ST. THERESA’S COUNCIL # 14615
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
450 Radio Road
Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
(WWW.KOFC14615.ORG)
May 12, 2016
Council Meeting:
Our May meeting is scheduled as follows:
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Faith Formation Center, St. Theresa’s Church
Officers’ Meeting:
We will hold our June Officers’ meeting as follows:
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Faith Formation Center, St. Theresa’s Church
OCEAN COUNTY CHAPTER MEETING:
DATE: Monday, June 13, 2016
LOCATION: St. Theresa Parish
Faith Formation Center
TIME: 8:00 PM
DRESS CODE: Jacket and Tie
CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE:
My Dear Brothers in Christ
The Gospel for the Seventh Sunday of Easter is from Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel.
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“Holy Father, I pray not only for them,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”
I would ask that we all contemplate our Lord’s beautiful prayer to his Father in Heaven. The setting for this passage found in Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel is the Last Supper. The Last Supper Discourses (John Chapters 14, 15 and 16) have preceded this Passage. Gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem with his Apostles, Jesus has reassured his followers saying:
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. (John 14:2-4)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. (John 15:12)
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. (John 15:19)
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. (John 16:27)
Having experienced the reassurance of our Saviour, we return to his pray. “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” Here, Jesus is praying for us. These are his words to his heavenly Father for each of us. We are truly those who believe in Jesus through the word of the Apostles. This moment, when we experience ourselves in the word of Jesus, should help us recognize that we are always in the word of Jesus; we are in the thoughts of Jesus; we are in the activity of Jesus. Yes, we are in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
We experience Lent when we spend reflective time considering ourselves and our relationship with God. We experience Holy Week when we walk with Jesus into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) to the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) to his passion and Cross (Good Friday) and then we celebrate the glory of his resurrection at Easter. However, like most people in our society today, we have a very short attention span. Easter is a season of forty days. And by the time we get to Ascension Thursday (a Holy Day of Obligation) we seem to yawn and think “oh yeah…that happened”. I think this is indicative of the attendance at our Ascension Thursday Masses this year. Only 550 persons attended one of the three Masses offered.
And now we come to Pentecost. Pentecost is the second holiest celebration in our Liturgical Calendar. It is the Church as we celebrate the decent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles giving them the courage to step out of that Upper Room where they have been locked away for fear of the Jews and Romans. This is the same Upper Room where Jesus has expressed his confidence in them and us on the night of his Last Supper. On Pentecost they embraced that confidence. On Pentecost they accepted that love. On Pentecost they chose to follow the commandment of Jesus to go out and teach all nations. On Pentecost their lives were changed so our lives would be changed through their faith in Jesus.
So when do we break out of our Upper Rooms. When do we embrace the confidence our Lord has in us? When do we accept the love of Jesus expressed in His prayer in the Gospel of John? When do we agree to follow the commandment of Jesus to go out and teach all nations? When will we change our lives so that we might change others through our faith in Jesus?
Yours in Christ
Fr. Mick
DECEASED MEMBERS:
Brother Rick Siano’s nephew, Guy Frederico
ILL MEMBERS – please pray for their rapid return to health:
Bishop David O’Connell, Bishop of Trenton Diocese
Bishop John Smith, Retired Bishop of Trenton Diocese
Deacon Bill Sulzmann
Past Grand Knight Thomas Hartley
Past Grand Knight and Former District Deputy Bill Dwyer
Past Grand Knight Art Midgley
Brother Peter De Feo
Brother Jack Murray
Brother Salvatore Di Franco
Brother Peter Marcellino
Brother James Murray
Brother Sal Brunetto
Brother Franklin Clayton
Brother Vincent Lucrezio
Brother Matthew Bieda’s wife, Karen
Past Grand Knight John Taaffe’s wife, May
Brother Rick Siano’s nephew, Joseph DeSiena
Brother Joe Giugliano's father, PGK Angelo Giugliano
Past Grand Knight John Taaffe’s Sister-in-law Shirley Lewis
Past Grand Knight Earl Lind’s wife, Jan
Brother Bob Love’s son, Adrian
Brother Peter Prada’s wife, Irene
Brother Peter Marcellino’s daughter, Angela Fritz
We ask that you, Brothers, who have either your name or your family names on this list, to please reconfirm the listing every three months, or we will regretfully remove the name from the list.
BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE:
The Council is forming a Bereavement Committee and is looking for volunteers to join it. Contact John Taaffe @ 908-239-5988 if you are interested.
BLUECLAWS GAME:
Our next trip to the Lakewood BlueClaws is scheduled for Friday, July 1, 2016. Ticket prices are: Adults - $10.00; Children - $8.00; Seniors (over 60) - $8.00. Games starts at 7:05 PM with Fireworks after the game. Contact Brother Peter Jacobs if you are interested ().
ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
At our April Meeting, the Nominating Committee will provided the Council with a slate of Officers for the new Fraternal Year. The nominees are:
OFFICE: / NOMINEE:Grand Knight / Jeffrey Hawarden
Deputy Grand Knight / Jay Werling
Chancellor / Joseph Palandro
Recorder / Justin McCarthy
Treasurer / Enrico Siano
Warden / Jeffrey Green
Three Year Trustee / PGK Arthur Midgley
Inside Guard / Peter Marcellino
Outside Guard / Thomas Twomley
Advocate / David Johnson
Some of our Officers are not elected. The Chaplain is appointed by the Bishop. The Lecturer is appointed by the Grand Knight. The Financial Secretary is appointed by the Supreme Knight. Each Trustee is elected for a rotating three-year term.
At our May Council Meeting, we will elect our Officers for the upcoming Fraternal Year. Nominations from the floor are in order.
FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM:
Again this year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is sponsoring a Fortnight of Freedom, called, this year, Fortnight for Freedom 2016: Witnesses to Freedom. The dates are June 21st thru July 4th. Each day will honor a different Witness to Freedom - including the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Coptic Martyrs, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Kateri Tekakwitha among them. For further information check the Fortnight for Freedom Website.
COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS:
Congratulations!!! Our Council, has awarded partial scholarships to the two applicants who applied. One is from Pinelands Regional High School and the second is from Seneca High School. A representative of the Council will be present the Scholarship to the recipient.
COUNCIL FELLOWSHIP EVENTS:
HORSESHOES – We began work on the horseshoe pits. However, Mother Nature intervened and we could not finish the project. We will keep you informed about our progress.
Additional ideas are always welcome!
LADIES’ ORGANIZATIONS:
At our March Council Meeting, the Council agreed to form an exploratory Committee to form a Ladies Auxiliary. We will discuss this further with both Father Nick and the appropriate members of the Parish Staff. We are preparing an article for insertion into the Parish Bulletin. Two of our women will be the initial contacts – Lady Sandy Johnson and Lady Elaine Lyons.
COUNCIL PICNIC:
Saturday August 13th commencing at 12 noon, the Knights will host a Family Picnic at the Paul King Park in Manahawkin for all knights and their families. This location was chosen due to its proximity for our members, as well as the activities the park offers. We have reserved the shaded picnic area and secured a beer and wine permit for the day. The park has charcoal grills for our use. THE KNIGHTS WILL PROVIDE THE HAMBURGERS AND HOT DOGS. We ask that every family bring a side dish or desert plus whatever you are drinking. Please note that there is a "no bottle" rule, and we ask that all beverages, non-alcoholic as well as beer and wine be brought in cans, boxes or other "non-glass" containers. Activities at the park include a roped off swimming area with lifeguard, a basketball hoop, bocci, and four horseshoe pits. Additionally, for those ambitious brothers who wish to get some exercise, non-motorized boats such as kayaks or canoes can be launched in the lake. (Note - these boats are not provided at the park. You must bring your own). Knights are encouraged to bring any additional games suitable for a picnic.
Gentlemen, this is the easiest invitation ever for you to accept. If you are babysitting, bring the kids or grandkids.If you can't get there, call a brother knight and we will provide you with a lift. If you can't bring a sidedish……come anyway……there will be plenty of food. One of the main tenants of our organization is fraternity. What better way to exhibit this by coming out on the 13th and swapping stories with old friends, meeting new friends and remembering why we joined the Knights in the first place. SEE YOU THERE !
DATE - AUGUST 13th
TIME -12:00noon to dusk
PLACE - PAUL KING PARK
LOCATION INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 9 AND 72 IN MANAHAWKIN. ENTRANCE TO PARK IS JUST PAST RITA'S ICE ON THE RIGHT.
CASINO BUS TRIP:
Our Council will sponsor a Casino Bus Trip in June. Details are:
DATE: Tuesday, June 14, 2015
CASINO: Tropicana
DEPART: Church parking lot at 9:15 AM
RETURN: to parking lot 4:30 PM
PRICE: $25.00 per person - $25.00 in Slot Play.
CONTACT: Francis Murphy – 609-294-8244 or .
BABY BOTTLE BOOMERANG:
Again this year, we will be doing the Baby Bottle Boomerang. We will distribute the bottles the weekend of May 14th and 15th. We will accept returns the weekend of June 18th and 19th. We need members at all doors and all Masses to assist with the bottle distribution in May and bottle return in June. Sign up at the May Council Meeting.
COMMUNITY FOOD BANK ASSISTANCE:
We are continuing our assistance for the Little Egg Harbor Food Pantry. Assistance is always needed in distributing the paper bags after Mass. Help is also requested for various events listed below.
SUMMARY OF UPCOMING FOOD PANTRY EVENTS:
Day / Date / Time / Location / EventMonday / May 16 / 9:00 AM / Food Pantry / Unload County Food Truck.
Monday / May 16 / 11:00 AM / Community Center / Unload County Food Truck
Saturday & Sunday / June 4 & 5 / All Masses / Church / Distribute Bags
Monday / June 13 / 8:00 AM / Church / Transport Collected Food
BABY DIAPERS:
Diapers needed for the Community Food Bank (sizes 2, 3, 4 or 5). Please donate at the monthly Parish Food Drive or at monthly council meetings.
FOURTH DEGREE:
The next major Exemplification of the Fourth Degree is scheduled for the weekend of November 12-13. If you are interested in taking the Fourth Degree this year, please contact either Joe Lyons, the Assembly Comptroller (), or John Nowak, our own Council Chancellor.