APRIL 16, 2008

Work an honor for Knights of Columbus Distinguished service allows some to assist with papal procession BY GARY SOULSMAN • THE NEWS JOURNAL •

The Secret Service is serious -- no swords for the papal Mass. Ralph Rossi of Marydel has passed that word to the 50 members of the Knights of Columbus color corps who'll be part of the Thursday service at Nationals Park. Keep the tuxedos, capes and chapeaus, but don't bring the ceremonial swords to the Washington procession, he told the men. With 46,000 standing for the start of the 10 a.m. Mass, Knights from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia will lead choir members, altar servers and Pope Benedict XVI onto the stage in center field. "Being in the papal procession is an honor offered to men who have distinguished themselves," said Rossi, a vice supreme master of the Catholic men's service organization. Knights of Columbus advance in rank from first to fourth degree through their volunteer work. Of the 27,000 fourth-degree Knights in the mid-Atlantic, 1,100 volunteered to assist with the Mass wearing their distinctive dress, Rossi said. That white-gloved look is modeled on the dress of 19th century naval officers and reflects how Columbus, the patron of the Knights, might have dressed if he'd lived in the 19th century. Leading a procession is a way that Knights show their commitment to being the church's right arm, Rossi said. At the Washington Mass, those representing the 3,700 Delaware Knights will be N. Joseph Hunter of Dover, Tom Boscher of Smyrna, Dr. Herbert T. Casalena of Wilmington, John Raughley of Claymont, David Brown of Clayton, and Rossi. On Tuesday, Rossi, 51, drove to Washington for rehearsals. "It's so rare to be in the presence of the pope and for us there is a huge amount of excitement," Rossi said. But it's not just the world's 1.7 million Knights who are devoted to the pope and his parishes. "In the next few days buses are coming to Washington and New York from around the country with people hoping to get a glimpse of the pope riding by," said Rossi. "That's the kind of impact he has. For Catholics, he's a representative of Christ on Earth." The Knights are a fraternal organization founded in Connecticut 126 years ago to foster charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. They first assisted each other, especially in the face of sickness and death. "We're also here for the community," said Patrick Korten, vice president for communications for the Knights of Columbus. "The first principle is charity, with the church, families and community." The men have been significant contributors to charities, including the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and The Wheelchair Foundation, Korten said. In 2006, the Knights of Columbus donated 64 million hours of volunteer time and raised almost $144 million for charity, said Korten, who describes the Knights today as the largest Catholic men's lay organization. He spoke from Andrews Air Force Base after the pope landed and said it was a thrill to have this pontiff on American soil for the first time. Contact Gary Soulsman at 324-2893 or [email protected].

The first visit to the United States by Pope Benedict XVI as Holy Father also marked a historic first for the Knights of Columbus. During Pope Benedict’s April 16 meeting with President Bush at the White House, 30 Fourth Degree Knights in full regalia provided an honor guard for the ceremony. It was the first time the Fourth Degree stood in formation for a pope and president at the White House. “We take this, first and foremost, as a supreme honor to be here for this historic event,” said Joseph P. Schultz, supreme master of the Fourth Degree. “We are greatly honored that we would be chosen for such an honor, and I think it’s a sign of the high regard that is given to the Knights of Columbus as a whole.” The White House ceremony took place in the Rose Garden. The Fourth Degree also is scheduled to take part at the Masses in Washington’s Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium in New York, as well as at the pope’s departure ceremony at John F. Kennedy International Airport. “This is an event that all our Sir Knights will remember for the rest of their lives. Many had tears in their eyes," said Vice Supreme Master Ralph Rossi, who headed the honor guard. “We were representing the entire Order of Knights in this historic event. Being on the White House lawn, so close to the president of the United States and our Holy Father, we were totally overwhelmed with emotions. We were in awe.” Rossi is organizing the Fourth Degree’s activities for the pope’s visit in the nation’s capital, and Masters Martin Loughlin and Marvin Dalton are handling arrangements in New York. Rossi said that the 30 Sir Knights at the White House represented the entire Order and the Catholic Church. “I have told my men that we are representing not only the 1.7 million Knights and their families throughout the world, but also the 68 million Catholics in the United States and the 1 billion Catholics in the world, since people will be watching this ceremony all over the world,” Rossi explained. “Any Knight who sees the Fourth Degree honor guard on TV will know that he is being represented. People all over the world will be able to see who we are and what we are, that we are Knights of Columbus.” Rossi was enlisted in the U.S. National Guard for 41 years, retiring two years ago with the rank of sergeant major. He will draw on his military training as he prepares the honor guard for its most important assignment. He said that at the White House, the Sir Knights will march in three rows of 10, with six different colored capes displayed. No ceremonial swords will be carried at any of the papal events. At Nationals Stadium on April 17, an honor guard of 50 Sir Knights will lead the liturgical procession at the beginning and the end of Mass. At Yankee Stadium on April 20, as many as 165 Fourth Degree members will accompany priests and deacons as they distribute Communion to the thousands attending. Later that day, a contingent of 50 Sir Knights will serve as honor guard as the Holy Father departs from JFK Airport. “This is a unique opportunity to show the world what the Knights are about,” said Supreme Master Schultz.

Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates Mass in Washington, D.C. More than 40,000 people attended Pope Benedict’s Mass at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on April 17. The Pope is on his first papal visit to the United States.

Jack Raughley (right) of Claymont and other Fourth-Degree Knights of Columbus await the arrival of Pope Benedict last Thursday at Nationals Park. The Knights, including six from the Diocese of Wilmington, led the procession of laity, priests and bishops into the stadium.

April 24, 2008 The Dialog