RELAX in the present.
With a well-crafted annuity strategy, you can enjoy life’s most blessed moments while feeling financially secure. And — by partnering with the Knights of Columbus — you can have the added peace of mind of knowing that you’re doing business with a not-for-profit with top-rated financial strength (rated A+ by A.M. Best) that distributes a portion of its earnings to support member benefits and charitable and Catholic causes.
Why Choose Knights of Columbus Retirement Annuities?
• Guaranteed income – For life with steady, reliable retirement payments.
• Flexible options – With various annuity plans tailored to your financial goals.
• Tax-deferred growth – For faster retirement savings accumulation with tax advantages.
• Faith-based security – Our reserves are invested according to Catholic principles.
Columbia
Catechists of the Diocese of Yola, in northeastern Nigeria, are pictured together on Pentecost Sunday in 2024. This photo is part of an exhibit titled “Among the Persecuted and Displaced” at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center in New Haven, Conn. The exhibit, which runs until Sept. 7, features photos by Stephen Rasche, a U.S. lawyer and member of the Knights who has collaborated with the Order to aid Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Nigeria.
By Aprille Hanson Spivey 14 8 19 24
Strength in the Face of Persecution
K of C-sponsored initiatives bring faith and charity to the suffering Church in Nigeria.
By Elisha Valladares-Cormier
A Voice for Humanity
An interview about artificial intelligence with Bishop Paul Tighe of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
A Fraternity of Arms
Knights and nations celebrate the centuries-long friendship between France and the United States, memorialized in a statue of legendary World War I leaders.
By Madalaine Elhabbal
‘You Visited Me’
Prison ministers share Christ’s mercy and forgiveness in the spirit of Blessed Michael McGivney.
3 For the greater glory of God
The virtue of humility opens us to God’s love and power, as we seek to build his kingdom on earth.
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
4 Learning the faith, living the faith
In the Blessed Virgin Mary, we find a perfect model of the interior life and what it means to be created in the image of God.
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
6 Building the Domestic Church
A series of columns on family life, leadership and financial stewardship
28 Knights in Action Reports from councils and assemblies, representing Faith in Action ON THE COVER A girl smiles while holding a palm frond cross during Palm Sunday Mass at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Lagos, Nigeria, April 13.
Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church. kofc.org/join
Copyright © 2025 All rights reserved
Martyrs of the Heart
BY THE SUMMER OF 1927, the Mexican government’s persecution of the Catholic Church, along with the brutal enforcement of anti-clerical laws enacted a year earlier, had reached a fever pitch. Father José María Robles Hurtado, a 39-year-old parish priest known for his great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, continued to faithfully serve his people, knowing it would eventually lead to his death. On June 25, while preparing for Mass at a family’s home, a knock on the door was heard. Giving himself up for arrest, Father Robles calmly greeted people as he was led to the barracks. Having celebrated the feast of the Sacred Heart the previous day, he wrote a final prayer in verse while awaiting his fate: “I want to love your Heart / My Jesus, with delirium / I want to love you with passion / I want to love you until martyrdom. …”
In the middle of the night, the priest was marched for hours in the cold to an oak tree atop a mountain. He knelt, prayed quietly and pardoned his executioners. Recognizing the man who approached him with a rope, Father Robles said, “Compadre, don’t soil your hands,” and kissed the noose before placing it around his own neck. Nearly 75 years later, during the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 25 Mexican martyrs of the 1920s and ’30s — including Robles and five other Knights of Columbus priests — on May 21, which would become their feast day.
The witness of these martyrs, like those of old, is a tremendous testament to faith in Christ and to the transformative power of God’s love. And such witness of blood continues still today, for while much of the world is free from violent persecution, this is far from the case everywhere.
The World Watch List, of the international nonprofit Open Doors, reports that more than 380 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, including 1 in 5 in Africa and 2 in 5 in Asia. In Nigeria alone last year, approximately 3,100 Christians were killed and more than 2,800 were kidnapped for faith-related reasons. Last August, the Knights of Columbus pledged assistance to the suffering Church in Nigeria (see page 8), just as it has aided persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East.
Of course, it is not only those who face the threat of violence and death who are called to witness to the truth of the Gospel. Rather, by virtue of their baptism, this is the duty of “all Christians, by the example of their lives and the witness of their word, wherever they live” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2472). This is true for all places and for people of all states of life — regardless of the sins, faults and failings that mark one’s past. For what does it mean to witness to the Gospel if not to testify to the love and mercy of God, revealed in the heart of Christ?
Nearly 45 years before St. José María Robles Hurtado was hanged as a martyr from an oak tree, James “Chip” Smith was hanged as a convicted killer from a gallows in New Haven, Connecticut (see page 24). Yet, thanks to the ministry of Blessed Michael McGivney, Chip Smith, too, died as a witness to the Gospel. Symbolized by a badge of the Sacred Heart he wore on his chest, Smith had opened his own heart to Divine Mercy and found “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). B
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
Faith Resource: God’s Plan for Love and Marriage
The booklet God’s Plan for Love and Marriage (#333) by Dr. Edward Sri explains the pivotal insights of St. John Paul II’s “theology of the body,” a series of catechetical addresses he gave from 1979-1984. Part of the Building the Domestic Church Series published by the Order’s Catholic Information Service, it offers practical insights into the total, mutual and self-giving love that defines the spousal vocation. To order this and other Catholic resources, visit kofc.org/shopcis .
Columbia
PUBLISHER
Knights of Columbus
SUPREME OFFICERS
Patrick E. Kelly
Supreme Knight
Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.
Supreme Chaplain
Arthur L. Peters
Deputy Supreme Knight
John A. Marrella
Supreme Secretary
Ronald F. Schwarz
Supreme Treasurer
John A. Marrella
Supreme Advocate
EDITORIAL
Alton J. Pelowski
Editor
Andrew J. Matt
Managing Editor
Elisha Valladares-Cormier
Senior Editor
Megan Stibley
Associate Editor
Paul Haring
Manager of Photography
Cecilia Engbert
Content Producer
Blessed Michael McGivney (1852-90) – Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us.
HOW TO REACH US
COLUMBIA
1 Columbus Plaza
New Haven, CT 06510-3326 columbia@kofc.org kofc.org/columbia
Address changes
203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org
Columbia inquiries 203-752-4398
K of C Customer Service 1-800-380-9995
Making Room for Grace
The virtue of humility opens us to God’s love and power, as we seek to build his kingdom on earth
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
HUMILITY CAN BE a rare commodity these days. It’s not often spoken of in business or in the halls of government as a virtue to be pursued. Instead, popular books on the “rules of power” frame it as a personal deficiency that should at least be hidden if it cannot be overcome.
Such views betray a misunderstanding. Humility does not equal weakness or a lack of confidence, nor does it mean pretending that you are unworthy and have nothing of value to contribute. To the contrary, humility is not about you at all. It’s about thinking of others more than yourself.
Real humility acknowledges that God has created each of us with certain strengths and weaknesses. Our strengths are meant to serve others, while our weaknesses are meant to show us our need for God and our need for others. Humility gives us the courage — and it takes courage — to acknowledge our weaknesses and ask for help. It allows us to move beyond the prison of our own self-interest and value the gifts and talents that others bring to the table. In short, humility gives God’s grace the space to work.
True humility is a virtue and a sign of personal strength, even freedom. The humble leader knows how to “get out of his own way.” He’s willing to subordinate his ego and focus on the strengths and needs of others. He sets others at ease because he has no need to prove his superiority. And he is often the most effective of leaders because he is willing to listen, surrounding himself with the best people he can, recognizing their gifts and learning from them. This gives him the knowledge and tools to make the best decisions possible.
The opposite of humility is pride — what St. Gregory the Great called the queen of vices. Last year, during a series of Wednesday audiences on virtues and vices, Pope Francis noted that pride “ruins human relationships
[and] poisons the feelings of fraternity that should unite men.”
We see the destructive nature of pride everywhere we turn — even in our families, our workplaces and our K of C councils. Pride leads to division and rivalries that block God’s grace and prevent us from advancing the mission he has given us, whereas humility brings unity and collaboration. As St. James writes, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6).
The Church has powerful examples of humility in the saints and blesseds, including Blessed Michael McGivney. When he founded the Knights of Columbus at age 29, he surrounded himself with some of the very best men he knew: Civil War veterans, lawyers, policemen, small-business owners — all of whom were making their way in a society beset with fierce anti-Catholic bigotry. These men pleaded with Father McGivney to be their leader, the first supreme knight. In humility, he declined, believing the Order’s mission would be better served with laymen at the helm.
It would have been easy for Father McGivney to set himself up as our first leader, but he knew it wasn’t about him. It was about the mission — and recognizing the gifts of others. This simple, humble decision allowed the Knights to flourish to this day, even though Father McGivney died just eight years after the Order’s founding.
Pope Francis concluded his cycle of catechesis on the virtues and vices last May by reflecting on the centrality of humility. “Humility is the source of peace in the world and in the Church,” he said. “And humility is precisely the way, the path of salvation.”
God has accomplished much through the humility of Father McGivney, and he can do the same with you and me. “So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast your worries upon him because he cares for you” (1 Pt 5:6-7).
Vivat Jesus!
Pride leads to division and rivalries that block God’s grace and prevent us from advancing the mission he has given us,
whereas humility brings unity and collaboration.
Mary’s Heart and Ours
In the Blessed Virgin Mary, we find a perfect model of the interior life and what it means to be created in the image of God
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
HOW ARE WE MADE in God’s image, as described in Genesis 1:27? In a beautiful new book titled Spiritual Masters , Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes of New Orleans sums up several answers from sacred tradition.
First is the human heart, the core of one’s being. Scripture and ancient Christian writers understand the heart as “the seat of unity, direction, purpose and desire, in the human person” (p. 36). This reflects God the Father’s creative purpose, order and unity.
