Knights of Columbus Fr. Paul J. F. Wattson

Transcription

1 Knights of Columbus Fr. Paul J. F. Wattson Council 8919 Our Lady of the Atonement Parish Windsor - Ontario - Canada September 2008 Newsletter Chaplain s Column Grand Knight s Column Dear Brother Knights, Welcome back to a new Fraternal Year. I hope and trust that all of you have had a very enjoyable summer relaxing with your families. The time has gone by much too quickly. Every day, Knights all over the world are given opportunities to make a difference. Whether it s through community service, raising money for their parish, or prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for his strength, his compassion, and his dedication to building a better world. This is one of the many great messages that can be found in the KofC monthly Columbia magazine publication. For me personally, this statement represents the core reasons for being a Knight. Our Council has always been very successful in achieving these goals, year after year. We have done much, but much more remains to be done. It s no secret that our traditional avenue of raising funds has been deteriorating rapidly. Without a reliable source of revenue, we will be extremely limited in helping the charitable organizations that are in desperate need of our help, given the worsening economic times that we are all facing. Your Executive Council, in concert with Past Grand Knights Greg MacDonald and Bob Cayea, are examining and developing new avenues for fund raising. We are still working out the details and further information will be provided at the appropriate time. But one thing I can mention now is that we will require all members to assist in some capacity. Otherwise, our endeavors will not be very fruitful. Please be generous and lend a hand for your fellow man when called upon to do so. Vivat Jesus! Louis Mollica, Grand Knight Dear Brother Knights, One of the greatest privileges of being a priest is the challenge given to him by the bishop on the day of his ordination to be a sign of hope, forgiveness and healing to those entrusted to his care. Knowing too well his limitations and even his own sinfulness, the priest embraces the challenge. For almost forty years, I have been blessed to have been invited to share the Good News of the Gospel with so many faith communities throughout North America. For almost eighteen of those years, I have had the opportunity to share faith and life with the parish of Our Lady of the Atonement. It has been my honour to be part of so many memorable moments in your life. You invited me into some of the most sacred moments in your life. I have seen your excitement in the birth of a child, and have baptized that child into the new life of Christ. What a joy to see the excitement and pride in your eyes as you present your child for Baptism. You invited me to share the Sacrament of Reconciliation with you and your children and so experience that special blessing of healing and peace that the Sacrament brings. You invited me to share the Body and Blood of Christ with you and your children. I always treasure seeing the excitement in a child s face as they receive Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion. You invited me into the lives of our young adults as they prepared to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. On the threshold of adulthood, these young men and women open their minds and hearts to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit that will give them new strength to face the challenges of their journey to adulthood. You invited me to journey with our adults preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage. I always enjoy seeing the excitement in the eyes of a young couple as they prepare for their special day. When that special day arrives, you can feel the excitement in the air as the bride and groom exchange their wedding vows. You invited me into your lives when you experienced serious illness in your family and I had the opportunity to share that special Sacrament of Anointing with those who suffered in body, mind, or spirit. Whenever I share this sacrament, I feel very honoured to enter this very special moment in which our God embraces the sick and reminds them of their special dignity as children of God. Oftentimes, when one receives this sacrament there is an outpouring of peace not only in the person who receives the sacrament, but also in the family members who experience the sacrament with the one who receives it. You invited me into your lives when you experienced the death of a special family member or friend. It is in those most sacred times that I felt blessed to share with you the Lord s promise of eternal life to those who have been called to the house of the Father and reminded you that one day we shall all be together again when we too are invited to the Father s house. Even in our sorrow and grief, our God blesses us in ways in which we may not be able to see clearly, as we live this mystery of our life in God. In all of these moments, I have been blessed beyond measure and through you have been embraced by the very touch of God. Every day I thank God for having all of these special treasured memories that I will remember forever. May God bless and protect you always. Thank you for gracing my life. Fr. Mike Graham, Worthy Co-Chaplain

