Knights of Columbus Names New Director of Public Affairs

New Haven, CT -- Charles R. Pucie Jr. has joined the Knights of Columbus as vice president of public affairs it was announced today by the Knights' chief executive officer Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant. In the new position, Pucie will develop and manage the communications and outreach programs in public affairs, public relations, government relations and advertising for the 1.6 million member Roman Catholic family fraternal service organization. Pucie will be working from the Knights' international headquarters in New Haven as well as from an office in Washington, D.C.

In 1991 Pucie founded Capitoline International Group, Ltd., a Washington-based public affairs and public relations consulting firm. He was its chief executive officer until assuming his new role at the Knights of Columbus. Prior to that, he was executive vice president at Hill & Knowlton and director of its corporate/international counseling group headquartered in the U.S. capital.

Pucie was with Doremus & Company from 1970 to 1985 and was general manager of its Washington office. Before that he was a corporate financial analyst at Chase Manhattan Bank.

He served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969 as an aviator and artillery officer. He was a combat aviation batallion company commander during his service in Viet Nam, where he held the rank of captain. Pucie was graduated from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1965.

Pucie and his wife Susan reside in Bethesda, Md., and they are the parents of two children. Pucie is a member of Rock Creek Knights of Columbus Council 2797 in Bethesda.

The Knights of Columbus is the world¹s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, the community, families and young people. Founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882 to assist widows and orphans of deceased members through a life insurance program, the organization now has $35 billion of insurance in force on members and their families. Father McGivney is a candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1997 the Knights of Columbus at all levels of the organization reported raising and distributing $105 million to charity and volunteering 50 million hours of service.

Date: Aug 5, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Knights Name Minnesotans International Family of the Year.

Cincinnati. Roman and Fran Barten, together with their 11 children, were named the Knights of Columbus International Family of the Year at the 116th annual convention of the Knights of Columbus.

The Bartens were selected from among 50 Knights of Columbus families who earned Family of the Year honors at the statewide levels of the organization. The Barten family lives in New Prague, Minn.

A 37-year member of the Knights, Roman Barten is a bricklayer who also farms corn and soybeans on the family's 160 acres. He is a past grand knight and seven-year pro-life chairman of the New Prague Knights of Columbus council. He also served as the Knights' Minnesota State Council church activities director for four years and family life director for a year. Fran and Roman also were the state pro-life chair couple in 1988-89.

"Pro-life really got me involved with the Knights of Columbus," said Barten. Fran Barten added, "I think Roman and I have picked our volunteer activities in areas where the kids can participate with us. And, with the Knights of Columbus that has always fit together; with pro-life it has fit, with Church it has fit."

The Knights of Columbus, with 1.6 million members, is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people. The Knights of Columbus distributes approximately $110 million to charitable causes annually. In addition, Knights volunteer approximately 50 million hours of service a year.

Date: Aug 5, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orderwide Prayer Service Initiated at Knights of Columbus Annual Meeting

Cincinnati. The first Knights of Columbus Family Hour of Prayer for the New Millennium eucharistic worship service was held in Cincinnati today, Aug. 5, at the Knights' international annual meeting. Today's service, part of preparations for the Catholic Church's celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000, launches similar programs of worship throughout the Knights of Columbus from now through the year 2000.

Beginning in October, Knights of Columbus councils will host the services of eucharistic worship following the Church's approved format for exposition, adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The service includes a special prayer in which participants dedicate themselves to the new evangelization called for by Pope John Paul II, to renewal of family life and the protection of life from conception to natural death. The services will be sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and open to the entire Catholic community.

The service calls for the use of candles by all participants to symbolize the life of faith received at baptism and willingness to renew the baptism promises of love of God and service to his creation.

The Knights of Columbus, with 1.6 million members, is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people. The Knights of Columbus distributes approximately $110 million to charitable causes annually. In addition, Knights volunteer approximately 50 million hours of service a year.

Date: Aug 5,, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pope John Paul II Urges Knights of Columbus to be "Beacons of Christian Joy and Hope"

Cincinnati. Pope John Paul II has urged the Knights of Columbus, "most especially the young and those with young families, to strive to become ever more effective beacons of Christian joy and hope in the circumstances of their daily lives at home, in the workplace and in society as a whole." The pope's message to the 116th annual international meeting of the Knights of Columbus also commended the Knights for "enthusiastically taking part in the Church's program of spiritual preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000."

The pope's greeting to the gathered Knights and their families expresses his prayer that "your assembly will be a time of reflection and of commitment to the high ideals of fiath and fraternal solidarity which inspired the foundaiton of our Order. I am confident that the Knights of Columbus, in fidelity to their traditions, will continue to provide the authentic formation in faith and the practical opportunities for Christian service which will enable every Catholic laymen and women to serve as a true leaven of the Gospel in every sector of society."

Pope John Paul II also commended the Knights' "tireless witness to the sanctity of life," and their "efforts to provide practical guidance and assitance to young families." He also expressed his gratitude for the Knights' "efforts to promote religious and priestly vocations."

