February 2023 | VOLUME 15, NUMBER 2 | KOFC.ORG/CHAPLAINS

By Fr. Jonathan D. Kalisch, O.P.

Director of Chaplains and Spiritual Development

With the holy season of Lent almost upon us, it will be good to speak with council leaders and brother Knights to see how local councils can foster the spiritual, charitable and fraternal work of the parish. Pope Francis’ monthly prayer intention for February 2023 provides a good starting point: “We pray that parishes, placing communion at the center, may increasingly become communities of faith, fraternity and welcome toward those most in need.”

To place communion at the center is to understand how councils and individual Knights participate in the trials and joys of the whole Body of Christ. For many, Lent is a time to renew our commitments to the sacraments, prayer and works of charity. Our councils play a key role in sponsoring parish fish frys, leading Stations of the Cross, hosting retreats and days of reflection, Bible studies and discussion groups. As chaplain, your role is to inform brother Knights about the real needs of the community, encourage them, and point out where and how they might improve.

I invite you to check out the faith formation resources available from the Knights of Columbus for use in the parish and with the council. The K of C YouTube channel has many excellent videos that can be shown in a variety of parish, council and catechetical activities.

Finally, as the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine approaches, consider doing a prayer program for peace in your parish along with a fundraiser to benefit the Knights of Columbus Ukraine Solidarity Fund, which continues to provide humanitarian aid to war refugees.

Vivat Jesus!

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori presents his monthly challenge for February 2023, focused on showing proper respect for God. He encourages us to never use the Lord’s name in vain and always to give glory and respect to God through the words we speak. WATCH NOW | READ MORE

“The end of Roe represents a crucial milestone. But we cannot mistake it for the end of abortion,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, who participated in the 50th annual March for Life Jan. 20, with other Supreme Officers and members of the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors. “In a post-Roe America, the Knights of Columbus will continue to show our nation’s lawmakers that life is a precious gift worth protecting, and we’ll proudly march for life until abortion is unthinkable.”

READ MORE | WATCH NOW

“God doesn’t make mistakes,” Casey Gunning, a teacher’s aide and Special Olympics athlete, said at Life Fest Jan. 20. “He gives every life as a gift. God has given my life a meaning and a purpose and a very special mission — to love.” The joy-filled event, held at the D.C. Entertainment and Sports Arena before the March for Life, featured dynamic speakers, music, eucharistic adoration, and Mass celebrated by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori.

WATCH NOW | READ MORE

In war-torn Ukraine, thousands of people are in need of mobility equipment that the government is unable to provide. Seeing this shortage, Knights worked with the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation to bring wheelchairs into the country and distribute them to amputees and others with disabilities.

“I’ve worked with the Knights of Columbus since 2006, and I cannot say enough about them,” said Christina Flessner, executive director of the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation. “It seems they are truly Knights in action. One of the biggest gifts is giving people hope.” 

WATCH NOW

A new Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll shows that 71% of Americans support legal limits on abortion. The survey, conducted by the Marist Poll and commissioned annually by the Knights of Columbus for more than a decade, found that a majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortion, and 81% of Americans believe laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.



“When it comes to the direction of government policy, there has been consistency and consensus in American public opinion on the issue of abortion over the decades,” explained Dr. Barbara Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll. READ MORE | VIEW POLL PRESENTATION

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