By: Gary Merritt - Tue, Oct 20, 2020 9:28 AM

Fr. James Sullivan, rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, Conn., stands at the McGivney family grave site in the Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Waterbury July 6, 2020. Father Michael J. McGivney — who was buried there for 92 years until his body was moved to St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Conn. — will be beatified Oct. 31 during a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Conn.

WATERBURY, Conn.  — Msgr. John J. Bevins has been praying a long time that a miracle would be attributed to the intercession of Father Michael J. McGivney and move him one step closer to sainthood.

"I've been praying I would live long enough to see it," he said. "I was elated. We are praying harder now for the second miracle of canonization.”

The miracle needed for Father McGivney's beatification was approved by the Vatican last May. The founder of the Knights of Columbus will be beatified Oct. 31 during a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut.

He will be the first U.S. parish priest to be beatified and will be given the title “Blessed.”

Msgr. Bevins, who served as pastor of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury from 1991 to 2014, said he holds "great pride" that a man considered for sainthood walked the streets of Waterbury. "I have great pride in the city," he said. “Here, one of our own was raised.”

Waterbury was once a city of parishes where hundreds of thousands of Catholics attended church and were educated in the teachings of the church -- and where many vocations are said to have originated.

One of those vocations was for Father McGivney, the son of Irish immigrants, who was born in Waterbury. He attended local schools and developed his faith at Immaculate Conception Church, now the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where he was baptized, received the sacraments and said his first Mass as an ordained priest.

You may read the entire article by Catholic News Service on Detroit Catholic.com

By: Jon Olson - Tue, Oct 20, 2020 6:00 AM

Supreme Midwest Regional Training Director Jon Olson is offering 4 different training sessions for State, Regional, District and Council leaders in the month of October. They are DELTA DRIVE, COUNCIL GROWTH, COUNCIL EXPERIENCE AND YOU ARE YOUR PROGRAMS.

Let me give a brief statement on these training sessions. COUNCIL GROWTH, COUNCIL EXPERIENCE AND YOU ARE YOUR PROGRAMS training sessions will be the last for the next 4 months.

DELTA DRIVE: This training session talks about what items should be part of every organized growth drive. It also talks about planning and organizing the drive to make them effective.

COUNCIL GROWTH: This training talks about the “why” of growing your council and how together we can be successful at it.

COUNCIL EXPERIENCE: One secret of successful councils is that they engage their council members. This engagement leads these members to have positive membership experiences leading to more involvement from them and their families, leading to more men becoming interested in the council and ultimately the council’s ability to do more for the parish and the community. In this training, we’ll break down the five areas of engagement and provide practical, proven tactics for making sure that you engage your members in each of these areas. We’ll start with a council engagement assessment so you can see where your council has opportunities to improve so that you can focus specifically on these areas.

YOU ARE YOUR PROGRAMS: This is a new training presentation that we start talking about what programs we do and how we are looked at by the community by what the program that they see.

All these sessions will be under one hour long including a Q&A period. These 4 sessions are designed to compliment each other and make councils look and take action on the whole council success.

Here are the dates and times for the training sessions;

Use this link to sign up for the sessions you wish to attend.

Fraternally Jon Olson.

By: Joseph Yekulis - Thu, Oct 15, 2020 1:22 PM

St. Louis Center Holds Virtual 60th Anniversary Fundraiser w/Celebrity Host, Former UM Basketball Coach John Beilein.

St. Louis Center in Chelsea, MI is celebrating its long history with a 60^th Anniversary Virtual Event at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday October 22, 2020 on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/stlouiscenter/). Former University of Michigan Basketball Head Coach John Beilein will serve as celebrity host. Participants can virtually join Coach Beilein as he tours the St. Louis Center campus, and they can listen in on a conversation with former players Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Zack Novak; reminiscing about their 2012 visit.

The event will serve as a fundraising opportunity to support the growing needs during the pandemic of St. Louis Center, a residential facility for children, adults and seniors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Items autographed by Coach Beilein, including photographs, Michigan ball caps, and basketballs, will be available for donations. A dinner for six with Coach Beilein and his wife, Kathleen will also be auctioned off. Advanced bids are being accepted at https://bit.ly/slc60th-Beilein. There is no cost to view the event online.

Tim Hardaway has been in the NBA for the past six years and plays for the Dallas Mavericks, while Novak helped lead Michigan to the Big Ten Championship during the 2011-12 season and was a team captain. They both visited St. Louis Center on June 21, 2012 with Coach Beilein, when they and their teammates held basketball demonstrations and worked with the Center’s residents and staff.

