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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

M A R C H 2 0 1 7 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 1

M a r c h 2 0 1 7 ♦ V o l u M e 9 7 ♦ N u M b e r 3

D E P A R T M E N T SBuilding a better worldThe courageous witness of 17th-cen-tury martyrs inspires us to pray forpersecuted Christians today.BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Learning the faith, living the faithAs Christians in the world, we mustreplace divisiveness and snark withcharity and civility.BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month

Knights in ActionKnights of Columbus NewsHistoric March for Life UnderscoresPro-Life Consensus, Momentum

Fathers for GoodIn raising healthy and happy chil-dren, parents must make digitaldowntime a family priority.BY JASON GODIN

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COLUMBIAF E AT U R E S

Ancient Splendor Renewed The Knights of Columbus helps to restore the oldestwooden crucifix in St. Peter’s Basilica.BY COLUMBIA STAFF

‘On the Edge Between Life and Death’Congressman Chris Smith’s mission to Iraq and newemergency relief legislation offer hope to persecutedChristians.BY DOREEN ABI RAAD

Our Fathers in FaithSt. Joseph and Father Michael J. McGivney teach ushow to be faithful protectors and humble men of God.BY DOMINICAN FATHER PETER JOHN CAMERON

A Call to Spiritual ArmsKnights Orderwide are rediscovering the source of masculine strength in faith, prayer and sacramental life.BY ED LANGLOIS

This revered 14th-century crucifix, one of the few remaining itemspreserved from the original St. Peter’s Basilica, was recently restoredwith support from the Knights of Columbus.

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EDITORIAL

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COLUMBIAPUBLISHER

Knights of Columbus________

SUPREME OFFICERSCarl A. AndersonSUPREME KNIGHT

Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.SUPREME CHAPLAINPatrick E. Kelly

DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHTMichael J. O’ConnorSUPREME SECRETARYRonald F. SchwarzSUPREME TREASURERJohn A. MarrellaSUPREME ADVOCATE

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EDITORIALAlton J. Pelowski

EDITORAndrew J. MattMANAGING EDITORAnna M. BninskiASSOCIATE EDITOR

Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90)Apostle to the Young,

Protector of Christian Family Life andFounder of the Knights of Columbus,

Intercede for Us.________

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INTERNETkofc.org/columbia

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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 anapplicant or member accepts the teaching authority of theCatholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires tolive in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

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Copyright © 2016All rights reserved

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ON THE COVERA detail of the oldest crucifix of St. Peter’s Basilica, restored with support from the Knights of Columbus,depicts the face of Christ in the moment of death.

AFTER POPE JOHN PAUL II pub-lished Mulieris Dignitatem, an apostolicletter on the dignity and vocation ofwomen, Aug. 15, 1988, many wonderedif there would be a similar letter about thevocation of men. Exactly one year later,John Paul II published Redemptoris Custos,his apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph.Although it was not a document aboutmen per se, readers needed to look no fur-ther than St. Joseph for a model of au-thentic masculinity. His example ofcourage, humility and hard work, livedthrough his vocation as protector of Maryand Jesus, has much to teach men today.In the introduction of Redemptoris Cus-

tos, John Paul II masterfully summarizedSt. Joseph’s heavenly mission with thesewords: “Just as St. Joseph took loving careof Mary and gladly dedicated himself toJesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewisewatches over and protects Christ’s Mysti-cal Body, that is, the Church, of whichthe Virgin Mary is the exemplar andmodel.” Unpacking this statement canprovide insight not only into St. Josephbut the vocation of all men.Consider first Joseph’s dedication as a

husband and father. As head of the HolyFamily, he is not a dominant ruler but aloving and humble servant. St. Paul ex-horts: “Husbands, love your wives, evenas Christ loved the Church and handedhimself over for her” (Eph 5:25). BishopThomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix reflectson this call to spousal love in Into theBreach, his apostolic exhortation toCatholic men. “Every man is made to liveas a husband and a father in some way,”Bishop Olmsted writes. “Each man is

called to commit and give of himselfcompletely.” This is embodied in a partic-ular way in the vocation of holy orders,which also reflects St. Joseph’s mission aspatron of the universal Church. Finally, the last part of the quote from

Redemptoris Custos recognizes Mary as theicon of the Church herself, which includeswomen and men alike. In the end, a truerenewal of “masculine” spirituality de-pends upon a recovery of the Church’s“feminine” and interior dimension, exem-plified in Mary’s unreserved “Yes” to God’scall. We may observe, for instance, that the“manly” sacrifice of the 17th-century Je-suit missionaries martyred in NorthAmerica and Japan was essentially a fruitof their receptivity to God. After the LastSupper, Jesus told his Apostles, “Whoeverremains in me and I in him will bearmuch fruit, because without me you cando nothing” (Jn 15:5). Only then does hechallenge them to sacrificial love: “No onehas greater love than this, to lay downone’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).Practically speaking, the renewal of

men’s spirituality and the continuedwork of the Knights of Columbus re-quire that Catholic men become truecontemplatives in action. As Knights, wewill always be called to respond to theneeds of our families, communities andthe Church. But if we want our work andthat of our councils to bear fruit, we mustground our actions in prayer and spiri-tual formation, always seeking to deepenour faith in Christ.♦

ALTON J. PELOWSKIEDITOR

A Call to Catholic Men

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Catholic Information Center Resource: Into the BreachInto the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men(#340) by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix providesconcrete answers to key questions: What does it mean to bea Catholic man? How does a Catholic man love? Why is fa-therhood so crucial for every man? Published as part of theVeritas Series of the Order’s Catholic Information Service,this booklet includes a study guide and discussion ques-tions. To download or order copies, visit kofc.org/cis.


BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

M A R C H 2 0 1 7 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 3

Grace and SolidarityThe courageous witness of 17th-century martyrs

inspires us to pray for persecuted Christians today

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

LAST MONTH, I wrote about MartinScorsese’s remarkable film Silence, basedon the historical novel of the same titleby the Japanese Catholic author ShusakuEndo. Through the journey of twoyoung Jesuits, Father Francisco Garrpeand Father Sebastião Rodrigues, Silenceexplores the 17th-century persecution ofChristians in Japan — and the conse-quences of the apostasy, after torture, ofFather Cristóvão Ferreira, the Jesuitprovincial there.As I wrote last month, Scorsese views

his film as a sort of pilgrimage, and I en-couraged those who see it to do so in thesame light. Silence presents in anextraordinary way an importantchapter — but only one chapter— in the long history of mis-sionary activity and evangeliza-tion. What is missing fromSilence is also worth recalling.When news of Father Fer-

reira’s action reached Europe,many Jesuits sought to travel toJapan not to ascertain the facts but to jointhose who were suffering martyrdom.Among them was a group of Jesuits ledby an Italian, Father Marcello Mastrilli. Before leaving for Japan, Father Mas-

trilli composed a new novena asking theintercession of St. Francis Xavier, one ofthe first Jesuits, for the success of the mis-sions and especially for those sufferingoverseas for the Catholic faith, that theywould “live and die in the state of grace.”Father Mastrilli’s novena, traditionally re-cited in March, has come to be known asthe Novena of Grace.Father Mastrilli and his companions

were captured shortly after their arrivalin Japan. Horribly tortured, they suf-fered martyrs’ deaths. Indeed, Father

Mastrilli’s witness, not Father Ferreira’sapostasy, better represents the Jesuit mis-sion in Japan.A Japanese account from the time

states that during the 17th century ap-proximately 100 Jesuits died as martyrswhile only five renounced their faith,after torture.There is even evidence that toward the

end of his life Father Ferreira recanted hisapostasy, after which he, too, was tor-tured to death.And regarding the question of

whether Christianity could take root inJapan, the fact remains that when

Commodore Matthew Perry enteredJapan’s Edo Bay in 1853 there werethousands of Japanese Christians.Today, we see throughout parts of the

Middle East, Africa and Asia the brutalpersecution, torture and killing ofChristians. The daily heroism of thesebrothers and sisters in the faith is an in-spiration to their fellow Christianseverywhere.As we know, the situation is particu-

larly acute in the Middle East, where somany Christians have been targeted forgenocide and hundreds of thousandshave lost virtually everything. Duringthe past several years, the Knights ofColumbus has become one of the inter-national leaders in helping these people

— providing thousands with food,clothing, shelter and medical care.This year, we will continue our leader-

ship role and we will look for ways to pro-vide even more help. The corporal worksof mercy continue to be indispensable.But we can also do more to foster a

greater spiritual solidarity with Christianswho are suffering. This month, we will

launch a new initiative to prayfor those Christians sufferingpersecution. In this way, we willjoin a new spiritual work ofmercy with our ongoing corpo-ral works of mercy.We are proposing a new

prayer, a Novena of Grace andSolidarity (see page 15), basedon the prayer of Father Mas-

trilli. I urge all brother Knights and theirfamilies to join in this Novena of Graceand Solidarity for persecuted Christiansthroughout the world March 12-20. Thenovena may also be prayed any timethroughout the year.In many ways, 2017 may be the deci-

sive year in determining whether manyChristian communities throughout theMiddle East will continue to exist. ManyChristians in the region tell me that ourefforts give them renewed hope and de-termination.Let us pray that, in spite of all the

tribulations they face, they will remainfaithful and that we will remain worthyof their trust in us.

Vivat Jesus!

We can do more to foster agreater spiritual solidarity withChristians who are suffering.


LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

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LABELS ARE USEFUL. When buy-ing milk, I look for a label that tellsme it contains 2 percent milk fat. IfI’m shopping for a shirt, I read thelabel to see the size and material.When taking medicine, I read thelabel to find out the dosage and pos-sible side effects.

However, labels don’t tell us every-thing. They won’t tell me if a partic-ular food is actually good for myhealth. They won’t say whodesigned a product, how itwas manufactured or howmuch it cost to make. Intruth, labels often providemore hype than help, andmany are misleading.

Labels can be even more in-appropriate and misleadingwhen they are applied to per-sons. Our society rightly rejects labelsthat demean or humiliate a person onthe basis of race, ethnicity, sex, looks,mental capacity, illness, disabilitiesand so on.

The Church embraces societal ef-forts to speak with charity and goesfurther by teaching that a person isnot the sum of his or her weaknessesor sins. No one’s humanity should bereduced to and summed up by labelssuch as “cheater” or “liar” — even ifone may be guilty of those offenses.Such labels do not do justice to thewhole person, nor do they recognizethe possibility of repentance and re-form. Rather, they are a way of writ-ing off that person as unworthy ofour consideration.

IN THE TRENCHESAll around us, we find disparaging la-bels applied to others with little hesita-tion — and sometimes with outrightenthusiasm. We saw this in the bruising2016 political season and have sadlyseen it even in some Catholic journal-ism. We who are consumers of the newsmedia — both secular and Church-re-lated — too readily apply pejorative la-bels to other people.

In the heat of political battle, for ex-ample, candidates often hurl epithets atone another and their supporters. Lastyear’s presidential race in the UnitedStates gave us many painful examplesof this. Ad hominem insults such as“crooked” and “deplorable” took theplace of the reasoned political discoursethat candidates owe to one another, tothe electorate and to the country.

Of course, the fault for the negativepersonal tone of politics does not lieentirely with politicians. Rather, it re-flects a society already accustomed tosnarkiness.

