Your Fraternal Benefits Have Increased
These benefits are just one of the many ways in which the Order carries out Blessed Michael McGivney’s founding mission of “rendering [financial] aid to its members, their families and beneficiaries of members and their families.”*
These benefits are just one small part of our Catholic Difference.
► Member / Spouse Accidental Death Fraternal Benefit
Brother Knights and their spouses are protected in the event of their accidental death through an established death benefit.
► Family Fraternal Benefits
Insured members and their families can receive additional benefits, including: the opportunity to purchase a guaranteed-issue life insurance policy on an uninsurable child with special needs or other medical diagnoses; and death benefits for stillbirths and miscarriages.
► Orphan Fraternal Benefit
Orphaned children of insured members are eligible for monthly payments and college scholarships upon the death of both parents.
*Knights of Columbus Charter Section 2.c.
Columbia
Faith on Fire
A painting at the Danggogae Martyrs’ Shrine in Seoul, South Korea, depicts Korea’s second Catholic priest, Venerable Thomas Choe Yang-eop, with his martyred parents, St. Francis Choe Kyeonghwan and Blessed Mary Yi Seong-rye, and younger siblings. The Church celebrates the feast day of the Korean martyrs Sept. 20, and this year marks a decade since the Order’s first non-military councils were chartered in South Korea (see page 16).
The 10th National Eucharistic Congress strengthens Knights and others in missionary discipleship.
By Maria Wiering
The Eucharistic Mission of the Church
Catholics are called to share the gifts of charity and unity they receive in Christ’s sacrament of love.
By Roland Millare
Service and Witness in South Korea
The Order celebrates 10 years of local presence in the Republic of Korea, building a culture rooted in faith, charity and respect for life.
By Alex Jensen
We Journey Together
Knights host a pilgrimage for Indigenous Catholics to Québec’s Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
By Cecilia Engbert
A Testament to Unity
Bishop Bryan Bayda, assistant state chaplain of Ontario, reflects on the charity and solidarity he saw in Ukraine and Poland. 16 8 14 20 22
3 For the greater glory of God
The recent National Eucharistic Congress underscores our responsibility to invite others to an encounter with Christ.
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
4 Learning the faith, living the faith
Try as we might to grasp it in the world, lasting joy can be found only in the heart of Jesus.
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
6 Building the Domestic Church
A series of columns on family life, leadership and financial stewardship
24 State Deputies 2024-25
26 Knights in Action
Reports from councils and assemblies, representing Faith in Action
30 K of C Scholarships
ON THE COVER A family participates in Eucharistic adoration July 20 at Lucas Oil Stadium during the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
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. kofc.org/join
Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved
We Are Called and Sent
THE FIRST DISCIPLES , soon after encountering Jesus, proclaimed, “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn 1:41). The Samaritan woman likewise immediately testified to others, leading them to Jesus (Jn 4:28-42). St. Paul, once converted, “began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20).
In Christ’s call to discipleship and in the spreading of the Gospel, we see inseparable aspects of the Church’s identity and mission — and our own. “In all the baptized, from first to last, the sanctifying power of the Spirit is at work, impelling us to evangelization,” emphasized Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). “Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are ‘disciples’ and ‘missionaries,’ but rather that we are always ‘missionary disciples’” (119-120).
When we hear the Great Commission to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), we rightfully think of courageous missionaries — including martyrs — who first brought the Gospel to our lands, as well as those serving far and wide today. Nonetheless, there remains an ever-present need for a new evangelization, or re-evangelization, all around us — in our own communities, parishes and homes. If this task seems daunting, and we feel ill-equipped, that’s a good sign, because it must begin with prayer and humility. It involves not proselytizing, but sharing one’s experience of God’s love, while spiritually accompanying others through friendship and invitation. Moreover, we are only vessels, for as St. Paul writes, “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Cor 3:7).
The twofold call to Christian discipleship and evangelization is at the heart of the National Eucharistic Revival in the U.S. and its complementary initiatives “Invite One Back” and “Walk With One.” The recent National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis essentially concluded with a Mass of commissioning, launching the third and final year of the revival, the Year of Mission (see page 8). The faithful, having encountered Christ in the Eucharist, are called to intentionally evangelize others and invite them to the Lord’s banquet. Indeed, this is the form of every Mass, sending us forth into the world (see page 14).
The call of missionary discipleship also defines the Knights of Columbus and the Order’s works of Christian charity and evangelization around the world. At the 142nd Supreme Convention, recently hosted in Québec City under the theme “On Mission,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly urged Knights everywhere to grow closer to Christ and to carry forward the “culture of invitation” envisioned by Blessed Michael McGivney. (Look for full coverage of the convention in next month’s issue of Columbia.) Finally, in his message for World Mission Sunday 2024, which will be celebrated Oct. 20, Pope Francis urges us all to “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt 22:9). The call to holiness, like the call to missionary discipleship within the Church, is universal. “May all of us, the baptized, be ready to set out anew,” the pope proclaimed, “each according to our state in life, to inaugurate a new missionary movement, as at the dawn of Christianity!” B
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
Warrior for Christ: The Life of Joe Reali
A new K of C documentary tells the inspiring story of a young man whose love for family, friends and football was surpassed only by his love for Christ and his Church. He signed up for the Knights of Columbus at his parish in late 2014, but died suddenly a few weeks later at age 25. Nevertheless, he embodied what it means to be a Knight, and his legacy lives on through Joseph Mario Reali Council 16261 in Woodbury, New York. Learn more and watch the 28-minute film at kofc.org/reali.
Columbia
PUBLISHER
Knights of Columbus
SUPREME OFFICERS
Patrick E. Kelly
Supreme Knight
Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.
Supreme Chaplain
Arthur L. Peters
Deputy Supreme Knight
Patrick T. Mason
Supreme Secretary
Ronald F. Schwarz
Supreme Treasurer
John A. Marrella
Supreme Advocate
EDITORIAL
Alton J. Pelowski
Editor
Cecilia Hadley
Editorial Director
Andrew J. Matt
Managing Editor
Elisha Valladares-Cormier
Associate Editor
Paul Haring
Manager of Photography
Cecilia Engbert Content Producer
Blessed 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
COLUMBIA
1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 columbia@kofc.org kofc.org/columbia
Address changes
203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org
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K of C Customer Service 1-800-380-9995
Come and See
The recent National Eucharistic Congress underscores our responsibility to invite others to an encounter with Christ
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
PERHAPS THE BEST part of being the supreme knight is hearing the gratitude of others for everything that Knights of Columbus do. I experienced a unique example of this privilege at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July. Not only was it powerful; it was completely unexpected.
I was standing backstage, preparing to give brief remarks to the crowd in Lucas Oil Stadium. On the stage, in the flow of her comments, the emcee mentioned the Knights of Columbus as one of the leading sponsors of the congress. The audience — more than 50,000 strong — erupted in spontaneous applause. The emcee was caught off guard and had to wait for the applause to die down before continuing.
The outpouring of appreciation was deeply moving. Of course, the organizers and the U.S. bishops know how much we helped to make the congress happen — how we sponsored the gathering, participated in the four cross-country pilgrimages, and assisted through the work of our councils.
But those tens of thousands in the audience? Relatively few of them knew about our specific contributions to the congress. Nor do many realize how much we do around the world. But they do know something — or should I say someone , in their local communities. They know you , my brother Knights, and they see what you do, day in and day out.
They see you seating people for Mass or taking up the collection — being the strong right arm of your parish priest and helping with whatever he needs. They see you putting coats on kids and raising funds to support the local pregnancy center. They see you going “to the peripheries,” serving the most vulnerable and putting your faith into action for the sake of others.
They see you strengthening families, starting with your own, and helping men
become better husbands and fathers. And they see you supporting the Church and sharing your faith just by being who you are.
That’s why the arena broke into applause — not because they see everything we do, but because they see what each of you do.
As I reflected on this and on my experience at the congress, I was also reminded of our duty to continue our work — and indeed, to multiply it. This event was a special moment for the Church in the United States. But the revival of love for our Lord in the Eucharist has to be an ongoing movement for Knights and their families everywhere.
How do we take the grace that came from the congress and carry it into our homes, our parishes and our communities? The first and best answer is to continue to do what we are already doing, always with a clear sense of whom we are doing it for — Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord. In all of our activities, the most important thing we can do is to bear witness to Christ.
But we can also do more. I encourage every Knight of Columbus family to take seriously the challenge from our bishops to invite just one person back to regular attendance of Sunday Mass. Reach out to that friend, family member, even that child or grandchild. Invite them, too, to Eucharistic adoration or a Eucharistic procession. Let’s not just help make these events possible in our parishes. Let’s fill the pews and streets with people who have never been to one, or who have not been in a long time.
It’s a simple matter of invitation. Like Jesus said to his first disciples (Jn 1:39) or the woman at the well said to her neighbors (Jn 4:29), all we have to do is say, “Come and see.” The rest we leave in the loving hands of Christ himself.
Vivat Jesus!
This event was a special moment for the Church in the United States. But the revival of love for our Lord in the Eucharist has to be an ongoing movement for Knights and their families everywhere.
Be Happy ...
Try as we might to grasp it in the world, lasting joy can be found only in the heart of Jesus
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
WE ALL WANT happiness, and we work pretty hard to make ourselves happy. One place we seek happiness is in the security of our homes. Surrounded by family, we try to find peace, contentment and joy. Often we do, but sometimes, there is conflict, dissatisfaction and sadness. Tragically, many marriages end in divorce, and it is often the children who suffer most.
We also look for happiness at work. We seek satisfaction in a job that is meaningful. Yet, how many people are unhappy with their careers, or jump from job to job at a pace that our forebears would have found dizzying? It’s all very transactional — and unsatisfying.
Or, we might look for happiness in entertainment. These days, most people seek to be entertained not in grand theaters but by staring into mobile devices. Yet, the more we stare, the more isolated we become from one another.
Hard as we work at it, happiness proves elusive. We may feel it is in our grasp, that a golden period of contentment is about to open up, only to have our projects undermined by unexpected problems or to find that our plans don’t live up to our expectations
We might then resort to thinking that happiness is only for those who were born happy — people with an easygoing type of personality, a particular genetic makeup, or a particular balance of bodily chemicals. Yet, even many people who appear to be laid-back and content are not. Just below the surface, unhappiness lurks. A happy mask hides an inner turmoil of loneliness, anxiety or depression. Something isn’t working. By now, you might be thinking that I’m trying to block all the on-ramps to happiness. But I’m not. I’m just winding up for the pitch. And the pitch is this: Happiness will never be ours so long as we plan for it,
reach for it, scheme for it. The more we do those things, the unhappier we become. If we want happiness, let’s stop grasping for it. Instead, let’s allow happiness to find us and to hold us in its grasp.
Ultimately, the secret is to allow God to love us — to allow him to overwhelm us with his truth, goodness and beauty. Do we allow ourselves to be amazed at the generosity with which God created us, the patience he extends to us, the depth of love that prompted him to give away his only Son to redeem us? Are we grateful to the Lord who loves us like no other?
For happiness to take hold of us and to overwhelm us, we need to unplug from the many sources of ersatz happiness that we think we need, and to instead quiet our souls in the living presence of the Eucharistic Lord. Not just once in a while, but regularly. Don’t worry about what to say. All we need do is to let his love sweep over us and penetrate the secret recesses of our hearts.
When that happens, something else happens. Joy is never self-contained or self-referential. Rather, it radiates outward. Joy in the Lord translates into love of others and a willingness to give of ourselves just as the Lord has given himself to us.
Perhaps that’s what Blessed Michael McGivney wanted to teach us. He had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and found in that heart a matchless depth of charity, a matchless depth of love. Finding that love and sharing it brought him joy. His joy was compounded by his life of charity. The same is true for us. Finding joy in the heart of Jesus, our happiness is only deepened as we, the family of the Knights of Columbus, reach out to the vulnerable and those in need. After all, in giving, we receive.
Let the overpowering reality of God’s love find us. Let us welcome Jesus. B
Do we allow ourselves to be amazed at the generosity with which God created us,
the patience he extends to us, the depth of love that prompted him to give away his only Son to redeem us?
Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge
A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.” (Gospel for Sept. 15, Mk 8:27b-29)
Peter was the first of the Apostles to openly profess Jesus as the awaited Messiah, the Christ or “anointed one.” Today, every Christian is called to proclaim in word and deed that Jesus is the Christ. We must never lose the awe and wonder of recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and Savior, especially when we encounter him in the sacrament of penance and in the Mass.
Challenge: This month, I challenge you to make Peter’s profession of faith — “You are the Messiah” — a frequent aspiration, or short prayer, you recite throughout each day, perhaps writing it down some place you will see it regularly to remind yourself.
Catholic Man of the Month
St. Solomon Leclercq (1745-1792)
ON AUG. 15, 1792, French revolutionaries in Paris tried to force Brother Solomon Leclercq to renounce the authority of the pope and take an oath of allegiance to the new government. He answered simply: “No.” In his last letter, written before his arrest that day, he wrote: “We bear with joy and thanksgiving the crosses and afflictions visited upon us.”
Nicolas Leclercq was born into a devout Catholic family of merchants in Boulogne, in northern France. Educated by the Lasallian brothers, he joined the teaching order in 1767, taking the religious name Solomon. He made final vows five years later.
Brother Solomon was an enthusiastic schoolteacher and gifted in math. He later served as a novice master, as well as secretary to the congregation’s superior general. When the French Revolution erupted in 1789, the new anticlerical government sought to bend the Catholic Church under its authority by demanding that clergy swear fealty to the state.
Brother Solomon and his confrères, along with hundreds of priests and other religious, were forced into
Liturgical Calendar
Sept. 3 St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Sept. 9 St. Peter Claver, Priest (USA) Sept. 13 St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Sept. 14 The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sept. 16 Sts. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Sept. 20 Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Sept. 21 St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Sept. 23 St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Sept. 27 St. Vincent de Paul, Priest Sept. 30 St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
hiding, dressing in civilian clothes to avoid detection. He wrote letters of encouragement to his family and began working with a Jesuit priest on a plan to help religious continue their ministry through what would later be called secular institutes.
After refusing to take the oath, Brother Solomon was imprisoned in a Carmelite convent. Another Lasallian brother, who later escaped, reported that Brother Solomon’s last days were like a retreat focused on detachment from earthly things in preparation for martyrdom.
On Sept. 2, at age 46, Brother Solomon Leclercq became the first Lasallian martyr, killed by sword with 166 other priests and religious in the convent garden. He was canonized in 2016. B
Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention
We pray that each one of us will hear and take to heart the cry of the Earth and of victims of natural disasters and climactic change, and that all will undertake to personally care for the world in which we live.
LEAD WITH FAITH
The Powerful Witness of Integrity
By Joseph McInerney
“When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. ... I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:39-40, 44).
These may be the most challenging moral instructions Jesus gives to his followers. They seem like a recipe for disaster. The 16th-century philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli observed that a person who tries to be virtuous will soon come to grief among so many people who are vicious. And is this not exactly what happens to Jesus? Yes, but as his followers, we know there is much more to the story.
We know Christ’s suffering and death were followed by his resurrection, but there is a further lesson in this teaching of Jesus and the way he lived his life. He is the perfect example of moral integrity; there is no contradiction between his words and actions. He gives much more than his cloak for us and does indeed pray for his enemies from the Cross. This is one of the most powerful aspects of Jesus’ leadership, and it raises the question: How can we grow in integrity so that others might follow? B — Joseph McInerney is vice president of leadership and ethics education for the Knights of Columbus.
MISSION OF THE FAMILY
The Practice of Being Present
Limiting digital distractions helps families learn to listen attentively to one another and to God
By Jeanne Schindler
LAST SPRING, we took our family to a stage production of Prince Caspian. The acting was exceptional, and the audience was enthralled. Well, most of the audience. A teenage girl in front of us was in her seat, but she wasn’t there. She was on her phone — the whole time. When Aslan roared at the climax of the drama, she didn’t flinch. She didn’t even twitch. C.S. Lewis’ profound message about justice, honor and the battle between good and evil was just so much background noise. If the sights and sounds of a dramatic stage production aren’t enough to spark our interest, it suggests that important things are being jeopardized by our attachment to screens, especially the smartphone screens in our pockets. Two of these are an awareness of our surroundings and a capacity for sustained attention.
A modest first step in recovering awareness and attention is for families to cultivate a habit of presence, starting at the table. We can treat family dinner as a privileged time when we practice being present to each other — without digital distractions. If we begin the meal, even a simple one, by giving thanks together, it helps us to be aware of God’s presence, too. We can then converse, listening and sharing about the highs and lows of our day, in a context that is connected to transcendence. The habit of presence, of being aware and paying attention, is crucial for Christian discipleship. Think of how often the Scriptures enjoin us to keep watch, to be on
guard, to wait for the Lord. To do this, we must take steps to quiet our minds, turn off the noise around us — visual and audible — and allow God to speak to us.
This recalls a scene from a different Narnia story, The Silver Chair Its heroine, Jill Pole, ventures out of the school gate and into an enchanted world. She is struck by the beautiful sky and colorful birds. Their singing is magical, but behind the birdsong is an “immense silence,” out of which comes the voice of the Lion. Because Jill’s ears become attuned to the silence, she can hear it. Aslan speaks with authority, and he gives her a great mission — to rescue the prince of Narnia. Each of us also has a mission, but we need the ears to hear what it is. B
JEANNE SCHINDLER is a homeschooling mother, fellow of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C., and co-founder of “The Postman Pledge,” a low-tech initiative for families.
What is an annuity,
and how does
it fit into a retirement strategy?
By Timothy Wozniak
An annuity is a contract between an individual and an insurer that provides a stream of payouts to the purchaser in return for the premium paid. According to the Annuity Museum, annuities date back more than 2,000 years, to ancient Rome. Today’s retiree can choose from several different annuities that offer specific benefits like immediate or deferred income, asset growth potential, tax deferral and a variety of payout options. Regardless of type, all annuities share
FOR YOUR MARRIAGE
The Mystery of Intimacy
the ability to create a stream of income payouts for as long as the owner (also known as the annuitant) lives, or for a period the annuitant chooses. In some instances, this income can supplement a pension or Social Security benefit.
Annuities can be a helpful tool for people who are worried about outliving their income or who have maxed out contribution limits to tax-qualified retirement savings vehicles. They can also help address retirement concerns like longevity, inflation and market risk.
With fewer companies offering traditional pension plans than in previous generations and Social Security facing an uncertain future, what will the landscape look like for current or future retirees? Unlike most other retirement savings products, annuities promise to
provide income for as long as the owner lives, making them one of the only investments that can provide income that can last a lifetime.
Visit kofc.org/familyfinance for more information, including important disclosures. B
— Timothy Wozniak is the director of product development and sales for Knights of Columbus and a member of St. Jude Council 4333 in Peoria, Ill.
