ST. THERESA’S COUNCIL # 14615
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
450 Radio Road
Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
(WWW.KOFC14615.ORG)
December 10, 2015
Council Meeting:
Our December meeting is scheduled as follows:
Date:
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Time:
7:00 PM
Location:
Faith Formation Center, St. Theresa’s Church
Officers’ Meeting:
We will hold our January Officers’ meeting as follows:
Date:
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Time:
7:00 PM
Location:
Faith Formation Center, St. Theresa’s Church
OCEAN COUNTY CHAPTER MEETING:
DATE: Monday, January 14, 2016
LOCATION: Fr. Emil J. Kapaun Council # 10022
4 Buckingham Drive North
Leisure Knoll Lakeside Lodge
Manchester, NJ 08759
TIME: 8:00 PM
DRESS CODE: Jacket and Tie
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS:
The Officers, Service Program Directors and Committee Chairmen of our Council extend to all
our Brother Knights and their families their best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Holy and
Happy New Year.
CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE:
My Dear Brothers in Christ
We have entered into the holy season of Advent. It is a time of reflection and retrospection of our
relationship with God, his love for us and his intense desire to have us with him for all eternity.
I am finding great insight into myself by reflecting on the writings of Pope Francis. For Advent I
have been reading his Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Gospel. In it, Pope Francis begins:
The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. The Holy Father
continues:
Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and
loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the
Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while
pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.
Pope Francis is sharing with us the Good News itself and encouraging us to be filled with the joy
which can come from believing the Gospel. It is this joy, which will change the way we live and
the way we are perceived by others, which will animate our sharing of the Gospel with others.
Pope Francis begins by warning us about how our culture impacts us and robs us of our joy and
our compassion:
The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and
anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and
a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and
concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer
heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do “good” fades. This is a very
real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is
no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the
Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.
Then, Pope Francis offers the remedy for this danger - our personal relationship with Jesus:
I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with
Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this
unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since
"no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.
The Holy Father suggests this prayer:
Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have
shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save
me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”.
Pope Francis makes it clear that we can trust that our Lord wants to embrace us:
God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.
The Pope acknowledges that joy is not always easy, but it is the source of our healing and life:
I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at
moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of
light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely
loved. I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet slowly but surely
we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest
distress: “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is… But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to
an end; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness… It is good that one should wait
quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam 3:17, 21-23, 26).
He says that faith filled joy is not an intellectual conclusion, but the result of a personal
encounter with God's love:
Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into
an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption. We become
fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in
order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our
efforts at evangelization. For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives,
how can we fail to share that love with others?
So, with this exhortation, we have much for our reflection at this point of Advent. We can renew
our desire for this personal encounter with our God, who is loving and merciful. The joy of that
experience of love can begin to soften and warm our hearts again, and it can open the way to
loving others differently.
We can let his light, his mercy, his peace into our hearts, into any area of darkness. And, we can
experience how we are being invited to shine this light into other areas of our life - especially
among those closest to us.
May God bless us in this Holy Season of Advent
Fr. Mick
ILL MEMBERS – please pray for their rapid return to health:
Bishop David O’Connell, Bishop of Trenton Diocese
Bishop John Smith, Retired Bishop of Trenton Diocese
Deacon Bill Sulzmann
Past Grand Knight Thomas Hartley
*Past Grand Knight, Former District Deputy Joe Berdini
Past Grand Knight and Former District Deputy Bill Dwyer
Brother Peter De Feo
Brother Jack Murray
*Brother Peter Prada
*Brother Francon Hughes
Brother Salvatore Di Franco
Brother Peter Marcellino
Brother James Murray
*Brother James Sexton
Brother Franklin Clayton
Brother Rich Lacovara
Brother Matthew Bieda and his wife, Karen
*Brother James Murray’s father, Martin
Past Grand Knight John Taaffe’s wife, May
PGK Taaffe’s Sister-in-law Shirley Lewis
Past Grand Knight Earl Lind’s wife, Jan
*Brother Ray Keeler’s son, Greg
*Brother Ray Keeler’s mother-in-law, Hilda Doreste
Brother Peter Prada’s wife, Irene
*Brother Matthew Bieda’s uncle, Paul Swaen
*Brother Bob Love’s son, Adrian
Brother Peter Marcellino’s daughter, Angela Fritz
*Brother Tom Rzemyk’s wife, Brenda
*Brother Tom Rzemyk’s granddaughter, Christine Riech
We ask that you Brothers, who have either your name or your family names on this list, to please
reconfirm the listing every three months, or we will regretfully remove the name from the list.
