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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S
S EPTEMBER 2019
COLUMBIA
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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S ♌ ♌
COLUMBIA F E AT U R E S
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In Service to Our Native Neighbors Order launches a new initiative to support indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. BY COLUMBIA STAFF
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A ‘Message of Hope’ An interview with Father Maurice Henry Sands about the experience and needs of Native American Catholics today.
10 First Nation Knight Guided by Our Lady of Guadalupe, Supreme Warden Graydon Nicholas unites evangelization and advocacy for indigenous peoples. BY CECILIA HADLEY
12 Following His Heart More than a quarter million Catholics venerated the incorrupt heart relic of St. Jean Vianney.
18 Equipped to Help Washington Knights lend free medical equipment to thousands in need. BY JEAN PARIETTI
21 Out of the Darkness and Into the Light
The heart of St. Jean Vianney is pictured at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York City April 5 during the recent seven-month national pilgrimage of the relic, organized by the Knights of Columbus.
D E PA RT M E N T S
A new Knights of Columbus initiative helps families to protect their children from sexual abuse.
23 Keeping Children Safe
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Building a better world The challenge of reform and preserving unity within the Church calls for natural and supernatural virtue. BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON
An interview with Dr. Monica Applewhite about child sexual abuse and the new K of C program Protecting Our Children.
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Learning the faith, living the faith In the face of trials, Christ calls the Church to deeper faith in his power to save us. BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI
PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month
26 Knights in Action 30 Scholarship Recipients
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‘Go and Do Likewise’ THE ROAD FROM Jerusalem to Jericho was perilous. Travelers were vulnerable to being attacked and robbed as they made the 18-mile descent through steep desert terrain. Jesus, in one of his most famous parables, speaks of a man who was stripped, beaten and left for dead along the narrow route (cf. Lk 10:30). A priest and a Levite passed him by; only a Samaritan, moved with compassion, stopped. He tended the man’s wounds, took him to an inn and ensured he was cared for, acting as a “neighbor� by showing mercy. Jesus concluded, “Go and do likewise.� Recent popes have emphasized this well-known story as central to our understanding of Christ and the Church. St. John Paul II declared, “Christ, the Son of God, is the Good Samaritan par excellence,� and elsewhere: “The Good Samaritan is the Church!� In his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “The Christian’s program — the program of the Good Samaritan, the program of Jesus — is ‘a heart which sees.’ This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly � (31). Pope Francis has stressed this theme as well. In a 2013 interview at the beginning of his pontificate, he compared the Church to “a field hospital after battle� — an analogy which he has often repeated. “I see clearly that the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful,� he said, adding that the Church’s ministers must “take responsibility for the people and accompany them like the
Good Samaritan, who washes, cleans and raises up his neighbor.â€? The mission of the Church, the Body of Christ, is to heal the whole person, body and soul alike. This is clear in the sacraments, including the sacraments of healing: anointing of the sick and reconciliation. The Church’s healing mission is also expressed through the theological virtue of charity. In words attributed to St. Teresa of Ă vila: “Christ has no body now but yours / No hands, no feet on earth but yours / Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.â€? In this issue of Columbia, we look at several ways that the Knights of Columbus is living out the vocation of the Good Samaritan today. A new initiative challenges councils to attend to the spiritual and material needs of our Native American brothers and sisters in the faith (see page 6). A historic pilgrimage of St. Jean Vianney’s heart has encouraged prayer for sanctification and reparation of crimes that have gravely wounded the Body of Christ (see page 12). Knights in Washington State and elsewhere have long provided free support to people who are sick, disabled or injured (see page 18). Finally, the Order is helping families to prevent sexual abuse, wherever it occurs, and promote healing (see page 21). In each of these ways and many others, the Order remains faithful its founding principle of charity and to Christ’s command to “do likewise.â€?♌ ALTON J. PELOWSKI EDITOR
Domestic Church Resource: Complete My Joy Complete My Joy: An Apostolic Exhortation to Husbands and Wives, Mothers and Fathers by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix provides down-to-earth principles and practices for living out the Christian vocation of marriage in the face of today’s fragmented culture. To order a copy of this booklet (#388), which is part of the Building the Domestic Church series, or to download it and other Catholic Information Service resources in PDF or audio format, visit kofc.org/cis. 2 ♌ COLUMBIA ♌
SEPTEMBER 2019
COLUMBIA PUBLISHER Knights of Columbus ________ SUPREME OFFICERS Carl A. Anderson SUPREME KNIGHT Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D. SUPREME CHAPLAIN Patrick E. Kelly DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT Michael J. O’Connor SUPREME SECRETARY Ronald F. Schwarz SUPREME TREASURER John A. Marrella SUPREME ADVOCATE ________ EDITORIAL Alton J. Pelowski EDITOR Andrew J. Matt MANAGING EDITOR Cecilia Hadley SENIOR EDITOR Margaret B. Kelly ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90) Apostle to the Young, Protector of Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us.
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HOW TO REACH US MAIL COLUMBIA 1 Columbus Plaza New Haven, CT 06510-3326 ADDRESS CHANGES 203-752-4210, option #3 addresschange@kofc.org PRAYER CARDS & SUPPLIES 203-752-4214 COLUMBIA INQUIRIES 203-752-4398 K OF C CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-380-9995 EMAIL columbia@kofc.org INTERNET kofc.org/columbia ________ Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
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Copyright Š 2019 All rights reserved ________ ON THE COVER Eagle dancers of the Pueblo of Laguna, N.M., lead a procession of a relic of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, carried by Father Maurice Henry Sands Aug. 7 at the 137th Supreme Convention in Minneapolis.
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BU I L D I N G A B E T T E R WO R L D
A Sure Path for Renewal The challenge of reform and preserving unity within the Church calls for natural and supernatural virtue by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson EARLIER THIS YEAR, I attended Spe Salvi (Saved in Hope) when he the consecration of a beautifully re- asked, “Is Christian hope individualisstored church. As the Blessed Sacra- tic?” He answered that “salvation has ment was placed in the new always been considered a ‘social’ realtabernacle, I thought of the Ark of ity,” adding that we are called “to a the Covenant, which was the place of lived union with a ‘people,’ and for that ensures firmness in difficulties God’s presence among his people, be- each individual it can only be attained and constancy in the pursuit of the ginning in the time of Moses. Now, with this ‘we’” (14). good” (1808). in the New Covenant, the Lord’s true We see this social reality, this unity And as St. Thomas Aquinas presence is a reality wherever Mass is within the Church, most beautifully taught, fortitude is dependent upon celebrated and wherever the Eu- in the presence of the Blessed Sacra- yet another virtue: justice — cercharist is reserved. ment in the hundreds of thousands tainly today, justice for the victims of As Catholics, we may take this re- of tabernacles throughout the world. sexual abuse and their families as well ality for granted today, but the initial And this call to communion is espe- as justice for the People of God. reaction to Jesus’ discourse on the cially important for us as Knights of Indeed, all four of the cardinal bread of life was one of disvirtues — prudence, justice, belief — the Jews saying, fortitude and temperance — “How can this man give us will be necessary to achieve his flesh to eat?” and his dis“correction” while preservThe Lord remains in the midst ciples saying, “This is a hard ing the unity of the Church. of his people, and he will never saying, who can listen to it?” In Spe Salvi, Pope BeneMost of his disciples actually dict further reminded us: abandon us. left, and Jesus then turned to “God is the foundation of the Apostles: “Will you also hope. … His love alone go away?” As we know, Peter gives us the possibility of answered, “Lord, to whom shall we Columbus, committed this year in a soberly persevering day by day, withgo? You have the words of eternal special way to the principle of unity. out ceasing to be spurred on by life” (Jn 6:68). As we pray for and seek renewal in hope” (31). Jesus’ question remains painfully our Church today, I am reminded In the days ahead, therefore, let us real in light of the devastating scan- what the 18th-century British states- rededicate ourselves to the practice of dals that have recently rocked the man Edmund Burke said about insti- the moral virtues and pray for an inChurch and the declining church at- tutions in need of reform. He argued crease in faith, hope and charity. In tendance among Catholics. And if that the virtue of prudence is neces- this way, we will continue to move Jesus’ question has new relevance, so sary to find the right combination of forward, meeting whatever chaldoes Peter’s answer. If we were to “conservation and correction.” lenges may arise. turn away from the presence of the We should keep in mind Burke’s The Lord remains in the midst of Lord, where would we go? recommendation of prudence. In the his people, and he will never abanThere is a growing trend, especially foreseeable future, however, the most don us. He calls us to unity. He calls among young people, to say that we important of the cardinal virtues us to virtue. And in him, we will find can be “spiritual” while also rejecting may not be prudence but fortitude, a sure path for renewal. organized religion. Pope Benedict XVI which the Catechism of the Catholic Vivat Jesus! addressed this issue in his encyclical Church defines as “the moral virtue
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L E A R N I N G T H E FA I T H , L I V I N G T H E FA I T H
Turbulent Times In the face of trials, Christ calls the Church to deeper faith in his power to save us by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