Joy in marriage comes through the practice of charity, gratitude and trust in God’s grace
By Damon and Melanie Owens
CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE is “a great mystery” rooted in Jesus and the Church (Eph 5:32). A wife beloved by her husband and a husband respected by his wife together are endowed by God with true kingdom-building power. When spouses invest the time and effort to grow continually in intimacy, they not only experience a joy-filled marriage but also participate in the Church’s saving mission.
Because of sin, however, we have to learn how to nurture an intimacy unique to our marriage. This is naturally easier or harder during certain stages of married life. Seasons of desolation bring feelings of disconnectedness, while seasons of consolation help us with their gifts of openness and warmth. Thankfully, God uses both desolations and consolations to unearth deeper places in our hearts to discover and share.
In our marriage ministry, we offer practical suggestions to foster deeper intimacy: First, take the C.A.K.E. Stay emotionally open to your spouse, even during times of conflict,
by approaching them with curiosity , appreciation , kindness , and eye contact
Second, choose the most charitable interpretation of a situation, conflict or hurt. Finally, practice gratitude. When you’re tempted to shut down or run away or fuss and complain, stop immediately and name 10 things you’re truly grateful for about your spouse.
Most importantly, remember that it is God who brings spouses together in this mysterious adventure of marriage. And it is he who is supplies the love, respect and intimacy our hearts crave. B
DAMON AND MELANIE OWENS are founders of Joyful Ever After. Married for 31 years, they have eight children and three grandchildren. Damon is a member of St. Patrick Council 15346 in Kennett Square, Pa.
FAITH ON FIRE
The 10th National Eucharistic Congress strengthens Knights and others in missionary discipleship
By Maria Wiering
J“ust awe-inspiring.”
That’s how Patrick Glavin, a Fourth Degree master from Indiana, described the scene in downtown Indianapolis on July 20, as the Eucharist, held in a gleaming 4-foot-tall monstrance, was brought in procession from the Indiana Convention Center to the Indiana War Memorial for prayer and Benediction. An estimated 60,000 Catholics participated, kneeling along the streets as the Eucharist passed and then joining the masses who walked behind. Among them were many members of the Knights of Columbus and their families, including an honor guard of nearly 60 Fourth Degree Knights who marched just behind the flowery float carrying the monstrance.
The 1-mile procession — described by organizers as the largest in the United States in decades — was a high point of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, itself a high point of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival. This three-year initiative of the U.S. bishops launched in 2022, with the Knights of Columbus as a major sponsor.
For five days, from July 17 to 21, people from around the country packed the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and adjacent sites for liturgies, talks, performances and exhibits focused on the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Catholic faith.
But it all began with a time of quiet adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Above: Tens of thousands of Catholics fill downtown Indianapolis July 20 for a Eucharistic procession from the Indianapolis Convention Center to the Indiana War Memorial during the National Eucharistic Congress.
Clockwise from left: Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly offers introductory remarks during the congress’ revival session July 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium. • A crowd of more than 50,000 people listens as Father Mike Schmitz delivers a keynote address. • Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the TV series The Chosen , speaks at the congress on July 20.
TOP AND LEFT:
Photos by Zach Dobson — LOWER RIGHT:
Photo by Rachel Moore, in partnership with the National Eucharistic Congress
Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota — the revival’s longtime torchbearer — processed into the opening ceremony with the Eucharist, illumined by a spotlight in an otherwise darkened stadium. He placed the monstrance on the altar and, with the crowd of more than 50,000, knelt in silent prayer for 20 minutes before praying aloud: “We are here for you, Lord. We’re in awe before the gift of your life for us and for the world. … Lord, we wanted to give you the first words of our National Eucharistic Congress. So, let’s just take a moment of silence, and in our hearts, let’s tell the Lord how grateful we are that he is here.”
That prayer set the intention for the following days — and, organizers hope, well beyond.
THE GOAL: LIVES TRANSFORMED
In November 2021, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted in favor of launching the three-year National Eucharistic Revival the following June, with the congress as its crowning public event. The 41st International Eucharistic Congress was hosted in Philadelphia in 1976, and the Knights of Columbus has organized several smaller Eucharistic congresses since, but this would be the first National Eucharistic Congress in more than 80 years.
“Our goal is to lead people to a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist so that their lives can be transformed,” Bishop Cozzens, then chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, said at the time.
Initially proposed by Bishop Cozzens’ predecessor as chairman, Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, the revival was prompted by a 2019 Pew Research Center study that found only one-third of U.S. Catholics believe the Church’s teaching that the Eucharist is Jesus’ actual body and blood. Its first two years, leading up to the congress, focused on fostering Eucharistic faith in dioceses and parishes.
Plans for the National Eucharistic Congress ultimately expanded to include the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, an eight-week journey made by 30 young adults from four corners of the country, converging in Indianapolis for the congress.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly shared his experience of the pilgrimage when he spoke at the congress July 18. Before introducing Father Mike Schmitz — host of the chart-topping “The Bible in a Year” podcast — he described walking through Manhattan with pilgrims on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Seton Route.
“Waiters came out of restaurants and crossed themselves, and random groups of people broke out into spontaneous applause,” the supreme knight said. “And it all goes to show even in the heart of New York City, Jesus is alive; he’s real, and he’s changing hearts. Countless Knights of Columbus around the country joined processions just like that one. And the reason is simple. The Knights exist to serve Christ and his Church.”
During a revival session each evening, Catholic leaders shared their love for the Eucharistic Lord and the Church, with calls for “missionary sending” and a “new Pentecost.”
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the papal special envoy to the congress, elevates the Eucharist during the final commissioning Mass on July 21.
The headlining speakers included Bishop Barron, known for his Word on Fire ministry; Sister Bethany Madonna, a Sister of Life serving in Phoenix; and actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the popular TV series The Chosen and who joined the Knights in 2022.
“Receiving the Eucharist, going to daily Mass, for me has changed my life,” Roumie said. “The Eucharist for me is healing. The Eucharist for me is peace. The Eucharist for me is my grounding. The Eucharist for me is his heart within me.”
Using the accented voice of Jesus in The Chosen , Roumie went on give a dramatic reading of the Bread of Life Discourse from John 6, in which the Lord commands his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life — a highlight for many attendees.
The evening revival session emcees included Father Joshua Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge and a member of the Knights, and Sister Miriam James Heidland, a former Division I athlete whose radical conversion led her to join the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity in 1998.
Mark Hublar, 59, a member of Cardinal Ritter Council 1221 in New Albany, Indiana, was one of only four people chosen to share their testimonies via video during the evening sessions. A motivational speaker with Down syndrome, Hublar believes his life’s purpose is to advocate for and encourage others with disabilities to live well and do God’s work.
“I’ve been helping God, and I always will help God,” he said. “I know God’s busy in heaven, but I can help him down here.”
‘JESUS ALL AROUND US’
The congress drew registrants from all 50 states, including more than 1,000 priests and 200 bishops and cardinals. Around 8,000 attendees were under 25, with 5,000 under 18. Many came as families, bringing along babies and toddlers. It was common to see attendees sporting the K of C emblem on hats, shirts and other gear.
Supreme Knight Kelly spent some time meeting Knights at the K of C booth in the exhibit hall, where visitors could learn about the Order, post prayer intentions and venerate relics of Blessed Michael McGivney and six Knights of Columbus priests canonized among the Mexican Martyrs in 2000. Thousands of intentions were collected to be brought to Father McGivney’s tomb at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, or the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
A separate K of C booth in Lucas Oil Stadium promoted vocations to the diocesan priesthood. The Knights also sponsored a breakout session about Our Lady of Guadalupe led by Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, a longtime Knight.
For many Knights at the congress, seeing other Catholics ardently practicing their faith edified their own. Tony Rizzuto, a member of Father Francis J. Diamond Council 6292 in Fairfax, Virginia, attended with his wife and three children. He hoped his kids would come away from the event knowing that “they’re not alone in the faith.”
“It’s sometimes isolating, when we live as a family different from the way the rest of the world does,” said Rizzuto, 42, who works at the Pentagon for the U.S. Space Force.
The congress, he added, allowed them “to see other families, and people of all ages, with the same excitement we hope to instill in them as they grow up. Having that witness from the thousands of people who are here is really special.”
Glavin, the Fourth Degree master who helped coordinate the Eucharistic procession, said the congress deepened his appreciation for his life and family, as well as his desire to share his faith.
“Hopefully, I can evangelize my friends and family a little more,” said Glavin, who belongs to Marquette Council 3631 in Griffith, Indiana.
Phil Stackowicz, a K of C general agent serving Indiana, was one of many insurance agents at the congress. He was impressed by the number of Knights working behind the scenes, noting that their work was rooted in the Eucharist and the call to evangelization.
“We’re all over the place,” Stackowicz said of the Knights at the congress. “I think that attendees can see us truly being the right hand of the Catholic Church through what we do.”
A member of Father Stephen T. Badin Council 4263 in Granger, Indiana, Stackowicz pointed to the prayer wall in
by Zach Dobson
Photo
An honor guard of nearly 60 Fourth Degree Knights participates in the Eucharistic procession through downtown Indianapolis on July 20.
the Knights’ main exhibit, plastered with more than 3,000 handwritten prayer intentions.
“You can’t miss Jesus all around us,” he said. “You can’t miss that faith on fire.”
