columbia december 2009

COLUMBIADECEMBER 2009

COLUMBIAKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

DECEMBER 2009

“We saw his star at its rising and havecome to do him homage.” Mt 2:2

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For decades, Knights of Columbus has been recognized as one of the most financially stable companies in theinsurance industry. What’s more, Knights of Columbus Insurance offers a range of flexible, competitively pricedproducts that can be tailored to the needs of your family.

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 1

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

COLUMBIAd e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 ♦ V o l u m e 8 9 ♦ N u m b e r 1 2

The three Magi, also referred to as “Wise Men” or “Kings,” arrive to payhomage to the Christ Child, bringing with them gifts of gold, frankincenseand myrrh. Shown here is the painting The Adoration of the Magi,by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682).

F E AT U R E S

A Flood of CharityWhen Tropical Storm Ketsana devastated thePhilippines, Knights were there to help.BY COLUMBIA STAFF

Rebuilding HopeKnights on the Texas Coast recall and recoverfrom the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike.BY THOMAS A. SZYSZKIEWICZ

The Vatican, the Knights and Mass MediaThrough sponsorship of the Vatican’s satellite up-link program, the Knights help to bring theGospel to the world.BY BRIAN DOWLING

Apostle of the AirwavesArchbishop Fulton J. Sheen saw and used the po-tential of mass media to communicate the Word.BY BISHOP DANIEL R. JENKY, CSC

Lifting Our Eyes to the HeavensThe Church’s astronomers seek to understandGod’s creation and celebrate its goodness.BY JESUIT BROTHER GUY CONSOLMAGNO

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D E P A R T M E N T S

Building a better worldWith Christ’s birth comes the gift ofhope.BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON Learning the faith, living the faithThe sacraments of the Church bothsignify and make present God’stransforming grace.BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN

BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

PLUS Catholic Man of the Month

Year for PriestsA priest’s emphasis on Catholic iden-tity inspires faith among students.BY AMY SMITH

Knights in Action

Culture of LifeCatholics join in prayer to conquerthe culture of death.BY JOSEPH MCINERNEY

Columbianism by Degrees

Knights of Columbus NewsSupreme Knight receives awardfrom Rome’s mayor • K of C Mu-seum features Latino Nativities •Knights give veterans the gift ofmobility

Fathers for GoodWhat we can learn from Joseph’sholy slumber.BY BRIAN CAULFIELD

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EDITORIAL

2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9

IN HIS WEEKLY general audienceDec. 19, 2007, Pope Benedict XVIrhetorically asked, “If people do not rec-ognize that God was made man, what isthe point of celebrating Christmas?”G.K. Chesterton similarly observed in a1925 newspaper column: “To be told torejoice on Christmas Day is reasonableand intelligible, if you understand thename, or even look at the word. To betold to rejoice on the 25th of Decemberis like being told to rejoice at a quarter-past eleven on Thursday.”The work of the Knights of Colum-

bus to “Keep Christ in Christmas” is wellknown, and its importance should notbe underestimated. At least publicly,many people today are content to cele-brate Christmas with generic “holidaytrees” and “jingle bells,” without refer-ence to Christ and the universe-definingevent of his Incarnation. However, aholy-day disconnected from the worshipof God is like a body without a soul, andthe celebration of the eternal Logos (orMeaning) that became flesh, with no ac-knowledgement of that Logos, is funda-mentally meaning-less (cf. Jn 1:1-18).Whether caused by outward hostility

toward Christianity, by the desire to beinoffensive in a pluralistic society or sim-ply by a loss of faith, the exile of Godfrom public life has tragic consequences.When one lives as if God does not exist,everything is affected. The world is flat-tened, so to speak, and drained of its veryreason for being. Separated from the sa-cred drama of love and redemption, cre-ation is reduced to mechanical forces;

human freedom is reduced to “choice”;time is reduced to simply a measure ofchange; and human dignity is no longerinviolable, but made dependent on somecriteria, such as what a person can do. Ineach case, the finite finds no home in theinfinite, and what remains is arbitrary.It is important to note that the very

idea that God can be pushed to the “pri-vate” sphere rejects the God of Christi-anity from the onset, at least implicitly.After all, Christians profess belief in aGod who created all that exists and holdsit in existence. It is in him, St. Paultaught, that “we live and move and haveour being” (Acts 17:28). Yet, even morethan his gift of creation is the fact thatGod radically joined himself to this cre-ation by assuming our human nature.Calling the Incarnation an event of “cos-mic significance,” Pope John Paul IIwrote, “The conception and birth ofJesus Christ are in fact the greatest workaccomplished by the Holy Spirit in thehistory of creation and salvation”(Dominum et Vivificantem, 50). Paradoxically, God’s power is most

manifest when it is most hidden — inthe littleness of a child. It is this greatwork of the Holy Spirit, which imbuesall of creation with hope, meaning andpurpose, that we celebrate during thegreat feast of Christmas. Let us truly“Keep Christ in Christmas” by invitingGod’s saving presence into our hearts,our homes and our communities.♦

ALTON J. PELOWSKIMANAGING EDITOR

The Meaning of ChristmasCOLUMBIA

Supreme Knight’s Book Club – Dec. 30Join Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Msgr. EduardoChávez Sánchez, postulator for the cause for canonization of St.Juan Diego, online for a discussion of their book, Our Lady ofGuadalupe: Mother of a Civilization of Love (Doubleday). For moreinformation about the book, proceeds from which are donated toKnights of Columbus Charities, visit www.guadalupebook.com.Submit your questions online at www.kofc.org and take part inthe discussion Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. (ET).

PUBLISHERKnights of Columbus

________

SUPREME OFFICERSCarl A. AndersonSUPREME KNIGHT

Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.SUPREME CHAPLAINDennis A. Savoie

DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHTDonald R. KehoeSUPREME SECRETARYEmilio B. MoureSUPREME TREASURERJohn A. MarrellaSUPREME ADVOCATE________

EDITORIALAlton J. Pelowski

[email protected] EDITORPatrick Scalisi

[email protected] EDITORBrian Dowling

[email protected] & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

________

GRAPHICSLee RaderDESIGN

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

Christian Family Life and Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Intercede for Us.

________

HOW TO REACH USMAIL

COLUMBIA1 Columbus Plaza

New Haven, CT 06510-3326PHONE

203-752-4398FAX

203-752-4109E-MAIL

[email protected]

www.kofc.org/columbiaCUSTOMER SERVICE1-800-380-9995________

MOVING?Notify your local council. Send your new address and mailing label to:

Knights of ColumbusMembership RecordsPO Box 1670

New Haven, CT 06507-0901________

Copyright © 2009All rights reserved________

ON THE COVERThe Large Megellanic Cloud, an irregulargalaxy near the Milky Way, is seen in this

Hubble Space Telescope image. COVER PHOTO: CNS photo/NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD


DECEMBER MARKS the official startof winter in most of the Western world.Yet, it is not the only winter that theworld is facing. Demographers increas-ingly speak of a “demographic winter”wherein birth rates fall below replacementin most industrialized countries. There are many causes of this phenom-

enon, as Pope Benedict XVI noted in2006. He pointed out, though, that the“ultimate roots can be seen as moral andspiritual; they are linked to a disturbingdeficit of faith, hope and, indeed, love. Tobring children into the world calls for self-centered eros to be fulfilled in a creativeagape rooted in generosity and marked bytrust and hope in the future.”Indeed, such a decline is

nothing short of a lack ofhope. A materialistic mindsetreplaces hope in a real futurewith something else: an imme-diate desire for consumergoods and status. This mind-set is sadly brought home to usat this time each year, asChristmas seems each year tobecome more of a consumer season thana Christian one.In his apostolic exhortation on the

Christian family, Familiaris Consortio,Pope John Paul II observed: “In the richercountries … excessive prosperity and theconsumer mentality, paradoxically joinedto a certain anguish and uncertainty aboutthe future, deprive married couples of thegenerosity and courage needed for raisingup new human life: thus life is often per-ceived not as a blessing, but as a dangerfrom which to defend oneself” (6).A society with no hope in the future

and a resulting lack of openness to life is,not surprisingly, a society that would

trade a celebration of birth for one ofconsumerism.A purely materialistic view of Christmas

— even more noticeable this year as reces-sion-affected merchants desperately seek toimprove their profits — can be a symptomof this same hopeless outlook on life.Of course, as Christians, we have the re-

minder of our hope in salvation that comeswith Christ’s birth at Christmas. With thisevent, the process of our own redemptionis made possible. Christ’s birth — as theangels told the shepherds — heralds “peaceon earth to men of good will.” That is quite a contrast to the anxiety

of the consumer mentality.

In addition to Christmas, the Churchgives us other feasts in December thathighlight hope, love and new life.On the feast of Our Lady of

Guadalupe, we remember the hope thatMary brought — and continues to bring— to this entire hemisphere. She ap-peared as a pregnant woman to a defeatedpeople in search of meaning. Through hermessage that each person is loved, shebrought the indigenous Mexicans to thefullness of hope in her son Jesus Christ.Finally, we celebrate life within the

family on the feast of the Holy Family,where Christ spent 30 of the 33 years ofhis life. It is a good opportunity for us to

reflect on our own lives and on the waywe bring up our children. The Christian has hope — on earth

and in heaven. Those who put con-sumerism first have only anxiety and pos-sessions, which do nothing to decreasethe restlessness of our hearts. As St. Au-gustine famously wrote, our hearts arerestless until they rest in God. This restin God gives the Christian hope, while

the consumer has only yester-day’s purchase.Hope is no small matter. In

2007, Pope Benedict wrote anentire encyclical on it. Hiswords deserve serious thought:“If we cannot hope for morethan is effectively attainable atany given time … our lives willsoon be without hope” (SpeSalvi, 35).

Our hope must be based not simply onthe here and now, but on the hereafter;and not just on ourselves, but on the onewho made us.Life, children and family are all

founded on love. During Advent 2007,Pope Benedict reminded us that “hope,like faith, is demonstrated in love.”As we celebrate the feasts of Our Lady

of Guadalupe, Christmas and the HolyFamily this month, let us remember thatthey are feasts of hope precisely becausethey celebrate Christ’s life and loving fam-ily, and his greatest gift of love to us: oursalvation.Vivat Jesus!

A Season of Hope

Whereas consumerism brings anxiety and restlessness,with Christ’s birth comes the gift of hope

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

A society with no hope in the futureis, not surprisingly, a society thatwould trade a celebration of birth

for one of consumerism.

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH


AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES, weshould remember that the first Christ-mas night was a scene of worship. Maryand Joseph worshipped the child givento them by God the Father through theHoly Spirit. The angels sang “Glory toGod!” and the shepherds came filledwith wonder and awe.Thanks to the sacramental and liturgi-

cal life of the Church, the truth andbeauty of that first Christmas night is nota dim memory but a present reality. As St.Leo the Great taught in the 5th century:“What was visible in our Savior haspassed over into his mysteries” (Com-pendium, 224). We have a living contactwith Christ through the seven sacra-ments, which Christ instituted andentrusted to the Church. TheChurch celebrates these sacramentsand is built up by them (226).The sacraments are efficacious

signs through which God wishes totouch and transform our lives. Fornow, let us remember that threesacraments — baptism, confirma-tion and holy orders — impart asacramental character or spiritual“seal.” Each of these three sacraments canbe received only once because they perma-nently transform the recipient and “config-

ure” him or her to Christ. This means thatthe Holy Spirit brings about in the depthof one’s soul a spiritual image of Christ cou-pled with a participation in his life. In bap-tism and confirmation, this indelible sealmarks out the recipient as an adopted sonor daughter in Christ, a person both pre-pared and obligated to take part in theChurch’s worship. Holy orders imparts afurther sacramental character, enabling theordained to act in the person of Christ inthe celebration of the liturgy (227, 235).