The Knights of Columbus, with 1.6 million members, is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people. The Knights of Columbus distributes approximately $110 million to charitable causes annually. In addition, Knights volunteer approximately 50 million hours of service a year.

Here is the full text of Pope John Paul II's message to the Knights:

To the Knights of Columbus: Once again the annual convention of the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus offers me the occasion to send you my cordial greetings and good wishes. I pray that your assembly, held this year in Cincinnati, Ohio, will be a time of reflection and of recommitment to the high ideals of faith and fraternal solidarity which inspired the foundation of your Order. For well over a century the Knights have made a distinctive contribution to the Church's mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of working for the advancement of his Kingdom amid the changing circumstances of society. Today, as our world stands on the threshold of a new era marked by unprecedented opportunities and equally grave challenges, the Church urgently needs a consistent and convincing lay witness to the truth of the Christian message and its power to help in the building of a more just and humane society. I am confident that the Knights of Columbus, in fidelity to their finest traditions, will continue to provide the authentic formation in faith and the practical opportunities for Christian service which will enable Catholic laymen and women to serve as a true leaven of the Gospel in every sector of society.

As individuals and in the local Councils, the Knights of Columbus are enthusiastically taking part in the Church's program of spiritual preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. During the present year, dedicated to a renewed appreciation of the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church, all the faithful are called "to renew their hope in the definitive coming of God's Kingdom, preparing for it daily in their lives, in the Christian community to which they belong, in their particular social context, and in world history itself" (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 46). Joyful hope, rooted in the new life poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5), is the distinguishing mark of those who believe in Christ. To radiate this hope is surely one of the most effective means by which the Knights can actively contribute to the new evangelization. The witness of hope is in fact one of the most powerful and attractive signs of the salvation which the Gospel offers to the men and women of our time, so frequently tempted to discouragement and despair. I encourage all the Knights, most especially the young and those with young families, to strive to become ever more effective beacons of Christian joy and hope in the circumstances of their daily lives: at home, in the workplace and in society as a whole.

For generations the Knights of Columbus have helped to spread the Gospel message by showing solidarity with those in need. In this way your Order has contributed to that outstanding "history of charity" (cf. Evangelium Vitae, 87) by which Christ's followers in every age have sought to serve him in the least of his brothers and sisters. Once more I commend your tireless witness to the sanctity of life, your efforts to draw public attention to the tragic destruction of innocent lives by abortion and your work to ensure adequate legal protection of the right to life wherever it is threatened. Certainly you show to the world the hope that is in you (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) by working together with all people of good will in building a culture of respect for life and for the inviolable dignity of each human person made in God's image. At the same time, I appreciate your efforts to provide practical guidance and assistance to young families and to promote a fuller understanding of the God-given dignity of marriage and the family. This form of lay witness is an essential part of the Church's proclamation of God's plan for the family amid rapid and often bewildering changes in society.

The Great Jubilee calls the Church to a renewed commitment to understanding the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and applying them to the life of every individual and to the whole Church (cf. Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 20). The Council called upon all the baptized to grow in appreciation of their Christian vocation and to work for the advancement of the Churchs mission in the world. As the various assemblies of the Synod of Bishops held since the Council have insisted, the various gifts, vocations and ministries in the Church, as gifts of the Spirit of life, are complementary and are meant to cooperate harmoniously in building up the Body of Christ. Within this harmonious constellation of gifts, each state of life priestly, religious and lay expresses in its own way an aspect of the one mystery of Christ and provides encouragement and support to the others. I am grateful for your constant efforts to promote religious and priestly vocations, and I ask you to continue to pray that many young people will respond generously to the Lord's call to serve him in the Church.

With gratitude for the clear testimony of love for Christ and his Church which distinguishes the Knights of Columbus, I commend all of you and your families to the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church. As a pledge of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, May 29, 1998

Date: Aug 4, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stands Against Same-Sex Marriage, Assisted Suicide, Abortion Voiced at Knights of Columbus Annual Meeting.

Cincinnati Saying that family life and pro-life issues involve "some of our most strongly held convictions and commitments," Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant today declared that the organization is "irrecocably opposed to the legal recognition of homosexual relationships as marriage."

"Certainly society should treat homosexuals with justice and charity. But neither justice nor charity requires recognizing homosexual relationships as marriages. There are many reasons why this should not be done but, from the point of view of civil society, the fundamental reason is the grave harm to traditional marriage that would result," Dechant said here to the 116th annual Supreme Council meeting of the Knights of Columbus. He reiterated that underlying the thinking of some same-sex marriage proponents is the philosophical error of relativism. "Partly this is a form of cultural relativism expressed in the notion that all sorts of family forms or family surrogates are equally acceptable and none is more desirable than the rest. This attitude is deadly to marriage and family life," he said.

he supreme knight also emphasized the Knights of Columbus commitment to securing legal protection for unborn children and, in particular, to efforts to override in the U.S. Senate the presidential veto of Congress' legislation to ban the partial-birth abortion procedure.

