Anderson comments on K. of C. finances

Oct. 1, 2008 — The upheaval in the financial markets in recent days has caused a great deal of concern virtually everywhere, among financial services professionals, regulators and consumers alike. Every major financial institution has been affected by the turmoil because of the complexity of our economy, and we are no exception.

But I can report to you that there is no reason to be concerned about the value of your Knights of Columbus annuity or life insurance. Because of the very conservative approach we take to investing our $14 billion in assets, the impact on the Knights of Columbus has been far smaller than for many other organizations and the industry as a whole. By avoiding investments in the complex and speculative vehicles that are at the root of today’s problems, we greatly reduced the impact of the crisis on our operations. Instead, we have consistently relied upon high quality investments. Nevertheless, some of them have suffered losses. Yet the wisdom of that approach has been proven sound.

What Standard & Poor’s said of us in August when they reaffirmed our AAA rating for the 16th consecutive year remains true today. Our “liquidity is viewed as extremely strong, reflecting an asset portfolio that consists primarily of high-quality, investment grade bonds.” S&P also stated that our “investment portfolio has very strong credit quality” and our capital adequacy is “among the strongest in the industry.” This is the case today. Our capitalization is, and remains, “extremely strong.”

Our surplus stood at more than $1.7 billion on June 30 of this year, and it continues to provide an unusually large cushion of protection against turmoil of the sort we have seen in recent weeks.

While a final determination of the impact of the continuing financial crisis on our year-end financial statements cannot be calculated until early January, we are confident that our surplus will remain extremely strong and that our surplus ratio will continue to remain in excess of historic industry levels.

One crucial area continues to set us completely apart from those firms that have incurred enormous debt. We have no debt on our balance sheet. Our strong cash flows make it unnecessary for us to borrow funds at all.

As a result, our financial condition remains extremely strong, and you can be certain that you are fully protected by one of the strongest and most reliable insurance programs in the world.

— Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

Annual charitable-giving tally released

June 6, 2008 — The Knights of Columbus announced that its 1.75 million members set records for charitable giving and volunteer service hours last year. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson released the results of the survey in a speech to state deputies and members of the board of directors, presented this evening in New Haven, Conn.

The results of the Order's Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity for the year ending December 31, 2007, show that the organization's contributions to charity reached $144,911,781, exceeding the previous year's total by more than $1 million. The figure includes $31,235,220 donated by the Supreme Council and $113,676,561 in charitable donations from state and local councils, Fourth Degree assemblies, and Squires circles.

The survey also shows that the number of volunteer hours reported by Knights for charitable causes grew to 68,695,768 hours, up more than 400,000 hours from 2006. There were 393,030 Knights of Columbus blood donors during the year, and Knights made more than 5.5 million visits to the sick and bereaved.

Over the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has given nearly $1.28 billion to charity and provided in excess of 612 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable causes.

Knights to collect and retire damaged flags

June 2, 2008 — Laramie, Wyo. — Local members of the Knights of Columbus are collecting worn and damaged American flags, which will be respectfully disposed of in a private ceremony on Flag Day, June 14, 2008. Disposal will be done in accordance with U.S. Federal Code Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8(k), which stipulates that an American flag should be "destroyed in a dignified way" when it is "no longer a fitting emblem for display."

The project is being spearheaded by the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus in Monsignor George A. Stoll Assembly 2872, with the assistance of other area organizations, including American Legion Post 14 and the Knights of Columbus at St. Laurence O'Toole Council 2720 and at University of Wyoming Council 10773.

E-mail YourFlag@gmail.com to arrange to have your flag(s) picked up from your Laramie home or business. If you're outside the immediate area, you may mail your flag(s) to Your Flag, PO BOX 1492, LARAMIE WY 82073–1492. Any flags received too late for the June 14 ceremony will be held for a future one.

For more information, visit www.YourFlag.blogspot.com.

Catholic hero Irena Sendler, 98, dies

May 12, 2008 — Irena Sendler, Polish nurse, passed away today at the age of 98. Watch this video tribute to a modern saint.

‘Blessed’ Cardinal Newman?

