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Please come to our business meeting every 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 pm (usually at St. John Neumann's Family Center – see schedule)

Volume 17, Issue 01

January 2016

of 9

In This Issue • Bob’s Blurb

• Chaplains Report

• Ladies Auxiliary Report

• Fraternal Benefits Night

• Corporate Communion Mass

• Spelling Bee

• Free Throw Contest

• uber Knights!

• Bellarmine Retreat

• Membership Report

• Perennial Sale 2016

• Photo Album

Upcoming Events

January 2016 01/04 Ladies Auxiliary 01/05 Officers' Meeting 01/11 Business Meeting-SJN 01/04 Ladies Auxiliary 01/24 Corporate Communion mass, 9:45 am-SPCR 01/31 Free Throw Contest-SPDT gym

February 2016 02/01 Ladies Auxiliary 02/02 Officers' Meeting 02/04 Fraternal Benefits Night-SPDT 02/07 Spelling Bee-SPDT gym 02/08 First Degree-SJN 02/08 Business Meeting-SJN

March 2016 03/07 Officers' Meeting 03/08 Ladies Auxiliary 03/14 Business Meeting-SJN

April 2016 04/04 Ladies Auxiliary 04/05 Officers' Meeting 04/11 Business Meeting-SJN

Bob’s Blurb

And so it begins. Yes, it's the start of a new calendar year and there are lots of events to anticipate in the coming year. Corporations that are on a calendar year often say that the slate has been wiped clean, and it's almost like starting over from scratch. Our top priority in the next six months must be membership. God left the Holy Spirit with us to guide the Catholic Church in helping us reach salvation. The Knights of Columbus provides us with help in reaching that goal too with its dedication to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. We cannot selfishly, nor lazily, keep that help to ourselves. At the very least, we need to evangelize and approach every practical Catholic gentleman and ask him to consider joining us on our road to salvation through the Knights. Please make an effort this month to approach one friend or stranger and ask him if he'd like to learn more about our great organization. Our annual Fraternal Benefits' Night will be held on February 4th, in the Fr. Carse Center at SPDT. We'll have a First Degree shortly thereafter on Monday, Feb 8th, at 6:00 p.m. before the council meeting. So, do your best to invite someone to share the Experience of a Lifetime with us.

The second part of our membership goal this year must be to get lapsed

brothers to rejoin the fold and to participate in a few meetings and events. The most successful technique is a personal request from you to a lapsed Knight to come back to active participation. So how about it? Will you talk to a friend and brother, and ask him to come around to a January or February event or meeting with you? Thanks for your anticipated help.

We'll be focusing on some events in our Youth program in the next two

months - the Free Throw contest and the Spelling Bee. These should help out parents too because they get the Winter-housebound children out for an afternoon giving Mom a break. We are also having a Corporate Communion at the 9:45 am mass at St. Patrick's Crane Road church on Sunday, January 24th. Let's start the calendar year out right by worshiping together with our brothers and their families just like we started out the fraternal year right at St. John Neumann last August. Hope to see you at an event and meeting this Winter.

May God bless you and your families always!

Bob Gilmartin – Grand Knight

Copyright (C) 2016 St. Charles Knights of Columbus All rights reserved. of 9 Questions, comments, opinions, etc. can be forwarded to the editor at [email protected]

Upcoming Events Continued

1st Degree Schedule

02/08 SJN 6:00pm

Orientation Schedule

TBD

Everyone is invited, but please call Paul Braddock, 630-901-3164, in advance to ensure preparations are made for you.

Mystic Monk Coffee

Support the Ladies

Auxiliary

Support the Ladies Auxiliary by

ordering Mystic Monk Coffee.

