KNIGHT’S LIFELINE Published by the Knights of Columbus Office of Pro-life, Marriage and Family Values

2011 MARCH FOR LIFE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

More than one hundred thousand people who support life are expected to travel to the nation’s capital on Monday, January 24, 2011 for the March

for Life. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v.

Wade abortion decision in 1973, Knights of Columbus have marched for life on or near the anniversary of that infamous court decision. The night before, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, will be the national Mass for Life. Encourage council members and their families to attend. Help students from local Catholic high schools to pay for the trip on your council’s bus, or, help to pay for chartered buses from their schools. Tens of thousands of students are present each year, and they go home to influence their peers to be pro-life, and to join, or start, pro-life groups when they go to college. More March for Life

information is available at www.marchforlife.com. While in the capital, plan to visit your senator and congressman about the life issues.

WALK FOR LIFE – WEST COAST

K OF C SPONSORS YOUTH RALLY IN 2011!

If you live in the western part of the United States, plan to attend the 7th Annual Walk for Life –

West Coast, which will go from Justin Herman Plaza to the Marina Green in San Francisco on Saturday, January 22, 2011. For more information, go to www.walkforlifewc.com. A new feature in 2011 will be the first annual Youth Rally, with the Knights of Columbus serving as the Grand Sponsor. The Youth Rally will immediately follow the Walk for Life, from 3-5:30 PM, at Fort Mason Center.

NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE - CANADA

The National March for Life will be held in Ottawa, Thursday, May 12, 2011. For more information, see www.campaignlifecoalition.com.

MARCH FOR LIFE – PHILIPPINES

The March for Life in the Philippines will be held simultaneously in each of the three jurisdictions on Saturday, March 20. Whichever March or Walk for life you attend, stand with other pro-life people as a witness to the inestimable value of the life of every human being. It will be an experience you will never forget!

“WINNING THE WAR OF WORDS”

FLYER NOW AVAILABLE

A new flyer, “Winning the War of Words” (#2275), offers rebuttals to pro- abortion arguments. The flyer starts with the “pro- choice” position to show that abortion is the choice of neither the unborn child, nor, in the vast majority of cases, the choice of the woman. Simply put, the majority of women obtain abortions because they see, and are given, no other choice, even, in some cases, to the point of being physically forced to obtain an abortion under threat of violence. The flyer refutes the argument for abortion in cases of rape and incest, citing the testimony of women who have actually been in those situations. The flyer ends with a description of the physical development of the unborn child and the conclusion that an unborn child is not only a “human being,” but a human “person” as well. The flyer may be ordered from the Supply Department.

BILLS WOULD RESTRICT ABORTION

FUNDING AND PROTECT CONSCIENCE

Two bills currently pending in the United States Congress would both apply Hyde Amendment-type restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion. The first bill, the bipartisan Protect Life Act

(H.R. 5111), sponsored by Reps. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) and Joseph Pitts (R-PA), would apply the Hyde Amendment restrictions on abortion to the new national health care program. The bill would also extend to the new health care program needed conscience clause protections that have long existed in other federal health programs. The other bill is the No Taxpayer Funding of

Abortion Act (H.R. 5939), authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), which would establish Hyde Amendment-type restrictions on taxpayer funding of abortions throughout the federal government.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

A people of Life

and for Life

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Rather than needing to apply Hyde-type restrictions annually to various spending bills, this bill would permanently apply to all federal funding bills. This bill would also codify the Hyde/Weldon amendment that has ensured that federal agencies and state and local governments that receive federal funds do not discriminate against health care providers because they do not perform or provide abortions. Thus, the bill would protect hospitals, doctors and nurses from being forced to stop providing legitimate health care because they cannot in conscience participate in destroying a developing human life.