Added to this are two other currentsin political life. The first is to reduce anopposing point of view to a malevolentideology. For example, Christian teach-

ing on marriage and sexuality is increas-ingly labeled as bigotry, especially whenChristians seek to live according to theirbeliefs. Indeed, a host of “isms” andphobias are tossed about and attributedto people with minimal regard for whatthese terms actually mean or for the per-

sons so described.Related to this is another cur-

rent: so-called identity politics. Itis, of course, reasonable that peo-ple with common backgroundsand interests who feel oppressedwould come together to improvetheir lot in society. That has alwaysbeen a part of politics. Yet thisform of politics, which involves

self-labeling, is now pursued so vigor-ously and single-mindedly that it hasdeepened divisions in the country alonglines of racial, ethnic and sexual identity.It’s as though we’re all consigned toWorld War I-style trench warfare. Thissort of “self-branding” actually discour-ages tolerance and compromise, espe-cially when it slaps disparaging labels onthose who seem to hold contrary views.

BUILDING BRIDGESUnfortunately, the Church is not im-mune to all this. While not “of theworld,” the Church is most assuredly“in the world.” The style and content ofthe speech all around us affects usdeeply. Yet, if we are striving to followChrist and live the Beatitudes, our re-

What’s in a Label?As Christians in the world, we must replace

divisiveness and snark with charity and civility

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

Let’s contribute to making our society a less divisive place by

making the Church less divided.


Offered inSolidarity withPope Francis

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

HOLY FATHER’SPRAYER INTENTION

SUPPORT FOR PERSECUTEDCHRISTIANS: That persecutedChristians may be supported bythe prayers and material help of thewhole Church.

CATHOLIC MAN OF THE MONTH

M A R C H 2 0 1 7 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 5

gard for others should be markedlygreater than what we find in the secularmedia. We should be very reluctant topin labels on others.Labeling a Church leader is a way of

putting that person in a box so thatone does not have to deal thoughtfullywith what the leader actually says ordoes. For example, some parishionersmay readily refer to their priest as “con-servative” or “liberal” without ever re-ally talking to him. Though labels maycontain a grain of truth, they oftenshort-circuit important conversations.And, sadly, ideological labels readily

degenerate into uncharitable, adhominem attacks on the integrity, abil-ities and worth of fellow Christianswith whom we are supposed to beunited in the Body of Christ.The net effect of labeling our fellow

Christians is to weaken the Church’smission by weakening the Church’sunity. This unity is based on truth —not only the revealed truth but also basictruths about our common humanityand what constitutes a just and peacefulsociety. If, instead of building bridges,we find ourselves obscuring the truth bypitting Church leaders and fellow

parishioners against one another, we arebreaking down that oneness that theLord willed for his followers — so thatthe world may believe (cf. Jn 17:21).So, here’s an idea for Lent 2017. Let’s

abstain from labels. Let’s abstain fromsnarky, uncharitable speech. Let’s con-tribute to making our society a less di-visive place by making the Church lessdivided. Doing so will take a lot moregrace, self-control and self-sacrificethan giving up candy, liquor or caf-feine. Yet, as winter gives way to spring,such a sacrifice will yield a harvest oftruth, joy, peace and love.♦

MARCEL CALLO was born into apoor, devout family in Rennes, France,Dec. 6, 1921. The second of nine chil-dren, he was an enthusiastic member ofthe Scout movement and of the localEucharistic Crusade group.At age 13, Callo left school to begin

an apprenticeship with a local printer. Ayear later, he joined the Jeunesse OuvrièreChrétienne (Young Christian Workers).The Catholic apostolate’s members,known as Jocistes, dedicated themselvesto evangelizing through daily Mass,prayer, intellectual formation and com-munity outreach. Gifted at creatingfriendships, Callo eventually became thegroup’s president. He organized sport-ing events, plays and dances that helpeddraw many young people, includingnon-practicing Catholics and non-be-lievers, into the life of the Church.At age 20, during the German occu-

pation of France in World War II, Callofell in love with Marguerite Derniaux,a fellow Jociste. His desire to announcetheir engagement at his brother’spriestly ordination in 1943 was dashedwhen Callo received orders to enter aforced labor camp. Callo chose to com-ply rather than to hide and bring

reprisals on his family. “It is not as aworker that I go,” he wrote. “I leave asa missionary.”In March 1943, Callo was sent to an

armaments factory in central Germany,where the grim living conditionswreaked havoc on his health. He organ-ized a monthly Mass with a Germanpriest and activities to boost the moraleof the deportees. In April 1944, theGestapo arrested Callo for being “tooCatholic” and eventually sent him tothe Mathausen concentration camp inAustria. For five months, Callo prayedand encouraged his fellow prisoners; hedied of malnutrition and tuberculosison the feast of St. Joseph, March 19,1945. He was beatified by Pope JohnPaul II in 1987.♦

Blessed Marcel Callo(1921-1945)

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

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Historic March for Life Underscores Pro-Life Consensus, Momentum

ON FRIDAY, JAN. 27, hundreds of thousands of peo-ple gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 44th Marchfor Life. Many Knights of Columbus and their familiestraveled from throughout the country to participate inpeaceful protest of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court deci-sion Roe v. Wade.Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Deputy

Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly joined Jeanne Mancini,president of the March for Life, in welcoming Vice Pres-ident Mike Pence to the event.Pence, who took office just a week earlier, addressed

those assembled on the National Mall for the March forLife rally, marking the first time a sitting vice presidentof the United States participated.“Because of you and the many thousands that stand with

us in marches like this all across the nation, life is winningin America again,” Pence said in his remarks.He further emphasized that the pro-life movement must be

known for love and compassion, not anger and confrontation.“I believe that we will continue to win the hearts and

minds of the rising generation if our hearts first break foryoung mothers and their unborn children,” Pence said.“And if we each of us do all we can to meet them wherethey are, with generosity, not judgment.”Following the vice president’s remarks, Cardinal Timothy

M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and chairman of theU.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, officially kicked off the rally with a prayer.As in years past, the rally and march were organized by

the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, which re-ceives support from the Knights of Columbus.Deputy Supreme Knight Kelly, who serves as chairman

of the board of directors of the March for Life, welcomedthe crowd to what he enthusiastically called “the largest an-nual civil rights demonstration in the world.” After recall-ing this year’s theme — “The Power of One” — Kellyasked participants to ponder the tremendous impact a sin-gle person can make on the course of history, citing thework of U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde, Susan B. Anthony andRev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.“My challenge to you today,” he added, “is to use the power

of your influence to stand up for the unborn, to give a voiceto the voiceless and to build a culture of life. If you do this,you will be amazed by what the power of one can do.”

Top: College Knights pose for a picture in front of the WashingtonMonument before the 44th March for Life Jan. 27. • Above: SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson and Deputy Supreme Knight Patrick E.Kelly meet with Vice President Mike Pence backstage before the Marchfor Life rally on the National Mall.


KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

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Mancini began her remarks by noting that following theprevious week’s Women’s March and presidential inaugu-ration, there had been a lot of talk about numbers.“The only number I care about, and the number all of

us here care about, is 58 million,” Mancini said. “Since1973, 58 million Americans have been lost to abortion. Westand here for them today.” Mancini went on to commend all the “courageous birth

mothers” who had chosen adoption for their children, not-ing that many families have been blessed through adoptionas a result.“But unfortunately, while there are almost

1 million abortions in our country every sin-gle year, there are only 22,000 infant adop-tions,” she said. “We need to do somethingabout that. Choosing life, choosing adoption:it’s noble and heroic. And the life that thesewomen choose to give has the power tochange the family’s life, the power to changethe world.” Mancini then invited the crowd to watch

a brief video based on polling commissionedby the Knights of Columbus, discussing aconsensus in America in favor of greaterabortion restrictions.As Mancini put it, “Pro-life is the new

normal.”Upon the release of the latest K of C-

Marist polling data, Supreme Knight Ander-son said, “This poll shows that largepercentages of Americans, on both sides ofthe aisle, are united in their opposition to thestatus quo as it relates to abortion on demand. This isheartening and can help start a new national conversationon abortion.”Members of Congress and other prominent pro-life

figures, such as former Planned Parenthood clinic direc-tor Abby Johnson and Baltimore Ravens tight end Ben-jamin Watson, also addressed the rally, after which thenearly two-mile march progressed along ConstitutionAvenue and past the U.S. Capitol, concluding at theSupreme Court building.As in past years, people of diverse faiths and political

backgrounds participated. Many attended with their fam-ilies and children. Young people, including busloads of col-lege and high school students from throughout thecountry, were present in force. Countless pro-life bannersand flags were on display, including thousands of Knightsof Columbus “Defend Life” and “Choose Life” signs, andmany marchers shared their support on social media usingthe hashtag #PowerofOne.The event’s positive and life-affirming atmosphere was even

more hopeful thanks to recent pro-life government actions.

Vice President Pence noted, for instance, that the “Mex-ico City policy,” prohibiting U.S. funding of internationalprograms that perform or promote abortion, was rein-stated earlier in the week. Likewise, the House of Repre-sentatives passed a resolution Jan. 24 to make the HydeAmendment permanent. Named the No Taxpayer Fund-ing for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full DisclosureAct of 2017 (H.R. 7), the bill was authored by Rep. ChrisSmith (R-NJ), co-chair of the bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus,and passed by a vote of 238 to 183.

“We are experiencing a megatrend in America — con-sistently reflected in polling data — that the Americanpublic not only does not support taxpayer funding forabortion, but the public increasingly supports actions toprotect unborn children and women from the violence ofabortion,” Smith wrote in a Jan. 24 Washington Times arti-cle. “A new Marist Poll released Jan. 23 found that a super-majority of Americans in the United States — 61 percent— oppose taxpayer funding for abortion — and only 35percent support it.”Finally, four days after the March for Life, the pro-life

community welcomed the nomination of Neil Gorsuch tofill the Supreme Court seat that has been vacant since thedeath of Justice Antonin Scalia last year.“We applaud the president’s nomination of Judge Neil

Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court of the UnitedStates,” Supreme Knight Anderson said in a statementFeb. 1. “From his writings and his record it is clear thathe will interpret the Constitution as it was written, in-cluding our First Amendment right to religious freedomand the right to life of every person.”♦


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Ancient Splendor Renewed The Knights of Columbus helps to restore the oldest wooden crucifix in St. Peter’s Basilica

by Columbia staff

On the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy,the Knights of Columbus was proud to support an ini-

tiative to restore a stunning — yet nearly forgotten — mas-terpiece of sacred art: a 700-year-old crucifix in St. Peter’sBasilica in Rome.

Depicting the dying Christ with his head resting on his rightshoulder, the wooden sculpture was caked with nine layers ofpaint and riddled with cracks and woodworm holes. Once apopular and much venerated work, it was eventually relegatedto a peripheral chapel of the basilica behind an elevator shaft.


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Plans that were already in motion to renovate the crucifixwere accelerated with the April 2015 announcement of theholy year.

“We hope that this remarkable image of Christ’s sufferingwill serve as a reminder to all who see it of the great love ourSavior has for each one of us,” said Supreme Knight Carl A.Anderson, “and of the depths of his mercy, always ready toembrace and forgive us.”

After 15 months of painstaking labor by a professional teamof restorers and the Fabbrica di San Pietro, the office respon-sible for maintaining the basilica, the refurbished crucifix wasexposed for public devotion during the final weeks of the holyyear in late 2016.

At the request of Pope Francis, it was first displayed at the basil-

ica’s Altar of the Confession, to the right of Bernini’s baldacchino,for the Jubilee Mass for Prisoners Nov. 6, 2016, and then againfor the Jubilee Mass for the Socially Marginalized Nov. 13.

