LE CENTER KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 5085
March 2015 Newsletter
Grand Knight – Ron Schmidt
Deputy Grand Knight – Jerry Cooney
Chancellor – Antonio Figueroa
Financial Secretary – Mike Boettcher
Treasurer – Jim Selly
Recorder – Darian Hunt
Warden – Clarence Mager
One Year Trustee – Earle Traxler
Two Year Trustee – Doug Christian
Three Year Trustee – Don Hayden
Inside Guard – Paul Lopez
Outside Guard - Bill Hoffman
Advocate – Doug Christian
Chaplain– Father Chris Shofner
District Deputy – Pat Liebl
Grand Knight Message from Ron Schmidt:
Lent is here, it started with Ash Wednesday. This is a time of penitence, marked in one way by abstaining from
certain foods and physical pleasures for 40 days. In this way we imitate Jesus who fasted 40 days in the
wilderness. The real aim of Lent is above all else, to prepare men for the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ.
The purpose of Lent is to provide purification by weaning men from sin and selfishness through self-denial and
prayer, by creating in us a desire to do God’s will and to make his kingdom come by making it come first of all in
our hearts. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the
strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man glory in his riches; but rather, let him who glories, glory in this,
that in his prudence he knows me, knows that I, the Lord, bring about kindness, justice and uprightness on the
earth; for with such am I pleased, says the Lord - Jeremiah 9:22-23. Fasting and prayer helps Christians draw
closer to God.
Calendar of Events:
Sunday, March 1 – KC Breakfast 8:00AM-Noon
Thursday, March 5 – Regular Meeting 7:30 PM
Thursday, March 19 – Officers Meeting 7:00 PM at the home of Jim Selly
Watch church bulletin for other events and dates
Chaplain’s Message from Fr. Chris Shofner
When I was young, my brothers and I used to attend a parochial school that required us to catch a bus each
morning to take us to the next town. Our bus stop was at a gas station about a half-mile from our house, so each
morning my brothers and I would make that walk, no matter the weather, and each afternoon we would make the
walk back home. Often we would get there with some time to spare, so we spent the time buying candy or playing
video games, or else we would hang out there after the bus dropped us off. I remember one time I was in the
store, and something came over me. I saw a small piece of candy that I couldn’t resist (a caramel or something
like it, I don’t remember exactly what it was). So I placed it in my pocket, bought something small so as not to
raise suspicions, and left. It was the first time I ever stole something from a store, and the guilt was horrible.
Sure, it was an inconsequential piece of candy, but it was stealing nonetheless. I broke down and had to tell my
mom, and she suggested I pay for it the next time I went into the store. It was a tough lesson for an 8-year-old
boy to learn, to be humble enough to admit my mistakes and make reparation for the wrong I had done.
As we get older, most of us understand that stealing is wrong. We understand that part of respecting others is
respecting their possessions. And we understand the wrongness of taking something that does not belong to us.
The Seventh Commandment instructs us against this type of dishonesty: “You shall not steal.” It entails respect
for the person and for their possessions.
Most of us can see how this applies to material things – we don’t break into someone’s home and take their TV or
furniture. We don’t steal the clothes off someone’s back. We teach our kids that it’s not right to take their sibling’s
or friend’s toys. But the command against stealing can also apply to other things, even time and money.
Recently, I read a short article about the top five socially acceptable addictions, and one of them was our phones
and computer devices. We hardly go anywhere these days without seeing a sea of heads buried in their phones,
staying “connected” with others through social media. This habit has become so prevalent that employers are
losing millions of hours every year in lost productivity because their workers are surfing the Internet or engaging in
online conversations when they should be working. This is a good example of stealing time from one’s employer,
and along with that, getting paid for that time. We may not think anything of it—it may even be somewhat “socially
acceptable” among employees. We may not even realize that this is what we’re doing when we waste time at
work. But it is an offense against our employers—we’re accepting pay for work not done.
It’s not just the scammers, deceivers, and those who take advantage of others to get what they want who need to
be vigilant against the sin of greed – at times the temptation rears its ugly head and encourages us to take what is
not rightfully ours. But Christ is clear that any dishonest means to obtain something that is not ours comprises
stealing and requires some form of reparation. How do we do that? The simplest means is to return what was
taken or else pay for what was stolen. Sometimes this can be done without repercussion – we can be honest with
a loved one that we took their possession and return it. We may even be able to do this anonymously. It may be
a bit more fragile case when dealing with stealing from a place of business, as there may be legal repercussions –
in such cases, we are still obligated to make reparation to that business, and it may be done by talking with the
manager and asking that your attempt to make reparation is sufficient to allay any legal consequences.
But what if we are unable to return what was taken, for example, if we have already consumed some food or spent
money that was stolen? Reparation can still be made by replacing that item – perhaps by offering to buy a meal
for a friend or leaving some money in an envelope for them. What if we took something that we know wasn’t ours,
but we don’t know who it belongs to? Is reparation possible? Yes. We can make a donation to a charity in the
amount that we took, or do some good work to make up for our dishonesty.
In the end, we should be able to say, “What I have, I rightfully have. And if I have obtained anything wrongly, I
want to make up for it.” Christ teaches this as the way to honest, Christ-like living. All that we have is a gift from
God—we shouldn’t have a need for anything more than what He has provided. May our eyes not desire more
than He desires for us, and may our hearts not be set on things that take away from what others have been given.
A copy of this Newsletter, the KC 5-Call-5 list, and other information about our council can be found on the parish
website: www.stmarysthenry.org
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PERMIT NO. 43
Non-Profit Org.
St. Mary’s Council Messenger
Knights of Columbus – 5085
Le Center, Minnesota 56057
Le Center
SJS Mechanical Inc.
357-6601
Bro. Scott Smisek
Schmidt
Isak’s Auto Sales
Cleveland, MN 56017
507-934-2834
Bro. Antonio Figueroa
G & M Services
Jewelry – Awards – Gifts
357-6685
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Miller Electric
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357-6781
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Hertaus Homes
Le Sueur, MN
665-2505
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Mankato, MN
866-577-1831
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Le Center, MN
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Traxler’s Hunting Preserve
Le Center, MN
357-6940
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Kelly Construction
All types of concrete work
357-4904
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Investment Centers of America
Le Center, MN
357-2238
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357-6200
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______
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612-214-5640
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665-6130
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357-2221
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357-4338
952-513-8784
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aaronjelinek@kofc.org
Carpet Castle
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357-4410
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Christian, Keogh, Moran &
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357-6116
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Leo Holicky Construciton
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357-2225
357-6562
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364-8924
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357-6100
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