Columbia March 2015

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K N I G H T S O F C O L U M BU S

M ARCH 2015

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Ethical Business.

Ethical Leaders.

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS mARcH 2015 ♦ Volume 95 ♦ NumbeR 3

COLUMBIA

F E AT U R E S

8 Sustaining Hope in Haiti Five years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a Knights of Columbus initiative continues to transform lives.

BY TOM TRACY AND COLUMBIA STAFF

14 The Philippines Embraces Pope Francis During his historic visit to the Philippines, the Holy Father brought a message of compassion to millions.

BY ROY LAGARDE

22 Investing in the Church An interview with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson about a new initiative of the Knights of Columbus.

BY ALTON J. PELOWSKI

26 The Revitalization of Europe The largest petition in European history has led to the rebirth of the pro-life movement on the Old Continent.

BY KRZYSZTOF MAZUR

HIP/Art Resource, NY — St. Josephs’ Dream, Francesco Solimena (c. 1677-1747)

A painting of the Holy Family depicts an angel speaking to St. Joseph in a dream (cf. Mt 2:13, 2:19). During his recent visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis reflected on St. Joseph’s vocation and its relevance for families today (see page 17).

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world The Knights of Columbus demonstrates that putting regard for neighbor above profit is key to financial success.

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

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Learning the faith, living the faith Parents have a unique and irreplaceable role as the first educators of their children.

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

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Knights of Columbus News Knights March for Life, Supreme Knight Addresses Participants • Order Supports Culture of Life Event in Los Angeles • Cardinal George Receives Gaudium et Spes Award • Order Sponsors Football Clinic for Special Olympics

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Building the Domestic Church Because parents are called to be the primary educators of their children, they rejoice in teaching them the art of living.

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Knights in Action

13 Fathers for Good Moving from the sports field to the sanctuary has brought true happiness for Father Chase Hilgenbrinck.

BY TRENT BEATTIE

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

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The Mission to Protect IN HIS INAUGURAL homily March 19, 2013, Pope Francis reflected on the vocation of St. Joseph and exhorted his listeners: “Be protectors of God’s gifts!”

That theme strongly resonated with the Knights of Columbus and was adopted for the Supreme Convention later in 2013.

In an address to a meeting of families in Manila during his recent visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis once again reflected on St. Joseph’s mission and the need to protect (see page 17). In particular, he focused on the need for “holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and to be a support and example for other families.”

We live in a time when the pope’s positive message unfortunately is considered controversial, since it is as countercultural as it is challenging. This is related, in part, to the modern tendency of reducing man’s relationship with society to a matter of individual rights, rather than recognizing corresponding and prior duties. In the case of marriage and family life, for example, having a spouse or children is too often seen in the first instance as a “right” and a means to personal fulfillment, rather than as a sacred and demanding vocation. A person’s God-given vocation is the surest path to joy, to be sure, but this is predicated on sacrifice and inherent responsibilities (see page 4).

Moreover, while a person may have “certain unalienable rights” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” as asserted in the Declaration of Independence, these rights mean little

without a proper understanding of human freedom and the common good.

In his 1995 encyclical The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), St. John Paul II wisely observed that “a culture of death, taken as a whole, betrays a completely individualistic concept of freedom, which ends up by becoming the freedom of ‘the strong’ against the weak who have no choice but to submit” (19). Ten years later, in his final homily before becoming pope, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger also warned against “a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.”

It is against this culture of death and the dictatorship of relativism that Pope Francis says we must protect our families and the most vulnerable among us. Of course, protecting families and the vulnerable has been the very mission of the Knights of Columbus since Venerable Michael McGivney founded the Order 133 years ago. Today, this mission is evident in countless ways, from supporting victims of natural disasters in places such as Haiti and the Philippines (see pages 8, 14) to sponsoring initiatives that foster a culture of life or strengthen the family (see pages 6, 20, 26) to protecting the financial future of Catholic families and institutions (see pages 3, 22). It is in these ways and more that Knights of Columbus will continue to be protectors of God’s gifts.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR

Lenten Resource: Lord, Teach Us To Pray The booklet Lord, Teach Us To Pray: The What, Why and How of Prayer (#304) by Dominican Father Peter John Cameron discusses our most fundamental relationship — with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Part of the Veritas Series published by the Order’s Catholic Information Service, it offers guidance on developing and deepening our prayer at Mass, in our families and in daily contemplation. To download this and other Catholic resources, visit kofc.org/cis.

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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Logan T. Ludwig DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME SECRETARY Michael J. O’Connor SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi SENIOR EDITOR ________

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4210, option #3 OTHER INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

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Copyright © 2015 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER Three-year-old Anaika walks on two legs for the first time since the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, moments after being fitted with a Knights-funded prosthetic leg by prosthetist Adam Finnieston.

COVER: Photo by Tom Serafin

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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

Fraternity and Economy The Knights of Columbus demonstrates that putting regard for neighbor above profit is key to financial success

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

LAST AUGUST, the 132nd Supreme Convention took place in Orlando, Fla., under the theme “You Will All Be Brothers: Our Vocation to Fraternity.”

Our theme was inspired by Pope Francis’ message for the 2014 World Day of Peace, which was titled “Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace.”

In that message, the Holy Father addresses many different aspects of how the Christian concept of “fraternity” can renew society. The pope states that the key to true economic reform is to see each person “not just as some kind of instrument, with a work capacity and physical strength to be exploited at low cost and then discarded when no longer useful, but as our ‘neighbor.’”

Pope Francis continues, “Christian solidarity presumes that our neighbor is loved … as another brother or sister.”

In other words, the pope is calling on us to build a nation of neighbors who treat each other as true brothers and sisters.

This, of course, is not a new concept to the Knights of Columbus. More than a century ago, our founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, proposed a vision of Catholic brotherhood for the men of his time. This vision not only strengthened Catholic family and parish life during the 19th century, but it has also continued to offer an attractive avenue for men to live out their vocations.

Father McGivney understood that the “key” to a Catholic way of life was precisely to see society through the fraternal lens of charity and unity. In other words, the vocation of a true Catholic

“knight” is to love his neighbor as another brother or sister.

In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis goes on to insist that contemporary society is in need of a “rediscovery of fraternity in the economy.” He also calls for society to “rediscover the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice and strength.” These virtues, he says, “can help us to overcome difficult moments and to recover the fraternal bonds which join us one to another.”

The Knights of Columbus can make an important contribution here as well.

For decades, we have operated a toprated insurance program for our members using the motto: “Insurance by brother Knights, for brother Knights.”

Fraternity has been the foundation for what has become one of the most sustainable and successful business enterprises in the Catholic world.

Whether we consider the development of our insurance products, the investment strategies that support them, or the outstanding agents who make them available to our brother Knights, our Catholic fraternal “business” model is truly unique in today’s marketplace.

We do not divide the world among consumers and customers, shareholders and stakeholders, union members and management. Instead, our business decisions are measured by a fraternal calculus: What is best for our brother Knights and their families?

Some may say that this is a kind of idealism that cannot compete in the real world of business. On the contrary, the tremendous success we have achieved in

recent years demonstrates that our approach is the height of what I would describe as Catholic realism.

We deal with real persons, not with economic abstractions. Our focus is on the person who is always worthy of respect and who always should take precedence over profit.

Admittedly, a business is not a charity. Profit is absolutely necessary to the strength and sustainability of any business venture and especially for an insurance program that depends on its ability to keep a financial promise many decades into the future. But as I have said, profit is not the first or most important value — it does not define our mission.

In this issue of Columbia you will read about a new and important initiative: Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors (see page 22). This initiative will make available to Catholic institutions across the United States the same Catholic fraternal business perspective that has become the hallmark of our Order.

In so doing, we believe that it will offer new opportunities for a sustainable, Catholic approach to financial decision-making that will greatly benefit the entire Catholic community. It may even inspire a paradigm shift in economic thinking that can, in the words of Pope Francis, make us a nation of true neighbors.

Vivat Jesus!

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

Teaching the Art of Living Parents have a unique and irreplaceable role as the first educators of their children

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

YEARS AGO, a Catholic elementary which the child was conceived. Parents school teacher told me about an exchange witness their baby’s first moments in the she had with the parents of a student who world and see their child develop his or was doing poorly in several subjects. The her unique individuality. They experience Loving parents help their children to teacher had proposed concrete ways in great joy as the mystery of a new human learn life’s most basic skills, from the which the school could work with the life begins to unfold and, as the Rite of fundamentals of language and manners parents to help their child overcome a Baptism puts it, they see “the hope of to getting along with the kids next door. number of learning deficits. The father, eternal life shine on their children.”

While creating a safe and secure home however, reacted angrily. “I’m paying you To be sure, the notion of “self-giving environment, parents teach their chilto educate my child,” he said, “and you’re love” is not an idealistic or naive concept dren to beware of dangers outside of the the one who’s failing!” The teacher gently dreamed up by theologians. It is de- home. Today, parents also have the delreminded the couple that they icate task of helping children learn are the primary educators of their the right use of technology. child, but they wouldn’t hear of “Most fundamentally, teaching it; sadly, they soon removed their LESSONS LEARNED child from the school.

Most fundamentally, teaching Schools, of course, play a very children the ‘art of living’ involves children the “art of living” involves important role in the education lessons of faith and character. Parlessons of faith and character.” of children. Parents rightfully ents teach children their first want the schools that their chilprayers, bring them to Mass on dren attend to be places of Sunday, and help them develop a safety, respect and academic excellence. manding and sacrificial. Self-giving love basic sense of right and wrong coupled Yet even the best school is no substitute has its source in the Trinity and is re- with a sense of responsibility. They also for parents who remain the primary ed- vealed most fully by Jesus on the Cross. teach gratitude and generosity by helpucators of their children, especially in It requires what Pope Francis calls “an ing their children learn to take care of the ways of faith and in the art of living. exodus from self ” so that we might their possessions; to not always expect to Similarly, parish religious education focus on the needs of others, even when have the latest and best of everything; programs, youth groups, scouting, that causes disruption in our lives. and to grow in the habit of sharing what sports and many other programs for What does this mean for a married they have with others. Moreover, parents young people are both good and neces- couple blessed with young children? It help their children learn to handle life’s sary, but they are meant to help, not re- means that a couple’s love for one an- inevitable disappointments, including place, parents in their God-given task of other and for their child grows in the the invidious comparisons that are part educating their children. very midst of the challenges of early of the highly competitive and materialchildhood. All the sleepless nights, the istic culture in which we live. Such lesSELF-GIVING LOVE questions about how to help one’s child sons are best learned at home, in an Parents have, or should have, a unique re- get a good start in life, the occasional atmosphere of respect and love. lationship with their children. They have tantrums, the medical bills, the jumbled When a child goes to school, parents been called by God to love their child schedules — all these hurdles and more have the task of reinforcing the fundawith the same faithful, self-giving love in are part of self-giving love. mental lessons that pertain to how a child 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

relates to his teachers, his peers and the wider community. Although parents have every right to expect that schools will do a good job in educating their children, there is never a point where parents can disengage by saying, “I’ve done my part. Now it’s up to the school.” In fact, I think many of us can remember when mom or dad helped us with our subjects in school. What we may have struggled with in the classroom made more sense when mom or dad, with a large dose of encouragement, explained it at home.

What is true of subjects such as reading, math and science is even truer of re-

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

POPE FRANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring — BROTHER MATHIAS: Photo courtesy of the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd

Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis GENERAL: That those involved in scientific research may serve the well-being of the whole human person.

MISSION: That the unique contribution of women to the life of the Church may be recognized always.

ligion. A parent once said to me: “I drop my child off for religious education on Wednesday evening. That’s all we have time for. Don’t expect to see me in church on Sunday.” Another said, “I’m paying for Catholic schools. It’s their job to teach my kids religion.” Religious education programs and schools alone do not impart faith to young people. As Pope Francis said, “Parents are called … not only to bring children into the world but also to bring them to God” (Lumen Fidei, 43).

St. John Paul II used to say that each person is an “unrepeatable reality.” Each

person is God’s handiwork, a divine creation, a godly work of art. And parents are co-creators of their children in love.

They, more than anyone else, grasp the uniqueness of their children. In teaching the art of living, parents cannot “paint by the numbers,” but instead must be true artisans in fostering gratitude to God for the gifts of nature and grace.

These gifts are cultivated in the home, helping a young person to discover his or her own unique vocation, to learn self-giving love, and to contribute to the good of society — in short, to become who God created them to be.♦

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

Brother Mathias Barrett (1900-1990) BORN MARCH 15, 1900, in Waterford, Ireland, Maurice Patrick Barrett was the youngest of six children. At age 14, he announced that he wanted to join a religious community of brothers.

Persuaded to finish school first, he entered the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God in 1916 and received the name Brother Mathias.

Brother Mathias worked in a Dublin mental hospital for four years before he was sent to the novitiate in France, where he took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, as well as a fourth vow of hospitality. After serving people with physical and mental disabilities in Lyons and Paris, he was sent to Canada in 1927, where he set up a homeless shelter in an abandoned Montreal brewery. “I slept on newspapers and gunnysacks with the men at first,” Brother Mathias later recalled. “In the mornings, I’d beg for food in the open market.”

With complete trust in God’s will, boundless enthusiasm and abundant humor, Barrett spent the following years building soup kitchens, hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In 1934, he was appointed the North American provincial of his Order, and in 1941, he moved

to California, where he established hospitals, nursing homes and shelters.

In 1951, Brother Mathias founded a new community in Albuquerque, N.M. Called the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd, the community soon received Vatican approval. Members adhered to the motto of “charity unlimited,” especially to homeless men, whom Brother Mathias called “knights of the road.”

By the time Brother Mathias died in 1990, his Little Brothers could be found in cities across the United States, as well as in Canada, England, Ireland and Haiti. The Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd were officially incorporated into the Hospitaller Order in January 2015.♦

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Knights March for Life, Supreme Knight Addresses Participants HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people gathered in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22 to participate in the 2015 March for Life. Countless Knights of Columbus and their families, including college Knights from throughout the United States, were present. Many carried council banners and flags, and thousands of K of C “Defend Life” signs, distributed by the D.C. State Council, were on display among the crowd.

The annual event commenced with a gathering on the National Mall and continued as participants — the vast majority of whom are young people — marched up Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Supreme Court in peaceful protest of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson was among the speakers who addressed the March for Life Rally.

“Thank you for your witness and your stand for life!” the supreme knight said. “We must build a culture of life for all those who are vulnerable or who suffer — their life is a gift! Today, we celebrate the gift of every life.”

During his remarks, Anderson noted the ongoing success of the Order’s Ultrasound Initiative and told participants

Catholic school students from North Dakota carry the March for Life banner, leading the participants past the U.S. Supreme Court building Jan. 22. that the latest Knights of ColumbusMarist polling shows that more Americans are embracing the culture of life.

The January 2015 poll results indicated that 84 percent of Americans, including 69 percent who identify as “pro-choice,” favor significant restrictions on abortion. Moreover, two-thirds of Americans say that the U.S. abortion rate is too high, and 60 percent believe that abortion is morally wrong.

Later in the evening, Supreme Knight Anderson delivered the keynote

address at the 33rd annual Rose Dinner, which concluded the March for Life events. In his remarks, he noted that Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday was observed days earlier, famously said, “Justice is really love in calculation.”

Reflecting on King’s words, Anderson added, “One cannot love and simultaneously ignore injustice perpetrated against one who is loved. We understand that our work for life is a work and a labor of love. The right to life is fundamentally a matter of justice.”♦

A HISTORIC PRO-LIFE EVENT co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and Catholic dioceses of California took place Jan. 17 in Los Angeles. The OneLife LA celebration invited all people to embrace the dignity of every human life, particularly the most vulnerable. California Knights were among the volunteers for the event, which began with a walk led by Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and his wife, Dorian, Mother Agnes Mary Donovan of the Sisters of Life, and California State Deputy Avelino Doliente. The celebration culminated in a family picnic and entertainment.

During a featured presentation, the supreme knight said, “My brother Knights and I are pleased to be here for OneLife — celebrating with you the dignity of every human being at every stage of life. We know that every human being should be loved, respected and aided.”♦ 6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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During the OneLife LA celebration Jan. 17, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson joins former MLB pitcher Jeff Suppan (left) for a special presentation of signed baseballs and hats to a young family whose son was born with Down syndrome.

TOP: Photo by Matthew Barrick — BOTTOM: Photo by Miriam Hermansen

Order Supports Culture of Life Event in Los Angeles

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Cardinal George Receives Gaudium et Spes Award CARDINAL FRANCIS E. George, who served as archbishop of Chicago for more than 15 years until his retirement in 2014, became the 11th recipient of the Order’s highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes Award, in Chicago Jan. 30.

A member of the Knights of Columbus since 1991, Cardinal George served as state chaplain for the state of Washington and later as host ordinary for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Chicago in 2005. The cardinal also presided over the Knights’ Eucharistic Congress following that convention and was a keynote speaker at the 2002 and 2009 Supreme Conventions.

Cardinal George’s successor, Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, gave the invocation at the Jan. 30 luncheon, while Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore read the award’s citation. It stated, in part, “For his courage and strength, and for his long and selfless service to the Church and her people, the Knights of Columbus is honored to pay tribute to a faithful shepherd and profound teacher of the faith.”

Cardinal Francis E. George, retired archbishop of Chicago, speaks to media Jan. 30 in Chicago after receiving the Gaudium et Spes Award from the Knights of Columbus.

Presenting the award, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson added, “In his brilliant speeches, homilies, letters and books, and in the brave witness to the faith that he has shown to the world — in sickness and in health — Cardinal George has proven over and over again to be one of the leading voices in the Catholic Church in the United States.”

The Gaudium et Spes Award, named after the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, was established by the Knights of Columbus in 1992. Previous honorees include Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, l’Arche founder Jean Vanier and Cardinal John O’Connor of New York.♦

TOP: CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World — BOTTOM: Photo by Tom Serafin

Order Sponsors Football Clinic for Special Olympics A GATHERING of Special Olympics athletes Jan. 27 was animated by the presence of Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson and NFL Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz. Willson and Muñoz joined the young athletes at Nozomi Park in Chandler, Ariz., for a football skills clinic and flag football game sponsored by the Arizona Knights of Columbus, Arizona Special Olympics and Catholic Athletes for Christ.

Also present were Muñoz’s son, Michael, a former collegiate football player; former Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Chris Horn, who now lives in Phoenix; Catholic Athletes for Christ President Ray McKenna; and Arizona K of C State Deputy Larry Becker.

Five days after the clinic, Willson played in his second Super Bowl for the Seahawks. Muñoz, who played in two Super Bowls for the Cincinnati Bengals, is widely considered to be the greatest offensive lineman of all time.♦

NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz is pictured with a participating athlete at a Special Olympics football clinic Jan. 27.

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Sustaining Hope in

Haiti

Five years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a Knights of Columbus initiative continues to transform lives

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Formerly a welder by trade, Wilfrid Macena now works with Project Medishare as a prosthetic and rehabilitation technician in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After losing his leg in the aftermath of the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Macena received his own prosthetic limb through the K of C-sponsored Healing Haiti’s Children initiative. vivors. Eventually, health care personnel and volunteers began to arrive as part of an urgent humanitarian response — but not before many Haitians lost limbs because amputation became the only medical recourse.

In partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission and the University of Miami-affiliated Project Medishare, the Knights of Columbus was among the organizations to offer assistance.

As a result of the Order’s support, a sustainable prosthetics and rehabilitation program named Healing Haiti’s Children continues to serve the Haitian people today, more than five years after the tragic earthquake.

Pierre and Macena, who were among the more than 1,000 residents who received prostheses through the program, recount their stories in a K of C-produced documentary titled Unbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in Haiti, which premiered at film festivals last fall (see sidebar). In January, during a Vatican meeting in observance of the fifth anniversary of the earthquake, Pope Francis received the two men in audience, along with representatives from the Knights, Project Medishare and various Catholic institutions.

Addressing those who have provided aid to the Haitian people, Pope Francis thanked God for fostering in them “a desire to be close to their neighbor and to follow in this manner the law of charity which is the heart of the Gospel.”

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t was just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2010, when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck approximately 15 miles outside the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The results were catastrophic — walls began to buckle and buildings collapsed, burying residents under tons of rubble. As many as 300,000 people were injured and 1.5 million left homeless, while death toll estimates have varied from 80,000 to more than 300,000 people.

Among the survivors were Mackenson Pierre and Wilfrid Macena. Pierre spent three days buried beneath a collapsed school building before rescuers pulled him from the debris, while Macena struggled for more than a week to find a doctor after a fallen wall fractured his leg.

Stories like these abound among earthquake victims. Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti lacked infrastructure and the medical resources needed to help sur-

A NEW PARTNERSHIP In the months following the earthquake, many awaited humanitarian aid that had been promised but was slow to arrive due to government-related delays and a lack of coordination among NGOs. For its part, the Knights of Columbus contributed more than $400,000 from state and local councils toward relief efforts within four weeks of the disaster. In April 2010, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson personally led a team of Knights to deliver 1,000 wheelchairs to people in need. Amid the distribution, which was organized in partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission, it quickly became clear that additional support was needed, since upward of 2,500 people had lost arms or legs in the wake of the earthquake.

In response, the Order launched Healing Haiti’s Children in October 2010, a program to provide prosthetic devices to young people whose limbs had been amputated. Establishing a new partnership with Project Medishare, the Knights committed $1 million to give every child free prosthetic devices over two years, refitting the devices as the children grew. The initiative got a boost through nationwide TV commercials later that year.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation also became involved with the initiative, working to rehabilitate patients so that MARCH 2015

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AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY ON ORDER’S HAITI INITIATIVE IS NOW AVAILABLE

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, Dr. Robert Gailey, Jason Miller, Mackenson Pierre and Wilfrid Macena are just some of the individuals interviewed in the documentary Unbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in Haiti.

Produced by the Knights of Columbus, the film begins in the immediate wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and moves forward to tell the story of how a state-of-the-art prosthetics and orthotics laboratory was established in Port-au-Prince through a partnership between the Knights of Columbus and the University of Miami-affiliated Project Medishare.

Unbreakable first premiered at the Portland Film Festival Aug. 30, 2014, and later won the prize for “Most Inspirational Documentary” at the DocMiami International Film Festival Sept. 13. The film was also screened at the NYC Independent Film Festival Oct. 17 and has been aired on PBS in various markets in 2015.

The documentary is now available on DVD and can be purchased at knightsgear.com or amazon.com. For more information, visit unbreakableinhaiti.com.♦

they might achieve the highest level of physical performance possible.

“I saw a career’s worth of amputees in five or six months. It’s an amazing feat that out of something horrible comes something so good,” said Jason Miller, a Louisiana native who serves as Project Medishare’s in-country rehab director in Haiti.

Miller came to Haiti for a two-month commitment that eventually grew into a four-year labor of love. In that time, the Knights of Columbus and Project Medishare worked to establish a state-of-the-art prosthetics and orthotics laboratory in Port-au-Prince. A key part of the initiative’s success has been its emphasis on long-term sustainability, training Haitians like 10 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Then-Supreme Secretary Emilio B. Moure addresses the media with Dr. Robert Gailey (left) of Project Medishare prior to the first shipment of prosthetic devices to Port-au-Prince in November 2010. Moure, who helped lead the Healing Haiti’s Children initiative, died of cancer in July 2011. The Project Medishare clinic in Port-au-Prince is named in his honor.

Macena to become prosthetic and rehabilitation technicians.

Today the facility is not only stable, but thriving, sometimes in unpredictable ways.

Within a year of the earthquake, Macena and his coworker, Cedieu Fortilus, recognized an opportunity to share their newfound hope with others by establishing an amputee soccer team.

The team is named Zaryen, the Creole word for tarantula — a spider known for its resilience, even after losing a leg.

“When the spider loses a leg, life goes on; it can do everything it used to,” Macena said. “That’s the lesson for all amputees in Haiti.”

Each team member received treatment, prosthetic limbs and athletic training. The team’s logo — a seven-legged spider woven into three pentagon-shaped soccer patches — is a symbol of their commitment to overcome disabilities.

In October 2011, 10 members of Team Zaryen visited Washington D.C., and the Northeastern United States to spread a message of hope to wounded veterans, students, political figures, professional athletes and others. During the K of C-sponsored tour, the team visited the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. There, the athletes met with some of the more than 1,500 U.S. soldiers who have lost limbs in combat since 2001 and even taught them how to play competitive soccer on crutches. It was a way for the Haitians to thank the U.S. military for coming to their aid following the earthquake.

FIVE YEARS LATER Today, the Emilio B. Moure Clinic for Hope, the Project Medishare prosthetics lab in Port-au-Prince, represents a nexus

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Team Zaryen and the U.S. National Amputee Soccer Team compete in a soccer game during the K of C-sponsored Haitian Inspiration Tour in October 2011. The five-day tour through the northeastern United States, which included meetings with public officials, schoolchildren and wounded warriors, was a means for the Haitian players to share a message of hope amid difficult circumstances. of education and prosthetics and orthotics production not previously available to people in Haiti. Dedicated in honor of the late supreme secretary of the Knights of Columbus, who was instrumental in the program’s development, the facility houses materials and equipment, and also serves as a classroom for training Haitians who are eligible to be hired as prosthetic technicians.

The clinic serves as an advanced care system for amputees throughout the country and offers educational and employment opportunities to locals. To date, more than 1,000 young Haitians have received prosthetic limbs through the program and more than 25,000 people have received additional rehabilitation services.

Dr. Robert S. Gailey, director of Project Medishare for Haiti and a professor at the University of Miami/Miller School of Medicine, explained that few of his patients ever express anger at their situation. “These Haitians decided this was God’s fate for them, and they go on to work at the hospital to take care of other amputees and participate in the soccer team. The resiliency of the Haitian people is amazing,” he said.

While about half of Team Zaryen’s players were injured during the earthquake, others were hurt in automobile or workplace accidents. One of the biggest challenges has been helping to change cultural attitudes in Haiti, which attach a stigma to amputees.

“Prior to the earthquake, if you were an amputee you were shunned from society because in Haiti you have to produce,” said Adam Finnieston, director of prosthetics for Project Medishare. “What we’ve done by being down there is that people contribute and are heroes in some way, and not secondclass citizens. I fear [amputees] would slide back into that second-class status if we had not gone.”

In a country often dependent on outside help, Healing Haiti’s Children has addressed the challenge of self-sufficiency.

Rather than relying on temporary support from visiting physical therapists and costly foreign-made prosthetics, Project Medishare has solicited donations from patients and has trained local rehabilitation staff. In the end, the Knights provided $1.7 million in funding, which has created a lasting service that is valued at much more.

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“The thing about the Knights of Columbus is that they didn’t just come in like all the other NGOs,” Gailey said.

“They are in it for the long haul and are creating an infrastructure that will be sustainable into the future.”

LOSS AND RESILIENCE On Jan. 10, Supreme Knight Anderson and Dr. Gailey attended the conference in Rome marking the fifth anniversary of the Haitian earthquake. Organized by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and called for by Pope Francis, the gathering focused on the humanitarian catastrophe and its ongoing impact.

Pope Francis used the occasion to affirm the Church’s closeness to the Haitian people.

Addressing conference participants, the Holy Father said, “I am grateful to all those who in numerous ways came to the aid of the Haitian people following that tragedy which left in its wake so much death, destruction and also desperation.

Through the help given to our brothers and sisters in Haiti, we have shown that the Church is a great body, one in which the various members care for one another” (cf. 1 Cor 12:25).

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Recognizing Pope Francis’ love for soccer, Macena, Pierre and fellow teammate Sandy J. L. Louiseme presented the pope with a Team Zaryen jersey at the conclusion of the papal audience. The jersey featured the number 5, indicating the number of years since their lives changed so dramatically.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Holy Father for calling this conference and for remembering the Haitian people, who are too often forgotten,” said Supreme Knight Anderson. “The members of Team Zaryen represent both the loss and the resilience of the Haitian people, who have both endured and overcome so much since the earthquake.”

Looking back on those difficult days following the catastrophe, Gailey recalled witnessing a hospital full of critically injured patients suddenly break out into song together.

“They were thanking God for giving them one more obstacle in which they could demonstrate their love for him,” he said.

“I was moved to tears at that. It really speaks to the Haitian people — no matter what is thrown at them they continue to survive.”♦ TOM TRACY writes from West Palm Beach, Fla.

© Servizio Fotografico/L’Osservatore Romano

Pope Francis receives a Team Zaryen jersey from Wilfrid Macena during a private audience Jan. 10 while Macena’s teammates, Mackenson Pierre (far left) and Sandy J. L. Louiseme, look on. Also present are Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Dr. Robert Gailey, director of rehabilitation for Project Medishare.

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

The Soccer Star Priest Moving from the sports field to the sanctuary has brought true happiness for Father Chase Hilgenbrinck

by Trent Beattie

W

hen Chase Hilgenbrinck announced in 2008 that he was leaving Major League Soccer to pursue a vocation to the priesthood, he expected some shocked reactions but had no idea how far the tremors would spread.

International media outlets carried the story, and many people were stunned that a young man would give up athletic success for the seminary.

After years of study and spiritual formation at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., Hilgenbrinck was ordained for the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., on May 24, 2014, and is now assigned to parish ministry. A member of Leo Council 716 in Carbon Cliff, Ill., Father Hilgenbrinck spoke recently with Columbia correspondent Trent Beattie about his vocational journey.

To read previous coverage of then-seminarian Chase Hilgenbrinck, see the May 2011 issue at kofc.org/columbia.

were normal human beings who came from a variety of backgrounds: athletics, military, medicine, law, engineering. Not everyone had a clear idea of being a priest from early youth, so it was common to have men who pursued other things before discerning a call to the priesthood.

Did you ever doubt your call once you entered the seminary?

I never did, and here’s why: I wanted to be 100 percent certain that I was called to the priesthood before I even started seminary. I did nearly all of my discernment beforehand. I grew closer to Jesus through deeper prayer — especially before the Blessed Sacrament — and by reading good Catholic books.

When the idea of becoming a priest first struck me as a real possibility, which was just after college, I felt a lot of embarrassment, pressure and fear. Because I had a flawed perception of manhood, I didn’t initially find the priesthood very appealing.

When you decided to leave When you live in a media-driven pro soccer, were you aware of culture that puts forth false ideas Father Chase Hilgenbrinck is pictured after his ordithe impact it might have on about what brings happiness, it’s nation in Peoria, Ill., May 24, 2014. people? tough to think and pray your I knew it would shock some, way out of that. but the only people I had in mind were those in my imIt was a slow process, but I eventually realized that God mediate circle: family, teammates and other friends. I had did have a plan for me, not to be done just out of duty, no idea it would reach across the whole country and even but because it would bring me true happiness. I underbeyond. After announcing that I was leaving the New stood that even if I achieved all of my athletic goals, I still England Revolution, I did interviews with USA Today and wouldn’t be truly content. Only following my vocation other secular media outlets. Lots of people were surprised would bring authentic satisfaction. by the story, and I was surprised by the widespread interDo you still play soccer? est in it.

I did play in the seminary, but haven’t been able to do Was seminary life what you expected? so since being assigned to my parishes. Obviously, there When I first entered seminary, I knew as much about are many other aspects of my priestly vocation that are seminaries as anyone else who had never been in one: al- more important than sports. most nothing. I think a lot of people imagine that semiHowever, sports can be a great means of growing in naries are filled with men in long robes walking down virtue. There can be a valuable connection between sports dimly lit hallways with hands clasped in prayer. Of course, and faith if you make the effort.♦ there was plenty of prayer, but there were other, more mundane things that took place. The other seminarians TRENT BEATTIE writes from Seattle, Wash.

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

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The Philippines Embraces Pope Francis

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During his historic visit to the Philippines, the Holy Father brought a message of compassion to millions

by Roy Lagarde

U

ndeterred by rain and high winds, the unshakable faith of millions of Catholics was on full display during Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to the Philippines Jan. 15-19.

Arriving 14 months after the archipelago nation was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, the pope’s primary reason for making the trip was to bring consolation to the families of victims and to assure survivors that they had not been forgotten. The strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall, Haiyan — known locally as Typhoon Yolanda — killed more than 7,000 people and displaced 4 million.

“When I saw this catastrophe from Rome, I felt I had to be here,” said the pope, wearing a yellow plastic poncho against the pelting rain as he gazed out upon a sea of similarly clad listeners in Tacloban, the city hit hardest

by Haiyan. “I wanted to come to be with you.

I’m a little late, it’s true, but I’m here.”

The first papal visit to the Philippines in two decades, Pope Francis’ trip concluded with a Mass in Manila that drew a recordbreaking attendance of more than 6 million people.

Over the course of the five-day visit, Pope Francis praised the heroic strength and generosity demonstrated by so many in the aftermath of the typhoon, underscoring the need to live out one’s faith in practical acts of char-

Pope Francis hugs a formerly homeless girl during a youth meeting on the campus of Manila’s Santo Tomas University Jan. 18. Also pictured is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila.

ity, especially to the poor and most vulnerable.

He also urged Filipinos to reform social structures that perpetuate poverty and exclusion, to protect families against what he called “ideological colonization,” and to serve as missionaries of love and peace throughout Asia.

With more than 332,000 Knights in the country, these messages struck a deep chord as members have been at the forefront of innovative recovery programs and efforts to strengthen family life.

A RESOUNDING WELCOME Greeted with jubilation upon touching down in Manila, Pope Francis had just spent three days in Sri Lanka, where he canonized the missionary priest Joseph Vaz, the country’s first saint. In contrast to the predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka, the Philippines is 86 percent Catholic. Nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.

From his first speech, addressed to President Benigno Aquino III and the Filipino authorities and diplomatic corps Jan. 16, Pope Francis spoke of the need to serve one another in love and to embrace the country’s most vulnerable people, especially the poor.

After thanking the president for inviting him to the Philippines, the pope called on Filipinos to defend “the inviolable dignity of each human person, respect for the rights of conscience and religious freedom, and respect for the inalienable right to life, beginning with that of the unborn and extending to that of the elderly and infirm.” He went on to urge leaders to “break the bonds of injustice MARCH 2015

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and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social inequalities.”

Later that morning, Pope Francis met with bishops, priests and religious at Manila’s recently restored Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He reminded them that the source of apostolic zeal springs from “a daily encounter with the Lord in prayer,” and challenged them to let their lives “reflect the poverty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the Father and serving others.”

Traveling by motorcade through exuberant crowds for his last event of the day, Pope Francis met with thousands of Filipino families at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. As soon as he arrived, he set aside his prepared remarks in English to speak in Spanish instead — the first of several occasions he did so during his trip. A priest assistant provided immediate translation to English.

“God calls upon us to recognize the dangers threatening our own families and to protect them from harm,” the pope said. He cited “growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage,” “relativism,” “the culture of the ephemeral” and “a lack of openness to life.”

Such observations were particularly striking, given recent controversy in the Philippines over the Supreme Court’s approval last April of the so-called “reproductive health bill.” The Catholic bishops and Knights of Columbus had actively opposed the government measure, which mandates and subsidizes the distribution of contraceptives in public health centers.

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SOLIDARITY IN SACRIFICE On Jan. 17, Pope Francis awoke to the news that the first local typhoon of 2015 would make landfall on Samar Island later in the day. The storm called into question whether he should risk making his scheduled flight to the nearby island of Leyte — “ground zero” of Haiyan in November 2013. Though eventually forced to cut his pastoral visit short by four hours, the pope braved gale-force winds to reach the principal destination of his apostolic journey.

Arriving at Tacloban airport, where between 200,000 to 300,000 people had waited for hours in the rain and mud, Pope Francis immediately donned a poncho and insisted on holding an open-air Mass as planned.

“I’m here to show solidarity,” the pope said. “If the people sacrificed under the rain, why should the pastor not be with them?”

After Mass, in which he cast aside his prepared text and preached a brief yet moving homily in Spanish, the pope had lunch with 30 victims of Typhoon Haiyan, who shared with him their stories of loss.

“I’ll never forget the face of the Holy Father listening to each one,” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila, later recounted during a press conference.

“You could see the Holy Father just shaking his head,” said the cardinal, who is a Knight of Columbus and a former Columbian Squire. “I thought he would repeat the central message of his homily, but before these 30 people he himself was reduced to silence.”

PREVIOUS SPREAD AND ABOVE: © Servizio Fotografico/L’Osservatore Romano

Pope Francis visits with young residents of a home for former street children in Manila during an unscheduled visit following a Mass with bishops, priests and religious Jan. 16.

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After lunch, the pope had been scheduled to bless a new Pope Francis Center in nearby Palo, but the impending storm forced the papal blessing to take place in unorthodox fashion — from the popemobile — as he pulled up in front of the center before speeding off to an abbreviated meeting at the cathedral and then on to the airport.

It was at the Pope Francis Center that Archbishop John Du of Palo had arranged for the pope to bless boats from the Knights of Columbus Livelihood Project. Three boats with the emblem of the Order were placed on the grounds of the new center, but the pope did not have time to walk by and bless them as planned. Supported by the Supreme Council, the Livelihood Project has provided 200 motorized boats, constructed by local builders, to fishermen who lost their vessels in Haiyan.

“The project helped restart two key segments of the island’s economy, allowing hundreds of craftsman and fishermen to return to work and support their families,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. “These relief efforts exemplify what Knights do every day — help their neighbors in need.”

In honor of the pope’s visit, the Supreme Council also donated $200,000 to the Archdiocese of Palo to rebuild St. John the Evangelist School of Theology, the major seminary that was destroyed by the 2013 typhoon.

‘TO LEARN TO LOVE’ On his last full day in the Philippines, the pope shattered the record for attendance at a papal event, surpassing the 5 million mark set by St. John Paul II at the very same location

during World Youth Day 1995.

Pope Francis’ closing Mass in Rizal Park was celebrated on the feast of Santo Niño — the Holy Child Jesus — a devotion that has deep roots in Filipino life and culture. Many in the crowd held statues of the Christ child, and the Gospel read at Mass related the words of Jesus that his followers must accept the kingdom of God with a child’s humble heart.

During his homily, Pope Francis called the Philippines “the foremost Catholic country in Asia,” pointing out that “this is itself a special gift of God, a special blessing. But it is also a vocation. Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia.”

The country is blessed with youth, he said, and he urged Filipinos to keep alive their strong family spirit by welcoming children with love, concern and care for their welfare.

Earlier, the pope spent the morning at a lively youth encounter at the University of Santo Tomas. More than 60 Columbian Squires participated in the program’s prayers and songs.

Once again, the pope dispensed with prepared remarks in order to personally address questions from young participants.

In response to a tearful question by Glyzelle Palomar, a 12year-old former homeless girl, about why children suffer, Pope Francis replied that he could not explain with words.

“Certain realities in life can only be seen through eyes cleansed by tears,” he said. “I invite each one of you here to ask yourself, ‘Have I learned to weep and cry when I see a child cast aside, when I see someone with a drug problem, when I see someone who has suffered abuse?’”

THE NOBLE VOCATION OF THE FAMILY Pope Francis urges us to follow the example of St. Joseph and protect the gift of family life

AP photo/Alessandra Tarantino

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following text is excerpted from the address Pope Francis gave during a Jan. 16 meeting with families at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. It is reprinted here with permission of Libreria Editrice Vaticana in anticipation of the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, March 19.

THE SCRIPTURES seldom speak of St. Joseph, but when they do, we often find him resting, as an angel reveals God’s will to him in his dreams. In the Gospel passage we have just heard, we find Joseph resting not once, but twice [cf. Mt 2:13, 2:19]. …

Today I am resting with you, and together with you I would like to reflect on the gift of the family.

I am very fond of dreams in families. For nine months every mother and father dream about their baby. Am I right? They dream about what kind of child he or she will be. You can’t have a family without dreams. Once a family loses the ability to dream, children do not grow; love does not grow; life shrivels up and dies. So I ask you each evening, when you make your

examination of conscience, to also ask yourselves this question: Today did I dream about my children’s future? Today did I dream about the love of my husband, my wife? Did I dream MARCH 2015

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Young women pray in the rain during the open-air Mass celebrated by Pope Francis Jan. 17 in Tacloblan City, “ground zero” of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

ROY LAGARDE is a staff writer and photojournalist in the media office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and a member of Manila Council 1000.

about my parents and grandparents who have gone before me? strength. On my table I have an image of St. Joseph sleeping.

Dreaming is very important. Especially dreaming in families. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! Yes! We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a difDo not lose this ability to dream!

Joseph’s rest revealed God’s will to him. … Rest is so necessary ficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult to so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: Pray achieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is also for this problem!

Those precious moments of repose, of resting with the Lord essential for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God’s voice and understand what he asks of us. Joseph was chosen by God in prayer, are moments we might wish to prolong. But like St. Joseph, once we have heard God’s voice, we to be the foster father of Jesus and the husband must rise from our slumber; we must get up of Mary. As Christians, you too are called, like “The future passes and act (cf. Rom 13:11). In our families, we Joseph, to make a home for Jesus. To make a to get up and act! Faith does not remove home for Jesus! You make a home for him in through the family. have us from the world, but draws us more deeply your hearts, your families, your parishes and into it. This is very important! We have to be your communities.

So protect your deeply engaged with the world, but with the To hear and accept God’s call, to make a families!” power of prayer. Each of us, in fact, has a spehome for Jesus, you must be able to rest in the cial role in preparing for the coming of God’s Lord. You must make time each day to rest in the Lord, to pray. … Resting in prayer is especially important kingdom in our world.

Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to St. Joseph, for families. It is in the family that we first learn how to pray.

Don’t forget: the family that prays together stays together! This so the gift of the family and its place in God’s plan is entrusted is important. [In the family,] we come to know God, to grow to us. … The angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the dangers into men and women of faith, to see ourselves as members of which threatened Jesus and Mary, forcing them to flee to Egypt and then to settle in Nazareth. So too, in our time, God calls God’s greater family, the Church. …

I would also like to tell you something very personal. I have upon us to recognize the dangers threatening our own families great love for St. Joseph, because he is a man of silence and and to protect them from harm.

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Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters

He added, “What is the most important subject that you have to learn in university? What is the most important subject you learn in life? To learn to love. This is the challenge that life offers you.”

Recalling the event, Jose Cuaresma, Squires chairman for the Luzon jurisdiction, said the meeting will have a great impact in the lives of Squires and young Knights. “The message

we heard from the pope was: Learn to beg for God’s mercy and be open to give and receive love,” Cuaresma said. “As we are called to serve and evangelize others, we will make this an opportunity to evangelize ourselves as well.”

Luzon Deputy Arsenio Isidro G. Yap was likewise grateful for the gift of the pope’s whirlwind visit and eager to live out the Holy Father’s message. “Pope Francis’ presence gives us hope and strengthens our faith a hundred- if not a thousandfold,” Yap said. “We pray that Pope Francis’ visit will also make us a nation that is able to show mercy and compassion to the least of our brethren.”

Additional reporting by Andrew J. Matt and Brian Caulfield.♦

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CNS photo/Paul Haring

More than 6 million faithful attend Pope Francis’ closing Mass in Rizal Park, Manila, Jan. 18. The Mass was the largest papal event in history, surpassing the 1995 World Youth Day Mass celebrated by St. John Paul II, which drew 5 million to the same location.

Let us be on guard against colonization by new ideologies.

There are forms of ideological colonization that are out to destroy the family. They are not born of dreams, of prayers, of closeness to God or the mission which God gave us; they come from without. Let’s not lose the freedom of the mission that God has given us, the mission of the family. Just as our peoples, at a certain moment of their history, were mature enough to say “no” to all forms of political colonization, so too in our families we need to be very wise, very shrewd, very strong, in order to say “no” to all attempts at an ideological colonization of our families. We need to ask St. Joseph, the friend of the angel, to send us the inspiration to know when we can say “yes” and when we have to say “no.”

The pressures on family life today are many. … While all too many people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in materialism and lifestyles that are destructive of family life and the most basic demands of Christian morality. These are forms of ideological colonization. The family is also threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life.

I think of Blessed Paul VI. At a time when the problem of population growth was being raised, he had the courage to defend openness to life in families. He knew the difficulties that are there in every family, and so in his encyclical [Humanae Vitae] he was very merciful. But he also had a broader

vision: He looked at the peoples of the earth and he saw that families were threatened with destruction by the lack of children. Paul VI was courageous; he was a good pastor and he warned his flock of the wolves who were coming.

Our world needs good and strong families to overcome these threats! The Philippines needs holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and to be a support and example for other families. Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself. The future of humanity, as St. John Paul II often said, passes through the family (cf.

Familiaris Consortio, 85).

The future passes through the family. So protect your families!

Protect your families! See in them your country’s greatest treasure and nourish them always by prayer and the grace of the sacraments. Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead, be living examples of love, forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death.

What a gift this would be to society, if every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation! So rise with Jesus and Mary, and set out on the path the Lord traces for each of you. …

Do not forget: Families find their rest in prayer. Do not forget to pray for families. Pray often and take the fruits of your prayer into the world, that all may know Jesus Christ and his merciful love.♦ MARCH 2015

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BU I L D I N G T H E D O M E S T I C C H U RC H

MARCH Because parents are called to be the primary educators of their children, they rejoice in teaching them the art of living.

TO EDUCATE MEANS to teach the very art of life, the art of humanity. Children are called to something greater than themselves and will realize this through their relationship with others. Education involves helping a child become not only a good student, but also a good son or daughter, a good brother or sister and a good friend. The child is thereby prepared to embrace his or her vocation and become a good husband or wife, or a good priest or consecrated religious.

Parents are the primary educators of their children. Extended families, schools, the larger community and society as a whole are called to collaborate in this great mission.

Bring Song Into Your Home Jesus, Remember Me (Taizé chant) Jesus, remember me, When you come into your Kingdom.

Psalm of the Month (Psalm 78:1-7) Pray the Psalm of the Month during every Sunday of the month at your family prayer space. On the last Sunday of the month, discuss as a family which verse stood out most for each member.

Family Project Invite the families of your children’s friends to join you in a pilgrimage to a religious site. A pilgrimage is a journey a person or a group makes to a sacred place for the purpose of renewing one’s relationship with God through prayer or asking God for special graces. During your pilgrimage consider: • Praying for your families to grow closer to God through the journey • Discussing how the destination is important to the faith of each participant • Contemplating how any suffering experienced helps a pilgrim to know God

Council-Wide Event: Movie Night March’s movie recommendation is Pinocchio. Before the movie begins, ask your families to share their experiences as pilgrims to a sacred place.

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

I will open my mouth in a parable; things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders which he has wrought.

He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

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BU I L D I N G T H E D O M E S T I C C H U RC H

Volunteering Together Project: Special Olympics The Knights of Columbus has proudly partnered with Special Olympics since the first international summer games in 1968, and the Order will also be a major sponsor of the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2015 in Los Angeles later this year.

Special Olympics is nearly unparalleled in its mission to show the intrinsic worth and dignity of every single human being, and it only takes a few moments’ interaction with Special Olympics athletes to be inspired.

While Special Olympics has grown in recent years, the organization still needs continued support. Your family can become involved in a variety of ways: • Work with council and local fundraisers to help collect needed funds to support Special Olympics athletes and programs.

• Volunteer as a family for Special Olympics. The best way to start is to find the Special Olympics office nearest to you.

Special Olympics World Games Global Messengers Caley Versfelt and Marco Martinez speak to the press at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum July 14, 2014. At the press conference, the Knights of Columbus was named a Founding Champion of the 2015 World Summer Games.

• If you or someone in your family has specialized training as a health care professional, Special Olympics can use your help in ensuring athletes remain healthy and safe.

• Along with these volunteer opportunities, Special Olympics also has

Photo by Jillian Rose

Meditation The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason too it can and should be called “the domestic church.”

All members of the family, each according to his or her own gift, have the grace and responsibility of building, day by day, the communion of persons, making the family “a school of deeper humanity”: this happens where there is care and love for the little ones, the sick, the aged; where there is mutual service every day; when there is a sharing of goods, of joys and of sorrows.

A fundamental opportunity for building such a communion is constituted by the educational exchange between parents and children in which each gives and receives. By means of love, respect and obedience toward their parents, children offer their specific and irreplaceable contribution to the construction of an authentically human and Christian family. They will be

unique opportunities for high school and college students.

For more information on how to get involved as a volunteer, coach or official, visit specialolympics.org and click the “Get Involved” tab.

aided in this if parents exercise their unrenounceable authority as a true and proper “ministry,” that is, as a service to the human and Christian well-being of their children, and in particular as a service aimed at helping them acquire a truly responsible freedom, and if parents maintain a living awareness of the “gift” they continually receive from their children.

— St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 21 Questions for Reflection 1. What are some similarities between how we learn to live in the family and how we learn to live in the Church?

2. What are some differences between living in a shallow way and living in a more deeply human way?

3. Realizing that God has not only given us life, but also particular family relationships, how do we all give and receive from each other?

4. What are some of the “graces and responsibilities” that I have to contribute to making our family more Christian and more human?

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LIST OF MONTHLY THEMES AND MEDITATIONS, VISIT KOFC.ORG/DOMESTICCHURCH. MARCH 2015

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INVESTING in the CHURCH with KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ASSET ADVISORS An interview with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson about a new initiative of the Knights of Columbus

by Alton J. Pelowski

W

ith more than $97 billion of life insurance in force and managing $20 billion in assets, the Knights of Columbus has been a pillar of financial strength for its members and their families. Managing the assets of the Knights’ top-rated life insurance program, the Order’s investment staff screens portfolios in light of Catholic teachings and has generated positive investment results for the insurance program.

Beginning this month, the Order will offer similar investment strategies to Catholic institutions, making a series of products available to them through a new registered investment advisor subsidiary, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson recently spoke with Columbia Editor Alton J. Pelowski about the launch of the K of C Asset Advisors and how it will benefit the Order and the broader Catholic community.

COLUMBIA: How are the Order’s life insurance products related to the mission of the Knights of Columbus?

S UPREME K NIGHT: From the very beginning, Father Michael J. McGivney conceived of a fraternal benefit society to support the Catholic community, and the Knights of Columbus has taken seriously the responsibility of securing the financial future of our members and their families. Father McGivney’s founding vision continued to be an inspiration as the Order grew and adopted a modern life insurance program.

Today, the Knights of Columbus is among the largest companies in America, as ranked on the Fortune 1000 list. For nearly 40 consecutive years, we have earned the highest rating from A.M. Best, citing our impressive financial and fraternal strength. In addition, the Order has been named a World’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute — one of only two such companies in the life insurance category.

At the foundation of these achievements, there has always been an acute sense that we do not view our clients merely as customers. Rather, we recognize them as fraternal brothers, 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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and that is a distinction that makes a great difference. Our approach puts our brother Knights and their families before profits and requires us to manage all of the associated risks accordingly.

C OLUMBIA: And the Order’s approach to investments is tied to its mission as well?

SUPREME KNIGHT: Yes, our insurance program and investment philosophy relate to the fraternal vocation of every Knight and to the paternal responsibility of the Order as a whole. By “paternal,” I do not mean “paternalistic” and the negative connotations of that term. Rather, I am referring to the authentic vocation of fathers, which is to serve and protect their families.

Pope Francis referred to this vocation in his inaugural homily on March 19, 2013, when he reflected on St. Joseph, who he said “exercises his role as protector … with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity.” Pope Francis has also spoken about the grace of fatherhood and “spiritual paternity,” which is realized in the defense of others.

Just as a father has a special vocation to protect his family, the Knights of Columbus has a special vocation to protect our members and their families, who have entrusted their future financial security to us through our insurance program or annuity program.

As a distinctly Catholic organization, the Order’s responsibility to defend and protect also goes beyond its individual members and their families. In a particular way, Knights are called to witness to the virtue of charity and to build up the Church.

COLUMBIA: How does this Catholic identity affect the kind of things that the Order chooses to invest in?

SUPREME KNIGHT: Companies involved with funding things such as abortion, contraception, pornography, embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning are eliminated from the Knights of Columbus insurance program portfolios. There is no minimum revenue test, meaning that as little as one penny

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Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson is pictured in his office at the Knights of Columbus headquarters in New Haven, Conn. The supreme knight serves as CEO of Knights of Columbus Insurance, the assets of which are invested according to faith-based, ethical principles.

Photo by Tom Serafin

of revenue from any of those sources eliminates a company from further consideration.

Our investment team has been managing screened portfolios on behalf of the insurance program for many years, and has achieved positive financial returns for our insurance and annuity portfolios while fully adhering to Catholic teachings.

COLUMBIA: With that having been said, what is Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors?

S UPREME K NIGHT: Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors has been established to expand the scope of the Order’s investments program. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Knights of Columbus that is largely comprised of our current investment staff. Up until now, our investment staff has been structured as a “captive investment firm.” In other words, our people have managed assets only for the Order, and at the same time we “outsource” very little investment decision-making to others. With K of C Asset Advisors, we will now be an SEC-registered investment advisor with the capacity to manage capital for Catholic institutions unaffiliated with the Order.

K of C Asset Advisors will be responsible for managing the insurance and annuity assets for our members, and it will also have investment products available to other institutional investors, including Catholic dioceses, hospitals, parishes and schools.

C OLUMBIA : How did this program come about? Why launch it now?

SUPREME KNIGHT: In its service to the Church, the Knights of Columbus has long included among its investments the support of capital projects in various dioceses and parishes.

The first investment of this kind took place in 1896, when the Supreme Council provided a loan to St. Rose of Lima Church in Meriden, Conn. Our ChurchLoan program has approved more than $600 million of low-interest loans to Catholic churches and schools, and currently includes more than 100 active accounts.

Over the years, many Catholic institutions have also approached the Knights of Columbus about the possibility of managing their assets. In our analysis, we have found that there is a large institutional Catholic marketplace that is MARCH 2015

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“K OF C ASSET ADVISORS WILL BE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY SERVICE TO INSTI-

COLUMBIA: What kinds of investment products and services will be offered?

SUPREME KNIGHT: We expect that at its launch, K of C Asset Advisors will offer both fixed-income and equity mutual funds. The strategies for these funds will be consistent with those used by the investment team on behalf of our insurance 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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COLUMBIA: Will these funds be available to individuals?

SUPREME KNIGHT: Initially, the mutual funds are expected to be available only to institutions. However, employees of institutional investors may have access to the funds via 401(k) and similar types of savings plans, providing a Catholicscreened option that was not previously available to them.

Photo by Tom Serafin

highly fragmented, meaning program. And very importantly, TUTIONS THAT SEEK SECURITY, there are a large number of small these funds will comply with providers. And one of the biggest Catholic moral teaching.

STABILITY AND CATHOLIC-SCREENED challenges confronting Catholic K of C Asset Advisors may also INVESTMENT OPTIONS.” institutional investors is the very offer investment advisory and small number of Catholicother services to certain cusscreened products that they can tomers in a separate account. invest in. Given the size and scale Additionally, certain customers of managing the Knights of Columbus general account, we will be offered an “outsourced chief investment officer” believe that K of C Asset Advisors will be in a unique posi- strategy through which it will partner with Catholic instition to provide a high quality service to institutions that seek tutions to develop goals and objectives and allocate assets in security, stability and Catholic-screened investment options. a manner designed to achieve those goals.

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Catholic Values, Catholic Screening, Catholic Mission The Catholic community has typically been served by investment managers focused on broad business goals, rather than on a Catholic mission. However, the Knights of Columbus believes that a Catholic firm steeped in traditional values and a long history of investment expertise can offer a more compelling solution for Catholic entities.

To this end, the Knights of Columbus is now giving institutional investors access to the Order’s investment engine through Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors. This wholly owned subsidiary of the Knights of Columbus is introducing a range of new fixed-income and equity opportunities for Catholic institutions.

Chief Investment Officer Anthony V. Minopoli (standing right) and members of the Knights of Columbus investment team work in the trading room at the Order’s headquarters.

C OLUMBIA : Is there anything else that members of the Knights should know about Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors?

SUPREME KNIGHT: The service and dedication that insurance members have received from our dedicated field force of agents and committed investments team will be unchanged.

We will continue to proudly offer products “by brother Knights, for brother Knights.”

Extending our proven, Catholic-screened investment strategies to other Catholic institutions through K of C Asset Advisors will simply be an opportunity for the Order to strengthen and support Catholic communities. In the future, I believe this will become one of the great services the Knights of Columbus can make to the financial health and sustainability of our dioceses, parishes, religious communities, schools, colleges and health care facilities. It makes sense for us to do so, since members of the Order are, first and foremost, members of the Body of Christ, and the vitality of our Church is directly related to the vitality of the Knights of Columbus.♦

Part of the Largest Catholic Lay Organization • K of C Asset Advisors is the investment arm of the Knights of Columbus, one of the 50 largest life insurance companies in the United States and a Fortune 1000 company.

• The Order has had a consistent track record of growth and success with its insurance, annuity and Catholic lending businesses, managing approximately $20 billion in fixed-income strategies.

• The strategies that will be offered to Catholic institutional investors through K of C Asset Advisors are modeled on those managed for Knights of Columbus Insurance.

• The Knights of Columbus is a respected organization with established financial stability. It has been recognized as a World’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute, and ratings agencies have for decades cited the Order’s investment process as being conservative.

Why K of C Asset Advisors?

Catholic Compliance • All of the strategies are screened for compliance with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

• Separate accounts can be managed to meet specific screening criteria.

Value with Values • K of C Asset Advisors will offer investment solutions at fee levels below industry averages.

Accessibility • Regardless of the size of your Catholic organization, the Knights of Columbus can offer access to the type of investment solutions usually reserved for large, institutional investors.

Aligned Interests • K of C Asset Advisors shares its clients’ Catholic ideals and helps Catholic institutions to grow as faithful stewards.

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The

Revitalization of Europe The largest petition in European history has led to the rebirth of the pro-life movement on the Old Continent

by Krzysztof Mazur

any have observed that contemporary Europe is going tee and director of the European Centre for Law and Justice in through a deep spiritual crisis. Even St. John Paul II, the Strasbourg, France. tireless “witness to hope,” wrote about the “dimming of hope” in Authors of the One of Us petition grounded their proposal in his 2003 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Europa. the 2011 Brüstle v. Greenpeace ruling by the European Court of Much of Europe has lost its Christian memory, the pope ex- Justice, which defined the embryo as “the beginning of human deplained. “Without spiritual roots,” he said, many are “like heirs who velopment.” Based on this definition, the petition that was prehave squandered a patrimony entrusted to them by history” (7). sented May 11, 2012, by One of Us representatives stated that “the This cultural diagnosis is key to understanding the “One of Us” EU should establish a ban and end the financing of activities which initiative, the largest citizens’ pepresuppose the destruction of tition in the history of the Eurohuman embryos, in particular in pean Union. In February 2014, the areas of research, developOne of Us representatives prement aid and public health.” sented a petition — signed by Officially launched January nearly 2 million citizens — to 2013, the One of Us petition protect unborn human life by drive gathered together people of banning EU funding of embryogoodwill in recognizing the indestructive research. Amid a secualienable dignity of human life larized Europe whose permissive from conception to natural death. abortion laws continue to proItalian Member of the European mote what Pope Francis has called Parliament Carlo Casini, a former a “throwaway” culture, the One of judge and president of the largest Us initiative emerged as a beacon pro-life group in Italy, began the At a February 2013 press conference in Warsaw, Jakub of hope for human dignity. initiative with the aid of Msgr.

Bałtroszewicz, coordinator of the One of Us committee in Poland, Although the European ComPiotr Mazurkiewicz of the Pontifdiscusses the launch of the EU-wide pro-life petition drive. mission vetoed the petition on ical Council for the Family.

May 28, 2014, organizers of the Though nonsectarian in nainitiative remain confident in the long-term success of their ture, the initiative received particularly strong encouragement from cause, having galvanized a transcontinental movement of pro- the Catholic Church. Notably, Pope Benedict XVI drew attention life organizations. to it in early February 2013: “I wish every success to the initiative called ‘Uno di noi’ [One of Us], so that Europe may always be a IN DEFENSE OF THE DEFENSELESS place where the dignity of every human being is protected.”

Since its creation in 1993, the EU has been widely criticized for Momentum for the petition drive was strengthened when the its democratic deficit. In order to give citizens more say in the leg- first One of Us Congress was held in Kraków, Poland, the followislative process, the EU established the European Citizens’ Initia- ing November. The international meeting was attended by One tive (ECI) in February 2011, allowing EU citizens to introduce of Us representatives from all 28 EU countries and received filegislative proposals via petition. To qualify, petitioners are re- nancial support from the Knights of Columbus in Poland. quired to collect a minimum of 1 million signatures from citizens Past State Deputy Krzysztof Orzechowski of Poland said, “Dein at least 7 of the 28 member states. These ECI petitions are then fense of the defenseless — those who do not even have the right reviewed by the European Commission and, if approved, are for- to express their arguments — is one of the key activities of warded to the European Parliament as a proposed legal action. chivalry. So with great joy we joined this initiative.”

“The ECI mechanism aims to open the EU to citizen particiEnthusiasm for One of Us continued to grow, and the success pation and to strengthen its democratic legitimacy,” explained of the petition surpassed all expectations. In just over a year, One Grégor Puppinck, president of the One of Us Citizens’ Commit- of Us nearly doubled the required number of signatures — with 26 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Photo by Mateusz Marek, courtesy of One of Us

M

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Portuguese young people show support for the One of Us initiative during a pro-life rally before Portugal’s fourth annual March for Life in Lisbon Oct. 5, 2013.

Photo courtesy of One of Us

more than 1.8 million — while the required minimum of signatures was exceeded in 20 out of 28 EU countries.

Following the submission of the petition in February 2014, a public hearing took place before the European Parliament in Brussels April 10, 2014. In a packed chamber, representatives of the initiative presented the ethical and legal basis for their cause.

Though their case met with vehement opposition from secularist organizations, One of Us also garnered support from a broad spectrum of European politicians.

On April 11, 2014, the day after the public hearing, Pope Francis singled out the initiative in remarks to the Italian Pro-Life Movement: “May the Lord sustain the work you carry out as prolife help centers and as the movement for life, especially the project ‘One of Us.’” THE FUTURE OF ‘ONE OF US’ Despite the success of the initiative and its far-reaching support, the European Commission vetoed the One of Us petition on May 28, 2014. The commission simply declared that European funding of research programs on human embryos was “in full accordance with the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,” disregarding the fact that EU funds are being used for embryonic stem-cell research in several EU states where such practices are illegal.

In a press release at the time, the One of Us Executive Board expressed strong indignation, decrying the decision as a “travesty” and calling it “contrary to the principle of ‘participatory democracy.’”

“Rejection by the committee was arbitrary and without any legal justification,” Puppinck said. “It undermined the credibility of the ECI.”

Jakub Bałtroszewicz, coordinator of the Polish One of Us committee, observed that the commission is not interested in allowing citizens to make a real impact on European law. “Changes are possible only if they are in line with the position of the commission itself,” he said.

Despite disappointment with the decision, One of Us leaders viewed it as a temporary setback rather than the end of their initiative. Coinciding with the May 2014 outcome came the results of general elections across Europe, bringing with it the hope that the next appointed commission would be more receptive to protecting human life at all stages.

“One of Us mobilized countless people in all EU member states and showed that many more people hold pro-life positions than expected,” explained the initiative’s Austrian coordinator, Gudrun Kugler. “Socially and politically, this group must be viewed as one of the biggest pan-European interest groups, and we will certainly not be silent in the future.”

One sign of hope has been the transformation of the grassroots One of Us initiative into the One of Us Federation for Life and Human Dignity, composed of 29 European entities in 16 EU countries. Regardless of legislative hurdles in the short term, the hope of the federation and a host of other like-minded organizations across Europe is to grow stronger as an international movement, fostering an enduring culture of life.

“I see the movement One of Us has inspired as part of the fulfillment of John Paul II’s dream for human dignity,” said Orzechowski. “We must help Europe recover its soul.”♦ KRZYSZTOF MAZUR is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Council 15128 in Kraków, Poland.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES MEMORIAL WALK

St. Brigid Council 13204 and Father Joseph T. O’Callahan Assembly, both in Johns Creek, Ga., worked for more than a year to raise $21,000 to build a gazebo at the Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk. In addition, Knights volunteered to build the structure. The memorial includes 10 plazas that honor veterans from World War I through all the conflicts to the present day.

Knights donated $2,000 to the memorial itself, and the assembly provided an honor guard for the park’s dedication.

SMILE TRAIN Dominican Knights of Columbus pray and hold signs during a pro-life procession held under the title “Defend Life — No Abortion.” Knights from throughout the island nation participated in the procession, which also included the Stations of the Cross with 14 churches serving as the 14 stations.

UNITED MILITARY CARE

Our Lady of La Salette Council 8376 in Marietta, Ga., purchased $300 worth of diapers for United Military Care, a group that provides Georgia military families in need with goods, services and assistance. The funds purchased 12 cases of diapers, which UMC will distribute to needy military families in the state.

Masses. All of the ciboria will be engraved with K of C information.

screening, Knights served light refreshments.

AFRICA SCHOOL

Armed with brooms, poles, ladders and tubes of sealant, members of St. John Mary Vianney Council 13770 in Apo Sandawa, Mindanao, helped to repair the roof at their church after their parish priest reported a number of leaks.

ROOF REPAIRS

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen 7502 in Northglenn, Colo., donated $5,000 to Christ the King Church in Tanzania, which is the sister parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Northglenn. The funds will assist the parish priest there in maintaining an all-girls high school.

CIBORIA PURCHASE

The Knights of Columbus Northern California Chapter donated $5,500 to the Diocese of Sacramento to purchase 30 ciboria for use by the diocese at large gathering Masses. This campaign to purchase the ciboria began in November 2013 when it was suggested that the chapter raise the funds to cover a real need for ciboria at large 28 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Lake City (Minn.) Council 1865 collected donations for Smile Train, an organization that provides surgeries to children with unrepaired cleft palates around the world.

The council has plans to raise enough funds to cover one child’s surgery every year.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING

Queen of the Holy Rosary Council 3830 in Berkley, Mich., presented a screening of the Knights of Columbus documentary Francis: The Pope from the New World for council members, young people, parishioners and friends at Our Lady of La Salette Church. Following the

‘OPERATION SOLDIER’

Sacred Heart Council 5780 in Madison, Conn., collected personal items and more than $2,000 in donations to ship care packages to U.S. troops serving overseas.

Knights assembled more than 90 boxes of toiletries, socks and snacks for military personnel in Afghanistan as part of an initiative called “Operation Soldier.”

Ed Matthys of Durango (Colo.)

Council 1408 paints the exterior of a home owned by fellow council member Clarence Abeyta. Knights volunteered about 150 hours to paint Abeyta’s home while he was recovering from a stroke.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION FRONTLINE FAITH

Msgr. Michael J. Regan Council 8731 in Carrollton, Ga., hosted a fund drive at its parish to raise money for the Frontline Faith Project. At the end of each Mass, a U.S. Army veteran spoke about the project and how it can help members of the armed forces.

The drive raised enough to purchase 134 MP3 players for troops.

STATUES RESTORED

Father F. M. Lanteigne Council 7089 in Atholville, New Brunswick, volunteered more than 100 hours to reconstruct the cross and statues that adorn the cemetery at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The Knights hosted a monthly community lunch to raise funds for the restoration.

WOOD DONATED

Mike Guiterrez of Sacred Heart Council 2249 in Red

Bluff, Calif., donated a large oak tree that had fallen on his property for the council to cut and sell as firewood.

Knights took charge of the massive tree, sawing it into segments before using a log splitter to cut the firewood into manageable pieces. By selling the wood, the council raised $735 for charity.

KICKBOXING FUNDRAISER

St. Thérèse the Little Flower Council 2622 in Valley Stream, N.Y., hosted two kickboxing schools at its council hall to raise funds to send the school’s athletes to a national competition. Knights sold concessions at the event, raising $250 for Blessed Sacrament Church, which the kickboxing schools matched. The council raised an additional $350 for its charitable fund.

ROSARY PROGRAM

Edward F. McSweeny Assembly in Natick, Mass., started a monthly rosary program for patients at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford. Knights gather with veterans on the first Monday of every month to pray the rosary. Assembly members also escort veterans to Mass monthly.

LOWER LEFT: Darlene Dela Cruz/Hawaii Catholic Herald

INSPIRING FILM

Members of Our Lady of Sorrows Council 6302 in Wahiawa, Hawaii, cook up dozens of pounds of flavorful catfish during a fish fry at St. Anthony Church in Kailua. The council sponsored an all-you-can-eat dinner to raise funds for Catholic school scholarships and the Courage House nonprofit organization.

St. Charles (Ill.) Council 12497 and Marquette Assembly in Aurora co-sponsored a screening of the documentary 40, which was made in 2013 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The film presents the history of abortion in the United States through a combination of inspiring stories, personal interviews and unassailable arguments against abortion. The council raised $7,980 at the screening, which will support the

Participants in a family run sponsored by Banal Na Sakramento Council 8753 in Quezon City, Luzon, prepare to cross the finish line at the end of the race. Knights opened the event to parishioners, and proceeds from the event were added to the council’s charitable fund.

production and distribution of 40 to schools around the country.

BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN

wood, Fla., raised $1,500 for the Wildwood Soup Kitchen during a council-sponsored pancake breakfast. The soup kitchen serves more than 83,000 meals annually.

Blessed Mother Mary Council 15238 in Dawsonville, Ga., hosted a pro-life baby bottle campaign at Christ the Redeemer Church that raised $11,000 in 12 weeks. The funds were used to purchase a new ultrasound machine for Sound Choices Pregnancy Care Clinic through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.

MILITARY FAMILIES UNITED

Jesuit Father John A. Hardon Assembly in Milford, Mich., donated $5,000 to Military Families United of Michigan, an organization that honors fallen soldiers and supports active-duty military personnel and their families.

PANCAKES FOR SOUP

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 13300 in Wild-

Gian Gonzalez of James Madison University Council 9286 in Harrisonburg, Va., places new flowers in concrete planters at the university’s campus ministry offices. In preparation for Holy Week, Knights led volunteers to clean and beautify the interior and exterior of the campus ministry space.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

from students at V. J. Maloney Catholic High School, with certificates and cash awards going to students whose art was selected for use. Proceeds from calendar sales are donated to Back Porch Ministry, a pro-life group that reaches out to abortion-minded couples.

LITERACY CENTER

Members of St. Monica Council 9681 in Converse, Texas, paint the exterior of a house in Live Oak that is home to six senior women. Before the Knights came along, the homeowners were being threatened with a blighted property fine. Council members painted the whole exterior of the house in one day to ensure that the situation was rectified.

GROTTO RESTORED

Berkshire Hills Council 314 in Lee, Mass., restored the 69-year-old marble statue of Our Lady of Victory at the grotto at Saint Mary’s Church. Knights cleaned the grotto area, supervised and assisted in the repair of the Marian statue, and obtained and assembled five park benches for use by visitors who wish to pray or meditate. At a rededication ceremony for the grotto, the statue was blessed and its history recited.

GARAGE SALE

Christopher Columbus Assembly in Plano, Texas, held its annual charity garage sale at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Knights offered clothing, household goods and toys for sale, raising $6,000 for the assembly’s charitable fund.

FLYING HIGH

Perkiomen Valley (Pa.) Council 3633 in Schwenksville donated $500 to Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford to purchase, install and light three new flagpoles on the school grounds that 30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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will fly the U.S., papal and school flags each day. In addition, council member Tom Kinney procured a U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. from the office of U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach for use at the school.

VAN MODIFICATIONS

Father John F. Hogan Council 14236 in Dartmouth, Mass., secured a grant of $7,500 to modify a minivan for a girl with disabilities.

Karysa Brayton has Joubert Syndrome and is confined to a wheelchair. Previously, her parents were having problems moving Brayton in and out of their current van. The new modifications will mean that the van is modified to Brayton’s exact needs so that she can travel safely.

SANDWICHES FOR VOLUNTEERS

St. Basil the Great Council 13271 in Vallejo, Calif., prepared more than 100 sandwiches for Special Olympics volunteers. Knights prepared the sandwiches in advance of the event and distributed them to hungry workers as

the day went on. The council donated all of the funds necessary to purchase food for the project.

KITCHEN RENOVATIONS

Del Norte Council 2592 in El Paso, Texas, donated $8,000 to St. Francis Xavier Church and $2,000 to Sacred Heart Church to renovate the kitchens at both facilities.

The changes were needed to meet current state and county health codes.

Leo XIII Council 805 in Evergreen Park, Ill., donated $260 to the Aquinas Literacy Center, which is run by the Adrian Dominican Sisters of Chicago. The literacy center provides services to people who would like to learn English as a second language.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL DINNER

Msgr. Francis J. Byrne Council 5476 in Richmond, Va., hosted its first-ever Catholic high school dinner to raise money for the council’s scholarship fund. The event raised more than $5,000 to award scholarships to students at St. Bridget Church.

PARISH HALL REMODEL

Ave Maria Council 1794 in Humphrey, Neb., volunteered more than 800 hours to remodel the parish hall at St. Francis Church. Among the work that was undertaken, Knights replaced the floor and refurbished the kitchen.

PRO-LIFE CALENDAR

Each year, Brother Anthony Council 10014 in St. Albert, Alberta, designs a pro-life calendar that members sell to promote a culture of life. For the calendar’s 15th year, the council solicited artwork

Knights from Pocatello (Idaho) Council 892, Father William Ordway Council 8930 and Bishop Daniel M. Gorman Assembly help unload wheelchairs from the Global Wheelchair Mission for distribution to needy veterans. The three K of C units raised funds to purchase 113 wheelchairs for the Idaho State Veterans Home.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

FROM THE ARCHIVES

March 1929 Jerry Robertson of Pope John Paul II Council 13808 in Greensboro, Ga., prepares to measure an athlete’s long jump score during the Greene County Special Olympics. Knights supported the games with a donation from its annual fund drive and with more than a dozen volunteers to assist with organizing and managing the event.

PULLED PORK LUNCH

Good Shepherd Council 11672 in Huntsville, Ala., hosted a pulled pork barbecue lunch that raised more than $800 for the council’s charitable fund. The event not only provided needed funds for community and youth initiatives, including the Rose of Sharon Soup Kitchen and the Feeding America BackPack Program, but it also offered council members the opportunity for extended fraternal fellowship.

$1,500 through sales of the merchandise, which the council has donated to prolife charities.

MILITARY STOLES

St. Agnes Council 2548 in Rockville Center, N.Y., established a fund at Nassau Community College to purchase military stoles for graduating veterans. NCC has an average of 300 veterans among its student population each year.

Seventy-seven veterans graduated in the most recent commencement and wore the military stoles of their respective branch of service.

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

Our Lady of Lourdes Council 11241 in Boca Raton, Fla., has advanced the cause of religious liberty in the United States by selling religious freedom T-shirts, car magnets, lawn signs and more at various Catholic conferences and parishes. So far, Knights have raised

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

FEATURE ARTICLE The March 1929 cover article “Are You Going Abroad?”

by John Anson Ford offers valuable tips for amateur travelers. Among Ford’s most imperative recommendations is to travel with a group and to avoid freewheeling about.

He explains that, “A well conducted European tour offering 52 or 53 days in Europe with first class accommodations on moderate sized steamers, and rooms at first class hotels, can be had for as low as $1,100.”

Good luck getting your airfare to Europe at that price these days...

NEWS AND NOTES “A new record for attendance at an indoor track meet was established at the William C. Prout Memorial Games, held under the auspices of the Massachusetts State Council at the Boston Garden, Saturday evening, January 20. Twelve thousand crowded into the great new sport arena to witness the finest set of games ever held in New England. The meet is held annually in honor of the memory of the late Supreme Director Prout, who died during the Supreme Convention of 1927.”

AMAZING ADVERTISING Gillette razors took out a full-page ad in the March issue, explaining how a man’s beard texture changes with age and encouraging readers to replace their blades. “Every day your beard gets tougher,” the ad reads.

“The older you get, the oftener you need a fresh Gillette Blade.”

MARCH 2015

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

K OF C ITEMS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS IN THE UNITED STATES THE ENGLISH COMPANY INC. Official council and Fourth Degree equipment 1-800-444-5632 • www.kofcsupplies.com

A.

LYNCH AND KELLY INC. Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes 1-888-548-3890 • www.lynchkelly.com

B.

IN CANADA ROGER SAUVÉ INC. Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes 1-888-266-1211 • www.roger-sauve.com

JOIN THE FATHER MCGIVNEY GUILD

!

03/15

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

A. Twist Stainless Steel Tumbler. This sleek tumbler holds a generous 15 ounces and keeps beverages hot because of its double-wall construction of stainless steel with a plastic liner. The easy screw-open, drink-through lid turns left for drinking and right to close, and does not leak when turned tightly. This tumbler fits most standard car cup holders.— $6.50 B. Charles River® New Englander Rain Jacket. When the weather gets stormy, this Charles River® jacket will keep you dry. Waterproof polyurethane is bonded to a poplin backing and lined with mesh and nylon. The generous cut allows for a suit jacket or sweater to be worn underneath. Navy blue with gold accents and “Knights of Columbus” embroidered on left chest. — M-XL: $55; 2X: $57; 3X: $58

OFFICIAL MARCH 1, 2015: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3 PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

MARCH 2015

C.

C. Golf Umbrella. This 62” vented umbrella adds a lot of protection with its eight panels and fiberglass shaft. “Knights of Columbus” and the emblem of the Order are silkscreened on two of the panels. — $23

Order these and other items online at:

knightsgear.com Questions? Call: 1-855-GEAR-KOC (855-432-7562)

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K N I G H T S O F C O L UM B U S

Building a better world one council at a time Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.

TO

BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S

C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW

Members of Father Ken W. Bayer Council 12000 in Norcross, Ga., guide a Ten Commandments monument as it is lowered onto its base at St. Patrick Church. The council hosted two benefit concerts at its parish to raise funds for the monument.

These events, coupled with donations from individual members, ensured that the monument was ready to be dedicated at the parish’s international festival.

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

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

MARCH 2015

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

K E E P T H E F A IT H A L I V E

‘I DESIRED THE KIND OF JOY THAT COMES FROM GOD ALONE.’

SR. MARY AMATA REIFSNYDER Sisters of Christian Charity Passaic, N.J.

Photo by Mike Ehrmann

Despite encouragement from a priest in high school, I was convinced that religious life was not for me. Nonetheless, I began to experience the unshakeable feeling that I was called to more.

Seeing the example of parish priests and sisters along the way, I came to realize that I wanted what they had. That is, I desired the kind of joy that comes from God alone and manifests itself through a lifetime of self-sacrificing love.

After graduating from college in 2010 with a degree in nursing, I began working with the Sisters of Christian Charity. Putting myself through college, however, left me with significant debt, which was an obstacle to entering religious life.

Without the prayerful and financial support of the Knights of Columbus, I would not have been able to join the community in 2011.

This life that I previously rejected has brought me the joy that I desired. Even amid trial and temptation, I am at peace knowing that I am doing the will of God. He is my life, and I have chosen to follow him wherever he leads.