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The Knight's Shield - March 2018

Please keep Brother Knight, Bruno Belline, and his family in your prayers, as he was called home to the Lord on January 26, and keep Brother Knight, James Lisuzzo, and his family in your prayers as he went home to the Lord on February 1.

Welcome to our new brother, Stanley Labuda, who completed his Major degree at St. Lawrence Knights of Columbus Council 2950 on February 17. Congratulations Stanley!

At the time this article is being written, we have had two very successful fish fries. We served roughly 800+ dinners, made a lot of new friends and continue the good work that Fr. Michael J McGivney started on March 29, 1882. I hope to see all of you and your families and friends on Friday nights. Our Fish Fry helps to fund all our council activities, the needs of our Church, needy families, Special Olympics, special needs, Coats for Kids, Holy Cross Children Services, Youth Free Throw Contest, Tootsie Roll Drive, the Food Pantry, and many, many more causes we are involved in. Please take the time to tell your families, friends, and neighbors to please join us on Friday’s in Lent except Good Friday March 30th. There is a lot of help needed for the Fish Fries during Lent. This event will give you a chance to get to know your Brother Knights and church families, and have an evening of fun! Please help make our Fish Fry successful. Make an effort to make it out to one of the remaining Friday Fish Fries. It would be great to see some new blood at this event.

Please remember that our March 12 meeting will start at 6:30 pm, and is our annual Open House Pot Luck Dinner and Awards Night. The council will provide the chicken and beverages. You are asked to bring a dish to pass for this event. It can be an entrée, a side dish, or a dessert. We will have a guest from St. Vincent de Paul, along with the winners from the “Keep Christ in Christmas” Poster Contest. We will also have a membership recruitment drawing, a door prize raffle, and of course, a 50/50 drawing. Additionally, we will present the Shining Armor Awards, Special Recognition Awards, along with the prestigious Knight and Family of the Year Awards. Be sure to not miss this evening.

Do you have SafeServe Certification? If you do please send me a copy of your certificate so we can have this on file for our records. If it is expired still send it to me and we will work on getting you recertified. My E-mail:

By encouraging prayer, penance and almsgiving, the season of Lent calls us to change, to root out sin and draw closer to God as we serve our neighbor. Appropriately, the celebration of Mass for these 40 days also takes on a different tone and appearance to remind us of the needed interior change. Here are some things to look and listen for:

1. The Color Purple. The vestments worn by the priest at Mass are purple, the color symbolizing repentance. Although we are continually called to turn away from our sins, the season of Lent provides a particular focus on interior conversion as we prepare ourselves over these 40 days to celebrate the great feast of Easter.

2. Muted Music. In keeping with the austerity of the Lenten season, there are no instrumental interludes; the organ or other musical instruments are only to be used as accompaniment for singing.

3. Unadorned Altars. There are no flowers in the sanctuary during Lent, and the linens and candle-sticks used on the altar are less ornate.

4. No Alleluia. From the Greek, Alleluia means “praise Yahweh” or “praise God,” an expression of rejoicing. Lent is a time of exile, a spiritual journey as we turn away from sin and amend our lives as we await the joy of the Resurrection. Alleluia is an Easter word: Think of the “Hallelujah Chorus” of Handel’s “Messiah.” The Alleluia returns to the Mass — in triplicate, no less — when the priest or deacon chants it before the Gospel reading during the Easter Vigil.

5. And No Gloria. Also a song of joy, the Gloria is omitted during Lent, just as it is during Advent. Like the Alleluia, it will return in full splendor at the Easter Vigil liturgy.

6. Yet there are Exceptions. On Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, the liturgical vestments are rose-colored, the music and decor more upbeat. When a Solemnity is celebrated during Lent, such as the feast of St. Joseph (March 19) or the Annunciation (March 25), the vestments are white, instrumental music and altar flowers are permitted, and the Gloria is sung. (Since Palm Sunday is March 25 this year, the bishops in the United States and Canada have moved the Solemnity of the Annunciation to April 9, during the Easter season.)