2 Executive Board Fraternal Year Worthy Chaplain - Fr. Robert Remark Grand Knight - Louis Mollica (Maria) Past Grand Knight - Greg MacDonald (Lorraine) Deputy Grand Knight - Daniel Keltika (Pauline) Chancellor - George Lewsaw (Bonnie) Financial Secretary - Michael MacLellan Recorder - David Wilbur (Cathy) Treasurer - Dan Dumouchelle (Penny) Advocate - Frank Cicchello Lecturer - Paul Gervais (Maureen) Warden - Mark Keltika (Kortney) Trustees - Mike Finn (Donna Mae) George Pickering (Margaret) Jerry Laforet (June) Guards - Dave Hodgeson Vern Gannon (Bernadette) Bruce Mackie (Colleen) Supreme Director - Bob Cayea (Suzanne) State Deputy - Yvon Albert Robert (Noëlla)) District Deputy - Keith Campbell (Gloria) District Warden - Vacant Insurance Agent - Andrew Despins Program Directors Dan Keltika - General Director Basketball Free Throw - John Barron Blood Drive - Richard Joinville Car Raffle - Richard Joinville Charities - Dan Dumouchelle Choir - Stan Burke Church Activities - Jerry Laforet Church Projects - Walter Friedl Community - Arthur Huggins Cooking Team - Mike Charbonneau - Ron Bardwell Council - Mike Agius Council Elections - Allen Topliffe Family - Walter Friedl Fund Raising (Bingo) - Vacant Goodfellows Project - Harvey Seney & John Barron Health Services - Allen Topliffe Membership - Vacant Newsletter - Tony Ellul Parish Council - Louis Mollica Pro-Life Couple - Janna & Allen Topliffe Public Relations - Tony Ellul Recruitment - Trustees (above) Retention - Trustees (above) Vocations - George Lewsaw Youth - Eduardo Aguilar Submissions to the Newsletter This newsletter is published by KofC Council 8919 at the beginning of every month with the exception of July and August. Contributions to the newsletter are always welcome. Contributors are kindly requested to submit their material to Tony Ellul ( ) by the 10th of the month preceding publication. Contributions may be submitted by at ajellul@gmail.com. Material submitted in digital form is preferred in MS Word or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Charities Report June St. Vincent de Paul Society Camp - Chatham... TNA 2. Brother Knight - Leamington - MS Bike Tour... TNA 3. St. Vincent de Paul Society - Our Parish Circle... $2, Windsor Parks & Recreation - Seniors Fun Day...TNA Total for June $2, July Schizophrenia Society of Ontario... TNA 2. March of Dimes - Power chair help request... $ Total for July $ August Victims Assistance Online Windsor... TNA 2. Hocktoberfest Female Hockey Festival - Essex... TNA Total for August $0.00 Total to date for 2008 calendar year... $5, Dan Dumouchelle, Chair - Charities Committee Family of the Month July 2008 Lee and Deanna Leveque Lee and Deanna were married in They have six sons and nine grandchildren. They have been members of our parish - Our Lady of the Atonement - for the past fourteen years. Lee is an Usher, a member of the Properties Committee of our parish, a member of our Council s Cooking Team, and a volunteer driver for the RVSP program. Deanna is the treasurer of the Catholic Women s League council of our parish, is a Lector at Masses, and serves as an Offertory Collection Counter. Both Lee and Deanna are involved in the delivery of food for the St. Vincent de Paul Society circle of our parish. Lee is retired after having worked as a truck driver for several companies, the last being Eldorado Trucking. Deanna worked at CIBC for twenty-two years from where she took an early retirement in Deanna and Lee enjoy camping at their trailer in Michigan. They both enjoy golfing, and Lee likes to spend many hours on his boat fishing. They both enjoy babysitting their grandchildren. It gives me great pleasure to announce Lee and Deanna the Family of the Month for July Walter Friedl, Family Director Comic Relief by Benoit A loaded minivan pulled into the only remaining campsite. Four children leapt from the vehicle and began feverishly unloading gear and setting up the tent. The boys rushed to gather firewood, while the girls and their mother set up the camp stove and cooking utensils. A nearby camper, marvelling by the youngsters activity told the father, That, sir is some display of teamwork. I have a system, said the father. No one goes to the bathroom until the camp is set up. 2

3 Family of the Month August 2008 Tony and Marie Alves Tony and Marie were born in Portugal. Marie immigrated to Canada with her parents in Her parents often travelled to and from Portugal. Tony was a former neighbour of Marie s parents. During one of these visits, Marie and Tony met and later married in Portugal on August 4 th, 1990, and in 1993, they moved to Forest Glade. Tony and Marie have three children, Mario and Eduardo, 16-yearold twins, and thirteen-year-old Christina. Along with Marie, the children are members of the Family Choir (9:00 a.m. Mass) of our parish They are very talented and play various musical instruments. The boys also play music for the Portuguese Dance League, and Christina and her mother dance. Several years ago, Tony became a member of the Knights of Columbus when he joined our Council. He works for the Giorgi Brothers Concrete Company. Recently, he persuaded his employer to donate the material and labour to replace the damaged sidewalk in the church parking lot. Tony has often volunteered his services to make necessary repairs to parish property involving concrete. Marie is a member of the Catholic Women s League council of our parish, and a member of Our Lady of Atonement Choir. She presently works at Zehrs Canadian Superstore on Walker Road. I am pleased to announce the family of Tony and Marie Alves as Family of the Month for August Walter Friedl, Family Director Deputy Grand Knight s Column Dear Brother Knights, I wish to take this opportunity to say thank you to the retiring members of our previous Executive Board, especially our Past Grand Knight, Greg MacDonald, and Past Deputy Grand Knight, Mike Agius, for the great leadership that they provided during their terms of office. The summer is winding down, children are back to school, and our thoughts turn to a new Fraternal Year. With your help, I look forward to helping our incoming Grand Knight, Louis Mollica, and our Council s Executive Board with carrying on the success we have been fortunate to experience in our Council activities. Our new Executive Board and Program Directors will be meeting soon to develop our program for the upcoming year. Your input is vital and welcome. The best way to propose your ideas is to start regularly attending the monthly general membership and executive board meetings. Your participation in Council activities is also vital to their success. You will get out of your Council membership what you put into it. It is with a saddened heart that we see our Worthy Co-Chaplain, Fr. Mike Graham, leave our Parish and our Council. He has truly been an ardent supporter of both our Order and of our Council for many years. We wish him all of the Lord s blessings and hope that he carries with him