SIGNS OF GRACEThe sacraments express and fulfillChrist’s promise to remain with hisChurch. This is the context in which we

can most readily understand the Church’steaching. The sacraments do not simplyillustrate God’s grace; they are also themeans through which the transformingpower of grace is made available and ac-tive in our lives. Christ was so deter-mined to remain with us in this way thatthe effectiveness of the sacraments doesnot depend on the personal worthinessof the minister performing them. Rather,“The sacraments are efficacious ex opereoperato (by the very fact that the sacra-mental action is performed)” (229).

This, however, leads to two other im-portant considerations. First, anyone whoperforms a sacramental action, such asbaptizing or celebrating Mass, has a mostserious obligation to be in a state of graceand to pursue personal holiness. Second,the sacraments need to be received with aliving and active faith. When we approachthe sacraments with faith, we find thatthey express, nourish and strengthen ouradherence to the faith of the Church. Infact, there is a deep and mutual correspon-dence between what we believe and howwe worship (228).At this point we can readily see that the

grace given to us through thesacraments, even if they are notreceived by all the faithful, is nec-essary for salvation. Through thesacraments we receive forgiveness,we become the adopted childrenof God, we grow in likeness toChrist and we become livingmembers of his body, the Church(230). By sharing in the sacra-mental signs, we long to see God

in heaven with all the redeemed and to re-joice in his presence forever (232).The sacraments should not be under-

stood to operate mechanistically. To thecontrary, they are celebrated in the sacredrites or ceremonies known as the liturgy,the public prayer of the Church. Thisprayer spans heaven and earth, and isshared with Mary, the saints and the an-gels (234). In the liturgy, we come to-gether in the unity of the Holy Spirit as apriestly people. The baptized offer them-selves as a spiritual sacrifice, while bishops

The sacraments are the meansthrough which the transformingpower of grace is made available

and active in our lives.

The 21st installment of SupremeChaplain Bishop William E. Lori’sfaith formation program addressesquestions 224-249 of the Com-pendium of the Catechism of theCatholic Church. Archived articles areat www.kofc.org.

Celebrating the Church’s Liturgy

The sacraments of the Church both signify andmake present God’s transforming grace

by Bishop William E. Lori

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

St. John of the Cross(c. 1542-1591)

Feast day: Dec. 14

Offered in solidarity with

Pope Benedict XVI


PHOTOGRAPH OF POPE:CNS photo/Paul Haring

and priests act in the person of Christ, thehead of the Church (235).

A RICH & BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONWe are familiar with the use of water,bread, wine and oil as sacramental signsand symbols. We are also accustomed togestures such as the laying on of hands.Some of these signs are drawn from nature.Others are drawn from human culture. Allsacramental signs emerged in salvation his-tory and were taken up by Christ to conveyhis saving truth and love. These signs areinseparable from the words that bear theirmeaning and power (236-238).The liturgy by which we share in God’s

saving truth and love is to be celebrated,when possible, with music and song that

beautifully express the Church’s teachingsand lift our minds and hearts to God. So,too, the liturgy is celebrated in the pres-ence of holy images, above all the imageof Christ. Images of the Blessed VirginMary, the saints and the angels remind usthat they are praying with us and for us inthe liturgy of heaven (239-240). If it is fitting that the liturgy be cele-

brated amid beautiful music, song and im-ages, it is also proper that it be celebratedin sacred buildings dedicated to the wor-ship of God. When a church is consecrated,we see clearly the sacred importance ofchurch furnishings: the altar, the pulpit, thetabernacle, the celebrant’s chair, the bap-tismal font and the confessional (244-246).Indeed, the liturgy is very rich and

beautiful. It has been celebrated for nearly2,000 years in a variety of languages andcultures (247). Amid such rich diversitythere is a oneness thanks to apostolic tra-dition — a oneness in faith and sacra-mental life received from the Apostles andhanded down through the centuries. It isbecause the Church is Catholic that shecan welcome into her unity “all the au-thentic riches of cultures” while safe-guarding what God has instituted for oursalvation (248). The Church carefully dis-tinguishes between those things in theliturgy that are unchangeable and thosethat can be rightfully adapted to humancultures the world over (249).May you have a blessed Christmas, filled

with the peace and joy of Christ!♦

lashings each week. Nine months later,he managed to escape. He continued tofound monasteries, in addition to serv-ing as a spiritual director to many, whiledemonstrating wisdom, gentleness andhumility.John’s mystical writings, such as the

Spiritual Canticle and The Dark Night ofthe Soul, poetically chart the soul’ssearch for union with God that often in-volves both joy and despair, light anddarkness. Pope Pius XI, in an apostolicletter naming St. John of the Cross aDoctor of the Church in 1926, said he“points out to souls the way of perfec-tion as though illumined by light fromon high.”We can learn much by meditating on

the poetry, teachings and example of St.John of the Cross, who profoundly un-derstood the importance of union withGod and the mystery of suffering.

HOLY FATHER’SPRAYER INTENTIONS

GENERAL: That children may berespected and loved and never bethe victims of exploitation in itsvarious forms.

MISSION: That at Christmas thepeoples of the earth may recognize inthe Word Incarnate the light whichilluminates every man and that thenations may open their doors toChrist, the Savior of the world.

BORN IN JUNE 1542 in a small com-munity near Ávila, Spain, St. John of theCross grew up in poverty. When Johnwas still an infant, his father died unex-pectedly, leaving him, his two olderbrothers and his mother to supportthemselves. Years of instability followedas the family moved often between poorCastilian villages. After studying at a Jesuit school and

volunteering at a hospital in Medina delCampo, John entered the Carmeliteorder. After his ordination, he was deter-mined to join the austere Carthusianorder, but a Carmelite nun — Teresa ofÁvila — and her plan to reform theCarmelites led him to reconsider.John and Teresa, along with Father

Antonio de Jesús de Heredia, beganfounding monasteries of the DiscalcedCarmelites. Embracing strict poverty(discalced means “shoeless”), the re-formed order sought to correct certainlaxities and to center their lives morecompletely on God.In response, John was imprisoned in

Toledo, Spain, where he received public

CATHOLIC MAN OF THE MONTH

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS


THE MAYOR OF ROME bestowed a prominent honor onSupreme Knight Carl A. Anderson in recognition of theOrder’s long-standing contributions to the city.In honor of nearly 90 years of service by the Knights of

Columbus in Rome, the city honored the head of the Orderwith its ‘Lupa Capitolina’ award. Supreme Knight Andersonreceived the award from Rome’s mayor, Giovanni Alemanno,Wednesday, Oct. 28.“I am honored to receive this award from the City of Rome

for the great work the Knights of Columbus has done there fornearly a century,” said the supreme knight. “As both the ‘eternalcity’ and the center of the Catholic Church, Rome has a specialplace in the hearts of the Knights of Columbus, and we lookforward to another 90 years of service in this great city.”The Order has been active in Rome since 1920, when a del-

egation of Knights led by the then-Supreme Knight James Fla-herty met with Pope Benedict XV. The pontiff encouraged theKnights to expand their work in Rome.Later that decade, the Knights opened several recreational

facilities used by the city’s youth. An additional facility wasopened in the 1950s.Today, the Knights continue to operate four of these facili-

ties, which are regularly used by the young residents of Rome.In 1965, the grounds of one of the facilities was donated bythe Order for the construction of a papal audience hall, wherethe pope regularly receives pilgrims visiting the Eternal City.

Supreme Knight receives Rome’s ‘Lupa Capitolina’ award

FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, the Knights ofColumbus Museum presents an exhibition of authentic, ethnicNativity scenes to showcase the world’s varied and vibrant cul-tural celebrations of Christmas. This year’s exhibit, which opened Nov. 19 and will run until

Jan. 31, features nativities from throughout Latin America andthe southwestern United States. A Latino Christmas: Nativitiesof Latin America includes approximately 120 crèches from 16Latin countries (Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Sal-vador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru andVenezuela), four southwestern U.S. states (Arizona, Colorado,New Mexico and Texas) and Puerto Rico. Mexico, Peru andNew Mexico are famous for the volume and quality of theirnacimientos (crèches). A number of extraordinary works are on display, including

pieces from Mexico’s Formento Cultural Banamex collectionand six private U.S. collections. For additional information onthis exhibit visit www.kofc.org/museum.

THE MARYLAND AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA statecouncils of the Knights of Columbus and the American Wheel-chair Mission (a division of the Global Wheelchair Mission) cel-ebrated Veterans Day by distributing 110 wheelchairs to veteransat the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center. The event includedmusic by the Archdiocese of Washington District Fourth DegreeChoir. For more information on the Order’s involvement withthe Global Wheelchair Mission visit www.kofc.org/wheelchair.

Latin American Nativities featured at Knights of Columbus Museum

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson receives the Lupa Capotolina awardfrom Giovanni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, Oct. 28 in recognition ofthe Order’s service to the Eternal City.

Knights give veterans the gift of mobility

FATHERS FOR GOOD


READ ABOUT ‘A FATHER’S FIRST CHRISTMAS,’ PROFILING THE EXPERIENCES OF NEW FATHERS, AT WWW.FATHERSFORGOOD.ORG.

“WHY IS ST. JOSEPH SLEEPING?” asked my 9-year-old son.We were in the Holy Family Chapel at the Knights of

Columbus Supreme Council headquarters in New Haven,Conn., looking at the colorful mosaic that depicts Mary tend-ing to her newborn son while Joseph nods off in the radiantpresence of the Redeemer.“Well,” I said, remembering my own 3 a.m. rush to the hos-

pital with my wife for the birth of the boy who just asked thequestion, “he was probably tired after walking the donkeywith Mary on it all the way to Bethlehem.”Yet, the question got me thinking: Why is Joseph shown

sleeping in some Nativity scenes? Did this early Christianartistic tradition express the fact that men can feel somewhatsidelined in the birthprocess? Was it a precur-sor to the iconic figureof the nervous dadhanding out cigars inthe hospital waitingroom?Today, fathers are in-

vited into the deliveryroom and even encour-aged to grab the babycoming out of the birthcanal. But honestly, domen really feel comfort-able in that environ-ment? I held my wife’s hand through two difficult C-sectionsto show my love and support for her, and left the emotionalbonding with my newborns for a later time.Indeed, as I consider the nonstop rush of fatherhood duties

over the last nine years — from midnight runs for asthmamedicine to sleepless nights camping with my son’s CubScout pack — it seems that Joseph had the right idea incatching a few winks at the start.There are also theological reasons for the sleeping Joseph.

The mosaics in the Holy Family Chapel were created by Fa-ther Marko Rupnik, the Jesuit priest who decorated the Vati-can’s papal chapel for Pope John Paul II. In his notes, FatherRupnik says that Joseph “is seen as asleep to emphasize his dis-tance from what has occurred between the Trinity and Mary.”This “distance” is what every new father feels. Though he

has a part in procreation, every father knows that he did notmake the soul or give his child the breath of life. That mystery

And Joseph Slept

What we can learn from Joseph’s holy slumber

by Brian Caulfieldis something solely between God and the more-knowingmother, who shares her own substance with the baby. In his1988 apostolic letter On the Dignity and Vocation of Women,Pope John Paul II explained it this way: “The man — even withall his sharing in parenthood — always remains ‘outside’ theprocess of pregnancy and the baby’s birth; in many ways he hasto learn his own ‘fatherhood’ from the mother” (18).Joseph, as we know, woke up and did what “a just man” does

(cf. Mt 1:19). He listened to the voice of God through an angel,bringing Mary and the Christ Child to Egypt to escape Herod’swrath and leading them back to Nazareth. He taught Jesus hiscarpenter’s trade and said not a word that is recorded in theGospels. He was a man of unwavering faith and prompt action

— the ultimate strong,silent type.How about us? Have

we awakened, withJoseph, from our Christ-mas slumber? Have wefollowed him along themore difficult path ofgiving not just gifts, butourselves? John Paul IIwrote in his 1989 apos-tolic exhortation on St.Joseph (quoting PopePaul VI): “His father-hood is expressed con-

cretely ‘in his having made his life a service, a sacrifice to themystery of the Incarnation and to the redemptive mission con-nected with it…to make a total gift of self, of his life and work’”(Guardian of the Redeemer, 8).When God calls, what is our response? Do we even hear his

command amid our daily duties and distractions? What isGod’s will for me at this moment, as a husband and father?In facing these challenges, we cannot go wrong with Joseph,

who gave up whatever comfort he had to play a part in thedrama of redemption. He knew when to lead, when to follow,when to act and even when to sleep, letting God be God.♦

BRIAN CAULFIELD is a communications specialistfor the Knights of Columbus and editor of the Web siteFathers for Good, www.fathersforgood.org.


A FLOOD

CHARITYWhen Tropical Storm Ketsana devastated the Philippines

in late September, Knights were there to help

by Columbia Staff

A s Tropical Storm Ketsana slammed into the PhilippinesSept. 26, comparisons were inevitably made to Hurricane

Katrina, which devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005. The im-ages of destruction were similar, along with the personal stories:loved ones injured or killed, homes flooded or swept away, per-sonal belongings damaged or completely destroyed. As with Ka-trina, the Knights of Columbus rendered immediate assistance.Within two days, the Supreme Council sent an emergency do-nation of $50,000 to assist in the recovery effort. More than$70,000 in additional funds was later sent, as state and localcouncils contributed, and all online donations made to theUnited in Charity fund through Oct. 31 were earmarked specif-ically for Philippines flood relief.

A woman and child sit outside a house damaged by a landslide in the town ofArayat, north of Manila, Philippines, Sept. 28.

of

At the same time, Filipino Knights providedimmediate, hands-on help to their countrymen.Reports flooded into the Supreme Council head-quarters about programs undertaken by councilsin all three jurisdictions of the Philippines:Luzon, Mindanao and Visayas. When Knightsweren’t collecting used clothing and nonperish-able food items, they were helping the PhilippineArmy distribute these items, greeting long distri-bution lines with friendly smiles, words of sup-port and, most importantly, a bit of refreshmentto keep the victims alive and well. Many Knightsin North America also did what they could to col-lect supplies for their brothers overseas.Tropical Storm Ketsana, known locally as Ty-

phoon Ondoy, caused the worst flooding inManila in 40 years and claimed the lives of morethan 400 people. At the height of the storm, 80percent of the city was under water, and whenthe skies cleared, the majority of residents foundthemselves without electricity or running water.In a country that is home to approximately250,000 Knights, the resulting surge of charity,unity and fraternity was historic in its scope.Yet, this was only the natural response of anOrder that favors brotherhood among the high-est virtues of Christian manhood.♦

PREVIOUS PAGE:CNS photo/Romeo Ranoco, Reuters AERIAL VIEW:CNS photo/Philippine Coast Guard/handout via Reuters

From bottom left clockwise:• Flood victims gather outside of San Ildefonso College in Tanay,Rizal, to receive relief supplies from the Knights of Columbus.• Knights in Rizal distribute relief materials to victims of floodingOct. 1.• An elderly woman waits to receive a care package from members ofOur Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Council 8176 in Antipolo.Knights distributed rice, canned goods, noodles and used clothing toapproximately 220 people who were affected by the storm. • Residents are stranded on rooftops as floodwaters caused by rainssubmerge houses in Carmen, Philippines, Oct. 9. A new wave offlooding, brought on by the second tropical storm to hit the Philippineswithin 10 days, left thousands of people homeless and at least 18 vil-lages underwater, Catholic Relief Services officials reported. • After traveling under heavy rain to Marikina Oct. 1, PhilippineKnights led by Luzon State Deputy Alonso L. Tan, Task Force OndoyChairman Bonifacio B. Martinez and other state service officers dis-tribute 425 bags of relief goods to flood victims, many of them Knightsand family members. • Members of St. Genevieve Council 14772 in Panorama City,Calif., stand with some of the relief goods they collected for typhoonvictims in the Philippines.


MORE THAN1,000 members of Holy Family Parish joinedCardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Hous-ton, for a special bilingual Mass at the Galveston ConventionCenter Sept. 13, the first anniversary of Hurricane Ike’s land-fall. A new Catholic community incorporating the fiveCatholic parishes and three mission sites that previously existedon Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, Holy Family wasofficially established Aug. 15.In his homily, the cardinal said that the new parish,

which serves more than 2,600 Catholic households at var-ious satellite locations, is a sign of hope and unity of faith.He also assured parishioners that the archdiocese plans torestore St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston. The 161-year-old church was severely damaged by the storm and hasyet to reopen.

snakes and alligators from the coastal marshes. Even after the wa-ters receded, mud covered house interiors, streets and yards.

ASSESSING THE DAMAGEPeople in Galveston weren’t able to get back to the island until 10days after the storm because the causeway was littered with boats.When Jim Kirwin, past grand knight of Msgr. J. M. Kirwin Council787 in Galveston, got back to his house, his refrigerators and freezerswere still without power. As the clean up began, people had to drageverything that was damaged — all their belongings up to four feetabove the floor — out to the street curb. And there it all sat untilcrews came along to clean it up, which took up to three weeks.“Six inches of flood water in your house is like two drops of

motor oil in a quart of ice cream — it ruins the whole thing,” saidBraus, adding that only 14 houses in Bridge City were spared fromthe floodwaters.

If asked to name the three costliest hurricanes in the UnitedStates, most people would probably cite 1992’s Andrew and

2005’s Katrina, but may have a hard time naming the third. WhenHurricane Ike hit the Texas coast in 2008, many people outside ofthat region heard little about it. After all, when the storm madelandfall Sept. 13, the hotly contested presidential election and thewars in Iraq and Afghanistan kept it out of the headlines exceptfor the following day.For those who lived through it, however, the destruction was

unlike any other storm. James Braus, a K of C field agent in BridgeCity, Texas, rode out Hurricane Rita in 2005, which he called “adry storm” because the wind damage was far worse than the water,and Gustav in 2008, which hit mostly in Louisiana.When Ike finally landed squarely on the Texas Gulf Coast, the

storm surge was like a mini-tsunami, according to Braus. Itbrought with it salt water from the Gulf, along with grass, bugs,

REBUILDINGHOPE

Knights on the Texas Coast recall and recover from the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike last year

by Thomas A. Szyszkiewicz

REBUILDINGHOPE

PHOTO OF M

ASS:Amy Bly/Courtesy of Archdiocese of Galveston-H

ouston

A Fourth Degree honor guard stands at attention during the openingprocession of a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardoSept. 13, the first anniversary of Hurricane Ike. Banners repre-senting each of the Galveston-area parishes that joined to form HolyFamily Parish, were brought forward.

JOINING TOGETHER IN FAITH


Kirwin said that 75 percent of the homes in Galveston wereflooded. Residents were without electricity for weeks.Altogether, Ike resulted in more than $24 billion in damage in

the United States, after causing a good deal of destruction in theCaribbean. Approximately 650 families have left Bridge City per-manently, and 20 percent of the population of Galveston is gone.The local Knights have not taken a back seat in relief efforts. At

first, Kirwin and Braus said they had to look to the basic needs oftheir families, such as food and clothing. “It’s humbling to be standing in the Salvation Army food line,”

said Kirwin. Together with Knights from Houston, members ofthree area councils in Galveston gathered to help brother Knightsgut their houses — the first step toward recovery.When his situation was sufficiently stabilized, Kirwin turned his

attention to his council’s hall, which was almost completely ruined.He started getting calls from groups like the Red Cross that neededa place to put up volunteers who came to help with the clean up.The Knights let the volunteer groups stay without cost, and in re-turn for the favor, some groups helped repair the hall.By December, the hall had been sufficiently repaired that the

Knights could hold their annual Christmas party. Father PaulChovanec, chaplain of St. Justin Martyr Council 8293 in Houston,had been the chaplain of Council 787 for a number of years. Hegot the Knights in Houston together to help with the party, in-cluding bringing gifts for children.

AN ORGANIZED RESPONSEWhile Kirwin and Braus hope that a storm like Ike will not hitagain in the near future, they are using their experience to preparefor other natural disasters. It is this kind of experience that BobSumicek, who serves as the emergency management chairman forthe Texas State Council, will count on in the future. A former res-ident of New Orleans, Sumicek called around to the Knights inLouisiana and Texas asking what plans were in place to help outwhen Katrina struck. To his surprise, there was no official disasterrecovery plan of any kind. Drawing on his military and nuclearpower background, Sumicek took it upon himself to develop one,which he presented to the Texas State Council.Using the new emergency management plan, Texas Knights were

able to coordinate the immediate distribution of approximately$110,000 in grants to brother Knights following Hurricane Ike. Sumicek also urged Knights in other jurisdictions to establish sim-

ilar plans. “A localized emergency can happen in any state,” he said.Besides major hurricanes, there may be the risk of other threats, suchas flooding, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires or terrorist attacks.The benefits of a disaster relief plan are numerous, according to

Sumicek. It not only helps those who are affected by tragedy, butprovides the opportunity for increased volunteerism and inspiresnew members to join the Order, he said.For more information about the Texas State Council emergency

management relief program, visit www.tkofc.org.♦

THOMAS A. SZYSZKIEWICZ writes from Minnesota.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Ike surround homes in Bridge City, Texas,Sept.14, 2008.

AERIAL PHOTO:CNS photo/David J. Phillip, pool via Reuters


PHOTOGRAPH:Getty Im

ages/Franco Origlia

speaking Oct. 29 to the plenary assembly of the PontificalCouncil for Social Communications, Pope Benedict XVI

noted, “Even a casual observer can easily see that in our time,thanks to the most modern technologies, a true and proper revo-lution is underway in the field of social communications, of whichthe Church is becoming ever more responsibly aware.” He added, “These technologies, in fact, make rapid and perva-

sive communication possible, with an ample sharing of ideas andopinions. They transmit information and news, making them eas-ily accessible to all.”As new technologies emerge, the Church uses these tools to

bind together her global community, creating an engaging rela-tionship with the whole human race. Commencing and main-taining this relationship would be difficult, if not impossible,without the advances of broadcast communication, namely tele-vision, to provide the public with a powerful looking glass intothe intimate life of the Church. For decades, the Knights of Columbus has supported the

Church’s social communications initiatives, including a telecom-munications project that has allowed papal events to be trans-mitted worldwide by satellite since 1974. Every year, thetransmissions of this program bring the pope and the reality ofthe universal Church into the living rooms of millions of peoplearound the world.

Through sponsorship of the Vatican’s satellite uplink program,

the Knights help to bring the Gospel to the world

by Brian Dowling

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Christmas Midnight Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.Since 1974, the Knights of Columbus has sponsored the satellite uplink of theMass and related events from the Vatican.

