January 2018 P.O. Box 26 Mesilla, NM 88046 Basilica de San Albino Council # 15578 WWW.NMKOFC15578.ORG New Mexico District 13 San Albino Knight Brothers, Ladies, Families & Friends, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we continue to celebrate our Lord and Savior s birth this Christmas season, I find myself overcome with great joy...joy that stems from being part of such a wonderful and dynamic parish at San Albino, joy that is enhanced by being a part of this hard-working and devoted Knights of Columbus council, and joy from knowing that I m taking a much needed vacation in less than 72 hours :) I do want to thank all of you for helping to make our Pancake Breakfast this past weekend a success. Lorenzo, we d all like to especially thank you for your generous donations for the breakfast, we certainly could never do this without you! All-in-all, we raised very nearly $1,000 for the Basilica, and served right around 175 plates. We will continue to gather together as a council family over the coming months in charitable service to our neighbors. We have plans for multiple tree cuttings in January and February and a major cemetery cleanup at Old Picacho sometime in February. Please keep an eye out on your email for more details coming soon. Now s also the time to engage your friends who are on the fence about joining the Knights...simply ask them to join you during one of our upcoming service projects. As for our existing members, there are some upcoming degree ceremonies you should make note of: San Albino will be hosting a Formation (2nd) and Knighthood (3rd) Degree Ceremony on February 25th. Then, on March 10th, St. Genevieve s Assembly 3330 will be hosting a Patriotic (4th) Degree. Viva Cristo Rey! Grand Knight s Message Danny Duffin Council Officers 2017 2018 Grand Knight * SK Daniel Duffin Chaplain * Very Rev. Christopher Williams Deputy Grand Knight * SK Jim Maes Chancellor * SK Lorenzo Alba Financial Secretary * SK Patrick Lujan Recorder * SK Solomon Padilla Jr. Treasurer * Howard Schmitt Advocate * Chris Maurer Warden * Joe Loera Inside Guard * Geno Diaz Outside Guard * Dale Ellis Trustee 3rd * Richard Lohmeyer Trustee 2nd * Jim Yankovic Trustee 1st * SK Mitch Dahl Lecturer * Richard Portillo Charity ~ Unity ~ Fraternity ~ Patriotism
Council Achievement December 2017 17% Membership Growth 33% Insurance Growth Admission Degree Manuel Garcia Knight of the Month Howard Schmitt (November) Lady of the Month Anne Schmitt (November) Family of the Month Schmitt Family (November) Altar Server of the Month Ana Perez (November) Happy Birthday January Victor Contreras Thomas Baca Paul Martinez Daniel Chavez Patrick Birmingham Rigoberto Banuelos Tony Nieto Jay O Neill Meeting Reminders Business Meetings Every Fourth Monday @ 6:30 pm in Yannes Hall of The Basilica of San Albino Programs / Officers Meetings Every First Monday @ 6:00 pm / 7:00 pm in Yannes Hall of The Basilica of San Albino Program Directors 2017/18 Programs Jim Maes Church Howard Schmitt Community Richard Lohmeyer Council Daniel Duffin Family Richard Portillo Membership Jimmy Beasley Culture of Life Mark Cavaliere Youth Director Jay O Neill Community Disability Ralph Misquez
Knights of Columbus Insurance Corner Put Your Loved Ones First During the month of January, we spend a lot of time thinking about ourselves. What will our New Year s resolutions be? How will we change our lives for the better? What will 2018 bring for us? What about the ones you love? Is protecting them part of your plan for 2018? Sure, there s a lot that you can and do to protect your loved ones. You make sure they re safe. You make sure they re taken care of. You do your best to make them happy. But what if you weren t there for them? What if you couldn t be? Many are afraid to think about life insurance because they re afraid of their mortality. But life insurance isn t about dying, it s about helping your family to live if and when something should happen to you. Life insurance allows you to continue providing for your family after you re gone, by seeing to it that they have the money they need to be as safe and secure as they have always been. It can provide mortgage protection, income replacement, retirement income, final expenses, and so much more. And life insurance doesn t need to be a gift that you ll never see given. Your family can benefit from your policy while you re still here to see them enjoy it. So this Valentine s Day, when you re out buying that box of chocolates or flowers for your wife to express your continued love for her, make a point to schedule time with me to get your wife a special life-giving gift that will help you to protect her and your whole family for decades. Matthew Seltzer (575) 936-7181 matthew.seltzer@kofc.com matthewseltzer.com
LET US PRAY... Prayer to the Holy Name of Jesus Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love and strength! You are the refuge of those who repent, our banner of warfare in this life, the medicine of souls, the comfort of those who morn, the delight of those who believe, the light of those who preach the true faith, the wages of those who toil, the healing of the sick. To You our devotion aspires; by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the glory of all the saints for eternity. Amen. ~St. Bernardine of Siena Holy Father Pope Francis Most Rev. Bishop Oscar Cantu Most Rev. Ricardo Ramirez, Bishop Emeritus Very Rev. Christopher Williams Very Rev. Richard Catanach Monsignor Bob Getz Monsignor John Anderson Father Ron Burke Father Ray Flores Deacon Francisco Gurrola and wife Martha All Bishops, Priests, and Religious Venerable Fr. Michael McGivney s Cause Our Seminarians & Vocations Brother Daniel Rivas and Lady Emilie Brother Dennis Cherry and Family Brother Vicente Casas and Family Brother Richard Lohmeyer and Family Brother Santos Delgado and Family Brother Bob Stuth and Lady Pat Brother Joe Loera and Lady LaDonna Brother Solomon Padilla and Lady Emily Brother Sam Saenz Brother Howard Schmitt Brother Ralph Misquez Brother Tony Nieto Brother Manuel Garcia Brother Geno Diaz & Alicia Diaz Brother James McCabe Maria Therese Seltzer and Family Virginia Ellis and Ellis Family Jasmine Escarsiga Wilma Apodaca Sophia Maes David Maes Elisa Martinez and the NM Alliance for Life Johnny Gomez Petra Caro Ginger Franco Sidney Franco Margarita Alba Eloy Flores Garfield Salas Ray Young Jr Ignacio Prieto The Sanctity of Life from Conception to Natural Death The Sanctity of Traditional Marriage All Knights of Columbus and our Families Amen
Upcoming Events December January 2018 February Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Solemnity of Mary Holy Mother of God 2 3 4 5 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel 6 Epiphany of our Lord 7 40 Days for Life Concludes 8 Programs 6:00 pm Officers 6:30 pm Fundraising 7:00pm Yannes Hall 9 10 11 12 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel 13 Food Drive Banner Display 14 Food Drive Banner Display 15 16 Admissions Degree St. Gens Hall 6:30 pm 17 18 19 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel March for Life USA 20 That Man is You! New Semester Starts 6:30 am Yannes Hall Parish Food Drive Wagon Display 21 Parish Food Drive Wagon Display 22 Monthly Mtg & Food Drive 6:30 pm Yannes Hall Meal by Maes & Padilla 23 24 Assembly 3330 Meeting 7:00 pm St. Gen s Hall 25 26 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel 27 That Man is You! 28 Corporate Communion 11:00 am Mass 29 30 31 Notes: RMM Meal: Jim Maes & Sol Padilla Family Gathering & Rosary: TBD
Upcoming Events January February 2018 March Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Notes: 1 2 3 RMM Meal: Joe Escarsiga & TBD Adoration That Man is You! Family Gathering & Rosary: TBD 10am-5pm 6:30 am Yannes Hall Basilica Chapel 4 5 Programs 6:00 pm Officers 6:30 pm Fundraising 7:00pm Yannes Hall 6 7 8 9 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel 10 That Man is You! Parish Food Drive Banner Display 11 Food Drive Banner Display 12 13 14 15 16 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel 17 That Man is You! Parish Food Drive Wagon Display Old Picacho Cemetery Cleanup TBD 18 Parish Food Drive Wagon Display 19 20 Admissions Degree St. Gens Hall 6:30 pm 21 22 23 Adoration 10am-5pm Basilica Chapel 24 That Man is You! 25 District-Wide 2nd and 3rd Degree Ceremonies TBD Corporate Communion 9:00 am Mass 26 Monthly Mtg & Food Drive 6:30 pm Yannes Hall Meal by TBD 27 28 Assembly 3330 Meeting 7:00 pm St. Gen s Hall
From the Brothers Our Role in New Mexico s Culture of Death During the NM State Council s Mid-Year Meeting in Deming in early December, the Knights of Columbus were addressed by Elisa Martinez, the founder of the New Mexico Alliance for Life. Elisa s presentation brought sobering illumination to New Mexico s Culture of Death. While personally aware, like most of us probably are, that New Mexico is the late term abortion capital of the United States, I was ignorant of some of the most disturbing details of our Culture of Death. I d simply like to share with you some of the details from Elisa s presentation and offer some suggestions on how we can help fight for a Culture of Life. Facts about New Mexico s Culture of Death: New Mexico, North Korea, and China have the most extreme abortion laws in the world In the last 20 years, there have been 104,256 abortions in NM...the population of Las Cruces Abortions are legal in NM up to the day of birth for any reason Minors seeking abortion do not need any parental consent or notification...they can literally leave during the school day, get an abortion, and then be picked up from school later that day! The University of New Mexico is using aborted baby body parts for research...in so much as research can be construed as dissecting fetal brains as part of a summer camp overseen by Dr. Paul Roth, Dean of UNM s School of Medicine. The #1 pro-abortion lobby in the state is called Religious coalition for reproductive choice...and they have their so called pastors get dressed in their religious clothing and go to state legislative sessions and argue passionately for abortions! Animal cruelty laws in NM are more stringent than abortion laws New Mexico Statute 30-18-15 makes it a misdemeanor to use an intracardiac injection on a conscious animal. These are the same types of chemicals that are used during chemical abortions! 64% of women seeking abortions feel pressured, and while in the clinic procuring an abortion 50% of women feel unsure. NM is 1 of 18 states that funds abortions through state Medicaid money...govenor Johnson tried to address this issue but the NM Supreme Court struck down that law he passed. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has been referred over 100 criminal claims relating to the University of New Mexico s illegal procurement of aborted baby parts from Southwestern Women s Options abortion mill. Balderas has done NOTHING in over a year and has now allowed more than 90 criminal claims to expire. This is a clear act to protect UNM and the abortion industry in this state.
