The document summarizes discussions from a meeting of Knights of Columbus state chaplains in Nashville. Key topics discussed were implementing initiatives to foster members' spiritual growth, building on the success of prior chaplain meetings, and emphasizing that the Knights' works stem from Catholic charity and should provide strong Christian witness. The Supreme Chaplain and Supreme Knight stressed that the K of C is well-positioned to advance the goals of the upcoming Synod of Bishops and Year of Faith by providing resources and authentic Christian witness.

1. ­­­
L ast March, for the first time, state chaplains
from throughout the Order came to New Haven
to meet and discuss the ongoing spiritual devel-
opment of the Knights of Columbus. This meet-
ing was a great success, and we all found it very
useful in helping us to implement initiatives that
continue to foster spiritual growth among our
brother Knights. Building on the impetus of that
initial meeting, our second gathering was held in
Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 17-20, 2011, in conjunction with the state
deputies’ midyear meeting. Each day, attendees celebrated the Eucharist
and prayed the Divine Office together. There were also keynote talks,
breakout groups, plenary sessions and some time
just to chat and enjoy the fraternal company of
others. Among those in attendance were
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, Supreme
Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport,
Conn., and all the supreme officers.
Those of us who have been attending these
chaplain meetings over the past few years have
experienced a growing sense of community, a
real sense of fraternity. We have come to know one another in our unity
Cardinal James Hickey, a former arch-
bishop of Washington, once hosted a
dinner for his priests. As his priest-secretary, I
made sure that such events went smoothly.
After the invocation, the cardinal wanted to
propose a toast, but the wine had not yet
been served. Calling me to his table with a
note of urgency in his voice, he pointed to his
guests and said, “They have no wine.” I glibly
replied, “What would you have me do? My
hour has not yet come.” He then said, “Do
whatever I tell you!”
If such a delay at the cardinal’s dinner was
distressing, imagine the embarrassment of the
young husband and wife who ran out of wine
at their wedding feast in the Gospel of John.
In that time, wedding feasts went on for as
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Bishop
William E. Lori
Supreme Chaplain
SEE nashville, PAGE 2
SEE nashville, PAGE 3
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK
Father John P.
Grace, O.S.A.
Director of Chaplain
Programs & Development
State Chaplains, State Deputies Meet in Nashville
‘THAT THE WORLD MAY
KNOW NEW HOPE’
The Wedding
Feast at Cana
The second luminous
mystery of the rosary
foreshadows Jesus’ saving
death and resurrection

2. CHRISTMAS IN NEW HAVEN
of purpose, our love for the Order and our understanding of how we can
serve the K of C membership.
During the meeting in Nashville, we heard repeated several important
words and phrases: “The new evangelization,” “That the world may
know new hope,” “The Year of Faith” and “A charity that evangelizes.”
These statements formed the context from which both the supreme
knight and the supreme chaplain made their presentations. Both empha-
sized that the Knights of Columbus is in
a very favorable position to advance the
mission and intention of Pope Benedict
XVI during the upcoming Synod of
Bishops on the New Evangelization.
This event will take place in October
and will mark the beginning of the Year
of Faith.
Bishop Lori pointed out that together,
as chaplains, we have already done a lot
in terms of offering resources, renewing
emphasis on faith formation and enhancing the role that chaplains play
in council life.
Supreme Knight Anderson added that we need the strong, authentic
Christian witness of what it means to believe in the message of the
Gospel.
Details of the meetings will be sent to all state chaplains, but I would
like to share some of the discussion topics.
v The chaplain is to be the Father Michael J. McGivney of his
council, helping to bring spirituality to the Knights and their projects.
v The chaplain’s “message” is an integral part of the council meet-
ing. A spiritual message should be included even in the absence of the
council chaplain.
v The chaplain can help promote devotion to Father McGivney
and his cause for canonization.
v The chaplain can encourage the Knights’ attendance at Mass and
their reception of the sacraments.
v The chaplain can motivate other priests and help them to under-
stand what the Knights can offer their parishes and dioceses, as well as the
Church overall. Chaplains should also be partners in forming new coun-
cils at parishes.
v K of C projects stem from Catholic charity; they are not merely
social work. The Knights of Columbus should be seen as a leading group
for men to practice their faith, more than just being involved in social ac-
tivities. Such Christian witness can help the cause of the new evangeliza-
tion. To paraphrase Supreme Knight Anderson, charity evangelizes, and
our first principle is charity.
v Our strength must come from the spiritual foundation of the
Knights, not just from the number of
members or facilities, or from the fi-
nances of the Order.
v Spiritual growth should also be
part of the state deputy’s agenda, passed
down through the district deputies to
the grand knights of each council.
v The supreme knight believes we
have an obligation to offer membership
to every eligible Catholic man. Being a
Knight can help a Catholic man develop
his faith, be a better father and husband,
and contribute to the Church and the world. “I want the Knights to be
wherever the Church is,” said the supreme knight.
