Liner knows faith keeps Knights ahead of curve

The Interview, a regular feature of The Catholic New World, is an in-depth conversation with a person whose words, actions or ideas affect today’s Catholic. It may be affirming of faith or confrontational. But it will always be stimulating.

This week, Eugene Liner, a veteran state official of the Knights of Columbus, talks with Catholic New World staff writer Michael D. Wamble. Across the nation, Knights are preparing for their annual conference, this year to be held in Boston Aug. 1-3. Cardinal George plans to attend.

He wears it proudly. Seated by the window, beneath the golden arches of this fast food establishment, the bronze-skinned Walter reads his paper as people pass by and wave at him from the street.

Dressed in dusty denim overalls, the lanky diner could best be described as transient, though he’s taken up residence at a table. There, above his wide smile, rests a royal blue baseball cap he found on the street.

“So many people are happy to see it, I washed it yesterday,” he says. “It’s a great hat.” Pointing up to the insignia emblazoned above the bill, Walter asks, “What do these guys do?”

“These guys” are the Knights of Columbus.

Gene Liner knows “these guys.” And he knows what they do. For that reason, he has worn many hats within the group.

Seated on his couch, in front of his apartment window in beige slacks and a short-sleeved shirt and spiffy striped tie, Gene Liner flips through folders upon folders of information about the organization Walter wondered about.

Liner knows the Knights.

For 48 years, this fourth-degree knight has served and helped to guide the Chicago and state fraternity in various positions. The space behind his door is virtually wallpapered with committee badges from state conventions and meetings.

Proudly hanging from his neck, a red ribbon clasps the Knights state medallion, the highest award one can receive from the organization.

That particular year, Liner served as Catholic activity chairman, and was charged with following a traveling Madonna from one council to another across the state.

“I only lost Our Lady once,” he says, now able to laugh about it.

The majority of Liner’s years with the Knights have been spent with Council 182, now known as Chicago St. Cabrini 182, in honor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. It was the first council established west of the Allegheny Mountains over 104 years ago.

It is no surprise when Liner says he knocked on the door of the cardinal’s residence in Chicago to transfer then-Archbishop George’s Knights membership from Oregon to his Illinois council on his second day in the archdiocese.

CNW: When someone sees the insignia of the Knights of Columbus, what do you hope comes to mind?
GL: I would want people to think this is the leading Catholic men’s organization and about the charity work that we do. For instance, we’re already planning for the physically handicapped charitable drive, which is a big step to keep homes viable. I would want them to think of our fourth degree. People see them and recognize them as the escorts for the cardinal and bishops in Mass processions. I call them “our great showpiece.”
Right now, two of our great outreaches are in the areas of charity and vocations.
We have 250 men whom we’re supporting through the seminary through trips and other fund-raisers.
In Illinois, one of our main focuses is the pro-life movement. It is our top priority this year.

CNW: Will we see the visible presence of Knights at pro-life demonstrations and marches?
GL: I think so. Even our bishops [Cardinal George, Bishops Raymond Goedert and Edwin Conway] have led prayer marches. Wherever they are, I’m sure we’ll want to be too. We haven’t spelled all that out yet, but it is an area in which were becoming stronger.
When I saw our cardinal get a negative reaction over the Catholic hospital issue [a defeated resolution from the American Medical Association over Catholic hospitals’ respect for life], I think we must show our strength on this issue. It is the problem of our day.

CNW: It has been reported that the average age of the organization worldwide is 55, but the median age of men entering the Knights last year was 39. Statewide, are the numbers here about the same or different among overall membership?
GL: Those numbers are pretty true here.
We aren’t going through the problems many other organizations, like civic groups, are going through. I was a little fearful from the report we received last year. But this year, I talked to our membership chairman last night, and he confirmed that we had only lost about 300 members, and that included deaths, illness and lack of dues paid. I thought it could have been higher. But we have a very aggressive membership campaign on right now to build up our numbers. We have over 70,000 Knights in Illinois.

CNW: What was it about the Knights that made you decide to join?
GL: I knew a few things about the group. Basically, it was another Catholic Knight from Holy Name Cathedral who was one of our best recruiters. He got me interested in it.
The attraction was the Catholic aspects of the group. You have to be a practicing Catholic. You have to be leading a Catholic life in order to join. I really think that is the thing that’s keeping us together. We work very closely with the cardinal and our bishops and priests. I have about 30 priests in my council. We hold high Catholic dogma and beliefs. That is what keeps us strong.

For more information on the Knights of Columbus, North Siders call Stuart Tesnow at (847) 358-0479; South Siders contact Robert Blake at (708) 868-3913.

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