Support Our Future Priests Five Guys Event - Success. Grand Knight's Message. Soccer Shoot Out Flash! District Soccer Shoot Out Winners,

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1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 8, Issue 5 #13008 Silver Spring, MD November 2009 Grand Knight's Message Grand Knight Prosper A. Youm Reverend Fathers, Reverend Deacons, Brother Knights, Ladies and Parishioners of Saint Andrew the Apostle Church: In this month of remembrance for our departed ones, our Council and, our Order are calling on all of us to honor the memory of our brothers who have gone to Our Father in Heaven and to pray for Our God s welcome to them into His Kingdom. Our prayers extend to the wives and relatives of our brothers who have passed away. In our Parish, the Knights will join the Parish community in remembering and praying for the deceased. In our Assembly, we will have a Memorial Mass in honor of our deceased Sir Knights on November 19, Please come at 7:00 pm and join our Sir Knights for Mass at the Old Saint John Church, 9700 Rosensteel Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. Our annual State Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Sunday November 15, 2009, at 3:00 pm, at Saint Mary s Seminary, on Roland Avenue; there will be a reception after Mass. Please plan to attend. Before turning to our upcoming activities, I should congratulate brother William Taylor, Coach Taylor, for his outstanding leadership in the conduct of the Columbus Day weekend Soccer Shootout. Always ready to answer the call of duty, Coach Taylor has accepted the responsibility of hosting the District Soccer Shootout this month. We are also concluding two of our most important campaigns, which, in the present times of increased assault against the basic values we share, i.e., the respect for human life (from conception to natural death) and for human dignity, including for those intellectually challenged, please join me in congratulating our Church Activity Director, Past Grand Knight John O Donnell, and our Tootsie Roll chair brother Harold Tarver. Support Our Future Priests Five Guys Event - Success In recognition of "The Year of the Priest" Knights of Columbus-Msgr. Wells Council #13008 at St. Andrew s will hold a fundraiser with Five Guys Burgers and Fries in the Aspen Hill Shopping Center on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 6:00-9:00 pm. If you present a flyer, 20 per cent of your purchase will go to support seminarians in the Washington Area. Copies of the flyer are available in the rear of the church Please promote it with family and friends. We will have extra flyers to pass out at the restaurant the night of the event. One thing about taking too long in getting the newsletter published, is that announcement turn into result too quickly. This evening was the actual event and almost $400 was raised through the 121 families who participated in the event. A special thanks to all those you came out this evening. * Soccer Shoot Out 2009 The Council winners are as follows: 12 year old boys: Michael Cerullo 11 year old boys: Brian Garner 10 year old boys: Michael Farace 9 year old boys: Matteo Patzy 6 year old boys: Luke Sanneman Flash! District Soccer Shoot Out Winners, The Monsignor Wells Council, #13008, has three Council and District winners to advance to the State competition this Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, at St Matthias School and Church, 9475 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD , 11am to 3pm. The winners are: Michael Farace, 10 year old boys Brian Garner, 11 year old boys Michael Cerullo, 12 year old boys. Knights Of Columbus 1

2 Grand Knight Message continued from page 1 In the coming weeks, our duty is calling us to redouble our commitment and efforts to serve. Brother members of Monsignor Wells Council, dear parishioners of Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, parishioners of churches in our neighborhood, come with families, especially with young girls and boys, and join us On Wednesday November 18, 2009; have fun; enjoy dinner with juicy burgers and fries, while lending highly appreciated support to present priests and our future priests, the seminarians. The event will take place at Five Guys in Aspen Hill, Silver Spring, Maryland. We have now launched our Keep Christ in Christmas campaign. This year, we are offering new items. You can place orders now! Our council will have a table, manned by members, after Masses during the second half of November offering cards and other items. We advise those who wish to buy any items to place orders now. I want to reiterate my invitation to parishioners to please feel free to come to us after Mass and ask about the Knights of Columbus, suggest activities you would be interested in taking part in. Know that that the Knights of Columbus always stand ready to serve our Parish community. God bless you all.* Chaplain's Message Chaplain Msgr. Michael Mellone The month of November offers us the opportunity to remember those who have died and we lift up in prayer. These are the members of our family and close friends. For some, the death of a loved one actually brings them closer to our hearts. We put behind us their shortcomings and those things we once considered offences. I have seen great healing take place within marriages and families at such moments. However, for some death is so frightening they push people away and do not allow themselves to be healed spiritually. During this month, we come to the end of the church year. These last Sundays, the readings encourage focusing on the end of earthly time. The Book of Daniel and Revelation can be fear provoking. However, when one considers all of Scripture, as well as the totality of life we come away knowing God s mercy and open arms. Therefore, I encourage each of the Knights to look with hope to the future both here on earth and in the life to come. Our God puts forth his greatness in welcoming us to fullness of life in Him. Let us accept this invitation and act upon it here and now.* District Deputy's Message District Deputy Dr. Celso Barrientos, PGK. PFN Worthy Grand Knights of District 11 and Dear Brothers: Enjoy the beautiful Fall Days in November. It is also the month of all Saints and all Souls. Let s honor our departed loved ones this month. The State Memorial Mass is on Sunday, November 15, Please join the State families on this occasion. Honor the widows from your councils by inviting them to the Memorial Mass. Provide them with transportation, if necessary. By this time, our annual tootsie roll drive is drawing to a close. I hope all the councils had a successful campaign for the mentally challenged individuals in our community. Turn in all the money collected to the State Council. Start planning for the distribution of the funds to the deserving service organizations. Our October membership Blitz is also over. I hope you are all successful and have gotten new members to join our Great Order. Remember, we should give all eligible Catholic men the opportunity the experience of a lifetime. Ask them to join the Knights of Columbus. First Degree should be held as soon as possible. There is one scheduled in our District at Fr. Rosensteel Council 2169 on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:00 PM. Candidates report at 7:30 PM. Make sure to suggest that coat and tie are preferred for the degree exemplification. Whenever we have already signed form 100, we should not wait long to do the first degree. Let me know and we will arrange to hold the first degree, when needed. As much as possible, we should encourage new members to take their degrees as fast as they can. Experience has shown that Third Degree members are less likely to drop out of membership. They get more involved and this is better for our Order. District Deputy Message continued to page 4 Knights Of Columbus 2

3 C O U N C I L #13008 OFFICERS: Chaplain Chaplain Emeritus Associate Chaplain Grand Knight Deputy Grand Knight Chancellor Warden Recorder Financial Secretary Treasurer Advocate Lecturer Inside Guard Outside Guard Trustee(3) Trustee(2) Trustee(1) CHAIRMAN: Program Director Church Activities Dir. Community Activity Dir Council Activities Dir Family Activities Dir Youth Activities Dir Vocations Chairman Membership Director Recruitment Committee Retention Chairman Tootsie Roll Chairman Pro-Life Couple Health Services Newsletter Editor Webmaster Msgr. Michael Mellone Rev. Joseph Kennedy Deacon Michael Bond Prosper Youm Deacon Kevin Mukri Harold Tarver William Taylor William Bolin, PGK Paul Sanneman David Keefe Marc Ramsey Michael Caruso Werner Moeller Marvin Schuttloffel John O Donnell, PGK David Czarnecki, PGK Wayne Miller, PGK Deacon Kevin Mukri John O Donnell, PGK Nicholas Luketic Harold Tarver William Bolin William Taylor Deacon Michael Bond Wayne Miller, PGK William Bolin, PGK Wayne Miller, PGK Paul Sanneman John O Donnell Stephen & Beth Nichols Tony Gentilcore Harold Tarver Dave Czarnecki David Keefe M E M B E R S H I P M E E T I N G S All council meetings are held in the KoC Meeting Room in the old convent. Officer s meetings are held at 7:30 on the first Wednesday of the month. Business meetings are held at 7:45 on the second Wednesday of the month. Social meetings are held at 7:45 on the fourth Wednesday of the month. September Meetings Sept 02 Officer s meeting 7:30 PM Sept 09 Business meeting 7:45 PM Sept 23 Social meeting 7:45 PM October Knight of the Month Mark Ramsey for his dedication to service of our Council and our Parish, especially during the Blitz.* November Birthdays Chancellor Bill Taylor and Trustee Bill bolin on the 17 th ; Brother Tony Gatti on the 20 th ; and, Advocate Tom Murphy on the 26 th. Also, Connie, wife of Financial Secretary Paul Sanneman on the 19 th.* November Anniversaries Brother Norman Marshall and his wife Hema celebrate their ninth on the 17 th ; Brother Jeffery Sylvester and his wife Erin celebrate their twelfth on the 22 nd ; and, Brother Stephen Nichols and his wife Beth celebrate their ninth on the 27 th.* December 9th First Degree The Council will hold a First Degree on Wednesday, December 9th in the meeting room. We encourage all members to attend and support the First Degree team and certainly to welcome the new Knights.* Christmas Party to be Held on December 16 Please mark your calendars to show that our annual Christmas party Potluck Dinner will be held on Wednesday, December 16th at 7 PM in the St. Andrew s multipurpose room. The event is free to council members and their families. There will be a potluck dinner and a raffle to benefit our Seminarian Fund. Please bring the family and enjoy good food, music, and a fun time.* Knights Of Columbus 3

4 Monsignor Wells Message [From the Pastor s Desk, Spiritual Reflections by Msgr, Thomas M. Wells] Fostering Vocations November 13, 1994 Priesthood is sacraments. Of course, priesthood is many other things, too: priesthood is preaching; priesthood is counseling; priesthood is working with children and young people; priesthood is parish administration; priesthood is teaching; priesthood is being with people in sickness and as they die; priesthood is serving the poor. The heart of priesthood though is the sacraments especially the Eucharist. There are certain predictable questions with which every priest must deal on a regular basis. Among the most frequently asked concerns the number of candidates for Holy Orders and especially, explanations for the relatively low number of seminarians today. Of course, the rule of celibacy is a factor. However, human nature does not change and, let me assure all who read this, the commitment to celibacy has never been an easily accepted thing. However, in earlier generations, there has been an abundance of our best seeking priesthood. A more important factor, I suspect, is a fear in our world of making and keeping any commitments. One need not look at the numbers entering priesthood or religious life to see the reality; the statistics concerning those entering marriage and sticking with that life-time commitment allow us to see that this is, for whatever reason, a time when many are reluctant to give their word and then to keep it. As I wrote above, however, I think that the essence of priesthood itself places certain preconditions on a candidate. I do not question that God could call a man who has not yet fully begun to appreciate the Mass, but normally speaking, the person who has begun to sense the awesomeness of the Eucharist and what it makes present for God's people is the person who begins to consider any kind of call to priesthood or religious life. As a priest, I have been called to stand in the place of Christ Himself to offer His Body and Blood to the Father; I have been called to stand in His place to minister the forgiveness of God to sinners. If these and the other sacramental realities are not at the core of a Catholic's faith, why would a healthy person ever consider priesthood? District Deputy Message continued from page 2 There will be second degrees in January and February 2010 culminating in our District hosting the Third Degree on Friday, February 19, Holy Family Council 5547 will be the host council. Gear up now to bring candidates for our District s Third Degree. The Holiday season will soon be upon us. This is a happy season. However, there are many among us and in our community who need our help. Please be generous in giving not only material things but also kindness and compassion. Let s honor our veterans. They have given much for our freedom. My wife, Hope, and I wish you all a Very Happy Thanksgiving. DD #11* Knights of Columbus Scholarships The Maryland State Council scholarships program for will get underway on November 1, 2009, with the mailing of information to Pastors, Principals of Catholic grade schools and high schools, Grand Knights, and District Deputies. Information about Supreme Council sponsored will also be provided to District Deputies and Grand Knights. Every Grand Knight should alert his membership about the State and Supreme Council sponsored scholarships. To that end, in addition to the summary of the State Scholarship Program that will be provided to the Grand Knights by letter, the following is a summary of both the State and Supreme Council sponsored scholarships. Grand Knights are urged to include these summaries in their council newsletter. The Surge with Service package that Grand Knights received from the Supreme Council contains pamphlets on the various Supreme Council Scholarships and additional copies may be obtained from the Supreme Council at no cost. * The fostering of vocations, in my opinion then, begins with a love of the sacraments and recognition that they are the actions of Christ Himself. When that love is present in a community, I believe that there will be no shortage of qualified men who believe they may be called to fill the priestly role for another generation.* Knights Of Columbus 4

5 Reflections Lawrence P. Grayson America, A Brilliant Solution Ideas have consequences! In 1948, Richard Weaver, in his seminal book of that title, described how the changing worldview in the West is leading to its decline, and to its eventual dissolution. This premise has particular relevance to how a society perceives the transcendental, whether it considers God and religion as one with the state, as separate but essential for the secular conduct of the state, or irrelevant to the existence of the state. In ancient civilizations, religion and the state were inseparable. The emperor stood as head of both, often gaining the stature of a divinity. Religious practices were developed and mandated to support the political strength of the state. Ancient Rome, as an example, allowed freedom of religion, but only in so far as these practices did not interfere with or undermine state religious observances. As a result, Christianity which taught that there was a single God and its adherents should not honor false idols was persecuted as a threat to the state. With the Incarnation, a new doctrine of the world arose. Our Lord presented a concept of dual authority. When asked whether it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus replied: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar s and unto God the things that are God s. This distinction spread with the growth of Christianity and gained formal pronouncement in a letter from Pope Gelasius I to Emperor Anastasius in 494. The Pope identified a separation of powers, with priests being subject to the emperor in secular affairs, and the emperor being subject to religious leaders in spiritual matters. This division was fundamental to the development of Western society. It recognized that there was a God who was superior to the emperor, and a divine law which was reflected in nature itself that superseded any man-made edicts. It allowed secular law in the West to adapt with changes in society, in contrast, for instance, to Shariah law in which the secular and religious are intertwined and based on the unchangeable word of God as set forth in the Koran. In the early 1500s, the Protestant Reformation, which arose to combat existing abuses in the Catholic Church, led to a split in the episcopate. Many new denominations resulted and became linked to the rulers of the countries where they flourished, such as Lutheranism in Germany and Anglicanism in England. The new churches became subordinate to and agents of civil authority. While other denominations were tolerated, they had to adapt to the religious foundation that the state church provided. Then, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, a philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment gained prominence. It held that truth could be determined by reason alone, a focus that bore prodigious results in science, technology, economics, societal and civil affairs. Reason and revelation are both valid ways in searching for truth. Reason is a powerful tool to determine how things work, while revelation can answer why we exist. In relying exclusively on reason, however, the Enlightenment view denied the divine foundation for the existence of the state. Belief in God was considered a private matter and had no place in the public sphere. The state was considered in purely secular terms. Religious freedom was a primary reason for the settlement of many American colonies. The Pilgrims, a separatist group of the Church of England, settled in Plymouth in order to continue their devotional practices. The Puritans, who were oppressed for attempting to purify the Anglican religion, settled around Massachusetts Bay. While these groups sought religious tolerance for themselves, they demanded strict adherence to their theistic views. As a result, Roger Williams led a group seeking freedom from these doctrinal restrictions to found Rhode Island. Quakers and Mennonites, religious dissenters largely from Germany, settled in Pennsylvania, while Maryland was colonized primarily to provide religious freedom for Catholics from England. When America declared its independence, the Founders could have proposed a totally secular state, especially with the diversity of religious groups that were resident. However, they recognized that to create a government of the people a strong moral base in society would be required that could only be maintained through the practice of religion. The view toward religious accommodation was expressed well by Samuel Adams. When the First Continental Congress was convening, a discussion arose that the members were too divided in their denominational affiliations to begin with a prayer. Adams overcame that concern by stating that he could hear a prayer from any man of piety and virtue, as long as the man was a friend of the country. In the Declaration of Independence, America recognized the Reflections continued to page 5 Knights Of Columbus 5

6 Reflections continued from page 4 existence of a Creator God who endowed all men with certain unalienable rights that cannot be infringed upon by government. In order to secure those rights, the Founders developed what can be considered an adaptation of the principle enunciated by Pope Gelasius. They separated church and state, but maintained religion as fundamental to the moral foundation of the state, allowing individual denominations to practice and promote their own religious beliefs. This approach was set forth in the First Amendment to the Constitution, which states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. America is moving dangerously away from that brilliant resolution to create a religiously tolerant society in which people can live and work together in freedom to achieve their common ends. God is being totally removed from the public sphere, and with it a recognition of our common transcendent end. Man is becoming a wealth-seeking, materialistic individual, and society is becoming a struggle to be won by the most powerful and ruthless. As Weaver eloquently said: It will not suffice to point out the inventions and processes of our century unless it can be shown that they are something other than a splendid efflorescence of decay. Whoever desires to praise some modern achievement should wait until he has related it to the professed aims of our civilization. For those of us who believe in the Incarnation, the purpose of our existence is salvation.* Insurance Agent's Message Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF Knights of Columbus Annuity Product. In a continuing effort to offer its members and their families convenient, reliable, and stable ways to enhance their financial security, the Knights of Columbus provides an annuity product: the Vantage Single Premium Deferred Annuity. Vantage is designed to provide Knights with a safe and simple way to save for retirement.* Fraternally, Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF rjcalla@aol.com Knights Of Columbus 6

7 Dine out for the Seminarians sponsored by KOC-Msgr. Wells Council #13008, St. Andrew Apostle Catholic Church 20% OF ALL SALES on 11/18/09 made from 6:00PM-9:00PM will be donated to the Archdiocese of Washington Seminarian Fund supporting future priests in recognition of The Year of the Priest Thank You, November to the 18, families who spent 6:00 $1890 PM in 9:00PM burgers, fries, and soft-drinks. $378 was raised to support our Seminarians. Congratulations! Knights Of Columbus 7

8 1 All Saints Day November 2009 Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council #13008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Officers Meeting 7:30PM Business Meeting 7:45PM Veterans Day 2009 fly our Flag 15 Keep Christ in Christmas Christmas Card preorder Sales after Masses Five Guys Event 6:00PMpm 9: State Soccer Shoot-out Keep Christ in Christmas Christmas Card Feast of Christ the King 29 1st Sunday In Advent Keep Christ in Christmas Christmas Card Mass No Social Meeting This Month we went to Five Guys instead Officers Meeting 7:30PM Keep Christ in Christmas Christmas Card Sale after Mass If you have and address, please send it to the editor at: david@czarnecki.com Council Newsletter Msgr. Thomas M. Wells Council # Claybrook Drive Silver Spring, MD Change Service Requested ««AddressBlock»» Zip code not valid! Knights Of Columbus 8