Chaplain s Message By Fr. Josef Vollmer-König

Transcription

1 Volume 109, Issue 1 January Dallas Council 799 Knights of Columbus Shoreview Road Dallas, Texas Knight Times Monthly Newsletter of Dallas Council 799 Chaplain s Message By Fr. Josef Vollmer-König Dear Brother Knights, On January 8, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Our Lord Jesus Christ is manifested to the whole world. The Gospel of St. Matthew 2:1-12 tells us of the Magi coming to Bethlehem to worship the newborn King: Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. They placed their lives on hold and as gifts gave of themselves. The journey that brought the Magi to Bethlehem was a spiritual journey. Celebrating the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, regularly and attending Mass is a part of our spiritual journey. As Knights, our commitment is to be an example for our family and community. As we begin this New Year, we make resolutions to help us and give us directions for our lives. I have a few suggestions to guide us in this: 1. Come to Mass on time. We should arrive at least five minutes before the start of Mass to help us to quiet down and be ready to participate. 2. Keep a respectful quiet in the presence of our Lord; He is present especially in the Church. We keep quiet out of respect for the people around us in prayer. 3. Stay to the end of Mass. This includes the final blessing and the closing hymn. 4. Turn off the cell phones. If God wants to speak to you personally, He does not need a phone, ipod, MP3 player or other such devices so leave them at home or in the car. 5. Sending and receiving text messages is not part of attending Mass. Continued, page 2 Contents Chaplain s Message Fr. Josef Vollmer-König Grand Knight s Letter John J. Little The Great 799 Honors its Own Council Awards Banquet Pro-Life Events March for Life Highlights from Meetings Volunteer Opportunities Calendar of Events December 2011 Sat Dec 31 New Year s Eve Party ($50 in advance) January 2012 Tue Jan 2 Monthly General Meeting Special KayCee Club Inc Meeting Sat Jan 14 Ronald McDonald House (volunteers) Tue Jan 17 Board Meeting Fri Jan 20 Newsletter content deadline Sat Jan 21 Roe Memorial Events Sat Jan 21 Free Throw Contest Mon Jan 23 New Member Candidate orientation mtg (6:30pm downstairs boardroom) Coming Up Tue Feb 7 Monthly General Meeting Regular KayCee Club Inc Meeting Calendar/Updates on the website: Contact Club Contacts: KC Office: (214) Fax: (214) Lounge: (214) Pool: (214) Prayer Intentions: Frank Gray (214) prayers@kc799.org Membership: Patrick Vlk (214) pvlk@glazers.com Newsletter Articles: John Guerra (214) news@kc799.org

2 6. Do not bring food or drink, except for medical reasons. 7. Chewing gum in Church is not appropriate, especially during Mass. (Reasons: a. Respect, and b. we break the one hour fast before receiving Communion.) 8. Dress appropriately. We attend Mass; this is our participation in the most sacred act. This we proclaim Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Attending Mass is not being at a picnic, a beach party or a sporting event. 9. Most of all come and actively participate in the prayers and in songs. Be present to our Lord who is present to us. 10. Ladies, please assist those who launder the purificators by blotting your lipstick before receiving the Precious Blood. 11. Give yourself a Gift by attending our adult religion classes on Sunday for your spiritual growth. God s blessings, and a blessed New Year, Father Josef For These We Pray Please pray for our members and their family members with chronic or serious ailments, as well as the souls of our departed Brothers. Prayer List Pope Benedict XVI Sally Molenda Laura David SK Robert S. SK Bob Hale Huffman, Jr. John Michael Vance Fr. Loyd Morris James A. Johnston Virgil Zipper John Michael Vance, brother of Cardy Vance, passed away on December 16. If you know of deaths or major illnesses of Knights or their family members, please contact: Frank Gray, (214) Or prayers@kc799.org Grand Knight s Letter By John J. Little Greetings to my Brother Knights (and your families): I hope that you all enjoyed a blessed Christmas with your loved ones, and that you found room for some reflection, rest and relaxation amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays. The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas always provides a great opportunity for our Council to serve the first principle of our order Charity. This year was no exception. Following our November meeting, our Council distributed donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Societies at each of our five primary parishes. Our Council s traditional Magi Tree (ably organized by David Salazar) was quickly converted from a stack of wishes into a room full of gifts that were donated to needy families through the Brady Center. Our Charity Committee also authorized donations to the Mens Club at St. Pius X, to the Dallas Diocesan Chapter to sponsor attendees at the Southwest Liturgical Conference, and responded to some individual donation requests. Finally, our membership has been slowly filling up the donation boxes This Month New Year s Eve Event Dec 31 Don t forget to join us for the New Year s Eve Party. Tickets are available online: The PitPops are playing, buffet by Chef Oliver, and party favors! Only $50 per ticket. Please contact Brad Barlow with any questions about this event. Brad.Barlow@att.net Ronald McDonald House Our Council is cooking for the RMDH on Saturday, January 14 from 3-6pm. Volunteer contact: John Guerra ( johnguerra5@gmail.com). for our coat drive to benefit St. Bernard s. We also thank the Brothers who assisted St. Patrick s parish each weekend between Labor Day and Christmas setting up the gym for Mass and then breaking it back down on Sunday night. The parish Renewal project is now complete Father Josef and the St. Patrick s community moved back into a newly renovated (and beautiful) sanctuary to celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent. The New Year marks the half-way mark for our fraternal year. We ve brought in 35 new members, we expanded our support for seminarians, and we ve continued to grow our service programs. The New Year brings a full slate of events. We begin with an important meeting in January, during which we ll consider the capital improvement project for our pool facilities. We then move swiftly to our annual Sisters Dinner (February 19) and our Lenten Fish Fries (one of our largest fundraisers). There will be ample opportunities for each Brother Knight to participate! Wishing all of you a Happy and Blessed New Year! John Little, GK Free Throw Contest January 21 Our Council will host a free throw contest from 6:30 to 8:30 on Saturday Jan 21 st at the St. Patrick s School gym. Please contact Brian Bessner ( ) or Pat Vlk ( ) to volunteer your time and talent for this event. March for Life January 21 Knights are needed to help with the Pro-Life events on January 21 st. Please see page 4 of this newsletter for more details and a schedule of events. Knights of Columbus - Dallas Council 799 Page 2

