The Knight's Shield - February 2019

Published on: Thursday, January 24, 2019

Well winter has arrived with a vengeance as I write this report for our February newsletter. On this first week of ordinary time, we are reminded of the first miracle performed by Jesus.

As we begin to look forward to the season of Lent and Spring, our council continues to amaze me on how many active members and families we have! Please read on……

Thank you to Jerry, Ted and Lino for distributing our Christmas Ham & Kielbasa orders, and to everyone who helped from the sales in early December, purchasing the Ham and Kielbasa and unloading of the truck on the Thursday before Christmas. Fundraisers like this would not be possible without all your support!

Thank you to Al Soulliere, Frank Burda, Hank Leflere, Bill Pirrami, Ray Coughlin, Larry Orzechowski, Rich and Matt Miller, Teresa, Eli and Steve Szypa for helping Ken Krause with taking down the outdoor decorations at church on January 6. One hour and ten minutes! A new record!

Also on January 6th after the 9:30am Mass, our Council sponsored Coffee and Doughnuts. Thank you to Frank and Janice Burda, Rick and Pat Okerhjelm and my better half Karla for helping with this event. Early January was a difficult time for our council. The Lord called home Brother Knights Joe Roehrig and Joe Marheineke. Our council and St. John Neumann Assembly held a rosary service for Joe Marheineke. Per Joe Roehrig’s request, his family will have a Memorial service this Spring, where the council can have a Rosary. Both Brothers were veterans and active council Members, and will be missed. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

At our January meeting, Ray Ignatowski wanted me to share a note he received from a retired, out of town, Senior, Brother Knight Dr. Owen Dueweke. He is an Honorary Life Member with 63 years of membership in our order. “Ray – The years have ‘Gone By’ since we left St. Paul over 20 years ago. I look forward to monthly council updates. Many of our friends were in the council. Way back in 1957 the Lakeshore Council paid my life insurance while I was a medic in the Army.” So I encourage anyone who chairs an event to please take the time to send a brief article to our editor for the newsletter. It does matter!

Membership Director Phil Mularski has had the first membership committee meeting in early January. A council membership drive is under way. The Knights will be talking at the end of each Mass on the weekends of January 20 and 27 with an open house scheduled after each Mass on the weekend of February 3. If a new candidate turns in his application form for our council, they will receive a free pancake breakfast! We need everyone to help with encouraging our brother Catholic men to consider joining our order. There will be a K of C table set up in the gathering space each weekend. Please pick up some information and ask your fellow parishioner to consider taking this opportunity to share his God given Time and Talent. A major degree is scheduled for Saturday February 16 at St. Isidore. Joining Phil on the membership committee is Leon Berdy, Nick Oliveri, Rick Okerhjelm, Art Krygowski and Mike Hartel. Thank you!

We will be judging the Keep Christ in Christmas posters at our January meeting. Awards will be presented at our March pot luck meeting.

At press time, we have a few spots available for our euchre party coming up after 4pm Mass on January 26. Proceeds will be for Abigayle Ministries.

If anyone needs to take ‘Protecting Gods Children Class’ there is one coming up on January 30 at St. Lawrence. Everyone needs to have taken the class and agree to a background check to help out with our Fish Fry, Easter Egg Hunt, etc. which are fast approaching.

Our next council Pancake breakfast is coming up Sunday February 10. Please consider helping. If you cannot help, please consider taking out the family to breakfast after Mass! Proceeds go to St. Louis Center – Which is a caring, residential, family living and learning environment providing for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. If you plan to help in the dining room, please plan to arrive by 8am. Black pants with a white shirt. Gentlemen should wear a tie.

Don’t forget to sell the state raffle tickets received in the mail this fall. Be sure you place our council num-ber on the stub and our council will receive $1 for every ticket sold! This is the major fundraiser for the state.

We have restarted presentation of the Holy Family Statue at Mass in support of Vocations. If you have not yet signed up, please consider signing up. The binder is located in the church gathering space. Thank you!

Reminder, that our March General Meeting is an Open house Pot Luck. The entire family is welcome. Please plan to attend and bring a dish to pass!

Thank you to all of you who have been at the meetings regularly. Please consider calling someone you haven’t seen for a while and ask how they’re doing. See if they’re in need of a ride or friendly reminder when the next meeting takes place.

Vivat Jesus,
Mike Hartel

The Knight's Shield - January 2019

Published on: Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

At press time for this newsletter, we were still preparing for Christmas. The Ham and Kielbasa pick-up was fast approaching and Christmas was still about a week away. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

As the Christmas holiday begins to transition into a new year, I see the beginning of Lenten events starting to appear on the calendar.

If anyone needs to take ‘Protecting Gods Children Class’ there is one coming up on January 5th at St. John Vianney. Everyone needs to have taken the class and agree to a background check to help out with our Fish Fry, Easter Egg Hunt, etc.

I would like to announce that Father Jerry is officially our Council Chaplain! Thank you!

Please welcome two new Brother Knights to our council. Brother Kevin Kennedy transferred and Brother William Rochefort reapplied to our council. Welcome Kevin and William!

Our worthy Youth Director Art Krygowski and I handed out coats for kids at Erie Elementary School at the end of November. Additional coats were handed out at the pantry shopping event held at Meijer. Art had the posters distributed for the Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest for the students. The posters are due in January. Awards will be presented at our March pot luck meeting.

Thank you to Al Soulliere, Steve Kargenian, Frank Burda, Hank Leflere, Leon Berdy, Bill Pirrami and Jeff Gapczynski for helping Ken Krause with the outdoor decorations at church on 12/1.

I would like to thank our St. Paul of Tarsus pantry for the $500 gift card our council used to purchase groceries for Gianna House. Many thanks to Bruce Arnold and Hank Leflere who helped me shop for the 5 carts of groceries and deliver them to Gianna House for starting their pantry. The building renovations, to the former convent for St. Veronica Catholic Church in Eastpointe, are almost complete. The funds collected with the baby bottle drive we held in June helped with the renovation work. They have done a wonderful job! Gianna House accommodates up to seven teen residents, 17 years of age and under and their infants, and also serves as a pregnancy center for all pregnant women, providing them with an alternative to abortion. The first families are scheduled to arrive in January. Please include Gianna House in your prayers as they begin their important work in our community!

At press time, Jeff Gapczynski is still taking reservations for the upcoming annual casino trip.

Please consider helping our Membership Director, Phil Mularski, with the membership committee we are forming. We need everyone to help with encouraging our brother Catholic men to consider joining our order.

We have a euchre party coming up after 4pm Mass on January 26. You can sign up at the January meeting. An article will be in the church bulletin for the two weekends prior to the event.

We have restarted presentation of the Holy Family Statue at Mass in support of Vocations. The purpose of the program is to help promote Vocations with a show of public support and to help remind us to keep vocations in our daily prayers. There is a sign-up binder located in the gathering space for parishioners to sign up to receive the statue. Please consider signing up for receiving the Holy Family Statue to help get the program off to a good start.

Thank you to all of you who have been at the meetings regularly. Please consider calling someone you haven’t seen for a while and ask how they’re doing. See if they’re in need of a ride or friendly remind-er when the next meeting takes place.

Vivat Jesus,
Mike Hartel

The Knight's Shield - December 2018

Published on: Thursday, November 29, 2018

Right after our November newsletter was released, the council held our 6th Annual Trunk or Treat. Due to the weather, the event was brought inside. We estimated over 130 kids attended. We were able to squeeze in some hay rides when the weather did let up. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped out Art and Janice Krygowski & Ray and Lorri Coughlin with this event!

Thank you for your generous donations for Holy Cross Services. The donations are greatly appreciated!

Our council participated in the District Free Throw Contest in early November. Thank you to our Youth Director Art Krygowski and those who participated and helped with this event.

