College CouncilsNewsletter

NEWS FOR COLLEGE KNIGHTSwww.kofc.org/college FALL/WINTER 2014

at this year’s College Council Conference,Supreme Knight Carl anderson spoke of

the order’s heritage and legacy, and how theyboth fit into the new evangelization. He em-phasized that this is particularly important in a“culture of suspicion” that questions the rele-vance of Christianity and, especially, Catholi-cism. It is a mission, Supreme Knight andersonsaid, which is addressed in St. John Paul II’sTheology of the Body, where the great popestated, “Man is created out of love, he is calledto love, and his life is meaningless unless hefinds authentic love.”

The supreme knight reminded the collegeKnights that the mission of the Knights ofColumbus in light of the new evangelization is“to demonstrate that it is possible to live thisway (the way of the gospel) and that living thisway is better than any other way.”

“Profess what you believe, profess what youknow, and live what you profess,” SupremeKnight anderson told the college Knights.“That’s our heritage, our legacy, and that is ourmessage.”

“anyone who tells you that youth are the fu-ture of the Church doesn’t have it right,” he

continued. “Youth are not the future of theChurch; they are the present of the Church.Today you are Catholic laymen responsible forliving the mission of the laity: to transform so-ciety through the living of the message of thegospel.”

Prior to the supreme knight’s remarks, KevinCoyne delivered his keynote address. Coyne,who is currently writing a book on the historyof the Knights of Columbus, has written for avariety of magazines and newspapers, includ-ing the Asbury Park Press and The New York

Supreme Knight Addresses College ConferenceK of C history author keynote speaker at banquet

Looking to the FutureCollege Knights gather to

learn and worship together

gathering in New Haven, Conn., from Sept.26-28 for the 2014 College Council

Conference, more than 200 Knights from over87 campuses across North america were chal-lenged to provide an authentic Christian witnessthroughout their schools and communities.

after hearing from Supreme Knight Carl anderson and author Kevin Coyne on Friday,Sept. 26, Knights spent the weekend reflectingon their mission and purpose as college councilmembers.

at Saturday’s opening session, ConferenceChairman Michael alonso of Texas a&M Council 10624 welcomed the participants and

Following the supreme knight’s address, Coyne highlightedmany of the accomplished Knights who made up the Order’shistory.

See Page 6 For ADDRESSES

See Page 7 For FUTURE

After the tours were complete, the col-lege Knights went to the birthplace of

the order, St. Mary’s Church, for the cele-bration of Mass. Director of Chaplains andSpiritual Development Father JonathanKalisch, o.P., was the principal celebrantand homilist for the Mass. among the con-celebrants was Father Joseph allen, o.P.,pastor of St. Mary’s Church.

In his homily, Father Kalisch describedthe formation that Knights of Columbusfounder Father Michael Mcgivney soughtin the fall of 1881:

“He turned to the older men — those intheir thirties and forties — of St. Mary’s,gathered them, asking them, ‘How can weform a fraternity of communion that has amissionary fruitfulness?’ as Pope Franciswould later say.

“It was at this time in the fall that thathard work was being done, that Father Mc-givney was stirring up the hearts of theparishioners here to encounter Christ togratitude because their lives were changedwith a fraternal communion that also has atits heart a missionary fruitfulness.

“and so, Father Mcgivney, at 29 yearsold, was trying to stir up the hearts of themen who were there, trying to imbibe and

invigorate. and perhaps this was what PopeFrancis would describe as evangelizing thecommunity, standing by them every step ofthe way, no matter how difficult or lengthythis may prove to be. That’s what an evan-gelizing community is.

“as Pope Francis said, ‘evangelizationconsists mostly of disregard for constraintsof time, faithful to the Lord’s gift. It alsobears fruit. It cares for the grape and doesnot grow impatient.’

