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APRIL 2012APRIL 2012
COLUMBIACOLUMBIAKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
FREEDOMTHE ISSUEIS
L I F E I N S U R A N C E D I S A B I L I T Y I N S U R A N C E LO N G - T E R M CA R E A N N U I T I E S
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F E A T U R E S
Shredding the First AmendmentSpecial Report: U.S. bishops and others continue toexpress grave concerns about an unprecedented attackon religious freedom.
Unanimous Victory for FreedomIn a rare 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruledthat the Constitution protects a church’s rights tochoose its own ministers.BY MICHAEL P. MORELAND
Peace and Persecution in EgyptIn the wake of revolution, Egyptian Christians struggleto find their place in a predominantly Muslim nation.BY GREG BURKE
Minted in FaithA unique museum in Poland pays homage to BlessedJohn Paul II through medals and coins.BY PAWEŁ PIWOWARCZYK
A Patriotic BurdenNew Mexico Knight carries cross 630 miles in honorof Father Emil Kapaun.BY JOSEPH J. KOLB, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
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D E P A R T M E N T S
Building a better worldIn solidarity with the U.S. bishops,Knights defend religious liberty againstan unjust government mandate.BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON
Learning the faith, living the faithThe fifth luminous mystery of therosary teaches us to grow in gratitudefor the Blessed Sacrament.BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN
BISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI
PLUS Catholic Man of the Month
Knights in Action
Columbianism by Degrees
Knights of Columbus NewsOrder Assists African AIDS Or-phans • K of C Coats for KidsSeason Ends Warmly • Knights Re-spond to Devastating Tornadoes
Fathers for GoodThe St. Louis Major League Base-ball team has strong Catholic roots.BY BRIAN CAULFIELD
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COLUMBIA
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 1
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
EDITORIAL
2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ A P R I L 2 0 1 2
AT ThE culmination of holy Week,the Easter Triduum commemorates thePaschal mystery: Christ’s passion, deathand resurrection. This single liturgy be-gins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supperon holy Thursday and concludes withthe Easter Vigil on holy Saturday. Inthis celebration, the Church is mindfulthat Easter is not just another holiday,but rather the greatest feast of the litur-gical year — and not just because ourLenten observances have come to anend and people who, for instance, ab-stained from their favorite desserts maynow indulge. Our Easter joy is muchdeeper because it is rooted in Jesus’ res-urrection, which is the central truth ofChristian faith and hope.
Christian joy differs from mere en-joyment, and not only in degree.Christ’s victory over sin and deathdoes not mean that our life in thisworld will be easy. On the contrary, asboth our Lenten preparation and theTriduum remind us, the path to res-urrection always follows the Way ofthe Cross. The saints and martyrs tes-tify to the “supreme goodness ofknowing Christ Jesus,” but also to thefact that this involves the “sharing ofhis sufferings by being conformed tohis death” (Phil 3:8-10).
The celebration of Easter — andevery celebration of the Eucharist,which makes present the Paschal mys-tery — presents us with both a promiseand a challenge. As Pope Benedict XVInoted in an Eastertide audience lastyear, we are called to “live the Paschalmystery in our everyday lives.” This, hesaid, involves putting to death earthly
desires such as impurity and greed, andreplacing them with the “things thatare above,” such as kindness, patienceand, above all, love (cf. Col 3:1-14). Inthe end, lasting joy is found in the par-adox of the cross — surrendering ourwill to that of God, casting selfishnessaside and growing in Christian virtue.
The day before being elevated to theCollege of Cardinals in February, then-Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan ofNew York noted, “The new evangeliza-tion is accomplished with a smile, nota frown.” he then pointed out that thered hat and robes that he and the 21other new cardinals would receive thenext day symbolize the blood of themartyrs. he added, “We are but ‘scarletaudio-visual aids’ for all our brothersand sisters also called to be ready tosuffer and die for Jesus.”
As president of the U.S. Conferenceof Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Dolan ishelping to lead the fight against theU.S. government’s recent challenge toreligious liberty and conscience rights(see page 8). he is joined by SupremeChaplain Bishop William E. Lori ofBridgeport, Conn., chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Religious Liberty,and the other U.S. bishops. As in allthings, the Knights stand behind theirbishops, prepared to personally witnessto the Christian faith in their daily livesand to stand up for the truths theyhold most dear. Indeed, all Knights arecalled to do so with a spirit of determi-nation, charity and joy.♦
ALTON J. PELOWSKI
MANAGING EDITOR
Our Easter WitnessCOLUMBIA
PUBLIShERKnights of Columbus
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SUPREME OFFICERSCarl A. AndersonSUPREME KNIGHT
Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.SUPREME CHAPLAINDennis A. Savoie
DEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHTCharles E. Maurer Jr.SUPREME SECRETARYLogan T. LudwigSUPREME TREASURERJohn A. MarrellaSUPREME ADVOCATE
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EDITORIALAlton J. Pelowski
[email protected] EDITOR
Patrick [email protected] EDITORBrian Dowling
[email protected] & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
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Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90)Apostle to the Young,
Protector of Christian Family Life andFounder of the Knights of Columbus,
Intercede for Us.________
hOW TO REACh USMAIL
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Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing)Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that anapplicant or member accepts the teaching authority of theCatholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires tolive in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
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Copyright © 2012All rights reserved
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ON ThE COVERA copy of the Bill of Rights is pictured torn down the center, symbolizing disregard for First Amendment religious liberty protections.
National Catholic Prayer Breakfast – April 19ThE 8Th ANNUAL National Catholic Prayer Breakfastwill take place Thursday, April 19, in Washington, D.C.The event will feature keynote speeches on the topic of re-ligious liberty by Archbishop Francis A. Chullikatt, apos-tolic nuncio to the United Nations, and Supreme KnightCarl A. Anderson. For more information, or to purchasetickets to the event, which is sponsored by the SupremeCouncil, visit catholicprayerbreakfast.org.
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 3
CAThOLICS in the United States facean unprecedented situation — one thatthreatens the essence of our religiousfreedom. The U.S. Department ofhealth and human Services’ health in-surance mandate will force Catholicorganizations to provide insurance cov-erage for sterilization, contraception andabortifacient drugs for their employees.This requirement, which takes effectnext year, will be compulsory for everyCatholic organization.
Under this rule, the Knights ofColumbus will be forced to usemembership dues and moneygenerated through insurancesales to fund health care thatprovides drugs and proceduresthat violate the moral teachingof the Catholic Church on thetransmission and sanctity ofhuman life.
Constitutional scholars havedescribed the administration’smandate as unconstitutional and illegal.And the U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops has vowed to fight it, calling onthe president to rescind his mandate andurging Congress to pass legislation to pro-tect our religious liberties.
This is not only a Catholic issue. Thou-sands of Protestant ministers have pub-licly opposed the mandate, with somesaying that they would go to jail before vi-olating their religious beliefs.
In response to the firestorm of con-troversy that the mandate has created,the Obama administration has offereda so-called accommodation. But whathas been offered is both inadequate andunacceptable.
The administration argues that sincecontraception is less costly than childbirth,
insurers can provide this coverage for free,and therefore, Catholics and Catholic in-stitutions should not be concerned. If thepresident’s logic were correct, insurancecompanies could offer many other pre-scription drugs for free, since controllingblood pressure and cholesterol, for exam-ple, is less expensive than treating patientsfor heart attack and stroke.
But we know that there is no suchthing as a free lunch. The fact remainsthat Catholic organizations will pay forhealth insurance programs for their em-
ployees, and those programs will be re-quired to provide services that violate ourmoral beliefs.
And the National Right to Life Com-mittee has warned that the administra-tion’s mandate may not stop there. Theadministration’s logic provides thegroundwork for mandating abortion cov-erage in the future since abortion is lessexpensive than childbirth.
Never before has the federal govern-ment used its power to violate religiousliberty in this way, insisting that religiousorganizations pay for programs that violatetheir moral convictions.
A decade after drafting the Declarationof Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrotethe Virginia Act for Establishing ReligiousFreedom. In it, he stated: “To compel a
man to furnish contributions of moneyfor the propagation of opinions which hedisbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical.”
In the 1950s, the Knights of Colum-bus led efforts to have the words “underGod” added to the U.S. Pledge of Alle-giance. These words came from AbrahamLincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Like Jeffer-son, Lincoln knew that America’s great-
ness cannot be separated fromthe affirmation in the Declara-tion of Independence that weare a nation of inalienable rights“endowed by our Creator.”
In January, Pope BenedictXVI spoke out publicly aboutthe new threats to religious lib-erty in the United States. hesaid: “It is imperative that theentire Catholic community in
the United States comes to realize thegrave threats to the Church’s publicmoral witness.”
Today, the Knights of Columbus has acritical role to play in defending our reli-gious liberty. We must support our bish-ops when they insist that PresidentObama rescind his unjust mandate. Wemust also urge members of Congress topass legislation to protect our liberties.And we must pray that this threat to reli-gious freedom will be overcome.
We face a time of great challenge. Everybrother Knight must do his part. Like somany brother Knights before us, I amconfident that we too will stand firm inthe cause of freedom and in defense ofour Church.Vivat Jesus!
We Will Stand FirmThe issue is freedom as Knights stand
in solidarity with the U.S. bishopsagainst an unjust government mandate
by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson
Today, the Knights of Columbushas a critical role to play in
defending our religious liberty.
LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
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YEARS AGO, while still a seminar-ian, I visited a parish far from homeand was astonished by what I saw.The priest did not preach a homilybut instead called people up fromthe congregation and treated themlike contestants on a game show. heasked them questions and kept score.The only things lacking were a glam-orous assistant and prizes.
As my ordination drew near,the wise, holy priests whomentored my classmates andme warned us against callingattention to ourselves duringthe celebration of the Eu-charist. One of them said,“Don’t try to be stars when youare in the presence of the Sun.”Long before Blessed Pope JohnPaul II gave the Church the lu-minous mysteries of the rosary,these priests understood theEucharist as a mystery of light,which originated on the cusp ofCalvary’s darkness.
A MYSTERY OF LIGhTJesus instituted the Eucharist thenight before he died, during theLast Supper. Twenty centuries later,the Church still celebrates the insti-tution of the Eucharist on holyThursday. During the evening Massof the Lord’s Supper, we are usheredinto the glow of the Upper Room asJesus shares a paschal meal with his
closest followers. As the Lord stoopsto wash the feet of the apostles, wesee the beauty of self-giving love andhow to be signs of hope for a worldshrouded in darkness. And as theholy Thursday liturgy unfolds, wedraw near to him who is “God fromGod and light from light.” The Eu-charist, the pledge of our future
glory, allows us to reflect the radi-ance of Christ’s charity. We are con-nected to Christ’s sacrifice of loveon Calvary, by which the darknessof sin and death is defeated. TheMass concludes with a solemn pro-cession of the Blessed Sacrament toa repository, a temporary tabernaclewhere we can spend time in adora-tion, contemplating the Lord’s realpresence.
Whether in a grand cathedral or asmall chapel, the same mystery of
light unfolds whenever Mass is cel-ebrated. When the Scripture read-ings are proclaimed, it is the eternalWord of the Father, Christ himself,who speaks to us, shedding the lightof the Gospel upon our lives. As thebread and wine are offered andtransformed into Christ’s body andblood, his sacrifice is made truly
present. In this way, weshare in what the Lord didto save us, caught up inJesus’ self-offering to the Fa-ther for the sake of our sal-vation. Taking part in theEucharist, we enter into alove that is pure and holy,with no shadow of the self-ishness of sin, so that oursouls might shine with theglory of Christ, the light ofthe world.