Massthe Vatican,

M E D I A

the Knights and


FORMING A PARTNERSHIPIn 1964, the Vatican and 10 other countries founded the Interna-tional Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT),through which the Holy See was able to transmit live audio andvideo anywhere in the world. Argentina and Chile were the firstcountries outside of Europe to pick up the broadcast in 1969. Withthe Knights’ support, the number of countries increased to 35 in1985 and 47 in 2006.This partnership between the Knights of Columbus and the Pon-

tifical Commission for Social Com-munications (the commission waselevated to a pontifical council in1988) began in 1974 at the requestof Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur,who then served as president of thecommission. The Order’s Board ofDirectors approved the commission’srequest for funding, while at thesame time fulfilling a 10-year-oldresolution to expand and diversifythe Knights’ use of media.Since that time, the Order has

provided for the “up-link” cost totransmit signals to the satellite and,in certain situations for developingcountries, the “down-link” cost forreception of the transmitted signal.Specifically, this program annuallysupports transmission of the Christmas Midnight Mass, the pope’sChristmas Day message, the Jan. 1 Mass for the World Day of Peace,numerous Holy Week ceremonies, the Easter Sunday Mass and thepope’s Easter message. In addition to these ceremonies, the Order has funded the trans-

mission of numerous special events in the life of the Church, such asthe 1987 canonization of Lorenzo Ruiz, the Assisi Peace Summit in2002 and the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 2003, toname a few.Commenting on the satellite uplink program in 1975, then-

Supreme Knight John W. McDevitt said that the program was “ide-ally suited to meet a crying need of our era. It will give hundreds of

millions of people throughout the world an opportunity to see andhear our Holy Father at a time of desperate urgency for inspiring spir-itual leadership.”

HISTORIC EVENTSIn 1978, the Catholic faithful were confronted with the death of PopePaul VI, the election and death of Pope John Paul I, and the electionof John Paul II — all within three months. The Vatican broadcast theseevents via INTELSAT, and the world watched. Television crews hurried

to Rome Aug. 12 for the funeral ofPaul VI and the ensuing papal con-clave and election of John Paul I.They soon returned at the end of Sep-tember to report the sadly familiarcycle of events: papal funeral, con-clave and election.“Cardinal Deskur called me and

asked if we would pay to broadcast thefuneral, the opening of the conclaveand then the installation of the newpope,” recalled Past Supreme KnightVirgil C. Dechant. “That’s what wedid. And then when [Pope John PaulI] died 33 days later, Cardinal Deskurcalled again.”Cardinal John P. Foley, who served

as president of the Pontifical Councilfor Social Communications from

1984 to 2005, related a story at the 113th Supreme Convention aboutbroadcasting World Youth Day 1995, which took place the previousJanuary in Manila, Philippines. Since the crowd was so large and thepopemobile could not fit through the crowd, the pope had to be takenout of town and flown in by helicopter, forcing the Mass to begin 90minutes late. “We had ordered three and a quarter hours of satellite time, but

with the pope an hour and a half late, he got to his homily just anhour before we were scheduled to go off the air,” said Cardinal Foley.“I ran out of the studio during his homily for some phone calls —one to extend our satellite time, and another to find Virgil Dechantto see if he could pay for the extension.”

CALCUTTA

: Reuters /Jayanta Shaw

“While this should not be a

guiding consideration, it must give

us all a comforting feeling to

realize that when the Holy Father

appears on the television screen in

our homes, you and I and all the

members of our cherished Order

have helped to bring him there.”

It was at this time, Dechant added, “Father [James] Reuter bumpedinto me, so right then we agreed to go ahead and broadcast the wholething until it was over.”One of the largest known gatherings of Christians in history, esti-

mated at 4 million in attendance, Cardinal Foley added, “It was aminor miracle that in the half hour of the pope’s homily I was able tomake those two essential contacts to keep us on the air and to keep theHoly Father’s message going around the world.”On April 8, 2005, the world’s eyes again turned to Rome when

the beloved Pope John Paul II was laid to rest. People watched inchurches and public squares, in their homes or in public. With theaid of the Knights’ satellite uplink program, 137 television networksand 81 countries broadcast the funeral. It has been estimated thatbillions of people watched the event, a solemn commendation thatbrought an end to the third longest papacy in history and mournedthe loss of a dedicated shepherd.Days later, the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Joseph

Ratzinger as the Church’s next pope. Both the election and first Massof Benedict XVI were broadcast by the power of technology and thegenerosity of the Order to an estimated 2 billion people worldwide,making it one of the most-watched television events in history.There have been numerous smaller events transmitted far and wide

with the Order’s support. Most recently, the Knights sponsored thebroadcast of an evening recitation of the rosary with Pope Benedictto viewers in the Democratic Republic of Congo Oct. 10.

LONDON: CNS Photo/Toby Melville, Reuters —

WADOWICE: CNS Photo/Peter Andrews, Reuters —

MANILLA: Reuters/Erik de Castro

Left: Viewers watch the funeral of Pope JohnPaul II from Calcutta and London.

Below: A Polish mother and her son watch thefuneral of Pope John Paul II on television intheir apartment in Wadowice, Poland, April 8,2005. The pope was born May 18, 1920, inWadowice.

Bottom right: A helicopter delivers Pope JohnPaul II to the stage after millions show up for1995’s World Youth Day Mass in Manila,Philippines.


During the event, Pope Benedict remarked: “This evening, too,we have availed ourselves of modern technology to ‘cast a net,’ anetwork of prayer linking Rome to Africa.”

RECENT CHANGESOver the past two years, the satellite uplink program has changed itsplatform for worldwide broadcasting from INTELSAT to EurovisionWorld Feed. Through this change, coverage to Africa, Asia and Ocea-nia has greatly improved; uplink costs are lower; and downlink costsare nearly obsolete. Due to the overall lower costs, worldwide coverageexpanded to include the Jan. 1 Mass for the World Day of Peace,while Europe and North American coverage extended to includePalm Sunday and all Holy Week events. Thaddeus Jones, the satellitetelecasts coordinator for the Pontifical Council for Social Commu-nications, expressed hope for further expansion.

Dec. 24, 1974 – Opening of the HolyDoor for the Jubilee YearAug. 11, 1978 – Solemn funeral Mass of

Pope Paul VIAug. 26, 1978 – Installation Mass of

Pope John Paul I Oct. 4, 1978 – Solemn funeral Mass of

Pope John Paul I Oct. 16, 1978 – Installation Mass of

Pope John Paul IIMarch 24, 1985 – Message to workers

from Fucino, Italy, on the feast of St. JosephOct. 18, 1987 – Canonization of Lorenzo

Ruiz, first Filipino saint and martyr Jan. 15, 1995 – World Youth Day Mass

Manila, Philippines

Dec. 24, 1999 – Opening of the HolyDoor for the Millennial JubileeJan. 24, 2002 – Peace Summit in

Assisi, ItalyOct. 19, 2003 – Beatification of Teresa

of Calcutta & Pope John Paul II 25th Anniversary MassApril 8, 2005 – Solemn funeral Mass of

Pope John Paul IIApril 19, 2005 – Election of Pope

Benedict XVI April 24, 2005 – First Mass of

Pope Benedict XVIOct. 10, 2009 – Holy Father’s Marian

Prayer with young people from nine Africancapitals

TIMELINE ♦ Some of the many special events broadcast to the world with support from the Knights of Columbus

“Apart from continuing work to improve satellite coverage, pro-motional efforts and monitoring reception of the broadcasts, wealso hope to explore new ways of offering live online streaming ofthe telecasts,” he said. In a message earlier this year to a conference in Dallas concerning

evangelization and mass communication, Archbishop Claudio MariaCelli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications,noted the importance of mass media in evangelization: “The Churchis committed to engaging with the new media and the new culture ofcommunication they are bringing into being. We must be willing toventure forth with faith and with a willingness to learn as we journey.”The task of communicating the Gospel to the modern world is

not an easy one, but the “journey” so far has brought the Vaticanto within a hand’s breadth of countless millions thanks to theKnights of Columbus. The words of Supreme Knight McDevitt to delegates gathered

for the 93rd Supreme Convention in 1975 remain true today:“While this should not be a guiding consideration, it must give usall a comforting feeling to realize that when the Holy Father appearson the television screen in our homes, you and I and all the membersof our cherished Order have helped to bring him there.”♦

BRIAN DOWLING is the Creative and Editorial Assistant of Columbia.

Pope John Paul II opens the Holy DoorDec. 24, 1999, to inaugurate the Millen-nial Jubilee.

Left: The former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication,Cardinal John P. Foley, shakes hands with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. PopeBenedict XVI named Anderson a consultor to the pontifical council in 2007. Right: Pope John Paul II greets Past Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant andmembers of the Supreme Board of Directors after blessing the mobile productionvan donated by the Knights to Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV) in 1995.

CNS photo/ Vatican, Reuters

OBSERVE THE YEAR FOR PRIESTS WITH A SPECIAL PRAYER CARD AVAILABLE AT WWW.KOFC.ORG/YEARFORPRIESTS

YEAR FOR PRIESTS


WHEN MSGR. STUART SWETLAND studied at OxfordUniversity as a Rhodes Scholar, academics weren’t his only focus— it was there that the Lutheran student discovered the CatholicChurch. “People were living the faith, engaging in an ongoingdialogue of faith and reason,” he recalled. “There was a strongNewman Center and chaplain, who answered my questions as Ientered the Church.”Swetland’s conversion attests to the fact that the faith journeys

of young adults require authentic exam-ples of faith. “They want to find peoplewho will authentically answer theirquestions, who will walk with them andlive the faith with them,” he explained.“We must accompany students as theymake this transition…as they go fromfaith inherited from their family to onethey own.”Since last spring, Msgr. Swetland has

served as the Archbishop Harry J. FlynnEndowed Chair for Christian Ethics atMount St. Mary’s University in Emmits-burg, Md. This is the latest chapter of apriestly ministry marked by service toyoung people as they pursue their studies.Through his homilies and classes, duringretreats and conversations, Swetlandhelps young adults understand who God is calling them to be incollege and in the future.Msgr. Swetland’s philosophy for young-adult ministry comes

from Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II. “I thinkof what one young person wrote about Karol Wojtyla in the1950s: ‘He didn’t become like us, but we sure wanted to be likehim,’” said Msgr. Swetland. “We are to point [young people] to-ward being fully Christian men and women. I feel privileged tobe on campus and able to do this.” Although a Newman Center helped Msgr. Swetland come to

the Catholic faith, it was his military experience, ultimately, thatled him to the priesthood. “The call to the priesthood was nur-tured in my time in the military by the Navy chaplains,” ex-plained Msgr. Swetland, who was ordained for the Diocese ofPeoria, Ill., in 1991. Eventually, though, Msgr. Swetland was called back to cam-

pus. “I was honored to be asked to go back to a college campusby my bishop after my work at the chancery. He proposed workin either high school or college,” he said. “I thought I’d be better

Priest on CampusA priest’s emphasis on Catholic identity and authentic

Christian witness inspires faith among students

by Amy Smith

suited for college, especially with my own experience at a New-man Center.” Before embarking on a new assignment at the University of Illi-

nois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served as director and chap-lain of the Newman Center from 1997 to 2006, he completed hisdoctoral studies at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studieson Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. This prepared himfor the questions he would have to engage in “an intellectual apos-

tolate on campus,” he said.During his time serving university

students, Msgr. Swetland has come tounderstand that strong Catholic identityis needed to encourage young-adultfaith. In addition to his work as the chairof Christian ethics, he also leads the Pres-ident’s Council on Catholic Identity atMount St. Mary’s,“There needs to be the example of a

lot of living witnesses,” he said. “Thereneeds to be a safe environment to ask theright questions and have them answered.There also needs to be the commitmentto teach and preach the Gospel wholeand entire, and the faith according to theChurch’s discipline with Mass and thesacraments.”

The Knights of Columbus, too, has been present throughouthis ministry. “Being part of the Knights, especially councils at uni-versities, is a very good way for men to make a commitment tothe faith and integrate faith into their lives,” said Swetland, who isa member of Illini Council 2782 at the University of Illinois.And faith is something he has certainly found in large supply,

especially during the Year for Priests, which has been observedsince June. “Being a priest is a phenomenal vocation,” Msgr. Swet-land said. “It is difficult but rewarding — very joy-filled. The olderI get I come to realize how being a priest is a team effort. No prieststands alone; they have their fellow priests and the lay faithful.John Paul II called this virtue solidarity.”He added, “I am very humbled by this year. It shows the great

devotion and appreciation the Catholic faithful have for theirpriests.”♦

AMY SMITH is the copy editor for the National Catholic Register. She is agraduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she wasactive in the Newman Center during Msgr. Swetland’s tenure there.

Msgr. Stuart W. Swetland, vice president for Catholicidentity and Archbishop Harry J. Flynn EndowedChair for Christian Ethics, is pictured in a classroomat Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md.


THE ELECTRONIC AGEOrdained in 1919 for the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., Father Sheen wasa well-known scholar who wrote more than 90 books, pamphletsand articles, and was able to fill a church to capacity with each ser-mon he delivered. However, his preaching was not confined to thechurch pulpit. In Treasure in Clay, his autobiography written shortlybefore his death, Archbishop Sheen wrote, “I was born in the elec-tronic age when light waves are used to communicate the Word.” While in his 30s, Father Sheen embraced this age and began

his media ministry. His radio program began in 1926 with a series

APOSTLE OF THE

AIRWAVESArchbishop Fulton J. Sheen saw and used the

potential of mass media to communicate the Word

by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC

A s our Lord said in his Great Commission, we are to “go outto all the nations and tell the Good News” (Mk 16:15) — a

duty that is carried out in many ways. Whether through a missiontrip to an impoverished country or a conversation with a neighbor,the ability to share the Gospel is always there. Dec. 9, 2009, marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Arch-

bishop Fulton J. Sheen, who clearly did his part to proclaim theGospel message in creative ways. A true media pioneer, as well asa Knight of Columbus, Archbishop Sheen used every communi-cation tool at his disposal to share the Good News on a global level.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is excerpted from a speech ArchbishopFulton J. Sheen gave Aug. 19, 1970, to delegates at the 88th SupremeConvention in Houston.

THE CRISIS TODAY is that the Church is making contactwith the world. The Church went into the world, and the worldcame to the Church. First the Church went into the world. Thisis symbolized by the place where the various pontiffs receivedtheir crowns when they were chosen. Benedict XV was crownedat the far end of St. Peter’s at the altar of Our Lady; Pius XI underthe dome; Pius XII walked through the walls and out in the por-tico; John XXIII walked out in the portico and reached out hisgreat fleshy arms and bade the world to come with him. Paul VIwalked through the front door and was crowned in the world. Second, the world came into the Church. At the council

1870, there was not one single bishop from Asia or Africa. Inour last council, 60 percent of the bishops were from Asia, Africaand the Americas. The culture of the Church is no longerMediterranean; it is cosmic. What we are feeling today is the im-

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

pact of the world which produces two extremes: the psychoticswho insist that the Church shall not be related to the world, andthe neurotics who contend that we should be so related to theworld as to forget the Church. It is hard for us who are striving to keep a balance to remind

them that our Blessed Lord wants both. The first word of ourLord’s public life was “Come.” “Come to me; learn of me. I amthe truth, I am the way, I am the life.” The last word of our Lord’spublic life was “Go.” “Go into the world.” Our trouble today iswe have too many “gos” and too few “comes.” And even someof the religious communities which some 20 years ago were say-ing, “I am holier than thou,” are the ones that are proclaimingtoday, “I am worldlier than thou.” Both are wrong. …One of the signs of the times is that we must reexamine our

goals. Plans must be laid for a new world. Our mission has tobe reexamined. We are in a new world. And the sooner we meetthis challenge, the sooner we shall be strong again. … What theSecond Vatican Council did, the Knights must do — readaptourselves to the times.


of talks broadcast in New York City. He soon went on to reacheven more listeners through his national radio program, TheCatholic Hour, which had an estimated audience of 4 million lis-teners each week.Father Sheen was made a monsignor in 1934 and was or-

dained a bishop in 1951. Bishop Sheen first served as an auxil-iary to Cardinal Francis J. Spellman of New York, whorecognized his ability to captivate an audience. Cardinal Spell-man suggested that he share his gift with the masses, and so, in1952, Bishop Sheen began his famous television series, Life isWorth Living.Although there was doubt that the show would ever succeed

on national television, Bishop Sheen surprised everyone. His dra-matic style, speech andpiercing eyes stole theshow, resulting in a fanbase of nearly 30 millionviewers each week. Sheeneven beat out MiltonBerle, “Mr. Television,” inthe ratings. When askedhow he was able to do this,he credited his success tohis four writers: Matthew,Mark, Luke and John.

A MESSAGE FOR THE TIMEBishop Sheen was popularnot only because of hischarisma, but because hismessage spoke to the com-mon man — he took acomplex idea and pre-sented it in a way that any-one could understand. Healso had a very diverse au-dience. Although he was aCatholic bishop, viewers ofmany faiths routinelywatched his program.Bishop Sheen’s message didnot condemn other reli-gious traditions, but em-braced them. In fact, themajority of fan letters he re-ceived came from Jewishviewers, followed byProtestants, and then Catholics. Beginning each show with a joke, usually a self-deprecating one,

Bishop Sheen would lighten the mood. He believed that no audi-ence should feel inferior to the speaker. Drawing on subjects ofcommon interest, such as art and science, he would gradually in-troduce Christian philosophy. He was thus invited into homesweek after week, with families gathered around the television towatch Life is Worth Living.

Bishop Sheen took every advantage of his popularity, using thisgift for the glory of God. He asked fans to send spare change for mis-sion work, and in his autobiography, Sheen later recalled, “In thecourse of years, thanks to the gifts that were spontaneously sent, re-turns for the missions ran into millions of dollars, every cent of whichfound its way to some poor area of this earth for the building of hos-pitals and schools and the further communication of the Word.”

PERSONAL ENCOUNTERSAs he grew more and more popular, Bishop Sheen continued mak-ing personal appearances, traveling across the country to give lec-tures and always taking time to send handwritten notes to his fans.He served for three years as the bishop of Rochester before retiring

in 1969, at which timePope Paul VI elevated himto the rank of archbishop.Through his zeal and his

charismatic television ap-pearances, ArchbishopSheen was able to bringmany converts to theChurch, even celebritieslike Clare Booth Luce andHenry Ford II. Whenasked how many convertshe had made, ArchbishopSheen refused to give anumber. He said that if hebegan counting, he mayfeel that he had convertedhis audience rather thanthe Holy Spirit. These con-versions did not stop afterSheen’s death in 1979;people today continue tobe influenced by the wordsArchbishop Sheen left be-hind.There is little doubt that

Archbishop Sheen wouldhave used today’s technol-ogy — cell phones, the In-ternet, satellite televisionand much more — in ex-traordinary ways. Weought to follow Arch-bishop Sheen’s exampleand make use of the gift of

communication, which offers a tremendous opportunity to sharethe Good News. In so doing, let us never forget the power of apersonal greeting, as we turn to our brothers in sisters in Christand say, “God love you!”♦

BISHOP DANIEL R. JENKY of Peoria is the bishop of competence for thecause for canonization of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He is a member of the Uni-versity of Notre Dame Council 1477 in Notre Dame, Ind.

Photo by Walter Sanders//Time Life Pictures/Getty Im

ages

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is seen during a taping of Life is Worth Living.The television series, which aired from 1952 to 1957, is believed to be the mostwidely viewed religious series in history.


HeavensThe Church’s astronomers seek to understand God’s creation and celebrate its goodness

by Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno

Lifting Our Eyesto the

Courtesy of Vatican Observatory


EDITOR’S NOTE: The International Year of Astronomy, celebrating the 400thanniversary of Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei’s first use of a telescope to ob-serve the cosmos, runs until Jan. 10, 2010.

Our mission at the Vatican Observatory does not pertain to theStar of Bethlehem. Nor are we missioned by the Church to set

the date of Easter, evangelize aliens or cast the pope’s horoscope. (Allof these ideas have actually been expressed in newspaper articles aboutus, however.) No, our mission at the Vatican Observatory is muchsimpler: perform good science.In 1891, Pope Leo XIII decided to establish a Vatican Observa-

tory to show the world that the Church supports science. In thatera, science was becoming more and more a technical job done bysecular professionals — rather than the hobby of noblemen andclerics — and some of those professionals had promoted the ideathat their work was better for being free of “clerical prejudices.” In-deed, this is when the misconception arose that science and religion

were somehow at war. Pope Leo countered this attitude by showingthat the Church itself was vigorously supporting the free explorationof the universe.But the history of astronomers being supported by the Church is

much older than that.

THE STUDY OF CREATIONSmall errors in the calendar established by Julius Caesar had built upto a 10-day slippage by the 16th century. In addition, missionariesopening up the New World needed a reliable way to calculate forthemselves the date when Easter should be celebrated for any givenlocation, in any year. The reform of the calendar by Pope Gregory XIIIin 1582 meant that the Church had to hire some astronomers for ad-vice on choosing the best way to align the feast days with the actualseasons of the year.Even before then, astronomy was one of the four courses (called

the “quadrivium” — the others were geometry, arithmetic andmusic) that every university student had to master in the Church’smedieval universities before they could go on to study philosophyor theology. In those days, astronomy was itself a branch of naturalphilosophy. The way that (we think) the universe works affects ourdeeper understanding of what the universe itself is all about. AsC. S. Lewis pointed out in his classic text, The Discarded Image, thisin turn shaped literature and the arts; Dante’s Divine Comedy is aclassic example.Indeed, a common thread in Christian theology, from Church fa-

thers like St. Athanasius and St. Augustine, to medieval writers likeJohannes Scotus Eriugena, to moderns like G. K. Chesterton, is thata good God created this universe and found it good. In fact, it is sogood and so loved that he sent his only Son to be a part of it and tosave it. Thus, coming to an intimate knowledge of this creation is apowerful way to know the Creator.It is therefore no surprise that some of the most important advances

in our understanding of the universe have come from priests, monksand other children of the Church. Jesuit priests Grimaldi and Ricciolidevised the names of the features of the Moon that are used even today.(They did their work in Rome less than 20 years after the Galileo trial,and they named the most prominent crater on the Moon for Galileo’shero, Copernicus.) The idea that stars could be classified by their spec-tral colors, the basis of all modern astrophysics, was pioneered by Fa-ther Angelo Secchi in 1865, using a telescope on the roof of St.Ignatius Church in Rome. And the Big Bang Theory came from theearly 20th century work of a Belgian priest and mathematician, FatherGeorges Lemaître.Finally, as Pope Benedict XVI has pointed out, Galileo himself was

a good Catholic — his two daughters were nuns — in spite of theunjust accusations he had to endure.

DISCOVERING BEAUTYToday at the Vatican Observatory we continue to revel in God’s cre-ation. We are a dozen active priest and brother astronomers, with sev-eral Jesuits working in supporting roles. We come from four

The Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) observes the Milky Way Galaxyfrom the Mount Graham International Observatory in southeastern Arizona.

Pope Paul VI sits before a television set at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, watching coverageof Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon July 20, 1969.

24 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9

continents, speak nine languages and work in almost every field ofmodern astronomy: Big Bang cosmology and string theory, galaxy for-mation and evolution, stellar spectroscopy, meteors and meteorites.We have our headquarters in the pope’s summer gardens of CastelGandolfo, in the hills south of Rome, with telescopes perched on thepope’s summer palace itself, and a modern advanced technology tele-scope in the dark, dry skies of southern Arizona.

Our detailed research results are published in the same journals asany other astronomer’s work, and we regularly collaborate with as-tronomers at universities and observatories around the world. We alsodo our bit to help train aspiring astronomers by sponsoring a four-week summer school every other year. Two dozen students, most ofthem from developing countries, are given an intensive course in someaspect of astrophysics from world experts while developing friendships— and a taste for pasta and gelato — that will last a lifetime.And what have we found? More than just the details of our research

papers, we astronomers encounter every day the glory of God as pro-claimed by the heavens. First and foremost, of course, is the fact thatthe universe we see with our telescopes is both rational and beautiful.Even the mathematical explanations of what we see are, in their ownway, also elegantly beautiful. Certainly the spark of joy at every newdiscovery reminds me of those rare moments of joyful prayer. It is inthis beauty, elegance and joy that I find God’s presence.But then, astronomy has been leading people to the transcendent

since humans first looked up at night. One of the major themes ofthis International Year of Astronomy is to remind us that we all sharethe same sky. The awe of the stars can help put our small lives into alarger perspective — you don’t need an advanced degree to be able toenjoy this stuff.After all, consider what guided the Magi to the Christ child. So,

maybe it does pertain to the Star of Bethlehem after all.♦

JESUIT BROTHER GUY CONSOLMAGNO, a native of Detroit, has recentlycollected images and essays by members of Vatican Observatory into a coffee-tablebook: The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican (Our Sunday Visitor Press).

Pope Benedict XVI views a display during his visit to the new headquar-ters of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sept. 16.Standing at right is Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, Vatican astronomer.

“DEAR FRIENDS, modern cosmology has shown us thatneither we, nor the earth we stand on, is the center of our uni-verse, composed of billions of galaxies, each of them with myr-iads of stars and planets. Yet, as we seek to respond to thechallenge of this Year — to lift up our eyes to the heavens inorder to rediscover our place in the universe — how can wenot be caught up in the marvel expressed by the Psalmist solong ago? Contemplating the starry sky, he cried out with won-

der to the Lord: ‘When I see your heavens, the work of yourfingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place, what isman that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man,that you should care for him?’ (Ps 8:4-5). It is my hope thatthe wonder and exaltation which are meant to be the fruits ofthis International Year of Astronomy will lead beyond the con-templation of the marvels of creation to the contemplation ofthe Creator, and of that Love which is the underlying motiveof his creation — the Love which, in the words of DanteAlighieri, ‘moves the sun and the other stars’ (Paradiso XXXIII,145). Revelation tells us that, in the fullness of time, the Wordthrough whom all things were made came to dwell among us.In Christ, the new Adam, we acknowledge the true centre ofthe universe and all history, and in him, the incarnate Logos,we see the fullest measure of our grandeur as human beings,endowed with reason and called to an eternal destiny.”— POPE BENEDICT XVI, in an address to a colloquium sponsored by theVatican Observatory in Rome Oct. 30.

‘THE LOVE THAT MOVES THE STARS’

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FOOD SERVICESt. John Bosco Council 12846in Springfield, Va., conducteda food drive to benefit the Lor-ton Community Action Cen-ter (LCAC). Knights collectedand delivered more than 3,000pounds of food.

GRILLIN’ FOR LIFESt. Therese Council 8285 inJackson, Miss., held its an-nual “Grillin’ for Life” barbe-cue cook-off. Twenty-seventeams raised $7,000 for localpro-life agencies.

FOR SPECIAL NEEDSNuestra Señora de GuadalupeCouncil 13145 in BatonRouge, La., donated $1,200to the special education de-partment of the Diocese ofBaton Rouge. The funds willhelp educate students with in-tellectual disabilities.

RAFFLE TIMEFather Philip Lawlor Council12133 in Avoca-Walnut,Iowa, sponsored a cash raffleto benefit local nonprofitagencies. Knights sold morethan 200 tickets and raised$6,000. The winner of theraffle, a new mother of twins,received $10,000.

Members of Father Michael P. Dowling Assembly in Omaha,Neb., grill burgers and steak during the assembly’s annual clergyappreciation barbecue. Knights provided dinner for 112 clergy,religious and seminarians, and presented Archbishop Elden F.Curtiss of Omaha with a donation to assist needy seminarians.

Charlie Widmayer Sr. and Mickey Dillow of Father Andrew WhiteAssembly in Ridge, Md., remove trash along the side of Mary-land Route 5. The assembly adopted a one-mile stretch of high-way that passes the Helen Veterans Memorial, where theKnights’ color guard often participates in patriotic events.

cers who want to attend theseminar with travel and tu-ition expenses.

BUILDING FUNDBishop Evans Council 10122in Aurora, Colo., donated$10,000 toward the Queenof Peace Church buildingfund. The money will helpbuild a new social and educa-tion center for the parish. Ad-ditionally, San Juan BoscoCouncil 10087 in Miamipresented Our Lady of Di-vine Providence Church with$2,000 in support of itsparish building fund.

WHEELCHAIRS DONATED

Members of the Ontario StateCouncil and their familiestraveled to Mexico to distrib-ute 280 wheelchairs throughthe Global Wheelchair Mis-sion. Knights distributedwheelchairs that were pur-chased with funds raised bycouncils across the province.Universidad Autónoma dePuebla Council 13582 inPuebla, Mexico South, alsodonated eight wheelchairs topeople with physical disabili-ties through the organization.

SUPPORTING VOCATIONS

Fourth Degree Knights fromthroughout the Diocese ofPeoria, Ill., raised more than$49,000 for the diocesan vo-cations fund. The funds,which were presented at acookout for 37 seminarians,will support vocations educa-tion throughout the diocese.

FOR THE DIOCESEMsgr. Anthony Piegay As-sembly in Alexandria, La.,donated $2,000 to the Dio-cese of Alexandria. The fundswill provide financial aid tofour seminarians.

BANKING ON ITOver two years, CardinalBernardin Council 12263 inBluffton, S.C., collectedmore than 20,000 pounds offood and $12,500 for theHardeeville Food Bank.

POURING CONCRETEMsgr. Felino G. CaballaCouncil 12412 in Naga,Visayas, poured concrete for apaved path at Our Lady ofthe Holy Rosary Church. Be-fore completing the path,parishioners often had to con-tend with mud and weeds.

OFFICER TRAININGArchbishop Lamy Council4227 in Albuquerque, N.M.,held a benefit breakfast tosupport the Officer StreetSurvival Training Fund, aseminar and workshop thatprovides advanced trainingfor police officers. The coun-cil was contacted about theproject by Jim and Rita Mc-Grane, whose son was killedin the line of duty. The eventraised $3,100 to assist offi-

KNIGHTS ACTION REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLESIN

John Cossart, Frank Kosaand Patrick Clifford of OurLady of Mount Carmel Coun-cil 13300 in Wildwood, Fla.,present Father Peter Sagorskiof St. Vincent de Paul Churchwith a new automatic externaldefibrillator (AED). Knightspurchased the unit for $2,000and donated it to the church,where it is accessible in thebuilding’s vestibule. FatherSagorski is also a member ofCouncil 13300.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION


cue. The event raised $3,400,which was donated to the Cys-tic Fibrosis Foundation.

TREE LOTMembers of Father Jose A.Burgos Council 9095 in Bur-gos, Luzon, planted ma-hogany trees at Holy Name ofJesus Church. The trees willhelp reduce soil erosion onparish property.

SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION

Father Paul Sutter Council4858 in Sullivan, Mo., setout to update the exterior ofSt. Anthony School and pro-vide it with a more Catholicidentity. Knights purchasedand installed new letteringthat clearly identifies theschool and ordered a statueof St. Anthony to adorn thefront of the building. Knightsand local parishioners per-formed all the installationlabor themselves.

SEMINARIAN BANQUET

Councils from throughoutwestern Tennessee hosted adinner to benefit the Dioceseof Memphis seminarian fund.Knights and other volunteersserved more than 300 guests,and the event raised $13,000.

SCHOOL ASSISTANCESt. Joseph Council 9207 inNegros Occidental, Visayas,regularly provides food forpupils at Hauten ElementarySchool, many of whom comefrom needy families. Thecouncil also undertook abeautification project to plantnew trees on school property.

TRAVELING MASS KITGlenmary Council 7853 inNorton, Va., presented FatherMike Herbert, who servesthree parishes in the area, witha traveling Mass kit.

SHARING THE SURPLUS

St. Francis Council 11746 inBlairsville, Ga., volunteeredat the District 9 GovernmentSurplus Food Program at theBlairsville Civic Center.Knights helped arrange anddistribute food to needymembers of the community.

BALLPARK KNIGHTSMembers of South Plainfield(Ill.) Council 6203 and theirfamilies regularly operate thefirst- and third-baseline con-cession stands at Somerset Pa-triots Ballpark in Bridgewater.Proceeds from the gamesfund the council’s scholarshipprogram.

James Lanahan of Phoenixville (Pa.) Council 1374 presents acheck to Principal Dorothy Gudz of Sacred Heart School.Council 1374 provides $3,000 each to Sacred Heart Schooland Holy Family School for tuition assistance each year. Alsopictured are Father Timothy M. Judge, pastor of Sacred Heart,and several Sacred Heart students.

A CATHOLIC UPBRINGING

To encourage parents to sendtheir children to Catholicschools, Calumet Council2556 in Chilton, Wis., pro-vides $100 tuition grants tofamilies with kindergarten-age children who enroll inone of several area Catholicschools. Over two years, thecouncil provided $2,400 toyoung students.

BUILDING THE INNCorpus Christi Assembly inFlagler Beach, Fla., donated$2,000 to St. Joseph’s Car-melite Monastery in Bunnell.The funds are earmarked forthe construction of St.Theresa’s Pilgrimage Inn onthe monastery grounds.

SET IN STONESt. Paul’s Council 7265 inSan Antonio, Texas, held abarbecue chicken and sausagedinner to raise funds for astatue of St. Paul at its parish.Knights served more than1,000 meals at the event.

PARISH DONATIONSMary Immaculate Council12769 in Secaucus, N.J.,raised $1,500 for its parishduring a council-sponsored

raffle. The funds will offsetthe church’s operational costs.Knights also co-hosted apasta dinner with theCatholic Daughters of Amer-ica that raised $1,900 towardthe parish’s centennial fund.

BOOKS FOR ABU DHABI

When Robert Hock of St.Mary of the Lakes Council6520 in Medford, N.J., wasassigned to a U.S. Air Forcebase near Abu Dhabi in theUnited Arab Emirates, he im-mediately sought out otherKnights stationed there. Aftertheir initial meeting, theKnights came to realize that St.Joseph Cathedral in AbuDhabi — one of the onlyCatholic parishes in the city— was severely lacking inbooks for its parish school.The Knights began solicitingused books from their councilsback home, eventually gettingmore than 6,000 donations.The delivery was so large thatthe cathedral now needs to ex-pand its parish library.

PIG ROASTSt. Bernard Council 9082 inMadison, Wis., held a pigroast at its parish that includedcraft sales, raffles and a barbe-

Members of St. Basil Council 4204 in Sugar Land, Texas, erecta new gazebo at the Basilian Mission Center. When the Basilianfathers announced they would hold a cookout for the seminar-ians at St. Mary’s Seminary, Knights volunteered to build a newgazebo on the Mission Center grounds. The council also vol-unteered at the cookout.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION


Peter Kiefer and James Zik of St. Peter the Apostle Council13290 in Libertytown, Md., demonstrate how to change a flattire. Knights hosted a car maintenance clinic to teach new driv-ers how to properly care for their vehicles. Attendees learnedhow to check fluids, change tires, swap oil and perform severalother essential tasks.

compost heap, which is thenbroken down by worms tocreate a rich, organic fertilizer.The fertilizer is then sold forapproximately 25 pesos perkilo. Proceeds are added tothe council’s charitable fund.

TIJUANA PROJECTHoly Innocents ChurchCouncil 11881 in Victorville,Calif., provided partial finan-cial backing to the DamienHigh School Tijuana MissionOutreach Program. Studentsat Damien High raised$120,000 and volunteered tobuild six houses, two class-rooms and a community cen-ter in La Morita, Mexico.

A FOND FAREWELLOur Lady of Sorrows Coun-cil 6302 in Wahiawa, Hawaii,sponsored a breakfast inhonor of departing soldiersfrom the 25th Infantry.Knights fed 150 soldiers andtheir families prior to theirdeployment overseas.

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST

Prince of Peace Council 5903in Englishtown, N.J., holds abi-monthly community break-fast, proceeds from which areadded to the council’s chari-table fund.

The funds are earmarked forthe purchase of new pews,Stations of the Cross and aconsecration candle.

NEW THREADSFourth Degree Knights fromthroughout the Diocese ofNelson, British Columbia,presented Bishop John D.Corriveau with a handmadechasuble and miter at theKnights’ annual barbecue.

LIKE NEW!Members of St. ThomasMore Council 11439 inOceanside, Calif., along withtheir families and other vol-unteers, refurbished severalapartments in Escondido.The apartments house elderlymembers of the communitywho have fallen below thepoverty line.

KEEPING WARMPope John Paul I Council7370 in Hazel Green, Wis.,hosted a steak fry that raised$7,500 toward a new boilerat St. Joseph School.

WHAT A HEAP!Burgos Sañta Cruz (Min-danao) Council 7830 begancomposting to supplement itscouncil fund. Knights discardbiodegradable material in a

IN A LOUD VOICESanta Maria Council 6065 inPlano, Texas, donated $500to the Texas Voice Project,which treats people withcommunications disorders re-lated to Parkinson’s disease.

RELOCATING A FAMILY

Father D. L. McElligottCouncil 3703 and FatherMichael J. Keyes Assembly,both in Mountain Home,Idaho, assisted a local familywhose home was damaged ina fire. Knights donated $500to assist the family and movedany belongings that survivedthe blaze.

UN-CANNY AIDSt. Michael’s Council 4501 inLeamington, Ontario, arrangeda donation of 86,000 poundsof canned food to CanadianFood for Children, an organ-ization that ships food, handtools, clothing and other careitems to Third World coun-tries. The food was donatedby Henry Iacobelli, owner ofSun-Brite Canning.

PARISH UPDATESFather Alexander C. DenisCouncil 7087 in Kiln, Miss.,donated $3,000 to St. Mat-thew the Apostle Church.

BOOKS DONATEDFather Rodolfo CabonceCouncil 8587 in Cagayan deOro, Mindanao, held a bookand poster drive to benefitthe Patag Day Care Center.Meanwhile, Nuestra Señorade Fatima Council 11249 inDasmarinas, Luzon, donatedmore than 500 textbooks toSalitran Elementary School.

HELPING A WIDOWMembers of Pope John Paul ICouncil 7315 in Nipawin,Saskatchewan, removed treesfrom the home of a widowedparishioner. In the event ofinclement weather, the treesposed a threat to the parish-ioner’s property.

NEW MOWERHoly Family Council 7435 inVernon, Texas, donated anew John Deere ride-onmower to its parish. Fundsfor the mower were raised ata council-sponsored raffle.

FIRE SAFETYSt. John de Brebeuf Council8233 in Kingsville, Ontario,donated $500 to the KingsvilleFire Department. The fundsare earmarked for the depart-ment’s “safety trailer,” whichdemonstrates important skillsto use in case of a fire.

Shoppers browse a tool booth run by Msgr. Newman Council4665 in Shively, Ky., during the annual St. Joseph Children’sHome picnic. Knights sold used tools and raised $1,500 for thehome, which provides child-care services to orphans of anyrace or religious background.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION


will help support the couragelion program, which aids crit-ically ill, traumatized, abusedand other children in crisissituations.

WALKING FOR A CAUSE

Pope John XXIII Council7104 in Congers, N.Y., partic-ipated in a five-mile walk tobenefit Multiple Sclerosis re-search. The Knights raised$1,500.

ABIGAYLE’S KNIGHTSSt. Matthias Council 13992in Sterling Heights, Mich.,

Father Ron Piepmeyer of St.Philip the Apostle Churchblesses a new statue of St.Philip that was donated by St.Malachy Council 5128 in Mor-row, Ohio. Father Piepmeyer,who also serves as councilchaplain, requested the statuefor placement near the altar.

Carlos Homs (center) of San Juan Bautista Council 1543 in SanJuan, Puerto Rico, leads a short prayer before Knights and theirfamilies begin cleaning the coastline. For the second consecutiveyear, the council participated in Ocean Conservancy's Interna-tional Coastal Cleanup Campaign. Knights and their familiesspent two hours cleaning trash.

held a baby bottle drive tobenefit Abigayle House, apregnancy resource center.Knights secured 500 babybottles and asked parish-ioners to fill them with sparechange. The drive raisedmore than $4,880.

TILAPIA FARMINGSt. Joseph the Worker Coun-cil 12363 in Vicmico,Visayas, initiated a tilapiafarming project to assist localresidents who lack funds forfood. Council members farmthe fish for distribution toarea haciendas.

CHURCH REPAIRSMembers of Norwood-Have-lock (Ontario) Council 8287painted the exterior of St.Paul’s Church. When acherry picker used for thework left deep ruts in thechurch grounds, Knights anda parish youth group spread atruckload of new topsoil and20 pounds of grass seed to re-pair the damage.

from Kentucky when Dougwas diagnosed with terminallung cancer. Knights solicitedfunds, goods and volunteersto completely refurbish thehome.

FEEDING OTHERSChrist the King Council12813 in Cambridge, Minn.,donated $1,000 to the Cam-bridge Family Pathway FoodShelf. The funds will help theorganization purchase foodfor needy members of thecommunity.

SCHOOL DONATIONDallas (Texas) Council 799donated $10,000 to NotreDame School, a Catholicschool dedicated to studentswith intellectual disabilities.The donation will help sup-port Notre Dame’s programs,which include independentliving skills and job training.

NOT WITHOUT HELPWhen a local parishioner wasevicted from her apartment,members of St. Francis of As-sisi Council 13456 in Hen-derson, Nev., helped movethe woman’s belongings intostorage. Knights also rented amoving truck and volun-teered to help the womanmove.

A HELPING HANDFather William Tracy, a Re-demptionist missionary inBrazil, operates a mission tohelp Roman Catholic priestsand religious who have be-come addicted to alcohol.Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)Council 246 held a benefitdinner to support FatherTracy and raised $6,000 forhis rehabilitation center.

GIVEN ‘COURAGE’Father Maurice J. WolfeCouncil 11372 in Abingdon,Md., donated $1,000 to theCourage Unlimited Corpora-tion, which produces Duffy,the courage lion. The funds

TECH KNIGHTSLubbock (Texas) Council3008 held its annual TechKnight Kickoff fundraiser tobenefit several local agencies.More than 600 people at-tended the event, which in-cluded a golf tournament andauction. Proceeds were do-nated to Christ the KingChurch, the Diocese of Lub-bock seminarian fund andCatholic Family Services,among others.

LAST REFUGESt. Catharine Council 11354in Bexley, Ohio, raised$25,000 and volunteered torefurbish a home owned byDoug Barlay, his wife, Sheri,and their two children. Thefamily moved back to Ohio

Ron Marulewski (left) of St. John the Baptist Council 9167 inJohnsburg, Ill., presents a plaque to Sal de Marco (center) ofVal’s Foods while Knights John Petco and Ron Robaczewskilook on. With help from the supermarket, Council 9167 conductsfood and fund drives throughout the year. Items are donated toFriends in Service Here (FISH), an agency that distributes foodto the needy. Also pictured is Barbara Pierce, director of FISH.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION


bished a large cross at St.James Cemetery and land-scaped the surroundinggrounds. Knights providedall funding for the projectand added new lighting tothe area so the cross will bevisible at night.

NEW LAPTOPSt. Rita Council 4610 inQuezon City, Luzon, do-nated a new laptop to semi-narian Kennedy Garcia. Thecouncil also supports Garciathrough the Order’s RefundSupport Vocations Program(RSVP).

DIOCESE DRIVESt. Anastasia Council 5911 inDouglaston, N.Y., held afund drive to benefit theDiocese of Brooklyn. Knightssolicited donations from pass-ing motorists and collected$400 for the diocese.

FIRE RELIEFMsgr. Vicente S. FernandezCouncil 9101 in Abucay,Luzon, distributed clothing,food and financial assistanceto victims of a fire that tookplace in Barangay Wawa. Thecouncil solicited donationsfrom local businesses andfrom individual donors. Atotal of 35 families were af-fected by the blaze.

FLEA MARKET AND AUCTION

St. Lazare de BellechaseeCouncil 11614 in St. Lazare,Quebec, held an auction andflea market that raised morethan $6,500 for its parish.

‘LOVING’ WILLSJoseph I. Driscoll Council4497 in El Paso, Texas,hosted a campaign forparishioners to establish“loving” wills — a livingwill that provides for an in-dividual to receive food,

water and a level of dignifiedcare if ever they are incapac-itated. More than 50 parish-ioners took advantage of theprogram, and Knights nota-rized the necessary docu-ments free of charge.

THOUGHTS FROM HOME

Blessed Joseph AllamanoCouncil 11359 in NewWestminster, British Colum-bia, donated $500 to theRegimental Association ofThe Royal Westminster Reg-iment to send care packagesto 29 soldiers serving in Kan-dahar, Afghanistan. The carepackages contained snacks,granola bars, food vouchersand more.

AED PURCHASECathedral of St. JosephCouncil 11405 in Hartford,Conn., purchased an auto-matic external defibrillator(AED) for its parish. Knightsraised $2,000 to purchase theunit and provide the neces-sary training to use it.

A DEDICATED GROUP

Father Lawrence A. VieckAssembly in Washington,Ind., provided an honorguard for the dedication ofthe new Our Lady of HopeChurch and Elementary

School. The assembly, alongwith members of ColumbianCouncil 630, volunteeredmore than 3,000 hourspreparing the new schooland church before their ded-ication. Knights movedequipment and furniture,landscaped the grounds,painted, and poured concretefor a new sidewalk.

ILLUMINATED IN CHRIST

When Sainte-Trinité Churchin Rockland, Ontario, was de-clared a cultural and heritagesite, Rheal Franche Council6198 donated $6,000 to thechurch so that its steeple andcross could be illuminatedevery night. The cross can beseen from virtually everywherein the community.

A FRESH CUP OF JOE

Father Thomas Lane Council3645 in Renton, Wash., pur-chased a new commercial cof-fee maker for the parish hall atSt. Anthony’s Church. KnightVince Becker championed theidea to promote communityamong parishioners.

CROSS REFURBISHEDArchbishop Joseph L. Wil-helm Council 1008 inBelleville, Ontario, refur-

Members of Father Andrew H. Hohman Council 5253 inReynoldsburg, Ohio, stand with the eight chalices they donatedto St. Pius X Church. Knights donated the chalices as part ofthe parish’s 50th anniversary celebration. Seven of the chalicesbear the names of the parish’s current and former pastors, andthe eighth is dedicated to the council’s deceased members.

Members of Immaculate Con-ception Council 12608 inDoña Soldad Subdivision,Mindanao, clean a cloggeddrainage canal in preparationfor the country’s rainy season.Knights removed mud, rub-bish and debris from areacanals to aid the flow ofdrainage water.

Members of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Circle 5222 inSan Pedro, Luzon, stand with some of the used clothing theycollected for the needy. The clothes were delivered to Caritasde Manila, a division of the Archdiocese of Manila.

KNIGHTS IN ACTION


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mANAGemeNT ANd cIrculATIoN

(Act of August 1, 1970:

Section 3685, title 39, u.S. code)

1. Publication title: columbia

2. Publication No.: 12-3740

3. date of filing: oct. 3, 2008

4. Frequency of issue: monthly

5. No. of issues published annually: 12

6. Annual subscription price: $6

7. location of office of publication:

1 columbus Plaza, New Haven,

cT 06510-3326

8. location of publisher’s headquarters:

1 columbus Plaza, New Haven,

cT 06510-3326

9. Names and address of publisher, editor

and managing editor.

Publisher: carl A. Anderson,

1 columbus Plaza,

New Haven, cT 06510-3326

managing editor: Alton J. Pelowski,

1 columbus Plaza,

New Haven, cT 06510-3326

10. owner:

Knights of columbus

Supreme council,

1 columbus Plaza,

New Haven, cT 06510-3326.

11. Known bond holders: none.

12. For completion by nonprofit organiza-

tions authorized to mail at special rates.

The purpose, function, and nonprofit status

of this organization and the exempt status

for federal income tax purposes:

(check one)

(If changed, publisher must submit expla-

nation of change with this statement.)

13. Publication name: columbia.

14. Issue date for circulation data below:

october 2009

15. extent and nature of circulation

A. Total no. copies (net press run)

1,597,756 1,617,692

b. Paid and/or requested circulation

1. outside-county mail subscriptions stated

on Form 3541:

242,822 244,519

2. Paid in-county subscriptions stated on

Form 3541:

0 0

3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street

vendors, counter sales and other non-

uSPS distribution:

1,000 1,000

4. other classes mailed through the uSPS.

1,287,924 1,296,157

c. Total paid and/or requested circulation:

1,531,746 1,541,676

d. Free distribution by mail (samples, com-

plimentary and other):

1. outside-county as stated on Form

3541:

0 0

2. In-county as stated on Form 3541:

0 0

3. other classes mailed through the uSPS:

4,000 4,000

4. Free or Nominal rate distribution outside

the mail (carriers or other):

0 0

e. Total Free or Nominal rate distribution

(Sum of (15d, (1), (2), (3) and (4):

4,000 4,00 0

F. Total distribution (sum of 15c and 15e):

1,535,746 1,545,676

G. copies not distributed:

400 400

H. Total (sum of 15f and 15g):

1,536,146 1,546,076

I. Percent paid and/or requested circu-

lation (15c/15f x 100):

99.8% 99.8%

I certify that the statements made by me

above are correct and complete.

AlToN J. PeloWSKI

managing editor

(x) Have not

changed during

the preceding

12 months.

( ) Has changed dur-

ing the preceding

12 months.

Av. # copies each

issue during pre-

ceding 12 months

# copies of single

issue published

nearest to filing

date

IF THERE’S a will, there’s a way — at least according to theKnights of Columbus in regards to retaining the real meaning ofChristmas. Through plain ingenuity, Knights have found manyways to spread the “Keep Christ in Christmas” message, whetherthrough car magnets, lawn signs, bumper stickers, buttons (like the

one pictured above left, available through pcbuttons.com) or even highwaybillboards. Consider, for instance, the Knights in Iowa who began selling waterprooffoam Nativity sets for display on customers’ lawns; or the 23 councils in Michiganthat band together to rent billboards throughout the month of December. By thesemethods and countless others, Knights remain at the front lines of cutting throughthe holiday hubbub and reminding everyone of the real reason for the season.

Grand Knight Jay Richardson of Father Joseph Plummer Council 10872 in Spring,Texas, presents Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston,with the one-millionth “Keep Christ in Christmas” car magnet. St. Margaret MaryCouncil 11091 in Algonquin, Ill., began the magnet program in 2006. Since then,Knights have sold magnets and decals in the United States, Canada and coun-tries around the world. Councils in North America alone have raised more than$3.5 million for charity. Visit www.kcnativitysets.com for more information.

THE REASON FOR THE SEASONKnights work to keep Christ in Christmas


HISTORY IS THE ARENA in which spiritual powers engage anddo battle. Great historical events are driven by the conflict of evilstirring in the hearts of man and the goodness that strives to over-come that evil. Atheistic philosophies and totalitarian governmentsin the last century have left stark examples of how systematic evilcan leave untold human suffering in its wake.We are also faced with the reality that in the United States

alone, abortion has claimed the lives ofmore than 50 million babies over thelast 36 years. Moreover, the evil ofabortion enjoys the protection of lawand has the support of many privateand corporate entities that help to fundPlanned Parenthood and other abor-tion providers. And now, proposedhealth care legislation in the U.S. Sen-ate threatens to provide federal fund-ing for abortion. To paraphrase Pope John Paul II,

structures of sin emerge at timesthroughout history that give rise to aculture of death. What are the faithfulto do in the face of a horror that seemsso much greater than our meager re-sources?Despite the power of the abortion

industry, Scripture and Catholic historyteach us that God is the Lord of life andhas power to overcome death. In ourneed, we must turn to God in prayer.This is important for at least two rea-sons. First, although the fight againstabortion happens at many levels and re-quires many different talents — talentsthat some possess and others do not —prayer is the duty of every Christian. Second, it is in prayer wherewe find our greatest power. In turning to God in prayer, we enlistand unleash the ultimate source of goodness in our effort to defeatthe evil of abortion.In addition to the confidence that comes to us through faith,

the history of the Western Hemisphere gives us cause for hope. Thecurse of abortion is not the first time that a culture of death hasreigned on the American continent. In the early 16th century, the

Aztec Empire, a nation of more than 10 million people stretchingfrom modern day Guatemala to central Mexico, had reached thezenith of its power. Despite many achievements, Aztec culture em-braced a bloodthirsty religion that claimed thousands of lives eachyear through human sacrifice. On Dec. 9, 1531, only a decade afterthe arrival of Spanish explorers in Mexico, the Blessed Virgin Maryappeared to the humble Indian convert named Juan Diego. The

appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupeled to an unprecedented tide of conver-sions to the Christian faith, bringingabout an end to the culture of deaththat resulted from the Aztecs’ pagan be-lief system.Given Our Lady’s powerful work

some 500 years ago, it is natural for usto seek her intercession to overcomeour contemporary culture of abortion. For the past two decades American

Catholics have gathered at theirparishes to observe the National Nightof Prayer for Life. From the evening ofDec. 8, the feast of the ImmaculateConception, to Dec. 9, the feast of St.Juan Diego, all Catholics are invited topray before the Blessed Sacrament foran end to abortion and the growth ofan authentic culture of life. Since its modest beginning in 1990 in

the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y.,the movement has spread to more than700 parishes throughout the UnitedStates and Canada. In anticipation of thefeast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec.12, the National Night of Prayer for Lifeoffers Catholics the chance to present a

unified plea to Our Lady for her intercession.For more information on the National Night of Prayer for Life,

visit www.NationalNightofPrayerforLife.org.♦

JOSEPH MCINERNEY, a graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institutefor Studies on Marriage and Family, lives in Springfield, Va., with his wifeand five children. He is a member of Springfield Council 6153.

Praying to End Abortion

Through the Night of Prayer for Life, Catholics join in prayer to conquer the culture of death

by Joseph McInerney

A 17th century statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe,draped by a reliquary holding a small piece of St. JuanDiego’s tilma (or cloak), is seen at the Knights-sponsoredMarian Congress in Phoenix last August.

CULTURE OF LIFE

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PRO-LIFE INITIATIVES AND RESOURCES, VISIT WWW.KOFC.ORG/PROLIFE

COLUMBIANISM BY DEGREES

CARL ROBERTS, Ronald Benkovic,Josip Kajic and Mike Rubinich of BishopJoseph T. Daley Council 3625 in Steel-ton, Pa., display some of the care pack-ages their council assembled for U.S.troops. Knights collected more than 130bags of care items at their parish andsorted the donations into 65 packages.• St. Stanislaus Council 7875 in Pleas-ant Valley, N.Y., unveiled a permanentdisplay at its parish in honor of parish-ioners who are serving in the U.S.Armed Forces. The display features ashadowbox that lists the name and rankof each parishioner, and a leather-boundbook with photos and biographies.

Patriotism

Charity

ON SUNDAY, Nov. 1, Alton J.Pelowski, managing editor of Colum-bia and a member of Father MichaelJ. McGivney Council 10705 in NewHaven, Conn., ran the 40th New YorkCity Marathon after raising $2,500 forTuesday’s Children, a nonprofit familyservice organization founded by thefamilies and friends of Sept. 11 vic-tims. With a field of more than 44,000runners, the 26.2-mile race throughthe city’s five boroughs was one of thelargest marathons in history.• Sacred Heart Council 4628 in Roth-schild, Wis., donated $750 toSt. Clare’s Hospital for the hospital’sprenatal bereavement program. Thefunds will assist families that have losta newborn or young child.

Fraternity

FATHER VINCENT T. NGUYEN,chaplain of St. Francis Xavier Council10500 in Vancouver, British Colum-bia, speaks about Mount Angel Sem-inary in Portland, Ore., before agroup of Knights and their families.Council members made a pilgrimageto the seminary, where they joined aretreat of approximately 100 people.• St. Benedict Council 10633 in Du-luth, Ga., held a pancake breakfast toraise funds for the family of AlbertoFiguerdo, a council member who diedof a heart attack at age 37. The eventraised more than $5,800 in support ofFiguerdo’s widow and three children.

Unity

MEMBERS OF Pendleton (Ore.)Council 1673 roll back the old carpetat St. Mary’s Church in preparationfor renovations. Knights removed car-pet and two layers of flooring so thata new subfloor and tiling could be in-stalled at their church.• St. Ann Council 10245 in Coppell,Texas, donated $7,000 to help fundconstruction of a new cloisteredCarmelite convent for the Archdioceseof Ernakulam-Angamaly, India. Theconvent will be located at the foot ofMalayattoor Mountain, a popular pil-grimage site where the Sanctuary ofSt. Thomas the Apostle is located.


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].

Building a better world one council at a time

Every day, Knights all over the worldare given opportunities to make a dif-ference — whether through commu-nity service, raising money or prayer.We celebrate each and every Knight forhis strength, his compassion and hisdedication to building a better world.

Gard Genest, Albert Mazerolle andRobert Obonsawin of Iroquois Falls(Ontario) Council 2641 repair astone cross at Abitibi Cemetery.Knights restored the cross over a two-day period, scraping off old paint andapplying a fresh coat.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS


KEEP THE FAITH ALIVE

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

‘I SIMPLYCOULD NOT IGNORETHE LORD’S CALLANY LONGER.’

I come from a family of believing and practicingCatholics. As a child, I remember Father EugèneGarant, the saintly priest of our village, St-Lambertde Lévis near Quebec City. I was struck each timeI saw this man shining with goodness. In my imag-ination I told myself: “When I grow up, I want tobe just like him.”When I was in the first grade, Father Garant said

my class, “I am sure that all you boys have alreadythought about becoming a priest.” I realized I hadalready thought about it, and after that, the ideanever really left me.During my adolescence, I tried to tell myself, “It

really doesn’t make sense to become a priest intoday’s world.” At the end of my college training,I was torn between my interior desire to become apriest and the expectations that people had for me.The call of the Lord, however, was stronger.

Having committed myself to a more intense prayerlife with specific Marian devotion, I felt the Lord’scall to the priesthood so strongly that I simplycould not ignore it any longer.

FATHER JOCELYN PLANTEARCHDIOCESE OF SHERBROOKE, QUÉBEC

columbia december 2009

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