Columbia June 2016

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K N I G H T S O F C O L U M BU S

J UNE 2016

COLUMBIA

10th anniversary 2006-2016

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Be confident in their future.

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS june 2016 ♦ Volume 96 ♦ number 6

COLUMBIA

F E AT U R E S

8

From Warfare to Welcome Ottawa Knights help Syrian refugee families establish new lives in their local parish community.

BY DEBORAH GYAPONG

14 ‘United in Faithful Service’ Knights celebrate 10 years of the Order’s presence and growth in Poland.

BY COLUMBIA STAFF

20 Hands-On Charity A Dallas-area council deploys a dedicated team of handymen to serve people in their community.

BY SETH GONZALES

24 Knights, the Servants of Mercy Since the Middle Ages, the vocation of knights has been defined by sacrificial service to God and man.

BY D.C. SCHINDLER

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori celebrates Mass before the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa in the Jasna Góra Monastery during the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors pilgrimage to Poland in October 2010. ,

D E PA RT M E N T S 3

Building a better world

6

The international community must act now to stop the genocide in the Middle East.

BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

4

Learning the faith, living the faith A father’s physical and emotional presence is vitally important in the lives of his children.

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

Knights of Columbus News

27

Supreme Knight Discusses Genocide Before Congress and the UN • Syrian Archbishop Visits New Haven, Thanks Knights for Support

13

Christians at Risk

Fathers for Good Prepare your family for heaven by building a domestic church on earth.

BY FATHER CARTER H. GRIFFIN

28

Knights in Action

Following a terrorist attack in Pakistan on Easter, Pope Francis calls for safety of Christians.

BY CINDY WOODEN, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

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Faith Working Through Love IN HIS BOOK Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton quipped, “Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.” Despite the skeptics, the evidence of human sin is manifest both in the world around us and in our own lives. In recognition of our own need for repentance and forgiveness, our prayers at Mass begin with the penitential rite: “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned….” But the words that come next are particularly instructive: “… in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do.”

How often in our examination of conscience, or in the sacrament of reconciliation, do we acknowledge not only the sins that we have committed, but also our sins of omission — that is, the many times that we have failed to love as we are called to? After all, the commandments cannot be reduced to a series of “thou shall not’s.” To the contrary, Jesus said the whole of divine law hinges on the commandment to love God above everything else and to love your neighbor as yourself (cf. Mt 22:37-40). And in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Lord went so far as to tell us just who our “neighbor” is and what it means to treat him with mercy (cf. Lk 10:29-37).

To truly live one’s faith therefore means much more than professing certain beliefs and avoiding certain sins.

The Letter of James puts it in stark

terms: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (Jas 2:15-17). Reflecting on this passage in a homily, Pope Francis noted that authentic faith is not merely intellectual belief; even the demons believe in God and tremble (cf. Jas 2:19).

“Having faith,” the Holy Father explained, “means receiving God’s message brought to us by Jesus Christ, living it out and carrying it forward.”

A full understanding of faith unites the theological virtues, as faith goes hand in hand with hope and especially with love. From this perspective, Knights of Columbus are called to be men of faith in the fullest sense — formed by charity, the Order’s first principle. This begins in one’s own home and extends to the “least of these” (cf. Mt 25:40), recognizing those who are in need as our “brother” and our “neighbor.” It is reflected, for example, in the Knights’ efforts to strengthen family and parish life, in countless local service projects and in international assistance to persecuted Christians and others. As the Order prepares for a new fraternal year and continues to grow, we are each challenged to grow in our faith — that is, to practice “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).♦ ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR

Domestic Church Resource: The Gift of Fatherhood THE BOOKLET The Gift of Fatherhood: What Every Man Should Know (#10168) by Father Carter H. Griffin offers concrete advice on living out the vocation to fatherhood.

Part of the St. Joseph Series published by the Order’s Fathers for Good initiative, it identifies the challenges fathers face and provides a spiritual action plan to become better fathers and husbands. To download or order this resource, visit fathersforgood.org.

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COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SuprEME KnIGhT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SuprEME ChaplaIn Logan T. Ludwig DEpuTy SuprEME KnIGhT Charles E. Maurer Jr. SuprEME SECrETary Michael J. O’Connor SuprEME TrEaSurEr John A. Marrella SuprEME aDvOCaTE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOr Andrew J. Matt ManaGInG EDITOr Anna Bninski aSSOCIaTE EDITOr ________

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us. ________ HOW TO REACH US MaIl COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 aDDrESS ChanGES 203-752-4210, option #3 prayEr CarDS & SupplIES 203-752-4214 COluMbIa InquIrIES 203-752-4398 Fax 203-752-4109 K OF C CuSTOMEr SErvICE 1-800-380-9995 E-MaIl columbia@kofc.org InTErnET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

________

Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER a commemorative medal depicts the revered icon of Our lady of Częstochowa and the polish hussaria in the 1683 battle of vienna.

COVER: Medal sculpted by Vito Valento Cimarosti / struck by Colombo Mdaglie S.r.L., Milan, Italy / 2010

E D I TO R I A L

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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

In Support of Christians at Risk The international community must act now to stop the genocide in the Middle East

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson My column this month is based on remarks that I delivered April 28 to a conference on genocide at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

while the crime is ongoing.

It is our impression that what we know today is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg. A concerted, sustained effort now needs to be undertaken to document the extent of this tragedy.

ISIS and the victims we interviewed agree on one thing: Many of those targeted were targeted because of their Christian faith.

We know that ISIS has killed thousands of Christians in Iraq, Syria and

meted from more than 1.5 million to as THE WORLD’S greatest humanitarian few as 200,000. In Syria, the Christian crisis since World War II is unfolding in community has been reduced by two the Middle East. Hundreds of thousands thirds, from 1.5 million to 500,000. of people in Syria and Iraq have lost their These people are among the longestlives, and entire communities have been standing ethnic and religious communidisplaced or wiped out, while neighborties, not only in the region, but in the ing communities and cultures strain to world. The United Nations must act to accept millions of people fleeing ensure that these ancient and years of war and terrorism. vulnerable indigenous groups We face the very real prospect do not face extinction.

We face the very real prospect of the extinction of many comWe cannot accept one stanof the extinction of many munities indigenous to the redard for human rights in this gion. This crisis implores all region and another standard for communities indigenous people of good will to unite to the rest of the world. If Chrisbuild a worldwide effort to save tianity disappears in this region, to the region. these historic, indigenous miso does the opportunity for nority communities regardless pluralism; and the likelihood of of race, ethnicity or religion.

Libya. Mass graves have been reported in majoritarian theocracy, or something The Knights of Columbus is commit- Syria, and the desert between Mosul and worse, is increased. ted to this great cause. We submitted to Erbil was littered with bodies as ChrisWe have a unique opportunity to the State Department on March 9, and tians who fled had no time to bury change things for the better. Never before subsequently to members of Congress, a neighbors and family members. has the world’s attention been so focused nearly 300-page report that documented Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius on the suffering of these minorities. the atrocities and laid out the legal analy- Joseph III Younan, and archbishops Never has their plight been so high on sis supporting the conclusion that geno- from Aleppo, Erbil and Mosul, have all the agenda of the world’s governments, cide is occurring. called what is happening to their people the vast majority of the world’s Muslims, Our recent fact-finding mission to Iraq genocide. and all people of good will. found evidence of widespread rape, kidThe declaration of genocide has special The United Nations can play a vital role napping, forced conversions, slavery, meaning for Christians in the Middle by protecting the victims and refugees, by murder, property confiscation and forced East. Almost a century ago, Raphael ensuring the survival of these ancient inexpulsion. Many of these incidents had Lemkin formulated the concept he digenous and religious communities, by not been previously reported. would later call genocide to address the punishing the perpetrators and by supThe State Department’s declaration of killing of Christians in the region during porting the establishment of internationgenocide on March 17 marked only the and after World War I. ally agreed-upon standards of justice, second time that such a determination Today the stakes are even higher. The equality, rule of law and religious freedom. has been made by the U.S. government number of Christians in Iraq has plumVivat Jesus!

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

Why Fathers Matter A father’s physical and emotional presence is vitally important in the lives of his children

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I attended a have made “a huge difference” for him symposium on the efforts of the Church and for his siblings. Another said, to address the deep and longstanding “Having a man to look up to makes problems in Baltimore’s poorest neigh- you think you can succeed.” Others borhoods — many of which surfaced told us they had found male role mod- from their wives and families, absorbed nationally during last year’s riots. Speak- els and mentors at their school and said in work, sports, hobbies and the like. ers told of the Church’s work to address how grateful they were for them.

Pope Francis underlined this problem issues such as housing, health care, edThese young men were not arguing in his recent apostolic exhortation, tiucation and employment. As the arch- for some complicated sociological the- tled Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). bishop of Baltimore, I am proud of all ory or making a political statement.

“We often hear that ours is ‘a society that our Catholic hospitals, schools, They were speaking from experience without fathers.’ In Western culture parishes and social service agencies are — much of it very difficult. These the father figure is said to be symbolidoing to address these major cally absent, missing or vanished. needs in areas of the city that Manhood itself seems to be were torn apart by violence only called into question,” Pope FranFathers play a particularly a year ago. cis wrote. “Fathers are often so significant role in helping young caught up in themselves and in The heads of these Catholic service agencies were imprestheir work and at times in their people grow in knowledge and sive. However, the most imown self-fulfillment that they portant comments of the day neglect their families. They leave love of their Catholic faith. were made by a group of stulittle ones and the young to dents from a local Catholic themselves” (176). high school. These five young men told students conveyed an awareness that about growing up in neighborhoods by God’s grace they had been pulled TEACH BY EXAMPLE rife with violence, drugs, unemploy- from the brink and are among the The love of both mother and father is ment and abandoned row houses. most fortunate. important to the formation of a young They told how, with the help of What is true of these young men person. Indeed, every child has a natuCatholic schools, they were pulling from inner-city Baltimore is true of all ral right to a father and a mother. As themselves up by their own bootstraps. young people. As children grow toward mothers and fathers love each other These young men were clearly seeking adulthood, their fathers should play a and their children in complementary to fulfill their God-given potential in a crucial role in their development. Ab- ways, children learn how men and future full of hope. sent a father, young people need to have women should relate to one another: a father-figure whose virtue reflects the with deep respect for each other’s digMISSING IN ACTION wisdom and love of God the Father. nity and worth.

After the young men’s presentation, a It is not only inner-city fathers who A mother’s love helps open a young participant asked them a key question: tend to be missing in action. Fatherly person’s mind and heart to the world, “What does it mean to have a male role absence cuts across all socioeconomic to grow in self-esteem “and, in turn, to model in your life?” The young men lines. Even in homes with many advan- develop a capacity for intimacy and did not hesitate to answer. One of them tages, fathers can be physically present empathy” (Amoris Laetitia, 175). At said that having a dad present would but emotionally absent — disengaged the same time, a father can help his 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

children to meet the challenges of the wider world, by demonstrating an authentically masculine love through concern for his wife and family.

Fathers also play a particularly significant role in helping young people grow in knowledge and love of their Catholic faith. Research shows that when a father practices his faith, his children are far more likely to remain practicing Catholics. There is something powerful when a father kneels before the Blessed Sacrament, prays a rosary, goes to Mass every Sunday, or clearly prioritizes practicing the faith over any form of enter-

POPE FRANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring — BLESSED IGNATIUS MALOYAN: Maloyan (acrylic on canvas, 2015) by Raffi Yedalian / photo courtesy of the artist

HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS

Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis UNIVERSAL: That the aged, marginalized and those who have no one may find — even within the huge cities of the world — opportunities for encounter and solidarity.

EVANGELIZATION: That seminarians and men and women entering religious life may have mentors who live the joy of the Gospel and prepare them wisely for their mission.

tainment, including Sunday sports. In short, fathers play an indispensable role in the new evangelization.

I have been blessed by a loving father in my own life. My dad, a veteran of World War II who worked hard all his life to provide for his family, taught us by example about the meaning of love. I always looked forward to him coming home from work and to going places with him, even just on a trip to the hardware store. He encouraged us to do our best, but he also understood when things didn’t go so well. And his love and concern for us continues to

this very day.

As we celebrate Father’s Day, let us celebrate the role of our dads in building the domestic church, in working hand in hand with their wives to make their homes places of prayer, learning, virtue and service, and in handing on the faith to the next generation. I hope many parishes will make Father’s Day a time for the renewal of wedding vows and that every Knight of Columbus who has children will recommit himself to being an active, faith-filled father who loves his family with a love that is generous and strong.♦

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

Blessed Ignatius Maloyan (1869-1915) SHOUKR ALLAH Maloyan was born in Mardin, Turkey, on April 20, 1869.

Raised in an Armenian Catholic family, Maloyan entered seminary in Bzommar, Lebanon, at age 14. A gifted student and linguist, he was ordained a priest in 1896 and adopted the name Ignatius, in honor of the first-century bishop of Antioch.

For the next decade, Father Maloyan served as a parish priest in Egypt, where he gained a reputation for his preaching and service to those sick or in need.

Though plagued by ill health, Father Maloyan was made archbishop of his home archdiocese of Mardin in 1911.

Lack of priests, widespread poverty, famine and growing repression against Armenians made it a daunting mission.

Nevertheless, Archbishop Maloyan encouraged his flock, particularly through devotion to the Sacred Heart.

At the beginning of World War I, the Turkish government launched a campaign of genocide against Armenians as “internal enemies.” On June 3, 1915, Archbishop Maloyan and more than 800 others were dragged in chains to court, on the pretext that they were hiding arms. During the trial, the chief

of police asked the archbishop to convert to Islam. When Archbishop Maloyan replied that he would never betray Christ, the police chief struck him and sent him to prison.

On June 10, Archbishop Maloyan and nearly 450 other Christians were marched into the desert. There, the archbishop consecrated a piece of bread and had the priests present distribute it among the people. A couple of hours later, as he watched his people massacred before his eyes, the archbishop was again asked to convert to Islam to spare his life. He responded, “I’ve told you I shall live and die for my faith,” and was then shot. Pope John Paul II beatified Archbishop Maloyan in 2001.♦

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Supreme Knight Discusses Genocide Before Congress and the UN

Above: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson speaks on a panel at the April 28 U.N. conference, chaired by Archbishop Bernardito Auza (center), permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.

• The supreme knight addresses the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission during a hearing at the U.S. Capitol April 19.

ONE MONTH AFTER U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declared that the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) is committing genocide against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson delivered policy recommendations to members of Congress in Washington, D.C. At an April 19 congressional hearing titled “Confronting the Genocide of Religious Minorities: A Way Forward,” organized by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the supreme knight underscored the importance of proper planning as lands are liberated from ISIS; of assisting genocide survivors who wish to come to the United States; and of ensuring stability and equality under the law for all minorities who remain in the region.

In reference to the Knights’ nearly 300-page report that contains extensive evidence of the ongoing genocide in the region, Anderson said, “Now the United States must act to stop this genocide, to prevent its recurrence, to assure the future of Christians and other genocide victims.”

On April 28, the supreme knight also participated in a United Nations conference titled “Defending Religious Freedom and Other Human Rights: Stopping Mass Atrocities Against Christians and Other Believers.” Part of a threeday “WeAreN2016” congress, the event was sponsored by 6 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations and In Defense of Christians.

“The scourge of what is happening in Iraq and Syria is a frontal assault on fundamental human rights, freedom and development throughout the region,” the supreme knight said during a panel on protecting victims of religious persecution.

Recalling that in 2005 the U.N. General Assembly unanimously pledged to protect populations from genocide, Anderson laid out concrete steps for the U.N. to make this commitment a reality.

“First, the Security Council should refer key perpetrators of genocide for prosecution by the International Criminal Court,” he said. He then recommended that the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees prepare to locate and aid communities targeted for genocide. The U.N. should also advocate for full and equal rights for religious minorities in the region, while preparing for the consequences of liberating ISIS-controlled areas, the supreme knight added.

Thomas Farr, director of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University and a member of Potomac Council 433 in Washington, D.C., likewise said, “The only thing we can be certain about is that we cannot do nothing. We must begin planning now for the post-ISIL future of that region.”

Other speakers included Father Douglas Bazi, a Chaldean Catholic priest who was kidnapped and tortured

by Al Qaeda militants and now runs a refugee camp in Erbil, Iraq, and Carl and Marsha Mueller, parents of Kayla Mueller, a young aid worker and ISIS hostage who was killed in Syria in 2015.♦

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Photos by Tom Serafin

Syrian Archbishop Visits New Haven, Thanks Knights for Support ON MAY 1, Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria, delivered an address on the suffering of Christians in his country to more than 350 people at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn.

Among those attending were Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, local clergy and religious, and Knights of Columbus representatives.

“Today I come to talk to you about your brothers in Syria,” Archbishop Jeanbart said. “These brothers need you, need your prayers, need your support.” The archbishop described the hardship and pain in his homeland, which has endured more than five years of civil war and jihadist violence.

He also explained that Syrians were among the first Christians to be baptized as well as among the first to be persecuted — including by St. Paul, before he was converted on the road to Damascus.

“What is important is to help and to save the descendants of these original Christians,” Archbishop Jeanbart said.

“They have been living for 2,000 years among hardships, difficulties and persecutions — and they continue.”

Archbishop Jeanbart expressed his gratitude to the Knights of Columbus for its advocacy and for the material support his diocese has received through the Order’s Christian Refugee Relief Fund.

“They have given me strength to help large groups of my people,” the archbishop said. “And they have been instrumental in pushing your government to make a statement that the Islamic State is committing genocide.”

The following day, Archbishop Jeanbart and Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson held a joint press conference at the Knights of Columbus headquarters.

The archbishop responded to questions about the situation in Aleppo, once Syria’s most populous and pros-

Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria, is pictured speaking at St. Mary’s Church May 1 and during a Divine Liturgy at the Knights of Columbus headquarters May 2. perous city, which has become a battleground between government forces and Islamic militants.

“My people are under attack by mortars of the terrorist rebels who send them into the residential areas in the government-controlled area,” he said. “But on the other side, we would be obliged to become [either] Muslim or second-class citizens with no rights.”

