Knightly News. Grand Knight s Message. Family of the Month. Knight of the Month. St. Hugh Council 135 Crescent Road Greenbelt, MD 20770

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Vol. XX, No. 4 Knightly News www.greenbelt.com/sthughkofc St.

1 Vol. XX, No. 4 Knightly News St. Hugh Council 135 Crescent Road Greenbelt, MD October 2011 Council Officers Grand Knight John Winfrey Chaplain Reverend Walter Tappe Assistant Chaplain Deacon Desi Vikor Deputy Grand Knight Larry Buck Chancellor Fred Meyer Warden Michael Rousseau Recorder Jeff Grant Inside Guard Martin Batipe Outside Guard Michael Rall Paul Javier Lecturer Ted Elsasser Advocate Paul Sabol Financial Secretary Thomas Trunk Treasurer Terrence Leid Trustees Robert Hobble Christopher Emelife William Donahue The Knightly News is a monthly publication. If you wish to include an article, please have your submission to the editor by the Monday of the last full week of each month. Thank you. Sean Bailey, Editor pgkbailey@gmail.com (301) Grand Knight s Message Dedication -- What does it mean to say one is dedicated? The dictionaries say the quality of being devoted or committed to something. I would say the best example of thatt is a Knight of Columbus. A Knight in our order is a man who stand firm in support of their country, and Church even though the culture around him say to not only devote yourself to you and your pocket. We see this demonstrated every day. How many time in you day to day interaction with people do you see complete selfishness, and people uninvolved in their surroundings. In contrast to that we see the Knights. Knights throughout history have been men who gave of themselves to protectt and support others. The same is true today here in little Greenbelt. St Hugh Council has been built on a long tradition of helping others, and this proud tradition continues today. Most recently our council sponsored a pro-life Mass supporting those who are completely defenseless, and completely innocent. This effort was directed by Tom Trunk, and was a complete success. I counted at least 160 people at Mass. Well done Tom. We have another opportunity to once again show our support for those who need help coming up in October. Of course I am talking about out yearly Tootsie Roll Campaign. What a better way to show our love and dedication to people in need then to give a couple hours to God most special Children. This program is our longest standing and most successful effort. Mike just informed me we have collected over $79,0000 over the course of this programs history. What an incredible accomplishment. So when someone asks you why should I join the Knights aren t you guys just a beer drinking club you have a response. We the Knights of Columbus at St Hugh are an order in the truest tradition of Knighthood. We stand for those who can t stand on their own, and we support the Right in a world that doesn t. We stand for the teachings of Holy Mother Church, and we do so proudly, and unapologetically. Thank you for your support, and I know as we stand together we can accomplish anything we set out mind to. May God Bless you and your Family SK John Winfrey FDD, PFN Grand Knight jwinfrey@verizon.net Knight of the Month This should come as no surprise the Knight of the Month is Tom Trunk. Tom has provided support to so many in countless ways. The most recent was the Pro-Life Mass Tom organized. This program was a resounding success, and that is as a result of Tom passion and dedication to this worth wile cause. I extend to Tom our Council congratulation and thanks by awarding Him the Knight of the Month. Family of the Month Although we have a lot of extremely dedicated families in our Parish, and Council one family stands out as a leader in supporting our Church and the Mission of the Knights. Of Course I am referring to the Kramer family. Their support comes in many ways, Kathy works in the Rectory office among many other things, and Rick support of the Church, and Council is remarkable. Rick has taken the roll of Retreat Chairman for the council. So for these reasons and MANY MANY more, we honor you with the Family of the Month.

