Evangelization & Faith Formation Director / Cor Missions
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Evangelization & Faith FormationAs Knights of Columbus, we defend the dignity of each human being at every stage of life. We work together to build a culture of life and a civilization of love. Your council should stand ready to assist pregnant woman in need, care for the elderly, aid the handicapped, empower those with special needs to realize their full potential, and bring attention to the injustices of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia and assisted suicide.
While the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022, marked the end of Roe v. Wade, it was not the end of abortion in the United States, and that is especially true in New Jersey. It is also not the end of the pro-life movement’s work, nor the Knight’s work in defending life.
Through the Aid and Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) program, for every $500 a council donates to a qualifying pregnancy resource center or maternity home (up to $2,000), the Supreme Council will donate an additional $100. That is a great return on your investment. Please use this program to support your local pregnancy center or maternity home. Roses for Life and the Baby Bottle Boomerang are excellent programs to raise the funds for these organizations.
In addition to the respect life programs, councils can also support the intellectually disabled, Special Olympics, persecuted Christians, and Deborah Hospital.
Review the recommended Life Programs that follow to find out what your council can do. These are suggested programs from Supreme Council and our State Council, and councils can create their own Life Programs. Supreme has 4 Featured Life Programs. If a council completes any one of these programs, it will count as 2 programs towards the 4 Life Program goal for a council.
As State Deputy Ray Sands motto says, do everything Pro Fide Et Utilitate Hominum (For the Faith and Benefit of All). -
Heart Speaks to HeartCor exists to form and strengthen Catholic men in faith and virtue as missionary disciples by drawing them into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, formation, and fraternity.
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Information on Cor
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Information on How to Get Started
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Evangelization & Faith Formation
Brothers,
Supreme has recently come out with a new mission opportunity for us. Actually, it is a mission we as baptized Catholics all have and are responsible for. It is one of the missions Fr. McGivney established when he founded the Order. Fr. McGivney was concerned not only about the financial status of widows and children, and the lack of employment of fathers due to discrimination they received when they applied for jobs, but also for his congregation’s faith as they were tempted from all sides to turn from the faith of their fathers. We as knights have always taken our Faith seriously by living it through the love and charity we bring to others. But Fr. McGivney was also concerned with our ability to share the faith we love with others. I think we can all agree that we do not live in a Christian culture or society! Who of us can look around the world, country, or our community and not notice the prevalence of immorality, the lack of respect for life, and the constant threats imposed upon the traditional family structure? As in Fr. McGivney’s time, our Faith is being threatened from all sides. In addition to this, we have many Catholic men who have received their sacraments and have been catechized, but not evangelized. How many men in our parishes truly believe Jesus is present in the Eucharist and is ready to proclaim that to others? How many men know how to share the Faith that is in their hearts with others? Today, young men are looking for Faith-centered approach to membership in the Knights of Columbus. They are looking for content and fraternity that will help them grow in faith and become better men, husbands, and fathers. Supreme has provided us the tools to support Catholic men, both members and non-members, to grow in their Faith, to become active Disciples of Christ, and to evangelize the Faith in both word and deed. It is called the Evangelization and Faith Formation initiative and the Cor Meeting. The Evangelization and Faith Formation initiative and the Cor Meeting enables us to fulfill Blessed Michael McGivney’s vision and meet the needs of Catholic men, young and old.
“It was Father McGivney’s purpose in instituting the Knights of Columbus, to keep the young men of his parish within the household of the faith, to preserve them from the taint of infidelity…. It was his aim to surround his protégés with an atmosphere of religion and to bring them into even closer relationship to Mother Church.”
- Fr. O’Donnell’s Address
Monday, June 11, 1900
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Options for Her Open House in Cherry HillLife Programs -
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NJ Knights & COR: Heart Speaks to HeartBrother Knights,
COR: Heart Speaks to Heart
Christ calls us to gather in his name, preach the gospel, and give witness to our faith. Saint John Paul II referred to it as the “new evangelization.”
“To this end, it is more necessary than ever for all the faithful to move from a faith of habit, sustained perhaps by social context alone, to a conscious and personally lived faith. The renewal of faith will always be the best way to lead others to the Truth that is Christ” (Bl. John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, no. 73).
Supreme has created an opportunity called Cor – Latin for Heart.
Cor seeks to form and strengthen Catholic men in faith and virtue, establish Christ–centered friendships and have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, formation, and fraternity. The Cor gathering is open to all Catholic men. We have two faith-filled brother Knights to lead us on this pathway: John Tirado, COR Director, and James Vargas, Evangelization and Formation Director, who report directly to me.
The program has a drop-down tab on our website at;
https://njkofc.com/new-jersey-cor-team
We have all the available materials here for your reference and knowledge. I ask that you familiarize yourself with Cor. You may have been looking to get involved but didn’t know where to go.
Brothers John and Jim will attend our Diocese Grand Knights Membership Training meetings in late September and early October. They will answer any questions and help you establish your program. Please visit with them and thank and congratulate them for taking on their roles in these most important initiatives.
NJ State Council, Knights of Columbus
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