It got started more than 60 years ago and has touched the lives of countless Catholics in homes, parishes, and even prisons around the country, but the Knights of Columbus' Catholic Information Service (CIS) goes about its business with little fanfare.  In fact, the accomplishments of the oldest print-media program of evangelization in North America have gone relatively unsung. It was the subject, however, of a recent in-depth article in Columbia, the Knights' monthly magazine.

Housed in the Knights' headquarters in New Haven, CT, CIS is headed by Father Juan-Diego Brunetta, O.P., a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph. First founded to counter anti-Catholicism in the South with accurate information about the Church and its teachings, CIS has in recent decades shifted its focus. "What we are realizing in the last 15 years is that it's not just non-Catholics who have no idea what the Church teaches," Fr. Brunetta said. "Catholics, themselves, are unchurched, so the mission of the Knights is making a turn to first make members and families stronger in their own faith so they can do evangelical work."

Distributed free or at very low cost, CIS booklets comprise two series.  One is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and explains what Catholics believe, how they pray, and how they live.  The other features Catholic perspectives on the hot-button issues of the day, such as stem-cell research, the environment, and other life issues. CIS also offers a home-study course that is currently used by more than 200,000 people---half of them prisoners. "It's providential that [the course] continues to be used by those who are incarcerated," said Father Brunetta. "It reflects the commitment of the Knights' founder, Father Michael McGivney, 'to go out and bring prisoners back to Christ.'"

To explore CIS online, please click here. To read the full story on CIS in Columbia, please click here and see pages 21-24.