salad at a local car dealership to help raised $9,600 for the USO.
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KNIGHTS IN ACTION
than $7,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift for the woman’s van. The second effort was a fish dinner that garnered more than $7,000 to assist a young couple whose husband is battling stage 4 cancer. CEMENT FLOORING
Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Council 15159 in La Paz, Visayas, donated five bags of cement to the parentteacher association of Moroboro Elementary School. The cement will be used to form concrete flooring in the kitchen and lavatory of a local feeding center that services undernourished children in Barangay Moroboro. EUCHRE TOURNAMENT Dave Zerbe and Ron Pioch of St. Michael Council 7311 in Grand Ledge, Mich., load bags of potatoes into shopping carts for delivery to the Grand Ledge Food Bank. Knights donated 2,000 pounds of potatoes to three local organizations that help with food insecurity: the aforementioned food bank, the Cristo Rey Community Center and the Lansing Rescue Mission.
FENCE REPAIRS
Oconto (Wis.) Council 1475 helped restore the metal fence surrounding a local Catholic cemetery. Project costs were met through council-sponsored fundraisers and the generous assistance of Holy Trinity Church.
sale to benefit the Interfaith Shelter for Homeless Families. The sale generated $700 for the Pennsylvania Tri-County shelter, which provides employment assistance and assists in keeping families together.
A CUP OF JOE
James C. Fletcher Council 11422 in Largo, Md., volunteered with a Catholic Charities program called “Cup of Joe” that packages breakfast meals for the homeless. Knights and their families helped to package meals for some of the 1,000 homeless men and women who stay at Maryland- and D.C.-area shelters every day. SANDWICH SALE
St. Catherine Laboure Council 12811 in Harrisburg, Penn., organized a sandwich 30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
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Gerry Freisthler of Christ Our Redeemer Council 13527 in Niceville, Fla., nails shingles onto a roof at a Habitat for Humanity “Blitz Build” in Crestview. Knights joined more than 200 volunteers to erect a home for a deserving family in just three days.
SUPPORTING SENIORS
Father Andre Carey Council 2777 in Kapuskasing, Ontario, completed a multi-year fundraising campaign to benefit North Centennial Manor, a 78-bed nursing home and long-term care facility. Through the council’s weekly bingo games, as well as provincial raffles and benefit dinners, the council raised $25,000 to purchase new beds and personnel lifts for the facility.
Father James W. Cotter Council 1874 in Warren, Mich., hosted a euchre tournament to benefit a local seminarian. The event raised $1,000 to assist with the seminarian’s ongoing education at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. PIG ROAST
St. Joseph Council 6508 in Edgerton, Wis., raised $1,400 at its annual pig roast to support vocations in the Diocese of Madison. WELCOMING NEW CITIZENS
TWO PROJECTS
Bishop Louis Maigret Assembly in Honolulu purchased flags to distribute to all new U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony.
Paw Paw (Mich.) Council 3798 teamed with parishioners at St. Mary Church to raise funds for two separate projects. The first effort was a spaghetti dinner to benefit a young woman who had been paralyzed in an accident. Nearly 300 people attended the event, which raised more
Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 in Potomac Falls, Va., hosted a family game night to raise funds for Birthright of Leesburg. About 125 people attended the event, which raised more than $2,300 for the pro-life organization.
FAMILY GAME NIGHT
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
A.
Knights from 13 councils throughout the Diocese of Orlando, Fla., participate in the “Laps for Life” walk-a-thon at Bishop Moore High School in Orlando. Opening with remarks from State Treasurer Don Kahrer, the event featured a daylong walk-a-thon, along with music, tag football and face painting. More than 200 people attended the event, which netted $34,000 to purchase ultrasound equipment for three local pregnancy resource centers.
BIG RED BENEFIT
Members of Msgr. Werner Council 1233 in Hartington, Neb., volunteered more than 153 hours to host a “Big Red Benefit” to assist the family of a deceased council member. Proceeds from the event — which included a tailgate-style dinner, an auction and the screening of a college football game — were matched by from a local business. RECTORY HELP
Holy Apostles Council 13186 in East Wenatchee, Wash., contributed a good deal of volunteer manpower to help construct the new rectory at its parish. Knights installed flooring in the new rectory, erected a deck on the back of the structure and installed more than 5,000 feet of piping to irrigate the rectory grounds. BOOKS DONATED
Dr. Thomas A. Dooley Council 5492 in Livonia, Mich., donated 250 copies of The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic by Matthew Kelly to parishioners at St. Colette Church. It is hoped that the books will encourage parish-
ioners to become more deeply involved in the life of the Church and their parish. HEATING ASSISTANCE
Msgr. George Lewis Smith Council 3684 in Aiken, S.C., volunteered to split logs from trees that had fallen during last winter’s snowstorms. Knights split seven cords of wood, which will be donated to those in need of heating assistance.
