By: Gary Merritt - Sun, Feb 12, 2023 11:00 AM

The traveling St. Joseph Icon is currently making its way through the parishes of District #517. Council #7545 hosted the icon at St. Mary in Williamston this past week.

In the photo, Council #7545 Lecturer Deacon Steve Hilker leads the Saint Joseph prayer service on Tuesday, February 7.

The icon will next be hosted by Council 7816 at St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing followed by Council 10006 at St. Martha in Okemos.

DD #517 Kevin Duffy

By: Gary Merritt - Fri, Feb 10, 2023 5:24 PM

DONOR SOUGHT

Roman McCormick needs a kidney. The high school freshman from Toledo has a genetic renal condition that has gotten worse through the years.

Today he’s in stage 4 kidney failure and has just 25% kidney function.

Roman, 15, is the son of Jamie Redd and Dan McCormick. His dad is originally from Monroe and is a 17-year member of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 8902, Knights of Columbus in Temperance. Roman’s family and the Temperance K of C are actively seeking a kidney donor.

Diagnosis and aftermath Roman was born with branchiootorenal, or BOR, syn[1]drome, a condition passed on from his dad, who is a carrier, but who doesn’t have the disease. “Roman was born with two divots on the side of his ears. That’s a sign,” Redd said. “He also had an opening in his chest when he was born. He had branchial in his ears and chest.” At just 6 months old, Roman had surgery to remove the cysts from the sides of his ears and chest. At first, doctors thought he just had the branchial portion of BOR, but then, during a routine checkup at 12 months, he was diagnosed with BOR syndrome. “This came with the malformation.

To learn more about getting tested and the possibility of becoming a kidney donor, call the University of Michigan Transplant Center at 734-615-2040.

“If you are committed to donating a kidney, they will take it. You would give your kidney to another child in need with your blood type, and their family/friend with Roman’s blood type would give their kidney to Roman.”

Find the Complete story in Monroe News - Family, Temperance Knights of Columbus seek kidney for boy (monroenews.com)

By: Paul Thorn - Fri, Feb 10, 2023 5:03 PM

On Tuesday, February 7, District Deputy Harry Wisniewski Jr. presented the Detroit East November Council of the Month Award to St. Paul on the Lake Council #12121 in Grosse Pte. Farms to Grand Knight Richard Sandifer during the recent Council meeting.

On Tuesday, February 7, District Deputy Harry Wisniewski Jr. presented the Detroit East November Council of the Month Award to St. Paul on the Lake Council #12121 in Grosse Pte. Farms to Grand Knight Richard Sandifer during the recent Council meeting.

Congratulations to St. Paul on the Lake Council 12121!

Paul Thorn

State Deputy Regional Representative 

Detroit Archdiocese East

St. Mary of the Hills Council #13950

Knights of Columbus

'Faith and Family First'

By: Richard Shelt - Fri, Feb 10, 2023 4:15 PM

Two men were inducted into the Knights of Columbus, though a Charity, Unity and Fraternity Exemplification at Dr. Thomas A. Dooley Council #5492 in Clinton Twp. on Thursday February 9^th.

left to right, Tom Jacket GK, John Massman, Douglas Atha and John Galindo PGK.

The two men attended their first meeting and were very impressed with all of the programs that where discussed.

Welcome John and Douglas 

Fraternally and Vivat Jesus

Richard Shelt
State Deputy Regional Representative
Detroit Archdiocese West
734-812-0645
FAITH AND FAMILY

By: Gary Merritt - Fri, Feb 10, 2023 3:21 PM

Coming to St. Kieran Catholic Church Shelby Twp, MI 48316. Informational Presentation by Deacon Bob Tremmel Tues, March 21, 2023, 7:00 p.m. Self-guided Exhibition featuring a full-length canvas replica of the Shroud and a large, crucified corpus.

See www.stkieran.org for more details.

