Columbia May 2020 by Columbia Magazine

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

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COLUMBIA

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Through the Toughest Times We Stay the Course

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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S " ' ' â&#x2122;¦ ' ' â&#x2122;¦

COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lord, May You Bless the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Millions join Pope Francis in praying for protection and consolation in time of pandemic.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We Will Accomplish Our Missionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; From Orderwide spiritual and charitable initiatives to local outreach, the coronavirus pandemic has prompted Knights to put their faith into action. BY COLUMBIA STAFF

14 Knights and the Spanish Flu More than 100 years ago, Knights served on the front lines against the deadliest pandemic in modern history. BY CECILIA HADLEY

16 The Witness of St. Joan of Arc A century after her canonization, the French martyrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life remains a model of Christian courage and public service. BY FATHER PIERRE AMAR

22 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Journey of Hopeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; A Knight recounts his odyssey from Auschwitz inmate to prisoner of the Soviets to freedom in the West. BY JENNIFER BRINKER

26 My Tour of Hell on Earth

St. Joan of Arc (1412-31) is depicted kneeling in prayer as she vows to defend France. This month marks the 100th anniversary of her canonization (see article on page 16).

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On the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, a WWII veteran describes what he witnessed at Dachau. BY CHARLES PALMERI, WITH COLUMBIA STAFF

D E PA RT M E N T S 3 Building a better world The Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapid response to the coronavirus crisis bears witness to charity, unity and fraternity. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

4 Learning the faith, living the faith Our Blessed Mother shows us the way to persevere in faith by contemplating the mysteries of her Son.

21 Fathers for Good Suddenly homeschooling for the first time? Here are some triedand-true tips. BY TOM HOOPES

BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

28 Knights in Action

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

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Hearts That See SISTER TERESA, a missionary with the Loreto Sisters for 18 years, received in prayer what she later described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a call within a callâ&#x20AC;? in 1946 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to live with and serve the poorest of the poor in the slums of India. Similarly, Father John Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, a priest of nearly 30 years who had just been named chief of chaplains of the U.S. Navy, had an experience in 1975 that would profoundly shape the rest of his life and ministry. Visiting the former concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, where he put his hands in the brick ovens of the crematorium, he became acutely aware of the sacred dignity of every human life. When he first met Mother Teresa shortly after his ordination as a bishop in 1979, she had just one thing to say to him: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Give God permission.â&#x20AC;? He went on to become the cardinal archbishop of New York and a passionate advocate for the poor, the sick and the unborn, until his death 20 years ago this month. In recognition of their faithful witness and service, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Cardinal John Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor became the first and second recipients of the Gaudium et Spes Award, the Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest honor, in 1992 and 1994, respectively. Today, their legacies live on through the religious orders they founded, the Missionaries of Charity and the Sisters of Life. Reflecting on the lives and impact of such spiritual giants might lead us to believe that sanctity is to be found only in extraordinary experiences and actions. However, according to their own testimony, holiness consists in saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;yesâ&#x20AC;? to the Lord and in

choosing to love amid the very ordinary circumstances of every day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Holiness is not the luxury of the few. It is a simple duty for you and for me,â&#x20AC;? said Mother Teresa upon her reception of the Gaudium et Spes Award. In her remarks, she also encouraged families in their vocation, noting, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love begins at home.â&#x20AC;? Like her namesake, St. ThĂŠrĂ¨se of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Calcutta understood that though God gives a unique mission to each member of the Body of Christ, the common vocation of all of the baptized is to love. Pope Benedict XVI put it this way in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Christianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the program of the Good Samaritan, the program of Jesus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a heart which sees.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordinglyâ&#x20AC;? (31). This vocation of Christian charity is at the heart of what it means to be a Knight of Columbus, and most recently it has been at the heart of the Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leave No Neighbor Behindâ&#x20AC;? initiative helps Knights and their families discern what God is asking of them at this particular time. For some, this means reaching out to vulnerable members of their communities. For others, it means simply navigating the chaos of home life and striving to live as faithful witnesses within their domestic church. Whatever our circumstances may be, we are called to pray, trust in the Lord and ask him for a heart that sees.â&#x2122;Ś ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Leave No Neighbor Behindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guidebook The Orderwide â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leave No Neighbor Behindâ&#x20AC;? initiative is designed to help councils serve their neighbors in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Launched by the Supreme Council in collaboration with local and state Knights of Columbus leaders, the initiative encourages council members to engage in five types of service activities (see page 13). Download the comprehensive guidebook, which includes detailed action steps, critical safety guidelines and other resources, at kofc.org/neighbor. 2 â&#x2122;Ś COLUMBIA â&#x2122;Ś

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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 Patrick E. Kelly DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Michael J. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor SUPREME SECRETARY Ronald F. Schwarz SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Cecilia Hadley SENIOR EDITOR Margaret B. Kelly 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.

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HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org COLUMBIA INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 K OF C CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 EMAIL 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.

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Copyright ÂŠ 2020 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER With monstrance in hand, Pope Francis gives an extraordinary blessing â&#x20AC;&#x153;urbi et orbiâ&#x20AC;? (to the city and the world) from the portico of St. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basilica March 27.

E D I TO R I A L

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BU I L D I N G A B E T T E R WO R L D

Our Principles in Time of Pandemic The Order’s rapid response to the coronavirus crisis bears witness to charity, unity and fraternity by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson IN THIS ISSUE of Columbia you will see some of the extraordinary works of charity undertaken by our brother Knights in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. During Holy Week, I was asked by the White House to join the president and vice president on a conference call with thousands of faith leaders and report to them on our efforts. A prominent evangelical pastor and a rabbi representing the Jewish Federations of North America spoke as well. While people of many faith traditions are doing wonderful work, what is striking about the Knights of Columbus response is its variety. First, there is the multimilliondollar food assistance program being carried out through our “Leave No Neighbor Behind” initiative. Launched during Holy Week in more than 20 cities in the United States and Canada, it is moving throughout both countries as our brother Knights team up with local food banks. Blood donations have been an important part of our charitable work for nearly a century, and now, when the need is so great, we are again stepping up. “Leave No Neighbor Behind” encourages each council to reach out to every brother Knight — offering a helping hand should he or another member of his family be especially vulnerable or challenged by the pandemic — as well as to others in need in our parishes and neighborhoods.

We have also made available through our Church Loan program a $100 million emergency fund to provide loans up to $1 million to help U.S. dioceses continue operations during this crisis. Overseas, we are working with the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital in Rome to create a new treatment room for infants with COVID-19 infections. We are supporting Catholic hospitals and a medical clinic in Iraq and Lebanon, as well as programs in the Philippines in response to the pandemic. At a time when it is more important than ever, we again made possible the Holy Father’s Holy Week broadcasts, as well as his special Urbi et Orbi blessing in light of the pandemic. We continue to encourage the spiritual and prayer life of our families — the “church of the home” — through our Building the Domestic Church program. When I announced this initiative several years ago, I said that it would strengthen not only Catholic family life but also our parishes. No one could have foreseen its importance now, when so many parishes have temporarily closed. These times call us to greater courage and fortitude and greater charity and compassion. It is a time to intensify both our personal and our family’s spiritual life. Our Novena for Protection in Time of Pandemic has been prayed countless times around the world.

I have found two quotations especially encouraging in these days, and I share them with you here. The first is from the diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, recording Christ’s words to her: “I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.” The second is from a homily St. John Paul II gave in Baltimore in 1995: “There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us. And on the far side of every cross we find the newness of life.” During this Easter season, as we continue to face the evil of this pandemic, let us fight like knights — Knights of Columbus — with all the weapons that charity, unity and fraternity place at our disposal. Let us continue in this great work that we have begun, secure in our faith in the cross and mindful of St. John Paul II’s affirmation in the same homily: “This is our witness before the world.” Vivat Jesus!

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L E A R N I N G T H E FA I T H , L I V I N G T H E FA I T H

A Pilgrimage with Mary Our Blessed Mother shows us the way to persevere in faith by contemplating the mysteries of her Son by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori EACH MAY, our thoughts and means to follow Christ: to believe in prayers turn to the Blessed Virgin him, to trust him, to love him, espeMary. It is a time when Catholics cially in these days when we are around the world come together for being put to the test. For the Church pilgrimages, processions, hymns and has always recognized Mary as the Lord’s first and greatest disciple. other devotions in her honor. May 2020 is different. Due to the Even before Jesus was born, Mary that a sword of sorrow would pierce pandemic, public devotions to Mary lived in the spirit of the Beatitudes. her heart (cf. Lk 2:35). Mary, who will not take place. How we will miss She, who was poor, lowly, and pure loved her Son beyond all telling, sufthose shared expressions of our love of heart, was fashioned by the Holy fered with him as no one else. In her for the Blessed Mother! However, I Spirit as the tabernacle of the Divine sinless heart, she accepted her share suggest instead that we make an in- Savior. As the events of Christ’s life in the sufferings of Christ with comward pilgrimage to Mary — a pil- unfolded, Mary carefully retained plete freedom and trust in God. grimage of the heart. This is one way them in her heart and pondered their How much she can teach us who we can draw near to the Blessed Vir- meaning. Jesus’ words, “Blessed are struggle with the sufferings brought gin Mary to ask for her help in about by this pandemic. Intimes of crisis. Let me offer a stead of lamenting what this few ideas for thought and pandemic seems to have prayer as a point of departure stolen from us, we can learn How much Mary can teach us for our inner pilgrimage. from Mary how to offer these who struggle with the sufferings First, let’s begin with the trials in communion with the rosary, which we Knights are of Christ. brought about by this pandemic. sufferings encouraged to pray daily. The Finally, our pilgrimage with rosary itself is like a pilgrimMary leads us to the empty age in which our Blessed tomb, where we share her inexMother leads us through the myster- they who hear the Word of God and pressible joy in the glory of the Resies of her Son, Jesus. It’s as if she keep it” (Lk 11:28), apply preemi- urrection. It brings us to the upper takes us by the hand and accompa- nently to Mary. Walking with our room, where she received the Holy nies us through the places and events Blessed Mother, we learn how to Spirit along with the Apostles. It in Jesus’ life — his birth and child- pray, how to open our heart to Jesus, takes us to the earliest celebrations of hood; his public ministry; his passion how to trust in his promises, and how the Eucharist, at which Mary was and death; his resurrection and exal- to bear witness to him by a life of present. Yes, Mary walks before us tation. Making this pilgrimage with goodness and charity. and with us, as with the grace of the Third, our pilgrimage with Mary Holy Spirit, we profess unwavering Mary, we experience her loving protection. She who gave us our Re- brings us along the Way of the Cross hope in her risen Son. For, as St. Paul deemer — the high priest able to to the summit of Calvary. As we walk wrote, “If we have died with him, we sympathize with us in our weakness with Mary, Jesus undergoes his pas- shall also live with him; if we perse(cf. Heb 4:15) — will also draw close sion and death. With Mary, we stand vere, we shall also reign with him” (2 to us in our time of need and inter- beneath the cross. Suffering was al- Tim 2:11-12). May we indeed persecede for us with her own Son. ways part of Mary’s vocation. She vere, in this and in every trial, so that Second, along the way, let us allow must have known that someday her one day we may reign with Christ in Blessed Mary to show us what it truly Son would die; Simeon had predicted the presence of Mary our Queen.♦ 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦

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SUPREME CHAPLAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHALLENGE

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A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.â&#x20AC;? (Gospel for May 3, Jn 10:9-10) Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all gone through times when we feel overwhelmed by life. So what does Jesus mean when he says that he came in order that we might have life â&#x20AC;&#x153;more abundantlyâ&#x20AC;?? Some

H O LY FAT H E R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S P R AY E R I N T E N T I O N

think that Jesus is offering a â&#x20AC;&#x153;prosperity gospelâ&#x20AC;? that rewards the faithful with happiness, good health and financial success. Yet Christ experienced suffering, as do his followers, so an â&#x20AC;&#x153;abundant lifeâ&#x20AC;? must mean something else. Whether a given day brings health and success, or trials and suffering, we experience all these things with Christ. By living our lives for Christ, he shows us the way to fullness of life. Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori: This month I challenge you to write down Psalm 27:1 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lord is my light and my salvationâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; put it up where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see it daily and recite it regularly. Second, I challenge you to promote the cause of life by participating in the Faith in Action Ultrasound or Pregnancy Center Support programs or by making a donation to a pregnancy center.â&#x2122;Ś

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

Blessed Louis-ZĂŠphirin Moreau (1824-1901)

We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.

L I T U RG I C A L C A L E N DA R May 1

May 2

May 13

May 14

May 15 May 20

St. Joseph the Worker

St. Athanasius, Bishop and

Doctor of the Church Our Lady of Fatima

St. Matthias, Apostle

St. Isidore (USA)

St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest

May 21/24 The Ascension of Our Lord

May 22

St. Rita of Cascia, Religious

May 26

St. Philip Neri, Priest

May 31

Pentecost Sunday

May 29

St. Paul VI, Pope

MARIE-MARGUERITE Moreau, a QuĂŠbec farmwife, went into early labor with her fifth child on April 1, 1824. The baby, named Louis-ZĂŠphirin after his father, survived but remained sickly and frail. What he lacked in physical vigor, however, he made up for in remarkable inner strength. As a boy, Louis-ZĂŠphirin was too weak for farm work, so his parents took the advice of their parish priest and sent him to school. He entered seminary at age 15, but five years later, health problems forced him to interrupt his studies, and the archbishop advised him to give up his desire to be a priest. Undeterred, he traveled to MontrĂŠal and pled his case with Bishop Ignace Bourget, who took him under his wing. The coadjutor, Bishop Jean-Charles Prince, supervised Moreauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studies and ordained him in December 1846. Father Moreau worked closely with Bishop Bourget and was deeply influenced by his leadership abilities and spiritual life, including a love of prayer and Scripture and devotion to the Eucharist and Mary. He later served as special assistant to Bishop Prince of the new Diocese of Sainte-Hyacinthe

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where Michael McGivney began his seminary studies in 1868. Coincidentally, in 1874 Moreau organized the Union of St. Joseph, a mutual aid society similar to the Order that McGivney would later found. Ordained bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe in 1876, Moreau took as his motto the words of St. Paul: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can do all things through him who strengthens meâ&#x20AC;? (Phil 4:13). He was a very effective administrator, and in 25 years he led the construction of a new cathedral, served the poor, built up vocations, founded several religious orders and created dozens of new parishes and schools. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good Bishop Moreau,â&#x20AC;? as he was known, died May 24, 1901. He was beatified in 1987.â&#x2122;Ś

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Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square March 27.

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‘LORD, may you bless the world’ Millions join Pope Francis in praying for protection and consolation in time of pandemic

Photo by Vatican Media

ope Francis gave an extraordinary blessing “to the city and the world” (Urbi et Orbi) from the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica on March 27 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the event took place before an empty, rainy St. Peter’s Square, it reached millions worldwide. After giving a reflection (see next page), the Holy Father venerated the ancient icon Maria Salus Populi Romani (Mary, Protectress and Health of the Roman People) and a miraculous crucifix that was carried through Rome in 1522 to end a plague. The pope then spent some time in eucharistic adoration before raising the monstrance in solemn blessing over the entire world. The hourlong event was broadcast with financial support from the Knights of Columbus, as were broadcasts of the Good Friday Stations of the Cross led by Pope Francis on April 10 and the pope’s Easter Sunday Mass and Urbi et Orbi blessing on April 12.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;F

or weeks now it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives. â&#x20AC;Ś We find ourselves afraid and lost. Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lord, you are calling to us, calling us to faith. â&#x20AC;Ś This Lent your call reverberates urgently: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Be converted!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Return to me with all your heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Joel 2:12). You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. â&#x20AC;Ś It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can look to so many exemplary companions for the journey, who, even though fearful, have reacted by giving their lives â&#x20AC;Ś ordinary people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; often forgotten people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines â&#x20AC;Ś but who without any doubt are in these very days writing the decisive events of our time: doctors, nurses, supermarket employees, cleaners, caregivers, providers of transport, law and order forces, volunteers, priests, religious men and women and so very many others who have understood that no one reaches salvation by themselves. â&#x20AC;Ś 8 â&#x2122;Ś COLUMBIA â&#x2122;Ś

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;How many people every day are exercising patience and offering hope, taking care to sow not panic but a shared responsibility. How many fathers, mothers, grandparents and teachers are showing our children, in small everyday gestures, how to face up to and navigate a crisis by adjusting their routines, lifting their gaze and fostering prayer. How many are praying, offering and interceding for the good of all. Prayer and quiet service: these are our victorious weapons. â&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lord awakens so as to reawaken and revive our Easter faith. We have an anchor: By his cross we have been saved. We have a rudder: By his cross we have been redeemed. We have a hope: By his cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing and no one can separate us from his redeeming love. â&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dear brothers and sisters, from this place that tells of Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock-solid faith, I would like this evening to entrust all of you to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Health of the People and Star of the stormy Sea. From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; excerpted from Pope Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; March 27 reflection

Pope Francis shares a reflection during a prayer service outside St. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basilica March 27, before giving a special blessing â&#x20AC;&#x153;urbi et orbiâ&#x20AC;? (to the city and the world) .

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;WE WILL ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; From Orderwide spiritual and charitable initiatives to local outreach, the coronavirus pandemic has prompted Knights to put their faith into action

by Columbia staff

Members of Edward Douglass White Council 2473 in Arlington, Va., load a donation to a local food pantry and homeless shelter run by Catholic Charities. The council is coordinating a group of more than 100 volunteers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; mostly Knights and their families â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who pick up groceries, fill prescriptions and respond to other requests for help from the community. Pictured left to right are Greg Strizek, Grand Knight John Rovinski Jr., Nick Beirne and Past Grand Knight Bob Dannemiller.

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hen the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a global pandemic in early March, the Knights of Columbus took decisive action — responding to immediate organizational, spiritual and material needs. Knights of Columbus insurance and fraternal operations quickly adapted to protect employees, members and their families. Following public health recommendations, the Supreme Council headquarters building in New Haven, Conn., closed March 13, and employees and field agents shifted business operations to their homes. “We remain positioned and ready to serve our brother Knights,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson in a message to members March 16, noting that the Order’s sustainable investment strategy has limited its exposure to stock market volatility. The supreme knight also urged members and their families to pray the Order’s Novena for Protection in Time of Pandemic, based on a prayer of Pope Francis, and he noted various ways in which councils can assist families, parishes and communities in need. In the days that followed, an Orderwide charitable initiative — “Leave No Neighbor Behind” — was further developed in consultation with state and local leaders. “It is no exaggeration to say that we are facing the greatest threat to our nations and to the Order of the Knights of Columbus during our lifetime,” Supreme Knight Anderson told state deputies in a conference call April 3. “I am determined that working together, we and our Order will get through this stronger than ever before. … With Father McGivney’s prayers, we will accomplish our mission.” PRIORITY OF PRAYER Praying the Novena for Protection in Time of Pandemic, Knights and their families entrusted themselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, under her title “Health of the Sick.” The Supreme Council likewise urged all Knights and their families to pray the Divine Mercy Novena, beginning Good Friday. “Our faith makes clear that God is our all-powerful creator and he is more powerful than any natural force, illness or economic setback,” said Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, when introducing the first of the two novenas. “Prayer has always been for Christ and his Church the most important response in times of adversity.” The Order also provided financial support for the worldwide broadcast of Pope Francis’ extraordinary Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) blessing, broadcast from the Vatican March 27, and later for Vatican broadcasts on Good Friday and Easter Sunday (see page 7). Many local Knights of Columbus leaders, meanwhile, found creative ways to connect members spiritually by helping to livestream Masses and eucharistic holy hours, or by organizing rosaries, prayer groups and Silver Rose ceremonies online. With public Masses cancelled in most dioceses, Supreme Knight Anderson also underscored the importance of fathers as spiritual leaders. 10 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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Lance Tanner, a member of Fray Marcos Council 1783 in Gallup, helps unload a trailer of groceries for the Acoma people in New Mexico. A group of Knights from Gallup, led by Supreme Director Patrick Mason, have organized a “COVID-19 Relief Canteen” to bring supplies to remote Native American communities during the pandemic. Their first delivery April 7 comprised enough food to feed more than a hundred families for at least a week.

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Follow these 5 pillars to

‘Leave No Neighbor Behind’ SEPARATION, even isolation, is a hallmark of the COVID19 crisis. While adhering to safety guidelines, Knights are encouraged to participate in the Order’s “Leave No Neighbor Behind” action plan according to their ability, so to make sure no one in the community is forgotten. “Christ’s words ‘Love your neighbor as yourself ’ are particularly important right now, and he made clear that our neighbor was anyone in need,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “We have provided vital support at key moments — including during the 1918 flu pandemic, during two world wars, and after natural disasters. Our ‘Leave No Neighbor Behind’ initiative continues that tradition.” The initiative consists of the following five “pillars” of charity: 1 Support for brother Knights. No council should leave a brother Knight behind. Through tools including phone trees and daily check-ins, councils can make sure that all members, especially the elderly and those living alone, are well and have the essentials they need. 2 Support for the parish. Pastors have lost the traditional methods of charitable and evangelical outreach and need help to fulfill the Church’s mission. Councils must show that Knights stand ready to support their pastor and the parish community, ensuring that no member of the parish is forgotten or goes hungry. 3 Support for the community. As a result of quarantine measures, many find themselves cut off and isolated — especially those without family and community support systems. Some needs may be physical, while others are social, emotional or spiritual. Whatever the need, councils are encouraged to assess and creatively support their broader community. 4 Feed the hungry. Now, more than ever, many are unable to provide adequate food for their families. Knights are especially encouraged to donate to food pantries and soup kitchens directly or through the Supreme Council fund — and coordinate donations from their parish and others in the community. 5 Donate blood. Many communities are facing blood shortages, and Knights who are in good health, under 60 years of age and do not have any underlying health conditions are encouraged to donate. In addition, councils in many jurisdictions are sponsoring drives, continuing a work of the Knights of Columbus that dates to the 1930s. A guidebook for the “Leave No Neighbor Behind” initiative, with detailed action steps and resources, can be downloaded at kofc.org/neighbor.

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“The coronavirus pandemic is a crisis,” the supreme knight said, “but it is also an opportunity for Knights of Columbus to become the spiritual leaders that our families need in this hour, when the only church we can enter is our own domestic church.” In particular, fathers were encouraged to lead their families in praying the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, using resources specially created by the Supreme Council. ADAPT AND SERVE While Knights of Columbus staff has continued business operations remotely and field agents are conducting meetings with clients online, the Order’s Fraternal Mission department has hosted a series of webinars to assist K of C leaders. The Supreme Council has also published twice-weekly special issues of Knightline to encourage and mobilize Knights during this time. Central to the Order’s response has been the “Leave No Neighbor Behind” initiative, which has focused Knights’ charitable efforts on five pillars in the face of the pandemic (see sidebar). Addressing one of the five pillars — feeding the hungry — the Supreme Council helped kick things off on April 7 by announcing an initial donation of more than $1 million to food banks in more than 20 major cities throughout the United States and Canada. “In addition to confronting the threat of the COVID illness itself, we are facing a pandemic situation in which hunger is a growing concern for an increasing number of unemployed individuals and their families,” explained Supreme Knight Anderson. The Order is also helping U.S. dioceses weather the financial impact of the pandemic. The Knights established a $100 million fund in late March, offering up to a $1 million secured line of credit per diocese. Globally, the Order has committed support to hospitals and clinics in Iraq and Lebanon and is collaborating with USAID in food and medical aid programs in the Philippines. In addition, the Supreme Council donated $100,000 to the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital for a high-intensity treatment room for infants and newborns with COVID-19 infections. The unit will be named for the Knights’ founder, Venerable Michael McGivney. Finally, in addition to practicing charity and unity, Knights have worked to build and strengthen fraternity, even while in-person meetings have been suspended. State leadership has collaborated with K of C staff to organize “virtual” state conventions, beginning in late April. The Supreme Council also conducted its first online exemplification April 16, drawing more than 13,000 participants. For more information, visit kofc.org/coronavirus.♦

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From top: Father Stephen Hamilton raises the cross for veneration from the parking lot of St. Monicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church in Edmond, Okla., on Good Friday, April 10. Parishioners participated in Holy Week liturgies from their cars, listening via radio. Members of St. Monica Council 11237 assisted Father Hamilton, their pastor and council chaplain, by setting up and taking down the temporary altar and other equipment. â&#x20AC;˘ Grand Knight Charlie Shelley (left) of St. Finbar Council 15728 and Grand Knight Louis Stuto Jr. (right) of Most Precious Blood Council 6134 supply sandwiches to medical staff at the emergency room of Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Councils representing Kings County District 36 came to the aid of emergency personnel after the centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cafeteria was converted into triage units in late March. â&#x20AC;˘ The children of Francesc and Maria-Laura Vives in Edmonton, Alberta, where Francesc is a member of Holy Trinity Council 12353, sit beneath the Stations of the Cross they colored. The Supreme Council had designed a special coloring book for families based on the mosaics of Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik. â&#x20AC;˘ Jay Lechner, a member of Christ the King Council 12165 in Tampa, Fla., helps with a blood drive at Christ the King Catholic Church on April 5.

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KNIGHTS AND THE

SPANISH FLU More than 100 years ago, Knights served on the front lines against the deadliest pandemic in modern history

ews stories about the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 sound strikingly familiar today: reports on schools closing, church services being suspended and temporary hospital wards being set up. Equally familiar are news headlines about how the Knights of Columbus responded. One headline in the Oakland Tribune on Oct. 26, 1918, read, â&#x20AC;&#x153;K.C. Order May Donate Hospital; Knights are Busy Caring for Sick.â&#x20AC;? The next day, a San Antonio newspaper reported, â&#x20AC;&#x153;K.C. Secretaries Fight Influenza.â&#x20AC;? These K of C secretaries, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Caseys,â&#x20AC;? were the men who staffed the Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s network of military recreation huts during World War I â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and they were in a prime position to help. Military bases, where thousands lived in close quarters, were hit hard by the virus. Although many huts were ordered to close to slow the spread of flu, secretaries found ways to continue their work. At Camp Dix, N.J., where outdoor events were still permitted, Caseys showed outdoor â&#x20AC;&#x153;moving picturesâ&#x20AC;? to huge audiences each night; others delivered reading material and stationery to soldiers quarantined at Camp Dodge, Iowa. In San Antonio, secretaries donned masks to visit with soldiers hospitalized at Kelly Field. As the number of flu patients mounted at Camp Zachary Taylor in 14 â&#x2122;Ś C O L U M B I A â&#x2122;Ś

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Kentucky, one of the Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest training camps, the Knightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hut became a temporary hospital ward and scores of Catholic religious sisters volunteered to serve as nurses. By the time the pandemic had ended, an estimated 500 million people had been infected with the Spanish flu â&#x20AC;&#x201D; about a quarter of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population. The death toll worldwide was 50 million. More than 3,000 members of the Order â&#x20AC;&#x201D; nearly a million strong at the time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; succumbed to the deadly disease. A Sister of Charity of Nazareth working at Camp Taylor recalled how much the K of C secretaries helped through the difficult months as approximately 800 soldiers in the camp died. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Knights of Columbus were engaged for the greater part of the day and night,â&#x20AC;? she wrote in 1920 in a report for the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was they who found the Catholic sick and piloted the priests to them. Without such aid, the priests could never have found their way to so many.â&#x20AC;? The sister concluded, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Sisters could go to the Knights of Columbus for anything they wanted in the way of extras for their boys, and whatever was wanted would be gotten.â&#x20AC;?â&#x2122;Ś CECILIA HADLEY is senior editor of Columbia.

by Cecilia Hadley

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Knights of Columbus secretary Thomas Clines (left) and military chaplain Father Regis Barrett (right) stand with religious sisters who volunteered as nurses at Camp Zachary Taylor, Ky. During the 1918 influenza epidemic, the K of C hut was used as an emergency hospital.

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A marble statue at NotreDame Cathedral in Paris depicts St. Joan of Arc praying before battle.

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THE WITNESS OF ST. JOAN OF ARC A century after her canonization, the French martyr’s life remains a model of Christian courage and public service by Father Pierre Amar

“G

ive me the command of a small army, and I will restore order throughout the country in the name of God!” Hearing these words proclaimed by a 16-year-old shepherdess who could neither read nor write, Sir Robert de Baudricourt was stunned. Anyone else would have sent the audacious girl back to her flocks, but Baudricourt, a knight in command of a military garrison in the east of France, listened to her appeal. This was a miracle in itself, and many more would follow in the short yet dramatic life of Joan of Arc. After leading an army in support of the French king, she was condemned to death for heresy by corrupt judges and burned at the stake May 30, 1431, at age 19. Twenty-five years later, her reputation was restored, but it took another five centuries before she was canonized a saint on May 16, 1920. Joan played an integral part in the history of France, and her story is a rare case in which religious experience and political mission are intimately linked. HISTORY AND MEMORY Joan was born in 1412 in the village of Domrémy, about 275 km (170 miles) east of Paris. (Today the town is home to a Knights of Columbus council, named, of course, after St. Joan of Arc.) The situation in Europe in Joan’s time was particularly troubled: The Western Schism, with its competing claims to the papacy, lasted until 1417, while the Hundred Years’ War would continue until 1453. Factions in France had been battling for power — against England and against each other — for decades. By 1420, the queen of France had signed a treaty disinheriting her son, the dauphin (crown prince) Charles, and transferring the throne to Henry V of England. Several years later, Joan had her first mystical experience at age 13 — she heard the “voice” of St. Michael the Archangel, and later those of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret of Antioch — and felt called by God to help alleviate the suffering of her country.

During two particularly intense years, she undertook a mission to expel English forces and place Charles on the French throne. Her banner was blessed in Blois, also home to a council of Knights; her suit of armor was forged in Tours, where a memorial stone in the cathedral recalls the Knights’ presence in World War I. The city of Orléans, which had been under siege by the English for more than six months, was liberated in May 1429, just nine days after Joan’s arrival. It was the French army’s first significant victory, and a turning point in the war. Joan saw the coronation of King Charles VII at Reims Cathedral two months later. The following year, a truce with England abruptly came to an end, and Joan was captured in the northern city of Compiègne, which she was helping to defend against a siege. She was eventually put on trial in Rouen, the capital of the Normandy region, and condemned as a heretic. On the morning of May 30, Joan received holy Communion for the last time, in prison, and was led to the stake in the town square. Asking a priest to hold up a cross, she died with her eyes fixed upon the crucified Christ, crying out the name of Jesus. Since Joan of Arc was the subject of two trials, much is known about her life. The first trial, conducted by ecclesiastical judges, condemned her. The second — the rehabilitation trial — concluded 25 years after her death, based on the testimony of people who knew her. The debates and statements of the trial were recorded, and nearly 600 years later, some of her saintly exclamations are remembered today. A number of them appear in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “We must ‘serve God first’” (223); “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they’re just one thing, and we shouldn’t complicate the matter” (795); “Asked if she knew that she was in God’s grace, she replied: ‘If I am not, may it please God to put me in it; if I am, may it please God to keep me there’” (2005). M AY 2020

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A FIGURE OF HOLINESS The difficulty with Joan of Arc is that we have often made her a kind of caricature that hides the essentials â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as if the warrior prevented us from seeing the saint. God gave her many victories, but when the Church proclaimed her a saint, it was not because of her military exploits or her political role, but because of her holiness. St. Joan of Arcâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiness consists of a childlike spirit, similar to that of another famous French saint, ThĂŠrĂ¨se of Lisieux. When her mission begins, Joan is still almost a child. And, spiritually speaking, she will never leave childhood. The answers she gives at her trial reveal a childlike faith; and as for her theology, if we can use this term for Joan, it is also a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theology. All she knows, as she readily admits, is the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Creed, which she learned from her mother. Joan owed much of her understanding of God to her faithful and regular prayer. It was prayer according to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart, consisting not only of saying her prayers but of being in prayer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of contemplating God in spirit, of living in his presence, of talking to him constantly, very familiarly, about everything 18 â&#x2122;Ś C O L U M B I A â&#x2122;Ś

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and nothing. This form of contemplation is the true source of knowledge of God. St. Thomas Aquinas, who is perhaps the greatest theologian the Church has known, said that he understood more by contemplating a crucifix than by devouring the library in his monastery. Joan added to all this a great devotion to Mary, the saints and angels, as well as a regular recourse to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, at a time when frequent reception of holy Communion was uncommon. But the key to Joanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiness, for every saint has one, lies in her docility. One fine day, voices call her â&#x20AC;&#x201D; first St. Michael, and later other saints. She answers them, and she leaves home. And throughout her mission, she does nothing, absolutely nothing, without first asking for detailed instructions. With St. Joan of Arc, the Lord wanted to offer us an example of spiritual docility. This is why she is holy, regardless of her history. A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;YESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TO THE CALL In the end, Joanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lesson is very simple: There is no Christian life, no progress toward holiness, without a decisive â&#x20AC;&#x153;yes.â&#x20AC;? For

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson joins more than 100 Knights gathered for a combined exemplification ceremony Feb. 13 at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis des Invalides in Paris.

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‘A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY’ Knights of Columbus celebrates a rich history and promising future in France SUPREME KNIGHT CARL ANDERSON paid tribute to the past and looked forward to the future during a visit with Knights of Columbus in France in February, following the K of C Board of Directors’ pilgrimage to Rome. “I wished to come here after my pilgrimage to Rome because the service of our Order to the Holy See began after a pilgrimage to France,” the supreme knight told Knights gathered in Paris Feb. 13. “And if during this centenary of service we have supported nine popes, all this was made possible because we came to France.” The first K of C councils in France were established in December 2015, but the Order’s close connection with the country goes back much further. The Knights of Columbus operated recreation huts throughout France during World War I, and in August 1920, a large delegation of Knights made a pilgrimage to Metz. The pilgrims, led by Supreme Knight James Flaherty, presented the city with a statue of its native son and hero of the American Revolution,

the Marquis de Lafayette. They also presented a gold ceremonial baton to Marshal Ferdinand Foch, supreme allied commander during World War I. The delegation then went on to meet with Pope Benedict XV in Rome, beginning the Order’s century of service to the successors of St. Peter. During his visit to Paris in February, Supreme Knight Anderson prayed at the tomb of Marshal Foch, who became the millionth member of the Order — and the first Knight of Columbus in France — by vote of the Board of Directors during his tour of the United States in November 1921. Foch is interred near Napoleon at Les Invalides, a complex that includes a veterans’ hospital, military museums and memorials, and a home for war veterans. More than 100 Knights and 20 new candidates later participated in a combined exemplification ceremony at the nearby Cathedral of Saint-Louis des Invalides, the cathedral of the Diocese of the French Armed Forces. The supreme knight also thanked Bishop Antoine de Romanet

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for his collaboration with the Knights, which has included the annual international military pilgrimage to Lourdes. In the past five years, the Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in France has grown to include more than 500 Knights in 22 councils, spread throughout 12 dioceses. Later this year, the supreme knight announced, France would be granted territory status. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is important for us to be active in those countries which will be the most important for the future of the Catholic Church in the coming century,â&#x20AC;? Supreme Knight Anderson told Knights participating in the ceremonial. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are in France because France is decisive in evangelization and the future of the Catholic Church.â&#x20AC;? In recent weeks, the Knights of Columbus in France have been busy responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Blessed Charles de Foucauld Council 16502 in Paris has mobilized hundreds of volunteers for the archdiocese, distributing thousands of meals to the homeless and other people in precarious situations. In Saint-RaphaĂŤl, in southern France, members of St. Honorat Council 17338 are delivering food parcels to people who are isolated. Councils have also been helping to facilitate the online streaming of parish Masses and other spiritual events. The quarantine has also required Knights who are fathers to step up as leaders of their domestic church, noted Arnaud Boutheon, grand knight of Council 16502 and the Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special consultant for French affairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a historic opportunity,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to show our children fathers kneeling, praying, armed with the rosary.â&#x20AC;?â&#x2122;Ś 20 â&#x2122;Ś C O L U M B I A â&#x2122;Ś

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mission that was eminently political, he chose a small, illiterate shepherdess who was completely ignorant of politics. Politics, in its first sense, is the management of the life of the city. And God, who wants the good of men, is interested in this work. In his name, the Church never tires of asking for a generation of men and women who understand that politics is a demanding path of charity in action â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a charity based on an essential conviction that all power is called to service. To enter politics to serve oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brothers means to forget oneself and to take on the mantle of the servant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like Christ on the evening of Holy Thursday. Joan of Arcâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whole life is a lesson and encouragement for those who are committed to political service of their fellow citizens. Like St. Louis before her and St. Thomas More after, she gives all her nobility and dignity to political commitment. In this sense, she cannot be claimed by any one political party â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or even one nation. She belongs to the whole world.â&#x2122;Ś FATHER PIERRE AMAR is a priest of the Diocese of Versailles, France, and a charter member of PĂ¨re Jacques Hamel Council 16915 in Limay. An author and speaker engaged on social media, he co-founded the French Catholic website Padreblog.