“The oldest wooden crucifix of St. Peter’s Basilica, dating backto the 14th century, was restored for the devotion of the faithful,”Pope Francis announced at the conclusion of his Nov. 13 An-gelus address. “After arduous restorations, it was brought backto its ancient splendor and will be placed in the Chapel of theBlessed Sacrament as a reminder of the Jubilee of Mercy.”

PRESERVING HISTORYThe crucifix was carved in the early 1300s by an anonymoussculptor of remarkable skill and religious sensitivity. The figureof Christ is represented at the moment of his death.

Pope Francis is pictured with the newly restored medieval crucifix (at right) during the Jubilee Mass for Prisoners in St. Peter’s Basilica Nov. 6, 2016.


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“The face is marvelous — his eyes are still open, yet the as-tonished pupils are already fixed on eternity; the lips of hishalf-open mouth are strained in the last spasm of life,” ex-plained Dr. Pietro Zander, chief archeologist of the Fabbricadi San Pietro. “One could say that the artist has captured theinstant when, according to the Gospel accounts, Jesus uttereda loud cry (Mk 15:37) and exclaimed, ‘It is finished.’ Then bow-ing his head he handed over his spirit (Jn 19:30).”Measuring 7 feet from head to toe, the torso and legs were

crafted from a single piece of seasoned walnut; the arms, madefrom separate pieces of the same tree, span 6 feet 4 inches. Al-together, it weighs 159 pounds.“It is amazing how many precise anatomical details in this

work are not found in other wooden crucifixes,” said Msgr. Vit-torio Lanzani, secretary of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, duringan Oct. 28 interview with Vatican Radio. “The sculptor was anexpert in anatomy, starting from the veins in the arms and legs,the contracted tendons and finally the ribs. At the wound inthe side we actually see two openings: one in the living fleshand the other in the pierced skin that is folded back. This wasa crucifix created to elicit the compassion of the dying Christ.”Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica

and president of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, in a Dec. 11 in-terview with Rome Reports, stated: “It is a crucifix that haslooked, we could say, with compassion over human history andthe history of the Church.”Antique archival documents and prints reveal that the Cru-

cifix of St. Peter, as it came to be called, was installed in nineseparate locations within the original, fourth-century basilicaand the current Renaissance structure, which was completedin 1626. The crucifix was first placed in the central nave above

the altar of Sts. Simon and Jude, one of the seven privilegedaltars of the old basilica. There it inspired the prayers of amultitude of visitors and pilgrims, including St. Catherine ofSiena (1347-1380). During the Sack of Rome in 1547, marauding mercenaries

dressed the crucifix in their uniform and desecrated the basil-ica, using it as a horse stable. Over the course of the next century, with construction of

the new basilica underway, the crucifix was moved to six dif-ferent chapels and altars. In 1629, it was hung on the insideof the Holy Door while awaiting the completion of its ownspecial chapel, where it remained until 1749. It was then relo-cated to make way for Michelangelo’s Pietà.Before moving in 1750 to the adjacent Relics Chapel, its

final location until the recent restoration, the crucifix under-went major repairs to fill wormholes and other damage. Hav-ing already been painted several times to resemble bronze, itreceived three more coats of even darker pigment. In 1888, the Relics Chapel was fitted with an ornate metal

door, making the crucifix less accessible. Finally, during thepontificate of Pius XI (1922-1939), an elevator was installedin the center of the chapel, obscuring the crucifix even more.Thus confined to a neglected and practically unreachable cor-ner of the basilica, the crucifix was essentially withdrawn fromthe faithful and nearly forgotten.

RESURRECTED FROM OBSCURITYThe Fabbrica di San Pietro, aware of the history of the ancientcrucifix, alerted the Knights of Columbus to the possibility ofa restoration project to coincide with the Year of Mercy. Withsupport from the Order, the restoration was undertaken by


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Lorenza D’Alessandro and Giorgio Capriotti. Experiencedprofessionals, the two worked with the Fabbrica di San Pietroin 2013 on the Order-supported restorations of two veneratedfresco paintings: the Madonna of the Column, also known asMater Ecclesiae (Mother of the Church), and the Madonna delSoccorso (Our Lady of Help). The meticulous restoration of the crucifix began with care-

ful UV-florescent photographic investigation and diagnosticstudies. Through these processes, D’Alessandro and Capriottidetermined they would be able to unearth the sculpture’s orig-inal appearance from beneath the many layers of paint andprotective coatings.To remove the most recent layers, the restorers used a high-

precision laser, but much detailed technical work remained.“We could not reach the original layer of paint directly with

the laser, since it would have been ruined,” D’Alessandro toldVatican Radio in October 2016. “So the only way to preservethe precious information of all of the restorations was to re-move the layers one by one. Every new layer of paint needed aparticular solvent or a certain tool. … It was truly a journeyback in time!”The restoration recovered 90 percent of the figure’s strikingly

realistic original paint and revealed other lost artistic details. “When all of the paint that covered the crucifix was re-

moved,” Msgr. Lanzani told Vatican Radio, “we discovered thatthe eyes were open, whereas before it was believed that theywere closed. It was truly incredible!”

Cardinal Comastri was particularly struck by the gaze ofChrist’s face as it emerged. “As the workers were cleaning theeye,” he said, “it seemed to me that, in a way, the crucifix waslooking at me as if to say: ‘What are you waiting for? Do yousee love? Then respond.’”While the restoration was entering its final months — its

progress having been carefully documented through photo-graphs and 3-D imaging — two major features remained be-fore the crucifix returned to public view.The workshop of the Fabbrica di San Pietro built a new

wooden cross based on historical prints that portray the origi-nal, which was removed in 1749. Measuring 13 feet high by 8feet wide, the cross is made of wood from an old walnut treethat grew near the Marian shrine of Montemisio in central Italy.Finally, the restorers replaced the “crown of thorns” made

of rope, which the sculpture had borne since the 1800s, witha true crown of thorns. D’Alessandro explained, “In this case,a specific kind of thorn was chosen: the Spina Christi, whichis a Mediterranean shrub.”On Nov. 17, three days before the conclusion of the Year of

Mercy, the crucifix was carried in procession to the basilica’sBlessed Sacrament Chapel, where it was blessed and perma-nently installed to the left of the tabernacle.“All who now come to encounter and pray to Christ in the

Eucharist,” said Dr. Zander, “will also be able to contemplatehis image in this crucifix, filled with divine mercy, gentlenessand humanity.”♦

From left: Lorenza D’Alessandro, the principal restorer of the 700-year-old crucifix, uses high precision lenses and lasers to remove layers of paint from thewalnut sculpture. • Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and his wife, Dorian, visit the Vatican workshop to admire the restoration work June 27, 2016. •A detail of the renovated crucifix is pictured during a Vatican press conference announcing the completion of the restoration project Oct. 28, 2016.


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Expelled from their ancestral lands in 2014 by militants ofthe Islamic State (also known as ISIS or Daesh), more

than 70,000 Christians — nearly one-third of all remainingChristians in Iraq — are still in exile in Erbil, in the Kurdistanregion. The displaced community saw a ray of hope when, forthe first time, a U.S. congressman came to visit them just be-fore Christmas.Rep. Chris Smith (R-

N.J.), a leading humanrights lawmaker who haschaired nine congressionalhearings on atrocities in Iraqand Syria since 2013, arrivedin Erbil Dec. 20, 2016, on amission to witness firsthandthe plight of the displacedChristians.“When I went to Erbil,

temperatures had alreadybegun to drop below freez-ing, and the risk of life-threatening illnesses was onthe rise,” Smith said of thevisit. “U.S. action is morecritical than ever to ensurethese genocide survivors receive the assistance needed for theirbasic survival.”Invited by Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Matti

Warda of Erbil, Smith met with refugee families, local Catholicand Orthodox bishops as well as government and NGO offi-cials. Knights of Columbus staff helped to organize the trip andaccompanied Smith during the visit. For the past two years, theOrder’s Christian Refugee Relief Fund has provided aid to thedisplaced community, which has been denied humanitarian as-sistance by the U.S. government and the United Nations.Following the December visit, Rep. Smith, together with

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), introduced legislation in the newly

convened 115th U.S. Congress to provide emergency relief topersecuted Christians and other religious and ethnic minori-ties, as well as to ensure accountability for perpetrators.“This bill is timely because just last month I saw in Iraq the

lack of humanitarian aid for Christian genocide survivors,”Smith said Jan. 10, the day the bill was introduced. “They are

at risk from freezing wintertemperatures and requireemergency help.”

LISTENING TO SURVIVORSDuring his visit to Iraq, Smithmade it a priority to visitAshti 2, the largest Christianrefugee center in Erbil, tomeet with displaced familieswho had survived the horrificsummer of 2014. It was sucha priority, in fact, that whenthe U.S. government was un-able to provide protection forSmith because of a flightschedule change, he riskedgoing to the center guarded

by the Zerevani, Kurdish paramilitary police instead.Ashti 2 is an enclave of prefabricated containers housing

a total of 6,000 refugees. Each family dwelling is about 50square feet.The congressman heard firsthand from families about the

terror and trauma they experienced in escaping ISIS. Onefamily shared with him how persecution has followed them.After being evicted from Mosul, they settled in Qaraqosh,where they thought they would be safe from terrorists. Theynever imagined that one night, in August 2014, they wouldbe among some 50,000 Christians expelled from the townby ISIS.

‘ON THE EDGE Between Life and Death’Congressman Chris Smith’s mission to Iraq and new emergency relief legislation

offer hope to persecuted Christians

by Doreen Abi Raad


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Initially, when ISIS militants uprooted them from Mosuland the Nineveh Plain region of Iraq, some 125,000 Chris-tians fled to the Kurdistan region. Many have since gone toneighboring countries — Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey —with the aim of emigrating to Western nations. Some madetheir way to Europe, often at great peril, and some familieshave been resettled.Congressman Smith was moved by the deep faith of theChristians he met, a faith that has persevered and grown de-spite the atrocities they suffered and the hardships they stillendure each day. “Every family I met told me their faith was stronger andmore steadfast than before their suffering at the hands ofISIS,” Smith recalled. “They said they saw the hands of Christand the Blessed Mother in the life-saving help they receivedfrom the Archdiocese of Erbil. These Christians who lost theirlands and their homes totally trusted in God’s providence.”Smith was also shown pictures of how the towns and vil-lages — emptied of Christians — look now after having beenrecently liberated from the Islamic State: homes destroyed andgutted; churches and graves desecrated; streets empty as ghosttowns, still littered with bombs and other remnants of themilitants’ terrorist reign. Many areas are still booby-trapped.The shocking images of the devastation send a clear and dis-turbing message: The dream of returning home remains farout of reach for the displaced.

“The Archdiocese of Erbil has saved the lives of tens ofthousands of Christians and other religious minorities whoescaped ISIS with its food, shelter and medical care,” Smithsaid, adding that the archdiocese also serves Yazidis and Mus-lims who fled ISIS, “which is typical for a Catholic entity.”Much of the archdiocese’s aid has been made possible bythe Knights of Columbus Christian Refugee Relief Fund,which launched in August 2014. To date, more than $12 mil-lion has been raised to provide housing, food, medical aid,education and general relief to persecuted communities inplaces like Iraq and Syria.“But because the U.S. government and the United Nationshave so far failed to support this life-saving work of the arch-diocese, these genocide survivors continue to hang on theedge between life and death,” Smith said. “Despite the gener-ous support from groups like the Knights of Columbus, thearchdiocese is regularly in a chronic funding crisis.”

