Columbia March 2015

MARCH 2015MARCH 2015KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

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Ethical Business.

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Ethical Leaders.

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

MARCH 2 0 1 5 ♦ CO LUMB I A ♦ 1

COLUMBIAm A R c H 2 0 1 5 ♦ V o l u m e 9 5 ♦ N u m b e R 3

F E AT U R E S

Sustaining Hope in HaitiFive years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a Knights of Columbus initiative continues to transform lives.BY TOM TRACY AND COLUMBIA STAFF

The Philippines Embraces Pope FrancisDuring his historic visit to the Philippines, the Holy Father brought a message of compassion to millions.BY ROY LAGARDE

Investing in the ChurchAn interview with Supreme Knight Carl A. Andersonabout a new initiative of the Knights of Columbus.BY ALTON J. PELOWSKI

The Revitalization of EuropeThe largest petition in European history has led to the rebirth of the pro-life movement on the Old Continent.BY KRZYSZTOF MAZUR

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D E P A R T M E N T S

Building a better worldThe Knights of Columbus demon-strates that putting regard for neigh-bor above profit is key to financialsuccess.BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Learning the faith, living the faithParents have a unique and irreplace-able role as the first educators of theirchildren.BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

Building the Domestic ChurchBecause parents are called to bethe primary educators of theirchildren, they rejoice in teachingthem the art of living.

Knights in Action

Knights of Columbus NewsKnights March for Life, SupremeKnight Addresses Participants •Order Supports Culture of LifeEvent in Los Angeles • CardinalGeorge Receives Gaudium et SpesAward • Order Sponsors FootballClinic for Special Olympics

Fathers for GoodMoving from the sports field to thesanctuary has brought true happi-ness for Father Chase Hilgenbrinck.BY TRENT BEATTIE

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A painting of the Holy Family depicts an angel speaking to St. Josephin a dream (cf. Mt 2:13, 2:19). During his recent visit to the Philip-pines, Pope Francis reflected on St. Joseph’s vocation and its relevancefor families today (see page 17).

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EDITORIAL

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COLUMBIAPUBLISHER

Knights of Columbus________

SUPREME OFFICERSCarl A. AndersonSUPREME KNIGHT

Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.SUPREME CHAPLAINLogan T. Ludwig

DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHTCharles E. Maurer Jr.SUPREME SECRETARYMichael J. O’ConnorSUPREME TREASURERJohn A. MarrellaSUPREME ADVOCATE

________

EDITORIALAlton J. Pelowski

EDITORAndrew J. MattMANAGING EDITORPatrick ScalisiSENIOR EDITOR________

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90)Apostle to the Young,

Protector of Christian Family Life andFounder of the Knights of Columbus,

Intercede for Us.________

HOWTO REACHUSMAIL

COLUMBIA1 Columbus Plaza

New Haven, CT 06510-3326ADDRESS CHANGES

203-752-4210, option #3OTHER INQUIRIES203-752-4398

FAX203-752-4109CUSTOMER SERVICE1-800-380-9995

[email protected]

INTERNETkofc.org/columbia

________

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing)Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that anapplicant or member accepts the teaching authority of theCatholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires tolive in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

________

Copyright © 2015All rights reserved

________

ON THE COVERThree-year-old Anaika walks on two legs for the

first time since the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti,moments after being fitted with a Knights-fundedprosthetic leg by prosthetist Adam Finnieston.

Lenten Resource: Lord, Teach Us To Pray The booklet Lord, Teach Us To Pray: The What, Why and Howof Prayer (#304) by Dominican Father Peter John Camerondiscusses our most fundamental relationship — with God theFather, Son and Holy Spirit. Part of the Veritas Series pub-lished by the Order’s Catholic Information Service, it offersguidance on developing and deepening our prayer at Mass, inour families and in daily contemplation. To download thisand other Catholic resources, visit kofc.org/cis.

IN HIS INAUGURAL homily March19, 2013, Pope Francis reflected on thevocation of St. Joseph and exhorted hislisteners: “Be protectors of God’s gifts!”That theme strongly resonated withthe Knights of Columbus and wasadopted for the Supreme Conventionlater in 2013. In an address to a meeting of families

in Manila during his recent visit to thePhilippines, Pope Francis once again re-flected on St. Joseph’s mission and theneed to protect (see page 17). In partic-ular, he focused on the need for “holyand loving families to protect the beautyand truth of the family in God’s planand to be a support and example forother families.”We live in a time when the pope’s pos-

itive message unfortunately is consideredcontroversial, since it is as countercul-tural as it is challenging. This is related,in part, to the modern tendency of re-ducing man’s relationship with society toa matter of individual rights, rather thanrecognizing corresponding and prior du-ties. In the case of marriage and familylife, for example, having a spouse or chil-dren is too often seen in the first instanceas a “right” and a means to personal ful-fillment, rather than as a sacred and de-manding vocation. A person’s God-givenvocation is the surest path to joy, to besure, but this is predicated on sacrificeand inherent responsibilities (see page 4). Moreover, while a person may have

“certain unalienable rights” including“life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-ness,” as asserted in the Declaration ofIndependence, these rights mean little

without a proper understanding ofhuman freedom and the common good.In his 1995 encyclical The Gospel of Life(Evangelium Vitae), St. John Paul IIwisely observed that “a culture of death,taken as a whole, betrays a completelyindividualistic concept of freedom,which ends up by becoming the free-dom of ‘the strong’ against the weakwho have no choice but to submit”(19). Ten years later, in his final homilybefore becoming pope, then-CardinalJoseph Ratzinger also warned against “adictatorship of relativism that does notrecognize anything as definitive andwhose ultimate goal consists solely ofone’s own ego and desires.”It is against this culture of death and

the dictatorship of relativism that PopeFrancis says we must protect our familiesand the most vulnerable among us. Ofcourse, protecting families and the vul-nerable has been the very mission of theKnights of Columbus since VenerableMichael McGivney founded the Order133 years ago. Today, this mission is ev-ident in countless ways, from supportingvictims of natural disasters in places suchas Haiti and the Philippines (see pages8, 14) to sponsoring initiatives that fos-ter a culture of life or strengthen thefamily (see pages 6, 20, 26) to protectingthe financial future of Catholic familiesand institutions (see pages 3, 22). It is inthese ways and more that Knights ofColumbus will continue to be protectorsof God’s gifts.♦

ALTON J. PELOWSKIEDITOR

The Mission to Protect

COVER: Photo by Tom Serafin


BUILDING A BETTER WORLD


Fraternity and EconomyThe Knights of Columbus demonstrates that

putting regard for neighbor above profit is key to financial success

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

LAST AUGUST, the 132nd SupremeConvention took place in Orlando, Fla.,under the theme “You Will All BeBrothers: Our Vocation to Fraternity.”Our theme was inspired by Pope Fran-cis’ message for the 2014 World Day ofPeace, which was titled “Fraternity, theFoundation and Pathway to Peace.”In that message, the Holy Father ad-dresses many different aspects of howthe Christian concept of “fraternity” canrenew society. The pope states that thekey to true economic reform is to seeeach person “not just as some kind ofinstrument, with a work capacity andphysical strength to be exploited at lowcost and then discarded when no longeruseful, but as our ‘neighbor.’”Pope Francis continues, “Christiansolidarity presumes that our neighbor isloved … as another brother or sister.”In other words, the pope is callingon us to build a nation of neighborswho treat each other as true brothersand sisters. This, of course, is not a new conceptto the Knights of Columbus. More thana century ago, our founder, VenerableMichael McGivney, proposed a visionof Catholic brotherhood for the men ofhis time. This vision not only strength-ened Catholic family and parish lifeduring the 19th century, but it has alsocontinued to offer an attractive avenuefor men to live out their vocations.Father McGivney understood thatthe “key” to a Catholic way of life wasprecisely to see society through the fra-ternal lens of charity and unity. In otherwords, the vocation of a true Catholic

“knight” is to love his neighbor as an-other brother or sister.In his World Day of Peace message,Pope Francis goes on to insist that con-temporary society is in need of a “redis-covery of fraternity in the economy.” Healso calls for society to “rediscover thevirtues of prudence, temperance, justiceand strength.” These virtues, he says,“can help us to overcome difficult mo-ments and to recover the fraternal bondswhich join us one to another.”The Knights of Columbus can makean important contribution here as well.For decades, we have operated a top-rated insurance program for our mem-bers using the motto: “Insurance bybrother Knights, for brother Knights.”Fraternity has been the foundation forwhat has become one of the most sus-tainable and successful business enter-prises in the Catholic world.Whether we consider the develop-ment of our insurance products, the in-vestment strategies that support them,or the outstanding agents who makethem available to our brother Knights,our Catholic fraternal “business” modelis truly unique in today’s marketplace.We do not divide the world among con-sumers and customers, shareholders andstakeholders, union members and man-agement. Instead, our business decisionsare measured by a fraternal calculus:What is best for our brother Knightsand their families?Some may say that this is a kind ofidealism that cannot compete in the realworld of business. On the contrary, thetremendous success we have achieved in

recent years demonstrates that our ap-proach is the height of what I would de-scribe as Catholic realism.We deal with real persons, not witheconomic abstractions. Our focus is onthe person who is always worthy of re-spect and who always should take prece-dence over profit.Admittedly, a business is not a char-ity. Profit is absolutely necessary to thestrength and sustainability of any busi-ness venture and especially for an in-surance program that depends on itsability to keep a financial promisemany decades into the future. But as Ihave said, profit is not the first or mostimportant value — it does not defineour mission.In this issue of Columbia you willread about a new and important ini-tiative: Knights of Columbus AssetAdvisors (see page 22). This initiativewill make available to Catholic insti-tutions across the United States thesame Catholic fraternal business per-spective that has become the hallmarkof our Order.In so doing, we believe that it willoffer new opportunities for a sustain-able, Catholic approach to financial de-cision-making that will greatly benefitthe entire Catholic community. It mayeven inspire a paradigm shift in eco-nomic thinking that can, in the wordsof Pope Francis, make us a nation oftrue neighbors.

Vivat Jesus!


LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

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YEARS AGO, a Catholic elementaryschool teacher told me about an exchangeshe had with the parents of a student whowas doing poorly in several subjects. Theteacher had proposed concrete ways inwhich the school could work with theparents to help their child overcome anumber of learning deficits. The father,however, reacted angrily. “I’m paying youto educate my child,” he said, “and you’rethe one who’s failing!” The teacher gentlyreminded the couple that theyare the primary educators of theirchild, but they wouldn’t hear ofit; sadly, they soon removed theirchild from the school.

Schools, of course, play a veryimportant role in the educationof children. Parents rightfullywant the schools that their chil-dren attend to be places ofsafety, respect and academic excellence.Yet even the best school is no substitutefor parents who remain the primary ed-ucators of their children, especially inthe ways of faith and in the art of living.Similarly, parish religious educationprograms, youth groups, scouting,sports and many other programs foryoung people are both good and neces-sary, but they are meant to help, not re-place, parents in their God-given task ofeducating their children.

SELF-GIVING LOVEParents have, or should have, a unique re-lationship with their children. They havebeen called by God to love their childwith the same faithful, self-giving love in

which the child was conceived. Parentswitness their baby’s first moments in theworld and see their child develop his orher unique individuality. They experiencegreat joy as the mystery of a new humanlife begins to unfold and, as the Rite ofBaptism puts it, they see “the hope ofeternal life shine on their children.”