Supreme Knight Anderson noted that the religious and ethnic minorities in the region — including Christian, Yazidi and Turkmen communities — are the most vulnerable and therefore need greater protection. Last year, of the 1,250 Syrian refugees accepted to the United States, approximately 10 were Christian.

“That’s not even 1 percent,” the supreme knight said. “The most vulnerable ones that have been targeted

by what the world community understands to be genocide seem to be at the very bottom of the list in terms of priority.”

Following the press conference, Archbishop Jeanbart celebrated a Divine Liturgy in the headquarters’ Holy Family Chapel.

“Thank you for remembering our people in this moment of our history,” the archbishop said in his homily. “May the Lord Jesus bless the Knights of Columbus and help you to serve the Church all over the world, particularly in the Middle East and in Syria where it needs you.”♦

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From

Warfare to Welcome Ottawa Knights help Syrian refugee families establish new lives in their local parish community

by Deborah Gyapong

O

n March 24, 2015, a 12-member welcoming team prepared to greet a Syrian refugee family near the baggage claim at Ottawa International Airport. The group represented Holy Redeemer Church in Kanata, Ontario, including members of Holy Redeemer Council 9544, and Syrian refugees who had already become established in Canada.

As Shadi Al Dakhil, his pregnant wife, Kholoud, and their three children — Yasar, 15, Sofia, 14, and Syriana, 10 — came down the airport’s long escalator, they saw a welcome sign written in English and Arabic and surrounded by flashing lights.

“When I saw the sign and the people,” Shadi said, “I felt like a person in the hospital in need of a heart transplant who has found someone to give him a new heart. … Wow! We are safe now, thanks be to God!” Kholoud recalled, “It was like a dream! Everyone was smiling and welcoming.”

Bob Near, a member of Council 9544, had arranged to use the airport chapel for a reception with not only food and beverages but also an array of cold-weather gear to outfit the family for what remained of the Canadian winter.

One year later, the Al Dakhil family is self-supporting and actively involved in parish life, while Holy Redeemer parishioners and local Knights are doing what they can to welcome more refugee families like them.

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A WARTORN HOMELAND The Al Dakhils come from the ancient city of Daraa, some 60 miles south of the Syrian capital of Damascus. There, Shadi had a job as a shipper/receiver at a large potato chip factory; Kholoud worked as a teacher. They led a peaceful life as Melkite Greek Catholics, members of the Christian minority in a region dominated by Sunni Muslims.

Then, during the Arab Spring in 2011, anti-government demonstrations in Daraa against the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad sparked the civil war that has now lasted more

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Photo by Jake Wright

Syrian refugees Kholoud and Shadi Al Dakhil are pictured with their children at their home in Kanata, Ontario. With help from Holy Redeemer Council 9544, the Al Dakhils were welcomed to Canada last year. than five years. Many Western governments supported what at first seemed to be pro-democracy groups protesting a violent dictatorship.

“After six months, the Syrian people began to worry,” Kholoud said.

The Al Dakhils soon discovered threats of violence scrawled

on the walls of their children’s school: “We will kill your children” and “We will take your daughters.” After learning of planned bombings, they had to move their children to different schools three times.

Before the civil war, Christians represented about 10 percent of the population in Syria, which was 70 percent Sunni.

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Photos by Jake Wright

Clockwise from top: Yasar and Sofia Al Dakhil shine their Royal Air Force Cadets boots, as Bob Near (left), a member of Council 9544 and a retired infantry major in the Canadian Army, looks on. • Kholoud Al Dakhil holds her son, Stephane, who was born in Canada last July. • Father Pierre Champoux, pastor of Holy Redeemer Church and chaplain of Council 9544, was instrumental in bringing the Al Dakhil family to his parish community.

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The Assad government is dominated by Alawite Muslims, a Champoux said, donations were flowing in and parishioners sect of Shi’a Islam, another minority group. Under Assad, re- were offering couches and chairs. ligious minorities had a degree of protection. Thus, Christians “One of the women offered her own home for the people to were deemed to be government supporters, even if they stayed live in when they first came,” he said. “That’s a big sacrifice.” out of the conflict as the Al Dakhils did.

Once in Canada, the Al Dakhils stayed with the parishioner But the conflict found them anyway. Gunfire regularly for several weeks while they looked for a place to live. broke out in their neighborhood, and government forces During that time, Bob Near, who serves on the refugee bombed the area. Twice, armed men stopped Shadi. He had committee, mobilized the Knights wherever they were needed. no idea whether they represented the government or another He and other Knights provided transportation as the family group. Many of the men were not Syrians; Daesh (an Arabic navigated getting their health and permanent resident cards, acronym for ISIS) was moving in. enrolling the children in school and going to Sunday Mass.

Finally, when gunmen shot at Shadi’s car as he drove to The council also organized a welcoming event at the parish, work, leaving some 40 bullet holes, the Al Dakhils decided but it was postponed until after Kholoud gave birth to the that the time had come to flee Syria. With Shadi’s leg still couple’s fourth child, Stephane, last July. bleeding from a bullet wound, the family piled into their car, By that time, the family had settled into a three-bedroom leaving everything behind so as not to alert anyone they were apartment near a shopping mall and public transportation, as fleeing the country. On April 27, 2013, they arrived in well as bike paths and parks.

Lebanon, a country of 4 million, strained to the limit by 1.5 Shadi and Yasar got involved with the monthly Knights’ million refugees. breakfast at the parish and helped out last year at the coun“It was so difficult,” said Kholoud. cil’s Christmas tree fundraising effort.

“The worst thing is you feel that peoThe Knights gave the Al Dakhils their ple don’t like you and don’t accept first Christmas tree, a stand and decyou.” orations, to help introduce them to Still, the Al Dakhils considered Canadian traditions.

WAS CONVINCED themselves fortunate. Kholoud got Near, a retired infantry major in the work at a school that allowed their Canadian Army, even encouraged the THAT THIS WAS SOME children to attend and learn English, two older children to enroll in the and Shadi managed to find work at a Royal Canadian Air Cadets, a youth THING THE PARISH restaurant. But after paying for rent, program administered by the CanaNEEDED TO DO.” water and electricity there was hardly dian Armed Forces. Yasar and Sofia any money left over. proudly wear their cadet uniforms After two years in Lebanon, they fiand participate in weekly training, innally received word that Canada had cluding lessons in citizenship and accepted them as refugees. leadership.

As Near explained, “Exposing them and their parents to citTHE NEED TO SERVE izenship training that includes Canadian military culture and With civil war raging in Syria and growing evidence of geno- traditions gives these new immigrants a positive model of the cide against Christians, the Archdiocese of Ottawa encour- military — one which can be admired rather than feared.” aged parishes to come to the aid of Syrian refugees.

Father Pierre Champoux, pastor of Holy Redeemer Church AN ONGOING MISSION and chaplain of Council 9544, knew that his parish was large A year after being welcomed by Holy Redeemer parishioners, enough to support at least one refugee family. the Al Dakhil family is now self-supporting. Shadi has full“I was convinced that this was something the parish needed time employment at the nearby mall. Kholoud is enrolled in to do,” Father Champoux said. an English language course in preparation for a two-year proWith more than 3,000 parishioners attending Holy Re- gram that will train her to help children and youth with spedeemer’s five weekend Masses, Father Champoux and his cial needs. parish council invited the Catholic Centre for Immigrants, “The family came to mean a lot to us,” said Cathy DeOttawa, to make a presentation on refugee sponsorship. The ogrades, co-chair of Holy Redeemer’s refugee committee. “We response was immediate — some 30 parishioners signed up want to help them as much as possible. It’s a mission for us.” on the spot.

That mission led the parish to receive a second refugee fam“Pope Francis calls us to help those who are poor and mar- ily this year: Shadi’s brother, Wael, is married to Kholoud’s ginalized,” said Mary-Lou Hakansson, co-chair of Holy Re- sister, Wedian, and together they have two young daughters, deemer’s refugee committee. “We as a parish really took those ages 2 and 1. They were living in Lebanon with two 23-yearwords to heart.” old nephews, who had been university students in Syria Within a week of the first committee meeting, Father when the civil war broke out. Studies became impossible,

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and the young men risked being conscripted into the Assad regime’s army.

But the refugee committee faced a dilemma. They knew the parish could raise $30,000 to sponsor another family, plus one of the two nephews.

“We didn’t want to leave one behind,” said Hakansson. “So we approached the Knights of Columbus at our church for financial assistance to bring the other nephew over, too.”

Council 9544 contributed $5,000 to cover the cost of bringing the second nephew, and on Feb. 15, all six family members arrived at the Ottawa airport.

The reunion of the families “was very emotional, with lots of tears,” said Deogrades. “We were all crying.”

With assistance from the Knights and other parishioners, Wael and Wedian Al Dakhil, together with their nephews, settled in a spacious four-bedroom home not far from Holy Redeemer. The young men have since enrolled at Algonquin College to take courses in finance and business administration and are working at a nearby McDonald’s.

The family of another of Shadi’s brothers has also been welcomed to Canada, sponsored by a church in Sherbrooke, Québec. Deogrades’ husband, Eddie, a member of Council 12 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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9544, drove for six hours to bring them to Kanata for Easter, thus bringing about another poignant family reunion.

