Pope Benedict XVI ordaining a new priest during Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 29, 2007.

The pope pleaded for vocations worldwide as he marked the annual celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters

S tarting with this issue, Chaplain’s Reportis being mailed to all state deputies and

district deputies of record. This is to ensurethat as leaders you are aware of the initiativesbeing discussed in this newsletter and canhelp to share them with your councils. Also,encourage all officers and Knights to visitwww.kofc.org/newsletters where theycan find hyperlinked, full-color versions ofthis and other publications.

‘A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE’Our past issues of Chaplain’s Report have

generated some positive reactions from itsaudience. A number of chaplains have eithercalled or written letting us know that theyhave implemented some of the ideas publi-cized in the newsletter — especially regardingthe emphasis on spiritual developmentthrough programs conducted during councilmeetings — and that they are happy with theresults.

This emphasis on spiritual development atcouncil meetings has not yet reached all ourchaplains, but it is our optimistic desire thatthrough the presence and inspiration of

chaplains there may be a new awakening ofhope and enthusiasm in our councils. Whatpastor would not delight in the knowledgethat the Knights of Columbus in his parishwere dedicated to the furthering of their un-derstanding and knowledge of their faith soas to be true Christ-like leaders within thecommunity? “Be not afraid” and “launch outinto the deep”!

As you know, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson has authored and co-authored a

CHAPLAIN’S reportL E A R N I N G T H E F A I T H , L I V I N G T H E F A I T H � 1 C O L U M B U S P L A Z A , N E W H A V E N , C T 0 6 5 1 0 - 3 3 2 6 U S A

M A R C H 2 0 1 0 � V O L U M E 3 � N U M B E R 3 � W W W . K O F C . O R G / C H A P L A I N S

O ne of the most important ways you can assist yourcouncil’s vocations committee is to ask council

members to initiate discussions, within their own families,pertaining to vocations to the priesthood and religious life.Our vocations promotion must begin in peoples’ homes tobe truly successful.

To that end, here are some activities you may want to askyour council to consider:v Speak about your own vocation at council meetings and

other council events.v Distribute vocations materials to council families. v Ask council families to pray the rosary for vocations on a

regular basis.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS In Service to One. In Service to Al l .

Father John P.Grace, O.S.A.Director of Chaplain Programs & Development

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

SEE CIVILIZATION, PAGE 3

SEE VOCATIONS, PAGE 4

Welcome Aboard

Vocations Materials AvailableTo help promote vocations, the Supreme Council offers a variety of vocations-related materials at no charge:

The DVD, Everyone Has A Vocation to Love, (#50046) includes theOrder’s four vocations titles: “The Vocation of the Laity,” “The Vocationto Marriage,” “The Vocation to the Priesthood” and “The Vocation toReligious Life for Women.” It also includes a 16-page study guide thatfeatures discussion questions, notes and memorable quotes fromeach segment.

Not to be Served, but to Serve (#827) is a booklet outlining the vari-ous religious vocations and how to begin one’s discernment jour-ney. The booklet contains accounts of personal experiences.

Columbia back cover Vocation Profiles (#4719) tell the stories ofthose who have answered the call, explaining their path to theseminary or religious formation, and the fulfillment they havefound in following God’s will. Packaged as a set of six 8-by-

10.75-inch posters, these are great for parish andschool bulletin boards.

Promoting VocationsAmong Families

SEE MATERIALS, PAGE 4

MEMBER SHIP IN THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics inunion with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live

in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

Visit www.kofc.org/chaplains to sign up to receive future issues of this newsletter via e-mail. Previous ssues are also archived at this site.

THIS MONTH’S TOPIC: (Based on the Compendium of the Catchism of the Catholic Church)

W hen he walked the earth, Jesusforgave sins and healed those

who were ill. He often linked the for-giveness of sins and physical healing, asin the case of the paralytic whose cure isrecounted in the second chapter ofMark’s Gospel. At other times, Jesus’ for-giveness was not linked to a physicalcure. In the eighth chapter of John’sGospel, for example, we read how Jesusforgave a woman caught in adultery. Be-cause he forgives sin and heals sickness,we rightly call Jesus the Divine Physi-cian. Rejoicing and giving thanks, theChurch continues the Lord’s work offorgiving and healing through the sacra-ments of reconciliation and anointing ofthe sick (Compendium, 295).

SEEKING FORGIVENESSThe sacrament of penance goes by several names: reconciliation,

confession, or the sacrament of forgiveness or conversion. These nameshighlight various aspects of the sacrament: It reconciles us to God andto the Church; it brings us God’s forgiveness; it is how we acknowl-edge our sins and repent; and it is a powerful means of conversion(296).

The experience of our imperfection readily illustrates why the Lordgave us this sacrament on that first Easter evening (298). Althoughbaptism gives us a new life of grace, a tendency toward sin, called“concupiscence,” remains as a result of the Fall. Mortal sin separates us

from God and damages our relationshipwith the Church. And venial sin, whilenot destroying our friendship with God,weakens our relationship with him andwith others. Through the Church andher ministry of reconciliation, Christ’scall to lifelong conversion is addressed tothe baptized (297, 299).