April 23, 2008 — Reports, which began circulating the Internet today, indicate that the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman may be imminent, likely in 2008. The Vatican has not yet issued a public statement on the matter.

Societies, clubs, and centers named in honor of Newman are scattered at university and college campuses around the world, including St. Paul's Newman Center at the University of Wyoming, home to Council 10773.

With beatification, the pope bestows the title "Blessed" on an individual, following Vatican confirmation of a miracle attributed to his or her intercession. An additional miracle is required before canonization, which comes with the title "Saint."

Update — April 30, 2008 — Unconfirmed reports of a scheduled beatification continue to circulate, but no statement on the topic has been issued by the Vatican. The earliest mention of the matter appears in the April 21 issue of the Birmingham Mail, a British newspaper, which does not cite its source.

Catch Pat Korten’s latest podcast

Listen to the latest official Knights of Columbus podcast, below, or check out some of the recently archived ones that you may have missed. Programs like these are produced about once a week by Pat Korten, right, the Supreme Council's vice president for communications. (Send him feedback.) Each episode typically runs about 5 minutes.

His latest podcast:
► Fourth Degree Knights welcome pope

Recently archived:
► Soldier-Knights’ deeds showcased
► Anderson explains new book
► AIDS relief bill hijacked

If you subscribe to the Kii feed, then you will receive Korten's future podcasts within a revised version of this article. If you want to automatically download only the MP3 files (without the article), subscribe to them here.

Pope Benedict visits the United States

April 15–20, 2008 — For continuous coverage of the pope's current visit to America, go to www.papaltrip.org, a site sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

Pope addresses U.S. believers and nonbelievers

April 8, 2008 — During a Vatican press conference this morning, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the American people by video. His remarks, which were delivered mainly in English and partially in Spanish, are transcribed below.

Dear brothers and sisters in the United States of America: The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you! In just a few days from now, I shall begin my apostolic visit to your beloved country. Before setting off, I would like to offer you a heartfelt greeting and an invitation to prayer. Read more»

Kii Points | “Local” council news from everywhere

Culled by Knights in Interaction from thousands of online sources — Here's a sampling of some recent and upcoming Knights of Columbus activities. These are typical of the work done by councils everywhere, including the one in your area. Roll your mouse pointer over the text to pause the scrolling.
Note: New activities are posted regularly, but subscription updates will be sent only after all of the content has changed.

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[Resend when Boston, Massachusetts (O'Malley) comes off bottom of list.]

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Michigan City, Indiana — Councils 7524 and 12951 sell candy during the first weekend of May each year and donate the proceeds to local charities. Last year, they collected more than $10,200. (Source)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Councils 9296 and 13811 are preparing for a June 14 charity golf tournament. Let's see if they can top the $7,400 they raised for local charities during last year's event. (Source)

South Bend, Indiana — Knights at the University of Notre Dame provided a picnic lunch to those who participated in the Fourth Annual Eucharistic Procession, which was held on campus April 20. (Source)

Stephenville, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada — Natasha Stapleton is headed for a provincial public-speaking championship after winning a recent local contest sponsored by area Fourth Degree Knights. (Source)

Providence, Rhode Island — A blogger at a political and cultural site took exception to the "violence and harassment" — which includes (gasp) singing religious hymns and the like — done twice weekly by members of Providence College Council 5787 outside area abortion clinics. (Source)

San Diego, California — The Garden of Innocence, an organization that provides burial services for abandoned children, expresses appreciation for the regular participation of local Fourth Degree Knights: "These wonderful gentlemen ... add dignity to every memorial service ... escorting a small casket, containing a child that no one else wanted." (Source)

Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada — Council 2766 donated the proceeds from its recent benefit dinner and silent auction to Michael Brady, a high-school student who plans to attend World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, this summer. (Source)

Mobile, Alabama — St. Mary’s Catholic School will benefit from the Knights of Columbus’ annual all-you-can-stand Crawfish and Bluegrass Extravaganza, with scheduled appearances by the Fabulous Bagasse Boys, the Coosa River Broadcasters, Delta Reign, the Dog River Boys, and Fat Man Squeeze. (Source)

