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Charity, Unity Fraternity and Patriotism In Light of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Bishop William Lori, Supreme Chaplain Presentation to Marian Congress in Arizona. Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism in Light of Our Lady of Guadalupe The Marian Dimension of the Four Principles of the Knights of Columbus

Introduction We are gathered together as members of the Knights of Columbus and as Catholics from far and wide, seeking to grow in our knowledge, love, and practice of the Church’s faith. This is what has attracted us to this International Marian Congress dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. With grateful hearts, we are listening again to the message of Our Lady to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepecyac and far beyond. We are caught up in the drama of that graced moment when Mary, the Star of Evangelization, drew close to this hemisphere to plant the seeds of the Gospel which quickly germinated and took deep root. We are guided in the prayerful study of Our Lady of Guadalupe by the tilma she left behind as a living reminder of her presence among us. As we look upon her, we can see ourselves, our faith, and our cultures more clearly. Through her example and maternal intercession for us at the throne of grace, we recognize who we are and who we are to become in Christ, Truly we rejoice in the nearness of Our Lady of Guadalupe to us. The more we look upon her image, the more we see how she came to affirm and unite diverse languages, customs, and cultures under the banner of her Son, Jesus Christ, in the communion of the Church. Full of grace, she sheds the light of her Son upon us and upon our faith. Moreover, her own sinless discipleship shows us, more clearly than any other, how to respond to God’s love, a love which we encounter as members of the Church and members of the Knights of Columbus. It is therefore no surprise that Our Lady sheds the light of her love in Christ Jesus upon the first principles of the Christian life, indeed, four principles, which are at the heart of our common discipleship and which, at the same time, are the foundation upon which the Knights of Columbus is built. These are four principles are charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. In the time allotted to me, I wish to reflect with you on how Our Lady of Guadalupe shapes our understanding of these four principles, which, to repeat, are charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Looking at Mary’s tilma, bequeathed to Juan Diego, to America, & to the world, let us reflect on how Mary’s role in salvation history and her discipleship shed light, beauty, and joy upon the bedrock principles of our own discipleship as followers of Christ, as members of His Body, the Church, and as members of our beloved Order, the Knights of Columbus. 

Charity: Mother of Divine Love I speak first of Charity. As you know, our Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson, and Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, have written a beautiful book which describes Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Mother of a Civilization of Love. They retold the story of how the Virgin Mother of God appeared to Juan Diego, to entrust to him a message of redeeming love addressed the Western Hemisphere, a message of love which continues to have the power to inspire and transform us. Our Lady stood before the before Juan Diego as the Mother of Mercy, for, as Pope John Paul II reminded us, ‘we always experience God’s love as mercy.’ Our Lady was arrayed in beauty as she drew close to Juan Diego, for she is the Mother of God assumed into heaven, arrayed with the sun and the stars; yet she also remains the lowly Virgin of Nazareth through whom God reached down to touch us with an utterly generous love. In her appearance, her vesture, and her beauty, Mary manifests loving solidarity with the poor and the lowly, with those who have no standing, with those through whom the love of God often shines with such brilliance. She comes as a messenger of Him, “who has lifted up the lowly.” Those who have studied and prayed over the tilma are often drawn to the eyes of the Virgin, so life-like, so penetrating. Her eyes exceed what even the most skillful artist can portray for the eyes of Our Lady convey “the look of love” which we crave (cf. DCE, 18), the look of divine love, conveyed through her sinless heart. As Mary looks upon us and as we look upon her, we can feel how the love of God envelops us, body, mind, and spirit. We sense that Mary came to our hemisphere as the messenger of that love without which our lives make no sense, that love upon which our lives depend. Her presence and maternal love touched the already devout life of Juan Diego, brought healing and new life to his ailing elder, his uncle, Juan Bernardino. The divine Son whom she bore in her womb exalted the humble Juan Diego, raising this lowly man to be the messenger of evangelization, sending him to bring glad tidings to the lowly, first to his Bishop, Juan de Zumárraga, then to the struggling Spanish missionaries, and finally to the whole of the New World. Mary’s maternal love penetrates to the hearts of individual believers in their need but also penetrates the life, the languages, and the cultures of a continent, the continent which our Church calls America, south, central, and north. In her apparition to Juan Diego, Mary is bearing a child, her Son, Jesus. It’s not that He was yet to be born; it’s only that He must be born in us. Mary, the Mother of the Savior, came to give birth to a new people, a people with a new appearance and a new culture, a people formed in the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, those in whom the seeds of a new civilization of love had been planted. And she stands before us today, a living witness to the unchanging love of God for us.

