From Slave to Priest

By: Gary Merritt - Tue, Feb 21, 2023 6:38 PM

The remarkable story of America's First Black priest.

Tolton is a powerful multi-media live production, filled with music, drama and inspiring performances. It brings a message of hope and healing for the wounds that plague our culture. Sponsor this show and be inspired by Father Augustus Tolton's perseverance and faith.

Read the story - The Story | Saint Luke Productions (stlukeproductions.com)

For more information go to - www.ToltonDrama.com

Debbie Bloomfield 734-934-2599

Gaylord Regional Free Throw Finals 2023

By: Horst Lerher - Tue, Feb 21, 2023 8:59 AM

Council and District winners in the Diocese of Gaylord moved on to the Regional Tournament. Winners are now eligible to move on to the State finals next month.  

Winners

5436 C, F. U Exemplification

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Feb 20, 2023 4:08 PM

Pope St. John XXIII Council #5436 in Waterford Twp. welcomed two new Brother Knights at a Charity, Unity, and Fraternity Exemplification on February 16th.

From left to right: Deputy Grand Knight John Buchanan, Grand Knight Michael Mandzuik, Brother Knight Joe Scarpelli, new Brother Knight Albert Lipusch, Past Grand Knight Chris Scheuer, Theresa Johnson, new Brother Knight Wayne Johnson, District Deputy #113 Tom Kendziorski and Brother Knight Gary Chollette.

Welcome Albert and Wayne!

ASAP Grant Program check

By: Ed Strach - Mon, Feb 20, 2023 9:36 AM

During the February council meeting at Fr. P.J. Slane Council #1139 in Owosso, a $100 ASAP program check from the Supreme Council was presented to Pregnancy Resources Center of Owosso Director, Cary Camel, by Grand Knight Dan Koch and Treasurer Larry Butcher. Cary also provided an update to Council 1139 Members on the planned Ultrasound unit at PRC, which will be purchased with Knights of Columbus donated funds.

2251 C,F,U February Exemplification

By: Gary Merritt - Sun, Feb 19, 2023 6:36 AM

On February 16th, Monsignor Kromenaker Council #2251/St Clair hosted a Charity, Unity, and Fraternity Exemplification for District #118. Two new Knights joined Au Lac Council #10724/Ira Township and one new Knight joined Council #2251. Thank you to Council #2251 for hosting the event and a special thank you to Archdiocesan Membership Director Ken Krause and District Deputy #118 Ron DePestel for leading the ceremony.

Welcome to the Order Brother Knights Tom Tiedt, Brad Vargo, and Ryan Weglarz!

5436 February Exemplification

By: Gary Merritt - Sun, Feb 19, 2023 6:34 AM

Pope St. John XXIII Council #5436 welcomed two new Brother Knights at a Charity, Unity, and Fraternity Exemplification on February 16th.

From left to right: Deputy Grand Knight John Buchanan, Grand Knight Michael Mandzuik, Brother Knight Joe Scarpelli, new Brother Knight Albert Lipusch, Past Grand Knight Chris Scheuer, Theresa Johnson, new Brother Knight Wayne Johnson, District Deputy #113 Tom Kendziorski and Brother Knight Gary Chollette.

Welcome Albert and Wayne!

Michigan Knight Cause for Sainthood

By: Gary Merritt - Fri, Feb 17, 2023 1:55 PM

Thanks to PGK, FDD, PFN Jim McCracken of Virginia, for bringing this story to our attention. And thanks to Larry Herman and Paul Kelsey for giving it to me for edit and posting.

 

Bishop John Doerfler in June 2019, of the Diocese of Marquette announced the official opening of the cause of Irving “Francis” C. Houle, who died in 2009 at the age of 83. While he felt close to Jesus his entire life and experienced a miraculous healing after a childhood accident, it was on Good Friday 1993 that he first began receiving stigmata, reportedly enduring the Passion every night between midnight and 3 a.m. for the rest of his life. He said he heard the voice of Jesus asking him to heal “my children” and spent his remaining 16 years praying over tens of thousands of people — many of whom experienced extraordinary physical and spiritual healing.

 

By all accounts a loving husband and father­ he and Gail were married for over sixty years. ­Houle was a regular communicant and prayed the Stations of the Cross every day after work. He became a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus. His five children left him and Gail with seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Over the decades, Houle had jobs in retail and manufacturing. He became plant manager at Engineered Machine Products, where he was employed for the last fifteen years of his working life. He was a bit of a prankster, a plain-spoken, solid family man with a penchant for jokes and teasing.

According to the website dedicated to Houle’s cause for canonization (www.irvingfrancishoule.org), well before he received the stigmata, “many extraordinary physical and spiritual healings” had been attributed to him. He received the stigmata on Good Friday, 1993, at the age of sixty-seven. He was initially affected in the palms of his hands. “I’m taking away your hands and giving you mine,” Christ allegedly told him.

Afterward, the physical suffering spread throughout his body. He was said to have suffered the Passion every night thereafter between midnight and 3 am, those hours being “times of great sins of the flesh.”

Gail, luckily a sound sleeper, never witnessed these nocturnal sufferings, though others, including his brother Reynold, did. So did Father Robert J. Fox, who in 2005 published a book about Houle entitled A Man Called Francis. The pseudonym “Francis” was used in order to protect Houle’s identity, but the name stuck.

Houle took to wearing bandages on his hands in public and, after retiring, embarked on a series of speaking engagements at churches and elsewhere, talking over the years to tens of thousands of people. Nothing made him happier than to learn of people returning to confession after decades away and then receiving the Eucharist.

Houle avoided the limelight and neither sought nor accepted any financial donations for the myriad healings that were said to have flowed from his suffering and prayer. “Jesus is the one who heals,” he insisted.

Many good articles concerning Sir Francis Houle and his cause may be found at the following links.

Biography (irvingfrancishoule.org)

Bishops affirm diocese’s effort for Michigan stigmatist’s sainthood cause | Crux (cruxnow.com)

Making it to the Big Show Saint with a Capital “S” - Southwest Michigan Catholic - Kalamazoo, MI (swmcatholic.org)

Michigan’s newest sainthood candidate: A U.P. grandfather reported to have stigmata - Detroit Catholic

Was this Michigan grandfather on a mission from God? | Catholic News Agency

Stigmatic, Healer and Visionary From Michigan| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)

Irving ‘Francis’ Houle prayed over an... - Detroit Mass Mob | Facebook

Grand Rapids Diocesan Spelling Bee 2023

By: Martin Brown - Tue, Feb 14, 2023 7:18 PM

Grand Rapids Diocesan Spelling bee was held on Saturday February 11, 2023 at Council 2199 in Hart.

We had 5 participants in level 1 and 1 participant in level 2. The winners have the opportunity to compete at the State Level Bee in March.

Pictured from left to right, Grand Knight 2199 Wally Carrier III, Grady Hamann, level 1 runner-up Marissa Lyon, level 1 winner Noah Dodge, level 2 winner Nina Frick, Weston Clark, Molly Garner and SDRR Marty Brown.

 SDRR Marty Brown