The Knights Tale. Davis Lambright Council #4101 Fort Worth, Texas Newsletter for February 2017

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1 The Knights Tale Davis Lambright Council #4101 Fort Worth, Texas Newsletter for February 2017 Grand Knight s Report Greetings Brother Knights, We now enter the month of February. There will be many events that we will be taking part in on the coming days, and so we must prepare ourselves for them. This 2017 Lenten season shall begin on Ash Wednesday, which will actually be starting in the 1st of March this year. The preceding day will be our Fat Tuesday potluck supper, which will be held in the Parish Hall. Come and join us for a wonderful fraternal gathering among fellow knights and their families. On the 26th of February will be our Ladies' Appreciation Dinner. The support that we receive from them has never ceased to strengthen our cause and our resolve for what we do for everyone here, and this is why we take this time to give back for their un-wavering support. As Christians, we know the story of Jesus' 40 days in the desert, and His clash with the Devil as He fought the temptations. This is the example of the type of self-discipline we are to follow if we hope to remain closer to God, thus the reason we have the tradition of sacrificing something during Lent. During this season, we are also called to turn away from our sins and seek penance, that our souls may be healed from the burden placed upon us by sin. Finally, let us also remember that this is a time of almsgiving, that we may show support for our fellow man through charitable works. It is through all of these customs that we can be spiritually renewed and reborn. So as we reflect upon this solemn time in our liturgical calendar, take the words of Saint Peter to heart and remember the glory that will follow at its conclusion... "But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."(1 Peter 4:13) Thank you, and may the Lord watch over us all. Lorenzo R. Mendez, Jr. - Grand Knight

2 Sword Presentation On January 1, the Knights of Columbus presented Fr. Manuel Holguin with a sword engraved with his name and assembly. SK Bill Mechura gave a very well received speech before the presentation, the text of which follows If you are a member of the Knights of Columbus, please stand up at this time. Honor Guard please come forward... Father Manuel has been knighted as a member of the 4 th degree in the Knights of Columbus with all the rights and privileges associated with this degree. One such privilege is to wear the formal regalia that you see some of us wearing here today. When you see us in a tuxedo, our chapeau (Children call it the guys in the funny hat). Our Baldric with the emblem of our order, and our cape it is a reminder, that just as the knights of old fought for the church, we must do the same. And then there is our ceremonial sword, it is our symbol and reminder that whenever it is raised it is to show respect and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ and again just as in the days of old it is raised in respect for our church, and our nation. We keep it bright for liberty s sake and to fight and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Members of the 4 th degree here at St Peters wanted to show our appreciation of Father joining us. And what better way is there than to give him his very own Ceremonial Sword. His name has been engraved on it on one side and on the other side General Worth Assembly # 1089, Hopefully, whenever he will look at this sword or see one raised by a fellow member of the 4 th degree it will be a reminder of the faith and love we have for him and that we are here to support him as much as is humanly possible. Present the Sword! :

3 Pope Francis: There is 'no point' going to church if you don't really believe in it Pope Francis has said there is no point in people going to church if they do not follow the teachings of the Bible in their daily lives. The head of the Catholic church took a stand against what he termed Christian parrots, who talk a lot about their religion but don t do good deeds. If I say I am Catholic and go to mass, but then don t speak with my parents, help my grandparents or the poor, go and see those who are sick, this does not prove my faith, there s no point, he told young residents of Guidonia, a village near Rome. Those who do this are nothing but Christian parrots words, words, words, said the Pope, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa. Christian faith is expressed with three things: words, the heart, and the hands. Canon law requires Catholics to go to church on Sundays and other holy days of obligation and to abstain from work or other business that would inhibit their worship on those days. During his conversation with the parishioners, Pope Francis also said it could be difficult to forgive people when they have hurt you, or even, in some cases, committed crimes against you. It s difficult, I knew an old woman who was strong, bright, whose husband used to hit her. You should always forgive but sometimes to forget is difficult, he said, according to La Stampa and a more detailed report on the website Famiglia Cristiana. When you re at war with someone, your heart is wounded by hate and hostility, and those wounds can hurt, but you need to forgive them and not go to that person to forgive them like an enemy. Forgiveness needs to be given with the heart, even if you don t say it out loud, by treating that person as if nothing had happened. Pope Francis, 80, was born in Buenos Aires and succeeded Pope Benedict XVI following his resignation in spring His full name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He also spoke of the darkness that sometimes clouds his own belief. Some days you can t see faith, and all is black, he said, referring to the challenges faced by people in earthquake-stricken areas of Italy. I, too, have at times experienced moments of darkness in my faith, and my faith diminished a lot, but then, after a short time, I found it again.

4 Pope Francis: Populist leaders could turn into next Hitler Pope Francis issued a stark warning against growing populism movements, saying the waves of nationalist sentiment could produce the next Adolf Hitler. The pope told Spanish newspaper El Pais that in times of crisis, we lack judgment, and that is a constant reference for me. Francis has frequently spoken out against what he sees as lack of appropriate response to multiple world crises including war and mass migration. The most obvious example of European populism is Germany in After the crisis of 1930, Germany is broken, it needs to get up, to find its identity, a leader, someone capable of restoring its character, and there is a young man named Adolf Hitler, Francis said. Hitler didn't steal the power, his people voted for him, and then he destroyed his people. He said people were swayed to vote for Hitler because he was a charismatic leader who promised to give their identity back, but instead gave them a distorted identity. Let's look for a savior who gives us back our identity and let us defend ourselves with walls, barbedwire, whatever, from other people who may rob us of our identity, Francis said in the voice of those who vote for such figures. And that is a very serious thing. Just as in the U.S., populist leaders with anti-immigrant, anti-globalism sentiment have gained popularity across Europe. Although Francis has been publicly critical of President Donald Trump before, the pope told El Pais he will now wait and see what the new U.S. leader does. I don't like to get ahead of myself nor judge people prematurely. We will see how he acts, what he does, and then I will have an opinion, he said. But being afraid or rejoicing beforehand because of something that might happen is, in my view, quite unwise. Francis sent Trump greetings on Friday as the new president took office, offering prayers that God will grant Trump wisdom and strength. At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding farsighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation s commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide, Francis wrote.

5 The pope s words had a distinctly different tone than his public comments on Trump in the past. During the election, Francis spoke out against Trump s anti-immigrant president and his popular campaign promise to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The leader of the world s 1.2 billion Catholics said that anyone who wanted to build walls instead of bridges is not Christian.

6 Pope Francis takes wait-and-see approach to Trump Pope Francis and Donald Trump may have clashed in the past, but the pontiff says he is willing to give the newly inaugurated president a chance. In an interview published Saturday evening by Spanish newspaper El País, Francis said he would wait to form an opinion on President Trump, as he doesn't like "judging people early. We'll see what Trump does." At the same time, he warned against the rise of populist-style leaders in the United States and Europe, lamenting that "we look for a savior to give us back identity, and we defend ourselves with walls, barbed-wire fences, from other peoples" and citing the rise of Adolf Hitler. The comments followed a rocky relationship between Mr. Trump and Pope Francis throughout the 2016 presidential campaign. In February, the pope suggested to reporters that Trump "is not a Christian" because of his tough approach to illegal immigration; the then-candidate responded first by asserting in a statement that "for a religious leader to question a person s faith is disgraceful," and later by asking, more candidly, at a rally: "Who the hell cares?" Debate ensued over how Catholic Trump supporters could reconcile their religious views with their political ones and whether the two perspectives could ever find common ground, as Peter Grier wrote for The Christian Science Monitor at the time: A cop-out pundit point might be that the two men are speaking about completely different aspects of human experience. It was clear from the context of the pope s remarks that he was referring to motivations of the heart as opposed to specific proposals. He also said he was not fully aware of what Trump has said... Trump, in contrast, is living in a world of specific actions. Few presidential hopefuls muse openly about the morality of their 10-point papers. Introspection is for losers. Trump s response to the pope depicted the latter as a pawn, the Mexican government as bad people, and ISIS an enemy eager to storm the Vatican gates... That said, at some level these points of view intersect. To Trump s most vigorous defenders, the pope is simply hypocritical, because the Catholic Church has its own history of physical exclusion. Many pointed out on social media that the Vatican is surrounded by what appear to be ancient walls. The underlying charge: the pope is telling America to leave itself undefended. But perhaps the pope was not speaking quite so literally. Others pointed out that the walls referred to in this case might not be physical. They might not be at the border. They might not be barriers to entry, but barriers to acceptance. Some political experts warned at the time that the clash could have a negative long-term effect on Trump's popularity down the road.

7 "[T]here could be a downstream effect to this that could come back to haunt [Trump]," David Woodard, a political scientist at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., told the Monitor at the time. Even people who aren't Catholic "have a lot of reverence for the pope and the church and what he stands for," he added. "I don t think they d want him picked on by a politician." But Pope Francis appears willing to approach the Trump presidency with an open mind. Shortly after Trump's inaugural ceremony on Friday, the pope sent a congratulatory message to the new president, urging him to take care of the country's poor and outcast during his time in office. "At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding farsighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation's commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide," the pope said in the statement. "Under your leadership, may America's stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door."

8 VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKS AT MARCH FOR LIFE WASHINGTON On Friday, Jan. 27, just days after the presidential inauguration, Vice President Mike Pence spoke to tens of thousands, including members of the Knights of Columbus, gathered to participate in the 2017 March for Life. The event has taken place every January since 1974, on or near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion throughout the nation. The event kicked off with a rally sponsored by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, which was born out of the grassroots movement that gathered on the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade. At the rally, Vice President Pence, the highest ranking government official to attend the event during its 44-year history, said, I am deeply humbled to be the first vice president of the United States ever to attend this event. On behalf of President Trump, he also thanked the attendees for their stand for life and their compassion for the women and children of America. Citing the Mexico City Policy that restricts funding for abortion services to foreign countries, Pence assured pro-lifers that the Trump administration will continue to devote its time and energy to making America a country for life, announcing that President Trump will name a pro-life Supreme Court nominee next week. We ve come to a historic moment in the cause for life, he said. Compassion is overcoming convenience, and hope is defeating despair. In a word, life is winning in America because of all of you. He added, Be assured that along with you, we will not grow wearied, we will not rest, until we restore a culture of life in America for ourselves and for our posterity. The rally began with the introduction of Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, by Deputy Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, who referred to the march as the largest annual civil rights gathering in the world. After greeting the crowds, Mancini welcomed Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to President Trump. I am a wife, a mother, a Catholic, counselor to the president of the United States of America. And yes, I am pro-life, Conway told the crowd. It is such an honor to stand with the vice president of the United States and with students from places near and far to defend the unborn. This is a new day, a new dawn for life. Why are we here? What does it mean to stand together? she continued. It means to protect and promote the most precious gift in the world, the gift of life. The number of attendees at the pro-life march has grown throughout the years, with attendees coming not just from nearby states but from across the country to participate. This year, the marching crowd grew following the rally, reaching according to EWTN reporters at the event approximately half a million attendees.

9 Their attendance supports the Marist polling commissioned by the Knights of Columbus in 2016, which showed that the majority of Americans see abortion as both ultimately harmful to women and morally wrong. Of those polled, 55 percent of Americans agreed that abortion ultimately does a woman more harm than good an opinion equally shared by both the men and women polled. By contrast, only about 1 in 10 Americans believe there should be no restrictions on abortion. Year in and year out since we began polling on this issue, the American people have understood that the law can protect mother and child alike and have expressed a strong consensus in favor of abortion restrictions, said Supreme Knight Anderson. It is time for a new national conversation on abortion, one that begins with this consensus in favor of restrictions a consensus that American women and men have already reached. This year, as in past years, the crowd at the March for Life consisted of people of all faiths and political backgrounds. Countless pro-life banners and flags were on display, including the thousands of Knights of Columbus Defend Life and Choose Life signs distributed by the D.C. State Council. Many participants attended with their families and young children. Others, such as college and high school students, traveled together on parish- or school-sponsored buses. Armed with cell phones, many marchers shared their support of life on social media using the hashtag #PowerofOne, which was the hopeful theme of this year s march. The theme emphasized the power that each individual person can have in building a culture that protects life at each and every stage. Following the rally, the nearly 2-mile march began from the National Mall and progressed past the U.S. Capitol before concluding at the Supreme Court building. Standing together, marchers once more defended the weakest in society. It is a cause that has endured both weather and time as people continue to make a stand or in this case, a march for life.

10 Free Throw Contest at St. Peter s On January 10, the annual KofC Free Throw Contest was held at St. Peter s. The winners are as follows: Boys Name Age Joe Gorman 9 Martin Price 10 Alex Hemmel 12 Angel Garcia 12 Aramis Moreno 13 David Castro 14 Girls Name Age Ivana Wiesner 9 Laura Teta 10 Catie McGann 11 Harley Tyree 12 Nocel Atip 13

11 Upcoming Events February 2 Groundhog Day February 5 Welcome Sunday and Blood Drive February 14 Valentine s Day February 20 Presidents Day February 26 Ladies Appreciation Dinner ) March 1 Ash Wednesday March 5 Welcome Sunday March 12 Daylight Savings Time begins March 17 St. Patrick s Day March 20 First Day of Spring February 28 Fat Tuesday Pot Luck St. Peter s Parish Center) 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. There s An App for that Having trouble remembering the Mysteries and various prayers of the Holy Rosary. There are numerous apps to help guide you through saying the Rosary available for download to your mobile device. Try one one out today!

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