The Knights Line. Defending Our Catholic Identity

Transcription

1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS The Holy Family Council 9236 Blessed Theodore G. Romzha Assembly 2279 P.O. Box 1391 Windermere, FL The Knights Line MAIL TO: DATED MATERIAL PLEASE DO NOT DELAY BLESSED BISHOP THEODORE G. ROMZHA Defending Our Catholic Identity The witness of Knights during the persecution of the Church in Mexico provides lessons as we defend religious freedom today 7/1/2012 Nearly 20 years ago, Blessed John Paul II visited the United States and urged us to protect our First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. Speaking in 1995 in Baltimore, he said these Carl A. Anderson words, quoted by our supreme chaplain, Archbishop William Lori, at his installation as archbishop of Baltimore in May: The challenge facing you, dear friends, is to increase people s awareness of the importance of religious freedom for society; to defend that freedom against those who would take religion out of the public domain and establish secularism as America s official faith. And it is vitally necessary, for the very survival of the American experience, to transmit to the next generation the precious legacy of religious freedom and the convictions which sustain it. What foresight those words show. Blessed John Paul II s words ring true today with renewed importance. What is at stake in our current defense of religious freedom is not simply the right of Catholics to practice our faith freely and without having to become entangled and complicit in actions WEB SITE - VOLUME 18, No. 8 August 2012 that violate our conscience. That would be bad enough. But what is also at stake is the question of who defines the mission and purpose of the Catholic Church itself. As I noted in my speech at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in April, the federal government has sought to interfere with the identity of religion twice in the past year. First, there was a case that dealt with whether the government or a church should decide who should be considered a minister. In that case Hosanna Tabor v. EEOC the administration argued that the definition of a minister should be restricted. It would have eliminated the ministerial exception that protects religions from employment laws when it comes to those in ministry. According to the government, if any ministerial exception in employment exists, it should be strictly limited to those employees who perform exclusively religious functions. Such reasoning caused Chief Justice John Roberts to ask during oral argument whether even the pope could meet the administration s definition of a religious minister. And it caused the Supreme Court to unanimously disagree with the administration saying, We are unsure whether any such employees exist, because even the highest ranking churchmen have a mix of duties. Similarly, the HHS mandate allows only the narrowest exemption for religious institutions covering only institutions that primarily hire and serve members of their own faith. As Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston put it: Jesus himself, or the Good Samaritan would not qualify as religious enough for the exemption, since they insisted on helping people who did not share their view of God. Council - council9236@me.com Assembly - romzha@me.com

2 Christ called all Christians to reach beyond their own denominations in teaching all nations, considering everyone their neighbor, and doing good to those who hate them. He defined our neighbor as anyone in need and in his parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ specifically included those of other religions in his definition of neighbor. In the Hosanna Tabor case, the Supreme Court unanimously characterized the government s position as allowing government interference with an internal church decision that affects the faith and mission of the church itself. Precisely the same can be said of the HHS mandate. The definition of religion in the exemption redefines the basic tenets and mission of Christianity. And a government willing to affect the tenets and mission of the Church is a government willing to change the identity of the Church. Secularism sees religion as something that should be limited to freedom of worship, as something that should happen in church buildings only, and not be brought into the public square. But our First Amendment guarantees us free exercise of religion, and fundamental to this is our ability to follow the principles of our religion as defined by Christ, not by the government. We have seen these two serious threats to religious freedom in the past year. The first lost in court, the second is unpopular in the court of public opinion. Indeed, the HHS mandate may well be reversed legislatively or legally, but there could be future threats as well. As we celebrate Independence Day, and the rights endowed by our Creator, we would do well to pause and recall these often quoted words: Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Vivat Jesus Dear Brother Knights, Grand Knight s Report Next Council meeting will be August 9th at 7:00 pm at the St. Andrew picnic area behind the north end of the school/behind the church. The gate will be opened to let you in. Call Joe Chenette All conference rooms are shut down for the summer. Please bring some food to the meeting to share. There will be food between 7:00pm and 7:15pm with the meeting starting at 7:15pm. We plan to make the food a standard event. Welcome to our newest member, Paul Chery. Also we would like to welcome Robert Rabba to his first meeting. He joined our council in 1996 but was unable to go the meeting due to location at St. Nicholas. He really enjoyed our July meeting in the picnic area. Please check each week in the St. Andrew church bulletin for announcements. On a rainy Sunday, June 14th, four went to the movie For Greater Glory, the True Story. We all enjoyed the movie. Did you know that 200,000 were murdered in by the Mexican Government? Twenty five of the martyrs were canonized as saints including six priests who were members of the Knights of Columbus? If you said that you were a member of the K of C you could be shot or hanged. Would you be willing to give up your life in defense of religious liberties? We had a social in June at Bubalous Bodacious Barbecue. All who went had a great time. We had a private area with the two long tables pulled together. The Silver Rose run ceremony was July 28th The ceremony 2 was announced on Catholic Spanish radio and other parishes had been invited. The celebrants were deacons Jose Cruz and Rafael Hernandez. Fourth Degree from Holy Family and Holy Redeemer participated along with Fourth Degree from St. Andrew. There even was dancing to our Lady of Guadalupe. The Pro-life Seminar has been postponed due to schedule conflicts. See Jeff Jones for details. It most likely will be in November. Next month the social may be at Golden Coral. Alan Spears is working the details. Gene Hawk will out of Colonial Lakes Health Care on July 27th. My son Joseph A. Chenette will marry Marie Finley on August 4th in Charlotte, NC. Joe is a member of our council. They will be honeymooning in Rome and will have an audience with the pope at his summer residence. The pope will bless their marriage in a group of newlyweds. They plan on having many children. A main emphasis in the coming months will be fund raisers for our council and for the Parish and working with Father Leo on his requests. Our council welcomes Father Leo!!!!! Vivat Jesus, Joe Chenette, GK District Deputy s Report No Report available for this newsletter 4th Degree Assembly 2279 Faithful Navigator s Report No Report available for this newsletter BLESSED BISHOP ROMZHA ASSEMBLY OFFICERS Faithful Navigator Michael Crawford Faithful Captain John Adams Faithful Admiral Joseph Chenette Faithful Pilot John Butcher Faithful Comptroller Michael Krochmalni Faithful Purser Peter Shine Faithful Scribe Henry Abbott Faithful Friar Fr. Sal Pignato Yr Trustee Eugene Hawk Yr Trustee Donald Abate Yr Trustee John Long To request Honor Guard please contact the Faithful Navigator THE HOLY FAMILY COUNCIL OFFICERS Grand Knight Joseph Chenette Deputy Grand Knight John Butcher Warden Louis Ramos Chancellor Ainsley Reid-Hart Financial Secretary Michael Krochmalni Treasurer Joe Pompa Recorder Alan Spears Advocate Robert Crane Chaplain Fr. Sal Pignato Yr Trustee Michael MacMenamin Yr Trustee Donald Abate Yr Trustee Dan Buckley Insurance Agent Alvin T. Smith, Sr District Deputy John Adams

3 Silver Rose Ceremony There were 154 participants in the Silver Rose ceremony at St. Andrew on Saturday July 28th. The dancers were Dancers Guadalupe. We can thank Carols Ruiz of John XXIII for coordinating and supplying the dancers and singers. The State photographer was there and the photos will be seen on the state site. It was a wonderful pro-life experience. The main theme was Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Gospel of life. Some said that this was the most spiritual ceremony that has been done at St. Andrew in a long time. Many are wanting this for next year. Hopefully we will Mariachis performers. Plus a mass with the Bishop. Reflections from GK Joseph E. Chenette (from Silver Rose Ceremony) Our Lady of Guadalupe has done so much for her people and country that an assembly of Columbian Squires, the youth group associated with the Knights of Columbus, wanted to give something back to her. The small group was so enthused that they wanted to invite other squires to participate from two other countries on the North American Continent. They contacted squires from Laredo, Texas to London, Ontario, Canada. In London, squires asked to start the relay running of the Rose from there through the United States and finishing up in Mexico City, Mexico. The First Rose was a real rose. But, after a year it decomposed. It was then decided to make a bronze rose. The idea was then to make a silver rose as this is one of Mexico s precious metals. The stems of the roses circle each other indicating unity and at their base are twelve additional small roses representing the twelve Disciples. The base is made of marble from the mountains of Mexico, silver from its mines and labor from its people. There are now four roses that travel by runners throughout the United States. That is why this is ceremonies is called the Silver Rose Run. The Rose made it to the Florida from Georgia last Saturday and will leave Florida the middle of August on its way to Mexico. As our Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said, The Running of the Rose is a perfect program for the Knights of Columbus, Through it we honor not only Our Lady of Guadalupe and express the unity of the Order, but we also reaffirm the Order s dedication to the sanctity of human life. It is to the Blessed Mother that we turn in prayer as we work to end the Culture of Death that grips our society. As we think in terms of One Life, One Rose, it is most appropriate that we turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe who made known her will through Juan 3 (Continued on Page 6)

4 The Timeless Ten Commandments by Rev. Peter M. Girrad, OP PART 2 The Second Commandment You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. (Ex 20:7; Dt 5:11) Without any sensitivity or respect, the name of the Lord is often spoken as an epithet, a curse or just a thoughtless expletive on television, in the movies and in so much of what is called the entertainment industry today. It is as if we assume that the name of the Lord has no significance. Yet we are commanded to reverence the name of the Lord our God precisely because it is God s own name and a reflection of his being. Perhaps nothing so well indicates how far we as a people, individually and as a culture, have lost our awareness of God s presence in our life as the ease with which we take the name of the Lord in vain. We regularly hear our Savior s most holy name proclaimed with contempt, ridicule or disdain. Whenever the pizza is too hot, our Lord s name is often invoked. Some comedians have made abuse of the name of Jesus Christ an art form. The entertainment industry seems incapable of human articulation without resorting to the name of the second person of the Blessed Trinity. But the fault is not all theirs. From the corporate leaders of the multibillion dollar entertainment industry comes the response: We only mirror what is happening in society. Perhaps our society has either forgotten or has chosen to ignore the Second Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read that the Second Commandment demands respect for the name of the Lord. It is because among all the words of revelation, one stands alone: the revelation of God s holy name. As the Book of Psalms reminds us, we are to attribute to the Lord, the glory of his name; worship the Lord in his holy array (Ps 29:2). God s name is holy because it speaks to us of who God is. When Moses encountered God in the burning bush he asked, What is your name? God replied, I am who am. Then God added, This is what you shall tell the people: I AM sent me to you...this is my name forever, this is my title for all generations (cf. Ex 3:11-15). God entrusts his name to those who believe. In so doing, God reveals his personal mystery to us. The gift of a name is part of a relationship of trust and intimacy. It is not to be used in ridicule or irresponsibly. The Lord is holy, and the name by which God identifies himself and the name God shares with us so that we can lay claim to know him is also holy. We are called first to respect it and then not to abuse it. There are times when we dare to call upon God s holy name. In prayer, in worship, especially in the liturgy, we should not hesitate to pronounce God s holy name in praise. So too in our daily speech the holy name of the Lord should be used only to bless, praise and glorify him. The Holy Name Society in so many of our parishes exists to strive by word, deed and example to fulfill the petition of the Lord s Prayer hallowed be thy name, and to avoid disrespect to the name of God, of Jesus, and to holy things, and to abstain from improper language such as blasphemy, cursing, perjury and obscene and indecent expressions. This admonition reminds us of the respect we owe to God s name and the holy name of Jesus. As St. Paul reminds us: At the name of Jesus every knee should bend 4 (Phil 2:10). In the days of the Old Covenant the name of God was considered to be so holy that it was not even spoken. To invoke the name of God was to make God present in a special way in our lives. To do this in a casual or careless manner was to show disrespect to God. In much the same way that we cherish the names of our parents and other loved ones and recoil at having people ridicule or insult them by making light or fun of their names, God expects us to react in the same way when his holy name is used irreverently. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us further that the Second Commandment forbids the abuse of God s name, and includes every unsuitable use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and all God s saints (cf. 2148). God s name is dishonored in grave ways through false oaths, or perjury, that is, when one lies after calling upon the name of God as a pledge to speak the truth. It is an abuse of God s name if one is false to one s vows, that is, if one does not fulfill promises made to God and sealed in his name. Another wrongful use of God s name is by cursing, or calling on God who is savior of all to do harm to others; and especially by blasphemy, that is, by any words or behavior intended to insult or express contempt for almighty God. Blasphemy is directly opposed to the Second Commandment. It consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or threat, speaking evil of God, lacking respect toward him and abusing his name. Scripture frequently expresses God s transcendence by proclaiming that he is perfectly holy. God is the holy one (Is 5:24). God s holiness is far more than freedom from moral evil, for he cannot sin. References to God s holiness are to his absolute perfection. Because God is infinitely greater than all he has created, we who are God s creatures are not worthy even to gaze on him or to speak his name. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the Second Commandment: You have heard the commandment imposed on your forefathers, Do not take a false oath, rather make good to the Lord on all your pledges. What I tell you is: Do not swear at all. Do not swear by heaven, for it God s throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King; do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Say, yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no. Anything beyond that is from the evil one (Mt 5:33-37). The holiness of God s name, therefore, prohibits our use of it for trivial matters. When an oath is required by lawful civil authority, for example, it must be taken with great seriousness. The holiness of God attracts the human heart because of the goodness that is a part of it, a goodness of such intensity that it imbues and transforms the sinful heart with awe and reverential fear. The splendor and holiness of God must be taken seriously. God, whom all the universe proclaims as sovereign, has a right to lay claim to our respect and that fear that is the beginning of wisdom: You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; do not turn away, lest you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him and your reward will not be lost. You who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy... Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? (Sir 2:7-10).

5 The Psalmist states: O Lord, our sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Ps 8:1). The simple recognition that God is God and we are his creatures should lead us to show respect and reverence for his name. Our attitude should be that of Mary when she said: My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior... God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is his name (Lk 1:46-49). The Third Commandment Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. (Ex 20:8-11; Dt 5:12-15) There was a time when it was generally accepted that the Christian Sabbath was a unique and special day. It was to be a period of rest and prayer. It was a day when the family spent time together and when the routine of everyday activities was broken so that our relationship with each other as a family and our relationship with God as his family might be strengthened and renewed. Today we should consider how far we have strayed from a proper observance of the Lord s Day. In imitation of God s own plan that called for a time of rest after the mighty work of creation, the Hebrew people were called to keep holy the Sabbath Day, or the seventh day. This is not an arbitrary interference in the marketing plans of business and industry but rather the common-sense recognition that in the midst of our daily labors we need to set aside time to reflect on who we are and to renew our relationship to God through acts of praise, adoration and worship. The celebration of the Sabbath for the Christian world is Sunday. The Church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus with great joy. Not only Easter, but every Sunday of the year is a celebration of the Lord s resurrection. As we are told in the Second Vatican Council s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium): By an apostolic tradition which took its origins from the very day of Christ s resurrection, the Church celebrates the paschal mystery every eighth day; with good reason this, then, bears the name of the Lord s Day or the Day of the Lord (SC 106). On this day the faithful followers of Jesus should come together so that by hearing the word of God and taking part in the Eucharist we might call to mind the passion, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ and thank God who gave us new birth; a birth unto hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pt 1:3). Thus Sunday, the Lord s Day, is a unique Christian feast day. For all Christians it should be a time of spiritual celebration, a day of joy and a period of freedom from work. Since the ultimate celebration of God s people is the great prayer of thanksgiving called the Eucharist, we are called as a faith family every Sunday to celebrate publicly our belief in the resurrection of the Lord and to offer worship to God in and through Christ in the Church s great eucharistic prayer. The Sunday obligation for Catholics, therefore, is not an arbitrary whim of the Church, but an effort to remind us of our obligation in response to the law of the Lord to worship God with fitting praise and adoration. The precepts of the Church in the Code of Canon Law specifies that on Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are obliged to participate in Mass (c. 1247). This obligation is satisfied 5 by attending Mass celebrated in a Catholic rite anywhere, either on the day itself or on the evening of the previous day (c. 1248). The Sunday Eucharist is the basis of all Christian practice. Thus, the faithful are obliged to participate at Mass on days of obligation, unless excused for serious reason or dispensed by their pastor or parish priest. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that those who deliberately fail in this obligation sin gravely (cf. 2181). The center of all Christian life is Christ himself. By his Incarnation and his work of redemption, we are healed and called to share in a new life, a life that binds us together as children of God and sharers in the life of the Trinity. It is for this very reason that the Eucharist is the center and crown of Christian life. For in the Eucharist, Christ gives himself to us and we possess his life within us. The Eucharist is not merely a symbol and ceremony; it is a sacrament in which the saving work of Jesus and the gifts of God are made available to us. The existence of the local or the universal Church would not be possible without the Eucharist. The Second Vatican Council teaches in its Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis): No Christian community, however, can be built up unless it has its basis and center in the celebration of the most Holy Eucharist (PO 6). Hence, we are called together as a family, a Christian community, on the Lord s Day, to renew our personal spiritual life and that of the Church in the public act of worship that is the celebration of the Mass. The other sacraments, as well as every ministry of the Church in its apostolic work, are linked with the Holy Eucharist and are directed toward it. For the Eucharist contains the Church s entire spiritual wealth, that is, Christ himself, our Passover and Living Bread. In his very flesh Christ offers new life to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are thereby invited to offer ourselves, our labors and all that we have to God through union with Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist. Sunday becomes a moment of spiritual and personal renewal for us individually but also as a community as we gather to celebrate the Eucharist in union with the whole Church throughout the world. We are told in the Book of Genesis that God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done (Gn 2:2). Like God, we too should follow a sequence of work and rest. On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are to abstain from any work or effort that inhibits the worship due to God, the joy proper to the Lord s Day, works of mercy and relaxation of mind and body. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the family s needs or important social service that should be given are legitimate excuses from the obligation of the Lord s Day rest, but these responsibilities and duties must not be allowed to become so habitual that our religious practice, family life and even our health eventually suffer (cf. 2185). Finally, we are reminded that while engaging in leisure activities, Christians should not forget their sisters and brothers who have the same needs and rights and yet cannot enjoy rest and renewal because of poverty. Sunday is traditionally consecrated to good works and service of the sick, infirmed and elderly. By such action on behalf of those in need we actively strive to sanctify the Lord s Day and to make it a time of true blessing for ourselves and others. Next Month - The Timeless Ten Commandments - Part 3

6 Diego and the miracle of the roses. We heard in our readings that life of every human being begins at the moment of conception and ends at natural death. We heard that we should turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary through whom the Word was made flesh. Every human life is sacred. We need to live the gospel of life. We saw at the beginning of these ceremonies 39 roses. The roses represent the 53 million who have been murdered in the last 39 years since Roe vs. Wade. Being legal to kill babies does not make it right. Hitler made it legal to kill Jews but that did not make it right. The politicians say that the baby in the womb is just a glob of cells. But we hear in the Gospel readings, blessed is the fruit of thy womb. The Gospel did not say blessed are the cells in your womb. Every time we say the Hail Mary we confirm that life begins in the womb. Hail Mary full of grace blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Mary could have aborted Jesus. But she did not. Joseph could have had Mary stoned to death. But he did not. But Jesus lived. As we say in the Knights of Columbus, Vivat Jesus, that is, Jesus lives. In our United States Declaration of Independence it states that, we are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. Our fundamental rights are not given by the government. Prominent among these rights is Religious Liberties. Did you know that in Mexico in 1929 their religious liberties were attacked? Did you know that churches were destroyed? That Catholics were forbidden to go to mass? Did you know that over 200,000 Catholics were murdered by the government? Those who rose up against the government were called Cristeros from their cry, Viva Cristo Rey, that is, Long Live Christ the King. The cry of the Cristeros in Mexico was also Long Live Christ the King and our Lady of Guadalupe. Six Priests who were martyred and who were members of the Knights of Columbus were recently canonized as Saints. How many of you knew that one of main reason there is now religious freedom in Mexico was through the hard fought efforts of the Knights of Columbus working with President Calvin Coolidge by putting pressure and the Mexican government? Our religious freedoms are now being attacked in our country. Our Bishops last month stated there are fundamental flaws in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that take away our religious freedom. In the Florida Catholic, it quoted that the Affordable Care Act, forces an abortion agenda unlike anything we have seen since Roe vs. Wade. Mary accepted life. She said Behold I am the handmade of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word. We too should also accept life and recognize, like Mary, that life begins in the womb even though it may be very difficult at times. The gospel reading of the Angel Gabriel announcing to Mary is called the Annunciation. This reading truly brings forth two messages of joy. One is announcing the conception of Jesus and the other her acceptance to be God s handmaid, that is accepting life. It could be said that this Gospel reading is the Gospel of Life. Mary is our mother. To honor our Lady of Guadalupe, we proclaim that Jesus is Lord, our God. To honor our Lady of Guadalupe, we proclaim that Jesus is the giver of life. To honor our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, we seek to proclaim the Gospel of Life. Now is the time to entrust ourselves to our mother. Now is the time to reject the culture of death for the culture of life. Now is time for us to speak up and tell the government that is not right for them to put into law that our health care workers are to perform abortions contrary to their conscience. Now is the time to tell the politicians that we want our religious liberty. Now is the time to teach the world that the life of each human being is unique and that life begins at the moment of conception and ends by natural death. Now is the time to bear witness to the reality that every human life is sacred and is a gift of God. Now is the time that we proclaim the Gospel of Life. 6 Religious Freedom and Voter Guides Fr. Frank Pavone National Director, Priests for Life Priests for Life is proud to have assisted the process by which Americans from coast to coast organized rallies for religious freedom on Friday, June 8. These rallies, along with our lawsuit (and 22 others) against the HHS mandate, will bring about a change. In making that change, we have to be clear that our religious freedom must be comprehensive, rather than selective. It applies across the board. The US bishops have written in their recent statement on religious liberty, "Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith?" When I read this, one of the things I think about are the spiritual works of mercy, among which is to "instruct the uninformed." We share information that will help our brothers and sisters carry out their Godgiven mission in life. And one of the ways we do that in an election year is to share information about the candidates and where they stand on the issues. That is why this year, once again, Priests for Life has produced a voters' guide for the Presidential race, and we are organizing teams of people nationwide to distribute these guides everywhere: on the street corners of their communities, in their organizational meetings, at the workplace, through social networking, and more. (You can sign up at The bishops have also said in their document, "We need, therefore, to speak frankly with each other when our freedoms are threatened." Let me, then, speak frankly right here and now, and say that when citizens are intimidated from sharing voter guides with their fellow citizens, that is an infringement of their religious liberty. After all, spreading this information should not be understood only as a partisan activity. It is also an activity motivated by faith, by the awareness that we have a responsibility to the common good to share information that will help others fulfill what the bishops have identified as a moral and spiritual responsibility, namely, " to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest" (US Bishops, Living the Gospel of Life, n. 34) We cannot do that unless we know where the candidates stand on the issues, and there is no moral or legal reason not to spread that information. Among the attorneys who advise us at Priests for Life are James Bopp, Jr. and Barry Bostrom, who are among the nation's leading experts on tax law and on what Churches are allowed to do regarding elections. In a letter (full text at they advised us as follows: " [T]he distribution of campaign material by others in the church parking lot will not jeopardize the church's tax exempt status. The mere permission of distribution of campaign materials by others in the church parking lot is not regulated by the Internal Revenue Code. The Code and its regulations are designed to limit only the activities and expenditures of non-profit organizations. Distribution of campaign materials by others outdoors, in a public parking lot, is not an activity or expenditure of the church Let us, indeed, defend our religious freedom, first and foremost by exercising it, by speaking freely and boldly, and by making a difference in this year's elections!

7 REPORT FROM OUR INSUR ANCE AGENT DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY S PROTECTION? 829 Grovesmere Loop Ocoee, FL Knights Of Columbus Florida State Council Donald T. Kahrer, Jr. State Advocate (407) cmkdtk1@embarqmail.com happy birthday! To all brother Knights who were born during the month of August some years ago: Allison Anthony Thomas J. Hanlon Michael P. Krochmalni Cody J. Pitre Vincent M. Pizzo Louis A. Ramos Even if you know that you need additional family protection, there is no simple answer to the question of how much is enough. Most people obtain family protection to replace income that would be lost with the death of the breadwinner. It would provide funds to help replace the deceased's paycheck and may also provide income for long-term needs, such as retirement, college costs or estate taxes. Family protection also provides money for immediate needs, such as expenses for final illness or burial. And some people use family protection for readjustment money - temporary funds for family members who will need time to make important decisions about moving or looking for a job. Some experts say that family protection should equal five times your total annual take home pay. Some say eight times and others say ten times. However, no two families are alike and these rules might not apply. The Knights of Columbus provides its Field Agents professional financial planning software that will assist them in planning your future financial security, prioritize your needs and provide a plan that will meet your financial goals. Call Alvin T. Smith at for his assistance in setting up a plan that will protect your wife and family. ( alvin.smith@kofc.org) CONGRATULATIONS! KNIGHT of the MONTH for july Joe Pompa For all your religious supplies and icons - Come visit our council website at and follow the link shown below FAMILY of the MONTH for july Family of Lewis Ramos 7

8 Dates to Remember AUGUST 2012 Monday 6 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD Thursday 9 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting Monday 13 7:30 P.M. Assembly business meeting Wednesday 15 DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Saturday 18 All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter Wednesday 29 BEHEADING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST SEPTEMBER 2012 Monday 3 LABOR DAY Saturday 8 FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Monday 10 7:30 P.M. Assembly business meeting Thursday 13 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting Friday 14 FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS Tuesday 18 All articles and reports due for next months newsletter OCTOBER 2012 Monday 1 FEAST OF THE PATRONAGE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Monday 8 7:30 P.M. Assembly business meeting Thursday 11 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting Friday 12 COLUMBUS DAY (Traditional) Wednesday 23 All articles and reports due for next months newsletter Wednesday 31 HALLOWEEN TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD NATIVITY OF THE MOTHER OF GOD If anyone knows of a member or family member that should be listed in our Pray For column please contact Michael P. Krochmalni at so that we can add their names. You can send this information by mail to: Michael P. Krochmalni 2207 Viento St. Orlando, FL or to: council9236@me.com Pray For HEATLH: Thomas Prebee John Wisdo Fr. Peter Boutros Helen Obuch Henry Dugan George Chandler Lois Swirderski Juanita Ortega Bob & Mary Jane Spencer Anna Kocur Josie Johnson Eugene & Shirley Hawk IN MEMORY OF: Marika A. Krochmalni Charles Leppert George Molchan Joseph Obuch 8 EXALTATION OF THE CROSS