Grand Knight’s Message, January 2010

Dear brothers and families,

I hope you all had a very blessed and joyous Christmas and found some time with your families and loved ones to reflect on the miracle of the birth of Jesus and to give thanks for our many blessings. I would also like to wish you and your families a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

I would like to thank brothers John O’Leary and Rob Saylor for all their hard work on the Children’s Christmas Party. We had over 70 members, children, and grandchildren in attended and a great day was had by all! Santa stopped by for a visit with the children for some last minute requests before he headed back home to prepare for his busiest night of the year.  John Weber, PGK provided the entertainment for the children, and with their help he performed his rendition of the 12 days of Christmas.

I would also like to thank Mike Fiore, PGK for all of his hard work planning for our Members Christmas party and ensuring it was a big success, which it was. Everyone in attendance had a great time. Thank you Mike!

The first half of our fraternal year is in the books and we start our next six months as ambitious as ever. I am asking all of my brother Knights for your help in making all of our sponsored events a success and plan to attend at least one of them. I know we are all busy and have other obligations with work and our families, but to ensure the continued health and growth of our council and order, we need the help of all of our members. If your a new member or haven’t been down to the council for awhile, consider joining us at one of our council or fraternal functions and get reacquainted with your brother knights. If you only have a few moments to spare, consider helping with an hour or so at one of our “Vegas Nights”. All the money we raise goes directly to charity. No experience is necessary and your help is greatly needed.

Looking forward to January. Our first event for the new year is our monthly “Vegas Night” on Friday night January 8th beginning at 8 PM.  Our next two events take place on Saturday January 9th. We’ll be taking down the creche from Bellmore Village at 9 AM and later that day at 4:00 PM we will be hosting the Knights of Columbus Basketball Free Throw Challenge at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton gymnasium.  January 14th is our first regularly scheduled council meeting of the month and we will also be hosting a first degree that evening.

On Sunday, January 17th our council  will participate in the annual Right to Life Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. This Mass will be the first Right to Life Mass celebrated by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. This Mass offers our members an opportunity to join together with other Knights of Columbus  Councils from around the state in a faith-filled expression of our concern for the unborn. The bus will be leaving the council at 8 AM. Please contact me asap if you are interested in attending as the bus fills up quickly.

The 37th Annual March for Life will be held on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 in Washington, D.C. There will be a Mass at St. Barnabas at 5:00 AM and the bus will depart at about 5:45 AM. Sign up sheets are in the lounge. For more information contact Pro-Life Chairman Hank Holzwarth, PGK, or myself if you would like to participate.

Our next 5th Sunday Communion Breakfast will be held on Sunday morning January 31st. The mass at St. Barnabas will begin at 9 AM with the breakfast immediately following at our council. There is no doubt that this mass is an excellent opportunity to join together as Catholics, brothers and families in a truly inspirational setting, thank God for his blessings, and enjoy each other’s friendship. Corinthians 12:12 reads;
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  Join me brothers, as knights of Columbus members, as one body at Mass. The cost for the communion breakfast is always free and all are always welcome.

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.  ~Ellen Goodman

The Bible tells us that it was God who formed us in our mother’s womb. And when He formed us, He placed within us the highest possible potential: theosis, union with God. Part of man’s tragedy is that this great potential remains only a potential and is not fully developed. Man is indeed a frail creature, but he is endowed by God with great potential. All of us are born equal. Our job is to outgrow equality by reaching out to achieve our potential in Christ. Join me brothers and let us together reach our potential and lets see what we can do as Catholics and as members of the worlds largest Catholic fraternal organization. There is greatness in us all!

Fraternally,

James Mikowski,
Grand Knight