These Men They Call Knights - Part 1
Reproduced from the booket, These Men They Call Knights, from the Supreme Council
Founded my Father Michael J. McGivney, curate at St. Mary’s parish in New Haven, Conn., the Knights of Columbus was charted on March 29, 1882, in the State of Connecticut.
As the priest explained to a small group of men at a meeting in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in October 1881, his purpose in calling them together was manifold: to help Catholic men remain steadfast in their faith through mutual encouragement; to promote closer ties of fraternity among them; and to set up and elementary system of insurance so that the widows and children of members in the group who might die would not find themselves in dire financial straits.
The founder and first officers of the fledgling organization chose the name "Knights of Columbus" because they felt that, as a Catholic group, it should relate to Christopher Columbus, the Catholic discoverer of America. This would emphasize that it was Catholics who discovered, explored and colonized the North American continent. At the same time "Knights" would signify that the membership embodied knightly ideals of spirituality and service to church, country and fellowman.
By the end of 1897 the Order was thoroughly rooted in New England, along the upper Atlantic seaboard and into Canada. Within the next eight years it branched out from Quebec to California, and from Florida to Washington.
From such promising beginnings Father McGivney’s original group has blossomed into an international society of more than 1.5 million Catholic men plus their families, in more than 10,000 councils who have dedicate themselves to the ideals of Columbianism: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.
Today members of the Order are found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. They belong to many races and speak many different languages. The are diverse, yet they are one. Their diversity spells creativity; their unity spells strength.
The Knights’ creativity is manifested in numerous programs and projects directed to the benefit of their fellowman. Their strength assures that these programs are operated effectively and brought to positive conclusions.
Since assuming leadership of the Order in January 1977, Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant has embarked on a series of significant projects designed to strengthen Columbianism, the Church, the family and each individual knight.
One of his first moves was to place his stewardship under the patronage and protection of Our Lady, and he formalized this dedication during a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., soon after he took office. As a further concrete sign of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin under her title, "Our Lady of the Rosary", he implemented a plan to present a special "Knights of Columbus Rosary" to each new member enrolled in the society. These have been distributed at the rate of 10,000 per month since the program began. The "Pilgrim Virgin-Marian Hour of Prayer" programs undertaken every two years have attracted millions of participants to prayer services sponsored by councils in honor of Our Lady under several of her titles.
His other initiatives have gone far toward strengthening the Order as it confronts the increasing secularism of our modern age. He has renewed the Knights’ pledge of loyalty and fidelity to the magisterium and to the hierarchy of the Church in the countries where the Order exists. He also has renewed the Canadian bishops. The order has donated d more than $7 million to the U.S. bishops’ Pro-Life education and public information campaign to date.
Among other thrusts, the Supreme Knight formulated a program to maintain the involvement of the widows and children of deceased members in the activities of the Order. A resolution passed at the 95th annual meeting of the Supreme Council in August 1977 calls for the establishment of a committee in every unit of the Order which shall be responsible for keeping contact with widows and dependent children of deceased members. These children will remain eligible for all educational benefits, such as student loans and all the society’s fellowships and trusts.
Upon receipt of notice that a member has died, the Supreme Knight sends a letter of condolence to the widow or the next of kin, informing them first of all that their loved one has been enrolled in a Mass offered at St. Mary’s Church, birthplace of the Order, one every day throughout the year. Upon request, the widow’s name is added to the mailing list for COLUMBIA magazine. State and local councils are encouraged to do the same for their publications. They are also called on to extend the widows and their families any scholarship or loan programs they may conduct.
A renewed emphasis on family life seeks to involve the member’s wife and children in his commitment to the live of Catholic knighthood. Their support for this promise to be a staunch Catholic layman is essential if it is to be effective and long lasting. The Order’s Service Program has been revised to permit more participation by the wives and children of members and also to enable greater identification on their par with the Order. The wives now can wear the Order’s emblem in the form of jewelry and children can wear it in badge form.