A. Vehicle Sunshade. Collapsible sunshade with an easy-fold pivot system that fits most cars, trucks and SUVs, and reduces temperature inside the vehicle while protecting the interior from harsh sunlight. Sunshade collapses to approximately 10 percent of its original size to fit into a 12” x 12” x 2” storage bag. Printed with the emblem of the Order in blue on the left side of the shade and “KOFC.ORG” on the right side. — $13 B. Camouflage Flex Cooler. This 13” x 10” x 7” soft-sided cooler has a wide opening and holds 16 cans of your favorite beverage, plus ice. The no-leak liner is made of 600 Denier polyester, and the Realtree APX® Pattern means you better remember where you put it down, or else you may lose it in the woods! The emblem of the Order is printed on the front of the cooler in orange. — $27
C. C. Snag-Proof Polo Shirt. This high-performance polo defies snags, resists wrinkles, fights odors and wicks moisture so you look great all day long. It’s a 6.6-ounce, 100 percent polyester shirt with double-needle stitching throughout. Available with the emblem of the Order or the Fourth Degree emblem embroidered in full color on the left chest. Shirt comes in different colors: navy, red, royal blue or white. — M-XL: $33 each; 2X: $35 each; 3X: $36 each
CEMETERY CLEANUP
Members of St. Leo Council 9477 in Casselton, N.D., volunteer to maintain the cemetery at their parish. Knights straighten headstones and perform grounds maintenance as part of the ongoing program.
kofc.org exclusive See more “Knights in Action” reports and photos at www.kofc.org/ knightsinaction
B.
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K OF C ITEMS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
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‘You give what you can give.’
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STATE/PROVINCE ZIP/POSTAL CODE Complete this coupon and mail to: The Father McGivney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or enroll online at: www.fathermcgivney.org
OFFICIAL JULY 1, 2015: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.
COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3 PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.
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JULY 2015
Kenneth A. McCoy joined the Knights of Columbus in late 2008 and began serving as membership director two years later. He helped charter his current council, St. Catherine of Siena Council 16027 in Wichita, Kan., in 2014, which now has more than 100 members. ATTRACTING OTHERS Attracting new members involves making yourself available and opening doors. Go out and tell people why you’re a Knight. Entice them with your own experiences. We all bring different things to the table, and maybe something that you’re doing is something that will appeal to them. THERE’S ALWAYS TIME TO BE A KNIGHT The standard catch-all answer from prospective members is, “I don’t have enough time.” I try to help them realize that just being a member is valuable. We’re all at different stages in our lives, and everyone has their own niche, their own comfort level. If you can set aside time to do one thing a year, that’s no less important than the person who is involved day in and day out. You give what you can give. REWARDS OF RECRUITMENT There’s gratification in knowing that your hard work has made the Order grow. It’s rewarding to see the people that you helped bring in become officers or committee heads and give the same sort of passion right back to it.
Photo by Mathew Duman
CITY
KNIGH T S O F C O LU M B U S
Building a better world one council at a time Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.
TO
BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S
Members of Eastern Shore Council 6963 in Onley, Va., and Msgr. Edward Mickle Council 14263 in Cape Charles join the board of directors from the AccomackNorthampton Pregnancy Center in cutting a ribbon to open the center’s new ultrasound room. Knights worked with the facility over the course of a year to help it achieve clinic certification, recruit volunteers and obtain a new ultrasound machine through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.
“K NIGHTS IN A CTION ” C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW H AVEN , CT 06510-3326
PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO : OR E - MAIL : COLUMBIA @ KOFC . ORG .
JULY 2015
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PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
KEEP T H E F A I T H A L I V E
‘GOD WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.’
SISTER MARY RUTH HUHN Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen Hankinson, N.D.
Photo by Shawna Noel Photography
As a young adult pursuing a Ph.D. in plant sciences, I discovered there were 10 Catholic churches near my university in Fargo, N.D. I became involved in many activities: Bible studies, volunteering at homeless shelters, teaching religious education, distributing holy Communion at the hospital. It was only when I made a retreat, though, that I actually stopped long enough to hear what God was asking of me. Though I heard the call to religious life, I was not excited to follow it because it didn’t match my own plans. Once I accepted the idea, I realized there were more types of religious life than I ever imagined. After several years of reading about and visiting different communities, a constant question kept coming to mind: “What are you waiting for?” My advice to those considering a religious vocation is to pray. Eucharistic adoration and praying the rosary were important parts of my discernment process. Ask God what he wants for you and take time to listen. It’s somewhat frightening to move to a new way of life, but God will never let you down.