WAITING AND PRAYING FOR AIDCongressman Smith said that many of those he met in Erbil— including displaced people and clergy — openly expressedtheir hope that the new U.S. administration will be moreopen to helping them than the last.The Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mosul, NicodemusDaoud Sharaf, who also had to flee ISIS and seek refuge inErbil, told the lawmaker, “So often, concern for Christians

Iraqis attend Christmas Eve Mass at the Assyrian Orthodox church of Mar Shimoni, in Bartella, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2016. Bartella, once home to thousandsof Assyrian Christians, emptied in August 2014 when it fell to ISIS. Iraqis retook the town during the U.S.-backed offensive in October 2016. •Opposite page: Rep. Chris Smith and Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda visit a Christian family at the Ashti 2 center in Erbil, Iraq, Dec. 20, 2016.


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is minimized. I am so happy, becauseyou are the first American who hascome to ask about the Christians. Wepray that President Trump will help us.We are the last people to speak the Ara-maic language. Without help, we arefinished.” In 2002, there were as many as 1.4 million Christians in

Iraq. Now, fewer than 250,000 Christians remain in thecountry.“There are lobbies in Washington making decisions on be-

half of Christians here, and those decisions have an effect,”Archbishop Warda said. In addition to humanitarian assis-tance, the archbishop stressed the necessity of “equal rights”for non-majority groups like the Christians and an end to cor-ruption in the Iraqi government.In his 2016 Christmas message from Beirut, Syriac Catholic

Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan said, “We need the honestand courageous solidarity of elected people like CongressmanSmith to speak up on behalf of Christians and other minori-ties who have been oppressed, abused and uprooted by ji-hadists who kill innocents in the name of their religion.”A keynote speaker at the last year’s Supreme Convention

and a member of St. Rose of Lima Council 6209 in UnionCity, N.J., the patriarch spoke passionately about the dire sit-uation of Christians in the Middle East.

“We keep encouraging our uprootedChristian communities to return andwitness to the redeeming power of theLord Jesus, among a pluralist society,”Patriarch Younan told Columbia.“This, however, will not be possible,unless the international family of na-

tions, most particularly the new administration in theUnited States, promotes reforms to the constitutions of theMiddle Eastern countries that require the application of theCharter of Human Rights for all citizens without any excep-tion; assures a safe zone in the Plain of Nineveh; and em-barks immediately on the work restoring the infrastructures,schools, hospitals, houses and churches in the villages andcities there.”Shortly after his mission to Erbil, Rep. Smith introduced

with Rep. Eshoo the bipartisan bill to provide emergency re-lief to survivors of genocide and ensure accountability for per-petrators. Titled the Iraq and Syria Genocide EmergencyRelief and Accountability Act of 2017 (H.R. 390), the meas-ure was an enhanced version of the Smith-Eshoo bill (H.R.5961) they had introduced in September 2016. Among its key provisions, H.R. 390 directs the U.S. govern-

ment to implement the following policies: support entities thatare effectively serving genocide survivors in-country, includ-ing faith-based entities; support entities that are conducting

“U.S. ACTION IS

MORE CRITICAL THAN

EVER TO ENSURE THESE

GENOCIDE SURVIVORS

RECEIVE ASSISTANCE.”


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criminal investigations into perpetrators of genocide, crimesagainst humanity and war crimes in Iraq and Syria; create aPriority Two (P-2) designation that Christians and othergenocide survivors from religious and ethnic minority com-munities are of “special humanitarian concern” and thereforeable to access an overseas application interview for the U.S.Refugee Admissions Program without needing a referral fromthe U.N.; vet P-2 refugee applicants like any other Iraqi orSyrian refugee applicant and not admit them to the U.S. un-less they have cleared this vetting.“I thank Chairman Smith for his passionate leadership on

this issue,” said Rep. Eshoo Jan. 10. “And I look forward toworking with him and all my colleagues in Congress toquickly move this aid package and bring relief to those whocontinue to suffer.”Numerous organizations, including the Knights of Colum-

bus, In Defense of Christians, Aid to the Church in NeedUSA and others, have expressed their support of the bill,which promises to provide concrete aid to those in dire need. “My hope for the new administration, my fondest hope,”

Smith said, “is that it provide immediate life-saving aid to thedisplaced Christian community in Erbil.”

To donate to the Knights of Columbus Christian Refugee ReliefFund, visit christiansatrisk.org.♦

DOREEN ABI RAAD writes from Beirut, Lebanon.

Rep. Chris Smith visits with Iraqi Church leaders (left to right) Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil, Syriac Catholic ArchbishopYohanna Moshe of Mosul, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Timotheos Mousa Al-Shamani of St. Matthew’s Monastery in northern Iraq, and Syriac OrthodoxArchbishop Nikodimos Daoud Sharaf of Mosul. • Opposite page: The Christian village of Bartella, Iraq, is pictured Oct. 28, 2016, following its liberationfrom the Islamic State. The situation remains dramatic as bombing, looting and traps set by Islamist militants left the village inaccessible to residents.

Knights and their families are en-couraged to say the following prayerthroughout the year, beginning withan Orderwide novena March 12-20(see page 3). For more information,visit kofc.org/novena.

GOD OUR FATHER, as St. Francis Xavier and countlessof your missionaries traveled to the ends of the earth, im-pelled by the love of Jesus Christ, give me the grace to relyentirely on you, confident in the knowledge that you raiseup the humble and the lowly. May I be united with yoursaints in offering you my humble tribute of thanksgivingand praise. I implore you to grant me, through your mercy,the blessing of living and dying in a state of grace. I alsoask this same blessing for all those throughout the worldwho suffer persecution because of their faith in you. OGod, you were pleased to gather to your Church the peo-ples of the world by the preaching and miracles of all yoursaints; mercifully grant that I may imitate their virtues andso bear witness to the Gospel of your Son, Jesus Christ,who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

A NOVENA OF GRACE AND SOLIDARITY

MAR 17 E 2_13 FINAL_Mar E 12 2/14/17 9:28 AM Page 15

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Each March, the Church joyfully celebrates the liturgicalfeast of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary —

this year transferred to Monday, March 20. Nine days later willmark the 135th anniversary of the founding of the Knights ofColumbus. Knights celebrate March 29 as Founder’s Day, inhonor of the Order’s venerable founder, Father Michael J. Mc-Givney, who bore “Joseph” as his middle name. As we approachthese two celebrations, we may ask what the life andspirituality of these great fathers — St. Josephand Father McGivney — have to say toKnights today.Joseph of Nazareth was “a just man”

(Mt 1:19). Betrothed to the daugh-ter of Joachim and Anne, he had aplan for his life when the wondersof the world — and the heavens— suddenly began to open upbefore him.An angel confronted him in a

dream, altering everything:“‘Joseph, son of David, do notbe afraid to take Mary your wifeinto your home. For it is throughthe Holy Spirit that this child hasbeen conceived in her. She willbear a son and you are to name himJesus’” (Mt 1:20-21).Michael J. McGivney also had a plan

of his own: At one point, his heart was seton becoming a Jesuit. Yet when his father ve-toed the notion, Michael obeyed, pursuing insteada vocation to diocesan priesthood. Even after his fatherdied in 1873, while Michael was in the seminary, the youngman did not divert from his father’s wishes — which paved theway for his founding the Knights of Columbus.

SERVANTS OF GOD’S WILLPope Francis explained in a December 2013 Angelus addressthat St. Joseph “was following a good plan for his life, but Godwas reserving another plan for him, a greater mission.” And,the pope added, “Joseph was a man who always listened to the

voice of God; he was deeply sensitive to his secret will; he wasa man attentive to the messages that came to him from thedepths of his heart and from on high.”What is striking is that Joseph was attuned to the promptings

of the Holy Spirit even in his sleep! As slumber gave way to wak-ing, Joseph’s ambitions shifted in favor of divine providence. The famous “silence” of St. Joseph (the Gospels record not a

single word he spoke) itself bespeaks the contempla-tive and compassionate demeanor of Christ’s

adoptive father. A similar silence surroundsthe life of Father McGivney; of his writ-ings, a mere 13 letters exist. And whatseemed a source of embarrassment toa seminary rector may in fact beone of the singular glories of thisservant of God. In his final eval-uation before ordination to thepriesthood, the rector wrote,“Mr. McGivney is exceedinglysensitive, usque ad lacrymas[even unto tears].”What else but such tender-

heartedness could make thesetwo souls so submissive before thewill of heaven? St. Joseph and Fa-ther McGivney exemplify how life

becomes happier when lived surren-dered to God’s surprises. Their virtuous

example encourages us to hope that we,too, might have their spirit of abandonment.

Joseph “was ready to make himself available tothe news that, in a such a bewildering way, was being pre-

sented to him,” Pope Francis continued. “His full interior avail-ability to the will of God challenges us and shows us the way.”

DEVOTED TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARYWhen Joseph awoke, he took Mary “into his home” (Mt 1:24).His response is key to the success of everything in life.From the time young Michael McGivney enrolled in the So-

dality of the Blessed Virgin in 1868, the Queen of Heaven com-manded his heart as well. He was ordained just three days

Our Fathers in Faith

St. Joseph and Father Michael J. McGivney teach us howto be faithful protectors and humble men of God

by Dominican Father Peter John Cameron


18 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ M A R C H 2 0 1 7

before Christmas in 1877, and his first parish assignment wasto St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., where he laterfounded the Knights. Among the facts preserved about hispriestly life, it is remarkable that a newspaper reported that, onOct. 7, 1883, Father McGivney preached a sermon on “the di-vine maternity of the Virgin Mary, urging Catholics to seek thepower which she exercises at the throne of grace.”Both St. Joseph and Father McGivney model for us how to

love Mary, especially amid life’s trials and heartaches.Blessed John Henry Newman observed that Joseph is called

“Holy Joseph, because no other saint but he lived in such andso long intimacy and familiarity with the source of all holiness,Jesus God Incarnate, and Mary, the holiest of creatures.” Citing Pope Leo XIII’s 1889 encyclical on St. Joseph, pub-

lished a year before Father McGivney’s death, St. John Paul IIwent even further: “Since marriage is the highest degree of as-sociation and friendship, it follows that God, by giving Josephto the Virgin, did not give him to heronly as a companion for life. … Healso gave Joseph to Mary in order thathe might share, through the marriagepact, in her own sublime greatness”(Redemptoris Custos, 20).The more we devote ourselves to the

Holy Family, the more the graces ofthat intimacy and familiarity becomeour own.

PROTECTORS OF YOUTH For a second time, the docile St. Josephimmediately obeyed the command of anangel when he fled to Egypt with Maryand the child Jesus to escape the slaugh-ter of the innocents (Mt 2:13-15). Joseph’s heroic zeal for Jesus’ safety stirred again when travel-

ing home from the Passover feast in Jerusalem and learning theboy was lost (Lk 2:41-52). St. Bernardine of Siena, one of theearliest promoters of devotion to St. Joseph, commented, “Thisis the only place where we read that the Blessed Virgin called St.Joseph the father of Jesus. And she did so because his sorrow atthe loss of the Child showed the fatherly love he had for him.”One of the most compelling stories about Father McGivney

also concerns his rescuing a youth in peril. The father of 19-year-old Alfred Downes had died unexpectedly, leaving hismother a widow and his family with no source of income. Insuch cases, the probate court imposed its right to assign the fa-therless children to public institutions. In effect, this consignedchildren to a life sentence of loneliness and sorrow — unless aguardian for them was found. But there were conditions: The guardian needed to be some-

one of good character acceptable to the court; someone whowould take full responsibility for the actions of the ward; andsomeone who would put up a bond in excess of $1,000.On Feb. 6, 1882, the judge asked the court if anyone was

present to act as guardian for Alfred Downes. Father Michael

McGivney rose to his feet, accepting the responsibility. Thatvery same evening, more than 60 young men assembled in thebasement of St. Mary’s Church, where Father McGivney ap-pointed a committee to draft a constitution and bylaws of thenew Order he was founding.What Pope Benedict XVI stated about St. Joseph in a 2009

reflection could be said equally of Father McGivney: He lived“his fatherhood fully and completely.”