From the very beginning, the Knights of Columbus, adopted as its first principle the first principle of the Christian life – which is charity. The first meaning of charity is not what we do for others but rather God’s prior love for us, revealed in Christ and communicated by the Spirit, a love made so accessible to us by the maternal love of the Virgin Mary. Our charity – our love of God and neighbor – is a graced response to the God who has loved us first and who has poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We are here at this Marian Congress because the sinless Virgin of Guadalupe will lead us to Christ in the Spirit so that we can grow in God’s love and manifest that love by loving our neighbors as ourselves, indeed, by loving our neighbors as God loves them! As sons and families of the Virgin Mother of Guadalupe, we who are part of the Knights of Columbus offer ourselves in service to others. We seek to emulate the love of Mary which reaches individuals and families in their hour of need a love which, at the same time, has the capacity to change the world around us. That is why we volunteer, neighbor to neighbor, that is why we engage in massive amounts of charitable activity. Like Mary, we are responding to the God who loved us first.Like Mary, we are bearers of the transforming love of Christ.Like Mary, we come with a love capable of not only changing individual hearts but also the countries and cultures which we represent.

Unity: Mother of the Living Let us reflect now on the principle of unity, so evident in the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary’s gift of unity was not a negotiated peace or the result of compromise. Instead, Our Lady of Guadalupe, by her vesture, her appearance, and her words, set the bloody divisions of 16th century Mexico in sharp relief, only to overcome those divisions by clearing a path toward a unity, a unity which has ‘the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force’ (Eph. 4:3). From today’s presentations, you already know it was like in Mexico after 1521,leading up to the Virgin Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego in 1531. One might say that it was indeed “a culture of death”. The Spanish conquistadores treated the indigenous peoples cruelly. They were often enslaved, deprived of property, and forbidden to speak their native languages. Many died by the sword. Was it any wonder that most of the native peoples were not attracted to the faith?The Bishop and the Franciscan missionaries sympathized with the native peoples but found it very difficult to convince them to embrace Christ and his Church in the face of such cruel and de-humanizing behavior. Bishop Zumárraga denounced the cruelty of the conquistadores, Many of them stopped going to Mass; some tried to have the bishop removed and even killed. At the same time, the native culture of the Aztec Empire, as it is sometimes known, was richly complex and in many ways very advanced, though also terribly cruel and dehumanizing. Think of the terrible practice of human sacrifice which Msgr. Chavez has described, a cruel cult carried out to placate an idol, so as to maintain sun and sustenance. Within this culture, there were also inter-tribal prejudices, enslavement, and other forms of cruelty. Our Lady of Guadalupe, carrying the Child of her womb, appears to Juan Diego. Into this culture of death, Mary brings Christ, the author of life, ‘Who reveals man to himself and brings to light his most high calling’ (GS, 22). In a certain sense, she bears within herself ‘the truth about the human person’ and the inviolable dignity of each human being, created in God’s image. Bearing within herself he who is God from God and light from light, her face, her clothes, her language illuminates what reason more dimly perceives, viz., the dignity of the human person from conception until natural death. This is the common humanity that we share and the basis for a just social order. Mary comes to Juan Diego speaking words of love and encouragement in a forbidden language, yet bearing roses that spoke of other places & cultures. Her complexion is that of a new race of people that had only begun to emerge, the “mestiza”, encompassing both Spanish and native Indian features. Overshadowed by the Spirit of love, she brings us Christ who unites in himself what sin, strife, and human ignorance has divided.

Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have urged the Church in America, North, Central, and South – to perceive its “Marian soul”, and thus to unite in proclaiming the dignity of the human person, as the bedrock basis for justice and peace, and for the common good, a truth that is also bedrock in proclaiming and spreading the Catholic faith. Mary, who always leads us to Christ, still calls us to build a culture of life where the dignity and common humanity of each person is recognized, respected, and fostered. We are called to defend the sanctity of life, first & foremost to defend the unborn, to defend the frail elderly, to defend family life, to stand up for religious liberty, to oppose inhumane immigration policies. In short, we are to work “in service to one, in service to all”. As Knights of Columbus we are united by our faith and our common mission. We comprise over 1.7 million men and their families across diverse cultures. We speak English, French, Spanish, Tagalog, and Polish, yet we are united in our faith and in the vision of Father Michael McGivney. In our charitable activity and in our advocacy, we seek to defend innocent human life, to strengthen the family, to bring ethics to the workplace, to assist those who are in need – out of keen sense of our common humanity confirmed by our faith in Christ and nurtured by our devotion to the Virgin Mary. And in our world-wide activities, we seek to be a force for unity, to break down the barriers which sin has created – barriers of race, language, and prejudice – barriers that are created when the strong and powerful dominate the weak and defenseless.

