The Arch
Newsletter of The Archdiocese of Cincinnati Knights of Columbus – January 2021
Celina - Coldwater - St. Henry - Fort Recovery - Sidney - Versailles - Greenville - Russia Covington - Wapakoneta - St. Marys - Minster -Russells Point - McCartyville - Springfield Urbana - Bellefontaine Fairborn - Eaton - Huber Heights - Vandalia - Englewood - Piqua Troy - Tipp City - New Carlisle - Dayton - Xenia - Beavercreek -Centerville - Kettering Hamilton - Fairfield - Harrison - North Bend - Monroe - West Chester - Carthage - Sharonville New Burlington - Norwood - Shandon - Wilmington - Morrow - Mason- Lebanon - Milford - Loveland - Springfield Middletown - Miamisburg - Franklin - Trenton - Cincinnati - Ripley - Fayetteville - Hillsboro - Greenfield - West Union - Waynesville
When the New Year Feels Like the Old Year, be Positive In any normal fraternal year I would take the opportunity of the mid-fraternal year issue of The Arch to look at where we stand in membership recruitment. It is a great time to review where we are, but this year it’s different. The past few months have been very difficult.
distance ourselves). Because of this there are councils which will be streaming a rosary prayer service via their parishes video stream. This is also a good time of year for councils to place an ad on a billboard in their community which includes the phone number of a local pregnancy clinic. Rosaries could be prayed and streamed for the Feast of the Annunciation – Day of the Unborn Child which occurs on March 25th.
Like most everyone I have lost very close friends and brother Knights to the COVID epidemic. These were great men who had been a part of our Order for years. Some had been Knights for longer that I Here in the Arch I have heard of several councils still have been alive. These Knights were like fathers to able to host their Free Throw competitions which me after I lost mine a few years can be safely done by having ago. They were also “big” contestants signing up for time brothers to me as a person who slots or split into scheduled "Councils could also place a was the oldest child in my family. smaller groups to keep gathering celebration of life ad on a Mentally I have not been able to numbers down. Councils are billboard which includes the easily reconcile this. It hurts and making up “Care Packages” for phone number of a local will continue to hurt until this not only our first responder awful plague is over. families, those in our pregnancy clinic.” communities feeling When you couple these losses disconnected from the world due with not being able to do the things we love to do as to quarantining and for the homeless. Knights, at least not the way we used to, I am glad to be done with 2020. Don’t let 2021 be a repeat. Remember, our Order is strong not just because of As Knights of Columbus we are a social people who how we do things but what we do based in faith. like to do good things for our fellow man. So for the Our creativity knows no bounds when it comes to second half of the fraternal year let us stay positive helping our neighbors here in the Arch. and focus on the things we can do. Brothers there is much work which can still be done A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to present and we are still the men who can get it done. In the two checks, one to Catholic Charities and another to words of Cardinal Gibbons during World War I, “the Shared Harvest in support of their food bank efforts Knights do things.” So be not afraid to try those new within the Cincinnati Archdiocese. The idea came ideas you think of, and above all be safe in from our State Deputy and was agreed upon everything you do! unanimously by the state officers to support food banks in each of the six dioceses in Ohio during this Vivat Jesus! extraordinary time of need. A number of local councils already do something like this which gave Michael Felerski - State Advocate us the idea to help more. FYI – as of 1/5/21 the councils of the Archdiocese This year many of the March for Life events are are at 24% of our membership goal for the fraternal likely to be canceled do to restrictions on gatherings year. Thank you for all your recruitment efforts (even though I believe we could responsibly social during these times and keep up the good work.