“You and I are called to live a fraternalcommunion with missionary fruitfulnessthat goes beyond our inner circles and goesto the heart of our campuses, one thatpreaches and proclaims the gospel of Christ.and it begins personally with the comple-tion to heal, to make the changes we need inour lives and receive the mercy of god to betransformed, and to go back into the vine-yard, and to work, and to do the will of ourHeavenly Father. Christ has saved you andme, and he calls us to work in the vineyard."

at the end of the Mass, participants gath-ered for prayer at the tomb of FatherMichael J. Mcgivney, located in the back ofthe church.

Celebrating Mass atthe Order’s Birthplace

Bringing LessonsBack to Their

Schools

Sunday morning’s closing session beganwith the praying of the rosary followed

by a series of speakers during breakfast.Matthew St. John, director of insurance

marketing, discussed Father Mcgivney’sfounding vision and its relationship to theorder’s insurance program, and the value itoffers to young members and their families.

“So I hope that when the time is right,when you’re looking for insurance protectionfor you and your family, when you’re lookingto begin planning for retirement, when you’relooking to guard against illness and infirmity,I hope you will turn first, foremost and al-ways to the Knights of Columbus — yourKnights of Columbus,” St. John said. “We arehere to protect you, just as Father Mcgivneyintended us to be. That is a claim that noother company can ever make. We are thepremier Catholic insurance company, and weare yours.”

Director of vocations for the Congregationof the Holy Cross, Father James gallagher,offered remarks on discernment and becom-ing real men of god. Father gallagherpointed out that discernment is not just lim-ited to becoming a religious, but rather, it isfinding your call to be men of god as fully asyou can. Discernment, he said, can be helpedthrough prayer, through talking to others andthrough action. 

“Why talk about discernment for every-one?” Father gallagher asked the gathered col-lege Knights. “It’s appropriate for everyone toconsider that everyone has a vocation, not just

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The Future of the College Council Program: A Commitment to Growth

MembershipAfterCollege

are you graduating this year? If youare, you probably have many dif-ficult decisions to make about

what you will do and where you will be.regardless of where you end up aftergraduation, the easiest decision you haveto make is to continue your Knights ofColumbus membership after college.

For most of you, transferring yourmembership to a local council is the bestoption. By transferring to a council nearyour new job or new school, you’ll con-tinue to receive the basic benefits of mem-bership, including access to our top-ratedlife insurance products and a monthly sub-scription to Columbia magazine. also, ifmoving to a new area, transferring to thelocal Knights of Columbus council offersyou access to a group of Catholic men whoshare your ideals and values. These men canlead you to the area’s great restaurants andbest-kept secrets. They can also help youexpand your professional network in thearea — maybe even help you advance morequickly in your career. To learn more aboutcouncils in your post-graduation destina-tion, visit www.kofc.org/findacouncil.

For some of you, your post-graduationexperience will be transient and there willnot be a parish to call home. You maywish to remain in your college counciluntil you settle down, at which time youcan transfer your membership to a localcouncil. If this is the option you wish topursue, you should meet with your grandknight and financial secretary prior tograduation to make sure the council hasyour permanent address and permanentemail (not school email) on file to con-tact you. You may also wish to discusspaying advance dues to the council.

as you know, joining the Knights ofColumbus in college has been very re-warding, however, membership in theKnights of Columbus post-graduationcan be even more rewarding. Take thefirst steps today to ensure that your activemembership continues after graduation.

The following text is taken from Thomas J. Perretta Jr.’s presentation given to all attendeesat this year’s College Councils Conference.

O ver the next fraternal year, each col-lege council should recommit itself to

focusing on growth: growth in spirituality,charity and fraternity. over the next year weask all our college councils to grow in fivesimple ways.

First, we need to commit to grow in mem-bership by presenting a constant invitation toall eligible men we encounter and by devel-oping fraternal bonds among existing mem-bers. New members will join us for thefraternity and the joy of community that weexhibit as brothers.

In order to sustain as campus organizationsall college councils must recruit more than 20new members each year. a constant streamof members fills the yearly need for newchairmen and officers. We must always re-member that Father Mcgivney gathered ourfirst Knights together not to remain small butto go out and gain others. The supremeknight has said consistently since the begin-ning of his tenure that we have not just a dutybut a moral obligation to ask every eligibleCatholic male to join our fraternity. our firstact of charity must be this offer of member-ship.

