Columbia KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
JA N UA RY/ F E B R UA RY 2024
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CONTENTS
Columbia J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 24 ✢ VOLUME 104 ✢ N U M B E R 1
Departments 3 For the greater glory of God Opening ourselves to a deeper personal relationship with God can change our lives and the lives of those we love. By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
4 Learning the faith,
living the faith To truly know ourselves, replacing hypocrisy with humility, our hearts must be open to Christ’s light and grace.
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
A Knights of Columbus Silver Rose is carried into the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on the feast of St. Juan Diego, Dec. 9 (see page 7).
6 Knights of Columbus News Statue of Blessed Michael McGivney Dedicated at National Shrine • Silver Roses, Pro-Life Pledges Presented to Our Lady of Guadalupe • K of C Coats for First Nations Kids 13 Fathers for Good
Knights and their families can bear effective witness to the sanctity of life in several key ways.
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Beacons of Light
Knights partner with Catholic medical centers to serve and empower women and to save lives. By Zoey Maraist
14 In Tune With Life
By Brian Caulfield
26 Knights in Action Reports from councils and assemblies, representing Faith in Action
A Colorado K of C family bears witness to the joy of raising children with special needs.
ON THE COVER
Franco Pellicciotta, a member of Holy Innocents Council 3581 in Levittown, N.Y., holds the hand of his newborn son.
ABOVE: Photo by Luis Licona/Licona Photo — ON THE COVER: Photo by Jeffrey Bruno
By Carl Bunderson and Columbia staff
18 Sweet Surrender
Safe Haven Baby Boxes spread to 14 states and counting with K of C support. By Natalie Hoefer
20 ‘The Chain of Solidarity’
An interview with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv about the ongoing humanitarian consequences of war in Ukraine.
24 What Do You Desire Most?
If the call to holiness strikes us as boring, then it’s time for an examination of conscience and imagination. By Father John Connaughton
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.
kofc.org/join Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved
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EDITORIAL
Culture and Witness LAST MONTH, American news media widely
covered the heartbreaking case of Kate Cox, a woman who left Texas to obtain an abortion amid a legal battle over statewide abortion restrictions. At nearly 20 weeks pregnant, the 31-year-old mother of two received a devastating prenatal diagnosis for her unborn child: Due to a chromosomal anomaly, trisomy 18, the baby would likely not survive more than a couple of weeks after birth. While the facts surrounding her pregnancy complications and the exceptions allowed by state law were variously reported, it was hardly surprising that in the mainstream media, Cox soon became a rallying point for the removal of any legal restrictions on abortion. What was startling, however, is the photo that many media outlets decided to run: an image of Cox smiling, visibly pregnant, with her hand over her belly. One pro-life observer noted, “If this photo somehow makes the public more sympathetic to ending the life of her child, God help us.” Such glaring, and indeed disturbing, discrepancies between sentiment and reality have riddled the logic of pro-abortion activism for more than a century. In her 1920 book Women and the New Race, Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger asserted, “The most merciful thing a large family can do to one of its infant members is to kill it.” Sanger’s eugenic slogan “Birth Control: To Create a Race of Thoroughbreds” gave way to the more palatable “Every Child a Wanted Child” — which sounds innocuous, but fails to acknowledge that an unborn baby is already a unique, living human being — and if unwanted, perhaps the defect is not with the child.
PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus
In his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae, St. John Paul II reflected on another “remarkable contradiction”: “Precisely in an age when the inviolable rights of the person are solemnly proclaimed and the value of life is publicly affirmed, the very right to life is being denied or trampled upon, especially at the more significant moments of existence: the moment of birth and the moment of death” (18). The roots of the struggle between the “culture of life” and the “culture of death,” he observed, can be traced to “a notion of freedom which exalts the isolated individual in an absolute way” — and, ultimately, to “the eclipse of the sense of God and of man” (19, 21). The task of building an authentic culture of life therefore requires that we testify to the deepest truths of humanity by our words and actions. As John Paul II concluded, “By virtue of our sharing in Christ’s royal mission, our support and promotion of human life must be accomplished through the service of charity, which finds expression in personal witness” (87). In August 2023, Indiana University Health published an article about a woman whose unborn child, like Kate Cox’s, was diagnosed with trisomy 18. In her case, the family joyfully welcomed a daughter, Kamdyn, into the world for a few brief days and later started a nonprofit to encourage others facing similar diagnoses. This issue of Columbia, meanwhile, includes stories of several K of C families and councils who, courageously and creatively, witness to the inherent dignity of every human life. B
SUPREME OFFICERS
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
HOW TO REACH US
Featured Resource: Vivat Jesus 2024 The Knights of Columbus has published a new edition of its popular pocketsized prayer guide and planner to help men and their families strengthen their prayer lives. Now available in English, Spanish and French, the Vivat Jesus Spiritual Planner includes a personalized daily prayer plan, liturgical feast days, the supreme chaplain’s monthly challenge, traditional Catholic prayers and devotions, spiritual reflections and more. It is an ideal resource for Lent and for group prayer during Cor. To purchase, 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.
COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 columbia@kofc.org kofc.org/columbia Address changes 203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org Columbia inquiries 203-752-4398 K of C Customer Service 1-800-380-9995
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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
The Courage of Conversion Opening ourselves to a deeper personal relationship with God can change our lives and the lives of those we love By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
Photo by Michael Collopy
WHEN WE HEAR the word “conversion,” we
often think of a person leaving behind other beliefs and practices to embrace the Catholic faith. But conversion is actually a call for each one of us. For most of us, it’s a call to the renewal and deepening of the Catholic faith we inherited from our parents. It means actively seeking a closer personal relationship with Jesus Christ and opening ourselves to the grace of the sacraments in a way that affects our daily lives. And it’s a lifelong process. The question for most of us is this: Are we truly open to conversion, to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to broaden us and help us see things we didn’t see before? To be open in this way requires that we guard against a certain self-satisfaction with our current relationship with God. Such complacency can lead to a superficial faith — one in which our spiritual practices become routine and even lifeless. Spiritual complacency and pride can lull us into a feeling of “been there, done that” and empty the Gospel of its life-changing power for us. While professing to be a believer and identifying as a Catholic, we may, in reality, live as if God doesn’t exist or at least doesn’t have an active role in our lives. The good news is that God is always trying to reach us, to reveal a deeper understanding of ourselves and his life within us. He is closer to us than we are to ourselves, as St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions (3.6.11). What does this mean? It means that God is not outside of us, a remote being unconnected to the day-to-day struggles of our lives. Rather, through the mystery of his Incarnation, he shows us that he is with us and for us — in all the details of our daily experiences. If we seek God with humility and repentance, he will remove the obstacles and
sins that block our vision. He will give us new ways to see our lives and our mission. He will open new vistas of understanding and action. And he will infuse every aspect of our lives with a wonder and a peace that only he can provide. This encounter with a personal God is at the heart of every authentic conversion. And it can change everything. Our new Cor initiative provides an avenue for ongoing conversion. It gives men the opportunity to come together for prayer and faith formation, and to do so in the context of spiritual friendship. Friendship is crucial because conversion is never a solitary process. For Catholics, self-sufficiency is a myth, especially in the spiritual life. It’s not how we understand the world or the Church. To be truly Catholic means to be connected to God and to one another. Pope Benedict XVI once observed, “Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse” (Spe Salvi, 48). Authentic conversion is among God’s greatest gifts — and to pray for it requires courage because God may break into our lives in surprising and unexpected ways. As we begin the new year, let’s dare to pray for conversion for ourselves and those we love. Let’s be open to the ways he may be connecting us to himself and to one another. And since this personal God knows us better than we know ourselves, let’s also be open to the true happiness that is our destiny — if we only surrender to his will in all things. Vivat Jesus!
If we seek God with humility and repentance, he will remove the obstacles and sins that block our vision. He will give us new ways to see our lives and our mission.
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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
Blind Spots To truly know ourselves, replacing hypocrisy with humility, our hearts must be open to Christ’s light and grace By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
I RECENTLY TRADED in a car. It was reliable
and only 8 years old, but it had a significant problem: blind spots. Form did not follow function in that car’s design. Its sight lines were terrible. Pulling out into traffic and changing lanes were dangerous. My priest secretaries compared driving the car to driving a Sherman tank. My old car wasn’t alone in having blind spots. We all have them — personal traits or tendencies that are obvious to family, friends and colleagues but not to ourselves. Some are harmless, like gestures or ways of speaking; others are more serious. One of the worst, and most common, blind spots is hypocrisy. It is all too easy to put oneself on a high moral plane, above everyone else, without taking account of one’s own moral failings. We may even criticize others for the very things we are prone to do. There are various ways to discover one’s blind spots. Some seek feedback from colleagues by submitting to a “360-degree assessment.” Others seek professional counseling. Helpful as such things can be, they provide an incomplete picture. We’re left wanting more. Where can we turn to truly know ourselves? Scripture is a good place to start. The Psalms, for example, warn against presuming we are better than we are and flattering ourselves so that we no longer perceive our guilt (Ps 36). In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us to take the plank out of our own eye before removing a splinter from a neighbor’s eye (Mt 7:5). We find, too, that Jesus knows what is in the human heart. Conversing with the Samaritan woman at the well, he knew both her history and her capacity for discipleship (Jn 4:4-29). Healing the man with the withered hand, he knew the venom of his adversaries even when they didn’t voice it (Lk 6:6-8). As John says, “Jesus … did not need anyone
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to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well” (Jn 2:24-25). The ancient Delphic oracle said, “Know thyself,” but the Church says to us, “Know Jesus Christ.” The Son of God who assumed our human nature reveals us to ourselves and shows us who we really are — that is, who we are in the eyes of God. Moreover, Jesus’ revealing light is not the harsh glare of a human exposé, but rather the gentle gaze of divine mercy by which we are encouraged to make steady progress in virtue. As we begin a new year, we might resolve to try to become more aware of our blind spots — not merely those things that amuse or irritate others, but those moral failings that are out of focus. Let us submit ourselves anew to the one who knows us better than we know ourselves and who, thankfully, loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. How can we tap into Christ’s revealing light? First is a daily examination of conscience, a prayerful look at our conduct through the lens of the commandments and beatitudes. This daily exercise helps us discern not only our blatant faults but also those failings that are harder for us to see. Second is regular reception of the sacrament of reconciliation. Confessing our sins and receiving God’s grace requires us to be honest with ourselves, so that we can be honest before God and others. Such honesty ensures that we will never take God’s mercy for granted. Third is intimacy with the Eucharistic Lord. When we participate worthily and actively in Mass and spend time in adoration, the Lord’s heart speaks to our hearts. In his light, we see light! (Ps 36:10). One final thought: The more we eliminate our blind spots, the better equipped we will be to live our commitment as Knights of Columbus — to be true Knights of charity, unity and fraternity. ✢
The ancient Delphic oracle said, “Know thyself,” but the Church says to us, “Know Jesus Christ.” The Son of God who assumed our human nature reveals us to ourselves and shows us who we really are — that is, who we are in the eyes of God.
