Knights of Columbus 2013 annual report

Knights of Charity 6

Membership Growth 17

Youth 20

The Fourth Degree Knights and

the Armed Forces 23

Insurance and Investments 27

Knights and the Church 32

Faithful Citizenship 38

Culture of Life 41

Charitable Contributions 46

Financial and Fraternal Highlights 54

Table of Contents

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and Supreme WardenGeorge Hanna help to unload a truckload of suppliesfor victims of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island.

COVER: Mission Concepción in San Antonio, Texas. © Getty Images, 2013

BE

PROTECTORS

OF GOD’SGIFTS

2013 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight � 3

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson helps a child put on a newcoat during a Coats for Kids event held the day afterThanksgiving in Bridgeport, Conn.

Annual Report of the

SUPREME KNIGHT131ST SUPREME CONVENTION SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AUGUST 6, 2013

From Alaska toArgentina,

San Fernando Cathedral. (© Getty Images, 2013)

2 � 2013 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight

the continent we know asAmerica has been shaped bymany important forces, amongthem: evangelization,immigration and the quest forfreedom. And what is true ofour continent is true also ofSan Antonio. The history ofthis nearly 300-year-old cityindeed bears witness to thepower of each of theseelements.

Its Catholic roots run deep.San Antonio houses the oldeststanding church building inTexas. That church is only afew miles from here, and itsfirst patroness was theBlessed Virgin Mary under hertitles Our Lady of Candelariaand Our Lady of Guadalupe.1

Better known as San FernandoCathedral, it is also one of theoldest cathedrals in the UnitedStates.

Beginning in the early 1700s,San Antonio was an importantcenter for the evangelization ofthe New World. Franciscanmissionaries founded fivemissions here, which “formthe largest cluster of Spanishmissions in the United States.”2

These missionaries included

men like Venerable FatherAntonio Margil de Jesús. Bornin Spain, he preached theGospel message tirelesslythroughout Central America,Mexico and Texas during thelate 17th and early 18thcenturies. And here in SanAntonio he founded MissionSan José, the most successfulmission in Texas.3

The work of these bravemissionaries transformedAmerica into a Catholiccontinent and San Antonio into

a Catholic city. They broughtthe gift of faith to those whodidn’t have it and reaffirmed itfor those that did.

The city’s best-known mission,San Antonio de Valero, isperhaps the most famous of allthe American missions — notfor its evangelization, but forits role in securing Texas’independence. Today, thatmission is better known as theAlamo.

For the defenders of the

Mission Concepción in San Antonio, Texas. (© Getty Images, 2013)


And as outlined in the book LaCristiada, which we recently helpedpublish in English, the Knights ofColumbus Supreme Council workeddiligently for a peaceful end to thepersecution in Mexico. And here inTexas and throughout theSouthwest, Knights aided many oftheir Catholic brothers and sisterswho had fled north during thisdifficult period.

Evangelization, immigration and adesire for freedom shaped ourcontinent and this great city. And ifthere is a common thread in each ofthese shaping elements, it is thatour faith, our lives and our freedomare all gifts from God to beprotected.

And so, in this city named for St.Anthony, a spiritual son of St.Francis, it gives me great pleasureto announce this year’s conventiontheme, taken from the first homilyof our Holy Father Pope Francis:“Be Protectors of God’s Gifts.”

My brother Knights, with this themeI ask you to continue with andexpand upon the good works youdo. For over the past year you havebeen good stewards of God’s gifts!Our Order is stronger today thanever before, and, my brotherKnights, the best is yet to come!


Alamo freedom was a God-given gift worth defending nomatter the cost.

But who were these Texanswho were willing to risk theirlives for freedom?

Most were immigrants to this land — or the children of immigrants. Some hadroots in Mexico, others in theUnited States. In fact, so greatwas the allure of Texas as aland of promise that in theearly 19th century, aConnecticut Yankee namedMoses sought to immigrate toTexas along with hundreds ofAmerican families. Moses’ lastname was Austin, and thoughhe died before his dream couldbe fulfilled, his son, StephenAustin, for whom the capitol ofTexas is named, led 300 settlerfamilies to Texas.4

And thus it came to be thatAmerican Texans foughtalongside Mexican Texans.

Most of us remember thenames of famous men whofought and died at the Alamo— men like Davy Crockett,William Travis and Jim Bowie.

But alongside these famousmen died those with nameslike Andrés Nava and JuanAntonio Badillo. They cameto the Alamo along with manyothers under the commandof Colonel Juan Seguín.5 Youmay remember Seguín as the

defender of the Alamo whosurvived, for shortly before thefinal battle, he was sent outwith a message that askedColonel Fannin to march to therescue.6

According to an 1837 article inthe Telegraph and TexasRegister attributed to Seguín,after the battle for the Alamo, hereturned to San Antonio. There,Seguín ordered that the ashesof his comrades be collectedand placed in a coffin on whichhe inscribed the names ofBowie, Crockett and Travis.The remains were transportedin a coffin to San FernandoCathedral; the bells tolled, and inthe church a “Texian flag,” a rifleand a sword were placed atopthe coffin.7

Wherever they hailed fromoriginally, all of these menappreciated the great gifts ofthis land and of freedom, andthey worked to protect thesegifts for themselves and theirchildren.

Religion and immigration foundthemselves intertwined againin the early 20th century when,more than once, San Antoniobecame the refuge for manyMexicans who loved freedom.This included bishops, priestsand lay people fleeing religiousintolerance and even outrightpersecution at the hands ofthe Mexican government,especially in the 1920s andinto the ‘30s.

Bishop Rafael Guizar Valencia,a brother Knight who is now asaint, was among those whofled here. So too was theprimate of Mexico, ArchbishopJosé Mora y del Rio. Theydidn’t come here for a betterlife. They came here to protectthe gift of life that God hadgiven them, so that they couldprotect God’s gifts of faith andfreedom that had been givento their flock.

These men of God did not sitidly by. They evangelized thepeople, and they preached andadministered the sacraments.They prayed for their countryand its freedom, offering Massat San Fernando Cathedral inJune 1927 for the restorationof religious liberty in theirhomeland.8

Not far from here inCastroville, Texas, a seminarywas established for exiledMexican seminarians, fundedin part by the Knights ofColumbus.9 Brother KnightPedro de Jesús Maldonadowas one of the exiled whocame to Texas to attend aseminary in El Paso. After hisordination, Fr. Maldonadoreturned to Mexico, anddespite repeated threats to hislife he refused to leave hispeople. In 1937 he wasbrutally martyred on AshWednesday. The relic of SaintPedro Maldonado was amongthose venerated today duringour Opening Mass.

Pope Francis washes the foot of a prison inmate during the Holy Thursday Massof the Lord's Supper at Rome's Casal del Marmo prison for minors March 28.(CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters)


increase of more than $9.4million set a record of$167,549,817 donated lastyear.

For the fourth year in a row,Quebec led all jurisdictionswith charitable donations of$10,697,210. Ontario wasnumber two, with $7.9 million,followed by Texas, California,Michigan, Illinois, Florida, NewJersey, New York andMindanao.

Volunteer time donated byKnights of Columbus alsoclimbed to a new record high,reaching 70,113,207 hours.Independent Sector valueseach hour donated in 2012 at$22.14. That means that thetime donated by Knights tocharity last year was worth$1,552,306,402.98, andthe value of the more than673 million hours donated inthe past decade totals$13,348,436,513.58.

Our jurisdictions in thePhilippines continued to showthe way in volunteering theirtime. Mindanao and Luzontook first and second placeamong all jurisdictions, with5,817,380 and 4,922,037hours respectively. Texas,California, Florida, Ontario,Illinois, Quebec, Pennsylvaniaand Michigan round out thetop 10.

When it comes to the amountof time volunteered per

member, four Canadianjurisdictions were in the top10, and Prince Edward Islandwas number one with 144.8hours donated per member.Alaska was number two, with110.3 hours per member,followed by British Columbia,Delaware, the District ofColumbia, Nova Scotia,Saskatchewan, Arizona,

Washington State andMindanao.

Overall, Knights last yeardonated an average of $91.33and 38 hours of their time tocharity with our Order.

Our commitment to servingothers is nowhere moreapparent than in our long-time


KNIGHTSOF CHARITYDuring the past several months, the world has been transfixed by the personal witnessto charity of Pope Francis.

He has lived his life as pope as he had lived hislife previously as priest, provincial superior andarchbishop — in solidarity with the poor, thesick and the forgotten.

The Knights of Columbus was blessed to havethe two encyclicals on charity of Pope BenedictXVI, which encouraged us to even greaterservice to our neighbor. We continue to beblessed by the incredible personal witness ofPope Francis, whose leadership in charitythrough his teaching and personal actions arean example for every member of this Order.

In order to bring the pope's message to evenmore people, the Knights of Columbuscommissioned a documentary film on the life ofour new pope. You will have the chance to beamong the first to view it this afternoon.

Calling on us to see each human life as a gift,Pope Francis has lived out charity in a way thatis unmistakable. And I have remarked morethan once that it seems as though the cardinalsin the conclave had Pope Benedict XVI’sencyclicals on charity very much in mind whenthey elected Pope Francis.

Since our Order is dedicated to charity as itsfirst principle, every Knight should bring theexample of Pope Francis into his home, hisparish and his community. We can change

countless lives and communities around theworld. Our charitable service not only helpsthe temporal needs of our neighbors, butour personal witness of charity can alsoevangelize as we express Christ’scommandment of love.

Love of neighbor is an important way for us toactively live out our love of God, and it alwayshas been. It has been a hallmark of greatCatholic rolemodels through the ages, from St. Martin of Tours to St. Francis of Assisi toBlessed Teresa of Calcutta to the VenerableServant of God Father Michael J. McGivney.

Charity has always been a definingcharacteristic of the Knights of Columbusbecause our love of neighbor has alwaysmotivated us to protect God’s gifts. From thebeginning, we have understood that God’sgifts include the poor, the suffering, themarginalized — in other words, every humanbeing.

God is love, and his love is also a gift that wehave protected and shared abundantly over thepast year. For the 13th consecutive year, ourOrder’s charitable contributions have grown.While charitable giving in the United Statesgrew by 2 percent last year, charitabledonations from the Knights of Columbus grewthree times as much, by 6 percent. And that

Richard Caron, a member of Council 10852 in Charlotte, N.C., prays with a man at the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte andwashes his feet on Holy Thursday. Council members washed the men’s feet, distributed shoes and socks, and then serveda meal to the shelter residents.


Global Wheelchair Mission,Knights have given the gift ofmobility to more than 40,000people around the world.Knights also gave $2.5 millionto benefit the elderly, $5million to hospitals and otherhealth care facilities, and $7.5million for community projects.

Over the past three years, theOrder’s Healing Haiti’s Childrenprogram — in partnership withProject Medishare — has beenan overwhelming success. TheKnights committed to provideeach child who lost the use of alimb in the 2010 Haitianearthquake with a two-yeartreatment program ofprosthetics, orthotics andphysical therapy. More than 800children have traveled from all

over Haiti to the Emilio MoureClinic for Hope in Port-au-Princeto receive this life-changingtreatment. The sustainablemodel, which included trainingand employment for localworkers, will allow treatmentfor patients and employmentfor Haitian people to continueinto the future.

Knights have also helpedprovide housing for thosewho most need it. Last year,Knights donated more than$1.2 million and 1.4 millionvolunteer hours to Habitat forHumanity projects. Membersof St. Benedict’s CollegeCouncil 4708 in Atchison, Kan.,were among those working onKnights of Columbus Habitatprojects last year.

In Lloydminster, Canada, acity that straddles the borderbetween Alberta andSaskatchewan, Knightsworking with Habitat forHumanity sought to helplower-income residents.They installed insulation in asix-townhouse development,helping not only to buildhomes, but also to strengthentheir community.

