Remarks from State Deputy Jason Esteve at the State Organizational Meeting in Prattville on July 7, 2018.
When I became a part of the state council, there are things I never thought I would say. So in Toronto, at the Supreme Convention, I am chatting with the State Chaplain and a cardinal. Like I said, never thought I put those words together in that order. So we’re chatting (well, it’s better to say our State Chaplain and the cardinal were chatting and I was nodding and smiling) and Fr. Dan asks what I consider to be a very interesting question: “What’s it like to elect a pope?” Even more interesting to me was the answer. The cardinal didn’t focus on being sequestered or balloting, he concentrated on the Swiss Guard. He thought that it was notable that as soon as there is no longer a pope, the Swiss Guard disappear. It makes sense, of course. They guard the pope and when there is no pope they have nothing to do. But then the cardinal noted that as soon as the pope is elected, even before the white smoke starts to come out of the chimney, the Swiss Guard are back and ready to guard the new pope.
At this point Fr. Dan and the cardinal begin to talk about other deeply religious and spiritual things. I continue to nod and smile, but my mind stayed with that scene of the cardinals electing the pope. And my imagination started to fill in the blanks. Now let me stop here and let you all know that I have a high degree of certainty that what I imagine and what really happens are VERY far apart. That being said, in my imagination, in that room where the cardinals are sequestered, there is an alcove in a nondescript part of the room. And in that alcove is a secret panel that only the head cardinal knows about. And behind that panel is a phone. A special phone. Like the batphone. No dialpad. You just pick up the handset and a phone in the Swiss Guard’s headquarters rings. So in my mind, when the pope has been elected, the cardinal in charge goes to that alcove and slides that secret panel and picks up that phone. And in my imagination, he says something profound. Something steeped in tradition.
Something in Latin.
And that got me thinking about the motto I wanted to claim for my administration. Something that we would all keep foremost in our minds as we do the work of the Order. And so I talked it over with Fr. Dan and we came up with something that cardinal might say on that phone. Something simple, profound, and in Latin.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
You are needed.
To me that is a profound statement. Someone reaching out to you and telling you that you are needed. To feel needed is to feel loved and that inspires us to want to help. And you are needed. The Church is out there. She suffers persecution and her members are discriminated against because of their religion. And you are needed.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
The Knights are the strong right arm of the church. Grand Knights, your councils should be the strong right arm of your parishes.
You are needed.
Our communities are out there. There are people on the margins; homeless, hungry, abused, broken, alone. You are needed to go out and collect food for them, to give them coats for the harsh winters, to help them, to provide for them, we are centered in charity and so we should exude that charity.
You are needed.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
Our families are out there. We can not, we should not, we as knights WILL NOT abdicate our role as co-leaders in the spiritual leaders in our families. We should be strong spiritual men. We should be leading our families TO activities, not leaving our families for activities.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
You are needed.
The culture of life is out there. They stand in prayerful vigil for life in all its stages, from conception to natural death, and you are needed.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
They need you to stand with them. To proclaim in the public square, that we believe that life is sacred. So, you may be saying to yourself, “Worthy State Deputy, you’re preaching to the choir.”
No.
The choir stops singing after church is over. So you’re not the choir and I’m not preaching to you. You are the evangelists and I am exhorting you.
Everything we do here today shouldn’t be stuffed in a briefcase; shouldn’t be kept in the silence of our hearts. We need to go out there and tell others
Tibi Necesitas Es.
You are needed.
We Catholics here in Alabama only make up 3% of the population. That’s second to last in the Order. We need every practical Catholic man doing what we do; believing what we believe. We MUST grow the Order.
People will say, “Worthy State Deputy, all you care about are the numbers.” Right now the only number I care about is 72. That’s the average age of a Knight in America. What will that number be in five years if we do not go out and recruit younger members? Where will the Knights of Columbus be in 10 years if we do not offer membership to every Catholic man and focus on younger members?
Reach out to them. Let them know: “You are needed”
Tibi Necesitas Es.
Ladies; You Are Needed. We Brother Knights are incomplete without you. You help us spiritually, physically, emotionally. You help draw us closer to God.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
You are needed.
And we need you to help us grow the Order. When you see your husband or your son or your father performing acts in charity’s sweet name, do you ever say to yourself, “That man is a better husband, a better father, a better son, a better Catholic because he is a Knight”? If you do, then shouldn’t you want to give that opportunity to other ladies? To reach out to them and give them that opportunity is what we need.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
You are needed.
Brother Knights, ladies, friends: thank you again for this opportunity. We are going to have an incredible Fraternal Year. I’m looking forward to it and I hope you are to.
Tibi Necesitas Es.
You are needed.
Vivat Jesus