Jack McCusker Parishioner, Immaculate Conception Church May - June
2008 As we near the end of the council year it
is a good time to reassess our commitments to the principles
of the order and the projects that we undertake to
illustrate our commitment to those principles. We work as
ushers, cooks, cleaners, fundraisers, and in many other
capacities. Some of our members are very active and are
involved in every event and others are somewhat less
involved. The only real limitation on what we can accomplish
is the availability of workers. I would like to express my
heartfelt appreciation to those men who have so consistently
answered to the call for help. But we need to do better! We
especially have a need for men who will step up and say that
they would like to accept responsibility for leading and
coordinating our various projects. No special talents are
needed, just a willingness to work a few hours a month. If
you are interested in taking on some additional
responsibility call me at ***-**** or email me. March-April
2008 Spring is in the air and our thoughts
turn college basketball playoffs, spring training for
baseball and yard work. In between those obviously important
thoughts we need to take a look at the other harbingers of
spring - tootsie roll drives, art auctions and council yard
sales.The next two months will be an especially busy time
and we will need the support of all of our members to take
care of business. Please try to attend the next membership
meeting on Tuesday March 4th we will be
recruiting volunteers for all of this work If you check the calender you will notice
that we have a 1st Degree Exemplification
scheduled on the 2nd Tuesday of March and April,
we have several candidates and are scheduling the
exemplification to be held as an independent event. This
Sunday look around you for new Knights and ask them. At
least one of our candidates stated that he had never
been asked to join the Knights although he had been
interested for years in learning more about our order. Don't
be bashful. Talk to others about the KofC and lets grow
together. On March 18th , our meeting will be a strictly
social dinner ( families are welcome). We will be honoring
many of our members that nightso please be there to show
your support and appreciation. January - February
2008 With the beginning of the New Year, I am aware that we
will have a busy time. The calendar for January and February
is full and is just an indication of things to come. As we
move into spring we will have a number of events including
St. Patrick's Day, the Art Auction with St. Joseph's School
on April 12th, and several other events including a possible
golf tournament. We will be busy and I truly appreciate the
help that many of you have so generously given and look
forward to your continued support. We have recently become aware of some significant
maintenance expenses that are going to be necessary at Shea
Hall. The roof on the main building needs to be replaced and
we are going to have to replace one of the heaters and
perform significant repairs on the other. These projects are
expected to run between $10,000 and $15,000 and must be
undertaken. We have a couple of funding option. First we
could liquidate our reserve account and pay as we go, this
would be a very shortsighted choice. We also could increase
the mortgage and spread the expense over time; this choice
would be manageable but would put a strain on our budget. A
third option would be to raise the money through an
assessment or member contributions. Every dollar raised
would reduce the drain on our reserves or would reduce our
potential indebtedness. If we can raise between $125 and
$150 per member we could avoid either borrowing or draining
our reserves. A stamped envelope has been enclosed with this
newsletter. I urge you to consider this request and return
the envelope with your contribution. I understand that the
suggested amount may be greater than some of you can afford.
Please give as much as you can. So far we have been very
self-sufficient on acquiring and maintaining Shea Hall. Let
all of us do what we can to keep it that way. There is an information card enclosed. Please complete it
and include it with your donation. Fraternally, Jack McCusker, Grand Knight November - December
2007 What a great year this has been! We have added new
members and are heading into the New Year with great
expectations. Take a few minutes to reflect on some of the
great times we have had and some of our special
achievements. We kicked off the year with a successful
Superbowl party at Shea Hall, followed by a St. Patrick's
dinner. We hosted our first ever Art Auction, which was a
social and financial success. We were able to run, not one,
but two MR Drives raising several thousand dollars to aid
the intellectually challenged. Our first yard sale was a lot
of fun and produced good results. On the state level, one of our own, Doc Davidson, was
honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and was elected
as a delegate to the Supreme Convention. We also will
receive the Father Michael McGivney award for the second
consecutive year. The New Year will bring new challenges and new rewards.
