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| Vol. 18, No. 12 | Nov. 19, 1998 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 12 | Nov. 19, 1998 |
When Vince DiLeonardo, internal audit, is not on the job at the University, he keeps active as a volunteer with the Knights of Columbus, an international, Catholic, family-oriented, fraternal organization. Joining the organization in his home parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in Hockessin, he rose through the ranks to become state deputy of Delaware in 1994 and later was elected to the organization's international board in 1996.
This fall, the 25 members of the Knights of Columbus international board and their families made a pilgrimage to the Vatican from Oct. 10-16 and were granted a private audience with Pope John Paul II.
"It was an overwhelming and inspiring experience that I will never forget. It also was the Pope's 20th anniversary, which made it even more meaningful," recalled DiLeonardo, who was accompanied by his wife Dale and 17-year-old daughter Tracey.
"We were ushered into a room to await the pope. He received the supreme knight and supreme chaplain bishop from our group, who made presentations on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. The pope then addressed us and thanked the knights for their continuing support. At the end he gave his apostolic blessing to us, and we individually went up and were greeted by him. Later, the group was photographed with him in an adjoining room."
The English edition of the Vatican newspaper reported the event on its front page with the headline "Holy Father thanks Knights of Columbus for fraternal solidarity."
In addition, the group was invited to the Pope's canonization mass of sainthood for Edith Stein, a nun who lost her life at Auschwitz. DiLeonardo described the ceremony as another moving and impressive event.
Interspersed with meetings, the group visited other churches, the catacombs and the children's playgrounds the knights operate in Rome.
The Knights of Columbus was founded in New Haven, Conn., in 1882 and is based on the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, DiLeonardo said. It has 1.6 million members among 11,000 local councils in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and several other Pacific Rim and Caribbean countries. In 1997, the organization logged 50 million hours of volunteer time and donated $107 million to charity.
One of its local activities is raising funds to assist citizens with mental retardation through its Tootsie Roll project, where donors are rewarded with candy. The organization also supports the satellite uplink that makes broadcasts of papal masses on Catholic feast days and celebrations possible to all parts of the world.
"We also have an insurance company that was started to provide fraternal support for members' families and today has grown into a top-quality, highest-rated life insurance society," DiLeonardo said. "Although other organizations have seen a drop in volunteers, the Knights of Columbus has increased its membership and effectiveness in charitable and community programs."
-Sue Swyers Moncure
