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AuguSt 2011 ♦ Volume 91 ♦ Number 8

COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S

9 Hope in Action Young Catholics can look to Blessed John Paul II as a spiritual father as they seek to be faithful Christian witnesses.

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

12 Faithful Sons and Daughters of Pope Benedict With World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI has demonstrated his ability to connect with young people at a deep level.

BY BASILIAN FATHER THOMAS ROSICA

15 A Consecrated Witness Through their prayer and apostolates, the Sisters of Life protect and promote the sacredness of human life.

BY CAROLEE MCGRATH

18 A Great Yes to Love In the vocation to marriage and family, we find the meaning of the human body and of human freedom.

BY KATE IADIPAOLO

21 God’s Scholar Recent high school graduate selects seminary over prestigious college scholarships.

BY AMBRIA HAMMEL

22 A Young Man of Vision Venerable Michael McGivney demonstrated heroic virtue and leadership amid the young people in his care.

BY DOMINICAN FATHER GABRIEL B. O’DONNELL

A crowd surrounds the World Youth Day cross as it is carried down a street in Sydney, Australia, in July 2008. The Knights of Columbus will host Love and Life: A Home for English-speaking Pilgrims at World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid this month.

D E PA RT M E N T S

CNS photo/courtesy of World Youth Day 2008

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Building a better world

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In our dedication to evangelize young Catholics, we continue Blessed John Paul II’s legacy.

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

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Learning the faith, living the faith With the Our Father, Jesus taught us how to pray.

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month

Knights of Columbus News Archbishop-Knights Receive Pallium in Rome • Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge to “Under God” • Recruitment Incentives Honor Pope John Paul II • Knights prepare for World Youth Day

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The Mexican Martyrs boldly proclaimed their faith in the face of persecution.

BY MARÍA DE LOURDES RUIZ SCAPERLANDA

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Columbia Conversation Vatican launches Internet news portal, communicates the Gospel using new technologies.

Roman Missal The new translation of the Gloria emphasizes an overflowing of praise for God.

BY MOST REV. TERRENCE PRENDERGAST

Sharing Our Story

BY COLUMBIA STAFF

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Knights in Action AUGUST 2011

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Called to Be Witnesses DURING HIS pontificate, Blessed John Paul II canonized 480 saints and martyrs, nearly five times as many as the other 20th century popes combined.

Since his election in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI has likewise emphasized that the world today needs outstanding examples of holiness — perhaps more than anything else. So far, Benedict has canonized 34 saints and has beatified nearly 800 others, including John Paul II. These saintly examples remind all Christians that they, too, are called to courageous virtue.

The “universal call to holiness,” a key teaching of the Second Vatican Council, is inseparable from the “new evangelization,” a term first popularized in 1975

by Pope Paul VI in his apostolic exhortation on evangelization in the modern world. In that document, Paul VI wrote, “It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus” (41).

In our day, the vocation to marriage and family presents Christians with a particularly important challenge, since the sanctity of marriage has become undermined in various ways. This past June, after participating in a special celebration of Catholic families in Croatia, Pope Benedict declared, “The fidelity of spouses has become in itself an important witness to Christ’s love that makes it possible to experience marriage for what it is.” No less important is the fidelity of priests and religious who uniquely demonstrate what it means to

be conformed and consecrated to Christ, in service to the Church and the world.

For the theme of World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia, Pope Benedict chose the final words that Jesus spoke before ascending to heaven: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). For World Youth Day 2011, taking place this month in Madrid, the pope pointed to the very foundation of this Christian witness: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7).

We are reminded that in order to receive the grace to live authentically Christian lives, it is necessary to be firmly rooted in prayer and in the faith of the Church.

This issue of Columbia explores the theme of being credible witnesses for the faith by sharing examples of how others have responded to the universal call to holiness. Although few are presented with the opportunity to die for their faith in the face of persecution, each of the baptized is called to “be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” (1 Pet 3:15).

Moreover, each is called to grow in virtue and to manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit, including charity, joy, peace, patience and kindness. Charity, after all, is not only the first principle of the Knights of Columbus, but also the common denominator of all vocations and the primary evidence of Christian discipleship (cf. Jn 13:35).♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI MANAGING EDITOR

Knights of Columbus Book Club — August 2011 IN HIS book The Human Person According to John Paul II (Pauline, 2010), Father J. Brian Bransfield presents the theology of the body in a broad context, explaining that the teaching “is not an island that can be separated from the wider teaching of John Paul and the teaching of the Church in general.” Father Bransfield currently serves as the associate general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. For more information, visit kofc.org/bookclub.

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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Dennis A. Savoie DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Emilio B. Moure SUPREME SECRETARY Charles E. Maurer Jr. SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski alton.pelowski@kofc.org MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Scalisi patrick.scalisi@kofc.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brian Dowling brian.dowling@kofc.org CREATIVE & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ________ GRAPHICS Michelle McCleary LAYOUT

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4580 OTHER INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 FAX 203-752-4109 CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.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 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.

________ Copyright © 2011 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER Pilgrims wave national flags at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, in July 2008.

CoVer: CNS photo/CourteSY of WorlD Youth DAY 2008

E D I TO R I A L

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

“I Have Looked for You” In our dedication to evangelize young Catholics, we continue Blessed John Paul II’s legacy

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

ONE OF THE MOST extraordinary life, as well as to marriage and family. moments in Blessed John Paul II’s long The pope understood well that the pontificate occurred during the last global Church is a young church. In fact, hours of his life as thousands of young it is likely that a majority of Catholics in Catholics gathered to pray in St. Peter’s the world today are under 30 and eligi- and their contribution today.

Future generations may look back Square. When told of their presence, the ble to attend World Youth Day as offipope reportedly said, “I have looked for cial pilgrims. John Paul II also knew that with envy that we experienced firsthand you. Now you have come to me, and I the Church must effectively evangelize the life and papacy of Blessed John Paul thank you.” the next generation of Catholics and II. We had the privilege to see and hear Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily that this cannot be done simply by im- him, either in person or on television. during the inaugural Mass of his papacy itating the latest “youth culture” fad. In- We have known him — and known in 2005, reflected on the impact his stead, World Youth Day must be an him to be a special friend of the Knights predecessor had on young people. occasion for authentic Catholic witness of Columbus.

But if future generations envy us, I “During those sad days of the pope’s and communion. illness and death,” he said, “it became This is why the Knights of Columbus think they will also ask us what we did wonderfully evident to us that the has joined with the Sisters of Life and to keep his memory, his legacy, his vision and his mission alive.

Church is alive. And the In a special way, all of us have Church is young. She holds been touched by the pontificate within herself the future of John Paul II knew that the Church of John Paul II and so — no the world and therefore shows matter our age — we are all part each of us the way towards must effectively evangelize the next of the John Paul II Generation. the future.” generation of Catholics and that this Therefore, we all — especially So remarkable was John the Knights of Columbus — Paul II’s outreach to young cannot be done simply by imitating bear a special responsibility to adults that an entire generaensure that the pope’s legacy tion of Catholics — the John the latest “youth culture” fad. lives on for future generations.

Paul II Generation — has As we move forward this frabeen named after him. As a priest, professor and bishop, Karol Wo- other Catholic organizations to sponsor ternal year in our work of charity, evanjtyła “looked for” this generation in his the Love and Life Centre for English- gelization, education and membership, university teaching and his pastoral min- speaking pilgrims at this year’s World let us make Blessed John Paul II’s words istry to young married couples and fam- Youth Day in Madrid. We hope this — “I have looked for you” — our own. ilies in Poland. As pope, he broadened work will be an historic expression of the Let us rededicate ourselves to expanding this outreach in unimaginable ways.

Order’s dedication to the evangelization our programs benefiting young Catholics and let us also bring into our John Paul II revolutionized youth min- of young Catholics. istry by means of the nine international John Paul II captured the heart of ranks as both members and leaders this World Youth Days that he celebrated — World Youth Day when he said, “The generation of young Catholics.

So, let future generations be envious of including those in the United States, future starts today, not tomorrow.” Our Canada and the Philippines. These en- Church and our world cannot wait until us — not only because Blessed John Paul counters between the pope and young some future time to benefit from the en- II was with us, but because in a thousand people have resulted in countless voca- ergy and commitment of young different ways we were with him.

Vivat Jesus! tions to the priesthood and the religious Catholics. We need their commitment

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

The Lord’s Prayer With the Our Father, Jesus both taught us how to pray and gave us a summary of the Gospel

by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori

OBSERVING JESUS AT PRAYER, his disciples asked him for instruction on how to pray (cf. Lk 11:1). In response, Jesus taught them the Our Father, a prayer that is so familiar to us that we often say the words without reflecting on their meaning. Fittingly, the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church concludes with a brief but illuminating section on the prayer that the Lord himself taught us (580).

The Our Father is found in Scripture during the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus also gave us the Beatitudes (Mt 5-7). The Our Father embodies the Beatitudes, which Blessed John Paul II called the “self-portrait” of Christ and the “blueprint” for holiness.

From the earliest times, the Our Father was “handed on” to those who were baptized. Reborn in Christ as members of the Church, we become capable of “speaking to God with the very Word of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2769). The true home of the Our Father is in the celebration of the Eucharist, which embodies its seven petitions (Compendium, 581).

The 39th installment of Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori’s faith formation program addresses questions 578-597 of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Archived articles are at kofc.org.

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In the Our Father we approach God the Father with simplicity and trust.

When the eternal Son became man, he revealed the Father to us. The Holy Spirit joins us to Christ so that we may have knowledge of the Father and become his children. As we call upon God as our Father, the Spirit rekindles our desire to live as his sons and daughters (582-3).

The Our Father is implicitly a prayer for the unity of the Church and the unity of the entire human family.

CENTERED ON GOD Every word counts in the Our Father, beginning with the simple word “our.”

To call God “our” Father is to affirm our relationship with him. In saying “our” Father, we also say that the Church of Christ is the communion of those who call God their Father (584). Thus the Our Father is implicitly a prayer for the unity of the Church and the unity of the entire human family (585).

In adding the phrase “who art in heaven,” we acknowledge the utter grandeur of God, who is not diminished or “domesticated” when we call

him our Father. Rather, in Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are lifted up to share the Father’s glory (586).

After these opening words come the seven petitions. The first three praise God for his glory even as we ask to be drawn ever more deeply into that glory. The last four ask God to bend down to assist us in our need: “to feed us, to forgive us, to sustain us in temptation, and to free us from the Evil One” (587).

With the first petition — “hallowed be thy Name” — we are asking to be made holy by professing God’s Name and by making it known to the ends of the earth (588-589).

In the second petition — “thy Kingdom come” — we pray for Christ to come in glory at the end of time and also ask to share in the holiness of the Kingdom of God (590).

In effect, we are asking to be equipped to build a “civilization of love.”

The third petition — “on earth as it is in heaven” — involves praying for a share in the perfect and loving obedience of Christ. We ask the Father to unite our will with that of his Son, just as he has done in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints. We also beg that God’s plan of salvation be realized in our lives and that we may know and do his will (591).

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

PRAYING FOR OUR NEEDS The final four petitions relate to our human condition and begin with a prayer for “our daily bread.” Here we ask God for what we need while recognizing that we do not live “on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). Thus, we seek to be nourished by the living Word of God and by the Body of Christ in the Eucharist (Compendium, 592-3).

In the fifth petition — “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” — we beg God to forgive our sins, confident as we are in the power of his love. As we say these

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI GENERAL: That the World Youth Day taking place in Madrid may encourage all the young people of the world to root and found their lives in Christ.

pope: CNS photo/paul haring — ANtIoNIo: Wikimedia Commons

MISSION: That Christians of the West, docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, may re-encounter the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith.

words, however, we can hear Jesus saying to us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5:7).

Even God’s mercy cannot enter a heart that is hardened by hatred. In opening our hearts to Christ’s love, we find the grace to forgive our enemies. When we do so, we share in divine mercy and the peace of God’s Kingdom (Compendium, 594-5).

By the sixth petition — “Lead us not into temptation” — we ask God to stand by us so that we may clearly know right from wrong, have the strength to persevere in holiness, and be one with Jesus who overcame temptation by prayer (596).