The council will lay out its plans for 2008 at the first
business meeting in January. Have you identified your
candidate for membership in 2008? Vivat Jesus September - October
2007 I had the privilege of attending the Supreme
convention a few weeks ago and the most significant words I
heard came from His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone,
Vatican Secretary of State. During his homily at the opening
Mass. He quoted from an obituary notice for Father McGivney,
who was just 38 when he died. The article referred to the
Book of Wisdom, "Being perfected in a short time, they
fulfilled long years; for their souls were pleasing to the
Lord, therefore he took them quickly from the midst of
wickedness." Cardinal Bertone comments included the
following."This holy priest found the faith and courage
to walk steadfastly towards Christ and to inspire others by
his leadership. He recognized the need to promote mutual
support and solidarity within the Catholic Community. Every
concrete method and strategy taught and promoted by Father
McGivney was aimed at the good of the human person destined
for eternal life. Father McGivney's legacy lives on today in
the Knights continuing effort to keep themselves and others-
informed about complex issues regarding human life, justice,
freedom and the common good." If you would like to honor Fr McGivney, several
work opportunities are mentioned in this newsletter. VIVAT JESUS February - March
2007 As you can see from the schedule, 2007 starts out as a
very busy year. Other events that will be coming up this
spring include the MR Drive, the Yard Sale, and the Art
Auction. We have our work cut out for us but I believe that
we are up to the task. Reaction to the recent socials has
been positibve and has also served as a valuable recruitment
opportunity. You will note that the second meeting of the
month has been moved to Sunday afternoons. This is being
done to afford members who have difficulty in making an
evening meeting an alternative. The Sunday meetings will be
accompanied by a pre-meeting brunch and will have a social
or education tone. Since this is not a closed business
meeting it will give you the opportunity to invite guests
and potential members. Thanks again to those dedicated members who regularly
make themselves available when duty calls. We will be
scheduling a "spring cleaning" day and will be calling on
all members to pitch in. VIVAT JESUS July, 2006 The Knoxville Council of the Knights of Columbus (Council
645) will begin a new era in July. for the first time in
almost a decade we will have a home that we can call our
own. This building is a multi-purpose building and will
afford us the opportunity to schedule a variety of
activities and social events. We are going to have the
ability to involve the entire family on meeting nights and
that should help members participate and also to bring
growth to the council. Every member should be identifying
one man from Church that can be recruited during the coming
year. Plan on attending the meeting on July 18th with your
family. We will begin with a family rosary at 7pm, the
ladies auxiliary will have a meeting in their room during
the business meeting and we will finish with refreshments
following the meeting. Every Knight should make a list of candidates and develop
a recruiting plan. There is no reason that would preclude
having a First Degree on at least a bi-monthly basis
beginning in September. Let's have a really great growth
year! Vivat Jesus June, 2006 On June 6th we will have a decision meeting. The
leadership of the council for the coming year will be
decided as well as a decision on the acquisition of the
building on Millertown Pike as a new council hall. We need
to put some prayerful thought to work in making these
choices. This year the Knoxville Council (Council 645) is
celebrating its 105th anniversary and is at a crossroads. We
will make a decision to maintain the status quo or to take a
step forward in reestablishing the Knoxville Council as the
leading Knights of Columbus organization in this part of the
state. If we are up to the challenge, this building presents
both opportunities and challenges. Because of its size and
central location we will be able to address a number of
problems including storage as well as developing programs to
allow for the greater inclusion of families. There are rooms
in the building for a nursery, a woman's auxiliary and a
room that could be set aside for the squires. We have the opportunity, are we up to the
challenge? May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February,
2006 January,
2006 December,
2005 There is a poem by Will Allen Dromgale that tells the
story of an old man building a bridge across a swollen
stream. He had been strong enough to cross against the
current and then began building a bridge. As he worked
another traveler told him that he was wasting strength on a
bridge that the old man would never use, since he was at the
end of his days. The old man responded that there would be a
young man that would follow him that might not be able to
safely cross the stream. "Good friend, I am building the
bridge for him." Immaculate Conception Church celebrates her
150th anniversary next week. Each generation in
the parish has had many bridge builders who worked to ensure
that the Church on the Hill would be here for their children
and their children's children. This is a good time to bring
to mind all of the bridge builders past and present. It is
also a good time to join the ranks of the bridge builders.
Over the next few days determine how you can build a bridge
for the church and for the fellowship of the Knights of
Columbus. There are spans to be built, find
yours. November,
2005 October,
2005 September,
2005 Unsung heroes are in our midst. Our lives are a gift from
God, given to us that we might in turn give our lives in
service to Him and to others. This truth is one that is
virtually ingrained into the lives of our police, fire and
rescue personnel, who, day in and day out put their lives on
the line for us. As Jesus said,” Greater
love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends”(John 15:13) The Blue Mass
(referring to the blue uniforms worn by so many public
safety personnel) is a new tradition in our diocese and is a
special project taken on by Council 645. I encourage you to
join our law enforcement, public safety officers and their
families at our Blue Mass. Let us give thanks for the
Guardian Angels He has placed beside each one of us. August,
2005 I hope that the planned change in format will encourage a
greater degree of participation in our gatherings. I am a
bit of a novice at the role of Grand Knight and am going to
need a lot of help from some of our more seasoned veterans.
This organization can be as dynamic and fulfilling as we are
willing to make it. If you have not been particularly active
in recent years please reconsider and come to the meetings.
Father Mankel went into detail on the alternative meetings
scheduled for August and September. We also ahve some
special events in the planning stage. For October, we are
developing a program related to "homeland security" and hope
to have a speaker from the Tennessee State Guard. All
families at Holy Ghost and Immaculate Conception will be
welcome to attend this program. A special program of
entertainment is being considered that will tie into the
annual MR drive, this program will also be open to all
parishioners. I am sure that many of you have some program
ideas that will be attractive. Please don't hesitate to
share them with me. I would especially like to see some of
our members who have withdrawn from the organization return.
You are sorely missed and we ought to be able to overcome
the problems that separated us. -Grand Knight Jack McCusker November,
2004 Dear
Brothers: November and December:
months of new life and remembering those who have died, the
end of the old year and the beginning of the new, the Feast
of All Saints and All Souls, and the Advent of Christ our
Savior. Our Council has experienced all of this in the past
two months. First, I am pleased to announce the birth of my
newest child and second daughter, Lorelei Elizabeth. She was
born on November 10, at a weight of eleven pounds. I
appreciate the kindness, understanding and prayers of my
brother knights and their families during the past month
when I was unable to attend all the scheduled functions
because of my wife's need for my support before and during
Lorelei's birth, and during her recovery afterward.
Everybody is doing very well now. I am very sad to report
the loss of Brother and Sir Knight John Brown, who died on
November 30, in the comfort of his home. He was active in
his many projects up to the end, hosting an exchange person
from Kenya at his home during the week before he died.