Although the season of Lent focuseson the need for repentance, our dailylives should always be marked by gen-uine sorrow for our sins. We manifest acontrite and humble heart when we fast,pray and give to those in need (cf. Ps.51:17).

If we commit a mortal sin, we areobliged to go to confession before receiv-ing Holy Communion (Compendium,305). Strictly speaking, we are notobliged to confess venial sins. Nonethe-less, we should regularly confess even ourvenial sins — sometimes called “devo-tional confession” — in order to resisttemptation and grow in virtue (306).

Sometimes, people hesitate to go toconfession because they have forgotten

how to do so. Thankfully, the Knights of Columbus publishes a step-by-step guide to the sacrament. There are several things that we, aspenitents, must do: make a careful examination of conscience, basedon the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes; make a sincere act ofcontrition; confess our sins to a priest — all mortal sins not yet con-fessed as well as venial sins; and fulfill the acts of penance that the con-fessor assigns (303-304). Note that contrition is perfect when it ismotivated only by love of God; it is imperfect if fear of just punish-ment is the motivation. Contrition also includes a firm resolve not tosin again and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION COMPENDIUM QUESTIONS: 295-320WHY DID CHRIST INSTITUTE the sacraments of penance and anointing of the sick? (See Compendium, 295)WHAT ARE SOME OF THE VARIOUS NAMES of the sacrament of reconciliation, and what do they each emphasize?WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE someone who is hesitant to go to confession, especially if they have been away from the sacrament for a

long time? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF CONTRITION, and why is it an essential aspect of reconciliation and conversion?WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE? What are the effects of anointing of the sick?

Bishop William E. LoriSupreme Chaplain

SEE ANOINTING , PAGE 3

Through the Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick, the Church Continues Christ’s Healing Ministry

THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

Sometimes, people

hesitate to go to

confession because

they have forgotten

how to do so.

Thankfully, the

Knights of Columbus

publishes a step-

by-step guide to

the sacrament.

CHAPLAIN’S REPORT

number of profound books. The first one, A Civilization of Love, hasrightly received much publicity. It has recently been translated intoItalian and released in Rome. On behalf of Pope Benedict XVI, Vati-can Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone issued a message re-garding the presentation of the book:

“The Supreme Pontiff directs his auspiciouswell wishes and hopes that this providential edi-torial initiative arouses a renewed fidelity inChrist and a generous evangelical witness. ...”

Is this not the goal toward which we are aspir-ing? Can we not take the initiative? Should wenot renew our own fidelity? Are we not beingasked to give true evangelical witness in a gener-ous manner?

Our faith is being challenged at every turn inthe public and political arenas. We are beingquestioned as to the very relevance of our Chris-tian faith. God himself is being debunked! We,as Knights, cannot stand by idly. We are men ofhope, looking for new opportunities to expressour Christianity as Knights.

During an online discussion regarding hisbook, Supreme Knight Anderson was asked,“how do we as Knights bring the realization ofyour writing into the Order?”

He replied: “This is part of the genius of Father McGivney, that hisorganization is so relevant today and so in tune with the pastoral mis-sion of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. One way would be for coun-cils to use the book for discussion purposes either in their councilmeetings or at the parish level.”

In a similar vein and in answer to another question, Supreme

Knight Anderson added: “One way is to discuss the principles in-cluded in the book and to encourage people to read it to further thatdiscussion. Of course, we must implement the challenges the booklays out in terms of living our faith in a very serious and loving way,and make sure that we as individuals are the building blocks of this

civilization of love.”It is a good thing that we are challenged, be-

cause such tests awaken us from the lethargythat can pervade our councils, especially if thereis a lack of true spirituality. The faith develop-ment of some of our councils is well under way.Some have said they would like to do more.Consider using A Civilization of Love as a way tochallenge your council’s membership to con-tinue building and strengthening their spiritual-ity.

May the good Lord grant us the grace to lookforward with faith, hope, love and conviction.May he abundantly bless all your efforts.

God bless and keep you all.

REV. JOHN P. GRACE, O.S.A.DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAIN

PROGRAMS & DEVELOPMENT

JOHN.GRACE@KOFC.ORG

(203) 752-4263

NOTE: The English language edition of a A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World is available in bothhard cover and paperback editions by visitingwww.kofc.org/books.

Since Christ entrusted the power to forgivesins to the Apostles and their successors, onlya bishop or priest can hear confessions. Bish-ops and priests act in the person of Christthrough the power of the Holy Spirit to grantthe Father’s forgiveness (307). Bound to ab-solute secrecy, they listen attentively and helppenitents open their hearts to the Lord’smercy, amend their lives, and grow in disci-pleship (309). A confessor can offer generalabsolution only “in cases of serious necessity”such as impending death or some graveemergency (311).