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Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” (Gospel for Feb. 25, Mk 9:7) In last month’s challenge, we talked about recognizing Jesus’ presence and power in our lives. Here, at his baptism, we hear the voice of God instructing us very simply: “Listen to him.” It is not enough to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. We must also be attentive to his teachings — communicated through sacred Scripture and sacred tradition — and respond by following him faithfully. This is the path of the true disciple who understands his own baptismal mission. May we follow this path faithfully throughout our lives.
Catholic Man of the Month Venerable Félix Varela (1788-1853) SLIGHT IN STATURE, Father Félix Varela didn’t look like the “Benjamin Franklin of Cuba.” But as an intellectual, he was a giant, helping to form a generation of Cuban leaders. More than a century after Father Varela’s death, Pope John Paul II praised him as “the best synthesis … of Christian faith and Cuban culture.” Born in Havana, Varela was raised by his grandfather, a Spanish military officer, in St. Augustine, Florida. As a teen choosing between the military or seminary, Varela declared, “I want to be a soldier of Jesus Christ.” He returned to Cuba to study at San Carlos and San Ambrosio Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1811. Within a year, Father Varela joined the seminary faculty, teaching philosophy, physics and chemistry. His students called him “the one who taught us to think.” Elected to represent Cuba in the Spanish parliament in 1821, Father Varela advocated for Cuban independence and the abolition of slavery. His views incurred the king’s ire, and the priest was exiled in 1823.
FROM TOP: Painting by Orlando Quevedo — Photo by James DeCamp — CNS photo/Pablo Esparza
Liturgical Calendar
Challenge: This month, I challenge you to spend at least 10 minutes each day in prayerful silence, contemplating the presence of Jesus and listening for his voice. EDITOR’S NOTE: For January’s challenge, liturgical calendar and prayer intention, visit kofc.org/columbia.
Feb. 2
The Presentation of the Lord
Feb. 5
St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Feb. 6
St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Feb. 10
St. Scholastica, Virgin
Feb. 14
Ash Wednesday
Feb. 21
St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Feb. 22
The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle
Feb. 23
St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr
Feb. 27
St. Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
Father Varela found asylum in the United States, where in 1824 he founded El Habanero, considered the nation’s first Spanish-language Catholic newspaper. The next year, Father Varela began serving as a parish priest among the downtrodden immigrant communities in New York City, particularly the Irish. His reputation for charity and administrative skills led him to be named vicar general of the diocese. He also served as a theological consultant to the U.S. bishops’ committee that wrote the Baltimore Catechism. Father Félix Varela died Feb. 18, 1853, in St. Augustine. His cause for canonization, initiated in 1983, has been advanced by the Cuban bishops and Archdiocese of New York. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in 2012. ✢
Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention
We pray that those with a terminal illness, and their families, receive the necessary physical and spiritual care and accompaniment.
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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS
Statue of Blessed Michael McGivney Dedicated at National Shrine
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Cardinal Christophe Pierre blesses the new statue with holy water as Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Msgr. Walter Rossi (right), rector of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, look on.
Michael McGivney and will pray for his intercession.” The statue, a gift from the Order, joins statues of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Katharine Drexel and St. Kateri Tekakwitha in the Hall of American Saints on the lower level of the shrine. Its sculptor, Chas Fagan, also painted the image of Father McGivney that became his beatification portrait in 2020. He previously sculpted two statues of Pope John Paul II for the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington and painted the canonization portrait of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Fagan said his artistic vision for the statue was to create a figure that expressed Father McGivney’s approachability and “can-do” attitude. “When I paint or sculpt a figure, I always feel like I get to know them a little bit, and so it’s like adding one
more person to the long list of your lifelong friends,” he said. “I am happy and honored to have had this chance to spend time with Father McGivney. He’s a man of dedication and a classic, caring parish priest.” The Knights of Columbus has longstanding ties to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Even before it was built, Knights from Brooklyn, New York, participated in the first pilgrimage to the proposed site in 1923. In the 1950s, the Knights donated $1 million to build its campanile — the Knights Tower — and a few years later funded the tower’s 56-bell carillon. More recently, the Order provided significant financial support for the basilica’s Incarnation Dome, completed in 2007, and its Trinity Dome, completed in 2017. A K of C usher ministry that began at the shrine in the 1980s continues to this day. ✢
Photo by Matthew Barrick
A NEW STATUE of Blessed Michael McGivney was unveiled and dedicated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, the patronal feast of the basilica and of the United States. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, joined by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, presided during the dedication of the statue following midday Mass in the Great Upper Church of the basilica. “With Mary as the queen of all saints, we thank God also that countless men and women after her have lived lives of heroic sanctity,” Cardinal Pierre said in his homily. “This marvelous shrine displays many of those heroes of faith. … Like Jesus and like Mary, Father McGivney was completely given to the will of God.” The marble statue depicts the founder of the Knights of Columbus standing in a simple cassock and holding a book of the Scriptures. Etched on its pages are the Order’s founding principles — “Unity” and “Charity” — symbolizing roots in the Gospel. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly was joined by John Walshe, a greatgrandnephew of Father McGivney, and Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector, in unveiling the statue. Also present was Margaret Ransom, a great-grandniece of Father McGivney, who with her husband, Robert Ransom, a member of Holy Family Council 8882 in New Haven, Connecticut, presented the offertory gifts at the Mass. “Father McGivney had a timeless vision, which is captured so well on the statue itself,” said Supreme Knight Kelly in remarks following the dedication. “Generations of pilgrims started visiting the national shrine in the 1920s, long before any of us were born. And long after we’re gone, pilgrims will still come to the basilica, and now they will see a statue of Blessed C O L U M B I A ✢ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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Silver Roses, Pro-Life Pledges Presented to Our Lady of Guadalupe AS THOUSANDS GATHERED at the Basilica of Our Lady of
Guadalupe in Mexico City to celebrate the feast of St. Juan Diego on Dec. 9, two Knights of Columbus Silver Roses also arrived at the basilica, the final stop of their journey through North America over the past year. One of the silver roses was displayed prominently near the altar during the basilica’s 9 a.m. Mass, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Luis Manuel Pérez Raygoza of the Archdiocese of Mexico. At the offertory, Knights from Mexico presented thousands of pledge cards signed over the past year by people attending K of C Silver Rose pro-life prayer services, promising to defend life from conception to natural death. After the Mass, the rose and pledge cards were placed before the tilma bearing the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “These pro-life prayers and pledges signify the commitment of so many hearts to remind us that we are God’s family,” said Msgr. Eduardo Chávez, the postulator of the cause for canonization of St. Juan Diego and a concelebrant for the Mass. “[It’s a reminder] that beyond borders, languages, traditions and such different cultures, love unites us.” Msgr. Chávez, a member of Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe Council 14138, added that Knights are called to “follow Jesus as humble Juan Diegos, and we carry God’s message and strength as Our Lady of Guadalupe asked.” A K of C delegation from Mexico South led by State Deputy Alejandro Arroyo later presented the second rose during the basilica’s noon Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, the primate archbishop of Mexico. “This is one of the most emotional events of the year for our jurisdiction, especially as the silver rose, delivered to the protection of Mary, brings hope during the season of
Francisco Saenz (left), a past state deputy of Mexico Central, and Msgr. Eduardo Chávez bring a Knights of Columbus Silver Rose and a box full of pro-life pledge cards to the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe after Mass on Dec. 9.
Advent,” Arroyo said after the Mass. “From here, we will bring the rose to nursing homes and seminaries, and especially hospitals so that all who are suffering may find refuge in the Blessed Mother.” The Silver Rose program, which began in 1960, now features eight roses traveling along different routes through Canada, the United States and Mexico from March through mid-December. Councils hosting a silver rose hold prayer services promoting the dignity of life and honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Order. ✢
FROM TOP: Photo by Jorge Tenorio — Photo by Dave Leross
K of C Coats for First Nations Kids Knights in Saskatchewan, led by State Deputy Larry Packet (back right), stand with children of Fond-du-Lac Dene Nation after a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids distribution Dec. 5. Several Knights traveled to the far northern community to deliver nearly 500 coats to families in need. The same day, Knights in New Brunswick distributed more than 100 coats at Mah-Sos School in Tobique First Nation. Former Supreme Warden Graydon Nicholas, a member of the Maliseet First Nation and former lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, said, “There’s a real need for winter clothing in our communities, just as there is for all kinds of support, and we’re happy to help where we can.” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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BEACONS
of Light
Knights partner with Catholic medical centers to serve and empower women and to save lives By Zoey Maraist
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Franco and Katelyn Pellicciotta and their new baby visit with Dr. Paul Carpentier, director of the Gianna Center in Babylon, N.Y.