The supreme knight also outlines steps the Knights of Columbus are taking to call attention to and turn aside the movement to legalize physician-assisted suicide at the state level in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that there is no right to have oneself killed under the federal Constitution.

Among other activities the supreme knight cited for special mention during his address wre the Knights' support for:

Evangelization and preparation for the Jubilee Year 2000

The John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Washington, D.C.

Marian Devotion

Disaster relief and the formation of a natural disaster relief committee

Special Olympics

Programs of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops

The International Free-Throw Competition, which completed its 25th year.

Vocations and seminarians

College scholarships

The John Paul II Cultural Center to be built in Washington, D.C.

The Knights of Columbus, with 1.6 million members, is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people. The Knights of Columbus distributes approximately $110 million to charitable causes annually. In addition, Knights volunteer approximately 50 million hours of service a year.

Date: Aug 4, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Knights of Columbus Registers 26th Consecutive Annual Membership Increase

Cincinnati Knights ofColumbus Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant today announced the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization posted its 26th consecutive annual net gain in membership. The average age of the 65,368 first-time new members was 39, Dechant noted in his report here to the 116th annual Supreme Council meeting of the 1.6-million-member organization. "Considering that a candidate must be 18 years of age before he can join our Order, this is quite good. Allowing four persons to a family, these 65,000-plus new members accoutned for nearly 260,000 new family members," Dechant noted.

The organization now has 14,485 structured local units operating: Councils total 11,167; Fourth Degree assemblies, 2,208; and Squires circles, 1,110. As previously reported, the Knights of Columbus contributed a record $107.1 million to charitable efforts in 1997 and volunteered more than 50.2 million hours of volunteer personal service to the Catholic Church, community projects and youth programs, another all-time high.

Knights of Columbus programs of support for communities, Church, youth and mutual aid support are grounded in a sound financial structure to help sustain the organization's mission. Dechant noted that the Knights of Columbus insurance program "continues to enjoy the highest possible ratings for financial soundness and claims-paying ability from two of the top ratings firms, namely A. M. Best Co. and Standard & Poor's." As of June 30, 1998, only 25 and 17 companies, respectively, had received these highest ratings of A. M. Best and Standard & Poor's.

Date: Aug 4, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Knights of Columbus from U.S., Canada, Abroad Converge on Cincinnati for Annual Meeting

Cincinnati More than 2,000 delegates and family members of the Knights of Columbus will gather in Cincinnati for their annual international meeting, which runs from Aug. 4-6 at the Cincinnati Convention Center.

A concelebrated Mass at the Convention Center, with more than 70 cardinals, archbishops and bishops from throughout the United States, Canada and the Vatican will open the meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 9:30 a.m. Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati will be the main celebrant and homilist.

With 1.6 million members, the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It is headquartered in New Haven, Conn., where it was founded in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, who is a candidate for sainthood. There are 1.2 million Knights in the United States, 225,000 in Canada and thousands of members in Mexico, the Philippines, Central America and the Caribbean. The Knights of Columbus raises and distributes approximately $110 million to charitable causes annually and volunteers 50 million hours of service a year. There are nearly 61,000 Knights in Ohio, which is celebrating the centennial of a state chapter of the Knights this year.

Annual meeting business will begin Aug 4 at 1 p.m. with the annual report of Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant. All sessions will take place at the Convention Center's Third Floor Ballroom.

Bishp Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland, the current president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, will deliver the keynote address at the annual States Dinner on Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Convention Center.

On Aug. 5 at 2 p.m., the meeting awards session will recognize the Knight's International Family of the Year. A prayer service in preparation for the Church's celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000 will follow, launching similar programs throughout the Knights of Columbus over the next year.

Date: June 16, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GAVE $107 MILLION AND 50 MILLION HOURS TO CHARITY IN 1997

NEW HAVEN, CONN. The Knights of Columbus contributed a record $107.1 million to charitable efforts in 1997 and volunteered more than 50.2 million hours of volunteer personal service to the Catholic Church, community projects and youth programs, another all-time high.

The figures are based on reports on 1997 activity received from 73 percent of Knights of Columbus councils, Fourth Degree patriotic assemblies, Columbian Squires youth groups and other jurisdictional entities responding to the Knights' annual Survey of Fraternal Activity. A total of 10,510 units answered the survey, which covered activities in the 1997 calendar year and is conducted by the orgranization's international headquarters in New Haven.

Now in its 116th year, the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization with more 1.6 million members and their families throughout North America, Mexico and the Philippines. It was founded in 1882 by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, whose life and good works are under review by the Church for possible sainthood.

It is the first time the number of volunteer hours given by Knights surpassed 50 million hours in a single year, topping the 48.9 million hours given in 1996. The $107,128,599 in giving is also an all-time high for the Order. Knights reported giving of $105,398,205 in 1996.

Of the $107 million, $88,138,245 was raised and donated to the Catholic Church and charitable causes by state councils and local units, who gave the funds to programs and institutions of their own choosing. The remaining $18,990,599 was given by the Supreme Council and Knights of Columbus foundations to national and international programs.