Second is the mind, where we have a sixth sense for the deepest of truths. When they are taught, they resonate. In our capacity for truth we are like God the Son, the perfect reflection of the Father.
Third is the human will. Archbishop Hughes writes that “the human will provides us with the capacity to make a gift of ourselves totally, permanently, and faithfully.” He adds that “the will is the image of the Holy Spirit, perfect and eternal gift of the Father to the Son and the Son to the Father” (p. 37).
Baptism orients us to growth in God’s image, and we are called to integrate the truth of our faith into every aspect of our lives, making of our lives a gift of love to God and others. This is something we do together, helping one another along the way to holiness. This is also what the Cor initiative is all about.
But what if a human being fully exemplified God’s image — showing us what a perfectly pure heart is like, showing us what a mind filled with the truth of God is like, showing us how to make one’s life a total and permanent gift to God and to others?
Such a person really exists: the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the Annunciation, the angel addressed Our Lady with words, “Hail, full of grace!” Mary’s heart was so filled with God’s grace, so immaculate, that there was no room
for sin. God preserved her from original sin, allowing his creative and redemptive love to find an unobstructed home in her heart. This is what gave unity, direction and purpose in her life. Her heart was fully attuned to what God the Father planned even before the creation of the world.
We have not been preserved from sin as Mary was, but we can ask her to pray for us that the Father’s creative and redeeming mercy finds a home in our own hearts. Mary also took on “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). As one who continually meditated on the law and the prophets, Mary’s mind was attuned to “every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). This was not book learning. God’s word permeated her interior life. Pope Benedict XVI wrote of Mary’s “inner engagement with the word” ( Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives , p. 33), and ancient writers said that Mary lived the Beatitudes before Christ preached them; that she conceived the Word in her mind and heart before she conceived him in her womb.
Our minds, daily bombarded with superficial messages, need to engage the word of God. Like Mary, we must allow his word to permeate our minds. Assisted by Mary’s prayers, we can attain greater interiority, rooted in the Word made flesh.
When the angel announced that Mary was to be the mother of God, she said, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Her heart full of grace, her mind aglow with the truth and beauty of the word of God, she willed to do what God asked of her. She thereby made herself a gift to God and a gift to us.
How easy it is to live only for ourselves, even if we resolve not to. Through Mary’s intercession, we can lead lives of selfless charity. May she be our guide as we seek to grow in the image and likeness of God. B
We have not been preserved from sin as Mary was, but we can ask her to pray for us that the Father’s creative and redeeming mercy finds a home in our own hearts.
Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge
A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (Gospel for May 4, Jn 21:17a)
When, following the Resurrection, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, why did he ask Peter three times whether he loved him? It has often been seen as a penance for Peter’s earlier threefold denial of Christ. But perhaps there’s something more — perhaps Jesus was pushing Peter to reflect more deeply on what it means to love him. Sometimes, we speak the words “I love you” by rote, without grasping their true meaning. May we always be mindful of what it means to truly love someone and to love as Christ taught us.
Challenge: This month, I challenge you to identify one way you can demonstrate true love of God and neighbor. Then pray about how to concretely undertake that sacrificial act of love — and put it into action.
Catholic Man of the Month
Venerable Ismael Molinero Novillo (1917-1938)
A CHEERFUL YOUNG man from La Mancha faced persecution for his faith during the Spanish Civil War but persevered to the end. “If I die, I’ll be God’s entirely,” he said shortly before his death at age 21. “If I don’t die, I want to be a priest — one of those who serve God for nothing.”
Born May 1, 1917, Ismael Molinero Novillo was the fifth of 11 children and raised by devout Catholic parents. At 14, he left school to help support the family and soon joined the lay movement Catholic Action.
Musically talented, Molinero regularly sang and played his guitar at a home for abandoned elderly persons. His spiritual life, anchored by devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, deepened, and he felt drawn to the priesthood.
But those plans were abruptly put on hold when the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936. Amid intense anti-Catholic sentiment, Molinero witnessed the killing of two of his parish’s priests, and he was arrested twice for his faith. Forcibly
Liturgical Calendar
May 2 St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
May 3 Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
May 10 St. Damien de Veuster, Priest (USA)
May 13 Our Lady of Fatima
May 14 St. Matthias, Apostle
May 21 St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
May 26 St. Philip Neri, Priest
May 29 The Ascension of the Lord
May 31 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
enlisted in the state’s Republican army against Nationalist forces, Molinero endured insults and hostility for being a practicing Catholic.
On Feb. 7, 1938, he was captured by Nationalist forces after the Battle of Alfambra, during which he refused to fire his weapon against Catholics. Yet, he did not disclose his faith to his captors, choosing instead to suffer along with his fellow prisoners as a sacrificial offering to God. The next month, after contracting tuberculosis, he asked a chaplain to hear his confession and received Communion.
Ismael Molinero Novillo died on May 5, 1938. His cause for canonization was opened in 2008, and he was declared venerable in 2024. B
Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intention
Let us pray that through work, each person might find fulfillment, families might be sustained in dignity, and that society might be humanized.
Spiritual Battle Demands Discipline
By Andrew Whiskeyman
Analogies between mortal and spiritual combat abound. In my experience, soldiering offers valuable insights in three key areas of Christian life: leading, training and serving.
Just as good soldiers follow orders, Christians are called to follow Christ’s commands and not those of the world (2 Tim 2:3-4). The Lord says there is no greater love than laying down one’s life for one’s friends (Jn 15:13). This sounds simple, but it requires courage and discipline.
To be disciplined, soldiers train relentlessly for combat by pushing their minds and bodies. Christians discipline their bodies as well (1 Cor 9:27) by prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The Church is a hospital for sinners and not a museum for saints, and we need the sacraments for healing and strength in the ongoing battle.
Our opponent does not rest, and so we must be vigilant (1 Pt 5:8). A lax sentry can doom his comrades to defeat, just as a lax father can doom his family to spiritual death.
To recognize our weakness and our need for Christ, we must be humble, practice spiritual discipline, and live in service to others. Paradoxically, to save our life we need to lose it (Mt 16:25). B — Andrew Whiskeyman, Ph.D., is a retired colonel of the U.S. Army who teaches leadership, technology and information warfare. He is a past grand knight of Father Vincent R. Capodanno Council 14495 in Tampa, Fla.
MISSION OF THE FAMILY
Low-Tech Parenthood
Rediscover the benefits of letting Mother Nature shoulder her share of childrearing
By Eric Brende
DID YOU KNOW that parenting is a purely modern invention? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “parenting” did not gain usage until the late 19th century — at the peak of the industrial revolution.
What in an earlier time had gone without saying now had to be learned. Experts and books on parenting came on the scene. Why? Rapid technological advances shift the terms of life for every new generation. What worked for your parents won’t work for you.
Perhaps most critically, technology also has pushed Mother Nature to the margins. A helpful co-nurturer, she once steered youthful energies in wholesome directions and aligned family goals.
My wife, Mary, and I chose to live smack in the middle of a major city. And yet, while raising our kids we somehow availed ourselves of the natural world more than many I know who live in the country. More surprisingly, our means of doing so were technological.
Some human inventions screen Mother Nature out; others let her in. Consider the humble bicycle. I remember one May afternoon when I took our youngest child, Evan, age 6 — seated behind me on his “traila-bike” (a one-wheeled appendage that turns an adult bike into a tandem for a child) — across town to his music lesson. As we wove through back streets, fresh blooms bursting all around, every new sight for Evan inspired one fresh question after another. Our conversation — and more importantly, our relationship — bloomed along with the pear trees and the tulips.
Our three children were often found indoors, to be sure. Yet, they were most often wrapped up in books, which exercise the brain, as the bike exercises the body. With no computers or televisions, the kids inhaled multi-part volumes like The Lord of the Rings that I, a childhood TV addict, couldn’t hack.
As home-based crafters — Mary, a seamstress and I a soap maker — we created items the kids could see with their own eyes and grasp with their own hands. I hosted a classical chamber group in the living room, and they wrote their own music and practiced their own instruments: violin, flute and trombone.
Going low-tech did not eliminate the need to manage, dictate and discipline. But from the former chore of “parenting,” Mother Nature finessed the joy of common cause and fostered family unity. B
ERIC BRENDE, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, is the author of Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology (2005). He is a member of St. Francis de Sales Council 14067 in St. Louis.
FAMILY FINANCE
What advice do you have for investors during times of market volatility?
By Anthony Minopoli
Managing assets during volatile periods requires patience. Volatility causes anxiety in investors as they see unrealized losses mount in their portfolios. Yet, by its very nature, volatility is temporary and is a normal occurrence in the financial markets. Historically, these periods have worked out for investors who show patience and don’t panic.
In recent months, prospective tariffs related to U.S. trade have caused volatility in the market as investors have
FOR YOUR MARRIAGE
tried to decipher what new tariffs mean for the economy and the capital markets. However, it is important to remember that as quickly as tariffs are enacted, they can be relaxed.
In addition to being patient, another way to mitigate volatility is to have portfolios diversified across stocks, bonds and cash, as well as introducing differing equity styles such as growth and value or adding international equity.
Permanent loss can happen in two ways. It can result from an investment going bankrupt and causing investment capital to be lost, or it can occur when an investor sells an underperforming asset, in which case the unrealized loss becomes realized.
This is why we recommend that clients maintain a certain amount of liquidity in order to ride out periods of volatility.
The Bridegroom of Our Souls
In the sacrament of marriage, we are called to be a living sign of Christ’s love for the Church
By John Cuddeback
“CHRIST IS THE true groom of the soul.” These words of St. Thomas Aquinas, from his commentary on the Gospel of John, express a truth at the heart of our faith and what is at stake in matrimony. My marriage should reveal — to my spouse, to me, to my children, and to many others — the relationship Christ seeks with us. “For your husband is your Maker, the Lord of hosts is his name” (Is 54:5).
