State Deputy
There are good reasons for recruiting
Oct., Nov., Dec. 2015
A Busy Time
By Bob Collins State Deputy
A little about membership… Recruiting new members should be the foremost priority of every Grand Knight and Membership Director throughout this great State of Ohio. We have done a fair job so far in the first quarter of the fraternal year, but we all know we could do much better. Currently, about 30% of the councils around the state are carrying the load in new membership. If the State of Ohio is to improve our membership status and grow as a jurisdiction, we need the other 70% -or roughly 280 councils -- to step up and begin recruiting. Our goal in Ohio is 3,000 new members this fraternal year. You may ask why. I have tried to explain it around state at most “Town Hall” meetings and I’ll give it another shot here. It’s unfortunate that Ohio loses about 120 Brother Knights a month due to deaths. We have to replace them if our Order and State Council is to grow. We also loose on an average of 80 Brother Knights due to suspension or withdrawals. Again we have to replace them if we are to continue to grow. So we need 200 new members each month just to break even and keep our numbers where they are. An intake of 250 new members each month will keep pace with losses and give us a little growth and help us attain our goal of 3000 new members. Continued on Page 4
Supreme welcomes Pope, hosts Convention, provides help for Middle East refuges From the 133rd Supreme Convention in August, welcoming Pope Francis to the United States in September, and dealing with the tragic refuge crisis in Europe, Supreme Council and Supreme Knight Carl Anderson have been busy. The Supreme Convention, with the theme, “Endowed by Their Creator with Life and Liberty”, took on a somber tone when two archbishops from the Middle East spoke at the States Dinner about the persecution of Christians
in their countries. Most Rev. Bashar Matti Warda, Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, Iraq, and Most Rev. Jean-Clement Jeanbart, Greek Melkite Archbishop of Aleppo, Syria, told of the plight of Christians in that area of the world, and thanked the Knights of Columbus for its assistance. “You were among the first to come to our aid,” said Archbishop Warda. “Thank you for your charity. We ask you to continue with Continued on Page 3
NOW is the time to recruit new members By Nick Gresko
State Membership Director
We are into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, and the time to recruit new members is NOW -- today, not later. Let’s start recruiting new members today and help keep the vision of our founding father, Venerable Fr. Michael J. McGivney, alive. We need to continue to work with our Bishops and Priests and provide them with our solidarity and support. Recruiting new members is essential to the continued growth and well-being of your council and the Order. Offering a man membership in the Knights of Columbus gives him the opportunity to Continued on Page 7
Sister Denise Marie Vlna (front row, center, with the three discerning women and Knights who helped refurbishing their “new” home.
Cleveland, Akron Knights help sisters refurbish their discernment home
The following was submitted by State Chaplain Fr. Edward Janoch, a priest at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Parma. Have you ever had the chance to meet a founder of a religious community? For many, the answer would be “no” because most of our religious orders began hundreds of years ago. For the members of two Knights of Columbus councils in the Cleveland Diocese -- St. Hilary Council 14551, in Fairlawn, and St. Charles Borromeo Council 16137, in Parma -- we have had the opportunity not just to meet a foundress of a new religious community but to help her prepare her first convent/house of discernment for her new community in the Franciscan Order. Sr. Denise Marie Vlna has been a part of St. Charles Borromeo Parish for more than 22 years -- born in Cleveland, raised in Parma and blessed to be an Ursuline Sister of Cleveland for 27 years. She has been involved teaching in our school, youth and young adult ministries, senior citizens, Legion of Mary, women’s spiritual organizations. She has helped with Communion calls and visits to the sick and elderly, the Youth Group Carnival Ice Cream Booth, the Youth Group Living Stations of the Cross, and so many more activities that one cannot remember them all. Sr. Denise has also been helping many women discern a vocation in the religious life. She listened prayerfulluy to the voice of the Spirit within and after a number of years Continued on Page 5
OR CURRENT RESIDENT Ohio State Council Knights of Columbus Buckeye Bulletin 32649 Surrey Lane Avon Lake, OH 44012-1642
CLEVELAND, OHIO PERMIT NO. 229
PAID
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE