A History of
Council 4022
from the 50th
anniversary brochure of the
Knights of Columbus, Maria-Joseph Council
4022.
COUNCIL 4022 PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES
| Since the Roe-vs-Wade Supreme Court decision, Maria-Joseph Council members have partaken in various Pro--Life activities. These activities include: the annual March for Life in Washington, D. C., the annual Good Friday prayer vigil at the Kettering abortion center, the annual Dayton-area Life Chain on Respect Life Sunday, and our council's annual Pro-Life Rosary, recited at the Kettering abortion center on the first Saturday of October. On March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation, we recite a Pro-life Rosary, followed by Mass in our council chambers. | Our council has made financial contributions to the University of Dayton Students for Life, to the Seminarians for Life, and to a crisis pregnancy center in the local area and to pregnancy support centers in Far Eastern Russia (which one of our members and his wife helped to found). At our January TGIF supper, instead of a monetary admission, members bring baby clothes, baby food, diapers and other baby items which are given to our local crisis pregnancy centers. |
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| Our members have taken part in several letter-writing campaigns to national legislators urging them to pass the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and other Pro-Life and ProFamily legislation. | In April 1990, Grand Knight Dennis Bristow wrote a letter on behalf of all the members of our council to our state representative in favor of a Woman's Right to Know Bill requiring that, before a woman makes a decision regarding abortion, she must have all the facts regarding abortion, including all the options that are open to her. This law is now in effect in Ohio. In April 1990, Grand Knight Bristow also wrote a letter on behalf of all the members of our council to our Congressman Tony Hall, thanking him for his continued Pro-Life voting record and urging him to vote against Title 10 funds for Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading promoter of abortion. In October 1990, Grand Knight Ricardo Acevedo wrote a letter on behalf of all council members to Pope John Paul II, thanking him for his courageous stand for life and the family at the United Nations Conference in Cairo that year, and assuring him of our continued prayers for his pontifical ministry and good health. |
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| In 1998, a talented member of our council, John Leen, drew a beautiful picture of Our Lady depicting her as a pregnant Mother. This drawing was reduced for use on a prayer card. On the reverse side of the card is an inspirational prayer, "Mother of the Unborn", composed by Father Benedict O'Cinnsealaigh, who was an assistant pastor at St. Albert's at the time. The printing and distribution of the cards and limited edition prints of the artwork was sponsored by Council 4022. While John was in Washington, D.C. that year for the March for Life, he had the pleasure of presenting Congressman Tony Hall with a portfolio, which included a limited edition print, some prayer cards, and several newspaper articles which had been published about the cards and prints. | Our monthly newsletter contains a pro-life column, which
not only reports on past and upcoming Pro-Life events, but also provides
summaries and examples of the Church's teachings on abortion,
contraception, euthanasia, cloning, and embryonic stem cell research. It
reports on abstinence, speakers at local high schools, promotes natural
family planning and gives the schedule for local NFP classes. At election
times, the Church's Pro-Life voting guidance is quoted. As this report is
submitted, our newsletter is reporting on the situation regarding Terri
Schiavo in Florida. George Riess, |