If you survey our councils who are consis-tently growing by more than 20 membersand are perennial contenders for awards, youwill find one thing in common: activity.events are not always large but they are con-sistent.

Second, we are also asking all councils togrow and strengthen their programming byfollowing the guidelines of the Columbianaward. The requirements for this award askeach council to complete four programs inthe areas of Church, Community, Council,Family, Youth and Culture of Life. growingto this level of council activity demonstratesthat college councils are not organizationswho are just active monthly, but instead, area daily and active part of campus life.

Most importantly, please remember that ifyour council does Columbian award-levelactivity then you should be sure to report itby filing a form (SP-7) each year with the

Supreme Council. The information we re-ceive about our councils helps us to paint aclearer and more accurate picture of the im-pact of the Knights of Columbus, and thathelps all of our councils.

Third, we must remain vigilant as Chris-tian men in today’s world and commit to thespiritual development of ourselves and ourbrother Knights. all of us are first bound to-gether as brothers by our common eucharis-tic faith. our Charter reminds us that one ofour primary purposes is “through commonworship, charitable works, meetings and ritesof initiation, to form its members in Catholicfaith and virtue.”

as college Knights we are powerful de-fenders of the faith on our campuses. Count-less councils have utilized resources from ourCatholic Information Service. This is a world- class catechetical library that should beknown and shared by all members. Discovernew ways this year to grow in faith as indi-viduals, as a council and as part of the largerCatholic community on campus.

our fourth area of growth pertains to theCollege Councils Conference. It has been ob-served that consistent conference attendanceis a strong indicator of council health. TheSupreme Council feels so strongly about thispractice that it automatically allows for one

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Supreme Knight Carl Anderson with College Councils Advisory Board ChairmanMichael Alonso, past grand knight of Texas A&M University Council 10624.

College Knights toured select areas of theSupreme Council Headquarters during their visit.

Knights gather around the tomb of Father MichaelMcGivney, which is partly covered by bouquets ofroses. College Knights visited St. Mary’s Church inNew Haven, Conn., the birthplace of the Knights of

Columbus, which was founded by Father McGivney.

Father Jonathan Kalisch, O.P., director of Chaplains and Spiritual Development, and a former college chaplain at Dartmouth College and Quinnipiac University, delivers the homily. He was also the main celebrant for the vigil Mass held Sept. 27 in St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn.

Best practices in social media, council management, membership recruitment and retention, and exin charity and fraternity were among the topics covered in workshops held during the conference.

Knights gather around the tomb of FatherMichael McGivney, founder of the Knights ofColumbus, to say a prayer at the conclusionof the Mass on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Father John Meehan, S.J., president of Campion College, offered the opening prayer for the Sunday

session of the College Councils conference.

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A college Knight examines an exhibit in theKnights of Columbus Museum.

xcellence

College Knights visited and attendedMass at St. Mary’s Church in NewHaven, Conn., the birthplace of theKnights of Columbus.

College Council CoordinatorRobert Rauch delivered theclosing remarks to the attendees.

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Insurance for Young Knightsas young Knights, your lives are unique to that of our older members. Your needs are

different. Your priorities are different. Your preferences are different. Your budgetsare different.

That’s why we’ve designed our new Young adultInsurance program for Knights and their spousesages 18-29.

The new program maximizes flexibility, conven-ience and affordability to enable young brotherKnights and their spouses to get the coverage theyneed.

Through the program, members and theirspouses can receive an annual renewable term lifeinsurance policy that will help protect their familiesand their futures.*

We know many of you think you’re way tooyoung, but you’re not. There are several reasons why you need Young adult Insurance: 1. You’ve got debt.

Maybe you have student loans. Maybe you’re paying off your car. Maybe you have somecredit card debt.

Not all debts are forgiven when you die. Depending on the type of debt, the state you livein, and whether or not the loan is cosigned, your family could be responsible for that money.and, if you don’t have any debt, what about funeral costs and final expenses?2. You want to protect the ones you love.