7. Strict Scrutiny. In parishes where individuals are preparing for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), candidates for Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation are called forth on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays in Lent for a brief rite called scrutinies, which ordinarily takes place after the homily and be-fore the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

8. Longer Readings! No, it’s not the length of the reading that’s penitential, but rather the way these passages call us to faith and conversion. If your parish is using the readings from Year A of the three- year liturgical cycle — or if there are catechumens preparing for the Easter Vigil — you may notice that the Gospel readings for the third through fifth weeks of Lent are unusually long. That is by design. The readings from John’s Gospel about the Samaritan woman at the well, the healing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead are longer-but-stronger catechetical readings meant to help prepare catechumens for Baptism — and prepare the rest of us for an Easter renewal of our baptismal promises.

The K of C will be conducting the Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 23, at 7:00 pm...right after the last fish fry. We had 6 readers last year. I have 3 right now, and I need 3 more. If you would like to participate in this, please see me.

I invited 13 seminarians that we support to attend an admission degree at the Seminary on February 24. Unfortunately, some were Knights already or they were not able to attend. We need help from ALL Knights if you are active or not. The order must grow to stay alive for our current and future families, or else the last 136 years of The Knights and what we stand for are for nothing! Please ask a friend to become a Knight.

We have Members: 223 YTD Change -4
We have a quota of 15 new members. We need 10 more.
We have a quota of 6 new insurance members. We need 3 more
The delegates for the annual State Convention on Mackinaw Island in May are as follows:
First delegate – Art Krygowski
Second delegate – Mike Hartel
First alternate – Ted Czarny
Second alternate – Steven Kargenian

Vivat Jesus
Art Krygowski
Grand Knight

The Knight's Shield - February 2018

Please keep our Worthy State Secretary, Anthony Vittorini, and his family in your prayers as he was called home to the Lord on January 2nd. Thank you to all that attended a visitation, rosary service, funeral Mass, burial or luncheon for Tony. Sue and Tony’s family were very touched by the outpouring of love given to their family. Tony was in line to be our next State Deputy in July...a long 8 year journey he was not able to complete. I was much honored to have Tony attend the August 14th meeting with us to celebrate Fr. Joe Hund’s 50 years as a Franciscan. When I asked State Deputy Ken Unterbrink if Tony could attend, Tony was excited to find out that his calendar was open, and he was able to accept the invitation. There is a 45 minute video on Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, Inc. website if you would like to view a tribute of Tony’s life.

The State Council was in a position that has not been seen in Michigan with the sudden loss of a State Secretary; therefore, the state council met, and according to the Charter Constitution Laws, Section 58, completed its duties.

Elected as State Secretary – William H. Chasse – former State Treasurer. Elected as State Treasurer – Walter K. Winkle, Jr. – former State Advocate. Elected as State Advocate – Christopher A. Kolomjec – former State Warden. Elected as State Warden - Joseph R. Munie of St. Mary Star of the Sea Council #9301 in Jackson Mi. These elected offices are effective immediately and will be in effect until the end of the current term of office.

We have our annual Lenten Fish Fry coming up this month starting on February 16th. It’s a good time to make good on those New Year’s resolutions to be more active in the Knights. There will be a lot of help needed for the Fish Fry’s during Lent. This event will give you a chance to get to know your Brother Knights, church families and have an evening of fun! Please help make our Fish Fry successful. Make an effort to make it out one or more of the six Friday Fish Fry’s. It would be great to see some new blood at this event.

The State Deputy’s Membership Tribute Banquet honoring our State Deputy, Kenneth B. Unterbrink, is Sunday, February 25, 2018, at DeCarlo’s. The cost is $30.00 per person. A table of ten is $300.00. It starts at 4:00pm. We will have purchased a table of ten. If you would like to attend, contact the State office for details.

Established in February, 1900, the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus promote and exemplify the ideals of Catholicism and Patriotism side by side. Because the virtue associated with the 4th Degree is Patriotism, the degree is often referred to as "The Patriotic Degree.” Further, 4th Degree Knights that choose to be in the Color Corps with its colorful regalia tend to be regarded as the face of the Knights of Columbus and how many people recognize the Knights. (Note that joining the Color Corps after becoming a 4th Degree Knight is optional at the discretion of the individual.) Further, those that become 4th Degree Knights are referred to as "Sir Knights" while their spouses carry the title of "Lady". The Spring 4th Degree Exemplification will be held at DeCarlo's Banquet Center on Saturday, March 3, 2018. Registration for candidates starts at 9 am. Also beginning this year the Candidate Dress Attire has changed:

Men: Black Tuxedo, Black Bow Tie, Black Cummerbund, Black Socks and Shoes, White Tuxedo Shirt with “Full Collar”, Winged Tip Collars and/or Vests Are NOT Acceptable!
OR
Dark Suit, White Shirt, Dark Long Tie, Black Socks and Shoes, Vests are NOT acceptable.

