Knights of Columbus place ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers

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The Missouri Knights of Columbus are making progress with their statewide “Meet Life” campaign, which is generating funds to purchase ultrasound machines for pregnancy resource centers.

Studies show that 95 percent of women who view an ultrasound image and hear the heartbeat of their baby abandon plans for an abortion, said Louis Holtmann, committeeman for the campaign for the state council.

The Knights have raised funds for and placed four ultrasound machines since July in House Springs, Waynesville, Warresburg and Clinton, Mo. The council is on pace to place machines at Thrive in St. Louis — a group of pregnancy resource centers in St. Louis City, North County, St. Charles County and a mobile unit — and centers in Kansas City and Mountain Grove during the first quarter of 2012, Holtmann said.

Plans are to place another machine at Thrive St. Louis and one at a center in Springfield, Mo., in the second quarter of next year and one in Rolla, Mo., later in the year.

The “Meet Life” campaign came out of the state convention in May. Holtmann said the state deputy, John Applebaum “put a challenge out to the membership to cut abortions in the state by 50 percent. He challenged each Knight to donate $50 over five years and the councils to raise funds to place ultrasound machines in every pregnancy center in the state.”

He praised a local project at Council 9981 at Incarnate Word Parish in Chesterfield — a “Baby Bottle” campaign to raise funding to help Thrive St. Louis — and efforts at other local councils.

Holtmann said that the ultrasound machines give a full picture of the baby as early as six weeks. The machines help introduce the mother to her baby as she sees the fingers and toes and hears the heartbeat. Without the machines, centers would have to ask women to go elsewhere to view the image.

The Knights of Columbus have been ardent supporters of life issues for many years, donating to the Vitae Foundation, which promotes a culture of life through media efforts, and other organizations such as Birthright and Our Lady’s Inn.