January 2012 Newsletter

Mother Teresa Council 12202

Website is www.kofc12202.ca

The 2011-2012 Executive Team

Chaplain
Fr. Andrij Wasylinko
250-549-1327
Grand Knight
Bernie Lutes
250-545-9564
Deputy Grand Knight
TBA
250-
Financial Secretary
Steve Malerby
250-542-9579
Chancellor
Dale Hofer
250-938-3253
Recorder
Bert Niehaus
250-549-7437
Treasurer
Gerry Glasser
250-545-0577
Advocate
Jack McLaughlin
250-260-1933
Warden
Ben Allen
250-550-6111
Trustee 1 year
Art Moeller
250-542-8466
Trustee 2 year
Juan Ferrigno
250-545-2065
Trustee 3 year
Maurice Bouchard
250-549-2310
Inside Guard
Anton Schnieder
250-549-1789
Outside Guard
Bill Walker
778-475-0114
Lecturer
Ben Loewen
250-542-4342
Program Director
TBA
250-
Church Director
Juan Ferrigno
250-545-2065
Community Director
Art Moeller
250-542-8466
Council Director
Gerry Glasser
250-545-0577
Family Director
Joe Bukoswky
250-545-8110
Youth Director
Angelo Sabaddin
250-308-5210
Pro-Life Director
Clayton Bzdel
250-503-3069
Membership Director
Steve Malerby
250-542-9579
Recruitment 1
Dale Hofer
250-938-3253
Recruitment 2
Jack McLaughlin
250-260-1933
Charity Appeal Chair
Gerry Glasser
250-545-0577
Sick and Shut-in Director
Larry Drescher
250-545-0081
BBQ Director
Steve Stenhouse
250-547-9444
Wheel Chair Project Director
Don Wenger
250-542-8694
Field Agent
Blaine Anhel
1-877-532-5632

Our Motto: In Service to one, In Service to all.

Calendar of Events

Please Note change in Executive meeting day:

Executive Meeting - 2nd Tuesday of the month, February 14, 2012 - 7 pm OLOV Council Chambers lower parking lot

Next General Meeting - 4th Tuesday of the Month, February 28, 2012 - 7 pm OLOV Council Chambers lower parking lot.

Next Fraternal Knight Lunch- 2nd Thursday of the Month, February 09, 2012 - Noon to 1:30 pm at the Legion (behind Watkin Ford). There is no agenda and no meeting just brother Knights getting together for some camaraderie............... Come join us!!!!

We are told there will be a minimum of two tables for bridge players. Invite friends or neighbours and make a night of it with us.

(Adults only)
Question of the month:
What is the name of our longest serving Knight in our Council 12202 and how many years has he been in the Knights of Columbus?
The answer will be revealed at the next general meeting on February 28, 2012 at OLOV. Will he be there? Will you?

Grand Knight's Report

January 2012

Editor's Note:

Brother Bernie advised that three things had occurred in the past few days that seemed to explain and highlight one’s life in the Knights.
1. Gone home – In the past week a number of our fellow Knights paid our last respects to a long-time Knight, Bud Belanger. He lived his life as a good Catholic and an active Knight.

2. Gold membership card – On Monday Supreme Council sent us a Gold membership card with special privileges that come from being an active Knight for over 25 years. Brother Bernie contacted our Brother Knight to arrange for a date to present the card to him.

3. Within the last month Brother Bernie attended a First Welcoming Degree (ceremony) at which time three new Knights were presented with their first membership card in our Fraternal organization.

The three stages of belonging to the Knights had occurred to members of this Council in the past 30 days from new members attending their first meeting to the Knights who do the work month to month over the years and attain their gold membership level to saying our final goodbyes to a brother Knight. It seemed only appropriate that the balance of Grand Knight’s message for the month would be the new Knights telling us, in their own words, why they joined the Knights and what they expected from becoming a member.

 

Brother Michael Flaherty-Specht

Brother Steve Stenhouse
Each of them gave us a very moving and personal insight into their reasoning for joining the Knights including their personal background. They were warmly welcomed with a standing ovation and will be a great asset to our growing and active Council. Welcome Brothers Michael and Steve.
Our Lady of the Valley Mother Teresa Council 12202, Coldstream. BC 2011-2012 Executive Team

The picture to the left represents the first time in 14 years that our Knights Council was in their own full robes. Over the years Council 4949 was generous enough to loan us their robes for ceremonies.

Thank you Council 4949.

 

 

Chaplain's Report

Knights of Columbus  - January 2012

Dear Brother Knights,

As we gathered here for the first time in the New Year 2012, I would like to wish you and your families many God’s blessings of good health, strong faith, joy, peace and happiness. May God’s loving care continue to guide you and protect you during our earthly journey to the Heavenly Kingdom.

Dear friends, for today’s meditation I would like to elaborate somewhat on the message of our Supreme Chaplain, Bishop Lori called: ‘Our Faiths Foundation”. And although Brother Dallas, Church Director of BCand Yukon, sent it to us as a meditation for February, I would like to begin with it for this New Year.

There is one important reason for that choice - in the meditation there is a name mentioned that made news headlines just before Christmas. The person who I have in mind is Mr. Christopher Hitchens, who died on December 15th, 2011 at the age of 62.

Bishop Lori states that Mr. Hitchens was an author who dealt with the issue of promoting atheism. In case some of you are not aware what kind of beliefs he was promulgating, I will quote a brief description of him from Wikipedia:

“Identified as a champion of the "New Atheism" movement, Hitchens described himself as an antitheist and a believer in the philosophical values of the Enlightenment. Hitchens said that a person "could be an atheist and wish that belief in god were correct", but that "an antitheist, a term I'm trying to get into circulation, is someone who is relieved that there's no evidence for such an assertion."[18] According to Hitchens, the concept of a god or a supreme being is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom, and that free expression and scientific discovery should replace religion as a means of teaching ethics and defining human civilization. He wrote at length on atheism and the nature of religion in his 2007 book God Is Not Great.”

Dear Brothers, we have recently celebrated two great feasts in Our Church, the Nativity of our Lord and His Epiphany. Among the many things that those feasts revealed to us is the reality that our God Is A Great God! He is our Creator who loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to help us in our destiny, which is to reach heaven.

Going back to Bishop Lori’s meditation, it should help us to focus on a few very important realities connected with God’s existence and His role in our lives.

Firstly, what significance does faith in God have on how we see the world? Our Supreme Chaplain’s response is that: “If God did not exist, both human life and creation would lose their transcendent meaning. The world and those who dwell in it could no longer be seen as reflecting the goodness of an all-powerful God who is above and beyond the created universe. In addition, we would not have a destiny beyond our present experience”. In other words, if God does not exist, then there is no use of talking about heaven or resurrection. What would it mean then, that the death, for example of Mr. Hitchens, brings a final end to that person’s existence? However, as Bishop Lori points out, God Himself told us something to the contrary. In the Book of Exodus, in the story of the Burning Bush, God revealed to Moses that He is “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:6). Later on, Jesus, the Son of God would add to these words in the Gospel of St. Mark that, God “is not God of the dead but of the living.” (Mk. 12:27)

Dear friends, if all of us believe in this, we also have to admit the strong influence of our secular culture on our faith. It becomes very evident at the time of Christmas when we are bombarded with the message that this Holiday Season is a time of sharing gifts, good will, friendship and family gatherings. In order to convince our society that there is much more to Christmas than that, or as Bishop Lori put it, to refute the new atheism, we Christians need to do two things. “The first’,  the Supreme Chaplain writes, ‘is to live our faith with integrity and love. The second is to deepen our awareness of why the Church, through the centuries, remains deeply and serenely confident in the power of reason, even when unaided by the light of faith, to arrive at the truth that God exists.”

Dear Brothers, although our Council decided not to have a discussion on the meditations during our meetings, I am strongly encouraging everyone to read on their own the message of Bishop Lori and answer the provided questions. The answers are always in the text. However, it is not so much to acquire academic knowledge about God, as to deepen our relationship with Him, who is our Creator, our loving Father and who wants us all to join Him in heaven.

God bless you all.

Fr. Andrij

 

 

Message from your Financial Secretary

Brother Steve here again: This month I advised annual membership dues were due and 43 Knights had been mailed their second notice. Your membership in our Council is important. Please take a minute to make out a cheque to Knights of Columbus Council 12202 for $30.00 and drop it in the mail to me today. You can also bring your cheque to church and give it to Brother Gerry Glasser your Treasurer or Brother Bernie Lutes your Grand Knight.

Thanks

 

 

From the desk of the District Deputy:

January Newsletter

From the desk of the District Deputy:

Greetings, Brother Knights,

First of all, on behalf of my wife Dianne and me, we wish you a very Happy New Year. We hope all your resolutions are fulfilled throughout the year, and you have a wonderful 2012.

