ON THE RISE BAKERY SALE

 

The Knight's Shield - April 2022

Happy Easter, He is Risen!

We are approaching Easter and there is a lot still to do. We are continuing fish fries through April 8th. Come on out and join us for a good time serving up food to our community. The Easter meat sales order form is attached. We have the Easter egg hunt coming, a great time for the kids. Last but certainly not least is our 2022 MI Drive. Let Jeff Gapczynski know if you can work it.

Next month begins our officer election process. We will be taking nominations at our April general membership meeting. Then in May a 2nd round of nominations and the elections. If you are interested in taking on a leadership role in the council or have any questions, let me know. It is perfectly acceptable and encouraged to self nominate for a position. 

There is a webinar called "purpose driven retirement strategies" hosted by your K of C insurance agency, presenter Joe Jordan. See the flyer with this newsletter. Please let me know if you sign up for this event as we do get credit if you attend.

The Resurrection is the greatest of the miracles -- it proves that Jesus is God. That is why St. Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your Faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, then your Faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins… But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Cor 15:14, 17, 20). If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then the Church is a fraud, and Faith is a sham. But if He really did rise from the dead, His message is true! Without the Resurrection, Jesus would have remained forever a good person who had met a tragic end. People would remember some of his teachings, and a handful of people might try to live according to them. All the basic doctrines of Christianity are founded on the truth of the Resurrection. “Jesus is Lord; He is risen” (Rom 10:9) was the central theme of the kerygma (or "preaching"), of the Apostles. In fact, the seventeenthcentury philosopher, John Locke, some of whose ideas were incorporated into the Declaration of Independence, wrote, "Our Savior’s Resurrection is truly of great importance in Christianity, so great that His being or not being the Messiah stands or falls with it."

Vivat Jesus! 

Tom Gray

George Joseph Francis - January 6, 1932 - March 19, 2022

 

Obituary George Joseph Francis

George J. Francis, 90, of Grosse Pointe Farms, died peacefully Saturday, March 19, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1932, George moved with his proud, Lebanese immigrant parents and siblings to the east side of Detroit in the mid-1930s. Growing up one of six children, George learned early the importance of hard work and a good education, including taking two buses to attend Detroit Catholic Central High School on the west side of Detroit, graduating in 1949.

Shortly after, George enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950, where he spent the next four years stationed in Europe and California, working his way up to staff sergeant. He earned an honorable discharge in 1954, after obtaining a National Defense Service Medal and a Medal for Good Conduct. After a brief stint working in Cincinnati, George found his way back to Detroit. In 1959, he got an entry-level job in the mailroom at Michigan Consolidated Gas Company. Being naturally analytical, along with his hard work and determination to provide a better life for his family, he quickly moved to data management where he contributed to the company's technological transformation from paper to mainframe, to personal computers and servers. He was the manager of information systems when he retired in 1994, after 35 years of service.

In one chance moment, a humble George met his one and only, Ellen MacDonald, a student-nurse at Providence Hospital School of Nursing, while standing up in his brother's wedding in 1960. George and Ellen married in 1961, and with a mutual belief in the beauty of a large family, were blessed with 10 children over the next 14 years. George's unyielding dedication to family, fatherhood, faith and friends helped him develop a true commitment to his community in East Detroit, serving as a youth sports coach, member of the St. Veronica School Board and St. Veronica Men's Club, and active parishioner at St. Veronica Catholic Church, where his children attended school. His lifelong passion for sports included years bowling in the Knights of Columbus Leo the XIII bowling league with friends, as well as an almost perfect attendance record at his many children's sporting events throughout their years at Notre Dame and Regina high schools. George also had a deep affection for the sports teams at the University of Michigan and spent numerous weekends cheering on the Wolverines.

George was meticulous in how he cared for the landscaping around his house, refusing to let anyone else cut his lawn until his later years. One of his other joys was getting up early Saturday mornings in the summer, scrambling a few dozen eggs, sizzling a couple pounds of crispy bacon and preparing French toast before cleaning and vacuuming his swimming pool so his children could enjoy it for the weekend. In his later years, George found vast enjoyment watching his children and 31 grandchildren find their own pathways in life. Fueled by his tremendous work ethic and desire to give back, George spent 20 years in retirement volunteering at Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe (formerly Bon Secours Hospital). He also loved expressing his passions through social media posts about great music and decadent chocolate desserts. George was a humble, gentle, selfless, loving man who will be dearly missed by all who had the fortune of knowing him.

