annual report of the supreme knight - light...

SUPREMEKNIGHT

Annual Report of the

132nd Supreme ConventionOrlando, FloridaAugust 5, 2014

Knights of Charity 5

Membership Growth 14

Youth 17

Fourth Degree Knights and the Armed Forces 19

Insurance and Investments 23

Knights and the Church 27

Faithful Citizenship 35

Culture of Life 38

Conclusion 41

Charitable Contributions 42

Financial and Fraternal Highlights 50

Table of Contents

Pope Francis greets Supreme Knight Carl Andersonduring the October 10, 2013, audience with theKnights of Columbus Board of Directors in theClementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.(L’Osservatore Romano)

You WILL ALL Be BroTHer s:our VoCATIon To FrATernIT Y2014 supreme Knight’s reportor L A n D o, FL o r I DA

Florida is a fitting place for us to remember the great Catholic contribution to our hemisphere.

2 � 2014 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight

Even this state’s name speaks to its Catholicheritage. Florida was not named for its beautifulflowers. Ponce de León named it for PascuaFlorida― the Spanish term for Easter ― whenhe discovered this beautiful land during theEaster season more than 500 years ago.

Catholics have been a part of the very fabricof North America from the beginning. Andnowhere is this more true than in Florida.

Before the colonies of Jamestown andPlymouth, the first permanent Europeansettlement was here, and it was Catholic.Known then and now as St. Augustine, wemeet today just 100 miles from that placewhere Christianity first took root in this country.

It was in 1565 that Pedro Menéndez de Aviléslanded in St. Augustine. Standing on the shoreto greet him was Father Francisco López, oneof the priests who had accompanied him fromSpain.

Father López wrote of the landing: “OnSaturday, the 8th, the general landed with manybanners, to the sound of trumpets and salutesof artillery. As I had gone ashore the eveningbefore, I took a cross and went to meet him,singing the hymn, Te Deum. The general,followed by all who accompanied him, marchedup to the cross, knelt, and kissed it.”*

Here, Father López and his fellow priests wouldestablish the first parish in what is now thecontinental United States. As a result, in the

early 1600s, Florida would also be home to ourcountry’s first Marian shrine, dedicated to OurLady of la Leche.

The evangelization that occurred inSt. Augustine was a precursor of whatwould take place throughout the United States.In the past five centuries much has changed,but there has also been one constant: theimportance of the faith. Millions of Americanscontinue to embrace the cross.

Throughout our hemisphere, Catholicism tookroot early. The Catholic history of Canada, LatinAmerica and the Caribbean is well-known.Florida was first, but is by no means alone inhaving a long-standing Catholic presence inwhat we now know as the United States. FromFlorida, the faith was carried by missionariesto locations as far away as Texas and Virginia.

In the Northeast, there were the CatholicAcadians. In Florida and throughoutthe Southwest, there were the Spanishmissionaries. In the Midwest, there were theFrench missionaries. And Maryland ― one ofthe original 13 colonies that formed the UnitedStates ― was founded by Catholics.

The fact is that the majority of this country —including all of Florida and Maryland, muchof Maine, and nearly everything west of theMississippi River — was Catholic even beforethere was a United States. This was already aland under God before it was one nation.From Florida to California the missionaries

2014 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight � 3

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson helps a child put on a newcoat during a Coats for Kids event held the day afterThanksgiving in Bridgeport, Conn.


worked tirelessly ― and manygave their lives ― to bring thefaith to this land and itspeople.

No hardship or sacrifice wastoo much for these men ofGod. They formed a fraternalbond with each other and withthose they served.

Those who planted the faithhere left a great legacy thatcontinues to inspire us today.

This lesson of service wasnot lost on Father McGivney.Like those missionaries, hecreated fraternal bonds withparishioners. Like thosemissionaries, he exemplifiedthe power of service. Likethem, he dedicated himselfto charity. When he foundedthis Order and named it forColumbus, he did so to recallthis land’s Catholic roots.

Father McGivney chose menwho knew what it meant to bea band of brothers. Many ofthose first Knights had servedin the Civil War — anexperience of fraternity andunity that they carried forwardinto the Knights of Columbus.

From the very beginning,the Knights of Columbusresponded to the needs of acountry still recovering fromthe effects of the long andbitter Civil War. The mission ofthe Knights of Columbus wasnot unfamiliar to those who

had heard the words ofPresident Lincoln: “Withmalice toward none, withcharity for all, with firmnessin the right as God gives us tosee the right, let us strive onto finish the work we are in, tobind up the nation’s wounds,to care for him who shall haveborne the battle and for hiswidow and his orphan, to doall which may achieve andcherish a just and lastingpeace among ourselves andwith all nations.”

We could say that the Knightsof Columbus provided aninspired way for Catholic mento help rebuild a nation byliving their Catholic heritageand values.

Those first Knights knew thefraternity that came from beingpart of a tight-knit immigrantcommunity. Many of them alsoknew the fraternity purified bythe crucible of war. Moreover,all of them shared a fraternalunity through their Catholicfaith.

With Father McGivney’sleadership, they begansomething that would changethe world. They understoodthat the fraternity to whichFather McGivney was callingthem had a missionary spiritthat could not be limited bynational borders. As a result, ina few short years, there werebrother Knights active inCanada, Mexico and the

Philippines. Today, as theirsuccessors, we are doublyblessed: as heirs to the greatlegacy of Catholicism in NorthAmerica, and as spiritual sonsof Father McGivney.

And so, my brother Knights,I am pleased to present toyou the theme of this year’sconvention — a theme drawnfrom the message of our HolyFather for the World Day ofPeace this year:

“You will all be brothers: ourvocation to fraternity.”


K n I G H T so F C H A r I T YIn his message for the World Day of Peace, titled “Fraternity: the Foundation andPathway to Peace,” Pope Francis reminded us that “without fraternity it is impossible tobuild a just society.”

Pope Francis called upon Catholics to cast asidethe growing “globalization of indifference” andto instead build “a community composed ofbrothers and sisters who accept and care forone another.” This, he said, is our “vocation tofraternity.” And I say to you today, who betterto respond to this call than the world’s greatestCatholic fraternal organization?

To better understand our vocation to fraternity,Pope Francis quoted the Gospel of John:“A new commandment I give to you, that youlove one another; even as I have loved you”(13:34).

We see the extraordinary witness of PopeFrancis in his love for the sick, the suffering andthe poor. It is a witness that has captured theimagination of the world.

As Knights of Columbus, we are well-positioned to respond. Our charitable activity isrenowned worldwide and is all the strongerbecause it is supported by our fraternalbrotherhood.

Nearly a decade before Pope Leo XIII’s greatencyclical Rerum Novarum launched the SocialDoctrine of the Church, Father McGivneyfounded a lay Catholic organization dedicatedto both the spiritual and temporal well-being

of working families. It would reach out incharity to those on the margins. It wouldnot only evangelize its members, but alsosociety. It would be a Catholic fraternity,drawing men together to do good. It wouldshow clearly to everyone in 19th-centuryAmerica that Catholics could be good andloyal citizens.

Father McGivney’s vision prepared the Knightsof Columbus for the laity’s role in the life of theChurch proposed by the Second Vatican Councilnearly a century later.

Last fall, in a private audience with yourSupreme Officers and Directors, Pope Francisrecognized the Order’s commitment to charity.At that time, the Holy Father praised the“quiet strength, integrity and fidelity” of theKnights of Columbus. He thanked us for ourcommitment to charity, and he urged us tocontinue in our mission.

Encouraged by Pope Francis in our charitableendeavors, and true to the vision of FatherMcGivney, we worked harder than ever before.For the 14th consecutive year, we set a newrecord in charitable giving. Our Order’scharitable contributions increased last yearby more than $2.5 million to a record$170,135,754.

Members of Council 8587 in Cagayan deOro, Mindanao, plant new mangroveseedlings near Taytay. Knights plantedapproximately 3,000 seedlings in theaftermath of a typhoon.

For the fifth year in a row,Québec led all jurisdictionswith charitable donations of$11,147,599. Ontario wassecond, with $7.7 million,followed by Texas, California,Illinois, Michigan, Florida, NewJersey, Missouri and New York.

The number of hoursvolunteered by Knightsalso climbed to a new recordhigh of 70,534,278 hours.Independent Sector valueseach hour donated in 2014 at$22.55. That means that thetime donated by Knights tocharity last year was worth$1,590,547,901.25, andthe value of the more than682,950,911 hours donated inthe past decade totals morethan $13.8 billion.

Our jurisdictions in thePhilippines continued to leadthe way in volunteering theirtime. Luzon and Mindanaotook first and second placeamong all jurisdictions, with5,828,879 and 4,574,746hours, respectively. Texas,Florida, California, Ontario,Illinois, Visayas, Pennsylvania

and Missouri round out thetop 10.

When it comes to the amountof time volunteered permember, four Canadianjurisdictions were in the top10, and Prince Edward Islandwas number one with 135.6hours donated per member.British Columbia was numbertwo with 113.9 hours permember, followed by Alaska,Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia,Hawaii, Nevada, Delaware,Utah and Washington.

Last year, overall, each Knightdonated an average of $91.80and 38 hours of his time tocharity with our Order.

Perhaps one of the mostinspiring examples of ourcommitment to servingthose in need is our serviceto people with intellectualdisabilities. Beginning withour support for the very firstSpecial Olympics games in1968, our efforts in this areahave steadily grown. Lastyear, not only did our councilsdonate $3,599,196 to Special

Olympics, but more than133,000 individual Knightscollectively donated more than250,000 hours of their time atmore than 20,000 SpecialOlympics events.

This February, as NFL coachesand the nation’s best collegefootball players gathered inIndianapolis for the annualScouting Combine, the IndianaKnights of Columbus helpedSpecial Olympics athletesdemonstrate their ownimpressive set of skills. Thanksto a partnership between theIndiana State Council, SpecialOlympics and CatholicAthletes for Christ, the first-ever “Football Clinic” forSpecial Olympics athletes washeld at the Indianapolis Coltstraining complex.

Just three weeks ago,the Knights of Columbusannounced a $1.4 millionsponsorship of the SpecialOlympics World Games tobe held in July 2015 in LosAngeles. Our sponsorshipwill cover the costs of food,transportation and medical



services for every athlete fromthe United States and Canadaduring their time in Los Angeles.We have also asked each statejurisdiction to increase thenumber of volunteer hoursdonated to Special Olympicsthis year.

In addition to our work withSpecial Olympics, Knights ofColumbus councils last yeardonated an additional $13.5million to other projectsbenefiting people withintellectual disabilities.

Councils also donated morethan $3.8 million to benefitthose with physical disabilities.One of our most importantprojects in this area involves ourdecade-long partnership withthe Global Wheelchair Mission.

During the past year alone,we distributed nearly 5,000wheelchairs worldwide.

Knights worked with CaritasVietnam to distribute 1,000wheelchairs in that country.These wheelchairs were paidfor by Knights throughout theUnited States and Canada, withrepresentatives from Florida andTexas joining distributions earlierthis year.

Additionally, Knights ofColumbus councils in California,Texas and Florida beganfundraising to send wheelchairsand other mobility devices tothe Holy Land. His BeatitudeFouad Twal, Latin patriarch ofJerusalem and president of

Project Medishare employee Emmanuel Kernand stands with two wheelchairrecipients during a Global Wheelchair Mission distribution at a special needsschool outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Photo: Randy Hale)

(Above) Holding the LA 2015 Special Olympics World Games banner are SpecialOlympics World Games Global Messengers Caley Versfelt and Marco Martinez. Withthem are Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and Deputy Supreme Knight Logan Ludwig.Actor Eduardo Verastegui, LA 2015 World Games President and CEO Bill Shumardand Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez stand in the back. (Right) Supreme KnightAnderson and Deputy Supreme Knight Ludwig wear their official Special OlympicsWorld Games jackets as they are joined by Global Messengers Caley Versfelt andMarco Martinez.

Caritas Jerusalem, enthusiastically welcomedthe Knights and their mission of charity. Thispast August, sponsored by the Knights ofColumbus, the Global Wheelchair Mission wenton its fourth trip to the Holy Land and broughtwith them 280 wheelchairs.

In addition, Knights in 13 states provided morethan 1,600 wheelchairs to veterans.

In all, over the past decade, through thispartnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission,

Knights have given the gift of mobility tomore than 45,000 people around the world.

Knights have assisted with mobility in otherways as well. The “Knights of Columbus StandWith Boston Program” has provided assistanceto three individuals who lost limbs in theBoston Marathon bombings last year. Wheninsurance didn’t cover an upgraded prostheticdevice or necessary additional device, theKnights of Columbus provided funding.



To date, we have spent morethan $33,000 assisting thoseinjured in the Boston bombing.Our program will help themregain as much mobility aspossible and ensure thatevil does not have the lastword.

College Knights pitched in aswell, with Notre Dame Council1477 donating proceeds fromthe steaks they sold beforelast season’s Notre Dame-USCgame to those who lost a limbin the bombing.

Knights also gave $2.3 millionto benefit the elderly, $5million to hospitals and otherhealth care facilities, and $7.6million for community projects.

Knights likewise helped toprovide housing for thosewho need it most. Last year,brother Knights donated morethan $870,000 and 1.5 millionvolunteer hours to Habitat forHumanity projects.

In New Haven, Connecticut,Supreme Council staffmembers helped build a homefor the Tavarez family. TheOrder donated $75,000 towardthe construction of the home,and more than 20 employees―many of them brotherKnights ― contributed morethan 150 hours to helpcomplete the project.

A great deal of planning goesinto programs such as these,but not every charitable activity

can be planned in advance. Andwhen disasters strike, Knightsanswer the call for help.

Typhoon Haiyan, consideredto be one of the strongestrecorded storms ever to makelandfall, struck the Philippineswith devastating results inNovember. The typhoon killedmore than 6,000 people anddisplaced millions more.

Various councils in thePhilippines delivered food,water, clothing and othernecessities. Knights from IloiloCity traveled about 50 milesnorth with 788 sacks filled withrice, canned goods and bottledwater, while Knights from CebuCity traveled to northern Cebuto distribute sacks of rice andcanned goods.

In the wake of the storm, theSupreme Council authorized animmediate grant of $250,000for relief efforts. An additional

$600,000 was donated byK of C councils and individualsfrom throughout NorthAmerica, bringing our totalcommitment to relief effortsin the Philippines to more than$850,000.

Some of these funds wereinitially spent to set up fooddistribution centers and assistthe affected dioceses in theircharitable outreach.

At the beginning of this yearthe Knights of Columbuslaunched a new initiative —what we call the LivelihoodProject. It helps fishermen andfarmers who lost everythingget back to work. The projectemploys carpenters who losttheir businesses to build boatsfor fishermen who also losttheir businesses. In earlyJune, 40 newly craftedboats were delivered to40 fishermen in a seasideceremony in Western Samar.

CONTRIBUTIONS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

150

0

170

151 155 156

158$MILLIONS

VOLUNTEER HOURS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

69

0

70.569.3 70.0 70.1 70.1Millions

The Order assisted the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans across the country by delivering newwheelchairs to be used by veterans. K of C councils in Maryland, Florida, California, Texas, Arizona andTennessee have provided thousands of wheelchairs over the years to our nation’s heroes, and many statescontinue to hold “Wheelchair Sunday” parish drives to increase their support.



To assist the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, the Knights of Columbus launched aninitiative called the Livelihood Project. The program employs carpenters who losttheir businesses to build boats for fishermen whose boats were destroyed. Inearly June, 40 newly crafted boats were delivered to 40 fishermen in a seasideceremony in Western Samar.

The Livelihood Project ishelping the recovery of twoindustries devastated by thetyphoon. Today, the workcontinues, and a total of100 boats are planned.

Many farms were alsodestroyed by the storm, sothe Knights of Columbus hasbought thousands of coconutseeds to distribute in an areawhere nearly all the trees havebeen uprooted by wind andocean surges. In addition,Knights are making plans withthe Diocese of Borongon todevelop a series of modelfarms, where expertagriculturists are using modernfarming methods to growmuch needed food. Farmersfrom throughout thedevastated areas will learnthese modern farming

methods as they start overagain.

These programs are aninvestment in the future, andthey will help make a betterfuture for many families in thePhilippines.

When tornadoes struckMississippi in late April, localKnights set up three volunteerresponse center teams.Brother Knights workedwith Catholic Charities of theDiocese of Jackson to helpwith damage assessmentteams and also assistedwith clean-up efforts andemergency repairs. Inthe Winston County andLouisville area, approximately1,125 Knights put in nearly6,640 volunteers hours tohelp more than 120 families.

Council 13471 in Philadelphia,Mississippi, delivered morethan half a ton of canned foodand water that they collectedduring their 40 Cans forLent program, in additionto clothes and other items.Knights from Councils 802 inMeridian, 6765 in Starkvilleand 7974 in Columbusvolunteered to help in therelief efforts as well.

When floodwaters left morethan 16,000 families homelessor with property damage inColorado, Knights were on thefront lines. Working with theAmerican Red Cross, Knightsfrom Colorado and thesurrounding states helpedprovide the basic necessitiesof food and shelter.

In Mexico, members ofCouncil 15531 in Iztacalcoprovided a truckload of foodand other relief supplies tovictims of recent hurricanesin the state of Guerrero.

Even if a disaster isn’t causedby nature, responding isnatural for the Knights ofColumbus.

On January 9, a chemical spillin the Elk River contaminatedthe water supply for more than300,000 residents of WestVirginia. The spill was so toxicthat the water was unusablefor days. Before the FederalEmergency ManagementAdministration (FEMA) couldarrive on site with water, the


Thanks to a partnership between theIndiana State Council, Special Olympicsand Catholic Athletes for Christ, a footballclinic for Special Olympics athletes washeld February 22 at the Indianapolis Coltstraining complex.

West Virginia State Council hadalready purchased, deliveredand distributed more than6,000 bottles of water.

Overall, our councils donatedover $4.2 million to helpvictims of disasters last year,and Knights donated over19 million hours of their timeto these and many othercommunity service efforts.

But even when disaster strikesa single family, the Knights ofColumbus responds.

When Jeff Robocker of SouthDakota was killed in an autoaccident, his brother Knightsfrom Marquette Council 815began raising funds andcompleting repairs andrenovations to the family hometo ensure that his wife, whowas six months pregnant atthe time, and their five youngchildren had a comfortable andsafe environment in which torebuild their lives. The councilprovided a total of $20,000 incash, materials and labordonations.

Disasters are, by their nature,unpredictable. However, thecold of winter is predictable.

Thanks to the good work ofbrother Knights, the numberof lower income children whodidn’t have a warm winter coatwas reduced by nearly 52,000last year. The Supreme Counciland 1,195 local councilspurchased and distributed51,924 coats — an increase ofnearly 10,000 coats from theprevious year. And since 2009,we have distributed more than167,000 new coats to childrenthroughout the United Statesand Canada.

Last year, Connecticut Knightsbegan the Christmas seasonby distributing new coats toapproximately 2,000 childrenin six cities the day afterThanksgiving. While manypeople were shopping onBlack Friday, these brotherKnights were giving.I encourage every jurisdictionwhere the chill of winter is feltto follow Connecticut’s lead.On Black Friday, the mostfamous shopping day of theyear, let us as Knights givewitness to the power ofcharity.

Distributing coats for kidscan help an entire communitybecome involved in charitable

work. Last October, ColoradoKnights teamed up with theDenver Broncos to providecoats to students from aninner city Catholic school.Broncos defensive coordinatorJack Del Rio and his wife,Linda, helped organize theevent in collaboration withCatholic Athletes for Christ.

The Broncos also played a rolein a second coats distributionheld in New Jersey just beforethe team played in the SuperBowl. I joined the Del Rios anda number of other coaches andplayers to distribute coats tothe children of Sacred HeartSchool in Jersey City.

Especially inspiring was thepresence of Broncos defensiveend Robert Ayers, who hadbeen a student at that school.Also joining us were retiredMets All-Star catcher MikePiazza and Ray McKenna,president of Catholic Athletesfor Christ.

Cold weather comes eachwinter, but hunger affectsmany people year-round.Brother Knights throughoutthe Order helped make areal difference last year byproviding people in need withfood through our Food forFamilies initiative.


Running back Knowshon Moreno gives the thumbsup with a fan after helping her try on a coat.

Councils throughout our jurisdictions helpthe hungry. Some, like Council 2171 inTillamook, Oregon, grow food — in theircase, approximately 7.5 tons, annually.Many other councils hold food drives orcook and serve meals.

In Colorado, Thanksgiving was brighter forhundreds of families thanks to the effortsof Council 10937 in Highlands Ranch.There, Knights organized a parishThanksgiving dinner drive to providedinner for 400 families.

Council 15045 in Markham, Ontario,took the Food for Families program toan international level. Through itsfoodforsyria.org initiative, it provided a“Free Meal of Love” for 500 children inSyria, many of whom were SyrianChristian refugees.

In Marshall, Texas, Council 1422’s mainpurpose with their “Remembering theNeedy on Christmas Day” program is tofeed the homebound, the needy, prisoners,emergency workers and the downtroddenon Christmas Day each year. For the eighthyear, St. Joseph Parish and Council workedtogether to feed 797 people with aChristmas dinner, and then on Christmasday, they delivered 283 meals to inmatesof the Harrison County Jail.

For many who are ill, life depends ondonations of blood. We have continuedto provide this service ever since oursponsorship of the first national blooddrive in the United States, in 1938. Duringthe last fraternal year, we helped providea vital lifeline to those undergoing medicaltreatment by enlisting the support of morethan 410,000 blood donors.

While we are most active in our own jurisdictions,our charity often reaches beyond nationalborders. Over the years we have helped peoplein need in Haiti, Pakistan, Japan, Sri Lanka andChile, to name just a few.