Fraternity: Brotherhood I speak now of fraternity, or brotherhood. For it is not enough to perceive a common humanity or simply to know what binds us together as a human family. We need a web of human relationships, especially family relationships, friends, fellow citizens, and people who espouse the fundamental truth about the human person. For this reason, many groups, including fraternal societies, came into existence, but none is so clearly based on the Christian meaning of brotherhood than the Knights of Columbus. For Christian brotherhood is something even greater than blood brotherhood or any other kind of human relationship. It is based on faith in Jesus Christ, God’s own Son in the flesh, who revealed the Father and his love for the sake of our redemption. In 1960, a young Father Joseph Ratzinger, wrote: “Christian brotherhood is ultimately founded on the faith that gives us assurance of our real son-ship in relation to the heavenly Father.” In the course of this Marian Congress you have already heard how Our Lady of Guadalupe introduced true fraternity, true brotherhood, throughout America, North, Central, and South. Prior to her appearance, the Christian faith had made virtually no progress. It was blocked by human cruelty which stood as an evil sign of contradiction. After Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared, evangelization blossomed. It is estimated that, within a few years, some 9 million people flocked to Christ and were baptized into the faith of the Church. America, with its “Marian heart”, became “a continent of the baptized.” In baptism we are infused with the new life of the crucified and risen Lord. In all our diversity, we become the Father’s adopted children and thus, brothers and sisters in Jesus who claim the same Mother. Our brotherhood in Christ is not just a noble idea but rather is expressed and strengthened in the celebration of the Eucharist, wherein we share the Body of Christ in order to become the Body of Christ.

It is expressed in our love of God and neighbor and expressed as well in our solidarity with one another, with our fellow Catholics, and with the poor and needy. It is a fraternity that is sustained in good times and in bad, in circumstances of joy, sorrow, and even confusion. Our fraternity, our brotherhood in Christ, is by no means a closed circle but rather includes our bishops and priests, with whom we stand in solidarity, our spouses, family members, and all those who share our Catholic faith. It opens out to those who are searching for the fullness of truth and to people of good will who are seeking to affirm the dignity of the human person and to work for the common good of society. Because our fraternity is rooted in the Lord, the Eternal Son of God who became our brother, and because our fraternity is nurtured by the Virgin Mary, we must therefore be explicit agents of the new evangelization. We are called to bear witness to the Gospel and its transforming love, the seeds of which were planted in this continent by Our Lady of Guadalupe. We are called to be the strong right arm of the Church, the Pope, the bishops, and parish priests in the work of evangelization and in defending Holy Mother Church. Our special concern must be those who are not in the brotherhood of the faith, lapsed Catholics, those who no longer practice their faith, Catholics who have joined other denominations, Catholics who were poorly evangelized and catechized, Catholics who have been harmed by those representing the Church.

We should also be concerned about the many un-churched people who often live in something akin to a spiritual wasteland. As true co-workers, sons and daughters, of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we are to address them in ways that they can understand and grasp, in ways that touch their minds, their hearts, their cultural roots, and thus win them over into the communion of Mary divine Son, a communion of life and love we call the Church!

Patriotism Since our founding, the members of the Knights of Columbus have been patriots. In all the countries where the Knights are active, its members have fought to turn back the rule of modern-day tyrants and terrorists, and to defend human dignity, freedom, and rights. We continue to express our love of country by being active in the political process, by our strong defense of innocent human life and the role of the family, by doing our daily work as well as we can for the sake of our homelands, and by seeking to rid our countries of all that departs from their most sacred values. Through the Fourth Degree of the Order, we highlight the commitment of the Knights of Columbus to love of God and country. Our Order was born in a period of intense, even overt bigotry against the Catholic Church, a bigotry that persists in various forms today, at the least is some parts of these United States. Nonetheless, we are persistent in our patriotism not because we imagine our respective countries and the cultures they embody, to be perfect – but because we are confident that God’s truth and love, working through us and our fellow citizens can help mend our native lands, prompting the lands we call home to live up to their founding ideals, to embrace that which is coherent, true, good, and beautiful in our native cultures. Patriotism, my dear friends, is a virtue not for the faint of heart.

