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CP Pub AGT#40008919 VOL. XXX Moonless darkness stands between. Past the Past, no more be seen! But the Bethlehem Star may lead me To the sight of Him who freed me From the self that I have been. LIFE! Dring... Dringgg...! !Hello! It’s your brother. I’m calling to tell you that as of this morning, I’m the grandfather of another little girl! Nathalie has just given birth to her first baby! A little girl weighing nine pounds! Mother and child are doing well. The grandparents are jumping for joy. Bye for now! I have a hundred calls to make!” Life! That is the best news that we could hear. Immediately we want to communicate our joy to everyone, not only because our family is growing but also because we recognize ourselves in the child who is born. The child reflects what we hold most dear: LIFE. The child projects deeply-held, heartfelt aspirations, the ones of justice, peace and joy in the world. With a child, hope recaptures what is most beautiful and we gather in celebration. At the other end of life is death. It’s strange, but there too, we feel the need to gather but this time to cry, because something that we hold most dear: life, has just disappeared. In the distant horizon, we know that we too will know this last great moment December 2005 No. 3 Make me pure Lord; Thou art holy; Make me meek Lord; Thou wert lowly; Now beginning and alway; Now begin, on Christmas day. (Gerald Manley Hopkins, 1844-1889) LA VIE! justice, de la paix et de la joie dans le monde. Avec lui, l’espérance reprend de plus belle et, nous nous rassemblons pour fêter. À l’autre bout de la vie, il y a la mort. Chose étrange, là aussi, nous sentons le besoin de nous rassembler mais cette fois, pour pleurer, parce que quelque chose de ce que nous portons de plus cher: la vie, vient de disparaître. Puis, dans le lointain horizon, nous savons que nous connaîtrons, nous aussi, ce dernier grand moment de la vie où le grand souffle qui vient de Dieu retournera vers Lui (Écclésiaste, 12,7) pour se perpétuer sous une autre forme. Nous qui connaissons la Révélation de Dieu en Jésus-Christ, nous savons que nous n’avons pas d’autorité absolue sur le don de la vie. Nous en sommes tout simplement les intendants. Voilà la vraie raison pour laquelle nous nous opposons à tout projet de loi sur l’euthanasie et le suicide assisté. Le don de la vie est une réalité qui nous dépasse tous. Sans doute, certains évoqueront l’idée de ‘compassion’, de ‘dignité’ ou même de ‘droit’. Mais, en réalité, le projet de loi C-407 sur l’euthanasie met beaucoup plus en lumière l’échec d’un société envers ses grands malades Suite à la page 2 ... Dring... Dringgg...! “Allo! of life, when the breath C’est ton frère! Je viens of God who gave it will t’annoncer que, depuis ce be returned to Him matin, je suis grand papa (Ecclesiastes 12:7) to d’une autre petite fille! endure in another form. Nathalie vient de donner We, who know the naissance à son premier Revelation of God in bébé! Une belle petite fille Jesus Christ, know that pesant neuf livres! La we don’t have absolute maman et l’enfant se porauthority over the gift tent très bien. Les grands parents sautent de joie! of life. We are all simBonjour! À plus tard! J’ai ply the stewards of it. une centaine de téléphones Here is the real reason à faire!” why we are opposed to La vie! C’est la nouvelle every legislative bill on la plus intéressante qui nous euthanasia and assisted est donnée d’entendre. suicide. The gift of life Aussitôt, nous voulons is a reality that surcommuniquer notre joie à passes all of us. Some tout le monde non will bring out the ideas seulement parce que c’est la BISHOP PAUL MARCHAND of ‘compassion’, of famille qui s’agrandit, mais aussi parce que nous nous reconnaissons dans ‘dignity’, even of ‘right’, but in reality, Bill un enfant qui naît. Il reflète ce que nous portons C-407 on euthanasia highlights more the Conitnued on page 2 ... de plus cher: la VIE. Il projette les aspirations qui nous tiennent le plus à coeur, celles de la REPORT OF THE STATE DEPUTY The last time I wrote a report I mentioned in it that the one weekend that Valerie and I had at home was because of the cancellation of the one hundredth anniversary at council #1008 in Belleville. Well, they rescheduled and on Thursday, the tenth of October, held a very first class anniversary celebration. On Saturday the twelfth of the same week, Valery and I traveled to Brockville where an equally festive one hundredth anniversary was held. Both councils are to be commended on their efforts for a successful and well attended celebration. The exemplification of the first Ontario district, with master Sir Knight Dick Cordick, was held in Cornwall on the weekend of October 21-23 and, as usual, the installation of sixty eight new members into the fourth degree was made a memorable weekend by the Master and his team, the assembly in Cornwall, and everyone else that had a hand in putting a great weekend on for the candidates. The new members will LE RAPPORT DU DÉPUTÉ D’ÉTAT de Cornwall, ce fut une fin de semaine mémorable pour les candidats qui ne l’oublieront pas de sitôt. Bravo mes frères! Mon épouse et moi avons assisté à la réunion des députés d’État, tenue à Grapevine, au Texas, les 3, 4 et 5 novembre. Tous les députés d’État de l’Ordre et les officiers du conseil suprême étaient présents. Naturellement, le thème de la réunion portait sur la croissance des effectifs. Ce sujet occupe toujours une place importante à l’ordre du jour de nos réunions, car vous savez tous que, si nous ne recrutons pas de nouveaux membres pour prendre la relève et remplacer ceux qui meurent, l’Ordre déclinera et finira par s’éteindre. Mon rapport sur le recrutement n’est pas impressionnant. Nous ne sommes pas en aussi bonne position que nous l’étions l’an dernier. Bien que nous ayons deux nouveaux conseils, un dans le district #26 de Michael Henye, et l’autre dans le district #96 de James Smith, nous sommes quand même déficitaires, car nous perdons des conseils dans d’autres régions de la province. Suite à la page 2 ... Dans mon dernier rapport je not forget their entry disais que l’unique fin de into the fourth. Well semaine que mon épouse done. Valerie et moi avons passé à Valery and I also atla maison était due à tended on your behalf, l’annulation de la fête du a Supreme meeting in centenaire du conseil #1008, Grapevine Texas on the de Belleville. Eh bien! Elle weekend of November a été remise au jeudi 10 3, 4, and 5. This was a octobre, et ce fut une belle great meeting with State fête bien organisée. Le samedi de la même semaine, Deputies and Supreme le 12 octobre, nous sommes Officers and chairmen allés à Brockville pour la fête from all over the North du 100 e anniversaire du American continent and conseil. Ça aussi, ce fut une the islands. Naturally, belle fête. the main subject was the L’exemplification du 4 e continuation of mainDegré dans le district Ontario taining our membership. JOHN CLANCEY #1, qui a eu lieu à Cornwall This is always a large durant la fin de semaine du portion of our meetings 21 octobre sous la direction du maître Dick because everyone knows when you do not Cordick, comme à l’habitude, à été une réussite. Soixante-huit frères ont joint les rangs du 4e Degré. bring in new members to replace your aging Conitnued on page 2 ... Grâce au maître et à son équipe, et à l’assemblée Page 2 – December 2005 Bishop Marchard ... continued from page 1 Clancey ... continued from page 1 ONTARIO STATE BULLETIN Circulation: 56,000 Editor: Michael Sheehan Advertising Director: David Hobberlin Guest Columnist: Father Hamish Currie Please address communications to: The Editor Ontario State Bulletin Knights of Columbus 393 Rymall Road West, Suite 201 Hamilton, Ontario L9B 1V2 The State Bulletin is published three times a year, April, September and December. Since these publications become the written record of the Order in Ontario, Grand Knights, District Deputies, Diocesan Chairman and council members are encouraged to submit to the editor articles of interest. Articles and pictures will not be returned to the sender unless a special request is made to do so. To place an advertisement in the Bulletin, contact David Hobberlin (416) 443-1715. E-mail: david.hobberlin @gmail.com failure of society towards the seriously ill rather than true compassion towards them. We well know that once the door is opened in that direction, this ‘right to die’ risks becoming a ‘duty to die’ for economic, social or even emotional reasons. By recalling the coming to earth of the God-Child, Christmas is a very special celebration of life: it reveals to us that the life of God has been joined to ours making possible the deepest aspirations of our being, even the one of living eternally with God. Let us celebrate this life and commit ourselves to always love life, protect it and make it always more joyous and significant through the quality of our presence among others. A Knight’s Christmas is a Christmas where life recaptures all of its pre-eminence. † Paul Marchand, S.M.M. Bishop of Timmins / State Chaplain Bishop Marchard ... suite de la page 1 State Board Officers 2005-2006 State Deputy: John (Jack) Clancey State Chaplain: Bishop Paul Marchand Past State Deputy: Robert Cayea State Secretary: Nat Gallo State Treasurer: Yvon Robert State Advocate: Arthur Peters State Warden: Steve Caza qu’une véritable compassion envers eux. De plus, nous savons bien qu’une fois la porte ouverte dans cette direction, ce ‘droit de mourir’ risque de devenir un ‘devoir de mourir’ pour des raisons économiques, sociales ou même émotives. En rappelant la venue sur terre de l’Enfant Dieu, Noël est une fête de la vie à un titre bien spécial: elle nous révèle que la vie de Dieu nous a rejoint rendant possible les aspirations les plus profondes de notre existence, même celle de vivre éternellement avec Dieu. Fêtons cette vie et engageons-nous à toujours aimer la vie, à la protéger et à la rendre toujours plus joyeuse et signifiante par la qualité de notre présence auprès des autres. Un Noël de Chevalier, c’est un Noël où la vie reprend tout son droit de cité. † Paul Marchand, s.m.m. Évêque de Timmins / Aumônier d’État. and deceased members, you are declining and will not last long. We must continue to seek new members. The report on membership is not that great. We are not as healthy this year as last. .Even though, we have two new councils, one in district # 26 for Michael Henye, and one in #96 for James Smith we are still down because we are losing councils in other areas. I can understand if a council in a remote area is having difficulties, and if the parishes are being closed, it is difficult to maintain councils, but in the larger cities it should not be the case. We must ensure your councils are maintained. If you have taken on the responsibility of District Deputy, Grand Knight, or even as a member of the executive of a council, I would hope your expectation of the time you spend in that position would ensure the council(s) would be in as good or better position when you finished your term. I HOPE THIS IS YOUR INTENT As you have been informed, the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops has graciously accepted us under their umbrella liability policy. This is a very sticky endeavor with almost every council having different needs and situations. IF you are having difficulties placing your council in its proper slot of coverage, please contact myself or Rick at the office before you phone the insurance office or the O.C.C.B. They are being inundated with calls so let’s try to solve the problems or questions ourselves before contacting them. This is