columbia june 2009

JUNE 2009IN SERVICE TO ONE. IN SERVICE TO ALL.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

SpecialOlympics

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But only one gave $144 million to support Catholic and other charitable causes last year.

Knights of Columbus Insurance

And then there were four.

K

KNIGHTS IN ACTION

IN THIS ISSUEOPENING ODE

2 Proclaiming the Dignity of LifeBY ALTON J. PELOWSKI

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD3 A Catholic response to self-destructive

secularismBY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

LEARNING THE FAITH,LIVING THE FAITH

4 The Church, the Body of Christ, is asign of the kingdom of God on earthBY SUPREME CHAPLAIN BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month,the Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions,Your Spiritual Action Plan and more

CHECKUP7 Volunteerism: Giving the Gift of Self

BY JOHN R. INGRISANO

FATHERS FOR GOOD12 Special Challenges, Special Gifts

BY NEIL SLOAN

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE24 Learning from the humility of

St. Juan DiegoBY MSGR. EDUARDO CHÁVEZ SÁNCHEZ

25 REPORTS FROM COUNCILS,ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIANSQUIRES CIRCLES

32 COLUMBIANISM BY DEGREES

In its partnership with Special Olympics, the Order works to changelives and uphold the dignity of all. BY MIKE LATONA

Hearts of Gold

COLUMBIA l JUNE 2009 l VOLUME 89 l NUMBER 6

8

ALSO FEATURED

WELCOMING BROTHER KNIGHTS Some men with intellectual disabilitiesbenefit from membership in the Order. BY ANGELA NOVAK AMADO AND PAM WALKER........................................13

‘JUSTICE FOR ALL’ Rep. Henry J. Hyde, the late Congressman and Knight,on the defense of human life......................................................................14

A PORTRAIT OF PAUL Throughout the Pauline year, the Church hascelebrated the person and teachings of the Apostle to the Gentiles. BY MSGR. JAMES C. TURRO..........................................................................16

SECULAR INSTITUTES: LEAVEN TO THE WORLD Consecrated men and womenin secular professions influence the world quietly from ‘within.’ BY GERALD KORSON.....................................................................................18

Thousands prepare to gather for the Order’s 127th Supreme Convention and firstInternational Marian Congress in Phoenix this August. BY J.D. LONG-GARCÍA AND COLUMBIA STAFF .............................................................20

Preview of 127th Supreme Conventionand International Marian Congress

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWSSupreme Council mourns passing ofPaul M. McGlinchey • Knight instru-

mental in rescue from Somali pirates •Cardinal O’Connor Award for pro-life witness

6

Knights of ColumbusPublisher

Supreme OfficersCarl A. AndersonSupreme KnightMost Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.Supreme ChaplainDennis A. SavoieDeputy Supreme Knight

Donald R. KehoeSupreme Secretary

John “Jack” W. O’Reilly Jr.Supreme Treasurer

John A. MarrellaSupreme Advocate

EditorialAlton J. Pelowski, Managing [email protected]

Patrick Scalisi, Associate [email protected]

GraphicsArthur F. Hinckley Jr.Art Director

Richard J. CesareSenior Designer

Venerable MichaelMcGivney (1852-90)— Parish Priest,Protector of ChristianFamily Life andFounder of theKnights of Columbus,Intercede for Us.

How to Reach UsColumbia, 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326203-752-4398FAX: [email protected]/columbiaCUSTOMER SERVICE: 1-800-380-9995

MOVING? Notify your local council. Sendyour new address and mailing label to:Knights of Columbus, Membership RecordsPO Box 1670, New Haven, CT 06507-0901

On the Cover

Athletes compete in theSpecial Olympics USANational Games.

2

In a particular way, the fact that everyperson possesses inviolable dignity, iscreated in God’s image and is deservingof love has been emphasized by theKnights’ work with programs for peoplewith intellectual and physical disabili-ties. One such program, with whichKnights have assisted from its beginningin 1968, is Special Olympics, an organi-zation that seeks to promote equality andopportunity for people with intellectualdisabilities through sports (see page 8).

In addition to the volunteer supportoffered by K of C councils everywhere, theSupreme Council announced a partnershipwith Special Olympics in 2005. That sameyear, the Order gave its highest honor, theGaudium et Spes Award, to Jean Vanier.The sixth person — and first layman — toreceive the award, Vanier is the interna-tionally renowned founder of L’Arche, anetwork of faith-based communities thatcare for people with developmental dis-abilities. The second L’Arche communityworldwide, and the first in Canada, wasfounded in 1969. Today, 40 years later,there are 27 such communities in Canadaand 16 in the United States.

Promoting the dignity of all in our fam-ilies and in our communities is essential tobuilding an authentic culture of life.Although some would have us believe thathuman life, dignity and personhood are ofconditional and relative value, we mustembrace ever more strongly the call to“respect, protect, love and serve life, everyhuman life!” (Evangelium Vitae, 5). — Alton J. Pelowski

Pope Benedict XVI’s first stop duringhis recent pilgrimage to the HolyLand was not at a church or a sacredsite where Jesus walked. It was, how-

ever, marked by the Lord’s presence. At theRegina Pacis Center, a home for youthwith intellectual and physical disabilitiesin Amman, Jordan, the pope spoke to theyoung residents and affirmed the compas-sionate care offered there, saying, “God’sunconditional love, which gives life toevery human individual, points to a mean-ing and purpose for all human life.”

This message is of fundamental impor-tance, and there is a desperate need to pro-claim it in word and in action. After all, inmuch of modern society, the “value” of lifeis often seen as conditional — determinedby factors such as a person’s intelligenceand self-awareness, as well as by one’s use-fulness to society at large. To the contrary,Pope John Paul II observed in his 1995encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospelof Life) that Jesus, in becoming man,revealed God’s immeasurable love for usand the “incomparable value of everyhuman person.” Thus, a person’s dignity isnot founded on his intellectual or physicalabilities at a certain moment, but rather bythe very fact that he is a unique humanbeing created and loved by God.

Pope Benedict, like his predecessor,has decried the utilitarian mentality thatso often justifies crimes against humanity,and he has called on Christians to bothwitness to the sanctity of life and to pro-tect the “sanctuary of life,” the family.This call has been enthusiastically accept-ed by the Knights of Columbus, whichfrom its founding has defended society’smost vulnerable citizens. In recent years,this has been evident in part in the Order’snumerous pro-life initiatives and in thepersonal efforts of Knights such as Rep.Henry J. Hyde, the late Congressman whofought tirelessly to promote the legalrights of the unborn (see page 14).

OPENING ODE

COLUMBIA COVER: GARY CLARKE/SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Kick off the Year of the Priest by joining Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson fora discussion of Priests for the Third Millennium (Our Sunday Visitor, 2000,ISBN: 978-0879733193), by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York. Thebook was compiled from talks that then-Msgr. Dolan presented to seminari-ans while serving as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome,yet its lessons are applicable to everyone. Submit your questions online atwww.kofc.org and take part in the discussion Thursday, June 25, at 5 p.m. (ET).

Supreme Knight’s Book Club - June 25 - 5 PM (ET)

Proclaiming the Dignity of Life

This magazine is recyclable.Please pass it on.

Editor’s Note: Due to an error that occurred duringthe digital file preparation of the May 2009 issueof Columbia, many of the copies were regrettablyprinted with incorrect text on two of the pages.Please find the correct text in digital format atwww.kofc.org/columbia, or request a correctedcopy by sending your name and mailing addressto [email protected].

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

BY CARL A. ANDERSON, SUPREME KNIGHT

The Catholic Response As modern secularism leads to self-destruction,Catholics must work to build a new culture of life

CHRISTOPHER DAWSON, whoserved as the first ChaunceyStillman Chair of Roman CatholicStudies at Harvard University morethan 50 years ago, observed, “Humannature always retains its spiritualcharacter…. If it were to lose this, itmust lose itself and become the ser-vant of lower powers, so that a secu-lar civilization…inevitably leads tonihilism and to self-destruction.” Hecontinued, “If we look at the worldtoday in isolation from the past andthe future, the forces of secularismmay seem triumphant. This, howev-er, is but a moment in the life ofhumanity, and it does not possess thepromise of stability and perma-nence” (Dawson, The Formation ofChristendom, 37).

These words were written at theheight of the Cold War, when theforces of militantatheism appeared inmany ways to be gain-ing the upper hand.They are worth recall-ing today, as we seemto be entering a newperiod of secularism.

In an April 13cover story titled “The End ofChristian America,” Newsweekmagazine made much of a recentsurvey that found the percentageof self-identified Christians hasfallen 10 points in the past twodecades. Also notable, according toNewsweek, is that “fewer peoplenow think of the United States as a‘Christian nation’ than did sowhen George W. Bush was presi-dent (62 percent in 2009 versus 69percent in 2008).”

Catholics are called to work con-tinually to build up society, to pro-vide new hope and to establish anew culture of life. The key to this,John Paul knew, was for Catholics toform a strong identity and to accept“the inescapable responsibility ofchoosing to be unconditionally pro-life” (28, emphasis in original).

The present situation providesCatholics with an unprecedentedopportunity to help shape the futureof our country. John Adams oncesaid that the U.S. constitution “wasmade only for a moral and religiouspeople. It is wholly inadequate tothe government of any other.” Ifthis remains true, then we must askourselves how Catholics can con-tribute to the building up of “amoral and religious people.”

That answer, John Paul IIreminded us, begins with a questionthat still echoes to us from the verybeginning of human society: “Am Imy brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9).

The future of society depends onhow we answer this primordialquestion. I believe there are no menbetter prepared to do this than thosewho live the principles of charity,unity and fraternity; who by theirworks witness to this truthexpressed in Evangelium Vitae:“Yes, every man is his ‘brother’skeeper,’ because God entrusts us toone another” (19).

Vivat Jesus!

The Newsweek article focusedmainly on the concerns of evangeli-cal Christians, which it said “havelong believed that the United Statesshould be a nation whose politicallife is based upon and governed bytheir interpretation of biblical andtheological principles.” The maga-zine also quoted several evangelicalleaders who now refer to a post-Christian America.

To say that Catholics historical-ly have never felt entirely comfort-able with the evangelical idea of aChristian America would be anunderstatement. But if Dawson iscorrect that secularism cannot pro-vide a stable foundation for society,and American society appears to berejecting Protestantism as a founda-tion, what now is to be done? Is sec-ularism or evangelical Christianity

the only alternativesfor the future? CanCatholics make aunique contribution tothe common good?

For me, the wordsof Pope John Paul IIfrom his great encycli-cal on life, Evangelium

Vitae, remain as relevant today aswhen they were written in 1995:“To all the members of the Church,the people of life and for life, I makethis most urgent appeal, that togeth-er we may offer this world of oursnew signs of hope, and work toensure that justice and solidaritywill increase and that a new cultureof human life will be affirmed, forthe building of an authentic civiliza-tion of truth and love” (6, emphasisin original).

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 3

Catholics havean opportunityto help shapethe future

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit over-shadowed the Apostles and theVirgin Mary, and the Church’s

mission began in earnest. Henceforth,Christ lives and acts in and with hisChurch, especially through the preach-ing of the Word of God and the celebra-tion of the sacraments. The Churchwill come to fulfillmentwhen, at the end of time,she is gathered in exultantglory around the throne ofthe Triune God.

In the New Testament,the Greek word forchurch, ekklesia, is used114 times — 65 times bySt. Paul alone. TheCompendium tells us thatthis word “refers to thepeople whom God callsand gathers together from every partof the world.” To be sure, it is morethan a group of like-minded peoplegathered together to support a cause.Rather, it is an assembly of faith andworship made up of those “whothrough faith and baptism havebecome children of God, members ofChrist, and temples of the HolySpirit” (147). As “members of Christ,”we are to glorify God by living ourvocation, faithfully and robustly, forthe common good.

There are many beautiful imagesof the Church found in the NewTestament that have their roots in theOld Testament and that attained ful-fillment in Christ. As we will see,these images fit together and high-light a particular facet of the mysteryof the Church (Compendium, 148).

HUMAN AND DIVINEJesus summarizes the mission of theChurch entrusted to the Apostles inthese words: “Go, therefore, and

make disciples of all nations, baptiz-ing them in the name of the Father,and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that Ihave commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20).In preaching the Word and baptizing,the Church seeks to spread the king-dom of God among all the nations of

the earth. The Preface forthe feast of Christ the Kingdescribes this kingdom (forwhich we pray daily whenwe recite the Our Father) as“a kingdom of truth andlife, a kingdom of holinessand grace, a kingdom of jus-tice, love and peace.”

The Church, however,does not only point to thekingdom of God. Rather,the Church is the kingdom

of God in seed form. Her mission is toengender the kingdom of God withineach of us so that we may live in“righteousness, peace and joy in theHoly Spirit” (Rom 14:17). At thesame time, the Church is an effectivesign and instrument in accomplishingGod’s work of “delivering mankindfrom the powers of darkness” andtransferring the human family “tothe kingdom of his beloved Son”(Col 1:13). Thus we speak of theChurch as “the universal sacramentof salvation” and as a “mystery” inthe sense that her spiritual dimensioncan only be understood by faith(Compendium, 151-152).

Today it is common to separatethe so-called “institutional” Churchfrom the so-called “spiritual”Church. In other words, the day-to-day visible life of the Church is some-

times said to have nothing to do withher real mission. However, theSecond Vatican Council and theCatechism of the Catholic Churchexplicitly warn against this error(Lumen Gentium, 8; CCC, 771).There is only one Church, comprisedof human and divine elements. Thevisible is the sign of the invisible; thehuman is the sign of the divine.