Here again, Our Lady of Guadalupe is our guide. In this Marian Congress you have heard detailed descriptions of how Our Lady ingeniously embraced all the cultural elements of 16th century Mexico, including her complexion, her language, her vesture, and much more. Her appearance and the tilma which she left behind have been called “a codex of love” … an encoded message affirming what was right and true and good in the Mexican culture of the day. Mary, as it were, identified for us the human and cultural foundation upon which the edifice of the faith could be built in the New World. Her message, however, was not merely for one time and place. She came among us as an exemplar of how to love one’s country in such a way that its distinctive traits can be incorporated into the Kingdom of God.

She taught us how the presence of Christ, true God and true man, and in his light, she enables us to discern those elements in our culture which accord with human dignity and those which do not, those which help communicate the faith, and those which do not. In so doing, Our Lady of Guadalupe implanted on this continent of America a longing for our true homeland, which is in heaven. As we look toward the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, toward complete communion with the Triune God and with one another, our longing is not an escape from the world—it tragedies, dilemmas, and problems.

Rather, like our Lady, we seek to cooperate in bringing the communion of God’s own life and love right here to the heart of the earthly city, right here to the confusion, the tragedy, the mischance that always characterize human endeavor and the history we write by our lives.

We look to our true native land with the Triune God, together with Mary and all the saints and angels. The beauty of the new and eternal Jerusalem has been shown us by Daughter Zion, by Mary, the woman arrayed with the sun and the stars. As that beauty takes hold of our souls, then we are equipped to be true patriots, true citizens of the earthly city which we are to transform into a true civilization of love. The Virgin of Guadalupe did not come to create an earthly utopia but she did plant the seeds of a culture in which human life and dignity is respected, in which caring for one another and the needs of others is the norm, and in which peace and justice is consistently sought.

Conclusion To conclude with the stirring words of our Supreme Knight and Msgr. Chavez: “From Canada to Argentina, all of us who live in the Americas are called, like Juan Diego, to bridge the divides of cultures, religion, and factions of any kind, by presenting to all the message of Our Lady . . . the message of the mother of a civilization of love.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us! Vivat Jesus!

Totus2us Team

Totus2us Team

CatholicTV

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A Canadian Catholic Voter's Guide

Does it matter whether I vote?

Yes. We have a moral obligation to vote. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that it is. morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country.

Why is voting obligatory?

"It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society. As the Second Vatican Council taught, "every citizen ought to be mindful of his duty to promote the common good by using his vote."We are not obliged to vote for the sake of voting but to vote in a way that we think will make our country better for all Canadians.

Does the Church give us specific guidance on how to vote?

Yes. While "the Church is not identified with any political community nor bound by ties to any political system" and does not endorse a particular party,the Church does "pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it.

What about separation of Church and state? Is it right for us to vote according to our religious beliefs?"

The Second Vatican Council teaches that as Christian "citizens among citizens ... everywhere and always (we) have to seek the justice of the kingdom of God. We must seek that justice when we vote.

Our activities in the Church and in the state are distinct, but we remain the same Christian people whatever we do. We belong both to Christ and to Canada, and we must not separate ourselves from either when we vote.

What moral judgments has the Church made that affect my vote in Canada today?

The Church has many teachings about social justice, solidarity with our fellow citizens, the common good and human rights. We must take all of these into account, but two basic issues stand out in Canada today: the right to life and the status of marriage and family.

Why is the right to life the most important issue in deciding my vote?

The most basic of all our rights is the right to life, the right from which all other rights flow. Without life, no other right can be enjoyed. Any threat to the right to life, then, is a threat to all our rights.

Any threat to the right to life not only puts human beings at risk of being killed, but also "is a threat capable, in the end, of jeopardizing the very meaning of democratic co-existence, Pope John Paul II warns in Gospel of Life.

This is because "the inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive clement of a civil society and its legislation. The moment (the) law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined.

What life issues are important in this election?

Abortion— Canada has no legal protection for unborn human beings. While some MPs do support limitations on abortion, not all do. Check to see which candidates are committed to the right to life of the unborn and to reducing the number of abortions in Canada.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide — Euthanasia (killing someone who is suffering) and assisted suicide (helping them kill themselves) is still illegal in Canada, protecting the rights of the elderly, disable and mentally ill. But some politicians want to legalize one or both of these. Check to see which candidates will uphold the right to life of all vulnerable persons and who will work to ensure that all Canadians have access to good medical treatment and pain care when we face serious illness.

Embryonic stem cell research — embryonic human beings are killed to obtain a special kind of human body cell, the stem cell. Parliament recently passed a law to regulate this killing, which is, allowing it in some circumstances. Check to see which candidates recognize the right to life of human beings at all stages of life and will work to see this right recognized in all our laws.

Why are marriage and family policies also very important?

Pope John Paul II wrote that, a family policy must be the basis and driving force of all social policies.This is simply because the family is "the original cell of social life. Therefore, "The importance of the family for the life and well-being of society entails a particular responsibility for society to support and strengthen marriage and the family. Civil authority should consider it a grave duty 'to acknowledge the true nature of the family, to protect and foster them, to safeguard public morality and domestic prosperity.

What marriage and family issues are important in this election?

Definition of Marriage — Recently Parliament voted to alter the marriage law so that the law no longer recognizes the unique status of married persons and their families. This undermines marriage and family in society, because the government and other social institutions ought to recognize and support the unique status and social role of marriage and family but now cannot. Check to see which politicians support recognizing the true definition of marriage and the family in Canadian law.

Assistance to Families— Each party has a plan to assist families, through tax breaks, daycare subsidies, and other means. Not all of these plans will be helpful to families, and some will make family life more difficult. Check to see which candidates believe that parents have the primary responsibility to care for their children, and which candidates will work to ensure that the government's family policy truly will assist parents and not hinder them.

There are other important life, marriage and family issues to consider. These are only some highlights. More information can be found on these issues and on party positions on these issues at www.rcav.org/ OLF, the Office of Life and Family website.

So what do I look for in a candidate and party?

First, we must vote for candidates and parties that uphold the right to life for all Canadians and for all human beings everywhere.

Second, we must vote for candidates and parties who recognize that a family is a man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, who will enact policies that recognize that children are the responsibility and duty first and foremost of their parents and not of the state, and who will enact policies that assist and do not hamper parents in raising their children.

What if I cannot find a suitable candidate?

While it is always wrong to 'do evil that good may come of it' (Cf. Rom 3:8)—and therefore wrong to support a candidate who fails to uphold the right to life and the good of marriage and the family—it is not wrong to limit evil that good may come of it. That is, we cannot do something wrong just because it may lead to a good outcome, but we can work to limit something wrong being done in order to lead to a good outcome.

Thus, if no candidate upholds the right to life and the rights of the family, we can still exercise our responsibility to vote. We can vote for the candidate who is the least hostile to the right to life and to the family—and limit the harm that worse candidates might do.

In the words of one theologian, "At times, the voter can do no better than make a choice of the lesser of two or more evils.... He must choose the group or individual who, everything considered, is the most favorable to faith and morals or is the least hostile.

To quote another theologian, "It is sinful to vote for the enemies of religion or liberty, except to exclude a worse candidate..., When no truly good option is given to voters, we are then forced to use our vote to ensure the least objectionable outcome.

Besides casting a pro-life vote, what else can I do?

Apart from always voting for a greater recognition and protection of the right to life and other human rights, we must also constantly strive to use other means to build a culture of life.

As Christians we are called to evangelize our culture by bringing Christian values into the market place, into every phase of our life in society.

One important way of doing this is by voicing our views publicly and by getting involved in the political process, influencing the nominations of candidates and the setting of party policy, and supporting candidates who stand for the Gospel of Life in all its aspects.

Fourth Degree British Columbia and Yukon Knights of Columbus Annual Meeting

Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel Thursday April 28 - Friday, April 29, 2011

To: All Faithful Navigators
The British Columbia and Yukon District Annual Meeting will be held at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, 15269 - 104th Avenue, Surrey, BC on April 28 and April 29, 2011.

As directed by Worthy Master Tony Pimentel, you will find enclosed registration forms for the 4th Degree meeting. Please complete carefully and return with your cheque to the Convention Treasurer listed thereon.

Please note that the Registration deadline is April 1, 2011. No registrations will be accepted after that date.

Your registration package includes the Thursday Awards Banquet, hotel room for Thursday night, and gratuities. If you require extra tickets, or additional accommodation, please order from the bottom section of your registration form.

Please remember to include your Assembly cheque.

Those wishing to attend the 3rd Degree State Council Meeting April 29-May 1st, 2011, please contact your Grand Knight who will have a separate registration form for the Third Degree. Third Degree registration forms may also be downloaded from the Convention portion of the State web site, www.kofcbc.org.