a terrific savings to our smaller councils and we do not want to do anything that would change this. The Tootsie roll project still seems to be a mystery to some councils. I would hope that every council would participate. My city of Peterborough is hosting some of the visitors that had to vacate their homes in the north for lack of clean water. Our newspaper keeps us aware of their situation here, and if you have seen the news reports of their village on the TV you know what the priests must be going through to try to maintain a church up there. The Tootsie roll project will do three things. ONE- It will assist the Canadian Missions in their endeavor to try to make things better in the northern dioceses that are having so many problems. TWO- It will assist the Special Olympics to help the people in our province that suffer from mental handicaps and THREE it will aid your councils charity account so you can do good in your community. Whenever there is a group of people gathered we could be helping our communities. The same thing happens every report, I don’t have enough time or space to say all of the things I should say or report on so I will end with the wish from Valery my entire family and myself , to every Bishop, Priest, member and family ,. A very” MERRY CHRISTMAS” AND A SAFE AND HOLY “HAPPY NEW YEAR” Clancey ... suite de la page 1 Je peux comprendre qu’un conseil dans une région éloignée puisse connaître des difficultés. Si des paroisses sont fermées, ce n’est pas facile de garder des conseils en vigueur, mais ce ne devrait pas être le cas dans les grandes villes. Il faut veiller au maintien des conseils. Si vous avez accepté de servir à titre de député de district, de grand chevalier ou simplement sur le conseil d’administration d’un conseil, j’espère qu’à la fin de votre mandat, le ou les conseils seront en meilleures positions qu’ils l’étaient au début. J’ESPÈRE QUE C’EST LÀ VOTRE INTENTION! Comme on vous l’a dit, la Conférence des évêques catholique de l’Ontario nous a gracieusement inclus dans la couverture de leur police collective d’assurance de responsabilité civile. C’est un projet délicat, car presque tous les conseils sont dans des situations différentes et ont des besoins différents. S’il s’avère difficile pour vous de situer votre conseil dans son créneau de protection approprié, vous êtes priés de communiquer avec moi ou Rick au bureau d’État, plutôt que de téléphoner aux bureaux du courtier en assurance ou à la CÉCO. Ils sont inondés d’appels, alors tentons de trouver nous-mêmes la solution à nos problèmes avant de les contacter. Ce programme représente des économies formidables pour les petits conseils, et nous ne voulons pas faire quoi que ce soit pour infirmer cette situation. La campagne de financement “Tootsie Rolls” semble être un mystère pour certains conseils. J’aimerais voir tous les conseils y prendre part. Peterborough, la ville où je demeure, accueille des gens qui ont dû quitter leurs demeures dans le grand Nord à cause du manque d’eau potable. Les journaux nous tiennent au courant de cette situation, et si vous avez vu les bulletins d’information télévisés concernant leur village, vous savez ce que doivent éprouver les prêtres des missions de ces régions. La campagne des “Tootsie Rolls” accomplira trois choses. Un : Elle servira à aider les missions du Canada à améliorer la situation dans les diocèses du Nord. Deux : Elle servira à soutenir financièrement les Jeux olympiques spéciaux de l’Ontario. Trois : Votre conseil bénéficiera de fonds supplémentaires pour ses œuvres de bienfaisance au sein de votre communauté. C’est toujours la même chose; je n’ai ni le temps ni l’espace pour dire tout ce que j’aimerais dire ou faire un rapport sur toutes les activités. Je termine en vous disant que mon épouse Valerie et moi, et toute notre famille vous souhaite, à vous et à vos familles, à nos prêtres et à nos évêques, un bien joyeux Noël et une bonne et heureuse et sainte année. December 2005 – Page 3 SUPREME DIRECTOR’S REPORT ROBERT F. CAYEA Recruiting new members and reactivate former members is the responsibility of every brother knight. All new members have the capability of becoming quality members if they are given the chance. But first of all we must give every Catholic man the opportunity to join our Order. They can become a part of an organization that fills their hearts and minds with the joy of giving to others and the feeling that comes along with making a difference. We must give every Catholic man 18 years of age and older an opportunity of making this world a better place while supporting their church. Being a knight is more than camaraderie. It is the opportunity to support his local church, enhancing their faith while protecting and enhancing their family life. It is up to each one of us as members to get this message across to our fellow catholic men. If you have yet to join the Father McGivney Guild, it is not too late to do so. By joining, you honour our founder and support the cause for sainthood. This truly remarkable priest had a vision to create a strong catholic men’s organization dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism and protection for the family. It is as easy as going to the website and registering. The Father Michael J. McGivney Guild serves as a source for information about the life, works and spirituality of Father McGivney. The Guild distributes informational materials about him, receives reports of favors granted through his intercession and oversees the distribution of relics. Guild members receive regular updates on the progress of Father McGivney’s cause for canonization and are invited to participate in promoting devotion to this Servant of God. Members of the Knights of Columbus are not automatically Guild members and must elect to join the Guild. The Father Michael J. McGivney Guild Newsletter is published bimonthly except JulyAugust, and is sent free to Guild members. Two very special books, that every Knight of Columbus should own, will soon be on sale. The first is a new biography of our Founder Father Michael J. McGivney titled ‘PARISH PRIEST, Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism’ written by Douglas Brinkley. It is an exciting and engrossing account of the life of the man, our founder, who may soon become the first American priest to become a saint of the Catholic Church. Learn about the times in which he lived, and the experiences that brought him to found the Knights of Columbus. This book goes on sale on January 10, 2006. You can buy it at that time at your bookstore or order on-line on or before January 2, 2006 by going on the Knights of Columbus website ( and clicking on the link that will take you to Amazon.com. The list price is $24.95 U.S., and Amazon will offer a discount price of $16.97 U.S. You can help put it on the best-seller list. The second book, ‘BY THEIR WORKS, Profiles of Men of Faith Who Made a Difference’, written by best-selling author Stephen Singular, tells the stories of men of faith and courage who had decided to become knights. It tells the stories of more than 60 Knights including Vince Lombardi, John F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth and many others. The deadline for ordering this book at a special pre-publication price of $25 U.S. ($40 Can.) has been extended to December 1, 2005. It will sell in the bookstores next spring for $45. You can use the order form in any recent issue of Columbia magazine. Every member of the Order in Ontario still has the opportunity to assist the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf States. You can go online and donate using your MasterCard or Visa or you can send a cheque (mark on it Attention: Gulf States Disaster Relief) to Canada Charities, Gift Processing Center P.O. Box 7252 Station A, Toronto, Ontario, M5W 1X9, Attention: Gulf States Disaster Relief. 100% of your donations will go directly to hurricane relief. Let us again show that we are #1 in charitable donations. BEST PROJECT AWARDS 2005 CHURCH 1ST Place Council 12296, St. Maurice – Nepean 2nd Place Council 8809, San Lorenzo Ruiz – Toronto 3rd Place Council 12158, St Patrick’s Basilica – Ottawa COMMUNITY 1st Place Council 4924, Bishop John T. Kidd – Windsor 2nd Place Council 9671, Fr. Victor C. Cote – St. Clair Beach 3rd Place Council 9865, Fr. A. Nolan – Windsor COUNCIL 1ST Place Council 3881, Marian Council – Oakville 2nd.Place Council 7724, Pere Lamarche – Toronto 3rd Place Council 9519, St. Laurent – Carlsbad Spring FAMILY 1st Place Council 13177, St. Edith Stein – Toronto 2nd Place Council 3881, Marian Council – Oakville 3rd Place Council 2092, Fr. Granottier – Owen Sound YOUTH 1st Place Council 2092, Fr. Granottier – Owen Sound 2nd Place Council 1549, Eganville – Eganville 3rd Place Council 3881, Marion Council – Oakville BEST COUNCIL AWARDS 2005 DIVISION 1: HAVING 200 OR MORE MEMBERS 1st Place Council 3881, Marion Council – Oakville 2nd Place Council 3945, Humber Valley – Weston 3rd Place Council 2082, Arnprior – Arnprior DIVISION11: HAVING 119-199 MEMBERS INCLUSIVE 1st Place Council 2092, Fr. Granottier – Owen Sound 2nd Place Council 8809, San Lorenzo Ruiz – Toronto 3rd Place Council 3305, Holy Name of Jesus – Essex DIVISION111: HAVING 87-118 MEMBERS INCLUSIVE 1st Place Council 12158, St. Patrick’s Basilica – Ottawa 2nd Place Council 9793, St Therese – Windsor 3rd Place Council 9544, Holy Redeemer – Kanata DIVISION 1V: HAVING 64-86 MEMBERS INCLUSIVE 1st Place Council1549, Eganville – Eganville 2nd Place Council 7724, Pere Lamarche – Toronto 3rd Place Council 11164, St. Benedict’s – Sarnia DIVISION V: HAVING 46-63 MEMBERTS INCLUSIVE 1st Place Council 9519, St. Laurent – Carlsbad Spring 2nd Place Council 12296, St. Maurice – Nepean 3rd Place Council 9865, Fr. A. Nolan – Windsor DIVISION V1: HAVING 45 OR LESS MEMBERS 1st Place Council 13405, Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Windsor 2nd Place Council 13335, St. Peter’s-Maronite – Windsor 3rd Place Council 13049, St. Edith Stein – Rockland PENETANGUISHENE COUNCIL 1627 ONTARIO KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS STATE BONSPIEL 2006 42 nd Annual State Curling Bonspiel in Midland & Penetanguishene Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 3rd, 4th, 5th 2006 Three Divisions – 64 Teams Max – Games are 8 End – Guaranteed 3 Games SANTA MARIA ** - FRIDAY - 12:30 PM - 6 RINKS COMPETIVE - FRIDAY - 2:45 PM - 6 RINKS DIVISION - FRIDAY - 5:00 PM - 4 RINKS PINTA ** RECREATION DIVISION NINA ** FUN DIVISION - FRIDAY - 12:30 PM - 6 RINKS - SATURDAY - 8:00 AM - 6 RINKS - FRIDAY - 2:45 PM - 6 RINKS - SATURDAY - 10:10 AM - 2 RINKS - FRIDAY - 5:00 PM - 4 RINKS - FRIDAY - 2:45 PM - 8 RINKS - SATURDAY - 8:00 AM - 8 RINKS - FRIDAY - 5:00 PM - 8 RINKS **Start times may change depending on number of entries in each division ENTRY FEE $ 180.00 PER TEAM Entry fee must accompany registration form – No post dated cheques No refunds after February 15th 2006 Weekend schedule includes: Friday Night Reception, Food & Entertainment!!! Saturday Night Roast Beef Dinner!!! Minimum of Three Games of Great Curling!!! Souvenir Crest for Your Entire Team!!! Draws for Great Prizes!!! Good Times & Great Friends!!! Great Prizes & trophies for all Division & Flight Finalist!!!!!!!! Curlers - All team players must be Knights of Columbus members in good standing representing a Knight of Columbus Council. First Come – First Serve Basis!! Hospitality Night – Will be held Friday, March 3rd– 8:00pm till 1:00pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall located in Penetanguishene. Shuttle services will be available for transport to and from the Highland Inn all evening. Accommodations – Please make your own arrangements, 105 rooms are being held in reserve at the Highland Inn, Midland (705) 526-9307 until February 15th/ 06. Please stipulate that you are with the Knights of Columbus and the type of accommodation required. Other lodgings include: Comfort Inn 705-526-2090 & Park Villa 705-526-2219 REGISTRATION & INFORMATION: CONTACT RICHARD LEBLANC PHONE : 705-549-2185 EMAIL: ILEBLANC@ROGERS.COM Page 4 – December 2005 SUPREME CONVENTION 2005 STATE DEPUTY JOHN (JACK) CLANCEY AND FIRST LADY VALERIE WELCOME VISITORS TO ONTARIO’S HOSPITALITY ROOM IN CHICAGO SUPREME DELEGATES 2005 Art and Anita Beausoleil Council 1627 Penetanguishene Claude and Janet Belanger Council 2403 Timmins Greeting the visitors at the entrance to the suite were State Deputy John (Jack) Clancey, First Lady Valerie and Supreme Director Robert Cayea and Suzanne. Flags, snowflakes, snowmen, banners, Christmas trees, and scenic posters transformed a suite in the Supreme Convention Hotel in Chicago into an Ontario Winter Wonderland, drawing to it a stream of delegates, family members and guests to experience the diversity of Ontario’s pristine beauty. From the elevator to the door of the suite, an unbroken line of convention attendees, from the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the United States and Canada wended its way for hours through the receiving line to sample the wines, cheeses and hospitality of Ontario In attendance at the hospitality suite were the eight delegates form Ontario with their wives; State Secretary Nat Gallo and Lena; State Treasurer Yvon Robert and Noella; and Vice Supreme Master Michael Sheehan and Linda. The room buzzed with excitement and fraternity as the visitors signed up for door prizes of Ontario Maple Syrup, received souvenirs and bartered for pins from the Ontario Delegates. James (Jim) and Lynda Downey Council 8911 Lindsay Paul and Maureen Gervais Council 8919 Windsor Bernard and Shirley Hurley Council 9742 Ottawa Michel and Rose Joly Council 1007 North Bay FOR THE ELEVENTH TIME THE DUVAL AGENCY IS NO. 1 At the 2005 Supreme Convention held in Chicago, Gilles Duval was again honoured for his Agency surpassing all other agencies in the entire Order (140) in percentage of total sales for the year 2004. Since joining the Order’s insurance sales force, Gilles has been repeatedly honoured for being number one as a Field Agent or a General Agent. During this time along with the outstanding record of being the number Pictured above are Senior Vice President (Agencies and one agency 11 times he Marketing) Thomas P Smith Jr.; Carole Duval; Gilles . came in second four times Duval and Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. and prior to becoming a General Agent was named the number one Field Agent in the Order 6 times. What a winner! Records are set to be broken; however, it is highly improbable that any agency will be able to match the outstanding record of the Gilles Duval Agency and in all probability, Gilles will continue to be in the winners circle in the future. Congratulations to Gilles and his dedicated Field Agents and Staff for the honour that they are bringing to themselves and Northern Ontario. Nick and Catherine Terpstra Council 8168 Atwood Bernard and Mieke Van Es Council 9222 Port Colborne December 2005 – Page 5 SUPREME CONVENTION 2005 RECORD YEAR IN GROWTH POSITIONS ORDER FOR EXPANSION TO MORE COUNTRIES More than 500 years after Christopher Columbus brought the Gospel to a New World, his Knights are making plans to take the Columbian message of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism back to Europe. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson announced Tuesday Aug. 2nd that the Knights of Columbus would expand into Poland. Members of the hierarchy of Poland have expressed an interest in having the Order introduced into their country, which has approximately 37 million Catholics. Anderson’s announcement of this new initiative was met with a standing ovation by the Knights, and follows approval of the expansion plans by the Order’s Board of Directors. “Poland stands out in a Europe where the faith has been in decline,” Anderson said. “It was 100 years ago we reached across the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico to bring Columbianism to the Philippines and Mexico. Now we are being called to reach across the Atlantic.” What helps to make this new venture possible is the solid growth in all area of the Order’s operations experienced in 2004-05. In his annual report to the Supreme Council, Anderson reviewed several achievements: • A 19 percent growth in insurance in 2004, far higher than the industry average, to bring the Knights to $55 billion of insurance in force. • 11.7 billion in assets, to earn the Order a 72nd place ranking by A. M. Best among all life insurers. • 1.6 billion surplus. “We are financially strong with sound investment strategies second to none,” Anderson said. Business strength was coupled with fraternal strength. The Order finished the 2004-05 fraternal year with the most members ever: 1,703,307. The K of C has had 32 consecutive years of net gains in membership. Anderson told the delegates. “We have shown solid, steady growth,” he said “but we can achieve even greater growth. The Church continues to grow; so must the Knights.” The Order ended the year with a record high 12,767 councils and gains in both the Fourth Degree and Columbian Squires programs. The Knights responded enthusiastically to the public policy initiatives outlined by Anderson. His vow to lead the Order in a defence of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance was met with a standing ovation. Knights also cheered Anderson’s promise to lead efforts to uphold traditional marriage and the sanctity of human life. On Thursday, delegates will vote on resolutions covering these topics and others. “We are leaders in our communities,” Anderson said. “We deserve to be heard on these issues.” Whatever challenges may lie ahead for the Knights, Anderson said, the Order is poised to take them on. “We Knights have never sat on our hands: we have never retreated from challenges.” The Knights finds its strength in the graces offered to us by Christ in the Eucharist, Anderson said. “He is With Us. We have much to do this year. And because ‘He is With Us’ we can do it.” CONVENTION VIPS l to r: Bishop A. Vallee; Bishop M.F. Ustrzycki; Bishop P Marchand; Bishop N. De Angelis; . Bishop J.L. Plouffe State Secretary Nat Gallo & Lena State Deputy Jack Clancey & Valery leading the delegates in song Vice Supreme Master Michael Sheehan & Linda State Treasurer Yvon Robert & Noella ONTARIO YOUTH IS K OF C INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION Jen Stoquz of Stittsville was named international champion in the 2004-05 Knights of Columbus Basketball Free Throw Championship. Jen representing Council Holy Spirit 12249 Stittsville won the Girls thirteen year old championship by sinking 24 out of 25 free throw attempts at the State Level of competition. Jen was the top competitor in her age bracket in local, district and regional as well as State level competitions. A total of 24 international champions in L to R: Stephen Dulude DD79; GK Larry five age brackets were announced by the K Romornard Council 12249; Participant of C Headquarters in New Haven, ConJen Stoquz; Joe Cinti Freethrow Chair necticut. In a personal letter, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, congratulated each winner and thanked their entire family for their enthusiasm and participation in the K of C youth program. The champions received the highest scores recorded in 66 states and provinces participating throughout the United States and Canada. Grant Ertel, Jan & Linda Sheehan Paul & Maureen Gervais State Deputy Jack Clancey & Valery with Supreme Knight Carl Anderson ,Mrs. Dorian Anderson & Supreme Chaplain Bishop Lori. Page 6 – December 2005 MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE SUPREME CONVENTION By Paul Gervais, Delegate, Windsor On 11 ONTARIO SEMINARIANS TO RECEIVE SUPREME VOCATION SCHOLARSHIPS Eleven Ontario Seminarians were named recipients of the Bishop Thomas VF. Daily Vocation Scholarship for the 2005-2006 academic year. The amount of the scholarship is $2500.00 ($1250.00 per term). Under the program the scholarship is renewable up to four years of theology, based on evidence of continued enrolment, and maintaining a record of merit and academic excellence. The scholarship is held in abeyance during any year of pastoral internship. “God has a right too.” This is a quote from Bishop Thomas Dailey Supreme Chaplain Emeritus and it was the one thing that most impressed me about the Supreme Convention in Chicago. The reason it did is because it made me reflect upon how people say they have a right to make moral and social choices. But as Bishop Daily says, we make our choices and want them to be just the way we would like them. We even ask God to help us with our choices. We just don’t think about God having a right too. But before going into this, I first want to tell you about my experience and what my impressions were of the convention. I wont tell you about the business part of it as I feel that it was nothing more than a very “professional operation” of the Convention. The Convention began with the Celebration of the Eucharist. Watching the Priests, Bishops, Archbishops, and a Cardinal led by dozens of Fourth Degree Color Guards wend their way to the altar was an impressive sight. The scheduled talks by four Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops was very stimulating. Cardinal Szocka from Michigan provided a very emotional account of his last experience with Pope John Paul 11. He came to tears in his presentation and then lightened the moment when he told us how he automatically, in his priestly experience, blessed the Pope upon leaving his sick bed. He said that he then paused and thought what have I done? I a priest blessed the Pope —the Pope is supposed to bless us. I thought that I knew a great deal about the Knights of Columbus, but what I really didn’t see before was the deep religious depth of the Knights. The respect for clergy and the Religious is without limits. The power and recognition of the Knights in the world is immense. Even the President of the United States in his remarks both in Dallas and Chicago has shown how he comprehends and values the works of the Knights of Columbus. The Resolutions on Marriage and Life demonstrate the active and constant vigilance of the Knights. The basic principles that our founder Father McGivney dealt with are still alive and out of them have blossomed the issues of life that we deal with today. We learned that the issue of marriage in Canada was a battle that was lost but the war is still there to win. The Knights world wide have expressed their support for Canada in this matter. Canada or any other country is not alone when it comes to social issues that plague the Church. The Knights of Columbus are there to help. Bishop Plouffe at the Canadian Association meeting spoke how Catholics must be present when it comes to affecting political action. We must be on record for the sacredness of Life and Marriage. We must also devise ways of getting ‘census Catholics’ To act in social matters and we can not separate moral and spiritual matters from everyday life. To elaborate on my beginning, ‘God has a right too’, Bishop Daily made this remark when he talked about how people claim it is their right to make and decide upon moral and social choices. We try to make choices that seem right for us at the moment. We fail to look past ourselves and think of what we feel is best for ourselves. Bishop