Columbia June 2011 by Columbia Magazine

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

June 2011 ♦ Volume 91 ♦ numbeR 6

COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S

8 A Restored Balance Indiana Knights have provided service and support to troubled youth for nearly a century. BY ELISABETH ANDREWS

13 From Violent Winds One phone call made at a K of C hall in Tuscaloosa formed a relief effort for hundreds in need. BY BRIAN DOWLING

16 Charity in Motion A photo essay of recent distributions with the Global Wheelchair Mission shows how Knights bring mobility to those who need it most. BY PATRICK SCALISI

22 Islands of Plenty Contrary to the myth of overpopulation, the Philippines demonstrates that people are the world’s greatest resource. BY STEVEN W. MOSHER

The path of a tornado that destroyed much of Tuscaloosa, Ala., is seen from the air. Severe weather and more than 100 tornados destroyed towns and killed more than 300 people across the southern United States. (Read about Knights’ relief efforts on page 13.)

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world

Blessed Pope John Paul II was an extraordinary witness of faith and love, seeking unity with Christ above all. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Learning the faith, living the faith

Photo by Randy Hale

Guided by the Holy Spirit and the Church, we learn to praise, thank and present our needs to God.

Knights of Columbus News

Roman Missal

Supreme Chaplain Delivers Keynote at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast • Canadian Knights March for Life • Order Tops $80 Billion of Life Insurance in Force, Offers New Product • In Stirring Ceremony, John Paul II Becomes ‘Blessed’

Knights in Action

Fathers for Good

Columbianism by Degrees

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

Cardinals’ lefthander, a Knight of Columbus, faces challenges on and off the field.

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month

BY BRIAN CAULFIELD

The greetings of the Roman Missal help us to understand the role of the priest and the people in celebrating the sacred liturgy. BY CARDINAL GEORGE PELL

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E D I TO R I A L

The Challenge of Suffering IN HIS Urbi et Orbi (“to the City of Rome and to the World”) address on Easter Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “Here, in this world of ours, the Easter alleluia still contrasts with the cries and laments that arise from so many painful situations: deprivation, hunger, disease, war, violence. Yet it was for this that Christ died and rose again!” This tension that the pope observed between the manifest evil in the world and our hope of salvation in Jesus Christ is at the heart of the Christian faith. Although it can never be fully understood or explained, the mystery of evil is a self-evident reality. Suffering, too, remains an inescapable dimension of the human experience, as a consequence of both sin in the world and of human frailty. It is not merely physical, but also has a spiritual dimension that goes beyond any technological or political solution. The challenge we are thus faced with is how to respond to our own suffering and to that of others. “The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer,” Pope Benedict wrote in Spe Salvi, his encyclical on Christian hope. “To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself ” (38-39). As the pope explains, suffering is not simply an evil to be avoided or eliminated; rather, it

involves a relational dimension that is central to what it means to be a human being. Through the eyes of faith and hope, we begin to see how the meaning of suffering becomes transfigured when it is united to Christ, who came to suffer and die with and for us. Blessed John Paul II noted, “At one and the same time Christ has taught man to do good by his suffering and to do good to those who suffer” (Salvifici Doloris, 30). Following the model of the Good Samaritan, we are called to com-passion, which means suffering with our neighbors, helping them to bear their burdens and to experience healing. Such compassion has been practiced by Knights of Columbus in Indiana as they have attended to the needs of troubled youth for nearly a century (see page 8). It was practiced by Knights in the U.S. South after a series of tornadoes took hundreds of lives and left many survivors with virtually nothing (see page 13). And it is practiced by those who help provide mobility to people with disabilities through the Global Wheelchair Mission (see page 16). Everywhere we turn, people are suffering in some way, in body and soul. Yet, the Holy Spirit, whose coming we celebrate this Pentecost season, enables us to truly be a neighbor to those we encounter, transforming their suffering through God’s infinite, redemptive love.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI MANAGING EDITOR

Book of the Month: The Gift of Blessed John Paul II IN HIS NEW BOOK, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, explores Blessed John Paul II’s teachings and life through an examination of the pope’s 14 encyclicals and his seven apostolic exhortations. Based on articles that Cardinal Wuerl wrote for Columbia from 2002-2005 when serving as the bishop of Pittsburgh, The Gift of Blessed John Paul II: A Celebration of His Enduring Legacy (Word Among Us Press, 2011) illuminates the pope’s teachings and applies them to everyday life. 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 Dennis A. Savoie DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Emilio B. Moure SUPREME SECRETARY Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski alton.pelowski@kofc.org MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi patrick.scalisi@kofc.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brian Dowling brian.dowling@kofc.org CREATIVE & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ________ GRAPHICS Michelle McCleary LAYOUT

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 PHONE 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 ________ 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.

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

Why John Paul II Was Beatified Blessed Pope John Paul II was an extraordinary witness of faith and love, seeking unity with Christ above all by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson DURING THE DAYS leading up to living the Christian life. But the beatthe beatification of Blessed John Paul ification does tell us something very II, I was frequently asked by journal- important about the papacy of his ists whether I thought the Vatican was successor, Pope Benedict XVI, and ognize the fundamental responsibility of a bishop to be a teacher, that is, to rushing John Paul II’s path to saint- about the papacy in general. hood. My answer was simple: “If the Many may remember the common be a cooperator with the truth, then Lord had not wanted John Paul II be- wisdom among journalists that was the pope is an unparalleled example of atified now, he would not have expressed during the conclave held this teaching office. As Pope Benedict observed in his granted the miracle that was attrib- after the death of John Paul II. Some uted to his intercession.” thought the pendulum had swung too homily, during his 23 years of service The so-called “waiting period,” far in one direction and that the new as prefect of the Congregation for the which was shortened in the case of pope needed to be a “corrective,” to Doctrine of the Faith, he was one of Pope John Paul II, is one way to help return the Church to some unspeci- John Paul II’s closest co-workers. In that capacity, he came “to revere him ensure that procedures are followed fied “middle ground.” and requirements are met. The imporWhile the image of a swinging pen- all the more.” Benedict also referred to the “witness of faith, love and tant test is that the pope and apostolic courage” of Blessed the Congregation for the Causes of Saints are satisfied The clearest reason for the beatifica- John Paul II, whom he said exemplified “a personal and that all the standards have been fulfilled. tion of John Paul II: “He lived out in communitarian existence directed to Christ.” As Pope Benedict XVI oban extraordinary way the vocation In the closing words of his served in his homily during homily, Pope Benedict gave the beatification Mass May of every priest and bishop to become the clearest reason for the be1, he wanted the cause of beatification of John Paul II: atification “to move forward completely one with Jesus.” “He lived out in an extraorwith reasonable haste” bedinary way the vocation of cause “of the ways God’s people showed their veneration” for dulum may be appropriate in a secular every priest and bishop to become John Paul II and “because this is what political context, where public atti- completely one with Jesus.” For more than three decades, the was pleasing to the Lord.” tudes shift back and forth between the The world saw the extraordinary wit- political left and right, it is not ade- Knights of Columbus has been priviness and heroic Christian virtue that quate to understand a Church guided leged to be “co-workers” with these two marked the nearly 27 years of John Paul by the Holy Spirit along the sure path great popes and has supported many projects essential to their ministry. But II’s papacy. We might say that the world of salvation history. pronounced its judgment on him durA shining example of this reality our greatest privilege has been to expeing his funeral Mass when hundreds of was the election of Cardinal Joseph rience their “witness of faith, love and thousands of people chanted, “Santo Ratzinger to succeed Pope John Paul apostolic courage” and in our own way Subito!” (“Sainthood now!”). II. Pope Benedict XVI’s episcopal to be their co-workers in this sense. To be sure, the beatification of John motto — “Cooperators veritatis” (“Co- May the prayers of Blessed John Paul Paul II is not a scorecard on his pa- workers of the truth”) — provides a II sustain us in this work. Vivat Jesus! pacy. Rather, it is a judgment on his key to our understanding. If we rec-

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

The Essentials of Prayer Guided by the Holy Spirit and the Church, we learn to praise, thank and present our needs to God by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori

THE MEMORY that I cherish most Holy Name” (Ps 103). The prayer of of Blessed John Paul II was the privi- adoration is a humble acknowledgelege of seeing him absorbed in prayer ment that we are creatures of God who in his private chapel prior to Mass. owe our very existence and salvation “Love your enemies, pray for those His prayer was deeply personal, yet to his goodness and generosity (Com- who persecute you” (554; Mt 5:44). At the heart of all Christian prayer was completely tied to the Church’s pendium, 552). life of prayer, rooted in the living In the prayer of petition, we pres- is thanksgiving. On our own, we canWord of God and in the celebration ent our spiritual and material needs. not thank God as we should, but in of the Eucharist. Blessed John Paul II Jesus taught us first to ask for the the Eucharist we join in Christ’s gave us a wonderful example of how coming of his kingdom, which is re- prayer of thanksgiving to God the Father (555). Closely tied to the Holy Spirit forms the whole thanksgiving is praise. Loving Church in prayer and in the God above all things, we joyever-deeper contemplation of One of the most beautiful ways fully acknowledge God’s the mystery of Christ (Comgreatness and glory (556). A pendium, 548-549). we can follow Christ is to pray, spirit of praise and thanksgivGuided by the Holy Spirit, ing should permeate our or intercede, for one another, the Church teaches and pracwhole lives. tices the essential forms of just as the risen and exalted As Christians, we never prayer, which are most perpray alone, but rather always fectly found in the Eucharist: Lord “pleads for us at the as part of the Church’s tradiblessing and adoration; petition tion. In fact, it is through right hand of the Father.” and intercession; thanksgiving this tradition and returning and praise (550). to the sources of Christian PRAYER AND TRADITION alized in us when, through grace, we prayer that the Holy Spirit teaches us In the prayer of blessing, it is God who keep the commandments in the to pray (557). Our prayer is rooted first blesses us and enables us to “bless” spirit of the Beatitudes. Seeking to in Scripture, the Word of God that him (551). Because God fills us with live the heart of the Gospel, we ask leads us to “the surpassing knowlhis gifts, we can live the Beatitudes and God to forgive our sins and we pray edge” of Christ (Phil 3:8), and in the say with the Psalmist: “Bless the Lord, not merely for the things we want, Church’s liturgy, which communiO my soul, and all my being bless his but for those things we truly need to cates through sacramental signs the grow in the likeness of Christ (553). saving words and deeds of Christ. One of the most beautiful ways we The 37th installment of Supreme can follow Christ is to pray, or inter- LEARNING TO PRAY Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori’s faith cede, for one another, just as the In baptism, the Holy Spirit pours formation program addresses questions risen and exalted Lord “pleads for us forth into our hearts the theological 548-566 of the Compendium of the Catat the right hand of the Father.” Our virtues of faith, hope and love. In this echism of the Catholic Church. Archived prayer of intercession should include way, the Spirit teaches us to pray and articles are at kofc.org. not only our family and friends, but enables us to believe in God, instillalso our enemies, for Jesus taught: ing in us a desire for the joy of God’s 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

kingdom and a love for God above all things (Catechism 1814, 1817, 1822). When we truly know, love and practice our faith, everyday situations become occasions for prayer. This is what St. Paul means when he tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17; Compendium, 558). There are, of course, many ways to pray. For example, we might be familiar with popular devotions that are tied to a particular country or culture. We also look to the Church to guide our prayer so as to ensure that it is centered on the person of Christ (559). In fact, Jesus is “the way” of prayer. During his life on earth, he