Photo by Jeffrey Bruno
round the United States, a different kind of health care center is increasingly making its mark. At these clinics, life is honored from the moment of conception; fertility isn’t treated like a disease; and the doors are always open to women facing crisis pregnancies. To continue and expand the life-affirming care they offer, these medical centers often turn to the Knights of Columbus. From the Order’s Ultrasound Initiative and ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) program to providing other assistance, prayers and word-of-mouth advertising, Knights are playing a pivotal role in building up compassionate, Christ-centered medicine. In a statement after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly affirmed, “In a post-Roe world, the Knights will continue to be there for mothers and children, and we will continue to proclaim the dignity of every human life.” Complementing its assistance to pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes, the Order’s support of a growing number of pro-life health care groups and medical centers — such as those featured below — is yet another way the Knights help to proclaim and foster the Gospel of life. FRUITFUL OUTCOMES By the time the patient arrived at the Gianna Center in Rockville Centre, New York, she had endured five miscarriages and sought care at three other fertility clinics. But unlike the medical professionals at the previous clinics, Gianna Center staff didn’t offer her in vitro fertilization (IVF) — they taught her to chart her cycle, tracking and documenting the signs of her fertility. Her chart revealed a hormone imbalance that could be treated with medication. After that, the patient had three full-term pregnancies free from complications. “I’m so in awe when the beautiful outcomes occur,” said Dr. Jennifer DeMarco, director of the Gianna Center in Rockville Centre. “And we see them a lot.” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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recently spearheaded his council’s effort to raise funds for an ultrasound machine at the Rockville Centre location. “We all just hope that this ultimately will make a difference in a lot of women’s lives and save the lives of a lot of children,” he said. The care provided at the Gianna Center is as effective as IVF for most underlying causes of infertility — and much more pro-life, Dr. Nolte affirmed. “Statistically, an average of seven embryos is destroyed for every baby that is born through in vitro,” she explained. “So giving couples real alternatives to in vitro when they are faced with infertility or recurrent miscarriage is not just good health care; it’s lifesaving. The fertility industry and its destructiveness are a hidden part of the culture that the Knights are trying to transform into a culture of life.” Before becoming a Gianna Center
patient, Katelyn Rose was prescribed birth control for her painful periods. But she and her future husband, Franco Pellicciotta, hoped to have a baby after getting married, so she went to the Gianna Center in Babylon seeking a true solution. The medical director, Dr. Paul Carpentier, worked to uncover her underlying condition while teaching Katelyn more about her body. “After doing everything he told me to do with vitamins, lifestyle choices and the eventual surgery [for endometriosis], my pain went from a 10 out of 10 to a zero,” she said. Katelyn and Franco — a member of Holy Innocents Council 3581 in Levittown — welcomed their son, James, one year to the day after Katelyn’s surgery. Franco credits Dr. Carpentier’s thorough and proactive approach for their success in conceiving. “If the Knights weren’t working to support clinics like the Gianna
Michigan State Deputy Chris Kolomjec (center) cuts the ribbon at a ceremony celebrating the opening of the Heart of Christ Clinic in Detroit on Dec. 1. Also pictured, left to right, are Dr. Thomas Meyer, an OB-GYN and the center’s medical director; Julie Kolomjec, wife of the state deputy; Michigan State Chaplain Father Aidan Logan; and Dr. Lisa Knysz, the clinic director. 10
Photos by Jim West
The National Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility is a network of Catholic women’s reproductive health care affiliates with three New York locations. They take their name from St. Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian pediatrician who steadfastly refused abortion despite pregnancy complications that later claimed her life. “The first Gianna Center was under a different Catholic hospital, which unfortunately closed after we opened in 2009,” said Dr. Anne Nolte, co-founder and executive director. “The Knights of Columbus stepped in with a grant to help keep the center delivering services in New York City.” As the centers multiplied, Knights have provided support, raising funds for ultrasound machines and making donations through the ASAP program. Deacon Tommy Malone, a member of Msgr. W.J. Walsh-St. Raymond Council 7220 in East Rockaway,
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Center,” Franco said, “I don’t know if we would have a baby right now.” THE HEART OF THE CITY It all began one Sunday two years ago with a challenge. “Sadly, Michigan has become a very pro-abortion state,” Msgr. Charles Kosanke said during a homily at the Basilica of St. Anne in Detroit, where he serves as rector. “It’s important for the Catholic Church to teach and preach on pro-life issues, and it’s equally important to put that teaching into practice.” After Mass, he was approached separately by two parishioners who wanted to start a pro-life clinic. At the time, Msgr. Kosanke, a member of the Knights for more than 40 years, was looking for a way to make use of a former convent on the basilica’s campus. Thus the idea of establishing a medical center took root and grew. Soon enough, Michigan Knights jumped at the chance to help transform the convent building into the Heart of Christ Clinic. “The whole state — the 70,000 Knights and their families — just got behind this clinic,” said Michigan State Deputy Chris Kolomjec. “We raised $126,000 in one pass-the-hat effort at our state convention,” he said, noting that the Supreme Council later donated funds as well. The state council also asked local Knights to raise money for the clinic’s state-of-the-art ultrasound machine, which Kolomjec described as “the best ultrasound in the state of Michigan.” On Dec. 1, the Heart of Christ Clinic opened its doors to patients, about 60% of whom are expected to be uninsured or on Medicare or Medicaid. The facility has a chapel, a lab, four family practice exam rooms and a women’s health floor for exams, ultrasounds and procedures. Dr. Thomas Meyer, an obstetrician-gynecologist, serves as the clinic’s medical director. A member of Father Daniel A. Lord Council 3959 in Livonia, Meyer was one of the parishioners who first approached Msgr. Kosanke. The clinic is owned by Christ Medicus,
a Catholic health care policy organization founded by that second parishioner, Mike O’Dea. In addition to excellent medical care, Heart of Christ staffers plan to assist patients in a variety of other ways. “If you need a lawyer or a really good dentist who accepts Medicaid, well, we can help you with that,” explained Dr. Lisa Knysz, the clinic director. There are also plans to hire a behavioral health counselor, perform abortion pill reversals and offer adoption counseling through Catholic Charities. The Knights in Michigan plan to continue serving the clinic, whether it’s by making needed repairs or praying in its chapel. There is even talk of helping to establish Heart of Christ Clinics in each of the state’s other six dioceses. “We could not ask for a better partner than the Knights — their dedication and their passion and their belief in this clinic,” said Knysz. “Having a pro-life Catholic clinic in the heart of an urban city where the providers not only value life but also support the family and are willing to openly pray with individuals who come in through the door — I think it’s going to be a beacon of light.” LED BY OUR LADY As Dr. John Bruchalski began his career as an OB-GYN in the 1980s, he found that being a good doctor in the eyes of the world became more important to him than the Catholic faith of his childhood. “I just fell into this belief that to be the best OB-GYN I could be, I had to perform abortions for failed contraception,” he said. “So that’s what I did.” But all that changed when he attempted to perform an abortion and the child was born alive. The tiny baby girl was sent to the neonatal intensive care unit, where a NICU doctor reprimanded Bruchalski for treating her patient like a tumor. “She also recommended that I go back to my roots and find the Blessed Mother, who would help me,” Bruchalski recalled. And help him she did. Not long after, Bruchalski went on a Marian pilgrimage
Ultra
Supportive
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to quantify all the
work K of C councils do to build a culture of life, but two Faith in Action Life programs — one launched in January 2009, one in June 2022 — are a good place to start. The Ultrasound Initiative, the Order’s premier pro-life program, encourages Knights to provide ultrasound machines to qualifying pregnancy resource centers and prolife medical clinics. Local councils raise money to cover half the cost of a machine, which is then matched by the Order’s Culture of Life Fund. Additionally, if a council raises 100% of the cost of a mobile ultrasound vehicle, 100% of the cost of the machine will be covered by the fund. In the past 15 years, Knights have placed nearly 1,800 ultrasound machines worth more than $85 million. Learn more at kofc.org/ultrasound. ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) was introduced shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Through the program, every $500 a council donates to a pregnancy resource center or maternity home — up to $2,000 — is matched by $100 from the Supreme Council. In the 17 months since ASAP began, more than 2,000 councils have donated to 1,285 centers and homes assisting mothers in need. Including the 20% boost, that’s $7.2 million to help women choose life and care for their children. Learn more at kofc.org/asap. ✢
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that changed his life. Upon his return, he stopped performing abortions and sterilizations. A few years later in 1994, he founded Tepeyac OB-GYN — a pro-life medical clinic in Fairfax, Virginia, named after the hill in Mexico where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego. The practice had humble beginnings — namely, Bruchalski’s basement. He and his wife, Carolyn, relied on a $60,000 loan from family and friends, including several priests, to open the medical center. They had a three-part mission: be excellent in medicine, serve underserved women and not only those with means, and follow the teachings of the Church. Kim Kenna, one of the practice’s first patients, switched to Tepeyac because she wanted authentically Catholic health care. “I had my first three children somewhere else with quote-unquote Catholic doctors, but they still prescribed contraception,” she said. With Bruchalski, Kenna found both medical expertise she could trust and the perspective of faith. “Most doctors only see the medical side,” she said, “but you know he’s praying and asking the saints to intercede.” 12
In the past three decades, Bruchalski and his colleagues have served more than 60,000 women and delivered 14,000 babies, in addition to mentoring many medical professionals who have started their own pro-life clinics. Along with routine obstetrical and gynecological care, they offer natural family planning lessons and a perinatal hospice program for families facing a poor diagnosis for their unborn child. Local pregnancy resource centers regularly send clients to Tepeyac for prenatal care. Bruchalski is a member of Padre Pio Council 10754 in Great Falls, and his brother Knights in northern Virginia have provided Tepeyac with six different ultrasound machines over the years. Most recently, St. John Bosco Council 12846 in Springfield funded a 4D ultrasound machine for the practice in 2022. “The Knights talk about being in the heart of Christ, going where the need is,” Bruchalski said. “Not only are some serving in a war zone, but they recognize we’re in a war zone here — it’s the war of life. And they have always been on the cutting edge — enabling us to serve.” ✢ ZOEY MARAIST writes from northern Virginia.
Photo by Matthew Barrick
Dr. John Bruchalski, director of Tepeyac OB-GYN and a member of Padre Pio Council 10754 in Great Falls, Va., speaks with a patient in his Fairfax office.
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F AT H E R S F O R G O O D
Five Simple Steps for Life Knights and their families can bear effective witness to the sanctity of life in several key ways
Photo by Carlos Elizondo
By Brian Caulfield IF THE HISTORIC OVERRULING of the infamous Roe v. Wade course, these centers can also use funds, so your council U.S. Supreme Court decision means anything, it is a clarion would do a world of good by holding an annual fundraiser call to work even harder on the local level to stop abortion in your parish or community. Through the ASAP (Aid and and to assist women facing crisis pregnancies. With the 2022 Support After Pregnancy) program, the Supreme Council Dobbs decision, abortion is no longer the court-enforced will boost that donation, up to $2,000, by 20%. law of the land, and pro-life energy must focus on the state Pray where it counts. A modern-day Calvary may be and local level, where laws favoring life or abortion are being located near you — that is, a local abortion facility where unproposed and passed. born babies are killed. Find out if there is one in your comThis is the time for every Knight munity and if a local pro-life group of Columbus to get involved and holds peaceful, prayerful vigils there make a stand for the innocent for the sake of the mothers and their unborn and their mothers, stepping children. If there is no such prayer up to advocate and vote for better group in your area, you may want laws, and help abortion-vulnerable to start one with the members of women in whatever way we can. We your council or parish. Consider also need to keep our eyes on the also participating in 40 Days for long-term goal of changing hearts Life, an international initiative that and minds so that abortion becomes organizes prayer vigils at abortion unthinkable. And every effort must facilities throughout the world, be supported by prayer and sacrioften during Lent. fice; without praying and offering Exercise faithful citizenship. In our time and resources for the cause, their November 2023 meeting, the we will make little progress. U.S. bishops once again identified Here are five ways you can help abortion as the “preeminent prioribring about a culture of life right ty” of concern in their guidance for Knights and their families join a march in support of Catholics in the public square. With where you live: women and life in Monterrey, Mexico, on Oct. 7. Support the Ultrasound Initiaeach state legislature now free to tive. The Order’s premier pro-life pass laws restricting or expanding program helps qualifying pregnancy abortion access, your voice at the resource centers and pro-life medical clinics offer a “window local level is more important than ever. Find out what bills to the womb.” Studies show that once a woman sees her unare being raised, offer encouragement to pro-life legislators, born child on the ultrasound screen, she is much more likely write letters, make phone calls, and sign petitions that proto choose life for her baby. Under the Knights’ initiative, life groups may be circulating. Make your voice for life heard local councils fundraise half the cost of a new ultrasound in a calm yet consistent manner. The truth is on our side. machine, and the other half is provided by the Supreme Bring it all home. All things considered, the most importCouncil’s Culture of Life Fund. Since the program started in ant thing you can do is to build a culture of life and love in 2009, nearly 1,800 ultrasound machines have been placed in your own family. Life begins at home, and the next generpregnancy centers in all 50 U.S. states, four Canadian provation is growing up right under our roofs or in the homes inces, Mexico, the Philippines and elsewhere, saving many of our children. Honor your wife, and give thanks to God thousands of lives each year. for the gift of your children and grandchildren. Be a joyful Volunteer. An important front line in the battle for life is witness to the beauty of all human life. ✢ in your local pregnancy resource center or maternity home. Most of these are run by a small staff on a tight budget and BRIAN CAULFIELD is vice postulator of the cause for canonizarely on volunteers for answering phones, opening mail, tion of Blessed Michael McGivney and past grand knight of Holy sorting donations and keeping the place neat and clean. Of Family Council 8882 in New Haven, Conn. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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IN TUNE WITH
LIFE
A Colorado K of C family bears witness to the joy of raising children with special needs By Carl Bunderson and Columbia staff
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rollicking cacophony of children’s voices and scampering feet, sometimes accompanied by a drumroll of falling objects, greets the ears of Jeff and Sonia McGarrity each morning at their home near Lone Tree, a suburb of Denver. Jeff and Sonia typically wake up at the crack of dawn to corral their six children, ages 5 through 17, who still live at home; their two eldest sons, Thomas, 20, and Seán, 19, are now at college. “Some days the sound of my alarm clock is a squealing ‘Mommy, Mommy!’ as a doll hits me in the face,” laughed Sonia. “Yeah, the place is a little bit nutty,” added Jeff, who works as the director of music ministry at St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial. “That’s a part of life in our family.” The three McGarrity girls — Charlotte, 5; RoseMarie, 8; and Cecilia (“Ceci”), 13 — were all adopted and have a medical diagnosis of trisomy 21, a genetic condition commonly known as Down syndrome. The boys still living at home are Augustine (“Gus”), 12; Brendan, 16; and Jeffrey, 17, who also has T21. Raising such a large and diverse brood is no easy feat; it takes a strong marriage and parenting skills — and a lively sense of humor — to maintain a harmonious household. “Jeff is our ‘conductor,’ in more ways than one,” Sonia said. “We would all be clanging gongs if he wasn’t the stable one, keeping us all in tune.” 14
For his part, Jeff compared his wife to a concert master, confessing that “the place would fall apart without Sonia; we’d all be looking at each other wondering, ‘What are we supposed to do next?’” Yet what ultimately grounds and unifies the McGarritys, including the “nutty” decision to adopt three children with T21, is their deep Catholic faith and profound conviction of the sanctity of every human life — which is why they have long
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Photo by Ryan Dearth
Jeff and Sonia McGarrity take a stroll with five of their eight children outside their home near Lone Tree, Colo.
been drawn to and strengthened by the Order’s unabashed promotion of a culture of life. Jeff is a member St. Thomas More Council 10205 in Centennial, and Sonia’s father is a Knight in her home state of Louisiana. “Had I not been brought up in a Knights of Columbus home that made the pro-life movement so important,” Sonia said, “I don’t know whether we would have adopted the three girls that we did.”
THE ADVENTURE OF ADOPTION Jeff and Sonia met while working in Washington, D.C., in 2001. They were dating when the idea of special needs adoption first occurred to Sonia. “One of my relatives had special needs children — in wheelchairs, not kids with T21 — and I saw how their typical children were interacting with these siblings,” Sonia recounted. “I saw the charity that these young boys had for JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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Jeff McGarrity, a member of St. Thomas More Council 10205 in Centennial, helps his three adopted daughters decorate gingerbread houses at the council’s Christmas party at St. Thomas More Parish on Dec. 10.
“Jeff and Sonia do whatever it takes to promote life, walking the walk by giving up their own comfort,” said Deacon Stemper, who is also Augustine’s godfather. “They are living the faith to a radical degree of selflessness.” ‘THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE’ Rather than emphasizing the differences between their children with T21 and their other children, the McGarritys focus on the commonalities — and the unique aspects that are attributable to personality. Jeffrey, for example, likes to play football, and is in a public speaking class in his homeschool enrichment program. “He’s standing up and giving a speech,” Jeff said, “and there are obvious academic challenges, right? But any student at any school will have difficulties in expressing himself or reading and comprehending. Every kid has a personality; every kid has things they do and don’t like to do. So Jeffrey’s on the same continuum that everybody else is on.” Music plays a central role in the McGarrity household, and every child plays an instrument or sings, or both. Sonia compared her children’s joyful but distinct ways of making music to their different ways of showing love. “We are all called to love indiscriminately, to love and receive love. And my kids are going to play their instruments no matter what — whether they’re sharp or flat, they’re just going to play,” she said. “They also don’t let their intellect or concern about what other people think about them stop them from expressing love in their own unique way. Rosie is very physically affectionate; Charlotte is a smiler — she just smiles and your heart melts. Jeffrey is unbelievably affirming: He’ll walk up to people and say, ‘You’re beautiful.’” Over time, persons with T21 tend to bring out particular
Photo by Rachel Woolf
their special needs siblings, and I wanted that.’” Jeff and Sonia were married in 2002, and they had Thomas the next year; four months later, at age 35, Sonia had a miscarriage. “I told my sister that if I can’t have any more children, I want to adopt a child with Down syndrome,’” Sonia recalled. “I had never met anyone with T21; I just knew they existed and that the Knights raised funds for them.” Seán was born in 2004, followed two years later by Jeffrey; the midwife informed the McGarritys that the baby had Down syndrome. “Well, God put that desire in my heart,” Sonia said, “and now he gave me Jeffrey.” Brendan was born in 2007, followed by two more miscarriages. Around that time, Sonia and Jeff began to think about adoption, in particular adopting children with T21. After going through the “hard learning curve” of Jeffrey’s early years, they said to themselves, “Now that we have that figured out, let’s just open ourselves up and see what the Lord wants.” The National Down Syndrome Adoption Network eventually put the McGarritys in touch with the birth parents of a baby girl with T21. Supported by friends and parishioners, they adopted Cecilia, or “Ceci,” in 2010. The next year, Sonia gave birth to Augustine, their sixth child under 9 years old. “I was in the hospital giving birth to Gus,” Sonia recalled, “when we got a call, ‘Are you interested in adopting again?’ And I’m like, ‘No, right now is not the best time.’” But a few years later, in 2015, they adopted RoseMarie, followed by Charlotte in 2018. For Jeff, promoting adoption over abortion is key. In the United States, the annual ratio of abortions to infant adoptions is nearly 50:1. “We look at the parents who have chosen to place their children for adoption as heroes,” Jeff said. “The birth families are making the difficult decision in favor of life, often in the face of regular phone calls asking, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to terminate?’” The rate of abortion after a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 in the United States is not well tracked, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, but its impact has been estimated: A 2015 study in the American Journal of Medical Genetics concluded that abortion after prenatal diagnosis has reduced the population of individuals living with trisomy 21 in the U.S. by approximately 30%. “It’s one of our soap boxes,” Jeff said. “If only people who received prenatal diagnoses of T21 knew that there are families out there willing and interested in adopting.” Every year, the McGarritys participate in the Celebrate Life Rally and March in Denver; twice they have been featured speakers. They have also participated in the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. Deacon Steve Stemper, who serves St. Thomas More Parish and is a member of Council 10205, has known the McGarritys since they moved to Colorado in 2007. C O L U M B I A ✢ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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Photo by Patrick Sola
Jeff and Sonia McGarrity stand together with their eight children at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver in the fall of 2021.