We hosted our District Corporate Communion just before Thanksgiving. There was a good turnout from our council and our district. From our district, we had our District Deputy, Former District Deputy and four of our Districts’ five Grand Knights in attendance. Our council also sponsored coffee and donuts after the Mass organized by Rick Okerhjelm! Thank you all for participating!

The Lord has called one of our Brothers home. Brother Larry Novak passed on Monday, November 19th. Larry just transferred to our council earlier this year. Please keep Larry and his family in your prayers.

The Lord has called one of our Brothers home. Brother Larry Novak passed on Monday, November 19th. Larry just transferred to our council earlier this year. Please keep Larry and his family in your prayers.

During the week of Thanksgiving we had many volunteers helping at St. John’s for MCREST. Thank you everyone for helping our chairman Ray Coughlin with this very worthy cause for those in our community who are in need at this time!

Jeff Gapczynski is still taking reservations for the upcoming annual casino trip. Please see the newsletter article and flyer for additional information.

Please consider helping our Membership Director Phil Mularski with the membership committee we are forming. We need everyone to help with encouraging our brother Catholic men to consider joining our order.

Art and I will be handing out coats for kids soon at Erie Elementary School.

With the support of Father Jerry, Deacon Marc and the Worship Committee, we have restarted presentation of the Holy Family Statue at Mass in support of Vocations. The purpose of the program is to help promote Vocations with a show of public support and to help remind us to keep vocations in our daily prayers. There is a sign up binder located in the gathering space for parishioners to sign up to receive the statue. Please consider signing up for receiving the Holy Family Statue to help get the program off to a good start.

As the holiday season is upon us, let us remember to Keep Christ in Christmas! If you need a new Keep Christ in Christmas lawn sign or button, we will have some available during our Ham and Kielbasa order dates after Mass. Also, look for our district sponsored “Keep Christ in Christmas” sign on the electronic billboard along M53 at 29 Mile from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

Thank you to all of you who have been at the meetings regularly. Please consider calling someone you haven’t seen for a while and ask how they’re doing. See if they’re in need of a ride or friendly reminder when the next meeting takes place.

Vivat Jesus,
Mike Hartel

MCREST week

Published on: Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Thank you to the volunteers who worked the MCREST week, also to the Council for the continuing financial support of the program. Our participation is critical for the staff at St John’s Church who act as host for this much needed emergency shelter program . Thanks to: Rick Okerjhelm, Steve Kargenian, Bruce Arnold, Ken Krause, Marty Winiarski, Gary Skarb, Jeff Gapczynski, Tom Gray, Phil Kwasny, Larry and Nancy Orzechowski, Tom Murray, Ken Grobbel, Mike Hartel, Leon Berdy, Hank Leflere, Art Krygowski, Phil Mularski, George Loewen, Vince Ursini, Ralph Pullis, Al Soulliere, Stan Labuda, Chuck Twigg, Rich Miller and Lorri Coughlin. local-4-news-at-4 story

The Knight's Shield - November 2018

Published on: Monday, October 29, 2018

As we enter the last week of October, our council is in the final preparations for our 6th Annual Trunk or Treat. Our Youth Director Art Krygowski and his wife Janice along with Ray and Lori Coughlin do much of the planning and coordination for this big council event. Thank you!

Our council was very busy during the month of October. We started out the month with a few Knights helping to move hundreds of cases of books at the Macomb County Library across the street from church. This was to help the library prepare for their annual fall book sale. I would like to especially thank Leon Berdy and George Schulte who did much of the heavy lifting. Ken Krause mentioned that the library and staff were very appreciative of the Knights help.

The next October event we had, was a successful euchre party. Forty four players participated and raised $120 for Abigayle Ministries! Thank you! A big thank you also to Ted and Sherri Czarny and my wife Karla for helping the card games run smoothly! Next euchre party is scheduled for January 26, 2019.

We had our Fall Pancake Breakfast in mid-October. The council served delicious pancakes, French toast, eggs and sausage. Proceeds will go to St. John MCREST which is one of the charities we are participating in again this November. Thank you to Steve Kargenian for chairing the pancake breakfast and everyone that helped Steve picking up supplies, setting up, cooking, serving, cleaning up and to those who attended. It really is good to see so many pitching in to help! Well done! The next pancake breakfast is scheduled for February 10, 2019.