3 The Great 799 Honors its Own On December 6, 2011, the Council dispensed with its usual monthly business meeting and hosted an open meeting and awards banquet. The purpose of the event was to recognize and honor some of our Brother Knights for their exceptional (and lifelong) contributions to our Council. The evening commenced with the recognition of the nine different Past Grand Knights in attendance: Ray Baker ( ), Don Kemp ( ), Cardy Vance ( ; ); Salem McLean ( ), Jerry Alfieri ( ), Kevan Jones ( ), John Bane ( ), Greg Kimber ( ) and Patrick Vlk ( ). The Great 799 then presented lifelong achievement awards to six of its members: SK Joe Mehan (introduced by John Guerra): Joe has been a member of Council 799 since June He s one of the founding fathers of the RSVP program to support seminarians, he s been active in Scouting for longer than most folks can remember, and he and his family were primarily responsible for the writing, production and circulation of our Council newsletter for a decade or more. SK Salem McLean, PGK, PFN, FM (introduced by Mike Hill). Salem has been a member since July He is a Past Grand Knight, a Past Faithful Navigator of the Father Abram J. Ryan Assembly, and a Former Master of the 4 th Degree. He continues to be active in both the Council and in the Assembly, and he is now and has long been one of the leaders of the Knights pro-life efforts. SK Al Barbosa, FM (introduced by Benji Vega). Al has been a member since July 1953, having followed his father into membership. Al is a Former Master of the 4 th Degree, was one of the founders of the Montserrat Retreats, and has served the Diocese for many years as its director of retreats. Ray Vlk (introduced by Patrick Vlk). Ray has been a Knight since 1950 and has long been a fixture on every cooking crew and work detail that has been formed over the last three (or four, or five) decades. His motto have apron, will work. He continues to be an active participant at the Ronald McDonald House, on the Friday morning cooking crews, and on the Sister s Dinner crew (and most recently was at 799 serving coffee and donuts for our December major degree). SK Virgil Zipper, PGK (introduced by Mike Savage). Virgil has been a Knight since December 1955 and has served in a number of roles, including Grand Knight. He was a steady presence on our Council s 1 st Degree team for decades, and spent many years serving the State of Texas as ceremonials director. Unfortunately, Virgil was the only honoree who could not be present he is still recovering from pneumonia. SK Cardy Vance, PGK (introduced by Chris Janning). Cardy joined Council 799 in 1966, largely because he liked to swim. Since then, he has served Council 799 as Grand Knight (twice), Treasurer and Trustee, and handled most of the Council s accounting and tax needs for decades. He is also the guy most responsible for the continued success and vitality of our annual Sisters Appreciation Dinner. The centerpiece of the night s festivities was the presentation of the Dallas Diocesan Chapter s Person of the Year award to SK John Bane, PGK, in recognition for his many contributions to our Council and to the Order, not the least of which is his key role in our Council s unprecedented recruiting success over the past three years. The event drew its share of dignitaries, including our Worthy State Deputy, Tony Herreth, our Diocesan Deputy, Roger Scott, the President of the Dallas Diocesan Chapter, Pat Conway, the Chapter s Chaplain, Father Loyd Morris, our District Deputy, David Carr, and our own Worthy Chaplain, Father Josef. It was also attended by approximately 150 of our members, at least some of whom were brave enough to bring their spouses. Knights of Columbus - Dallas Council 799 Page 3