Tallahassee, Florida — Fourth Degree Knights, carrying an American flag and a council/assembly banner, marched in the 40th Springtime Tallahassee Parade. (Source)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada — The members of a new Polish-speaking council recently received their charter before an audience of 150, including Coadjutor Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, and State Deputy Dan O'Hara. The council is led by Grand Knight Wojtek Szuminski and has been named for Pope John Paul II. (Source)

Boston, Massachusetts — Cardinal Seán O'Malley, a Knight of Columbus himself, was at St. John’s Seminary to congratulate seminarians and faculty upon completing the First Degree. In turn, the Knights of Columbus presented the cardinal with checks totaling $60,000, earmarked for programs to educate people about marriage. (Source)

Limoilou, Quebec, Canada — Council 4494 raised more than $44,000 for three organizations that work with the needy: La Bouchée Généreuse, L’Évasion St-Pie X and the Missionaries of Charity. (Source)

Sahuayo, Michoacan, Mexico — Once a week, members of Council 4637 serve food to patients outside the hospital in their community. (Source)

La Crescent, Wisconsin — Knights and others hosted a pancake breakfast to raise funds for the construction of an 18-acre community park. The project, which includes construction of a playground accessible to people with disabilities, will be completed in several phases over the next five years. (Source)

Marine City, Michigan — Dave Schweihofer and his brother Knights serve an all-you-can-eat breakfast at their council home every Sunday, raising funds for their charitable and fraternal activities. (Source)

Houston, Texas — Every Friday morning, college-council Knights at the University of St. Thomas join members of a local Episcopal church in serving food to about 300 homeless people. (Source)

Monterrey, Mexico — Members of Council 2312 accompanied the Silver Rose on the final 125-mile leg of the run to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Each year, the Rose travels from Canada, through the United States, and into Mexico as a show of the Order’s support for pro-life issues. (Source)

St. Césaire, Quebec, Canada — Council 2172 held a canned food drive that netted $3,500 in funds and $4,000 in nonperishable food items. All of the donations were presented to the Volunteer Action Center. (Source)

Brooklyn, New York — Seven days a week, Knights here collect food, clothing, and toys — all in good condition — to distribute to the less fortunate. (Source)

Akron, Ohio — Elizabeth Luckenbaugh, a sophomore at Our Lady of the Elms, was one of 40 students from around the state to receive a scholarship from the Ohio State Council of the Knights of Columbus. (Source)

Hornell, New York — The council recently hosted its 35th annual fund raiser for Special Olympics and local youth activities. Hundreds were on hand to see Laken Snowden awarded the title of Special Olympian of the Year and to meet five past and present professional athletes. (Source)

Somewhere in Colorado — From Catholic blogger Tienne: "After the Mass of the Lord's Supper Thursday night they had adoration of the Blessed Eucharist until midnight. ... The Host had an honor guard of Knights of Columbus (I love those guys. They're so great.) that changed every 15 minutes and lent an air of formality and ceremony that made the experience that much better." (Source)

Enid, Oklahoma — Local Knights hosted an all-you-can-eat barbecue dinner to raise funds for these area charities: Center of Family Love, St. Joseph’s School, Our Daily Bread, and YMCA. (Source)

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania — Knights and others helped serve a dinner to raise funds for the Franklin County Therapeutic Riding Center, which serves people with mental, physical, and emotional disabilities. (Source)

Union City, California — The members of Council 8627 held a bowling tournament to raise funds for the purchase of wheelchairs. (Source)

Daphne, Alabama — Boy Scout Troop 87, sponsored by their local Knights of Columbus council, had to come up with less than $4,000 for their new $60,000 scout lodge. Some of the building materials were donated by area businesses, and others were scavenged from the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina. The meeting area was built on Knights of Columbus property, with labor and materials provided by the Scouts and their fathers. (Source)

Gardner, Massachusetts — Following the posting of a $1000 reward by Council 396, a man was arrested for vandalizing several area churches, including Sacred Heart Catholic Church. (Source)

Stillwater, Minnesota — When the weather for their annual Easter egg hunt ended up lousy, members of Fr. Solanus Casey Council 1632 moved the event and hundreds of children out of the drizzle and icy mud and into their council hall. (Source)

These items will repeat from the top in a moment.