MARY, ThE WOMAN OF ThE EUChARISTWho better to help us grow in ourunderstanding and love of the Eu-charist than Mary, the Mother ofour Lord and “the sanctuary of theholy Spirit” (Rosary of the VirginMary, 16)? Although the BlessedVirgin Mary was not present at theLast Supper, she remains for all time“The Woman of the Eucharist,” asJohn Paul II called her in his en-cyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. Weknow from the Acts of the Apostles
Taking part in the Eucharist, we enter into a love that is pureand holy, with no shadow of theselfishness of sin, so that our souls
might shine with the glory ofChrist, the light of the world.
The Institution of the Eucharist
The fifth luminous mystery of the rosary teaches usto grow in gratitude for the Blessed Sacrament
by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori
Offered insolidarity with
Pope Benedict XVI
LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
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that Mary was present at the earliestcelebrations of the Mass (2:42), andthe Eucharist is never celebratedwithout invoking her name in thecommunion of saints.
But Mary’s role in the Eucharistgoes deeper. Mary conceived theWord of God in her sinless heartbefore she carried him in herwomb. By the power of the holySpirit, she conceived physically theone whom we receive, “Body,Blood, Soul, and Divinity,” eachtime we go to Communion. As shecarried Jesus in her womb to visither cousin Elizabeth, Mary “becamein some way a ‘tabernacle’ — the
first ‘tabernacle’ in history” (Ecclesiade Eucharistia, 55).
More than anyone else, Mary fol-lowed her son and embodied thekingdom of the Beatitudes that hepreached. She stood beneath thecross, sharing in her son’s sacrifice,her soul pierced with sorrow. She re-ceived the good news of the resur-rection with joy and prayed with theapostles as the holy Spirit de-scended at Pentecost. She stored inher heart the living memory of Jesusand his saving deeds, which theChurch remembers and re-presentsevery time the Eucharist is cele-brated. Mary, who assented to the
mysteries of Christ, teaches us to say“Amen!” to the mysteries in whichwe are so privileged to share at everyMass.
When we meditate on the fifth lu-minous mystery, the institution ofthe Eucharist, we ask Mary to inter-cede for us, so that we may enterinto the glory of this great mysteryof faith. Let us ask Mary, from herplace in the heavenly liturgy, to helpus love the Eucharist and givethanks. And let us beg her interces-sion for the many Catholics who ab-sent themselves from this mystery,which is indeed “the source andsummit” of the Church’s life.♦
HOLY FATHER’SPRAYER INTENTIONS
CATHOLIC MAN OF THE MONTH
Blessed José AnacletoGonzález Flores (1888-1927)
On April 1, 1927, Anacleto and threecompanions were captured by govern-ment officials who sought to quell therebellion by imprisoning its leaders. In-terrogated and tortured, the four menremained silent. They then recited theAct of Contrition and were executed byfiring squad.
When Anacleto and 12 other martyrsfrom Mexico were beatified Nov. 20,2005, Pope Benedict XVI called theirexample “a stimulus for defending thefaith and having faith in current society.”
González will be portrayed by actorEduardo Verástegui in For GreaterGlory, an upcoming film about theCristero War.
GENERAL: That many youngpeople may hear the call of Christand follow him in the priesthoodand religious life.
MISSION: That the risen Christmay be a sign of certain hope forthe men and women of theAfrican continent.
JOSé ANACLETO González Floreswas born the second of 12 children toa poor family in Tepatitlán, Jalisco,Mexico. As a young man, he showedexceptional aptitude in his studies. heattended the seminary but discernedthat he was not being called to thepriesthood. he studied law and becamean attorney in 1922, and was marriedthe same year.
A leader of the Catholic Associationof Young Mexicans, Anacleto taughtcatechism and was dedicated to worksof charity. he became a passionate ad-vocate of nonviolent resistance againsta series of anti-clerical laws that becameenforced in 1926. Founding a maga-zine and protest group, he spoke outagainst things such as the government’sseizure of Church properties and si-lencing of priests.
As violent persecution escalated, hejoined the National League for Defenseof Religious Freedom, which supportedthe growing Cristero rebellion. Anacletodid not fight, but gave speeches andwrote pamphlets urging his fellowCatholics to assist the rebels withneeded supplies.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS
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Order Assists African AIDS Orphans
Father Paul O. Gaggawala (right), a former Pennsylvania state chaplain and the current director of mission promotion for the Apostles of Jesus,breaks ground for a new school for AIDS orphans in Uganda with assistance from students and staff.
WORK hAS BEGUN on a primary school in Ugandaas part of the Order’s outreach to provide care and shelterfor some of the millions of children in Africa who havebeen orphaned because of AIDS.
Father Paul O. Gaggawala, a former Pennsylvania statechaplain and the current director of mission promotionfor the Apostles of Jesus, traveled to the site in Uganda forthe new school’s ground breaking. Father Gaggawala is co-ordinating the Order’s involvement in this initiative,which will include a similar construction project in Kenya.
To expand and deepen existing services for orphaned chil-dren in Uganda and Kenya, the Order has partnered withthe Apostles of Jesus, founded in 1968 as the first group ofmissionary priests and brothers to be established in Africa.
Most children being served became orphans when AIDSaffected their families, but in Uganda, some families weresplit by the recent civil war, according to Father Gaggawala.
Of the estimated 1.8 million AIDS-related deathsworldwide in 2009, more than 7 in 10 — a total of 1.3million — occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, according tothe United Nations. These estimates show that there arenow nearly 15 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa asa result of the AIDS crisis.
Announcing the initiative at the 129th Supreme Con-vention in Denver, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson ex-plained that, in pursuing this program, the Knights willbe continuing the mission of Venerable Michael Mc-Givney, who founded the Order to help the widows andorphans of 19th-century Connecticut.
“The Knights of Columbus cannot do everything —we cannot solve every problem,” said Anderson. “Butwhere we can help, we do so. And I believe that we canhelp alleviate the suffering of at least some children or-phaned by AIDS.”♦
KNIGhTS ARE helping their neighbors and communi-ties clean up following outbreaks of deadly tornadoes inlate February and early March. Across the Midwest andsouthern parts of the United States, the tornadoes leftdozens of people dead and caused millions of dollars inproperty damage. The wave of storms affected more than10 states, destroying farm equipment, homes, businessesand, in some cases, entire towns.
Within days, Knights had mobilized to help theirstricken communities. In southern Indiana, for instance,District Deputy William J. McDonald of Indiana District#28 coordinated relief efforts in the towns surroundinghenryville, located about 95 miles south of Indianapolis.Knights there began collecting cleaning supplies, powertools, baby items, toiletries and clothing, as well as fundsfor the state council’s charity fund.
In 2011, more than $175,000 was provided through theSupreme Council to supplement U.S. disaster relief proj-ects. To contribute to local relief efforts this year, visitkofc.org/disaster to donate online or send checks to:Knights of Columbus Charities, 1 Columbus Plaza, P.O.Box 1966, New haven, CT 06509-1966. Please write“U.S. Disaster Relief ” in the memo line of your check.♦
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS
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AS EVIDENCE of spring is seenthroughout North America, theKnights of Columbus Coats for Kidsinitiative is celebrating the end of an-other successful season that saw morethan 32,000 needy children receivenew winter coats for use during thecold weather months.
While many families — especiallythose with young children — con-tinue to struggle because of the diffi-cult economic climate, the Order hasmade a commitment to help by pro-viding winter jackets to those in need.
For the 2011-12 winter season, ap-proximately 750 K of C units pur-chased and distributed 26,508 coats.In addition, the Supreme Councilpurchased 5,500 coats that were sentto several state councils for distribu-tion, for a total of 32,008 coats do-nated. This is a significant increaseover the 17,626 coats that were dis-tributed in 2010-11.♦
K of C Coats for Kids Season Ends Warmly
A girl receives a new coat at a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids distribution in Vancouver,British Columbia.
Knights Respond to Devastating Tornadoes
A man helps clear debris from the ruins of St. Joseph’s Catholic Churchin Ridgway, Ill., March 1. The church, built in 1894, was destroyedjust after 5 a.m. Feb. 29 by a tornado that tore through the smallsouthern Illinois town.
The Obama administration’s new mandate requiringnearly all U.S. health insurance plans to cover contracep-
tion, sterilization and some abortion-inducing drugs has cre-ated a firestorm.
But for the U.S. bishops, with broad support from religiousand secular leaders, the issue at stake is an even broader issueof First Amendment religious liberty protections and govern-ment intrusion into religious faithand practice. The bishops’ argu-ments have made clear that, re-gardless of how many peoplefollow the Church’s teaching oncontraception, government has noright to force religious organiza-tions to violate their clear and con-sistent teachings.
“Never before has the federalgovernment forced individuals andorganizations to go out into themarketplace and buy a productthat violates their conscience,”Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, arch-bishop of New York and presidentof the U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops, said in a video posted on-line hours after the Jan. 20 an-nouncement by hhS. “Thisshouldn’t happen in a land wherefree exercise of religion ranks firstin the Bill of Rights.”
AN ASSAULT ON LIBERTYUnder the leadership of Cardinal Dolan and Supreme Chap-lain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., chairmanof the U.S. bishops’ Ad hoc Committee for Religious Liberty,the scope of the response has been unprecedented. Everydiocesan bishop in the country, without exception, has pub-licly opposed the mandate. The USCCB also set up a specialwebpage (usccb.org/conscience) after the announcement with
statements, fact sheets and videos explaining the gravity of thesituation. State Catholic conferences, the Knights of Colum-bus and numerous other Catholic organizations followed thebishops’ lead, appealing to supporters and members to contacttheir legislators.
In testimony Feb. 16 before the house Committee on Over-sight and Government Reform, Bishop Lori explained the
Church’s position using what hecalled “The Parable of the KosherDeli,” imagining a governmentmandate that compelled all busi-nesses to serve pork, even kosherdelicatessens.
Of course, such a mandatewould be rejected, he said. “Doesthe fact that large majorities insociety — even large majoritieswithin the protesting religiouscommunity — reject a particularreligious belief make it permissi-ble for the government to weighin on one side of that dispute?Does it allow government to pun-ish that minority belief with itscoercive power?” he asked. “In anation committed to religious lib-erty and diversity, the answer, ofcourse, is no.”
The mandate is one of numer-ous regulations dealing with the
implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable CareAct, commonly known as Obamacare. First announced in Au-gust 2011 and reaffirmed in January 2012, the regulationstates that all employee health insurance plans must cover “pre-ventive health services,” including prescription contraceptiondrugs and devices, as well as elective surgical sterilizations. Themandate states that insurers may not even charge a co-pay forthese services, as they commonly do with virtually all otherprescription drugs and surgical procedures.
8 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ A P R I L 2 0 1 2
special report
SHREDDING THE
FIRST AMENDMENTU.S. bishops and others continue to express grave concerns
about an unprecedented attack on religious freedom
“Never before has the federal
government forcedindividuals and
organizations to goout into the market-
place and buy aproduct that violatestheir conscience.”
In November 2011, then-Archbishop Dolan visited theWhite house and appealed to President Obama to extend abroad exemption for religious institutions and individuals withmoral objections to contraception or abortifacients. Arch-bishop Dolan left the meeting stating that he was convincedthe president was taking the concern seriously.
however, when the hhS rule was announced in January, itwas a different story. The administration held to its originalplan of exempting only churches — that is, houses of worship— from the mandate. Any other religious ministry that eitheremploys or serves people of different faiths, would not be ex-empt, including hospitals, Catholic Charities agencies, andschools and universities. The only thing that these institutionswere offered was one extra year to comply.
“In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figureout how to violate our consciences,” declared Cardinal Dolan.
Although abortion-advocacy groups like Planned Parent-hood cheered the ruling, Catholics and others saw it as un-fathomable — seemingly declaring Catholic health, educationand charitable ministries to be secular pursuits serving no re-ligious purpose. For many, it appeared to be a not-so-thinly-veiled assault on religious liberty.
Groups such as the National Right to Life Committee fur-ther argued that the new rule would open the door to man-dating that “every health plan in America cover abortion ondemand.” If other “reproductive services” are considered basic,preventive health care, then why not abortion?
