God has given us a share in his own life to live boldly as his children in the world.
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. KellyIt was a privilege to meet my brother Knights in Poland and Ukraine and witness their works of mercy.
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month
6 Knights of Columbus News College Knights Called to Be ‘Soldiers of Christ’ • Knights Step Up After Hurricanes Fiona and Ian • Knights Named to Forbes ‘Best Insurance Companies 2023’ List
• Supreme Chaplain Encourages Knights’ Relief E orts During Pilgrimage to Poland, Ukraine
21 Fathers for Good Holiness is the great quest, the ultimate goal, that God has set for all of us.
By Joseph Pearce26 Knights in Action Reports from councils and assemblies, representing the four pillars of the Faith in Action program model
An icon of Christ Pantocrator (“Ruler of All”) is depicted on the dome of the Greek Catholic Theological Seminary chapel in Lviv, Ukraine.
Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
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“IF YOU KNOW the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also su er a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every ba le.”
ese words from e Art of War, a ributed to ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, resonate some 2,500 years later — not only for cadets and soldiers but also for those engaged in more personal and spiritual ba les, including the pursuit of virtue and holiness.
e maxim to “know thyself,” popularized also in ancient Greece, is sage advice in any era. Yet it is o en ignored, especially in our age of perpetual distraction and extended adolescence. If someone hopes to mature as a human being and a Christian, he cannot simply coast through life and let the world de ne who he is. He must live intentionally, while humbly acknowledging his weakness es, regularly examining his conscience, and always remembering his deepest identity as a beloved child of God.
e second aspect of the aphorism above — to know one’s enemy — likewise relates to the Christian life in several ways. For one thing, we know that Christ calls us not simply to know our enemies but to love them and to pray for those who persecute us (cf. Mt 5:44).
is is not easy, of course, but the grace of humility can help us both to avoid being our own worst enemy and to practice spiritual works of mercy: forgiving o enses and bear ing wrongs patiently. Even in larger cultural or political ba les, the commandment to love one’s neighbor remains.
To truly know the enemy means recognizing that “our struggle is not with esh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph 6:12). St. Paul begins this passage by exhorting disci ples to ready themselves for spiritual warfare: “Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand rm against the tactics of the devil” (Eph 6:10-11). e symbolic imagery continues in the verses that follow and culminates in the Book of Revela tion. Christ, revealed as the victorious “King of kings and Lord of lords,” leads the “armies of heaven” mounted on white horses into an apocalyptic ba le (Rev 19:11-21).
In observance of Veterans Day and Remem brance Day on Nov. 11, this issue of Columbia features several articles honoring the courage and sacri ce of veterans and fallen heroes, as well as Ukrainians currently defending their homeland against unjust aggression. It also explores the analogous relationship between military service and the vocation of Knights of Columbus as “soldiers of Christ” engaged in combat on the ba le eld of the human heart (see page 15). In the nal analysis, despite the brutality and far-reaching impact of physical warfare, the ght for souls is even more conse quential. e good news is that we do not wage war alone. e Lord gives us his Holy Spirit (see page 3) — together with weapons of grace, such as prayer, fasting and the sacraments — as he leads the saints to victory. ✢
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
Featured
Knights of Columbus
Patrick E. Kelly
Supreme Knight
Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. Supreme Chaplain
Paul G. O’Sullivan
Deputy Supreme Knight
Patrick T. Mason Supreme Secretary
Ronald F. Schwarz Supreme Treasurer
John A. Marrella Supreme Advocate
Alton J. Pelowski Editor
Andrew J. Matt Managing Editor
Cecilia Hadley Senior Editor
Elisha Valladares-Cormier Associate Editor
Blessed Michael McGivney (1852-90) – Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us.
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Armed with the Faith is a Catholic
military personnel developed by the Knights of Columbus in partnership with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Now in its 6th edition with a foreword by Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, it contains a rich variety of prayers, devotions, hymns and Catholic moral and sacramental teachings. Since 2003, more than 600,000 copies have been distributed. To download or order copies of the Catholic Information Service edition (#364), visit kofc.org/cis.
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Life in the Spirit God has given us a share in his own life to live boldly as his children in the world
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
“GOD DID NOT give us a spirit of cow ardice but rather of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7). These words from Scripture recently struck me as they were read at Mass. In the preceding days, I had been part of several conversations about the challenges of living our faith today, and I found that this verse from St. Paul spoke both to the tremendous gift we have been given in our Catholic faith and the responsibility we have to share this gift with others.
Whether it’s young parents struggling to raise their family in a culture that seems obsessed with pushing adult agendas on children; a Ukrainian father, separated from his wife and children as he struggles for the very existence of his homeland; a college student lacking stable intellectual and spiri tual support in an environment increasingly marked by confusion and instability; or ev eryday Catholics wrestling with their faith in the face not only of open hostility from the world, but also division and scandals in the Church — in each of these cases and more, there is a temptation to do less and to back away.
At times, the adversity is enough to make us give in to cynicism and discouragement and decide to lead a life of ready comfort and diversion — or at least one of general apathy, ready to se le for “good enough” in terms of our growth in virtue and personal excellence.
But this “easy” path leads to a far less meaningful life — and away from true fulfillment. Why? Because we were not made for that kind of life. We were made for a higher purpose, and in Jesus Christ we have been given the grace to live as children of God.
St. Paul reminds Timothy that we have been given a spirit of “power and love and self-control.” In his first letter to the Corin thians, Paul likewise makes clear that he has
not been relying on his own skill or wise words, but on the power of God (1 Cor 2:3-5). And in his letter to the Church in Rome, he points out that even our suffering can lead to endurance, and thus to charac ter, and to hope, infused in us by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:3-5).
We are called to be great men — not just “pretty good” men. And to achieve this, we are given the very Spirit of God, who can lead us to a hope that will never disappoint and never give in to despair.
Moreover, we have a responsibility to help other men recall and understand the Spirit they have been given. It is the duty of a band of Christian brothers, of Catholic gentlemen — of Knights. We Knights of Columbus are called to stand with one another, to encourage one another, and to rely upon our brothers to do the same for us when we are tempted to moments of discouragement.
During this fraternal year, more than 20 of our state councils in the United States and Canada will be exploring ways that Knights of Columbus can better support men in living their faith and embracing the Spirit they have been given in their baptism and confirmation. Local councils will be implementing new programs and structures as we consider how, as an Order, we can be come, more and more, the men of faith and courage that Blessed Michael McGivney de sired us to be. More will be shared regarding this pilot program in the future, and, God willing, a refined plan for incorporating this way of life in all councils will roll out in the coming year or two.
But our duty to live lives of faith waits for nothing, nor do the challenges facing us. By virtue of our baptism, we have been given the highest of callings, and it demands that we hold nothing back in service to Christ, our King.
Vivat Jesus!
We are called to be great men — not just “pretty good” men.
And to achieve this, we are given the very Spirit of God, who can lead us to a hope that will never disappoint and never give in to despair.
LAST MONTH, as I made a short pilgrim age to Poland and Ukraine, I witnessed the Order’s rst principle on steroids. ere I saw rsthand the charity of brother Knights and their families and the vitality of the Knights of Columbus.
I arrived in Kraków on Sept. 30 and was met by the Order’s sta there, who would be my guides throughout the visit. We hit the ground running, rst visiting the Divine Mercy Shrine and praying at the tomb of St. Faustina Kowalska, before celebrating Mass at the nearby shrine dedicated to St. John Paul II.
On Oct. 1, I visited an orphanage near Częstochowa, where children displaced by war in eastern Ukraine had been welcomed into a former retreat center. In this place, they found love. I was happy to join the Polish Knights in distributing warm winter coats through our familiar Coats for Kids program and in handing out candy and fruit at lunch. e charity of my brother Knights and their co-workers registered on the faces of these young people.
Soon I found myself at the Mercy Center at St. Wojciech Parish, where Father Ryszard, a dynamic pastor and Knights of Columbus chaplain, welcomed me into a virtual mall of charity — free clothing, shoes and other necessities, all destined for Ukrainian refugees, and even a food court run by Ukrainian women; I sampled the pierogi, and they were good! at night, we crossed the border into Ukraine with the help of Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, the Roman Catholic state chaplain and my gracious host. e next morning, I went with the archbishop to a newly constructed Benedictine mon astery and to St. John Paul II Parish, a new church built with help from the Knights of Columbus. Both had been transformed into housing for internally displaced persons. I met many who were su ering from the war and lis tened to their stories. A er celebrating Mass, I had the privilege of ceremonially installing
the state o cers of the Ukraine State Council. Visiting with them, I heard accounts of heroic charity, including Knights who risked their lives to drive 18-wheelers lled with food and supplies into war-torn areas of Ukraine. e next day, I visited a clothing distribu tion center run by brother Knights and their wives, and I met elderly people for whom this center is a lifeline. A erward, I was happy to address more than 160 Ukrainian Greek Catholic seminarians, and I urged them all to become members of the Knights. I also met His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy of Odessa, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic state chaplain. ey spoke with me about the atrocities the Ukrainian people are su ering, as well as their spirit of hope and resilience, and they thanked me most warmly for the support they are receiving from the Knights.
Before leaving Ukraine, I was privileged to meet and celebrate Mass with Knights of Columbus chaplains from across the country, many of whom serve as chaplains in the armed forces. Like so many people I met during my visit, these priests are courageous ly carrying forward their ministry amid war, without counting the cost. ey deeply ap preciate the fraternal support of their brother Knights and families.
I concluded my visit in Radom, Poland, where I met with chaplains from across the country and visited a former church convert ed into a care package assembly site. Knights, chaplains and volunteers were pu ing together boxes that would be sent to Ukraine — and I helped as well.
All this and more is possible because both Knights and chaplains are being formed in the spirituality of Blessed Michael McGivney. Rooted in love, may we, the family of the Knights of Columbus, continue to support them in an unbroken chain of charity. ✢
It was a privilege to meet my brother Knights in Poland and Ukraine and witness their works of mercy
These priests are courageously carrying forward their ministry amid war, without counting the cost. They deeply appreciate the fraternal support of their brother Knights and families.
A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
“You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” (Gospel for Nov. 13, Lk 21:16-19)
In this Gospel reading, Jesus speaks about the trials and perse cution believers will face. We may suffer for our belief in Christ, but we will be saved if we persevere. Suffering is an inevitable part of the human condition. We see it in the faces of the poor, the afflicted and those in need all around us. May we seek to remain faithful to Christ, whatever suffering we en counter in life, and may we seek to alleviate the suffering of others.
CONFINED TO a wheelchair for years due to a debilitating illness, Spanish journalist Manuel “Lolo” Lozano Garrido traveled to Lourdes in 1958 in the hope of receiving a favor from the Blessed Virgin. But his prayer inten tions changed when he arrived. “How could I ask something for myself,” he reasoned, “with so many people su er ing more than me?”
Garrido was born in Linares, Spain, and grew up with a passion for his faith, joining the Catholic Action movement at age 10. As a teenager during his coun try’s brutal civil war, Garrido brought the Eucharist to others in secret; he once endured a night in jail when caught. At age 20, he began a career in journalism that would lead to him being published in national and international outlets, including the Associated Press.
In 1942, Garrido was stricken by spondylitis, a disease that in amed his vertebrae and le him deformed. De spite constant pain and progressive pa ralysis, Garrido never stopped writing, going on to publish hundreds of articles and nine books. In later years, as he lost
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)
St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
St. Leo the Great
Challenge: This month, I chal lenge you to fast (defined as eating no more than one full meal and two smaller meals that don’t equal a full meal) one day a week and offer up this sacrifice to grow in perseverance. Second, I chal lenge you to help with the Food for Families or Coats for Kids Faith in Action programs.
St. Martin of Tours, Bishop Nov.
St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Nov.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious Nov.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Nov.
St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr Nov.
St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs Nov. 30 St. Andrew, Apostle
his sight and the use of his hands, he dictated his work to his sister, Lucy.
Following his trip to Lourdes, Gar rido re ected upon the relationship between prayer, su ering and journal ism. Soon a er, he founded Sinaí, a movement to unite groups of religious and lay people, especially the sick, in praying for Catholic journalists — an e ort that continues to this day.
As Garrido’s condition continued to deteriorate, he offered up all his suffer ing as a sacrifice. “I’m going ahead to meet the Father,” he wrote days before his death on Nov. 3, 1971. “I renew my appointment with Joy. ... Remember that all is grace.” Manuel Lozano Garri do was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. ✢
We pray for children who are su ering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family a ection.
MORE THAN 150 college Knights, chap lains and state coordinators gathered for leadership training, prayer and fraterni ty at the 57th annual College Councils Conference in New Haven, Conn., Sept. 30-Oct. 2. e theme of this year’s con ference, which brought together leaders from 52 college councils, was Milites Christi — meaning “Soldiers of Christ” or “Christian Knights.”
Highlights of the conference — the rst to be held in person since 2019 — included Mass at St. Mary’s Church, the birthplace of the Order, and the annual awards banquet, featuring a keynote address by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York.
Introducing Cardinal Dolan on Fri day evening, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly told the assembled students, “Part of our mission in the Knights is to make the case for our Catholic faith and to communicate our Catholic faith. And nobody knows how hard that is be er than you, because you’re doing that on college campuses. … We’re very grateful that Cardinal Dolan is in our corner with regard to communicat ing our faith.”
In his keynote address, the cardinal focused on the theme of Milites Christi and highlighted what he called “five lessons we can learn from this mili tary analogy.” Five common ideals for both soldiers and Knights, he said, are solidarity, shared convictions, rituals, allegiance to a higher cause, and read iness to fight the enemy (see remarks on page 15).
Cardinal Dolan’s address was fol lowed by the annual awards ceremony, in which councils were recognized for achievements in faith, family, com munity and life programs, as well as membership growth. is year’s Out standing College Council Award went to University of Wisconsin Council 6568 in Madison for its exemplary growth, engagement and support to lo cal charities and ministries dedicated to families. Providence College Council
From top: Members of University of Wisconsin Council 6568 in Madison and their chap lain, Father Timothy Mergen, stand with Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly after receiving the 2022 Outstanding College Council Award. • Cardinal Timothy Dolan bestows a blessing with a relic of Blessed Michael McGivney after celebrating the opening Mass. • College Knights assist with a eucharistic procession outside St. Mary’s Church following Mass on Oct. 1.
5787 in Rhode Island received second place, and Illini Council 2782 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Cham paign received third.
A er presentations by K of C leaders and several breakout sessions throughout the day on Oct. 1, Knights gathered for a Holy Hour and rosary at St. Mary’s Church, followed by a vigil Mass and eucharistic procession. e day culminated in a special screening of the new K of C-produced documentary Mother Teresa: No Greater Love.
The conference concluded Oct. 2, with a closing session featuring re marks from Father Timothy Mergen, chaplain of Council 6568 and a former Air Force pilot.
“As I look at my own life and my journey to where I am right now, the greatest gi I have received in my entire life is the gi of the priesthood,” Father Mergen a rmed. “I just want to also encourage you men that if the priest hood is on your mind and heart, be not afraid, be not afraid.” ✢
by Mike RossKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS from the Caribbean to Newfoundland donated funds and organized efforts to distrib ute supplies and clean up debris in the aftermath of two major hurricanes in late September.
Hurricane Fiona caused enormous damage when it hit Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic Sept. 18-19 and then eastern Canada on Sept. 24. Four days later, Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm; it caused at least 126 deaths there, making it the deadliest storm to strike the state since 1935.
In support of local relief efforts, the Supreme Council dispersed tens of thousands of dollars from the Knights of Columbus Disaster Relief Fund to various state councils — Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Florida.
In Florida, “Fort Myers was probably the hardest-hit area,” said Greg Sutter, state council disaster response chair man and grand knight of Sacred Heart Council 8012 in Belleview. “There are still people that they’re trying to dig out and find. The devastation is unbelievable.”
On Oct. 5, Sutter and other Knights were helping Catholic Charities distribute food and supplies at St. Leo Catholic Church in Bonita Springs, about 20 miles south of Fort Myers.
“People yesterday were lined up a quarter of a mile down the road,” said John Shelton, disaster relief coordi nator for the Diocese of Venice and a member of St. Agnes Council 14202 in Naples. “Half of this community doesn’t have a lot anyway. So now they have none.”
“Whatever we can get, we’re giving out,” he continued. “We’ll do whatever we have to do.”
On Oct. 8, more Knights gathered at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Port Charlotte, north of Fort Myers, to assist at the parish distribution center and lend a hand — or a chainsaw — to clear branches and fallen trees.
For Brian Regan, a member of St. John the Evangelist Council 15007 in Pensacola, this work is an important part of his identity as a Catholic and a Knight. “Serving the poor, serving people who have been devastated by such a storm, that’s how we are called by Christ,” he said. “ e work that we do here is what the Knights of Columbus is all about.” ✢
FORBES MAGAZINE ranked Knights of Columbus Insur ance among the best insur ance providers in the United States on its 2023 list.
e “America’s Best Insur ance Companies 2023” list, announced by Forbes on Oct. 4, is based on a survey of more than 15,000 U.S. citizens with at least one insurance policy conducted by the market research rm Statista.
The survey considered customer satisfaction overall and in six sub-dimensions: financial advice, customer service, price/performance ratio, transparency, digital services and damage/benefit ratio. A loyalty score was calculated based on custom ers’ likelihood of keeping their insurance policy under different circumstances, and the length of time that consumers have held policies with the same insurer.
“For the second consecutive year, Knights of Columbus Insurance is honored to be recognized by Forbes and Statista for the strength of our many permanent life insurance products that align with our customers’ Catholic values,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “Faithful to the vision of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, Knights has been helping provide nancial se curity to Catholic families for 140 years.” ✢
SUPREME CHAPLAIN Archbishop William Lori journeyed to Poland and Ukraine Sept. 30-Oct. 4, meeting with Knights of Columbus and assisting their ongoing humani tarian work in response to the war in Ukraine.
The supreme chaplain visited various projects and initiatives supported by the Ukraine Solidarity Fund, from an orphanage outside of Częstochowa to a parish housing refugees in Lviv. He also spent time with Church leaders and Ukrainians displaced from their homes by violence.
Throughout his travels, Archbishop Lori said, he was im pressed by the collaborative charity of his brother Knights across both borders and Catholic rites, as well as by the strength and resilience of the Ukrainians he encountered.
“The Ukrainians are a very sturdy people, a courageous people,” he said. “What I’m seeing is beautiful hope.”
What follows are some photographic highlights of the five-day journey, which the supreme chaplain also recounts in his monthly column (see page 4). ✢
Roger Donlon, the first Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam war, reflects on his love of God, family and country
In the early hours of July 6, 1964, hundreds of communist fighters attacked a military outpost in Nam Dong, Vietnam, where a small team of Amer ican Green Berets had been training South Vietnamese troops. The Special Forces team and its allies held out against the larger force for five exhausting hours before daylight and air support brought an end to the battle.
The 30-year-old commanding officer, Capt. Roger Donlon, had exposed himself repeatedly to gunfire, grenade attacks and mortar shells throughout the fight, as he rallied his men, responded to threats and assisted the wounded.
Five months later, in recognition for his actions at Nam Dong, Capt. Donlon was awarded the Medal of Honor — the first of the Vietnam War and the first ever bestowed on a Special Forces soldier. The citation con cluded, “His dynamic leadership, fortitude, and valiant efforts inspired not only the American personnel but the friendly Vietnamese defenders as well and resulted in the successful defense of the camp.”
Donlon, a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1961, continued to serve in the Army for more than three decades, retiring as a colonel in 1988. Now 88 years old, he lives in Leavenworth, Kansas, with his wife of 54 years, Norma; together they have five children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The following text was excerpted and adapted from an interview with Donlon earlier this year.
In a still image from U.S. Army footage, Capt. Donlon surveys the ruined camp where his unit of Green Berets once trained South Vietnamese forces. • Opposite page: Retired Col. Roger Donlon is pictured wearing his Medal of Honor at his home in Leavenworth, Kan.
I WAS BLESSED to be born into an Irish Catholic family in Saugerties, New York. I’m number eight out of 10 kids and grew up in an environment where service was emphasized.
Daddy said, “Don’t be afraid to work hard,” and he showed by example. I started by learning how to make kindling and build the fire for the hot-water heater. Once I mastered that, I’d qualified to stoke the fire in the furnace. So you had to earn your way to do chores.
When I was 10 years old, he gave me my best birthday present: 50 baby chicks. It was my turn to start putting food on the table. They turned into a money-making machine — selling eggs to the neighbors, bartering. You go to the dentist with a dozen eggs and you get a tooth filled. Daddy would say, “There’s no disgrace to be poor, but it’s mighty darn inconvenient at times.”
As youngsters, the first opportunity we had to serve was as acolytes in church. In those days, you had to learn anoth er language before you could become an altar boy, so we had to learn our Latin. My mother always emphasized the importance of prayer. She said, “A family that prays together will stay together.”
But service was emphasized time and time again, and opportunities to serve were given to us.
My father and my uncle served in World War I and my
older brothers Paul and Mike in World War II. Paul spent his 19th birthday on Anzio Beach in Italy. My brother, Jack, later served in Korea and Vietnam.
I had dreamt about ying since I was a kid, so I joined the Air Force. ey gave me a test for entrance into the Air Force Academy, which was opening up. I passed it and was on the roster for the rst class. ey gave us a physical, and when they dilated my eyes, they said, “I believe you may have a congenital cataract.” Blew me out of the sky right there.
Donlon transferred from the Air Force to the Army, studying at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., for two years and later attending Officer Candidate School. He graduat ed from Special Forces training in 1963. The following year, Special Forces Team A-726, led by Capt. Donlon, was sent to advise South Vietnamese soldiers in Nam Dong. Close to the Laos border and a route used by communist fighters, the camp became a target. The attack began 2 a.m. on July 6.
As a small team, we shared duties, including guard duty. I happened to be on guard duty. I was getting ready to wake the next guard up, and a round came in and hit two huge thatched roofs, setting them on fire. That was the start of it. We all scrambled like hell. They had us surrounded by a
force of between 500 and 800 and pounded the hell out of us. They damn near came close to overrunning us. They hit us hard.
Out of 300 we were training, 100 of them were [commu nist] infiltrators. They had standing orders that when the battle started, they would break the neck or slit the throat of the guy next to them. So they had a good plan of attack. And they had the surprise element on us.
As bullets buzzed and mortar shells exploded, Donlon dashed from one position of defense to another, directing soldiers and moving guns and ammo despite sustaining multiple shrapnel wounds. At one point, he eliminated three surprise attackers, known as “sappers,” as they were preparing to blow up the main gate. Later, a voice broke through the din of battle with a mes sage, delivered in Vietnamese and English.
Over our PA system, they told us to lay down our weap ons. All they wanted was the Americans. That put a chill on things. So I went to Sgt. Brown, my best mortarman. I said, “Brown, did you hear that?” And Brown, he said, “I’ll take care of it.” I heard, “Lay down your weapons …” — and he didn’t finish it. Brownie put a mortar round in his mega phone. I’ll go to my grave with that mental picture.
The Battle of Nam Dong ended at daybreak, but not before more than 50 South Vietnamese defenders, an Australian mili tary adviser and two Green Berets — Master Sgt. Gabriel “Pop” Alamo and Sgt. John Houston — had been killed.
We had two casualties early — Pop Alamo and John Houston. Their wives were both expecting back home. Casualties of war are not limited to the battlefield. I wear this award on behalf of Pop and John and all those who didn’t come home. Such great responsibility in the war. I’ve had many and great opportunities to share stories of their sacrifices throughout the years.
These days I find myself spending most of my time pray ing. Counting my blessings. Every snowflake is a blessing, every raindrop. A strong faith gives you perseverance, belief in forgiveness.
Sure, we’ve had hardships. We have a granddaughter right now who’s got a brain tumor. She just turned 24. And her husband has cancer also. All we can give them is our love and support and prayer. So there’s another way to serve. I spend a lot of time with fellow rosary warriors.
In life, it’s almost impossible to stay on course all the time. So when you’re weakened, or you’re distracted, you have to find the strength or be the strength for somebody else, to get back on course. You have God-given gifts; search and find what they are. In my case, I find where I’m able to serve and help others, I’m most gratified.
I became a member of the Knights of Columbus when I was in South Carolina at Fort Jackson. They were always involved. Knights set an example of devotion. Individually and collectively, they are pillars of their respective commu nities. The strength of our nation is found in the strength of our respective communities, right down to the smallest towns and villages. And that’s where the Knights are found — serving.
Inside my wedding band is an inscription I’d like to share with all Knights of Columbus: “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” Continue in your lives of service. Ask for God’s guidance so you can discover how you’re most equipped and best prepared to serve. ✢
“You have God-given gifts; search and find what they are. In my case, I find where I’m able to serve and help others, I’m most gratified.”
MORE THAN 2,400 Americans were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941, the epochal day that triggered the United States’ entrance into the Second World War. Nearly half the casualties came from a single battleship: the USS Arizona
Twenty-year-old quartermaster Louis Conter was one of only 335 Arizona sailors to survive. Now, at age 101, the Knight of Columbus is one of just two men who can tell the story of that day from personal memory.
Born in Ojibwa, Wisconsin, on Sept. 13, 1921, Conter had joined the Navy at age 18. On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, he was at his station at the stern of the Arizona when he heard the whine of engines overhead just before 8 a.m.
“Everyone saw the red ball on the planes,” recalled Conter, a member of Father Nicholas Phelan Council 1875 in Grass Valley, California. “It was the Japanese rising sun, and we all knew what was happening.”
Nearly the entire U.S. Pacific Fleet was moored at Pearl Harbor. Sail ors raced to their battle stations as 183 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes rained firepower down upon the fleet, taking aim at the eight battleships.
At 8:09 a.m., a 1,760-pound ar mor-piercing bomb landed on the forward deck of the Arizona . It passed through five steel decks and ignited
over a million pounds of gunpowder and hundreds of thousands of pounds of ammunition.
“The bow of the ship, all 34,000 tons, raised about 30 to 40 feet out of the water,” Conter recounted in his memoir, published last year. “The ship was consumed in an enormous fireball that looked as if it engulfed everything from the mainmast forward.”
Conter and all other able-bodied men immediately tended to the wounded who were emerging from the flames — blinded, wounded, some of them literally on fire — and transported them to lifeboats. After the call was given to abandon the rapidly sinking ship, Conter joined several other survivors in a boat and rescued dozens of men in the water.
Shortly after 9:55 a.m., the Japanese withdrew. Of the 2,403 Americans killed in the attack, 1,177 were sailors and Marines stationed on the Arizona . The United States declared war on Japan the next day.
Conter went on to attend flight school and served as a pilot in the South Pacific, where he was shot down twice. The first time, he and the crew had to evacuate their PBY Catalina in shark-infested waters o the coast of New Guinea. When the commanding o cer expressed little hope of surviving, Conter coun tered: “Baloney, you’re not dead yet! Hold hands, tread water lightly, save your strength, and if a shark comes
Left: Smoke billows from the battleship USS Arizona following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. • Lou Conter is seen (inset) circa 1940 and (above) at his home in Grass Valley, Calif., in 2021.
along, hit it in the nose with your fists.” Recalling the events, Conter added, “And when the first one came along, I hit it in the nose and — boom! — it swam away, and they realized I was right.”
Conter continued his military service in World War II, later flying combat missions and serving as an intelli gence officer during the Korean War. He also worked in special operations and helped establish the Navy’s first SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) program.
After 28 years of service, Conter retired from the Navy in 1967 as a lieutenant commander. He participated in the 50th anniversary ceremony of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1991 and has returned since on many occasions.
“When I walk aboard the USS Arizona Memorial and see those 1,177 names up there, I have to make the sign of the cross and say a prayer for them,” he said. “And I thank God my name is on the plaque outside with the survivors.”
The last time Conter traveled to Hawaii for the annual Remembrance Ceremony was in 2019. Advised recently by his doctor that another trip would not be in his best interest, Conter plans to make a livestreamed appearance at the upcoming ceremony in December. ✢
ANDREW J. MATT is managing editor of Columbia and a member of Father Kuster Council 3037 in Chester, Conn.
Editor’s Note: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, delivered the keynote address at the 57th annual Knights of Columbus College Councils Conference in New Haven, Con necticut, Sept. 30 (see page 6). e following text is abridged and slightly adapted om his address.
Your theme this weekend is Milites Christi — soldiers of Christ. Now at rst blush that might strike us as a li le odd. I mean, we have Jesus as the Prince of Peace; we also have the high priority of peace and justice in our beloved Catholic faith.
But Jesus himself o en used military imagery, and soldiers have always had a particular a raction to follow Jesus in the Church. I’m thinking of the Roman centurion who went to Jesus for a cure [Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10] and the centurion who professed his faith in the divinity of Christ at the foot of the cross [Mt 27:54]. I’m thinking of saints such as Martin of Tours and Ignatius of Loyola. I’m thinking of military chaplains like Father Vincent Capodanno, Father Emil Kapaun and Father Francis Du y.
ere’s always been a kind of alliance between the charism of soldiers and the teachings of Jesus and the Church. And that was also the wisdom of Blessed Michael McGivney and why he used the word “Knights.” Of course, “Knights” has a military connotation — we are soldiers, we are knights, we are crusaders — and that charism appealed to the priestly heart of Father McGivney. is evening I want to propose ve lessons that we can learn from this military analogy.
Number 1 is the lesson of togetherness — a lesson of soli darity. You know famous movies about soldiers like Band of Brothers. You know their saying, “No man is ever le behind.” So when we speak about soldiers of Christ, when we speak
about Knights, we’re immediately centering on the necessity of solidarity, togetherness, fraternity.
Now this is di cult today because we live in an era that stresses individualism. When I walk the streets of New York, nobody is looking at other people, they’re looking at their phones. Something good — technology — is being misused to destroy a sense of community and solidarity and fraternity.
It’s even true in the Church, which by its nature is a community, the Mystical Body of Christ. And what do we hear today all over the place? “I’m a believer, not a belonger. I’m into spirituality, not religion. God is my Father, but he’s not our Father.”
God has told us di erently. God has always preferred to work with the people, whether it be the people of Israel or the New Israel, the Cath olic Church. We’re in it together. And my brothers, the Knights of Columbus embodies that. Father McGivney knew that his men needed one another.
Here’s Number 2: Soldiers by nature have shared convic tions. ey may di er on a lot of things, but they have basic shared convictions that drive them and keep them going. An army always has direction and focus and purpose. It has a mission. O en, in our society, rudderless young men without a sense of direction join the military for a sense of purpose, focus and shared conviction.
I would reckon you guys on campus sometimes feel that the convictions you savor are not shared by others. You won der: “Am I the only one here who believes in God? Am I the only one here who believes in truth? Am I the only one here who believes in the Bible and the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes? Am I the only one who believes in the power of prayer and an upright, honorable life of virtue?”
The analogy of spiritual warfare illuminates our calling as Knights of ColumbusCardinal Timothy Dolan addresses college Knights gathered in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., Sept. 30.
Brothers, we are Knights, and we share basic convictions. We have a creed that we call the Apostles’ Creed. We believe in the commandments. We believe in salvation. We believe in heaven. We believe in Jesus. We believe in his one, holy, cath olic and apostolic Church. We are o en criticized or mocked for these shared convictions. So we need one another as an army does, in a militia of shared conviction.
Number 3 is ritual. Our soldiers in the armed forces always have ritual. You know, a number of years ago, I went to the funeral of a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan, Michael Ollis. His brother soldiers were there bantering in the sacris ty, recalling Michael, and I visited with them. But the minute they were called to order to begin their duties at that funeral, you could see them snap to a ention, their eyes riveted on the ritual before them.
Soldiers know the power of ritual. Uniforms, ceremonies, pledges. We Knights have the same thing. We just went through one — the sacred ritual of the Mass — and we gathered a erward around the tomb of our Founder. In a way, that’s like soldiers gathering around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
We have our sacred rituals, especially in the seven sacraments. You all have been formed, in baptism, con rmation, Holy Eucharist, the sacrament of penance. Some of you, I’m praying this evening, might be formed by holy orders as a priest. Most of you will be formed in the sacrament of matrimony. And all of us, one day, will have the sacred ritual of the anointing of the sick, when we’re sick or preparing to go home to the Lord. ose rituals drive us. And those rituals are very important to the Knights of Columbus. Rituals are important to military soldiers. Rituals are important to soldiers of Christ.
A fourth lesson we can learn from Milites Christi , soldiers of Christ, is the utter necessity of allegiance and loyalty. Military men sense an identity that is beyond them. It transcends their individual self. It’s an allegiance to God
and to country. It’s an allegiance to wives and families and homes and neighborhoods. It’s an allegiance to virtue. If they lose that allegiance, they begin to crumble. But once they have it, nobody can stop them.
Such allegiance characterizes e ective soldiers, and it char acterizes the Knights of Columbus. e Knights has always been driven by an allegiance and loyalty to our Catholic faith. Father McGivney formed his men to defend that faith — rst of all by making sure that the faith was strong and vigorous within them, so that they could defend it beyond. at’s why the Knights of Columbus is right now at the fore front of defending religious liberty here at home.
This is the allegiance and loyalty that you and I have as Knights. Pope St. John Paul II said that nothing is worth living for unless something is worth dying for. And you and I believe something is worth dying for, and that makes living worthwhile.
Number 5: Soldiers have an enemy. Sometimes the enemy might be an idea, like totalitarianism. Sometimes an enemy can be a particular country. Sometimes it’s more nebulous, like terrorism. Now Jesus told us to love our enemies. And we do. But we also know that one of the ways we sometimes love our enemies is to try to convert them by the truth.
Very o en today the enemy is invisible. Yesterday, we cele brated the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, our defender in ba le. at’s the realm of the invisible, my brothers. Satan is real. Remember what Pope St. Paul VI said: Satan’s greatest weapon is to make us think he doesn’t exist. e realm of the invisible — Satan, sin, evil — it’s out there.
What is invisible is most real. You ask what is most import ant in our lives, and it’s usually the things we cannot see: It’s love. It’s loyalty. It’s faith.
I’m so glad the Knights have fostered such a deep devotion to St. Joseph, who defended Jesus and Mary. He defended Mary from the embarrassment of an untimely pregnancy. He defended his holy family when Herod wanted to kill the newborn savior of the world, by eeing as refugees into Egypt. And there’s a beautiful tradition that St. Joseph died before Jesus began his public ministry because he would have fought to prevent his son from being arrested and cruci ed. St. Joseph, the great defender. We — you and I — are called to be defenders.
What I’ve tried to say about this whole theme of Milites Christi, soldiers of Christ, is that it isn’t as bizarre as it sounds. Because as soldiers need togetherness, solidarity and fraternity, so do we as Knights of Columbus. As soldiers depend upon shared convictions, so do we as Knights. As soldiers savor ritual, so do we as Knights. As soldiers need to have an allegiance and loyalty, so do we as Knights. And as soldiers ght an enemy, so do we as Knights.
My brothers, that’s why I’m glad you’re here. You show that the values of Knights of Columbus as soldiers of Christ are now more timely and more urgent than ever.
“Allegiance characterizes effective soldiers, and it characterizes the Knights of Columbus. The Knights has always been driven by an allegiance and loyalty to our Catholic faith.”
In the buildup to the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, much of the public discussion was about the size and strength of Russia’s military. How could Ukraine stand up to such overwhelming force? A Russian takeover of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the installation of a puppet government seemed all but inevitable.
But for more than eight months, Ukraine has surprised the world with its tenacity and resilience. True, weapons from the United States and other Western nations have helped Ukrainians defend themselves and even take back a significant amount of territory. But the country’s military has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, and the in domitable spirit of the Ukrainian people has inspired many onlookers. People from all walks of life, including members of the Knights of Columbus, have volunteered to defend their country.
“Many of our brother Knights are on the front lines even now,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly noted in his annual report Aug. 2, adding that several have been killed in ba le. “We pray for their families. We commend their souls to the Lord. And as an Order, we pledge to honor their sacri ce and stand with Ukraine — for as long as it takes.”
As the United States and Canada, key allies of Ukraine, honor their military veterans Nov. 11, we share here the sto ries of four Ukrainian soldiers — Knights who are currently serving, as well as a Knight and the son of a Knight who made the ultimate sacri ce for their homeland.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed his so-called special military operation in Ukraine as a way to “denazify”
and demilitarize the country and to protect Ukraine’s Russian speakers, whom he claimed were being persecuted. Yet even before the invasion, it was abundantly clear to many that Putin’s target is Ukraine’s very existence.
In the summer of 2021, Putin published an essay arguing that Ukraine has historically been part of the Russian sphere and thus was not a genuine nation. Meanwhile, Russia has tried to eliminate anything explicitly Ukrainian in its occu pied territories: e Russian language was taught in schools rather than Ukrainian; the Russian ruble was introduced; only Russian television could be viewed.
Such an agenda, however, has only strengthened Ukraini ans’ determination to defend their country.
“Patriotism is vital today,” said Andrii Boiko, grand knight of Blessed Mykolay Charnetsky Council 16848 in Zolochiv, a small city in western Ukraine. “In di cult times, you take up arms and defend your homeland.”
Boiko graduated from a military school and served in the army until he retired in 2021 as a lieutenant colonel. On the day of Russia’s invasion, he received a call to return to service, with the task of retrieving and repairing damaged military equipment.
ere was no hesitation in his response. “I came back to work,” he said simply. “I think that [patriotism] is somehow laid down at the genetic level of Ukrainians. For centuries, the enemy has been destroying our nation, destroying our culture. We are like bees — when the heat comes, they send invisible signals to each other. So are Ukrainians.”
Boiko’s wife also serves in the military, and they have two children: a daughter, who is a military cadet and university student in Lviv, and an 11-year-old son.
Photo by Andrey GorbKnights on the front lines o er their service — and their lives — to defend the country they lovePhoto by Andrey Gorb
Like many of his brother Knights and fellow countrymen, Boiko is far from discouraged, and he remains hopeful for Ukraine’s future.
“When I’m born in a country I love, a culture I love, a language I speak, everything is precious to me. ese are my people. Everything that surrounds you is a creation of God,” he said. “I have faith and con dence that God’s grace will grant us victory.”
Unlike Boiko, Liubomyr Andrusiv was not a military professional before the war. But he could not stand by as a foreign power threatened his nation.
“From the beginning, I wondered how I could be useful and assist in the war e ort,” said Andrusiv, a psychotherapist and professor of philosophy. “Although I work in another eld, I was ready to defend Ukraine as a man and a warrior.”
Now, Andrusiv, a member of Andrey Sheptytsky Council 15804 in Ivano-Frankivsk, is serving as a soldier in the engi neering corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As an “outsider” to the military, he has noticed that the Knights and the armed forces have much in common.
“We are ghting for the truth,” he said. “If we ght with God for the truth, then victory is ours. To be a Knight is to join men of diverse occupations who share common Chris tian values.”
Andrusiv’s wife and two children were part of the mas sive flow of refugees out of Ukraine in the early months of the war.
“My wife and I understand that we will be apart for at least a year or longer,” he said. “And we try our best to maintain our relationship and keep that emotional connection strong.”
Despite their separation, Andrusiv is buoyed by the Word of God and strengthened by fraternity.
“ ere is a passage I like from the Bible: ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.’ is is what we see among Christ’s disciples,” he said, adding that it is also lived out by his brother Knights.
“ e Knights of Columbus now directly serves and pro vides shelter to displaced people. We are totally commi ed,” Andrusiv a rmed. “As men, we are called to service and action, and it is already bearing good fruit in Ukraine.”
Boiko and Andrusiv are well aware that they could be asked to give, in Andrusiv’s words, “even more” as they defend their families, their Church and their nation. ey could be called to give their very lives.
Bohdan Dovzhinsky, 28, and Oleh Vorobyov, 44, were two soldiers who made that sacri ce.
e details of Dovzhinsky’s death are not entirely clear, as they involve sensitive military information. But what is clear is that he saved the lives of others before he laid down his own.
Dovzhinsky was a pilot, and while returning from a special mission to the besieged city of Mariupol on May 2, his heli copter was shot down, and he was killed.
“Bohdan loved life very much. He loved the sky,” recalled his father, Ivan Dovzhinsky, a member of Blessed Mykolay
Liubomyr Andrusiv, a psychotherapist and professor now serving in Ukraine’s military, prays at Trinity Church in KamianetsPodilskyi. • Opposite page: Andrii Boiko, who returned to military service in February only a few months after retiring, is pictured in Yavoriv.
Charnetsky Council 16890 in Irpin and now a soldier in the armed forces as well.
“We do not have all the information, but his helicopter was shot down near the village of Ulianovka,” Ivan said. “He dreamed of studying further, of developing a military career. But the war ended his young life, which he laid down for all Ukrainians. His squadron commander said, ‘I could only send the best there, because only the best could do such a task.’”
Bohdan’s mother, Olena, speaking through tears, added, “One boy said, ‘ anks to Bohdan, I survived. I don’t know how my fate would have turned out, if not for him.’”
“One never believes that this can happen to your son,” said Ivan. “In life, even in di cult moments, one turns to God. If you sincerely pray and have deep faith, then so be it. You must accept and carry on through life.”
Oleh Vorobyov, a member of Blessed Hryhorij Lako ta Council 17651 in Lviv, was killed in a ba le in eastern Ukraine later the same month.
Vorobyov was a ghting man, but his primary ght was for the family, both his own and others.
“Faith is very important to our family,” said his wife, Olha. “He was an incredible father to our children.”
A scientist by profession, Oleh served as a communications specialist in 2015 with the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. He saw how di cult it could be for men who were away from their families.
“ ey were ordinary men, and suddenly they had to take up arms and go to the front,” Olha explained.
A er completing his service, Oleh and his wife started Happy Together, a project to support ATO families and build bonds between husbands and wives. In 2021, he learned about the Knights of Columbus and joined.
“ ese are men who love their country, love their families and want to serve God and do works of charity,” she said. “ ey grow stronger together, and therefore the Order was very close to Oleh.”
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Oleh was called upon to ght for his country again.
“It should be said that he was not a military man in spirit,” Olha said. “But he was a patriot. He loved Ukraine very much. And when the summons came, of course he went.”
Oleh called his family every night from the front lines. “When he called, we gathered with the children and prayed Psalm 91 together,” Olha said.
In mid-May, Oleh told his wife that he sensed he was going to die.
“I told him that it can’t be. Everything will be ne,” Olha recounted. “We pray Psalm 91 every night: ‘ ough a thou sand will fall at your side, ten thousand at your right, near you it shall not come.’”
She continued: “He replied that those were lines from the Old Testament, but Christ said, ‘Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.’”
On May 30, Lt. Oleh Vorobyov was killed in a ba le near the city of Popasna.
Oleh Vorobyov holds a guitar in this family portrait with his wife, Olha, and two children. “Music was always present in our family,” Olha said. “Even at the front, he found a guitar and played.”
“I can’t imagine how I could survive all this without faith in God and support from the Christian community,” Olha said, re ecting on the loss of her husband and the sacri ce of so many others. “We can only trust in God and pray we will one day live in a ourishing Ukraine.” ✢
JOHN BURGER writes for Aleteia.org and is a member of Met ropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Council 16253 in New Haven, Conn.
Ivan and Olena Dovzhinsky stand at the site of a bridge between Irpin and Kyiv destroyed in the early days of the war. • Inset: A photo of Bohdan Dovzhinsky is displayed at his parents’ home in Irpin.
Holiness is the great quest, the ultimate goal, that God has set for all of us
By Joseph Pearce“THE ONLY GREAT TRAGEDY in life is not to become a saint.” These memorable words by the French Catholic writer Léon Bloy should always be on our minds, especially in this month dedicated to all saints and all souls.
We are all called to be saints. This is what is meant by the universal call to holiness, clearly articulated at the Second Vatican Council: “All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity” ( Lumen Gentium , 41). In other words, we are all called to heaven. Therefore, we are not homo sapiens — wise men — unless we are homo viator — pilgrim men. Each of us is on the appointed journey, which is the quest for heaven. This is the goal which has been set for us by our loving Father. He wants us to come to him and has promised that he will give us the help we need to do so.
The problem is that we are not merely homo sapiens and homo viator ; we are also homo superbus — proud men. We have inherited orig inal sin, and we often refuse the challenges of the quest so that we can do our own thing and go our own way instead. Each of us is both the child of God who hears the call of the Father and the disobedient child who refuses to heed the call. As the great Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn reminded us, the battle between good and evil takes place in each individual human heart. We are all fighting a civil war, which is often very uncivil, with ourselves.
Although some might answer the call of the Father to the priesthood or the religious life, most of us are called to holiness through the sacrament of matrimony. For most Christians, married life is the path to heaven, and parent hood is integral to the pilgrimage. To borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, fatherhood moves us “further up and further in” — further up the purgatorial path to the heavenly summit and further into our relationship with the Father himself. St. John Paul II observed, “In revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God, a man is called upon to ensure
the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family” ( Familiaris Consortio , 25; cf. Eph 3:15).
Yet parenthood is not the smoothest of paths, nor is it a bed of roses; or, if it is a bed of roses, it is a bed of roses embedded with thorns. It is the way of the cross. It crosses our selfish desires. It makes us cross! It leads us to the cross roads where we need to choose between the pilgrim path of selflessness or the selfish path of pride. One path leads to heaven, and the other to hell. There is no third path.
These crucial truths about parenthood and family life were understood by Blessed Michael McGivney, who, taking on the call to spiritual fa therhood as a priest, sought to serve families in his parish community. The eldest of 13 children, six of whom died young, he knew all about the hardships of family life. He had to postpone his studies for the priesthood to help support his family, and his seminary studies were nearly cut short following the death of his father.
Such experiences bred in him a deep desire to strengthen the faith of Cath olic men and to help widows support their children following the untimely death of their husbands. This led to his founding of the Knights of Columbus with Catholic men of New Haven, Connecticut. The rest, as they say, is history.
We cannot all leave extraordinary legacies like Blessed Mi chael McGivney, but we are all called to seek the greatness which is sanctity. In laying down our lives for our families, we can all become saints. All that we need to do is answer the Father’s call, each and every day, by taking up our daily crosses and asking him to help us carry them.
To be or not to be a saint — this is the question. Léon Bloy was right. There is only one great tragedy in life. Let’s keep this in mind by keeping our eyes on heaven. ✢
JOSEPH PEARCE is the author of many books on Catholic literary topics and a member of Msgr. Andrew K. Gwynn Council 1668 in Greenville, S.C. His website is jpearce.co.
“The whole world is wondering today: How do Ukrainians have the strength to resist?” observed Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk during his homily at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv on Sept. 25. “We answer: Ukrainians love! … We are strong in our love, which we draw from the ever- owing source of divine love, which is given to us through the honest and life-giving cross.”
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began Feb. 24, His Beatitude Sviatoslav has been a resounding voice of hope and strength for his su ering Church and, indeed, all of Ukraine. In homilies and addresses, including daily video messages broadcast from Day 1 of the war, he has eloquently defend ed Ukrainian national identity and freedom and promoted
peace in the face of unjust aggression.
Born near Lviv in 1970, Shevchuk was ordained a priest in 1994 and a bishop in 2009. He succeeded Cardinal Lubo myr Husar as head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 2011 at age 40. Together with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Major Archbishop Shevchuk was among the rst Ukrainians to join the Knights of Columbus in May 2012. He later delivered the States Dinner keynote address at the 136th Supreme Convention in 2018.
His Beatitude spoke with Columbia in late July about the faith- lled endurance of his su ering people, the Church’s re sponse to their many needs, and his gratitude for the Order’s ongoing e orts.
COLUMBIA: Can you please speak about your personal experience since Feb. 24, when this gravely unjust war on the people in your country began?
ARCHBISHOP SVIATOSLAV SHEVCHUK: It is not easy to describe what we have gone through. In the beginning, everybody was in shock — we suddenly awoke to the sound of Russian missiles, Russian helicopters going around our cathedral. e sounds of war came to the city of Kyiv.
Immediately our a ention as bishops and priests focused on the salvation of the lives of the people. In our cathedral, we gave shelter to nearly 500 people each day, providing food, medicine, everything they needed. We also helped those who were willing to be evacuated from Kyiv or cities in the east of Ukraine, to nd a safe place to move in western Ukraine or even other countries.
When the Ukrainian army pushed back the Russian troops, the tragedy was shown to the world. Immediately, I visited those places, known to everybody in the world today: Bucha, Dnipro, Borodyanka, Irpin. The experience of praying at the uncovered mass grave [in Bucha] was hor rible. At the edge of the grave, I saw the mutilated bodies of young men and women, and then we started to pray. But in five minutes, I realized suddenly that I was standing on other bodies beneath me, for not all of that mass grave was uncovered. In that moment, I felt that I could have been
one of them, and a deep question rose in my heart: “God, why has this happened? And why I am alive and they are dead?” That question is still knocking at my heart and in my head.
COLUMBIA: Can you summarize how the situation has evolved in Ukraine?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: Nobody expected that Ukraine would be able to withstand such an invasion. But we are ghting and showing the world that the myth of a victorious Russian army has already been debunked in Ukraine.
We as Christians, as bishops, as priests, we are continuing to help the people. We have already assisted a fifth wave of internally displaced persons. The latest groups fleeing their cities and villages in the eastern and southern part of Ukraine are the poorest of the poorest of the poor. They have no means to move forward, to go perhaps to west ern Ukraine. And they are knocking on our doors in Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv.
We are trying to open our hearts, not only the doors of our churches, to provide for them. First of all, the open hearts and minds of Christian love. And, with the help of our partners, we’re trying to provide rst aid, food, clothing, medicine, shelter. So it’s sad to say that the war continues, yet we continue to serve.
COLUMBIA: Throughout the conflict, you’ve asked your priests to go to the people. Why is it important for the Church to be with the people during this time?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: e Church is a people of God, a community. When the Ukrainian community is undergoing such adversity and tragedy, everybody su ers — and those in charge of that community have a primary duty to be close. Very o en we can do nothing; we cannot change the circum stances. But we can say, “I am with you.”
I remember when the capital was almost encircled by the Russians. I visited the mayor of Kyiv, Mr. [Vitali] Klitschko, and he told me that more than food or clothes, we expect from the Church a word of hope. In such conditions, the Church, as a representation of God’s presence, has a special duty. We are a community that brings hope to the hopeless — not only food to the hungry.
People are looking for meaning: “How are we supposed to live when my house is destroyed, when my dearest ones are killed?” The response to such existential questions can only come from the eternal perspective, from God’s Word and wisdom.
COLUMBIA: In daily video messages, you have lamented the horrors that played out in your own archeparchy in Kyiv. What inspired you to make this a pastoral priority?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: We are facing an invisible ba le. In the Christian ascetic life, we call this the ba le between good and evil. In order to be able to prevail in such a ba le, we have to be spiritually and morally stronger than our enemy. In order to withstand those who bring the death and destruction in our land, we cannot permit that evil and hatred to conquer our hearts. Of course, maybe the rst reaction to such an atrocity could be a hatred. But through the Christian ascetic life, we have a special ability to transform hatred into courage. And courage is a virtue that helps us to be successful in our ba le. at was the intention behind the majority of my daily messages — to save the heart of Ukrainian Christians from the temptation of hatred. If we are able to overcome our
hatred with a love for our homeland, then we will prevail against the Russian invaders. is was the most important pastoral duty, to cultivate love. Because we are conscious that hatred gives birth to criminals, but love gives birth to heroes. Ukraine is revealing itself to be a nation of heroes.
COLUMBIA: You also frequently ask for prayers for the men and women of Ukraine on the front lines. What has your interaction with them been like?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: It is very important to underline right now that the professional soldiers are not the only ones giving up their lives on the front lines for Ukraine. ere are also former teachers, IT specialists and other kinds of profes sionals; everybody right now is trying to defend our home land. is is why we have been able to withstand the invaders.
When visiting them, I always ask, “As a Church, how can we help you? What is your primary need?” Everybody responds, “Please pray for us.” So those who are defending Ukraine are asking for prayers.
Everybody on the front lines has also told me, “ ere are no atheists here; everybody prays.” In that place, where the human person stands between life and death, our soldiers ex perience the presence of the Almighty. Many are discovering God’s presence for the rst time in their lives. is is why the special accompaniment of military chaplains and the Church is so needed right now.
COLUMBIA: Neighboring countries have taken in millions of refugees fleeing the violence in Ukraine. What does it mean for Ukrainians to have that help, and what hope is there for them to return?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: I would like to thank all our friends and neighbors who are giving their houses, their facil ities, in order to help those who were forced to leave Ukraine. e very possibility of nding a safe place outside of Ukraine was a great sign for us that we are not alone in our su ering, that we are not abandoned by God, by people of good will.
Many people who le Ukraine, or were forced to leave their homes, refuse to be called refugees or displaced per sons. Many of them are willing to come back when the war is over. I have relatives staying in my house in western Ukraine, but each day they ask themselves, “Is it time to go back?”
So Ukraine is expecting that her children will come back home. Of course, not everybody will immediately be com ing back — but the homeland needs you. e children of Ukraine who are today spread around the world, especially in western Europe, we hope that one day with your experience, maybe with new knowledge and the ability to speak di erent languages, you will come back and enrich Ukraine.
COLUMBIA: The Knights of Columbus in Poland and Ukraine, aided by the Order’s Ukraine Solidarity Fund, have been working to get relief to those who are displaced and in need. What impact is this having?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: I will take advantage of this op portunity to express my profound gratitude to the Knights of
“People are looking for meaning: ‘How are we supposed to live when my house is destroyed, when my dearest ones are killed?’ The response to such existential questions can only come from the eternal perspective, from God’s Word and wisdom.”Photo by Andrey Gorb
Columbus, especially in Poland, and as well in Ukraine, for the outstanding social service and Christian solidarity that they are providing for victims of the war.
We can enumerate many di erent good deeds that they have done already, but I have to say that the most important witness they give to the Ukrainian people is the witness of Christian love and solidarity. I thank all of them for being such good brothers to one another and also to those who are in need and who su er in Ukraine today.
COLUMBIA: Can you say a few words about the history of the Knights of Columbus in Ukraine?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: I am really proud to be among the rst Knights of Columbus in Ukraine, together with His Excellency Mieczysław Mokrzycki. I would say that the moment when the Knights of Columbus was established in Ukraine was providential. It was shortly before the Russian aggression against Ukraine started. And because we had the brotherhood of the Knights of Columbus, we were able to be so e cient from the very beginning in helping those rst victims of [the Maidan Revolution] here in Kyiv, and then the victims of the Russian invasion in Donbas and the occu pation of Crimea.
e presence of the Knights in Ukraine was a kind of re birth, because from the very beginning of Ukrainian history, that noble ideal of knighthood was present within the spirit of the Cossacks in Ukraine. Such an ideal gave expression to the highest level of the nobility of the human soul: giving up
one’s life for your neighbors, your Church, your nation.
Before the Knights of Columbus was established in Ukraine, my predecessor, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, and I were looking for a special community for men that would give Christian expression to the role of the father in the family and also encourage men to be more active in the life of the Church. Today, more than 2,000 Knights of Columbus in Ukraine are giving an outstanding Christian witness to those who are in need. ey are also giving witness to fathers of families and to those who are defending Ukraine that they are not alone in their noble ght but are supported by a community of brothers.
COLUMBIA: Is there anything you would like to say to Knights in Ukraine and throughout the world?
ARCHBISHOP SHEVCHUK: I would very much like to thank all Knights of Columbus around the world for supporting us during this cruel moment in Ukrainian history. ank you for helping us. ank you for praying for us. And thank you for providing a special humanitarian assistance for those who are in need in Ukraine.
I would also like to encourage all of you: Do not grow tired of doing good or of serving the noble cause or of bearing witness to Christ even in today’s cruel circumstances. Even in the midst of the war, we can nd happiness, because we are happy only when we are achieving a fullness of human life in Christ. Don’t grow tired of bringing a Christian witness in this world. ✢
Jay Czerniak (left), past grand knight of Michigan Technological University Council 17237 in Houghton, and fellow students visit an exhibit on eucharistic miracles in the university’s main library. The council sponsored the traveling exhibit to increase awareness of and devotion to the Eucharist.
Msgr. James Corbett Warren Memorial Council 5073 in Burlington, Ontar io, held a Mass and prayer service at St. Raphael Catholic Church while hosting the Order’s pilgrim icon of St. Joseph. More than 130 people attend ed the Mass, which was celebrated by Holy Cross Father Francis Salasiar, pastor and the council’s chaplain.
Members of Dao Sta. Cruz Council 16297 in Tagbilaran City, Visayas, prayed a novena to Blessed Michael McGivney in anticipation of his feast day and then celebrated the feast with an early-morning procession.
Members of Edwardsville (Ill.) Council 1143 constructed several wooden rosary stands to place in the two parishes the council serves, St. Mary’s and St. Boniface. The stands, which hold K of C rosaries for anyone to borrow or keep, have been well re ceived by parishioners, and one pastor asked the council to create another for the church's adoration chapel.
At the request of Bishop Larry Kulick of Greensburg, Pa., several Knights from Bishop William Connare Council 15373 in Slickville reconstructed the wooden reredos — the large screen behind the tabernacle — originally installed 60 years ago at the diocesan apostolic center’s St. Joseph Chapel. The Knights are part of a construction crew that has assisted with mainte nance at the three parishes served by the council for close to 25 years.
Msgr. Francis J. Dillon Council 5872 in Whitestone, N.Y., held its annual clergy appreciation dinner. Priests and other clergy from several parishes served by the council, including Bishop Raymond Chappe o, auxiliary emeri tus of Brooklyn, a ended the barbecue.
Holy Family of Dr. Phillips Council 11488 in Orlando, Fla., participated in the Refund Support Vocations Program, donating three scholarships of $500 each to seminarians from the Diocese of Orlando.
Members of Langdon (N.D.) Assembly 796 provided an honor guard for a eucharistic procession at Our Lady of Mount Car mel Parish. Knights from Langdon Council 5057 also participated in the pro cession, which coincided with the 35th ordination anniversary of their pastor, Father Damien Schill.
Rich Perkins, a seminari an for the Archdiocese of Mobile, speaks about his vo cational discernment at the annual Seminarian Dinner organized by Thomas Dooley Council 6727 in Dothan, Ala. Fourteen seminarians and Archbishop Thomas Rodi attended the dinner, which Council 6727 has hosted for 11 years.
Nelson Blanchard, a member of St. Pius X Council 6917 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, carries donations for the local food bank during a council food drive. The Knights collected 470 pounds of food and monetary donations total ing CA$1,200.
LaGrange Council 13378 in Pleasant Valley, N.Y., do nated $7,000 to purchase a state-of-the-art wheelchair for a local teenager who was left paralyzed after a diving accident in 2019.
Knights from four area councils participated in the annual “Steps to Empower” walk in Colorado Springs, Colo., to raise funds for Bakhita Mountain Home, a residence for survivors of sex tra cking. Knights also provided snacks for participants.
Members of Our Lady of the Immac ulate Conception Council 13679 in Athens, Ala., put in about 40 hours of work to build a ramp to the back door of a brother Knight’s home. The ramp replaced steep concrete steps, making it much easier for the Knight and his wife to come and go.
SCHOOL PREP
Knights from Misamis Council 3373 in Ozamis City, Mindanao, helped prepare Gala Elementary School to welcome students for the new school year. The efforts were part of Brigi da Eskwela, a nationwide school maintenance program.
COLLECTION FOR CHILDREN St. Anne Council 10540 in Gilbert, Ariz., held a luggage drive that collect ed more than 230 bags and backpacks for local foster children. The drive was part of a statewide K of C initia tive to aid the 18,000 foster children in Arizona.
Li le Flower Council 6605 in Sioux Falls, S.D., organized a barbecue lunch at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, a local homeless shelter. e Knights served hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and salad to more than 175 people.
Father John J. Feeney Council 7110 in North Scituate, R.I., presented four scholarships of $1,000 to graduating high school seniors from local Catholic schools. e council generates most of the funds for its annual scholarship program with a food tent at a local art festival.
St. Raphael Council 12431 in Fair banks, Alaska, contributed more than $2,100 worth of food and supplies to the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. The council made several deliveries of fresh food, including salmon, ham and more, to the center, which serves three meals a day to residents.
Our Lady of Clairvaux Council 12313 in Scottsdale, Ariz., presented Father Simon Osuchukwu, council chaplain and associate pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, with a $2,500 donation to the Maria Africa Foundation, which provides food, water and shelter to children in Ihitte-Uboma, Nigeria. The council also donated $7,500 to support veter ans in need and people experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix area.
Father Gerard Powers Assembly 2882 in New Port Richey, Fla., donated $1,000 and supplies to Steps to Re covery, a local nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing for homeless veterans suffering from sub stance abuse and mental health issues.
Realizing how difficult it was for several older council members to attend meetings, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 13959 in Pittsburgh arranged to meet periodically at the
care facilities where they reside. The effort has been greatly appreciated by the Knights, who missed the fraternity of gathering in person.
Lincoln (R.I.) Council 4005 taught Cub Scouts from Pack 1 in Manville how to conduct a flag ceremony and how to properly retire a flag according to the U.S. Flag Code.
St. Nicholas Byzantine Ukrainian Council 7659 in Calgary, Alberta, donated seven boxes of coats to local children in need. The Knights collab orated with several religious and com munity organizations to raise funds for the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council 10483 in Wichita, Kan., sponsored a self-defense class for young women in the parish. More than 30 women at tended the training session about how to evade an aggressor.
Bob Maher (left), community activities chairman for the Virginia State Council, delivers wheelchairs to David Mansolino, director of the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond. Virginia Knights donated 280 wheelchairs to veterans facilities throughout the state, including 20 to Sitter & Barfoot.
Members of Millville (N.J.) Council 1778 and Vine land (N.J.) Council 2531 mobilized to assist with a fundraiser at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church. Knights were involved in planning, promoting and volunteering at the event, which featured music, food and games. More than 1,000 people attended, raising over $53,000 for Ukraine relief.
Father Patrick F. Pindar Council 3962 in Ramsey, N.J., donated an automat ed external defibrillator to St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, paying for the $1,300 device with proceeds from several fundraisers. Father John Gabriel, pastor of St. Paul, blessed the lifesaving device.
District Deputy Jaymel Tingson (second from left) and members of Estancia (Visayas) Council 5123 stand together during a recent blood drive the council co-sponsored with the Estancia Municipal Government and Philippine Red Cross Iloilo. The council regularly holds blood drives in the area.
St. Henry Council 8860 in Rogersville, Tenn., worked with the KIND Foundation to donate more than $16,600 toward the purchase of four vehicles with wheelchair access. e vehicles will be used to assist clients of the Chip Hale Center, which serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Care Center. e funds were collected during the council’s annual baby bo le campaign, which is supported by parishioners of St. Elizabeth Church and Holy Name of Jesus Church in Pocomoke.
Steven Books, a member of Blessed Father Solanus Casey Council 17135 in River Falls, Wis., and a field agent in Neenah, gives a child a highfive during the council’s Lunch for Life at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish. The annual event, which began in 2020, raises funds for Options for Women, a local pregnancy resource center. This year, their $2,000 donation received a 20% boost through the Order’s new ASAP program.
New Brunswick Knights coordinated Silver Rose prayer services, led by local bishops, at the cathedral of each of the province’s four dioceses: Moncton, Bathurst, Edmundston and Saint John.
Knights from councils throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit came together to provide a steak dinner for partic ipants at Camp Cavell in Lexington, Mich. The camp offers recreational ac tivities for individuals with disabilities who have aged out of youth programs.
Father Edmund Julien Council 11616 in Westover, Md., donated more than $5,900 to the Eastern Shore Pregnancy
SUMMER CAMP FOR ALL St. John’s River Council 10850 in Jacksonville, Fla., donated $5,000 to Camp I Am Special, a summer program of Catholic Charities Jacksonville for individuals with intellectual and developmental di erences. e donation funded more than 10 camper scholarships.
St. Edward Council 10594 in Keizer, Ore., held its annual car show, which raised more than $1,500 for Father Taaffe Homes and Pregnancy Support Services, a nonprofit that provides assistance to teenage mothers and their children.
See more at www.kofc.org/knightsinaction
Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org
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Ruben Diaz, a member of St. Martin de Porres Council 17304 in Prosper, Texas, cuts wood as he and other Knights build a gaga ball pit for the students at St. Martin de Porres Catholic School.
7395 9333 10388
OKLAHOMA 9005 9143 10617 10874
11237 13313 14248
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7732 9082
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14749 15922 17065 17397
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Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a di erence — 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 be er world.
all to his
A girl shows o the new jacket she received at a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids distribution in Anchorage, Alaska. Several local councils collaborate annually to hold the event in partnership with the Anchorage Police Department’s Clothesline Project.
My serious discernment of the priesthood began with my discovery of St. John Bosco when I was 16. I received a le er about his life from a vocation director for the Salesians — the religious order he founded — and the more I learned, the more I wanted to become a priest. I was inspired by the way St. John Bosco allowed God to work in his life and his work to help those most in need.
I discerned with the Salesians during high school, and though I ultimately decided not to join the order, I never stopped thinking about becoming a priest. A er my sophomore year at Louisiana Tech University, I again felt God calling me; however, this time I realized that God was calling me to the diocesan priesthood. Once I graduated, I entered seminary.
To anyone else discerning the priesthood, I o er the same advice I received from the vocation director for the Salesians: Stay close to Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Mother. Jesus and Mary will guide you.
Father Raney Johnson Diocese of Shreveport Santo Niño Council 16094, Shreveport, La.