Vivat Jesus,

Joe Vogel

Recorder

St. Kieran Council #13983

586-484-1904

By: Gary Merritt - Thu, Feb 9, 2023 3:56 PM

 Michigan family’s adoption of two children with special needs leads to a medical mission in war-torn Ukraine

Joe and Tiffany Ampe pray the rosary with 10 of their children and a family friend at their home in Gwinn, Mich. Photo by Bryan Rehmann

Joe Ampe and his wife, Tiffany, were raising a bustling family of eight children in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula when, in February 2018, they saw a photo of a Ukrainian newborn.

“My wife and I have always been open to children,” said Joe, who is a member of Msgr. Nolan B. McKevitt Council 689 in Marquette. “Our home was a foster home for a while and we wanted to remain open to the possibility of adoption.”

Tiffany was scrolling through an advocacy website for orphans with special needs when she caught sight of the baby.

“It was a picture of a newborn boy in a pink outfit of all things,” she recounted. “I showed it to Joe and he said, ‘You don’t just show me a picture of a baby and then close the laptop.’ And I said, ‘OK, does that mean you want to investigate adoption?’ He said, ‘Yes.’”

In August 2018, the couple traveled to Ukraine, adopting not only the boy, later named Cazimir, but also an infant named Henrik, both of whom have Down syndrome. By this time, Tiffany was also six and a half months pregnant with another child, Isadora.

“It was similar to what I imagine it must be like to have triplets,” Joe said. “We suddenly went from eight to 11 children, and the blessings never stopped pouring out.”

But this was just the beginning of the Ampe family’s connection to Ukraine. In April 2022, less than two months after the Russian invasion, Joe and his son Evan flew to Poland with essential goods for Henrik’s birth family and medical supplies for a besieged hospital. With fundraising and support from Joe’s brother Knights and the wider community, members of the Ampe family have since made four more trips to deliver urgently needed aid to Ukrainian hospitals struggling to serve victims of the war.

Read the entire article, Ties that Bind, from Columbian HERE

By: Richard Shelt - Thu, Feb 9, 2023 3:08 PM

Worthies, It was my honor to present Robert H. Jones council #3078 in Lincoln Park with Council of the Month for January.

Pictured GK John Difrancesco and Richard Shelt SDRR.

P.S. this council is on way to being double Star. 

Awesome 

Fraternally and Vivat Jesus

Richard Shelt
State Deputy Regional Representative
Detroit Archdiocese West

By: Ed Strach - Thu, Feb 9, 2023 8:38 AM

Faith In Action – Aid & Support After Pregnancy

Knights of Columbus councils throughout the state continue demonstrating their Faith In Action with strong participation in the Aid & Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) program.

The Michigan Jurisdiction is #1 in the Order with 98 applications totaling in $115,244 donations to local pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. Thank you for your donations!

Your council or assembly can join this support by a $500 donation and the pregnancy resource center or maternity home will receive a $100 from the Supreme Council.

This is one example demonstrating our ability to Defend Life.

Click on the following for ASAP program information and resources.

Link to Supreme ASAP program HERE

State Life Director Ed Strach

By: Martin Brown - Tue, Feb 7, 2023 2:29 PM

Bishop Kevin M. Britt Council #13526 hosted the Grand Rapids Diocesan Free Throw Tournament at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Belmont on Saturday February 4^th.

It was great turnout with some great shooters.

Congratulations to all!

By: Paul J. Palka - Sun, Feb 5, 2023 4:00 PM

Idea for a New Program

Youth Recognition

 Congratulations to Avery Whitenight for being selected as the first ever "Youth of the Month Award" winner by the Au Lac Council 10724 in Ira Township! Avery is a 6th grade student at Immaculate Conception School and demonstrates her Catholic faith by being an altar server and helping lead our Rosary prayer group meetings on Wednesday evenings.

We plan to honor a different student in grades 5-12 each month who sets an example for others by their service to our Church and helping people in need. To nominate someone for this award, please contact our Worthy Grand Knight Jeff Wooten or Program Director Mark Kehoe.

Consider a program like this even if it is just quarterly as a way of honoring the good and faithful catholic youth in your parish or community.

Submitted by, Mark Kehoe Program Director Council #10724