OCTOBER 2024
FATHER MCGIVNEY GUILD NEWS
The unveiling of the first in a series of statues of Blessed Michael McGivney spurred joyous enthusiasm on Aug. 13 upon its arrival at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights in the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Members of the Knights of Columbus from Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island received the statue of Father McGivney during his feast day and honored him with an evening Mass celebrated by Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan. The bishop also blessed and dedicated the bronze-colored statue in the sanctuary before its positioning in the co-cathedral vestibule.
Bishop Brennan, who joined the Knights of Columbus at age 20 before he entered the seminary, said Father McGivney represented humility and universal holiness. The statue will remind everyone entering the vestibule that they too should pursue those traits. “Thank you for this image,” Bishop Brennan told the assembled Knights. “I think now of many people, especially during the holy Jubilee year coming up, who will pass through the co-cathedral and encounter this statue of Blessed Father Michael and be reminded of that universal call to holiness.”
A total of 11 statues will be placed in the dioceses of Albany, Buffalo, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Rockville Centre and Syracuse by the K of C New York State Council. The Order’s Supreme Council is sponsoring a statue for St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. (Excerpted from The Brooklyn Tablet story by Bill Miller)
Relic Enshrined: In what Bishop Frank Caggiano called “a moment of great historical importance,” Connecticut Knights of Columbus from 36 councils gathered April 27 to celebrate a Mass at which the Diocese of Bridgeport was given a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney, which will be enshrined in St. Augustine Cathedral.
Bishop Caggiano said in his homily, “I am inviting you to truly rediscover the genius of our founder and to join with me, your brother priests and all the good faithful of this diocese to rediscover a practical faith in the 21st century, like Blessed Michael McGivney.” He said the relic represented a decisive call to action for his initiative of The One, which he described as “this great adventure of the renewal of our diocese.”
The bishop said he prays every day that Blessed Michael will inspire the hearts of priests throughout the state along with those discerning the priesthood and those who have not yet discovered they have a vocation. “
Bishop Caggiano described Father McGivney as “a man of deep faith and deep spirituality, a man of gentleness and patience, a man who walked with people on their spiritual journey but who also knew that was not enough … he needed to go into the midst of the suffering of his people because he could not turn a blind eye to it.”
His faith “was as practical as it could be” and he lived by Christ’s mandate: “Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me.”
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
And I pray that through his intercession, we will have many more priests who will be saints of God and many more men who will come forward to answer the call to the priesthood,” he said. (Excerpted from Fairfield County Catholic story by Joe Pisani)
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
October falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it 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. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time.
Autumn Festivities
October usually is an enjoyable time of the year in the United States. The autumn season manifests itself with wonderful fall foliage in many parts of the country. The temperatures are cooler, inviting people outdoors for nature walks, apple or pumpkin picking. School routines are more established and football season is in full swing. The celebrations of the Church for the month of October are also wonderful and unique. The feasts of some of the most popular saints of the universal Church are celebrated during this month: St. Thérèse the Little Flower (France), St. Francis of Assisi (Italy) and St. Teresa of Avila (Spain). These saints come from different countries, and in honoring these saints we can include cultural dishes or activities from each country to make the feastday even more special. Read more about the lives of these saints. Perhaps the family can pick one virtue that each saint practiced well and try to implement it.
The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of October 2024
The feasts in October also include two of the most popular, time-honored devotions of Catholics, the devotion to the Holy Rosary (October 7) and the Guardian Angels (October 2). In October 2002 St. John Paul II wrote the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (the Rosary of the Virgin Mary)."
Try to make a more concerted effort to pray the Rosary together as a family during the month of October, read the Apostolic Letter to understand the beauty of this devotion more deeply, and pray the Luminous mysteries. Every person has a guardian angel assigned to them, and October 2 the Church celebrates the role of these Guardian Angels. We should show devout gratitude to God for placing these angels at our service. Having a guardian should give us confidence during all of life's difficulties.
All Hallows' Eve or Halloween heralds the month of November with emphasis on the Communion of Saints, especially the Church Suffering (the Poor Souls in Purgatory) and the second coming of Christ or Parousia. This last day of October on the secular calendar is second only to Christmas in commercial preparations. The Christian focus is on the Communion of Saints and the Last Things. As Christians living a "Catholic Culture", we can try to explore the Christian roots of the Halloween festivities.
For a Shared Mission: We pray that the Church continue to sustain in all ways a Synodal lifestyle, as a sign of coresponsibility, promoting the participation, the communion and the mission shared among priests, religious and lay people.
(See also http:// www.popesprayerusa.net/)
Thou, O daughter, art blessed of the Lord, for through thee have we been made partakers of the fruit of life.
The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary.
