By: Gary Merritt - Wed, Apr 21, 2021 7:54 AM

Annually, typically in late October or early November, after the final leaves have fallen, the Knights of Columbus council 1616 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, under the direction of their Grand Knight Dan Barnett, have banded together for the annual cemetery cleanup.   They have done this for the last several decades; a corporal work of mercy in the spirit of burying the dead.  

It’s a time when brother Knights gather with rakes, tarps, and leaf blowers in hand to remove what seemed like tons of leaves from the Catholic section of the public Riverside cemetery.  The last few years, St Augustine Cathedral council 15439, led by Grand Knight Drew Uryga, established only 10 years ago, has join in the cleanup crusade.

During the most recent outing in the late fall of 2020 as the leaves cleared, the band of brother Knights noticed one, lone toppled headstone with the name “Luby” on it. The rest of the inscription was buried underneath.  A small papal flag stood next to it. 

With our local Cathedral Rector and Kalamazoo Diocesan Chaplain, Fr. Robert Creagan,  joining us, we asked, “why the flag?”  He told us that he placed it there knowing the local history of Fr. Thomas Luby, the only priest buried in this Catholic section of the larger public cemetery.  It sits just over the hill from Borgess Hospital, established in the 1880s to care for the sick by the Sisters of St. Joseph. 

Several of us thought, well, for a priest from many years ago who served our diocese here, and as part of our corporal works of mercy, we should restore the headstone and give it the respect it deserves. 

It turns out that the 95^th anniversary of Fr. Luby’s death was just a few weeks away in  December.  The Knights thought how great it would be to pursue this project and complete it in time to commemorate his passing. 

After connecting the dots with the local funeral home director and the monument company, the council was able to work with them to raise the stone and put it back in its rightful place, appropriately remembering death, or Momento Mori.

On a brisk Saturday morning a couple weeks later, a few of the Knights were there to greet the worker with the monument company coming from Grand Rapids, MI.  His truck was decked out with the hydraulic lift needed to tackle a project like this.  From the hands of vandals to the care of workers, the 1-ton stone was ready to be raised and placed on its base. 

Something wasn’t right, though the etchings dated on the stone were still covered in dirt they didn’t match the name and dates of Fr. Luby.  Some further research confirmed this was actually the site of Lawrence Luby, his uncle. Nonetheless, it was gratifying to fix the damage.  

But then where was Fr Luby?   We were eager to find out. 

With a little sleuthing through county records, an image was found online of his gravesite.  It was indeed in the cemetery and had to be somewhere nearby. 

One of the Knights began walking the nearby hill, and it wasn’t long before he was able to find the actual site of where Fr. Luby rested.  There he was on a steep hill, next to a tall Shagbark Hickory tree with weeds overgrown around it.  With an etching of a chalice noting the memory of a priest stood the lost stone of Reverend Thomas Luby. 

With a little bit more searching, we found the stone of Michael and Mary Luby, his devoted parents buried only a few feet away as well. 

So, on December 12, 2020 and on the 95th anniversary of Fr Thomas Luby's death, Fr. Bob from Saint Augustine Cathedral Parish, on a windy and rainy day blessed the headstone and remembered a local brother parish priest who served our diocese so many years ago.  

This simple corporal act of raking leaves in a forgotten section of a cemetery led two councils to fulfilling our Knights of Columbus principles.  As so much time flew by, we labored together and still remembered a devoted priest’s life & death. 

 Tempus fugit, momento mori. 

 Ed Amat Council 15439

By: Joseph Baldridge - Tue, Apr 20, 2021 1:26 PM

Brother Knights and Families;

Our 2021  State Camporee is set for Friday, August 13 through Sunday August 15. This year’s event will be held at the Mecosta Pines Campground located at 550 S Talcott St. in Morley, MI.

We have a total of 32 Campsites reserved. Please complete the registration form then, send the form and payment to me by no later than Saturday, June 12 . If you are interested in full hook-up, please contact me at (616)329-0781 to confirm availability before completing the registration form. Remember that sites are first come first serve. Please find the registration form HERE.

For those who do not camp or do not have a camper there are several hotels within 15 miles of the campground, see the list HERE. If you decide to come and stay in a hotel you will need to contact the hotel directly for reservations. Also, if you are staying at a hotel, please complete the registration form so we may include you in updates and make sure to come by my rig to register and get any handouts. Mecosta Pines offers many amenities and activities, plus we will be able to utilize their Outdoor Pavilion and in the event of inclement weather there is an indoor gathering area.

Just to give a few highlights of what we are planning, we will be doing a bean bag toss tournament, potluck, and Mass as we normally do, but we are also looking into the possibility having something for the kiddos, and maybe a wine tasting for the adults. If you have any ideas, please forward them to me at j.baldridge@mikofc.org or if you are interested in helping with any of our events for the Camporee please reach out me, your help will be greatly appreciated.

Ramona and I are planning to arrive at the campground Thursday, August 12th to begin getting things setup and to work with the campground staff. If you are interested in arriving Thursday or extending your stay, please contact me to let me know and contact the campground to make your reservation for the additional days only. Currently the plan is to have a Michigan KC Camper registration setup and have 50/50 raffles, possibly some prizes, give-a-ways, etc.

In years past the Michigan KC Campers hosted the KCIC event and we would love to be able to rebuild the group and get back to where we could bring the International Camporee back to Michigan in the future.

We are looking forward to this year’s Camporee and to rebuilding the Michigan KC Campers group. Lots of additional information to come before, during and after this year’s Camporee, so get your tent or camper ready and let’s make this a Camporee to remember and build on.

Vivat Jesus, Rise Up and Answer the Call!

Alan Baldridge State Camping Chairman j.baldridge@mikofc.org 616-329-0781

By: Charles E. McCuen - Mon, Apr 19, 2021 11:09 AM

By: Ed Strach - Fri, Apr 16, 2021 5:00 AM

*___                                               NEW LOCATION________________________*

The Respect Life 43rd Annual Benefit Event has a new location! This event will be held at St. Andrew Catholic Church 1400 Englewood Ave., Rochester, MI 48307. Doors will open at the same time, 6:00 pm with speakers beginning at 7:00 pm.

To accommodate the demand of this annual event it was necessary to move to a new location. Those registered will receive a complimentary gift card for a meal at Chick-fil-A, a take home desert and bottled water available prior to the event.

For those who are unable to attend, it will be livestreamed! Please contact Brad Smith at respectlife@rtl.org to register and for further information.

Ed & Lynn Strach Pro-Life Chair Couple

Michigan State Council Knights of Columbus

734-476-6296

By: Paul J. Palka - Wed, Apr 14, 2021 8:15 AM

SPRING 2021

Worthies, Greetings and Vivat Jesus!

 A lot has happened at camp since our last correspondence.  As you can imagine we had to close camp this past summer for the safety of our counselors and campers.  Perhaps you were in the same boat if not the same storm. As we try to reboot this summer (2021) it will take time, energy and money.  Thanks to people like you who have opened your hearts and your wallets I know that we will once again be creating that joy worthy of a campers smile. We have created the ultimate camping experience for campers with developmental disabilities in the Great Lakes Region, making our camp the finest facility in the State of Michigan if not the entire Midwest, truly one of a kind.  And yet we are the least expensive camp program.  Our cost per camper is $879 each but we only charge $560 leaving a shortfall of $319 which is subsidized by various donations including those from Knights of Columbus councils thru the MI drive. 

Besides your continued financial support, we need your help.

 A famous saying is “IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME”.  Our campus can house 350 campers per year in our new “KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL”, a 35 bed dormitory.  Two years ago (2019), we served only 175 smiling faces who enjoyed a week long, fun filled, challenging activities on beautiful Goose Lake in the Irish Hills.  So you can see there is plenty of room to grow.  This was 75 campers short of our goal of 250. 

 We don’t want just your financial support, we want more campers.  Statistics tell us there are between 18 and 30 deserving developmentally disabled potential campers in your council area.  They just need to know about this great camp and the joy that it will bring to them if they attend. So here is the plan: find some campers who want to go, get them registered and together we will find the necessary funds to complete the deal.  So please, you can be that voice, spread the word and help recruit more campers.  If you can’t find any campers this year, please donate to the campership fund so that someone else has your financial support and an opportunity to go to camp.

 Its people like you and me who have answered God’s call to be “Christ – like” in our everyday life, because we believing in the teachings of our patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, who taught us that:

 “IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE”

 And the Knights of Columbus give unconditionally.  Thank you for continuing to support St. Francis Camp on the Lake.

“Living and Playing Together in Dignity, Respect, and Love.”

Check out our website:  http://www.saintfranciscamp.org/

 May God Bless You & All Our Campers,

Russell E. Smith         

Knights of Columbus /Liaison Director

 St. Francis Camp on the Lake is a501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt # 52-0614583                                  

By: Gary DeCarlo - Sun, Apr 11, 2021 6:34 PM

God Bless you boys,

Summersaults are coming to our Convention this year, from Kevin Rowley AKA "Joliet Jake". We are over the hump so to speak.

Join us for the Raffle Drawing 4/15/21 here at DeCarlo's 5 pm with subs and beverages. RSVP to Gary by phone or text 586-436-0121.

Thanks for all you do for Charity,

Gary and Kevin  

By: Michael Wegener - Sat, Apr 10, 2021 7:40 PM

By: Martin Brown - Sat, Apr 3, 2021 5:37 PM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After weeks of polling and thousands of votes cast, St. James Catholic Church in Montague is the 2021 13 ON YOUR SIDE Fish Fry Frenzy champion!

St. James defeated Knights of Columbus 3104 in the final round, winning by a final vote of 729 - 519. 

St. James easily won the Lakeshore region before defeating the 2020 champion Christ the King in the semifinal. 

St. James says all of the money raised during its fish fry goes to charity. 

Thank you to everyone who voted and congratulations once again to St. James!

St. James Catholic Church in Montague wins the 2021 13 OYS Fish Fry Frenzy Championship

Click link for details.

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/morning-features/13-on-your-sides-2021-fish-fry-frenzy-starts-now/69-47530f3d-175c-4589-bdc1-2fa1373e9007

By: Jon Olson - Sat, Apr 3, 2021 4:14 PM

 Brothers,

 Here are the upcoming training sessions I have scheduled for the months of April

 The RSVP link will let you pick which date for that presentation

 Supreme Regional Training Director Jon Olson

Here are the upcoming training sessions that Jon Olson has scheduled for the months of April. Please note which time zone you are in. I have also attached some graphics you can use for publicizing the training session. The RSVP link will let you pick which date for that presentation.

Council Growth

Dates:4/6/21 at 7PM 8PM EDT

The presentation will help Fraternal leaders resolve to leave councils, parish, and community better than how they found it.

Leaders should also learn how to develop a simple, specific, year-round plan in place for growing council membership, that involves participation from the whole council.

Attendees should commit to work with their pastor(s), field agent, and DD to accomplish their goals.

Leaders should understand the importance of hosting regular ceremonials, incorporating recruitment into every event, and running membership drives

Registration link:

You are Your Programs

Dates: 4/12/21 at 8PM EDT

We will cover in this training: Understanding the council’s perception by fellow parishioners, particularly that of inactive members and future potential members.

Construct a council mission statement that reflects the council’s vision and goals. u Understand the Faith in Action program model and its four categories – Faith, Family, Community and Life.

Identify the council’s flagship program(s).

Access the council’s current program regimen and identify the current strengths and weaknesses among its program calendar.

Develop a calendar for the next 6-12 months that responds to the council’s mission statement and addresses some of the council’s strengths and weaknesses identified above.

And understanding the Program Director’s role in leading the council’s programming efforts.

Registration link:

Council Meetings

Date 4/14/21 at 8PM EDT

Strong councils hold good meetings that members enjoy. This training shares the best practices for hosting such meetings.  In addition to guidance on how to run a good meeting, this training also provides guidance and discussion on virtual meetings and the conduct of business by virtual means.

Registration link: 

Enhancing Member Experience

Dates: 4/19/21 at 8PM EDT

We will cover in this training How to understand what’s meant by the terms membership experience and membership engagement and how the two terms are related.

Complete the Council Engagement Assessment to assess their council’s strengths and weaknesses with regards to member engagement.

Understand that member engagement is the council’s responsibility. Successful council engagement leads to members having positive opinions about their membership.

Learn the five steps in the engagement cycle and how they relate to one another, ultimately leading a member to go through them again.

Discover tools that will help address deficiencies in your council’s current member engagement as based on your councils’ engagement score.

Understand that retention issues result when a council has failed to engage a member and show the value of his membership. These issues can be overcome by discovering where this breakdown occurred.

Registration link:

Delta Drive

Dates: 4/20/21 at 7PM 8PM EDT

Presentation will cover The Prospect landing page and interaction with the prospect. Come learn how to adapt the Delta drive Method to your council's next event.

Registration link:

By: Paul J. Palka - Thu, Apr 1, 2021 8:58 AM

During Michigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival Celebration, the Knights of Council 17237 at the university in Houghton built an ice chapel capable of holding up to 200 people. Throughout the weeklong festivities, more than 400 people attended Mass at the ice chapel. Also, at the festival, the council helped build camaraderie with their classmates by serving more than 90 pounds of chicken wings.

You may view a video of the chapel HERE