Like her husband, Kholoud comes from a large family, and the refugee committee has arranged with a nearby Anglican parish to sponsor her widowed sister, Claude, and Claude’s two teenaged sons.

Still another family of relatives is being sponsored by two smaller Catholic parishes in the area.

“Things have kind of spiraled in a good way,” said Father Champoux. “When you see the family integrating, being part of activities, there’s a great sense of pride for all of us all the way around.”

In September 2015, Pope Francis appealed to Catholics to provide concrete support for refugees, thereby confirming Holy Redeemer parishioners and Knights in their mission.

In the words of Shadi Al Dakhil, they had already helped his family leave behind “a dark life and start a new life.” And since that time, they have continued to help more families do the same.♦ DEBORAH GYAPONG is a freelance journalist based in Ottawa, Canada.

CNS photo/Nabil Mounzer, EPA

Assyrian Christians, who had fled Syria and Iraq, carry placards and wave Assyrian flags during a gathering in late May 2015 in front of U.N. headquarters in Beirut.

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C H R I S T I A N S AT R I S K

A ‘Cowardly and Senseless Crime’ Following a terrorist attack in Pakistan on Easter, Pope Francis calls for safety of Christians

By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

CNS photo/Rahat Dar, EPA

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ope Francis appealed to the government of Pakistan to Later the same day, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of take steps to ensure the safety of the country’s Chris- Louisville, Ky., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic tians and other minorities the day after a terrorist bombing Bishops, expressed “tremendous sorrow” about the attacks. killed at least 70 people and injured more than 300 who “Even as Christians celebrated the peace of the risen Lord, were spending Easter afternoon in a public park. they became victims of the most atrocious violence,” ArchAfter reciting the Regina Coeli prayer with pilgrims bishop Kurtz said in a letter to Archbishop Joseph Coutts, gathered in St. Peter’s Square March 28, the pope con- president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. demned the attack in Lahore, Pakistan, as a “cowardly and “There are simply no words that can fully capture the imsenseless crime.” Jamaat-ulmeasurable horror of seeing a Ahrar, a splinter group of the children’s playground turned Taliban, said it carried out into a place of slaughter.” the attack and specifically He echoed Pope Francis’ targeted Christians celebratsolidarity with Pakistani ing Easter.

Christians, adding, “our unity Pope Francis explained, with you will never tire in the “Easter was bloodied by a face of evil.” hideous attack, which massaSince the attack, Church cred many innocent people, officials in Pakistan have also mostly families belonging to backed a government plea to the Christian minority — esthe international community pecially women and children not to demonize all Muslims — who were in a public park because of acts of terrorism Family members mourn over the coffin of a victim of the suicide joyfully celebrating the Easter committed by extremists, rebomb attack at a park in Lahore, Pakistan. holiday.” ported ucanews.com.

The Holy Father appealed Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the to “the civil authorities and all community leaders in that prime minister on foreign affairs, addressed an Organization nation to do everything possible to ensure the security and of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Istanbul April 12. serenity of the population, particularly the most vulnerable “We are deeply concerned at a sharp rise in hate speech, religious minorities.” discriminatory acts and social hostility against Muslims in “Violence and homicidal hatred lead only to pain and Western countries,” he told the meeting. destruction; respect and brotherhood are the only paths Targeting the whole Muslim community because of acts that lead to peace,” he said. of terrorism helps the aims of terrorists, explained Father Before leading the crowd in reciting the “Hail Mary” for Aftab James Paul, former director of the Faisalabad Diocethe victims and their families, Pope Francis asked the peo- san Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, April 13. ple in St. Peter’s Square to pray that God “would stop the “This is exactly what they want,” he said. “Blaming Mushand of the violent, who sow terror and death, and that in lims for terrorism will further alienate innocent people from the world there may reign love, justice and reconciliation.” rest of the world.”

The pope also spoke about the importance of making a Father James Channan, director of the Dominican Peace real effort to live with the hope that the Resurrection Center in Lahore, said all Muslims, wherever they are, face should bring. a backlash due to actions of a few extremist groups.

“Life has vanquished death. Mercy and love have van“All the recent attacks in the West and in our country quished sin,” he said. “We know that faith and hope are a have been claimed by Muslim militants,” he said. “All Musgift of God and we must ask for it: ‘Lord, give me faith, lims should not be punished for that; only those responsible give me hope. We need it so much.’” must be apprehended and brought to justice.”♦ S UPPORT THE K NIGHTS

OF

C OLUMBUS C HRISTIAN R EFUGEE R ELIEF F UND. V ISIT

CHRISTIANSATRISK . ORG

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‘United in

Faithful Service’ Knights celebrate 10 years of the Order’s presence and growth in Poland

by Columbia staff

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ore than 350 delegates, chaplains, wives and guests, including Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and his wife, Dorian, together with representatives from Lithuania and Ukraine, gathered April 22-24 in Łomża, Poland, for the jurisdiction’s sixth state convention. The convention coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Order’s 2006 establishment in Poland, its first international expansion in nearly a century. Located northeast of the capital city of Warsaw, Łomża is one of the original six cities where the first Polish Knights of Columbus councils were founded.

Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Ukraine, who served as a personal secretary of Pope John Paul II, presided 14 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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at Mass April 23. Nearly 40 council chaplains concelebrated the Mass, which took place in the 16th-century Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel. Those in attendance made an Act of Consecration to the Holy Family in the presence of the Order’s Holy Family pilgrim icon.

In remarks that evening, the supreme knight expressed his pride in the accomplishments and growth of the Polish jurisdiction, which started a decade ago with several hundred members in six councils and today numbers more than 4,300 members in 88 councils.

“Ten years ago, we began a journey to make St. John Paul II’s dream come true and bring the Knights of Columbus to his

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At the invitation of Cardinal Józef Glemp of Warsaw (front), a delegation of Fourth Degree Knights, including then-Supreme Master Joseph P. Schultz (left), participate in a procession at the third National Eucharistic Congress in Warsaw June 2005. • Opposite page: Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, then-archbishop of Kraków, talks with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson during the October 2004 pilgrimage of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors to Poland. Cardinals Glemp and Macharski were instrumental in the Order’s expansion to Poland in 2006. native homeland,” the supreme knight said. “He wanted our model of Catholic brotherhood, united in faithful service to the Church, to take root in Poland.”

Noting that in the past decade the Order in Poland has provided approximately $1 million to charity and more than 450,000 hours of volunteer service, Anderson called Polish Knights “faithful co-workers.” He praised their efforts in de-

fense of human life, such as gathering thousands of signatures for the “One of Us” European Citizens Initiative and hosting the First Congress of European Pro-Life Organizations in Kraków. He also noted that Poland had a higher rate of participation than any other jurisdiction for the Our Lady of Guadalupe pilgrim prayer program from 2011-13.

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Above: Pope John Paul II blesses an image of Divine Mercy while meeting with the supreme knight and his wife, Dorian, and Dr. Stanisław Grygiel in 2003. The image was used in a yearlong K of C prayer program for the pope and all priests.

Left: Polish composer Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (center) is pictured with Supreme Knight Anderson and thenArchbishop Henry J. Mansell of Hartford at the conclusion of the premiere of a sacred choral work, Pod Twoja Obrone (Under Your Protection), which the composer wrote entrusting the Order’s success in Poland to Our Lady of Czestochowa. Also pictured are former Senator Stanisław Hodorowicz and then-Territorial Deputy Andrzej Gut-Mostowy (far right). ,

,

,

neighbors to the east and to the north and have assisted our Catholic brothers in Ukraine and Lithuania,” Anderson added. “These actions testify to the vision of St. John Paul II, who encouraged us all to embrace the common Christian roots of Europe as the best way forward to a future that respects human dignity and authentic national development.”

The supreme knight pointed to Poland’s role as “a light unto the nations” during the 20th century.

“One place where you can see this vividly is within the Luminous Mysteries Chapel at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington,” he said. “Just a few weeks ago, we dedicated the altar that contains the sacred relics of four Poles 16 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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— St. Albert Chmielowski, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. John Paul II. All are tremendous role models for our Order and our society.”

Finally, the supreme knight thanked Polish Knights in advance for the role they will play when Kraków hosts World Youth Day in July.

“The Knights will be there providing volunteers, assistance, and — I’m proud to say — hosting a center for English-language pilgrims,” he said. “What we are planning for World Youth Day will take hard work. And it will not be possible without the commitment of many brother Knights in Poland.”♦

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´ Clockwise, from top: The first group of newly admitted Knights are pictured in Ludzmierz, Poland, after their Admission Degree ceremony in January 2006, with Supreme Council representatives and a ceremonial team from Maximilian Kolbe Council 9612 in Mississauga, Ontario, and Cardinal ´ Wyszynski Council 9296 in Toronto. • Knights from throughout Poland participate in the annual men’s pilgrimage to Piekary Slaskie, Poland, in May 2010. The first Knighthood (Third) Degree exemplification in Poland took place after the event. • Supreme Master Joseph Schultz, then-State Deputy Krzysztof Orzechowski and Supreme Master Dennis Stoddard celebrate Poland becoming the fifth country to have its own Patriotic Degree, following an exemplification ceremony at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków on Poland’s Independence Day, Nov. 11, 2011. ,

MILESTONES OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN POLAND April 2004 — At the invitation of Cardinal Franciszek Macharski of Kraków and Cardinal Józef Glemp of Warsaw, then-primate of Poland, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson addresses the bishops of Poland during the episcopate’s spring conference. Later, both cardinals publicly invite the Knights of Columbus to start development in Poland.

