Knights Newsletter 06-2015

The Chester Light
Hudson Valley Knights of Columbus
St. Columba Council No. 8637
June 2015
“In service for our Parish”
Chester Council Welcomes Two New Knights of Columbus
Peter Puelzi
Richard Scheck
Anthony La Spina
Grand Knight
We congratulate Chancellor Ron Nelson Sr. in bringing two new members to our Council
and look forward to their participation in our fraternal activities. We also promise to be
alongside them as together we support our parish, give back to our community, and
grow in our faith. Fellow knights: please introduce yourselves to our newest brothers at
the June meeting.
Fr. John S. Bonnici
Our Chaplain
Grand Knight’s Letter
Kent Fletcher
Deputy Grand Knight
Ron Nelson, Sr.
Chancellor
Hello Worthy Brother Knights:
Daniel Serritello
Warden
Hello Worthy Brother Knights, I hope that this letter finds you and your
families well.
Kerry Hannifan
Recorder
This Month marks the end of my second year being your Grand Knight and I will be passing on the
gavel. We have accomplished a great deal. We started with a record C & B fund raiser, had two
very successful membership drives, and our major fundraiser, "Nite at Races,” giving $500.00
dollar back to our parish. For Thanksgiving we raised more than $1200 in Shop Rite gift cards. We
also hosted “Breakfast with Santa” for the parish and also have been involved monthly with the
Chester Food Pantry.
William Newell
Financial Secretary
John Carieri
Treasurer
Alan Michels, PGK
Advocate
Ron Nelson
Joe Maglio
Inside Guards
Orlando Perez
Jim Romito
Outside Guards
Robert Moran
Joseph Furey, PGK
Arthur Connolly, Sr.
Trustees
In May Father John had the parish picnic which was well attended by all parishioners. I want to
give special thanks to all our worthy Brothers that helped with the traffic control and the cooking
that day.
In June our worthy PGK Joe Furey, worthy Trustee Art Connolly, worthy Chancellor Ron Nelson
Sr., worthy Brother Darrell Corti and other worthy Brothers helped to take out the old carpet
from class rooms and painted two of the classrooms in the school. I want to say a job well done.
I want wish Father Charlie Good Luck on his new assignment as a pastor, he will be missed. This
past Sunday after the 12:00pm Mass Father John had coffee and cake for Father Charlie at our
new home Hap Murray Hall, which was well attended by parishioners and Brother knights and
family, and on my finale message as Grand Knight I want to thank all my worthy Brother Knights
for being there. I would also like to separately thank all of the officers who served this council
this past two years. Your leadership and dedication made my job much easier. I also want thank
Father John for his support and friendship. He is always there for us.
Vivat Jesus,
GK Anthony La Spina
Chester Council Elections
Slate of Candidates
Grand Knight:
Kent Fletcher
Deputy G. K.
Ron Nelson, Sr.
Chancellor
Robert Espaillat
Warden
Carl D’Antonio
Recorder
Joe Pipon
Treasurer
John Carieri
Advocate
Joseph Maglio
Inside Guard
Orlando Perez
Outside Guard
Jim Romito
Trustee 3 yr.
Anthony Laspina
Trustee 2 yr.
Art Connolly, Sr.*
Trustee 1 yr.
Joe Furey*
*Only the 3rd yr. trustee is up for election
Chester Council News
Chester Council receives it’s new Banner
PGK Joe Furey had a surprise waiting for the Officers at our monthly meeting. He had just received
the Council’s new banner and came to Hap Murray
Hall before the meeting and put it up.
All the Officers attending were delighted and
thanked Joe for the time and effort he made to
complete this project. Come see it at the June
Council Meeting.
K n i g h t s o f C o l u m b u s I n s u ra n c e N e w s
Why We Offer Insurance
The drive to offer financial protection for Catholic families comes from our
venerable founder, Father Michael J. McGivney.
In the summer of 1873, as a young seminarian in Canada, Michael McGivney was
forced to leave theological studies and return home to aid his family after the
sudden death of his father, Patrick. “He was reeling,” it says in his biography Parish Priest. “He packed his belongings, knowing that he would never return to
Sainte-Marie, and went home.”
Another of his parishioners, Edward Downes Jr., was forced to quit the seminary
after his father died unexpectedly. He returned home to New Haven to support
his mother and 12 siblings. In those days, the court had the right to assign chilGood of the Order
dren to public institutions if it had reason to believe that their families could not
If a Brother Knight or a member of the family
properly care for and support them. Unless they were represented by a financially
who is seriously sick, hospitalized, or has passed secure guardian in court, the teenage Downes boys would be removed from their
away, please call or email:
family.