HOLY EXEMPLARS AND PATRONSJoseph was a carpenter. Michael Joseph was the son of an ironmolder who worked in a forge; he himself had labored in aspoon factory. St. John XXIII counseled, “Think of the condi-tion of the workers before Christianity! And yet Christ did notimpart to us [his lessons] from one of the famous teaching cen-ters that flourished in the great cities. … He chose a poor familyas the first classroom for his teaching mission; he himself un-

dertook manual labor.”St. Joseph is venerated as the patron

of the universal Church. St. Bernardineof Siena taught us why: “Power is givento some of the saints to help in particu-lar necessities, but to St. Joseph poweris given to help in all necessities. We arecertain of this: for as on earth JesusChrist was pleased to be subject to St.Joseph, so in heaven he does all that thesaint asks.”For this reason, St. Teresa of Ávila, of

whom St. Joseph was a favorite, im-plored, “If anyone has not got a guideto teach him how to pray, let him takethis glorious saint as his master and hewill not go astray.”

The illustrious 135-year history of the Knights of Columbustestifies that the Order has been blessed with its own holyguide. Before he became pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergogliowrote a summary of the virtues of St. Joseph in which we cansee Father McGivney as well: “Accept the mission from God,let yourself be led by God, embrace the hardship and dangerin order to save the Savior.”And like St. Joseph, Father McGivney shone above all else in

his paternity. A month after the death of the Order’s venerablefounder, the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, led bySupreme Knight John J. Phelan, adopted a resolution “inmemoriam.” It stated in part: “He was our Father. We shall missand mourn him as a child its parent. … For the seed of Charity,Unity, and Brotherly Love by him sown among us, let ourthanksgiving rise.”♦

FATHER PETER JOHN CAMERON, O.P., is chairman of thedepartment of homiletics at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie,N.Y., editor-in-chief of MAGNIFICAT and the artistic director ofBlackfriars Repertory Theatre in New York City. He is a memberof St. Thomas More Council 13500 in New Haven, Conn.

ST. JOSEPH AND FATHER

MCGIVNEY EXEMPLIFY

HOW LIFE BECOMES

HAPPIER WHEN LIVED

SURRENDERED TO GOD’S

SURPRISES.


FATHERS FOR GOOD

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

M A R C H 2 0 1 7 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 19

Last October, my wife and I hosted a sleepover for our9-year-old daughter’s birthday party. Amid the usual

fun and games, I was taken by surprise when our youngguests asked for our home’s Wi-Fi password so they couldconnect their various devices to the internet. After I refusedto reveal the code, my wife deflected their repeated requestsby offering them pizza, cake and a chance to play withglow-in-the-dark paint.

I was willing to play the party-pooper because the dangersof excessive screen time for kids are serious business. Ac-cording to a statement re-cently released by theAmerican Academy of Pedia-tricians (AAP), extended digi-tal media use contributes toearly childhood obesity, sleepdeprivation and emotionalself-control issues. A kid whospends too much time in frontof smartphones, televisionsand other tantalizing devices isalso at risk for a shorter atten-tion span and declining deci-sion-making skills. Add therisk of accessing onlinepornography, and you have a recipe for trouble in schooland beyond.

Of course, my wife and I know that we can’t totally cutscreen time from our children’s lives. They have to use com-puters to complete some of their school assignments, andthey need to be comfortable using a cellphone to call us incase of an emergency. Nevertheless, in our efforts to offerour children a balanced approach to the digital tools thatthey use, we maintain certain guidelines.

Setting limits. The AAP study states that “parent mediause is a strong predictor of child media habits.” When itcomes to screen time for our entire family, not just ourchildren, we follow a familiar slogan — “for a limited timeonly.” For us, this means no more than two hours collec-tively of recreational technology use per day. And thosetwo hours cover TV, computers, mobile devices includinge-readers, or any combination of them. We may take acouple of extra hours for a family movie on the weekend,

but as parents we choose the titles and explain any ques-tionable scenes.

Board games. The AAP study found that most educa-tional apps aren’t designed with a dual audience (both par-ents and children) in mind. As a former educator, I find thatodd. Years in the classroom taught me that younger peopleretain information far better when it is learned in a collab-orative environment, where all parties have opportunitiesto ask and answer critical questions. Based on that experi-ence, our family plays board games. Call it old school, but

we play some of the samegames that my wife and I grewup playing with our own par-ents. You’d be hard-pressed tofind newer games better suitedfor parents to enjoy alongsidetheir kids as they learn how tocount, match, problem solve,and win or lose with grace.

Unstructured and un-plugged. The AAP study alsoobserved that “higher-orderthinking skills and executivefunctions” such as “task persist-ence, impulse control, emotion

regulation, and creative, flexible thinking, are best taughtthrough unstructured and social (not digital) play.” Min-nesota winters often keep us indoors, but that doesn’t limitour family fun. We move furniture out of the way to playrope tug with our dog. We read books aloud and make upvoices for each character. And my wife and I have no problemletting our children play with their dolls or action figuresapart from one another for an extended period of time, pro-vided a parent is nearby.

Our society surrenders so much today to screens. Smart-phones not only alert us to our appointments but even havethe capacity to start our vehicles and adjust the temperaturein our homes. We may talk to the automated voices in ourphones, but they will never be able to raise our children witha healthy dose of digital downtime. That important job be-longs to us parents alone.♦

JASON GODIN is a member of Chaska (Minn.) Council 9141.

Life Beyond the ScreenIn raising healthy and happy children,

parents must make digital downtime a family priority

by Jason Godin

Thinksto

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It’s a rainy Wednesday night in Salem, Ore. Most men arelounging and watching the Portland Trailblazers or putting

in another hour at the office. If statistics can be trusted, 1 in10 is viewing pornography.

But at St. Joseph Church, a few blocks from the OregonState Capitol, a Holy Hour is underway. Sweet incense smokecurls into the rafters. Seven altar servers and a priest kneelbefore the exposed Blessed Sacrament. In dimly lit pews,about 50 men — only men — sing in unison.

The event is just one example of a surging Catholic men’sspiritual movement in which Knights of Columbus councilshave played a key role.

Since the November 2015 launch of the Orderwide initia-tive Building the Domestic Church While StrengtheningOur Parish, councils have redoubled their efforts to re-evan-gelize families and revitalize parishes. Central to this havebeen spiritual programs aimed at Catholic men.

“Men need to be called out from their spiritual sleep andwake up to see what is going on around them,” said JamesThurman, a 40-year-old member of St. Joseph Council 1748in Salem and director of adult faith formation at St. JosephParish. “We need to take care of our own souls so we are ableto save our families’ souls.”

STRENGTH THROUGH PRAYERAt St. Joseph Church, Thurman and fellow Knights organizemonthly Holy Hours that include confession, rosary, Bene-diction and a homily aimed at men. Afterward, participantsdiscuss how they are living out their faith — or how theyhave fallen short.

A CALL TOSPIRITUAL

ARMSKnights Orderwide are rediscovering the

source of masculine strength in faith, prayerand sacramental life

by Ed Langlois

James Thurman (front right), a member of St. JosephCouncil 1748 in Salem, Ore., joins fellow Knights for amonthly Holy Hour Feb. 1.


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In December 2016, the council and the parish teamed upto host a conference that drew 800 men. Speakers challengedlisteners to do things like read Scripture daily and lead therosary with their children. “As Knights, we need to be men of prayer,” Thurman said.

“Otherwise we will be no different than any other men’s organization.”More broadly, the Knights of Columbus has also emphasized

the importance of faith formation. For example, members havebeen encouraged to read Into the Breach, an apostolic exhorta-tion on masculinity released in 2015 by Bishop Thomas J.Olmsted of Phoenix. The 23-page document has been pub-lished as a booklet by the Order’s Catholic Information Serv-ice, which has produced similar faith formation resources fordecades. Into the Breach study groups have emerged, with par-ticipants discussing the document page by page.Bishop Olmsted begins his letter with a challenge: “Men,

do not hesitate to engage in the battle that is raging around you,the battle that is wounding our children and families, the bat-tle that is distorting the dignity of both women and men. Thisbattle is often hidden, but the battle is real. It is primarilyspiritual, but it is progressively killing the remaining Christianethos in our society and culture, and even in our own homes.”James Walsh, grand knight of St. Anne Council 10540 in

Gilbert, Ariz., called the exhortation “an amazing call” tomen. “Some men think coming to Mass once a week and lis-tening is enough. It’s really not,” said Walsh, 49, a tech in-dustry engineer. “We men have to lead by example.”Julio Inclan, also a member of Council 10540, leads a

group of Spanish-speaking parishioners as they study Into theBreach and discuss ways to live out faith in everyday life.“As men we need to increase our faith, improve our values

— and we need to do it together,” affirmed Inclan, a 42-year-old real estate agent and a father of three. The first step, Inclanbelieves, is regular prayer. “Prayer makes it all come together,” he said. “Prayer helps

me know I need to be a better husband and a better father.Then it helps us act, to do something good for our family andjob and community.”Many Catholic laymen feel a need to take responsibility and

reclaim spiritual authority.“Men have to step up and lead their families spiritually,”

said Tim Poskey, 45, a pharmaceutical salesman and deputygrand knight of Council 10540. “We know there are a lot ofmen who are not engaged.”Though Knights are called repeatedly to service, they often

don’t receive enough spiritual nourishment, Poskey added.“You cannot ask an army to fight a war on an empty stomach,and you cannot ask men to fight a spiritual war without nour-ishing their souls.”

GROWING AS BROTHERSThe public, rightly or wrongly, has seen the Knights prima-rily as fundraisers, noted Thurman. Like Poskey and others,he is working to change that reputation. “We want to be

thought of as spiritual leaders in our families and ourparishes,” he explained.According to Pallottine Father Frank Donio, who serves as

chaplain for The Catholic University of America Council9542 in Washington, D.C., and also consults for the U.S.bishops on evangelization, Knights shouldn’t be blamed ifthey have focused most of their efforts on charity. “After all,” he said, “men are doers. But if we don’t have

prayer, something is missing.”Father Donio believes that the Knights of Columbus, as the

largest organization of Catholic men in the world, has aunique opportunity to influence male Catholic spirituality.Young men who join the Order hope for robust spiritual

formation, Father Donio said. “They are not looking for a fra-ternity. They want to be with a group that lives faith.”It’s becoming clear to many Catholic men that being part

of a community is vital in the spiritual life. It’s difficult, if notimpossible, to grow alone. “Guys are responding to some stirring of the Holy Spirit,

and they see that belonging to a spiritual organization is partof that,” said Paul Matich, a member of Council 1748 in

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Salem. “It builds on the solidarity you gain from being in thefight with all these other people.”Growing this sense of spiritual community is also a priority

among many college K of C councils. “One of my goals in leadership of the council is to focus

more on the spiritual aspect,” said Dan Hackenjos, a juniorat The Catholic University of America and grand knight ofCouncil 9542. “Too often we only pitch the service and fra-ternal aspects of the Knights. I thought, ‘Let’s do all three.’” The college Knights increasingly are honing their spiritual

lives through prayer and study, done in communal settings somen are accountable to one another.Like their older brothers in Oregon, Arizona and elsewhere,

the Knights at CUA hold regular gatherings and hear a briefspiritual lecture from one of the members. Apologetics, lives ofthe saints and practicing faith in daily life are common topics. The Knights and their chaplain lead a Campus Ministry-

sponsored weekly Mass and rosary at 10:30 p.m. It has becomeknown as the “Knights’ Mass” and draws a significant numberof students who find that hour a perfect time for prayer. The CUA Knights also make an annual pilgrimage to a

spiritual site, such as the National Shrine of Saint ElizabethAnn Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., or the Basilica of the Na-tional Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

in Baltimore, the first Catholic cathedral in the United States.And once a semester, usually on the evening following a FirstDegree exemplification, new members participate in an“OverKnight” retreat, open to all council members, which in-cludes prayer and spiritual talks at the home of a local reli-gious community and serves as a time for new members toget to know their brother Knights.

