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

A s chaplains, our primary concern is for the spiritual welfare ofour members.

I marvel at the impressive manner in which our Knights under-take their routine of charitable endeavors. One that especiallycomes to mind is a council I know of that lists and updates all thecommitments of each Knight, including their involvement in theirparish, town and other areas. The figures they compile are really

quite impressive. (As aside note here, I urge everychaplain to make surethat his council hassubmitted the AnnualSurvey of Fraternal Activity (#1728), and ifthe council has not done

so, to complete and send it immediately. The information from theseforms is vital to fully document the good works of our Order.)

Along these lines, I would dare say that if the parish priest wereto list all his activities, “impressive” would hardly be an adequateterm to convey the full scope of his responsibilities. Many of ourcouncil members fully understand the nature of parish priests’ du-ties and are at their disposal to aid them in all parish activities aswell as support them in whatever they may request of the Knightsin order to lighten their burden.

Because of their many commitments, chaplains cannot alwaysparticipate in the council meetings. Maybe they can only do so onrare occasions. We are praying and working to make our faith for-mation program take root as an integral part of our council meet-ings. For that to be fully realized, we need a change of mentality.

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

Members’ Spiritual Welfare: A Chaplain’s Main Concern

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

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

SEE COMMITMENT, PAGE 3

POPE JOHN PAUL II

P ope Benedict XVI announced the opening of the cause for saint-hood of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyta, d.

April 2, 2005), on May 13, 2005. On Dec. 19, 2009, Pope Benedictdeclared that John Paul lived a life of “heroic virtue” or holiness, andthat the Church considers the late pope as “Venerable.”

This important step allows for Pope John Paul II to be beatified afterthe Congregation for the Causes of Saints certifies a miracle throughhis intercession.

The Knights of Columbus enjoyed a long and close relationship withPope John Paul II, who reigned from 1978 to 2005. Supreme KnightCarl A. Anderson issued the following statement on behalf of the

Knights of Columbus regarding the Vaticanpronouncements on Pope John Paul II andalso Father Jerzy Popieluszko:

Knights Rejoice over ‘Venerable’ Declaration;Sainthood Cause Advances

Pope John Paul II greets then-Cardinal JosephRatzinger in this photo dated Oct. 22, 1978.Thirty-one years later, this photo would take onspecial significance with Pope Benedict XVI’sdeclaration of PopeJohn Paul II as‘Venerable.’

SEE DECLARATIONS, PAGE 4

L 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

L'Osservatore Romano

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.

N ot long ago, a parishioner said to me that she just didn’t see theneed to go to Mass every Sunday. “I go to Mass once in a

while, when I think it will help me,” she said. Unfortunately, manypeople who consider themselves faithful Catholics share this attitude,

an attitude that is not pro-portionate to the gift andmystery of the Eucharist.

The Compendium of theCatechism of the CatholicChurch offers a brief sum-mary of this great mysteryof faith: “The Eucharist is

the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus. ...” It is notmerely a reminder that Christ offered his Body and Blood for oursake; rather, it is that offering. Jesus himself instituted the Eucharist “toperpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his re-turn in glory” (Compendium, 271). The Eucharist, the heart of theChurch’s life, is the banquet and living memorial of Christ’s sacrifice.When we worthily partake of the Eucharist, we participate even nowin God’s own life.

THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNIONGathered with his Apostles, Jesus entrusted the Eucharist to the

Church at the Last Supper. At every Mass, the priest repeats and re-enacts the words by which the Lord instituted the Eucharist: “Take thisand eat it, all of you; this is my Body which will be given for you. ...Take this and drink of this, all of you. This is the cup of my Blood, theBlood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you andfor all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me” (273).

We hear these words so often, but do we realize their significance? Since the Eucharist re-presents (makes present again) the death and

resurrection of Christ, it contains the entire spiritual wealth of theChurch. It brings us into union (communion) with the Trinity andwith one another. It puts us in touch with the great liturgy of heaven,

that utterly joyous and eternal worship of God for which we weremade and for which our hearts long (274, 287).

