Columbia May 2010 by Columbia Magazine

KNIGHT S O F C O LUM BUS

M AY 2010

COLUMBIA

Let our strength be your shield

Knights of Columbus strong

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

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COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S

8 A Shield for Families The Order’s fraternal benefits help families find security for themselves and future generations. BY TOM TRACY

14 Extraordinary Strength Despite a difficult financial market, Knights of Columbus Insurance has thrived. BY ROB GARVER

16 Ethics and Profitability Catholic social teaching and Father McGivney’s vision demonstrate that a business can be both ethical and successful. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

18 All in a Day’s Work Knights of Columbus agents respond to a call to help others secure their financial future and plan for the unexpected. BY GERALD KORSON

24 What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You Debunking common misconceptions about life insurance.

Pictured here is the first membership ledger for San Salvador Council 1 in New Haven, Conn. Father Michael J. McGivney’s name tops the list of the first insurance members of the Knights of Columbus.

BY RUDY STURK

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world

Charity and unity provide the basis for economic stability. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Learning the faith, living the faith Christian life and morality lead to, rather than take away from, true freedom and happiness. BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

Knights of Columbus News College Knights celebrate 100th anniversary • Knights in Philippines march for life • K of C Museum features Mother Teresa exhibition

Knights in Action

Year for Priests Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis shares his insights about how we should nurture and share God’s gifts.

Fathers for Good Knowing that I planned for my family’s future brought me peace. BY THOMAS P. SMITH JR.

BY COLUMBIA STAFF

Columbianism by Degrees

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month

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E D I TO R I A L

At the Foundation IN A LETTER dated April 1882 and sent to the pastors of his diocese, Father Michael J. McGivney stated that a primary reason for establishing the Knights of Columbus was “to unite the men of our faith throughout the Diocese of Hartford, that we may thereby gain strength to aid each other in time of sickness; to provide for decent burial, and to render pecuniary assistance to the families of deceased members” (emphasis in original). During the Order’s first years, a non-insurance (or associate) member would have been considered an oxymoron. The principles of unity and charity referred, first of all, to assisting brother Knights and their families in need. In a letter to the editor of the Connecticut Catholic, published in August 1883, Father McGivney put it this way: “Unity in order to gain strength to be charitable to each other in benevolence whilst we live and in bestowing financial aid to those whom we leave to mourn our loss.” In the Order’s infancy, Father McGivney was careful to establish a number of rules ensuring the integrity, efficiency and financial solvency of the Knights as membership throughout the state of Connecticut grew. In the years since, the Order has developed into an international charitable organization, and life insurance has likewise evolved. Still, pastoral concern for the financial security of Catholic families and commitment to ethical business practices have remained fundamental to the Knights’ identity.

What has also remained consistent is the high rate of retention of insurance members. At the 1925 Supreme Convention in Duluth, Minn., during a time when associate membership was in decline, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty articulated why insurance membership ought to be encouraged: “The very fact that the insurance membership sticks is a sufficient reason, to say nothing of the benefits accruing to the individual member and his family.” He then added that “we cannot too zealously promote [the insurance] feature of the Order, which is, in essence, its legally abiding justification for existence, and, in practice, the hinge upon which all other activities depends.” Careful not to disparage the loyalty of active associate members, Flaherty further explained at the 1927 Supreme Convention in Oregon that the ideal Knight is “the man who, without being a glum, indicates by serious interest in the security of his future that he can be relied upon to take serious interest in the work of the Order.” Today, more than half of Knights of Columbus households in the United States and Canada have some type of K of C plan in place, and tens of thousands of associate members convert to insured member status every year. This issue of Columbia aims to educate members about the strength, benefits and philosophy of Knights of Columbus Insurance so they can make an informed decision about their financial future.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI MANAGING EDITOR

Supreme Knight’s Book Club — May 2010 In his book The God That Did Not Fail: How Religion Built and Sustains the West (Encounter Books, 2006), Robert Royal examines the history of religion from the ancients to the present day, demonstrating that religion is a permanent and essential part of human society. Royal, who is president of the Faith & Reason Institute and a member of Ambrose Council 8403 in Annandale, Va., will participate in a discussion about his book in late May at kofc.org. Find out more information and submit your questions online at www.kofc.org/bookclub. 2 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Dennis A. Savoie DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Donald R. Kehoe SUPREME SECRETARY Emilio B. Moure SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski alton.pelowski@kofc.org MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi patrick.scalisi@kofc.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brian Dowling brian.dowling@kofc.org CREATIVE & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ________ GRAPHICS Lee Rader DESIGN

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

BU I L D I N G A B E T T E R WO R L D

My Brother’s Keeper Charity and unity, not selfishness and relativism, provide the basis for economic stability by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

EARLIER THIS YEAR at a conference model, all because we continue to answer: for business leaders, I had the opportunity “Yes, we are our brothers’ keepers.” We to listen to Nobel Peace Prize winner put our brother Knights — and the assets Muhammad Yunus argue for a new kind they entrust us to protect — before profit. That commitment is what has kept of capitalism. Yunus is one of the world’s foremost the Knights of Columbus strong and Unfortunately, those who still believe “social entrepreneurs” — using the tools profitable despite the enormous ecoand skills of an entrepreneur to create nomic changes that have occurred over in the option of “selfish capitalism” have positive change in society. He won the the past 128 years. Economic models fostered the illusion that our society and Nobel Prize in 2006 for his work in mi- change, but the success that comes with economy can prosper on a sea of moral crobanking — making small loans to doing the right thing, and putting peo- relativism. The economic reality is that it cannot. ple first, does not. the poor. Our fraternal model, in which charity, For “no man is an island,” and only when What Yunus said struck me. He explained that it was important to offer unity and fraternity are our guiding prin- we realize that all of us are interconnected “selfless capitalism” as an alternative to ciples, is not something that has value can we effectively build the safe harbor “selfish capitalism.” Business leaders only in a Catholic organization. In fact, everyone is looking for. When Pope Benedict XVI need to be offered that choice, criticized the “dictatorship of he said. No man is an island, and relativism” shortly before his But the more I thought election in 2005, most people about his words, the more I only when we realize that all applied his words to social iscame to disagree with his quessues. Now, we know they have tion. We don’t need to ask, of us are interconnected can we an even broader meaning. As “Should I be selfish or selfless?” effectively build the safe harbor the current economic crisis Rather, the question is the one shows, the heavy hand of relathat comes from the first pages everyone is looking for. tivism is as much to blame in of Genesis: “Am I my brother’s the realm of business as is the keeper?” (Gen 4:9) We need to realize that the answer to such a model is needed for a truly sustain- failure of economic models and forecasts. Our task, then, is to realize that Christ that question is a resounding “Yes.” And able economic system. If the business as Knights of Columbus, there is no other community at large had embraced such a gave us two commandments: to love God way for us to interpret the importance of model in the past, we would not have felt wholeheartedly, and to love our neighbors charity, unity and fraternity except by an- the pain and turbulence of the past year as ourselves. An authentic following of that first commandment must lead to the and a half. swering “Yes.” The English poet John Donne once second. And in following the second In thinking about this, I thought about someone I consider to be one of the great wrote: “No man is an island, entire of it- commandment, we will live up to Christ’s social entrepreneurs of the 19th century self; every man is a piece of the continent, call to be known as Christians by the way — someone whose work we are all famil- a part of the main. … Any man’s death we love one another. This is the reason charity is the first diminishes me, because I am involved in iar with: Father Michael J. McGivney. principle of the Order. This is what Father McGivney founded the Knights mankind.” This is true in our families, in our makes the Knights of Columbus differof Columbus because he understood that he was his brother’s keeper. In under- parishes and in our councils, and it is es- ent and as relevant in 2010 as it was in standing that, he established what has be- pecially true in what we do today at work, 1882. Vivat Jesus! come a vibrant and successful business in the business decisions we make.

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L E A R N I N G T H E FA I T H , L I V I N G T H E FA I T H

Morality, Freedom and Human Dignity Christian life and morality lead to, rather than take away from, true freedom and happiness by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori THE COMPENDIUM of the Cate- quest for money, power or illicit pleaschism of the Catholic Church helps us to ures. The Church, on the other hand, see how all the parts of the faith fit to- urges us to look for happiness in an become (Veritatis Splendor, 65). Chrisgether. As we turn to the third pillar unlikely place: the Eight Beatitudes. tian morality is a way of life in which of the Catechism, dedicated to the To be sure, Jesus’ teaching on being we are transformed into unique and Church’s moral teaching, it is impor- poor in spirit, pure of heart, meek and living images of Jesus and vital memtant to recall that it is through the humble, etc., do not sound like a bers of his Body, the Church. Our grace of the Holy Spirit at work in the recipe for fun — but they are the path human dignity is linked to God’s utChurch’s belief and worship that we are to peace and joy. The Beatitudes are terly generous call to share in his life enabled to live as God’s children and the self-portrait of Jesus, who demon- and love, a supernatural calling that exstrates what it means to be fully ceeds our human capacities. Embedded true followers of Christ (357). Yet, many people — even active human (Gaudium et Spes, 22). They in each of our moral choices is an immembers of the Church — tend to do not represent an impossible ideal plicit decision for or against God and think of morality merely as “rules.” or an extra set of commandments, but his love (362). Freedom is an essential part They fail to see that morality has of human dignity. We cannot to do with our human dignity Many people — even active really love God and neighbor and happiness. We are made in we do so freely. Human God’s image and likeness; more members of the Church — tend unless freedom is God-given; it is not than complex animals, we are endowed not only with a body, but granted by any earthly authorto think of morality merely as also with an immortal soul couity. It enables us to make “rules.” They fail to see that pled with intelligence and free choices and to take responsibilwill (358). What is more, we are ity. We can easily choose the morality has to do with our called by God to be formed and wrong path, but this actually dishaped by his truth and love so minishes our freedom and leads human dignity and happiness. that we may one day share his life us into moral slavery. Think, for forever in heaven. example, of those enslaved by show us the kind of people we can be- drugs, alcohol or sex. On the contrary, THE FREEDOM TO LOVE come if we live the teachings of the more we choose what is good, the Sad to say, many people look for hap- Christ. This way of life enlarges our freer we become to love (363). piness in the wrong places, such as the capacity to receive God’s love so that we can love God above all things and CHOOSING GOOD OR EVIL our neighbors as ourselves (360). By Although contemporary culture touts The 26th installment of Supreme embracing the truth, receiving the freedom, it is less enthusiastic in Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori’s graces offered by the sacraments and speaking about responsibility. Yet, freefaith formation program addresses acting in charity, we grow in intimacy dom and responsibility go hand in questions 357-369 of the Comwith God (361). hand. To the extent that an action is pendium of the Catechism of the It is in choosing what is good in truly voluntary, we are responsible for Catholic Church. Archived articles are daily life that we respond to God’s love it. Sometimes, our responsibility is diat www.kofc.org. for us and, at the same time, shape and minished by factors beyond our condetermine what sort of people we will trol, such as ignorance or deeply 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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L E A R N I N G T H E FA I T H , L I V I N G T H E FA I T H

ingrained habits (364). Though flawed and limited, freedom is essential to human dignity. Civil authority must respect human freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, with due regard for the common good and a just public order (365). Human freedom, the Church teaches, was gravely damaged because of original sin but not totally destroyed. It has been further weakened by countless personal sins. Christ came to free us from sin so that, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can freely choose the good and become his disciples in building up the Church and contributing to a just and peaceful society.

