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Follow Tom on    A Word from Grand Knight Tom Gray

The Knight Shield - December 2022

Published on: Thursday, November 24, 2022


    I can't believe December is upon us already! Christmas will be here in a few short weeks.

    The Trunk or Treat took place after the November newsletter was written, so I will mention that we had around 100 kids.  The weather was beautiful; it was like a summer day. We could use some more trunks in the future, so please consider coming out and handing out some candy. It is fun and the kids really enjoy it.

    Last month we had our first pancake breakfast in almost three years. I personally talked to almost every table and had nothing but positive feedback. People were excited to see this event return. We did have to start over with supplies as many things were expired but we still did make a few bucks.  Most importantly though, we had people in the parish hall sitting down and talking and enjoying a wonderful meal together. We did our Coats for Kids event at Erie Elementary,  and we also added some other coats for another ministry.  We delivered 96 coats for needy children. What a good feeling to help keep kids warm for the winter.

    We also had our Texas Hold’em event and did rather well. A huge thank you to all the Knights who helped with this effort!

    MCREST is coming the week of Thanksgiving, and we are helping out St. John Anglican Church again. It is happening at the writing of this newsletter. The men are not being housed at the church, so it is pretty much just meal deliveries. Thank you to Ray for heading this ministry up again!

    Our Christmas meat sales begin next weekend 11/26-27, 12/3-4, pickup is 12/22. There is a flyer and order form attached if you would like to order.  As we prepare for a busy Christmas season with family and friends let us not forget the true reason for the season. It is the time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Below are some Christian meanings behind some Christmas traditions.

Evergreen Trees were the symbol of eternal life. Martin Luther introduced them to the Reformation Church as a picture of our endless life in Christ, by bringing in a tree to his family on Christmas Eve lit with candles (Isaiah 60:13).

Candles are a picture that Christ is the Light of the world (John 8).  

Holly speaks of the thorns in His crown (Matthew 27:29).

Red is a color of Christmas that speaks of Christ's blood and death.

Gifts are a reminder of the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus.  Each of them speak to a component of His incarnation: Majesty in life, Bitterest Agony in Death and He as God's Perfect gift to us (Matthew 2).

The Yule Log was a symbol by which all the men in the family would carry a log large enough to burn for 12 days into the house. They were identifying with Christ and His Cross.  The fire was started with a fragment from the previous years [this refers to the eternal existence of Christ before His birth] log. It speaks of warmth, unity, joy and the security of endless life.

Mistletoe was an ancient symbol from the Roman times. It was under mistletoe that old enmities and broken friendships were restored. So Christ was the One who took away the enmity and gave us peace with God (Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1).

Bells are associated with ringing out news. Christ is the good news, the best news of all.

Myself and the entire Gray family wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas!

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray

PANCAKE BREAKFAST NOV. 6th - 7:45 / 9:30 am

Published on: Thursday, November 3, 2022





 

The Knight Shield - November 2022

Published on: Monday, October 24, 2022


    November is here! One of my favorite months...Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, hunting season, the
changing colors, the cool air.

    We did our fall road cleanup. We had a dozen or so guys and it went well. Beautiful weather and a light garbage load made it a breeze. We were done in about an hour.  We had our Rosary Rally. It was well attended although pretty cold. What a wonderful way to honor Respect Life month and to show support to defeat Proposal 3. We hosted the St. Joseph Pilgrim Icon, I’m not sure what happened at the 9:30 and 11:30 Masses, but we did the service at 7:45 and 4:00 Masses. The Icon has moved on to St. Peter’s now.

    At the writing of this, the Trunk or Treat is coming up this weekend. I will give a report at our next meeting and mention it next month.

Our pancake breakfast has moved to November 6th. Please plan on helping out with this. These events are really fun to work and it is a good opportunity to show the parish what we do. Also on November 6th is the Memorial Mass for Knights that have passed away this year. We have four being honored. Our next corporate communion is November 20th at the 11:30 Mass. Please consider going to Mass with your brothers and their families.

This November is a very important election for the right to life. I am going to focus on Proposal 3 versus talking about candidates, as I think we all know where they stand. Since Roe V Wade in in 1973 there have been more than 63 million abortions, or murders more appropriately worded. The population of France is 65 million for a little perspective. Today for every 1,000 births there are 195 abortions. The writers of Proposal 3 are masking the truth with words like "reproductive freedom" and calling abortion
"woman’s healthcare" instead of what it really is.  Here is the actual text from the Proposal to amend the
Constitution of Michigan. Please, as you read this, pay attention to what the words are saying and, more importantly,  what they do not say. It is pretty scary.

Article 12, Section 28 Right to Reproductive Freedom

(1) Every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which entails the right to make and effectuate decisions ab out all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. An individual’s right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, burdened,
nor infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Notwithstanding the above, the state may regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability, provided that in no circumstance shall the state prohibit an abortion that, in the professional judgement of an attending health care professional, is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.

(2) The state shall not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right.

(3) The state shall not penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against an individual based on their actual, potential, perceived or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including but not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. Nor shall the state penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against someone for aiding or assisting a pregnant individual in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with their voluntary consent.

(4) For the purposes of this section: A stat interest is “compelling” only if it is for the limited purpose of protecting the health of an individual seeking care, consistent with accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence based medicine, and does not infringe on that individual’s autonomous decision-making. “Fetal viability” means: the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of
an attending health care professional and based on the particular facts of the case, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’s sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.

(5) This section shall be self-executing. Any provision of this section held invalid shall be severable from the remaining portions of this section.[10]

After my simple mind reads this, I note the following:
  • There is no provision for minors to need parental con-sent.
  • There is no provision that only a physician can perform an abortion.
  • There is no provision that the facilities be inspected or have to answer to any one.
  • There is no provision for time or duration of the pregnancy.
This will make MI one of the most lenient states in the country, and put us up there in the world. The verbiage just has no restrictions and is purposely vague.

We are really up against it guys. The K of C MI donated $50k to the effort, and we are being outspent by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood...they have $10 million to $400 thou-sand. We need to spread the word about the lies and omissions in this proposal. With amending the state constitution it would open the door to abortion on demand, meaning no restrictions up to and after birth. So please talk to your friends and family to spread the truth. Also vote your con-science in a few weeks.

Vivat Jesus
Tom Gray


The Knight Shield - October 2022

Published on: Wednesday, September 28, 2022


Happy October everyone! I for one am looking forward to that cooler fall air.

    We had our Corporate Communion at 9:30 mass on September 18th. There was a pretty good turnout and it was very enjoyable attending mass with my brother Knights.  Also on September 18th we helped host a new parishioner welcome lunch. Rick Okerhjelm, Craig Thomson, Ted Czarny helped me with the food and cleaning up afterwards. It was lightly attended but the new parishioners seemed to enjoy it. Also the church was appreciative of us helping out.

    Coming up we have our semi-annual road cleanup on October 1st. We will meet in the North parking lot at 8am. The fall one is usually a little easier and if we get a good turnout we can wrap it up pretty quickly. So come on out and help keep our corner of Clinton Township a little cleaner. Some good conversation is had and it is kind of fun with some of the interesting things we find.

    October 15th we are hosting a Rosary Rally at noon on the church grounds. Tom Pardo is chairing this event. If you would like to attend or help please contact him for any further information.

    Also on October 15th the St. Joseph Pilgrim Icon will arrive at the parish. It is coming after St. Thecla's Saturday mass. It will be displayed on Sunday the 16th at all masses and Saturday the 22nd.

    October 16th will be our first pancake breakfast in a few years. Our council has decided to support MCREST at St.John Anglican church with the proceeds. Please plan on helping out with this. These events are really fun to work and it is a good opportunity to show the parish what we do.

    On October 23rd we are having the Trunk or Treat again.  This is also a really good event that is alot of fun. The kids really enjoy this one so come on out and decorate your trunk and have some fun with them.

    October is the month of the Holy Rosary. As Knights we promised to pray the Rosary as often as we can and carry it with us always. Let us not forget that promise and try to pray it a little more often this month. Please enjoy the below thought from Sister Lucia of Fatima.

    “The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.”

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray


The Knight Shield - September 2022

Published on: Thursday, August 18, 2022


    Here we are at the end of another summer and getting ready for school. I hope everyone enjoyed their summer this year and this finds you happy and healthy!

