Supreme News

Easter Greeting from the Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson

4/6/2004

Through these days of Holy Week, it is my hope that we Catholics find a renewed sense of hope, joy and caring through the saving grace bestowed on us by Jesus Christ. May we take stock in our accomplishments to further the glory of God. As Catholics around the world celebrate the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I offer my prayers and good wishes.

1/26 - 10/16/2004

Concert Broadcast on PBS

4/2/2004

A Vatican-sponsored concert featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony was made possible by a grant from the Knights of Columbus. The special concert on Jan. 17 took place in the Paul VI Auditorium at the Vatican. It marks the first time that a U.S. symphony orchestra performed at the Vatican for a pope. The concert commemorates the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's election to the papacy and his interfaith outreach to Muslims, Jews and Christians.

In announcing the Order's participation, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said funds were being provided for the concert in gratitude for the pope's leadership. "Peace and reconciliation have had no more steadfast champion than Pope John Paul II," Anderson said. "This concert shows our gratitude for his example and direction during the jubilee year of his papacy."

The Vatican invitation was issued through Maestro Gilbert Levine to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The American-born Levine has been referred to by "60 Minutes" as the "pope's maestro" and has conducted many of the top European orchestras at the Vatican over the years. Levine chose to feature an orchestra from the United States because in his view there is no country that better represents the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths and embodies a society of tolerance.

A PBS special will highlight this remarkable initiative. Please consult the broadcast schedule to see when "A Celebration of Faiths: The Papal Concert of Reconciliation" will be airing on a local PBS affiliate.

Watch video of the concert on-line, as well as a speech by Pope John Paul II and interviews with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Bishop Donald Wuerl.
Pope John Paul II blesses the Divine Mercy painting.

Background

Since 1980, the Knights of Columbus has sponsored 12 yearlong Hour of Prayer programs. Framed icons – usually of the Blessed Mother – travel from council to council during the year as the focal point of prayer services. Over the years, these programs have been attended by more than 12 million participants in some 88,000 prayer services.

This year, the Hour of Prayer program takes Divine Mercy as its theme. In a special way, Divine Mercy was selected to honor Pope John Paul II, to whom the devotion is so important. And, as we honor the Holy Father, we also pray for him as he continues to lead the Church from the Chair of Peter.

Council Program

Each jurisdiction in the Order has been supplied with several framed icons of the Divine Mercy image in order to conduct the Hour of Prayer program. For schedule information about these prayer services, please contact your state council.

Divine Mercy Hour of Prayer in Philadelphia's cathedral.Cathedral Program

In addition to the prayer services at local councils, the Supreme Council is bringing a life-size painting of the Divine Mercy, which was blessed by the Holy Father, to the cathedrals of several archdioceses throughout the United States for a weekend of veneration.

Schedule

January 25, 2004 - Archdiocese of Philadelphia
March 7, 2004 - Archdiocese of Milwaukee
March 14, 2004 - Archdiocese of Detroit
March 28, 2004 - Archdiocese of Los Angeles
April 18, 2004 - Archdiocese of Boston
May 16, 2004 - Archdiocese of Baltimore
May 23, 2004 - Archdiocese of Washington
September 5, 2004 - Archdiocese of Chicago

1/8/2004

New Haven, CT — The Knights of Columbus will begin paying an accidental death benefit to the families of members of the Catholic fraternal order who are killed while in military service, or as noncombatants, in Afghanistan and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The benefit is based on the deceased’s years of membership in the Knights and ranges from $1,000 to $2,500. The Order’s executive and finance committee voted a change to an existing accidental death benefit that had previously had a war-time exclusion condition. The benefit is in addition to any funds due the family from a Knights of Columbus life insurance policy the member may have had. “The purpose of this additional benefit is to assist the families of our fallen members who have served their countries in these military conflicts,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. According to Knights of Columbus records, as of Dec. 31 five families had qualified for the benefit.

In collaboration with the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services, the Knights produced and distributed 100,000 prayer books to the troops stationed in the Middle East and at U.S. and foreign bases. The Knights also sent 50,000 rosaries to U.S. troops.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, with nearly 1.7 million members throughout North America and elsewhere. It 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 New Haven in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, a 29-year-old Catholic priest. The Knights is also known for its charitable activities. In 2002 members reported raising and contributing a record $128.5 million and volunteering a record 60.8 million hours of service.

1/21/04

'OUR NATION CAN AND MUST DO BETTER THAN ABORTION'
Statement from Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson on the 31st Anniversary of
Roe v. Wade

NEW HAVEN, CT - Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson issued the following
statement on the 31st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade
decision:

"Each year on Jan. 22, we pause to remember the millions of unborn
children whose lives were lost, and the millions of women whose lives were
damaged, because of Roe v. Wade.
"That Supreme Court decision 31 years ago has rightly been called one
of the worst in our nation's history. It is a decision that ignores the
truth: the truth about unborn children, about women, and most of all, about
human life and human nature itself. Even Norma McCorvey - the "Roe" of Roe
v. Wade - now rejects the decision and the culture of abortion on demand
that it established.
"This past year saw the enactment of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban.
Although it is being challenged in the courts, enactment of the ban marked
the first time an abortion procedure has been banned since Roe v. Wade.
Pro-life commitment continues to grow among the American people,
particularly with those who have grown up with Roe v. Wade but now reject
its extreme violence and cynical view of women.
"Abortion is a sign of a failure to respect the lives and the dignity
of women and children. The pro-life movement will always insist that a
nation that proclaims as self-evident the inalienable right to life can and
must do better than abortion."

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service
organization, with nearly 1.7 million members throughout North America and
elsewhere. In 2002 members reported raising and contributing a record
$128.5 million and volunteering a record 60.8 million hours of service.
Included in that is $4.2 million raised and donated to pro-life groups. The
Knights also 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 New Haven in 1882 by Father Michael J.
McGivney, a 29-year-old Catholic priest whose cause for canonization is
under investigation at the Vatican.

Knights Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan Eligible for Death Benefit
Printer-friendly version

1/8/2004

New Haven, CT — The Knights of Columbus will begin paying an accidental death benefit to the families of members of the Catholic fraternal order who are killed while in military service in Afghanistan and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The benefit is based on the deceased’s years of membership in the Knights and ranges from $1,000 to $2,500. The Order’s executive and finance committee voted a change to an existing accidental death benefit that had previously had a war-time exclusion condition. The benefit is in addition to any funds due the family from a Knights of Columbus life insurance policy the member may have had.

In announcing the new benefit, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said it was another commitment by the Order to U.S. troops engaged in the war on terrorism. “The purpose of this additional benefit is to assist the families of our fallen members who have served their countries in these military conflicts,” Anderson said. According to Knights of Columbus records, as of Dec. 31 five families had qualified for the benefit.

Earlier this year, in collaboration with the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services, the Knights produced and distributed 100,000 prayer books to the troops stationed in the Middle East and at U.S. and foreign bases. The Knights also sent 50,000 rosaries to U.S. troops.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, with nearly 1.7 million members throughout North America and elsewhere. It 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 New Haven in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, a 29-year-old Catholic priest. The Knights is also known for its charitable activities. In 2002 members reported raising and contributing a record $128.5 million and volunteering a record 60.8 million hours of service.

Pope Appoints Knights of Columbus Head to Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

11/24/2003

New Haven, CT — The Vatican announced Nov. 24 that Pope John Paul II has named Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson as a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Anderson is the only American among ten new appointments to the pontifical council and will serve a five-year term.

"It is an honor to represent the nearly 1.7 million members of the Knights of Columbus on the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. This appointment acknowledges the Order's efforts to work together with all people of good will to build a global culture of peace," said Anderson, who also serves on the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1967, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace promotes the Church's social teaching and Gospel message on peace and justice issues throughout the world. Among its many programs is the celebration of the World Day of Peace, held annually on January 1. The council also studies current trends in such areas as disarmament and the arms trade, human rights and the role of Catholics in the political arena.

"Pope John Paul II has stressed that the dignity of the human person must be the foundation of the Church's social teaching. Promoting this will continue to be central to the work of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace," said Anderson. "The Knights of Columbus and the Church in America will benefit from my service on this council as I seek to find greater applications for its teachings in the charitable and benevolent work of the Knights and the Church."

The Knights' commitment to furthering the Church's social teaching can be found at the grassroots level, where members in more than 13,000 local units annually raise and contribute $128 million to charity and volunteer 60 million hours of service. Earlier this year, the Knights of Columbus provided 2,000 wheelchairs to landmine victims and other people with disabilities in Afghanistan. In 2002 the Knights of Columbus established the $2 million Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) Fund. Annual earnings from the fund are given to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for peace initiatives in the Holy Land and to support the Christian community there. In 2001 the Knights received the Champion of Peace Award from the Path to Peace Foundation, an adjunct of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Christmas Events from the Vatican
12/9/2003

This year's midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and the next day's papal message and blessing will once again be televised worldwide, thanks to the Knights of Columbus. Television coverage of these ceremonies is coordinated by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The Knights of Columbus provides funding for the satellite uplink so TV networks around the world can telecast the Christmas celebrations; the Order also pays for the downlink costs so TV networks in developing countries may also share in the Vatican festivities. Viewers are urged to consult local listings for exact times of telecasts in their area.

(c) Copyright 2004
Texas State Council Knights of Columbus
All Rights Reserved

Texas Knight Online
3601 S. Congress B-100
Austin, TX 78704
1.512.851.8000

General E-Mail