The Council Compass Msgr. Henry O’Carrol Council #444 Knights of Columbus Editor: Paul Desroches Meetings First and Third Tuesdays at 8 PM. Join us at 7:30 for the Rosary before the meeting. Officers Co-Chaplains: Fr. William Scafidi, 561-2264 Fr. Fernando Hernandez 561-4354 Grand Knight: Kennan Ryan (Annie) 565-8015 Dpt. Grand Knight: Joe Coyle 561-7384 Chancellor: Jim Peloso (Kathleen) 562-5619 Warden: Charlie Smith (Patricia) 926-2096 Treasurer: I.Scott Watkins, PGK, (Bea) 564-0339 Financial Sec. Anthony Cracolici, PGK 569-1985 Recorder: Matt Infante 542-2925 Inside Guard: Bruce Lubkeman (Cynthia) 564-6718 (H) 401-9245 Outside Guard:Raymond Lopez (G�oria) 561-2003 Advocate: Jude Martini, (Carolyn) 566-0235 1899 - Over 115 Years - 2015 May 2015 Council Special Events The Knights of Columbus Council 444 Relay for Life Saturday May 30 to Sunday May 31 (11 AM to 7 AM) Cronomer Park, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550 Benefits the American Cancer Society. Midnight Mass will be celebrated at the park. Food, games and activities provide entertainment. Family-friendly environment. There will be a Suriviors Lap, Luminaria Ceremony and a Fight Back Ceremony. Please Join our Knights of Columbus Team! Call Grand Knight Ken Ryan for more Information at 845-565-8015. Our Co-Chaplin, Fr. Fernando Hernandez will be celebrating 25 years as a priest on June 14. There will be a Mass of Thanksgiving at 2:30 PM at Saint Patrick’s Church. Following Mass, there will be a celebration at Anthony’s Pier 9. Cocktail hour from 4 to 5 PM and Dinner/Dance from 5 to 9 PM. Cost is $65 per person. To reserve your tickets, please call Pam at the rectory, 845-561-0885. Trustees: Mark Rosolowski, PGK (Jeannette) 569-8066 Darren Gamma,PGK(Adene) (914) 213-0865 Rich Irons (PGK) (Mary) 565-5045 Lector: Curt Moran 564-3239 District Deputy:Darren Gamma (PGK) 914-213-0865 Insurance Agent: Greg Soboleski 782-4681 Faithful Navigator: Thomas Coleman 778-2830 Editor: Paul Desroches, (Joanna) 564-3642 The Knights of Columbus Msgr. Henry O’Carrol Council 444 Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima 7460 And Saint Joseph’s Church Present the 5th Annual Rev. Robert Hilfiker Memorial Car Show Sunday, August 16 From 10 AM to 4 PM (Rain day -August 23) Saint Joseph School 148 Windsor Highway New Windsor Contacts: Ken Ryan - 845-565-8015, Charles Smith - 845-561-8647, Gene Fenton - 845-534-5529, Dan Keenan - 845-562-9353 and Tom McMahon - 845-267-6996 Council Compass - page 1 our parishes are active, vibrant communities of faith by building bridges. The Altar Server appreciation luncheon began that bridge and we will continue building with the Car Show. Deacon Tony Ferraiuolo, Deacon Joe Lieby and Deacon Len Farmer, although no longer members of Council 444, I hope will become Ambassadors of our bridge. Grand Knight’s Thoughts Brother Knights, The following is from an email that was sent by Supreme looking for volunteers to help with the visit of Pope Francis in September. The World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia (September 22-27, 2015) is expected to attract well in excess of a million people to the City of Brotherly Love. Archbishop Chaput and the Philadelphia archdiocese need volunteers to welcome and assist the many visitors and support the scheduled events. In a spirit of service, Knights and their family members are invited to volunteer during the course of the six days of activities. Opportunities are available for a variety of tasks and events; multilingual volunteers are requested in particular to assist with translation. All volunteers must be 18 or older, reside in the United States and apply through the World Meeting of Families website: www.worldmeeting2015.org/getinvolved/voluinteer/volunteer-positions/ For security purposes, all applicants will be subject to background screenings. A Vatican-sponsored international gathering and visit from the Holy Father are not only rare, but a blessing for the United States and the Greater Philadelphia area. Please consider the significance of this occasion and the unique opportunities it offers to participate in such important events. Please volunteer today. As a parishioner of St Mary, this past week I received notice that our church will be merging with St Patrick’s. The notification stated St Mary will only be open for special occasions and will remain the site for community and charitable