STATE OFFICER REPORT
Congratulations! You have made it through the first quarter of the fraternal year. What a first quarter the CLE has had. We started a new council, 18527 St. Elias Melkite in Brooklyn, we are looking to start new councils at the University of Akron and St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Cleveland. With that, we have brought in 68 new members. We are still looking up at Columbus in the standings, but we are closing the gap. And I know that once we get these two councils going, we will brief as it may be should be in front. Thank you to all of you for your efforts to grow the Order.
Forms continue to be an issue especially 365s. With that, all of our District Deputies have been instructed to assist all councils to get those forms turned in. These are CRITICAL forms for a couple of reasons. First, it identifies the key service personnel like program director, membership, and retention personnel. Second, it provides those that must be Safe Environment training like the Grand Knight, Program Director, Community and Family Directors. If your councils is going to do anything with young people today, you have to have members that are BOTH Virtus, for the diocese, and Safe Environment, for the Knights, trained. Without it, you are open to liability if problems arise.
Couple of other items are coming up that you and your members may be interested in. There are a couple of Exemplifications this month:
• 10/1 Lakewood Council #2643
• 10/5 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council #11464
• 10/8 Brunswick Council #4847
• 10/9 State Online
• 10/12 OD1 4th Degree (Champion)
• 10/16 North Olmsted Council #4733
• 10/22 Elyria Council #774
• 10/23 State Online
• 10/24 Fr. Maruskin Council #10936
I am sure there are some others that just not listed on the state website yet. Please list them by visiting www.kofcohio.org and scrolling down on the home page. Hit the BIG RED button and enter the information.
AM1260 is having their Spirit Week October 23-25. I am challenging each council in the CLE to donate $25. If we do that, would be over $1500. I will be there to answer calls so stay tuned. Please congratulate Bernadette Borguski as she leaves AM1260 to help take care of her husband. God Bless you Bernadette.
The Greater Cleveland Chapter is sponsoring a Columbus Day Dinner and plans to honor Bud Tetzlaff from St. Ladislas Council #16373 as the Chapter Knight of the Year and Past Chapter President John McQuillen from St. Charles Borromeo Council #16137. I know John will not be present, but we can still roast him. LOL
The Chapter also sponsors monthly lunches with the Luncheon Club. Contact Frank Carangio for more information.
Supreme has some webinars this month that sound interesting. Check out the training page later in this issue for details and registration links.
Many members from across Ohio and the CLE attended the March for Life on October 4 down in Columbus. Stay tuned for pictures from the event in next month’s issue.
The Convention Team Captains held are first meeting on October 4 to start to look at putting together a first rate experience for our members as they visit the CLE. If you are still interested in helping a specific team, let me know and I will get you in contact with the right captains. Kathy and I did meet with the Hilton and we are almost ready to go.
Cleveland continues to be our Faith Into Action in our parishes and communities. Please take some time to fill out the programs and activities your council do on the state website (www.kofcohio.org).
Finally, Kathy and I spent a week in the Pacific Northwest again visiting my parents. However, we did get some time for some R&R and some great memories.
Vivat Jesus! - Jim
GROWTH REPORT
The Cleveland Diocese continues to shine during the first quarter of the new fraternal year. Currently, we have 68-new brothers. A lot of that is thanks to the start of a new council, 18527 St. Elias Melkite, and 20 councils actively recruiting. Now is the time to recruit it is October and drive season is upon us.
Schedule those exemplifications with the state so that others may be able to attend. Find five members, preferably those that are comfortable speaking up front of people, and have them learn the parts for the Exemplification of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity. Having been part of the Diocesan team since 2020, we have over 200+ exemplifications under our belt. We are here to help you and your team. If you need help or would like to the Diocesan team to visit your council, call Jim at 440-7859838 to make the arrangements.
The chase is one to be the top diocese in Ohio. We have been the bride’s maid for so many years to our brothers down south. It is time for the CLE to come out and reclaim the top spot. Lets all do our part.
ORDER GROWTH
As of October 5, 2024
Ohio July 1: 55,313
Ohio Growth: 426 (21.30%)
% Growth: 0.77%
Cleveland July 1: 7,831
Cleveland Growth: 68 (25.60%) % Growth: 0.87%
% 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 Excluding New Councils
1. 2643 Lakewood (6.98%)
2. 15901 St. Adalbert (4.76%)
3. 2726 Windermere (3.81%)
4. 3304 Geauga (3.20%)
5. 16376 St. Bernadette (2.88%)
TOP-5 TOTAL NEW MEMBERS Excluding New Councils
1. 2643 Lakewood (6)
2. 4847 Brunswick (5)
3. 3410 South Akron, 3304 Geauga, 774 Elyria, 2726 Windermere (4)
TOP-5 DISTRICTS
1. DD #22 Jim Maslach (23)
2. DD #19 Tom Goodhart, DD #21 Patrick Gale (8)
3. DD #33 George Metz, DD #24 Tom Donovan (5)
DISTRICT DEPUTY NEWS
Worthy District Deputy-
I want to thank you again for taking time off and away from your family Sunday evening to attend the Diocesan District Deputy Meeting. A lot of good discussion and information from your District Councils. We had a great turn out and hopefully impressed the State Leadership. I am extremely proud of what you have accomplished and what you will accomplish this year (25 Star Councils).