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Kii unveils yet another high-tech feature

April 1, 2008 — Knights in Interaction, the publication perhaps best known for overextending itself technologically, announced today the Beta release of Kii Lime Pie, the first in a line of food items that the interactive newsletter will make available over the Internet in coming months.

"It's something we stumbled upon last month as the result of a St. Patrick's Day flyer accident," a member of the product development team at Kii explained on condition of anonymity. "Someone spilled some green punch on the printer, and then this just kind of came out of that experience."

The new technology requires end-users to replace the contents of their color ink cartridges with the four ingredients needed for the product output. To make Kii Lime Pie, for example, the black cartridge is filled with lime juice, and the yellow gets a couple of beaten egg yolks. The other ingredients, according to another unidentified team member, are "sweetened condensed milk in the magenta cartridge, and then a mixture of equal parts of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter for the cyan."

The product file is generated using Kii's patented Fast-Food Press application, which instructs the printer to lay down the correct proportion of pixels from each ingredient cartridge to produce a fairly accurate flavor representation at output. To prevent an overly dry product, the developer recommends loading the printer's manual feed tray with pastry sheets instead of regular paper.

"It's a bit greasy and chemically," said one Beta taster, "but no worse than what you'd get at a convenience store."

"I think Kii Lime Pie is another foolish example of the editor going to extremes to work the word Kii into the name of yet another service," said April Fülsdeigh, who identified herself as the wife of a member of the Knights of Columbus council that produces the online publication.

Print one 8½" x 11" pie now • Download as MP3 to snack on later

Blessed is the fruit of thy womb

March 31, 2008 — "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."

Today is the Feast of the Annunciation. It is appropriate, then, that today is also observed as the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child. This pro-life observance was instituted as an addition to the Order's commitment to build a culture that respects and protects every human life from conception to natural death.

Many councils are holding special prayer services to mark this day. If there isn't a formal observance in your area, you can create your own private or public service. This prayer card and sample service may be used.

Anderson makes several announcements

March 25, 2008 — Supreme Knight Carl Anderson held a press conference at a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C., today. His speech and question-and-answer session were aired live in this webcast.

Anderson spoke about the results of a poll on American attitudes toward Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church; he shared a brief clip about the papal-visit documentary "A Journey of Hope," a Knights of Columbus–sponsored production that is set to air April 13; and he announced this morning's publication of his book, A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World.

The first-edition, 224-page hardcover edition of Anderson's instant bestseller is published by HarperOne. All author royalties are earmarked for the charitable work of the Knights of Columbus. The supreme knight explains the idea behind A Civilization of Love in this podcast interview.

Support the Gwilliams and ‘wisdom in God’s country’

March 23, 2008 — On this Feast of the Resurrection, Kii presents a few thoughts on life after death, rising from the ashes, and looking to the future.

1.) Fr. Robert W. Cook, president of Wyoming Catholic College writes:
"This is the story of a recently admitted student ... It is a story of tragedy, courage, love ..." Read more»

2.) Support the Gwilliam family
On January 26, 2008, a work-related accident took the life of veterinarian Dr. Tim Gwilliam, 46, a past grand knight of Jackson Council 9431. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and their 7 daughters, ages 2 to 18. A Fourth Degree honor guard was present for the funeral, which was held Feb. 1 at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, Jackson. Donations for the family may be sent to:

Tim Gwilliam Family Fund
Jackson State Bank & Trust
PO BOX 1788
JACKSON WY 83001–1788

3.) Support Catholic college students
All students at Wyoming Catholic College — soon to include incoming student Roslyn Gwilliam — benefit from scholarship funds. Nearly half the cost of each WCC student's education is supplemented by these scholarship funds and by other non-tuition income. Help support these students by sending a donation to:

Dr. Tim Gwilliam Scholarship Fund
Wyoming Catholic College
PO BOX 750
LANDER WY 82520–0750

4.) Consider attending Wyoming Catholic College
Fr. Cook writes, "I would like to give you three reasons why you should take that step ..." Read more»

Meet Council 10773’s new grand knight

March 18, 2008 — During a regular council business meeting, which was held earlier this evening, Gregory Kinstetter was appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of grand knight for University of Wyoming Council 10773.

