NEW HAVEN PILGRIMAGE
The “McGivney Triangle” in New Haven, Conn., describes three locations central to the life and legacy of Father McGivney. Easily walkable, the pilgrimage route starts at St. Mary’s Church, where Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus with a handful of Catholic men; proceeds to the plaza of the Order’s international headquarters, at the display of three statues that capture the vision and mission of the founder, and ends at the Blessed Michael McGivney Center, where the McGivney Gallery features artifacts and relics of the holy priest, and illustrates the history of his Order.
Father McGivney's Tomb 5 Hillhouse Avenue
A special place of prayer and pilgrimage is the sarcophagus where the bodily remains of Father McGivney are entombed, near the entrance of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. Knights and families from many parts of the world, as well as visitors from New Haven and beyond, come to St. Mary’s to pay tribute to Father McGivney in the church where he founded the Order in 1882. They
recite the prayer for canonization and thank God for favors received through the intercession of the holy priest.
The mortal remains of Father McGivney were reverently placed in the polished granite sarcophagus on March 29, 1982, the centennial of the founding of the Knights of Columbus. The remains had been exhumed from the McGivney family plot in his hometown of Waterbury, where his parents and some of his siblings are still buried in Old St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
International Headquarters
1 Columbus Plaza
From the church, walk a few blocks to the plaza outside the Order’s international headquarters, where a tableau of three bronze figures tells the story behind the founding of the Knights of Columbus. Father McGivney is shown welcoming a widow and her children who seek help from the compassionate priest as the Protector of Christian Family Life.
The headquarters is a 23-story office building of distinctive brickwork and
God, our Father, protector of the poor and defender of the widow and orphan, you called your priest, Blessed Michael 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 Blessed Michael 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
four exterior towers symbolizing the Knights’ principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. Here the daily work of the Order is conducted in various departments: fraternal mission, insurance, underwriting, investments, communications, technology, and every other section that a modern international company requires. As a place of business, the building is open to invited visitors only.
Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center
1 State Street
In the Center is located the McGivney Gallery and the Reliquary Room. Among the first- and second-class relics on display are a fragment of bone and the cassock Father McGivney was buried in and other priestly garments and items he regularly used before his death Aug. 14, 1890. The Gallery features gradeschool and seminary photos, devotional items and newspaper clippings from his days in New Haven.
HIS VISION, YOUR MISSION
You can play a key role in advancing Father McGivney’s cause by joining the Guild for free and praying for his intercession and canonization. May Father McGivney intercede for you!
The Father Michael J. McGivney Guild serves as a source for information about the life, works and spirituality of Father McGivney. The Guild publishes a quarterly newsletter and offers a weekly Mass for the intentions of members.
Click HERE to Join!
MONTHLY REFLECTION
The entire month falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time.
A Time of Regeneration
The Blood that coursed through the veins of Christ was a part of that Sacred Humanity made possible by the maternity of Mary, whose parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne are honored this month. (July 26). Our Lord's blood poured out on the Cross purchased our salvation, washed clean the robes of the martyrs, and gave birth to the Church as it flowed from his wounded side. The Precious Blood of Christ now pulsing through his Mystical Body continues its salvific work, preserving and purifying, repairing and providing nourishment for regeneration and renewal of its members.
The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of July 2024
July’s longer and warmer days also provide us with the opportunity for renewal, both interior and exterior. Schedules relax and pressures ease, inviting travel. But, whether we travel or not, like the missionary, St. Junipero Serra (July 1), we preach to others by our conduct, our speech, even the clothes we wear. May we be modest in everything we do, imitating St. Maria Goretti, the young martyr for purity (July 6), and “preaching” Christ to everyone we meet.
The summer Mass and Liturgy of the Hours readings in Ordinary Time remind us that our earthly pilgrimage is also a journey, a great adventure towards union with Christ, the Beginning and the End of our journey. Each Sunday with its Easter renewal becomes a mile marker along the way, linking where we have been with where we are going. May the Precious Blood of Jesus sustain us as we journey to our true home, with Mary and the angels as our companions on the way.
This item 12555 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org.
Supreme Chaplain’s Challenge
Jesus restores the young girl to life by his word and touch. He restores us to life through the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of penance, with the words of absolution pronounced by the priest. We too can improve the lives of those in need around us, extending to them Christ’s love through our own words and works of charity.
This month, I challenge you to find one way each day even a small way to concretely share Christ’s love with those you meet.
For pastoral care of the sick: We pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick confer to those who receive it and their loved ones the power of the Lord and become ever more a visible sign of compassion and hope for all.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.
