Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
J oy and hope. These words characterized the experience of hundredsof thousands of young pilgrims in Madrid as they participated in var-
ious liturgies, celebrations, catechetical programs and other World YouthDay activities.
As thousands of pilgrims arrived in Madrid for World Youth Day 2011Aug. 16-21, many of them found a home away from home at the Pala-cio de Deportes sports center. The arena, located in the heart of Madrid,was the site of the Love and Life Centre, an official catechesis and youthfestival site for English-speaking pilgrims that was co-hosted by theKnights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life. The site was co-sponsoredby Holy Cross Family Ministries, Salt + Light Television, the Fellowship
of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), the Pontifical John Paul IIInstitute for Studies on Marriage and Family, the Apostleship of Prayer,and World Youth Alliance.
Leading up to and organized around the major World Youth Dayevents, the site featured an impressive array of programs on its main stage,including morning Mass, catechesis, dynamic panel discussions andkeynote addresses, musical performances, and an eucharistic healinghour. The venue also included chapels for eucharistic adoration andprayer, rooms for meetings and breakout talks, exhibition halls, an In-ternet café, food, opportunities for confession, and more.
CHAPLAIN’S reporto C t o b e r 2 0 1 1 � v o l u m e 4 � n u m b e r 1 0 � w w w . k o f C . o r g / C h a P l a i n s
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS In Service to One. In Service to Al l .
l e a r n i n g t h e f a i t h , l i v i n g t h e f a i t h � 1 C o l u m b u s P l a z a , n e w h a v e n , C t 0 6 5 1 0 - 3 3 2 6 , u s a
Visit www.kofc.org/chaplains to sign up to receive future issues of this newsletter via e-mail. Previous issues are also archived at this site.
SEE WYD2011, PAGE 4
“S o that the World May Know NewHope” was the theme for this year’s
Supreme Convention and coming fraternalyear. It was taken from a prayer written byPope John Paul II and was a wonderfully fit-
ting theme — particularly in reference tochaplains. Yes, there is new hope, and this factshone through as our chaplains gathered atthe annual meeting on the day before theconvention proceedings began.
Our coming together is more than just abusiness event. Of course, it needed to have abusiness-like agenda, but if it is just that, thenwhat is that special “something” that holds ustogether? Community.
Being a New Testament concept of theChurch, a eucharistic concept, communityunderlines the core of who we are as statechaplains gathered “with one heart and onevoice.” We are, if you like, a pilgrim gatheringfrom different parts of the world. We are notin a privileged position, but rather in serviceto our brothers on their continuing journey asKnights — an authentic sign of charity, unity
SEE convention PAGE 3
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK
Father John P.Grace, O.S.A.Director of Chaplain Programs & Development
‘So that the World May Know New Hope’
JOYFUL ATMOSPHEREWorld Youth Day Pilgrims From Around the
World Celebrate Their Faith With Great Enthusiasm
KNIGHTS JOIN THOUSANDS IN WELCOMING POPE TO WORLD YOUTH DAY
O n Thursday, Aug. 18, hundreds ofthousands of World Youth Day pil-
grims made their way toward the Plaza deCibeles to welcome Pope Benedict XVI toMadrid. Excitement filled the air and musicfilled the streets as volunteers and police di-rected the growing crowd.
“It is absolutely unbelievable. There are peo-ple everywhere,” said Brent West, a member ofIllini Council 2782 at the University of Illinoisin Champaign. “There are so many differentflags from so many different countries. We’rejust excited to see the Holy Father soon.”
A total of 24 college Knights of Columbus,who had been working as volunteers at theLove and Life Centre, arrived early enough toget a good spot near the parade route and closeenough to see the stage from which the popewould speak.
“The anticipation has really been building.They have been serving pilgrims all week,” saidMichael Brewer, who supervises young adultmembership development for the Knights ofColumbus. “There has been a lot of joy and re-ally inspiring experiences associated with that,but now it’s time for them to be pilgrims, too,and not just volunteers serving other pilgrims.”
“It’s just amazing. There’s so many peoplecrammed into this place, all of the youngCatholics together. It’s great for the future ofthe Church,” said Joseph Chelak, a member ofFather Justin Cunningham Council 11324 atthe University of Virginia. “We’ve been up forcountless hours, working long days, but there’sstill so much excitement and so much energyhere.”
