October 14, 2019 // Diocese

Around the Diocese: October 13, 2019

Indiana Knights councils launch fall membership drive

CROWN POINT — Throughout the month of October, Knights of Columbus councils are conducting recruitment drives. Local councils are reaching out to parish communities to enlist good Catholic men who are looking to live out their faith and become great Catholic men through acts of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.

Councils throughout the state are looking to expand their membership by hosting membership drives and open houses at their home parishes. Clergy are assisting in the Knights’ efforts by delivering announcements to their congregations about the vast portfolio of charitable work the Knights conduct. Candidates can apply for membership at both types of events.

The Supreme Council, which oversees the entire organization throughout the world, also recently launched an online initiative to attract potential members. Requirements are that candidates be: male, age 18 or older; and practicing Catholic, meaning that the candidate accepts, lives by and adheres to the teachings of the Church.

Those wishing to learn more about joining the Knights are encouraged to get in touch with a local council’s membership director or go online to www.kofc.org/joinus.

With almost 2 million members, the Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic lay organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Church, the community, families and young people. In 2018, the Knights of Columbus at all levels of the organization raised and distributed $185.7 million to charity and rendered 76.7 million hours of volunteer service.

St. Matthew Cathedral School students view relief Stations of the Cross at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne, Oct. 3. The South Bend seventh graders were led by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades on a tour of the Archbishop Noll Catholic Center and the cathedral. The field trip also included a tour of the University of Saint Francis. — Nate Proulx

USF lecture: ‘The God of the Atheists and the God of Science’

FORT WAYNE — The question of whether faith and science are compatible will be explored in a lecture by University of Saint Francis professor Dr. Alex Giltner.

“The God of the Atheists and the God of Science,” will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 in the Parkview Physicians Group Auditorium, Room 226 of Achatz Hall of Science and John and Toni Murray Research Center, 2701 Spring St. The free event is sponsored by the USF Department of Philosophy and Theology and the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Giltner will explore the following: Does science disprove the existence of God? Has faith been eclipsed in the modern world? Are believers hanging on to a bygone superstition?
In his lecture, he will demonstrate that “far from being combatants, faith and science are actually rather comfortable bedfellows, and when atheists claim science disproves the existence of God, they are making a claim that takes just as much faith as any believer, if not more.”

For more information, contact Angie Springer at 260-399-8066 or [email protected].

Father David Huneck, a chaplain at Bishop Dwenger High School, leads players of the two Fort Wayne Catholic high schools — Bishop Dwenger and Bishop Luers — in prayer after they engaged in an annual rivalry game Friday, Oct. 4. The Bishop Dwenger Saints were victorious at their home stadium, Shields Field. — John Martin

Deacon Jim Kitchens and Father Thomas Zehr, parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Wayne, blessed animals on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4. In observance of an annual tradition, parents, grandparents and students of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, as well as parishioners, brought their pets to receive a blessing. — Provided by Lois Widner

FOCUS partners with 14 new campus ministries

DENVER — For the 2019-20 academic year, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students is partnering with 14 new campus ministries at schools across the country, including the University of Illinois at Chicago, Texas A&M University at Kingsville and the U.S. Air Force Academy. FOCUS also is adding another international location at the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany, making a total of five international FOCUS programs across Germany, Austria, England and Ireland.

More than 730 missionaries will serve on 164 campuses this year, along with eight parish locations. Through Bible studies, outreach events, mission trips and discipleship, missionaries inspire and build up others in the faith, sending them forth to live out lifelong Catholic missions in their families, friendships, workplaces, parishes and communities.

At college campuses, FOCUS missionaries work alongside the schools’ Catholic center staff as they encounter students on campus and welcome them into the existing Catholic student community. Missionaries encourage students to deepen their faith by participating in the sacraments and pursuing Christ more intentionally in their daily lives. For many students, their relationships with missionaries help them grow in virtue and make Christ-centered decisions on matters of faith, vocations, relationships and more.

Before bringing a team of missionaries to a new university, FOCUS leadership meets with the bishop of the local diocese and the campus chaplain to discuss the viability and sustainability of initiating a partnership.

More information about FOCUS’ campuses can be found at focusoncampus.org/find-my-campus.

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