By: District Deputy 113 - Mon, Mar 20, 2023 3:35 PM

The Feast of St. Joseph at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Waterford, MI. One of the St. Joseph ICONs was presented to the parish as a gift from the State Council.

Father Scott Thibodeau is our pastor, a Sir Knight, and a Past State Chaplain (2012-2014).

Pope Saint John XXIII Council #5436 serves this parish. It is also the home council of our Worthy State Warden, Dan Fuller.

Picture #1:  Altar area where the ICON was placed following a 3rd Degree procession at the beginning of mass.  Also on the altar is a large (6-foot) St. Joseph with the Baby Jesus statue that was recently gifted to the parish by one of its members.

By: Mike Haughey - Mon, Mar 20, 2023 2:51 PM

My Brother Knights:

Thanks to the generosity, hard work and dedication of you, our members, we are pleased to share the exciting news, we have passed $300,000.00 in gross charity raffle ticket sales!   An awesome charitable response, resulting in over $60,000.00 going directly to local councils thus far. With a little less than 30 days to go until our Michigan Charity Raffle Drawing, April 13, 2023, our $350,000.00 goal is well within reach.   

Former State and Detroit Archdiocesan Chaplain, Fr. Paul Ballien issued a challenge at the State Chaplain’s Tribute Dinner.   If the Great Jurisdiction of Michigan reaches or exceeds our $350,000.00 goal, he will join our State Raffle Directors in doing an Irish Jig, in full Leprechaun Costume, on the stage, in the Grand Hotel Theater, at our State Convention.  

If you have not done so already, please get your tickets sold and remit your check with ticket stubs to the State Office.  With one remaining Early Bird Raffle drawing left, March 28, 2023, you still have a chance to win the last $250.00 sellers prize. 

Thank you for your support and generosity.  If you would like extra tickets please contact:

State Raffle Directors

Mike Haughey m.haughey@mikofc.org

Kevin Rowley k.rowley@mikofc.org

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Mar 20, 2023 11:52 AM

Council Kevin Britt Council #8117 along with St. Robert’s of Newminster Parish in Ada hosted the 16^th annual KEPHA Building a Legacy Men’s Conference. This is the second year in a row they have hosted the event.

As usual the event was sold out with a large waiting list for those who were unable to purchase tickets.

Fr. Tony Russo, pastor of St. Roberts, opened the day with a prayer and had the pleasure of closing the event with a prayer and blessing.

The event included breakfast and lunch, confessions, Mass with Bishop Walkowiak, adoration and a great lineup of speakers, listed below, to inspire those in attendance.

Sister Miriam James Heidland, S.O.L.T.
Sr. Miriam is a former Division I athlete who had a radical conversion and joined the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in 1998. She is cohost of the Abiding Together podcast, and the author of the bestselling book Loved as I Am.

Dr. Edward Sri
Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, author, and well-known Catholic speaker who appears regularly on EWTN. Each year he speaks to tens of thousands of people from around the world.

Fr. Dominic Couturier
Pastor at Our Lady of Consolation Parish and School in Rockford, MI. Also serves as the Chaplain and Welding/Metal fabrication instructor for Harmel Academy of the Trades (An all-male Catholic Trades School here in Grand Rapids.

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Mar 20, 2023 10:42 AM

New high total 15 years in a row! Bishop Joseph H. Albers Council 4090 of Davison, Mi. has raised more money for seminarians each year since 2008! The council raised $61,256.00 at the council’s 39^th Annual Seminarian Dinner Fundraiser in February. 2023.

Checks were written for $2,356.00 for each of the Lansing Diocese 26 seminarians. Bishop Earl Boyea and director of vocations Fr. John Whitlock joined 16 of our 26 seminarians at a dinner attended by just under 400 supporters.

Side note: We did not miss raising a new high during the two years of the covid pandemic that kept us from holding a live event. The year before the covid pandemic,  2020,  we raised $ 28,727.00 at our dinner/auction. We then held a virtual event and raised $49,193.00 in 2021. The pandemic flared again in 2022 keeping us from holding our normal event. But we raised $50,670.00. 

Mark Corcoran Council 4090 PGK

By: John Hundiak - Fri, Mar 17, 2023 7:17 PM

Students from around the state competed this past weekend, Saturday March 11, 2023 in the State Spelling Bee Finals at Fr. Van Roo Council #2740 in Essexville, MI. 

There were 16 competitors in Level 1, Grades 4,5,6, and 13 competitors in Level 2, Grades 7,8,9.  The competition lasted over an hour and a half. 

Winners from Level 1 are:

1^st Place Aleah Thelen sponsored by Fenton Council #7418 of the Lansing Diocese.

2^nd Place Ava Chebli sponsored by John A Gabriels Council #11099 in the Lansing Diocese.

Winners from Level 2 are:

1^st Place Dominick Swager sponsored by St. Caterine Siena Council #6980 in the Kalamazoo Diocese

2^nd Place Tyler Bodreau sponsored by Our Lady of Lake Huron Council #11432 in the Saginaw Diocese

Please join me in congratulating all the winners and thank all the competitors and their families.

John Hundiak

State Community Director

By: Martin Brown - Fri, Mar 17, 2023 6:56 PM

The Grand Rapids Council of the Month for February Award goes to Basilica of St. Adalbert Council #15213.

The Award was presented at their Council meeting March 14 to Grand Knight Mark Ferguson.

Also at the meeting was Supreme Field Agent Dan Thelen who did a Fraternal Benefit night for the council.

Pictured on the left Dan Thelen in the Center Grand Knight Make Ferguson and on the right District Deputy Randy Mac George.

Congratulations!

Martin Brown Region 3 State Deputy Regional Representative

By: John Hundiak - Thu, Mar 16, 2023 9:37 AM

The Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus has awarded Nethanya Foneska of Macomb, Michigan the International Runner-up in the Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest in the 9^th grade category. 

The essay entitled “Lighthouses and Fishermen” was chosen from the hundreds of entries submitted.  Nethanya was sponsored by St. Lawrence Council #2950 in Utica MI. 

The winning essay may be viewed HERE on the State website.

John Hundiak State Community Director

By: Gary Merritt - Wed, Mar 15, 2023 11:02 AM

On Tuesday, March 14th, Our Lady of Victory Council # 14427 in Northville conducted the Exemplification of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity in their parish Chapel.

Three men were initiated as 3rd Degree Members. Pictured are our 3 new Brother Knights along with Grand Knight Paul Kueber and District Deputy #112, Gary Mallia.

Gary T. Mallia District Deputy #112

By: James Highfield - Wed, Mar 15, 2023 10:53 AM

Grand Knight James Kondor of St. John Bosco Council #13251 in Mattawan holds the Region 3 Kalamazoo Diocese January Council of the Month award.

The council has qualified to receive the McGivney Award having achieved 120% of their yearly membership quota.

Presenting the award is SDRR Kalamazoo Jim Highfield on the right and DD #408 Tim Jansen on the left.

By: Richard Shelt - Tue, Mar 14, 2023 9:40 AM

Finally, Victor J Renard council #3292 in Plymouth received their Star Council Award.

Pictured left to right DD Brian Zan, Immediate Past Grand Knight Paul Gelinas, GK Mike Driscoll and SDRR Detroit West Richard Shelt,

Congratulations, to a well deserved hard-working council!