May 2019 SASKATCHEWAN KNIGHTLINE
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Page 1 Volume 9 Issue 7 May 2019 SASKATCHEWAN KNIGHTLINE Knights of Columbus – Chevaliers de Colomb SASKATCHEWAN STATE COUNCIL – CONSEIL d’ETAT P.O. Box 61 Stn. Main Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan S6H 4N7 Editor Telephone: 306-631-1610 Peter Folk E-mail: [email protected] Web Page: www.kofcsask.com Inside this issue: State Deputy: Chris Bencharski State Chaplain: Bishop Bryan Bayda State Deputy 1 Immediate Past State Deputy: Brian Schatz Honorary State Chaplain: Archbishop Donald State Chaplain 2 State Secretary: Joe Riffel Bolen State Treasurer: Larry Packet Associate State Chaplain: Fr. Ed Gibney State Office 3 State Advocate: Rene Gaudet State Executive Secretary: Gerry Gieni Cultural Diversity 4 State Warden: Marte Clemete Nogot Press Release 6 STATE DEPUTY’S MESSAGE Insurance 7 State Activities 8 Dear Brother Knights of Saskatchewan, In Memorium 15 Degrees 16 As of today, there are exactly 6 weeks left in the Columbian year. As we look back on the accomplishments of the past year, we can be proud that Saskatchewan had a great Council Activities 17 Columbian year in programming and membership. Special thanks to each individual for your Webmaster 27 assistance and support to reach many of our accomplishments - we could not have done any Editor 27 of this without a team effort. KofC Sask Charitable Two major programs, the Vocations Endowment which reached close to $560,000.00 in 28 Foundation donations in one year and the Conscience Protection Campaign which gathered more than 14,000 letters were both very successful. Thanks to all the councils for your support and involvement. Specials thanks to the bishops and priests for allowing us to conduct these two campaigns as well as many other programs in our churches throughout Saskatchewan. Mission Statement Membership recruitment has also been excellent this year. As of today, we are 1 short of The Knights of Columbus reaching our intake quota of 325, we have reached our net of 225 with 234 members or of Saskatchewan, in the 104% of our intake. At the present time, our net/net is +3 members, 3 members more today name of Jesus Christ and than on July 1st, 2018. Our net/net needs to be 50 more than on July 1st so we need to keep through the intercession recruiting new members as we lose about 15 per month to suspensions and deaths. of Our Lady of Guada- lupe, strive to build the Recruiting new members is very important because our church is stronger if every knight is a Catholic Church by de- member. That’s why bishops often make appeals asking men to join the Knights of Columbus. veloping the spiritual We are very thankful for the support we get from the Bishops of Saskatchewan. We must growth of themselves also show in all of our parishes that we are supportive of our bishops and priests and conduct and their families, serv- programs that assist our priests and the church. Knights exist to serve---We are men on a ing parishes, building mission and that mission is to promote and grow God’s Kingdom. As Knights, formed through communities, and by the teachings of the church, we go out to do charitable works to overcome the wounded and evangelizing all people according to the princi- marginalized in society through programs such as coats for kids, wheelchairs, food for ples of Charity, Unity, families, meals on wheels, and assistance to Christians in the middle east. Fraternity and Patri- (Continued on page2 ) otism. www.kofcsask.com Page 2 May 2019 (Continued from page1 ) There is still much to be done before the end of June. I ask all councils to work on the following programs in the next 6 weeks. Sign up at least 1 new member before the end of June. Work to achieve Star Council Make sure your council is Safe Environment Compliant. Complete your SP7---Columbian Award Application. Submit the list of your GK, FS, Membership Director, and Council Chaplain to Gerry Gieni, Executive Secretary, by June 10th. Hold a Church Drive in your council and hold an Admission Degree in honor of the Bishop in your diocese. Develop a yearly plan of activities for next year so that you can hit the ground running on July 1st. Councils should be active all year round and should not be inactive in July and August. Masses are still held during July and August and Knights can still be active with some great family projects. I thank all of you for all that you have done during this past year. I look forward to finishing the year strong to the end of June as well as to a great start to next year’s Columbian Year. If you would like to serve the State Council at the State Level in the area of a Regional Program and Membership Consultant or as a State Program Director, please give me a call—240-8872 or email [email