At that time, Coach Beilein remarked, “If we can put a smile on the faces of these kids who face so many challenges in their everyday lives, then it’s worth the effort on our part to bring them a little bit of happiness.”

St. Louis Center provides residential care for 70 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and must raise $267 per adult resident per day to provide for their care; up from $230.50 prior to the pandemic. Funds raised will help to offset these increased costs.

In addition, a pre-event Mass of Thanksgiving will be said by the Servants of Charity, a Catholic order of priests who serve as administrators at St. Louis Center, at 6:30 p.m. The 60^th Anniversary Celebration begins at 7:00 p.m.

This fun, fast paced event will also include friends, family members and celebrity supporters popping in to say hello. Coach Beilein will preview the fundraiser and reminisce with Sam Webb on WTKA radio, “The Ticket” at 1050 AM on Tuesday morning October 20, 2020 at 8:05 a.m. For more information about St. Louis Center, visit www.stlouiscenter.org. 

By: Charles E. McCuen - Tue, Oct 13, 2020 11:02 AM

CAN   DO ATTITUDE

We want to thank all the Councils that participated in part 1 of our Cans for Seminarians Challenge. We hope you had fun with your membership returning those little 10 cent life changers! There is a group of men who will benefit from your hard work and dedication and are grateful for all you have done so far.

Well after careful scrutinizing of all the tally sheets that were turned in, we have come away with our three division winners. Your Councils did an amazing job in collecting those funds and we are immensely proud of your members and their families for keeping the dream alive. So, without any further ado let us get to it,

Division 1:  Council # 7582 Fr Peter Robertson, 89 members, GK Frank Tomisch, Saginaw Diocese

Division 2: Council #6694 Swartz Creek, 195 members, GK Wayne DeShano, Lansing Diocese   

Division 3: Council #7418 Fenton, 360 members, GK Michael Archambault, Ray Barth, Lansing Diocese

OUR Worthy State Deputy Walter Winkle would like to Congratulate you for taking part in the first leg of our fund raiser and for a job well done. As you recall our SD had offered The Grand Hotel as an incentive and for this year’s Convention, Your First and Second Delegates and their wives will have their rooms reserved at the Grand Hotel and your Councils will be announced at the Awards Ceremony. The Worthy ST Barry Borsenik will contact you and give the needed directions when the time is near.

Please be sure to send those checks to our Worthy State Secretary Chris Kolomjec with “Cans for Seminarians” in the memo line. I was informed that in an article on the State Web Site you were directed to send them to our Worthy Faith Director, that is incorrect. 

So, I know you are wondering just how well your Councils did, we are pleased to tell that your hard work has raised over $30,000 dollars for the Seminarian Endowment Fund. Not bad my Brothers, not too Bad!

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Oct 12, 2020 12:03 PM

Thank you Fraternal Benefits Field Agent Dan Thelen for sending me the reminder of Columbus Day.

Today, the Knights of Columbus celebrate Columbus Day, knowing that our namesake gave voice to generations of Catholics and helped clear a path for the diverse society we have today.

The navigator who united two hemispheres was not a saint — but his momentous role in history should be celebrated. Misplaced vengeance topples Columbus’ statues. Tweets traduce him. He was mendacious, self-righteous, humorless and mean. But his virtues — including dazzling bravery and ingenuous charm — balanced his vices. He was sympathetic toward cultures other than his own, including those of Native Americans: Detractors are unpardonably ignorant of these.

Click here: COLUMBUS REDISCOVERED for some history of Columbus.

Outrageous claims about Columbus need to be tempered by a sober look at the historical record. At a moment when even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are under attack, it was inevitable that the current unrest would also engulf Christopher Columbus. His case is unique, though, because unlike the others, few people — least of all those who took turns stomping on his statues know much about him.

Click here: Five Myths About Columbus to dispell some of his myths.

By: Mike Haughey - Thu, Oct 8, 2020 12:07 PM

St. John Vianney Church in Wyoming, MI. hosted the 2020 State Youth Soccer Challenge on Saturday October 3rd.

No pictures were taken in the interest of social distancing.

The 2020 winners are:     

Thanks to SDRR Martin Brown, DPD William Dingman and FDD Ken Skonecki and his wife Deb for conducting the event, and thanks to council #4362 for hosting and supplying volunteers. 

By: Ed Strach - Thu, Oct 8, 2020 11:39 AM

Thank You for Attending the Knights of Columbus & Right to Life of Michigan virtual event on September 30th!

Thank You for Attending the Knights of Columbus & Right to Life of Michigan virtual event on September 30th!

If you were unable to attend this virtual event which features keynote speaker, Sarah Huckabee Sanders with host and musical guest Matthew West, it is available for on-demand viewing until Tuesday, November 3^rd.

To watch and support this year’s virtual event, ‘We Are Not Giving Up On Life”

CLICK HERE TO VIEW NOW:

TYPE PASSWORD: unbornhope

Thank you as we Take Action to Continue Building a Culture of Life!  Reach out to Brad with any questions or issues.

Ed & Lynn Strach                                         Brad Smith

Pro-Life Couple                                            Right to Life of Michigan

Michigan State Council                                email:   bsmith@rtl.org

Knights of Columbus                                    mobile: (248) 765-8717

By: Paul J. Palka - Thu, Oct 8, 2020 11:08 AM

By banding together we can bring forth the true meaning of Christmas in a powerful way and advance the very reason for the season. As Knights of Columbus we share the message with our Parish and include them in the Keep Christ in Christmas movement by making Christ based Christmas Cards available after all Masses. A starter box of cards instantly put’s your Council in the Keep Christ in Christmas program, even generating a profit for the Council. Additional products can be ordered individually as often as needed.

Join Us in this Most Worthy Program

More info at kcicmichigan

Administered by: Bishop Albers Assembly 0496

KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS! Faith in Action - Family Programs

By: Ed Strach - Wed, Oct 7, 2020 10:07 AM

 Taking Action in Building a Culture of Life – 65^th and 66^th Ultrasound Dedications

    Once again, councils through out the state have taken action to Build a Culture of Life by      dedicating the 65^th and 66^th Ultrasounds.

^65th Ultrasound Ceremony, Petosky

    On September 14^th  St. Francis Xavier Council #923, Petosky led with fundraising and assisting in the dedication ceremony for this life saving machine at Pregnancy Help Center, Petosky. Money was raised through the council’s Polish Sausage Supper. 

In attendance was Laura Boss, Executive Director, Pregnancy Help Center, District Deputy, Eric Kessler; Robert Rasmussen; Deacon Glenn Melenyk; Pro Life Chair Couple, Ed & Lynn Strach and staff and boards members from Pregnancy Help Center.

66^th Ultrasound Ceremony – Brighton

Two days later, on September 16, 2020 the 66^th Ultrasound was dedicated at Pregnancy Help Clinic, in Brighton.

The opening and closing prayers and blessing of the Ultrasound was presided by Fr. Gary Koenigsknecht, Pastor, St. Joseph Catholic Parish, Howell. Shari Boley, Executive Director, Pregnancy Help Clinic along with Dr. Kelly Arenz, Medical Director and Suzanne Dubuque, WHNP, Nurse Manager assisted with the dedication and provided very informative facts about the clinic.

This Ultrasound and event was supported by several councils, one assembly. The lead council was St. Magdellan Council #12295, Brighton, Grand Knight, George Barara and chair person Ron Weingartz. Other councils supporting this Ultrasound inlude Fr. John R. Day Council #2659, Howell; Fr. Leo McCann Council #7304, Brighton; Fowlerville Council #8605; Old St. Patrick Counicl #10963, Whitmore Lake; St. Mary’s Council #11761, Pickney; and St. Augustine Council #13450, Howell. Msgr. Herman Fedewa Assembly #2050, Howell was also supporting assembly for this Ultrasound.

Special thanks to the Livingston County Ultrasound Initiative (LCUI) who provided funding and support. Tim & Cindy Donovan were representatives from LCUI who were also guest speakers at the dedication ceremony.

Also in attendance and providing remarks and thanks were Paul Palka, State Program Director and Ed & Lynn Strach, State Pro-Life Chair Couple.

As we continue to Build a Culture of Life through the pathways of Prayer, Taking Action, Standing Up and Giving, let our councils and families give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for our actions. 

Ed & Lynn Strach

Pro-Life Chair Couple

Michigan State Council

Knights of Columbus

By: Ed Strach - Wed, Sep 30, 2020 10:27 PM

The defense of life and the promotion of human dignity in every stage and condition are preeminent concerns of the Knights of Columbus and the entire Church.

From October 4-12, during Respect Life Month, Knights are called to join all Catholics in prayer with Pope Francis for an end to abortion, euthanasia and the many social ills that bring illness, broken families, unhappiness and premature death, especially for the most vulnerable.

During each unique day of the novena, you can reflect on a quote selected from the teaching of Pope Francis on the sanctity of life, pray a decade of the rosary, and conclude with St. John Paul II’s prayer from Evangelium Vitae. By reflecting on the teachings of Pope Francis and calling upon the help of Our Lady for 9 days, we can deepen our commitment to the Gospel of Life and support the most vulnerable through prayer. The prayers and reflection for the novena can be found here.

Sign up to receive the novena prayer each day.