Columbia May 2012 by Columbia Magazine

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M AY 2012

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COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S

8 ‘Freedom is Our Lives’ A new major motion picture, For Greater Glory, tells the epic, untold story of the Cristero War and a nation’s quest for religious liberty. BY DAVID NAGLIERI

12 The Untold Story of the Knights During the Cristiada Standing with the Church against anti-clerical laws, Mexican Knights of Columbus endured violent persecution in the 1920s. BY MARÍA DE LOURDES RUIZ SCAPERLANDA

18 The Voice for Religious Freedom Knows No Border In the 1920s, U.S. Knights stood with their Mexican brothers for religious freedom. BY MAUREEN WALTHER AND JENNIFER DAIGLE

22 ‘A Pilgrim of Faith, Hope and Love’ A selection of excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI’s addresses and homilies during his apostolic visit to Mexico and Cuba.

24 Our First, Most Cherished Liberty A statement on religious liberty from the U.S. bishops.

The execution of St. José María Robles Hurtado is depicted in the upcoming movie For Greater Glory, which tells the story of Cristero War in Mexico. A member of Council 1979 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Father Robles Hurtado was arrested by government soldiers on June 25, 1927, while preparing for Mass. Before his martyrdom, he forgave and blessed his murderers.

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world

The witness of Knights during the persecution of the Mexican Church provides lessons as we defend religious freedom today. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Photo courtesy of New land Films

Learning the faith, living the faith With my new assignment, I will be constantly reminded of Father McGivney’s mission and our religious heritage. BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP-DESIGNATE WILLIAM E. LORI

Knights of Columbus News Knights ‘Walk for Life’ in the Philippines • Supreme Chaplain Appointed to Baltimore Archdiocese • Martyrs of Christ the King Reliquary Present at Papal Mass in Mexico

Knights in Action

Columbianism by Degrees

Fathers for Good Our Lady of Guadalupe teaches the power and importance of a mother’s love. BY BRIAN CAULFIELD

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month

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A Historic Response IN A MARCH 1923 Columbia article titled “What’s Wrong in Mexico?,” William F. Buckley Sr. described how President Álvaro Obregón expelled Msgr. Ernesto Filippi, the Vatican’s apostolic delegate to Mexico, from the country. Msgr. Filippi’s alleged crime was that he presided at an act of “public worship,” a cornerstone-laying ceremony for a monument to Christ the King on Cubilete Hill in rural, central Mexico (see pages 7, 12). According to Buckley, “The day after his arrival in the United States” in January 1923, Msgr. Fillippi “declared he believed the real reason of his expulsion was the growth in Mexico of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of America.” Buckley explained how, beginning with the presidency of Venustiano Carranza in 1914, amid the Mexican Revolution, the government had “not abated in its determination to destroy [the Catholic Church] in Mexico.” When Plutarco Elías Calles, who served under President Carranza and President Obregón, was elected president in 1924, the situation worsened. In 1926, Calles enacted strict, anti-religious legislation, and peaceful resistance eventually gave way to the Cristiada, a three-year uprising in which many Catholics fought back against escalating violent persecution. During this period, which is explored in the upcoming film For Greater Glory (see page 8), the Order was very outspoken, both in Mexico and in the United States (see pages 12, 18). In August 1926, thousands of Knights and their families gathered for the Supreme Convention in Philadelphia on the occasion of the 150th

anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Addressing the convention, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty said, “We are told that this persecution is the privilege of an independent state and are bidden to hold our peace. But we shall not hold our peace. We shall protest against this persecution in the names of humanity and liberty.” In the months and years that followed, the Order took concrete action to educate the public, appeal to authorities and provide aid to those who were affected. In 1928, the Mexican government destroyed the monument on Cubilete Hill. The shrine and statue of Christ the King were later rebuilt in 1944, after the violence ended, and the site remains of great significance today. Pope Benedict XVI visited the shrine during his recent apostolic visit to Mexico and reflected on Mexico’s historic struggle for religious freedom (see page 22). This issue of Columbia also includes an important statement on religious liberty, published April 12 by the U.S. bishops (see page 24). What this statement reminds us is that although we may be spared from violent aggression, the threats against religious liberty that we face today are real. The statement concludes with a proposal that the Catholic Church in the United States observe a “fortnight of freedom” — a two-week period from June 21 to July 4, during which Catholics will dedicate themselves to prayer, study and action for religious freedom. Knights will no doubt embrace this call to defend liberty, just as they have in decades past.♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI MANAGING EDITOR

From the Columbia Archive IN THE 1920s and ’30s, the Knights of Columbus published numerous articles about the persecution of the Church in Mexico. In fact, Columbia was banned from the Mexican mail and the November 1926 issue (pictured right) was the subject of a prolonged discussion of the Mexican legislature. To read select articles from this period, visit kofc.org/columbia. 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 Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME SECRETARY Logan T. Ludwig 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 ________

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4580 OTHER INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

CoVer: Photo courtesy of New land Films

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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

What Mexico Teaches Us The witness of Knights during the persecution of the Church in Mexico provides lessons as we defend religious freedom today by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson THIS MONTH’S ISSUE of Columbia magazine explores the history of the persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico during the 1920s and ’30s. This history has been hidden from the people of Mexico, and the real causes of the conflict have been ignored by many scholars. One textbook in the United States misleadingly portrays Catholics who fought against religious persecution in this way: “Leaders who emerged from the (Mexican) Constitutionalist movement … fought off a challenge from armed Catholic traditionalists in the countryside. These devout counterrevolutionary peasants were called Cristeros.” The articles in this issue set the record straight, both as to the real cause of the violence and the peaceful efforts of the Knights of Columbus on both sides of the border to defend religious liberty in Mexico. The persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico began when the administration of Mexican President Plutarco Calles took punitive measures to silence priests and bishops, confiscate Church property and close Catholic schools. When the archbishop of Mexico City spoke out against such measures, his residence and the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe were bombed. In his 1926 encyclical concerning the persecution of Catholics in Mexico, titled Iniquis Afflictisque, Pope Pius XI denounced the forces of “barbarism” that led to this violent persecution of Catholics. He praised the peaceful resistance of many lay organizations saying, “First of all we mention the Knights of Columbus which is found in all states of the Republic and fortu-

nately is made up of active and industrious members who, because of their practical lives and open profession of the Faith, as well as by their zeal in assisting the Church, have brought great honor upon themselves.” Indeed, thousands of Mexican Knights sacrificed much for religious liberty. Many lost their lives, and some of these martyrs — both laymen and priests — have been beatified or canonized by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Knights in the United States also led a national campaign to end the violence against Catholics in Mexico. Today in the United States, it is impossible to recall these events without thinking of current threats to religious liberty, including the Obama administration’s insistence that contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs be included in the health insurance programs of Catholic organizations. This federal mandate is backed by the threat of millions of dollars in fines if Catholic organizations refuse to comply as a matter of conscience. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, earlier this year stated, “We have become certain of two things: religious freedom is under attack, and we will not cease our struggle to protect it.” As a result of the firestorm of controversy surrounding the mandate, the president announced what he described as an “accommodation” for religious organizations. After studying what the president described as his “concession,” however, constitutional scholars and our bishops concluded that the mandate remained unacceptable, unconsti-

tutional and illegal. The White House more recently invited representatives of the bishops to meet and discuss the president’s mandate. But when they asked whether the meeting would consider their fundamental concerns about religious liberty, the bishops’ representatives were told that these concerns “are all off the table.” Thankfully, when our public officials refuse to talk to us, we can have recourse through the courts and the ballot box. Cardinal Francis E. George, the past president of the bishops’ conference, has concluded from the intransigence of the Obama administration that it wants Catholics to “give up” our schools, hospitals and charitable ministries. Similarly, Cardinal Dolan has predicted that Catholics will “have to prepare for tough times.” We have already witnessed an increase in hate speech against Catholics and smear campaigns against our leaders. Anti-Catholic bigots and their allies in the media can be expected to increase their attacks. Recalling the witness of our brother Knights in Mexico, we think of the words of the Prophet Daniel: “The wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever” (Dn 12:3). It would be a mistake to assume that Knights in the United States will be less faithful today. In the words of Cardinal Dolan: “We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it.” Vivat Jesus!

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

In Our Founder’s Footsteps With my new assignment, I will be constantly reminded of Father McGivney’s mission and our religious heritage by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop-designate William E. Lori

WHEN I LEARNED that Pope bishop (later Cardinal) James Gibbons. Benedict XVI appointed me archSince the basilica is connected to the bishop of Baltimore, my thoughts archbishop’s residence, I will have a Knights speak eloquently and forceturned to our founder, Venerable daily reminder to give thanks for the fully in defending the right to life, the Michael McGivney. I prayed that he gift of Father McGivney’s priestly vo- truth and dignity of the vocation of would continue to intercede for me in cation and pray with renewed fervor marriage and family life, the priestmy role as supreme chaplain and now for his canonization. Each time I am hood, and religious liberty. as shepherd of the nation’s oldest dio- in the basilica, I will be reminded of In the spirit of Father McGivney, cese. I commended to his prayers my the fruitfulness of Father McGivney’s the Knights put the Church’s teaching fellow chaplains, who serve the Order priestly service. I have no doubt that and sacramental graces into action by so faithfully, as well as the priests in his continued intercession will aid my serving those in need and by helping Baltimore and in Bridgeport, the Church to sustain her miswhere I have served for the past sion of faith, worship and 11 happy years. In the same service. It is easy to see the viAs Father McGivney envisioned, breath, I asked our founder to sion and the hand of Father pray for the supreme knight and McGivney in the ways the the Church is strengthened for all Knights and their families, Knights of Columbus serves by Knights who live their faith giving thanks for how the Order the Church. And any family serves and strengthens the that experiences security and so as to be better husbands, Church in her mission of spreadpeace of mind because of the ing the Gospel anew. Order’s insurance and finanfathers and parishioners. cial services also has our IN SERVICE TO founder to thank. THE CHURCH service to the Archdiocese of BaltiAfter this prayer, it occurred to me that more and to the Order. LESSONS LEARNED Father McGivney’s final preparations I often think about how God pro- Although Father McGivney lived in an for priestly ordination took place at St. vided for the Church through Father era very different from our own, there Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. There McGivney’s ministry. The Order he are lessons that we can learn from his he grew in the human and priestly founded is a source of great strength day and age. Around the time of Favirtues that were so evident in his min- and vitality for the whole Catholic ther McGivney’s ordination, Archistry. There he developed the strength community. Just as Father McGivney bishop Gibbons spoke of the waves of of character, wise leadership and holy envisioned, the Church is strength- immigrants who were building a determination that were essential ingre- ened by Knights who live their faith so young nation and contributing greatly dients in the founding of the Knights as to be better husbands, fathers and to the growth of the Church in the of Columbus 130 years ago. And it was parishioners that contribute to the United States. The archbishop also there, in the Cathedral (now Basilica) common good. Just as Father Mc- spoke of the God-given freedom that of the Assumption in Baltimore, that Givney did not hesitate to address by the Church enjoyed in the United Father McGivney was ordained to the word and deed the issues confronting States as a condition for its rapid sacred priesthood in 1877 by Arch- the Church in his day, so too do the growth and increasing strength. Gib4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

bons’ leadership no doubt influenced Father McGivney when he returned to Connecticut. McGivney championed the cause of immigrants and ably represented the Church’s teaching in civic life, despite widespread anti-Catholicism. He exhibited the same sort of confident and prudent leadership that marked the Baltimore prelate who ordained him. These lessons must not be lost on me as I prepare to serve the Archdiocese of Baltimore with its diverse Catholic population and as I continue to be involved in the U.S. bishops’ efforts to defend religious freedom. As Catholic leaders and citizens, both

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI GENERAL: That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society.

