The Knights Tale. Davis Lambright Council #4101 Fort Worth, Texas Newsletter for March 2016

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1 The Knights Tale Davis Lambright Council #4101 Fort Worth, Texas Newsletter for March 2016 Grand Knight s Report Greetings Brother Knights, The month of March is now here, and we are continuing our Lenten journey through this year. As the days continue onward, we will be sure to see new things come forward, for this month is going to be a busy time for us. Please note that it is coming time for new officers to potentially be elected for new positions. If you are a 3rd Degree member and are interested in holding a position, please speak to the Trustees as soon as possible. One event we must keep in mind is on March 18th, which is the day of St. Peter's Annual Fish Fry. While this is usually a Parish function, we as knights must play our part in making sure it is all run in an orderly manner. So once again, I encourage you to show up in support of not just the Knights, but our Parish as well. The solemnity of Lent is something that we are all called to reflect upon in the days leading up to the passion of Jesus Christ, and it is through his sacrifice that we are all redeemed. Ultimately, it is through his passion that his glory would be revealed, for 3 days later he would rise again. We must always bear in mind that though his death released us all from the shackles of sin and death, it was ultimately his resurrection that promises us new life, in this life and beyond. So as we proceed to the Holy Week, when it will come time to celebrate His glorious resurrection, take to heart these words from the Gospel of John... "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17) Thank you, and may the Lord watch over us all. Fraternally yours, Lorenzo R. Mendez, Jr. - Grand Knight

2 Pope's meeting with Patriarch shows common concern for destiny of mankind (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been hailed as an historic event. The meeting took place on Friday 12 February in Cuba as the Pope made his way to Mexico for an apostolic journey. The meeting marks the first encounter in history between a Pope and a Russian Orthodox Patriarch in the nearly 1,000 years since Eastern Orthodoxy split with Rome. Finally! Pope Francis said as he embraced Patriarch Kirill in a private room at Havana s airport where the three-hour encounter took place. We are brothers he said. And the two leaders signed an unprecedented joint declaration in which they express their hope that the meeting may contribute to the re establishment of [the] unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed. May our meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervour for the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill! the declaration reads. Just days after the meeting the Vatican s Apostolic Nuncio to Moscow, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic told Vatican Radio that he hopes this meeting is the first of many to come: Archbishop Jurkovic says the future of the unity of Christian Churches will certainly reap great benefits from this meeting. He expresses his belief that such an event should become a normal event: they are calling each other my brother, and meetings with brothers should never be an extraordinary event. The Archbishop says that he is convinced that in the future we will see more such meetings which will become part of ordinary communication. These meetings will show our common concern for the destiny of mankind and for the destiny of the Church he said.

3 Pope Francis visit resonates on both sides of border The moment was poignant and comes as Republican presidential candidates hotly debate the issue of immigration and border security, with leading candidate Donald Trump calling for the building of a beautiful wall to further separate both countries and protect the U.S. from what he s called murderers and rapists and drug smugglers. Francis decried what he called a migrant global phenomenon, blaming what he called factors of inequality, poverty and drug traffickers, and calling migrants brothers and sisters that are expelled by poverty, misery by drug traffickers and organized crime. He implored, No more deaths exploitation there s always time to change This is a time for mercy. The ceremony was a binational event, with Francis thanking brothers and sisters in El Paso for making us feel like one family and one Christian community, looking at a camera that beamed his words across the border to the University of Texas at El Paso s Sun Bowl. There, Francis blessing and Mass were broadcast live for those who could not be present in Juárez. As the pope extended his blessing toward El Paso, a cheer rose through the Sun Bowl. The blessing was the culmination of a six-day trip that brought Francis through some of the cities in Mexico most heavily affected by inequality, poverty, corruption and violence. CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico In the slanting afternoon shadows between this city and its sister across the border, Pope Francis ascended a ramp built overlooking the levee of the Rio Grande and blessed the U.S. and its people, including migrants and refugees. Bowing his head, hands together, Francis blessed several crosses representing the estimated 6,000 migrants who died in the past 20 years crossing the border. He lifted his head, looked out toward El Paso and made the sign of the cross with one hand extending his blessing across the border, from Mexico to the United States. For much of the past decade, Ciudad Juárez has been a face of every one of those issues the pope addressed during his journey through Mexico. On Wednesday, more than 500,000 people packed the city streets and fairgrounds, cheering and chanting, in hope of receiving a blessing from Francis. Among the worshippers was Ana Berta Hernández, 64, from Nogales. She and her 10 relatives one of whom is an Arizona State University graduate were visiting from Nogales, from both the Arizona and Mexico sides of the border city.

4 We are here to pray with Pope Francis for peace, unity for our border communities, Hernández said. To ask on behalf of many people who entrusted us to make requests for them that there be no violence and for peace around the world. The celebration was palpable throughout the border metroplex. In El Paso, crowds surged through the Sun Bowl, buying $10 Pope Francis T-shirts or listening to the sounds of the El Paso Youth Symphony Orchestra. The 50,000-capacity Sun Bowl stadium was half filled only minutes before Mass on a warm winter afternoon, with attendees clapping and singing in anticipation. Jovanna Talavera, 18, moved to El Paso from Peoria during summer She hoped Francis Mass, which would cover issues such as immigration between the U.S. and Mexico, could teach Arizonans to be more tolerant of immigrants given the racism and anti-immigrant policies she d witnessed while living there. It ll help people over there understand that OK people actually do come over here and try to help the country, Talavera said. When I lived over there, there were a lot of racist people, and if they hear maybe the pope talking about it, they ll be less inclined to make judgments. Helen Walker, 45, was a cancer patient visiting the Sun Bowl event from north Phoenix. Walker felt her faith had given her the spiritual energy to make the journey from Arizona. I feel that what I m going through is physical, Walker said. Spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, he s the one who keeps moving me. Locals on both sides of the border hope Francis visit will help eliminate negative perceptions of the El Paso-Juárez region as a hub of violence and fear, said University of Texas at El Paso economics professor Tom Fullerton. That will potentially help restore investment, commerce, and economic activity, Fullerton said in an . All of the cartel-related violence of those years truly damaged the collective image of the region. For both cities, Francis visit is a reason to finally celebrate after those rough years, said El Paso City Representative Peter Svarzbein. This is a place that enjoys being in the moment and celebrating. And for a while now, there hasn t been a lot necessarily to celebrate. There s been a lot of negative stories, there s been a lot of misperceptions, there s been a lot of sadness, Svarzbein said. And we have something to show the world that isn t negative, that isn t relating to violence or drug running. We have something that s about peace, that s about love, that s about this region that would prefer not to be separated but to be united.

5 In Ciudad Juárez, cheers such as Qué viva Francisco! Qué viva Francisco! (roughly Long live Francis! ) and Se ve, se siente, Francisco está presente! ( He s seen, he s felt, Francisco is here! ) rang out on all sides. Vendors sold Francis T-shirts and Mexico flags. Police drove around, reminding spectators to stay away from the road. When Francis landed in Juárez from Mexico City Wednesday morning, members of the so-called human chain, who would later link arms along Manuel Gómez Morín Boulevard where the pope would pass, left their posts and huddled to look at the televisions inside shops and restaurants. Many of these people, representing factories, parishes and cities as far away as Guadalajara, had been here since 5 a.m. They were lined up along the entirety of the boulevard. Francis and his Popemobile rolled through one of Juarez main boulevards, wearing his white coat and gently blessing the lively crowds. He greeted those lined up along the street. The vehicles in his entourage rolled at a quick pace on their way to eat lunch, their last stop before the Mass by the border. The moment was over as soon as it started. I m very happy, my heart keeps beating, said Juárez native Paola Trespalacios. She said she had teared up as he passed. I m very fortunate that he gave us his blessing. While Francis message of unity between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez speaks closely to the two cities, his larger messages about immigration resonate across the entire border. And El Paso and Juárez residents alike have welcomed his visit that has the opportunity to change the country s perceptions of the region. For history, I don t think we ll ever be able to see this again, said Juárez native Norma Gonzalez. But the pope has a home here when he wants to come back.

6 Nominations needed Nominations are now being accepted for the Fraternal Year. If interested in running, please contact one of the Trustees or the Grand Knight. Upcoming Events March 6 Welcome Sunday March 13 Daylight Savings Time begins March 17 St. Patrick s Day March 18 Fish St. Peter s ($8 per person) March 20 Palm Sunday; First Day of Spring March 25 Good Friday March 27 Easter March 28 Membership Drive/RCIA Presentation April 3 Welcome Sunday and Blood Drive April Passover March 23 - Safe Haven Easter Egg Hunt Meetings Business Meetings are held on the 1 st Tuesday of every month and Planning Meetings are held on the 3 rd Tuesday of every month, both at 7:30pm in the KofC Hall located at the back of the church property. Membership If there are any changes to your address, phone number, etc., please notify the Financial Secretary at zizzog@sbcglobal.net or by calling Get noticed Our Membership Director has advised all current members of Council #4101 to wear their plastic name badges to church and all Knights functions, especially ones where we interact with the public. This will gain much needed visibility for our organization. If you don t have a badge, please contact the Financial Secretary for information on how to obtain one.

7 Council Officers for the Fraternal Year Grand Knight Lorenzo Mendez, Jr. Deputy Grand Knight Jim Shehan, Jr. Chaplain (appointed) Chancellor John Woelry, Jr. Recorder David Siebold Financial Secretary George Zizzo Treasurer Adrian Romero Lecturer Don Grannan Membership Committee Robert Martinez Directors & Committee Leaders Advocate Rich Lockwood Warden Dave Kaczmarski Inside Guard Nick Siebold Outside Guard Jim Goetz 1 st Year Trustee Dennis Jettun 2 nd Year Trustee Frank McGehee 3 rd Year Trustee Brad Ekstrom Community Director (vacant) Pro-Life Committee Brad Ekstrom Program Director Jim Shehan, Jr. Church Director Brad Ekstrom Council Director Lorenzo Mendez, Jr. Family Director (vacant) Youth Director Dennis Jettun