Knightly Knews. A Message from your Grand Knight... Your Personal Leadership Thoughts for MARCH

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March 2015 Knightly Knews Knights of Columbus Council #11353 St. Vincent de Paul Church Fort Wayne, Indiana Volume 17, Issue 3 A Message from your Grand Knight... Brothers, The Lenten season is upon us.

One thing I would like to ask is for our membership to become more engaged in our Council. This is a positive step you can take for yourself.

The pope suggested that more important than fasting from candy and alcohol, we should fast from indifference.

Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience. Pope Francis calls this phenomenon the globalization of indifference.

1 March 2015 Knightly Knews Knights of Columbus Council #11353 St. Vincent de Paul Church Fort Wayne, Indiana Volume 17, Issue 3 A Message from your Grand Knight... Brothers, The Lenten season is upon us. It is a time for all of us to reflect on our shortcomings and see what we can do to become closer to our Lord as we prepare for Easter. One thing I would like to ask is for our membership to become more engaged in our Council. This is a positive step you can take for yourself. In my remarks at the last meeting, I spoke about Pope Francis and his Ash Wednesday homily. The pope suggested that more important than fasting from candy and alcohol, we should fast from indifference. In his Lenten message, he writes, Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience. Pope Francis calls this phenomenon the globalization of indifference. Francis writes that whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. He continues that, We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though this were someone else s responsibility and not our own. Think of the indifference we see every day. We see it in our political leaders who refuse to act on issues that affect the poor and disenfranchised in this country. We see it in our own lives as we turn a blind eye to those around us who need a helping hand. We are too quick to condemn the action of others without looking inward at what we can accomplish to make life better for others. The pope urges us to reach out to those in need and make this world a better place for all. This includes an acceptance of those who may not hold the same beliefs as us. Let s strive to make a difference this Lent and throughout the year. ( cont d on pg 3) Vivat Jesus Dennis Fech, Grand Knight Inside this issue: What s Happening 2 Membership Report 2 Officers / Chairmen 2 Ladies Auxiliary News 3 GK Report (con t) 3 2nd /3rd /4th Degree News 3 K of C Shirts 3 Field Agent s Report 4 Pro life Report 5 A Devotion to Mary 5 Dues / Cemetery 5 Calendar of Events 6 Meetings are the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of the Month. Your Personal Leadership Thoughts for MARCH "Invest your time in activities, work, hobbies, and relationships which have maximum meaning for you." - Paul J. Meyer "If you do not consciously decide ahead of time where you are going, you may very easily end up somewhere else." - Paul J. Meyer Happy St. Patrick s Day!

