| 1. |
Created
the $20 million "Knights of Columbus Vicarius Christi"
fund—the earnings on which are conveyed annually to the
Holy Father for his charities. Since its inception this fund
has generated more than $20 million for the Pope's good works,
and the corpus remains intact. |
| 2. |
Committed
$7.9 million to the U.S. Bishops' Pro-Life educational campaign
since 1990, and budgeted an additional $1 million for the production
of pro-life materials, to overturn the pro-abortion mentality
and defend the right to life. |
| 3. |
Bring
the Pope to the world at least three times a 52 year by providing
the uplink cost for the televising of papal ceremonies, especially
at Christmas and during Holy Week—and the downlink in poor
mission countries. |
| 4. |
Presented
a new mobile television production unit to the Vatican Television
Center for the taping, recording and transmission of Vatican
ceremonies at a cost of $600,000. |
| 5. |
Established
the $2 million Count Enrico Galeazzi Fund for the Pontifical
North American College for the benefit of the College and for
U.S. Bishop— and priest—students there; the Bishop
Charles P. Greco Fund for the American College in Louvain, Belgium,
and the Father McGivney Fund for the Pontifical Canadian College,
the Father McGivney Fund for the Collegio Pontificio Filipino,
the Our Lady of Guadalupe Fund for the Pontifical Mexican College,
and the Father McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests
in Puerto Rico. |
| 6. |
Underwrote
completely the renovation of the entire facade of St. Peter's
Basilica in Rome, the most famous church in the world, the statues
of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Peter's Square, and the historic
Rooms of the Architects in the Basilica proper. |
| 7. |
Raised
$1 million for the Bishop de Laval Fund, earnings on which annually
support the work of ~ the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. |
| 8. |
Contributed,
since 1981, nearly $11.3 million to thousands of seminarians
and postulants through the Refund Support Vocations Program,
generating $2.2 million in rebates from the Supreme Council
to participating councils, assemblies and circles.
Also established the $6 million Knights of Columbus Vocations
Scholarship Fund, with earnings on $3 million funding the RSVP
rebates, and earnings on $3 million providing annual $2,500
scholarships based on need to seminarians in theology. |
| 9. |
Erected
the Knight's Tower and carillon of bells at the Basilica of
the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, completely
renovated it recently, and raised a $500,000 memorial fund in
honor of Past Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart to promote Marian
devotion at the Shrine and to preserve the Shrine in perpetuity. |
| 10. |
Provide
the entire budget of the Natural Family Planning offices of
the U.S. and Canadian Bishops, and assist the NFP office of
the Mexican Bishops. |
| 11. |
Created
the Father Michael J. McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives
in Catholic Education in the amount of $1 million, annual interest
on which funds projects designed to improve religious education
in the U.S. and Canada. |
| 12. |
Last
year alone, raised and distributed $94 million and contributed
43.3 million volunteer-hours in service to Church, community,
youth, and fellowman through the "Surge . . . with Service"
outreach program. |
| 13. |
Sponsor
the Pope John XXIII Center's seminars for the Bishops of the
U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the Philippines
on vital life-death issues. |
| 14. |
Underwrite,
through an annual assessment of 80¢ per member, the Order's
Catholic Advertising Program, which provides free information
on the Catholic faith to interested inquirers—more than
8 million responses end more than750,000enrollees in correspondence
courses through the years. |
| 15. |
Have
distributed millions of special Knights of Columbus rosaries
at the rate of some 10,000 per month, especially to new members,
and now to former members who are readmitted. |
| 16. |
Support
a multimillion dollar Student Loan Program for members and their
children pursuing higher education, with all seminarians eligible. |
| 17. |
Provide
support for such varied apostolates as the Eternal Word Television
Network; the National Clergy Conference on Alcoholism; Morality
in Media; the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities;
the National Apostolate with Mentally Retarded Persons. |
| 18. |
Make
available to dioceses and religious institutions a mortgage
loan program at favorable interest rates. Over the last 15 years
$233.4 million were provided to 259 entities, mostly local parishes. |
| 19. |
Renovated
St. Mary's Church in New Haven, the birthplace of the Order,
and entombed the remains of the founder, Rev. Michael J. McGivney,
therein on March 29,1982. Completed the 110-year-old construction
plan of the church by erecting a 179 foot steeple, including
a carillon of three bronze bells, atop St. Mary's. |
| 20. |
Support
the spiritual welfare of armed services personnel and their
families around the globe through a $900,000 fund for the Archdiocese
for Military Services. |
| 21. |
Sponsor
daily Mass for deceased Brother Knights at St. Mary's Church
in New Haven and enable widows of Knights to receive COLUMBIA
magazine each month. |
| 22. |
Paid
$65 million in death benefits to the families of deceased Brother
Knights during 1994 and allocated $145 million in dividends
to insurance members. |
| 23. |
Established
a North American campus of the Lateran University's Pope John
Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington,
D.C. |
