The Knights of Columbus are well known for all manner of good works on behalf of parish and community. Advocacy on behalf of human life and dignity has been a hallmark of this brotherhood of men, including raising funds for the intellectually disabled through their Tootsie Roll drive, wheelchairs for the physically disabled poor and ultrasound machines for Pregnancy Resource Centers.
Several years ago Carl Anderson, President of the Knights of Columbus international leadership, their Supreme Council, challenged each Chapter and Council to make a priority of advancing the Culture of Life, a concept developed by Blessed John Paul II in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae.
Arrowhead Desert Valley Chapter President Paul Watkins is encouraging every Council to appoint a Culture of Life Chairman and to submit full contact information for these leaders so that there can be effective communication between Council Chairmen, Chapter Culture of Life Chairman John Rozzi, Parish Respect Life Ministries and the Diocesan Office of Pro Life Catholic Ministries. President Watkins and Chairman Rozzi are encouraging Council Grand Knights to send their Culture of Life Chairmen to a two day Leadership Training which will empower them with information on what the Catholic Church teaches about a consistent ethic of life and how to “shine light and share life” in their council, parish and community.
The Leadership Training was offered for the first time this autumn in partnership with Pro Life Catholic Ministries’ Parish Ministers Formation Program (PMFP) Sanctity of Human Life Specialization Course. Knights of Columbus participants included Chino Valley Grand Knight Joe Bok and his wife, Diane, as well as Christopher Balsz, who serves not only as his Council Culture of Life Chairman but also as Christ the Redeemer, Grand Terrace Respect Life Coordinator. Past Chapter President Victor Jimenez and his wife, Elizabeth, attended as the newly appointed Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Indio Parish Respect Life Coordinators and Culture of Life Couple for their Council.
The training included a review of Blessed John Paul II’s Gospel of Life and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro Life Activities, in which they challenge Catholics to pray, help, teach, and advocate for those who have no voice but ours. Participants learned about the long term spiritual, emotional and physical harm that abortion causes those involved, in addition to the lives lost. Knights of Columbus were challenged in an exercise to plan how their Council and parish would help a young woman in a crisis pregnancy through prayer, practical assistance, education and legislative advocacy. Teresa Fahrenhorst and Steven Contreras, founders of the West End Neighborhood (Vicariate) Respect Life & Family Alliance, shared their years of experience and wisdom in developing and expanding parish Respect Life Ministry. At the conclusion of the two-day leadership training Chino Valley Council Culture of Life Chairman Jim Dunkleman pronounced: “I’m so on board!”
The next Culture of Life Council Chairman Training will take place in the High Desert in Spring 2013. All Knights of Columbus and their wives are welcome. Any Council Culture of Life Chairmen who have not yet taken part are strongly encouraged to attend. For more information contact Marie Widmann, Director, Pro Life Catholic Ministries @ 909.475.5351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..