4 2012 Roe Memorial Events Rosary, Mass, Dallas March for Life & Rally Saturday, January 21, 2012 DALLAS On January 21, 2012, Dallas will mark the 39th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's tragic Roe v. Wade decision of January 22, 1973, legalizing abortion in America and leading to the death of over 50 million unborn children. Roe v. Wade started here, and must end here in Dallas. Come and be a voice for LIFE! Join Dallas Bishops Kevin J. Farrell, Doug Deshotel and Mark Seitz, Fort Worth Bishop Kevin W. Vann, diocesan clergy and thousands of people of faith to pray for an end to the scourge of abortion on our city and country, to witness publicly, and rally and march for a Culture of Life. As the Dallas Roe Memorial Events grow in size, so do our needs to support these events. If you can assist with any of the volunteer needs, please cplc@prolifedallas.org or call LIFE (5433). Knights are encouraged to volunteer with crowd control or with the March for Life. 7:30 a.m. Board shuttle buses at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, 2215 Ross Avenue at Pearl Street, Dallas, for the 2011 Roe Memorial Rosary at Routh Street 7:45-8:45 a.m. Pray the 2011 Roe Memorial Rosary with Bishop Mark Seitz outside the Routh Street abortion center, 4321 N. Central Expy, Dallas. 10:00 a.m. Bilingual Roe Memorial Mass, Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, concelebrated by Bishops Farrell, Vann, Deshotel, and Seitz and diocesan clergy, with homilist Fr. Jason Cargo and music led by Curtis Stephan 12:00 p.m. Dallas March for Life begins at the Cathedral Plaza and proceeds to First Baptist Dallas, 1707 San Jacinto, where we will meet up with our evangelical brothers and sisters, and then march together to the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse. 12:30 p.m. (approx.) Ecumenical Rally outside the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse, housing the district court where Roe v. Wade was first filed in The Rally will be held behind the courthouse in the parking lot at 1108 Jackson St., on the corner of Griffin. 1:15 p.m. Pro-Life Ministry Fair at First Baptist Dallas and Hot Chocolate/Cookie Reception at Cathedral Grand Salon (while they last!). More Volunteer Opportunities Help needed for Sister s Dinner Our annual Nun s Dinner will be held on Sunday afternoon, February 19, You will soon receive via mail an opportunity to support this effort financially (all funds donated go directly to the sisters in attendance, either via gifts or cash prizes). Additionally, we d like to have some of our wives volunteer as floor staff for the event. Finally, and most importantly, we need some Brother Knights to volunteer to drive the sisters to and from our facility for the event. We pick up the sisters at around noon and conclude the event around 4:00 p.m. Transportation is the most difficult hurdle we need to overcome to increase attendance at the event, so any assistance in this area will be greatly appreciated. If you are willing to volunteer, please contact John or jlittle@lpf-law.com. Southwest Liturgical Conference Drivers needed The Southwest Liturgical Conference will celebrate its 50th Anniversary of the Study Week, January 24th-27th, 2012, at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas, hosted by the Diocese of Dallas Liturgy Office. Dallas was the first diocese to host the event in 1963, Liturgy: History and Reform and hosted again in 1984, and in In 2012, the Diocese of Dallas will once again have the honor and pleasure of hosting the monumental event. Knights are needed as drivers to/from the airport and the hotel. Please volunteer no later than January 14, 2012 (to allow time to coordinate driver assignments). You can volunteer by ing Marce Tebbe (mtebbe6020@att.net) or calling (m). SPECIAL KAYCEE CLUB, INC. MEETING ON JANUARY 3, 2012 The KayCee Board has approved a pool improvement project that includes replacement of the slide structure with a new stairway structure, addition of a second slide, replacement of the filter system, and the addition of deck space. The approved bid is at a cost of $402,000 to be paid for by the KayCee Club contributing $90,000 over the next 3 years and by assessing a capital improvement charge to each pool member and new members who join in the next 3 years. A full project description is available on the Council website. Our By-Laws require that this expenditure be presented to and approved by our membership. This is your notice that our President has called a Special Meeting of KayCee Club, Inc. on January 3 rd for the purpose of presenting this matter to the general membership for approval. Knights of Columbus - Dallas Council 799 Page 4

5 COUNCIL 799 RSVP PROGRAM SEMINARIANS Here are names and addresses for the seminarians that our Council has supported this fraternal year. You are invited to send cards or letters at any time and especially during holidays. Martin Mwangi St. Patrick s Catholic Church 9643 Ferndale Drive Dallas, Texas Ryan Hiaeshutter Holy Trinity Seminary 3131 Vince Hagan Drive Irving, Texas Zachary Packard Holy Trinity Seminary 3131 Vince Hagan Drive Irving, Texas Albert Solis Holy Trinity 3131 Vince Hagan Drive Irving, Texas Monthly Meeting Highlights Paul Bechter Jesus Chavez Deacon Reuben Chen Carlos Cruz Mario Artemio Esparza Fidel Mondregon Ignacio Olvera c/o Father Rodolfo Garcia Director of Vocations 3725 Blackburn Dallas, Texas Joseph Chappell Guillermo Carillo Juan Carlos Marin Lucas Moreira Ricardo Reyes c/o Father Fernando Carazanza Redemptoris Mater Seminary P.O. Box Dallas, Texas Regular Hours Lounge Information Mon-Fri: Open 5pm to close* Saturday: 2pm-close* * Closing time is between 9pm and midnight. If you're having a good time, we're open. KayCee Club Hall Rental The KayCee Club Hall is available for rental to Members and non- Members. For info, please call KayCee Club, Inc. Tuesday meetings in November, February, May, and August. ** Special meeting in January 2012** Send Your Content Please provide suggestions, or content articles for the newsletter to: news@kc799.org. Deadline for May newsletter is: January 20 Vocation Chalice Program Here are the Highlights from the most recent Council General Meeting and Board meetings. Please contact an officer of the Council with questions. No Council General Meeting (Dec 6): Please see the article regarding the Awards Banquet Council Board Meeting (Dec 20): Reviewed process/timeline for Retention Committee Discussed Free Throw Contest Recap of several events held in December KayCee Club Board Mtg (Dec 20): Preparation for special KayCee Club meeting (capital improvement project) Review of financial report and Q/A regarding selected items Report regarding personnel search Discussion and tentative approval to purchase nativity set for the Hall Call our Knights of Columbus Insurance Field Agents: Last names A-J: Brendan Smith (469) Last names K-Z: Tom Stelmar (972) Please continue to volunteer for our Vocation Chalice program. Chalices are exchanged on Tues. evenings, at the cabinet in the downstairs lounge. Chalice 1 1/3-1/10 Gerry Renaud 1/10-1/17 Rene Barrera 1/17-1/24 Jim Schuldenberg 1/24-1/31 Sean Hooper 1/31-2/7 Kevin Morel Chalice 2 1/3-1/10 Jim Hale 1/10-1/17 Salem McLean 1/17-1/24 Ed Carpenter 1/24-1/31 Jim Jansen 1/31-2/7 Jerry Bauer Please call Richard Johnston at (469) to sign up for this program. Knights of Columbus - Dallas Council 799 Page 5

6 Dallas Council 799 Knights of Columbus Shoreview Road Dallas, Texas RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Membership Information Orientation Meeting: There will be an orientation meeting on: January 23rd The meeting will be held in the downstairs conference room beginning at 6:30 pm, and will last approx. 40 minutes. The history, activities, and responsibilities of being a Knight will be presented. New applicants as well as those considering transferring to Dallas Council 799 are required to attend an orientation meeting. What are the requirements? Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical Catholics in union with the Holy See. Membership Contact: Patrick Vlk, (214) pvlk@glazers.com Time to Pay Membership Dues Statements are being mailed out to Members. Please remit your dues payments via mail or to Financial Secretary, Ed Hubbuch, at the Jan. meeting. We appreciate your help getting through membership collections as quick as possible KayCee Club Hall Rental Do you have a special event to host, or know of anyone celebrating a special event? Please keep us in mind! The KayCee Club Hall is available for rental to Members and non-members. For information, please contact Oliver Rhein ( , oliver_kc799@sbcglobal.net) Join Knights On Bikes For information on joining Knights on Bikes, please contact Michael Savage at (972) michael.savage@risd.org KC799 /Facebook/Twitter: Catholic Charities Truck Please contact Brian Bessner ( ) to volunteer to drive the World of Gifts truck to collect goods for Catholic Charities. Our Council needs drivers for Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons to drive the truck.