H O LY FAT H E R ’ S P R AY E R I N T E N T I O N S

PHOTOGRAPH OF POPE: CNS photo/Paul Haring — GALLITZIN: Courtesy of the Catholic Register, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown

Offered in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI GENERAL: That the shameful and monstrous trafficking of human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended. MISSION: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.

But what makes an action morally good? Today, people often think that it is up to them to decide what is right or wrong. By contrast, the Compendium teaches that the morality of a human act has three sources. First, the object of a moral choice may be truly good or something that is objectively evil. Some things, such as the killing of an innocent person, must never be chosen because they are evil in and of themselves (369). Secondly, the intention of the one who acts must be taken into account. A person may choose the good for either a good or a bad reason. Conversely, a good intention does not make a bad choice good; the ends do not justify the

means. Often, our moral choices have more than one intention; it is important to sort them out. Lastly, the circumstances surrounding an action (including its consequences) increase or diminish one’s moral responsibility — but again, this cannot make an objectively bad choice good. For a human act to be morally good, all three things must be aligned: something objectively good must be chosen for good reasons given the circumstances (367-8). In these days of Easter joy leading to Pentecost, let us rejoice that the risen Lord, through his Spirit, has set us free to choose what is truly good and life-giving.♦

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

Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin (1770-1840) FEW WOULD HAVE thought that Demetrius Gallitzin, a Russian prince, would later be known as the Apostle of the Alleghenies. He was, after all, born a world away in the Netherlands on Dec. 22, 1770, the son of a Russian ambassador. Gallitzin was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, but to his father’s dismay, was later confirmed as a Roman Catholic at age 17, taking St. Augustine as his patron. He began to express an interest in the priesthood and, in 1792, Gallitzin was sent on a grand tour to America with his tutor, Father Francis Xavier Brosius. His father hoped that the trip would divert Gallitzin’s attention from the priesthood. But it didn’t. Initially taking the name Augustine Smith to separate himself from the reputation of being a Russian prince in the United States, Gallitzin entered the seminary. He became the first seminarian to complete all of his formation on American soil and was ordained by Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore in 1795. Father Gallitzin served communities in Baltimore before moving to the McGuire Settlement in western Pennsylvania.

There, he established a church and rectory, and purchased land to develop the settlement as a thriving center for Catholicism. Father Gallitzin accrued about $150,000 in debt in his own name by establishing the settlement, which was renamed Loretto. After being disinherited by the Russian government for his conversion and vocation, Father Gallitzin covered his financial responsibilities by receiving a fraction of his inheritance through his sister and by petitioning the public’s charity. Until his death on May 6, 1840, Father Demetrius Gallitzin demonstrated a willingness to divest himself of his possessions and a promising future in order to follow his vocation. In 2005, he was named a Servant of God by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. M AY 2 0 1 0

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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S N E W S

First College Council Celebrates 100 Years

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson speaks with members of Notre Dame Council 1477 and university representatives April 12. NOTRE DAME Council 1477, the Order’s first college council, commemorated its centennial Monday, April 12, with a Mass, dinner and lecture at the university’s campus in South Bend, Ind. The celebration began with a Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. A dinner followed, featuring the Notre Dame Knights’ signature steak sandwiches, annual sales of which generate about $60,000 for charity each year. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson then presented a lecture, titled “Faith, Hope and Charity: Pope Benedict’s Prescription for Catholic Living,” with more than 100 students and representatives of the university in attendance. The charter for Council 1477 was issued April 22, 1910, thanks to a group of students and faculty who diligently worked to establish it, despite concerns from both the university and the Order about the council’s ability to sustain itself. Today, there are nearly 19,000 men in about 250 college councils worldwide. For more information, visit kofc.org/college.

Philippine Knights Walk for Life KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS in the Philippines conducted the second annual Walk for Life in each of their three jurisdictions March 20. Following a Mass in Manila celebrated by Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco of Cubao, a member of Immaculate Conception Council 13616, thousands walked through the streets to show their support for the dignity of human life. The event concluded with a pro-life rally. Similar walks and rallies took place the same day in Cebu City and Davao City. The events specifically challenged the government’s promotion of contraceptives as a solution to unwanted pregnancies and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

K of C Museum features Mother Teresa exhibition THE KNIGHTS of Columbus Museum is hosting the U.S. premiere of Mother Teresa: Life, Spirituality and Message, in observance of the 100th anniversary of the candidate for sainthood’s birth, Aug. 26. A diminutive nun, Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) was a giant among international humanitarians. Her life’s mission and that of the Missionaries of Charity, the religious order she founded, was to provide “wholehearted, free service to the poorest of the poor.” Her community of religious sisters, brothers and priests run schools for street children, soup kitchens, orphanages, homes for women and hospices for the dying, providing service regardless of religion or ethnicity.

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Among Mother Teresa’s many honors were the Nobel Peace Prize (1979), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985) and the Congressional Gold Medal (1997). She was also the inaugural re-

Members of the Missionaries of Charity visit the Knights of Columbus Museum exhibition honoring their founder.

cipient of the Knights of Columbus’ highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes Award, in 1992. The exhibition, which runs from March 25 to Oct. 4, is a historical presentation, chronicling Mother Teresa’s life from childhood to beatification. It includes biographical information, artifacts such as her sari (religious habit) and other religious and personal articles, as well as a full-scale replica of Mother Teresa’s room at the Missionaries of Charity Motherhouse in Calcutta. Details of her close relationship with the Knights of Columbus are also included. For more information, including museum hours and driving directions, visit kofcmuseum.org.

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

Under Father McGivney’s Protection While nothing could prepare me for what the doctor told me, knowing that I planned for my family’s future brought me peace by Thomas P. Smith Jr. IN 2004, having turned the corner of 50 years old, I was happily looking forward to the second half of my life. I had a great job, a beautiful family, went to the gym most days and slept like a baby. Life was good. Earlier that year, I discovered a lump on the right side of my neck while shaving. I ignored it for some time, convincing myself that it was nothing more than a swollen gland. Eventually, a particularly bad cold and the increasing size of the lump finally drove me to find a doctor. It was the day before Easter. Following my examination, the doctor told me to “have a seat.” That didn’t seem necessary if he was going to write a prescription for antibiotics, but sit down I did. Next came the words that would change my life: “You have cancer, Mr. Smith. It’s an aggressive cancer, and we need to act quickly to save your life.” The doctor — who would perform the first six-hour surgery on me just days later — then explained the process of operations, followed by seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Shocked, I was no longer listening. Instead, I began to reflect on what I now call my four “Fs”: faith, family, friends and finances. First, I went to Father McGivney. At the time, I had worked here in the Home Office for 30 years, long enough to form a great relationship with our founder. I told Father McGivney that I was in no position to argue with God’s will, but if he could find it in his heart to make a case for me, I had a lot yet to do. Not surprisingly, I found peace in my faith. In fact, I had my daily treatments at the Father McGivney Cancer Center in New Haven, Conn., and greeted our founder’s statue and portrait every morning as I made my way in. The next “F” was my family. My wife, Sue, and I have three children. Sue lost her father to cancer when she was barely a teenager, and I shivered at the thought of her suffering through this again. And my children, I believed, thought I was invincible. What would they think? Instead of fearing my family’s reaction, I reminded myself that Sue was a strong lady and that we had done our best to raise the kids right. I began to sense the strength I would get from them rather than any reaction of dismay. They were my rock during the difficult months ahead.

The third “F” was my friends, among them the many people I had met in my three decades with the Order. They formed a coalition with prayers, Masses, food, flowers, cards and letters — unlike anything I had ever seen. There was no need to worry about friends; there were more than I ever imagined. The final “F” — finances — is the primary reason I write this column. You may think I have a vested interest in the Order’s insurance program, and you are right. Although my job here is to grow the insurance business, I wasn’t thinking about that as I sat in the doctor’s office. I was thinking about my life, my wife and my children. I began to do some math in my head: How much was the mortgage? How much for the cars? How much have I saved for three college educations? How many years would Sue and our three children be able to survive without my income? With the horrible news, what could possibly make it worse? I can tell you: if I needed to have a conversation about the financial devastation that life without me would bring. Thankfully, I had planned for the day that something like this would happen, while praying that it never would. What a relief to know that I could go home and gather my family around me, look them in the eye and tell them that, regardless of how this turned out, they would always know I loved them. Knowing that my wife and children would be able to continue to enjoy the life I had planned to share with them, I found the strength and conviction to fight. This, along with my faith, my family and my friends, brought me peace, and my cancer now had a powerful, confident opponent. Today, I am six years removed from those days and cancer free. Two of my three children are now in college, with one graduating this year. Life is good again. I tell our agents today that nobody rang a bell for me the night before my health changed. I tell you the same thing. If you haven’t had a visit with your agent and you love your family, then don’t waste another minute. I can tell you that the peace of mind you get is worth a hundredfold any premium you will pay.♦ THOMAS P. SMITH JR. is executive vice president (Agencies and Marketing) of the Knights of Columbus.

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

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A SHIELD FOR FAMILIES

The Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fraternal benefits help families find security for themselves and future generations by Tom Tracy

ince its founding in 1882, a primary mission of the Knights of Columbus has been to protect the financial future of families. Although times have changed, and Order has grown to include top-rated life insurance, long-term care insurance and retirement products, its mission is essentially the same. Tens of thousands of families have benefited from Knights of Columbus Insurance in recent years. Here are the stories of just a few.

Previous page: Robert Bubencik Jr. and his family sit outside their home in Foxboro, Mass. When Bubencik’s son, Brandon, died of bacterial meningitis in 1997, a K of C Insurance policy covered funeral costs and helped establish a charitable trust for research at Children’s Hospital Boston. Facing page: Anthony “Tony” Paschall and his wife, Barbara, moved a portion of their retirement funds into a K of C annuity to supplement their income.