October 2004 — The Knights of Columbus Board of Directors travels to Poland for a pilgrimage and to hold meetings with local representatives.

August 2005 — During the Supreme Convention in Chicago, the supreme knight officially announces that the Knights will expand

to Poland, the first international expansion of the Order in nearly 100 years.

January 2006 — The first Admission Degree ceremony takes place in Poland, conducted by a team from Ontario. The first six councils are later established in Kraków, Ludźmierz, Łomianki, Łomża, Radom, and Starachowice.

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Fourth Degree Knights process with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe following the Mass that opened the 4th Poland State Convention, held May 9-11, 2014, at Gniew Castle in northern Poland.

June 2006 — Poland is named a territory.

Andrzej Gut-Mostowy is appointed as the first territorial deputy.

February 2007 — The first Formation (Second) Degree exemplifications take place.

December 2009 — Membership in

Poland surpasses 1,000.

May 2010 — The first Knighthood (Third)

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Degree exemplification takes place following the participation of the supreme knight and Polish Knights at the annual men’s pilgrimage at Piekary Śląskie. The supreme knight speaks at the event, which draws some 100,000 men from throughout Poland.

August 2010 — Krzysztof Orzechowski is appointed as the second territorial deputy.

October 2010 — During the Board of

Directors pilgrimage to Poland, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori entrusts the development of the Order in Poland to Our Lady of Częstochowa.

May 2011 — Poland becomes a state council, holding elections at its first state convention in Częstochowa. Orzechowski is elected the first state deputy.

November 2011 — The first exemplifi-

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Left: A map of Poland shows the locations of the country’s 88 Knights of Columbus councils.

Below left: Members of St. Padre Pio Council 15015 in Starachowice, Poland, are pictured cutting planks of lumber while framing the roof at their new parish rectory in 2011. Knights volunteered several hundred hours to help construct the rectory, focusing specifically on installing floors and the roof.

Below right: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and State Deputy Andrzej Anasiak shake hands during the sixth Poland State Convention in Łomza, Poland, April 23.

cation of the Patriotic Degree is held in Kraków.

Poland becomes the fifth jurisdiction to have its own Patriotic Degree.

January 2012 — Membership in Poland

reaches 2,000.

November 2012 — The first representation of the Fourth Degree color corps takes place during the Independence Day celebrations in Warsaw.

February 2014 — Polish Knights number

more than 3,000.

May 2014 — The fourth state convention is hosted in Gniew, in northern Poland. Andrzej Anasiak is elected state deputy.

October 2015 — The Polish government bestows the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland on Supreme Knight Anderson at the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C.

November 2015 — Membership in

Poland surpasses 4,000.

February 2016 — Anderson meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda during his visit to Washington, D.C., and receives thanks for the Order’s work in Poland.

April 2016 — The sixth state convention takes place in Łomża, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Knights of Columbus in Poland.♦ JUNE 2016

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Hands-On Charity A Dallas-area council deploys a dedicated team of handymen to serve people in their community

by Seth Gonzales | photos by Jamie Orillion

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hen Allen Reitmeier pulled his red Chevy Silverado into the driveway of a home on a sleepy Saturday morning in Cedar Hill, Texas, the 10 men removing a massive tree that had fallen in front of the house were glad to see him — and the log splitter with him.

None was happier than Jim Russell, the owner of the home.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Russell, who, along with all the men present, is a member of Knight Hands, a charitable initiative of Holy Spirit Council 8157 in nearby Duncanville. “Everyone knows that if they needed this kind of help, these brothers will be there. And I’d be one of them.”

Russell has been “one of them” since 2012, and while he’s more accustomed to giving help to others, on this day he was the recipient.

Reitmeier and Russell are two of 35 men who make up the active roster for Knight Hands, which has completed more than 180 projects.

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THE DUTY TO HELP In 2010, Council 8157 formally established Knight Hands as a way for members to help parishioners in need at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, where the council is based. If they needed assistance, parishioners were asked to fill out an application.

Then, pending review and approval by the Knight Hands’ advisory board, a team would then be sent to the worksite to get the job done — at no cost to the client.

As requests for assistance came in, Knight Hands began tackling a variety of projects ranging from minor household chores to major home renovations and repairs. To raise money for materials needed for the projects, the 250-member council has been consistently staffing baseball field concession stands in Cedar Hill during the spring and fall seasons.

The program has “grown immensely,” said Reitmeier, who has served as director of Knight Hands from the beginning.

Though helping others often gladdens the heart, he said, the

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A member of Knight Hands, a charitable initiative of Holy Spirit Council 8157 in Duncanville, Texas, rolls away a freshly cut chunk of a fallen tree.

Knights’ assistance is simply a matter of Christian duty.

“We have an obligation to help people,” Reitmeier said.

“That’s what charity is — giving. There’s nothing emotional about it; we just do it.”

Even so, the mere mention of Knight Hands leaves Teddie Anderson, 74, animated with joy and gratitude for the work they have done on behalf of her and her late husband, Jack, a Catholic convert and Knight who died in March 2015.

When Jack became disabled more than 20 years ago, the Andersons were left in the difficult position of having to completely fend for themselves — that is, until Knight Hands arrived.

“People don’t realize how it’s such a relief for people financially and anxiety-wise,” Anderson said. “When you’re older or you’re disabled, there’s a lot of anxiety about strangers coming into your house. With the Knights, you don’t have that anxiety, you have friendships.”

In addition to picking up, delivering and installing a new freezer for the Andersons, Knight Hands also installed new ceiling fans, new sliding drawers on her kitchen cabinets, changed the hardware on their cabinetry and fixed a leaky kitchen faucet.

While some tasks can loom large, it’s often the small projects that mean the difference between helping people keep pace with life and letting them fall through the cracks.

‘NOBODY TO TURN TO’ Vicki Armstead and her mother, who are parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, are among those managing to keep pace through the help of Knight Hands.

In 2010, Armstead suffered a debilitating stroke that forced her into early retirement at age 57. Since that time, she has been living with her elderly mother, Evangeline. The two are originally from Washington, D.C., where Evangeline worked as a JUNE 2016

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Jorge Ruiz, a Knight Hands volunteer, chainsaws a fallen tree into manageable pieces for removal as fellow Knights work in the background.

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secretary at the Pentagon. When Vicki made a career move to Texas in 1984, leaving her job as a registered nurse to become a computer engineer for IBM, her parents followed her.

When Vicki suffered a stroke, she was no longer able to take care of herself, and moving in with her mother was her only option. Evangeline, whose husband died four years earlier, remembers how desperate the situation became.

“I had nobody to turn to,” Evangeline said. “I can’t say enough about the Knights, because they really help people in need.”

Reitmeier has gotten to know Evangeline and Vicki very well, having overseen roughly 15 different Knight Hand projects for the women. Tasks have ranged from simply giving Evangeline a ride to the doctor or unclogging a drain to replacing a hallway floor and widening the bathroom doorway so that Vicki could maneuver through it in a wheelchair.

As Reitmeier was inspecting one of Vicki’s three wheelchairs, he paused to reflect on his own role in all of this.

“When I was working, I thought I was doing important stuff,” said Reitmeier, who spent his 28-year career in the home-building industry. “That was just noise. Now, I’m doing something important.”

Vicki explained that Knight Hands was an answer to her and her mother’s prayers.

“Whenever there was something we needed, we prayed about it, and people appeared,” she said. “There is always something to do, so it’s just very heartwarming. Then you realize it’s not just me. It’s anybody in the church and even people who are not Catholic.”

Since its inception, Knight Hands has grown in size and scope to include those beyond the Holy Spirit community.

“They don’t have to belong to our parish,” said Ken Rarick, a Knight Hands volunteer and longtime professional colleague of Reitmeier. “They don’t have to belong to the neighborhood we live in. If there’s somebody who needs help, we’ll help them regardless of their background.”

‘ON THE SAME JOURNEY’ David Dybala, a civil engineer who served as director of Public Works and Transportation for the city of Dallas, recalled a particularly memorable project that took Knight Hands to the home of an elderly woman named Precious Bell.

Bell had only one leg and used a wheelchair for mobility, yet she didn’t have a wheelchair-accessible ramp for her house, located in a depressed neighborhood of South Dallas. That’s when Dybala put his engineering skills to work and, together with other Knight Hands volunteers, built the ramp that Bell needed. By the time it was completed, there wasn’t a dry eye in sight.

Knight Hands volunteer Ken Rarick visits with Evangeline Armstead (right) and her daughter, Vicki, after completing a repair project in their home.

“All of us are on the same journey,” Dybala said. “We’re maybe in different places along the way, but we’re able to grow in faith together just by helping others. You see a fellow Knight doing good for others, and it boosts your drive to give to others.”

