Columbia October 2014

OCTOBER 2014

COLUMBIACOLUMBIAKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

We Will All Be Brothers:Our Vocation to Fraternity

The 132nd Supreme ConventionOrlando, Aug. 5-7, 2014

We Will All Be Brothers:Our Vocation to Fraternity

The 132nd Supreme ConventionOrlando, Aug. 5-7, 2014

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a commitment to excellence, outstandingservice and the highest ethical standards. ese are traits of all Knights of Columbusfield agents, but the dedication of theagents listed here has earned themmembership in the Million Dollar roundtable (MDrt) for 2014. MDrt is aninternational organization that recognizesthe top one percent of financial professionalsin the world. We salute these men for theirdevotion to making a difference for life.

2014

Robert AbbateVirginia Beach, Virginia

(Five Consecutive Years)

Joe SandovalLos Angeles, California

Court of the table MeMbers

e Benchmark of Professional ExcellenceSteven Abeyta — Vacaville, CaliforniaPierre Albert — Hearst, OntarioRandall Atkins* — Punta Gorda, FloridaMichael Aun II — St. Cloud, FloridaBen Baca* — Whittier, CaliforniaLarry Bate — Carthage, TexasMark Bateman — Towson, MarylandCameron Beddome — Red Deer, AlbertaJeff Beller — Norfolk, NebraskaJoseph Biltz — Denver, ColoradoDaniel Bouchard* — Leduc, AlbertaJason Bramley — Bloomington, IllinoisAdam Bruna — Belleville, KansasWilliam Buchta — Grand Island, NebraskaFrank Burns — Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaDaniel Cabirac — Houma, LouisianaRobert Callaway* — Laurel, MarylandRobert Canter* — Upper Marlboro, MarylandJeffrey Carvalho — Fremont, CaliforniaDavid Cary — Colorado Springs, ColoradoCleo Castillo — Winnipeg, ManitobaJohn Cesta — West Palm Beach, FloridaQuintin Chausse — Caledonia, OntarioWayne Cherney* — Devils Lake, North DakotaJonathan Chiem — San Jose, CaliforniaDamien Clark — Severna Park, Marylandomas Cowan — Yucaipa, CaliforniaWayne Crome — Greeley, NebraskaBrian Daly — Clinton, New JerseyJohn Day — Lake Charles, LouisianaJustin “JJ” Deges — Hill City, KansasIvan Delabruere — Milton, FloridaJoseph DeMarco — Vero Beach, FloridaMichael DeOcampo — Edmonton, AlbertaJohn DiCalogero* — East Walpole, MassachusettsRobert DiCalogero — Canton, MassachusettsJohn Dillon — Spruce Grove, AlbertaGlen Dobmeier — Humboldt, SaskatchewanPatrick Dolan — Fargo, North DakotaDwain Dungen — Columbus, TexasDenis Duval — Garson, OntarioLouis Esola — Cherry Hill, New JerseyJoseph Faubert — Calgary, AlbertaJeffrey Fischer — Milton, FloridaMarnie Fleming — St. John, New Brunswick

Daniel Gimpel — Sarnia, OntarioJames Grabinski* — Walden, New YorkBrian Graham* — Kensington, MarylandWalter Guillote — Spring, TexasCarlos Gutierrez — San Leandro, CaliforniaMark Hedge* — Butler, OhioLarry Hoelscher* — Jefferson City, MissouriJohn Hoolick — Hanover Township, PennsylvaniaDavid Imbriani* — Monroe Township, New JerseyJoe Jackson* — Denver, ColoradoKurt Jackson — Madison, NebraskaAaron Jelinek* — Prior Lake, MinnesotaDouglas Kelly — Omaha, NebraskaBrian Kennon — Sedalia, MissouriMark Kingsberry — Slidell, LouisanaSteve Kluthe — Omaha, NebraskaJames Krawczyk — Omaha, NebraskaChuck Larter* — Spencerville, OntarioBrian Lawandus — Oldsmar, FloridaWilliam Lewchuk* — Calgary, AlbertaErnesto Literte — Torrance, CaliforniaArchie Lobo — Mississauga, OntarioEduardo Manrique — Lawrence, MassachusettsChad McAuliff — Broken Arrow, OklahomaShaun McGovern — Wichita, KansasMichael McGranahan — Fullerton, CaliforniaLawrence Messer — Westminster, MarylandRJ Meyer — Spearville, KansasGregory Miskiman — Calgary, AlbertaDaryl Morrow — Coral Springs, FloridaMichael Mullin — Brooklin, OntarioMichael Mulvena — Bonnyville, AlbertaJames Nestmann — Saskatoon, SaskatchewanTimothy Nowak — Ogallala, NebraskaDouglas Nurenberg — Saint Johns, MichiganEdward O’Keefe* — Middle River, MarylandKevin Paish* — St. Albert, AlbertaKevin Palmer — Kansas City, MissouriCraig Pfeifer — Wayne, NebraskaNeil Pfeifer* — Norfolk, NebraskaVincent Polis* — Lewiston, IdahoJeffrey Portelance — Garson, OntarioPaul Porter — Kanata, OntarioKeith Praski — Angola, IndianaMark Primeau — Unionville, Virginia

Henry Rangel — Cypress, TexasNate Raso — Phoenix, ArizonaDarin Reed — Ellis, KansasStephen Regan — Ooltewah, TennesseeBobby Renaud — Sudbury, OntarioDale Robinson — White Bear Lake, MinnesotaAlfredo Sanchez — Midland, TexasRonald Sandoval — San Gabriel, CaliforniaJayme Sanford — Parker, ColoradoSonny Sangemino* — Windsor, OntarioBenjamin Santo — Milford, NebraskaJames Seideman* — Lubbock, TexasDaniel Sheehan — Neoga, Illinoisomas Sitzmann* — Pueblo, ColoradoJody Snowder — Edmond, OklahomaDavid Soukup — Kansas City, KansasJohn Spencer — Marietta, OhioJoseph Spinelli III — Tallahassee, FloridaJames Stachura — Eau Claire, WisconsinPhillip Stackowicz — South Bend, IndianaJohn Stewart — Bourne, MassachusettsJohn Stoeckinger* — Lincoln, NebraskaStan Strope — Columbia, MissouriBlake Stubbington — Edmonton, Albertaomas Sullivan — Chicopee, MassachusettsDoug Supak* — La Grange, TexasJody Supak* — La Grange, TexasEric Sylvester — Windsor, OntarioJeff Toeniskoetter — Boynton Beach, FloridaYoung Tran — Portland, OregonDaniel Turnwald — Glandorf, OhioKevin Tuuri — Port Townsend, WashingtonMarcel van der Sluys — Los Angeles, CaliforniaDarrel Vandeven — Whitewater, MissouriJoseph ven der Buhs — Abbotsford, British ColumbiaOnil Vienneau — Bas-Caraquet, New BrunswickKevin Weber — Gretna, NebraskaJames White — Palm Beach Gardens, FloridaStephen White — Pelham, New HampshireMichael Wilson — Hacienda Heights, CaliforniaJoseph Wolf* — Harker Heights, TexasMark Yubeta — San Clemente, CaliforniaStephen Znoj — Canton, Georgia

* Denotes MDRT Life Members

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- KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

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Papal GreetingsGreetings from Pope Francis sent to the 132nd SupremeConvention by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal PietroParolin.

Supreme Convention HighlightsPhotos, news, homilies and remarks from the 132ndSupreme Convention in Orlando.

Building the Domestic ChurchThe Order begins its new family initiative with amonth-to-month guide for families and councils topractice prayer, charity and fellowship.

Report of the Supreme KnightSupreme Knight Carl A. Anderson’s annual report onthe Order’s charitable work and continued growth.

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COVER: Thinkstock

The Supreme Officers and Knights of Columbus Board of Directors are pictured at the132nd Supreme Convention in Orlando.

COLUMBIAPUBLISHER

Knights of Columbus________

SUPREME OFFICERSCarl A. AndersonSUPREME KNIGHT

Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.SUPREME CHAPLAIN

Logan T. LudwigDEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT

Charles E. Maurer Jr.SUPREME SECRETARYMichael J. O’ConnorSUPREME TREASURER

John A. MarrellaSUPREME ADVOCATE

________

EDITORIALAlton J. Pelowski

EDITOR

Andrew J. MattMANAGING EDITOR

Patrick 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 CHANGES203-752-4580OTHER INQUIRIES203-752-4398

FAX203-752-4109

CUSTOMER 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 © 2014All rights reserved________

ON THE COVERThe Columbus Monument in Barcelona, Spain,

is depicted with a map of the New World in the background.

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PAPAL GREETINGS

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Called to Be BrothersGreetings from Pope Francis sent to the Supreme Convention

by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin

HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS was pleased to learnthat from 5 to 7 August 2014 the 132nd Supreme Con-vention of the Knights of Columbus will be held in Or-lando, Florida. He has asked me to convey his warmgreetings to all those in attendance, together with the as-surance of his closeness in prayer.The theme of this year’s Supreme Convention — “You

Will All Be Brothers: Our Vocation to Fraternity” — isone particularly close to the Holy Father’s heart. Faithteaches us that, created inthe image and likeness ofthe triune God and re-deemed by Christ’s sacri-fice of atonement, theChurch is called to be acommunity of brothersand sisters who acceptand care for one anotherand serve as a leaven ofreconciliation and unityfor the whole humanfamily. In the complexsocial and ecclesial situa-tion of late 19th-century America, this vocation foundparticular expression in principles of faith, fraternity andservice that guided the establishment of the Knights ofColumbus. The fidelity of the Knights to these highideals has not only ensured the continued vitality of yourOrder, but has also contributed, and continues to con-tribute, to the mission of the Church at every level and,in particular, to the universal ministry of the ApostolicSee. For this, His Holiness is profoundly grateful.Just as faith is shaped by charity and bears fruit in good

works, so the fraternal spirit inculcated by Father MichaelMcGivney and the first Knights of Columbus continuesto be fruitful in the numerous charitable activities of thelocal councils, which, while meeting the needs of indi-viduals, also build up communities in solidarity and con-

cern for the common good. Conscious of the sacrificethat this great outpouring of charity entails, His Holinessis confident that the Knights will continue to draw in-spiration from the teaching and example of Christ inorder to reach out to others, especially the poor and dis-advantaged, with heartfelt empathy. If service is the soulof that fraternity which builds up peace (Message for the2014 World Day of Peace, 10), then every charitable workcarried out by your Order should be a reflection of the

love of Christ, alive andat work in the commun-ion of his body, theChurch. By dwelling inthat love, we come to seethose whom we serve asbrothers and sisters; werespect their innate dig-nity and we venerateJesus present in them (cf.Mt 25:40). Jesus assuresus that in giving, we alsoreceive (cf. Lk 6:38); ourworks of charity thus be-

come a source of spiritual enrichment, for they open ourhearts to a transforming encounter with the Lord.As the distinguished history of your Order clearly shows,

the call to fraternity also finds fruitful expression in thevirtue of patriotism and in an active commitment to thegrowth of an ever more harmonious and just society. HisHoliness is grateful for the active role played by theKnights to resist efforts to restrict religion to the purelypersonal sphere, to defend its proper place in the publicsquare, and to encourage the lay faithful in their missionof shaping a society that reflects the truth of Christ andthe values of his Kingdom. As he made clear in his Apos-tolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, “The earth is ourcommon home, and all of us are brothers and sisters”; con-sequently, “no one can demand that religion should be rel-

Every charitable work carried out by your Order should be a

reflection of the love of Christ, aliveand at work in the communion of

his body, the Church.


PAPAL GREETINGS

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egated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without in-fluence on societal or national life, without concern for thesoundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer anopinion on events affecting society” (183).

Of particular concern in this regard are the well-knownand growing threats to the integrity of marriage and thefamily. These call not only for vigilance and a consistentpublic witness, but also for convincing presentations ofChristian moral teaching in the light of a sound anthro-pological vision centered on human dignity and the cor-rect use of our God-given freedom. The Holy Father isgrateful for the efforts of your Order to provide its mem-bers with ongoing instruction in the faith and to instill astrong sense of civic responsibility. He is likewise appre-ciative of the support that the Knights have given to suchimportant ecclesial initiatives as the forthcoming Assem-blies of the Synod of Bishops, which will treat pastoralchallenges facing the family, and the World Meeting ofFamilies to be held next year in Philadelphia. For the

family is the ultimate teacher of that fraternity whichunites and builds society on the firm foundations of mu-tual respect, justice, mercy and truth.

With these sentiments His Holiness commends the de-liberations of the 132nd Supreme Convention to the lov-ing prayers of Mary, Mother of the Church. Assuring themembers of the Supreme Council, and all the Knightsand their families, of a grateful remembrance in hisprayers, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as apledge of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please accept my own prayerful good wishes for theoccasion.

Yours sincerely,

Pietro Cardinal ParolinSecretary of State

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead a weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.


