Worth Reading General Worth Assembly #1089 Fort Worth, Texas Newsletter for November 2017 Faithful Navigator s Compass Dear Brother Knights: As I head out onto unchartered waters I am reminded that God is always by my side. With that being said when SK Pat Conway, 3 rd Texas District Master comes calling, you answer. Master Pat Conway was in the midst of preparing for the annual Texas 3 rd District 4 th Degree Exemplification, which was to be held October, 6 8, 2017, at the Hurst Convention Center. He needed volunteers to assist with the hospitality rooms for Friday night s festivities. I was grateful that SK Obie Obregon, PFN/GK spearheaded the committee. If you all can recall the hospitality rooms are for candidates, members, dignitaries and their families and are meant to make them feel welcome and enjoy some likeminded company. Each hospitality room is stocked with beer, wine, snacks, and lite finger foods often with a patriotic décor and feel. Both rooms were held at two different hotels and both were open from 7 pm to 11 pm. The Dallas Diocese was held at the Holiday Inn and Suites and the Fort Worth Diocese was held at the Hampton Inn and Suites. To spice things up a bit Master Conway wanted to have a contest between the two dioceses with the winner having the most compliments on their hospitality and being awarded a trophy. I along with SK Obie Obregon, PFN/GK, SK Faithful Admiral Michael Walker, PFN, and SK Francisco Nova began to plan out the details. We raffled off two beautiful paintings (Our Lady of Guadalupe and Sacred Heart of Jesus) and the winners were Tim Kosen and Mike Jones. Although the night was a huge success we did not win the trophy and lost by two votes! The most important thing is we had a great time and are now better prepared to win back the trophy next year. Last but not least the night would not be successful without the help of our beautiful wives Angelica Romero, Yolanda Obregon, and Patricia Nova who prepared, cooked, and cleaned. Also a special thank you to SK Faithful Comptroller David Siebold who helped with the raffle. God Bless, SK Adrian Romero, FN
Captain s Corner Let us continue to remember in prayer all those who have been affected by Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Floods during this season of Natural Disasters. Let us also contribute generously any way we can to the relief efforts to help them to survive and be restored. September ended with the Annual Flag Retirement and Family Picnic on Saturday, September 30 th. It was graciously hosted again by SK Lawrence Bierschenk at his home in Weatherford. The huge mound of tattered flags of all sorts were properly inspected and retired with the The turnout was very good for this joyful event in weather that was perfect. While the flags were being retired in the flames, a peaceful time of fellowship was enjoyed by all as SK Lawrence again dutifully cooked the hamburgers provided by the Assembly, along with the beverages. The remainder of the meal was a bountiful array of Pot Luck dishes, including favorite deserts, salads and side dishes, so there was plenty of food for everyone, and all went home happy. dignity of our formal service of respect due them before being consumed by the flames. Color Corp Commander SK John Achtyl reported his count of 230 flags. Former Master SK Joe La Barbera is always a life of the party, so he and SK Obie Obregon were sure to do their respects to a Texas A&M flag. October kicked off the 4 th Degree Exemplification of the Texas 3 rd District at the Hurst Convention Center on Friday, October 6 th with our Assembly hosting one of the Hospitality Rooms. Saturday morning the 7 th, the Knighting Ceremony for 140 Candidates began at 10:30 AM, while the Lady Knights had their own Luncheon from 11:30 to 2:30 PM. For the Lunch break, the four new Sir Knights of General Worth Assembly were treated to Abuelo s Fine Mexican, just a block down the street. They are: Ismael Richard Vela, Juan De Dios Rivas, Sr., and Ricardo Falcon, all from Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Sylvanus Adonis Obialasor from St. Rita. Father Eric Michael Groner was also Knighted at the Priest s Exemplification on Friday. That evening we enjoyed the Great Banquet event with all the dignitaries seated at the long head table with their wives, and then the day closed with and evening of Dancing and Socializing. This is always a very memorable event for both old and new Sir Knights and their wives. The Sunday morning Memorial Mass honoring those Sir Knights who had died since the last Exemplification was a solemn and moving service. For me, the Capstone event followed the Memorial Mass, when our 3 rd District Master Pat Conway had all of us who were in Full Regalia line up in the center aisle, and then he honored us for our service and then began to explain the significance and importance of each piece of our Regalia, something I had never heard nor understood before. Finally, he had us all raise our right hand and pledge to continue to serve our Order and the Honor Corp with the integrity and dignity it deserves.
Friday the 13 th of October was the 100 th Anniversary of the MIRACLE OF THE SUN on October 13, 1917, the promised miracle of Our Lady of Fatima that culminated her six monthly apparitions beginning March 13, 1917, when she appeared to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal. Several parishes in our area celebrated memorials, but the most significant was the extreme honor of the FATIMA 100 TOUR, a Visit of Hope, Healing and Peace, that began in St. Patrick Cathedral in New York City March 13 ending at our St. Patrick Cathedral here in Fort Worth! Hundreds of worshipers filled the Cathedral to view this world-famous UN Pilgrim Statue of the World Apostolate of Fatima along with the first class relics of St. Francisco & St. Jacinta Marto, and a piece of the Holm-Oak tree on which Our Lady appeared at Fatima. Prior to its first pilgrimage of May 13, 1947, Pope Pius XII blessed this statue. This glorious day began with Mass at 7am to a packed Cathedral. Between that Mass and the Noon Mass, hundreds lined up for confessions and to view the Relics and receive prayers for healing, then continued until the 7:30pm Procession. At 3pm, the GLOBAL ROSARY FOR WORLD PEACE was so special, a visual and emotionally sacred experience with 50 persons forming a Rosary ring around the pews, 10 for each Decade representing a Continent and most wearing cultural attire and saying their Rosary Bead in a Native Language of their country. Five float carts led the joyous Procession of hundreds of all ages and races through the streets surrounding the Cathedral and stretching far around it, while holy sounds of the Rosary recited in unison echoed among the Downtown Fort Worth buildings, aided by the powerful outdoor speaker system that had played music and broadcast the prayers and led the Divine Mercy Chaplet which preceded the Procession. This most holy day concluded with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and then Benediction at 10pm. This awesome Procession was scheduled to be led by the Knights of Columbus Color Corp, but sadly, even though this was a District Color Corp event, only 3 Sir Knights in Full Regalia showed up, and I the only General Worth Knight, so the three of us accompanied the Lady of Fatima float. This entire day was one of the most sacred and inspiring of my lifetime, and no Rosary will ever be the same again. The next District Honor Guard of October was for the Annual Memorial Mass for Children Who Died before Baptism celebrated at St. Patrick Cathedral by Bishop Olson on Saturday morning, October 14 th at 10:00 AM. And finally, Bishop Olson celebrated the Annual White Mass for those in the Healing Profession of Medicine on Monday evening, October 16 at 7:00 PM. Don t forget to join us for the Patriotic Rosaries at St. Patrick Cathedral in downtown Fort Worth, which begin at 7:00 PM every last Monday of each month. We would like to see more Members turn out to this important evening of prayer for our country. May God richly bless all of you, and pray for the USA! SK Ron Harris Faithful Captain
Pope calls space, takes small step for Vatican- Russian ties (this story originally appeared on October 26) VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis took a small step toward improved Vatican-Russian relations Thursday when he chatted with Russian cosmonauts and praised their understanding of love during a call with the International Space Station. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli played translator during the roughly 20-minute call that was interrupted once when the line dropped at the orbiting laboratory. Like a curious child, Francis peppered Nespoli and the five other crew members with questions both simple - What inspired them to be astronauts? - and philosophical - How do they view mankind's place in the universe? The responses he received, in particular from Russian cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Sergey Ryazanskiy, marked another small step for the Vatican's long tense relations with Orthodox Russia. Francis has made improving those ties a priority of his pontificate, and became the first pope in a millennium to meet with the Russian Orthodox patriarch last year. Ryazanskiy told Francis that he had been inspired by his grandfather, a Soviet engineer who helped build Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite that marked the beginning of the Space Age. "For me it is a great honor to continue what he was doing to fulfill his dreams with a space flight, the future of all humanity," Ryazanskiy told the pope in English. Francis, who has long exalted the role of grandparents, marveled at his response. "That's our strength: Never forget roots. It does me good to hear this! Thank you," Francis said. Francis also praised Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin: Francis had asked how the crew members understood Dante's verse that love is the force that moves the universe. Misurkin told him in Russian, translated by Nespoli, that he had been reading Antoine de St. Exupery's "The Little Prince" while in space and was taken by the young prince's understanding of love. "Love is the force that gives you strength to give your life for someone else," he told the pope. Francis lit up at his response, saying "It's clear you have understood the message that St. Exupery so poetically explained, and that you Russians have in your blood, in your humanistic and religious tradition." It was the second papal phone call to space: Pope Benedict XVI rang the space station in 2011 and asked about the future of the planet and the environmental risks it faced. Before Benedict, Pope Paul VI sent a radio message to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins after their historic 1969 moonwalk, calling them "conquerors of the Moon." Francis, who considered a career as a chemist before becoming a priest, has repeatedly expressed his concern for the environment and care for what he calls "our common home." Space station Cmdr. Randy Bresnik told Francis that what he most enjoyed in space was being able to "see God's creation maybe a little bit from his perspective." "You see the thinness of the atmosphere, it makes you realize how fragile our existence here is," he added. Bresnik, a U.S. Marine who flew combat missions during the Iraq war, told Francis that what struck him most was that from space there are "no borders, there is no conflict, it's just peaceful."
"People cannot come up here and see the indescribable beauty of our Earth and not be touched in their souls," he told the pope. Nespoli thanked Francis for his philosophical questions, telling him that most of the crew's days are spent performing highly technical and mechanical tasks. "You brought us higher up," he said. "You took us away from the daily mechanics of things and made us think about things that are bigger than us." Pope Francis says Christians can promote political dialogue in Europe (this story originally appeared on October 28) VATICAN CITY Pope Francis on Saturday said Christians can play a role in shaping Europe's future by promoting political dialogue "especially where it is threatened and where conflict seems to prevail." Francis addressed European political and church leaders at a moment of broad political crises in Europe. It came a day after the regional parliament in Catalonia made a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, and as Britain negotiates its exit from the European Union after four decades. Francis' fifth foreign policy speech on Europe, titled "To be the soul of Europe," was made to a forum on Europe organized by the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community. Pointedly, Francis said politics, rather than promoting dialogue as it should, "is becoming instead a forum for clashes between opposing forces. The voice of dialogue is replaced by shouted claims and demands." "Extremist and populist groups are finding fertile ground in many countries; they make protest the heart of their political message, without offering the alternative of a constructive political project," the pope said. In his speech, the pope returned to frequent themes, telling leaders they should welcome and help integrate migrants within a regulated process, strive for solidarity especially with younger people, many of whom "are lost without roots or prospects," and help create economic opportunities. The pontiff said that political leaders must promote Europe as "an inclusive community," where differences are "valued and viewed as a shared source of enrichment. Seen in this way, migrants are more a resource than a burden." The pope outlined how Christians can contribute to resolving political conflict by underlining that Europe is not just institutions and statistics "but made up of people," by helping recover a sense of community and by promoting political dialogue. "Sadly, we see how frequently issues get reduced to discussions about numbers," the pope said. "There are no citizens, only votes. There are no migrants, only quotas. There are no workers, only economic markers. There are no poor, only thresholds of poverty." He said religion can play a positive role by promoting dialogue, and he called on them "to restore dignity to politics and to view politics as a lofty service to the common good, not a platform for power."
Color Corps Report Honor Guards Regalia Tux October 4 23 1 YTD 19 128 11 Upcoming Honor Guards & Standings November 4 9am @ DFW National Cemetery November 11 9:30am @ Panther Island Pavilion November 11-11am @ DFW National Cemetery November 11 1pm @ Lindsay, TX November 11 6pm @ OLGCC November 23 10am @ Discalced Carmelite Nuns Monastery November 27 7pm @ Saint Patrick Cathedral More information can be found on the Event Calendar on the Assembly website @ http://kofcknights.org/assembly.asp?a=1089 Birthdays 2 nd SK Linnet Wetwiska 5 th SK Joseph Bason SK Dean Laesch SK Richard Reyero 7 th SK William Loftus SK Arnulfo Martinez SK Norbert Stanislav 8 th SK John Kinser 10 th SK Dick Arena 11 th SK Michael Behan 14 th SK Lawrence Bierschenk SK Pete Gomez 17 th SK Dcn. Patrick Bresler 18 th SK Dennis Jettun 20 th SK Robert Mallet SK Richard Muldoon 23 rd SK Glenn Sperry 24 th SK Charlie Martinez 26 th SK Charlie Martinez, Jr. SK Gary Parrish 27 th SK Paul Boatman 29 th SK Teodoro Agnes SK Esteban Garcia Call for Nominations We are now accepting nominations for the 2018 American Way Awards. Please send your choices for the Community Service Award and/or the Humanitarian of the Year Award to FN Adrian Romero @ bigaromero@gmail.com.
Prayer Requests All military personnel, Police, Fire, & EMTs All those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria All those affected by the two Mexican earthquakes All those affected by the Las Vegas mass shooting All those affected by the California wildfires Valerie Johnson Johnny Johnson Curiel family Charles Parr Matt & Linda Haines Phyllis Norguard John Bayer Virginia Carden Rita Girard Susan Smerick Rae Garner Roxann Baiamonte Vera Richardson Richard Richardson John Breed, Jr. Repose of Souls All military personnel lost in past and present conflicts All the victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting Linda Siebold Lucy Johnson Jose Curiel John Young Sherin Mathews Upcoming Events November 1 All Saints Day November 2 All Souls Day November 11 Veterans Day; Silver Rose arrives in FWD November 23 Thanksgiving December 1 Silver Rose leaves FWD December 3 1 st Sunday of Advent December 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception December 10 Assembly Christmas Party December 21 First Day of Winter December 25 - Christmas Meetings Planning Meetings are held on the 1 st Wednesday of every month and Business Meetings are held on the 3 rd Wednesday of every month, both at 7:30pm in the back of the Msgr. Joseph O Donohoe Council #4709 building located at 3809 Yucca Street. Membership If there are any changes to your address, phone number, etc., please notify the Faithful Comptroller at dgfs57@hotmail.com or by calling 254-339-3645. There s An App for that Having trouble remembering the Mysteries and various prayers of the Holy Rosary. There are numerous apps to help guide you through saying the Rosary available for download to your mobile device. Try one out today!
Assembly Officers for the 2017-18 Fraternal Year Friar Fr. Jerome Ward Admiral SK Michael Walker, PFN Faithful Navigator SK Adrian Romero, Sr. Captain SK Ron Harris Pilot SK John Achtyl Comptroller SK David Siebold Purser SK Emmanuel Ogidan Scribe SK Thomas Puntureri Inner Sentinel SK Nick Siebold Outer Sentinel SK William Pogeman 3 Year Trustee SK Tommy Jones, Sr., PFN 2 Year Trustee SK Bruce Mallory, PFN 1 Year Trustee SK Bill White, PFN Color Corps Commander SK John Achtyl Deputy Color Corps Commander SK Thomas Puntureri Historian SK Mike Smerick, PFN Deputy Historian SK Lonnie Brown, PFN Parliamentarian SK Lawrence Bierschenk, PFN