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI

PHoToGRAPH oF PoPe: CnS photo/Paul Haring —bARAGA: CnS photo/courtesy Diocese of marquette

GENERAL: That priests, united to the Heart of Christ, may always be true witnesses of the caring and merciful love of God. MISSION: That the Holy Spirit may bring forth from our communities numerous missionary vocations, willing to fully consecrate themselves to spreading the Kingdom of God.

prayed constantly, and he continues to plead for us from his place in heaven. It is through the humanity of God’s divine Son that the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray, and we always make our prayer “through Christ our Lord” (560). What is more, it is the Spirit who is “the artisan” and “interior Master” of all prayer. The Spirit teaches us to “pray as we ought” by leading us to Christ and pouring forth divine life into our souls (561; Rom 8:26). At the same time, our prayer is always united with that of Mary. All generations call her blessed and echo her prayer of praise and thanksgiving,

the Magnificat. Mary leads us to Jesus with maternal love and prays for us with special tenderness. We invoke her intercession through the Hail Mary, the rosary and many other beautiful prayers (562-563). We also look to the saints, many of whom were great masters of the spiritual life, to teach us how to pray. In interceding for us in heaven, the saints shine with the glory of Christ (564). Lastly, the home should be a school of prayer, just as Jesus learned to pray in his home in Nazareth. Parents are the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith (565).♦

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

Bishop Frederic Baraga (1797-1868) FREDERIC BARAGA was born June 29, 1797, in northwestern Slovenia, in what was then the Habsburg Empire. In addition to his native Slovenian, he was also fluent in French and German at a young age. Baraga attended law school in Vienna, where his confessor was Father (now Saint) Clement Hofbauer (1751-1820). He then entered the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1823. Seven years later, Father Baraga received a mission request from America and embarked on a two-month journey to Cincinnati. There, he studied the language of the native Ottawa tribe, which stretched from Ohio to the upper Great Lakes. Baraga’s first mission was in present-day Harbor Springs, Mich. He baptized more than 500 natives before moving to other missions near Grand Rapids, Mich., and La Pointe, Wis. He then founded a mission in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1843. His flock called him “The Snowshoe Priest” because he walked hundreds of miles, often in the win-

ter snow, to be with his people. In 1853, Baraga was consecrated bishop of a new vicariate in Sault Ste. Marie (now the Diocese of Marquette). Over the course of his ministry, he published 20 books in Native American languages, including the first grammar of the Chippewa language, a catechism, numerous prayer books and a book on the life of Jesus. Bishop Baraga died Jan. 19, 1868, after suffering a series of strokes. The cause for his canonization is currently under review by the Vatican.♦

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Supreme Chaplain Delivers Keynote at Catholic Prayer Breakfast

Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., delivers the keynote address at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., April 27. HUNDREDS OF Catholics gathered April 27 in Washington, D.C., for the 7th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. The program featured several distinguished speakers, including a keynote address by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn. In anticipation of Pope John Paul II’s May 1 beatification in Rome, the

theme of the event was “Celebrating the Beatification of Pope John Paul the Great.” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and many other Knights were also in attendance. Bishop Lori’s speech drew on themes from his pastoral letter titled “Let Freedom Ring,” published in October 2010 in response to judicial and legislative

Canadian Knights March for Life

Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis A. Savoie and other K of C leaders joined thousands of Canadians gathered for the National March for Life May 12. The march and related youth events, sponsored in part by the Knights of Columbus, took place in Ottawa May 11-13. The events, which brought together Knights and other Catholics and pro-life supporters from throughout the country, marked the anniversary of the 1969 Canadian law that legalized abortion. 6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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actions in Connecticut opposed to religious freedom. “Just as freedom of religion is the first of the freedoms in our own Bill of Rights, so also John Paul II taught us that religious freedom is the core of all human rights,” Bishop Lori said during his address. “John Paul II’s witness to human freedom and dignity strikes a deep chord in our nation, where religious freedom is enshrined in the First Amendment of our Constitution and where we as a people have always believed that God, and not the state, is the source of those rights.” Bishop Lori and other speakers appealed to American Catholics of all ages to seek ways to effectively witness to their faith in Jesus Christ and proclaim the Gospel of life. “Now is the time for us to build on the example of Pope John Paul II in inviting and in raising up new generations of young Catholic leaders who will go beyond the political and cultural impasses of the present and proclaim the Gospel with fresh hope, insight and conviction,” he said.♦

Order Tops $80 Billion of Life Insurance in Force, Offers New Product KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Insurance passed a major milestone recently when the total amount of insurance in force exceeded $80 billion. The amount of life insurance in force has doubled in just over a decade, from $40 billion in 2000. With more than $17 billion in assets, the Knights of Columbus ranks among Fortune magazine’s Top 1000 Companies in America. It is also one of only five insurers in North America to receive the highest possible rating for financial stability from both Standard & Poor’s (AAA) and A. M. Best (A++). “Despite the difficult economic conditions in the United States, the Knights of Columbus has maintained its strength and has improved its standing relative to the insurance industry as a whole,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. The Order also recently announced a new product that protects the insured’s income in case of disability. Called “Income Armor,” the product is offered to members and their wives ages 18-61 (subject to underwriting requirements) and can provide protection against the loss of one’s paycheck because of partial or total disability. For more information, find an agent at kofc.org or call 1-800-345-5632.♦

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

In Stirring Ceremony, John Paul II Becomes ‘Blessed’ ACKNOWLEDGING the desire of Catholics throughout the world to see the late Pope John Paul II declared a saint, Pope Benedict XVI took another step in that process by beatifying his predecessor in a solemn yet joyful ceremony in St. Peter’s Square. Lining the streets of Rome were an estimated 1.5 million faithful gathered outside St. Peter’s Basilica May 1, who responded with exuberant cheers as Benedict declared, “From now on Pope John Paul shall be called blessed.” Pope Benedict also established the late pontiff ’s feast day as Oct. 22 — the date of his inauguration to the papacy in 1978. Among those present for the beatification ceremony was Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, representing the 1.8 million Knights of Columbus throughout the world, including those in the pope’s homeland of Poland. Anderson, who had been appointed to key Vatican advisory bodies by John Paul II, had met often with the pope. In multiple media interviews, Anderson said that John Paul II’s legacy includes his dedication to a civilization of love and peace, and his calls for the laity to build up the Church and transform society in accordance with Gospel values. The supreme knight also visited the tomb of the late pope in St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver a bound volume of messages from young Catholics. The messages were received through the Order’s news website, HeadlineBistro.com, and were submitted by those who grew up during John Paul II’s long pontificate. In a moving homily, Pope Benedict recalled the funeral Mass for the late pontiff six years ago and the popular opinion — expressed by the words “Santo Subito” (“Sainthood Now”) — that his predecessor should be placed immediately on the path to sainthood. Responding to that sentiment, Pope Benedict waived the usual five-year waiting period to begin the canonization process soon after his election in 2005. Six years later, Americans overwhelmingly say they still admire John Paul II,

Pilgrims fill St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul II May 1. • Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport are pictured outside of St. Peter’s Basilica with a tapestry of a 1995 photo of Blessed John Paul II in the background.

remember much of his pontificate, and agree he is worthy of beatification, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. A strong majority of Americans, and Catholics in particular, said that John Paul II was a good candidate for beatification (74 percent and 90 percent, respectively), and even larger majorities said that they admire the late pope (78 percent and 95 percent). “And now the longed-for day has come,” Pope Benedict said in his homily.

“It came quickly because this is what was pleasing to the Lord: John Paul II is blessed!” He noted that the beatification was being held on Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast which John Paul II instituted on the Sunday after Easter, reflecting the late pontiff ’s devotion to Divine Mercy messages popularized by the Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska, whom he canonized as the first saint of the new millennium in April 2000. Benedict also recalled his long association with the late pope during his years as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “I was at his side and came to revere him all the more,” he said. The pope concluded his homily by addressing his predecessor in heaven: “Blessed are you, beloved Pope John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. You often blessed us in this Square from the Apostolic Palace: Bless us, Holy Father! Amen.”♦

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Indiana Knights have provided service and support to troubled youth for nearly a century by Elisabeth Andrews v Photography by Zach Dobson

f you met Jim Wenzel today, you could hardly imagine that he was once a boy who couldn’t stay out of trouble. The 69year-old grandfather of three recently retired after nearly five decades working for the United States Department of Defense, during which time he served in the Marine Corps, the Air Force and numerous civilian roles as a medical safety specialist. Now enjoying the freedom to travel with his wife of 42 years, he speaks with the calm self-assurance of a man who has devoted his life to serving his family and country and has never looked back. Truth be told, however, Wenzel looks back often. He finds himself thinking with some frequency about his adolescence and about the break-ins and vandalism that were once part of his routine. He recalls a childhood friend who, to this day, is in prison, and he asks himself, “What on earth would have happened to me without Gibault?” A ‘CHILD OF THE KNIGHTS’ Gibault is a network of social-service programs geared primarily toward children in Indiana. It was founded and continues to be governed by the Indiana State Council of the Knights of Columbus, which also provides a significant amount of its funding. The programs serve some 200 children with social, behavioral or psychiatric problems through residential and in-home treatment. Youths aged 6 to 21 come to Gibault through the court system, the state’s Department of Education or the Department of Child Services, sometimes after failing to improve in a dozen other settings. Some bring with them criminal histories that appear impossibly out of

A youth at Gibault, the network of social service programs started by the Indiana Knights in Terre Haute, fishes at Alerding Pond, named in honor of the late Bishop Herman J. Alerding of Fort Wayne. JUNE 2011

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scale with their short lives. But when they leave, the great majority of them — like Wenzel — go on to become stable and productive citizens. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Gibault’s conception, though its birth came a decade later, after the close of World War I. Named for Father Pierre Gibault, an Indiana missionary who assisted in the American Revolution, the organization began in Terre Haute, Ind., as a home for “wayward boys” — those whom Wenzel describes as “incorrigible.” The founding Knights envisioned a residential education program that would provide sufficient individual attention and instruction to turn even the most delinquent boys into compassionate, self-possessed young people. The founders also established an ongoing role for the Knights in the life of Gibault. Written into Gibault’s by-laws is the provision that, should the organization ever shut its doors, all its assets would revert to the Indiana State Council. Moreover, its board of trustees consists of 16 Knights and only four trustees who are not members of the Order (three of whom are women). Each year, the state’s 33,000 active members are assessed $4 toward the organization — a significant portion of their annual dues. Those same men go on to raise almost an additional four times that amount per capita for a total of $500,000 in contributions annually. These funds help offset per diem costs that are only partially covered by state placement agencies. “We are a part of the Knights of Columbus. We are essentially the child of the Knights of Columbus,” said Zach Pies, Gibault’s development director.

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A group of students play basketball outside of Gibault’s Holy Cross building, which houses an elementary school, gymnasium, medical clinic and staff offices. • Gibault staff member Robert Vester, a youth treatment worker, monitors the lunchroom. MODERN TREATMENT MODELS Much has changed in the nine decades that Gibault has been in operation. Up until the 1970s, it was a home for Catholic boys, staffed by Holy Cross Brothers and organized around religious observances. When Jim Wenzel was there in 1958, boys were sometimes punished with paddles or rewarded with cigarettes. As the field of child services has evolved, all these elements have been replaced by a nurturing and health-focused approach that welcomes all children. Gibault now supports girls’ dormitories, though the genders do not mix. Children are further divided into age groups and treatment programs. Children with severe psychiatric disorders are also welcome at Gibault, where they live in secure environments appropriate to their abilities and development. In accordance with the state’s emerging emphasis on keeping children close to home, Gibault now has programs in several locations around Indiana. Its offerings have expanded to include a detention center for youth in custody and “wraparound” services that allow children to remain in their homes. To further support families, Gibault also operates child-care programs and an assisted living facility for older adults. In addition to schooling and therapy, children living at

Gibault participate in intramural sports, art, music and downtime during which they can play and just be themselves. They report that the Gibault experience has been transformative: “My attitude has completely changed,” said one 17-year-old boy. “I used to be the kid that always had anger issues and thought anger is better. Now I go home and people don’t even recognize me. It’s amazing. It’s helped me a lot.” In its 90 years, Gibault has helped nearly 10,000 such children. LEADING BY EXAMPLE Gibault is focused on outcomes like social and emotional skills, academic success, and staying out of the criminal justice system. The absence of religious programming, however, has been troubling to some Knights, who, at times, have questioned whether Gibault is “Catholic enough.” It can be a sore point for the board of trustees, who must comply with laws prohibiting proselytism in state-sponsored programs but also emphasize that Gibault’s work is the logical extension of the Knights’ pro-life and charitable work. “When you look at all the programs from the 40 Days campaign to the Birthright service to the March [for Life] in Washington, we have all these things that Knights and Catholics do to get that child born, but then you’re back to square one,” said David Gorrell, a board member and the grand knight of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Council 541 in Terre Haute. “If you’re going to do all that, there has to be a next step. Just because the mother decides not to have an

abortion does not change the circumstances under which she is living.” Gibault CEO Jim Sinclair went on to describe the inherently Christian approach of the organization. “We’re working with exactly the people that Jesus Christ would be working with,” he said. “Most of our clients are not Catholic. Besides being a good investment in the future, we are doing the mission that Jesus Christ asked us to do.” Sinclair’s focus is on “leading by example,” and Indiana State Deputy Thomas Gawlik agrees that demonstrating one’s faith in action can be the most powerful means of influencing a child’s life. “I remember one young lady that approached the board after a program the children were presenting,” Gawlik recalled. “She asked the question, ‘Why do you care?’ That sort of dumbfounded everybody there. That’s just what we do. That’s part of being a Knight, being a Catholic. I started to realize that she came from an area where people didn’t care, but we were showing that this is what we are about.” A LABOR OF LOVE The Indiana Knights maintain a close personal involvement with Gibault, even beyond the ongoing fundraising. Councils routinely host spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts and fish frys for the children. At Christmastime, Knights arrive with gifts and decorate the residences. Recently, board member and construction professional Dave DeKoninck helped organize a group of Knights to spend a weekend remodeling one of the

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A student paints in an art room. • Five students walk into Gibault’s Guardian Angels Convocation Center. • Frank Orbik of Msgr. Thomas J. Travers Council 563 in Anderson, Ind., teaches a guitar class. homes in Shelbyville. And Grand Knight Gene Hollander of Bishop George Avis Fulcher Council 12387 in Carmel, Ind., frequently visits the Terre Haute campus to talk with the children about their dreams (becoming a cartoonist, a veterinarian, a lawyer and an FBI agent are among those reported) and encourage them to believe in their capabilities. At the Indiana Knights’ 2011 state convention in April, some of the young people of Gibault traveled from Terre Haute to Indianapolis to answer questions submitted by members of the Order. When asked whether the treatment was helping, one 18-year-old answered, “My grades are a lot better. My work is getting turned in. I’m seven credits away from graduating high school.” Likewise, a 17-year-old girl described what her life would have been like if she had not come to Gibault: “I would still be getting in trouble. Gibault is the first place that changed me. I was like, ‘No other place has changed me. What makes them think they can?’ But now I’m getting A’s and B’s when before I was getting F’s.” There was no shortage of such personal stories: A 16-year-old boy described how he had learned to channel his feelings into playing guitar; a 17year-old boy reported he was now able to “stay out of negativity.” The climax of the afternoon came, however, when one child posed a question back to the audience: “Do you love us?” In an instant, every Knight in the hall was on his feet, adding to a deafening roar of cheers and applause. The noise went on and on as the children beamed and appeared to grow taller, stronger and more hopeful.♦ ELISABETH ANDREWS writes from Bloomington, Ind. 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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v i o l ent w i n d s One phone call made at a K of C hall in Tuscaloosa formed a relief effort for hundreds in need by Brian Dowling

map of the southern United States is marked with a cluster of multicolored lines. Moving northeast, many begin along the eastern side of Mississippi and move toward the northern border of Georgia. These lines represent the more than 300 tornadoes that littered their path with splintered homes and people’s belongings over three days in late April. Provided by the National Weather Service, the map rates each storm’s severity by color. Light blue is moderate damage; blue, considerable; orange, severe. Red is extreme damage, and, for reasons unknown, pink indicates tornadoes that can cause total destruction of sturdy buildings. One red line on the map — representing a severe EF-4 tornado from April 27 — begins near the small town of Union, Ala., and runs about 80 miles to Birmingham. Around 6 p.m. local time, with screaming 190-mph winds, the 1.5-mile wide tornado diagonally bisected the city of Tuscaloosa, home to about 90,000 people. After it passed, some residents wandered the streets in shock, shouting names of missing people. Others took chainsaws and began the process of cleaning up. Still others began to carry their belongings to destinations unknown. From Alberta City, a Tuscaloosa neighborhood that was in the tornado’s path, a handful of men hiked five miles to their parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church. As members of a Hispanic Round Table of Tuscaloosa Council 4083, they called the grand knight and opened the K of C hall. Victor Tlapanco, a middleaged Mexican-American Knight, met the men there and organized the group. He laughed when asked how he ended up in the middle of these efforts. With hopefulness in his voice, he contested that although he directs people, there are dozens of others doing more important work. Tlapanco had some disaster training in the past and quickly formed a plan: go out and look for other Knights. They eventually found four of their brother Knights who lost everything. “But during the search-and-rescue action, we found that no Hispanics were where they used to be,” Tlapanco said. They weren’t in the shelters or their neighborhoods, which then lacked electricity and water. A STATE OF EMERGENCY A 140-mph tornado can easily uproot trees. At 170 mph, winds can flip a bulldozer or throw a dump truck 50 yards.

(Southwest of Tuscaloosa, such winds lifted a 2-ton utility trailer into the air and deposited it a mile away, where it left a 2.5-foot impact crater.) Winds of 190 mph can effortlessly strip the roofs and walls from buildings. An even stronger tornado, with more than 200-mph winds, raged through the northwest portion of Alabama while the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado hit miles away. It was the main EF-5 storm in the state, and it took more than 70 lives from the small towns it visited. Ray Galloway has been through these towns, pulling both survivors and the bodies of the deceased from toppled buildings. As commander of the 142nd Battlefield Surveillance Brigade of the National Guard stationed in Decatur, Ala., he was called into action immediately after the storms. His 600-soldier unit moves through small towns like Phil Campbell, Hackelburg, Cordova and Mt. Hope, providing services that include search and rescue, debris removal, route clearance, security, and help distributing aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A 49-year-old Knight with St. Dominic Council 14507 in Mobile, Galloway lived through destructive hurricanes during Katrina in 2009 and Ivan in 2004, but is still affected by what he and his unit now see on a daily basis. “I stood in neighborhoods that didn’t exist anymore,” he said. “It was hard to determine there was a neighborhood there. There was no evidence of homes, just rubble.” He added that churches, like Tlapanco’s in Tuscaloosa, are leading the recovery in these communities. Alabama State Deputy Raymond M. Carney has likewise been tied into the statewide relief efforts from the beginning. Days after the storms, he had a relief account established, and other K of C jurisdictions were soon funneling money to the cause. Just a few weeks earlier, similar relief efforts began with assistance from the Supreme Council, following devastating tornadoes that swept through other states, including Iowa and North Carolina. Both Carney and Galloway shared a sense that there is something that can’t be expressed in words or even photographs about the destruction and recovery in Alabama, something that will just remain with the people there. “The pictures don’t really do justice to the real thing because you can’t smell those pictures,” Galloway said. “You can’t hear the voices of people when they’re sincere about what they saw.” JUNE 2011