Any delegates wishing to arrive early or remain longer may do so at their own expense. The nightly rate is $135.00 (includes taxes); a cheque to cover must be included with your registration. Rooms will only be booked if funds accompany registration.

We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone 604-581-5776 or email at msteffen@telus.net

Fraternally in Christ,
Michael Steffen
Convention & Conference Chairman

British Columbia and Yukon State Council

Running of the Silver Rose

The Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose Program began in 1960 as a project of the Columbian Squires of North America to honour the Blessed Virgin under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. The program has continued since then as a project of Squires circles, councils and Fourth Degree assemblies in several jurisdictions. In 2001, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson expanded the program by beginning the “Running of the Rose” from the 119th Annual Meeting of the Supreme Council in Ontario. Currently, the program is expanding with a rose making its way from Canada to Mexico through the United States each year. See History of the Silver Rose for more information.

The 2009-2010 Silver Rose Run has grown to incorporate more than double the number of jurisdictions participating. Starting in May, three roses will travel simultaneously through 31 jurisdictions and Mexico.

In recent years the rose has been run from London, Ontario, through 10 states in the United States, and then crossing at the International Bridge into Monterrey, Mexico. During this year, there will be three roses traveling simultaneously starting in London, Ontario, and then moving to the west coast, central United States and the east coast. All three roses will meet at the same time in Texas to travel over the International Bridge and be handed over to Knights from Monterrey.

“The ‘Running of the Rose’ is a perfect program for the Knights of Columbus,” said Supreme Knight Anderson. “Through it we honour not only Our Lady of Guadalupe and express the unity of the Order, but we also reaffirm the Order’s dedication to the sanctity of human life. It is to the Blessed Mother that we turn in prayer as we work to end the Culture of Death that grips our society. As we think in terms of ‘One Life, One Rose,’ it is most appropriate that we turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe who made know her will through Juan Diego and the miracle of the roses.”

http://www.runningoftherose.org/en/index.html

http://www.kofc.org/eb/en/about/activities/culture/programs.html

MINISTERING TO ONE ANOTHER

Father Alessandro Lovato, associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Delta, British Columbia, sees his parish as a family.

Father Alessandro Lovato, associate pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Delta, British Columbia, says that it was the loving presence of God the Father that first called him to embrace his vocation to the priesthood.

“Every vocation springs forth from a person’s experience of being loved by God,” he said. “The priest then goes forth to share that love of God with others.”

Father Lovato, who was ordained for the Archdiocese of Vancouver in 2006, describes his parish as a large family. As a priest, he said, he is called to give this family the words they need to hear, to be there for them and to build them up.

“You feel the fatherhood of God in the interaction with your parishioners and the love they return to you,” added Father Lovato. “You represent God’s fatherhood and love for others, but it’s also shared with you by the parishioners in the family.”

Father Lovato said that the early example of his own parish priests inspired him to discern a priestly vocation. After completing a degree in English and history at Simon Fraser University, Lovato did pre-theology work at the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, British Columbia. He later studied theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y.

He stressed that the support of the Knights of Columbus was crucial during that time.

“I had been a member of my local parish council (Holy Cross Council 5423 in Burnaby, British Columbia) since my university years,” he said. “That council provided financial support as well as letters of support when I was away from home, studying in New York. I also received the Bishop Daily Scholarship, which significantly helped to pay for my studies.”

The rector of St. Joseph’s and many of Lovato’s classmates were also members, and they often participated in K of C events at the seminary.

Today, Father Lovato admits that it is not an easy time to be a priest, but he draws tremendous strength from the fraternity of his brother priests and brother Knights. On his days off, he returns to his home parish for Mass and to receive the sacrament of penance.

“It’s not a coincidence that the media attacks are happening now, during the Year for Priests,” said Father Lovato. “There is real spiritual warfare taking place. The persecutions either strengthen a person’s faith or scare people away. I realize how much I am ministered to by other priests. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day lives, we need to stop and minister to one another.”

Columbia June 2010 - Featured Articles

Priests who received support from the Order during their formation reflect on their vocation.

They Call You 'Father' by Tim Drake

ZENIT, The world seen from Rome News Agency

Rome's Love for Her Knights

Exhibit Details Charity Group's 90 Years in Eternal City

ROME, JUNE 11, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Capitoline Museum overlooking the Roman Forum is known for housing a magnificent collection of Roman art and artifacts. Since Wednesday, however, a very different exhibit is interspersed among the museum's ancient columns and medieval art -- one that details the relationship between the city and a U.S.-based organization.