He will serve the remainder of the unexpired term, through June 30. He has also been nominated for the new term, which runs from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

Following the meeting at which District Deputy John Benedik made the appointment, Kinstetter delivered his first message to the council as its new grand knight. Many members of the council received the recorded message via e-mail.

Kinstetter was born in Gillette, Wyoming, and graduated from high school in 2005. He attended Black Hills State University, Spearfish, South Dakota, for one year, and then ... Read more»

Interact: Use the comment(s) link, below, to congratulate Gregory or to ask him a question.

Fr. Michael McGivney declared ‘venerable’

March 15, 2008 — Now-‘Venerable’ Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, is another step closer to official sainthood.

According to an announcement posted in Italian on the Vatican Web site today, Pope Benedict XVI received Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints, in private audience. During this meeting, Benedict authorized Martins to promulgate a decree concerning "the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Michael McGivney, diocesan priest and founder of the fraternal order of the Knights of Columbus."

Oggi, 15 marzo 2008, il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI ha ricevuto in Udienza
privata Sua Eminenza Rev.ma il Sig. Card. José Saraiva Martins, Prefetto della
Congregazione delle Cause dei Santi. Nel corso dell’Udienza il Santo Padre ha
autorizzato la Congregazione a promulgare i Decreti riguardanti ... le virtù
eroiche del Servo di Dio MICHELE McGIVNEY, Sacerdote Diocesano e Fondatore
dell’Ordine Fraterno "The Knights of Columbus"; nato a Waterbury (Stati Uniti
d’America) il 12 agosto 1852 e morto a Hartford (Stati Uniti d’America) il 14
agosto 1890. (Source)

With this papal declaration of heroic virtue, we may now refer to our founder as "Venerable Michael McGivney." The next steps, God willing, will be beatification (with the title "Blessed") and canonization (with the title "Saint").

Help us snag this elusive trophy

Kii records visitors from just about everywhere on the planet. Except, so far, Antarctica.

If you're serving at a south polar station and are finding us via a satellite Internet connection (which would appear to us as an IP address in your station's sponsoring country), please check in with us, and tell us about yourself.

Thanks, in advance, and be assured of our warmest fraternal regards.

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New financial secretary system replaces FSPC

Updated March 24, 2008 — A new online application, which has replaced the Financial Secretary PC (FSPC) program, began being phased in throughout the Order on January 7. All of the affected parties have been notified of the change. Member Management is the first portion of the new application to be released.

Councils and assemblies are able now to manage member data, while electronically transmitting these changes to the Supreme Council office. Supported transactions now include changing addresses, updating degree status, maintaining rosters of officers, and maintaining rosters of service program personnel. The new system allows these items to be handled within a single online application.

This first of many planned steps is expected to streamline the duties and responsibilities of financial secretaries and comptrollers. Those officers will soon also have access to the Member
Billing application. Future enhancements are being planned to support the needs and requirements of grand knights, navigators, district deputies, and state leaders. In the meantime,
councils and assemblies are required to continue to mail paper copies to their respective
state deputies, district deputies, and district masters.

Financial secretaries, send feedback about the new system to KnightsInInteraction@gmail.com. (Are you already using it? How's it going?)

Kii Notes | About our remodeling project

We've completed the bulk of Kii's extreme makeover. With the recent adoption of this newsletter by University of Wyoming Council 10773 — and in response to your input — several new features have been added, and several more are forthcoming.

Your input (as always) is requested for the following works-in-progress:

• We're needing a Kii logo. The current concept is a key and an anchor crossed over the motto "Interaction is the key to charity, unity, and fraternity." If there are any graphic artists out there who would like to contribute to the effort, contact us. I think the motto might look good in Latin, but we'd lose the "key/kii" effect. Colors to emphasize are brown and gold for the University of Wyoming.

• We're working on a "guided tour," which would function as an introduction and Help feature. We'll probably start with an audio version later this month, to be replaced by an animated one next month. The plan is to have the tour given by an 11-year-old kid: After all, if it's easy enough for a fifth grader to learn, then the rest of us should be able to do it, too.