To be sure, the notion of “self-givinglove” is not an idealistic or naive conceptdreamed up by theologians. It is de-

manding and sacrificial. Self-giving lovehas its source in the Trinity and is re-vealed most fully by Jesus on the Cross.It requires what Pope Francis calls “anexodus from self ” so that we mightfocus on the needs of others, even whenthat causes disruption in our lives.

What does this mean for a marriedcouple blessed with young children? Itmeans that a couple’s love for one an-other and for their child grows in thevery midst of the challenges of earlychildhood. All the sleepless nights, thequestions about how to help one’s childget a good start in life, the occasionaltantrums, the medical bills, the jumbledschedules — all these hurdles and moreare part of self-giving love.

Loving parents help their children tolearn life’s most basic skills, from thefundamentals of language and mannersto getting along with the kids next door.While creating a safe and secure homeenvironment, parents teach their chil-dren to beware of dangers outside of thehome. Today, parents also have the del-

icate task of helping children learnthe right use of technology.

LESSONS LEARNEDMost fundamentally, teachingchildren the “art of living” involveslessons of faith and character. Par-ents teach children their firstprayers, bring them to Mass onSunday, and help them develop a

basic sense of right and wrong coupledwith a sense of responsibility. They alsoteach gratitude and generosity by help-ing their children learn to take care oftheir possessions; to not always expect tohave the latest and best of everything;and to grow in the habit of sharing whatthey have with others. Moreover, parentshelp their children learn to handle life’sinevitable disappointments, includingthe invidious comparisons that are partof the highly competitive and material-istic culture in which we live. Such les-sons are best learned at home, in anatmosphere of respect and love.

When a child goes to school, parentshave the task of reinforcing the funda-mental lessons that pertain to how a child

Teaching the Art of LivingParents have a unique and irreplaceable role

as the first educators of their children

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

“Most fundamentally, teachingchildren the ‘art of living’ involves

lessons of faith and character.”


Offered inSolidarity withPope Francis

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

HOLY FATHER’SPRAYER INTENTIONS

GENERAL: That those involvedin scientific research may servethe well-being of the wholehuman person.

MISSION: That the uniquecontribution of women to the lifeof the Church may be recognizedalways.

CATHOLIC MAN OF THE MONTH


relates to his teachers, his peers and thewider community. Although parentshave every right to expect that schoolswill do a good job in educating their chil-dren, there is never a point where parentscan disengage by saying, “I’ve done mypart. Now it’s up to the school.” In fact,I think many of us can remember whenmom or dad helped us with our subjectsin school. What we may have struggledwith in the classroom made more sensewhen mom or dad, with a large dose ofencouragement, explained it at home.What is true of subjects such as read-

ing, math and science is even truer of re-

ligion. A parent once said to me: “I dropmy child off for religious education onWednesday evening. That’s all we havetime for. Don’t expect to see me inchurch on Sunday.” Another said, “I’mpaying for Catholic schools. It’s theirjob to teach my kids religion.” Religiouseducation programs and schools alonedo not impart faith to young people. AsPope Francis said, “Parents are called …not only to bring children into theworld but also to bring them to God”(Lumen Fidei, 43). St. John Paul II used to say that each

person is an “unrepeatable reality.” Each

person is God’s handiwork, a divine cre-ation, a godly work of art. And parentsare co-creators of their children in love.They, more than anyone else, grasp theuniqueness of their children. In teachingthe art of living, parents cannot “paintby the numbers,” but instead must betrue artisans in fostering gratitude toGod for the gifts of nature and grace.These gifts are cultivated in the home,helping a young person to discover hisor her own unique vocation, to learnself-giving love, and to contribute to thegood of society — in short, to becomewho God created them to be.♦

BORN MARCH 15, 1900, in Water-ford, Ireland, Maurice Patrick Barrettwas the youngest of six children. At age14, he announced that he wanted tojoin a religious community of brothers.Persuaded to finish school first, he en-tered the Hospitaller Order of St. Johnof God in 1916 and received the nameBrother Mathias.Brother Mathias worked in a Dublin

mental hospital for four years before hewas sent to the novitiate in France,where he took vows of poverty, chastityand obedience, as well as a fourth vowof hospitality. After serving people withphysical and mental disabilities in Lyonsand Paris, he was sent to Canada in1927, where he set up a homeless shelterin an abandoned Montreal brewery. “Islept on newspapers and gunnysackswith the men at first,” Brother Mathiaslater recalled. “In the mornings, I’d begfor food in the open market.”With complete trust in God’s will,

boundless enthusiasm and abundanthumor, Barrett spent the following yearsbuilding soup kitchens, hospitals andrehabilitation centers. In 1934, he wasappointed the North American provin-cial of his Order, and in 1941, he moved

to California, where he established hos-pitals, nursing homes and shelters.In 1951, Brother Mathias founded a

new community in Albuquerque, N.M.Called the Little Brothers of the GoodShepherd, the community soon receivedVatican approval. Members adhered tothe motto of “charity unlimited,” espe-cially to homeless men, whom BrotherMathias called “knights of the road.”By the time Brother Mathias died in

1990, his Little Brothers could befound in cities across the United States,as well as in Canada, England, Irelandand Haiti. The Little Brothers of theGood Shepherd were officially incor-porated into the Hospitaller Order inJanuary 2015.♦

Brother Mathias Barrett (1900-1990)

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

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HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ofpeople gathered in Washington, D.C.,Jan. 22 to participate in the 2015 Marchfor Life. Countless Knights of Colum-bus and their families, including collegeKnights from throughout the UnitedStates, were present. Many carried coun-cil banners and flags, and thousands ofK of C “Defend Life” signs, distributedby the D.C. State Council, were on dis-play among the crowd.The annual event commenced with a

gathering on the National Mall andcontinued as participants — the vastmajority of whom are young people —marched up Constitution Avenue to theU.S. Supreme Court in peaceful protestof the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

was among the speakers who addressedthe March for Life Rally. “Thank you for your witness and

your stand for life!” the supreme knightsaid. “We must build a culture of life forall those who are vulnerable or who suf-fer — their life is a gift! Today, we cele-brate the gift of every life.”During his remarks, Anderson noted

the ongoing success of the Order’s Ul-trasound Initiative and told participants

that the latest Knights of Columbus-Marist polling shows that more Ameri-cans are embracing the culture of life.The January 2015 poll results indicatedthat 84 percent of Americans, including69 percent who identify as “pro-choice,”favor significant restrictions on abor-tion. Moreover, two-thirds of Ameri-cans say that the U.S. abortion rate istoo high, and 60 percent believe thatabortion is morally wrong.Later in the evening, Supreme

Knight Anderson delivered the keynote

address at the 33rd annual Rose Dinner,which concluded the March for Lifeevents. In his remarks, he noted thatMartin Luther King Jr., whose birthdaywas observed days earlier, famously said,“Justice is really love in calculation.”Reflecting on King’s words, Anderson

added, “One cannot love and simulta-neously ignore injustice perpetratedagainst one who is loved. We under-stand that our work for life is a workand a labor of love. The right to life isfundamentally a matter of justice.”♦

Knights March for Life, Supreme Knight Addresses Participants

Catholic school students from North Dakota carry the March for Life banner, leading the participantspast the U.S. Supreme Court building Jan. 22.

A HISTORIC PRO-LIFE EVENT co-sponsored by theKnights of Columbus and Catholic dioceses of Californiatook place Jan. 17 in Los Angeles. The OneLife LA cel-ebration invited all people to embrace the dignity ofevery human life, particularly the most vulnerable. Cal-ifornia Knights were among the volunteers for the event,which began with a walk led by Archbishop José Gomezof Los Angeles, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson andhis wife, Dorian, Mother Agnes Mary Donovan of theSisters of Life, and California State Deputy AvelinoDoliente. The celebration culminated in a family picnicand entertainment.During a featured presentation, the supreme knight

said, “My brother Knights and I are pleased to be here forOneLife — celebrating with you the dignity of everyhuman being at every stage of life. We know that everyhuman being should be loved, respected and aided.”♦

Order Supports Culture of Life Event in Los Angeles

During the OneLife LA celebration Jan. 17, Supreme Knight Carl A.Anderson joins former MLB pitcher Jeff Suppan (left) for a specialpresentation of signed baseballs and hats to a young family whose sonwas born with Down syndrome.


A GATHERING of Special Olympics athletes Jan. 27 wasanimated by the presence of Seattle Seahawks tight endLuke Willson and NFL Hall of Fame offensive tackle An-thony Muñoz. Willson and Muñoz joined the young ath-letes at Nozomi Park in Chandler, Ariz., for a footballskills clinic and flag football game sponsored by the Ari-zona Knights of Columbus, Arizona Special Olympics andCatholic Athletes for Christ.Also present were Muñoz’s son, Michael, a former col-

legiate football player; former Kansas City Chiefs’ wide re-ceiver Chris Horn, who now lives in Phoenix; CatholicAthletes for Christ President Ray McKenna; and ArizonaK of C State Deputy Larry Becker. Five days after the clinic, Willson played in his second

Super Bowl for the Seahawks. Muñoz, who played in twoSuper Bowls for the Cincinnati Bengals, is widely consid-ered to be the greatest offensive lineman of all time.♦

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS


Cardinal George Receives Gaudium et Spes Award

Order Sponsors Football Clinic for Special Olympics

NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz is pictured with a participatingathlete at a Special Olympics football clinic Jan. 27.

CARDINAL FRANCIS E. George,who served as archbishop of Chicagofor more than 15 years until his re-tirement in 2014, became the 11threcipient of the Order’s highesthonor, the Gaudium et Spes Award,in Chicago Jan. 30.A member of the Knights of

Columbus since 1991, CardinalGeorge served as state chaplain for thestate of Washington and later as hostordinary for the Knights of ColumbusSupreme Convention in Chicago in2005. The cardinal also presided overthe Knights’ Eucharistic Congress fol-lowing that convention and was akeynote speaker at the 2002 and 2009Supreme Conventions.Cardinal George’s successor, Arch-

bishop Blase J. Cupich, gave the in-vocation at the Jan. 30 luncheon,while Supreme Chaplain ArchbishopWilliam E. Lori of Baltimore read theaward’s citation. It stated, in part,“For his courage and strength, and forhis long and selfless service to theChurch and her people, the Knightsof Columbus is honored to pay trib-ute to a faithful shepherd and pro-found teacher of the faith.”

Presenting the award, SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson added, “In hisbrilliant speeches, homilies, letters andbooks, and in the brave witness to thefaith that he has shown to the world —in sickness and in health — CardinalGeorge has proven over and over againto be one of the leading voices in theCatholic Church in the United States.”

The Gaudium et Spes Award,named after the Second VaticanCouncil’s Pastoral Constitution on theChurch in the Modern World, was es-tablished by the Knights of Columbusin 1992. Previous honorees includeBlessed Teresa of Kolkata, l’Archefounder Jean Vanier and CardinalJohn O’Connor of New York.♦

Cardinal Francis E. George, retired archbishop of Chicago, speaks to media Jan. 30 in Chicagoafter receiving the Gaudium et Spes Award from the Knights of Columbus.

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Sustaining Hope in Haiti

Five years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a Knights of Columbus initiative continues to transform lives

by Tom Tracy and Columbia staff

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It was just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2010, when a magnitude7 earthquake struck approximately 15 miles outside theHaitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The results were catastrophic— walls began to buckle and buildings collapsed, burying res-idents under tons of rubble. As many as 300,000 people wereinjured and 1.5 million left homeless, while death toll esti-mates have varied from 80,000 to more than 300,000 people. Among the survivors were Mackenson Pierre and Wilfrid

Macena. Pierre spent three days buried beneath a collapsedschool building before rescuers pulled him from the debris,while Macena struggled for more than a week to find a doctorafter a fallen wall fractured his leg. Stories like these abound among earthquake victims. Already

the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti lackedinfrastructure and the medical resources needed to help sur-

vivors. Eventually, health care personnel and volunteers beganto arrive as part of an urgent humanitarian response — butnot before many Haitians lost limbs because amputation be-came the only medical recourse. In partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission and the

University of Miami-affiliated Project Medishare, the Knightsof Columbus was among the organizations to offer assistance.As a result of the Order’s support, a sustainable prosthetics andrehabilitation program named Healing Haiti’s Children con-tinues to serve the Haitian people today, more than five yearsafter the tragic earthquake.Pierre and Macena, who were among the more than 1,000

residents who received prostheses through the program, re-count their stories in a K of C-produced documentary titledUnbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in Haiti, which pre-miered at film festivals last fall (see sidebar). In January, duringa Vatican meeting in observance of the fifth anniversary of theearthquake, Pope Francis received the two men in audience,along with representatives from the Knights, Project Medishareand various Catholic institutions. Addressing those who have provided aid to the Haitian peo-

ple, Pope Francis thanked God for fostering in them “a desireto be close to their neighbor and to follow in this manner thelaw of charity which is the heart of the Gospel.”

A NEW PARTNERSHIPIn the months following the earthquake, many awaited hu-manitarian aid that had been promised but was slow to arrivedue to government-related delays and a lack of coordinationamong NGOs. For its part, the Knights of Columbus contributed more

than $400,000 from state and local councils toward relief ef-forts within four weeks of the disaster. In April 2010, SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson personally led a team of Knights todeliver 1,000 wheelchairs to people in need. Amid the distri-bution, which was organized in partnership with the GlobalWheelchair Mission, it quickly became clear that additionalsupport was needed, since upward of 2,500 people had lostarms or legs in the wake of the earthquake.In response, the Order launched Healing Haiti’s Children in

October 2010, a program to provide prosthetic devices to youngpeople whose limbs had been amputated. Establishing a newpartnership with Project Medishare, the Knights committed $1million to give every child free prosthetic devices over two years,refitting the devices as the children grew. The initiative got aboost through nationwide TV commercials later that year.The Challenged Athletes Foundation also became involved

with the initiative, working to rehabilitate patients so that


Formerly a welder by trade, Wilfrid Macena now works with ProjectMedishare as a prosthetic and rehabilitation technician in Port-au-Prince,Haiti. After losing his leg in the aftermath of the 2010 Haitian earthquake,Macena received his own prosthetic limb through the K of C-sponsored Heal-ing Haiti’s Children initiative.


they might achieve the highest level of physical performancepossible.“I saw a career’s worth of amputees in five or six months. It’s

an amazing feat that out of something horrible comes some-thing so good,” said Jason Miller, a Louisiana native who servesas Project Medishare’s in-country rehab director in Haiti.Miller came to Haiti for a two-month commitment that

eventually grew into a four-year labor of love. In that time, theKnights of Columbus and Project Medishare worked to estab-lish a state-of-the-art prosthetics and orthotics laboratory inPort-au-Prince. A key part of the initiative’s success has beenits emphasis on long-term sustainability, training Haitians like

Macena to become prosthetic and rehabilitation technicians.Today the facility is not only stable, but thriving, sometimesin unpredictable ways.Within a year of the earthquake, Macena and his co-

worker, Cedieu Fortilus, recognized an opportunity to sharetheir newfound hope with others by establishing an amputeesoccer team.The team is named Zaryen, the Creole word for tarantula

— a spider known for its resilience, even after losing a leg. “When the spider loses a leg, life goes on; it can do every-

thing it used to,” Macena said. “That’s the lesson for all am-putees in Haiti.”Each team member received treatment, prosthetic limbs and

athletic training. The team’s logo — a seven-legged spiderwoven into three pentagon-shaped soccer patches — is a sym-bol of their commitment to overcome disabilities.In October 2011, 10 members of Team Zaryen visited

Washington D.C., and the Northeastern United States tospread a message of hope to wounded veterans, students, po-litical figures, professional athletes and others. During the K of C-sponsored tour, the team visited the Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center in Bethesda, Md. There, the athletes met withsome of the more than 1,500 U.S. soldiers who have lost limbsin combat since 2001 and even taught them how to play com-petitive soccer on crutches. It was a way for the Haitians tothank the U.S. military for coming to their aid following theearthquake.

FIVE YEARS LATERToday, the Emilio B. Moure Clinic for Hope, the ProjectMedishare prosthetics lab in Port-au-Prince, represents a nexus

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Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, Dr. Robert Gailey,Jason Miller, Mackenson Pierre and Wilfrid Macena arejust some of the individuals interviewed in the documen-tary Unbreakable: A Story of Hope and Healing in Haiti.Produced by the Knights of Columbus, the film begins inthe immediate wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti andmoves forward to tell the story of how a state-of-the-artprosthetics and orthotics laboratory was established inPort-au-Prince through a partnership between the Knightsof Columbus and the University of Miami-affiliated Proj-ect Medishare.

Unbreakable first premiered at the Portland Film FestivalAug. 30, 2014, and later won the prize for “Most Inspira-tional Documentary” at the DocMiami International FilmFestival Sept. 13. The film was also screened at the NYCIndependent Film Festival Oct. 17 and has been aired onPBS in various markets in 2015.The documentary is now available on DVD and can be

purchased at knightsgear.com or amazon.com. For moreinformation, visit unbreakableinhaiti.com.♦

AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY ON

ORDER’S HAITI INITIATIVE IS NOW AVAILABLE

Then-Supreme Secretary Emilio B. Moure addresses the media with Dr.Robert Gailey (left) of Project Medishare prior to the first shipment ofprosthetic devices to Port-au-Prince in November 2010. Moure, whohelped lead the Healing Haiti’s Children initiative, died of cancer inJuly 2011. The Project Medishare clinic in Port-au-Prince is namedin his honor.



of education and prosthetics and orthotics production not pre-viously available to people in Haiti. Dedicated in honor of thelate supreme secretary of the Knights of Columbus, who wasinstrumental in the program’s development, the facility housesmaterials and equipment, and also serves as a classroom fortraining Haitians who are eligible to be hired as prosthetictechnicians. The clinic serves as an advanced care system for amputees

throughout the country and offers educational and employ-ment opportunities to locals. To date, more than 1,000 youngHaitians have received prosthetic limbs through the programand more than 25,000 people have received additional reha-bilitation services.

Dr. Robert S. Gailey, director of Project Medishare for Haitiand a professor at the University of Miami/Miller School ofMedicine, explained that few of his patients ever express angerat their situation. “These Haitians decided this was God’s fatefor them, and they go on to work at the hospital to take careof other amputees and participate in the soccer team. The re-siliency of the Haitian people is amazing,” he said.

While about half of Team Zaryen’s players were injured dur-ing the earthquake, others were hurt in automobile or work-place accidents. One of the biggest challenges has been helpingto change cultural attitudes in Haiti, which attach a stigma toamputees.“Prior to the earthquake, if you were an amputee you were

shunned from society because in Haiti you have to produce,”said Adam Finnieston, director of prosthetics for ProjectMedishare. “What we’ve done by being down there is that peo-ple contribute and are heroes in some way, and not second-class citizens. I fear [amputees] would slide back into thatsecond-class status if we had not gone.”In a country often dependent on outside help, Healing

Haiti’s Children has addressed the challenge of self-sufficiency.Rather than relying on temporary support from visiting phys-ical therapists and costly foreign-made prosthetics, ProjectMedishare has solicited donations from patients and hastrained local rehabilitation staff. In the end, the Knights pro-vided $1.7 million in funding, which has created a lasting serv-ice that is valued at much more.

Team Zaryen and the U.S. National Amputee Soccer Team compete in a soccer game during the K of C-sponsored Haitian Inspiration Tour in October2011. The five-day tour through the northeastern United States, which included meetings with public officials, schoolchildren and wounded warriors,was a means for the Haitian players to share a message of hope amid difficult circumstances.


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“The thing about the Knights of Columbus is that theydidn’t just come in like all the other NGOs,” Gailey said.“They are in it for the long haul and are creating an infrastruc-ture that will be sustainable into the future.”

LOSS AND RESILIENCEOn Jan. 10, Supreme Knight Anderson and Dr. Gailey at-tended the conference in Rome marking the fifth anniversaryof the Haitian earthquake. Organized by the Pontifical Coun-cil Cor Unum and the Pontifical Commission for Latin Amer-ica and called for by Pope Francis, the gathering focused onthe humanitarian catastrophe and its ongoing impact. Pope Francis used the occasion to affirm the Church’s close-ness to the Haitian people.Addressing conference participants, the Holy Father said, “Iam grateful to all those who in numerous ways came to the aidof the Haitian people following that tragedy which left in itswake so much death, destruction and also desperation.Through the help given to our brothers and sisters in Haiti,we have shown that the Church is a great body, one in whichthe various members care for one another” (cf. 1 Cor 12:25).

Recognizing Pope Francis’ love for soccer, Macena, Pierreand fellow teammate Sandy J. L. Louiseme presented the popewith a Team Zaryen jersey at the conclusion of the papal au-dience. The jersey featured the number 5, indicating the num-ber of years since their lives changed so dramatically.“We are profoundly grateful to the Holy Father for callingthis conference and for remembering the Haitian people, whoare too often forgotten,” said Supreme Knight Anderson. “Themembers of Team Zaryen represent both the loss and the re-silience of the Haitian people, who have both endured andovercome so much since the earthquake.”Looking back on those difficult days following the catas-trophe, Gailey recalled witnessing a hospital full of criticallyinjured patients suddenly break out into song together.“They were thanking God for giving them one more obstaclein which they could demonstrate their love for him,” he said.“I was moved to tears at that. It really speaks to the Haitianpeople — no matter what is thrown at them they continueto survive.”♦

TOM TRACY writes from West Palm Beach, Fla.

Pope Francis receives a Team Zaryen jersey from Wilfrid Macena during a private audience Jan. 10 while Macena’s teammates, Mackenson Pierre (far left)and Sandy J. L. Louiseme, look on. Also present are Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Dr. Robert Gailey, director of rehabilitation for Project Medishare.


FATHERS FOR GOOD

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


When Chase Hilgenbrinck announced in 2008 thathe was leaving Major League Soccer to pursue a

vocation to the priesthood, he expected some shocked re-actions but had no idea how far the tremors would spread.International media outlets carried the story, and manypeople were stunned that a young man would give up ath-letic success for the seminary.

After years of study and spiritual formation at MountSt. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., Hilgenbrinckwas ordained for the Diocese ofPeoria, Ill., on May 24, 2014,and is now assigned to parishministry. A member of LeoCouncil 716 in Carbon Cliff,Ill., Father Hilgenbrinck spokerecently with Columbia corre-spondent Trent Beattie about hisvocational journey.

