Columbia December 2023 by Columbia Magazine

Columbia KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

DECEMBER 2023

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CONTENTS

Columbia D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 ✢ VOLUME 103 ✢ N U M B E R 1 0

Departments 3 For the greater glory of God Spousal love and support, epitomized by the late Ann Dechant, make our work as Knights of Columbus possible. By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

4 Learning the faith,

living the faith In the incarnation of Christ, God reveals the meaning and destiny of our lives and the whole of creation.

By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

A 19th-century painting depicts the Three Kings approaching Bethlehem.

8 Mile High Milestone ABOVE: The Journey of the Three Kings, 1825, Leopold Kupelwieser, Scala/LIECHTENSTEIN Collection — ON THE COVER: Photo by Paul Haring

Order celebrates the distribution of more than 1 million coats through the flagship Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program. By Kevin J. Jones

14 Faith in the Center

6 Knights of Columbus News State Deputies Urged to Advance Order’s ‘Mission of Hope’ • Order Mourns Death of Ann Dechant • Knights of Columbus Celebrates Anniversary of Guadalupe Institute 19 Fathers for Good

As anticipated by the prophets, the day of the Lord brings judgment, mercy and reconciliation.

By Mike Aquilina

26 Knights in Action Reports from councils and assemblies, representing Faith in Action

An interview with Luke Kornet, an NBA player and Knight of Columbus, about how his love of God and family elevates his game. ON THE COVER

18 Commitment on the Court

First grader Lexi Cordova wears a golden coat she received in Denver to mark the 1 million coats given away since Coats for Kids began in 2009.

The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship program marks a half-century. By Elisha Valladares-Cormier

20 ‘Christ Gives Us the Heart of a Father’ Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly speaks at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs as pilgrims gather for the New York State Eucharistic Congress. By Cecilia Engbert

22 Hope for the Children of War

Ukrainian orphans and refugee children find shelter and schooling through K of C charitable partnerships. By Karolina Świder and Peter Gedicks

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.

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EDITORIAL

Our ‘Supreme Calling’ ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1940, French prisoners of war staged a Nativity play at a German concentration camp, Stalag 12D. In one scene, a narrator contemplates the Virgin Mary “when she realizes at once that Christ is her son, her very own baby, and that he is God. … No other woman has been lucky enough to have God for herself alone … a warm-bodied God who smiles and breathes, a God that she can touch, who is alive.” The play, performed by priests and seminarians, was by an unlikely author — the atheist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, a fellow prisoner. Sartre, who was baptized a Catholic, and the priests shared a mutual affinity, and he wrote the play at their request to inspire a spirit of hope and resistance. Nonetheless, Sartre’s philosophical works expressed resistance of a different kind, for he believed man’s freedom arises precisely from the “abandonment” of a creator God. In his seminal work Being and Nothingness (1943), Sartre asserted, “To be man means to reach toward being God. Or if you prefer, man fundamentally is the desire to be God.” In a 1946 essay titled “Existentialism Is Humanism,” he further defined his thought: “There is no human nature, since there is no God to conceive it. Not only is man what he conceives himself to be, but he is also only what he wills himself to be after his thrust toward existence.” The same year that Sartre published this essay, Karol Wojtyła was ordained a priest in Kraków, Poland. At 26 years old, he had spent six years living under occupations by Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, regimes that attempted to define a “new man.” He went on to become, like Sartre, a philosopher

PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus

and playwright, though he drew profoundly different conclusions. As a young bishop at the Second Vatican Council and later as pope, St. John Paul II emphasized a Christ-centered view of humanity. In the words of the council, “The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. … Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). What is this supreme calling? The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the “innate vocation of every human being,” rooted in our given nature: “God who created man out of love also calls him to love. … For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love” (1604). This call to charity relates also to our destiny as adopted children of the Father: “The Word became flesh to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature’” (460, cf. 2 Pt 1:4). Or, as St. Athanasius put it, “The Son of God became man so that we might become God.” There is a tragic irony in the modern, existential pursuit of freedom and divinity to the exclusion of God and human nature. In the end, the answer to the deepest desires of the human heart is something that must be received, not grasped. The eternal Word has emptied himself to become the “new man,” and he humbly invites us to “share in the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). The vulnerable Christ Child in the arms of Mary thus illuminates our “supreme calling” to participate in the communion of Trinitarian love. ✢

SUPREME OFFICERS

Alton J. Pelowski, Editor

HOW TO REACH US

The Woman Who Changed the Face of a Hemisphere “It is necessary to reiterate the importance of the Guadalupan Event when it comes to the evangelization of an entire continent and beyond,” writes Msgr. Eduardo Chávez, postulator of the cause for canonization of St. Juan Diego. In The Woman Who Changed the Face of a Hemisphere (#4752), Msgr. Chávez explains the significance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Knights of Columbus, nearly five centuries after she appeared on Tepeyac Hill in 1531. For this and other Catholic Information Service resources, visit kofc.org/shopcis. 2

Columbia Patrick E. Kelly Supreme Knight Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. Supreme Chaplain Arthur L. Peters Deputy Supreme Knight Patrick T. Mason Supreme Secretary Ronald F. Schwarz Supreme Treasurer John A. Marrella Supreme Advocate EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski Editor Andrew J. Matt Managing Editor Cecilia Hadley Senior Editor Elisha Valladares-Cormier Associate Editor Paul Haring Manager of Photography

Blessed Michael McGivney (1852-90) – Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us.

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F O R T H E G R E AT E R G LO R Y O F G O D

‘Far Beyond Pearls’ Spousal love and support, epitomized by the late Ann Dechant, make our work as Knights of Columbus possible By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

Photo by Michael Collopy

LAST MONTH, on the feast of All Souls, I

had the great honor to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of Ann L. Dechant, wife of the Order’s 12th and longest-serving supreme knight, Virgil C. Dechant. For nearly seven decades, Ann supported Virgil as he rose through the ranks of the Knights of Columbus. And for 23 years, she was at his side as he led the Order. In their relationship, every Knight — and every wife of a Knight — saw a Christian marriage par excellence. Virgil and Ann shaped the Knights of Columbus for the better — and always as a team. Ann Dechant had a servant’s heart — and sacrificed for her family and the Order without complaint. Raised on a farm in Kansas, she left her home state to move to far-off Connecticut when Virgil was appointed supreme secretary in 1967. She cared for her young children and raised them to know and love Christ, all the while assisting her husband as he led a growing, global organization. And even as she kept the home fires burning, she was often expected to be with Virgil as he traversed the globe. In many ways, Ann had an impossible task, yet her example reminds us that with God all things are possible (Mt 19:26). She was held in high esteem by presidents and popes. St. John Paul II appointed her to the Pontifical Council for the Family. But while she moved in high circles, she never lost the common touch or her Kansas kindness. She juggled the competing demands of her life with grace and prayer — and with a trusting devotion to our Blessed Mother. In doing this, she set an example for future generations of Knights and their wives. Ann’s sacrifice typifies the sacrifice that so many of our wives make for us as Knights and for the Order. So much of what we do as Knights would not be possible without the support and dedication of our wives. Speaking for myself, I can honestly

say that I couldn’t do what I do without my wife, Vanessa. Her steadfast love and support — for me and for our children — allow me to carry out my responsibilities to the Order and the Church. The same is true for so many Knights Orderwide. The Knights of Columbus is and always will be a fraternal organization of men, but the reason we exist, the reason Blessed Michael McGivney established the Knights, is to serve the family. Our membership in the Order should make us better husbands and fathers, and many K of C activities involve the entire family. At the same time, our volunteer service can take us away from home on many weeknights and weekends, inevitably leaving our wives to adjust family schedules and juggle competing priorities. More often than not, our wives are called upon to go the extra mile to meet family obligations, while also serving as both trusted advisors and indispensable supports to us. In short, being the wife of an active, engaged Knight takes patience, teamwork, sacrifice and an understanding heart. It isn’t easy, but it is worthwhile because our mission is worthy. The Book of Proverbs affirms: “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. … Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: ‘Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all’” (31:10-11, 28-29). The wife of a Knight is truly a “woman of worth.” This Christmas season, we should all have gratitude in our hearts and — importantly — on our lips for all that our wives do for us, for the Order and for the Church. May the Holy Family, whose feast we celebrate Dec. 31, be a model and guide for us. Vivat Jesus!

Being the wife of an active, engaged Knight takes patience, teamwork, sacrifice and an understanding heart. It isn’t easy, but it is worthwhile because our mission is worthy.

