Monsignor James S. Conlan Council #5329 – December 2018 Activities Summary
Super Bowl Raffle – Our Council managed to close out our our Annual Super Bowl Pool last night (January 10, 2019) and all the box score assignment have been made. There are eight chances to win a cash prize– one for each quarter score and one for each quarter reverse score. You can find out more about the raffle and what happens next here. Good luck to everyone and thank you to all who supported the raffle by buying boxes!
Jerry’s Jars – Each year our Council collects spare change throughout the year and in December collects it into a single jar. “Jerry’s Jars” is named after our past Financial Secretary Jerry Wieczorek who instituted the practice of our members saving change all year to add together at Christmas time so we can give it to a family in need. It is in the spirit of the best selling book, “Christmas Jars” by Jason Wright. Sadly, Jerry passed away only a couple of years after this was started and it is great that we can keep his ministry alive. This year we found a family (anonymously as we do not know the name) that is raising their grandchildren and has now come upon even tougher times worsened by the grandfather being diagnosed with cancer. The family would not have had any Christmas to speak of were it not for this year’s jar. Through channels we were able to give them what was estimated at over $700. Thank you to all the Brother Knights who donated!
Christmas Meals For Needy Families – Each year our Council buys everything needed for a complete Christmas dinner and gives those dinners to families in need within our Parish area. Our Council last week distributed thirty meals including hams to needy families in our Community through the four schools in the Pine Bush Central School District area. We thank the Nursing Staff at Pine Bush Elementary, EJR Elementary, Crispell Middle School and Pine Bush High School for their assistance. We also thank Hannaford Supermarket in Pine Bush, New York for their assistance. Finally, thank you to all who bought Super Bowl raffles chances and helped to support this great cause!
Space Heaters for the Needy – Thanks to a generous gift card donation from American Shoring Inc. of Newburgh, NY our Council was able to purchase six portable electric heaters that were distributed to needy parishioners including families and individuals who are poor, elderly, and/or very sick. All six electric heaters went pretty fast and we had some money left over so we added some additional funds from our savings account to purchase a seventh heater that was also given away to a needy person/family. We thank everyone who has donated to us this year and for trusting us to be good stewards with your donations– your generous donations to our Council have made programs like this possible this year! May the Lord bless you all! We plan on making this heater give away event into an annual giving event.
In Memoriam – It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Joseph “Joe” Hartmann, a previous Past Grand Knight (PGK) of our Council, an active member Brother Knight of the John Paul the Great Council #486 in Middletown, NY, and an active Fourth Degree Sir Knight of the Carl Raymond Williams, Sr. 4th Degree Assembly #762, in Middletown NY. A private wake and funeral was held at St. Joseph’s Church in Middletown, NY. Internment followed at St. Joseph’s Cemetery on January 9, 2019. PGK Hartmann was buried in his Fourth Degree Regalia. Our Council’s Chaplain, Deacon Jack Carr, officiated the ceremonies. Joe was a humble and dedicated servant of our Lord Jesus Christ in this life. We entrust him now to our Lord as such in the next everlasting life and pray for his peaceful rest in Jesus Christ. Our Council will be making a private donation to Mrs. Hartmann as is tradition of the Knights of Columbus who have long helped widows in need since our founding. Please keep PGK Hartman, his wife, and his family in your prayers. His obituary can be found here.
John 14:2-3 (NIV)
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Monsignor James S. Conlan Council #5329 – Looking Ahead
Fraternal Survey of Donated Time – Each year Knights around the world donate and volunteer time to their communities, parishes, and the Church. From hosting meals for the poor to donating coats to needy children in their community– the Knights of Columbus makes a real impact in the communities we serve. Each year all the Councils around the world compile their members’ donated hour information into a report. Each Council then gives that report to Supreme so they can compile our worldwide impact. In 2017 Supreme reported that “2017 was a record-setting year for Knights of Columbus charitable work with an unprecedented $185.6 million in donations and 75.6 million hours of service provided worldwide. The monetary value of K of C’s service hours is valued at $1.9 billion based on an estimate by Independent Sector, a network for nonprofit foundations that values a 2017 volunteer hour at $24.69.” In February 2019 we will be filing our report for our Council’s 2018 volunteer hours. We are sure it will be another record setting year in worldwide hours donated by Brother Knights. Thank you to all the Brother Knights in our Council who volunteer so generously in our community and thank you for being in service to one, in service to all! Want to help out? Join our ranks today online and give back to those who most need it in your community and parish. We will let you know our Council’s final tally in an upcoming Council Summary. With just two Knights reporting thus far we are at at over 700 hours of donated time– we still have another 71 Brother Knights due to report in their work.
Annual Council Dinner – Our Council will be holding its Annual Council Dinner on Saturday, February 2, 2019 from 6 PM to 11 PM. The Council has reserved a couple of large tables at the Magnanini Winery Carnevale dinner celebration. Twenty-eight people have RSVP’d to the event as a “yes” as of this writing. It should be a great time and we look forward to seeing all our Brothers Knights (as well as their spouses and guests) there!
Lenten Dinner Meals – The season of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, which is March 6, 2019 this year. Once again our Council will be preparing and serving Lenten dinner meals to go each Friday during the season. Each meal will be meatless as is Catholic tradition for Lent. Stay tuned for meal dates and times, as well as, the menu for each meal in future web site updates. These meals are always a crowd pleaser and we look forward to serving all our hungry Parishoners affordable meals throughout Lent.
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