|
Knights of Columbus |
| Father Maher Council 6793 | |
|
|
|
| Council 6793 Home | |
FR. MAHER'S KNIGHTLY NEWS
'Here I am, I have come to do Your will, O God'
February 2009
VOLUME XXXIII ISSUE 8
Please Patronize Our Advertisers
Newsletter Contents:
Grand Knight's Message
by John E. Moore, Grand Knight
We are now in the second half of our fraternal year and we are looking forward to finishing with a flourish. It's important to begin to become very serious about recruiting new members for our Council. As with all Councils there are member losses due to deaths, transfers because of relocations, and sadly withdrawals due to no longer wanting to belong to our Order, and suspensions due to failure to keep up with the payment of dues. To be able to continue as a vibrant growing organization it is estimated that we must yearly recruit at least five percent of membership. Our membership currently consists of about four hundred Brothers. That being the case, we would need to recruit some eighteen to twenty new members to continue our growth. When the losses mentioned earlier are factored in it means significantly more candidates are required. So it can be seen that this becomes a very large effort and one that the Council Officers alone can not handle.
It becomes the job of each and every member of our Council to be actively alert and constantly on the lookout for good Catholic candidates. Each Brother should carry a form 100 so when and if the opportunity arises you will be prepared to at the very least get a lead that can be followed up later by the Council Officers. The Council will be conducting a formal Membership Blitz in the March/April timeframe but now is the time to start.
Reflections -- The Four Horseman (Part 4 Of 4)
by Lawrence P. Grayson
In the Book of Revelation, St. John writes in symbolic terms of the struggle between good and evil, the conflict between the worldly Babylon and the divinity-seeking Jerusalem, of the difficulties we must contend with on earth to gain our reward of an eternity with God. In our earthly existence, Satan tempts us with alluring idols, false prophets, and sensuous pleasures so that we will turn away from God, attracted by the material present, forgetting why we were created.
The fourth, atop a pale-green steed, is relativism, which brings pestilence. decay and death to the dominant culture. It maintains that every manner of living and every culture are equally good. Relativism is deceptive. It promotes tolerance and openness to other views and ways of life, which can be a virtue, but does so to an extreme. It does not recognize anything as absolute, and leaves the ultimate choice to the individual. As a result, a culture of death is accepted as compassionate, but a culture of life is rejected as dogmatic. Relativism breeds a sense of religious mediocrity through an underdeveloped faith. Too many Catholics are embarrassed to speak about their beliefs, and studiously avoid discussions about religion. The result is that America and the West are becoming value-free, nihilistic, anything goes societies.
The vision St. John presents is not without hope, and neither is the challenge to revitalize the culture of our nation. As St. John tells us. “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” Our hope is in the Lord. Pope Benedict XVI has stated that Catholics in the United States must develop a clear Catholic identity and a strong sense of belonging, of' being part of a community. The foundation for this is a new evangelization. We must develop once again a sense of the Divine, a knowledge of our faith — and we must practice it in our daily lives.
As Knights of Columbus, we can be in the vanguard of this evangelization. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. at the Supreme Convention last month, exhorted the Order to “be co-workers in the revival of the Church that our great Pope is leading.” Building a new civilization, he continued, will not be easy. But it is our mission, our vocation, our solemn duty.” We can begin by educating ourselves and our members about what it means to be a Catholic. There are many resources to do so that the Order provides through its Catholic Information Service. Then make prayer a natural part of our lives. Begin by having your Council recite the Rosary before each meeting. These are small, but forward steps. To paraphrase a popular church hymn: Let us evangelize the nation: and let it begin with me.
2009 Council Dues and Supreme Assessment
Individual member 2009 Council Dues ($45.00) are due in 2009. Each member should have received a dues bill from Don Hemke, the Financial Secretary. You are encouraged to pay your dues obligation as soon as you receive the initial bill in December or early January 2009. Members will also get notice of a one-time $3.00 assessment from the Supreme Council for the "Culture of Life".