You don’t want your parents and your family to be saddled with your debt if somethinghappens to you, so why not make sure they won’t be? It’s easy. It’s affordable. It’s whatKnights do. 3. You’re on a budget.

Young adult Insurance is affordable. How affordable? Very affordable. The amount youpay is based on your age and medical condition, but you could get $25,000 of coverage foras little as $1 a week. 4. Your time is valuable.

Young adult Insurance is quick and easy. It’s an annual renewable term insurance prod-uct that you reevaluate and renew every year. It’s designed with Knights ages 18 through 29in mind, to maximize affordability and flexibility. 5. You’re a Knight.

our founder, Venerable Father Michael J. Mcgivney, started the Knights to protectCatholic families from financial devastation. ever since, we’ve gone on to issue $93 billionof in force life insurance to members and their families. Knights and their eligible familymembers throughout the United States and Canada trust us with this important task. It’swhat Knights do.

and, as a Knight, you’ve got a dedicated agent — a fellow brother Knight — to help you.Why not begin that relationship today?6. You’re Catholic.

There’s an advantage to buying Catholic. You get the comfort of knowing that your moneyis going to an organization that performs tremendous amounts of charity, that stands res-olutely behind the Church, and that conducts its business in an unapologetically Catholicway, with strict rules on ethics and investments. 7. You won’t live forever.

Let’s face it, we are all going to die someday. Hopefully not soon, of course! But what ifyou do? What will happen to those you love? Would you protect them if you could?

So what are you waiting for? Visit kofc.org/youngadultins today to request a personalizedquote and more information. or, you can contact your agent to get started. Find him atkofc.org/findagent.

*Eligibility is based on age, medical condition and other factors. The Young Adult Insurance Program is not yet available in CA. Spouses, while eligible for insurance through the program, are notable to request a quote online. They can apply directly through their Knights of Columbus agent.

ADDRESSES, from Page 1

Protecting our familiesfrom financial ruin isnot just a task for theoldest among us; all Knights should bethinking about howthey can and shouldprotect the ones theylove.

Times, for which he wrote a weekly columnabout New Jersey. He has taught at ColumbiaUniversity’s graduate School of Journalismsince 2000, and has twice been named Distin-guished Teacher of the Year. He is the author ofA Day in the Night of America, Domers: A Yearat Notre Dame, and Marching Home: To Warand Back with the Men of One American Town,for which he received the J. anthony LukasWork-in-Progress award.

During his address, Coyne highlighted manyof the accomplished Knights who made up theorder’s history, including John o’Hara. Bornin 1888, o’Hara was the son of the U.S. con-sul to Uruguay and consequently spent part ofhis youth in South america. He later enteredthe seminary, was ordained a priest and re-turned to the University of Notre Dame, wherehe had previously taught. Not only did Fathero’Hara become the prefect of religion at NotreDame, he also became a big booster of theschool’s football team, encouraging many of theplayers to receive daily eucharist. He wrote:“Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is a markof strength and not of weakness.”

“Football wasn’t just football to o’Hara, wholater became president of Notre Dame,” Coynesaid. “He once wrote this: ‘Notre Dame foot-ball is a spiritual service because it is played forthe honor and glory of god and of his BlessedMother. When St. Paul said, “Whether you eator drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all forthe glory of god,” he included football.’”

During World War II he was the apostolicdelegate to the U.S. military forces. after thewar, he became bishop of Buffalo, then arch-bishop, and finally, cardinal of the archdioceseof Philadelphia. His last words before his deathin 1960 were, “I want to go home.” He waslater buried at his beloved Notre Dame.

“It would be hard to find somebody whoselife better exemplified the principles theKnights stand for — charity, unity, fraternityand patriotism — and that is why I offer himto you as an example,” Coyne said. “He wasonce one of you — a young student at aKnights college council. I don’t know if there’sa Cardinal o’Hara among you, but I do knowthat there’s a piece of him in all of you — thatyou, too, stand for the principles that he stoodfor. That piece will only grow as you grow, andas you broaden the commitment you have al-ready made as young Knights.”

