General Programs Director

Brothers All,

As the General Program Director for North Carolina, I am always interested in what we have accomplish on an ongoing basis. I am proud to say that last year the Order set a record level of charitable activity. With a total of more than $175 million in donations and over 73.5 million hours of volunteer service ,you can positively say that we do make a difference. I firmly believe that through the Building the Domestic Church initiative, it provides us with the ability to do exactly this type of charitable work by providing concrete ways in which all of us can reach out and give our families and our parishes the tools necessary to bring one another closer to God.

It is a well-known fact that when we bring new men into the Order, we give them the opportunity to become better Catholics and better men. Last year our membership grew for the 44th consecutive year to a record high of 1,918,122 brother Knights. I ask each of you to take to heart our responsibility as leaders of the most important Catholic men’s organization in the world to continue to ask men of our church to join our organization. Remember what we do in our families and parishes will change the history of the Catholic Church and as the strong right arm of the Catholic Church, we must also show that we are the strong right arm of our parish church.

Please remember the Supreme Council has launched an online donation drive to assist with local relief operations for those affected by the floods in Southern Louisiana. Knights and their families have already responded generously and so far the Order has donated more than $260,000 to assist with relief work and supplies. However, the people of Louisiana face a long, hard recovery. Your continued support can make a vital difference in healing the lives of those affected. Contributions can be made online or sent via check or money order. For additional information, visit kofc.org/flood.

For those who might not remember, the Knights of Columbus launched its Ultrasound Initiative on Jan. 22, 2009, the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States. Since that day, councils have funded more than 700 ultrasound machines in centers across the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Guatemala and Peru. In honor of the canonization of Mother Teresa, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson has asked that councils work to fund 1,000 ultrasound machines. It is a known fact that once a mother considering an abortion hears her baby’s heartbeat, the percentage of those that continue with the abortion falls dramatically. I am positive that the pro-life spirit of Mother Teresa and her dedication to helping the poorest of the poor will help our order to obtain this goal.

Again I remind you that there is now a new requirement for the Council to receive the Columbian Award from Supreme. Councils must now conduct at least four (4) Surge with Service activities that are also designated as domestic church programs. Currently these programs include; Journey to the Inn, Father’s Day Affirmation of Wedding Vows, Consecration to the Holy Family The Family Fully Alive, Diocesan-Wide Holy Family Celebrations, Food for Families, Keep Christ in Christmas, Into the Breach Spiritual Formation Groups, 5th Sunday Rosary Program and conducting some Family Week Celebrations. For clarification and answers on this issue please contact your District Deputy and plan accordingly.

I ask that you continue to do the great work that is currently going on in your Councils and please submit your best program under each of the different programs for this reporting period. All submittals for Church, Council, Community, Culture of Life, LAMB, Family, Membership and Youth are due October 31. The forms for submitting these programs is located on the State web page (www.kofcnc.org) under Council Service Award which is located along the left hand side of the home page. This form has changed so please utilize the new form as it allows for you to complete the submittal in a much more efficient manner. If you have any questions please contact your District Deputy or myself at any time.

Vivat Jesus

Paul Spire GPD

#October2016