ALABAMA K OF C
CULTURE OF LIFE UPDATE October / November / December 2014
2014
“The Holy Father greatly appreciates the dedicated work that you and everyone involved in 40 Days for Life are
engaged in to promote respect for the lives of all unborn children. His Holiness assures you of his prayerful
support for you, your colleagues and all those whose prayer, fasting and sacrifices are saving countless lives and
giving glory to God.
~Pope Francis, via Vatican Secretariat of State, January, 2014
January 2015 Upcoming Culture of Life Activities
Annual Roe v. Wade Anniversary Event!
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 2:00 PM
Mobile’s Medal of Honor Park Bicentennial Pavilion
Featured Speakers: State Senators Rusty Glover and Bill Hightower State Representatives: Speaker pro tem Victor Gaston, David Sessions, Margie Wilcox, Jack Williams
A short march, made in sympathy with the annual Washington, D.C. March for Life, will follow speakers.
Gathering & March
Saturday, January 17, 2015, 10:45 A.M. Birmingham’s Brother Bryan Park
22nd St. and 10th Avenue Mass for Life 9:00 am
Cathedral of St. Paul 2120 3rd Ave. N. Birmingham, AL
Rain, Snow or Shine Bring your Family and your Friends! www.BirminghamMarchforLife.org
NORTH ALABAMA STAND FOR LIFE
Huntsville, Fri., January 16th, 2015
12 Noon Madison County Court House
(West Sidewalk) Join with us as we Stand for Life
and Religious Liberty
“Praying to end abortion in North Alabama!”
Christian Youth From Across Alabama Prepare for Annual Trip to Washington, D.C., March for Life (Jan 22nd, 2015)
From Mobile to Birmingham to Huntsville, and points in between, our Catholic and other Christian youth are excitedly preparing for this life-changing experience! Many Brother Knights and their families will again be participating as chaperones, students, and parents.
A Look Back at 2014 Pro-Life Activities from Around Our Dioceses
Right, Birmingham, Jan 2014
Anna Zimmerman of Bama
Students for Life, pictured here
with Bishop Robert Baker, gave
an inspiring talk to the over
1,000 Pro-Lifers at the rally. The
rally preceded the annual
Birmingham United March For
Life.
Above, Huntsville, Jan 2014 - Over 90 Pro-Lifers
from the Huntsville community of churches braved
the bitter cold to hear Pro-Life leaders speak out for
life and religious liberty at the Annual STAND FOR
LIFE RALLY on the Madison County Courthouse
steps. Included among the speakers were local K of
C Council members who also helped organize the
event.
Left, Mobile, Dec 2014 - Mae Rehm, a Pro-Life leader for the Mobile area
reports, “A group of faithful prayer warriors led by Pro-Life leader Vickie Klein,
gather to pray the Holy Rosary on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in
Mobile at the Planned Parenthood abortion facility".
Above, Washington, DC, Jan 2014 - Members of the Pro-Life Group of the
Year, Bama Students for Life, gather at the annual Students for Life of America
National Convention. BSFL received an award as Top Campus Pro-Life Group.
Above, Montgomery, Jan 2014 - Area Pro-Lifers join with clergy in conducting
a candlelight prayer vigil in front of the Montgomery abortion facility in
conjunction with March for Life Month.
Above, Birmingham, May 2014 – Birmingham’s 3rd
Saturday Pro-Life Mass and Rosary Vigil was celebrated by Bishop Emeritus David Foley. Faithful prayer warriors joined Bishop Emeritus Foley and Fr. Bill Lucas for the Rosary at Birmingham’s Planned Parenthood. This event was held each month throughout the year and is a continuing Culture of Life activity!
Below, Columbus, GA (Across the river from Phenix City, AL), Spring
2014 - Father Tom Weise, Chaplain of Phenix City Council 13415,
sends us this photo of youth from St. Patrick’s School, Phenix City,
standing up for life at a prayer vigil at the abortion facility in nearby
Columbus, GA.
A Montage of Other 2014 Pro-Life Activities from Across Our State
Thank You, Brother Knights for Your Support!
Left, Mobile, May 2014 – State K of C Chaplain Msgr. G. Warren Wall, addresses the
large gathering at the dedication ceremony at Mobile’s Women’s Resource Center
for the new mobile ultra-sound unit. The ultrasound machine was supplied by the K
of C under the leadership of Little Flower Council 13367.
Right, Prattville, July 2014, Ellen Edmonds, renowned author and EWTN
spokesperson on Alzheimer’s and other dementia, was guest speaker at the July K
of C kickoff meeting in Prattville. Ellen spoke about the Alzheimer’s Support Group
Program developed in partnership with the K of C and the United for Life
Foundation.
