Bishop William E. Lori as principal celebrant and homilist Mass Jan. 21 as

part of the 13th annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life held at Georgetown University prior to the 39th annual March for Life.

“It is not enough for us to be pro-life intellectually and politically,” Bishop Lori saidin his homily during the Saturday eveningMass. “We must embrace the Gospel of Lifein the depth of our souls in such a way that itcontinually transforms us: bringing us to ourknees in repentance for our own failuresagainst human dignity; filling us with joy andgratitude for God’s gift of human life; permeating our minds and hearts withbedrock convictions, born of faith and reason,about the inviolable dignity of human life atevery stage,” Bishop Lori said in his homily.

The conference has been held at Georgetown University since 2000 as a vehicle to connect and educate college andhigh school students from around the countryduring the days prior to the annual March forLife in Washington, D.C. The conference wasnamed for the late Archbishop of New York,His Eminence John Cardinal O’Connor, aGeorgetown alumnus, in recognition of hisdedication to defending the sacredness of allhuman life.

The annual conference is co-sponsored byGeorgetown University Council 6375.

On Jan. 22, the conference continued with a keynote address from Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.,of Philadelphia.

“The task you need to take home withyou today is this, never give up the strugglethat the March for Life embodies,” Archbishop Chaput told the conference attendees. “No matter how long it takes; nomatter how many times you march — it matters, eternally. Because of you, some youngwoman will choose life, and that new life willhave the love of God forever.”

Several members of Congress participatedin a panel discussion during the conference.

Across town, the Supreme Council hostedthe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ an-nual “Pro-Life Leadership Mass” at the BlessedJohn Paul II Shrine for the leaders of pro-life groups. In addition, the “You and Me”pro-life exhibition created by the Sisters ofLife was featured at the shrine and was viewedby hundreds of people throughout the week-end.

Knights from the District of Columbiaserved as ushers during the Mass opening the National Prayer Vigil for Life on Sundayevening at the Basilica of the National Shrineof the Immaculate Conception. They alsohelped assemble and distribute thousands of“Defend Life” signs that are carried by participants in the march.

Supreme Chaplain Bishop Lori of Bridgeport Archbishop Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Philadelphia

CHAPLAIN’S reportm a r C h 2 0 1 2 f v o l u m e 4 f n u m b e r 3 f w w w . k o f C . o r g / C h a P l a i n s

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS In service to One. In service to a l l .

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 f 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

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.

SEE TRANSFIGURATION, PAGE 2

On the second Sunday of Lent, as theChurch prepares by prayer, penance

and charity for the solemn commemorationof Christ’s death and resurrection, a Gospel account of the Transfiguration is proclaimed(see Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10; Lk 9:28b-36).Even though we are in the midst of a somberseason of repentance and self-denial, we findourselves gazing upon the Lord’s splendor,which he revealed atop Mount Tabor to Peter,James and John, in the presence of Moses andElijah. As we meditate on this Gospel scene,we begin to share something of the wonderthat the Apostles experienced as they saw aglimpse of God’s hidden glory and heard thevoice of the Father proclaim Jesus as hisbeloved Son.

FROM DEATH TO GLORYThe preface for the second Sunday of

Lent explains why we are presented with sucha scene amid a penitential season: “For afterhe had told the disciples of his coming Death,on the holy mountain he manifested to themhis glory, to show, even by the testimony ofthe law and the prophets, that the Passionleads to the glory of the Resurrection.”

Lent should not be viewed as a punishment, but rather as a gift from theLord, a season when we open our hearts tothe ultimate gift of love. The purpose of Lentis not merely to overcome a few bad habits,but to allow ourselves “to be led to that

Supreme Chaplain Offers Mass at Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life In contemplating Christ’s majesty

shining through his humanity, we see a vision of future glory

Bishop William E. LoriSupreme Chaplain

The Transfiguration

Knights involved in many facets of March for Life

­­­

M E M B E R S H I P I N T H E K N I G H T S O F C O LUM B U S is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing)

Catholics in union 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.

fullness of grace which God the Father bestows upon his sons anddaughters” (see Preface I, Lent). By gazing upon “the glory of God shining on the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6), we see that by sharing in thePaschal Mystery, we die to our sins and become capable of reflectingGod’s glory in our humanity. Even in this life, we can begin to share inthe grace of Christ’s resurrection.

The presence of Moses and Elijah signaled to the Apostles that Jesuswas the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Yet, Jesus knew that theway in which this fulfillment would come about — namely, through hispassion and death — would shake the faith of even his closest followers. He also knew that his resurrection would astonish them beyond anything they could imagine.