What an astounding revelation! Who would have dared imagine the Lord of hosts as one’s spouse! The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church” (1617, cf. Eph 5:26-27). But wait. If this is true, then how we experience spousal love — whether in our own marriage, our parents, or those around us — directly affects our perception of the entire Christian life.
Permanent loss can largely be mitigated through prudent diversification and patient investing, both of which have served investors well over time.
To find a financial professional who can help you make informed financial decisions, visit kofc.org/familyfinance B — Anthony Minopoli is president and chief investment officer of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors and a member of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors.
This is central in God’s plan for marriage. Indeed, as a sacrament, marriage is designed precisely for this end — to be a sign of how Christ loves each soul. When I first heard someone say “the best thing you can do for your children is to love your wife well,” it struck me like a thunderbolt, leaving me both thrilled and terrified. Now I can understand better why. My efforts and struggles to be a good husband, to love my wife well, should be a natural (while imperfect!) mirror of God’s love. We often hear that as parents we reveal how God is a father. But first in our marriage, perhaps and even especially in persevering through daily trials, we reveal something of how God is a groom — the true groom of every soul. B
JOHN CUDDEBACK is an author, founder of LifeCraft, and professor of philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., where he is a member of John Carrell Jenkins Council 7771. He and his wife, Sofia, have six children.
Strength in the Face of PERSECUTION
K of C-sponsored initiatives bring faith and charity to the suffering Church in Nigeria
By Elisha Valladares-Cormier
With more than 230 million people, Nigeria is the sixth most populous country in the world and by far the most populous in Africa. It is home to as many as 100 million Christians, including 35 million Catholics. But ethnic and religious tensions, primarily between Muslims and Christians, have made the West African nation one of the world’s deadliest hotbeds of religious persecution.
Although the Christian and Muslim populations are both large — Christians make up about 46% of the population and Muslims 53% — Christians are a distinct and persecuted minority in several regions. Particularly in north and central Nigeria, Christians face barriers to health care access, education and employment.
The persecution is also frequently violent, with numbers that speak for themselves: More than 18,000 churches destroyed in northern Nigeria since 2009; at least 16,000 Christians killed for their faith between 2019 and 2023; and 5 million more displaced from their homes. It is particularly challenging in the north, where 12 states have instituted sharia law and where Boko Haram and other jihadist groups are most active.
And yet, the Catholic Church in Nigeria continues to grow, the threat of persecution not diminishing the flame of faith — as evidenced by the tens of thousands of people, including many former Muslims, who enter the Church every year.
“During the Boko Haram insurgency between 2014 and 2017, we thought, as religious leaders, that our churches were going to be empty,” said Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of the northeastern Diocese of Yola. “But not at all. Rather, the more we are persecuted, the stronger our people become.”
In August 2024, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly announced in his annual report that the Order would assist the afflicted Church in Nigeria through new initiatives of charity and faith formation — building upon the Order’s history of support for persecuted Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere. This includes sponsoring a collaboration between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, to establish a national catechetical institute in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
“This crisis is a call to action. So we asked Nigeria’s bishops how we can help,” Supreme Knight Kelly said during his annual report at the 142nd Supreme Convention. “Their answer was unequivocal. They need us to help their people stand strong in the face of persecution — by spreading the hope that comes from faith.”
A woman wheels herself into St. Stephen Church in Yola, Nigeria, after receiving a wheelchair from the Knights of Columbus during a March 4 distribution at a camp for internally displaced people in Adamawa State.
Photo by Afolabi Sotunde/Castletown Media
‘NO ONE COMES TO OUR AID’
In 2018, Father John Ferdinand was away from his parish in the Diocese of Yola, when in the middle of the night insurgents of Boko Haram attacked the compound where his church and rectory were located.
Militants subdued the parish’s security guard and forced him to show them where the priests lived. Fortunately, the associate priest and other people in the compound heard the commotion and fled for safety. But when the security guard also tried to flee, the attackers attacked him with a machete and left him for dead.
The survivors returned to bring the security guard to the hospital, where he received treatment and temporarily recovered. But the machete had been lined with poison that remained in his body, and he died within two years.
The associate priest tried to file a police report the night of the attack, but the authorities did not respond until well into the next morning and made only a cursory review of
the crime scene. No one was ever investigated or brought to justice for the crime.
“Almost every day, we have to be on guard for an attack,” Father Ferdinand said. “But because we are Christian, no one comes to our aid.”
Some incidents make international headlines, like the university student killed in May 2022 by a mob of classmates for allegedly making critical remarks about Islam, or the 47 people massacred in Nigeria’s Middle Belt on Christmas Day 2024. But many more receive little to no attention or outrage outside of Nigeria.
A recent study from the Nigeria Catholic Network found that more than 200 priests and seminarians have been kidnapped across the country in the past decade, and 15 died as a result — not including others who were killed by other intentional acts of violence.
“Usually when these things happen, the government does not do anything tangible,” said Father Joseph Ekwoanya of
by Stephen Rasche
Photo
A widowed mother of five children, whose husband had been murdered by Boko Haram, is pictured in the fall of 2024 after being informed that she will receive two months’ worth of food from the Diocese of Yola.
the northwestern Diocese of Sokoto. “They don’t seek to bring about justice. … The people who have done the evil deeds walk freely, because tacitly, not explicitly, they have the support of the Islamic leaders and the Islamic population.”
The priests said that in states with a Muslim ruling class, especially in the north, Christians are often barred from getting jobs or attending school, contributing to poverty within the Catholic community. Essential services such as electricity and water are withheld, and some governments won’t build schools in predominantly Christian communities.
When Boko Haram or another militant group sweeps through an area, they routinely burn houses and terrorize residents, leaving behind ghost towns, Father Ferdinand explained. Sometimes, extremists will wait for harvest season just so they can send an entire year’s work up in flames.
REPRISING A FAMILIAR ROLE
For several years, Father Ferdinand has helped lead interreligious dialogue in the Diocese of Yola. And while leaders from other religions, including Islam, express sympathy and outrage at the Christians’ plight, those sentiments are often left at the discussion table.
“As religious leaders, we decide that we should go back to our churches and mosques to preach peace,” he said. “But
you see, when we go back, it’s a different thing.”
Millions of Christians, discouraged by the constant danger and threat of persecution, have abandoned their homes in the north for displacement camps in other parts of the country. And for those who stay, access to the sacraments and formation to sustain their faith is often sparse.
“On the one hand, the persecution has deepened their faith,” said Stephen Rasche, a lawyer turned full-time missionary to the Middle East and Africa. “But that doesn’t diminish the reality of the difficulty that they’re facing.”
Rasche, a member of Potomac Council 433 in Washington, D.C., has worked closely with the Knights for the past decade to aid persecuted Christians and other religious minorities, including the victims of Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
In 2014, the Knights of Columbus established the Christian Refugee Relief Fund to provide humanitarian aid, through local churches, to those targeted for genocide. The fund raised more than $25 million, and in 2017, then-Supreme Knight Carl Anderson announced the Order’s support for the Nineveh Reconstruction Project, an effort led by Rasche to help rebuild liberated cities and allow hundreds of Iraqi Christian families to return to the homes they fled from during the persecution.
Photo by
Paul Haring
Priests and catechists gather at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where they are studying theology. From left: Femi Emmanuel Adeojo, Father Sunday Yunana, Father Joseph Ekwoanya and Father John Ferdinand.
As anti-Christian persecution in Nigeria increased, Rasche began traveling there, with K of C support, to assess if efforts similar to those in the Middle East could provide relief to local communities. Along with local Church representatives, Rasche has worked to develop best practices for Nigerian dioceses to raise awareness of the persecution and secure financial assistance from around the world, in addition to coordinating the Order’s aid to the region.
Ensuring the health of a growing Nigerian Church, Rasche said, is as important as the material aid that can be offered — and the Knights of Columbus offers both.
“It’s one thing to baptize and confirm,” he said. “It’s another thing to properly catechize the youngsters and [converts] so that they have a firm foundation in the Church. And the Knights of Columbus is playing a critical role in that.”
HOPE ROOTED IN FAITH
The centerpiece of the Order’s support is the proposed Catechetical Institute of Nigeria, fittingly located in Abuja, the nation’s capital and geographical center. The ultimate goal for the institute, Church leaders say, is to form and educate catechists to minister in each of the country’s 60 dioceses.
To this end, the Nigerian bishops have partnered with Franciscan University of Steubenville, specifically its renowned Catechetical Institute, to help develop catechetical materials, spiritual formation programs, and digital assets that will serve the Church in Nigeria as well as several other English-speaking West African countries.
The first phase of the project, the entirety of which is funded by a grant from the Supreme Council, is currently underway. Six individuals — two priests, two religious sisters, and two laypeople — selected by the Nigerian bishops’ conference to run the institute are pursuing graduate studies in theology at Franciscan University. Next year, four more catechists will participate in a four-month intensive catechetical program that will train them to better serve their dioceses.
“The people are yearning to hear the Word of God. The faith is booming; the people are willing. And yet, we are still looking for people who are educated to know and disseminate the faith.”
Father Ferdinand, Father Sunday Yunana of the Diocese of Bauchi, in northern Nigeria, and Femi Emmanuel Adeojo, the bishops’ conference’s national secretary for evangelization, are three members of the first, key cohort; the other three cohort members remain in Nigeria due to visa issues. Father Ekwoanya, while not a member of the cohort, is also at the university studying for a doctorate in theology.
Arriving in the small Rust Belt city in eastern Ohio last fall was certainly a culture shock, said Adeojo, but “one of the first things we told ourselves [before arriving] is that we are not coming only for the academic knowledge. There is a missionary spirit we need to imbibe.”
In addition to Franciscan’s master of theology program, the cohort will participate in a catechetical fellowship program that includes mentorships from catechetical leaders, designing the curriculum for the Nigerian institute, and preparing an online formation system accessible via the internet throughout English-speaking Africa to assist catechists at the local level.