George is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Ellen; sons, Dr. Peter (Dawn), Dan (Jessica), John (Kim) and Joseph (Kelly); daughters, Debra Francis, Lisa Ayrault (Terry), Mary Kay Francis (John Jones), Ann Louise "Snip" Francis (Melanie Gilbert), Kristen Taylor (Bob) and Maureen "Mo" Krieter (Chad); 31 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. George also is survived by his brother, John (Nora); sisters-in-law, Rose Fischer and Sue Francis; brother-in-law, Bernard MacDonald (Carol); and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Rahmy, as well as his siblings, Joseph, Mary (Kouri), Louise (Brady) and Richard.

In keeping with the lifelong efforts of George to help those in need, memorial contributions in his honor may be made to The Capuchins, thecapuchins.org/.

Visitation takes place from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 27, and Monday, March 28, at Chas. Verheyden Inc., 16300 Mack, Grosse Pointe Park. He will lie in state Tuesday, March 29, from 11:30 a.m.until the time of his funeral Mass at noon at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 22412 Overlake, St Clair Shores. A livestream will be available on St Joan of Arc's Facebook Page and the livestream page of the parish website (livestream.stjoan.church).

Donald Stephan Szlezyngier - 4th Degree Knight of Columbus

Obituary for Donald Stephan Szlezyngier

SZLEZYNGIER,Donald.
March 10, 2022. Age 76. Beloved Husband of Marianne. Loving Father of Dave (Jill) Szlezyngier and Sara Haidar. Cherished Grandpa and Papa of Brandon, Delaney and Jason Szlezyngier and Arianna and Audrey Haidar. Dear brother, of Diane (Chet) Dzbanski and Pattie (Dave) Bousson. Loving brother-in-law of John (Betty) Pyenta and Steve (Carol) Pyenta. Loving cousin of Jerry Podgorniak. Also survived by former spouse, Nancy Szlezyngier and former son-in-law James Haidar, as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family. Don was an educator and instructional specialist for Detroit Public Schools. A love of teaching was extended as a Boyscout Troup leader and an instructor through the Detroit Sports Congress where he coached and taught Junior Rifle and CPL classes. As a Master Gardener, Don had the most beautiful and bountiful garden. Don's talents spread over a vast array of instruments such as the accordion, piano, organ, and melodica as well as skilled woodworking and painting. He was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. Don will be greatly missed by the many lives he impacted over the years. Visitation Monday, March 14, 2022 from 3-8pm at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, Inc. 36900 Schoenherr at Metro Parkway (16 Mile) with Rosary at 7pm. In state Tuesday 9:30am at St. Paul of Tarsus Catholic Church (41300 Romeo Plank Rd, Clinton Twp) until 10:00am Mass. Burial Resurrection Cemetery. Share memories with the family at their "On-Line Guestbook" @ WujekCalcaterra.com.

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Friday Fish Fry - Ray Coughlin

    Ash Wednesday is now only a week or so away, and with that brings the return of the annual Fish Fry.  Our biggest and most involved Council function is set to start on Friday, March 4, and run for 6 weeks from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This will be a Drive-Thru Carry-out event — no indoor dining. We did well last year serving over 450 dinners each week. We anticipate similar volume this year.

    To achieve this, we need the support and help of our Council members. So far some 25 brothers along with wives and friends have volunteered to help. I’d like to reach out for a few additional volunteers to make sure all positions are covered and ensure we’re adequately staffed when people are out or on sojourn to sunny Florida.  

    Jobs are available both inside the social hall assembling dinners, as well as outside delivering meals and working traffic control. If you have not already signed up to work, please let me know if you can help. Please respond by e-mail, phone or text.

    If you are hesitant to “commit” or “sign-up,” just show up any Friday any time from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm, and we’ll put you to work.

Thank you!

Ray Coughlin

Fish Fry Czar

The Knight's Shield - March 2022

 Happy March!

    If you haven't heard yet, we have a new Parish Priest starting July 1st. It has been announced that Father John Kiselika will be our pastor. We have been blessed...and continue to be...with great clergy here at St. Paul’s!

    There is an urgent need for ministers at all Masses: Please consider during this time of Lent to volunteer for a ministry. Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors are desperately needed at all Masses. This is a great opportunity to show the parish how much we Knights care about our parish.