WHEN I BOARD an airplane, I famines and earthquakes, and he warns hope the flight will be smooth. No of persecution and even death because matter how much I’ve flown, I’m nerv- of his name (cf. 24:6-9). In John’s ous when the plane bounces around Gospel, the Lord says, “In the world and the flight attendants are instructed you will have trouble, but take courage, to take a seat for the rest of the flight. I have conquered the world” (16:33). going to Sunday Mass; others have Some passengers take the turbulence We experience turbulence in many left the Church altogether. Correcin stride; others are openly frightened. ways, both in everyday life and in our tive measures once deemed effective Still others are equally frightened but life of faith. Sometimes, it’s the result don’t seem to have lessened scandals try not to show it. I’m in this last cat- of our own folly, as when we betray in the Church. In the midst of this, what are we to egory. It wouldn’t do for a man wear- the trust of others or engage in selfing a Roman collar to get frantic. destructive behaviors. At other times, do? Are we simply to grip the nearest pew and hold on tightly? Instead, I discreetly pull out my Rather, we need to pray for all rosary and ask the Blessed Virwe’re worth. Sometimes, all I gin Mary to intercede for the Turbulence in our Church can do is to repeat over and over pilot, the crew and the passenagain: “Jesus, I trust in you!” gers (including myself ). When and in our personal lives also Both clergy and laity also need the plane lands safely, I offer a serves a purpose. It reminds us to speak their mind about the prayer of thanksgiving. scandals and do whatever they Turbulence is an unwelcome that we are not fully in charge. can to help the Church restore experience, which causes heart trust and continue its mission palpitations and can endanger life and limb. But it also serves a pur- such turbulence is not of our own of faith, worship and service. Just as airline passengers see turpose. It reminds us that we really are making. Life’s journey can be rough flying 35,000 feet above the earth, due to illness, financial problems, un- bulence as a bad thing, we usually and that’s not without risk. Better to employment, marital discord and recognize life’s problems as bad. But turbulence in our Church and in our keep those seat belts buckled! As controversy of all sorts. noted, turbulence is also good for In my life as a priest and bishop, I personal lives also serves a purpose. one’s prayer life. As a passenger, I’m certainly experience spiritual turbu- It reminds us that we are not fully in in the pilot’s hands, but I’m ulti- lence. It’s not that God’s consolations charge. It reminds us that we need to mately in God’s hands: “Jesus, I trust and graces aren’t abundant; it’s not pray and express in faith our dein you!” that the signs of his goodness are lack- pendence upon God. It builds up The unnerving ups and downs of ing. But many of the problems I en- perseverance. And it also confirms the need to turbulence also serve as a good counter, especially in this particularly metaphor for life itself. As we begin turbulent time for the Church, are change course, to take corrective actions — not looking for the smooth air of each day, we hope it will be productive deeply distressing. and tranquil. We often pray for lives The Church is in the grip of a untroubled comfort but for a pathway that are calm and undisturbed. Yet, as global crisis of trust because of clergy of truth and courage through present we utter such prayers, Scripture rings sexual abuse and the failures of some trials. Ultimately, the air, or wind, we in our ears. For example, in the Gospel bishops. This crisis has shaken the must seek is divine — the Holy Spirit, of Matthew, Jesus speaks of wars, faith of many. Some have stopped who carries us to everlasting life.♦ 4 ♦ COLUMBIA ♦
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SUPREME CHAPLAIN’S CHALLENGE
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A monthly reflection and practical challenge from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?� (Gospel for Sept. 8, Lk 14:27-28) In more than four decades as a priest and bishop, I’ve been involved with building a number of new churches and
H O LY FAT H E R ’ S P R AY E R I N T E N T I O N
schools. We often start by “dreaming big.â€? Then reality hits: What are we willing to spend? Jesus is asking each of us a similar question about our life of faith. In our lifelong journey to become saints, are we regularly sitting down to consider the cost and fully prepare ourselves to pay it? My brothers, above all other things, may we always prepare to carry our crosses and give our entire lives to Christ. Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori: This month, I challenge you to learn more about the life of one of the martyrs and how he or she was prepared to pay any price to follow Christ. Second, I challenge you to participate in the Faith in Action Into the Breach program or read Into the Breach on your own with a particular eye toward how we can best prepare to carry our crosses.♌
C AT H O L I C M A N O F T H E M O N T H
Nicholas Black Elk (circa 1863-1950)
That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world’s seas and oceans.
L I T U RG I C A L C A L E N DA R Sept. 3 St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Sept. 9 St. Peter Claver, Priest Sept. 13 St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Sept. 14 The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sept. 16 St. Cornelius, Pope, and St. Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Sept. 20 Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gĹ?n, Priest, Paul ChĹ?ng Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs Sept. 21 St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Sept. 23 St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Sept. 27 St. Vincent de Paul, Priest Sept. 30 St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
A NATIVE AMERICAN BOY in Wyoming named Black Elk had a vision: “I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle ‌ and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father.â€? This experience of unity marked the rest of his life, first as a healer among his Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe and later as a Catholic catechist. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Black Elk became a medicine man. He also joined his elders — including his cousin Chief Crazy Horse — in defending their territory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Together with 176 Lakota people, he signed a petition in 1885 supporting Kateri Tekakwitha’s canonization. Black Elk then traveled with Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show in the eastern United States, Canada and Europe for several years. He returned in 1889 to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where he was injured during the Wounded Knee Massacre the following year. He married Katie War Bonnet in 1892, and when she later became
Catholic, all three of their children were baptized. Following Katie’s death, Black Elk converted to the Catholic faith and was baptized Dec. 6, 1904, the feast of St. Nicholas. He took the name Nicholas Black Elk, and later married Anna Brings White, a Catholic widow with two children. Together, they had three more children. Black Elk was known for his love of Scripture and collaborated with Jesuit missionaries to evangelize several reservations. Over his 46 years as a catechist, he was instrumental in the conversion of some 400 people. He died Aug. 17, 1950, at Pine Ridge. His cause for canonization was opened in 2017.♌
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In Service to Our
Native Neighbors Order launches a new initiative to support indigenous communities in the United States and Canada by Columbia staff
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round was broken last month on a new national shrine dedicated to St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Gallup, N.M., one of several projects to support Native American and First Nation communities announced by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson at the 137th Supreme Convention in Minneapolis. “As many as one in four Native Americans are Catholic,” Supreme Knight Anderson said in his annual report to the convention Aug. 6. “And yet, in many ways, these brothers and sisters in the faith have been forgotten.” Invoking the Knights’ mission of unity, he called on the Order to take a lead in showing respect for Native Americans in the United States and First Nations peoples in Canada. The shrine to the first Native American saint will be built in partnership with the Diocese of Gallup and the Southwest Indian Foundation. In addition, the Supreme Council is
identifying new ways to collaborate with the Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington, D.C., and encouraging local councils to become more involved with Catholics living on reservations and tribal lands. Bishop James S. Wall of Gallup joined the supreme knight and Native American representatives at the blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for the shrine’s rosary walk Aug. 11. “It is our hope that in the years to come this St. Kateri Shrine will become a national spiritual home for Native Americans and for all Catholics in North America,” the supreme knight said. Designed by architect Erik Bootsma, a member of Father William J. Nolte Council 11533 in Richmond, Va., the shrine complex will feature a 200-foot-tall crucifix, a chapel, and a museum dedicated to St. Kateri, other Native American Catholics and saints who evangelized the Native people.♦
Bishop James S. Wall of Gallup, Father Maurice Henry Sands, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and members of the Pueblo of Laguna, N.M., break ground on the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in Gallup, Aug. 11. (Photo by Phillip Flores)
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A ‘Message of Hope’ An interview with Father Maurice Henry Sands about the experience and needs of Native American Catholics today ather Maurice Henry Sands is unique among U.S. priests. To his knowledge, he is the only Native American priest in active ministry who grew up on a reservation. A member of various Michigan tribes, he was raised on Walpole Island (Bkejwanong First Nation), which is located on the border between Michigan and Ontario and is home to Ojibwe, Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples. Before discerning a vocation to the priesthood, Father Sands worked in accounting and finance in Ann Arbor and Toronto. He joined the Knights of Columbus in 1995, and he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit a decade later, at age 49. In 2013, Father Sands became associate director of Native American affairs at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. For the past four years, he has served as executive director of the Black and Indian Mission Office, which consists of three organizations that have historically served the pastoral needs of African American and Native American Catholics. 8 ♌ COLUMBIA ♌
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He recently spoke with Columbia about his personal background and about the broader experience of Native Americans within the Catholic Church. COLUMBIA: What was your experience like growing up on Walpole Island? FATHER SANDS: I come from a very large family that was really close. We were together all the time for family gatherings. Walpole Island is a naturally beautiful place. Most of the land is undeveloped, so we spent a lot of time outside in the woods, swimming, fishing, boating, bicycling and playing sports. The families had an adequate standard of living, unlike a lot of reservations, mostly because people were able to find jobs just off the reservation. When I was growing up, some people, including my father’s parents, still lived an indigenous lifestyle, farming, fishing and hunting. In our interactions with the people in the towns next to the reservation, we did experience a lot of racism and prejudice.