The latter is especially important, the cohort explained, because it is almost impossible to evangelize over the airwaves: Nigerian law forbids religious-based organizations or individuals from owning radio or television stations to disseminate their faith. But upper-class Muslims can buy airtime and work around the law. Christians — impoverished due to persecution — do not have the means to do the same.
Father Yunana, who in Nigeria oversaw a parish with 32 separate churches, said pastors are doing their best to catechize and evangelize but often need help reaching all their people.
Stephen Rasche, an attorney and member of Potomac Council 433 in Washington, D.C., is pictured with children at an outpost church in the Atlantika Mountains on the Nigerian border with Cameroon in 2021. Rasche has helped coordinate the Order’s aid for Christians in Nigeria in partnership with local Church leaders.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Rasche
“The people are yearning to hear the Word of God,” he said. “The faith is booming; the people are willing. And yet, we are still looking for people who are educated to know and disseminate the faith.”
‘LOVE IS MEANT FOR ALL’
Beyond the catechetical initiative, the K of C support for persecuted Christians in Nigeria includes material aid for those suffering. Thanks to a grant from the Knights, about 70 new hospitals beds were recently purchased to replace beds nearly a century old, dating back to the British occupation of Nigeria. There are also plans to help fund ultrasound machines at Nigerian hospitals in the future.
Recently, in partnership with the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation, the Order organized distributions at three locations in Nigeria — Sokoto, Yola and Ogoja in the south — delivering nearly 100 wheelchairs to people in need at each site.
Many of the recipients — including those with disabilities, patients being treated for leprosy and tuberculosis, and victims of the persecution’s violence — were either prevented from obtaining medical treatment or could not afford to purchase a wheelchair. The Knights’ donation, said Bishop Mamza, was life-altering.
“The worst affected are those from the rural areas,” he said. “Apart from the Church, there is no other way of support. … By providing these wheelchairs, the Knight of Columbus has made those physically challenged people feel that they can
also add value to the society and also to the Church.”
One recipient, Solomon Luka, had to be carried by family or crawl to get from one place to another. “I feel so happy,” he said after receiving the wheelchair. “There are so many things I can do which I couldn’t before.”
The Nigerian bishops, the catechists and the wheelchair recipients all express gratitude for the Order’s efforts, which reminds them that they are not alone.
“It is a great sign of the universality of humanity,” said Bishop Donatus Edet Akpan of Ogoja. “When there is a need for help, you don’t consider nationality, or whether you are white or black. Love is meant for all.”
Adeojo and Fathers Ferdinand and Sunday — the three catechist cohort members currently in Steubenville — gather for Mass every day, keeping the intentions of the Knights of Columbus in their prayers. They don’t know the next time they will be back home, a fact especially hard for Adeojo, whose wife and two children remain in Nigeria. But the sacrifice is worth it, he said — even though he and his confreres acknowledge that their catechetical training could ultimately lead to their deaths.
“Christ is the only reason we need,” said Adeojo. “He was persecuted and he died, but he rose. We believe that whoever sacrifices his life could cause many to convert back to Christ. So, like St. Paul, if we die, we die in Christ.” B
ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER is senior editor of Columbia and a member of Sandusky (Ohio) Council 546.
A woman prepares to use her new wheelchair from the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation during a K of C-sponsored distribution in Ogoja, Nigeria, on Feb. 20.
A VOICE for HUMANITY
An interview about artificial intelligence with Bishop Paul Tighe of the Dicastery for Culture and Education
The rapidly growing usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in various areas of life has evoked a wide range of reaction and speculation — from optimistic visions of transhumanism to catastrophizing doomsday scenarios to everything in between. Recognizing the impact AI will have — and is already having — upon billions of people, the Catholic Church has sought to highlight both potential opportunities and dangers afforded by this new technology.
This past year, two Vatican dicasteries collaborated on the Holy See’s most comprehensive reflection on AI to date: Antiqua et Nova, a “Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence,” released Jan. 25. Among its four signatories was Bishop Paul Tighe, a native of Ireland and secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, which co-published the document with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Bishop Tighe recently spoke with Columbia editor Alton Pelowski about the main themes of Antiqua et Nova, which urges us to consider the promise and challenge of artificial intelligence “with wisdom both ancient and new.”
COLUMBIA: What interest does the Catholic Church have in artificial intelligence, and what led to the publication of Antiqua et Nova?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE : Over the past several years, Pope Francis and others at the Holy See have reflected on AI. With Antiqua et Nova, we intended to give further context to these teachings by offering a holistic approach to AI and developing two things. First, to identify some of the ethical issues regarding the future of areas like work, health care and education. Second, to provide the context of an anthropological vision: What does it mean to be human, and what does it mean now to deal with technologies that can accomplish things we believed only human beings could?
Bishops’ conferences and other groups around the world have asked the Holy See to weigh in on AI. Therefore, while this document is not a papal teaching it offers an authoritative Catholic perspective on the issue. This is an area where the whole world is struggling for wisdom, for understanding, for approaches that will ensure that this technology — which has extraordinary potential — realizes that potential to do something good for humanity.
This photo illustration visualizing themes of Antiqua et Nova, the Vatican’s recent “Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence” was generated by ChatGPT’s 4o Image Generation, a function released by OpenAI on March 25.
COLUMBIA: From the Church’s perspective, how are we to understand human intelligence and its relationship to these technological advancements?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: Through the brilliance of the human mind, technology — and science in general — has improved our world. That is a flourishing of God’s gift to us: our own human intelligence. AI is an extraordinary achievement in that context, and we realize that it has extraordinary potential. But we can’t just rely on technology to get us the right results; human agency must engage it fruitfully and ensure it is put at the service of all human beings.
Machines have extraordinary capacities to replicate certain forms of human intelligence, such as reasoning and processing of documents, memory, pattern forming. But so many elements of human intelligence go beyond that. That’s why much of the document, particularly early on, addresses more fundamental human questions: What does it mean to be human and have a worthwhile life? What is it that makes life good for individuals, for society and for the broader global community?
In talking about reasoning and intelligence, it’s trying to broaden that picture and remind us that human intelligence is embodied. It’s not just in the head up that we are intelligent; body and mind go together. We need to avoid any sort of dualism that sees intelligence as separable from the rest of the human.
AI is very powerful when working with the kind of materials that have been digitalized, but there are types of learning and types of human experiences and different cultural variations that have not been digitalized — or simply cannot be. We must avoid somehow excluding the richness and complexity of what it is to be human in that process.
The AI models have basically tried to incorporate all forms of digital materials they can find everywhere in the world, although not always with the consent of those who created them. This latter point will be a long-term issue because if AI is going to be, in a sense, almost parasitical on human creativity. How do we ensure that people’s human creativity is adequately compensated and rewarded? The next generation may say it no longer needs humans to be creative, but I don’t think a machine can ever achieve the originality and imaginative capacities of a true human artist.
COLUMBIA: With such rapid advancements of technology, Pope Francis has observed we are experiencing an “epochal change,” and he has warned against a “technocratic paradigm.” What do these terms mean in relation to AI?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: AI is changing a lot of things. As others have said, it could even be an anthropological disruption, making us think about what we understand it is to be human. I think the Holy Father is using “epochal” in that sense. “Technocratic paradigm” has its own history, but the pope uses it in a somewhat original way. In the past, we may have said AI is morally neutral, since it can be used for good and bad. But Pope Francis is saying the technologies are born out of a certain worldview influenced by commercial and
political considerations, and those considerations will affect our thinking about the technology.
Hopefully, we’ve learned from social media, which we welcomed initially as something with enormous potential to strengthen the human family and facilitate instant communication across geographic and language barriers. But it became corrupted by the commercial logic of the attention economy. Many people realized the best way to control the attention of others was to give them lots of material they agree with and keep them trapped somewhat in a silo of their own opinions, leading to toxic, divisive behavior that is so prevalent today. This deformation of social media’s potential was led by algorithms that exacerbated those problems.
It’s important to recognize the extraordinary capacity of the potential of this technology, but not to be naive in presuming it will automatically benefit everybody. We should ensure that AI will be used to address issues that are important for our world, not those of simple commercial interests. As Pope Francis has asked: Will we use AI for things that benefit all, or for the projects of the few? How do we ensure that those who are working with AI will be accountable to a global community?
COLUMBIA: The document talks about the human person as not only rational but also a fundamentally relational being. How should we approach challenges such as the tendency to “anthropomorphize” this technology and the blurring of authentic and simulated interactions?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: If an AI doesn’t deliver what I want, fine. But we can’t take that attitude into our dealings with other human beings, who don’t exist simply to meet another
Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Education and Culture, speaks during the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit held Feb. 10 at the Grand Palais in Paris.
FAKE
An AI-generated image depicts the iconic Hollywood sign surrounded by flames. Similar fabricated images and videos showing the century-old sign flooded social media in early January, in the context of the wildfires that engulfed parts of Los Angeles.
person’s needs or wants. One reads stories about people who have AI friends, but these “friends” have no autonomy. They don’t challenge us, whereas part of being in relationship with another person is that we learn to respect the autonomy, the essence and even the mystery of the other person.
One of the concerns about anthropomorphization was expressed by UNESCO, which observed that children were arriving to school with an expectation that teachers would behave as their tablet behaves. Again, what is lost is the sense of the originality of the other person. It’s another reason that people who develop and benefit from AI need a sense of responsibility toward others — to create technology that honors our social nature as humans.
COLUMBIA: The challenge seems to go both directions: When you anthropomorphize a machine that simulates human behaviors and emotions, you are tempted to treat that machine as a human being, and conversely, you treat human beings as machines.
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: Exactly. It changes your way of interacting. It comes back to the concern for human dignity, one of the areas that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has been most focused on regarding AI. What you can measure about humans — their physical, economic and intellectual capacities — can be used by AI, with all the preconceived biases of its creator, to make judgments on a person.