Supreme Knight Anderson is pictured after laying a wreath at the tomb of Marshal Ferdinand Foch, supreme allied commander during World War I and the first Knight of Columbus in France. The supreme knight was accompanied by Lt. Gen. Christophe de Saint-Chamas, military governor of the HĂ´tel des Invalides (right), and a delegation of French Knights.

Joan, this included her vow of virginity and her intense commitment to God. Our own yes must also mark a break and must be repeated, at least implicitly, every day. It is a yes that must be pronounced in faith â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and often even in the darkness of faith. Christian life is always an adventure. You commit without exactly knowing what it entails; you never know what crosses the next day will bring. The yes that God asks of us is an unconditional yes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but once we give it, his grace is also unconditional. The life of Joan of Arc illustrates all this. It shows what the faith of a Christian allied with the grace of God can do. It shows us that the only decisive victory is that of fidelity to our vocation. Novelist AndrĂŠ Malraux, Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first minister of cultural affairs, once described what the strength of Joanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courage and the serenity of her convictions were able to achieve: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this world where the dauphin doubted that he was the dauphin, France that it was France, the army that it was an army, Joan reestablished the army, the king, France!â&#x20AC;? God definitely has a curious conception of human resource management: For a warrior, he chose a frail young girl. For a

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

To Teach Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Own Suddenly homeschooling for the first time? Here are some tried-and-true tips by Tom Hoopes

ith the closing of schools during the coronavirus 4. Enlist mealtime helpers. When parents have so pandemic, many parents have found themselves many other duties, the cooking, clearing and cleaning suddenly overseeing their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education. As several need to be shared by everyone. This may take more time headlines proclaimed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Are All Homeschoolers Now.â&#x20AC;? at first as you train your workers, but it will absolutely Knowing my wife and I are experienced homeschooling pay off going forward. parents, many friends have reached out with panicked Bonus tip: Once you have your children trained, use these pleas on how to organize a school day. The following are times to grade or check assignments, or you might be up all night. our suggestions for surviving â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and thriving. 5. Build bonds between siblings. One unfortunate as1. Start the day with a prayer. Human psychology needs pect of schools is that siblings rarely mix. But the sibling a starting signal, for someone to relationship is powerful and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;On your marks, get set, critical. Research shows that, like most animal species, hugo!â&#x20AC;? And human frailty needs mans learn as much or more Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help to make up for our from their siblings as they do deficiencies. You address both from their parents or peers. when you get everyone together Find ways to forge sibling at a set time to start the day with friendship, and it will pay ina prayer. We also include the tellectual and emotional diviPledge of Allegiance and a readdends for a lifetime. ing about the saint of the day. Bonus tip: Take older siblings Then, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off to the races. into your confidence and ask Bonus tip: The more consistent them to help. the routine from day to day, the 6. Expect to fail. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK. better. You may have seen the internet 2. Control the chaos. The memes illustrating how, since biggest enemy of your homeThe authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter Maria studies pre-algebra in the the coronavirus school closchool is distraction; your greatfamilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school room. sures, peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception of est ally is tranquility. It is homeschooling parents has essential that you act decisively early on to keep some peace. Turn off TV or music. Have changed from pious recluses to action heroes. But both phone conversations out of earshot from your kids. Sepa- pictures are wrong. We are moms and dads who have rate the chatty one from the others. If you have a toddler, learned the bad news and the good news about home contain him somewhere, somehow, the best you can. schooling. The bad news: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult, almost impossible, Audio books at lunchtime are key for us, calming and fo- to homeschool. The good news: If you make a good faith cusing everyone and introducing good reading. effort and stay on task, kids get educated anyway. Bonus tip: If possible, get every member of your household Bonus tip: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not unusual for a child to forget today everything learned yesterday. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get mad. outside for some part of the day. 3. Help your children schedule their own time. Just be- Pause, pray, smile, and start all over again. cause you tell them what they should be doing doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t As we emerge from our social distancing, perhaps these mean they will do it. Give them clear directions when to tips on maintaining a prayerful, tranquil home may come start, what to study, when to stop, and when to move on. in handy for other family situations as well.â&#x2122;Ś Teach them the tricks of the trade â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;planning backwardsâ&#x20AC;? to see what is due when and making a checklist of steps. TOM HOOPES is vice president of college relations at Bonus tip: Our two greatest homeschool purchases were a large Benedictine College and a member of Sacred Heart Counwhite board and a giant wall calendar, so everyone sees the plan. cil 723 in Atchison, Kan. FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT FATHERSFORGOOD. ORG .

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‘JOURNEY OF HOPE’ A Knight recounts his odyssey from Auschwitz inmate to prisoner of the Soviets to freedom in the West by Jennifer Brinker

ost young people celebrate their birthday with cake, cards and presents, surrounded by family. Günther Skaletz spent his 16th birthday in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, working long hours with next to nothing to eat. He was surrounded by starving men, many of whom would not survive the harsh conditions. In such circumstances, he recalled the words of his stepmother. “She would tell me, ‘My son, never forget to pray, keep your faith, your hope, your courage and never give up,’” said Skaletz, who survived the camp — and much more. The 92-year-old native of Poland endured poverty, war, separation from family and loss of freedom — first, as a prisoner at Auschwitz and later as a prisoner of the Soviet Army and KGB. Most of his epic story, including an almost miraculous escape to the West, took place before the age of 20. Today, Skaletz is retired from management in the hospitality industry and an active member of Our Lady of the Lake Council 9273 in Lake Ozark, Mo. “I consider myself extremely fortunate to be alive,” he said. ‘ORA ET LABORA’ Skaletz was born in 1927, the fourth of five children, in the town of Tarnowskie Góry in southern Poland. Though blessed with a loving family, life became very difficult very early for him. 22 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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His mother, Anna, died when he was 18 months old, and his oldest sister died six months later. For a time, Günther and his siblings were cared for by his 6-year-old sister, Maria, while their father worked. Bernhard Skaletz left the house every morning at 5 a.m., traveling 10 miles by bicycle to a coal mine. By the time Günther turned 9, his father remarried. Skaletz fondly remembers his stepmother, Barbara Skaletz-Bartosch. “The first thing she taught me to do was pray,” he recalled. One of her favorite sayings was Ora et labora — pray and work. “That was our motto,” he said. “We were a very closeknit family.” Across the street from their home was a Jewish synagogue, and Günther was frequently invited to visit. “They were our friends,” he said. “We lived side-by-side in harmony.” In September 1939, just before Skaletz turned 12, Hitler invaded Poland and World War II began. The schools were closed for months, and Polish textbooks were piled in the town center and burned, he recalled. “My life would never be the same,” Skaletz said through tears. “My Jewish friends started to disappear.” In April 1943, 15-year-old Skaletz was hired as an apprentice at a hotel in the city of Oświęcim, which had been renamed Auschwitz during the German occupation.

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The Nazi slogan â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arbeit macht freiâ&#x20AC;? (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Work makes you freeâ&#x20AC;?) is wrought in iron above the entrance to the infamous concentration camp that opened in southern Poland during the German occupation. In 1943, GĂźnther Skaletz was arrested and forced to work in the camp at age 15.

GĂźntherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, who had arranged the job, accompanied him to the train station. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember distinctly that I opened the window and waved to my father,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His face faded away in the dark smoke of the locomotive.â&#x20AC;? He wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see his father again for nearly 16 years. Before he left, his stepmother had reminded him to keep his faith and hope, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You will be home for Christmas,â&#x20AC;? Skaletz recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But 1942 was the last time I would celebrate Christmas with my parents. Never again after that.â&#x20AC;? FREEDOM GAINED AND LOST Not even a month into Skaletzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apprenticeship, Gestapo officers invaded the hotel. Otto Kleinert, the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner and Skaletzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guardian, had refused to join the Nazi Party. All the employees, including the new apprentice, were herded to the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cellar and harshly interrogated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At one point, I cried, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Please Jesus, help me,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Skaletz recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was severely punished for that.â&#x20AC;? The workers were then loaded into trucks and taken to the nearby labor camp at Auschwitz, where they were forced to build roads. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you were fit or strong enough, you worked and you survived; if you were weak or unable to work, you died,â&#x20AC;? Skaletz said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What kept me alive was my strong faith, which my

mother so deeply ingrained in my heart. I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lord, I will not die here.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? He added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything can be taken from a man, but one thing, the last of human freedoms, is to choose oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own attitude in any given set of circumstances.â&#x20AC;? After six months, Skaletz and his coworkers were suddenly released. Kleinert had been fighting with the Gestapo for months, and he eventually signed papers relinquishing all of his properties in Auschwitz to the Nazi regime in exchange for his employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; freedom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He lost everything, just for our liberation,â&#x20AC;? Skaletz said. Kleinert still managed a hotel and cafĂŠ in Berlin, which by then was enduring heavy Allied bombings. Skaletz went there to continue his apprenticeship, and for the next two months, he lived through constant air raids that set the city aflame. Skaletz, still only 16 years old, was conscripted into the German army in April 1944. He served on the Soviet front for the last year of the war, until he was taken prisoner by Russian soldiers in April 1945. He and his fellow POWs were interrogated and tortured, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The situation among us was very tense,â&#x20AC;? Skaletz said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somewhere inside me, I could still hear the voice of my mother telling me not to give up.â&#x20AC;? M AY 2020

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BORDER CROSSINGS By May 1945, World War II came to an end. However, the Soviet occupation of East Germany was just beginning. Skaletz was set free — but only for a short time. Two months later he was working at an inn southwest of Berlin when a military truck rolled up and KGB officers arrested him. Accused of belonging to a counterrevolutionary organization, Skaletz was again interrogated and eventually sentenced to a labor camp. After dismantling an ammunition factory, he and other prisoners were loaded onto a freight train to Siberia. Skaletz knew escape from the Soviet Union would be nearly impossible. Surrounded by sick and dying prisoners on the train, he looked for a chance to run, repeating to himself part of Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

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During a train stop near the Soviet border, guards entered Skaletz’s car just as a loud sound went off in the distance, drawing them away momentarily. Without a second to lose, Skaletz and another prisoner leaped from the open boxcar and sprinted into the night, evading gunfire. Skaletz then traveled across Poland, including about 275 miles by foot, back to familiar ground in Germany, hiding in barns and helped by farmers along the way. He went back to work at the inn, but by the end of 1946, he made a plan to escape East Germany. “Living under a Communist dictatorship showed no future for me,” he said. “I lived in constant fear.” Skaletz planned his escape for months, careful not to arouse suspicion among his coworkers. He took a train west, eventually receiving help from a farmer and his wife. Finally, one night in April 1947, he risked it all and under the cover of

Clockwise, from above: Bernhard and Anna Skaletz are photographed with their five children in 1929. Günther is seated on his father’s lap. • Skaletz, about 16 years old, is pictured during his year of forced military service in the German Wehrmacht from 1944 to 1945. • Hanging on Skaletz’s wall in his Lake Ozark, Mo., home, is a map showing the route he took in 1947 to escape the Soviet occupation zone and cross the border to West Germany.

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Surrounded by memorabilia in his Missouri home, Skaletz dons a cowboy hat that he received as a gift from President Lyndon Johnson. In the 1960s, Skaletz served as a chef for the president at his Texas ranch.

darkness scrambled across a field and over the border. Lying on the ground at the base of a tree, he recalled the words of Scripture: “In his mind, a man plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov 16:9). PERSEVERING IN FAITH Skaletz was able to build a good life for himself after reaching the West. He trained as a chef in Switzerland and worked in hotels across Europe. In 1962, he accepted a position in New York and moved to the United States. In his long career as a chef, his most notable assignment was serving President Lyndon B. Johnson at his ranch in Texas. Hearing his story, the president encouraged Skaletz to write a book, which he eventually did. He self-published his memoir, Life on Both Sides of the Wall, in 2006. The Catholic faith that guided Skaletz through all of these experiences led him later in life to join the Knights of Columbus, which he had wanted to do for years. He had postponed the idea as he served as a full-time caregiver for his wife, Elaine, who was diagnosed with a fatal illness in 2008. After her death in 2017, he joined Our Lady of the Lake Council 9273 and became a Fourth Degree Knight a year later.

Skaletz regularly participates in council fundraising efforts, including fish fries and breakfasts (“I am the pancake flipper,” he quipped), as well as charitable work at a local hospital and in statewide pro-life activities. His brother Knights and their wives “have become a part of my family,” he said. “Every young man should join this outstanding organization.” Skaletz also created a college scholarship fund in his late wife’s memory with the proceeds of the sales of his memoir. “My mission, next to Knights of Columbus work, is to help young people pave their way to a better education,” he said. “Because I know how hard it was for me to get a good education.” Skaletz has given dozens of presentations at schools, libraries, churches and military bases about the lessons he’s learned in his extraordinary life. “It has been a very difficult and arduous journey, but it has been a journey of hope, faith and perseverance,” he wrote in his book. “It has always been my conviction that with God, nothing is impossible.”♦ JENNIFER BRINKER is a reporter for the St. Louis Review and Catholic St. Louis, publications of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. M AY 2020

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My Tour of Hell on Earth On the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, a WWII veteran describes what he witnessed at Dachau by Charles Palmeri, with Columbia staff

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An American soldier discovers dead prisoners inside a railroad car at the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, Germany, after the campâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s liberation in April 1945.

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The Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, opened in 1933 for political prisoners and served as a model for camps that followed. Tens of thousands of prisoners â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including more than 1,000 priests, seminarians and religious brothers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; died amid the brutal conditions there. Dachau was the last of the camps to be liberated, when some 30,000 inmates were freed April 29, 1945, by the U.S. Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 42nd â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rainbowâ&#x20AC;? and 45th Infantry Divisions. The Allies accepted the formal surrender of the Nazi government just days later; May 8 marks the 75th anniversary of V-E (Victory in Europe) Day. Charles J. Palmeri served with the Rainbow Division during the waning months of the war, and he entered the Dachau camp in the days after its liberation. He had attended high school seminary in Buffalo, N.Y., but at age 18 decided to give up his 4-D exemption from military service. He was drafted in June 1944, deployed to France on Jan. 1, 1945, and within weeks was at the front line. The Rainbow Division reached Munich near the end of April and soon discovered the Dachau camp. Now a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 15821 in Sarasota, Fla., Palmeri, 94, recently spoke with Columbia about what he witnessed there.

alive, wandering around and traumatized. As I wrote in my book, they were free but seemed to wonder, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for me?â&#x20AC;? They could hardly walk, and their legs were thinner than rails. Some came over to hug us, speaking in Polish or another foreign language that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand. At any rate, it got to be too much for me. I threw up. And I went back to the jeep; I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to see anymore. That was the 3rd or 4th or 5th of May. I was in Munich on May 8, the day we were informed that the Germans surrendered and the war was over. Later, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel too badly about my weakness, because I heard General Patton did the same thing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Old Blood and Guts threw up just like I did. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard so many times that the concentration camps didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen. They did happen, and it was more horrible than you could ever imagine. It was hell on earth. But despite the atrocities and utter disregard for human life, some Germans at the camp were different. While I was on guard in Munich, military policemen stopped at our intersection with a platoon-sized group of German soldiers. I was told they were guards who had endangered Charles J. Palmeri, who served in an Army division that helped liberate the Dachau their lives by bringing ur division went concentration camp, is pictured in uniform in 1946. â&#x20AC;˘ Palmeri, 94, resides in Sarasota, food, medicine, clothinto Dachau on Fla., where he is a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 15821. ing and blankets to the April 29. I was in Munich at the time, and a prisoners. Following couple of sergeants who had gone to the concentration camp behind were two former Dachau prisoners, still in their told me about the things they saw. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe what they striped pajama-like outfits. They were there to let the authorwere telling me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen,â&#x20AC;? I said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobody ities know that these men saved their lives. would do that.â&#x20AC;? They said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, the military wants our soldiers to see In July 1945, Palmeri received a Silver Star for heroic actions this.â&#x20AC;? So the next day, I got a jeep ride to Dachau, and the during the advance into Germany; on April 8, he had dragged first thing I noticed was the odor; we smelled it from the jeeps. two wounded soldiers to safety during a skirmish in the town of The first thing we saw were about 30 railroad cars just loaded BĂźchold. In June 1946, he returned to Buffalo, where he atwith dead bodies. They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have room for the prisoners in tended Canisius College on the GI Bill and also joined the these railroad cars, so they kept the doors closed. And those Knights of Columbus (Buffalo Council 184) at the invitation poor people went for days without water or food. Most of of his father. them died in the cars, and the SS had fired machine guns into He married Norma Cosentino in 1950, and they had three daughters. His wife died in 1991, and Palmeri later married the cars to kill anybody who was still alive. Then, we got into the camp, and there were bodies piled, Carol Rodak-Huber, with whom he runs a successful real estate naked bodies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; men and women and even some children, business in Sarasota. He has given talks about World War II at just piled up. The camp had run out of fuel, and they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Council 15821 and at local schools, and last year published a memoir â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Boy Soldier: Recollections of World War II â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to able to cremate them all. What disturbed me more than the dead â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the dead leave a record of his experiences for his grandchildren, greatdid bother me, obviously â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were the people who were still grandchildren and others.â&#x2122;Ś

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KNIGHTS IN ACTION

REPORTS FROM COUNCILS & ASSEMBLIES

FAITH ORGAN DONORS

Members of Don Bosco Council 5809 in Port Reading, N.J., helped purchase a new organ for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. After the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old organ stopped functioning, Father William Smith, pastor and council chaplain, asked parishioners to pledge funds to replace it, and the council matched each pledge.

1/+2 5 .0+2.#5 &5 2..2/5 )4.04- %5-401-4*5 1/+2 5 2!5 0+45 12)4/45 2!5 3(1,02.%5 .03-12% /03.*/5$10+53.5+2.2-5"'3-*5!-2(5/4 4-3,53//4( ,14/%5,2)3,5 -14/0/%53.*5(4( 4-/52!50+4 -2 4)05)2((1004453!04-5 ,4//1."535/031.4* ",3//5$1.*2$52!5 30+4-5 1)+34,5 &5 ) 1 .4#& +45$1.*2$%5$+1)+51/5,2)304*51.535(3'/2,4'(5305 3-#(2'.05 30+2,1)5 4(404-#51.5 '4, +% $3/5)2((1//12.4*5 #5)2'.)1,/51.50+453-4353.*5)-4304*5 #535,2)3,53-01/0& EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE: The photos and reports here represent activities completed in February 2020 and earlier. Upcoming issues will highlight reports related to the Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to the pandemic. Please submit details of your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org.

VOCATIONS DINNER

John Carrell Jenkins Council 7771 in Front Royal, Va., sponsored a dinner to honor nine parishioners of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church who are pursuing a religious vocation. More than 150 people attended and heard remarks from several speakers, including Father Carter Griffin, rector of St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C. 28 â&#x2122;Ś C O L U M B I A â&#x2122;Ś

M AY 2020

CLERGY NIGHT

MEMORIAL CHALICE

St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral Council 15883 in San Francisco hosted its annual Clergy Night at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption to honor priests, deacons and seminarians. About 175 attended, including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and 40 local priests.

Members of Holy Spirit Assembly 3752 in Overland Park, Kan., presented a chalice engraved with the names of deceased Knights to Father Mark Ostrowski shortly before his ordination to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Kansas City.

RISING FROM THE ASHES

Following an electrical fire at St.-Charles-BorromĂŠe Catholic Church in Terrebonne, Lachenaie (QuĂŠbec) Council 12460 held a concert that raised more than CA$3,500 for repairs.

BARBECUE WITH THE ARCHBISHOP

Cumberland Council 2916 in Amherst, Nova Scotia, hosted a barbecue for approximately 200 people at Holy Family Catholic Church after a Mass to welcome Archbishop Anthony Mancini of Halifax-Yarmouth.

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

FAMILY BARBECUE FOR BOYS

Members of Our Lady of the Lake Council 3818 in Lake Oswego, Ore., served a barbecue dinner with all the trimmings to 100 boys and the staff at St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home for Boys in Beaverton. St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s takes in troubled boys and educates them for reentry into society as productive young men. ' '%$,) , )$(, )# , %*&*( , ) &!*#, ,*&, +#*! +#*! , )&, ) (" ,$'% ',+, '+#,,*& ("', )$(, )# , %*&*( , +%*$", &+$* ,+$, +%(,) ,("',!) &!*# $, ) ( + + *# , %) %+ "',' '&(,*&!# ' ,'&('%(+*& '&(,+& ,+,(+# , %) , +("'%, &%*!), +%(*&, ) *$) , +%*$" %*'$(,+& ,!) &!*#,!"+ #+*& ,+ ) (, +*(",+& ,") ' , +!", + *# , +$,+#$), * '&,+, +$ '(,) )) ,(),(+ ',") '

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GIRL GUIDE BREAKFAST

POLISH FAMILY DINNER

For more than 30 years, Woodstock (New Brunswick) Council 2234 has cooked and served breakfast to Girl Guides and Pathfinders during Operation Olave, their annual weekend camp to learn survival and leadership skills.

Members of John F. Kennedy Council 5460 in Clinton Township, Mich., their wives and other parishioners hosted the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Polish family dinner, serving more than 300 homemade meals. The $5,200 of proceeds from the dinner and raffles were divided between the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit and ALS of Michigan, a nonprofit assisting people affected by Lou Gehrigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease and their families.

St. Barnabas Council 5559 in Northfield, Ohio, hosted a pancake breakfast for runners in the St. Barnabas Catholic Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundraising 5K. Donations collected at the breakfast went to the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology department.

HOLY FAMILY HONORED

FAMILY PICNIC

Holy Name of Jesus Council 15619 in West Palm Beach, Fla., funded a new statue of the Holy Family through fellowship donations and pancake breakfasts. The statue, placed outside of

Holy Cross Council 7904 in Mesa, Ariz., held its annual picnic for Knights and their families. Guests enjoyed potluck fare as well as hamburgers and games provided by the council.

SOCCER SPONSORS

The Good Shepherd Council 10816 in Stephenville, Texas, donated proceeds from its 19th annual Knights of Columbus Soccer Tournament to the Stephenville Soccer Association and Stephenville High School soccer programs. Since the tournament began in 2000, the council has given more than $85,000 to soccer programs for kids.

Holy Name of Jesus Church, was blessed by pastor Father Antony Pulikal during a ceremony that included a prayer of consecration to the Holy Family. SCHOOL FUNDRAISER

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

the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record. The money was donated to the heating assistance fund of We Care I.N.C., a Christian nonprofit that connects people with needed resources. NOT BREAD ALONE

Msgr. Russell E. Kohler Council 15204 in Westland, Mich., sponsored a meal for approximately 50 homeless men and women in Detroit. More than 20 Knights and other volunteers participated, serving food, leading a Bible study and distributing rosaries to all who attended.

SPRING HARVEST

Members of Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena Council 14397 in Allentown, Pa., joined other volunteers in harvesting produce at a farm owned by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The fruits and vegetables were distributed to local food banks and kitchens. ECUMENICAL OUTREACH

Doctor Briggs Council 4597 in Courtenay, British Columbia, donated more than CA$2,700 to the Sonshine Lunch Club, an initiative based at St. Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s United Church. Each day, volunteers provide a hot lunch as well as clothing, 30 â&#x2122;Ś C O L U M B I A â&#x2122;Ś

M AY 2020

blankets and books to visitors in need. Council 4597â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s donation will be used to repair and maintain the facility. TUITION ASSISTANCE

Following its annual breakfast fundraiser for St. Matthias School in Somerset, Our Lady of Lourdes Council 9924 in Venice, Fla., donated $1,100 for tuition assistance for students in need. KEEPING THE HEAT ON

St. Basilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council 2594 in South Haven, Mich., raised more than $2,600 through a fund drive at St. Basilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church, exceeding

Members of Mary Queen of Peace Council 12072 in Mandeville, La., and their families cleaned up storm debris at the home of Msgr. William Bilinski, a retired priest and member of the council. PIEROGI SALE

Members of Sacred Heart Council 8012 in Belleview, Fla., prepared pierogis in the St. Theresa Catholic Church kitchen to sell to parishioners. Their sale raised funds for the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many youth activities, including its educational programs, soccer challenge and free throw championship.

PAINT PROJECT

Members of Fairport (N.Y.) Council 7085 volunteered more than 150 hours repainting the house of a past grand knight who was physically unable to tackle the project and could not afford to hire labor. AUTISM FUND DRIVE

Father Louis Anthony Sigman Council 16277 in Chandler, Ariz., donated more than $5,000 to the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center in Phoenix. More than 30 members collected funds outside two local grocery stores and after Masses at St. Juan Diego Church. The funds will benefit the centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program to help young adults with autism develop skills for employment and independent living.

SAVORY STEW

Father Edmond McCarthy Council 9428 in Gloucester, Va., raised some $1,300 preparing and selling Brunswick stew, a savory dish traditional in the American South, to benefit the Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad.

Members of Cherry Hill (N.J.) Council 6173 prepare to serve breakfast for residents at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden.

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AFTER THE STORM

COMMUNITY

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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N BILLBOARDS OVER DAYTON

LIFE LIFE SUPPORT

St. Joachimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council 11568 in South Porcupine, Ontario, donated almost CA$23,000 to the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation toward the cost of a new vein-finding machine and a neonatal ventilator. The ventilator was purchased with additional donations from Eugene de Mazenod Council 11383 in Timmins, St. Laurent de Ramore Council 8622 in Ramore and Iroquois Falls Council 2641. A plaque on the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s donor wall will commemorate the Knightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contributions

Father William Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Council 3730 in Dayton, Ohio, organized a fundraising campaign to place prolife messages on local billboards. With contributions from Holy Family Catholic Church and Dayton Right to Life, the council was able to sponsor the messages for 60 days in two high-traffic areas. BOTTLES AND BEANS

Ithaca (Mich.) Council 8785 conducted a baby supplies drive for Pregnancy Services of Gratiot County, a pregnancy resource center in Alma. The council also donated $200 to the Ithaca food pantry and encouraged its members to make individual contributions to the pantry throughout the year. RESPECT LIFE MASS

The councils of Wyoming Valley, Pa., joined with Pennsylvanians for Human Life to sponsor its annual Respect Life Mass at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Kingston. ARC DINNER !7 1/873/8 75&8!71',6(8.+, 2+568 4)8 ,1)68 .-7158 .4+*,68 4) 4+$78 7# 8%4+3.1,8 ( 73/82-6158.-1,/56380273/8 12 72-658 7&8 7 65(8*7024584) 28 573.108/68 7,608%72-6 /57,(8 73/8 4368 4)8 2-68 "7"& "422,6082-68.4+3.1,8+06/824 .4,,6.28)+3/08)458%5400547/0 56'373.&8 604+5.68%63265 138 -1"4/7+ #8 3/658 2-6 !71',60 8 ,67/650-1*(8 2-6 .4+3.1,8 -708 0*430456/8 2-6 *54'57$8)458$45682-73861'-2 &6750(8 .4,,6.213'8 3675,& ( #

St. Francis of Assisi Council 4524 in East Rutherford, N.J., held its annual dinner for adults with intellectual disabilities at The Arc location in Hackensack, a national organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The council supplied food and drinks for about 100 guests and presented the nonprofit with a check for more than $2,000 for use in various projects.

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WHEELCHAIR SUNDAY

Members of Father Curtin Council 2541 in West Haven, Conn., organized a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wheelchair Sundayâ&#x20AC;? fundraiser at St. John XXIII Parish. After Masses, they hosted presentations of the American Wheelchair Mission and collected donations from parishioners. The drive raised approximately $3,600 to purchase more than 20 wheelchairs. HOSPICE GIFT

St. Jude Council 6052 in Oshawa, Ontario, raised CA$5,000 for Durham Region Hospice; the funds going to constructing two residential hospice centers in the area. MOTHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CUPBOARD

Warwick Valley Council 4952 in Warwick, N.Y., conducted a drive for baby hygiene items at St. Stephen the First Martyr Church.

Donations went to Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cupboard, a pro-life parish ministry that assists new parents in need. BLOOD DRIVE AT ST. BRENDANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Father Eamonn Gill Council 13018 in Ormond Beach, Fla., conducted a blood drive at St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church with the help of the nonprofit organization OneBlood. The council collected 16 units of blood in four hours, and donors received free passes to the monthly council pancake breakfast.

kofc.org exclusive See more â&#x20AC;&#x153;Knights in Actionâ&#x20AC;? reports and photos at www.kofc.org/ knightsinaction

M AY 2020

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VALUATION EXHIBIT OF

THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

P RO M OT I O NA L & G I F T I T E M S

In compliance with the requirements of the laws of the various states, we publish below a Valuation Exhibit of the Knights of Columbus as of Dec. 31, 2019. The law requires that this publication shall be made of the results of the valuation with explanation as filed with the insurance departments.

ASSETS — Actual and Contingent 1. Admitted Assets of the General Account Fund, item 26, page 2 of Annual Statement: $26,860,591,809

LIABILITIES — Actual and Contingent 2. Old System Reserve — including additional reserve: $ 1,028 3. New System Reserve — including D.I. and Dis. W. (net of reins): $15,152,383,227 4. Reserve for accident and health certificates: $ 653,631,215 5. Total per item 1 and 2, page 3 of Annual Statement: $15,806,015,470 6. Deduct liens and interest thereon, not included in Admitted Assets, and not in excess of required reserves on the corresponding individual certificates: None 7. Balance — Item 5 less item 6 above: $15,806,015,470 8. Liabilities of the General Account Fund, except reserve (items 3 to 25 incl. page 3 of Annual Statement): $ 8,744,820,913 9. Liabilities — Actual and Contingent — sum of items 7 and 8 above: $24,550,836,383 10. Ratio percent of Dec. 31, 2019 — 109.40% Assets — Actual and Dec. 31, 2018 — 109.21% Contingent (Item 1) Dec. 31, 2017 — 109.36% to liabilities — Actual Dec. 31, 2016 — 108.98% and Contingent (Item 9) Dec. 31, 2015 — 109.03%

EXPLANATION The above valuation indicates that, on a basis of the A.E., A.M. (5), 1941 C.S.O., 1958 C.S.O., 1980 C.S.O., 2001 C.S.O., 2017 C.S.O., 1937 S.A., 1971 Individual Annuity Table, Annuity 2000 Table, 2012 IAR – S G2 table and 1983 “a” Tables of Mortality with interest at 9%, 8.75%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4.5%, 4.25%, 4%, 3.75%, 3.5%, 3.25%, 3%, 2.75%, 2.5%, the future assessments of the society, at the net rate now being collected, together with the now invested assets of the General Account Fund are sufficient to meet all certificates as they mature by their terms, with a margin of safety of $2,309,755,426 (or 9.40%) over the above statutory standards. STATE OF: Connecticut COUNTY OF: New Haven The officers of this reporting entity, being duly sworn, each depose and say that they are the described officers of the said reporting entity, and that on the reporting period stated above, all of the herein described assets were the absolute property of the said reporting entity, free and clear from any liens or claims thereon, except as herein stated, and that this statement, together with related exhibits, schedules and explanations therein contained, annexed or referred to, is a full and true statement of all the assets and liabilities and of the condition and affairs of the said reporting entity as of the reporting period stated above, and of its income and deductions therefrom for the period ended, and have been completed in accordance with the NAIC annual statement instructions and accounting practices and procedure manual except to the extent that: (1) state law may differ; or, (2) that state rules or regulations require differences in reporting not related to accounting practices and procedures, according to the best of their information, knowledge and belief, respectively. Furthermore, the scope of this attestation by the described officers also includes the related corresponding electronic filing with the NAIC, when required, that is an exact copy (except for formatting differences due to electronic filing) of the enclosed statement. The electronic filing may be requested by various regulators in lieu of or in addition to the enclosed statement. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21st day of February 2020. MaryAnn Luczak, Notary Public

Performance Cap – Personalized This mid-profile structured cap is made of breathable 100% polyester mesh and has an adjustable Velcro closure in the back. It is personalized with your council or assembly name, embroidered around the Order’s or the Fourth Degree’s emblems. You can also have your name embroidered on the back for no additional cost. The cap comes in royal, navy, red, gray, green, black or white. Please allow 10-12 business days for your custom order. $28 each

Deluxe Golf Package This set is great for tournaments and other golf events. Two Wilson Ultra balls imprinted with the emblem of the Order in blue are packaged with 12 blue wooden tees reading “Knights of Columbus.” $10 each

CARL A. ANDERSON, President MICHAEL J. O’CONNOR., Secretary RONALD F. SCHWARZ, Treasurer SEAL

OFFICIAL MAY 1, 2020: To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 554, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982.

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2020 BY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 554, ELMSFORD, NY 10523. CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50 MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3. PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAIL AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURN COPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦

M AY 2020

Adidas® Polo This Adidas® polo is made of 100% polyester jersey fabric that wicks moisture and protects against ultraviolet radiation. It features the emblem of the Order or the Fourth Degree embroidered on the left chest, opposite the Adidas® signature three-stripe design, with the logo on the left sleeve. It is offered in red with black detailing or black with white detailing. M, L, XL: $48, 2XL: $50, 3XL: $51, 4XL: $52

knightsgear.com Questions? Call: 1-855-GEAR-KOC (855-432-7562) Additional shipping costs apply to all orders. Please call before mailing in an order.

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

Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 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.

BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW

Masked members of St. Catherine of Siena Council 16027 and St. Dominic Assembly 3678 in Wichita, Kan., prepare to distribute blessed palms on Palm Sunday at St. Catherine of Siena Church. From left to right: Kenneth McCoy, Adam Becker, Jim Morgan III and Tim Schmidt.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;K NIGHTS IN A CTION â&#x20AC;? H AVEN , CT 06510-3326

PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO : OR E - MAIL : COLUMBIA @ KOFC . ORG .

M AY 2020

â&#x2122;Ś COLUMBIA â&#x2122;Ś 33

Knights of Charity

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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 FA I T H A L I V E

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED BECOMING A PRIEST?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

FATHER MARK C. BRISTOL, U.S. NAVY Diocese of Brooklyn and Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA Floral Park (N.Y.) Council 2345

I was stationed overseas in the Navy when a chaplain asked me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have you ever considered becoming a priest?â&#x20AC;? My first response was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Father, did you not just hear my confession? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not cut out to be a priest.â&#x20AC;? Later, I realized that God does not call those who are worthy; he makes worthy those who are called. I was able to respond to this call with help from a Knights of Columbus seminarian scholarship for prospective military chaplains. When sailors and Marines see a Navy chaplain, with the cross on his uniform, they become aware of the presence of Christ â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a presence that has the power to give hope and courage in the midst of conflict, grief and loneliness. Fewer than 200 priests now serve the 1.8 million Catholics in the U.S. armed services. Many service members go months or longer without the opportunity to receive the sacraments. God is calling men to the priesthood and military chaplaincy. Like my confessor, we can all help plant the seed simply by asking the question.