This Time on Knight Life

… we hear of success in the inaugural pregnancy resource center conference from Bob Sinclair who expands on the reasons for the conference including the importance of getting involved as a family.

We hear from Curt Vath of Clinton a Knight taking action for life to replace an older ultrasound in a clinic there.

Kendra Burger a young lady in the prolife movement reminds us that saving babies starts with valuing their mother which makes a huge difference for life

And finally knights are reminded by Bob Sinclair to be an everyday hero of life — there it is the challenge is on for all of us — that means you and me!

Hello, I’m Mike Gaspers with stories taken from the many activities of the Knights in Iowa providing information, inspiration and yes invitation to join this Band of Brothers in our mission to active Catholic lives.

Thank you to the Knights who see what needs to be done and then do it; and thank you to our sponsors who make it possible to bring you these stories.

This is Knight Life…our Mission: to Be Men of Courage as we lead our families in loving service to our fellow man, woman, child and unborn child.

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Overview of the Podcast – Culture of Life

We begin as we always do in prayer, led today by Fr Dan Greving of the Sioux City Diocese for the Cause of Life

April 17th 2015 is an historic date for the Gaspers family. Grandchild #2 arrived 10 weeks premature. His mother spent 8 weeks living at the hospital often joined by “Nana” caring for our fragile grandson. What a scare we all experienced wondering if Kayson would live or be permanently impaired by his early arrival into our family. How thankful we all were and continue to be for the loving, caring staff at the Mercy NICU in Des Moines.

Now at 18 months Kayson although still small is perfectly healthy, developing normally and our worry has receded into the normal anxieties of grandparents for grandchildren. Thanks be to God!

It has also given this grandpa time to be thankful for one more thing – that our daughter Lara chose life for Kayson. She knew she had our support in her developing motherhood.

Not that this may have been much in doubt as she is strongly pro-life and we’ve been outspoken of that as a family– however being poor and unmarried could have led to a much different outcome – and all too often does in our own Iowa.

Raising 2 daughters in a culture increasingly about relative worth and temporary gain gave me pause to wonder about how to help them and their peers to see the dignity of life and to be willing to make a stand to defend that life especially the unborn. Those thoughts led me to become increasingly involved with public witness and action around making it possible for mothers-to-be to choose life for their unborn baby with greater ease. All of this thru and with my brother Knights

So with the help of many others Iowa Knights become one of the first states in the nation to participate in the Supreme Council Ultrasound initiative placing an ultrasound in Iowa City with Informed Choices Clinic in 2008. Over the next 8 years the number of ultrasounds increased to more than 10 in Iowa.

In the Spring of 2015 a further opportunity presented itself. Knights began to form a comprehensive approach centered on our Ultrasound Initiative but encompassing other key needs for pregnancy resource centers. And so was born our Culture of Life Committee formed of Knights and others in the Iowa Life movement. The goal of this group is to help PRC’s be more effective in reaching women who unlike my daughter are uncertain of their support in choosing life.

This October 1 Iowa Knights sponsoring an inaugural PRC – pregnancy resource center – conference. Bob Sinclair – with whom I worked when placing the first ultrasound in 2008 – and who is the committee chair spoke with me immediately after the conference about his thoughts and hope for moving forward.

On behalf of Iowa Knights I thank Bob for his leadership in making this inaugural conference a success. Special thanks also to organizers Maggie Dewitte Executive Director of Iowans for Life, Jim Bates a Waukee Knight and chairman of our Knights for Life initiative, Jenny Condon Executive Director of Inner Visions Pregnancy Resource Center, Steve Heffern former Church Director.

It may be surprising that some in the pro-life movement working day to day to save lives were unaware of who we are as Knights or the help we can provide to their mission.

I am also struck by Bob’s comment on the importance of fathers – mothers too – but especially fathers teaching our children about life by becoming engaged alongside them in pro-life activities.

This is Mike Gaspers for the Knight Life. We have been talking with Bob Sinclair chairman of our Culture of Life initiative from Williamsburg about the Inaugural Pregnancy Resource Center Conference held in October.

I invite you to help Iowa Knights build a Culture of Life by visiting www.seethebaby.org and making your tax deductible contribution to the overall effort in reducing abortions by 50% in Iowa by 2020; or email ultrasound@iowakofc.org for more information.

I invite you to learn more about Iowa Knights by visiting www.iowakofc.org where you will find information on the Ultrasound initiative, the baby bottle campaign and more..

Bob Sinclair mentioned the Hero initiative – not meaning any caped crusader but active engaged Knights seeing the need and taking action to get things done. One Knight taking action to help his local pregnancy resource center in Clinton is Curt Vath.

Curt is convinced that every life matters and that every baby deserves to be loved to birth and forever after. His actions are helping to place an updated ultrasound machine. But don’t make the mistake of assuming that’s all there is to becoming a hero. It’s the everyday needs like cutting the grass, changing lights or pushing snow that Knights can do and do well that qualify as part of being a hero for life.

Hero’s for life should also in my opinion extend their witness to the mothers-to-be, women in general and especially young women. As Knights we can stand up and give young men an example to follow that honors and values women as equals but also in their special capacity as mothers. I hope my own activity influenced my daughter and enabled her to choose life.

Kendra Burger is the recipient of such an example as she was growing up and gives us testimony on its importance. Kendra is with Iowa Right to Life and actively engaged in the Iowa Life movement and talks with us on her involvement. In the background you may hear workers cleaning up the hall.

Each of us has the ability to touch other’s lives. As men and as Knights we have a special opportunity to encourage the dignity and worth of all people – born and unborn and hold women in a special place of dignity alongside Mary – not as objects of desire and lust but as mothers and partners on this journey thru life.

This is Mike Gaspers and you are listening to the Knight Life show where we strive to tell the story of the Iowa Knights from an insider’s point of view. This show is focused on advancing the cause of life – from helping pregnancy resource centers become more effective, to encouraging greater involvement from men in assisting in practical ways, to changing our interaction between the sexes from exploitation to value.

To learn more about the Culture of Life initiative visit www.seethebaby.org

To find out more on the Iowa Knights visit our website www.iowakofc.org. You can follow Iowa Knights of Columbus on Facebook or on Twitter @IAKnights for the latest news and updates.

Next time we will be talking with Knights about the longstanding Campaign for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Many of you will recall men in bright yellow aprons handing out tootsie rolls for a donation. Ever wonder what becomes of that money and who benefits? Tune in next time to hear about Camp High Hopes and other partnerships of the Iowa Knights of Columbus.

We will end with a reflection on Knights to Christ. Knights to Christ is an initiative to combine scripture, the principles of the Knights and contemporary reflection. Steve Hesprich helped to create Knights to Christ while in Colorado and now that he is an Iowa Knight shares this reflection and standing by the truth.

To learn more about Knights to Christ or to get the entire book of reflections visit http://www.knightstochrist.org/

I’m Mike Gaspers, thank you for listening. Feeling inspired by what you heard? Then I invite you to act courageously and with love to put your faith into action by word and by deeds starting in your own family.

If you are interested in this Band of Brothers focused on being better active Catholics and fathers while reaching out to those in need; contact a Knight or your parish priest and we will bring you into this fraternity of Catholic men.

Our State Deputy is Jon Aldrich of Altoona who exhorts each of us to Be Strong. Be Courageous. Step into the Breach with Us.

Knight Life is a production of the Iowa Knights of Columbus.