AI is already being used in sentencing and parole hearings, where it crunches the information to tell you who’s more likely to re-offend, who might be in danger, etc. But
what about the immeasurable ? Are people only as good as their previous measurable behavior? Or do we believe in the possibility of transformation, grace, conversion, mercy? We must avoid a transactional world where everything is measured or we think everything can be predicted if we just have enough information.
COLUMBIA: Another theme of the document is moral responsibility. What does it mean to have shared responsibility for these technological advancements, and why is this important from the Church’s perspective?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: If a machine does something wrong, who is responsible? If somebody inputs wrong and biased information, or if a company has released a model that hasn’t been fully tested, there’s a responsibility. We have to move away from any tendency to blame the machine, realizing the complexity of the environments in which we live and the underlying moral responsibilities.
Users of AI should ask themselves, “What am I using AI for? By using this technology, what am I inadvertently, or uncritically, buying into or licensing?” Developers should make similar assessments. And it gives me hope that there are individuals contributing at the actual development stages who refuse to work on certain projects that they see them as inappropriate as morally questionable.
We want all of these developments to be somehow accountable to the whole of humanity. Therefore, the Church is trying to create a dialog and a debate so more people can influence the bigger debates related to AI, especially the
voices of those who are less fortunate. It’s not something that should be left exclusively to the “experts.”
Pope Francis, in Chapter 6 of his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (Brothers All) develops what he calls a culture of encounter, where we try to learn from each other within the human community (215). How do we ensure that these products are human-centric? We want them to be for the human good, for the good of society, for the good of all.
The Church has theological and spiritual insights to bring to that table. We need to ensure that all the voices are heard. Scientists and technologists have a very particular way of understanding the world, which is very valuable, but it’s not the only way of understanding the world. And many scientists themselves are the first to raise these issues.
I also think we need to recover the sense of human rights being ultimately rooted in human dignity, not human creations. They’re born with us and expressive of our dignity. It’s important to ensure the protection of human rights — not only privacy rights and personal rights, but also the social and political rights that are part of what makes us human.
COLUMBIA: What role does education play in helping people, especially Catholics and particularly children, become more aware and responsible in how they engage with AI?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: Simply put, we need education with, about and for AI. We need to consider how AI works with our education environments now. We can’t ignore the platforms or the tools that are available — and increasingly so. How should we educate with AI, not to replace the teacher, but to potentiate the teacher’s capacity.
AI is more likely to be used for subjects that are easily measurable, such as science, technology, engineering and math. You can develop programs that will teach you those; but other skills — critical and creative skills, such as literature, won’t be so easily dealt with by AI. We want to ensure they don’t get abandoned simply because they’re not easily reduced to an AI platform.
Education isn’t just the imparting of skills. It’s the formation of a person. We don’t want to lose something of the mystery that education, in the end, is the human activity. In this regard, I think the role of the teacher is something we want to preserve.
At the same time, we need to have education about AI. How do we teach people the critical skills to realize that AI is, at a simplistic level, dependent on databases and dependent on algorithms? From there, we can ask how reliable or dependable the databases are. Whose opinions will shape the information? People can then look at the technology critically and understand its biases and limits.
Finally, in a world where AI is going to change the nature of work, or the types of work that humans engage with, we need education for AI. What is the bigger call of education in that system? Within our Catholic tradition, we always want education to be about the formation of people; about giving them a vision, purpose and meaning in life, rather than simply giving them skills for economic advantage.
Panelists participate in a United Nations conference titled “Can Moral and Ethical Boundaries be Applied to Artificial Intelligence?” The Feb. 6 event in New York was sponsored by the Knights of Malta and supported by the Knights of Columbus.
COLUMBIA: Do you have advice for members of the Knights of Columbus and their families so they can navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, and approach this technology in a healthy way?
BISHOP PAUL TIGHE: On the one hand, I think people shouldn’t be afraid to test out some of the platforms and see how they work. As increasingly more and more of our services go online — digitalization in general — it is worth ensuring that people are not excluded from becoming more digitally capable, so that they can partake in the technology and be informed.
On the other hand, in a world increasingly shaped by AI, we should approach things with caution and a healthy degree of skepticism. If I’m resharing information on social media, for example, I need to ask: Am I certain this information is correct, and have I ensured that I’m not just sharing something because it reinforces my prejudices? With AI, let’s be even more cautious, because photos and videos can easily be manipulated. A certain critical attentiveness to not allow myself to be manipulated is essential.
What worries me is where social media is taking us, and how AI has the potential to take us, even further, into a world of polarization. How do I try to authentically listen to somebody who’s saying something that I don’t necessarily like, or who is coming from a different side of a political divide? How can I open myself up to always keeping alive a sense of the humanity of the other? There is a risk of seeing those whom we might be inclined to label as competition or a threat as an enemy. But no, this is a human being with dignity and worth who has different ways of expression his or her views. So, how do we protect that common humanity?
In a world in which AI could threaten the richness of our basic humanity, let’s open ourselves up to the uniqueness of every individual, over and above that which can be measured and easily categorized. B
Photo courtesy of the Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the United Nations
A Fraternity OF ARMS
Knights and nations celebrate the centuries-long friendship between France and the United States, memorialized in a statue of legendary World War I leaders
By Madalaine Elhabbal
On Sept. 1, 1919, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, supreme commander of the Allied Forces, extended his hand in farewell to Gen. John J. Pershing as they stood aboard the USS Leviathan — a former German passenger liner turned U.S. battleship — in the harbor of Brest, France.
Collaborators and friends, the pair were instrumental in orchestrating the Allied victory in World War I nearly one year earlier. Foch, a renowned French general and devout Catholic, oversaw the combined military forces mainly from France, Great Britain and the United States, while Pershing served as commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, mobilizing more than 2 million service members after the U.S. entered the war in 1917.
Both Marshal Foch and Gen. Pershing expressed admiration for the Knights of Columbus and gratitude for the Order’s support of Allied troops. Foch would later be named an honorary Knight — and the 1-millionth member — during his triumphant visit to the United States in November 1921.
The parting handshake between two military giants two years earlier, memorialized in a photograph by a U.S. Army sergeant, was recently cast in bronze to commemorate nearly 250 years of military alliance between France and the United States, dating back to the American Revolution.
The statue, crafted by artist Luc de Moustier, is the fruit of a project commissioned by the French Army and overseen by Col. Thomas Labouche, liaison officer to the U.S. Department of Defense. Both men are members of the Knights of Columbus in Paris.
During a Feb. 3 ceremony at the residence of the French ambassador in Washington, D.C., Gen. Pierre Schill, the French Army chief of staff, presented two castings of the statue to leaders of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
“This gift,” Gen. Schill said, “embodies the spirit of cooperation that has been driving us for 250 years — a spirit of combat readiness, dedication to the mission and willingness to help each other when facing existential challenges.”
WARTIME COLLABORATORS
Soon after the United States entered World War I, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty wrote to President Woodrow Wilson with an ambitious proposal. With the president’s approval, the Order would establish a network of centers “for the recreation and spiritual comfort” of Allied servicemen across the United States and Europe. The Knights received $30 million from a national fundraising drive and raised more than $14 million on its own for its war efforts.
A new statue of Marshal Ferdinand Foch and Gen. John J. Pershing shaking hands, created by artist Luc de Moustier, is pictured in the foreground of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington Ridge Park in Arlington, Va.
Photo by Col. Thomas Labouche
The K of C recreation centers, or huts, staffed by Knights known as “secretaries” or “KCs,” provided soldiers with access to Mass and the sacraments, entertainment, food and other comforts in the midst of war. Their motto was, famously, “Everybody Welcome, Everything Free,” as visiting soldiers were treated equally and never charged for services — their patriotic service the only cost necessary.
Gen. Pershing later declared, “Of all the organizations that took part in the winning of the war, with the exception of the military itself, there was none so efficiently and ably administered as the Knights of Columbus.”
Marshal Foch shared Pershing’s gratitude for the Knights’ efforts. “I am deeply touched by the attention of the Knights of Columbus,” he wrote to Supreme Knight Flaherty in November 1918, before the city of Metz was returned to France. “It was from Metz that Lafayette went to help your ancestors, and we shall one day see your victorious banner floating over Metz.”
Two years later, in August 1920, Supreme Knight Flaherty led a pilgrimage of more than 200 Knights to Metz, where he unveiled an 18-foot bronze monument of the Marquis of Lafayette — a gift of the Order to France as a sign of unity.
Standing before a crowd of thousands, the supreme knight also presented a ceremonial gold baton to Marshal Foch, who responded, “Knights of Columbus, you have performed a service for both France and America of benefit to all future generations, and you have stirred the heart of the French people as they have never been stirred before.”
When Foch later visited the United States and was hosted by the Order in Chicago on Nov. 6, 1921, he was declared an honorary Knight of Columbus by the board of directors. Supreme Knight Flaherty then cabled Foch’s wife: “America may kill your husband with kindness, but we shall do our utmost to preserve his health. He is the millionth Knight of Columbus and the most illustrious of all.”
In a Christmas message published in Columbia that December, Foch stated: “[M]y visit to America and the marvelous demonstrations greeting me everywhere [...] which typified the spirit of the men that constitute the Knights of Columbus, surpasses any ideal I could have derived even in the way of inspiration from the statue of Lafayette, and therefore raises to the utmost my hope that the spirit of Christianity as manifested in this order, to which I belong, will be the moving force of the world.”
Photo by Sgt. J.P. Mulser / Alamy Stock Photo
Marshal Foch and General Pershing exchange a farewell handshake aboard the USS Leviathan at the harbor of Brest, France, on Sept. 1, 1919.
He added: “The mission of my life will be to prove worthy of the noble tribute paid me by granting to me the highest degree within the order.”
ALLIES, FRIENDS, BROTHERS
It was not until 2016, nearly a century after Marshal Foch became the first Knight of Columbus in France, that K of C councils were established there. Since then, the Order in France has grown to 1,250-plus members across 50 parishes in 22 dioceses.
Col. Thomas Labouche, a husband and father of seven, currently resides in northern Virginia due to his work as a liaison officer. He said he was moved to join the Knights of Columbus in 2015, during a previous assignment in Washington, after hearing the story of Blessed Michael McGivney and learning of the Order’s mission. He later transferred his membership to Paris, where he is a member of St. José Luis Sanchez del Rio Council 18407.
“When we started our council in France, the Knights to me were a kind of Christian ‘A-Team,’” Labouche said. “They are men who are full of ingenuity and ideas ready to serve, and it’s a very good social mix.”
It was the colonel’s desire to honor the longstanding patriotic and fraternal bonds between his homeland and the United States that eventually drove him to propose a project to memorialize the alliance between France and America. The inspiration came in 2016, during his first post at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters.
“I entered the Pentagon, and when I looked around me, I saw a bust of Winston Churchill but no figures or statues
Col. Thomas Labouche (left) and Luc de Moustier, both members of the Knights in Paris, are pictured during the Foch-Pershing statue presentation event Feb. 3 at the residence of the French ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C.
or artifacts representing the France-United States relationship,” Labouche recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘Something is lacking here.’”
For nearly a decade, Labouche considered a number of possible ways to represent this missing military alliance, dating back to the Marquis de Lafayette’s arrival in the United States and support of the Continental Army in 1777 and to the Franco-American Treaty signed Feb. 6, 1778.
Finally settling on a depiction of Marshal Foch, Labouche contacted Luc de Moustier, a professional artist and member of St. Martin Council 16910 in Paris. In 2017, de Moustier created a statue of St. Joseph and the Christ Child that has been carried by Knights during walking pilgrimages throughout France. The initial proposal for the new project was to sculpt a bust of Foch, but de Moustier suggested the artwork should depict the “meeting” between Foch and Pershing.
“I was immediately captivated by this photo of Marshal Foch bidding farewell to Gen. Pershing before his return to the United States, his mission accomplished,” de Moustier explained. “The two men pay no attention to their surroundings; they are simply looking at each other.”
For de Moustier, this exchange revealed more than just a deep sense of respect as comrades-in-arms.
“If the people who see the sculpture are able to sense this friendship, then my goal has been partly achieved,” the artist affirmed. “Since I became a sculptor in 2012, I found that only the statues created as the result of a friendship have lived, and I sincerely believe that the Foch-Pershing statue is indeed the result of this fertile friendship.”
“Knights of Columbus, you have performed a service for both France and America of benefit to all future generations, and you have stirred the heart of the French people as they have never been stirred before.”
Marshal Foch, K of C baton in hand, stands beside Supreme Knight Flaherty and other Supreme Officers at the dedication of the K of C-commissioned bronze monument of Marquis de Lafayette, who fought during the American Revolution, in Metz, France, on Aug. 21, 1920.
THE ORDER & THE ‘OLDEST ALLIANCE’
Together with the visible elements depicted in the sculpture, de Moustier also forged tangible historical elements into the two bronze casts. Specifically, Col. Labouche asked him to incorporate soil or sand from several key locations key to the alliance. Each statue was made incorporating soil from Yorktown, Virginia, site of the decisive, final battle for American independence in 1781. For the Marine Corps statue, coated in blue, de Moustier also included soil from Bois Belleau, a French forest where a seminal battle for the Marine Corps took place in 1918; and for the Army’s statue, coated in green, sand from Normandy’s Omaha Beach, where Allied forces landed on D-Day in 1944.
The artist’s own family history is marked by the bond between France and the United States. Two of his ancestors served as the last diplomats sent by King Louis XVI before the French Revolution, and his maternal grandfather was part of Operation Torch in November 1942, which contributed to the victory of the Allied Forces during World War II.
Given the multi-layered history shared between the Knights of Columbus and the two countries, the Order co-sponsored the Foch-Pershing sculpture project, together with other organizations, at Labouche’s invitation. Supreme Master Michael McCusker represented the Supreme Council at the Feb. 3 event, during which several dignitaries, a descendant of Marshal Foch, and Luc de Moustier delivered remarks.
“Friendship between two countries is a fine word, but friendship between two people is a reality — this is what is fruitful,” de Moustier said. “It’s the friendship of Lafayette, Rochambeau and de Grasse with Washington, of Foch and Pershing — and, above all, that of the anonymous people who, for almost 250 years, have given flesh and meaning to the relationship of the ‘oldest alliance.’”
When the 125th anniversary of the Fourth Degree was celebrated several weeks later at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Feb. 22, Col. Labouche and Territorial Deputy Arnaud Bouthéon of France were among several French Knights in attendance. Both men are currently involved in developing a Fourth Degree exemplification specifically for France.
“What I’ve observed between the Knights and the military, being a military member myself, is the will to serve — that a good Knight not only stands for the principles of unity, charity and fraternity, but also patriotism,” Labouche explained. “It’s quite logical,” he added, noting that love of neighbor and love of country go hand in hand.
“It starts with your family first, and then your neighbors and community,” Labouche said. “This extends to your country in gratitude to God and in service of his love for all.” B
MADALAINE ELHABBAL is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency and writes from Washington, D.C.
Marshal Foch presents New York Yankees slugger George Herman “Babe” Ruth with the first brick of a new $2 million K of C welfare center on Nov. 21, 1921, on the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Standing between them (above) and speaking in French, Archbishop Patrick Hayes of New York said, “Marshal Foch, this is your brother Knight of Columbus, George Ruth.” Ruth, in flawless French, replied, “Oui.”
‘YOU VISITED ME’
Prison ministers share Christ’s mercy and forgiveness in the spirit of Blessed Michael McGivney
By Aprille Hanson Spivey
Five days before the execution of James “Chip” Smith on Sept. 1, 1882, Father Michael J. McGivney celebrated a high Mass at the jailhouse in New Haven, Connecticut, where Smith was held.
Thanks to countless hours that Father McGivney, the young curate at St. Mary’s Church, had spent ministering to him, Smith was far from the man he was two years earlier. In December 1880, the 21-year-old Smith was drunk and causing a disturbance in the nearby town of Ansonia. In a skirmish with the chief of police, Daniel J. Hayes, he shot Hayes in the abdomen. Hayes died four days later, and Smith was eventually sentenced to death.
Visiting the New Haven Jail, Father McGivney truly became a spiritual father to Smith, who underwent a profound conversion, and to other inmates as well.
“At his request, I ask for the prayers of all of you that when next Friday comes, he may die a holy death,” Father McGivney told the 150 people in attendance at the jailhouse Mass on Sunday, Aug. 27. “If I could consistently, with my duty, be far away from here next Friday, I should escape
perhaps the most trying ordeal of my life, but this sad duty is placed in my way by Providence and must be fulfilled.”
Five days later, the 30-year-old priest walked with Smith to the gallows. Smith calmly accepted his fate and died with a cloth Sacred Heart badge, which Father McGivney had given him, pinned close to his own heart.
Earlier that same year, the Knights of Columbus was formally chartered on March 29. Father McGivney founded the Order upon the principles of charity, unity and fraternity — the same virtues he demonstrated each time he walked through the doors of the jail to visit Smith and other inmates.
Today, in the spirit of Blessed Michael McGivney, hundreds of K of C chaplains and other Knights of Columbus serve as mentors and counselors to incarcerated people, recognizing in them Christ in disguise: “I was in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25:36). In the following pages, prison ministers and volunteers in Massachusetts, California, and New Brunswick, Canada, share how walking in faith with inmates is woven into the fabric of their identity as Knights.
Photo by
FATHERS TO THE FATHERLESS
When David Bergeron entered his faith formation and Bible study class with an armful of new Ignatius Bibles, gold-leaf trim lining the edges of each page, it was like Christmas morning for his students: inmates at Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, Massachusetts.
“I was so happy to see these guys, their true joy with these brand-new Bibles. Everybody had their nose to the Bible, smelling it,” Bergeron laughed.
“I was describing to the guys [his brother Knights] their enthusiasm for getting these Bibles.”
Bergeron, a member of Ludlow (Mass.) Council 3535 who has taught Bible study and faith formation classes at Hampden for 11 years, described the inmates’ enthusiasm to his brother Knights.
Last year, Council 3535 adopted what is now called the Blessed Michael McGivney Jail Ministry — thanks to the urging of Rob Powell, a fellow council member. For over 30 years, Powell served as a counselor, manager of counselors, and assistant superintendent at the correctional center in Ludlow and the jail in Springfield.
“David is a father figure for these men who don’t have fathers, and that was also the case for me,” Powell said. “The most important role I played was being a father figure for those 500 men in my building.”
The council provides Catholic instruction materials, as well as Bibles and rosaries, for the ministry.
On Mondays, interested inmates gather in the chapel, where Deacon Paul Mazzariello, who serves as the prison chaplain, exposes the Eucharist for adoration. Inmates join in praying the rosary and singing hymns before the Blessed Sacrament, and following Benediction, Bergeron leads Bible study and faith formation. Topics range from apologetics to the sacraments to the Blessed Mother and the saints — with lots of Q&A.
Altogether, the duo spends two hours with about a dozen men. The prisoners don’t have long stays at the facility, cycling out of jail or moving to a higher-level prison after two to three years. But even that short time, Bergeron said, can make a significant impact and have a lasting influence.
“Initially, before I began jail ministry, I had little empathy [for inmates] and thought, ‘you sleep in the bed you make,’” Bergeron admitted. “But once I met them in person, I immediately realized it’s only by God’s grace that I’m not with them. All it takes is some poor formation and a few missteps.”
There is no doubt the Blessed Michael McGivney Jail Ministry is changing lives.
“Seeing these men preparing for and receiving the sacraments and growing in their faith life encourages my own faith tremendously,” Bergeron said. “This ministry has been a heaven-sent blessing.”
David Bergeron (center) and Rob Powell (right), both members of Ludlow (Mass.) Council 3535, stand with prison chaplain Deacon Paul Mazzariello at the entrance of Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.
