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State Life Director

August 2023

Faith in Action Life - Programs HERE - Resources HERE

Greetings Brother Knights! 

We have many Life activities available to your council that can make a difference in protecting and defending God’s greatest gift-Life!

We have good news in Indiana.  As of this writing, the Indiana law to ban abortion that went into effect September 15, 2022, is expected to be reinstated on August 1st.  Please keep that other obstacles occur that would limit our efforts to build a culture of life in Indiana.  Indiana Attorney General and fellow Knight Todd Rokita, made this statement when the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of Life on June 29th:

Attorney General Todd Rokita’s Office released the following statement on today’s ruling in the Medical Licensing Board v. Planned Parenthood case: 

“The Indiana Supreme Court has just upheld the abortion laws passed by the Indiana General Assembly. We celebrate this day – one long in coming, but morally justified. Thank you to all the warriors who have fought for this day that upholds LIFE.

Life is one of four categories in the Faith in Action Program. The other three are Family, Faith and Community. Supreme has provided several recommended programs in each of the four categories. The Life recommended programs are:

  • March for Life
  • Special Olympics
  • Ultrasound Program
  • Pregnancy Center Support-ASAP
  • Christian Refugee Relief
  • Silver Rose
  • Mass for People with Special Needs
  • Novena for Life

March for Life, Ultrasound Program, Pregnancy Center Support (ASAP) and Special Olympics are featured programs and count as two activities.

The following are some upcoming Life programs that many Indiana councils are currently doing or have done:

  • A Life goal for the fraternal year is for each council to support a Pregnancy Resource Center. The Women who are facing crisis pregnancies need our help, and supporting/being connected to a resource center in your area would be a difference maker. The new Supreme Aid and Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) program provides an opportunity to support and then received $100 for each $500 contributes. See kofc.org/life for detailed info. Please make your donation prior to July 1st to ensure the additional $100 support is given to the resource center.
  • Biking for Babies is September 8-10. Last year we raised almost $31,000 to find the ultrasound initiative and more info HERE
  • Women’s Care Center Endowment – we plan to assist the Indiana Women’s Care Centers. We plan to raise $10 million over 10 years.
  • Silver Rose Program… Indiana will host the Silver Rose from April 30th to May 27th. Several councils will be hosting the Silver Rose during that time.
  • Ultrasound initiative – in the last few months we have awarded or paid for eight units, and now we have requests from several pregnancy resource centers in need of an ultrasound machine. If each council member could contribute $5, we could raise the monies to meet the demands for the next year… or if each council raises $500 from its members we could meet those requests. Please remember that statistics show that 90% of women in a crisis pregnancy, who see their ultrasound, will keep their baby.
  • Offer up your council Rosary monthly or quarterly for Life. And consider a Novena for Life in your council, your parish in January. Offer up your council Rosary monthly or quarterly for Life. And consider a Novena for Life in your council, your parish in January during the anniversary of Roe v Wade, and the March for Life.
  • Invite the local Special Olympics representative to speak at a social night.
  • As a council, attend right to life events/dinners a supporting the organizations who are the front line and lobbying legislators for Life.
  • Host a movie night for the council/parish with movies such as Unplanned, Bella, Roe v. Wade, The Matter of Life, Lifemark or October Baby. Have pizza, popcorn, cookies and lemonade with a free will offering, with proceeds to Life organizations.
  • Special Olympics…one of our featured programs and our goal is for each council to have an Ambassador (include on form IN-FORM1) and raise at least $2,000 and provide 200-man hours…the Polar Plunge and Tootsie Rolls are both life initiatives that can help each council meet their goal.

Check for complete details on each Faith in Action program and the Faith in Action initiative at https://kofc.org/uns/en/programs/index.html. Keep in mind these are recommended programs, but other Life based programs such as those listed above (some you have developed in your council) also qualify as part of the required four activities for this category.

Also, please begin sending your activities today online at http://www.indianakofc.org/ and click on Forms.

One final comment/suggestion: PRAY and COMMUNICATE…as a leader, begin everything with prayer and communicate often. We have some wonderful initiatives and want to be sure all brother Knights are aware so they/the council can receive the blessings of these programs.

If you need help or have any questions about the Knights, especially the Knight’s Life initiatives, please contact me at life@indianakofc.org. Also, there are a couple of brother Knights who I work closely with: Culture of Life Chairman Michael Velasco (prolife@indianakofc.org) and Special Olympics Chairman Michael Lewis (soic@indianakofc.org). The three of us are the Indiana Life team.

Vivat Jesus and God bless you!

Larry Kunkel
Indiana State Council - Knights of Columbus
State Life Director
life@indianakofc.org
Vivat Jesus