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     Today we bring you the 77th person selected out of the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY. The voters chose Virgil C. Dechant, Supreme Knight of the Order since 1977 who has taken the Church's largest lay organization to new heights in fulfillment of what its founder Father Michael J. McGivney envisioned in 1882. Virgil oversees nearly 6 million family members and a vast insurance program whose track record in providing for others puts the major insurance companies to shame. For more on the 77th selection, click on VIRGIL C. DECHANT

77.    Virgil Dechant

      The voters chose as the 77th selection Virgil C. Dechant, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. His selection came from many Knights who have recognized his great contributions to the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world. This 69 year-old leader of the Knights is the twelfth Supreme Knight in their illustrious history that began in 1882 in the basement of St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut by Father Michael J. McGivney, a young 29 year-old Irish-American priest who saw the need for a solid Catholic fraternal organization to care for the needs of the men of the parish, but also the wives who had been widowed due to the hard working conditions of the times. Largely through Virgil's leadership, Fr. McGivney's cause for canonization has been introduced and begun by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Since Fr. McGivney died in August, 1890 he was not eligible for the Top 100 Catholics of the Century.

      From the heart of the heartland Virgil Dechant rose to the highest position in the largest lay organization in the Catholic Church. He was the fourth of twelve children born to Cornel and Ursula Dechant in Antonino, Kansas. While still a young boy the family moved a short ways to Liebenthal, Kansas where his father bought the general store there and ran that for several years. Coming from stout German roots, Virgil grew up in the harsh weather elements of the Kansas plains. The Catholic faith was instilled in him from an early age at St. Joseph's Church in Liebenthal where there was an impressive Catholic population. Just thirty some miles north is the great "Cathedral of the Plains" - St. Fidelis in Victoria, Kansas which rivals many of the great European edifices. But his parish was St. Joseph's in Liebenthal along the dusty County Road 44 off State 183 in a town of less than a couple hundred people and less than 75 families. But that family spirit prevailed for his parents sent him through the parochial school system at tightly-knit St. Joseph's under the steadying influence of the Precious Blood Sisters from Wichita. As was the case with many young men in those times, Virgil felt a possible calling to the priesthood and pursued it at the Pontifical Prep Josephinum Seminary in Worthington, Ohio for three years before realizing God had other plans for him. He returned to Liebenthal for his senior year at St. Joseph's Military Prep (which is now St. Thomas More High) and, after graduating in 1947, enrolled at Salt City Business College in Hutchinson, Kansas. After two years there, he took the First Degree Exemplification in Council 2340 on May 1, 1949 to officially become a Knight of Columbus. Two years later he was elected the Council's Grand Knight.

      The year 1951 was a pivotal year for Virgil for not only did he become Grand Knight, but on August 19, 1951 he married Ann Shaeffer, a young lady from La Crosse. Today Virgil and Ann, married for 48 years have four children: Thomas, born in 1952; Daniel, born two years later; Karen, born in 1959 and Robert, the youngest born in 1961.

      In 1952 Virgil's leadership skills manifested themselves in his being selected District Deputy, a position he would serve for five years. In 1953 he transferred to Council 2970 in La Crosse, Kansas at St. Michael's Church where he is still a member. In 1955 he became a Fourth Degree Knight and five years later was elected as State Deputy from 1960-62. It was in 1963 that Virgil was placed on the Board of Directors of Supreme Council which led to his becoming Supreme Master of the Fourth Degree and Assistant Supreme Secretary in 1966. The new appointment effected a move from deep in the center of Kansas to the east coast and residency in New Haven, Connecticut, headquarters for the Knights. A year later Virgil was made Supreme Secretary, a position he held under Supreme Knight John William McDevitt. In January 1977, upon McDevitt's retirement, the Board met and elected Virgil as Supreme Knight. For the past 22 years he has been unanimously re-elected by the Board each time his term was up. And why not? Under his leadership the Knights have mushroomed and flourished. There are now over 12,000 Councils in the United States with thousands in Canada as well as the Philippines, Saipan and Guam. During Virgil's term the Knights have expanded rapidly in Central America and the Caribbean.

      Besides being the leader of over 1.6 million members, which translates to 6 million with the families, this CEO for the non-profit Knights of Columbus organization takes on the additional responsibility of the safety, security and solvency of the Knights' insurance operation which currently boasts over thirty seven billion dollars in force - the cornerstone of the organization's efforts established by Fr. McGivney. Virgil is responsible for more than seven and a half billion in assets, which include the magnificent KC towers in downtown New Haven. Throughout Virgil's time as CEO the K of C insurance program has received the highest ratings among all insurance companies with the highest of praise from the two standard bearers of the industry watchdogs - A.M. Best and Standard and Poor. In 1998 alone the Knights paid back to their members $196 million in life benefits and over one billion dollars in death benefits. Over the past decade the Knights have donated over one billion dollars to charities and logged over 400 million hours collectively from the membership in giving time to others. Fr. McGivney must be smiling over the caring and help so many are receiving through the efforts of the Knights under the leadership of Virgil Dechant.