Photo by Bryce Vickmark
HOPE AND HEALING IN ACTION
“I have seen what evil can do to a human being and how destructive it is,” said Father Humberto Gomez, a priest of the Diocese of Sacramento. “Yet I have a stronger belief that every person is capable of changing, healing and being restored.”
Father Gomez, who was raised in Mexico, is a member of Blessed Sacrament Council 5322 in Rancho Cordova and has ministered in prisons for nearly two decades. After serving as a chaplain for nine years at a youth correctional facility, he has been a full-time chaplain at Folsom State Prison since 2016. A medium security facility near the state capital, Folsom is the second oldest prison in California and houses more than 2,500 inmates.
“Some attend our religious services such as Sunday Mass, praying of the rosary and other devotions, while others participate in our restorative justice programs to work on rehabilitation,” Father Gomez explained. “I am always available to the incarcerated people whenever they need counseling and spiritual support.”
“One of the incarcerated people thanked me for becoming their chaplain and said, ‘We are members of the diocese as well.’ And he was right. Their incarceration doesn’t take away their membership in the Body of Christ.”
Father Gomez has witnessed firsthand many lives changed by God’s mercy and feels blessed to be “an instrument of reconciliation and hope for the incarcerated.”
He recalled one man, imprisoned for over 30 years at Folsom, who eventually became Catholic.
“He shared his story with [fellow prisoners] about his life conversion, and at the end of his brief speech, he said, ‘Faith and hope in God will help you find a new way of life. Don’t ever give up on your faith,’” recounted Father Gomez.
“One of the incarcerated people thanked me for becoming their chaplain and said, ‘We are members of the diocese as well.’ And he was right,” Father Gomez affirmed. “Their incarceration doesn’t take away their membership in the Body of Christ.”
Respect for this God-given dignity is one reason that Dave Adam, a member of Father Grealy Council 4540 in Roseville who volunteers with the prison ministry at Folsom, said he calls inmates “gentlemen.”
Adam, too, has had countless transformative encounters
Krista May
by
Photo
Right: Craig Murphy and Father Phil Mulligan, members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Council 9270 in Riverview, New Brunswick, are pictured in Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, where Father Phil serves as pastor. • Opposite page: Prison ministers and brother Knights Father Humberto Gomez and Dave Adam are pictured in front of the East Gate of Folsom State Prison, California’s second oldest prison.
during his 15 years in prison ministry. One such meeting was with an inmate named “Moot” during a Kairos Prison Ministry International Prayer and Share session.
“I just felt compelled to tell him, ‘Jesus loves you,’ and he goes, ‘Say that without that smirk on your face,’” Adam recalled.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry I was born with this dumb look on my face, but Jesus loves you,’” Adam continued. “By the time he got about three feet from me, the tears were just rolling down his eyes. He threw his arms around me, and he gave me this hug and he said, ‘I needed that.’”
In addition to Folsom, Adam volunteers at the maximum security state prison in Sacramento, where he serves as the Kairos advisory council chairman.
“My calling as a Knight is to serve those who are hated and discarded and thrown away by society in prison,” said Adam. “Somebody will come to Christ, or they’ll come to a Bible study and get out of the gangs — you see the changes in them. It’s worth it.”
Father Gomez finds inspiration in the vision of Blessed Michael McGivney.
“I have always been inspired by the core principles he gave to the Knights to empower Catholic men to live their faith, to seek hope even in the dark places,” he said. “It compels us to be people in action.”
‘HERE
TO WALK WITH YOU’
Prison chaplain Craig Murphy, a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Council 9270 in Riverview, New Brunswick, doesn’t have a trick up his sleeve when he meets an inmate — it’s the sleeve itself that does the trick. His bright-colored clothing and Nike sneakers, he said, help to break the ice.
“My clothes are my schtick,” laughed Murphy, who has spent 27 years as a prison chaplain. “I love colorful, zany clothes and a bit of humor. I want to shake people up a little bit and make them think, ‘OK, he’s a chaplain? A Catholic chaplain? What are you doing in prison?’”
“That really has allowed me to walk alongside these guys and just develop these relationships and be open and honest,” he explained. “I let them know, ‘Hey, you’ve already been judged; I’m not here to judge you. I’m here to walk with you.’”
For the past nine years, Murphy has been the Atlantic Region director of chaplaincy for Bridges of Canada, a multifaith spiritual mentorship and chaplaincy service, where he supervises 18 chaplains in five federal institutions. He visits prisoners about five to six days a month, spending most of his
time at Dorchester Penitentiary, a men’s multi-level security federal corrections facility.
“They want to participate, they want to do a reading at Mass, and they want to follow along and be there,” Murphy said. “There’s a hunger and a desire to feed that part of our soul.”
Father Phil Mulligan, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Pastoral Unit (composed of four parishes) and chaplain of Council 9270, is a key collaborator in Murphy’s ministry. He has spent about three years celebrating Mass at Dorchester Penitentiary but has served in prison ministry for 28 years.
“In the short time Father McGivney lived, he put the poor and marginalized front and center in his life,” Father Mulligan said. “When I interact with inmates, I want to know: who are you underneath that prison garb? More and more, I just see a child of God who maybe made some bad decisions.”
Murphy, who joined the Order in 2022, said that Blessed Michael McGivney’s legacy, and especially his ministry to men like Chip Smith, resonates with him.
“It’s encouraging to know,” Murphy said, “that just as I walk and try to accompany this fellow or that fellow, I’m following in those footsteps.” B
APRILLE HANSON SPIVEY is a Catholic freelance writer in central Arkansas.
Fernando Villa Jiménez, a member of St. Clement Council 3283 in Lake Station, Ind., prepares a cement mixture for new flooring tiles at St. Francis Xavier Parish. From August 2024 to March 2025, council members worked to renovate four bathrooms at the church, including installing new flooring and walls, replacing toilet fixtures and more. The Knights’ labor saved the church an estimated $60,000.
PARISH PICNIC BASKET
Members of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5486 in Lincoln Park, N.J., prepared hamburgers and hot dogs for a parish picnic at St. Joseph Catholic Church. More than 150 people attended the picnic, for which Knights also provided lawn games and musical entertainment.
IN MOTHER’S SIGHT
Aldo J. Zazzi Council 6992 in Kingsport, Tenn., organized a work day at St. Dominic School after Knights noticed the school’s Marian garden was overgrown. Council members removed the grass and weeds, trimmed trees and shrubs, cleaned the garden’s statue of the Blessed Virgin, and spread mulch around the statue to ensure it wouldn’t be covered.
HONOR GUARD FOR MEN’S RETREAT
Fourth Degree Knights from Msgr. Wrobel Assembly 1728 in Alexandria, Minn., provided an honor guard for a Mass celebrated by Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston during a
retreat for men at the Church of St. Mary. More than 100 men attended the retreat, which was organized by members of two local K of C councils.
EAGLES RECEIVE BIBLICAL WINGS
For about 30 years, Father O’Hanlon Council 4678 in State College, Pa., has given a new Bible to young parishioners of local Catholic churches who achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. About 100 Bibles have been given in that time, with one or more Knights attending each scout’s Court of Honor ceremony to make the presentation.
PILLAR OF PARISH SUPPORT
Gilmour Council 310 in Highland Heights, Ohio, recently donated $10,000 to each of the three parishes the council serves: St. Clare in Lyndhurst in celebration of the parish’s 80th anniversary; St. Paschal Baylon in Highland Heights for its capital campaign; and St. Francis of Assisi in Gates Mills. The funds came in part from the council’s sale of its home corporation building.
Faith
BROTHERLY SERVICE
At the request of Father Steven Roth, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a brother Knight, members of Loyola University Maryland Council 15000 in Baltimore assisted the archdiocese’s seminarians with their annual service day project. After beginning the day with Mass at the Msgr. O’Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, the seminarians and college Knights painted dorm rooms throughout the center, which is frequently used by parish confirmation groups for weekend retreats.
Steven Rychlik, a member of Christ the King Council 7196 in Belton, Texas, helps his son Jonathan bread fish for one of the council’s three Lenten fish fries at Christ the King Parish. The fish fries raised $1,500 for Council 7196’s scholarship program.
TOP: Photo by Denis A. Duriga
Family
A woman carries a bag of rice she was given by Knights from S.K. Pedro Caunan Council 9329 in Tagbilaran City, Visayas, during the council’s food distribution on Banacon Island. In addition to planting mangroves, council members gave rice and clothing to 45 people.
MEDICAL BILL RELIEF
Warren Council 474 in Phillipsburg, N.J., recently donated $18,000 — proceeds from an annual fundraiser — to Nick and Amanda Devaney, whose 6-year-old son, Samuel, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer in 2023. The council’s donation will go toward treatments not covered by the family’s insurance, such as a prosthetic eye for Samuel, whose left eye was removed to eliminate the tumor.
SWEET, SWEET CORN
For the past several years, Knights from Sts. Peter and Paul Council 10052 in Braham, Minn., harvested about one acre of sweet corn as an annual fundraiser, generating about $5,500 from the sale of more than 12,000 ears of corn in 2024. The funds will support donations to local food banks, pregnancy resource centers, scholarships to local high school seniors and more.
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
St. Thomas à Becket Council 9781 in Reston, Va., presented its annual $2,000 college scholarship to a high school senior from St. Thomas à Becket Catholic Church.
KNIGHTS PITCH IN FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS
Members of All Saints Council 14475 in Lake Wylie, S.C., combined to donate more than $4,500 for families affected by Hurricane Helene, and voted to donate an additional $3,000 in council funds. The money was sent to several councils in the affected region for distribution.
NEARLY 60 YEARS OF SERVICE
Don Febian R. Millar Council 5973 in Tayabas, Luzon South, collaborated with local health workers to distribute food to people in the Obias neighborhood. About 150 people also received free health consultations and other medical tests during the event, which Council 5973 organized to celebrate the anniversary of its founding in 1967.
