Supreme Knight Anderson with Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
The Knights of Columbus has pledged $1 million in support of a new program sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, called "Catholics Seeking Christ."
The new peer-to-peer ministry program will reach out to young Catholics who are coping with the stress of combat, the horrors of war, or simply being far from home for the first time.
It will also help Catholic soldiers separated from their families, and encourage vocations to the Catholic chaplaincy. Currently, 28 percent of active duty military personnel are Catholic, but only 8 percent of military chaplains are Catholic. The Knights of Columbus grant will be provided over a five-year period.
The Knights of Columbus is also supporting the Military Archdiocese in purchasing and refurbishing a building in Washington, D.C., that will house its offices and serve as a residence for bishops and priests working there.
Some of the financial support for the project ($1.1 million) will come from earnings produced by the Knights' Military Vicariate Fund, established in 1985. The Order's ChurchLoan program will provide another $3 million.
"The Military Archdiocese provides indispensable support to the Catholic men and women in our armed forces," Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. "We regard it as one of our highest and most important priorities to provide help and support our soldiers, sailors and airmen, and to Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, who is entrusted with their spiritual welfare."
Recently, the Knights of Columbus also developed and printed a rugged spiral-bound Catholic Handbook of prayers and religious instruction for military personnel, sized to fit in the pockets of combat uniforms. The initial printing of 100,000 copies was snapped up so quickly that two additional printings of 100,000 each have followed, and a quarter million have been distributed. A Spanish-language edition is in preparation.
Knights of Columbus support of the armed forces began during World War I, when the Order established "KC Huts" for American Expeditionary Forces in Europe.
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