Not every charitable activitythe Knights of Columbus doescan be planned in advance.When disasters strike, weKnights answer the call forhelp.

In the wake of the tragicshooting at Sandy HookElementary School, Council


service to people withintellectual disabilities.Beginning with our support forthe very first Special Olympicsgames in 1968, our effortsin this area have growndramatically. Last year, notonly did our councils donate$3,674,278 to SpecialOlympics, but more than some107,000 individual Knightscollectively donated more than315,000 hours of their time atnearly 20,000 SpecialOlympics events.

But that’s just the beginning.Last year, Knights of Columbuscouncils donated an additional$13.7 million to other projectsbenefiting people withintellectual disabilities.

Councils also donated morethan $4.1 million to benefitthose with physical disabilities.One of our most importantprojects in this area involvesour decade-long partnership

with the Global WheelchairMission.

During the past year, we havedistributed more than 5,000wheelchairs in 10 countriesaround the world. Knights inTexas, California and Arkansasdonated more than 750wheelchairs in Mexico.Knights in Puerto Rico andIowa provided 280 wheelchairs

in Haiti. Tennessee Knightsdonated 280 wheelchairs inthe Holy Land. Knights inOrange Park, Fla., raisedfunds for 110 wheelchairsfor the Florida Medical Missionto Guatemala. The FloridaState Council also sponsoredthe donation of 110wheelchairs for theArchdiocese of Nassau,Bahamas. And CaliforniaKnights were especiallyactive, donating hundredsof wheelchairs to people inChile and the Philippines, andworking together with TexasKnights for distributions inVietnam as well.

In addition, Knights in sevenstates also provided more than1,300 wheelchairs to veterans.

Over the past decade, throughthis partnership with the

Members of Benedictine College Council4708 in Atchison, Kan., volunteered at aHabitat for Humanity build in St. Joseph, Mo.

10 2013 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight

185 in Newtown, Conn., established a programthat asked people to pray a minimum of threeHail Marys for the victims and their families; the�rst responders and teachers; and thecommunity of Newtown. More than 105,000people signed up to o�er these prayers, sayinga total of more than 3.25 million Hail Marys.

Approximately 250 brother Knights fromNewtown and the surrounding areas servedas ushers at many of the funerals and saw tomany other details during this sad period.

The council also simultaneously conducted itsannual Christmas toy program and contributedmore than $70,000 worth of toys in memory ofCaroline Previdi, one of the children killed, whohad been saving money for the council’s toydrive to help children in need.

The work our brother Knights did in Newtownwas vital, and it combined the two keyelements of the work our Order does: prayerand action.

In several natural disasters, too, Knights foundthemselves at the forefront of relief e�orts.

Following Hurricane Sandy we raised morethan $500,000 for the victims throughKnights of Columbus Charities. In addition,Knights contributed enormous amounts oftime to collecting and transporting supplies tohelp those a�ected in New York and NewJersey.

State councils made immediate use of thefunds, and once again the Knights of Columbuswas one of the earliest sources of aid todisaster victims. Because the storm hit as theweather was turning much colder, New Jerseymade immediate donations of 700 children’scoats from the Coats for Kids program.

The Florida State Council sent 28 cases of their

Coats for Kids to New York, where they weredistributed as part of their relief e�orts. NewYork also distributed 750 gift cards worth $100each to families who had lost access to theirhomes and needed to get clothes and food fortheir children. Councils elsewhere in New YorkCity, Bu�alo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albanyraised and donated additional funds, andcollected and moved needed supplies to hard-hit areas of Staten Island and Long Island.District deputies in Kings County pulledtogether a team that took barbeque grills andfood supplies to Brooklyn and Queens, wherethey cooked meals for victims and �rstresponders. Council 126 in Brooklyn became amajor collection and distribution center forSandy victims.

As soon as they had their power restored, thebrother Knights of Council 3481 in Oceansidehosted a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for theirneighbors and �rst responders. Council 2204 inFarmingdale is about four miles inland from theAtlantic shore of Long Island, and it became ahome for four dozen local families as well asFEMA employees who had no place to go. Thecouncil made sure they had three hot meals aday and the sort of comfort that only neighborscan provide to one another.

Upstate New York’s Council 275 �lled a truckwith donated blankets, coats, sweaters, workgloves, batteries, �ashlights and cleaningsupplies and drove them to Council 1675 inStaten Island. After everything was unloaded,Grand Knight Frank Ostrander presented thema check for $360 to help with other needs.Actions like these were replicated hundredsof times in the weeks following the storm, andthey truly tell a story of the determination of theKnights of Columbus to help those in need.

The Supreme Council sent two truckloads ofsupplies, one to New York and another to NewJersey. Supreme Warden George Hanna and I

The Knights of Columbus Tractor Cruise for Charity in St.Clair, Mo., helped collect more than 1,000 pounds of foodand $19,000 in donations for local food banks.

2013 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight 11


visited the devastatedshoreline and helped unloadsupplies at Council 5917 onStaten Island. SupremeTreasurer Logan Ludwig didthe same at Council 6552 inMiddletown, N.J., and somany brother Knights didsimilar work as well.

Even councils outside theNortheastern United Statesgot involved. Council 5561in Warrenton, Va., packed 20tons of supplies in three trucksand drove them to Staten Island.One hundred and five councilmembers were joined by 80community volunteers in thatproject. And scores of othercouncils made similar efforts.

Sandy was not the only naturaldisaster of the past year, ofcourse.

When a huge, mile-widetornado ripped through theOklahoma City area in May,Oklahoma Knights quickly setup a disaster response effortat St. Andrew Church, home ofCouncil 9901. More than 100volunteers came out to help.Knights quickly organizedvisits to parish families at theirhomes to size up the damageand their needs. Knights werealso among the volunteersstaffing four multi-agencyrelief centers in Moore, Okla.,and they also partnered withCatholic Charities in opening adistribution center in Normanto provide food and other

supplies to storm victims.Knights and others nationwidemade individual contributionsof more than $202,000 to theKnights of Columbus CharitiesDisaster Relief Fund followingthe Oklahoma tornado.

The Oklahoma disaster alsoafforded us an opportunityto identify and coordinate theactivities of Knight volunteersthrough our Disaster ResponseProgram, which is designed toenhance our ability to respondto both natural and manmadedisasters.

In West, Texas, an industrialexplosion on April 17 causedmassive destruction near afertilizer plant. Fifteen peoplewere killed and hundredsmore were injured. Knightsat every level respondedimmediately. Council 2305has 500 members in a townof less than 3,000 people, andthe Knights of West, Texas,became key players in therelief efforts. Shortly after theblast, the Supreme Councilsent $10,000 to Council 2305for their use in helpingvictims. Beginning shortlyafter the explosion, and eversince, our brother Knightsthere in West have beenworking closely with otherlocal groups and governmentauthorities in providingdisaster relief.

The Texas State Council alsoearmarked money for West,

and many of our collegeKnights from throughout Texascame to West to help thecommunity get back on itsfeet. Nationally, Knights ofColumbus Charities collectednearly $250,000 to help theTexas victims with their mosturgent needs.

Of that money, a total of$70,000 was used to purchase“House in a Box” for thefamilies whose homes weredamaged or destroyed,supplying them with furniture,cooking utensils and otheressentials. Fifty thousanddollars was sent to the badlydamaged West IndependentSchool District to help in theirrecovery, and in a town thatis 70 percent Catholic, anadditional $50,000 went toSt. Mary’s School to meetthe unforeseen needs of theschool and students as a resultof the disaster.

Over the past year, Knights ofColumbus Charities has alsoprovided tens of thousands ofdollars in aid to assist thoseaffected by other disasters,including: the flooding in NorthDakota and Western Canada,the tornadoes in Indiana andHurricane Isaac in Louisiana.

In the Philippines, afterTyphoon Pablo devastatedparts of Mindanao lastDecember, the Knights ofCouncil 11032 in Taglatawanassisted in relief efforts by



Clair and Council 8073 in Villa Ridge, the83-tractor convoy collected half a ton offood and approximately $19,000 for localfood banks.

And near here in Helotes, Texas, Council8306 has pioneered the 40 Cans forLent initiative, collecting food at a timewhen food banks often run low.Councils in several other jurisdictionshave used this model as part of theirown Food for Families program.

Some councils collect food, and otherscook and serve it. I saw such good workfirsthand last Thanksgiving at Council4044 in Chicopee, Mass. For the 22ndconsecutive year, Knights thereorganized a community Thanksgivingdinner. The members of the councilrecruited additional volunteers as well,and together they fed more than 3,500people. Most were fed at the councilhome, where they received a fullThanksgiving dinner in a restaurant-likeatmosphere. Then, hundreds of mealswere delivered to the homebound.

Everyone was welcome and so manycame. There were old and young,individuals and families, the poor andthe lonely — anyone who needed aplace to go on Thanksgiving. The eventwas one of hundreds of charitableactivities that Knights of Columbusthroughout the United Statesparticipated in to help families andothers in need enjoy the Thanksgivingholiday.

A 30-second Knights of Columbustelevision message also aired duringThanksgiving weekend, inviting thepublic to support the Knights in feedingthose in need.


collecting and distributing clothing, food andbedding to those in need.

And members of Council 5973 in Tayabas City,Luzon, delivered food, medicine and othersupplies by boat to flood victims in BarangayLambac, a village where 250 families wereaffected by the rising water.

Overall, councils donated more than $3.3million to help victims of disasters last year, andKnights donated more than 18.4 million hoursof their time to these and many othercommunity service efforts.

And as our Disaster Response Programcontinues to develop, our work in future reliefefforts will be even greater.

Year in and year out, one weather pattern wecan count on is the chill of winter. For childrenwho don’t have the clothing to stay warm,winter can be debilitating. Our Coats for Kidsprogram protects young children from the coldby giving brand new coats to those who needthem. Last year, 917 Knights of Columbuscouncils purchased and distributed 42,556coats — an increase of more than 10,000 coatsfrom the previous year. And since 2009, wehave distributed more than 115,000 coats tokids throughout the United States and Canada.

The day after Thanksgiving, I participated in aCoats for Kids distribution in Bridgeport, Conn.,organized by the Connecticut State Council.While many people were out shopping, theKnights in Connecticut were giving away coatsto children in need. And this year, the statecouncil will be expanding its annual BlackFriday coat distribution to several morelocations.

Among the many other councils that hostedthis program was Council 3660 in Indianapolis.There, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback

Jim Sorgi joined Supreme Secretary CharlesMaurer as 200 coats were distributed tochildren in need from four area Catholicschools. The experience moved Sorgi to sign aForm 100 right there, underscoring theimportance of having current and potentialmembers volunteer with us. Every councilwhose area experiences a cold winter shouldbe involved in giving the gift of warmth throughour Coats for Kids program.

Providing food for the hungry is something theKnights of Columbus has done many times inour history. During the 1930s, when theDepression gripped the United States, Knightsthroughout the country helped feed the hungry, including Mexican immigrants who had comenorth during the period of religious persecutionand other hardships in their home country.And during and after World War II, the Knightsof Columbus — through our playgrounds inRome — had a key role in distributing food tothe hungry people and children of that city.

During this time of financial hardship for somany people, another program that makesa real difference is our Food for Familiesinitiative. Based on the excellent work thatmany councils have done with food drives, thisprogram helps put food on the table for peoplewho would otherwise go hungry. And in 2012,we began the Knights of Columbus Food forFamilies Reimbursement Program. Under thisprogram, for every $500 or 500 pounds of fooda council or assembly contributes to a foodbank or parish food pantry, it is eligible for arefund of $100 from the Supreme Council — upto $500 per fraternal year. Every council canconduct a food drive at their parish, at localsupermarkets or at a council home.