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

Jesus Is ‘All in All’ In the incarnation of Christ, God reveals the meaning and destiny of our lives and the whole of creation By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

AS RATIONAL BEINGS, we are always looking

for explanations. We want to know how things work, why things are as they are, how to reconcile facts that seem to be at odds. While partial explanations can be helpful, they fail to satisfy. What we’re really looking for is an explanation of everything — the whole of reality and the whole of our experience — what Servant of God Father Luigi Giussani (1922-2005) called “a totalizing fact.” The trouble is that “totalizing” philosophies and ideologies are not facts but myths and idols. Think of the totalitarian regimes of the last century. According to Nazi ideology, the alleged superiority of the Aryan race was the “totalizing fact” in human history. Marxism, on the other hand, explained the totality of history in terms of economic exploitation of the working class by those who control capital and the means of production. Both ideas spawned regimes steeped in unspeakable atrocities. In our day, “wokeism” views all of reality in terms of racial prejudice and oppression, and “settler colonialism” describes a pervasive social structure in which imperial powers dominate the territory of other peoples by military and/or economic power. Racial oppression is very real, and history is littered with unjust colonizing aggression, but neither is an explanation for everything that we experience. Because all such “totalizing” philosophies and ideologies are not really total explanations, whatever they cannot account for must be hidden, distorted or denied. Thus, each of them leads to some sort of a cancel culture, a shutting down of inconvenient facts and rational discussion. In truth, there is only one truly totalizing fact, and in the season of Advent we are preparing to celebrate it anew. It is the birth of the Son of God into human history: “The Word became f lesh and made his dwelling

among us” (Jn 1:14). St. Paul spoke of Christ who “is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17), while the Book of Revelation celebrates Christ as “the Alpha and the Omega” (Rev 1:8). Once we open our hearts to Christ, we are amazed to discover that he is the one we’ve searched for all along. Dominican Father Réginald GarrigouLagrange wrote that, in becoming one of us, God “fulfilled our duties, suffered our pains, experienced our weariness, perspired with our sweat, shed our tears, embraced us, and desired our happiness more than we can ourselves.” St. John Paul II similarly taught that Christ is the “one who penetrated in a unique and unrepeatable way into the mystery of man and entered his ‘heart’” (Redemptor Hominis, 8). Christ and his Church need no cancel culture because he who made us and redeemed us embraces the whole of reality — whatever is good, true and beautiful in our humanity, culture and experience, including art, science, philosophy and other religions. For that reason, popes have boldly called the Church an “expert in humanity.” The Church engages, conserves and purifies human thought and endeavor, remembering the counsel of St. Paul to consider “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there be any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise” (Phil 4:8). This Christmas, after you hear the proclamation of the Lord’s birth, share in his sacrifice and receive his body and blood, peer into the crèche to see not only the image of a baby, but indeed the Lord of history. For it is the eternal Son of God who has brought to fulfillment the Father’s plan for the redemption of the world. It is the Lord who gives history its direction and purpose, and who gives us meaning, freedom and eternal life. ✢

In truth, there is only one truly totalizing fact, and in the season of Advent we are preparing to celebrate it anew. ... Once we open our hearts to Christ, we are amazed to discover that he is the one we’ve searched for all along.

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Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples ….” (Gospel for Dec. 31, Lk 2:29-31) The Jewish people had waited many centuries for God’s promise of a savior to be fulfilled. Here, Simeon realizes the wait is over. Like Simeon, we can count ourselves among the fortunate ones who “have seen [God’s] salvation” in Christ, and we must proclaim this good news of salvation as he did. May we seek to share the gift of Christ with others in a particular way this Christmas.

Catholic Man of the Month Blessed Odoardo Focherini (1907-1944) AN ITALIAN JOURNALIST and father of

seven, Odoardo Focherini risked his life to save scores of persecuted Jews during World War II. Eventually arrested, he testified that he acted solely out of “pure Christian charity.” Focherini was born in the northern Italian city of Carpi, the third of four sons. He met his future wife, Maria, during a vacation to Trento; they married in 1930. Focherini was a devoted husband and father and took an active role in the life of the Church. He worked as an agent for a Catholic insurance company and later served as managing editor of the Catholic newspaper L’Avvenire d’Italia. As president of Catholic Action in Carpi, he organized many events, including Eucharistic congresses. In 1942, when a group of Polish Jews arrived by train in Genoa, the archbishop, Cardinal Pietro Boetto, enlisted Focherini to help them avoid deportation. After receiving his wife’s blessing to undertake such a dangerous mission, Focherini procured counterfeit documents for their passage to Switzerland. Thus began a clandestine rescue

FROM TOP: Wikimedia Commons — OSV News photo/Bridgeman Images — CNS photo/Lola Gomez

Liturgical Calendar

Challenge: This month, I challenge you to reach out to others — family, friends, acquaintances — and invite them to a celebration of Christmas, especially Christmas Mass. Second, I challenge you to participate in the Faith in Action Keep Christ in Christmas program.

Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Dec. 8 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dec. 9 St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 13 St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church Dec. 25 The Nativity of The Lord (Christmas) Dec. 26 St. Stephen, The First Martyr Dec. 27 St. John, Apostle and Evangelist Dec. 28 The Holy Innocents, Martyrs Dec. 31 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

operation that brought more than 100 Jewish refugees to safety. Arrested on March 11, 1944, Focherini was moved to several prisons before arriving at a Nazi concentration camp in Hersbruck, Germany. During his imprisonment, he wrote 166 letters to his wife and others. “If you had seen … how Jews are treated here,” he wrote, “your only regrets would be not to have saved more of them.” Odoardo Focherini died Dec. 27, 1944, of an untreated leg infection; he was 37 years old. His last words, spoken to a fellow prisoner, were “Tell my wife that I have always remained faithful to her, always thought of her and always intensely loved her.” He was beatified in 2013. ✢

Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention

We pray that people living with disabilities may be at the center of attention in society, and that institutions may offer inclusive programs which value their active participation. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

State Deputies Urged to Advance Order’s ‘Mission of Hope’

FRATERNAL LEADERS representing nearly 70 jurisdictions

gathered in Denver Nov. 3-5 for the Midyear Membership Meeting of State Deputies. The meeting featured keynote remarks by Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore in addition to various workshops, Mass and other opportunities for fraternity and prayer. In his remarks Nov. 4, Supreme Knight Kelly affirmed that Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights 141 years ago to “carry out the mission of Jesus himself — to help men love God and serve their neighbors.” Citing various global and societal challenges, the supreme knight said, “Our mission is a mission of hope — and it’s a mission perfectly suited for these challenging times.” “The Knights bear a special responsibility in this moment,” he added. The continued growth and impact of the Knights, he emphasized, depends on members extending a personal invitation to other Catholic men. “Nothing is stronger than a brother Knight calling another man to something greater, and doing so face to face, in the context of friendship,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. He also underscored various efforts and resources to reinforce the Order’s mission of serving the vulnerable, helping men grow in faith and strengthening the family. Chief among these efforts is Cor, a major initiative launched earlier this year. Adopted by more than 600 councils so far, Cor brings Catholic men together to grow in prayer, formation and fraternity. “We all need like-minded men to help us answer our calling as husbands and fathers. This truth is at the heart of the Knights of Columbus,” Supreme Knight Kelly explained.

“Cor doesn’t replace anything we do. But it will enhance everything we do. Cor will strengthen our witness to charity, our witness to unity and our witness to fraternity — and it will do all that precisely because it strengthens our faith, which is the very foundation of our principles.” Archbishop Lori, in his remarks Nov. 4, similarly emphasized the importance of strengthening the faith of Knights and families, as well as the role that chaplains play in the Order. In recent decades, he noted, the spiritual life of councils has been shaped “first by the longstanding effort to root them in our parish communities, but also by aligning ourselves with the mission of each parish to evangelize, to form and support families, to help men take their rightful role in the family, and to engage in that charity which evangelizes.” Archbishop Lori also emphasized the importance of personal prayer and, especially, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Speaking of the National Eucharistic Revival currently underway in the United States, he encouraged Knights to “promote the Revival not as yet another program that’s here today and gone tomorrow, but as the beginning of a movement in the life of the Church to draw people to Christ, to the Gospel, to the Eucharistic heart of the Church.” Devotion to the Eucharist is, in fact, closely tied to the Order’s first principle of charity, the supreme chaplain said. “The Eucharist is ‘the sacrament of charity,’” he said. “It is by drawing close to the Eucharistic Lord that we become ‘Knights of charity,’ men who are transformed by Jesus’ gift of self in the Eucharist, men for whom the Eucharist is the source of our strength and the goal of all we do.” ✢

Photo by Paul Haring

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly addresses state deputies and others assembled for the Midyear Membership Meeting in Denver Sept. 4.

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Order Mourns Death of Ann Dechant

ABOVE LEFT: Courtesy of the Dechant family — RIGHT: Photo by Luis Guevara

ANN L. DECHANT, wife

of late Past Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant, died Oct. 25 at age 93. At the conclusion of her funeral Mass, which took place Nov. 2 at the Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kansas, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly expressed condolences and appreciation on behalf of the Order. “I speak for every Knight and their wives and families when I say that the Order of the Knights of Columbus owes Ann Dechant an enormous debt of gratitude,” he said. “The Knights would not be what we are were it not for who she was.” Born to a farming family in Kansas in 1929 and a teacher by profession, Ann (Schafer) Dechant married Virgil Dechant in 1951. The couple raised four children during Virgil’s 1977-2000 tenure as supreme knight, during which he led the Order to a new era of growth. Virgil died in February 2020 at age 89 at the couple’s home in Leawood. In addition to their children, they are survived by 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. “Virgil was the first to acknowledge that what he did as supreme knight would not have been possible without Ann’s love and support,” said Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, during his funeral Mass homily. “Virgil and Ann did not just support marriage in theory. They beautifully lived this vocation that is a call to heroic, faithful, enduring love.” ✢

Knights of Columbus Celebrates Anniversary of Guadalupe Institute PAST SUPREME KNIGHT Carl Anderson represented the Order in Mexico City at an international conference held Sept. 1-3 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Institute of Guadalupan Studies. The Knights of Columbus is a longtime partner of the institute, which is dedicated to researching and promoting the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico in 1531. Its rector, Msgr. Eduardo Chávez, served as the postulator of the cause for canonization of St. Juan Diego, the Indigenous layman to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002, and the institute was founded just over a year later, on Sept. 3, 2003. “I always considered it a great privilege to cooperate with the work of the institute because of the promise Our Lady of Guadalupe holds for Catholics throughout our hemisphere and the world,” Anderson affirmed in an address Sept. 1. The past supreme knight emphasized St. John Paul II’s 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, in which the pope called Our Lady of Guadalupe “an impressive example of a perfectly inculturated evangelization” and the “Star of the first and new evangelization.” He also noted that, upon his inauguration as the 13th supreme knight Feb. 3, 2001, he consecrated the Order to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Last February, exactly 22 years later, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly renewed that consecration. Both ceremonies took place with the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors assembled at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Past Supreme Knight Anderson further observed that the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe, nearly 500 years after her miraculous appearance on Tepeyac Hill, is a message for our time and for the whole world.

Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson speaks Sept. 1 in Mexico City about the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe for our time.

“As courageous missionaries during the past five centuries have made clear, this ‘wonder’ was not done for only the evangelization of one nation, but for the evangelization of all nations,” he said. He concluded his remarks by urging acts of consecration to Our Lady. “We can begin where we are,” he said. “Acts of consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe can be building blocks in constructing the civilization of love. Consecration of individuals and families, but also consecration of Catholic associations, schools, health facilities, charities and even businesses — each according to its own character and each offered as a gift to Mary and through her to her Son.” ✢ DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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MILE HIGH MILESTONE Order celebrates the distribution of more than 1 million coats through the flagship Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program By Kevin J. Jones 8

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Students from Annunciation Catholic School in Denver are pictured with Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly after a Nov. 6 event celebrating the 1 million coats distributed through the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program.

Photo by Paul Haring

he gymnasium at Denver’s Annunciation Catholic School was filled with students ranging in age from preschool to eighth grade. They had just received new winter coats from local Knights of Columbus and other volunteers. But there was one more winter coat to give away, a coat of a different color. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly called the name of Lexi Cordova, a very surprised first grader. He then gave her a golden winter coat to celebrate 1 million coats donated through Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids since the program began in 2009. The supreme knight told the Nov. 6

assembly that school leaders chose Lexi to receive this symbolic coat because of her great sense of style and her great heart. “We thought if a girl with a heart of gold gets the gold coat, it would be perfect,” he said. “This is my most favorite coat!” exclaimed Lexi after receiving the gleaming garment. “I’ll bring it always to school!” Lexi’s mother, Alejandra Valponto, who stood next to her beaming daughter, also attended Annunciation Catholic School. The parochial school currently serves 182 students from predominantly Hispanic and immigrant families. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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“It’s an amazing thing,” Valponto said. “I just want to say thank you for all the hard work and for helping the less fortunate.” Since its launch nearly 15 years ago, the Order’s Coats for Kids program has seen massive growth in participation and achievement. Knights have distributed new coats in 49 U.S. states and all 10 Canadian provinces. This year, more than 1,500 councils in the U.S. and Canada will give away a record 200,000 coats. “The Coats for Kids program has become synonymous with the Knights of Columbus mission of charity, and I think that’s why it is growing,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “That’s why thousands of councils have taken up this program: because it’s a way that they can serve others, and that’s ultimately what the Knights are all about.” THE GIFT OF WARMTH Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids launched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2009 in response to President Barack Obama’s call for a National Day of Service. The first year was a good start: 100 K of C councils donated more

than 3,000 new coats. Over the past decade and a half, the numbers have snowballed exponentially. In cold-weather regions throughout the United States and Canada, children from many different backgrounds will have a warmer winter this year thanks to the Knights’ program. Some coats go to low-income families. Others go to members of Native American and First Nations communities. Still more coats go to immigrants, refugees and the homeless. Last year, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the program expanded to Poland and Ukraine to address the urgent needs of displaced families. Minnesota State Deputy Dan Decrans said that 11,000 coats have already been donated by Knights in his jurisdiction this fraternal year, up 3,000 from last winter. “It’s a great program that really helps a lot of people,” DeCrans said, noting that when Knights bring new coats, the word spreads quickly and they soon run out. Several major clothing manufacturers provide the Knights with new coats at cost, and the Supreme Council subsidizes half of the cost of each box. It is common for

“It’s putting a smile on kids’ faces. It’s helping families. There is no greater thing than to help the family. It’s why the Knights were founded. It’s what

councils to schedule coat distributions around Thanksgiving in Canada and on Black Friday in the U.S., sometimes inviting professional or college athletes and first responders to participate. Current and retired NFL players have taken part in coat giveaways in the week ahead of the Super Bowl, including Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka, Super Bowl champion Matt Birk of the Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals star Anthony Muñoz. So far this year, the Knights of Columbus in Washington state have already given away more than 13,000 coats. “We’ve seen some really strong growth this year,” said Mike Winkler, the Washington State Council program chairman for Coats for Kids. “Three years ago, that figure was only 4,000.” Washington Knights distribute coats through Catholic charities, school districts, Boys and Girls Clubs and military bases. Through these groups, coats have reached many families in need, including Indigenous families, migrant 10

Photo by Alexis Wettlaufer

we do, and it’s what we do best.”

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Opposite page: Paul Swortz Sr. (left), past grand knight of St. Frances Cabrini Council 4322 in Lakewood, Wash., and Henry Winkler, Coats for Kids chairman of the Washington State Council, smile with a boy receiving a coat Oct. 21 at Horizons Elementary School in Lacey. • Right: Grand Knight Tyler Wist of Denis Mahoney Council 8215 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, helps a young girl and her mother pick out a winter coat during a giveaway at the Kinistin Saulteaux First Nation Band office in Saskatoon on Nov. 3.

Photo by Tammy Zdunich

workers and women with children who are transitioning out of homelessness or escaping domestic violence. “It’s hard to describe the sincere appreciation that the families show,” said Winkler. “And then some of them are shocked when they find out we even have some adult coats, should they need one.” The numbers of children receiving public assistance show that much more work is needed, he added. Over 550,000 children in Washington state qualify for free and reduced lunches. “Part of the growth is because our brother Knights realize how large the demand is,” said Winkler. “We’re truly committed to helping our neighbors, whether they’re in our local neighborhood or throughout the world.” COATS ACROSS CANADA In Saskatchewan, the Canadian winters are harsh. The province sees winter temperatures below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes, the cold plummets to 40 degrees below zero. Even so, many people don’t realize how much demand there is for the program, said Shawn Scherr, Coats for Kids chairman for the Saskatchewan State Council: “We might have one or two families that are struggling in our communities. You don’t realize how big the need is outside of your community. It takes somebody to listen and act.” Scherr, who lives in Saskatoon, the largest city in the province, recounted how his daughter discovered that three siblings at the school where she taught were sharing a single winter coat. This meant only one sibling could come to school each day. “She called me, and the next morning she had coats for them all,” he said. So far this year, the Saskatchewan Knights have already distributed more than 7,400 coats to schools, homeless shelters, pregnancy centers and First Nations communities. Some communities are so remote that supplies, including children’s coats, must be flown in by plane. The Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus have an important partner in making that happen: the Prince Albert Grand Council, an organization that represents 12 First Nations comprising about 30,000 people. “We have very, very, very cold winters, and a lot of people in need really have a difficult time to afford suitable winter clothing,” said Betty Marleau, an agrologist with the grand council’s Department of Agriculture whose family belongs to the James Smith Cree Nation.

With new coats, children can go to school, play outside and have an ordinary life, Marleau said. “When it’s 30 to 40 below, it’s impossible to do anything if you don’t have adequate clothing.” She added, “You can feel a little bit better about yourself if you have a shiny new jacket.” The First Nations’ grand council ships the coats as far as the Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, in the north of Saskatchewan, near the Northwest Territories. Knights in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada have also donated many coats to immigrants and refugees. Some are Ukrainians who fled war, while others come from warmer climates and have never felt such cold. Sonny Sangemino, an Ontario-based general agent, remembers when he dropped off coats for a Windsor, Ontario, community that was hosting Syrian refugees. “We saw their faces light up. They were truly excited about the prospect of having a new coat,” Sangemino said. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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Ontario Knights also bring coats to First Nations communities, schools and groups like the St. Vincent de Paul Society. They have distributed nearly 6,000 coats so far this year, but they aim to distribute 10,000. Sangemino credited Neil Bouvier, his predecessor as general agent in southwestern Ontario and now a general agent in Calgary, for integrating the work of councils and K of C insurance agents to support the Coats for Kids program. The agents promote the program to school boards and other community organizations and connect them with council leaders who can provide coats.

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE LEFT: Photo by Curtis Trent — Photo by Matthew Barrick — Photo by Jay Luzardo — Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore

‘WHAT WE DO BEST’ At the 1 million milestone celebration in Denver on Nov. 6, there was more to give. The Supreme Council donated $10,000 to Annunciation Catholic School and to each of four other Denver-area Catholic schools, in addition to almost 1,000 coats. Among the volunteers at Annunciation’s coat distribution was Major League Baseball pitcher Ty Blach. The former Colorado Rockies player helped the schoolchildren try on their new gear.

“It’s pretty special to see the impact that the Knights of Columbus can have on a community,” said Blach, who recently joined the Order. “You know, 1 million coats is an incredible amount,” he added. “I’m really grateful to be able to take part in this great event.” Dwayne “Butch” Enderle, Colorado state deputy, said that generosity needs to keep growing to keep pace with the needs in the community. “All you have to do is stop and look around you. If you look around, you will see the need,” he said. Michael Majeres, the state’s Coats for Kids program director, said Colorado councils are on track to give away 2,200 coats this year. Their partners include nonprofit food banks and Catholic Charities affiliates. Some Knights have shipped coats to Native American reservations in New Mexico and the Dakotas. For Deb Roberts, principal of Annunciation Catholic School, the students’ reactions to their new coats testified to the program’s success. “Look at how beautiful and happy the children are; they’re going to be warm this winter,” she said. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude.”

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Supreme Knight Kelly agreed that the success of the Coats for Kids program doesn’t lie in a number — even a milestone number like 1 million. “It really is about meeting a need for children. It’s putting a smile on kids’ faces. It’s helping families,” he said. “There is no greater thing than to help the family. It’s why the Knights were founded. It’s what we do, and it’s what we do best.” To mark the Coats for Kids milestone, the Supreme Council set a goal to raise an additional $1 million for the program by Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28. For more information and to donate, visit kofc.org/ coatsforkids. ✢

Photo by Spirit Juice Studios

KEVIN J. JONES is a journalist based in the Denver area. He is a member of Father Francis Syrianey Council 12567 in Littleton, Colo.

Photo by Paul Haring

Right: Supreme Knight Kelly gives a student a new coat and a high-five as Major League Baseball pitcher Ty Blach looks on Nov. 6 at Annunciation Catholic School.

Above: Students of Sapa Un Catholic Academy on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota show off the new coats they received through the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program in September 2019. • Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Supreme Director Arcie Lim gives a young girl a high-five at a Coats for Kids event in Edmonton, Alberta, in November 2018. • Le Nguyen (right) of St. Michael the Archangel Council 14823 at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., smiles with a family receiving a jacket for their son at a Coats for Kids distribution at the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Chapel Center in November 2014. • Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore and Spiritan Father Honest Munishi, pastor of St. Edward the Confessor Parish, help a student of Catholic Charities Head Start of Baltimore City try on a new coat in November 2015. • A girl shows off the new jacket she received at a Coats for Kids distribution in Anchorage, Alaska, in August 2022. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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An interview with Luke Kornet, an NBA player and Knight of Columbus, about how his love of God and family elevates his game

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

FAITH IN THE CENTER

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uke Kornet is all about verticality. At 7 feet, 1 inch, the towering 28-year-old center for the Boston Celtics is among the 10 tallest players in the NBA this season. He is also one of the most savvy and creative. For example, the “Kornet Contest” is a maneuver he invented to a block a shooter’s view of the rim by leaping skyward with arms outstretched, from as far as 20 feet away. The tactic seemed ridiculous at first — until the percentage of missed shots proved otherwise. “It can look really dumb,” Kornet admitted, “but it seems to be pretty effective.” Now other NBA bigs routinely use the move. Off the court, Kornet made a leap of a different sort a few years ago: Struggling through potentially career-ending injuries as he played for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, he made a profound religious commitment to put Christ and his family first in his life. “My order of priority is God, then spouse, then children, and then work and everything else,” Kornet said. It was during his vertical realignment with God that he joined the Knights of Columbus, becoming a member of St. John XXIII-St. John Paul II Council 15771 in Chicago. Shortly before starting his third season with the Celtics, Kornet spoke with Columbia about the joys and challenges of being a committed Catholic husband, father of two and professional athlete.

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

COLUMBIA: Can you describe your journey into profes-

sional basketball and the role your faith played in it? LUKE KORNET: My dad was a professional basketball player, and my older siblings and I all played basketball growing up. In my senior year of high school, I accepted a scholarship to play at Vanderbilt University, where my parents had gone. God kind of laid that out for me; it was quite a blessing. But the first two years of college were especially challenging. For one, I came from this great Christian school where I had a lot of close friends and faith was culturally reinforced. At Vanderbilt, I still always went to Mass on Sundays and had a very firm Catholic identity, but not having that support around was quite difficult. I ended up meeting some great friends and other Catholic athletes, including my future wife, Tierney, who was in track, and we had a pretty good community by the time we were juniors or so. As for basketball, it was a complete change because I had been playing just for fun up until then. The thought of playing professionally wasn’t even in my mind until after my sophomore year, when I felt, “Oh, I could really do this.” But then basketball became an identity-consuming thing for me in college; it was very difficult to find a balance. For example, we had games on Saturdays, and I remember a lot of times during Sunday Mass being consumed thinking about the game. I then had some injuries that set me back, which in retrospect were a gift because, especially at that time, the pressure was a lot for me to handle. So I’m glad that I had all four years at Vanderbilt to grow and keep getting incrementally better.

Luke Kornet, then a forward at Vanderbilt, celebrates after sinking a 3-point shot against Kansas, Nov. 25, 2015. Kornet dropped 150 3-pointers at Vanderbilt, making him the all-time NCAA leader for players at least 7 feet tall. • Opposite page: Kornet grabs one of his nine rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets in a game at the TD Garden in Boston on Nov. 10.

COLUMBIA: What was the start of your NBA career like? What were some of the ups and downs that you faced? LUKE KORNET: After my senior year in 2017, I was not drafted but signed a contract with the New York Knicks where I split time between the NBA and the G League, followed by a regular contract the following year. I basically had a year and a half where it was all going well. But then in December 2018, I got hit in the face in a game and broke my nose. It didn’t really seem like anything, and I played throughout the rest of the season. But I started noticing that my body movements weren’t really natural. I ended up signing with the Chicago Bulls that summer, not realizing that this break was affecting my body — and my shooting. I had spent my whole life primarily as a 3-point shooter, which was the main source of my confidence and identity as a basketball player. And then I couldn’t shoot anymore. As 2019 went on, it became embarrassing to shoot in front of people, because I really didn’t know what was going to happen. Then I hurt my ankle, and for at least a year I was playing on an ankle that wasn’t functioning properly. So this was a very difficult and challenging time. It led me to face a lot of spiritual and personal things that had been pushed to the back burner. I was just so consumed with riding this career wave that when it all cratered, there was a moment of having to be honest with myself: “What if this is all my worth, and it’s gone?” With this came a profound sense of loneliness. But Christ actually met me in that and healed a lot of things for me and DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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No. 40 employs the “Kornet Contest” tactic during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Boston on Feb. 8.

COLUMBIA: Did Christ help you through any particular people or circumstances? LUKE KORNET: I don’t know how I would have been able to survive any of this without my wife, Tierney — we got engaged in June 2018 and married in August 2019. Her love was really a testament to Christ through that time. To have someone who loves me and wants the best for me by my side was such a gift and such a grace. She really helped me realize what it was I needed to realize. Another big part of this was doing Exodus 90, a 90-day program of prayer, asceticism and fraternity. My brotherin-law, who was becoming a Dominican, and a couple of my friends and I formed a group in January 2020, and that experience was probably the most transformative period in my life. It was a rich time of going through the desert and meeting God, a time of tilling that allowed a lot of good seeds to be planted in my heart. For example, I found that praying the sorrowful mysteries, like the crowning with thorns, became really significant for me in the context of my injuries and the resulting 16

humiliations I experienced. The carrying of the cross was also very significant, for Christ shows us how to take on our sufferings, accept them and walk with them, versus trying to run from them. It really became very comforting to know, “Yeah, I can accept what God has placed in my life.” And that brings a lot of peace. COLUMBIA: How has your approach to your basketball career changed? LUKE KORNET: When we had our first child in March 2021, my wife and I spent a lot of time talking, especially as I was out of the NBA, in the G League, and trying to find my way back. And we agreed that I had to accept that I don’t have to say yes to every single opportunity, that I need to be willing to say no for the sake of my family. When that happened, I became a lot more free, participating in this job and actively choosing to do it, instead of being a slave to it. And then I got traded to the Celtics. And last year, I played the most minutes that I have played in any year of my career, and I got to contribute to a winning team. In a weird way, those injuries made me a better player and a better teammate. Though I still work to try to shoot at the level I once did, I really do play a lot more joyfully now. I

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

helped set that hierarchy of faith, wife, children, and then career and work, which for a lot of my life had been inverted.

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care about my team, and we can give glory to God in our pursuit of an NBA championship. But our hearts are made for a whole lot more. This can’t be my god, the No. 1 thing. What really matters is the family God has entrusted to me. My order of priority is God, then spouse, then children, and then work and everything else. If I don’t love God well, I can’t love my wife well. If I don’t love my wife well, then I can’t love our kids well, and if I don’t love all of them well, then I can’t do my work well. COLUMBIA: Has your faith helped you handle the challeng-

es of being away from your family when you’re on the road?

LUKE KORNET: That has been a pretty significant part of our

marriage, especially after we had our first child. I got traded from Chicago to Boston when our daughter was two or three weeks old, and my wife couldn’t travel. So we had to be apart for the last two or three months of the season. That definitely made us ask, “Is this worth doing?” Honestly, I don’t think it was until this past year that we were able to learn how to come a lot closer together through the Mass when I was away. Going to Mass on the road and staying close to Christ through the sacraments, I’m able to offer my life and work to God and for them. And when I come home, I’m able to fully give of myself.

I think we feel united in a way that we hadn’t before. That was very much a gift of daily Mass and just realizing the Catholic Church is universal. So wherever we go, we all remain united in this body of Christ together. COLUMBIA: What inspired you to join the Knights of

Columbus?

LUKE KORNET: It was during that time in Chicago when I was

really struggling. There was a church that we attended literally a block from where we lived. And there’s one man there, Dan Stolze, who’s very direct and inviting and loving. He was always asking me about joining, and his joyful persistence eventually led me to say yes in August 2020, and then to participate in some of the council’s events. It’s very difficult to be an active member with how much I’m on the road and other things. But I feel it is very necessary, especially in this time, to feel bonded and yoked with other men wanting to serve God and their communities and to strengthen each other. A lot of times, we have this desire to serve, but we don’t really know where to start. The Knights provides a great place for us to focus that effort and energy. Having men from all different walks of life unified under the cause of Christ and serving their community is a unique thing. ✢

“I care about my team, and we can give glory to God in our pursuit of an NBA championship. But our hearts are made

Photo by Bryce Vickmark

for a whole lot more.”

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Commitment on the Court The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship program marks a half-century By Elisha Valladares-Cormier

Luke Kornet, then a member of the Chicago Bulls, volunteers at a Free Throw Championship hosted by St. John XXIII-St. John Paul II Council 15571 in Chicago in February 2020.

often are held in a school or parish gym, state championships have been known to take place on NBA courts as basketball stars watch from the sidelines. At the Tennessee state championship in 2005, held after a Memphis Grizzlies game at Pyramid Arena, Grizzlies players Shane Battier and Jason Williams stuck around to take in the action. At least one NBA player didn’t stay on the sidelines, however. While playing for the Chicago Bulls in February 2020, Luke Kornet agreed to help St. John XXIII-St. John Paul II

Council 15771 with its Free Throw Championship in Chicago. It was a full-circle moment for Kornet, who competed in a free throw competition, possibly organized by local Knights, as a kid in Arizona. The basketball center joined Council 15771 himself a few months later (see article on page 14). “I’m grateful for the Knights providing this program because it gives children a goal to work toward,” Kornet said. “It’s easy to think of sports and faith being separate, but this event helps reconcile that competition is a place for us to test and exhibit the virtues, gifts and skills that God has given us to cultivate.” ✢ ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER is associate editor of Columbia and a member of Sandusky (Ohio) Council 546.

FROM TOP: Courtesy of Paul Laliberte — Photo by Paul Haring

IN THE WINTER of 1973, children in Florida and North Dakota stepped onto basketball courts to take the first shots of a pilot Knights of Columbus program intended to bring kids together for some wholesome athletic competition. Fifty years later, the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship remains the Order’s hallmark youth sporting event, with more than 13,000 children participating in event hosted by more than 1,250 councils last year. “The Free Throw Championship is a wonderful tool to bring families together, which is something missing nowadays,” said Percy Park, program chairman for the California State Council and a past grand knight of Bishop A. Gallegos Council 6197 in Folsom. K of C councils have long used basketball to engage young people. An article in the September 1939 issue of Columbia, for example, described the Knights as “a pioneer in the field of Catholic youth guidance” and specified basketball as one means to develop character and leadership in Columbian Squires. The Free Throw Championship was instituted in 1973 at the recommendation of the Order’s Committee on Youth Activity. The Knights of Columbus Board of Directors chose Florida and North Dakota as pilot jurisdictions for the program, which was open to boys and girls ages 11-14. Now open to children ages 10-14, the program has since spread to nearly every K of C jurisdiction around the world. While competitions at the council level C O L U M B I A ✢ DECEMBER 2023

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F AT H E R S F O R G O O D

‘The Sun of Justice Shall Rise’ As anticipated by the prophets, the day of the Lord brings judgment, mercy and reconciliation

Detail of 13th-century mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul/Photo by Ray Swi-hymn via Wikimedia Commons

By Mike Aquilina THE OLD TESTAMENT is filled with spectacle — the creation of everything, the parting of the Red Sea, the halting of the sun in its path — so you’d expect it to end in a spectacular way. And it does. In the last chapter of the last book, the prophet Malachi warns that the end of the age is near: Soon the Messiah would arrive, announced by his messenger. This is “the Lord whom you seek,” says the prophet, and “the messenger … whom you desire” (3:1). But his arrival is not a Hallmark moment. Yes, the Lord God will rebuke the locust so the crops will thrive, and heal the barren vine. But he will also come with judgment against sinners and purify his people with a “refiner’s fire.” Malachi is concerned that none of his contemporaries will be able to survive the day of the Lord, a day both “great and terrible” (3:23). He asks, “Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears?” (3:2). The prophet’s apocalyptic message, which is read at Mass every year during Advent, is the same for us today as we await the Lord’s arrival. Just as in Old Testament days, so many people seem attached to sin. They do whatever they want, but sin is not making them happy. Rather, it makes a mess of families and society. In the second chapter of his short book, Malachi warns listeners against infidelity. Just a few verses before the prophet speaks of the coming of the Lord, God in his fury says through Malachi: “I hate divorce” (2:16). Those are among the strongest words in the entire Bible. The Messiah’s arrival will be a fearsome moment because God expects his people to be pure in thought, word and deed. They know his commandments and have no excuse. Such a message would be bleak if it did not end on a hopeful note. And it does. For the Lord promises to come with mercy, which he will manifest in a special way in the family. Malachi says that God will send Elijah the prophet, adding, “He will turn the heart of fathers to their sons, and the heart of sons to their fathers” (3:24).

What will change with the coming of the Messiah? What is it that will suddenly empower men to do good instead of habitual evil? The answer is: right relationships in the family of God, which will extend to earthly families and from there to all peoples of the world. We see the message at the beginning and at the end of Malachi’s book: The prophet foresees a time when sacrificial worship will take place not only in Jerusalem, but everywhere on earth — even among the gentiles! “From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations; Incense offerings are made to my name everywhere, and a pure offering; For my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 1:11). The first Christians recognized this “pure offering” as the Eucharist of the Mass. Jesus himself announced that the time of Malachi’s worldwide sacrifice had arrived. He told the Samaritan woman, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth” ( Jn 4:23). The connection was clear to Jesus’ disciples. The earliest Eucharistic prayer, set down during the lifetime of the Apostles, quotes Malachi, as do the Eucharistic teachings of many of the Church Fathers. Malachi anticipated a day when hearts and homes would be healed through repentance and sacrifice — through confession and Communion — through mercy rather than terrible judgment. As we see at the end of the book, a key to the union of all humanity under the fatherhood of God is the reconciliation in the heart of a father to his children and the children to their father. Dads, your role in your family is vital and your dignity is great. Now is the time to step into the breach, receive the Lord’s mercy in the sacraments, and lead your family with faith, hope and love. As Malachi writes, “For you who fear my name the sun of justice shall rise, with healing in its wings” (3:20). ✢ MIKE AQUILINA, a member of Corpus Christi Council 12043 in Bridgeville, Pa., is the author of numerous books, including The Eucharist Foretold: The Lost Prophecy of Malachi (2019). DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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‘Christ Gives Us

the Heart of a Father’ Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly speaks at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs as pilgrims gather for the New York State Eucharistic Congress By Cecilia Engbert

early 8,500 people attended the New York State Eucharistic Congress at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, New York, Oct. 20-22, held as part of the National Eucharistic Revival and in anticipation of the National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024. The pilgrims, including many Knights of Columbus and their families from throughout New York, attended Mass, took part in Eucharistic adoration and participated in a Eucharistic procession on shrine grounds. The shrine is built on the site where three Jesuit missionaries — Sts. Isaac Jogues, René Goupil and John Lalande — were martyred in the 1600s; St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born in the same village about 10 years later. The congress also featured keynote remarks from Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and other well-known speakers. The supreme knight’s talk on “The Eucharistic Heart of a Father,” delivered Saturday afternoon, outlined how the modern crisis of the family can only be remedied if fathers believe in Jesus and intentionally meet him in the Eucharist. “The lack of strong, principled, Catholic men is undermining marriages and pushing children away from the faith,” the supreme knight said. “The times cry out for Catholic men — for faithful husbands and devoted fathers. And if we hope to raise up a new generation of Christ-centered men, we must renew our love for Christ in the Eucharist.” As a father of three young girls, Supreme Knight Kelly said he is personally concerned about the crisis of fatherhood and its impact on children. He expressed concern that at least a quarter of American children are growing up without a father in their home — and many more are growing up with a father who is physically present but emotionally absent. “The consequences could hardly be more clear, or more devastating,” he said. “And as more families break apart, and more children grow up without a father in the home, the cycle repeats itself. … Why is this happening? What is to blame? And most of all, how can we reverse this trend and rebuild the family?” The answer to these questions, he said, lies in the connection between faith and family. “The family is at the heart of our faith. And it is essential to our understanding of God,” he said. “Without good fathers and strong families, our children will be searching for meaning in all 20

“The times cry out for Catholic men — for faithful husbands and devoted fathers. And if we hope to raise up a new generation of Christ-centered men, we must renew our love for Christ in the Eucharist.” the wrong places. They desperately need the community and joy that only come from strong family bonds.” Fathers, in particular, play an essential role in the faith formation of their children, revealing to them the love of God the Father. And to do that, he said, they need Christ in the Eucharist. “The Eucharist helps us become true fathers,” the supreme knight said. “This is the crux of my message today. … In the

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Photos by Paul Haring

Above: Thousands of pilgrims process behind the Blessed Sacrament on the grounds of Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, N.Y., Oct. 21. • Opposite page: Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly speaks at the shrine during the New York State Eucharistic Congress. A statue of St. Isaac Jogues, one of three Jesuit missionaries martyred at the site in the 17th century, stands in the foreground.