SERIOUS OBJECTIONS REMAINIn an election year, the story was proving problematic for Pres-ident Obama’s campaign, with criticism coming from self-pro-claimed “progressive” Catholics whose support helped passObamacare over objections from the U.S. bishops. E.J.Dionne, the liberal Washington Post columnist, charged thatObama had “utterly botched” the contraception issue and hadthrown “his progressive Catholic allies under the bus.”
With the pressure rising, Obama appeared to reverse courseabruptly on Feb. 10, announcing that he would issue a new reg-ulation stating that non-exempt religious institutions would nothave to provide the insurance. Instead, the employees of thoseinstitutions would be contacted directly by insurance companiesand informed that they could have the coverage. The insurancecompanies themselves, Obama said, would be required to paythe cost of the contraception, not the religious employers.
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 9
Consisting of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights was introduced by James Madison to the 1st United StatesCongress and adopted by the House of Representatives in 1789. The First Amendment states that the government “shall make no law respectingan establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
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Although some initial critics of the mandate accepted this“accommodation” as an acceptable compromise, the bishops,pro-life groups and others observed that the proposed regula-tions had not changed.
Testifying before the house Judiciary Committee Feb. 28,Bishop Lori noted that the original hhS rule, which causedthe initial negative reaction, was actually finalized “withoutchange.” he called the accommodation a “legally unenforce-able promise to alter the way the mandate would still apply tothose who are still not exempt from it.”
Bishop Lori added, “In the world-turned-upside-down thatwe have all entered since the mandate was issued, this is notmerely ‘no change,’ but is heralded as ‘great change,’ for whichthe administration has been widely congratulated.”
The U.S. bishops have identified a number of objectionsthat the accommodation failed toresolve:
• The rule will continue to pro-vide the original narrow religiousexemption for which, as the bish-ops’ conference noted, “not evenJesus and his disciples would havequalified” because it excludesthose who serve people of otherfaiths.
• Religious employers will stillpay for health plans that containthe objectionable coverage, re-gardless of the mechanism in-volved in how the beneficiary istold of the coverage.
• For religiously affiliated insur-ers, and the many Catholic enti-ties that self-insure, the religiousemployer is the insurer and willstill have to provide the pro-scribed services.
• The regulations will still forceindividual private employers withmoral objections to violate their consciences by providing thiscoverage.
• The federal mandate adopted the narrowest state-level re-ligious exemption and is stricter than any existing state man-dates. The mandate closes off current options for religiousemployers, such as self-insuring or dropping coverage. It alsoincludes sterilization, something not found in state plans wherecontraception mandates have been enacted.
ThE FIGhT CONTINUESIn a Feb. 21 letter to their brother bishops explaining theChurch’s rejection of the accommodation, Cardinal Dolanand Bishop Lori stated: “In the United States, religious libertydoes not depend on the benevolence of who is regulating us.
It is our ‘first freedom’ and respect for it must be broad andinclusive — not narrow and exclusive.”
For the Obama administration, the accommodation an-nouncement was successful in tamping down the story in themedia, but the bishops have not given up the cause. They con-tinue to push for legislative relief.
Many members of Congress have attempted to fashionlegislative remedies, thus far without success. The Respectfor Rights of Conscience Act, which would grant broad con-science exemptions for employers and individuals from hav-ing to provide or pay for services they consider morallyobjectionable, was introduced in Congress with bipartisansupport. In the Senate, the legislation took the form of anamendment sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). It wastabled March 1 by a vote of 51-48.
The Knights of Columbus isamong many Catholic organiza-tions that continue to urge mem-bers to contact their representativesin support of freedom of con-science. Several lawsuits have alsobeen filed by Catholic employers,including the Catholic broadcastcompany EWTN, Ave Maria Uni-versity in Naples, Fla., BelmontAbbey College in Belmont, N.C.,and others, in addition to at leastseven state attorneys general.
Objections to the mandate andaccommodation have also comefrom a wide cross section of reli-gious groups, as reflected in theFeb. 16 congressional hearing thatincluded Catholic, Jewish, Bap-tist, Lutheran and evangelicalleaders. At another hearing laterin the month, a diverse group offemale leaders of many differentfaith traditions gave testimony
against the mandate. This followed an online petitionsigned by thousands of women stating that concern forwomen’s health did not automatically mean support for thecontraceptive mandate.
Only time will tell how it will end up, but in their Feb. 21letter, Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Lori insisted that the fightwill continue: “We cannot rest when faced with so grave athreat to the religious liberty for which our parents and grand-parents fought. In this moment in history we must work dili-gently to preserve religious liberty and to remove all threatsto the practice of our faith in the public square. This is ourheritage as Americans.”♦
MARY DETURRIS POUST writes from upstate New York.
“Religious libertydoes not depend onthe benevolence ofwho is regulating us. It is our ‘first freedom’
and respect for it must be broad and
inclusive — not narrowand exclusive.”
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 11
The following letter, dated Feb. 10, was originally signed byformer Vatican Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, PrincetonProfessor Robert George, Notre Dame Law Professor CarterSnead, Catholic University of America President John Garvey,and Ethics and Public Policy Center Fellow Yuval Levin. Hun-dreds of national leaders have since co-signed the letter.
ThE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION has offered what ithas styled as an “accommodation” for religious institutionsin the dispute over the hhS mandate for coverage (withoutcost sharing) of abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization andcontraception. The administration will now require that allinsurance plans cover (“cost free”) these same products andservices. Once a religiously affiliated (or believing individ-ual) employer purchases insurance (as it must, by law), theinsurance company will then contact the insured employeesto advise them that the terms of the policy include coveragefor these objectionable things.
This so-called “accommodation” changes nothing ofmoral substance and fails to remove the assault on religiousliberty and the rights of conscience which gave rise to thecontroversy. It is certainly no compromise. The reason forthe original bipartisan uproar was the administration’s in-sistence that religious employers, be they institutions orindividuals, provide insurance that covers services they re-gard as gravely immoral and unjust. Under the new rule,the government still coerces religious institutions and in-dividuals to purchase insurance policies that include thevery same services.
It is no answer to respond that the religious employers arenot “paying” for this aspect of the insurance coverage. For
one thing, it is unrealistic to suggest that insurance compa-nies will not pass the costs of these additional services on tothe purchasers. More importantly, abortion drugs, steriliza-tions and contraceptives are a necessary feature of the policypurchased by the religious institution or believing individ-ual. They will only be made available to those who are in-sured under such policy, by virtue of the terms of the policy.
It is morally obtuse for the administration to suggest (asit does) that this is a meaningful accommodation of religiousliberty because the insurance company will be the one to in-form the employee that she is entitled to the embryo-de-stroying “five day after pill” pursuant to the insurancecontract purchased by the religious employer. It does notmatter who explains the terms of the policy purchased bythe religiously affiliated or observant employer. What mat-ters is what services the policy covers.
The simple fact is that the Obama administration is com-pelling religious people and institutions who are employersto purchase a health insurance contract that provides abor-tion-inducing drugs, contraception and sterilization. This isa grave violation of religious freedom and cannot stand. Itis an insult to the intelligence of Catholics, Protestants, East-ern Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims and other peopleof faith and conscience to imagine that they will accept anassault on their religious liberty if only it is covered up by acheap accounting trick.
Finally, it bears noting that by sustaining the original nar-row exemptions for churches, auxiliaries, and religious orders,the administration has effectively admitted that the new pol-icy (like the old one) amounts to a grave infringement on re-ligious liberty. The administration still fails to understandthat institutions that employ and serve others of different orno faith are still engaged in a religious mission and, as such,enjoy the protections of the First Amendment.♦
UNACCEPTABLE
Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, andrepresentatives of other faiths testify at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington Feb. 16.
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This “Open Letter to President Obama, Secretary Sebelius andMembers of Congress” was written by Helen M. Alvaré, associateprofessor of law at George Mason University, and Kim Daniels,former counsel to the Thomas More Law Center. Since it was firstpublished Feb. 17, the letter collected thousands of signatures. Seewomenspeakforthemselves.com.
WE ARE WOMEN who support the competing voice offeredby Catholic institutions on matters of sex, marriage and familylife. Most of us are Catholic, but some are not. We are De-mocrats, Republicans and Independents. Many, at some pointin our careers, have worked for a Catholic institution. We areproud to have been part of the religious mission of that school,or hospital, or social service organization. We are proud to havebeen associated not only with the work that Catholic institu-tions perform in the community — particularly for the mostvulnerable — but also with the shared sense of purpose foundamong colleagues who chose their job because, in a religiousinstitution, a job is always also a vocation.
Those currently invoking “women’s health” in an attemptto shout down anyone who disagrees with forcing religious
institutions or individuals to violate deeply held beliefs aremore than a little mistaken and more than a little dishonest.Even setting aside their simplistic equation of “costless”birth control with “equality,” note that they have never re-sponded to the large body of scholarly research indicatingthat many forms of contraception have serious side effects,or that some forms act at some times to destroy embryos,or that government contraceptive programs inevitablychange the sex, dating and marriage markets in ways thatlead to more empty sex, more non-marital births and moreabortions. It is women who suffer disproportionately whenthese things happen.
No one speaks for all women on these issues. Those whopurport to do so are simply attempting to deflect attentionfrom the serious religious liberty issues currently at stake.Each of us, Catholic or not, is proud to stand with theCatholic Church and its rich, life-affirming teachings on sex,marriage and family life. We call on President Obama andour representatives in Congress to allow religious institutionsand individuals to continue to witness to their faiths in alltheir fullness.♦
WOMEN SPEAK OUT
Dr. Anne Nolte, right, a family physician with the National Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility in New York, follows Catholicteaching and guidelines for health care in her practice. She said about 40 percent of her patients are Protestants or have no religious affiliation.
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The following abridged letter, dated March 2, was sent to U.S.bishops by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, presidentof the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
SINCE JAN. 20, when the final, restrictive hhS Rule wasfirst announced, we have become certain of two things: reli-gious freedom is under attack, and we will not cease our strug-gle to protect it. We recall the words of our holy FatherBenedict XVI to our brother bishops on their recent ad liminavisit: “Of particular concern are certain attempts being madeto limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the free-dom of religion.” … We have made it clear in no uncertainterms to the government that we are not at peace with its in-vasive attempt to curtail the religious freedom we cherish asCatholics and Americans. We did not ask for this fight, butwe will not run from it. …
Of course, we maintained from the start that this is not a“Catholic” fight alone. I like to quote as often as possible anurse who emailed me, “I’m not so much mad about all thisas a Catholic, but as an American.” And as we recall, a Baptistminister, Governor Mike huckabee, observed, “In this matter,we’re all Catholics.” ...
When [President Barack Obama] announced on Jan. 20 thatthe choking mandates from hhS would remain, not only webishops and our Catholic faithful, but people of every faith,or none at all, rallied in protest. The worry that we had ex-pressed — that such government control was contrary to ourdeepest political values — was eloquently articulated by con-stitutional scholars and leaders of every creed.
On Feb. 10, the president announced that the insuranceproviders would have to pay the bill, instead of the Church’sschools, hospitals, clinics or vast network of charitable out-reach having to do so. ... The [bishops’] conference an-nounced at first that ... we would certainly give the president’sproposal close scrutiny. Well, we did — and as you know, weare as worried as ever.
For one, there was not even a nod to the deeper concernsabout trespassing upon religious freedom, or of modifying thehhS’ attempt to define the how and who of our ministry. Two,since a big part of our ministries are “self-insured,” we still askhow this protects us. ... And what about forcing individual be-lievers to pay for what violates their religious freedom and con-science? We can’t abandon the hardworking person of faith whohas a right to religious freedom. … In many ways, the an-nouncement of Feb. 10 solved little and complicated a lot. …
We will ardently continue to seek a rescinding of the suffo-cating mandates that require us to violate our moral convic-
tions, or at least insist upon a much wider latitude to the ex-emptions so that churches can be free of the new, rigidly nar-row definition of church, minister and ministry that wouldprevent us from helping those in need, educating children andhealing the sick, no matter their religion.
In this regard, the president invited us to “work out the wrin-kles.” We have accepted that invitation. Unfortunately, thisseems to be stalled: the White house Press Secretary, for in-stance, informed the nation that the mandates are a fait accompli.… The White house already notified Congress that the dreadedmandates are now published in the Federal Registry “withoutchange.” The secretary of hhS is widely quoted as saying, “Re-ligious insurance companies don’t really design the plans theysell based on their own religious tenets.” That doesn’t bode wellfor their getting a truly acceptable “accommodation.”
At a recent meeting between staff of the bishops’ conferenceand the White house staff, our staff members asked directlywhether the broader concerns of religious freedom — that is,revisiting the straitjacketing mandates, or broadening the ma-ligned exemption — are all off the table. They were informedthat they are. So much for “working out the wrinkles.” …
We will continue to accept invitations to meet with and tovoice our concerns to anyone of any party — for this is hardlypartisan — who is willing to correct the infringements on re-ligious freedom that we are now under. ...
Congress might provide more hope, since thoughtful electedofficials have proposed legislation to protect what should beso obvious: religious freedom. Meanwhile, in our recent debatein the Senate, our opponents sought to obscure what is reallya religious freedom issue by maintaining that abortion-induc-ing drugs and the like are a “woman’s health issue.” We willnot let this deception stand. Our commitment to seeking leg-islative remedies remains strong. And it is about remedies tothe assault on religious freedom. Period. …
Perhaps the courts offer the most light. In the recentHosanna-Tabor ruling, the Supreme Court unanimously de-fended the right of a church to define its own ministry andservices, a dramatic rebuff to the administration, apparentlyunheeded by the White house. Thus, our bishops’ conference,many individual religious entities, and other people of goodwill are working with some top-notch law firms who feel sostrongly about this that they will represent us pro-bono. In theupcoming days, you will hear much more about this encour-aging and welcome development.
Given this climate, we have to prepare for tough times. …We know so very well that religious freedom is our heritage,our legacy and our firm belief, both as loyal Catholics andAmericans. There have been many threats to religious freedomover the decades and years, but these often came from without.This one sadly comes from within. As our ancestors did withprevious threats, we will tirelessly defend the timeless and en-during truth of religious freedom.♦
‘WE WILL NOT RUN FROM THIS FIGHT’
14 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ A P R I L 2 0 1 2
Religious freedom has been in the news a lot this year, no-tably in the controversy over the U.S. Department of
health and human Service’s Jan. 20 announcement of a rulethat mandates that a range of religious institutions include cov-erage for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducingdrugs in their employee health plans. In another major devel-opment occurring just nine days earlier, the U.S. SupremeCourt presented its decision in one of the most widely antici-pated religious freedom cases in many years, Hosanna-TaborEvangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC.
The issue before the court was whether religious institu-tions are free to choose and retain “ministers,” including notonly ordained clergy, but also employees who perform a rangeof religious functions, without government interference. Formany years, the lower federal courts had uniformly held thatthe First Amendment required such an exemption from em-ployment discrimination claims.
When the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, the nar-row issue before the court was whether a particular employeequalified as a “minister” for purposes of the ministerial excep-tion. But because the court had never spoken directly towhether such an exception was required at all by the FirstAmendment, observers recognized that the case would be animportant clarification of the scope of constitutional religiousfreedom.
DEBATING ThE MINISTERIAL EXCEPTIONThe circumstances that led to Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC aresomewhat complicated. Cheryl Perich began working for thehosanna-Tabor Lutheran Church in suburban Detroit in1999, teaching both secular subjects and religion at its school.She received a ministerial “call” from the church to teach but
in 2004 began experiencing health problems.Perich then took an extended leave of absence, during
which she was diagnosed with narcolepsy and the churchhired another teacher. When the church asked Perich to re-sign, she threatened to sue. Because the church believed thatsuch a threat was inconsistent with Perich’s ministerial “call,”her call was rescinded and she was terminated from her posi-tion in 2005.
Later that year, Perich filed a complaint with the Equal Em-ployment Opportunity Commission, who filed suit againstthe church on her behalf. The federal district court agreedwith the church that the ministerial exception barred the em-ployee’s lawsuit against the church, but the U.S. Court of Ap-peals for the Sixth Circuit reinstated Perich’s claim. In theview of the Sixth Circuit, the fact that the employee’s dutiesincluded teaching secular subjects placed her outside the scopeof any First Amendment-based exception to employment dis-crimination law.
The case underscored a larger debate about the ministerialexception in U.S. law. In recent years, critics of the exceptionpointed to a 1990 case, Employment Division v. Smith, inwhich the Supreme Court held that there is no constitutionalright to a religious exemption from a law that applies gener-ally to all people. Since employment discrimination laws are,the argument ran, such neutral laws of general applicability,there should be no religious exemption from them. Support-ers of the ministerial exception, meanwhile, pointed to anolder line of cases in which the court had refused to interferein the internal matters of churches. They argued that the Es-tablishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause — notwith-standing Smith — prevent state interference with ministerialemployment decisions.
Unanimous Victory for FreedomIn a rare 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the
Constitution protects a church’s rights to choose its own ministers
by Michael P. Moreland
Unanimous Victory for FreedomIn a rare 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the
Constitution protects a church’s rights to choose its own ministers
by Michael P. Moreland
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In a move that dismayed advocates of religious freedom, theU.S. Department of Justice’s brief in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOCwent beyond the narrow issue of whether the ministerial ex-ception should apply to the facts of Perich’s claim and tookthe extreme position that there is no general ministerial ex-ception under the First Amendment’s religion clauses. In tak-ing this position, the Obama administration was at odds witha wide spectrum of religious groups who argued for a robustministerial exception as a necessary component of religiousfreedom. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was joinedby numerous Protestant churches, Jewish and Muslim organ-izations, and others in filing amicus briefs on behalf ofhosanna-Tabor.
Indeed, the administration took a position more hostile toreligious freedom than even the ACLU and Americans Unitedfor Separation of Church andState, both of whom acknowledgedthe ministerial exception in theiramicus briefs but argued that itshould not apply to cases in whichthe alleged discrimination or retal-iation is unrelated to religion. Bycontrast, the administration arguedthat what remains of religious free-dom regarding ministerial deci-sions is protected by the generalfreedom of association. Accordingto this view, the Catholic Churchcannot be sued for gender discrim-ination for holding that womencannot be ordained to the priest-hood, but this is because of theChurch’s constitutional right to as-sociational freedom. This argu-ment was peculiar, in that itimplied that the religion clauses ofthe First Amendment do not pro-tect the right of religious groups toselect ministers, but the right of free association — which restson a tenuous constitutional basis somewhere amid freedomof speech — somehow does.
In this way, the administration’s view failed to acknowledgethat there is a constitutional limitation on the power of thestate to interfere in ministerial employment decisions, whichis rooted in a long tradition of Western political theory. In-stead, it implied that such religious freedom, where it existsat all, merely involves weighing the state’s anti-discriminationinterest against a religious institution’s right to association.
PROTECTING ThE ChURCh FROM ThE STATEIn a 9-0 decision delivered Jan. 11, the Supreme Court heldthat the First Amendment’s religion clauses require the min-isterial exception and that the employee in the case qualifiedas a “minister.” Chief Justice John Roberts’s opinion for thecourt began by noting that the framers of the U.S. Constitu-tion sought to avoid the problems experienced by the English
with state interference in the selection of ministers, fromhenry II’s fight with St. Thomas Becket regarding state con-trol over ecclesiastical appointments to henry VIII’s assertionof supremacy over the Church in England.
The chief justice summarized how the First Amendment’sfree exercise and anti-establishment provisions apply to thecase: “By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringesthe Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group’sright to shape its own faith and mission through its appoint-ments. According the state the power to determine which in-dividuals will minister to the faithful also violates theEstablishment Clause, which prohibits government involve-ment in such ecclesiastical decisions.”Employment Division v. Smith was distinguished on the
grounds that there is a difference between regulation of out-ward conduct and interference inthe internal matters of a church.The court described the adminis-tration’s position as “untenable” be-cause the First Amendment “givesspecial solicitude to the rights of re-ligious organizations.”
Although the opinion left unre-solved the question of who, pre-cisely, counts as a minister, it notedthat this case was clear becausePerich’s duties “reflected a role inconveying the Church’s messageand carrying out its mission.” Jus-tice Clarence Thomas argued in aconcurring opinion that courtsshould defer to a religious institu-tion’s own determination aboutwho is a minister. Similarly, JusticeSamuel Alito and Justice ElenaKagan — the most recent appoint-ment to the court by PresidentObama — argued in their concur-
ring opinion that future cases should look broadly to the func-tions performed by an employee.
Ultimately, Hosanna-Tabor is a resounding victory for reli-gious freedom. As Chief Justice Roberts noted, there is un-doubtedly a significant state interest in employmentdiscrimination, but there is a more important interest in reli-gious institutions being free to select their ministers. The caseunderscored the important roles that the various branches ofthe federal and state government play in striking the right bal-ance between asserted state interests and religious freedom.Coming amid the heated debate over the administration’s con-traception mandate, Hosanna-Tabor is a valuable reminderthat the First Amendment imposes meaningful and judiciallyenforceable limits on the power of the state to interfere withreligious institutions.♦
MIChAEL P. MORELAND is an associate professor at VillanovaUniversity School of Law.
Hosanna-Tabor is avaluable reminder thatthe First Amendmentimposes meaningful
and judicially enforceable limits
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L ocated next to a trash dump on the outskirts of Cairo,the Salam Center is a bit of an oasis in an otherwise
poor neighborhood. Dust and dirt abound, as the roads arenot paved, and the city’s trash collectors, most of whom areChristians, carry huge bags of refuse on donkey-drawn carts.Children run everywhere amid the mess. The scene lookslike something from another age, but it is very much 21st-century Egypt.
Inside the Salam Center, it is an impoverished, yet peacefulsetting. Some 19 religious sisters, wearing habits, cater toChristians and Muslims alike. Con-sisting of a hospital, school andhome for senior citizens, the facilityis run by the Daughters of St.Mary, an order of Coptic Orthodoxnuns.
Sister Maria, the head of theconvent associated with the SalamCenter, acknowledged that recentdevelopments in Muslim-Christianrelations have frightened her.“Things all looked good during therevolution, but now you’re seeing alot of attacks on Christians,” shesaid. “It’s a bit worrisome.”
Many people in the region shareSister Maria’s viewpoint. As theArab Spring swept through NorthAfrica more than a year ago, itbrought newfound hope for free-dom. In downtown Cairo’s TahrirSquare, Egyptian Muslims andChristians celebrated the downfall of President hosniMubarak, who had been in power for more than 30 years. Butfor Christians in Egypt, who make up about 10 percent ofcountry’s 82 million people, the elation didn’t last long.
“I thought that after the revolution we would get all ourrights back, but that wasn’t true,” said Michael Eid, a 28-year-old pharmacist sitting in a church courtyard in a bustling partof downtown Cairo. “Christians are still considered second-class citizens in Egypt.”
NEW GOVERNMENT, NEW ChALLENGESEgypt has the largest Christian population of any Arab coun-try, but Christians remain a minority in the largely Muslimcountry. Most Christians in Egypt are members of the CopticOrthodox Church, which is distinct from the Catholic CopticChurch. The latter, which is in communion with Rome underPatriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, is relatively small,but still counts more than 200,000 faithful.
Although churches may be seen in many places around Cairo,there is almost always the minaret of a mosque either in front
of the church or around the corner,a not-so-subtle reminder of the pri-mary religion. If a woman in Egyptdoes not wear a headscarf, a traditionthat has grown in recent years, it issign that she is probably either aChristian or a moderate Muslim —in either case, a minority.