A family activities director is an important part of the "Surge, with Service" program. His responsibility is to assure that a number of activities and projects is directed specifically to the family and the families are encouraged to take part in them.
A major sign of the Order’s active concern for the future of the Church and the spread of the Gospel is the establishment of the Supreme Council Vocations Program, now operating in all jurisdictions and already showing promise of success in helping turn around the decline in the number of candidates to the priestly and religious life.
One of Father McGivney’s initial objectives in founding the Order, that of providing security for the widows and children of deceased members, has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The Knights of Columbus insurance program offers its certificate holders a versatile portfolio of protection – all done " for Brother Knights by Brother Knights."
The Knights of Columbus have a long and enviable tradition of aid to Catholic education. As early as 1904 the Order endowed a chair in American history at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and later provided an endowment of $500,000 for graduate fellowships there which still reaps its benefits today. A $2 million endowment established at the 1989 Supreme Council meeting to mark the bicentennial of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States also benefits the Catholic University through its annual earnings – to date, some $67500. The million dollar "Father Michael J. McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives in Catholic Education" established in 1980 is devoted to fostering improvements through research and development.
"Don’t keep the Faith – spread it!" long has been a guiding principle of the Knights of Columbus. More that $1 million is budgeted annually by the Order for various projects of the Catholic Advertising Program.
The Knights of Columbus funded the construction of the campanile of Knights’ Tower at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The bells for the tower were donated by the Order as well. In keeping with this commitment to Our Lady’s shrine, the Order established the "Luke E. Hart Memorial Fund" in 1979 in the amount of $500,000. Earnings are used to promote Marian devotion and to preserve the beauty of the basilica in perpetuity.
And it was the leadership of the Knights which finally succeeded in having the words "under God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.
Restoring the Façade of St. Peter’s Basilica
Beginning in 1984, the Order collaborated with Reverenda Fabrica di San Pietro(R.F.S.P.) on the complete restoration of the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, a task that was much needed because of the deteriorated condition of this centuries old massive edifice Over a period of 20 months, the entire structure was cleaned; travertine blocks and plugs were inserted wherever the original stone was beyond repair. The 13 statues at the summit of the Basilica were repaired and strengthened; and the two massive mosaic clocks at either extremity of the façade were completely redone, as were the five iron gates at ground level.
In gratitude to the Order for this tremendous undertaking an accomplishment, our Holy Father Pope John Paul II presented to the Knights the actual cross which was held since the Basilica’s construction in the arms of the statue of Jesus the Saviour at the pinnacle of the façade. This cross now hangs on the third floor of the Supreme Council office building along with drawings and pictures showing the façade restoration itself. His Excellency Archbishop Lino Zanini, with whom we collaborated on all of these efforts, indicated that the Holy Father himself deemed it suitable that this cross be entrusted to the care of the Knights of Columbus because of our solicitude of St. Peter’s, the structure recognized throughout the world as best symbolizing our Catholic faith.
In 1986 the decision was made to repair and restore the two gigantic statues of Sts. Peter and Paul which stand on either side of the façade in St. Peter’s Square. This work was successfully completed and the Order decided to complete our collaboration in the façade restoration by agreeing to underwrite the repair of tow ancient rooms located in the façade. The first of these two rooms was used by the architects during the facade’s construction; the second was used by the craftsmen who fashioned many of the frames which decorate the art masterpieces of the Vatican. One of these stanze, as they are called, will be used as a study for the architects; the second as a general archive for the drawings of St. Peter’s and the façade. They also will house a library of every technical or historical – artistic acknowledgement of the Basilica published in various languages throughout the centuries. This restoration is dedicated to the memory of Count Enrico Galeazzi, who at his death in 1986 was Architect of the Apostolic Palace, Regular Architect of the Reverenda Fabrica and our Order’s representative in Rome for some 65 years. A suitable plaque is mounted in one of the rooms attesting to this dedication.