2 What's Happening in Council * 1st Degree Exemplification - The next degree is: held in the Sp. Center A. Date: Thurs., Apr 23rd. Sign in at 7 pm, with degree at 7:30pm. * Next Officers / Directors Meeting is: Thur, Mar 12th, 7 pm. In the Spiritual Center B. * Next Membership Meeting- Our next meeting is scheduled for Thur, Mar 19th. Potluck Dinner with the Ladies Aux. at 6:30 followed by the Rosary and then our respective meetings. We will meet in the Sp.Center A & B. * K of C Blood Drive Next drive is set for Sat, Apr 25th. It s from 7:30-11am in the Parish Hall. Contact Ed Koehl /Jeff Schafer for appointment. *Next K of C Family Breakfast is Sun. March 8th, held in the Parish Hall. Come and enjoy a great breakfast with your family. 8-11am. (Proceeds to Gibault) * Rosary For the Unborn before 8 am Mass in Church, 7:40 am.. First Saturday of Every Month! * Future Events- We are going to have many events and projects coming up in the future. If possible, please help, if available, when you are called! Even a little helps a lot. * Send a request to Dennis at dgf1950@gmail.com if you want to receive upcoming information about the council. MAD ANTS BASKETBALL!!! - Family Night! The St. Vincent's Knights of Columbus Council is planning a winter outing at the Fort Wayne Mad Ants Basketball Game on Saturday, March 7th!!!! 7:30 pm Last year, the Mad Ants were league champions of the NBA Development League. The Mad Ants will play the Canton (Ohio) Charge! Tickets will cost $ 8.00 per ticket. We would like to see this turn into an annual KofC outing just like our evening with the Tin Caps in the summer. If you are interested in tickets for this game, please call Darryl Smith at so we can get a good count by February 12th. We will collect the ticket money from members just before the February 12 Officers Meeting at the Spiritual Center. Membership Report... "The challenge facing every brother Knight today is to ensure that the Order and every one of our councils are places whose doors are open and whose members invite their fellow Catholics to a life of fraternal communion and charity. It is also the responsibility of every Knight to deepen his fraternal communion with true charity and unity, so that whoever encounters the Knights of Columbus will encounter a community of brothers motivated by The Joy of the Gospel." -Excerpt from Knightline Help our Council grow by 30 new members between now and June This will help us to meet our council goals for the membership year and help us to achieve STAR COUNCIL... In order to achieve this we need your help!!! OUR NEXT MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION NIGHT IS APRIL 9TH AT 7:00PM AND OUR NEXT 1ST DEGREE EXEMPLIFICATION IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 23RD, 2015 AT 7:00PM YOU CAN HELP! We are asking all members to ask men (18 and over) to join the K of C. YOU can make an immediate impact on the effectiveness of our council by getting just 1 or 2 catholic men involved as a member of the K of C. ASK when you attend events, ASK before and after church, and ASK by making a few phone calls. If you have any questions about recruiting new members, please contact Darryl Smith, Buddy Weihe, Mike McCarthy, John Becker, Dan Nix, or Dennis Fech. 2014/2015 Officers... Service Program Directors / Chairmen Chaplain Fr. Polycarp Fernando Grand Knight Dennis Fech Deputy Grand Knight Dan Nix Chancellor Mike Pranger Financial Secretary Ken Bloom Recorder Mike McMillen Treasurer Rob Green Lecturer Darryl Smith Advocate Andy Tauzin Warden Mark Sorich Inside Guard Walt Voigt Outside Guard Nick Dawson yr trustee John Becker yr trustee Mike McCarthy yr trustee Bruce Cadwell District Deputy Ed Waldschmidt Past Grand Knight Bruce Cadwell Insurance Program Keith Praski Program Director Rick Stier Church Director Dave Thomas Community Director Mike McCarthy * Council Director Steve Lybrook Family Director Youth Director Culture of Life Director Bob Gensheimer Membership Chairman Darryl Smith Membership Chairman Buddy Weihe Retention Committee Dana Achor/Mike McCarthy - Admission Committee Mike Pranger/John Becker Vocations Chairrman Scott St. Louis Memorial Chairman Jim Cox RTF Liason Dana Achor Scouting Liaison John Faylor th Degree Liaison Brent Mosley / Mike Pranger Newsletter Editor Rick Stier Gibault Envoy Bruce Cadwell Blood Drive Chairman Ed Koehl /Jeff Schafer Ladies Auxiliary Connie Dailey Food Chairman Andy Dailey Food Committee: Rob Green/Tom Dailey/Josh Burkhardt Page 2

