Sompaul Vorapanich enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after 9/11 and has served his country faithfully ever since. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, he knows the camaraderie and mutual trust that a platoon of soldiers must share to carry out a successful mission.

Vorapanich and several experts on men’s spirituality are featured in the “Brotherhood” episode of the Knights of Columbus’ Into the Breach video series. The series and its accompanying reflection guide are based on the 2015 apostolic exhortation of the same name by Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, which challenges Catholic men to step up and fulfill their roles for the sake of their families, parishes and communities. To view episodes of the Into the Breach video series and to access the study guide and other resources, visit kofc.org/intothebreach.

“From my military experience, standing in the breach is the most dangerous part of any mission,” said Vorapanich, a master sergeant with the Special Forces. “There have been multiple times that I was in a firefight, knowing that the person to my ‘twelve’ and the person to my ‘six’ was a brother that I could rely on.”

‘Band of Brothers’
 
“A great Catholic friend is someone who is not afraid to tell you when you’re wrong, when you’re doing something that’s not aligned with your faith, or when you’re doing something that’s unethical”, he said. “They’re the ones that are going to pick you up when you fall. … They’re the ones that are going to push 
you to move past your limits when you need [it].”

What’s more, being part of a “band of brothers” means having true friends who support one another when times get tough. A true friend is going to be there for you when you need them the most — when you’re suffering, when you're going through trials. Men have a special bond. When they go through adversity, it means a lot [to have a friend say], ‘Hey, brother, I’m here for you. I’m praying for you’.

Men, we invite you to be a part of our Band of Brothers. We will be holding a membership drive at all the masses on September 7th and 8th. As a member of our council, you will find that Knights of Columbus membership brings Catholic men together in a powerful way. We ask that you prayerfully consider 
joining our Band of Brothers.

To learn more about what we do visit the Knights & Ladies website (www.kofc12801.org.) Visit our donation site (https://kofc12801.square.site) to donate to our current charitable causes.