By category of activity, the contributions were made in the following manner:

CHURCH ACTIVITIES Assistance to parishes, schools, religious-education programs, seminaries/seminarians, vocations promotional efforts and miscellaneous Church projects: $32,112,300. The 10-year cumulative total in this category is $274,475,640.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Institutions and programs for elderly people and those with disabilities, Special Olympics, assistance to people with mental retardation, programs for the poor and disaster victims, pro-life activities, hospital and health projects and miscellaneous civic projects: $42,992,849. The 10-year cumulative total in this category is $417,548,563.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES Columbian Squires (the official youth organization of the Knights of Columbus), Scouting and other youth groups, youth welfare including programs on substance abuse, athletics and miscellaneous youth projects: $13,033,096. The 10-year total in this category is $127,733,029.

Organization-wide, the average per-member contribution was $67.77. The highest per-member figure was recorded by the 8,683 Knights in British Columbia - $206.70

The largest sum given by Knights in a state or comparable jurisdiction was $9,056,170 raised and donated by Knights in Ontario. Other jurisdictions in the top five are: Quebec ($6,030,572), Illinois ($4,960,487), Michigan ($4,064,627) and New York ($4,044,430).

Besides giving 50.2 million hours of volunteer service, members also gave 7.3 million hours of their time in "fraternal service" such as attending meetings, functions and other activities of the Order. Knights also made 5.4 million visits to the sick and bereaved in 1997. There were also a total of 331,736 blood donors in 1997.

The survey figures also showed that the Knights of Columbus had total activity expenses of $75.7 million, including more than $60 million at the state and local levels for meetings, functions, publications, postage and other costs. The fraternal expenses at the Supreme Council level, including publication costs and support of membership/fraternal operations, totaled $15,419,490.

The Knights of Columbus co-sponsors with the Points of Light Foundation and the Corporation for National Service of the Daily Points of Light Awards program. The Knights provides full funding for the naming of the daily honorees. The Knights of Columbus is also among more than 30 service groups that signed the Prevention through Service Alliance Resolution sponsored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, thereby pledging the involvement of members in substance abuse education and prevention programs.

June 11, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS INSURANCE EARNS TOP RATING FROM A.M. BEST

New Haven, CT. A track record of continued growth, the loyalty of its agents and members, and a favorable earnings forecast were among reasons why the Knights of Columbus insurance program once again earned a top ranking from the A. M. Best Co. Announced June 8, the A++ (Superior) rating from A. M. Best marks the 23rd consecutive year that the Catholic fraternal insurance company has received the highest rating from the independent ratings agency.

Now in its 117th year, the Knights of Columbus offers insurance and annuities to its members and their families. The sale of insurance has been a part of the organization's program since its founding in 1882 by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, in New Haven, CT. The total amount of insurance in force as of June 1 exceeds $34 billion.

According to A. M. Best, "The rating of Knights of Columbus reflects the society's very strong market presence in the Catholic community enhanced by its extensive distribution network, exceptionally strong capitalization, excellent persistency and consistently favorable earnings performance."

Virgil Dechant, supreme knight and CEO of the 1.6 million member Roman Catholic fraternal society, said the awarding of A. M. Best's A++ (Superior) rating is confirmation of the fact that our Catholic fraternalism is as vibrant today as it was at the time of our founding."

The Knights of Columbus is the worlds largest Catholic family fraternal service organization with nearly 1.6 million members in 12,000 local units in North America, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and the Caribbean.

Date: June 9, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KNIGHTS REMEMBER FORMER VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE ON HIS DEATH

New Haven, CT

Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant said the death June 9 of former Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli leaves the world bereft of a "dedicated laborer for world peace" and the Knights of Columbus mourning a Churchman of "wise and prudent counsel." Cardinal Casaroli died in a Rome hospital at age 83. He was known for promoting Church diplomacy in Europe during the Cold War and was credited with helping the Church survive in Central and Eastern Europe during that era. Cardinal Casaroli was the personal envoy of Pope John Paul II to the 100th annual Knights of Columbus convention in 1982. It was on that occasion that Cardinal Casaroli said of the Order: "Its very name is meant to express a readiness to take inspiration, in a new form, from the ancient ideals of knighthood into a modern and practical environment through the practice of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, which are the values contained in the motto" of the Knights. Dechant said Cardinal Casaroli will long be remembered for seeking to bring together the leaders of communist-bloc states with Western powers, "always exemplifying his faith-filled wisdom and diplomacy." "On a number of occasions," Dechant said, "I had the opportunity to consult personally with Cardinal Casaroli on matters of great importance. I was always the beneficiary of his wise and prudent counsel. "Our brother Knights and families throughout the world are united in prayer that our Lord will receive him with open arms, along with the greeting, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'"

Date: March 29, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Founder's Day Message

The Knights of Columbus was founded 116 years ago by Father Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. It was on this date that the Connecticut Assembly granted a charter to Father McGivney's new organization, established earlier when he called a group of laymen together in the basement of St. Mary's Church in New Haven.