• We're accepting recommendations on some embedded, ad-free, communication media, specifically: instant-messaging, message board, and online forum.

• We should have our Kii Issues section up within a couple of weeks. This will be an area for dealing with public-policy issues. You'll be able to do research, write letters, spread the word, and interact with legislators.

• We're still working some bugs out with Firefox compatibility. Your expert advice in this area would be most appreciated. How does it look on your computer? How can we improve it?

• We've still got a lot of behind-the-scenes work ahead, including reducing the file sizes of some of our images and widgets. There's a lot of fat that can be cut in the underlying code.

• Most importantly, it's time to deliver some quality content on a regular basis. Expect that to start in the next few days. Our RSS feed now siphons up just about everything on this page, so we're expecting a large influx of visitors in the near future. Thank you, in advance, for your feedback and evangelization via the brown links.

«Kii Points» | C'est «chevaliers dans l'interaction»

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Limoilou, Québec, Canada — Conseil 4494 a réuni plus de 44 000$ pour trois organismes qui s’occupent de venir en aide aux nécessiteux: La Bouchée Généreuse, L’Évasion St-Pie X et les Missionnaires de la Charité. (Source)

St. Césaire, Québec, Canada — Les membres du Conseil 2172 ont organisé une campagne pour denrées alimentaires, Campagne qui a réuni 3500$ en argent et 4000$ en denrées alimentaires non périssables. Le tout a été remis au Centre d’Action Bénévole. (Source)

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‘Kii Points’ | Noticias de los consejos

Día tras día, los Caballeros reciben la oportunidad de hacer la diferencia. Puede ser con trabajo comunitario, recaudando dinero para su parroquia o por medio de la oración. Elogiamos a todos y cada uno de los Caballeros por su fuerza, su compasión y su dedicación para construir un mundo mejor.

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Sahuayo, Michoacan, México — Miembros del Consejo 4637 les sirven comida a los pacientes del Hospital General en su comunidad. Los Caballeros les sirven la comida a los pacientes y aquellos que esperan en la consulta una vez a la semana. (Fuente)

Vineland, New Jersey, EE.UU. — Los Caballeros asisten a la Misa como grupo el tercer Domingo del mes y tienen su reunión ese día. (Fuente)

Monterrey, México — Miembros del Consejo 2312 acompañaron a la Rosa de la Plata en la etapa final de la carrera de 200 kilómetros a la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Todos los años, la Rosa viaja desde el Canadá, a través de los Estados Unidos y dentro de México demostrando el apoyo de la Orden por asuntos pro-vida. (Fuente)

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Of black ribbons, broken hearts, and moving forward

February 15, 2008 — This was the breaking news item that appeared in Kii yesterday:

February 14, 2008, 3:20 p.m. CST — Northern Illinois University, home of NIU Council 5572, issues Campus Safety Alert: "There has been a report of a possible gunman on campus. Get to a safe area and take precautions until given the all clear. Avoid the King Commons and all buildings in that vicinity."

Update, 3:50 p.m. CST — Shooting incident confirmed. Classes canceled. Multiple injuries reported.

Udpate, 4:10 p.m. CST — Campus police report situation under control. Ongoing information will be posted by NIU.

Earlier today, Knights in Interaction conducted a live telephone interview with Grand Knight Lenny French, of Northern Illinois University Council 5572, and Fr. Godwin Asuquo, the council's chaplain.

For your convenience, the unedited audio from the interview is now available with annotations, below, for both dial-up and broadband connections.

If you'd like to help the Knights at NIU and their fellow parishioners in the work ahead, please consider sending a generous check, made payable to "Newman Catholic Student Center" (with "Knights in Interaction Black Ribbon Fund" written on the memo line), to:

Rev. Godwin Asuquo
Newman Catholic Student Center
512 NORMAL RD
DEKALB IL 60115–2203

← dial-up & broadband →

Kii People | Up close and personal

A look at some of these men they call Knights
They're your neighbors, fathers, brothers, sons, husbands. They're the Knights of Columbus. Let's meet some of them. Roll your mouse pointer over the text to pause the scrolling.

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Wyoming Knight, 46, father of 7, dies in accident
On January 26, 2008, a work-related accident took the life of veterinarian Dr. Tim Gwilliam, 46, a past grand knight of Jackson Council 9431. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and their 7 daughters, ages 2 to 18. A Fourth Degree honor guard was present for the funeral, which was held Feb. 1 at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, Jackson. Wyoming Catholic College has established a scholarship fund in his memory.

Meet Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

• His biography • His book, A Civilization of Love

• His annual report: 15 parts (Web site) or all at once (PDF, 3+ MB)

• Transcript of his May 19, 2007, remarks at "Rosary Bowl"

• Clergy appreciation dinner speech (23:00) given Mar. 29, 2007


Introducing the 2007 International Family of the Year
Dr. Richard and Sharmae Vetter and their nine daughters, of Fargo, N.D., pose with supreme council and state council staff during the 125th supreme convention in Nashville, Tenn.


Oil barge named for former district deputy
Lovel Briere, a former district deputy and father of the 1987 Knights of Columbus International Family of the Year, was honored posthumously with the christening of a 286-foot double-hull oil barge. The ceremony took place Nov. 15, 2007, in Portland, Ore. Brother Briere was the father of the immediate past state deputy of Wyoming. Read more»


Meet our founder
Venerable Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, is officially a candidate for sainthood.

• Read about his timeless message
• Watch a video about his life and legacy
• Join the Father McGivney Guild

In memoriam: Recent tranfers to “Pearly Gates Council 7”
• Auvern “Vern” Bernard, 88, of Manistique, Michigan, died April 1
• Mathias R. “Matt” Koltes, 81, of Pearl Lake, Minnesota, died March 30
• Lawrence Aloysius Dodds, 85, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, died March 23
• William D. Hurley, 87, of Cheshire, Connecticut, died March 20

Knights in Interaction turns 1

January 31, 2008 — Knights in Interaction has now made it through its first year. It’s not out of diapers yet, but it’s starting to climb the stairs.

It started off as the official newsletter of the Wyoming State Council on January 26, 2007. Its audience quickly outgrew the state’s borders, and the interactive publication adapted accordingly. Over 1,800 people have now visited the site; over 90% are from outside Wyoming, and about 10% of those are from outside the United States.

In September of 2007, Wyoming launched a new state newsletter, the Cowboy Bulletin, which was designed to focus on the information needs of the in-state audience. Recently, Knights in Interaction was placed into the hands of University of Wyoming Council 10773, where it continues to draw visitors from around the world.

The multimedia site has received widespread use by visitors from every continent (well, except Antarctica) and from every U.S. state and Canadian province, as well as from every country in which the Order currently resides (with the exception, so far, of Cuba).

Over the past 12 months, your suggestions have led to many improvements. Links now open in new windows; more features promote input and interaction; material of interest to Knights everywhere has been added; articles in French, Polish, Spanish, and Tagalog are now included; and all browsers and operating systems are apparently well served. Visitors increasingly return for multiple visits.

The mission of this newsletter remains the same as it always has been: to encourage interaction among Knights. It’s designed to help us to accomplish our charitable and fraternal goals through cooperation and communication; it’s designed to promote participation, to build fraternity, to carry out our founder’s vision; it’s designed to build unity in answer to Jesus’ prayer that his disciples be “one.” And it tries to stay relevant and contemporary without sacrificing our Order’s historical roots. As mentioned in the first blog entry a year ago, “keeping up with the times has always been one of the great traditions of the Knights of Columbus.”

Thank you for supporting this college-council project through your participation in it. We’ve enjoyed your presence over the past year and are looking forward to interacting with you even more in the years ahead.

— Editor

Faith-formation materials come in all shapes and sizes

January 29, 2008 — The Catholic Information Service (CIS), which has been producing Catholic publications since 1948, has faith-formation materials available in a variety of formats. They're all free — except for postage, if applicable. Catechism lessons in podcast form may be subscribed to through iTunes and downloaded to your MP3 player, or they may be played directly from your computer. You may also read, download, or print them as PDF files — or even order hard copies through the mail.

