By: Gary Merritt - Thu, Feb 13, 2020 3:30 AM

Pope to Knights of Columbus:

‘You Are a Sign of God’s Infinite Love’

FEBRUARY 10, 2020 DEBORAH CASTELLANO zenit.org

Pope thanks Knights for Their Service, Especially Commitment to Life & Help to Persecuted Christians in Middle East

Pope Francis has thanked the Knights of Columbus for their service to the Church.

This morning, Feb. 10, the Holy Father received the members of the Supreme Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus on the occasion of their annual pilgrimage to Rome, and to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the Foundation.

The Pope encouraged them to continue their work of evangelical charity and fraternity in a variety of fields.

“I think in particular of your faithful witness to the sacredness and dignity of human life, evident at both the local and national levels,” he applauded.

Francis also thanked them for “this conviction” which “has also led the Knights of Columbus to aid, both materially and spiritually, those Christian communities in the Middle East that are suffering the effects of violence, war and poverty.”

“I thank all the members of your Order for seeing in our persecuted and displaced brothers and sisters of that region neighbors for whom you are a sign of God’s infinite love.”

Pope Francis concluded, imparting his blessing, expressing his continued prayers and reminding them to pray for him.

 Read the entire Vatican-provided address Pope Francis gave those present.

For more on the visit and a short history of the Knights presence in Rome check out this article on           Detroit Catholic.

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Feb 10, 2020 3:30 AM

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Feb 10, 2020 3:30 AM

***Update*** COVID-19 Virus

 Following the guidelines of our Federal, State and Local Government as well as the Center for Disease Control.  In cooperation with the Michigan Lottery Charitable Gaming and the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council; we are making necessary changes to our Michigan Knights of Columbus State Charity Raffle drawing. 

While the raffle will continue as scheduled, the raffle party has been cancelled.  Our raffle drawing will still take place on April 16, 2020.  Due to Governor Whitmer’s Executive order #2020-20 unfortunately this will not be an open event.

Brother Knights, now is the time to go through your mail at home and find those tickets that were mailed to you in November.  Please sell your tickets or purchase them and send the returns into the State Office.  (please DO NOT send cash).  This may be a great time to purchase your tickets and gift them to your family and friends, to put a smile on their face of happy times to come when the COVID-19 Virus passes.  Thanks to your efforts, diligent sales and participation, the State Charity Raffle has been trending higher in revenue and sold ticket returns than last year.  However, this unforeseen COVID-19 Virus has put a damper on what traditionally has been one of our most active sales surges, our Knights of Columbus and Parish FISH FRIES.   Most if not all fish fries have been cancelled or drastically reduced to carry out only.  Couple this with all Masses being cancelled and we are losing what traditionally has been great opportunities for sales. 

Brother Knights who have bought or sold your tickets and sent your returns to the State Office, Thank you.  Brothers who took and sold extra tickets, Thank you.  Brothers who have sold extra tickets after Mass and at our Fish Fries, Thank You.  Now is the time to send your sold ticket stubs and checks into the State Office.  “We need YOU!”

Have we told ya we love ya today?

Gary “Elwood Blues” DeCarlo & Kevin “Joliet Jake” Rowley 

Time is running out, only 22 more days to sell tickets. But there is time to make our goal! We need to sell, sell, sell! Raffle total as of 3/20/20= $190,017.00. If you have sold all your tickets, more can be obtained by reaching out to Jake or Elwood, (Kevin or Gary), numbers listed at the top of the article. Remember, Councils  receive a portion of each ticket sold. So far councils have earned over $38,003.40.  Make sure you have tickets for purchase at all of your events, pancake breakfasts, fish fries, etc. and your youth events.

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Feb 10, 2020 3:30 AM

 Holy Cross Hero!

 This week’s HERO is foster care worker Megan McGee! Megan was nominated for going above and beyond, with all the craziness going on in the world, she made sure our youth and staff at Holland House are staying safe by going out to numerous stores and bought food and made sure they have what they need. Thank you Megan for your selflessness and for taking care of our kids and staff!

 Here are some pictures of the Peter Bertsch family making masks for our facilities, thank you Bertsch family!! And special thanks to the Dewitt and East Lansing Knights of Columbus for do­nating their fish fry meals to our New Hope community kitchen!