The anniversary is especially meaningful this year when great progress has been made, under the direction of His Excellency Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin of Hartford, in pursuing Father McGivney's cause for beatification. His Excellency has appointed Dominican Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell as postulator for the cause. Father O'Donnell directs The Father McGivney Guild, located at the Supreme Office in New Haven, to oversee the cause's progress. The Order's anniversary, as well as the cause, are both occasions of great joy for the Order.

Our councils, some 11,000 in number, encompassing almost 1.6 million members -- plus their families -- will celebrate Founder's Day with special Masses, dinners, and by inviting new members to join our ranks.

We give thanks to God, especially on this Founder's Day, for the life of Father McGivney; for the dedication of so many great Knights who have built upon his legacy; and for the success of our activities in support of our Church, our communities and the less fortunate.

Date: Jan. 12, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAKE PRIDE IN PRO-LIFE ACHIEVEMENTS SAYS KNIGHTS' LEADER ON ROE'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY

New Haven, CT. Twenty-five years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand in its Roe vs. Wade decision, Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant, head of the 1.6 million member Knights of Columbus, says the pro-life movement has a lot to be proud of in its efforts to end abortion and the culture of death.

In a statement released in advance of the 25th anniversary on Jan. 22 of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision, the leader of the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization says the pro-life movement should not be discouraged by the "fanatical and relentless" supporters of "legalized killing of the unborn." In fact, says Dechant, "there are signs of hope that the reign of abortion on demand is weakening."

Most notable, says Dechant, is the widespread "revulsion decent people spontaneously feel" about partial-birth abortion, a surgical technique in which a near-term baby is partially delivered, has its skull punctured and brains suctioned out. Equally reassuring is the Supreme Court's decision last year that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to assisted suicide. When voters understand that the issue is "not whether dying persons should have to undergo burdensome and useless treatment but whether the law should sanction killing them," decency and good sense prevail.

On life issues like these, Dechant concludes, the best answer to the prop-aganda of the culture of death is truth. The pro-life movement must "go on ceaselessly preaching the truth about human life, in season and out."

The Knights of Columbus has long been active in the right-to-life movement. It collaborates with the U.S. bishops and other responsible pro-life groups on educational programs, legislative actions and court cases. From its New Haven office, the Knights annually prints and distributes millions of pieces of pro-life literature.Since 1992 local units of the Knights of Columbus have been erecting memorials to unborn children in Catholic cemeteries and on K of C property. More than 700 such memorials have been erected.

The full text of Supreme Knight Dechant's remarks follows: A quarter of a century after the U.S. Supreme Court's tragic Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion, it is clear that the pro-life movement has years of hard work before it to restore legal protection to unborn children.

Anyone who may once have supposed that this fight could be won quickly and easily has long since learned differently. The supporters of legalized killing of the unborn are fanatical and relentless. They enjoy significant support from major sectors of the secular culture.

Yet we who are proud to belong to the pro-life movement feel no discouragment on this anniversary. On the contrary, there are signs of hope that the reign of abortion on demand is weakening.

It is true that the change proceeds slowly and is marked by occasional setbacks. But as people grasp the hideous reality of abortion ÷ that it is the destruction of innocent human life ÷ they turn increasingly against it.

That is amply illustrated by the revulsion decent people spontaneously feel when they learn the facts about the procedure known as partial-birth abortion. This technique involves partially delivering a child, then killing her or him by piercing the skull and suctioning out the brain. It has more in common with infanticide than with abortion properly so called. Most people readily grasp that this is so.

Medical authorities like the former surgeon general, Dr. C. Everett Koop, point out that there are no medical grounds requiring this procedure. The American Medical Association supports banning it by law. Congress twice has enacted such bans.

In light of all this, it is dismaying that President Clinton has vetoed this legislation twice. The Knights of Columbus will continue to work on behalf of a congressional override of Mr. Clinton's veto. We are confident that decency and good sense sooner or later will prevail.

We feel that same confidence also with regard to assisted suicide. On the one hand, the Supreme Court's ruling last year that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to assisted suicide was highly encouraging. On the other hand, it is regrettable, to say the least, that voters in Oregon last November missed the opportunity to overturn their state's law allowing the practice.

People react to this question according to how it is framed. When it is clear that the issue is not whether dying persons should have to undergo burdensome and useless treatment ( no one believes they should ) but whether the law should sanction killing them, we can count on good sense and decency to assert themselves against assisted suicide too.

On issues like these, the best answer to the propaganda of the culture of death is one based on scientific and legal facts and moral truth. The truth will set us free - free from deception and manipulation. The challenge that faces the pro-life movement is to go on ceaselessly preaching the truth about human life, in season and out.

Date: Dec. 29, 1997
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

K OF C FOUNDER'S CAUSE FOR SAINTHOOD FORMALLY OPENS IN HARTFORD ARCHDIOCESE

New Haven, CT. "This must be the most historic event in the history of the Knights of Columbus. From the beginnings of our Order millions of Knights have prayed for this day." That's how Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant described the Dec. 18 event at the chancery of the Archdiocese of Hartford that formally opened the cause for sainthood of Knights of Columbus founder Father Michael J. McGivney.