    March 12 at Noon is a memorial mass at our parish for JoAnne Sziisz, the wife of our Past Grand Knight Karl Sziisz. Please consider attending this to show support for our Past Grand Knight.

 Lent is quickly approaching, Ash Wednesday will be here before you know it. As Catholics we are given three penitential practices to follow in order to have a grace filled Lent. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are those three practices.  Daily prayer, such as the Rosary, which each of us were given the day we became Knights would be a great commitment for Lent this year. We all know what fasting is, although many of us are not required to any longer. It helps us show self-control and not give in to temptation.  Almsgiving is also important, this means giving beyond what you "normally" do. If we follow these practices it will help to have a Lent that means something.

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray

The Knight's Shield - February 2022

Happy Saint Valentines Day!

Well the holidays are over and the council will be getting back to a more normal schedule, as normal as can be with Covid not seeming to go away.

It is time to start thinking about Lent and, you guessed it, our Lenten fish fries. We are counting on the Covid numbers improving by then. Thus, currently the plans are to have dining in the social and carry outs. Our back up plan will be to do drive through only again. There will be more to come soon, just wanted to put this out there so you can start to get ready for slinging some fish.

Here is an interesting article on the history of St. Valentines Day for your reading pleasure. 

History of St. Valentines Day: 

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14, including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: an 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer's daughter a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution; another addition posits that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honor of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on that date in AD 269. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[11] In Italy, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart", as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady).

Saint Valentine's Day is not a public holiday in any country, although it is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church. Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine's Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray

The Knight's Shield - January 2022

Happy New Year to all!

    I delivered the checks for Abigayle Ministries and Gianna House before Christmas. The drive was very successful, we ended up giving over $4,000 to each. They were very appreciative.  

I regrettably inform you of the passing of brother knight Ronnie Serafino. He went on to be with our Lord on November 16, 2022. He was born March 15, 1960.  He was a knight since 2011.  Rest in peace Brother Knight.

The tentative date for taking down the Christmas lights is January 9th. Please consider helping out with this as many hands make light work.

The Casino trip has been cancelled due to Covid.

It is a new year and time for new year's resolutions. What do you want to resolve to do this year. Perhaps resolve to recruit a new member or to volunteer a little more? I am reflecting on why I became a Knight. It was mainly to give back to my church and community. Why do we desire to do this? For me, it is to leave a legacy. I would like to be remembered as a hard working and giving person. As we remember from our degree ceremony, our motto "Tempus Fugit. Memento Mori", "Time Flies. Remember Death". What will your legacy be? How will you be remebered?

From my family to yours, we hope you have a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray

The Knight's Shield - December 2021

    Hello all. December is upon us and Christmas will be here before you know it. I apologize for missing the last newsletter, I had it typed up but with having Covid brain forgot to send it out. I have included the information from the November newsletter in this one.

    Our council had a membership drive and a baby bottle fundraiser in October. We did get a few candidates so we will have welcomed one new member. We have another one coming up at the December meeting. The baby bottle drive had a great response. We collected around $8,000 for Abigayle Ministries and Gianna House.

    The road cleanup was done on October 9th. We had 15 men show up, and it was quick work. We were done in under an hour. 

    Our Trunk or Treat event was held 10/24. We had around 60 kids and 10 trunks. The attendance was good considering the lack of advertising with the parking lot work keeping us in limbo until the last minute.

    November 11th was Veterans Day. This is the day that we honor those who have served our country. I want to personally thank all of our veterans for their service. I have included a history lesson on Veterans Day later in the newsletter for your reading pleasure.

    As discussed at the general meeting, MCREST was just food delivery this year due to Covid. The men were housed at a hotel like last year.

    Our Worthy Advocate Ken Krause headed up Christmas decorations at the church again this year. We had a dozen Brother Knights help out and they made quick work of it. Although the lights were off this morning when I attended Mass. I could tell that they are going to look wonderful. Thank you to all who participated.

    I did deliver the 55 coats to those in need at Erie Elementary for our Coats for Kids program. I could only drop them off as Chippewa Valley is not allowing visitors at this time due to Covid.

    Unfortunately, due to supply chain and labor issues,  Dearborn is not supplying product for fundraising this year...so there will be no Christmas meat sales.

From my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray