Grand Knight's Message Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 5, Issue 7 #13008 Silver Spring, MD www.america-tomorrow.

Remember if you re feeling cooped up on the second or fourth Wednesdays of the month, come to one of our Council s meetings.

1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 5, Issue 7 #13008 Silver Spring, MD February 2007 Grand Knight's Message Grand Knight Bill Bolin Dear Brother Knights: After a fairly mild start, it seems that winter is really upon us now. Remember if you re feeling cooped up on the second or fourth Wednesdays of the month, come to one of our Council s meetings. The Business Meeting is February 21, Ash Wednesday, immediately after the 7:30 Mass. The Social Meeting is on the 28th. We say a Rosary at 7:30 and will proceed with the meeting at 7:45. The meetings are not only a chance to get more involved with the Council, but also to bring up ideas for an activity or event. On January 22, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to get down to Washington and attend the March for Life. It truly was an uplifting event, even though it commemorates a tragic day in our nation s history. There were Knights of Columbus present from all over the country. Thousands of people could be seen holding the Knights Defend Life placards. It really instilled a sense of pride in me to see so many Knights, Catholic groups, and most of all, young people expressing their beliefs about the sanctity of life. In the upcoming weeks, there will be several First Degree Ceremonies in our district, including a First Degree at Monsignor Wells Council on Wednesday, March 28. I encourage all of you to invite practicing Catholic men to join the Knights. God bless you and your families. Vivat Jesus! Bill.* 2007 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championships sponsored by the Msgr. Thomas M. Wells Council of St. Andrew Apostle School & Church was held on January 31, eager and excited boys and girls from St. Andrew the Apostle School participated in this annual competition held at St. John the Baptist School from 6:00 until 9:00 PM. Families, friends, coaches, volunteers, and fellow Knights held a flawless Championship. Introducing the starting lineup for Thomas Wells council is #1 coach/captain and youth director William "TOO TALL" Bill Taylor, co-captain Sean "Tootsie Roll" Hardman, Wayne "Gatorade/chips boy" Miller, and to round off the starting five are Chris "Off the bench" Taylor and Tom "I'm Taller than Bill" Hollister. The participant lineup included Kelly Amann, Brook Ballenger, Lauren Ballenger, Katie Bergmann, Cal Cunningham, Anthony Perez'-Dover, Owen Flood, Keith Hollister, Sean Hollister, Anthony Mabey, Danny Martinson, Evan O'Neill, Tim Roche, Tristan Roche, Stephen Smith, Jennifer Stifter, Paul Stubin, Peter Stubin, William Taylor Jr., George Townsend, and Anthony Vaglica. 5 seconds left in the competition, (cue the buzzer). It's Over. The Msgr. Thomas M. Wells Council Champions are: 10 Yr. old boys (Paul Stubin), 11 Yr. old boys (Evan O'Neill), 11 Yr. old girls (Brook Ballenger), 12 Yr. old boys (Danny Martinson), 13 Yr. old girls (Lauren Ballenger), 14 Yr. old boys (Sean Hollister) and 14 Yr. old girls (Jennifer Stifter). Everyone had a great time and it just wasn't the competition that was great it was a family event. Come root for the winners of this competition at the District Basketball championship on February 23 at 6:00 PM at the Heights School. Thanks be to GOD.* Knights Of Columbus 1

dioceses share that promote this surge. Our council shares many of these traits too. The first trait is that the Eucharist is the center of vocation efforts.

2 Chaplain's Message Assoc Chaplain Rev. Mr. Kevin Mukri Knights Can Play a Key Role in Attracting Priestly Vocations I recently read a story on the vocations surge in priestly vocations in some United State dioceses and the key traits these dioceses share that promote this surge. Our council shares many of these traits too. The first trait is that the Eucharist is the center of vocation efforts. Our parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday evening where we can spend extra time with Our Lord. The Eucharist is always successful because it is the strategy that came directly from Our Lord when he told the apostles to ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers. Eucharist Adoration makes us acknowledge the great gift of the priesthood and that it is absolutely necessary if we are to receive His real presence. Another trait is that the community is faithful to the magisterium of the Church. The Knights of Columbus are unafraid in proclaiming that the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Christ s truth. A third trait is that there are many strong and faithful families to draw priestly vocations from. Our council sponsors many activities to bring families together in activities that are fun and promote the value of family life. A fourth trait is that young men know and interact with priests. How blessed we are to have a pastor, Monsignor Mellone, and our associate pastor, Father Shaffer, who are so involved in the activities of our parish community and how ready they are to support our council s activities. The last trait that promotes priestly vocations is something in which we as Knights can really get involved. That trait is to be unabashed about personally inviting men to be priests. At Baptism, all of us have the responsibility and privilege to bring others to Christ. We can take opportunities to speak to young people about helping them determine Almighty God s will for them and assist them with determining their vocations. We can look for opportunities to speak to young men about the priesthood and inviting them to explore this needed vocation. With Lent around the corner, we often look for activities to grow in our faith. One sure way to grow in our faith is to look for opportunities to speak to others about our faith and to invite them personally to explore the Catholic faith with you. And if you come in contact with a young man or woman who is unsure of their future, make sure they know they are invited to explore a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. If you don t invite them, they may never know of this great opportunity.* District Deputy's Message District Deputy Tom Schneider My Brothers and Sisters all: With the holidays over, our tenor changes to completing our required reports and initiating a new round of recruiting. Why do we focus so much attention on recruiting? Numbers really mean nothing since it is the quality of the men who join the Knights and stay with their Councils instead of lapsing after a year or two. If we continue to help our order to grow, we add new ideas and enlarge our capability to perform good deeds. Don t just invite a person to join the Knights, ask them to become a Knight in full partnership with the rest of our brothers. My Saint of the Month is St. David Lewis ( ). He served as a priest in South Wales and was known as the Father of the Poor. He spent nearly three decades in pastoral service. Going underground after false allegations that the Jesuits were plotting to kill the King of England, he was betrayed by a parishioner, arrested, judged guilty of treason and hanged. At the gallows, the hangmen feared to kill a priest and the authorities had to employ a blacksmith to finish the execution. Father Lewis is one of many lesser known Saints who led their lives according to God s teachings and died in defense of our Faith.* 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 Trustee Trustee CHAIRMAN: Program Director Church Activities Dir. Community Activity Dir Council Activities Dir Family Activities Dir Youth Activities Dir Membership Director Vocations Chairman Recruitment Chairman Retention Chairman Tootsie Roll Chairman Pro-Life Couple Health Services Columbian Squires Public Relations Chairman Newsletter Editor Webmaster Msgr. Michael Mellone Rev. Joseph Kennedy Deacon Kevin Mukri William Bolin Wayne Miller, PGK John O Donnell Prosper Youm Werner Moeller Paul Sanneman David Keefe Thomas Murphy Deacon Michael Bond Yves Sainteus Thomas Devlin III Jim Lehr David Czarnecki, PGK Gary Yeck, PGK Wayne Miller, PGK Deacon Michael Bond Nick Luketic Tom Devlin Michael Caruso Bill Taylor Wayne Miller Werner Moeller Wayne & Elesa Miller Tony Gentilcore David Keefe 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 Teachers' Lounge of the school. 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. February Meetings Feb 07 Officer s meeting 7:30 PM Feb 21 Business meeting 7:45 PM Feb 28 Social meeting 7:45 PM Rosary (7:30PM) Note: Social meeting, Feb 28 open to prospective members Welcome Aboard! A belated welcome aboard to Chris Farrell and David Peterson who were initiated last quarter. David has already progressed to the third degree congratulations! A welcome is also extended to Stephen Schwartz who transferred into our council in January.* December Knight of the Month Paul Sanneman.* December Family of the Month The family of Al Tagliaferro.* February Birthdays Chaplain Msgr. Michael Mellone on the 5 th ; Brother George Hardman on the 6 th ; Brother Carl Stitz on the 9 th ; Brother Dennnis Gorres on the 10 th ; Brother George Hardman on the 6 th ; Brother Frederick Gorschboth on the 14 th ; Brother George Hardman on the 6 th ; Treasurer David Keefe on the 16 th ; and Brother Russell Barrett III on the 22 nd.* February Anniversaries Warden Prosper Youm and his wife Josephine celebrate their twenty-second on the 9 th.* Remember In Your Prayers Brother Robert Cowley who is ill, Chaplain Father Joe Kennedy s recovery, June Kastre, wife of Brother Dominic who is ill, The son of Brother Joseph Barrett who is recovering from wounds suffered in Iraq, as well as other Brothers who are ill or in need and our servicemen who are in harms way. Also, please remember prospective member Donald McCallum who is ill.* Knights Of Columbus 3

4 Insurance Agent's Message Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF Get All The Facts If any agent or representative of another company suggests that you cash in or discontinue paying premiums on your Knights of Columbus insurance policy, please call me immediately. Why? Because the replacement of one policy with another can cost you substantial amounts of money! You may have accumulated cash values and dividends in your present policy that would take years to build up in a new one. Losing money may not be the only problem. Your existing policy probably has guaranteed options that are more favorable to you and your beneficiaries than those in a new policy. And if your financial needs have changed, there's a good chance that the old policy can be adjusted to meet your current situation. Should a replacement attempt be made, be sure that you have all the facts. Call me and give us the opportunity to review the replacement proposal with you so you will have both sides of the story. Then you can make a financially sound decision.* Fraternally, Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF rjcalla@aol.com * Reflections Lawrence P. Grayson Liberty, Technology, And Morality Throughout history, scientific and technological advances have and continue to provide great benefits, improving the quality of life for people throughout the world. But the effects of their application are not always as intended. The benefits they deliver have often been accompanied by human and social problems. The industrial revolution led to the dehumanizing of jobs and the exploitation of labor; the invention of the automobile has been followed by traffic congestion and environmental pollution; nuclear science has provided means for causing previously unimaginable degrees of destruction and deaths; the Internet has resulted in the invasion of privacy and easy access to pornography. Reflections continued to page 5 Monsignor Wells Message [From the Pastor s Desk, Spiritual Reflections by Monsignor, Thomas M. Wells] March 12, 1995 Catholic Giving: The Cardinals Appeal There was a time when giving to the poor seemed, somehow, easier. We may chuckle about giving money to ransom the pagan babies that Catholic school classes of the fifties collected for and named by the thousands, but we knew that dedicated missionaries were giving their lives to bring the Good News to needy people. Or closer to home, most Catholics were near enough to their own immigrant roots that they could identify with families, often fleeing from Communism, who needed help to get started in a new country with its strange language and economic demands. Likewise, when we saw the poverty of Appalachia, the memories of the Depression and its devastation sparked a willingness to try to help. These were our kind of people, in the sense that we perceived that they shared our goals of family, hard work and self-reliance. It is so different now. The twin curses of drugs and the sexual revolution have brought about a poverty that is no different than the hard but understandable press of economic hard times. In addition, we see some of its effects in the street people who are apt to be in any neighborhood, and often, the way they press for money makes anyone question how effective is anything given to the poor. Even immigrants seem so different than we knew in earlier times (though to be certain, anti-immigrant sentiment is not new to this country). In this environment, the Cardinal's Appeal is taken up this Sunday. The Church reminds us, through the collection, that we are not allowed to isolate ourselves from the weakest of the Lord's brothers and sisters, no matter how unattractive they seem. The Church must be involved with the homeless, especially when we recognize that so many of them would formerly have been institutionalized because of mental and emotional disorders. The Church must continue to try to make Catholic education available to the poor; parish schools cannot become slightly less expensive private schools for the middle class. The Church must try to make marriage and other types of counseling available to those of modest means: their lives are as stressed as those who can afford expensive help. The Church must seek to serve the rural poor who, because they are isolated and without political clout, can be ridden. All these things and so many more the Church tries to do with what we contribute to the Cardinal's Stewardship Appeal.* Knights Of Columbus 4

5 Reflections continued from page 6 When man and technology interact, each affects the other. It is important to realize that the very application of science or technology can modify the ends for which it was adopted and can change the values of the people who use it. A technology is usually adopted because it promises certain benefits, such as the improvement of efficiency or effectiveness in the achievement of specified ends. As the technology is widely used, however, it creates new options or makes previously unattainable opportunities feasible. Changes take place in what is being done, and the technology begins to modify the ends for which it was originally adopted. New applications, whether desirable or detrimental, arise not to satisfy a given need but because there is an ability, and an economic motive, to do so. Pope Benedict XVI has described the issue clearly: For now, the guiding principle is that man s capability determines what he does. If you know how to do something, then you also are permitted to do it; to know how to do something, but not be able to do it, is a state of affairs that no longer exists, since it would run counter to liberty which is the absolute, supreme value. But man knows how to do many things, and this knowledge increases all the time. If this knowledge does not find its criterion in a moral norm, it becomes a power for destruction. Today, since we have the capability, we perform in vitro fertilization, freeze, store, and genetically manipulate embryos (a team in England is even seeking permission to create a combined human-cow chimera embryo), grow, experiment with and discard embryonic stem cells, and there are those who wish to clone human beings. The Catholic Church has consistently opposed these and other developments in reproductive technology because they treat people in their first stages of life as commodities and typically destroy living embryonic persons. While bioethical issues are of most concern at present because of the tendency to devalue human life, there are applications in other areas, such as in weapons development and security systems, that also are objectionable as they disregard or denigrate the worth and dignity of the individual. implications. Liberty, unrestrained and unordered, and a sole reliance on rationality have become the standards that trump all others. As a result, science is autonomous and technology is free to satisfy our latest desires, regardless of their moral implications. We have developed a purely functional outlook that maintains that only that which can be verified experimentally is rational. The existence of God is considered subjective, uncertain, unprovable. Thus, religion, and the morality and virtue which flow from it, have been removed from the public conscience and treated as private beliefs. This condition can have serious ramifications for society. The attempt, carried to extremes, states Pope Benedict, to shape human affairs to the total exclusion of God leads us more and more to the brink of the abyss, toward the utter annihilation of man. We now possess or could soon develop means for achieving virtually any ends we wish, including the ability to modify the genetic development of the human race, to control human behavior, and to alter our mental and emotional characteristics such as intellectual abilities, motivations, values, beliefs, and personalities. We can plan, create, and change, by significant amounts, the kind of world we wish to pass on to our children. The fundamental questions that should be asked relating to the application of science and technology revolve not around what we can do, but rather around what we ought to do. The fact that we now possess the means to revolutionize society to advance our civilization, as well as to destroy what we stand for -- underscores the importance of raising and answering the moral questions that must be addressed. American society indeed, Western civilization -- was founded on a belief in the worth and importance of each person. This belief requires that science and technology in all of its aspects be developed and applied in a manner which protects the rights and dignity of the individual. The basic issue of how to do so does not depend on science and technology, but rather on the values of those who are developing and applying them. It is through the recreation of a public moral conscience that man will be able to remain the master of his science and technology and not their subject.* What are needed are moral values and an understanding of how they apply to act as a restraint on the unfettered applications of science and technology. This, however, is not happening. A chasm has developed between our rapidly increasing scientific and technological capabilities and our more slowly evolving moral comprehension of their Knights Of Columbus 5

6 All are Invited to Mater Dei Council Charities 17th ANNUAL GARAGE to ATTIC SALE Saturday, February 24, :00 am 3:00 pm St. Raphael s Duffy Center Falls and Dunster Roads Rockville We are also asking for donations Donations accepted Friday, February 23, 2007 After 9:00 St. Raphael s Duffy Center or before by prior arrangement: Call Bill Shaffer (301) All are asked to donate used or new items of clothing, furniture, chinaware, jewelry, children s wear and toys, books, computers, games and other usable electronic goods. While this is an opportunity for donors to dispose of items no longer needed or wanted, this is a fund-raiser and the condition of the goods donated has a direct bearing on the price buyers are willing to pay. Due to space limitations potential liability we can not accept old luggage, auto tires, wheels, Christmas decorations, mattresses, cribs, and car seats. All donations qualify as charitable deductions and a receipt will be issued. Please deliver items at the rear entrance to the Trumpet Room beginning Friday. February 23 beginning at 9:00 AM. Volunteers will assist in unloading vehicles. Furniture, a highly desired item, and other heavy items may be picked up in advance by calling Paul Schuncke (301) , or Joe Doane (301) Knights Of Columbus 6

7 February 2007 Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council #13008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Officers Meeting 7:30PM S.O.M.E. 8:30 AM Ash Wed. Business Meeting After 7:30 PM Mass 22 First Degree Rock Creek Council 7:30 23 District Shoot-out 6:00 PM Heights School 24 Membership Blitz after Mass 25 Membership Blitz after Mass Social Meeting 7:45PM Rosary (7:30PM) 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 name address Silver Spring, MD Knights Of Columbus 7

Spaghetti Dinner. Grand Knight's Message. Congratulations Sir Knights. State Donation Matching

Spaghetti Dinner. Grand Knight's Message. Congratulations Sir Knights. State Donation Matching KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 3, Issue 9 #13008 Silver Spring, MD www.america-tomorrow.com/kofc13008/ March 2005 Grand Knight's Message Grand Knight Dave Czarnecki