We can see the significance of theChurch as the living sign and instru-ment of God’s kingdom when wereflect on the Church as the people ofGod. While we are each rightly con-cerned for our individual salvation,we are not saved “in isolation” butrather as part of God’s people. TheChurch as the people of God “has forits origin God the Father; for its headJesus Christ; for its hallmark the dig-nity and freedom of the children ofGod; for its law the new command-ment of love; for its mission to be thesalt of the earth and the light of theworld; and for its destiny the kingdomof God already begun on earth”(Compendium, 153-154). As membersof this people, we come to share inChrist’s role as priest, prophet andking. We participate in Jesus’ priestly,prophetic and kingly office by offeringourselves, body and soul, as a spiritu-al sacrifice to God; by bearing witnessto our faith before the world, and byserving the needs of others (155).

BODY, BRIDE & TEMPLEThe principal image of the Church inthe writings of St. Paul is the “Bodyof Christ,” which describes the soli-darity of the members of the Church,through whom Christ acts. Just as

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

The 16th installmentof Supreme ChaplainBishop William E.Lori’s faith formationprogram addressesquestions 147-176 ofthe Compendium ofthe Catechism of theCatholic Church.Archived articles areat www.kofc.org.

The Church is an effective sign andinstrument in accomplishing God’s work.

‘I Believe in theHoly Catholic Church’The Church, the Body of Christ,is a sign of the kingdom of God on earth BY BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI, SUPREME CHAPLAIN

4 w w w. ko f c .o r g

In a society marked by conspicuous consumption, it is shocking that so manyexperience hunger every day. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teachesthat “the drama of hunger in the world calls Christians who pray sincerely to

exercise responsibility toward their brethren, both in their personal behavior and intheir solidarity with the human family” (2831). It is thus the responsibility of eachChristian not only to “give us (and them) this day our daily bread” in prayer, but alsoto act decisively so that others may eat. Consider volunteering time and resources toa soup kitchen, food pantry or similar worthy cause. Read: Lk 16:19-31; Mt 25:31-46.

Your Spiritual Action PlanFeed the Hungry

Thomas More was bornFeb. 6, 1478, to Sir JohnMore and Agnes

Grainger in England. His father,a lawyer and judge, affordedThomas an excellent educationbut did not believe in indulginghis son. As a result, youngThomas became a man of out-standing learning who was also

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 5

Holy Father’s Prayer IntentionsOffered in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVIââ General — That international attention towards the poorercountries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular torelieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt.ââ Mission — That local Church communities serving areas tornby violence may be supported through the love and help offered byCatholics around the world.

POPE: CNS PHOTO/MAX ROSSI, REUTERSST. THOMAS MORE: CNS FILE PHOTO

templative side. He even con-sidered a monastic vocationbefore entering Parliament in1504 and marrying in 1505.

Due to his intelligence andtalent, Thomas More soonattracted the attention of KingHenry VIII, who appointed himto a series of prominent publicpositions. During this time, theProtestant Reformation wasspreading across Europe, andMore assisted Henry in draft-ing the theological treatisetitled In Defense of the SevenSacraments. The document,published in 1521, promptedPope Leo X to confer upon King

Henry the title “Defender ofthe Faith.”

In 1529,King Henry appoint-ed Sir Thomas More as LordChancellor of England, but theking’s personal life and deci-sions regarding his marriage toCatherine of Aragon soon putthe two men at odds. As a resultof the royal proclamation thatnamed Henry the supremehead of the Church of England,Sir Thomas resigned as chancel-lor in 1532 and retired to hishome to study and write.

Because he refused to signthe Act of Supremacy, however,Sir Thomas More was eventual-ly convicted of high treasonand sentenced to death. Hisfriend, St. John Fisher, thebishop of Rochester, likewiserefused to sign the act and wasbeheaded on June 22, 1535.When Sir Thomas faced thesame fate on July 6, his finalwords were: “The king’s goodservant, but God’s first.”St. Thomas More was canon-ized by Pope Pius XI in 1935, andPope John Paul II declared himthe patron of statesman andpoliticians in 2000. His feastday is celebrated with St. JohnFisher on the anniversary ofFisher’s martyrdom.

In his life of ardent prayerand steadfast faith, St. ThomasMore stands as a model notonly for statesmen, but for allKnights.

a good steward and appreciat-ed a simple lifestyle. Andalthough he followed in hisfather’s footsteps and studiedlaw,Thomas had a marked con-

Catholic Manof the Month

the human body has many memberswith different functions, so it is withChrist and his Body, the Church.Each member is to contribute to thelife of the Church according to his orher vocation and out of concern forthe common good. Just as the full-ness of divinity is found in Christ,the head of this body, so too are itsmembers filled with divine life.Christ’s Spirit is the animating prin-ciple. Indeed, so close is the union ofhead and members that St. Augus-tine spoke of “the whole Christ” andSt. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Headand members form, as it were, oneand the same mystical person”(Compendium, 156-157).

Another beautiful image of theChurch is “the Bride of Christ,” foundprincipally in the writings of St. Paulbut also in the Gospel of Mark (2:19).This image draws on Old Testamentpassages that speak of the Lord’sspousal love for his people, Israel. InEphesians 5:22 and following, St. Pauluses the relationship of husband andwife to show how deeply Christ lovesthe Church to whom he has joinedhimself in an everlasting covenant.His purifying and life-giving love hasmade the Church the mother of God’schildren (Compendium, 158).

A final image to be consideredhere is the Church as temple of theHoly Spirit. As noted earlier, the Holy

Spirit dwells within the Church as heranimating principle, or “soul.”Thanks to the presence of the Spiritwho raised Jesus from the dead, theChurch grows as a place of faith, wor-ship and service constructed of livingstones. It is built up by preaching theWord of God, by the sacraments, byvirtue and by charisms, those specialgifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed uponindividuals for the good of others (seeCompendium, 160).

We give thanks for the Church as“a people brought into unity from theunity of the Father, the Son and theHoly Spirit” (Lumen Gentium, 4, cit-ing St. Cyprian). May the Lord blessthe Church and her members! n

St. Thomas More(1478-1535)Feast Day: June 22


Supreme Councilmourns passing ofPaul M. McGlinchey

Paul M. McGlinchey, who workedat the Knights of ColumbusSupreme Council headquarters in

New Haven, Conn., for 34 years, passedaway May 1 after bat-tling cancer. He was71 years old.

A native of NewJersey, McGlincheyjoined the staff ofthe Supreme Councilin 1971 as associateeditor of Columbia.In 1978, he was pro-moted to assistant

to the supreme knight, a position heheld until his retirement in 2005.

As administrative assistant to twosupreme knights, Virgil C. Dechant andCarl A. Anderson, McGlinchey oversawbusiness from high-profile events andmeetings to day-to-day correspon-dence, and represented the supremeknight around the world. He also servedas a consultant to the Order’s Board ofDirectors on a number of committees.

McGlinchey was past grand knightof Holy Family Council 8882, which isbased at the Supreme Council head-quarters. In 1985, he was named a PapalKnight of St. Gregory, an honor for dis-tinguished laymen, by Pope John Paul II.

Quiet, unassuming and hard-work-ing, Paul McGlinchey was a true Knightand Catholic gentleman. He loved theChurch and the Order, and devoted him-self wholeheartedly to both. He was adedicated husband to his wife, Lina, andloving father of three children andgrandfather to three.

The Mass of Christian Burial wascelebrated by retired ArchbishopDaniel A. Cronin of Hartford on May 6at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, thebirthplace of the Order. SupremeChaplain Emeritus Bishop Thomas V.Daily of Brooklyn, who celebrated theanointing of the sick with McGlincheydays earlier, delivered the homily. n

Supreme Knight and wife Dorian receiveCardinal O’Connor Award for pro-life witness

A rchbishop Timothy M. Dolan, recently installed as head of the Archdiocese ofNew York, and the Sisters of Life stand with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

and his wife, Dorian. On Friday, May 1, at a banquet following a special Mass cele-brated by Archbishop Dolan, Mother Agnes, superior general of the Sisters of Life,presented the Andersons with the John Cardinal O’Connor Award, given annuallyin recognition of the contributions of people who have heroically embraced thecall to promote the sanctity of human life.

The award is named for the Sisters’ founder, the late Cardinal John J. O’Connor,who served as archbishop of New York from 1984 until his death in 2000. TheAndersons accepted the award on behalf of all “Knights of Columbus and theirfamilies who have exhibited such a stellar determination in the cause for life,” thesupreme knight said. Cardinal O’Connor himself was a member of the Knights andreceived the Order’s highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes Award, in 1994.

Paul M. McGlinchey1937-2009

Knight instrumental in rescue from Somali pirates

Cmdr. Frank X. Castellano III (left), commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge anda member of Patchogue (N.Y.) Council 725, stands with Capt. Richard Phillips of

the Maersk-Alabama, who was rescued from Somali pirates on Easter Sunday, April 12.As commander of the Bainbridge, Castellano was on the front line of the rescueoperation that freed Phillips from the pirates who had taken him hostage four daysearlier. To read an exclusive interview with Castellano, visit www.fathersforgood.org.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Y O U R H E A L T H , Y O U R F I N A N C E S , Y O U R L I F E

DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF INSURANCE YOU NEED USING THE LIFE INSURANCE CALCULATOR AT KOFC.ORG

Volunteerism is at theheart of the Knights ofColumbus. As Catholics

and men of faith, Knights arecalled to imitate Christ and givegenerously of themselves. Thisis especially important today,when so many are strugglingfinancially. Indeed, the need forvolunteerism has never beengreater, which is why SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson hascalled upon Knights to makethis the Year of the Volunteer.

Some may be tempted toask, “What contribution can Ipossibly make?” The answer issimple: If we each contribute abit of our time, a bit of our tal-ents and a bit of our resources,we can make an incredible dif-ference. Here are just a few ways to help:• Organize a gleaning project. Talk to the owners andmanagers of local grocery stores. Ask that they setaside specials, clearances and other reduced-priceitems. The store can then donate these goods to yourcouncil (and receive a tax deduction for their value).Your council, in turn, can deliver the items to localfood banks or other charities. If the store can discount,but not donate the items, consider hosting a fundrais-er to purchase them.• Buy a cup of coffee for a neighbor in need and lend alistening ear. Imagine how alone and desperate a per-

C H E C K U P

son who has lost a job must feel.You may not be able to solve aperson’s problems, but you canlisten and offer support. • Shop with others in mind.When grocery stores offer a buy-one-get-one-free special, consid-er keeping one product for your-self and donating the other tocharity. Do the same with clear-ance sales. When shopping fornew clothes for yourself or yourfamily, purchase something elsefor a family in need.• Go on a “shopping spree”with your children or grand-children. Give them each a cer-tain amount of money to spendon other children, and then letthem donate the items theypurchase. Not only does this

help those in need, but it also instills in children theimportance of service to others.

Of course, there are countless other ways you canmake a difference. Be creative. As President TheodoreRoosevelt once said, “Do what you can, where youare, with what you have.” If you follow this advice,you can make a big difference during the Year of theVolunteer. n

John R. Ingrisano is a financial writer and business consultant spe-cializing in money management, insurance and retirement plan-ning. He can be reached at john@thefreestyleentrepreneur. com.

Volunteerism: Giving the Gift of SelfBY JOHN R. INGRISANO, CLU

Some Rules onTax Deductions

I t is important to keep in mind howdonations to charity might affect

your income tax. Be aware thatdeduction rules are complex and rifewith exceptions. So, be sure to checkwith your tax advisor before claimingyour charitable work and donationsas deductions.

Here are some rules on tax deduc-tions in the United States, according tothe Internal Revenue Service (IRS):• You can only deduct charitable con-tributions if you itemize your income

taxes. Plus, you can only deduct acash contribution, regardless of theamount, if you keep a record, such asa canceled check or other documen-tation that contains the name of thecharity, the date of the donation andthe amount.• You can deduct out-of-pocketexpenses when you serve a qualifiedorganization, such as the Knights ofColumbus, as a volunteer.• You generally can deduct the fairmarket value of property at the timeof the contribution.• Your deduction for charitable contri-butions is generally limited to nomore than 50 percent of your adjust-

ed gross income. There are other lim-itations as well.• You can only deduct the amount ofyour contribution that is more thanthe value of any benefit you receive.For example, if you pay $65 for a tick-et to a dinner-dance at your parish,and the ticket has a fair market valueof $25, then your deductible charita-ble contribution is $40.• For auto use, you can deduct 100percent of any out-of-pocket expensesnot reimbursed, such as the cost of gasand oil, that are directly related to theuse of your car in giving services to acharitable organization. Or you candeduct 14 cents per mile.

Deputy Grand Knight Peter A. Lombardo of Cargill Council 64in Putnam,Conn., loads food into a truck during a K of C-spon-sored food drive March 21. Knights from Council 64, alongwith St. James Council 2883 in Danielson and Msgr. John C.Mathieu Assembly in Moosup,helped refill a local food pantrythat was nearly empty due to increased demand.

LEFT BOTTOM: CNS PHOTO/U.S. NAVY HANDOUT VIA REUTERS c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 7


leading category for K of C donationsand voluntary service. Over the pastfour decades, the Order has raisedand donated more than $382 millionto such programs.

Yet, it’s the physical presencethat matters most of all, according toTimothy P. Shriver, chairman ofSpecial Olympics. “The Knights ofColumbus are right in there, rollingup their sleeves,” he said. “Themoney is important, but it meansvery little without the relationships.If we don’t have the person-to-personrelationships, we will fail.”

‘CHANGING LIVES TOGETHER’In 2005, nearly 25 percent of allcouncils and more than 55,000Knights in the United States andCanada reported volunteering withSpecial Olympics. That year saw thebeginning of a four-year (2005-2008)K of C partnership that committed$250,000 annually to grow SpecialOlympics in North America and

For a few moments, MattCarpenter literally disap-peared into the mountains

of Idaho. Suddenly he burst intosight, hurtling downward andshowcasing his ever-improvingskiing talent.