Finally, the Knights of Columbus, working withthe Apostles of Jesus, continues to provide careand shelter for children in Uganda and Kenya whoare orphaned because of AIDS. Last year, morethan $300,000 was committed to build a newgirls dormitory and purchase a new school bus,and to bring electricity to a school and otherbuildings for these children ― many of whomhave tested positive for HIV.

Whether at home or abroad, charity is our Order’sfirst principle and the basis for all we do asbrother Knights.

It is the tangible way that we live out that spirit offraternity and “missionary discipleship” to whichPope Francis has called us.

MEMBERSHIPJune 30

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1.75

0

1.81 1.82 1.83 1.84 1.85

MILLIONS


M e M B e r s H I PG r o W T Hone of the most important tasks facing every brother Knight is to ensure that every oneof our councils is open to new members.

Our ability to do good incountless communities aroundthe world is directly related tothe growth and vitality of ourmembership. Inviting men tojoin us not only helps eachman who joins, it also helpsthose in need.

It gives me great pleasure toreport to you that during thefraternal year ending June 30,membership in our Order grewfor the 42nd consecutive year,to a record 1,862,774 brotherKnights.

During this same period weadded 270 new councils,including 10 in Mexico, 12 inPoland, 16 in Canada, 81 inthe Philippines and 151 in theUnited States, bringing thetotal number of councils to14,871.

Our Order is also growing inUkraine and Lithuania.

By percentage, membershipgrew the most in Poland,where 769 new Knightsincreased membership thereby more than 23 percent injust one year.

I had the opportunity toexperience firsthand theenthusiasm of Polish Knightswhile attending their stateconvention at Gniew Castle innorthern Poland. While there,I was pleased to meet with thestate officers to plan for ourfuture growth and charitablework in Poland.

I am pleased to announcethe establishment of our firstcouncil in South Korea, St.Andrew Kim Taegon Council16000. There are nearly 5.5million Catholics in Koreatoday. It is the fastest growingCatholic community in theworld. Pope Francis plans tovisit South Korea in the verynear future, and I am surethat South Korea, like thePhilippines, will play asignificant role in the futureof the Knights of Columbus.

Other jurisdictions addedsubstantially to their ranks aswell. Mexico Northwest grewby more than 9 percent andMexico Northeast by 8.6percent. The Philippines grewby 5 percent.

COUNCILS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

14

0

14.9

14.0 14.2 14.4 14.6Thousands


Fourth Degree Knights process with aportrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe as part ofthe 4th Poland State Convention held inMay.


Members of St. Volodymyr Council 15800 stand with MajorArchbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the UkrainianGreek Catholic Church, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of theResurrection of Christ in Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo by YaroslavPavliuk)

In the United States, New Mexico grewits membership by 4.6 percent, Georgia by3.9 percent and South Dakota by 3 percent.Virginia grew by 2.5 percent, Oklahoma by2.1 percent and Florida by 2 percent. Texasalso grew by 2 percent, becoming the onlyjurisdiction in North America to reach themilestone of 100,000 members.

As our continued growth makes clear, the ideaof a brotherhood of Catholic men committedto charity continues to be as relevant and vitaltoday as it was in Father McGivney’s time.

But we must do more.

The good that we can do grows with each newmember of our fraternity. Today, we numbermore than 1.8 million, but there are tens ofmillions of Catholic men who could have theirlives transformed, and help transform the livesof others, through membership in the Knightsof Columbus. We have a tremendousresponsibility.

If a man is interested in helping those in need,or in serving his parish or community, or instrengthening his faith, or in protecting hisfamily’s financial future, he should join us.No matter what his reason is for joining, hewill gain much from the many benefits ofmembership.

Councils should also continue to follow theeffective membership program of “OneMember, Per Council, Per Month.” If eachcouncil grew by 12 new members this fraternalyear, we would grow by more than 175,000members, and the service we could provide tochurch and community would growtremendously.

And every council should also strive to earn thedesignation of Star Council. This is a clear pathfor sustained membership growth.

When he founded the Knights of Columbus,Father McGivney understood the need toprotect the spiritual and financial well-beingof Catholic families.

As Knights, we help alleviate the effects ofmaterial poverty for millions. However, thiscoming year, I ask you to renew your focus onalleviating spiritual poverty as well, by offeringmen the opportunity to grow in faith within ourfraternity. This is what it means to have avocation to fraternity.

In keeping with our founding mission ofprotecting Catholic families, I am pleased toannounce a new fraternal program. In October,we will launch “Building the Domestic Church:The Family Fully Alive.” This program will helpour families and parishes grow in the faith.It will also help us prepare for the 8th WorldMeeting of Families, which will be heldSeptember 22-27, 2015, in Philadelphia. Thisprogram will offer opportunities for prayer,catechesis, Scripture reading, charitableprojects and social activities that can be donetogether as a family.

Our Catholic Information Service (CIS) remainsan important part of our work. Since ourSupreme Convention last year, five newpublications have become available in the NewEvangelization Series. These booklets on thetopics of prayer, the Eucharist, St. John Paul II’sTheology of the Body, marriage andconsecrated life are vitally important for ourefforts to strengthen Catholic family life,and they are available in print and online.


Our programs highlight foryouth the transformativepower of charitable service.Participating in Knights ofColumbus charitable activitiescan be the catalyst for alifetime of service.

A powerful example of charityin action can be seen in thework done by Council 9195 inAnaheim, California. BrotherKnights donated televisions,iPads and a Nintendo system― at a combined cost of morethan $3,000 ― for children touse while undergoing dialysisat St. Joseph Hospital.

When Virginia’s RoanokeCouncil 562 learned thatover 600 schoolchildren in thearea belonged to homeless orlow-income families, theyorganized the “Hunger Is Not aGame” project to provide after-school snacks and clothing forunderprivileged students. The council delivered clothingand over 6,000 packages offood and drinks, totaling$4,300 in value, to studentsthroughout the area.

Along with individual serviceprograms like these, over the

Y o u T Hour youth are not just the future of our society — they are the future of the Knightsof Columbus. When we involve young people in the Knights of Columbus, theybenefit from our experience in charity and our commitment to faith, and they witnessour vocation to fraternity.

Supreme Knight Anderson and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori ofBaltimore stand with 2014 graduates of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute forStudies on Marriage and Family. Also pictured, at far right, is Father AntonioLópez, F.S.C.B., provost/dean.

past year more than 104,000young people between theages of 9 and 14 participatedat 4,357 Knights of ColumbusFree Throw competitions.Our Soccer Challengeprogram was also successful,drawing more than 15,834participants at 1,152 events.

Knights also showed theirsupport for young people bysponsoring 28,547 Scouts in

1,173 Scouting units in theUnited States and an additional943 Scouts in 153 Scoutingunits in Canada. Local councilsshould work with the NationalCatholic Committee onScouting and the local dioceseto determine the best ways tocollaborate with Scouts.

Our Columbian Squires werealso very active in charity thispast year. Squires concluded


the fraternal year with 20,241 members in1,785 active Squires circles, donating morethan $13,000 and over 313,000 volunteer hoursto a variety of initiatives.

Our College Council program continues toexpand as well. College is a rite of passage formany young people, and our college councilsprovide them with a proper understanding ofcharity, unity in the faith, and the vocation tofraternity. College councils give young menthe opportunity for authentic brotherhood andfraternity based on Christian values, and theyalso give them the chance to evangelize theircampuses by their commitment to faith andcharity. Over the past year, we added 15 newcollege councils, including seven in the UnitedStates, one in Canada and seven in thePhilippines. We now have 27,532 collegeKnights who are members of councils at 302colleges and universities.

During the 2013-2014 academic year, theSupreme Council funded 552 scholarshipsworth more than $1.2 million for students atinstitutions of higher education. One hundredand sixteen scholarships went to seminariansthrough the Father Michael J. McGivney andBishop Thomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarshipprograms. Of the 44 who are new awardees,39 are members of the Order. Eachscholarship provides $2,500 for tuition,room and board at major schools of theology.Since the two scholarship programs beganin 1992 and 1999, respectively, they havedistributed more than $6.3 million inscholarship aid to a total of 1,102 seminarians,758 of whom have been ordained to thepriesthood.

Among our other scholarship programs, sevenscholarships totaling more than $153,000 wereprovided through the Matthews and SwiftEducational Trust. Likewise, 153 scholarshipsworth more than $225,000 were provided

through the Fourth Degree Pro Deo and ProPatria scholarship programs.

By far, the Order’s greatest support forvocations comes from our local councils,assemblies and Squires circles participatingin RSVP ― the Refund Support VocationsProgram. Last year alone, 3,224 local unitsprovided direct financial support totaling$6,187,284 to 6,356 seminarians through RSVP.

Since 1981, RSVP has provided more than$60 million in aid to more than 98,000 menand women pursuing their vocations to thepriesthood or religious life.

In addition to providing scholarship money,Knights of Columbus councils supportvocations in many creative ways. Knights inthe Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, annuallyshow their support for young people pursuingreligious vocations by inviting them to attenda minor league baseball game free of charge.This year, priests, deacons, women religiousand seminarians were all in attendance, andBishop Earl Boyea and Michigan Past StateDeputy Michael Malinowski were amongthe dignitaries to throw out ceremonial firstpitches. A Fourth Degree honor guard alsoparticipated before a sellout crowd of 11,166 ―which included 2,200 Knights and their families.Father McGivney, a baseball fan himself, surelywould have approved.

Local councils and assemblies togetherprovided $6.6 million in scholarships and otherforms of educational assistance, and another$1.6 million for youth athletic programs.All together, local councils and assembliescontributed more than $18 million to youthprograms last year.


FourTH DeGreeKnIGHTs AnD THe

Ar MeD ForCesWhen Father McGivney founded the Knights, it was no accidentthat he turned to many veterans to be the first leaders of theorganization.

On March 15, Supreme Knight Anderson traveled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina,and participated in an exemplification of the Fourth Degree and the institution ofChaplain (Major) Charles J. Watters Assembly 3459. The event was held in theWatters Family Life Center, named in honor of the council’s namesake, who wasa Medal of Honor recipient killed while serving as an Army Catholic chaplain inVietnam.

These men understood thevocation to fraternity, theimportance of unity and thevirtue of self-sacrifice. Today,the Knights of Columbuscontinues to reach out andoffer support to veteransand members of the armedservices, some of whom arebrother Knights. All of themdeserve, and have, our respectfor their service to our country.

One hundred years ago, WorldWar I began. A few years later,when the United Statesentered that war, the Knights ofColumbus offered enormouscharitable support for thosewho were currently serving orhad previously served with thearmed forces. Service to themilitary and veterans hascontinued ever since.

Leading the Order in supportof our troops and in our


commitment to patriotism areFourth Degree Knights. Theyprovide a visible and dignifiedpresence through their serviceas honor guards at patrioticceremonies and liturgicalevents.

Third Degree Knights can nowimmediately proceed to thePatriotic Degree, and I amhappy to report that during thepast year, 5,828 Knights didso, bringing Fourth Degreemembership to an all-time highof 340,960. We have alsoadded 60 new Fourth Degreeassemblies, bringing the totalto 3,169.

In addition to their excellentwork in honor guards, SirKnights have become animportant presence in VA

As part of the journey to France for the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson visited the Muséede l’Armée. Standing with the supreme knight at the desk of the French hero of World War I, Field Marshal FerdinandFoch, are General Christian Baptiste, director of the Musée de l’Armée, and General Hervé Charpentier, military governorof Paris. They inspect the Field Marshal’s baton given to Foch by then-Supreme Knight James Flaherty (inset) during theKnights’ visit to France in 1920, following World War I. The baton, produced by Tiffany & Co., is now part of the museum’scollection.

hospitals around the UnitedStates. They make up the vastmajority of the thousands ofKnights who are part of theVeterans Affairs VoluntaryServices program.

Led by the Fourth Degree,Knights now provide volunteermanpower at nearly all of thenation’s veterans medicalcenters. We are the largestsingle volunteer servicepartner for the VeteransAdministration.

In 2011, the Gary SiniseFoundation began raising fundsto build computer equippedcustom Smart Homes forAmerica’s severely woundedheroes. That same year, whilestationed in Afghanistan,Corporal Kyle Hockenberry was

a victim of an improvisedexplosive device. At only19 years old, he lost both legsand his left arm in the blast.In June, we partnered withthe Gary Sinise Foundationby providing $200,000 to helpcomplete the construction ofCorporal Hockenberry’s homein Marietta, Ohio, helping torestore independence andsupport to Kyle and his wife,Ashley.

It has long been the byword ofAmerica’s military that no oneis left behind ― everybodycomes home. Now, workingwith the Gary SiniseFoundation, we can help makesure that the homes ourheroes come back to areworthy of their sacrifice.


Fourth Degree Knights take part in Columbus Daycelebrations at the Columbus Memorial in front ofUnion Station in Washington, D.C. (CNS photo/BobRoller)


As part of the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage, members of the military and aKnights of Columbus honor guard took part in a eucharistic procession. (PhotoCourtesy of Lacaze)

125 wounded or disabledtroops and veterans, familymembers, chaplains andsupport staff joined otherpilgrims at the Marian shrineof Lourdes in France.

Auxiliary Bishop F. RichardSpencer of the AMS, thearchbishop’s episcopal vicarfor Europe and Asia, joined usfor the pilgrimage.

The Knights of Columbus has along history in Lourdes, havingrun an Army hospitality centerthere at the end of the FirstWorld War. Under the bannerof “Everybody Welcome,Everything Free,” Knightsprovided for the needs ofmembers of the armed forces.During our recent pilgrimage,military personnel were giventhe same guidebook to theshrine at Lourdes that theKnights of Columbusdeveloped for our troopsin 1919.

Our support continuedeven after the great war.We provided job training forveterans of the conflict.It continues today in ourcurrent support for both activeduty troops and veterans.

Following the pilgrimage toLourdes, I visited the Muséede l’Armée in Paris, where the

The Fourth Degree has alsobeen in the vanguard of theOrder’s initiative to supportvocations for the militarychaplaincy.

We have pledged $1 millionover five years in supportof the Archdiocese for theMilitary Services’ Co-Sponsored SeminarianProgram. The fundraisingis being led by the FourthDegree, and thus far,assemblies have raised$780,609 for this vital project.

In addition to our work withmilitary chaplains, we alsosponsored the annual AMSpilgrimage to Lourdes thisMay. This pilgrimage coincidedwith the 56th InternationalMilitary Pilgrimage, whichincluded delegations frommore than 40 countries.On this pilgrimage, more than

museum’s director arrangedfor us to have a specialviewing of Field MarshalFoch’s ceremonial baton, givento him by Supreme KnightJames Flaherty in 1920 duringa Knights of Columbuspilgrimage to France.

On March 15, I was pleasedto travel to Fort Bragg, NorthCarolina, for an exemplificationof the Fourth Degree and thecharter presentation forChaplain (Major) Charles J.Watters Assembly 3459. Theevent was held in the WattersFamily Life Center, named inhonor of the council’snamesake, a proud Knight anda Medal of Honor recipientwho was killed while servingas an army chaplain inVietnam.

Then in May, I was at FortCampbell, Kentucky, homeof the 101st Airborne Division,to present a charter to FatherFrancis L. Sampson Council15914. General Sampsonserved at Normandy duringthe D-Day invasion as wellas in Korea and in Vietnam.A brother Knight of 55 years,he was named Army chief ofchaplains.

NEW INSURANCEISSUED

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

7

0

8.28.1 8.07.8

7.6

$BILLIONS

InsurAnCe AnDInVesTMenTs


We provided more charity thanever before. More men thanever before are members ofour fraternity. Our service to theChurch and for evangelizationhas never been stronger.

Our insurance programhas finished another recordyear, with $8.2 billion in newinsurance issued ― a reflectionof the hard work and integrity ofour brother Knights who serveas our insurance agents.

And on the topic of integrity,I am pleased to announcethat this year the Knights ofColumbus has beenrecognized by the EthisphereInstitute, an independentcenter promoting bestpractices in corporateethics and governance, as a2014 World’s Most EthicalCompany.® We were one ofonly two such companies inthe life insurance category.And the Knights of Columbusis one of only 144 honoreesworldwide.

For more than 130 years, wehave fulfilled Father McGivney’sgoal of protecting the financialfuture of Catholic families in the

This past year, each of Father McGivney’s goals for the Knights of Columbussoared to new heights.

event of the tragic death of abreadwinner. Today, we havea successful, sustainablebusiness model preciselybecause we have remainedcommitted to FatherMcGivney’s vision. Our Catholicvalues affect every aspect ofour business, from ourprofessional agency force ofbrother Knights, to ourinvestments, to our corporategovernance and our code ofethics.

For the 39th consecutive year,the Knights of Columbusearned A.M. Best’s highestrating of A++ (Superior). Thisrating is reserved only for aselect number of companiesthat have “a superior ability tomeet their ongoing insuranceobligations.”

A.M. Best noted that its toprating reflects our “strongfraternal and insurancepresence within the Catholiccommunities,” our “strong risk-adjusted capitalizations” and“consistently positive statutoryoperating results.” It added thatthe Knights of Columbus “hasa strong affinity with its largemembership base through its

INSURANCE IN FORCE

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

70

0

74.3

79.0

83.588.4

92.6$BILLIONS


FORTUNE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. and is usedunder license. From FORTUNE Magazine, June 16, 2014©2014 Time Inc. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliatedwith, and do not endorse products or services of Licensee.

charitable programs and competitiveportfolio of life insurance and annuityproducts.”

We also continue to rank amongAmerica’s largest companies, rankingnumber 935 on this year’s Fortune1000 list.

Our assets grew 5.8 percent last yearand now total more than $20.5 billion.Our surplus ratio is at 11.7 percent,which is higher than the industryaverage. And A.M. Best says oursurplus provides us with “anexceptional level of risk-adjustedcapitalization” which “affords theOrder considerable financialstrength.”

Our insurance in force reached $94.7billion, nearly double the amount just10 years ago. Last year alone, ourinsurance in force grew by $4.27billion. We issued nearly 78,000 lifecertificates last year, over 30,000more than our closest fraternalbenefit society competitor.

We now have more than 1,571,000life certificates in force. And ourfive-year sales growth of more than22 percent stands in marked contrastto the industry as a whole which,during this same time, saw salesdecline by nearly 13 percent.

Our professional agency force ofnearly 1,500 brother Knights arethe band of brothers responsible forthis growth. They serve only Knightsand their families. They share ourcommitment to charity, unity,fraternity and patriotism. Throughtheir dedicated service, brotherKnights and their families can be

confident that their financial future issecure.

In order to provide financial securityfor young families, we launched thenew Young Adult Insurance Programthis spring. This new productprovides annual renewable terminsurance to Knights and theirspouses ages 18-29. This insurancenot only offers protection for theirfamilies, but also gives them theopportunity to start building financialstability at a time in their lives whenit is extremely affordable to do so.

Also, through this program, for thefirst time Knights will be able toobtain a personalized quote andrequest additional information onlineby visiting kofc.org/youngadultins.

Our very low lapse rate is thebest measurement of customersatisfaction among our members.That lapse rate of 3.6 percent isamong the lowest in the industry andwell below the industry average of5.8 percent. Put another way, 96.4percent of our insurance memberskeep their policies. This representsan outstanding level of confidenceand customer satisfaction.

Although much of the insuranceindustry finds itself either stagnantor in a weak recovery, our insuranceprogram continued to outpace theindustry. Insurance premiums reachednearly $1.14 billion in 2013. Our 3.6percent decrease in insurancepremiums is less than one-third theindustry rate of decrease, 11.4percent. In addition, our annuitydeposits were at $594 million.


Columbus families have totaledmore than $4.1 billion.

Also important, last year wepaid more than $276 million individends to our life insurancecontract holders. Since theinception of our program, wehave paid out more than $12.7billion in living benefits to ourinsurance members.

Our members stay with ourinsurance products becausethey offer the protection theypromise when it’s neededmost. That is why we sayour insurance is by brotherKnights, for brother Knights.

Last year, we paid more than$314 million in death benefits.Over the course of our history,death benefits to our Knights of

The quality test for anyinsurance company is thestrength of its financialplatform — that is to say,the degree to which its assetsexceed its liabilities and whatis necessary for it to reserve inorder to make future paymentson death claims. Once again,our $1.9 billion surplus is thefoundation of our capitalization.In this regard, Standard & Poor’s

ASSETS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

15

0

20.5

15.5

16.9

18.0

19.4

$Billions

LIFE CERTIFICATES

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1.65

0

1.751.68 1.69 1.71 1.73

Millions


says that the Knights ofColumbus is “extremelystrong ... at the AAA level.”And they praise our “verystrong competitive position.”

The good work of ourinvestment department helpsmake these benefits possible.Despite the low interest rateenvironment, our investmentdepartment has found reliable,sustainable ways to maintainhealthy yields. While the yieldon 10-year treasury bonds lastyear averaged 2.3 percent, ournew purchase rate was 4.23percent.

During 2013, we investedmore than $10 million eachday. Our new investmentsduring the year totaled $3.5billion. Our investment incomelast year totaled $919,968,424,an increase of 1.54 percentover 2012. That is anexceptional result in today’seconomy.

We believe that how and wherewe invest our money mustreflect our Catholic values.That is why we screen ourinvestments according toCatholic moral principles.

And that is also why we arecommitted to helping parishesthrough our ChurchLoanprogram. Our loans providefinancing to Catholic parishesand schools, enabling them toundertake important projectsat very competitive rates. Withthis program, we invest our

®

members’ money to help buildthe future of our Church.

Our insurance is both ethicaland faithful to FatherMcGivney’s vision. It isinsurance by brother Knightsfor brother Knights. Ourinvestments reflect our Catholicvalues. This is the Knights ofColumbus difference.