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Father Maurice Henry Sands, director of the Black and Indian Mission Office and a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus, speaks to a participant at the 80th annual Tekakwitha Conference, which was hosted in Sharonville, Ohio, July 9. I went to school off the reservation from the third grade through the end of high school; native students didn’t participate much in the life of the school except for sports. To the people in the towns we were different, and many of them did not like us and were afraid of us. They considered us to be inferior. They expressed this very readily, and sadly, that was a regular part of my life while I lived on the reserve. COLUMBIA: How did you and your family integrate your Christian faith and your Native American identity? FATHER SANDS: It has never been difficult for me to be a Native American Christian. I am both. Living as a faithful disciple of Christ has always been important to me, and my native identity has also been important to me. Missionaries first brought the Gospel to the ancestors of both of my parents in the 1700s. Until recent times, more than 90 percent of Native Americans have had some kind of Christian affiliation. My father was Anglican and my mother was Catholic. They were both very strong in their faith, providing a great witness and solid formation. When I was growing up, I learned the history of our peoples from my grandparents and other relatives. I learned our traditional Ojibwe dances and how to drum and sing. That was very much a part of my life. I never saw my native heritage and my Christian faith as incompatible or contradictory. I consider it to be a great blessing and honor and privilege to be a priest — and I am very proud to have my own particular native background. COLUMBIA: How has the Church’s relationship with the native peoples of the Americas changed over time, and what developments would you like to see? FATHER SANDS: The Church began with the mission of evangelizing the peoples who were here. After that was accomplished, efforts were made to offer pastoral care to the native peoples and to provide them the opportunity to live a Catholic life. Many generous and courageous men and women have served Native American Catholic communities throughout the history of the Catholic Church in the United States and Canada. However, the effectiveness of those efforts has been mixed for a lot of different reasons. Some times and places have been better than others. The Church hasn’t had a consistent plan for serving native peoples, nor a consistently strong interest in providing the proper personnel and resources. Today, I observe a lot of benign indifference and lack of awareness of native peoples. We are almost invisible in a lot of ways. In 1994, the USCCB commissioned the Center for Applied
Research in the Apostolate to do a study on cultural diversity in the U.S. Church. Many bishops were surprised to learn how many Native American Catholics were in their dioceses. I would like Catholics to know more about us, about our history and our cultures, and about the great injustices that we have suffered — as well as the great injustices and poverty and brokenness that we continue to experience today. You know, a lot of American Catholics are aware of the needs of people in other parts of the world. I recently had lunch with a priest who works for a missionary organization, and he told me that he knows of 500 U.S. parishes that are dedicated to helping people in Haiti. People want to help. So, an important first step is for American Catholics to learn more about Native Americans and our current circumstances. COLUMBIA: What are some of the most pressing concerns and needs of Native American Catholics today? FATHER SANDS: Many native people live in poverty and don’t have proper housing, electricity, telephones or running water. Unemployment rates are very high. The quality of health care for most Native Americans is very poor. Most Native American children on reservations and in urban centers attend public schools that are inadequately staffed and resourced. A lot of Native American Catholics don’t have access to the sacraments. They don’t go to Mass because they don’t have a priest who is specifically assigned to serve in their community. I hope that Native American Catholics can be acknowledged and be welcomed to participate more fully in the life of the U.S. Catholic Church. I also hope that the Church can help to bring about restoration and healing through increased efforts to address our spiritual and material needs, as well as the many injustices that we have experienced and continue to experience today. C OLUMBIA: How can the Knights of Columbus and others play a role in addressing those needs? FATHER SANDS: Through charitable outreach, there are ways that Knights can help to alleviate the difficulties and burdens that are a part of the everyday life of many Native American Catholics. More than anything, I believe that Native Americans need hope, and the Gospel has that message of hope. The Knights of Columbus can help with the delivery of the Gospel and its message of hope through charitable projects and the support of missions and parishes and schools that serve Native American Catholics. At the same time, such efforts can provide opportunities for welcoming Native Americans into the broader Church and also for evangelization. The sharing of our diverse cultures and traditions with one another enriches the Church. We Native Americans bring to the rest of the Church the value of respect — respect for God, for life, for one another, for elders, for nature and tradition — as well as a rich and profound understanding of the importance of family life.♦ SEPTEMBER 2019
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First Nation Knight Guided by Our Lady of Guadalupe, Supreme Warden Graydon Nicholas unites evangelization and advocacy for indigenous peoples by Cecilia Hadley
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raydon Nicholas has felt Our Lady’s care and protection and worked for many years for the Union of New Brunswick since the day he was born. Two months before he was Indians. He is particularly proud of his efforts to defend due, Nicholas’ mother fell into a river near her home on a tribal rights. First Nation reserve. It was the middle of winter in New “We were able to convince not only the courts in New Brunswick, and the shock of the cold induced early labor. Brunswick but the Supreme Court of Canada that our treaty “In 1946, there was not much medical support for children documents, which go back to 1725, were still valid,” he rewho were born premature,” Nicholas explained. “A lot people called. “These documents enshrined rights for our people that in the community thought I was going to die, but my mother had been dormant for a long time.” didn’t. She prayed to the Blessed Mother: ‘Let him survive.’” As a leader of the union, he also participated in four internaHer prayers were answered. Nicholas not only survived tional conferences in Switzerland that contributed to the United but grew up to become an accomplished lawyer, judge, gov- Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. ernment leader and now supreme warden of the Knights of In 1991, Nicholas became the first aboriginal person to be Columbus. appointed a provincial court judge. During his 18 years on As a member of the Maliseet the bench, he took a special interest First Nation, Nicholas has advoin rehabilitation and restorative cated for the indigenous communijustice. He was named lieutenant ties of Atlantic Canada throughout governor of New Brunswick in his career. As a Catholic and a 2009 — the first aboriginal person OW , THE PATH IS TOWARD Knight, he has worked to kindle to hold that position for the their faith and strengthen their reprovince. RECONCILIATION; THE PATH IS lationship with the Church. In this, Nicholas’ devotion to Our Lady he continues to be guided by Mary, of Guadalupe developed in the late TOWARD GROWTH.’ who, under her title Our Lady of 1990s when he became more inGuadalupe, is patroness of the volved in the relationship between Americas, the unborn and the First Nations and the Church. In Knights of Columbus. 1998, he was asked to serve on an Nicholas first encountered the aboriginal council set up by the apparitions and message of Our Lady of Guadalupe a couple Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. of decades ago. “I was overwhelmed with emotion and grati“The bishops wanted to improve relations between First tude that our Lord sent his mother to begin healing, recon- Nations and the Catholic Church in the wake of the residenciliation and respect for the indigenous people within the tial schools and all the wrongs that were done there,” Nicholas explained. Catholic Church,” he recalled. During the 19th and 20th centuries, residential schools in Raised on the Tobique First Nation Reserve, Nicholas grew up in a family with both a deep native culture and a strong Canada and the United States — many run by the Catholic Church and Protestant denominations — separated native Catholic faith. “Both my mother and father were very devoted Catholics children from their families and quashed their languages and and passed our faith on to us very strongly,” he said. “My traditions in the name of assimilation. These schools remain mom made sure we went to Mass and said our rosary after a bitter memory for many indigenous people. Working on the bishops’ council, Nicholas came to appresupper every night.” His family spoke their indigenous language, Maliseet, at ciate Our Lady of Guadalupe as a counterexample to this suphome. Because English was his second language, Nicholas pression of tradition. As St. John Paul II stated in his 1999 struggled in school at first, but not for long. He went on to exhortation Ecclesia in America, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a earn both a master’s degree in social work and a law degree, model of “a perfectly inculturated evangelization” (11).
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Graydon Nicholas, supreme warden of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Maliseet First Nation, is pictured at his home in Fredericton, New Brunswick. “When she appeared to St. Juan Diego in December 1531, our Blessed Mother appeared as a mestiza woman and spoke in his indigenous language,” Nicholas explained. He added that Juan Diego was 57 years old — a respected “elder” in the community. “Within 10 years, over 9 million indigenous people had converted to the Catholic faith,” Nicholas said. “When I share this with our people, they’re astounded.” For years, Nicholas has acted as Our Lady’s ambassador, raising awareness of her message among Canada’s First Nations. Every year since 2006, he has helped to bring a missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to New Brunswick, arranging for it to visit parishes, convents, schools and pow wows throughout his home province. “The image been very wonderfully, positively received, and has had a dramatic impact,” he said. One impact was very personal — his wife, Elizabeth, experienced a healing as she prayed in front of the image in 2006. Nicholas’ first involvement with the Knights of Columbus also came in 2006, when he was invited to the New Brunswick state convention to speak about his devotion to
Our Lady of Guadalupe. When he was later asked to participate in the Knightssponsored Guadalupe Festival in Phoenix in 2009, he took it as a sign she wanted him to join. A few years later, Nicholas led a decade of the rosary in his native language at the 2012 Guadalupe Celebration in California. He was elected to the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors in 2015 and currently serves as supreme warden. “The Knights have given me an opportunity to acquire more knowledge and personify my faith publicly, and I have nothing but gratitude for that,” he said. Nicholas is also happy to have a role in the Order’s new initiatives to evangelize, serve and collaborate with Native American Catholics. “The initiative to improve relations with Native Americans and First Nations is fantastic,” he said. “Now, the path is toward reconciliation; the path is toward growth; the path is toward trying to get more of our indigenous people involved.” “I think it will take a while, but it’s a mission that is worthwhile. And I’m very grateful to be a part of it.”♦ CECILIA HADLEY is senior editor of Columbia. SEPTEMBER 2019
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FOLLOWING HIS
HEART
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uring times of crisis, Christ sends saints. In the early 19th century, in the wake of the French Revolution, he sent Jean Vianney, whose witness of love and humility rekindled the faith of thousands as they flocked to his tiny parish in Ars, France. Thousands again flocked to the holy CurĂŠ of Ars this past year, in the wake of the sexual abuse crisis affecting the Church. This time, they encountered the incorrupt heart of the patron saint of parish priests as it crisscrossed the United States in the care of the Knights of Columbus from Nov. 10 to June 13. The “Heart of a Priestâ€? tour, as it was called, passed through all 48 contiguous states and traveled over 35,000 miles — nearly 1 ½ times the circumference of the earth. More than 280,000 pilgrims — clergy, religious and lay people — prayed for the Church and her shepherds as the major relic made stops at cathedrals and other churches, seminaries and homes 12 ♌ C O L U M B I A ♌
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for retired priests, convents and cloistered monasteries, Catholic schools and university campuses. While the sites visited and the miles traveled can be counted, the spiritual fruits of the relic tour cannot. “We give thanks to God for the innumerable graces related to the pilgrimage of the heart,â€? wrote Father Patrice Chocholski, St. Jean Vianney’s successor as pastor of Ars, in a letter to Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Without the organization of the Knights in the United States, this experience would not have been possible.â€? The following pages feature representative photos and testimonies from the historic tour. For more information, and details on an upcoming pilgrimage of the heart through dioceses in Canada, visit kofc.org/vianney.♌
Above: Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, venerates the relic before celebrating Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral April 7.