fond memories of his stay with us. God Bless you Father Mike! Vivat Jesus! Fraternally yours in Christ, Dan Keltika, Deputy Grand Knight Family of the Month September 2008 Tom and Angela Deane Tom and Angela have been members of Our Lady of the Atonement Parish for over thirty years. They have been married for thirty-three years and have three children - Philip, Andrew, and Katherine. Tom has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for about 25 years and a member of our Council for 20 years. He is an Usher, a Lector, and a Eucharistic Minister. He has been a proud Scout Leader for over forty years and is still active in the movement. He is a retired Recreational Therapist of the Regional Children s Centre. Angela is a member of the Catholic Women s League council of our parish. She has been a nurse for thirty-six years. Angela presently works as a Charge Registered Nurse at Malden Park Continuing Care Centre. Tom and Angela both enjoy camping, hiking and travelling. I am pleased to announce the family of Tom and Angela Deane as Family of the Month for September Walter Friedl, Family Director Knight of the Month July 2008 Greg MacDonald Greg has been a Knight for 23 years. He is married to Lorraine, and they have been members of our parish since its inception in They have a daughter and two grandchildren. A charter member of our Council, Greg has served as Trustee (three-year term), as Guard and Warden (two terms each), and for several years, as Membership Director. Greg has just completed two terms as our Council s Grand Knight, and prior to that, he was District Warden for our District. Greg is also Captain of the 2 nd Degree Team and Financial Secretary for the 1 st and 2 nd Degree Teams of Districts 76 and 10. He has been a member of our Council s Cooking Team since its formation, and was a volunteer for our bingo team. Greg is also very busy on behalf of our parish. In the past, he has served two terms as a Eucharistic Minister and two terms on the Parish Advisory Board. He is currently a captain of the 9:00 a.m. Mass Ushers Team - he is a past chairperson of the Ushers Club. Greg is also a member of the Properties Committee of our parish, which he chaired in the past. Many of us know of Greg s extensive involvement in many parish renovation projects. As busy as he is, Greg can often be found at our church or Parish Centre working away at one project or another. Somehow, he even manages to find time to volunteer at the annual Goodfellows Christmas newspaper campaign, and at the Our Lady of the Atonement Festival and Youth Group Winterfest. Greg is semi-retired from his self-employed job in home renovation. He enjoys a good game of golf, but his main delight is spending time with his grandchildren and with Lorraine. I am pleased to announce that Greg MacDonald is our Council s Knight of the Month for July Louis Mollica, Grand Knight 3

4 Knight of the Month August 2008 Mike Agius Mike was born in Malta in 1949 and immigrated to Canada in He and Rita have been married for 36 years and they have two sons Paul (34) who lives in Bolton with his wife Dana and their 2-year-old son Ayden, and Peter (30) who lives in Windsor with his wife Natalie and their four children - Taya (10), Trevor (6), Kendra (3), and Kyle (18 months). Mike and Rita have lived in Forest Glade for 32 years and have been members of our parish since Mike has been retired from Ford of Canada since 2006 following 35½years of service. Mike has been a Knight for 23 years and is a charter member of our Council. During those years, he has sponsored 14 new members for our Council. He has held various positions in our Council Guard, Trustee, and Social Director, and for two years was Counsellor to the Squires Circle of our Council. Mike has just completed two terms as our Council s Deputy Grand Knight and Council Director, a position that he still occupies. He is also a member of our Council s Choir and Cooking Team and past chairman of our Council s Substance Abuse Poster Contest, in which he is still active. It was Mike who initiated the Annual Hospice Night, an event that is now in its tenth year, and which has raised a substantial amount of money for this cause. Outside of Council activities, Mike coordinated a fundraiser for the Canadian National Institute of the Blind (CNIB) that raised $14, He is currently Co-chair of the Fund-raising committee of our parish. If you call Mike at home during working hours, Rita is likely to answer the phone to tell you to try finding Mike at the church where he is often busy lending a hand in whatever project is underway. During those seldom moments when he is at home and not busy with KofC or church activities, Mike enjoys baby-sitting his grandchildren with Rita. It gives me great pleasure to recognize this very active man, Mike Agius, as Knight of the Month for August Louis Mollica, Grand Knight Standard & Poor s Reaffirms KofC AAA Rating The following is an extract from a message sent by from KofC Supreme headquarters in New Haven Connecticut. For the 16 th consecutive year, the Knights of Columbus insurance program has earned Standard & Poor s highest rating: AAA (Extremely Strong). With more than 140 years experience, S&P is the financial industry s foremost independent rating bureau, providing investment, credit, and risk analyses of financial institutions around the world. K of C is achieving its primary objective of providing members and their families with high-quality, low-cost insurance products, the 2008 S&P rating report said. The Knights of Columbus insurance program has a stable outlook, and in addition, its capitalization is expected to remain extremely strong, and liquidity is expected to remain extremely strong also. Page 5 Knight of the Month September 2008 Tony Portelli Tony was born in Malta in 1947 and, at age 3, he came to Canada with his parents. Tony s father was so proud to be Canadian, that he forbade Tony and his siblings to speak anything but English. To this day, Tony can understand Maltese, but is unable to speak it. Tony is married to Adalia, and they have four children. He is retired from Canada Bread after 35 years of service. In 