“I skied in the fog. It was 10to 15 degrees — very windy, verychilly. But I felt really happy,”recalled Carpenter, who compet-ed in three Alpine skiing eventsat the Special Olympics WorldWinter Games in Boise Feb. 6-13. He came away with two sil-ver medals and one bronze,despite hailing from a warm-weather climate and being only athree-year veteran of the slopes.

Back in central North Carolina,members of Dr. John Carr MonkCouncil 7259 in Newton Grove were

surely smiling at the news ofCarpenter’s success.

These Knights have gotten to knowthe 25-year-old athlete from nearbyClayton quite well. Council membersnot only support Special Olympics asvolunteers and donors, but also includeCarpenter and his fellow athletes intheir annual fund drive for people withintellectual disabilities.

Carpenter was born with a chro-mosomal defect known as Fragile XSyndrome, a genetic conditionmarked by intellectual disability andspeech difficulty. His mother, JillCarpenter, explained that while some“people don’t know how to act aroundthe athletes,” the Knights interactfreely with her son and his SpecialOlympics companions.

“They’re so kind and thought-ful,” she added.

Council 7259’s efforts typify themassive Orderwide support for pro-grams assisting people with intellec-tual and physical disabilities — the

Matt Carpenter (second from right) stands among medalists at theSpecial Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, last February.

In its partnership with Special Olympics, the Orderworks to change lives and uphold the dignity of all

BY M I K E L ATO N A

other parts of the world, while pledg-ing even more volunteers for stateand local games. Earlier this year, theK of C board of directors voted torenew the Order’s partnership overthe next four years.

Knights and their family mem-bers also serve as trainers, coaches,officials, timekeepers, huggers andcheerleaders. They provide uniforms,assist with transportation costs, andstage send-off and welcome-homeparties. Just a few of the recent exam-ples of this generosity include:

• Cardinal Bernardin Council12263 in Bluffton, S.C., providedmost of the volunteers for the SpecialOlympics regional track and fieldevent April 24 at Hilton Head HighSchool. According to council mem-ber Bill Jaillet, the Knights also ran aSpecial Olympics bowling tourna-ment that raised $5,000. The councilprovided numerous volunteers forbowling as well as a road-racefundraiser and Special Olympics ten-nis competition.

“Our brothers love helping theathletes. It gives you a special feelingto see a contestant with multiplehandicaps knock down some pins,hit a ball over the net or finish arace,” Jaillet said. “The look on theirface lights up the world, and theirhugs fill you with a knowledge thatGod loves all of us.”

• Also in South Carolina, Rev.Thomas Tierney Council 6884 inSeneca has assisted for 11 years atthe regional Special Olympics atClemson University — including a

competition April 24 — while alsodonating several thousand dollarstoward operational costs. Councilmembers Jack Concannon andDonald Ricken noted that Knightsprovide free lunch to all the athletes,volunteers and attendees.

Ricken added that the Knightswork closely with Special Olympicsathletes “to help them improve thequality of their lives, to help thembe a part of the community they livein and, most of all, to give thempride in what they are able toaccomplish.”

• In Texas, members of the TonyRangel Knights of ColumbusInsurance Agency in Houston havecooked and served lunch at theregional Special Olympics basketballtournament for the past 12 years.Agents, their families and Knightsfrom several area councils annuallyprovide hamburgers and hot dogs formore than 650 athletes, coaches andspectators.

• Seattle (Wash.) Council 676served up hot food and refreshmentsto participants in the state’s Special

Olympics Polar Plunge Jan. 31. TheKnights accommodated more than100 participants, who raised $15,000for Special Olympics.

• In southern Illinois, Tri-CitiesCouncil 1098 in Granite City recent-ly held its annual Special Olympicsdinner-dance. Knights served morethan 350 athletes and their guests.

“State and local council mem-bers can be found at virtually allevents providing medals, servingfood, helping with set-up and count-less other volunteer jobs,” said DougSnyder, director of Special OlympicsIllinois.

Snyder’s organization, with theassistance of the Illinois StateCouncil, has produced a poignant11-minute video, “Knights ofColumbus and Special Olympics:Changing Lives Together” that fea-tures Shriver and Supreme KnightCarl A. Anderson. The video wasreleased last year as part of SpecialOlympics’ 40th anniversary.

• And at the World Games inBoise earlier this year, Knights vol-unteered on the slopes and made asplash with their full regalia duringthe ceremonial torch run, whichinvolved Fourth Degree membersfrom eight cities.

“The Games were an incrediblesuccess, and there was a very obvi-ous Knights of Columbus presence,particularly at the torch run,” saidDistrict Master Chuck Davlin, whocoordinated the Knights’ involve-ment. “I was really pleased with ourparticipation.”

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 9

‘The Knights are right inthere, rolling up their

sleeves. If we don’t havethe person-to-person

relationships, we will fail.’

A Fourth Degree honor guard was present for the ceremonial torch run at the recent SpecialOlympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho. The Knights were invited to wear blue scarvesmade by people throughout the United States for Special Olympics athletes and volunteers.


LONGTIME SUPPORTThe K of C visibility extends back tothe very first International SpecialOlympics Summer Games, staged atChicago’s Soldier Field on July 20,1968. Numerous Knights assisted atthe inaugural event, which was con-ceived and executed by TimothyShriver’s parents, Eunice KennedyShriver and Robert Sargent Shriver,who is a member of Mater DeiCouncil 9774 in Rockville, Md.

The Shrivers launched SpecialOlympics based on their beliefthat the special-needs populationdeserved to be treated with dignityand not indifference, and thatthrough sports their abilities — nottheir disabilities — would take cen-ter stage. Timothy Shriver contend-ed that his parents’ efforts marked acomplete reversal of societal atti-tudes up to that point, acknowledg-ing that the Order took a risk bybeing involved.

“The Knights, they’ve neverbeen afraid,” he said.

Approximately 1,000 athletesfrom throughout the United Statesand Canada took part in the 1968Games. Since then, Special Olympicshas become a true global movement,with some 3 million male and femaleathletes in 180 countries competing

in more than 30 Olympic-typesports.

The World Games, which areheld every two years and alternatebetween summer and winter, com-prise one of the largest sportingevents in the world. The recentWinter Games in Boise drew close to3,000 participants from 100 coun-tries. The 2011 Summer Games willtake place in Athens, Greece.

This growth has occurredthanks in no small part to theKnights. In fact, Eunice KennedyShriver famously stated in 1987, “Idon’t think there’s any organizationin the country that has given somuch in personal help and in finan-cial support to Special Olympics.”

That year, the Order providednearly one-third of the 15,000 volun-teers for the International SpecialOlympics Summer Games at theUniversity of Notre Dame. TheOrder also made a $250,000 dona-tion, marking the first of severalmajor financial commitments forthe worldwide games.

In 1995, the Knights contributed$1 million to Special Olympics, as theWorld Summer Games were held inthe Order’s hometown of New Haven,Conn. Knights from across Connecti-cut and nearby states provided 7,000

volunteers as well as a number ofsocial and cultural events for competi-tors. More recently, in 2003, the Orderprovided $1 million to send TeamUSA, Team Canada and Team Mexicoto the Special Olympics WorldSummer Games in Ireland.

How have the Knights come tobelieve so strongly in this program?A simple eyewitness account of aSpecial Olympics event is usuallyall it takes. There, one quickly seesthe embodiment of the SpecialOlympics motto, “Let me win. Butif I cannot win, let me be brave inthe attempt.”

“The athletes are such a gift,”said Joe Jeronimo of St. JosephCouncil 6361 in Bowmanville, Ont.“They are a reminder of what we canaccomplish if we give it our best.They never seem to give up, despitetheir adversity. You watch them andyou should be inspired.”

Jeronimo’s council, along withtwo others from the area — St. JudeCouncil 6052 and St. GregoryCouncil 2671 — raised $15,000 lastyear in support of Special Olympicsthrough a longtime cable-televisionbingo game they operate to raisecharitable funds.

Sacred Heart Council 12537 inSouthport, N.C., regularly volun-teers during the Brunswick CountySpecial Olympics, which was heldApril 25. Mike Samide explainedthat Knights provide t-shirts andrefreshments to athletes, serve astimekeepers, and push wheelchair-race participants. He added that thecouncil expects to raise more than$30,000 this year for people withspecial needs.

Samide said he has witnessedsome athletes push themselves tothe limit. “There are some kids, ittakes them forever to get to the fin-ish line. But you know what? It does-n’t matter,” he explained. “They getto the [award] presentation line witheverybody else. They competed.”

He added that K of C manpoweris plentiful not only based on theOrder’s belief in the intrinsic valueof each human being, but alsobecause being with the participantsis simply a great time: “It’s fun towatch them. They compete againsteach other, but they support eachother so much. It’s a neat thing.”

Steve Goodwin (left), coordinator for Special Olympics in Brunswick County, N.C., presentssponsor plaques to Grand Knight Jack Dambaugh of Our Lady of the Rosary Council 9039 inShallotte and to Grand Knight Rich Chickillo of Sacred Heart Council 12537 in Southport.

ACHIEVING DREAMSAs happy as he is with the Knights’constant support of Special Olym-pics, Shriver contended that schooland governmental leaders have along way to go toward fully acceptingpeople with disabilities the way hisfamous family did in the late 1960s.“It’s still a challenge today,” he said.

Perhaps more people would geton board with Shriver’s cause if theyknew how significantly SpecialOlympics has changed the lives ofpeople like Matt Carpenter.

“Matt was so shy when he waslittle. He never wanted to have abirthday party because it wouldhave drawn attention to him. Thatis almost all gone now,” JillCarpenter said. “He’s got a lot ofconfidence. … He has tried so manysports and stuck with them.”

Matt began competing in SpecialOlympics after moving with hisfamily from New Jersey to NorthCarolina in 2001. Among hisfavorite activities are basketball,

bowling, golf, tennis, volleyball, andtrack and field.

“I like doing everything I can do.I work very hard for it,” Matt said,adding that his current goal is “toget better at golf.”

He has also made importantsocial connections through SpecialOlympics, saying, “I know all thesegreat athletes and play all thesegreat games.” That was especiallytrue in Idaho, where his best memo-ries are of “all the great fans and allthe cowbells ringing.”

Carpenter’s proud family waspart of that appreciative crowd.Though the day was foggy, it wasvery clear to Jill how important his

medal-winning accomplishmentswere, especially based on the fever-ish work he put in to master the dif-ficult sport of skiing.

“He would fall, and fall, and fall,and fall. Only through his owndetermination did he say ‘I am goingto do this.’ I just think of how muchcourage he needed to do that,” shesaid. “I really didn’t know he wascapable of all that. If you have chil-dren with disabilities you have somany aspirations for them, and thenyou learn to adjust your expecta-tions. And then, when they gobeyond that, it’s like a dam broke.

“It was just joyous to watch himcome down that mountain.” n

Mike Latona, a staff writer for the CatholicCourier in the Diocese of Rochester, is a memberof Our Lady of the Cenacle Council 3892 inGreece, N.Y. He is currently co-authoring a booktitled J-Mac’s Miracle, about the autistic highschool basketball team manager who famouslyscored 20 points at the end of a game in 2006.

‘Let me win. But if Icannot win, let me bebrave in the attempt.’

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 11

The Knights of Columbus Olympic Town was a place of relaxation and fun for thethousands of athletes who participated in the 1995 Special Olympics World Games,hosted in New Haven,Conn. More than 7,000 Knights and their families in Connecticutand surrounding states volunteered to make the World Games a success.

A t the moment a man becomes a father, he standsbefore the greatest of mysteries: life itself. Hemay feel the immense honor of the role he is to

play for his child, yet he cannot help but recognizeGod’s role. A father knows that he is not the ultimatesource of his child’s life, but that there exists agreater source, a heavenly Father.

Pope John Paul II reminded us that human fathersare called to reflect on thefatherhood of God. This is atall order, a supernatural voca-tion. After all, we are mere nat-ural fathers, and we enterfatherhood with a mixed bag ofvirtues and vices. We are calledto serve our children with theirphysical and spiritual needs,and to be a source of stabilityand peace for our families. Weare tested often, and we don’talways measure up to God’sstandard of fatherhood.

My test began the night myson was born. He was broughtinto the neonatal intensivecare unit and doctors informedmy wife and me that our sonhad Down syndrome. I wasdevastated; I had no answers to the uncertaintiesrunning through my mind. As a new father, I wantedto help my son and comfort my wife, but didn’t knowhow. Yet over the past 15 months of fatherhood, Ihave experienced several gifts through which Godthe Father supports human fathers in their earthlymission.

In facing the challenges of my son’s diagnosis,such as his heart defect and his developmental delays,I quickly discovered that I could not carry my fami-ly’s burdens alone. I learned to put my trust in theLord, bringing my family’s needs to Christ throughfamily prayer and the sacraments, especially theEucharist. In praying together, my wife and I foundthe courage to move to a new town where our sonwould receive quality services to help him develop.

In addition, I discovered that a father can drawstrength from his own father, from fellow fathers inthe community and from all fathers who are unitedin the communion of saints. Although I have some-

times struggled because my son’s disability meansthat he will not reach common milestones as quick-ly as his peers, I have been encouraged by the lovethat my own father gave me. And I have been movedby the example of other fathers of children with dis-abilities whose patience and perseverance with theirchildren have helped me face my family’s own chal-lenges. I have seen that all father-son relationships

are unique and that there is noend to the ways in which afather can love his son.

Finally, I have sought tocultivate my son’s personalityto prepare him to become aloving and valuable member ofsociety. John Paul II once notedthat a man learns his father-hood through his wife’s moth-erhood. Witnessing my wife’sdedication to caring for myson’s physical and develop-mental needs, I have beentaught how to recognize myson’s special gifts.

