The Knights Line. In Memoriam. Henry Hyde, Pro-Life Champion, Knight, Dies

Transcription

1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Holy Family Council 9236 Blessed Theodore G. Romzha Assembly 2279 P.O. Box 1391 Windermere, FL The Knights Line Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 26 Windermere, Florida MAIL TO: DATED MATERIAL PLEASE DO NOT DELAY THE HOLY FAMILY WEB SITE - VOLUME 13, No. 12 December /29/2007 Henry Hyde, Pro-Life Champion, Knight, Dies Few in public life have served as well, Supreme Knight says. Former Congressman Henry Hyde was the epitome of a Catholic gentleman, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said Nov. 29, upon hearing of Hyde s death at the age of 83. He was a proud brother Knight for 52 years, and throughout his long record of service in public office, his faith guided him at every step along the way. The 125th Supreme Convention held in August passed a resolution honoring Hyde. He was a dedicated defender of human life, and the Hyde Amendment, adopted in 1976, is the most important pro-life statute ever enacted by Congress, Anderson said. The National Right to Life Committee estimated that the Hyde Amendment has saved at least 1 million lives since its passage. The amendment banned federal funding for abortions. Had he done nothing else during his 32 year career in Congress, the Hyde Amendment would stand out as a singular accomplishment, Anderson continued, but as chairman of both the House Judiciary Committee and the House International Relations Committee, he showed himself to be even-handed and fair, even as he was a strong Council - council9236@mac.com Henry Hyde (Continued on Page 4) In Memoriam The Knights of Columbus Council 9236 and Blessed Bishop Theodore G. Romzha Assembly 2279 wish to extend their deepest sympathy to the family of Sir Knight Charles L. Murray who passed away on November 20, Grant, O Lord, eternal rest to the soul of your departed servant Charles and remember him forever. Assembly - romzha@mac.com

2 Knights of Columbus Incarnation Dome Dedicated at National Shrine At a Nov. 17 Mass celebrated by Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception dedicated its new Knights of Columbus Incarnation Dome. The 3,780 square-foot mosaic is located above the nave near the shrine s main entrance. The Order committed $1 million in funding for the project, led by the efforts of the Fourth Degree. The dome depicts four biblical references relating to the incarnation of Jesus Christ: the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), the Nativity (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-21), the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-13 and Luke 9:28-36). Following are Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson s remarks at the dedication: The Knights of Columbus today rejoices as we celebrate this beautiful addition to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception. This year we celebrate our 125th anniversary as Knights of Columbus. We also celebrate 87 years of a wonderful partnership since that day in 1920 when a Knights of Columbus honor guard stood at attention while His Eminence James Cardinal Gibbons laid the corner stone saw the dedication of the famed Knights Tower. Recent years have seen many memorable events: our Jubilee Year Pilgrimage which was the largest ever in the history of the Shrine; our September 11 anniversary Day of Remembrance and Prayer for Peace and our two Knights of Columbus Eucharistic Congresses. In these and so many other ways Mary s Knights have truly found a home in Mary s house. Today we celebrate the central truth of our faith Christ coming to us as man. Our God is not an abstraction, he is real. It is Jesus, who the Second Vatican Council reminds us is the key to understanding our own humanity. In the words of Gaudium et Spes: The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. (22) The dome s theme of the Incarnation is very timely. In recent years we have seen the emergence of a new militant atheism. You may have seen some of the new books attacking the very idea of God. Some have even happy birthday! To all brother Knights who were born during the month of December some years ago: John R. Adams A. Thomas Caulfield Jr. Michael E. Crawford Henry E. Dugan Otto L. Lera Paul J. McKenzie Robert H. Rabba Peter Shine Christmas is Christ s Birthday 2 become best sellers. The authors of these books find no room for the idea of God in their life or their universe. For them, God is an abstraction or the author of a universe controlled by impersonal laws and mechanisms. Of course, they are free to believe or not believe in God. They are not free, however, to reject history. And so they are not free to easily dismiss the person who entered history and who changed it forever. They are not free to dismiss the person of Jesus: the one who for more than 2,000 years has changed hearts and changed lives and who loved each one of us even to the cross. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his book Jesus of Nazareth: It is of the very essence of biblical faith to be about real historical events. It does not tell stories symbolizing truths, but it is based on history, history that took place on earth. And the pope continues, Et incarnatus est when we say these words, we acknowledge God s actual entry into real history. This is why in celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Knights of Columbus we have chosen to highlight the reality of God in history in an enduring way. We have chosen to make possible the creation of a beautiful new work of art in honor of the Incarnation. Indeed, the new Knights of Columbus Incarnation Dome testifies to the cause for our hope: that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son into it to redeem it. And so in dedicating this beautiful work of sacred art today, let each of us dedicate something even more important. We may not be artisans of mosaic, but all of us are artisans of life. Let each of us dedicate our own lives to make a personal witness to the reality of the Incarnation. Each of us has a unique opportunity to do so through our families and our parishes to build through our own lives an Incarnation Dome from living stones. ASSEMBLY OFFICERS Faithful Navigator Marty Moore Faithful Captain Don Kahrer Faithful Admiral Robert Urrutia Faithful Pilot Ron Indelicato Faithful Comptroller Michael Krochmalni Faithful Purser Eugene Hawk Faithful Scribe Charles Leppert Faithful Friar Fr. Sal Pignato Yr Trustee John Long Yr Trustee Vincent Samosky Yr Trustee Michael Crawford COUNCIL OFFICERS Grand Knight Jeffrey Jones Deputy Grand Knight Charles Leppert Warden Edward Podugal Chancellor Joseph Chenette Financial Secretary Michael Krochmalni Treasurer Eugene Hawk Recorder Michael MacMenamin Advocate Alex Cooke Chaplain Fr. Sal Pignato Yr Trustee Norman Bartley Yr Trustee Donald Abate Yr Trustee Otis Hester Insurance Agent George Chandler District Deputy Don Kahrer

3 STRANGE EVENTS ON MAY 13, 1917 The story of Fatima begins on a warm day in May. But the story does not begin alone in the central section of Portugal. It begins in three widely-separated locations; Portugal, Russia and Italy. The events that took place in all three were to come into sharp focus in the middle of the Twentieth Century our time. And all three, today, have a direct bearing on the life of every one of us. The first event took place in Rome. It was a happy day for the people of Italy. Giant church bells boomed out an invitation for men and women to witness a special event. Pope Benedict XV was consecrating a group of monsignors elevating them to the rank of bishop. Among the group knelt a young Italian priest, Monsignor Eugenio Pacelli. Like the others who knelt with him, he knew that the rank of bishop was the first step toward the highest office in the Catholic Church the Papacy. But only a few ever rise so high, and there was certainly no indication on this May morning that anyone in this group would ever become Pope. Yet, Eugenio Pacelli did. He became Pope Pius XII, head of the Catholic Church, in the year No one can deny that he was throughout his pontificate one of the greatest opponents of Communism. He was the first piece in the picture that began to form on May 13, The second event took place in Moscow. On this particular day Russia was in the midst of a terrific internal struggle. A new form of government was endeavoring to come into power, and it was on the brink of using force to achieve its aims. All these things meant little, however, to Maria Alexandrovitch. On May 13, 1917, she and two hundred children were gathered in one of the smaller churches. She was teaching them their catechism. God made us, they chanted in unison, to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next. They were so engrossed in their lesson that they were not aware of a commotion outside the church until the rear doors banged open, and a group of horsemen raced down the center aisle, screaming and brandishing swords. Enemies Of God The Message of Our Lady of Fatima PART 1 They vaulted the Communion rail and started hacking at the altar. Next they turned to the statuary that lined the walls. Down the side aisles they thundered, knocking statues to the floor and grinding them to bits under the horses hooves. Then they forced their plunging mounts between the seats, rode down the children, killing several and injuring many more. 3 Later that day, Maria Alexandrovitch, still sobbing, knocked at the door of one of the leaders of the Revolution. The most terrible thing has happened, she cried. I was teaching catechism in the church when horsemen came in, destroyed the church, charged the children and killed some of them. The revolutionist answered, I know it. I sent them! This was the first instance of Communistic violence a mild forerunner of things to come. It was the second piece in the picture that began to form on May 13, The third incident took place in the central section of Portugal about 90 miles north of Lisbon. In the hills just outside the village of Fatima, three little children were shepherding their flock in a barren hollow, known as the Cova da Iria (Hollow of Irene). The oldest was Lucia dos Santos, age 10, and the others were her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages 9 and 7, respectively. At noon on Sunday, May 13, the sky was clear and the sun shone brilliantly. The sheep grazed contentedly and the children played. World War I raging in Europe was far away, and the fact that a few weeks before, on Good Friday, the United States had entered the fight meant nothing to them. This day was made for playing, laughing and living. They were engaged in one of their simple games when suddenly a blazing flash of lightning lit up the sky. There wasn t a cloud visible, but the children were afraid a storm was brewing, and began rounding up the sheep, when another flash, more brilliant than the first, stopped them in their tracks. The Visitation The second flash had settled above the branches of a small holm-oak tree directly in their path. And in the dazzling light they saw the most beautiful Lady they had ever seen. She was dressed all in white this is Lucia s account more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water pierced by the burning rays of the sun. The children were about to turn and run, when the Lady beckoned them closer. With her gesture their fears faded. Do not be afraid, the Lady said, I shall not harm you. She was young and very beautiful. Her slender hands were folded on her breast, and in them she held a long, white Rosary with beads, cross and chain of shining pearl. For several seconds the children said nothing. They just stood and stared. Then Lucia, always the spokesman for the trio by virtue of her age found her voice. Where do you come from? she asked. I come from Heaven. And why have you come down here? Lucia wanted to know. Because I want you to come here at this same hour on the 13th day of every month until October. Then I will tell you who I am and what I want. (Continued on Page 4)

4 (Continued from Page 3) By now Lucia s childish inquisitiveness had overcome any fear that remained. Shall I go to Heaven? she asked. Yes, you will go there. And Jacinta? Jacinta will go to Heaven too. And Francisco? Yes, but he will first have to say many Rosaries At this point Francisco interrupted. I can t see anybody, Lucia, and I can t hear anything either. Let s throw a stone at the light and see if anybody s there. Lucia, horrified, hurriedly started to tell the Lady of Francisco s plight. But before she could finish, the Lady said, Let him say his Rosary and then he will see me. (It is important to note that on May 13 and in the months that followed, Lucia, saw, heard and spoke to the Lady; Jacinta saw and heard her; but Francisco only saw her.) Finally, the Lady asked, Do you wish to offer yourselves to God in order to accept all the sufferings He wishes to send you in reparation for sin and for the conversion of sinners? Yes, answered the children. Then you will suffer much, but God s grace will strengthen you. My children, go on always saying the Rosary as you have done. With that, the Lady disappeared. This event, far stranger than the other two, was the third piece in the picture of Or rather, it was the beginning of the third piece. In months that followed the piece was completed, and it gave the world a message of hope, especially for people who have faith in God. Strange vents on May 13, Next Month Part 2 -The Beginning of the Story- The Twelve Days of Christmas When Christmas s tide Comes in like a bride With holly and ivy clad, Twelve Days in the year Much mirth and good cheer In every household is had. Christmas is not a day but a season! It lasts from Christmas Day until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In the year 567 the church council of Tours called the 13 days between December 25 and January 6 a festival season. Up until that time the only other joyful church season was the 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. Almost everyone knows the carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. In England they begin counting the 12 days on December 26, making January 6 the 12th day. The stroke of midnight on New Year s Eve is the center point. In most of Europe they begin counting the 12 days on December 25. That makes January 6 the 13th day. Either way, we have a baker s dozen of days for announcing the good news of the birth of Christ. A Ukrainian carol speaks of the three feasts of guests, Christmas Day, New Year s Day and Epiphany. These solemnities are the high points of the holy Twelve Days. Christmas time is meant for hospitality, gift-giving, caroling and storytelling. We set this time aside to relax and be merry after weeks of preparation. We do only the work that is absolutely needed so that we can enjoy these festival days with our families and friends, and so that we can make sure that everyone is able to take part. Some families make it their custom during this time to cluster around the Christmas crib for prayers each evening. The Christmas tree is lighted each night while folks pray and sing carols. On Christmas Day the figures of the Magi are placed far away from the crib, then moved a little closer every day until Epiphany, when they arrive in Bethlehem. The Christmas story can be told and retold in plays and pageants. An old proverb says that a guest in the home is Christ in the home. Maybe the most important Christmas customs are to invite guests and to be a guest. 4 The Celebration of Christmas The first signs of this celebration [the feast of the Nativity of Christ] come from Egypt. Clement of Alexandria, around the year 200, mentions that certain Egyptians commemorated the birth of Christ on May 20th. In the first half of the fourth century, the constitutions of the Church of Alexandria laid down that January 6th was both the feast of the Nativity and the Epiphany of Christ. We know, however, from the sermons of St. Gregory of Nyssa that, in 380, the faithful in Cappadocia celebrated the date of December 25th. We also know that, in 385, December 25th was not celebrated in Jerusalem. Christmas continued to be ignored by the Church in Jerusalem until the sixth century. The celebration of Christmas was introduced at Antioch around 386 by St. John Chrysostom. It seems that it was also Chrysostom who introduced Christmas in Constantinople between 398 and 402. In Rome, Christmas was celebrated from 354. Meanwhile the Council of Saragossa in Spain still ignored Christmas in 380, and St. Augustine, in the fifth century, omitted it from a list of feasts of the first class which he drew up. Christmas was, nevertheless, gradually recognized throughout the Christian world. Why was December 25th chosen as the feast of the Nativity of Christ? It is more than likely the Church wished to adapt and Christianize certain pagan feasts which were celebrated around that date, such as the birth of Dionysios at Delphi, the Satumalia (December 1st - 23rd), and above all the Natalis Invicti, or the feast of the invincible sun (the winter solstice), celebrated on December 25th itself. The Fathers of the Church, notable Cyprian, declared that this anniversary of the invincible was made actual in Jesus birth, the only invincible one and the Sun of Justice. Other considerations also influenced the choice of December 25th, the date of the Nativity has been made to depend on the date of the conception of Christ, and the Nativity was celebrated nine months after March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation. This date has been chosen for the Annunciation because it was thought that Christ was conceived six months after John the Baptist; and the announcement to Zacharias was fixed for September as Zacharias had arbitrarily been made out to be high priest, and it was remembered that the high priests entered into the sanctuary on the day of Expiation, in September. Such calculations are entirely fanciful. Historically, we know neither the month nor the year of Jesus birth. What we call the Christian era, whose first year coincides with the year 754 after the foundation of Rome, is an invention of the monk Dionysius Exiguus, in the sixth century. In the same way, we have no historical certainty about the date Jesus death, or of his age at the time of his death, or of the duration of his public ministry. All that can be said with some degree of probability is that Jesus, at the time of his death, was about thirty years old, and that the period of his preaching could have lasted between one and three years. The Year of Grace of the Lord, by a Monk of the Eastern Church, pp (Continued from Page 1) advocate for positions he believed in. He will be remembered as one of the truly great Congressmen of his generation. Henry Hyde joined the Knights of Columbus in 1955, and was a member of Father McDonald Council 1911 in Elmhurst, Illinois. President Bush awarded Hyde with the Presidential Medal of Freedom just a few weeks ago, on Nov. 5. Since he was too ill to travel, his son Bob accepted the award on his behalf. At the White House ceremony, the President said of him, Henry Hyde spoke of controversial matters with intellectual honesty and without rancor. He proved that a man can have firm convictions and be a favorite of Democrats and Republicans alike.

5 Pledge Case Before Federal Appeals Court Dec. 4 The latest court challenge to the words under God in the Pledge of Allegiance, Newdow v. Carey, will be argued before a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 4 in San Francisco. The Knights of Columbus and seven individual Knights and their families from the Sacramento area are parties to the lawsuit, and will be represented in the case by Kevin Hasson, a Knight and president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The Knights of Columbus was the leading proponent of the 1954 addition of the words under God to the Pledge of Allegiance. U.S. Knights began including the words under God in the Pledge of Allegiance in 1951 after the organization s board of directors adopted a resolution mandating that the amended pledge be formally recited in each of its 750 Fourth Degree assemblies. A year later, the Supreme Council adopted a resolution that urged Congress and the White House to add the words under God to the Pledge. Supreme Knight Luke Hart, who was also president of the National Fraternal Congress, persuaded the other 110 fraternal societies to support the resolution as well. The Pledge of Allegiance was formally amended by Congress and signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on Flag Day, June 14, In a letter following the action, President Eisenhower thanked Supreme Knight Hart for the K of C s work in making the addition of the words under God, to the Pledge a reality. Today the Order is directly involved in defending the Pledge against the most recent legal challenge to its constitutionality. In 2005, atheist Michael Newdow, whose earlier lawsuit had been rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court because he lacked standing, filed a new challenge with a number of co-plaintiffs. He asked the U.S. District Court in Sacramento to declare the Pledge unconstitutional because it contains the words under God. The Knights of Columbus and seven individual Knights and their families sought and were granted permission to join the suit as defendant-intervenors. The case, Newdow v. Carey, has several defendants in addition to the Knights, including the Rio Linda (California) Union School District and the U.S. federal government. In 2006, the District Court ruled against the Pledge, and the Knights immediately appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. A brief filed on behalf of the Knights of Columbus notes that, in many other cases, the U.S. Supreme Court has referred to the Pledge of Allegiance as the standard for evaluating the permissibility of other government expression that employs religious imagery. The brief reminds the court that one of many indications that the nation s founders, who wrote and interpreted the Constitution, were comfortable with official references to God, including a tradition begun by former Chief Justice John Marshall, of opening Supreme Court sessions with the phrase, God save the United States and this Honorable Court. The Story of Silent Night, Stille Nacht by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson The phrase repeats itself over and over again in his mind: Silent night, holy night, Stille nacht, heilige nacht. Father Joseph Mohr, Parish Priest It s the first line from a poem this young Austrian priest had written two years before. Now he can t get the phrase out of his mind. Silent 5 night, holy night. Tonight is Christmas Eve and St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, north of Salzburg, will be chock-full of people. Father Joseph Mohr has a homily in mind, a message for his flock on this sacred night, but he needs a carol, something special to cap off the service. Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright... The words won t go away. I need a tune! he says out loud, shaking his head. I wonder if Franz can help me. I hope it s not too late. Franz Gruber is the schoolteacher in the nearby village of Arnsdorf -- a gifted musician, organist at the Arnsdorf church, and occasional substitute organist at St. Nicholas. Franz will help me! he says to himself. He can t resist a musical challenge. Franz Gruber, Schoolteacher and Organist Quickly now he slings on his heavy coat, dons a fur cap and gloves, and ventures into the brisk December morning. The snow is crunchy underfoot as he makes his way across the churchyard towards Arnsdorf, just a 20 minute walk. Silent night, holy night... silent night, holy night. The rhythm of the words echoes with each step. Elizabeth opens the door at his knock. Father Mohr, how nice of you to stop by. Franz will be glad to see you. She takes his coat and ushers him in. Franz is picking something out on his guitar. Franz, remember that poem I told you about: Silent Night? says Mohr. I know it s too late to ask, but could you help put a tune to it? I want to sing it tonight for Christmas Eve. Gruber s face lights up. A challenge. A song. He takes the lyrics from the priest and begins to say them over and over, looking for a cadence. Then he hums a line and scratches it down. Mohr soon tires of the process and begins to play with the children. But within an hour or so, Gruber seems to have a melody and is working out the chords on his guitar. Father, how does this sound? he calls and begins to sing the words: Silent night, holy night, All is calm all is bright... He stops to make a correction in the manuscript, and then continues:... Round yon virgin, Mother and Child, Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace! Father Mohr is ecstatic. On the second verse Gruber s deep voice is joined by Mohr s rich tenor. Elizabeth, baby on her hip, who has been humming along, now joins them on the last verse. The song fills their home with its gentle words and memorable melody. New Year s Eve at St. Nicholas Church, Oberndorf, 1818 That night, December 24, 1818, the song fills St. Nicholas Church at Midnight Mass. Mohr sings tenor, Gruber bass, and the church choir joins the refrain of each verse, while Mohr accompanies on the guitar. By the time the last notes die away, the worshipers are a-buzz with joy and wonder at the song. On Christmas Day, the song is being hummed and sung in dozens of homes around Oberndorf. Silent night, holy night. And in Oberndorf, they would sing their beloved carol again and again each Christmas. The song might have stayed right there had it not been for an organ builder named Karl Mauracher, who came to repair the pipe organ at Arnsdorf in 1819 and made several trips to Oberndorf over the next few years, finally building a new organ for St. Nicholas in The Song Finds Its Way to Emperors and Kings -- and to America Whether Mauracher found the music and lyrics on the organ or they were given to him by Gruber, we don t know. But he carried the song to the Ziller Valley east of Innsbruk, where he shared it with two local families of travelling folk singers, the Rainers and the Strassers, who began to sing it as part of their regular repertoire. The following

6 A Candy Maker A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock foundation of the Church, and firmness of promises of God. The candy maker made the candy in the form of a J to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the Good Shepherd with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs, like all sheep, have gone astray Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. I pray that this symbol; will again be used to witness to the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today. (Continued from Page 5) Christmas of 1819, the Rainer Family Singers sang Stille Nacht in the village church of Fügen (Zillertal). Three years later they sang it for royalty. Emperor Francis I of Austria and his ally Czar Alexander I of Russia were staying in the nearby castle of Count Dönhoff (now Bubenberg Castle). The Rainer Family performed the carol and were invited to Russia for a series of concerts. In 1834 the Strasser Family Singers sang Silent Night for King Frederick William IV of Prussia. He was so taken with what the Strassers called their Song of Heaven, that he commanded it to be sung by his cathedral choir every Christmas Eve. It spread through Europe and in 1839 the Raniers brought the song to America as the Tyrolean Folk Song. Since then it has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects. Various English translations blossomed, but the definitive English version of the song was penned by Rev. John Freeman Young and first published in The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (1863). Why Is Silent Night So Popular? Why has Silent Night become our most beloved carol? Is it the words -- tender, intimate, gentle? Or the tune -- so peaceful, so memorable, so easy to play or pick out with one hand on the piano? It is not a joyous, fast-paced carol like Handel s Joy to the World. Nor theologically-rich like Charles Wesley s Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. Nor does it have a complex tune like Angels We Have Heard on High. Rather, Silent Night is quiet and reflective, calling us to meditate on the scene. It is the ambience conveyed by both the gentle words and melody that create from this carol an oasis of peace. All is calm, all is bright. It calls us to dwell on the Madonna and Child -- Round yon Virgin, mother and Child, Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace. You feel as the shepherds quake at the sight. You can imagine as 6 heavenly hosts sing Alleluia. And you begin to sing Alleluia to the King right along with them. Rays of backlit brilliance highlight many a religious painting, but here the picture of light is painted in words: Glories stream from heaven afar... Son of God, love s pure light, Radiant beams from Thy holy face... Just Who is in this manger? What is the significance of this birth? What is Christmas about -- really? Perhaps most of all, Silent Night is beloved because it reminds us in its simple, but exceedingly clear way, the truth behind it all -- the truth that changes everything: Christ, the Savior is born! Sing it again this Christmas and let its gentle peace wash over you and its bold assertion renew your soul. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth! Jesus, Lord, at thy birth! Dumpsters, Bridges, and Children Fr. Frank Pavone National Director, Priests for Life Some years ago, a phone call came into a Milwaukee police department. Children were throwing stones off of a bridge, the officer was told. When police arrived at the scene, they asked the children what they were throwing. The reply came, Little people. These children had discovered small grey containers that held the remains of aborted children. The containers had been thrown in the trash of a nearby abortion mill. Little people had become playthings, because the law taught the slightly older children well. What is disposable, after all, can also be used for play. Yet the children had not lost their straightforward honesty, and ability to call things by their names. These aborted babies were people. My friend Monica Migliorino Miller, a professor, author, and pro-life activist, is also straightforward and honest. She writes of one of the times that she and other activists went to retrieve the bodies of some of our aborted brothers and sisters in Chicago. This effort eventually led to a burial service conducted by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Monica writes, When we pulled our cars slowly into the dark alley behind the Michigan Avenue Medical Center, rats scurried before our headlights, frightened by the noise of our intrusion. Our three-vehicle caravan parked in the alley off Monroe Street in downtown Chicago. We stopped in front of a loading dock upon which stood three garbage dumpsters and a filthy blue-colored trash barrel. We climbed onto the loading dock, opened the dumpsters, and began to search through the trash. I opened a red dumpster. At the very bottom was a small, heavy cardboard box. It was about the size of two shoe boxes and was sealed in silver duct tape. I carefully cradled the box in my arms and placed it in the back seat of one of the cars. We drove to Joe Scheidler s garage to examine the contents of the box, first setting it on a table beneath a bright light. We all gathered around the table as Peter carefully peeled off the silver duct tape and opened the flaps of the box. Inside were small plastic specimen bags. Each bag contained the remains of an aborted baby with placenta and uterine tissue. We took the bags out and laid them on the table. There were forty-three of them in all which represented about three or four days worth of abortions at the Michigan Avenue Medical Center. Several bags were marked with the name of the aborted baby s mother, her age, the gestational age of the fetal child, the date of the abortion and a number. Despite the small size of the fetal remains, their tiny arms, legs, hands, feet, rib cages, spinal columns, eyes (floating free out of their sockets), bits of skull tissue and sometimes even an intact face were plainly visible through the plastic windows of the specimen bags. Sometimes it takes dumpsters, bridges, and children to wake us up to the reality of what the choice of abortion really is.

7 REPORT FROM OUR INSUR ANCE AGENT 10 THINGS SOCIAL SECURITY CANNOT DO Cover all of a Man s or Woman s last illness and death expenses..you receive $255 Maximum. Pay off mortgage or other debt. Pay income to a childless widow under 60. Pay income to a widow under 60 with children over 18. Pay all college expenses of a deceased worker s child. Pay all college expenses for a child while the parent is alive. Pay extra money for emergencies. Pay a monthly income to a man or woman who wants to retire early. Pay a benefit in advance, regardless of the seriousness of the family s needs. Do the job of Knights of Columbus Life Insurance, which can do all the above when purchased properly. Call George Chandler at for his assistance in setting up a plan that will protect your wife and family. ( - georgepchandler3@aol.com) n Please become a newsletter sponsor to help offset the cost of this newsletter. The cost of sponsorship is as follows: Sponsors name displayed for 6 months - $ 6.00 Sponsors name displayed for 1 year - $12.00 Business card section for one year - $25.00 Contact: Michael P. Krochmalni at or by at council9236@mac.com CONGRATULATIONS! KNIGHT of the MONTH for November Charles Leppert FAMILY of the MONTH for November Family of Eugene Hawk SPONSORS CORNER William Busk George & Michele Fencik Edgar and Josie Johnson Nancy & Robert Robitaille Michael & Karen MacMenamin Gene & Shirley Hawk Thomas & Gerri Prebee Joe & Helen Obuch Donald & Bobbie Abate Victor J. Prezioso Ralph & Jeanne Zens Edward Fitzgerald Thomas Bradwell Peter Shine Jane & Jeffrey Jones John Robertson Alan Spears Thomas Garrett Janet & Vincent Samosky Ellie & Ron Indelicato 7

8 Dates to Remember DECEMBER 2007 Sunday 2 Pageant Cast Rehearsal/meeting 4 Light Up for Christ - 8PM Saturday 8 FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Thursday :30 P.M. Assembly business meeting All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter CHRISTMAS EVE - Miracle in a Manger Pageant - St. Nicholas-8 PM CHRISTMAS DAY NEW YEAR S EVE JANUARY 2008 NEW YEAR S DAY 1 1 Saturday :30 P.M. Assembly business meeting Sunday 20 All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter Sunday Saturday FEAST OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Miracle in a Manger Pageant - St. Andrew s Church - 4:30P FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY/THEOPHANY 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting 6:00 PM Pageant Cast Dinner at St. Nicholas 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting FEBRUARY :30 P.M. Assembly business meeting Thursday 14 VALENTINE S DAY Wednesday Friday LINCOLN S BIRTHDAY All articles and reports due for next month s newsletter WASHINGTON S BIRTHDAY 7:30 P.M. Council business meeting If anyone knows of a member or family member that should be listed in our Pray For column please contact Michael P. Krochmalni at 407Mike DeStio so that we can add their names. Joe & Helen Obuch You can send this information by mail to: Michael P. Krochmalni 2207 Viento St. Orlando, FL or to: council9236@mac.com Pray For Jeanne Zens Henry Dugan Mary Jane Spencer Lois Swirderski Thomas Prebee Vincent Samosky Anna Kocur Eugene & Shirley Hawk Charles Murray Dennis Forza Greg Siegfried Norman Bartley 8 Stan & Dale Zgurzynski Minnie Gates Juanita Ortega Edgar & Josie Johnson Lorrie Siegfried SK Donald Whiting