Brother Knights,

As Knights it is up to us to lead others in promoting the culture of life, as Knights we must provide the foundations for the pro-life movement. These foundations are ultimately the Christian faith, whose interpreter is the Catholic Church.

In document after document, we have come to know that the culture of death must be converted to the culture of life. Otherwise human society will not survive.

Knowing this is an opportunity.  It’s an opportunity to remember that God put us here for a purpose. He’s asking us to turn our hearts to building the kind of world that embodies his love and honors the sanctity of the human children he created.

As knights, we must not be afraid to confront our society with the truth about life – about the beautiful gift that it is, how it cannot be taken for granted or taken away by whim.

Brother Knights we need to spread the word. With a unifying voice our local community must hear us say that life is beautiful because it is made in God’s image and likeness, it is precious because it comes from Him. It is not ours to manipulate, only to receive with gratitude, enhance what we can, and respect from beginning to end.

Our generosity in the face of the selfish individualism of our culture is a powerful way of proclaiming the Gospel of Life.

Take a moment and imagine what would happen if the Knights of Columbus were to be publicly identified with a vigorous pro-life movement.  Local priests would be encouraged to address the life issues forthrightly in their parishes. The laity would follow their newly identified leaders. The culture of life would be advanced immeasurably.

A culture of  life depends on each of us!  It depends on Catholics who deeply believe in eternal life, as it is us as Knights who heroically live out what we believe.

Brother Knights have you wonder why there is a massive anti-life movement throughout the world? Could it be that Catholics have not fully lived up to their God-given responsibility?

The world is made evil by human beings, but what gives life to this world, what gives this world a reason for living must be, provided by Catholics. Only we, have the full possession of revealed truth.  This failure to speak up has one result. We have legalized abortion around us, just minutes from our meeting place.

As Knights we need to live, believe, and promote eternal life. We need to reach out to the Catholic laity: those in married life, the single, even children, should be taught from infancy that they are made for eternal life and have explained to them the conditions for reaching eternal life after bodily death.

The faith of pro-life leaders must be a clear and not a confused faith. If we are to have a clear Catholic faith, we should, and start today, examining our consciences on what we are reading, listening to, and watching in the mass media. We must mortify our mind and imagination and not expose them to the rampart error that saturates our atmosphere. Otherwise, we can patiently listen to a conference on the pro-life movement, be an activist, and pro-life rescuers, but God bless you, you are not real leaders in the Catholic pro-life movement.

As Knights, we must zealously promote human life among those with we live. Notice the emphasis on promotion. This means being missionaries of eternal life. Let us be honest, the only people with whom we are going to live in eternity, joining us in the heaven for which we were made, are the people like us. The price of eternal life is the practice of charity. The highest charity we can practice on earth is to share our faith, faith in eternal life, with others.

We need to work to change the culture. That demands a lifelong commitment to education, Christian formation and, ultimately, conversion.  If we change one heart at a time, while we save one unborn life at a time, the day will come when we won’t need to worry about saving babies, because they’ll be surrounded by a loving and welcoming culture.

Your commitment to human life matters eternally. Some lives will only be lived because your voice made those lives possible So no matter how tired you get; no matter how hard the work becomes; no matter who praises you or who condemns you; the only thing that finally matters is this: Jesus Christ is Lord. He came to give us life and life abundantly. God is good; and he never abandons his people. And because of his love — and because of the witness of people like you — the future is ours. And the best is yet to come.

God bless
Hector Garcia
Pro-Life Director

Brother Knights,

Building a culture of life is of prime importance to all Catholics, especially members of the Knights of Columbus. We should not forget that we are the right arm of the Church, and we are constant defenders of the faith! To fulfill the mission of Christ we must speak the truth to all that will listen. We should start today and talk to family, friends and neighbors about how precious life is for all of us. It is in this way, as Knights, that we can fight for the end of legalized abortion and comfort those contemplating the unspeakable. More importantly, we need to strive to change the culture to make abortion the choice not made. We have the power in us to strengthen this culture as life is so precious and preferable to death!

But our efforts are not limited to the opposition to abortion. As knights we strive to promote the sanctity and protection of life from the first moment of conception until the final moment of natural death. The dying, sick, elderly and disabled are all worthy of the love of God and our efforts to help them maintain value and dignity in their lives. Take a moment to reflect on this and what we can do as Knights.

