Community

Host Family Needed

Brother Knights,

My wife and I are involved with EF: Educational Homestay Programs, a non-profit that immerses foreign students in our language and culture.

We are in urgent need of a host family for an EF leader/teacher (male 44), from July 22nd to August 4th. What makes this challenging is that he is requesting a Christian family in particular. The host needs to be near public transportation since he is working in Downtown Sacramento from 8 to 6, M-F. The family will need to provide room and board, plus share some of their time with him. My wife and I have been blessed to host several students over the years. She found it so rewarding, she now helps place students with host families.

Please contact me for more information if you want to host this person in particular or one of the many students who will be landing on our shores in the coming weeks. Please use the contact form below.

Garrett Thomas

Insurance

A new Columbian Year has started with new officers, new agendas, and new ideas.

July 1st is here. A new Columbian Year has started with new officers, new agendas, and new ideas.

I am thankful I took the first steps to become a Field Agent with the Knights of Columbus last year. The wonderful reception I have received from the Councils since then and the sense I am doing God’s work to help Catholic Families protect their financial futures keeps me motivated. I have the privilege to promote the vision of Father Michael J. McGivney by providing Catholic solutions to my faithful brothers who want to provide for their family’s security while supporting the Catholic Church and its values.

Since the Knights of Columbus will always be a high priority for me, I wonder why many of our members fail to pay their dues. The annual dues assist so many wonderful Catholic causes; seminarian training, priest retirement, pregnancy centers, Catholic school scholarships, food pantries, emergency services, and grants for the unfortunate. Besides daily prayer, your dues are your minimum commitment as a member of the Knights of Columbus. If you are having trouble paying your dues, contact myself or your Financial Secretary. Give us an opportunity to find a solution. Waivers can be provided because of financial hardship, sickness, or you being out of area. For those who are out of the area, have you thought about transferring to a local council? It is as simple as paying you current dues to your current council and filling out a Form 100 with your updated information.

On a more positive note, congratulations to all the new officers and welcome to a new year. I trust your efforts will make the world better.

Fraternally, Your Brother and Field Agent,
Marco Manrique
CA LIC 0I39878, FA16570
(707) 301-1783
marco.manrique@kofc.org

Pro-Life

Culture of Life Report for July 2014

Brother Knights,

We should not forget what has brought us together as Knights; as we are the defenders of the Catholic Church. Therefore, each of us has the responsibility to act individually and as a group to protect the “culture of life” of our Church.

Let me remind you that in his 1995 Encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, St. John Paul II called on all Catholic faithful to bear witness to the Gospel of Life and to build the “civilization of life and love”. In keeping with this mission and our Order’s Catholic principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus stands strong in its conviction that every human life is a gift of God, endowed with certain inalienable rights—the first among these being the right to life. Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, we believe that human life is sacred and inviolable, and ought to be defended with maximum determination.

Please understand that your efforts are bearing fruit. The pro-life movement is advancing on many fronts. Last week we witnessed the decision Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The U.S. Supreme Court also upheld freedom of speech for pro-life Americans in a June 26 decision in the case of McCullen v. Coakley. The Court unanimously declared unconstitutional a Massachusetts law barring pro-life advocates from public sidewalks near abortion facilities. Of course we need to advance on the legislative front and that is where you are so important in the movement to advance the “culture of life”.

These victories are not enough! Each of us has the responsibility to write to our elected representatives on the state and federal level and to make it known how we feel. As a Knight, you should encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Let us stand together in this mission of nurturing a culture of life. I leave you with this prayer:

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never to stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected, and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all, through Christ our Lord.
Amen!

God Bless.
Hector Garcia
Culture of Life Director

Council, Grand Knight

Grand Knight’s Message, June 2014

To My Brother Knights and Their Families:

Elections for a new slate of officers will be held at this month’s business meeting and you will have a new Grand Knight on July 1st. The year has gone by quickly and it has truly been a blessing to be your Grand Knight. I want to thank each and every member of our council for their part in making this a successful Columbian year. Every time something needed to be done, several of our members were there to help.

I want to especially thank our chaplain Father Brendan for giving us spiritual direction and praying for us this past year. I want to thank our worthy District Deputy Don Snow for his bits of wisdom and advice. Thanks to all of the council officers, program directors, event chairmen and cooks. There are many people who did many things too numerous to name.

Supreme gave us a goal of increasing our membership by 16 this year in order to be a Star Council. We brought in 19 new members this year. About half of those new members were brought in by John Watling. It looks like we have also met our insurance quota of 6. If we do not have drops in our insurance members before the end of the month, we will have achieved Star Council thanks to all of you.

The nominating committee has a great list of nominees for the new Columbian year. I am confident that the council will be in good hands and that next year will be even more successful that this year has been.

Thank you.
Go! Make a difference…
Fred Struck
Grand Knight, Council 953

Council

Officers Nominated by the Committee for 2014-15 Columbian Year

The committee has nominated the following slate of officers for the 2014-15 Columbian Year. The slate of officers was read at the April Business Meeting and will be voted on at the June Business Meeting:

Grand Knight – John Sheldon
Deputy Grand Knight – Lewis Muñoz
Chancellor – Bryan McKrell
Warden – Adam Struck
Recorder – Garrett Thomas
Inside Guard – John Watling
Outside Guard – Hector Garcia
Advocate – Matt Lucien
Treasurer – Dale Edwards
3 Year Trustee – Fred Struck
2 Year Trustee – Al Piccardo
1 Year Trustee – Dick Cutting

Nominations may be accepted from the floor, provided the nominee has agreed to serve if elected.

Council, Events

PGK & Old Timers Dinner & Installation of Officers

On Thursday, June 26, 2013, the council will be holding a combined installation of our officers for the upcoming Columbian year and our annual PGK and Old Timers Dinner. This is the event where we honor our outgoing Grand Knight, Fred Struck, welcome our incoming Grand Knight John Sheldon, and install our new officers. We also honor our Past Grand Knights and those of our long time members who have achieved milestones of service in the Knights of Columbus.
6:00 PM No host social hour
6:30 PM Installation of officers
7:00 PM Dinner followed by awarding of service certificates
Dinner will be prepared by our Master Chef, Dave Carboni. The menu will include:
• Roast Beef
• Ravioli
• Salad Carboni
• Bread
• Ice Cream and Cookies
Cost is $10.00 per person, Children 12 and under $5.00.

For reservations, please fill out the form below or call the hall at (916) 736-0953 no later than Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

 

St. John Vianney, Pray for Us.