By: Ed Strach - Wed, Aug 17, 2022 5:56 PM

43 Errors Found in Petition

Throughout the process of fighting the anything-goes RFFA abortion amendment, our coalition has had a thorough legal team working behind the scenes to put roadblocks in their way. Here is a timeline to remind you of the challenges.

January 7th: Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Michigan Voices announce the pro-abortion ballot proposal. 

February 11th: The petition is presented to the Michigan Board of Canvassers. Our coalition legal team challenged the union logo due to incorrect font size. The Board of Canvassers agreed that the font size needed to be edited to match the legally required format for all petitions in Michigan

.

March 23rd: The legal team for Planned Parenthood and ACLU presented the revised petition with the correct union logo to the board once again for approval. Our legal team came back with another challenge to their petition on the use of the word "the" in a spot that didn't meet legal requirements. The challenge was small, but effective. The board, while annoyed, had to agree with the challenge and granted conditional approval only if the RFFA removed the extra word. This same error led to the RFFA having to reprint all petitions and pull petitions from the field that were already circulating, ultimately costing them serious dollars.

Between April and July: The petition was being circulated all across Michigan, allowing for RFFA to gather more than 750,000 signatures—well over the required 425,059 signatures. From our analysis of the petitions, it appears that most of the signatures were collected after the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in the Dobbs case was leaked.

August 16th: Once again, our attorneys did their due diligence and found a serious printing error on the petitions. The error appears on the backside of the petition which features the actual language of the amendment. This language is important because it is the text that will appear in our state constitution if passed. We found 43 spacing errors that result in the text reading like this:

 ·  DECISIONSABOUTALLMATTERSRELATINGTOPREGNANCY

·  INCLUDINGBUTNOTLIMITEDTOPRENATALCARE

·  POSTPARTUMCARE

·  ORALLEGEDPREGNANCYOUTCOMES

·  INCLUDINGBUTNOTLIMITEDTOMISCARRIAGE

·  ORABORTION

·  PREGNANCYWHEN

·  JUDGMENTOF

·  ANDBASEDONTHEPARTICULAR

·  FACTSOFTHECASE

·  THEREISASIGNIFICANTLIKELIHOOD

·  OFTHEFETUS'SSUSTAINEDSURVIVALOUTSIDETHE 

Our Spokesperson for this coalition summarized the gibberish language perfectly:

“This amendment cannot be made part of your constitution in its current form. And there is no legal or constitutional process for changing the text of the amendment at this late stage. It is shocking, indeed, that more than three-quarters of a million voters—including the Governor and the state Attorney General—signed a petition they didn’t read and couldn’t understand. But this error-riddled mess cannot be put on the ballot."

As of right now, these 43 errors will be presented to the Bureau of Elections, who will then recommend to the Board of Canvassers if the errors should be considered in the next meeting on August 31st. More updates on this to come, so stay tuned.

By: Paul Kelsey - Wed, Aug 17, 2022 3:11 PM

Gentlemen:

An important part of our relationship with Jesus is the new start we receive through the Sacrament of reconciliation.

" If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9

Jesus brings us freedom and new life through the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a special encounter with Jesus, and it is a faithful source of grace.

As taken from the writings in the Ultimate Relationship, as published by Catholic Christian Outreach and our companion book Vivat Jesus.

Paul Kelsey State Catechesis Director

By: Gary Merritt - Wed, Aug 17, 2022 12:00 PM

Fundraiser for the 2024 State Leadership Installation of

Michigan Knights of Columbus 

Click HERE for Registration and Sponsor form

By: Gary Merritt - Sun, Aug 14, 2022 2:03 PM

Brother Knights of Munising Council # 2804 held an Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity on Wednesday August 9^th inducting one new member into the Order.

Munising Council # 2804 exemplification, left to right. Staff Wally Vollenweider, GK Romaldo Nevarez, Joe St. Martin. Candidate & new brother Knight Don Pray. Staff Jim Corriveau, Sonny Vardon. Fr. Michael Ocran and DD #605 Harold Flagstadt.

