 |
|
|
Knights of Columbus urge lay evangelization
By Bob Sallee, Colorado Catholic Herald
COLORADO SPRINGS—On April 28-30, the Knights of Columbus held their 109th Colorado State Convention, bringing together representatives of 144 Colorado councils to celebrate accomplishments, present awards, conduct business and discuss their future.
“The Knights of Columbus are answering the call to serve those less fortunate,” Robert J. Tracz, assistant secretary for the Knights’ Supreme Council international headquarters, told 450 attendees in his keynote address on Friday night. “Individual councils are doing little things that add up.”
Tracz reported that, in 2010, Colorado Knights contributed $1.7 million to charitable causes, donated 4,700 pints of blood, and provided 900,000 hours of service to their parishes and communities in solidarity with the Holy Father, and Colorado bishops and priests.
Globally, after 39 consecutive years of membership growth, the Knights are becoming better known as they proclaim now-Blessed Pope John Paul II’s message of building a culture of life, he shared. With 1.8 million members in 14,000 councils in 11 countries across three continents, the Knights have earned their reputation over the past century as the “strong right arm of the Church.” In 2010 alone, they provided 69 million hours of lay service, the equivalent of more than 7,800 man-years.
Especially significant is the Knight’s program through which more than 100 ultrasound machines were purchased for pregnancy counseling centers, saving hundreds of lives annually. Videos shown at the banquet included Pope John Paul II expressing joy for the Knights’ actions in defense of the family and peoples’ right to life.
“The challenges of the future are becoming today’s opportunities,” Tracz said. “The issues facing us seem to be defying solutions. There are a lot of challenges, but there are a lot of Knights of Columbus.”
Tracz noted that Pope Benedict XVI has approved a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of the Venerable Michael J. McGivney, the Knights’ founder.
“It is possible in our lifetimes to see the first American priest become a saint,” Tracz said, referring to Father McGivney. “I think he’d be quite proud of the Knights of Columbus today.”
Four state-wide individual awards for 2010 were presented:
• Ryan and Elizabeth Walker from St. Joan of Arc Council 12392 in Arvada were recognized as “The John J. Mildenberger Pro-Life Couple of the Year.”
• Cathy Cordova from Ladies Auxiliary 3285 in Brighton was named “Colorado State Ladies Auxiliary Lady of the Year.”
• Don and Marlene Masin from Council 1559 in Sterling were honored as “The Family of the Year.”
• Sir Knight David Flipse from St. Joachim Council 5064 in Arvada earned top honors as “The 2010 Colorado State Knight of the Year.”
The Colorado Knights presented $15,000 to Colorado Special Olympics President and CEO Mindy Watrous on behalf of the 10,000 athletes with disabilities who will benefit from the donation.
Watrous introduced Team USA athlete Mai-Lin Hegel, Special Olympics’ female athlete of the year in 1991 and Special Olympics Hall of Fame inductee, who acknowledged the positive impact of ongoing support by the Knights to the Colorado Special Olympics on her and other Special Olympians. Hegel will represent the United States in Athens, Greece during the Special Olympics World Summer Games, June 25-July 5.
Foster J. Sauter, Colorado state deputy for the Knights, shared the story of a young priest who reached out to Irish immigrants who came to the United States after the potato famine of the 1860s and 1870s. The men couldn’t compete for the better jobs, and many ended up working in coal mines, where they developed black lung disease and died, leaving widows with children, he said.
After considerable struggles and setbacks, Father McGivney was ordained and assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven, Conn., where, on March 29, 1882, he incorporated a benevolent society and insurance program to help widows and orphans. When Father McGivney died in 1890 at the age of 38, 51 councils existed.
Ten years later, on Nov. 18, 1900, the first Colorado Knights council, 539, was formed in Denver. The first council in what is now the Diocese of Colorado Springs, 582, was formed on June 9, 1901.
Every military installation in Colorado has a council, Sauter said. Council 15269 at Fort Carson Army Post is the most recent council added at a military facility in Colorado. He added that the Knights of Columbus represent the third largest army in the world, after China and the United States.
He reminded banquet guests that all Knights of Columbus programs follow the Gospel, and provide tools for men to become better Catholics. Noting that Kansas has fewer Catholics than Colorado, but has 34,000 Knights of Columbus members to Colorado’s 16,163, he challenged everyone to recruit new members.
“Last year, we added 95 a month,” Sauter said.
“Please evangelize,” he urged. “It’s time to live your Catholic faith.”
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||