protected]. Also, for those of you who are interested in or have asked for the SD’s address to the convention, it can be found on the State Website - www.kofcsask.com. Chris Bencharski State Deputy, Saskatchewan State Council May 2019 State Chaplain’s Message In this month of May, a month in which we honour our Blessed Mother Mary and thank her for all the times that she has interceded, on our behalf, to her Son Jesus, the faithful turn to her, more and more, for her support and strength to face the growing difficulties in the world today. In recent years devotion to the Virgin Mary of Medjugorje, the yet unauthenticated sightings of Mary at a location in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has grown to rival Church authenticated devotions such as Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Devotions in Medjugorje are centred around the account of six young people who claim to have first seen visions of Our Lady, at this location, in June 1981 and that these visitations continue to occur. In early May, Pope Francis took the step of authorizing pilgrimages to Medjugorje, officially organized by Churches and Diocese’. In the past, such tours were organized privately, without the authorization of the Catholic Church. With this announcement, Pope Francis is “encouraging and promoting the fruits of good," holding that if this devotion brings forth good, then the Church will not stand in the way of that good. However, this announcement also came with a warning. It was stated that this papal authorization must be accompanied by "care to prevent these pilgrimages from being interpreted as authentication of known events, which (Continued on page3 ) www.kofcsask.com Page 3 May 2019 (Continued from page2 ) still require examination by the Church.” This is to say that Pope Francis’ allowing of Catholic Church and Diocese sponsored pilgrimages to Medjugorje IS NOT an authentication of the declared appearances of Mary at this location nor the miracles attributed there. The process surrounding authentication of those events is on-going and the allowing of authorized pilgrimages to Medjugoje does not, in any way, confirm the reported visions and miracles. Pope Francis is telling us to focus on the good that comes, from Jesus, through Mary, and that we should not let worldly issues, such as authentication of the events at Medjugorje, to draw our attention away from Mary, Mother of us all, and our thanking her for always pointing us toward her Son. Fr. Edward Gibney Associate State Chaplain STATE OFFICE Saskatchewan State Council Office Contact Gerry Gieni - State Executive Secretary P.O. Box 61 Moose Jaw, Sask. S6H 4N7 Cell: 306.631.1610 Email: [email protected] Greetings Brother Knights, As new council and assembly officers are elected this May and June, it is important for your council to update the State Office so that the State Roster can be kept up to date. To do this there is a form to fill out and email, or mail to me at the State Office. These forms can be found on our website under “Documents and Forms” —> “State Forms”. For your convenience, they are shown below: UPDATE FORM TO UPDATE STATE ROSTER FOR COUNCILS State Roster COUNCIL Info UPDATE FORM TO UPDATE STATE ROSTER FOR ASSEMBLIES State Roster ASSEMBLY Info Gerry Gieni - State Executive Secretary Website: https://kofcsask.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kofcsask/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KofCSaskState LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knights-of-columbus-saskatchewan-state YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2YBn-icoLS1jnbAx5C_wiA www.kofcsask.com Page 4 May 2019 Cultural Diversity Greetings Brother Knights, I have learned that fear limits our vision and us. It serves as blinders to what may be just a few steps down the road for us. To have a journey is valuable, but believing in our talents, our abilities, and our self-worth can empower us to walk down an ever-brighter path. Being a Knight, I transform my fear into freedom. My goal as Chairman of the Cultural Diversity is to reach the Ethnic Catholic immigrants here in Saskatchewan and thanks to our Worthy State Deputy Chris Bencharski for giving me an opportunity to go around in some places in our jurisdiction to talk and meet different people. Finding new members is the number one responsibility of our Order. However, where are they? The answer is too easy it is in the Church and in the community, the only questions is how to interact with them properly, how to get their interest so we can invite them to join in any councils here in Saskatchewan. Doing Pulpit announcements in the Church drives is still a very effective way of approaching people; we just need to speak in front of them of what we are doing and why we are doing this.