Les Chevaliers de Colomb | Apportez une différence

26 janvier 2008 — Imaginez que vous êtes membre d’un organisme qui vous remplit le cœur et l’esprit de la joie de donner aux autres et de l’émotion que vous ressentez quand vous apportez une différence.

Les Chevaliers de Colomb sont des hommes catholiques âgés d’au moins 18 ans. Nous avons pris l’engagement de faire de nos collectivités de meilleurs endroits tout en soutenant notre Église. Être Chevalier, cela signifie plus que camaraderie c’est s’impliquer dans sa collectivité c’est apporter son soutien à son Église Catholique locale tout en grandissant dans la foi c’est protéger sa famille et s’épanouir avec elle. C'est «chevaliers dans l'interaction».

Les Chevaliers de Colomb acceptent les demandes de ceux qui ont besoin de renseignements supplémentaires ou qui désirent nous contacter. Veuillez appeler notre «service à la clientèle» au 1–800–380–9995, et nos représentants seront en mesure de vous aider par l'intermédiaire d'un traducteur.

Rycerze Kolumba: O Zakonie

Rycerze Kolumba są katolicką, bratnią, organizacją wzajemnej pomocy mężczyzn, która powstała, aby udzielać pomocy finansowej członkom i ich rodzinom.

Członkowie wraz z rodzinami, pomagają sobie nawzajem w wypadku choroby, kalectwa, a także w każdej potrzebie. Między członkami wytwarza się więź intelektualna i towarzyska poprzez wspólne prace w dziedzinie charytatywnej, wychowawczej, religijnej, społecznej, pomocy bliźnim w wypadku wojny czy katastrofy.

Historia Zakonu wskazuje na proroczą wizję księdza McGivneya, którego proces kanonizacyjny jest w trakcie przygotowywania przez Watykan. Wizja księdza McGivneya przyczyniła się do stworzenia organizacji, która stała się wiodącą katolicką, bratnią organizacją wzajemnej pomocy na świecie. Zakon pomaga rodzinom osiągnąć zabezpieczenie finansowe poprzez ubezpieczenie na życie, renty dożywotnie i długoterminowe programy ubezpieczeniowe, a także wszędzie na świecie poświęca wiele czasu i energii służbie społeczeństwu.

Prosimy o kontakt z nami celem uzyskania dalszych informacji.

Nuevas fuentes de información en español en línea

El Servicio de Información Católica (SIC) de los Caballeros de Colón se complace en anunciar que la Serie Luke E. Hart en su totalidad y algunos de los folletos de la Serie Veritas estarán disponibles en español en línea.

La Serie Hart ofrece 30 folletos que exploran las enseñanzas católicas en la misma forma que el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica mientras que los folletos Veritas exploran varios asuntos relacionados con la fe Católica y la vida Católica.

A medida que los folletos se van recibiendo, se irán añadiendo a la colección de SIC en el sitio Web. Y podcasts de la Serie Luke E. Hart los puedes ahora escuchar en tu computadora personal o en tu computadora Mac o bien los puedes descargar a tu MP3. Usando el fichero RSS te podrás enterar si se ha incluido una noticia nueva sin necesidad de entrar al sitio Web.

Caballeros de Colón | ¿Por qué ser miembro?

Imagine que forma parte de una organización que llena su corazón y su mente con el gozo de dar a otros y la sensación que viene de hacer una diferencia.

Los Caballeros son hombres católicos de 18 años de edad o más que están dedicados a hacer de su comunidad un lugar mejor mientras apoyan a su Iglesia. Ser un Caballero es más que camaradería; es estar involucrado en su comunidad; es apoyar a su iglesia católica local mientras enriquece su propia fe; tiene que ver con proteger y mejorar su vida familiar. Nuevos puentes, nuevos vínculos: "Caballeros en Interacción".

Venga a ver quiénes somos y dé los primeros pasos para mejorar su vida personal viendo el segmento: "¿Por qué ser miembro?"

Caballeros de Colón recibe preguntas de aquellos que necesitan información adicional o desean ponerse en contacto con nosotros. Se habla español aquí: 1–203–752–4426. ¡Viva Cristo Rey!