Christianity’s presence in Egyptdates back to St. Mark the Apostle,who is believed to have brought theGospel to Alexandria, a port city onthe Mediterranean, in the 1st cen-tury. St. Mark was martyred bybeing dragged through the streets ofAlexandria by a horse, and Egyptclaims a long list of saints and mar-tyrs who lived in the centuries thatfollowed.
“Egyptian Christians have his-tory in mind, and it’s a historyfull of hardship, suffering and
even bloodshed,” said Bishop Mouneer h. Anis, the Angli-can bishop of Cairo. “Without the blood of the earlyChristians, we would not be Christians today.”
But Christian suffering in Egypt is not just the stuff of his-tory. Christians have been killed in recent clashes as well. Morethan two-dozen people died last year during a demonstrationat Maspero, in downtown Cairo, many of them run over byarmy trucks. At the funeral of the Maspero victims, Bishop Anissaw people mourn as each coffin was brought out of the church.
Peace and Persecution in Egypt
In the wake of revolution, Egyptian Christians struggle to find their place in a predominantly Muslim nation
by Greg Burke
At the funeral of the Maspero victims,
Bishop Anis saw peoplemourn as each coffinwas brought out of the
church. The people,though, also applauded.“You don’t clap exceptfor a hero,” he said.
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 17
The people, though, also applauded. “You don’t clap except fora hero,” he said.
Under Mubarak, there were some serious incidents, includ-ing instances of Christians being thrown in prison or even killedfor religious reasons. But according to Bishop Anis, life forChristians is getting a bit more difficult now, with morechurches burned and demolished. “That never happened underMubarak — although it was not easy under Mubarak,” he said.
Today, the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic political group,controls almost 45 percent of the seats in Parliament, and themore radical Salafists control 25 percent, together giving theman absolute majority. The rest of Parliament consists of mod-erate Muslims and their Christian allies.
What does this mean for Christians? The answer is not yetclear, although they hope the Muslim Brotherhood will allowfor some protection of minorities when a new constitution iswritten. Bishop Anis suggested that the Muslim Brotherhoodwould gain recognition from the international community ifit were to protect minorities and emphasize high standards ofeducation for young people.
Poor education is one of the biggest problems in Egypt, andcan play a role in fostering religious conflict, as people are not
taught to respect others who might practice a different reli-gion or hold different beliefs. About 30 percent of the popu-lation can neither read nor write.
“This is the greatest sin of hosni Mubarak,” said Father An-toine Rafic Greiche, a spokesman for the Catholic Church inEgypt. “he kept the people illiterate for 30 years.”
SEEKING JUSTICEOn the surface, relations between Muslims and Christiansmay look promising in Egypt. There is, for example, a flour-ishing girls school for people of all faiths that is run byCatholic religious sisters in the heliopolis section of Cairo.
But according to Father Greiche, who lives near the school,one of the sisters was attacked not long ago by two men on amotorcycle. The assailants pulled off the sister’s habit and de-manded that she say, “Muhammed is the Prophet.” They thencut her face with a razor.
“As a priest, I should not be scared, but we are a littlescared,” Father Greiche said.
With the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists in power,Egyptian Muslims could be pushed in a much more radicaldirection, he added. “They will change the mentality of the
Anti-government protesters hold a large Egyptian flag in Tahrir Square in Cairo Feb.11, 2011.
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society, and that’s the most dangerous of thing. It’s a veryfoggy night right now for us.”
Catholic Coptic Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Giza re-called that the uprising in Egypt initially made him optimisticabout the future of the country, but that has changed. Thegoal of creating a modern state remains far away, he said,adding that whenever a church gets burned or destroyed, theculprit is never found.
“We’re ready to pay for the church to be repaired, but wewant the guilty parties found and tried,” Bishop Mina said.
“humanly speaking, we don’t have a great future,” he said.“But there have been worse times for Christians in Egypt, andChristians are still here. This could be a moment of purification.”
he also referred to an incident in which six Christian familieswere forced out of a village after reports of an illicit relationshipbetween a Christian man and a young Muslim woman.
“Where is the law?” the bishop asked. “If today they kickus out of a village, eventually they will kick us out of thecountry.”
The Christian population in Egypt may be small, but it isdetermined. People don’t try to hide their faith; in fact, manymen and women have crosses tattooed on their wrists. Their
future, however, is dependent on relations with Muslims, re-lations that have been strained even since the Arab Spring.
Adel Abd El Malek Ghali, a medical doctor who helps outat the Salam Center, cited the lack of justice for victims of re-ligious violence. “The truth is that if a Muslim kills a Christian,nothing ever happens,” he said.
Ghali stressed, however, that despite everything, Christiansshould be calm. “It doesn’t mean there won’t be persecution,but we shouldn’t be afraid.”
A man of faith, Ghali maintains a joyful disposition and has aspecial devotion Mary under her title Our Lady of Zeitoun,named for a miraculous apparition in a southern district of Cairo.
For Ghali and other Christians, there is still hope that theArab Spring in Egypt will lead to a spring time for both Mus-lims and Christians, allowing them to live in a modern statein peace and mutual respect. But there is no guarantee thatwill happen, and some expectation that it may not.
Bishop Anis put it this way: “As an Egyptian Christian, Ifeel that hardship and suffering are part of the package. If youare a Christian, there will be a price to pay.”♦
GREG BURKE is the Rome correspondent for Fox News.
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People gather outside a burned Coptic Christian church May 8, 2011, after it was set on fire during clashes between Muslims and Christians in Cairo.At least 12 people were killed during the violence.
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As the St. Louis Cardinals made their improbable driveto the World Series title last fall, rushing from 10 1/2
games out in August to a World Series berth, special assis-tant general manager Matt Slater looked to his Catholicfaith for spiritual guidance and emotional stability. SundayMass with his family, regular prayer, and a concern for thewell-being of the players, not just the box scores, helpedhim maintain a healthy perspective. The Cardinals went onto clinch a playoff spot in the final regular season game, wina last-game squeaker for the National League title and ekeout a seventh-game World Series win against the TexasRangers last October.
“I rely on my Catholic faith every day,” said Slater. “It isthe backbone of everything Ido. It gives me inner peace.It gives me strength to go onwith the ups and downs of abaseball season, and the upsand downs of my life.”
Slater, 41, who is marriedand has three children, hasworked in major leaguefront offices since his fresh-man year at Jesuit-run Mar-quette University. he calledthe Cardinals “a very reli-gious group of guys” that hasa Bible study group and anumber of Catholics in ad-ministrative positions, fromGeneral Manager JohnMozeliak and Assistant General Manager Mike Girsch totraveling secretary C.J. Cherry and trainer Greg hauck.
The Catholic roots of the team run across decades, includ-ing Stan Musial, one of baseball’s all-time great hitters, whoplayed out his whole 22-year career with the Cardinals(1941-1963). “Stan the Man” never missed Mass, despiteconstant road trips, and once asked for a pay cut when hedidn’t perform to his own expectations.
Another noted Catholic is hall of Fame manager RedSchoendienst, who led the club to the 1967 World Seriesover the Boston Red Sox. More recent World Series heroesare also vocal about their Catholic faith. Pitcher Jeff Sup-pan won Game 3 to help the Cardinals earn the 2004 titleand shortstop David Eckstein was the MVP for the 2006World Series. In 2004, Suppan attended the first meeting
of the Vatican’s newly formed Office for Church and Sportin Rome.
One of the more famous Cardinal fans is himself a newlyelevated cardinal — Timothy M. Dolan, who grew up inBallwin, a St. Louis suburb. Though he now sports a Yankeescap since he was named archbishop of New York three yearsago, the cardinal still holds his first home team dear.
The team’s chaplain, Father David A. Walter, a retiredpriest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, is a walking encyclo-pedia of the Cardinals’ Catholic connections. Noting thatSunday Mass has been offered in the clubhouse for morethan 20 years, he said, “The significant fact is that neitherthe archdiocese nor the priests went to the team to ask if
they could offer Mass; it wasthe Cardinals’ managementthemselves who came to thearchdiocese and asked if apriest could be assigned tosay Mass.”
he added, “We are deal-ing with some very goodpracticing Catholics at thehighest level of the ballclub. What is also wonder-ful is that those who cometo Mass are from the frontoffice, the players and thestadium staff, the tickettakers, the ushers, themaintenance crew — every-one together. Even players
from the opposing team. There is the understanding thatwhen we are there for Mass, everyone is a Christian, equalbefore God.”
Currently, the Mass is coordinated by Catholic Athletesfor Christ, which works with a number of professional teamsto provide chaplains and the sacraments for players and otherpersonnel.
After a stunning championship season, what can we expectfrom St. Louis this year? Slater, who is now the team’s direc-tor of player personnel, noted the loss of superstar Albert Pu-jols to free agency, but added that the Cardinals “have alwaysknown how to do our best with the talent we have.”♦
BRIAN CAULFIELD is editor of Fathers for Good for the Knightsof Columbus.
Championship CardinalsThe St. Louis Major League Baseball team has strong Catholic roots
by Brian Caulfield
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FATHERS FOR GOOD
FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT WWW.FATHERSFORGOOD.ORG.
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When time allows, Krzysztof Witkowski of BishopTheodore Kubina Council 14955 in Częstochowa,
Poland, enjoys giving tours of the museum that he foundedlast year. The tour begins in a darkened room with relics ofBlessed John Paul II: a lock of hair and a fragment of thecross that the pope held on Good Friday 2005, just days be-fore his death. here visitors have time to pray before startingtheir journey through the museum.
Inside the gallery, visitors are then surrounded by displaycases comprised of blue backdrops, glass shelves and velvet-lined boxes. Approximately 30,000 small bulbs light more
than 6,000 coins and medals, all with the same subject: PopeJohn Paul II.
‘A LIVING PORTRAIT’According to Witkowski, every artifact in the Museum ofCoins and Medals Commemorating John Paul II has a story.The displays begin with coins that were released by the Vat-ican, followed by those from Poland. There are coins repre-senting the majority of the world’s countries, as well asnumerous smaller territories, islands and cities. And althoughevery coin in the massive collection is important and valu-
•• Minted •••••• in ••••••• Faith •••A unique museum in Poland payshomage to Blessed John Paul II
through medals and coins
by Paweł PiwowarczykPhotography by Jan Welczewski
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 21
able, each representing a piece of the legacy left by thebeloved pontiff, there are some that carry special significance.
Notably, the first coin dedicated to John Paul II is from nei-ther the Vatican nor Poland, but from the Dominican Repub-lic, where the pope made his first apostolic visit in November1978. The smallest group to honor the pope with a coin wasa population of 120 Catholics from Tristan da Cunha, a re-mote volcanic island located in the south Atlantic Ocean.
There are also a few dozen coins from the United Statesand Canada. John Paul II is on a limited edition U.S. half-dollar and on souvenir pennies that were impressed by a
crank-operated machine. There is even a medal that wasstruck to celebrate the opening of the museum itself.
The museum was dedicated Aug. 11, 2011, on the occa-sion of the 20th anniversary of the World Youth Day thattook place in Częstochowa. At the dedication ceremony, Car-dinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop of Kraków and the long-time personal secretary of John Paul II, called it a museumof living portraits from around the world, bringing countriesand cultures closer together. Papal photographer Arturo Mariwas also among the guests for the event.
The museum is located just three miles from Jasna Góra,the nation’s spiritual capital and one of the most significantreligious sites on earth. In 2011, there were some 3.2 millionpilgrims — including visitors from more than 80 countries— who came there to honor the Virgin Mary, who is reveredas the Queen of Poland under her title Our Lady of Często-chowa. For centuries, numerous of faithful have made thetrek each year by foot, traditionally in August.