Please see one of the many 4th degree members in our Council for more information.

The Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest entries were judged at the January officers meeting. The winners will be announced at the March Pot Luck Dinner.

I am going to put out a plug for son Jeremy (who is on Carl’s left). He is the advocate at the new college council at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo MI. He is in January’s Michigan Columbian, Page 7, pictured with Carl Anderson and 3 other gentlemen at the 2017 College Council Leadership Conference in Connecticut this past September. Nearly 220 college Knights gathered for the annual conference of leadership development, Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Coming from 87 campuses across North America, the attendees discuss membership and recruitment strategies, share ideas for charitable activities, learn best practices in council management and explore what it means to be Catholic gentlemen. They were accompanied by 25 chaplains who serve the spiritual needs of college councils. Attending this year’s conference was David Schuster, College Council Coordinator.

Vivat Jesus
Art Krygowski
Grand Knight

Kenneth B. Unterbrink Letter - State Instillation of Officers

Published by: Gary Merritt On: 01/30/2018 Under: All Articles

From left to right; State Advocate Christopher Kolomjec, State Secretary William Chasse, State Deputy Kenneth Unterbrink, State Chaplain Very Rv. William Turner, State Treasurer Walter Winkle, State Warden Joseph Munie

My Brother Knights,

On Sunday January 28, 2018 the four state officers, recently appointed by a unanimous vote of the State Board, were installed into their new offices of State Secretary – William Chasse, State Treasurer – Walter Winkle, Jr., State Advocate –Christopher Kolomjec, and State Warden – Joseph Munie.

The appointments were made in accordance with the Charter Constitution Laws of the Knights of Columbus (Chapter VIII State Councils, Vacancies, Section 58 paragraph 23).

The Installation of State Council Officers ceremony was conducted by State Chaplain William J. Turner and State Deputy Kenneth B. Unterbrink at the altar of St. Mary Parish in Chelsea, MI.

As with all State Officers, District Deputies, Directors, Council Officers, they promised to support and obey the Constitution Laws of the Order, promised loyalty and devotion to the Catholic Church, the Holy Father, Bishops and priest, and to devote the necessary time to the discharge of their responsibilities as designated by the Laws of the Order, as well as to keep the welfare and Good of the Order uppermost in their mind.

The State Officers installed on January 28, 2018 have committed to the service of the Order and the Church with the full support of their families.

Fraternally,
Kenneth B. Unterbrink
Michigan State Deputy

Antonio Giovanni Vittorini

Antonio Giovanni Vittorini
September 21, 1954 - January 2, 2018
Macomb, Michigan | Age 63
Obituary

My Brother Knights,

It is with deep sadness that on January 2, 2018 our State Secretary Antonio Vittorini was taken to be with the Lord. Our prayers are for Tony and his family.

The state council was in a position that has not been seen in Michigan with the sudden loss of a State Secretary, therefore the state council met, and according to the Charter Constitution Laws, section 58 completed its duties.

Elected as State Secretary – William H. Chasse – former State Treasurer. Elected as State Treasurer – Walter K. Winkle, Jr. – former State Advocate. Elected as State Advocate – Christopher A. Kolomjec – former State Warden. Elected as State Warden - Joseph R. Munie of Council #9301. These elected offices are effective immediately and will be in effect until the end of the current term of office.

The State Council is committed to work toward the success of the Michigan Jurisdiction and cohesiveness of the state council. The mentoring from each officer to the new officer is part of the overall success of the Michigan Jurisdiction for no man is an island, for we are a team.

The State Council is always in need of your prayers and the understanding of the importance of each link of the membership to succeed. We are in a new phase as to the induction of On-Line Membership, starting in Michigan in February 2018, Building the Domestic Church with bringing Catholics families back to the Eucharist each week.