PRO-LIFE/MARRIAGE DVDS AVAILABLE

A People of Life is the story of the pro-life movement in North America and the role the Knights of Columbus has played for over four decades in the effort to replace a culture of death with a culture of life. It examines threats to human life and dignity – from abortion and embryonic stem cell research to euthanasia. It is a guide to what it will take to succeed and is a call to every Catholic to embrace and advance the cause of life. Produced by the Canadian Salt and Light Catholic satellite television network, this video runs 53 minutes and features interviews with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, March for Life founder Nellie Gray, Project Rachel founder Vicki Thorn, Congressmen Chris Smith, Life Athletes President Chris Godfrey, and many more. Order a copy for your council!

Changing Hearts (running time - 14 minutes, 30 seconds) presents real testimonies from state and local K of C officials, pregnancy care center workers, and pregnant women themselves, about the effect an ultrasound image can have on changing a woman’s intention to abort her unborn child to instead choose life. In the words of several people in the video, an ultrasound image helps a woman to “see her baby for the first time” through a “window to the womb” in a way that is “changing hearts one woman at a time.” Changing Hearts is available on DVD. It may also be viewed, downloaded or copied at www.kofc.org/ultrasound. Show Changing Heartsat state or local council meetings, on local cable station public access channels, or add it or link it to your council’s web site.

Vocation to Marriage (29 minutes) presents the teaching of the Church regarding Christian marriage and family, for those preparing for marriage, and for inspiration and renewal of those already married.

Made for Each Other portrays how man and woman complement each other in marriage. This DVD was produced by the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, a division of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Secretariat of Evangelization and Catechesis, and was funded by the Knights of Columbus. Each of the DVDs is available for free from the Department of Fraternal Services by calling 203-752-4270. There is a shipping charge of $3 for one or two DVDs, $5 for three to five DVDs, $1 each for six or more. The shipping charge for the People of Life and Made for Each Other DVDs is $5 each.

RESPECT LIFE MATERIALS The Supreme Council Supply Department has a number of respect life materials that are available free of charge, except for the shipping.

Item No. Title 1757 - Pregnant? Need Help? - Birthright flyer 1938 - Defend Life - billboard use only (10' x 20') 2072 - Pray the Rosary to End Abortion-prayer card 2073 - Pray the Rosary to End Abortion - poster 2275 - Winning the War of Words -flyer 4237 - Celebrate the Gospel of Life - prayer card 4238 - Celebrate the Gospel of Life - poster 4465 - Prayer for the Unborn - prayer card 4795 - People of Life – flyer 4804 - People of Life – poster 4863 - Culture of Life Fund – flyer 4921 - Development of the Unborn Child – flyer 9856 - National Prayer for Life - prayer card

Distribute posters, flyers and prayer cards in parishes, schools, or anywhere they can help to spread the message of respect for life. Orders for flyers, posters, prayer cards, Catholic Information Service booklets and other supplies may be sent on Requisition Form (#1), signed by the grand knight or financial secretary, to:

Knights of Columbus, Supply Department PO Box 1670, New Haven, CT 06507-0901 Or, from the U.S. or Canada, fax it to 1-800-266-6340. Allow four weeks to ensure delivery. Supply order questions? Call 203-752-4214.

CULTURE OF LIFE FUND The purpose of the Culture of Life Fund,

established in 2008 by a vote of the delegates to the Supreme Convention held in Quebec City, is to help in the building of a culture of life that Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have so strongly urged. Each council is assessed $2 per Knight annually to support the Culture of Life Fund.

Matching funds distributed by the Supreme Council office for the Ultrasound Initiative come from the Culture of Life Fund. So far, about $1,000,000 from this fund has been used to match an equal amount of $1,000,000 that has been raised by state and local councils to purchase 64 ultrasound machines for pregnancy care centers.

The Fund also provides major funding for the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), which was co-founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus to build a culture of life in Canada.

It is vital that every council contribute its share to assure that the Culture of Life Fund stays fully funded to support the programs listed above, as well as to provide funding for The National Life Center, the Sisters of Life, Birthright International, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and state pro-life and pro-family referenda campaigns.

Every member is encouraged to make such additional voluntary contributions to the fund as his personal resources may permit.

CATHOLIC INFORMATION SERVICE (CIS)

CIS has available booklets and podcasts about a number of pro-life issues. Booklets are $1.00 each, with bulk discounts available.

Item No. Title

121 – The Essence of Catholic Morality122 – Human Nature as the Basis of Morality 123 – Fundamental Principles of Catholic Morality 127 – The Fifth Commandment – Moral Issues of Life and Death 302 – The Morality of Capital Punishment 311 – Dating – A Practical Catholic Guide 314 – Catholic Sexual Ethics 321 – Some Lessons from Genesis 323 – Blessed are the Pure of Heart – A Pastoral Letter on the Dignity of the Human Person and the Dangers of Pornography 325 – Coping with Suicide – Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Response 326 – Understanding Stem Cell Research – Controversy and Promise 330 – The Child - Begotten Not Made 348 – God’s Story of Creation

CIS booklets can be ordered at www.kofc.org/cis. Podcasts are also available there.

RESPECT LIFE PROGRAMMING IDEAS

Baby Bottle Boomerang – Obtain from a local pregnancy care center, or purchase, enough baby bottles to distribute to the parishioners in your parish. Ask parishioners to take the bottles home, fill the bottles with their loose change, and return the filled bottles for collection before Mass in three or four weeks. Arrange with your local bank to sort, count, and accept the coins (without a fee), for deposit in the council’s account. Present a check for the donated amount to a local pregnancy center.

Presents for Baby Jesus – During Advent, ask your parish religious education director to distribute a flyer to all students, asking them to bring baby items, such as clothing, diapers, wipes, bottles, toys, etc. to the last class before Christmas. Donate the items to a local pregnancy care center.

40 Week Parish Bulletin Program – Beginning on the weekend following March 25th, place a short clip in your parish bulletin each week for 40 weeks, describing the stage of development an unborn child, such as Jesus, would have reached each week during the nine months from the Feast of the Annunciation until Christmas (i.e. - Week 4 – The heart has regular beats, arms and legs are forming, etc.). Go to www.kofc.org, “Development of the Unborn Child,” in the “Culture of Life” section to obtain the 40 weekly bulletin inserts.

FIRST STEP TO TAKE FOR

ULTRASOUND INITIATIVE GRANTS

To participate in the Ultrasound Initiative, first present to the diocesan pro-life director a copy of the Diocesan Evaluation form (#9884) to ascertain if a pregnancy care center (PCC) selected by the council may be included in the program. The completed Diocesan Evaluation form should be submitted to the Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family Values, Knights of Columbus, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326. After reviewing the Diocesan Evaluation form, the Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family Values will notify the council that the PCC is qualified to be included in the program, provided that the council and the PCC will also meet the other criteria set forth in the Ultrasound Initiative Guidelines

(#4885), the Frequently Asked Questions (#4874), and the Ultrasound Initiative application (#4886). The Diocesan Evaluation instructions (#9885), the Diocesan Evaluation form, and the other items referenced above are all available at www.kofc.org/ultrasound.

ULTRASOUND INITIATIVE GRANTS

Supreme Council grants from the Culture of Life Fund, each representing 50% of the cost of purchasing an ultrasound machine, have been approved to match funds raised by the following councils for the pregnancy care centers indicated:

Fr. Michael J. McGivney Council 10705 Manto de Guadalupe (Beverly Hills, CA)

St. Charles Council 12497 Fox Valley Pregnancy Center (St. Charles, IL)

Michigan State Council/Al Walters Council 3230 Family Life Services (Ypsilanti, MI)

Raymond G. Bennett Council 7289 Pregnancy Center and Clinic of the Low Country (Hilton Head, SC)

St. John Neumann Council 10836 The John Paul II Life Center (Austin, TX)

Phil Sheridan Council 2104 Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center (Sheridan, WY)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2010

October

1-31 - Respect Life Month November

2 – Election Day (U.S.) December

12 – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 25 – Christmas

2011

January

22 - Walk for Life -West Coast - San Francisco 24 - March for Life - Washington, D.C. March

20 - March for Life - Philippines 25 - Feast of the Annunciation - K of C Day of the Unborn Child April

24 - Easter May

8 - Mothers Day 12 - National March for Life - Ottawa