All posts by Fred Struck

Hello, My name is Fred Struck. I live in Sacramento California. I am a member of St. George Melkite-Greek Catholic Church where I am know as Reader Fred. I have been the Reader at St. George's since 1988. I am also a Past Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus Sacramento Council 953.
Council

Council 953’s Christmas Potluck

The Council’s Christmas Potluck will be on Friday, Dec. 9, 2011.  All Brother Knights and their families are invited.  The hall and bar will open at 5:30 PM and dinner will be served at 6:30 PM.  There will also be an attendance drawing and one lucky member will win $50.00.  The Council will provide a ham for the potluck.  Please bring food dishes according to the first letter of your last name as follows:

A-H: side dishes;  I-R: main dishes;  S-Z:  desserts

Also, we would ask that you bring an unused baby item for a donation to the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home.  Some suggestions are:

Diapers            Wipes                Formula
Bottles & nipples        Baby Toys            Onesies
Receiving Blankets        Baby washcloths        Baby soaps

Community, Council

Tootsee Roll Drive at Sacred Heart Parish

Council 953 was able to hold a tootsee roll drive to benefit local ID guests at the Sunday Masses at Sacred Heart Church in Sacramento.  Through the efforts of the volunteers, we collected $330.00.  By combining this collection with the funds collected at St. Mary’s Church allowed the Council to exceed its goal of $1,000 for this program.  The 953 Knights participating were Fran Mugartegui, Zac Rivera and young Bill James along with chair Dick Cutting PSD.  The event was assisted by volunteer Chuck Parsons from a neighboring Council; Don Baumgartner a parishioner and Dick’s two grandchildren Annie and Steve.  We thank them all for their generous help.

Dick Cutting PSD

Insurance

Are You Ready For Your Insurance Check-up for 2012? The Holidays Are Fast Approaching!!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS INSURANCE “Your Shield For Life”.

Are You Ready For Your Insurance Check-up for 2012? The Holidays Are Fast Approaching!!

Now that the holidays are fast approaching! Can you believe it will soon be 2012? I hope that 2011 has been a healthy, prosperous year for you and your family. It’s said that time flies, and the older we get, the more that statement seems true. As we review the past year and prepare to welcome a new one, we wonder where the time goes.

If you’re like most people, you’ve made some resolutions for 2012. If I may, I’d like to make two suggestions regarding your resolutions. First, write them down. A resolution is really a goal for the year and, until you commit a goal to writing, it’s nothing more than a wish. Writing a resolution down is the first step towards achieving it. Whether your goal is to lose weight, contribute more time and money to charity, read more or watch less television, you’re more likely to accomplish it if you write it down.

Second, schedule some time to visit with me, your professional Knights of Columbus insurance agent. The “insurance check-up” that I’ll provide (free of charge, by the way!) will quickly identify any gaps in your family’s life insurance program. And you’ll want to fill those gaps now, not later. Because unlike many other products, you need more than money to obtain life insurance. You also need good health, and no one will ring a bell warning you when your health is about to change.

Knights of Columbus life insurance offers something precious few other financial products can – guarantees. As long as you pay your premiums, the policy proceeds will be there for your beneficiaries should something happen to you. We call that peace of mind, and that’s (as they say in the credit card commercials) priceless.

This Holiday Season, keep in mind the real meaning of CHRISTmas. Keeping CHRIST in CHRISTmas. Take time to enjoy your family and friends. Think of those things God has given us. Remember that you are the one who your family counts on for tomorrow’s support. The Knights of Columbus is here to help assure that mission is met.

To contact me with regards to LTC or any of your insurance needs, please call my office at (916) 691-4571 or e-mail me at hank.cornell@kofc.org

By Knights … For Knights ….
Hank Cornell, FIC
Ca Lics #0G05138

Church

The Season of Advent

The Season of Advent

In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, “to come to,” and refers to the coming of Christ. This refers, first of all, to our celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas; but second, to the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion; and finally, to His Second Coming at the end of time.

First We Fast, Then We Feast:

That’s why Advent has traditionally been known as a “little Lent.” As in Lent, Advent should be marked by increased prayer, fasting, and good works. While the Western Church no longer has a set requirement for fasting during Advent, the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, continues to observe what is known as Philip’s Fast, from November 15 until Christmas.

Traditionally, all great feasts have been preceded by a time of fasting, which makes the feast itself more joyful. Sadly, Advent today has supplanted by “the Christmas shopping season,” so that by Christmas Day, many people no longer enjoy the feast.

The Symbols of Advent:

In its symbolism, the Church continues to stress the penitential and preparatory nature of Advent. As during Lent, priests wear purple vestments, and the Gloria (“Glory to God”) is omitted during Mass. The only exception is on the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, when priests can wear rose-colored vestments. As on Laetare Sunday during Lent, this exception is designed to encourage us to continue our prayer and fasting, because we can see that Advent is more than halfway over.

The Advent Wreath:

Perhaps the best-known of all Advent symbols is the Advent wreath, a custom which originated among German Lutherans but was soon adopted by Catholics. Consisting of four candles (three purple and one pink) arranged in a circle with evergreen boughs (and often a fifth, white candle in the center), the Advent wreath corresponds to the four Sundays of Advent. The purple candles represent the penitential nature of the season, while the pink candle calls to mind the respite of Gaudete Sunday. (The white candle, when used, represents Christmas.)

Celebrating Advent:

We can better enjoy Christmas—all 12 days of it, from Christmas Day to Epiphany—if we revive Advent as a period of preparation. Abstaining from meat on Fridays, or not eating at all between meals, is a good way to revive the Advent fast. (Not eating Christmas cookies or listening to Christmas music before Christmas is another.) We can incorporate such customs as the Advent wreath, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena, and the Jesse Tree into our daily ritual, and we can set some time aside for special scripture readings for Advent, which remind us of the threefold coming of Christ.

Holding off on putting up the Christmas tree and other decorations is another way to remind ourselves that the feast is not here yet. Traditionally, such decorations were put up on Christmas Eve, but they would not be taken down until after Epiphany, in order to celebrate the Christmas season to its fullest.

By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Advent.htm

Community

E-Waste Fundraiser at Knights of Columbus #953

E- Waste Fundraiser in co-operation with
The California Electronic Asset Recovery

To be held at the Knights Of Columbus Hall #953
5961 Newman Ct …Sacramento CA 95819
Saturday December 17th from 9 am – 1 pm.

We accept electronic devices including the following:

. Monitors/TVs
. Desktop PCs/notebook PCs
. Small equipment: VCRs, stereos, speakers, keyboards, mice, PDAs, digital cameras, zip drives, telephones,
video game consoles, etc.
. Printers/copiers, cell phones
. Lasers and multi-function peripherals: scanners & fax machines
. Small kitchen appliances like blenders, mixers, toasters, etc.
. Microwaves, hairdryers

We do not accept the following items:

. Household Appliances (i.e. refrigerators, washers, dryers,etc.)
. Furniture
. Hazardous household waste, including: Florescent light bulbs, household batteries, car batteries, paint,
pesticides, used oil, cleaning supplies, tires

*Please note that CEAR, INC completely shreds all hard drives for data security!……..
Thank you.
Any questions or Possible Free Pre-Event Drive Pickup!! Call Terry @ 916-736-0953

9 am to 1 pm
5961 Newman Ct, Sacramento, CA 95819

Council, Grand Knight

Grand Knight’s Message November 2011

To My Brother Knights & Their Families,

Our third principle of the Knights of Columbus is Fraternity.
Defined as a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, a quality or state of being brothers. This truly shows with our events/ fundraisers. We come together to aide our fellow brothers in the events being chaired, and that directly impacts our council’s ability to help others.

Council #953 is a model example of all our principles. We stand together as an organization, unified to help those in need. This last Oktoberfest is but one example of our principles in action. Not only did we share a great dinner and raise money to help others, we brought friends and families together to share lasting memories. We helped a long time Knight attend this event. Which is something he could not do alone, given his circumstances.

Our next events are around the corner. A memorial mass at St. Mary’s church on 11/6 following the 8 a.m. mass. Our Giant shrimp feed on 11/19 and our first ever e-waste drive on 12/17. There’s plenty of time to sign up & help or simply pass the word to someone who can.

We are a fraternal group of catholic gentlemen. Our common purpose is doing God’s work. We give in every sense of the word. We are all examples of our principles. We are, Knights of Columbus.

“St. John Vianney, Pray for Us.”
Ricardo Saldana
Grand Knight, Council 953