In the final petition we pray, “deliver us from evil.” Here we ask to be delivered from the grasp of Satan who works to harm us both physically and spiritually. We make this prayer not only for ourselves but indeed for all the Church and for the world. We pray with confidence because we believe that Christ has already conquered sin and death by his own death and resurrection (597).

The last word of the Our Father is “Amen,” by which we express our assent to the prayer Jesus taught us. May our lives also express our assent to this prayer, which is itself a compendium of the Christian faith.♦

C AT H O L I C M A N O F T H E M O N T H

Venerable Antonio Margil de Jesus Feast Day: Aug. 6 (1657-1726) IN 1673, AT AGE 16, Antonio Margil de Jesus received the Franciscan habit with permission from his parents, whose material poverty and rich virtue fostered his vocation. Although he wished to remain a friar like his order’s founder, St. Francis of Assisi, Margil was ordained to the priesthood in Valencia, Spain, nine years later.

After preaching in cities north and south of Valencia, Father Margil left with his superior, Father Antonio Llinas of Jesus and Mary, for New Spain, which then included present-day Texas, western Louisiana, Mexico and Central America.

For more than 40 years, Father Margil walked barefoot with his breviary, staff and cross throughout New Spain, preaching the Gospel to thousands of natives. Sometimes walking more than 50 miles in a day, these travels took him and his fellow missionary, Father Melchor Lopez, as far south as present-day Costa Rica.

Father Margil established seminaries in Guatemala City and in Zacate-

cas, Mexico, and, over time, served as the superior of numerous Franciscan missionary communities.

But he never lost sight of his role as a humble servant. He once wrote, “What would be the angels without God? Nothing. What would Mary Most Holy be without God? Nothing.

What would the humanity of Christ be without God? Nothing. Without God, in fact, all of us are nothing, nothing, nothing.” In fact, he would sign each of his letters, “Nothingness itself ” (La Misma Nada).

After his death in Mexico City in 1726, Father Margil’s tomb became a pilgrimage site. In 1836, Pope Gregory XVI declared him venerable.♦

AUGUST 2011

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Archbishop-Knights Receive Pallium in Rome

Pope Benedict XVI presents the pallium to Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles in St. Peter’s Basilica June 29.

In his homily, Pope Benedict XVI explained that the pallium is a symbol of the archbishop’s duty to be a shepherd, of his communion with the pope, and of “the yoke of friendship with Christ.” He said, “It reminds us that we are called to be shepherds of his flock, which always remains his and does not become ours.”

Reflecting on the day of his ordination, the pope recalled the archbishop speaking to newly ordained priests the

words of Jesus: “I no longer call you servants, but friends.”

“I knew that, at that moment, the Lord himself was speaking to me in a very personal way,” the pope added.

“These words bring great inner joy, but at the same time, they are so awe-inspiring that one can feel daunted as the decades go by amid so many experiences of one’s own frailty and his inexhaustible goodness.”♦

Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge to “Under God”

Recruitment Incentives Honor Blessed John Paul II

THE UNITED STATES Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal challenging the constitutionality of the words “under God” in the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, thus ending a seven-year battle involving two separate cases, one originating in California and the other in New Hampshire.

The Knights of Columbus, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, played a key role in defending the Pledge as a “defendant intervenor” in both cases.

“We were instrumental in persuading Congress to add those words to the Pledge in 1954, and they express a fundamental belief that we have held as a nation since our founding,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said.

“The notion that this somehow violates the First Amendment has now been soundly rejected by both the First and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals.”

The Ninth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Pledge in March 2010, and the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the California case in March 2011.

The First Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Pledge in November 2010 and the Supreme Court likewise denied certiorari in that case June 13.♦

IN CELEBRATION of the May 2011 beatification of Pope John Paul II, every Knight who recruits a new member during the first half of the 2011-12 fraternal year, which began July 1, will receive a commemorative medallion featuring the pope’s image. In addition, councils are asked to conduct First Degree exemplifications honoring Blessed John Paul II and to present special membership certificates featuring his image to the Order’s newest members.

“The beatification of Pope John Paul II is a time for reflection upon the accomplishments of his pontificate and the holiness of his life. But it will not be enough for the Knights of Columbus to simply look back and remember history,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson in regards to the pope’s beatification on May 1. “If we are to keep faith with our great friend and beloved spiritual leader, we must also look to the future.”♦

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AUGUST 2011

pAllIum: CNS photo/l'osservatore romano

OF THE MORE than 40 archbishops who received the pallium on June 29 at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, seven were Knights of Columbus.

A lamb’s wool stole that is worn over the chasuble, the pallium is traditionally presented by the pope to newly assigned archbishops during a special Mass each year. Four of the archbishops who received the pallium June 29 were from the United States, one was from Canada and two were from the Philippines.

All seven are members of the Order: Archbishop José H. Goméz of Los Angeles; Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio; Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City; Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle; Archbishop Gerard C. Lacroix of Québec; Archbishop José S. Palma of Cebu, Philippines; and Archbishop Sergio L. Utleg of Tuguegarao, Philippines.

This year’s Mass, celebrated on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, also marked the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict’s ordination as a priest.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

K of C Pilgrims, Volunteers Prepare for World Youth Day A GROUP of about two dozen college Knights will be among the tens of thousands of pilgrims converging on Madrid, Spain, for the 26th World Youth Day this month. But before the international gathering of Catholic youth begins Aug. 16, the Knights will make a pilgrimage to religious sites throughout Spain as a spiritual preparation for the event.

The K of C pilgrims, representing colleges and universities from throughout the United States, will first visit Zaragoza, home of the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar. This shrine commemorates a Marian apparition to St. James the Greater and his disciples in the first century and is traditionally held to be the site of the first church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The group will then journey to the Benedictine monastery at Monistrol de Montserrat and to Manresa, where St. Ignatius of Loyola lived as a hermit and authored the Spiritual Exercises.

Lastly, the Knights will travel to Burgos, the medieval capital of Castile, and to Caleruega, the birthplace of St. Dominic.

Following their pilgrimage, the Knights will return to Madrid where they will have the special privilege of serving as volunteers at the Love and Life Centre: A Home for EnglishSpeaking Pilgrims. An official catechesis and youth festival site, co-hosted by the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life, the centre will be located at the Palacio de Deportes, an indoor sports arena and premier concert venue in the heart of the city.

Cosponsored by Holy Cross Family Ministries, Salt + Light Television, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, the Apostleship of Prayer and World Youth Alliance, the site will feature an impressive diversity of programs and opportunities for pilgrims.♦

From Aug. 16-19, the Palacio de Deportes, the premier sports and concert venue of Madrid, Spain, will be the Love and Life Centre, serving English-speaking pilgrims to World Youth Day.

Love and Life: A Home for English-speaking Pilgrims

Monsignor Eduardo Chávez

Dana Scallon

archbishop Charles Chaput

In addition to morning catechesis, the Love and Live Centre will include dynamic talks, a eucharistic adoration chapel, a rosary chapel, an art exhibit, breakout rooms, holy hours and concerts.

One of the site’s most anticipated events is MarianFest, which will take place Aug. 17. A celebration of the Blessed Mother, the event will feature performances and talks by Latin Grammy winner Alexander Acha, Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, postulator for the cause for canonization of St. Juan Diego, acclaimed Irish singer Dana Scallon, and American recording artist Danielle Rose.

There will also be a number of discussion panels, such as “Religious Freedom and the Media,” featuring Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, and several other guests.

Finally, the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) will host a live broadcast of its popular Q&A program Life on the Rock.♦ For more details and a complete schedule, visit wydenglishsite.org or facebook.com/wydenglish.

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RO M A N M I S S A L

Adoration and Praise The new translation of the Gloria emphasizes an overflowing of praise for God

by Most Rev. Terrence Prendergast EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of articles on the Roman Missal in anticipation of the new English-language translation, effective in the United States beginning Nov. 27.

O

ne of the prayers that will be most affected by the new English translation of the Mass is the Gloria. Yet, when English-speaking Catholics around the world begin praying the revised translation of the Gloria, it will not seem all that different — only more exuberant.

When the current Roman Missal was originally translated in the early 1970s, literary theory encouraged “dynamic equivalence” — that is, translating the sense of the words rather than a word-for-word literal equivalence, which Pope John Paul II later mandated.

But English-language translators went further than just giving the sense of the text: In the Gloria, they reduced what was said, perhaps to avoid exaggerated repetition. For example, the Latin for “we praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory” was reduced to simply “we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.”

What was lost in the original translation was the effusiveness, the going overboard with praise of God! This is restored in the new translation.

The Gloria’s opening words repeat the message of the angels to the shepherds at the birth of Christ: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will” (cf. Lk 2:14).

Until now, we have been adapting the Scriptural text, saying “and peace to his people on earth.”

The Gloria reminds us that, although we are mere mortals, we are privileged to join immortal angelic hosts in praising God, thereby participating in the heavenly liturgy. This prayer is no ordinary “thank you” to a friend or loved one. Rather, we are joining angelic choirs in adoring the Trinity.

Scholars have observed that the litany of praise (“we praise you, we bless you,” etc.) imitates the kind of exultations heaped upon Roman emperors. Adapting such phrases for the Gloria, Christians showed where their true allegiances lay: claiming loyalty to God’s rule took precedence over loyalty to any earthly ruler.

Praise of the triune God begins with the Father and then moves to praise of the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the new trans8 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

AUGUST 2011

lation, the title of the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer the “only Son,” but the “Only Begotten Son,” underlining what John’s Gospel several times declares: Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love.

The second part of the Gloria begs the mediation of Jesus with the phrases, “Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.” And twice, rather than only once as in the current version, we ask Christ for mercy (“have mercy on us”).

Rooted in Scripture, the Gloria evokes John the Baptist’s designation of Jesus as the Lamb of God (cf. Jn 1.29). The fourth Gospel speaks of Jesus taking away the sin of the world (singular, but viewed as encompassing all the sins of the world). This reference to sin (singular), mentioned

by John the Baptist, may have motivated our present translation (“you take away the sin of the world”), but the Latin text of the Gloria reads peccata (sins in the plural), so our new translation will also be plural (“you take away the sins of the world”).

The last part of the Gloria, which remains unchanged, turns toward the Holy Spirit, placing him alongside the Father and the Son and indicating his equal status as God. The rhetorical style of the Gloria uses an ancient technique called anaphora, a speech pattern whereby part of a phrase is repeated so as to emphasize its importance. We do not use this technique in ordinary conversation, but we are familiar with its use — as in Martin Luther King Jr.’s repetition of “I have a dream” in his famous speech. The use of anaphora in the Gloria reminds us that something very special is taking place in this prayer.

If we examine the previous text of the Gloria alongside the new version, we note that although the wording has been expanded, it does not sound very different. There are changes, but it does not seem as if we are praying something altogether new.

The Gloria has been an obligatory part of festive Masses since the fifth century, so with the renewed Roman Missal translation, we will be closer to praying this hymn as the Church has done for the past 1,600 years.♦ MOST REV. TERRENCE PRENDERGAST, archbishop of Ottawa, Canada, serves as a member of the Vox Clara Committee, formed to oversee the new English translation of the Roman Missal.

HOPE IN ACTION Young Catholics can look to Blessed John Paul II as a spiritual father as they seek to be faithful Christian witnesses

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article was adapted from commencement addresses that the supreme knight gave to the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family and Ave Maria University in May 2011.

CNS photo by Chris Niedenthal

T

he extraordinary witness of Blessed John Paul II, which marked the nearly 27 years of his papacy, affected millions of Christian marriages and the lives of young Catholics.

It was the unprecedented phenomena of World Youth Day that gave rise to the expression “John Paul II Generation.” But this generation is not simply present once every several years at a different location around the world. Rather, the John Paul II Generation is alive and vibrant among countless young Catholics — in their marriages and families and in the lives of thousands of priests and religious.

Blessed John Paul II created a special connection with young people, a strong bond between his heart and their future. He saw a generation of faithful, hopeful Catholics and loved them in a special way. He placed great trust in them, wanted to be close to them, and created World Youth Day for them. In fact, one might say that Blessed John Paul II’s dedication to their future as Catholics was one of the signs of his great love for Jesus Christ.

In his homily during John Paul II’s beatification Mass May 1, Pope Benedict XVI observed that his predecessor exemplified “a personal and communitarian existence directed to Christ.” In this way, many young Catholics have come to know Blessed John Paul II as both a spiritual and intellectual father.