    We had our ice cream social, it was well attended on Saturday as the weather was perfect. Mother nature had other plans for Sunday so we implemented plan B and held it in the social hall. There are photos on our web site and Facebook page for your viewing pleasure.  Click here for Photos

    We also had our camping trip and pot luck at Algonac State Park. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all. We attended mass at St. Catherine's then had dinner and some good fellowship. There will be photos on the web and Facebook soon from this event as well. Click here for Photos

    Coming up we have Corporate Communion at 9:30 mass on September 18th. Please consider joining us so we can attend mass as a group. 

    I feel compelled to write a bit about the right to life with all that is going on today. With the decision by the supreme court to rightfully put the decision on this issue in the states hands. We are truly living through a life changing time. I never thought that I would see this happen. Not trying to get too political, we really need to vote our conscience this year. Our state has a law on the books that outlaws abortion and one judge decided to put this law on hold. Laws are written by our elected officials on our behalf and to have a judge stay this law is pretty ridiculous. If the law is to be changed it needs to change in the legislature, not by one judge. Judges are to interpret and apply law, not legislate. As Catholics we believe that life is precious and a gift from conception to natural death. Scientifically we know this is true because upon conception there is a unique set of DNA for this new individual. Spiritually we know this because the soul of this new individual is created. This new life is a unique individual and precious to God. This is the reason that we as Catholic Christians are so passionate about protecting life.

Vivat Jesus!

Tom Gray

CAMPING 2022

Published on: Monday, August 15, 2022


Pictures 

The Knight Shield - August 2022

Published on: Wednesday, July 27, 2022


I hope everyone's summer is going well!

At the writing of this article, we have not yet done our Ice Cream social or camping trip...so stay tuned for a report on these events.

We were pleased to welcome our new Pastor, Father John Kiselica, who started July 1st!

At the July Meeting, I handed out MI Drive checks to be hand delivered to our chosen charities. The checks were distributed as follows:

  1. Neil Reid High School $675

  2. Special Olympics Michigan Area 14

    Macomb $1,300

  3. ARC of Macomb County $1,825

  4. Glen Peters Elementary School $1,325

  5. Clinton Valley Challenger Baseball $850

  6. Dakota High School Special Ed $500

  7. Lutz School $725

Thank you to all who made the MI drive a success this year. We were able to help these worthy causes due to your hard work.

The council also trimmed the bushes on July 16th on the church grounds. We had quite a few Knights and a couple of parishioners. It was hard work, but boy does it look nice. Thank you to all who helped with this also. I had many compliments at Mass last Sunday.

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart . Since the 16th century, Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person and is the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blas- phemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sa- cred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year- round, but particularly through the month of August.

Excerpted from The Prayer Book by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A.

Vivat Jesus! 

Tom Gray 



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Grand Knight
Tom and Renee Gray


Deputy Grand Knight
Kevin and Tina Kennedy

THE 24 HOUR KNIGHT

You can become an Active and Involved Knight by committing just 24 hours a year.

4 hours a year — Attend Council Corporate Communions, Prayer Services or Praying the Rosary.

4 hours a year — Attend at least two Council Meetings a year.

2 hours a year — Help at Church and Community functions such as: Working in the Parish Food Bank, or the Adopt a Road Program, Donate Blood or Walk in Right to Life Parade.

2 hours a year — Help with the Annual MI Drive.

2 hours a year — Help at a Youth Activity such as: Free Throw Context, Poster Contest, Children’s Christmas Party, Easter Egg Hunt, etc.

4 hours a year — Help at Council Fundraisers such as: Pancake Breakfast, Lenten Fish Fries, Texas Hold-em events, etc.

2 hours a year — Read Council, State and Su-preme Publications.

4 hours a year — Enjoy Council Social Activities such as: Dinners, Council Picnics, Ice cream Social, Tiger Knight at Comerica Park, etc.

Make a stand, and you can discover how easy it is to make a difference in your life and that of oth-ers. May God Bless You and your Families with His Joy and Peace.

Please pass this on to Catholic gentlemen that you may know.

Thank you!!! - Phil Mularski