The goal of the third and final year of the National Eucharistic Revival that has now begun — the Year of Mission — is to spread that fire. A key component is the Walk with One initiative, which encourages Catholics to reach out in conversation and friendship to one person whom they can help better know Jesus and his Church.
The congress concluded July 21 with a commissioning Mass celebrated by papal special envoy Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a member of Imus (Luzon North) Council 5896. In his homily, Cardinal Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila and a pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, encouraged congress-goers to share what they had received over the previous days.
“A Eucharistic people is a missionary and evangelizing people,” the cardinal said. “Let us proclaim Jesus joyfully and zealously for the life of the world!”
Asked by Bishop Cozzens at the end of Mass if they would also like to see an 11th National Eucharistic Congress, the crowd roared. Bishop Cozzens, chair of the congress’ board, noted that organizers had been planning for 2033 — the Year of Redemption, 2,000 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection — but feedback from supporters, organizers and attendees had prompted them to consider holding another much sooner.
The bishop also announced a Eucharistic pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles next year, arriving on
Above: Lay faithful and religious join in Eucharistic adoration at the conclusion of the procession. • Bottom: Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., leads Benediction at the Indiana War Memorial on July 20.
Corpus Christi Sunday, June 22, 2025. For more information, visit eucharisticrevival.org and kofc.org/eucharist B
MARIA WIERING , senior writer for OSV News, lives in St. Paul, Minn., with her husband and their four children.
Following the National Eucharistic Congress that drew more than 50,000 people to Indianapolis in July (see page 8), Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, described the event as a “real experience of unity” for the Church in the United States.
It is no coincidence that the Eucharistic devotion displayed by so many Catholics — including so many Knights of Columbus and their families — during the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival should bear fruit in unity. The Eucharist, as St. Augustine taught, is both a “sign of unity” and a “sign of charity.” If we want to truly understand these founding principles of the Order, we must reflect upon the gift of the Eucharist.
Such an understanding should, in turn, inspire Knights and their families during the National Eucharistic Revival’s third and final phase — the Year of Mission. For it is precisely in the love and unity discovered in Christ’s true presence that the Church and society can find true renewal.
SIGN OF UNITY
Jesus Christ, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, is the source of unity within the Church. St. Paul highlights this truth with these fundamental questions: “The cup of
THE Eucharistic MISSION of the CHURCH
Catholics are called to share the gifts of charity and unity they receive in Christ’s sacrament of love
By Roland Millare
blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16). The Eucharist is the means by which we have communion with the blood and body of Christ.
This teaching of St. Paul is made even more explicit in the Catechism of the Catholic Church : “Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body — the Church” (1396). Communion is both the union that the communicant has with Jesus Christ, via the gift of the Eucharist, and the unity that makes up the Church.
The Second Vatican Council proclaimed that the Church is both the “sign and instrument” of salvation ( Lumen Gentium , 1). On one hand, the Church is a sign of the gift of communion between God and humanity. Simultaneously, the Church is also the means by which communion is achieved through the gift of the sacraments.
The sacraments of initiation lay the foundation for the gift of communion, beginning with baptism, progressing through confirmation and culminating in the Eucharist. The sacraments of healing — reconciliation and anointing of the sick — restore the gift of communion when it has been lost by
mortal sin or is potentially hindered by the struggles of suffering and death. Finally, matrimony and holy orders are sacraments that work in service to communion.
The Eucharist strengthens and deepens the communion within the Church. It is a concrete foretaste of the union that awaits us in God’s kingdom and a concrete realization that we are called to live in union with another. We are made for a relationship of self-giving love with God and with other people. The many members of the Church are called to a life of communion as one unified body, and we can only achieve this solidarity through charity.
SIGN OF CHARITY
Charity has been defined by St. Thomas Aquinas as willing the good of another person for his or her own sake. In other words, charity is always a selfless gift.
Our Lord establishes a clear link between the Eucharist and self-giving love in his words at the Last Supper: “This is my body given up for you” (Lk 22:19).
As Pope Benedict XVI reminded us in his apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity), “Jesus Christ is the Truth in Person,” and via the sacrament of the Eucharist, “Jesus shows us in particular the truth about the love which is the very essence of God” (2).
Featured Resource: Sacrament of Charity
The Order’s Catholic Information Service recently published a small group study guide to Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (Sacrament of Charity). This 107-page book is the second title in the Cor Ecclesiae series and includes excerpts, commentary, discussion questions and prayers, inviting participants to consider what we believe about the Eucharist, how we celebrate the Eucharist, and how the Eucharist can transform our lives. For more information and to order, visit kofc.org/shopcis
We can either live charitably, in light of our call to enter into communion, or live selfishly, as isolated individuals, with little or no concern for others. We can reecho the Eucharistic words of our Lord with our lives of charity: “This is my body given up for you .” Alternatively, we can appropriate, and truncate, the words of our Lord with a life driven by utility, pleasure or power: “This is my body.”
As the “sacrament of charity,” the Eucharist impels us to love both God and neighbor. Pope Benedict highlighted the social implications of the Eucharist in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love). “‘Worship’ itself, Eucharistic communion, includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn,” he wrote. “A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented” (14). In other words, worship and love of neighbor are inseparable.
The Eucharist has been the source of grace and strength for countless saints in their work of charity: St. Vincent de Paul, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Katharine Drexel and St. Teresa of Calcutta, to name a few. The religious community Mother Teresa founded, the Missionaries of Charity, go to daily Mass and make a daily Holy Hour. When people critiqued this
practice as taking up time that could be spent serving more people, her response was that they would be “too poor to serve the poor” without the Eucharist. “Unless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar,” she said, “we will not be able to see him in the distressing disguise of the poor.”
EUCHARIST AND MISSION
The National Eucharistic Revival has been a much-needed effort to reinvigorate Eucharistic faith and practice. In the United States and elsewhere, the work of the Knights of Columbus will continue to help the faithful in their parishes and dioceses appreciate the gift of the Real Presence.
Knights can foster Eucharistic devotion in their parishes by organizing Holy Hours or promoting perpetual Eucharistic adoration. Councils can continue to provide literature to help the faithful understand the Church’s teachings on the Eucharist and the celebration of the Mass. Cor groups can encourage council members and other men to reflect on the relationship between the Eucharist and charity.
In short, our efforts to contribute to the Eucharistic Revival must continue beyond the recent Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis as we focus on the relationship between the Eucharist and mission. The holy sacrifice of the Mass ends with the words “Ite, missa est” — words that send us out into the world. We are sent forth as disciples to announce the Gospel of the Lord, including the good news that Jesus remains with us, body, blood, soul and divinity.
In his message for this year’s World Mission Day, which will be celebrated Oct. 20 under the theme “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt 22:9), Pope Francis reiterated his predecessor’s appeal in Sacramentum Caritatis : “We cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people” (84).
In a culture marked by division and hurt, our mission as Catholics and Knights is to share the charity and unity that flow from Our Lord’s Eucharistic heart. B
ROLAND MILLARE is vice president of curriculum and director of clergy initiatives for the St. John Paul II Foundation in Houston. The author of A Living Sacrifice: Liturgy and Eschatology in Joseph Ratzinger , he is a member of St. Basil Council 4204 in Sugar Land, Texas.
Service and Witness IN SOUTH KOREA
The Order celebrates 10 years of local presence in the Republic of Korea, building a culture rooted in faith, charity and respect for life
By Alex Jensen
Traditionally known as “the land of morning calm,” South Korea is a country of stunning contrasts. Serene mountains and forests stand alongside bustling urban landscapes filled with skyscrapers and digital billboards.
The music and drama of this vibrant country have exploded onto the global stage in recent years. But South Korea — officially known as the Republic of Korea since 1948 — has also attracted global attention for a starker reason. With the average number of expected births per woman falling to a record low of 0.72 in 2023, South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world; to stabilize the local population, the birth rate needs to increase to 2.1.
The demographic trend has also affected the Catholic Church in Korea. After growth of close to 1,200% over the last 50 years, Korean Catholics make up around 11% of the overall population. But their growth has flattened to 0.10.3% since COVID-19 hit in 2020, according to a report by the Korean Bishops’ Conference last May. Meanwhile, the majority of people in South Korea have no religious affiliation at all, based on a 2023 Korea Research survey.
Against this backdrop, Knights of Columbus in Korea have been working to support the local Church’s efforts of charity and evangelization while driving home a pro-life message. A decade has passed since the first non-military Korean council was established: St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn Council 16000 in Seoul, named after the first Korean priest, who was executed for his faith in 1846. His legacy, along with that of the many other Korean martyrs whose feast day falls on Sept. 20, continues to inspire zeal and perseverance among the country’s Knights — now consisting of several hundred members in eight local councils, including two established in recent months.
Territorial Deputy Shin Kyoung-soo, a retired major general of the Republic of Korea Army, affirmed, “My greatest goal is to make the Korean Knights of Columbus the strongest support of the Korean Catholic Church. And we will do our best until a culture of life is firmly rooted in this land.”
ORIGINS AND GROWTH
The seeds of the Order’s expansion to South Korea were planted when Bishop John J. Kaising Council 14223, the first military council on the Korean Peninsula, was formed at Camp Humphreys, a U.S. Army garrison 40 miles south of Seoul, in 2007.