Jorge Ruiz, a Knight Hands volunteer for the last two and a half years, brought the group to help replace aging appliances in the home of a neighbor whose husband recently died.

“As a family man and Catholic myself, for all of us there was no question about it; this was something we had to do,” said Ruiz, who raised three boys with his wife, Kathie.

Rarick said his time as a volunteer has made one thing abundantly clear: Knight Hands builds up not just the community at large, but the Knights themselves. For him, service has been the best way to foster a sense of purpose and brotherhood.

“It probably benefits me more than the people we help,” Rarick said, adding that the Knights’ visible presence in the community is a strong witness of faith.

For his part, Reitmeier would like nothing more than to see the Knight Hands concept catch on in councils everywhere.

While prayer is a vital part of Christian discipleship, he said, so is action.

“St. James said you have to do more than hope that someone recovers from injury or hope that someone is able to take care of themselves,” Reitmeier said. “You need to do more than that. You need to help them.”♦ SETH GONZALES is a staff writer for the The Texas Catholic and a member of St. Michael Council 10523 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

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Photo by Dorian Rollin

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Knights, the Servants of Mercy Since the Middle Ages, the vocation of knights has been defined by sacrificial service to God and man

by D.C. Schindler

T

he connection between knighthood and mercy may not be obvious to the popular imagination. On one hand, we typically picture the knight as a warrior, a courageous soldier in battle, laying low his enemies. On the other, we tend to associate mercy with acts of gentleness and kindness. But in fact, knighthood has a deep connection with mercy, both in its history and in its core meaning, which remains relevant today even though cultural customs have changed. As we observe what Pope Francis has designated the Jubilee Year of Mercy, it is especially fitting to reflect on this connection, deepening our understanding both of knighthood and of mercy itself. This, in turn, will help us to appreciate what it means to be a Knight today.

IN SERVICE TO THE KING From its origin, knighthood has always been tied to service; the English word “knight” comes from the German word Knecht, which means “servant.” Of course, a knight was a man who had been elevated to a special position of honor as the devoted servant of his country and king. At a deeper level, however, the knight served an ideal as he strove to conform himself to the perennial values of justice, truth and honor. This entailed, above all, a willingness to sacrifice himself in order to protect the defenseless, the weak, the poor and the innocent.

In contrast to the modern “bourgeois,” the person who looks after his own self-interest most of all, the knight understands himself as serving something higher and more important than his particular self-interest. He is not just an

A stained glass window in the Church of Notre Dame in Saint-Hippolyte (Doubs), France, where the Shroud of Turin was preserved and venerated from 1418-1452, depicts Count Humbert de la Roche holding the shroud, which had been entrusted into his care through his marriage to the granddaughter of Geoffrey de Charny.

individual, but part of a greater whole. The knight knows that he has a special duty to take care of others. Twentieth-century German poet Reinhold Schneider, who is known for his Catholic and anti-Nazi literature, once wrote, “The knight exists for the sake of everyone: that is his proper position in the world.”

In this position of honor that entails a devoted service to others, it is not hard to see that there is a natural affinity between knighthood and Christianity. The pledge of one’s life in service to one’s king and country can be taken up, in a Christian soul, into the pledge of one’s life in service to the King of kings, to Christ and his Church — and indeed to all people whom Christ came to save. In the Christian knight, the ideal of the warrior, as defender of the weak, joins with the ideal of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (cf. Phil 2:7).

Geoffrey de Charny, author of one of the great works on the meaning of knighthood, the famous Book of Chivalry, was known in the 14th century as the “true and perfect knight.”

The king of France accorded Geoffrey the great honor of carrying the Oriflamme, the banner of France, in battle.

Geoffrey is also the first reliably attested person to have custody of the Shroud of Turin, an ancient piece of fabric that bears the as-yet-unexplained imprint of a scourged and crucified man, which has been venerated as the burial cloth of Christ himself. We might say that this knight carried the emblem of his king and country with one hand and the image of the central Christian mystery with the other, proudly displaying both the temporal and Christian ideals. He represents a responsibility for the world and a devotion to Christ, a servant of both ideals together.

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were orders of knights, many of whom took vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, like monks. But unlike monks, they lived those vows through direct service to people in the world, carrying out what came to be called the “works of mercy.”

Beginning in the 12th century, the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also called the Knights Hospitaller, established and staffed hospitals, devoting themselves to healing the sick and wounded, and providing food, drink, clothing and shelter for the poor. They protected travelers, ensuring safe passage for those making pilgrimages to and from the Holy Land, accompanying them and even building bridges to make the journey possible.

The Order of Our Lady of Mercy, also known as the Mercedarians, was founded in 13th-century Spain to ransom Christians held captive by nonbelievers. The Mercedarians not only raised money to ransom captives, as one of the corporal works of mercy proscribes, but also enjoined its members to offer themselves as collateral in order to obtain the release of prisoners. They, like other knights, thus sought to live the Christian ideal in very concrete and practical terms.

The English word “mercy” comes originally from the Latin merces, meaning “reward.” In Christian usage, the Roman word came to mean spiritual reward for answering injustice with kindness. Of course, the “reward” for an unmerited gift can only be itself an unmerited gift. The works of mercy are not investments made for the purpose of reaping a payoff in the afterworld; instead, they are gifts that reflect the gift of redemption that we ourselves have received.

Mercy is ultimately the expression of a love that is poured out beyond measure: not “tit for tat,” but grace unbidden.

The Greek word for mercy, eleos, comes from the word for flowing oil; the image evokes the blood and water poured out from Christ’s side — that is, God’s superabundant love that answers our sinfulness with redemption.

Knighthood and mercy go together because they are both expressions of sacrificial generosity. The knight is someone given a special honor, lifted up beyond his natural status, and he lives that honor by lifting up those around him. The external forms of medieval chivalry may no longer be part of our culture, but knighthood was never first about such forms.

Rather, it was above all a spirit of service, an impetus to alleviate suffering and provide for those in need.

MODERN-DAY KNIGHTS The spirit of knightly service continues to exist in our own day. When Father Michael J. McGivney brought together a group of young men in 1882, they called themselves “Knights” because they wished to be rooted in this ongoing tradition.

To bind these men to each other, Father McGivney appealed to their faith and idealism, their desire for community that would be founded on more than individual self-interest.

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in unity with their brothers, to care for those in the broader society. And he showed them that their commitment to the Church and their love for their country went hand in hand.

The foundations of the Order show a key element of knighthood: devotion to the service of others out of gratitude for the grace of charity one has received himself. In this, there is the convergence of responsibility in the world and devotion to the Christian mystery of merciful love. When Christ sent his apostles into the world to teach and heal, he told them, “Freely you have received; now freely give” (Mt 10:8). This is the essence of mercy, and it is the essence of the vocation of the knight.

In his second encyclical, dedicated to the theme of mercy, St. John Paul II wrote, “Modern man often anxiously wonders about the solution to the terrible tensions which have built up in the world and which entangle humanity. And if at times he lacks the courage to utter the word ‘mercy,’ or if in his conscience empty of religious content he does not find the equivalent, so much greater is the need for the Church to utter his word, not only in her own name but also in the name of all the men and women of our time” (Dives in Misericordia, 15).

On behalf of the men and women of our time and on behalf of the Church, knights are called to be living words of mercy — active expressions of God’s love. To quote Reinhold Schneider once again, “If the world is torn by divisions, if the peoples are thrown into the confusion of mutual hostility, how is the world to be healed, how are the peoples to be reconciled, if not through such a new body of knights, which is nothing other than carrying out the will of Jesus Christ, here and now, in this time?”

We who call ourselves Knights have been entrusted with a great responsibility to heal the divisions of our own time and to make manifest the Father’s gift of mercy by faithfully bearing witness to Christ.♦ D.C. SCHINDLER is associate professor of metaphysics and anthropology at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He is a member of Potomac Council 433.

The Vigil by John Pettie (1839-1893) / Tate, London / Art Resource, NY

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

Forming Fathers Today Prepare your family for heaven by building a domestic church on earth

by Father Carter H. Griffin EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is adapted from the booklet The Gift of Fatherhood, which is available on the Fathers for Good website.

W

Thinkstock

hat is the role of a father? Every dad asks himself this question at some point, and coming to the right answer is vitally important in our time, when the very notion of fatherhood is trivialized and undermined by popular media and cultural trends.

What may be called the fullness of fatherhood has its origin in God the Father, who shares his life-generating capacity with all men — both those who procreate biologically and those who live for others as single or celibate persons.

What is God’s fatherhood like? It is safe to say that God loves generating life. You see it on a beautiful day, as nature is teeming with life, and you see it in the wonderful diversity of persons whom God has made in his own image. Only God can create an immortal human soul, and thus he is rightly called the Father “from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph 3:15).

Of course, the word “father” usually refers to a man who has children. Biological fatherhood is a great blessing, yet the responsibility does not end on the physical level. A child needs to be raised through faith formation and human education, and this takes time, attention and self-giving.

When a man looks at his child, something happens. His heart changes, or it should. Fatherhood fixes his gaze on the beloved child and draws a man out of himself. Any sacrifice or hardship becomes worthwhile for the sake of the child who has captured his heart. But change can be painful. A man has to stretch his limits, mature, live in the present and work for the future. A man who does this truly takes hold of his fatherhood.

Yet despite good intentions, men may lack perspective.

They love their kids, but what is their role as day-to-day

dads? Are they still needed as providers and protectors?

Should they assert authority or offer quiet guidance? Unfortunately, with widespread divorce and family separation, and few positive father figures in popular culture, a man may lose his way.

Perhaps the best place to start today is with an ancient Christian concept retrieved by the Second Vatican Council — the domestic church. It combines a father’s spiritual and temporal duties under one roof, affording fathers both a natural place and a definite role in leading their families in the everyday practice of the faith.

Men must not shrink from their important leadership role in their family, which is to be exercised with humility, joy, grace and love. We’re not talking about domination of family life, but rather a dying to self so that others may grow and thrive. The ultimate goal of fatherhood is to generate children of God. That’s the Christian vision of a man’s mission in the domestic church — humbly leading others to their Godgiven potential and ultimately to life with our Father in heaven.

This mission is worthy of every man, but it is not easy.

How to build a domestic church? Begin with God at the center. Pray with your wife, who is your equal partner, and branch out into family prayer with the children. Look to the needs of others through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Place all of this upon a foundation of love, forgiveness, sacrifice, support, self-discipline, humility and grace.

Dad, it starts with you. As we celebrate Father’s Day this month, strive to become a father from the Father’s heart by laying the foundations for your domestic church.♦ FATHER CARTER H. GRIFFIN is director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and vice rector of St. John Paul II Seminary. He is a member of Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle Council 11302.

FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT FATHERSFORGOOD. ORG .

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES WIDOWS MASS & BRUNCH

Bishop Salpointe Council 4584 in Sierra Vista, Ariz., hosted a district-wide Mass and brunch for K of C widows. Four speakers talked about the contributions of the ladies’ late husbands and the ongoing affection of the Knights for the widows. The council plans to hold a similar event quarterly.

CAR SHOW

Runners crowd the starting line just before the opening whistle of the fifth annual Respect Life 5K sponsored by Father Francis Syrianey Council 12567 in Littleton, Colo. Nearly 200 walkers and runners participated in the event, which was followed by a council-sponsored pancake breakfast for athletes and their families. The run raised $4,500 for the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative.

SHELTER HELP

SPAGHETTI DINNER

St. John Paul II Assembly in West Hartford, Conn., hosted a cookout for 40 local veterans at the South Park Inn Shelter in Hartford.

Knights offered food and refreshments to all those in attendance. Following the cookout, the assembly presented South Park Inn with a donation of $3,100 and 18 boxes of care items that were collected by Catholic parishioners throughout the area.

Masham (Québec) Council 6853 hosted its third annual spaghetti dinner. More than 250 people attended the event, which raised nearly $4,500 for La Maison des Collines, a palliative care center. Other local councils pooled their efforts to donate an additional $4,000 to the facility.

SCHOOL EXTERIOR RESTORED

Members of Saratoga (N.Y.) Council 246 volunteered 220 hours to clean and repaint the concrete façades at Saratoga Central Catholic School. Knights washed the concrete with pressure washers and applied 40 gallons of new stain.

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A+ INCENTIVE

St. Bernard Council 13455 in Worcester, Mass., launched a “Better Grades Incentive Program” to assist young council members who are attending college. Members can earn grants based on their GPA to assist with expenses not covered by scholarships or student loans, such as laundry, supplies and more. The program also encourages studentmembers to achieve better

Prince of Peace Council 6593 in Roscommon, Mich., hosted a custom car and motorcycle show to benefit Special Olympics. The show featured 29 cars and seven motorcycles, and raised more than $1,400.

grades. Funding for the program comes from the council’s recycling initiative.

PATRON STATUE

Good Shepherd Council 5573 in Plainfield, Ill., together with its ladies’ auxiliary, helped Boy Scout Troop #19 beautify the front of St. Mary Immaculate Parish with a lit statue of Mary and a small garden. The project took a year of planning and fundraising to accomplish.

ON THE WEB

Father Samuel F. Homsey Council 14050 in Abilene, Texas, helped raise $4,500 for Pregnancy Resources of Abilene to build a new website.

The council hosted a benefit breakfast and raffle to fund the organization’s new site, which offers support and resources for pregnant women.

Michigan Knights paint the hallway to the dining room at the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Farmington Hills during a major renovation project for the cloistered Dominican Sisters who reside there. Seven K of C councils from in and around Farmington Hills have completed a number of projects at the monastery — painting, installing lighting and insulation, plumbing work and more.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION BROTHERS IN INDIA

White Mountain Council 506 in Berlin, N.H., held a barbecue to benefit Father Isaac Honsan, who serves as the rector of a seminary in India. Father Honsan worked in America for two months, during which time he joined the Knights of Columbus.

The barbecue raised nearly $6,000 to help with basic needs for the seminary, such as mattresses, books and water storage tanks.

OFFICER ASSISTANCE

Red Church Council 3634 in Norco, La., held a dinner to benefit a local police officer who was shot in the line of duty. Knights welcomed the officer’s wife and children to the event as special guests, and the dinner raised $4,300 for the officer as he recovers.

Members of St. Pius X Council 9659 in Jamul, Calif., use a wooden form to smooth out concrete while repaving part of the parking lot at their parish. After learning that repairs to the tarmac around the church and rectory would cost approximately $80,000, Knights organized a group of volunteers to help provide materials and labor for the project — saving the church a tremendous amount of money.

GARAGE SALE

Christ the King Council 9257 in Milwaukie, Ore., organized a garage sale at its parish. Twenty-five council members and their families helped collect, organize, price and sell the items. The event raised more than $2,000, which was donated to help build a new parish center. Excess items were donated to a local children’s library, a clothing depot and a donation center.

peaceful environment where a person can experience nature and pray in silence.

Knights and their wives help prepare meals and clean the kitchen, set up the dining room, prepare guest rooms and do laundry, among other tasks at the facility.

TUITION ASSISTANCE

Christ Cathedral Assembly in Garden Grove, Calif., held a barbecue at the Long Beach VA Medical Center. More than 35 Knights and their families feted about 100 veterans and medical center staff members.

Father William A. Daly Council 2122 in Great Neck, N.Y., held an Italian dinner during which a $10,000 check was presented to St. Mary School for the school’s tuition assistance program. Funds for the donation were raised through several initiatives throughout the year. About 150 people attended the dinner, which also included dancing, music and a raffle benefiting retired priests.

ROSARIES & HOLY WATER

MONTHLY VOLUNTEERS

For the past year, Our Lady of the Plains Council 13221 in Byers, Colo., has provided free rosaries and bottles of holy water to parishioners

Members of Piedmont Council 939 in Greensboro, N.C., volunteer monthly at the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center. The center offers a

VETERANS BARBECUE Members of Grand Mesa Council 2731 in Delta, Colo., prepare to unload refurbished pews and kneelers at St. Michael Church as part of a multi-pronged renovation project. Knights cleaned the basement of the church in preparation for repairs to the foundation; removed all furnishings to make way for new paint, plaster and light fixtures; and oversaw the restoration of pews with new kneelers, supports and coverings.

and visitors at Our Lady of the Plains Church. The bottles and rosaries are displayed on a rack that was constructed by a council member, and more than 700 items have been given away so far.

FIREWOOD STACKED

Father Irenee Bouchard Council 8189 in Beresford, New Brunswick, helped a council member in need by stacking firewood for him to heat his home throughout the winter.

CHRISTIANS AT RISK

George Washington University Council 13242 in Washington, D.C., hosted an awareness event and fundraiser for persecuted Christians in the Middle East. The council distributed hundreds of green-and-white ribbons for students to pin to their backpacks. Knights also took donations for the Christian Refugee Relief Fund, raising more than $350.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION CHURCH RESTORED

for students. Young people from elementary, secondary and university education levels competed to showcase their public speaking skills, leadership qualities and knowledge of local government. Winners received trophies, medals and cash prizes.

Florida District #34 restored the exterior and grounds of St. Anne Byzantine Catholic Church in New Port Richey.

Four councils joined forces to complete the project over six months. The work included repairs to the roof on the pavilion; pressure washing all sidewalks, entrances and buildings; exterior painting; and landscaping.

RETURNS FOR VOCATIONS

FARM’S BOUNTY

Wabasha (Minn.) Council 881 harvested potatoes and apples from a local farm, made syrup, and delivered these items along with several cords of wood to a nearby hermitage of Carmelite nuns.

Members of St. John Nepomucene Council 12075 in Bacolod City, Visayas, paint the borders of a concrete planter at a local school. Knights joined teachers, parents, students and other community groups for a countrywide school cleaning operation before the start of the new academic year.

Credit Valley Council 8661 in Mississauga, Ontario, conducted two “Returns for Vocations” fundraisers to support area students who are preparing for the priesthood and religious life. Knights collected redeemable bottles and cans, raising more than $5,100 for vocations.

COMEDY FUNDRAISER

FENCE PAINTED

Annunciation Council 3826 in Beach Haven, N.J., presented the hit stage comedy Late Night Catechism as a

Msgr. Henry Schryer Council 654 in Elgin, Ill., painted the fence around the rectory at St. Thomas More Church.

Council members also worked to clean the church grounds.

fundraiser. About 700 guests attended the show, which raised $15,500 for the council’s charitable fund. Part of the proceeds is specifically earmarked to “adopt” a retired religious sister.

AWARENESS PACKETS

A young contestant spins the wheel at the Catholic Evangelization Booth sponsored

by Roseburg (Ore.) Council 2939 at the Douglas County Fair. Knights provided 64 volunteers to operate the booth, which ran an ongoing video about the Catholic Church and offered free resources and prizes.

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Our Lady of the Pines Council 9852 in Whiting, N.J., created “awareness packets” to raise funds for the Order’s Christian Refugee Relief Fund. Each packet contained a “Support Persecuted Christians” wristband, an orange ribbon and a card describing the plight of Christians in the Middle East. Parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church responded by donating more than $2,500.

TEST PREP

American Martyrs Council 14666 in Oakland Gardens, N.Y., offered a free preparation course to eighth-grade students interested in applying to Catholic high schools in Queens. Those applying are required to take a place-

ment test known as TACHS, which is designed to measure academic achievement in reading, language arts and mathematics. The four-part preparation course aided students by providing course study, test strategies and practice exams.

RACECAR MINISTRY

For the past three years, Selma (Texas) Council 6856 has given more than 700 handmade wooden racecars to pediatric patients at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care in San Antonio. Each unique car requires 30 steps and many hours of labor to create, and can provide countless hours of joy to a boy or girl who receives care at the hospital. Knights are also expanding the program to provide cars to children served by other local ministries.

ORATORICAL CONTEST

Siquijor Island (Visayas) Council 6129 hosted an interschool oratorical contest

Members of St. Vincent Council 11353 in Fort Wayne, Ind., level a sunken headstone while undertaking a threemonth restoration project at the old cemetery at St. Vincent Church. Knights straightened all the headstones and washed them with a cleaning compound to remove growth and restore their appearance.

Council members also cleared trees and brush from the perimeter of the cemetery.

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

donated $387 in materials, while six members provided volunteer labor. The gate was needed to stop unauthorized vehicles from accessing the parking lot and using the church’s dumpster.

SEALED UP TIGHT

Guests are served lobster and steak by members of Calvary Council 8144 in South Portland, Maine, at the council’s annual surf and turf lunch at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. More than 160 people attended the event, which featured lobster, steak tips, sides and desserts. The lunch raised $400 for Wreaths Across America, which places memorial wreaths on the graves of deceased veterans.

DINNER AND DONATION Cardinal Newman Council 5324 in Matawan, N.J., organized a dinner-dance party for the H.A.M. Recreation Program. The local organization provides educational and social activities for people with intellectual disabilities. During the fun-filled event, the council also presented a $500 donation to help with the program’s transportation expenses.

FEEDING THE HUNGRY

St. Thomas More Council 2188 in Westwood, N.J., provides ongoing support to the St. James Social Service Corporation in Newark. As a part of the corporation’s “Feeding the Hungry Program,” council members prepare and serve meals on the first Saturday of each month at the St. James Soup Kitchen. The council also donated $1,000 to the corporation for its ongoing building renovations program.

SONOGRAM REPAIRED

St. Michael Council 14584 at Fort Bliss in Texas joined a Catholic women’s group from the Army post to run a baby bottle drive. The fundraiser netted more than $4,000 to repair a broken ultrasound machine at a local pregnancy resource center.

St. John Paul II Council 16176 in Elma-Montesano, Wash., prepared and poured a new concrete water seal around two sides of St. Joseph Church to prevent water leaking into the basement. Knights also ordered and installed new windows and rain gutters prior to the cold-weather months.

COLORING BOOKS

Sagadahoc Council 249 in Bath, Maine, presented more than 200 coloring books and crayon sets to Father Frank Murray, pastor of St. Charles Church in Brunswick. The books will be used by Pastoral Associate Angela Boivin in ministering to sick and injured children at area emergency rooms.

CANES FOR VETS

Our Lady, Queen of the Americas Council 15983 in Dinwiddie, Va., provided order processing and shipping support to Canes for Vets, a veteran-owned and operated outreach mission that provides personalized walking canes to veterans with disabilities. Knights have helped to package and ship more than 1,000 canes to date.

FENCE & GATE

Lincoln (R.I.) Council 4005 constructed a fence and gate to control access to the parish center parking lot at the historic St. Joseph Church in Cumberland. The council

Members of Yuba City (Calif.)

Council 5978 work to install the plumbing on a fountain that the council helped to place on the grounds of St. Isidore Church. Knights volunteered more than 2,000 hours to transform a portion of the church parking lot into a small plaza that included cobblestones, benches and the fountain.

WILD GAME SUPPER

Immaculate Conception Council 9693 in Paincourt, Ontario, held its 22nd annual wild game supper and charity auction. This year’s beneficiaries were two infant brothers who both suffer from cystic fibrosis. The suppers have raised more than $250,000 over the past two decades and have aided 34 families with children suffering from serious illnesses. corrections on page 5 of the April 2016 issue, Guatemala city was mistakenly identified as the capital of new spain. Guatemala city was formally under the administration of Mexico city, which was the capital of new spain. the caption of a Knights in Action photo on page 28 of the April 2016 issue incorrectly identified the subjects as members of council 13354. the Knights in the photo are casey reuter, Luke Dixon and Bruce Kleinmaier of Dixon (ill.) council 690, working at a Habitat for Humanity site. Knights volunteered at several Habitat projects, working mostly on roofing trusses, and also provided lunch to workers.

kofc.org exclusive See more “Knights in Action” reports and photos at www.kofc.org/ knightsinaction

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Y E A R O F M E RC Y

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Lawrence Frontera (left) and Larry Hess of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Council 13340 in Sterling Heights, Mich., load cases of water for delivery to Flint. The council donated 60 cases of water in January. • Below: Jeff Lubeski, grand knight of Hartland Council 8169 carries a case of water for delivery to the St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center.

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OFFICIAL JUNE 1, 2016: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. 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 06507-0901.

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In recent months, K of C councils near Flint, Mich., have donated and delivered hundreds of cases of clean water to the city. Severe lead contamination of the water supply was discovered after the city switched from using water from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014. Though the water source has since been changed back, lead levels remain dangerously high.

The water donations have been an occasion of teamwork between the councils and among community organizations.

For example, after learning that Art Van, a furniture store, made its trucks and a dispatch center available for water deliveries, four metro-Detroit councils united to donate 100 cases of water in January. Robert Fluture, grand knight of Father James W. Cotter Council 1874 in Warren, Mich., led the effort.

According to Fluture, members of Council 1874 readily agreed they should make a donation. “I then contacted the other three grand knights, and they showed an overwhelming desire to help,” he said.

Also in January, just before the Flint Firebirds OHL ice hockey team arrived for a game against the Windsor Spitfires, the Spitfires began a collection of water to send back to Flint after the game. Within 24 hours, Father Victor C. Cole Council 9671 in Windsor, Ontario, purchased and delivered 50 cases.

“The United States, Canada, we’re all the same,” Grand Knight Dave Wilds said. “We’re all one big brotherhood, so we help out wherever we can.”

Hartland (Mich.) Council 8169, which is in the same diocese as Flint, earmarked $1,000 to donate two pallets (240 cases) of water in March, at the suggestion of council member Bob Scheloske. Scheloske then found that a local water treatment company, owned by a fellow parishioner of St. John Catholic Church in Hartland, would contribute a third pallet of water to the donation and lend the council a truck to make the delivery. About 15 Knights spent a Saturday delivering the 360 cases to St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center in Flint.

“Even as we were unloading, they said the demand is so great, it would be distributed by Tuesday,” recalled Grand Knight Jeff Lubeski. “It’s so easy to take water for granted.”♦

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K N I G H T S O F C O L UM B U S

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

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BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S

C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW

Elementary school children in Quezon City decorate posters inspired by the life of Melchora Aquino, a Filipina patriot. Banal Na Sakramento Council 8753 sponsored the poster-making contest to celebrate the “Mother of the Philippine Revolution,” who, as an elderly widow, both sheltered revolutionaries in her shop and comforted them with advice and prayer.

“K NIGHTS IN A CTION ” H AVEN , CT 06510-3326

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

K E E P T H E F A IT H A L I V E

‘GOD QUALIFIES THOSE WHOM HE CALLS.’ Though I dreamed early in life of becoming a priest and a religious, I always had doubts that I would have what it takes.

When I was in grade school, I used to help a priest prepare to celebrate Mass in the local hospital. But then I would run outside and wait for him to finish, because I could not stand the smell and sight of the hospital.

Today, however, I wear the red cross that shows I am a member of the Order of St. Camillus, which works mainly in the health care field.

I never could have imagined that my entry to the seminary would lead me from a remote town in the Philippines to the St. Camillus Campus in Milwaukee. I came to learn the truth in the expression, “God does not call the qualified, but qualifies those whom he calls.”

I now dedicate my life to God by professing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and embracing the special charism of the Camillians — serving the sick even with danger to my own life.

Photo by Todd Dacquisto

FATHER JOJO OROSA Order of St. Camillus, Milwaukee