His comments were echoed by Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin at a press conference following the event:

"Today marks an important moment in the history of the Archdiocese of Hartford, indeed in the history of the whole Church in North America, for in this ceremony we have formally begun the cause for canonization of the servant of God, Father Michael J. McGivney, and we have initiated the diocesan investigation into his life, works and virtue.

"I believe he [Father McGivney] was especially saintly. He instinctively understood the social teaching of the Church. His deep concern for the welfare of widows and the needy was reflected in his priestly heart and is seen today in the enormous growth of the Knights of Columbus. Clearly this was a holy person inaugurating a holy endeavor which was blessed by God."

If Father McGivney is eventually raised to the honors of the altar, he would be the first parish priest of the United States to be declared a saint.

Michael J. McGivney was born Aug. 12, 1852, in Watebury, Conn., one of 13 children of Irish-American immigrants. He was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 22, 1877, by Archbishop (later Cardinal) James Gibbons of Baltimore. His first priestly assignment was at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Conn. In 1882, with a small group of lay men, he founded the Knights of Columbus. Today the Knights is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization with almost 1.6 million members throughout North America, the Caribbean and the Philippines. In 1996, Knights orderwide reported raising and contributing to charity some $105 million and volunteering more than 50 million hours of service.

Archbiship Cronin said that it is up to the Church to determine the heroic virtue or saintliness of an individual. "The work of the historians and theologians which begins today as part of the diocesan and Roman phases of this investigation are not definitive," he said. "It is only the Holy Father who makes the decision regarding beatification and canonization. The results of all our research and our conclusions about the life and holiness of Father McGivney must be submitted to the pope himself. It is he alone who, in the light of God's approval as expressed in a miracle, indicates that the servant of God will be raised to the honors of the altar."

The diocesan phase of the cause for canonization was then placed into the hands of a tribunal and a historical commission created by Archbishop Cronin. Named to the historical commission were Dr. Christopher J. Kauffman, author of Faith and Fraternalism: The History of the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Professor of American Church History at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and Susan Brosnan, archivist at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council office in New Haven.

The historical commission's responsibility is to study all available historical evidence pertaining to Father McGivney, determine its authenticity and make a judgment about the heroic virtue of the servant of God. Once the tribunal is satisfied that all material is complete and accurate it is turned over to the archbishop. Ultimately, it is the archbishop who must submit Father McGivney's case to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints so that the Roman phase may begin.

The timeline is anything but definite, said Dominican Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell, who has been researching Father McGivney's life since April 1996. It may take from two to three years to complete the diocesan phase, and the Roman phase may take several years, he said.

"We must do our work carefully and well for the glory of God and for the accomplishment of his will," concluded Archbishop Cronin. "May he bring to completion what he has so wonderfully begun today in the Archdiocese of Hartford."

KNIGHTS CONVEY $2 MILLION gifT AND SPIRITUAL BOUQUET TO HOLY FATHER

New Haven, CT. The Knights of Columbus presented Pope John Paul II with a $2 million gift Dec. 11 during a private audience. Supreme Knight and Mrs. Virgil C. Dechant, Supreme Chaplain Bishop Thomas V. Daily of Brooklyn, N.Y., and several Supreme Officers and their wives were in attendance. The gift represents the annual donation from the Knights from its $20 million Vicarius Christi Fund. The latest gift to the pope's personal charities brought to over $26 million the amount contributed by the Order from this source since the fund's inception in 1981. The corpus of the fund remains intact.

"I assure you of my personal thanks for your closeness to the pope in his ministry of service to the Gospel," Pope John Paul said. Supreme Knight Dechant had been in Rome serving as an auditor for the Synod of Bishops for America. The pope noted that the Knights were visiting during the synod's closing days. He called upon them to "contribute to the transformation of society" by daily fidelity to the Gospel and expressed his confidence that the "great task of ecclesial renewal" will be embraced by the Knights and their families.

Supreme Knight Dechant also presented the pope with a spiritual bouquet comprised of prayers offered by the 1.6 million Knights for the Holy Father's intentions from Nov. 1, 1996 to Nov. 1, 1997. The spiritual bouquet was initiated in observance of the 50th anniversary of the pope's ordination last November.

The Knights also conveyed to their respective rectors the annual earnings from the Count Enrico Galeazzi Fund for the North American College, the Father Michael J. McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests in Canada for the Pontifical Canadian College in Rome, and from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Fund for the Pontifical Mexican College in Rome. The Order also funds scholarships for advanced studies for priests from the Philippines attending the Pontifical Filipino College in Rome.

STANDARD & POORS GIVE TOP RATING TO KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS INSURANCE

New Haven, CT. Standard & Poors once again has rated Knights of Columbus insurance AAA (Superior). Insurers rated AAA by Standard & Poors, according to the report, offer superior financial security on an absolute and relative basis. Capacity to meet policyholder obligations is overwhelming under a variety of economic and underwriting conditions. This is the sixth consecutive year that K of C insurance has earned the top rating. The A. M. Best Co. earlier this year also gave the Knights its highest rating of A++ (Superior) for the 22nd consecutive year.

The Knights of Columbus offers insurance to its members and their families. The sale of insurance has been a part of the organizations program since its founding in 1882. Standard & Poors said its rating reflects the societys competitive advantage in the Catholic market, its superior capitalization, its superior operating performance, its superior liquidity, and its excellent portfolio.

The report noted the Knights very strong business position resulting from its distinct competitive advantage in the Catholic market and a strong agency force. This advantage, said Standard & Poors, translates into a long track record of sales growth in a variety of sales environments in the industry.

Commenting on the ratings, Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant said, Standard & Poors rating and A.M. Bests confirm our belief in the excellence of our insurance products and in our agency force.

The Knights of Columbus is the worlds largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, with nearly 1.6 million members and their families in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and the Caribbean. It was founded by a Catholic priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, at St. Marys Church in New Haven in 1882. In 1996 the Knights at all levels of the organization raised and donated $105 million to charitable programs and volunteered nearly 49 million hours of service.

POPE NAMES KNIGHTS' HEAD AS SYNOD ADVISOR

New Haven, CT. Pope John Paul II in an Oct. 31 statement from the Vatican named the leader of the Knights of Columbus as one of 41 auditors for the upcoming special Synod of Bishops for America. Seventeen of the auditors are from the United States and Canada.

Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant, who was reappointed in October to his 21st consecutive one-year term as head of the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, is one of only seven lay people from the United States and Canada who will advise and assist the 233 cardinals, bishops and priests who have been elected or appointed full voting members of the synod to be held Nov. 16-Dec. 12 at the Vatican.

It is truly an honor to be asked to serve as an auditor for the synod, said Dechant. The Order is unique among those lay groups represented at the synod since we have members in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. I hope to bring that perspective to my role as an advisor.

Dechant previously served as an auditor for the 1985 Extraordinary Synod of Bishops convened by the pope in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council. He and his wife Ann served as auditors for the 1987 Synod on the Laity.

The topic of the special assembly is "Encounter with the Living Jesus Christ: The Way to Conversion, Communion and Solidarity in America." It is being convened as part of the Church's preparation for the celebration of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

Based in New Haven, Conn., the Knights of Columbus has nearly 1.6 million members and their families in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, the Caribbean and several Pacific rim countries. In 1996 Knights orderwide reported raising and contributing $105 million to charity and volunteering 48 million hours of service.

SEMINARIANS RECEIVE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SCHOLARSHIPS

New Haven, CT. The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council this fall awarded $2,500 scholarships to 70 seminarians and renewed 75 additional scholarships. The grants, which are from the Order's Vocations Scholarship Fund, were given to 60 U.S. seminarians and 10 Canadians in the first four years of theology who made application for them through the Knights' international office. Nearly 85 percent of this year's recipients are Knights of Columbus or sons of members. According to the program's guidelines, preference is given to seminarians who are members or whose fathers are members but is not limited to them.

More than 325 seminarians have been assisted from this scholarship program since its start in 1992. Of those, 107 have been ordained.

The Knights of Columbus at all levels of the organization expended some $5.6 million to promote vocations or support seminarians and postulants in 1996. At the Supreme Council level, there is a corpus of nearly $12 million that generates funds for these purposes.

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, with nearly 1.6 million members and their families in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and the Caribbean. It was founded by a Catholic priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, at St. Mary's Church in New Haven in 1882. In 1996 the Knights at all levels of the organization raised and donated $105 million to charitable programs and volunteered nearly 49 million hours of service.

Date: October 29, 1997
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAINTHOOD CAUSE FOR KNIGHTS' FOUNDER CAN PROCEED, SAYS VATICAN

New Haven, CT. The Vatican has notified the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., that the cause for sainthood of Knights of Columbus founder Father Michael J. McGivney can proceed.

Dominican Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell, postulator of Father McGivney's cause, said the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and other pertinent Vatican congregations informed the archdiocese that there were no serious objections to the opening of the cause and proceeding with the diocesan phase of the canonization process.

Father McGivney served at the Church of St. Mary in New Haven, Conn., from 1877 to 1884. Concerned with the plight of the wives and children left destitute by the death of working men in his parish, Father McGivney in 1882 founded the Knights of Columbus with a small group of Catholic laymen. Today, the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, with nearly 1.6 million members and their families in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and the Caribbean. In 1996 the Knights at all levels of the organization raised and donated $105 million to charitable programs and volunteered nearly 49 million hours of service.

The nihil obstat [Latin for "nothing stands in the way"] granted by the Holy See, said Father O'Donnell, is not a permission given by Rome, but rather the statement that there are no objections and the Holy See knows of no serious impediments to the introduction of this cause. This is required before the bishop can proceed to a formal inauguration of the process and the opening of the diocesan investigation into the life, work and virtue of Father McGivney.

The Knights hope to formally inaugurate the cause with Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin in December. All research materials gathered by the Knights will be handed over to archdiocesan officials at that time for review.