3 Ladies Auxiliary News... Dear Ladies, I hope you are all having a very blessed and fruitful Lent. We do have a meeting and potluck with the guys on March 19th. We have decided to have our meeting every other month from now on which would include a potluck dinner with the men. We will be watching a video on Safe Environment so you can be certified to work with children in the Diocese. This program will be available to everyone in attendance. There is a little paperwork to go with it. I hope many can attend and get certified so you can help out at events where children are present! Also we have a breakfast this month as always, we can use your help. Read the Church Bulletin and keep in mind that many hands make the work load light! In The Love of Jesus, Connie Dailey Grand Knight Report ( Continued from page 1) COUNCIL ACTIVITIES/MEETINGS As Grand Knight, I want to continue to encourage you to participate in the many activities we offer not only to our members but to your families as well. Join us for the upcoming Mad Ants game or the Tin Caps game this summer. Efforts are also underway to try and put together a bus outing to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs. We are always open to new ideas as to how we can best serve our members and others. Later this spring, we will participate in the annual Tootsie Roll Drive. Help will be needed to assist at the Kroger store on Lima Road. We also need additional help with the parking lot duties after all the Masses on the weekends. We currently have a small group of men who consistently volunteer. More help is certainly welcome. Also, make it a point to attend at least one meeting a quarter if at all possible. This is only four meetings out of the twelve we conduct annually. I know the switch to Thursdays has made it difficult for some. As Grand Knight, I have done my best to keep the meetings at two hours. That includes dinner as well as the rosary. Shortly, we will begin the process of selecting new officers for the Fraternal Year. If you have any interest in running for office, please let me know. We were not able to fill all of our Director s positions this past year and I would hope we can change that for the next year. If you have an interest in church, youth, council activities, etc. let me know and I can explain what each position entails. The more membership becomes involved, the easier the burden on the officers and the rest of the council. Hope to see you on March 19th at 6:30 pm 2nd/3rd Degree in Ft. Wayne... Sunday, March 8th... Being held at St. John s, Council 12741, New Haven. Registration is 11:30-12:15pm. NO ADMISSION AFTER 12:15PM. Bring your current membership card. 3rd degree will follow the 2nd degree. Attire is business casual. Should be over by 4 pm. There is no charge for these degrees. K of C Shirts... Some members have asked about ordering K. of C. polo shirts. I have been in contact with Jennifer Ramos of Ramons Apparel and Designs to see about ordering shirts for our members. I am waiting on a final price from her on both polo shirts as well as wind shirts. As soon as I have that, I will pass it along to all members. You will be able to order directly from her. Since we opted to allow for individual orders, you will be required to pay sales tax on these shirts. 4th Degree News... All 4th degree members are invited to the Religious Appreciation Banquet honoring our Bishop, priests and religious of our diocese. It will be held on April 22, 2015 at Council 451 located on Reed Road. Cocktail hour starts at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $15.00 per person, wives are invited. Sir Knights are required to wear tuxedo and social baldric at this banquet. More information on the banquet will be upcoming. Indianapolis is the location for the next 4th degree exemplification to be held on March 21, Information for the exemplification can be found at: Click on the link for 4th degree. Anthony Wayne Assembly 4th Degree is sponsoring a daily text message during the Lenten season. Priests from throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend and Bishop Rhoades have provided text messages. Text "GO CATHOLIC" to to receive daily messages throughout Lent. Message and data rates may apply. Volume 17, Issue 3 Page 3

Tower Investment Services Kevin T. Noll First Vice President, Investment Advisor 116 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Phone: 260-427-7156 Fax: 260-427-7175 Cell: 260-437-7858 kevin.

net 3125 Hobson Road Fort Wayne, IN 46805 www.coxchiromed.com www.coxtechnic.

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Praski, FICF Member MDRT - Field Agent 795 Ln 275 Jimerson Lake Angola, IN 46703 Insurance for Brother Knights, by Brother Knights Available Field Agent Report.

It s become popular this time of year to encourage the opening of an IRA or similar retirement annuity, or the depositing of additional funds into an existing account, as a tax savings vehicle.

Let me join the chorus of folks encouraging you to open or add funds to an annuity, but for a different reason.

4 Tower Investment Services Kevin T. Noll First Vice President, Investment Advisor 116 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN Phone: Fax: Cell: Cox Chiropractic Medicine, Inc. James M. Cox, DC, DACBR James M. Cox, II, DC, L.Ac FIAMA Phone: Fax: Hobson Road Fort Wayne, IN Gensheimer Construction Bob & Patt Gensheimer Father & Son Decks - Roofs - Siding Bob: or Room Additions Patt: Free Estimates Down And Dirty Gardeners, LLC Tom Hensinger 6234 Goshen Road Fort Wayne, IN Thensinger@comcast.net Cell: Fax: Patio Paver Installation, Garden Refurbishing, Plant, Trim, Edge and Mulch, mulch more... Phone: Bus keith.praski@kofc.org Regional Office : Knights of Columbus Keith C. Praski, FICF Member MDRT - Field Agent 795 Ln 275 Jimerson Lake Angola, IN Insurance for Brother Knights, by Brother Knights Available Field Agent Report... Brother Knights, April 15 - tax day - is right around the corner. It s become popular this time of year to encourage the opening of an IRA or similar retirement annuity, or the depositing of additional funds into an existing account, as a tax savings vehicle. A secondary approach is to tout the rate of interest that money in one of these accounts can earn. Let me join the chorus of folks encouraging you to open or add funds to an annuity, but for a different reason. Certainly, contributing money to a Knights of Columbus annuity will allow you to save some money on your income tax return. And our annuities do pay a very competitive interest rate, consistent with our primary goal of absolute safety of principal. Opening or adding to an annuity for these reasons, however, strikes me as taking a short-term view of a product that is designed to provide long-term security. How much security? How does a retirement income that you cannot outlive guaranteed sound to you? Here at the Knights of Columbus, you can open a retirement annuity for as little as $300. Consistent and disciplined savings placed into that annuity over time can guarantee you an income at retirement that you cannot outlive. That guarantee along with the fact that no one has ever lost money left in a Knights of Columbus annuity (remember absolute safety of principal), really will provide you with peace of mind. I am happy to meet with you at your convenience and in your home to explain in detail the benefits of opening a Knights of Columbus annuity, along with the benefits of our top-rated life insurance and long term care insurance plans. As you ponder all the things that may not work out as you proceed toward retirement, think about one thing you can do to help yourself opening a Knights of Columbus annuity. It s reasonably priced ($300 to start), guaranteed, and controlled by someone you trust you! Keith C. Praski, FICF/MDRt Phone: (260) keith.praski@kofc.org Page 4