In February (16th) we have the pleasure of meeting with Dan O'Hara, a Supreme representative to discuss membership recruitment and retention. Hopefully you will give that some thought in attending. You can get the details from your Grand Knights.

On February 20th, we will have a 1st degree in our district. This will take place in Salmon Arm. All councils should make an effort to have candidates at this Welcoming Ceremony.

The week after that, I will begin to visit all the Councils again for an official visit. I look forward to seeing you all again, and again as I stated in all my visits with you in the past, if there is anything I can do to help you out this fraternal year, please do not hesitate in asking me.

March is membership blitz month, so I trust all Grand Knights are already planning for this by ordering information packets for this event as well as setting up their respective teams. Our visit with Dan O'Hara should give us the added information to make this membership drive a very successful one. Remember: "The Knights of Columbus is a vehicle for every Catholic man to fully live out his Catholic faith."

Remember to live, laugh and be happy, all while doing God’s work.

God Bless,

Dale Hofer

DD #11

 

 

Field Agent Knights of Columbus Insurance

Growth is our duty

I am a dedicated Knight, as are all of you who read this column. As the insurance agent for your council, my role as a Knight is somewhat different than yours. My goal is to meet with each of my assigned members at least once a year to make sure their insurance needs are covered. In addition to this, I have a number of smaller goals that help me accomplish my main one. Among these is the need to recruit new members.
I want to help this council achieve the coveted Star Council Award. I want all the eligible Catholic males in the area to become Knights so they and their families can be part of this great Order. To that end, I am here to help this council with its recruiting efforts.
Remember, most men who could join but haven’t yet are merely waiting to be asked. They likely do not know about the many good deeds done by the Order and its members on an annual basis. It is our job to ask them and tell them that with minimal commitment, they too could be Knights.
I make my living and support my family by talking about the Order and the benefits of membership. I would be more than happy to speak with any potential candidates, especially those who may be right under your nose. Is your father, brother, cousin or neighbor a member? How about the man sitting in the next pew at Mass? Strike up a conversation and see where it goes.
To fulfill Father McGivney’s vision is our goal. Growing the Order and educating all members about the benefits of being an insured member is the way to do it.

Regards,

Blaine Anhel, FIC
Field Agent, Knights of Columbus Insurance
Cell: 250.804.8100

 

The coveted Star Council Award
 OLOV Food for families Parish Fundraiser
At our January general meeting our special guest, State Warden Michael Gernat, presented our past Grand Knight, Dale Hofer with the Star Council Award for membership growth in the 2010-2011 Council year. Under Brother Dale's leadership during his last year as Grand Knight our Council was one of only 21 Councils in BC/Yukon State to have earned this award.
Steve Malerby, Financial Secretary, and Juan Ferrigno, Church Director, of Knights of Columbus Mother Teresa Council 12202, Coldstream, presented a cheque for $607.50 to David MacBain, Community Ministries Director for The Salvation Army House of Hope Food Bank in Vernon on December 19, 2011. Funds were collected from parishioners of Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church in Coldstream for “Food for Families”, an initiative of Council 12202.

 

 

 

 

Doll House Raffle Information

The Doll House raffle draw was made on December 18, 2011.

Joe Ackerman, a long-time Knight, who built and donated the doll house, kindly consented to drawing the winning ticket. After having drawn his own ticket and declining the opportunity to take it home, drew a second ticket, this time drawing Stan Mielniczuk's ticket. Stan advised that the doll house will get great use.

The doll house raffle raised $1,390.00 to help us donate to needy causes. Thank you to all who participated.

 

When a tragedy strikes close to home, four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers; together they make a decision that will change all of their lives.

Our Church Director, Brother Juan Ferrigno has ordered the movie "Courageous" and will be holding a movie night when the film is received in Vernon. Our plan is to have the movie in the Church and invite the whole parish. Date and time to be announced. This is a "DON'T MISS" movie to watch especially if you have teenage children who would benefit from seeing this.

 

 

January Birthdays
February Birthdays
Nathan Loewen
03
Michael Lawless
03
David Sorokovsky
04
Steve Malerby
05
Gordon Higginson
16
Peter Dyck
08
Anton Schneider
19
Hank Bronswyk
12
John Piovesan
21
Clay Vernerey
23
Vincent Edwards

22
Frank Firth
23
Benjamin Loewen
24

 

The Funny Bone...

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days. The argument was it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized day.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed."

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do, counsel, your client is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is 'April Fool's Day.' Psalm 14:1 states 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."