Any evidence of favors or miracles will be examined, and this will form the basis of what will then be submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for study,” said Father O'Donnell. Once verified, the pope declares the candidate "Blessed." Additional procedures can lead to the eventual canonization of the candidate.

Date: Sept. 8, 1997
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MOTHER TERESA'S 'LUMINOUS PRESENCE' WILL BE MISSED, SAYS KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HEAD

New Haven, CT. Speaking on behalf of the nearly 1.6 million members of the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant issued the following statement on the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Sept. 5:

We were deeply saddened by the news of Mother Teresa's death. It is clear that this marks the passing of one of the truly great human beings of our day. The world is poorer without her luminous presence.

Mother Teresa taught us all many things _ not just by her words but especially by her deeds.

She taught us the inestimable value of every human life and all human lives, from conception to natural death.

She taught us the duty of solidarity _ of love expressed in service of neighbor.

She taught us that the highest form of joy in this life lies in total self-forgetfulness and unreserved self-giving.

She taught us, against the worldly wisdom that adores wealth and power, that no power is greater than the power of love.

The Knights of Columbus is proud and honored to have been allowed to assist Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity many times over the years.

On a visit to our Supreme Council offices in June 1988, when we were printing the just-approved Constitutions of her order, she explained: "I am grateful to the Knights of Columbus for what they have offered to do for us in sharing their love for Jesus. I never ask people for this or that. I always tell them, 'I want to give you a gift.' And they reply, 'Mother Teresa, what gift can you give?' I tell them, 'I give you a chance to do something for the poor.'"

At our Supreme Council convention in August 1992, we presented the Knights of Columbus Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope) Award to Mother Teresa. She was the first person in the history of the Knights of Columbus so honored. As the citation accompanying the award remarked, this was "a case where those who bestow an honor are more honored by its acceptance."

When last I met with Mother Teresa in New York, I pledged our continued support of her Missionaries' growing worldwide apostolate of care for the poorest of the poor.

At the time, she made a typical request: for prayers by the Knights of Columbus, with the intention that the Missionaries of Charity would be allowed to enter China and take up their work there.

Sometimes it was said of Mother Teresa, as if it were a criticism, that she was not involved in bringing about social change. Perhaps. But she exemplified something even greater and more needed _ the reaching out of one human being to help brothers and sisters in need.

Justice without mercy is not fully human. That, finally, was the lesson Mother Teresa taught and lived: to practice mercy modeled on the merciful love of Jesus Christ.

In conveying heartfelt condolences to Sister Nirmala, Mother's successor as superior of the Missionaries of Charity and all the Sisters, we affirm that the Knights and our families throughout the world are united in prayer for the happy repose of Mother's beautiful soul, while expressing every confidence that she was received with open arms by the Lord she served so well in life.

New Haven, CT. The Knights of Columbus gave well over 48 million hours in volunteer personal service to the Catholic Church, community projects and youth programs in 1996, while contributing more than $105 million to such causes.

Both totals are new records for the organization.

The figures are based on reports on 1996 activity received from approximately 76 percent of Knights of Columbus councils, Fourth Degree assemblies, Columbian Squires circles and other jurisdictional entities responding to the organization's annual Survey of Fraternal Activity.

Commenting on the survey results, Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant said: "Once again this year, our Order's record of outreach in response to the needs of the Church and society by our Knights and families is truly gratifying. It points out, in dollars as well as in time and energy, what can be achieved when individuals and councils come together in a common cause. Similarly, it places a value on volunteerism that inspires many others to get involved. I commend and congratulate all who gave of their time and treasure through the Order's charitable and benevolent programs, especially at the state and local levels."

Charitable contributions by Knights in 1996 totaled $105,976,102. The previous high was $105,398,205 in 1995. Almost $87 million of the 1996 sum was raised by local and state units, which gave the funds to programs and institutions within their own jurisdictions.

The remainder, $19,014,276, was given by the organization's Supreme Council and its foundations to programs at the national and international levels.

Ten-year cumulative figures in the survey show that since 1987 Knights of Columbus at all levels have contributed a total of $945,087,867 to charitable causes. They also have given 397,939,709 hours in volunteer service.

The Knights of Columbus has nearly 1.6 million members in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico and several other Caribbean and Pacific Rim countries. The international headquarters, located in New Haven, Conn., conducts the annual survey.

Besides giving a total of 48,966,132 hours to volunteer service involving the Church, community and youth activities - a new all-time high - members gave another 7,009,121 hours of their time to "fraternal service" of various kinds - meetings, functions and the internal activities of the Order.

Knights made 5,195,773 visits to the sick and bereaved. There also were 334,263 blood donors in 1996.

The survey figures also showed that the Knights of Columbus had total activity expenses of $76,080,072, including $61,673,969 at the state and local levels, for meetings, functions, projects, publications, postage and other costs. The fraternal expenses of the Supreme Council, including publications and support of membership operations, totaled $14,406,103.

By category of activity, the contributions went to the following categories: