April 2020

Greetings!  

The Lenten Season ends soon and Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on April 5th.  While the virus has limited our in-person Mass attendance, meeting and charities, we still have opportunities to live our “Faith in Action”.  

I encourage you to participate in the the Sacred Triduum beginning with Holy Thursday through many sources and ideas below.  Easter Sunday is on April 12th, and use the sources/suggestions below to have a Holy Week and a Blessed Easter.  Some of the many sources/suggestions to help you and your family during this time are:

• Our new Indiana KofC Spiritual Resources webpage
• Check your parish or diocesan web site for Masses and Good Friday and other services online. (or other online sources include; EWTN; ascension press (you tube) and Catholic Radio)
• The Divine Mercy Chaplet and Eucharistic Adoration can be seen/prayed daily on www.ewtn.com
• Pray the Novena Pandemic prayer from Pope Francis (suggested in March, but can be prayed at any time) http://www.kofc.org/en/news-room/articles/novena-prayer-for-protection 
• The Rosary…pray the Rosary daily and ask for Mary’s intercession
• Pray Spiritual Communion…since we cannot received the Eucharist at Mass, this suggested prayer by St Thomas Aquinas and many other clergy confirms our belief and love in the Blessed Sacrament: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/act-of-spiritual-communion-339 
• Pray as a council online through various online meeting options…Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc…and of course use these technologies for your upcoming council meetings.
• Check in with your brother Knights, families, parishioners, neighbors to be sure they are well, and to see if they need help-that is Faith in Action!

Please send your prayers and devotions to me so I may share with other brother Knights in our next newsletter.

Many of our Indiana councils have been conducting Faith activities that are making a difference in the faith lives of our councils and parishes.  Here are just a few:

1. Held a fundraiser (dinner) to raise monies for a sister parish in Haiti. The Parishes mission team goes on a trip twice a year to Haiti to help those in need. They take much needed supplies for those who have health issues.
2. Hosted a Lenten Prayer group for several parishes by the council Chaplain. 
3. Corporate Communion @ Mass where our council members were Lectors, Ushers, Eucharistic ministers, as well as attended. After Mass the Knights and their Families gathered with the Chaplain, and Deacon for prayer reflection and dinner. 
4. Building Domestic Church; Installed Kiosk in the back of church according to directions from Supreme. 
5. The council sponsored/purchased/prepared 600 Advent Reflection booklets for the parish.

 Indiana Knights of Columbus Members have many opportunities to grow in their faith so they can be the father, husband and man that God intends them to be.  And be that Catholic leader that many men in the local parish or community aspire to. With that calling, comes the responsibility of supporting the Church, especially during the current trials.  Supporting Vocations, during these times is critical and Indiana Knights can be counted on to be that strong right arm of the Church.  It begins with supporting your Parish Priests, and also the Seminarians – our future Priests.  Many councils have “adopted” a Seminarian and/or supported Seminarians through the Indiana Knights SOS fund and the Supreme RSVP program.  All blessed ways to support our Seminarians.  Now, the Indiana Knights of Columbus has initiated a new program to provide even more support for our Seminarians – SOS-RSVP Synergy.   The program details are available by clicking HERE, and those councils who support SOS by 150% will be assigned a Seminarian and have an opportunity to provide spiritual and financial support.   Check out the Vocations tab under the Faith category for complete details and suggested Holy Hours for Vocations.  Our goals should be to have every Seminarian be adopted by a council.

The Knights of Columbus sponsored Race for Vocations was cancelled this year, but the 2021 event is on the calendar  – May 7th & 8th.  Please SAVE THE DATE for this event, which supports all Vocations (Priesthood, Married Life, and Single Consecrated Life). 

While we cannot perform some of our activities in person, we can do so online or begin planning now for the 2020-2021 calendar year; and what a better way to being our Faith activity plan than the Spiritual Reflection Program, which is recommended during the spring. (Please note a Spiritual Program can be held at other times during the fraternal year.)  The Spiritual Reflection program is required to earn the Columbian Award.  (At least 10% of membership or a minimum of 10 Knights should participate to count as a qualified program). But more important, what a way to grow the council spiritually as we all strive to be the Catholic Man/Holy Man that God wants us to be.  Several councils have submitted their program which include a Men’s Conference, or a council retreat.  

 The following are some examples of programs that qualify:

1. St. Mary of the Woods, Terre Haute, has an awesome customized program available to the Knights.  Click to see the FLYER or an AGENDA example. Contact Zach Pies (812-535-3131) if you are interested.
2. Ask your Chaplain, a Priest or Deacon, to lead a retreat for your council…a chance to take time with prayer and discernment to improve your council.  The program could include Mass and/or Reconciliation.
3. Attend one of the many Indiana Catholic Men’s Conferences. Click HERE for an Indiana Conference schedule and list of opportunities or check our CALENDAR. [registration is open for the NorthWest Indiana conference on March 28th - see https://www.nwicatholicmen.com/]
4. The Veil Removed program, a Spiritual Reflection program, provides a powerful opportunity to grow in our faith and have a greater love for the Eucharist.  Here are some recommended steps:

a) The full program should last a day (If councils follow qualifications b through d, this qualification should be easily met, especially including lunch and break times.)

b) Mass should be celebrated, preferably at the conclusion of the day

c) An introduction to Confession and time to receive the Sacrament should be scheduled during the day (this would fit well after the section 4 discussion in the study guide)

d) Each session, except the first which starts with the film, should have a short (15-min or so) talk from one of the Knights sharing his experience at Mass, preferably connected to the theme of that session

e) Councils that complete the Veil Removed should mention in field 6 of the Fraternal Programs Report Form (#10784) that they used the Veil Removed resources

We have several program study guides/dvds being passed around in Ft. Wayne and Indianapolis areas.  In order to get an idea of this program, check out https://theveilremoved.com/.  Please have the GKs contact me if they would like to reserve the program guides and dvd.

For questions about Supreme Faith programs, please check the Faith in Action Guidebook.  The Guidebook can be accessed at: https://www.kofc.org/un/en/forms/programs/10590-%20Faith%20in%20Action%20Guidebook.pdf 

If you need help or have any questions about the Knights, especially the Faith initiatives of the Knights of Columbus, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Also, there are a few brother Knights who I work closely with: State Vocations Chairman Ed Waldschmidt (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), State Sacristan Charlie Dispenzieri (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Marian Hour Chairman Jim Recasner (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).  The four of us are the Indiana Faith team.  

May God keep you and your family safe during these times, and as our State Deputy has said, “ stay calm, be strong and be a Knight (Father/Husband/Grandfather) that God calls us to be.”

Vivat Jesus and God bless you!

Larry Kunkel, Faith Director

We continue to build on the success of the Faith Supreme programs introduced last year, by continuing to promote these programs and tell our story.  The programs are:

• RSVP (refund Support Vocations Program) counts as 2 activities
• Into the Breach
• Marian Icon
• Building the Domestic Church Kiosk
• Rosary Program
• Holy Hour
• Sacramental Gifts
• Spiritual Reflection

One awesome Supreme program that your council and families should consider is the Totus Tuus Pilgrimage to the Saint John Paul II shrine in Washington D.C.  Click HERE for an agenda and details. 

Second, the programs originated in our councils are many some examples are:

1. 5th Sunday Rosary
2. Corporate Communion-The council membership along with their families worshiped together to present a unified presence to the community
3. Corporate Mass for Deceased Brother Knights.
4. Church fundraiser but be sure to always prayer.
5. Council Bible study
6. The council sponsored/purchased Advent Reflection booklets for the Church
7. Led Rosary Rally for 101st anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima
8. Provided and served meal for 500 parishioners after Mass in the Grass
9. Sponsored and participated in St. Augustine's Evangelical Committee series "Spirit on Tap" open to all parishioners
10. Annual clergy appreciation dinner
11. Patriotic Rosary prayed daily by brother Knights for Religious Freedom during Religious Freedom week.