A TRAGIC LOSS Robert Bubencik Jr. recalled that in 1972, his father purchased Knights of Columbus life insurance for him and his sisters. Fifteen years later, when Bubencik turned 18, he took responsibility for the policy himself. Following his father’s example, Bubencik and his wife didn’t hesitate to take out a life insurance policy before the arrival of their son, Brendan, in 1997. “I said to my wife, ‘Why don’t we do the same thing, and it will be something special,’” Bubencik said. “Brendan was our first child.” After Brendan was born, he soon developed a fever, the cause of which was initially misdiagnosed as a normal infection. Doctors prescribed antibiotics and sent the family home. The Bubenciks then returned — this time to the emergency room. When their baby developed seizures, the doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston recognized the condition as bacterial meningitis. “It was too late to help Brendan,” recalled Bubencik, noting that the bacterial form of meningitis is far more lethal than the more common viral form. When the baby passed away, the Knights of Columbus life insurance policy paid for the funeral, leaving additional money unspent. The couple used the remaining funds to set up a charitable trust to augment the research at Children’s Hospital. “We targeted infectious diseases they were researching, so we set up a trust in Brendan’s name with an annual golf tournament,” Bubencik said. He added that the tournament has raised approximately $15,000 annually, proceeds from which have been used to support the work of researcher Dr. Richard Malley. In 2009, the total donations to Children’s Hospital in Brendan’s

name reached almost a quarter of a million dollars. “We decided last year it was the last tournament that we would have,” Bubencik said. He added that the tournament was always a kind of family reunion and that only one event was affected by rain. “I felt Brendan was looking out for us, because rain is the thing you always worry about with golf tournaments,” he said. Mike Capobianco, the K of C agent who sold the policy for Brendan, attended one of the tournaments and recalled how Bubencik stood up to announce that the endeavor would not have been possible without the Knights of Columbus. “I was absolutely choked up,” Capobianco said. About 18 months after Brendan’s death, Bubencik and his wife welcomed twins, a boy and a girl. Not long after, Capobianco was invited to their home, not only to meet the new children, but to revisit their insurance needs.

H ISTORIC M ILESTONES

A HAPPY RETIREMENT Anthony “Tony” Paschall, a member of Slidell (La.) Council 2732, could not be happier about his retirement in the New Orleans area — except for the fact that the weather this year has been uncharacteristically cold in the South. Paschall can afford to be a little tongue-in-cheek about his circumstances, in part because of some smart financial decisions he made with the help of the Terry Kennedy Agency in New Orleans. During his 25 years working in promotions for RCA Records, Paschall met and worked with the likes of Elvis Presley and Herman’s Hermits. When technology evolved and 45 rpm records went out of vogue, Paschall went on to work in

FOR

C I NSURANCE

1882 – Father Michael J. McGivney’s 1898 – A K of C committee on insurname is the first one listed in the insurance ance rates is established, which results in ledger, and he becomes the Knights’ first use of the first insured member an actuary, David Parks of the Order. The origiFackler. nal insurance program 1902 – Sweeping rewas based on an assessforms are made to the ment system. When a insurance program, inmember died, the others cluding the implemenwere sent an assessment tation of a step-rate to pay based on three A K of C assessment card dated 1896 plan. grades of payment. 1940 – An agency 1892 – The Order establishes a Reserve system is begun and five new insurance Fund to guarantee financial solvency dur- plans are adopted. ing epidemics. 1944 – The Order establishes the Juvenile 10 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Insurance Program for the sons of members. 1945 – The first cash dividend is paid to policyholders. 1958 – To further assist members and David Parks Fackler their families, the Order introduces spousal insurance products and coverage for members’ daughters. 1960 – The Order reaches $1 billion of insurance in force and assets surpass $170 million.

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PASCHALL PHOTO: Mary Lou Uttermohlen

telephone sales and installation in the New York City area. It was the 1990s, and the Y2K scare bolstered his sales and helped set him up financially for a better retirement. Eventually, he and his wife followed one of their daughters and the grandkids to Louisiana. One month after purchasing a new home in 2005, Hurricane Katrina sent five trees through the couple’s roof followed by four feet of water. The resulting financial stresses prompted them to revisit their situation with the help of Curtis Monson, a Knights of Columbus field agent with the Terry Kennedy Agency. Paschall’s father was a Fourth Degree Knight in Pennsylvania, so he felt comfortable letting the agent complete a financial review and suggest that they move a large chunk of Paschall’s retirement money into a K of C annuity. They annuitized the funds to extract a monthly payment to supplement his income, and Paschall’s wife also acquired a K of C annuity, using money from her 401K and choosing an alternate payment option. Paschall said that at this stage of his life, he was looking for an income he could count on.“We have additional monthly income now because we are both collecting social security and income from the Knights of Columbus, so it is working out nicely for us,” he said. “This was an answer to my prayers.” While his wife is retired and enjoying the grandkids, Paschall is looking to buy a boat and scouting locations for them to fish. “Thank God we are happy,” said Paschall. “We would be happier if we had better weather. It just won’t warm up!” ‘A FATHER’S GIFT’ On March 26, 2007, Kevin Gallagher of Spokane, Wash., was in the hospital delivery room as his wife, Dorothy, gave birth to their daughter, Abigail — a name that means “father’s gift.” Gallagher was in the final days of his battle with advanced lung cancer, and complications from the illness left him mostly blind, unable to see the baby. Nevertheless, he insisted on being present, if only to hold his third child and to be around as much as possible before the cancer took his life — which happened little more than a month

1970 – The Order opens a new, 23-story home office building in New Haven, Conn. 1975 – A.M. Best bestows its first highest approval rating for the insurance program. 1977 – Flexible retirement annuities are introduced to members. 1980 – Total life insurance premiums surpass $1 billion. 1982 – The New Member Plan is introduced to en- The Supreme Council headcourage greater member par- quarters in New Haven, Conn. ticipation in the Order’s 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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after Abigail’s birth. The couple had had some difficulty with previous childbirths, and the doctors didn’t think they would be able to have another child. “I look at Abigail and think we should never have been able to have more kids, but I believe she was given to us to give Kevin a fighting reason to be around just a little bit longer,” said

insurance program. 1985 – Insurance in force reaches $10 billion as assets pass $1.7 billion. 1987 – Certificates in force exceed one million. 1989 – The Order distributes more than $100 million in life dividends. 1992 – Insurance in force passes the $20 billion mark. The Order receives its first AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s. 1994 – Family Fraternal Benefit, Orphan Fraternal Benefit and Member/Spouse

Fraternal Benefit programs are approved at the 112th Supreme Convention. 1996 – After issuing more than $4 billion of insurance in a single year, the Order reaches $30 billion of total insurance in force. 1998 – The Order distributes more than $200 million in life dividends. 1999 – The Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA) certifies the Order’s insurance program for its ethical business practices. 2000 – The Order offers “Knights of Columbus Care,” a long-term care insurance plan for members and their spouses. Insurance in force exceeds $40 billion and assets top $8.5 billion.

PHOTO: Dean Davis

Dorothy Gallagher’s husband, Kevin, died from advanced lung cancer in 2007. Without Kevin’s Knights of Columbus Insurance policy, Dorothy and her three children could have faced bankruptcy.

Dorothy Gallagher. “I still try to have gatherings around [Kevin’s] birthday or the anniversary of his death. He liked to have people come together.” Whereas Dorothy described her husband as not much of a “joiner,” he was deeply committed to the Knights of Columbus. With the assistance of their Knights of Columbus Insurance

agent, Dave Bailey, the Gallaghers fortunately purchased life insurance for themselves and their children in 2005. Bailey was a serious guy who convinced the Gallaghers to make room in their monthly budget for life insurance, and in the process he became a friend of the family. By the fall of the following year, Dorothy discovered she was pregnant; one month later her husband was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer. The disease was too far along for surgery to make sense. Kevin had to quit working, but he put their financial affairs in order and made sure Dorothy understood the family finances and how the insurance they had purchased would be enough to cover the family’s short-term costs. “Kevin was so passionate about the importance of taking care of our family,” Dorothy said. “He was the kind of guy people would look at and say, ‘That is the kind of father or husband I want to be.’” She added, “I know many people — some who are related to me — who don’t have life insurance and haven’t taken that step.” On Kevin’s deathbed, his fellow council members arranged to have Kevin inducted into the Order’s Fourth Degree. The word “Sir” was added to his name on the gravestone, along with the emblem of the Order. And last year, Knights in Spokane chartered a new council and named it after Kevin’s favorite saint, St. Michael the Archangel. The survivor’s benefits helped to pay for the funeral and for $150,000 in unpaid medical bills and other expenses. “I want his death to be something positive.” Dorothy said, “and so I want to be an advocate for life insurance. Without it, I would have ended up in bankruptcy, questioning how I would have raised the kids.”♦ TOM TRACY is a freelance writer based in West Palm Beach, Fla.

2002 – Out of more than 1,200 800 Series, is introduced. insurance providers in North Amer2009 – Insurance in force passes ica, the Order becomes one of only $70 billion as assets surpass $14 six to receive the highest ratings billion; the number of long-term from Standard & Poor’s and A.M. care policies in force exceeds Best, as well as IMSA certification. 30,000. The first sales conference 2003 – Life sales exceed $5 billion for Knights of Columbus field as assets pass $10 billion. Life diviagents is held in St. Louis with dends paid exceed $300 million. more than 500 agents from the 2005 – A limited life insurance United States and Canada in attenprogram begins for members in More than 500 agents attended the inaugural Knights of Columbus dance. The Order receives the Mexico. highest approval rating from A.M. sales conference in St. Louis in July 2009. 2006 – The Order reaches $10 Best for the 34th consecutive year billion in benefits paid to member and a rating of AAA from Standard 2007 – Record issue of $1 billion net life families since its founding: $2.3 billion in insurance face amount in 63 days. & Poor’s for the 17th consecutive year. death claims and $8 billion in living ben2010 – Insurance in force passes $75 2008 – Newly priced and enhanced life efits. billion. insurance product portfolio, known as the M AY 2 0 1 0

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Extraordinary Strength Despite a difficult financial market, Knights of Columbus Insurance has thrived by Rob Garver

s the global economy slogged through the worst of the financial crisis in late 2008 and most of 2009, the insurance industry seemed to be mired as deeply as any other sector of the financial services industry. Insurance firms’ investment portfolios suffered, and in June 2009, global accounting firm Ernst & Young released a report identifying the insurance industry as the sector most at risk of financial meltdown as a result of the ongoing crisis. Coincidentally, June was also the month in which two major ratings agencies — Standard & Poor’s and A.M. Best — announced their opinions on the stability of New Haven, Conn.based Knights of Columbus Insurance. For the 34th consecutive year, A.M. Best gave the Knights its top rating, Superior (A++). On the same day, Standard & Poor’s rated the company Extremely Strong (AAA) — the highest rating available. By year-end, the Knights of Columbus was also certified by the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA) for its ethical business and marketing practices, making Knights of Columbus Insurance one of only three insurers in the United States — and the sole insurer in Canada — with all three distinctions. GROWTH AND STABILITY “They have the highest rating that we assign — and there is a relatively small percentage of companies that do,” said Joseph Marinucci, an analyst with Standard & Poor’s. “Their ability to make good on a claim is very strong.” Marinucci said that when S&P made the decision to renew its AAA rating on Knights of Columbus Insurance, it did so based on an extensive analysis of the company’s financial position and business profile. “We have explicit criteria for evaluating insurance companies,” he said, adding that the analysis includes, but is not limited to,

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assessing the company’s balance sheet, investment portfolio, risk exposure and cash reserves. In the report reaffirming its rating, S&P analysts wrote that the decision was “based on [the Knights’] extremely strong capital, very strong competitive position because of its unique strategic advantage in the Catholic market, historically strong profitability and extremely strong liquidity.” Not everyone familiar with the Knights’ high-profile role as a Catholic fraternal organization understands that the Order was originally chartered as a fraternal benefit society, dedicated to ensuring the financial well-being of its members and their families. In the 128 years since its founding, the less formal mutual benefit society has developed into an internationally respected insurer, with more than $75 billion in life insurance in force, as well as annuities and long-term care insurance. The insurance is backed by nearly $15 billion in assets, and its services are offered through a network of more than 1,400 full-time professional agents throughout North America. At the same time much of the insurance industry suffered from a crisis of customer confidence, the Knights wrote a record $7.57 billion in new policies in 2009 and issued more than twice as many annuities as it had the previous year. This growth continues a decade-long trend: From 1999 through 2009, total insurance in force more than doubled. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson attributes the Knights’ success to prudent financial management. “Our history of careful management and our conservative investment practices made all the difference when last year’s severe downturn punished virtually every financial services company,” he said. “Our mission, to provide financial security for our members and their families with top-quality insurance products, remains our number-one priority.”

