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A Spiritual Thought
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As all of you Brothers know, the first principle of our Order is Charity. We follow that principle by serving others but to do so requires prayer. As St. Josemaria de Balaguer states in the Forge: “When you start out each day to work by Christ’s side and to look after all those souls who seek him, remember that there is only one way of doing it: we must turn to the Lord. Only in prayer, and through prayer, do we learn to serve others.”(page 584 of the Way/Furrow/the Forge by St. Josemaria de Balaguer).
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I hope all of you had a very Blessed Easter and are enjoying a joyous Easter Season.
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The most important news to report this month is that our Founder, Fr. Michael J McGivney, was recently elevated to the status of “Venerable Servant of God” by Pope Benedict XVI. For Fr. McGivney to be declared a saint, this decree was required and a miracle attributed to Fr. McGivney’s intercession is still needed (for more details, please see www.kofc.org). Keep praying the prayer card for Fr. McGivney’s canonization.
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Degrees
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Only about one or two degrees took place over the last month and ˝ but hopefully, there will be a few more in the next month or two. Here are the details:
- A 1st degree was held on Wednesday, February 27 at Council 10067 in Saticoy. Three new Brother Knights joined the council that night: Brothers Rafael Ojeda, Sergio Vargas and Fr. Francis Bakyor. Fr. Francis is from Ghana and is hoping to start a council there when he returns. Another note about the Saticoy council: Right now, they have welcomed 8 new Brother Knights into their council and are at 160% of their membership quota.
- Council 5300 will be hosting a 1st degree at St. Raphael’s on April 14. Candidates should be there at 7 PM.
- Council 1684 will be hosting a 1st degree at Serra Hall on May 14. Candidates should be there for that degree at 7 PM.
- I’m working with Vic Mercado, DD #62, to host a 2nd degree in either Saticoy or Oxnard. So far nothing is definite, so stay tuned.
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Programs:
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Council Council 1684 has been continuing to recruit new members at their churches and they are meeting with moderate success. At the March business meeting, one of Council 1684’s Past Grand Knights, John Green, was recognized for that success in recruiting by receiving the VIP (Very Important Proposer) Award from GK Mark Wietstock. The VIP award is given to any member who recruits at least 2 new members into the Knights. Congratulations, Brother John! Other events at Council 1684: the monthly social dinner on Wednesday, March 12 occurred and on April 23, the Council will be hosting their annual scholarship dinner on Wednesday, April 23.
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Council Council 5300 was very busy during the month of March with a number of events: On March 7 and March 14, the council held their final two fish fries of the 2008 Lenten season. The fish fries this year were a phenomenal success and everyone raved about the food. On Sunday, March 9, the council not only had a blood drive and pancake breakfast but they also helped the Los Guadalupanos barbeque chicken and tri-tip for the youth of the parish who will be attending World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia.
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On Sunday, March 30, Council 10067 (Saticoy) held a tri-tip sale fundraiser for a 4th or 5th grade girl who is undergoing cancer treatments. I had a chance to stop by, and business for the tri-tip sandwiches was brisk. The council also used the opportunity to do some recruiting as well. The council will be hosting a blood drive on Sunday, April 27.
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Finally, Council 13756 (Carpinteria) continues to be busy with projects around the church. The council held their Lenten soup and meditation event for several of the Fridays of March. Also, the council is meeting once a month on Saturday afternoons in church to pray the rosary and teach those who haven’t learned how to pray it.
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Other Notes:
- Right now, the district is at 77% of membership and 67% of insurance. Membership is improving but insurance is dropping. Brother Knights, we can do better! We only have three months to reach our goals, so let’s get to work. Some councils are doing better than others but it would be great to see all councils attain at least 100% of both insurance and membership by the end of the Columbian Year. There are plenty of potential members who can join our Order. All we have to do is ask. When you are recruiting, mention to potential members that they will be joining a fraternity that was founded by a future saint.
- The next Chapter meeting is on Wednesday, May 7 in Santa Barbara. Every Brother Knight is more than welcome to attend. The Grand Knights and Deputy Grand Knights are especially encouraged to do so.
- The election process for the next Columbian should be well under way. I know that most councils in the district have already started the process, but for any that haven’t, please start now.
- The discussion regarding Bishop Lori’s article in the Columbia is finally beginning to take hold. Council 10067’s chancellor, Brother Andy Stay has already been doing a great job of not only recapping the article but also leading a brief discussion of it. GK Mark Wietstock of Council 1684 recapped it and asked a few questions during the March meeting. Council 5300 had it read at their January or February meeting. Thanks Brother Knights for allocating time for this important endeavor. Let’s keep up the momentum on this projectand make it a routine part of every meeting. Again, remember that the article is available online at www.kofc.org.
- As stated for the last few months, from December 1 to April 20, 2008, all new first degree Brother Knights will be listed in a special book that Supreme Knight Carl Anderson will present to Pope Benedict XVI when the Pope visits the United States this month. All new first degree Brother Knights who take their first degree between December 1 and June 30, 2008 will be presented with a limited edition certificate acknowledging their joining the Knights during the 125th year of our Order. Finally, the Knight’s recruiter will receive a minted medallion acknowledging their efforts (I just received one of those medallions and they are very nice).
- Please be sure to visit the K of C’s website (www.kofc.org. ) when you get a chance for up to date information about what the Order is doing at the national level. You will find a link to our Supreme Knight’s new book “A Civilization of Love”. Orders are being taken for it right now.
- Just a reminder: if you haven’t done so already, please make your reservations now for the State Convention from May 15 to May 18. If you need information about it, please let me know.
- Thank you to all the councils who participated in the “California One Man, One Woman Marriage Initiative” signature drive that was recently held. The last email from the National Organization for Marriage indicated that about 881,000 of the required 1.1 million signatures had been collected. Hopefully, enough signatures will be collected for the initiative by April 1.
- Please continue to pray for all our sick and deceased Knights in the district.
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