"Over 90 years it has become clear that the people of Rome love the Knights of Columbus, and we love the people of Rome," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who opened the conference on the Knights that made up part of the opening ceremonies for the exhibit. "That is the secret to the success of this relationship."

The photos and artifacts that chronicle this friendship will be on display until Oct. 31. The exhibit is titled "Everybody Welcome, Everything Free: The Knights of Columbus and Rome, 90 Years of Friendship."

Rome-coming

The Knights were first brought to Rome on a short-term basis at the request of Benedict XV during World War I. Their mission was to help American troops by establishing a service center in Rome like those they'd founded throughout Europe.

Their work soon expanded however, and in 1920, Benedict XV asked the Knights to return to Rome, this time on a long-term basis, taking responsibility for providing athletic facilities for the youth of the city.

That work continued even during World War II, when the United States and Italy fought on opposite sides. During that time, approximately 400,000 people a day were fed by the papal charity, which was run for some time from the Knights' St. Peter's Oratory next to the Vatican.

And after the war ended, the Knights worked with the U.N. Relief and Rehabilitation Administration to feed children, again utilizing their facilities in the city, while also working actively with other Catholic organizations on Italian relief efforts.

Profile

Founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus today is the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization with over 1.8 million members in 13 countries. One of the most active charitable groups in the United States, the Knights last year provided a record-setting 69 million hours of charitable service and more than $151 million in donations, despite the weak economy.

Examples of the organization's Rome initiatives in the years since World War II include the sponsorship of Vatican satellite communications; major restoration projects, including the façade of St. Peter's Basilica completed in 1987; the continued maintenance of five athletic centers available to youth and others, including the intellectually disabled; and the sponsorship of conferences on social issues, such as pastoral outreach to those hurt by experiences with divorce and abortion.

Discussing what he termed the Knights' "fruitful permanence in Rome," Benedict XVI's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said at the opening of the exhibit: "I would like to join in with this universal expression of public applause and thank the Knights of Columbus, who in the world, and especially in Rome, witness the love of Christ and his Church for the weak and defenseless."

He described the group as a "meaningful expression of the evangelical requisite of charity."

The mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, also participated in the exhibit's opening.

"The Knights of Columbus are rightfully part of the Rome of the third millennium, which we want to build together without detaching ourselves from our true cultural and spiritual roots," he said.

The mayor went on to commend the legacy of the Knights of Columbus sports centers, whose former patrons include 1960s Italian soccer star Giancarlo "Picchio" De Sisti. Today, Alemanno said, the centers are "the flower on the lapel of our city" for their free services to parishes, schools and institutes for the disabled, hospitals, centers of rehabilitation, needy children and seminarians.

The mayor also praised the quiet diplomatic work done on behalf of the city by the Knights' representative in Rome during World War II, Count Enrico Pietro Galeazzi, in an era before formal Vatican relations existed with the United States.

The Knights' role in diplomacy between the Holy See and Washington would come full circle in 1982, at the organization's 100th international convention. There, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli met with President Ronald Reagan and discussed the transition to full diplomatic relations.

Feeding the hungry

The relief efforts undertaken by the Knights of Columbus during and after the Second World War are featured prominently in the new exhibit. A black and white photo taken by a U.N. photographer on a Knights of Columbus playground depicts the Knights' collaboration with the U.N. Relief and Rehabilitation Administration to aid in the distribution of food -- especially to children -- during a time of severe shortages after the war.

Likewise, a news article from 1944 describes St. Peter's Oratory as the headquarters of Pope Pius XII's personal food distribution program, which fed upwards of 400,000 people daily.

The exhibit also traces the Knights of Columbus' contribution to arts and communications projects in Rome and the Vatican.  

Since 1975, the organization has financed the satellite transmission of major Vatican events, such as Christmas and Easter liturgies and the funeral Masses of Popes John Paul I and John Paul II, as well as satellite downlink costs for poor nations. In another boost for Vatican communications, the Knights funded the Vatican Television Center's purchase of a mobile television studio in 1985.

Cardinal John Foley, the former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said these actions have marked a pivotal step forward for the Church's mission of evangelization.

"For many countries, that signal would not have reached them without the help of the Knights of Columbus," Cardinal Foley said. "So there was a consciousness of the importance of this work, and it has helped create a real sense of the unity of the Church, the universality of the Church."

The Knights of Columbus have also assisted with some of Rome's greatest treasures, supporting Vatican restorations through a close partnership with the Fabbrica di San Pietro. Projects funded by the Knights at St. Peter's Basilica alone include the restoration of the façade, the Maderno Atrium, the dome of the Blessed Sacrament chapel, several grottos and the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul in the Square.

"Some of the greatest works of spiritual beauty and creativity that humanity has produced are in the safeguarding hands of the Vatican," Anderson said in a video shown at the event. "The Knights have felt very proud that we've had the opportunity to preserve and enhance what really is a patrimony of humanity."

I Was in Prison … and You Visited Me

“Knights have the opportunity to reach out to offenders. The Prison Ministry can be a transforming experience” says Sir Knight Stan Pidsadny of Monsignor F.A. Clinton Assembly 2307.

When Jesus walked the earth, he encouraged his followers to reach out to those in prison. He spoke of his kinship with men and women who were incarcerated: “… I was in prison and you came to visit me…. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:36, 40).

The Light of Christ Shines Brightly In The Knight

The Prison Ministry is a movement of faith because of Knights like Stan Pidsadny and his wife Lady Marilyn who heeded the Lord’s words. They sought out the undesirables who were hard to love; people whom society had marginalized. Just as Jesus saw the value in people, so, too, do the Knights of Columbus.

The prison ministry is growing, and The Knights of Columbus have become a respected and visible presence in the justice system. In Canada, Knights visit federal and provincial institutions to provide services to people in the correctional system. These services are a much-needed and important part of our ministry as one of Canada’s largest fraternal social service organizations.

While much of corrections work is best done by trained professionals, Knights can support this ministry in a variety of ways. You see, being visited by someone whose “job” it is to do prison work is not the same as being visited by someone who is there simply because they have made a conscious decision to care. The impact on both the visitor and the offender can be life-changing. The heart of a volunteer—especially one whose love for the unloved comes from the very core of our Catholic faith—is a powerful force for good.

For centuries, ordinary people with a heart for the unloved have reached out to offenders. The power of this ministry can change the lives of so many people and it may even be a transforming experience for you.

A Letter To The Knights & Ladies Form Lady Marilyn Pidsadny

RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS

I read a passage from Scripture sometime ago before I was a Volunteer in Prison Ministry. Matthew: 25 “I was in Prison and you visited me” This kept me thinking is this what God wants me to do? I prayed about volunteering to this ministry. The moment of commitment was when I was approached by my husband. I said yes. My husband had already committed to volunteering earlier. Yes, there is fear and yet there is something inside that says Please Go and See.

This ministry of volunteering has been more than I would ever dream could be possible, to give God's Love, Hope and Forgiveness to Prisoners. We are not there to Judge them but to support them that they will never offend again. It helps change their lives, reducing the likelihood of not returning to Prison and restore them back into the community. The ministry is important if these men are to have HOPE for their future and an opportunity to change their lives based on personal knowledge and experience of the Love and Forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

The transformation one sees in Prison effects your life and your heart it’s hard to explain everyone is different. They love us to come and visit them, they treat us so good like a family, the outside world does not know the changes that are taking place in our institutions - We Do As Volunteers. It is so touching to hear their prayer intentions in Chapel for their families and for themselves. Those serving time in Prison deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

As a volunteer this Prison Ministry has been the most fulfilling experience and I am privileged to be able to bring God's Love, Compassion and Mercy to the inmates, I thank God each day for hearing his call. To Say Yes.

I am open to any questions you may have, call (604) 538-8017 or email pidsadny@telus.net

Lady Marilyn Pidsadny

Ark of the New Covenant

Pope John XXIII Assembly in Penticton provided an Honour Guard for the Ark of the New Covenant during its visit to St. Ann’s Church. The Ark is traveling throughout Canada, prior to the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City. (Photo courtesy of The B.C. Catholic)

 

Members of Henry Maurice Assembly in Chilliwack process with the Ark of the New Covenant during its visit to St. Mary’s Church. Dozens gathered to watch the procession, including parish elementary school students and representatives from the Catholic aboriginal community.

Jewish Sam Miller on Catholics

Excerpts of an article written by Sam Miller, prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman-- who is NOT a Catholic.

Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know--the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people--not just Catholics--in the United States today

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church, 41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem.

A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States . Then remember what Jeremiah said: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.

Be proud that you're a Catholic.