One creative implementation of this programwas the Tractor Cruise for Charity in Missouri.Co-sponsored by Council 1121 in Washington,Council 1576 in Union, Council 4667 in Saint

California State Chaplain Father John Neneman carries a young manto his new wheelchair in Davao City, Philippines.


MEMBERSHIPGROWTHI think all of us would agree that one of God’s special gifts to each one of us is ourmembership in the Knights of Columbus.

As we consider our call toprotect God’s many gifts, it isimportant that we include ourOrder on that list.

Our ability to do good incountless communities aroundthe world is directly related tothe growth and vitality of ourmembership. And inviting mento join our Order not only helpsothers, it helps each manwho joins by giving him theopportunity to live out his faithin service to his neighbor andin protecting God’s many gifts.

So it gives me great pleasureto report to you that during thefraternal year ending June 30,membership in our Order grewfor the 41st consecutive year,to a record 1,843,587 brotherKnights.

During this same periodwe added 229 new councils,including eight in Mexico, 10 inPoland, 13 in Canada, 80 inthe Philippines and 117 in theUnited States. That brings thetotal number of councils to14,606.

I am pleased to announce thattwo of these new councilswere established in theUkraine, where we wereinvited by Cardinal Hussar atour convention in 2005.Additionally, we haveestablished a roundtable inLithuania. Members of thehierarchy from both thesecountries have also joined ushere at our SupremeConvention. Our presence inLithuania and Ukraine, alongwith our growing numbers inPoland, give us even deeperroots in Europe.

As a percentage, membershipgrew the most in Poland,where 529 new Knightsincreased our membership bymore than 23 percent in justone year. Other jurisdictionsadded substantially to theirranks as well. MexicoNorthwest grew by morethan 9 percent and MexicoNortheast by 8.6 percent. ThePhilippines grew by 4.8 percent.


While some councils focused on food, othersfocused on water. When a well in New Mexicothat was the only source of drinking water forthe little town of Magdalena went dry on aFriday in early June, residents were told it wasgoing to take at least a week and a half to drill anew, deeper well. So the Knights of Rio Rancho— 125 miles away — spent the weekendconducting a drive to collect hundreds of casesof bottled water, which they then loaded onto arented truck and transported to the people ofMagdalena.

These programs that bring food, water andcoats to those in need are a direct responseto Christ’s call in the Gospel to feed the hungry,give drink to the thirsty and clothe the naked.That is what the Knights of Columbus do — weare men who see a need and then act to makea difference.

Ever since we sponsored what many considerto be the first national blood drive in the UnitedStates in 1938, we have been providing thisservice in councils throughout the world. Duringthe last fraternal year, we helped provide a vitallifeline to those undergoing medical treatmentby enlisting the support of more than 423,000blood donors.

One of our blood drives earlier this summerwas sponsored by Assembly 3373 at the U.S.Army Garrison in Grafenwoehr, Germany. TheArmed Services Blood Program reports that theKnights of Columbus blood drive collected 107units of blood, the second highest total evercollected at that location.

Often, our charity also reaches beyond our

jurisdictions, helping people even in countrieswhere the Knights of Columbus does not havea formal presence. Over the years we havehelped people in need in Haiti, Pakistan, Japan,Sri Lanka and Chile, just to name a few.

In Africa, the Supreme Council is funding thework of the Apostles of Jesus on behalf ofthose orphaned by AIDS in Uganda and Kenya,providing hundreds of children with education,food and medical care.

Council 14004 in Radom, Poland, organized acampaign to collect sewing machines to repairand then transport to Zambia. More than 400 ofthese machines were collected and repaired,with 200 machines already sent to Zambia anda second shipment of 200 now underway. Withthese machines, young women can learnsewing skills and become economically self-supporting.

Whether at home or abroad, charity is ourOrder’s first principle and its lifeblood. Throughour charitable work we bring the love of God toour neighbors, to our communities and to thosemost in need. We speak through our actions tothe truth that every life has dignity and meaning.

As Pope Francis told the bishops gathered inBrazil for World Youth Day just a few days ago:“Our pastoral work does not depend on awealth of resources, but on the creativity oflove.”

Through charity, we strengthen our own faiththrough our love of neighbor and evangelizethose around us through this witness.

We show ourselves to be protectors of God’sgifts and we invite others to join us inprotecting those gifts.

The Knights of Columbus, through its partnership with theApostles of Jesus, is providing care and shelter for childrenin sub-Saharan Africa orphaned because of AIDS.


opportunity to provide the spiritual supportyour brother Knights need to live out their faith.

Whatever draws a new member to our ranks,our job remains the same: Make that man aKnight, and make that Knight a better man,a better Catholic, a better husband, a betterfather, a better citizen and someone whogives of himself in his parish and community.

Our outreach in charity and evangelizationwill increase exponentially with membershipgrowth. We owe it to our Church, to ourneighbors in need, to Catholic men who arenot yet Knights and to ourselves as membersto grow our Order so that we can accomplisheven more through our love of God andneighbor.

has something to offer him. Perhaps it isserving his community or parish, or protectinghis family’s financial future, or the fellowshipthat comes from meeting and working withlike-minded men for the good of those in need.Whatever the reason, bring these men into ourcouncils.

We were founded by a parish priest — FatherMichael McGivney. He knew the good thata group of active Catholic men could do forthe parish, the community, their families andeach other. And no recruitment effort is evercomplete without the involvement of thecouncil’s chaplain and the pastor. Includethem in your planning, ask for their adviceand help in promoting the Order and identifyingmen to join our ranks, and give them the

Members of Council 3338 in Ciudad Guzmán, Mexico Central, built a new walkway and plaza for the Church of San Martin.


In the United States, Utah grew itsmembership by 5.2 percent this year, theDistrict of Columbia by 4.6 percent, andGeorgia by 3.3 percent. New Mexico grew by3 percent, Idaho by 2.6 percent, Hawaii by 2.4percent, Virginia by 2.1 percent and Colorado by2 percent. The large jurisdictions of Californiaand Texas both turned in gains of nearly twopercent each, for a membership increase ofsome 3,000 new members in those two statesalone.

Our growth is a testament to the importanceand relevance of our mission in today’s world. Itis also a testament to the hard work of brotherKnights, whose charitable example, combinedwith the recruitment of new members, hasbeen so effective.

But there is much more to be done.

There are more than 300 million Catholics in thecountries where we have a formal presence.We have tremendous untapped potential forgrowth.

We have done much, but we are called to doeven more. Our parishes, our neighbors and ourcommunities need us more than ever. And theyaren’t the only ones. The men who sit next tous in the pews each Sunday would benefit

enormously from the opportunity to live outtheir faith through charity with us.

We recently began a simple and effectivenew membership program. One new member,per council, per month. That is 12 newmembers per council per year. And if you needany reassurance that the right 12 men canmake a huge difference, just think of how theGospel message was spread by the TwelveApostles.

If each council recruited one member eachmonth, that would be nearly 180,000 newmembers, and our Order would grow by almost10 percent in a single year.

Christ didn’t seek perfect men for his apostles,and we do not seek perfect men for theKnights of Columbus. We seek good menwho are looking to be better men, and thenwe give them the opportunity to become greatmen.

At every stage of a man’s life, the Knights ofColumbus has something important to offer.When a man moves into a parish, the councilshould reach out and ask him to join. When aman gets married, baptizes his child, enrolls achild in elementary school, has his last childleave home, or retires, the Knights of Columbus

Members of Council 5973 in Tayabas City, Luzon, deliveredfood, medicine and other supplies by boat to flood victimsin Barangay Lambac, a village of 250 families.

Council 14004 in Radom, Poland, collected sewingmachines to repair and then transport to Zambia, wherethey are used to help young women learn sewing skills andbecome economically self-supporting.


109,000 young people between the ages of10 and 14 participated at 2,225 Knights ofColumbus Free Throw competitions, and ournewer Soccer Challenge program drew morethan 7,200 participants at 1,000 events.

Last year, local councils sponsored 29,880Scouts in 1,210 Scout units in the United Statesand an additional 1,079 Scouts in 121 Scoutunits in Canada.

Columbian Squires concluded the fraternal yearwith 25,848 members in 1,696 active Squirescircles.

For those heading on to institutions of higherlearning, our College Council Program offersnew friends and brother Knights who sharetheir faith, values and commitment to charity.Over the past year we added 11 new collegecouncils, including four in the United States,one in Canada and six in the Philippines. Wenow have 25,858 college Knights who aremembers of councils at 287 colleges anduniversities.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, theSupreme Council funded 575 scholarshipsworth more than $1.35 million for studentsat institutions of higher education. And 112scholarships went to seminarians through theFather Michael J. McGivney and BishopThomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarshipprograms. Forty-two awardees are members ofthe Order. Each scholarship provides $2,500 fortuition, room and board at major schools oftheology. Since the two scholarship programsbegan in 1992 and 1999 respectively, theyhave distributed more than $6.1 million inscholarship aid to a total of 1,058 seminarians,729 of whom have been ordained to thepriesthood.

But the largest amount of Knights of Columbus

support for vocations comes from the localcouncils, assemblies and Squires circlesparticipating in our Refund Support Vocationsor RSVP Program. Last year alone, 2,929 localunits provided direct financial support totaling$5,941,883 to 5,791 seminarians through theRSVP program. For every $500 donated to aseminarian or postulant, the Supreme Councilprovides a refund of $100.

Since 1981, the RSVP program has providedmore than $56 million in aid to more than91,000 men and women pursuing theirvocations to the priesthood or religious life.

Among our other scholarship programs,eight scholarships totaling more than $184,000were provided through the Matthews and SwiftEducational Trust. Likewise, 172 scholarshipsworth more than $250,000 were provided

Knights of Columbus members from the Indianapolis areaheld a Coats For Kids distribution. Former Indianapolis Coltsquarterback Jim Sorgi (shown with one of his fans) cameto assist with the distribution.


Our charitable work and ourwork with youth should inspirea new generation of youngmen to follow in our footsteps— in the service of God andneighbor.

Our programs for youngpeople result in good willand lifelong positive attitudestoward charity, our faith andthe Knights of Columbus.

Young men and women whoparticipate in one of our sportsprograms or essay contests, orwho win a Knights-sponsoredscholarship, carry a favorableimpression of the Order — andthe good works that we do —into adulthood.

The 115,000 children whoreceived new coats over thepast five years through ourCoats for Kids program willalways remember that theKnights of Columbus caredand helped when they were inneed. The coat may last awinter or two, but the memoryof that charitable act will last alifetime.

Over the past year, more than

YOUTHWhen we speak about God’s gifts, the next generation stands out as particularlyimportant.

After the terrifying explosion that killed at least 14 people in West, Texas, Knightsfrom Baylor University, the University of Dallas and the University of North Texasjoined members of Council 2305 in West to volunteer at the donation center set upto assist blast victims.


FOURTH DEGREEKNIGHTS AND THE

ARMED FORCESAnother of God’s gifts is the country in which we live.

On Memorial Day Weekend, veterans and members of the military traveled toLourdes, France, on a trip sponsored by the Archdiocese for Military Services andthe Knights of Columbus. The trip coincided with the 55th International MilitaryPilgrimage. (Photo by Frédéric Lacaze)

And in each of ourjurisdictions, our FourthDegree Knights can be seenserving as honor guards atparades, patriotic ceremoniesand important liturgical events.Their presence demonstratesin a very public way our Order’slove of both God and country.

Patriotism is a core principle ofour Order, and that is why,over the past year, we haveencouraged more Knights tobecome Sir Knights byeliminating the waiting periodbetween the Third and FourthDegree. Now, Third DegreeKnights can immediatelyproceed to the PatrioticDegree, and I am happy toreport that during the pastyear, 15,709 Knights did so,bringing Fourth Degreemembership to an all-time highof 335,132. We have alsoadded 75 new Fourth Degreeassemblies, bringing the totalnumber to 3,109.

