'Celebrate Life' Mass and Dinner One of Many Initiatives

Contact: Andrew Walther, 203-824-5412, andrew.walther@kofc.org; Matthew St. John, 203-584-6129, matthew.stjohn@kofc.org; both with Knights of Columbus

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 8, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Knights of Columbus Naperville Council 1369 in Naperville, Ill., was honored for its pro-life activities and participation in the organization's Ultrasound Initiative.

The council was awarded the 2013 International Culture of Life Activity Award at the 131st annual international convention of the Knights of Columbus held in San Antonio this week.

The council supports both the Waterleaf Women's Center and the Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Hope and Healing.  The Waterleaf Center was the recent recipient of an ultrasound machine purchased through the Knights’ Ultrasound Initiative, which helps purchase ultrasound machines for pregnancy centers.

One of the main ways the Naperville council provides financial support to the two centers is through its annual Celebrate Life Banquet.  This year's banquet was the work of 45 Knights, who spent nearly 3,000 hours planning the event, which raised more than $20,000 in much-needed funding for these worthy organizations.

Preceded by Mass, the event was attended by nearly 350 pro-life supporters and featured a Fourth Degree honor guard and presentations by several prominent Knights and others, including the state chaplain, state deputy, and Relevant Radio host Drew Mariani. 

The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by Father Michael McGivney, a parish priest in New Haven, Conn. With charity as its central commitment, the organization has grown to 1.8 million members worldwide. During the past year, Knights donated more than $167.5 million and more than 70 million hours of service to charitable causes.