K The numbers suggest that the Knights focus on client service has been very successful. With an overall lapse rate of only 3.8 percent, more than 96 percent of policyholders keep their policies in force year after year, significantly more than the industry average. A STRATEGY FOR SECURITY Behind the ratings and the numbers is a staff of seasoned financial professionals whose task is to invest wisely in order to preserve the financial stability of Knights of Columbus Insurance. Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Anthony V. Minopoli said that there is one key management tenet that kept the program from suffering the financial beating that many firms took during the crisis. “We subscribe to a simple mantra that says there is no transaction that we have to participate in,” he said. “If we really cannot trace how a dollar comes in the front door and makes it to the bottom line, we won’t participate.” When the rest of the marketplace was running headlong to invest in complex collateralized debt obligations, collateralized loan obligations and other products that would eventually cause the credit markets to seize up, the Knights of Columbus program held back. “We just decided not to play in that market,” said Minopoli. “It wasn’t that we didn’t understand those products — we understood them perfectly, and that’s why we didn’t get involved with those transactions.” As other firms threw money into the financial services marketplace the Knights allocated about one-third of the industry average to investments in financial firms. When managers began to see the market for commercial mortgage-backed securities overheating last year, the Order even managed to sell some of its weaker assets into the bull market. And, in a year when the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation closed 139 failed banks, Minopoli said, “We literally had exposure to one bank failure, and that was in a portfolio managed by an outside manager.” According to Minopoli, the focus on prudent investment strategies is a top-down effort. “The overall risk tolerance and the strategy I take in the investment department is completely understood by senior management. I have never been pushed to take risks we shouldn’t take.” In a message to members, Thomas P. Smith Jr., Executive Vice President (Agencies and Marketing), explained what the Knights’ financial strength means for members. “First,” he wrote, “it means that you can take great pride in the success your organization is having in fulfilling the vision of Father Michael J. McGivney by caring for the financial security of our members and their families. Second, in case you haven’t already, this would be a great time to get on the bandwagon and have a discussion with your agent.”♦ ROB GARVER is a freelance writer from Springfield, Va., specializing in financial services and the business community.

C I NSURANCE

PRODUCTS

LIFE INSURANCE • Permanent Life Insurance: A variety of options that can provide guaranteed lifelong coverage. Generally, cash values accumulate on a tax-deferred basis. o Life Paid-up at 65: Paid-up at the contract date nearest your 65th birthday. Coverage and cash values continue for the rest of your life. o 20 Payment Life: Plan is paid-up in 20 years, and coverage continues. Coverage and cash values continue for the rest of your life. o Single Premium Life: One payment purchases a paid-up life policy offering permanent life insurance protection and has immediate cash values that are guaranteed to grow over time. • Term Life Insurance: Plans offer coverage for 10-, 15- and 20-year periods, and premiums are guaranteed to be level for the initial term period. No cash value accumulation. • Second-to-Die: Two plans available: Survivorship Universal Life (SUL) and DuaLife. Second-to-die life insurance programs cover two people and generally cost less than two individual policies. The death benefit is paid upon the death of the second person. • Discoverer: This unique plan combines the guaranteed cash value of a whole life policy with the features of term life insurance. • Many policy riders available, including Child Rider.

LONG-TERM CARE • Two policy types available: Comprehensive, which provides for care at home or in facilities (adult day care, assisted living or skilled nursing home); and facility-only care, which provides only for care outside the home. • Allows your spouse or children to be your family, not your caregiver. • Many features available to meet personal needs. • Since its initial offering, premiums have never been increased on existing policy holders. • Several riders are offered, including Inflation Protection Rider and Return of Premium Rider. • Tax-qualified plans.

RETIREMENT PRODUCTS • Annuities provide long-term accumulation of wealth, specifically designed for retirement needs. • Guaranteed safety of principal. • CDs, cash from mutual funds and money markets can be transferred into our tax-deferred, non-qualified annuity. • IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), TSA and SEP plans are available. It is also possible to roll your existing plan into our tax-deferred, qualified annuity. • In Canada, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and other roll-overs and annuity plans are available. • All of our annuities can be funded with as little as $300 to start.

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ETHICS & PROFITABILITY

Catholic social teaching and Father McGivney’s vision demonstrate that a business can be both ethical and successful by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

he Knights of Columbus and modern Catholic social teaching were born less than a decade apart: the Knights in 1882 and the Church’s social teaching that took into account the rapidly changing world of commerce with Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891. Catholic social teaching and the Knights of Columbus also share a common motivation: Christ’s commandment that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Father McGivney’s motivation for founding the Knights of Columbus had both religious and financial components. He was not interested in making money for shareholders or in pursuing profit at any cost. Instead, he wanted to safeguard the faith — and the finances — of Catholic families. As a Catholic organization, the Knights of Columbus has taken that message to heart ever since. Prior to his election as Pope Benedict XVI, in the 1980s Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger warned that without an ethical foundation, market economies would collapse. Unfortunately, too many companies — and too many individuals who worked for those companies — compromised core values for the false promise of quick profit. The United States, along with the whole world, is still suffering as a result.

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Since the economic downturn in 2008, the ethics involved in business decisions have been a topic of much discussion. Whatever else caused the downturn, there can be no doubt that greed was a key catalyst. The key question is this: Can a business be both ethical and successful? The answer, of course, is yes. And people know it. CHARITY AND FRATERNITY A Knights of Columbus/ Marist College of Public Opinion poll last year found that three quarters of Americans, and more than 9 out of 10 executives, agree that a business can be both ethical and successful. This is not just a matter of opinion. In a book by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras titled Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (HarperBusiness, 2004), the authors begin by rejecting the notion that “the most successful companies exist first and foremost to maximize profits.” The authors add that profit is not the “dominant driving force or primary objective” of visionary companies and conclude that “visionary companies make more money than the more purely profit-driven comparison companies.” There are many such visionary enterprises, and one of these is the Knights of Columbus.

The Order has led by example both in our charitable givThis last certification is very important because it is our ing and in our ability to run a successful business enterprise ethical commitment that makes profitability possible and based on Catholic social teaching. We consciously strive to sustainable into the future. It is financial strength through safeguard the finances of our brother Knights and their fam- moral strength that allows economic development to be truly ilies who invest with us and to treat our employees fairly. sustainable. Pope Benedict made this clear in latest encyclical, Our goal has never been simply to make money. Rather, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). the Order exists to protect the financial future of its memCatholic social teaching tells us and our own experience bers’ families. And our brother Knights are our family. proves that the golden rule — which states that we should That is our strength — and a consideration that underlies treat others as we wish to be treated — makes good business all of our decisions. That is the rationale underlying our sense. program of insurance by brother Knights, for brother Over time, it is the ethically run business that will avoid Knights. risky bets with others’ money. It is the ethical company that Ethical dealings in any will treat its customers and area, including business, business associates in a manmust be based on the unner that will earn their trust, derstanding of the dignity their future business and of each person, and on our their loyalty. ur goal has never responsibility to our neighWe have seen this in rebor. Rather than embracing cent months with an inbeen simply to make the greed and jealousy that creased demand for quality, money. Rather, the motivated Cain to kill his especially in regard to finanbrother and then pretend cial products as a key to ecoOrder exists to protect ignorance of the crime by nomic recovery. But for asking, “Am I my brother’s Christians, and indeed for all the financial future of keeper?”, a proper approach people of good will, “qualits members’ families. to business takes as its ity” must always include the model the Good Samaritan quality of a corporation’s And our brother Knights and concern for our moral compass. All of us — brother. whether we are executives, are our family. That is At the Knights of employees, investors or conour strength — and a Columbus, that means that sumers — must insist that our investment standards this be the case. consideration that underrule out investing in comThis is not a job solely or panies that violate Catholic even primarily for governlies all of our decisions. teaching in a number of ment, although government areas, including pornograpolicies can be used to help phy and abortion. Yet, in create a more moral business one of the worst financial climate. Each of us has a recrises in memory, we still sponsibility to love our made money, and even improved our strength relative to neighbor and to create an ethical environment at home, at the industry — not by compromising our principles, but work and throughout society. by holding to them. As a general model of business, then, we can say with political economist and author Peter Drucker (1909-2005) that THE GOLDEN RULE we do not have a need for “business ethics”; our personal Because of our commitment to running our business in a ethics — present in every aspect of our lives — should elimway consistent with Catholic social teaching, we are one of inate the need for any specialized ethics. only three U.S. life insurance companies — and the only one Basing profitability on time-tested moral values means basin Canada — to have achieved the highest rating for financial ing decisions on bedrock and not on the shifting sands of the strength from A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s, as well as latest risky fad. This is a truth that Father McGivney underethical certification from the Insurance Marketplace Stan- stood, a truth Pope Benedict understands, and it remains a dards Association. guiding principle of the Knights of Columbus.♦

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♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 17

A ll

in a

day’s work Knights of Columbus agents respond to a call to help others secure their financial future and plan for the unexpected

by Gerald Korson

dward O’Keefe remembers the funeral as if it were yesterday. The deceased, a brother Knight, was a relatively young man, married with children, and his death evoked intense grief throughout the parish. O’Keefe, the Knights of Columbus field agent who had secured him a life insurance policy, was close to him and his family. “The moment that had the greatest impact on me was when I visited with his widow after his funeral,” said O’Keefe, a member of St. Ursula Council 5058 in Parkville, Md., and an agent with the Robert Marlowe Agency. “She said to me, ‘If my husband had not joined the Knights of Columbus, he would have had no death benefit.’ She thanked me for my persistence in meeting with them on a regular basis. That reinforced how important our work is to members and their families.” Today, whenever a potential client is reluctant to discuss his financial needs, O’Keefe recalls the widow’s gratitude. And he

Jose Ortega, a member of San Jose y la Virgen Maria Council 14948 in Lynn, Mass., and an agent with the Joseph DiCalogero Agency, wants his brother Knights to know and take advantage of the benefits of life insurance. M AY 2 0 1 0

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UP TO THE CHALLENGE Catholics who associate the Knights with pancake breakfasts, Tootsie Rolls and Fourth Degree honor guards may not be aware of the Order’s fraternal benefits, said Doug Kelly, an agent with the Kevin Pfeifer Agency and member of St. Robert Bellarmine Council 10108 in Omaha, Neb. “People don’t know there is this whole other segment that helps them protect their families,” Kelly explained. “As agents, if we don’t convey that with passion, then we’re letting Father McGivney down.” Kelly said the most fulfilling aspect of his work is in helping families solidify their financial future and protect their assets. His biggest frustration is not yet being able to meet and help all 940 families in his region. “There are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want and need to do to help my members,” he said. This frustration is fed by soul-rending anecdotes involving 20 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Knights who put off buying insurance — with devastating results. “One of the biggest challenges for me has been working with families that want to wait or think about purchasing insurance,” said Jose Ortega, a member of San Jose y la Virgen Maria Council 14948 in Lynn, Mass., and an agent with the Joseph DiCalogero Agency. “I don’t want to force people to purchase insurance before they are ready, but I know how these benefits can help. It is heartbreaking when I return to see them and something terrible has happened.” Ortega recalled one couple that decided to postpone a decision on life insurance until after their vacation in Puerto Rico. Tragically, the wife died on that trip. Another couple he had advised was still weighing financial options when the wife was struck by a car and left disabled. “I could no longer offer them the same financial security discussed during our first visit,” Ortega said. “This is very difficult for me to watch in my community.” BECOMING EDUCATED New field agents usually receive training from a general agent, a manager of one of the Order’s 137 regional agencies. They must complete a comprehensive program, understand the ethics of the profession, and pursue continuing education and certifications to retain up-to-date knowledge of financial products and opportunities. Previous experience in insurance, accounting or sales is not a

ORTEGA: Bryce Vickmark — BOUVIER: Brad Chisolm — O’KEEFE: Daniel Bedell

remembers he has a chance to make a difference in the lives of families when they are in most need of support. It is this perspective that drives the Order’s field agents. Numbering more than 1,300, they are dedicated men charged with ensuring that brother Knights and their families have a financial strategy that will provide for their retirement, their emergency needs and their surviving beneficiaries.

prerequisite for success. Ortega was a mechanical engineer and restaurateur. Kelly, a longtime administrator, earned his master’s degree in human development. Across the border in Edmonton, Alberta, former schoolteacher Neil Bouvier of St-Thomas d’Aquin Council 9046 said he utilizes his classroom skills regularly in his capacity as a field agent with the Marc Bouchard Agency. “Basically, the job I do now involves education,” said Bouvier. “The men I speak with probably don’t wake up that morning saying, ‘Today’s the day I have to buy life insurance.’ It’s a matter of priorities. I have to show him that life insurance is not about benefitting himself, but the people he cares about most — his wife and children.” The challenge, he said, is to impress upon couples the need to plan for contingencies long before a crisis occurs. “No one who boarded the Titanic was too concerned about the life rafts,” said Bouvier. “When the ship started going down, all of a sudden the rafts became very important.” Life rafts have been in high demand since the economic downturn in 2008. While many financial firms fared poorly — and their investors still worse — the Knights’ financial products became even more popular. “People are safety-oriented now, and that’s actually helped in a lot of ways,” said O’Keefe. “I think the Knights overall have had

Clockwise from upper left: Neil Bouvier, a former schoolteacher, now teaches members how life insurance protects families financially. • Bouvier is pictured here with his wife and baby. • Edward O’Keefe enjoys an afternoon in the park with his wife and daughter. • O’Keefe is an agent with the Robert Marlowe Agency and a member of St. Ursula Council 5058 in Parkville, Md. • Jose Ortega sits reading with his wife and daughter. some of their best years ever because people are moving toward products that are guaranteed, products they can count on in the future.” Steve Owens, a K of C field agent with the Ben Baca Agency, said such guarantees are important to agents because they take seriously the promises they make to their brother Knights. “I go out and keep the promises made by other agents years ago, and I make promises every day that I know will be kept in the future,” he said. “I don’t have to wonder what will happen to the families if the market goes down.” THE CALL AND COMMITMENT Most agents get their start the same way they become Knights: Somebody asks them. “My council field agent invited me to consider a career with the Knights of Columbus,” said Owens, a member of Father Robert

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Ross Council 6095 in Stanton, Calif. “I soon learned that this invitation was more like a calling. I could see that a career with the Knights would allow me to spend my working hours helping others in a job that is tied to my Catholic faith. What could be better?” This sense of vocation is common among Knights of Columbus agents, and it is confirmed through personal experiences. Owens recalled sitting down with a Knight and his wife for a routine annual review of their financial security and informing them of the substantial cash value that their whole-life policy had accrued. Several weeks later, they found themselves in sudden financial straits and remembered what he had told them. “I believe God sent you to us two months ago when you came to do the review,” the couple told Owens when they contacted him. “We had no idea that we had access to that cash value. This financial problem was going to happen anyway, but we’ll be able to manage it because you were here.” The responsibilities of a field agent sometimes extend well be-

T HE H ALL

yond the sale of insurance. Among other things, agents sometimes assist with funeral arrangements if their clients pass away, complete claim forms, and secure the survivors’ Social Security and veterans benefits. “We have a whole checklist that we go through with them,” Kelly said. “They rely on us to be their local experts.” Although a widow can purchase or modify financial products for only a year after her husband’s death, Kelly said he and other K of C field agents will continue to check on her well-being indefinitely. “All these other insurance guys say, ‘Why would you keep visiting somebody if you can’t sell them anything?’ That completely misses the point,” Kelly explained. “I visit them because I promised their husbands I would always take care of them and their kids. That’s how deep the commitment runs in us.” Another aspect that agents appreciate is that the Order does not hold stock in any firms whose products or aims conflict with Catholic moral or ethical values.

FAME

The Knights of Columbus honors agents who have achieved excellence in working for the good of the Order

FROM ITS BEGINNING, the Order’s insurance program has had many heroes, starting with Father Michael J. McGivney and those who joined him at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., in 1882. Since 1993, the Knights of Columbus Insurance Hall of Fame has honored the program’s modern champions for their extraordinary service, loyalty and dedication to the insurance and fraternal programs of the Order. 1993 – John F. O’Brien (Texas & Director of Agencies, New Haven), Eugene F. O’Brien (Minnesota) and Herbert A. Kappel (North Dakota) The first Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held in St. Louis Jan. 10, 1993, and John O’Brien, Gene O’Brien and Herb Kappel were honored as the initial inductees. Among them, they served the insurance program for more than 81 years. Each ran successful agencies that were models for the Order. 1994 – Mario E. LeBeau (Quebec) Mario LeBeau served for 17 years as a field 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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agent and then as a general agent. In the early days of the Knights’ insurance program in Canada, LeBeau traveled all of Quebec promoting the program. 1998 – Francis N. Viscardi (Maryland) Frank Viscardi had an unparalleled 19year career as a field agent in which he averaged 422 applications per year and $6 million in annual volume. Viscardi founded a volunteer employment bureau and, after his retirement, helped train new agents. 2002 – Daniel D. Sieve (Missouri) Daniel Sieve recruited more than 500 men before his untimely death in 2001 at the age of 44. Over the course of his 13 years as a field agent and general agent, Sieve placed almost 2,000 life applications for more than $72 million in coverage on his clients. The Daniel D. Sieve Pacesetter Award was renamed in his memory and is awarded to field agents who issue 100 life policies or more on assigned members during a calendar year.

2003 – Charles P. Theis (Minnesota/ Missouri) From his beginnings as a field agent in Minnesota to his years as a general agent in Missouri, Charles Theis lived by a simple creed: Work hard, do the right thing, cherish your agents and treat your clients right. Over his 30-year career, Theis helped grow his agency’s service area from 9,000 members to well over 15,000. 2006 – James A. McCue Jr. (Missouri) During his 49-year career, McCue finished at 100 percent of his annual goal or better 35 times. Understanding the critical relationship between the Order’s insurance and fraternal aspects helped McCue and his agents to institute more than 50 new councils and recruit nearly 2,000 new members. 2010 – David A. Neeser (Minnesota) The ninth inductee, Dave Neeser, retired in 2009 after a 41-year career in the Order’s field force. As a general agent, Neeser finished at 100 percent of annual goal or better during 22 of his 25 years.

“If you’re looking for an ethical fund, it would be awfully tough to find a fund that matches your Catholic beliefs better than the Knights of Columbus,” said Bouvier. A REWARDING PROFESSION What O’Keefe enjoys most about his job is the opportunity to work with Catholic families who share his faith and values. He has a special affinity with families that have members with physical or intellectual disabilities. “These families are on the frontline of the pro-life movement, and I have a deep understanding of their emotional and financial stresses,” said O’Keefe, who has a daughter with both Down syndrome and autism. Ortega, meanwhile, has a special place in his heart for Spanishand Portuguese-speaking members, and his multilingual abilities have helped him reach this often underserved community. “A big part of my job has been educating families about the

W HAT

Order and the benefits that come with membership,” said Ortega, who has made many connections through Spanish liturgies and the Cursillo and Charismatic movements. His work has more than doubled membership in his area and has led to the formation of two new councils. The very nature of a field agent’s work brings him into contact with some of the most intimate and emotional moments in a family’s life. Kelly recalled a friend who deferred his life insurance purchase for years before finally settling on a policy in the fall of 2007. Seven months later, the man was diagnosed with leukemia. “I visited him numerous times in the hospital, and there was nothing else the doctors could do for him,” Kelly said. “In his last days, I sat on his bed, holding his hand, and he asked me, ‘What else do I need to do?’ And I said, ‘You’ve done everything you needed to do to protect your wife and family.’”♦ GERALD KORSON writes from Fort Wayne, Ind.