By: Gary Merritt - Sat, Aug 13, 2022 10:48 AM

Blessed Father Michael McGivney Feast Day – August 13

The official Feast Day in the Catholic Church of Blessed Father Michael McGivney is August 13. Patron and founder of the Knights of Columbus. The feast is celebrated annually across the universal Catholic Church. Bl. Fr. McGivney was born on August 12, 1852 and passed away on August 14, 1890 (aged 38). His feast day is celebrated on the 13th because it falls between these two dates. Bl. Fr. McGivney was Beatified on October 31, 2020 at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin (on behalf of Pope Francis). This Cathedral is the Diocese Seat for the Bl. Fr. McGivney’s shrine that also was the final parish church he served at during his life as a Priest and also where he founded the Knights (Church of Saint Mary in New Haven, Connecticut).

You can learn more about Bl. Fr. McGivney here.

Blessed Michael McGivney's Story

The eldest son of an immigrant Irish family in Connecticut, young Michael left school at 13 to work in a brass factory making spoons. At 16 he began studies for the priesthood in Quebec but was obliged to leave to help support the family when his father died. Michael completed his education in Baltimore, Maryland, and was ordained for the diocese of Hartford in 1877.

Assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven, Fr. McGivney was very active in parish and civic affairs, serving as director of public plays and fairs. He volunteered to become the guardian of Alfred Downes, a minor whose father had died leaving a large family in poverty. This situation as well as his own family's circumstances and that of other immigrants impressed on Fr. McGivney the need for lay Catholic men to establish a mutual aid society to provide financial assistance for their families if the primary wage earner died. Protestant fraternal groups already provided this type of life insurance protection for their members.

In 1882, Fr. McGivney formed the Knights of Columbus among a small group of St. Mary's parishioners to promote charity, unity, and fraternity, assisting widows and orphans. Because of the Knights' emphasis on serving Church, community and family, the organization grew and did not remain strictly parish-based. Patriotism was added as a founding principle in 1900.

Father McGivney died from pneumonia in 1890 and was buried in Thomaston, Connecticut. Later his body was moved back to St. Mary’s in New Haven where it remains today. He was beatified in 2020.

Reflection

Michael Joseph McGivney was a genuine pastor who, in the words of Pope Francis, was unafraid to share “the smell of his sheep.” He promoted families whose members were strong in their faith expressed through generous following of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. In a decree read at the beatification Mass, Pope Francis praised Fr. McGivney’s “zeal and the proclamation of the Gospel and generous concern for his brothers and sisters.” These “made him an outstanding witness of Christian solidarity and fraternal assistance.”

The Blessed Fr. Michael J. McGivney Prayer

God, our Father, protector of the poor and defender of the widow and orphan, you called your priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, to be an apostle of Christian family life and to lead the young to the generous service of their neighbor.

Through the example of his life and virtue may we follow your Son, Jesus Christ, more closely, fulfilling his commandment of charity and building up his Body which is the Church.

Let the inspiration of your servant prompt us to greater confidence in your love so that we may continue his work of caring for the needy and the outcast.

We humbly ask that you glorify your Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney on earth according to the design of your holy will.

Through his intercession, grant the favor I now present;

(here make your request)…………

Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

By: Gary Merritt - Sat, Aug 13, 2022 10:30 AM

Join Bishop Gruss on a charity ride across the Diocese to raise money for Think Adoption Not Abortion, an organization which encourages adoption through billboard advertisements.

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 13 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Begins in Saginaw and ends in Chesaning

Detailed Schedule

8 a.m. - Mass with Bishop Gruss at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, 615 Hoyt Ave., Saginaw

9 a.m. - Bishop Gruss to pray a blessing over participants and their motorcycles (all times listed below are estimates)

11 a.m. - Break at Knights of Columbus (Council #1546), 1038 S. Van Dyke Rd., Bad Axe

12:40 p.m. - Lunch at Knights of Columbus (Council #414), 225 S. Linn St., Bay City

3 p.m. - Break at Knights of Columbus (Council #1297), 302 S. Kinney Ave., Mount Pleasant

4:30 p.m.- Dinner and prizes at Knights of Columbus Council #2943 - 9101 Deitering Rd. Chesaning 48616

Cost is $20 per bike and $10 per passenger. Proceeds go to Think Adoption Not Abortion. Those who wish to participate by car may follow the line of motorcycles.

For additional information or to register, contact Kirk Dupuie at (989) 280-2141 or kdupuie@yahoo.com.

By: Gary Merritt - Wed, Aug 10, 2022 7:59 AM

The first week of August, 24 teams from throughout the world gathered in Detroit to compete in the Special Olympics Unified Cup Soccer Tournament.  On Friday, August 5th, temperatures climbed into the 90s and thunderstorms fortunately passed us by as the teams battled it out on the pitch.