PoPe: CNS photo/Paul Haring — JaGerSTaTTer: CNS photo

MISSION: That Mary, Queen of the World and Star of Evangelization, may accompany all missionaries in proclaiming her Son Jesus.

Cardinal Gibbons and Father McGivney were keenly aware that they were stewards of a precious heritage of recognizing and respecting religious liberty. Archbishop John Carroll, the first archbishop of Baltimore and the cousin of Charles Carroll, the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence, led the way in establishing the Catholic Church in a new nation “conceived in liberty.” Living in the shadow of America’s first cathedral founded by Archbishop Carroll, I shall be reminded of this heritage every day. Now, as I prepare to begin my service in Baltimore, I ask three favors of the Knights of Columbus family:

First, I ask your prayers for the canonization of Father McGivney. We owe him much, and one way to express our debt of gratitude is to pray daily that he will soon be raised to the dignity of the altar. Second, please pray for religious liberty. How appropriate for us to pray the rosary for this important cause during the month of May. Let us ask Mary to intercede for us as we seek to defend and promote religious freedom in the United States and around the world. Lastly, I ask for your prayers for me and for my service to the Church in Baltimore, and I sincerely thank you for truly being “the strong right arm of the Church!” ♦

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

Blessed Franz Jagerstatter (1907-1943) AS AUSTRIA fell under Nazi control, Franz Jagerstatter was a devoted husband and father, a peasant farmer, a sacristan and a Third Order Franciscan. He saw how Hitler’s rule was unjust and that faith in the German “fatherland” was taking the place of faith in God. Jagerstatter was born in the small farming village of St. Radegund near Linz, Austria, on May 20, 1907. Due to his parents’ dire poverty, he spent his early years with his grandmother, who had 13 children of her own. He loved to learn and was an avid reader. An amiable and popular young man, he also went to dances and pubs and took part in the region’s annual passion play. He went to Mass regularly and attended church socials, where he met his future wife Franziska. They had three daughters and together operated a family farm. Jagerstatter was respected in his village, but some thought he went too far with his criticism of the Third Reich. He was the only villager to vote against the annexation of Austria and later refused a combat role for the Nazis. He offered to take a non-violent post, but

this request was denied. Jailed in March 1943, he was sentenced to death for sedition. He was in constant prayer in jail, reading the Scriptures and reciting the rosary. On Aug. 9, 1943, he was beheaded in Berlin. His consolation was his trust in God and the promise that he and his family would be reunited in heaven. His widow, Franziska, attended his beatification in 2007 and met with Pope Benedict XVI the following year. — Michael McCarthy writes from Port Huron, Mich.♦ M AY 2012

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Knights ‘Walk for Life’ in the Philippines WITH THE MESSAGE “We value life,” Filipino Knights and other prolife advocates participated in simultaneous “Walk for Life” events throughout the Philippines on March 24. The main event in Manila began with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco of Cubao. Tens of thousands of Knights and their family members then joined the subsequent pro-life procession. In the Visayas jurisdiction, Knights and their families took part in three separate events, including a march in Iloilo, the province’s capital city. The activities were held in support of the culture of life and in opposition to House Bill No. 4244 (also known as the Reproductive Health Bill, or RH Bill), which is being considered by the Philippines government.♦

Thousands of Knights and their families walk through the streets of Manila March 24 in defense of life and in peaceful protest to the country’s proposed “RH Bill.”

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., as the new archbishop of Baltimore. The appointment was announced in Washington March 20 by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop-designate Lori, 60, has been the bishop of Bridgeport since March 2001. In 2005, he was elected supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, a post he continues to hold. He also serves as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty. Named an auxiliary bishop of the Washington Archdiocese in 1995, he was ordained to the episcopacy by Blessed John Paul II on April 20 of that year.♦

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lorI: CNS photo/Tom mcCarthy Jr., Catholic Review

Supreme Chaplain Appointed to Baltimore Archdiocese

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Martyrs of Christ the King Reliquary Present at Papal Mass in Mexico

State Deputies Gustavo A. Guzmán-Olivas (Mexico Northwest), José D. Hernández-Barbosa (Mexico Central) and Filadelfo Medellín-Ayala (Mexico Northeast) stand with the K of C-commissioned reliquary before the papal Mass celebrated March 25 at Cubilete Hill in Guanajuato, Mexico. A SPECIAL RELIQUARY commissioned by the Knights of Columbus was present at a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Mexico on Sunday, March 25. It contains relics of 25 saints and 13 blesseds — including six saints and three blesseds who were members of the Order — who were martyred during the persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico in the 1920s. The Mass took place at Expo Bicentenario Park at Cubilete Hill, also known as the Mountain of Christ the King. Located in the state of Guanajuato, the site marks the geographic center of Mexico and is strongly tied to the country’s religious history. The Knights of Columbus in Mexico requested and received permission from the Mexican bishops responsible for preserving and guarding the relics of each martyr so as to display the first-class relics in the reliquary. Archbishop José Guadalupe Martín Rabago of León, Mexico, chaplain of Diez de Sollano Council 3566, served as host of the papal event and allowed the reliquary to be present at the papal Mass. During his Angelus address following Mass, Pope Benedict said that the martyrs, “in crying out ‘Long live Christ

the King and Mary of Guadalupe,’ bore unyielding witness of fidelity to the Gospel and devotion to the Church.” Agustin Parra, of Guadalajara, Mexico, designed the handcrafted wooden reliquary, which is covered with gold leaf. At its top sits a statue of Christ the King similar to the bronze statue at the shrine on Cubilete Hill. On the doors of the reliquary are images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and of Christ during his passion. Inside the reliquary, between Salomonic columns with palm branches weaving around them, are the relics of the saint martyrs canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. The inside of the doors hold the relics of the blessed martyrs, beatified by Benedict XVI in 2005, and feature the martyrs’ battle cries: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!) and “¡Viva Santa María de Guadalupe!” (Long live Holy Mary of Guadalupe!). The martyrs’ names are written in dark red to evoke the blood they shed for their faith. At the bottom of the reliquary is the Latin phrase “Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat” (Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands). A pilgrimage of the new reliquary throughout North America is currently being planned.♦

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‘Freedom is Our Lives’ A new major motion picture, For Greater Glory, tells the epic, untold story of the Cristero War and a nation’s quest for religious liberty by David Naglieri

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ctor Andy Garcia sits astride a black horse amid acres of to a larger production with an A-list cast. scrub brush beneath a blue sky in Durango, Mexico. He is “I didn’t want this to look like a very small Mexican movie,” playing Enrique Gorostieta Velarde, a seasoned Mexican general, he said. “I wanted this to be like Braveheart, like Gladiator, going before a pivotal battle. The general is in the process of inspecting around the world and reaching audiences.” his troops, an army on horseback dressed in sombreros and with By all appearances, Barroso has achieved his goal. For Greater bandoliers of ammunition strapped across their chests. Glory is reportedly the biggest budgeted film in Mexican history. “Today we send a message But it wasn’t the film’s fito Calles, and to the world,” nancial largesse — estihe says. “Freedom is not a mated at $25 million — word just for writers, politithat allowed it to attract talcians or fancy documents. It ent like Garcia, Peter is our wives, it is our chilO’Toole and Eva Longoria. dren, it is our homes, it is Dean Wright, an Academy our faith, it is our lives. We Award-nominated visual efmust defend it or die trying fects producer for iconic — it’s not only our duty, it’s films such as Titanic, The our right! Remember: Men Lord of the Rings and The may fire the bullets, but God Chronicles of Narnia series, decides where they land. signed on early to make his Viva Cristo Rey!” directorial debut after being The battle they are about impressed with the script. to face will be one of many And he wasn’t the only perduring the Cristero War, a son who found the story conflict that lasted from compelling. 1926 to 1929. This often “It just exploded,” forgotten era of Mexican hisWright recalled, describing tory is captured in a new the fevered response to castOR GREATER GLORY . . . IS film comprised of an ensemble of taling calls. “People were hammering us: ‘MUST-SEE’ VIEWING FOR ALL ented and award-winning actors. For ‘We want you to see this person. We Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada want that person.’” WHO CARE ABOUT FAITH unveils a time when Mexican ChrisWhen it came time to cast the key tians, in the pursuit of religious freecharacter of General Gorostieta, though, AND LIBERTY TODAY.” dom, had to choose between their faith there was one name that stood out: and their lives. Cuban-born actor Garcia. SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON “For Gorostieta, there’s only a handful ‘REACHING AUDIENCES’ of actors that I think could really play For Greater Glory is the brainchild of the role the right way,” said Wright. Mexican producer Pablo José Barroso, a successful businessman As Gorostieta, Garcia captures the ambition and rugged who began producing a string of small-budget, faith-based films charisma of a retired military leader who leaves behind his wife following a powerful rediscovery of his faith. Aimed at further- and family to lead the Cristero army. Gorostieta helps transform ing Blessed John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization, Barroso’s a disorganized band of outlaws into a force that gains victory company Dos Corazones Films released Guadalupe, a dramatic after victory, despite being outnumbered by federal forces. And re-telling of the story of St. Juan Diego, among other projects. although initially skeptical of religion, he is driven by his belief But about four years ago, Barroso began dreaming far bigger. in religious liberty. He saw the need to reclaim a period of history that is lost to so “The first stimulus for me as an actor to be a part of this many of his countrymen, a time when the infamous “Calles movie was the notion of the quest for absolute freedom,” said Law,” which was imposed by Mexican President Plutarco Calles Garcia. “Coming from a country where religious freedom was in 1926, enforced draconian restrictions on the Catholic also curtailed and abolished, I was very sensitive to that reality Church. To tell this story adequately, Barroso sought to break and those struggles.” from the small films he had produced in the past and graduate RECLAIMING HISTORY (Opposite page) Gen. Enrique Gorostieta Velarde (Andy Garcia) leads For the filmmakers, bringing the dark era of the Cristiada years the Cristeros into battle in the new film For Greater Glory, which to life was largely motivated by the silence that surrounds it. As opens June 1 and tells the true story of the Cristero War in Mexico in the story unfolds, the audience witnesses the various ways in the 1920s. • (Above) Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson visits with which committed Catholics responded to their plight. Some, such as Blessed José Anacleto González Flores — who is someAndy Garcia on the film’s set.

oPPoSITe PaGe: Photo courtesy of New land Films

“F

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it was throughout the country and also how lost it had become.” Wright and Barroso also sought to create an accurate depiction of the violence carried out against Mexican Catholics. Although never gratuitously, the film depicts priests being executed, churches pillaged and worshippers massacred. One of the more chilling scenes involves the execution of St. José María Robles Hurtado, a martyred priest and Knight of Columbus who blessed and forgave his killers in the face of death. But the film is primarily driven by the journeys of General Gorostieta and Joselito, a young boy whose unshakable faith leads him to join with the Cristeros in their struggle for religious freedom. Their interwoven stories reveal the impact of a “childlike faith” on a hardened military man. Based on the life of Blessed José Sánchez del Río, Joselito is played with remarkable authenticity by first-time actor Mauricio Kuri, who holds his own in scenes with both Garcia and O’Toole. The role of Joselito was also one of the last casting decisions made, but according to Wright, it may have been the best. “I think for me, it was really important to have someone with that incredible youthful exuberance and spirit,” Wright says. “But [Kuri] also had this deep faith; he didn’t have to fake any of it. That was really important because José is the soul of the movie.”

movie photos courtesy of New land Films

times referred to as the “Mexican Gandhi” — favored civil disobedience. Others, like Father José Reyes Vega and Victoriano Ramírez, known as “El Catorce,” resorted to armed resistance, beginning a grassroots rebellion of Mexican Catholics from which the term “Cristiada” originated. The history of the Cristero War remains largely unknown, even to Mexicans. Eduardo Verástegui, who portrays González Flores in the film, experienced this silence first hand. “When I grew up in Mexico I didn’t know anything about the Cristiada,” he said. “I went to public school; I had never heard anything about it — until I turned 30 years old and I learned of the struggle for religious freedom while on a retreat.” Wright, likewise, discovered a stark contrast between those who knew about the Cristero War and those who didn’t while travelling across Mexico during the movie’s pre-production phase. In cities, he would ask people, “Do you know about the Cristero War?” They would respond, “What’s that?” But in the small towns and villages, people keep alive the memory of the Mexican martyrs and Cristero heroes through fervent devotion. “I’d go into a church and … there’d be a little shrine for the priest that had stood up for his flock and had been killed for it,” Wright explained. “It was really moving to see how important

(Clockwise from top left) Father Vega (Santiago Cabrera) prays at the Cristeros’ base in the desert. • Father Christopher (Peter O’Toole) faces a firing squad comprised of federal soldiers. • This historical photo depicts Father Francisco Vera, a priest from the town of Jalisco, Mexico, standing before a firing squad in 1927. Father Vera was arrested and executed for secretly celebrating Mass. • Eva Longoria plays Gen. Gorostieta’s wife, Tulita. • Anacleto Gonzalez Flores (Eduardo Verástegui) is taken into custody by soldiers.

‘NOT ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD MOVIE’ Samuel Goldwyn, the legendary movie producer, once quipped, “Pictures are for entertainment; messages should be sent by Western Union.” Over the years there have been many films that have proven him wrong by both filling theaters and stirring the soul. For Greater Glory can be added that eminent list of movies that transcend entertainment. For Barroso, the blood, sweat and tears of the movie-making experience is well worth it if For Greater Glory helps reveal who we are and what is important in our lives, weaving together a history that has been buried under decades of fear and denial. “For me, it’s more than something that happened 80 years ago,” Barroso said. “This is something that really is the foundation not only of Mexico, but I think also of the whole continent. I don’t know what would have happened if these brave people had not stood up for their beliefs.” Although the film is about specific historical events, the filmmakers believe that its message about religious freedom is universal. “We live in a time where religious freedom is as tenuous as it’s ever been,” said Wright. “Whether it’s in the United States, the Middle East or Asia, people are standing up and saying, ‘You

can’t do that. I have the right to say what I want, to believe what I want and to practice that faith.’” After seeing an advanced screening of the movie, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said, “For Greater Glory is a powerful film that provides a compelling account of a forgotten era of our continent’s history. In celebrating the centrality of religious freedom and man’s need for God, it tells a story of enduring relevance, and is ‘must-see’ viewing for all who care about faith and liberty today.” Barroso considers the positive feedback that he has received so far to be a validation of his core beliefs. “I think I was searching for a group of people that really believed in what I was trying to show the world,” he said. “This is not only another Hollywood movie; it’s a movie of standing up for what you believe; it’s a … spiritual journey.” For Greater Glory premiered in Mexico on April 20 and will hit theaters across the United States June 1. For more information, or to view the film’s trailer, visit forgreaterglory.com.♦ DAVID NAGLIERI is manager of media and research for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council.

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THE UNTOLD STORY of the KNIGHTS during the CRISTIADA Standing with the Church against anti-clerical laws, Mexican Knights of Columbus endured violent persecution in the 1920s by María de Lourdes Ruiz Scaperlanda

n an ordinary January day in 1927, as Yocundo Durán walked home in Chihuahua, Mexico, he crossed paths with Federal Gen. Miguel Valle, who was walking out of a local tavern. The general recognized Durán and had one of his soldiers detain him and ask, “Are you a Knight of Columbus?” Durán confirmed that he was a Knight and asked whether there was any evil in it. Considering this an indictment, Valle pronounced Durán a “subversive Catholic” and ordered him shot on the spot. Durán’s body was later delivered to his family in a bricklayer’s cart. Scenes like this were not uncommon in 1920s Mexico, as the Mexican government led one of the most violent antiCatholic persecutions in the 20th century. During this period, the Knights of Columbus became a symbol of all things Catholic: a hopeful sign to Mexican Catholics and a seditious organization in the eyes of government leaders. PERSECUTION BEGINS Just five years after the first Knights of Columbus council was established in Mexico in 1905, the country was catapulted into a long period of armed conflict, now called the Mexican Revolution. But what started as a fight against the established autocratic order evolved into a multi-sided civil war, with each competing faction claiming legitimacy. Although Catholicism had been a part of Mexico’s history for nearly 400 years, the Catholic Church was perceived as hostile toward the revolution, resulting in an unstable and antireligious social and political environment. A new constitution, which included several anti-clerical articles, was drafted in 1917, setting the stage for an era of persecution that lasted more than two decades. In April 1917, Mexican bishops living in San Antonio prepared a letter of protest, affirming that the new constitution “destroys the most sacred rights of the Catholic Church, of Mexican Society, and of Christian individuals.” Despite these challenges, the Order in Mexico not only survived this period; it thrived. Membership grew from 400 Knights in 1918 to almost 6,000 in 51 councils just six years later. Between 1926 and 1929, an open rebellion took place against the government’s new persecutory laws, which were formulated and strictly enforced under Mexican President Plutarco 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Elías Calles. Resistance to the “Calles Law” started peacefully, in the form of signed petitions, economic boycotts and demonstrations. But in August 1926, sporadic uprisings sparked the beginning of the Cristero War, or Cristiada. The rebels took their name from their battle cry: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long Live Christ the King!). To the Mexican government, this pronouncement — often last words of Cristeros before their deaths — was more than a declaration of faith; it was an act of treason. About 70 Mexican Knights were among the Cristeros who died while standing up for their faith. During this time, the government seized Catholic schools and seminaries, expropriated Church property, and outlawed religious education. It closed Catholic hospitals, orphanages and homes for the elderly. It also banned monastic orders, expelled foreign-born clergy and prohibited public worship. Priests and nuns were barred from wearing religious garments, from voting, and from criticizing the government or commenting on public affairs either in writing or in speech. If charged with a violation of the law, they were, like Durán, often denied a trial. Mexico’s bishops were expelled, and many of the clergy were exiled for years; those who remained or returned in secret were forced to work and minister “underground.” Many seminarians were also exiled to Spain or the United States. AN ORGANIZED RESPONSE From the Order’s establishment in Mexico, Knights were active in starting schools and hospitals and invigorating the spiritual life of parishes. Within the country, the Knights “had a reputation for being both staunchly Catholic and politically and socially active,” notes historian Jean Meyer in his forthcoming book La Cristiada. The Caballeros, as the Knights are known in Spanishspeaking countries, “attracted leaders in society, including doctors, lawyers and businessmen, bringing a new dimension, energy and vision to combating the persecution.” Knights were targeted by the government and many were expelled from their homes, according to Msgr. Ramiro Valdez,

Mexican Catholics march down San Francisco Ave., Mexico City, in protest against the Calles Law in August 1926, shortly after the law took effect.

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shut the event down. With the support of the Order, Bustos joined in founding La Liga Nacional de la Defensa de la Libertad Religiosa, or the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty, in March 1925. Over half of the League’s founding members were Knights, and hundreds of Knights throughout Mexico became officers of its centers. “The Knights’ participation was intrinsic to the formation of the League,” said Msgr. Valdez. “This was a difficult period ... and the Knights’ collaboration was fundamental for other groups like Acción Católica Mexicana, Mexican Catholic Action, in their work of defending the right to religious liberty.” The Order also funded la Confederación de Agrupaciones Católicas, a confederation of Catholic groups that established 500 regional, municipal and diocesan centers; reorganized hundreds of schools and catechist centers; set up 57 labor centers; and supported traveling speakers who presented at conferences throughout the country. LEADING THE CHARGE In 1926, anti-Catholic pressure increased under President Calles. The Calles Law called for uniform enforcement throughout the country of the constitution’s anti-clerical articles. It threatened severe sanctions for violators and for government officials who failed to enforce the law. “As long as I am president of the republic, the constitution of 1917 will be obeyed,” Calles vowed, saying that he would not be moved by the “wailing of sacristans or the groans of the over-pious.”

Instituto Cultural de aguascalientes (aguascalientes, ags., mexico)

executive secretary of the commission that promoted the canonization of 25 Mexican martyrs, including six Knights of Columbus. “In Mexico, [Knights] became the greatest defenders of the Church and of the Catholic faith,” Msgr. Valdez said. “But their apostolic work also extended to taking care of the immigrants in the United States who had to leave Mexico because of persecution.” In 1923, a key event took place in the chronology that preceded the Cristero War. The Diocese of León laid the cornerstone for a monument to Christ the King on Cubilete Hill in the state of Guanajuato. The event — condemned by government authorities as illegal — was attended by various bishops, as well as Msgr. Ernesto Filippi, the papal nuncio. Two days later, officials expelled Msgr. Filippi, which was the equivalent of expelling a foreign ambassador. Msgr. Filippi’s expulsion marked a shift in orientation for Mexican Knights, who now saw their role as protectors of the clergy and the Church from the government’s oppression. Recognizing an immediate need for all Catholic organizations to collaborate, then-State Deputy Luis G. Bustos organized the “Pacto de Honor de las Organizaciones Católicas” (“Honor Agreement Among Catholic Organizations”) in 1923. The following year, as part of the National Eucharistic Congress, the Knights of Columbus arranged for an all-night vigil of eucharistic adoration at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. But at the last moment, the government denied the permits required for the celebration and

Cristero soldiers — Mexican freedom fighters who rose up against the anti-Catholic laws — ride with the banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Christ the King. Depicted here is the San Gaspar regiment, led by Cristero officer Manuel Ramírez de Oliva. Dr. Patrick Foley, editor emeritus and founder of the journal Catholic Southwest: A Journal of History and Culture, emphasized that Knights — both lay members and clergy — led the opposition to this law. “Many of the Knights were attacked simply because they were … singled out by the government as opponents of the radical socialist views of the government,” he explained, adding that the Knights involvement “was seen most prominently in heroic individual actions of Knights, both overt and underground.” Aware of President Calles’ anti-clerical policies, Pope Pius XI condemned the “cruel persecution” and “great evils” of the Mexican government in his 1926 encyclical, Iniquis Afflictisque. The pope also highlighted the work of the Order: “First of all we mention the Knights of Columbus, an organization which is found in all states of the Republic and fortunately is made up of active and industrious members who, because of their zeal in assisting the Church, have brought great honor upon themselves.” Although the Knights as an organization did not provide support to the Cristeros’ military efforts, it remained a target for the Mexican government, explains historian Meyer. “The K of C headquarters in Mexico was attacked, ransacked and its records destroyed. Soon the Knights of Columbus in Mexico was forced underground.” As was the case with Yocundo Durán, simply being a Knight was considered subversive, since one had to be a practicing

Catholic to join — which revealed public allegiance to the Church. In August 1926, the New York Morning World published a questionnaire that the Mexican government gave to all of its employees, whether at the federal, state and municipal levels. The first question: “Are you a Knight of Columbus?” KNIGHTS IN EXILE At the 1926 Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty denounced the Mexican government’s persecution and condemned the U.S. government’s silence on the issue. In Mexico, the initiatives of the Supreme Council did not go unnoticed. At a meeting of the Mexican legislature held Nov. 25, 1926, legislators discussed various articles in the November issue of Columbia magazine and cited remarks made at the Supreme Convention. [Ed. Note: To see excerpts from this “controversial” issue of Columbia, visit kofc.org/columbia.] Addressing the assembly and his radio listeners during the legislative session, Deputy Alejandro Cerisola accused the Knights of instigating rebellion and of “antipatriotic activities” to “betray the country.” He labeled the Catholic clergy and the Knights of Columbus as enemies and characterized Supreme Knight Flaherty as “a vile slanderer and vulgar liar.” Cerisola then condemned the proposals made at the convention, “as it proves that we are right in thinking that the Mexican clergy is crazily atM AY 2012

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Catholics hanged by the Mexican government along railroad tracks near Zapotlán el Grande (City Guzmán), in Jalisco. The media fallout from this photograph was so negative that President Calles later ordered the Secretary of War to hang people away from the train tracks in the future. tempting to retake power over the country’s political situation.” The Mexican government also exiled a delegation of Mexican Knights who had attended the Supreme Convention as “accomplices of the North American Knights of Columbus.” Like many Catholic Mexican refugees during this period, the delegation brought their faith and commitment to their new community, founding Tepeyac Council 2635 in Los Angeles, which remained active until 1940. Likewise, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans immigrated to Texas, and the Knights’ Mexican Fund provided direct assistance to many of the refugees. According to Meyer, more than 200,000 people from every socioeconomic background were killed or martyred by 1930. On May 21, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 25 martyrs — including six Knights — from the Cristiada period. Thirteen more Mexican martyrs — including three Knights — were be-

atified in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the Solemnity of Christ the King on Nov. 20, 2005 (see sidebar). The future of the Order in Mexico is one of prosperity, growth, and hope. Yet it is its past that gives clarity to its mission. As Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said in March 2011 during his visit to the Shrine of Christ the King at Cubilete Hill, the blood of the martyrs “has united forever the Order of the Knights of Columbus with the people and the land of Mexico. The Order’s history is forever linked to the history of this great nation. And that response — Love God above all things and our neighbor as we love ourselves — is the only response that we can give to the King of Kings.”♦ MARÍA DE LOURDES RUIZ SCAPERLANDA is a freelance writer and author living in Norman, Okla. Her books include The Journey: A Guide for the Modern Pilgrim (Loyola Press). See: www.mymaria.net

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MEXICAN MARTYRS

From left: St. Luis Batis Sáinz, Council 2367, Durango; St. Mateo Correa Magallanes, Council 2140, Zacatecas; St. Miguel de la Mora de la Mora, Council 2140, Zacatecas; St. José María Robles Hurtado, Council 1979, Guadalajara; St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero, Council 2419, Chihuahua; St. Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán, Council 2330, Guzmán City, Jalisco; Blessed José Trinidad Rangel Montaño, Council 2484, San Felipe, Guanajuato; Blessed Andrés Solá y Molist, Council 1963, Léon, Guanajuato; Blessed Leonardo Pérez Larios, Council 1963, Léon, Guanajuato. 16 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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

A Mother’s Words Our Lady of Guadalupe teaches the power and importance of a mother’s love

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via reuters

by Brian Caulfield THE APPEARANCE of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the and sent him on a mission he feared — to tell the bishop of humble Mexican layman Juan Diego in 1531 marked one of Mexico that the Blessed Virgin had a message for him. She the most significant events in world history and a new mo- overcame the bishop’s reluctance with an undeniable miracle. ment in Catholic devotion. Millions flocked to view the Through strong, feminine insistence, she won the hearts of miraculous image on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, or cloak, which all, both the lowly and the mighty alike, bringing them tois now displayed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe gether as only a mother can. in Mexico City. This continues to be the misIt is for good reason that Our sion of Our Lady of Guadalupe Lady of Guadalupe is called the — to gather all the people of our Empress or Patroness of the hemisphere under her loving Americas. Her appearance recare, not just to dwell in safety, sulted in the baptism of an estibut to set out in united faith, mated 8 million indigenous hope and charity within a secupeople and the establishment of a larized culture that is often hosCatholic culture that undergirds tile to the Christian message. Latin America to this day. This This image of Mary is one that event changed the course of histhe Knights of Columbus has tory, not with war or law or polichosen to evangelize our culture. tics, but with these consoling Last August, blessed images of words: “Am I not here, who am Our Lady of Guadalupe were your Mother? Are you not under sent throughout the Order’s jumy shadow and protection?” risdictions for K of C units and As we celebrate Mother’s Day parishes to hold prayer vigils in this month, all mothers can draw her name. Later this year, the Pope Benedict XVI prays in front of an image of Our from Mary’s strength, for she is a Order’s Aug. 5 Guadalupe FestiLady of Guadalupe at Miraflores College in León, powerful intercessor, changing val will invite 100,000 people Mexico, March 24. both hearts and history. Although from various backgrounds in the greeting cards and roses are sweet Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum sentiments, and moms receive for a day of unity, celebration and them happily, there is much more to motherhood. prayer. Only a mother could gather so many in this way. Mary, as we know, was meek and humble, but she was also On this Mother’s Day, we should remember just how strong and active as she fulfilled God’s will. If her Magnificat powerful a mother’s love can be. Our mothers may not proprayer was printed on a modern Mother’s Day card, people duce miraculous images or prophesy as Mary did in her would surely take note: “He has shown might with his arm, Magnificat, but they live out the Blessed Mother’s mission dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown when they work for fairness, justice and peace within their down rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly … the families and communities. Before God’s “Word became rich he has sent away empty” (Lk 1:51-53). With these words, flesh,” a woman needed to speak her “yes.” In a similar way, Mary says that the incarnation of Jesus will turn the world mothers have much more power and influence than they upside down, forever changing the historical order. And this sometimes realize — the power to seek the will of God and is also what happened with the appearance of Our Lady of speak the truth. We are blessed to honor these mothers more Guadalupe. than one day a year.♦ With simple words and loving care, Mary chose Juan Diego as her messenger, even as he expressed his own unwor- BRIAN CAULFIELD is the editor of Fathers for Good, an initiative thiness. Like a good mother, she lifted up her weak “child” for men by the Knights of Columbus. FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT WWW. FATHERSFORGOOD. ORG .

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THE VOICE for RELIGIOUS FREEDOM KNOWS NO BORDER In the 1920s, U.S. Knights stood in solidarity with their Mexican brothers for religious freedom by Maureen Walther and Jennifer Daigle

iving in Nogales in the 1920s, Alfonso de la Torre experienced the difference a small change in address could make — even in the same city. Because Nogales straddled the U.S.Mexican border, where he lived determined whether going to Mass was a protected right or a punishable crime. The de la Torre family had already endured much from the Mexican government’s restriction of religious practice. After the family removed anti-Catholic hate-speech posted on church doors and helped organize peaceful boycotts, de la Torre was targeted personally for protesting, and he and his family had to use pseudonyms to write to each other. De la Torre’s brother, unable to study for the priesthood in Mexico, had to come to the United States to complete his studies. And his sister’s boyfriend died in combat as a Cristero — the name given to the Catholic freedom fighters, known for their battle cry “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” Across the border, things were very different. In Nogales, Ariz., de la Torre could practice his faith freely. For the first time in many months, he could walk down the street to an open church for Mass. Nonetheless, he soon became aware that the situation in the United States was not perfect. Many Americans adopted a hands-off attitude or showed outright hostility toward Mexican refugees. De la Torre expressed his frustration in a series of satirical cartoons that underscored one of the greatest hindrances to U.S. support of persecuted Mexicans: public opinion was often unsympathetic to Catholics. But as de la Torre would find out, not all Americans were silent. In his family archive today, one can find a Knights of Columbus pamphlet from when the Order organized one of the first, and strongest, U.S. campaigns speaking up for the persecuted Catholics south of the border. De la Torre himself became a member of the Knights, as his father Ignacio before him had been in Aguascalientes, Mexico, before the persecution suppressed K of C meetings and drove his family north. FACING RELIGIOUS BIAS Although the U.S. Constitution protects religious freedom, anti-Catholic bigotry was common in the 1920s, and many U.S. citizens and organizations supported President Calles. The Ku Klux Klan, in fact, offered its 4 million members as soldiers for the Calles regime should any group or country intervene militarily. And in a publication titled “The Knights of the Klan vs. the Knights of Columbus,” the Klan ridiculed Catholic and Jewish immigrants as “ignorant, superstitious, 18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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religious devotees” who first needed to be taught “the fundamental principles of human liberty before we permit further masses … to come within our borders.” At the same time, Margaret Sanger — founder of Planned Parenthood — praised Calles’ campaign against the Church as a strike against intolerance and a step toward making her work easier: “With the yoke of medievalism thus thrown off we can anticipate a splendid development of the government work for birth control already begun in Mexico.” Such hostility toward Catholics made life difficult for many Mexican refugees, and sought to discourage President Calvin Coolidge’s administration from taking a position against Calles’ anti-clerical policies. Yet, the Knights — who in four short decades since the Order’s founding had become outspoken advocates for equality and religious liberty — were undeterred. By the early 1920s, the Order had already spoken out against laws blocking immigration from Catholic countries; published a series of books on the vital role of African Americans, Jews and German Americans in U.S. history; and helped fund a successful legal action before the Supreme Court against a Klan-backed law in Oregon, thereby preserving parents’ rights to direct their children’s education, including sending them to parochial schools. Recognizing this new face of religious bias, the Knights were quick to support the persecuted Church south of the border. In August 1926, within days of the Calles Law taking effect in Mexico, the Knights’ Supreme Convention passed a resolution in support of the Church in Mexico. The resolution established the “Million Dollar Mexican Fund,” which raised more than $1 million (the equivalent of nearly $13 million today) for relief work and education regarding the situation in Mexico. Cardinal Dennis J. Dougherty of Philadelphia noticed effects almost immediately, writing in a letter that the Mexican Fund had already “aroused the Washington administration from their supine indifference and apathy.” Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty and a number of Supreme Officers took the issue to President Coolidge, meeting with him to discuss plans to raise public awareness and to urge the use of U.S. influence to end the persecution. The president expressed his appreciation for the Knights of Columbus’ education campaign, and “even suggested how it might be enlarged,” Flaherty later noted.

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Some of the first religious refugees arrive in New York the day the Calles Law takes effect — Aug. 1, 1926. During the persecution, hundreds of priests and religious left Mexico in exile. Many were helped by the Knights of Columbus. SUPPORT AND EDUCATION Two areas became central to the Knights’ work: caring for those forced out of Mexico and educating Americans about the situation unfolding across the border. The persecution drove many Mexican Catholics into the United States to escape the violence and worship freely. President Calles’ policy disbanded monasteries and expelled foreignborn religious, including about 400 priests — amounting to 10 percent of all priests in Mexico. In turn, a significant portion of the Mexican Fund went toward aiding these displaced clergy and religious, including Bishop Pascual Díaz y Barreto of Tabasco, a member of the

Order who later became one of the key negotiators for a peace agreement in Mexico. The Mexican Fund assisted many displaced religious through Cardinal Patrick J. Hayes of New York, who received numerous requests for aid. This work of helping refugees and immigrants was continued on the local level. In Laredo, Texas, one council supported 15 refugee nuns, and the Colorado State Council worked to improve Mexican immigrants’ labor conditions through its Mexican Welfare Committee. A significant concern for the Church in Mexico was not only helping current priests, but also providing for seminarians. Following a direct request for support from Bishop Díaz, part of M AY 2012

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the Mexican fund was used to sponsor 20 Mexican seminarians at St. Philip Seminary in Castroville, Texas. “A bishop can do without a miter, a crosier and even a cathedral, but never without a seminary, because the future of his diocese depends on the seminary,” said Bishop Rafael Guízar Valencia of Veracruz, Mexico, a Knight of Columbus who operated a clandestine seminary in Mexico and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. The international reach of the Order also helped with the Mexican Fund’s second focus: public education. In Mexico, the media was controlled by the government, thus compromising the accuracy of the information reaching the United States. Get20 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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ting factual news about the situation in Mexico was therefore a priority for the Knights. Members in Mexico gathered first-hand accounts, which they sent to their brother Knights north of the border. To safeguard this process, the Supreme Council founded a special committee of three Knights responsible for facilitating the delivery of accurate information. Columbia magazine played an important role as well — but with consequences. Under the editorial leadership of Myles Connolly — who later became an Academy Award-nominated scriptwriter — the magazine explored various elements of the Mexican situation in nearly every issue for several years. Within

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A year before the Cristiada, the Ku Klux Klan demonstrated its strength in a march down Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. on Aug. 9, 1925. The Klan saw a rise in popularity in the 1920s, boasting 4 million members, including many high-ranking public officials, senators, and the mayor of Los Angeles, a major destination for Mexican Catholic refugees.

A K of C delegation meets with President Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to discuss the issue of religious persecution in Mexico. Pictured left to right are Supreme Advocate Luke E. Hart, Deputy Supreme Knight Martin Carmody, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty, President Coolidge, Supreme Secretary William J. McGinley, Supreme Director William C. Prout, and Assistant Supreme Secretary John Conway. Hart and Carmody each served as supreme knight in the decades that followed. months, though, Columbia was banned from the mail in Mexico by the Calles regime. Finally, the Knights supported the investigative work of other journalists, especially Jesuit Father Wilfrid Parsons of America magazine, in order to bring the facts to light. Using the information gathered, the Order printed and distributed 5 million pamphlets about the persecutory laws and other aspects of the crisis. Request for pamphlets came from throughout the United States and beyond. A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN Recognizing how the Church was silenced in so many ways in Mexico, the U.S. bishops spoke out in solidarity with their Mexican brethren. Cardinal Hayes enlisted the Knights’ help for this, and the K of C presses printed and distributed more than 2 million copies of the “Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Episcopate of the United States on the Religious Situation in Mexico.” But the written word was not the only medium pursued. Across the United States and Canada, the Knights sponsored more than 700 free lectures, hosted by local councils. While some had as many as 7,000 attendees, the lectures reached millions more by radio. As one might expect, such strong advocacy became controversial. Supporters of Calles distorted facts and increased pressure to suppress not only the Knights’ voice, but the voice of all Catholics urging for something to be done. In Mexico, dissenting voices were often penalized severely.

In the United States, the Ku Klux Klan blatantly disapproved of people of faith getting involved. In the previously mentioned booklet, “The Knights of the Klan vs. the Knights of Columbus,” the Klan stated: “In protecting … [the] right to absolute freedom of worship we find ourselves in the anomalous position of requiring religious devotees to abstain from religious meddling in matters of state for their own protection.” Fortunately, the absurdity of suppressing voices from speaking on a matter of religious persecution — simply because they were religious — was rejected by the Coolidge administration. Coolidge’s ambassador to Mexico, Dwight Morrow, consulted with and depended upon the diplomatic finesse of both clergy and Catholic laymen, including several Knights of Columbus. Such collaboration produced the negotiations and peace agreement that ultimately ended the Cristero War and the worst of the persecution. However, the Mexican government did not honor the agreement and persecution continued, in varying degrees, for another decade. Despite the forces aligned against it in the United States, the Order played an important role in educating the American public and motivating the U.S. government to be a voice for peace and religious freedom in Mexico. For the Knights of Columbus in the 1920s and ’30s — as today — the common bond of Catholic faith, and the common cause of religious freedom, created a unity that transcended borders.♦ MAUREEN WALTHER and JENNIFER DAIGLE are researchers at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council.

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‘A Pilgrim of Faith, Hope and Love’ A selection of excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI’s addresses and homilies during his apostolic visit to Mexico and Cuba

In his weekly general audience April 4, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the “unforgettable days of joy and hope” that he experienced during his recent apostolic visit to Mexico and Cuba. The pope made pilgrimages to several spiritual sites, celebrated various liturgies and met with bishops, government officials, journalists, youth and others during the March 23-28 journey. It was Benedict’s 23rd apostolic visit abroad and third visit to the Western Hemisphere since being elected pope in 2005. Below are selections from his various addresses, in which he encouraged and challenged the Church in Latin America. For the full texts, visit vatican.va. NATURALLY THE CHURCH must always ask if enough is being done for social justice on this great continent. This is a question of conscience that we must always ask ourselves: what the Church can and must do, what she cannot and should not do? The Church is not a political power, nor a political party, but rather a moral reality, a moral force. Inasmuch as politics should be a moral reality, on this track the Church fundamentally has to do with politics. I repeat what I have already said: the Church’s first thought is to educate consciences and thereby to awaken the necessary responsibility; to educate consciences both in individual and public ethics. And here, perhaps something is missing. In Latin America, and also elsewhere, among many Catholics a certain schizophrenia exists between individual and public morals: personally, in the private sphere, they are Catholics and believers but in public life they follow other trends that do not correspond with the great values of the Gospel which are necessary for the foundation of a just society. It is therefore necessary to teach people to overcome this schizophrenia, teaching not only individual morality but also public morality. We try to do this with the Church’s social teaching because public morality must of course be a reasonable morality, shared and shareable by non-believers too, a morality of reason. — Interview with journalists during flight to Mexico, March 23 I COME AS A PILGRIM of faith, of hope, and of love. I wish to confirm those who believe in Christ in their faith, by strengthening and encouraging them to revitalize their faith by listening to the Word of God, celebrating the sacraments and living coherently. In this way, they will be able to share their faith with others as missionaries to their brothers and sisters and to act as a leaven in society, contributing to a respectful and peaceful coexistence based on the incomparable dignity of every human being, created by God, which no one has the 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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right to forget or disregard. This dignity is expressed especially in the fundamental right to freedom of religion, in its full meaning and integrity. … Together with faith and hope, the believer in Christ — indeed the whole Church — lives and practices charity as an essential element of mission. In its primary meaning, charity “is first of all the simple response to immediate needs and specific situations” (Deus Caritas Est, 31), as we help those who suffer from hunger, lack shelter, or are in need in some way in their life. Nobody is excluded on account of their origin or belief from this mission of the Church, which does not compete with other private or public initiatives. In fact, the Church willingly works with those who pursue the same ends. Nor does she have any aim other than doing good in an unselfish and respectful way to those in need, who often lack signs of authentic love. — Welcoming Ceremony Address, Guanajuato International Airport, Silao, Mexico, March 23 THE DISCIPLE OF JESUS does not respond to evil with evil, but is always an instrument of good instead, a herald of pardon, a bearer of happiness, a servant of unity. He wishes to write in each of your lives a story of friendship. Hold on to him, then, as the best of friends. He will never tire of speaking to those who always love and who do good. This you will hear, if you strive in each moment to be with him who will help you in more difficult situations. — Meeting with Young People at Plaza de la Paz, Guanajuato, Mexico, March 24 DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, by coming here I have been able to visit the monument to Christ the King situated on top of the Cubilete. … His kingdom does not stand on the power of his armies subduing others through force or violence. It rests on a higher power that wins over hearts: the love of God that he brought into the world with his sacrifice and the truth to which he bore witness. … We ask Christ to reign in our hearts, making them pure, docile, filled with hope and courageous in humility. — Homily during Mass at Expo Bicentenario Park, Silao, Mexico, March 25 AT THIS TIME, when so many families are separated or forced to emigrate, when so many are suffering due to poverty, corruption, domestic violence, drug trafficking, the crisis of values and increased crime, we come to Mary in search of consolation, strength and hope. She is the Mother of the true God, who invites us to stay with faith and charity beneath her mantle, so as to overcome in this way all evil and to establish a

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass at Bicentennial Park in Silao, Mexico, March 25. more just and fraternal society. With these sentiments, I place once again this country, all of Latin America and the Caribbean before the gentle gaze of Our Lady of Guadalupe. … I now ask that her presence in this nation may continue to serve as a summons to defense and respect for human life. May it promote fraternity, setting aside futile acts of revenge and banishing all divisive hatred. — Angelus Address at Expo Bicentenario Park, Silao, Mexico, March 25

reuters/L’Osservatore Romano

THE CATHOLIC FAITH has significantly marked the life, customs and history of this continent, in which many nations are commemorating the bicentennial of their independence. That was a historical moment in which the name of Christ continued to shine brightly. That name was brought here through the labors of outstanding and self-sacrificing missionaries who proclaimed it boldly and wisely. They gave their all for Christ, demonstrating that in him men and women encounter the truth of their being and the strength needed both to live fully and to build a truly humane society in accordance with the will of their Creator. — Homily during celebration of vespers with bishops of Mexico and Latin America at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Light, Léon, Mexico, March 25 GOD HAS ENTRUSTED to the family founded on matrimony the loftiest mission of being the fundamental cell of society and an authentic domestic church. With this certainty, you, dear husbands and wives, are called to be, especially for your children, a real and visible sign of the love of Christ for

the Church. Cuba needs the witness of your fidelity, your unity, your capacity to welcome human life, especially that of the weakest and most needy. Dear brothers and sisters, before the gaze of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, I appeal to you to reinvigorate your faith, that you may live in Christ and for Christ, and armed with peace, forgiveness and understanding, that you may strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity, and which better reflects the goodness of God. Amen. — Homily during Mass for the 400th anniversary of the image of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Plaza Antonio Maceo Square, Santiago de Cuba, Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 26 THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM of religion, both in its private and in its public dimension, manifests the unity of the human person, who is at once a citizen and a believer. It also legitimizes the fact that believers have a contribution to make to the building up of society. Strengthening religious freedom consolidates social bonds, nourishes the hope of a better world, creates favorable conditions for peace and harmonious development, while at the same time establishing solid foundations for securing the rights of future generations. When the Church upholds this human right, she is not claiming any special privileges for herself. She wishes only to be faithful to the command of her divine founder, conscious that, where Christ is present, we become more human and our humanity becomes authentic. — Homily during Mass at Plaza de la Revolución José Martí, Havana, Cuba, March 28 M AY 2012

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OUR FIRST, MOST CHERISHED LIBERTY A statement on religious liberty from the U.S. bishops

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following statement was published April 12 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, which is chaired by Archbishop-designate William E. Lori of Baltimore, supreme chaplain.

From well before Cardinal Gibbons, Catholics in America have been advocates for religious liberty, and the landmark teaching of the Second Vatican Council on religious liberty was influenced by the American experience. It is among the proudest boasts of the Church on these shores. We have been staunch dee are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be fenders of religious liberty in the past. We have a solemn duty both, grateful for the gift of faith which is ours as to discharge that duty today. Christian disciples and grateful for We need therefore to speak the gift of liberty which is ours as frankly with each other when our American citizens. To be Catholic freedoms are threatened. Now is and American should mean not such a time. As Catholic bishops having to choose one over the other. and American citizens, we address Our allegiances are distinct, but an urgent summons to our fellow reedom is not only they need not be contradictory and Catholics and fellow Americans to should instead be complementary. be on guard, for religious liberty is for Americans, but we That is the teaching of our Catholic under attack, both at home and think of it as something faith, which obliges us to work toabroad. gether with fellow citizens for the This has been noticed both near of our special inhericommon good of all who live in this and far. Pope Benedict XVI recently land. That is the vision of our spoke about his worry that religious tance, fought for at a founding and our Constitution, liberty in the United States is being great price, and a which guarantees citizens of all reweakened. He called it the “most ligious faiths the right to contribute cherished of American freedoms” — heritage to be guarded to our common life together. and indeed it is. All the more reason Freedom is not only for Americans, to heed the warning of the Holy Fanow. We are stewards but we think of it as something of our ther, a friend of America and an ally of this gift, not only for special inheritance, fought for at a in the defense of freedom, in his great price, and a heritage to be [Jan. 19] address to American bishourselves, but for all guarded now. We are stewards of this ops: “Of particular concern are cergift, not only for ourselves, but for all tain attempts being made to limit nations and peoples nations and peoples who yearn to be that most cherished of American who yearn to be free. free. Catholics in America have disfreedoms, the freedom of religion. charged this duty of guarding freeMany of you have pointed out that dom admirably for many generations. concerted efforts have been made to In 1887, when the archbishop of deny the right of conscientious obBaltimore, James Gibbons, was made the second American car- jection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with dinal, he defended the American heritage of religious liberty regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices. Others have during his visit to Rome to receive the red hat. Speaking of the spoken to me of a worrying tendency to reduce religious freegreat progress the Catholic Church had made in the United dom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect States, he attributed it to the “civil liberty we enjoy in our en- for freedom of conscience. lightened republic.” Indeed, he made a bolder claim, namely “Here once more we see the need for an engaged, articulate that “in the genial atmosphere of liberty [the Church] blos- and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical soms like a rose.” sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to

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Catholic students from George Washington University pray the rosary outside the White House March 15 to show support for religious freedom.

CNS photo/michael Hoyt, Catholic Standard

counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church’s participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society.” RELIGIOUS LIBERTY UNDER ATTACK — CONCRETE EXAMPLES Is our most cherished freedom truly under threat? Sadly, it is. This is not a theological or legal dispute without real world consequences. Consider the following: • HHS mandate for contraception, sterilization and abortioninducing drugs. The mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services has received wide attention and has been met with our vigorous and united opposition. In an unprecedented way, the federal government will force religious institutions to facilitate and fund a product contrary to their own moral teaching and will purport to define which religious institutions are “religious enough” to merit protection of their religious liberty. These features of the “preventive services” mandate amount to an unjust law. As Archbishop-designate William Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, testified to Congress [Feb. 28]: “This is not a matter of whether contraception may be prohibited by the government. This is not even a matter of whether contraception may be sup-

ported by the government. Instead, it is a matter of whether religious people and institutions may be forced by the government to provide coverage for contraception or sterilization, even if that violates their religious beliefs.” • State immigration laws. Several states have recently passed laws that forbid what the government deems “harboring” of undocumented immigrants — and what the Church deems Christian charity and pastoral care to those immigrants. Perhaps the most egregious of these is in Alabama, where the Catholic bishops, in cooperation with the Episcopal and Methodist bishops of the state, filed suit against the law: “It is with sadness that we brought this legal action but with a deep sense that we, as people of faith, have no choice but to defend the right to the free exercise of religion granted to us as citizens of Alabama. ... The law makes illegal the exercise of our Christian religion which we, as citizens of Alabama, have a right to follow. The law prohibits almost everything which would assist an undocumented immigrant or encourage an undocumented immigrant to live in Alabama. This new Alabama law makes it illegal for a Catholic priest to baptize, hear the confession of, celebrate the anointing of the sick with, or preach the word of God to an undocumented immigrant. Nor can we encourage them to attend Mass or give them a ride to Mass. It is illegal to

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allow them to attend adult scripture study groups or attend sachusetts, turning religious liberty on its head, has since deCCD or Sunday school classes. It is illegal for the clergy to clared that such a disqualification is required by the First counsel them in times of difficulty or in preparation for mar- Amendment — that the government somehow violates reliriage. It is illegal for them to come to Alcoholic Anonymous gious liberty by allowing Catholic organizations to participate meetings or other recovery groups at our churches.” (Arch- in contracts in a manner consistent with their beliefs on conbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Ala., Aug. 1, 2011) traception and abortion. • Altering Church structure and governance. In 2009, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut Legislature proposed a RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IS MORE bill that would have forced Catholic parishes to be restructured THAN FREEDOM OF WORSHIP according to a congregational model, recalling the trusteeism Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on controversy of the early 19th century and prefiguring the fed- Sunday or pray the rosary at home. It is about whether we can eral government’s attempts to redefine for the Church “religious make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. minister” and “religious employer” in the years since. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without hav• Christian students on campus. In its more than 100-year his- ing to compromise that very same faith? Without religious libtory, the University of California Hastings College of Law has erty properly understood, all Americans suffer, deprived of the denied student organization status to only one group, the essential contribution in education, health care, feeding the Christian Legal Society, because it hungry, civil rights and social servrequired its leaders to be Christian ices that religious Americans make and to abstain from sexual activity every day, both here at home and outside of marriage. overseas. • Catholic foster care and adoption What is at stake is whether Amerservices. Boston, San Francisco, the ica will continue to have a free, creeligious liberty is District of Columbia and the state ative and robust civil society — or not only about our of Illinois have driven local Catholic whether the state alone will deterCharities out of the business of promine who gets to contribute to the ability to go to Mass on viding adoption or foster care servcommon good and how they get to ices — by revoking their licenses, by do it. Religious believers are part of Sunday or pray the ending their government contracts, American civil society, which inrosary at home. It is or both — because those charities cludes neighbors helping each other, refused to place children with samecommunity associations, fraternal about whether we can sex couples or unmarried oppositeservice clubs, sports leagues and sex couples who cohabit. youth groups. All these Americans make our contribution • Discrimination against small make their contribution to our to the common good church congregations. New York City common life, and they do not need enacted a rule that barred the Bronx the permission of the government of all Americans. Household of Faith and 60 other to do so. Restrictions on religious churches from renting public liberty are an attack on civil society schools on weekends for worship and the American genius for volunservices even though non-religious tary associations. groups could rent the same schools for scores of other uses. The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America While this would not frequently affect Catholic parishes, which issued a [Jan. 24] statement about the administration’s contragenerally own their own buildings, it would be devastating to ception and sterilization mandate that captured exactly the danmany smaller congregations. It is a simple case of discrimina- ger that we face: “Most troubling is the administration’s tion against religious believers. underlying rationale for its decision, which appears to be a view • Discrimination against Catholic humanitarian services. that if a religious entity is not insular, but engaged with broader Notwithstanding years of excellent performance by USCCB’s society, it loses its ‘religious’ character and liberties. Many faiths Migration and Refugee Services in administering contract serv- firmly believe in being open to and engaged with broader sociices for victims of human trafficking, the federal government ety and fellow citizens of other faiths. The administration’s rulchanged its contract specifications to require us to provide or ing makes the price of such an outward approach the violation refer for contraceptive and abortion services in violation of of an organization’s religious principles. This is deeply disapCatholic teaching. Religious institutions should not be dis- pointing.” qualified from a government contract based on religious belief, This is not a Catholic issue. This is not a Jewish issue. This and they do not somehow lose their religious identity or liberty is not an Orthodox, Mormon, or Muslim issue. It is an Amerupon entering such contracts. And yet a federal court in Mas- ican issue.

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THE MOST CHERISHED OF AMERICAN FREEDOMS In 1634, a mix of Catholic and Protestant settlers arrived at St. Clement’s Island in Southern Maryland from England aboard the Ark and the Dove. They had come at the invitation of the Catholic Lord Baltimore, who had been granted Maryland by the Protestant King Charles I of England. While Catholics and Protestants were killing each other in Europe, Lord Baltimore imagined Maryland as a society where people of different faiths could live together peacefully. This vision was soon codified in Maryland’s 1649 Act Concerning Religion (also called the “Toleration Act”), which was the first law in our nation’s history to protect an individual’s right to freedom of conscience. Maryland’s early history teaches us that, like any freedom, religious liberty requires constant vigilance and protection, or it will disappear. Maryland’s experiment in religious toleration ended within a few decades. The colony was placed under royal control and the Church of England became the established religion. Discriminatory laws, including the loss of political rights, were enacted against those who refused to conform. Catholic chapels were closed and Catholics were restricted to practicing their faith in their homes. The Catholic community lived under these conditions until the American Revolution. By the end of the 18th century, our nation’s founders embraced freedom of religion as an essential condition of a free and democratic society. James Madison, often called the Father of the Constitution, described conscience as “the most sacred of all property.” He wrote that “the Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.” George Washington wrote that “the establishment of Civil and Religious Liberty was the Motive that induced me to the field of battle.” Thomas Jefferson assured the Ursuline Sisters — who served a mostly non-Catholic population by running a hospital, an orphanage and schools in Louisiana since 1727 — that the principles of the Constitution were a “sure guarantee” that their ministry would be free “to govern itself according to its own voluntary rules, without interference from the civil authority.” It is therefore fitting that when the Bill of Rights was ratified, religious freedom had the distinction of being the First Amendment. Religious liberty is indeed the first liberty. The First Amendment guarantees that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Recently, in a unanimous judgment affirming the importance of that first freedom, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States explained that religious liberty is not just the first freedom for Americans; rather it is the first in the history of democratic freedom, tracing its origins back the first clauses of the Magna Carta of 1215 and beyond. In a telling example, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. illustrated our history of religious liberty in light of a Catholic issue decided upon by James Madison, who guided the Bill of Rights through Congress and is known as the architect of the First Amendment: “[In 1806] John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the

United States, solicited the executive’s opinion on who should be appointed to direct the affairs of the Catholic Church in the territory newly acquired by the Louisiana Purchase. After consulting with President Jefferson, then-Secretary of State James Madison responded that the selection of church ‘functionaries’ was an ‘entirely ecclesiastical’ matter left to the Church’s own judgment. The ‘scrupulous policy of the Constitution in guarding against a political interference with religious affairs,’ Madison explained, prevented the Government from rendering an opinion on the ‘selection of ecclesiastical individuals.’” (Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, 2012). That is our American heritage, our most cherished freedom. It is the first freedom because if we are not free in our conscience and our practice of religion, all other freedoms are fragile. If citizens are not free in their own consciences, how can they be free in relation to others or to the state? If our obligations and duties to God are impeded, or even worse, contradicted by the government, then we can no longer claim to be a land of the free and a beacon of hope for the world. OUR CHRISTIAN TEACHING During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Americans shone the light of the Gospel on a dark history of slavery, segregation and racial bigotry. The civil rights movement was an essentially religious movement, a call to awaken consciences, not only an appeal to the Constitution for America to honor its heritage of liberty. In his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail in 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. boldly said, “the goal of America is freedom.” As a Christian pastor, he argued that to call America to the full measure of that freedom was the specific contribution Christians are obliged to make. He rooted his legal and constitutional arguments about justice in the long Christian tradition: “I would agree with Saint Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’ Now what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.” It is a sobering thing to contemplate our government enacting an unjust law. An unjust law cannot be obeyed. In the face of an unjust law, an accommodation is not to be sought, especially by resorting to equivocal words and deceptive practices. If we face today the prospect of unjust laws, then Catholics in America, in solidarity with our fellow citizens, must have the courage not to obey them. No American desires this. No Catholic welcomes it. But if it should fall upon us, we must discharge it as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith. It is essential to understand the distinction between conscientious objection and an unjust law. Conscientious objection permits some relief to those who object to a just law for reasons of conscience — conscription being the most well-known ex-

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ample. An unjust law is “no law at all.” It cannot be obeyed, and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal. The Christian church does not ask for special treatment, simply the right of religious freedom for all citizens. Rev. King also explained that the Church is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather its conscience, guide, and critic. As Catholics, we know that our history has shadows too in terms of religious liberty, when we did not extend to others the proper respect for this first freedom. But the teaching of the Church is absolutely clear about religious liberty: “The human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits.... This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutional law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become a civil right” (Dignitatis Humanae, 2). As Catholics, we are obliged to defend the right to religious liberty for ourselves and for others. We are happily joined in this by our fellow Christians and believers of other faiths. A [Dec. 21] letter to President Barack Obama from some sixty religious leaders, including Christians of many denominations and Jews, argued that “it is emphatically not only Catholics who deeply object to the requirement that health plans they purchase must provide coverage of contraceptives that include some that are abortifacients.” More comprehensively, a theologically rich and politically prudent declaration from the group Evangelicals and Catholics Together made a powerful case for greater vigilance in defense of religious freedom, precisely as a united witness animated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their declaration makes it clear that as Christians of various traditions, we object to a “naked public square” that is stripped of religious arguments and religious believers. We do not seek a “sacred public square” either, which gives special privileges and benefits to religious citizens. Rather, we seek a civil public square, where all citizens can make their contribution to the common good. At our best, we might call this an American public square. The Lord Jesus came to liberate us from the dominion of sin. Political liberties are one part of that liberation, and religious liberty is the first of those liberties. Together with our fellow Christians, joined by our Jewish brethren, and in partnership with Americans of other religious traditions, we affirm that our faith requires us to defend the religious liberty granted us by God and protected in our Constitution. MARTYRS AROUND THE WORLD In this statement, as bishops of the United States, we are addressing ourselves to the situation we find here at home. At the same time, we are sadly aware that religious liberty in many other parts of the world is in much greater peril. Our obligation at home is to defend religious liberty robustly, but we cannot

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overlook the much graver plight that religious believers, most of them Christian, face around the world. The age of martyrdom has not passed. Assassinations, bombings of churches, torching of orphanages — these are only the most violent attacks Christians have suffered because of their faith in Jesus Christ. More systematic denials of basic human rights are found in the laws of several countries and in acts of persecution by adherents of other faiths. If religious liberty is eroded here at home, American defense of religious liberty abroad is less credible. And one common threat, spanning both the international and domestic arenas, is the tendency to reduce the freedom of religion to the mere freedom of worship. Therefore, it is our task to strengthen religious liberty at home, in this and other respects, so that we might defend it more vigorously abroad. To that end, American foreign policy, as well as the vast international network of Catholic agencies, should make the promotion of religious liberty an ongoing and urgent priority. ‘ALL THE ENERGIES THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY CAN MUSTER’ What we ask is nothing more than that our God-given right to religious liberty be respected. We ask nothing less than that the Constitution and laws of the United States, which recognize that right, be respected. In insisting that our liberties as Americans be respected, we know as bishops that what our Holy Father said is true. This work belongs to “an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture.” As bishops we seek to bring the light of the Gospel to our public life, but the work of politics is properly that of committed and courageous lay Catholics. We exhort them to be both engaged and articulate in insisting that as Catholics and as Americans we do not have to choose between the two. There is an urgent need for the lay faithful, in cooperation with Christians, Jews and others, to impress upon our elected representatives the importance of continued protection of religious liberty in a free society. We address a particular word to those holding public office. It is your noble task to govern for the common good. It does not serve the common good to treat the good works of religious believers as a threat to our common life; to the contrary, they are essential to its proper functioning. It is also your task to protect and defend those fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. This ought not be a partisan issue. The Constitution is not for Democrats or Republicans or independents. It is for all of us, and a great nonpartisan effort should be led by our elected representatives to ensure that it remains so. We recognize that a special responsibility belongs to those Catholics who are responsible for our impressive array of hospitals, clinics, universities, colleges, schools, adoption agencies, overseas development projects and social service agencies that provide assistance to the poor, the hungry, immigrants and those

faced with crisis pregnancies. You do the work that the Gospel casions to our heritage of freedom. This year, we propose a spemandates. It is you who may be forced to choose between the cial “fortnight for freedom” in which bishops in their own diogood works we do by faith and fidelity to that faith. We encour- ceses might arrange special events to highlight the importance age you to hold firm, to stand fast and to insist upon what be- of defending our first freedom. Our Catholic institutions also longs to you by right as Catholics and Americans. Our country could be encouraged to do the same, especially in cooperation deserves the best we have to offer, including our resistance to vi- with other Christians, Jews, people of other faiths and indeed olations of our first freedom. all who wish to defend our most cherished freedom. To our priests, especially those who have responsibility for We suggest that the fourteen days from June 21 — the vigil parishes, university chaplaincies and high schools, we ask for a of the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More — to July catechesis on religious liberty suited to the souls in your care. 4, Independence Day, be dedicated to this “fortnight for freeAs bishops we can provide guidance to assist you, but the dom” — a great hymn of prayer for our country. Our liturgical courage and zeal for this task cannot be obtained from another calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faith— it must be rooted in your own ful in the face of persecution by poconcern for your flock and nourlitical power — St. John Fisher and ished by the graces you received at St. Thomas More, St. John the Bapyour ordination. tist, Sts. Peter and Paul, and the First Catechesis on religious liberty is Martyrs of the Church of Rome. e suggest not the work of priests alone. The Culminating on Independence Day, Catholic Church in America is this special period of prayer, study, that the fourteen blessed with an immense number of catechesis and public action would writers, producers, artists, publishemphasize both our Christian and days from June 21 — ers, filmmakers and bloggers, emAmerican heritage of liberty. Diocethe vigil of the feasts ploying all the means of ses and parishes around the country communications — both old and could choose a date in that period of St. John Fisher and new media — to expound and teach for special events that would constithe faith. They too have a critical tute a great national campaign of St. Thomas More — to role in this great struggle for reliteaching and witness for religious July 4, Independence gious liberty. We call upon them to liberty. use their skills and talents in defense In addition to this summer’s obDay, be dedicated to of our first freedom. servance, we also urge that the Finally to our brother bishops, let Solemnity of Christ the King — a this “fortnight for us exhort each other with fraternal feast born out of resistance to totalifreedom” — a great charity to be bold, clear and insistarian incursions against religious tent in warning against threats to the liberty — be a day specifically emhymn of prayer for rights of our people. Let us attempt ployed by bishops and priests to to be the “conscience of the state,” preach about religious liberty, both our country. to use Rev. King’s words. In the afhere and abroad. termath of the decision on contraTo all our fellow Catholics, we ceptive and sterilization mandates, urge an intensification of your many spoke out forcefully. As one prayers and fasting for a new birth of example, the words of one of our most senior brothers [on Jan. freedom in our beloved country. We invite you to join us in an 20], Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, 35 years a bishop, and recently urgent prayer for religious liberty.♦ retired after 25 years as archbishop of Los Angeles, provide a model for us here: “I cannot imagine a more direct and frontal ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of all nations, attack on freedom of conscience than this ruling today. This de- For freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1). cision must be fought against with all the energies the Catholic We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty, the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good. Grant to our leaders community can muster.” the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties; By your grace may we have the courage to defend them, for ourselves and for all those A FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM In particular, we recommend to our brother bishops that we who live in this blessed land. We ask this through the intercession of focus “all the energies the Catholic community can muster” in Mary Immaculate, our patroness, and in the name of your Son, our a special way this coming summer. As pastors of the flock, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign, one God, forever and ever. privileged task is to lead the Christian faithful in prayer. Both our civil year and liturgical year point us on various oc- Amen.

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KNIG HTS IN ACTI ON

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TILES PLACED COLUMBIA NEEDS YOUR PHOTOS!

Our Lady of Good Counsel Council 11636 in Pearl City, Hawaii, replaced the hardwood floors under the altar at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church with ceramic tile. OPERATION WELCOME HOME

Columbia is always in need of great photos that showcase the activities of your K of C units. Reports that are accompanied by dynamic pictures are always the first to catch the attention of the editors. So what does it take to have your council’s picture published in Columbia magazine? Here are some tips: • Photograph people while they are involved in an activity. Do not stop what people are doing to set up a posed shot. • Wear your Knights of Columbus gear. If your members have T-shirts, aprons or other items printed with the emblem of the Order, encourage them to wear these items at all of your events. • Charity is about people. Show readers how you have helped people through the funds you worked so hard to raise; do not show them a signed check. • Send your photos to: columbia@kofc.org

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Fourth Degree Assemblies from the Diocese of Baltimore collected bottles of water, potato chips, cookies and candy for Operation Welcome Home, a program that greets soldiers returning from overseas deployments. Knights collected 2,240 bottles of water and more than 900 snacks. MEALS FOR THE HOMELESS

Over a two-month period, St. Peter Council 12319 and St. Peter Circle 5263, both in Winnipeg, Manitoba, cooked and served chili to the needy at Immaculate Heart of Mary School. Knights and Squires provided food to more than 200 families. A BOUNTIFUL YIELD

After selling its council hall, St. Michael Council 4501 in Leamington, Ontario, invested the funds for future charitable projects. After accruing interest for six years, Knights donated a portion of the funds — $628,000 — to its parish for use toward the construction of a new church.

Young people monitor their fishing lines during a children’s fishing rodeo co-sponsored by Msgr. James J. Hickey Council 6695 and the City of Bristol, Tenn. More than 165 children, ages 4-12 participated in the event, with competitors divided into age groups. Winners received trophies, bicycles and DVD players. compressors, motors and copper. These items, in turn, are sold to a local recycling center, and the council uses the proceeds to fund a number of charitable initiatives. PRO-LIFE ART SHOW

Oscar J. Gelpi Council 6872 in Picayune, Miss., and its ladies’ auxiliary held a pro-life art show titled “Life Is All Around Us” that raised $5,000 for an area pregnancy resource center. The show featured work by 88 artists, all of whom composed their pieces around the show’s theme. The event also featured raffles and a silent auction, as well as a preview buffet and an awards night.

HELPING THE HELPLESS

Father Edward Shaughnessy Council 3884 in Newington, Conn., held a bowling tournament that raised $1,000 for Help the Helpless, a nonprofit organization that supports an orphanage and school in Southern India that cares for poor children who are handicapped.

VISITATION CHAPEL APPLIANCES RECYCLED

Patuxent Council 2203 in Laurel, Md., sponsors a recycling program that raises money for charity. Launched by Jim Brown, Chris Erdle and Bill Knox, all of whom work in the HVAC industry, Knights collect old household appliances that they dismantle and salvage for coils,

Cardinal Muench Council 782 in Fargo, N.D., raised $540 for the Visitation Chapel, a special chapel dedicated to the celebration and exposition of the Eucharist and located adjacent to the state’s only abortion facility. The chapel is not sustained by diocesan funds, but is supported instead by the community.

Macrino Vargas (left) and Rey Basa of Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores Council 10752 in Dededo, Guam, retouch a statue of St. Barbara at their parish. Knights repainted the statue as one of their many service projects to the church.

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, 2011. 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: $18,026,582,008

LIABILITIES — Actual and Contingent 2. Old System Reserve — including additional reserve: $ 1,210,657 3. New System Reserve — including D.I. and Dis. W. $ 10,343,412,401 (net of reins): 4. Reserve for accident and health certificates: $ 196,585,015 5. Total per item 1 and 2, page 3 of Annual Statement: $ 10,541,208,073 6. Deduct liens and interest thereon, not included in Admitted Assets, and not in excess of required reserves on the corresponding None individual certificates: 7. Balance — Item 5 less item 6 above: $ 10,541,208,073 8. Liabilities of the General Account Fund, except reserve (items 3 to 22 incl. page 3 of Annual Statement): $ 5,769,574,375 9. Liabilities — Actual and Contingent — sum of $16,310,782,448 items 7 and 8 above: 10. Ratio percent of Dec. 31, 2011 — 110.52% Assets — Actual and Dec. 31, 2010 — 111.43% Contingent (Item 1) Dec. 31, 2009 — 111.85% to liabilities — Actual Dec. 31, 2008 — 113.02% Dec. 31, 2007 — 114.28% and Contingent (Item 9)

EXPLANATION 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 $1,715,799,560 (or 10.52%) over the above statutory standards. STATE OF: Connecticut SS. COUNTY OF: New Haven

A. NEW! Columbia® Short-Sleeve Blue Fishing Shirt. 100% cotton. Relaxed fit with fly box pocket, fasteners on collar tip and rod holder tab. Available in: M (PG-536), L (PG-537), XL (PG-538) and XXL (PG-539) — $55 B.Columbia® Fishing Vest. Henry’s Fork™ III vest made from 60% cotton/40% polyester poplin with nylon/elastine mesh collar. Features zip front, six front pockets with hook-and-loop closures, four large lower pockets with zip closure, two pigtail clip retractors, rod holder, removable sherpa fly keeper and utility D-ring for attaching gear on back. Embroidered with “Knights of Columbus” on left breast. Available in: M (PG-575), L (PG-576), XL (PG-577) and XXL (PG-578) — $70 C. NEW! Titleist DT SoLo Golf Balls. Enjoy the ultimate combination of distance and soft compression feel. Imprinted with full color emblem of the Order. PG-428 — $27 (dozen)

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 15th day of February 2012. ELIZABETH A. HUGHES Notary Public CARL A. ANDERSON, President CHARLES E. MAURER JR., Secretary LOGAN T. LUDWIG, Treasurer SEAL

OFFICIAL MAY 1, 2012:

Control No.

State Code

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

Qty.

Item No.

Price Each

TOTAL

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

SHIPPING AND HANDLING

STREET

CT residents add 6.35% sales tax

CITY/STATE/PROVINCE

ZIP OR POSTAL CODE

DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER

CREDIT CARD BILLING ADDRESS CHECK IF SAME AS SHIPPING ADDRESS

TOTAL Check/Money Order No.*

Amount

* Make check or money order out to: “Knights of Columbus Supreme Council” CREDIT CARD BILLING INFORMATION DO NOT MAIL FAX ORDERS

NAME

M.C.

STREET CITY ZIP/POSTAL CODE

STATE/PROVINCE

Expiration Date: Month

Signature

Year

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, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2012 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3 PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

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

Fraternity

Charity

Unity

Patriotism

CHILDREN FROM low-income families sort through donated coats and outerwear during a winter coat drive co-sponsored by Christ the King Council 3419 in Mesa, Ariz., and the student council at Christ the King Elementary School. By soliciting donations from area residents and organizations, Knights and students collected more than 500 clothing items, which were distributed by volunteers at the school.

STEVE BOOTHE (left) unloads a platter of steamed crabs as Robert D. Pittman of Edward Douglass White Council 2473 in Arlington, Va., arranges the seafood at a councilsponsored crab feast. Knights fed approximately 200 people at the event, which was open to all ages. • At the request of their pastor, members of Father Butler Council 968 and Father Stephen T. Badin Circle 5495, both in Hamilton, Ohio, volunteered alongside parishioners to landscape the Marian grotto at St. Peter Church.

FOURTH DEGREE KNIGHTS look on as Special Olympics Athlete Jack Hansen (center) receives a U.S. flag for the new Special Olympics Idaho Athlete Training Center. At the request of Special Olympics, seven Fourth Degree assemblies from southwest Idaho donated $650 to purchase a flagpole for the facility, which serves as the organization’s new headquarters and a state-of-the-art training facility.

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UNITY: Gerald Martineau/The Arlington Catholic Herald

A LOADER LIFTS a broken tree into the back of a dump truck at the home of a disabled Knight during a cleanup project that was sponsored by Christ the King Council 12256 in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to not being able to care for his lawn because of health problems, part of the council member’s property became inaccessible following the 2010 Nashville flood. Knights cleared access to the fallen trees, while another council member donated use of heavy equipment to remove the debris.

KNIGHT S O F CO LUMBUS

Building a better world one council at a time

Rik Jesse/Florida Today

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

Maria Columbo (left) and Chris Sorgenfrei, students at Holy Name School in Satellite Beach, Fla., use special glasses to view a three-dimensional projection of the solar system. Bishop Verot Council 5845 in Satellite Beach sponsored a golf tournament that raised $31,000 for the school to purchase new technology for its classrooms, including a 3-D projector and video camera.

“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 FAITH ALIV E

‘I DISCOVERED THE BEAUTY AND AWE OF THE PRIESTHOOD’

FATHER ALONZO COX Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Photo by Matt Greenslade/photo-nyc.com

I have wanted to be a priest since I was 12 years old. I grew up in a family that went to Mass every Sunday and was always intrigued by my parish priests. After my confirmation, I worked in the rectory answering phones and was a weekend sacristan. During those years, I discovered the beauty and awe of the priesthood. I was amazed at how my parish priest was able to do so much in one day and still keep his vigor. As I approach my second year as a priest, especially on days when I have three Masses with other duties in between, I think of how God has called me to this vocation and gives me the endurance and strength to serve. Though the prayers and financial support of the Knights of Columbus, I was able to persevere in my seminary studies. With the support of my family and friends, I ascended the altar of God as a priest. And for the past two years, I have tried to bring the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to his holy people.

KEEP T HE FAIT H ALIVE

‘I DISCOVERED THE BEAUTY AND AWE OF THE PRIESTHOOD’ I have wanted to be a priest since I was 12 years old. I grew up in a family that went to Mass every Sunday and was always intrigued by my parish priests. After my confirmation, I worked in the rectory answering phones and was a weekend sacristan. During those years, I discovered the beauty and awe of the priesthood. I was amazed at how my parish priest was able to do so much in one day and still keep his vigor. As I approach my second year as a priest, especially on days when I have three Masses with other duties in between, I think of how God has called me to this vocation and gives me the endurance and strength to serve. Though the prayers and financial support of the Knights of Columbus, I was able to persevere in my seminary studies. With the support of my family and friends, I ascended the altar of God as a priest. And for the past two years, I have tried to bring the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to his holy people. Photo by Matt Greenslade/photo-nyc.com

FATHER ALONZO COX Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y.

PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. PM40063106