2 October 2011 Knightly News Vol. XX, No. 4 2 Council and Parish Events Date October 1 st October 11 th October 15 th October 16 th October 25 th November 5 th November 8 th November 12 th November 22 nd Event Chaplain s Message Business Meeting Parish Day of Reflection Youth Mass & Dinner Installation of Officers Social Meeting First Degree Business Meeting Spaghetti Dinner Social Meeting October is the Month of the Rosary. It is also Respect Life Month. I encourage all the Knights of the St. Hugh's Council to make an effort to pray the rosary daily during the month of October, with special gratitude for the gift of human life. It is easy to become discouraged about human beings if we do not go beyond negative headlines and cynical attitudes. No human being, no matter how diminished by physical, mental or moral shortcomings, can ever lose his essential goodness as one loved and redeemed by God. Every human life is precious because it comes from God and is intended by God to share in the divine Life for ever. As Catholics, we are called to see in every face--even that of our enemy--the face of one for whom Christ died that they might have life and have it to the full. It is helpful to contemplate Mary at the foot of the Cross, standing in solidarity with her son. Christ's sufferings are a bitter proof of the great evil men are capable of. But that are also a sign of the power of God's love revealed in Jesus' willingness to suffer for our sins, so that in virtue of his sacrifice, we might be freed from our sins. Mary understood this. May she help us to understand as well. District Deputy s Message October is the Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities throughout the Knights of Columbus family. Please contact your chairman or Grand Knight if you haven t signed up for a tour. With Federal and State funding decreasing, area groups that serve the needs of the people with intellectual disabilities need the support of the Knights of Columbus to continue their programs. Please help in any way you can. There is still time to attend the Columbus Day Ball on October 8. Tickets are still available. Please contact your Grand Knight for more information. The National Park Service and the National Columbus Celebration Association will co-sponsor the 93nd annual Christopher Columbus ceremony. This ceremony will be held at the Christopher Columbus Statue in Columbus Plaza, opposite Union Station at 11 a.m., Monday, October 10. The Installation of Officers for St Hugh Council will be held immediately following the 11:00AM Mass on Sunday, October 16, Please let your Grand Knight know if you will be available. The State Charity Fund needs our help. Your Council should have distributed to all members a pre-addressed donation envelope and a letter requesting individual contributions. The CHARITY FUND has worked because of your generosity over those years. We have paid for medical, hospital, taxes, utilities, mortgages, rents, insurances, car payments, equipment for the handicapped, and have furnished respectable burials for Brother Knights. REMEMBER, our FUND grows only by donations that are TAX DEDUCTIBLE from Individuals, Councils, Districts, Memorial Funds, etc. The FUND must have a sufficient financial base to allow us to continue helping those in distress. Please help if you can. The 114 th Annual Convention of the Maryland State Council of the Knights of Columbus will be held at the Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort in Ocean City, Maryland on the weekend of May 4-6, Reservations may be made beginning 9AM on November 1, To make reservations, please call or see your Grand Knight for more information. Jim Ragusa jimragusa@verizon.net Surge with Service Programs Program Director: SK Larry Buck, DGK lbuck1@verizon.net Council Activities Installation of Officers Our council s Installation of Officers will take place on October 16th, immediately following the 11am Mass. A luncheon reception will be held following the installation in Grenoble Hall. Come out to congratulate our new council leadership for the 2011/2012 Fraternal Year! Damien Brennan damienbrennan@aol.com Church Activities This month s will be held on October 1 st, 2011, immediately following the 9AM Mass. Not been in a while? Never been? Why not give it a try during this the Month of Mary? Our Lady has asked, how can we deny her! Join us, you won t regret it.

3 October 2011 Knightly News Vol. XX, No. 4 3 Parish Day of Reflection There will be a Day of Reflection on Saturday October 15, 2011 with the theme Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach The event will be lead by Rev. R. Scott Hurd. Schedule of events: 8:15 a.m. Rosary for life Church 9:00 a.m. Mass Church 9:45 a.m. Gathering Grenoble Hall 10:00 a.m. Session I Grenoble Hall 11:30 a.m. Lunch Grenoble Hall 12:15 p.m. Session II Grenoble Hall This Day of Reflection is free of charge and includes a continental breakfast and light lunch. Registration forms are available on the tables near the entrance of the church. Please reserve your space by October 5, Pauline Book Publishers will be selling this book at the conclusion of the event. Father Hurd will be available to sign copies of the book. SK David Lockwood lockwoodd@cafc.uscourts.gov Community Activities Tootsie Roll Drive We hope to get off to a great start on Oct15th and 16th at the Greenbelt CO-OP and at the Greenway Safeway [still working out legal issues with Safeway]. We need volunteers to man each store for two-hour shifts over the weekends during the campaign. Please call either Bill Donahue ( ) or Mike Rousseau ( ) or call Larry Hillard ( ) to schedule a shift. SOME Our monthly trip to the SOME Soup Kitchen will be Saturday July 9 th, The Knights depart for 71 O Street NW, immediately after the 9am Saturday Mass, from St. Hugh Church. Youth Activities Youth Mass and Dinner The St. Hugh Youth Ministry s monthly Mass and dinner for their members and families will be October 15 th. Our council will sponsor this dinner following the 5pm Mass. If you are able to assist with the set-up, cooking and/or cleanup, please let Damien Brennan know ( ; damienbrennan@aol.com) Youth Group Haunted House The St. Hugh Youth Group will be setting up a Haunted House in the school building. The event will run Friday and Saturday October 21 st and 22 nd. The set-up is a labor intensive affair but a fun one! If you are curious about what goes on behind the scenes and are willing to lend a hand with set-up, come to the school at 6pm on October 20 th. As incentive, you might see our Worthy Grand Knight in costume! Membership First Degree Our council will host a First Degree on October 25 th during our regularly scheduled social meeting. If you have any candidates lined up, get their Form 100 s in at the business meeting on October 11 th! Come out to the Degree to show your support! Pot of Gold In our September 13th meeting, we drew Brother Rick Kramer s name from the Pot of Gold he was at the meeting and took home $30! Brother Stephen Wills name was pulled at the September 27 th meeting. He wasn t in attendance so the amount for the next meeting drawing will be $20. Come one Come All! You have to be present to win. Don t miss out. Who will be the next winner of the Pot of GOLD?! October Birthdays Joseph Criscuoli October 1 Nicholas Pergola October 8 Michael Rall October 15 Sick and Deceased Keep in your prayers our sick and recently departed Brother Knights and family members. Prayers are requested for the following: Elizabeth Obiekwe, wife of Brother Polycarp (Obi) Obiekwe Betty Maffay, wife of Brother John Maffay Brother Ray Turek and his wife Loretta Brother John Yakupkovic The Armed Forces men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan And as always, our departed Brother Knights If you know of others who would benefit from our prayers, please don t hesitate to contact the editor so their name can be included here. Newsletter The Knightly News is available in electronic format (PDF). If you would like to receive the newsletter via , please send a message to the editor at: pgkbailey@gmail.com. The most recent edition is also available from the St. Hugh Council website at Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Editor: Sean Bailey, PGK (301) pgkbailey@gmail.com

4 October 2011 Knightly News Vol. XX, No. 4 4 Maryland State Council News Visit the MD State Council on the web: The State Council newsletter is available at: Bulletins/ Not a member of the State Council s Yahoo! Group? Sign up at: Reflections Lawrence P. Grayson The Chaplain Was a Sky Soldier In the early morning hours of November 9, 1967, as American artillery and aircraft pounded an 875-meter-high hill near Dak To, Vietnam, Fr. Charles Watters offered Mass at its base. Many Protestants joined the Catholics for the well-attended service. Soon, the chaplain would accompany these paratroopers of the 173 rd Airborne Brigade as they moved against a North Vietnam Army (NVA) unit occupying the hill. The commanding general of the 173 rd thought the objective was held by a depleted enemy force that suffered heavy casualties in recent fighting. The occupiers, however, were a fresh NVA regiment of 2,000 soldiers. At 9:43 am, 330 men in three companies moved out. Companies C and D advanced abreast, while Company A was behind to protect the rear. The weather was clear and warm. The advance was slow through the thick, tangled foliage of scrub brush, bamboo and tall trees. Unknown to the Americans, the enemy had been preparing the site for several months, constructing camouflaged bunkers interconnected with trenches and tunnels and storing extensive quantities of supplies. At 10:30 am, with the first troopers a few hundred meters from the crest of the hill, a well-concealed NVA force opened fire with recoilless rifles, automatic weapons, small arms, rockets and hand grenades. Fr. Watters moved to the line of contact. When a wounded trooper was standing in shock in front of the assaulting forces, Father raced forward, picked the man up and carried him to safety. Soon after, he ran through intense enemy fire to aid a fallen soldier. The chaplain moved wherever he was needed. When the fighting began, Company A, which was to the rear, began constructing a landing zone that could be used for resupply and evacuation of the wounded. The work was slow as the company was under occasional fire. Then, at 2:30 pm, enemy troops launched a massive assault from lower on the hill, driving the company upwards toward the other American units. The paratroopers had walked into a carefully prepared ambush, with enemy units above and below them. With their advance halted, the Americans formed a defensive perimeter, bringing in their injured. As the men pulled back, the chaplain went into no man s land, between the two forces, exposing himself to friendly as well as enemy fire to recover two wounded soldiers. The NVA were now striking from all sides in a wellcoordinated attack. The paratroopers were firing intensively, but the NVA continued to come. When the American defensive zone was forced to contract, Fr. Watters saw several wounded men lying outside of it. Ignoring attempts to restrain him, he left the perimeter three times in the face of automatic weapons and mortar fire to carry and assist injured troopers to safety. Then he moved about, aiding the medics, distributing food and water, speaking words of encouragement, and giving last rites to the dying. With the three companies now in a common defensive area, the several command posts and the wounded were placed in the middle. For several hours, the Americans fought off the enemy. The high expenditure of ammunition and lack of water made resupply essential, but heavy enemy fire made it difficult. Six helicopters were hit and driven away before one finally dropped needed supplies at 5:50 pm. As the enemy assault intensified, U.S. air strikes and artillery were called in, but they had little effect because of the dense foliage. Then, just after dark, at 6:58 pm, a Marine Corps fighter-bomber released two 500-pound bombs destined for the edge of the American perimeter. One of them struck the upper part of a tree located near the center of the American position and exploded. Fragments of the bomb were showered over the area which contained the combined command group, the wounded, and the medics. It killed 42 men, including the chaplain, and wounded 45 others. This was one of the worst friendly-fire incidents of the Vietnam War. Charles Joseph Watters was born in Jersey City, NJ, on January 17, After attending Seton Hall University, he went to Immaculate Conception Seminary, and was ordained a priest in While serving in several parishes in New Jersey, he earned a commercial pilot s license, and then in 1962 joined the Air Force National Guard. Three years later, Father enlisted in the Army as a chaplain, successfully completed airborne training and was assigned to the 173 rd Airborne Brigade, nicknamed the Sky Soldiers. In June 1966, Fr. Watters, now a major, began a twelvemonth tour of duty in Vietnam. He believed his place was with the fighting men, and so when a unit he was attached to rotated to the rear, he would join another unit in combat. He was constantly in motion, saying Mass, tending the wounded, joking with the men, giving spiritual guidance. In February 1967, he took part in Operation Junction City, which included the only combat jump of the Vietnam War. This helped endear him to the men, who knew he would risk his life with them. During this tour of duty, he was awarded an Air Medal and a Bronze Star with a V for valor. When his tour ended, he extended for another six months.

5 October 2011 Knightly News Vol. XX, No. 4 5 After the friendly-fire incident in which Fr. Watters was killed, the Americans took Hill 875, and significantly crippled the fighting effectiveness of the North Vietnam units they fought. Fr. Watters was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and has had schools, a bridge, a Knights of Columbus council, and the Army Chaplain s School named after him. St. Hugh Knights of Columbus 135 Crescent Road Greenbelt, MD 20770

Tootsie Roll Campaign. Grand Knight's Message. Holiday Craft Fair. Pancake Breakfast. Coming Up To Speed

Tootsie Roll Campaign. Grand Knight's Message. Holiday Craft Fair. Pancake Breakfast. Coming Up To Speed KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 10, Issue 1 #13008 Silver Spring, MD www.america-tomorrow.com/kofc13008/ November 2011 Grand Knight's Message Grand Knight Marvin