John Paul II understood the faith, love and courage that is required by those who would walk the path of Christian vocations in today’s society. He also had a deep understanding of the person in terms of being created in the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. Such an understanding opens up to us the possibility of a more profound communion of persons in marriage, family, society and the Church.

AN URGENT CALL Although I may not now look like it, I too count myself among the John Paul II Generation. The first time my wife, Dorian, and I saw John Paul II, we were 28 years old. It was during his first visit to the United States in 1979, and what the pope taught by word, deed and example helped to form my life.

My advice to young Catholics today is to make Blessed John Paul II your spiritual father. Let him be your intellectual and spiritual guide. Then you will truly be part of the John Paul II Generation.

John Paul II saw young people as the future of the Church and the world. In their hands, he saw the possibility of peace, justice and a civilization of love. For this reason, in a special way, he wrote his many encyclicals, apostolic letters and ad-

At the monastery of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland, Pope John Paul II greets throngs of Poles waiting for a glimpse of their native son during the first trip to his homeland in June 1979.

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Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 1, 2011.

dresses for them. Whatever a person’s path, he or she can look most important” (Letter to Families, 1-2). to John Paul II for help, both in prayer and in his writings.

Pope Benedict’s own episcopal motto — “co-workers of the We might even say that Catholics of the John Paul II Gen- truth” — provides an important key to understanding this eration were like his children and grandchildren. But it would mission of the Church in this regard. be more accurate to say that the pope desired to be their spirCatholics have the responsibility to be co-workers of the itual father. Today, Blessed John Paul II can fulfill his inten- truth about marriage and family. This means being a witness tion in a way that is possible only as part of the communion of the universal vocation to love, regardless of one’s particular of saints — he lives now hidden in the mystery of Christ. vocation in life. Thus we might also say “co-witnesses of the In his homily during John Paul II’s funeral Mass in 2005, truth” — witnesses by word and by deed. then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said, “We can be sure that our After all the Church has written and said on this subject, beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father’s the world still asks this question: “Is it possible to live in this house, that he sees us and blesses us.” way?” The world glimpsed an answer to this question in the John Paul the Great desires to be a blessing to our lives still! life of Pope John Paul II, and people must also see an answer Permit him to lead you to greatness in your Catholic life. This in the lives of their friends, neighbors and co-workers. may seem like a high expectation, but where we are going, the In his encyclical Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI reminded us stakes are higher than where we have been. that “all serious and upright human conduct,” together with In his apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici, John Paul II prayer, is “hope in action” (35). wrote this about the modern world: “A new state of affairs today Living as good, virtuous wives, husbands, parents, priests and both in the Church and in social, women religious — and as teacheconomic, political and cultural ers, lawyers, engineers, social life, calls with a particular urworkers, artists, businessmen, gency for the action of the lay physicians and entrepreneurs — Many areas of culture and faithful. If lack of commitment is allows people to become living society can be reached only by always unacceptable, the present hope for the Church and for the time renders it even more so. It is world. the witness of faithful laymen and not permissible for anyone to remain idle” (3).

CHALLENGE TO YOUTH laywomen who are passionate This is especially true today.

In moments of transition, indefor Christ and live passionately The determined witness of cision, joy, difficulty, opposition faithful Catholics is more imand success, Catholics today his way of truth and love. portant than ever. In particular, can look to Blessed John Paul II many areas of culture and socias a spiritual father who has ety can be reached only by the gone before them. witness of faithful laymen and laywomen — witnesses who If you think that living as a Catholic in today’s secular are passionate for Christ and live passionately his way of truth world is difficult, you can look to the man who worked in a and love. stone quarry by day and studied as a seminarian by night.

If you have not yet discerned a vocation, look to the man LIVING HOPE torn between being a poet and priest — and ended up being Pope Benedict said in his homily during the beatification both.

Mass that John Paul II had “restored to Christianity its true And if you find yourself wondering about the vocation to face as a religion of hope.” marriage, look to the man who spent so many hours with Nowhere is this restoration of hope more necessary than in young couples in Poland and who wrote about the beauty of marriage and family life. It was Blessed John Paul II who told marriage as a way to perfection, for both husband and wife. us that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family” In reflecting upon his experiences at World Youth Day 2000, and that “the primordial model of the family is to be sought in John Paul II wrote these words to young Catholics: “In your God himself ” (Familiaris Consortio, 86; Letter to Families, 6). energy and vitality, and in your love of Christ, I was able to We see clearly the fate of marriages and families in those glimpse a more peaceful and human future for the world. … societies that have abandoned their commitment to the nat- Dear young people, … a high and exhilarating task awaits you; ural realities of these God-given institutions. And we have that of becoming men and women capable of solidarity, peace seen the collapse of hope in cultures that have seen the eclipse and love of life. … Become craftsmen of a new humanity of God and the eclipse of family. where brothers and sisters … are able at last to live in peace.”

In his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, John Paul II This was Blessed John Paul II’s challenge to youth at the wrote that “man is the way for the Church” (14). Later, in his beginning of the third millennium, and it remains his chal1994 Letter to Families he wrote that Christ entrusted man to lenge — and his gift — today. the Church as “the ‘way’ of her mission and her ministry” and Those who follow this path with him will enter a world that “among these many paths, the family is the first and the ablaze with faith, hope and love.♦ AUGUST 2011

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Faithful Sons and Daughters of Pope Benedict

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With World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI has demonstrated his ability to connect with young people at a deep level

by Basilian Father Thomas Rosica

hroughout his more than 26-year pontificate, Blessed John Paul II enjoyed amazing popularity among young Catholics. He told his “dear young friends” that they were at the vanguard of history as architects and builders of a new civilization of love. Generations of young people listened so attentively to John Paul II that it was no surprise when millions of youth stormed Rome in April 2005 and mourned his death so deeply. Likewise, it was little wonder that John Paul II’s beatification ceremony in Rome this past May felt like a World Youth Day. In August 2005, just months after John Paul II’s death, hundreds of thousands of young people from more than 160 countries streamed into Cologne, Germany, for the 20th World Youth Day. Preceding the event, many wondered what a World Youth Day would be like without the founder and father of the mega gathering.

I remember the buzz: Did Ratzinger have the charisma of Wojtyła to win over today’s young people? Could Pope Benedict XVI step out of the shadow of his beloved predecessor and carry on with World Youth Days? And could an elderly new pope really connect with 1 million young people who invaded Germany that summer, hoping to have another John Paul II moment?

FROM COLOGNE TO SYDNEY In Cologne in August 2005, Pope Benedict XVI exclaimed to the throngs of young Christians: “Here in Cologne we discover the joy of belonging to a family as vast as the world, including heaven and earth, the past, the present, the future.

The Church can be criticized, because it contains both grain and weeds,” he told them, but “it is actually consoling to realize that there are weeds in the Church. In this way, despite all our defects, we can still hope to be counted among the disciples of Jesus, who came to call sinners.”

Benedict chose his words carefully, not desiring the immediate effect of applause, but long-term reflection. He invited young Catholics to learn God’s ways, not by constructing “a private God” for themselves, disconnected from the Church, but by developing a “sensitivity to the needs of others” that “must be seen in our willingness to share.”

Instead of patronizing or pandering, Benedict offered solid teaching in Cologne. During the vigil at Marienfeld on Aug. 20, 2005, the pope knelt in silent prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament with some 800,000 young people. That night, the German pope told his young friends that the saints “are the true reformers. … Only from the saints, only from God does true revolution come, the definitive way to change the world.”

In Cologne, Benedict showed the world that “Professor Ratzinger” had become the shepherd of a very large flock. He passed the World Youth Day test with flying colors.

Three years later, and thousands of miles away from Ger-

Pope Benedict XVI arrives for the celebration of the closing Mass of the 2008 World Youth Day at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.

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— not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty.”

Pope Benedict provided Australia with a program for the spiritual and social renewal of an entire nation. In Sydney, the young people of the “John Paul II Generation” and of the “Benedict XVI Generation” received power from on high as the Holy Spirit was poured out so lavishly upon them. Benedict sent them forth to be the Spirit’s joyful witnesses to the ends of the earth.

FIRM IN THE FAITH IN SPAIN When the young people of the world converge upon Madrid Aug. 16-21 for World Youth Day 2011, they will be celebrating their Catholic faith in the presence of two popes: one watching, smiling and blessing “from the window” of the Father’s house, and a second who will arrive from Rome to act as both pilgrim and host of SENT BY THE SPIRIT Spain’s second World Youth The Saturday evening prayer Day. (The first international vigil at Sydney’s Randwick youth gathering in Spain took “To be truly alive is to be Racecourse provided a setting place in the historic city of for Benedict to give a beautiSantiago de Compostela in transformed from within, open to ful lesson on the Holy Spirit, 1989.) whom he called the “forgotIn his letter announcing the energy of God’s love. In accepting ten person of the Blessed World Youth Day 2011, Pope the power of the Holy Spirit you Trinity.” In invoking the Holy Benedict wrote: “Now, at a Spirit and exhorting his time when Europe greatly too can transform your families, young listeners to allow the needs to rediscover its ChrisSpirit’s gifts to shape their tian roots, our meeting will communities and nations.” lives, the pope called to mind take place in Madrid with the the theme of World Youth theme: ‘Planted and built up Day 2008: “You will receive in Jesus Christ, firm in the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will faith’ (cf. Col 2:7). I encourage you to take part in this event, be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). which is so important for the Church in Europe and for the “Just as the Church travels the same journey with all hu- universal Church.” manity, so too you are called to exercise the Spirit’s gifts In Cologne in 2005 and in Sydney in 2008, Benedict amidst the ups and downs of your daily life,” Benedict said. proved to be more complex and charismatic than many ex“Let your faith mature through your studies, work, sport, pected. It was not a matter of “stepping out of the shadow” music and art. Let it be sustained by prayer and nurtured by of John Paul II; Benedict showed the world that he was never the sacraments.” in the late pope’s shadow at all. His audiences were riveted by Life consists of much more than “accumulation” and “suc- his clear teaching and captivated by his gentle presence. Quiet cess,” the pope continued. “To be truly alive is to be trans- but firm, the pope is making his own distinct contribution. formed from within, open to the energy of God’s love. In How true are the prophetic words of Cardinal George Pell of accepting the power of the Holy Spirit you too can transform Sydney, at the end of World Youth Day 2008: “World Youth your families, communities and nations. Set free the gifts! Let Days do not belong to one pope, or even one generation, but wisdom, courage, awe and reverence be the marks of greatness!” are now an ordinary part of the life of the Church. The John The next morning, in his homily at World Youth Day’s con- Paul II Generation — young and old alike — is proud to be cluding liturgy, Benedict took up the same theme that he had faithful sons and daughters of Pope Benedict.”♦ addressed in the homily of his papal inauguration three years earlier. He spoke about a spreading spiritual desert that is af- BASILIAN FATHER THOMAS ROSICA, a member of Toronto flicting humanity — an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, Council 1388, was the national director of World Youth Day 2002 a quiet sense of despair. He also described a new generation in Toronto. He has been the CEO of Canada’s Salt and Light of Christians “that is being called to help build a world in Catholic Media Foundation since 2003 and is a consultor to the which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

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prebVIouS SpreAD: CNS photo/courtesy of World Youth Day 2008

many and Rome, Benedict taught more unforgettable lessons at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. At the welcoming celebration July 17, the pope affirmed young people’s concern for the environment, adding that such concern should never eclipse an understanding of the innate dignity of human life, which stands “at the heart of the marvel of creation.”

The next day, Benedict met young people with histories of drug addiction and other problems who were part of a rehabilitation program outside of Sydney. He spoke with them about today’s false gods and the worship of three things: material possessions, possessive love and power.

“Dear friends, I see you as ambassadors of hope to others in similar situations,” he said. “You can convince them of the need to choose the path of life and shun the path of death, because you speak from experience. All through the Gospels, it was those who had taken wrong turns who were particularly loved by Jesus, because once they recognized their mistake, they were all the more open to his healing message.”

consecrated witness Through their prayer and apostolates, the Sisters of Life protect and promote the sacredness of human life

by Carolee McGrath

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hey come from all over the country, bright young women with promising futures. But they leave worldly concerns behind willingly and without complaint to answer God’s call.

