State Life Director
January 2023
Faith in Action Life - Programs HERE - Resources HERE
Merry Christmas! I hope and pray that you and your family enjoy the Christmas season and have a blessed 2023.
Please pray that the injunction that pauses Indiana’s ban on abortion, is overturned later this month. If the injunction is overturned as many expect, we still need to be vigilant over the next few years that Indiana does not slide backwards, instead makes even more gains. And our work is just beginning…helping Moms and families in crisis pregnancies takes on even greater importance. One way is to begin supporting, if you haven’t yet, the pregnancy resource centers in your area. Also, more centers may be needed/opened, and our support in starting those is needed. Each council should appoint a center liaison to be sure we take an active role in helping the Moms, their babies. Supreme has introduced the Aid and Support after Pregnancy (ASAP) that will provide a $100 match for each $500 donated to the center. See kofc.org/life. Also, our State Deputy introduced an endowment of $10 million for the Women’s Care Center. Yes, much work is needed, but we are the Knights of Columbus…the men of this country that can unite to ensure the support and love is there. Yes, God’s work is ahead of us and I am thankful to be a part of a Catholic Men’s organization who says yes! There is much disinformation prevalent today, so Education is needed and we should help provide Education.
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.
Biking for Babies was held September 9-11. It was the ninth annual and the best ever! We had 24 riders and thanks to many of you and your councils, we raised over $30,000—enough to pay for one ultrasound machine (each machine is $35,000 but with a match, $17,500 provided on machine) and allocate almost $13,000 to a second unit. Click on a picture of our riders. It is not too late to donate, just do so via indianakofc.org. SAVE THE DATE for the next year’s event is September 8-10.
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.
- March for Life in D.C. is Friday, January 20th…It’s not too late to register and join fellow Knights and families on the Knights annual trip. Click here for the registration flyer and info. Contact Michael Velasco at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Indiana March for Life, Indianapolis, is on Monday, January 23rd. Click here. Knights will be needed to help with traffic control. Please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help.
- Women’s Care Center Endowment – we plan to assist the Indiana Women’s Care Centers. We plan to raise $10 million over 10 years. More details to come.
- 40 Days for Life ends on November 6th, and begins again on Ash Wednesday, 2023.
- Silver Rose Program…Indiana hosted the Silver Rose from May 1st to May 28th. Please check out Supremes info on the Silver Rose at www.kofc.org/silverose. We had 19 councils signed up, so place on your council for hosting in May, 2023.
- 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. Encourage your council members to become sidewalk counselors/be on the front line to help women make the right choice/consider other options instead of the abortion clinic or Planned Parenthood.
- 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 or October Baby. Have pizza, popcorn, cookies and lemonade with a free will offering, with proceeds to Life organizations.
- Organize Christmas caroling with Knights families, to sign at assisted living or nursing homes.
- 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Also, there are a couple of brother Knights who I work closely with: Culture of Life Chairman Michael Velasco (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Special Olympics Chairman Michael Lewis (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). The three of us are the Indiana Life team.
Vivat Jesus and God bless you!
Larry Kunkel, Life Director
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Also, there are a couple of brother Knights who I work closely with: Culture of Life Chairman Michael Velasco (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Special Olympics Chairman Michael Lewis (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). The three of us are the Indiana Life team.
Vivat Jesus and God bless you!
Larry Kunkel, Life Director