Please pray for the repose of his soul, and for the friends
and family that he leaves behind. Please continue to pray for
the recovery of our brothers and PGK's, Doc Davidson and Two
Bears Hebert. Doc is at home recovering successfully from
open heart and bypass surgery. Two-Bears is still at the
University of Tennessee Hospital, in room 925, recovering
from pulmonary failure. He would love to see and hear from
any brother knight and their family. After discharge from
UT, he will need rehabilitation therapy for an uncertain
period of time. Our Council has continued to
successfully complete its many scheduled activities, in our
proud tradition of service, these past three months. We held
our banner event, the Blue Mass, honoring all who serve our
community as Police and Firefighters, on September 29th, at
Holy Ghost, with Bishop Kurtz presiding. On October 3rd,
Respect Life Sunday, our council sponsored a Rosary for
Life, which was attended by over 35 people. On the eve of
All Souls Day, we hosted a Eucharistic Adoration for twelve
hours, which received tremendous support of the Holy Ghost
Parishioners. I would like to especially thank Charles
Chandler for providing his beautiful Icons to add to the
service. On November 16th, we held our Thanksgiving Social
and Member Benefits Night. We have continued to have our
monthly breakfasts at IC and Holy Ghost, and we have sold
the last package of Christmas cards that was ordered six
years ago! Sunday, Deccember 5 -
Pancake Breakfast - Holy Ghost Church - All
Masses Tuesday, December 7 - IC: We
will hold our final Business Meeting and First Degree of the
year. There are several important items to be discussed and
decided, including discussing next year's schedule of
events, new appointments of some committee chairs for the
new year, where we will hold our council meetings in the new
year (see below), what to do for a Christmas Service Project
this year, and the usual request for donations. Wednesday, December 8 - The
Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Holy Day of Obligation
- Immaculate Conception will be celebrating its Mass at 7:30
PM to commence the one year celebration of the 150th
anniversary of the church that occurs on December 8, 2005.
Bishop Kurtz will be presiding. Our council will be
presenting a donation to the Church in the amount of $1000
in honor of all of those IC Knights of Columbus who have
died since the Council was formed in 1902. If you are aware
of any departed K of C Council 645 brother who was an IC
Parishioner whose name should be included on our
presenatation list, please let me or John Swindeman
know. Sunday, Devember 12 - Advent
Penance Service - Saint Joseph School - 7:30 PM Thursday, December 16 -
Saint Joseph Christmas Program - 6:30 PM Saturday, December 18 -
Farewell Reception for Father Haley - 2:00-5:00 PM - IC
Basement Sunday, December 19 -
Pancake Breakfast - IC - All Masses Saturday, December 25 -
CHRISTMAS Saturday, January 1 - NEW
YEAR'S DAY, Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, Holy Day of
Obligation Sunday, January 2 - Pancake
Breakfast, Holy Ghost Church, All Masses Tuesday, January 4 -
Business Meeting - 7:30 PM, Location To be
Determined Monday, January 17 - MLK Day
and Parade Tuesday, January 18 -
Business Meeting, 7:30 PM, Location to be
Determined Sunday, January 23 - March
for Life - Calvary Baptist Church to Tyson Park - 2:00
pm Sunday, January 30 - Pancake
Breakfast, IC, All Masses During the December 7th
Business Meeting, after all committee reports, we will
conduct a Home Association Meeting to put to a vote the
proposal to rent, with an option to buy, the Parent Place
Home located at 2406 Magnolia Ave, as a new Council Hall. If
you have not done so, you may contact Bert Benedict to visit
the home before the meeting. VIVAT JESUS, JOHN T. SHOLLY, PGK,
FDD October,
2004 September,
2004 Dear
Brothers: I wish to express my
tremendous appreciation to all my brother Knights and their
families for the great start to this fraternal year. Council
645 has gotten off to a wonderful beginning, which bodes
well for the rest of this year. So far this year we have had
already initiated two new members, reactivated one, and had
one transfer in. We have held a fun-filled social at Jim and
Carol Cortese's house, prepared and served food at John
XXIII at the request of the Pastor, participated in the
dedication of the handicapped entrance to Holy Ghost,
supported our seminarian, and sponsored a deacon, all in
addition to conducting our regular meetings and pancake
breakfasts. We have three major events
this month, in addition to our regular meetings and pancake
breakfasts. On September 6 (Labor Day) we will be holding
this month's social at Charter E. Doyle Park. Please see the
newsletter for all the details. On Saturday, September 25,
2004, Father Mankel has asked us to clean up the grounds of
the location of the new Catholic Church to be built in
Halls, instead of the grounds of Holy Ghost, which was
originally scheduled. Finally, and most importantly, we will
be hosting the Blue mass for law enforcement and
firefighters on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 starting at
6:45 am. This is our Council's banner event for the season,
and we need everyone's support. Please contact John
Swindeman orme to find out where we need your help.
Breakfast will be served after the Mass, so please let Greg
McGinnis know if you can help at that. Also, Jack McCusker
is organizing a men's choir for the event. Finally, we need
a great turnout for the Honor Guard. If you have not
volunteered for any other aspect of helping with the Mass, I
will expect you participate in this. I have been receiving some
responses to my surveys that were in last month's
newsletter. Please keep sending them in so that we can make
our Council better than ever. If you have not received a
telephone call from me yet about your participation in
Council activities, expect one this month. Thanks to
all! VIVAT JESUS, JOHN T. SHOLLY, PGK,
FDD August,
2004 July, 2004 Dear
Brothers: It is with a greater
appreciation of the task before me that I have accepted the
position of Grand Knight for the next fraternal year, than I
did as a novice four years ago. I am, however, also more
aware of the potential for goodness that the Knights have in
our churches and communities then I was back
then. This fraternal year,
which runs from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005, I expect
more members of our council to be involved in our activities
than in any of the past nine years that I have been a Knight
of Columbus. How do I plan to facilitate this? First,
attached to this newsletter is a survey which I expect all
brothers to fill out and return. Second, I will have a
telephone tree that will contact each member before each
function or event that we have. Third, I will be personally
contacting each brother in this council to elicit
information about his participation in council activities,
or lack thereof, in an effort to welcome back lost members,
and renew the interest of those brothers who have become
weary of council activities. Finally, as you can see
from the beginning of my column, I have reinstated my theme
from four years ago, NOBODY CAN DO EVERYTHING, BUT EVERYODY
CAN DO SOMETHING. I expect everybody in this council to be
active in at least one activity each quarter. Unless you
have a disability, and are incapable of doing so, I want you
to ask yourself why aren’t you already
participating in one activity per quarter? I will be
contacting you to find out your reason! I am not questioning
your reason, but let's find a way past these bumps in the
road, and get back to why you joined the Knights in the
first place. The Lord God, your brother knights, your
parish, and your local community, state, and country could
surely use your support. As Catholic Christians
and Knights of Columbus, we are called to serve all of
these! There are still the hungry and thirsty to feed and to
provide with water, the stranger to welcome, the dead to
bury and pray for, the sick to visit and pray for, the lost
to call back to the fold, the homeless to build houses for,
the imprisoned to visit, the naked to clothe, the ignorant
to teach, those in error to correct, the suffering to
comfort, and those who have hurt us to forgive--all right
here in Knoxville! How do we, as Knights of
Columbus, do this? In every activity that we plan and
complete! At every meeting we pray for each soul that we can
think of, especially those in dire need. At every pancake
breakfast we nourish the hungry, at no cost if they cannot
afford it. Each time we wear our name badges at mass, and
talk to Catholics we do not know, and invite them to join
our ranks, we welcome the stranger.Each dollar we collect
for the M.R. Drive builds a house for the homeless, or
clothes the naked.All rosaries we pray to end abortion
comfort the suffering.All Pro-Life rallies we attend teach
the ignorant, and we hope, correct those in error.Each
contribution we make to our parish supports the priests,
deacons, and the Church. Every veteran we honor at a
Veteran's Day Dinner, and every police officer or fireman we
thank at a Blue Mass, is a comfort to one whom we know has
suffered for another's benefit. Brothers, we do Christ's
work on earth every time we do anything as a Knight of
Columbus!We are all given the same amount of time each day,
week, month and year.Surely, some activity on this list of
Columbian work appeals to you! Surely you can make a
commitment to give some of your time each quarter to God,
through the Knights of Columbus Council # 645! VIVAT
JESUS, JOHN T. SHOLLY, PGK,
FDD
