TEN RACINE-AREA WINNERS NAMED IN 2010 K OF C FREE THROW COMPETITION

Ten boys and girls from eight Racine-area schools took first-place honors in the 2010 Knights of Columbus Council 697 free-throw contest held Jan. 23 at St. Catherine’s High School. The winners advance to district competition scheduled for Feb. 7 at St. Catherine’s.  See the photo gallery below.

Boys winners
Age 10, Quaid Destiche, Prairie School
Age 11, Jacob Sowalski, St. Rita School
Age 12, T.J. Brehm, John Paul II Academy
Age 13, Nicholas Jaworski, St. Lucy School
Age 14, Bryan Thomas, St. Rita School

Boys runners up
Age 10, Luke Delsman, St. Lucy School
Age 11, Matthew Lory, St. Edward School
Age 12, Ryan Busey, 21st Century Prep
Age 13, Luke Olley, St. Edward School
Age 14, Brendon McGuire, St. Edward School

Girls winners
 Age 10, Rachel Gentile, Prairie School
Age 11, Danielle Palmen, Prairie School
Age 12, Kayla Clement, St. Edward School
Age 13, Taraya Moralez, Walden III
Age 14, Lauren Misurlian, St. Edward School

 Girls runners up
Age 11, Alyssa Leffler, St. Edward School
Age 12, Eleanor Ecsobar, St. Lucy School
Age 14, Monicqua Chantel Kidd, Starbuck Middle School

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY ABORTION IS MORALLY WRONG, NEW SURVEY FINDS

A strong majority of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong, a position that younger Americans hold by a wider margin that those in the Baby Boom generation, a new Knights of Columbus survey found.

The survey of 2,243 Americans conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion found overall 56 percent of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong.

Fifty-eight percent of those age 18-29 believe abortion to be morally wrong, compared with 51 percent of Baby Boomers. Most of the “Millennials” (age 18-29) were born after the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Sixty percent of members of “Generation X” (those 30-44) believe abortion is morally wrong, the survey found. Those in the “Greatest Generation” (age 65 and older) had the strongest feelings against abortion, with 62 percent saying it is morally wrong.

“Americans of all ages – and younger people in even greater numbers than their parents – see abortion as something morally wrong,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “America has turned a corner and is embracing life – and in doing so is embracing a future they, and all of us, can be proud of.”

Anderson continued: “The majority of Americans now understand that abortion has consequences, and that those consequences are not good.”

KNIGHTS RUSH FUNDS FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF, URGE MEMBERS TO DONATE MORE

The more than 1.7 million members of the Knights of Columbus are being urged to donate to a special relief fund to help victims in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Knights of Columbus Supreme Council has already donated $50,000 to get the effort underway.

The Knights of Columbus will earmark all donations made to its United in Charity Fund through the end of January 2010 for earthquake relief in Haiti. The Supreme Council has already donated $50,000 to Catholic Charities, which has a large presence in Haiti. Click here to donate now.

The magnitude 7 earthquake devastated Haiti, killing thousands and laying waste to the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Catholic Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince was killed in the quake. His body was found in the ruins of his office. There was massive damage to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.

KNIGHTS TO HOLD ANNUAL KNOWLEDGE & FREE THROW COMPETITION JAN. 23

Knights of Columbus Council 697 in Racine will hold its annual Knowledge & Free-Throw Contests for area youth on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010 at St. Catherine’s High School in Racine.

The free-throw competition will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the small gym on the third floor of St. Catherine’s High School, 1200 Park Ave., Racine. Boys and girls age 10-14 are eligible for competition, except for members of high school basketball teams. Youth can participate at any point during the four-hour contest, and can register at the door.

Spelling and math testing for the knowledge contest will begin at 1 p.m., with registration starting at 12:30 p.m. The contest is run in the first and second floor classrooms at St. Catherine’s. Students in grades 5 through 8 can participate in the knowledge contest. They should register through their school. Homeschoolers can register by contacting Bill Frayer.

First-place winners in the math and spelling contests will receive a savings bond and the right to move on to Diocesan competition in Milwaukee. Second-place finishers will receive a Certificate of Merit and become alternates for further competition.

First-place finishers in the Free Throw competition will receive a plaque and the right to move on to District competition in Kenosha. Second-place finishers will receive a Certificate of Merit and become alternates for advancement to further levels of competition.

For more information, contact Steve Jansta (free throw) 262-554-6376; Paul Noelke (Spelling) 262-886-6408; Jim Hamilton (Math) 262-884-0951, or Bill Frayer (General Coordinator) 262-633-7887.

ARCHBISHOP JEROME LISTECKI INSTALLED; KNIGHTS PROVIDE HONOR GUARD AT MASS

A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree honor guard escorted Most Rev. Jerome E. Listecki to and from his Mass of installation at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee.

Twenty-six Sir Knights from the 11 Fourth Degree assemblies in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee made up the honor guard for Listecki, installed Monday as the 11th archbishop of Milwaukee.

More than 1,200 people attended the Mass. Clergy at the installation liturgy included Most Rev. Pietro Sambi, the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio to the United States; Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York; Francis Cardinal George of Chicago; Edward Cardinal Egan of New  York; Adam Cardinal Maida of Detroit and Edmund Cardinal Szoka of Detroit.

The K of C honor guard was led by Wisconsin Eastern District Master Carl Duch, former Eastern District Master Erwin Jankowiak and District Marshall Michael G. Jordan. Guard members from Assembly 1207 were Gary Brown and Joe Hanneman.