Having a son with a disabil-ity brings its own particular tri-als, as well as its own gifts andjoys. In bringing my son’s spe-

cial needs to God, in relying on the witness and sup-port of other men, and in learning from my wife’smotherhood, I have discovered that I have beenentrusted with a truly special blessing. My son is apowerful witness to God’s love and to the immeasur-able wealth of all human life. Seeing my familythrough numerous challenges has led me to recog-nize the many gifts God provides to fathers tostrengthen their vocation.

My many worries about caring for my son’shealth and development are put in perspective whenI recall that he, like all of us, is loved by God and isdestined for eternal life. This gives me the hope tolive out my fatherly vocation with the trust that Godwill not abandon fathers in their mission. n

Neil Sloan is pursuing advanced theological studies at The CatholicUniversity of America and is a member of Father Joseph O’ConnellCouncil 3481 in Oceanside, N.Y.

Special Challenges, Special GiftsBY N E I L S LOA N

FATHERS FOR GOOD www.fathersforgood.org


Neil and Melissa Sloan,and their son Eddie, live in Silver Spring,Md.

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 13

Don Witt proudly wears hislate father’s Knights ofColumbus ring to all his

council meetings in Fairmont,Minn. While Witt’s membership inFairmont Council 1575 may notseem unusual, Witt is intellectuallydisabled and had lived for manyyears in institutions and large groupfacilities that kept him isolated frommainstream community life.

When he moved to a small grouphome in Fairmont, Witt was offeredmore opportunities to becomeinvolved in the community. Heenjoyed attending Mass and volun-teering at church events. When staffmet with him to discuss how hewanted to expand his communityparticipation, Witt expressed hisinterest in joining the Knights.

LeeAnn Erickson, who was work-ing to increase community member-ship for people with disabilities inFairmont, asked one of the localKnights about having Witt join thecouncil. Witt was thrilled to learnthat he could become a member.That was 12 years ago. Since then,Witt has regularly attended councilmeetings, helped out with activitiesand participated in social events.

George Gagnon, a member ofFairview (Mass.) Council 4044 formore than 20 years, has asimilar story. LikeErickson, Karlene Sheawas helping people withintellectual disabilitiesbecome involved in com-munity groups andorganizations. When sheasked Gagnon what he liked to do, heinitially replied that he enjoyed help-ing out at bingo and that he hadalways wanted to march in a parade.

To this day, in addition to compet-ing in the Knights’ bowling league andparticipating in many council events,Gagnon helps with bingo each week athis council hall. And each St. Patrick’s

Day, Gagnon takes hisplace alongside hisbrother Knights tomarch in the annualparade.

Joining the Orderhas made a dramaticdifference in the livesof Don Witt andGeorge Gagnon. Bothappreciate being val-ued members of theirlocal councils, andtheir volunteer workprovides a meaning-ful contribution tothe community as awhole. Witt and Gagnon’s brotherKnights agree that they “get backway more than they put in” in termsof the effort needed to support thetwo men.

Although many Knights lend ahand to the men when needed, partic-ularly to help transport them tomeetings, they report that this is notvery different from the type of assis-tance they would give to any Knight.Knights also maintain ongoing com-munication with support staff forWitt and Gagnon in case any ques-tions or concerns arise.

Membership in the Knights alsosupplies a network of friends and

acquaintances beyondthe human services sys-tem. Perhaps one of themost important benefitshas been the breakingdown of stereotypes. OneKnight explained thatbefore getting to know

Gagnon, he felt uncomfortablearound people with disabilities. Now,he says, “I will never cross the streetagain when I see somebody with adisability, because George taught methere are no differences in people,only differences in ability.”

Past Grand Knight MichaelO’Rourke of Council 1575 said that

Men with intellectual disabilities benefit from membership in the OrderBY A N G E L A N OVA K A M A D O A N D PA M WA L K E R

Witt’s gift of communication is ablessing “even when I don’t have timeto talk, when I’m preparing for themeeting.” O’Rourke added that mak-ing time to talk with Witt is a goodreminder of living the Knights’ values.

In their respective communities,Witt and Gagnon greet other Knightsaround town and receive invitationsto social events. Rather than beingseen as “special” or “different,”brother Knights see Witt and Gagnonas equal, regular members of thecouncil. As one Knight commented,“Don is just another guy; he’s a KC.”

As increasing numbers of peoplewith disabilities move from separatefacilities into the community, theyseek ways to form relationships andmake a contribution to society. Andas Don Witt and George Gagnondemonstrate, inclusion of peoplewith disabilities in the Knights ofColumbus and other communitygroups provides a highly positive andmutually beneficial experience. n

Angela Novak Amado,Ph.D.,works at the Instituteon Community Integration at the University ofMinnesota and conducts training internationallyregarding inclusive communities for people withintellectual disabilities. Pam Walker, Ph.D., worksat the Center on Human Policy at SyracuseUniversity and has written extensively about pro-grams for people with intellectual disabilities.

Don Witt, Bob Stegar and Red Holland (l to r), members ofFairmont (Minn.) Council 1575, display awards their council hasearned through their fraternal and charitable activities.

‘Don is justanother guy;he’s a KC.’

Welcoming Brother Knights

Congressman Henry J. Hyde (1924-2007), a member of Father McDonaldCouncil 1911 in Elmhurst, Ill., spenthis long political career as a dedicat-ed defender of human life. A Knightsince 1952, he faithfully served in theU.S. House of Representatives for32 years. The Hyde Amendment,barring the use of federal funds to payfor abortions, was first adopted in1976 and is considered one of themost important pro-life statutes everenacted by Congress.

Among Hyde’s most notableaddresses to his fellow congressmenis the following speech, deliveredSept. 19, 1996, during a debate tooverturn President Bill Clinton’s vetoof the Partial Birth Abortion BanAct. This and many other of Hyde’saddresses are collected in the bookCatch the Burning Flag: Speeches andRandom Observations (NationalReview, 2008). It is available for$22.95 (including shipping) only fromnationalreview.com/hyde.

In the classic Russian novel,Crime and Punishment, [Fyodor]Dostoyevsky has his murderous

protagonist Raskolnikov complainthat “Man can get used to anything,the beast!” The fact that we are evendebating this issue — that we have toargue about the legality of an abor-tionist’s plunging a pair of scissorsinto the back of a child’s neck whosetrunk, arms and legs have alreadybeen born, and then suctioning outhis brains — only confirms Dostoy-evsky’s harsh truth. We were told inthe Judiciary Committee by a nursein attendance during a partial-birthabortion that the little arms and legsstop flailing and suddenly stiffen asthe scissors is plunged in. The peoplewho like to say, “I feel your pain,”can’t be referring to that little infant.

What kind of people have webecome that this “procedure” is evena matter for discussion? Can’t we

draw the line at tor-ture? And if we can’t,what has become ofus? We are incensedat ethnic cleansing inthe Balkans. How,then, can we tolerateinfant cleansing hereat home?

There is no argu-ment here aboutwhen a human lifebegins. The child whois destroyed is unmis-takably alive, unmis-takably human andunmistakably, brutal-ly killed.

I have finally fig-ured out why support-ers of abortion ondemand fight this infanticide bantooth and claw. It is because, for thefirst time since Roe v. Wade, thefocus of the debate is squarely on thebaby and the harm that abortioninflicts on the unborn child — or, inthis case, a child who is four-fifthsborn. That child, whom the advo-cates of abortion have done every-thing in their power to dehumanize,is as much the bearer of human rightsas any member of this House. Todeny those rights is more than thebetrayal of a powerless individualwhom some find burdensome. It is tobetray the central promise ofAmerica: that there is, in this land,justice for all. That is why advocatesof abortion on demand, havingdetached themselves from any sym-pathy for the unborn child, have alsoseparated themselves from theinstinct for justice that gave birth toour country.

President Clinton, reacting angrilyto Congress’ challenge to his veto ofthe partial-birth ban, claimed not tounderstand the morality of our posi-tion. He asserts a morality of “com-passion” for those who engage in a

Rep. Henry J. Hyde, the late Congressman and Knight, on the defense of human life

‘Justice for All’


practice that Senator[Daniel P.] Moynihancalled indistinguish-able from infanticide.Not that it will reallymatter to Mr. Clinton,but let me explain thatthere is no moral ormedical justificationfor this barbaric assaulton a partially borninfant. Dr. PamelaSmith, director of med-ical education in theDepartment of Obste-trics and Gynecologyat Chicago’s Mt. SinaiHospital, testified tothat.

Quite a different“doctor,” the abor-

tionist who is the principal perpetra-tor of these atrocities, MartinHaskell, has conceded that at least80 percent of the partial-birth abor-tions he performs are entirely elec-tive, and he admits to more than1,000 of them.

We have been told about someextreme cases of malformed babies,as though life is only for the privi-leged, the planned and the perfect.But Dr. James McMahon cited ninesuch abortions simply because thechild had a cleft lip.

Other physicians have made itclear that this procedure is never amedical necessity, but merely a“convenience” for those whochoose to abort late in pregnancy,when it becomes physically difficultto dismember the unborn child inthe womb.

The President’s claim that hewants to “solve a problem” by addinga “health” exception to the legisla-tion is spurious. As anyone who hasspent 10 minutes studying currentfederal law understands — and Iknow that includes Mr. Clinton —any “health” exceptions are so broad-

A collection of Rep. Henry Hyde’sspeeches, including the one fea-tured here, was publishedposthumously in 2008.

ly construed by the courts as to makea ban meaningless.

There is one consistent commit-ment that has survived the twists andturns of policy during this adminis-tration, and that is its unshakablecommitment to a legal regime ofabortion on demand. Nothing is, orwill be, done to make abortion“rare.” No legislation or regulatoryact will be allowed to impede themost permissive abortion license inthe democratic world. Mr. Clintonwould do us all a favor, and make amodest contribution to the health ofthe democratic process, if he wouldsimply concede the obvious and spareus further exhibitions of his manufac-tured grief.

In one of his memoirs, Dwight D.Eisenhower, writing about the deathtoll in World War II, said, “The loss oflives that might have otherwise beencreatively lived scars the mind of thecivilized world.” Our souls have beenscarred by more than 1 million abor-tions in this country every year. Oursouls have so much scar tissue thatthere isn’t room for any more. Whatdo we mean by “human dignity” ifwe subject innocent children to bru-tal execution when they are almostdelivered? We all hope and pray for“death with dignity,” but what is dig-nified about death by scissors stabbedinto your neck so your brains can besuctioned out? We have had long andbitter debates in Congress about“assault weapons.” Those scissorsand that suction machine are assaultweapons worse than any AK-47. Youmight miss with an AK-47; the abor-tionist never misses.

It isn’t just the babies who aredying for the lethal sin of beingunwanted. We are dying, not fromthe darkness, but from the cold: thecoldness of self-brutalization thatchills our sensibilities and allows usto claim this unspeakable act is anact of “compassion.” If you vote touphold the President’s veto, if youvote to maintain the legality of a“procedure” that is revolting to eventhe most hardened heart, then pleasedo not use the word “compassion”ever again.

I am not in the least embarrassedto say that I believe we will one dayeach be called upon to render anaccount for what we have done, and

what we have failed to do, in our life-times. And while I believe in a merci-ful God, I would be terrified at thethought of having to explain, at thefinal judgment, why I stood unmovedwhile Herod’s slaughter of the inno-cents was being reenacted here in myown country.

This debate has been about anunspeakable horror. And while thedetails are graphic and grisly, it hasbeen, I think, helpful for all of us, andfor our country, to recognize the fullbrutality of what goes on inAmerica’s abortuaries, day in and dayout, week after week, month aftermonth, year after year. We are nottalking about abstractions here. Weare talking about life and death attheir most elemental. And we oughtto face the truth of what we oppose orsupport, stripped of all euphemisms.

We have talked so much aboutthe grotesque. Permit me a wordabout beauty. We all have our ownimages of the beautiful: the face of aloved one, a dawn, a sunset, theevening star. I believe that nothing inthis world of wonders is more beauti-ful than the innocence of a child. Do

you know what a child is? He or sheis an opportunity for love; and a childwith disabilities is an even greateropportunity for love.

We risk our souls — we risk ourhumanity — when we trifle withthat innocence or demean it or bru-talize it. We need more caring andless killing. Let the innocence of theunborn have the last word in thisdebate. Let their innocence appeal towhat President Lincoln called “thebetter angels of our nature.” ProveRaskolnikov wrong. Declare thatpartial-birth abortion is somethingwe will never get used to. Make itclear, once again, that there is justicefor all — even the most defenselessin this land.

Although House members narrowlyvoted to overturn the veto the dayafter this speech was delivered, theSenate failed to achieve the neces-sary two-thirds majority. The billwas again passed and vetoed in 1997,with the same result. Eventually, abill banning partial-birth abortionwas signed into law by PresidentGeorge W. Bush in 2003, but threeU.S. District judges immediatelystruck it down as unconstitutional.Finally, on April 18, 2007, the U.S.Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling,reversed the lower courts’ decisionsand upheld the ban.

Henry Hyde received the Presi-dential Medal of Freedom, thenation’s highest civilian honor, onNov. 5, 2007. He died Nov. 29 of thesame year, following complicationsfrom open heart surgery. n

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 15TEXT: COPYRIGHT © 2008 NATIONAL REVIEW, INC., FROM THE BOOK CATCH THE BURNING FLAG BY HENRY J. HYDE. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSIONABOVE: AP PHOTO/JOE MARQUETTE

We risk our souls —we risk our humanity —when we trifle with that

innocence or demeanit or brutalize it.

During his 32 years in the U.S.House of Representatives, Henry J.Hyde (1924-2007) was known asan eloquent and ardent defenderof human life.

