November 1997

Chaplain's Counsel

Dear Brother Knight's,

November is upon us, a special time for family and thanksgiving over the gifts given us by God. The month begins with the celebration of All Saints and All Souls. We are reminded of those who have made it to the promised shore and who pray for us still struggling in our earthly pilgrimage. We also recall those who have died and who are enduring the final purgation before being invited into the Lord's mansion of joy. We pray for them -- those we knew and loved -- those who were difficult to love -- and those forgotten by the world. They are all a part of us and the Church established by Christ as the sacrament of salvation. St. Mary's will be taking the names of our departed and placing them on the altar this month so that we can properly commemorate them during this privileged time. What we do for them, we hope others will one day do for us. May our prayers, added to the fire of divine love, speed them on their way.

Recently hundreds of thousands of men gathered in the city as part of the Promise Keepers movement. Among the participants were several members of the parish, although Catholics represented less than 6% of their total. We should commend the rediscovery and activation of faith in the lives of men today. However, at the same time, we must not forget that the Knights of Columbus were the original promise keepers. Perhaps it is time for us to renew and to proclaim our spiritual presence in the nation? I suspect that many see the charitable works, the insurance programs, and the social gatherings of our order, but not our devotion to prayer and to Christian holiness. As Catholics, our traditional piety is often privately practiced in the home and our main corporate expression is concentrated in Mass. This is all quite wonderful. But, we need also to show our lived faith to lapsed Catholics and to other Christians. Did you know that the founder of Promise Keepers was a fallen-away Catholic? Here is the tragedy. There was one promise he did not keep. Let the entire world know the fidelity of the Knights of Columbus -- to Christ and to the Church -- to our one Nation under God -- and to the little church of the Family.

Your Servant in Christ,

Fr. Joseph A. Jenkins, Jr.