Increasingly, the visibility ofFourth Degree Knights is notlimited to appearances inceremonial regalia. Sir Knightshave become a highly visiblepresence in veterans hospitalsaround the United States andaccount for the lion’s share ofthe thousands of Knights whoare part of the Veterans Affairs

Voluntary Services program orVAVS.

Often this work is donequietly, but sometimes thegreat work done by our FourthDegree Knights on behalf ofour veterans is publiclyrecognized. Such is the casewith this year’s VAVS Volunteer

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore greets attendees at the Youth Rally Mass held prior to the 2013March for Life in Washington, D.C.


through the Fourth Degree Pro Deo and ProPatria scholarship programs.

And local councils and assemblies togetherprovided $7 million in the form of scholarshipsand other forms of educational assistance,and another $1.8 million for youth athleticprograms. All told, local councils andassemblies contributed more than $18.5 millionto youth programs last year.

From helping children in need to helpingseminarians become the priests of tomorrow,our Order cares deeply about the nextgeneration. The charity we direct to youngpeople can pay a lifetime of dividends. Not onlyin the programs we run, but in the example ofwhat we do, young people can see the powerof Christian charity.


this program. The fundraisingis being led by the FourthDegree, and thus far,assemblies have raised$530,936 for this vital project.

There is a real affinity betweenthe Fourth Degree andmembers of the ArmedServices, and this is alsoevident in the enthusiasm ofactive-duty Knights who havejoined the Patriotic Degreewhile deployed overseas.

Late last year, approximately100 active-duty personnel —joined by DOD civilianemployees and contractors,and retirees based in Germany,Italy and the United Kingdom— took the Fourth Degree at aspecial exemplification held atRamstein Air Force Base inGermany.

AMS Auxiliary Bishop RichardSpencer celebrated the Massfollowing the exemplification.This is the first assemblyformed in Europe, and it is partof our new Military OverseasEurope Special District. It isnamed for Father TimothyVakoc, a military chaplain whodied of injuries suffered duringOperation Iraqi Freedom. Otherassemblies have been formedat Camp Zama, Japan, and atthe Yongsan Garrison in Korea.

In May, I was pleased to joinveterans, active-duty troopsand Archbishop TimothyBroglio in Lourdes for a

The Fourth Degree has alsobeen in the forefront of theOrder’s drive to supportvocations for military chaplains.It is a need that is especiallygreat. Catholic militarychaplains serve some 1.8million members of the armedservices and their families at220 military installations in 29countries, as well as on thedecks of aircraft carriers, intents in the desert, at VAhospitals and on the front linesin combat zones.

And while the need is great,Catholics have barely a third ofthe chaplains needed. TheArchdiocese for the MilitaryServices, USA, estimates thatit needs 800 chaplains, but itcurrently has only 239.

And so, consistent with ourlong history of supportingpriestly vocations and thefaith of our troops, we havebeen supporting the AMSCo-Sponsored SeminarianProgram. Under the program,the Military Archdiocese joinswith each participating dioceseto fund 50 percent of the costof a seminarian’s five-yeareducation; in return, thecandidate agrees thatfollowing ordination and threeyears of service at a localparish, he will serve as amilitary chaplain for at leastthree to five years.

We have pledged $1 millionover five years in support of

pilgrimage of wounded anddisabled veterans thatcoincided with the 55th annualInternational MilitaryPilgrimage.

The Knights of Columbus co-sponsored the pilgrimage ofthese American soldiers andveterans together with theArchdiocese for MilitaryServices, USA, and the NorthAmerican Lourdes Volunteersas part of the AMS programfor the Year of Faith.

Together with troops frommore than 30 countries, thesebrave American men andwomen prayed and grew intheir faith at one of the world’smost important Catholicshrines. It was a profoundwitness to the power that faithhas to create unity even in themidst of the celebration ofnational identity.

No discussion of the heroicsacrifices of those who servedwould be complete if we did notpause to remember those whohave paid the ultimate price forour freedom. Ever since 9/11,we have paused during ourconvention to honor thosebrother Knights who have giventheir lives in the Armed Forcesover the past year.

This year, with NATOinvolvement in Afghanistanwinding down, allied casualtieshave diminished. Althoughonly one brother Knight has


of the Year — Sir Knight SteveLeisure from Assembly 2527and Council 4083. He wasrecognized for his work at theVeterans Administration inTuscaloosa, Ala. Each year,under Leisure’s supervision,the Knights there havepartnered with Tuscaloosa VAMedical Center to sponsor a“Welcome Home” picnic fornearly 500 veterans ofoperations in Iraq andAfghanistan. Although thepicnic is designed for recentveterans, it is attended byveterans of past conflicts aswell.

In addition to supporting thepicnic — and again underLeisure's guidance — Knightsparticipate in Veterans Dayactivities, the Memorial Day

American military personnel and veterans, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Military Services and the Knights of Columbus,participate in the International Military Pilgrimage in Lourdes. The U.S. Military pilgrims, their families and other participantsjoined a procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessing of the Sick. (Photo by Frédéric Lacaze)

wreath-laying ceremony,weekly Communion services,the distribution of rosaries andassistance at Masses forveterans who are patients atthe Tuscaloosa VA.

Led by the Fourth Degree,Knights now provide volunteerservices at 136 of the 153veterans medical centers, andour goal is to be active at all ofthem.

There is no better way tohonor the sacrifices that thosein the Armed Forces havemade on our behalf than toprovide support for ourveterans when they returnhome or undergo medicaltreatment.

Veterans have a special place

in the hearts of the Knights ofColumbus. Our first supremeknight, James Mullen, andmany of the other men FatherMcGivney chose to foundour Order were Civil Warveterans.

And our formal work in supportof our veterans goes all theway back to the First WorldWar. After having served thetroops so well by providingCatholic chaplains and ArmyHut facilities in the UnitedStates and Europe, the Knightsof Columbus welcomed ourtroops home first with paradesthroughout the country, andthen with job training andplacement.

We have been making adifference ever since.


Father McGivney had seen toomany families suffer throughthe untimely death of abreadwinner and wasdetermined to provide a wayfor Knights to protect theirfamilies. Today’s Knights ofColumbus insurance programis his legacy and a testamentto his vision of brother Knightshelping one another to securetheir families’ futures.

For the 38th consecutive year,the Knights of Columbusearned A.M. Best‘s highestrating of A++, rankingreserved only for companiesthat have “a superior ability tomeet their ongoing insuranceobligations.” A.M. Best citedthat our insurance program has“consistently positive statutoryearnings, excellent persistencyand a solid level of risk-adjusted capitalization.” Ofmore than 1,100 life insurancecompanies rated by A.M. Bestin North America, we standamong the only eight thatearned their top rating. Noinsurer in North America ismore highly rated than theKnights of Columbus.

INSURANCE ANDINVESTMENTSOne of the driving forces in the life of the Venerable Michael McGivney wasprotecting the gift of Catholic families.

We also continue to rankamong America’s largestcompanies, climbing 56 spotson that list in the last six yearsto rank 909 on this year’sFortune 1000 list. Our assetsgrew 7.6 percent last year andnow total more than $20billion. Our surplus ratio grewto 11.8 percent last year andprovides us with what A.M.Best describes as “anexceptional level of risk-adjusted capitalization,”which “affords the Orderconsiderable financialstrength.”

Our insurance in force hasreached $90.6 billion, nearlydouble the amount just 10years ago. In the last yearalone, our insurance in forcehas grown by $4.86 billion.We issued nearly 78,000 lifecertificates last year, far morethan any other fraternal benefitsociety and nearly 30,000more than our closestcompetitor. We now havemore than 1,733,000certificates in force, and ourfive-year sales growth of 23.6percent is nearly four times


Polish Fourth Degree members tookpart in the Mass celebrated at the FieldCathedral of the Polish Army inWarsaw as part of that country’sIndependence Day celebrations onNovember 11.

died in combat during the pastyear, the loss of Lt. Col. ToddClark in June was tragic —especially for his wife, Shelley,and their two teen-agedchildren.

A native of New York and therecipient of the Bronze Starand two Purple Hearts, Lt. Col.Clark had spent eight monthsat Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter recovering from injuriessustained in an IED explosionin Afghanistan during hisfourth combat tour. He waslater serving on his fifth tour asa senior advisor to the AfghanNational Army when he waskilled by one of the men hewas training.

Since the beginning ofOperation Enduring Freedom,following the attacks of 9/11,more than 3,300 allied soldiershave lost their lives in battle,including more than 2,200from the United States, 158from Canada and 37 fromPoland.

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD, ONE COUNCIL AT A TIME. BUILDING A BETTER WORLD, ONE COUNCIL AT A TIME.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUSFor its 131-year history, the Knights of Columbus has provided assistance

to people in need and the Church throughout the world.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUSFor its 131-year history, the Knights of Columbus has provided assistance

to people in need and the Church throughout the world.

Afghanistan: Providing winter clothing via military roundtable.Bahamas: Offering mobility to needy parishioners.Brazil: Sponsoring English-language World Youth Day site.Canada: Charitable activity nationwide.Chile: Distributing wheelchairs to those in need.Cuba: Supporting a new seminary.Dominican Republic: Distributing wheelchairs to those in need.France: Co-sponsoring Lourdes pilgrimage for wounded soldiers.Germany: Holding blood drive. Great Britain: Co-sponsoring a conference on disability. Guatemala: Drilling wells for clean water.Haiti: Providing prosthetics and treatment for child earthquake victims.Ireland: Assisting the International Eucharistic Congress.Israel/The Holy Land: Distributing wheelchairs to those in need and supporting Christian schools.Italy: Running playgrounds for youth and sponsoring the conferenceon “Ecclesia in America” at the Vatican.

Japan: Supporting a home for nuns. Relief for tsunami victims.Korea: Collecting socks for migrant workers.Mexico: Charitable activity nationwide.Pakistan: Sending aid to flood victims. Philippines: Charitable activity nationwide.Poland: Charitable activity nationwide. Puerto Rico: Sponsoring a “Cycling for the Faith” event. Uganda and Kenya: Assisting AIDS orphans. United States: Charitable activity nationwide. Vietnam: Providing wheelchairs to those in need.Virgin Islands: Fundraising for Bishop's Annual Appeal.Zambia: Providing sewing machines for poor women.


investment must not conflict with ourCatholic principles. And second, itmust make good financial sense. Oursuccess is proof that one need notcompromise Catholic principles to besuccessful.

We believe that the institutions inwhich we invest, and thoseenterprises that we help to succeedwith investment dollars, reflect on usas the investor. That is why wescreen our investments, and that iswhy our ChurchLoan program is soimportant to us. That programprovides mortgage loans to Catholicchurches and schools, enabling themto finance critical projects at verycompetitive rates. It is yet anotherway in which we support our Churchwhile investing our assets in waysthat provide financial security to ourmembers.

In the end, our financial success isbuilt upon these fundamentalprinciples: treating our members likefamily, having only brother Knightsserving as insurance agents, sellingand investing ethically, and stayingtrue to Father McGivney’s vision ofprotecting the future of Catholicfamilies.

You can be justifiably proud that onceagain this year, our program ofinsurance by brother Knights forbrother Knights is an industry leaderand one of the most important waysthat we continue to protect God’s giftof the family.

and since the inception of ourprogram, we have paid out more than$12 billion in living benefits to ourinsurance members.

Good stewardship is importantespecially in these turbulent times.That is why we maintain a level ofcapitalization that ensures our abilityto be there for our brother Knightsand their families, especially duringthe most difficult financial times. Our$1.8 billion surplus is the foundationof our capitalization which Standardand Poor’s describes as “extremelystrong, with a redundancy at the AAAlevel.” And we received praise rarefrom a rating agency for our“conservative investment strategy,”“extremely strong capitalization” and“significant amounts of fraternal andcharitable contributions.”