Following the addresses, Supreme Knightanderson and several other supreme officersand Supreme Council representatives conferredawards on the college Knights for their exem-plary service and achievement.

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a call, to a religious life. There is a place ingod’s work for every single one of us.”

College Council Coordinator robertrauch delivered his closing remarks to theattendees, during which he noted next yearwill mark the 50th College Councils Con-ference, which will take place oct. 2-4 inNew Haven.

“remember that you and your brotherKnights are the present. You are leaders

today. Incorporate the new ideas and bestpractices you learned this weekend to con-tinue to make a difference on your campusesand in your communities,” rauch said. “re-member the fraternity you shared this week-end with brother Knights from across thecontinent. Continue to grow and strengthenthe community on your campus. give everyeligible Catholic male at your university theopportunity to join our ranks.”

introduced the College Councils advisoryBoard. He reminded the college Knights ofSupreme Knight anderson’s remarks at theawards banquet and the Knights’ commit-ment to the mission of the laity to live thegospel through their actions. “The supremeknight asked us to profess what we believe, toprofess what we know, and to live what weprofess,” alonso said. “as I look around thisroom at leaders from universities across thecontinent, I am confident that each of youwill help us to show that living the way of thegospel is the best way.”

Thomas Perretta Jr., manager of CollegeCouncils and Young adult outreach, spokeabout the future of the College Council Program.

“This conference is about looking forwardto new heights of charity, new levels of frater-nal cooperation, and discovering the practicaltools that will help us each to be successful,”Perretta said. “Successful as council leaders.Successful as intentional and evangelicalCatholics. Successful as college councils.”

“This talk is titled the ‘Future of CollegeCouncils,’” Perretta added. “our future forthe next year should be the support andrecommitment of each of our councils togrowth. growth in spirituality. growth incharity. growth in fraternity. So let us nowcommit to our work of realizing the potentialimpact of Father Mcgivney’s vision on eachof our campuses.”

after the opening session the collegeKnights attended a series of breakout sessions,where they explored the topics of councilmanagement and leadership development,membership recruitment and growth strategy,running effective charitable programs, andbest practices in social media.

Simultaneously held with these breakoutsessions was a meeting of the 13 attendingcollege chaplains and a training session for the18 financial secretaries in attendance.

In the early afternoon the college Knightssplit their time between sessions geared at var-ious types of college councils. Moderated bythe advisory board members, these sessionswere then followed by panel discussions con-cerning communications on campus and in thecommunity, spiritual development, alumninetworking and membership post-graduation.

With the conclusion of the workshops anddiscussions, the college Knights traveled to thenearby Supreme Council Headquarters, wherethey visited the chapel and the executive offices.afterward, the participants also had the opportunity to tour the Knights of ColumbusMuseum.

FUTURE, from Page 1

student’s travel, room and board, and pro-vides multiple opportunities to earn a stipendfor a second student. This fraternal year’scouncils that achieve 200 percent net intakeor the Star Council award will earn a secondtravel stipend to cover an additional studentrepresentative’s travel, room and board fornext year’s conference. We will be celebrating50 years of the College Councils Conference,and every council should send at least twostudents to this special anniversary event.

Finally, we must all increase our knowledgeand appreciation of our fraternal benefits pro-gram and the vision that Father Mcgivneylaid out for our first brothers. all of us haveheard of the strength of our insurance pro-gram, but do we promote and build a cultureof insurance within our councils? In order tobuild this culture and educate ourselves, weare asking that each college council conducta fraternal benefits night with your field agentor general agent. Your agent will take care ofthe programming. He has great informationto share beyond our insurance products, andall of our brother agents are full-time em-ployees and active members who have a pas-sion for Father Mcgivney’s mission forfamilies.

This year, these fraternal benefits nightsmay be counted as a “family” program for

your Columbian award applications. YourKnights of Columbus insurance program willprotect your future families.

as a college council you are not alone. ourefforts over the next fraternal year will be tohelp you take full advantage of the collegecouncils support team. as part of our work,our team visits with councils throughout theyear. our goal is that each council receives anofficial visitation once every three years.Whenever possible, we’d like to visit with thecouncil over the course of a meeting or activ-ity. additionally, our staff is working hard toproduce a new line of promotional and re-cruiting materials for your use on campus.

as you focus on the growth of your collegecouncil throughout this year, we’d like to hearfrom you. Let us know what you think wouldhelp you to promote the Knights of Colum-bus at your school. encourage your councilofficers to contact College Coordinatorrobert rauch to explore future campus visitopportunities.

We look forward to our work together overthis next fraternal year. Through this com-mitment to growth we can build a betterworld, and through the work of our councilswe can continue to provide what Saint JohnPaul II called a “charity that evangelizes.”

LESSONS, from Page 2

GROWTH, from Page 3

An outstanding college council not only knows and acceptsthese challenges, but faces this task with a sense of dedica-tion and determination that elevates the entire Order and promotes a new Catholic evangelization on its campus.While many college councils demonstrated impressiveachievements this year, one council showed exceptional distinction and was named Outstanding College Council.Members of this council were marked by a strong desire tooffer public witness to their faith, a commitment to service,and a wide variety of charitable activities.In addition to making major improvements to the council’scommunications and on-campus promotion, this councilmaintains its own First and Second degree teams, allowing itto bring in new members and advance them in the Order. This helped the council achieve Double Star status with 48new members and nine new insurance members. Upon graduation from the university, members are given a Knightsof Columbus medal to wear on their robes and are encour-aged to become active in councils in their new communities. The council sponsors a biweekly discernment group direct -ed by Knights and their chaplain that meets for prayer anddiscussion focusing on the call to a vocation. Included in thisprogram is a yearly weekend retreat led by the chaplain formembers discerning priesthood or religious life. Over thepast three years, seven council members have entered intoreligious or priestly formation.

To provide the greatest level of service to the community, the council conducted two "week of service" events during the school year.These included making more than 200 sandwiches for a soup kitchen, providing food deliveries to homeless people, visiting senior citizens in nursing homes and tutoring children at an afterschool program. Members of the university community were also invited tojoin the Knights in these activities.The council hosted the annual college footballgame held with the other college councils in itsarea. The council fielded a 45-member team andprovided refreshments afterward for the morethan 100 participants in the game.While helping to organize and operate the campus Relay for Life event, this outstandingcouncil raised $3,350 for the American CancerSociety.This council’s members are active in organizing The National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, held the evening prior to the annualMarch for Life. The Knights lead more than 150student volunteers to assist the approximately10,000 pilgrims that attend the vigil.To help promote a culture of life on campus, the council sponsored a presentation by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori entitled “Being Proactively Pro-Life in Today’sSociety.” The event was attended by over 100 people. These activities are just a sampling of the programs run by this outstanding council.In recognition of their exemplary accomplishments and service, this year’s Outstanding College Council Award was presented to Council 9542 at The Catholic University of America.

Pope Francis reminds us that “without fraternity, it is impossible to build a just society.”He called upon Catholics to cast aside the growing “globalization of indifference” and instead to build “a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.”Members of the Knights of Columbus show that they accept and care for those in need through their charitableactivity that is renowned worldwide, made more effectiveby the support of their fraternal brotherhood.College Knights also know that care for their brothers and those in need is their mission. Despite being facedwith many obstacles, their challenge is to foster a culture oflife on their campus and to strive, by their actions, to builda civilization of love..

OUTSTANDING COLLEGE COUNCIL AWARD

COLLEGE COUNCIL AWARDS

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The Star Council Award recognizes outstanding achievement in membership, insurance and service program activities. To be eligible to earn the Star Council Award, a council mustqualify for the Father McGivney Award (achieved membership quota), Founder’s Award (achieved insurance membership quota) and Columbian Award (conducted and reported at leastfour major programs in each of the Service Program categories).This year the College Council program had 20 Star Council Award winners. Each of these councils has demonstrated a commitment to our Columbian principles and exceeded theOrder’s goals for its Knights. Many of these councils received their award at the annual Awards Banquet during the College Councils Conference. The following are the recipients of this year’s Star, Double Star and Triple Star awardees:

STAR COUNCIL• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Council 2782• St. Gregory’s University Council 5354 in Oklahoma• North Dakota State University Council 9126• University of Maryland Council 13295• Mexico DF Council 14104 in Mexico City, Mexico• Georgia Institute of Technology Council 14496• Grand Valley State University Council 14586 in Michigan• University of Utah Council 14764• University of Northern Iowa Council 14987• University of Houston Council 15105

DOUBLE STARThe following councils have achieved 200 percent of their net membershipgoal in addition to completing the requirements for Star Council, earningthem the Double Star Council status:

• The Catholic University of America Council 9542 in D.C.• Oklahoma State University Council 11135• University of Virginia Council 11324• Drake University Council 14977 in Iowa• South Dakota State University Council 15457

TRIPLE STARThe following councils have achieved 300 percent of their net membership goal in addition to completing the requirementsfor Star Council, earning them the Triple Star Council status:

• St. Peter’s University Council 7913 in New Jersey• The University of St. Thomas Council 11949 in Minnesota• West Visayas State University Council 15029 in La Paz, Philippines • University of Kentucky Council 15424• University of Texas – El Paso Council 15727

Every college council should aim to be a Star Council during this fraternal year. The requirements can be found on our website at www.kofc.org/star.

STAR COUNCILS

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CHURCH ACTIVITY AWARDThe Knights of Council 2782 at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., fostered thedevelopment of a seminarian in need by supporting a brother Knight from their owncouncil. With the help of a local restaurant, they held a dinner fundraiser for their fellowcouncil member as well as all priests, sisters and deacons of the St. John’s CatholicNewman Center. The dinner was also opened  to the Catholic community as a show ofappreciation. The restaurant donated 20 percent of all proceeds to seminarian GregMorehouse to cover some of his tuition debt as he continues with his studies for thepriesthood. Appropriately, the dinner fundraiser was held on April 27, 2014, the canonization of Saint John XXIII and Saint John Paul II.

(Grand Knight Christopher Simon accepted both the Church Activity Award and the Highest Net Gain in Insurance Membership Award on behalf of Council 2782.)

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY AWARDOnce a month, members of Council 6375 at Georgetown University in Washington,D.C., gathered in the early morning hours so that the less fortunate could awaken to amore compassionate day. Meeting at 5 a.m., they prepared hot coffee and premadesandwiches to distribute to the homeless of the community. The project, titled “GratePatrol,” involved teams of seven Knights who drove to areas where the homeless weretypically found sleeping on heating grates. Both the council and those they served mu-tually benefited from the initiative, each attaining a sense of dignity and gratitudethrough the conversations and kindnesses they shared. By personalizing the image ofpoverty, the Knights learned to understand the plight of those in need and to stand insolidarity with their struggles.

(Deputy Grand Knight Louis Cona accepting the Community Activity Award on behalf of Council 6375.)

COUNCIL ACTIVITY AWARDThe brother Knights of Council 14188 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., intheir project titled “Holy Family Society,” practiced the calling of intellectual and spiri-tual development through weekly catechesis and enrichment meetings. The group dis-cussed readings from the Luke E. Hart Series on the Catechism of the Catholic Churchand the writings of saints such as St. John of the Cross and St. Ignatius of Loyola. Theprogram has been successful in developing the hearts, minds and spirits of its mem-bers through this intentional and organized effort, allowing all to grow in faith, disciple-ship and fraternal fellowship.

(Grand Knight Curtis St. Pierre accepting this year’s Council Activity Award on behalf of Council 14188.)

