You have probably seen us at Mass, sitting together during corporate Communion, or passing out Tootsie Rolls to raise money for the handicapped. You or a family member may have even been approached by one of us as we extended an invitation to join us. Maybe you were an active Knight in the distant past, or joined but never quite got started. The goal of this article is to illuminate parts of this wonderful Catholic organization and of course extend an invitation to all Catholic men. Everyone is busy, so deciding to commit to any activity or organization is not something most take lightly. When thinking about how we spend our time, one could ask “Would Christ spend his time doing this?” No human organization is perfect, but its membership, actions, and values help answer this question.
The first two pillars of the Knights of Columbus are Charity and Unity. One of our many goals include offering men an opportunity to grow in their Faith through many works of Charity. This is done working alongside other Catholic men. The Verona council is very active and continues to grow. We have raised tens of thousands of dollars for many great charities. We do this through Parish and community events such as the tootsie roll drives, pancake breakfasts, and brat stands to name a few. As our culture continues to shift away from the Catholic Christian values that we hold dear, the Knights are a great way to surround yourself with others of like values. Together, we have, and will continue to make a difference in our communities and Parishes.
Our meetings are more than just business meetings. Yes, we plan upcoming activities and discuss logistics, but we also spend time in prayer and fellowship. At every meeting we take time to hear charity and prayer requests. In some cases our charity requests are a result of our prayer requests. Due to our fundraising efforts, we are able to reach out to those in need right in our own Parish and community. Our new Faith Director, Ryan Hartberg, is passionate about finding ways for us to continue to grow in our Faith and has many ideas that he will work on implementing this year. Every meeting ends with fellowship and refreshments. This is valuable time spent gettng to know each other and forming relationships with other Catholic men.
As we approach October, our focus will be on pro-life activities and charities as well as recruitment. If you think you’d like to be involved, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Grand Knight Bill LaBerge (Blab405@hotmail.com, 845-9448) and Recruitment director Mark Hyde (Mark.Hyde@gmail.com, 577-6159) are always available to help answer questions and get you more information. As the year continues, Mark will continue to lead the effort to make sure that every man in our Parish has been made aware of and is offered membership in this great Catholic organization.
Program Director – Ryan Zakrzewski