Our ability to provide these benefitsdepends in significant measure on theskills of our investment department,which has done an extraordinary jobof growing earnings in a very difficult,low interest rate environment. In ayear when the return on 10-yeartreasury bonds typically remainedbelow 2 percent, our new purchaserate was 4.26 percent.

During 2012, we invested more than$10 million each day, and our newinvestments in the course of the yeartotaled $2.7 billion. Our investmentincome last year totaled$905,966,950, an increase of 3.15percent over 2011 and an exceptionalresult in today’s economy.

Our sustainable investment strategyhas two key components. First, an

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greater than the rate of growthof the industry as a whole,which stands at 6 percent.

Our exceptional growth is atestament to our highlyprofessional force of 1,504agents, all of whom arebrother Knights who serveonly Knights and their families.They share your faith andloyalty to our Order, and asfriends, brother Knights andfellow parishioners, they bringa professional and personalview to helping you meet yourfamilies’ financial goals. Helpthem by encouraging yourbrother Knight to protect hisfamily in a way that he can beproud of — by availing himselfof our insurance programs.

Let us encourage more men tojoin our Order because theywant to protect their familieswith an organization that hasthe highest professionalstandards and shares theirCatholic values. Welcomesuch new members, andremember that FatherMcGivney founded our Orderto protect Catholic families andthat a man’s desire to protecthis family with us honors usand honors our founder.

When brother Knights purchaseour life insurance, they keepour life insurance. Our lapserate of 3.5 percent is amongthe lowest in the industry andapproximately half of theindustry average of 6.1 percent.

Put another way, 96.5 percentof our insurance memberskeep their policies, and thatrepresents a superior level ofconfidence and satisfaction thatother companies can onlydream about.

Our other financial productshave grown as well. Revenuefrom our new disability incomeproduct has tripled over thepast year, and our long-termcare offering has continued itssteady growth.

In these days of economicuncertainty, our insuranceprogram continued to outpacethe industry. Insurancepremiums reached an all timehigh of nearly $1.2 billion in2012. Our 5 percent growth ininsurance premiums grew at arate 25 percent faster than theindustry’s rate of only 4percent. In addition, ourannuity deposits increased 4.2percent to a record $618million while the industryexperienced an 8 percentdecline.

Ultimately, the measure of oursuccess is the benefits paid toour members. Last year, wepaid more than $286 million indeath benefits, and over thecourse of our history, deathbenefits to the families ofdeceased Knights have totaledmore than $3.7 billion.Equally important, last year wepaid more than $274 million individends to our policy holders,

®


charitable work of the Knightsof Columbus. It was alsoinspiring to experience first-hand the love and concernwhich our new Holy Father hasfor the poor and suffering.

The next day, Pope Francissigned his first encyclical,Lumen Fidei (The Light ofFaith), which was begun byPope Benedict.

In Lumen Fidei, Pope Francisasks each of us to consider thenature of charity, writing:

The boundless love of ourFather also comes to us, inJesus, through our brothersand sisters. Faith teaches usto see that every man andwoman represents a blessingfor me, that the light of God’sface shines on me throughthe faces of my brothers andsisters (54).

Such thinking has been thehallmark of Pope Francis’life. In his role as CardinalBergoglio of Buenos Aires,and now as Pope Francis, our

Holy Father has stood insolidarity with — andministered personally to —the poor.

And we are blessed that theKnights of Columbus is souniquely suited to support ourHoly Father in his work forcharity and evangelization.

Like him, we are deeplycommitted to charity. And,like him, we are stronglycommitted to living out ourfaith and promoting the NewEvangelization. Also like him,we are steadfast in ourcommitment to protect God’sgifts by helping those on themargins of society.

Our founding principles ofcharity, unity and fraternity,established by the VenerableServant of God Father MichaelJ. McGivney, are also keythemes of our new pope.

Just after his election, asI heard our Holy Fatheraddress the world for thefirst time as pope, I was struck

by how important his wordswere to the Knights ofColumbus.

Pope Francis said this:

And now let us begin thisjourney, [together] as bishopand people. This journey ofthe Church of Rome, whichis to preside over all theChurches in charity. It is ajourney of fraternity, of love,of trust between us. Let usalways pray for one another.Let us pray for the world, sothat a great brotherhood maybe created.

His words are an unmistakablecall to “charity, unity andfraternity.”

And we are blessed that theHoly Father’s words onceagain underscore for us thetimeless vision of FatherMcGivney.

Like Father McGivney, PopeFrancis was born into animmigrant family. His electionhighlights the important rolethat America — the Catholiccontinent — has in the NewEvangelization.

In this year of two popes, theChurch has also been blessedwith the announcement thattwo of their predecessors willsoon be canonized.

Pope John XXIII led the Churchinto the Second VaticanCouncil and knew the Knights

Blessed John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C.


KNIGHTS ANDTHE CHURCHGod’s gift to us of our faith is something that should guide every aspectof our lives and that every Knight should strive to protect.

Pope Francis met with Supreme Knight Carl Anderson in a private audience and discussed the Order’s charitable initiatives.(L'Osservatore Romano)

Indeed, the protection of hisparishioners’ Catholic faith wasone of the main reasons thatFather McGivney founded ourOrder.

And this Year of Faith hascertainly been historic for the

Catholic Church. The eyes ofthe world were on the Churchwhen Pope Benedict XVIbecame the first pope in fivecenturies to retire from thepapacy, and again when theconclave elected as hissuccessor Pope Francis — the

first pope from the NewWorld.

On June 28, I had the privilegeof a private audience withPope Francis. It was anextraordinary opportunity tospeak with him about the


pilgrimages to it from yourjurisdictions.

For the first time in manyyears, a new series of bookletsis being developed by theKnights of Columbus CatholicInformation Service. The new19-part series will cover thebasic themes of the NewEvangelization and show thatthe New Evangelization is nota “new” Christian message,but rather a new presentationof the joy of the Gospel in allits transforming power. Thefirst five installments are nowavailable in print and online.

With members throughoutNorth and Central America,we have given a high priorityto promoting Pope John PaulII’s vision of a unitedhemisphere.

One of John Paul’s mostimportant initiatives in the

The shrine will be home torelics of John Paul II and amajor exhibit on the life andthought of this courageouspope, whose life and teachingmanifested God’s unshakeablelove for the human person.The exhibits will occupy some16,000 square feet of spaceand are being created with thehelp of expert designers. It willbecome a destination that willstrengthen the faith of thosewho visit, and it will give thema deeper understanding of thissaintly pope.

Our shrine will undoubtedlybecome a pilgrimagedestination for the faithful fromall over the world. It hasalready given the Knights ofColumbus a central role inpreserving and promoting thelegacy of one of history’sgreatest popes, and Iencourage all of you to visitthis shrine and to help organize

Western Hemisphere was theconvening of the Synod forAmerica in 1997. The synodbrought together 41 cardinals,98 bishops and 76 priests fromthroughout North and SouthAmerica. Just over a year later,the pope traveled to the Shrineof Our Lady of Guadalupe inMexico City to presentEcclesia in America, hisapostolic exhortation based onthe synod.

Last December, on the 15thanniversary of that event, theKnights of Columbus had theopportunity to co-sponsor withthe Pontifical Commission forLatin America a conference onEcclesia in America at theVatican.

Members of the hierarchy —together with priests, religiousand lay people from North,Central and South America —gathered together on the feastof St. Juan Diego, Dec. 9, andmet for three days, concludingon the feast of Our Lady ofGuadalupe. It was a greattribute to Blessed John Paul’svision of the Americas as asingle entity, and it focused onthe need for authentic Catholicevangelization and cooperationamong the countries of thismost Catholic hemisphere.

It was a wonderful opportunityto present the challenges andopportunities facing the NewEvangelization in America,just a few months before the

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson discusses the importance of the laity's role in the NewEvangelization and the importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego's cooperationwith her and his bishop as excellent models of evangelization today at the “Ecclesia inAmerica” Conference at the Vatican in December.


of Columbus well, visiting oneof our playgrounds in Rome in1959 and meeting with oursupreme directors in 1961.

Pope John Paul II led theChurch into the thirdmillennium and had a specialconnection to the Knights ofColumbus through a long listof projects throughout hispapacy. It was our Orderthat co-sponsored his Masswith the Diocese of Brooklynat Aqueduct Racetrack in 1995.

While we give thanks thatthese two popes will soon becanonized, we also pray for thebeatification of our founder.

And I am happy to report thatthere is good news concerningFather McGivney’s Cause. Apossible miracle attributed tohis intercession is now underinvestigation in Rome. Iencourage all Knights and theirfamilies to continue to pray forthe canonization of FatherMcGivney and to report anyfavors received through hisintercession to the FatherMcGivney Guild, whosemembership now numbers150,000 — a testament tothe great devotion to ourfounder.

And if you are ever in NewHaven, make the time to visit

his tomb at St. Mary’s Church,and the Knights of ColumbusMuseum with its display of hisrelics and an exhibit on his life.Further to the south theKnights of Columbus operatesanother location that will alsobe of great interest to allCatholics.

As you know, the Knights ofColumbus has established theBlessed John Paul II Shrine inWashington, D.C. Thismagnificent facility isundergoing a transformationthat will enable it to effectivelytransmit the legacy andspirituality of John Paul theGreat.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and his wife, Dorian, are greeted by Pope Benedict XVI following the pope's remarks tothe “Ecclesia in America” Conference attendees in December, 2012. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano)


of the biggest televisionnetworks in the world.For news from a Catholicperspective, there will beno better show for brotherKnights and all Catholics towatch.

Last year, we also continuedour support for Salt and Lighttelevision, helping to bringquality Catholic programmingto Canada.

The past fraternal year has alsogiven us the opportunity tocooperate with the Americanbishops in their campaign topreserve and protect religiousliberty — through their manyefforts, including Fortnight forFreedom — in the UnitedStates.

Leading this effort as chairmanof the U.S. Bishop’s Ad Hoc

presented to individuals whohad particularly distinguishedthemselves in the service ofthe Church. The first Gaudiumet Spes Award was given toMother Teresa in 1992. Otherrecipients have included JeanVanier, Cardinal John O’Connoras well as many well-knownmembers of the hierarchy.

And last November, I had thepleasure of presenting thisaward to another well-deserving recipient — PastSupreme Knight VirgilDechant. His dedication to theChurch has lasted a lifetime,and his nearly three decades atthe helm of our Order were aperiod of exceptional growthand accomplishment. Even inretirement, he has continuedto serve the Church and thisOrder well.

As you know, there is a realneed for television newsprogramming for Catholics,because finding mediacoverage from an authenticallyCatholic perspective can bevery difficult. So I am pleasedto announce that the Knightsof Columbus will besponsoring EWTN’s newestshow: EWTN News Nightly,with Colleen Carroll Campbell.The show will begin nextmonth and I urge you to watchit. I have met the news teamfor this show, and they areimpressive both in theirCatholic identity and in theirprevious work with some

Committee for ReligiousLiberty is our supremechaplain, Archbishop WilliamLori. He and his brotherbishops have done excellentwork in speaking out indefense of our FirstAmendment Right to religiousliberty, which is a gift from God.

The stakes are high. Freedomof religion is often referred toas our “first freedom,” sinceit is the first right mentionedin the Bill of Rights. If religiousfreedom cannot besuccessfully defended inAmerica, then no otherfreedom is safe. And theKnights of Columbus willalways work alongside ourbishops to protect this God-given right, enumerated inour country’s Constitution.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson welcomes the estimated 75,000 attendees of theGuadalupe Celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.


Los Angeles in the 1940s, it isthe only known relic of thetilma in the United States.