TAKES TO B E

AGENT

Might a career with the Knights of Columbus field force be right for you? JOBS, jobs, jobs. In these times of high a service that helps people. Think about Interested? Consider having a no-obligunemployment and higher stress, it seems visiting a brother Knight’s widow and ation discussion about a career with the almost everyone is worried about finding a bringing her a benefit check that will, for Knights of Columbus. job or keeping the one they have — not to all intents and purposes, save her life. Each Knights of Columbus agent must mention attaining a level of employment Think about a career where every meeting pass the careful scrutiny of our selection that will meet the needs of one’s family. starts with a prayer, where the work you process, and would never be put in a poKnights of Columbus Insurance, mean- do is in the name of a Catholic priest who sition where he cannot succeed. while, currently has about 300 openings is being considered for sainthood, and Training takes place in New Haven, that we are seeking to fill immediately. where your clients share with you a deep Conn., as well as at the local level and These openings exist in almost every ju- love for the Order and the Church. through our online university. We like to say risdiction where the that we have the bestOrder sells its products, trained field force in the inand we may be hiring in surance industry. And the your area. market to which you are asTo be certain, selling signed is exclusively yours life insurance, retirement to build and cultivate. products and long-term For more information, care to our members and visit the “Career Opportheir families is not a tunities” section of walk in the park — and the Order’s Web site, not a job for everyone. www.kofc.org/careers, But for the right man, it where you can watch tescan be a life-changing timonials from a number experience. of current agents. You can Think about being also express interest or compensated in return find out more by calling for your efforts and sucVice President of Mancesses, as opposed to power Development Steve earning an hourly, weekly Fedewa at (203) 752or annual wage. Think 4136, or e-mail him at New field agents listen as Richard A. Robinson, vice president (training and about setting your own steven.fedewa@kofc.org. compliance), facilitates a class during Field Agent School at the Supreme Council schedule and performing — Thomas P. Smith Jr. headquarters in New Haven, Conn. M AY 2 0 1 0

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What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You Debunking common misconceptions about life insurance by Rudy Sturk

MYTH 1:

Since I am single and have no dependents, I don’t need any coverage. Even a single person will leave expenses, including funeral costs and any unpaid debts, which would be passed to other family members.

MYTH 2: You should buy life insurance equal to five times your salary. Unfortunately, this simple calculation is not accurate. In a basic sense, the amount of life insurance you should buy is based on your family’s immediate needs, ongoing obligations and future plans. Immediate needs and obligations include funeral costs, mortgage payments, food, utilities and taxes, while future plans may include children’s educational costs. The life insurance calculator at www.kofc.org can give a general idea of your needs, but meeting with an agent will fill in the blanks and answer additional questions. MYTH 3: My employer provides all the coverage I need. Having some employer coverage is nice, but it is likely not enough for your needs. If something happens to your job, or the company changes its policy, you could be left with inadequate coverage. Supplementing this with a personally owned plan will keep your finances protected. MYTH 4: Only breadwinners need life insurance coverage. While the breadwinner brings monetary income to the family, consider the financial value a stay-at-home parent provides. Costs of childcare, household management and other domestic duties can be 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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expensive to replace. Even if a person does not have a paying “job,” it does not mean that he or she is not contributing.

MYTH 5: My spouse has a policy, so I don’t need one. What happens if you die before your spouse? You may leave him or her with financial burdens that are too expensive to handle. If you each have a policy, both of you are covered when the need arises. MYTH 6: I should always buy ‘term’ insurance and invest the difference. Some financial advisors believe this is the right way to approach life insurance. Unfortunately, many well-intentioned investors never actually get the “difference” invested. Those who do leave themselves open to potentially volatile swings in the market that can decrease the value of their investment, which they hoped would be their “insurance.” On the other hand, a whole life policy is guaranteed to increase in value as you pay your premiums. Also, term policies can increase in cost as you age, and you may become uninsurable over time. MYTH 7: I only need life insurance when my kids are young and my financial obligations are the greatest. It is true that your need for insurance is tied to your obligations. Yet, as your family ages, these obligations evolve. In the future, your policy could help pay for the educational costs of grandchildren not yet born or help your child pay for a home. You may even be able to borrow against the cash value accumulated in your maturing policy.

Field Agent Jose Ortega of Swampscott, Mass., explains the products offered by the Knights of Columbus to a young family.

MYTH 8: If I buy a term policy and still need protection when the term ends, I can always renew the policy. Some term plans are not renewable, and term renewal premiums are usually very expensive. Keep in mind a few important factors. First, you will be older, which guarantees you will pay higher premiums than you did when you bought previously. Second, your health conditions may have changed, making you potentially uninsurable. Speak with an agent to evaluate your family’s needs before making a decision that may seem cost-efficient today but could prove costly in the future. Term insurance is an excellent choice when coverage is needed only for a short period of time. MYTH 9: I should not buy insurance policies on my children. No one wants to consider the possibility

that something can happen to his child, but buying insurance on your child can be an important building block in his or her financial life. Such a policy can protect your child’s future insurability and offer accumulation of cash values that can be accessed later in life. Also, a Guaranteed Purchase Option (GPO) assures the right to purchase more coverage even if a child’s health changes.

PHOTO: Bryce Vickmark

MYTH 10: Permanent life insurance is too expensive. It is often true that purchasing permanent life insurance is more expensive than term insurance in the short term, but there are long-term cost advantages to buying permanent coverage. A professional agent can help you decide what plan is right for you. In fact, permanent life insurance can be the most cost-efficient way to provide financial security for your family. MYTH 11: I am better off investing my money than buying life insurance of any kind.

This is only true if you have time and expertise, two risky propositions. Premature death, poor investing decisions and instability in the markets could severely damage this plan. Permanent life insurance offers guarantees that investments cannot.

MYTH 12: Since I am young and healthy, I should wait until I am older to get insurance. A period of good health is actually the best time to consider buying life insurance. As you age, your premium costs will increase, and it is more likely that your health will decline. Waiting is often a costly mistake. MYTH 13: With my health history, there is no way I can get life insurance. Life insurance customers are placed in a variety of health categories, ranging from a low-risk “preferred” candidate to high-risk. A serious illness, such as diabetes, will not necessarily disqualify you from buying a life insurance policy, but it may place you in a somewhat higher-risk category. The

best way to know if you can be insured is to speak to your agent.

MYTH 14: My financial adviser will handle my insurance needs. Everyone should have a competent financial advisor in his life. Everyone should also have a competent professional insurance agent to review policies and verify that your family is protected. Having a second opinion is important to getting a complete picture. MYTH 15: I don’t have time to meet with an agent to discuss my coverage. Sitting with an agent takes less time than you might expect. He will come to your house when your schedule allows and do a complete insurance review. Due to his expertise, he may make recommendations that you would otherwise have missed. Our members find this is time well spent.♦ RUDY STURK is manager of marketing services for Knights of Columbus Insurance.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES

AUCTION & FLEA MARKET

St. Lazare de Bellechasee Council 11614 in St. Lazare, Quebec, held an auction and flea market that raised more than $7,400 for its parish. WHEELCHAIR RAMP

Papa Juan Pablo II Council 14259 in Long Beach/Nassau, N.Y., built a wheelchair ramp at St. Mary of the Isle Church in Long Beach. Members of St. Mark Council 1498 in Highlands Ranch, Colo., look over donated bikes to ensure that all parts are in working order. Four councils from in and around Centennial, along with dozens of other volunteers, helped collect more than 450 used bikes for inner-city children. Knights helped check the bikes for defects, and served popcorn and cotton candy to bike recipients.

STATUE PURCHASE

Shippagan (New Brunswick) Council 3514 donated more than $6,000 to its parish to purchase a statue of Christ.

music, dancing and a silent auction, and raised $1,000 for the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service.

SCHOOL SUPPORT

San Antonio (Fla.) Council 1768, Father Robert Rittmeyer Council 10671 in Zephyrhills and Deacon Robert K. Boynton Assembly in Panama City donated $1,600 to St. Anthony School when the school found itself critically short of operating funds due to the economic downturn.

Mary, Star of the Sea Council 511 in Hampton, Va., donated $1,200 to the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Red Cross. FAITH AND FOOD

Blessed John XXIII Council 14341 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville held a faith and food festival to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. The council invited every religious ministry at the school to attend, and each faith — Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Jewish and the Church of Christ — prepared a separate dish for the event. SOCK HOP

Members of St. Stephen Council 14084 in Riverview, Fla., and their families gathered for a sock hop at the Best Western Hotel in Brandon. The event included

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Rideau Council 2444 in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and Perth Council 3531 donated $5,000 to the Canadian National Evangelization Team (NET). The funds were presented at a council social for Knights, their wives and NET representatives.

FOOD FOR THE ELDERLY

East Lansing (Mich.) Council 7816 hosted a food drive that netted 425 pounds of nonperishable food items. Knights and parishioners distributed the donations among needy elderly mem-

RECTORY REMODEL

Members of Westbrook (Maine) Council 2219 helped remodel an old rectory building in their community. Knights donated $15,000 worth of materials and volunteered to help gut and completely refurbish the structure. STATUE STAND

Members of Msgr. James Corbett Warren Memorial Council 5073 in Burlington, Ontario, handcrafted a solid oak stand for a statue of Our Lady that was placed in the entrance lobby of Ecole Ste. Marie.

bers of the community the week following the drive. NEW CARPET

NET GAIN RED-LETTER DONATION

Members of Bellingham (Wash.) Council 829 hang a new, handcrafted crucifix at Church of the Assumption. Knights funded the creation of the new crucifix, which was carved by a local sculptor under the direction of pastor Father Scott Connolly.

St. Anne de Beaupre Council 3157 in Grants Pass, Ore., donated $2,000 to help replace the carpet at its parish hall. BIBLES FOR STUDENTS

Barney Gonyea Council 7109 in Safety Harbor, Fla., donated Bibles to 53 thirdgrade students at Espiritu Santo School. The presentation took place at a special school Mass for students and staff. DRIVE FOR THE NEEDY

Members of St. Peter Council 7070 in Edmonton, Alberta, level new soil and lay new sod at the Ursuline House in Millwoods. At the request of a sister there, Knights worked to repair the lawn at the residence by removing old sod and soil, and replacing it with fresh, level earth.

Maria, Trono de la Sabiduria Council 13582 at the Universidad Autonoma in Puebla, Mexico South, hosted a three-month drive to collect food and clothing for the needy. Knights collected nonperishable food items like rice, tuna and oatmeal, as well as used clothing and blankets.

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

Henry Hoi Doan and Tri Kim Do of Vietnamese Martyrs Council 14445 in Santa Ana, Calif., paint the gates outside the Vietnamese Catholic Center. Knights provided all materials and manpower for the project, which was undertaken at the request of the center’s director, Father Nguyen Uy Sy.

A JOINT EFFORT

St. Gregory Council 14687 in Amherst held a pancake breakfast with assistance from Boy Scout Troop 440, religious education students and pupils from St. Gregory School. Together, volunteers served more than 600 meals.