FAMILY ACTIVITY AWARDAt the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, the Knights of Council 15105 workcontinuously to assist families struggling under difficult circumstances. At Casa JuanDiego, a shelter for immigrants who have made their way to Houston, these Knightsvolunteer with other young adult groups throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to help families make the transition to their new lives.Once a month, they lend a hand with duties such as cleaning, gardening, painting andsorting donations. By taking on this labor, staff and volunteers with specialized skill setsare able to focus on higher-end activities — for instance, family and medical care. Asthe council members have stated, “It isn’t glamorous, but being a Knight isn’t alwaysabout being in shining armor.”

(Grand Knight Anthony Austria accepting the Family Activity Award on behalf of Council 15105.)

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CULTURE OF LIFE ACTIVITY AWARDAs part of their campus Respect Life Week, the Knights of Council 1477 at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind., worked with their campus Right to Lifegroup to organize and set up a simple and symbolic cemetery of crosses and flags illustrating the devastation of abortion.In the tradition of knighthood, these brothers took it upon themselves to keep an all-night vigil, taking shifts to pray the rosary and deter vandalism, since the display was set up in a prominent location accessible to the surrounding community. Understanding the importance of a public witness that is proudly pro-life, theseKnights — many in Fourth Degree regalia — openly demonstrated their commitmentand respect for the unborn through their prayerful solidarity.

(Grand Knight Colin Devine accepting the Culture of Life Activity Award on behalf of Council 1477.)

YOUTH ACTIVITY AWARDThe Knights of Council 15064 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., tookit upon themselves to help a local school in desperate need of window repairs. Havingno funding to put aside for basic cleaning, to say nothing of costly replacements, theelementary school had gone for decades without the necessary repairs. Knowing thatthese broken and cracked windows created a safety hazard for students, the Knightsrolled up their sleeves and assisted when no one else would.The blessing of such work comes from its visibility; each newly restored window bearswitness to the work these brother Knights so enthusiastically provided. The brotherKnights offered a model of charity and hard work to the school’s youth, showing themthat even the smallest effort can build a better community.

(Grand Knight Matthew DePaula accepting the Youth Activity Award on behalf of Council 15064.)

MEMBERSHIP AND INSURANCE AWARDSRecruiting new members is essential to the continued growth and success of everycouncil in the Order. This is especially true in college councils, as graduating membersleave campus annually to seek employment, further their education and join newparishes. Offering a college man membership in the Knights of Columbus gives himthe lifelong opportunity to improve his own life, his faith and his community.With a net gain of 66 new members, we are pleased to present the award for the Highest Net Gain in Membership to Council 14534 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

(Grand Knight Will Gurzynski accepting the Highest Net Gain in Membership Award for Council 14534’s achievement in membership recruitment.)

This year’s award for Highest Percent Gain in Membership was presented to Council7913 at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, N.J., having increased their membership by37.5 percent.With 13 new insurance members, the award for the Highest Net Gain in InsuranceMembership was presented to Council 2782 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This is their second consecutive year as our insurance leaders.The award for Highest Percentage Gain in Insurance Membership was presented toCouncil 7913 at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, N.J., for a 21.8 percent gain in in-surance membership. 

(Grand Knight Nicholas Chciuk accepted the Highest Percent Gain in Membership Award as well as the Highest Percent Gain in

Insurance Membership Award for Council 7913’s achievements.) 11

Campus Reminders

March for Life Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015March with college Knights from across the country.Visit www.kofc.org/college for more information, including details about our meeting point, Vigil Massand Cardinal O’Connor Conference.

Fraternal Benefits NightSchedule a Fraternal Benefits Night with your field agent tolearn more about the Order’s legacy and the newly launchedYoung Adult Insurance program designed specifically foryou. All councils should invite their field agent to generalbusiness meetings and schedule a Fraternal Benefits Night at least once a year. If you need help contacting your fieldagent, please visit www.kofc.org/findagent.

Campus VisitsSupreme Council staff regularly visits college councils formeetings and events. We aim to visit every campus at leastonce every three years. If your council has an upcomingevent or could benefit from our presence at a meeting,please let us know. We are now beginning to fill our calendars for Spring 2015 as well as Fraternal Year 2015-2016. Contact us today at college@kofc.org.

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