Grand Knight's Message. Monsignor Wells Council Receives Star Council Award. Fr. Greg Speaks on the Eucharist. First Degree to be Held at St.

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1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL NEWS Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council Volume 5, Issue 8 #13008 Silver Spring, MD March 2007 Grand Knight's Message Grand Knight Bill Bolin Worthy Brothers All: March is here. In like a lion, out like a lamb. The month many people associate with the coming of spring and the NCAA s March Madness. This March falls entirely in the Church s season of Lent. At St. Andrew s we have the opportunity of applying a new kind of March Madness to our faith and our understanding of Catholicism Where do we start? Ash Wednesday offered us a chance to remember our mortality. Sacrifice during Lent reminds us that we need discipline to follow our faith. We are fortunate that our parish features speakers to give us more information about our faith. We have more chances to avail ourselves of the graces that come to us in the sacrament of Reconciliation and of course to attend Mass. One additional opportunity we have to spend time with Jesus is through the Eucharistic Adoration. Fr. Greg spoke to the council at our last social meeting about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the importance of spending time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. He talked about his hope that more parishioners would come to the church for Eucharistic Adoration. During Lent there will be Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays between 7:00 and 8:30 PM. I hope you or your family members will consider attending. I want to congratulate the council for achieving Star Council last year. PGK Wayne Miller was presented with our Star Council plaque. He is an inspirational leader to our council and an enthusiastic promoter of the Knights. We also have two new members. Bob McNally and Tom Hollister took their First Degrees on Feb. 22 at Rock Creek Council. Another gentleman filled out a Form 100 at our social meeting and would like to join our council. We have a First Degree coming up on Wednesday, March 28 at St. Andrew s. Do you know any men who would be interested in joining the Knights? Don t be shy. Ask! I wish all of you and your families a blessed Lenten season. Vivat Jesus! * Monsignor Wells Council Receives Star Council Award PGK Wayne Miller accepted a beautiful plaque on behalf of the council for achieving the Star Council Award last year. This award is given to councils that meet goals in new membership and complete activities in all five program areas. Past State Deputy Ronald B. White presented the award at a meeting of the St. Elizabeth s Council.* Fr. Greg Speaks on the Eucharist At the February Social meeting, Fr. Greg Shaffer spoke to the council about Christ s real presence in the Eucharist. The members heard Fr. Greg s message about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and the scriptural basis for this belief. We also watched a short video, Miracles of the Eucharist. Fr. Greg encouraged the members of the council to attend Eucharistic Adoration. It will be held every Friday in Lent starting at 7:30 and after Lent at 7PM. * First Degree to be Held at St. Andrew s Our council will host a First Degree on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:45 PM in the multipurpose room at St. Andrew s. If you know of any gentlemen interested in joining the Knights, let them know. Anyone interested can call Wayne Miller (301) or Bill Bolin (301) for more information. Because the First Degree is on the evening of the Social Meeting, there will be no 7:30 Rosary. Please come out and support the First Degree Team and welcome new members to the Knights. * New Members Join the Council Bob McNally and Tom Hollister took their First Degree at Rock Creek Council on Feb. 22. Bill Taylor proposed Bob and Tom. Both of these gentlemen have a long history of involvement at St. Andrew s. Please welcome them to the Council. * Knights Of Columbus 1

2 Chaplain's Message Assoc Chaplain Rev. Mr. Kevin Mukri Saint Joseph Pray for Us We are well into the season of Lent. Our focus is on preparing ourselves and our families spiritually for the Easter Triduum as well it should be. I always though it was unfortunate that the feast day of Saint Joseph, March 19, comes during the season of Lent because if we are not careful, we can miss it and the opportunity to make him a friend to walk with us on our earthly journey. Saint Joseph s life was certainly extraordinary, but he lived it in a very ordinary way. No man past, present or future can match the importance of his calling to be the spouse of the Mother of God and foster father of Our Lord. Not much is known about his life. We know that he married our mother Mary; we know that he was there at the birth of our Divine Savior in Bethlehem; we know that he had to flee to Egypt to protect his family; and we know he returned from Egypt with his family to eventually settle in Galilee. At some point before the public life of Our Lord began, Saint Joseph passed away in the presence of Our Lord and Blessed Mary. Although given the great honor of being the foster father of the second person of the Blessed Trinity, he struggled to provide for his family just like everyone else. He lived in an occupied land; he had to make a living as a carpenter to ensure he and his family had the necessities of life; he had protect his family; and he had to educate and guide the Holy Child. Saint Joseph shows us that we can have an extraordinary life too by fulfilling the will of Almighty God for us while leading our ordinary life. He shows us that by fulfilling the responsibilities of our vocation, we too can do great things for the Kingdom of God. In 1870, Pope Pius IX proclaimed him the patron of the Universal Church. St. Joseph is often referred to as the patron against doubt and hesitation, patron of fathers, and patron of a happy death. I believe that Saint Joseph is also the patron of all Knights too, in that he provides us a true benchmark of manhood. His example for us is that if live our ordinary lives by always seeking to carry out Almighty God s will, we too will lead extraordinary lives. The Gospel describes Saint Joseph as simply an upright and just man. Although it is a simple description, it is a standard for every Knight to strive for. Saint Joseph will help us if we only ask him. Saint Joseph, pray for us..* Monsignor Wells Message [From the Pastor s Desk, Spiritual Reflections by Monsignor, Thomas M. Wells] March 2, 1997 Confession: Antidote for Self Deception You have probably noticed that a little landscaping had to be done on the side of the property next to Waverly House. During the last (we hope) sleet storm, a huge branch fell off one of the tall maples and blocked the driveway and broke one of the windows at Waverly House. A friend who is in the tree business gave me a good price, but he also said that three of the trees were seriously diseased and in danger of coming down. Most of the work is now done and, as a matter of fact, I told them to leave the wood for any who might want to take it for home fireplaces. It will need splitting, though; these were big trees. But I got to thinking about those trees. They looked, at least to me, great; but they were rotten inside and ready to collapse. I am sure you can see where I am headed the difference between appearance and reality. We know we are not supposed to be judgmental, but let us be honest. Most of us know people who appear to be in fine shape, but who, we suspect, have values and opinions very different than what they seek to convey. In fact, many of us are very perceptive at noticing the difference between appearance and reality in other people. Self-deception is something else again. I often think of the woman who came in to see me early in my years in Bowie. She did not go to church; she did not agree with the Church about this or that and, especially, she saw no sense in the whole question of Confession. Somehow, I began sharing with her some thoughts on the Parable of the Prodigal Son and how the self-righteous second son who never did anything wrong was actually the great sinner in the story. All of a sudden, she almost yelled out, "You mean I'm a sinner!" She said it two or three times, each time with greater amazement. For some reason, listening to that story, she allowed her defenses to drop and let the Lord show her just a bit of who she really was, as compared to the person she wanted to appear to herself. Probably the saddest phenomenon of the "new Church," is Knights Of Columbus 2

3 C O U N C I L #13008 OFFICERS: Chaplain Chaplain Emeritus Associate Chaplain Grand Knight Deputy Grand Knight Chancellor Warden Recorder Financial Secretary Treasurer Advocate Lecturer Inside Guard Outside Guard Trustee Trustee Trustee CHAIRMAN: Program Director Church Activities Dir. Community Activity Dir Council Activities Dir Family Activities Dir Youth Activities Dir Membership Director Vocations Chairman Recruitment Chairman Retention Chairman Tootsie Roll Chairman Pro-Life Couple Health Services Columbian Squires Public Relations Chairman Newsletter Editor Webmaster Msgr. Michael Mellone Rev. Joseph Kennedy Deacon Kevin Mukri William Bolin Wayne Miller, PGK John O Donnell Prosper Youm Werner Moeller Paul Sanneman David Keefe Thomas Murphy Deacon Michael Bond Yves Sainteus Thomas Devlin III Jim Lehr David Czarnecki, PGK Gary Yeck, PGK Wayne Miller, PGK Deacon Michael Bond Nick Luketic Tom Devlin Michael Caruso Bill Taylor Wayne Miller Werner Moeller Wayne & Elesa Miller Tony Gentilcore David Keefe Dave Czarnecki David Keefe M E M B E R S H I P M E E T I N G S All council meetings are held in the Teachers' Lounge of the school. Officer s meetings are held at 7:30 on the first Wednesday of the month. Business meetings are held at 7:45 on the second Wednesday of the month. Social meetings are held at 7:45 on the fourth Wednesday of the month. March Meetings March 07 Officer s meeting March 14 Business meeting March 28 Social meeting Rosary (7:30PM) 7:30 PM 7:45 PM 7:45 PM Fraternal Database The fraternal database maintained by the Financial Secretary contains selective information on the members and their families as supplied by the members. This information supplied by the members includes the member s birth date, and if married, the name and birth date (month & day) of the wife and names, gender and birth dates of children, if any. The database provides the information for the monthly birthday and anniversary columns for this newsletter. Obviously, if the information is not in the database, the member s birthday and anniversary will not appear in the newsletter. If your information is not now in the database, and you would like your birthday and anniversary to appear in the newsletter, you need to provide the information to the Financial Secretary so he can update the database.* February Knight of the Month Knight of the Month is Al Barros for his dedication to the faith and diaconate.* February Family of the Month Steve Nichols, his wife Beth and his four children. Steve has been serving as an usher at the 10 AM Mass.* March Birthdays Trustee Jim Lehr and Al Tagliaferro on the 8 th ; Brother Dennis Salamone on the 16 th ; Brother Albert Janneh on the 23 rd ; and, Brother Wilfrid Amisial on the 24 th. Also Marjorie, wife of Brother Frank Kenney on the 23 rd.* March Anniversaries The database contains no anniversaries in March.* Remember In Your Prayers Brother Robert Cowley who is ill, Chaplain Father Joe Kennedy s recovery, June Kastre, wife of Brother Dominic who is ill, The son of Brother Joseph Barrett who is recovering from wounds suffered in Iraq, as well as other Brothers who are ill or in need and our servicemen who are in harms way. Also, remember prospective member Donald McCallum who is ill.* Knights Of Columbus 3

4 Reflections Lawrence P. Grayson When America Was a Christian Society (First of a series of four articles) A nation is established, functions, and continues to exist based on certain foundational principles. Some of these principles are stated explicitly, as in our nation s Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Others are tacit and are embedded in the collective conscience and inner values of the people. They guide the way people think, act, and conduct their lives, both in public and private matters. In short, they are an integral part of the culture of the country. If the foundational principles are strongly implanted in the populace, the nation can overcome formidable obstacles and adversaries. If, however, they are weakened or are no longer valid, the nation loses contact with its roots; its spirit flags; it is vulnerable to outside forces. America was founded on Christian principles. It was the teachings of Christianity a belief in the kingdom of God and in a life to come, that each of us was created by God and redeemed by the Son who became man, that we all will be judged at the end of our lives based on how we conduct ourselves in this temporal state which produced a public consciousness that declared the natural equality of all people, with inalienable rights, having innate dignity, and inviolable consciences. As Patrick Henry wrote in 1776: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not meant to imply that America was founded as a theocracy. It certainly was not. But rather there was a common set of faith-based principles that was shared by everyone. The early Americans identified themselves with numerous religious sects that were quite distinct, and on certain theological points were even opposed to one another. But, by and large, they were Christian. The shared beliefs among the populace allowed practical agreements to develop on concepts, such as freedom, the rule of law, human rights, and the consent of the governed, that formed the basis of American democracy. and marriage was considered indissoluble. Although there were many exceptions, basically people pursued their ambitions, businesses conducted their activities, and the nation advanced its purposes within a Christian framework. The religious and social life of the nation, as well as of the individual, formed a unity. Although separation of state and church prevailed, the two entities cooperated for the good of the nation and the maintenance of a democracy. While the state did not establish its own religion or give preference to one denomination over another, it did allow religious expression in the public sphere. Public schools for nearly a century taught children with the McGuffey readers which contained stories praising God and extolling virtuous behavior, and later provided release time for voluntarily-chosen religious instruction; public officials in their official capacity attended religious services, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives from their inception have had full-time chaplains paid with public funds and begin each of their sessions with a prayer; the military services have chaplain corps; and Presidents have often in major addresses requested God s blessings on the nation. The 1950s, in many ways, was the capstone of this era. World War II was over and the Korean War was drawing to a close. The veterans had returned to civilian life, and were working, marrying and raising their own families. The economy was vigorous and growing, the sales of individual homes and automobiles flourished, and college and university enrollments expanded rapidly because of the G.I. Bill. For the youth, it was a time of wholesome activities, with family values reinforced in the community. Pre-teens frequented Saturday movie matinees, often featuring westerns, singing cowboys and a serialized adventure. The teens had basketball games and sock hops, followed by a group going for pizza or ice cream. In the new medium of television, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Ed Sullivan, Ozzie and Harriet, and The Honeymooners drew large audiences with family-oriented shows. Perhaps, the most surprising TV star at least by today s standards was Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, who lectured weekly on the philosophy of life. Charismatic, engaging and informative, this smiling cleric s program drew up to 30 million viewers and received many awards, including an Emmy in The National Legion of Decency, which rated movies before their release and had millions of Catholics pledge annually to not view indecent or immoral films and to avoid theaters that showed them, was highly For most of the two centuries following its founding, America operated as a Christian society. People regularly attended religious services, churches were an integral part of community life, behavior was regulated by reference to Christian tenets, family was given primacy over individual well-being, schools presented lessons on morals and virtues, Reflections continued to page 5 Knights Of Columbus 4

5 Insurance Agent's Message Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF If you are between the age of 60 and why would you need insurance protection? Let me suggest a few reasons why many Brother Knights in this age bracket utilize our protection: 1. Your are currently receiving a pension. If you die -- your wife only gets 50-60% of your pension -- if any. 2. The group life insurance you once had is decreasing. You will lose either a majority of it -- or all of it. 3. Your wife could outlive you and she will need money to pay for her care in the future. Long term health care and nursing home horror stories are commonplace -- don't let this happen to your bride. 4. To provide a tax-free infusion of money to your wife or your estate to handle funeral costs, debts, bills and medical expenses. Also, attorney's fees, probate costs and any taxes due. 5. Self respect - insurance allows a man to leave this world without any debt and better yet -the ability to leave someone else better off. Call me today - don't delay Bob Callaway, LUTCF, FICF Reflections continued from page 46 influential in limiting the production of morally offensive films in America. The Holy Name Society remained a strong and effective organization: in 1924, 100,000 men marched to the Washington Monument for an outdoor Mass and rally on the Mall; in 1950, 115,000 men in Pittsburgh marched to Forbes Field for a Eucharistic celebration. Overall, there was strong community pressure to maintain a wholesome social environment. The leaders of business, industry, the media, and government were not necessarily pious individuals. But with the public strength that existed for virtue and morality, businessmen, media moguls and politicians made decisions in conformity with the general ethos of the people. They operated within a Christian framework. It is fair to say that as late as the 1950s, America was very much a Christian society.* Bishop Fulton J. Sheen Monsignor Wells Message continued from page 2 1 the near disuse of the Sacrament of Penance. Sad because I suspect any confessor has experienced that one of the great fruits of this sacrament is the grace that allows us to see the reality in our lives. In frequent confession I open myself to the healing light of Christ which gradually illuminates the dark rot of sin from which, because it is so unflattering, I understandably try to hide. I am not by nature a pessimist, but, my friends, I suspect that more than a few of us appear far better to ourselves than we really are. Regular confession should be part of any Catholic life. If it is not, beware of that self-deception.* Giant Cards Support the Council One easy way for members to support our council is to buy Giant Cards at our meetings. The cards are sold at face value, so you don t pay any extra, and Giant gives 4% of the sales to our council. It may not seem like a lot, but if you re spending $100 a month at Giant and get the cards from our council, the council receives $48 per year. If ten members participate, that s nearly $500, or more than enough to sponsor a seminarian. If you d like to purchase Giant cards, please see Paul Sanneman.* District Free Throw Championships Held The District 18 Free throw Contest was held on Friday, February 23 at the Heights School. PGK Wayne Miller, Tom Hollister, and Bill Taylor assisted at the contest. Winners names will be forthcoming.* Dues are Due Dues notices were sent out to all members earlier this year. As of this writing, many members have not yet paid their dues for the Fraternal year. Your dues are important since they help support the charitable efforts of the council; pay for your Columbia magazine subscription and pay the per capita assessments we need to pay Supreme. If you forgot to pay, please send in your dues when you get your second notice. We have kept our dues at $30 per year. If you have moved, haven t received a notice, or have any questions, please notify Financial Secretary Paul Sanneman at (301) To those of you who have already paid, Thank you! * Knights Of Columbus 5

6 March 2007 Monsignor Thomas M. Wells Council #13008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Officers Meeting 7:30PM Business Meeting 15 S.O.M.E. 8:30 AM Membership Blitz after Mass Social Meeting 7:45PM First Degree (no Rosary) If you have and address, please send it to the editor at: david@czarnecki.com Council Newsletter Msgr. Thomas M. Wells Council # Claybrook Drive Silver Spring, MD Change Service Requested name address Silver Spring, MD Knights Of Columbus 6