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Approximately 2,000 Knights and their families, represent-ing K of C jurisdictions from throughout the world,

gathered in Orlando Aug. 5-7 for the 132nd Supreme Con-vention. More than 80 members of the hierarchy, includingeight cardinals, and some 120 priests concelebrated the open-ing Mass, and the events that followed bore witness to theOrder’s principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.The theme of the meeting — “You Will All Be Brothers:

Our Vocation to Fraternity” — was inspired by Pope Francis’message for the World Day of Peace Jan. 1. In that message,the pope observed, “The family is the wellspring of all fra-ternity, and as such it is the foundation and the first pathway

to peace.” Noting the responsibility of Christians to servethose in need, he added, “Service is the soul of that fraternitythat builds up peace.” Such a message should find a welcome audience with

Knights, whose first principle is charity and who recognizethe importance of building up the Christian family for thehealth of the Church and society. The greetings that theHoly Father sent to the convention via the Vatican secretaryof state reflected still further on this theme in light of theKnights’ mission (see page 2).In his annual report, delivered during the opening busi-

ness session Aug. 5, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

Our Vocation to Fraternity132nd Supreme Convention celebrates the Order’s founding principles, continued growth and enduring mission

132nd Supreme Convention


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noted, “Our charitable activity is all the more effective be-cause it is supported by our fraternal brotherhood.” He re-ported that the Order now counts more than 1.85 millionmembers and has set a new record in charitable contribu-tions, with over $170 million and 70.5 million hours of vol-untary service given during 2013. He likewise discussed thegrowth and strength of Knights of Columbus Insurance,which is protecting more Catholic families than ever before.The meeting underscored various charitable initiatives,

including the prompt relief provided by the Order follow-ing natural disasters in the Philippines and North America,the continued success of the Knights of Columbus Ultra-sound Initiative and other programs, and a new partnershipsupporting wounded veterans (see page 9).Also discussed at the meeting was the Knights’ new fam-

ily initiative, titled “Building the Domestic Church: TheFamily Fully Alive,” which kicks off this month in antici-pation of the Synod of Bishops on the pastoral challengesof the family in the context of evangelization (see page 18).The program, discussed in recent issues of Columbia, wasa primary topic during a meeting of K of C chaplains thatpreceded the convention.The themes of fraternity and unity were particularly ev-

ident during the annual States Dinner, as Knights and

guests celebrated their unity of mission amid the diversityof jurisdictions (see page 8). Following the annual awardssession the next day (see page 13), participants gathered fora film screening and prayer service celebrating the recentcanonization of St. John Paul II and the significance of histeachings for the universal Church (see page 14). As the Knights’ membership continues to grow, several

milestones were highlighted during the meeting as well. Inaddition to growth in Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania, thesupreme knight announced the Order’s expansion to SouthKorea (see page 7), the establishment of a fifth jurisdictionin Mexico and the growth of the Texas State Council to be-come the only North American jurisdiction to surpass100,000 members.From board resolutions affirming the centrality of reli-

gious liberty, the culture of life and the institution of mar-riage, to special awards recognizing outstanding service tothe Order, the 132nd Supreme Convention encouraged allKnights to be steadfast in their mission of service to theChurch and society.Select photos and excerpts of the convention’s proceed-

ings, as well as the Annual Report of the Supreme Knight(see page 20), are featured in the pages that follow.For additional coverage, visit kofc.org/convention.♦

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson addresses delegates and guests during the opening business session of the 132nd Supreme Convention inOrlando Aug. 5.



Opening Mass and Business Session

Above: Bishop John G. Noonan of Orlando, together with more than 75 bishops and120 priests, celebrates the opening Mass of the 132nd Supreme Convention Aug. 5.• The eight concelebrating cardinals are pictured during the opening Mass. • Right:Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivers his annual report Aug. 5. • Below:Chaplain Maj. Charles J. Watters Assembly from Fort Bragg, N.C., along with mem-bers of the base’s 82nd Airborne Division and Joint Special Operations Command,present the Vatican and U.S. flags. • Bishops and members of the Knights of ColumbusBoard of Directors stand while greetings to the Supreme Convention are read.

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During his annual report Aug. 5,Supreme Knight Carl A. Ander-

son announced that the Order has ex-panded to South Korea. The charteringof St. Andrew Kim Taegon Council16000 in Seoul extends the Order’sreach to the country’s growingCatholic population.

“There are nearly 5.5 millionCatholics in South Korea today,” saidAnderson. “It is among the fastest-growing Catholic communities in theworld. I am sure that South Korea, likethe Philippines, will play a significantrole in the future of the Knights ofColumbus.”

The Order made its initial inroadsinto Korea in 2007 with the establish-ment of Bishop John J. Kaising Coun-cil 14223 at U.S. Army Base CampHumphreys near Osan. Since then,military Knights in Korea have pro-vided support to fellow service mem-bers in the Middle East and havedemonstrated charity to Korean com-munities in need.

Members of Council 14223 includeAuxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer of

the Archdiocese for the Military Serv-ices, USA, and Bishop Francis XavierYu Soo-il of the Military Ordinariateof Korea.

In addition to the councils in Korea,

there are five military councils inJapan. But the Order’s largest presencein Asia lies in the Philippines, wherethere are more than 320,000 membersin approximately 2,600 councils.♦

Supreme Knight Anderson greets members of the Korean delegation during the Supreme Convention.

Order Announces Expansion to South Korea


POPE FRANCIS, speaking to Mex-ican bishops on the occasion of theirad limina visit in May, said: “Do nothesitate to underline the invaluablecontribution of the faith to ‘the cityof men for their common life!’

(Lumen Fidei,54). In thisarea, the roleof the layfaithful is irre-placeable.”Every day

we are moreaware of theaction of the

laity, of the practicing Catholic asleaven in the world. The vision andthe founding principles of theKnights of Columbus remain inforce and are realized in differentactions.– Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera,archbishop of Mexico City and pri-mate of Mexico


States Dinner

States Dinner Highlights Partnership With Wounded Veterans Program

Speaking as a special guest at theStates Dinner Aug. 5, actor Gary

Sinise, who played Lt. Dan Taylor inthe movie Forrest Gump, thanked theKnights of Columbus for its supportof his foundation for wounded mili-tary personnel. He said, “You haveshown that you can be a shining lightof hope” for severely injured veterans.During his annual report earlier in

the day, Supreme Knight Anderson an-nounced that the Order had provided$200,000 to the Gary Sinise Founda-tion to help build a computer-equipped “smart home” for U.S. ArmyCpl. Kyle Hockenberry, who lost bothlegs and his left arm when an impro-vised explosive device (IED) detonatednear his unit in Afghanistan. Locatedin Marietta, Ohio, the home is custombuilt to accommodate a wheelchairand the special challenges faced byHockenberry and his wife, Ashley.In an emotional and very personal

talk, Sinise recalled growing up duringthe final years of the unpopular Viet-nam War and not thinking muchabout the sacrifice of those whofought. Talking with family members

who served in the military, however,inspired him to begin working withveterans in 1984. Ten years later, amida successful acting career, Sinisejumped at the opportunity to play Lt.Dan, a double amputee Vietnam vet,in the popular film Forrest Gump. Hesaid that by playing the role with depthand integrity, he saw his work as an-other way to pay back veterans fortheir sacrifices.After the terrorist attacks of Sept.

11, 2001, Sinise became even more de-termined to do something for thosewho served their country, forming theLt. Dan Band and entertaining troopswith the USO. In 2011, he launchedthe Gary Sinise Foundation, which hasdeveloped numerous programs to helpveterans who are injured physically oremotionally.Sinise also shared the personal story

of how he and his wife began attendingMass and eventually entered theCatholic Church. She was confirmedin 2000, and he was confirmed onChristmas Eve 2010. “The Church has been a rock for me

and my family,” Sinise said.♦


YOU AND I ARE filled with good intentions, beautiful desires to do a lotof good. But the only way to accomplish all of this is by being rooted in faithin Jesus Christ. He is the One who sends us the Spirit, who continuously re-news us and gives us the perseverance, the generosity, the love to build thekingdom of God in today’s world through charity, unity and fraternity. …

Brother Knights: Do not underestimate the power of fraternity. Knowthat every act of fraternity can produce goodfruits. Do not wait just to do great things, spec-tacular events that are noteworthy. Love as Jesusdid: every moment, every person, every day. Loveevery person whom you encounter on your path.That is Jesus’ teaching: “A new command I giveyou: Love one another. As I have loved you, so youmust love one another. By this all men will knowthat you are my disciples, if you love one another”(Jn 13:34-35). …

That is how we will become missionary disciples. And let us neverforget that with Jesus Christ, spring is always around the corner. A newchapter in our lives, in our Order is always possible. A renewed worldwhere fraternity reigns, where we live as brothers and sisters is possible,with God’s help and mercy. That is our vocation, and we will continueto live it out fully.– Cardinal Gérald C. Lacroix, archbishop of Québec and primate of Canada States Dinner keynote address, Aug. 5


UNLESS “HEART SPEAKS TOHEART” in mutual respect for humandignity and rights, unless the languageand grammar of mutual understandingand, yes, of love takes hold of the heart,unless a profound sense of being broth-

ers and sisters ofone another underthe common Fa-therhood of Godreigns in the heart,centuries-old bi-ases and preju-dices can explodeinto active hostil-ity and conflict.

Genuine fraternity is rooted in charity.It is in the heart. It begets peace. Opusfraternitatis pax.

Knights of Columbus are bonded asbrothers. Fraternity is our identity.Hence, the challenge before us is to be-come what we are.– Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I.,archbishop of Cotabato, Philippines

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Concelebrated Mass

Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Out-side the Walls and former prefect of the papal household, celebrates Massat the Supreme Convention Aug. 6. To his left is Cardinal Seán P.O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, who was the homilist for the Mass.



EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is an abridged version of the homily by Car-dinal Seán P. O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, delivered during theconcelebrated Mass for the Solemnity of the Transfiguration Aug. 6.

It is a joy to be here — “How good it is,” as St. Peter says.For us bishops it is a mountaintop experience to come to

the Supreme Convention each year to be inspired by thefaith and the goodness of the Knights of Columbus andtheir families. Your witness and fidelity is a great source ofspiritual blessing in our Church and in society.You are building up the solidarity and fraternity that

makes the Church real as in the first generation of Chris-tians, whose sense of community attracted people who ob-served the Christians and said, “See how much they loveone another.”Today’s feast is about glimpsing Christ’s love and his

glory. In discovering who he is, we discover who we are, andwhy we are here in this world. In today’s Scripture readings, there are three descriptions

of the Transfiguration. The ancient prophecy of Daniel, theGospel account of the actual event in real time, and St.Peter’s second epistle sharing his dramatic recollection ofthe event that marked St. Peter for life. …The Transfiguration is about connecting the dots between

the suffering Christ of Good Friday and the glorious resur-rected Christ of Easter. Last year, St. Francis Day was one ofthose mountaintop experiences for me. I traveled with PopeFrancis to Assisi. Our first stop was the Istituto Serafico wherethe Holy Father kissed and blessed a hundred severely hand-icapped children, their parents and caregivers. In his remarks,the Holy Father spoke of the wounds on Christ’s body afterthe Resurrection, when the risen Christ appears to the apos-tles in the Upper Room on Easter. The first thing Christ doesis to show them his wounds and say, “Peace be with you.”The risen Lord is still the Crucified One. The Holy Father went on to say that on Ascension Thurs-

day, the risen Christ ascends to heaven and takes thewounds with him to heaven. When we see the sufferingchildren, we are gazing at Jesus’ wounds. The same Jesuswho is hidden in the Eucharist is hidden in the wounds ofthe children. Their wounds need to be heard, the Holy Fa-ther says. Jesus’ wounds, which he carried to heaven, are alsopresent to us in the suffering of the children.In our own country, in the last 10 months, 60,000 chil-

dren have left behind the violence of their homelands andrisked their lives crossing the border. It was to pray for themand all those who have perished in the desert, that I joineda group of bishops who went to Nogales, Ariz., to celebratea Eucharist for all of them. I was amazed at the response.Most Catholics believe and understand our message, whichwas that of Pope Francis whose first trip as pope was toLampedusa, Italy, where thousands of immigrants trying to

enter Europe have perished. The Holy Father warns aboutthe “globalization of indifference.” We cannot be indifferentto the wounds of Christ that manifest in so many ways. In our own country, 90 percent of Down syndrome chil-

dren identified in the womb are aborted. As a young priestI had a funeral for a 45-year-old woman who had Downsyndrome. Afterward, the mother asked to speak to me. Shetold me about how difficult it was for her to have this Downsyndrome baby after having had four healthy children. Thisbaby, however, taught her and her family how to love in amore unselfish way. She told me that her daughter wouldnot let them argue, because she was always so loving. Aschildren married and moved away for jobs, the mother wasleft alone when her husband died. Her daughter with Downsyndrome became her constant companion and best friend,the joy of her life.In our midst, there are so many who have a claim on our

love: suffering people, so many unborn children, the elderly,sick, homeless and handicapped. A vision of faith will allowus to really see them. One of the most poignant phrases intoday’s Gospel comes after the vision of the Lord’s glory haspassed: “They saw no one else but Jesus” (Mt 17:8). Nem-inem nisi Jesum. Mother Teresa always saw Jesus in a dis-tressing disguise in each and every suffering person.When Pope Francis kissed that terribly disfigured man in

St. Peter’s Square, the picture went viral on the Internet. Thewhole world took notice, including many people who wouldhave averted their gaze from that man if they ever encoun-tered him. People were invited to glimpse in that man atransfiguration. Before, he may have been considered an uglycreature, but in a moment, by a kiss, he is transformed intoa brother who is appreciated, revered, loved and accepted. We all need mountaintop experiences to be able to pre-

pare us for difficult encounters with the Cross. The Trans-figuration takes place when the Apostles leave behind thenoise, the hustle bustle, the grinding daily routine that oftenabsorbs us so entirely that we fail to see Christ, to experiencehis mercy and love.Our instructions are simple: “This is my beloved Son. …

Listen to him” (Mt 17:5). Listen to Jesus. Then, we will seeJesus, even in the distressing disguise of those who suffer,as we discover their inner beauty, their worth, their connect-edness to God.In St. Francis’ last will and testament he describes his own

conversion as the moment when he kissed the leper. Theleper was transfigured; the leper was now a brother, a friend,Christ. And Francis was transfigured from a self-absorbed,entertainment-addicted, spoiled rich young man into anicon of Christ, a universal brother, a saint.May our lives be filled with transfigurations, glimpses of

glory and love in surprising places and in unlikely people. Wewill find not strangers, but brothers, sisters — indeed, Christ.♦

‘They Saw No One Else But Jesus’



Business Session

Delegates participate in a business session at the Supreme Convention Aug. 6.