From the Brothers Our Role in New Mexico s Culture of Death (continued) UNM s Procurement Notes Chronicle Aborted Baby Part Purchases with Emojis: Elisa Martinez has a book of scans with her that were from a lab notebook at the Health Sciences Center at UNM. This notebook logs all of the aborted baby parts that UNM receives from the Southwestern Women s Options abortion mill. This documentation was uncovered by a Congressional Select Panel on Infant Lives (lead by Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn). The Panel's referrals citied numerous violations of federal and state law between the University of New Mexico and Southwestern Women's Options late-term abortion center. Their 400+ page final report can be found online by googling Select Investigative Panel Marsha Blackburn In page after page of disturbing notes, these baby parts are treated irreverently, as the lab technician who writes the entries does so with disturbing enthusiasm and emotion Asked clinic for dioxin treated tissue 24-28 wks. for methylation study + because [redacted] wants whole, fixed brains to dissect w/ summer camp students. ENTIRE PANCREAS whoo hoo!! Stomach broken no panc :( Tiny bits of brain in PSS @ 4 o C for [redacted]. She plated it Monday + they grew wonderfully!! Image from www.nmallianceforlife.org
From the Brothers Our Role in New Mexico s Culture of Death (continued) A Catholic Legislator s Disgusting Use of Church to Support Abortion: Elisa also took a few minutes detailing what we are up against in this state in terms of getting any prolife leglislation passed. She highlighted a disgusting story about State Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino that I thought just wouldn t and couldn t be true. A quick internet search revealed the disturbing truth with Ortiz y Pino (as well as the photo to the right). State Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino said that as a faithful Catholic he cannot support any abortion restrictions. In one pro-abortion vote, he added that he went to Mass that morning at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Ortiz y Pino voted to keep abortion legal up to the day of birth for any reason in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He justified his vote against a late-term abortion ban by claiming that the Bible doesn't say abortion is wrong. As Knights of Columbus we are called to defend the truth of our faith and to fight for the innocent, the Senator Ortiz y Pino Proclaims Himself a Pro-Abortion Catholic. marginalized, and the persecuted. Maybe its just me as a simpleton, but when the Book of Exodus, Chapter 20, Verse 13 says You shall not kill, I find that to be clear biblical evidence against abortion. Additionally, as Catholics, we can absolutely rely on the Church s teachings in the Catechism...and here we will find that the condemnation of abortion is much less vague... CCC 2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. CCC 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law. CCC 2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. CCC 2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation CCC 2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
How We Can Help: From the Brothers Our Role in New Mexico s Culture of Death (continued) I took some time during a break at the mid-year meeting to discuss what exactly could be done to help the situation. Elisa said that the best way to help would be to find who your legislators are in the House and Senate and to make your voice heard on passing pro-life legislation. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! The NM legislation gets back in session on January 16th for its one month session this year. There are two house bills that support pro-life efforts in New Mexico...they are House Bill 76 Partial-birth & Late-term Abortions and House Bill 56 Parental Notification Of Abortion Act. Demand that your house and senate representatives support these pro-life bills. You can easily search for your legislators by your address at nmlegis.gov. Our biggest advocate locally is State Senator John Arthur Smith john.smith@nmlegis.gov (575) 546-4979. First, however, these bills must make it out of committee. The committee that these bills have been referred to are the House Consumer and Public Affair Committee which is made up of mainly Bernalillo legislators...but still it is critically important to make your voices