Knights of Columbus: A Boulder in the Rapids

This agent loves working for the Knights because of pro-life beliefs.

A Knights of Columbus insurance agent for nearly two decades, Swanson is an active member in his local community, having served on several committees and boards, including the local pregnancy resource center. He and his wife, Cathy, have been married since 1996 and have five children. He is a member of St. Cecilia Council 11823 in Hastings, Neb.

There were several reasons that a career with the Knights of Columbus was attractive to me back in the year 2000. Helping Catholic families, the freedom to set my own schedule and an opportunity to earn a very good income were all exciting aspects of a career with the Knights.

But none of those reasons were as important to me as the fact that the Knights of Columbus was a faithful Catholic organization run on Catholic business principles and in union with Catholic moral teaching, especially regarding pro-life issues.

After graduating from college in 1995, I went to work in education and quickly discovered that my faith was not necessarily welcomed in the work place, nor did the policy stances of the teachers’ union match my beliefs on many social issues, including abortion.

So, when the opportunity came up to work for an organization that not only shared my pro-life beliefs, but also donated millions of dollars over the years to support the pro-life cause, I was all in. I also learned that my efforts as a field agent would directly impact the ability of the Knights to make those donations to the pro-life cause by bringing premium dollars into the Order.

Article originally published in Knightline, a monthly resource for K of C leaders and members. To access Knightline archives,
click here. Since I began my career with the Knights, many things have changed in my life. I went from having no children to having five wonderful children today. I am also now a general agent with the Order and have been blessed in many ways in my career.

Many things in the world have changed as well, but not for the better: What were once common and accepted beliefs about the nature of man and the God-given rights of the individual are up for debate. Many are now not only advocating for abortion all the way up to birth, but even condone infanticide in cases of “botched” abortions.

Despite all the craziness that has gone on in what St. John Paul II so famously called “the culture of death,” the Knights of Columbus has remained steadfast in protecting life. They are faithful to bedrock Catholic business principles and the teachings of the Church, not just on the life issues, but on other Catholic teachings that have been so viciously attacked in our day.

The fidelity of the Knights to Catholic teaching has only become more important to me as I’ve watched so much of the world fall into moral disrepair around us.

The Knights has been like a mighty boulder in the rapids, refusing to be dislodged as the water and the waves crash against it.

It is this steadfastness that gives me hope that no matter how dire things become in our culture, the Knights will stand firm in their convictions and hold fast to the truths of the faith.

Live in the Hastings, Neb., area and have a question about K of C insurance? Contact the Swanson Agency at 402-463-2845 or email anthony.swanson@kofc.org. To find an agent in a different area, visit kofc.org/findagent.