virtues in their family members, Sonia added. “Everything is just a little bit slower … so I think that our children have learned a lot more about patience than I did,” she said. Seán, who is in his freshman year of college, agreed that, as one of the oldest children, he has a particular “responsibility to be patient with the younger siblings, especially those with trisomy 21, and then model that for Brendan and for Augustine, too.” “I wouldn’t ask for any other life,” Seán added. “The joy that kids with trisomy 21 have, the authentic joy and love, is incomparable. They really are the happiest people.” The ethos of the Knights of Columbus fits seamlessly into their family life, and the Order’s pro-life mission, especially the Ultrasound Initiative, is an effort close to the McGarritys’ hearts. “There’s obviously a logical connection — a marriage almost — between the ultrasound donations that Knights have made and helping people who have children with a prenatal diagnosis of T21 to realize that this is not the end of the world,” Jeff said. But “pro-life” is not just something the Knights do, Sonia said — it’s who they are. “When I go shopping with the kids, I need to have my antennae up, ready to answer whatever question might come
at me,” she explained. “Whereas at our parish, the Knights are family; I don’t have to discern or worry about if we can handle it. I know I can take my kids there and they will be loved, accepted and assisted.” Jeff carved out time to take his second and third degrees as a Knight last November. But running a bustling household, homeschooling several children, and attending to their many needs leaves very little time to participate in council events. While Jeff and Sonia sometimes feel internal pressure to do more — to volunteer more and practice different works of mercy as a family — they try to keep their eyes fixed on their most important work. “Last night, I was trying to make the bed and Charlotte was crawling all over me,” Sonia said. “And I’m praying, ‘Jesus, I just have to imagine that this is you. And I’m just doing this for you.’ “And it gave me a different perspective on things, to say that maybe it’s OK that I didn’t raise my children volunteering at a food bank or doing service projects. Maybe we’re not all called to do that. Rather, we’re simply called to love and raise these children, all eight of them, and launch them to go out and become saints.” ✢ CARL BUNDERSON writes from Colorado, where he is a member of Longmont Council 1313. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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SWEET SURRENDER Safe Haven Baby Boxes spread to 14 states and counting with K of C support By Natalie Hoefer
ordan and Gabrielle Bullard of Shelbyville, Indiana, recalled with a chuckle the day they welcomed their adopted daughter, Lynne Marie, last spring. “It felt kind of shady — we picked her up at a gas station that was midway between us and her foster parents,” said Gabrielle. “Every morning I sing a little song to her, ‘I picked up my baby at the GetGo!’” Just a month earlier, Lynne’s birth mother had decided that, for whatever reason, she could not care for her newborn. She placed her infant in a Safe Haven Baby Box at a fire station in Elkhart. Lynne was retrieved and medically tended to within minutes. She was placed in a foster home and then gratefully gathered into her adoptive parents’ arms on March 25, 2023. Stories like this are occurring more and more often in the 14 states where Safe Haven Baby Boxes have been installed so far. Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of the Indiana-based nonprofit organization established in 2015, is confident that number will grow. “I fully expect we’ll be in all 50 states before long,” she said. Each year, dozens of infants are illegally abandoned or discarded, often in dangerous locations; by the time they are found, most have already died. Kelsey, who was conceived in rape and left at a hospital in 1973, is passionate about providing a lifesaving alternative for mothers unwilling or unable to care for their babies. Since the first Safe Haven Baby Box opened in Indiana in 2016, local Knights of Columbus have been actively involved in fundraising and advocating for many of the nearly 200 baby boxes now in operation. “I always say the Knights are my No. 1 support,” Kelsey affirmed. “They’re right there on the front lines with me.” “It’s been a great partnership,” agreed Indiana State Deputy Scott Schutte. “And we’re seeing the fruits of our labor.” ‘NO SHAME, NO BLAME, NO NAME’ The concept for Safe Haven Baby Boxes came to Monica Kelsey on a visit to South Africa in 2013. It was there she first saw a baby box and learned about its purpose. “It was a way for a woman who couldn’t raise her newborn to anonymously give her baby a chance at life — no shame, no blame, no name,” Kelsey explained. All 50 states in the U.S. have “safe haven” laws that allow infants to be surrendered, without legal repercussions, to designated care providers such as hospital staff. However, in order for a baby box to be installed, a state must pass legislation allowing an infant up to 30 days old to be surrendered 18
anonymously in a box not monitored by cameras; 20 states currently allow such baby boxes. The temperature-controlled, incubator-like boxes are installed in the exterior walls of fire stations, police stations and hospitals. Staff must be able to reach it within minutes of an internal alarm sounding when the self-locking box door is closed. The first Safe Haven Baby Box opened at a fire station in Woodburn, Indiana, in 2016, and the state continues to lead the country with 110 boxes. “At least 75% of them had the Knights’ hands on it somewhere,” said Kelsey. “The Indiana Knights rallied around us right from the start. It was an inspiration to see a group of men support women at every level.” Sometimes councils are involved in promoting a site for a box; sometimes they take a role in raising the roughly $15,000 needed to make and install one. They also sponsor and promote education and awareness campaigns, a 24/7 crisis hotline and other resources that the nonprofit offers to help mothers keep and care for their babies. “I want these parents to get the help they need before they put their baby in one of our boxes,” said Kelsey. “There’s even information and a care package inside the box for them. The box is always the last resort.” Still, there is much rejoicing when a baby that might otherwise have been abandoned is surrendered. “It was pretty exciting,” State Deputy Schutte said of Indiana’s first box-surrendered baby in 2017. “It was wonderful to say our Knights put forth the effort to make it happen. It sparked a lot of fundraising by other councils to get a baby box in their community.”
Photo by Jason Mann
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Above: Indiana State Deputy Scott Schutte stands next to the Safe Haven Baby Box that he and his council helped install at Fire Station 53 in Greenwood, Ind., in 2020. • Opposite page: Jordan and Gabrielle Bullard hold their baby, Lynne Marie, together with Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, and her husband, Joe, in Woodburn, Ind.
Photo by Zach Dobson
Since 2017, 27 babies have been anonymously surrendered in Indiana’s baby boxes, in addition to 133 babies surrendered in person. ‘WORTH ALL THE EFFORT’ After Indiana, the states with the most Safe Haven Baby Boxes are Arkansas and Kentucky. Kelsey approached legislators in Arkansas about expanding the state’s safe haven law in 2018. “That state was important to me because it’s where my biological family is from,” Kelsey explained. The first baby box in Arkansas, installed at a fire station in Benton in 2020, was funded through the efforts of Our Lady of Fatima Council 9396 in Benton and Arkansas District #1. Since then, Knights have initiated or contributed to fundraising for every one of Arkansas’ 23 boxes, according to Dale Flamand, culture of life chairman for the state council. Arkansas’ first baby box surrender took place at the Benton fire station in May 2020. Overall, five babies have been surrendered in the state’s boxes. “My reaction? Smiles and tears,” said Flamand, a member of Christ the King Council 10167 in Little Rock. But there is still a lot of work to do, Flamand said, to ensure there are boxes present in communities throughout the state. Dave Holzwarth, Kentucky culture of life chairman and a member of St. John and St. Francis Council 11470 in Georgetown, said the goal of Knights in Kentucky is to have a box in each of his state’s 120 counties. “A bill expanding our safe haven law was passed in 2021,”
he said. “Once it passed, we started trying to get boxes wherever could.” The first Kentucky box was installed in Louisville in July 2021. There are now 26 boxes in the state, and the Knights have been involved in at least 17 of the projects, Holzwarth said. Three babies have been surrendered in boxes in Kentucky, all in 2023. “Just to have one baby saved is worth all the effort,” said Holzwarth. Safe Haven Baby Boxes saw tremendous growth over the past year. In 2023, 50 boxes were installed, calls to the organization’s hotline tripled, and fundraising to help mothers keep their babies increased. “In December, we opened an additional facility to manufacture baby boxes,” said Kelsey. “The demand was so high, our other facility couldn’t keep up.” “The Knights’ support is pivotal in defending the rights of these children who would be abandoned and these mothers who think that’s the only option,” she added. The Bullards are grateful that Lynne’s birth mother opted for life. “My No. 1 goal in life was to be a mother,” said Gabrielle. “Safe Haven Baby Boxes has allowed me that opportunity, and our little Lynne is the biggest blessing we could ever ask for.” For more information, visit shbb.org. ✢ NATALIE HOEFER is a reporter for The Criterion, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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‘The Chain of Solidarity’ I
n February 2023, on the first anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv thanked the Knights of Columbus for its prayerful support and material aid for “these least brothers of mine” (Mt 25:40). “Keep praying and supporting us,” he said. “Whatever you have done, you have done for Christ.” A personal secretary to both St. John Paul II (1996-2005) and Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2007), Archbishop Mokrzycki has led the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv since 2008. In May 2012, he became one of the first Knights of Columbus in Ukraine, together with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav
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Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and others. The Order now counts more than 2,000 Ukrainian members, many of whom stand on the front lines of charity with the support of the Order’s Ukraine Solidarity Fund, which has raised more than $22 million to aid victims of war. As the second anniversary of the war approaches Feb. 24, Archbishop Mokrzycki spoke to Columbia about the devastating consequences of the ongoing war; the perseverance and faith that are keeping the spirit of hope alive in his country; and the material and spiritual support that comes from a brotherhood spread across continents.