On Feb. 6, 1882 — the very same day as the first meeting for what would bePGK Joe Furey
come the Knights of Columbus — Father McGivney appeared in court to stand as
845-469-2726 or [email protected]
guardian for Edward’s brother Alfred. The court accepted, yet Father McGivney
was frustrated by the recurring nightmare of financial hardship.
“Even though he was only a young man,” Parish Priest says of Father McGivney,
The Cardinal’s Annual Appeal
“he was filled with a lifetime of anger and frustration at the sense of doom that
settled over nearly every family that lost its wage earner. On the afternoon of
The Chester Council fully supports the St.
February 6, he was more determined than ever that what had happened to the
Columba Cardinal’s Annual Appeal. Please
support our church and Father John who has Downes family need not happen to anyone else.”
In that spirit, Father McGivney set off with “entrepreneurial zeal” to found the
supported our efforts since the Council was
Knights of Columbus. In his own words, Father McGivney wanted the organization
reformed.
to “to unite the men of our Faith throughout the Diocese of Hartford, that we
You can make a contribution at church or at: may thereby gain strength to aid each other in time of sickness, to provide for
decent burial, and to render pecuniary assistance to the families of the deceased
www.cardinalsappeal.org
members.”
He knew what life was like without that assistance. The initial system of “life
insurance” designed by Father McGivney was a simple one, a pass-the-hat system
Editor’s Note:
through which each member could help support his brother Knights.
As the organization grew council by council, state by state, and country by
The Council newsletter will have a com- country, so too did the insurance program. The pass-the-hat system was transbined July/August edition. As always, ar- formed into one of the largest and most highly rated life insurance programs in
ticles can be submitted to:
North America.
Elections for officers of the Chester Council are
scheduled for the June 15th meeting. The slate of
candidates was presented verbally at the May 18th
Council meeting by the nominating committee. Any
third degree member can place their name for
consideration for any position prior to the election.
Kent Fletcher, Newsletter Editor
via email at:
[email protected]
Greg Soboleski, FIC
Field Agent #16269
(T) 845-782-4681 (C) 201-401-5805
[email protected]
More Chester Council News
Knight of the Month
May
Knights in action: Parish picnic, Father Charlie’s Celebration,
Food for Families: Chester Pantry
Alan Michels
Chairman of “Nite at the Races”
We thank you for your service for
the St. Columba Council
Good of the Order
If a Brother Knight or a member of the
family who is seriously sick, hospitalized,
or has passed away, please call or email:
PGK Joe Furey
845-469-2726
[email protected]
Food Pantry Needs Volunteers
The next date coming up will be
Thursday, June 25th
Times: 4:00-5:30pm & 6:00-7:00pm
Contact Kerry Hannifan
[email protected]
Council Member
Birthdays
Robert Espaillat
July 1
Robert Rodriguez
July 4
Hohn Weiss
July 4
Edward Mariani
July 5
Kevin Moore
July 8
Orlando Perez
July 11
Angel Bello
July 18
Joe Furey
July 19
Robert Allen
July 20
Rev. Thomas Curley
July 25
Ron Nelson, Sr.
July 26
Kevin O’Reilly
July 26
Ray Buttigieg
July 28
Scott Salotti
August 4
Robert Conrad
August 21
Jewels of the Office for Councils
Emblems of the Knights of Columbus
The Warden
assures that all members at
meetings possess the current membership card and
is elected by the members of the council. He is
custodian of all Council property except funds and
is in charge of properly setting up the Council
Chamber. He directs the activities of the Inside
and Outside Guards. His jewel consists of Axe
bound by Fasces and is suspended from a red over
black ribbon. Guards or protectors of Roman Magistrates generally carried the Axe and Fasces as a
sign of Authority. The Warden's ceremonial officer
robe is black, trimmed with scarlet. He wears a
scarlet cincture with silver fringe.
Organization
Hudson Valley Knights of Columbus
St. Columba Council, No. 8637
29 High Street
Chester, NY 10918
Please submit articles or news to:
Kent Fletcher, Newsletter Editor
via email at:
[email protected]
Council Meeting
Monday, June 15th
7:00 p.m. Regular Meeting
Hap Murray Hall, St. Columba School
Note: The monthly food basket will be placed at the door,
please bring a contribution to help make our goal
Dates of Note:
Friday, June 19, Chapter Meeting, Poughkeepsie, NY
Saturday, June 27, K. of C. Annual Charity Ball, Fishkill, NY