The Year of St. Paul isdrawing to a close.Special envoys appoint-

ed by Pope Benedict XVI willcelebrate closing ceremonies atPauline sites throughout theworld on June 29, the feast ofSts. Peter and Paul. One truststhat during this past year,which has marked the 2,000-year anniversary of Paul’sbirth, more people have cometo know and appreciate thegreatness of Paul and hisimportance to Christians who

are serious about deepeningtheir faith. As this specialjubilee year ends, and the Yearof the Priest begins, let us verybriefly consider the magnani-mous personality of St. Paul,the great Apostle to theGentiles to whom Christianityowes an enormous debt.

First, we observe that St. Paulwas a highly effective evangelist.Any number of Christian communi-ties in Greece and the Near Eastowe their origin to him, eventhough by his own admission hewas not an especially dynamic

speaker. Although focused on thepeople of his time, Paul’s theologicalreflections and ideas resonate to thisday. Paul was remarkable for therichness of his life and thought; themind that crafted his sparklinginsights was surely not sluggish ordull.

Paul was unique in other ways aswell. He had an intense and capti-vating personality. He could alsomake an honest, unflinching assess-ment of himself: “The good thing Iwant to do I never do, the evil thingwhich I do not want — that is whatI do” (Rom 7:19).

In addition, Paul was the firstNew Testament author to put into


A Portraitof Paul

Throughout the Pauline year, the Church has celebratedthe person and teachings of the Apostle to the Gentiles

BY M S G R . JA M E S C . T U R R O

A statue of St.Paul stands outside the Basilicaof St. Paul Outside the Walls, located at thesite of Paul’s burial in Rome.

writing the thrust and mean-ing of Jesus’ mission. He wasthe first to write about bap-tism and Eucharist as sacra-ments. In short, he was thefirst to give us a theology, asystematic, in-depth explana-tion of our faith. Subsequenttheologians built on thefoundations that Paul laid.

As a general rule, Paulwas also very decisive. Whenreports of a scandal inCorinth reached him, he wasquick to write and make hisposition clear. He felt thatfirm action should be takenagainst the offender and saidas much. He could bepainfully direct if he thoughtthe situation warranted it.Consider, for instance, Paul’scastigation of the “stupid”Galatians for letting them-selves be led astray by theJudaizers (Gal 3:1).

One reason why Paulcould communicate so effec-tively with so many was thathe possessed an uncommonstrength of will. He was noteasily diverted from the roadhe felt he needed to travel.Chapter 17 of the Acts of theApostles recounts his narrowescape from mob violence inThessalonica. Fortunately, the localChristians succeeded in hiding himand then spiriting him away underthe cover of darkness. As soon as hearrived at his next stop — Beroea —Paul set about evangelizing as ifnothing had happened.

Paul was nothing if not adapt-able. He wrote to the Philippians, “Ihave learned to manage with what-ever I have. … In every way now Ihave mastered the secret of all con-ditions: full stomach and emptystomach, plenty and poverty. There

is nothing I cannot do in the Onewho strengthens me” (Phil 4:11-13).Likewise, the ultimate statement ofPaul’s adaptability is found in hisfirst letter to the Corinthians: “Sothough I was not a slave to anyhuman being, I put myself in slaveryto all people, to win as many as Icould” (1 Cor 9:19).

Finally, there is much evidencethat Paul’s people genuinely lovedhim, despite his occasional severitywith them. For example, Paul notedthat the Galatians would haveplucked out their very eyes and giventhem to him (see Gal 4:15). The veryfact that his letters have been pre-served tends to show a measure ofadmiration. Clement of Rome, writ-ing at the end of the first century,acknowledges Paul and Peter as thegreatest athletes of the faith. And theActs of the Apostles reports that theChristians in Miletus broke into tearsat the thought that they might notsee him again (see Acts 20:37-38).

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 17TOP LEFT: CNS PHOTO BY PAUL HARINGABOVE: SAINT PAUL RECEIVED INTO HEAVEN, LUIGI GARZI (1638-1721), KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MUSEUM

The personal greatness of Pauland the magnitude of his achieve-ment are of such dimensions that nosingle book or article can do justiceto the man and his work. In thewake of the various initiatives andecumenical celebrations that havemarked this Pauline year, theChurch will not cease to studyPaul’s teachings or strive to imitatehis apostolic zeal. The story of Paulthat culminated in his martyrdomat Rome, during the reign of theemperor Nero, is one of the greatironies of history. It has beenshrewdly observed that, at thattime, Nero’s fame was worldwideand Paul was a relative unknown,yet “the day would come when peo-ple would call their children Pauland their dogs Nero.” n

Msgr. James C. Turro is a Scripture scholar whofor more than 50 years has taught at numerousseminaries in the United States. He is a memberof Trinity Council 747 in Hackensack, N.J.

Although focused onthe people of his time,

Paul’s theologicalreflections and ideasresonate to this day.

St. Paul, traditionally depicted with asword and a Bible, is shown here beingreceived into heaven.

Greg Kremer was aself-described luke-warm Catholic who

loved the great outdoors.Searching for answers to hisdeepest spiritual questions,he picked up an audiobookcalled Private Prayers:Mountaineers of the Spiritbecause he had a gift certifi-cate to use and happened tolike the title.

“Little did I know it was a bookof prayers and talks by Pope JohnPaul II directed to the promotion ofsecular institutes as part of his callfor a ‘new evangelization,’”Kremer recalled. “That book notonly opened up a new vocationalpossibility for me, it left my heart onfire and yearning for this close con-nection with Christ and humanity.”

Kremer’s search eventuallybrought him to the secular instituteVoluntas Dei in 2004, where he foundjoy, peace and a means to live theconsecrated life within his secularprofession as an associate professor ofengineering at Ohio University.

“Once I saw the Institute’s com-mitment to imitating ‘the Virgin ofthe Annunciation’ and doing the willof God, I was convinced that this wasthe way God wanted me to live outmy vocation,” Kremer said.

Teresa Monaghen had a similarexperience in the 1970s, when afterchecking out a number of young-adultgroups in southern California, shewas introduced to something calledthe Pro-Sanctity Movement.

“I learned of its mission of pro-moting the universal call to holiness,”she recalled. “I fell in love with Jesus

and fell in love with the mission ofthis movement.”

Within the Pro-Sanctity Move-ment is a secular institute, theApostolic Oblates, and it was therethat Monaghen finally found hervocation. “The Lord called me,” shesaid. “I followed.” Today, 33 yearslater, she serves as national directorfor both organizations.

ANSWERING GOD’S CALLAlthough not well understood in theChurch today, a secular institute is aform of consecrated life by which laymen and women can respond to theuniversal call to holiness that is theirsby virtue of baptism.

“It seems that this is a vocationyet to be discovered in the Church,”said Father George Hazler, a memberof Voluntas Dei and president of theU.S. Conference of Secular Institutes.

Members of secular institutes livethe evangelical counsels of poverty,

Consecrated men and women in secular professionsinfluence the world quietly from ‘within’

BY G E R A L D KO R S O N

Secular Institutes:Leaven to the World


chastity and obedience while pursu-ing their ordinary professional careers.Their apostolate, said Father Hazler,“is to influence the world quietlyfrom ‘within’ — as stated in CanonLaw and quoted by several popes —‘as leaven in the dough.’”

The canonical form of the secularinstitute was established by PopePius XII in his 1947 apostolic consti-tution Provida Mater Ecclesia. It wasrefined in later documents, affirmedby the Second Vatican Council andenshrined in the 1983 Code of Canon

Law. Its roots, however,date back much further.

Four hundred yearsago, St. Francis de Saleswrote Introduction to theDevout Life for laymenand women who wantedto seek holiness in theirordinary lives and occu-pations. Likewise, St.Angela Merici (1474–1540) envisioned thatwomen could practicethe evangelical counselswhile carrying on anapostolate in the secularworld, without formallyliving in a religiouscommunity.

During the FrenchRevolution, Jesuit FatherPierre-Joseph Picot de

Clorivière founded societies muchlike today’s secular institutes to avoidthe notice of France’s anti-religionstatutes. Many similar associationswere founded beginning in the 19thcentury, particularly in Italy andGermany.

Today, some 60,000 Catholicsbelong to more than 200 secular insti-tutes worldwide, about 30 of whichare active in the United States. Eachhas its own charism and spiritualitydirected toward personal holiness andthe sanctification of others. More thanthree-fourths of all secular institutesare for laywomen only; some areexclusively for laymen or diocesanclergy; some include all three. A fewwelcome married couples, who do notembrace celibacy but rather live theirmatrimonial vows to give greater gloryto God and witness to the true mean-ing of faithful love. Members usuallygo through a discernment and forma-tion process that lasts three to five

Teresa Monaghen (right), director of the Apostolic Oblates secularinstitute, leads Camp Fun and Faith for Girls on a 20-acre farm inElkorn, Neb.

years before their first commitment tothe institute.

A secular institute normallyevolves from a “public association ofthe faithful,” or “pious union,” whichhas approval from a local bishop.Once the association is well estab-lished, the bishop may elevate it tothe status of a “secular institute ofdiocesan right.” Finally, as it growsnationally and internationally, theVatican Congregation for Institutes ofConsecrated Life and Societies ofApostolic Life may decree it to be a“secular institute of pontifical right.”

LIVING THE WITNESSThose who have found their voca-tion in a secular institute find it pro-vides an ideal connection betweentheir chosen profession and theirinterior lives.

Monaghen describes her life as amember of a secular institute as“very active and deeply prayerful.”Monaghen founded and directs CampFun and Faith for Girls, a 20-acrefarm in Elkorn, Neb., and offersretreats, spiritual direction and parishmissions for adults, consecrated andclergy across the country. She evenhas a regular show on a local Catholicradio station.

“It is the joy of my life,”Monaghen said of her consecratedcommitment. “In 33 years, I havehad good times and bad, but I knewand still know that this is where theLord called me.”

Kremer, the engineering professor,believes teaching and administrationare the charisms God has given him.He extends those gifts throughout hisparish and diocese as a catechist,youth minister and chairman of adiocesan catechetical planning team.He also introduces his mechanical-engineering students to service proj-ects that include designing assistivetechnology devices for people with

disabilities, developing sustainableand bio-friendly energy sources, andimproving water quality for a villagein Ghana.

“The real power of a vocation to asecular institute is the way the voca-tion is made manifest in the secularworld and in our daily occupations,”Kremer said.

According to Father Hazler, allCatholics can find inspiration in theapostolate of those in secular insti-tutes, even if they do not feel called tothe consecrated life themselves.

A member of St. John Council11281 in Naples, Fla., Father Hazler

believes the mission of the Knights ofColumbus bears a certain resem-blance to that of secular institutes.

“A Knight of Columbus is some-one who has already made a com-mitment to bring the love of Christinto the world in a very specialway,” he said. “Knights have thepotential to be incredible role mod-els in our society.”

Father Hazler added, “I think weall need to ask ourselves the ques-tion: ‘Is the life I live believable, cred-ible in today’s world?’” n

Gerald Korson writes from Fort Wayne, Ind.

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 19ABOVE: PHOTO BY RICK FATICA

Greg Kremer,an engineering professor at Ohio University and a member of the Voluntas Dei Institute,talks with a student as they make adjustments to an electric race car. Members of secular institutesare consecrated persons who live their vocation in the world and through their professional activities.

Consecrated, but not religious

Since their members undergo a periodof formation, profess the evangelical

counsels and sometimes includeordained clergy, secular institutes areoften confused with traditional religiousinstitutes of priests, sisters and brothers.While some characteristics are commonto both, secular institutes are distinct bydesign. Here are some of the key charac-teristics that distinguish secular insti-tutes from religious institutes:• Members share a commitment andspirituality, but do not have a commoninstitutional apostolate.• Members do not wear a habit and gen-erally do not live in community; theyusually live alone or with their familiesand are self-supporting. They gather onoccasion for days of recollection andretreats.

• Whereas religious life involves a degreeof separation from the world, membersof secular institutes are fully immersedin the world.• Members make private vows or prom-ises rather than public vows.

Reforms in some religious orders andcongregations over the past fewdecades have blurred some of the abovedistinctions, and some religious insti-tutes have even sought to convert them-selves into secular institutes. It is impor-tant to note that while secular institutesare not expressions of “religious life,”both religious and secular institutescome under the umbrella of “consecrat-ed life,” as clarified by the SecondVatican Council’s decree on the adapta-tion and renewal of religious life(Perfectae Caritatis).

Visit www.secularinstitutes.org formore information.

A secular institute is a

form of consecrated life

by which lay men and

women can respond to the

universal call to holiness.

For Jesuit Father EusebioFrancisco Kino — a well-known missionary in

Arizona some 300 years ago —serving Christ was more thansimply bringing souls to thefaith. Along with the Gospel, hetaught the indigenous peopleabout livestock and basic farm-ing. His ability as a rancher ledsome to later refer to Father Kinoas the “first cowboy.”

While the setting haschanged drastically over the pastthree centuries, the mission ofthe Church in Arizona remainsthe same. And it would be achallenge to find a better embod-iment of Father Kino’s spiritthan the 14,400 Knights ofColumbus serving the state.

When thousands of Knights andtheir families converge in PhoenixAug. 4-6 for the 127th SupremeConvention, which will be followedby the first International MarianCongress (see page 23), they will finda sampling of the cultural influencesthat have guided the budding Churchthere. And their Arizona hosts willensure that visitors get a taste of whatit was like during Father Kino’s time.

EXPLORING ARIZONA“We’re following a rich Catholic her-itage that began with the establish-ment of the missions, like San Xavierde Bac and Tumacácori,” explainedSupreme Master Lawrence G.Costanzo, who served as state deputyof Arizona from 1999 to 2001.

San Xavier de Bac Mission, “theWhite Dove of the Desert,” will be thedestination of one of the conventiontours. The mission, originally foundedby Father Kino in 1699, is a beacon in

the Santa Cruz Valley, nine milessouth of Tucson. The Franciscansbuilt the present church in the late18th century and still serve the com-munity there today.