Two military priests — retired U.S. Army Chaplain F. Richard Spencer, now a bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and Bishop Emeritus Francis Xavier Yu Soo-il, OFM, of the Military Ordinariate of Korea — proved to be instrumental in growing the Knights in Korea after they joined Council 14233. Following Bishop Yu’s return from the 131st Supreme Convention in San Antonio in 2013, he enthusiastically paved the way for the country’s first “civilian” councils, which Supreme Knight Carl Anderson announced the following year.
a member of St. Peter Yi Ho-yong Council 17799 in Bucheon, South Korea. Every Thursday, council
deliver meals to community members in need.
“I am sure that South Korea, like the Philippines, will play a significant role in the future of the Knights of Columbus,” Anderson said in his annual report in 2014.
District Deputy Paul Moon Chan-woong’s experience is a good example of how interest in the Order spread. Moon learned about the Knights in 2012 from Joseph Pak, who worked for the U.S. Department of Defense and served as a deacon for the U.S. military archdiocese.
“As I explored the history of the Knights of Columbus, I became convinced that this was exactly what South Korea needed,” recalled Moon, who became a member of Council 14223. “I was particularly moved by the dedicated life of Father McGivney, especially his devotion to helping parishioners facing social, religious and economic difficulties in the early days of the Knights.”
When St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn Council 16000 was chartered two years later, he became the council’s financial secretary. Reminiscent of the first Catholics in Korea who brought Christian texts from abroad, Moon initially faced the arduous task of translating various Knights of Columbus documents into Korean — an ongoing responsibility for South Korean Knights. Moon’s most important mission, however, was becoming a “fisher of men.”
One of them was Matthew Hong Sung-tae, who joined the Knights in 2015.
“I was looking for a new church group to join after moving to a different city for work,” recalled Hong. “I was recommended to join the K of C by a senior member, Paul Moon Chan-woong, who already knew my thoughts and experience regarding the pro-life movement.”
In 2016, Hong transferred to South Korea’s second civilian council, St. Paul Chŏng Ha-sang Council 16178 in Seoul. Hong’s connection to his council’s namesake, who like St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn is a Korean martyr, is closer than most: He is related to St. Paul Chŏng Ha-sang on his mother’s side.
As Korea’s first Knights of Columbus stood alongside fellow Christians at events such as the annual March for Life in Seoul, the Order was not well-known, even in the Catholic community. For instance, Sister Alphoncia Yoon Mi-suk, the director of the Holy Family Adoption Center in Seoul, was initially confused about who the Knights were.
“The word for ‘knight’ in Korean also means ‘driver,’ so she thought we were a group of Catholic car drivers!” Hong explained. “However, when she saw us passionately speaking and marching, she was convinced that we should work alongside the Holy Family Adoption Center forever.”
Above: Knights of Columbus leaders in South Korea, including Territorial Deputy Shin Kyoung-soo (second row, center), gather in the chapel of the Military Ordinariate of Korea after a Mass and ceremony to honor retiring Bishop Francis Xavier Yu Soo-il (seated, center) and welcome then-Bishop-elect Titus Seo Sang-bum (seated, right) in 2021. • Opposite page: A man receives a meal from Choi Kumwook,
members
“I hope that the Korean Catholic Church will also grow further, and that within the Church the Knights of Columbus will play a role in building a culture of serving those who are suffering, sick and in need.”
have been passed since then, however, causing confusion among medical practitioners about when abortions may be legally conducted and leaving activists on both sides of the debate room to protest.
“The Korean Catholic Church, which took root here 240 years ago, is facing a crisis amid growing pains and the materialism of modern Korean society,” explained Bishop Titus Seo Sang-bum of the Military Ordinariate of Korea, a retired Korean Army chaplain who serves as territorial chaplain. “The dignity of humanity and the dignity of life are being undermined day by day. There is a noticeable tendency to abandon sacred marriage or avoid having children.”
With this in mind, Maj. Gen. Shin made the pro-life movement a key area of focus when, following 37 years of active military service, he was appointed South Korea’s first territorial deputy in 2020.
The center has become a focal point of volunteer efforts for local Knights, who assist with cleaning projects, make repairs and organize holiday gifts.
The Order in South Korea has also built a tradition of supporting vulnerable migrant workers and refugees. One noteworthy example came in 2016, when 500 Yemeni refugees arrived on Jeju Island, 50 miles south of the Korean mainland. Amid a fierce public debate, the Knights took action without hesitation.
“Brother Lee Dae-woon of Council 16000 began to take care of five refugee mothers and their children in his own home,” Moon recounted. “His house soon became a Peace Refugee Center where refugees found new hope. We not only provided them with daily necessities and medicines, but also helped provide legal counseling, employment support and psychological therapy.”
Those efforts continue today, having only been enhanced since 2018, when South Korea was designated as a Knights of Columbus territory.
“There have been many challenges along the way, but we have overcome them together,” Moon said. “Being promoted to territory status was a moment of great pride for us.”
AT THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE AND DEATH
When Pope Francis visited South Korea in 2014, just over a year into his papacy, his every word and move drew attention. A significant focus of his trip was the beatification of 124 additional Korean martyrs, among thousands of unnamed men, women and children who died for their faith during the Joseon dynasty’s persecution of Christians in the 1800s. However, a moment of silence by the pope also inspired headlines as he stopped to pray at a monument for aborted children during his trip.
Abortion has been a particularly contentious subject in South Korea since 2019, when the country’s ban on abortion was ruled unconstitutional. No laws regarding abortion
“I wanted to engage in volunteer work after my military discharge,” Shin said. “The Knights provided that opportunity, and we made the protection of the unborn our top priority. We have been providing ultrasound machines to health centers, teaching people about the sanctity of unborn life and supporting consultations with mothers.”
Matthew Hong Sung-tae has served as pro-life committee chairman for the territory since it was established in 2018.
“Currently, South Korea is at a crossroads as to whether it will become a country that spreads a culture of death around the world or a country that spreads a culture of life,” Hong said. “It is at this point that the Korean Knights of Columbus stands as a voice for life.”
Another key goal under Shin’s leadership is inspiring young people. As stated by Bishop Seo, “The Catholic Church in Korea has entered an aging phase. In order to inherit and practice the great spirit of Father McGivney, we need to focus on younger people.”
Providence has been kind to the Order in this regard, as Seoul will host the next World Youth Day in 2027. The South Korean Church expects that up to 1 million pilgrims and volunteers will attend the event, including many Knights.
By then, the Knights of Columbus in Korea is bound to have grown further in strength and numbers. With the seventh and eighth local councils established this summer, membership has risen tenfold since 2014. Before long, Korean Knights hope to establish councils in all 16 South Korean dioceses in order to build a nationwide network and spread the spirit of service and fraternity among the faithful.
“The Order is definitely expanding,” Shin affirmed. “I hope that the Korean Catholic Church will also grow further, and that within the Church the Knights of Columbus will play a role in building a culture of serving those who are suffering, sick and in need. There are so many places that could really use our help in spreading the faith and the light of the Lord.” B
ALEX JENSEN is a broadcast journalist and writer based in Seoul. A married father of four, he converted to Catholicism after moving to South Korea from Great Britain in 2010.
Above: Knights in Seoul stand with Sister Alphoncia Yoon Mi-suk, director of the Holy Family Adoption Center, in August 2023. Members regularly volunteer at the center and last year refurbished its statue of the Holy Family. • Below: Knights and their families pray a rosary for peace at the Dora Observatory, near the border between South Korea and North Korea, in 2022. The Knights also attended Mass, celebrated by Bishop Titus Seo Sang-bum, at the only Catholic church in the Joint Security Area. Several Knights were instrumental in designing and constructing the church, which opened in 2019.
We Journey TOGETHER
Knights host a pilgrimage for Indigenous Catholics to Québec’s Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha
By Cecilia Engbert
Nearly 100 Indigenous Catholics from eastern Canada visited the tomb of St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, near Montréal, June 29.
Members of the Eskasoni Mi'kmaq First Nation in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and the Kingsclear and Maliseet Wolastoqey First Nations in New Brunswick participated in the pilgrimage, which was hosted by the Knights of Columbus. It took place the day before First Nations Sunday, a longstanding annual celebration that brings together thousands of First Nation Catholics to honor St. Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, at the Basilica of SainteAnne-de-Beaupré in Québec.
Former Supreme Warden Graydon Nicholas and Supreme Director Daniel Duchesne helped organize the pilgrimage, extending an invitation to groups who were already traveling to the basilica, northeast of Québec City, to also journey southwest to Canada’s National Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. The shrine is built on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, in St. Francis Xavier Mission. St. Kateri, who was born in what is now Fonda, New York, moved to the mission in 1677 after converting to Christianity. She died there in 1680 at age 24 and was canonized in 2012.
The pilgrims prayed the Stations of the Cross in the Mi'kmaq language at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-deBeaupré before making the 314-kilometer (195-mile) bus ride to St. Kateri’s shrine. The Knights provided food for the pilgrims, who were able to tour the site, visit the museum and pray at St. Kateri’s tomb.
Madeline “Sugar” Poulette became emotional as she visited the tomb, reflecting sadly on the dual loss of Mi'kmaq culture and Christian faith in her community. She sees St. Kateri as the ideal intercessor for Indigenous Catholics and a model for how to cultivate both faith and cultural traditions.
“She’s just part of us,” Poulette said. “I think about all of our children. We need somebody for them to look up to, for them to pray to, to have faith. I think with Tekakwitha, it’s a little closer, it’s easier to see how our Catholic faith and our tradition go together.”
Graydon Nicholas, a member of the Maliseet First Nation, hoped the pilgrimage would contribute to the reconciliation
Grand Chief Norman Sylliboy of the Mi'kmaq Nation, left, and former Supreme Warden Graydon Nicholas visit the National Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, Québec, on June 29.
between Indigenous peoples and the Church that Pope Francis prayed for during his apostolic visit to Canada in 2022. Meeting with First Nation, Métis and Inuit groups, the pope apologized for the Church’s role in running residential schools for Indigenous children in Canada and the abuses suffered there. The government-sponsored school system separated children from their families and sought to expunge aspects of Indigenous culture, language and religion.
“A lot of the early evangelizers were oppressive to our people,” Nicholas said. “They didn’t welcome our culture. But now that is starting to change.”
Nicholas said the Knights of Columbus has been part of that reconciliation process, especially through the Order’s Native Solidarity Initiative, launched in 2019. In addition to providing support for the Pope Francis’ apostolic visit in 2022, the Supreme Council has encouraged local councils to become more engaged with Catholics living on reservations
Photos by Paul Haring
and tribal lands. At the 141st Supreme Convention last year, delegates approved a resolution recommitting to building relationships among Native American and First Nations communities through charitable and catechetical programs, as well as developing strategies of reconciliation that recognize the valuable history and culture of Indigenous peoples.
The day after the St. Kateri pilgrimage, more than 2,000 people, many dressed in the traditional regalia of their Indigenous community, filled the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-deBeaupré for First Nations Sunday. Devotion to St. Anne has been an important part of the Catholic faith for the Indigenous people of Canada since the first missionaries arrived in the 17th century.
“In our culture, the matriarch had a lot of power over our people; they had a lot of say. So grandmothers have great
Tim Nicholas, front left, financial secretary of St. Anne’s Council 8405 in Victoria, New Brunswick, walks in procession during Mass on First Nations Sunday at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Québec on June 30.
significance for our society,” explained Tim Nicholas from Tobique First Nation. Financial secretary of St. Anne’s Council 8405 in Victoria, New Brunswick, he has been making the pilgrimage to the basilica for years. “I carry the statue of St. Anne year after year in the processions, because St. Anne carries me all through the year, and this is my one chance to help carry her.”
Graydon Nicholas and Supreme Director Daniel Duchesne, a past state deputy of Québec with Indigenous ancestry, participated in the procession alongside representatives of several First Nations.
Duchesne said he was honored to assist in organizing the pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Kateri Tekakwitha and to take part in the celebration at St. Anne’s the next day.
“I feel very proud to participate in an event like this, since it gives us a great chance to see that we are not alone, that for the First Nations, the Catholic faith has long been part of their journey,” Duchesne said.
The First Nations pilgrims had a similarly meaningful experience, thankful for the opportunity to visit St. Kateri’s shrine.
“The response was overwhelming,” Nicholas said. “They were very grateful that the Knights covered the cost of the meals, and upon their return they shared with other people what a wonderful and spiritual journey it was.” B
CECILIA ENGBERT is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus Communications Department.
Above: First Nation Catholics pray the Stations of the Cross in the Mi'kmaq language on the grounds of the Basilica of Sainte-Annede-Beaupré on June 29. • Left:
A Testament to Unity
Bishop Bryan Bayda, assistant state chaplain of Ontario, reflects on the charity and solidarity he saw in Ukraine and Poland
Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada, also serves as assistant state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus in Ontario. Earlier this year, he traveled to Poland and Ukraine, where he visited a wide range of charitable initiatives supported by the Order and witnessed in person how Knights there — both Greek and Roman Catholic — are working together to care for displaced families and other victims of war.
“I’ve never been more proud to be a Knight of Columbus,” Bishop Bayda said of his visit. “The Knights really pull together when they see a human need, and they are serving Christ in these children and families who are experiencing the tragic results of war. That is absolutely great to see.”
It was also important to Bishop Bayda that he share with others what he witnessed. “I wanted to bring it to the attention of our Knights back home in Canada, to help support the Knights in Poland and Ukraine so that they can do what they do best, and they can do it better,” he told Columbia .
Wiesław Lenartowicz, the associate state chaplain, and Supreme Warden Andrzej Anasiak. Father Lenartowicz is the pastor at Our Lady of Częstochowa Church, right next to the McGivney House, and he showed us the programs they offer there.
What follows is a summary of his experience, adapted from that interview with permission.
Our first visit was to Mercy Center in Warsaw, which is supported by the Knights. The Mercy Center helps refugees find jobs and homes, and also offers services and medication to help with mental stress and other difficulties — the physical, psychological and emotional stress of displacement and family separations caused by war.
The children at the Mercy Center, with the help of their teachers, put on a beautiful play about Our Lady of Fatima. I was quite impressed because they did it all from memory. These are children displaced by the war who fled to Poland with their families to find safety. It was wonderful to see them engaged and going to school.
We next went to Radom to see the good work being done at McGivney House. We were warmly welcomed by Father
In Lviv, Youriy Maletskiy, who was state deputy of Ukraine at the time, invited us to see where Ukrainian Knights were packing hygienic products and other supplies for people in wartorn Kharkiv. We also visited the Halychyna Rehabilitation Center in Lviv, which focuses on prosthetics. It’s quite a profound program, and the Knights are right in there, supporting something so personal and effective as that. It takes a lot of resources to fly the patients into the center, to set up the equipment, offices, all those things, and it’s demanding. And that’s where the Knights are choosing to put the hard-earned money that people are donating through the Ukraine Solidarity Fund.
Later, I met with Mykola Mostovyak, now Ukraine state deputy, and he introduced me to the Knights at the Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchal Sobor in Kyiv. I met with councils in Kyiv and Irpin and visited a chapel on the bank of the Dnipro River where an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been placed. It’s dedicated to the Knights now. It was a very good visit in the Kyiv area, to learn about the programs the Knights are doing for children, widows and others in need.
This journey was an opportunity for me to see through the eyes of Blessed Michael McGivney, to imagine how he felt when he saw families breaking up because of tragedy. And it was an opportunity to see how the Knights are continuing to serve families today, just as they did when they were founded.
It was also good to see the collaboration and brotherhood between Ukrainian and Polish Knights, who were working very well together. You know, history is history; tensions
between countries are inevitable over the centuries. But I could see the camaraderie, the unity among the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Knights and the Roman Catholic Knights and the Polish Knights.
We can do this charitable missionary work better when we are unified as Knights, as councils. It’s building that camaraderie, it’s working together — and the end result is striving to protect and serve the spiritual and physical needs of children and their families.
When you see these suffering people, it brings it home, puts it on your front doorstep. It gives you an opportunity to think, “What kind of charity am I able to do?” And when you look at people ready to give their lives, it gives you another perspective about what kind of charity God is calling you to do. I look at my efforts and say, “What have I done? Can I do better? Is God calling me to do more?” Most of us are trying to keep our lives as normal as possible, but perhaps a small effort on my side can make a huge difference.
For instance, take Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids. For us, it’s a few bucks, but for a child to have a coat during the winter, that’s massive, especially if they have power outages and loss of heat. A few dollars to provide that assistance, it may not impact my day-to-day very much, but it’s going to hugely improve the lives of others.
What struck me the most is the real unity that the war on Ukraine has brought about. It’s a very physical thing; it’s very tangible. Many, including Knights, fight for their country. Other members in Ukraine and Poland help on the ground, while Knights in many other countries — Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere — help by prayers and donations to the Ukraine Solidarity Fund.
I would ask every Knight to reflect on why you joined the Order — to really deepen your experience of Blessed Michael McGivney’s missionary vision of charity and unity. And to consider taking an extra step to do more, in the light of that vocation of compassion God has given you. B
Above: Bishop Bryan Bayda stands with then-State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy and other Knights gathered at a K of C distribution warehouse outside Lviv, Ukraine, in June. • Opposite page: Father Wiesław Lenartowicz, left, and Supreme Warden Andrzej Anasiak present Bishop Bayda with an image of Our Lady of Częstochowa during his visit to Radom, Poland.
Knights of Columbus State Deputies 2024-2025
The office of state deputy was established and defined at the 1893 Supreme Council meeting. As the chief executive officer of the Order in his jurisdiction, the state deputy provides leadership and inspiration to the Knights and their families, and promotes the mission and growth of the Order. State deputies are elected during the annual convention of each state council. Pictured here are the state and territorial deputies for the 2024-2025 fraternal year.
MICHIGAN
NORTH
Members of Benedicto XVI Council 18211 in Mérida, Mexico South, gather around a reliquary containing a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney. The council commissioned a local master carpenter to craft the wooden reliquary, which features the Order’s emblem on one side. The relic will be displayed at Santa Ana Parish and travel to surrounding parishes with K of C councils for veneration.
BIBLE LITERACY
When the principal of St. Christopher Academy asked Kevin Brown, a Knights of Columbus field agent based in Nashua, N.H., for help purchasing Bibles for each of the school’s students and staff, Brown brought the request to St. Boniface Council 11907. Working with four other local councils, the Nashua Knights raised more than $6,000 to purchase more than 400 Bibles.
MIRACLES ON DISPLAY
John F. Kennedy Council 5517 in Canton, Pa., hosted an exhibit on Eucharistic miracles, originally designed by Blessed Carlo Acutis, for members of St. Michael Parish. The exhibit included posters detailing 80 approved Eucharistic miracles from around the world.
FATHER MCGIVNEY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Chief Justice Arellano Council 4091 in Orion, Luzon North, marked the 127th birthday of Jesuit Father George Willmann on June 29 by organizing a Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Parish, celebrated by pastor and council chaplain Father Abraham Pantig.
Father Willmann is sometimes called the “Father McGivney of the Philippines” for his work to promote the Order there. The Archdiocese of Manila opened the priest’s cause for canonization in 2015, and Council 4091 began commemorating his birth and death dates last year to foster devotion and bring awareness to his cause.
BRIDGING THE GAP
About 20 members of St. Luke Council 12196 and Bishop Charles P. Greco Assembly 2160 in Palm Harbor, Fla., combined forces to tear down and rebuild a walkway bridge that ran from St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church to its rectory. The worn and rickety structure was in desperate need of replacement.
MEET THE SEMINARIANS
St. Patrick-White Lake (Mich.) Council 13319 hosted a Meet the Seminarians dinner at St. Patrick Parish that raised more than $6,000 to support four seminarians from the Archdiocese of Detroit. The seminarians shared their vocation testimonies during the meal, which was attended by about 100 people.
Faith
KNIGHTS OF THE EUCHARIST
Fourth Degree Knights from the greater Kansas City area took part in a large Eucharistic procession with Bishop James Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., during Behold KC, an event organized by the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kan. The celebration included Mass, confession, music and the largest opportunity for Eucharistic adoration in Kansas City in more than 80 years.
Knights from San Sebastian Council 18127 in Zamboanga City, Mindanao, carry the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima in procession to Our Lady of Fatima Parish. The statue was in the Philippines as part of a pilgrimage to bring the graces of the Marian apparition around the world.
Family
Patrick McBee (right), faith director for St. Vincent de Paul Council 12191 in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and Jeromy Duelley, Morgan County Schools assistant superintendent, display one of several dozen sweatshirts the council donated to the district. It was the first donation of the council’s new Hoodies for Heaven program, through which the Knights work with school staff to identify clothing needs for students with lesser means.
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
For the past 20 years, Sigogne Council 6348 in Little Brook, Nova Scotia, has annually awarded scholarships of CA$500 to students from the French-language and English-language schools nearby. This year, the scholarships were given to Allie Belliveau and Wyatt Melanson.
MARATHON OF CHARITY
In 2022, St. Martha’s Council 12320 in Kingwood, Texas, took over responsibility for the Texas Marathon Kingwood, which is held annually on New Year’s Day. Since then, the marathon has raised more than $50,000, which Council 12320 has distributed among the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program, the Global Wheelchair Mission and Orphanos, an organization that partners with Christian ministries and missionaries to support orphans and other vulnerable children around the world.
SUPPORTING
MILITARY FAMILIES
Knights from St. Ambrose Council 12576 in Milan, Ill., served nearly 300 members of the 123rd Field Artillery Battalion, Illinois National Guard, during a council-sponsored breakfast at the unit’s armory. Council 12576 immediately returned the $900 in free-will donations it collected to the unit’s Soldier and Family Support Group, which provides resources for soldiers and their families, especially during deployments.
FRESHMAN FUNDING
Vern Raschko-Magnolia Council 8311 in Seattle recently awarded scholarships of $1,000 each to four eighth grade students who will enter local Catholic high schools this fall.
WHITBY’S WEALTH OF FOOD
Msgr. Gerard Breen Council 8309 in Whitby, Ontario, held two drives to collect food and recyclable cans and bottles to benefit the local St. Vincent de Paul Society. The drive at Holy Family Parish resulted in about CA$1,500 worth of food and CA$1,500 in cash from redeeming the recyclables; Council 8309 matched the amount with an additional donation of CA$1,500.
NEVER ALONE
Five years ago, Ottoville (Ohio) Council 2238 established a program to visit homebound Knights and parishioners from Immaculate Conception Church every month. Council members recently traveled 80 miles roundtrip to visit their brother Knight Jack Devitt and celebrate his 90th birthday at his residence in Findlay.
District Deputy Miguel Larete gives rosaries to students from Supanga Elementary School during a distribution hosted by Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Council 5889 in Calinog, Visayas. The council worked with military personnel from the Philippine Army 12th Infantry Battalion to hand out water bottles, lunch containers, toys and more to 300 students in need.
Members of St. Pedro Calungsod Assembly 3400 and St. Mary’s Council 13072 in Vancouver, British Columbia, display the Canadian flag before raising it at St. Mary’s Parish to mark Canada Day on July 1. Dominican Father Joseph D’Souza (right), pastor and Council 13072’s chaplain, offered a prayer during the event.
MILLION-DOLLAR IMPACT
Father Joseph Boehr Council 4753 in Tiverton, R.I., recently donated a total of $1 million after selling its home corporation building in 2020. Four local Catholic churches received $125,000 each, and the remaining $500,000 was distributed among several charitable organizations in the area.
SERVICE REMEMBERED
Father Justin Cunningham Assembly 2518 in Charlottesville, Va., organized a Memorial Day service at Veterans Park in Dixie that honored the Bedford Boys, a group of 20 National Guardsmen from the small town of Bedford who died in the D-Day landings of World War II. With a population of about 3,200 in 1944, Bedford suffered the highest known per capita loss of life on D-Day.
FRIENDS IN WORD AND DEED
For the past 30 years, Msgr. Corr Council 3571 in Pasadena, Calif., has supported Friends in Deed, an organization that provides resources and assistance to people experiencing homelessness. The Knights make Coats for Kids
donations to the group and help ecah year with its annual barbecue for volunteers, among other events and programs. Past Grand Knight Ed Vidimos, a longtime board member of Friends in Deed, facilitates the partnership.
FUEL FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS
Members of Father Patrick Gregory Delahunty Assembly 3 in Montgomery, Ala., showed their appreciation for local firefighters by delivering a meal to 15 fire stations in the area, a gift they make annually. Faithful Navigator Robert Vini and his wife, Diane, prepared enough camp stew — a South Alabama specialty — to feed as many as 115 firefighters.
BREAKFAST’S ON!
In the past year, the monthly breakfast organized by Beal City Council 3651 in Mount Pleasant, Mich., has raised about $24,000 to fund its charitable donations. The council makes annual contributions to support a homeless shelter, the local Catholic church and school, persons with intellectual disabilities, and more.
Community
Father Frank D’Amato (left) and members of Mother of Perpetual Help Council 5629 in Vero Beach, Fla., pray the rosary at the conclusion of a campaign to raise awareness of the mental health challenges faced by veterans. Working with 22aday.org, four councils and three assemblies from Florida District #62 set up a display of white crosses around Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, adding 22 crosses daily over 30 days to represent the U.S. military veterans who die by suicide every day.
CHARITY FUNDS RAISED
Holy Eucharist Council 15791 in Falmouth, Maine, held a fundraiser that brought in more than $4,200 for the council’s donations to charity. The funds will be used to support seminarians, Coats for Kids, youth scholarships and more.
TOP RIGHT: Photo by Will McKinnon Media
Life
DEDICATED BLOOD DONORS
St. Peter the Apostle Council 12178 in Naples, Fla., partners with the NCH Healthcare System to hold a blood drive every two months at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. The program is named in memory of Dr. James Osmanski, the Knight who first organized the council’s blood drives.
Members of Bishop Hunt Council 5214 in Kearns, Utah, unload diapers and other baby supplies from a recent council drive to benefit Pro-Life Utah, a pregnancy support organization based in South Jordan. Parishioners from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Kearns and St. Jude Maronite Catholic Church in Taylorsville, with additional support from others, donated about $6,000 worth of baby items. The donation will be supplemented by $400 from the Supreme Council through the ASAP program.
Members of Queen of Peace Council 3428 in North Arlington, N.J., lead parishioners from Queen of Peace Church in a Eucharistic procession after the church’s annual Mass for the Unborn. The procession to Holy Cross Cemetery concluded with a prayer in front of the cemetery’s memorial to the unborn and Benediction. Afterward, Council 3428 presented three local pregnancy centers with donations of $2,000 each, proceeds from the council’s annual baby bottle drive. Each center will also receive $400 from the Supreme Council through the ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) program.
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Six special education teachers from Woodland Developmental Center and Community Enterprises of St. Clair County were honored by Msgr. Edward J. McCormick Council 521 in Port Huron, Mich., during the council’s S.E.E.D. (Special Education in Excellence and Dedication) Awards dinner.
PENNSYLVANIA PAÑALES
St. Francis Xavier Council 17105 in McKean, Pa., held its second annual baby supply drive at St. Francis Xavier Parish to support the Women’s Care Center of Erie County. This year, the drive collected more than 260 baby items worth nearly $1,700; because the donation was made through the ASAP program, the Supreme Council donated an additional $300 to the center. The aid is especially needed because Pennsylvania lawmakers recently cut state funding for organizations that offer alternatives to abortion in favor of women’s health groups that make abortion referrals.
LIFE OF THE PARTY
More than 65 students attended a prom organized by Joseph P. Doherty Council 6730 in Morristown, Tenn., for students from the special education departments of two local high schools.
CANS FOR KIDS
In 2023, John F. Kennedy Council 5513 in Peosta, Iowa, collected and redeemed more than 95,000 cans and bottles, generating more than $4,700 for its charitable donations. These donations included $2,500 to Dubuque County Right to Life; $2,000 to Mary’s Inn, a maternity home in Dubuque; and $100 for Special Olympics Iowa. Since 2011, the council’s recycling program has collected more than 1.1 million recyclables and generated nearly $57,000.
See more at www.kofc.org/knightsinaction
Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org
Supreme Council Awards College Scholarships
For the 2024-2025 academic year, the Knights of Columbus awarded scholarships totaling close to $1.3 million to more than 500 students. Most recipients are the children of Knights, or Knights themselves, attending Catholic universities or Catholic colleges in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico or the Philippines. These figures include more than $237,500 given to more than 95 seminarians in the U.S. and Canada. For more information about the Order’s scholarship programs, visit kofc.org/scholarships.
at the time of his death. Contingent on satisfactory academic performance, these scholarships are renewed for a total of four years. This academic year, 20 new scholarships were awarded and 48 renewed. The following are firsttime recipients: Gabriella Allbee, Kimbree Callahan, Sarah Devine, Isabella Gonzalez, Joseph Haines, Yosef Heldt, Andrew Jacobs, Isabel Kesling, Aedan Lane, Elizabeth Logan, Kaden Mattson, Matthew McGill, Patrick Miller, Adelaide Morrissey, Matthew Murphy, Helen Nguyen, Gianmarco Renda, John Paul Szerszen, Ciaran Walsh and Amelia Winters.
FOURTH DEGREE
JOHN W. MCDEVITT (FOURTH DEGREE) SCHOLARSHIPS
This scholarship was established in 1998 in honor of the Order’s 11th supreme knight. Recipients must be enrolled at a Catholic college or Catholic university in the United States and be a Knight, the wife of a Knight, or the son or daughter of a Knight. Columbian Squires and widows and children of members who died in good standing are also eligible. In addition to 26 new recipients, 74 scholarships were renewed for the current academic year. New recipients are: Gianna Brown, Daniel Burke, Kristen Collins, Caedmon Covington, Gracyn Craig, Mallory Duffy, Cora Heidemann, Harper Herzog, Emily Maag, Benedict Mayerle, Brian McKeon, Caroline Meyer, Louis Murphy, Claire Necaise,
Annamaria Pepe, Perpetua Phelps, Joe Pitchford, Gabriella Rado, Kirsten Resch, Thomas Rodgers, Lilly Schmitt, Maximilian Schreffler, Gabrielle Skehan, Joshua Skrzypczak, Francis Snyder and Boston Spina.
FOURTH DEGREE PRO DEO AND PRO PATRIA SCHOLARSHIPS
A total of 68 U.S. students received Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria scholarships of $1,500 each. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence to incoming freshmen in bachelor’s degree programs at Catholic colleges or Catholic universities. The recipients are Knights of Columbus or Columbian Squires, the son or daughter of a Knight in good standing, or the son or daughter of a Knight who was in good standing
by a 1990 bequest of Percy J. Johnson, a member of Seville Council 93 in Brockton, Mass. Nine scholarships were awarded and 11 were renewed for the current academic year. The new recipients are Luz Del Rosario Kwiatkowski, Ryan Dolan, Stephen Durkee, Marcel Ferrer, Owen Flanagan, Francisco Reuland, Stephen Sclafani, Jovian Tupy and Samuel Verdoni.
PRO DEO AND PRO PATRIA SCHOLARSHIPS (CANADA)
These scholarships are for students entering colleges or universities in Canada, with requirements regarding K of C membership that are essentially the same as for their U.S. counterparts. Twelve new scholarships were awarded and 23 renewed for the current academic year. New recipients are: Daniel Buchinski, Celina Casiano, Brenna Connolly, Aaron D’Souza, Gabriel Gallant, Melodie Laporte, Thomas Leroux, Jaden Leung, Dante McKenna, Amara Menke, Liam Senay and Luka Spinoti.
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
Percy J. Johnson Scholarships are awarded to young men attending U.S. Catholic colleges or Catholic universities and are funded
In 2000, Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. received a $100,000 donation from Frank L. Goularte. A scholarship fund in his name was established to provide $1,500 in need-based grants that are administered, in general, according to the rules of the Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships. Two new scholarships were awarded for the current academic year and eight were renewed. The new recipients are Gracie Bomar and Peter Hogan.
From 1995 to 1997, Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. received bequests totaling nearly $200,000 from the estate of Anthony J. LaBella. In his will, LaBella remembered the kindness shown to him by Knights when he was an orphan in Farmingdale, N.Y. The bequests have since been used to establish a scholarship fund in LaBella’s name. Earnings from the fund provide scholarships for undergraduate study in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships. This year, four new scholarships were awarded to Sophie Boyd, Rachel Erk, Genevieve Larson and Regan Murphy, and eleven were renewed.
In 1997, Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. received a bequest from Dr. Arthur F. Battista to establish scholarships for graduates of the Cornwall (Ontario) Collegiate and Vocational School. These $1,500 and $2,000 annual scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit, financial need, community service and extracurricular activities. Preference is given to Knights; to the children or grandchildren of members; to students recommended by the Ontario State Council; and to students bound for Catholic colleges or Catholic universities. For the current academic year, 13 new scholarships were awarded and 12 renewed. New recipients are: Dawood Bajwa, Nesrine Cheriet, Muminah Hafizi, Abby Kendall, Lianne LafontaineMurdock, Lily Mackenzie, Muhammad Mian, Zainab Hansa Mohamed Navaz, Hadia Nazir, Emma Passfield, Wania Tahir, Afaq Virk and Maria Woff.
SISTER THEA BOWMAN FOUNDATION –
K OF C SCHOLARSHIPS
This scholarship is named for Sister Thea Bowman (1937-1990), an African American religious who inspired many people with her urgent and uplifting call for better education for children of the African American community.
In December 1996, the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, in partnership with the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation, authorized a four-year grant in the amount of $25,000 per year
to support deserving African American students pursuing a Catholic college education. Periodically, the board has approved continuation of the grant program. For the 20242025 academic year, two new scholarships were awarded to Mya Bragg and Jacoby Weston.
GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
The Order has an endowment at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., that provides Knights of Columbus graduate fellowships. For the 20242025 academic year, three fellowships have been awarded to Wesley Bergen, Boniface Blanchard Twaibu and Amos Bonner, and five were renewed.
Two new fellowships for the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America were awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year to Father Nicholas Naji and Dixon Rodriquez.
PUERTO RICO SCHOLARSHIPS
For the current academic year, six new scholarships were awarded to: Lía Colón Rivera, Clara Font Marin, José Alejandro González Renovales, Antonio Ocasio, Samuel Ríos Pérez and Ariana Isabel Rodriguez Lotti.
PHILIPPINES SCHOLARSHIPS
For the current academic year, seven new scholarships of $500 were awarded and 29 renewed. The new recipients are Kryxia Irish Mae Cajustin, Sheena Mae
Educational Trust Fund
The Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust offers scholarships to the children of members who are killed or permanently and totally disabled by hostile action while serving with the armed forces during a covered period of conflict. In 2004, the Order declared that military conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan would be covered under the trust fund. Also eligible are the children of members who are killed as a result of criminal violence directed against them while performing their duties as fulltime law enforcement officers or full-time firefighters. An application must be filed within two years of the date of the member’s death. As of June 30, a total of 814 children have been recorded as eligible for benefits from the Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust Fund scholarship program since its establishment in 1944. Thus far, 360 eligible children have chosen not to use the scholarships, three have died, and 128 who began college either discontinued their studies or fully used their scholarship eligibility before graduation. To date, 307 students have completed their education through the fund, and there are 12 future candidates. Two students — Dominic Miller and Lauren Murphy-Sweet — are currently working towards their degree, and one additional student — Marianna Miller — began undergraduate studies with the 2023-2024 academic year.
Hernandez, Cheryl Kyla Ann Laurente, Aizel Materem, Sander Eric Sablario, April Joy Tagaroma and Robert Nash Yambao.
MEXICO SCHOLARSHIPS
For the current academic year, two new scholarships were awarded in the amount of $500 each, renewable for up to four years. In addition,
12 were renewed. The new recipients are: Luis Diego Garcia Reynoso and Joshua Antonio Loeza Ku.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Scholarship applications for the upcoming academic year will be available after Oct. 1. For more information, visit kofc.org/scholarships .
Matthews Swift
OFFICIAL SEPTEMBER 1, 2024:
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 06507-9982. 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 06507-9982.
COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED 10 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2024 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
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Photo by Matthew Barrick
Knights of Charity
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.
Grand Knight Drew Tarnowski (center) of Archbishop Denis O’Connor Council 14969 in Windsor, Ontario, and other Knights prepare wood to make a child’s bed during a build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace in Windsor. More than 75 Knights from several local councils helped construct 200 headboards and footboards for 100 beds. Sleep in Heavenly Peace will distribute the beds to families in need throughout Canada.
Photo by Jonathan Francis
‘My soul was restless.’
‘I longed to be with Jesus.’
Growing up in Nigeria, I was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy. Naturally, I felt drawn to the priesthood due to my closeness to the altar and my admiration for our parish priests.
After attending minor seminary for high school, I entered college seminary but left after my first year to pursue another career. I came to the United States, intent on marrying and raising a family. But my soul was restless, and God had another plan.
Providentially, I was contacted by the vocation director of the Josephites. And when I visited their seminary, I felt a peace and joy I had not known in many years.
I returned to seminary, and one day on retreat, something happened that solidified my calling to the priesthood. As I prayed in the chapel, what appeared to be the image of Jesus in the monstrance was shown to me. I was terrified and in awe. It remains an indescribable experience, but it confirmed me in my vocation. I am so grateful for the privilege of being a priest.
Father Kingsley Ogbuji
Sister Paula Marie
Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart Blessed Cyprian Tansi Council 11496, Washington, D.C.
Babu
Disciples of the Lord Jesus
Christ Prayer Town, Texas
Photo by Jamie Orillion