Huntsville, July 2014 – Brother Knights, clergy and other Pro-lifers from across North Alabama gather in thanks for the closing of the Madison Street abortion facility in downtown Huntsville, and in remembrance of the many thousands of babies who perished there!
Don’t forget the CHOOSE LIFE
license plate when it comes time
for your car plate renewal!
Proceeds go to assist operating
expenses at the state’s pregnancy
care centers!
Alabama K of C Ultrasound (U/S) Initiative Update
Congratulations Selma and Decatur Councils, and the other contributing councils across the state for their recent efforts in raising the necessary funds for placing new ultrasound machines at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Selma and at Sav-A-Life Decatur. Receipt of the matching funds from K of C Supreme, with placement of the new machines, to follow soon! Note:
These two additional machines will bring the total placed by the Alabama K of C to TWELVE! Total machines placed nationally by Supreme’s Ultrasound Initiative to date: 524, covering all 50
states, plus Jamaica and Canada!
Pro-Life Pictures of the Month
Left, Selma, August 2014 – Paul Robitaille, GK Selma Council 2738 (2nd
from left) and Jennifer Dobbs, Exec. Dir., Selma-Dallas County Sav-A-Life
(seated, center) are pictured with Sav-A-Life Board members and
volunteer staff. The group met with K of C State Ultrasound Coordinator
Lee John Bruno to plan for their new ultrasound. Council 2738 has now
raised the required $15,254 needed to obtain matching K of C Supreme
funds. (Congratulations-just received word the Supreme check was
mailed Dec. 16th
!)
Right, Decatur, June 2014 – Brother Knight Del Smith of Decatur Council 3986, and Veronica Keen, Exec. Director of Decatur Sav-A-Life, review specifications and quote for the new ultrasound machine. The effort was recently completed ($17,248 raised), and the application to K of C Supreme for matching funds has been submitted. Congratulations to Decatur Council 3986 and other Councils who assisted!
For I know well the plans I have in
mind for you; plans for your welfare
and not for woe, so as to give you a
future of hope.
~Jeremiah 29:11
Above, One picture is Worth a Thousand
Words….
A Nativity Scene was erected in a church yard.
During the night the folks came across this
scene. An abandoned dog was looking for a
comfortable, protected place to sleep. He chose
Baby Jesus as his comfort. No one had the heart
to send him away so he was there all night.
Note the dog is a German SHEPHERD!
Above - Unborn Baby Jesus LONDON
A campaign by the group ChurchAds.Net was
inspired by a custom in which parents give
ultrasound photos of their unborn children to family
and friends. “Our new Ultrasound Jesus poster uses
this convention to place the birth of Christ in an
ultra-contemporary context,” the group said.
Other Pro-Life News
A major news event for Alabama in 2014:
EWTN Wins Big Pro-Life Victory Against HHS Mandate on Heels of Hobby
Lobby Decision, by Steven Ertelt, Washington, D.C., June 30, 2014 / 3:07 PM
(LifeNews.com) On the heels of the Supreme Court ruling today that the
Christian-run business Hobby Lobby doesn’t have to obey the HHS mandate
that is a part of Obamacare that requires businesses to pay for abortion
causing drugs in their employee health care plans, EWTN has won a victory
of its own. The Catholic television network is asking the courts to stop the
Obama administration from enforcing the mandate against it while its own lawsuit continues. In a resounding
victory for religious freedom, today EWTN was granted last minute relief from the Eleventh Circuit Court of
Appeals, one day before the world’s largest religious media network would be forced to violate its deeply help
religious convictions or pay crippling fines to the IRS on July 1, 2014. Full story
On a sadder note, North AL lost a faithful prayer warrior and
wonderful Catholic lady, Beryl Graffagnini, wife of Deacon Emeritus
and Sir Knight Skip Graffagnini. Beryl passed away this past week,
and is pictured here (L-R) with Madison GK Danny Garcia and
Deacon Skip at a 40 DFL prayer vigil in Huntsville. Please
remember the Graffagninis (64 years in marriage) in your prayers.
“Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord. May her soul and the souls of
the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.”
Thank you to all who contributed to this newsletter over the past year. Please forward pictures of your Council / Assembly’s Culture of Life activities for inclusion in our next newsletter to: [email protected]
Jim Kaelin, Culture of Life Director Knights of Columbus Alabama State Council
John Phillip and Juan Benjamin of St John the Baptist Council
10232 in Madison, AL stand among some of the Nativity set
cutouts that the council constructed as part of its “Keep Christ
in Christmas” campaign. Members of the council spent several
months constructing, assembling and painting 60 of the Nativity
sets, which they sold to the community and parish. In addition,
the council rented space on a digital billboard near a busy
highway to display a banner that reads “Keep Christ in
Christmas.”
~COLUMBIA MAGAZINE, December, 2014