Although Cleveland still leads in submitted/approved State Programs, we have 37 active Councils with zero submissions. I would think at least half them should have had some type of program completed. Please continue to encourage your Councils to utilize the State Program Form. The Form has been utilized and modified for
several years and made mobile phone friendly; anyone can submit a program on behalf of the Council; please emphasize and encourage the usage.
https://kofcohio.org/program-reporting/
We have three active Councils missing their Form 185 and 25 Councils missing their Form 365. Please encourage your councils to use Member Management to complete these forms. To complete the task of "Council Submit 365", they just need to enter a member for the following:
Program Director
Family Director
Community Director
Membership Director
Retention Chairman
I know it may be difficult to find members to fill the Community Director and Family Director due to the "background check" and training. Just know, once they select and input the five directors, the Council will no longer appear on the Supreme "Councils not submitting service program personnel report" I KNOW for a FACT there is NOT an automated check by Supreme to validate a position becomes vacant later in the year.
Keep up the good work on live Charity, Unity & Fraternity Exemplifications
both Councils hosting but including registering/scheduling them with State. Continue to emphasize to your Councils to schedule/host CUF Exemplifications.
As stated last night, the Diocesan Super Cash Bonanza tour stop will occur on Saturday February 8, 2025, locations will be announced when confirmed.
Finally, Saturday October 12th is our annual trip out to the CPL (Seminary out in Wickliffe) to separate vocation literature for the Cleveland Diocese. This is a mandatory activity unless prior arrangements were made. Please invite your Councils to attend to help out. This could be counted as a State or Supreme Program.
Once again, Thank you for your commitment to the Order and continuing to help Cleveland lead the Way.
Thank you, Teran
"2000 New members, 59 Star Councils; 25 Star Councils in the Cleveland Diocese"
Worthy Chapter Delegates, Grand Knights, Financial Secretaries and Brother Knights of the Cleveland Diocese-
The Chapter is pleased to announce the 2024 Greater Cleveland Chapter Knight of the Year, Bud Tetzlaff, from Council 16373, St Ladislas Council Westlake.
He will be presented the award at the annual Columbus Day Dinner on Sunday October 13th at 4 PM (doors open at 3:30 PM) held at Garfield Council Hall 10806 Granger Rd, Garfield Hts 44125.
Please RSVP by Friday October 4th, online here: https://fs22.formsite.com/stambrose/qk5pqokysp/index
Although payment will be accepted at the door, there will be NO same day registration; meaning if you do not RSVP, there will NOT be any extra meals available. You are permitted to attend the Award ceremony immediately after the conclusion of the dinner.
The Chapter Monthly Hybrid meeting will occur on Friday October 11th at Garfield Council Hall as normal 7:30 PM (Rosary 7:00).
The Annual Chapter Memorial Mass will be held on Friday November 8th at 6 PM with short/brief meeting afterward. More information to follow.
Annual Chapter Christmas together Friday December 13th at 6 PM with short announcements. More information to follow.
Thank you, Chapter Officers www.kofcclevealand.org
Teran Taggart Chapter President adm5893@gmail.com 440-665-4078
Jim Maslach Chapter Vice President kofcjkm@gmail.com 440-785-9838
Tom Donovan Chapter Secretary td3430@att.net 216-650-4213
Martin Stewart Chapter Treasurer martinastewart@gmail.com
Chapter Meetings
Second Friday of Month 7:00 PM Rosary 7:30 PM Meeting
Visit www.kofccleveland.org
SAVE THE DATE Saturday Nov 2
We are holding our 12th Annual Holdem Tournament in Tony's name to benefit the scholarship fund established by our Knights of Columbus Council #4168 for St Francis Xavier Day School. To date $74,000 has been awarded to families. Please help us pass the word and turn out for a great evening of fun and fellowship. As well, if you cannot play this year, please consider a donation. Please make your tax deductible check out to the Medina Knights & note the Imburgia Scholarship Fund in the memo & mail to my attn at 131 North East St Medina 44256 or you can PayPal your gift to MedinaKnights@protonmail.com. More details on registering in advance to receive extra chips are in the attached Flyer, our Facebook event https://fb.me/e/3TkQXjhVu or website http://medinakofc.org/ , as well as the opportunity to win other door prizes for those who preregister. Reach Matt Lower or myself with your questions. Here's the highlights but more details to come:
Date: Saturday 11/2/2024
Doors Open: 4:00 pm / Tournament Starts: 5:00 pm Complimentary Beer, Munchies, Finger Food
And Soft Drinks Provided, While they last!!