Just go to

mysticmonkcoffee.com

Chaplain’s Report by Fr. Joe Lutz The Second Epiphany Message for 1/10/16 - The Baptism of the Lord (C) Dear friends in Christ, When the Lord was baptized, the heavens opened, and the Spirit came down like a dove to rest on him. Then the voice of the Father thundered: "This is my beloved Son. On you my favor rests." Our faith teaches us that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophesies found in the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Father's thundering voice after the baptism of the Lord echoes a prophesy found in Isaiah 40:1-11, that God cares: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” In beautiful poetic language Isaiah tells the exiles in Babylon who were desperately waiting for freedom: “Have hope!” God will step in and lead you out of this hopeless situation back home! Notice God’s tender love: “Like a shepherd he leads his flock!” Isn’t that what Jesus offers us: Hope and salvation, the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy? Isaiah continues: “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Go up on to a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by a strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” John the Baptist replicates these words of Isaiah when he prepares the way for Jesus, the Son of God, to begin his ministry on earth at his baptism. That was John’s calling: to proclaim the coming of the Lord. We each have our own calling in life. We must respond to it in the framework of our personal capabilities and the circumstances of time and surroundings. Serious and mature people understand that only a life of service is a meaningful life. What do you consider your main calling in life, and how are you fulfilling it? The Opening prayer reminds us: "Almighty, eternal God, keep us, your children born of water and the Spirit, faithful to our calling." In the second reading from the Acts of the Apostles 10:34-38, Peter sees Jesus, as in his baptism, "anointed ... with the Holy Spirit and power" and so equipped for his calling to be a servant: doing good and being concerned about human beings who are in the grip of evil. Peter addressed Cornelius and the people in his house: "I begin to see how true it is that God shows no partiality. Rather, the man of any nation who fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. This is the message he has sent to the sons of Israel, 'the good news of peace proclaimed through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Sounds like Isaiah's message from God. A similar calling is ours as baptized Christians. Being a Christian does not mean just avoiding sin. We are anointed to serve and do good and to be concerned about other human beings who are in the grip of evil. And God will be with us! Through our own baptism, we, too, are anointed by the Holy Spirit and become sons and daughters of God, heirs with Jesus to the throne in heaven, beloved by God who extends his favor upon us, too. May the Lord be with you as you go forth in his


Council Officers Grand Knight

Bob Gilmartin

Chaplain Fr. Joe Lutz Deputy Grand Knight

Bill Roth Chancellor Burt Brown Recorder Bob Girdwain Financial Secretary Bill Goetz Treasurer Dan Kadolph Advocate Jim Gebhardt Warden Steve

Schnulle Guard Art Barsema Guard Doug Ollie Guard Jeff Bowgren Guard Guard

Matt Kling Jim Webb

Trustee (3 Year) Fred Karl Trustee (2 Year) Sean Morgan Trustee (1 Year) Jason Lynch District Deputy Jason Lynch

Field Agent Greg Paul 708 601-5489

Council Directors Membership

Director Paul

Braddock Church Director Gary Topacio

Co-

Community Directors

Jim

McNamara, Tom Sikorski

Council Director

Tom Rasmussen

Family Co-Directors

Nathan Marchese,

Roman Seckel

Youth Co- Directors

Jason O'Sullivan, Kevin True

Culture of Life Director Jerry Pietryla

way, his truth and in his light. Love and Prayers,

Fr. Joe

Useful Links Did you know there is a LinkedIn group for KofC 12497? For those interested in networking professionally with other BKs and exchanging job opportunities, LinkedIn is a useful tool. Connect at www.linkedin.com/groups/St-Charles-Knights-Columbus-Council-6532622/about. We have over 40 members! To help our families better become what they are called to be, the Knights of Columbus launched an initiative entitled: “Building the Domestic Church: The Family Fully Alive.” Monthly themes, meditations and activity ideas can be found at www.kofc.org/un/en/domestic-church/. Theme for this month: Because God is the Lord of mercy, we want to help heal our family wounds and promote forgiveness.

Ceremonial Team certified Congratulations to our council's First Degree ceremonial team, which was recently certified by the Knights of Columbus' Supreme Council. The team is led by Brother Bill Roach. Team members include John Hamill, Mike Safranski, Paul Herrmann, Bob Hlavacek, Jon Mielke, Steve Schnulle, and Bob Gilmartin.


Corporate Communion Mass – Jan. 24 Let's start out the calendar year by worshipping together on Sunday, January 24th at 9:45 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick's Crane Road Church. Wives and families are welcome. Wear your name badge to identify you as a Knight. We will reserve a few rows on the left side pews as you enter from the main entrance. Unity and Fraternity in the service of God!

Knight of the Month Congratulations to Manny Fragoso, the Knight of the Month for November! Manny did a stellar job running the Pies By The Guys event this year, and we are very grateful for his leadership and drive!

Ladies Auxiliary Report

Happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2016. 2015 was a great year. We made some new friends and lost some old ones. Looking back, I would like to and thank everyone for a successful year. As always there were some great times. Just a few were Here I am Lord, Perennial plant sale, Pride of the Fox and the Dragonboats during the family picnic, Tootsie Rolls and Mystic Monk coffee sales. But the culmination was Breakfast with Santa and the Keep Christ in Christmas Contest.