Last fall, I returned to LosAngeles for the dedicationof the newly renovatedGuadalupe Chapel at theCathedral of Our Lady of theAngels, the construction ofwhich was co-sponsored byour Order. The chapel will bethe permanent home for thetilma relic, and as such, it istruly the home of Our Lady ofGuadalupe in the UnitedStates.

And just a few days ago,in Brazil, the Knights ofColumbus sponsored theEnglish-language site at WorldYouth Day. Young people fromthroughout the English-speaking world came to thesite at Vivo Rio, which wasadministered by the U.S. andCanadian bishops’conferences, as an importantpart of their World Youth Dayexperience.

Locally, nationally andinternationally, our Knightsof Columbus councils andassemblies have providedextraordinary levels of supportto their local churches duringthe past year.

True to our commitment topastors since the time ofFather McGivney, Knights havestepped up to help with parishprojects large and small.

election of the first pope fromthe American continent.

We were privileged to havePope Benedict address ourconference, and I think hiswords apply to each of ushere as well:

A renewed missionary spiritand zealous generosity inyour commitment will be anirreplaceable contribution towhat the universal Churchexpects and needs from theChurch in America.

In addition to our conferencein Rome, our GuadalupeCelebration in Los Angeles lastAugust brought the messageof Our Lady of Guadalupe totens of thousands of people.The City News Serviceestimated that 75,000 peoplefilled the L.A. MemorialColiseum for this prayerfulafternoon in the presence ofthe relic of St. Juan Diego’smiraculous tilma, or cloak.Given to the Archdiocese of

At Council 3338 in CiudadGuzmán, Mexico Central,brother Knights constructed awalkway, plaza and coveredpavilion in front of the Churchof San Martin. Where rocksand dirt had been before, theycreated something beautiful. Inaddition to manpower, Knightsdonated 15,000 pesos(approximately $1,100) towardthe project.

These brother Knights werefar from alone. Overall, Churchdonations from local and statecouncils totaled $49.5 million,of which $20 million went tochurch facilities, $7.4 million toCatholic schools, and $5.9million to direct assistance forseminarians. Another $1.9million went to the seminarieswhere our future priestsprepare themselves for livesof service.

Popes John Paul II andBenedict XVI were bothinstrumental in the work ofthe Second Vatican Council,convened by Pope John XXIIIin 1962. It was with thecouncil as a backdrop thatPope Francis studied for thepriesthood, and one of themajor documents of thecouncil was the PastoralConstitution on the Church inthe Modern World, titledGaudium et Spes.Some years later the Knightsof Columbus established itshighest honor: a special awardby that same name, to be

Past Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant (left)received the Order's highest honor, theGaudium et Spes Award. He is shown withhis wife, Anne, and Supreme Knight CarlAnderson and his wife, Dorian.


An honor guard of more than 100 Fourth Degree Knights participated in the Pilgrimage for Life and Liberty heldon Oct. 14, 2012, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.


F A I T H F U LC I T I Z EN S H I PWhen Father McGivney founded our Order in the basement of St.Mary’sChurch, he and the men he gathered chose to identify as Knights of Columbus fora simple reason.

guarantees our free exerciseof religion. Those who wouldbanish religion from the publicsquare have been relentlessin attempting to persuadethe courts to stand the FirstAmendment on its head andgive it a meaning completelycontrary to its original intent.We must lead by theexample of the good thatwe do, and we must not besilent in speaking up for ourrights. For in a democracy,silence is not good citizenship— it is the antithesis of it.

We must show the world thatit is love that motivates usto help and protect the poor,the widow, the orphan, theintellectually disabled, the coldand the hungry. And it is thatsame love that motivates usto work to help and protectfamilies, marriage and theunborn. Even those who maydisagree with us should behonest enough to admit theconsistency of our position,and even if they disagree withour positions, let them neverimpugn our motives. For our

Columbus was the oneCatholic hailed in the 19thcentury as an American herofor his discovery of the NewWorld. Father McGivney andthose �rst brother Knightschose that name to make clearthat one could be a faithfulCatholic and a good citizen.

Now, as then, we are calledto be both good citizens andfaithful Catholics. And weshould not hesitate to pointout that our faith makes usbetter citizens and that oursociety is a better place forthe love and concern wehave for our neighbors.

The U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services so-calledpreventive services mandate,better known as the HHSmandate, is, unfortunately, onlyone of many legal andregulatory challenges thatthreaten the free exercise ofreligion in the United Statesand elsewhere around theworld.

The First Amendment

motivation is our Lord’s call tolove of neighbor.

At our last annual meeting, Idescribed our e�orts to defenda monument that included astatue of Christ erected onBig Mountain in White�sh,Mont., on land leased from theU.S. Forest Service. TheKnights of Columbus andveterans of the TenthMountain Division erected thestatue 60 years ago to honorthe fallen soldiers of WorldWar II. An anti-religious groupfrom Wisconsin �led suitagainst the U.S. ForestService, trying to force it toremove the statue. The Orderintervened in the case, askingthe federal court to vindicatethe constitutional right of theKnights of Columbus to honorsoldiers who had died for theircountry.

In late June, Federal DistrictJudge Dana Christensendismissed the lawsuit, holdingthat renewal of the permit forthe monument, in his words,“does not constitute a


C ULTUREOF L IFE

We continue to work to undo the HHS contraceptivemandate, which attempts to force us to violate ourfundamental religious beliefs regarding abortion-inducingdrugs, sterilization and contraception. I am con�dent thatas has occurred already in many court cases, this ill-conceived mandate will ultimately be foundunconstitutional. Our First Amendment right to religiousfreedom, which applies not only to Church institutions butto every believing individual in this country, protects usfrom having to violate our deeply held religious beliefs. And even as we continue to defend our religious libertyfrom the HHS mandate, our pro-life initiatives reached anew milestone in July.

Our work to defend God’s gift of religious freedom is inseparable from ourwork as protectors of another of his many gifts — the gift of life.

Knights of Columbus members and their familieswere among the hundreds of thousands ofattendees at the 2013 March for Life.


1954, has been defending thePledge for nearly a decade,beginning back in 2004. Andwe have been successful inturning back three separatelawsuits in federal courts inCalifornia and New Hampshire,where we won cases in boththe First and Ninth CircuitCourts of Appeal.

Now, atheists inMassachusetts have decidedto try a challenge in statecourt. Supreme Advocate JohnMarrella helped coordinate the Knights of Columbus’successful intervention in thecase, and a year ago, aMassachusetts state courtupheld the Pledge asconstitutional. We willcontinue to defend the Pledgeas the case is appealed.

Our position on the Pledgeof Allegiance is simple andstraightforward. The words“under God” do not somehowturn it into a prayer; theysimply rea�rm the truthspoken in the Declaration ofIndependence, that we “areendowed by our Creator withcertain unalienable rights.”These rights are not thegovernment’s to give or takeaway, and it is thegovernment’s responsibility toprotect and preserve them. Inhis inaugural address,President John F. Kennedy, abrother Knight, put it this way:“The rights of man come notfrom the generosity of the

government endorsementof a religious message andthus does not violate theEstablishment Clause.”The monument, his opinionstated, “is steeped in theorigins and history of BigMountain and the surroundingcommunity,” and the fact thatthe Knights of Columbus ownsand maintains the statuemeans there is “noentanglement with religion.”

The soldiers of the TenthMountain Division whodefended our freedom inWorld War II were goodcitizens. And in defendingtheir monument, we havedefended that legacy of goodcitizenship while engaging inan act of good citizenshipourselves.

Common sense and tolerancewould both dictate that in apluralistic society a religioussymbol in the public square inno way establishes a religionand thus should be respected.

But some wish to divorce ourcountry from the idea that ourrights come not from the statebut from God himself.

Professional atheists have alsobeen staging a relentlessbattle involving the U.S.Pledge of Allegiance. TheKnights of Columbus, whichled the e�ort to persuadeCongress to add the words“under God” to the Pledge in

state but from the hand ofGod.”

We also agree with PresidentAbraham Lincoln and, like him,we pray “that this nation,under God, shall have a newbirth of freedom.”

In other words, my brotherKnights, our defense of thePledge of Allegiance, of theveterans’ monument and itsstatue on Big Mountain and ofthe rightful place of religion inpublic life puts us on the sideof the fundamental principlesthat have guided America fromthe beginning. And you can bevery proud of the fact that indefending these rights, wedefend the rights of everyone.By recognizing that our rightscome from God, not the state,we also recognize that theserights are permanent ratherthan subject to whims of thegovernment. And by defendingour rights, we engage in thepolitical process in a wayproper to devoted Catholiclaymen, who are also goodcitizens.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and his wife, Dorian, with the Sisters of Life at the 2013 March for Life in Ottawa. The NewYork-based religious community expanded to Toronto, Canada, in 2007. (Photo by Jake Wright)

Poll has sampled publicopinion regarding abortion,going beyond the typical “areyou pro-life or pro-choice”question that most polls use.If you ask people whetherthey would place limits onabortion, an overwhelmingmajority would do so. Thisyear, our polling found that 83percent of Americans favorsignificant restrictions onabortion, up four points fromthe previous year. Only 11percent would allow abortionat any time, and only 6percent would allow it duringthe first six months ofpregnancy. The rest would

favor restrictions far broaderthan those that exist in thiscountry today.

In other words, laws like theone recently passed in Texasthat protect an unborn babyafter 20 weeks aren’t just astep in the right direction, theyalso resonate with more than 8in 10 Americans. And thisshouldn’t just be the law inTexas.

Until the day that Roe v. Wadeis overturned and the right tolife of everyone is respected,every state in the countryshould follow Texas’ lead by

taking whatever steps theycan to protect the unborn.

American public opinion ismoving in favor of human life.And of course, we continue tocall on our lawmakers toprotect the life of all, born andunborn.

Once again, this year Knightsof Columbus were extremelyactive in the annual March forLife in Washington, D.C., inJanuary, and in similar eventsthroughout the United States;in the Canadian March for Lifein Ottawa in May, which Iattended with Deputy

2013 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight � 4342 � 2013 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight

I am pleased to report to youthat through the Order’sUltrasound Initiative theKnights of Columbus has nowdonated ultrasound machinesto pregnancy resource centersin Canada, Jamaica and in all50 of the United States. In lessthan five years, our ultrasoundprogram — in which theSupreme Council and stateand local councils share thecost of providing machines topregnancy centers — hasdonated more than 380machines worth $20 million,and this technology is savinglives every day.

Knights in Texas and Missouriare leading the way, with 31and 29 ultrasound machinesrespectively, followed byMichigan with 25, Californiawith 25 and Florida with 22.

The latest ultrasoundtechnology provides aremarkably clear and vividpicture of the baby in thewomb, and when a woman isable to see her child growingwithin her, the evidencesuggests that she is muchmore likely to carry her child toterm.

The Knights of Columbus hasstepped in to meet this criticalneed, and in doing so we arehelping to turn the tide in favorof life.

Each year since 2008, theKnights of Columbus-Marist

The Knights of Columbus was well represented at the 2013 March for Life inWashington, D.C., and at similar events nationwide.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson addresses the pro-life rally preceding the Marchfor Life in Ottawa. (Photo by Jake Wright)


differentiation, wherebyspouses can become oneflesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and areenabled to give birth to anew life, a manifestationof the Creator’s goodness,wisdom and loving plan (52).

So, my brother Knights, oursupport for the family and fora culture of life is inseparable.Knights of Columbus haveworked hard on behalf ofboth. The circumstances thatthreaten life or the family maychange. Our work in supportof them may have a differentemphasis in one country oranother. But the guidingprinciple remains the same:Be protectors of God’s gifts —of life, of human dignity, ofmarriage and of the family.

The culture of life andcivilization of love will not bebuilt overnight. But we willcontinue to work day and nightto build them through ourexample, our words and ourprayers.