Photo by Andrey Gorb
An interview with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv about the ongoing humanitarian consequences of war in Ukraine
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Right: Cardinal Konrad Krajewski leads an ecumenical prayer service at the Archcathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv on March 10, 2022. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk (left) and Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki (right) were among the religious leaders who participated. • Opposite page: Ukraine State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy and Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki visit Ukrainian families taking refuge at a monastery in Rava-Ruska in western Ukraine on April 12, 2022.
COLUMBIA: It has been nearly two years since Russia
invaded Ukraine. How has your country’s situation changed in that time, and how is the ongoing war affecting civilians? ARCHBISHOP MIECZYSŁAW MOKRZYCKI: It is often said that people can get used to anything over time — be it luxury, sickness or suffering. Some say that we Ukrainians have gotten used to the war, but I think this is far from true. Joy, even experienced often, still makes you happy. Suffering, even recurring, always brings you pain. A lasting war may become daily bread — but it is bitter bread. This war brings both physical and moral harm; it brings anxiety, fear and instability. Young men are still called up for military service, but there are far fewer men than before. A lot of soldiers have died. So many women and children lost their husbands and fathers. All the hospitals in Ukraine, from Zaporizhzhia to Lviv, are overcrowded with civilians and soldiers. There are refugees and daily sirens in many cities. A lot of companies closed down because they didn’t have enough employees to work. I thank God that in my diocese we’re not lacking food, but it is apparent that people from the outskirts and the countryside are impoverished. Now, in churches, we see mostly older people, women and children. There is a general atmosphere of tension even in those regions of Ukraine where war seems more distant.
Photo by Mykola Schepniy
COLUMBIA: How has this war affected people’s faith, as
well as the relationship among the different Christian communities? ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: Obviously, people are deeply tired of the situation. But the spirit of hope has not died in the heart of the nation, and neither has faith. People continue to attend Mass and to pray. They still place hope in God, who alone can guarantee the victory of good against evil. I often see the light of deep faith shine in the darkness of suffering. I recall the stunning words of a mother of one of our fallen soldiers while standing over the grave of her son: “I lost you, but I thank God for the gift of having you at all and for the chance of raising you for all those years.” Our people know that their lives are not useless or empty. They believe in eternal life — and faith gives them the strength to endure this trial. When we attend funerals, whole communities gather to pay their respects to the deceased. Priests of different rites are also present, and we have grown closer as a result. I think
that the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant clergy feel more united in the face of war and suffering. And the faithful also stand in solidarity with one another. There is a great spirit of respect and community. COLUMBIA: What do Ukrainians need most right now,
both materially and spiritually?
ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: Western Ukraine is largely free
from material struggles, and we feel relatively safe. But we cannot forget that the war is going on, and some parts of Ukraine have suffered severe damage. People there are in desperate need of help. In eastern Ukraine, where the fighting carries on, the need for help is much greater. Civilians flee from those regions, seeking safety further west. Waves of internal refugees, who often fled with only the bare minimum, find themselves homeless and at the mercy of others. Local bishops call for help, and we try to support the most affected parts of Ukraine as much as we can. Our brothers and sisters still living there lack everything: food, water, a roof over their heads. They face a real humanitarian crisis. Apart from material needs, many of my fellow citizens also need psychological and spiritual help. I often encourage our Knights to get engaged, to be close to those families and offer them not only material help but also moral support by being present. That’s part of our calling. Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to take care of the widows and orphans left destitute and alone after the death of their husbands and fathers. This is a way for the Knights to respond to their calling of charity. COLUMBIA: What has been the scope of the aid provided
by the Knights of Columbus?
ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: Since the very beginning of the
war, we experienced extraordinary support from our brothers, especially from Poland and North America. The Knights of Columbus is very well known in our country: Trucks with the K of C emblem have been driving through the entire country, transporting humanitarian aid. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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COLUMBIA: How has the presence of the Order continued to develop in Ukraine? ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: The number of members has grown quickly over the last several years, exceeding our expectations. This is the fruit of Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson’s prudence and courage in following God’s inspiration to establish the Knights of Columbus in Ukraine, where the Catholic Church is not very large. I am quite certain that the visits of both Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori to Ukraine will prove very fruitful, too. The pope, as head of the Church, often travels to different countries to meet his faithful and give them hope. In the same way, the supreme knight, as head of the Order, visited his Knights to show his solidarity and support, strengthening the conviction of our Ukrainian brothers that their work is needed and recognized. He also met with refugees and parishioners, prepared care packages in Bryukhovychi, and 22
distributed food to refugees in the shelter of the Albertines in Lviv — those are memorable encounters. The same goes for the visit of the supreme chaplain, Archbishop Lori. He met the Knights and chaplains to encourage and strengthen them. They felt supported, knowing they weren’t left alone in a faraway country. I am certain those events will bear spiritual fruits among the Knights. COLUMBIA: Is there any other message that you would like to address to brother Knights? ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our brothers around the world, who pray for us continuously. There have been so many rosaries prayed for our intentions already! We really feel connected by family bonds. I would also like to thank the Knights for all the material aid that has reached us from Poland and North America.
“I often encourage our Knights to get engaged, to be close to those families and offer them not only material help but also moral support by being present. That’s part of our calling.”
Photos by Tamino Petelinšek
The Order’s presence here is providential. Brother Knights help everyone, not only Catholics. They help the faithful of different Christian communities and nonbelievers as well. Knights provide continuous, specific aid for local needs, such as cleaning supplies, food, clothing, wheelchairs or power generators. We’re extremely grateful and feel a sense of unity with the members all over the world. Ukrainian Knights are the last link in the chain of solidarity that starts in North America and moves through Poland. Knights also offer their presence and time to the victims of the war. They meet with them and talk with them. They become witnesses of faith and, in a sense, missionaries, evangelizing with their actions. I cannot help but think about the parable of the Good Samaritan. As Knights, we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).
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Right: Archbishop Mokrzycki speaks with Bogdan Kovaliv, past state deputy of Ukraine, outside the Roman Catholic Seminary in Bryukhovychi following Ukraine’s first Fourth Degree exemplification May 27, 2023. • Opposite page, from left: Archbishop Mokrzycki and Ukraine State Deputy Youriy Maletskiy accompany Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori during a visit to a warehouse in the Archdiocese of Lviv where Knights were loading and unloading humanitarian supplies Oct. 3, 2022. • Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Archbishop Mokrzycki serve soup to internally displaced persons gathered outside the Albertine Brothers’ house in Lviv on Dec. 6, 2022.
Thank you for not forgetting about us and not letting the world forget about us, because the war is still present. And it is the most harmful for the innocent and vulnerable civilians, who are the victims of this cruel injustice. We still need that unity which comes from prayer, mutual goodwill and kindness. I would also like to thank the Ukrainian Knights for their presence, for not losing hope and for their dependable and earnest engagement, which is the realization of the principles of the Order. They embody charity by their selfless service to their brothers and every Ukrainian in need. They courageously share what they have with the less fortunate, even if they do not have much. Every small act of solidarity is invaluable. It rekindles hope, gives comfort and strength to face adversities, and fends off despair.
Photo by Andrey Gorb
COLUMBIA: What role have other Catholics, both clergy and laity, played during this time of war? ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: As priests, we continue to celebrate Mass and to invite our parishioners to pray and practice penance. We encourage them to pray the rosary, as Our Lady of Fatima explicitly asked us to pray the rosary for the conversion of Russia and to pray for God’s mercy upon sinners. We pray for peace, for the happy return of those who fight on the front, for the protection of families who have lost loved ones. We also pray for our national leaders, so they act with care, justice and honesty. Along with our Holy Father, we encourage prayer and fasting on Fridays for peace in Ukraine. The lay faithful have helped since the first moments of war. Entire parishes are engaged in helping and supporting the vulnerable. This engagement is very important; it’s proof that our communities know how crucial solidarity is. Humanitarian aid organizations such as Caritas and private people cooperate and display great solidarity. In many parishes, refugees who lost everything, but also local inhabitants who suffer from scarcity of means, receive food packages or other essential goods so that they can survive. COLUMBIA: The war brings long-lasting consequences and hard-to-heal wounds. What future do you see for Ukraine? ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: Indeed, the war brings consequences that we will be coping with for many years: morally
and physically injured men fighting on the front, widowed women, orphaned children, survivors of trauma who will need psychological support and pastoral care. Veterans will need therapy; a lot of them live in rehabilitation centers because they haven’t managed to return to normalcy. Support is needed for widowed mothers who are alone and helpless after the death of their husbands. Such wounds will take years, if not generations, to heal. The second year of the war was the second year without schooling for many children. Some of them didn’t learn to read or write because they didn’t have access to schooling. The war forces us to ask questions that are difficult to answer, but we know that our God is a God of peace and that he is good. With proper support, we will find a way out of this situation. Nothing is impossible for God. We are all counting on his intervention, that he will transform our hearts and the hearts of our leaders and that, finally, we will find peace. COLUMBIA: How can one find God’s presence in all of this
suffering?
ARCHBISHOP MOKRZYCKI: In critical situations — war, natural disasters — we can hear voices of despair: God, where are you? Why do you let this happen? But we know that good will triumph over evil. By his incarnation, by his life and his death on the cross, Christ showed us that he is with us, that he embraces our suffering in his own suffering, and that he embraces our death in his own death. He proved to us that our life does not end here on earth but extends into eternity. This is the place where our faith proves practically helpful; it helps us endure times of war and endure doubts and crises. Faith shows unequivocally there is a way out of the most hopeless situations. Even if we sometimes feel like everything is lost, we have the conviction that something better awaits us — an eternity of joy. ✢ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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If the call to holiness strikes us as boring, then it’s time for an examination of conscience and imagination By Father John Connaughton
“F
ew people want to be saints these days, but everyone is trying to lose weight.” When I first read these words from French Catholic thinker René Girard, it sounded like a joke. What was he talking about? I thought about it some more and realized that Girard is, in fact, saying something important about human desire. What is life all about? What do we live for? As Catholics, we believe that the greatest aspiration of the human heart, the most noble goal we can desire for ourselves and those we love, is sanctity. We should want to be saints. But strangely,
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our imaginations are often so impoverished and our hearts so atrophied that we long for the greatness of sanctity less than we long to fit comfortably in our jeans. Girard’s insight is not an original one. Jesus speaks of it in his parable about a king who gives a great wedding feast for his son (Mt 22:1-14). The king sends servants to invite guests to come to the celebration. But the guests refuse; they’re not interested. This is a very strange response. After all, this is not like getting invited to Poughkeepsie for your second cousin’s kid’s wedding. This is a royal wedding. It
Hubert and Jan van Eyck, The Ghent Altarpiece (open), 1432, detail from the panel The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb / Photo © Lukas – Art in Flanders
WHAT DO YOU DESIRE MOST?
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would be like getting invited to Buckingham Palace, all expenses paid. The invited guests, however, would prefer to get some work done at the office or in the fields rather than go to the wedding feast. Some of the invited guests even abuse and kill the messengers, as though deeply offended by the king’s invitation. Despite his graciousness to them, the invited guests reveal by their lack of interest that they have no love for the king and his son. When we read this, it should be clear that the priorities of the guests are out of order. How could anyone in his right mind pass up such an amazing opportunity? But are we any different? I think it’s safe to say that for most people, at least where I live, the practice of religion is not valued very highly. Weekly Mass attendance is low relative to the Catholic population. Few feel the need to go to confession. Children don’t know their prayers. People don’t find the things of God relevant or interesting. We seem more interested in things like work, sports, politics, reality TV. None of these are bad in themselves, just like there’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose some weight. The problem is that we are more interested in them than what Christ is offering us through our lives with him in the Church. A lot of it has to do with our impoverished imaginations, which make it hard for us to believe that what the Lord offers us is compelling. For a multitude of reasons, life in the Church can seem like a bad wedding, with mediocre food, an annoying DJ, and boring and unattractive guests. To understand life in the Church this way, however, reveals a lack of imagination. A seminary professor of mine who had worked with university students as a young priest once shared his frustration with their lack of interest in sacred things. When a student tried to justify not going to Mass because he thought it was boring, the priest responded: “The Mass is never boring. It’s you who’s boring.” That is the problem with the original guests to the banquet. They’re not just rude. Their lack of imagination makes them boring. They are incapable of recognizing the
The king’s banquet is where we find rest, peace, joy and the loving fellowship that is the communion of believers in Christ, which we call the Church. It is in the Church that we are shaped into saints.
great thing to which they have been invited. A banquet is about more than food. It is also about fellowship. It’s about celebrating something important with loved ones. Whereas our culture has food in superabundance (hence our obsession with weight), we are starving for fellowship. We are starving for friendship. We are starving for authentic communion with others. We long to share joy with people we love — experiences that make all other worldly pleasures pale in comparison. Except that when it’s offered to us in the Mass, we, like the invited guests in the parable, seem to reject it in favor of work, of youth sports, of sleeping in, of anything else. This is the great tragedy of our age. There is a deep longing for connection, but we attempt to satisfy it with worldly and superficial things that leave us feeling exhausted and discontented. The king’s banquet is where we find rest, peace, joy and the loving fellowship that is the communion of believers in Christ, which we call the Church. Christ wants to make us holy through life in the Church. It is in the Church that we are shaped into saints. To be a saint is to live a tremendously full, meaningful and satisfying life. But this demands something of us. It requires repentance and conversion, which means giving up things to which we’ve grown attached, an experience that feels like the cross. But repentance and conversion are liberating because they free us to desire the highest things and make room within us for God’s grace. Grace gives us strength to keep in check the lower desires that can knock us off the path to holiness and keep us stuck in the banality of sin. Sin, ultimately, is to say to God: “I don’t want what you are offering me. This other stuff is more interesting and more desirable than you are.” That’s what sin is. And it’s boring. What about the man at the end of the parable who isn’t wearing the wedding garment, thus greatly offending the king? Though present at the banquet, by foregoing a garment the man has chosen to remain detached. He wants to enjoy the benefits of the banquet without accepting the fellowship of the king. He is attending on his own terms, not for the purpose of rejoicing and celebrating with his sovereign. We know this by his response to the king’s question: “Why are you not wearing a wedding garment?” If the man had responded that it was due to his lack of means, the king surely would have provided one. But he has no excuse, and he is reduced to silence. The man is a wedding crasher, one who attempts to live in the Church without repentance or conversion. And the king has him thrown out into the darkness. It is a sobering ending, revealing the danger of insufficient desire and the tragic end of those who aspire to too little. It brings to mind the words of another 20th-century French thinker, Léon Bloy, who wrote, “The only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint.” ✢ FATHER JOHN CONNAUGHTON is pastor of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel Parish in Stamford, Conn., where he is a member of Father Myron Miller Council 5833. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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Members of St. Therese Council 5377 in College Laguna, Luzon South, gather with parishioners in front of a newly renovated chapel on the slopes of Mount Makiling in Los Baños. The Knights purchased roofing and flooring materials and paid for labor to restore the rural chapel, which had fallen into disrepair and could no longer host Mass. Father Mark Anthony Jamero, a Knight and parochial vicar of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, celebrated a special Mass to reopen the chapel.
BRINGING HEARTS BACK When Knights from Father William Blum Council 3656 in New Hope, Minn., discovered that one of the four parishes served by the council did not have an automated external defibrillator, they decided to purchase one. The new AED system for the Church of St. Margaret Mary in Golden Valley came with emergency response training for ushers and other parish volunteers. ROSARY CHALLENGE This past summer, Pend Oreille Council 14268 in Newport, Wash., challenged parishioners of local churches to pray 2,023 rosaries by the end of 2023. By December, the parishioners were on target to more than double that goal. INDIANA CHALICES FOR CUBAN CHURCHES Father Peters Assembly 248 in Connersville, Ind., donated five memorial chalice and paten sets inscribed with the names of deceased assembly members to the Diocese of Pinar del Río in western
IRON SHARPENS IRON Our Lady of the Genesee Council 4812 in Rochester, N.Y., participated in the National Eucharistic Revival by organizing a retreat for men from St. Marianne Cope Parish. About 20 men attended the retreat, which focused on growing in Eucharistic devotion.
Cuba. The chalices will be used by newly ordained priests and other priests in need of a new chalice and paten. COMFORT OF THE AFFLICTED St. Rafael Guizar Valencia Assembly 3018 and St. Mark the Evangelist Council 7613 in San Antonio have collaborated for several years to provide more than 1,000 rosaries to local people in need. The rosaries are distributed through Haven for Hope, an organization that offers housing, counseling and other resources to people experiencing homelessness. PADRE PIO RELICS VISIT NAPERVILLE Members of Sts. Peter and Paul Council 1369 and Bishop Romeo Blanchette Assembly 3044 in Naperville, Ill., provided an honor guard during the display and veneration of relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. An estimated 5,000 people attended the all-day event, which concluded with a votive Mass of St. Pio.
Grand Knight Mike Abbate of Ascension of Our Lord Council 9623 in Laplace, La., presents a chalice and paten set to Deacon Cory Ford in anticipation of his ordination to the priesthood last year. The sacred vessels originally belonged to the late Father Benjamin Piovan, founding pastor of Ascension of Our Lord Parish and a chaplain of the council, who baptized Ford as an infant. Council 9623 supported Ford spiritually and financially throughout his eight years of formation.
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A+, GEORGIA KNIGHTS Father Michael A. Burke Council 14488 in Kathleen, Ga., collected nearly $1,600 and six bins of school supplies from a drive at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, all of which was donated to Tucker Elementary School in Perry. The funds will be used to purchase essentials like clothes and eyeglasses for students in need; about 40% of the school’s 500 students come from low-income families. HALLOWEEN PARTY Father Owens Council 11114 in Battle Creek, Mich., worked with St. Philip Catholic Church’s Council of Catholic Women to host a Halloween party for children from the church. More than 70 children and parents attended the event, which included food, games and prizes.
TOP: Photo by Robert Rogers — BOTTOM: Photo by Jane McNeill
Jeff Slowinski (left) and Community Director Bob Ostrowski of Msgr. John R. McGinley Council 1170 in Stevens Point, Wis., deliver canned goods from a council food drive to representatives of Operation Bootstrap, a food bank that also provides clothing, transportation and financial assistance to people in need. The Knights collected 300 pounds of food and $500 for the organization.
HOMEBOUND MINISTRY RAMPS UP When a 98-year-old parishioner from Holy Name of Mary Church in New Orleans fell and broke her hip, she was unable to return home until a wheelchair ramp was installed at her house. Members of Santa Maria Council 1724, led by Grand Knight Steve Dykes, purchased the necessary materials, built the ramp and installed it.
CHARITABLE TO THE CORE Knights from Father Hugh MacKinnon Council 8192 in Elmira, Ontario, delivered 200 pounds of freshly picked apples and a check for CA$200 to the Woolwich Community Services Food Bank; the donation was made in anticipation of Thanksgiving Day in Canada.
FAMILIES THAT PRAY TOGETHER To celebrate the Month of the Rosary in October, Bradford (Pa.) Council 403 held its annual Family Rosary Night at St. Bernard Church. The community’s Italian immigrants regularly held family rosary nights in the early 20th century, and the council restored the practice to the parish three years ago. SCHOOL SHELVING INSTALLED Members of Holy Spirit Council 8334 in Lee’s Summit, Mo., regularly help with landscaping and other projects at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School. Most recently, the Knights stepped up when they heard the school needed storage shelves. Council member Ron Hillerman donated steel shelving that was lying unused in his shed, and he and other Knights cleaned, refurbished and installed it in the school’s loading dock and maintenance building. JOLIET GROCERY DISTRIBUTION Members of Holy Trinity Council 4400 in Joliet, Ill., distributed more than 180 bags of groceries to people in need, using $6,000 raised from the council’s charity golf outing to purchase the food.