It was even hotter on the sideline as 17 volunteers from 6 councils in the Michigan jurisdiction gathered around 2 large grills to prepare and serve over 750 meals to the teams and coaches.  The team prepared bagged meals that included a choice of chicken sandwiches, hamburgers and veggie burgers. The volunteers worked efficiently to serve all of the meals in only a couple of hours.   Everyone was satisfied at the end of the event knowing that we had done our best to serve the Special Olympics community.

Brian Zahn - District Deputy#114

Michigan Knights of Columbus

By: Michael Cousins - Thu, Aug 4, 2022 4:02 PM

Each year the Knights of Columbus with the Detroit Archdiocesan Vocations League sponsor a Memorial Mass held at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.  It is a very moving event and the name of every Brother who is being memorialized on a plaque is read aloud and also printed in the program.  The Mass is attended by the State Officers, Fourth Degree Color Corps and all brother Knights and their families who wish to attend.  This is followed by a brunch where we get to meet some of the current seminarians and future priests.

This year’s Mass is going to be held on Sunday November 6, 2022

Time: 10 am, please be seated by 9:45

Location: Sacred Heart Seminary 2701 Chicago Blvd. Detroit, 48206

Enter on Linwood south of Chicago.

If you wish to memorialize a Knight from your family or Council fill out the plaque application that can be found on the State Website HERE.

or contact Mike Cousins: m.cousins@mikofc.org   586-610-6497

By: Gary Merritt - Wed, Aug 3, 2022 5:11 PM

The 140th Supreme Convention, hosted this week in Nashville, Tenn., kicked off last night with a welcome concert and the Supreme Knight’s Award Session at the historic Grand Ole Opry House. Learn more about some of the award winners below. Visit kofc.org/convention and follow K of C social media for daily updates, live video, and photo galleries.

Several Catholic media outlets are currently broadcasting major events of the 140th Supreme Convention — including the Opening Business Session and Annual Report of the Supreme Knight, which begins at 1 p.m. Central Time. WATCH NOW 

The Family That Serves Together

Austin and Tracey Sewell and their eight children were named International Family of the Year in recognition of their joyful witness of Catholic family life and their exemplary service to the Church and their community. They are active parishioners of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Douglasville, Ga., and frequently participate in charitable events organized by St. John Paul II Council 10821. Austin is currently deputy grand knight, and his two oldest sons are also members of the council. WATCH HERE

 International Program Award Winners

A transformative men’s apostolate, a welcome center for refugees, food for hundreds of struggling military families, and a renovation to help mothers and children: Four Knights of Columbus councils were honored for these outstanding programs in service to faith, family, community and life.
WATCH HERE 

A Priest After Father McGivney’s Heart

Father Matthew Keller, a priest of the Diocese of Gallup, was honored with the inaugural Blessed Michael McGivney Medal — a new award to recognize exemplary Knights of Columbus chaplains. In his many years as a chaplain, including 15 years as state chaplain, Father Keller helped the Knights of Columbus in New Mexico grow in numbers and in faith. At the same time, he found creative ways to serve and evangelize the people of his diocese, the poorest in the United States. WATCH HERE

By: Paul Kelsey - Sun, Jul 31, 2022 8:01 AM

Introduction to a Novena to Blessed Fr. Michael J. McGivney

Blessed Michael McGivney, a model parish priest and founder of the Knights of Columbus, was recognized as a “saint” in his day by the people closest to him. When he was named “Blessed” by Pope Francis on October 31, 2020, the Church declared what many had long believed — the holy soul of Father McGivney lives today to intercede for us before the throne of God.

Over the years, thousands of favors have been attributed to Father McGivney’s intercession, as Knights, their families and Catholics throughout the world pray to him in times of need. He is known especially for favors related to employment and finances, reconciling family members, overcoming addiction, recovering from serious illness, as well as conversion and return to the Church. Coinciding with issues Father McGivney dealt with as a parish priest on earth, these favors show his ongoing care and concern for those who call upon him in faith.

In a spirit of total trust in God, we invoke Blessed McGivney’s intercession during this novena, for our own intentions and for the needs of others, knowing that he needs one more miracle to be considered for canonization, sainthood in the Catholic Church. We pray, most of all, that through the holy witness of Father McGivney, many will be brought closer to God and that we ourselves may renew our love of God and neighbor.

Let us open our hearts as we pray over these nine days. 

Find the dailey Prayers HERE.