So that future generations will know what has been accomplished in our day, this text has been engraved into a marble plaque affixed to the back of the clock on the southeast section of the façade:
Pope John Paul II wishing to honour the prince of the Apostles restored to its former glory the façade of the patriarchal Vatican Basilica through the munificent generosity of the Order of the Knights of Columbus A.D. 1986, Archbishop Lino Zanini, delegate of the R.F.S.P.
Each year reports of the annual survey of fraternal activity conducted for the National Fraternal Congress of America reveal an impressive Knights of Columbus donation of time, money and energy. In one recent year alone, for example, with approximately 78% of all units report, the Order generated $94 million and 43 million volunteer hours of service for charitable causes.
In the category of charitable or benevolent disbursements, including assistance to the sick, handicapped, disaster victims, hospitals and other institutions, civic and community projects, schools and libraries, the Knights contribute in the area of $80 million, in addition to substantial amounts form the Supreme Council. Another $48 million is spent on activities, in addition to $12 million for work with young people.
The Knights also average 4.3 million visits to the sick and bereaved, give 300,000 donations of blood, contribute 43.3 million volunteer hours of community service and 6.2 million hours of labor for sick or disabled members.
In a world where the golden rule – "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" – sometimes becomes " Do unto others before they do unto you," the Knights of Columbus stands out as an organization that takes fraternity seriously.
The dictionary defines fraternity as "the state or quality of being brothers." It also describes it as a "group of men joined together by common interests" or "a group of people with the same beliefs, interest, work."
The Knights of Columbus form real fraternity in all three senses. As practical Catholics, Knights carry fraternity to the limits of love: unselfish service to their Church, country, community and council.
Faith, fellowship, philanthropy. These are some of the distinguishing marks of the Knights. This brief record of some of their achievements shows that they are remained true to their heritage and that they have continued to build on it for future generations.
If the Knights of Columbus have grown so steadily and strongly since their charter was granted by the State of Connecticut in 1882, much of the credit can go to the firm structural foundation on which the organization was established, and to the caliber of men attracted to its ranks.
As a fraternal benefit society, the Order operates in accordance with the laws relating to such groups. These regulations require a representative from of government comprised of a supreme governing or legislative body and subordinate branches. Members are selected, initiated and admitted into the society according to the provisions of its constitution, laws and rules.
The society is governed by the Supreme Council, its top legislative body. There are 64 state councils and several territorial jurisdictions encompassing more than 10,000 subordinate councils to which the more than 15 million members belong.
Groups of councils, ideally four or more in adjacent or nearby localities, are formed to districts under a district deputy.
The Supreme Council is composed of supreme officers ( supreme knight, chaplain, deputy supreme knight, secretary, treasurer, advocate, physician and warden); the supreme directors ( a 24-member body elected for three year terms by the Supreme Council at its annual meeting); the past supreme knights; the state deputy and the last living past state deputy of the various state councils; and such delegates as are duly chosen by the state councils.
Executive authority is vested in the supreme officers, who are elected annually by the supreme directors.
The state councils are made up of the state deputy , who is the representative of the supreme knight in each state, and other state officers, the last living past state deputy, the grand knight and a past grand knight from each subordinate council.
Charters establishing subordinate councils are granted upon completion of a roster of 30 members or applicants for membership. The presiding officer is the grand knight. Titles of other officers on both the state and local levels are similar to those on the supreme level, with some additions. In all there are 17 council officers, of whom 12 are elected to their positions annually. Five others are appointed by the grand knight, including a program director and membership director. These men in turn appoint and supervise various committees charged with council projects and membership recruitment and retention. A new Knight is encouraged to become active in his council my making himself available for membership on one or more of these committees. The council’s financial secretary is appointed directly by the supreme knight.
It is the responsibility of the program director and his church, community, council, family and youth directors to provide balanced, attractive and effective activities for the members. There is no doubt that participation in council projects and the experience gained in leadership positions stand a man in good stead throughout his life.
Who Can Become a Knight
Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to practical Catholic men in union with the Holy See, who shall not be less than 18 years of age on their last birthday. A practical Catholic is one who lives up to the Commandments of God and the precepts of the Church. Application blanks are available from any member of the Knights of Columbus. Every knight is happy to propose eligible Catholic men for consideration as members.
Acceptance of the applicant depends upon a vote of the members of the subordinate council in which he is making application.
All priests and religious brothers having duly made application for membership and participated in the ceremonials become honorary life members of the Order and are exempt from payment of dues.
Application for membership must be made through the council in the community nearest the applicant's place of residence. Interested prospects without a permanent domicile, such as men temporarily away from home through duty in the armed forces, may make application through their hometown council or at the nearest council on a military base.
If favorably voted upon, the applicant becomes a member by initiation known as the First Degree. He subsequently is advanced through the Second Degree and the Third Degree.
There are modest initiation fees and dues set by subordinate councils under regulations established by the Supreme Council. The insurance privileges are available to all members who can qualify, which represents an important advantage of membership. For men in every walk of life the name Knights of Columbus engenders the image of a united organization, efficiently going about it tasks of charity, unity, fraternity, patriotism and defense of the priesthood. It is composed of men who are giving unselfishly of their time and talents in service of God and their country.
Membership in the Knights of Columbus provides opportunity for wholesome association with congenial companions who are, first of all, practical Catholic gentlemen. It offers the opportunity for fellowship with those who are of the same belief, who recognize the same duty to God, to family and to neighbor and who stand side by side in defense of those beliefs. Programs are so organized as to appeal to the individual interest of the members. Through many constructive activities of Christian fraternity, members are enabled to render service to their Church, their country and their fellowman. Through membership they develop a consciousness of their ability to lead and to assist.
Organized Columbianism, united behind the individual Knight of Columbus, provides the power of an intelligent, alert body of Catholic men--a strength which the individual by himself cannot achieve.
Knights of Columbus has a proud heritage. The qualified Catholic man can share in that heritage and build an even greater future by affiliating himself with this forceful, effective body.
Another degree open to members of the Knights of Columbus is that of the Fourth (or Patriotic) Degree. On February 22, 1900, the first exemplification of that degree was held in New York City. The ritual added patriotism to the three original principles of the Order: charity, unity and fraternity. Any Third Degree member in good standing, one year after the anniversary of his First Degree, is eligible for membership in the Fourth Degree.
The primary purpose of the Fourth Degree is to foster the spirit of patriotism by promoting responsible citizenship and a love of and loyalty to the Knights' respective countries through active membership in local Fourth Degree groups called assemblies. Fourth Degree members must retain their membership as Third Degree members in the local council to remain in good standing.
Certain members of the Fourth Degree serve as honor guards at civic and religious functions, an activity which has brought worldwide recognition to the Knights of Columbus organization.
Programs of interest and need are developed and promoted from the Supreme Office of the Knights of Columbus in New Heaven, Connecticut. Special projects which serve particular needs and programs that help to solve community problems are formulated and implemented throughout the organization. Direction and assistance are offered to the members who share an interest in the special types of programs
State and local councils are encouraged to participate through their respective memberships. Ideas are developed and programs designed by a professional staff of project planners at the Supreme Office.
Guidelines, suggestions, training aids and other assistance are provided to the council leadership and membership to implement the special projects on the state and local levels. Although the programs are not mandatory, they do serve a specific need or offer a solution to a special problem and are accepted by most councils.
A number of these programs are described throughout this booklet as in indication of the types made available from the Supreme Council. By no means is the list complete nor does it contain any reference to the variety of programs and projects conducted by local and state councils. The reputation enjoyed by the Knights of Columbus was built on what the councils have done and are doing.
Hundreds of thousands of members of the Knights of Columbus have answered the invitation to participate in the Order’s fraternal insurance program.
The Agency Department’s motto, "Insurance for Brother Knights by Brother Knights." Gives one insight into the program’s success. Organized a day when the loss of a family’s breadwinner was a tragedy overcome only with great fortitude and sacrifice on the part of the survivors, today’s program has achieved success because its product continues to be "a family affair."
Members secure life insurance because they love their families. They recognize that, through precis planning with the Order’s fraternal insurance counselors, they not only can provide for their loved ones in case of death, but also can build up a substantial estate for retirement years or to meet other needs.
Consistently the amounts of money paid out in dividends to living members surpass the benefits provided to beneficiaries upon death of a certificate holder. In one year alone, these amounts were $55.7 million in death benefits to the families of deceased knights and $158 million in dividends to insurance members.
The insurance-in-force has grown dramatically in recent years. The first billion took over 75 years to attain. The $2 billion plateau was achieved 11 years thereafter. The $3 billion level took less then four more years. The $4 billion mark was attained within slightly over tow more years; $5 billion was reached in 1979; $10 billion in 1985; and current total, nearing $26 billion, is growing constantly.
The Agency Department has set a goal designed to bring the utmost in prompt, efficient service to every Knight and his family. Part of this goal is to assure that, by increasing manpower, one full-time, professionally trained field agent will be available for each 1,000 members. To achieve this the Order has reached the number of nearly 140 General Agencies, with over 1,200 field agents. However, a considerable number of field agents are needed. Any member interested in such a career opportunity may obtain information by contacting the general agent in his area.
The Order offers a versatile portfolio of family-oriented insurance plants presented by a staff of competent, concerned professionals backed up by one of the most sophisticated computer systems now operating in the insurance field – thus the outstanding record of secure but dynamic growth and development. Yet the Order’s program remains a family-atmosphere insurance "for Brother Knights by Brother Knights."
Member/Spouse Fraternal Benefit
In recognition of the numerous contributions made by members of the Knights of Columbus, their spouses and families, to the welfare, growth and financial stability of the Order through their varied activities of fraternal and charitable works for the benefit of mankind; and in appreciation for their efforts expended in recruitment and council development; it was voted by the Board of Directors that a Member/Spouse Fraternal Benefit be given at no cost to all members (and their wives) in good standing, belonging to councils of and residing in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or Guam, provided that the member’s council also is in good standing.
The Knights of Columbus will pay a benefit upon the death of a member or his spouse occurring within 90 days as the result of injury sustained in a covered accident. Protection is on a 24-hour basis for accidents that my occur anywhere in the world, during activities on or off the job, on business, pleasure, vacation or at home, except for the exclusions listed.
The accidental death benefit will not be paid if death results from: suicide; self-inflicted injury while sane or insane; sickness or disease (except bacterial infection resulting from accident cut or wound); war or act of war (declared or undeclared); flying, except as a fare-paying passenger on a regularly scheduled airline; and injury from driving or riding in a speed or organized contest.
The new program of the Knights of Columbus makes available to eligible family members five distinct types of assistance.
- Life Insurance Benefits – The Orders’ various life insurance plans are available through our agents for a healthy child. But what about children who are physically challenged or mentally retarded? In these cases, Knights of Columbus offers:
- A $5,000 life insurance plan, at standard rates, for a member’s uninsurable or rated newborn provided the application is made before the child is 61 days old.
- A $5000 life insurance plan, at a rated premium for a member’s uninsurable child between the ages of 60 days and 18 years.
- Up to $5,000 life insurance at standard rates for a mentally retarded child, otherwise in good health, between the ages of 3 years and 18 years.
- Death Benefits – Knights of Columbus provides:
- A $1,500 death benefit to the family when a child dies less than 61 days after birth.
- A $750 death benefit to the family when a child is stillborn at least 20 weeks after conception. The Order affirms that life begins at conception. In this instance, the benefit requires a certified death certificate for the stillborn child, hence the 20-week rule. To be eligible for these tow benefits, the member must be in good standing with his Council, and at lease one parent must be insured under an individual Knights of Columbus certificate.
Since the founding of the Order, Knights of Columbus has been especially concerned about the welfare of the child who loses both parents. With this new program the Order once again demonstrates this concern for the offspring of eligible families by providing the following two benefits:
- Benefit Payments
- An Orphan Fraternal Benefit of $80.00 monthly is paid for support of each eligible orphan until he or she reaches age 19, graduates form high school, enters military service, marries, discontinues Knights of Columbus insurance, or no longer attends school (except if he or she has a disabling illness). If the orphan attends college or vocational/technical school full-time, the Orphan Fraternal Benefit can continue to age 23.
- The child may be eligible for up to $1,750 each year in educational grants. The grants are based on financial need and will not exceed a maximum of $7,000 over a four-year period.
For a child to be eligible for these two orphan benefits, the father must have been in good standing with his Council and at least one parent must have been insured under a Knights of Columbus certificate.
Personal commitment and direct involvement by the Knights of Columbus are the aims and purposes of the "Surge . . . with Service" program developed by the Supreme Council staff. Adoption of the program on the state and local levels makes the Knights of Columbus a Catholic, family, fraternal and service organization.
The Service Program is a program of action under the direction of two men selected by the grand knight, as program and membership directors. The grand knight in consultation with the program director, then select others to fulfill the duties of church, community, council, family and youth directors who appoint various committees to plan the projects and activities in the council. Following the guidelines and format designed by the Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Services, a local and state council immediately can put into operation many needed programs by proper use of the talents and abilities of the membership. Flexibility allows local or state selection of activities of interest to the members. Manuals and handbooks are sent to the men selected to serve in the position of directors. Their names are reported to the Supreme Office for a special mailing list of current and up-dated information sent to them for use in their councils. Eighteen times a year an issue of P.S. (Program Supplement), a volunteer services newsletter, is mailed to each man.
An informed and active membership is the goal of every council. The Service Program is one means to that end. A program director will provide the opportunity for activity and the membership director will oversee the work necessary for retention of membership and recruitment of new Knights. Awareness by the members of the beneficial features of the insurance program is a responsibility of the membership director in cooperation with the insurance representatives of the Supreme Council.
Annual programs pertaining to membership retention and recruitment have resulted in net gains in membership statistics. However, more important than the numbers represented by the increases is the quality of the new Knights. More and more Catholic men now realize that they can become active and involved through membership in a local Knights of Columbus council.
To remain a viable force in the community and for the Church, the talents and abilities of the members must be utilized effectively. Ideas and suggestions can be put to good use only through efficient organization of manpower. Once organized, training must commence. From the Supreme Council come the aids that are necessary to teach methods of operation to the members.
The Charter, Constitution and Laws of the Order comes in booklet form and should be in the possession of every member. Handbooks and manuals for particular leaders are available. These include a manual for grand knights, a chaplain's manual, a vocations manual and a "Surge . . . with Service" manual which explains the Service Program operation. Manuals for ceremonials work include one for the installation of council officers, initiation rituals and a manual for district deputies. Ceremonials manuals must be obtained directly from the Supreme Secretary's office.
A variety of videocassettes, films and filmstrips have been produced for training purposes and for instructing non-members concerning the Order's objectives and goals. New films are produced periodically to demonstrate the idealism which motivates the fraternal society and the practical activities open to the members. Productions have been distributed throughout the Order on such topics as the district deputy, the Service Program and special membership campaigns. Others are on the planning boards.
With some 1.5 million unborn babies being killed by abortion each year in North America, Knights believe that there is no more important objective they could have at hand than a Crusade for Life. Since the infamous Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973 the Order has been in the forefront of organizations seeking to defend the lives of the innocent unborn. It is for the sake of these 1.5 million who cannot defend themselves that our Order must intensify its campaign to turn the abortion mentality.
The Crusade for Life asks each state and local council to appoint a Pro-Life chair couple. The state councils will organize pro-life Masses and participate in the national marches for life or organize similar demonstrations in their jurisdictions. The chair couples schedule and conduct pro-life sessions in their local councils.
The main thrust under the Crusade for Life is twofold. The first goal is to help pass legislation which would provide for the right to life of the unborn. The second thrust is to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision in the Supreme Court. This can be done by pressing for the confirmation of justices, with all other things being equal, whose track records might indicate that they would favor a pro-life position. If our members can help pass pro-life bills in the legislatures and can press for the confirmation of pro-life judges we will have made inroads against the plague of abortion in our countries.
The Order continues to help fund the pro-life activities of the United States and Canadian Bishops. The Order also continues underwriting the entire budget of the United States and Canadian Bishops efforts to promote natural family planning. In addition we provide funding to the natural family planning program of the Mexican Conference of Bishops.
The Order has made two grants of $250,000 each to the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in Omaha, Nebraska where research is done to study natural family planning techniques in accord with the Church's teaching.
By way of assistance to the Bishops in their teaching mission, the Order has underwritten periodic seminars on life-death issues which are faithfully attended by members of the hierarchy of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. These workshops are held in Dallas, Texas, and provide the Bishops with presentations on current moral issues; allows them the opportunity to share experiences with one another; and also enables the Bishops to get to know one another better.
The Knights of Columbus profile of the pro-life work shows how Knights are striving to protect the lives of the innocent unborn. The Knights have donated millions of pieces of literature to pro-life groups and have provided office space and manpower for Birthright, Right to Life and other agencies through state end 1ocal councils. Committees on the state and local levels coordinate members' efforts through ongoing programs, whether manning display booths at regional fairs, sponsoring speakers' nights or hosting baby showers for Birthright.
Individual councils also honor legislators, governors and other civic officials who take a pro-life stand; set up educational booths to stress the sanctity of human life at various fairs; sponsor essay contests for high school students; promote respect for life proclamations and organize special memorial Masses on January 22, the date of the heartless Supreme Court decision allowing abortions, in memory of the hundreds of thousands of unborn innocents killed each year.
In addition to these pro-life endeavors, the Crusade for Life seeks to enlist all potential Catholic men as members of the Order to become part of this campaign.
Supreme Council Vocations Program
To show the Order's concern about the ongoing decline in the number of candidates to the priesthood and religious life, the Supreme Council Vocations Committee was formed shortly after Supreme Knight Duchant took office in January 1977. Turning around this "vocation crisis," it was felt, was an urgent task best undertaken by an organization of Catholic families such as the Knights.
In initial meetings, the committee expressed the belief that each person has a vocation—in fact, several vocations. Each person is called to be holy; he or she is called to a state in life whether married, religious or single; he or she is called to a career or profession.
Brainstorming on this idea, the committee established several goals in relation to its efforts among the faithful: 1) To create awareness that God calls everyone by a special vocation to serve Him as cleric, religious or lay person in the Church,2) to motivate people to listen to and respond to God's call, 3) to provide the proper spiritual and social climate so that people will be able to hear God's voice and respond in freedom.
The Supreme Council committee is responsible for programs on an Orderwide level and for assisting state council committees in their projects. Committees on the state level devise, organize and implement programs within the jurisdiction. Each council is encouraged to establish an active program on the local level, using the Vocations Handbook and the programs therein as a starting point.
To help those who may answer God's call, or already have, the Order's student loan program has been broadened in scope to make priests, nuns, seminarians, novices and postulants eligible for student loans, even if not affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.
Under the terms of the Refund Support Vocations Program, (R.S.V.P.), the Supreme office reimburses $100 to councils and Fourth Degree assemblies for each $500 spent on an individual seminarian or postulant in pursuing their individual vocation. RSVP has contributed nearly $10 million to more than 16,000 seminarians or postulants since 1981-82. Awards for "moral support" are presented to councils which offer personal affirmation and encouragement to a particular seminarian.
The Vocations Program bears within it the promise of hope for generations to come.
Forward to These Men They Call Knights - Part 2