To read previous coverage ofthen-seminarian Chase Hilgen-brinck, see the May 2011 issue atkofc.org/columbia.

When you decided to leavepro soccer, were you aware ofthe impact it might have onpeople?

I knew it would shock some,but the only people I had in mind were those in my im-mediate circle: family, teammates and other friends. I hadno idea it would reach across the whole country and evenbeyond. After announcing that I was leaving the NewEngland Revolution, I did interviews with USA Today andother secular media outlets. Lots of people were surprisedby the story, and I was surprised by the widespread inter-est in it.

Was seminary life what you expected?When I first entered seminary, I knew as much about

seminaries as anyone else who had never been in one: al-most nothing. I think a lot of people imagine that semi-naries are filled with men in long robes walking downdimly lit hallways with hands clasped in prayer. Of course,there was plenty of prayer, but there were other, moremundane things that took place. The other seminarians

were normal human beings who came from a variety ofbackgrounds: athletics, military, medicine, law, engineer-ing. Not everyone had a clear idea of being a priest fromearly youth, so it was common to have men who pursuedother things before discerning a call to the priesthood.

Did you ever doubt your call once you entered theseminary?

I never did, and here’s why: I wanted to be 100 percentcertain that I was called to the priesthood before I even

started seminary. I did nearly allof my discernment beforehand. Igrew closer to Jesus throughdeeper prayer — especially beforethe Blessed Sacrament — and byreading good Catholic books.

When the idea of becoming apriest first struck me as a realpossibility, which was just aftercollege, I felt a lot of embarrass-ment, pressure and fear. BecauseI had a flawed perception ofmanhood, I didn’t initially findthe priesthood very appealing.When you live in a media-drivenculture that puts forth false ideasabout what brings happiness, it’stough to think and pray yourway out of that.

It was a slow process, but I eventually realized that Goddid have a plan for me, not to be done just out of duty,but because it would bring me true happiness. I under-stood that even if I achieved all of my athletic goals, I stillwouldn’t be truly content. Only following my vocationwould bring authentic satisfaction.

Do you still play soccer?I did play in the seminary, but haven’t been able to do

so since being assigned to my parishes. Obviously, thereare many other aspects of my priestly vocation that aremore important than sports.

However, sports can be a great means of growing invirtue. There can be a valuable connection between sportsand faith if you make the effort.♦

TRENT BEATTIE writes from Seattle, Wash.

The Soccer Star PriestMoving from the sports field to the sanctuary has

brought true happiness for Father Chase Hilgenbrinck

by Trent Beattie

Father Chase Hilgenbrinck is pictured after his ordi-nation in Peoria, Ill., May 24, 2014.


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During his historic visit to the Philippines, the Holy Father brought a message of compassion to millions

by Roy Lagarde

Undeterred by rain and high winds, theunshakable faith of millions of Catholics

was on full display during Pope Francis’ apos-tolic visit to the Philippines Jan. 15-19. Arriving 14 months after the archipelago

nation was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan,the pope’s primary reason for making the tripwas to bring consolation to the families ofvictims and to assure survivors that they hadnot been forgotten. The strongest storm everrecorded to make landfall, Haiyan — knownlocally as Typhoon Yolanda — killed morethan 7,000 people and displaced 4 million.

“When I saw this catastrophe from Rome,I felt I had to be here,” said the pope, wearinga yellow plastic poncho against the peltingrain as he gazed out upon a sea of similarlyclad listeners in Tacloban, the city hit hardestby Haiyan. “I wanted to come to be with you.I’m a little late, it’s true, but I’m here.” The first papal visit to the Philippines in

two decades, Pope Francis’ trip concludedwith a Mass in Manila that drew a record-breaking attendance of more than 6 millionpeople. Over the course of the five-day visit, Pope

Francis praised the heroic strength and gen-erosity demonstrated by so many in the after-math of the typhoon, underscoring the needto live out one’s faith in practical acts of char-

ity, especially to the poor and most vulnerable.He also urged Filipinos to reform social struc-tures that perpetuate poverty and exclusion,to protect families against what he called “ide-ological colonization,” and to serve as mission-aries of love and peace throughout Asia. With more than 332,000 Knights in the

country, these messages struck a deep chordas members have been at the forefront of in-novative recovery programs and efforts tostrengthen family life.

A RESOUNDING WELCOMEGreeted with jubilation upon touching downin Manila, Pope Francis had just spent threedays in Sri Lanka, where he canonized themissionary priest Joseph Vaz, the country’sfirst saint. In contrast to the predominantlyBuddhist Sri Lanka, the Philippines is 86 per-cent Catholic. Nearly a quarter of the popu-lation lives below the poverty line.From his first speech, addressed to Presi-

dent Benigno Aquino III and the Filipino au-thorities and diplomatic corps Jan. 16, PopeFrancis spoke of the need to serve one an-other in love and to embrace the country’smost vulnerable people, especially the poor.After thanking the president for inviting

him to the Philippines, the pope called onFilipinos to defend “the inviolable dignity ofeach human person, respect for the rights ofconscience and religious freedom, and respectfor the inalienable right to life, beginningwith that of the unborn and extending to thatof the elderly and infirm.” He went on tourge leaders to “break the bonds of injustice

The Philippines Embraces

Pope Francis

Pope Francis hugs a formerly homeless girl during ayouth meeting on the campus of Manila’s Santo TomasUniversity Jan. 18. Also pictured is Cardinal LuisAntonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila.


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and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scan-dalous, social inequalities.” Later that morning, Pope Francis met with bishops, priests

and religious at Manila’s recently restored Cathedral of theImmaculate Conception. He reminded them that the sourceof apostolic zeal springs from “a daily encounter with the Lordin prayer,” and challenged them to let their lives “reflect thepoverty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing thewill of the Father and serving others.” Traveling by motorcade through exuberant crowds for his

last event of the day, Pope Francis met with thousands of Fil-ipino families at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. As soonas he arrived, he set aside his prepared remarks in English tospeak in Spanish instead — the first of several occasions hedid so during his trip. A priest assistant provided immediatetranslation to English.“God calls upon us to recognize the dangers threatening

our own families and to protect them from harm,” the popesaid. He cited “growing efforts on the part of some to redefinethe very institution of marriage,” “relativism,” “the culture ofthe ephemeral” and “a lack of openness to life.”Such observations were particularly striking, given recent

controversy in the Philippines over the Supreme Court’s ap-proval last April of the so-called “reproductive health bill.” TheCatholic bishops and Knights of Columbus had actively op-posed the government measure, which mandates and subsidizesthe distribution of contraceptives in public health centers.

SOLIDARITY IN SACRIFICEOn Jan. 17, Pope Francis awoke to the news that the first localtyphoon of 2015 would make landfall on Samar Island laterin the day. The storm called into question whether he shouldrisk making his scheduled flight to the nearby island of Leyte— “ground zero” of Haiyan in November 2013. Thougheventually forced to cut his pastoral visit short by four hours,the pope braved gale-force winds to reach the principal desti-nation of his apostolic journey. Arriving at Tacloban airport, where between 200,000 to

300,000 people had waited for hours in the rain and mud,Pope Francis immediately donned a poncho and insisted onholding an open-air Mass as planned.“I’m here to show solidarity,” the pope said. “If the people sac-

rificed under the rain, why should the pastor not be with them?” After Mass, in which he cast aside his prepared text and

preached a brief yet moving homily in Spanish, the pope hadlunch with 30 victims of Typhoon Haiyan, who shared withhim their stories of loss.“I’ll never forget the face of the Holy Father listening to

each one,” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop ofManila, later recounted during a press conference.“You could see the Holy Father just shaking his head,” said

the cardinal, who is a Knight of Columbus and a formerColumbian Squire. “I thought he would repeat the centralmessage of his homily, but before these 30 people he himselfwas reduced to silence.”

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Pope Francis visits with young residents of a home for former street children in Manila during an unscheduled visit following a Mass with bishops,priests and religious Jan. 16.


EDITOR’S NOTE: The following text is excerpted from the addressPope Francis gave during a Jan. 16 meeting with families at theMall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. It is reprinted herewith permission of Libreria Editrice Vaticana in anticipation ofthe feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, March 19.

THE SCRIPTURES seldom speak of St. Joseph, but when theydo, we often find him resting, as an angel reveals God’s will tohim in his dreams. In the Gospel passage we have just heard, wefind Joseph resting not once, but twice [cf. Mt 2:13, 2:19]. …Today I am resting with you, and together with you I would liketo reflect on the gift of the family.I am very fond of dreams in families. For nine months every

mother and father dream about their baby. Am I right? Theydream about what kind of child he or she will be. You can’t havea family without dreams. Once a family loses the ability todream, children do not grow; love does not grow; life shrivelsup and dies. So I ask you each evening, when you make your

examination of conscience, to also ask yourselves this question:Today did I dream about my children’s future? Today did Idream about the love of my husband, my wife? Did I dream

THE NOBLE VOCATION OF THE FAMILY

Pope Francis urges us to follow the example of St. Joseph and protect the gift of family life

After lunch, the pope had been scheduled to bless a newPope Francis Center in nearby Palo, but the impending stormforced the papal blessing to take place in unorthodox fashion— from the popemobile — as he pulled up in front of thecenter before speeding off to an abbreviated meeting at thecathedral and then on to the airport.It was at the Pope Francis Center that Archbishop John Du

of Palo had arranged for the pope to bless boats from theKnights of Columbus Livelihood Project. Three boats withthe emblem of the Order were placed on the grounds of thenew center, but the pope did not have time to walk by andbless them as planned. Supported by the Supreme Council,the Livelihood Project has provided 200 motorized boats,constructed by local builders, to fishermen who lost their ves-sels in Haiyan.“The project helped restart two key segments of the island’s

economy, allowing hundreds of craftsman and fishermen toreturn to work and support their families,” said SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson. “These relief efforts exemplify whatKnights do every day — help their neighbors in need.”In honor of the pope’s visit, the Supreme Council also do-

nated $200,000 to the Archdiocese of Palo to rebuild St. Johnthe Evangelist School of Theology, the major seminary thatwas destroyed by the 2013 typhoon.

‘TO LEARN TO LOVE’On his last full day in the Philippines, the pope shattered therecord for attendance at a papal event, surpassing the 5 mil-lion mark set by St. John Paul II at the very same location

during World Youth Day 1995. Pope Francis’ closing Mass in Rizal Park was celebrated on

the feast of Santo Niño — the Holy Child Jesus — a devotionthat has deep roots in Filipino life and culture. Many in thecrowd held statues of the Christ child, and the Gospel readat Mass related the words of Jesus that his followers must ac-cept the kingdom of God with a child’s humble heart.During his homily, Pope Francis called the Philippines “the

foremost Catholic country in Asia,” pointing out that “this isitself a special gift of God, a special blessing. But it is also avocation. Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionariesof the faith in Asia.”The country is blessed with youth, he said, and he urged

Filipinos to keep alive their strong family spirit by welcomingchildren with love, concern and care for their welfare.Earlier, the pope spent the morning at a lively youth en-

counter at the University of Santo Tomas. More than 60Columbian Squires participated in the program’s prayers andsongs.Once again, the pope dispensed with prepared remarks in

order to personally address questions from young participants.In response to a tearful question by Glyzelle Palomar, a 12-year-old former homeless girl, about why children suffer, PopeFrancis replied that he could not explain with words. “Certain realities in life can only be seen through eyes

cleansed by tears,” he said. “I invite each one of you here toask yourself, ‘Have I learned to weep and cry when I see achild cast aside, when I see someone with a drug problem,when I see someone who has suffered abuse?’”