heard to them as well, because if the bills don t make it out of committee they will be dead before any vote can happen! House Consumer and Public Affair Committee Members Eliseo Lee Alcon eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4425 Democrat Patricia Roybal Caballero pat.roybalcaballero@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4248 Democrat Deborah Armstrong deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov 505-986-4840 Democrat Bob Wooley bobwooley66@gmail.com 505-986-4454 Republican Monica Youngblood monica@mynmstaterep.com 505-986-4242 Republican No matter what your political affiliation is, make sure you contact the committee members and let them know you are for HB56 and HB76 passing as a New Mexican and faithful Catholic. If you can make it to Santa Fe, the Knights of Columbus will be hosting a Sanctity of Life Awareness and Unity Day in Santa Fe on January 17th, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Frances of Assisi starting at 10 am. Additionally, I know Elisa would do wonderful deeds with any monetary support you and your family can help with. Her foundation can be found at www.nmallianceforlife.org and there is an easy online donation link on her page. On a local level, Brother Knight Mark Cavaliere, from our council leads the Coalition for Life Southwest and organizes all the pro-life activities in Las Cruces and Santa Teresa including 40 Days for Life and Sidewalk Advocates. If you have any time or funds to donate to his cause I know they will work miracles locally...including the closing of the Las Cruces abortion clinic last year! Their website is www.southwest.life.
From the Brothers Our Calling as Knights As Knights of Columbus we are a part of a dynamic fraternity, united in charity. The Order s first principle is the basis for all we do as Knights, but charity is more than giving money. It is reaching out and learning to love our neighbors as ourselves. We respond to the call of Pope Francis to go to the peripheries, The Basilica de San Albino Council does just that. From our Bi-monthly food drives, Vocations assistance, sponsoring parish fundraisers, That Man is You! Bible study/fellowship, tree cutting and clean-up crews, we are answering the call. Together as families, we are reaching out to those who are in most need our help. Time and again, I have stressed that we have nothing less than a moral obligation to offer membership in the Knights of Columbus to every eligible Catholic man. To accomplish this, I am asking dedicated brother Knights like you to be ambassadors to reach out to Catholic men and their families and invite them to become part of our Order. Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight. During this Y ear of the Pastoral Care of the Families, let each one of us continue to strengthen our own family, as well as extending an invitation to fellow parishioners to join our council. In doing so, we are strengthening our parish, growing our council, and assist in building the domestic Church. Let each one of us reach out to the families in our parish and invite them to join us in Charity, Unity, and Fraternity. It can be as simple as What do you know about the Knights of Columbus? Let me tell you what our council is doing. We must remember that life begins at home, and we must also remember that the future of humanity passes through the family. ~ Saint Teresa of Calcutta Those Wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services: It's a good thing church members have a good sense of humor... The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.' Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you. Don't let worry kill you off let the Church help. Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice. Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
Picture This... Elisa Martinez, founder of NM Alliance for Life, addresses the Knights of Columbus and families during the mid-year meeting in Deming. Immediate Past Grand Knight Jimmy Beasley accepts the Four Star Award on the council s behalf from State Deputy Patrick Mason. IPGK Jimmy Beasley, PGK Lorenzo Alba, and GK Danny Duffin were caught modeling the new and improved council vests. Muy guapo!
Picture This... Thank you to Alicia and Geno Diaz who hosted one of the Las Pastores evenings are their home. The evening was well attended by Knights, Parishioners, Family and Friends. Traditional carols were sung, we prayed the Holy Rosary, and had wonderful fellowship topped off with a Piñata for the kids!
Picture This... On December 31st the Knights of Columbus hosted a Pancake Breakfast at Yannes Hall to support the Basilica. In all we served ~175 meals, and made nearly $1,000 profit for the church! A big thank you to all the KofC families that helped and to those that attended and made this event a success!
Picture This... In February, our council will lead the cleanup activities at the Old Picacho Cemetery. The pictures above show how overgrown the plots and markers are and just how desperately this hallowed ground needs some maintenance and repairs. We will be in touch with more details, so keep an eye out for emails.
From the Brothers