STATE OFFICER REPORT
WOW! What a a year we as Knights of Columbus had in Ohio and right here in the Cleveland Diocese. You can read about all the accomplishments throughout this newsletter. However, that is not even close to the impact and amount of work each of you and your councils put in day in and out through out the diocese to ensure that we are putting our faith into action.
Despite all of the accomplishments of last year, today we start at ground zero. As stated during the installation of officers, you and the council should take stock of their advancement, repair omissions, correct errors, and plan for a brighter future. I cannot reinforce enough that each council should plan its annual calendar now and prepare an annual budget. The budget can be read similar to a resolution read at a meeting, send out to the membership, read again at the next meeting, and vote. Having a budget will help when it comes to paying bills and donations to various organizations that you support. If you need any help, let me know.
Please note that the State Tour
Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 13 starting at 12 Noon for lunch and 1PM for the meeting. We are at Mary Queen of the Apostles in Brook Park. At least one representative from your council is encourage to attend to learn more about the plans for the 2024-2025 fraternal year, meet the state team, and get your Football Crazr tickets. I did hear through the grapevine that Ca$hman will be there and is going to bring rebate checks to the top-5 councils in the diocese. You should receive a personable invitation from Ca$hman. All the other rebate checks will be sent out to the FS after tour.
Cleveland has the honor of hosting the 126th Annual Ohio State Convention in May 2025. This year, we will be returning to Downtown Cleveland. There is a lot of planning that goes into hosting a convention. Kathy and I are looking for volunteers to help with the golf outing, Euchre tournament, registration, Friday Night Event, greeters, hospitality, vendor liaison, banquet, luncheons, and so on. If you want to get in on the ground floor and see what goes on behind the scenes, consider going the 2025 Convention Team. The state officers will handle the business sessions, caucus, and committee meetings that take place. If you are interested, call or text me at 440-785-9838 or email me at kofcjkm@gmail.com.
We will be hosting regional townhall and Exemplifications of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity throughout the diocese this fall. If you are interested in hosting one of these events, contact me. Food and beverages will be available. We will provide some training like Delta Church Drives.
I know that last year we had a number of councils that missed out on the Fraternal Benefit Events. We are working with the General and Field Agents to provide regional events that are live. Stay tuned for announcements and keep checking out the diocesan calendar for times and locations.
Did you know that there is a Chapter here in the Cleveland Diocese? The chapter is a larger grouping of councils that come together for large events like Rainbow Camp, Columbus Day Dinner, Clergy Appreciation Dinner, and Nuns & Ladies Dinner. The chapter can also be the center for much larger projects. If you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact Teran Taggart or myself. This is also a great way to network with other councils in the diocese.
Let us build on last year success and plan to repeat. Cleveland leads the way and is the standard that the other diocese want to follow.
Have a happy and safe Independence Day. Vivat Jesus, Jim
GROWTH REPORT
Congratulations to Ohio. As of June 28, 2024, Ohio has returned to the Circle of Honor with Supreme. That is the first time in eight (8) years when PSD Robert Collins, Jr was the State Deputy. Circle of Honor is an honor bestowed by Supreme for any Jurisdiction that achieves 100% of their growth goal. Recall, Ohio’s growth goal was 1,860 and we reached 1,880.
Cleveland should also be congratulated as we brought in 317 new members and achieving 114% of our growth goal. Columbus did beat us out for the top spot as they brought in 408 new members which was 137% of their goal. But no matter what, Cleveland Knights continue to accept the challenge and find a way to be leaders in the Great State of Ohio. That growth means Cleveland grew by 3.88% over our July 1st membership totals.
The top-5 councils for growth percentage are 8320 John Carroll, 15901 St. Adalbert, 15942 St. Mary Chardon, 13984 Brookpark, and 16373 St. Ladislas. Councils that brough in the most members are 3410 South Akron with 24 new members followed by 774 Elyria, 4130 Garfield, 14551 St. Hilary, 4847 Brunswick, and 10936 Father Maruskin. The top districts are: #19 Tom Goodhart with 46 new members followed up closely by #20 DeWitt Gober (38), #21 Patrick Gale (34), #24 Tom Donovan (33), and #25 Mike Rauh (25). Thank you all.
The entire diocese did a fantastic job as we led the state with 54 live, inperson Exemplifications. I had an incentive that started out at the beginning of the year. For every council that has a live Exemplification, their number will be entered into a drawing for a WalMart gift card. We have draw out five councils at the state tour meeting in July and award the gift cards. Your council can participate in 2024-2025. Contact Jim, Mike, or Teran and we can get you started with your own Exemplification Team!