Mike Bradt (left) and Tom Weber of Our Lady of the Mountains Council 13093 in Stevensville, Mont., unload turkeys Nov. 18 at St. Mary Parish. Council 13093 has provided Thanksgiving meals to hundreds of families throughout Ravalli County for more than a decade, working with counselors at local schools to identify families in most need. In 2023, the Knights gave out about $4,500 worth of turkeys and grocery cards to 80 families. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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Nova Scotia State Warden Gary Campbell (left) and District Deputy Peter Bonner, both members of St. Agnes Council 16817 in Halifax, display a flag commemorating Remembrance Day. In addition to displaying similar flags and signs that read “We Will Remember Them” throughout the community, the Knights placed Canadian flags at the graves of veterans in local cemeteries and participated in local memorial ceremonies.
FEEDING FIRST RESPONDERS St. Paul on the Lake Assembly 2696 in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., provides a meal for local first responders each quarter, rotating among the departments of the five cities where its members live.
donations to charitable organizations such as Home Front Military Network and Special Olympics Colorado.
CONGO HEALTH CLINIC Bishop Charles P. Greco Council 9499 in Clemmons, N.C., and individual Knights donated more than $2,250 to help Emery Ngamasana, a brother Knight, construct a new health clinic in his home village of Matari, Congo.
HONORING FOURTH DEGREE HISTORY Msgr. John Wheten Assembly 615 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, donated a set of Fourth Degree regalia to the Bathurst Heritage Museum. The museum will display the regalia with a written commentary on the Fourth Degree in honor of the assembly’s nearly 60 years of patriotic service to the community.
PAJAMAS FOR VETS St. Isaac Jogues Assembly 649 in Bloomfield, N.J., collected more than 200 pairs of pajamas for veterans in need, an estimated value of $2,000. The clothing was given to the East Orange Veterans Affairs Medical Center for distribution.
VICTORY HOUSE VITTLES Volunteers from Cardinal Bernardin Council 12263 and Father Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M. Assembly 3198 in Bluffton, S.C., served 220 veterans during a cookout at Victory House, an assisted living facility for veterans in Walterboro.
SWINGING FOR(E) CHARITY Nearly 70 people competed in the annual golf tournament held by Sts. Gabriel and John Vianney Council 12335 in Colorado Springs, Colo., at Pine Creek Golf Course. The event raised more than $10,400 for the council’s
K OF C SCHOLARSHIPS Applications for next academic year’s Knights of Columbus scholarships will be available Feb. 1. For more information, visit kofc.org/scholarships.
Members of Harry J. Tucker Jr. Council 11780 in Covington, Wash., install an outdoor handrail at the home of an elderly couple from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. The effort was part of the council’s Helping Hands outreach to serve disadvantaged members of the community.
‘WE THE PEOPLE’ Father George P. Boehmicke Assembly 2753 in Hopkinsville, Ky., sponsored a celebration of the U.S. Constitution at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School. In addition to presenting pocket editions of the Constitution to students and staff members, the assembly invited two lawmakers from the Kentucky state legislature and a circuit court judge to speak on the importance of the Constitution and how it affects the legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government.
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Life TAKING ACTION FOR LIFE Luke Hart Council 5558 in Ottawa, Ontario, recently donated CA$400 to Action Life Ottawa to support the organization’s mission of educating people about the dignity of human life. The council has supported the center for five years; it also provides financial assistance to the Miriam Centre and the Youville Centre, which help mothers between the ages of 14 and 25 with child care.
Members of St. Joseph the Worker Council 16734 in San Francisco stand ready to receive donations during the council’s fund drive for people with disabilities. The council collected $420, which will be donated to the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s faith formation program for people with special needs.
Knights from Pope John Paul II Council 13808 and other parishioners from Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church in Greensboro, Ga., display pro-life signs during a local march organized by the council.
TENNESSEE PRO-LIFE TITANS Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville needed a new ultrasound machine after the Catholic Charities building where it is located was severely damaged by arson in November 2021. Led by council member Mike Stahl, All Saints Council 15706 in Knoxville raised $19,000 — later matched through the Ultrasound Initiative — toward the purchase of the machine. The Pregnancy Help Center reopened this past summer in Catholic Charities’ newly renovated building. KEEPING WISCONSIN CHILDREN WARM Holy Spirit Council 4648 in Brookfield, Wis., donated several boxes of new diapers, winter coats and more than $780 to Life’s Connection in Mukwonago. The jackets, donated through the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program, will be given to children of families served by the center, and the funds will be put toward a new ultrasound machine. Council 4648 also recently donated nearly $2,000 to St. Luke Church for its religious education program serving people with disabilities.
IT’S A (BLOOD) DRAW Pope John Paul I Council 6571 in Colonia, N.J., has sponsored blood drives for 25 years. Its most recent drive at St. John Vianney Church, in collaboration with Vitalant, collected 22 donations. CROSSES FOR LIFE In anticipation of Respect Life Month, observed each October in the United States, Ascension Bastrop (Texas) Council 14943 sponsored a pro-life display of small white crosses in front of Ascension Catholic Church. Knights handed out the crosses to parishioners to place in the ground as a demonstration of their commitment to respect life. SILVER ROSE SERVICE About 250 people attended a pro-life prayer service organized by Notre Dame Council 10514 in Flagler Beach, Fla., at Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church. The council holds the service annually when it hosts the K of C Silver Rose.
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Knights and family members from St. Louis Beaulieu Council 17338 in Bordeaux gather in front of a new oratory constructed by the council outside Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire du Pintey Church in Libourne. The oratory, dedicated to Our Lady of France, was blessed by Father Julien Antoine (right), one of the church’s priests.
MEXICO Members of Mons. Lázaro Pérez Jiménez Council 17543 in Mérida, Mexico South, plant a tree near the Parroquia de Cristo Obrero. The council worked with members of the parish and the city’s sustainable development unit to plant four trees in the neighborhood to provide shade and improve air quality.
POLAND
Knights and family members from Sacred Heart of Jesus Council 16709 in Sieradz and St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe Council 16015 in Zduńska Wola assemble beside a memorial in Włocławek to Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, a priest of the Archdiocese of Warsaw who was martyred in 1984. The group placed flowers in honor of the priest on their way to take part in a K of C pilgrimage celebrating the 900th anniversary of the Diocese of Włocławek.
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Knights from St. John Paul II Assembly 3325 and All Saints of China Assembly 3484 in Markham, Ontario, stand with Msgr. Makarios Wehbi, a Salvatorian Father and pastor of Jesus the King Greek Melkite Catholic Church, after a Divine Liturgy commemorating the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration. The assemblies provided an honor guard, and Jesus the King Arab Christian Council 15045 provided an icon of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians to be carried in the liturgy’s processions.
CANADA
UKRAINE
PHILIPPINES
CENTER, LEFT: Photo by John Cicchine — BOTTOM: Photo by Paul Haring
Knights from St. Isidore Council 14910 in Cadijay, Visayas, participate in a March for Life through the streets of Jagna, a municipality in Bohol. Several councils and assemblies from throughout the Diocese of Talibon participated in the demonstration and subsequent spiritual reflection at St. Michael the Archangel Parish.
UNITED STATES
Members of St. Basil the Great Council 16250 and St. Alexander Council 16626 in Kyiv deliver donated medical supplies to staff at the Kyiv Heart Institute.
Past Grand Knight Mike DeFlorio of St. Dominic Council 4399 in Thornwood, N.Y., assists a man picking up a box of groceries at the council’s meeting place. Council 4399 established a Food for Families program in 2020 as part of the Order’s Leave No Neighbor Behind initiative. It has since evolved into a food pantry, with distributions held monthly and before major holidays.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ✢ C O L U M B I A
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1/24
Please enroll me in the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild: NAME
New Year, New Gear! Knights Gear contributes a portion of online purchases directly to Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc. Thank you for supporting these programs with your order.
ADDRESS CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP/POSTAL CODE Complete this coupon and mail to: The Father McGivney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or enroll online at: fathermcgivney.org
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OFFICIAL JANUARY 1, 2024:
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To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982. 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 10 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2024 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.
12/14/23 8:07 AM
KNIGHTS OF CHARITY
Photo by Adam Perri
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.
District Deputy Simon Mutapa, a member of St. Joseph Council 12941 in Biddeford, Maine, tosses a basketball with children during Ubuntu, an event hosted by the council to share African culture with the community. The event, which drew its name from a Bantu word meaning “humanity,” featured dancing, music, games and guest speakers, including State Deputy Jon Harvey.
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 JAN FEB 24 ENG COVERS 12_13 FINAL r1.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.
‘God had fulfilled my dream.’
Sister Margaret Mary Zieminski Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, California
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Photo by Erik Castro
Growing up in northern California, I never saw any nuns or religious sisters except the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration on EWTN. Even still, as a young girl, I felt God’s call to become his bride. As a teenager, though, I was drawn to marriage and motherhood and dreamed of designing wedding dresses as I raised my children. I pushed away the thought of a religious vocation — that is, until two Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa came to our diocese. I saw them at daily Mass and immediately wanted to get to know them, so I joined the Marian sodality they started for high school girls. They told me, “If you consecrate yourself to Mary, she will help you find your vocation.” Through discernment, Our Lady led me to join the Marian Sisters to proclaim and magnify her Son as she did. My earlier dream was forgotten, until one day, as I was sewing a white habit for one of our sisters, I realized that God had fulfilled my dream in a different way. I am now making wedding dresses — not for earthly brides but for brides of Christ!
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