Grand Traverse Council 1213 in Traverse City, Mich., held a beer tasting event to collect donations for an area food pantry. The event brought together vendors from several Michigan microbreweries and raised nearly $8,000 in cash and food donations. HONORING SERVERS

Father Brendan Heaslip Council 11850 in Panama City Beach, Fla., presented service awards to 33 altar servers from St. Bernadette Parish. A BIT OF HOME

Saint Edward’s Council 6546 in Richmond, Va., has been sending care packages to service members in Afghanistan and Iraq for the past two years. In coordination with a local used book dealer, the council sends books, DVDs, magazines, food and other comfort items to soldiers deployed overseas. Thus far, the council has funded postage for more than 2,500 books, 1,000 DVDs and more.

Members of Virgin Islands Council 6187 in St. Thomas, USVI, prepare to sell soup at St. Peter and Paul School in support of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Pictured (from left) are: Alrid Lockhart, Phillip Marcellin, Claudy Brutus Sr. and James Hunt.

they would prepare and serve breakfast to the male residents who lived among the center’s predominately female population. VISITING VETERANS

Father Andrew White Assembly in Ridge, Md., visited with residents at the Charlotte Hall Veteran’s Home while the assembly’s ladies’ auxiliary distributed more than 80 handmade blankets to patients.

SCHOLARSHIP CONCERT

St. Mark Council 10488 in Londonderry, N.H., held a benefit concert to supplement its scholarship fund. The event, titled “Night with the Spirit,” featured a Christian rock band and raised money for the council’s Rosemarie R. Cox memorial scholarship.

REMEMBERING VETS

Good Shepherd of the Hills Council 13623 in Celestine, Ind., raised funds to erect a veterans memorial at St. Peter Celestine Church and added a light to the veterans memorial at St. Raphael Church. Several local veteran’s groups conducted a dedication of the new memorial at St. Peter Church and rededicated the memorial at St. Raphael Church.

CHALLENGE COIN

St. Sylvester Assembly in Navarre, Fla., designed and purchased a “challenge coin” that is given to active duty and retired members of the Armed Forces. The coin displays the Fourth Degree emblem on one side and the phrase “Thanks for serving our country” on the other. RECOVERY DRIVE

Mike Moore of Frances Cabrini Council 8879 in El Cajon, Calif., repaints a parking curb at Our Lady of Grace Church. Knights serve the parish by undertaking maintenance projects every other month, and have repaired benches, landscaped the church grounds, repainted the parking lot and more.

DECADE OF SERVICE

Blessed Sacrament Council 11524 in Amherstview, Ontario, has volunteered at the Briargate Retirement Living Centre for more than 10 years. In 1999, Knights Rob Beninger, Ron Ethridge and Bev Gauthier started the Briargate Men’s Breakfast. Every other Wednesday morning,

St. Frances de Chantal Council 6526 in Wantagh, N.Y., hosted a drive to collect food and funds for the Hope for the Future Ministries food pantry and soup kitchen in East Farmingdale. The facility, which serves the needy in Long Island and Manhattan’s Lower East Side, was damaged in an arson fire.

Bernie Korkowski and Jim Otto of Chesterton Council 1995 in Brandon, Minn., along with Korkowski’s grandchildren, stand in front of the community garden that Knights maintain with help from area parishioners. Council 1995 teamed with the United Way Food Shelf program to grow food for needy families and individuals. Knight Bernie Thoennes provided a quarter-acre lot of farmland that yielded more than 1,000 pounds of vegetables.

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♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 27

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

monthly meal encourages fellowship and fraternity within the small parish. Approximately 100 people attend each event. SIGN REFURBISHED

Members of Iron River (Mich.) Council 2300 refurbished a right-to-life sign in Gaastra that had seriously deteriorated over the years. An honor guard from Father Robert E. Kekeisen Assembly in Monument, Colo., stands at attention while Father Robert Manning blesses a new memorial fountain at the entrance to St. Gabriel Church. Sts. Gabriel and John Vianney Council 12335 in Colorado Springs built the fountain in memory of Knight Bob Hunter, who served as a deacon at the parish and passed away in 2007.

PARK PLANTING

EQUIPMENT DELIVERY

County to help operate the Durable Medical Equipment Loan Closet, which serves residents in south McHenry County and Sun City. Knights pick up and deliver on-loan medical equipment to senior citizens about 20 times each month.

St. Mary Council 11666 in Huntley, Ill., works with Faith in Action of McHenry

THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN

Jesus, Lord of Divine Mercy Council 12757 in Hobart Subdivision, Luzon, planted 50 trees at a new park located near Olympus Subdivision.

St. Isaac Jogues Council 11312 in Lincoln, Neb., donated five copies of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to Father Thomas MacLean, who teaches religious education at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. BICYCLE, BICYCLE

Bill Wehnert of Msgr. Stanley B. Witkowiak Council 697 in Sturtevant, Wis., and his 5year-old son, Matthew, display Knights of Columbus pro-life placards during a life chain in their community. Knights and their families joined Catholics from around Sturtevant to provide pro-life witness.

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Fredericksburg (Va.) Council 4034, along with the Lt. Cpl. Caleb Powers Young Marines unit and the staff of ATA Tire Center, assembled 100 bicycles to be distributed to needy children throughout the area. GERMAN BRUNCH

St. Francis Xavier Council 9848 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, worked with the women’s league at its parish to serve a German-style brunch after Mass. This

ETHNIC MEALS

St. Pius X Council 4185 in Richardton, N.D., cooks fresh schachlika and chubaracka each year to raise money for the council’s charitable fund. Schachlika and chubaracka — ethnic dishes from Crimea — consist of fresh lamb kabobs and ground lamb in a flour shell, respectively. LIFE ... ON THE GO

Father Marcel Salinas Council 11536 in Mesa, Ariz., held a pro-life baby bottle drive at its parish. Knights handed out 1,500 baby bottles and asked parishioners to fill them with spare change. The drive raised $14,000 for First Way, a pregnancy resource center in Phoenix that will use the funds to purchase a van with a portable ultrasound machine. AN ICON RESTORED

Cardinal Samuel Stritch Assembly in Chicago provided an honor guard for the dedication of a restored crucifix at St. Ann’s Church. The 2,000pound crucifix was once located at a K of C hall and was restored by a local Boy Scout. FUNDS FOR RAMP

Gardner (Mass.) Council 396 donated funds to Thomas and Jean Penniman for the construction of a wheelchair ramp at their home. Thomas and Jean’s son, Michael, has cerebral palsy, which prevents him from moving without

Thomas Tebo (right) of Miami Council 1726 looks on while Father Liam T. Quinn blesses a shipment of K of C rosaries before they are distributed to the poor. Tebo launched a mission with his council to distribute rosaries to the homeless in and around Miami. To date, Knights have handed out more than 100 rosaries. Father Quinn, pastor of St. Sebastian Church in Fort Lauderdale, is a member of Council 1726.

the aid of a wheelchair. With the ramp installed, Michael can now venture outdoors at his leisure. TUITION FUNDS

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5482 in Accokeek, Md., donated $4,100 to St. Mary, Star of the Sea School. The funds will provide tuition assistance to needy students. Our Lady of the Rosary Council 8214 in Round Lake, Ill., also donated $5,500 to its parish school to provide tuition assistance.

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

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

IN SERVICE TO ONE, IN SERVICE TO ALL

• Ensenada, Mexico

Quetta, Pakistan •

• Vinh-Luong, Vietnam Zamboanga, Philippines •

Orlu, Nigeria • Mubende, Uganda •

CATHOLICS IN PAKISTAN

Since 2003, Lac La Biche (Alberta) Council 4833 has conducted an annual “Mission Well” fundraiser to benefit the apostolic prefecture in Quetta, Pakistan, which is working to establish a Catholic diocese there. Over several years, Knights have raised more than $45,000 — about $7,500 per year — to aid this endeavor. In late 2009, the council received a message from its former chaplain, Father Aloysius Roy, requesting a chalice for

the burgeoning diocese. Knights authorized the donation of two chalices, which were mailed to Quetta along with the council’s annual mission funds. BISHOP’S VISIT

Msgr. Joseph A. Murray Assembly in Fairfield Bay, Ark., provided an honor guard for Bishop Augustine T. Ukwuoma of Orlu, Nigeria, when he visited St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Bishop Ukwuoma, who is a member of

Henry T. Gage Council 2550 in Los Angeles, met with five priests from the Diocese of Orlu who are serving in the Diocese of Little Rock. He also met with other Nigerian priests serving in the state and with priests from Missouri and Oklahoma. In addition to the honor guard, the assembly and its ladies’ auxiliary also provided food and shelter for the bishop and his guests. CHALICE DONATED

Holy Cross Council 2739 in Detroit donated a chalice from its annual memorial Mass to a mission in the Philippines. The chalice, which is engraved with the names of deceased Knights, found a new home at a mission formation center in Zamboanga, Mindanao, that educates priests, religious and lay people to serve as missionaries. SOCKS ARE THE BEST MEDICINE

Children at an elementary school in Vinh-Luong, Vietnam, study under the guidance of several religious sisters. St. Francis Xavier Council 10500 in Vancouver, British Columbia, raised $25,000 to help repair the classrooms and convent in VinhLuong after the area was damaged during a flood.

St. Frances Cabrini Council 9679 in Yucaipa, Calif., traveled to Ensenada, Mexico, to deliver 600 pairs of white tube socks to patients at a

drug rehabilitation facility that serves 150 men, some as young as 14 years old. Knights spent three hours visiting with patients, who welcomed the gift that will keep their feet warm during the cold-weather months. BROTHER IN UGANDA

St. John the Evangelist Council 12983 in Vancouver, Wash., donated $30,000 to Father Achilles S. Kiwanuka, a council member who runs a seminary in Mubende, Uganda. The money will help fund ongoing improvements at the seminary, which the council has adopted for several years. Father Kiwanuka joined Council 12983 while studying for his post-graduate degree at the University of Portland. He visits Vancouver every December to celebrate Mass and to raise funds for the seminary. The improvements needed to repair the school’s infrastructure and boost its academic standard will cost an estimated $400,000.

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

VALUATION EXHIBIT OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS In compliance with the requirements of the laws of the various states, we publish below a Valuation Exhibit of the Knights of Columbus as of Dec. 31, 2009. The law requires that this publication shall be made of the results of the valuation with explanation as filed with the insurance departments.