Fraternally in Christ,
Kenneth Unterbrink
State Deputy

The Knight's Shield - January 2018

Vivat Jesus! CHRISTmas has come and gone, and once again we have celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. January 1, 2018, brings us a new year and with it, new opportunities and challenges. I would like to encourage each of you to keep the spirit of Christmas joy in our hearts throughout the New Year. We all have many reasons to be thankful. God gives us challenges because He loves us. The reasons are not always obvious, but I believe everything that happens is due to His Divine plan. Let's all try, as Catholic gentlemen, to bring a little more kindness to our world, even when it is most difficult.

We, as followers of Christ in the name of Christopher Columbus, have a responsibility to our Church and our Order. We have committed ourselves to Christ through our baptism and to our Order at the time of our First Degree. Our commitment must not subside, but be renewed with more vigor each year. Each of us in this great Order of the Knights of Columbus has some responsibility. As a member of a council, we should be as active as possible. We should be attending meetings, recruiting new members, working on programs of the council and be there when needed. Officers of the Order have a strong responsibility to be aware of what makes the Order run. They should have a strong working knowledge of procedures and policies, as well as an awareness to assist those in their charge. We all have the obligation to see signs of need in others in the Order. We should be ready to assist our brothers when needed. This assistance could be financial, employment, assisting with shopping, driving etc. With dedication and perseverance, we will not necessarily become Saints...but we will be able to stay the course in life and in our Order. We will have the ability to do what has to be done to move the Knights of Columbus in a strong, forward direction. With this being said, let us ask ourselves... have we recruited a new member? If not, have we asked a brother Catholic to join our ranks? Let us turn over a new leaf and make a New Year’s resolution to recruit a new member. What better way to kick of the New Year than by recruiting a new member. I am challenging each officer and member to follow through the way Fr. Michael J. McGivney intended by bringing in a new Knight. As leaders and members of our council we must all do our part.

George Sakorafos, our Council Director, would like to step down from this position. I am asking for a volunteer to step in for him. In this position, you are responsible for the selection and tracking of the Family of the Month decided at the officers and director meetings, and doing research on the Family of the Month as to why they were chosen; working with the Family Director getting the plaques made and brought to the General membership meeting. If you would like to step up for this position, please let me know as soon as you can.

Sunday December 17th, the SPOT Men’s group had Cookies with Santa. They had a good turnout with about 31 children and their families attending. The children decorated Christmas cookies, sang lots of songs, and spent time with Santa telling him all their dreams for Christmas while having their picture taken with him. Ray Ignatowski let me know that Joyce Aufuth, who is Sal Bica’s mother-in-law, would like to donate 70 Christmas stockings to us for our children. Her grandson, Doug Lovell who is a Knight, delivered them to church. My first thought was to take them to Meijer for the food pantry’s annual Christmas Wrapping @ Meijer’s and give them with the coats but decided to use them for Cookies with Santa.

Thank you to Jerry Hund, Ray Coughlin and the many, many helpers taking orders, distributing samples and running the pickup before Christmas for the Ham and Kielbasa Sale. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the Holiday ham & kielbasa that was purchased from the Knights. Make sure you eat all that you purchased, as you know Easter is not far away.

Thank you to Mike Hartel, Rick Okerhjelm and George Sakorafos for picking up 35 chairs from Erie Elementary for the Christmas overflow Masses in the social hall.

Our next Euchre Tournament is January 27th. Please contact Mike Hartel for details.

Our next Pancake Breakfast is January 28, 2018. Discussion was made to add French toast to the menu and raise the adult price to $7 from $6. Also to put a better ad in the church bulletin. We will need help in the Kitchen for cooking. Ralph Pullis would like a co-chair for a while, and possibly to take over the chair so as to give someone else an opportunity to run the program.

Thank you to all that donated to the annual Sweatshirt Gifts and Gift Cards for HCCS at last month’s meeting. Our Worthy D.D. Gary Kopp was very excited in the amount of gifts, gift cards and money that was donated.

The Worship Commission would like to reinstitute the distribution of the Precious Blood at the 11:30 Mass on Sundays. Please sign up to serve and wear a Knight shirt or Badge. If those of you that usually attend the 11:30 Mass are able and willing to serve on a regular basis, please let Sally Gryniewicz know so she can put this into place. Sally can be reached at (586)263-1353 or at msgryniewicz@comcast.net

Everyone has received their Dues letter from our Worthy Financial Secretary Ray Ignatowski. Ray has added a questionnaire on the back of the form for you to fill out. Please add (spouse’s name and especially Email address) or change any information about you that is incorrect. Remember, Dues must be paid by the January General Membership Meeting for you to be able to attend the meeting.

