Note: Links to Gibualt News Letters are now available on the Newsletters page.

 

 Message from the Grand Knight 

Spring 2024 is upon us and before we know it summer will be here along warmer days, flowers blooming, gardens growing, and the Knights Spring/Summer events taking place. At the time of this letter we are celebrating Holy Week and moving to Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter itself.

“Easter is the most important liturgical time in the Catholic Church, celebrating the Lord's resurrection from the dead, culminating in his Ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Easter Sunday symbolizes the fulfillment of Christian faith, as Christ destroyed our bondage to sin through His Death and brought us the promise of new life, both in Heaven and on earth through His Resurrection. Easter celebrates the beginning and foundation of Christianity, as Jesus was raised from the dead, conquering sin and death.”

As Knights of Columbus, our principles of charity, unity and fraternity sum up the Gospels and invite us to deepen our relationship with Christ and one another. Let us beg the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney that during the Easter season, we might allow the Spirit of God to lead us through the mysteries of Christ to continual Easter joy, (Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori, 2022).

The 2024 Fish Fry’s have finished up and as in the past each week seemed to draw more and more people to enjoy the fish, shrimp, and other goodies being served. The Fish Fry’s for 2025 are already in the planning stages. Preparation for the Mother’s Day Flower sale (May 10^th & 11^th)and the Father’s Day Port a Pit Chicken sale (June 15^th) are moving forward and we will be ready to serve everyone. Save those dates!

Your Knights of Columbus Council 12951 is growing. St. Stan’s is now building a Round Table Structure for their parish and community. A Knights of Columbus round table is a smaller, specialized group within the organization that focuses on specific interests or activities. These round tables allow members to come together for focused discussions, service projects, or social events related to a particular theme. While this process is still in the planning stages I have great confidence they will grow quickly and be an excellent addition to St. Stan’s! Plans are in place to build more Round tables within our Parish community. The Knights of Columbus are stronger than ever and will continue to grow and serve our Parish and community.  Please consider joining the Knights of Columbus Council 12951. The membership dues for this year are free and signing up is very simple. If you are interested, please reach out to any Knight and they can assist you becoming a Knight. I am very proud to be a Knight and I am looking forward to serving my Parish and community. This is a Great team, great partnership, and wonderful group of Catholic Gentlemen and Women.  

God Bless all of you. Be safe!

Vivat Jesus! (Jesus Lives!)

Bruce Garwood, Grand Knight

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April Social Meeting

Wow !  Another Great Social Meeting ! We had 25 Knights and 10 Wives . And a lot of great food !

Our guest speaker was Barb Wisthoff, she is a Chaplain at Franciscan Hospital, and the Wife of a Knight ,  Bob.

Her subject was something no one wants to talk about ,but it was presented in a manner that everyone listened ! Thanks, Barb for sharing your vast knowledge and the Guide Books you provided. Remember during our exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity. The perpetual watch-word of our Order is “Tempus fugit. Memento mori,” which means, “Time flies. Remember death .”

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Updates

• Please continue to pray for Paul Laberge and his family as he continues his transition to heaven. 
• Please continue to pray for one of our councils Iron man, Al Tokely as he continues to recover from his surgery. Per Al he is recovering nicely, just sore when he gets out of bed. 
• Let us pray for all those who not feeling well and could use an extra prayer while they recover. 
• May 5^th will be the Diocesan Mass for Pregnancy and Infant Loss at 3:00. Bishop Robert will be conducting this mass. We have been asked to lead the procession at this Mass as well as light candles as they announce names of those who were lost this past year. Please let Bruce know if you are attending this mass and would like to help out. John Wolsefer. may be reaching out to you as well.
• The May 4^th and 5^th weekend is also Coffee and Doughnuts weekend and I am not sure if they will be serving anything after the mass Sunday Afternoon. We will need help this weekend as well. Bruce has a few volunteers but could use several more guys and their wives. 
• Soup Kitchen May 4^th & 5^th  weekend as well. Brent will be reaching out for volunteers. 
• And, of course we have the Mother's Day Flower Sale May 10^th & 11^th 

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Michigan City Wide National Eucharistic, Procession

• July 4^th the day will begin at 9:00 with a Mass.
• Approximately at 9:45 a procession will take place on the QAS campus. We will be leading the procession with the canopy. 
  • A set up crew and carriers will need to be established. Steven Lyons will be working to get 4-8 Knights to assist with this process. 
    • We may be needed to assist with street safety. It will depend on the route being taken. 
  • At 2:00 another procession will take place at Franciscan hospital. A crew will need to disassemble the canopy and then set it back up at the second procession. Then disassemble it again and return it to the council room afterwards
  • This procession will start at the old Bob Evans restaurant and end at the main entrance of the hospital. 
• Lunch will begin at 12:00 (approx.)
  • Chef Tom will be working with Gary Marcheschi and his wife to provide lunch. It will be hot dogs (grilled), chips, water, and a cookie. Everything will be prewrapped for pick up to keep the lines moving. 
• An additional crew will need to be established to assist during the day at the North and South doors to guide people to the church, restrooms, buses, lunch and lunch set up, etc. Lady Becky has been gracious enough to volunteer to establish a crew of Lady Knights to assist with this process.
• Procession shirts are being designed and will be sold pre-procession. Currently the cost will be $10. Volunteers will wear dark blue shirts. All crews will be wearing these shirts throughout the day including carrying of the canopy. It will be a sign of unity as we process with our Eucharist. 
  • Hats are being researched as well. Depending on cost and quantity I asked about our council sponsoring some of these hats and the Knights logo will be on this hat. 

The number of expected participants will start at 300. Depending on the number of shirts sold this number could be more. More to come with this information. 

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Unity After Tragedy

The Knights of Columbus Board of Directors voted during a recent meeting to contribute $100,000 to a relief fund for families who lost loved ones and livelihoods in the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge. “Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights over 140 years ago to support widows and orphans. So it was only natural that, upon learning of the death of six road workers — husbands and fathers from the Catholic Hispanic community — we were moved to join with the Church in Baltimore in providing aid to their widows and orphans,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. Read more about Archdiocese of Baltimore’s efforts to provide spiritual and material assistance in the aftermath of the collapse.

Click here for the rest of the story.

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A Gift — and a Task

Unity and charity are the Order’s first principles, and Knights have a special responsibility to work against division in our families, in our society and in the Church, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly writes in the April issue of Columbia: “Rather than focusing on things we cannot change, let’s take responsibility for the things we can. … Prayer from the heart, far more than criticism, has real power to change things.”

Click here for the rest of the story.

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Knights of Columbus License Plate

Indiana Knights of Columbus Charity Fund Inc. Special Group Recognition License Plates for your vehicles (cars, light trucks, RV and motorcycles) are available for purchase from your local BMV office.

These plates can be ordered through IN.gov/BMV, at BMV branches, at BMV Connect kiosks, or BMV partial service providers. The plates will cost $30 in addition to applicable taxes and registration fees. A $15 supplemental fee and a $15 group fee is due for each Knights of Columbus plate that is purchased. The BMV will return the $15 group fee for each license plate sold to the Indiana K of C Charity Fund Inc. This plate may be personalized for an additional $45.

The Indiana K of C Charity Fund Inc is Indiana State Council's 501(c)(3) established to help people in urgent need situations; disaster relief, coats for kids, food for families, ultrasound machines, and other similar needs.