ASSETS — Actual and Contingent

1. Admitted Assets of the General Account Fund, item 26, page 2 of Annual Statement: $15,548,928,424

LIABILITIES — Actual and Contingent 2. Old System Reserve — including additional reserve: $ 2,127,611 3. New System Reserve — including D.I. and Dis. W. (net of reins): $ 9,088,997,078 4. Reserve for accident and health certificates: $ 133,623,523 5. Total per item 1 and 2, page 3 of Annual Statement: $ 9,224,748,212 6. Deduct liens and interest thereon, not included in Admitted Assets, and not in excess of required reserves on the corresponding individual certificates: None 7. Balance — Item 5 less item 6 above: $ 9,224,748,212 8. Liabilities of the General Account Fund, except reserve (items 3 to 22 incl. page 3 of Annual Statement): $ 4,676,675,857 9. Liabilities — Actual and Contingent — sum of items 7 and 8 above: $13,901,424,069 10. Ratio percent of Dec. 31, 2009 — 111.85% Assets — Actual and Dec. 31, 2008 — 113.02% Contingent (Item 1) Dec. 31, 2007 — 114.28% to liabilities — Actual Dec. 31, 2006 — 114.89% and Contingent (Item 9) Dec. 31, 2005 — 114.91%

EXPLANATION

A. Skagen Gold Mesh Watch. Signature Skagen Denmark® gold mesh bands connect to a slim, vertically brushed gold case. Layered dial is silver white with gold and white luminous hands. Date function above the six hour, and “K of C” in gold above date window. PG-18 — $150 B. NEW! Coasters. Set of four customized leather and brass coasters with the emblem of the Order in the center of each. Includes solid cherry tray. PG-439 — $99 C. NEW! Victorinox SwissFlash Laser Pointer. Features a 1 GB removable USB flash drive, nail file with screwdriver, scissors, blade, laser pointer and retractable ball point pen. Fits on key chain with attached key ring. PG-541 — $89

Control No.

CARL A. ANDERSON, President DONALD R. KEHOE, Secretary EMILIO B. MOURE, Treasurer State Code

O F F I C E U S E O N LY

Promotional and Gift Department 78 Meadow Street New Haven, CT 06519-1759 PHONE: 203-752-4216 or 203-752-4425 FAX: 1-800-266-6340 All prices in U.S. currency — No C.O.D. Products available in the U.S. and Canada only NAME

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OFFICIAL MAY 1, 2010:

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The above valuation indicates that, on a basis of the A.E., A.M. (5), 1941 C.S.O., 1958 C.S.O., 1980 C.S.O., 2001 C.S.O., 1937 S.A., 1971 Individual Annuity Table, Annuity 2000 Table and 1983 “a” Tables of Mortality with interest at 9%, 8.75%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4.5%, 4%, 3.75%, 3.5%, 3%, 2.5%, the future assessments of the society, at the net rate now being collected, together with the now invested assets of the General Account Fund are sufficient to meet all certificates as they mature by their terms, with a margin of safety of $1,647,504,355 (or 111.85) over the above statutory standards. STATE OF: Connecticut SS. COUNTY OF: New Haven The officers of this reporting entity, being duly sworn, each depose and say that they are the described officers of the said reporting entity, and that on the reporting period stated above, all of the herein described assets were the absolute property of the said reporting entity, free and clear from any liens or claims thereon, except as herein stated, and that this statement, together with related exhibits, schedules and explanations therein contained, annexed or referred to, is a full and true statement of all the assets and liabilities and of the condition and affairs of the said reporting entity as of the reporting period stated above, and of its income and deductions therefrom for the period ended, and have been completed in accordance with the NAIC annual statement instructions and accounting practices and procedure manual except to the extent that: (1) state law may differ; or, (2) that state rules or regulations require differences in reporting not related to accounting practices and procedures, according to the best of their information, knowledge and belief, respectively. Furthermore, the scope of this attesta-tion by the described officers also includes the related corresponding electronic filing with the NAIC, when required, that is an exact copy (except for formatting differences due to electronic filing) of the enclosed statement. The electronic filing may be requested by various regulators in lieu of or in addition to the enclosed statement. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 12th day of February 2010. MAUREEN F. VETS Notary Public

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VISA

To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, CASE POSTALE 935, Station d’Armes, Montréal, PQ H2Y 3J4 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869) 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 © 2010 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 — THIRD-CLASS POSTAGE IS PAID AT WINNIPEG, MB, PERMIT NO. 0100092699. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. REGISTRATION NO. R104098900. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 505 IROQUOIS SHORE ROAD #11, OAKVILLE ON L6H 2R3 PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA. 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. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.

YEAR FOR PRIESTS

Stewardship as Generosity Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis shares his insights about how we should nurture and share God’s gifts COLUMBIA RECENTLY INTERVIEWED Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, a member of Bishops Council 10490, about stewardship as it relates to the priesthood. Archbishop Carlson joined the Knights in 1971 and has been an insurance member for more than 12 years.

COLUMBIA: Why is it important for priests to be prudent and exemplary in financial matters? ARCHBISHOP CARLSON: In our culture, money has significance not only as a medium of exchange but also as a symbol of status and worldly success. Priests need to know about money. It has tremendous power — for good and for evil. They need to manage their own money well in order to live simply and to provide others with a positive example of prudent and generous stewardship. Priests need to help our people see that money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. They need to teach stewardship by their words and their example, and they have to be accountable for the development and use of all funds entrusted to their care.

PHOTO: CNS photo/Jerry Naunheim Jr., St. Louis Review

COLUMBIA: How do you encourage priests and seminarians to learn and practice financial stewardship? ARCHBISHOP CARLSON: I ask our priests and seminarians to be good stewards of all the gifts God has given them. This includes intellectual gifts, skills and talents, and material possessions. Everything that we have comes from God to be nurtured, developed and used wisely for the sake of the kingdom. If we really believe this, then “learning and practicing financial stewardship” begins with prayer — with discernment of what God wants us to do with his gifts. Stewardship also requires us to be wise and prudent with the gifts God has given us. And it challenges us to be generous with others. I don’t expect priests or seminarians to be experts in finance, although some possess these skills either naturally or from previous business experience. I do expect them to be good stewards — men of prayer who are grateful for all Archbishop Robert J. Carlson delivers the homily during that God gives them and who develop his installation Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. and use all their gifts, talents and posLouis June 10, 2009. sessions in accordance with God’s will. COLUMBIA: How has this been received? ARCHBISHOP CARLSON: I believe that the emphasis I’ve placed on stewardship as a practical form of spirituality has been generally well-received. There are always those who are skeptical at first. (I know I was.) We are taught by our culture to be wary of gimmicks or schemes and to hold our financial cards close to the vest. Some priests want nothing to do with finances — turning everything over to lay leaders in the parish. Others remain intimately involved with their own financial affairs and those of their parishes. In the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, we have priests who would have been extremely successful in the world of business and finance. Others would not have been at all interested — preferring instead to concentrate on teaching, service professions or the arts. What’s important to me is that every one of us learns to be a good steward of whatever gifts God has given.

COLUMBIA: Are there any priests whom you know who have given back financially to the community as a direct result of wise investments? ARCHBISHOP CARLSON: I’ve been privileged to know many priests — in all the dioceses I’ve served as a priest and a bishop — who have been wise and generous stewards of all their gifts, including their financial resources. These men are an inspiration to all who know them, not just because they “give back” financially, but because they model for us Christ’s self-giving love and generosity in everything they do.

COLUMBIA: How important do you think it is for priests and parishioners to deal with organizations like the Knights of Columbus, which serve individuals and families while espousing Catholic values and principles in their mission? ARCHBISHOP CARLSON: I believe it is vitally important for us to have the benefit of companies that reflect Christian principles in all their business affairs. The Gospel is not just for individuals. It has something important to say to everyone, including businesses, community organizations and even governments. Companies that take the Gospel seriously are a pleasure to do business with. They remind us that there is more to life — and business — than the bottom line. I salute the Knights of Columbus, and all Catholic and faith-based companies, for the witness they give and the services they provide to our Church and to the communities they serve.♦

O B S E RV E T H E Y E A R F O R P R I E S T S W I T H A S P E C I A L P R AY E R C A R D AVA I L A B L E AT W W W. KO F C . O RG / Y E A R F O R P R I E S T S

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

Charity MEMBERS OF Father Crisostomo Council 6000 in Cabantuan City, Luzon, chat with Delia Santos after the council presented her with a new walking cane. Santos had long been suffering from joint aches and thanked the Knights for their small, but meaningful gift. • Father Douglas J. Nohava Council 1229 in Flagstaff, Ariz., delivered the final payment in a $200,000 pledge to build a new school and church for San Francisco de Asis parish. In honor of the donation, the new church complex will feature a “Knights of Columbus Room.”

Unity

Fraternity

Patriotism

TOM BIALASKI and Rich Duke of St. Agnes Council 13847 in Middleton, Mass., refurbish the handicap access ramp at their parish. Knights volunteered to re-stain and refurbish the ramp, and donated all the materials needed for the project. • Châteauguay (Quebec) Council 4197 restored a cross that was salvaged from Christ the King Church when the church was destroyed by fire. The cross, donated by Father Gaëtan Daoust, now resides at the council hall.

MEMBERS OF Father F. J. Pumphrey Council 11577 in Springdale, Newfoundland, stand with State Deputy Max A. Snow (left) and Father Richard Salas (second from right) at the unveiling of a statue of Father Michael J. McGivney at Sacred Heart Cemetery. Knights spent 10 years raising the $10,000 necessary for the bronze statue of the Order’s founder, which was dedicated in memory of the council’s deceased members. • Peter T. Villano Sr. Council 9576 in Pickens, S.C., erected a flagpole at Holy Cross Church in honor of the council’s deceased members.

IMMEDIATE Past State Deputy Wally N. Streit of Alberta presents Father Jim Brown of Canadian Forces Base Edmonton with several copies of Armour of Faith/Armure de Foi, a Catholic handbook for Canadian military personnel that is published with support from the Knights of Columbus. When Streit and Joe Smith of Edmonton Council 1184 learned that the Canadian Armed Forces had run out of religious medals for deployed soldiers, they immediately collected $4,500 from area councils to purchase 8,000 medals of St. Christopher and St. Michael. These were delivered along with 4,000 copies of Armour of Faith/Armure de Foi.

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KNIGHT S O F C O LUM BUS

Building a better world one council at a time

Photo courtesy of CHALICE

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

BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S

C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW

A teacher instructs pupils at a school in Meherpur, Bangladesh, that was built with funds from Father Eugene O’Leary Council 6595 in St. John, New Brunswick. The council donated $10,000 from its TV bingo games to build the school through CHALICE, a Catholic sponsorship and development agency.

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

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

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

KEEP T HE FA I T H A L I VE

‘MY THANKS GOES OUT TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED SEMINARIANS’ At the time I joined the Knights of Columbus, I also began the process of applying to seminary. I served as chancellor during the first year of our newly chartered council, and then was elected as the second grand knight. It was agreed that the other officers would step up and take the lead if and when I began seminary studies. I enjoyed every minute of my work with the Knights, and the countless hours our brotherhood spent together in the service of the Church, each other and our community were an invaluable foundation of my call to ministry. God willing, I hope one day to work with the Knights of Columbus as a priest. The Iowa Knights encouraged me greatly as I wrestled with God’s timetable and was eventually accepted into seminary. Since I have started my studies, the Knights have continued to support me with prayers, letters and financial assistance, for which I am very grateful. My heartfelt thanks goes out to my council and to all who have supported me and my brother seminarians on the path to priesthood. ADAM WESTPHAL Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa