Fifty-fifty Raffle For The Seminarians. Grand Knight's Message. Flowers for Mother s Day. Grand Knight John O Donnell

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1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 7, Issue 11 #13008 Silver Spring, MD May 2009 Grand Knight's Message Grand Knight John O Donnell Worthy Brothers All: Sorry this month s letter is so late but several personal emergencies and government travel kept preempting my good intentions. First a lot of good things have occurred within our Council since I have last written you. I hope you had a chance to read Deacon Bond s article in the Catholic Standard. Also I was happy to see one of our Knights demonstrate civic commitment by running for County Council. It was also great to see Tony Gatti out of the hospital and handing out flowers on Mothers Day. A thanks to all the Knights that helped out on Mothers Day handing out flowers. On Vocations Sunday we raised $340 in 50/50 raffle ticket sales and outright donations to the fund. The winner was TJ and Jen Stifle. Congratulations. We completed our big spring clean-up for Adopt A Road; thanks to Chris Farrell for his work and to the others who have done sections of Arcola after work, it looks great. The International Night went off well; thanks to the Knights who came and also helped out with set up and clean-up. Up next we also have a social meeting scheduled for 27 May. There are some vacancies in the slate, so please consider signing up to fill them. Please come to the June Business meeting for the elections. We would like to see as many members as possible show up and vote on June 10th. The following week, June 17th, is our spaghetti dinner starting at 6:30. I will cook for you and you families in a small measure of my gratitude for your service this year. Please send me an to let me know if you can come and give me a head count of family members you will bring along. Also please bring a side dish or a desert; I will provide the salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread, and the Council will provide drinks. The following week on Thursday 25 June is the Altar Server Appreciation pool party at Kemp Mill Pool from 5:00 to 7:30 with cooking and food starting slightly after 6:15PM. Grand Knight s Message continued to page 2 Fifty-fifty Raffle For The Seminarians Knights of Columbus In recognition of being World Day of Prayer for Vocations; the Knights of Columbus are holding a 50/50 raffle for the Seminarian Sponsorship fund. Most of you know that the Knights sponsor two seminarians; one of these happens to be St Andrew seminarian, Anthony Licktieg, from last summer. The Knights have been asked by the Archdiocese to help more seminarians as there are several in need of sponsorship. Please stop by the table after Mass and buy a ticket for this very important cause. Our council has raised about $10,000 in our short existence.* Flowers for Mother s Day Members of the Monsignor Wells Council kept the tradition going by giving out carnations to mothers in honor of Mother s Day after each of the Sunday Masses on May 10. It was a pleasure to honor all the special mothers out there. Everyone got to participate, presenters included council brothers and members of their families. More than 500 carnations were presented.* Knights Of Columbus 1

2 Grand Knight Message continued from page 1 I also ask your prayers and concerns for PGK and Trustee Wayne Miller, who will undergo serious surgery this month. It also would be nice to stop by and visit Fred Gorschboth who was in an accident and is homebound, and Tony Gatti who is home from the hospital would love to hear from you. My last thought for this month is how very lucky we are in this parish to have to really great priests, who work very hard for the parish and are a inspiration to us all. Please tell them thanks next time you see them. Vivat Jesus, John* Chaplain's Message Assoc Chaplain Rev. Mr. Kevin Mukri Knights Use Your Gifts All through the month of May, we continue the celebration of the Easter season. This is important to note as we distance ourselves from Easter Sunday. We are back to our daily grind, but we don t have to loose that special feeling of joy we felt on Easter Sunday. Continue to celebrate that the Lord is truly risen!! Don t let the world robe you of that joy. As we journey along through the month of May, we should also anticipate with great joy the celebration of Pentecost on May 31. We will celebrate that the Advocate that Christ promised would come after He returned to the Father did in fact come just as Our Lord had promised. On Pentecost, we celebrate not only that first Pentecost, but the fact that Christ s promise of sending the Holy Spirit came to us too, both at Baptism and at Confirmation. At Baptism, we received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. At Confirmation, we received the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of that first Pentecost. Confirmation strengthens and matures the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit we received at Baptism and brings an increase and deepening of Baptismal grace. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Confirmation unites us more firmly to Christ, increases our bond with the Catholic more perfectly, and gives us a special strength to spread and defend the Catholic faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ. Like Baptism, Confirmation is given only once as the sacrament imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the character which is the sign that Our Lord has marked the person with a seal of His Spirit by clothing him with power from on high so that he may be his witness. As we approach the celebration of the first Pentecost, we have the opportunity to review that the Holy Spirit has given us the same gifts when we received the Sacrament of Confirmation that He gave the apostles on Pentecost. We have the opportunity to reflect on these gifts and see if we are using them in our lives. It is also a great opportunity to talk to our family and friends about the wonderful Sacrament of Confirmation and how important it is in our lives as Catholics. As we approach the celebration of Pentecost, let us renew our commitment to fully use the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we received at our Confirmation to spread our Catholic faith to all we encounter.* District Deputy's Message District Deputy Dr. Celso Barrientos, PGK. PFN Worthy Grand Knights of District 11 and Dear Brothers: It is hard to imagine that we only have two more months to go for this Columbian Year. It seemed that it was only a while back that we were in the season of installations, and programs and membership seminars. Now, we are about to go in the same cycle. However, we can accomplish many more activities in the next two months. It is not time to relax and wait for the new administration. Let s strive to accomplish as much as we can in the coming two months. During the spring meeting of the State Council, it was determined that each District must get at least ten new members before the end of the year June 30. Our District is almost there. On April 21, Fr. Rosensteel Council had a First Degree and nine new members joined the Order eight in Fr. Rosensteel and one in Monsignor Wells. I am confident that we will make our quota, but that is not mere aspiration. I would like our District to get double our quota since other Districts may not make theirs. Brothers, there is no relaxing now as far as membership is concerned. We are District Deputy Message continued to page 6 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 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 Public Relations Chairman Newsletter Editor Webmaster Msgr. Michael Mellone Rev. Joseph Kennedy Deacon Kevin Mukri John O Donnell Prosper Youm William Taylor Harold Tarver Werner Moeller Paul Sanneman David Keefe Thomas Murphy Deacon Michael Bond Sean Hardman Thomas Devlin III David Czarnecki, PGK Wayne Miller, PGK William Bolin, PGK Prosper Youm Deacon Michael Bond Harold Tarver David Keefe Nicholas Luketic William Taylor Wayne Miller, PGK William Taylor William Bolin, PGK John O Donnell Harold Tarver Stephen & Beth Nichols Tony Gentilcore 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. May s May 06 Officer s meeting 7:30 PM May 13 Business meeting 7:45 PM May 27 Social meeting 7:45 PM April Knight of the Month Chris Farell for adopt road leadership.* April Family of the Month The family of Wayne and Elesa Miller, for their continuing contributions to the parish in sickness and health.* May Birthdays Brother Bernie Hillig on the 2 nd ; Brother Jeffery Bergman on the 5 th ; Financial Secretary Paul Sanneman on the 11th; Grand Knight John O Donnell on the 11 th ; Brother Frank Kenney on the 17 th ; Brother Jeff Whitesell on the 18 th ; and, Brother Tom Devlin on the 27 th. Also, Josephine Costa, wife of DGK Prosper Youm on the 1 st ; Sylvia, wife of Brother Robert Panick on the 26 th ; and, La Verne, wife of Brother Tony Gatti on the 31 st.* May Anniversaries Brother Robert Panick and his wife Sylvia celebrate their fiftyfirst on the 3 rd ; Brother Al Tagliaferro and his wife Ana celebrate their thirtieth on the 12 th ; PGK Eugene Cottilli and his wife April celebrate their twenty-second on the 23 rd ; Dennis Gorres and his wife Isabel celebrate their twenty-eighth on the 26 th ; and, Jim Lehr and his wife Eleanor celebrate their fiftyfifth on the 29 th.* Benedict XVI'S Prayer Intentions for May Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: "That the laity and the Christian communities may be responsible promoters of priestly and religious vocations". His mission intention is: "That the recently founded Catholic es, grateful to the Lord for the gift of faith, may be ready to share in the universal mission of the, offering their availability to preach the Gospel throughout the world".* Knights Of Columbus 3

4 Monsignor Wells Message [From the Pastor s Desk, Spiritual Reflections by Msgr, Thomas M. Wells] Potential for Good May 2, 1995 I guess I first heard the word potential applied to me from my seventh grade nun. I was standing in the hail outside of class, where I had been sent probably because the other children were being a bad influence on me when Sister came out, and among a few other warm words of support, she shook her finger at me and said, Tom Wells, you have great potential either for good or for evil! Whether there was any potential, or whether it was for good or for evil, I do not know; but I do know that I find myself frequently using the word, especially when working with the young. The ten days between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday were days spent in prayer by the Apostles, Our Lady and the early believers as they waited for the Spirit, whom Jesus had promised to send upon His return to heaven. They already had faith. After all, they had seen, spoken with and eaten with the Risen Lord after His Resurrection. What they awaited was His Spirit that would empower them to do the work of Jesus, to be His, until the end of time. In other words, the Holy Spirit was the source of the potential that would allow that simple group of Jewish peasants to begin the proclamation of the Good News. Sister was probably speaking about a natural potential on that day in seventh grade, and as I say, she may or may not have been correct, but a couple of things are beyond question: the derives its power for good (its potential) not from natural gifts only, but from the very presence of the Spirit of God at the core of its being. Secondly, any member of the, especially when confirmed, possesses that same potential to dramatically communicate the goodness of God to the world. No potential can be developed unless the decision is made to make it develop. God will place no limits on my ability to show His goodness as a priest, but I must choose daily to cooperate with His grace and to do the hard work involved. God will never say to a married couple, You have experienced too much love, you must wait for heaven for the rest. But, likewise, He will not force them to make decisions of forgiveness, patience, self-denial and faith in Him, as well as the partner, that are the essence of love. And so it is, in workplace and bail field, the Spirit of God gives us the potential to be powerful signs of the presence of God in our midst, but we must decide to develop that potential. In this week before the Feast of the Holy Spirit, let us pray as a parish that God will deepen our faith and our courage so that we might ever more sincerely pray: Come, 0 Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of the faithful. Kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created and you will renew the face of the earth. * Pool Party to be Held to Honor Altar Servers The Monsignor Wells Council will be holding its annual Pool Party to honor the altar servers at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish. The festivities will be held at the Kemp Mill Swim Club located at Stonington Place. The party will run from 6 to 8 PM on Thursday June 11. The council will provide hot dogs, burgers and drinks. The event is free to members and their families. If you would like to attend, please GK John O Donnell by June 9 h at odonnelljohnh@hotmail.com and let him know how many people will be attending so we can get a good estimate on the food.* Knights Of Columbus 4

5 Reflections Lawrence P. Grayson Succisa Virescit Catholicism in America is in a listless and apathetic state. Where is the zeal that drove the first missionaries to America s shores to preach the Gospel to those who had never heard it, that inflamed these evangelists to explore every part of this vast land establishing churches as they went, that impelled priests and nuns to leave their homelands to administer to the millions of immigrants who arrived in America in the 19th and early 20th centuries, that spurred the bishops to decree at the First Plenary Council of Baltimore that every parish should establish an elementary school, that vitalized millions of Catholic men and women to join together in religious organizations to fight bigotry, discrimination, indecency and to maintain a sense of the sacred in public life? Today, too many people who profess to be Catholic are indifferent to the truths of the Faith. They may go to Mass on Sunday, receive the Eucharist, and drop contributions into the collection basket, but they have separated these religiously-connected acts from their secular behavior. They have disconnected the teachings of the Faith from their actions in daily life. On fundamental issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, homosexual marriage, and the destruction of embryos for research purposes, all of which the deems to be intrinsic evils, they can readily say, I personally oppose, but am willing to let others choose what they may. They are willfully ignorant of the s position on these core issues or, if they are aware of it, their opposition does not disconcert them. It is estimated that there are over 67 million Catholics in the United States. But the number is hollow and, when considering those who are genuinely committed to the Faith, vastly over-estimated. If 67 million American Catholics truly believed and followed the Faith, how could a majority of the Catholics who voted in the recent presidential-election support a radically pro-abortion candidate? How could they justify in their own minds that the killing of children in the womb is outweighed by support for a stronger economy, improved health care, immigration reform, and concerns for the needy? How could two-thirds of the U.S. Senators who identify themselves as Catholic, vote to deny health-care professionals the freedom of conscience to choose not to engage in practices that the opposes? How could those same Senators vote to overturn the Mexico City policy that prohibited U.S. foreign aid from being used to support abortion? How could Notre Dame University invite the most pro-abortion advocate ever to occupy the presidency of the United States as a commencement speaker and honor him with a degree? How could numerous Catholic colleges stage The Vagina Monologues, a sexually explicit play that favorably describes lesbian activity, group masturbation, and the rape of a young girl? Claiming to be Catholic and living as a Catholic are not synonymous. As Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2009 Palm Sunday homily, being a Catholic is not just a simple matter of recognizing a principle, but of living its truth. There are two sets of action that could awaken Catholics from their lethargy, and make the more vibrant and effective both in its religious mission and in civil life. First is the need for religious formation among Catholics. Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput stated in a recent address, 40 years of American Catholic complacency and poor formation are bearing exactly the fruit we should have expected Catholics who are no different than the general populace in their views on issues that the declares to be intrinsic evils. A revitalization is necessary so that men and women will be developed to understand the reason why we are here and how we are to live our lives. Formation is a task that requires the collaborative efforts of all Catholics and Catholic institutions. The first and primary responsibility for the teaching of the Faith to the young rests with the family. Parents must both instruct their children and show by example what it means to be Catholic exemplifying the doctrine, the values, and the way to live as a Catholic. They should be supported by Catholic schools, from elementary through university, which exist primarily for a supernatural purpose, to help their students gain an eternity in the kingdom of God, and secondarily to teach marketable skills needed for the secular world. Religious organizations, whether parish-based or national in scope, must be totally consonant with the life of authentic Faith, reinforce the Catholic identity of their members, and assist them in their spiritual development. Above all, there is a need for our priests and bishops to lead this evangelization of our own people as a fulfillment of their responsibilities as teachers and ministers of the Faith. The second action is to disclaim those who, having been counseled by their pastors, refuse to adhere to the Faith. Will this be traumatic? Yes. Will it lead to a with a Reflections continued to page 5 Knights Of Columbus 5

6 Reflections continued from page 4 smaller number of members? No doubt. But this pruning also could be start of a transition that will lead to a renewal of the strength and vibrancy of the. It will be a signal to all, Catholics and non-catholics alike, that the doctrines of the Faith are not relics of antiquity and that adherence to them is essential to being Catholic. It might be worth remembering the Benedictan motto, succisa virescit, that is, cut it down and it will grow back stronger. This is well illustrated in the history of the Abbey of Monte Cassino. The Abbey was pillaged and burned by the Lombards in 580, razed by the Saracens in 884, destroyed by an earthquake in 1349, plundered by the French in 1799, and bombed as a German stronghold by the Allies in Each time, it was rebuilt, often with a greater degree of grandeur. Can not the same apply to our? Vivat Jesus!* Successful State Convention The Maryland State Council of the Knights of Columbus had a very successful 111th State Convention in Ocean City, MD this past weekend. For the brothers that were there, I am sure they enjoyed the event as much as I did. For those of you who did not attend, there is still the 112th Convention next year. Thank you for all your contributions to the success of the Convention. It was great!* Best wishes, Celso Abbey of Monte Cassino District Deputy Message continued from page 2 always at full speed ahead. We will have one more First Degree in 2169 on June 16, We need to work hard for the Maryland State Council. Our support is needed by our State Council to win the Circle of Honor distinction in the Supreme Convention in August. Talking about Convention, the 111th State Convention is on May 15, 16 and 17, 2009 in Ocean City, Maryland. I hope many of us, members and their families are planning to attend the Annual Convention. Many who have been attending regularly continue to enjoy going. For those of you who have not been, put it on your vacation time to go, if not this year, then in future years. It is a different atmosphere from council events and we should participate as part of our being a member of the Knights of Columbus family. This is the time of the year when councils should be planning for the election of officers and transition for the new Columbian Year. The grand knights should have appointed a nominating committee by now. The incoming grand knights, usually the deputy grand knights, should be building their teams. Get all your directors and chairmen. In addition to the five areas of activities that we do, Community, Council, Family and Youth a director for Membership is needed and very important. Under the director for Membership are three chairmen Recruitment, Admission and Retention. Grand knights, you have one more report to do to the Supreme the Surge for Service Report. Although it is due to the Supreme by the end of June, it is better to do it now. Get it out of the way early. Lastly, I would like to mention recognitions. There is one that every Third Degree member should aim to get the Silver Knight Award. This is a recognition given by the Maryland State Council. The main requirement is to get two new members. The other requirements are simple to accomplish. The other recognition is the Shinning Armor Award. This is given by the Supreme Council. This award is for new members. If within a year of joining they attained a full knight status (3rd degree) and recruit one member plus other minor requirements then, they are eligible to apply for the Shining Armor Award. If within a year, a knight sponsors five new members, then he will receive the Golden Knight Award. This last award is sponsored by the Financial Advisors Agency. As you can see, all the awards are geared to increasing our ranks. If you have any questions on any of the awards, talk to me for information and clarification.* Knights Of Columbus 6

7 Insurance Agent's Message Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF Will You Be Ready?. Will you be ready to change occupations when you reach your company s mandatory retirement age? If you do not have an adequate monthly income at that time, there s a good chance that you will be working at low-paying, parttime jobs just to maintain a decent standard of living. Well over 50% of the people who retire need supplemental income because they find that their retirement benefits and company pension plan cannot keep u with inflation and everrising costs of living. And no one wants to drastically reduce their standard of living after they ve spent their working years trying to raise it. We want you to enjoy your retirement years in dignity. Let me help you plan to be comfortable. Call your Brother Knight Bob Callaway, your Council Field Agent today for an appointment. Fraternally, Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF rjcalla@aol.com * Officer Elections The Council will be voting on its slate of officers for the fraternal year at the June Business. It is important for you to be there! The meeting is on Wednesday, June 10 th at 7:45 PM in the St. Andrew s Teaches Lounge. Our business meetings are usually an hour in duration, and a great chance to get involved in the council. Put it on your calendar! Candidates Nominated for the slate of officers were be announced at the May 13 th Business and are listed below. A candidate for the position of Recorder has not as yet been nominated; nominations for this position will be received from the floor at the business meeting.* Grand Knight Prosper Youm Deputy Grand Knight Chancellor Harold Tarver Recorder Warden Wayne Miller Treasurer David Keefe Advocate Thomas Murphy Inside Guard Werner Moeller Outside Guard Marc Ramsey Trustee (3) John O Donnell Trustee (3) David Czarnecki Trustee (1) Bill Bolin June 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Officers 7:30PM Business 7:45PM Election of Officer Spaghetti Dinner 6:30PM Auditorium Knights with Christ Adoration 7:00PM Adopt a Road Pick up 9:30 AM Altar Servers Pool Party Kemp Pool 6:30 PM Knights Of Columbus 7

8 (July) July 4th Knights Of Columbus 8

9 May 2009 Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council #13008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Officers Seminarian Adoration 7PM Raffle Ticket 7:30PM after Masses 3 Seminarian Raffle Ticket after Masses 10 Mothers Day Flowers 17 State Convention, Ocean City, MD Adoration 7PM Business 7:45PM Adoration 7PM Adoration 7PM 9 16 State Convention, Ocean City, MD St. Andrew Parish Carnival Memorial Day Social 7:45PM Adoration 7PM 30 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 9