      Considered one of the last, great bastions of the Roman Catholic Church, the Knights are dedicated to Holy Mother Church from the parish level, where they are the right arm of the pastors, to the Supreme Pontiff. It was the saintly Mother Teresa who proclaimed that the Knights are "the right arm of the Church." She made these remarks during ceremonies in which she became the Order's first recipient of the Gaudium et Spes Award. The Order has been lauded by many presidents, world leaders and all the popes of this century. Pope John Paul II named Virgil a Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Pius IX in 1983, the highest honor that can be granted to a Catholic layman who is not a head of state. Since 1982 Virgil and Ann have been members of the Pontifical Council for the Family, now headed by Cardinal Francis J. Stafford. In 1987 the Holy Father bestowed another tremendous honor on Virgil, giving him the title "Gentleman of His Holiness" in recognition for his significant service to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Ten years later he was afforded another honor when John Paul II named him auditor for the Synod of Bishops for the Synod of the Americas in December 1997 in Rome. He was only one of seven lay people chosen for this special Vatican Synod that concluded in January this year with the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America.

      Virgil is active in various Boards, serving membership on the Board of Directors of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which the Knights have contributed much to construct the massive bell tower, and the Catholic University of America. He is a past Board Member of the National Catholic Educational Association and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He has overseen the Knights' contributions to the Holy See in helping fund the renovation of St. Peter's Basilica and the restoration of many invaluable Vatican treasures there. He has received honorary degrees from St. Leo's College in Florida, St. John's University in New York, Providence College in Rhode Island and the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

      The Order mandates that all members live their Catholicity and strive to promote evangelization, pro-life, solid Catholic education, and the morals and values demanded by our faith. The Knights of Columbus encourage civic involvement so that Knights are not merely pawns in the great field of participants, but faithful leaders who exemplify the ideals of knighthood in service to God, Family and Country. Leading this vast battalion is the Supreme Commander of all the Knights, a man every Knight and person can emulate - the wise and worthy Virgil Dechant who will lead the Order into the new millennium with new horizons to conquer.

After faithful service in the Vatican Diplomatic Corp and the Curia, Cardinal Silvio Oddi is living out his life in prayer

      Our eighty-ninth red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is 89 year-old Cardinal Silvio Oddi, the Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy who retired in 1986 after seven years in that post preceded by 26 years in the Vatican Diplomatic Corps, specifically to the Holy Land. For more on Cardinal Oddi, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

89.   Cardinal Silvio Oddi

      After over forty years in diplomatic service to the Holy See, Cardinal Silvio Oddi of Italy is now retired living at Via della Grazie 3 in Rome. This nearly 90 year-old cardinal priest was born in Morfasso, Italy near Piacenza on November 14, 1910 during the reign of Pope Saint Pius X. At only eleven he felt a calling to the priesthood and entered the Diocesan seminary in 1921. Twelve years later he was ordained in Rome on May 31, 1933. Within three years he had graduated cum laude with a degree in Canon Law from Angelicum and further studies at the Ecclesiastic Pontifical Academy gave him exposure within the ranks of the curia. One of those ranking cardinals was Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli who on March 3, 1939 became Pope Pius XII. Shortly after his elevation he appointed Father Oddi to the office of the Papal Nunciature to Iran, then to Lebanon where he remained until the Holy Father made him an Archbishop on July 30, 1953. He was installed on September 27 of that year and given the title of Titular Archbishop of Mesembria and made Apostolic Delegate first to Jerusalem, then Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus. In 1957 an aging Pius XII transferred him to Egypt and the United Arab Republic to complete the rounds of the Holy Land. In 1962 Pope John XXIII appointed him Nuncio to Belgium-Luxumbourg where he remained for the next five years.

      On August 28, 1969 in Pope Paul VI's third Consistory he was honored for his loyalty to the Church with the cardinalate and the titular church of St. Agatha of the Goths. At the same time he was made the Papal Legate for the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. In 1979 Pope John Paul II elevated him to Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy which he headed until he officially retired in 1986. Since then he has slowed down but never neglecting his priestly vows and prayer life as he lives out what time God still has left for him in retirement praying for the Church he dearly loves.

Reviewing the first six hundred years of the Church as we set sail on the Barque of Peter from the time of Christ to Saint Gregory the Great

     With the summer mode in vogue, we suspend this series until August, allowing the reader to catch up on past articles they may have missed in archives, including the Establishment of the Blessed Sacrament and the early struggles of the Church in this on-going abridged History of the Mass and Holy Mother Church over a 2000 year span called 2000 YEAR VOYAGE ON THE BARQUE OF PETER. For the first fifteen installments, click on BARQUE OF PETER

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Taking time to taste Food for Thought appeteasers over the past year

      With summer upon us we follow the summer schedule and bring you retro vignettes from the past year of humorous and moving Food for Thought Appeteasers that could bring a chuckle, a tear or both but definitely will make you stop and think. For past Appeteasers, click on Archives for FOOD FOR THOUGHT APPETEASERS

SIMPLY SHEEN:    The hourglass mind!

      They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"After a time, useless reading weakens the mind rather than strengthens it; then reading becomes an excuse for the mind to lie dormant while thoughts are poured over it like chocolate over ice cream. The mind is like an hourglass through which ideas pass like sands, nothing remaining."

     Today is the Twenty-first Wednesday in Ordinary Time as well as the duo Feast of the holy King of France who was a faithful husband and father Saint Louis of France and the Feast of Saint Joseph Calasanz, priest, religious founder and educator. Tomorrow we return to Ordinary Time with the Twenty-first Thursday in Ordinary Time. For the readings, liturgies, meditations and vignettes for these saints, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Wednesday August 25:
Twenty-first Wednesday in Ordinary Time
Feast of Saint Louis of France, Husband, Father and King and
Feast of Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest, Religious Founder and Educator

Green or white vestments

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13
Psalms: Psalm Psalm 139: 1, 7-12
Gospel Reading: Matthew 23: 27-32

      Born into royalty on April 25, 1214 in Poissy, France, Saint Louis was crowned King of France in 1226 on the death of his father King Louis VIII. He had been raised in a staunch Catholic atmosphere by his mother Blanche of Castile, who became regent upon her husband's death until her son reached adulthood. The youthful Louis, one of the youngest rulers in French history, weaned on his faith by his mother exemplified his Catholicity throughout his life. It served him well in his long reign which was frought with great crisis including fending off those who would usurp his throne such as Thibault of Champagne. At the age of 20, Louis married the daughter of the Count of Provence, Margaret Berenger and they populated the royal court with eleven children. At the age of 28 Louis quelled rebellion in the south of France and followed that up by soundly defeating the English and King Henry III at the Battle of Taillebourg. With that accomplished, he turned his attention to bringing all the provinces in line with the king, securing this with victories over Guienne, Poitou and Toulouse. Satisfied that France was safe, Louis set his sights on his life-long goal to lead the Crusades in liberating the Holy Land in 1248. His ambitions, at first successful with victory over the Saracens at Damietta in 1249 met harsh reality at the Massacre of El Mansura when he was soundly defeated by the infidels. Historians have not been kind to Louis, claiming his crusade was ill-timed and poorly planned, but they overlook the fact Louis was a peacemaker evidence in Louis' ability to convince his Saracen captors to release him and his troops in order to reach the Holy Land. It was not a cheap gesture as he ransomed many treasures and emptied many a coffer to assure their safety. There in Jerusalem he stayed until 1254 when his beloved mother Blanche died, prompting him to return to France. Always opting for peaceful measures he brought calm to Flanders in 1256 and assured, through the Treaty of Paris with Henry III that the provinces of Anjou, Maine, Normandy, Poitou and Touraine would remain part of France in exchange for Cahors, Limoges and Perigueux as Brit territory. He followed that up with the Treaty of Corbeil in 1258 by giving up Roussillon and Barcelona in order to secure Provence and Languedox from Aragon. Once a crusader, always a crusader and in 1270 he set out once again on an expedition to the Holy Lands. However he would not reach his promised land this time, succumbing to typhus, as well as his dear son Philip, at Tunis on the North African coast where he died on August 25, 1270 at the age of 56 leaving a legacy of peace and fairness to posterity. His last words were "Into Thy hands I commend my soul." Throughout his life he forged numerous peace treaties for allies and foes alike. He was a close friend of the great Doctor of the Church Saint Thomas Aquinas and endowed and founded the Sorbonne University as well as building impressive cathedrals drawing on the Gothic theme which flourished during his reign. He was a friend to vassals whom he protected, forbidding fighting between feudal lords and assuring they would not mistreat their subjects. Louis was a master of streamlining government while remaining always true to his word no matter what he said. He built France's first Naval operations and, despite his defeats in the Holy Land, was considered a master military technician. But war was only a last resort for this saintly king who desired, above all, peace at home and with his neighbors. He was greatly loved by all who prospered during his glorious reign of 44 years of peaceful coexistence with the other countries of Europe as France gained in prestige and profit through peace. One of his other goals was to reunite the Eastern Church with Rome, calling on the Greek Ambassadors to work with him toward reunion. What might have been never materialized for death deprived history of even greater accomplishments. History, however, cannot deny the fact that Louis, a Franciscan Tertiary, lived his faith and preached through example. In fact, this stately king lived the austerity of a monk, praying daily the Divine Office and attending Daily Mass. He received from the Latin emperor in Constantinople the priceless gift of the authentic Crown of thorns that pressed against Our Lord's skull. To honor this sacramental relic, Louis built the renowned Sainte Chapelle in Paris. Thirty seven years after his death Pope Boniface VII canonized Louis, who was a champion of both the poor and privileged classes.

      Like Saint Louis, the holy priest Saint Joseph Calasanz was born into royalty. Joseph was the youngest son of the Count Pedro Calasanz from the Castle of Peralta de la Sal in Aragon, Spain. Having the wherewithal to persue his studies, Joseph studied in the finest universities and went on to teach civil and canon law at the University of Alcala before becoming a priest in 1584, despite his father's vocal desire that Joseph become a career soldier. His career was indeed as a soldier, but as a special soldier of Christ. He was appointed Vicar General of his diocese and was soon summoned to Rome where he became theologian for Cardinal Ascanio Colonna. It was in the eternal city that Joseph became renowned for his work with the poor and the sick during the plague of 1595, as well as educating the underprivileged children. In 1597, with the aid of two other priests, he opened a school with no tuition for poor students. Some competitive institutions, who charged great sums to educate, mounted a smear campaign to discredit Fr. Calasanz and his fellow priests as well as their curriculum. It became so vicious that Pope Clement VIII conducted a thorough investigation and found Joseph's school and all parties involved above reproach. So impressed was the Holy Father that he put the school under papal protection which created more schools throughout Italy as well as Bohemia, Germany, Moravia and Poland. This subsequently resulted in the recognition of the religious order of the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools where St. Calasanz served as the first superior general. However, as is so often the case with new religious communities, satan tries his darndest to divide and conquer. So also with Fr. Calasanz' organization as some of his close associates within the order decided to follow their own agenda and the bickering and backbiting provided a tremendous cross for this holy, dedicated priest. One of his great friends Fr. Mario Sozzi turned on Joseph which resulted in the latter being removed as superior general and Sozzi being appointed. Shortly after Sozzi died and his successor Fr. Cherubini followed Sozzi's policies, much to the detriment of the order which was placed under investigation by Pope Innocent X and dissolved in 1646. In its place the pontiff ordered all priests who wished to continue to form a new society of secular priests that they would be subject to their local bishop. He called upon Fr. Cherubini to draw up a new constitution, but a funny thing happened on the way to the forging of a new order; Fr. Cherubini was caught skimming funds from Nazarene College where he was rector. He was forced to resign and, after a period of repentance, reconciled with Joseph who he realized had been greatly maligned by Sozzi and his cohorts. Shortly thereafter Joseph (also known as Saint Joseph Calasanctius), still broken hearted but trusting in God, died on August 25, 1648 in Rome at the ripe age of 92. He would not live to see the fruits of his labors as eight years later his order was reformed and recognized in 1669 as a religious order known as the Piarists by Pope Clement IX. Ninety eight years later he was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767 and proclaimed patron saint of popular Christian schools by Pope Pius XII in 1948.

Thursday August 25:
Twenty-first Thursday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3: 7-13
Psalms: Psalm 90: 2-4, 12-14, 17
Gospel Reading: Matthew 24: 42-51

 l;     Today, in honor of Saint Louis and Saint Joseph Calasanz, we bring you the Opening Prayer for both saints:

Father, You raised Saint Louis from the cares of earthly rule to the glory of Your Heavenly Kingdom. By the help of his prayers may we come to Your Eternal Kingdom by our work here on earth.

Lord, You blessed Saint Joseph Calasanz with such charity and patience that he dedicated himself to the formation of Christian youth. As we honor this teacher of wisdom may we follow his example in working for truth.

   Dear children! Also today I call you to give glory to God the Creator in the colors of nature. He speaks to you also through the smallest flower about His beauty and the depth of love with which He has created you. Little children, may prayer flow from your hearts like fresh water from a spring. May the wheat fields speak to you about the mercy of God towards every creature. That is why, renew prayer of thanksgiving for everything He gives you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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August 25, 1999 volume 10, no. 160   DAILY CATHOLIC