More than a quarter million Catholics venerated the incorrupt heart relic of St. Jean Vianney
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“It’s not every day that you can stand guard next to the heart of St. Jean Vianney. It was a once-in-alifetime opportunity. We had a tremendous Fourth Degree turnout for the relic tour. “While I stood guard, I thought about the priests who had an impact on my life and I prayed for them. It gave me an opportunity to thank God for their spiritual leadership.� — Michael Porter, vice supreme master of Bienville province, which includes Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Overbrook, Pa., Feb. 1
University of Notre Dame, Ind., Jan. 27
“Bells were ringing when the relic arrived, and the little ones were all waving little yellow and white Vatican flags. The children had looks of awe on their faces as they approached the reliquary. John made sure he touched his Knights of Columbus rosary to it. Everybody was absolutely mesmerized. “It was far more moving than we thought it would be. It really got you excited about your faith, and how we’re all called to be saints. It made us so proud to be Catholic and proud that John and our two oldest sons are Knights. “Our parish also has a traveling statue of St. Jean Vianney, which our family received after the relic tour. Every day for 10 days, we used the K of C card to pray for vocations through the intercession of St. Jean Vianney.� — Stacey and John Leonard, parents of seven children, from ages 3 to 25. John and his sons, Zachary and Hunter, are members of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Council 12489 in Santa Clarita, Calif.
Hacienda Heights, Calif., Feb. 25 SEPTEMBER 2019
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A Pennsylvania bishop reflects on the reception of St. Jean Vianney’s heart in his diocese THE RELIC VISITED Altoona on a bitter cold day in late January. The high temperature was 11 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was -4. Despite school closings and poor driving conditions, approximately 3,000 people visited the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Confessions started at 6 a.m. and never stopped. I heard confession for more than four hours that day. So many people were waiting for the sacrament an hour before the 5:30 p.m. Mass that additional priests were pressed into service; more than 20 were hearing confessions at the same time. Minutes before Mass began, ushers had to disperse the crowd waiting to venerate the relic. So many people were in the center aisle of the cathedral that it was no longer even a line. They were one body, patiently inching forward to receive the grace of the pilgrimage. Everyone I spoke with shared my reaction that it was a day of much needed grace and repentance. We have had more than our share of the darkness of the sexual abuse crisis and the misconduct of some priests. My prayer intention was that St. Jean Vianney would assist our diocese with an increase in vocations to the priesthood. In the following months, as I celebrated the sacrament of confirmation around the diocese, at least one young man in each location asked me about the priesthood. And just before preparing this reflection, I received a call from a recent college graduate who wants to meet with me about his call to the priesthood. I am confident that St. Jean Vianney has been at work! I am grateful for the numerous members of the Knights of Columbus who made this pilgrimage possible. They were examples of the Order at its best: serving the Lord and his people.♌
“I have never seen so many people present at a daily Mass on campus as I did when the heart arrived. The whole abbey was packed with students and visitors. The relic was available for veneration for eight hours, and there was a constant line for confession the whole time. It was a beautiful testament to the mercy of Christ and his constant call to us to return to him.� — Sterling Christopher Jennings, senior at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and grand knight of Benedictine College Council 4708
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‘A DAY OF GRACE AND REPENTANCE’
Detroit, March 31 “I have been influenced by many good priests in my life, and I knew from a young age that my desire to pray for priests was a gift from the Lord. Discovering St. Jean Vianney, I saw in him an ally, and I eventually chose to take his name as my own. “Hosting his heart was a grace-filled opportunity for our community. Personally, I felt inspired in my dedication to pray for priests, and spent the evening asking the CurĂŠ of Ars to pray that my heart may be made totally pure for God as his was.â€? — Sister Marie Vianney, Dominican Sister of Mary Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor, Mich.
BISHOP MARK L. BARTCHAK is the eighth bishop of Altoona-Johnstown, Pa. 14 ♌ C O L U M B I A ♌
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14 overnight vigils
These are just some of the noteworthy stats from the unprecedented seven-month tour of St. Jean Vianney’s heart, as recorded by the K of C custodians of the relic. Each cross on the map indicates a town or city that the relic visited.
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dioceses 29 archdioceses
1,200+ hours of
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public veneration
“The Catholic Church, especially in the United States, has had a tough year. The relic tour was a great assistance because we need signs of life in the Church — visible, tangible, positive signs. “The presence of the relic was a powerful vehicle for bringing people to confession, which is a strong pathway to discipleship. In Boston, there were very few times over the course of more than 20 hours that somebody wasn’t going to confession. “Overall, some 5,000 pilgrims came to venerate the relic, and most of the people were including vocations in their prayers, especially vocations for parish priests. “The following week, the diocese received six phone calls out of the blue from young men who wanted to discern a path to the priesthood. None of them were on a list we had; they were all new contacts. Prayer works.” — Father Paul Soper, secretary for evangelization and discipleship, Archdiocese of Boston
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“I really wanted to help bring the relic to Fort Worth, because at this time in the Church, priests need our support. “More than 1,500 people showed up that day at the cathedral. I can’t tell you how many families came with seven, eight, nine kids to venerate the relic. I came with my wife and my 5-year-old daughter. It was a very special day. “Most of my agents were there, too, working in conjunction with the fraternal leaders and diocesan officials; they needed a lot of hands on deck. It was a very well-run event, and a great sign of the Knights’ support for the Church. It also exposed people to the spiritual side of the Knights and our Faith in Action program, which is a game changer.� — Chris Stark, general agent of the K of C Fort Worth Agency and member of Scott A. MacDonald Council 8512 in North Richland Hills, Texas
“St. Jean Vianney is one of the patrons of the Seven Sisters Apostolate, whose mission is to pray for the sanctity of priests. During the relic pilgrimage, dozens of Seven Sisters intercessors across the United States offered Holy Hours for priests in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and the heart of our patron. When the relic visited St. Paul in May, local Seven Sisters signed up for veneration through the night, offering the time for reparation and healing in our archdiocese. “My husband and I also traveled from Minnesota to Omaha to venerate the relic in March. Lines of people stretched the length and width of the cathedral aisle, spilling onto the sidewalk outside. What a profound influence on souls the CurĂŠ of Ars continues to have! “Eternal gratitude to the Knights for bringing the holy influence of St. Jean Vianney to a Church in need of healing and love.â€? — Janette Howe, founder of the Seven Sisters Apostolate, St. Paul, Minn. Her husband, John, and her son, Father Spencer Howe, are members of the Knights. 16 ♌ C O L U M B I A ♌
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El Paso, Texas, May 7
Nashville, Tenn., May 22
Summit, N.J., June 8
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Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, June 11
Harrisburg, Pa., June 13
Ars, France, June 16 SEPTEMBER 2019
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Equipped toHelp Washington Knights lend free medical equipment to thousands in need
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t’s a sunny spring day, the kind that draws Seattle residents outdoors to walk, bike and kayak. For 27-year-old Tiana, though, getting outside her small apartment to enjoy life in the city — or even go grocery shopping — isn’t easy. Born with a foot disability, Tiana had multiple surgeries as a child, with mixed success. Despite braces prescribed more recently by her podiatrist, pain in her feet and knees has sometimes kept her homebound for days. Last year, Tiana finally told her doctor, “I just can’t stand being inside anymore.â€? He suggested a nonprofit might be able to help her obtain a wheelchair. But after her insurance company had denied her twice, Tiana did not have much hope. “I was super depressed. I was crying,â€? she recalled. “I called them, not expecting anything.â€? Larry Devlin, a member of Seattle Council 676 and program director for KC HELP in Poulsbo, responded to the call. KC HELP — the Knights Community Hospital Equipment Lend Program — lends durable medical equipment at no cost 18 ♌ C O L U M B I A ♌
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to anyone in need. Councils in Idaho, Arkansas, Nebraska and elsewhere have organized similar programs, but KC HELP is notable for its longevity and scale: Several large distribution centers are run by Knights of Columbus across Washington state. To Tiana’s amazement, Devlin brought her a motorized wheelchair, in time for her to attend a popular community festival. He also provided a hospital bed, special mattress and shower chair not covered by her insurance. “Larry’s been a real lifesaver,� Tiana said. “I still have my struggles, but he’s definitely made certain aspects so much easier.� For Jerry Rhoads, who founded the first KC HELP program in the Tri-Cities area of Central Washington, helping people like Tiana is what has sustained him through nearly 23 years of hard work leading Knights in serving more than 52,000 people. “That’s the heart of our ministry,� Rhoads said. “It’s not how many pieces of equipment we put out. It’s the souls we touch as we do it.�
by Jean Parietti
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Knights repair medical equipment and assist clients at the KC HELP warehouse in Pasco, Wash. KC HELP, a program to lend free wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds and other equipment to anyone in need, was founded by Jerry Rhoads (far left and far right), a member of Richland Council 3307.
A STRONG FOUNDATION Rhoads conceived the idea for KC HELP in 1996, when he and other members of Richland (Wash.) Council 3307 were volunteering with a hospice organization. As they set up medical equipment for patients, they discovered people who didn’t qualify for hospice and had unmet needs. The council members got permission from their grand knight to begin a pilot program, and Rhoads, then an engineering manager working on a master’s degree, made the program his thesis project. Initial research revealed that the need was so great that all the councils in the Tri-Cities area should be involved. Kennewick Council 8179, Holy Spirit Council 10653 and Pasco Council 1620 quickly joined the team. A brochure explaining KC HELP was created and distributed to home care organizations, health care professionals and senior centers. As word spread, requests for assistance came in, as did donated equipment. Altogether, about 150 people were served during the pilot year. State officers recognized it as the community service program of the year in 1997 and recommended it be spread to other councils. As it expanded, the program outgrew the mini-storage units where it first stored donated equipment. Now, Rhoads runs a 5,300-square-foot warehouse in Pasco with about 40 volunteers and just one paid position. The well-organized facility includes work stations where Knights clean, sterilize, repair and distribute the equipment. “It reminds me of Santa Claus with his elves working,” said Pat Kenny, a past grand knight of Kennewick (Wash.) Council 8179. “You’ve got all these guys in there with their tools. They’re just busy.” Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Pasco warehouse opens its doors to anyone who needs help.
“It is something to experience — just talking to the people when they come in and hearing their stories,” Rhoads said. According to Rhoads, it’s not uncommon for people to say, “We’ve been everywhere trying to find a wheelchair, and I need one desperately.” When they realize they will be helped by the Knights, he said, “They’re pretty much in tears.” Rhoads deflects credit for creating the program. “I think God founded this program,” he said. “He asked me to drive the bus, and he stacked it with all-stars.” ‘SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE’ Kenny, 75, has been on both sides of KC HELP. As a volunteer, he helped deliver bulky hospital beds and other equipment. “I can remember rainy nights and trying to squeeze through apartment complexes,” he said. A retired Marine pilot, Kenny was exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, and he later needed openheart surgery in 2011. When he came home from the hospital, he learned that his friend Jerry Rhoads was one step ahead of him. “He had already set up the hospital bed and everything for me in my house,” Kenny said. Today, Kenny is able to walk short distances, getting around with a special upright walker that his insurance wouldn’t cover but the program provided. “I became a recipient of all that KC HELP does,” he said. One client who particularly touched Rhoads was a girl named Allison, who was 9 when she first visited KC HELP. She had a cancerous blood disorder that affected her limbs, and she could barely stand. Allison spotted a wheelchair with yellow arms and got to take it home. Over the next several SEPTEMBER 2019
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years, she returned whenever she outgrew her wheelchair and needed a larger one. The last time the volunteers saw Allison, her left leg had been amputated and it looked like she was going to lose her other leg. When Rhoads recently called her parents to check in, he learned that she had died. “She was such a wonderful little gal,â€? he said. “She was just as sweet as you could imagine. Though a poignant experience, we were blessed to able to walk with her in some small way that bought her joy.â€? Citing KC HELP’s patron, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Rhoads added that we are not called to do great things, but “small things with great love.â€? RESTORING FAITH IN HUMANITY The life-changing work of KC HELP has spread far beyond the Tri-Cities. Mike McGlone led the Knights in Wenatchee Council 1545, about 125 miles northwest, in starting a KC HELP site in 1998; they now operate out of a 2,000-square-foot facility. Larry Devlin, who was once a volunteer in the Tri-Cities program, relocated to Houston for work. As a district deputy, he helped reactivate San Raphael Archangel Council 13165 and encouraged council members to launch an independent medical equipment program in 2015. The Houston program is small, but every Sunday afternoon, Knights are available to accept donations and distribute equipment, mostly walkers and wheelchairs. “It just goes back to faith in action,â€? Grand Knight Francisco 20 ♌ C O L U M B I A ♌
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Carpenteyro said. “I really get excited to help anyone in need.â€? When Devlin moved back to Washington in 2016, he started the KC HELP branch in Poulsbo, across the Puget Sound from Seattle, with a trailer of equipment from the TriCities. Devlin, now a K of C field agent for the Seattle area, has also solicited help from several local councils to purchase electric wheelchair batteries, which can be costly. A new outreach to San Felipe, a small city on the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, has also been launched with a Knight from Mexico, Mario Gamboa. KC HELP first sent medical equipment and supplies there last fall and a second trailer arrived May 7. Most recently, Colville Council 12273, northwest of Spokane, decided to begin a pilot program of KC HELP this summer, Rhoads said. “This program changes the heart,â€? Rhoads said, “and it also changes the community’s awareness of the Knights of Columbus.â€? Devlin agreed. “This is a way to showcase the Knights and the work that we do,â€? he said. “You can really feel like you’re making a difference in somebody’s life. You can’t imagine the kind of hardships they go through.â€? For people like Tiana in Seattle, KC HELP has been a godsend. “I’ve never been in contact with people who were so genuinely caring,â€? she said. “It’s just restored my faith in humanity. This is proof to me how God works.â€?♌ JEAN PARIETTI is features editor for Northwest Catholic, the magazine of the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Members of San Raphael Archangel Council 13165 in Houston deliver wheelchairs and a walker to members of their parish. Council 13165 began its equipment loan program through a connection with the Washington state councils. • Tiana, left, was homebound until the KC HELP program in Poulsbo, Wash., provided her with a motorized wheelchair. Larry Devlin, right, directs the Poulsbo program.
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Out of
Darkness and into the
Light
A new Knights of Columbus initiative helps families to protect their children from sexual abuse
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t’s a parent’s worst nightmare. Jeff and Judy never imagined it could happen to their child. Then, they discovered that a longtime, trusted friend was sexually abusing their 10-year-old son. Unfortunately, their experience is not an unusual one. In fact, the vast majority of child sexual abuse perpetrators are family or friends of their victims. While the spotlight that shines squarely on the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church has helped to further muchneeded reforms, it has also led many to believe that the sexual abuse of minors is a “Catholic problem.� To the contrary, child sexual abuse is a widespread cultural problem, and children’s safety must not be left only to the offices of dioceses and parishes, but must begin in our homes. To this end, the Knights of Columbus launched a new program — Protecting Our Children — in June. At the center of the initiative is a 30-minute video titled Protecting Our Children: A Family’s Response to Sexual Abuse, in which Jeff, who is a member of the Knights, and his wife, Judy, tell their family’s personal story of trauma and healing. Dr. Monica Applewhite, a leading expert in the field of sexual abuse prevention
and response, also provides commentary and practical insights about how to recognize signs of potential grooming and abuse (see sidebar). “This video is a critical resource for families seeking to keep their children safe,� said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Hearing the experience of a mother, father and their son is eye-opening and will help parents and guardians take the necessary steps to protect their children.� Columbia editor Alton J. Pelowski recently spoke with Jeff and Judy about the new initiative and their decision to share their story. ‘A CULTURE OF COMMUNICATION’ JEFF: Once we got over the initial trauma, we felt compelled to talk to people about protecting their kids. We started telling people one-on-one what happened, so this wouldn’t happen to them. We got involved with this project to educate and protect others. JUDY: One of the things we learned is that once our son could talk about the abuse, the healing could start. A friend told me, “What we reveal, we can heal.� My hope is that people will start talking about abuse and revealing it, so that healing can begin.
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View the 30-minute video Protecting Our Children: A Family’s Response to Sexual Abuse and find additional information and resources related to the Order’s safe environment program at kofc.org/safe.
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Hopefully, it sheds so much light on the crime that the perpetrators can’t get in. JEFF: Organizations, families, everyone has the responsibility to protect children and vulnerable adults. JUDY: Whether or not they have children of their own, everyone has an opportunity to help. Every day, I say a prayer of protection over every child who crosses my path: “God, please protect this child.” AWARENESS AND PREVENTION JUDY: To families, I would say, “Before you watch this video, do not think to yourself, ‘This could never happen to us.’” JEFF: That’s exactly the position we were in. Before this happened, we thought we were immune. Our relationship with
JEFF: After we first shared what happened, three people in our circle revealed to us that they had been abused. They all had spoken out but were not listened to or were told keep quiet. They said that was almost as bad as the abuse itself. This is the gravest sin nobody’s talking about. Right now, it’s being looked at as a Catholic Church problem and a priest problem. But this is a problem throughout society. It’s in the darkness right now. And we want to put it in the light. It’s about creating a culture of communication. JUDY: Perpetrators want to keep everything secretive and in the dark. The more we can take shame away from victims and their families, the harder it will be for perpetrators to infiltrate themselves. This video is being shared with families worldwide.
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KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE An interview with Dr. Monica Applewhite about child sexual abuse and the new K of C program Protecting Our Children Dr. Monica Applewhite has been combating the plague of child sexual abuse for more than two decades. Since earning a Ph.D. in clinical social work at the University of Texas at Arlington in 1995, she has worked with hundreds of U.S. and international organizations that serve children and youth, specializing in programs for churches and schools. She collaborated with the Knights of Columbus to develop the Protecting Our Children program.
Judy and Jeff talk with Dr. Monica Applewhite (left). They share their family’s story in the new K of C-produced video titled Protecting Our Children: A Family’s Response to Sexual Abuse.