“[Attendees] will be able to seesome of the missions established byFather Kino, walk around and expe-rience what life was like during thattime,” said Past State DeputyMichael H. Kingman (2005-07).

On the same tour, visitors willenjoy galleries, shopping and diningin Tubac, Arizona’s oldest Europeansettlement. Guests can also learnmore about the region’s NativeAmerican history at the HeardMuseum, which is well known forits artifacts and fine art, includingbaskets, jewelry, pottery and tex-tiles. The Church in Arizona contin-ues to be influenced by these roots,supporting missions throughout thestate that serve Native Americancommunities.


Thousands prepare to gather for the 127th Supreme Convention in Phoenix, wherethey will enjoy a picturesque landscape and the hospitality of a flourishing Church

BY J. D. LO N G - G A R C Í A

“We’ll also have tours to theGrand Canyon,” Costanzo said. “Formany people, that will be a once-in a-lifetime opportunity.”

One of the Seven NaturalWonders of the World, the GrandCanyon is an awe-inspiring place thatfrustrates photographers — picturesnever do it justice.

The same can be said of Sedona’sRed Rocks Country, another tourlocation. The cliff faces are canvasesfor God’s brushstrokes, and the mono-liths’ nicknames — “coffeepot,”

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 21PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM

‘The annual conventionis a way for brother

Knights throughout theworld to come together.’

THE 127th SUPREME CONVENTION PROGRAMJW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort

PHOENIX, ARIZONA • AUGUST 4-6, 2009

FRIDAY, JULY 31Noon – 8 p.m. Arizona State Council Registration, Ticket Sales

and Tour Information

SATURDAY, AUG. 16 a.m. – 8 p.m. Arizona State Council Registration, Ticket Sales

and Tour Information

SUNDAY, AUG. 26 a.m. – 8 p.m. Arizona State Council Registration, Ticket Sales

and Tour Information 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Adoration Chapel 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Official Registration of Delegates,

Supreme Secretary’s Office

MONDAY, AUG. 36 a.m. – 8 p.m. Arizona State Council Registration, Ticket Sales

and Tour Information 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Official Registration of Delegates,

Supreme Secretary’s Office9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Adoration Chapel 10:30 a.m. – Noon Membership Seminar7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Souvenir Exchange 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. Arizona State Council Welcome Party

TUESDAY, AUG. 47 a.m. – 9 a.m., Arizona State Council Registration, Ticket Sales Noon – 8 p.m. and Tour Information

8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Official Registration of Delegates,Supreme Secretary’s Office

9:30 a.m. Concelebrated Opening Mass 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Adoration Chapel 1 p.m. Opening Business Session

(Open session, families invited)7:30 p.m. States Dinner

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5 7 a.m. – Noon Arizona State Council Registration, Ticket Sales

and Tour Information 8 a.m. Concelebrated Mass 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Adoration Chapel 10:30 a.m. Business Session 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Arizona State Council Ladies Luncheon 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Awards Session (Open session, families invited)

THURSDAY, AUG. 68 a.m. Annual Memorial Mass 10 a.m. – closing Final Business Session

Event locations will be posted on the in-house informational systems.

Red Rocks Country looms overthe Sedona landscape outsideof Phoenix.

“cathedral” and “thunder mountain”— fail to capture the indescribablemajesty that can only be witnessed inperson.

“A lot of people think Arizona isone big desert,” Costanzo said. “Theyall know it’s hot, but they don’t real-ize we have four seasons and snow-balls and that sort of thing. We wantto give them an opportunity to checkit all out.”

Convention guests will also get achance to shop southwest-style inScottsdale, take in the sun at a nearbywater park and learn about spaceexploration at the Challenger SpaceCenter.

“We have these tours to help ourbrothers and sisters in Christ reallyexperience the warmth of Arizona,”said State Deputy Stanley J. Schroeder.“If you look at what we have here,you’ll realize we have a rich back-ground for our Catholic faith.”

A THRIVING COMMUNITYThe Church in Arizona is growingrapidly. Membership in the Knights ofColumbus has also increased steadilyover the past 10 years, and councilsare present in 83 percent of parishes.

“Coming up from Mexico withFather Kino and the missionaries, theChurch continues to grow today,”Schroeder said.

Part of that growth can be attrib-uted to the influx of Catholic immi-grants.

“We’re getting people from theFilipino community, the Korean andPolish communities, as well as theHispanic community,” Costanzoexplained. “When people find outwhat we do, they join us.”

Indeed, the Knights in Arizona arecarrying on the Order’s mission,which Father Michael J. McGivneyfounded in part to serve the Catholicimmigrants of his time.

“The annual convention is a wayfor brother Knights, the leaders of allthe different jurisdictions throughoutthe world, to come together,”Schroeder said. “We’re expressing itall. It’s fraternity. It’s brotherhood.We’re coming together to celebratethe Catholic faith.” n

J.D. Long-García is the managing editor of TheCatholic Sun, the newspaper of the Diocese ofPhoenix.

Above: Mexico is one of Arizona’s most significant cultural partners, and Mission-stylearchitecture can be found throughout Greater Phoenix. Below: Saint Mary’s Basilica, foundedin 1881, is the oldest Catholic church in the Phoenix area. It was designated a basilica in 1985by Pope John Paul II, who visited Phoenix and Saint Mary’s in 1987.


c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 23TOP LEFT: BABE SARVERBOTTOM LEFT: DOWNTOWN PHOENIX PARTNERSHIP

The Knights of Columbus will hold itsFirst International Marian Congress onOur Lady of Guadalupe Aug. 6-8,

immediately following the 127th SupremeConvention in Phoenix.

The Congress will conclude with aGuadalupe Festival at the Jobing.com ArenaAug. 8. More than 15,000 attendees are expect-ed from throughout the Southwestern UnitedStates and Northern Mexico.

Co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, theDiocese of Phoenix, the Archdiocese of Mexico Cityand the Center for Guadalupan Studies, the Congresswill feature talks by experts from throughout theUnited States and Latin America on Our Lady ofGuadalupe.

“The centrality of Our Lady of Guadalupe to theAmericas as ‘the Christian Hemisphere’ is clearly evi-dent throughout North and South America,” saidSupreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, who will speak atboth the Marian Congress and the Guadalupe Festival.“Her message is one that has as much importance andmeaning today as it did nearly 500 years ago.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe is honored as the Empressof the Americas, and devotion to her is widespreadthroughout the hemisphere, particularly in Mexicoand the Southwestern United States.

“[The congress] specifically aims at presentingHoly Mary of Guadalupe as Our Mother in this conti-nent,” explained Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera ofMexico, one of the event’s speakers. “She certainlywas the origin of our people from those who were faraway, from those who were separated. She united us.”

In addition to Cardinal Rivera Carrera, other speak-ers include Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann from Peru, who hasdone extensive studies of the eyes in the Guadalupeimage; Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, who oversaw the causefor canonization of St. Juan Diego — the Indian to whomOur Lady of Guadalupe appeared in December 1531 (seepage 24); and other experts on key elements of Our Ladyof Guadalupe and her message. These lectures will focuson the meaning of the Guadalupan message, some of thescientifically inexplicable aspects of the image that wasimprinted on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, and the relevance ofOur Lady of Guadalupe in today’s world.

At the conclusion of the congress, the GuadalupeFestival will feature an afternoon of musical perfor-mances, prayer and inspirational speeches by gueststhat include actor Eduardo Verastegui, star of the filmBella; best-selling author Immaculée Ilibagiza, a sur-vivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide; and performerssuch as Dana, the international Catholic recordingartist from Ireland, as well as a mariachi band andmatachin dancers.

“All we need to do is to open the door of our heartto Christ,” said Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix,who will speak at the congress’ opening session.“Christ does the rest. He comes with his mercy.”

Admission to the three-day congress costs $25 perperson, but admission to the Guadalupe Festival isfree. To view a full schedule, read biographies of speak-ers, view devotional materials and register for bothevents, visit www.guadalupefestival.org. n

1st International Marian Congress and

Guadalupe Festival

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

1st International Marian Congress • Aug. 6-8JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort

Guadalupe Festival • Saturday, Aug. 8 Jobing.com Arena, doors open at 2 p.m.

www.guadalupefestival.org

24

REFLECTION

EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is the sixth in a series of articles by Msgr. EduardoChávez in anticipation of the first-ever International Marian Congressdevoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The congress will take place Aug. 6-8following the 127th Supreme Convention in Phoenix. For more informa-tion, visit www.guadalupefestival.org.

Pope John Paul II canonized St. Juan Diego on July 31,2002, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe,north of Mexico City — the very location where

Our Lady asked that a church be constructed when sheappeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hillin December 1531. At the Mass of can-onization, the pope acclaimed JuanDiego as a great model of holiness,especially for our times. After all, JuanDiego was a layman who humblyaccepted the mission entrusted to himand persevered despite many obstacles.His disposition to charity was bound-less as he cared for his dying uncle,Juan Beraridino, who was later healedby the Virgin herself.

Weeks after John Paul II’s first visitto the basilica in 1979, the pope reflect-ed during his Angelus address on theimportance of humility: “Humility…isnot identified with humiliation or resig-nation. It is not accompanied by faint-heartedness. On the contrary. Humilityis creative submission to the power of truth and love.Humility is rejection of appearances and superficiality;it is the expression of the depth of the human spirit; it isthe condition of its greatness.”

It is this humility that characterized Juan Diego’slife. He had a good indigenous education, and as amacehual commoner he was a responsible steward ofseveral possessions inherited from his ancestors.Nevertheless, he set everything aside after the appari-tion to live in a small hut next to the Our Lady ofGuadalupe hermitage. He gladly became the humbleservant of Our Lady, who desires to console us andmake us conscious of God’s immense love for us, call-ing us to conversion.

To live in humility demands much fortitude, since itinvolves fleeing temptation and ridding one’s life of sin.It is an arduous battle to uproot injustices and live hon-estly, to grow in virtue daily so as to live in true freedom.Humility is essential and glorifies God precisely becauseit is only the divine potter who can mold us with sanc-

tity; only God can truly form us to be his chosen people,to be his friends, to be his children.

The life of Juan Diego further demonstrates thatprayer is essential to a life of humility and sanctity. LuisBecerra Tanco, a 17th-century priest who compileddocumentation on the Guadalupan event, describedSt. Juan Diego’s prayerfulness in this way: “He had timefor prayer in that way in which God knows how tomake those who love him understand, according toeach person’s capacity, when to exercise deeds of virtue

and sacrifice.” Likewise, in the impor-tant Guadalupan document knownas Nican Motecpana, we read howSt. Juan Diego strived to deepen hisspiritual life: “He would prostrate him-self before the Lady from Heaven andinvoke her fervently; frequentlyhe would go to confession, receiveCommunion, fast, do penance…andhide in the shadows in order to givehimself up in prayer alone.”

In the important mission entrustedto Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupeconfirms his dignity and casts away hisfear. She is his mother, just as she is themother of all who place themselvesunder her protection. In choosing JuanDiego, God again chose the humble andthe unpretentious to manifest his

omnipotence, his eternal wisdom, his constant love. Jesuspraises the Father with these words: “I give praise to you,Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you havehidden these things from the wise and the learned youhave revealed them to the childlike” (Mt 11:25, Lk 10:21).

Through her message to St. Juan Diego, Our Lady ofGuadalupe makes us aware of our own mission, our ownparticipation in God’s great love. As with Juan Diego,she has placed us, her many children, in the cradle of herarms. She is our protector and reveals our dignity, for shecomes to place deep within our hearts her own son,Jesus Christ, who is the very reason of our existence. Inthis way, we can see that we are all brothers and sisters,called to conversion and participating in the construc-tion of that divine church, the civilization of love. n

Monsignor Eduardo Chávez Sánchez is postulator for the cause ofSt. Juan Diego. He is the author of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. JuanDiego: The Historical Evidence (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006) and amember of Council 14138 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe inMexico City.

OUR LADY’S HUMBLE SERVANT

Learning from the humility of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, 1474-1548

BY MSGR. EDUARDO CHÁVEZ SÁNCHEZ

w w w. ko f c .o r gCNS PHOTO BY SERGIO DORANTES

A detail from a painting of St. Juan Diegoat the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupein Mexico City

Special SchoolSouth County Council 8251 inChurchton, Md., donated morethan $6,500 to the Central SpecialSchool, a school for children withintellectual disabilities. Themoney was raised during the coun-cil’s annual fund drive.

Combating IllnessHoly Ghost Council 10325 inWood Dale, Ill., donated $500 tothe family of Joey Lopez-Evena, alocal boy who has cancer.

Funds for RecyclingOur Lady of the Sierra Council12085 in Oakhurst, Calif., donated$4,000 to the Heartland Oppor-tunity Center. The funds are ear-marked for making site improve-ments to Heartland’s OakhurstRecycling Center.

Ranger RosariesFather John S. Nelligan Council5730 in Scotch Plains, N.J., makesranger rosaries for U.S. soldiersserving in and around Baghdad.Each rosary is made of black para-chute cord, black beads and a blackcrucifix. The program is headed byErnesto Hernandez, a veteran ofthe first Gulf War.

Culture of VocationsFred L. Westbrook Sr. Council 5654in Ocean Springs, Miss., teamedwith the Biloxi Serra Club to initi-ate a traveling chalice program. Thechalice, called the Elijah Cup,rotates among families, who take ithome and pray for vocations. Thechalice is also accompanied by aCD on the Eucharist and a vocationprayer to be said at family meals.

AEDs DonatedOur Lady of Guadalupe Council12605 in Oklahoma City donated anautomatic external defibrillator(AED) to Immaculate ConceptionChurch. St. Patrick Council 8404 inHouston donated $1,000 to purchasean AED for Holy Name School.

Special DisbursementsAt the council’s annual spaghettidinner, St. James Council 7152 inStatesville, N.C., distributed morethan $960 each to four charities,including Autism Services of NorthCarolina and Special Olympics.

Seniors’ NightFather Eugene O’Reilly Council4973 in Brampton, Ont., hosted anevening of food, dancing and enter-tainment for 200 area senior citizens.

Chili Cook OffSanta Clara Valley Council 6016 inNewhall, Calif., hosted a chili cook-off to benefit the diocesan fund forretired priests and religious. Atten-dees were able to sample chilicooked by nine different teams, andthe event raised $300.

Centennial WallMembers of St. Anthony Council12482 and an honor guard fromPope John Paul II Assembly, bothin Des Moines, Iowa, attended thededication of a wall of honor forordained priests and religious atSt. Anthony Church. The wallhonors clergy everywhere andspecifically those from the parish.Council 12482 created the wall tocelebrate the parish’s 100thanniversary.

Base SchoolCristo Rey Council 13435 at theDavis-Monthan Air Force Base inTucson, Ariz., donated $759 toBorman Elementary School. Theschool, which is located on thebase, will use the funds to offset itsoperational expenses.

Members of St. Mark Council 12553 inDenton, Texas, take a break while performing repairs at their parish. Knightscorrected a serious drainage problem that had begun to erode several portablebuildings used by St. Mark Church. Thecouncil built a terrace to divert water away from the buildings and laid new sod to prevent further soil erosion.

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 25

Father Richard W. Beck of St. Veronica’s Church in Paupack, Pa., blesses a new organ thatwas donated by Philip Varricchio, a member of St. Francis of Assisi Council 13456 inHenderson, Nev. Varricchio donated the organ in memory of his wife of 53 years, whopassed away after a battle with stomach cancer. The Varricchios attended St. Veronica’sChurch until 2005 when they sold their summer residence in Pennsylvania.

Reports from Councils,Assemblies and

Columbian Squires CirclesKNIGHTS IN ACTION

Lyrical StylingsMarjie Higgins and members ofSt. James Council 9849 in Ogden,Utah, have composed a pro-life songtitled “Please Don’t Say No,” thatwas written by Knight MichaelWooden. Knights have helped pro-mote the song, which was sent tocouncils throughout the state andto several pro-life organizations.Marjie is the wife of Robert Higgins,a member of Council 9849.

Bible FundThe Rhode Island State Councildonated $1,700 to the Diocese ofProvidence to purchase Bibles forthe diocese’s youth ministry. EachBible is stamped with the emblem ofthe Order on the inside front cover.

Helping the NeedyLimoilou (Que.) Council 4494raised more than $44,000 for threeorganizations that work with theneedy: La Bouchée Généreuse,L’Évasion St-Pie X and the Mis-sionaries of Charity.

Sweats for VetsBishop Thomas E. Gill Assembly inFederal Way, Wash., held a “Sweatsfor Vets” drive to benefit theMadigan Army Medical Center inTacoma. Knights raised $6,500 —enough to purchase more than 300sweat suits for injured veteransreturning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Support the TroopsRobert E. Grannan Council 109 inArlington, Mass., co-sponsored abenefit evening with the ArlingtonPolice Department’s patrolman’sassociation and with AmericanLegion Post 39. The event includedentertainment and raffles, andraised $10,000 for “Local Heroes,”a charity that provides support tosoldiers and their families.

Welcome HomeKingston (N.Y.) Council 275 hosteda welcome-home party for 70 mem-bers of the Army National Guard’s104th Military Police Battalion,based out of Kingston. Knights andtheir wives hosted a buffet for sol-diers and their families following awelcome-home parade.

Flying HighAs a visible show of patriotism,Bishop Frank A. Thill Assembly inConcordia, Kan., began selling andinstalling flagpoles in its communi-ty. The poles cost $175 and includea 12-inch concrete base. Moneyraised from the sales is added to theassembly’s charitable fund. FatherDon C. Shepanski Assembly in SanAntonio, Texas, donated two flag-poles and U.S. flags to the athleticfields at St. Matthew Church andSt. Paul Church, respectively.

Cleaning UpMembers of St. John Francis RegisCouncil 7914 in Hollywood, Md.,cleared downed trees at theirparish and the adjacent cemeteryfollowing a fierce windstorm.

Crab FeedSt. Joseph’s Council 9202 inLincoln, Calif., held its annual crabfeed fundraiser, which raised morethan $12,000 for the council’s char-itable fund.

R E C R U I T I N GO N - T A R G E T

T he tremendous charitable work the Order conducts annually is a by-product ofcontinual membership growth. Members raise funds for the needy, volunteer theirtime and support a wide range of programs. This section of “Knights in Action”

highlights those members who have made a concerted effort to grow the Order.Growing up, Harold L. Foote’s father always told him that if he was going to

join an organization he had to do it right and not half way. That advice has guidedhis efforts on behalf of the Order and St. Edmond Council 10293 in Lafayette, La.

“When I was first asked to join (in 1990), I had my job and family to thinkabout. I didn’t think I’d have enough time,” Foote said.

Nonetheless, he decided to become a Knight. Shortly after, he was asked tobecome the council’s membership director. He brought in 12 new members his firstyear and has recruited 76 Knights since.

Part of Foote’s strategy comes with his duties as a parish usher, where he is one ofthe first to learn about new parishioners. After a few weeks, he approaches the poten-tial Knight and asks if he’d be interested in coming to an admission committee meetingto learn about the Order. He also offers him a form #100 membership document.

Along with his efforts in membership, Foote has served the Order as a grandknight, as the faithful navigator of his assembly and as district deputy. He alsoserves on area degree teams.

“Having a well-run First Degree team is very important to making a goodimpression on the candidates and also allows the council to bring in new memberson a monthly basis,” Foote said.

The one activity he is most proud of is the council’s Christmas basket programfor the needy. The council gives out approximately 100 baskets each year. Foote likesto send out new members to deliver the baskets so they can see firsthand what theOrder does. He recalled one member who expressed his satisfaction with joining theKnights after a particularly successful basket delivery.

“That’s the kind of thing that makes recruiting worthwhile,” Foote added.

Members of Father Francis LawlessCouncil 1534 in Moose Jaw, Sask.,surround the new tractor they purchasedfor St. Joseph Church. The vehicle, whichfeatures a sweeping broom and bucket,will aid with snow removal.

Members of Holy Infant Jesus Council12142 in San Antonio, Luzon, erect a highway safety sign along a busy road.Knights built two signs on a road that isvery prone to accidents.

w w w. ko f c .o r g26

Cowboy UpSan Antonio Council 786 held itsannual Dallas Cowboys Weekendto benefit the Ralph SaenzEmergency Food Pantry. The eventraised $14,000 to provide food toneedy families in and around SanAntonio. The food pantry is namedfor Ralph Saenz, a deceased mem-ber of Council 786.

PH BalanceBishop Charles P. Greco Council9499 in Clemmons, N.C., and itsladies’ auxiliary helped plan, spon-sor and conduct the North CarolinaCure Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)Golf Tournament. Knights spon-sored a team for the event, provideditems for the tournament’s silentauction and made other monetarydonations. The tournament raisedmore than $12,500 for PH research.

Pancake BreakfastTallmadge (Ohio) Council 5613held its annual pancake breakfast,which raised more than $500 forthe religious education program atOur Lady of Victory Church.

School DaysSt. David Council 4435 in Noëlville,Ont., donated $500 to Rivière desFrençais School. The council alsosponsored a drug and alcohol aware-ness day at the school.

Parish DonationSt. Philip the Apostle Council 9884in Lewisville, Texas, donated$9,000 to its parish. The funds areearmarked for general mainte-nance to the church and grounds.

Statue PurchasedRosary Council 3741 in Henderson,Nev., donated $822 to St. Peter theApostle Church to purchase a stat-ue of the Blessed Mother that wasplaced outside the parish’s religiouseducation center.

Charitable AidSacred Heart Council 12537 inSouthport, N.C., distributed morethan $25,000 to nine charitableorganizations. Among the recipi-ents were Special Olympics, theInterchurch Food Pantry and theBrunswick County Adult FreeMedical Clinic. Money for thedonations was raised during thecouncil’s annual fund drive andgolf tournament.

I N T E L L E C T UA LD I S A B I L I T I E S

S P OT L I G H T O N . . .

An occasional series aboutKnights and Squires workingtirelessly toward the same

noble goals. This month we spotlightactivities that focus on people withintellectual disabilities.

• Five councils from in and aroundWantagh, N.Y., teamed with otherlocal organizations to co-sponsor theI. John Lane Memorial Fundraiser tobenefit the Association for Childrenwith Down Syndrome (ACDS). Morethan 300 people attended the event,which raised $18,200.

• Archbishop Schlarman Council3507 in Pekin, Ill., distributed $11,000to area agencies that work withpeople with intellectual disabilities,including the Ann Benjamin Camp,the Schramm Education Center, theChildren’s Center of Tazewell Countyand others.

• Coral Gables (Fla.) Council 3274held a barbecue fun day to benefitthe art department at CommunityHabilitation Center, a training center for people with intellectualdisabilities. The event raised $3,700to purchase new art supplies.

• Rev. Thomas Tierney Council6884 in Seneca, S.C., raised morethan $34,000 during its annualfund drive for people with intellectual disabilities. The fundswere distributed among 18 areaschools, many of which cannotprovide adequate outreach due torecent budget constraints.

• St. Matthew Council 9893 inGlendale Heights, Ill., donated$10,000 to RRAF, a program thatprovides on-site and community-based day programming, in-homesupport and overnight care for people with intellectual disabilities.

• Blessed Mother Seton Council 5410in Chester, N.J., donated approx-imately $600 each to ARC and toUnited Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey.

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 27

Bill Keller, Bob Amory, Ken Wrangler and Ray Tonucci of San Antonio Council 12456 inPort Charlotte, Fla., recondition used cassette players. Knights spend part of each weekrepairing the players, which are provided by the National Library Service so that peoplewith visual impairments can listen to books on tape.

N.J. State Treasurer Herb Meyer (secondfrom right) stands with Auxiliary BishopJohn W. Flesey (second from left) ofNewark and some of the priests whoparticipated in a Divine Mercy novena atChurch of the Most Blessed Sacrament inFranklin Lakes. Knights from throughoutBergen County gathered to pray thenovena. Also pictured are: FatherSeraphim Michalenko, Father BenedictGroeschel and Father John F. Murray, statefather prior of the Columbian Squires.

Let There Be LightTrinity Council 747 in Hacken-sack, N.J., provided funding toreplace all of the incandescent lightbulbs at Holy Trinity School withlow-cost fluorescent lighting. Basedon eight hours of use per day, HolyTrinity stands to save approximate-ly $3,000 per year in energy costs.

Community FitnessFather Paul J. F. Wattson Council8919 in Windsor, Ont., launched acommunity fitness program at itsparish. Participants work their waythrough a stretching and low-impact cardio routine aimed at pro-moting general health. The class isrun by Penny Dumouchelle, wifeof Knight Dan Dumouchelle.

Chalice RestoredGood Shepherd Council 6358 inSchertz, Texas, along with the dea-cons of Good Shepherd Church,restored an antique chalice fortheir pastor, Msgr. Roger Robbins.The chalice, which was presentedto Msgr. Robbins when he wasordained, dates from the 1920s andwas starting to show serious wear.

Kitchen RaffleSt. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council10778 in Salina, Kan., sponsored a50-50 raffle to raise funds for a newkitchen at its parish. Knights sold432 raffle tickets for $50 each, col-lecting $11,600 for St. ElizabethAnn Seton Church. A member ofCouncil 10778 held the winningticket, worth $10,000, and donatedthe funds back to the parish.

The Old College TrySt. Pius X Council 6531 in BatonRouge, La., prepared and servedapproximately 400 lunches at Christthe King Church for students atLouisiana State University. The stu-dents enjoyed a home-cooked mealof spaghetti jambalaya, salad, breadand cookies.

Miss Shaw DayWest (Texas) Council 2305 hosted adinner to benefit Martha Shaw, ateacher at St. Mary’s School whowas forced to retire due to healthreasons. Ineligible for Medicare,Shaw was without health insur-ance when the community learnedabout her situation. The dinnerraised $30,000 to offset Shaw’smedical expenses.

New ToysHeart of the Valley Council 10760in Waynesboro, Va., purchased anadaptive tricycle and mini-trampo-line/rebounder for a local girl withintellectual disabilities. Both itemsprovide the girl with therapeuticexercise and interaction with otherneighborhood children.

Autism BenefitMsgr. John Eppenbrock Council3615 in Trenton, Mich., held aspaghetti dinner to benefit JakeGilstorf, a local boy who hasautism. More than 200 peopleattended the event, which raised$3,800. With $3,700 in matchingfunds from the Michigan StateCouncil, Knights presented theGilstorf family with $7,500.

Bike BlessingSt. Patrick Council 13971 inArcola, Ind., held its annual bless-ing for area motorcycle owners.Knights also raised $1,000 for itsparish youth group by selling raffletickets at the event.

Helping a Wounded WarriorThe Texas State Council, alongwith St. Anthony Claret Council10090 in San Antonio, presentedJason Gamez with checks totaling$600. Gamez is a U.S. soldier whowas wounded in Iraq when hissquad was attacked by a roadsidebomb. Gamez’s father, Ted, is amember of St. James Council14064 in Beeville.

Monastery SupportDeacon Raphael “Ray” LongpreCouncil 10441 and Msgr. Don H.Hughes Assembly, both in Tucson,Ariz., donated $12,590 to theBenedictine Monastery in Tucson.

Keeping CoolMsgr. Paul J. Meyer Council 4916in Preston, Ont., donated $4,000 toSt. Mary’s of the Visitation Churchto offset the cost of a central airconditioning system. The donationwas made to coincide with theparish’s 150th anniversary.

Clergy NightHoly Cross Council 2739 inDetroit held an appreciation dinnerfor 117 priests and religious. Theevent featured food and bingo, andKnights presented gifts to all thosein attendance. In addition, mem-bers of Father Daniel A. LordCircle 801 served as waiters andbusboys during the event.