MARCHING ORDERSThe men’s spiritual movement is producing concrete resultsin the lives of Knights like Paul Matich. A property tax ap-praiser for the state of Oregon, he stayed away from theChurch for decades. At age 52, he now recites morning prayerand attends daily Mass. He reviews his day to see if he hasperformed spiritual and corporal works of mercy and helpswith catechesis at his parish.In Arizona, members of Council 10540 are injecting prayer

wherever they can, Grand Knight Walsh said. A rosary, in-cluding heartfelt prayer intentions, precedes council meetings.On the gathering’s regular agenda is a five- to 10-minute lec-ture on spirituality, prepared by members.Walsh and his family have also begun praying the rosary to-

gether on the first Saturday of each month. If neighbor kidshappen to be over, they pray, too.

Julio Inclan, a member of St. Anne Council 10540 in Gilbert, Ariz., meets with other council members to discuss Into the Breach, an apostolicexhortation to Catholic men by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix. • Opposite page: A man prays with his son during exposition of the BlessedSacrament at monthly Holy Hour organized by members of Council 1748 at St. Joseph Church in Salem, Ore.


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A chArActeristic expression ofchristian spirituality in Poland is a pil-grimage to one of the country’s numer-ous holy places and shrines.

since 2014, the Poland state councilof the Knights of columbus has organ-ized an annual pilgrimage to the JasnaGóra Monastery in częstochowa. Morethan 350 Knights, together with theirfamilies, attended the pilgrimage in No-vember 2016.

Many Knights attend the largest suchevent in Poland, the annual men’s pil-grimage to Piekary Śląskie. in 2010,supreme Knight carl A. Andersonspoke at the event, which attracts morethan 100,000 men each year.

A number of Polish K of c councilshave also organized popular walking pil-grimages. Men gather at a local parishand walk through the night to a shrine,where holy Mass is celebrated at dawn.

“in this way, the men reclaim theirspace in the church and a sense of re-sponsibility for their community,” ex-plained Father Wiesław Lenartowicz, aparish priest in radom and the Knights’associate state chaplain for programs.

During the Orderwide 2011-12 Mar-ian prayer program featuring the imageof Our Lady of Guadalupe, Poland wasamong the most active jurisdictions,with more than 150,000 people attend-ing prayer services there. Beginning thismonth, the state council is coordinatinga pilgrimage of relics of st. Albertchmielowski (1845-1916), as thechurch in Poland has dedicated 2017 tothis model of charity.

the Polish Knights have also hostedretreats and days of recollection open toall men. Prof. stanisław Grygiel, aphilosopher and longtime friend of st.John Paul ii, led a workshop on thetheme of unity, while additional work-shops focused on charity, fraternity andpatriotism. Grygiel is a member of JohnPaul ii council 14000 in Kraków.

state Deputy Andrzej Anasiak hasemphasized the importance of bothprayer and intellectual development.“Answers to important questions can

open our souls to God,” he said. “We tryto plant a seed with the seekers andhope that it will take root.”

the Knights in Poland have recentlyprepared a Polish-language edition ofInto the Breach, the exhortation tocatholic men by Bishop thomas Olm-sted of Phoenix. the booklet includesan introduction by Auxiliary BishopGrzegorz ryś of Kraków, head of thePolish Bishops’ committee for the Newevangelization.

in addition to national, diocesan andparish events aimed at catholic men,the Knights of columbus in Polandstrongly supports family life.

“true masculine spirituality has fam-ily roots,” emphasized Anasiak.

Numerous councils in Poland havepromoted family consecration to theholy Family, the renewal of marriagevows and the Order’s Family Fully Aliveprogram. On the fifth sunday of themonth, Knights lead the rosary for fam-ilies in their parishes.

Although the Knights of columbus hashad fewer years to develop in neighboring

Ukraine and Lithuania, the membersthere are no less enthusiastic about pro-moting spiritual and family programs.

in fact, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas ofVilnius, Lithuania, has proposed to theLithuanian Bishops’ conference theOrder’s Building Domestic church Whilestrengthening Our Parish initiative as anationwide program. it has been widelydiscussed by priests during home visita-tions in several dioceses.

in Ukraine, too, Knights haveworked to build up family life and haveorganized pilgrimages to holy sites.their pilgrimage to the shrine of OurLady of Zarvanytsia in July 2015 wasfollowed by a prayer program featuringOur Lady’s image.

in addition, Knights in Ukraine havecooperated with the Ukrainian Min-istry of health to provide spiritual as-sistance to soldiers who have returnedfrom battlefield and experienced psy-chological trauma. — Reported by Tomasz Adamski, a

member of St. Brother Albert Council15128 in Kraków.

THE ORDER FORMS MEN OF FAITH IN POLAND AND BEYOND

Knights pray the Stations of the Cross Nov. 26, 2016, during the third annual pilgrimage to theshrine of Jasna Góra in Czestochowa, Poland.

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Still, while promoting prayer and spirituality among menposes a challenge in itself, there are also cultural hurdles thatcome into play.

Matich, a New Zealander, has observed that American mentend to be fiercely independent, which is not always the beststance when it comes to spiritual growth.

“They say, ‘I will figure out how to do this on my own andno one is going to tell me what to do,’” Matich explained.One important task, he added, is to help men understand thatinvolvement in the Church and a strong masculine identityare in no way opposed to one another.

Likewise, Inclan noted that though he loves his adoptedcountry, his native Mexico is more friendly to prayer and fam-ily life. “Men in the United States are expected to work longhours and become wealthy, leaving little time for prayer orfamily,” he said.

Inclan believes that a taste of Hispanic spirituality can helpprovide more balance to the U.S. Catholic men’s spiritualitymovement.

According to Walsh, the more the Knights promote spiri-tual life, the more Hispanic men become interested in joining.And when Hispanic members bring their deep devotion, itfurther strengthens the spiritual life of the council and forti-

fies bonds between Latino and Anglo cultures.“I would like to break down those barriers,” Walsh added,

“and I think the Knights are in a unique position to do that.”One thing is clear from the new movement: Many men are

inspired by the language of spiritual battle, which occurs fre-quently in the letters of St. Paul.

In Oregon, the Knights at St. Joseph in Salem call theirspirituality effort the Holy League, evoking a 16th-centuryalliance formed by St. Pope Pius V to defend Catholic Europefrom invasion.

“It speaks to men,” said Thurman, who spent five years inthe U.S. Army. “We like to know our marching orders. Menlike to be practical and know what to do and how to do it.”

Pamphlets for the Oregon men’s conference featured an il-lustration of a sword-bearing crusader, head bowed in prayer.

“Unless you realize it really is a spiritual battle, you are de-fenseless. You will not give the response that is required,” saidMatich. “Unless men really get engaged, the Church is reallygoing to struggle in every age.”♦

ED LANGLOIS is managing editor of the Catholic Sentineland its Spanish-language edition, El Centinela, newspapers ofthe Archdiocese of Portland, Ore.

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Members of The Catholic University of America Council 9542 in Washington, D.C., pray the rosary following the weekly Knights’ Mass on campus.


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SERVING FAMILIESJoined by family members,St. Margaret of York Council13429 in Loveland, Ohio,funded, cooked and servedSaturday dinner at RonaldMcDonald House in Cincin-nati. The meal fed 70 fami-lies in residence while one ormore of their children werebeing treated at CincinnatiChildren’s Hospital.

LIFE CENTERFUNDRAISER

New York District 8 in Suf-folk County, N.Y., held its18th annual pasta dinner tosupport Life Center ofLong Island. The fourcouncils in the district do-nated 192 man hours,working with the staff ofLife Center to host arecord-breaking 410 guestsat the dinner and accompa-nying auction. Working to-gether, the Knights ofColumbus and the Life

Center raised approxi-mately $20,000 to helpprotect the unborn.

THRIFT SHOPFather Charles J. TessierCouncil 8898 in Larose, La.,built a handicap ramp withrailings and decking aroundthe St. Vincent de PaulStore, a Catholic Charitiesshop which serves severalarea parishes. The store is lo-cated on the grounds of OurLady of the Rosary CatholicChurch in Larose.

USED GOODS, STILL GOOD

Petaluma (Ca.) Council1586 raised more than$7,100 through its annualrummage sale. Knights do-nated gently used items, co-ordinated the pickup ofdonations, and sorted andboxed the items before stag-ing them at St. James Parishfor the sale. The area was

cleaned up in time for a 5p.m. Mass, with the remain-ing items divided amongthe St. Vincent de Paul So-ciety, a veterans support or-ganization and a shelter.

OUT TO A BALLGAME

Peter T. Campon Council206 in Binghamton, N.Y.,hosted an afternoon with theB-Mets, a local baseballteam. All ticket proceedswent to the Mercy House ofthe Southern Tier. Thanks tothe generosity of all in-volved, the afternoon raised$1,000 to support the MercyHouse’s ministry of provid-ing a home and care to peo-ple with terminal illnesses.

PEARS FOR PARISHHoly Apostles Council14338 in Colorado Springs,Colo., sold $1,695 in locallygrown peaches and pears toraise funds for the needs of

KNIGHTS ACTION REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLESIN

Members of Sacred Heart Council 6839 in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, prepare pancakes for studentsat Sacred Heart School. In an effort to strengthen the connection of school and parish, Knightsproduced 1000 pancakes in three hours.

Holy Apostles parish. Thatsame weekend, the councilalso made 720 breakfastburritos that were distrib-uted after Sunday morningMasses, bringing in dona-tions totaling $1,336 for theOrder’s Christian RefugeeRelief Fund.

BROTHERHOODACROSS BORDERS

Archbishop James P. LykeCouncil 11458 in Fayet-teville, Ga., made a $3,000donation to support thework of Holy RedeemerCouncil 9544 in Kanata,Ontario, to aid and resettleSyrian Christian refugeefamilies. The funds will helpreunite an extended family(see Columbia, June 2016).

EXPANDED IMPACTBishop Peterson Council4442 in Salem, N.H., do-nated an ultrasound ma-chine to Pathways PregnancyCare Center in Littletonthrough the Supreme Coun-cil’s Ultrasound Initiative.Word spread, and theKnights were offered twomore ultrasound machinesby a local CEO if they couldfind pregnancy care centersthat could use them. Thecouncils coordinated withtwo resource centers in Ver-mont and New Hampshire,which will both receive amachine to use in theirministries.

MONTH FOR LIFETara Council 6352 in Jones-boro, Ga., concentrated itscharitable efforts on cultureof life initiatives for amonth. The council do-nated $200 to the JonesboroPregnancy Care Center andplaced 900 door hangers infive apartment complexes topublicize the center.