We also had our fall road clean-up along Canal Road from church to Garfield Road. Ten brother Knights helped our event chairman Greg Csernai who needed Rick Okerhjelm to fill in as chairman for Greg on Saturday. We were done in about an hour and a half. Thank you to Bruce Arnold, Ray Coughlin, Steve D’Onofrio, Tom Gray, Tony Guido, Jim Perreault, Ralph Pullis, Craig Thompson and Mike Hartel for helping Rick on Saturday. We could use some additional help next time. Note, you do not require Protecting God’s Children for this event.

Moving on to November, for anyone who has not taken the Protecting God’s Children class, two classes are coming up early this month. The first one is right here at St. Paul of Tarsus on Saturday November 3rd at 9am. Please refer to the more comprehensive list in this newsletter. Remember, you must take this class to help out at many of our council events.

Please consider helping our Membership Director Phil Mularski with the membership committee we are forming. We need everyone to help with encouraging our brother Catholic men to consider joining our order.

If you have children or grandchildren, there is still time to sign up for the District Free Throw Contest on Saturday November 10th 10:00 am (St Clement of Rome - Romeo). Please contact our Youth Director Art Krygowski for more information.

Art and I will be handing out coats for kids soon at Erie Elementary School.

I would like to thank Leonard Gutkowski for his many years of service for raising and lowering the American flag for the parish on the church flagpole. Leonard has advised he is slowing down and is retiring from these duties. Please contact me if you are interested in taking over this volunteer position.

Note that the meal for our November General Meeting is scheduled to start at 6pm due to the Admissions Degree.

As in the past Holy Cross Services are requesting holiday donations. They are asking for:

Sweatshirts (with or without logos): Sizes L, XL, XXL, XXXL, and XXXXL In a box marked boy or girl and size.

Bath baskets (1 gallon plastic bag) Dollar store bath room items with max $10.00 limit.

Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Twin bed sheets or Hotel samples

$5 Gift cards: Meijer, Target or Walmart

Please bring these items to the November meeting, and our District Deputy will deliver to Lansing at the Winter Meeting.

Jeff Gapczynski is taking reservations for the upcoming annual casino trip. Please see the newsletter article and flyer for additional information.

Please provide your support to John Minicuci, who has volunteered to help Joe Roehrig and Ray Ignatowski with our Spring MI Drive!

Our next Corporate Communion will actually be a District Corporate Communion on November 18th at the 11:30am Mass. The council is also sponsoring coffee and donuts after the Mass!

During the week of Thanksgiving we will be helping at St. John for MCREST. Please see the article by our chairman Ray Coughlin for additional information. Please consider volunteering to help for this very worthy cause to help those in our community who are in need at this time!

With the support of Father Jerry, Deacon Marc and the Worship Committee, we are going to reintroduce presentation of the Holy Family Statue at Mass in support of Vocations. The purpose of the program is to help promote Vocations with a show of public support and to help remind us to keep vocations in our daily prayers. There will be a sign up binder placed in the gathering space for parishioners to sign up to receive the statue. We plan to begin with a monthly presentation of the statue initially. The kick off date will be during Advent. The presentation frequency will be adjusted depending upon parish participation. Please consider signing up for receiving the Holy Family Statue to help get the program off to a good start. Look for more information in upcoming church bulletins.

As we begin to prepare for the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holiday season, let us remember to Keep Christ in Christmas! If you need a new Keep Christ in Christmas lawn sign or button, we will have some available during our Ham and Kielbasa order dates after Mass. Also, look for our district sponsored “Keep Christ in Christmas” sign on the electronic billboard along M53 at 29 Mile from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

Thank you to all of you who have been at the meetings regularly. Please consider calling someone you haven’t seen for a while and ask how they’re doing. See if they’re in need of a ride or friendly reminder when the next meeting takes place.

Vivat Jesus
Mike Hartel

The Knight's Shield - October 2018

Published on: Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Please welcome our newest Brother Knight, Richard Motta to our council. Richard became our latest council member by taking his Admission (1st) Degree at St. Lawrence on September 13th.

Also, please welcome two Brother Knights, David Wisnewski and Michael Mitrowski, who have transferred to our council.

This past month was a difficult month for our council. The Lord took home Three Brother Knights from our council alone. Brothers Bill Gowland, Thomas Hayes and Tony Valentine were called home by the Lord. Please remember to keep them and their families in your prayers. A total of seven Brother Knights from our council will be honored with a Memorial Mass hosted by the Knights of Columbus Detroit Archdiocesan Vocation League (DAVL) at Sacred Heart Major Seminary on November 4th at 10am. This is open to all Knights and their families. If you are interested please let me know by October 22.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Corporate Communion in September. We had a nice turnout. Most wore our grey polo shirts. If you need to pick up a grey polo be sure to see Craig Thompson. Our next Corporate Communion will actually be a District Corporate Communion on November 18th at the 11:30am Mass. The council is also sponsoring coffee and donuts after the Mass!

There were over 100 golfers who participated in the September DAVL Golf Outing at Sycamore Hills. I counted at least a dozen golfers from our council. The weather was a little refreshing. However, no rain gear was needed! Thank you for supporting vocations!

Be sure to review the calendar for upcoming October events and sign up at our next General Meeting which just happens to be on Columbus Day! We have Pancake Breakfast, Road Clean-up and Trunk or Treat.

The next euchre party is also coming up right away on October 6th. Call me to save a spot.

Thank you to all of you who have been at the meetings regularly. Please consider calling someone you haven’t seen for a while and ask how they’re doing. See if they’re in need of a ride or friendly reminder when the next meeting takes place.

Vivat Jesus
Mike Hartel

The Knight's Shield - September 2018

Published on: Thursday, August 30, 2018

Please welcome our newest Brother Knight, William Pirrami, to our council. Bill became our latest council member by taking his Admission (1st) Degree at St. John Vianney on August 18th.

The annual ice cream social for the parish on the last weekend in July was very popular. The weather was beautiful and the council helped the chairman, Rick Okerhjelm, tremendously. Thank you everyone! Ken D. has placed a nice photo slide show on the council website.
Click here to view the video

I gave Father Jerry the Birthday card the council members signed at our August General Meeting with a gift card for Luigis. He thanked us for all that we do.

The inaugural council camping trip at Lakeport State Park in August was very nice. We had nice weather, Lake Huron was perfect for swimming, the campfires and social time was excellent. We had a total of about a dozen campers on six separate campsites. Good food, along with a few visitors and some nice weather made for a wonderful Saturday evening pot luck dinner.

We are starting to plan for next year already and are targeting the weekend before the Dream Cruise in August 2019 with the same venue.

Thank you to everyone who attended the District Corporate Communion and Officer Installation at St. John Vianney. An excellent meal was served by the host council, St. John Vianney, after the ceremonies. Sue Nellis, Executive Director from Compassion Pregnancy, thanked all the councils who helped with the renovation work earlier this year at the Compassion Pregnancy facility, and provided a cake for dessert.

Be sure to review the calendar for upcoming September events such as our Corporate Communion, Texas Hold’m (sign-up sheet at our next General Meeting) and the DAVL Golf Outing (See flyer).

Note that October is right around the corner with some of our bigger events scheduled such as Pancake Breakfast and Trunk or Treat.

The next euchre party is also coming up on October 6th. A sign-up sheet will be available at our next meeting. Please note that we had 56 players at the last party. Capacity is 60 players. So save yourself a spot and sign up early. A notice to the parish for euchre will be placed in the September 23rd and 30th church bulletins.

Thank you to all of you who have been at the meetings regularly. Please consider calling someone you haven’t seen for a while and ask how they’re doing. See if they’re in need of a ride or friendly reminder when the next meeting takes place.

Vivat Jesus
Mike Hartel