January 2024 | VOLUME 16, NUMBER 1 | KOFC.ORG/CHAPLAINS

This month, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori challenges Knights to attend Mass and receive holy Communion more often than just on Sunday — daily if possible — to grow in awareness of Jesus’ presence and power in the Eucharist. He also encourages Knights to turn frequently to Jesus in prayer during the day and recognize that he actively works in our lives.

When Dan and Michelle Schachle learned that their unborn son had a deadly case of fetal hydrops — and zero chance of living — their world shattered. At that point, the boy had also been already diagnosed with Down syndrome, but Dan, a longtime Knight and K of C life insurance agent, said they never saw that as a problem: “God made him that way. I’m good with that.” The family started praying for the little boy’s survival through the intercession of Father McGivney during a K of C pilgrimage to Fatima. After coming back from the pilgrimage, Michelle went to the doctor’s office for an ultrasound, and there was no sign of the fatal condition. Read the whole story of the Schachles here and watch a short film about the miracle they experienced, which led to the beatification of Father McGivney in 2020.

As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine is approaching, we encourage you to look for initiatives to help our brothers and sisters suffering in Ukraine. The brotherhood of the Knights of Columbus, spread across continents, has been providing material and spiritual support to the most vulnerable victims of the devastating war since its very first days, which resulted in the Order being banned by Russian authorities in occupied territories, along with Caritas and other humanitarian organizations.

Prayer initiatives such as rosaries for peace and Holy Hours have been organized in Ukraine as well as in the U.S., Canada and Poland. Knights have also been showing “creative courage” by organizing dinners, sales or runs to raise money for Ukraine or by collecting supplies and shipping them to Ukraine. This winter, Knights from Alberta raised funds to help buy coats for Ukrainian children — especially children of fallen soldiers. With the help of Polish Knights, coats were bought and transported to Ukraine, where the first Coats for Kids event took place Nov. 19 — the World Day of the Poor. You can watch a short film about the cooperation of Canadian, Polish and Ukrainian Knights here or read the article.

Stay informed about our work in Ukraine by visiting our website kofc.org/Ukraine. You can also watch the K of C sponsored documentary film In Solidarity with Ukraine to learn about the many initiatives Knights launched in Ukraine.

On Jan. 22, we celebrate the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. In order to show our pro-life engagement, we encourage you to participate in or sponsor local, state/provincial, regional or national marches for life. Find the dates and locations of 2024 marches here. You can also take part in a pro-life advocacy workshop, happening in Washington, D.C., Jan 18. This year, the March for Life will take place on Friday, Jan. 19, along with Life Fest, a rally and Mass co-sponsored by the Knights and the Sisters of Life. Watch highlights of last year’s Life Fest here.

You can directly help mothers and babies by supporting pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. Learn more about our ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) program and find different resources here. Pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes that need assistance can be found by searching through databases available at heartbeatinternational.org, birthright.org, care-net.org and pregnancycarecanada.ca.

Support all of the Order’s pro-life work, from ASAP to the Ultrasound Initiative, by donating to the Culture of Life Fund.

Jeff McGarrity, a Knight in Colorado, and his wife, Sonia, have eight children, three of whom are adopted. If that weren’t proof enough of their generous love, four of their eight children — including the three youngest adopted girls — have a medical diagnosis of trisomy 21, commonly known as Down syndrome. Sonia recalls how the decision to adopt special needs children slowly made its way into her heart after a miscarriage: “I told my sister that if I can’t have any more children, I want to adopt a child with Down syndrome.” While the McGarritys’ everyday life is not devoid of struggles, it is also full of joy. “I wouldn’t ask for any other life,” says their 19-year-old son, Seán. “The joy that kids with trisomy 21 have, the authentic joy and love, is incomparable.” Read the whole story here.

Relics of the members of the Blessed Ulma Family will be available for veneration at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., beginning Jan. 12, 2024. The relics and an exhibit about the family will be on display through March. We encourage you to take this opportunity to visit the shrine and engage in prayer in the presence of the relics.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

With the National Football League playoffs beginning soon, enjoy these stories and videos about NFL Knights:

• Vince Lombardi, the coach who led the Green Bay Packers to the first NFL championship, was a member of Msgr. Basche Council 4505 in Green Bay, Wis.
• Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who joined the Order at Georgia Tech, spoke to college Knights at their annual conference in 2020, telling them the “world needs Knights.”
• Many NFL teams have Catholic chaplains who counsel, pray with, and bring the sacraments to players and staff. Father Chuck Dornquast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Father Douglas Hunter of the Indianapolis Colts and Richard Rocha of the Kansas City Chiefs shared what it’s like to minister to a professional football team with Columbia in January 2022.

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