You should have also received your State Raffle Tickets in the mail. If not, they’re on their way. Sell what you can for a very worthy cause. If you can’t mail them back in time, consider taking them to DeCarlo’s Banquet & Convention Center in Warren on the day of the raffle. Gary and Patricia DeCarlo offer the Knights and their families a nice lunch before the drawings.

Vivat Jesus
Art Krygowski
Grand Knight

The Knight's Shield - December 2017

As we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas…the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...may we give thanks in every way that we live in a community where we can celebrate our faith. I know the holidays can create added stress as everyone travels, shops for gifts, and prepares meals for get togethers; but just take some time to reflect and remember that Jesus is the reason for this season. I wish you all a Blessed Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year! I would like to thank Brother Fr. Ron Essman for the fourteen years of service to St. Paul of Tarsus and his continued support for the Knights of Columbus. I believe we all have grown in our Catholic Faith from Fr. Ron’s spiritual guidance and wonderful stories (Homilies). Congratulations Fr. Ron on achieving Senior Priest and Semi-retirement!

We welcomed our fourth pastor here at St. Paul of Tarsus on November 13th, Brother Fr. Jerry Slowinski. I have spoken with Fr. Jerry a few times. He is a very energetic and uplifting person. He told me that he has been a Knight for longer than he can remember! Make sure to introduce yourself to him as a Brother Knight and a proud member of St. Paul of Tarsus Church.

Congratulations to the following brothers for their achievements in our order:

Admissions Degree: Bobby Morrison
Admissions and Formation Degree: Zach Abbott
Formation and Knighthood Degree:
Bill Gowland
William Hill
Craig Thomson
Larry Young

I encourage you to invite your Catholic family members or friends to consider becoming a member of our Council. Not only will it assist us in making our programs run easier, but new members bring in new ideas to infuse into our council. Please realize that being a Knight is not only a benefit to our council, it is a benefit to that person and their family. It is my hope that the Knights make us better husbands and fathers, better friends and co-workers, and better people in general. When you join the Knights, you’re joining an organization that thrives on true Catholic family values. An organization that is deeply rooted in our faith with a strong bent toward charity, and also supports each of their members through good times and bad.

We had a luncheon after 11:30 am Mass on November 19th for any prospective Knights and their families. I am very disappointed to report that we had zero members bring in anyone, nor did we have any walk-ins after Mass. We are continuing to look for ideas on how to get the point across to all men of the parish as to why we became Knights, but we need your help in doing this task.

Our District Corporate Communion was November 19th at the 11:30am Mass. There wasn’t a good turnout from other councils, but 11689 had a substantial amount of Knights and families. Thank you! Just a reminder to all Knights, when you attend a Corporate Communion Mass you are invited to process in and sit with your brother Knights and their families.

On November 12th my wife Janice and I attended the K of C Memorial Mass at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. This was a very touching Mass and it was a privilege being there with the families to honor the memories of the Knights who went home to our Lord in the past year. These are pictures of the plaques that will forever be on the walls of Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

Another honor was bestowed upon us when we were invited to sit at our Worthy State Deputy Ken Unterbrink’s table for breakfast, along with his wife Eleanor, Msgr. Todd J. Lajiness, a Deacon and his wife, and a seminarian (sorry not good at remembering names).

Mike Hartel and I went to Erie Elementary Tuesday, November 21,st with coats from our “Coats for Kids” program. We met with the school social worker and passed out 22 coats to children in need. The look in the children’s eyes and knowing they will be warm this winter was priceless and touched our hearts. The remaining coats will be given out on December 6th at Meijer along with the food pantry and choir at the annual Christmas Wrapping @ Meijer’s.

Thank you to all that donated to the annual Sweatshirt Gifts and Gift Cards for HCCS at last month’s meeting. Our Worthy D.D. Gary Kopp was very excited in the amount of gifts, gift cards and money that was donated. If you still want to donate a gift, please bring it with you to the December meeting and Gary will make sure it goes to the right place.