As the sacrament of penance brings aboutthe forgiveness of our sins, we are reconciledwith God and the Church. The eternal pun-ishment due to mortal sin is remitted, andsome of the temporal punishment due to sinis taken away. Temporal punishment is fur-ther remitted through prayers and goodworks to which indulgences are attached(312). This sacrament also brings us peace,

serenity, joy and strength for living theGospel.

HEALING THE SICKWe now turn to the second sacrament of

healing: anointing of the sick. As he healedthe sick, Jesus showed that he was ushering inthe kingdom of God and its victory over sin,suffering and death.

The Church continues the Lord’s compas-sionate care for the sick and dying in manyways. In many parts of the world, theChurch is the largest provider of medicalservices through its hospitals and clinics.Through anointing of the sick, celebratedonly by a priest or bishop, the Church minis-ters in the Lord’s name to those in danger ofdeath or those who begin “to be in danger ofdeath because of sickness or old age” (315-317). In the Latin rite, this sacrament is cele-brated by anointing the sick person with oilon the forehead and hands. In all cases, aprayer of the priest accompanies the anoint-ing (cf. Jas 5:14-15; Compendium, 318). If

possible, the person suffering from serious ill-ness should go to confession prior to beinganointed (316).

The sacrament of anointing unites the sickperson more closely to the suffering, deathand resurrection of Christ, and contributes tothe salvation of the patient and to the goodof the whole Church. This sacrament alsoprovides comfort, consolation, serenity andcourage to patients in their suffering. If thesick person is unable to go to confession, thissacrament brings about the forgiveness ofsins. If it is God’s will, it can also restore asick person to health. In every case, thissacrament prepares the recipient for everlast-ing life (319).

As we thank God for the gift of these twosacraments, may we pray for our own conver-sion and for the conversion of sinners every-where. May we also pray for those who areseriously ill, especially those who have askedfor our prayers.

CIVILIZATION, FROM PAGE ONE

Encourage Knights to join the Father McGivney Guild at www.fathermcgivney.org

ANOINTING, FROM PAGE 2

God himself is being debunked! We, as Knights,

cannot stand by idly.We are men of hope,

looking for new opportunities to

express our Christianity.

PUBLISHED 12 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SUPREME COUNCIL1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326 � 203-752-4264 � KNIGHTLINE@KOFC.ORG

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DNEW HAVEN CTPERMIT No. 400

CHAPLAIN’Sreport1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326

The Supreme Knight’s Book ClubDiscusses: Be a Man! ...By Father Larry Richards (Ignatius Press)

Join Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson andFather Larry Richards for an online discussionof the book “Be A Man! Becoming the Man GodCreated You to Be.” In this work, FatherRichards examines his years as a priest and personal experiences to recount his struggle tolearn true manhood and inspire other men to do the samewhile living their faith with courage. Visit www.kofc.org to submityour questions online and participate in the discussion, which takes placeMarch 30 at 5 p.m. EST. Find archived book club discussions atwww.kofc.org/bookclub.

CIS BOOKLETS:

PenanceChrist invites us to respond to evil,

first of all, with a serious examinationof conscience and the commitment topurify our lives. In effect, people andsocieties that live without ever ques-tioning themselves have ruin as theironly final destination. Conversion, on

the other hand, while not preserving one from problems, al-lows one to face them in a different way.

Holy Orders &Anointing of the Sick

This booklet deals with two sacra-ments: Holy Orders and the Anointingof the Sick. All baptized people arecalled to contribute to the work of sal-vation. In the Church, priests of JesusChrist are dedicated to the service ofcommunion. So what is a priest? The letter of Saint James saysthat if someone is sick we are to call the priest so that they canpray over the sick person anointing him or her with oil in thename of the Lord. What do we believe about the sacrament ofanointing?

Produced by the Order’s Catholic Information Service(CIS), these booklets are part of the Luke E. Hart Series basedon the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To get your free copiesor listen to them in MP3 format, visit the CIS Web site,www.kofc.org/hart. (Also available in Spanish.) Requestprinted copies by writing: CIS, PO Box 1971, New Haven,CT 06521-1971.

Order and distribute the “Prayer for Vocations/Prayer to Know One’s Vocation”prayer card (#1874); the full-color vocation bookmarks (featuring, respectively, PopeBenedict XVI [#4200], a religious brother [#4201], and a religious sister [#4202]);and the “Keep the Faith Alive” poster (#2959). Also available are the “Year forPriests” prayer cards (#4864), which are the centerpiece of the Order’s program forthis yearlong celebration (June 19, 2009 – June 19, 2010).

These items are all available from the Supreme Council Supply Department at nocharge. Please use a Requisition Form (#1) when ordering.

v Organize an annual vocations Mass for members and their families.v Ask families to adopt a seminarian/postulant/novice, to remember

him or her in their daily prayers, and to send cards on holidays andbirthdays.

v Establish a program where a chalice or other item moves from fam-ily to family, as a focal point to remind families to pray for vocationson a regular basis.

v Suggest that council families take time to write letters of encourage-ment to local seminarians/postulants/novices.

VOCATIONS, FROM PAGE ONE

MATERIALS, FROM PAGE ONE