Knights of Columbus COFFEE RUN COUNCIL 6768 Grand Knight P.O. Box 595 Chaplain: Rev. Christopher R Coffiey Lawrence B Maguire, (302) 235-2799 Hockessin, DE 19707 Chaplain Emeritus: Rev. Leonard Kempski Council Newsletter March - April 2015 Meetings 2nd & 4th Wednesday at St. Mary of the Assumption Church Grand Knight Lawrence B Maguire Church Director Frank Fountain Chaplain Rev. Christopher R Coffiey Council Director Terrence R Hills Deputy Grand Knight Terrence R Hills Community Director Richard Stigale Chancellor Anthony V Gennusa Family Director Recording Secretary John J Schoff Youth Director John J Schoff Financial Secretary John J Baldo Membership Thomas D Green Treasurer Francis J Swift Recruitment Director Howard Wallace Advocate Frank Fountain Ceremonials Director John R Giles Warden Timothy J Strab Vocations Director Deacon Joseph Jackson Inside Guard Thomas D Green Pro-Life Couple John & Betty Baldo Outside Guards Angelo J Chiari Lecturer Fred Perella Trustee 3 years John R Giles Ladies Auxiliary Sharon McCormick/Marian Maguire Trustee 2 years Keith M Lord Public Relations Howard Wallace Trustee 1 year John McCormick Fraternal Services Joseph B Clark Program Director Terrence R Hills Newsletter/Web Joseph B Clark District Deputy 5 Richard Johnstone Insurance Agent Michael J Solomon, Ph: 302.757.4112 Immediate Past State Deputy Gerry L Safranski michael.solomon@kofc.org GRAND KNIGHT S MESSAGE Brother Knights, Involvement! It is that time of year when our Brother Knights, Ladies Auxiliary and Volunteers are the driving force behind each of our events. Souper Bowl (Ralph Paulus), Cornerstone Retreat (Chefs: Jeff, Franz and Mike), Valentine/Mardi Gras Dance (Tony & Kim Gennusa), Fish Fry (John & Sharon McCormick). Without the good will of our volunteers, no event would be the huge success it is. However, there is still much to do and new faces are always welcome. Come and experience first -hand the rewards of helping your Brother Knights by lending a hand. Supreme has stated that March is the time for a recruitment drive. Our Council will run their drive the weekend of March 21st & 22nd. This ties in to our Open House/Knights Social on Wednesday March 25th, 7-9pm. Hope to see as many as possible there. We would like to offer a special THANK YOU to Father Dillingham, Father Chris, Father Smith and all our Deacons for their unwavering support of our Council. Vivat Jesus Larry Maguire CHAPLAIN S REPORT Dear Brother Knights, By this point, I think it s safe to say that we are all thinking to ourselves No more snow! I certainly feel that way. I long for the exciting days of nice weather, windows down in a freshly waxed car, the music cranked up, and sitting on a chair at the beach! This coming summer will also be exciting for another reason- our parish begins installing our beautiful new stained glass windows! It is by the great prayers and financial support of our fine parishioners that make 1
this possible. Frs. Dillingham, Smith and I would also like to personally thank the Knights for their generous contribution they made towards our stained glass windows. This is our generations chance to complete this added beauty to our church that Fr. Anthony DiMichele envisioned nearly 50 years ago but was not able to complete. As spring begins on March 20 th, we realize that it s a chance for us as Knights to crank-up and get involved with our Church, Parish, and Community. Let us use this remaining time of Lent to renew ourselves and look towards the Resurrected Christ in His Easter Glory. May it make us realize that God not only changes the seasons, but He also changes our hearts, and gives us a renewed sense of Faith as fellow Brother Knights! Vivat Jesus Fr. Coffiey GENERAL COUNCIL NEWS MEMBERSHIP DRIVE Tom Green Congratulations to Gene Bledsoe, Chris Dunphy, Mike Kelly, Ray Manza, Mark Salzbrenner and Dick Saunders who took their Third Degree (full knighthood) at the Seton Council on Thursday evening January 29th! Tom Green, Tony Gennusa & Fran Swift were observers to the Exemplification. COFFEE RUN COUNCIL OPEN HOUSE Due to the low attendance at our January Social, we did not have one in February, holding an open house instead. In March we will try again. We plan to combine this social with our membership drive on 3/21 and 3/22 and invite candidates and their wives to join us. As of today we plan to have a music trivia contest at our social. We will play snipets of popular songs from the 50s and 60s and have attendees guess the artist, name of song and the year it came out. Brother Knights, we are open to all ideas!!!! We would like you and/or your wife to send