Upon his arrival, Pope Benedict XVI greetedthe cheering masses in various languages beforegiving an address in Spanish. To English-speak-ing pilgrims, he said, “May these days of prayer,friendship and celebration bring us closer toeach other and to the Lord Jesus. … Let us pray
for one another, so that we may be joyful wit-nesses to Christ, today and always.”
In his address, Pope Benedict observed thatwhen a person’s life is not rooted in faith inChrist, it is easy to get lost on “other paths …which leave emptiness and frustration in theirwake.”
He encouraged his young listeners to seizethe opportunity “to know Christ better and tomake sure that, rooted in him, your enthusi-asm and happiness, your desire to go further,to reach the heights, even God himself.”
The Holy Father further described how a lifecharacterized by moral relativism contrasts withthe Christian vocation.
“Indeed, there are many who, creating theirown gods, believe they need no roots or foun-dations other than themselves,” he said. “Theytake it upon themselves to decide what is trueor not, what is good and evil, what is just and
unjust; who should live and who can be sacri-ficed in the interests of other preferences; leav-ing each step to chance, with no clear path,letting themselves be led by the whim of eachmoment.”
In this light, Pope Benedict XVI encouragedthe youth to build their lives upon “the firmfoundation which is Christ.” He said that thefreedom found in Christ is the “reason for ourjoy” and “the firm ground upon which to buildthe civilization of love and life, capable of hu-manizing all of us.”
Finally, in anticipation of the Way of theCross, which took place through the streets ofMadrid the following day, the pope said, “Icommend the fruits of this World Youth Dayto the most holy Virgin Mary, who said ‘Yes’ tothe will of God and teaches us a unique exam-ple of fidelity to her divine Son, whom she fol-lowed to his death upon the Cross.”
Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd from his popemobile as he arrives for a welcoming celebration as part of theWorld Youth Day festivities in central Madrid Aug. 18. The pope arrived earlier that day in Spain’s capital to spendfour days with hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims. (CNS photo/Susana Vera, Reuters)
The Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, a sec-tion of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat ofEvangelization and Catechesis, recently released the second DVD in itsseries Marriage: Unique for a Reason. The first DVD, Made for EachOther (#50052) portrays how man and woman complement each otherin marriage. The recently released DVD, Made for Life (#50055), exam-ines the gift of children in marriage and the indispensible role played by
fathers and mothers in marriage and society. The DVD series is beingfunded by the Knights of Columbus. These DVDs are available from theDepartment of Fraternal Services by calling 203-752-4270. Please havethe title and item number available when calling. Each DVD comes witha viewer’s guide and resource booklet that can be used when presentingthe productions to groups or students. There is a shipping and handlingcharge for each DVD.
Marriage: Unique for a Reason
and fraternity for all Knights. We do this to-gether, in communion, as a community ofchaplains.
The supreme convention had a profoundimpact on all who participated, but it also af-fects every council. As chaplains, we gather sothat we ourselves may indeed know new hope,and offer it to all as life-giving and revitalizing.
During his address to us, Supreme KnightCarl A. Anderson noted that we need to con-tinue to develop a greater spiritual and cate-chetical foundation and formation of our layleaders through parish-based councils, whichwill require more participation on the part ofour chaplains. In thanking the chaplains, henoted that we bring new hope to the worldthrough the millions of acts of charity we doeach year. We bring new hope to the worldwhen we live out our principles of charity,unity, fraternity and patriotism in ways thatchange lives for the better.
Supreme Knight Anderson underlined thefact that more needs to be done to encouragesolidarity between priests and lay people. TheChurch, he said, is under increasing attack,and one of the methods of attack upon theChurch is divisiveness — attempts at splittinglaity from clergy and youth from clergy.
He also mentioned the importance of en-couraging greater devotion to Father MichaelJ. McGivney; his cause is before the Congre-gation for the Causes of Saints at the presenttime, and there is still need for a documentedmiracle. Anderson asked that greater effortsbe made to solicit reports of favors grantedthrough Father McGivney’s intercession.
In his talk, Supreme Chaplain BishopWilliam E. Lori stated that Pope John Paul IIcalled all of us, but in a special way the laity,to the New Evangelization. Pope Benedict hasrenewed his predecessor’s emphasis on help-ing the people of our day and using themeans available to us to open their minds andhearts to Christ and to the Gospel. TheKnights of Columbus presents an unparal-leled opportunity to evangelize, but we havemuch work to do right within the householdof our beloved Order.
Among the projects in the coming monthswill be the editing of those articles BishopLori wrote in Columbia magazine on theCompendium of the Catechism of the CatholicChurch so that they can be published in bookform and distributed to Knights.
Bishop Lori went one step further withthese encouraging words: “During our Chap-lains’ Meeting in March, I focused at lengthon the four principles of the Order: charity,unity, fraternity and patriotism. For variousoccasions, I have written on the eucharisticand Marian dimensions of the four principles,but I am planning something a little moresystematic. ... What I will try to develop inthe pages of Columbia in the next two years isa reflection on the four principles through thelens of the four pillars of the Catechism, a sortof ‘theology’ of our Order, if you will. Myhope is to write it in an accessible way so thatit can be a kind of handbook by which theprinciples of the Order become a means offaith formation — evangelization and catech-esis, in a manner true to Father McGivney.So, say a prayer to the Holy Spirit. He’ll have
to be working overtime on this project!”Bishop Lori concluded by thanking all
present for their service as chaplains, for help-ing their brother Knights and their familiescarry forward the Order’s spirit and mission,and for being such excellent brother priests,the priests whom the Church desires andneeds.
It was a memorable Chaplains meetingwith some 78 chaplains coming togetherfrom all parts of the world. We are indeedvery grateful, and hopeful for the future.
God bless and keep you all.
REV. JOHN P. GRACE, O.S.A.DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAIN PROGRAMS
AND DEVELOPMENT
(203) 752-4263
M E M B E R S H I P I N T H E K N I G H T S O F C O LUM B U S is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing)
Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and
morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
convention, FROM PAGE 1
Above: Supreme ChaplainBishop William E. Lori
celebrated the Aug. 4 MemorialMass at the129th Supreme
Convention in Denver. Right:The opening Mass was
concelebrated by some 100priests (including Father John Grace, far right)
and more than 80 cardinals,archbishops and bishops.
“The beautiful thing about the Love and LifeCentre, an oasis in the middle of this great city,is that it is a joint effort, and most of this isbeing led by young adults who are the alumniof World Youth Days,” said Basilian FatherThomas Rosica, the head of Salt + Light Tele-vision and chief organizer of World Youth Day2002 in Toronto.
In addition to the pilgrims themselves andKnights of Columbus college council mem-bers, 48 Sisters of Life were among the 250 vol-unteers at the site.
“The sisters are here to greet the pilgrims, tomeet with them and to share with them theirown walk with the Lord,” said Mother AgnesMary Donovan, superior general of the Sistersof Life. “Our dream for this site and our visionis that Jesus Christ and the love of the Lord willbe encountered here by all of the young peoplewho come. We’re hoping that the English-speaking pilgrims from all over the world willcome and that they will feel at home here.”
In the reactions of pilgrims were any indica-tion, then the Love and Life Centre accom-plished this goal magnificently. The YoungOrder of Malta, a Catholic apostolate in Aus-tralia, led a group of 12 young Australians withintellectual disabilities to World Youth Day andspent the afternoon at the Love and Life Cen-tre Aug. 17. In addition to listening to main-stage talks, they spent some time in prayer atthe site’s Blessed John Paul II adoration chapel.
“Seeing young Catholics from all over theworld inspires me and gives me hope,” saidJerome Smith, a member of the Young Order
of Malta. “There are a lot of wonderful peoplehere praying for the needs of the world. Wehave been praying for our pilgrims, who don’t
have the same cognition as you and I, but atthe same time, they understand the love ofChrist. ... I felt that this afternoon — a real ac-ceptance for these people who often aren’t ac-cepted by society.”
Added Christel Sonnekalb, a regional direc-tor of operations for World Youth Alliance:“I’m so happy this was organized, because itgives the English speakers the possibility togather at one place,” Sonnekalb said. “So youmight have an Australian sitting next to you, aCanadian, a South African, a Malaysian. It’sjust a very exciting experience. It’s the joy ofbeing all together and remembering that we area universal Church.”
For more details on the Order’s involvement inWorld Youth Day 2011, please visit kofc.org andwydenglishsite.org.
CHAPLAIN’Sreport1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326
PUBLISHED 12 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SUPREME COUNCIL1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326 � 203-752-4264 � [email protected]
WYD2011, FROM PAGE 1
Supreme Knight Carl A.Anderson participatedin a panel discussion regarding a Civilizationof Love. Below: SupremeChaplain Bishop WilliamE. Lori leads a eucharitichealing procession following the Way of the Cross.