I’D LIKE TO TALK about twothings: One is the fact that you useyour freedom to serve; and secondly,core to your life is the building ofstrong families. …In 1941, my brother George was

born with Down syndrome. … In1981, when George was 40 years old,he was inducted into the Knights ofColumbus First Degree. In 1986, he

became a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, and his frater-nity with Knights, his ability to serve other people shoulderto shoulder with Knights, had a transforming effect on him.Georgie found his place in the Church through the Knightsof Columbus. The Lord Jesus worked through my brother,

George, having an effect on those in his council and havingan effect on those he served. He also had an effect on thosewho were watching. This is the way culture changes. My fam-ily became the biggest fans of the Knights of Columbus. …No one can tell me that the work you do of serving others inthe name of Christ is not having a mighty effect.Secondly, we cannot take up the challenges of families with-

out first seeing the beauty of marriage and family life. Weneed, as Pope Francis tells us, authentic, attractive witnesses.And we need at this assembly to pledge to help brotherKnights who are married and who have families; we need topledge to support you as you seek to build strong and vibrantand faith-filled families.– Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops, Aug. 6



Awards Session

Each fraternal year, the SupremeCouncil recognizes individual

Knights, as well as councils, assembliesand Squires circles, for outstandingachievements related to membershipgrowth and retention, insurance sales,and charitable work.

Here is a summary of some of theaward categories, including the six in-ternational service program awards,and their recipients at the 2014 AwardsSession:

• International Family of the Year:James and Stefanie Bell, married for 27years, have 10 children (nine still living),ranging in age from 2 to 24. All familymembers are active in St. Anthony ofPadua Parish, their community and theKnights of Columbus. James has been amember of Bishop Maurice Burke Coun-cil 4031 in Cody, Wyo., since 1995. Oneof their most impressive traits is theirdeep commitment to the culture of life.Among the many activities that the fam-ily has helped to organize or support, theBells have raised funds to purchase an ul-trasound machine for a pregnancy re-source center and have sponsored pro-lifeprogramming as an alternative to eventsorganized by a local family-planning or-ganization.

• Church Activity: Coquitlam(British Columbia) Council 5540 forcompleting interior construction of a24-hour adoration chapel at its newparish center. The project included anew altar, tabernacle, stained-glass win-dow and relic of St. Faustina.

• Community Activity: Marysville(Ohio) Council 5534 for its“Wounded Warrior Amputee SoftballProject,” which netted about $16,000for a softball team comprised of am-putee veterans.

• Council Activity: MarquetteCouncil 815 in Sioux Falls, S.D., forthe Robocker Family Benefit andHome Renovation initiative. Fundsfrom the event went to support thefamily of a council member who waskilled in a car accident, leaving behinda pregnant wife and five children.

• Culture of Life Activity: St. JosephCouncil 12405 in San Mateo, Luzon,for offering free ultrasounds to 79pregnant mothers, 23 of whom wereteenagers. In addition to the medicalcare, Knights also offered food andspiritual assistance.

• Family Activity: Tillamook (Ore.)Council 2171 for its council garden,which provided 15,000 pounds offresh produce to the Oregon FoodBank.

• Youth Activity: Roanoke (Va.)Council 562 for its “Hunger Is Not aGame” food drive to benefit needyschoolchildren.

• Leading General Agents: Ben BacaIII of California (250 percent of quota)and Anthony “Tony” W. Swanson ofNebraska (239 percent of quota).

• Leading Field Agents: Ronald “Joe”Sandoval Jr. of the Baca Agency in Cal-ifornia (824 percent of quota) andChad McAuliff of the Pierce Agency inOklahoma (640 percent of quota).

• Top Recruiter: Past State DeputyWalter N. Streit of Alberta was recog-nized as the top recruiter of 2013-2014for having signed up 261 new members.

• Century Club: Councils that add100 members over suspensions andwithdrawals are eligible for the Order’sprestigious Century Club Award. Thisyear’s winners are: Blessed Rev. MichałPiaszczyński Council 15652 in Lomza,Poland (165 members); CabatuanCouncil 6048 in Iloilo, Visayas (103members); and St. Hyacinth Council12651 in Camalaniugan, Luzon (101members).♦

Awards Session Recognizes Outstanding Achievements

James and Stefanie Bell, along with their nine children and son-in-law, are pictured at the 132ndSupreme Convention after receiving the 2014 International Family of the Year Award.



St. John Paul II Celebration

On Aug. 6, the 132nd Supreme Convention hosted a specialcelebration featuring a first-class relic of St. John Paul II, a

homily by the postulator of his cause for canonization and thepremiere of a new documentary about John Paul II’s life.

The celebration began with the screening of a one-hourdocumentary titled John Paul II in America: Uniting a Conti-nent, which was produced by the Knights of Columbus.

Setting the stage for the prayer service that followed was animpressive backdrop depicting St. Peter’s Square and the tap-estry of St. John Paul II that was present at his canonizationMass April 27.

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Balti-more presided at the service, which included veneration of afirst-class relic that was entrusted in 2011 to the Knights of

Columbus by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop ofKraków and longtime personal secretary to Pope John Paul II.The reliquary, which includes a glass ampoule that containsthe late Holy Father’s blood, was given to foster devotion atthe Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C.

Msgr. Sławomir Oder, postulator of the cause for the can-onization of St. John Paul II, said in his homily, “We can findin the book of the life of St. John Paul II the sure road whichleads, through faith, humility, prayer and love of neighbor, tofull communion with God.”

The prayer service also included Scripture readings andprayers, including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and sacredmusic performed by members of the Choir of the Basilica ofthe National Shrine of Immaculate Conception.♦

Convention Hosts St. John Paul II Celebration


IN HIS HOMILY at the canonization, Pope Francisrecalled that John Paul II had once said, “If the worldwill remember me, I would like to be rememberedas the Pope of the Family and of Life.” John Paul IIhimself was able to enjoy his own family very briefly:When he was 9 years old, his mother died; as a 14-year-old boy he lost his brother, and at age 21 he losthis beloved father. But how rich and deep must havebeen his experience of love in his family! Years later,he talked about his family home as his first seminary,and about his father as the one who first formed hispriestly identity. …

Among the many titles by which the faithful fromall over the world addressed St. John Paul II in lettersthat I received during the canonization process, thedominant title related to a family member: they ad-dressed him as “Father.” For many, he was and re-mains the embodiment of fatherhood. Not onlybecause he was the pope, who should be addressedas “Holy Father,” but because he was simply a “fa-ther” who loved, admonished and corrected, chal-lenged and taught the love of God and of all people.His life invites us to make the everyday reality livedin the community of family and the experience ofbrotherhood a way for everyday growth in holiness.

St. John Paul II reminds us that without love mancannot live, cannot fully experience the encounterwith Christ. The first school of this love is the family.It is the place where God allows us to experience hisfatherly embrace of love and teaches us to embraceothers with the same love.– Msgr. Sławomir Oder, postulator of the causefor canonization of St. John Paul II


Clockwise from top: Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore leadsthe prayer service dedicated to St. John Paul II Aug. 6. The backdrop features the columnsof St. Peter’s Square and the tapestry that was present at John Paul II’s canonization. •Msgr. Sławomir Oder, postulator of the cause for canonization of St. John Paul II, placeson the altar a reliquary containing a vial of John Paul II’s blood, which was entrustedto the Knights of Columbus by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop of Kraków. •Poland State Deputy Andrzej Anasiak and Immediate Past State Deputy KrzysztofOrzechowski process with the canonization image of St. John Paul II. • DominicanFather Jonathan Kalisch, director of chaplains and spiritual development, holds the reli-quary for veneration. • Archbishop Lori blesses the congregation with the relic.



WHENEVER YOU or I look upon a crucifix and seeOur Lord, the Son of the living God, on the Cross,think of these words: “Here the price of our freedom isvisible.” This is what made possible the forgiveness ofour sins. This is what makes it possible for you and meto live as brothers “in the freedom of the children ofGod.” And this is what makes possible for us to supporteach other in the hope of everlasting life. …Christ has left us with the means to be forgiven in

the here and now. As he says to Peter in today’s Gospel,“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earthshall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed inheaven” (Mt 16:19).From that day until now, the Apostles and their successors, the bishops, and

all priests have exercised this power and privilege: of loosing every bond, of rec-onciling sinners with the Lord. As all of us know, the peace this forgiveness givesis immeasurable.– Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore

Memorial Mass homily, Aug. 7

Top: Archbishop Lori celebrates the annual Memorial Mass Aug. 7,as the backdrop displays images from St. James Cathedral in Or-lando. • Left: Deputy Supreme Knight Logan T. Ludwig reads thenecrology of bishops and K of C leaders who died during the pastyear. • Below right: A cruciform reliquary containing relics of thesix Knights of Columbus priest-martyrs of Mexico is displayedbefore an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. • Opposite page: Thefour Mexican state deputies process with the Martyrs of Christ theKing reliquary, which contains first-class relics of 25 saints and13 blesseds, including six saints and three blesseds who wereKnights of Columbus.

Memorial Mass



Saint Michael Award Conferred on Former Supreme Director

On Aug. 1, Canadian Prime MinisterStephen Harper appointed Former

Deputy Supreme Knight and Past State Deputyof New Brunswick Dennis A. Savoie as Ambas-sador of Canada to the Holy See. The followingday, the Knights of Columbus Board of Direc-tors meeting at the 132nd Supreme Conventionadopted a resolution honoring Savoie and ex-pressing prayerful best wishes on his new role. The resolutionnoted that Savoie “distinguished himself as a fraternal leaderthroughout his four decades of service to the Order.”♦

Former Deputy Supreme KnightAppointed AmbassadorDuring the Aug. 6 business

session, Supreme Conven-tion delegates elected two newmembers to the Order’s Boardof Directors to replace two retir-ing members. Elected to three-year terms starting Sept. 1 wereLarry W. Kustra, 66, past statedeputy of Manitoba and a member of St. Emile Council 8221in Winnipeg, and Tommy C. Harger, 66, past state deputy ofVirginia and a member of Holy Spirit Council 11922 in Annan-dale. They hold the title of supreme director. Retiring are RonaldWhite of Maryland and Meclea “Mickey” Casavant of Alberta.♦

HargerKustra

New Board Members Elected

Savoie

During the closing business sessionAug. 7, Supreme Knight Ander-

son conferred the St. Michael Awardfor exemplary service to the Order onJavier G. Nájera Cabrales, who hasserved as a special consultant to thesupreme knight for Mexico.Nájera Cabrales joined the Order in

1975 and belongs to Purísima Concep-ción Council 3903 and Purísima Con-cepción Assembly, both in Celaya. Hewas state deputy of Mexico Centralfrom 1998 to 2000 and served as asupreme director for three terms, until2009.The St. Michael Award was inaugu-

rated last year when it was given toJoseph P. Schultz, who served as thesupreme knight’s special consultant forPoland. Schultz died this past May.♦


BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH

18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

Psalm of the Month (Psalm 105: 1-11)

Pray the Psalm of the Month during every Sunday of themonth at your family prayer space. On the last Sunday ofthe month, discuss as a family which verse stood out mostfor each member.

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,make known his deeds among the peoples!Sing to him, sing praises to him,tell of all his wonderful works!Glory in his holy name;let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!Seek the Lord and his strength,seek his presence continually!Remember the wonderful works that he has done,his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,O offspring of Abraham his servant,sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!He is the Lord our God;his judgments are in all the earth.He is mindful of his covenant for ever,of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,the covenant which he made with Abraham,his sworn promise to Isaac,which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,to Israel as an everlasting covenant,saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaanas your portion for an inheritance.”

Our family defines each and every one of us. Because ourparents, grandparents and great-grandparents chose life, weare here today. Take this month as an opportunity to cele-brate your family history and learn more about it, all whilethanking God.

OCTOBERBecause the Lord is the God of our ancestors, we want to strengthen therelationships between our family’s generations.

Order Launches Family Program

At the annual Chaplains Meeting preceding theSupreme Convention Aug. 4, Supreme Chaplain

Archbishop Lori spoke about the new K of C initiativefor families, which begins this month. Titled “Buildingthe Domestic Church: The Family Fully Alive,” the pro-gram seeks to develop strong Catholic families throughprayer, faith formation, charitable activities and familygatherings.

Families are encouraged to set aside space in their homesfor a prayer corner; to pray together “A Family Prayer,” com-posed by the supreme chaplain; and to display an image ofthe Holy Family, which is included in a new booklet. Formore information, visit kofc.org/domesticchurch.♦

Father Luis Granados (left), parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish inLittleton, Colo., and Bishop Jean Laffitte, the secretary of the PontificalCouncil for the Family, participate in the Chaplains Meeting.


BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH


Family Projects

• During this month, sit down as afamily to build your family tree. Seehow far back you can trace. You candecorate your tree with copies of oldphotos and era-related items.• Bring some joy to grandparents orsome other relative who does not livenearby, or may be alone, by sending a“Thinking of You” card signed by yourwhole family. Consider sending a videoof your family to this relative, or callinghim or her to pray the rosary with you. • Set aside a time to visit the gravesof deceased relatives and pray for them.

Invite families to participate in yourFood for Families collection.• Contact a local food pantry or soupkitchen to ask what their needs are andto ensure they will be able to receive thefood. • Obtain permission (either from theappropriate business owner, a govern-ment department or your pastor) to setup the drive at a local store or churchentryway/foyer. Also, consider collect-ing food donations at your monthlyMovie Night event. • Ask stores for empty boxes that canbe used for collecting donations.

• If you’re running the event at yourparish, on the weekend prior to the col-lection, display or hand out flyers andask the pastor to make an announce-ment about the coming drive. Also, askthat a notice for parishioners to bringnonperishable food items to the follow-ing weekend’s Masses be included in theparish bulletin. • Utilize family volunteers to help onthe day of the collection and when de-livering the food. • For more information on the Foodfor Families program, please visitkofc.org/food.

Volunteering Together Project – Food for Families

Meditation

For the Christian community the family is far morethan a “theme”: It is life, it is the daily fabric of life, it isthe journey of generations who pass on the faith to-gether with love and with basic moral values. It is con-crete solidarity, effort, patience, and also a project, hope,a future. All this which the Christian community livesout in the light of faith, hope and charity should neverbe kept to oneself but must become, every day, theleaven in the dough of the whole of society for its greatercommon good. Hope and a future presuppose memory. The memoryof our elderly people sustains us as we journey on. Thefuture of society … is rooted in the elderly and in theyoung: the latter, because they have the strength and are

of the age to carry history ahead; the former, because theyare a living memory. A people that does not take care ofits elderly, its children and its youth has no future, be-cause it abuses both memory and promise.

– Message of Pope Francis, Sept. 11, 2013

Questions for Reflection

1. Who is one person in my family whose faith hasshaped my own faith? 2. What are some ways that our family tries to live outbelief in God and his Church? 3. Which virtue seems to be particularly strong in ourfamily — faith, hope or charity?4. Why is memory important to the future?5. What strengths do the children in our family have?

Council-Wide Event: Movie Night

October’s movie is “Up” (2009). Be-fore the movie, offer families thechance to share the family trees theymade and talk a bit about their ances-tors, and also what spending the timetogether on the project meant to them.

Bring Song Into Your Home

Sing grace before meals with yourwhole family.

Ubi Caritas (Taizé chant)Ubi caritas et amor,

Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est.(Where there are charity and love,

God is there.)

Members of Cardinal John Newman Council 8343 and its ladies auxiliary at SouthernIllinois University in Edwardsville, Ill., display some of the food and other items theycollected during a charity drive.



Even this state’s name speaks to its Catholic heritage. Floridawas not named for its beautiful flowers. Ponce de Leónnamed it for Pascua Florida — the Spanish term for Easter— when he discovered this beautiful land during the Easterseason more than 500 years ago. Catholics have been a part of the very fabric of North

America from the beginning. And nowhere is this more truethan in Florida.Before the colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth, the first

permanent European settlement was here, and it wasCatholic. Known then and now as St. Augustine, we meettoday just 100 miles from that place where Christianity firsttook root in this country.It was in 1565 that Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed in

St. Augustine. Standing on the shore to greet him was FatherFrancisco López, one of the priests who had accompaniedhim from Spain. Father López wrote of the landing: “On Saturday, the 8th,

the general landed with many banners, to the sound of trum-pets and salutes of artillery. As I had gone ashore the eveningbefore, I took a cross and went to meet him, singing thehymn, Te Deum. The general, followed by all who accompa-nied him, marched up to the cross, knelt, and kissed it.”*Here, Father López and his fellow priests would establish the

first parish in what is now the continental United States. As aresult, in the early 1600s, Florida would also be home to ourcountry’s first Marian shrine, dedicated to Our Lady of la Leche.The evangelization that occurred in St. Augustine was a

precursor of what would take place throughout the UnitedStates. In the past five centuries much has changed, but therehas also been one constant: the importance of the faith. Mil-lions of Americans continue to embrace the cross.Throughout our hemisphere, Catholicism took root early.

The Catholic history of Canada, Latin America and theCaribbean is well-known. Florida was first, but is by nomeans alone in having a long-standing Catholic presence inwhat we now know as the United States. From Florida, thefaith was carried by missionaries to locations as far away asTexas and Virginia.

In the Northeast, there were the Catholic Acadians. InFlorida and throughout the Southwest, there were the Span-ish missionaries. In the Midwest, there were the French mis-sionaries. And Maryland — one of the original 13 coloniesthat formed the United States — was founded by Catholics. The fact is that the majority of this country — including

all of Florida and Maryland, much of Maine, and nearlyeverything west of the Mississippi River — was Catholiceven before there was a United States. This was already a landunder God before it was one nation.From Florida to California the missionaries worked tire-

lessly — and many gave their lives — to bring the faith tothis land and to its people. No hardship or sacrifice was toomuch for these men of God. They formed a fraternal bondwith each other and with those they served. And those who

SUPREME KNIGHT132ND SUPREME CONVENTION — ORLANDO, FLORIDA, AUGUST 5-7, 2014

Florida is a fitting place for usto remember the great Catholiccontribution to our hemisphere.

Annual Report of the

ABOVE: Thinkstock —

OPPOSITE PAGE: Jason E. Miczek

* Editor’s Note: Historical reference material is drawn primarily from The Cross in the Sand: The Early Catholic Church in Florida, 1513-1870 by Michael V. Gannon.

The Great Cross of St. Augustine,Fla., is pictured at sunset.


Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivers an address atthe 2014 Charlotte Catholic Men’s Conference March 1

at St. Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville, N.C.




planted the faith here left a great legacy that continues to in-spire us today.This lesson of service was not lost on Father Michael J.McGivney. Like those missionaries, he created fraternalbonds with parishioners. Like those missionaries, he exem-plified the power of service. Like them, he dedicated himselfto charity. When he founded this Order and named it forColumbus, he did so to recall this land’s Catholic roots.Father McGivney chose men who knew what it meant tobe a band of brothers. Many of those first Knights had servedin the Civil War, an experience of fraternity and unity thatthey carried forward into the Knights of Columbus. From the very beginning, the Knights of Columbus re-sponded to the needs of a country still recovering from theeffects of the long and bitter Civil War. The mission of theKnights of Columbus was not unfamiliar to those who hadheard the words of President Lincoln: “With malice towardnone, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as Godgives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the workwe are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for himwho shall have borne the battle and for his widow and hisorphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and

lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”We could say that the Knights of Columbus provided aninspired way for Catholic men to help rebuild a nation byliving their Catholic heritage and values. Those first Knightsknew the fraternity that came from being part of a tight-knitimmigrant community. Many of them also knew the frater-nity purified by the crucible of war. Moreover, all of themshared a fraternal unity through their Catholic faith.With Father McGivney’s leadership, they began somethingthat would change the world. They understood that the fra-ternity to which Father McGivney was calling them had amissionary spirit that could not be limited by national bor-ders. As a result, in a few short years, there were brotherKnights active in Canada, Mexico and the Philippines.Today, as their successors, we are doubly blessed: as heirs tothe great legacy of Catholicism in North America and as spir-itual sons of Father McGivney.And so, my brother Knights, I am pleased to present toyou the theme of this year’s convention — a theme drawnfrom the message of our Holy Father for the World Day ofPeace this year: “You will all be brothers: our vocation tofraternity.”

Pope Francis called upon Catholics to cast aside the growing“globalization of indifference” and to instead build “a com-munity composed of brothers and sisters who accept andcare for one another.” This, he said, is our “vocation to fra-ternity.” Now I say to you today, who better to respond tothis call than the world’s greatest Catholic fraternal organi-zation?To better understand our vocation to fraternity, PopeFrancis quoted the Gospel of John: “A new commandmentI give to you, that you love one another; even as I have lovedyou” (13:34). In this regard, we see the extraordinary wit-ness of Pope Francis in his love for the sick, the sufferingand the poor. It is a witness that has captured the imagina-tion of the world.As Knights of Columbus, we are well-positioned to re-spond to the challenges of our day. Our charitable activityis renowned worldwide and is all the stronger because it issupported by our fraternal brotherhood.Nearly a decade before Pope Leo XIII’s great encyclical

Rerum Novarum launched the Social Doctrine of theChurch, Father McGivney founded a lay Catholic organi-zation dedicated to both the spiritual and temporal well-being of working families. It would reach out in charity tothose on the margins. It would not only evangelize its mem-bers, but also society. It would be a Catholic fraternity,drawing men together to do good. It would show clearly toeveryone in 19th-century America that Catholics could begood and loyal citizens.Father McGivney’s vision prepared the Knights ofColumbus for the laity’s role in the life of the Church pro-posed by the Second Vatican Council nearly a century later.Last fall, in a private audience with the Supreme Officersand directors, Pope Francis recognized the Order’s commit-ment to charity. At that time, the Holy Father praised the“quiet strength, integrity and fidelity” of the Knights ofColumbus. He thanked us for our commitment to charity,and he urged us to continue in our mission.Encouraged by Pope Francis in our charitable endeavors,

In his message for the World Day of Peace, titled “Fraternity: theFoundation and Pathway to Peace,” Pope Francis reminded us that“without fraternity it is impossible to build a just society.”

KNIGHTS OF CHARITY

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and true to the vision of Father McGivney, we workedharder than ever before. For the 14th consecutive year, weset a new record in charitable giving. Our Order’s charitablecontributions increased last year by more than $2.5 millionto a record $170,135,754. For the fifth year in a row, Québec led all jurisdictions

with charitable donations of $11,147,599. Ontario wassecond, with $7.7 million, followed by Texas, California,Illinois, Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, Missouri and NewYork.The number of hours volunteered by Knights also

climbed to a new record high of 70,534,278 hours. Inde-pendent Sector values each hour donated in 2014 at $22.55.That means that the time donated by Knights to charity lastyear was worth over $1.59 billion, and the value of the morethan 682,950,911 hours donated in the past decade totalsover $13.8 billion.Our jurisdictions in the Philippines continued to lead the

way in volunteering their time. Luzon and Mindanao tookfirst and second place among all jurisdictions, with5,828,879 and 4,574,746 hours, respectively. Texas, Florida,California, Ontario, Illinois, Visayas, Pennsylvania and Mis-souri round out the top 10.When it comes to the amount of time volunteered per

member, four Canadian jurisdictions were in the top 10,and Prince Edward Island was number one with 135.6hours donated per member. British Columbia was numbertwo with 113.9 hours per member, followed by Alaska,Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Hawaii, Nevada, Delaware,Utah and Washington.Last year, overall, each Knight donated an average of

$91.80 and 38 hours of his time to charity with our Order.Perhaps one of the most inspiring examples of our com-

mitment to serving those in need is our service to peoplewith intellectual disabilities. Beginning with our supportfor the very first Special Olympics games in 1968, our ef-forts in this area have steadily grown. Last year, not only didour councils donate $3,599,196 to Special Olympics, butmore than 133,000 individual Knights collectively donatedmore than 250,000 hours of their time at more than 20,000Special Olympics events.This past February, as NFL coaches and the nation’s best

college football players gathered in Indianapolis for the an-nual Scouting Combine, the Indiana Knights of Columbushelped Special Olympics athletes demonstrate their own im-pressive set of skills. Thanks to a partnership between theIndiana State Council, Special Olympics and Catholic Ath-letes for Christ, the first-ever “Football Clinic” for SpecialOlympics athletes was held at the Indianapolis Colts train-ing complex.Similarly, the Knights of Columbus announced on July

14 a $1.4 million sponsorship of the Special OlympicsWorld Games to be held in July 2015 in Los Angeles. Oursponsorship will cover the costs of food, transportation andmedical services for every athlete from the United States andCanada during their time in Los Angeles. We have also

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Top: Project Medishare employee Emmanuel Kernand stands with twowheelchair recipients during a Global Wheelchair Mission distribution ata special needs school outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. • Above: Membersof Council 8587 in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, plant new mangroveseedlings near Taytay. Knights planted approximately 3,000 seedlings inthe aftermath of a typhoon.



asked each state jurisdiction to increase the number of vol-unteer hours donated to Special Olympics this year.In addition to our work with Special Olympics, Knights

of Columbus councils last year donated an additional $13.5million to other projects benefiting people with intellectualdisabilities.Councils also donated more than $3.8 million to benefit

those with physical disabilities. One of our most importantprojects in this area involves our decade-long partnershipwith the Global Wheelchair Mission.During the past year alone, we distributed nearly 5,000

wheelchairs worldwide. Knights worked with Caritas Viet-nam to distribute 1,000 wheelchairs in that country. Thesewheelchairs were purchased by Knights throughout theUnited States and Canada, with representatives from Floridaand Texas joining distributions earlier this year. Additionally, Knights of Columbus councils in Califor-

nia, Texas and Florida began fundraising to send wheelchairsand other mobility devices to the Holy Land. His BeatitudeFouad Twal, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and president ofCaritas Jerusalem, enthusiastically welcomed the Knightsand their mission of charity. [In August 2013], sponsoredby the Knights of Columbus, the Global Wheelchair Mis-sion went on its fourth trip to the Holy Land and broughtwith it 280 wheelchairs.

Finally, Knights in 13 states provided more than 1,600wheelchairs to veterans this past year.In all, Knights have given the gift of mobility to more than

45,000 people around the world over the past decade throughthis partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission.Knights have assisted with mobility in other ways as well.

The “Knights of Columbus Stand With Boston Program”has provided assistance to three individuals who lost limbsin the Boston Marathon bombings last year. When insur-ance didn’t cover an upgraded prosthetic device or neces-sary additional device, the Knights of Columbus providedfunding.To date, we have spent more than $33,000 assisting those

injured in the Boston bombing. Our program will helpthem regain as much mobility as possible and ensure thatevil does not have the last word.College Knights pitched in as well, with members of

Notre Dame Council 1477 donating proceeds from thesteaks they sold before last season’s Notre Dame-USC gameto those who lost a limb in the bombing.Knights also gave $2.3 million to benefit the elderly,

$5 million to hospitals and other health care facilities, and$7.6 million for community projects.Knights likewise helped to provide housing for those who

need it most. Last year, brother Knights donated more than$870,000 and 1.5 million volunteer hours to Habitat forHumanity projects.

Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno flashes a thumbs up witha fan after helping her try on a coat at a Knights of Columbus Coats forKids distribution.

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In New Haven, Conn., Supreme Council staff membershelped build a home for the Tavarez family. The Order do-nated $75,000 toward the construction of the home, andmore than 20 employees — many of them brother Knights— contributed more than 150 hours to help complete theproject.

A great deal of planning goes into programs such as these,but not every charitable activity can be planned in advance.And when disasters strike, Knights answer the call for help.

Typhoon Haiyan, considered to be one of the strongestrecorded storms ever to make landfall, struck the Philip-pines with devastating results in November 2013. The ty-phoon killed more than 6,000 people and displacedmillions more.

Various councils in the Philippines delivered food, water,clothing and other necessities. Knights from Iloilo City trav-eled about 50 miles north with 788 sacks filled with rice,canned goods and bottled water, while Knights from CebuCity traveled to northern Cebu to distribute sacks of riceand canned goods.

In the wake of the storm, the Supreme Council author-ized an immediate grant of $250,000 for relief efforts. Anadditional $600,000 was donated by K of C councils andindividuals from throughout North America, bringing ourtotal commitment to relief efforts in the Philippines to morethan $850,000.

Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles (third from left), with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson (center) and others looking on, helps Special OlympicsWorld Games Global Messengers Caley Versfelt and Marco Martinez unfurl a World Games flag in front of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Alsopictured are, from left, actor Eduardo Verastegui, Deputy Supreme Knight Logan Ludwig, World Games CEO and President Patrick McClenahan, andCEO of Special Olympics Southern California Bill Shumard.

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The Order assisted the Department of Veterans Affairs andveterans across the country by delivering new wheelchairs tobe used by veterans. K of C councils in Maryland, Florida,California, Texas, Arizona and Tennessee have providedthousands of wheelchairs over the years to our nation’s heroes,and many states continue to hold “Wheelchair Sunday”parish drives to increase their support.




Some of these funds were initially spent to set up fooddistribution centers and assist the affected dioceses in theircharitable outreach.At the beginning of this year the Knights of Columbus

launched a new initiative — what we call the LivelihoodProject. It helps fishermen and farmers who lost everythingget back to work. The project employs carpenters who losttheir businesses to build boats for fishermen who also losttheir source of income. In early June, 40 newly crafted boatswere delivered to the same number of fishermen in a seasideceremony in Western Samar. The Livelihood Project is help-ing the recovery of two industries devastated by the ty-phoon. Today, the work continues, and a total of 100 boatsare planned.In addition, many farms were also destroyed by the storm,

so the Knights of Columbus has bought thousands of co-conut seeds to distribute in an area where nearly all the treeshave been uprooted by wind and storm surges. In sum, both of these programs are an investment in to-

morrow, and they will help make a better future for manyfamilies in the Philippines.When tornadoes struck Mississippi in late April, local

Knights set up three volunteer response center teams.Brother Knights worked with Catholic Charities of the Dio-cese of Jackson to help with damage assessment teams andalso assisted with clean-up efforts and emergency repairs. Inthe Winston County and Louisville area, approximately1,125 Knights put in nearly 6,640 volunteers hours to helpmore than 120 families. Council 13471 in Philadelphia,Miss., delivered more than half a ton of canned food andwater that they collected during their 40 Cans for Lent pro-gram, in addition to clothes and other items. Knights fromCouncils 802 in Meridian, 6765 in Starkville and 7974 in

Columbus volunteered to help in the relief efforts as well.When floodwaters left more than 16,000 families home-

less or with property damage in Colorado, Knights were onthe front lines. Working with the American Red Cross,Knights from Colorado and the surrounding states helpedprovide the basic necessities of food and shelter.In Mexico, members of Council 15531 in Iztacalco pro-

vided a truckload of food and other relief supplies to victimsof recent hurricanes in the state of Guerrero. Even if a disaster isn’t caused by nature, responding is nat-

ural for the Knights of Columbus.On Jan. 9, a chemical spill in the Elk River contaminated

the water supply for more than 300,000 residents of WestVirginia. The spill was so toxic that the water was unusablefor days. Before the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency (FEMA) could arrive on site with water, the WestVirginia State Council had already purchased, delivered anddistributed more than 6,000 bottles of water.Overall, our councils donated over $4.2 million to help

victims of disasters last year, and Knights donated morethan 19 million hours of their time to these and many othercommunity service efforts.But even when disaster strikes a single family, the Knights

of Columbus responds.When Jeff Robocker of South Dakota was killed in an

auto accident, his brother Knights from Marquette Council815 began raising funds and completing repairs and reno-vations to the Robocker home to ensure that his wife, whowas six months pregnant at the time, and their five youngchildren had a comfortable and safe environment in whichto rebuild their lives. The council provided a total of$20,000 in cash, materials and labor donations.Disasters are, by their nature, unpredictable. However,

To assist the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, the Knights of Columbus launched an initiative called the Livelihood Project. The program employs carpenterswho lost their businesses to build boats for fishermen whose boats were destroyed. In early June, 40 newly crafted boats were delivered to 40 fishermen ina seaside ceremony in Western Samar.



Thanks to a partnership between the Indiana State Council, Special Olympics and Catholic Athletes for Christ, a football clinic for Special Olympicsathletes was held February 22 at the Indianapolis Colts training complex.

the cold of winter is predictable. Thanks to the good workof brother Knights, the number of lower income childrenwho didn’t have a warm winter coat was reduced by nearly52,000 last year. The Supreme Council and 1,195 localcouncils purchased and distributed 51,924 coats — an in-crease of nearly 10,000 coats from the previous year. Andsince 2009, we have distributed more than 167,000 newcoats to children throughout the United States and Canada.Last year, Connecticut Knights began the Christmas sea-

son by distributing new coats to approximately 2,000 chil-dren in six cities the day after Thanksgiving. While manypeople were shopping on Black Friday, these brotherKnights were giving. I encourage every jurisdiction wherethe chill of winter is felt to follow Connecticut’s lead. OnBlack Friday, the most famous shopping day of the year, letus as Knights give witness to the power of charity. Distributing coats for kids can help an entire community

become involved in charitable work. Last October, Col-orado Knights teamed up with the Denver Broncos to pro-vide coats to students from an inner city Catholic school.Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and his wife,Linda, helped organize the event in collaboration withCatholic Athletes for Christ.The Broncos also played a role in a second coats distri-

bution held in New Jersey just before the team played inthe Super Bowl. I joined the Del Rios and a number ofother coaches and players to distribute coats to the childrenof Sacred Heart School in Jersey City. Especially inspiring was the presence of Broncos defensive

end Robert Ayers, who had been a student at that school.

Also joining us were retired Mets All-Star catcher Mike Pi-azza and Ray McKenna, president of Catholic Athletes forChrist.Cold weather comes each winter, but hunger affects many

people year-round. Brother Knights throughout the Orderhelped make a real difference last year by providing peoplein need with food through our Food for Families initiative.Councils throughout our jurisdictions help the hungry.

Some, like Council 2171 in Tillamook, Ore., grow food —in this case, approximately 7.5 tons, annually. Many othercouncils hold food drives or cook and serve meals.In Colorado, Thanksgiving was brighter for hundreds of

families thanks to the efforts of Council 10937 in High-lands Ranch. There, Knights organized a parish Thanksgiv-ing dinner drive to provide dinner for 400 families.Council 15045 in Markham, Ontario, took the Food for

Families program to an international level. Through itsfoodforsyria.org initiative, it provided a “Free Meal of Love”for 500 children in Syria, many of whom were Syrian Chris-tian refugees.In Marshall, Texas, Council 1422’s main purpose with

their “Remembering the Needy on Christmas Day” pro-gram is to feed the homebound, the needy, prisoners, emer-gency workers and the downtrodden on Christmas Dayeach year. For the eighth year, St. Joseph Parish and Councilworked together to feed 797 people with a Christmas din-ner, and then on Christmas day, they delivered 283 mealsto inmates of the Harrison County Jail.For many who are ill, life depends on donations of blood.

We have continued to provide this service ever since our

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sponsorship of the first national blood drive in the UnitedStates, in 1938. During the last fraternal year, we helpedprovide a vital lifeline to those undergoing medical treat-ment by enlisting the support of more than 410,000 blooddonors.While we are most active in our own jurisdictions, our

charity often reaches beyond national borders. Over theyears we have helped people in need in Haiti, Pakistan,Japan, Sri Lanka and Chile, to name just a few.Finally, the Knights of Columbus, working with the

Apostles of Jesus, continues to provide care and shelter for

children in Uganda and Kenya who are orphaned becauseof AIDS. Last year, more than $300,000 was committedto build a new girls dormitory and purchase a new schoolbus, and to bring electricity to a school and other build-ings for these children — many of whom have tested pos-itive for HIV.Whether at home or abroad, charity is our Order’s first

principle and the basis for all we do as brother Knights.It is the tangible way that we live out that spirit of frater-

nity and “missionary discipleship” to which Pope Francishas called us.

Our ability to do good in countless communities around theworld is directly related to the growth and vitality of our mem-bership. Inviting men to join us not only helps each man whojoins, it also helps those in need. It gives me great pleasure to report to you that during the

fraternal year ending June 30, membership in our Order grewfor the 42nd consecutive year, to a record 1,862,774 brotherKnights.During this same period we added 270 new councils, in-

cluding 10 in Mexico, 12 in Poland, 16 in Canada, 81 in the

MEMBERSHIP GROWTHOne of the most important tasks facing every brother Knight is toensure that all of our councils are open to new members.


Fourth Degree Knights process with an imageof Our Lady of Guadalupe as part of the 4thPoland State Convention held in May.




Philippines and 151 in the UnitedStates, bringing the total number ofcouncils to 14,871.Our Order is also growing in

Ukraine and Lithuania. By percentage, membership grew

the most in Poland, where 769 newKnights increased membership thereby more than 23 percent in just oneyear. I had the opportunity to experience

firsthand the enthusiasm of PolishKnights while attending their 4th stateconvention at Gniew Castle in north-ern Poland. While there, I was pleasedto meet with the state officers to planfor our future growth and charitablework in Poland.I am also pleased to announce the

establishment of our first council inSouth Korea, St. Andrew Kim TaegonCouncil 16000. There are nearly5.5 million Catholics in South Koreatoday. It is among the fastest-growingCatholic communities in the world. Pope Francis [acknowl-edged] this during his visit there [in mid-August], and I amsure that South Korea, like the Philippines, will play a signif-icant role in the future of the Knights of Columbus.Other jurisdictions added substantially to their ranks as

well. Mexico Northwest grew by more than 9 percent andMexico Northeast by 8.6 percent. The Philippines grew by5 percent.In the United States, New Mexico grew its membership by

4.6 percent, Georgia by 3.9 percent and South Dakota by3 percent. Virginia grew by 2.5 percent, Oklahoma by 2.1 per-cent and Florida by 2 percent. Texas also grew by 2 percent,becoming the only jurisdiction in North America to reach themilestone of 100,000 members.As our continued growth makes clear, the idea of a broth-

erhood of Catholic men committed to charity continues to beas relevant and vital today as it was in Father McGivney’s time.But we must do more.The good that we can do grows with each new member of

our fraternity. Today, we number more than 1.8 million, butthere are tens of millions of Catholic men who could havetheir lives transformed, and help transform the lives of others,through membership in the Knights of Columbus. We have agreat responsibility.If a man is interested in helping those in need, or in serving

his parish or community, or in strengthening his faith, or inprotecting his family’s financial future, he should join us. Nomatter what his reason is for joining, he will gain much fromthe many benefits of membership.Councils should also continue to follow the effective mem-

bership program of “One Member, Per Council, Per Month.”If each council grew by 12 new members this fraternal year,

we would grow by more than 175,000 members, and the serv-ice we could provide to church and community would growtremendously.And every council should also strive to earn the designation

of Star Council. This is a clear path for sustained membershipgrowth.When he founded the Knights of Columbus, Father Mc-

Givney understood the need to protect the spiritual and fi-nancial well-being of Catholic families. As Knights, we helpalleviate the effects of material poverty for millions. However,this coming year, I ask you to renew your focus on alleviatingspiritual poverty as well, by offering men the opportunity togrow in faith within our fraternity. This is what it means tohave a vocation to fraternity.In keeping with our founding mission of protecting

Catholic families, I am pleased to announce a new fraternalprogram. In October, we will launch “Building the DomesticChurch: The Family Fully Alive.” This program will help ourfamilies and parishes grow in the faith. It will also help us pre-pare for the 8th World Meeting of Families, which will be heldSeptember 22-27, 2015, in Philadelphia. This program willoffer opportunities for prayer, catechesis, Scripture reading,charitable projects and social activities that can be done to-gether as a family.Our Catholic Information Service (CIS) remains an impor-

tant part of our work. Since our Supreme Convention lastyear, five new publications have become available in the NewEvangelization Series. These booklets on the topics of prayer,the Eucharist, St. John Paul II’s theology of the body, marriageand consecrated life are vitally important for our efforts tostrengthen Catholic family life, and they are available in printand online.

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Members of St. Volodymyr Council 15800 stand with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head ofthe Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ inKiev, Ukraine.



Our programs highlight for youth the transformative power ofcharitable service. Participating in Knights of Columbus char-itable activities can be the catalyst for a lifetime of service.A powerful example of charity in action can be seen in the

work done by Council 9195 in Anaheim, Calif. BrotherKnights donated televisions, iPads and a video game system— at a combined cost of over $3,000 — for children to usewhile undergoing dialysis at St. Joseph Hospital.When Virginia’s Roanoke Council 562 learned that more

than 600 schoolchildren in the area belonged to homeless orlow-income families, they organized the “Hunger Is Not aGame” project to provide after-school snacks and clothingfor underprivileged students. The council delivered clothing

and over 6,000 packages of food and drinks, totaling $4,300in value, to students throughout the area.Along with individual service programs like these, over the

past year more than 104,000 young people between the agesof 9 and 14 participated at 4,357 Knights of Columbus FreeThrow competitions. Our Soccer Challenge program was alsosuccessful, drawing more than 15,834 participants at 1,152events.Knights also showed their support for young people by

sponsoring 28,547 Scouts in 1,173 Scouting units in theUnited States and an additional 943 Scouts in 153 Scoutingunits in Canada. Local councils should work with the Na-tional Catholic Committee on Scouting and the local diocese

YOUTHOur youth are not just the future of our society — they are thefuture of the Knights of Columbus. When we involve young peoplein the Knights of Columbus, they benefit from our experience incharity and our commitment to faith, and they witness our vocationto fraternity.

Supreme Knight Anderson and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore stand with 2014 graduates of the Pontifical John Paul IIInstitute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Also pictured, at far right, is Father AntonioLópez, F.S.C.B., provost/dean.

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to determine the best ways to collaborate with Scouts.Our Columbian Squires were also very active in charity this

past year. Squires concluded the fraternal year with 20,241members in 1,785 active Squires circles, donating more than$13,000 and in excess of 313,000 volunteer hours to a varietyof initiatives.Our College Council program continues to expand as well.

College is a rite of passage for many young people, and ourcollege councils provide students with a proper understandingof charity, unity in the faith, and the vocation to fraternity.College councils give young men the opportunity for authen-tic brotherhood and fraternity based on Christian values, andthey also give them the chance to evangelize their campusesby their commitment to faith and charity. Over the past year,we added 15 new college councils, including seven in theUnited States, one in Canada and seven in the Philippines.We now have 27,532 college Knights who are members ofcouncils at 302 colleges and universities.During the 2013-2014 academic year, the Supreme Coun-

cil funded 552 scholarships worth more than $1.2 millionfor students at institutions of higher education. One hundredand sixteen scholarships went to seminarians through the Fa-ther Michael J. McGivney and Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vo-cations Scholarship programs. Of the 44 who are newawardees, 39 are members of the Order. Each scholarship pro-vides $2,500 for tuition, room and board at major schools oftheology. Since the two scholarship programs began in 1992and 1999, respectively, they have distributed more than$6.3 million in scholarship aid to a total of 1,102 seminari-ans, 758 of whom have been ordained to the priesthood.Among our other scholarship programs, seven scholar-

ships totaling more than $153,000 were provided through

the Matthews and Swift Educational Trust. Likewise, 153scholarships worth more than $225,000 were providedthrough the Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria schol-arship programs.By far, the Order’s greatest support for vocations comes

from our local councils, assemblies and Squires circles par-ticipating in the Refund Support Vocations Program(RSVP). Last year alone, 3,224 local units provided directfinancial support totaling $6,187,284 to 6,356 seminariansthrough RSVP.Since 1981, RSVP has provided more than $60 million in

aid to more than 98,000 men and women pursuing their vo-cations to the priesthood or religious life.In addition to providing scholarship money, Knights of

Columbus councils support vocations in many creative ways.Knights in the Diocese of Lansing, Mich., annually showtheir support for young people pursuing a vocation to thepriesthood or religious life by inviting them to attend aminor league baseball game free of charge. This year, priests,deacons, women religious and seminarians were all in atten-dance, and Bishop Earl Boyea and Michigan Past StateDeputy Michael Malinowski were among the dignitaries tothrow out ceremonial first pitches. A Fourth Degree honorguard also presented the colors before a sellout crowd of11,166 — which included 2,200 Knights and their families.Father McGivney, a baseball fan himself, surely would haveapproved.Local councils and assemblies together provided $6.6 mil-

lion in scholarships and other forms of educational assistance,and another $1.6 million for youth athletic programs. All to-gether, local councils and assemblies contributed more than$18 million to youth programs last year.

These men understood the vocation to fraternity, the impor-tance of unity and the virtue of self-sacrifice. Today, theKnights of Columbus continues to reach out and offer supportto veterans and members of the armed services, some of whomare brother Knights. All of them deserve, and have, our respectfor their service to our country.

One hundred years ago, World War I began. A few yearslater, when the United States entered that war, the Knightsof Columbus offered enormous charitable support for thosewho were currently serving or had previously served with thearmed forces. Service to the military and veterans has contin-ued ever since.

FOURTH DEGREE &THE ARMED FORCES

When Father McGivney founded the Knights, it was no accident thathe turned to many veterans to be the first leaders of the organization.



Leading the Order in support of our troops and in our com-mitment to patriotism are Fourth Degree Knights. They pro-vide a visible and dignified presence through their service ashonor guards at patriotic ceremonies and liturgical events.Third Degree Knights can now immediately proceed to the

Patriotic Degree, and I am happy to report that during thepast year, 5,828 Knights did so, bringing Fourth Degree mem-bership to an all-time high of 340,960. We have also added60 new Fourth Degree assemblies, bringing the total to 3,169.In addition to their excellent work in honor guards, Sir

Knights have become an important presence in VA hospitalsaround the United States. They make up the vast majority ofthe thousands of Knights who are part of the Veterans AffairsVoluntary Services program.Led by the Fourth Degree, Knights now provide volunteer

manpower at nearly all of the nation’s veterans medical centers.We are the largest single volunteer service partner for the Vet-erans Administration.In 2011, the Gary Sinise Foundation began raising funds

to build computer-equipped custom “smart homes” forAmerica’s severely wounded heroes. That same year, while sta-tioned in Afghanistan, Cpl. Kyle Hockenberry was a victimof a roadside bomb. At only 19 years old, he lost both legsand his left arm in the blast. In June, we partnered with theGary Sinise Foundation by providing $200,000 to help com-

plete the construction of Cpl. Hockenberry’s home in Mari-etta, Ohio, helping to restore independence and support himand his wife, Ashley.It has long been the byword of America’s military that no one

is left behind — everybody comes home. Now, working withthe Gary Sinise Foundation, we can help make sure that thehomes our heroes come back to are worthy of their sacrifice.The Fourth Degree has also been in the vanguard of the

Order’s initiative to support vocations for the military chaplaincy.We have pledged $1 million over five years in support of

the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program with the Archdiocesefor the Military Services, USA. The fundraising is being ledby the Fourth Degree, and thus far, assemblies have raised$780,609 for this vital project.In addition to our work with military chaplains, we also

sponsored the annual AMS pilgrimage to Lourdes this May.This pilgrimage coincided with the 56th International Mili-tary Pilgrimage, which included delegations from more than40 countries. On this pilgrimage, some 125 wounded or dis-abled troops and veterans, family members, chaplains and sup-port staff joined other pilgrims at the Marian shrine ofLourdes in France.Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer of the military arch-

diocese, who serves as the episcopal vicar for Europe and Asia,joined us for the pilgrimage.

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As part of the journey to France for the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage, Supreme Knight Anderson visited the Musée de l’Armée. Standing with thesupreme knight at the desk of the French World War I hero, Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch, are Gen. Christian Baptiste, director of the Musée del’Armée, and Gen. Hervé Charpentier, military governor of Paris. They inspect the Field Marshal’s baton given to Foch by then-Supreme KnightJames Flaherty (inset) during the Knights’ visit to France in 1920 following World War I. The baton, produced by Tiffany & Co., is now part ofthe museum’s collection.


Fourth Degree Knights take part in ColumbusDay celebrations at the Columbus Memorial in

front of Union Station in Washington, D.C.



We provided more charity than ever before. More men thanever before are members of our fraternity. Our service to theChurch and for evangelization has never been stronger.Our insurance program has finished another record year,

with $8.2 billion in new insurance issued — a reflection ofthe hard work and integrity of our brother Knights who serveas our insurance agents.On the topic of integrity, I am pleased to announce that

this year the Knights of Columbus has been recognized by theEthisphere Institute, an independent center promoting bestpractices in corporate ethics and governance, as a 2014 World’sMost Ethical Company®. We were one of only two such com-panies in the life insurance category, and the Knights ofColumbus was one of only 144 honorees worldwide.

For more than 130 years, we have fulfilled Father Mc-Givney’s goal of protecting the financial future of Catholicfamilies in the event of the tragic death of a breadwinner.Today, we have a successful, sustainable business model pre-cisely because we have remained committed to Father Mc-Givney’s vision. Our Catholic values affect every aspect of ourbusiness, from our professional agency force of brotherKnights, to our investments, to our corporate governance andcode of ethics.For the 39th consecutive year, the Knights of Columbus

earned A.M. Best’s highest rating of A++ (Superior). This rat-ing is reserved only for a select number of companies thathave “a superior ability to meet their ongoing insurance ob-ligations.”


The Knights of Columbus has a long history in Lourdes, hav-ing run an Army hospitality center there at the end of the FirstWorld War. Under the banner of “Everybody Welcome, Every-thing Free,” Knights provided for the needs of members of thearmed forces. During our recent pilgrimage, military personnelwere given the same guidebook to the shrine at Lourdes thatthe Knights of Columbus developed for our troops in 1919.Our support continued even after the Great War. We pro-

vided job training for veterans of the conflict. It continuestoday in our current support for both active duty troops andveterans.Following the pilgrimage to Lourdes, I visited the Musée de

l’Armée in Paris, where the museum’s director arranged for usto have a special viewing of Field Marshal Foch’s ceremonialbaton, given to him by Supreme Knight James Flaherty in1920 during a Knights of Columbus pilgrimage to France.On March 15, I was pleased to travel to Fort Bragg, N.C.,

for an exemplification of the Fourth Degree and the charterpresentation for Chaplain (Maj.) Charles J. Watters Assembly3459. The event was held in the Watters Family Life Center,named in honor of the council’s namesake, a proud Knightand a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed while servingas an army chaplain in Vietnam.Then in May, I was at Fort Campbell, Ky., home of the

101st Airborne Division, to present a charter to Father FrancisL. Sampson Council 15914. Gen. Sampson served at Nor-mandy during the D-Day invasion as well as in Korea and inVietnam. A brother Knight of 55 years, he was named Armychief of chaplains.

INSURANCE & INVESTMENTS

This past year, each of Father McGivney’s goals for the Knights ofColumbus soared to new heights.

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As part of the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage, members of the militaryand a Knights of Columbus honor guard took part in a eucharisticprocession.



A.M. Best noted that its top rating reflects our “strong fra-ternal and insurance presence within the Catholic communi-ties,” our “strong risk-adjusted capitalizations” and “consistentlypositive statutory operating results.” It added that the Knightsof Columbus “has a strong affinity with its large membershipbase through its charitable programs and competitive portfolioof life insurance and annuity products.”We also continue to rank among America’s largest compa-

nies, ranking number 935 on this year’s Fortune 1,000 list.Our assets grew 5.8 percent last year and now total more

than $20.5 billion. Our surplus ratio is at 11.7 percent, whichis higher than the industry average. And A.M. Best says oursurplus provides us with “an exceptional level of risk-adjustedcapitalization” which “affords the Order considerable financialstrength.”Our insurance in force reached $94.7 billion, nearly double

the amount just 10 years ago. Last year alone, our insurancein force grew by $4.27 billion. We issued nearly 78,000 lifecertificates last year — 30,000 more than our closest fraternalbenefit society competitor.We now have more than 1,571,000 life certificates in force.

And our five-year sales growth of more than 22 percent standsin marked contrast to the industry as a whole which, duringthis same time, saw sales decline by nearly 13 percent.Our professional agency force of nearly 1,500 brother

Knights are the band of brothers responsible for this growth.They serve only Knights and their families. They share ourcommitment to charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.Through their dedicated service, brother Knights and theirfamilies can be confident that their financial future is secure.In order to provide financial security for young families, we

launched the new Young Adult Insurance Program this spring.This new product provides annual renewable term insuranceto Knights and their spouses ages 18-29. This insurance notonly offers protection for their families, but also gives themthe opportunity to start building financial stability at a timein their lives when it is extremely affordable to do so.Also, through this program, for the first time Knights will

be able to obtain a personalized quote and request additionalinformation online by visiting kofc.org/youngadultins.Our very low lapse rate is the best measurement of cus-

tomer satisfaction among our members. That lapse rate of3.6 percent is among the lowest in the industry and wellbelow the industry average of 5.8 percent. Put another way,96.4 percent of our insurance members keep their policies.This represents an outstanding level of confidence and cus-tomer satisfaction. Although much of the insurance sector finds itself either

stagnant or in a weak recovery, our insurance program con-tinued to outpace the industry. Insurance premiums reachednearly $1.14 billion in 2013. Our 3.6 percent decrease in in-surance premiums is less than one-third the industry rate ofdecrease, which is 11.4 percent. In addition, our annuity de-posits were at $594 million.Our members stay with our insurance products because

they offer the protection they promise when it’s needed most.