 First we must strengthen ourselves via individual and communal prayer: Mass, the Holy rosary and Eucharistic Adoration. At times we are working at the ‘gates of hell’, and we need to possess the graces to withstand the battle. We must recognize that as Knights we are involved in a cultural and spiritual warfare.

Secondly, we must reach out to those who feel that they are locked in to only one choice and show them the avenues which will help them and preserve the sanctity of life – adoption and pregnancy care centers. We should not remain silent, when we hear that fear and uncertainty may lead to an abortion. As Knights, we need to speak up.

 We also need to educate ourselves and others as to the reality of the culture of death- late term abortions, the morning after pill, other contraceptives.

 Lastly, we must act responsibly when it comes to opposing legislation which demeans life and the family. This includes supporting traditional marriage. We should not be supporting political candidates who openly and continually support a culture of death.

Many of our leaders are praising Planned Parenthood and same sex marriage while assaulting traditional family values and religious freedom. God has been removed from the equation. The soul of America has been tarnished. As Knights of Columbus it is our task to change the course of history so once again we become one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Hector Garcia
Pro-Life Director

The next 40 Days for Life campaign will be taking place from September 25 through November 3. For those of
you who are not familiar, 40 Days for Life is an organized national campaign of prayer, fasting, peaceful vigil,
and community outreach to end abortion. The most visible component of the campaign is a 40-day prayer vigil
outside abortion clinics across the country.
Here in Sacramento, 40 Days for Life vigils have been held in the past on the sidewalk in front of the abortion
business located at 1750 Wright Street. Many of you have prayed there in the past, both during the campaign
and on other occasions throughout the year. In the past, mothers about to enter the clinic to have abortions
have changed their minds and chosen life thanks to the prayers and compassion of those present outside!
Just recently, the owners of that property made clear their intentions to sell the building, forcing the clinic to
vacate by September 1. As you can see, our prayerful presence has clearly made a difference! Let us pray that
we may have the same impact at the clinic’s new location, which it appears will be in a building at the corner of
Ethan Way and Hallmark Drive.
For more information about 40 Days for Life, check the next issue of Council 953’s Knight Letter, or log on to
http://www.40daysforlife.com/sacramento

From June 27-29, the National Right to Life Convention was held in Dallas, TX. NRLC is the largest annual gathering of pro-life activists, who this year came together to hear over 100 speakers address topics such as abortion, stem cell research, and other life issues. This annual convention is an opportunity for people from all across the nation to come together and examine where efforts to defend life have been successful and learn how to become even more involved in political efforts to protect innocent life.“

Ironically, the convention opened a few short days after Texas state Senator Wendy Davis made national headlines by blocking a bill that would have placed restrictions on where abortion clinics are allowed to operate in Texas and banned abortions after 20 weeks, when science tells us that babies in the womb begin to feel pain. Senator Davis’ 13 hour filibuster – which took place amid angry mobs of protestors disrupting debate – effectively killed the bill, though Texas’ governor has called a special session to address the matter again. Nine other states have adopted a similar ban on abortions after 20 weeks.

Not surprisingly, this dominated discussion at the convention. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz – one of the keynote speakers – said that it was “unfortunate that we saw people using tactics to try to disrupt the legislative process and to stop elected representatives from voting their principles and from voting for a policy that is supported by a large majority of Texans.” Other speakers encouraged the activists gathered to contact members of the Texas legislature and urge them to support this legislation, which polls indicate has wide support throughout Texas.

The theme of this year’s NRLC was “40 Years of Roe vs. Wade is 40 Years Too Many.” Recent events such as the Texas abortion bill and the murder conviction of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell remind us that the fight to protect the unborn is far from over. In many ways, the fight is only growing stronger. NRLC President Carol Tobias spoke optimistically of the pro-life movement’s future:
“You, the grassroots pro-lifers, from all over the country, are amazing. Because of your efforts, unborn children WILL some day be protected by law, and protections will be restored for the elderly and disabled, whose lives are threatened by assisted suicide, euthanasia, and rationing of medical care.”
Let us pray that our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ will continue to guide and bless our efforts to protect the sanctity of life.

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Thus, you read the word of God, spoken to Jeremias: “Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee.” If God forms us in the womb, He also breathes on us as He did in the beginning: “And God formed man and breathed into him the breath of life.” Nor could God have known man in the womb unless he were a whole man. “And before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee.” Was it, then, a dead body at that stage? Surely it was not, for “God is the God of the living and not the dead.”

In our case, murder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the foetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man – killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in the seed.

Tertullian (c. 160 – 240)