Location: Veterans Memorial Hall, 620 N. Broadway, Medina
$75.00 Buy in , $25 Add On, 1 - Re-buy
Contact by phone/text/email Dan Cathcart at 216-210-5670 cathcartd@yahoo.com or Matt Lower at 620-4103217 matt.r.lower@gmail.com for tournament info
Payout is 50% to final table participants
Pay in advance by mail to KofC #4168 to 131 North East Street Medina OH 44256, or PayPal entry fee to MedinaKnights@protonmail.com to receive extra $200 in starting chips. Also prepaying enters you into drawing for various prizes!
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 in-person. To sign up for training sessions from Supreme, visit the state website (www.kofcohio.org) under FOR MEMBERS and scroll down to Training Opportunities or click the registration links below.
Also, check out the additional training opportunities on the state website under FOR MEMBERS. There is state specific training for eMembership and Member Management and Billing. There is also a link to Supreme’s Fraternal Video Library that is full of answers to your everyday questions.
Topic/Registration Link
October 7, 2024 8:00 PM | Officers’ Desk Reference
What is the $500 rule? What are the rights and privileges of an Online Member? These questions, and more, can be answered quickly by referring to the Officers’ Desk Reference (ODR). The ODR is a valuable tool for council officers that is underutilized. This webinar will show the processes for accessing and navigating the ODR and what information can be found inside. This webinar will help officers gain a greater understanding of the policies and by-laws of the order.
Register
October 8, 2024 8:00 PM | Council Officer Training
Join us in this introductory session as we unpack the basics of Council Officer Roles and Responsibilities. Every Officer role from Grand Knight to Outside Guard will be discussed, while also touching on the roles of the Program and Membership Directors. In addition, we will review the main print and digital resources available to council officers.
Register
October 10, 2024 8:00 PM | Safe Environment
As Knights of Columbus, we share a responsibility to protect those entrusted to our care. In this training, you will learn how to manage your council's Safe Environment compliance, as required by the Knights of Columbus Office of Youth Protection which leads the Order's initiative to protect children and other vulnerable persons we serve. Register
October 15, 2024 10:00 PM | Time Management
As hard as we try, no one has ever been able to add to our 24-hour daily time frame. The limits time imposes on us can make managing projects and tasks quite challenging. For some, the ability to successfully manage their time is a skill that has been honed and refined over years, while for others it's still a work in progress. No matter where you find yourself in your ability to manage the day-to-day operations of a council, this session is an opportunity to learn some best practices for managing everyday tasks and long-term goals when limited time is available.
Register
DIOCESAN CALENDAR OF EVENTS
STATE & DIOCESAN DIRECTORY
State Deputy
Immediate Past State Deputy Support Our Seminarians 2024-2025
State Secretary State Per Capita
State Treasurer / DD #22 733, 2643, 2790, 4217, 18527, Super Cash 2025
Jeff Kiliany 559 Walnut St Leetonia, OH 44431 jtktg@yahoo.com
Mark Siracusa 15398 Silver Pine Ct Perrysburg, OH 43551 cuzza52@gmail.com
Mike Felerski 1580 Gelhot Dr. #234 Fairfield, OH 45014 mfelerski@icloud.com
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, 2025 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
Council Rejuvenation / DD #32 789, 3541, 5506 Robert Walsh
Past State Deputy (2015-17)
Past State Deputy (2003-05)
General Agent
COR Director Cleveland
State Website Director
Robert Collins, Jr
Roland Bator
Jason Staas
Ty Tyjewski
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
DeWitt Gober
Patrick Gale
District Deputy #23 947, 3304, 14714, 15942 John Brown
District Deputy #24 4168, 4847, 10792, 11464, 14769
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
440-665-4078 ADM5893@YAHOO.COM
216-533-1134 rewalsh731@aol.com
216-410-7174 rfcollinsjr@gmail.com
330-225-7354 rbator4591@msn.com
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
Ron Snyder SNYDERCRESTON@AOL.COM
Tim Daley
District Deputy #30 547, 14054, 14255, 14551 Paul Visnosky
District Deputy #31 2803, 4130, 4893, 5106, 5559, 11831 Jerry Nowesnick
216-486-1298 tdaley1861@aol.com
216-798-8791
PVFONHOME@YMAIL.COM
440-336-0039 nowesnick@gmail.com