Edward A. Hohman Jr. of Brother VincentCouncil 7517 in Smyrna, Del., collects adonation during the council’s annualfund drive for people with intellectualdisabilities. Knights solicited funds outside a local supermarket and raisedmore than $4,400.


[Left] Lou Carnoali of Edwardsville (Ill.) Council 1143 cooks bacon during the annualCatholic Men’s Mass and Breakfast at St. Mary’s Church. Edwardsville Assembly provided an honor guard for the Mass, followed by breakfast for all attendees.[Right] Paul Panebianco and Rich Romano of Father John G. Seyfried Council 821 inKings Park, N.Y., cook pancakes during a breakfast to benefit a local family whosefather died. The event raised nearly $20,000.

Cooking for a Cause

K of C councils in southwest Kansas funded the printing of “Priests on thePrairie,” a necrology with biographicalsketches of more than 300 priests whoserved in the Diocese of Dodge City.Pictured is Tim Burke of Sacred HeartCouncil 2955 in Dodge City, Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore and author Tim Wenzl. Bishop Gilmore is a memberof Wichita Council 691.

John Weldon, Tom Murray and Louis Dumais of Mother Cabrini Council 12155 in Parrish,Fla., unload bags of trash at the council’s collection point. Knights clean a portion of U.S. Route 301 four times each year.

Benefit SupperSt. Agnes Council 2043 in Lac-Mégantic, Que., co-sponsored adinner with the Lac-MéganticLions Club to benefit MichelTherrien, a local man who has can-cer. Funds raised at the event willoffset Therrien’s medical expenseswhile he awaits a bone marrowtransplant.

Voices Lifted HighAt the request of a Catholic chap-lain stationed at the Al Taji ArmyAirfield outside of Baghdad,St. Thérèse Council 13389 inPensacola, Fla., donated a new tapeplayer and recordings of traditionalhymns to the base chapel.

Church WorkPere Jacques Robichaud Council7529 in Riviére-du-Portage, N.B.,donated $10,000 to ImmaculateConception Church. The funds willbe used to perform maintenance tothe church building and grounds.

Knight RidersLipa City (Luzon) Council 6122formed a traffic assistance forcecalled “Knight Rider” to providevolunteer traffic enforcement.Knights render aid when needed tothe city’s Traffic ManagementDivision.

Scholar’s BreakfastOur Lady of Lourdes Council13080 in Omaha, Neb., held a pan-cake breakfast that raised nearly$1,250 for its scholarship fund.

Bottle DriveFather Joseph A. Cassidy Council6100 in Mount Olive, N.J., held ababy bottle drive to benefit twopregnancy resource centers. Knightsdonated $1,750 to each organizationas well as several baby clothes andblankets knitted by the St. JudeWomen’s Club.

Watch Your HealthRisen Lord Council 13553 inSouthville, Luzon, sponsored amedical mission for needy mem-bers of the community. More than100 people received free examina-tions courtesy of volunteer doctors.Blessed Sacrament Council 12318in Sañto Tomas, Luzon, alsooffered free medical screenings tothe needy.

Communion BreakfastSt. Katharine Drexel Council 3968in Bustleton, Pa., sponsored a Massand Communion breakfast at theSt. Katharine Drexel Shrine.During the event, Knights present-ed the Sisters of the BlessedSacrament — who run the shrine— with a check for $2,000.

Missionary PriestSt. Patrick’s Council 3464 inElkhorn, Wis., donated $1,000 toFather David Linder for his workin Ghana, West Africa. FatherLinder is a missionary priest, butwas home in Wisconsin to cele-brate his parents’ 60th weddinganniversary. He is also a memberof Council 3464.

New RobesMary, Queen of Heaven Council12253 in Malakoff, Texas, held aspaghetti luncheon to honor localaltar servers. Proceeds from theevent were used to purchase newrobes for the 30 young people whovolunteer as altar servers.

Veterans TourneySt. Patrick’s Council 13307 inSarasota, Fla., held its annual golftournament to benefit several vet-erans’ organizations. The tourna-ment and silent auction raisedfunds for Southeastern Guide Dogsand for American VeteransAdaptive Golf (AVAG).

Relay for LifeFather Hart Council 4856 inDalhousie, N.B., participated inand volunteered at a local Relay forLife to raise funds for cancerresearch. Knights served foodthroughout the event and donated$1,000 toward the reception thatwas held before the relay began.

For LifeHoly Cross Assembly in Detroithelped sponsor the annual benefitdinner hosted by Right to Life ofMichigan. Knights donated $2,500in support of the dinner.

Having A BallTexarkana (Texas) Council 1003co-hosted a free throw competitionwith Challenger, a local sport andrecreational group for people withdisabilities.

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 29BOTTOM LEFT: DAVE MYERS/SOUTHWEST KANSAS REGISTER, DIOCESE OF DODGE CITY

Local residents wait outside a CatholicCharities truck while delivering donations.Santa Maria Council 6065 in Plano, Texas,hosted its semi-annual HUGS truck, whichcollects used furniture, clothing andhousehold goods for Catholic Charities ofDallas. Knights collected two truckloads ofgoods for the needy.

Members of Wall (Texas) Council 4316install insulation at a new storage facilitythey built for Meals for the Elderly. Knightssolicited materials and performed most ofthe labor themselves. The facility willhouse the organization’s van and othersupplies. Meals for the Elderly is a non-profit group that provides meals forthe homebound in and around San Angelo.

Wheelchair Ramps BuiltOur Lady of the Angels Council12184 in Cape May Court House,N.J., built a ramp at the home of aman who uses a wheelchair. Theman was homebound prior to havingthe ramp installed. St. Mary, Queenof the Universe Council 8196 inSalina, Kan., built a wheelchair rampfor Leland and Bertha Letourneau.Knights provided all the tools andmanpower necessary to completethe project. And St. Charles Council2409 in Luling, La., built a wheel-chair ramp for Lucille Clark withhelp from the United Way.

Riding MowerBlessed Sacrament Council 7016 inSan Antonio, Texas, raised $2,500to purchase a new John Deere rid-ing mower for its parish. Knightspresented the mower, along with autility trailer, to Father JohnO’Donoghue.

Nature’s ClassroomSt. Frances de Chantal Council6526 in Wantagh, N.Y., donated$250 to fifth-grade students atSt. Elizabeth Ann Seton School.The funds will offset the cost of aweeklong ecology field trip atNature’s Classroom in Connecticut.

Sanctuary RenovatedOur Lady of the Grace Council13243 in Palm Bay, Fla., and itsladies’ auxiliary helped renovate thesanctuary at its parish following theinstallation of new tile and carpet.

Hospital BedOur Lady of Sorrows Council 4189in Aylmer, Ont., donated funds topurchase a new hospital bed atElgin General Hospital. Knightsestimate they have donated morethan $150,000 to the hospital inrecent years.

Leukemia BenefitRantoul (Ill.) Council 4450 held abenefit dinner and raffle for LukeRemington, a local boy who hasleukemia. Knights served morethan 800 meals and raised $35,000for the Remington family.

Basement PaintingAltoona (Pa.) Council 551 painted thebasement of the Cathedral of theBlessed Sacrament, mother church ofthe Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

A Special NightCardinal Richard Cushing Council6267 in Pembroke, Mass., sponsoreda prom at its hall for people withintellectual disabilities. Nearly75 people, ages 15-28, attended theevent. Attendees enjoyed a dinnerfollowed by dancing.

Getting an EducationLuke Killoran Council 4510 inWainwright, Alta., began collectingfunds to establish a school in Cunen,Guatemala. So far, Knights have col-lected $6,000, which will providematerials for an entire classroom.

School BreakfastMarian Council 3881 in Oakville,Ont., prepares breakfast at St. JamesElementary School three times eachweek.

Parking BumpersMembers of Father Robert Ritt-meyer Council 10671 in Zephyr-hills, Fla., repaired and repaintedmore than 500 parking bumpersat St. Joseph’s Church. By doingthe work themselves, Knightssaved the parish approximately$1,200.

Rosaries for SoldiersChesapeake (Va.) Council 8240 andAll Saints Assembly supplied 200rosary beads to outgoing soldiers atNaval Station Norfolk. Knightssupplied the rosaries after learningthat soldiers on their way to Asiaand Africa did not have access toreligious materials.

Coming HomeDonat Robichaud (N.B.) Council9178 raised $900 for BlissArsenault, a Knight who needed topurchase medical equipment forhis home. Arsenault suffered a longillness but couldn’t leave the hos-pital until he obtained certainequipment at his house. Councilmembers raised the funds neces-sary so Arsenault could finallycome home.


>kofc.orgexclusive

See more “Knights in Action”reports and photos at

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Lawrence DePalma (left) and Joseph Cestaof Leisure Village West Council 9134 inLakehurst, N.Y., stand with some of theeyeglasses their council collected for theneedy. To date, Knights have collectedmore than 2,000 glasses for residents ofthe retirement home where the council islocated and for needy members of thecommunity. Also pictured is JosephLambarski (far right), who originally conceived the program.

c o l u m b i a /j u n e 2 0 0 9 31BASKETBALL COURT: JUPITER IMAGES

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COLUMBIANISM BY DEGREES

32 w w w. ko f c .o r gFRATERNITY: CNS PHOTO

PATRIOTISM[Right] Paula Devereaux, Samantha O’Leary and Kathryn O’Leary display some ofthe religious articles they collected for U.S. and Canadian troops serving in Iraqand Afghanistan. When Grand Knight John O’Leary of Cabot Council 6001 inAvondale, Nfld., received a request for religious articles for the troops, the threegirls jumped into action. Council 6001 supplied several rosaries for the cause andhelped the girls collect 13 bags of religious articles. Also pictured are (from left):Genevieve Smith, Father Deodoro Cago, who blessed the items, Billie Smith andGrand Knight O’Leary.

CHARITY[Left] Members of Jimenez Council 6697 inMisamis Occidental, Mindanao, repair thehouse of an indigent parishioner. Knightssolicited funds for the repairs and performed most of the carpentry workthemselves. • In 1983, Knights from theP.E.I. State Council instituted the K of CForeign Mission Fund to provide financialassistance to seminarians and religious inthe Catholic missions of third-world countries. The mission fund supports morethan 100 priests and religious with$190,000 in scholarships and grants.

UNITY[Right] Peter McCann (left) of Msgr. John A. Welsh Council 4312 in Memphis,Tenn., stands with Senior Patrol Leader Jake Penn of Boy Scout Troop 274 in fronta pro-life display jointly assembled by Knights and Scouts. The two groupsplaced 50 white crosses on the lawn of Holy Rosary Church to spread awarenessof pro-life issues. • San Antonio Maria Claret Council 8827 in Zamboanga City,Mindanao, made renovations and repairs to the Immaculate Mother Chapel,located at the Bureau of Transportation compound. Each council member provided funds for the chapel restoration.

FRATERNITY[Left] Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan (right) holds his pastoralstaff at his installation Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation Syrian CatholicChurch in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 15. Patriarch Younan, who is a member of St. Rosade Lima Council 6209 in Union City, N.J., was installed as the leader of the SyrianCatholic Church. • Archbishop Drossaerts Council 2490 in El Campo, Texas,co-sponsored a dinner-dance to benefit Louis Buzek, a council member who wasseriously wounded in a hunting accident. Buzek sustained a gunshot wound inthe abdomen Jan. 28 and has undergone nearly 40 surgeries to repair the damage. The event raised more than $66,000 to help Buzek and his family.

Members of St. Padre PioCircle 4992 in Henderson,Nev., pack and sell programs for a NASCARevent at the Las VegasMotor Speedway. Squiresand Knights from St. Francis of AssisiCouncil 13456, alongwith the council’s ladies’auxiliary, raised $10,000for charity by selling programs throughout the day.

Building a better worldone council at a time.

Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make adifference — whether through community service, raising money orprayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compas-sion and his dedication to building a better world.

To be featured here, send your council’s “Knights in Action” photo as well as its descrip-tion to: Columbia, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or e-mail: [email protected].

K N I G H T SOF COLUMBUSIn service to One. In service to all.

‘I AM TRULY HAPPY BECAUSE I REALIZE THATI AM FULFILLING GOD’S WILL FOR ME.’

BRANDON E. MACADAEG, SEMINARIANDiocese of Oakland, Calif.

Theological College, Washington, D.C.

Keep the Faith AlivePlease, do all you can to encourage priestly and religious vocations.Your prayers and support make a difference.www.kofc.org

I believe that Jesus is calling me to bear witness to the greatdepths of his love by living the simple, yet extraordinary, life of apriest. Thus, I understand that I must become a priest in order toexperience the true happiness in my life that God plans for me.

My parents were, in a sense, my first vocation directors. They plant-ed the seed of a priestly vocation and nourished it by their exam-ples of sacrifice and fidelity. They brought me to Mass everySunday, sent me to Catholic school and taught me to pray. Growingup, however, in the secular environment of a large U.S. city, amidharsh opposition to our faith, I was too afraid to respond to Jesus’invitation for some time. Yet, God’s will was victorious.

After high school, the Lord brought me to The Catholic Universityof America in Washington, D.C., where I confidently embraced my

vocation. I encountered Jesus more profoundly in the sacra-ments, in eucharistic adoration, in serving daily Mass at theBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception andthrough the many people who affirmed my vocation, includingthe Knights of Columbus.

After two years of undergraduate studies, I entered the TheologicalCollege, the national seminary at Catholic University, where I amjoyfully preparing for priestly service for my home diocese. I amtruly happy because I realize that I am fulfilling God’s will for me. Ifyou think you may be called to the priesthood, pray constantly, sur-round yourself with supportive people and ask the Holy Spirit togive you the grace to respond with courage and generosity.

columbia june 2009

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