5 ProLife Report...Lent Christ invites us to respond to evil, first of all, with a serious examination of conscience and the commitment to purify our lives. We, as Catholics, should encourage and participate in the frequent reception of the sacrament of penance especially during the season of Lent. There is no better time than Lent to meditate daily on the redemption that the Lord won for us by his suffering, death and resurrection. Lent is a time of renewal, during which we ask for the grace to strengthen our prayer life, to practice fasting and mortification, and to give generously of ourselves to those in need. It is not a mere selfimprovement program, but a time-tested way of participating more deeply in Christ s sacrifice of love. Throughout the season of Lent, the Church offers us encouragement to undergo a profound conversion from sin, which involves humbly and prayerfully coming to terms with our sinfulness and seeking forgiveness in sacramental confession. In the joy of forgiveness, we are invited to share more deeply in the Father s merciful love. A Devotion to Mary for the Middle of a Stressful Work Day... On a particularly stressful day, when three people were lined up at my office door, when the phone was ringing and the voic light was flashing, and with deadlines fast approaching, I stopped myself for a brief moment, and thinking about the pressures and distractions a workplace has on our spiritual lives, I lifted my eyes to our Blessed Mother. Dear Mary, our Mother, our morning rise and evening rest, our radiant purity and everlasting beauty, our steadfast surety and perpetual comfort, oh Mary, oh Mother, dear Mother, pray for me. In the midst of the rush of my day, amid the great clamor of daily routines; of details and deadlines; of duties and responsibilities; of demands of my time, attention, energy, thoughts, words and deeds; of the relentless rancor of a world filled with pitfalls and snares that bombard so relentlessly that they seep into consciousness wherein even dreams are tarnished by the tremendous corroding force that spew from those around us whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongue a sharpened sword, and where no truth can be found in their mouths, their heart is all mischief, their throat a wide-open grave, all honey their speech, I stop and turn to you. With inner stillness while the torrents commotion surround me, I see your gleaming face; I feel your loving arms; I am lifted and held up by your maternal embrace; I am strengthened by your ever-presence; I am assured by your intercessions. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed are thou, among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. Thank you Mary, our Mother, dear Mother, oh Immaculate. The day became no less stressful, no less busy, but I was at ease and reassured. Membership Dues... The 2015 Knights of Columbus membership dues statements have been sent out. If you did not receive one please contact the Financial Secretary right away. Please submit your dues as soon as possible. If you are having trouble paying your dues please contact the Financial Secretary or the Grand Knight we have a Brother Knight fund established to help those that may be in unemployed or under-employed. Don t be afraid to ask. Also, please don t forget to return the Gibault raffle tickets that were included with your dues statement as well. - Cemetery Project Update... Brother Jim Cox arranged a recent meeting with Fr. Dan, Bruce Cadwell, Dennis Fech, and Casey Miller, who is the newest director of the Catholic Cemetery in Fort Wayne. We had a thorough discussion regarding the proper way to straighten the headstones in the old parish cemetery. We have agreed to embark on this project probably in June of this year. We will need some strong backs to assist in the project and Catholic Cemetery will provide us with the necessary equipment to move the heavier stones. We are confident that we can accomplish this task over a few weekends. Once completed, we will have a pretty good idea as to whether there is additional space for future parish burials. Related to this will be the possible relocation of some seventeen existing gravesites at the old St. Michael s Cemetery which is now owned by a Baptist Church. The diocese would like to see these remains moved to a Catholic cemetery. Details still need to be worked out but again, we will be working with Casey Miller and the parish to see what we can do to get this accomplished as well. Volume 17, Issue 3 Page 5

Our Prayer Line: Please keep the following members and their families, who are sick, in distress or in harms way (serving in military) in your prayers. Take a moment to enliven one's heart. - Msgr.

6 Our Prayer Line: Please keep the following members and their families, who are sick, in distress or in harms way (serving in military) in your prayers. Take a moment to enliven one's heart. - Msgr. John Kuzmich - Bruce Cadwell - Deacon Bob Deck - Tom Hensinger - Mike Koch - Jim Lane - Tony Turner - Coach Coonan - Linda Falater - Rick Stier - For the departed souls of Bob Cowan, Dolly Coonan - Jerry Borros - Don Getts - and for all of the aborted babies - The elderly and/or sick members of our council that we have missed... Please take a moment and ask God for his healing power upon these people in their time of need. Calendar of Events Mar 7 7:30 pm K of C Family Mad Ants Game Mar am K of C Family Breakfast (P.H.) Mar 10 7:15 pm 4th Degree Meeting-@ Cathedral - (St. Mother Theodore Guérin Chapel) Mar 12 7:00 pm K of C Officers/Directors - Meeting (Sp.Center B) Mar pm Rekindle the Fire - (Parish Hall) Mar 17 Happy St. Patrick s Day!! Mar 19 6:30 / 7 Rosary/7:30 K of C Membership Mtg & Potluck - (Sp.Center A & B) Mar 29 Knights of Columbus Founders Day - Apr 5 Easter Sunday!! Christ Has Risen!! Apr 9 6:15 pm K of C Officers/Directors Meeting (Sp.Center B) Apr 9 7-8pm Open House for Prospective Members/ Spouses (Sp.Ctr A) Apr 14 7:15 pm 4th Degree Meeting-@ Cathedral - (St. Mother Theodore Guérin Chapel) Apr 16 6:30 / 7 Rosary/7:30 K of C Membership Meeting - (Sp.Center A & B) Apr pm Rekindle the Fire - (Parish Hall) Apr 23 7 sign-in/7:30 1st Degree Admissions Ceremony (Sp.Ctr. A) Apr 26 World Day of Prayer for Vocations!! Anyone wanting to put something in the newsletter send it to Rick at rastier@aol.com Publisher and Contacts: Council #11353 Knights of Columbus c/o Bruce Cadwell 1536 Tulip Tree Rd. Ft. Wayne, IN New Web Link to St.Vincent Council Knights of Columbus Website: - click on Community Life - Men s Organizations - Knights of Columbus Grand Knight: Dennis Fech Deputy Grand Knight: Dan Nix Financial Secretary: Ken Bloom Newsletter Editor: Rick Stier Published monthly and sent to all K of C Council #11353 Members. Redeemer Radio Catholic Radio, NOW on FM! 24 Hour Catholic Broadcasting Now listen to our broadcast live over the Internet! IN GOD WE TRUST To contact us or to provide financial support: or Redeemer Catholic Radio, PO Box 5636, Ft. Wayne, IN Council #11353 Knights of Columbus c/o Kenneth Bloom, FS 429 E. Dupont Rd. #267 Fort Wayne, IN The basis for a vibrant Knights of Columbus organization is steady growth and commitment to the values of the Knights of Columbus. Next Meeting: Thurs. Mar 19th in Spiritual Center B Dinner 6:30, Rosary 7, Meeting 7:30 PM

Knightly Knews. A Message from your Grand Knight... Meetings are the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of the Month. Inside this issue: January 2015

Knightly Knews. A Message from your Grand Knight... Meetings are the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of the Month. Inside this issue: January 2015 January 2015 Knightly Knews Knights of Columbus Council #11353 St. Vincent de Paul Church Fort Wayne, Indiana Volume 17, Issue 1 A Message from your Grand Knight... I trust that each of you, along with