Daily said that too often we fail to grasp that God has a right too. He said: “God has a right to demand that we make responsible choices” To describe the Convention with words such as wow, hectic, overpowering, inspiring etc. only says that there are not enough superlatives available to do justice to the description of what happens to the Delegates who are fortunate enough to attend a Supreme Convention. The above article is in response to the Editor requesting from Paul an article on his experiences and feelings re the Convention SUBSTANCE ABUSE POSTER CONTEST WINNERS Brady Smith of Petawawa was named 1st place winner in the 2004-05 Knights of Columbus International Substance Abuse Poster Contest. Brady representing Council 119312 Petawaw won the 8-11 year old category, Brady was the top choice in his age bracket in local, district, and regional as well as State level competition A total of 12 international champions in two age brackets were announced by the K of C headquarters office in New Haven Connecticut. In a personal letter, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson congratulated each winner and thanked their entire family for their enthusiasm and participation in this special K of C youth program. The champions were picked out of 14,000 other entries in the 66 states and provinces participating throughout Canada and the United States A HAIL MARY A DAY Council 8919 Father Paul Watson, Windsor aware of the fact that people do not pray too often decided to make an attempt about getting people involved in daily prayer. We wanted to do this without involving too much time on the part of any individual. We looked at having people say the rosary and felt that this involved too much time out of one’s day. But to say a Hail Mary would only involve about 15seconds. We decided to present this to our Knights and also to the Parish Community at each of the three Masses on October 1st-2nd. A presentation was made from the pulpit on this matter and attractive prayer cards featuring a picture of our Blessed Mother on the front and the Hail Mary on the reverse. People appeared quite enthused about this; one of the stories that came back to us was about a parishioner handing out the prayer cards at work. During the month of May these cards and a presentation will be given to the grade 4 classes in the Parishes’ two Catholic schools. Submitted by Paul Gervais PGK FDD ONTARIO STATE COUNCIL THIRD DEGREES EXEMPLIFICATION SCHEDULES, FEBRUARY JUNE, 2006 DEGREE DATE Feb. 26 April 02 April 22 April 23 April 23 April 23 May 13 May 14 May 28 June 04 June 04 LOCATION (CITY) Toronto Chatham Lively Tecumseh Vanier London Oshawa Walkerton Maple Barrie Oakville DEGREE TEAM Durham London West Algoma London West Orleans (F) Canadian Martyrs Toronto (E) Canadian Martyrs Durham Toronto (E) Durham HOST COUNCIL 7922 10436 3909 4375 5571 13404 6052 2092 11535 1626 3881 HOST DISTRICT 96 16 13 76 54 49 36 55 96 86 67 DISTRICT DEPUTY James Smith Vince Pinsonneault Roger Rochon Josip Banovic Michel Leduc Bill Pilot Harold Marcotte Kevin J. Quinn James Smith Robert Griffin Donald A. Collins CONFERRING OFFICER Brian Monk Paul Peltier Kerry Pavoni Marc St. Pierre Claude Poirier Jerry Vink Brian Monk Jerry Vink George Andronek Jerry Vink Brian Monk December 2005 – Page 7 AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD WE CELEBRATE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE WORD, THE EUCHARIST AND THE GIFT OF ONE ANOTHER COMME PEUPLE DE DIEU, NOUS GLORIFIONS LA PRÉSENCE DE DIEU DANS LE MONDE, DANS L’EUCHARISTIE, ET LE DON DE CHACUN DE NOUS Comme peuple de Dieu, nous glorifions la présence du Christ dans la As the People of God we celebrate the presence of Christ in the Word, Parole, dans l’Eucharistie, et dans chacun de nous. L’histoire de notre the Eucharist and the gift of one another. The story of our salvation and salut et de notre rédemption est finement tissée dans l’histoire de nos redemption is intricately woven into the stories of our own lives and in propres vies, ainsi que dans nos rencontres personnelles et collectives our individual and collective encounters of Christ present among us. avec le Christ qui est parmi nous. Comme méditation de l’Avent, je As an Advent reflection, I offer this simple story (from an unknown vous propose cette histoire simple (de source inconnue) d’une rencontre source) of an encounter with Christ. May it lead to a reflection on how avec le Christ. Puisse-t-elle vous conduire à une réflexion sur la façon Christ reveals himself to you, and how we can grow in our appreciation dont le Christ se révèle à nous, et sur la façon de faire s’accroître notre of Emmanuel, the Word made Flesh present in all moments of our lives. appréciation de l’Émanuel, le Verbe fait Chair, toujours présent dans Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked nos vies. it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the enveQuand Ruth est allée chercher son courrier, il n’y avait qu’une lettre lope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and addans sa boîte aux lettres. Elle l’a examinée avant de l’ouvrir, et en dress. She read the letter: regardant l’enveloppe une deuxième fois, elle s’est aperçue qu’il n’y Dear Ruth, avait ni timbre ni cachet de la poste, seulement son nom. L’ayant ouvert, I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon elle en fit la lecture : and I’d like to stop by for a visit. Love Always, Chère Ruth, Jesus Je serai de passage dans votre quartier samedi après-midi, Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why et j’aimerais vous rendre visite. Bien à vous, would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have Jésus. anything to offer.” With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty D’une main tremblante elle déposa la lettre sur la table. “Mais kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to pourquoi le Seigneur voudrait-il venir me voir? Je ne suis personne en offer. I’ll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.” particulier. Je n’ai rien à offrir”. Et avec ça, Ruth s’est souvenue de son FATHER HAMISH CURRIE She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and garde-manger vide. “Doux Seigneur, je n’ai vraiment rien à lui offrir. Je vais aller chez le marchand pour lui acheter de quoi souper”. Ouvrant forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She sa bourse, elle constata qu’elle n’avait que cinq dollars et quarante cents. “Je peux au moins threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced acheter un pain et de la charcuterie”, pensa-t-elle. Enfilant son manteau à la hâte, elle sort de turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until la maison. Un pain français, 250 grammes de tranches de dinde, et un litre de lait … il lui Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under restait la grande somme de douze cents pour subsister jusqu’au lundi. Néanmoins, se sentant her arm. “Hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans; bien, ses maigres achats dans un sac sous le bras, elle se dirigeait vers sa maison. “Holà – she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of bonne femme, tu peux nous aider? Ruth était tellement absorbée dans ses pensées pour le them dressed in little more than rags. “Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and souper qu’elle n’avait pas remarqué les deux personnes blotties dans la venelle, un homme I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting et une femme vêtus de haillons. “Tu vois, bonne femme, je n’ai pas de travail… ma femme kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.” Ruth looked at et moi vivons ici, dehors dans cette venelle … il commence à faire froid, et nous avons faim them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could … si tu pouvais nous aider, nous te serions reconnaissants”. Ruth les a regardés; ils étaient get some kind of work if they really wanted to. “Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor sales, sentaient mauvais, et franchement, elle avait la certitude qu’ils pouvaient se trouver un woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important travail quelconque s’ils le souhaitaient. “Monsieur, j’aimerais bien vous aider, mais je suis guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.” “Yeah, well, okay lady, moi-même une femme pauvre. Je reçois un inviter de marque à souper ce soir, et tout ce que I understand. Thanks anyway.” The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned j’ai à lui servir, c’est un peu de charcuterie et du pain que voici”. “Oui, bien sûr, ça va, je and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her comprends. Merci quand même”! Et l’homme entoura l’épaule de sa femme de son bras, et heart. “Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. s’en retourna vers la venelle. Comme elle les regardait s’éloigner, elle eut un pincement au “Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She cœur. “Monsieur … attendez un moment”. Comme Ruth s’approchait d’eux dans la venelle, handed the man her grocery bag. “Thank you lady. Thank you very much!” “Yes, thank le couple s’est arrêté et s’est retourné. “Bon … prenez ces aliments. Je vais tâcher de me you!” It was the man’s wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. “You know, I’ve débrouiller autrement pour donner à manger à mon invité”. Et là-dessus, elle leur remit son got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket sac d’épicerie. “Ah, merci bonne femme! Merci beaucoup”! “Oui, je vous remercie and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the beaucoup”. C’était la femme qui lui disait merci, elle aussi, et Ruth a constaté à ce moment car ... without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you lady! Thank you very là qu’elle grelottait de froid. “Tu sais … j’ai un autre manteau chez moi. Tiens … prend celui-ci”. Ruth a alors enlevé son manteau et l’a mis sur les épaules de la pauvresse. Avec le much!” Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord sourire aux lèvres, elle s’en fut à sa voiture … sans manteau ni de quoi souper pour son was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her invité. “Merci bonne femme”. “Merci beaucoup”. Arrivée devant sa porte, Ruth était transie purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. “That’s et inquiète. Le Seigneur venait chez elle, et elle n’avait rien à lui offrir. Elle fouilla dans sa odd. The mailman doesn’t usually come twice in one day.” She took the envelope out of the bourse pour la clé de la porte. Ce faisant, elle vit une autre enveloppe dans sa boîte aux box and opened it. lettres. “C’est curieux” pensa-t-elle, “le facteur ne vient pas deux fois par jour”. Elle prit la Dear Ruth: lettre et la lue : It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank Chère Ruth, you, too, for the beautiful coat. C’était bon de te revoir. Merci pour le bon repas. Merci aussi pour le joli Love Always manteau. Bien à toi, Jesus Jésus. The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed. L’air était toujours glacial, mais même sans son manteau, Ruth ne sentait plus le froid. Father Currie, guest columnist of the State Bulletin, is Pastor of St. Jerome Parish Sault Le Père Curie est un chroniqueur invité du Bulletin d’État. Il est le curé de la paroisse St. Ste. Marie and President of the National Federation Presbyteral Council Jerome de Sault Ste. Marie, et le président de la fédération nationale du conseil presbytéral. Page 8 – December 2005 CHAIRMANS’ REPORTS It is also important to understand that this is a bursary awarded on the basis of contribution to council/ church/ community/ school; as well as a proven need and academic qualifications good enough to enter a post-secondary institution The right to life is the door to all other rights. The immediate and essential right to life, as recognized in Article 3 of the Declaration, ensues from the affirmation of the dignity of every human being: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”. From the very moment of his existence, that is to say, not only from the moment of birth but from the moment of conception, every human being has this right. Right from the time of conception, God gives man his personal characteristics. Dignity is inherent to every person and right from the time of conception he is forever a person whose dignity must be recognized in all circumstances of life. First and foremost, every human has the right to life, the basis and key to all other rights, as an inviolable right, guaranteed and protected at all times, not only by the laws of the State, but also by an authentic culture of life, because no offence against the right to life and against the dignity of the human being is without importance. To find all avenues to spread the pro-life message to as many people as possible, in a way that would allow maximum visibility to the general public and to demonstrate to Canadians, that the pro-life cause is active and alive and that we have an important message to share in order to end abortion, avoid euthanasia and assisted suicide. Please send us the following information as to: What, When, Where and How is being done in your area for the following: • pro-life signs along major highways • sticker of all sorts to promote respect for life • promotion of the rosary within your family and/or parish • any personal idea to end abortion, prevent euthanasia and assisted suicide Any of the above information should be sent to: Yvon Robert PO 121 St. Aubin Ave PO Box 290, Moonbeam .Email ropo@ntl.sympatico.ca NAT GALLO STATE SECRETARY DIOCESAN ASSOCIATION AND DELEGATES TO SUPREME CONVENTION I wish to remind all brother Knights of our responsibility to be active not only at our own council but also of the need to participate in the activities and meetings of our Diocesan Associations. As State Secretary I have just finished reviewing the guidelines and combined them with the guidelines for the elections of the Ontario delegates to the Supreme Convention. They will be given to the District Deputies at the D.D.’s meeting in December as well as being mailed out to each council. We hope that all members become acquainted with these guidelines and that they will be useful to answer questions you might have about this level of activity in the Order. It is at this time that members should be thinking about having the ultimate experience of attending a Supreme Convention (see the report from a delegate who attended last year in this issue of the bulletin); unfortunately not all members can attend, but we are fortunate enough to have eight delegates at large (in addition to the State Deputy and Past State Deputy) and they are to be elected according to the guidelines. Please keep yourself informed on all the workings of the order and look into the possibility of this other experience. ONTARIO STATE BURSARIES: Our grade 12 students are beginning to look at ways of obtaining financial assistance for their post secondary education. As you might know we have been offering a number of bursaries over the last five years and we are now at the maximum possible- ten bursaries of $500.00 (five hundred dollars) will be available again this year. The bursaries are open to members in good standing and to children of members in good standing. Applicants are expected to have a pastoral reference and a completed application which is available on our KofC Ontario web site. Please follow all the instructions; partially complete or incomplete applications will not be considered. YVON ROBERT PROTECTION BEFORE AND AFTER BIRTH YVON ROBERT Article 3 of the Declaration of 1948 states that “everyone has the right to life…” This principle has been developed in the Declaration of the Rights of Children, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20th 1959. It states that, because of a lack of physical and intellectual maturity, a child requires special protection and care, including protection in law, before and after birth. This declaration has been incorporated in the preamble of the Convention on the Rights of children, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20th, 1989. In a coherent fashion, this legislation guarantees the right to the fetus to be born. It ensures the development of their potential to the handicapped, and proper care to the sick and the old. Therefore, not only abortion but euthanasia and assisted suicide are in contradiction of the development of international law. This is an area where we cannot separate State and Church because the latter promotes the respect of natural law. TRÉSORIER D’ÉTAT CÉLÉBRONS LE CHRIST À NOËL!!! Pour redonner au Christ toute la place qui lui revient à l’occasion du temps des FÊTES, il serait grand temps de planifier une crèche de Noël à l’extérieur de chacune de nos maisons. Si les quelques 57 000 Frères Chevaliers de l’Ontario érigeaient une crèche de Noël devant leur résidence voire même dans des endroits publics ce serait pour nous tous, une façon concrète de rendre le Christ visible à Noël. Imaginez l’impact auprès des enfants habitués à ne voir dans un grand nombre de milieux que des scènes du Père Noël et ses rennes dans nos rues et dans les places publiques. Une image vaut mille mots, alors ces nombreuses crèches parleront d’ellesmêmes. L’attitude de nos enfants change et ce programme prend de l’ampleur d’année en année. Il n’est jamais trop tard pour commencer. STATE TREASURER THE KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN So that we may put Christ back in Christmas, now is the time for all of us to make plans to build a Nativity scene in front of your home. If the 57,000 Brother Knights of Ontario build a Nativity scene in front of their homes and in public areas, we would thus make Christ visible during the Christmas season. Just imagine the impact that this would have on the children who are used to seeing only scenes of Santa Claus and his reindeers on our streets and public squares. A picture is worth a thousand words; therefore, those Nativity scenes would undoubtedly deliver the message. Further more, why not send only religious Christmas cards at Yule time? Those are all concrete gestures to help keep Christ in Christmas. May God bless our families, and I thank you for your support. PRO-LIFE Our Rose program is an excellent way to offset the culture of death. May we ask our Brother Knights to wear the Rose for Life all year round, especially during the months of May and June? The revenue generated by the sale of those roses is used to support various pro-life groups that help pregnant women choose life over abortion for their babies. To strengthen your convictions about respect for life and to help you convince others on the matter, Christ’s Church needs the help of each one of us. Discuss this subject with your federal and provincial members of parliaments. December 2005 – Page 9 CHAIRMANS’ REPORTS De plus, pourquoi ne pas utiliser que des cartes religieuses pour faire part de ses souhaits durant le Temps des Fêtes? Voilà des gestes concrets pour redonner au Christ sa véritable place à Noël. Que Dieu bénisse nos familles. Merci encore de votre appui. Non seulement l’avortement mais l’euthanasie et le suicide assisté sont en contradiction avec les développements de la législation internationale. Il y a un domaine où l’on ne peut séparer l’État de l’Église puisque cette dernière ne fait que promouvoir le respect de la loi naturelle. show that 95 seminarians received over $52,000 from our Councils and Assemblies; we are sure that this number is higher, but can only go by the reports that are sent to us. Another way to show support for our clergy is to have a Clergy Appreciation Night in your Council, or as a District or Diocesan event. I have attended a few of these over the last four years, and our Priests and Deacons are very appreciative of our show of support for their work. Plan to have an activity in your area during this fraternal year! Letters have been sent to all Bishops in Ontario with regards to the Roses for Life program, and we are receiving replies (an update appears in the latest edition of Re:Action.) Please ensure that when your lapel roses are ordered they are done using the appropriate SO form, and also that a final report is sent in. Some Councils indicate that they do not receive a disc at the end of their campaign, but we require the necessary paperwork in order to complete the order. As I mentioned above, the fraternal year is almost half over, which means it is time to start thinking about resolutions for the upcoming Ontario State Convention. The deadline for submitting a resolution is February 1, 2006! Resolutions are to be submitted to the State Office to my attention, and can also be e-mailed to arthur.peters@dpcdsb.org (although the original must still be sent to the office.). I ask Councils to start now to prepare meaningful resolutions, research the information and be prepared to submit them to be considered at our May Convention. Resolutions must be presented in the following manner: • Each resolution submitted must show the name and Council number, and must bear the signature of the Grand Knight. • Each resolution must be forwarded in triplicate and typed. • Resolutions can also be submitted via email; however, the original must be sent to the State Office. • Resolutions should be well researched and meaningful. • Resolutions should deal with Order wide problems, reflecting what is a concern to the province as a whole. Problems of a local nature should be dealt with on a local basis. • Frivolous, unexplained or confusing resolutions will be returned to the proposing Council for proper detail. • The reason for the February 1st deadline is to allow for time for the resolution to be reviewed and then distributed to the Councils in advance of the Convention. We are also looking for members to form a Resolutions Committee, and further information on this can be found in the November edition of Re:Action which has been sent to all Grand Knights. Finally, a thank you to those Councils who have undertaken a review of their by-laws. These should be reviewed on a regular basis, say every 3-5 years; if this has not been done within that time frame I would encourage your Council to do so. Once you have made suggested changes, please forward them to me for review, and from here they will be forwarded to Supreme for review and adoption. I wish all Brother Knights and their families a very Happy and Holy Christmas and a Happy New Year. PRO-VIE Notre programme des roses est un excellent moyen de combattre la culture de la mort. J’encourage tous les frères chevaliers à porter sur eux la rose pour le respect de la vie tout au long de l’année et en particulier durant les mois de mai et de juin. L’argent généré par la vente des roses sert à soutenir les différents groupes pro-vie lesquelles aident les dames enceintes à choisir la vie de leur bébé plutôt que l’avortement. Pour renforcer vos convictions sur le respect de la vie et en convaincre d’autres, l’Église du Christ a besoin de chacun de nous. Parlez en avec votre Membre du Parlement fédéral et provincial. Dans ce domaine on ne peut pas séparer l’État et la religion, car cette dernière voit surtout au respect du droit naturel. Voici ce qu’en dit l’Église Catholique. Le droit à la vie est la clef des autres droits. L’affirmation