in any other suggestions you might have to make this an enjoyable evening. This social is for ALL members and their wives from Coffee Run Council. Even if you have not been able to make a meeting in a while, this open house offers an opportunity for a night out with your wife and a chance to socialize and have fun with your brother Knights and their wives. ANNUAL CHILI COOK OFF- Howard Wallace This year s Chili Cook-Off was held on Saturday, January 17 at 6pm in the Church Hall. Ten Chili chefs participated and brought an awesome variety of chilis for attendees to taste. Voting was done with attendee ballots and most attendees were able to sample each of the ten chilis in competition. All entrants won a cookbook of their choice, and the top three won an additional special prize each. Entrants included Pam Kushner, Patrick Freebery, Phil Branca, Kathy Green, Mike Kelly, Howard Wallace, Mike Bailey, The Robinsons, Larry Maguire and Gerry Safranski. Popular vote results: 3 rd - Gerry Safranski; 2 nd -Pam Kushner; and 1 st - Mike Kelly. Congratulations to all looking forward to an even bigger event next year! ROUTE 41 ROAD CLEANUP Jim Ambrose Our Spring Cleanup of Route 41 will be held on Saturday April 11, from 7:00 AM until 10:00 AM. Help us keep the roadway north and south of St. Mary's main entrance in ship shape. We will pick up trash from the Delaware-Pennsylvania state line to Brackenville Road. Even if you can only for an hour, it will be a big help. We will meet in St. Mary's parking lot for trash bags, reflective vest, coffee, and donuts. Contact Jim Ambrose (302) 275-3579 or jamesrambrose@aol.com to sign up or ask questions. Or just show up and help. 2
GOOD OF THE ORDER We pray for the souls of our brother Knights who have recently passed: Tom McLaughlin, Frank Albanese and Fred Clemens and for our brother knights and their family members who are dealing with injuries and illnesses: Frances Albanese, Tom McCormick, Frank Di Benedetto, Elizabeth Darcy, Ray Babiarz, Bruce Kirk, John Barringer, Gertrude Barringer, Frank Fountain, Peg Lord, Alec Clark, and Reyn Cierniak. We also pray for all our men and women serving in our Armed Forces. 2015 LENTEN FISH FRY DINNERS John McCormick Coffee Run Council 6768, along with our Ladies Auxiliary, is hosting our annual Lenten Friday Fish Fry for the six Fridays of Lent in the St Mary of the Assumption Church Hall. The first two dinners were a huge success. The dinners will continue for the next four Fridays. They run from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Take-out is available. Included with any of the selected entrées are stewed tomatoes and a choice of two sides: Mac & Cheese or French Fries; or Cole Slaw or Apple Sauce. The sides are available as individual dishes. Soup and Salad Combos are also available. Soup choices are Seafood Gumbo or Clam Chowder. There is a Kid s Menu and beverages and deserts are also available. MARCH FOR LIFE 2015- WASHINGTON DC- (From Ann Courtney s Report on the Pilgrimage It was a Good March for Life DC 2015. God blessed our day all day long! We had 109 passengers and since we provided for a second bus, we had transportation for many high school and college students whose transportation unfortunately had been cancelled. They represented Univ. of DE, Archmere, Ursuline, St. Mark's, Padua, St. Elizabeth, and some elementary schools! We began the DC pilgrimage at the Basilica with a special Mass where Fr. Dillingham and Fr. Lewis (St. John the Beloved parish) concelebrated holy Mass for us (~2.5 busloads from DE)! The Mass set the tone for our day of pilgrimage. We actually joined the March at its very beginning point in the front...following all dignitaries, etc., of course. The sun shone brightly most of the day. Here at St Mary of the Assumption a Holy Hour was presided over by Fr. Coffiey, with Dcacon Giacci assisting, for people who did not journey to Washington DC. 3
2015 SOUPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE A HUGH SUCCESS - Ralph Paulus This was a family effort: Through your loving kindness, generosity and hard work 5862 pounds of food was delivered to 12 organizations in the Wilmington, Hockessin and Eklton, MD areas. Several families were involved in the distribution of the food: Gene and Audrey Sinko with grandsons Robby and Eric; Leo Hamilton with his son Kevin and his sister Peggy Birney and her children, Matt and Jackie; Fred and Alex Perella; Counting Begin Boxing Finishing Touches All Done Now Distribute Howard and Sam Wallace; Jim Ambrose with sons Evan and Ian. In addition, many Brother Knights: Frank Robinson (diligently contacting people for donations and coordinating with the receiving organizations); Father Dillingham and Father Chris (Pushing it from the pulpit); Terry Hills and Leo Hamilton (coordinating the monetary donations and food movement to the basement); Tom Green (coordinating the deliveries on Monday); Jim Donato, Mike Bailey, John Schoff, John McCormick, John Baldo, Fran Swift, Gerry Safranski, Larry Maguire and Paul Martin. Many Brother Knights, their ladies and families donated and supported this effort as well THANKS TO ALL!!!!!!!!! CORNERSTONE RETREAT Romeo Aquino I am sharing this video, CORNERSTONE RETREAT 2015 as a remembrance of what we have witnessed in the 2nd Cornerstone Men's Retreat, at St. Mary of the Assumption. It is my hope and prayer that this experience has strengthened you more, in your relationship with Him and with each other. Remember, "...God sees what is hidden, and is rewarded..." It was a great honor and privilege to be the CS-2 Retreat Director. I will always cherish the experience and your brotherhood. If there is anything I can do, do not hesitate to call on me. NOTE: The video is now available at (www.stmaryoftheassumption.com/parishlife/mens_cornerstone.html ). It is well worth watching. PRO LIFE (From the February and March Delaware State Council s Culture of Life News ) The United States marked 42 years of legalized abortion in all 50 states at virtually any time for any reason throughout pregnancy on the recent anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Since that time, there have been approximately 57,762,169 abortions that have destroyed the lives of unborn children. If you run the math, the number of abortions on unborn babies in the United States is downright shocking. Each and every day since Roe, on average, 3,767 babies are killed in abortions. However, a recent KofC/Marist Poll shows that there is reason for optimism and continued prayer and effort. Eighty-four percent of Americans want significant restrictions on abortion, and would limit it to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy. This includes almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) who identify themselves as pro-choice. The same percentage (84 percent) also says that laws can protect both the well-being of a woman and the life of the unborn. In addition, by more than 20 points (60 percent to 38 percent), Americans say abortion is morally wrong. Four decades after Roe v. Wade, the American people remain unhappy with its legacy, said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson. The survey makes clear that the American people understand that abortion is far too common, and causes great harm. And even those who consider themselves pro-choice want it reduced significantly. It is time that our lawmakers respond to this public consensus with appropriate legislation. 4
Conscience Protection Act Thank you to father Leonard Klein for alerting us to the recent news release of Cardinal O Malley and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop Lori which is worthy of our support. Part of the news release is printed below, as well as a link to the whole text. Congress should reaffirm the principle that government should not force anyone to stop offering or covering much-needed legitimate health care because of a conscientious objection to abortion or other procedures, said Cardinal Seán P. O Malley of Boston and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore. In a February 13 letter to the House of Representatives, the bishops, who chair the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), urged legislators to support and co-sponsor the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (H.R. 940). http://www.usccb.org/news/2015/15-030.cfm 40 days for Life The semi-annual 40 Days for Life campaign began on Ash Wednesday, kicking off in 252 cities across 19 countries around the world. In previous campaigns, the vigil has saved 9,699 babies from abortion, convinced 107 abortion industry workers to quit, and 60 abortion centers to close. The campaign continues until March 29, Palm Sunday. As you know, the campaign in Delaware has vigils in Wilmington and Dover. The Wilmington vigil is at Planned Parenthood, 7 th and Shipley. Join Brother Knights each Saturday morning for prayer any time from 8AM until 1PM. In Dover, the vigil is at Planned Parenthood, 805 S. Governors Ave. Contact for information is Donna Latteri. OPEN COFFEE RUN OPPORTUNITIES See list below. If you are interested in serving on any of these committees or if you would like information about any of our committees, contact: PGK Fran Swift 302 239-7156, or PGK Keith Lord 302 999-9451. COMMITTEES: Tootsie Roll Chairman (call Gerry); Raffle chairman (supporting our Catholic school scholarships); Retreat chairman (Malvern, PA or a local spot); Family Director; Knights Breakfast Chairman; Essay Contest Chairman; Chess Tournament; Our First Degree Team sure could use a person to do the Grand Knight s part; Recycle Chairman (ink cartridges, cell phones etc...), Auction (Silent?) chairperson MENTORS FOR NEW KNIGHTS - Tom Green Please consider becoming a mentor for a new knight or transferee. The purpose of the mentoring program is to allow new members and transferees to quickly and easily become familiar with, and participants in, the life of the Council. The basic responsibilities of a mentor are to: 1. Contact the new Knight promptly, encouraging him to attend one or more business meetings in the first 3 months of his initiation or transfer, 2. Encourage the new Knight to participate in one or more Council scheduled activities, 3. Listen to why the new member chose to become a Knight, and help provide opportunities to fulfill his interest and 4. Encourage attainment of his Second & Third Degrees. Our goal is to recruit 16 new knights this Columbian year and each will need a mentor. If you are interested in helping in this important role, please contact DGK Terry Hills, Chancellor Tony Gennusa or me. 5
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS INSURANCE Only Having Insurance Through Work Doesn t Work Do you know anyone whose life or career has drastically changed during these years of economic downturn? It s very likely that someone in your immediate or extended family or group of friends is facing financial uncertainty. Maybe there s a possibility that you (or your spouse) could lose your job or change employers. Too many people have often relied on group term life insurance as their only safety net. Often, this insurance is an employee benefit provided at low or no cost. The existence of this coverage might convince someone that personally-owned life insurance is not necessary. But only having through work insurance can leave you and your family vulnerable. Most group life insurance policies are limited in amount, which may be tied to salary or some other benchmark. These numbers are often capped, and this cap may be dangerously low when compared to your family s actual needs. In fact, a detailed needs analysis that evaluates your specific situation, will likely show that any employer-provided coverage falls short. In addition, the amount of group insurance offered is almost always reduced, sometimes dramatically, when you retire. You could one day find yourself without coverage, and if your health has changed (which it will as you age), you might also find yourself unable to secure individual protection. At the very least, it will definitely be more expensive. While group life insurance can help, it does not replace the need for individually owned life insurance. I ll be happy to meet with you and provide a no-cost needs analysis, so you ll know exactly where you stand. Michael J. Solomon Field Agent, Knights of Columbus #16765 Northern Delaware 2639 West Robino Drive Wilmington, DE 19808 Home Phone 302-994-7254 Cell 302-757-4112 6
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 2015 MARCH ACTIVITY LOCATION TIME Mar 2, Mon Eucharistic Adoration Knights Present Chapel 11:00 AM Mar 2, Mon Cardinal Gibbons Meeting Holy Family Church 7:00 PM Mar 6, Fri Third Friday Fish Fry Church Hall 5:00 PM Mar 11, Wed Coffee Run Council Business Meeting Coffee Run Room 7:30 PM Mar 11, Wed Ladies Auxiliary Business Meeting St Johns Room 7:30 PM Mar 12, Thu State Meeting 7:30 PM Mar 13, Fri Fourth Friday Fish Fry Church Hall 5:00 PM Mar 17, Tue St Patrick s Day Mar 20, Fri Fifth Friday Fish Fry Church Hall 5:00 PM Mar 21, Sat Ronald McDonald House dinner (75 persons) Mar 25, Wed Knight s Open House 7:00 PM St John s Room Mar 27, Fri Sixth Friday Fish Fry Church Hall 5:00 PM Mar 29, Sun Palm Sunday Mar 29, Sun Founders Day Church Hall 5:00 PM APRIL ACTIVITY LOCATION TIME Apr 03, Fri Good Friday Church Noon 3 PM Apr 05, Sun Easter Apr 06, Mon Adoration Knights Present Chapel 11:00 AM - Noon Apr 06, Mon Cardinal Gibbons Meeting Apr 08, Wed Council Business Meeting Coffee Run Room 7:30 PM Apr 09, Thu State Meeting Apr 11, Sat Highway 41 Clean-up St Mary s Parking Lot 7:00 AM Apr 22, Wed Knights OPEN HOUSE Apr 18, Sat K of C Track Meet Baynard Stadium 8:00 AM Apr 30, Thu Council Newsletter - deadline and mail 7
KIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COFFEE RUN COUNCIL 6768 P. O. BOX 595 HOCKESSIN, DE 19707 8