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the parish hall to the gymnasium of Holy Spirit School next CREATING A REFUGE Tlapanco’s solution for the case of the missing Hispanics in door. People come in throughout the day for clothes, meals, Tuscaloosa was to invite them to the relief center at Holy Spirit candles and water. Tlapanco is also working on a schedule for Church. He said that many Hispanics hid and refused to go several local restaurants that provide food for the shelter, which to a shelter because, losing everything, they no longer had feeds about 250 people each day. Local radio stations broadcast Holy Spirit Church’s location identification. “They’re finding textbooks from the University of Alabama every half hour, and CNN produced a segment on the center. in Gadsden, Ala.,” which is 121 miles away by car, said Steve But Knights there will soon be through the worst of it. TlaGriffin, a member of Council 4083. “They’re finding receipts panco said that the pace is slowing, and they will soon have from here in Birmingham, so they’re probably finding people’s time to reorganize the efforts to be more effective. documentation in some little town in Alabama.” Due to an ongoing immigration debate in the southern states ‘THE REASON WE ARE HERE’ that empowered some public servants to check people’s docu- At least 340 people lost their lives during the three-day storm mentation, the missing Hispanics were caught in the anxiety outbreak. Many lost their homes and belongings, and many of being without proof of their nationality. Around closed-off others were left without electricity or running water. April 27 areas of town, authorities were asking for IDs to allow only res- was the deadliest single day of tornadoes since 1925, when toridents to enter, but in the minds of many Hispanics, it was an nadoes tore through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, killing about 700 people. immigration issue. During his visit to Tuscaloosa, President Obama reminded a “Rumors run faster than the wind,” said Tlapanco. When President Barack Obama visited Tuscaloosa April 29, some in crowd that those who were lost couldn’t be brought back, but the Hispanic community heard, wrongfully, that he was bring- that Americans can help “with the families dealing with the grief of having a loved one lost.” ing immigration officers. Many Bishop Robert J. Baker of decided to hide. Birmingham, a member of Our After opening the relief center Lady of the Valley Council at Holy Spirit Church, Tlapanco At least 340 people lost 9676, wrote to those affected in returned to Alberta City to seek his diocese after visiting stormout those refusing help. He told their lives during the three-day damaged areas. He offered his them to come to the church: storm outbreak. Many lost their condolences, adding “those sites “The Knights of Columbus are will be embedded in our memohere to help our Catholic comhomes and belongings, and ries forever.” In a May 2 letter, he munity.” Many took a chance encouraged the Knights in Alaand followed Tlapanco. many others were left without bama to “fly their colors” and to Arrivals at Holy Spirit Church electricity or running water. be a visible presence of charity to are registered and assessed for those affected by the storms. medical attention. They are then Pope Benedict XVI, through offered food. “We’re trying to Secretary of State Cardinal Tarkeep hot lunches for everybody,” cisio Bertone, also expressed his sadness, solidarity and “deep Tlapanco said. Inside the parish hall, volunteers work everywhere. People pastoral concern to those affected by this natural catastrophe.” A week after the tornadoes, Tlapanco stood in the parish hall sort piles of clothing in the middle of the floor. Along the sides of the hall, tables hold perishable food and baby items. Two with fellow Knights Steve Griffin and Deacon Aiden Strayer. doorways lead to the nurse and the kitchen. Fifty people run People around them were greeting each other as they would any the place day and night, and in the first few days many slept other day, in any other circumstances. Tlapanco explained that on blow-up mattresses that, during the day, were neatly stacked he was sitting watching TV when the tornado missed his home. “The reason why is,” he paused for a moment, “is we are along a wall. Within the first few days, a representative from the Mexican blessed. Everyone here was blessed to be out of the tornado’s Consulate from Atlanta visited the center and spoke with path. The reason is that God wants all of us to help. That is the about 300 people there. The consulate representative arrived reason why we are here.”♦ at 2 p.m., expecting to assist a few dozen people. He left 26 hours later, having offered help to about 75 families. BRIAN DOWLING is the creative and editorial assistant for Although aid for the Hispanic community was the initial Columbia magazine. purpose of the relief effort at Holy Spirit Church, Tlapanco said, “God put us here to help people. He didn’t distinguish Donations to the victims of the recent tornadoes may be mailed between Anglos, Mexicans, Guatemalans, or any kind. There to: Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., One Columbus Plaza, are no races here, only people we want to help.” New Haven, CT 06510, specifying “Tornado Fund.” The operation has since expanded from the Knights’ hall to 14 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

JUNE 2011

ToP: CnS photo/mary D. Dillard, One Voice — boTTom: Courtesy of Tuscaloosa News

Houses destroyed by a tornado are seen in the Tuscaloosa, Ala., neighborhood of Alberta City April 29. • Knight Victor Tlapanco (left) talks with Angela Schoolmann (center) about the food from an area restaurant that she brought as a donation.

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charity in motion A photo essay of recent distributions with the Global Wheelchair Mission: Knights bring mobility to those who need it most by Patrick Scalisi v Photography by Randy Hale

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n the first moments after receiving a new wheelchair from the Global Wheelchair Mission, reactions range from elation to disbelief to inexpressible gratitude. But what happens to those same recipients in the months that follow? Knights from Manitoba, Canada, recently had the chance to find out. Accompanied by Christiana Flessner, executive director of the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation (Fondation Chaise Roulante Canada), the Knights checked in on a 2010 wheelchair recipient in Cuba while there for another distribution this past March. “He had heard that we might be coming, so he was expecting us at the top of the staircase in his wheelchair,” said Flessner. “It really struck us. He couldn’t go downstairs, but there he was. He looked much more animated, much more engaged. He was more in control of his life.” For Flessner, checking in on past wheelchair recipients is a special experience. “I think it’s really meaningful for the recipients that we didn’t just come and give a gift so that we feel better about ourselves,” she said, “but we actually care about them.” The Supreme Council established a partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission, an alliance of the American Wheelchair Mission and the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation, after financing a distribution of 2,000 wheelchairs to Afghanistan in 2003. Over the past eight years, the Order has facilitated the delivery of more than 20,000 wheelchairs in locations as familiar as Tennessee and Florida and as exotic as Jordan and Morocco. Volunteers on the ground and service organizations like Caritas assist with the distributions. “The Knights of Columbus around the United States and Canada have really helped to fulfill what we’re about,” said Christopher Lewis, president of the American Wheelchair Mission and a member of Alhambra (Calif.) Council 2431. “The working relationship between the Canadian Knights and the U.S. Knights has developed nicely.” Indeed, Knights from British Columbia, Manitoba, California, Texas, Georgia and elsewhere have all worked together to ensure the success of wheelchair distributions in the past few months. In addition to Cuba, recent distributions have taken place in the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines. For the most part, they have been at churches or community centers, but in several instances, volunteers traveled into the poorest villages to deliver the wheelchairs personally. Drawing people with physical disabilities out of their beds or off of their makeshift crutches, Knights and other volunteers were able to witness firsthand the transforming power of mobility for someone who has been considered “invalid” for months, years or longer. Meanwhile, the wheelchair recipients are not the only people for whom the distributions are a life-changing experience. Often, the volunteers, too, are stunned by the significance that a simple mobility device can hold. “It was the experience of a lifetime,” said British Columbia State Deputy Michael Yeo, who traveled to Vietnam for the wheelchair distribution there. “When they came forward to get a wheelchair, their faces lit up. That smile just said everything. For them, as well as for us, it was a privilege to help them.”♦ PATRICK SCALISI is the associate editor of Columbia magazine. RANDY HALE, a member of Father Philip de Carriere Council 10484 in Haines City, Fla., serves as the official photographer for the Florida State Council. He also volunteers as a photographer for the Global Wheelchair Mission and for Special Olympics Florida. JUNE 2011

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boTTom RIGHT: Photo courtesy of the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation.

Previous spread: (From left) In Vietnam during a distribution are British Columbia State Deputy Michael Yeo; Christiana Flessner, executive director of the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation; Father Tien Tran of Coquitlam (British Columbia) Council 5540 and Christopher Lewis, president of the American Wheelchair Mission. Clockwise from upper left: A new wheelchair is transported home via scooter in Vietnam. • Volunteers unload new wheelchairs in Manila, Philippines. • Father Vincent Au (left) of Corona (Calif.) Council 3687 helps State Deputy Yeo lift a woman into her new wheelchair at a distribution in Saigon. • A girl with cerebral palsy sits in her new wheelchair surrounded by her parents during a distribution in Cuba. • Father Tran and a Vietnamese woman assist a boy with disabilities into a wheelchair.

Msgr. Nestor Rebong (left), former state chaplain of California, consoles an overjoyed man who received a new wheelchair, as Bayani N. Clemente (right) of Immaculate Heart of Mary Council 10291 in Metro Manila looks on. JUNE 2011

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

Winner at Home Cardinals’ lefthander, a Knight of Columbus, faces challenges on and off the field by Brian Caulfield EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on Fathers for Good, the Knights’ online initiative for Catholic men and their families. For additional articles and resources, visit fathersforgood.org.

s he begins his 12th season as a major league pitcher, Trever Miller is familiar with baseball’s performance measurements: earned run average, strikeout-to-walk ratio, winning percentage, saves and a dozen other metrics. A lanky left-handed utility reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals who specializes in retiring left-handed batters in late innings, he even holds a major league record for consecutive mound appearances without a win or loss decision. Having played for five teams, the 37year-old pitcher’s lifetime record is a respectable 18-16. But as the father of a child who was born with two holes in her heart and a genetic disorder so rare that it doesn’t have a name, Miller measures success in more basic ways these days: the next breath, a smile, a new movement from his daughter Grace. She was not expected to leave the hospital after birth, yet she turns a miraculous 7 years old this month. “Faith goes with the territory,” Miller said last March during the Cardinals’ spring training near West Palm Beach, Fla. “Grace is my hero and my inspiration. She has overcome more physical tests than I ever have in a lifetime of baseball.” Miller is a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Council 8104 in Land O’ Lakes, Fla. He was brought into the Order by his father, Terry Miller, who serves as financial secretary for the same council. Both men are also Fourth Degree members with Father Malachy Hugh Maguire Assembly. “I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic school” in Louisville, Kentucky, said the younger Miller. He attends Mass each Sunday and also when it’s offered in the Cardinals’ clubhouse through an arrangement with the group Catholic Athletes for Christ. One of Kentucky’s all-time great baseball stars at Trinity High School, Miller was drafted by the Detroit Tigers after graduating. He spent a few years in the minors before breaking into the big leagues in 1996.

A year earlier, he married Pari, his wife of 16 years, and they have three children: Tyler, 14, who is a member of the Columbian Squires; McKenzie, 13, and Grace. After his youngest child was born, Miller and his wife had a choice to make about her treatment. The couple opted for life and hope by approving surgery to close the holes in her tiny heart, even though doctors said that there was little chance she would survive more than a year. Today, Grace cannot walk or talk, and a simple cold can mean a trip to the emergency room to prevent fluid from filling her lungs. Still, Grace attends school as often as she can and receives regular therapy. “She’s a battler, she’s tough,” said Terry Miller, her grandfather. “She’s the only child with her condition who has lived beyond one year, so nothing would surprise me, even if she started talking one day. I’m sure she’d have a lot to tell us.” Trever Miller tells of dark days a few years ago when he was angry with everyone, including God, over his daughter’s condition. “We were stunned, we didn’t understand,” he recalled. “We had to stress acceptance. As a father I wanted to fix her situation and couldn’t. It was a helpless feeling.” As a man who makes his living by his physical abilities, acceptance has been difficult. “Dads are looked to as Mr. Fix-It, but no matter what I couldn’t fix this. It was tough that I couldn’t control this.” He now pours his frustration into running, completing in two 26.2-mile marathons and wearing a t-shirt that reads: “26 for Grace, .2 for me.” “I think our faith in God and his running was his saving,” his wife said. Miller agrees: “One thing all this has done is to keep our family praying,” he said. “Because of this, Grace has so many other people praying for her, too.” Trever Miller is hoping for a stellar year with the Cardinals, but he knows that his biggest wins will be at home with his family.♦ BRIAN CAULFIELD is editor of Fathers for Good.

FATHERS FOR GOOD SEEKS TO GUIDE MEN IN THE GREAT ADVENTURE OF FATHERHOOD. 20 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Photo by John Williamson/mlb Photos via Getty Images

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

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

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Islands of Plenty Contrary to the myth of overpopulation, the Philippines demonstrates that people are the world’s greatest resource by Steven W. Mosher

ith a laugh, Sonny de los Reyes, chairman of the Philippine bishops' laity commission, summarized his country’s colonial history in one sentence. “We Filipinos spent four centuries in the convent with the Spaniards, 50 years in Hollywood with you Americans, and four years in hell with the Japanese,” Reyes said with the good humor characteristic of him and his countrymen. Spanish missionaries brought Christianity to the Philippines nearly 500 years ago. The country remains one of the most Catholic countries on earth, with more than 80 percent of the population professing the faith. The islands were ceded to the United States in 1898, following the Spanish-American War. The Republic of the Philippines became independent after World War II, but continues to have close relations with the United States, in part because of the large and growing population of Filipinos in the United States who now number 4 million. The two countries are bound together by a common Christian heritage and knowledge of the English language. They share the same democratic ideals and watch many of the same movies. But life with America has not been without a darker side. Gripped by the fear of a “population bomb,” the U.S. National Security Council in 1974 added the Philippines to a list of countries targeted for population control programs. The U.S. Agency for International Development, along with organizations like the U.N. Population Fund, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the World Bank, has since poured hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns to drive down birthrates in this child-friendly country. USAID alone currently spends about $30 million a year on “reproductive health” programs in the Philippines, money which in the past had been used to fund sterilization campaigns. These challenges facing the Philippines today can be seen in light of the experience of dozens of countries throughout the world that have been similarly targeted for the promotion of widespread contraception, sterilization and abortion. POPULATION AND THE ECONOMY The Catholic Church in the Philippines has not stood idly by during this assault on life. Along with leading members of the Philippine Congress and the vast majority of the population, the Church has steadfastly resisted such population-control programs. The Philippines is also home to more than 260,000 members of Knights of Columbus, who regularly participate in pro-life events and advocate for pro-life policies. But local Catholics are facing a formidable enemy in an establishment that does not always look favorably on life. The “pow22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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erful of the earth,” as Pope John Paul II called the government of the United States and its major allies, often “prefer to promote and impose by whatever means a massive program of birth control. Even the economic help which they would be ready to give is unjustly made conditional on the acceptance of an anti-birth policy” (Evangelium Vitae, 16). True believers in the myth of overpopulation do not hesitate to engage in such arm-twisting. After all, they are convinced that population growth is the root of global problems that range from overcrowding and air pollution to food shortages and urban poverty. In this dismal calculus, more people equals less prosperity, and the solution to these real or imaginary woes is always the same — reduce the birth rate. What the population bombers forget is that people are not just inert consumers, but ingenious problem-solvers and producers. Pope Benedict XVI observed in his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), that “to consider population increase as the primary cause of underdevelopment is mistaken, even from an economic point of view” (44). As noted economist Julian Simon has pointed out, population growth has been the primary driver of progress throughout human history. While it is true that a growing population leads to shortages of certain raw materials, goods and services, in a free market economy these shortages will always prove temporary. Innovators will come forward to extract more raw materials or find less expensive substitutes, while entrepreneurs will find a way to produce more goods at lower costs and distribute them more efficiently to the public. At the end of this creative process — if it is not interrupted — there will be more goods available at lower prices — precisely because there are more people. The reality is that population control programs do not merely short-circuit economic growth; they cause real harm to real people. As Pope Benedict noted in his encyclical, some “non-governmental organizations work actively to spread abortion, at times promoting the practice of sterilization in poor countries, in some cases not even informing the women concerned” (28). Let me illustrate the kind of human rights abuses that the pope is referring to with an example drawn from China’s one-child policy. Imagine for a minute that you and your wife live in China. You already have one child when she becomes pregnant a second time. When the police discover this some months later, they declare her pregnancy “illegal.” Your wife is ordered to either report for an abortion or pay a fine equivalent to five years of your combined incomes.

CnS photo/Reuters

Thousands of Filipinos, including many Knights of Columbus, rally against a proposed national reproductive health bill in metro Manila March 25. You don’t have that much money, you tell the population control official in charge. Then the one-child policy must be enforced, he responds. His determination to ensure that no “over-quota” babies are born on his watch is unshakable; his annual bonus depends on it. When your wife refuses to report to the abortion ward, the official gathers a posse of men and breaks into your home. You watch helplessly as your wife is dragged off. Because she is by now in the third trimester of pregnancy, she is given an abortion by cesarean section. The final blow comes when your now-dead baby is returned to you in a garbage bag, leaving you to arrange for burial. By now, you might be saying to yourself that this cannot be happening in the real world; surely this is an exaggeration. But I recently received documentation from a source in China — complete with pictures of a dead baby in a garbage bag — of just such a case. And in the 32 years I have been following China’s one-child policy, I have learned that such brutality is common. The international population control establishment, believe it or not, wildly applauds the one-child policy. Consider, for example, the remarks of Thoraya Obaid, the former director of the U.N. Population Fund, who in 2001 said that “China has seen notable achievements made in population control by implementing the family planning policy. It has thereupon played an active role in curbing the population growth across the world.”

FORCED STERILIZATION It would be bad enough if it were just a matter of China denying one-fifth of the world’s families the right to have children. But the excessive use of force in the pursuit of a population control agenda extends to numerous developing countries around the world. To give just a few examples: Women in Indonesia have been apprehended at gunpoint by the military for mandatory sterilizations; hundreds of thousands of Native Americans have been pressured by the Peruvian government to accept tubal ligations; and government-run hospitals in Mexico routinely sterilize women after they give birth — with or without their consent. This is the sort of thing that happens when, in Pope Benedict’s words, “development aid is sometimes linked to specific healthcare policies which de facto involve the imposition of strong birth control measures” (28). In other words, when we use foreign aid as a carrot to get governments to act, all too often they turn around and use the stick on their own people. Given the long and dismal catalog of abuses, it is unlikely that a birth control program can be both government-run and non-coercive, especially in the context of a developing country. In fact, when the population controllers move into a developing country like the Philippines, primary health care invariably suffers. Government health officials and local medical associations are first co-opted by highly prized opportunities for advanced training overseas or offered generous gifts (read: bribes) of office equipment or limousines. Once a country’s JUNE 2011

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medical establishment has agreed to make “family planning” a tion Division, some Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, priority, national health budgets tend to be spent disproportion- Singapore and Taiwan, are in even worse shape demographically. ately in this area. This birth dearth means that the work force and revenues are As Dr. Stephan Karanja, the former secretary-general of the shrinking at precisely the same time that elderly citizens are Kenyan Medical Association reported to me: “Our health sector growing in number — and demanding the retirement and is collapsed. Thousands of the Kenyan people will die of malaria, health benefits that they have long been promised. For the past the treatment for which costs a few cents, in health facilities 20 years, Japan has been in the grip of what economists call a whose shelves are stocked to the ceiling with millions of dollars “demographic recession.” worth of pills, IUDs, Norplant, Depo-Provera, and so on, most Indeed, Japan’s lack of children is a national calamity. With of which are supplied with American money.” tragically high abortion rates and astonishingly low birth rates At the same time, fertility reduction programs funded by such — only 1.2 children per couple — the Japanese population is groups as USAID, UNFPA, and IPPF are set up. By local stan- now in free fall. Unless they rediscover the blessings of children, dards, such programs are generously funded and become magnets there will only be 40 million or so Japanese — one-third of its for scarce medical resources. Doctors, attracted by higher wages, current population — alive by the end of the 21st century. abandon primary health care in favor of “family planning.” ClinHow does the Philippines fit into this picture? Because of its ics are transformed into “family planning” stations, where the youthful and still-growing population, the country is able to exonly readily available medical care involves contraception, steril- port millions of well-educated, English-speaking, hard-working ization and abortion. young people to other countries around the world. There are For consistently defending people against such depredations, growing expatriate colonies of young Filipinos in every Asian the Church in general and Pope country with a decreasing popuBenedict XVI in particular are lation, and they bring their blamed for causing governments Catholic faith with them. to shy away from taking the Immigration from the PhilipMost countries in the world are “overpopulation problem” more pines to Japan, in particular, is already having too few children to seriously. rising rapidly, despite the diffiTo which the response culties imposed on those who maintain their current populations. should be: What “overpopulawant to become citizens. With tion problem?” more than one-fifth of its popuSome, like Japan, are actually According to the latest estilation already over 65, and a raplosing people from year to year. mates from the U.N. Population idly contracting workforce, Division, the population of the Japan really has no choice but to world, which now stands at 6.9 open its doors to immigrants billion, will never double again. helping to fill jobs, pay tax revInstead, their “low variant” projection — historically the most enues and support retirement programs. accurate — shows it peaking at 8.1 billion or so around the year Over the next few decades, millions of Filipinos will likely 2045 and then beginning to decline. Most countries in the world be welcomed into Japan, helping to save it from the demoare already having too few children to maintain their current graphic recession and economic collapse that would otherwise populations. Some, like Japan, are actually losing people from be its fate. For its part, the Philippines will become home to year to year. Even in the Philippines, which remains open to life, tens of thousands of elderly, childless Japanese, who will happily the birth rate has dropped off sharply in recent decades. As re- settle in a land where the climate is warm and where they will cently as 1960, women in the Philippines averaged seven children receive loving care. each. Today, the Philippines government reports that the number The world is not an overcrowded human ark. Rather, it is — is slightly less than 3. as it was designed to be — a beautiful horn of plenty. And people, the pinnacle of creation, are its ultimate resource, the one reA DEMOGRAPHIC RECESSION source that we cannot do without. Those who attack the Church fail to understand that its pro-life Parents who are willing to bring children into the world should stance is not just a matter of faith, but is supported by reason. Re- be celebrated, not criticized. They are, after all, providing for the ducing the number of babies born does not in itself solve political, future in the most fundamental way: by allowing the next geneconomic or environmental issues. Rather, reducing births often eration to inherit the earth.♦ creates grave problems. Take Social Security and Medicare, for example. In the United States and other industrialized countries, STEVEN W. MOSHER is the president of the Population Research such programs are difficult to sustain unless each generation of Institute and the author of Population Control: Real Costs and Illutaxpaying workers is as large as, or larger than, the one before it. sory Benefits (Transaction Press, 2008). He is the host of the EWTN Yet, birth rates have plummeted to historic lows in nearly all series “Promoting the Culture of Life Around the World,” and freof the developed world. Europe as a whole is averaging only quently testifies before the U.S. Congress on population and human about 1.3 children per couple. According to the U.N. Popula- rights issues. 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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RO M A N M I S S A L

Greeting Christ The greetings of the Roman Missal help us to understand the role of the priest and the people in celebrating the sacred liturgy by Cardinal George Pell EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles on the Roman Missal in anticipation of the new English-language translation, effective in the United States beginning Nov. 27.

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hen Catholics throughout the English-speaking world begin to use the new translation of the Roman Missal for the first time, they will notice a change at the beginning of Mass in one of the most familiar dialogues of the sacred liturgy. This dialogue, spoken before every important liturgical action or prayer, is an expression of the roles of the priest and the people at Mass. When the priest says “The Lord be with you” (“Dominus vobiscum”), he prays that the Lord will be with the gathered faithful — the same Lord who, through baptism, has made them a royal priesthood and who has said that where two or three are gathered in his name he would be present (cf. 2 Pet 2:9, Mt 18:20). In response, the people will now say: “And with your spirit” (“Et cum spiritu tuo”). Here the faithful acknowledge the difference between the common priesthood of the baptized and the ministerial priesthood, which is received through the sacrament of holy orders. In this sacrament, the priest has been anointed with the same spirit that God sent down upon the 70 wise men who helped Moses rule the Israelites. Wandering in the desert after God had liberated the chosen people from bondage in Egypt, Moses experienced great frustration with the complaints of the people, which led him to lament to God: “Why do you treat your servant so badly? … If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress” (Num 11:11,15). What happened next provides a key to our understanding the response, “And with your spirit.” The Lord directed Moses to assemble 70 of the elders of Israel and said, “When they are in place beside you, I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take

some of the spirit that is on you and will bestow it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you” (Num 11:17). As God once distributed the spirit that was upon Moses to the elders, so, too, do bishops today pray during the ordination of priests: “Lord, in our weakness, [we ask you] to grant us these helpers that we need to exercise the priesthood that comes from the Apostles.” In effect, God takes some of the spirit that the bishop received by his ordination, which is the fullness of the ministerial priesthood, and places it upon the newly ordained priests so that they can assist him in exercising the priesthood of Christ. In addition to “The Lord be with you,” there are two other greetings that a priest may use at the beginning of Mass. One is taken from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (13:13). Here, Paul asks that the Church might know the same intimate communion of love that is born of the life of the Holy Trinity. The other greeting is also taken from St. Paul’s letters (cf. Eph 1:2, Gal 1:3): “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This ancient text asks that the presence and peace of God remain active in our lives that we might be drawn more deeply into the sacred mysteries that we are about to celebrate. By these greetings, the priest “signifies the presence of the Lord to the assembled community” and, together with the faithful, reminds us how “the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 50). In this way, the greetings help prepare us for the celebration of the sacred mysteries that are the source and the summit of the Christian life.♦ CARDINAL GEORGE PELL, archbishop of Sydney, served as chairman of the Vox Clara Committee, formed to oversee the new translation of the Roman Missal.

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KNIG HTS IN ACTI ON

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES

RUMMAGE SALE AND LUAU

had to pay off her student debt. The pancake breakfast raised more than $2,800 to settle Fletcher’s loans. The council also presented her with a crystal rosary and two books.

St. Mary’s by the Sea Council 14699 in Huntington Beach, Calif., held a rummage sale and luau that raised more than $6,700 for its parish.

YARD SALE CLIMB TO THE TOP

St. Bernard Council 8152 in Crossville, Tenn., held its annual summer picnic for the staff and clients of Hilltoppers Inc., an organization that helps adults with intellectual disabilities to be as independent as possible. Knights, their spouses and 14 students from Tennessee Tech University volunteered at the event, dishing out hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes and more. FOOD DRIVE & SCHOOL SUPPLIES

St. Ann Council 12886 in Emmaus, Pa., conducted its annual food drive at a local store. Knights collected more than 750 pounds of canned and nonperishable food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank. The council also collected eight boxes of school supplies for Mercy Special

Lawrence Wetter (left) and Larry Goscha of St. Mary, Queen of the Universe Council 8196 in Salina, Kan., collect donations during the council’s annual fund drive for people with intellectual disabilities. By canvassing at several stores around their community, Knights raised more than $3,200. Learning Center, an educational program through the Diocese of Allentown that provides services to people with intellectual disabilities. ICE CREAM SOCIAL

St. Josaphat Kunsevich Council 13129 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, hosted an ice cream social for parishioners at Dormition of the Blessed Mother of God Church following Sunday Mass. DANCING FOR LIFE

Father Rosensteel Circle 643 in Silver Spring, Md., hosted a junior high school teen dance to benefit the Maryland state pro-life fund. The event raised $600 to help purchase an ultrasound machine for a local pregnancy resource center.

Joseph Wozniak (right) and Ralph Sirico of Phoenixville (Pa.) Council 1374 present Father Timothy Judge with a new 110cup stainless steel coffeemaker. Father Judge requested the machine for use at Sacred Heart Church in Royersford. 26 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Thunder Bay using images and text provided by the Supreme Council. Council 9295 also installed a large pro-life sign on the grounds of Corpus Christi Church. Meanwhile, Father Francis X. Borrano Council 11369 in Canfield, Ohio, has worked with area donors over the past five years to raise $36,000 to build a commercial-size billboard on I-680 in Youngstown. The billboard was finally put up in late2010 and will feature only pro-life messages. NEW PATEN

St. Mark Council 9276 in Kitchener, Ontario, hosted a potluck supper during which council members presented their pastor and chaplain, Father Adrian Lee, with a new paten.

TAKING OUT A BILLBOARD

ELIMINATING DEBT

Motorists on a busy street in Thunder Bay, Ontario, will now see a 20-foot by 10-foot pro-life sign courtesy of Father Regis St. James Council 9295. Council members erected the sign on property owned by the Diocese of

Father Carey Council 5569 in Rosemount, Minn., held a pancake breakfast to benefit Ali Fletcher, a young woman who is entering the religious life. In order to join the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth in Tunkhannock, Pa., Fletcher

Laingsburg (Mich.) Council 12044 held its annual yard sale, which raised more than $3,000 for its charitable fund. In addition, nine truckloads of leftover items were donated to Goodwill. FLAPJACK GUYS

Mother of Perpetual Help Council 5629 in Vero Beach, Fla., hosted a pancake and egg breakfast that raised $1,350 for Special Olympics. The organization has seen a sharp drop in donations due to the difficult economy. EXPANDED LEARNING

Pagkabuhay Council 7147 in Paranaque, Luzon, took the lead on the construction of a new classroom next to the council’s meeting hall. Knights funded some of the materials needed for building the classroom, and several council members — among them an engineer — were instrumental in the structure’s planning. The classrooms will serve as expansion space for the Fourth Estate Elementary School. FEED THE HUNGRY

St. Margaret Mary Council 11091 in Algonquin, Ill., started an initiative called “Feed My Starving Children” in which council members and their wives packaged meals for needy children around the world. At the inaugural event, volunteers packaged more than 12,000 meals — enough to feed about 34 children for one year.

K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N STRONG AS OAK

dents to make cards and letters of support for activeduty service personnel and veterans. These cards were then given to area VA hospitals for distribution.

Hancock (Mich.) Council 692 donated nearly $300 to Oak House, a home for adults with intellectual disabilities where residents share chores and responsibilities while encouraging one another to become self-sufficient.

BASE SOCIAL

COASTLINE CLEANING

St. John the Baptist Council 8421 and St. John the Baptist Circle 3520, both in Tabaco, Luzon, teamed up for a project to clean their coastline. Knight and Squires volunteered 12 hours removing trash and debris.

Members of Mother Seton Circle 5271 in Las Vegas prepare to load donated food onto a truck at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Squires worked after Mass to load a 24-foot truck with donated food for Catholic Charities as part of the parish’s “Stuff the Truck” campaign.

DONATION FOR LIFE

Bishop Garriga Assembly in Guadalupe, Texas, donated $500 to the Diocese of Brownsville’s Respect Life Apostolate. FIGHTING DISEASE

In response to a critical blood shortage caused by a rise in dengue fever cases, San Lorenzo Ruiz Council 9466 in Iloilo City, Visayas, hosted a blood drive in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross. Meanwhile, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Council 6387 in Sampaloc, Luzon, sponsored an anti-dengue campaign to spray mosquito repellant at houses in two neighborhoods. According to the World Health Organization, there were 12,006 cases of dengue fever reported in the Philippines in 2010. MILITARY SUPPORT MINISTRY

With support and assistance from Holy Spirit Assembly in Simpsonville, S.C., St. Mary Magdalene Church formed a Military Support Ministry that provides spiritual support to deployed service members and veterans and their families. After enrolling

a number of parishioners, the ministry assembled six spiritual care packages for soldiers serving overseas. The ministry also assists veterans who receive care through the VA Health Care System. RODEO BURGERS

West (Texas) Council 2305 cooked hamburgers for 150 people at a Special Olympics equestrian event, held at the West Fair and Rodeo Grounds. Knights donated all of the food for the event. SHELTER SERVICE

Members of Switzerland (Fla.) Council 12664 and their sons served food at the Sulzbacher Center in Jacksonville, a 24hour shelter for men, women and children that provides meals, health care, children’s programs, job placement assistance and life skills training. SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

Mother Seton Council 5427 in Washington Township, N.J., invited representatives of the Teaneck Armory Family Support Group to speak about their organization’s services for members of the armed forces and their fami-

lies. Sgt. Minnie Hiller, Sgt. Janis Shaw and Chief Warrant Officer Stephan Gaunt spoke about the purpose of the program and the aid it provides to active-duty soldiers, veterans and the families of service personnel not living on a military base. Following the presentation, Council 5427 donated $250 to the support group.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Round Table at Camp Victory, Iraq, hosted a coffee and doughnut social at Hope Chapel for the base’s Catholic community. About 50 people attended the event. The round table is sponsored by St. Paul’s Council 11634 in Colorado Springs, Colo. A GOOD MATCH

St. Edward Council 10524 in Athens, Texas, held a spaghetti dinner that raised $1,850 for the local branch of the Gabriel Project. Following the event, an anonymous donor came forward to match the Knights’ total contribution.

A JOINT EFFORT

St. Anthony Council 2439 in Sublimity, Ore., St. Mary’s of Shaw Council 8270 in Aumsville and St. Edward Council 10594 in Salem pooled their resources to donate $1,500 to the Salem Pregnancy Resource Center. The funds are earmarked to help purchase a new ultrasound machine. An auction at St. Edward Church in Salem raised an additional $5,000 for the facility. UNIVERSITY LETTERS

American University Council 14465 in Washington, D.C., sponsored a “Support Our Troops and Veterans” event following a campus Mass. Knights provided paper and other resources for fellow stu-

Wayne C. Williamson (right) of Bay City (Mich.) Council 414 stands with a student at St. John Elementary School in Essexville during an event with the “K of C Klowns.” Since 1982, the council’s clown ministry has assisted with local and state fundraisers for the ill, the abused and the underprivileged, as well as for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. The K of C Klowns march in community parades and appear at seasonal events, volunteering about 800 hours per year and raising thousands of dollars for charity.

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

ACE IN THE HOLE

Members of Father Joseph Mosley Assembly in Easton, Md., visit the Perry Point VA Medical Center each month to celebrate veterans’ birthdays and visit with patients. Knights typically serve hot dogs, potato chips, birthday cake and soda — all of which is donated by the assembly.

Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley Council 11069 in Jacksonville, Fla., held a Texas Hold ’em poker tournament that raised $5,300 for the Jacksonville Women’s Help Center. EDUCATION IN HAITI

NEW WHEELCHAIR

ON ‘TRACK’ FOR GIVING

St. Jude of Massaponax Council 12599 in Spotsylvania, Va., provided more than 180 free bag lunches to Spe-

Members of Western Visayas College of Science and Technology Council 11517 in Iloilo City, Visayas, participate in a pro-life march to protest several reproductive health bills that would make contraceptives more readily available in the Philippines. cial Olympics athletes, coaches and volunteers at a Special Olympics track meet. Knights worked with local vendors to buy the food at a discount, and the council was able to feed everyone in attendance for only $430. BACK-UP PLAN

Pope John XXIII Council 7707 in Spencerport, N.Y., donated more than $5,000 to Aurora House, a hospice that provides compassionate, palliative care. The funds are earmarked to install an emergency backup electrical system at the facility.

A computer owner looks on while Francis Sommers of Divine Infant Council 7873 in Ottawa inspects a computer tower that requires maintenance. Members of Council 7873 collect old or damaged computers to be repaired and resell them to the community at a discounted price. Computers that are too obsolete are recycled, and any money made is used to host repair clinics for members of the community. The initiative has also allowed the council to donate nearly 100 computers to charities that distribute the equipment to individuals in need. 28 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

JUNE 2011

that raised $500 for NET Ministries of Canada, a national Catholic youth outreach organization. CHILI AND HORSESHOES

Colton (Calif.) Council 4017, with assistance from Immaculate Conception Circle 501, hosted a chili cookoff and horseshoe tournament that raised $500 for organizations that work with people with intellectual disabilities.

NET GAIN

Charleswood Council 7523 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, held a “Steak and Spuds Supper”

Father James J. Scanlon Council 6936 in Highland Springs, Va., donated several cases of diapers to the pregnancy counseling program that is operated by Commonwealth Catholic Charities. The diapers were given to needy mothers in and around Richmond. PANTRIES BOLSTERED

Msgr. A. L. O’Connell Council 3700 in Pasadena, Texas, donated $500 to each of the food pantries at four area churches.

SPAGHETTI FOR TAYLOR

Padre Francisco Garces Council 9378 in Yuma, Ariz., hosted a spaghetti dinner to benefit Taylor Rose Harden, 3, who is battling Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). The dinner also included a raffle — with prizes donated by several local businesses — and raised nearly $700 for Harden’s travel expenses to Tucson, where she is currently receiving treatment.

DIAPERS FOR PRO-LIFE PROGRAM

HELP FOR VICTIMS

Jerry Kempf and Joe Billesbach of Beatrice (Neb.) Council 1723 retrieve an old tire from the Big Blue River during a clean-up event. Knights joined more than 50 volunteers to help clean the river, cut down brush, haul away trash and plant new vegetation along the banks. Knights also provided a hot dog lunch for volunteers.

More than 70 sexually abused girls housed in a government social welfare and development institution called Home for Girls in Palayan City, Luzon, received care packages of food and personal hygiene supplies from Father Crisostomo Council 6000 in Cabantuan City. Knights made the special delivery to spread cheer among the home’s residents and to distribute toiletries, toys and snacks.

BOTTOM LEFT: Kristina Brazeau/Orléans Star

St. Martin de Porres Council 12909 in Toronto hosted a bingo game and bus trip to help purchase a new wheelchair for an area woman with physical disabilities. Knights provided partial funding for the wheelchair after the woman requested a new unit to aid with her mobility.

Roanoke (Va.) Council 562 presented Father Joseph Lehman of Our Lady of Nazareth Church with a donation of $2,017 for the Papaye Normal School, the parish’s adopted school in Haiti. Knights raised money for the donation by holding a pancake, sausage and scrambled egg breakfast after three Sunday Masses.

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

and third, respectively, in the nation’s standardized testing exams. Knights also had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania to help upgrade the lighting at the seminary’s chapel and to assist with physical exams of 117 seminarians, courtesy of a volunteer doctor who accompanied the group.

Members of Christ the King Circle 5125 in Mississauga, Ontario, prepare to hand out food following the installation of the new parish priest at Cristo Rei Church. Squires volunteered at a multicultural festival following the installation Mass, passing out food from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

A NEW HOUSE OF GOD

Mount Carmel Council 13325 in Busco, Mindanao, donated 30,000 pesos (about $685) toward the construction of Nuestra Señora del Carmel Church. Knights later welcomed and met with Bishop José A. Cabantan of Malaybalay during his pastoral visit to the new church.

BUILDING FOR LIFE

Immaculate Heart of Mary Council 4420 in Atlanta volunteered for an extensive renovation project at the Advice & Aid Pregnancy Problem Center in Hapeville. Knights replaced or repaired ceiling tiles, installed new walls and sheetrock, painted, replaced old carpeting with a wooden floor, and worked on a variety of plumbing and wiring issues.

CAMP SIT-UPON

John Paul II Circle 5274 in Ownesboro, Ky., built two park benches to donate to the Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center. Squires built the benches from scratch for the camp. A HALL FOR A HALL

After Sacred Heart Council 1847 in Franklin, Mass., sold

its council hall in 2009, the council was left with a substantial surplus in its charitable fund. Following a request from the pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Knights donated $150,000 to help renovate the church basement into a parish hall. The new hall features a small chapel and a large meeting space that is used by many parish organizations. SEMINARIAN BURSE DINNER

The Knights of Columbus Arrowhead-Desert Valley (Calif.) Chapter held its annual Seminarian Burse Dinner at St. George Church. At the event, Knights distributed $10,000 to area seminarians and to Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego Jáñez of San Bernardino for vocations development within the diocese. BOCCE NIGHT

Edward Douglass White Council 2473 in Arlington, Va., held a bocce tournament and trivia night that raised $500 for Borromeo Housing, an organization that operates a residential program for homeless adolescent mothers and their children.

STEAK FOR EDUCATION

SPORTS EQUIPMENT

Our Lady of Lourdes Council 7412 in Montclair, Calif., held a steak fry fundraiser that raised more than $1,000 for Our Lady of Lourdes School.

Father Jose A. Burgos Council 9095 in Burgos, Luzon, donated new sports equipment to the young people who work as altar servers at Most Holy Name Church.

HELP FOR TANZANIA

In 2008, St. Francis Council 1234 in Galion, Ohio, began a partnership with the Diocese of Kahama, Tanzania, when the council participated in a multi-parish effort to raise $23,000 for the diocese. Some of the funds were used to buy textbooks for Queen of Apostles High School Seminary and Queen of Family Girls’ Residential High School. In 2010 the schools came in first

Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif., blesses a Ten Commandments monument at Holy Family Church in Citrus Heights that was donated by the Knights of Columbus Northern California Chapter. Also pictured are: Father Polycarpo R. Gumapo and Father Cesar Ageas. Bishop Soto is a member of Father Robert Ross Council 6095 in Stanton.

ANNIVERSARY DONATION

In honor of its 25th anniversary, St. Michael Council 8980 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., hosted a gala reception at which the council presented a $25,000 donation to the building fund at St. Michael Church. At the reception, the council also donated $1,000 to Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone of Charleston for his work with the Boy Scouts of America.

Members of Heart of the Island Council 7262 in Selden, N.Y., display some of the soda can pulltabs they collected for the Sunrise Fund in Stony Brook. Knights collected nearly 30 pounds of aluminum pull-tabs, which will be sold to aid the Sunshine Fund’s initiatives against childhood cancer. FUNDING EDUCATION

Three councils from Spring Hill, Fla., hosted a charity dinner-dance at St. Frances Cabrini Church to benefit the tuition assistance fund at Notre Dame School, the only K-8 Catholic school in Hernando County. The event raised $5,200, and Knights presented several awards at the dinner. PRO-LIFE PANCAKES

Cardinal Council 1691 in Cicero, Ill., held a pro-life pancake breakfast at St. Odilo Church that raised $650 for the council’s pro-life charitable fund. PEWS REPLACED

Members of St. Joseph Council 10894 in Springfield, Neb., volunteered to reinstall all of the pews at St. Joseph Church following a substantial renovation of the church’s lighting system. FARM AID

Val-Alain Council 7283 in Joly, Quebec, donated $1,000 to a local family after their farm was damaged in a fire. The funds will help rebuild several structures that were destroyed following the blaze.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N EAGLE SCOUT FUNDING

Members of Bishop Salpointe Council 4584 and Our Lady of the Mountains Council 10799, both in Sierra Vista, Ariz., remove weeds and brush from the historic Fry Cemetery, which was established in 1919. Knights, with help from area Boy Scouts and parishioners, removed all of the overgrown grass that was choking the cemetery grounds. SALUTE, INC.

Holy Rosary Council 4483 in Arlington Heights, Ill., provided start-up capital and provides ongoing financial assistance to Salute, Inc., an organization that helps to meet the financial, physical and emotional needs of military service members, veterans and their families. With an initial donation of $1,000, Council 4483 has consistently provided funding for Salute, Inc. events, as well as volunteer manpower. Other K of C units, like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Assembly, have contributed as well. Since 2004, Salute, Inc. has raised more than $800,000 to aid approximately 200 service members and their families.

The event raised nearly $3,000 for the council’s charitable fund. FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

Members of Brownson Council 1030 in Chicago and their wives packed food boxes for distribution to local food pantries at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The Knights were among 100 volunteers who packed more than 1,400 boxes (containing 33,000 pounds of food) for the needy.

CLAM BAKE

St. Pius X Council 3594 in Oakville, Conn., hosted a charity clambake that saw more than 175 attendees.

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GARAGE REFURBISHED

Westbrook (Maine) Council 2219 refurbished the maintenance garage at St. Hyacinth Cemetery by adding new vinyl siding, doors and a 100amp circuit breaker. The council contributed $2,700 for materials and volunteered about 200 hours of labor to get the work done. CARING FOR THE ELDERLY

BINGO FOR EDUCATION

Tawas (Mich.) Council 2709 hosted a special series of bingo games throughout the summer of 2010 to benefit Holy Family School. The games raised $4,000, which will help supplement the school’s operating budget.

Bishop Victor J. Reed Council 4026 in Oklahoma City and Father George Wagner Assembly in Midwest City provided partial funding for an Eagle Scout project undertaken by Evan. J. Maselli. Maselli collected games, personal care items and neck coolers for U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. With a donation from the Knights, Maselli was able to ship all of the items overseas. Elsewhere, Bishop Vincent S. Waters Council 9030 in Laurinburg, N.C., contributed funds to an Eagle Scout project undertaken by Thomas Schmidt, a parishioner at St. Mary Church. Schmidt erected a brick memorial complete with a replica of the Statue of Liberty that lists the veterans from Scotland County.

Tony Capaul and Dave Kuderer of Msgr. Flock Council 4592 in Sparta, Wis., decorate a pizza during the council’s biannual “Pizza Knight.” Council members made handmade pizzas from scratch and served them to the parish community. Proceeds from the event were added to the council’s charitable fund.

St. Sebastian Council 4926 in Los Altos, Calif., hosted a pancake breakfast at St. Simon Church that raised $1,000 for the building fund at Villa Siena, a Catholic retirement home. A VISION OF ONE WORLD

Since its founding in 1983, L’abbe Joseph Edouard Martineau Council 8528 in Grande Riviere, Quebec, has sponsored children through the organization World Vision. Many of these children

have grown up to see a better life thanks to the Knights of Columbus. DINNER FOR CHLOE

Father Louis P. Routhier Council 4666 in Suncook, N.H., held a parish supper that raised $1,440 for Chloe Chaput, a local infant who received a liver transplant at Children’s Hospital in Boston. The funds will be used to help Chloe’s family offset any expenses they incurred during Chloe’s stay in the hospital. SOLDIERING ON

Msgr. Eugene F. Marshall Council 103 in Pittsfield, Mass., sponsored an ice cream social for veterans living at the Soldier On shelter for homeless veterans. Residents were treated to ice cream donated by a local restaurant and toppings donated by the council. Soldier On provides a continuum of care for veterans that includes immediate and longterm housing, treatment and recovery for addiction, food and clothing, and medical, counseling and job-related services. DRIVE FOR APPALACHIA

St. Edward Council 13196 in Cynthiana, Ky., hosted a drive to benefit the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). Knights collected food, clothing and financial donations to help needy people who live in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

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O N - TA RG E T R E C RU I T I N G

K OF C ITEMS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

HONORING AN EXTRAORDINARY REQUEST ber at a council meeting, Knights were saddened to hear that he was suffering from advanced brain cancer. Nonetheless, Huber told Barnes that he still wanted to become a Knight. Knowing it would be physically impossible for Huber to attend the degree ceremony, District Deputy Howard A. McSparren III of Connecticut District #31 arranged to have a First Degree ceremony held in the chapel of the hospital where Huber was receiving treatment. When the Knights arrived at the hospital, they were greeted by Huber’s four children. Huber requested that his son, Tom, attend the ceremony. Tom immediately filled out a Membership Document (#100) so he could also receive his First Degree. “It must have been very comforting for Chris to have his son with him during this memorable event,” Massimino said. “They sat side by side, holding hands throughout the ceremonial. Even more was how gratifying it was for our council members to be able to help Chris fulfill this extraordinary request.” Huber, unfortunately, lost his battle with cancer Nov. 26, 2010. But Barnes summed up the entire inspirational event best when he said, “This is truly the work of Father McGivney.”

Chris Huber (center) and his son, Tom (third from right), stand with the First Degree team that conducted a special initiation ceremony so that Huber could join the Order while he was in the hospital being treated for advanced brain cancer. Also pictured are (from left): Dave Gianotti, state membership director, District Deputy Howard A. McSparren III of Connecticut District #31, Tom Sullivan, state program director, Dan Barnes, Grand Knight Ron Massimino and Jim Cunningham.

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J O I N T H E FAT H E R MCGIVNEY GUILD

ON OCTOBER 20, 2010, members of St. Maurice Council 6199 in Bolton, Conn., and other local Knights had the honor of attending a very special First Degree ceremony when Chris Huber and his son, Tom, became members of the Order. Huber, at the time, was suffering from advanced brain cancer. The story that culminated in this inspiring First Degree exemplification began a month earlier when Huber contacted Council 6199 in response to a membership ad he saw in his parish bulletin. Huber told Grand Knight Ron Massimino and Membership Chairman Dan Barnes that he had always wanted to become a Knight, but that family and work commitments seemed to continually get in the way. Later, when his wife passed away, Huber was still very active in the community and also served as a member of the volunteer fire department. “He was very enthusiastic about this new undertaking and was excited about sharing some of his ideas for fundraising events. He was an experienced fundraiser from his days as the fire chief of a volunteer department on Long Island,” Massimino said. In the coming month, when Huber’s name was proposed as a possible mem-

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Please enroll me in the Father McGivney Guild: NAME ADDRESS CITY 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 JUNE 1, 2011:

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, CASE POSTALE 935, Station d’Armes, Montréal, PQ H2Y 3J4 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 © 2011 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.

JUNE 2011

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

Charity SWIMMERS PREPARE to compete in one- and two-mile swims during PurpleSwim Baltimore to benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Pope John Paul the Great Council 13859 in Middle River, Md., prepared lunch for approximately 300 participants and volunteers after the swims were complete. In addition, Cardinal Gibbons Council 2521 in Nottingham and Father A. Leo Abendschoen Council 11615 in Parkville donated funds to help make the event a success. In all, the swim raised approximately $25,000.

Unity

Fraternity

Patriotism

MEMBERS OF Wahpeton (N.D.) Assembly stand with Father Ken Popp in front of a refurbished statue of St. Francis at the St. Francis Medical Center. The statue was located at the original hospital in 1916 but fell into disrepair due to age and weathering. The statue was refurbished and unveiled for the medical center’s 5th anniversary at its current location. • San Fernando (Calif.) Mission Council 3016 has been donating food to the St. Didacus Food Ministry for 10 years. The ministry, in turn, provides groceries to feed needy families in and around San Fernando.

NEW JERSEY KNIGHTS, in conjunction with Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark and Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark, funded a new stained-glass window at Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum. The window depicts Christ surrounded by other noteworthy figures — including the Order’s founder, Father Michael J. McGivney. • Our Lady of Grace Council 4894 in Minot, N.D., held a reception for the wives of deceased council members. Twenty-eight ladies attended the event, and each received a corsage and a prayer card.

MEMBERS OF Our Lady of Charity Assembly in Sarasota, Fla., and its ladies’ auxiliary look on while Ronald Fortin and Kathleen Tortolano (seated) hold the U.S. flags of two deceased veterans. The assembly has undertaken the task of attending the funerals of indigent veterans who do not have any family to accept the U.S. flag on their behalf. Since starting the program, Knights and their wives have attended more than 20 funerals at Sarasota National Cemetery.

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JUNE 2011

KNIGHT S O F CO LU MBUS

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.

BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S

Members of Hagonoy Council 4110 in Bulacan, Luzon, remove trash and debris from a local river. In an effort to help preserve the environment, Knights removed several boatloads of garbage from the river and its banks.

“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 .

JUNE 2011

♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 33

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

KEEP T HE FAITH ALIV E

‘ALL IS REALLY A GIFT FROM GOD’ I love the priesthood, and I love being a priest. I love the Lord with a heart that wishes to love him more. I love our Blessed Mother Mary, and I love the Church. Interacting with so many people sincerely seeking the Lord is a wonderful blessing for me. In their thirst for God and the things of God, the faithful often lift me up by their many words of encouragement and sincere prayers. I know that the life of the Church and the power of the sacraments do not depend on my virtue. God’s grace and peace are present in celebrating Mass, baptizing, hearing confessions, preaching the Word of God, witnessing marriages and anointing the sick. I work as if all depends on me, while praying hard because all is really a gift from God. Ultimately, I am a priest because I am in love with our Lord, the God I cannot see, but who is as real to me as my life and those around me. I have experienced my highest highs and my lowest lows as a priest, but I would do it all again.

Geoff Reed Photography

FATHER DON KLINE St. Joan of Arc Parish Diocese of Phoenix