Brother Knights,

We should not forget what has brought us together as Knights; as we are the defenders of the Catholic Church. Therefore, each of us has the responsibility to act individually and as a group to protect the “culture of life” of our Church.

Let me remind you that in his 1995 Encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, St. John Paul II called on all Catholic faithful to bear witness to the Gospel of Life and to build the “civilization of life and love”. In keeping with this mission and our Order’s Catholic principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus stands strong in its conviction that every human life is a gift of God, endowed with certain inalienable rights—the first among these being the right to life. Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, we believe that human life is sacred and inviolable, and ought to be defended with maximum determination.

Please understand that your efforts are bearing fruit. The pro-life movement is advancing on many fronts. Last week we witnessed the decision Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The U.S. Supreme Court also upheld freedom of speech for pro-life Americans in a June 26 decision in the case of McCullen v. Coakley. The Court unanimously declared unconstitutional a Massachusetts law barring pro-life advocates from public sidewalks near abortion facilities. Of course we need to advance on the legislative front and that is where you are so important in the movement to advance the “culture of life”.

These victories are not enough! Each of us has the responsibility to write to our elected representatives on the state and federal level and to make it known how we feel. As a Knight, you should encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Let us stand together in this mission of nurturing a culture of life. I leave you with this prayer:

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never to stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected, and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all, through Christ our Lord.
Amen!

God Bless.
Hector Garcia
Culture of Life Director