District Deputy Report
by John L. Durbin, District Deputy
February brings us into the cold part of Winter with the anticipation that Spring will be following rapidly. We have the opportunity to add to our Order during the Spring membership BLITZ. Our Order Wide Membership Drive will take place in February and March. Start now and designate a weekend to hold your individual Council membership drive. We are turning the corner at the halfway mark for our fraternal year and we look forward to a good strong finish. I ask all of you to ask one man at mass each Sunday to join our Order. Wear your pocket name badges at mass to show your pride in being a member of the Knights of Columbus. Parishioners will notice the things you do, your involvement at mass whether you are an usher, lecturer, extraordinary minister or just attending mass with your family. They will notice and maybe want to be part of our family. We still have six months for each of us to attain the Silver Knight award for this fraternal year. We each need to bring in two new members, attend three business meetings and participate in three council events. I am sure most of us need only the two members.
The District Free Throw Competition will take place at Our Lady of Guadalupe Council. The POC for information, time and date for this competition is our District Warden Jack Giacalone. Terry Waters will again be running the event for us and we hope there will be a large turn-out of Council winners taking part. The State competition will take place on March 8, 2009 at the School of the Incarnation, 2601 Symphony Lane in Gambrills, MD. Competition will be from 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM.
Pray the Rosary
Odds and Ends
Brother Knights Who Haven't Completed Their Degrees
This notice is to advise Brother Knights who haven't completed the third degree of an upcoming opportunity to do so. This third degree is being offered on February 20, 2009, at the Rosensteel Knights of Columbus Council Hall. You are asked to contact Mr. Homer Chen concerning the details and to arrange for carpooling.
Homer can be reached on (301) 460-0580 or by e-mail on homerchen14@gmail.com; or John E. Moore can be reached on (301) 774-9260 or by e-mail jem1234@verizon.net Please avail yourselves of this opportunity.
Our Council 33rd Annual
Pancake & Sausage Day 2009
(Jointly Sponsored with Olney Lions Club)
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2009
8:00 am to 2:00 pm
St. John’s Episcopal Church Hall (Olney)
Olney-Laytonsville Road (Rt. 108), Olney, MD
(across from Olney Library)
Your participation benefits The Lions Club "Community Activities Fund"
and the Knights of Columbus "College Scholarship Fund"
|
Volunteer to work the event (7-11AM or 11AM-3PM) – It’s family fun
Purchase a Business or Patron ad (includes two complimentary tickets) |
1/8 page (Business Card Size).....$25.00 1/4 page, 3 1/4" x 3 1/2".........$50.00 1/2 page, 6 1/2" x 3 1/2".........$85.00 Full Page, 6 1/2" x 7 3/4".......$150.00
Council Shirts Now Available
Council shirts are now available for $20. They are Maroon in color, Gildan Ultra Blend, 6.5 ounce, 50/50 cotton, poly pique knit sport shirts for men and women. The K of C insignia is just above the left pocket. We currently have all sizes available, medium, large, extra large and 2 extra large. To order your shirts please call Jack Giacalone at 301-774-6338. Thank you.
Click here to view a color photo of the shirt.
Silver Knight Award
|
The Silver Knight Award is available to a 3rd Degree Knight who recruits 2 new members, participates in 3 council programs, and attends 3 Business Council meetings. |
Seminarian Fund-matching Challenge
The following note has appeared for the last four months and no Brothers responded in January. Only three Brothers out of almost 400 have responded to date with donations. Let's see who else will step up to the "challenge."
A very generous Brother Knight in our Council, who wishes to remain anonymous, would like to challenge his Brother Knights to donate to the Seminarian Fund. He will match all donations up to $1000. Please be generous in your donations and know that your gifts will have double the impact. This challenge will be separately recorded and the results will be reported monthly in the Knightly News. Send all donations directly to the Grand Knight, John E. Moore, 4500 Prestwood Drive, Olney, Md. 20832.
Call for Fourth Degree Canidates
All third degree members of Father Maher Knights of Columbus are encouraged to take the next step in their journey and give consideration to joining the Sullivan Brothers Assembly as members of the fourth degree or patriotic degree. The symbols of the Fourth Degree are the Cross, the Flag, and the Sword. The symbols are constantly being attacked and as Catholic American men we should do what we can to defend them. The conferring of this degree will occur on March 22, 2009 at the University of Maryland, College Park, Md. Our meetings are held once a month and are no more than one hour. For more information contact John E. Moore, on (301) 774-9260 or just come to a Council meeting and talk to any of the many members of the Council who are members of the Sullivan Brothers Assembly.
Council Officers 2008 - 2009
| Title | Name | Telephone |
| Grand Knight | John E. Moore | 301 774 9260 |
| Chaplain | Rev. Father John T. Nguyen | 301 924 3774 |
| Associate Chaplin | Rev. Mr. Thomas J. Cioffi | 301 253 6042 |
| Deputy Grand Knight | Paul D. McFarlane | 301 570 4891 |
| Chancellor | Joseph E Krempasky | 301 924 2733 |
| Warden | Andrew P. Colliton | 301 924 2733 |
| Financial Secretary | Donald M. Hemke | 301 774 7511 |
| Treasurer | Joseph M. Feakes | 301 774 0137 |
| Recorder | Charles W. Cozad | 301 570 0073 |
| Advocate | Eugene I. Kane Jr | 301 963 4733 |
| Lecturer | William D. Gulban | 301 774 0424 |
| Inside Guard | Nick J. Padams | 301 570 5213 |
| Inside Guard | Frederick E. Boland | 301 774 5163 |
| Outside Guard | James N. Padams | 301 570 5213 |
| Trustee 3 year | Harry F. Bushar | 301 929 1425 |
| Trustee 2 year | Jack Giacalone | 301 774 6338 |
| Trustee 1 year | Innocent P. d'Almeida | 301 871 6756 |
| Financial Advisor (Insurance) | Richard J. Morin | 301 384 7627 |
| Convention Delegate | Harry F. Bushar | 301 929 1425 |
| 1st Alternate Delegate | Jack Giacalone | 301 774 6338 |
| 2nd Alternate Delegate | Robert M. Mazonkey | 301 253 6274 |
News From Supreme
Supreme Knight Calls for Increase in Volunteerism Throughout United States
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson on Jan. 23 delivered a major address at Fairfield University calling for increased volunteer action throughout the United States in response to the economic crisis and the decreasing number of donations to charitable organizations.
Knights of Columbus - A Leader in Volunteerism
Cumulative figures show that during the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated nearly $1.28 billion to charity, and provided in excess of 612 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable causes.
Knights Distribute 1,200 Coats for Kids
On Monday, Jan. 19, a National Day of Service, Knights in Washington, D.C., distributed winter coats to needy children, in the latest addition to the Order's "Help a Child in Need" program.
It was the first of three distributions scheduled for major cities in the United States.
A People of Life: Knights Helping Families in Tough Times
Knights of Columbus across the country are helping families with very young children by gathering donations of baby food and diapers from shoppers at grocery stores.
This photo gallery at www.kofc.org shows Knights in action, collecting supplies in Maryland, Virginia and Kansas.
Knights March for Life in Washington and Around U.S.
Supreme Secretary Donald Kehoe (photo) led the Pledge of Allegiance at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, where more than 200,000 pro-life advocates marked the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in Roe v. Wade.
Knights and their family members also joined pro-life marches and prayer services around the United States.
February and March 2009 Calendar
| February 4 | Council Executive Meeting, Cottage, 7:30 pm |
| February 7 | Tootsie Roll Awards Dinner, St Raphael’s Trumpet Room, 6:00 pm |
| February 11 | Council Business Meeting, OLGC,* 7:30 pm |
| February 19 | Sullivan Bros. Assembly, Pot Luck Dinner, Montgomery Council #2323 Hall (N-Z bring Entrée; A-M bring Salad or Dessert) |
| February 20 | Third Degree, Rosensteel KofC Council Hall, 7:00 pm |
| February 21 | Pancake and Sausage Breakfast, St. John’s Episcopal Church, 8:00 am-2:00 pm |
| February 25 | Council Social Meeting, (Ash Wednesday) 7:30 pm OLGC* |
| March 4 | Council Executive Meeting, Cottage, 7:30 pm |
| March 11 | Council Business Meeting, OLGC,* 7:30 pm |
| March 15 | Irish Dinner, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm, Site TBD** |
| March 20 | Fish Fry, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm, Site TBD** |
| March 25 | Council Social Meeting, 7:30 pm, OLGC* |
| * Our Lady of Good Counsel High School | |
| For additional information or to participate in any of the above activities, contact us at (301) 774-9260 | |