Bishop Lori spoke about how his previous Columbia columns on the
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church should be part
of the Year of Faith. The purpose is more than just correcting catechetical
deficiencies in the Church; it is to be a renewing of the Church through
the witness offered by believers.
To repeat the supreme knight’s words: “The Knights must be at the
center of this Year of Faith. We have the manpower. We have the re-
sources. Add to these an authentic Christian witness, a Christian hope for
a deeper faith formation and a true love of what our Order stands for,
and then surely we are the strong right arm of the Church.”
With good wishes to all for a renewed deepening of the faith during
the new year.
REV. JOHN P. GRACE, O.S.A.
DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAIN PROGRAMS AND DEVELOPMENT
JOHN.GRACE@KOFC.ORG
(203) 752-4263
nashville, FROM PAGE 1
Knights of Columbus
Museum Christmas
Tree Festival
More than 496 Connecticut students
from 24 schools took part in the Knights
of Columbus Museum’s annual Christ-
mas Tree Festival. Each school was as-
signed a tree to decorate. With help
from museum staff and volunteers from
the Knights of Columbus Supreme
Council headquarters, students deco-
rated the trees with ornaments they cre-
ated in class. Winning schools received
gift certificates for educational products.
Each school also received a certificate
recognizing its tree’s uniqueness.
Spreading the Light of Christ
Staff of the Supreme
Council headquarters in
New Haven, joined
Knights of Columbus
units throughout the
world in illuminating a
Christmas tree as part of
the Order’s tree and Na-
tivity scene lighting initia-
tive on Dec. 6. Father
John Grace, O.S.A., di-
rector of chaplain pro-
grams and development,
blessed the tree, and Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis Savoie of-
fered remarks on the season to attendees. The event also in-
cluded the singing of Christmas carols by performers in
Victorian-era garb.

3. MEMBERSHIP IN THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing)
Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and
morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
many as 10 days, and wine was an important
part of the celebration. Fortunately for this
couple, Mary, Jesus and his disciples were in
attendance. Sympathizing with this couple’s
plight, Mary asked her son to help them, just
as she often intercedes for us.
At first, Jesus seemed reluctant to become
involved in this matter. He said to Mary,
“Woman, what concern is that to me?” and
added, “My hour is not yet come” (Jn 2:4).
Yet, Mary persisted, remembering the signs
and wonders that accompanied Jesus’ coming
into the world. She urged her son to reveal
something of his glory in anticipation of his
“hour” — that is, the hour of his saving death
and resurrection.
Mary did not wait for Jesus to answer, but
instead told the waiters to fill six large jugs
with water and instructed them, “Do what-
ever he tells you” (Jn 2:4). The waiters did so,
and Jesus, in turn, transformed the water into
the best of wines.
GLORY REVEALED
In the story of the wedding at Cana, Mary’s
loving intercession is clearly evident. When-
ever we ask Mary to “pray for us sinners, now
and at the hour of our death” we acknowledge
the power of her prayers. But the details of
this Gospel account, describing the first of
Jesus’ “signs,” have an even deeper bearing on
our life of prayer and holiness.
In changing water into wine Jesus “revealed
his glory and his disciples began to believe in
him” (Jn 2:11). Praying the rosary, we refer to
this sign as a “mystery” — a real occurrence in
which something of God’s hidden glory
comes to light. Jesus worked this miracle not
only to help a newly married couple in dis-
tress, but also to reveal the glory of the self-
giving love that he has shared from all eternity
with the Father in the Holy Spirit.
The miracle at Cana foreshadowed the
wine that would become the blood of the
new and eternal covenant, shed for the remis-
sion of sins (see Mt 26:28). The miracle also
reminds us of what Jesus would say at the
Last Supper after instituting the Eucharist: “I
shall not again drink the fruit of the vine until
I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mk
14:25) — that is, until after he had risen
from the dead. This leads to another clue that
unlocks the meaning of this Gospel account:
John tells us that the miracle took place “on
the third day” — which brings to mind our
profession of the resurrection.
The miracle at Cana looks ahead to what
St. Paul would say of Jesus’ saving death and
resurrection truly re-presented in the Eu-
charist: “For as often as you eat this bread and
drink this wine, you proclaim the death of the
Lord until he comes in glory” (1 Cor 11:26).
Yet another eucharistic overtone in the mir-
acle at Cana is the sheer abundance of wine.
Some historians believe that the stone water
jars held as much as 200 gallons. This fore-
shadows the miracle in which Jesus took what
few loaves he was offered and produced su-
perabundant food — more than sufficient to
satisfy the hunger of the crowds who had
gathered to hear him.
