State Deputies Meeting Focuses on Membership Growth, New Initiatives

• Supreme Knight Outlines Areas for Growth

Supreme Knight announces three new initiatives.

The state deputies concluded their meeting in New Haven Sunday with a Mass celebrated by Supreme Chaplain Bishop William Lori. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson then spoke, stressing the need for the continuing development of the Order – in membership growth, individual faith formation, and overall charitable outreach.

He also mentioned several new initiatives that the Supreme Council has undertaken.

Focusing on the Knights of Columbus as “a people of life and for life,” he introduced a new pro-life campaign and related initiatives that will begin immediately. The first of the initiatives is a new pro-life billboard and poster campaign and a complementary Web page to detail the K of C’s efforts in support for life, including prayer, volunteer service, public advocacy, educational initiatives, and financial support.

In addition, he outlined a program to provide pro-life pregnancy centers with modern ultrasound equipment. Citing statistics that show more than 75 percent of pregnant women choose life for their child after seeing their babies – and hearing their heartbeats – through ultrasound technology, he explained that the Supreme Council is to partner financially with state councils to equip crisis pregnancy centers with this important technology as a means of saving lives.

Another new initiative announced by the Supreme Knight is a program for Catholic men on fatherhood and family life, called “Fathers for Good: An Initiative for Men by the Knights of Columbus.”

The project will begin during the upcoming Supreme Convention with the official launching of a new interactive Web site devoted to that topic. The Web site will be of special interest to Knights, their wives and families, but will appeal also to all Catholic husbands and families. In addition to providing resources, information and guidance to men, “Fathers for Good” will be a means of recruiting active young men to the Knights of Columbus.

In addition to these initiatives, the Supreme Knight also announced that following the 2009 Supreme Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., the first-ever Marian Congress in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be held.

The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring the event together with the Archdiocese of Mexico City and the Diocese of Phoenix. It will feature several churchmen and prominent experts on the Marian apparitions of 1531 at Tepeyac . The event will unite Knights and Catholics from throughout North America in solidarity of faith and veneration for the Blessed Mother.