1991, Tony became a Knight of Columbus when he joined our Council. He has been an Usher since 1994 and is currently captain of the 11:00 a.m. Mass Ushers team. He also volunteers every year for our Council s team at the annual Goodfellows Christmas newspaper drive. Tony is a long-standing member of the Independent Order of Foresters where he served on their local executive board from 1987 to 2004, and he is now a member of the Foresters Regional Council for Ontario West as well as the Liaison Officer to the Windsor branch of the Foresters. On several occasions in the past, Tony has organized lunches for Habitat for Humanity. He also enjoys organizing fund-raising BBQs on weekends where one can find him busy behind the grill. Tony has organized about forty weekend BBQs to raise funds for such charities as the Child Abuse Prevention Council, Maryvale Adolescence and Family Service, and the Children s Rehabilitation Centre. In the past three years, the Ushers Club of our parish has benefited to the tune of over $2,400 from three BBQs organized by Tony. The latest addition to Tony s beneficiaries of weekend BBQs is the St. Vincent de Paul Society conference of our parish, for which he raised $675. I am pleased to announce that Tony Portelli is our Council s Knight of the Month for September Louis Mollica, Grand Knight Fundraising Report August 2008 Special thanks to our dedicated Bingo Volunteers John Barron, Gerry Clement, Dan Dumouchelle, George (Earl) Fontaine, Walter Friedl, Helmut Hofgärtner, George and Bonnie Lewsaw, and Frank Vadori. We held a dinner on Thursday, August 14 th at Gilligan s in Tecumseh where we presented a monetary gift to Fr. Mike Graham on behalf of the Bingo Volunteers on the occasion of his departure from our parish. Our Council has received the following amounts from the Paradise Bingo Charities Association for the bingo sessions that we sponsored June 15 th $1, (3 sessions in May), July 15 th $ (2 sessions in June), and August 15 th $ (3 sessions in July). There will be one additional deposit in September for the August bingo sessions. We anticipate that E-bingo will commence province-wide in December. Our Council has no bingo dates for September December While our Council is still listed as one of the Charities at Paradise Bingo (a testament to the quality of our Bingo Team), we must decide by October if we intend to resume our bingo activities in January Our Council is in desperate need of a new fundraising (Bingo) chairman. John Barron, (Past) Chair - Bingo Volunteers 4

5 Dear Brother Knights: District Deputy s Message Welcome back to our new Fraternal Year of the Knights of Columbus Order. I wish to welcome on board Keith Campbell as District Warden for our District. Good luck with your position Keith. Our summer and vacation time are coming to an end, and Keith and I hope you and your families have enjoyed the time that you spent together. September is the beginning of our Fraternal Year when councils become busier with fall and winter activities and various programs. It is time for councils to inform their communities about the many fine works your councils plan to do in the upcoming year. This includes recruiting, volunteering, fundraising, and other church and community events. Please remember that no program or project can be considered complete until the paper work is finished and sent to the State and Supreme offices by the appropriate deadlines. At the District 76 meeting on July 14 th 2008, we discussed the issue of membership recruitment. This year, the goal for new members for our District is 45. All councils in District 76 need to work together so that we can all make our contribution to meet this target. We do not want any council in our District to conclude the Fraternal Year without having met their quota. Please see your Grand Knight for Degree dates for the Fraternal Year. The initial First and Second Degree will be on Sunday, September 21 st at Father Paul Wattson Council We ask all candidates to arrive on time at 1:00 p.m. There will be a Third Degree on November 2 nd hosted by Bishop John T. Kidd Council 4924 in District 39. We ask all candidates and sponsors to arrive for the Degree punctually at 1:00 p.m. The Installation of the Officers process will take place during August and September. Keith and I look forward to meeting and installing all new and returning executives. As you can see, this Fraternal Year is already shaping up to be a big one. At this time, I would like to announce that I am heading into my final term as District Deputy for District 76. I feel honoured that Worthy State Deputy Yvon Robert chose to appoint me one final time. Fraternally yours in Christ Josip Banoviç, D.D. District 76 September Birthdays William (Bill) Foris...September 2 Jack De Santis...September 13 William (Bill) McKay...September 14 Richard Joinville...September 16 Alex Andrian...September 17 Clayton Willie...September 19 Terrence (Terry) Killen...September 20 Chad Bertrand...September 22 Tony Tocco...September 22 Dan Pergolesi...September 26 Denis Boivin...September 28 Brothers, God bless you and keep you, and may He grant each of you many more birthdays to come. Knights of Columbus Insurance Information Seminar Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. 