When Pope John Paul II returned to his native land in June1979, he spoke to the nation from Jasna Góra, where he pre-viously made pilgrimages as a child, student, priest, bishopand cardinal. The pope later reflected that next to the Vati-can, Jasna Góra was for him the main pulpit from which hespoke to the world.
GUIDED BY PROVIDENCEWitkowski’s personal devotion to Our Lady of Częstochowagrew in 2004, when he suffered a stroke that left the entireright side of his body paralyzed. he confided in Our Lady,and his recovery led to a renewed gratitude for life. This ex-perience, and the death of Pope John Paul II the followingyear, had a great impact on him.
But Witkowski’s interest in coins and medals dates backeven earlier. Years before, his father had become very ill andbegan selling parts of his large collection to afford medicineand treatment. One part of the collection, though, was un-touchable. Eventually, the only pieces that remained of thecollection were 55 medals honoring John Paul II, andWitkowski inherited these upon his father’s death.
As time went on, Witkowski kept the collection in his officein Częstochowa, where he owns and manages a company thatsells radio and telecommunications equipment. For some time,Witkowski considered the idea of building a place of remem-brance for John Paul II but was waiting for the right moment.
One day, visitors from Russia asked about the person whowas represented in all of the photographs and medals inWitkowski’s office. The experience impressed uponWitkowski a duty to introduce John Paul II to those who didnot know him. And to those who did know John Paul II, hesaw the need to remind them about the late pope’s life andteachings.
A panel of coins from various countries is pictured (modified to show title)in the Museum of Coins and Medals Commemorating John Paul II inCzestochowa, Poland.
“When I created the museum, I was directing it at youngpeople, at children,” said Witkowski. “I want this museum tospeak to young people and tell them about who John Paul IIwas for our generation. I want to remind them about hiswords on love, about how love is about caring for anotherperson.”
Witkowski has also found inspiration in being a memberof the Knights of Columbus. Since the Order expanded toPoland in 2006, Knights there have adopted Our Lady ofCzęstochowa as a special patron as they work to preserve thenation’s religious heritage. And the Order’s close relationshipwith John Paul II is reflected in a series of commemorativemedals struck by the Knights and featured at the museum —including one released on the occasion of the restoration ofthe façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, a project initiated by theOrder in 1984.
BUILDING ThE COLLECTIONIn April 2010, the collection totaled only 365 coins andmedals, a sum Witkowski was initially happy with becausehe “had a medal for every day of the year.” At the same time,he knew that his collection was not large enough to justify
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The museum’s exhibit space features more than 6,000 coins and medalsthat honor the life and legacy of Blessed John Paul II.
an entire museum, which he assumed would take 10 or even20 years to realize.
A turning point, however, came when Witkowski bought sev-eral thousand John Paul II-related coins and medals from Wo-jciech Grabowski, a well-known collector from London. Anolder man with a passion for the arts, Grabowski wanted toleave his rich collection, which he began decades earlier, withsomeone he could trust. Witkowski’s love for John Paul II andhis plans to display the medals in Częstochowa made him theideal candidate to receive the collection.
During the months that followed, the collection expandedeven more. With passion and determination, Witkowski con-vinced other collectors to let go of their prized possessionsso as to share them with others in one place. In this way,treasures once stored away in closets and on shelves foundtheir way to galleries where they would help tell the story ofJohn Paul II to thousands of admiring visitors.
In addition to the darkened relic room and main exhibitspace, the museum houses an auditorium. Special meetingsand lectures will take place there monthly from March 2012to May 2020, leading up to the 100th anniversary of JohnPaul II’s birth. The first guest presenter was Archbishop
Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, Ukraine, who served as a sec-retary to John Paul II for nine years.
There is also a cafeteria where visitors can relax and eat akremówka, a cream pastry popular in the pope’s home cityof Wadowice, or Italian ice cream made according to a recipefrom Castel Gandolfo, home of the papal summer residence.
Finally, visitors walking through the exhibit space can viewa short movie that explains, among other things, the devel-opment of the museum. Immediately afterward, there is alight show that symbolizes the light of Christian faith. In-deed, these features are simply more facets of an unconven-tional exhibit that seeks to open the doors of faith to itsvisitors. For Witkowski, presenting the legacy and teachingsof John Paul II through coins and medals ultimately encour-ages visitors to become pilgrims on an even larger spiritualvoyage, one that can move them from darkness to light.
For more information about the Museum of Medals andCoins Commemorating John Paul II, visit the multilingualwebsite www.jp2muzeum.pl.♦
PAWEŁ PIWOWARCZYK writes from Kraków, Poland, where heis a member of John Paul II Council 14000.
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Krzysztof Witkowski, a coin collector who founded the Museum of Coins and Medals Commemorating John Paul II in August 2011, is a member ofTheodore Kubina Council 14955 in Czestochowa.
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For some, Father Emil Kapaun may be a footnote in a con-flict many have come to know as the “Forgotten War.” But
for John Moore of Gallup, N.M., the Korean War chaplain’sheroic exploits deserve the attention of congressional and Vati-can officials in a movement to have the Kansas priest honoredwith the Medal of honor and with sainthood.
For his part, Moore, 61, embarked on a 630-mile pilgrimageSept. 11, 2011, from the National Cemetery in Santa Fe toPilsen, Kan., Father Kapaun’s rural hometown in the WichitaDiocese, where Moore arrived the morning of Nov. 11, 2011— Veterans Day.
There, Moore delivered a handmade wooden replica of thecross that has come to represent Father Kapaun, the Army chap-lain who saved the lives of dozens of soldiers and died as a pris-oner of war in Pyoktong, North Korea, on May 23, 1951. Themodel of the cross was designed by a fellow prisoner of war, Ger-ald Fink, a Jew who came to respect and love the diligent priestbefore his death. The canonization cause for Father Kapaun wasformally opened June 29, 2008, with a Mass at St. John Nepo-mucene Church in Pilsen. Church officials in Kansas and else-where had been collecting documentation to support thesainthood cause for years prior to its official opening.
Averaging 15.75 miles of walking per day, Moore — who isa member of Fray Marcos Council 1783 in Gallup — said heonly had three days of rain and heavy wind during his trek.Among the most grueling parts of the journey were the moun-tains of New Mexico and the lack of shoulders on some roadsin Oklahoma and Kansas that wreaked havoc on his feet.
At one point, Moore lost his footing and fell, scraping hisknees and face. The fall caused the large wooden cross, whichhe carried attached to a backpack, to fall on top of him. Mooresaid later that both he and the cross needed slight repairs.
Moore said he became aware of Father Kapaun after readinga small article about the priest in the Knights of Columbus mag-azine, Columbia, and quickly became immersed in the saga of aman who served his country and men in the most deplorable ofconditions.
Father Kapaun was among the first wave of Americantroops to arrive in South Korea after it was attacked by thecommunist North in June 1950. he never shirked his respon-sibility to provide comfort, religious services (often conductedon the hood of a Jeep) and guidance to his troops, even underheavy enemy fire.
It didn’t take long for the priest’s bravery to be recognized. hereceived a Bronze Star in August 1950 when he rescued awounded soldier in the midst of heavy enemy fire. Then, on thefrigid night of Nov. 1, 1950, Father Kapaun was captured afterattempting to rescue some of his men.
Father Kapaun’s life in the POW camp was one of depriva-tion, but he always performed his spiritual and life-sustainingresponsibilities with compassion and a smile. Father Kapaundied in the camp in May 1951.
Despite numerous testimonies confirming his bravery, theMedal of honor — the nation’s highest military honor — haseluded Father Kapaun. There is a groundswell to have the medalbestowed to him posthumously.
“I often think about all of the people he christened and mar-ried and what he did for his troops,” Moore said of his inspira-tion when his trek became difficult or lonely.
Quick to recognize the efforts of Moore is hershey Miyamura
a patriotic burden
New Mexico Knight carries cross 630 miles in honor of Father Emil Kapaun
by Joseph J. Kolb, Catholic News Service
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 25
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of Gallup, a Medal of honor recipient and a former POW.Miyamura, who has read about Father Kapaun, agrees that thepriest deserves the medal. he also feels Moore’s efforts go aboveand beyond the call.
“It is quite an honorable deed what John is doing,” Miyamurasaid. “I feel it is important to help the father’s family get himthe medal but it also brings awareness to the public of what wedid in Korea.”
Miyamura said the value of what Father Kapaun did was im-measurable for the troops.
he added that he didn’t have a chaplain in his POW campwhen he was there for nearly two years and recognizes the in-disputable contributions Father Kapaun would have made.
“I saw so many young men die because they just gave up,” Miya-mura said. “We needed to keep our faith, and for them to have Fa-ther Kapaun among them would have been so uplifting for morale.”
Moore said the cross is made from an alligator juniper treefrom heber, Ariz., and was constructed by Mark Chavez, a re-tired Albuquerque firefighter.
“I don’t want any recognition for this, I just look as myself asthe donkey carrying Christ,” he said. “And anytime you dosomething for a veteran, you do good.”
For more information about the effort to have the Medal ofhonor awarded to Father Kapaun, visit frkapaun.org.♦
JOSEPh J. KOLB writes for the Catholic News Service.
John Moore, a member of Fray Marcos Council 1783 in Gallup, N.M., carries a wooden cross along a New Mexico highway in September 2011in memory of Korean War hero Father Emil Kapaun. Beginning Sept. 11, Moore made a 630-mile pilgrimage on foot from Santa Fe, N.M., toPilsen, Kan., arriving at Father Kapaun’s home parish Nov. 11.
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cost, which, including traveland hospital expenses, to-talled more than $17,000.Knights held several fundrais-ers that netted approximately$14,000 for Sherrill to havethis procedure. AdditionalK of C units from Louisianaand New Jersey also foundout about the effort and con-tributed as well.
NEW TILE INSTALLEDMembers of St. Francis of As-sisi Council 12610 inMocksville, N.C., replaced2,700 square feet of carpetingwith new vinyl tile at theirparish hall. The project in-cluded removing the old car-peting, cleaning the floor,gluing down the new tile andinstalling baseboard molding.
HELPING HOMELESS VETS
Father Harry T. Hayes Assem-bly in Nampa, Idaho, donated$500 to the Boise Rescue Mis-sion to help homeless veter-ans, either with free meals orthrough the mission’s transi-tional program.
Covenant House, a Catholicshelter for homeless, at-riskand runaway teenagers.About 125 attendees en-joyed an afternoon of barbe-cue food, dancing, kiteflying and a marshmallowroast. For many of the teens,this was their first cookoutof any sort.
HERO’S LAST CALLHot Springs (Ark.) Council6419 donated $500 to Hero’sLast Call, an organizationthat provides, without charge,a special funeral tribute tofirst responders who perish inthe line of duty.
NEW PLAYGROUNDSt. Raphael Council 12598in Fayetteville, Tenn., erecteda new playground at St. An-thony Church to accommo-date the growing number ofchildren and young familieswho belong to the parish.
OFFERING SHELTEROgemaw Council 2022 inWest Branch, Mich., re-sponded to an urgent call forassistance during the coun-cil’s officer installation cere-mony. When a fire broke outat the nearby Brook Retire-
ment Community, 24 dis-placed seniors found tempo-rary shelter at the council’shall. Knights stopped whatthey were doing to set up ta-bles and cots and to workwith the Red Cross to ensurethat the seniors were com-fortable while waiting fortheir families to arrive.
STUFF FOR SOLDIERSOur Lady of Czestochowa As-sembly in Luzerne, Pa., do-nated personal items andgames to G Company of thePennsylvania National Guard,which is stationed at the109th Field Artillery inWilkes-Barre and is due forimminent deployment.
CROSS REFURBISHED
St. Benedict Council 1225 inFlorence, Colo., removed, re-stored and replaced the crossatop St. Benedict Church.The church, along with itscrowning crucifix, was builtin 1914. Council membersalso refurbished all of thepews within the church.
CAR SHOWUrbana (Ohio) Council 1727hosted a car show at TrenorMotors that raised $3,000 forcharity. The funds were gen-erated through concessionsales, car registrations andevent sponsors.
MONEY FOR PROCEDURE
Our Lady of Perpetual HelpCouncil 7211 in Lumberton,Miss., and St. Joseph Council15121 in Poplarville came tothe assistance of MichaelSherrill, a young boy who hasquadriplegic spastic cerebralpalsy. Sherrill required a pro-cedure in New Jersey thatwould let him sit up inde-pendently, but the boy’s in-surance would not cover the
FILM SCREENINGSt. Joseph Council 443 inNew York co-sponsored anappreciation night for veter-ans with American LegionPost #581 and the CatholicWar Veterans of the Bronx.The night included a specialscreening of the documentaryChosin on the Chosin Reser-voir Campaign during theKorean War, followed by anice cream social. The eventraised nearly $1,000 for theWounded Warrior Projectand the James J. Peters VAMedical Center.
NEW SMILE, NEW HOPE
Cotabato City (Mindanao)Council 3504 partnered withthe Cotabato City RotaryClub and other civic organi-zations to co-sponsor cleft lipand palate surgery for 25needy individuals from areavillages. Knights providedfood for the program’s at-tending surgeons.
BLOCK PARTYMarquette Council 588 inSparta, N.J., teamed withseveral area organizations tosponsor a block party forhomeless teens living at
KNIGHTS ACTION REPORTS FROM COUNCILS, ASSEMBLIES AND COLUMBIAN SQUIRES CIRCLESIN
Members of Bethlehem Catholic Circle 5455 in Bethlehem, Pa., breakground for a raised garden at ARC of Lehigh and Northampton Coun-ties. Squires set the groundwork for two 8-foot by 4-foot plots for grow-ing flowers and one 32-foot by 4-foot plot for raising vegetables.
Bob Edgar of Lake City (Fla.)Council 7589 uses a wet sawconcrete cutter to remove damagedareas of the sidewalk at EpiphanyCatholic School. Using the sawand a jackhammer, Knightscleared away several broken side-walk slabs and patched the areaswith new concrete.
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 27
gram at St. Dominic Church,hosted a benefit dinner andraffle to aid the family of aparishioner who died sud-denly, leaving his wife andchildren with no means of fi-nancial support. The eventsraised $10,000 for the family.
KNIGHTS, STUDENTSWORK TOGETHER
George C. Shields Council420 in Mansfield, Mass., inconjunction with religiouseducation students at St.Mary’s Parish, raised morethan $7,400 through thecouncil’s “Help a Knight,Change Someone’s World”stewardship program. Usingclean Chinese food takeoutcontainers, Knights and stu-dents collected spare changeover a six-month period forthe Our Daily Bread foodpantry.
NAMING CEREMONYMsgr. James R. Jones Coun-cil 3303 in New Bern, N.C.,hosted the naming ceremonydinner for the new AmericanLegion Post #539. U.S. Rep.Walter B. Jones (R-N.C., 3rdDistrict) delivered the event’skeynote address. Uniformedpersonnel from all branchesof the U.S. Armed Forces
also attended the dinner. Thenew post was named aftertwo New Bern natives whowere killed in action: EnsignHenry P. Whitehurst Jr., whodied in World War II, andSpec. Bobby M. Ware, whodied in the Persian Gulf War.
LUNCH TABLESOur Lady of the RosaryCouncil 6288 in Union City,Calif., donated and assem-bled four tables to Our Ladyof the Rosary School for stu-dents to use during lunch onthe school’s outdoor patio.
A GIFT OF GRACEAtlanta Council 660 volun-teered at the Gift of GraceHouse, a facility operated bythe Missionaries of Charityfor indigent women withAIDS. Knights cleaned thefacility inside and out and re-moved several bags of trash.
STANDING FOR VETERANS
Seaside Council 17 in NewLondon, Conn., donated$550 worth of clothing andtoiletries to “Stand Down —Connecticut Cares,” a pro-gram to assist needy veteransat the Connecticut VeteransHome in Rocky Hill.
HOSPITAL ROOMSADOPTED
Eastern Laguna Lake Assem-bly in Siniloan, Luzon,adopted rooms to refurbish atGeneral Cailles MemorialHospital, a pediatric medicalfacility in Pakil. Knights re-painted one room, completewith a mural of animals, anddonated electric fans to threeothers.
FEEDING NEEDYCHILDREN
St. Margaret Mary Council11091 in Algonquin, Ill., vol-unteered at a packaging eventwith the organization FeedMy Starving Children.Knights and their familiespackaged enough food tofeed 28 needy children forone year.
REPAIRING THE WAYFather Albert Butler Council9176 in Grand Bay, NewBrunswick, repaired theStations of the Cross atSt. Matthew Church inGrand Bay-Westfield. Thestations were erected in 2000under the leadership of JoeMcAulay, a longtime councilmember who passed away
five years later at the age of91. Following the completionof the repair work, the coun-cil hosted a memorial serviceand dedicated a plaque at thestations in honor of McAulay.
CLINIC FUNDRAISERS
St. Theresa Council 2657 inGonzales, La., spearheaded afundraiser to benefit St. Eliz-abeth Community Clinic, afacility that provides health-care services to uninsured orunder-insured parishioners atAscension Church. With as-sistance from three otherK of C units and a local su-permarket, Knights raisedenough money for the clinicto purchase a new diabetesanalyzer and additional med-ical testing equipment.
BAPTIZED INTO LIFEIn an effort to promote a cul-ture of life at St. John West-minster Church, Westminster(Md.) Council 1393 presentsthe parents of each baptizedchild with a special certificatethanking them for choosinglife for their child. The pres-entation is typically made bythe council’s pro-life couple.
CONTINUING STUDIES
Our Lady of GuadalupeCouncil 14101 in QueenCreek, Ariz., held a spaghettidinner fundraiser and silentauction to benefit councilmember and seminarianJacob Gonzales, who is beingtransferred to Germany foradditional studies. Followingthe dinner, Knights pre-sented Gonzales with a dona-tion of $2,000 to help defrayhis traveling and educationalexpenses.
ADVANCING MCGIVNEY’S VISIONSt. Dominic Council 3729 inNew Orleans, La., in con-junction with the men’s cluband the youth program pro-
Ken Carlsen (left) and Joe Grimes of Fairport (N.Y.) Council 7085stand with cans that council members collected during a council-sponsoredrecycling drive. The can and bottle collection raised $500 for a local pro-life center and to send an area youth group on retreat.
A client from the Hazlet-Aberdeen-Matawan Therapeutic RecreationalProgram (right) holds a fish that hecaught during a fishing trip for peo-ple with intellectual disabilitiessponsored by St. Joseph Council3402 in Keyport, N.J. Knightsand other volunteers worked withthe special needs fishermen to catch34 fluke in about three hours.
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
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MONTHLY COLLECTION
For the past 18 years, OurLady of Lourdes Council9924 in Venice, Fla., hashosted a monthly food andfund drive at all weekendMasses at Our Lady of Lour-des Church to benefit thepoor and needy. Donationsare packaged and deliveredto Catholic Charities, to theSociety of St. Vincent dePaul and to other parishes inthe area.
BENEFIT BREAKFASTAscension Council 7991 inQualicum Beach, British Co-lumbia, hosted a benefitbreakfast to support councilmember Fred Gorman, whohas ALS. The event raisedmore than $3,600 to assistwith Gorman’s medical costs.
PARISH FESTIVALJesus the King Arab ChristianCouncil 15045 in Markham,Ontario, organized a parishfestival for Jesus the KingMelkite Catholic Church.Knights and their wives pre-pared food and entertain-ment for the event, whichraised $13,000 for the parish.
PANCAKES FOR JOEYSt. Bernadette Council 11214in Severn, Md., hosted a pan-cake breakfast that raisedmore than $400 for JoeySudo, the son of a councilmember who has been fight-ing a rare form of cancer. Thedonation will help the Sudofamily pay for Joey’s steadilyincreasing medical bills.
A DIFFERENT PLANIn 1994, Christ on theMountain Council 7640 inLakewood, Colo., formed ahome association to beginraising money for a councilhall. Though fundraising
over the years was successful,the council realized that thecurrent real estate market wastoo prohibitive to purchase aK of C facility. Instead,Knights donated a portion oftheir home association fund— $30,000 — to Christ onthe Mountain Church tobegin renovations on thechurch’s worship and gather-ing spaces, neither of whichhad been significantly up-dated in 35 years.
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Eleven K of C councils fromthe Tidewater region of south-east Virginia gathered for thefirst-ever Tidewater Knights ofColumbus Pro-Life Leader-ship Conference. Participantsincluded council pro-life direc-tors, pro-life couples andgrand knights. Hosted by Fa-ther Nicholas J. Habets Coun-cil 4632 in Virginia Beach, theevent provided a venue forcouncils to share pro-life infor-mation, resources and pro-grams, as well as updates onthe Knights of Columbus Ul-trasound Initiative and the40 Day for Life campaign.
BICYCLE DRIVESt. Jerome Council 15012 inWest Long Branch, N.J.,hosted a bicycle drive to ben-efit Second Life Bikes in As-bury Park. Knights collectedmore than 55 used bikesby soliciting donations atSt. Jerome Church andSt. Mary of the AssumptionChurch. Second Life Bikesallows needy children andyoung adults the opportunityto select their own bike in ex-change for working 15 hoursin the organization’s bike re-pair shop.
CHURCH RENOVATIONS
Two K of C councils under-took renovations at St. Ed-ward the Confessor Churchin Milford, N.J. Immaculate
Conception Council 6245 inAnnandale volunteered 1,000hours and donated construc-tion materials to refurbish theparish’s catechetical house.Meanwhile, Delaware ValleyCouncil 7581 worked tooverhaul the parish businessoffices and the main doors ofthe church.
PRAYER GARDENSacred Heart Council 11352in Tonganoxie, Kan., raisednearly $25,000 through me-morial brick sales and otherfundraisers to construct awalking rosary prayer gardenat its parish. ArchbishopJames P. Keleher, archbishopemeritus of Kansas City and amember of The Cathedral ofSt. Peter the Apostle Council12026, blessed the prayer gar-den upon its completion.
Jeffrey S. Patino of MarianCouncil 3773 in Pacifica,Calif., and his 6-year-old daugh-ter, Trinity Rose, present theKnights of Columbus Silver Rosebefore a statue of Our Lady ofGuadalupe. Knights presented apro-life program to coincide withthe rose’s visit that included a timeof prayer and family consecrationand a traditional Mexican dinner.Donations from the event —$591 — were donated to theOrder’s Culture of Life Fund.
Members of Ambrose Council8403 in Annandale, Va., guidethe base of a new wooden crossinto place at St. Ambrose Church.Knights replaced an old cross at thechurch and donated funds to helprenovate the church’s bell tower.
A woman winces as she prepares to give a donation during a blood drivehosted by San Juan Bautista Council 1543 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.The blood drive netted 33 pints of blood.
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
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PARISH BREAKFASTSSt. Jérôme (Quebec) Council1892 and its ladies’ auxiliaryserve breakfast at their parishonce a month for sevenmonths out of the year.Knights and their wives serveabout 400-500 meals at eachevent, and the breakfastsraised $7,200 for the counciland its parish last year.
FIRE RESPONSEAscension Council 14943 inBastrop, Texas, mobilized atAscension Church to aid evac-uees following a series of dev-astating wildfires in the area.Knights coordinated workshifts to set up the parish halland education center, and tosort incoming donations offood and clothing to assist res-idents — and several councilmembers — who lost theirhomes in the disaster.
CAMPING FUNDSHoly Family-Spirit of ChristCouncil 13022 in Missoula,Mont., provided $25 each tohelp 40 young people attendLegendary Lodge, a summer
camp operated by the Dio-cese of Helena. The smallstipends, which defrayed thecost of attending the camp,were a great help for many ofthe families.
GAZEBO COMPLETEDBlessed Trinity Council 12274and Blessed Trinity Circle5146, both in Greer, S.C., as-sembled a gazebo for a localspecial needs group home.Knights and Squires volun-teered 56 hours to constructthe gazebo, which is fully en-closed and was donated by thesister of one of the residents.
CART FOR PANTRYMadonna Council 520 inEnglewood, N.J., donated$3,000 to the food pantry atSt. Cecilia Church to pur-chase a new battery-poweredfood cart. The cart will playa vital role in the operationof the pantry, which trans-ports 3.75 tons of food fromits warehouse each week tofeed poor families through-out the area.
FOR WHOM THEBELLS TOLL
Des Frontières Council 10068in Dégelis, Quebec, donated$1,584 to St. Rose Church tohelp repair the church bells.
FLOOR REPLACEDHoly Family Council 15234in Brentwood, Tenn., installeda new hardwood floor for anarea family that needed assis-tance. Overwhelmed withhealth problems and withmaintaining its farm, the fam-ily could not afford to replacethe floor. Knights respondedin one day, removing the oldcarpet, preparing the subfloorand laying the new hardwood.
HOME CONVERTSt. Aloysius Council 6451 inHickory, N.C., in conjunctionwith the St. Aloysius ParishHome Improvement Ministry,converted a 60-year-old home
next to the church’s rectoryinto a perpetual eucharisticadoration chapel. Knights vol-unteered about 750 hours tothe project, which also in-cluded building a new altarover the home’s fireplace.
FATHER LYNCH LIBRARY
St. Vincent de Paul Council15093 in Tallahassee, Fla.,dedicated a library at itsparish in honor of departingpastor Father Francis Lynch,who has served at St. Vincentde Paul Church since 1982and has been a priest since1950. The Father Francis
Richard Birch of St. Bernard Council 2087 in North Grosvenordale,Conn., helps Father Charles R. LeBlanc and Father Richard Breton Jr.bless a statue of Mother Teresa that the council donated to St. JosephChurch and School. In addition to purchasing the statue and the stonepedestal on which it sits, the council also prepared and landscaped theplot in front of St. Joseph School where the statue is displayed. The totalproject cost about $15,000.
COLUMBIACOLUMBIAmagazine
is now available on the
For more information,visit kofc.org/columbia
Keith Armbrust of Hyde Park(N.Y.) Council 6111 sands theflagpole at Regina Coeli School inpreparation for painting. At therequest of their pastor, Knightspainted the badly rusted 40-footpole, borrowing a cherry picker tocomplete the project.
Lynch Library was built bycouncil members and featuresa variety of religious materialsavailable for parishioners toborrow.
FOOD FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
Through its “Military Foodfor Families” program, FrayFrancisco Dumetz Assemblyin San Bernardino, Calif., hasdelivered 200,000 pounds offood to active, reserve and re-tired military families in Cal-ifornia. The assembly alsoworks with other K of C unitsto fulfill food requests fromother military bases.
Members of St. Francis Xavier Council 15220 in Halawig-Gogon,Luzon, use lawn equipment to clean the grounds of St. Francis XavierChurch. At the request of their parish priest, Knights removed tall grassesand other overgrown plants from the church grounds. The council alsocleaned the grounds of Tabgon High School.
FREE THE KIDSMsgr. Paul Martin Council7519 in San Juan Capistrano,Calif., hosted a talk by FatherMarc Boisvert, founder ofFree the Kids in Les Cayes,Haiti. Father Boisvert dis-cussed Hope Village, a placewhere Haitian youth can re-ceive medical care and educa-tion to help break the cycle ofpoverty. Following his talk,council members presentedFather Boisvert with $16,300that the council raised tosupport his efforts to expand
the village’s voca-tional trainingfacility.
PRISONERS VISITEDSan Pedro and San PabloCouncil 15218 in Mata-moros, Mexico Northeast,visited an area prison withone of the Order’s travelingimages of Our Lady ofGuadalupe. Knights metwith prisoners and with thefacility’s chaplain, FatherMartín Guzman Vega, whohad coordinated an effort by
the inmates tobuild a chapel at
the prison. Following aprayer service, all those in at-tendance shared coffee andpastries.
CHALICES FORKENYA
When Father Paul Wangaih ofthe Archdiocese of Mombasa,Kenya, was visiting Memphis,he was informed by his arch-diocese that two new parisheswere opening in his homecountry and that both were inneed of supplies. In response,Msgr. John A. Welsh Council4312 purchased two chalicesand patens for the newparishes in Kenya.
SMALL BUSINESSLOAN
Banga (Visayas) Council 5362raised 4,000 pesos (approxi-mately $93) to help severalfamilies start businesses tosupplement their meager in-come. Many of the poorestfamilies in the community liveon $10-35 per month andhave children with disabilities.The funds from the councilallowed the families to begincrafting hand-woven bags andbelts that are sold to residentsthroughout the jurisdiction.
• Halawig-Gogon, Luzon
• Mombasa, Kenya
San Juan Capistrano, CA •
Mississauga, Ontario •
Banga, Visayas •
Matamoros, Mexico •
Les Cayes, Haiti • • San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
IN SERVICE TO ONE, IN SERVICE TO ALL
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
30 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ A P R I L 2 0 1 2
Gil Gaspar (right) of St. DominicCouncil 14968 in Mississauga,Ontario, looks on as Father PhilJones, pastor of St. DominicChurch and council chaplain, selectsthe winning ticket during a raffleat the council-sponsored “FiestaDominicana!” The two-day event,which included raffles and Latinentertainment and food, raisedmore than $3,300 for the GreySisters of the Immaculate Concep-tion and their mission in the Dio-cese of San Pedro de Macorís,Dominican Republic.
• Memphis, TN
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 31
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04/12
!
WHILE K OF C units are known fortheir famous fish frys, these delectablemeatless meals aren’t the only initia-tives that Knights undertake duringLent. Below is a roundup of some theunique ways that Knights prepare forand celebrate the resurrection of JesusChrist.
• In anticipation of the Lenten season,Our Lady of Lourdes Council 11241 inBoca Raton, Fla., distributed nails toparishioners at Our Lady of LourdesChurch. The nails, which parishionerswere instructed to carry with themthroughout Lent, remind Catholics ofChrist’s sacrificial death on the cross.
• Members of Holy Spirit Council13919 in Malolos City, Luzon, werechosen to act as the Twelve Apostlesduring Holy Week activities at theirparish. Knights participated in proces-sions, vigils and other events in the daysleading up to Easter.
• After the youth group at Our Lady ofGrace Church presented a living Sta-tions of the Cross, members of OurLady of Grace Council 13243 in Palm
Bay, Fla., conducted a nightlong vigilat the tomb of Jesus. Council members,their families and parishioners tookone-hour watches and prayed therosary until 8 a.m. on Easter morning.
• Bishop Laurence J. Fitzsimon Coun-cil 4635 in Amarillo, Texas, deliveredEaster baskets to patients at BaptistSt. Anthony Hospital and NorthwestTexas Hospital.
• Members of Lawrence Council 7000in Trenton, N.J., fasted from the mealthat is normally held after theirmonthly council meeting and donatedthe money saved on dinner, beveragesand desserts to Operation Rice Bowl.
• Oak Ridges (Ontario) Council 13094hosted an Easter egg hunt for childrenranging in age from infancy to 12 yearsold. About 80 kids participated in theevent.
• Immaculate Conception Council14405 in Cainta, Luzon, erected a largewooden cross at its parish for venera-tion following the Lenten Stations ofthe Cross.
Preparing forthe Resurrection
Knights undertake a variety of initiatives during Lent
Irv Eastman (left) and Michael Bane of Auburn (Calif.) Council 6149 serve fish to aparishioner during a council-sponsored Lenten fish fry. Knights prepared a meatless fish dinnereach Friday during Lent.
Mic
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32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ A P R I L 2 0 1 2
COLUMBIANISM BY DEGREES
ELIKEM DORBU of St. DominicSavio Circle 5078 in Parrish, Fla.,power washes the front of SoutheastHigh School while working on hisEagle Scout project. Mother CabriniCouncil 12155 donated part of the$4,000 needed for Dorbu to restoreand modify the entrance to the school’sadministration building.• Marysville (Wash.) Circle 5421 heldits annual “Wash for Life” car wash tobenefit Pregnancy Aid, a pregnancy re-source center in Everett. Squires washed52 cars and sold refreshments at theevent, netting $450 for the organization.
Charity
Unity
MEMBERS OF Blessed Martyr Fa-ther Jerzy P. Popieluszko Council15239 in Tarnobrzeg, Poland, prepareto hand out bread following Mass atOur Lady of Perpetual Help Churchas part of a “Feast of Bread” tradition.To instill in parishioners a sense ofthanksgiving for the simple, needfulthings in their lives, Knights handedout loaves of bread that were blessedduring Mass.• Father Patrick McAlpine Council9094 in Biloxi, Miss., prepared lunchand dinner for the diaconate candi-dates at Sacred Heart Church andtheir wives following the candidates’first week of study.
Patriotism
U.S. ARMY CAPT. Andrew Adcock(second from left) presents GrandKnight Rene Bodin (center) of St.Francis of Assisi Council 9543 inMadison with a U.S. flag that flew inAfghanistan. Upon his return from ayearlong deployment to the MiddleEast as deputy chief of public affairsfor Joint Sustainment Command inAfghanistan, Adcock, a council mem-ber, presented the flag to fellowKnights. Also pictured are: State Mas-ter Larry Roberts, Bill Amadio andJohnny Biggert.
Fraternity
MEMBERS OF St. Clare of AssisiCouncil 9708 in Houston level thebackyard of Lucy Coles before layingnew sod. Lucy’s husband, Matthew,was a member of the council who diedin late-2010 at the age of 27, leavingbehind his wife and three children.Since then, Knights have adopted thefamily and performed maintenancetasks large and small at the family’shome. The council refurbished thebackyard so the children would have aplace to play and put down new groutin the master bathroom.
A P R I L 2 0 1 2 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 33
TO BE FEATURED HERE, SEND YOUR COUNCIL’S “KNIGHTS IN ACTION” PHOTO AS WELL AS ITS DESCRIPTION TO: COLUMBIA, 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326 OR E-MAIL: [email protected].
Members of Immaculate ConceptionCouncil 14405 in Cainta, Luzon, unloadrelief goods that were collected for victimsof Typhoon Sendong. Knights collaboratedwith the Family Rosary Crusade to collectrice and other sundries for people who wereaffected by the devastating storm.
Building a better world one council at a time
Every day, Knights all over the world aregiven opportunities to make a difference— whether through community service,raising money or prayer. We celebrateeach and every Knight for his strength,his compassion and his dedication tobuilding a better world.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
KEEP THE FAITH ALIVE
Pho
to b
y G
lass
er Im
ages
‘I FELT A SENSEOF PEACE AND
ENCOURAGEMENT’In the years after college, I earned a nice
salary and felt I could buy anything I desired.I seemed happy, but my life lacked meaning. Anon-practicing Lutheran, I resumed weeklyworship in the hope of finding that meaning. Instead of finding answers, I doubted the re-
ality of heaven and the existence of God. Frus-trated and ready to declare myself an agnostic,I sent a message to a Catholic priest that Iknew. He generously offered to teach me theCatholic understanding of life, and we metmany times over several months. I was amazed. In April 2005, I was confirmed, received the
Eucharist and enjoyed a newfound peace.Shortly after, three people suggested I considera religious vocation. During a trip to Italy thenext year, after 10 days of prayer in Rome andAssisi, I felt a sense of peace and encouragementknowing that God wanted me in the seminary. After my studies at Kenrick Seminary in
Saint Louis, Mo., I was ordained a Catholicpriest at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit inBismarck, N.D.
FATHER JASON SIGNALNESSDiocese of Bismarck, N.D.