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about my parents and grandparents who have gone before me?Dreaming is very important. Especially dreaming in families.Do not lose this ability to dream!Joseph’s rest revealed God’s will to him. … Rest is so necessary

for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult toachieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is alsoessential for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God’s voiceand understand what he asks of us. Joseph was chosen by Godto be the foster father of Jesus and the husbandof Mary. As Christians, you too are called, likeJoseph, to make a home for Jesus. To make ahome for Jesus! You make a home for him inyour hearts, your families, your parishes andyour communities.To hear and accept God’s call, to make a

home for Jesus, you must be able to rest in theLord. You must make time each day to rest inthe Lord, to pray. … Resting in prayer is especially importantfor families. It is in the family that we first learn how to pray.Don’t forget: the family that prays together stays together! Thisis important. [In the family,] we come to know God, to growinto men and women of faith, to see ourselves as members ofGod’s greater family, the Church. …I would also like to tell you something very personal. I have

great love for St. Joseph, because he is a man of silence and

strength. On my table I have an image of St. Joseph sleeping.Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! Yes!We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a dif-ficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph,so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: Prayfor this problem!Those precious moments of repose, of resting with the Lord

in prayer, are moments we might wish to prolong. But like St.Joseph, once we have heard God’s voice, wemust rise from our slumber; we must get upand act (cf. Rom 13:11). In our families, wehave to get up and act! Faith does not removeus from the world, but draws us more deeplyinto it. This is very important! We have to bedeeply engaged with the world, but with thepower of prayer. Each of us, in fact, has a spe-cial role in preparing for the coming of God’s

kingdom in our world.Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to St. Joseph,

so the gift of the family and its place in God’s plan is entrustedto us. … The angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the dangerswhich threatened Jesus and Mary, forcing them to flee to Egyptand then to settle in Nazareth. So too, in our time, God callsupon us to recognize the dangers threatening our own familiesand to protect them from harm.

He added, “What is the most important subject that youhave to learn in university? What is the most important sub-ject you learn in life? To learn to love. This is the challengethat life offers you.”Recalling the event, Jose Cuaresma, Squires chairman for

the Luzon jurisdiction, said the meeting will have a great im-pact in the lives of Squires and young Knights. “The message

we heard from the pope was: Learn to begfor God’s mercy and be open to give andreceive love,” Cuaresma said. “As we arecalled to serve and evangelize others, wewill make this an opportunity to evangelizeourselves as well.”Luzon Deputy Arsenio Isidro G. Yap was

likewise grateful for the gift of the pope’swhirlwind visit and eager to live out theHoly Father’s message. “Pope Francis’ pres-ence gives us hope and strengthens ourfaith a hundred- if not a thousandfold,”Yap said. “We pray that Pope Francis’ visitwill also make us a nation that is able to

show mercy and compassion to the least of our brethren.” Additional reporting by Andrew J. Matt and Brian

Caulfield.♦

ROY LAGARDE is a staff writer and photojournalist in the mediaoffice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and amember of Manila Council 1000.

Young women pray in the rain during the open-airMass celebrated by Pope Francis Jan. 17 in TacloblanCity, “ground zero” of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

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“The future passesthrough the family.

So protect yourfamilies!”



Let us be on guard against colonization by new ideologies.There are forms of ideological colonization that are out to destroythe family. They are not born of dreams, of prayers, of closenessto God or the mission which God gave us; they come from with-out. Let’s not lose the freedom of the mission that God has givenus, the mission of the family. Just as our peoples, at a certain mo-ment of their history, were mature enough to say “no” to all formsof political colonization, so too in our families we need to be verywise, very shrewd, very strong, in order to say “no” to all attemptsat an ideological colonization of our families. We need to ask St.Joseph, the friend of the angel, to send us the inspiration to knowwhen we can say “yes” and when we have to say “no.”

The pressures on family life today are many. … While all toomany people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in mate-rialism and lifestyles that are destructive of family life and themost basic demands of Christian morality. These are forms ofideological colonization. The family is also threatened by grow-ing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institutionof marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by alack of openness to life.

I think of Blessed Paul VI. At a time when the problem ofpopulation growth was being raised, he had the courage todefend openness to life in families. He knew the difficultiesthat are there in every family, and so in his encyclical [Hu-manae Vitae] he was very merciful. But he also had a broader

vision: He looked at the peoples of the earth and he saw thatfamilies were threatened with destruction by the lack of chil-dren. Paul VI was courageous; he was a good pastor and hewarned his flock of the wolves who were coming.

Our world needs good and strong families to overcome thesethreats! The Philippines needs holy and loving families to pro-tect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and tobe a support and example for other families. Every threat tothe family is a threat to society itself. The future of humanity,as St. John Paul II often said, passes through the family (cf.Familiaris Consortio, 85).

The future passes through the family. So protect your families!Protect your families! See in them your country’s greatest treas-ure and nourish them always by prayer and the grace of thesacraments. Families will always have their trials, but may younever add to them! Instead, be living examples of love, forgive-ness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming thesacredness of every human life from conception to natural death.What a gift this would be to society, if every Christian familylived fully its noble vocation! So rise with Jesus and Mary, andset out on the path the Lord traces for each of you. …

Do not forget: Families find their rest in prayer. Do not for-get to pray for families. Pray often and take the fruits of yourprayer into the world, that all may know Jesus Christ and hismerciful love.♦

More than 6 million faithful attend Pope Francis’ closing Mass in Rizal Park, Manila, Jan. 18. The Mass was the largest papal event in history,surpassing the 1995 World Youth Day Mass celebrated by St. John Paul II, which drew 5 million to the same location.

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THIS IS THE SIXTH MONTH OF BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH: THE FAMILY FULLY ALIVE, A K OF C INITIATIVE FOR FAMILIES.

Family Project

Invite the families of your children’s friends to join youin a pilgrimage to a religious site. A pilgrimage is a journeya person or a group makes to a sacred place for the purposeof renewing one’s relationship with God through prayeror asking God for special graces. During your pilgrimageconsider: • Praying for your families to grow closer to God

through the journey• Discussing how the destination is important to the

faith of each participant• Contemplating how any suffering experienced helps a

pilgrim to know God

Psalm of the Month (Psalm 78:1-7)

Pray the Psalm of the Month during every Sundayof the month at your family prayer space. On the lastSunday of the month, discuss as a family which versestood out most for each member.

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;incline your ears to the words of my mouth!I will open my mouth in a parable;things that we have heard and known,that our fathers have told us.We will not hide them from their children,but tell to the coming generationthe glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,and the wonders which he has wrought.He established a testimony in Jacob,and appointed a law in Israel,which he commanded our fathersto teach to their children;that the next generation might know them,the children yet unborn,and arise and tell them to their children,so that they should set their hope in God,and not forget the works of God,but keep his commandments.

TO EDUCATE MEANS to teach the very art of life, theart of humanity. Children are called to something greaterthan themselves and will realize this through their rela-tionship with others. Education involves helping a childbecome not only a good student, but also a good son ordaughter, a good brother or sister and a good friend. Thechild is thereby prepared to embrace his or her vocationand become a good husband or wife, or a good priest orconsecrated religious.Parents are the primary educators of their children. Ex-

tended families, schools, the larger community and societyas a whole are called to collaborate in this great mission.

MARCHBecause parents are called to be theprimary educators of their children,they rejoice in teaching them the artof living.

Council-Wide Event: Movie Night

March’s movie recommendation is Pinocchio. Before themovie begins, ask your families to share their experiences aspilgrims to a sacred place.

Bring Song Into Your Home

Jesus, Remember Me (Taizé chant)Jesus, remember me,

When you come into your Kingdom.


BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH


FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LIST OF MONTHLY THEMES AND MEDITATIONS, VISIT KOFC.ORG/DOMESTICCHURCH.

The Knights of Columbus hasproudly partnered with SpecialOlympics since the first internationalsummer games in 1968, and the Orderwill also be a major sponsor of the Spe-cial Olympics World Summer Games2015 in Los Angeles later this year.

Special Olympics is nearly unpar-alleled in its mission to show the in-trinsic worth and dignity of everysingle human being, and it onlytakes a few moments’ interactionwith Special Olympics athletes to beinspired.

While Special Olympics has grown inrecent years, the organization still needscontinued support. Your family can be-come involved in a variety of ways:

• Work with council and localfundraisers to help collect neededfunds to support Special Olympicsathletes and programs.

• Volunteer as a family for SpecialOlympics. The best way to start is tofind the Special Olympics office near-est to you.

• If you or someone in your familyhas specialized training as a health careprofessional, Special Olympics can useyour help in ensuring athletes remainhealthy and safe.

• Along with these volunteer op-portunities, Special Olympics also has

unique opportunities for high schooland college students.

For more information on how toget involved as a volunteer, coach orofficial, visit specialolympics.org andclick the “Get Involved” tab.

Special Olympics World Games Global Messengers Caley Versfelt and Marco Martinez speak tothe press at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum July 14, 2014. At the press conference, theKnights of Columbus was named a Founding Champion of the 2015 World Summer Games.

Volunteering Together Project: Special Olympics

Meditation

The Christian family constitutes a specific revelationand realization of ecclesial communion, and for thisreason too it can and should be called “the domesticchurch.”

All members of the family, each according to his orher own gift, have the grace and responsibility of build-ing, day by day, the communion of persons, making thefamily “a school of deeper humanity”: this happenswhere there is care and love for the little ones, the sick,the aged; where there is mutual service every day; whenthere is a sharing of goods, of joys and of sorrows.

A fundamental opportunity for building such a com-munion is constituted by the educational exchange be-tween parents and children in which each gives andreceives. By means of love, respect and obedience to-ward their parents, children offer their specific and ir-replaceable contribution to the construction of anauthentically human and Christian family. They will be

aided in this if parents exercise their unrenounceableauthority as a true and proper “ministry,” that is, as aservice to the human and Christian well-being of theirchildren, and in particular as a service aimed at helpingthem acquire a truly responsible freedom, and if parentsmaintain a living awareness of the “gift” they continu-ally receive from their children.

— St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 21

Questions for Reflection

1. What are some similarities between how we learn tolive in the family and how we learn to live in the Church? 2. What are some differences between living in a shal-low way and living in a more deeply human way? 3. Realizing that God has not only given us life, but alsoparticular family relationships, how do we all give andreceive from each other? 4. What are some of the “graces and responsibilities”that I have to contribute to making our family moreChristian and more human?

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With more than $97 billion of life insurance in forceand managing $20 billion in assets, the Knights of

Columbus has been a pillar of financial strength for itsmembers and their families. Managing the assets of theKnights’ top-rated life insurance program, the Order’s in-vestment staff screens portfolios in light of Catholic teach-ings and has generated positive investment results for theinsurance program.Beginning this month, the Order will offer similar invest-

ment strategies to Catholic institutions, making a series ofproducts available to them through a new registered investmentadvisor subsidiary, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC.Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson recently spoke with Colum-bia Editor Alton J. Pelowski about the launch of the K of CAsset Advisors and how it will benefit the Order and thebroader Catholic community.

COLUMBIA: How are the Order’s life insurance products re-lated to the mission of the Knights of Columbus?

SUPREME KNIGHT: From the very beginning, FatherMichael J. McGivney conceived of a fraternal benefit societyto support the Catholic community, and the Knights ofColumbus has taken seriously the responsibility of securingthe financial future of our members and their families. Fa-ther McGivney’s founding vision continued to be an inspi-ration as the Order grew and adopted a modern lifeinsurance program. Today, the Knights of Columbus is among the largest com-

panies in America, as ranked on the Fortune 1000 list. Fornearly 40 consecutive years, we have earned the highest ratingfrom A.M. Best, citing our impressive financial and fraternalstrength. In addition, the Order has been named a World’sMost Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute — oneof only two such companies in the life insurance category. At the foundation of these achievements, there has always

been an acute sense that we do not view our clients merely ascustomers. Rather, we recognize them as fraternal brothers,

and that is a distinction that makes a great difference. Ourapproach puts our brother Knights and their families beforeprofits and requires us to manage all of the associated risksaccordingly.

COLUMBIA: And the Order’s approach to investments istied to its mission as well?

SUPREME KNIGHT: Yes, our insurance program and invest-ment philosophy relate to the fraternal vocation of everyKnight and to the paternal responsibility of the Order as awhole. By “paternal,” I do not mean “paternalistic” and thenegative connotations of that term. Rather, I am referring tothe authentic vocation of fathers, which is to serve and protecttheir families. Pope Francis referred to this vocation in his inaugural hom-

ily on March 19, 2013, when he reflected on St. Joseph, whohe said “exercises his role as protector … with an unfailingpresence and utter fidelity.” Pope Francis has also spokenabout the grace of fatherhood and “spiritual paternity,” whichis realized in the defense of others. Just as a father has a special vocation to protect his family,

the Knights of Columbus has a special vocation to protect ourmembers and their families, who have entrusted their futurefinancial security to us through our insurance program or an-nuity program. As a distinctly Catholic organization, the Order’s responsibil-

ity to defend and protect also goes beyond its individual mem-bers and their families. In a particular way, Knights are called towitness to the virtue of charity and to build up the Church.

COLUMBIA: How does this Catholic identity affect the kindof things that the Order chooses to invest in?

SUPREME KNIGHT: Companies involved with funding thingssuch as abortion, contraception, pornography, embryonicstem-cell research and human cloning are eliminated from theKnights of Columbus insurance program portfolios. There isno minimum revenue test, meaning that as little as one penny

INVESTING in the CHURCHwith KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUSASSET ADVISORS

An interview with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson about a new initiative of the Knights of Columbus

by Alton J. Pelowski



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of revenue from any of those sources eliminates a companyfrom further consideration.

Our investment team has been managing screened portfo-lios on behalf of the insurance program for many years, andhas achieved positive financial returns for our insurance andannuity portfolios while fully adhering to Catholic teachings.

COLUMBIA: With that having been said, what is Knightsof Columbus Asset Advisors?SUPREME KNIGHT: Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors

has been established to expand the scope of the Order’s in-vestments program. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of theKnights of Columbus that is largely comprised of our cur-rent investment staff. Up until now, our investment staff hasbeen structured as a “captive investment firm.” In otherwords, our people have managed assets only for the Order,and at the same time we “outsource” very little investmentdecision-making to others. With K of C Asset Advisors, wewill now be an SEC-registered investment advisor with thecapacity to manage capital for Catholic institutions unaffil-iated with the Order.

K of C Asset Advisors will be responsible for managingthe insurance and annuity assets for our members, and itwill also have investment products available to other insti-tutional investors, including Catholic dioceses, hospitals,parishes and schools.

COLUMBIA: How did this program come about? Whylaunch it now?SUPREME KNIGHT: In its service to the Church, the Knights

of Columbus has long included among its investments thesupport of capital projects in various dioceses and parishes.The first investment of this kind took place in 1896, whenthe Supreme Council provided a loan to St. Rose of LimaChurch in Meriden, Conn. Our ChurchLoan program hasapproved more than $600 million of low-interest loans toCatholic churches and schools, and currently includes morethan 100 active accounts.

Over the years, many Catholic institutions have also ap-proached the Knights of Columbus about the possibility ofmanaging their assets. In our analysis, we have found thatthere is a large institutional Catholic marketplace that is

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson is pictured in his office at the Knights of Columbus headquarters in New Haven, Conn. The supreme knight servesas CEO of Knights of Columbus Insurance, the assets of which are invested according to faith-based, ethical principles.


24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ M A R C H 2 0 1 5

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highly fragmented, meaningthere are a large number of smallproviders. And one of the biggestchallenges confronting Catholicinstitutional investors is the verysmall number of Catholic-screened products that they caninvest in. Given the size and scaleof managing the Knights of Columbus general account, webelieve that K of C Asset Advisors will be in a unique posi-tion to provide a high quality service to institutions that seeksecurity, stability and Catholic-screened investment options.

COLUMBIA: What kinds of investment products and serv-ices will be offered?SUPREME KNIGHT:We expect that at its launch, K of C Asset

Advisors will offer both fixed-income and equity mutualfunds. The strategies for these funds will be consistent withthose used by the investment team on behalf of our insurance

program. And very importantly,these funds will comply withCatholic moral teaching. K of C Asset Advisors may also

offer investment advisory andother services to certain cus-tomers in a separate account.Additionally, certain customers

will be offered an “outsourced chief investment officer”strategy through which it will partner with Catholic insti-tutions to develop goals and objectives and allocate assets ina manner designed to achieve those goals.

COLUMBIA: Will these funds be available to individuals?SUPREME KNIGHT: Initially, the mutual funds are expected

to be available only to institutions. However, employees of in-stitutional investors may have access to the funds via 401(k)and similar types of savings plans, providing a Catholic-screened option that was not previously available to them.

“K OF C ASSET ADVISORS WILL BE

IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO PROVIDE

A HIGH QUALITY SERVICE TO INSTI-

TUTIONS THAT SEEK SECURITY,

STABILITY AND CATHOLIC-SCREENED

INVESTMENT OPTIONS.”



COLUMBIA: Is there anything else that members of theKnights should know about Knights of Columbus AssetAdvisors? SUPREME KNIGHT: The service and dedication that insurance

members have received from our dedicated field force ofagents and committed investments team will be unchanged.We will continue to proudly offer products “by brotherKnights, for brother Knights.”Extending our proven, Catholic-screened investment strate-

gies to other Catholic institutions through K of C Asset Advi-sors will simply be an opportunity for the Order to strengthenand support Catholic communities. In the future, I believe thiswill become one of the great services the Knights of Columbuscan make to the financial health and sustainability of our dio-ceses, parishes, religious communities, schools, colleges andhealth care facilities. It makes sense for us to do so, since mem-bers of the Order are, first and foremost, members of the Bodyof Christ, and the vitality of our Church is directly related tothe vitality of the Knights of Columbus.♦

Catholic Values, Catholic Screening, Catholic MissionThe Catholic community has typically been served by invest-ment managers focused on broad business goals, rather thanon a Catholic mission. However, the Knights of Columbusbelieves that a Catholic firm steeped in traditional values anda long history of investment expertise can offer a more com-pelling solution for Catholic entities.To this end, the Knights of Columbus is now giving insti-

tutional investors access to the Order’s investment enginethrough Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors. This whollyowned subsidiary of the Knights of Columbus is introducinga range of new fixed-income and equity opportunities forCatholic institutions.

Part of the Largest Catholic Lay Organization• K of C Asset Advisors is the investment arm of the Knightsof Columbus, one of the 50 largest life insurance companiesin the United States and a Fortune 1000 company.• The Order has had a consistent track record of growth andsuccess with its insurance, annuity and Catholic lending busi-nesses, managing approximately $20 billion in fixed-incomestrategies.• The strategies that will be offered to Catholic institutionalinvestors through K of C Asset Advisors are modeled on thosemanaged for Knights of Columbus Insurance.• The Knights of Columbus is a respected organization withestablished financial stability. It has been recognized as aWorld’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute,and ratings agencies have for decades cited the Order’s invest-ment process as being conservative.

Why K of C Asset Advisors?

Catholic Compliance • All of the strategies are screened for compliance with theU.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.• Separate accounts can be managed to meet specific screen-ing criteria.

Value with Values• K of C Asset Advisors will offer investment solutions at feelevels below industry averages.

Accessibility• Regardless of the size of your Catholic organization, theKnights of Columbus can offer access to the type of investmentsolutions usually reserved for large, institutional investors.

Aligned Interests• K of C Asset Advisors shares its clients’ Catholic ideals andhelps Catholic institutions to grow as faithful stewards.

Chief Investment Officer Anthony V. Minopoli (standing right)and members of the Knights of Columbus investment team workin the trading room at the Order’s headquarters.


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Many have observed that contemporary Europe is goingthrough a deep spiritual crisis. Even St. John Paul II, the

tireless “witness to hope,” wrote about the “dimming of hope” inhis 2003 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Europa.Much of Europe has lost its Christian memory, the pope ex-

plained. “Without spiritual roots,” he said, many are “like heirs whohave squandered a patrimony entrusted to them by history” (7).This cultural diagnosis is key to understanding the “One of Us”

initiative, the largest citizens’ pe-tition in the history of the Euro-pean Union. In February 2014,One of Us representatives pre-sented a petition — signed bynearly 2 million citizens — toprotect unborn human life bybanning EU funding of embryo-destructive research. Amid a secu-larized Europe whose permissiveabortion laws continue to pro-mote what Pope Francis has calleda “throwaway” culture, the One ofUs initiative emerged as a beaconof hope for human dignity. Although the European Com-

mission vetoed the petition onMay 28, 2014, organizers of theinitiative remain confident in the long-term success of theircause, having galvanized a transcontinental movement of pro-life organizations.

IN DEFENSE OF THE DEFENSELESSSince its creation in 1993, the EU has been widely criticized forits democratic deficit. In order to give citizens more say in the leg-islative process, the EU established the European Citizens’ Initia-tive (ECI) in February 2011, allowing EU citizens to introducelegislative proposals via petition. To qualify, petitioners are re-quired to collect a minimum of 1 million signatures from citizensin at least 7 of the 28 member states. These ECI petitions are thenreviewed by the European Commission and, if approved, are for-warded to the European Parliament as a proposed legal action.

