Life - Knights of Columbus

Life Activity Programs

Missouri Strong for Life!

Welcome Grand Knights, Ladies Auxiliary Presidents and District Deputies to the Life Activities State Programs! Please read through this guide as our hope is that our programs will assist your Councils in Respecting and Protecting all Life from Conception to Death. Our theme for this year is Missouri Strong For Life.

Our Meet Life Campaign will continue with Phase II after achieving our 5-year goal of 2 million and reducing abortions by half in Missouri by the year 2016 which was a great accomplishment.
Special Olympics is a Life Activities program in line with the Supreme Faith in Action Model.
State Sympathy Card This is a great chance to honor our fallen Knights with a card to the family from our State Deputy & State Chaplain.
The Silver Rose will again run from September to October
Marian Hour for Life program will continue through the state
Roses for Life Program will continue as we draw awareness to our Church’s and also to our State Legislators in Missouri for the dignity of life
Additional Supreme programs are: Pregnancy Center Support, Marches for Life Council Support, Ultrasound Program, Novena for Life, Mass’ for People with Special Needs, and support to Christian Refuge Relief.
The “Required” program for Life Activities is Novena for Life.
The “Featured” programs for Life Activities are:
Marches for Life
Special Olympics
Ultrasound Program.
Participating in Featured programs will count for 2 credits out of 4 for your Life Activities requirement for your Columbian Award. Be sure to see the requirements for each Featured and Required program to make sure you qualify!

For Life Activities, please consider the Novena for Life.

The “Featured” programs for Life Activities is Marches for Life, Special Olympics and the Ultrasound Program. Participating in Featured programs will count for 2 credits out of 4 for your Life Activities requirement for your Columbian Award. Be sure to see the requirements for each Featured program to make sure you qualify!

Revised State Council eMail Addresses

Meet Life Campaign - The History Phase 1

On July 16, 2011, the Missouri State Council Knights of Columbus announced the establishment of their “Meet Life” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to reduce the number of abortions performed in the State of Missouri by 50% by the end of the year 2016. The campaign was coordinated by the Knights of Columbus and included Vitae Founda- tion and In His Image Ultrasound.

The mission of the “Meet Life” campaign is to reduce abortion in Missouri through the placement of ultrasound tech- nology in local Pregnancy Centers along with mass media advertising to direct women to those centers. These efforts would provide opportunities for mothers experiencing unplanned pregnancies to bond with their unborn babies and encourage them to carry their babies to term.

The Results:

By the end of 2016, the goal of $2,000,000 was reached by donations over the 5-year campaign. An endowment with a beginning amount of $500,000 was established with a private donor donation. The year before Meet Life be- gan, there were 9,796 abortions in Missouri. In 2017, the last year abortions were tabulated by the state, abortions were down to 6,790—the lowest number of abortions since it became legal in 1973. Meet Life has been highly ef- fective, and we must keep moving forward! By the end of 2018-2019 fraternal year, we will have placed 44 ultra- sounds in pregnancy resource centers and one coming online this new fraternal year.

Meet Life Campaign – A New Beginning

It has happened! The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade which will now return to the states the decision to allow women to obtain an abortion. Knights councils should know that Missouri has already banned Abortion and such treat it as an illegal activity. However, such a ruling does not change the importance of protecting the life of the unborn through ultrasound technology but may require us to protect ourselves, our families and our places of worship.

First, our need for ultrasounds will not be going away. The ability for an expectant mother to see her unborn child has proven to be a profound tool in convincing a woman that her unborn child is indeed alive and deserves to live. While abortions may become illegal in Missouri, we cannot assume surrounding states will see abortions as illegal as well. What’s more, surrounding states that legalize abortion may not require a woman to have an ultrasound. Missouri’s ability to provide ultrasounds will remain vital to persuading mothers to not undergo an abortion. In the end, the need to place ultrasound machines throughout the state of Missouri remains.

Your council’s financial assistance will still be needed. The goal that we need each year going forward remains at $200,000. We are working on endowments now so the goal might decrease over the years to come. Councils are urged to begin or continue fundraisers such as a Baby Bottle Campaign, dinners, and other various fundraising events. You can also do a second collection with the Pastor’s permission. The Missouri State Council has envelopes available that will help you with this. In the current environment, we believe such events to protect the unborn will be met with added enthusiasm by Catholics. Also, councils may consider

Secondly, the end of Roe v Wade has already been met with confrontation and derision. All four dioceses in Missouri have enacted guidelines to help protect the church and its parishioners in the event of protests. Knights of Columbus councils are asked to reach out to their priests and religious to see what we can do to assist with this. If so, Knights members must remain vigilant but work within the guidelines set forth by the diocese. Our goal is to provide protection to our church and those within it but do not do anything that to provoke further violence or undue attention.

There is much more to come on the Meet Life campaign. The hope is that you can help make the future an age where life is respected and honored!

Meet Life

The Missouri State Council Knights of Columbus have always been leaders in respecting the lives of the unborn. In keeping with prior fundraising goals, the Meet Life Program fundraising goal is as follows

Each Council will be mailed a suggested donation The Meet Life VOLUNTARIY contribution we are looking for is $5.00 per member. So, if you have 200 members to get 100% it would be $1,000.00
There will be 100% and 125% goals and each level will have an award for councils making their goal
We will conduct a Fall and Spring appeal drive via mail to each individual Knight in case some brothers wish to donate more.
Councils may raise the money any way they wish- either members paying it or hosting Baby Bottle Campaigns
All monies collected through this program will stay in the State of Missouri
Use your bulletin for reminders for people to pray for the end of abortion
Address questions to John “Rocky” Gambon Life Director @ 417-830-6389
Make your check payable to “Columbian Charities” and contact Greg Elsey for mailing instructions meetlife@mokofc.org. Be sure to mention what Council, Assembly or Auxiliary the monies are coming from and designate funds go to the Meet Life Campaign
If you have any questions or need help with your campaign, please contact Meet Life Chairman Greg Elsey at 417-861-1444 or meetlife@mokofc.org.

Statements from Meet Life Pregnancy Help Center Directors for Motivation!

“We have been incredibly blessed by the most recent Meet Life Campaign. This Campaign has been so effective in reaching the abortion-minded women and getting them in our clinic door”
– Sony Ride, Executive Director, Parkville Women’s Center

“The research-based website you put together for us has really increased the number of abor- tion-minded calls. We’ve seen a great increase in the number of abortion-minded clients that are texting, calling and emailing”
– Gary Smith, Executive Director, Hand ‘N Hand in Barnhart

Roses for Life Weekend January 7-8th 2023

Looking for another way to help the Abortion Issue? Join the Knights in the Roses for Life Program. Order your Roses and have the Parishioner sign the label and have them keep the Rose.

Rose Ordering:

Orders for Roses need to be submitted to your DD by September 15^th,2022.
NO ORDERS ACCEPTED AFTER OCTOBER 1ST
All orders must be in multiples of 100.
Roses can be ordered with or without the KofC emblem.
Roses must be paid for at time of ordering with check accompanying order form
Late orders (after SEP 15) add $35 for shipping!
Make check payable to: MISSOURI STATE COUNCIL KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.
Roses will be distributed at the December State Meeting to your District Deputy.
Roses for Life Order Form 2022

Special Olympics

Whose Mission is . . .
to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.

Since 1968, Special Olympics has grown to be recognized as the leader in supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities- creating Unified activities for family participation, hosting Young Athlete Programs to get athletes ages 2-7 introduced to sports, teaching public speaking and job skills training through its Athlete Leadership Program, and serving as the world’s largest public health organization for individuals with intellectual disabilities through its Healthy Athlete Program. The competition begins locally, and extends to Area, District, Regional and State every year. Every 4 years there are USA Games and World Games.

Statewide Sponsor of SOMO Commitment
Every year the Missouri Knights of Columbus have a $75,000 annual commitment to serve as an Official Statewide Sponsor of SOMO – this goes to fund SOMO’s Indoor, Summer and Outdoor State Games. Councils are recognized for their volunteer hours and donations by being designated a Gold, Silver or Bronze level supporter.

Please remember that your council can designate its turnaround funds from your Persons with Developmental Disabilities Drive (3D Tootsie Roll Drive) to go directly to Special Olympics Missouri.

Supreme Offer:
The Supreme Council is offering each state a chance to receive matching funds that will be given based on the money and volunteer time donated by that particular jurisdiction. It is measured by filling out Form 10784 Fraternal Program Reports Form for your council’s support of Special Olympics. Please complete and return the Form 10784 indicating your support for Special Olympics even if your council did not support SOMO this year! This form is given to every council and can also be filled out online at .This matching money will give us additional funds we can use to support SOMO.