“Every vocation is a call, a call to love in a very specific way,” said Sister Maris Stella, a former U.S. Naval Officer. “Just like a married couple is called to love one another, God called me to love him and his people in this way with an undivided heart.”

Sister Maris Stella, a 32-year-old Massachusetts native, is a member of the Sisters of Life, the religious community founded in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor of New York.

Sister Maris Stella began to think about religious life while she was a student at the U.S. Naval Academy. “For the first time, I saw a lot of my peers living their faith. People in the military understand the word ‘sacrifice.’ I was surrounded by great people, and being around them encouraged me.”

There is no question that the life and witness of the Sisters of Life is about sacrifice. These women renounce various aspirations, including families and careers, in order to serve Christ and his Church in an extraordinary way.

PRAYER AND WORK Under the direction of Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, who has guided the community since its inception, the Sisters of Life has become a thriving order with 70 sisters; six to eight additional

postulants are expected to enter in September. Like other religious orders, the Sisters of Life take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. But they also take a special fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life.

“The Sisters of Life provide a consecrated witness to the glory of God, who is the origin and destiny of every human life,” explained Sister Mary Elizabeth, the superior at the order’s postulant house of formation in the Bronx. “Cardinal O’Connor reflected on the reality that over the course of the centuries God raises up new religious communities to meet the most pressing needs of the day. [The cardinal] believed the most crucial need of our time is to restore to all society a sense of the sacredness of every human life.”

This need is addressed at the Visitation Mission, a facility on the East Side of Manhattan where the sisters field calls from more than 700 women each year who are facing crisis pregnancies all over the country. From there, the sisters sometimes invite women to live in community with them at the Holy Respite, located at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent in midtown Manhattan.

Sister Mary Aquinas kneels in prayer in the chapel at Villa Maria Guadalupe retreat house in Stamford, Conn.

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Three Sisters of Life visit near the entrance of Villa Maria Guadalupe. • Sister Mariae Agnus Dei sits on a bench on the grounds of the retreat center.

The sisters also direct the Family Life/Respect Life Office for the Archdiocese of New York and offer a ministry for postabortive women and men.

For nearly seven years, the Sisters of Life have operated a retreat center in Stamford, Conn., that is owned by the Knights of Columbus. At Villa Maria Guadalupe, they offer retreats and educational programs centered on the Eucharist and focused on promoting the sanctity of life. Lastly, in 2010, the sisters opened a center in Toronto, where they have been serving women in need for the past four years.

Both an active and contemplative community, all of the work of the Sisters of Life is firmly grounded in the four hours they spend in prayer each day. According to Sister Maris Stella, prayer and fasting are part of the job. “Our whole day is the Lord Jesus. All of our strength comes from Jesus in the Eucharist,” she said.

ANSWERING THE CALL Sister Thérèse Marie, who entered the Sisters of Life in September 2005, is the coordinator of the Co-Workers of Life, a network of lay people who assist with the community’s prolife work.

“Once I knew that the Lord was calling me to religious life, there was no question I would be a Sister of Life,” she said.

A native New Yorker, Sister Thérèse Marie is one of five children. She was raised Catholic and says she was always taught to believe that life is a gift from God. “I think everyone is called to witness to life. The more we come to know Christ in a personal way, to know his love, the more we realize life is a gift.”

She added that the women who come to the community for help often feel trapped. “So many of the women we serve share with us that because of outside pressures, such as lack of support from loved ones, they feel alone and have no other option than to have an abortion,” she said. “We want to help by walking with her — by showing her she does have another choice.”

Although each of the sisters was drawn to the community’s common faith and passion for life, their experiences of discernment are diverse. Sister Mary Aquinas, for instance, entered the Sisters of Life after graduating from Yale University in 2006. While growing up in New Orleans, she began thinking about becoming a sister at age 8.

“I was inspired by the beauty of the nuns in the Sound of Music. I loved reading the stories of the saints, especially the early virgin martyrs. I dressed my Barbie dolls in homemade habits,” she recalled.

In high school and college, Sister Mary Aquinas started to have other ideas about her future, including the desire to become a spy. While at Yale, she became involved in a newly formed pro-life group and met the Sisters of Life at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., during her sophomore year.

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“I was drawn to speak with them because of the joy I saw in them,” recalled Sister Mary Aquinas, who now serves women at the Visitation Mission.

“As a religious sister, I am granted the gift of entering into really sacred moments in the life of a woman and her family,” she added. “The trust and love that are shown me come from a trust and love for God. It’s not about me or any of the sisters in particular. To bring God’s love into a situation of fear or hopelessness is such a gift.”

DAILY CONVERSION Sister Mariae Agnus Dei entered the Sisters of Life in 2007, five years after one of her older sisters. She grew up in Maine as one of eight children before studying nursing at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Her college years, she said, were “a pivotal time of conversion and grace.”

“Through beautiful and blessed friendships, I learned to live a truly sacramental and integrated Catholic life, develop

a prayer life, and begin discerning God’s call for my life,” Sister Mariae Agnus Dei added.

Amid her discernment, Sister Mariae Agnus Dei felt deeply drawn to the charism of the Sisters of Life. “I knew it was what I was created to lay down my life for — to draw people back to realize how precious and sacred they are in the eyes of God.” While the Sisters of Life have made it their mission to live out the charism of life, they say all Catholics are called to do their part.

“I think the best anyone can do to promote the cause of life is to commit to a life of daily conversion, prayer, and living a life of virtue, integrity and holiness,” said Sister Mariae Agnus Dei. “It will be in this way — in allowing the Holy Spirit to shape us into the image of Christ — that we will become brilliant witnesses to the joy, freedom, goodness and beauty of life.”♦ CAROLEE MCGRATH, a freelance writer and mother of four, writes from Massachusetts.

THE SISTERS OF LIFE: MARY’S STORY MARY’S MIND was racing. She knew she had to get away from her abusive boyfriend, but she was out of work and estranged from her family. And to top it off, she was pregnant.

“I remember it was Dec. 20, 2005, when I found out I was pregnant,” Mary said, adding that her boyfriend became violent not long afterward. “At this point, he was the only person I had. So I was stuck.”

With nowhere to turn, Mary somehow found the strength to reach out for help. “I started making phone calls,” she said. “I called Catholic Charities. Then I wound up calling a mother’s center.”

The volunteers at that center referred her to the Sisters of Life. It was that phone call, Mary said, that changed her life.

“They give you shelter, food, prayer.

They changed me. I was meant to be at the Sisters.”

After meeting with the Sisters of Life at their Visitation Mission on Manhattan’s East Side, Mary was invited to live at the Holy Respite, located at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent in midtown Manhattan.

“My life took a 180,” said Mary, recalling how self-centered she was at the time. “Now everything is about God.” Sister Magdalene Teresa worked directly with Mary and saw the change in

her life unfold. “When Mary came to us, she was filled with fear for the future and confusion about what she would do,” Sister Magdalene Teresa said.

“Then she began responding to grace, one step at a time.”

While living at the Holy Respite, Mary got her life back on track. She found a job, reunited with her family and allowed Jesus back into her life. “I never had stable relationships, but I was able to form stable relationships with the sisters,” Mary said. “When they say they love you, they really love you.”

The sisters were also there to help Mary welcome her baby girl, Isabelle, into the world in August 2006. They supported the new mom as she went back to work and let her live at the convent until Isabelle was 10 months old.

Mary recalled that before she went to the Sisters of Life, people kept telling her that a baby would only make her situation worse. “I had no car, no job, no place to live,” she said. “Isabelle wound up saving my life. People say if you add a baby to the equation, that’s not going to help you. But it’s a blessing to you.”

Even though Mary had a rocky relationship with her parents before Isabelle was born, they jumped at the opportunity to watch their new granddaughter.

Through Isabelle’s presence, Mary said,

God healed the wounds from the past and brought her family back together.

Inspired by the sisters, Mary had Isabelle baptized in the Catholic faith.

Mary also wants to become a Catholic herself and plans to enroll in religious education classes at her local parish. In addition, the young mom is working full-time and is going to college at night to finish her business degree.

The sisters, who consider Mary to be a courageous mom, weren’t surprised by this turn of events. “The reason why we think of [Mary] as one of our heroes is that she consistently responds to grace, always embracing the good,” said Sister Magdalene Teresa. “Now she can look back at a journey of grace made hand in hand with the Lord. Mary is a model of fidelity to grace. It is a privilege to know her.”

Mary says she has dreams of one day finding a holy spouse and having more children. But for now, she says she will be forever grateful to the beautiful women who saw her through her toughest times.

“The sisters showed me what prayer can do — they gave me that gift,” Mary said. “The sisters are like Jesus on earth.”

Call the Sisters of Life Visitation Mission toll-free at 877-777-1277 or visit sistersoflife.org.♦ AUGUST 2011

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yes In the vocation to marriage and family, we find the meaning of the human body and of human freedom

by Kate Iadipaolo

fter ambling about the kitchen, 17-month-old Stella climbed into the empty laundry basket on the floor. I paused from dish duty to make her an offer. “Spin?” I asked, while stooping down to twirl her about in the basket. The joy on her face was clear when she came full circle. “Sphin!” she exclaimed, demonstrating her (near) acquisition of this delightful new word. Around I sent her. “Sphin,” she said through her smile. “Yes, spin!” I replied, and around she went again. Each time I waited for her request, eager to please this little daughter of mine. It seemed to me that some of her joy in spinning must come from the eagerness and delight I took in fulfilling her simple desire.

This, I think, is a glimmer of what love looks like at the heart of the Trinity.

Within the Trinity, Jesus’ delighted and unreserved response — his “Yes” — testifies to the generosity of the Father, who withholds nothing from his only begotten Son. “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me,” Jesus said (Jn 4:34). He did not say “duty” or “command,” but “food.” He hungers for the Father’s will, delights in it, is sustained by it.

There is much to be learned in the unhesitating “Yes” that abounds in God’s inner life. What is pitiable about us poor, fallen human beings is that we are so afraid we will be impoverished by our own “Yes” to God — or any authentic “Yes” to another person — that we instead become creatures of “Maybe” or simply of “No.” The other becomes someone to 18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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be feared, and so we give ourselves away, but by fractions, so that no one will possess the whole of us. Instead of the vowed, exclusive and permanent relationship of marriage, our culture offers the temporary or trial arrangement of shared bodies and shared space — and it is understood that when attraction wavers or emotions fail, we have no obligation to stay. Instead of cooperating with God’s vision for our families, we negotiate the terms. So this fear traces and retraces the pattern of the Fall on God’s original plan for our lives.

It is with this plan in mind that Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family on the occasion of the Institute’s 30th anniversary May 13. Echoing the thought of Blessed John Paul II, Pope Benedict explained that, “the Fall is not the last word on the body in salvation history.” Rather, the “original language” of the body is preserved in the family — “the place where the theology of the body and the theology of love are interwoven.”

GROWING IN VIRTUE Before I was married, my own vision of marriage was overwhelmed by a darkly grim sense of duty. The overture to the drama was simply, “Make it work, make it work.” To me, marriage seemed to be a heavy yoke of meeting responsibilities. Only when I met the one God prepared to be my husband did that veil of grim duty lift. My future husband made me laugh. He listened. We prayed and

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studied and danced, and our love became more gift than duty.

Our relationship, engagement and marriage brought more in the way of peace than anxiety.

As with any marriage, there are difficult moments — moments that cost us something of our independence or the sinfulness to which we sadly cling — but we have experienced that vast horizon of the other. The beauty of it points me onward, reminding me that the prize is worth the bumpy ride.

Sometimes the demands are not as simple as spinning my daughter about in the laundry basket. Sometimes, my “Yes” requires more in the way of self-mastery. How often have my own husband’s legitimate wishes been met with joyless reluctance, hesitation or even worse, silence? Counting my husband and three children, my home boasts four sets of the softest brown eyes I have ever known. In these eyes, I have beauty enough to last me a lifetime.

One would think I would realize that the greater the costs, the more abundant the blessings. But I, yet a fearful pilgrim, am still caught up in counting costs more than blessings. I am comforted by the pope’s reminder that the one-flesh union of marriage journeys the path of our lives “until the man and woman become one spirit as well.” Speaking in his May 13 address, Benedict added that a our bodies teach us “the value of time, of that slow maturation in love.” There is time for me yet.

The remedy for our fear of the other is written into our very bodies, which literally come from another and are proof of our membership in generations that trace back to a beginning.

The body, in other words, has a home within the family.

“It is in the family,” Benedict explained, “that the human person discovers that he or she is not in a relationship as an autonomous person, but as a child, spouse or parent, whose identity is founded in being called to love, to receive from others and to give him or herself to others.” When we understand that these relationships are at the very core of our human identity, that they are as natural to us as breathing, we may correct our cultural myopia regarding the vocation of marriage.

Marriage is rooted in God’s creation. Male and female are the only two “ways” of being human. By creating this sexual difference, God inscribed in the body a call to love. So it is that Pope Benedict proclaimed in his address to the John Paul II Institute that the virtue of chastity “is not a ‘No’ to the pleasures and joys of life, but a great ‘Yes’ to love as a profound communication between persons, a communication that requires time and respect as they journey together towards fullness and as a love that becomes capable of generating life and of generously welcoming the new life that is born.”

LOVE REDEEMED During a recent visit to our house, a friend told me, “You know, when I do my progressive relaxation exercises, I always picture your home as my peaceful place.” I looked around.

Could we be seeing the same house — the piles of papers on the dining room table, the toy blocks and cars on the floor, the laundry baskets full of clothes? Her smile told me that

there was something deeper than our mess that mattered to her.

I hope that our home is what my friend has called it — a place of peace and joy. If it is, it is only by the grace of Christ, whose majesty dwells so humbly with us. A home is a rooted place — a place rooted in a “Yes” — just as a marriage is. It is precisely this rootedness that frees my husband and I to welcome the souls that God sends us. The realities of home and marriage testify to the seeming paradox of “bound freedom.”

Each of us, married or hoping to marry, must realize within ourselves the tendency toward perceiving the other as one from whom I must be defended. Each of us must also hold tight to the event of the Incarnation as both a model and a source of grace for married people. In the Incarnation, God stooped down, embraced and assumed our humanity, married himself to us, and never let go. Indeed, the body of Jesus Christ is in heaven to stay, his divine and human natures united for good. Marriage speaks of this: “Stay,” it whispers, “for there is something here bigger than the both of you.” The opening between the spouses becomes that opening toward God, who is the source of love and fruitfulness.

Even suffering through a difficult marriage or perhaps simply a difficult time in marriage becomes an opening to God when united to the cross and resurrection of Christ, who flees not from our brokenness.

A Christian life entails our very own Way of the Cross. No less does the vocation of marriage demand sacrifice of us.

After God, it must be prioritized over all other considerations, from children to employment. Our children will learn this truth as they learn most things — by watching. They need to see that mommy and daddy have a time just for themselves.

They need to know that our love for them was born of our love for each other. When my 5-year-old took an unpleasant tone of voice with her father, I instinctively told her, “It hurts me when you talk to my husband that way.” This gave her pause for reflection. Her father is not simply “daddy,” but also has a spousal belonging.

I have personally witnessed that the little offering my husband and I make in being open to life becomes, in the hands of God, what Pope Benedict called “the new fruitfulness.”

Three little souls wake me up in the morning, and the beauty of their bright eyes brings the meaning of all history to me in concrete form. Beauty has a face.

To be sure, there is no live orchestra and applauding audience as I put in my time in the basement on diaper washing duty. Yet, this little act of incarnate love, too, will somehow be part of my redemption.

In the end, the vows of marriage will liberate, not enslave us. The faithful “forever” that marriage requires does not rest on our efforts alone, but on a grace that flows from the Cross and redeems us. ♦ KATE IADIPAOLO writes from Covington, Ky., where she lives with her husband, Adam, and their three children. She is a 2003 graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C.

AUGUST 2011

♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 19

S H A R I N G O U R S TO RY

¡Viva Cristo Rey! The Mexican Martyrs boldly proclaimed their faith in the face of persecution

by María de Lourdes Ruiz Scaperlanda

I

t was midnight in West-Central Mexico as the soldiers hung a rope over a mango tree in Ejutla’s town square and wrapped a noose around the neck of Father Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán. Padre Rodrigo blessed the hangman’s rope, loudly forgiving his executioners, even as the soldiers shouted at him, “Who lives?”

“Cristo Rey y la Virgen de Guadalupe,” Padre Rodrigo confidently responded. “Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

The soldiers repeated the process again, giving the priest several chances to recant his Catholic faith, first tightening, then loosening the noose around his neck, asking each time they dropped him to the ground, “Who lives?”

But instead of renouncing his faith and pledging allegiance to the government, which would have spared his life, Padre Rodrigo boldly gasped the same answer each time, “Cristo Rey y la Virgen de Guadalupe!” — until finally he was lifted high on the mango tree and died. The date was Oct. 28, 1927.

Following the 1910 revolution — and the virulent antiCatholic articles of the 1917 Constitution — Catholics in Mexico were viciously discriminated against and tortured for their faith. Pope Pius XI referred to the “cruel persecution” and “great evils” in Iniquis Afflictisque, his 1926 encyclical about the Mexico crisis.

Throughout Mexico, the government seized Catholic schools and seminaries, stripping the Church of any property. It banned monastic orders, expelled missionaries and prohibited any form of public worship. Priests and nuns were barred from wearing religious garments, banned from voting, and forbidden from criticizing the government or commenting on public affairs.

Because of its organized and outspoken resistance, the Knights of Columbus was a particular target of the Mexican government. The Order was outlawed and Columbia magazine banned from the Mexican mail.

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Padre Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán was one of thousands who died proclaiming their faith during this dark time in Mexico’s history. By the end of the 1930s, as many as 50,000 Catholics from every socioeconomic background had been killed or martyred, including 90 priests. Many Mexican Knights died while standing up for their faith during the civil war between the government and the underground rebels, known as Cristeros for their battle cry: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long Live Christ the King!”).

To the government of Mexico, this declaration of faith, often proclaimed as last words by Cristeros before their death, was clearly rebellious and treasonous.

Yet, Pope Pius XI affirmed their cry by establishing for the universal Church the feast of Christ the King in 1925.

Despite the threat of death for its members, the Order not only survived in Mexico during this period, it thrived — from 400 members in 1918, to 43 councils and 6,000 members just five years later. Some of these members would become heroes for their faith. Padre Rodrigo, as well as five other K of C priests, were among 25 Mexican martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The word “martyr” comes from a Greek word meaning “to witness.” These Mexican martyrs witnessed not to what they had seen with their eyes, but to what they knew in their hearts. They believed and they witnessed in life and death.

Each martyr’s account proclaims an underlying challenge to those of us who hear his story: a request to follow in his steps and to remember who it is we live for. The Mexican martyrs took a stand when it was the most difficult thing they could do. Yet, it was one moment that followed a lifetime of moments of choosing to live for Christ.♦ MARÍA DE LOURDES RUIZ SCAPERLANDA is a freelance writer and author living in Norman, Okla. Her books include The Journey: A Guide for the Modern Pilgrim (Loyola, 2004).

god’s

SCholAr

Recent high school graduate selects seminary over prestigious college scholarships

by Ambria Hammel

photo by pati pakulis

A

t some point, children are apt to bewilder their parents.

Nathaniel Glenn’s mother, Tina, remembers one of those times. It was a Saturday morning in the house where she and her husband, Jeff, raised their three boys. Jeff was reading in the paper about the upcoming spring baseball season and mentioned how games for Arizona State University would soon begin.

Their son Nathaniel’s ears perked up. The first grader responded, “OK, so I’ll be a baseball player, and then, when I’m done with that, I’ll be a priest.”

His parents, who celebrated their 25th anniversary this year, were surprised by their middle child’s announcement, but they have always said that as long as their boys seek God’s will, they will be happy.

Nathaniel Glenn is now 18 and graduated from Phoenix’s St. Mary’s High School in May. He participated in the school’s drum line, on the track and field team, and on the yearbook and newspaper staffs. He was also a Columbian Squire of St. Mary’s Circle 5000 in Phoenix and now intends to join the Knights of Columbus.

Although his initial childhood dream was to play in the big leagues and then pinch-hit for God as a priestly servant, Glenn is skipping the first part of his post-high school plan in favor of the second. He will begin attending seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 20.

For Glenn, the question was, “Why enter the seminary now?” As a National Merit Finalist, Glenn was deemed in the top 1 percent of seniors nationwide. With nearly $450,000 in scholarship offers, he could easily earn a bachelor’s degree before heading to the seminary.

A few friends encouraged Glenn to take the scholarships.

He politely refused — a traditional collegiate path, after all, would delay his seminary entrance by years.

For Jeff and Tina Glenn, their son’s decision to enter priestly formation was merely the culmination of an intellectual and spiritual formation that had long been underway.

“My parents said [the priesthood] had always been floating in my mind,” Glenn said.

His mother recalled that when he was just 18 months old, her son was transfixed by a handmade crucifix at a local retreat center’s craft sale. She paid $5 for the item just to get her toddler to continue walking.

From ages 2 through 11, Glenn was enrolled in a catechesis program at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Phoenix. He

later returned to help his mother teach, an experience he said helped him to become “more childlike” in his faith. “[The children] had that simple enthusiasm for the Gospel message,” he said. “They take it in easier and are more joyful about it.”

The idea of pursuing the priesthood stuck by the time Glenn was 13 or 14, after he read a book on apologetics for teens. “I was falling in love with the truth of the Catholic Church, and I wanted to share that truth,” he said.

In high school, Glenn routinely joined his school’s chaplain for Morning Prayer before Mass and spoke to him about discernment. Once he is at the seminary, Glenn looks forward to having a formal spiritual director. “That’s the one thing I really need,” he said.

Similarly, Glenn advises young people who want to discern God’s will for their lives — to a religious vocation or otherwise — to develop a steady prayer habit. Offering a rosary, attending Mass and praying the Divine Office each day, he has personally found this to be the biggest help.

“God has blessed him with so many gifts and he truly uses his gifts to God’s glory,” Tina Glenn said. “He’s very intelligent and he’s given all of that to God, too.”

For his part, Nathaniel is confident about the future. He once joked with his older brother: “Short of the apocalypse, I know I have job security.”♦ AMBRIA HAMMEL is a staff writer for The Catholic Sun in Phoenix.

AUGUST 2011

♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 21

A YOUNG MAN OF VISION Venerable Michael McGivney demonstrated heroic virtue and leadership amid the young people in his care

by Dominican Father Gabriel B. O’Donnell

T

he prophet Joel proclaimed, “Young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams” (Joel 3:1). The prerogative of the young, Scripture tells us, is to envision the future and to make it a reality with all the energy and creativity they can muster.

In many ways, this is the explanation for the person and vocation of Venerable Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus. Having died on the very eve of his 38th birthday in 1890, Father McGivney was never anything but young. Not surprisingly, he connected closely with other young men and women, and he envisioned for them a future of human dignity and happiness that he knew would be pos22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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sible if they came to know Jesus Christ and to live out the demands of the Gospel and what Blessed John Paul II would later call “the civilization of love.”

BOLDNESS AND COMPASSION One of the stirring moments recorded in Parish Priest (HarperCollins), the 2006 biography of Father McGivney by Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, occurs in the opening pages.

Father McGivney, then-curate of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., stood up in probate court to guarantee a bond of $1,500 for the guardianship of young Alfred Downes. The sudden death of Alfred’s father, Edward Downes Sr., a noted

New Haven stationer and news agent, required the courts to assign legal guardianship for his surviving children. Alfred was a crucial part of the plan to continue the family business, but family resources were exhausted by the time Alfred came to court.

Father McGivney, in his 20s and without personal funds of any substance, had to depend on the promise of a friend, retired grocer Patrick McKiernan, to provide the collateral if he failed to find the funds for the bond himself. It was risky because Father McGivney’s bold action would come to naught if McKiernan’s money came up short, and the entire Downes family would suffer.

This kind of boldness on the part of Father McGivney was not a one-time event — it was a pattern where he seemed always ready to take risks to help the young.

McGivney’s own youth was marked by the clear memory of the struggles of his immigrant parents. At the death of his father, young Michael returned from the seminary to help his mother. She faced the same legal issue as the widow of Edward Downes — that is, whether the courts would grant her legal guardianship of her own minor children in light of the financial plight of the family. It was little wonder, then, that Father McGivney was so bold in offering support to Alfred Downes years later.