This is why a brother Knight canchoose no better company forthe protection of his family. Inchoosing Knights of ColumbusInsurance, a brother Knight ismaking a commitment to hisfamily’s future; he is makinga commitment to ethicalinvestment and corporategovernance; and he is makinga commitment that benefitshis Church and community.

Pope Francis has called for a“rediscovery” of fraternity inour economic activity. He hascalled on people everywhere“to rediscover the fraternalbonds, which join us to oneanother, as the key to economicdevelopment.” He has urgedus to rediscover the virtues ofprudence, temperance, justiceand fortitude.

My brother Knights, you canbe proud that the Knights ofColumbus is today a modelthroughout the world for thesevalues of fraternity in economicenterprise.


KnIGHTs AnDTHe CHurCHour vocation to fraternity is an expression of our Catholic faith. In unitywith our Church, Knights around the world not only engage in acts of charitythat evangelize, but that also directly promote the new evangelization.

Pope Francis listens to a greeting and report from Supreme Knight Anderson during the October 10, 2013, audience withthe Knights of Columbus Board of Directors. (L’Osservatore Romano)

We were honored whenyour supreme directors wereprivileged to be received byPope Francis in a privateaudience in Rome last October.During that audience, PopeFrancis expressed his gratitudeto the Knights of Columbus forour “unfailing support” of theHoly See and for “the dailyprayers, sacrifices and apostolic

works of so many Knights intheir local councils, theirparishes and theircommunities.”

From the time of our foundingby Father McGivney, ourvocation to fraternity has meanta special solidarity with ourpriests, our bishops and ourpope.

Our support for the Holy Fathertakes many forms. Since 1981,the Order has annuallysupported the pope’s personalinitiatives through our VicariusChristi Fund. And this past yearin a private audience with PopeFrancis, I presented him witha $1.6 million check for hispersonal charitable endeavors.

Supreme Knight Anderson addressed the Mexican Bishops Conference in Mexico City, November 14. He spoke of the historyof the Knights of Columbus in Mexico, the Order's plans to further develop in Mexico in solidarity with the bishops, and theimportance of the New Evangelization.

In a powerful witness of unity and faith, eight cardinals and more than 70 bishops from North, Central and South America,together with K of C leaders and some 250 invited guests from around the hemisphere, gathered in Mexico City, November16-19, 2013, for a pilgrimage and meeting titled “Our Lady of Guadalupe: Star of the New Evangelization on the AmericanContinent.” (Left) Cardinal Marc Ouellet, president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, delivers the opening addressof the pilgrimage and meeting. (Right) Supreme Knight Carl Anderson delivers his keynote address.



Since 1981, our gifts to theHoly Father through the VicariusChristi Fund have totaled morethan $52,815,000.

To help people better knowour new pope, the Knightsof Columbus produced adocumentary titled “Francis:The Pope from the NewWorld.” This documentary hashelped bring his life story to theworld and has been broadcaston television in the UnitedStates, Mexico, Canada,Europe, South Korea andthroughout the Middle East.

This past year was also aspecial one for the papacy.

Divine Mercy Sunday was theoccasion of the canonization oftwo great popes. St. John XXIIIled the Church into the SecondVatican Council and knew theKnights of Columbus well,visiting one of our playgroundsin Rome in 1959 and meetingwith our supreme directors in1961. Canonized with him wasSt. John Paul II, who led theChurch into the third millenniumand had a special connectionto the Knights of Columbus,calling on us to work with him

on many projects during his26-year papacy.

Throughout the dayssurrounding the canonization,our Saint John Paul II NationalShrine served as a major centerfor devotion in the UnitedStates.

Through this shrine, the Knightsof Columbus has a central rolein preserving and promotingthe legacy of one of history’sgreatest popes. I encourage allof you to visit this shrine and toorganize parish and councilpilgrimages to it.

We also provided assistance forthe canonization in Rome,

including nearly $100,000 infinancial support to VaticanTelevision’s broadcast of thecanonization ceremony andhosting hundreds of Polishpilgrims at two of our sportscenters in Rome.

On May 11, a National Massof Thanksgiving for thecanonizations of St. John XXIIIand St. John Paul II concludedwith a procession of hundredsof people from the Basilicaof the National Shrine of theImmaculate Conception tothe Saint John Paul II NationalShrine. The procession was ledby an honor guard of more than100 Fourth Degree Knights.Cardinal Donald Wuerl,

Supreme Director James R. Scroggin,Supreme Master Dennis J. Stoddard,Former Supreme Director Javier G.Najera and Supreme Director Paul J.Lambert (obscured) carry the originalstatue of Our Lady of Fatima throughSt. Peter’s Square. The procession tookplace during the Year of Faith “MarianDay” October 13, 2013, and wasfollowed by Mass celebrated by PopeFrancis. It was the first time that aFourth Degree honor guard was invitedto participate in a papal event in St.Peter’s Square. (L’OsservatoreRomano)

chapel will be adorned on foursides with beautiful mosaicscreated by Jesuit Father MarkoRupnik, who previouslyrenovated the Holy FamilyChapel in the Supreme Councilheadquarters in New Haven.

Also this summer we havemade available the first-classrelics of St. John Paul II forveneration in the Cathedralof the Holy Cross in Boston,the National Shrine of theAssumption of the BlessedVirgin Mary in Baltimore, St.Patrick’s Cathedral in New Yorkand the Cathedral-Basilica ofSts. Peter and Paul inPhiladelphia.

More than 20,000 pilgrims wereable to seek St. John Paul II’sintercession during this relictour. We take this opportunityto again express ourappreciation to Cardinal SeanO’Malley, Cardinal TimothyDolan, Archbishop CharlesChaput and Archbishop WilliamLori for hosting thesepilgrimage opportunities incooperation with the Saint JohnPaul II National Shrine.

At the canonization of St. JohnPaul II, Pope Francis said: “Inhis own service to the people

archbishop of Washington,carried the relic of St. John Paul II in theprocession.

We express our gratitude toCardinal Wuerl, through whoseleadership the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishopsdesignated this site as a“national” shrine in time for thecanonization ceremony in April.

This summer, work will becompleted on the shrine’s16,000-square-foot exhibit, titled“A Gift of Love: The Life ofSt. John Paul II.” Here, pilgrimswill walk in the footsteps ofthis courageous pope in a majorexhibit that explores the eventsof his life and the themes of hispapacy. St. John Paul II oncesaid, “People try to understandme from the outside, but Ican only be understood fromwithin.” Our shrine has preciselythis mission: to help pilgrimsunderstand this great saint“from within.”

Soon construction will begin onthe new “Redeemer of Man”chapel, which will be able toaccommodate more than 500pilgrims. It will be named afterSt. John Paul II’s first encyclical,Redemptor Hominis. The

of God, St. John Paul II was thepope of the family. He himselfonce said that he wanted to beremembered as the pope of thefamily. I am particularly happyto point this out as we are inthe process of journeying withfamilies towards the Synod onthe Family. It is surely a journeywhich, from his place in heaven,he guides and sustains.”

As an organization dedicated toCatholic families, and followingthe example of Pope Francis,I would ask that brother Knightseverywhere pray that St. JohnPaul II may guide the Synod onthe Family, which will takeplace this October.

One of the projects closest tothe heart of this “pope of thefamily” was his establishmentin 1981 of an internationalgraduate school of theologydedicated to the study ofmarriage and family at thePontifical Lateran Universityin Rome. It would be namedthe John Paul II Institute forStudies on Marriage andFamily after its founder. I hadthe privilege of teaching thereas a visiting professorbeginning in 1983 and ofpersonally discussing withPope John Paul II the workof the Institute on manyoccasions.


Following a Mass of pilgrimage at theCathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame deQuébec during the combined mid-yearmeeting of state deputies and statechaplains on November 7, 2013,bishops and priests pose withArchbishop Gérald Lacroix of Québec,primate of Canada, and SupremeKnight Carl Anderson.

The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is the home to relicsof the newly canonized saint. In addition to liturgical andprayer life, the shrine will soon offer a world-class exhibiton the life and papacy of St. John Paul II.


A play about Father McGivneythat was commissioned bythe Supreme Council waspublished in July 2013. Writtenby Dominican Father Peter JohnCameron, He Was Our Fatherwas first performed at the2005 Supreme Convention inChicago, and then the followingyear in New York and NewHaven.

Our documentary on the lifeof Father McGivney, whichhas aired on PBS stationsthroughout the United States,is now available on DVD.

And a little more than a monthago, the Vatican published anew Italian translation of hisbiography ― The New YorkTimes bestseller Parish Priestby Douglas Brinkley and JulieFenster.

In 1988, the Knights ofColumbus made possible theestablishment of a session ofthe Institute in Washington,D.C. Now located in McGivneyHall at The Catholic Universityof America, approximately 500students have graduated fromthe Institute and gone on toserve the Church in a varietyof ministries and teachingvocations. Three of thosestudents are now bishopsin the United States.

Last March in Rome we co-sponsored an internationalconference with the Institute,titled “John Paul II: The Popeof the Family.” It was heldunder the special patronageof the Council of EuropeanBishops’ Conferences.

Even as we give thanks forour Church’s newly canonizedsaints, we also pray for thebeatification of our founder.I ask for your continued prayersin this regard. A possiblemiracle through FatherMcGivney’s intercession isunder consideration at theVatican. And our devotion toour beloved founder shouldprompt all Knights ofColumbus to pray for hisintercession and cause forcanonization.

Father McGivney continuesto capture the imagination notonly of Knights, but of peopleeverywhere. The FatherMichael J. McGivney Guildcontinues to grow and nowhas 155,000 members.

The example of FatherMcGivney continues to inspirepeople around the world,precisely because his visionfor Catholic families and hisexample as a parish priestremain so relevant.

Father McGivney left us anexample of living our faith everyday. For this reason, the Knightsof Columbus embraced theYear of Faith celebrated lastyear. More than 4,500 Knightsand their family membersparticipated in a Year of Faithpilgrimage to the Basilica of theof the National Shrine of theImmaculate Conception inWashington, D.C., onSeptember 8.

Archbishop Lori of Baltimorepresided over the pilgrimage tocelebrate the 50th anniversary

Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters in Wichita wait in line to pray and veneratethe relic of St. John Paul II, as well as to have their religious objects touched toit, at Philadelphia’s Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. The relic visitedPhiladelphia July 19-20 as part of a tour of major East Coast cities.



throughout North and CentralAmerica, we have given ahigh priority to promotingSt. John Paul II’s vision of ahemisphere united under themantle of the Blessed Motherthrough her title Our Lady ofGuadalupe.

To help promote greatersolidarity and the NewEvangelization among Catholicsof this hemisphere, the Knightsof Columbus co-sponsored aconference with the Vatican’sCommission for Latin Americaon the New Evangelization inAmerica. Held last Novemberat the Shrine of Our Lady ofGuadalupe in Mexico City, thismeeting, titled “Our Lady ofGuadalupe, Star of the NewEvangelization on the AmericanContinent,” brought togetherhundreds of Catholics fromaround the hemisphere ―including nearly 80 bishopsand cardinals from Canada,the United States and Mexico,as well as Central and SouthAmerica.

I was honored to be amongspeakers such as Cardinals

of the Knights Tower Carillonand to reconsecrate the Orderto the Blessed Virgin Mary.Archbishop (now Cardinal)Gérald Cyprien Lacroix ofQuébec, primate of Canada,concelebrated the Mass withour supreme chaplain anddelivered a Marian reflection.The 329-foot Knights Towerwas funded by a $1 milliongrant from the Order. Its56-bell carillon was dedicatedSeptember 8, 1963.

Also during the Year of Faith,the Knights of Columbus waspleased to support an initiativeto refurbish the preeminenticon of Our Lady in St. Peter’sBasilica in Rome, the Madonnadel Soccorso (Our Lady ofHelp). The painstaking projectinvolved extensive preliminaryresearch and testing thatallowed the restorers toreconstruct for the first timewith scientific precision thecenturies-long history of thispoignant image.

Marian devotion has longbeen a hallmark of the Knightsof Columbus. With members

Seán O’Malley and Marc Ouellet,and Archbishop Charles Chaput.

Shortly before that meeting,I also had the opportunity toaddress the Mexican BishopsConference and to make apresentation about the historyof the Knights of Columbusin that nation and the Order’splans for future developmentin Mexico.

What we did at the national andinternational levels as Knights ofColumbus was reflected at thelocal level as well. Throughoutour jurisdictions, councils andassemblies have providedextraordinary levels of supportto their local churches duringthe past year.

True to our commitment toparish priests since the time ofFather McGivney, Knights havestepped up to help with parishprojects large and small,proving again and again thatthey are the strong right armof the local parish.

Overall, Church donations fromlocal and state councils totaled

In late April, as the population of Rome swelled with pilgrims for the canonizations of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II,the streets were filled with Polish pilgrims. Nearly 1,000 of those pilgrims stayed at two of the Order's five "playgrounds,"recreation facilities that have served the youth of Rome for nine decades. (Left) Polish Knights and their family memberswho served as volunteers at the site hold flags of the Order and of their homeland. (Right) Mass is celebrated for thepilgrims staying at the playing fields. (Photos by Roberto Fiorina)

Earlier in the summer, the Vatican published an Italian translation of FatherMcGivney's biography ― The New York Times bestseller Parish Priest, by DouglasBrinkley and Julie Fenster.


$48 million, of which $19.7million went to church facilities,$6.3 million to Catholic schools,and $6.2 million to directassistance for seminarians.Another $2 million went directlyto seminaries.

We also continue to assist ourcouncil chaplains. Led by oursupreme chaplain and assistedby Dominican Father JonathanKalisch, our support of councilchaplains has never beenstronger. Father McGivney leftus a model of cooperationbetween priests and theKnights of Columbus. Ourpriests ― especially our councilchaplains ― can help formour vocation to charity andfraternity, and they can helpidentify needs within the parishand community where ourcouncils can help. Workingclosely with our councilchaplains, we can truly be thestrong right arm of our parishpriests.

At last year’s SupremeConvention in San Antonio,we inaugurated a new MarianPrayer Program featuringan image of Mary as theImmaculate Conception from

the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec. Each statedeputy was given a copy of theimage to bring to his homejurisdiction, where it hastravelled among councils as thefocus of prayer programs. Todate, 411,192 devotees haveattended 2,255 services.

This prayer program alsocoincides with the 350thanniversary of Notre-Dame deQuébec. During the combinedstate chaplain and state deputyNovember midyear meeting,held in Québec, the Order’sleadership made a pilgrimageto Notre-Dame de Québec forthe celebration of Mass, withArchbhisop Lacroix on thethreshold of the Jubilee Year.

In addition, the Knights ofColumbus Supreme Council,the Québec State Council andCanadian Association teamedup to underwrite the creationof the Holy Door that wasinstalled in a side chapel of theCathedral-Basilica — the firstVatican-sanctioned Holy Door inNorth America. The massivebronze door bears the emblemof the Knights of Columbus inrecognition of the Order’ssupport for its creation.

This has been a special yearfor the commemoration of theevangelization of Canada, withthis anniversary and also thecanonization of St. François de

Laval and St. Marie of theIncarnation. Last Spring,our board of directors made aspecial pilgrimage to pray at thetomb of St. Brother Andre. Andour Marian Prayer Program hashelped carry forward their workof evangelization into parishesworldwide.

In addition to our programs ofevangelization, we have alsohelped Catholics stay informedabout important events. Lastyear we began sponsoringEWTN News Nightly.This new program providesin-depth coverage of the newsof the day from a Catholicperspective. To keep up withwhat is really going on in theworld around us, I encouragebrother Knights, and allCatholics, to tune into thisexcellent news show eachevening.

Quality Catholic programmingisn’t just important in the UnitedStates — it is importantworldwide. For this reason,we’ve also continued oursupport for Salt and LightTelevision, bringing qualityCatholic programming toCanada. We encourage councilsin Canada and throughout theOrder to promote Salt and LightTelevision’s new series TheChurch Alive on the NewEvangelization.


F A I T H F u LC I T I z e n s H I Pour vocation to fraternity takes many forms. We are called to charity, tounity, and we are called to our patriotic duty. As it was in the time ofFather McGivney, the best citizenship is faithful citizenship.

the United States as a nation“under God,” we recall theDeclaration of Independenceand its principle that we are“endowed by our Creator”with “unalienable rights.”

Brother Knight John F. Kennedyrecognized this same foundingprinciple in his inaugural addresswhen he said: “Our rights comenot from the generosity of thestate, but from the hand of God.”

As Pope Francis reminded us inhis message for this year’s WorldDay of Prayer for Peace (January1): “True brotherhood amongpeople presupposes anddemands a transcendentFatherhood. Based on arecognition of this fatherhood,human fraternity is consolidated,each person becomes a‘neighbor’ who cares for others.”

Pope Francis also recentlyreminded us that religiousfreedom must mean thefreedom to live out our faithon behalf of our neighbor. Hesaid: “Religious freedom is notonly that of private thought orworship. It is the liberty to live,

In our role as faithful citizens, weneed not compromise our valuesor our charity. For us, faithfulcitizenship means keeping faithwith both. What we do, we do tohelp. And even if some peopledisagree with our positions onmoral issues, let no one doubtthat what we do is inspired byChristian concern and love ofneighbor.

In Evangelii Gaudium, PopeFrancis observed: “Religion[cannot] be relegated to the innersanctum of personal life, withoutinfluence on societal and nationallife.”

Bringing key values into thepublic square can help make areal difference. Sixty years ago,the Knights of Columbus wassuccessful in having the words“under God” added to thePledge of Allegiance. This year,we successfully defended thesewords before the MassachusettsSupreme Court.

Now, someone might askwhat this has to do with loveof neighbor, and the answer is:everything. When we speak of

both privately and publicly,according to the ethical principalsresulting from found truth. Thisis a great challenge in theglobalized world, where weakthought — which is like adisease — also lowers thegeneral ethical level, and inthe name of a false concept oftolerance, it ends in persecutingthose who defend the truthabout man and its ethicalconsequences.”

The Knights of Columbus againsupported the Fortnight forFreedom campaign, which tookas its theme this year: “Freedomto Serve.” Is it not natural for us,as an organization that each yeardonates millions of dollars andvolunteer hours of service to ourneighbors in need, to insist thatthe free exercise of religionremain free?

We are proud of the leadershipof Supreme Chaplain ArchbishopWilliam Lori, who as chairman ofthe USCCB Ad Hoc Committeefor Religious Liberty has been achampion in defense of our firstfreedom.


June marked the 60th anniversary ofthe addition of “under God” to thePledge of Allegiance. The Knights ofColumbus, which played a pivotal rolein adding those two words, continuesto defend and preserve them againstlegal challenges.

insisting that when a healthinsurer is forced to provide moreservices, the costs somehowwon’t be passed on to us whenour rates go up the followingyear.

And if we agree today thatabortifacient drugs and devicesare morally acceptable becausethey are provided for free, thenwhat will we say should thegovernment insist tomorrowthat abortion also be provided?

Of course, our bishops wereright when they unanimouslysaid the government’s“accommodation” is morallyunacceptable.

Others have said it is nothingmore than a sleight of hand.The United States SupremeCourt rejected the government’sarguments for the HHS mandatein its Hobby Lobby decisionearlier this summer. And we arehopeful that it will do so again toprotect the religious liberties ofentities such as the Little Sistersof the Poor.

In 1993, St. John Paul II came tothe United States to celebrateWorld Youth Day in Denver’sMile High Stadium. During hisvisit he said: “Do not stifle yourconscience! Conscience is themost secret core and sanctuaryof a person. Only by listening tothe voice of God will you obtainthe freedom you yearn for.”

And so, my brother Knights,what are we to say today?

One area that has become aflashpoint for religious libertyin the United States is thegovernment’s so-called HHScontraceptive mandate. Thismandate requires even religiousemployers to provide not onlycontraceptives and sterilizationprocedures, but also abortion-inducing drugs and devices.

The government has offeredwhat it calls an accommodationfor religious organizations. Thegovernment now says thatreligious organizations need notworry, because the governmentwill require health care plans toprovide these items at no charge.

However, anyone who provideshealth care coverage for theiremployees knows that thecost of a company’s plan isnegotiated annually with thehealth plan provider. The cost ofa plan is flexible, based upon therange of services offered and theextent to which they are used.Each year health insurancepremiums increase, butsomehow the government is

Are we to say that this is nolonger true in America?

Do we say that in our countrythe government has become thefinal arbiter of conscience? Thatthe voice of government mustalways have the last word?

Some may be tempted to thinkthat this is only a Catholic issue.In reality, this issue reaches farbeyond one religious group.

Should any of you visitWashington, D.C., in the nearfuture, I would ask you to visitthe Jefferson Memorial. Thereyou will read the words of oneof our greatest presidents:“I have sworn upon the altarof God, eternal hostility againstevery form of tyranny over themind of man.”

And then ask yourself, “Whatwould Mr. Jefferson think aboutall this?”

It has been said that in suchnational policy debates our realchoice is not between left andright, but between up and down.Is not our choice today to chooseto move up to a society thatrespects conscience, to aculture that defends life and to acivilization based on the principleof love of neighbor? Or else tochoose to move down to wheregovernment has ever greaterpower to control how we mustact and what we must think?


Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Loriof Baltimore, continuing to serve aschairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committeefor Religious Liberty, has been a championin defense of our first freedom.

CuLTureoF LIFeToday, faithful citizenship demands that we defend the truth about man. It isa truth that we have received not from the generosity of the state, but from thehand of God.

March for Life participants, including members of the Knights of Columbus, march toward the Supreme Court building.



Supreme Advocate John Marrella addresses attendees ofCanada’s National March for Life in Ottawa, May 8, 2014.

Young people holding Knights of Columbus “Defend Life”signs gather for the 40th March for Life in Washington,D.C., January 22, 2014. (Photo by John Whitman)

overcome division, to bring people together andto help everyone. Even on abortion, an issueoften considered the most divisive, our pollinghas found great unity among Americans.Our recent Knights of Columbus/Marist Pollrevealed that more than four decades afterthe Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade,the vast majority of Americans do not acceptabortion on demand. Eighty-four percent ofAmericans would limit abortion to, at most,the first three months of pregnancy, and sowould nearly 6 in 10 Americans who identifythemselves as strongly pro-choice.

A majority of Americans believe life begins atconception, and more than 6 in 10 thinkabortion is morally wrong. And, perhaps mostimportantly, more than 8 in 10 Americans saythat laws can protect both the well-being of awoman and the life of her unborn child.

This principle is the basis of our UltrasoundInitiative, which I am pleased to reportcontinues to grow. The Knights of Columbushas donated nearly 500 ultrasound machines topregnancy resource centers in Canada, Jamaicaand all 50 of the United States. Each of thesemachines can save hundreds and eventhousands of lives.

Knights in Texas and Missouri are leading theway, with 39 and 33 ultrasound machines,

St. John Paul II taught us that only a civilizationof love is worthy of human dignity and the truthabout the human person. Building a civilizationof love is the goal toward which our fraternallove of neighbor leads us.

At the center of the civilization of love is theculture of life. Each is inseparable from theother because each calls us to value and acceptevery human life.

Some in politics seem obsessed with publicallyopposing our Church’s teaching on human life.But we must differ with them. Our position isthat every child should be loved, every childshould be respected, and every child shouldbe helped.

The cold child in need of a coat, the hungrychild in need of food, the poor child in need ofeducation, and the unborn child waiting to beborn. All are on the margins of society, and alldeserve to be supported and protected.

In good conscience we cannot abandon someand help others.

We will help all that we can.

While some politicians try to divide theAmerican people on social issues, we seek to

Hundreds pack the streets with K of C pro-life signs during a pro-life march organized by Santo Domingo de Guzmán Council14383 in Yauco, Puerto Rico. The march was held under the theme “Seamos la Voz de los que No Tienen Voz” (“Let's Bethe Voice of Those Who Have No Voice”).

respectively, followed by California with 30,and Michigan and Florida both with 29.

By providing ultrasound machines to pregnancycenters, the Knights of Columbus is helpingturn the tide in favor of life by saving one childat a time.

Another way we are helping to promote life isthrough our support of marches for life aroundthe globe. The annual March for Life inWashington, D.C., the largest human rightsdemonstration in the world, this year sawhundreds of thousands brave record lowtemperatures to make their voices heard.

In Canada, we support the March for Life


in Ottawa, and brother Knights are active inmarches for life throughout the Philippines,as well as in Mexico and Poland.

What continues to be remarkable about thesedemonstrations is that the overwhelmingmajority of participants are young — andgetting younger each year.

In all, we supported the cause of life last yearwith more than $10.5 million to pro-lifeprojects.


ConCLusIonMy brother Knights, at no time in the history of this continent has so muchgood been done by a single Catholic fraternity. But what we haveaccomplished in the past must be the prologue to future action.

So let us resolve tocontinue the great workwhich Father McGivney hasbegun, to live our vocationto fraternity as did he: withmalice toward none andcharity toward all. Let uscontinue to bind up thewounds of those who aresuffering, to do right as Godgives us to see the right.

Let us continue ourdedication to our principlesof charity, unity, fraternityand patriotism with thatquiet strength anddetermination for whichwe have become known,so that by our exampleand through our servicethe world may better knowthe truth spoken by PopeFrancis — that fraternity istruly the foundation andthe pathway to peace.

Vivat Jesus!

VAT I C A NFabbrica di San Pietro — Restoration of Marian icons $ 46,750

Pontifical Commission for Latin America — Symposium

“Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization in America” 100,000

“Ecclesia in America” 160,333

Pontifical Council for the Laity 30,000

Pope Benedict XVI — Vicarius Christi Fund 1,600,000

TOTAL $1,937,083

N AT I O N A L B I S H O P S C O N F E R E N C E SCanadian Conference of Catholic Bishops — Bishop de Laval Fund $ 45,994

Cuban Conference of Catholic Bishops 60,000

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning 200,000

TOTAL $305,994

D I O C E S E S � PA R I S H E S � C L E R G YArchdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Washington D.C. $ 25,000

Archdiocese of Hartford 250,000

Archdiocese of Lviv, Ukraine 125,000

Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame, Québec — Holy Door 500,000

Clergy support 415,350

Diocese of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 100,000

Grande Seminaire de Montreal, Québec — Upgrade video equipment 25,000

St. Coleman’s Society for Catholic Liturgy, Co., Cork, Ireland 19,523

St. Mary’s Church, New Haven — Stipend for daily Mass

for deceased members, spouses and Columbian Squires 7,240

General support and renovations 14,500

The Spiritual Family “The Work,” New York, N.Y. 75,000

World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, Bogota, Columbia 100,000

TOTAL $1,656,613

O T H E R R E L I G I O U SApostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hamden, Conn. $ 10,000

Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, Washington, D.C. 60,000

Discalced Carmelite Friars, Redland, Calif. 40,000

Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, Nashville, Tenn. 8,000

Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharistic, Meriden, Conn. 25,000

Institute on Religious Life, Chicago, Ill. 25,000

Little Sisters of the Poor, Washington, D.C. — Building renovation 100,000

National Association of Hispanic Priests, Richmond, Texas 15,000

Oblate Sisters of Providence, Baltimore, Md. 75,000

Priests for Life Canada, Pembroke, Ontario 20,000

TOTAL $378,000

TOTAL CHURCH GRANTS $4,277,690

CHURCHKNIGHTSOFCOLUMBUSCHARITABLECONTRIBUTIONS2013


M A R I A N D E V O T I O NBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. —

Broadcast weekly mass to shut-ins $ 75,000

General support 40,606

Luke E. Hart Fund earnings 60,000

Ushers ministry 17,053

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, Calif. 10,000

Wounded Warriors pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, France 97,256

TOTAL $299,915

F A M I LY L I F ECanadian Conference of Catholic Bishops —

Catholic Organization for Life and Family $ 275,000

Diocese of Phoenix —

Conference “Marriage is Beautiful: Rediscover the Gift” 20,000

Endow, Greenwood Village, Colo. —

Education outreach program on the nature and dignity of women 25,000

Family Institute of Connecticut 125,000

Knights of Columbus Family Life Bureau — Pontifical John Paul II

Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington, D.C. 1,631,474

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Ad Hoc Committee for Defense of Marriage 306,988

World Meeting of Families — Philadelphia 500,000

TOTAL $2,883,462

P R O - L I F EAmericans United for Life, Chicago $ 50,000

Birthright USA, Atlanta 40,000

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops — Pro-life activities 75,000

Catholic Education Resource Center, Powell River, British Columbia 17,500

Diocese of Burlington — Pro-life campaign opposing

physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia 28,000

Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.

Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society 70,000

Human Life Foundation, New York, N.Y. 25,000

Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Machine Reimbursement Program 1,575,288

Life Athletes, South Bend, Ind. 100,000

March for Life, Canada 26,500

March for Life Education and Defense Fund, Washington, D.C. 525,000

National Catholic Bioethics Center, Philadelphia

Bishop’s workshop on medical-moral issues 236,000


National Life Center, Woodbury, N.J. 125,000

Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing, Milwaukee, Wisc. 20,000

St. Gerard’s Center for Life, Hartford, Conn. 3,500

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — Pro-Life 600,000

Vivre Dans La Dignite, Beaconsfield, Québec — Anti-euthanasia coalition 275,000

Walk for Life, San Francisco 25,000

TOTAL $3,916,788

PROGRAMS


V O C AT I O N SArchdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Washington, D.C. —

Chaplains vocations program $ 200,000

Bishop Thomas V. Daily Scholarship Fund — Scholarships granted 58,750

Canadian Pontifical College, Rome — Father Michael J. McGivney Fund 30,489

Cathedral Seminary House of Formation, Douglaston, N.Y. 15,000

Communion & Liberations’ retreat for priests 25,000

Knights of Columbus Vocations Scholarships 248,610

New York Encounter, New York City 15,000

Philippine Scholarships — Father McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for

Priests from the Philippines

Study at the Pontifical Filipino College, Rome — Scholarships granted 48,000

Pontifical Mexican College, Rome — Our Lady of Guadalupe Fund 45,500

Pontifical Filipino College, Rome — Renovations 400,000

Pontifical North American College, Rome — 20,000

Scholarships and general support (Count Enrico P. Galeazzi Fund) 170,000

Promotional support of vocations 139,127

Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) — Refunds to Knights of Columbus

units for grants to individual seminarians 740,500

TOTAL $2,155,976

E VA N G E L I Z AT I O NArchdiocese of Hartford —

Lenten confession campaign $ 30,000

Office of Catholic Social Justice Ministry 5,000

Archdiocese of Lima, Peru —

Defend and promote Christian values in South America 100,000

Archdiocese of New York — Radio show on Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel 60,000

Catholic Association of Latino Leaders 100,000

Catholic Distance University, Hamilton, Va. 25,000

Catholic Information Service — Administrative support 395,929

Catholic Information Service, supported by per capita levy —

Catholic Advertising Fund 466,856

Catholic News Agency, Englewood, Colo. 200,000

Diocese of Bridgeport — Lenten confession campaign 30,000

Dioceses of Knoxville — Eucharistic Congress 35,000

Dominican Friars Healthcare Ministry of New York 50,000

Eternal Word Television Network, Irondale, Ala. 1,013,164

Heartbeat International, Columbus, Ohio — Hispanic outreach program 200,000

International Center for Study and Research at the Studium Generale

Marcanium, Venice (OASIS) 213,296

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem —

Proceeds of Pacem in Terris Fund 120,000

Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Toronto 60,000

Telecare TV, Uniondale, NY — Broadcast of Vatican events 10,000

Tertio Millennio Institute, Krakow, Poland — Conference

“What Does the Canonization of John Paul II Mean to the Church?” 14,000

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty 35,000

Villa Maria Guadalupe Retreat Center, Stamford, Conn. 136,627

TOTAL $3,299,872

TOTAL PROGRAMS GRANTS $12,556,013

TOTAL CHURCH AND PROGRAMS GRANTS $16,833,703

KNIGHTSOFCOLUMBUSCHARITABLECONTRIBUTIONS2013


COMMUNITY, EDUCATIONAL & CULTURALC OMMU N I T Y P R O J E C T SAmerican Wheelchair Mission, Henderson, Nev. $ 300,000

Apostles of Jesus — Assistance and shelter for African AIDS orphans 200,000

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C. 325,000

Christopher Fund — Matching funds from Supreme Council 50,855

Connecticut Food Bank 20,000

Disaster Relief —

Fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados in 7 States, Québec, and Mexico 242,297

Moore, Okla. — tornado 245,000

Philippines — earthquake and typhoon 340,060

West Texas — fertilizer plant explosion 246,000

Easter Seals Rehabilitation, New Haven, Conn. 5,250

Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven, Conn. 75,100

Knights of Columbus Food for Families Program 585,620

Market New Haven, Conn. 25,000

National Catholic Council on Alcoholism 35,000

National Catholic Office for the Deaf 15,000

National Catholic Partnership on Disability 100,000

National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, Washington, D.C. 70,000

Other amounts, including community-based organizations 282,190

Special Olympics North America 249,000

St. Rose of Lima Parish, Newtown, Conn. —

Counseling assistance — Sandy Hook Elementary School 100,000

United Way — Corporate Gift 100,000

Veterans Administration Voluntary Service Partners, New Bern, N.C. 4,000

TOTAL $3,626,370

E D U C AT I O N A LAcademy of Our Lady of Mercy, Milford, Conn. — New Haven Catholic

High School Fund $ 8,000

Albertus Magnus College, Hamden, Conn. 8,000

Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Fla. 30,000

Black Catholic Education Foundation — Scholarships 25,000

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Committee for national system of residential schools for Native children 200,000

Communio Review, Washington D.C. 78,850

Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools, Hartford, Conn. 15,000

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage

and Family, Washington, D.C. — Fellowships 265,000

Lumen Gentium Catholic University, Mexico City —


Notre Dame High School, West Haven, Conn. — New Haven Catholic

High School Fund 8,000

Pontifical Institute for Medieval Studies, Toronto 5,207

Printing costs — Educational program pamphlets 215,799

Providence College, Providence, R.I. 5,000

Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden, Conn. — New Haven Catholic High School

Fund and General Support 9,000

St. Catherine Academy, Bridgeport, Conn. 10,000

The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. —

Bicentennial of the U.S. Hierarchy Fund 100,000


University of St. Joseph, West Hartford, Conn. 15,000

TOTAL $1,071,008


C U LT U R A LSaint John Paul II National Shrine, Washington, D.C. $7,299,041

Center for cultural and pastoral research, Washington, D.C. 117,074

New Haven Chorale 2,500

Knights of Columbus Museum, New Haven, Conn. 2,551,063

Path to Peace Foundation, Vatican Permanent Observer Mission to the

United Nations — General support 10,000

U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Rome — Support for co-sponsored events 5,000

TOTAL $9,984,678

TOTAL COMMUNITY/EDUCATIONAL/CULTURAL GRANTS $14,682,056

Y O U T HCatholic Athletes for Christ, Alexandria, Va. $ 10,000

Catholic Christian Outreach, Ottawa 30,000

Columbian Squires 429,496

Coats for Kids Program 207,571

Junior Achievement, New Haven, Conn. 10,000

Knights of Columbus Summer Lunch Program 30,000

Literacy Volunteers, New Haven, Conn. 5,000

Rome Youth Centers — Italian Welfare Fund 1,669,696

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — World Youth Day Brazil 202,366

TOTAL $2,594,129

TOTAL YOUTH GRANTS $2,594,129

C O U N C I LArthur F. and Anna Battista Scholarship Fund $ 94,871

Frank L. Goularte Scholarship Fund — Scholarships awarded 6,000

Anthony Labella Scholarship Fund 14,250

Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust Fund 173,089

John W. McDevitt Scholarship Fund (Fourth Degree Fund) 159,750

Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at

The Catholic University of America — Fellowship Fund 12,000

Increase in fellowship endowment fund 164,430

Member Fraternal Benefits Program 740,000

Mexico Scholarships 8,000

Percy Johnson Scholarships 29,250

Philippines Scholarships 18,000

Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships 230,250

Puerto Rico Scholarships 8,000

The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. —

Seven fellowships 224,320

Virgil C. and Ann L. Dechant Scholarship Fund 13,500

TOTAL $1,895,710

TOTAL COUNCIL GRANTS $1,895,710

KNIGHTSOFCOLUMBUSCHARITABLECONTRIBUTIONS2013



SUPREME COUNCIL CONTRIBUTIONS $ 36,005,598

STATE/LOCAL UNITS CONTRIBUTIONS $134,130,156

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $170,135,754

TOTAL HOURS OFVOLUNTEER SERVICE 70,534,278

SUPREME COUNCILPUBLICATIONS (COLUMBIA AND OTHERS) $7,224,999

GENERAL SUPPORT OF MEMBERSHIP OPERATIONS $78,437,724

TOTAL GENERAL SUPPORT $85,662,723

FUND CORPUS CURRENT YEAR CUMULATIVE DONATIONS DONATIONS

Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarship Fund $1,500,000 $58,750 $1,112,500

Count Enrico P. Galeazzi Fund for North American College in Rome 4,000,000 170,000 4,185,216

Father McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests in Puerto Rico 125,000 — 31,860

Father Michael J. McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies by Priests from the Philippines 1,000,000 60,000 627,023

Father Michael J. McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests in Canada(Pontifical Canadian College in Rome) 600,000 30,489 893,498

Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Scholarship Fund 5,000,000 205,000 4,572,952

Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Scholarship Fund (Canada) 800,000 17,500 653,000

Knights of Columbus Vocations Fund (Canada) Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) 625,000 28,900 625,058

Knights of Columbus Vocations Fund (RSVP) 4,000,000 711,600 11,234,100

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fund — Advanced Studies for Priests in Mexico 700,000 45,500 839,703(Pontifical Mexican College in Rome)

TOTAL VOCATION ENDOWMENT FUNDS $18,350,000 $1,327,739 $24,774,910


Albertus Magnus College Fund $150,000 $8,000 $320,059

Arthur F. and Anna Battista Scholarship Fund 1,584,495 94,871 1,246,847

Benedict XVI Chair in Theology Fund 3,000,000 — —

Bicentennial of the U.S. Hierarchy Fund 2,000,000 100,000 3,217,619

Bishop Charles P. Greco Graduate Fellowship Trust Fund 105,000 500 71,082

The Catholic University of America Fellowships Fund 500,000 244,320 3,277,375

Estate of Anthony La Bella Fund 199,587 14,250 170,750

Estate of Percy Johnson Scholarship Fund 353,200 29,250 522,000

Father McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives in Catholic Education Fund 1,000,000 — 2,774,444

Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria (Canada) Scholarship Fund 1,000,000 48,000 1,279,751

Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarship Fund 2,319,452 182,250 7,607,376

Francis P. Matthews and John E. Swift Educational Trust Fund 1,000,000 173,089 5,881,982

Frank L. Goularte Scholarship Fund 268,525 6,000 69,000

John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family Fellowship Fund 2,079,371 12,000 124,350

John W. McDevitt (Fourth Degree) Scholarship Fund 3,124,804 159,750 2,518,500

Mexico Scholarships — 8,000 114,645

New Haven Area Catholic High Schools Fund 500,000 24,000 739,348

Philippines Scholarships — 18,000 239,341

Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies Fund 250,000 5,207 236,814

Puerto Rico Scholarships — 8,000 145,000

Virgil C. and Ann L. Dechant Scholarship Fund 522,538 13,500 247,000

TOTAL EDUCATION FUNDS $19,956,972 $1,148,987 $30,815,283

VOCATION ENDOWMENT FUNDS

EDUCATION FUNDS




Bishop de Laval Fund $1,000,000 $45,000 $1,652,889

Blessed John Paul II Shrine Fund 5,900,000 — —

Catholic Initiatives in Canada Fund 150,000 — 316,000

Christopher Fund 23,044,707 1,365,155 15,218,040

Fourth Degree Fund for Religious Liberties 1,000,000 — 1,278,685

General Charity Fund 798,574 26,110 122,309

Historic Sites Fund — — 3,758,555

Italian Welfare Fund 835,847 1,206,231 26,779,594

Luke E. Hart Memorial Fund for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 1,000,000 60,000 1,850,900

Military Vicariate Fund 900,000 — 2,324,964

Pacem in Terris Fund 2,000,000 120,000 1,500,000

United in Charity Fund 3,665,193 2,633,998 11,084,967

Vicarius Christi Fund 25,000,000 1,600,000 52,815,000

TOTAL MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS $65,294,321 $7,056,494 $118,702,703

MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS

FUND CORPUS $103,601,293

CURRENT YEAR DONATION $9,533,220

TOTAL CUMULATIVE DONATIONS $174,292,896

FINANCIAL & FRATERNAL HIGHLIGHTSS UMM A R Y O F O P E R AT I O N S 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 2( I N M I L L I O N S )Year ended December 31Premiums and fees $1,216 $1,157

Net Investment income 932 902

TOTAL REVENUE $2,148 $2,059

Death and other benefits $ 491 $ 488

Increase in benefit reserves 903 809

Commissions and expenses 359 336

TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES $1,753 $1,633

G A I N S B E F O R E D I V I D E N D S $ 3 9 5 $ 4 2 6

R E F U N D S T O M E M B E R S $ 2 7 5 $ 3 5 3

Net gain from operations $120 $73

Net realized capital gains 8 8

NET INCOME $128 $81

S U MM A R Y O F F I N A N C I A L P O S I T I O N ( I N M I L L I O N S )Year ended December 31

Bonds and short-term investments $17,131 $16,082

Contract loans 932 883

Common and preferred stocks 738 553

Other assets 601 509

TOTAL ASSETS $19,402 $18,027

Benefit reserves $16,733 $15,451

Member refunds payable 283 354

Other liabilities 345 360

TOTAL LIABILITIES EXCEPT AVR $17,361 $16,165

Asset valuation reserve (AVR) $205 $146

Surplus 1,836 1,716

TOTAL SURPLUS AND AVR $2,041 $1,862TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SURPLUS $19,402 $18,027

New Life Insurance issued $8,116 $7,976

Insurance certificates in force 1,733 1,712

Life Insurance in force $88,368 $83,506

Persistency Rate 96.5% 96.4%

Solvency Ratio (assets to liabilities) 110.5% 110.5%

Y E A R E N D E D D E C . 3 1 Charitable Contributions $167,549,817 $158,084,514

Hours of Service 70,113,207 70,053,149

A S O F J U N E 3 0 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 2Number of Councils 14,606 14,377

Membership 1,843,587 1,829,121


KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AT A GLANCE

VOLUNTEER HOURS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

69

0

69.3 70.0 70.1 70.1 70.5

MILLIONS

CONTRIBUTIONS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

150

0

170168 158155151

$MILLIONS

SURPLUS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1.6

0

1.9

1.61.7 1.7

1.8

$BILLIONS

ASSETS

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

15

0

15.5

16.9

18.9

19.420.5

$BILLIONS

PREMIUM REVENUE

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

0.9

0

1.0 1.0

1.1

1.2

1.1

$BILLIONS



* Historical reference material is drawn primarily from The Cross in the Sand: The Early Catholic Church in Florida, 1513-1870by Michael V. Gannon.

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