300 Cabana Rd. E. (Lower Level) Windsor, ON Doors open 6:30 p.m. Financial Recovery How Refinancing Can Help Ease the Sting Darrin Roseborsky, OMAC Mortgages Tax Implications with Buyouts. How much can you hide? Jeff Ostrow, Hyatt Lassaline, Chartered Accountants Investment Options for Funds Jason Campbell, Sterling Mutuals The Importance of Owning your own Insurance Products Knights of Columbus Insurance Join us for this evening of useful information to plan for your financial future. This seminar is free to Members and families but you must reserve a seat. Call or early or windsor-agents.kofc@bellnet.ca Andrew Despins FIC, CSA, Field Agent Telephone: andrew.despins@kofc.org Page 4 Standard & Poor s reaffirms KofC AAA rating The report cited the strengths of the K of C s operational and financial management, calling its financial strategy very conservative, as demonstrated by its capital structure, investment portfolio, and approach to business growth. It further claimed that, K of C s capital adequacy, as measured by Standard & Poor s capital model, is among the strongest in the industry. Referring to the K of C s management of its assets, the S&P report stated that, the investment portfolio has very strong credit quality, with the majority of assets being invested in publicly traded investment-grade bonds. Management s strategy is to grow its business conservatively by offering profi table products and adhering to strict underwriting standards. Standard & Poor s expects this level of conservatism to continue. The company returned 87% of its earnings to its members in 2007, S&P added. Its consistently strong profi tability is attributable to high persistency rates, favourable mortality experience, and strong investment returns over the past 10 years. We should all be proud and confident in the achievements of our Order s insurance programs. 5

6 From Our Council Director Dear Brother Knights, I hope that you all had a great relaxing time during the summer and that you also had the opportunity to spend time with your loved ones. Brothers, as in the past, in September our Council will welcome all our members back, and together, we will begin to lay out the program for the coming Fraternal Year. Some of us have been working on it during summer. At a meeting that took place at my house at the end of June, our PGK and I shared information with the incoming Grand Knight, Louis Mollica, and Deputy Grand Knight, Dan Keltika, regarding our ongoing Council business. During the meeting, our Grand Knight asked me if I would agree to stay in the position of Council Director, and I accepted. He also asked me to organize the September 6 th breakfast meeting where we will introduce our Council s program for the coming Fraternal Year. It is important for all members of our Council s Executive Board, all directors, and all program chairmen to make the effort to attend this meeting. This is an opportunity for all present to discuss our existing programs as well as new challenges. If you have any new ideas, we ask you to bring them forward for discussion. Brothers you are very special to our Council, and your devotion to help in continuing to build a better council is very important. On behalf of our Grand Knight, I extend our Council s appreciation for your helpful efforts. Please check the newsletter monthly for the list of ongoing events. Remember to encourage all our members to attend our general meetings. I will do my best to keep our members informed of all our Council s ongoing business. Your support and participation are very important, so let us be active and continue to build a stronger council. Brothers, as leaders in our community of faith, we continue to be the right arm of our church. Pope Benedict XVI Just a few weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI was in Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day. The Pope spoke about the squandering of the world s resources. Three of the issues he touched on in particular should not fall on deaf ears. The Pope reminded those in attendance and the rest of us: 1. To be better stewards of the environment. 2. To embrace principles of peace. He said that such a shift, along with a greater sense of environmental responsibility, is essential for the future of humanity. 3. He also listed substance abuse, sexual degradation linked to TV and the Internet, and the exaltation of violence as afflictions that are poisoning the world s social environment. I am sure that the Pope s message echoed worldwide. As Catholics, we must remember that the Pope is the head of our Catholic Church, and that it is the right thing to do for each of us as individuals to act faithfully on his messages. God bless. Together we continue to serve the Lord. Vivat Jesus! Michael Agius, Council Director Watch Our For The Children It is that time of year again. As we drive along our neighbourhood streets, we notice increased activity as children, big and small alike, walk to and from their schools every weekday. They are our children and grandchildren; children of relatives and of our neighbours. Let us be mindful of them for their safety. Chancellor s Report Bob Adam had an MRI on July 24 th. The results were inconclusive. There was still a spot showing and doctors are not sure if this is just a lesion or a tumor. Another MRI is planned for August 21 st. Doctors will then compare the two MRIs for a more accurate finding. Bob continues to be very positive and tries to stay active as best he can. Please keep Bob in your prayers. Lee Leveque continues to keep a positive attitude. He experiences much weakness in between the blood transfusions that he receives about once every two weeks. The specialists are still trying to determine how best to treat his illness. Please continue to keep Lee in your prayers. Shannon Campagnoni continues to struggle with her illness. She has been in and out of hospital because she is now also suffering with gallstones. Shannon is presently at home once again and did get some good news this past week. The tumor on her pancreas has shrunk considerably. This is very encouraging. Please keep the Campagnoni family in your prayers. Jerry Laforet had been doing well after his prostate surgery, but, experienced a setback due to some bleeding. Tests showed that he had a urinary infection and he is being treated with antibiotics to correct this. Please keep Jerry in your prayers. The latest test results for Victor Ellul, Tony s brother, show that Victor s tumors have cleared up and he no longer needs to have chemotherapy. This is a successful answer to many prayers. We pray that Victor will continue to heal and regain his strength. Please keep him in your prayers. The Ellul family thank you all for your prayers the Good Lord heard them. Colin Dunford is doing well since his release from hospital. He is still getting some in-home therapy and is regaining his strength. Colin and Lillian thank us for all our prayers. The tests that Sylvia Huggins had in London show that she has no major heart problems. She and Art are presently visiting family in Trinidad. We pray that Sylvia will experience good health in the future. Barbara Fitzgerald, Peter s wife had knee surgery in Toronto on August 13 th. The surgery went well and she came home last week. I sent her a get-well card and flowers on behalf of our Council. We pray that she will experience a full recovery. Tom Deane s mother, Emily passed away in Toronto on August 13 th. We extend our deepest sympathy to Tom and his family. I sent him a sympathy card as well as a Perpetual Mass on behalf of our Council. Please keep all the ailing Brother Knights and their family members mentioned above in your prayers. George Lewsaw, Chancellor Good of the Order General Meeting - June 2008 Attendance Draw - $ Frank Cicchello Sonny Pozzi...Tin of chocolates Art Huggins... Box of chocolates Dan Keltika...Kitchen set Earl Fontaine...Game George Lewsaw... Carry bag Frank Cicchello...Beer can bag 6

7 Oh Where Has The Summer Gone? The sun is rising later and setting sooner every day. The days are getting shorter, and the temperatures are beginning to cool as we head towards autumn, which arrives at the autumnal equinox on September 22 nd at 3:44 p.m. The harvest season is in full swing as Mother Nature once again delivers a bountiful harvest God s gift to humankind for our sweat and labour. The children are back in school, as we begin a new Fraternal Year, a year that promises to offer us several challenges; but not before on last hooray as we observe Labour Day on September 1 st. On that day, we celebrate ourselves as working people and the work that we do to provide for our families and to contribute to the wealth of our nation. We often overlook an important feast day September 8 th on which the Church celebrates the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some two thousand years ago, a Jewish woman gave birth to a baby girl in Jerusalem. The baby girl s parents, whom tradition names as Anna and Joachim, named her Mariam Mary. Mary grew up in the little backwater Galilean hill top town of Nazareth. It pleased God to choose Mary for greatness she was to become the most famous woman in the history of the world. From eternity, God had chosen Mary to be the virgin mother of His only-begotten Son and our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. One week later, the Church dedicates September 15 th to Mary Our Lady of Sorrows in acknowledgment of the sorrows that she bore in God s eternal plan of our salvation. On the 14 th, the Church dedicates the day to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the infamous instrument of torture and death that became the symbol of our redemption. One day, as Jesus was passing through the gate of Capernaum in Galilee, he noticed a man, a tax collector by the name of Levi son of Alpheus, who sat at his post doing what was and still is, the universally disliked, but very likely at the time, the lucrative profession of tax collector. When Jesus called Levi, whom we know as Matthew, to follow him, he immediately left his job to follow the Lord. Matthew is the author of the first of the Holy Gospels, a work that he wrote in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus. We know little else about Matthew. According to tradition, following Pentecost, Matthew preached the Good News in Persia and Parthia - modern day Iran. Tradition also has it that when King Herod Agrippa intensified his persecution of Christians, Matthew went to preach in Ethiopia after he had attended the Council of Jerusalem. The Church dedicates September 21 st to St. Matthew. The Bible makes many references to angels, those pure spirits whom God created to serve as His messengers. But out of all the countless angels, the Scriptures name only three. Michael (meaning Who is like God?) is the Prince of the Seraphim. Gabriel (meaning God is my Strength) had the privilege of announcing to the Blessed Virgin that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son. The Old Testament book of Tobit tells us that God sent Raphael (meaning God Heals) to help Tobiah, Tobit, and Sarah. The Church honours these three archangels on September 29 th. From Our Insurance Agent Life Matters... Dear Brother Knights: This month s column is for the baby boomers. Do you know what is sneaking up on you? Retirement! Ouch. I know. It s hard to believe isn t it? Seems like just yesterday.. But it s coming, and com- ing fast; and that s actually the good news. Let me share with you some tidbits that may be of interest: The trend by companies to freeze or end their employee pension plans may have a big impact on baby boomers who are now on the cusp of retirement. Boomers with pension plans have counted on monthly retirement cheques at the end of their career, but increasing numbers of employers are terminating their plans or halting future benefit accruals. Those at greatest risk include boomers in their late 40s and early 50s who are still at least a decade from retirement but too old to save enough to make up the difference in their pension benefits. A recent survey by Price Waterhouse Coopers showed that nearly half of companies that were planning to change their pension plans in the next year, were considering freezing benefits for all employees. More than a third of those that offered pensions have already pared back these benefits over the last three years. This will definitely be a problem for baby boomers, says Karen Friedman at the Pension Rights Center, You ve been at a company under the plan, and worked for years with that expectation, and then it s taken away. Call me let s talk. Fraternally, Andrew Despins, FIC, CSA, PGK Phone: (519) Field Agent Knights of Columbus adespins@cogeco.ca or Fraternal Benefits andrew.despins@kofc.org Website: Helping Families Help Themselves LIFE, DUALIFE, MORTGAGE AND LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE, RRSPs, RRIFs, ANNUITIES, ESTATE PLANNING, EDUCATION SAVINGS, FRATERNAL BENEFITS Upcoming Events Parish Fundraiser - Hawaiian Night... Saturday, September 13th at 6:00 p.m.... Parish Centre 1st & 2nd Degree...Sunday, September 1:00 p.m....our Council Installation of Officers - our Council Tuesday, September 7:00 p.m. following Mass 3rd Degree...Sunday, November 1:00 p.m.... Bishop T. Kidd (Riverside) Council Hospice of Windsor-Essex 10th Annual Fund Raiser......Saturday, November 6:00 p.m.... Parish Centre Ask a Catholic Gentleman to be a Knight 7

8 September 2008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 St. Fiacre St. Giles Labour Day 2 St. Ingrid of Sweden General Membership 7:30 p.m. 3 St. Gregory the Great, Pope 4 St. Rosalia 5 St. Bertin First Friday 6 Bl. Bertrand First Saturday rd Sunday in Ordinary Birth of the Blessed Time Virgin Mary St. Regina St. Adrian 9 St. Peter Claver 10 St. Nicholas of Tolentino 11 Bl. Adelphus 12 Bl. Apollinaris 13 St. John Chrysostom th Sunday in Ordinary Our Lady of Sorrows Time St. Catherine of Genoa Exaltation of the Holy Crosse 16 St. Cornelius St. Cyprian 17 St. Robert Bellarmine 18 St. Joseph of Cupertino 19 St. Januarius 20 St. Andrew Kim of Taegon St. Paul Chong of Hasang & Companions th Sunday in Ordinary St. Thomas of Villanova Time Autumnal St. Matthew, Apostle & 3:44 p.m. Evangelist St. Constantius St. Pacific of San Severino St. Pio of Pieterlcina Executive Board General 7:30 p.m. 25 St.Finbar Bl. Herman the Cripple 26 St. Cosmas & St. Damian 27 St. Vincent de Paul th Sunday in Ordinary Sts. Michael, Gabriel, & Time Raphael - Archangels St. Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia St. Lawrence Ruiz & Companions 30 St. Jerome Oct. 1 St. Thèrése of the Child Jesus Oct. 2 Holy Guardian Angels Oct. 3 St. Gerard of Brogne First Friday Oct. 4 St. Francis of Assisi First Saturday 8 From Our Supreme Director Why do people join an organization or a group? It is very difficult to pinpoint why a person is drawn to a particular group. However, there is always something that motivates a person to join. The Knights of Columbus attracts members for many reasons. Some join for the camaraderie. Others are attracted by the financial benefits of our insurance programs. Still others want to serve the Church, or to make a difference in their communities through various council programmes and activities. Many others are attracted to the Knights of Columbus for its emphasis on family life. Whatever the reasons, the Knights of Columbus offer a man the opportunity to play a significant role in building a better world. We need to find that reason that interests him in becoming a member of the greatest Catholic Family Fraternal organization in the world. Membership in the Order provides a vehicle to do something positive locally and to have an impact internationally. Membership in the Knights gives a person the chance to champion causes in his parish and community and to have the resources to be involved throughout his province, country and the world. Regardless of the reason for a man to join us, the fact is that members are the backbone of the K of C. You cannot conduct programs without members, and you cannot attract members without good active programs in which they can participate. We must plan for the future, and this means council growth. The men that we recruit today and in the years to come will increase our ability to serve our community and our Church. This should be the number one priority of each and every member. This will be the legacy that we each will create for our founder, the Venerable Servant of God, Father Michael J. McGivney. It is up to each one of us to make sure that we ask every eligible Catholic man to join the Knights of Columbus. You know how it feels to be part of this great organization. I challenge each of you to share these experiences with other Catholic men and the families by making them a part of the Knights of Columbus. Robert Cayea, Supreme Ðirector

9 Our Council In Action Most people associate the summer months a time for slowing down and taking things easy. It has not been so for our Council this summer. We have been busy. Basketball Free Throw Presentation - Community and Youth Because of inopportune timing, we were unable to report that on May 25 th, our then Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight, and our Youth Director attended L. A. Desmarais school top present Erica Hensman her trophy and basketball as Ontario champion in her age group for the Basketball Free Throw Competition for 2008 her second championship in a row. Council s Annual Awards Steak Dinner - Fraternity On June 14 th, the Parish Center hall was full with members of our Council and representative from other area KofC councils as we met for our annual Award Night dinner. Once again, our Council s Cooking Team provided a wonderful steak dinner for the occasion. They worked long and hard, and all present very much appreciated the results of their efforts a truly delicious and satisfying meal. After dinner, GK Greg MacDonald, DGK Mike Agius, and PGK Keith Campbell delighted in providing those present with an account of the awards that our Council received at the State Convention that took place just weeks before in Toronto. Capping the evening, our GK assisted by our DGK and our PGK presented the annual awards of Knight of the Year (Tony Ellul), Family of the Year (Mike and Rita Agius), Woman of the Year (Bonnie Lewsaw), and the Pierre Hurtubise Award (Bruce Mackie). For those who did not attend. you missed a wonderful time. Soccer Challenge Competition - Community and Youth A few days later, June 17 th was an overcast, cool, and breezy day that saw a number of our Council members busy conducting the KofC Soccer Challenge competition at H. J. Lassaline School. GK Greg MacDonald, DGK Mike Agius, and Youth Director Eduardo Aguilar led a team consisting of Brothers Mike Finn, George Pickering, and Tony Ellul in setting up and running the event. After a slow start due to some miscommunication, a large number of students showed up to compete almost overwhelming the volunteers who were fortunately assisted by a number of teachers. One week later, GK Greg MacDonald, DGK Mike Agius, DD Joe Banovic, and Youth Director Eduardo Aguilar attended an assembly at H. J. Lassaline School where they presented trophies to the winners of the Soccer Challenge competition. Bursary Presentation - Community and Youth That same evening, at our Council s Executive Board meeting, we had the opportunity to meet Miss Giselle Jacques who accepted our invitation to attend the meeting and receive her bursary award of $500. PGK John Barron as chair of our Council s Bursary Award Committee joined GK Greg MacDonald in presenting Giselle with her cheque. Our Parish Blessed With Gifts As mentioned above, the previous week, our neighbouring parish, St. Thomas the Apostle, closed its doors as a result of parish restructuring in the Diocese of London. Members of St. Thomas Parish had generously offered to donate a number of items from their church. These include, several liturgical vestments, Holy Communion stackable ciboria and cups with matching chalice and paten, a wonderful Baldwin electronic organ, a hand-carved wooden statue of the Holy Family, round tables and chairs for St. Francis Hall, a set of Nativity figurines, holy water sprinklers, a vigil light stand for the statue of Our Blessed Mother, and many more items too many to list here. We are very grateful to the members of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish for their generosity, and as we welcome them into our parish community, we look forward to welcoming some of the men from that parish into our Council. 9

10 10 Our Council In Action (cont d) Our Lady of the Atonement Festival - Church and Community This year, the annual festival of Our Lady of the Atonement took on special significance. About two years ago, our past pastor, Fr. Clare Coleman, after consulting with our Parish Council, petitioned the Vatican through Bishop Fabbro and on behalf of our parish to have our parish renamed to Our Lady of the Atonement Parish. The petition received the Vatican s approval earlier this year. On July 13 th, Fr. Mike Graham read the Vatican decree that changed the name of our parish at the 11:00 a.m. Mass that marked the official name change of our parish and the beginning of the festival of Our Lady of the Atonement. The day had dawned warm and quite breezy, and early that morning members of our Council joined other parish members to set up tents under which children attending the festival could participate in the variety of games that the organizing committee had planned. Unfortunately, the breeze started picking up briskly, and soon destroyed two of the tents and damaged another. Again, Council volunteers joined other volunteers to take down all the tents and relocate the games under the canopy in front of the Parish Centre. The festival began with a special 11:00 a.m. Mass that included liturgy in honour of Our Lady of the Atonement. Members from St. Thomas the Apostle parish, who began attending our parish following the closure of their parish, formed the Offertory procession in which they presented several of the items that their parish had gifted to our parish. Following the Mass, celebrations began in earnest on the parish grounds. Many members of our Council joined members of the CWL council of our parish and other parish volunteers in supervising the several games and in preparing and serving food. Later that day, as the festivities were winding down, one could see our Council members helping with inevitable clean up that follows such events. The success of the festival is largely due to the organizational skills of Maria Mollica, Parish Youth Minister, and Annemarie Bondy. Renovation Work on Church Choir Area - Service to the Church The unexpected arrival of the organ from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish generated a burst of activity to reconfigure the choir area by removing the previous instrument to accommodate the new one. PGK Greg MacDonald, Past DGK Mike Agius, Bro. Mike MacLellan Sr., and Bro. Urban MacDonald of Bishop T. Kidd Council got busy with carpentry work to change the layout of the choir area. The choir area is functional although the work is not yet fully completed. Rectory Renovation Project - Service to the Church Bro. Walter Friedl has also been busy with recruiting volunteers for several projects in the continuing renovation of the rectory. Bro. Helmut Hofgärtner has lately been busy making repairs to the walls in the rectory kitchen and the powder room in the rectory vestibule. Helmut followed this task by painting the kitchen walls and hanging new wallpaper in the powder room. Sidewalk Repairs - Service to the Church The sidewalk along the rectory side of the church building has been a cause of concern for some time. Bro. Anton Alves, who works in the concrete installation business, recently convinced his employer to donate the materials and labour to replace the sidewalk section that needed repairs. Anton set to work with his crew and, before you knew it, had demolished and removed the old sidewalk and replaced it with a new one. New Storage Shed - Service to the Church Phase 1: Bro. Anton Alves was busy again some days after making the sidewalk repairs when he poured an extension to the existing concrete pad that, until last year, supported the external air-conditioning chiller unit that was located behind the church building. The chiller unit was removed and discarded as part of the heating/air-conditioning-ventilation project that was completed late last year. Extending the area of the concrete pad was in preparation for a new construction project. For some time, a number of parish members had been contemplating what to do with the concrete pad. Since there is a chronic shortage of storage space in our parish, it was decided to use the concrete pad as a base for a storage shed. Although fairly large in area, it was necessary to enlarge the concrete pad to accommodate the size of storage shed in the plan. Phase 2: Work on building the storage shed began on August 18 th when PGK Greg MacDonald, past DGK Mike Agius, Bros. Mike MacLellan Sr. and George Pickering, and Bros. Peter Hebert and Urban MacDonald of Bishop T. Kidd Council began construction work. They completed the project on August 21st. It has been said several times before. Our Council seems to work like a perpetual motion machine always on the go with programs and projects.