THE ETERNAL
WEDDING FEAST
It is noteworthy that Jesus first manifested his
glory at a wedding feast. In the Gospels of
Matthew (22:1-14) and Luke (14:15-24), we
find Jesus’ parable of a king’s wedding feast.
Many of those who were invited refused to at-
tend, just as many of those who are invited to
the Eucharist each Sunday remain absent.
St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians captures
the significance of the miracle at Cana and
Jesus’ other references to wedding feasts (see
Eph 5:21-32). Paul presents marriage as a
fundamental way of understanding Christ’s
relationship to his Church: Christ is the
bridegroom, and the Church is the bride.
Christ gives himself in total, sacrificial love to
his Church, eliciting from us, his people, a
graced response of loving worship and holi-
ness of life. Christ’s relationship with his
Church also helps us to understand marriage
in God’s plan. Christian marriage symbolizes
the love of Jesus for his Church and, in a
sense, makes this love present in the world.
Ultimately, the miracle at Cana points to
the paschal wedding feast of heaven, where
Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, is
exalted at the right hand of the Father. Here,
the angels and saints rejoice not with earthly
wine, but with the new wine of God’s own
life and love.
wedding, FROM PAGE 1
CHRISTMAS IN NEW HAVEN
Nativity scene at historic New Haven Green
The Knights of Columbus
Supreme Council placed
a crèche on New Haven’s
Green and conducted a
blessing ceremony on
Dec. 1 in conjunction
with the city’s Christmas
tree lighting. The figures
in the scene were made
by Mexican sculptor
Agustin Parra that was
presented to the Vatican
from the Mexican state of
Jalisco in 2007.
Crèche Exhibit Opens
at Knights Museum
The Knights of Columbus Museum’s
seventh annual crèche exhibit opened
Nov. 15, featuring nativity scenes
crafted by artists throughout Africa. The
more than 100 pieces, mostly from
African countries in the west and north-
east, will be on display until Feb. 5. A
few crèches, like the one at right, were
carved in relief from black serpentine
stone by Bernard T. Sakarombe, a
Zimbabwean artist. It is surprisingly
large, standing almost four feet tall and
weighing about 300 pounds.

4. Catholic Information Service to Launch
Series on the New Evangelization
Series will focus on the papal teaching of John Paul II and Benedict XVI
The Catholic Information Service — a di-
vision of the Knights of Columbus that
provides Catholic booklets and online content
— recently announced that it will launch a new
series of booklets. The series will consist of
online content and booklets fo-
cused on issues of evangelizing
modern culture — an idea
brought forth by Pope Paul VI,
who called for a “new period of
evangelization” in his 1975 apos-
tolic exhortation, Evangelium
Nuntiandi. The new series will
draw primarily from the extensive
discussion of the new evangeliza-
tion by Blessed John Paul II and
Pope Benedict XVI.
John Paul II coined the phrase
“new evangelization” early in his
pontificate in Poland in 1979. Over the next
25 years, he often returned to this theme in his
speeches and writing. His successor, Pope Bene-
dict XVI, has continued to champion the idea.
“Pope Benedict XVI has made the new evan-
gelization a priority,” said Supreme Knight Carl
A. Anderson. “In the next year, the Church will
explore the new evangelization during the
synod of bishops and will ask all Catholics to
live out the new evangelization in their own
lives during the Year of Faith. It is our hope that
this new CIS series will help Catholics to learn
about their faith in a way that allows them to
participate first hand in the Church’s mission.”
Michelle Borras, Ph.D., the
newly appointed director of the
Catholic Information Service,
will serve as general editor of
the new series.
CIS currently publishes more
than 75 booklets in two series,
with many available as free pod-
casts and PDFs. The booklets
cover many aspects of the
Catholic faith.
The Luke E. Hart Series,
named for a past supreme
knight and written by Boston College philoso-
phy professor and popular author Peter Kreeft,
was designed to give a systematic introduction
to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The
30-book series is now available on 30 individ-
ual CDs. Each part of the series is packaged in
10 CD units. All three cases are shrink wrapped
together and setn as a single package.The set is
available for $65 and the cost of shipping and
handling. To order, send a check or money
order to Knights of Columbus, Attn. CIS, PO
Box 1971, New Haven, CT 06521.
The Veritas Series offers Catholic perspec-
tives on a wide variety of issues that range from
the existence of God to annulments to stem-
cell research.
For more than 60 years, CIS has printed and
distributed millions of booklets, and thousands
of people have enrolled in its catechetical
courses. It has expanded its audience in recent
years with French, Spanish and Polish transla-
tions of many of its resources.Today, it contin-
ues the Order’s tradition of evangelization by
providing low-cost, Catholic publications to
the general public, as well as to parishes,
schools, retreat houses, military installations,
correctional facilities, legislatures and the med-
ical community. For more information, visit
kofc.org/cis.
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