Eucharist, Christ gives us the heart of a father, by connecting us to the heart of his Father.” Supreme Director Carmine Musumeci, a past state deputy of New York and the shrine’s president, was moved to see thousands of people in Auriesville for the Eucharistic Congress. Considered one of the holiest sites in North America, the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs is especially important to Knights in New York, who have made annual pilgrimages there since 1938. In 2015, the New York State Council contributed $100,000 to renovate the shrine, which had fallen into disrepair; the Supreme Council donated another $500,000 to the restoration project. “The Knights have been involved in the shrine here for more than 80 years,” said Musumeci. “There was a tear in my eye today to see the Coliseum [Church] filled again. It’s all about the Eucharist; that’s what brought us here together. And I think it is a sign of things to come.” Bishop Gerardo Colacicco, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, said the state bishops were grateful to the New York Knights who helped make the New York Eucharistic Congress possible.

“The Knights of Columbus have been a tremendous support of our efforts to put this congress together,” Bishop Colacicco said. “We’re going to have a wonderful congress in Indianapolis for the entire country in 2024. Events like this that are happening throughout the nation are setting the stage for that.” Supreme Knight Kelly concluded his keynote remarks by emphasizing that all men need a community, whether through the Knights of Columbus or elsewhere, to strengthen them as they strive to embody sacrificial love and fulfill their mission as disciples. “Christ himself formed a band of men to carry out his mission,” he said. “The Apostles didn’t choose one another, but they certainly needed one another. And so do we.” “Yes, the crisis of fatherhood is big and growing worse, but Christ in the Eucharist is so much more powerful,” he concluded. “Only he can save our families and society. And all we need to do, as men and as fathers, is say ‘yes’ to our heavenly Father and make his heart our own.” ✢ CECILIA ENGBERT is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus communications department. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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Hope for the

Children of War Ukrainian orphans and refugee children find shelter and schooling through K of C charitable partnerships

boy named Mykhailo and his grandmother arrived in Fastiv, Ukraine, earlier this year, after fleeing the southeastern city of Nikopol amid ceaseless attacks by Russia. Since June, they have found shelter in a Knights of Columbus Mercy Center supported by Sts. Borys and Hlib Council 17740 in Fastiv. 22

“There was constant shelling in Nikopol. The boy was terrified,” explained Father Vitalii Martsyniuk, Council 17740’s chaplain and a priest at St. Demetrius Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Mykhailo and his grandmother have been far safer in Fastiv, a town about 50 miles (75 kilometers) southwest of Kyiv — but for months, Mykhailo continued to

Photo by Sebastian Nycz

By Karolina Świder and Peter Gedicks

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Left: Father Marek Bator, director of Caritas Częstochowa, and a group of Ukrainian children celebrate the opening of a new school Jan. 24 in Częstochowa, Poland. The school serves orphans who left Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion. • Right: A woman pushes a stroller through a dilapidated chapel at a 14th-century monastery in Rava-Ruska, in western Ukraine, in April 2022. The monastery, largely restored with support from the Knights of Columbus, now houses families of foster children displaced by the war.

Photo by Andrey Gorb

live in intense fear. Whenever the air raid sirens went off, he dressed immediately and ran to the basement in panic. Mykhailo’s experience represents a much bigger crisis. Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have been forced to leave their homes, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund; more than 5 million have difficulties attending school. Displaced, traumatized, often orphaned — children are among the most vulnerable victims of the war. Thanks to its Ukraine Solidarity Fund, which has raised nearly $22 million, and the support of local members, the Knights of Columbus has responded with many relief initiatives focused on caring for Ukrainian children in need. Knights in Poland have established homes and schools, while a growing number of K of C Mercy Centers in Poland and Ukraine have been serving families and children like Mykhailo. Through partnerships with the other Catholic and humanitarian groups, the Order is also helping to provide housing, education and psychological support for orphans and young refugees. “Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to care for widows and orphans,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, in a December 2022 interview with Poland’s public television network, TVP. Citing the work of parish-based Mercy Centers serving Ukrainian women and children, he added, “That original mission has continued with us today.” FINDING A NEW HOME Since the early days of the war, the Knights has partnered with the international Catholic charitable organization Caritas to ensure that Ukrainian refugees, especially children in need, have a home. One of their first joint projects was to welcome 100 orphans from Myrne and Melitopol, in eastern Ukraine, to Poland. The city of Melitopol was the site of intense fighting after the February 2022 invasion, and the children at the Melitopol Center for the Rehabilitation of Children slept in the facility’s basement for days before managing to leave the country. “The war is something terrible and unbelievable. There was constant anxiety,” said Larysa Vlasenkova, the center’s director. “We boarded the train, moved to Lviv and from there to Poland.”

With support from the Ukraine Solidarity Fund, Caritas quickly converted a retreat center in Częstochowa into a residence for the children. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly visited the home during his first trip to Poland and Ukraine, in April 2022. “It’s really a moving thing when you think about what these children have been through,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “I think it’s important that we convey that we love them and that they may feel very alone, but they’re not alone; we are here to help them.” The residence builds community among the children with plenty of activities, including sports, singing, dancing, excursions to the city and summer camps. “They always entertain us so that we don’t feel sad, so that we have smiles on our faces,” said Svetlana, a 16-year-old resident. “We are very grateful to these people who will forever remain in our hearts.” Larysa added, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of the children and all our staff to the Knights of Columbus who have cared for our children.” In October 2022, the Knights also provided coats for the home in Częstochowa, the first Coats for Kids distribution in Europe. Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, who visited Poland and Ukraine to meet with refugees and Knights, helped to give out the jackets. The program has since expanded, with Knights in Poland funding and sending coats to Ukraine this winter for distribution by local councils. The Knights also partnered with the Archdiocese of Lviv and Caritas to house internally displaced persons at a DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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renovated 14th-century monastery in Rava-Ruska, Ukraine. The building currently is home to 36 children in three foster families. Each family has its own living quarters, equipped with a private kitchen, living room and several bedrooms and bathrooms. Tatiana, mother to seven foster children, came to Rava-Ruska from Vasylivka, a city in the Zaporizhzhia region of eastern Ukraine. Vasylivka was invaded in the early days of the war and has been occupied ever since. “Living was very difficult,” Tatiana recalled. “We were alone and always on the move. With such a big family and no savings, life was very hard.” Since discovering the Caritas home for foster families, they have found support and relative peace. “We no longer worry about what will happen tomorrow,” Tatiana said. “We have food to eat and live in comfortable and cozy conditions; the children go to school, and we have medical care — everything is taken care of.”

“We’re still afraid. So we look to the Lord and to each other for support. Together, we will overcome these hardships — with love, with truth, with life.” 24

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori greets children of displaced families at St. John Paul II Parish in Lviv, Ukraine, on Oct. 2, 2022. Also pictured, from right, are Ukraine State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv and Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy of Odessa.

Many of the programs, including the weekly Polish language lessons, bring Polish and Ukrainian children together. “The goal is integration and support,” said Father Wiesław Lenartowicz, pastor of Our Lady of Częstochowa parish and chaplain of Council 14004, as well as associate state chaplain of Poland. “It is important that Ukrainian children are with Polish children during these workshops.” Among the offerings is a social theater workshop for mothers and daughters. Social theater, also called drama therapy, is often used to help people work through trauma. “The aim is to transform social situations that cause fear,” said Mykola Panasiuk, a former professional actor and director from Ukraine who runs the workshop. “Through acting, we confront situations that cause fear, work through them, and then reflect. In short, we don’t learn how to be an actor here, but how to deal with life.” Ania and her 11-year-old daughter, Arina, attend the workshops together. “We grow closer in these sessions,” Ania said. “I discovered new things about her and myself as we overcame challenges together. It’s great to watch your child grow in these classes. My daughter jumps for joy at the thought of coming here.” Education is an essential aspect of the Knights’ support. The Order’s partnership with Caritas in Częstochowa led to a school for refugee children living at the orphanage there. “We know that the best way to improve a child’s psychological well-being is through education,” Father Marek Bator, director of Caritas in Częstochowa, said when the school opened Jan. 24, 2023.

Photo by Tamino Petelinšek

BODY, MIND AND SOUL Children’s needs go far beyond material security, important as that is, said Ukraine State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy, who has been pivotal in the Order’s relief work from day one. “Because children are under constant stress from bombings and loud explosions, they can’t do their usual activities: go to school, practice sports, spend time with peers and so on. For this reason, they all need psychological support and help,” Maletskiy explained. “This is why the Knights of Columbus is focused on providing material help, on the one hand, and psychological assistance and spiritual development, on the other.” Each of the parish-based Mercy Centers Knights have opened in Poland and Ukraine, such as the one in Fastiv, offers activities for children — but none more than the Blessed Michael McGivney House in Radom, Poland. McGivney House, a resource center created by Our Lady of Częstochowa Queen of Poland Council 14004, organizes myriad classes, art workshops and summer camps to help refugee children make friends and adjust to their new environment.

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“I’ve seen fear in that boy’s eyes so many times,” Father Vitalii said. “But now it’s gone.” While the Ukraine Solidarity Fund has enabled the Order to serve vulnerable children in multiple ways, the needs continue to grow nearly two years after the Russian invasion. “I want us all to say, ‘I’m not afraid anymore,’ like Mykhailo. But we’re still afraid,” Father Vitalii said. “So we look to the Lord and to each other for support. Together, we will overcome these hardships — with love, with truth, with life.” To learn more about the Order’s Ukraine Solidarity Fund and associated efforts, visit kofc.org/ukraine. ✢ KAROLINA ŚWIDER and PETER GEDICKS write from Kraków, Poland.

Photo by Andrey Gorb

Classes at the school, which was built in just three months, are taught in Ukrainian, though it also offers Polish language classes. “Here, through their teachers, they are being prepared as future citizens who will rebuild their country after the occupation ends,” said Archbishop Wacław Depo of Częstochowa, state chaplain of Poland, who attended the ribbon-cutting and blessed the classrooms. Meanwhile, in Fastiv, Father Vitalii Martsyniuk has seen how love, support and time can heal a child’s psychological wounds. In September, the K of C chaplain noticed a change in Mykhailo, who had been so terrified by the air raid warnings. When the sirens sounded, the boy smiled and told the priest, “I’m not afraid anymore.”

Children stand with Father Vitalii Martsyniuk, chaplain of Sts. Borys and Hlib Council 17740, at a parish-based Knights of Columbus Mercy Center in Fastiv, Ukraine. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N ✢ F A I T H I N A C T I O N

Faith

Father Warli Castro, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Thornton, Colo., and chaplain of Holy Cross Council 16084, elevates the Eucharist during an outdoor Mass to mark the parish’s 65th anniversary. The council helped to organize and provided an honor guard (left) for a mile-long Eucharistic procession from the church to the park where the Mass was celebrated.

CANS + BOTTLES = VOCATIONS Msgr. Esper Council 3027 in Fowler, Mich., collected 139,000 bottles and cans during its annual Returns for Vocations fundraiser in support of the Order’s Refund Support Vocations Program. The donated recyclables and additional cash contributions yielded $15,000 for seminarian education. MEMORIAL MASS St. Joseph’s Council 6921 in Hinsdale, N.H., sponsored a memorial Mass at St. Joseph Church for deceased members of the council. As part of the tribute, the Knights also set up a “missing man table” with a single table setting, a Bible, a ceremonial sword, a rosary and a list of council members who have died. GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY Members of Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli Assembly 3218 in Weston, Fla., including Supreme Director Scott O’Connor, provided an honor guard for a Mass at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Davie celebrating Father Edmond Prendergast’s 50th anniversary of priestly ordination. Father Prendergast, the church’s pastor since its founding

CLERGY SPORTS DAY Saskatchewan Knights hosted the jurisdiction’s 12th annual Clergy Sports Day this summer at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster. Priests and deacons from three local Latin-rite dioceses and the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon participated, competing in various sports and games and enjoying several meals together.

in 1985, has been a Knight for 40 years and serves as chaplain of St. Bonaventure Council 12240 in Davie. MARIAN GUARDIANS After a vandal destroyed a statue of Mary on the grounds of Philadelphia’s Nazareth Hospital earlier this year, St. Christopher Council 17997 and De Soto Council 315 in Philadelphia and St. John Neumann Assembly 933 in Bristol raised funds to replace it. Father Sean English, pastor of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Lansdale, blessed the new statue during Council 17997’s annual summer barbecue for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who founded the hospital and have their convent there. ROSARIES FOR UKRAINE Father James Gould, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish and chaplain of St. Francis Council 11136 in Purcellville, Va., has led a rosary for peace in Ukraine before the Blessed Sacrament almost every night since late February 2022, livestreaming the prayer on the parish website. Council members assist with the livestream and help lead the rosary when Father Gould is unavailable.

Knights from St. Brother Albert Council 17294 in Lindów, Poland, lead a procession through Calvary, a new prayer garden with the Stations of the Cross next to Descent of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Archbishop Wacław Depo of Częstochowa, state chaplain of Poland, blessed the garden and then celebrated a confirmation Mass at the parish; council members served as acolytes and readers for the liturgy.

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Family

HONORING THE DEAD Members of Natrona Council 2602 in Natrona Heights, Pa., held their annual cleanup of two local cemeteries where deceased parishioners from St. Ladislaus and St. Joseph Parishes are buried; the churches are now part of Guardian Angels Parish in Natrona Heights. CHARITY CHILI COOK-OFF St. Patrick’s Council 9300 in Caledonia, Ontario, sponsored a chili cook-off that raised $54,000 for three children with severe health challenges who attend local Catholic schools. EVANGELIZING THE ROCKIES Immaculate Conception Council 5237 in Lafayette, Colo., donated $5,000 to the youth group of Immaculate Conception Church to help send more than 100 young parishioners to the Steubenville of the Rockies conference in Denver.

BOTTOM: Photo by Matt Gade

Past State Deputy Charles Lirette of Louis Hebert Council 6468 in Moncton, New Brunswick, and his wife, Aurella, deliver more than 325 pounds of groceries, collected during the council’s Thanksgiving food drive, to the Food Depot Alimentaire in Moncton. Council 6468 has been holding food drives at the three parishes it serves for more than a decade.

APPALACHIAN ASSISTANCE Knights from St. Edward the Confessor Council 15841 in Louisville, Ky., participated in a service trip with Hand in Hand Ministries to repair several houses in eastern Kentucky that had been affected by floods over the previous year. The council has participated in similar efforts in the area for a decade.

GRAB & GO GROCERIES More than 400 people in need received free groceries and other supplies during a mobile food pantry event at Prince of Peace Parish in Lake Villa, Ill. Members of Prince of Peace Council 12315

joined the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society, local Scouts and other volunteers to assist with the distribution. TEDDIES FOR TOTS Father Edmond McCarthy Council 9428 in Gloucester, Va., donated 50 comfort teddy bears to the Gloucester Sheriff ’s Office to be used by first responders to console children at the scene of accidents, crimes and natural disasters. TORNADO RELIEF Msgr. Edward J. Dodwell Council 6920 in Gainesville, Ga., collected nearly $4,000 from parishioners at St. Michael Church to support families affected by tornadoes earlier this year. The donations were distributed among tornado victims throughout the state of Georgia and in Rolling Fork, Miss. LEAVING ON GOOD TERMS Our Lady of Lourdes 9822 Council in Carver, Mass., sponsored a workshop for parishioners at St. Peter Church in Plymouth about preparing for the end of life. The event included talks about hospice care, anointing of the sick and funeral planning.

District Deputy Steve Hasenohrl (center) and other volunteers prepare meals for guests of the annual Thanksgiving Day dinner sponsored by Our Lady of Perpetual Help Council 1489 in Rapid City, S.D. Thirty Knights from three councils helped serve 750 community members at the event, a tradition for the past 41 years. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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Community

HARVEST CELEBRATION Knights from West (Texas) Council 2305 prepared and served a Czech-style meal after the Diocese of Austin’s annual Rural Life Mass at St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption. Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin celebrated the liturgy, which gives thanks for the recent harvest and honors people who work in the agricultural industry. PROTECTING MAN’S BEST FRIEND The Holy Spirit Council 13919 in Malolos City, Luzon North, sponsored its annual pet vaccination event in coordination with the city and provincial government of Bulacan. STUDENTS PUT ON ‘HAPPY FEET’ Over the past three years, Father Joseph O’Donnell Council 17606 in Beaver Dam/Morgantown, Ky., has donated $2,600 to the Butler County Schools Family Resource Center in support of

the schools’ partnership with Happy Feet Equals Learning Feet, a program that provides new shoes to students enrolled in local schools. This year, the Knights donated $1,000, funding socks and shoes for 100 students. COMMUNITY CARE Luke Killoran Council 4510 in Wainwright, Alberta, recently contributed CA$7,500 to the Wainwright and District Community Health Foundation to purchase a special bed for people in need of long-term care. The Knights also donated CA$2,000 to buy instruments for the music program at École Saint-Christophe, a local elementary school. PATRIOTISM FLYING HIGH St. Timothy Council 10802 in Escondido, Calif., presented the Church of St. Timothy with a U.S. flag that had flown over the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The flag is now displayed permanently in the church’s entrance.

Past Grand Knights James Funaro (left) and Gerald O’Callaghan of Msgr. Sherman Council 5103 in Glendale, N.Y., prepare to receive donations from parishioners at St. Pancras Church to help people affected by wildfires in Hawaii. The Knights collected $1,500 and gave leis to donors in thanks for their support.

WALKING 500 MILES (AND 500 MORE) Knights from Father Francis S. Franklin Council 6037 in Conneaut Lake, Pa., have cleared trash along an 8-mile stretch of U.S. Route 6 between Conneaut Lake and Linesville for more than three decades. This year, the council became the first group to walk 1,000 miles while participating in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Adopt-AHighway program.

TOP LEFT: Photo by Derek Cookson

Gary Cornellier, a member of Father John W. Howard Council 8500 in Highland, Mich., looks on as a staff member at the Homework House in Highland Park tries out one of several new bikes the council donated to the after-school activity center. Council 8500 has been distributing new and refurbished bicycles to children and adults in need through its Knight’s Bikes initiative since 2014; the program now gives away more than 125 bicycles each year.

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Life HELPING MOMS CHOOSE LIFE When an abortion facility opened across from a local hospital in Pueblo, Colo., in early 2023, District Deputy Robert Begel led an effort to purchase advertising space near the facility that promoted A Caring Pregnancy Center. Three councils and Bishop Joseph C. Willging Assembly 90 contributed to the cost of the ad, which will run for 13 months on a bus-stop bench. The bench was later blessed by Father Jeganmari Thangavel, administrator of the Spanish Peaks Catholic Community.

Ignacio Pineda of Immaculate Conception Council 11991 in Goose Creek, S.C., receives a donation outside Immaculate Conception Church during the council’s annual fund drive for people with disabilities; the drive raised more than $5,800 for several organizations.

Members of La Salle (Manitoba) Council 7793 stand in a sea of pink and blue flags representing the estimated 100,000 babies aborted in Canada each year. Knights helped organize pro-life activists in setting up the display outside St. Boniface Cathedral in Winnipeg. As they placed each flag, the volunteers prayed for the unborn baby it represented and the baby’s mother.

SEEING A NEED After asking the staff of Her Choice Birmingham Women’s Center how they could help, the Knights of St. Peter's Council 7584 in Birmingham, Ala., subsequently began assisting with the center’s renovation efforts, holding a work day to move furniture and plant new rose bushes. Council 7584 is also a regular sponsor of the center’s fundraising dinners.

Church. Curt Wichmer, legislative analyst for the Missouri Catholic Conference, spoke about legal precedents for the death penalty, evolving standards of decency and reconciling the Church’s current position against the death penalty with its permission of criminal execution in the past.

SPECIAL NEEDS CHAMPIONS San Marco Council 6344 on Marco Island, Fla., raised more than $5,300 for Special Olympics Florida from its annual fund drive for people with disabilities. Council 6344 has donated more than $125,000 to Special Olympics and the special needs program at St. John Neumann Catholic High School over the past decade.

PRO-LIFE PRAYERS, FUNDRAISING Msgr. Thomas P. Healy Council 6979 in San Marcos, Calif., hosted a Silver Rose prayer service at St. Mark’s Catholic Church that was attended by nearly 1,000 people. The rose was displayed in the church between Sunday Masses to encourage further prayer and reflection. The council also served nearly 1,000 meals during a five-week series of fish fries, raising $3,400 for pro-life charities.

THINKING WITH THE MIND OF THE CHURCH Sacred Heart Council 14414 in Columbia, Mo., sponsored a talk about the Catholic Church’s teaching on the death penalty at Sacred Heart Catholic

See more at www.kofc.org/knightsinaction Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N ✢ G L O B A L I M P A C T

FRANCE

Members of St. Charles de Foucauld Council 16502 and St. Martin Council 16910 in Paris stand on the beach in front of Mont Saint-Michel, home to the iconic Catholic abbey of the same name. The Knights were among more than 400 pilgrims who traveled to the abbey as part of the annual Pilgrimage of Fathers, a weekend when groups of Catholic fathers nationwide travel on foot to different sites of spiritual and historical significance.

PHILIPPINES

SOUTH KOREA Knights from Pinagbuhatan (Luzon South) Council 13554 welcome people to one of the council’s recent medical missions at San Sebastian Parish. The council offers parishioners and community members free blood-pressure and sugar-level tests every Sunday. The council also makes home visits to people in need of medical assistance who can’t afford aid or medicine.

Knights from Korea display pro-life signs during a 40 Days for Life prayer campaign in front of Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. The campaign was one of just two 40 Days for Life campaigns held in Asia this fall.

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MEXICO

TOP: Photo by Fernanda Vega Romero

CANADA

Knights from St. Philip Neri Council 9539 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, install a security barrier on the roof line of St. Philip Neri Church. The council donated CA$5,000 toward purchasing the barriers after trespassers began climbing on the roof’s two low corners. Knights and their families also helped clear overgrown foliage from the outdoor Stations of the Cross at Queen’s House Retreat and Renewal Centre in Saskatoon; the stations were originally donated to the Diocese of Saskatoon by Knights in 1961.

District Deputy Aarón Romero (left) and Gabriel Larraguível Lepe of Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Council 16842 in Las Paz, Mexico Northwest, look on as Father Gabriel Villalpando Pérez, parochial vicar of the Santuario de Guadalupe and council chaplain, blesses players from the Raiders, a youth American football team coached by Larraguível Lepe. The council provided financial support for the team, allowing children from underprivileged families to try a sport that is expensive to play in Mexico.

UNITED STATES

Members of Los Martires Mexicanos Council 14609 and Santo Papa Juan Pablo II Assembly 3933 in Rogers, Ark., help to demolish the home of a family from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish after it was badly damaged by arson. The Knights provided equipment and manpower to tear down the house, funding the demolition costs with help from several local councils and the Arkansas State Council. Their efforts saved the family an estimated $45,000, and the family is now able to rebuild their home on the same lot. DECEMBER 2023 ✢ C O L U M B I A

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OFFICIAL DECEMBER 1, 2023:

All Work for More Play

New playground in Connecticut honors Blessed Michael McGivney By Elizabeth Sadusky and Columbia staff

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 065061492, 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 06507-9982. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982. COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2023 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 554, ELMSFORD, NY 10523. CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3. PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

(Act of August 1, 1970: Section 3685, title 39, U.S. code)

Church in Norwalk, Connecticut, wanted to build a playground on church grounds for the parish’s many young families, he knew just who to ask. And when St. Matthew Council 14360 agreed to take on the project, Father Jeff Couture already knew who the play site should be dedicated to: Blessed Michael McGivney. “Blessed Father McGivney wanted to create environments in the church to bring kids and families to connect,” said Father Couture, Council 14360’s chaplain at the time. “A playground is the epitome of that.” The Knights moved quickly to make it happen. A council member with a landscaping business provided labor to level a patch of land behind the church, as well as mulch to cover the area. Teams of Knights spread the mulch, installed a wooden rail fence, and assembled various play structures purchased by the council. Less than a year after Father Couture proposed the idea in late 2021, the Blessed Michael McGivney

Playground — an inviting ensemble of climbing equipment, slides and swings — opened for business. This fall, Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport dedicated the playground’s crown jewel: a new statue of Father McGivney standing with two schoolchildren (pictured above). The new play area is a popular destination for families with young children on Sunday mornings. “Our 2-year-old loves that it’s right there when we finish Mass,” said parishioner Tony McConnell. “And we love that it’s set back from the road and away from the parking lot. It’s a great addition to our neighborhood and parish.” For Anthony Armentano, the council’s grand knight when the project began, the playground harks back to Father McGivney’s founding mission. “It’s an opportunity,” Armentano said, “to make sure we understand the importance of family — that we should always be watching out for families.” ✢ — Elizabeth Sadusky writes from New Haven, Conn.

1. Publication Title: Columbia 2. Publication Number: 12-3740 3. Filing Date: November 2023 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 10 6. Annual Subscription Price: $6 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters of Publisher: 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor: Publisher: Patrick E. Kelly/Knights of Columbus 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 Editor: Alton J. Pelowski 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 Managing Editor: Andrew J. Matt 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 10. Owner: Knights of Columbus, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 11. Known Bondholders: None 12. Tax Status: (X) Has not changed during the preceding 12 months

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a. Total no. copies (net press run): 1,652,404 1,654,559 b. Paid and/or requested circulation 1. Outside-county mail subscriptions stated on Form 3541: 1,292,652 1,296,218 2. Paid in-county subscriptions stated on Form 3541: 0 0 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other non-USPS distribution: 0 0 4. Other classes mailed through the USPS. 0 0 c. Total paid and/or requested circulation: 1,292,652 1,296,218 d. Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary and other): 1. Outside-county as stated on Form 3541: 2,498 2,499 2. In-county as stated on Form 3541: 0 0 3. Other classes mailed through the USPS: 0 0 4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution outside the mail (carriers or other): 0 0 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate distribution: 2,498 2,499 f. Total distribution: 1,295,150 1,298,717 g. Copies not distributed: 300 300 h. Total: 1,295,450 1,299,017 i. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 99.8% 99.8% 16. Paid electronic copies 0 0 I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. ALTON J. PELOWSKI, Editor 11/1/2023

TOP: Photo by Paul Haring

WHEN THE PASTOR at St. Matthew

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KNIGHTS OF CHARITY

Photo by Randy Hale

Knights of Charity 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.

Knights from San Juan Diego Council 14975 in Wahneta, Fla., carry a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe during a procession last year at the Centro Guadalupano in Wahneta. More than 1,000 people attended the annual procession and the preceding Mass, celebrated by parochial vicar Father Delvis Mederos, for which Fourth Degree Knights provided an honor guard.

To be featured here, send your council’s “Knights in Action” photo as well as its description to: Columbia, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or e-mail: knightsinaction@kofc.org COLUMBIA DEC 23 ENG COVERS 11_20 FINAL.indd 3

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

‘My life had a new horizon.’

Father William Nyce Diocese of Arlington Father Widmer Council 7877, Stafford, Virginia

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Photo by Matt Barrick

Thirteen years ago, as a 20-year-old college student, I had an experience in confession that changed my life. After years away from the sacrament, I went into the confessional weighed down with anxiety, fear and guilt. I left with an overwhelming experience of the mercy of God, of the pure grace of Jesus Christ. I literally felt lighter. While discernment of a priestly vocation came later — with a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the counsel of wise priests and years of seminary — I knew then that my life had “a new horizon and a decisive direction,” to use the words of Pope Benedict XVI. I have now been a priest for four years, and I see clearly how the Lord summarized my vocation in that experience. A priest’s work has great variety, from hearing confessions to anointing the dying to marriage counseling; what unifies it is expressed by St. Paul: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). My constant joy is to share this grace of reconciliation with others.

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