In his Transfiguration, Jesus made an enduring impression on theminds and hearts of Peter, James and John. John writes in his Gospel:“We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father”(Jn 1:14). And Peter writes: “We had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.For he received honor and glory from the Father when that unique declaration came to him from majestic glory, ‘This is my Son, mybeloved, in whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice comefrom heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Pet1:16-18). LOVE OUTPOURED

Since the Transfiguration played a foundational role in the Apostles’faith and in the entire pattern of Christian life, the Church sets aside aspecial day, Aug. 6, to celebrate this mystery. By contemplating the glorified humanity of Christ, we sense the tremendousness of our baptismal vocation. The glory that Jesus revealed on Mount Tabor is the

glory of the Trinity’s self-giving love poured out upon the world. Thissame love is lavished upon us in the Word of God and the sacraments.It is the love that we sense in the lives of the saints and in those whostrive in God’s grace to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel. It enablesus to love God above all things and to love our neighbor as God lovesus. When our lives are immersed in divine love and shaped by it, we alsogleam with some of God’s glory! To paraphrase St. Paul, we glorify Godin our bodies (see 1 Cor 6:20).

Blessed John Paul II understood that it is not enough for us to re-call the Transfiguration only twice a year. He wrote about it often. Forexample, he spoke of those who follow the evangelical counsels ofchastity, poverty and obedience as leading “transfigured lives capable ofamazing the world” (see Vita Consecrata, 20). Not surprisingly, the Transfiguration is of central importance to the luminous mysteries ofthe rosary. In his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, John Paul IIcalled it “the mystery of light par excellence” (21).

Although the Blessed Virgin Mary was not present at the Transfiguration, she helps us contemplate the transfigured face of Christ.After all, no one listened more attentively to the voice of her son didthan Mary. No one lived the Beatitudes more completely, fulfilled thevocation to love more fully, or shared more totally in the mystery of thecross and the glory of the Resurrection. Sinless from the moment of her conception and attuned to God’s saving will even amid suffering, Maryled a transfigured life that continues to amaze the world: All generationscall her blessed (see Lk 1:48). May the glorious Virgin Mother of Godlead us to share in and reflect the glory of God shining on the face of her son!

TRANSFIGURATION FROM PAGE 1

Plan Now: World Day of Prayer for VocationsSupport for vocations has always been a priority for the

Knights of Columbus, and observance of the WorldDay of Prayer for Vocations is one way we can encouragepeople to answer the call to priesthood and religious life.

By supporting and praying for those who answerGod’s call to priesthood and to a life of consecratedpoverty, chastity and obedience, we serve as a much-needed resource enabling them to continue their voca-tional discernment. One way to support these men andwomen is to stand with the entire Church and celebratethe day dedicated to religious vocations throughout theworld.

Encourage your fellow council members to joinCatholics from every nation in observing the World Dayof Prayer for Vocations on Sunday, April 29, in a varietyof ways. Here are some suggestions for your council or assembly to consider:

• Invite seminarians, postulants and young religiousto your council or assembly’s community events orsocial gatherings as guests of honor, and ask them tospeak and give witness to their lives of dedicatingthemselves fully to the service of God and neighbor.Continue the event with an appreciation dinner tohonor your guests.

• Promote a “Vocations Day” event such as a vocations’ fair, a presentation by various seminarians, postulants and/or young religious, ora drive to raise funds for a needy seminarian or religious.

• Make the Order’s scholarship and student loan information available to seminarians and postulants.

• Sponsor a trip for local youth groups to a nearby seminary or religious house to explore the idea ofpriesthood or religious life.

• Pray for the Lord to prompt young people’s heartsto respond to His call to a priestly or religious vocation at the beginning and end of your councilandassembly meetings.

• Design an ad for vocations and place it in yourparish bulletin or local newspaper.

• Hold an open house within your council for families and friends of your parish with a vocationstheme.

• Schedule a retreat for those contemplating apriestly or religious vocation. Retreats often enablean individual to recognize his or her vocation.

Sunday, April 29th

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

‘10 Keys to Success as a Chaplain’

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

CIS Booklet: Jesus Christ:

Lesson 5

Jesus has been the subject of

discussion and debate among people for

thousands of years. The Wikipedia article

on Jesus is the fourth most revised article

on that site, which is evidence of the

passionate debate that surrounds Him.

Catholics believe that their Church is

founded by Jesus and faithfully revere

everything that Jesus taught. But there

are some tough questions about Him:

How can He be both God and man of

God? Why do Catholics have faith in his

divinity? Why did God become man? This

booklet offers insight into some of these

and other topics. Produced by the Order’s

Catholic Information Service (CIS), this

booklet is part of the Luke E. Hart Series

based on the Catechism of the Catholic

Church. To obtain free copies of this and

other booklets, or to listen to MP3 format

presentations, visit kofc.org/hart. Request

printed copies by writing: CIS, PO Box

1971, New Haven, CT 06521-1971

by reading Columbia magazine, Chaplain’s Report and Knightline, and byvisiting kofc.org

Some of our chaplains have made the effort to acquire this working knowledge ofthe Order’s operation, even at all levels. Thebest way to accomplish this is by attending meetings other than just the local councilmeetings. These might include the assembly,the diocesan gathering (or chapter), and thestate convention. This is also an opportunityto meet other chaplains and to compare noteswith them. New and helpful ideas emergefrom such gatherings.

Monthly council meetings have presentedchallenges for some chaplains. We are all toowell aware of the demands on parish priests toattend the meetings of every church organization.Asking him to take part in the Knights meeting every month seems an added

burden. At the Supreme Convention last August a resolution was passed to help minimize the problem. I haveprinted the complete Resolutionand a short explanation in the September issue of this newsletter.Here I will quote once again thefinal statement:

FURTHER RESOLVED, thatwe call upon our brother Knights torecognize and accommodate the timecommitments of our beloved priestsby allowing the Council Chaplain toprovide his message at the beginningof the meeting, as described above, or

at any other time during the meeting as may bestfit the schedule of the Chaplain.

More needs to be said about this secondkey, so I hope to continue on this topic nextmonth.

God bless and keep you all.

Rev. John P. Grace, O.S.A.Director of Chaplain Programs and Development john.grace@kofc.org(203) 752-4263

Copies of 10 Keys to Success as a Chaplain(#4940) can be ordered from the Supreme Council Supply Department by using a Requisition Form (#1)

Last month, we began to look at the 10Keys to Success as a Chaplain (#4940) in an

effort to stimulate some ideas, and mayberaise a few questions, or even a few objections. The 10 Keys are suggestions andnot mandates, but we do hope they will betaken seriously. They should help all of us tohave a commonpurpose and assist us to focuson how we can fit-in as chaplains within a layfraternal organization.

We have been blessed with many, manyoutstanding chaplains who have made wonderful contributions to the Order, and weare indebted to their spiritual impact over the years. Our hope isthat providing these ideas will helpmany chaplains who just do notknow where to begin, especiallythose who have recently joined theranks or those who wish to establish a new council where theKnights have never had a presence.Some chaplains may be wonderingwhere they are going to get the timeto do justice to such a willing groupof laymen, while others may feelsomewhat lost and unsure of howto begin. Yes, there are a lot of questions, andat times too few answers. So it may seem. Wemay not have a complete plan as yet, but weare well on the path to formulating it. Believeme, we have a magnificent array of willing participants. It istime to stand on the worldstage and coordinate our efforts.Let us move on to the second of the 10 Keys:Acquire a working knowledge of theOrder’s operation at all levels.

• Try to be present at all of your council’smeetings, and take the opportunity toget to know the officers and members.

• Make a point of comparing notes withother K of C chaplains in your area andshare good ideas.

• Consider attending your state convention or other statewide K of Cmeetings.

• Stay current with the Order’s initiatives

Know the Workings of the Order

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

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

Survey Finds Unity among Americans on Abortion Restrictions

As the United States marked the 39th anniversary of the SupremeCourt’s Roe v. Wade decision, a new survey was released showing that

the vast majority of Americans support significant abortion restrictions.The Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll found that 79 percent of

Americans say that they would not allow abortion after the first threemonths of pregnancy. Fifty-one percent would only allow abortion — atmost — in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother — orwould not allow it at all. The numbers have held up over time as well andare almost unchanged from two years ago.

“Almost four decades after the Supreme Court’s decisions in Roe v. Wadeand Doe v. Bolton, which resulted in the almost totally unrestricted abortion regime of today, these decisions continue to be out of step withthe vast majority of Americans,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson.“Far from being settled law, the inadequacy of the Court’s reasoning onabortion in Roe and Doe is readily apparent to most Americans. Once a

survey moves beyond the labels of pro-life and pro-choice, we see a fundamental unity among Americans in favor of significant abortion restrictions.”

In addition, the survey found that most Americans (84 percent) believe that laws can protect both the life of the unborn and the health andwell-being of women. That number was consistent with — and slightlyhigher than — findings two years ago when the number who said bothcould be protected was 81 percent.

The questions on abortion were part of a broader survey, which will bereleased in February.

This report details the findings from a telephone survey of 1,053 adultsresiding in the continental United States. Data were collected from December 15, 2011, through December 27, 2011, using an online, probability-based panel from Knowledge Networks, Inc. Reports foradults have a margin of error within +/- 3 percentage points.

Nearly 8 in 10 advocate significant restrictions on abortion

Members of the Knights of Columbus from the District of Columbia area and throughout the country were among the

thousands who braved rainy cold weather to participate in the 39th Marchfor Life in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23. At the beginning of the eventSupreme Advocate John Marrella (photo to below) offered remarks and ledthe marchers in the Pledge of Allegiance during a rally on the National Mall.

“Before we begin, I’d like toreflect on two very importantwords in the Pledge of Allegiance: under God,” Mar-rella said. “These two words re-flect the idea, held by ourFounding Fathers and under-stood by most Americans formost of our history, that ourrights come from God, not

from the State, and that governments are accountable to a higher authority, identified by our Founding Fathers as ‘Nature and Nature’sGod.’ President John F. Kennedy eloquently summarized our commonbelief in his Inaugural Address, saying ‘the rights of man come not fromthe generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.’ By coming toWashington today, all of you are bearing witness to the truth about thedignity of the human person and each person’s God-given right to life.”

Walking under the Order’sbanner, college Knights (phototo right) from throughout thecountry also participated in theevent. The annual marchmarks the anniversary of theSupreme Court’s 1973 Roe v.Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Knights March for Life