 Dear Holy Cross Supporters: In the midst of this Pandemic, Holy Cross Services is still fully functioning and taking care of clients across the State as we are a necessary and essential organization. We would like to start a grass-roots, viral campaign to promote our Holy Cross COVID-19 Support Fund to help meet the increasing needs we have as an agency.  If you have social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, would you please help us spread the word by sharing this link in support of Holy Cross Services

https://holycrossservices.org/event/covid19-support-fund/

Thank you and we hope you and your family stay healthy and safe. We will all get through this together! God bless you.

Kassie Kretzschmar Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Holy Cross Services

248-980-4830

 www.HolyCrossServices.org    facebook.com/HolyCrossServices1

HCS coworkers, let’s create a team to walk together in East Lansing! The 2020 Izzo Legacy Run Walk & Roll will take place the morning of MSU Football's spring game on April 18th starting at 8:50am. The Izzo family hosts the event on the campus of Michi­gan State University. The events include a 5K Run/Walk, 5K Roll, 1 Mile Walk, Chil­dren's Races and a Virtual 5K; all events will focus on fitness, fun, family, Spartan spir­it and charitable giving! Proceeds will create an endowment for the Izzo Legacy Family Fund that will ensure charitable giving for years to come. In addition, participants can donate to select local charities INCLUDING HOLY CROSS SERVICES through the reg­istration process when you sign up under the Holy Cross Services Team at: 

 https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/EastLansing/TheIzzo

 The team is under the 5K Run/Walk but you can create other teams also in the other areas mentioned above too.  Hope you can go!

The safety, health, and well-being of the Izzo Legacy community is our top priority, and we feel it is critical to do our part in the global effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

For this reason, the 2nd annual Izzo Legacy Run/Walk/Roll will be rescheduled. The new date will be Saturday, September 12, 2020.

By: Gary Merritt - Sat, Feb 8, 2020 3:30 AM

 KNIGHTLINE

Introducing the K of C's New Ceremonial

It’s the beginning of a new era for the Knights of Columbus: A modern single, public exemplification ceremony can now be used to welcome men to our ranks as full members of the Order. The new ceremony combines the three ceremonies used in the past.

This issue takes an in-depth look at the new exemplification ceremony: what it is, why it’s changed and how you can run one. 

  New Ceremony: Rooted in past and tailored for present (Read more here)

 Eight steps for a successful new exemplification (Read more here)

The four items every council needs (Read more here)

 FAQs about the new K of C exemplification (Read more here)

Five questions with new director of ceremonials (Read more here)

Who’s who at the new K of C exemplification (Read more here)

A momentous day for the Knights of Columbus (Read more here)

Want more Knightline stories? Prefer all the stories in a printable, PDF format? Click here. 

Into the Breach Video Series

Through a new 12-episode online video series, the K of C addresses what it means to be a man in today’s world. The web series features Bishop Thomas Olmstead, Scott Hahn, Father Mike Schmitz, Matt Birk, Curtis Martin and others on the topics of brotherhood, spiritual warfare, prayer, masculinity and leadership.  The video series will be available on kofc.org and K of C social media channels beginning Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Through a new 12-episode online video series, the K of C addresses what it means to be a man in today’s world.

The web series features Bishop Thomas Olmstead, Scott Hahn, Father Mike Schmitz, Matt Birk, Curtis Martin and others on the topics of brotherhood, spiritual warfare, prayer, masculinity and leadership. 

 The video series will be available on kofc.org and K of C social media channels beginning Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26

 .K of C Illustrated History Book

By: Gary Merritt - Tue, Feb 4, 2020 3:30 AM

↑

 To view the power point presentation from our Regional Training Director Jon Olson click the above logo.

  To view and print the Delta Drive checklist and the pulpit announcements go to; Resources/Membership/Delta Drive or click here  

←To view "Making a Difference" notes click the logo

  News Just In!!

More Training offered for Delta Drive and Member Experience

Brother Knights, on the last week of February I will be offering two different presentations to EVERYONE wishing to attend. Both presentations are being done through a live webinar through computers or telephone conferences. If you wish to attend both or either presentation, I will need you to email me a RSVP containing your name, state, council #, and which date & time you wish to access. I will respond with a link to join by computer and a phone number with access code to join by phone.

One presentation is the Delta Church Drive. This is an effective way of doing a Church drive and has had success in every state. This is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and a way to brush up on the procedures of the Delta Church Drive. Those date are:

Delta Church Drive Dates & Times

2/23/2020 at 5PM EST              2/24/2020 at 6PM EST

2/25/2020 at 9PM EST               2/27/2020 at 9PM EST

The second presentation is named Council experience and will cover the topics below:

• 
  
  Enhancing Member Experience by Creating a Culture of Engagement is one of the most important. As our councils actively engage members, their experience is far more positive, which leads to new men joining councils, more charitable work; there’s no limit to what we can do in service to family, Church, community, and country!
  
  

• 
  
  During the presentation, we will:
  
  

• Highlight the important relationship between member experience and member engagement


• Complete a Council Engagement Assessment and know your council’s current engagement score


• Provide you specific tools to improve your council engagement score

The dates & times of this presentation are:

 Council Experience

2/23/2020 at 7PM EST               2/24/2020 at 8PM EST

2/25/2020 at 6PM EST               2/27/2020 at 6PM EST

Jon Olson - Supreme Regional Training Consultant Jon.Olson@kofc.org

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Feb 3, 2020 3:30 AM

As racial tensions ratcheted in 1943 & 1967

Sacred Heart Major Seminary played a key role for peace.

 To read the entire artcle from Detroit Catholic by Mary Massingale click Here.

By: Gary Merritt - Thu, Jan 30, 2020 3:30 AM

This past weekend the Michigan State Council and wives traveled to Washington D.C. for the 47th Annual March for Life which took place on Friday January 24th, 2020. This year’s theme was “Life Empowers – Po- Life is Pro-Woman”.

When we arrived, Fr. Aidan Logan, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Military Services greeted us at the Army Navy Club for breakfast in preparation for the March. We then traveled to the National Mall where we joined the largest crowd of any of the Marchs for Life.

For the first time in the history of the March our President and Commander in Chief, Donald Trump attended and spoke at the March for Life, stating, "We are here for one reason and that is to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to full fill their God given potential".  The President also stated that born and unborn children are all created in HIS Image and Likeness and that God will prevail. To view the President’s address click here.

President Trump was joined by Katrina Jackson, Ann Wagner, Chris Smith, Melissa Ohden and Claire Culwell, along with final remarks from President of March for Life Jeanne Mancini.

We also had the opportunity and privilege to meet our Supreme Knight Carl Anderson just before the beginning of the March. 

Friday evening and Saturday were left for sightseeing in and around our nation’s capital. On Saturday afternoon attended Mass at St. John Paul II National Shrine which is always an honor and incredible experience.

If you have not made the pilgrimage to the March for Life you should consider joining us next year. Watch the www.mikofc.org website for information to come later this year.

God bless! Tim & Cindy Donovan Michigan State Pro Life Chair Couple

By: Gary Merritt - Mon, Jan 27, 2020 3:30 AM

Mission: To bring hope, promote change, and help people live free, healthy and productive lives.

Holy Cross Hero! This week’s HERO is Dan Luplow in maintenance! Dan was nominated and staff say Dan continuously goes above and beyond at the Flint Outpatient and Recovery Houses. He is great with the staff and clients and is very timely in completing the tasks that are asked of him, even when he has a long to-do list. He always comes up with a solution no matter what the situation is, and no matter when it happens. He is extremely knowledgeable and efficient. Dan is a huge help at our Flint sites and is greatly appreciated for all he does. THANK YOU DAN!!  YOU ARE APPRECIATED! Jasmine McCree, house manager at our Bay City Recovery House, wanted to acknowledge their team as they have created a founda­tion of working together, going above and beyond, to assist our cli­ents. There has been a tremendous change in structure and hard work put in to build up clients to help them be successful and re­ceive the help needed to do so. Staff have been working long hours, including overtime when needed, to ensure our clients are safe, se­cure and receiving appropriate care. THANK YOU BAY CITY HCS Team for your commitment and dedication we ALL appreciate you!

By: Gary Merritt - Sat, Jan 25, 2020 3:30 AM

After 142 years, the Knights of Columbus is pulling down a veil of secrecy that has surrounded its initiation ceremonies in an effort to better showcase the order’s core principles and its drive to help Catholic men become disciples.

But beginning in 2020, the Knights have adopted a new ceremony, called the Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity, combining the initiation for their first three degrees into a single ceremony that will be open to family, friends and fellow parishioners.

To read the entire article click here: tennesseeregister.com