the family of the abuser extended back to my childhood. We knew that these were the safest people in our lives. And we learned that was not the case. Nobody is immune. We had been groomed for years and years. A perpetrator is very patient. You have to pay attention, and you have to have conversations with your kids about family rules and boundaries. JUDY: As uncomfortable as they might be, those conversations need to happen, and they need to happen regularly. I think back about some of our family rules that were broken
COLUMBIA: How has the understanding of child sexual abuse evolved, both in society and the Church, in recent decades? DR. MONICA APPLEWHITE: When relationship-based sexual abuse was first identified as a significant problem in the 1990s, the concept of “grooming,” or slowly preparing a child to be abused, was not well understood. Today, we understand that relational sexual offenders take steps to ensure that children feel comfortable with them physically and emotionally before the contact ever becomes sexual. Grooming most often consists of gaining the trust of children and their parents through friendship, kindness and consistency. Over time, relational sexual offenders increase focus on children who are targeted for abuse — taking them “under their wing,” helping the child and family in ways that are genuinely needed, and spending time, energy and money on the child or children. Offenders then slowly increase physical contact and affection, making physical contact the norm, rather than the exception. “Accidental” touching of private body parts is often part of the boundary testing. Relational sexual offenders also test the child’s ability to keep secrets by involving the child in using alcohol or cigarettes and then asking the child not to tell. Pornography is commonly used for grooming as well. Both within the Church and within society, these behaviors were often viewed in isolation instead of as part of a pattern; they were not understood as the part of sexual abuse we can see. As a result, most investigations of sexual abuse focused on determining whether or not an individual event of sexual abuse did or did not occur, rather than looking at the overall pattern of a person’s interactions with children. SEPTEMBER 2019
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by the perpetrator — simple things, like he would let them ride in the front seat of the car before they were legally allowed. We later learned that was one of the places he would abuse our son. Boundaries need to be enforced, and tough conversations can make a difference. I should have stepped up and said, “No, that’s a family rule.” WHEN ABUSE IS DISCOVERED JEFF: There’s a huge continuum of what potentially could be happening. The child, young adult or family could be being groomed. It’s important to recognize grooming behaviors, or at least boundary violations. As soon as you set that boundary, you’re going to stop the grooming process. But it could be on the other side of the continuum, where there’s actually abuse taking place. If this is the case, a professional should be involved as soon as possible. JUDY: A revelation of abuse can feel unbelievable, like it did in our situation. But if a child makes any sort of outcry, it’s
COLUMBIA: How common is the sexual abuse of children today? DR. APPLEWHITE: We work with two kinds of studies regarding rates of abuse: prevalence studies and incidence studies. Prevalence studies help us determine how common it is to experience abuse. The most reliable of these are “retrospective” studies, in which you give adults a definition of abuse and then ask them if they ever had the experience as a child. Such studies reveal that about 1 in 4 females has had an experience of contact sexual abuse — not verbal suggestion or inappropriate comments, which are substantially more common — sometime before the age of 18. About 1 in 6 to 8 males has experienced sexual abuse. Incidence studies tell us how common occurrences of abuse are at a given time. In these, we rely on current reports of abuse even though we know that not every incident will be reported. The national statistics for current reports of sexual abuse show that incidents of abuse have been declining steadily since about 1990. We believe that this decline is real because correlated societal problems such as teenage pregnancies and runaway youths have also declined during the same time frame. Although we don’t know for sure about the cause for this decline, experts believe it can be attributed to greater awareness and education about the harm of sexual abuse and the proactive steps being taken to prevent abuse. Compared to 20 years ago, there is much more focus on prevention than there is on responding in the aftermath of abuse. That shift is an encouraging trend. COLUMBIA: What developments would you like to see going forward? DR. APPLEWHITE: First, I would like parents and young people to develop more comfort with addressing problem 24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
SEPTEMBER 2019
important that you take it as truth, immediately. You then contact the authorities so they can set up a forensic interview and ask the right questions to confirm the validity. JEFF: The first steps involve reporting and interviewing. The police and child advocacy centers are part of the process. If there is an investigation, a grand jury and the district attorney’s office become involved, and it’s the state’s job to prosecute. It can be an agonizingly slow process. Working with the justice system isn’t easy. For us, it was frustrating at times. JUDY: Once a month, the perpetrator had to be in the courthouse and stand in front of judge. I went every month so the judge knew I wasn’t going away. It gave me this feeling that I was doing something: I can finally stand up and protect my child. I’m here, fighting for him and fighting for justice. FAITH, COMMUNITY, FAMILY JEFF: A lot of people who’ve been through tragedy move away from God. But there’s no way we would have been able to get through this experience, and stay intact as a family or as
boundary-crossing behaviors openly and in the moment, and simply saying the behavior is not acceptable. Normally, an innocent or unaware person does not mind being told that his or her behavior could be misinterpreted, or that the behavior is against the rules. A person who is grooming may be angry or confrontational, but that is a risk we should be willing to accept as protectors of children. The second area I would like to see develop more is “primary prevention”: helping adults or young persons address their feelings of attraction toward minors before they act on those feelings. The younger a person is when he or she gets help, the easier it is to control those impulses and to prevent any form of contact or abuse from ever occurring. I believe it is necessary to address this area directly. The most difficult part of my work involves helping organizations and families after abuse has already occurred. Taking what we learn from those cases and using that knowledge to prevent future incidents is what keeps me going. COLUMBIA: How can the Knights of Columbus Protecting Our Children program help? What do you hope it accomplishes? DR. APPLEWHITE: The Knights of Columbus program fills a critical gap in the Church’s overall programming to address sexual abuse because it directly educates parents and families about what they can do to protect children. The program also provides much-needed guidance about how to respond when children disclose abuse or inappropriate behavior. My hope is that this program gives parents the confidence to recognize warning signs and confront problem behavior, regardless of the awkwardness they might experience. I also hope that they feel more prepared to talk with their children and handle difficult information if their child has something he or she needs to share.
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a couple, without getting stronger in our faith. I could hardly breathe certain days, and the only thing that got me through was leaning into God. JUDY: In the first few weeks, I would go to daily Mass and then just sob the whole time. I knew I had to be there, because I needed those graces from the sacraments. And I spent hours talking to the Blessed Mother, because I knew what she had watched her son go through. I needed her courage and her strength, and she was there for me. JEFF: We leaned on our priests as well. Our parish priest connected us with Monica Applewhite, and another priest helped us with spiritual direction. They helped us grapple with questions like “How do we find forgiveness when we feel so angry?” We leaned into God; then we leaned into each other; and then we leaned into our faith community. What’s most amazing to me is how God can take something so horrible and turn it into something beautiful. That’s what I’ve seen happen in my family. We’re stronger as a family than
we’ve ever been. J UDY: We had to join together to love and support and strengthen each other. I’m not an angry person, but in the beginning, I was dealing with a lot of righteous anger. And Jeff was there to hold my hand and hug me. The same with our son. We all had to step up as a family in this. JEFF: We focused our energy on our son’s healing. He took it seriously, and he recognizes that it’s an ongoing process. We’ve been blessed to have some really good therapists. JUDY: He still has tough days, like any teenage boy, but he’s an exceptional young man. J EFF: He’s doing very, very well. He’s a typical 15-year-old, and he’s a great kid. We were going to exclude him from the video and protect him from that. But he was very direct. He said, “I want to be part of this.” So, he’s been part of the decision-making process from the beginning. It’s also been a great opportunity for teaching — such as the difference between vengeance and justice, and how we move forward from here.♦
COLUMBIA: Does your profesCOLUMBIA: In your experience, how early should parents introduce sional work make you anxious as a this topic with their kids? parent? Do you struggle to balance DR. APPLEWHITE: I encourage paryour protective instincts with your ents to teach their children the children’s independence? names of body parts from a very DR. APPLEWHITE: People often ask early age, and then help them to unhow I am able to function as a parent derstand that private parts are differwithout being completely paranoid, ent. By the time children are going but I am actually less paranoid than to school or other places by themmany parents. It is not that I believe selves, they should know that we remy family is immune; I don’t believe spect private parts by following that at all. The reason I am not fearcertain rules. In this way, parents are ful all the time is that I am very pretalking about the sacredness of our cise in what worries me. bodies long before we ever start talkI have had to identify and confront ing about sexual abuse. Each of the behaviors involving my own chilmany conversations should be based dren, and I am perfectly willing to acon the child’s development and uncept the discomfort that comes with derstanding, not on a particular age. addressing behaviors directly. For me, It is difficult to know how to awkwardness is a small price to pay begin a conversation with children for explaining that a behavior is not about actual sexual abuse. We are acceptable. Most of the time, the beworking to develop a guide for parhavior ceased, but when it didn’t, I ents to use the Knights of Columbus had no problem removing my child Protecting Our Children video to from the situation. As my children Dr. Monica Applewhite is a leading expert in the start the conversation about abuse have gotten older, my role has shifted understanding and prevention of child sexual abuse. with their children, beginning beto being more of an adviser for them tween ages 10 and 12, depending on to draw their own boundaries with the maturity of the child. This will create a shared language less direct involvement from me. That is ultimately the goal: between parents and children, and demonstrate to the child that young adults will have the ability to recognize both apthat the parent is capable of handling delicate and disturbing propriate behavior and boundary violations and know how to information if the need arises. respond when they witness behavior that is not acceptable.♦ SEPTEMBER 2019
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KNI GHTS IN ACTION
REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLES
FAITH MOVING DAY
St. Mark’s Council 12172 in Boise, Idaho, helped its council chaplain, Father Reginald Nwauzor, relocate to a new assignment hundreds of miles away. The council paid for a moving truck, gas and other supplies to help Father Nwauzor move to Priest River, where he will serve as pastor of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church.
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BELL TOLLS AGAIN
Father O’Hanlon Council 4678 in State College, Pa., jumped into action after Father Antony Sudherson, council chaplain and associate pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in State College, asked them to help restore a bell tower at his home church in India. Through private donations and a spaghetti dinner, the council raised more than $15,000 to restore the bell and make other renovations at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Mylapuram. PRAYER PATHWAYS
Members of St. Anselm College Council 4875 in Manchester, N.H., spent an afternoon cleaning up 26 ♌ C O L U M B I A ♌
the Stations of the Cross on the campus of the college. They raked leaves and cut branches to clear the pathway between stations. I WILL GIVE YOU REST
With funds raised through various events, St. Charles Borromeo Council 5399 in Port Charlotte, Fla., presented St. Charles Catholic Church with $65,000 to renovate the restrooms in the parish hall. SACRED PROCESION
An honor guard from St. Philippine Duchesne Assembly 2260 in Olathe, Kan., led a 4.5-mile procession of the Blessed Sacrament from an adoration chapel to St. Paul Catholic Church. The
SEPTEMBER 2019
pilgrimage concluded with Benediction led by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City. Members of St. Aloysius at St. Paul Council 1913, also in Olathe, served as ushers and support along the march. REFLECTION WITH OUR LADY
St. Raphael Council 14171 in Naperville, Ill., hosted a men’s day of prayer and reflection featuring an image of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians, the centerpiece of the current K of C Marian Prayer Program. The day included Mass and a rosary offered for the council and increased awareness of persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N PARISH FAMILY
FAMILY SANDBOX SERVICE
Continuing an annual tradition, members of Charles Carroll Council 780 in Carroll, Iowa, filled sandboxes for local children. Moorehouse Ready Mix Inc., a concrete supplier, donated the sand and members worked in teams to load and deliver it to families in the area. COMFORT IN GRIEF
St. Agnes Council 4449 in Catonsville, Md., offered financial and spiritual support to member Lawrence Michielli after the sudden death of his wife. Council members and their wives contributed to funeral costs and visited Michielli to read Scripture, pray the rosary and comfort their grieving brother Knight.