“The ECI mechanism aims to open the EU to citizen partici-pation and to strengthen its democratic legitimacy,” explainedGrégor Puppinck, president of the One of Us Citizens’ Commit-

tee and director of the European Centre for Law and Justice inStrasbourg, France.Authors of the One of Us petition grounded their proposal in

the 2011 Brüstle v. Greenpeace ruling by the European Court ofJustice, which defined the embryo as “the beginning of human de-velopment.” Based on this definition, the petition that was pre-sented May 11, 2012, by One of Us representatives stated that “theEU should establish a ban and end the financing of activities which

presuppose the destruction ofhuman embryos, in particular inthe areas of research, develop-ment aid and public health.”Officially launched January

2013, the One of Us petitiondrive gathered together people ofgoodwill in recognizing the in-alienable dignity of human lifefrom conception to natural death.Italian Member of the EuropeanParliament Carlo Casini, a formerjudge and president of the largestpro-life group in Italy, began theinitiative with the aid of Msgr.Piotr Mazurkiewicz of the Pontif-ical Council for the Family. Though nonsectarian in na-

ture, the initiative received particularly strong encouragement fromthe Catholic Church. Notably, Pope Benedict XVI drew attentionto it in early February 2013: “I wish every success to the initiativecalled ‘Uno di noi’ [One of Us], so that Europe may always be aplace where the dignity of every human being is protected.”Momentum for the petition drive was strengthened when the

first One of Us Congress was held in Kraków, Poland, the follow-ing November. The international meeting was attended by Oneof Us representatives from all 28 EU countries and received fi-nancial support from the Knights of Columbus in Poland.Past State Deputy Krzysztof Orzechowski of Poland said, “De-

fense of the defenseless — those who do not even have the rightto express their arguments — is one of the key activities ofchivalry. So with great joy we joined this initiative.” Enthusiasm for One of Us continued to grow, and the success

of the petition surpassed all expectations. In just over a year, Oneof Us nearly doubled the required number of signatures — with

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The Revitalization of EuropeThe largest petition in European history has led to

the rebirth of the pro-life movement on the Old Continent

by Krzysztof Mazur

At a February 2013 press conference in Warsaw, JakubBałtroszewicz, coordinator of the One of Us committee in Poland,discusses the launch of the EU-wide pro-life petition drive.



more than 1.8 million — while the required minimum of signa-tures was exceeded in 20 out of 28 EU countries.Following the submission of the petition in February 2014, a

public hearing took place before the European Parliament in Brus-sels April 10, 2014. In a packed chamber, representatives of theinitiative presented the ethical and legal basis for their cause.Though their case met with vehement opposition from secularistorganizations, One of Us also garnered support from a broad spec-trum of European politicians.On April 11, 2014, the day after the public hearing, Pope Fran-

cis singled out the initiative in remarks to the Italian Pro-LifeMovement: “May the Lord sustain the work you carry out as pro-life help centers and as the movement for life, especially the project‘One of Us.’”

THE FUTURE OF ‘ONE OF US’Despite the success of the initiative and its far-reaching support,the European Commission vetoed the One of Us petition on May28, 2014. The commission simply declared that European fund-ing of research programs on human embryos was “in full accor-dance with the EU Treaties and the Charter of FundamentalRights of the European Union,” disregarding the fact that EUfunds are being used for embryonic stem-cell research in severalEU states where such practices are illegal. In a press release at the time, the One of Us Executive Board ex-

pressed strong indignation, decrying the decision as a “travesty” andcalling it “contrary to the principle of ‘participatory democracy.’”“Rejection by the committee was arbitrary and without any

legal justification,” Puppinck said. “It undermined the credibilityof the ECI.”

Jakub Bałtroszewicz, coordinator of the Polish One of Us com-mittee, observed that the commission is not interested in allowingcitizens to make a real impact on European law. “Changes are pos-sible only if they are in line with the position of the commissionitself,” he said.Despite disappointment with the decision, One of Us leaders

viewed it as a temporary setback rather than the end of their ini-tiative. Coinciding with the May 2014 outcome came the resultsof general elections across Europe, bringing with it the hope thatthe next appointed commission would be more receptive to pro-tecting human life at all stages.“One of Us mobilized countless people in all EU member

states and showed that many more people hold pro-life positionsthan expected,” explained the initiative’s Austrian coordinator,Gudrun Kugler. “Socially and politically, this group must beviewed as one of the biggest pan-European interest groups, andwe will certainly not be silent in the future.”One sign of hope has been the transformation of the grassroots

One of Us initiative into the One of Us Federation for Life andHuman Dignity, composed of 29 European entities in 16 EUcountries. Regardless of legislative hurdles in the short term, thehope of the federation and a host of other like-minded organiza-tions across Europe is to grow stronger as an international move-ment, fostering an enduring culture of life.“I see the movement One of Us has inspired as part of the ful-

fillment of John Paul II’s dream for human dignity,” said Orze-chowski. “We must help Europe recover its soul.”♦

KRZYSZTOF MAZUR is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Council15128 in Kraków, Poland.

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Portuguese young people show support for the One of Us initiative during a pro-life rally before Portugal’s fourth annual March for Life in Lisbon Oct. 5, 2013.


28 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ M A R C H 2 0 1 5

UNITED MILITARY CARE

Our Lady of La SaletteCouncil 8376 in Marietta,Ga., purchased $300 worthof diapers for United MilitaryCare, a group that providesGeorgia military families inneed with goods, services andassistance. The funds pur-chased 12 cases of diapers,which UMC will distributeto needy military families inthe state.

CIBORIA PURCHASEThe Knights of ColumbusNorthern California Chapterdonated $5,500 to the Dio-cese of Sacramento to pur-chase 30 ciboria for use bythe diocese at large gatheringMasses. This campaign topurchase the ciboria began inNovember 2013 when it wassuggested that the chapterraise the funds to cover a realneed for ciboria at large

Masses. All of the ciboria willbe engraved with K of C in-formation.

AFRICA SCHOOLArchbishop Fulton J. Sheen7502 in Northglenn, Colo.,donated $5,000 to Christ theKing Church in Tanzania,which is the sister parish ofImmaculate Heart of MaryChurch in Northglenn. Thefunds will assist the parishpriest there in maintaining anall-girls high school.

DOCUMENTARYSCREENING

Queen of the Holy RosaryCouncil 3830 in Berkley,Mich., presented a screeningof the Knights of Columbusdocumentary Francis: ThePope from the New World forcouncil members, young peo-ple, parishioners and friendsat Our Lady of La SaletteChurch. Following the

screening, Knights servedlight refreshments.

ROOF REPAIRSArmed with brooms, poles,ladders and tubes of sealant,members of St. John MaryVianney Council 13770 inApo Sandawa, Mindanao,helped to repair the roof at their church after theirparish priest reported anumber of leaks.

‘OPERATION SOLDIER’

Sacred Heart Council 5780in Madison, Conn., collectedpersonal items and morethan $2,000 in donations toship care packages to U.S.troops serving overseas.Knights assembled morethan 90 boxes of toiletries,socks and snacks for militarypersonnel in Afghanistan aspart of an initiative called“Operation Soldier.”

KNIGHTS ACTION REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLESIN

Dominican Knights of Columbus pray and hold signs during a pro-life procession held underthe title “Defend Life — No Abortion.” Knights from throughout the island nation participatedin the procession, which also included the Stations of the Cross with 14 churches servingas the 14 stations.

MEMORIAL WALKSt. Brigid Council 13204 andFather Joseph T. O’CallahanAssembly, both in JohnsCreek, Ga., worked for morethan a year to raise $21,000 tobuild a gazebo at the JohnsCreek Veterans MemorialWalk. In addition, Knightsvolunteered to build the struc-ture. The memorial includes10 plazas that honor veteransfrom World War I through allthe conflicts to the present day.Knights donated $2,000 tothe memorial itself, and the as-sembly provided an honorguard for the park’s dedication.

SMILE TRAINLake City (Minn.) Council1865 collected donations forSmile Train, an organizationthat provides surgeries tochildren with unrepaired cleftpalates around the world.The council has plans to raiseenough funds to cover onechild’s surgery every year.

Ed Matthys of Durango (Colo.)Council 1408 paints the exte-rior of a home owned by fel-low council member ClarenceAbeyta. Knights volunteeredabout 150 hours to paintAbeyta’s home while he wasrecovering from a stroke.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

M A R C H 2 0 1 5 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 29

FRONTLINE FAITHMsgr. Michael J. ReganCouncil 8731 in Carrollton,Ga., hosted a fund drive at itsparish to raise money for theFrontline Faith Project. At theend of each Mass, a U.S.Army veteran spoke about theproject and how it can helpmembers of the armed forces.The drive raised enough topurchase 134 MP3 players fortroops.

STATUES RESTOREDFather F. M. Lanteigne Coun-cil 7089 in Atholville, NewBrunswick, volunteered morethan 100 hours to reconstructthe cross and statues thatadorn the cemetery at OurLady of Lourdes Church. TheKnights hosted a monthlycommunity lunch to raisefunds for the restoration.

WOOD DONATEDMike Guiterrez of SacredHeart Council 2249 in Red

production and distributionof 40 to schools around thecountry.

BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN

Blessed Mother Mary Coun-cil 15238 in Dawsonville,Ga., hosted a pro-life babybottle campaign at Christ theRedeemer Church that raised$11,000 in 12 weeks. Thefunds were used to purchasea new ultrasound machinefor Sound Choices PregnancyCare Clinic through theKnights of Columbus Ultra-sound Initiative.

MILITARY FAMILIESUNITED

Jesuit Father John A. HardonAssembly in Milford, Mich.,donated $5,000 to MilitaryFamilies United of Michigan,an organization that honorsfallen soldiers and supportsactive-duty military person-nel and their families.

PANCAKES FOR SOUP

Our Lady of Mount CarmelCouncil 13300 in Wild-

Bluff, Calif., donated a largeoak tree that had fallen on hisproperty for the council tocut and sell as firewood.Knights took charge of themassive tree, sawing it intosegments before using a logsplitter to cut the firewoodinto manageable pieces. Byselling the wood, the councilraised $735 for charity.

KICKBOXINGFUNDRAISER

St. Thérèse the Little FlowerCouncil 2622 in ValleyStream, N.Y., hosted twokickboxing schools at itscouncil hall to raise funds tosend the school’s athletes to anational competition. Knightssold concessions at the event,raising $250 for Blessed Sacra-ment Church, which the kick-boxing schools matched. Thecouncil raised an additional$350 for its charitable fund.

ROSARY PROGRAMEdward F. McSweeny Assem-bly in Natick, Mass., starteda monthly rosary program forpatients at the Edith NourseRogers Memorial VeteransHospital in Bedford. Knightsgather with veterans on thefirst Monday of every monthto pray the rosary. Assemblymembers also escort veteransto Mass monthly.

INSPIRING FILMSt. Charles (Ill.) Council12497 and Marquette As-sembly in Aurora co-spon-sored a screening of thedocumentary 40, which wasmade in 2013 to coincidewith the 40th anniversary ofRoe v. Wade. The film pres-ents the history of abortion inthe United States through acombination of inspiring stories, personal interviewsand unassailable argumentsagainst abortion. The councilraised $7,980 at the screen-ing, which will support the

Participants in a family run sponsored by Banal Na Sakra-mento Council 8753 in Quezon City, Luzon, prepare to crossthe finish line at the end of the race. Knights opened the eventto parishioners, and proceeds from the event were added tothe council’s charitable fund.

Members of Our Lady of Sor-rows Council 6302 in Wahi-awa, Hawaii, cook up dozensof pounds of flavorful catfishduring a fish fry at St. AnthonyChurch in Kailua. The councilsponsored an all-you-can-eatdinner to raise funds forCatholic school scholarshipsand the Courage House non-profit organization.

Gian Gonzalez of JamesMadison University Council9286 in Harrisonburg, Va.,places new flowers in con-crete planters at the univer-sity’s campus ministryoffices. In preparation forHoly Week, Knights led vol-unteers to clean and beautifythe interior and exterior of thecampus ministry space.

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wood, Fla., raised $1,500 forthe Wildwood Soup Kitchenduring a council-sponsoredpancake breakfast. The soupkitchen serves more than83,000 meals annually.


KNIGHTS IN ACTION

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will fly the U.S., papal andschool flags each day. In addi-tion, council member TomKinney procured a U.S. flagthat had flown over the Capi-tol Building in Washington,D.C. from the office of U.S.Rep. Jim Gerlach for use atthe school.

VAN MODIFICATIONSFather John F. Hogan Coun-cil 14236 in Dartmouth,Mass., secured a grant of$7,500 to modify a minivanfor a girl with disabilities.Karysa Brayton has JoubertSyndrome and is confined toa wheelchair. Previously, herparents were having problemsmoving Brayton in and outof their current van. The newmodifications will mean thatthe van is modified to Bray-ton’s exact needs so that shecan travel safely.

SANDWICHES FORVOLUNTEERS

St. Basil the Great Council13271 in Vallejo, Calif., pre-pared more than 100 sand-wiches for Special Olympicsvolunteers. Knights preparedthe sandwiches in advance ofthe event and distributedthem to hungry workers as

GROTTO RESTOREDBerkshire Hills Council 314in Lee, Mass., restored the69-year-old marble statue ofOur Lady of Victory at thegrotto at Saint Mary’sChurch. Knights cleanedthe grotto area, supervisedand assisted in the repair ofthe Marian statue, and ob-tained and assembled fivepark benches for use by vis-itors who wish to pray ormeditate. At a rededicationceremony for the grotto, thestatue was blessed and itshistory recited.

GARAGE SALEChristopher Columbus As-sembly in Plano, Texas, heldits annual charity garage saleat St. Elizabeth Ann SetonChurch. Knights offeredclothing, household goodsand toys for sale, raising$6,000 for the assembly’scharitable fund.

FLYING HIGHPerkiomen Valley (Pa.) Coun-cil 3633 in Schwenksville do-nated $500 to Pope JohnPaul II High School in Roy-ersford to purchase, installand light three new flagpoleson the school grounds that

from students at V. J. Mal-oney Catholic High School,with certificates and cashawards going to studentswhose art was selected foruse. Proceeds from calendarsales are donated to BackPorch Ministry, a pro-lifegroup that reaches out toabortion-minded couples.

LITERACY CENTERLeo XIII Council 805 inEvergreen Park, Ill., donated$260 to the Aquinas LiteracyCenter, which is run by theAdrian Dominican Sisters ofChicago. The literacy centerprovides services to peoplewho would like to learn Eng-lish as a second language.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLDINNER

Msgr. Francis J. Byrne Coun-cil 5476 in Richmond, Va.,hosted its first-ever Catholichigh school dinner to raisemoney for the council’sscholarship fund. The eventraised more than $5,000 toaward scholarships to stu-dents at St. Bridget Church.

the day went on. The councildonated all of the funds nec-essary to purchase food forthe project.

KITCHEN RENOVATIONS

Del Norte Council 2592 inEl Paso, Texas, donated$8,000 to St. Francis XavierChurch and $2,000 to SacredHeart Church to renovate thekitchens at both facilities.The changes were needed tomeet current state andcounty health codes.

PARISH HALL REMODEL

Ave Maria Council 1794 inHumphrey, Neb., volunteeredmore than 800 hours to re-model the parish hall at St.Francis Church. Among thework that was undertaken,Knights replaced the floor andrefurbished the kitchen.

PRO-LIFE CALENDAR

Each year, Brother AnthonyCouncil 10014 in St. Albert,Alberta, designs a pro-life cal-endar that members sell topromote a culture of life. Forthe calendar’s 15th year, thecouncil solicited artwork

Members of St. Monica Council 9681 in Converse, Texas, paint the exterior of a house in

Live Oak that is home to six senior women. Before the Knights came along, the homeowners

were being threatened with a blighted property fine. Council members painted the whole ex-

terior of the house in one day to ensure that the situation was rectified.

Knights from Pocatello (Idaho)

Council 892, Father William Or-

dway Council 8930 and Bishop

Daniel M. Gorman Assembly

help unload wheelchairs from

the Global Wheelchair Mission

for distribution to needy veter-

ans. The three K of C units

raised funds to purchase 113

wheelchairs for the Idaho State

Veterans Home.


KNIGHTS IN ACTION

M A R C H 2 0 1 5 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 31

$1,500 through sales of themerchandise, which thecouncil has donated to pro-life charities.

MILITARY STOLESSt. Agnes Council 2548 inRockville Center, N.Y., estab-lished a fund at Nassau Com-munity College to purchasemilitary stoles for graduatingveterans. NCC has an aver-age of 300 veterans among itsstudent population each year.Seventy-seven veterans grad-uated in the most recentcommencement and worethe military stoles of their re-spective branch of service.

PULLED PORK LUNCH

Good Shepherd Council11672 in Huntsville, Ala.,hosted a pulled pork barbe-cue lunch that raised morethan $800 for the council’scharitable fund. The eventnot only provided neededfunds for community andyouth initiatives, includingthe Rose of Sharon SoupKitchen and the FeedingAmerica BackPack Pro-gram, but it also offeredcouncil members the op-portunity for extended fra-ternal fellowship.

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

Our Lady of Lourdes Coun-cil 11241 in Boca Raton,Fla., has advanced the causeof religious liberty in theUnited States by selling reli-gious freedom T-shirts, carmagnets, lawn signs andmore at various Catholicconferences and parishes. Sofar, Knights have raised

Jerry Robertson of Pope John Paul II Council 13808 in

Greensboro, Ga., prepares to measure an athlete’s long jump

score during the Greene County Special Olympics. Knights

supported the games with a donation from its annual fund

drive and with more than a dozen volunteers to assist with or-

ganizing and managing the event.

kofc.orgexclusive

See more “Knights in Action” reports and

photos atwww.kofc.org/knightsinaction

FEATURE ARTICLEThe March 1929 cover article “Are You Going Abroad?”

by John Anson Ford offers valuable tips for amateur trav-

elers. Among Ford’s most imperative recommendations

is to travel with a group and to avoid freewheeling about.

He explains that, “A well conducted European tour of-

fering 52 or 53 days in Europe with first class accom-

modations on moderate sized steamers, and rooms at

first class hotels, can be had for as low as $1,100.”

Good luck getting your airfare to Europe at that price

these days...

NEWS AND NOTES“A new record for attendance at an indoor track meet

was established at the William C. Prout Memorial Games,

held under the auspices of the Massachusetts State

Council at the Boston Garden, Saturday evening, Janu-

ary 20. Twelve thousand crowded into the great new

sport arena to witness the finest set of games ever held

in New England. The meet is held annually in honor of

the memory of the late Supreme Director Prout, who died

during the Supreme Convention of 1927.”

AMAZING ADVERTISINGGillette razors took out a

full-page ad in the March

issue, explaining how a

man’s beard texture

changes with age and en-

couraging readers to re-

place their blades. “Every

day your beard gets

tougher,” the ad reads.

“The older you get, the of-

tener you need a fresh

Gillette Blade.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES

March 1929


JOIN THE FATHERMCGIVNEY GUILD

Please enroll me in the Father McGivney Guild:

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE/PROVINCE

ZIP/POSTAL CODEComplete this coupon and mail to:The Father McGivney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or enroll online at: www.fathermcgivney.org

OFFICIAL MARCH 1, 2015:To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons

responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is herebygiven that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Lawsof the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basisto the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights ofColumbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in thepolicy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O.Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7

ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MAT-TER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO:COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. RE-JECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY ASELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PUR-CHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BYWRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE-SENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS,$11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR.EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S.CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNT-ING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHEDMONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUSPLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000,www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2015 BYKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRO-DUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSIONIS PROHIBITED.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT ANDADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND AD-DRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPART-MENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAILAGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLECANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3

PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAILAT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURNCOPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT,PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

K OF C ITEMSOFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

IN THE UNITED STATESTHE ENGLISH COMPANY INC.

Official council and Fourth Degree equipment1-800-444-5632 • www.kofcsupplies.com

LYNCH AND KELLY INC.Official council and Fourth Degree

equipment and officer robes1-888-548-3890 • www.lynchkelly.com

IN CANADAROGER SAUVÉ INC.

Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes

1-888-266-1211 • www.roger-sauve.com

03/15!

32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ M A R C H 2 0 1 5

B.

knightsgear.comOrder these and other items online at:

Questions? Call: 1-855-GEAR-KOC (855-432-7562)

A.

A. Twist Stainless Steel Tumbler. This sleek tumbler holds a generous 15 ounces and keeps bev-erages hot because of its double-wall construction of stainless steel with a plastic liner. The easyscrew-open, drink-through lid turns left for drinking and right to close, and does not leak whenturned tightly. This tumbler fits most standard car cup holders.— $6.50

B. Charles River® New Englander Rain Jacket.When the weather gets stormy, this Charles River®jacket will keep you dry. Waterproof polyurethane is bonded to a poplin backing and lined withmesh and nylon. The generous cut allows for a suit jacket or sweater to be worn underneath. Navyblue with gold accents and “Knights of Columbus” embroidered on left chest. — M-XL: $55; 2X: $57; 3X: $58

C.

C. Golf Umbrella. This 62” vented um-brella adds a lot of protection with its eightpanels and fiberglass shaft. “Knights ofColumbus” and the emblem of the Orderare silkscreened on two of the panels. — $23

PROMOTIONAL & GIFT ITEMS


KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

M A R C H 2 0 1 5 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 33

TO BE FEATURED HERE, SEND YOUR COUNCIL’S “KNIGHTS IN ACTION” PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO: COLUMBIA, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326 OR E-MAIL: [email protected].

Members of Father Ken W. Bayer Council12000 in Norcross, Ga., guide a Ten Com-mandments monument as it is loweredonto its base at St. Patrick Church. Thecouncil hosted two benefit concerts at itsparish to raise funds for the monument.These events, coupled with donations fromindividual members, ensured that themonument was ready to be dedicated at theparish’s international festival.

Building a better world one council

at a timeEvery day, Knights all over the world aregiven opportunities to make a difference— whether through community service,raising money or prayer. We celebrateeach and every Knight for his strength,his compassion and his dedication tobuilding a better world.

Mar 15 COVERS E 2_13_Layout 1 2/13/15 4:38 PM Page 33

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

‘I DESIRED THEKIND OF JOY THATCOMES FROM GOD

ALONE.’Despite encouragement from a priest in high

school, I was convinced that religious life wasnot for me. Nonetheless, I began to experiencethe unshakeable feeling that I was called tomore.

Seeing the example of parish priests and sistersalong the way, I came to realize that I wantedwhat they had. That is, I desired the kind of joythat comes from God alone and manifests itselfthrough a lifetime of self-sacrificing love.

After graduating from college in 2010 with adegree in nursing, I began working with the Sis-ters of Christian Charity. Putting myself throughcollege, however, left me with significant debt,which was an obstacle to entering religious life.Without the prayerful and financial support ofthe Knights of Columbus, I would not havebeen able to join the community in 2011.

This life that I previously rejected has broughtme the joy that I desired. Even amid trial andtemptation, I am at peace knowing that I amdoing the will of God. He is my life, and I havechosen to follow him wherever he leads.

SR. MARY AMATA REIFSNYDER

Sisters of Christian CharityPassaic, N.J.

KEEP THE FAITH ALIVE

Phot

o by

Mik

e Eh

rman

n

Mar 15 COVERS E 2_13_Layout 1 2/13/15 4:38 PM Page 34

Columbia March 2015

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Transcript of Columbia March 2015