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DINNER “SPRED”Father John C. MurphyCouncil 7987 in Dublin,Calif., prepared and cookedan Italian-style dinner at St.Raymond’s Parish for themembers of Oakland DioceseSPRED (Special ReligiousEducation Department), aone-on-one catechesis pro-gram for parishioners withintellectual disabilities. Fol-lowing a Mass celebrated byBishop Michael Barber ofOakland, the SPRED Advi-sory Board and the St. Ray-mond Youth Group enjoyeda dinner dance coordinatedby Council 7987. TheKnights volunteered 160man-hours for the event.

COUNSELINGSt. Francis of Assisi Council12732 and MonsignorCesar T. Alcoseba Assemblyin Dumanjug Cebu,Visayas, established a pro-gram to assist police with re-habilitating men involvedwith illegal drugs who have

surrendered themselves toauthorities. Members whoare retired police conduct aseminar for the men to helpthem rebuild their livesaround God.

RUNNING OF THE ROSESt. Jude Council 9102 inLas Vegas, Nev., welcomedone of the silver roses enroute to the Basilica of OurLady of Guadalupe in Mon-terrey, Mexico, with a spe-cial Mass and rosary.Council members prayedtogether and honored OurLady of Guadalupe as Pa-troness of the Americas andof the Unborn.

COOKOUT FOR VETSKnights and their familiesfrom St. Isaac Jogues Council13716 in Valley Forge, Pa.,

Members of Immaculate Conception Council 14405 in Cainta Rizal, Luzon, carry garbagebins for distribution to the community’s parks and recreation areas. The day before, the coun-cil joined with other Knights in a coastal cleanup drive along the Manila Bay shoreline, whichis heavily littered.

NEW MOWERSan Lorenzo Council 12378in Virginia Beach, Va., do-nated a new riding lawnmower worth $3,000 to SanLorenzo Spiritual Center.Knights often volunteer tomow the lawn and clean thecenter, which is a place forthe Filipino-American com-munity to gather for wor-ship, fiestas and fellowship.

ST. MICHAEL MEDALSLakeville (Minn.) Council8367 made a donation topurchase 100 St. Michaelthe Archangel medals,blessed by St. Paul and Min-neapolis Archbishop BernardHebda, to be donated to theLakeville Police Depart-ment. After three weeks, po-lice officers had distributed85 of the medals.

held a cookout for the resi-dent veterans of the VA Med-ical Center in Coatesville.Over 60 veterans were serveda delicious lunch of grilledburgers and hot dogs, alongwith side salads, beans anddessert. The annual event isone of the council’s favoriteprojects.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SERVERS

Prince of Peace Council13457 in Flowery Branch,Ga., hosted 90 patrons at anelegant three-course dinnerthat raised more than$2,500 for the Deacon BillSpeed Scholarship Fund.The fund was established in2010 to recognize and re-ward young altar servers whocontinue assisting at liturgiesafter being confirmed.

Frank Bono (right) and JeffJeffcott of Santa MariaCouncil 4999 in North PalmBeach, Fla.,stand ready tosell cannoli. The council op-erated a booth for three daysto contribute to the MardiGras Carnival Fundraiser forSt. Clare Elementary School,selling cannoli donated by acompany founded by abrother Knight.


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east Louisiana War Veteran’sHome in Reserve to pray therosary with a fellow Knight,“Dutch” Schanzbach.

SANDWICH DELIVERYFather Sourd Council 2423in Fayetteville, Ohio, pre-pared and delivered freshpork tenderloin sandwichesto 160 residents and 40 staffof the Ohio Veterans Homein Georgetown. The sand-wiches are a favorite ofmany in the area.

PICK OF THE CROPOver two weekends and 167hours of work, FatherWilliam W. Finley Council4374 in St. Paul, Minn.,harvested over 12,500pounds of corn for SecondHarvest Heartland, anagency that provides foodfor over 1,000 food pro-grams in Minnesota andwestern Wisconsin. After ahot day working in the sun,the council was also able toprovide 500 pounds of cornto Presentation of theBlessed Virgin Mary Churchfor an upcoming sweet cornfeed that had been in perilwhen the original corn sup-plier fell through.

HOSPITAL HELPRight Rev. Monsignor JeanC. Mathieu Assembly inPutnam, Conn., broughtCatholic patients of Vet-eran’s Hospital West Havento and from Sunday Mass.The assembly also provided50 new missals in additionto delivering toiletries andused cell phones for the pa-tients at large.

READYING RECTORYMonsignor Gerein Council9859 in Regina, Saskat-chewan, helped ready acondo for their parish’s newpastor. Working around theschedule of the painters andcleaners, Knights pulled upcarpet and underlay, removedbaseboards and staples, andshifted furniture.

PRAYER IN UNITYFather Vander HeydenCouncil 4874 in Poncha-toula, La., visited the South-

Mother Mary Council15238 in Dawsonville, Ga.,adapted the couple’s home inpreparation for her return.Interior and exterior ramps,grab bars, bed rails and anadditional telephone madehomecoming easier and safer.Husband and wife, bothlongtime parish volunteers,were very appreciative of thecouncil and the support ofthe whole parish family.

ON THE MOVEThe facility owners of anarea school scheduled fordemolition offered St. Mar-guerite Catholic School afull set of playground equip-ment if the fixtures could bequickly removed. St. Mar-guerite’s Council 6739 inTooele, Utah, answered thecall for assistance and ar-rived with shovels, tools anda wrecker. Knights andother parishioners succeededin moving the equipment inone weekend, saving theparochial school severalthousand dollars.

FOOD AND FUNDSCap-Rouge/St-Augustin(Québec) Council 13420held a one-month drive thatcollected $15,652 in mone-tary donations, as well asfood and materials valued at$11,903, for the St. Vincentde Paul Society of St-Au-gustin and other commu-nity service organizations.

HELPING HANDSSt. Michael of SterlingHeights (Mich.) Council13799 assisted both itsparish and a brother inneed. The council built aramp for a wheelchair-bound Knight to help himget to and from medical ap-pointments, and they alsore-landscaped his yard withlow-maintenance plants.Turning these skills to theirparish, they also helped cre-ate a Peace Garden at St.Michael Church and hostedan ice cream social forparishioners at the garden’sdedication and blessing.

HOMECOMING HELPWhen the wife of a councilmember fell and broke herhip, requiring a hospital stayand physical therapy, Blessed

A member of T. James O’Neil, George Mason UniversityCouncil 10806 in Fairfax, Va., hands out roses to spread themessage of women’s dignity. The student Knights distributedhundreds of flowers on campus.

A member of Christ the KingCouncil 14130 in Lexington,Ky., carries a box filled withtoiletries for local sheltersthat had requested hygienesupplies. The local parishresponded generously to adrive conducted by thecouncil, donating more than7,000 items ranging fromtoothpaste to shaving creamto sewing kits. The itemshelped shelters serve thehomeless population.

Grand Knight Dave Dollies-lager of Our Lady of HopeCouncil 8086 in Port Or-ange, Fla., carries siding to aprepared wall. The councilhelped Habitat for Humanitywith the exteriors of twoneighboring homes.


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the Colmery-O’Neil VAHospital. Inpatient and out-patient veterans participateand have been enjoying theproject so much that theyrequested an additionalnight be added each month.

ROSARY RESOURCES Father Neil W. Seidl Coun-cil 13672 in Orangevale,Calif., funded the design,fabrication and installationof an all-weather interpre-tive sign for Divine SaviorChurch’s outdoor RosaryWalk. The council also paidfor the printing of 1,200bilingual brochures explain-ing how to pray the rosary,bringing their donation’stotal to $2,300.

MARIAN IMAGESta. Teresita de Avila Coun-cil 15927 in Carles, Iloilo(Visayas) constructed animage of Our Lady of Di-

TIMBER!When a member of Monsi-gnor Luigi Ligutti Council12130 in Granger, Iowa,found his elderly neighbor, aveteran who suffers frommultiple sclerosis, trying tofell a tree on his property,the Knight offered the helpof his council. Within 48hours, 10 Knights arrivedwith the necessary tools tofell all the trees that the manwanted to clear.

VETERAN VISITJames W. Gibbons Assemblyin Topeka, Kan., organizesmonthly bingo afternoons at

City, Panama, delivered dryfood, books, magazines,rosaries and cleaning mate-rials to Hogar El BuenSamaritano, a home forwomen and men sufferingfrom AIDS. The councilalso donated personal hy-giene items to the Archdio-cese of Panama for itsministry to migrant peoplein the Darien region.

USHERING IN SUCCESS

St. Michael’s Council 4501and St. Anthony’s MaroniteCouncil 13797, both inLeamington, Ontario, workedas ushers at a fundraiser con-cert. The evening’s $240,000in proceeds went toward theconstruction of a new churchfor St. Michael Parish. Thecouncil had previously do-nated $650,000 toward thenew church building from thesale of its meeting hall.

vine Providence for theParish of St. Teresita deAvila. The image is meant toremind the parishioners,who live in an area heavilyaffected by TyphoonHaiyan, of daily venerationof Our Blessed Mother.Members offered their laborand services for free to com-plete the project.

FUNDRAISER DINNERNuestra Señora deGuadalupe Council 13145 inBaton Rouge, La., donated$3,000 raised from a Mexi-can dinner to the Diocese ofBaton Rouge’s HispanicApostolate. The donationwill help provide relief to themany families affected by thesevere flooding that struckLouisiana in August.

SUPPLY DELIVERYSan Antonio de PaduaCouncil 14558 in Panama

Members of Owatonna (Minn.) Council 945 present a check for $8,000 to Snowflake, themascot of the Owatonna Special Olympics Polar Plunge. The donation represents pro-ceeds of the council’s eighth annual Smokin’ in Steele barbecue contest and blues fest.

Jeff Easter of St. Mark Coun-cil 12654 in Huntersville,N.C., grills sausages andpeppers at the Bank ofAmerica Stadium in Char-lotte during the NFC champi-onship game. By regularlyworking at the sausage andcheesesteak stations duringCarolina Panthers homegames, the council hasraised over $10,000 for a va-riety of charities, includingCoats for Kids and Room inthe Inn, an interreligiouscoalition that providesovernight shelter during thewinter months.


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Dog mascot, an actual po-lice dog and fingerprintingkits for kids made it a funchance for communitymembers to build rapportwith first responders. Pro-ceeds from the sale of waterand pizza and a $500 dona-tion from Council 13170were given to the Chester-field Police Foundation.

FUDGE AND FUNDSArchbishop Coleman Car-roll Council 11391 in ForestHills, Pa., sold more than100 packages of fudge andraffled a five-pound slab ofthe candy during the four-day St. Maurice Parish Fes-tival. The proceeds of thelocally produced fudge weredivided between EastCatholic Elementary Schooland St. Maurice Parish.

DROP-OFF DAYDr. Thomas A. DooleyCouncil 5492 in Livonia,Mich., coordinated a Drop-

SEMINARIAN SUPPORT

Durango (Colo.) Council1408 marked the feast ofSt. Cajetan, the founder ofthe Theatine Order, with acorporate communion anddonations of $500 each tofour seminarians preparingfor priesthood with theTheatines. They will even-tually work in the Dioceseof Pueblo and southwestColorado.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

St. Gabriel Council 13170 inChesterfield, Va., welcomedmore than 300 people to anappreciation night held forthe sheriff, police, firefight-ers and rescue personnel ofChesterfield County. Thecouncil coordinated theevent with the ChesterfieldSheriff ’s Department and alocal pizza restaurant. Thepresence of emergency vehi-cles, McGruff the Crime

presented a decorative in-door U.S. flag to SisterElizabeth Dunn, director ofHope Rural School, andSister Martha Rohde, theschool’s principal, for dis-play in the school audito-rium. The school, foundedto serve the children of mi-grant workers, offersCatholic education for pre-Kthrough fifth grade studentsin a farming community.

FUNDS DIVIDED, COMMUNITY UNITEDIroquois Falls (Ontario)Council 2641 welcomedrepresentatives of religious,charitable and nonprofitgroups to a “Piece of thePie” gathering. There, thecouncil divided the $15,000profits of its annualfundraisers — including asportsman and trade show,cash calendar sale, and Rosesfor Life campaign — amongthe community organiza-tions. The contributionswere followed by anotherpie to share: a pizza lunch.

off Day, during whichparishioners donated nearlytwo dozen loads of house-hold items that the Knightssorted, moved and tested forHabitat for Humanity’slocal ReStore. The councilalso served breakfast andlunch for 30 candidates andtheir wives at a diaconateformation event at St. Co-lette Parish.

PARISH PLANTSTaking part in a beautifica-tion project initiated by thepastor of St. Andrew theApostle Parish, St. AndrewCouncil 9198 in CamarinesSur, Luzon, donated anarray of live ornamentalplants for the churchgrounds. The council alsodonated the gift in honor ofthe 86th birthday of a char-ter member.

FLAG DONATIONFather Andrew Doherty As-sembly in De Soto, Fla.,

Bishop Roberto Octavio Balmori Cinta of Ciudad Valles, Mexico, preaches at a Mass cele-brated as part of the Silver Rose pilgrimage, while members of San José de Zapotlán Council3338 in Ciudad Guzman listen attentively. Hundreds gathered to participate in the Mass andprocession to the cathedral, celebrating the occasion with prayer, music and flowers.

A member of Resurrection ofthe Lord Council 13663 inWaipio, Hawaii, oversees theproduction of pancakes. Thecouncil, which served morethan 130 meals, was one ofseveral organizations to pro-vide breakfast during a nine-day series of dawn Massesat the local parish.


KNIGHTS IN ACTION

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Knights prepared two differ-ent Italian entrees as well asdessert for their guests.Funds raised will benefit thelocal Special Olympics, out-reach efforts to people withmental disabilities andparish youth ministries.

BLUE MASSFather Joseph M. BakerCouncil 3599 in PanamaCity, Fla., co-sponsored St.Dominic Parish’s first BlueMass. Fourth Degree Knightscontributed an honor guard atthe Mass, which was attendedby more than 230 people andelicited expressions of grati-tude from representatives ofthe many first responderspresent. In an ecumenicalshow of appreciation for theresponders, members of aBaptist church helped serve alunch after Mass.

CONCERT NIGHTSt. John Neumann Council16169 in Canton, Mich.,held a concert called “Knight

Jim Pesonen (left) and John Brandon of Vincent T. LombardiCouncil 6552 in Leonardo, N.J., serve food during an appre-ciation picnic for the 42nd New Jersey National Guard. Some150 people — servicemen and their families — attended theannual gathering, which the council has hosted since 2012.

Eric Snyder, past grand knight of Marquette Council 1437 inNew Orleans, La., collects Mardi Gras trinkets after the NewOrleans parade. The council collected sacks of used beadsfrom the carnival season and delivered them to St. MichaelSpecial School, which serves individuals with disabilities.Every year students repackage the beads for the next carnivalseason and sell them as a school fundraiser.

kofc.orgexclusive

See more “Knights in Action” reports and

photos atwww.kofc.org/knightsinaction

honored the assembly’snamesake, Col. Jesús A. Vil-lamor, a pilot decorated forhis service in the air and asan intelligence officer inWorld War II.

PAPAL ALTAR MOVEDSanta Maria Council 263 inFlourtown, Pa., undertookthe task of relocating thepapal altar, used by PopeFrancis during his visit toPhiladelphia, from St.Peter’s Basilica to Holy Mar-tyrs Church in Oreland. To-gether, Knights andparishioners supplied theequipment and muscle re-quired to properly transportand reassemble the altar inits new home.

ITALIAN EVENINGSaints Simon and JudeCouncil 8336 in Hunting-ton Beach, Calif., raised$6,200 with a sold-out“Knight at the Opera” Ital-ian dinner and concert. Twoprofessional opera singersserenaded some 450 patronswith classic Italian opera fa-vorites. In keeping with theflavor of the evening, the

SISTERS CELEBRATEDLittle Flower Council 6117in Fort Pierre, S.D., hostedan evening of appreciationfor the Benedictine sisterswho live and serve in thearea. The event served tothank the sisters for theircommunity’s 117 years ofservice, particularly withinSt. Joseph’s School and St.Mary’s Hospital. More than100 people attended tohonor the sisters.

INTERNATIONALFLOOD RELIEF

Bishop John J. Kaising Mil-itary Council 14223 inSeoul, South Korea, staffeda refreshment booth onLabor Day. Helped by fam-ily members, the councilsold snow cones and othertreats, with all proceedsgoing to assist those affectedby the flooding that struckLouisiana in August 2016.

UNITED PARADEJesus Villamor Assembly inPasay City, Luzon, joinedwith the Philippine AirForce Honor Guards for apatriotic parade. The event

ROC” at Plymouth ROCBar & Restaurant. The con-cert featured Knights per-forming Christian rock andclassic rock favorites andraised $2,340 to benefit thePlymouth-Canton SpecialOlympics.

CLEARING THE VIEWOur Lady of Perpetual HelpCouncil 794 in Linden-hurst, N.Y., asked what serv-ice its parish needed andreceived the job of washingwindows at the parishschool. Twenty membersspent a busy six hourspreparing the school for thenext semester.


JOIN THE FATHERMCGIVNEY GUILD

Please enroll me in the Father McGivney Guild:

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE/PROVINCE

ZIP/POSTAL CODEComplete this coupon andmail to: The Father McGivney Guild, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or enroll online at: www.fathermcgivney.org

OFFICIAL MARCH 1, 2017:To owners of Knights of Columbus insurance policies and persons

responsible for payment of premiums on such policies: Notice is herebygiven that in accordance with the provisions of Section 84 of the Lawsof the Order, payment of insurance premiums due on a monthly basisto the Knights of Columbus by check made payable to Knights ofColumbus and mailed to same at PO Box 1492, NEW HAVEN, CT06506-1492, before the expiration of the grace period set forth in thepolicy. In Canada: Knights of Columbus, Place d’Armes Station, P.O.Box 220, Montreal, QC H2Y 3G7

ALL MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOS, ARTWORK, EDITORIAL MAT-TER, AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MAILED TO:COLUMBIA, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901. RE-JECTED MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED IF ACCOMPANIED BY ASELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND RETURN POSTAGE. PUR-CHASED MATERIAL WILL NOT BE RETURNED. OPINIONS BYWRITERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE-SENT 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: ACCOUNT-ING DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

COLUMBIA (ISSN 0010-1869/USPS #123-740) IS PUBLISHEDMONTHLY BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 1 COLUMBUSPLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326. PHONE: 203-752-4000,www.kofc.org. PRODUCED IN USA. COPYRIGHT © 2015 BYKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRO-DUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSIONIS PROHIBITED.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NEW HAVEN, CT ANDADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND AD-DRESS CHANGES TO COLUMBIA, MEMBERSHIP DEPART-MENT, PO BOX 1670, NEW HAVEN, CT 06507-0901.

CANADIAN POSTMASTER — PUBLICATIONS MAILAGREEMENT NO. 1473549. RETURN UNDELIVERABLECANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, 50MACINTOSH BOULEVARD, CONCORD, ONTARIO L4K 4P3

PHILIPPINES — FOR PHILIPPINES SECOND-CLASS MAILAT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE. SEND RETURNCOPIES TO KCFAPI, FRATERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT,PO BOX 1511, MANILA.

K OF C ITEMSOFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

IN THE UNITED STATESTHE ENGLISH COMPANY INC.

Official council and Fourth Degree equipment1-800-444-5632 • www.kofcsupplies.com

LYNCH AND KELLY INC.Official council and Fourth Degree

equipment and officer robes1-888-548-3890 • www.lynchkelly.com

IN CANADAROGER SAUVÉ INC.

Official council and Fourth Degree equipment and officer robes

1-888-266-1211 • www.roger-sauve.com

03/17

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PROMOTIONAL & GIFT ITEMS

32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ M A R C H 2 0 1 7

knightsgear.comQuestions? 1-855-GEAR-KOC

(855-432-7562)Additional shipping costs apply to all orders.

Please call before mailing in an order.

Red Emblem CapThis structured, mid-profile redcap is embroidered with thefull-color K of C emblem. It is65% polyster and 35% cotton,and the closure is a self-fabricadjustable slide closure withbrushed nickel buckle andgrommet. $10 each

Charles River® Pack-N-Go PulloverPerfect for a Knight on the go, thisCharles River® Pack-N-Go pullover packseasily into its pouch pocket when not inuse. This lightweight black Knights ofColumbus hooded pullover is wind andwater resistant. It is made of 100% Sof-tex Polyester. The pullover design is ac-cented with black zippers. It hasunderarm grommets for ventilation, ashock cord drawstring at the hem andelastic at the cuffs. It is decorated withKnights of Columbus gray, stacked textembroidered on the left chest. Availablein small through 3X. S-XL: $32 each,2X: $34, 3X: $35

Highway Emergency KitBe prepared with this red emer-gency first aid kit. It includesjumper cables, one pair of gloves,a tow strap, a foldable reflectiveroadside triangle and a first aidkit with ten 82x28mm band-ages, four alcohol pads, scissorsand plastic tweezers. Decoratedwith a black Emblem of theOrder with text. Kit measures13” x 7” x 2”. $30 each


KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

M A R C H 2 0 1 7 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 3 3

TO BE FEATURED HERE, SEND YOUR COUNCIL’S “KNIGHTS IN ACTION” PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO: COLUMBIA, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326 OR E-MAIL: [email protected].

Members of Mother of Perpetual Help Coun-cil 5629 of Vero Beach, Fla., participate inAdopt a Roadway cleanup, on a portion ofpublic street for which the council has takenresponsibility.

Building a better world one council

at a timeEvery day, Knights all over the world aregiven opportunities to make a difference— whether through community service,raising money or prayer. We celebrateeach and every Knight for his strength,his compassion and his dedication tobuilding a better world.


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

KEEP THE FAITH ALIVE

Ph

oto

by J

aso

n D

aile

y

‘IN THE SILENCE OFCHRIST’S PRESENCE,

I FOUND PEACE.’During high school, I would sometimes go

with my parents to their weekly hour of eu-charistic adoration. Although my mind wan-dered among a myriad of subjects, I feltpeaceful there.

I later played basketball at Benedictine Col-lege, and between sports, studies, writing forthe school paper and leading a Bible study, attimes I felt simultaneously overwhelmed anda bit empty. But in the adoration chapel oncampus, in the silence of Christ’s presence, Iagain found peace.

After college, I traveled to Belize to teach ata mission high school, where I was surroundedby the joyful witness of priests, sisters and layfamilies of the Society of Our Lady of theMost Holy Trinity.

Amid community life with the other mis-sionary volunteers and the service I offered tostudents and their families, the Lord gentlyopened my heart to the possibility of conse-crated life. And in the tiny adoration chapelin Benque Viejo, I experienced an invitationto belong entirely to Jesus, whom I realizedhad been with me all along.

SISTER MARY ELIZABETH ALBERS

Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy TrinityCorpus Christi, Texas


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