At the Triune Council 2052 Christmas Party, held at Toner Hall in St. Margaret’s Church in Pearl River: (L to R) Chet Nawoichyk (the Fisher Foundation), Liz O’Brien (Rockland RTL), Peg Beirne (Rockland Catholic Coalition), Ellen Traina (Birthright), Pete Noonan (COPS Barn), Dee DeFelice (Financial Secretary), Kevin McGovern (COPS Barn), Msg. John J. O’Keefe (pastor of St. Margaret’s) John Rio (Grand Knight), Joe Jacobs (Divine Providence), Nannette Morris (Good Counsel) and Bill Palino (Rockland Sister Cities Project). Photo by Frank Traina.

Demonstrating what it really means to be prolife, the Triune and McCloskey Councils of the Knights of Columbus made generous Christmas donations to several local and international charities and nonprofit groups, including the Rockland Right to Life Committee.

The gifts were presented at the councils’ annual Christmas parties, which were both held the same night, December 15.

Other recipients at the Triune Council party were: The Rockland County Catholic Coalition, St. Margaret’s, St. Aedan’s, and St. Anthony’s churches, Birthright, COPS Barn (provides therapeutic horseback riding for special needs children), Good Counsel Homes, Fisher House Foundation (provides nearby free or low-cost housing for families of military personnel receiving hospital treatment), the Little Servants of Divine Providence (serves the disabled, homeless, and needy in Kerala, India), The Rockland Sister Cities Project (helps the impoverished children in Nicaragua), and the Salesian Missions.

Grand Knight Stephen Duschaneck and PGK Arthur Saladino present a Christmas donation to the Sisters of LIfe on behalf of the Knights of Columbus McCloskey Council. Photo courtesy of McCloskey Council 4565.

At the McCloskey Council party, gifts were given to the Sisters of Life, Birthright, Good Counsel Homes, Jawonio (provides assistance to people of all ages with developmental disabilites, mental illness, and chronic medical conditions), and Camp Venture (provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities), and St. Francis Church. Two seminarians at Dunwoodie — Tom Colucci, a parishioner at St. Francis, and Christian Amah– were also presented with donations to support their studies by Grand Knight Steve Duschaneck.

Guest blogger Sean Miller

Even in this holy season, the world can seem shrouded in darkness and turmoil. To those who are dealing with the upheaval of an unexpected pregnancy and to all who question whether God understands what we’re going through, guest blogger Sean Miller offers this Christmas meditation. 

Does God Know?

Year after year, as we gaze on the nativity scene at Christmas time, it fills us with joy and warmth.

We imagine how it must have been – the silent, holy night, the newborn King asleep in heavenly peace in the arms of his beautiful Mother. But is that the way it really was?

I don’t think so. From what Scripture tells us, for Mary and Joseph the time surrounding the birth of their Son was tumultuous and filled with confusion, uncertainty, and danger. Continue reading →

Guest blogger Sean Miller

It’s not how successful we are in our careers, the amount of cash we accumulate in our bank accounts, or how popular we are. What matters is how much we love and are loved, says guest blogger Sean Miller. And that’s the theme of that beloved Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

It’s A Wonderful Life

The movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” is shown on TV every year, right around Christmas time.

The main character, George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, is down on his luck, filled with despair, and on the verge of committing suicide. Bitterly, he tells his “guardian angel” he wishes he’d never been born.

The angel decides to grant him his wish. And he shows George what the world would have been like without him, if he never existed.

And through the alternate world the angel presents, George comes to realize how much he has impacted others by the love he has shown them – and how the lives of his loved ones, friends, and entire community would have been so sadly diminished if he hadn’t been there. Continue reading →

Lillian Dobson, Msgr. James Cox, former Vicar of Rockland County, Karin Lancellotti, Executive Director of Birthright of Rockland County, Eileen Francis, Secretary of Birthright, and Cathy Baker at the 40th anniversary gala luncheon.

Lillian Dobson and Cathy Baker, the founders of Birthright of Rockland County, were honored at a gala luncheon celebrating the crisis pregnancy center’s 40th anniversary at the Clubhouse at Patriot Hills in Stony Point on Saturday.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, was the guest speaker. Other guests included over 200 friends, benefactors, clergy, and volunteers – past and present — of the organization in Rockland as well as representatives of Birthright chapters throughout the state of New York. Continue reading →

You’ve got to listen to this — a prolife ballad from beginning to end. A baby about to be born is scared and wonders if it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just stay with God. But God tells him there’s “somebody down there waiting for you.”  And watch the audience reactions!