That is why we say our insurance is by brother Knights, forbrother Knights.Last year, we paid more than $314 million in death benefits.Over the course of our history, death benefits to our Knightsof Columbus families have totaled more than $4.1 billion.Also important, last year we paid more than $276 millionin dividends to our life insurance contract holders. Since theinception of our program, we have paid out more than$12.7 billion in living benefits to our insurance members.The quality test for any insurance company is the strengthof its financial platform — that is to say, the degree to whichits assets exceed its liabilities and what is necessary for it to re-serve in order to make future payments on death claims. Onceagain, our $1.9 billion surplus is the foundation of our capi-talization. In this regard, Standard & Poor’s says that theKnights of Columbus is “extremely strong ... at the AAAlevel.” And they praise our “very strong competitive position.”The good work of our investment department helps makethese benefits possible. Despite the low interest rate environ-ment, our investment department has found reliable, sustain-able ways to maintain healthy yields. While the yield on10-year treasury bonds last year averaged 2.3 percent, our newpurchase rate was 4.23 percent.During 2013, we invested more than $10 million each day.Our new investments during the year totaled $3.5 billion. Ourinvestment income last year totaled $919,968,424, an increaseof 1.54 percent over 2012. That is an exceptional result intoday’s economy.We believe that how and where we invest our money mustreflect our Catholic values. That is why we screen our invest-ments according to Catholic moral principles. That is also whywe are committed to helping parishes through ourChurchLoan program. Our loans provide financing toCatholic parishes and schools, enabling them to undertakeimportant projects at very competitive rates. With this pro-gram, we invest our members’ money to help build the futureof our Church.Our insurance is both ethical and faithful to Father Mc-Givney’s vision. It is insurance by brother Knights, for brotherKnights. Our investments reflect our Catholic values. This isthe Knights of Columbus difference.This is also why a brother Knight can choose no better com-pany for the protection of his family. In choosing Knights ofColumbus Insurance, a brother Knight is making a commit-ment to his family’s future; he is making a commitment toethical investment and corporate governance; and he is mak-ing a commitment that benefits his Church and community. Pope Francis has called for a “rediscovery” of fraternity inour economic activity. He has called on people everywhere “torediscover the fraternal bonds, which join us to one another,as the key to economic development.” He has urged us to re-discover the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice and for-titude.My brother Knights, you can be proud that the Knights ofColumbus is today a model throughout the world for thesevalues of fraternity in economic enterprise.



We were honored when your supreme directors were privilegedto be received by Pope Francis in a private audience in Rome lastOctober. During that audience, Pope Francis expressed his grat-itude to the Knights of Columbus for our “unfailing support”of the Holy See and for “the daily prayers, sacrifices and apostolicworks of so many Knights in their local councils, their parishesand their communities.”From the time of our founding by Father McGivney, our vo-

cation to fraternity has meant a special solidarity with our priests,bishops and pope. Our support for the latter takes many forms.Since 1981, the Order has annually supported the pope’s per-sonal initiatives through our Vicarius Christi Fund. In a privateaudience with Pope Francis this past year, I presented him witha $1.6 million check for his personal charitable endeavors. Since1981, our gifts to the Holy Father through the Vicarius ChristiFund have totaled more than $52,815,000.To help people better know our new pope, the Knights of

Columbus produced a documentary titled Francis: The Pope fromthe New World. This documentary has helped bring his life storyto the world and has been broadcast on television in the UnitedStates, Mexico, Canada, Europe, South Korea and throughoutthe Middle East. This past year was also a special one for the papacy.Divine Mercy Sunday was the occasion of the canonization

of two great popes. St. John XXIII led the Church into the Sec-ond Vatican Council and knew the Knights of Columbus well,visiting one of our playgrounds in Rome in 1959 and meetingwith our supreme directors in 1961. Canonized with him wasSt. John Paul II, who led the Church into the third millenniumand had a special connection to the Knights of Columbus, call-ing on us to work with him on many projects during his 26-year papacy.Throughout the days surrounding the canonization, our

Saint John Paul II National Shrine served as a major center fordevotion in the United States. Through this shrine, the Knightsof Columbus has a central role in preserving and promotingthe legacy of one of history’s greatest popes. I encourage all ofyou to visit this shrine and to organize parish and council pil-grimages to it.We also provided assistance for the canonization in Rome, in-

cluding nearly $100,000 in financial support to Vatican Televi-

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KNIGHTS & THE CHURCH

Our vocation to fraternity is an expression of our Catholic faith. Inunity with our Church, Knights around the world not only engagein acts of charity that evangelize, but that also directly promote thenew evangelization.

Supreme Director James R. Scroggin, Supreme Master Dennis J. Stod-dard, Former Supreme Director Javier G. Nájera and Supreme Di-rector Paul J. Lambert (obscured) carry the original statue of OurLady of Fatima through St. Peter’s Square. The procession took placeduring the Year of Faith “Marian Day” October 13, 2013, and wasfollowed by Mass celebrated by Pope Francis. It was the first time thata Fourth Degree honor guard was invited to participate in a papalevent in St. Peter’s Square.


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The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is the hometo relics of the newly canonized saint. In additionto liturgical and prayer life, the shrine will soon offera world-class exhibit on the life and papacy of St.John Paul II.




sion’s broadcast of the canonization ceremony and hosting hun-dreds of Polish pilgrims at two of our sports centers in Rome.On May 11, a National Mass of Thanksgiving for the canon-

izations of St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II concluded with aprocession of hundreds of people from the Basilica of the Na-tional Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington,D.C., to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. An honor guardof more than 100 Fourth Degree Knights led the procession,while Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, car-ried the relic of St. John Paul II.We express our gratitude to Cardinal Wuerl, through whose

leadership the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops des-ignated this site as a “national” shrine in time for the canoniza-tion ceremony in April.This summer, work will be completed on the shrine’s 16,000-

square-foot exhibit, titled “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. JohnPaul II.” Here, pilgrims will walk in the footsteps of this coura-geous pope in a major exhibit that explores the events of his lifeand the themes of his papacy. St. John Paul II once said, “Peopletry to understand me from the outside, but I can only be under-stood from within.” Our shrine has precisely this mission: to helppilgrims understand this great saint “from within.”Soon construction will begin on the new “Redeemer of Man”

chapel, which will be able to accommodate more than 500 pil-grims. It will be named after St. John Paul II’s first encyclical,Redemptor Hominis. The chapel will be adorned on four sideswith beautiful mosaics created by Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik,who previously renovated the Holy Family Chapel at theSupreme Council headquarters in New Haven, Conn.This past summer, we also made available the first-class

relics of St. John Paul II for veneration in the Cathedral of theHoly Cross in Boston, the National Shrine of the Assumptionof the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, St. Patrick’s Cathe-dral in New York and the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter andPaul in Philadelphia. More than 20,000 pilgrims were able toseek St. John Paul II’s intercession during this relic tour. Wetake this opportunity to again express our appreciation to Car-dinal Seán O’Malley, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, ArchbishopCharles Chaput and Archbishop William Lori for hostingthese pilgrimage events in cooperation with the Saint JohnPaul II National Shrine.At the canonization of St. John Paul II, Pope Francis said: “In

his own service to the people of God, St. John Paul II was thepope of the family. He himself once said that he wanted to beremembered as the pope of the family. I am particularly happyto point this out as we are in the process of journeying with fam-ilies toward the Synod on the Family. It is surely a journey which,from his place in heaven, he guides and sustains.”As an organization dedicated to Catholic families, and follow-

ing the example of Pope Francis, I would ask that brotherKnights everywhere pray that St. John Paul II may guide theSynod on the Family, which will take place this [month].One of the projects closest to the heart of this “pope of the

family” was his establishment in 1981 of an international grad-uate school of theology dedicated to the study of marriage andfamily at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. It would

be named the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage andFamily after its founder. I had the privilege of teaching there asa visiting professor beginning in 1983 and of personally dis-cussing with Pope John Paul II the work of the Institute onmany occasions.In 1988, the Knights of Columbus made possible the estab-

lishment of a session of the Institute in Washington, D.C. Nowlocated in McGivney Hall at The Catholic University of Amer-ica, approximately 500 students have graduated from the Insti-tute and gone on to serve the Church in a variety of ministriesand teaching vocations. Three of those students are now bishopsin the United States.Last March in Rome, we co-sponsored an international con-

ference with the Institute, titled “John Paul II: The Pope of theFamily.” It was held under the special patronage of the Councilof European Bishops’ Conferences.Even as we give thanks for our Church’s newly canonized

saints, we also pray for the beatification of our founder. I askfor your continued prayers in this regard. A possible miraclethrough Father McGivney’s intercession is under considerationat the Vatican, and our devotion to our beloved founder shouldprompt all Knights of Columbus to pray for his intercessionand cause for canonization.Father McGivney continues to capture the imagination not

only of Knights, but of people everywhere. The Father MichaelJ. McGivney Guild continues to grow and now has 155,000members.A play about Father McGivney that was commissioned by the

Supreme Council was published in July 2013. Written by Do-minican Father Peter John Cameron, He Was Our Father wasfirst performed at the 2005 Supreme Convention in Chicago,and then the following year in New York and New Haven.Furthermore, our documentary on the life of Father Mc-

Givney, which has aired on PBS stations throughout the UnitedStates, is now available on DVD. And a little more than a monthago, the Vatican published a new Italian translation of FatherMcGivney’s biography — The New York Times bestseller ParishPriest by Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster.The example of Father McGivney continues to inspire people

around the world, precisely because his vision for Catholic fam-ilies and his example as a parish priest remain so relevant. FatherMcGivney left us an example of living our faith every day. Forthis reason, the Knights of Columbus embraced the Year of Faithcelebrated last year. More than 4,500 Knights and their familymembers participated in a Year of Faith pilgrimage to the Basilicaof the of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception inWashington, D.C., on September 8, 2013.Archbishop Lori of Baltimore presided over the pilgrimage to

celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Knights Tower Carillon andto reconsecrate the Order to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Arch-bishop (now Cardinal) Gérald C. Lacroix of Québec, primateof Canada, concelebrated the Mass with our supreme chaplainand delivered a Marian reflection. The 329-foot Knights Towerwas funded by a $1 million grant from the Order. Its 56-bell car-illon was dedicated September 8, 1963.Also during the Year of Faith, the Knights of Columbus was



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pleased to support an initiative to refurbish the preeminent iconof Our Lady in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Madonna delSoccorso (Our Lady of Help). The painstaking project involvedextensive preliminary research and testing that allowed the re-storers to reconstruct for the first time with scientific precisionthe centuries-long history of this poignant image.Marian devotion has long been a hallmark of the Knights of

Columbus. With members throughout North and CentralAmerica, we have given a high priority to promoting St. JohnPaul II’s vision of a hemisphere united under the mantle of theBlessed Mother through her title, Our Lady of Guadalupe.To help promote greater solidarity and the new evangelization

among Catholics of this hemisphere, the Knights of Columbusco-sponsored a conference with the Vatican’s Commission forLatin America on the New Evangelization in America. HeldNovember 2013 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe inMexico City, this meeting, titled “Our Lady of Guadalupe: Starof the New Evangelization on the American Continent,”brought together hundreds of Catholics from around the hemi-sphere — including nearly 80 bishops and cardinals fromCanada, the United States and Mexico, as well as Central andSouth America. I was honored to be among speakers such asCardinals Seán O’Malley and Marc Ouellet, and ArchbishopCharles Chaput.Shortly before that meeting, I also had the opportunity to ad-

dress the Mexican Bishops Conference and to make a presenta-tion about the history of the Knights of Columbus in that nationand the Order’s plans for future development in Mexico.What we do at the national and international levels as Knights

of Columbus is reflected at the local level as well. Throughout

our jurisdictions, councils and assem-blies have provided extraordinary lev-els of support to their local churchesduring the past year. True to our com-mitment to parish priests since thetime of Father McGivney, Knightshave stepped up to help with parishprojects large and small, proving againand again that they are the strongright arm of the local parish.Overall, Church donations from

local and state councils totaled $48million, of which $19.7 millionwent to church facilities, $6.3 mil-lion to Catholic schools, and $6.2million to direct assistance for semi-narians. Another $2 million went di-rectly to seminaries.We also continue to assist our

council chaplains. Led by oursupreme chaplain and assisted by Do-minican Father Jonathan Kalisch, oursupport of council chaplains has neverbeen stronger. Father McGivney leftus a model of cooperation betweenpriests and the Knights of Columbus.

Our priests — especially our council chaplains — can help formour vocation to charity and fraternity, and they can help identifyneeds within the parish and community where our councils canhelp. Working closely with our council chaplains, we can trulybe the strong right arm of our parish priests.At last year’s Supreme Convention in San Antonio, we inau-

gurated a new Marian Prayer Program featuring an image ofMary as the Immaculate Conception from the Cathedral-Basilicaof Notre-Dame de Québec. Each state deputy was given a copyof the image to bring to his home jurisdiction, where it has trav-eled among councils as the focus of prayer programs. To date,411,192 devotees have attended 2,255 services. This prayer program also coincides with the 350th anniversary

of Notre-Dame de Québec. During the combined state chaplainand state deputy midyear meeting, held last November inQuébec, the Order’s leadership made a pilgrimage to Notre-Dame de Québec for the celebration of Mass with ArchbishopLacroix, on the threshold of the Jubilee Year.In addition, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, the

Québec State Council and Canadian Association teamed up tounderwrite the creation of the Holy Door that was installed in aside chapel of the Cathedral-Basilica — the first Vatican-sanc-tioned Holy Door in North America. The massive bronze doorbears the emblem of the Knights of Columbus in recognition ofthe Order’s support for its creation.This has been a special year for the commemoration of the

evangelization of Canada, with this anniversary and also the can-onization of St. François de Laval and St. Marie of the Incarna-tion. Last spring, our board of directors made a special pilgrimageto pray at the tomb of St. André Bessette. And our Marian Prayer

Left: Polish Knights and their families, who served as volunteers for the nearly 1,000 pilgrims whostayed at two of the Order’s five recreation facilities in Rome, hold up the flags of the Order and oftheir homeland.



Supreme Knight Anderson addressed the Mexican Bishops Conference in Mexico City Nov. 14, 2013. He spoke of the history of the Knights of Columbusin Mexico, the Order’s plans to further develop in Mexico in solidarity with the bishops, and the importance of the New Evangelization.

In a powerful witness of unity and faith, eight cardinals and more than 70 bishops from North, Central and South America, together with K of C leadersand some 250 invited guests from around the hemisphere, gathered in Mexico City Nov. 16-19, 2013, for a pilgrimage and meeting titled “Our Ladyof Guadalupe: Star of the New Evangelization on the American Continent.” (Left) Cardinal Marc Ouellet, president of the Pontifical Commission forLatin America, delivers the opening address of the pilgrimage and meeting. (Right) Supreme Knight Carl Anderson delivers his keynote address.



Program has helped carry forward their work of evangelizationinto parishes worldwide.

In addition to our programs of evangelization, we have alsohelped Catholics stay informed about important events. Last yearwe began sponsoring EWTN News Nightly. This new programprovides in-depth coverage of the news of the day from aCatholic perspective. To keep up with what is really going on inthe world around us, I encourage brother Knights, and all

Catholics, to tune into this excellent news show each evening.Quality Catholic programming isn’t just important in the

United States — it is important worldwide. For this reason, we’vealso continued our support for Salt and Light Television, bring-ing quality Catholic programming to Canada. We encouragecouncils in Canada and throughout the Order to promote Saltand Light Television’s new series The Church Alive on the newevangelization.

In our role as faithful citizens, we need not compromise ourvalues or our charity. For us, faithful citizenship means keepingfaith with both. What we do, we do to help. And even if somepeople disagree with our positions on moral issues, let no onedoubt that what we do is inspired by Christian concern andlove of neighbor.

In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis observed: “Religion[cannot] be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life,without influence on societal and national life.”

Bringing key values into the public square can help make areal difference. Sixty years ago, the Knights of Columbus wassuccessful in having the words “under God” added to the U.S.Pledge of Allegiance. This year, we successfully defended thesewords before the Massachusetts Supreme Court.

Now, someone might ask what this has to do with love ofneighbor, and the answer is: everything. When we speak of theUnited States as a nation “under God,” we recall the Declara-tion of Independence and its principle that we are “endowedby our Creator” with “unalienable rights.”

Brother Knight John F. Kennedy recognized this samefounding principle in his inaugural address when he said: “Ourrights come not from the generosity of the state, but from thehand of God.”

As Pope Francis reminded us in his message for this year’sWorld Day of Peace on Jan. 1: “True brotherhood among peoplepresupposes and demands a transcendent Fatherhood. Based ona recognition of this fatherhood, human fraternity is consoli-dated: each person becomes a ‘neighbor’ who cares for others.”

Pope Francis also recently reminded us that religious freedommust mean the freedom to live out our faith on behalf of ourneighbor. He said: “Religious freedom is not only that of pri-vate thought or worship. It is the liberty to live, both privatelyand publicly, according to the ethical principles resulting fromfound truth. This is a great challenge in the globalized world,where weak thought — which is like a disease — also lowersthe general ethical level, and in the name of a false concept oftolerance, it ends in persecuting those who defend the truthabout man and its ethical consequences.”

The Knights of Columbus again supported the Fortnightfor Freedom campaign, which took as its theme this year:“Freedom to Serve.” Is it not natural for us, as an organizationthat each year donates millions of dollars and volunteer hoursof service to our neighbors in need, to insist that the free exer-cise of religion remain free?

We are proud of the leadership of Supreme Chaplain Arch-bishop William E. Lori, who has been a champion in defenseof our first freedom as chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Com-mittee for Religious Liberty.

One area that has become a flashpoint for religious libertyin the United States is the government’s so-called HHS con-traceptive mandate. This mandate requires even religious em-ployers to provide not only contraceptives and sterilizationprocedures, but also abortion-inducing drugs and devices.

The government has offered what it calls an accommoda-tion for religious organizations. The government now says thatreligious organizations need not worry, because the govern-

FAITHFULCITIZENSHIP

Our vocation to fraternity takes many forms. We are called to charity,to unity, and we are called to our patriotic duty. As it was in the timeof Father McGivney, the best citizenship is faithful citizenship.

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Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E.Lori of Baltimore, continuing to serve aschairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committeefor Religious Liberty, has been a champion indefense of our first freedom.



Clockwise from top: Hundreds pack the streets with K of C pro-life signs during a pro-life march organized by Santo Domingo de Guzmán Council14383 in Yauco, Puerto Rico. The march was held under the theme “Seamos la Voz de los que No Tienen Voz” (“Let’s Be the Voice of Those WhoHave No Voice”). • Supreme Advocate John A. Marrella addresses attendees at Canada’s National March for Life in Ottawa May 8. • Young peopleholding Knights of Columbus “Defend Life” signs gather for the 40th March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22.

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ment will require health care plans to provide these items atno charge.

However, anyone who provides health care coverage for theiremployees knows that the cost of a company’s plan is negoti-ated annually with the health plan provider. The cost of a planis flexible, based upon the range of services offered and the ex-tent to which they are used. Each year health insurance premi-ums increase, but somehow the government is insisting thatwhen a health insurer is forced to provide more services, thecosts somehow won’t be passed on to us when our rates go upthe following year.

And if we agree today that abortifacient drugs and devicesare morally acceptable because they are provided for free, thenwhat will we say should the government insist tomorrow thatabortion also be provided?

Of course, our bishops were right when they unanimouslysaid that the government’s “accommodation” is morally unac-ceptable.

Others have said it is nothing more than a sleight of hand.The United States Supreme Court rejected the government’sarguments for the HHS mandate in its Hobby Lobby decisionearlier this summer. And we are hopeful that it will do so againto protect the religious liberties of entities such as the Little Sis-ters of the Poor.

In 1993, St. John Paul II came to the United States to cele-brate World Youth Day in Denver’s Mile High Stadium. Dur-ing his visit he said: “Do not stifle your conscience! Conscienceis the most secret core and sanctuary of a person. Only by lis-tening to the voice of God will you obtain the freedom youyearn for.”

And so, my brother Knights, what are we to say today? Arewe to say that this is no longer true in America? Do we say thatin our country the government has become the final arbiter ofconscience? That the voice of government must always havethe last word?

Some may be tempted to think that this is only a Catholicissue. In reality, this issue reaches far beyond one religious group.

Should any of you visit Washington, D.C., in the near fu-ture, I would ask you to visit the Jefferson Memorial. Thereyou will read the words of one of our greatest presidents: “Ihave sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility againstevery form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

Then ask yourself, “What would Mr. Jefferson think aboutall this?”

It has been said that in such national policy debates ourreal choice is not between left and right, but between up anddown. Is not our choice today to choose to move up to a so-ciety that respects conscience, to a culture that defends lifeand to a civilization based on the principle of love of neigh-bor? Or else to choose to move down to where governmenthas ever greater power to control how we must act and whatwe must think?

St. John Paul II taught us that only a civilization of love isworthy of human dignity and the truth about the human per-son. Building a civilization of love is the goal toward whichour fraternal love of neighbor leads us.

At the center of the civilization of love is the culture of life.Each is inseparable from the other because each calls us to

value and accept every human life.Some in politics seem obsessed with publically opposing

our Church’s teaching on human life. But we must differwith them. Our position is that every child should be loved,every child should be respected, and every child should behelped.

CULTURE OF LIFEToday, faithful citizenship demands that we defend the truth aboutman. It is a truth that we have received not from the generosity ofthe state, but from the hand of God.

June marked the 60th anniversary of the addition of “under God” to thePledge of Allegiance. The Knights of Columbus, which played a pivotalrole in adding those two words, continues to defend and preserve themagainst legal challenges.

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OFFICIAL OCT. 1, 2014:To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on

such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order,payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable toKnights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expirationof the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220,Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7

ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIESSHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIALWILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PUR-CHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOTNECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.

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

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OFCOLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org.PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2014 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, PO BOX1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UN-DELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULE-VARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3

PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OF-FICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511,MANILA.

The cold child in need of a coat, the hungry child in needof food, the poor child in need of education, and the unbornchild waiting to be born. All are on the margins of society,and all deserve to be supported and protected. In good conscience we cannot abandon some and help oth-

ers. We will help all that we can. While some politicians try to divide the American people

on social issues, we seek to overcome division, to bring peo-ple together and to help everyone. Even on abortion, anissue often considered the most divisive, our polling hasfound great unity among Americans. Our recent Knights ofColumbus/Marist Poll revealed that, more than fourdecades after the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade,the vast majority of Americans do not accept abortion ondemand. Eighty-four percent of Americans would limitabortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy,and so would nearly 6 in 10 Americans who identify them-selves as strongly pro-choice.A majority of Americans believe life begins at conception,

and more than 6 in 10 think abortion is morally wrong. And,perhaps most importantly, more than 8 in 10 Americans saythat laws can protect both the well-being of a woman and thelife of her unborn child. This principle is the basis of our Ultrasound Initiative,

which I am pleased to report continues to grow. The Knightsof Columbus has donated nearly 500 ultrasound machines topregnancy resource centers in Canada, Jamaica and all 50 ofthe United States. Each of these machines can save hundredsand even thousands of lives. Knights in Texas and Missouri are leading the way, with 39

and 33 ultrasound machines, respectively, followed by Cali-fornia with 30, and Michigan and Florida with 29 each. By providing ultrasound machines to pregnancy centers, the

Knights of Columbus is helping turn the tide in favor of lifeby saving one child at a time. Another way we are helping to promote life is through our

support of marches for life around the globe. The annualMarch for Life in Washington, D.C., the largest human rightsdemonstration in the world, this year saw hundreds of thou-sands brave record low temperatures to make their voices heard.In Canada, we support the March for Life in Ottawa, and

brother Knights are active in marches for life throughout thePhilippines, as well as in Mexico and Poland. What continues to be remarkable about these demonstra-

tions is that the overwhelming majority of participants areyoung — and getting younger each year. In all, we supported the cause of life last year with more

than $10.5 million to pro-life projects.

So let us resolve to continue the great work which Father Mc-Givney began, to live our vocation to fraternity as did he: withmalice toward none and charity toward all. Let us continue tobind up the wounds of those who are suffering, to do right asGod gives us to see the right. Let us continue our dedication to our principles of charity,

unity, fraternity and patriotism with the quiet strength anddetermination for which we have become known, so that byour example and through our service the world may betterknow the truth spoken by Pope Francis — that fraternity istruly the foundation and the pathway to peace.

Vivat Jesus!

CONCLUSIONMy brother Knights, at no time in the history of this continenthas so much good been done by a single Catholic fraternity. Butwhat we have accomplished in the past must be the prologue tofuture action.


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].

A young pet owner holds her dog and thedog’s medical card at a vaccination eventco-hosted by Banal Na Sakramento Coun-cil 8753 in Quezon City, Luzon, and theCatholic Women’s League. Knights offeredvaccinations to parishioners who broughttheir dogs to the event.

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.


KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS


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

KEEP THE FAITH ALIVE

‘THE HAPPINESSTHAT I EXPERIENCE

AS A PRIESTASTOUNDS ME.’

My vocation to the priesthood began whenI met Jesuit Father Thomas King while study-ing at Georgetown University in Washington,D.C. One day, I summoned the courage to talkwith him after class, and he immediately in-vited me to attend his 11:15 p.m. weeknightMasses. In the middle of the night, in the mid-dle of campus, Father King celebrated Mass bycandlelight in Dahlgren Chapel. It was his lovefor the Eucharist that first made me contem-plate becoming a priest.As my faith deepened, I joined the Knights

of Columbus. Father King even invited me toconsider a call to the priesthood. Popular cul-ture, however, told me that the priesthood wasa lonely life. Out of fear, I delayed enteringseminary for six years.Today, those struggles feel like a distant

dream. The happiness that I experience as apriest astounds me. We all want lives that arereal, deep, authentic and joyful. The only thingthat stands in our way is fear. If Jesus is callingyou to the priesthood, have no fear — you willfind joy.

FATHER SCOTT S. HOLMER

Associate Pastor, Sacred Heart ChurchLa Plata, Md.

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Documents

Columbia October 2014