New Council at St. Michael Catholic Church Marquette
- Sun, Feb 13, 2022 1:51 PM
We have a new Knights Council at St. Michaels!
“We’re small, we’re nimble and we’re in service to the Church,” said Grand Knight Matt Surrell of the new Knights of Columbus Father Jacques Marquette Council 17772. St. Michael Parish in Marquette is the home of the only new K of C council to form this fraternal year in Michigan. The council has 33 members and is growing, according to Surrell.
A former Grand Knight of the Msgr. Nolan McKevitt Council 689, also in Marquette, Surrell described the new council as “Catholic men of faith, who are charitable in action, focused on our families and serving St. Michael as liturgical ministers, committee members and volunteers, as a parish-based council”
Father Greg Heikkala, parish pastor and Knight himself said, “Father Dustin (Larson, council Chaplain) and I are grateful to be part of the beginnings of a new Knights of Columbus council at St. Michael Parish. The Knights are the backbone of many parishes and live out Catholic values that are compelling to all. We encourage men to consider becoming Knights.
“The Knights are a welcomed and great asset to St. Michael, even though they always had an active presence, their works have expanded greatly in just the few months since formation, and I expect their impact to grow with each passing year.”
During the formation of the council, Surrell said several “Meet the Knights” gatherings were held to survey members’ interests and to see how they would like to serve the parish. A “Faith in Action” plan was put in place with the first goal of providing friendship and financial support to a seminarian. Advent wreath sales raised $500 to be presented to a seminarian.
Other projects include supporting the Care Clinic in Marquette. The council joined with Council 689 in Marquette to decorate the clinic’s building for Christmas with wreaths and garland. Surrell said a “Keep Christ in Christmas” poster contest was conducted garnering 92 entries from area youth.
Choosing a council patron was a difficult challenge. Surrell said, “Eventually, we narrowed down our list and ultimately choosing the French Jesuit priest Father Jacques Marquette, not because our county, city, or diocese bears his name, or that he was an intrepid explorer, but because of who this holy man was and is, his witness, his fortitude, his courage, his drive to evangelize and his selfless devotion to God is what he represents to us and he will be a motivating example for our council.”
The fledgling council had its charter unveiled following a special Mass at St. Michael Parish on Jan. 14, 2022. State Deputy Walter Winkle Jr. was in attendance and commented, “It’s nice to see new growth in our order, especially with the age range of this council. We have a good, young group. I’m excited that it’s up here in Marquette. The more men we have as Knights, the more we can help our priests and parishes.”
The photo and article that released by The UP Catholic authored by John Fee.
Those interested in joining the Knights of Columbus may visit www.kofc.org/joinus for more information or to join.