On Saturday October 21,st 12 brother Knights came to the road clean up headed up by Brother Greg Csernai. It lasted about an hour and a half. He sends his thank you to William Hill, Steven Kargenian, Art Krygowski, Gary Skarb and Dan Steele for helping to keep our roads clean for us and the environment. At our November general membership meeting, because of the loss of Brother Joe Bono who was our Inside Guard, an election was held to fill his position. Leon Berdy was elected to serve as our Inside Guard for the remainder of the year. Congratulations.

A very heartfelt thank you to all that donated their time at St John the Apostle Anglican Church Thanksgiving week to participate in their annual McRest project. Knowing that we helped ease the lives of 29 men of all ages is a really good feeling. It’s only with the assistance of local volunteers such as yourself that we can rise to meet the challenge.

A couple of months ago Brother Gerry Vento was approached by one of his customers at Big Boy restaurant here in Mt. Clemens and wanted to donate a car to the Knights of Columbus. Gerry contacted me, then I contacted Brother Phil Bryant at Russ Milne Ford, and he gave us $300.00 for this vehicle. Thank you Gerry and Russ!

In late September, our neighboring church, St. Michaels St. Vincent De Paul contacted our Pantry Coordinator, Darlene Siefert, and asked if the Knights would be able to deliver a bed to a needed person. So Hank Leflere, George Sakorafos, Rob Tusset and I stepped up to this worthy assignment. Then in late November, Gary Skarb and I delivered another bed to a disabled veteran. Thank you all that were involved!

Please add this to your calendars: On the weekends of December 2nd - 3rd and 9th - 10th , Brother Jerry Hund will once again be heading up the ham and kielbasa fundraiser for Christmas. He and other Brother Knights, will be taking orders for your holiday meats. All products; Hams, kielbasa, turkey, etc. are the Dearborn Brand. Ham & Kielbasa Pick Up is from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on December 21st.

Everyone should have received their dues letter from our Worthy Financial Secretary, Ray Ignatowski, by now. Ray has added a questionnaire on the back of the form for you to fill out. We need this to keep our files up to date and keep me from hunting you down in the New Year…LOL. We only have about 142 Email addresses from over 230 Brother Knights, which tells me we are not reaching all. This would help to get information to you like the passing of a Brother Knight, special notices or any other information you may need to know. If you don’t have an Email address, please put down someone that can get a message to you.

You should have also received your State Raffle tickets in the mail. If not, they’re on their way. Sell what you can...it is for a very worthy cause. If you can’t sell them, mail them back in time or consider taking them to DeCarlo’s Banquet & Convention Center in Warren on the day of the raffle. Gary and Patricia DeCarlo offer the Knights and their families a nice lunch before the drawings.

The Holy Cross Children’s Services Raffle Calendars are here! These calendars – which are perfect for home, office or as a gift – continue to be priced at only $25 each, with the proceeds going to support HCCS. The calendar offers the possibility to win daily and monthly, as well as the grand prize of $5,000. Please contact me or see me at a meeting to acquire a calendar.

In closing, on behalf of my family...Janice, Krystal, Jeremy and our cats Shadow & Simba, I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

Vivat Jesus
Art Krygowski
Grand Knight

The Knight's Shield - November 2017

Please keep in your prayers Sir Knight Joe Bono who went home to the Lord on September 28. Please pray for his family members so they have peace at this difficult time in their lives. Thank you Phil Mularski for honoring Joe with a beautiful and meaningful Rosary/ Eulogy and Hank LeFlere, Gary Skarb, Tony Guido, George Loewen for their part in praying the rosary. Kathy (Joe’s daughter) thanked me many times for all the love and support the Knights have given her and her family. She also said how much Joe Loved the Knights and was Proud to be a Knight.

The loss of Brother Joe Bono leaves the vacant position of Inside Guard. You can nominate another 3rd Degree Brother, or self-nominate yourself if you have attained 3rd Degree status. At October’s General Membership Meeting, nominations for Inside Guard were accepted: Leon Berdy, Nick Oliveri, Bill Gowland and Rick Dutts. We will vote for the position of Inside Guard at the November General Membership Meeting.

November is upon us, and it is time to reflect on the year that has passed: to be thankful for the blessings God has given, and remember the ones he has brought back to his fold. The 18th of this month, we will honor, remember and pray for those who have fallen this year, and pray for those who are heading into this holiday season missing a loved one.

Please make an effort to make contact and share memories with someone you have lost touch with lately. During this time of the year, our thoughts generally turn toward the Holidays coming up, Christmas shopping, and football. In addition to those things, I’d ask each of you to remember the first and foremost principle of our Order…Charity. This is the time of year when your charity is most needed. Remember that charity doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of a monetary donation. There are many ways to serve others with just your time.

I beg of you to ask a Catholic friend of yours to become a member of our Council. Not only will it assist us in making our programs run easier, but new members bring in new ideas to infuse into our council. Please realize that being a Knight is not only a benefit to our council, it is a benefit to that person and their family. It is my hope that the Knights make us better husbands and fathers, better friends and coworkers, and better people in general. When you join the Knights, you’re joining an organization that thrives on true catholic family values...an organization that is deeply rooted in our faith with a strong bent toward charity….an organization that supports each of their members through good times and bad. Go out and recruit. Bring in a friend, a father, a son, etc.

The K of C Euchre Tournament was held Saturday, September 30th after 4:30 pm Mass, and was well attended by members of our Parish and guests. Thank you to Mike Hartel and all the helpers (whose names I do not have) for putting this event on.

I would like to thank George Mejaly for inviting his niece Diane Deluca RPh once again this year for the distribution of flu shots at our last General Membership Meeting, where 21 Flu shots were given. Also I would like to thank Rick Okerhjelm, Vito Guzzardo, Phil Bonnette and all the helpers for their outstanding dinner and service at this meeting. We had a nice meal and social time with Brother Knights and their wives.

The fall clothing drive headed up by Past Grand Knight Jerry Hund was successful as always. Thank you Jerry for loading your new Ford truck. With his helpers they delivered the donations to St. Aloysius Outreach Center in Detroit. These donations are not sold, but given to the needy in our neighborhoods. The clothing drive is just another example of “Charity” and what being a Knight of Columbus means.

The 2018 Basketball Free Throw Competition was held on October 14th at St. Clement of Rome in Romeo, MI. Thank you to Hank LeFlere, William Hill, Ralph Pullis and Vince Ursini for standing in for me and running St. Paul’s part in this event. I will post the results next month as they are in California (where we all probably wish we could be right now….LOL) as I write this article.

2018 Participants from St. Clement of Rome, St. John Vianney, St. Isidore and St. Paul of Tarsus

Our 5th annual Trunk or Treat was enjoyed by over 125 attendees this year. The children had a fun time. There were games, food, prizes and a Halloween Costume Parade. Thank you for the many, many volunteers, and over 15 Confirmation candidates, along with over 25 vehicles who passed out treats. Please see our new website: www.spotknights.com for pictures and videos.

Winners of the Costume Parade Contest

The Winner of the Best Vehicle Costume is Vivian and Peggy Dudley

Please add this to your calendars: On the weekends of December 2nd - 3rd and 9th- 10th , Brother Jerry Hund will once again be heading up the ham and kielbasa fund raiser for Christmas. He, and other Brother Knights, will be taking orders for your holiday meats. All products; Hams. Kielbasa, Turkey, etc. are the Dearborn Brand.

Brother Ken Krause brings so much help and joy in his selfless sacrifice to the Knights and the Church. To quote what he has said in the past, “he truly appreciates the many volunteer hours that fellow Knights put in to help brighten the outside of St. Paul of Tarsus during the Christmas season.” We hope you will consider helping us put up our Christmas lights here at St. Paul. There is not a date set in stone yet, as Ken is watching the weather forecasts for November. So for now, if you would like to help, please call (586-263-7115) or E-mail: (krause2house@yahoo.com) Ken to let him know you are interested in helping.

Vivat Jesus
Art Krygowski
Grand Knight/Youth Director

The Knight's Shield - October 2017

Please keep Joe Bono and his family in your prayers. At the time of this writing, he has been placed under hospice care. I visited Joe in the hospital. He does not understand how he went downhill so fast, but he said that he had lived a good long 92 years and he loved being a Knight.

Remember also in your prayers Ross Vizzaccero, member of 11689 and a past member of St Anastasia and the Knights,who went home to the Lord September 6, 2017 at age 97. Ross was active in the Church and Knights. He made many friends while living in Troy. Later in life Ross and Jo downsized and moved to the East Side.

Last month, as I mentioned, the Knights gave a retirement gift to Fr. Ron of $500.00 for the needs of his new condo.

I would like to thank Ralph Pullis and the Knights Breakfast Team on another successful breakfast on September 10th. We had over 180 satisfied customers. Proceeds will be donated to St. John the Apostle Anglican Church McRest Program. The next Pancake Breakfast will be November 12th.

Our Corporate Communion was well attended on Sunday, September 16th, with over three rows of Knights and their families, and six members of the Color Corps of the Fourth Degree. The next District Corporate Communion will be November 19th at 11:30 am Mass.

October is here and so is the start of our busy season! Please try to help out at any of our events. Even If you have an idea of your own, bring it up so we can grow our presence in our church and community.

Membership to the Knights of Columbus is on a steady decline. A Quote from Supreme Knight Carl Anderson: “Most brother Knights say they were asked to join the Knights of Columbus by a family member or friend, yet too many Knights today rarely ask someone to join us. All of us need to make an extra effort to extend the benefits of membership to more Catholic men, so today I ask every brother Knight to recruit at least three new members this year.” The growth of the Knights of Columbus depends not only on recruiting new members, but also on retaining current ones. These retention efforts for new members begin once he joins the Order. In addition, efforts must be made to retain longstanding members and to keep them enthusiastic about the Order. There will be a membership team meeting on October 5th at 5:30pm in Conference Room 1, if anyone would like to attend and bring ideas on how to recruit new members.

At our October 9th General Membership Meeting, George Mejaly’s niece will be here offering flu shots to all Knights and their families. Bring your Health Insurance Card, or if your Insurance does not cover this she will take cash ($25 I think). I am working on producing a photo book for the Knights with your smiling face and name. So Please attend the October and/or November Membership meeting to get your picture taken. Talking with some brothers and speaking for myself, I am not sure who you all are by name. If this works out I am hoping to have them done by Christmas.

Also we will be having our fall clothing drive at our October meeting on October 9th. As usual all types of clothing, apparel, shoes , jackets, etc. are needed for the many unfortunate homeless, including women and children who are also in need. The items will be donated to the St. Aloysius Outreach Center in downtown Detroit, to be distributed to those in need. The items are not sold, but given to the homeless for their personal use. This time of the year, warm items are of great importance...even hats, gloves and scarves make a difference to those struggling in the harsh weather. A pickup truck will be parked outside the hall before the meeting to drop off the various items. Your generosity is greatly appreciated by the Outreach Center, and we are fulfilling the First Principle of Our Order, “Charity”.

Your help is needed to continue building our 4th annual Trunk or Treat. This year's event will be on Sunday, October 22nd beginning at 2PM with set up at Noon. There will be a planning meeting on October 5th at 7:00pm in conference room 1. Please try to attend this meeting as we are looking for additional people to pass out candy from decorated trunks or tailgates and new ideas for kid’s games. Last year, over 100 of St. Paul’s youth came out to partake in this event. We have also asked for support from the Choir, Men's Group, Men's Faith Sharing Group, Women of Faith, and Youth Group. The next District Planning /Workshop is October 10th at 7:00pm at St. Clement of Rome in Romeo. Please try to attend. This is a good time to meet brothers and share ideas from our four other District Councils.

The semiannual Adopt-A-Road project will be Saturday, October 21st 8:00am.

Our Major Degree here at St. Paul’s on October 14th has been cancelled and will be rescheduled as a Joint Major Degree on October 28th at St. Hubert’s Council 11658 in Harrison Township, Mi. Start time is 9:00am for the Admission degree, and 10:30 for the Formation degree.

Starting with November’s Knight Shield, they will not be U.S.P. mailed. They will be E-mailed to all on our E-mail list. If you do not get E-mails from George Loewen, please let me know so we can add you to the list. As of right now there are about 150 E-mails on file. If we do not have your E-mail we will still U.S.P mail them to you but the goal is to E-mail to as many as possible. There will be hard copies at the meetings for those who did not get an E-mailed copy. We are spending $1200.00 a year on mailings, we would like to reduce this cost to allow us to use our hard earned money for other worthy causes. Please remember that the Knights Shield is also available on the church’s website: www.stpauloftarsus.com, or our web-site: www.spotknights.com. We are also on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Vivat Jesus
Art Krygowski
Grand Knight