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Yet what ultimately grounds and unifies the McGarritys, including the “nutty” decision to adopt three children with T21, is their deep Catholic faith and profound conviction of the sanctity of every human life — which is why they have long been drawn to and strengthened by the Order’s unabashed promotion of a culture of life. Jeff is a member St. Thomas More Council 10205 in Centennial, and Sonia’s father is a Knight in her home state of Louisiana.
“Had I not been brought up in a Knights of Columbus home that made the pro-life movement so important,” Sonia said, “I don’t know whether we would have adopted the three girls that we did.”
But “pro-life” is not just something the Knights do, Sonia said — it’s who they are.
“When I go shopping with the kids, I need to have my antennae up, ready to answer whatever question might come at me,” she explained. “Whereas at our parish, the Knights are family; I don’t have to discern or worry about if we can handle it. I know I can take my kids there and they will be loved, accepted and assisted.”
Jeff carved out time to take his second and third degrees as a Knight last November. But running a bustling household, homeschooling several children, and attending to their many needs leaves very little time to participate in council events. While Jeff and Sonia sometimes feel internal pressure to do more — to volunteer more and practice different works of mercy as a family — they try to keep their eyes fixed on their most important work.
“Last night, I was trying to make the bed and Charlotte was crawling all over me,” Sonia said. “And I’m praying, ‘Jesus, I just have to imagine that this is you. And I’m just doing this for you.’
“And it gave me a different perspective on things, to say that maybe it’s OK that I didn’t raise my children volunteering at a food bank or doing service projects. Maybe we’re not all called to do that. Rather, we’re simply called to love and raise these children, all eight of them, and launch them to go out and become saints.”