St. Teresa’s Council 7702 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, partnered with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to organize a dinner and variety show, building community while raising charitable funds. A total of $4,500 was collected to support those in need in the parish. EAGLE SUPPORT
St. Mary Magdalen Council 9902 in San Antonio awarded a $500 grant to Eagle Scout Caleb Villanueva to help fund his final service project. Villanueva developed and installed protective mesh screening to cover gaps in the fencing at St. Mary Magdalen School. FOR A MEMBER AND A MOTHER
Members of St. Mary the Immaculate Council 28 in Derby, Conn., contributed more than $5,500 to help a fellow Knight in need. Council members later donated more than $2,000 to assist a single mother at the parish school.
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MAKING ENDS MEET
Vincent T. Lombardi Council 11834 in Green Bay, Wis., presented a check for $1,700 to Love Life Ministry, a resource center that supports low-income families with young children. The funds were raised through a summer golf outing, chicken soup sales and other council projects. */ ,+)*-+&'( / ()'/ , (),)/ .+/ %",*() /"-" -+&/. / ) / -*- #($)/ .%*$(!/ /(*/ *$'.+, - / !,& , /$.*&)+%$)/,/'."-/ .+ ,/ ,"(! /(*/*--# / '-/$.%*$(!/+,(&-#/".+-/)',*/ / .+/)'+. -$)/ )'+.% '/ ,/ .*&.+/ ,/ . .%+ / $," ,( * / (* '($'/ "-" -+&/ ,& -#/ #.*.+&/ )./ %+$',&-/ $.*&)+%$)(.* .,+#&/,*#/ -+&.*,!( -/)'-"/ ()'/ -!! (&'-&/,*#/ +, -+&
BREAKFAST HOSPITALITY
Members of St. Ambrose Council 6424 in Old Bridge, N.J., cooked and served breakfast for the residents and staff of the Ronald
McDonald House in New Brunswick. Ronald McDonald Houses provide free or low-cost accommodations and meals for families who have traveled to obtain specialized care for their sick children. AFTER THE STORM
Father M.I. Hurley Council 3262 in Wharton, Texas, has helped more than four dozen families affected by Hurricane Harvey. Working with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, members provided families a “House in a Box�: new beds, couches, tables, chairs and other household items.
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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N
ACTION FOR ACCESSIBILITY
Members of Clarksville (Ark.) Council 5725 built a wheelchair ramp for the new building of the Interfaith Service Network, a community services nonprofit.
COMMUNITY
FOR THE CHILDREN
Denis Mahoney Council 8215 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, presented a check for $70,000 to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation during a pancake breakfast at the Cathedral of the Holy Family. The donation, raised at the council’s annual celebrity dinner, will help the foundation construct a new children’s hospital in the city. SAFETY NET
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CHARITY LUNCH CLUB
SPOONS FOR HAITI
Doctor Briggs Council 4597 in Courtenay, British Columbia, donated more than $2,700 to the Sonshine Lunch Club, an initiative based at St. Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s United Church. Each day, a different church group provides a hot lunch as well as clothing and blankets to those in need. Council 4597â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s donation will be used to repair and maintain the hall where meals are served.
Christ the King Council 12165 in Tampa, Fla., donated funds to buy 2,000 spoons for students in Haiti, part of a parish drive called â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Shared Spoon.â&#x20AC;? A teenaged parishioner started the drive after a parish mission trip to Sainte-Suzanne, Haiti, where she noticed many schoolchildren sharing spoons or eating with their hands because they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have their own utensils.
28 â&#x2122;Ś C O L U M B I A â&#x2122;Ś
SEPTEMBER 2019
Rev. Felix J. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil Council 1395 in Stafford Springs, Conn., donated more than $4,000, primarily collected during its Christmas food
drive, to SafeNet Ministries. The nonprofit, which provides food, clothing and shelter to people in need, will use the funds to purchase 18,000 pounds of food. SERVICE WITH A SMILE
Members of St. Pius XGrandville (Mich.) Council 14598 volunteered as servers for a fundraising lunch at a local restaurant. The event raised more than $1,500 for Building Bridges of Hope, a Catholic nonprofit serving the Dominican Republic. The funds will help construct a medical clinic in a remote area of the country.
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K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N
LIFE A FIRST FOR LIFE
Nuestra SeĂąora del Carmen Council 16721 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, supported by its parish priest and several parish groups, held the first pro-life march in the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s municipality. Members distributed prayer cards with St. John Paul IIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prayer for Life, which concluded his encyclical Evangelium Vitae. A DAY AT THE FAIR
For the past eight years, members of Columbia (Tenn.) Council 7447 have joined volunteers in taking children and adults with special needs to the Maury County Fair for a day of rides and games. CANCER CRUSADE
St. Stephen Council 1906 in Lawrence, Neb., hosted a benefit for two members battling cancer. The evening featured dinner, dancing and a silent auction; the proceeds of $15,000 will help to defray their medical expenses.
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A CULTURE OF LIFE
North Port (Fla.) Council 7997 presented donations totaling $15,000 at a dinner for members of various pro-life ministries and disability services organizations. Guests and beneficiaries included Our Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House, a Catholic Charities housing program for single mothers and young children; Pregnancy Careline Center in Port Charlotte; Special Olympics; Autism Speaks and ARC of Charlotte County. The council raised the funds through its annual yard sale, Roses for Life and other events. ANNUAL BENEFIT
Bishop Dowling Council 5032 in Indianola, Iowa, raised more than $3,400
through an annual fundraiser to benefit InnerVisions Healthcare, a pregnancy resource center offering medical services and support for expectant mothers. The council has raised more than $23,000 for the clinic during the eight years it has operated. CARE FOR THE DYING
St. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council 4501 in Leamington, Ontario, donated $10,000 to the Erie Shores Campus of The Hospice of Windsor & Essex County, a nonprofit offering compassionate end-of-life care. The funds were raised through various council projects, including Lenten fish fries and canteens hosted at baseball games with the St. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s League.
NEIGHBORLY AID
Knights in New Jersey, including Vincent T. Lombardi Council 6552 in Leonardo and Rev. Joseph J. Donnelly Council 11660 in Highlands, raised about $16,000 through a dinner and auction at St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elementary School in Middletown for the family of a local woman who had lost both her legs in a car crash. PRO-LIFE INSPIRATION
Inspired by a local talk given by pro-life activist Abby Johnson, Bishop Dunne Council 2813 in Fort Worth, Texas, donated a new ultrasound machine to Next Step Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center, a pro-life pregnancy resource center with locations in Fort Worth and Burleson.
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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Supreme Council Awards College Scholarships FOR the 2018-2019 academic year, the Knights of Columbus awarded scholarships totaling more than $900,000 to 510 students. Most recipients are the children of Knights, or Knights themselves, attending Catholic universities or Catholic colleges in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico or the Philippines. These figures include $256,250 in awards given to 114 seminarians in the U.S. and Canada. For more information about the Order’s scholarship programs, visit kofc.org/scholarships.