In Lumen Fidei, Pope Francisreminded us that the Lordis not only the Lord ofindividuals, but that he is theLord of nations and of history.He quoted from the Letter tothe Hebrews, which tells usthat “God is not ashamed tobe called their God; indeed, hehas prepared a city for them”(Heb 11:16).

Then Pope Francis asks a very

dramatic question. He writes:

Could it be the case, instead,that we are the ones who areashamed to call God ourGod? That we are the oneswho fail to confess him assuch in our public life? (55).

I do not know what answerothers may make. But I feelconfident today that I mayanswer this question on behalfof the Knights of Columbus.

We will never be ashamed toadmit that all that we have thatis good comes as gifts fromthe Lord. We will never beashamed to call God ourGod or be ashamed of ourdetermination to be onenation under God.

We will always remember thewords of Pope Francis: “Faithillumines life and society.”Faith makes us better citizens,better citizens make betternations, and better nationsmake a better world.

So let us go forward togetheras brother Knights, faithfulCatholics and good citizens,renewed in our commitmentand steadfast in ourdetermination to be protectorsof God’s gifts.

Vivat Jesus!

This is why our witness is soimportant.

This is why a charity thatevangelizes is so important.

In each act of charity, weaffirm the dignity of everyhuman person, God’s love foreach person and that there is aplace for every person — thatno one should be cast adrift,that we are all united.

In each act of charity wecan speak these truths to theworld in a way that wordsalone never can.

We cannot speak of theculture of life without alsospeaking of the family. Asan Order founded from thebeginning to protect the family,we will always continue toprotect Catholic families andwitness to an authentic,Catholic vision of the family.

Pope Francis’s new encyclicalmakes clear why our work tosupport marriage and family isso important. He writes this:

The first setting in whichfaith enlightens the humancity is the family. I think firstand foremost of the stableunion of man and woman inmarriage. This union is bornof their love, as a sign andpresence of God’s own love,and of the acknowledgmentand acceptance of thegoodness of sexual


Supreme Knight DennisSavoie; in Marches for Lifethroughout the Philippines inMarch; as well as in marchesin three cities in Mexico andfive in Poland. Many youngpeople attend these marches,and it is a sign of hope that likeus, the next generation willcontinue to work to protect thelife of everyone — even thesmallest and most helplessamong us.

The Order was founded byFather McGivney to help thoseon the margins of society andto protect their dignity,livelihood and faith. Thatmission continues today asKnights in every jurisdictionbuild a culture of life and acivilization of love that protectsthose on the margins. InFather McGivney’s time, thoseon the margins were the poorwidows and orphans, recentimmigrants and their families.Today, the margins havegrown to include the unbornand the disabled. The Knightsof Columbus is committed toprotecting the dignity and rightto life of all. We workespecially to help those on the

margins of society becausethey often have no voice butours. We do all that we dopeacefully and in a spirit oflove. We help those in needwherever we can, and throughour charity and by workingthrough the legislative andlegal process, we seek tomake our society even morejust and even more respectfulof God’s gifts.

We did much to supportthe cause of life in the lastfraternal year, with councilsand assemblies reportingexpenditures of more than$11.6 million on pro-lifeprojects.

And in this work we have theexcellent example of PopeFrancis, who has shown sucha deep commitment to the lifeand dignity of every human

being. We have also theexample of his predecessors,popes John Paul II, BenedictXVI, Paul VI and our manywonderful bishops and priests,who have consistentlyadvocated for human life anddignity at every stage and inevery circumstance.

In his first encyclical, LumenFidei, Pope Francis tells us:

At the heart of biblical faithis God’s love, his concreteconcern for every person,and his plan of salvationwhich embraces all ofhumanity and all creation ….Without insight into theserealities, there is no criterionfor discerning what makeshuman life precious andunique. Man loses his placein the universe, he is castadrift (54).

Supreme Knight Anderson concludeshis remarks at the annual midyearmeeting of state deputies.

National Association of Hispanic Priests, Richmond, Texas 25,000

Sisters for Life, Bronx, N.Y. 20,500

TOTAL $291,500

TOTAL CHURCH GRANTS $5,251,203

M A R I A N D E V O T I O NBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. —

Broadcast of weekly mass to shut-ins $ 75,000

Luke E. Hart Fund earnings 60,000

Ushers ministry 33,169

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, Calif. —

Chapel for the tilma of St. Juan Diego 75,000

Wounded Warriors pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, France 50,000

TOTAL $293,169

F A M I LY L I F ECanadian Conference of Catholic Bishops —

Catholic Organization for Life and Family $ 275,000

Family Institute of Connecticut 25,000

Institute of the Family, Quebec 16,000

Knights of Columbus Family Life Bureau — Pontifical John Paul II

Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington, D.C. 1,600,481

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Rome —

Project Latin America 100,000

World Meeting of Families, Philadelphia 500,000

TOTAL $2,516,481

P R O - L I F EBe Not Afraid, St Mark Catholic Church, Huntersville, N.C. —

Parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis and carrying to term $ 50,000

Birthright USA, Atlanta 40,000

Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Hospital, St. Louis 50,000

Citizens for Parental Rights, Tallahassee, Fla. 100,000

Citizens for Religious Freedom, Tallahassee, Fla. 100,000

Committee Against Assisted Suicide, Boston, Mass. 450,000

Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C. —

Sponsor Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society 65,000

Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy, Washington, D.C. 50,000

Human Life Foundation, New York, N.Y. 25,000

Jérôme Lejeune Foundation USA, Stafford, Va. —

Advancement of human rights for persons with disabilities 200,000

Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Machine Reimbursement Program 1,893,315

Life Athletes, South Bend, Ind. 100,000

March for Life, Canada 27,000

March for Life Education and Defense Fund, Washington, D.C. —

Support for annual march 290,000

PROGRAMS


VAT I C A NApostolic Nunciature, Washington, D.C. $ 25,194

Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences —

conference “The Global Quest for Tranquility of Order" 25,000

Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization —

Symposium "Ecclesia in America" 300,536

Pontifical Council for Social Communications —

Uplink project televising papal Midnight Mass and

Easter Triduum liturgies 210,161

Vatican website enhancements 215,000

Pope Benedict XVI — Vicarius Christi Fund 1,600,000

Vatican Basilica Historical and Artistic Museum —

Restoration of Tomb Pope Innocent VIII 53,000

Vatican Secretariat of State, Communications Office 100,000

TOTAL $2,528,891

N AT I O N A L B I S H O P S C O N F E R E N C E SCanadian Conference of Catholic Bishops — Bishop de Laval Fund $ 45,016

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines —

Pro-life initiative 228,306

Mexican Bishops Conference — Papal visit to Mexico 209,445

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops —

Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning 200,000

TOTAL $682,767

D I O C E S E S � PA R I S H E S � C L E R G Y50th International Eucharistic Congress, Dublin, Ireland $ 149,984

Archdiocese of Bologna, Italy — Repairs to churches damaged by earthquake 126,380

Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn. — Renovation of cathedral 250,000

Archdiocese of Havana, Cuba — Papal visit 200,000

Archdiocese of Leon, Mexico — Papal visit 71,980

Archdiocese of Santiago, Cuba — Papal visit 125,000

Association Diocean Fréjus-Toulon, La Garde-Freinet, France —

International Conference of the Sacred Liturgy 50,412

Clergy support 448,876

St. Coleman’s Society for Catholic Liturgy, Co., Cork, Ireland 18,734

St. Mary’s Church, New Haven — Stipend for daily Mass

for deceased members, spouses and Columbian Squires 7,240

General support and renovations 224,439

The Spiritual Family “The Work”, New York, N.Y. — Establishment of residence in NYC 75,000

TOTAL $1,748,045

O T H E R R E L I G I O U SApostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus $ 31,000

Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, Washington, D.C. 85,000

Institute for Priestly Formation, Fargo, N.D. 75,000

Institute on Religious Life, Chicago 25,000

National Association of Diaconate Directors, Columbus, Ohio 30,000

CHURCHKNIGHTSOFCOLUMBUSCHARITABLECONTRIBUTIONS2012


COMMUNITY, EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL

Knights of Columbus Gaudium et Spes Award — Virgil C. Dechant 100,000

KW Entertainment, Mexico City, Mexico — Catholic nightly news show 25,000

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem —

Proceeds of Pacem in Terris Fund 120,000

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Rome —

New Evangelization Conference “Ecclesia in America” 95,611

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops —

Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberties 500,000

New Evangelization Conference 100,000

Villa Maria Guadalupe Retreat Center, Stamford, Conn. 1,122,186

TOTAL $3,357,394

TOTAL PROGRAMS GRANTS $12,863,946

TOTAL CHURCH AND PROGRAMS GRANTS $18,115,149

C O MM U N I T Y P R O J E C T SAmerican Wheelchair Mission, Henderson, Nev. $ 250,000

Apostles of Jesus — Assistance and shelter for African AIDSs orphans 350,000

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C. 326,000

BRCDT Catholic Sport, London, England — Paralympics conference 10,000

Caritas Philippines — Typhoon relief 30,000

Christopher Fund — Matching funds from Supreme Council 50,123

Connecticut Food Bank 20,000

Diocese of Sendai, Japan — Earthquake relief 20,000

Disaster Relief — Fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados in seven states 504,502

Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce 10,000

International Catholic Migration Council, Washington, D.C. 25,000

Knights of Columbus Food for Families Program 40,484

Market New Haven 25,000

Morality in Media, New York, N.Y. 100,000

National Catholic Office for the Deaf 15,000

National Catholic Partnership on Disability 100,000

New Haven Regional Leadership Council 10,000

Other amounts including community-based organizations 426,510

Special Olympics North America 252,500

St. Luke Institute, Silver Spring, Md. 25,000

United Way — Corporate gift 105,000

Veterans Administration Voluntary Service Partners, New Bern, N.C. 4,000

TOTAL $2,699,119

E D U C AT I O N A LAcademy of Our Lady of Mercy, Milford, Conn. — New Haven Catholic High

School Fund $ 8,000

Albertus Magnus College, Hamden, Conn. 8,000

Black Catholic Education Foundation — Scholarships 21,250

Communio Review, Washington, D.C. 33,756

Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools, Hartford, Conn. 10,000


Montanans for Parental Rights — Referendum for parental notification 75,000

National Catholic Bioethics Center, Philadelphia —

Bishops' workshop on medical-moral issues 350,000

National Life Center, Woodbury, N.J. 75,000

St. Gerard's Center for Life, Hartford, Conn. 6,000

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — Pro-Life Education 600,000

Vivre dans la Dignité, Beaconsfield, Quebec — Anti-euthanasia coalition 125,000

Walk for Life, San Francisco 25,000

TOTAL $4,696,315

V O C AT I O N SArchdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Washington, D.C. —

Chaplains vocations program $ 400,000

Bishop Thomas V. Daily Scholarship Fund — Scholarships granted 62,500

Canadian Pontifical College, Rome — Father Michael J. McGivney Fund 29,915

Cathedral Seminary House of Formation, Douglaston, N.Y. 15,000

Communion & Liberation's retreat for priests 40,000

Diocese of Radom, Poland — Clergy scholarship 10,156

Knights of Columbus Vocations Scholarships 207,500

The Passionist Fathers — Seminary dormitory for Diocese of Jinja, Uganda 40,000

Philippine Scholarships — Father McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for

Priests from the Philippines

Study at the Pontifical Philippines College, Rome — Scholarships granted 60,000

Pontifical Mexican College, Rome — Our Lady of Guadalupe Fund 45,500

Pontifical North American College, Rome — 11,000

Scholarships and general support (Count Enrico P. Galeazzi Fund) 170,000

Promotional support of vocations 173,569

Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) — Refunds to Knights of Columbus

units for grants to individual seminarians 672,480

St. Hyacinth Seminary, Quebec, Canada 27,967

Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, N.Y. 35,000

TOTAL $2,000,587

E VA N G E L I Z AT I O NArchdiocese of Atlanta, Ga. — Eucharistic Congress $ 10,000

Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Washington, D.C. —

“Armed With the Faith” prayer books 109,275

Catholic Distance University, Hamilton, Va. 50,000

Catholic Information Service — Administrative support 289,402

Catholic Information Service — Supported by per capita levy

(Catholic Advertising Fund) 404,327

Catholic Leadership Institute, Wayne, Penn. 50,000

Diocese of Bridgeport — Lenten confession campaign 60,000

Dioceses of Richmond, Va. — Thomas More Society

Forum on Religion in the Public Square 8,000

Eparachy of Newton, West Roxbury, Mass. — Encounter 2012 7,500

Gospel of Life Conference, San Angelo, Texas 8,062

Guadalupe Radio Network, El Monte, Calif. 5,250

International Center for Study and Research at the Studium Generale

Marcianum, Venice (OASIS) 292,781KNIGHTSOFCOLUMBUSCHARITABLECONTRIBUTIONS2012



C O U N C I LArthur F. and Anna Battista Scholarship Fund $ 103,657

Frank L. Goularte Scholarship Fund — Scholarships awarded 6,000

Anthony Labella Scholarship Fund 11,250

Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust Fund 181,614

John W. McDevitt Scholarship Fund — Fourth Degree Fund 157,500

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at

The Catholic University of America — Fellowship fund 12,250

Increase in fellowship endowment fund 5,000

Member Fraternal Benefits Program 645,000

Mexico Scholarships 8,000

Percy Johnson Scholarships 27,000

Philippines Scholarships 18,000

Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships 260,850

Puerto Rico Scholarships 8,000

The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. —

Seven fellowships 286,690

Virgil C. and Ann L. Dechant Scholarship Fund 13,500

TOTAL $1,744,311

TOTAL COUNCIL GRANTS $1,744,311

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage

and Family, Washington, D.C. — Fellowships 187,000

Lumen Gentium Catholic University, Mexico City — General support 48,434

Notre Dame High School, West Haven, Conn. — New Haven Catholic High

School Fund 9,000

Pontifical Institute for Mediaeval Studies, Toronto 7,046

Printing costs — Educational program pamphlets 143,675

Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden, Conn. — New Haven Catholic High

School Fund and general support 13,400

Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn. 10,000

St. Catherine Academy, Bridgeport, Conn. — Support for new school 10,000

The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. —

Bicentennial of the U.S. Hierarchy Fund 100,000

General support 25,000

TOTAL $634,561

C U LT U R A LBlessed John Paul II Shrine, Washington, D.C. $2,828,857

Center for cultural and pastoral research, Washington, D.C. 129,573

New Haven Chorale 5,000

Knights of Columbus Museum, New Haven 2,826,154

Path to Peace Foundation, Vatican Permanent Observer Mission to the

United Nations — General support 22,500

U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Rome — Support for co-sponsored events 12,619

TOTAL $5,824,703

TOTAL COMMUNITY/EDUCATIONAL/CULTURAL GRANTS $9,158,383

Y O U T HCatholic Athletes for Christ, Alexandria, Va. $ 12,000

Catholic Campus Ministry Association — Dayton, Ohio 17,500

Catholic Christian Outreach, Ottawa 30,000

Columbian Squires 392,000

Coats for Kids Program 259,715

Fellowship of Catholic University Students, Genesee, Colo. —

FOCUS summit and SEEK 2013 Conference 40,000

Junior Achievement, New Haven 15,000

Knights of Columbus Summer Lunch Program 51,004

Literacy Volunteers, New Haven 5,000

Rome Youth Centers — Italian Welfare Fund 1,107,912

TOTAL $1,930,131

TOTAL YOUTH GRANTS $1,930,131

KNIGHTSOFCOLUMBUSCHARITABLECONTRIBUTIONS2012


SUPREME COUNCIL CONTRIBUTIONS $ 30,947,974

STATE/LOCAL UNITS CONTRIBUTIONS $136,601,843

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $167,549,817

TOTAL HOURS OFVOLUNTEER SERVICE 70,113,207

SUPREME COUNCILPUBLICATIONS (COLUMBIA AND OTHERS) $6,952,630

GENERAL SUPPORT OF MEMBERSHIP OPERATIONS $66,442,559

TOTAL GENERAL SUPPORT $73,395,189

FUND CORPUS CURRENT YEAR CUMULATIVE DONATIONS DONATIONS

Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarship Fund $1,500,000 $62,500 $1,053,750

Count Enrico P. Galeazzi Fund for North American College in Rome 4,000,000 170,000 4,015,216

Father McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests in Puerto Rico 125,000 — 31,860

Father Michael J. McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies by Priests from the Philippines 1,000,000 60,000 567,023

Father Michael J. McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests in Canada(Pontifical Canadian College in Rome) 600,000 29,915 863,009

Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Scholarship Fund 5,000,000 186,250 4,367,952

Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Scholarship Fund (Canada) 800,000 21,250 635,500

Knights of Columbus Vocations Fund (Canada) Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) 625,000 27,400 596,158

Knights of Columbus Vocations Fund (RSVP) 4,000,000 645,080 10,522,500

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fund — Advanced Studies for Priests in Mexico 700,000 45,500 794,203(Pontifical Mexican College in Rome)

TOTAL VOCATION ENDOWMENT FUNDS $18,350,000 $1,247,895 $23,447,171


Albertus Magnus College Fund $150,000 $8,000 $312,059

Arthur F. and Anna Battista Scholarship Fund 1,584,495 103,657 1,151,976

Bicentennial of the U.S. Hierarchy Fund 2,000,000 100,000 3,117,619

Bishop Charles P. Greco Graduate Fellowship Trust Fund 105,000 500 70,582

The Catholic University of America Fellowships Fund 500,000 286,690 3,033,055

Estate of Anthony La Bella Fund 199,587 11,250 156,500

Estate of Percy Johnson Scholarship Fund 353,200 27,000 492,750

Father McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives in Catholic Education Fund 1,000,000 — 2,774,444

Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria (Canada) Scholarship Fund 1,000,000 60,750 1,231,751

Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarship Fund 2,319,452 200,100 7,425,126

Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust Fund 1,000,000 181,614 5,708,893

Frank L. Goularte Scholarship Fund 268,525 6,000 63,000

John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family Fellowship Fund 1,333,015 12,250 124,350

John W. McDevitt (Fourth Degree) Scholarship Fund 3,124,804 157,500 2,358,750

Mexico Scholarships — 8,000 106,645

New Haven Area Catholic High Schools Fund 500,000 24,000 715,348

Philippines Scholarships — 18,000 221,341

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies Fund 250,000 7,046 231,607

Puerto Rico Scholarships — 8,000 137,000

Virgil C. and Ann L. Dechant Scholarship Fund 522,538 13,500 233,500

TOTAL EDUCATION FUNDS $16,210,616 $1,233,857 $29,666,296

VOCATION ENDOWMENT FUNDS

EDUCATION FUNDS



Bishop de Laval Fund $1,000,000 $45,000 $1,607,889

Blessed John Paul II Shrine Fund 5,900,000 — —

Catholic Initiatives in Canada Fund 150,000 — 316,000

Christopher Fund 22,650,749 1,266,307 13,852,885

Fourth Degree Fund for Religious Liberties 1,000,000 — 1,278,685

General Charity Fund 764,619 — 96,199

Historic Sites Fund — 207,472 3,758,555

Italian Welfare Fund 1,199,473 1,107,912 25,573,363

Luke E. Hart Memorial Fund for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 1,000,000 60,000 1,790,900

Military Vicariate Fund 900,000 — 2,324,964

Pacem in Terris Fund 2,000,000 120,000 1,380,000

United in Charity Fund 1,578,855 2,690,047 8,450,969

Vicarius Christi Fund 25,000,000 1,600,000 51,215,000

TOTAL MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS $63,143,696 $7,096,738 $111,646,209

MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS

FUND CORPUS $97,704,312

CURRENT YEAR DONATION $9,578,490

TOTAL CUMULATIVE DONATIONS $164,759,676

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AT A GLANCE

VOLUNTEER HOURS

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

68

0

68.784 69.252 70.049 70.053 70.113

MILLIONS

CONTRIBUTIONS

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

150

0

168

158 155151150

$MILLIONS

SURPLUS

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

1.5

0

1.8

1.6 1.6

1.7 1.7

$BILLIONS

ASSETS

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

14

0

14.1

15.5

16.9

18.0

19.4

$BILLIONS

PREMIUM REVENUE

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

0.9

0

1.0 1.0

1.1 1.1

1.2

$BILLIONS

FINANCIAL & FRATERNAL HIGHLIGHTSS UMM A R Y O F O P E R AT I O N S 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 1( I N M I L L I O N S )Year ended December 31Premiums and fees $1,216 $1,157

Net Investment income 932 902

TOTAL REVENUE $2,148 $2,059

Death and other benefits $ 491 $ 488

Increase in benefit reserves 903 809

Commissions and expenses 359 336

TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES $1,753 $1,633

G A I N S B E F O R E D I V I D E N D S $ 3 9 5 $ 4 2 6

R E F U N D S T O M E M B E R S $ 2 7 5 $ 3 5 3

Net gain from operations $120 $73

Net realized capital gains 8 8

NET INCOME $128 $81

S U MM A R Y O F F I N A N C I A L P O S I T I O N ( I N M I L L I O N S )Year ended December 31

Bonds and short-term investments $17,131 $16,082

Contract loans 932 883

Common and preferred stocks 738 553

Other assets 601 509

TOTAL ASSETS $19,402 $18,027

Benefit reserves $16,733 $15,451

Member refunds payable 283 354

Other liabilities 345 360

TOTAL LIABILITIES EXCEPT AVR $17,361 $16,165

Asset valuation reserve (AVR) $205 $146

Surplus 1,836 1,716

TOTAL SURPLUS AND AVR $2,041 $1,862TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SURPLUS $19,402 $18,027

New Life Insurance issued $8,116 $7,976

Insurance certificates in force 1,733 1,712

Life Insurance in force $88,368 $83,506

Persistency Rate 96.5% 96.4%

Solvency Ratio (assets to liabilities) 110.5% 110.5%

Y E A R E N D E D D E C . 3 1 Charitable Contributions $167,549,817 $158,084,514

Hours of Service 70,113,207 70,053,149

A S O F J U N E 3 0 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 2Number of Councils 14,606 14,377

Membership 1,843,587 1,829,121



NOTES

1. San Fernando Cathedral, “About Us — History,” San Fernando Cathedral, http://www.sfcathedral.org/aboutus_history.html(accessed July 26, 2013).

2. Lewis Fisher, The Spanish Missions of San Antonio (San Antonio: Maverick Publishing Company, 1998), vii.

3 . Donald E. Chipman, "Margil de Jesus, Antonio," Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association,http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fma45 (accessed July 26, 2013).

4. Stephen L. Hardin, Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994), 5; CharlesM. Robinson, III, The Men Who Wear the Star: The Story of the Texas Rangers (New York: Modern Library, 2001), 11.

5. Bill Groneman, "Nava, Andres," Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association,http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fna20 (accessed July 26, 2013); Groneman, “Badillo, Juan Antonio,” Ibib,http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbadp.

6. Juan Seguín, “Personal Memoirs of John Seguín” (c. 1858) in Todd Hansen, The Alamo Reader: A Study in History(Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003), 193.

7. Telegraph and Texas Register, March 28, 1837 (San Felipe), in Hansen, The Alamo, 201.

8. James T. Moore, Acts of Faith: The Catholic Church in Texas, 1900-1950 (College Station, TX: Texas A&M University, 2002), 82and 94.

9. Ann Lozano, "Seminary of St. Philip for Mexican Students," Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association,http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/iws01 (accessed July 26, 2013).

Documents

Knights of Columbus 2013 annual report