de la dignité de chaque être humain a pour conséquence immédiate et essentielle le droit fondamental à la vie, reconnu par l’article 3 de la Déclaration: « Tout individu a droit à la vie, à la liberté et à la sûreté de sa personne ». Ce droit, l’être humain le possède dès l’instant où son existence commence, c’est-à-dire dès l’instant de la conception, et pas seulement de la naissance. Avant tout, avant tout chaque humain a droit à la vie, fondement et clé de tous les autres droits, comme droit inviolable, garanti et protégé en toutes circonstances, non seulement par les lois et les politiques de l’État, mais aussi par une authentique culture de la vie, « car aucune offense au droit à la vie, à la dignité de toute personne, n’est sans importance ». DERNIÈRE REQUÊTE Pour trouver le ou les moyens par excellence pour permettre d’atteindre le grand public par l’entremise d’un grand nombre de personnes et démontrer ainsi aux Canadiens que le mouvement pro-vie est toujours plus vivant que jamais. Nous voulons faire passer le message pour abolir l’avortement et prévenir l’euthanasie et le suicide assisté. SVP faites nous parvenir toutes informations sur le Quoi, le Quand, le Où et le Comment les choses se passent dans votre région pour les domaines suivants : • les pancartes pro-vie le long des routes importantes • les étiquettes auto collantes pour encourager le respect de la vie • favoriser le chapelet en famille et/ou à la paroisse • toutes autres idées personnelles pour abolir l’avortement et prévenir l’euthanasie et le suicide assisté Faites parvenir toutes les informations ci haut mentionnées à :Yvon Robert,121Av St. Aubin CP 209, MoonBeam Pol1VO. ropo@ntl.sympatico.ca STEVE CAZA STATE WARDEN Brother Knights it is the season to be jolly! I feel a kind of emptiness as we await another federal election. Maybe I am getting a little older and a little tired of all the hoops the government puts us through to stay in business. In my business we have to contend with the Workers Safety and Insurance Board, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Transportation, the Minister of Finance, the Receiver General, the Provincial Sales Tax, the Goods and Service Tax, the employees, the customers, some days the list just seems so long I wonder why anybody would want to be in business for themselves. On the other hand, they tells us that small business is the backbone of our democratic system, if I took care of my spine the way the government seems to take care of us, small businesses, I would be in awful shape. Don’t get me wrong, I pay my taxes, every cent that they have coming to them they get from me. I think we have a beautiful country. I know from having traveled as a young lad in third world countries that we are very fortunate to have everything that we do have in this country, but there is many a day that I wonder if there is a big difference between living in this country and living in a more socialist country where everything is under government control and where the government decides everything without consulting the people that elect them. They change the definition of marriage against the will of the majority as if we knew not what we talk about, they now have a bill in front of them with the hope they will exonerate one person from killing another if there is an apparent consent on behalf of the ill person. How is it possible that we have degenerated to this point? And I don’t think any one political party would be any worse than the one we presently have or any better for that matter. So where is the solution, well it’s a good thing I have a life of faith to keep giving me a sense of hope to my existence. I consider ... continued on next page PROTECTION AVANT ET APRÈS LA NAISSANCE L’article 3 de la Déclaration de 1948 affirme que « tout individu a droit à la vie... ». Ce principe a été développé dans la Déclaration des Droits de l’Enfant, adoptée par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies le 20 novembre 1959, selon laquelle « l’enfant, en raison de son manque de maturité physique et intellectuelle, a besoin d’une protection spéciale et de soins spéciaux, y compris de la protection légale tant avant qu’après la naissance ». Cette déclaration a été ensuite incorporée dans le « Préambule » de la Convention sur les Droits de l’Enfant approuvée par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies le 20 novembre 1989. Cette législation internationale garantit « le droit à venir au monde pour celui qui n’est pas encore né »; protège « les nouveau-nés et assure aux « personnes handicapées le développement de leurs possibilités, et l’attention voulue aux malades et aux personnes âgées ». ARTHUR PETERS STATE ADVOCATE Brother Knights: Time moves very fast; it seems like we were just at the Convention, and now we move toward the second half of this fraternal year!! The RSVP program remains a prominent part of our work. I encourage all Councils to support a Seminarian through their Diocese. If you choose to do so, make sure that an RSVP form is filled out; for each $500 contributed Supreme will refund $100 to the Council (to a maximum of $400 per Council.) For the 2004-2005 fraternal year, we Page 10 – December 2005 CHAIRMANS’ REPORTS myself very fortunate to be a member of such a good organization as ours that allows me to feel like I am contributing in a positive way to mankind. As Christmas approaches I feel a sense of hope and of love for my family. I just got off the phone with my 22 year old who is studying in Sudbury. His sense of adventure towards life is definitely an inspiration for me to keep on contributing, to keep trying to make this place a better place to live. We Christians, definitely have the potential of having a life filled with a spirit of caring and thanksgiving, for a sense of belonging. Why are we not on the rooftops yelling out the peace that we are so fortunate to have been gifted with? Have a merry, merry Christmas! run lottery, but we also donate money to many other worthwhile causes from the proceeds of the lottery, such as Ontario Special Olympics, Net Ministries, Ontario Catholic Bishops-Education, Catholic Missions of Canada, Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest, Martyrs Shrine, Birthright, Marguerite Bourgeois Fund, Serena Ontario, NFP Association, Basketball Free Throw, Squires Program and the Youth Leadership Camp; and over and above this your council will be sent back a portion of your sales to donate to your local charities. Therefore, please consider helping your council when they call on you to sell the Car Raffle tickets. first. That is why holding an informational open house is a great way to teach men and families about membership in the Knights of Columbus. Be sure to have your Council’s insurance representative on hand to explain the Order’s full line of insurance products available as well as the other fraternal benefits of membership. Councils should consider showing the video “Experience of a Life-Time”. This 11-minute production examines the Knights of Columbus through a series of interviews with Knights of various ages and backgrounds. These interviews discuss why the men first joined the Order, what benefits it has brought them, the ways it has strengthened their Faith and families, and what the Knights of Columbus principles mean to them. Just a little bit of effort by all of our councils can reap huge benefits in our membership program for our jurisdiction. My wife Millie and I wish all of you a Happy and Holy Holiday season. Ontario State. I am urging you to let your MP know that we are not in favour of legalizing Euthanasia at any time. Every member of your family can send in a letter; invite your friends and relatives to write to their MP as well. The problem with the “right to die” is that it turns into the “duty to die” when people are led to believe that they are a burden to family, or the Health Care system. As members of the Knights of Columbus, we have a responsibility to speak out and ensure that the well-being and lives of the vulnerable within our society is protected. Visit the Euthanasia Coalition’s Web site http://www.stopbillc-407.com/ where you can obtain much more resource material. On the web site there is an excellent article by Jean Echlin, RN, MscN, and Nurse Consultant—Palliative Care on the whole issue of Palliative Care for those who are suffering and facing end of life times. The Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops have appointed Bishop Fabbro, Alex Schadenberg, Fr. Leo Walsh, Moira McQueen, Joe Sinasac, Fr. Raymond de Souza as a Euthanasia Focus Group to share ideas with other members of the community and with all those dedicated to ensuring that euthanasia and assisted suicide are not sanctioned in any fashion by the law in Canada. In the Netherlands, where euthanasia has been practised since the 1980’s, a study revealed that one-third of the cases of euthanasia, the patient had NOT given consent! Nobody was prosecuted for these killings that violated the supposed “strict” guidelines to prevent murder. Right-to-die advocates often argue euthanasia is an issue of “choice.” But the Dutch experience clearly shows that when euthanasia and assisted suicide are accepted practice, a significant number of patients end up having no choice at all—forever. Any legislation that allows our most vulnerable to be killed dilutes that which most separates us from monsters. Around the Province; In Ottawa there was a meeting where close to 100 people gathered at St. Basil Parish, Ottawa on Sat., Nov. 5th for a morning of rich reflection and dialogue on end-of-life issues. The session was hosted by Marie West and the pastoral care team members from the parish. They had as speakers Dr. John Scott, a pioneer of palliative care in Canada, and Dr. François Poitras, and a moral theologian. Participants were challenged to engage end-of-life issues firmly grounded in the teachings of faith, and filled with compassion. It was pointed out that legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide would tragically diminish the sanctity of life in our country. St. Basil’s Knights of Columbus Council 13442 in Brantford are working with Alliance for Life Ontario by sending to each Council in Ontario a letter and a video featuring Bishop Anthony Tonnos, of the Hamilton Diocese describing the pro life television ad campaign “Reaching Minds Through Media”. Your Council will be receiving a copy of this letter along with the video. Please give it due consideration. FRÈRES CHEVALIER A l’approche d’une autre saison de Noël, je pense à mes enfants et j’essaie de voir le monde au travers de leurs yeux. Ils ont tout leur futur en devant d’eux. Quel va être notre cadeau pour eux? Est-ce que nous allons leur laisser une église forte ou une église confuse? La pendule réformatrice va t’elle ralentir ou sommes-nous seulement au début de sa force qui va façonner un changement dans notre façon de voir les choses? Ce sont toutes des questions que je me pose. L’arrivée de la célébration de la naissance de Jésus, suscite en moi un certain réconfort face à la totalité des bouleversements sociologiques auxquels nous faisons face; la réalité de ces changements, face à l’homosexualité, l’avortement, et l’euthanasie, sont assez pour faire perdre un peu l’équilibre. L’espoir de ce nouveau-né que nous cherchons par l’entremise de l’étoile de Bethléem nous apporte de la joie dans nos cœurs et de l’amour pour nos voisins, soyons reconnaissants pour la paix que nous sommes choyés de partager. Joyeux Noël! DAN HEFFERNAN PRO-LIFE CHAIR BOB LAFLECHE STATE MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN My Brother Knights, congratulations on a job well done. For the second year in a row we have met and surpassed our membership quota for the State of Ontario. In fact the percentage we attained was exactly the same as the previous year, 107%. However, this is a new term and with our excellent recruitment efforts that we have shown we are capable of, we must continue to increase our membership totals for Ontario. The Supreme Council is urging every council to take part in the Order-Wide Recruitment “BLITZ”. This concentrated effort targets local parishes during a specific weekend to collect names of prospects interested in the Knights of Columbus. The “BLITZ” is a great opportunity for a council to add to its list of prospective members in a very short amount of time. Since the “BLITZ” is a public relations event, speak to the Knights who will be involved. Make sure they will be the best representatives of the council. Make sure they are well dressed – coat and tie – and make sure they focus on meeting prospects rather than merely giving them literature. The value of the personal encounter cannot be overstated. Salesmen will never be totally replaced. During the “BLITZ” the Knights are selling the Order to prospects, and this is best done one-on-one. For many people, this will be the only encounter they will ever have with the Knights, so make sure your council puts its best foot forward. We can only make a first impression once! A great way to have prospective members open up to the idea of membership in your council is by having your council open up SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS POSTER CONTEST I would hope that everything is well on the way for the poster contest, if any council is having trouble getting the kits sent to them please let know and I will call the person in charge of coordinating the Poster Contest at Supreme and he will take care of you. I have a good working relationship with him; he even recognizes my voice when I call him. He is trying his best to accommodate everybody, and generally speaking he is doing a good job. So good luck to everybody in judging the posters and I am counting on you to make this excellent program grow by a few more participants than we had last year. If you have any questions please contact me at 613-989-2367 or by e-mail steve@clearcutwindows.com. CAR RAFFLE TICKETS Recently I had the opportunity to call several brother knights regarding the Car Raffle and I feel like I should attempt to clarify one misconception that I encountered during these phone calls. Yes, the Arthritis Society is the recipient that receives the biggest donation from the proceeds of the State As Catholics and Knights, we have an awesome responsibility to stand up for justice, and we need to remember what Jesus said to his disciples in [Mat 12:30] whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. It is therefore our responsibility to stand up for and protect our elderly, our sick, our poor; these people are our most vulnerable within our society. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 25:40 that “just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” The issue of legalizing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill C-407 is currently before the House of Commons. This particular Bill may not pass, (because it is poorly worded) but Do Not Be Fooled, the issue will not go away. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has been quoted as saying it is time that we revisit the issue of whether helping people end their lives should remain against the law. It is important for us to speak out on the issue of legalizing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide since our silence can be deemed to be acquiescence even if this Bill does not pass. Our Bishops have spoken out on the issue and produced a brochure titled “Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Urgent Questions!”. This is a very helpful resource book for you to be able to answer many questions people will ask you about the issues. Your Grand Knight, and District Deputy have each has been sent a copy. You have heard the saying, ‘the Genie is out of the Bottle’ or ‘the Horse is out of the Barn’. It refers to the fact that it is much harder to get the Genie back into the Bottle or the Horse back into the Barn than it would have been to keep them there in the first place. Let us keep the lid on this bottle so the Euthanasia Genie does not get out! Sample letters to your Member of Parliament have been sent to each Council by December 2005 – Page 11 ACROSS THE PROVINCE ANNUAL LIFE CHAIN— BELLEVILLE COUNCIL 11522 SUDBURY SPONSOR A TRIP FOR SENIORS To celebrate the feast of St Theresa, on October 1st, the Knights of Columbus Council 11522, Sudbury sponsored a trip for 100 seniors to attend the historic shrine in Niagara Falls. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting with Father Bo Colaresi, O.Carm. the Director of the International Society of the Little Flower Society. Relics of St. Theresa were venerated in the Main Chapel after Mass. Organized by Council member Tony Sottile. It was the largest group that travelled for this annual event. More than 100 of the faithful from the Belleville area formed a “Life Chain” to protest abortion and support the culture of life from conception to death. Shown above are people from all walks of life lined up, with several placards, along Dundas St. West making a silent prayerful protest against abortion. Knights from Archbishop J.L. Wilhelm Council 1008, members from local churches, and the community were in attendance. Submitted by Jack F. Rizzo, Director, Public Relations Council 1008 A BROTHER KNIGHT WALKS TO PROMOTE CATHOLIC BELIEFS Brother Knight, Victor Carvalho, of St. Mary’s Council Barrie is walking from Niagara Falls to Ottawa, a distance of approximately 500 kilometres. The purpose of his walk is threefold, and is mainly to enhance the Catholic beliefs on sanctity of God, sanctity of Life from conception to death, and the sanctity of Marriage as being the union between one man and one woman. Brother Carvalho is 59 years old; has a wife who follows the walk in a support vehicle, and five children who remained at home. During his walk, Carvalho is encouraging Catholics and others to stand up for the Catholic beliefs by enhancement of political awareness for the Catholic Culture of life. He began his walk in Niagara Falls on July 11; his 29 th wedding anniversary and plans to complete the walk at the end of September. Carvalho’s objective is to promote the importance of the above three principles, and to encourage his followers to register their agreement on his website at www.moralparty.com Overnight lodging and hospitality has been provided by brother Knights in each of the cities he has walked through on this challenging journey. Shown above is Grand Knight Roy Goodridge of the Archbishop J.L. Wihelm Council, Belleville, Victor Carvalho and his wife Marilyn as they paused for a rest during their walk through Belleville. There were many Knights and ladies of various organizations who walked along with Victor through the city of Belleville. The Knights of Columbus, Archbishop Wihelm Council support Brother Victor in his challenging journey and encourage Knights to register their agreement with him on his website. May God be with you Brother Victor. Submitted by Jack Rizzo, Public Relations Director DISTRICT 14, THUNDERBAY/RED ROCK, FUND RESTORATION PROJECT (Picture l to r: D. Cattani DD#14; Bishop F. Colli; Fr Michael Murray S.J.; Fr. Lino Santi; Sr. B MacLellan; Sr. Jane Veronica O’Reilly The Knights of Columbus of District 14, Thunder Bay/ Red Rock financed the $20,000.00 restoration work on the Sisters of St. Joseph and Jesuits priests’ plots at St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Cemetery. The work involved replacing thirty ground level burial markers with above ground granite gravestones to visually mark the burial places for the Sisters of St. Joseph in Thunder Bay. It also entailed refurbishing the priests’ gravestones, i.e. highlighting the inscription and repairing minor damage. The reason for pursuing the project was in recognition of the education and health services provided by the Sisters of St. Joseph at the Lakehead and the pastoral work of the Jesuit priests in North Western Ontario and in particular at St. Andrews Parish. The two year project was completed in the fall of 2004 with the rededication ceremonies taking place on June 21, 2005 with Bishop F. Colli presiding. Also present were Father Michael Murray and other Jesuit priests, Father Leo Santi, Sister Bonnie MacLellan, General Superior, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sault Ste. Marie and Sister Jane Veronica O’Reilly, Executive Director for the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada. Following the ceremony the guests were invited to the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for a reception hosted by Sister Shirley Gexton. Submitted by Arnold Bortolussi, Project Coordinator Leo Council 1130 DISTRICT 16-CHATHAM AND AREA COUNCIL DONATE TO CHILDREN’S SAFETY VILLAGE The Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village received a $5500.00 donation from the Knights of Columbus District 16 Councils, which includes Blessed Sacrament Council 1412, St. Agnes Council 8739, St. Ursula Council 9551, Immaculee Conception Council 9693, St. Joseph Council 10436, St. Patrick Council 11891 and Fr. James Assembly 0867. Safety Village director Janet Cunningham, left, received the donation from Vincent Pinsonneault, District Deputy 16 and Tom Vella Zarb, past District Deputy. Page 12 – December 2005 ACROSS THE PROVINCE LIVELY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS – ADOPT ST. STANISLAUS CEMETERY FOR A COMMUNITY PROJECT Two years ago the Lively K of C Council 3909 formed a Cemetery Committee and set up a Charitable Foundation so they could beautify and enhance St. Stanislaus Cemetery. A meeting was arranged with the City Cemetery Department under Al Sizer, Terry Kett, and the head of the Department. Oli Cajanek the Grand Knight at the time appointed Gerry Renaud to chair the committee and a plan was presented to the city. Work had actually started just before the City took over all the regional Cemeteries. The concept of an organization picking a cemetery for a community project was put forward by Jim Bolger a Brother Knight and Reggie White, both of whom were members of the Walden Cemetery Board before the amalgamation with the city. The partnership with Al Sizer’s Department has resulted in terrific co-operation between the Knights and the City in ongoing projects, with regular meetings between Gerry Renaud and Al Sizer to go over plans and objectives for each year and a long term plan. The City provides assistance with materials and the Knights provide a lot of man-hours. Approximately 500 man hours a year. Each Wednesday during the growing season a group of 10 to 15 Knights spend up to 3 hours doing all the work. So far the Knights have made 5 large gardens, planted 52 trees, erected a gazebo surrounded by shrubs and pink quartz, planted shrubs around the “Niche Wall”, and lined the entrance with shrubs and pink quartz. The latest project pictured here is a 4 ft. by 8 ft. sign at the regional road 55 entrance. The City has landscaped the center cemetery section where burials now take place. The city has built a “Niche Wall” for burial of ashes, and put in an attractive circular garden of their own. The city has provided 5 water outlets and 400 feet of hoses so the Knights can maintain the trees and gardens. The residents of Lively and Copper Cliff are very pleased with the beautification