Those entries, preceded by an asterisk will be removed from our prayer list in January.
BLESSING OF CHRISTMAS CRECHE:
Each year, the New Jersey State Council, Knights of Columbus, sponsors a ceremony at the NJ
State House for Christmas. The events will include a Children’s Choir, Refreshments, Fourth
Degree Color Corps and the Blessing of the Crèche. Free parking on State Street in Trenton.
DATE: Saturday, December 12, 2015
TIME: 11:30 AM – show up by 11:15 AM
LOCATION: New Jersey State House
West State Street, Trenton, NJ
DEGREES:
Our Council is planning a First Degree at our January Council meeting and a Second Degree at
our February Council Meeting. More information will be forth coming.
CHRISTMAS SALES:
Starting Saturday, November 28th, the Council will be selling its Christmas Magnets and
Christmas Lawn Signs after all Masses. The dates for the sales are November 28– 9, December
5-6, December 12-13 and December 19-20. Sign up at our next Council Meeting for the Masses
you will assist us.
COUNCIL CHRISTMAS PARTY:
Again this year, our Council will hold an annual Christmas Party. The details are on the flyer at
the end of this letter. Please contact the individuals named if you will be attending.
CULTURE OF LIFE ROSE SALE:
Our Council, along with the Parish Pro-Life Committee, is planning the Annual Rose Sale the
weekend of January 19th. Please sign up to support this drive at our December meeting.
BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE:
The Council is forming a Bereavement Committee and is looking for volunteers to join it.
Contact John Taaffe @ 908-239-5988 if you are interested.
COUNCIL FELLOWSHIP EVENTS:

HORSESHOES – Father Mick has offered to allow us to build horseshoe pits on St
Theresa church property. This process will continue in the Spring with the building of
the horseshoe pits.
Additional ideas are always welcome!!
COMMUNITY FOOD BANK ASSISTANCE:
We are continuing our assistance for the Little Egg Harbor Food Pantry. Assistance is always
needed in distributing the paper bags after Mass. Help is also requested for various events listed
below.
SUMMARY OF UPCOMING FOOD PANTRY EVENTS:
Day
Saturday
Monday
Monday
Date
December 19
December 21
December 21
Time
9:00 AM
9:00 AM
11:00 AM
Saturday
December 26 27
All Masses
Location
Food Pantry
Food Pantry
Community
Center
Church
Event
Distribute Christmas Food.
Unload County Food Truck
Unload County Food Truck
Distribute Bags
BABY DIAPERS:
Diapers needed for the Community Food Bank (sizes 2, 3, 4 or 5). Please donate at the monthly
Parish Food Drive or at monthly council meetings.
SURVEY OF FRATERNAL ACTIVITY:
Each year, by the end of January, the Councils of our Order submit a form entitled: Survey of
Fraternal Activity. This form provides the Supreme Council of the Order information to support
our tax-exempt status. The Treasurer and Financial Secretary prepare the required financial
information and you, the members, provide your activity information. At the end of this letter is
a worksheet for you to complete and return to the Financial Secretary by January 28, 2016.
FOURTH DEGREE:
If you are interested in taking the Fourth Degree next year, please contact either Joe Lyons, the
Assembly Comptroller (jalkofc@aol.com), or John Nowak, our own Council Chancellor.
COUNCIL OFFICERS:
TITLE
Grand Knight
Deputy Grand Knight
Chancellor
Warden
Treasurer
Recorder
Advocate
Inside Guard
Outside Guard
Trustee First Year
NAME
Jeff Hawarden
Dave Johnson
John Nowak
Francis Murphy
Joe Palandro
Jim Halsey
Rick Siano
Leo Rossetti
Bill Murphy
John Taaffe
PHONE NUMBER
732-768-0479
609-296-9058
609-812-9788
609-294-8244
609-296-3551
609-296-3201
609-812-5752
609-458-9989
609-294-9018
908-239-5988
The positions of Chaplain, Lecturer and Financial Secretary are appointed positions – not
elected. Our Chaplain, Father Mick, is appointed by the Bishop, our Lecturer, Peter Jacobs, by
the Grand Knight and our Financial Secretary, Joe Lyons, by the Supreme Knight.
POCKET BADGES:
If you ordered a pocket name badge from either Jay Werling or Joe Lyons, there are in. The
price is $14.00 for a Fourth Degree Knight; $13.00 for all other Knights. See Joe Lyons at the
Council meeting for your badge.
Joe is also taking orders for new badges. See him at the meeting.
INSURANCE MATTERS:
Protecting Widows – A Founding Goal
As a member of this council, you know how important spouses can be to the charitable works of
the Order. If you’re married, your wife is probably involved in a few of the many events that
happen each fraternal year. This support adds great value and impact to what a council can
achieve.
When the Order was founded in 1882, Father Michael J. McGivney and the other brave men
were setting out to protect Catholic families, but especially wives and children. Today, we
remain committed to this mission by offering insurance products and fraternal benefits designed
with that goal in mind. One specific policy rider that you may not know about is called Spousal
Waiver of Premium. This rider is unique to the Knights of Columbus philosophy of helping our
widows.
This rider is available on most permanent and Discoverer plans purchased at standard rates by a
member and his wife on the same day. When both spouses apply, the rider provides for waiver of
premiums on the spouse’s contract in the event of the insured’s death. Best of all, for members
and spouses ages 18 to 60, this waiver can be added for no charge. The rider stays in effect until
the spouse attains age 65 or certain other triggering events occur.
Our products are designed with your needs and budget in mind. With a solid portfolio of life
insurance, long-term care, disability income and retirement products, the Knights of Columbus
can help you meet all of your financial goals. To learn more about these solutions, contact me
today.
Jonathan Pandolfo
Jonathan.pandolfo@kofc.org
609-549-6568
ODDS AND ENDS:
Articles for this newsletter are to be sent to Joe Lyons (address below) no later than the First
Friday of each month.
If you have an email address and received this newsletter via snail mail (US Post Office) please
contact Joe Lyons at jalkofc@aol.com so he may include you on the email distribution list and
save the Council money on postage. We no longer email this newsletter as an attachment but
rather as an email message. Thus you don’t need to “open” anything to read it.
If you have anything you wish me to include or any comments for improvements, please contact
me using the information below.
VIVAT JESUS!!!!
Fraternally,
Joe Lyons
609-296-2820
jalkofc@aol.com
ST. THERESAS COUNCIL # 14615
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Sea Oaks Country Club
December 19, 2015
6:30 – 10:30 pm
Caesar Salad with homemade garlic croutons
Roast Pork Tenderloin Provencal
Penne Pasta Alfredo
Chicken Francaise
Roasted Rosemary potatoes
Fresh Steamed Vegetables
Dessert
Fresh Brew Coffee, Tea and Soft drinks
$30.00 Per Person
For Tickets Call Dave Johnson 609-335-2245
Or
John Taaffe 908-239-5988
ANNUAL SURVEY OF FRATERNAL ACTIVITY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER WORKSHEET
Last year, the Knights of Columbus donated more than $167 million to charitable and benevolent
causes and over 70 million hours of volunteer community service to aid the less fortunate. To
help prepare our Fraternal Survey for the Supreme Council office, please complete the
information requested below and return it by our January meeting.
If you are a Fourth Degree Knight, and also report your fraternal activity to your Assembly, do
not also report that activity to our Council. Just report Council activity to our Council.
This information will assist us in determining the total number of hours of community service
volunteered by our members during 2015.
Number of visits you made during 2015 to:
Sick — caring for the sick...................................................................................
Bereaved — visits of condolence........................................................................
2. Number of times you served as a blood donor during 2015...................................................
3. Estimated hours of volunteer service during 2015:
Church Activities — service in all Church related activities................................
Community Activities — service in all community related activities..................
Youth Activities — service in all youth related activities....................................
Habitat for Humanity - service in all related projects….......................................
Culture of Life …………………………………………………………………..
VAVS ……………………………………………………………………………
Food for Families ……………………..………………………………………....
Special Olympics ………………………………………………………………..
Miscellaneous Activities — service in areas not outlined above ….....................
4. Number of hours of fraternal service during 2015:
Sick/disabled members and their families — household chores, transportation,
tutoring, counselling, etc…………………………………………………………………
Please return this form to our Council not later than the January 2016 Council Meeting. You
may also mail this to our Financial Secretary: Joseph Lyons, 18 Daffodil Drive, Little Egg
Harbor, NJ 08087.
Fraternally,
Joe Lyons
Financial Secretary