Let’s go get them in 2024-2025 and help Ohio repeat at the Circle of Honor!
ORDER GROWTH
As of June 29, 2024
Ohio July 1: 54,834
Ohio Growth: 1,873 (100.70%)
% Growth: 3.42%
Cleveland July 1: 8,162
Cleveland Growth: 317 (114.23%)
% Growth: 3.88%
% Growth is a measure of the YTD gain compared against the July 1st membership number.
TOP-5 % GROWTH
YTD Gain against the July 1 Membership
1. 8320 John Carroll (39.29%)
2. 15901 St. Adalbert (15.38%)
3. 15942 St. Mary Chardon (14.10%)
4. 13984 Brook Park (12.20%)
5. 16373 St. Ladislas (11.63%)
TOP-5 TOTAL NEW MEMBERS
1. 3410 South Akron (24)
2. 774 Elyria (22)
3. 4130 Garfield, 14551 St. Hilary (17)
4. 4847 Brunswick (15)
5. 10936 Father Maruskin (13)
TOP-5 DISTRICTS
1. DD #19 Tom Goodhart (46)
2. DD #20 DeWitt Gober (38)
3. DD #21 Patrick Gale (34)
4. DD #24 Tom Donovan (33)
5. DD#25 Mike Rauh (25)
DISTRICT DEPUTY NEWS
I would like to congratulate all of you for your hard work and dedication. Ohio achieved Circle of Honor and 60+ Councils earned Star Council; 20 here in the Cleveland Diocese. Never mind selling over a million dollars of Super Cash Bonanza tickets.
As we begin a new Fraternal year, we extend our thanks to our retiring DD Kevin Hogan. Please say hello to the two newly installed DD's, they are Ron Snyder DD 26 and Paul Visnosky DD 30. Hopefully they did not encounter Information Overload this past weekend. During the Saturday Banquet at the DD Meeting, it was announced the Star District Award winners. Congratulations, John Brown DD23, Patrick Gale DD21 and Kevin Hogan DD30 job well down.
As you heard this weekend, we cannot sit on our laurels. We need to encourage our assigned Councils to implement or execute their program plans if not already. I know many Councils have several summer programs planned or scheduled already.
Encourage your Councils to schedule Exemplification of Charity, Unity, or Fraternity (CUF) event via State website. Also, if they have program and they recruit an eMember; once that person is moved to the Council roster, they can claim that event as a Membership Program. Reminder, as a requirement, your District should schedule a CUF every quarter if not monthly; it doesn't
have to be from one council.
Each District Deputy needs to file a Form 944 by September 15th (form opens on July 15th), this is a Supreme and State requirement. Please enter them as soon as you can. If you have any questions, please feel free in reaching out. As stated over the weekend, please provide an honest assessment of the Council. This form is utilized by State and Supreme and will not be shared with the Council.
Once Supreme allows access, encourage your Councils to appoint directors to the Five Required positions: Program, Family, Community, Membership and Retention directors. The Community and Family Director need to complete Praesidium training and a background check by Office of Youth Protection. The Grand Knight and Program need to complete Praesidium training also. These are required to earn Star Council.
July 13th is the State Tour at Mary Queen of Apostles at 1 PM. Please encourage your Councils to attend. Football Crazr tickets will be distributed and attendance by you as a District Deputy is a Mandatory.
When you visit your Councils would you query them to see if they
would like to participate in a District/Diocesan Corn Hole league and subsequent Diocesan Tournament? Please let me know as soon as humanly possible. Depending on interest and number of teams, it would determine the length of schedule.
Finally, Once again thank you and thank your Councils for their hard work this past year. Now we need to do it again. 2000 new members and 59 Star Councils (22 here in Cleveland). Cleveland Diocese Leads the way.
Teran
Taggart
DD Coordinator
KNIGHTS IN ACTION
Lafayette Council #3970 Helping Zelie’s Home
Over Mother's Day weekend masses at St. Michael parish in Independence, Ohio the presiding priest gave an overview of the valuable efforts carried out by Zelie's Home; followed by Lafayette Council 3970 members handing out letters to parishioners providing more detail on what Zelie's Home does to create a caring community that empowers pregnant and parenting women to take positive and effective action on behalf of themselves and their children by providing physical, emotional, spiritual, and professional support.
Return envelopes with donations for Zelie's Home were collected in subsequent Sunday collections and tallied by St. Michael. On Sunday June 23rd at the 10am mass event chair, Jack Wolf, along with GK Randy Katona and our chaplain and pastor Fr. Matt Jordan presented checks totaling $10,000 to Zelie's Home Staff Advocate Sr. Kathleen Hine, SND. Parishioners were thanked for their support by Sr. Kate and the Knights. The outpouring of generosity by St. Michael parishioners during this campaign more than doubled last year's collection for Zelie's Home.
George Schimek
Financial Secretary
Lafayette Council #3970
Palm Sunday Formation
Nearly 100 men from St. Michael Catholic Church in Independence, Ohio, and several other local parishes attended the 2024 Men’s Breakfast and Speaker event hosted by Lafayette Council #3970 on Palm Sunday. Dr. Ray Guarendi, a Catholic psychologist, author, and Knight from North Canton, Ohio, spoke to attendees about being a strong father and grandfather in today’s culture. Some of the event’s proceeds will be donated to support seminarians from the Diocese of Cleveland (Columbia, 2024).
STATE PROGRAMS
The Check is in the Mail!
Super Ca$h Bonanza 2024 WrapUp
Brother Knights,
What a fantastic year!!! Congratulations to all of you for helping to foil the Accountant and his Henchman. The Accountant is wants to join the Knights and help councils save money. Who would have thought that would happen.
The winners’ checks have been printed and are on their way. I am sure there will be a lot of happy people out there when those checks start to arrive.
Now, our councils. A total of $705,000 has been given back to the councils through the Charity Campaign. That is nearly an increase of $16000 compared to 2023. Ticket sales were out of this world as we reached the 200,000 level. Ca$hman knows exactly what you
Measure Up Closing Soon!
The Measure Up Campaign for 2024 will be closing on August 1st. Councils should be wrapping up their programs and submitting their grant forms to State Warden Tony Offenberger. Checks should be distributed starting in September and will be sent to the Financial Secretary on record. If there are any questions, consult the state website or reach out to Tony directly.
are looking for – the top council sellers and tickets per member! If you want to know, you will need to attend the state tour stop in your diocese.
At the state tour stop, Ca$hman will make a special appearance to award the top-5 councils – in each diocese – with their rebate check. The remaining other council rebate checks will be sent out after the state tour. This will be a great way to kick off the fraternal year with some funds for your council’s charity account and activities. Ca$hman hopes to see you there. All of the final results will be made available on the state website after the state tour and in
the August edition of the Beacon.
In case you wanted to know, the Sisters of Perpetual Charity have been relocated from Pittsburgh to the Cleveland and Toledo areas. They could not be happier to be back in the Buckeye State.
See you on tour!
Ca$hman is out!
Supporting Catholic Education
Brothers, there is no greater need to help share the good news of the Gospel than through educating our members, families, and the youth. The state Matching Funds Program kicks off on September 1st and runs through November 15th. However, now is the time to get your donation together and send in so that it gets matched from the Ohio Charity Foundation. Check out the website for more details or contact State Advocate Chris Sarka
Are You Ready for Some Football?
We know that are beloved Browns are getting ready for the upcoming 2024-2025 season. Are you ready?
PSD Gary Eckstein and his team will be at the State Tour Meeting in July ready to give you all the details. This is a great opportunity for your council to earn credit toward your state per capita as well as get HUGE rebates back for funds for your activities. Come to the State Tour Meeting for more info or visit our website.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Fraternal Trainers provide important support for Fraternal Leaders; training can be tailored to meet the needs of both new and seasoned officers, as well as any members who are interested in advancing to officer roles in the future. Fraternal Trainers provide officer training at both the district and council level, online and inperson. To sign up for training sessions from Supreme, visit the state website (www.kofcohio.org) under FOR MEMBERS and click on Training Opportunities or click the registration links below.
Date/Time
July 8, 2024
8:00 PM
July 16, 2024
8:00 PM
July 23, 2024
10:00 PM
July 24, 2024
8:00 PM
Topic/Registration Link
District Deputy Training Part Two
The second segment will cover how to manage district growth, programs, and resources. Topics will include setting goals, church drives and activity drives, as well as online membership and the steps to transfer members into local councils. We will continue to discuss Faith in Action objectives, programs throughout the year, and Cor, and have a review of leadership resources. Register.
District Deputy Basics: Part Three
In the third installment we will discuss the administrative side of the District Deputy position: the role you play in affiliate membership, safe environment, and the 944 annual report of council status. We will cover the steps to help a council recover from being dormant, the importance of email communications from Supreme and the navigation of the Supreme website to find training, leadership resources, and necessary forms. Also includes a walkthrough of the Officer’s Online area all District Deputies have access to and Supreme awards criteria. Register.
Creating and Using Council Budgets
Does your Council spend money? Is a lot of time during Council meetings devoted to navigating council expenditures? Does your Council use an annual budget? Learn how to work with the financial officers of the council to analyze, build, and operate an annual council budget, to reduce time during meetings and prevent overspending. Discover best practices to improve financial management, troubleshoot problems, and find the resources and tools that are available to assist your council in its budgeting efforts. Register
Grand Knight Basics: Part Three
This is the final part of our Grand Knight Training. The webcast will focus on operations and tips on conducting successful and productive meetings. We will once again provide you with the resources needed to empower all Grand Knights to become successful leaders. Register.
DIOCESAN CALENDAR OF EVENTS
To have events added to the diocesan calendar, visit the state website at www.kofcohio.org and scroll down till you see UPCOMING EVENTS. Click on the RED button to submit your event. If your council would like to host an Exemplification of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity but does not have a team ready or available, contact Jim Maslach at 440-785-9838. The Diocesan Exemp Team is ready and willing to come to you. We will need at least two weeks prior notice to make the appropriate plans.
STATE & DIOCESAN DIRECTORY
State Deputy
Immediate Past State Deputy Support Our Seminarians 2024-2025
Jeff Kiliany 559 Walnut St Leetonia, OH 44431 jtktg@yahoo.com
Mark Siracusa 15398 Silver Pine Ct Perrysburg, OH 43551 cuzza52@gmail.com
State Secretary State Per Capita Mike Felerski 1580 Gelhot Dr. #234 Fairfield, OH 45014 mfelerski@icloud.com
State Treasurer / DD #22 733, 2643, 2790, 4217 Super Cash 2025
Jim Maslach 4927 Autumnwood Ln Brunswick, OH 44212 440-785-9838 kofcjkm@gmail.com
State Advocate Matching Funds 2024 Chris Sarka 7239 Winterbek Ave New Albany, OH 43054 c_sarka@hotmail.com
State Warden Measure Up 2024 Tony Offenberger 15200 Muskingum River Rd Lowell OH 45744 tonyoffenberger@gmail.com
College Council Coordinator / DD #33 310, 2726, 8320, 15023, 15737 George Metz 440-449-0081 georgegmetz@aol.com
Growth Coordinator / DD #28 Inactive Councils Mike Incorvati 330-671-1490 mbaincorvati@hotmail.com
DD Coordinator / DD #29 Inactive Councils Teran Taggart 440-665-4078 ADM5893@YAHOO.COM
Council Rejuvenation / DD #32 789, 3541, 5506 Robert Walsh 216-533-1134 rewalsh731@aol.com
Past State Deputy Robert Collins, Jr 216-410-7174 rfcollinsjr@gmail.com
Past State Deputy Roland Bator 330-225-7354 rbator4591@msn.com
General Agent Jason Staas
COR Director Cleveland Ty Tyjewski
State Website Director Tom Buehner
District Deputy #19 3213, 3410, 4664, 14111, Tom Goodhart
District Deputy #20 637, 774, 3269, 4891, 7970, 8369
District Deputy #21 4731, 13984, 14416, 15901, 16373, 16376
District Deputy #23 947, 3304, 14714, 15942
District Deputy #24 4168, 4847, 10792, 11464, 14769
DeWitt Gober
Patrick Gale
John Brown
Tom Donovan
District Deputy #25 2362, 3529, 5613, 10936, 13517 Mike Rauh
District Deputy #26 3970, 14406, 15056, 15614, 16137, 16279
District Deputy #27 2886, 3164, 4498, 4801, 5405, 13755
Ron Synder
Tim Daley
District Deputy #30 547, 14054, 14255, 14551 Paul Visnosky
District Deputy #31 2803, 4130, 4893, 5106, 5559, 11831
Jerry Nowesnick
800-484-0304 jason.staas@kofc.org
440-867-4503 TYKNIGHT4847@GMAIL.COM
216-554-0722 tom.buehner@gmail.com
330-773-9379 MLTRG@ATT.NET
440-541-3317 DD20GOBER@GMAIL.COM
440-382-1177 FLAGDAY66@WOWWAY.COM
330-610-0308 trouter0523@gmail.com
216-650-4213 TD3430@ATT.NET
330-256-3038
MIKERAUH58@GMAIL.COM
SNYDERCRESTON@AOL.COM
216-486-1298 tdaley1861@aol.com
216-798-8791
PVFONHOME@YMAIL.COM
440-336-0039 nowesnick@gmail.com