FOURTH DEGREE PRO DEO AND PRO PATRIA SCHOLARSHIPS
JOHN W. MCDEVITT (FOURTH DEGREE) SCHOLARSHIPS
This scholarship was established in 1998 in honor of the Order’s 11th supreme knight. Recipients must be enrolled at a Catholic college or Catholic university in the United States and be a Knight, the wife of a Knight, or the son or daughter of a Knight. Columbian Squires and widows and children of members who died in good standing are also eligible. In addition to the 28 new recipients listed here, 77 scholarships were renewed for the current academic year. New recipients are: Mark J. Edsall, Lucas Acosta-Morales, Frances Barilo, Elizabeth Capretta, John Crilly, Clarissa Emanuel, Ryan Fanella, Amy Frosch, Zoe Gilbert, Elizabeth Kramer, Melissa Mallinak, Clare McGahan, Janelle Moshier, Christian Nartker, Anabel Pinto, Lauryn Pugh, John-Luc Richmond, Brinley Rivet, Gabriel Rysavy, Benjamin Schmitt, Lyla Senn, Olivia Shingledecker, Adele Sinagra, Mary Strasavich, Jennifer Tennant, Benjamin R. Wickenhauser, Nina Williams and Trinity Young. 30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦
A total of 72 U.S. students received Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria scholarships of $1,500 each. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence to incoming freshmen in bachelor’s degree programs at Catholic colleges or Catholic universities. The recipients are Knights of Columbus or Columbian Squires, the son or daughter of a Knight in good standing, or the son or daughter of a Knight who was in good standing at the time of his death. Contingent on satisfactory academic performance, these scholarships are renewed for a total of four years. This academic year, 20 new scholarships were awarded and 52 renewed. The following are first-time recipients: Brady Baylis, Mary Beauchamp, Bella Biancone, Amanda Bursch, Anne Collart, Catriona Fee, Anna Galvin, Joel Kreuz-wieser, William Lacina, Nathaniel Lamansky, Luke Mattingly,
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Theresia C. Miller, Samuel Moeller, Aiden Nies, Kenechukwu Okenu, James Pham, Taylor Pitzl, Mathew Scheller, William Spaniol, and Jacob Tribull. FOURTH DEGREE PRO DEO AND PRO PATRIA SCHOLARSHIPS (CANADA)
These scholarships are for students entering colleges or universities in Canada, with requirements regarding K of C membership that are the same as for their U.S. counterparts. Ten new scholarships were awarded and 28 renewed for the current academic year. New recipients are: Selena M. Cimbron, Zephania M. Gangl, Angele S. Grenier, Genevieve Marcotte, Elizabeth A. McNeill, Rosalie Michaud, Kara A. Miskolczi, Halley Ruzicka, Jacob M. Savoie and Gian R. Tamayo. ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
Percy J. Johnson Scholarships are awarded to young men attending U.S. Catholic colleges or Catholic universities and are funded by a 1990 bequest of Percy J. Johnson, a member of Seville Council 93 in Brockton, Mass. Five scholarships were awarded and 15 renewed for the current academic year. New recipients are: Gabriel Brooks, Lawrence Corbett, Brendan Herring, Anthony Kearns and Matthew Torres. In 2000, Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. received a $100,000 donation from Frank L. Goularte. A scholarship fund in his name was established to provide $1,500 in need-based grants that are administered, in general, according to the
rules of the Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships. Two new scholarships were awarded for the current academic year and eight were renewed. The new recipients are Alexis Coles and Genevieve Soltis. From 1995 to 1997, Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. received bequests totaling nearly $200,000 from the estate of Anthony J. LaBella. In his will, LaBella remembered the kindness shown to him by Knights when he was an orphan in Farmingdale, N.Y. The bequests have since been used to establish a scholarship fund in LaBella’s name. Earnings from the fund provide scholarships for undergraduate study in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships. Three new scholarships were awarded to Thomas Briscoe, Robert Canalas III and Vincent Giannotti, and nine were renewed. In 1997, Knights of Columbus Charities Inc. received a bequest from Dr. Arthur F. Battista to establish scholarships for graduates of the Cornwall (Ontario) Collegiate and Vocational School. These $1,500 and $2,000 annual scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit, financial need, community service and extracurricular activities. Preference is given to Knights; to the children or grandchildren of members; to students recommended by the Ontario State Council; and to students bound for Catholic colleges or Catholic universities. For the current academic year, 18 new scholarships were awarded and 16 grants renewed. New recipients are: Ethan Benoit,
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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Codie Brammall, Fathima Zaida Abdul Cader, Samuel Charbonneau, Alicia Karen Hartholt, Jacob Hickey, Alyssa Ingram, Kashaf Khan, Fathima Athila Lafir Madani, Amanda Mullin, Azka Naz, Esha Noor, Gowrishangar Sittampalam, Larry Tahy, Sumaiyah Saleek, Fatimah Sikingh Vakily, Sahil Waheed and Hongmiao â&#x20AC;&#x153;Katyâ&#x20AC;? Zhang. SISTER THEA BOWMAN FOUNDATION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; K OF C SCHOLARSHIPS
This scholarship is named for Sister Thea Bowman (1937-1990), an African American religious who inspired many people with her urgent and uplifting call for better education for children of the African American community. In December 1996, the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, in partnership with the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation, authorized a four-year grant in the amount of $25,000 per year to support deserving African American students pursuing a Catholic college education. Periodically, the board has approved continuation of the grant program. In December 2018, the directors authorized a grant for $20,000, which provided tuition funding for two students, Brianna Todd and Daniela Clark, attending DePaul University in Chicago. No scholarships were renewed for the 20182019 academic year. GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
The Order has an endowment at The Catholic University of America in
Washington, D.C., that provides Knights of Columbus graduate fellowships. For the 2019-2020 academic year, eight fellowships have been awarded to the following students: Michael Allison, Timothy Anderson, Brian Derickson, James Duguid, Matthew Gabay, Brian Killackey, Laura Prejean and Irene Zhang. No scholarships were renewed. Two fellowships for the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America were renewed for the current academic year. No new scholarships were awarded. PUERTO RICO SCHOLARSHIPS
For the current academic year, three new scholarships were awarded and nine renewed. The new recipients are: Angeliz Rivera Jimenez, AdilĂŠn K. Soto Margolla and Carlos Manuel Correa Torres. PHILIPPINES SCHOLARSHIPS
For the current academic year, nine new scholarships of $500 were awarded and 27 renewed. The new recipients are: Fred Rick A. Abenis, Zyalette Fria M. Aquino, Mikaela Maria P. Asuncion, Rey Ifraem P. Gonzales, Jacelle Grace M. Maidun, Edsel Jamaica R. Rosete, Arlan Cedrex S. Segocio, Sherlyn Mae N. Sualog and Xeanne Elieza M. Virgines. MEXICO SCHOLARSHIPS
For the current academic year, 10 new scholarships were awarded in the amount of $500 each, renewable for up to four years. In addition, 10 were
Educational Trust Fund THE FRANCIS P. MATTHEWS and John E. Swift Educational Trust offers scholarships to the children of members who are killed or permanently and totally disabled by hostile action while serving with the armed forces during a covered period of conflict. In 2004, the Matthews Order declared that military conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan would be covered under the trust fund. Also eligible are the children of members who are killed as a result of criminal violence directed against them while performing their duties as full-time law enforcement officers or full-time Swift firefighters. An application must be filed within two years of the memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death or the determination of his total and permanent disability. As of June 30, a total of 822 children have been recorded as eligible for benefits from the Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust Fund scholarship program since its establishment in 1944. Thus far, 351 eligible children have chosen not to use the scholarships, three have died, and 128 who began college either discontinued their studies or fully used their scholarship eligibility before graduation. There are 12 future candidates. To date, 298 students have completed their education through the fund. Recent graduates are Kristen M. Merchant, Nicole F. Palazzo and Melissa R. Stachowiak. The following students are working toward their degrees: Lucas D. Miller, Margaret Miller, Natalie Pelletier and Owen Pelletier. One additional student, Kevin Wallen, will begin his undergraduate studies with the 2019-2020 academic year, making a total of five scholarships overall.
renewed. The new recipients are: MoisĂŠs Alejandro Loya Aguirre, EsaĂş Marcos Vazquez Araujo, Adriana LucĂa ManrĂquez Arguello, Felipe Cruz, JosĂŠ Antonio BarrĂłn Espino, Valeria Hermo sillo GĂłmez, Daniela Retana Ituarte, RenĂŠ Humberto Sansores Medrano, Lizbeth GĂĄmez PĂŠrez and Roberto Carlos MartĂnez TreviĂąo.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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P RO M OT I O NA L & G I F T I T E M S
K OF C ITEMS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS IN THE UNITED STATES THE ENGLISH COMPANY INC.
Official council and Fourth Degree equipment 1-800-444-5632 www.kofcsupplies.com IN CANADA ROGER SAUVÉ INC.
Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes 1-888-266-1211 www.roger-sauve.com
J O I N T H E FAT H E R MCGIVNEY GUILD
!
Personalized Sweater or Sweater Vest To sleeve or not to sleeve? Either way, this V-neck sweater in a cotton/nylon blend comes in black, charcoal heather or navy and will be personalized with your council or assembly name and number. Please allow 10-12 business days for production. S, M, L, XL: $46 2XL: $48 3XL: $49, 4XL: $50
Please enroll me in the Father McGivney Guild: NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP/POSTAL CODE Complete this coupon and mail to: The Father McGivney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or enroll online at: www.fathermcgivney.org
OFFICIAL SEPTEMBER 1, 2019:
Parker Jotter Pen This classic Parker Jotter retractable ballpoint pen features an arrow clip, medium point and smooth writing line. Choose between a black plastic lower barrel with “Knights of Columbus” printed in white ($10) or a stainless-steel barrel with “Knights of Columbus” etched into the metal ($15). Each is refillable with ink cartridges available at any office products store.
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 371492, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in the policy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O. Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7 ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MATTER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO: COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. REJECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PURCHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BY WRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. SUBSCRIPTION RATES — IN THE U.S.: 1 YEAR, $6; 2 YEARS, $11; 3 YEARS, $15. FOR OTHER COUNTRIES ADD $2 PER YEAR. EXCEPT FOR CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS, PAYMENT IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY. SEND ORDERS AND CHECKS TO: ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000, www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2015 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, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. 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.
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Quarter-Zip Pullover This poly/cotton/rayon-blend quarter-zip pullover is lightweight enough for yearround wear. The charcoal gray material sets off the full-color emblem of the Order printed on the left chest. M, L, XL: $22, 2XL: $24 3XL: $25, 4XL: $26
knightsgear.com Questions? Call: 1-855-GEAR-KOC (855-432-7562) Additional shipping costs apply to all orders. Please call before mailing in an order.
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K N I G H T S O F C O LU M BU S
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 St. Augustine de Hippo-Quasi Council 16996 in Cebu City, Visayas, exercise environmental stewardship by planting mangrove trees at the shore of Ocaña, Carcar City. Mangrove forests provide a habitat for many animal species and protect coastlines from erosion by storms and waves.
TO BE FEATURED HERE , SEND YOUR COUNCIL’ S “K NIGHTS IN A CTION ” PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO : C OLUMBIA , 1 C OLUMBUS P LAZA , N EW H AVEN , CT 06510-3326 OR EMAIL : KNIGHTSINACTION @ KOFC . ORG .
SEPTEMBER 2019
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PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
K E E P T H E FA I T H A L I V E
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR CALLING ME.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;
FATHER FRANCISCO JAVIER OÃ&#x2018;ATE VARGAS Diocese of Charleston, S.C. Father Frederick H. Suggs Council 6892
I was 7 years old when I first thought about becoming a priest. But by the time I moved to the United States from Mexico at age 15, the priesthood was not in my plans. My life was busy with school and work, and I pursued a career in criminal justice instead. God had other plans for me, though. When I reflected on my experiences and recognized the many ways he had blessed my life, my vocation was gradually rekindled. The decision to enter seminary was not an easy one. I struggled with my own desires and with what other people thought would be best for me. Ultimately, I ran out of excuses and could no longer ignore the call that God had planted in my heart. I have now been a priest for only a few months, and I thank God every day for calling me to such a grace-filled and enriching mission. If I had to do it all over again, I would answer the call without a doubt in my mind. This is what I was born for.