activities. The parishioners are waiting to receive more details on the process of merging and I will keep you informed at our regular meetings. In April we ran a successful Membership Social Blitz at St Mary Parish and this past week at Sacred Heart. We received positive interest from both parishes and will contact those men for interviews. In the very near future we look forward to having membership social blitzes at the remaining parishes that we serve. Finally, I wish to inform you about Knightline, a monthly publication by Supreme Council previously available only to officers of local councils. It is now available to all knights but only via email. If you haven’t given your email address to me, please do so ASAP so you can start receiving this publication. I wish that you all are having an enjoyable spring. It is a time for rebirth and a change to warm weather. As the “Making All Things New” process nears its completion our Council finds itself presented with change too. We learned that St Joseph parish of New Windsor will be merging with St Tomas Parish of Cornwall. Unfortunately our council will lose some very valued Brother Knights in this merger. Now more than ever we need to focus on the positive aspects of “Making all things New” and ensuring Council Compass - page 2 Vivat Jesu! Ken Liturgical Calendar July 2015 1 Wednesday: Blessed Junipero Serra, Priest. (Alt. Mem.) 3 Friday: Saint Thomas (Feast Day) 5 Sunday: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time May 2015 6 Monday: Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr. (Alt. Mem.) 9 Thursday: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions. (Alt Mem) 1 Friday: St. Joseph the Worker (Alt. Mem.) 11 Saturday: Saint Benedict, Abbott. (Memorial) 2 Saturday: St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. (Mem) 12 Sunday: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 3 Sunday: Fifth Sunday of Easter Sunday: Sixth Sunday of Easter 13 Monday: Saint Henry. (Alt. Mem.) 12 Tuesday: Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs. St. Pancras, Martyr(Alt Mem) 14 Tuesday: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin. (Mem) 13 Wednesday: Our Lady of Fatima )Alt Mem) 15 Wednesday: Saint Bonaventure, Bishop. (Mem) 14 Thursday: The Ascension of the Lord (Holy Day of Obligation) (Sol) 16 Thursday: Our Lady of Mount Carmel. (Alt Mem) 15 Friday: St. Isidore (Alt Mem) 18 Saturday: Saint Camillus de Lellis. (Alt Mem) 17 Sunday: The Seventh Sunday of Easter 19 Sunday: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 18 Monday: St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Alt Mem) 20 Monday: Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr. (Alt Mem) 20 Wednesday: St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest. (Alt Mem) 21 Tuesday: Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest. (Alt Mem) 21 Thursday: St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions Martyrs (Alt Mem) 22 Wednesday: Saint Mary Magdalene. (Mem) 22 Friday: St. Rita of Cascia, Religious. (Alt Mem) 23 Thursday: Saint Bridget, Reeligious. (Alt Mem) 24 Sunday: Pentecost Sunday. (Solemnity) 24 Friday: Saint Sharbel Makhuf, priest. (Alt Mem) 25 Monday: St. Bede the Venerable, St. Gregory VII; St. Mary Magdalene 25 Saturday: Saint James, Apostle. (Feast) 26 Sunday: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. de Pazzi. (Alt Mem) 26 Tuesday: St. Philipneri, Priest. (Memorial) 29 Wednesday: Saint Martha (Memorial) 27 Wednesday: St. Augustine of Canterbury. Bishop. (Alt Mem) 30 Thursday: Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop. (Alt Mem) 31 Sunday: The Most Holy Trinity. (Solemnity) 31 Friday: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest. (Mem) August 2015 June 2015 1 Saturday: Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop. (Mem) 1 Monday: St. Justin, Martyr. (Mem) 2 Sunday: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 2 Tuesday: Sts. Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs. (Alt Mem) 4 Tuesday: Saint John Vianney, Priest. (Mem) 3 Wednesday: St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs. (Mem) 5 Wednesday: The dedication of the Baslica of Saint Mary Major. (Alt Mem) 5 Friday: St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr. (Mem) 6 Thursday: The Transfiguration of the Lord. (Feast) 6 Saturday: St. Norbert, Bishop. (Alt Mem) 7 Friday: Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions. (Alt Mem) 7 Sunday: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. (Corpus Christi0 8 Saturday: Saint Dominic, Priest. (Mem) 9 Tuesday: St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church. (Alt Mem) 9 Sunday: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 11 Thursday: St. Barnabas, Apostle. (Mem) 10 Monday: Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. (Feast) 12 Friday: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Solemnity) 11 Tuesday: Saint Clare, Virgin. (Mem) 13 Saturday: The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Alt Mem) 12 Wednesday: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious. (Alt Mem) 14 Sunday: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 13 Thursday: Saints Pontian, Pope and Hippolytus, Priest. (Alt Mem) 19 Friday: St. Romuald, Abbot. (Alt. Mem.) 14 Friday: Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr. (Mem) 21 Sunday: Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 15 Saturday: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Solemnity) 22 Monday: St. Paulinus of Nola; Sts. John Fisher and Thomas Moore, (Not a holy day of obligation this year.) 16 Sunday: Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Martyrs. (Alt Mem) 24 Wednesday: The Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Solemnity) 19 Wednesday: Saint John Eudes, Priest. (Alt Mem) 27 Saturday: St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Dr. Of the Church (Alt Mem) 20 Thursday: Saint Bernard, Abbot. (Mem) 28 Sunday: Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 21 Friday: Saint Pius X, Pope. (Mem) 29 Monday: Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. (Solemnity) 22 Saturday: The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Mem) 30 Tuesday: The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church. (Alt Mem) 23 Sunday: The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time. 24 Monday: Saint Bartholomew, Apostle. (Feast) 25 Tuesday: Saint Louis, Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest. (Alt Mem) 27 Thursday: Saint Monica. (Mem) 28 Friday: Saint Augustine, Bishop. (Mem) 29 Saturday: The Passion of Saint John the Baptist. (Mem) 30 Sunday: Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Council Compass - page 3 Editor’s note: After Easter, the Liturgical calendar of the Church begins a period of Ordinary Time. What follows is an explanation of “Ordinary Time” and the major solemnities that we celebrate. What exactly does “Ordinary Time” mean? The word “ordinary” in the Liturgical Calendar, does not mean usual or ordinary, but comes from a Latin word meaning “to order”. Therefore, ordinary refers to the fact that the Sundays are numbered. Ordinary Time is divided into two parts. The first and shorter part is between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent. The second and longer part stretches between the end of the Easter season and the beginning of Advent. There are usually a total of thirty-four Sundays in Ordinary Time. There is no first Sunday of Ordinary Time because of the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. The last Sunday in Ordinary Time is the solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green, which is a symbol for hope. During Ordinary Time, the cycle of the feast days of Mary and the saints are celebrated, as well as major solemnities of our Lord, such as Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Ordinary Time does not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ. Rather, especially on the Sundays, they are devoted to the mystery of Christ in its fullness. What are the major solemnities celebrated during this Ordinary Time? The Ascension of our Lord is celebrated this year on May 14, and is a Holy Day of Obligation. It commemorates the elevation of Jesus into heaven by his own power in the presence of his disciples. Pentecost Sunday occurs on May 24 and is considered the birthday of the Catholic Church. It specifically celebrates the Holy Spirit coming to the Apostles giving them the graces they needed to go forth and teach the Gospel to all nations. The Most Holy Trinity or Trinity Sunday is celebrated on May 31. On this day, we remember and honor the eternal God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Corpus Christi is celebrated on June 7. This feast helps us to focus once again on what we are called to do at Mass: ● To remember the night on which Christ celebrated his Last Supper, and during which he shared his own Body and Blood with his friends. ● To proclaim and participate in the Eucharist as a mystery at the heart of the Catholic faith, as the source and summit of our lives as disciples of Christ! ● The feast of Corpus Christi reminds us that at every Mass, we are called to: o Celebrate what we believe. We express our faith in the Risen Christ, who gave his life for us out of love. o Live what we believe. We give witness to the risen Christ by our way of life. ● Become what we receive. We become Christ like, so that others might see in us and in what we do the one who gave his life for us. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated this year on August 15. This is the principal feast of Mary. It has a double purpose: first, the happy departure of Mary from this life and second, the assumption of her body into heaven. Departure from this world and entrance into the next is the same movement in two different expressions. Little is known for certain about the day, year and manner of Mary's death. The dates assigned for it vary between three and fifteen years after Jesus' Ascension. Council Compass - page 4 Since Mary was preserved free from all stain of origOur Catholic Faith inal sin, she was spared bodily decay and was taken up body and soul into heaven once her earthly To help us remember the truths of our Catholic faith, life was over. Thus the Lord has exalted her as I am printing them here. Most of us I am sure have Queen over all things. not thought about these since our times in Religious Education. Mary's Assumption takes nothing away from Christ. The Ten Commandments On the contrary, it demonstrates the power of his Resurrection. Since Mary was the mother of Christ 1. I am the Lord, your God. You shall not have and the first to believe in him, she was raised by strange gods before me. Him to the glorified life of heaven. It is, as the Cate2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your chism of the Catholic Church teaches, "a singular God, in vain. participation in her Son's Resurrection" (no. 966). 3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. 4. Honor your father and your mother. Mary is not only the first disciple and mother of 5. You shall not kill. Jesus; she is also a symbol of the Church and a 6. You shall not commit adultery. model for all Christians. By reflecting on the graces 7. You shall not steal. God gave the Blessed Virgin, we understand more 8. You shall not bear false witness against your about his gifts to us. The Assumption of Mary is the neighbor. realization of the hope that all believers share. Her 9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. acceptance into the glory of Heaven is a sign of the 10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. promise made by Jesus to all Christians that one day they too will be received into paradise. The Seven Sacrements All Saints Day, celebrates the lives of all Christians who have died in a State of Grace. It is 1. Baptism celebrated on November 1. 2. Reconcillation 3. Holy Eucharist The Solemnity of Christ the King is the last 4. Confirmation day of the Liturgical Calendar and is celebrated this 5. Matrimony year on November 22. 6. Holy Orders 7. The Anointing of the Sick The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, formerly referred to as "Christ the Grace King," was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves There are two kinds of grace. Sanctifying grace God out of man's thinking and living and organizes makes us holy and pleasing to God. Actual grace his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended helps us to do good and avoid evil. to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, Baptism governments, and nations. The ordinary minister of the sacrament of Baptism is a bishop, priest or deacon. In case of emergency, anyone can validly baptize. Water is poured on the forehead of the person to be baptized. While the water is being poured, the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” are spoken. Council Compass - page 5 (Our Catholic Faith continued from page 5) The Eight Beatitudes Precepts of the Church The precepts of the Church are: ● To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. ● To fast and abstain from meat on appointed days. 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land. 3. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. ● To confess one’s sins at least once a year. ● To receive Holy Eucharist during the Eas- 4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice for they shall have their fill. ter Time. ● To contribute to the support of the Church. ● To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage. ● To join in the missionary spirit and apostolate of the Church. The Seven Capital Sins 1. Pride 2. Covetousness 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 3. Lust The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy 4. Anger 5. Gluttony 6. Envy 1. To feed the hungry. 7. Sloth 2. To give drink to the thirsty. Gifts of the Holy Spirit 3. To clothe the naked. ● Wisdom 4. To shelter the homeless. ● Understanding 5. To visit the sick. ● Counsel 6. To visit the imprisoned. ● Fortitude 7. To buy the dead. ● Knowledge ● Piety The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy ● Fear of the Lord 1. To counsel the doubtful. 2. To instruct the ignorant. 3. To admonish the sinner. 4. To comfort the sorrowful. 5. To forgive all injuries. 6. To bear wrongs patiently. 7. To pray for the living and the dead, Council Compass - page 6 God Doesn’t Accept Me (This is an article that I thought you would enjoy, by Ed Mechmann who is a writer for the Archdiocese of New York and a Fourth Degree Knight.) Support our fellow Knight owned businesses One of the things we hear over and over again is how the Church needs to be more welcoming of those who are in irregular situations — immigrants, single parent and blended families, divorced people, and homosexual people. That is absolutely correct. The Gospel is for everyone, the call to unity with Jesus is universal, and the Church is the ark of salvation for all humanity. The problem comes when the call to be welcoming becomes a demand for acceptance. Here’s the problem. God doesn’t accept me, at least not as I am — a sinner. He wants me to change. He wants me to reject my sins, to turn to him in repentance, and to live my life differently, according to his will and not by my disordered appetites. The Christian life is not about acceptance, it’s all about conversion. This is a fundamental truth of our faith. The very first call of Jesus himself was to repentance (Mk 1:15). His way was prepared by the great John the Baptist, whose entire mission was a call to repentance. He was preceded by the prophets, whose message was always to turn away from sin and return to God in contrition. Michaels Computer Services Servicing all PC’s Diagnosis * Instruction * Installation * Set-Up Repair * Cleaning * Network set-up Satisfaction Guaranteed 845-787-3529 This was called to my mind by a propaganda video I recently saw, put out by a supposedly Catholic parish, trumpeting their ministry to homosexual persons. It was very glossy, super professional, and totally misguided and dangerous. The video was all about acceptance, and nothing about conversion. In fact, sin and repentance were never even mentioned, and the Church’s teaching on sexual morality was openly rejected in word and practice. The entire video was, in essence, a permission slip for people to continue in their sins. Alberto’s Hairstyling 5273 Route 9W Middlehope, N.Y. 12550 Tues. - Fri. 9:30 - 5:30 We are reminded of this when we ask for forgiveness at Mass, when we say the Our Father (“forgive us our trespasses…”) and the Hail Mary (“pray for us sinners…”). We get the most vivid reminder on Ash Wednesday, when we are told to “repent and believe in the Gospel”. Perhaps we have lost sight of this. Perhaps we’ve been too busy singing bland empty stuff like “All Are Welcome” that we’ve forgotten the essential message of great hymns like the Attende Domine. 845-562-3840 SOUNDQUESTDJNY.COM DJ, Karaoke, and Photo Booth Services DJ Ming Ampil [email protected] (914) 850-0181 If we welcome people without calling them to conversion, then we are misleading them and doing them no favors. We are putting their souls, and our own, at risk. God does not want me to be comfortable in my sins. He wants me to reject my sins, seek forgiveness, and never look back. Of course, we have to be gentle and kind, merciful and compassionate, and above all, patient. Sin is an addiction for most of us — it certainly is for me — and it takes time for us to go through detox and rehab. But God’s grace will help us go through this process, and to live clean and sober. In fact, it’s impossible for us to experience real conversion through our own strength. We can only do this through the grace of God, experienced through the ministry of other recovering sinners and dispensed through the Sacraments. The Christian life is not easy. It is difficult to lead a life of holiness and be saints. But we’ll never get close to that goal if we’re looking for mere acceptance. We have to acknowledge and renounce our sins, and turn to God for healing. Please, God, don’t accept me. Change me. Council Compass - page 7 Lift High the Cross Supreme Council News Save The Dates May 24: Pancake breakfast, 8 A.M. - 12 noon Gallo Hall at Sacred Heart School. $7.50 per person. Contact: Charlie Smith - 845-561-8647 May 24: CWV Memorial Mass, 12 noon at Sacred Heart Church. Father Healy dinner from 4 - 8 P.M. At the Spruce Lodge. $40 per person. Contact: PGK Andy Civalli June 14: Flag retirement ceremony at the Council building. 1 P.M. Contact Scott Watkins, 845-5640339. June 27: Hudson Valley Chapter Charity Ball, 6:30 P.M., At Saint Mary’s Council, Fishkill, N.Y. $45 per person. Please RSVP to GK Ken Ryan by May 31. 845-565-8015. Other May 15: Ed Mechmann, Fourth Degree Knight, Attorney and Arch-Diocesan Program Director will be speaking on the Church’s doctrine of Mary called Mariology. 7 PM, at Gallo Hall, Sacred Heart School in Newburgh. $10 per person, includes Appetizers and beverages. Call 845-527-5064 for additional info. May 16: Sacred Heart School raffle fundraiser party. $100 ticket admits two to the party. Limit of 300. Three prizes, $10,000, $2,500 and $1,000. Call Mary Gould at 914-805-2332 for information. Calendar of Council Events 05 May: Regular Council meeting at 8 P.M. 12 May: Fourth Degree meeting at 8 P.M. 19 May: Social meeting at 8 P.M. 26 May: Officer’s meeting at 8 P.M. 02 Jun: Regular Council meeting at 8 P.M. 09 Jun: Fourth Degree meeting at 8 P.M. 16 Jun: Social meeting at 8 P.M. 23 Jun: Officer’s meeting at 8 P.M. 30 Jun: Corporation meeting at 8 P.M. 07 Jul: Regular Council meeting at 8 P.M. 14 Jul: Fourth Degree meeting at 8 P.M. 21 Jul: Social meeting at 8 P.M. 27 Jul: Officer’s meeting at 8 P.M. 04 Aug: Regular Council meeting at 8 P.M. 11 Aug: Fourth Degree meeting at 8 P.M. 18 Aug: Social Meeting at 8 P. M. 25 Aug: Officer’s meeting at 8 P.M. The Knights of Columbus stands strong in its conviction that every human life is a gift of God, endowed with certain inalienable rights—the first among these being the right to life. Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, we believe that human life is sacred and inviolable, and ought to be defended with maximum determination. To this end, the Knights of Columbus supports policies that promote a Culture of Life and opposes legislative efforts that promote abortion, contraception, sterilization, cloning, the destruction of embryos, assisted suicide, euthanasia, unjust war, and the death penalty when there is an acceptable alternative. Our Order’s steadfast defense and promotion of a Culture of Life is grounded on our ultimate assurance that in the natural law written in the heart of every person is the recognition that human life is sacred from its very beginning to its end. In the depths of our consciousness, human intellect knows that the very source of its existence—i.e. human life—ought to be protected and celebrated. In that regard, the message of the Knights of Columbus extends far beyond our Order and our religious creed; it is a universal message that every person of good will can come to affirm. The right to life is unlike any other right. It is the most basic right and the condition of all other personal rights, constituting the foundation of every human community and the political community itself. St. John Paul II famously noted that if human life itself is not respected, then respect for all other rights—for example, the right to health, to marriage, to culture, to religion—is “false and illusory.” Human rights of every kind are “incomprehensible” without the right to life. Our Order, therefore, joins the universal Church in acknowledging the dignity of human life and in its efforts to achieve legal and constitutional protection for every human person at the international, national, state, and local levels. Council Compass - page 8
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