We are now looking ahead to those ongoing activities such as Here I am Lord which will be here before we know it, and the 2nd Annual Perennial Plant sale. I would like to thank all of the Ladies and Gentlemen who helped make 2015 such a success. And I ask for your help as we strive to make 2016 even more of a success. God Bless and many good things for you and your family. In an ongoing effort for parish community involvement and spirituality, an event reminder from the Ladies Auxiliary: Recitation of the Rosary on the First Saturday of the month. 3:30 p.m. (Before 4:00 Mass) at St. Patrick – Crane Rd. and after 5:15 Mass at St. John Neumann. Our Blessed Mother asks us to pray the Rosary - Please join us in this beautiful First Saturday Devotion! Thea Stowell President, Ladies Auxiliary


Fraternal Benefits Night – Feb. 4 Brother Knights, On Thursday February 4 Council 12497 will host a Fraternal Benefits Night from 7:00-8:00 pm. This recruitment event is an opportunity to invite a friend, neighbor, or relative to learn more about who we are and what we do. We have had great success with this event in the past and I would like to encourage you to join in supporting our efforts by attending. It speaks volumes to potential members to be greeted warmly by a sizeable group of Brother Knights! Please consider helping us to demonstrate our Charity, Unity, and Fraternity to “strangers” by spending a couple of hours supporting this recruitment drive. Vivat Jesus! Gregory Paul Field Agent

Free Throw Contest – Jan. 31 All boys and girls ages 9 to 14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the 2016 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship. The local competition will be held January 31 at 3:00 pm at the St. Patrick downtown school gym. The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, and state competitions. All boys and girls 9 to 14 years old are eligible to participate and will compete in their respective age divisions. Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent. Entry forms will be available on the day of the event. For any additional questions contact: Keith True at [email protected].

Spelling Bee Contest – Feb. 7 All girls and boys 16 or younger and not past 8th grade by March 1, 2016 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the 2016 Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee! The event will be held Sunday February 7 at 1:00 pm at the St. Patrick downtown school gym. The Spelling Bee is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, and state competitions. Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent. Entry forms will be available on the day of the event. For any additional questions contact: Jason O'Sullivan at [email protected].

Need a ride to a meeting or event? Call uber Knights! The Knights listed below have agreed to give you a ride, at a mutually agreed time, to and from a Knights meeting or event if they are also attending. Please call an uber Knight in your geographic area, as identified below, if you need this free service. Don't let winter weather, car repairs, injury, or unavailability of the family car keep you from participating. Call an uber Knight! East of Fox River and North of Army Trail Road: Gavin Burke 630 262 5318 Fred Karl 847 373 2922 East of Fox River between Army Trail and East Main Street: Jim Gebhardt 312 405 0378 East of Fox River and south of East Main Street:


Volunteer needed West of Fox River and north of Red Gate: Kevin Malooly 806 881 9770 Manny Fragoso 847 946 4915 Art Barsema 630 443 8991 Ken Konetzki 630 745 0519 Dennis Marquis 708 476 1151 Gary Topacio 847 888 3599 West of Fox River between Red Gate and West Main Street: Ed Mundt 847 609 1636 Bob Girdwain 630-584-9217 Steve Pentek 630 715 0230 Paul Herrmann 630 485 0784 West of Fox River and south of West Main Street: Greg Sengstock 630 770 5348 Steve McAuley 630 208 0467 Jim Webb 630 514 7703

Field Agent: Our Guarantees Set Us Apart 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. That’s peace of mind, and that’s what we offer with every product in our portfolio. We guarantee the cash value in your whole life policies will be there. We guarantee the rates on your term insurance. We guarantee our retirement products will provide a stream of income when you need it. On top of those product guarantees, I guarantee that I will offer professional, high-quality service that you would expect from our organization. Our Order is among the highest rated life insurers in North America. AM Best rated the Knights of Columbus “A++, Superior” for 39 consecutive years. It’s a testament to our track record for excellence and security. I would suggest that a principal reason that we were able to achieve those accolades is because we remain steadfastly committed to the vision of Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney by providing life insurance by brother Knights for brother Knights. That commitment is an essential core value of the Knights of Columbus, and our core values permeate all levels of our organization. We pledge to serve our brother Knights, and their families, according to our Golden Rule: “In all my professional relationships, I pledge myself to the following rule of conduct: I shall, in light of all conditions surrounding those I serve, render that service which, under the same circumstances, I would apply to myself.” Let’s talk soon to discuss how our products can bring that peace of mind to you and your family.

Gregory Paul, FIC (708) 601-5489 [email protected]


Bellarmine men's silent retreat, January 2016 Please consider attending the annual Bellarmine men’s retreat this coming January. Fr. Michael Sparough, S.J. is a member of Bellarmine’s resident staff, the founder of Charis Ministries (a Jesuit retreat ministry for outreach to young adults), and has trained spiritual directors at Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral Studies. Fr. Sparough has published on prayer and the sacraments with St. Anthony Messenger Press, Loyola Press and other publications. The January 22-24, 2016 silent retreat with Fr. Sparough will begin on Friday evening. The weekend features eight talks, an opportunity for private conferences with a spiritual director, and Mass and confession. The retreat concludes after lunch on Sunday, around 1pm. There are three ways to register: 1. Call the office at 847-381-1261. You can make the $85 deposit payment over the phone with a credit card. 2. Register online at www.jesuitretreat.org. 3. Mail in a registration form with a check or credit card information to:

Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, 420 W. County Line Rd., Barrington, IL 60010 Note: I am looking for 1 or 2 Co-Captains to help me recruit new men to attend our Bellermine Retreats in January every year. Please contact me if you can help. Chuck Jaeger, brother Knight email [email protected] Phone 630-779-4564


Membership Report HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! GOD'S BLESSINGS TO YOU IN 2016!!!!! Whether the year be 2016 or some other year, you may think this is just another year. Why should there be anything different going on this year? It's time to move on...same thing over and over again. This is the Jubilee Year of Mercy...that is why 2016 will be different than any other year! People are jumping on board with Pope Francis and following his example of helping others. He continues to lead the path for us to follow. Plus, I hope you read the article from Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson entitled "Our Mission to Build the Domestic Church and Strengthen Parish Life" in the December 2015 issue of the Columbia magazine. In his key principles for the future growth and work of the Knights of Columbus, he states that we need to be among the people in our respective parishes. With the refreshing new initiatives, we are to integrate our activities to more closely interact with those which match our parish goals. What this means to me is that, as a Knight, I need to be interacting with more activities that our parish offers and discover ways to make these activities exciting. We need to offer our services to those who can use our services. When we are involved with our parish, we are growing closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I need to pray with my wife and my family. The message from Mass today is that I need to get to know Jesus better and to learn to trust Him in my daily life. Believing in God will allow me to openly speak to others about the Knights of Columbus and how my faith life has been enriched by being a member of the Knights. In 2016, wouldn't life be even better if we trusted that God will take care of us? Building this trust comes in steps. The first step is to invite someone to attend our Fraternal Benefits (K)night on Thursday, February 4, 2016. Let them hear and see the good that can come from being of service to others. The second step is to become a member of the St. Charles Knights of Columbus on Monday, February 8, 2016. You do the inviting and then let the Holy Spirit take over from there. Fraternally yours, Paul Braddock Membership Director [email protected] 630-901-3164

GET READY! 2016 PERENNIAL SALE At our September meeting Dennis Marquis spoke about out new fund raiser – Knights of Columbus springtime perennial plant sale with the Ladies Auxiliary. One might ask: why are we talking about growing plants in the face of impending winter months? Au contraire: his request focused around the fall season being the appropriate time for plant donors to dig and divide their overgrown perennials. He asked that the divisions be set aside to winter over in their yards for potting next spring. Many perennial plants are best divided in the fall. Information on how to divide and what plants are best can be obtained by calling Julia Cooper 630.248.0413 or Lorna Marquis 630-450-5958. We have a list of desired plants that can be emailed to you for more information. Our goal this year is to have at least 1500 plants available for sale. The 2016 plant sale is scheduled for Saturday May 14 at the Crane Road Church grounds.


Photo Album

Breakfast with you-know-who!

This breakfast isn’t just for kids!

Feeding the flock

Our GK, in the spirit!

Fall Classic 5k team presents check to Special Olympics

BK Steve Hill – check to Hope For Haitians (from Fall Classic 5K)

BK Gavin Burke – check to Wendy Bialek for Pederson Place (from IDF drive)

BK Gavin Burke – check to Gwen Brown for Misericordia Heart of Mercy

Home (from IDF drive)

GK Bob Gilmartin, BK Gavin Burke –

check to Colleen McDonald for Special Camps for Special Citizens

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