READY TO SERVE
Knights from Church of the Madalene Council 17383 in Tulsa, Okla., learned that a parishioner who is blind needed to move several belongings and furniture out of her home, but had no one to help her. Council 17383 organized a service day to transport the items from her home to a local thrift store.
MONTHLY FAMILY BREAKFAST
Every month, Knights from Springfield (Ill.) Council 364 prepare breakfast for families in need at an event organized by Helping Hands of Springfield. Council 364 has helped with the meals for five years, serving as many as 100 people each month.
Members of Jubinville Council 3579 in Lorette, Manitoba, load food donated by a local grocery co-op that they will bring to the Taché Food Resource Centre, which distributes provisions to more than 100 families. Council 3579 recently donated CA$1,500 to the center, and Knights regularly collect food and milk for the center’s clients.
Photo by James Rinn
Supreme Director Scott O’Connor, a past state deputy of Florida, greets Pedro, a young boy from Saltillo, Mexico, who received a new wheelchair donated by Knights in Texas through the American Wheelchair Mission. Two local councils collaborated to raise more than $230,000, funding nearly 1,100 wheelchairs that were distributed to clients of three children’s rehabilitation centers in Mexico.
QUÉBÉCOIS COATS
Beauce Council 2283 in Saint-Georges, Québec, donated 24 winter jackets to the Maison de la Famille Beauce-Etchemins, a local family services center that will distribute the clothing to children in need. The donation was made through the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program.
HABITAT HELPERS
Members of George C. Shields Council 420 in Mansfield, Mass., assisted with a Habitat for Humanity build benefiting a local family. Council 420 participated in the project as part of the council’s celebration marking 125 years since its chartering in 1899.
BREAKFAST’S SERVED
Msgr. Randy D. McClellan Assembly 3594 in Derry, N.H., prepared breakfast for about 50 people during its annual breakfast for first responders from several local agencies. This was the third year Assembly 3594 has organized the meal.
FREE THROW FUN
More than 50 children ages 9-14 participated in the annual Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship organized at Brother Rice High School by Father Perez Council 1444 in Chicago. Five winners advanced to the district competition.
MEMORIAL WREATHS
Father James F. O’Reilly Assembly 2507 in Hoover, Ala., honored veterans and active service members, including prisoners of war and those missing in action, by displaying memorial wreaths in the gathering space at Prince of Peace Catholic Church.
PLANTING SEEDS
Knights from Dr. Jose Rizal Council 5507 in Calamba, Luzon South, and students from Central 2 Elementary School worked together to plant 40 moringa trees at the school. Council 5507 organized the event to promote sustainability and foster community engagement.
Community
Fourth Degree Knights from Archbishop John F. Donoghue Assembly 3313 in Atlanta stand at attention during a flag retirement ceremony conducted by the assembly. In 2024, more than 100 old and worn U.S. flags were collected from drop boxes installed by Knights at the Cathedral of Christ the King and Holy Spirit Catholic Church, to be retired in accordance with the U.S. Flag Code.
SUPPORTING
WORTHY CAUSES
Light of Christ Council 8726 in Sinking Spring, Pa., raised $19,000 during its annual charity golf tournament. The funds were divided evenly among four organizations: Mary’s Shelter, Opportunity House, John Paul II Center for Special Learning and the St. Ignatius Loyola Scholarship Fund.
TOP LEFT:
Photo by Randy Hale
Life
RECORD-SETTING DONATION
Trinity Council 1466 in Le Mars, Iowa, raised more than $55,000 during its phonathon fundraiser, donating nearly $50,000 to Life Skills Training Center, which helps adults with disabilities find employment and develop general work skills. The council also donated about $5,500 to Special Olympics Iowa. Since 1980, the fundraiser has generated more than $1.8 million for organizations that support people with disabilities.
James Cullen, family director for Father Marquette Council 2984 in Kewaunee, Wis., and Rose, a volunteer with the Alexandrina Pregnancy Resource Center, display some of the more than 600 baby onesies and sleepers collected by Knights. Council 2984 worked with local Catholic school students and Holy Rosary Parish to collect the baby items.
Sir Knights from Father John G. Parish Assembly 3510 in Wake Forest, N.C., form a sword arch to welcome guests to a Night to Shine dance — a prom-like event for people with disabilities — sponsored by St. Catherine of Siena Council 11234. Nearly 90 Knights and family members from several local councils were among the event’s 300 volunteers.
PATRONS OF THE ARTS
Father Joseph M. Baker Council 3599 in Panama City, Fla., donated $500 to Pyramid, which provides visual and performing arts programs for people with disabilities. Council 3599 has supported Pyramid and other programs for people with disabilities for more than 10 years.
RALLY FOR LIFE
Harvester Council 9625 in St. Peters, Mo., and Sts. Joachim and Ann Catholic Church in St. Charles partnered to organize a rosary rally at Laurel Park to pray for greater respect for all human life. More than 30 people attended the event, which included prayers for an end to abortion and euthanasia.
SUPPORT TO SPARE
Dr. John M. McLoughlin Council 2325 in Oregon City, Ore., donated $1,000 to Special Olympics of Clackamas County to sponsor a bowling league for people with disabilities. Council member Stephen Ford coached one of the league’s teams for the three-month season.
BASTION OF BLOOD DRIVES
More than 60 pints of blood were collected during a recent blood drive organized by Father Richard C. Joyce Council 2270 in Montgomery, N.Y. The drive was the 100th to be organized by Council 2270 since 2002, with a total of more than 5,000 whole blood donations collected.
SAFE HAVEN
St. Lucy of Racine (Wis.) Council 15659 worked with the city’s fire department and pro-life organizations in Wisconsin to raise $15,500 for a new Safe Haven Baby Box installed at the department’s Fire Station 4. During a dedication ceremony, Father Juan Manuel Camacho, pastor of St. Lucy Catholic Church, blessed the new baby box — the first to be funded by Wisconsin Knights and just the third installed in the state.
See more at
www.kofc.org/knightsinaction
Please submit your council activities to knightsinaction@kofc.org
Food For the Forgotten
Knights daily combat food insecurity in their Ontario community, ensuring no neighbor is left behind
By Cecilia Engbert
EVERY DAY, BILL Graham, a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 12706 in Mississauga, Ontario, can be found distributing food to the hungry in his community, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Toronto. Accompanied by his wife, Shirley, and often brother Knights and other volunteers, Graham replenishes several tables set up around the city with food and other supplies. People stop at the tables to grab a meal, a bottle of water or a blanket — whatever they need to make it through the day.
When the COVID-19 pandemic became a global health crisis five years ago, Bill and Shirley watched as the lockdowns devastated their low-income and jobless neighbors, leaving many without food or even shelter.
“They were forgotten,” Graham said. “They became invisible to society, and they knew it. As Knights, we must leave no neighbor behind.”
With support from Council 12706, the Grahams established a ministry to meet the need they saw, setting up their first free food table in March 2020. The initiative now includes five daily food distribution points in Mississauga, from where as much as 15,000 pounds of food and supplies are given to about 2,000 people each month. Thanks to
donations from food banks, community members and Council 12706, which has continued to provide donations and organize food drives in support, the tables are refilled every day.
About 30-40% of the tables’ visitors are homeless, and many more are struggling during difficult economic times, sometimes forced to choose between paying rent or buying groceries.
“It’s easy to go around with blinders on,” said Past Grand Knight Denzil Noronha, a regular volunteer. “For our council, supporting the food tables has been an important initiative — to follow the Gospel teaching about helping those in need, to be generous with what God has given to us.”
The project has inspired several more free food table programs in neighboring cities. For Graham, who describes table clients as his friends, it’s all about drawing closer to Christ by serving him in the poor and one another.
“It changes how we view the homeless,” Graham said. “As Knights, we seek to relieve suffering out of love, without thinking of any reward or advantage for ourselves.” ✢
— Cecilia Engbert is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus Communications Department.
VALUATION EXHIBIT OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
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, 2024. The law requires that this
1.5%, 1.25%, 1%, 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 $3,069,487,584 (or 10.91%) 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 2025.
Julie A. White, Notary Public
PATRICK E. KELLY, President
JOHN A. MARRELLA, Secretary
RONALD F. SCHWARTZ, Treasurer SEAL
OFFICIAL MAY 1, 2025:
To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Laws of the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basis to the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT 06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-9982.
COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED 10 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2025 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.
Bill Graham (center) and other Knights from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 12706 in Mississauga, Ontario, assist a woman at one of the Free Food Tables supported by the council.
LEFT:
Photo by Nadia Molinari
Knights of Charity
Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference — whether through community service, raising money or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion and his dedication to building a better world.
Members of Brother Elzear Council 5202 at St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minn., assemble in front of a Habitat for Humanity build during a recent work day. The college Knights, who have contributed to the build for several months, helped hang siding, outfit vents, paint trim, and continued insulation work inside the home.
Photo by Dean Riggott Photography
‘They showed me the face of Christ.’
I couldn’t place the feeling until I served as an altar boy at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Edmonton. I remember looking at my hands while serving and wondering if the Lord was asking me to use those hands for ministry as a priest.
Although I fully intended to go to seminary, I took my father’s advice to first study education at university, where I wound up struggling in my faith. What pulled me through was my encounter with the Madonna House Apostolate, a lay community whose members live promises of poverty, chastity and obedience. They truly showed me the face of Christ. When I met my wife, Kim, a few years later, I took her to the Madonna House soup kitchen on our second date.
I married Kim in 2007, entered the Ukrainian Catholic seminary in 2011, and was ordained a priest Jan. 1, 2016. The Lord has blessed our family abundantly and has given me his special grace to serve his people both at the family dinner table and at the Holy Table of the Lord.
Father Michael Bombak Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton
St. Nicholas Byzantine Ukrainian Council 7659 Calgary, Alberta
Photo by Nadia Molinari