Special Olympics Medal Awards
The top three Councils who financially contribute the most to SOMO/TLC (per member) will be recognized at the State Convention through receipt of a Gold, Silver or Bronze Olympic Medal award. If you would like to have a check presentation with SOMO Athletes in your area, please contact Chairman John Clarke, somo@mokofc.org, and he can assist in coordinating to have them at your meeting. This is an excellent opportunity to show your community where and how your Tootsie Roll funds are used. Use this link to donate – https://somo.org/kofctlc

“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
– Athlete Oath
For more information please contact:
John Clarke, Special Olympics Chairman
(D & N) 417-880-4292
somo@mokofc.org

For information on donations to Special Olympics please contact:
Jerry Herbert, Columbian Charities Treasurer
D&N 314-650-7617
herbert@mokofc.org

State Sympathy Card Program

State Sympathy Card

Remembering the Brother Knights that have died is very important to the State Council. By filling out the form stored in the Life Forms link below (Download to edit directly) and sending it to the Sympathy Card Chairman, a sympathy card signed by the State Deputy and the State Chaplain will be sent to the family.

Be aware that by sending in the deceased Knights information on the Form #100 to Supreme Council will not be passed on to the State Council. So please remember to send the information to us as well.

Also, if you would like to place his name on the memorial board that is at all of the state conventions and meetings, include a check made out to Columbian Charities and include it with this request. The monies donated for the memorial board fund the Msgr. Mancuso Catholic Education fund.

Sympathy Card Order Form

Mike Deamos
D&N: 816-405-7418
mdeamos@hotmail.com

Marian Icon Prayer, Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians

Remembering the Brother Knights that have died is very important to the State Council. By filling out the form below and sending it to the Sympathy Card Chairman, a sympathy card signed by the State Deputy and the State Chaplain will be sent to the family. Be aware that by sending in the deceased Knights information on the Form #100 to Supreme Council will not be passed on to the State Council by the Supreme Council. So please remember to send the information to us as well. Also, if you would like to place his name on the memorial board that is at all of the state conventions and meetings, include a check made out to Columbian Charities and include it with this request. The monies donated for the memori- al board fund the Msgr. Mancuso Catholic Education fund.

Please duplicate as needed or submit information online at the mokofc.org website

Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose Run - One Life, One Rose

The Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose has been a Knights of Columbus tradition for 58 years. In 1960, groups of Columbian Squires in Mexico, Canada and the United States decided to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe by carrying a rose across North America from Canada to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Mexico. In 2001 Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, at the 119th Supreme Council Meeting in Toronto, addressed the effort in culture of life terms, referring to the Our Lady of Guadalupe – One Life, One Rose Program. He urged that it be expanded to every North American jurisdiction.

In recent years the program has expanded to eight silver roses traveling the western, central, and eastern corridors of North America, with Knights of Columbus from Canada to Mexico carrying the roses from destination to destination, and finally to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Mexico.

Every stop along the route of the Silver Rose Pilgrimage is an occasion for prayer and spiritual renewal centered on the rosary. English, French and Spanish booklets containing recommended prayers, scripture readings and a litany accompany the Silver Rose. The Silver Rose for our area will start in September and leave in October.

Silver Rose Chairman Lou Raneri has the schedule and will be alerting the District Deputies on the dates and times that they will be having the Silver Rose available for Council events. Contact Louis Raineri by email at silverrose@mokofc.org

Marian Hour Devotion for Life

The Supreme Council would like every Council to hold a Marian Hour of Prayer Service for Life this year. Here are the suggested steps involved in setting one up. 1.) Contact your Council chaplain or pastor to schedule the prayer service. 2.) Pick a place to hold it (a church is preferred but you may use your Council hall or meeting area). 3.) Select a date and time that is convenient for the chaplain and for most members. 4.) Plan a companion event (a breakfast, picnic, banquet, membership drive etc.) to be held in conjunction with the service. 5.) Promote your event through your council newsletter, parish bulletin, diocesan newspaper, etc. 6.) After holding your prayer service, please make a report on the event and send it to Chairman Louis Raineri. The Supreme office has provided us with three icons, including Marian prayer books, that will help assist you. The icons are currently moving around Missouri now. Your District Deputy will be acquiring the icon and notifying each Council when they will have it available for a parish or Council service.

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