The more we think about what the Eucharist actually is, the less“optional” it seems! The very names used to describe the Eucharist re-mind us of its centrality. For example, the word “Eucharist” refers tothe thanksgiving we owe to God. The phrase “Holy Mass” speaks toour mission to bring Christ into our daily lives. The Scriptures refersto the Eucharist as the “Breaking of Bread” — a sharing in the Body ofthe Lord that makes us one. Lastly, “Holy Communion” tells us thatthe Eucharist unites us to the Trinity, to the saints and angels inheaven, and to one another in the Church here on earth (275).

In this Year for Priests, let us remember that the Eucharist is at thevery heart of the priesthood. Only a validly ordained priest or bishopwho acts in the person of Christ and in the name of the Church canoffer the Eucharist (278). Through ordination, the priest is conformedto Christ — the great high priest — so that he can re-enact Christ’s

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONSWHAT IS THE EUCHARIST and why did Jesus Christ institute it? In what way is the celebration of Mass related to Christ’s passion, death andresurrection?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE VARIOUS NAMES given to the Blessed Sacrament, and why are they significant?

IN WHAT WAY IS THE EUCHARIST prefigured in the Passover of the Old Testament?

HOW IS THE REAL PRESENCE of the Eucharist different than other kinds of Christ’s presence, such as in the worshipping community, the priestand the proclamation of the Scriptures at Mass? (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1374)

WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR WORTHY RECEPTION of Holy Communion and what are the fruits of this reception?

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.

Bishop William E. LoriSupreme Chaplain

SEE EUCHARIST, PAGE 3

LOVING THE EUCHARIST

COMPENDIUM QUESTIONS: 271-294

We Must Grow in Understanding of and Reverence for the Gift of the Holy Eucharist

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

CHAPLAIN’S REPORT

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

words and deeds.We also should not forget that the Eucharist

was prefigured in the Passover. When Jesusgathered with his Apostles in the Upper Room,they celebrated a Passover meal that commem-orated the deliverance of the people of Israelfrom the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of thePromised Land. This deliverance foreshadowedthe great deliverance we experience at the Eu-charist: from the slavery of sin to the freedomof the new life of grace that Christ won for us.

THE REAL PRESENCEEach time the Eucharist is celebrated, Jesus’

sacrifice is truly made present: “The sacrifice ofthe cross and the sacrifice of the Eucharist areone and the same sacrifice” (280). Christ isboth the priest and the victim. While his sacri-fice on the cross occurred in a bloody manner,the Eucharist is offered in an unbloody man-ner, through the signs of bread and wine(279).

Jesus makes his sacrifice of love available tous so we can offer our lives — our joys, sor-rows and daily work — in union with him tothe Father as an acceptable sacrifice of praise. Itis the most perfect prayer that we can offer forour loved ones and for all the living and thedead.

We can understand our need for the Eu-charist by focusing on how Christ is present“in a true, real and substantial way, with hisBody and his Blood, his Soul and his Divinity”

(282). Indeed, the Church has coined a wordto describe the complete transformation ofbread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood:“transubstantiation” (283).

This leads us to reflect on the respect weowe the eucharistic species, the bread and winetransformed into Christ’s Body and Blood.Christ is present, whole and entirely in eachparticle of the host and in each drop of thePrecious Blood. The eucharistic species shouldtherefore be treated with reverence and greatcare. Since Christ is truly and substantiallypresent, we worship the Eucharist both duringMass and outside of Mass.

Given the beauty and centrality of this sub-lime gift, the Church rightly obliges us to takepart in Mass each Sunday. While we areobliged to receive Communion at least once ayear, during the Easter season, the Church en-courages frequent reception (289, 290). To re-ceive worthily, we must be members of theCatholic Church and be in the state of grace. Ifwe are aware of any mortal sins we have com-mitted, we should first receive the sacrament ofpenance. We should also prepare our hearts toreceive our Lord in the Eucharist by prayerfulrecollection and by fasting one hour beforeMass. Finally, we should show respect for theEucharist by our prayerful demeanor and ap-propriate dress when attending Mass.

In each of these ways, let us embrace in lovethis great mystery of faith.

EUCHARIST, FROM PAGE 2 CIS BOOKLET:

The EucharistThe source and summit of the Chris-tian life, the sacramental center forCatholics, is the holy Eucharist.When Jesus initially taught crowds ofpeople about the holy Eucharist,many of them left (Jn 6:60). Today,

the ques-tion stillcomes tous: “willyou also goaway?” (Jn6:67). Isthe holyEucharistactually asacrifice?Should

we worship the Eucharist? Produced by the Order’s Catholic In-formation Service (CIS), this bookletis part of the Luke E. Hart Seriesbased on the Catechism of theCatholic Church. To get your free copy or listen to it in MP3 format, visit the CIS Web site,www.kofc.org/hart. (Also avail-able in French and Spanish.) Requesta printed copy by writing: CIS, POBox 1971, New Haven, CT 06521-1971.

In the past, there have been some commentsamong councils that the chaplain does not at-tend their meeting. In turn, chaplains have re-sponded that the meeting is purely a businessaffair which must be executed within thequickest possible time frame.

The change of mentality required for thespiritual formation portion of our meetings togrow is for the council leaders to put the busi-ness agenda aside for 10 or 15 minutes andaddress a necessary updating of their under-standing and knowledge of the content oftheir faith.

I can almost hear the groans from here inNew Haven! This will prolong the meeting,and it is long enough already, some will say.Possibly, but in fact I make no apology forthat because I sincerely believe the benefits of

doing this will far outweigh the minimal extratime commitment: v If the chaplain knows that this is a normal

part of the meeting, he will make an effortto schedule time to come to attend even ifit is inconvenient for him.

v If the members accept this as being a nor-mal part of the agenda, they have all themore reason to continually invite the chap-lain to participate, and maybe even insist alittle that he come!

v Our councils will be known as being seri-ous about their faith, and of course thismust have an effect on Knights’ families aswell.Actually, I believe that our membership will

increase if we attend more to our faith andspiritual formation. Some have told me thatthey dropped out of the Knights because ofthe lack of any serious treatment of matters of

faith at the meetings. The meetings are bor-ing, they say! So, let’s liven them up. Let’s putsome Spirit into them. Let’s have some spiri-tual uplift and allow the Spirit to guide us.Yes, let’s have a new mentality and there willsurely be a difference in who we are as Knightsand in what we do as brothers. The time isripe and the material is at hand.

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

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

COMMITMENT, FROM PAGE ONE

“The Knights of Columbus welcomes thedeclaration of John Paul II as Venerable and of Father Jerzy Popieluszko as a mar-tyr. Both men were willing to lay downtheir lives for their sheep,and for speaking thetruth of the dignity of

their fellow man. John Paul was shot forhis efforts, and Father Jerzy was killed.But as our members in Poland know well,the heroism of these men and countlessothers helped to create the Europe weknow today, a Europe in which the ironcurtain has fallen and opportunity forboth individuals and evangelization isnow possible. It is important that, true tothe legacy of these men, we continue ourefforts to evangelize our neighbors, bringthe Gospel back to Europe, and strive tocreate a just society in which the rights ofevery human person are recognized.”

Additionally, Supreme Knight Ander-son issued a statement regarding the mir-acle for the cause of Blessed AndréBessette:“The Knights of Columbus share inCanada’s joy over the approval of a mir-acle in the cause for canonization ofBlessed André Bessette. Brother André is

a shining example for the Knights and allCatholics in Canada of faith, humilityand charity to those most in need. By al-lowing himself to be the instrument ofGod, he touched the lives of thousands ofpeople. May we always follow in his foot-steps of faith, humility, devotion to St.Joseph, and charity to his neighbors.”

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 CLUB DISCUSSES: The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion, and Culture(The Crossroad Publishing Company)

Join Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and Cardinal Francis George OMI, Archbishop of Chicago,for an online discussion of the cardinal’s first book. The work explores our relationship with God, theresponsibility of community and the transformation of culture. The discussion will be held on Feb. 26at 5 p.m. EST.

Visit www.kofc.org to submit your questions online and to take part in the discussion. Findarchived book club discussions at www.kofc.org/bookclub.

DECLARATIONS, FROM PAGE ONE

CNS file photo

Left: Father Jerzy Popieluszko. Right: Blessed AndréBessette

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