From his earliest days, McGivney had a heart full of sympathy for those in need, and this sympathy would one day feed the fire of his priestly zeal. It didn’t matter that he was a quiet man by temperament, nor that he was gifted intellectually and might have become a scholar or seminary professor.

Instead, it was Father McGivney’s compassion, learned in his own family life and in his relationship with Christ, that made him into a tireless defender of young men and women who were poor and disadvantaged. From the beginning of his priestly ministry, he turned to the young to offer support, advice, and both spiritual and material help.

As curate at St. Mary’s in New Haven and as pastor of St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, Conn., Father McGivney gathered young adults around him to lead them into a deeper relationship with Christ and to instruct them in a life of Christian virtue and responsibility. He did not hesitate to promote theater performances or organize dances and picnics for their enjoyment. Nor did he hesitate to correct or admonish. In one famous incident, Father McGivney, speaking from the pulpit, chided the young men who were hanging around the church loft so as to flirt with the girls choir. The event was apparently dramatic enough to be reported in the local newspaper.

Nonetheless, his virtue and commitment to a life of prayer were part of what drew the young to Father McGivney as their confidant and friend.

Father McGivney knew that youth passes all too quickly and that the transition into adulthood is a critical time in all of our lives. It was this vision for the young that inspired him to establish a fraternity that would help young men take their place as leaders in the community. He envisioned ranks of men starting families, laboring with determination to support their loved ones, and moving into adulthood as devout Catholics and good citizens. Out of this maturity would come

similar ranks of men supporting one another and offering their help and service to those in need.

FORMING A COMMUNITY OF BROTHERS A variety of influences shaped Father McGivney’s vision for the Church and society. For instance, James T. Mullen, who became the Order’s first supreme knight, and Cornelius Driscoll tutored Father McGivney in the changing political climate and the consequences of the Industrial Revolution for the workingman and his family. Already in their mid-30s, these men and the ardent, young priest explored together the influence of emerging corporations, big business, and the beginnings of the labor movement and workers’ unions. They saw that the sense of the individual, his worth as a person and the dignity of his labor were being lost. Add to the mix the number of immigrants who strained the job market and the various social ills prompted by unemployment and poverty, and a rather stark picture of 19th century New England emerges.

In this environment, Father McGivney came to see that the bond of friendship between Catholic men was indispensable if the young men of his parish were going to take their place in the world. United in faith, mutually committed to family and nation, and ready to serve the needs of the Church and society, a strong community of brothers would form mature Catholic men prepared to create a future filled with hope and optimism. Suffering, poverty, political strife and all the other obstacles of the day were not able to best Father McGivney’s followers. These were his Knights of Columbus, called to stand tall for God and country. And, if successful, the Order would become an intergenerational fraternity in which the young would be formed, in part, by their association with the veterans of business and married life.

Of course, the risk factor in Father McGivney’s vision was evident from the beginning. The first attempts to form the Knights of Columbus did not meet with immediate success.

Some judged the founder as having too high an opinion of himself. Others saw the organization as a duplication of other religious societies for Catholic men. Moreover, the uniqueness of entrusting the Order and its vision to a group of laymen was too much for many pastors to accept.

Nonetheless, the heroism of Father McGivney was to be found in the high degree of virtue that he developed over his short life and the wonderful example of patience, charity, humility and fortitude that he always offered to the young men in his circle. Keeping his eyes on the needs of the future and trusting in God, Father McGivney left a vision and legacy that would endure and grow strong. He never lost the ability to trust in others as he formed an association of faithful men of action in a world often lost in its search for meaning.♦ DOMINICAN FATHER GABRIEL B. O’DONNELL is vice postulator for the cause for canonization of Venerable Michael McGivney. He also serves as vice president and academic dean of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and as director of the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild.

AUGUST 2011

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C O LU M B I A C O N V E R S AT I O N

Headlines from the Heart of the Church Vatican launches Internet news portal, communicates the Gospel using new technologies

T

he June 29 launch of a new Vatican online news portal corresponded with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul and the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict’s priestly ordination.

The website, news.va, is a project of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, for which Msgr. Paul Tighe, a priest of the Diocese of Dublin, has served as secretary since November 2007. On June 24, Alton J. Pelowski, managing editor of Columbia, interviewed Msgr. Tighe about the new website and the work of the dicastery.

COLUMBIA: Can you please share a little about the purpose and content of the Vatican news site?

MSGR. TIGHE: The idea was to establish a new web portal — news.va — that would bring together the content coming from the various Vatican news agencies. There’s a fair amount of content produced every day. The problem is that you have to be quite keyed in to know where to find it. Our idea was that it would be worthwhile to bring all of that content together on one page for it to be easily accessible. …

The main content coming from the various Vatican news providers is organized thematically — where the pope has been, what the main developments at the curia have been, what has been happening with the Church in the world, and the global stories of particular interest to the Church.

Then, it is organized in multimedia format, with video, images and audio. Finally, it is part of our philosophy that it should be thoroughly social. Everything that is on the site can be easily shared via online social networks. …

We are presenting it for the moment in Italian and English, and we will roll it out in other languages in time.

COLUMBIA: Who is the target audience for the Vatican news website?

MSGR. TIGHE: It is partly aimed at journalists, but it’s also aimed at ordinary believers who want to keep informed. We are talking to anybody who is interested in knowing what is happening at the Vatican. … We want to make available to people the news coming from the Vatican in an easy format, so that if people find themselves in the workplace or in their homes having to explain or defend what’s happening in the Church, they are not necessarily dependent on secondary reporting. So our audience is everybody, but of particular interest is the Catholic community.

What we would like to say to the Knights of Columbus

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is: Keep an eye on what’s happening, have a look at this new website and let us know what you think.

COLUMBIA: According to the Pew Research Center, there are now, for the first time, more people who report receiving their news online than in print.

MSGR. TIGHE: We have had to take that into account.

The accessibility to the print version of L’Osservatore Romano is quite limited, which is why they chose to go online [osservatoreromano.va]. They are now going to publish four to five of their articles every day in English so that we can put them online. Print is still with us, and print is still important, but we also have to take account of the fact that with the speed of communication today, digital means have become very important.

COLUMBIA: How should the mission and approach of Catholic media differ from those of secular news sources?

MSGR. TIGHE: Catholic media, at some level, should be indistinguishable from secular media insofar as its commitment to professionalism, the best production values and the highest standards. I think the extra is that when Catholic media is talking about a story, it can explain that story from the perspective of faith. It begins with an understanding of the Church that is not hostile to the Church. That can sometimes be the case with secular media, not because secular media is always against the Church, but because there is often not the same understanding. …

It is not that Catholic media should never be critical — the Catholic media must be critical. But it is the type of criticism that comes from somebody who loves and cares for the institution. Therefore, I think Catholic media must be no less professional, no less committed to the highest standards, but with an attempt to explain faith and what’s happening in the Church in a way that takes account of what the Church is and what the Church is called to be.

COLUMBIA: What challenges to the Church are brought about by the growing presence of the Internet and social media?

MSGR. TIGHE: People constantly talk about the “communications revolution.” The first thing we have had to help the Church to understand is that the revolution is not just in the technologies — it is in the very dynamics of communication. So the way younger people today are learning things is very different than the way they learned before. The

C O LU M B I A C O N V E R S AT I O N

way they’re making contact with others is very different. …

You can’t think in terms of your passive audience any longer. If you want your audience to be really effective, you have to give them stuff that interests them enough that they want to share it with others.

The challenge for us is to speak the eternal truths of faith, but in a language and in formats that work digitally — slightly more punchy, slightly more visual, slightly more impactful. That is not to say that is the only language — it is the entry-level language, which gets the person’s attention.

They say, “That’s interesting. I’ve never thought about that before. How do I learn more?”

COLUMBIA: In light of the pope’s message for the 45th World Communications Day, observed June 5, how should Catholics balance the opportunities and the dangers presented by these new means of communication?

MSGR. TIGHE: The pope has always tried to talk about communications in a positive way. That doesn’t mean that he is not aware of the risks, but he has an intuition that new communication technologies can help people to form new ways of being in solidarity with each other and can create debate and dialogue. And in a sense, to use them for something else is to betray their value.

Some will use new technologies in ways that really cheapen them — to exploit people, to promote hatred, to debase human sexuality. That’s a real failing.

This year’s [message for World Communications Day] was interesting. The pope focused on the importance of authenticity in relation to friendship and particularly social media.

We all know that at the core of good friendship is a requirement for authenticity. … What we want people to see is that one of the risks of the new technology is that it makes friendship seem easy. Any of us who have had the experience of a real, life-enriching friendship knows friendship takes time, it requires intimacy. At times it requires sacrifice.

Friendship is not as easy as click on, click off, accept or not accept. It is a difficult task, but it’s one of the most humanly enriching and ennobling tasks.

COLUMBIA: What guidance would you give Catholics, and young people in particular, with regard to principles for media consumption?

MSGR. TIGHE: I think a lot of the prudence and wisdom in this regard is not just good for Catholics — it is good for human beings. One of the things the Holy Father said was that it would be tragic if our preoccupation with maintaining our digital presence was at the cost of our presence to ordinary people in everyday life. I think for a young person, it is easier to go upstairs to your room and talk to your “friends” than it is go to the dinner table and engage with your family.

We know that the Internet can create a danger of almost obsessiveness in our desire to be connected. That can be at the cost of our time to think and reflect. For Catholics and believers, it can be at the cost of our creating space for silence. I think for Catholics in particular, the question is, “How will we in a new arena cultivate those skills and human attitudes that are important in our roles as human beings?”

C OLUMBIA: Can you share more about the work of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications?

M SGR. TIGHE: The Pontifical Council for Social Communications … has some operational responsibilities, including the accreditation of audio and visual media for the Vatican. We also take responsibility for broadcasting the major papal events. That is where huge credit is due to our vital partners, the Knights of Columbus, who have generously subsidized the Vatican’s efforts to make sure papal events are communicated to the whole world. Those big moments — like the funeral of John Paul II — are what create a sense of global belonging, a sense of what it is to be a Roman Catholic. …

The council is also traveling the world, trying to find out what is happening, trying to create synergies and relationships with groups that are doing good work in communications, building up our bases and our connectiveness that is so important for our future. … Our priority over the last three or four years was to have a number of international congresses, which were … about enabling people in different parts of the world to know each other so that they could work together and share experiences. In a sense, what I think the dicastery could become is a clearinghouse that identifies best practices and shares them across the globe.♦

AUGUST 2011

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KNIG HTS IN ACTI ON

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES

mony. Elsewhere, St. Peter of the Apostles Council 8851 in Orangeville, Ontario, donated a custom-made altar and crucifix to the chapel at the Orangeville Retirement Centre.

PRAYER & PASTA

Members of St. Mildred Council 14128 in Somerset, Ky., prepare to hand out school supplies to needy students. With the help of a $2,000 donation from a parishioner and support from an area department store, Knights were able to distribute school supplies to a number of local families.

Father Paul J. F. Wattson Council 8919 in Windsor, Ontario, hosted a Mass for council members and their families that was followed by a pasta dinner. The dinner raised more than $1,800 for Keith Metcalfe, a council member who is studying for the priesthood at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario.

with the Eric LeGrand Patriot Saint Foundation to host a pasta dinner to benefit Eric LeGrand, a Rutgers football player who was seriously injured during a game on Oct. 16, 2010. With only three weeks for preparation, Knights helped to make the event a success, raising $20,000 to support LeGrand and his family.

HOSPICE DONATION

Ancienne-Lorette (Quebec) Council 4246 donated $500 to Maison Michel-Sarrazin, a hospice for patients with terminal cancer.

REHAB HELP

RIDE FOR SENIORS VOCATIONS BREAKFAST

Bishop Sheen Council 7487 in Jenison, Mich., held a benefit breakfast following Mass to raise funds for religious vocations in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Diners were asked for a goodwill donation, and the event raised more than $1,000.

from a middle school art club to decorate the car with stars and stripes and with pictures of notable U.S. monuments.

SUPPORTING A SEMINARIAN

St. Matthew Council 14360 in Norwalk, Conn., sent care packages to U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. Volunteers at St. Matthew Church assembled 32 packages, which included jerky, trail mix, hygiene and dental products, hats and gloves, socks, and batteries.