of the cemetery so much so that donations are pouring in for flowers and trees through the K of C Lively 3909 Foundation. Local Businesses are also supporting the project with discounts on flowers and donations of bulbs at the end of the season. The Knights also wish to recognize and thank 2 local horticulturists, Sirppa and Dave who have volunteered their time to identify and select flower arrangements. Horticulturists at Botanix and Walden Growers have also contributed. Thanks also to Al Sizer for his advice on trees. Gerry Lougheed Sr. has also provided moral support and encouragement for our project. Donations to K of C Lively 3909 Foundation may be made at the following Funeral Homes: Lougheeds, Jackson and Bernard, and Co-Operative Funeral Homes. This year the Knights were awarded their second Enhancement Award by the Sudbury District Chamber of Commerce. Submitted by Oli Cajanek PGK PEMBROKE COUNCIL RAISES MONEY FOR HOSPITAL The third annual Friends of the Pembroke Regional HospitalFoundation Golf Tournament, now sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, Pembroke Council 1531, raised $30,000.00 to enhance the Hospital. Pictured are (left to right) Clem Raby, committee member, John Huff, D.G.K and committee chairman, Pat O’Grady, committee member, Carol Nevills, Director of the Pembroke Regional Hospital Foundation and Tom Laroche, Grand Knight of Council 1531. Submitted by Tom Laroche, Grand Knight, Council 1531. PIONEER COUNCIL OTTAWA TO CONTRIBUTE $105,000.00 DURING 2005 FRATERNAL YEAR On January 29, 2005 Ottawa Council #485 celebrated its 105th anniversary with a wellattended dinner. To mark this milestone the Council plans to contribute $105,000 to local charities during this fraternal year. In the above photos, Grand Knight Allan Kelly can be seen presenting a cheque for $5,000 to Fern Brisbois of the Arthritis Society and a cheque of $1500 to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond for Birthright, A cheque for $15,000 will be presented at a telethon in February to the Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa Pioneer Council is proud of its past and is looking forward to its future with Knights of Columbus Circles at St. Basils, St. Elizabeth and St. Margaret Mary’s Parishes as well as providing assistance to Parishes in Ottawa that do not have a Council. Submitted by Lorne Whitty NEW LISKEARD COUNCIL ERECT A PRO-LIFE BILLBOARD Father Francis Murray Council #10809, New Liskeard, Ontario, designed, painted and erected a double-sided pro-life billboard on the grounds of English Catholic Central School, on the road to the District Hospital. The students of the school participated by forming a border around the signs with their hand print. Pictured above are: Committee Members, Bros. Ron Caruso, John McLennan, John Fournier, Chair, Brother Norm Quenneville Submitted by Jim Garahan, Grand Knight Council 10809 December 2005 – Page 13 ACROSS THE PROVINCE ROY DEMERS HONOURED BY TECUMSEH COUNCIL SOPHIE BRUYERE IS A PROVINCIAL WINNER Pictured presenting the trophy to Sophie during Council’s 9929 Awards Night are l to r Grand Knight John Provost and Michel Boudreau, Basketball Regional Chairman Sophie Bruyere, daughter of Brother Rene and Carole Bruyere of St-Felix-de-Valois Council 9929 Cornwall won the provincial free-throw basketball competition for nine year olds. Sophie sank 18 out of 25 attempts. Submitted by Michel Boudreau Pictured above are from l to r Grand Knight elect Mike Marcoux, Brother Knights Randy and Bob Demers sons of the honouree, Chaplain Father Joseph Bagotta, GK Ron H. Couvillon and Mario Fontanin Roy Demers was honoured by his council in Tecumseh at the annual election meeting. He was presented with a commemorative poster from the Italian Campaign, in which he participated as a member of the Canadian Army Engineers, and was also given a letter of appreciation from the local Member of Parliament on behalf of the people of Canada. Father Bagatto spoke about his being a witness to the Canadians arriving in his village in Italy at the end of the war. Brother Mario Fontanin who also grew up during WW11 in Italy spoke about his experience at the time of the liberation. Submitted by M. Marcoux ST FRANCIS DE SALES CHURCH CORNWALL ONTARIO Council 11531 members pose in front of the Hut which was in need of a face lift. Pictured are from left to right are Paul Latour, Lionel Tyo, Eugene Legault, John Wagoner and Clarence Dubreuil.(Missing in Photo are Joe Meehan, Darwin MacDonald Steve Conroy and Mark Ladouceur. The Hut was built for the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides over forty years ago. Presently at night the Hut is used on a daily basis by the Scouts and Girl Guides. During the day it is used by various groups as a meeting place. On Saturday it serves as the school for our Greek Community. Submitted by Joseph Meehan, Recording Secretary ROMES’S INDEPENDENT GROCERY STORE ASSISTS SOO COUNCIL IN OBTAINING FUNDS FOR CHARITY Mr. Claude Lacroix, Regional Chairman, Sault Ste. Marie is shown above receiving a cheque in the amount of $11,300.00 from, Mrs. Kelly Rome, co-owner of Rome’s Independent Grocery Store. The sum represents the total sales of the break-open tickets sold by Rome’s on behalf of Council 7999. This is the second time Mrs. Rome has made such a presentation. All profits are for local charities and youth groups. Page 14 – December 2005 FOURTH DEGREE BROCKVILLE ASSEMBLY DONATES TO KATRINA RELIEF FUND TRENTON ASSEMBY RECOGNIZES 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF V .E. DAY l to r: SK Tony Boileau,SK Dennis Henderson, SK Len Libitz, and SK John McAuley On September 11th, Knights of Columbus Assembly 1893, Brockville Ontario, held a “record-a-thon”, (playing of vinyl records) at the Prescott Amphitheatre. A total of $422.00 was raised and turned over to the Canadian Red Cross for the Katrina relief fund. A special musical tribute for 9/11 to the U.S.A. was performed by playing American patriotic music. Submitted by John McAuley, Commander Assembly 1893 Pictured above (left to right) FN Wade Nelson, District Master Dick Cordick, the Assembly’s last WW11 veteran SK Joe Sopaz and the event organizer PFN Elmer “Buck” McCarry Rev. Dan MacDonald Assembly 2323 organized a Mass celebrated by Faithful Friar Father Brian McNally, with a dinner following, in recognition of the service of past and present members of the military. Submitted by Neil Robertson PFN 2323 December 2005 – Page 15 FOURTH DEGREE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MARCH IN SUDBURY Ray Lefebvre and Claude Pelletier lead a procession of Knights down Elgin Street, in honour of their founder Father Michael McGivney No, it had nothing to do with the recent death of Pope John Paul 11. The Knights of Columbus march through the downtown core Saturday morning did, however, mark the accomplishments of another important Roman Catholic: Father Michael McGivney. It was McGivney whose interest in setting up a fraternal organization for Roman Catholics led to the chartering of the Knights of Columbus in 1882. The original purpose was to ensure the well being of widows and children of deceased men through an insurance system. “He (McGivney) saw the need for it, to have some kind of insurance thing,” said Wayne Lavallie, who is a District Deputy in Knights of Columbus District 13 (Sudbury area) and participated in the march. “The young men would get pneumonia or other diseases in those days and die young. In just a few years there were 47 councils.” The organization’s founding is being marked in the city of Greater Sudbury through a proclamation declaring the week of April 9-15 as Knights of Columbus Week. Lavallie said that the march involved close to 90 Knights. “It was a collection of people,” he said. “There were some from Espanola, the French councils in Hanmer and Chelmsford. They were from English and French councils.” The March started at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Brian McKee Lane and ended at Christ the King Church where a Mass was held at 11:30 a.m. If you have never seen a Knight of Columbus, they dress in black suits and wear feathered-plumed hats. Knights wear different-coloured capes depending on their rank. In the Sudbury area, there are 20 Knights of Columbus councils totaling some 2,700 Knights. French speaking councils are known as Chevaliers de Colombe. By Harold Carmichael, Sudbury Star. FOURTH DEGREE CHARTER NIGHT CELEBRATED IN SCARBOROUGH “ On Saturday, October 22, 2005, at a Charter Evening, convened by SK Fred DonPaul, Faithful Navigator, St Padre Pio Assembly, # 2838, Scarborough, the charter for this recently formed Assembly was officially presented to SK Fred DonPaul by Immediate Former Master Paul I Gouin during the festivities of the evening. This function was well attended, dancing followed the presentation, and the evening was enjoyed by all.” Submitted by SK Fred DonPaul, FN, St Padre Pio Assembly, # 2838, Scarborough SHEEHAN’S TENURE AS VICE SUPREME MASTER IS COMPLETED On September 1st, Michael J. Sheehan completed his second two-year term as Vice Supreme Master of Cardinal McGuigan Province (Manitoba and Ontario); the maximum amount of time allotted by Supreme for such a position. Replacing Sheehan is PSD Marcel Wozny of Manitoba. The completion of this position by Sheehan, represents 16 years of service to the Order in a variety of executive positions at the Provincial level. A member of Superior Council 932 and Assembly 883 in Sault Ste. Marie he is a retired Superintendent of Education of the former Sault Ste. Marie Board of Education and a former Chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Separate School Board. Sheehan, over the years has served with distinction in a variety of positions on Fraternal, Community, Church, and Educational committees at the local, regional, provincial and national level. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of COLF (Catholic Organization of Life and Family); NET (Net Ministries of Canada). Ontario Secondary School Principal’s Association; Catholic Information Centre; Diocesan Vocational Committee; hosted a TV Program for CathCom and is the current Editor of the State Bulletin Among his many achievements and years of service Sheehan counts as among his greater satisfactions the guidance and spiritual direction given to him by State Chaplains and members of the Clergy over the years; his initiating the Knights of Columbus Catholic Youth Leadership Camp and Adoration Chapels and the love and support of his family. Submitted by Leo Kane PGK, FDD, FFN TORONTO EXEMPLIFICATION CLASS 2005 INCLUDES SEVEN PRIESTS Pictured above are: Master Vern Nelligan. His Excellency, Most Reverend Matthew Ustrzycki, Lady Pauline Nelligan and Captain, Rev. Fr. Timothy P Nelligan. The 2005 Exemplification of the Fourth Degree held in Toronto on June 17, 18 and 19th was a very successful weekend as the Second Ontario District welcomed 137 new members to the Patriotic Degree of our Order. Seven of the new Sir Knights were Reverend Fathers. The Most Reverend Matthew Ustrzycki DD. Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton was the Honoree and Celebrant for the Sunday Mass held in the DoubleTree International Plaza Hotel. In his thought provoking speech, Bishop Ustrzycki spoke of the Holy Eucharist, the Theme of the Knights of Columbus for the year 2004 – 2005. Vice-Supreme Master, Michael Sheehan was recognized for his four years of service to the Fourth Degree in the Cardinal McGuigan Province and the 2nd Ontario District. Master Vern Nelligan presented a plaque to the VSM on behalf of the thirty-six assemblies in the district. Page 16 – December 2005