Lumen Christi Council 14625 in Mableton, Ga., hosted a reception for Christopher Carter, a young man who was accepted to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Neb., to begin his studies for the priesthood. In addition to awarding Carter a Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) scholarship, the council also presented him with a $200 check for expenses, a backpack full of school supplies and a new laptop.

PATRIOTIC TRIBUTE

ALTARS DONATED

Bishop Charles E. Herzig Council 1502 in Tyler, Texas, transformed a Chevrolet Camaro that was donated by a council member into a patriotic tribute car that the council uses in parades and at other community events.

Knights received assistance

Our Lady of Fatima Council 3118 in Fergus Falls, Minn., constructed an altar for the chapel at Lakeland Hospice.

Father Gregory C. Paffel, who is a member of the council and is the pastor of Our Lady of Victory Church, dedicated the altar at a special cere-

MILITARY CARE PACKAGES

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Every Sunday, members of Nativity of Our Lord Council 10961 in Broomfield, Colo., transport residents of the Highland Trail Retirement Home to church and back. Without the Knights’ assistance, the seniors would otherwise not be able to attend weekly Mass.

A ‘GRAND’ EVENT

Middlesex Council 857 in Woodbridge, N.J., worked

Bishop William T. Mulloy Council 1301 in Dayton, Ky., donated $1,300 to Redwood, a school and rehabilitation center that helps people with disabilities become more independent.

POULTRY PARTY & RAFFLE

St. Thomas Aquinas Council 2977 in Madison, S.D., hosted its annual poultry party and raffle to benefit St. Thomas School. Council member Bud Ebsen and his son, John, donated a shotgun to give away, and proceeds from the contest were split between the school and the council. In total, both events raised $706.

OLD STORE, NEW LIFE

Members of Msgr. Tjebbe Bekema Council 12060 in Thibodaux, La., and area volunteers work to tear down a dilapidated shed at the home of a former U.S. Marine.

Knights helped demolish the veteran’s shed and remove the debris for proper disposal.

Father Vincent M. Mulvin Council 12287 in Dallas, Ga., helped convert an old furniture store into a new St. Vincent de Paul thrift store and support center.

Knights helped change the old storefront, stock shelves and perform interior renovations to the facility, which also includes a food pantry.

K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N FOOD DRIVE

Sorrows Church. Knights sold $100 tickets for a special raffle in which the top prize was $5,000 in gold coins, and the event raised $40,000 for the renovation project.

Funds that were not used for the remodel were added back to the council’s charitable fund for use as scholarships or other service projects.

Msgr. John A. Cass Council 2626 in Long Beach, N.Y., held its annual food drive outside of area supermarkets.

The council collected more than 1,800 pounds of food and baby supplies, and approximately $1,500 in cash donations.

MEANT TO SURVIVE

After windstorms blew down two flagpoles at Sacred Heart Church in a single year, members of Father Clement Borschers Council 8568 in Vidalia, Ga., installed a new custom flagpole that was fabricated from a street light fixture. In thanking the council for its contribution, Father Steve Angell, pastor, surmised that the new flagpole was unlikely to succumb to the locally strong winds and might even be “apocalypse resistant.”

MONEY FOR PARISHES

Holy Family Council 3327 in Bridgeport, Pa., hosted a dinner for area priests, presenting each pastor with a check for $3,000 for use at his parish. In addition to four parish recipients, the council donated $3,000 each to two priests for personal outreach projects.

DINNER & AUCTION

Jeannine Fournier, Rick McDonald, Zack Tenerowicz and Juli Tenerowicz unpack grocery donations during a food drive co-hosted by the Boy Scouts of America and Father Alfred Saylor Council 3774 in Allen Park, Mich. Volunteers collected and sorted approximately 7,000 pounds of food for distribution to needy families in Taylor and Allen Park. In addition, two of the scouting units involved were chartered by Council 3774.

MISSION CHAPELS

St. Isaac Jogues of Valley Forge Council 13716 in Wayne, Pa., collected used vestments and altar vessels for Father George Grima, a mission priest who establishes

VETERANS BRUNCH

COOKING UP A KITCHEN

Paul J. Trageser Council 10910 in Chapel Hill, N.C., donated $10,095 to St. Thomas More Church to purchase kitchen equipment for the church’s new parish hall. As a result of the contribution, the building committee was able to allocate the funds they would have spent to outfit the kitchen on another part of the parish’s $11.5 million expansion project. And the first event held in the new parish hall was a council-sponsored party.

chapels and housing for children with disabilities in Brazil, Kenya and Ethiopia.

By collaborating with other volunteers, Knights filled three large containers with goods and collected $950 from six area K of C units to cover shipping costs.

T.J. Whittle, Michael Turchetti, Rob Stewart and Amer Juntando of American University Council 14465 in Washington, D.C., stand with a statue of Father William Corby at the Gettysburg National Battlefield. Knights sponsored a trip to the historical site for fellow students.

Father Edmond McCarthy Council 9428 in Gloucester, Va., hosted its annual brunch for area veterans, with members of the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Eustis as the event’s special guests. Father John P. Washington Assembly in Yorktown provided an honor guard for the event, which included patriotic music, a mess hall-style meal and a keynote address by Capt. Andrew Cochran, executive officer of the WTU. A ‘GOLDEN HARVEST’

Our Lady of Sorrows Council 14473 in China, Texas, hosted a “Gold Harvest” fundraiser to help remodel the CYO hall at Our Lady of

Four councils from in and around Winston-Salem, N.C., held their annual charity dinner and auction to benefit organizations that aid people with intellectual disabilities. At the event, Knights honored the Winston-Salem Police Department for its work with Special Olympics. Attendees at the event also raised more than $14,000 for people with disabilities.

BREAKING BARRIERS

Father Manus Doherty Council 4440 in Fresno, Calif., held a fundraiser dinner to benefit Break the Barriers, an organization that promotes inclusion in sports and performing arts for people with disabilities. The event, which also included a raffle for several prizes, raised more than $3,000.

STATUE PRESERVED

Bishop Curtis Council 2867 in Wilmington, Del., raised $650 to move a historic statue of Christ the King from a former Catholic school. When Christ the King School was shut down in 2008 after 80 years of operation and converted to a public charter school, all of the religious objects and statuary needed to be removed from the property. The donation from the Knights allowed the council to rent a crane and relocate the statue to a nearby memorial garden.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N

Nathan Hamblen of Germantown (Tenn.) Council 7449 rappels down the side of the White Station Tower in Memphis during a fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics. With contributions from fellow council members, Hamblen and Knight Marvin Schaefer raised $2,400 to rappel down the 290-foot building. The event overall raised more than $60,000 for Special Olympics.

DRUG AWARENESS PROGRAM

Father Brian McKee Council 1387 in Sudbury, Ontario, launched a “Youth Drug Awareness” program to support the anti-drug efforts of the Greater Sudbury Police Service. Knights donated funds to purchase drug awareness and prevention materials that are in turn screened for students at area schools.

WALKING CANES

Father James J. Scanlon Council 6936 in Highland Springs, Va., donated several orthopedic walking canes to St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged in Richmond, which is operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor.

HONORING A TROOPER

St. Joseph Council 3402 in Keyport, N.J., held a fundraiser breakfast for the family of Scott Graham, a N.J. State Trooper who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound

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on June 16, 2010. With support from the Fraternal Order of Police, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and the Elks, the event raised more than $4,300 for the Scott Graham Foundation and for Graham’s wife and three children.

jama Program, an organization that provides books and pajamas to needy children, many of whom are awaiting adoption. All of the items collected will help provide comfort and promote literacy among at-risk kids.

PORK ROAST SALE

ROCKIN’ TO THE OLDIES

Prince of Peace Council 11537 in Birmingham, Ala., held a smoked pork roast sale that raised $1,100 for its scholarship fund.

‘WALKING WITH CHRIST’

Lumen Christi Council 13520 in Dallas published a spiritual guide called My Walk with Christ for distribution to parishes, other K of C units and Catholic organizations. My Walk with Christ contains traditional Catholic prayers, plus a calendar for daily Mass readings and special contributions from the students at Redemptoris Mater Seminary. The guide has also been endorsed by Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas, who is a member of St. Joseph Council 8954 in Richardson.

Annunciation Council 3826 in Manahawkin, N.J., hosted a “Golden Oldies” dinner show to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

More than 500 Knights and other supporters attended the event, which raised $4,000.

YOUTH DAY

Four councils from in and around St. Augustine, Fla., sponsored a youth day for area children. The event, held at St. Joseph Academy, included a spelling bee and several sports tournaments.

A RESTROOM FOR EVERYONE

Immaculate Conception Council 7549 in Clarion, Pa., donated $8,000 to its parish for the construction of a handicapped-accessible bathroom.

ENCHILADA DINNER

Del Norte Council 2592 in El Paso, Texas, hosted an enchilada dinner that raised $1,000 for St. Francis Xavier Church. The funds, in turn, were used to make muchneeded repairs at the 70-yearold church.

PAJAMAS & BOOKS

The Knights of Columbus Westchester-Putnam (N.Y.) Chapter collected more than 250 sets of pajamas and more than 200 books for the Pa-

SLOPPY JOE DINNER

St. James Council 5328 in Augusta, Kan., co-hosted a sloppy joe dinner with the St. James Altar Society to benefit Sgt. Jonathan Blank, a Marine who lost both of his legs and suffered internal injuries when his unit triggered a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. More than 1,000 people attended the event, which raised $10,000 for Blank and his family as he recovers from his injuries.

RUNNING FOR A CAUSE

CAN DRIVE

Cardinal Gibbons Council 2521 in Nottingham, Md., hosted an aluminum can drive that raised nearly $800 for charity.

Young people from Lumen Christi High School assemble no-sew fleece blankets during a project sponsored

by St. Francis of Assisi Council 7945 in Clark Lake, Mich.

Knights purchased 400 yards of fleece and teamed with the students to make 100 blankets for needy members of the community.

Members of St. Jude Council 5831 and St. Jude Circle 2492, both in Davao City, Mindanao, remove stagnant water from the city’s canals — a popular breeding spot for mosquitoes. By cleaning the canals, Knights aided in the prevention of outbreaks of dengue fever, which the mosquitoes are known to carry and spread.

St. Mary’s Presentation Council 9721 in Spokane, Wash., hosted a 5K run that raised more than $3,200. The funds were split between the GreenHouse Community Center and the Loon Lake Food Pantry & Resource Center.

A MEMORY HONORED

St. Stephen the Martyr Council 10160 in Omaha, Neb., held a food and blood drive in memory of a deceased council member. The drive collected 78 units of blood and 330 food items for an area food pantry.

K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N ALPHA CENTER

dollar collected and saw overall contributions rise nearly 60 percent. In the end, the council donated $1,000 to the fund, which brought the total collection to about $3,000.

St. John the Evangelist Council 15007 in Pensacola, Fla., hosted two respect life fundraisers that raised more than $2,600 for Alpha Center Inc., an organization that provides support to women in crisis pregnancies.

ROBES FOR DEACON

BLANKET DRIVE

Collinsville (Ill.) Council 1712 conducted a blanket drive to benefit St. Patrick Center, an organization in St. Louis, Mo., that provides services to the homeless.

With a $500 donation from the youth group at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Knights were able to purchase 40 new blankets and personal items.

The council collected an additional 110 new and used blankets from parishioners.

permarkets. In total, workers assembled 550 food baskets and hope to further expand the drive’s outreach in the coming years.

and women in their communities who have been killed in combat.

FOSTERING A VOCATION

TO HONOR & REMEMBER

St. Anastasia Council 5911 in Little Neck, N.Y., presented a $500 Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) scholarship to Christopher Baer, a local man who discerned, after some years in the business world, that he was being called to the priesthood. The council hopes to provide Baer with a scholarship each year until he finishes his studies.

Father Butler Council 968 in Hamilton, Ohio, sponsored a flag through the organization Honor & Remember in memory of Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski, an area soldier who was killed in Iraq on May 9, 2005. Honor & Remember’s mission is to have their flag adopted by civic and government agencies to pay homage to men

San Isidro Magsasaka Council 13150 in Ibabang Dupay, Luzon, hosted a feeding program for students at three area elementary schools. Through the program, Knights fed more than 2,000 malnourished children.

Members of Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley Council 11069 in Jacksonville, Fla., prepare to distribute food to 150 Boy and Girl Scouts during a Catholic Scouting event. Knights donated $336 for food and volunteered to serve lunch to all those in attendance.

A COUNTY OF AID

St. Jude Council 1043 in Elkhart, Ind., undertook a massive food drive to help needy families in and around Elkhart County — a part of the state that has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn. The project began with a phone-a-thon that raised $2,000 and pledges from hundreds of individuals, businesses, organizations and retail stores. More than 100 Knights and volunteers then used the funds to purchase food and obtain donations from bakeries and su-

Members of Holy Spirit Council 13919 in Malolos City, Luzon, and their families gather for lunch while cleaning the grounds of their parish. Knights volunteered to clean the interior and exterior of their church.

FOOD FOR STUDENTS

Oswego (Ill.) Council 7247 presented two sets of liturgical robes to the council’s spiritual advisor, Deacon Duane Wozek, in honor of his service to the council and to St. Anne Church, especially in the area of the parish’s youth ministry.

GUNNING FOR THE CLERGY

Father James F. Power Council 9917 in Casper, Wyo., sponsored a yearlong gun raffle to benefit retired religious in the Diocese of Cheyenne.

Knights raffled a different gun each week for one year and saw entrants from 24 U.S. states. The combined raffles raised $51,000 for the St. Joseph Society, a diocesan agency that provides support to retired religious.

MEALS FOR A COUNTY

HIKE FOR LIFE

Jasper (Ind.) Council 1584 and Msgr. Leonard Wernsing Assembly volunteered to prepare and serve more than 500 meals at the Dubois County Community Meal (DCCM).

Each month, DCCM provides about 4,000 meals to people who are unemployed, underemployed or simply need assistance.

Knights from in and around Denton, Texas, participated in the Texas Hike for Life to benefit a local pregnancy resource center. Approximately 100 people joined the hike, which raised $8,500 for Loreto House, a facility that provides aid to women in unplanned and crisis pregnancies.

PROVIDING FOR PRIESTS

COLLECTION FOR SEMINARIAN

Iroquois Falls (Ontario) Council 2641 challenged parishioners at two area churches to be especially generous during a special collection for the Diocese of Timmins’ retired priests pension fund. The council matched 50 cents for every

Nativity Council 2976 in Laurel Springs, N.J., hosted a special collection at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church to benefit seminarian Sean Moore. The collection raised more than $2,100 to offset Moore’s expenses as he studies for the priesthood.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N

Gene Rossetti (right) of Msgr.

James J. Hickie Council 6695 in Bristol, Tenn., and volunteer Carl Powers from the Highlands Fellowship Church work to construct a wheelchair ramp at the home of Hollie Kudela, a young woman who has two nervous system disorders and has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of 14.

When Hollie’s mother, Rita, appealed to the local United Way for assistance with getting a wheelchair ramp, they were referred to Council 6695. Knights, in turn, provided volunteer manpower and some funding for the project.

FOOD FOR FOOD

Msgr. Andrew McGowan Council 14095 in ScrantonDunmore, Pa., hosted a spaghetti and meatball dinner that raised $400 for the food pantry at Immaculate Conception Church.

NEW LEASE ON LIFE

St. Stephen the Martyr Council 14122 in Lilburn, Ga., hosted a fundraiser to benefit Chris Wilson, a council member who required a kidney transplant but needed to meet a steep insurance deductible before the surgery could be performed. After an autoimmune disease caused widespread damage to his kidneys, Wilson discovered that he needed a transplant and found a donor in the form of Cristina Zakis, a fellow parishioner and friend from college. The event

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hosted by Council 14122 raised $10,000 to offset Wilson’s medical expenses as he and his family prepared for the surgery.

signs on the billboard are changed throughout the year to reflect holidays, K of C initiatives, and recruitment and insurance messages.

GOODS FOR MOTHERS

PANCAKE BREAKFASTS

Holy Trinity Council 4400 in Joliet, Ill., raised money to purchase diapers, car seats and winter clothing for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Catholic Charities Maternity/Pregnancy division.

Pope John Paul II Assembly in Taylor, Mich., hosted a pancake breakfast at St. Alfred Church that raised more than $300. The funds were split between the parish and the assembly’s fund for veterans.

Meanwhile, Bishop McNamara Council 1622 in Frederick, Md., hosted a pancake and sausage breakfast that raised $372 for Birthright.

SPARE A DIME?

Our Lady of Mercy Council 10375 in Hillsboro, Texas, hosted a spare change drive that raised $300 to support seminarians in the Diocese of Fort Worth.

READY FOR SALE

St. Anne-Oratory Council 6756 in Rock Hill, S.C., came to the aid of council member Joe Zsiga when Zsiga decided to sell his house for health reasons.

Knights cleaned and painted the house in preparation for listing it on the real estate market.

BASE DINNER

Holy Family Council 14016 at the Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts hosted a free spaghetti dinner that

RAFFLE FOR CATHEDRAL

Nuestra Señora del Refugio Council 3776 in Matamoros, Mexico Northeast, and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Council 13570 in Valle Hermoso sold raffle tickets for a diocesan lottery to benefit the Church of Our Lady of the Refuge, Cathedral of Matamoros. Knights sold 84 raffle tickets at $20 each, raising $1,680 to help build new offices at the cathedral.

PERMANENT BILLBOARD

Father Adrian L. Molenschot Council 9217 in Hessmer, La., erected a permanent billboard on a plot of land owned by council member Jessie Laborde. The vinyl

Members of Lucena (Luzon) Council 3469 discard a set of fire-damaged doors following a blaze at St. Ferdinand Cathedral.

When a fire damaged one wing of the church, Knights assisted with putting out the blaze by passing buckets of water and setting up hoses from a fire truck. The following day, council members gathered at the scene to assess the damage and remove debris. was open to the base’s Catholic community and to members of other faith traditions. About 70 people attended the event to enjoy an evening of food and fellowship. The council also hosted a free pancake brunch for about 120 people and delivered meals to the base’s private security force, fire and police departments, and military dorms.

KEEPING HYDRATED

Members of St. Michael Council 13799 in Sterling Heights, Mich., look on as Father Michael Quaine, chaplain of Council 13799 and pastor of St. Michael Church, places the final ceiling tile in the church’s main entrance hall.

With help from parishioners and family members, Knights volunteered to replace 6,000 square feet of ceiling tiles in the church’s social hall, foyers, entrance and music room. The final tile placed

by Father Quaine was signed on the backside by all the volunteers.

Vincent T. Lombardi Council 6552 in Middletown, N.J., volunteered at the New Jersey Marathon by manning a fluid station in Asbury Park at mile 17 of the route. Knights handed out beverages to runners competing in the event.

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N

A HEAVY CROSS TO BEAR legs of Christ with new epoxy resin, and to clean the entire statue with a pressure washer and light sanding.

The job progressed in earnest, and the current pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Jesuit Father Michael Moynahan, was so pleased with the results that he decided to have the crucifix suspended above the church entrance for all to see.

Of course, mounting a 700-pound crucifix to the front of the church presented a new set of challenges. Council members worked with a building contractor to evaluate the structural integrity of the front entrance, ensuring that it would support the weight of the massive statue. Once this was done and the placement of the crucifix finalized, the contractors lifted it into place using a pair of scissor lifts.

In its new home, the crucifix is lighted at night for all to see. It also serves as an important symbol that God sent his only son to earth to save all of mankind.

IN THE UNITED STATES THE ENGLISH COMPANY INC. Official council and Fourth Degree equipment 1-800-444-5632 • www.kofcsupplies.com LYNCH AND KELLY INC. Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes 1-888-548-3890 • www.lynchkelly.com CHILBERT & CO. Approved Fourth Degree Tuxedos 1-800-289-2889 • www.chilbert.com IN CANADA ROGER SAUVÉ INC. Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes 1-888-266-1211 • www.roger-sauve.com

08/11

J O I N T H E FAT H E R MCGIVNEY GUILD

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ARDEN CARMICHAEL Council 4970 in Sacramento, Calif., undertook a project to restore a 700-pound marble crucifix that had been wasting away at its parish for approximately 15 years.

According to council representatives, information about the crucifix’s history is scarce. Knights know that it once belonged to a retreat center in Azusa that closed its doors in 1994. After the facility shut down, the crucifix was brought to St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Sacramento, where it sat outside on a wooden pallet exposed to the sun and the elements. Eventually, both the pallet and the wooden cross began to rot, and the marble statue began to show signs of soiling.

At this point, members of Council 4970 approached then-pastor Father Gerald H. Robinson about restoring the crucifix to its former beauty. A plan was put into motion to replace the wooden cross, to reattach the arms and

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OFFICIAL AUG. 1, 2011:

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 to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of 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 INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

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[Clockwise from lower left] The 700-pound crucifix sits on the ground at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, disused for nearly 15 years. • Mark Zawkiewicz of Council 4970 mounts the repaired arm of Jesus. • Knights and contractors use a pair of scissor lifts to mount the crucifix above the entrance to St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

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C O LU M B I A N I S M B Y D E G R E E S

Charity ENRIQUE PEREA of St. Dominic Council 14998 in Miami distributes bicycle helmets during a council-sponsored bicycle safety project. Knights distributed more than 200 bike helmets to parents and young members of the community to promote bicycle safety habits. The distribution also included food, pony rides, face painting and a magic show.

• Saranac Lake (N.Y.) Council 599 and Father Peter A. Ward Council 7803 in Bloomingdale volunteered to run wiring through St. Bernard Catholic School for the installation of a new intercom system. By performing the work themselves, Knights saved the parish more than $2,000.

Unity

Fraternity

Patriotism

GRAND KNIGHT Michael D. Laferriere (center) of Palmer (Mass.)

Council 376 congratulates Deacon Ryan Rooney (second from left) after Rooney received the council’s Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) scholarship. Knights presented the scholarship to Rooney following his ordination to the diaconate, another step on his journey to the priesthood.

Also pictured are (from left): Father Gary Dailey, director of vocations for the Diocese of Springfield, Joseph F. Kosmas and Thomas A. Vyzga.

CARTER BARRETT of Fort Belvoir (Va.) Council 11170 lights a memorial candle for Mrs. Jane Maltese, the widow of deceased council member Edward Maltese, during a councilsponsored memorial Mass. The council sponsored the Mass in honor of its deceased members — many of whom were active-duty or retired military personnel — and invited council widows as the event’s guests of honor.

• St. Isaac Jogues Council 11098 in Pickering, Ontario, hosted a Mass in memory of deceased council members. Following Mass, council members gathered for a photo that was sent as a card to Knights who are ill or in need.

NEW MEMBERS of the St. Thomas the Apostle Round Table at Camp Victory, Iraq, stand with the U.S. and K of C flags following a First Degree exemplification. The ceremony saw 12 new members of the military join the Order. The round table is sponsored by St. Paul’s Council 11634 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council 7850 in Plano, Texas, hosted a Mass and luncheon in honor of 23 area World War II veterans — including three council members. Following lunch, State Rep. Van Taylor presented each veteran in attendance with a U.S. flag that flew over the state capital.

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KNIGHT S O F CO LU MBUS

Building a better world one council at a time Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.

TO

BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S

Members of Barry’s Bay (Ontario) Council 6894 sit with some of the wood they chopped for St. Mary’s Church in Wilno. Knights spent an afternoon splitting wood so the church would have plenty of fuel for all of its heating needs.

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♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 33

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

KEEP T HE FAITH ALIV E

‘I HAD TO PLACE MYSELF IN GOD’S CARE.’ At a young age I had the first inclination that God was drawing me to become a priest. But as I grew up, the desire began to have competition with other opportunities that are typical in a young person’s life.

My parish priest encouraged me to explore what others saw in me, and I owe a great deal to him. The best way I could know about my vocation, he told me, was to give the seminary a chance. With his guidance, I realized that I had to place myself in God’s care with the prayer of St. Alphonsus Liguori: “Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.”

The seminary has granted me a deeper relationship with the Lord and a greater understanding of myself. I thank God for where I am today and look forward to the service I will render to him as a priest. To those who feel they have a call to the consecrated life, do not fear the plunge. The risk is worth it.

DEACON BEN KNEIB Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo.