Upcoming June Business Meeting

Brother Knights,

Plan on attending the June Business Meeting, Thursday, June 3rd. Starts at 7:30 p.m.

This is a very important meeting for our council.

We will be electing officers for the 2010-11 year.

The Trustees have presented the following slate for nomination:

GK - Mike Buckendorf
DPK - David Bassler
T - Jim Miller
R - Bill Hull
C - Chris King
OG - Mike Canfield
IG - Mike Soerries
T3 - Lon Unsell
T2 - Phil Nickel
T1 - Bill Hull

If you , or someone you know, are interested in becoming an officer, nominations will be accepted before the election.
Plan on coming to the meeting and showing your support to the new officers!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at fs4721@gmail.com

- Arthur Barber II
Finacial Secretary - 4721

Business Meeting Notes

Grand Knight Lon Unsell called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.

Minutes were read and approved.

The Blood Drive on Sunday, March 21st was cancelled due to a Red Cross scheduling conflict.

An application was read for Phillip Pinion who was recommended by Mike Buckendorf.

Grand Knight’s Report

Lon apologized for not getting the word out for the Easter Egg Hunt.

 

I am sorry, but I left the meeting early. J.A. Arroyo will no longer be Deputy Grand Knight nor doing the council newsletter. Volunteers to take over this task are welcome.

YouthStock

Diocesan Events

YouthStock
Date: 4/9/2010
Time: 6:00:00 PM-10:00:00 PM
Location: Bishop Kelley High School
Category: Youth & Young Adults
6th-12th grade students are invited to dinner, games, live music, praise & worship, keynote, and Mass at Bishop Kelley High School, free of charge. Canned goods are being collected to benefit Catholic Charities Food Bank.
Registration: Contact for registration information.
Price: $ Free, Canned Good Item
Contact: Russell Nance
Phone:
Email: rnance@spxtulsa.org

Our Council, as well as others in the Tulsa area, will be cooking for this event. Please plan to attend. Encourage your children and grandchildren to attend as well.

Reminder about our Business Meeting - Tonight

The Business meeting for April will NOT be on Thursday, April 1st. Since this was Holy Thursday, we will have the meeting the following Thursday, April 8th.

Lenten Mass Series Well Attended

Thanks to all that attended the Saturday Masses at the Hall. A special Thanks to our wonderful priests that celebrated for us at the Hall. This is a very special year, the Year of the Priest, and the Mass series at the Hall has given us an opportunity to thank our priests for their service and sacrifice for us.

Fr. O’Brian, President of Bishop Kelly High School, offers our last Mass of Lent at the Hall.

KofC Lenten Masses: Bishop Slattery Celebrates at the Hall

With a homily focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Bishop Slattery praised the Knights for their service to the Church in Oklahoma. He also challenged us to continue to support the Church, follow the example of the infinite Love of Christ as expressed in the Sacred Heart.

It is always a pleasure for our Council when His Excellency comes to visit us at 4721. It was a special honor when he came to celebrate the Eucharist this past Saturday during Lent. We are very grateful to have Bishop Edward Slattery as our Bishop and Chief Shepherd in the Diocese of Tulsa. Under his direction, we have seen an increase in vocations, a renewed focus to our Catholic High School with the appointment of Fr. O’Brian as President of Bishop Kelley, and a refocus of the Church in Oklahoma to a more Orthodox direction to the Church. We thank him for his continued support of the Knights in our efforts to serve the Church in the Diocese.

Officer’s Meeting

• The Business Meeting is moved from Good Friday, April 1st to the following week.
• Our Bishop, His Excellency Bishop Edward Slattery, celebrates Mass for us this Saturday, everyone is encouraged to attend. Mass starts at 9:00 AM.
• Pancake Breakfast this Sunday at St. Pius X. Cheryl’s famous Egg Casserole is the centerpiece! Please plan to attend. Bring a potential Knight to Breakfast! This Breakfast will be for the Center of Family Love in Okarche, OK.
  • We will be getting our dates to the church for the upcoming Pancake Breakfast. We are hoping for the 3rd Sunday of every month.
• We will be getting our Blood Drive Schedules turned in as well.
• Archbishop Eusebius Beltran of Oklahoma City celebrates 50 years as a priest. All Catholics in Oklahoma are invited to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Camp to celebrate with the Archbishop on May 15th.
• There will be a Major Degree at St. Anne’s in Broken Arrow, OK on April 18th. Candidates should arrive at 12:30 pm. If you have sponsored a candidate, please get the word out.
• District Deputy – the State of Oklahoma is in the running for most recruitment! St. Bernard’s is still trying to get their 1st Degree together. We still need to get the degree here together.
• Please remember to bring donations to DVIS to the next Business Meeting. If you will not be able to make it to the meeting, please make sure it is labeled CLEARLY “Donation to DVIS, KofC”
• Arthur has linked photos of Clergy Appreciation, the Friday Lenten Meal and the Ladies Appreciation Meal to the KofC Council 4721 Web Site. Click the names to see these photos.

• The Columbian Squires pizza social went very well, eleven young men showed up for the social to find out about the Squires.
• Andrew Arroyo will be the recipient of the Council Scholarship for St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, OK. Andrew will be an incoming Freshman at St. Gregory’s for the Fall, 2010 school year. He is also receiving the St. Scholastica Scholarship and the State Knights of Columbus Scholarship. Andrew is the son of J.A. Arroyo, Deputy Grand Knight of Council 4721.
• YouthStock 2010, April 9th at Bishop Kelly Catholic High School. The Knights of Columbus in Tulsa will be serving hot dogs and hamburgers between 6 and 7 pm. A separate post will go up on the BLOG from the Youth Director. Brother Knights should arrive at 4 PM to help getting everything organized and begin cooking hot dogs and hamburgers. Pass the word along to parents and friends. All Catholic Youth are encouraged to attend for an evening of fun. The 8 Reasons to attend are listed below:

Here's just 8 reasons why you and they might want to come:




1 - It's totally Free, and something to do on a great Spring Evening

2 - We're serving others by collecting food for Catholic Charities Food Bank

3 - There will be free burgers cooked by Knights of Columbus councils...and they know how to grill!  Free Dinner...can't beat it.

4 - There will be outdoor games on the field, plenty of activity, and plenty of space and time to hang out with friends or meet new ones.

5 - There will be live music...outdoor concerts are fun!

6 - Chris Padgett will be there.  He's a Catholic Speaker/Musician recognized all over the country for being able to inspire people of all ages in their faith while simultaneously causing you to laugh at his utter goofiness and fall in love with his music.

7 - We're going to Mass together, hopefully with enough young people that the chapel bursts at the seams.  It's such a great experience of Mass when it's full of folks willing to actually sing, praise, and worship God in a youthful way.

8 - Events like this being successful have the potential to really snowball and affect the entire Catholic Community in a fantastic way.  Want to not be bored with being Catholic?  The more often we can get youth together to attend, plan, and add spirit to events for young people...the more exciting our entire Diocese will be.  Let the Catholic Revolution begin!

Eucharist

Dear Brother Knights;

As we approach Easter and Holy Thursday, I thought that I would give you some thoughts on Eucharist. First of all, it IS in the Bible:

Biblical References to the Eucharist (Holy Communion)

• John 1:29
  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
• Luke 22:20
  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
• John 6:53
  Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 
• Mark 14:22-24
  While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them.
• Hebrews 9:28
  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
• 1 Corinthians 11:27-29
  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

My reflection begins with John 6:53 beginning with “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you…” As this passage continues, it becomes very apparent, crystal clear, that Jesus was not speaking in mere images or parables, but literally. He challenges his follows with this passage to take him at his word.

53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats 19 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
59 These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 20 Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" 61 Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? 62 What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 21 63 It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh 22 is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."
66 As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
67 Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." USCCB Bile Text, Click here to view.

John’s choice of words is significant when he translates what Jesus has said into the Greek, he uses the word, not for eating as in eating dinner, but the more profane term for gnawing or munching. The verb used in these verses is not the classical Greek verb used of human eating, but that of animal eating: "munch," "gnaw." This may be part of John's emphasis on the reality of the flesh and blood of Jesus, but the same verb eventually became the ordinary verb in Greek meaning "eat." This would very much explain the reaction of the majority of the disciples or followers of Jesus.

This passage has become the basis of my own faith. Whenever I have had the inclination that the Catholic Church is hard, that I was tired of all the Sacraments, that other churches might really be more entertaining and cater more to my desires rather than make so many demands upon me, there was John 6:67-69 staring me in the face. “Master, to whom shall we go?” Where else do we find this simple admonition? Where else do we find the TRUE Body and Blood of Christ? There is no place to turn, there is only the One True, Catholic and Apostolic Church. If I went to a place where I can just get on my knees to go to Confession, it is NOT the true path, “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God”. There is only “whoever eats this bread will live forever” to direct us toward eternal life.

Blood Drive Canceled on March 21st

Attention blood donors. I just learned that the Red Cross due to a schedule error, is unable to support our next drive of 3/21/10. I do not have any particulars at this point but want to get the word out to avoid any additional inconvenience and confusion to our donors. A St Pius X bulletin announcement for this Sunday and picture posters are already printed and posted but the drive has been cancelled. Our next drive will be on May 16^th.

Bob Caruso

Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion

General Principles
by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

[Note: The following memorandum was sent by Cardinal Ratzinger to Cardinal McCarrick and was made public in the first week of July 2004.]

1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgment regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: "Am I in full communion with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g. excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour?" The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being
present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected (cf. Instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum," nos. 81, 83).

2. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorize or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a "grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. [...] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to 'take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it’" (no. 73). Christians have a "grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the
moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. [...] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it" (no. 74).

3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.

4. Apart from an individual's judgment about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest
grave sin (cf. can. 915).

5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him
that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

6. When "these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible," and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, "the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it" (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration "Holy Communion
and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics" [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgment on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

Upcoming Events

• March 9th, Tuesday: Open House for boys age 10-18 for Columbian Squires on Tuesday, March the 9th at Dorney Hall at St. Pius.
• March 8, 2010 7:30 PM : The Ladies Auxiliary is open to all female relatives of our council Knights (wives, mothers, sisters, daughters) age 18 and older.
• March 11, 2010 9:00 AM: Veterans’ 9:00AM Mass at the VA Hospital in Claremore the 2nd Thursday of every month. Contact Lon Unsell, Leroy Weismann or Bob Caruso for carpooling. We leave Tulsa at 8:00AM and return around 11:00AM.
• March 13, 2010 9:00 AM: Fr. Tim Davison celebrates our next Lenten Mass
• March 18, 2010 7:00 PM: Planning meeting will be held in the Youth Room.
• March 20, 2010 9:00 AM: His Excellency, Bishop Slattery
• March 21, 2010 9:00 AM: Pancake breakfast after the 8:00 and 10:00 am Mass. American Red Cross Blood Drive. Please contact Bob Caruso to schedule your time. bobnantul@cox.net. Phone 252-2216.
• March 27, 2010 9:00 AM: Fr. Brian O’Brian, President of Bishop Kelly.

March Business Meeting

Our Lenten Mass series began two Saturdays ago at 9 AM. Fr. Gary Kastl and Fr. Jim Caldwell have celebrated Masses for us the past two Saturdays. These have been fantastic so far so please make plans to attend, we would like to show our priests our support. This week will be Fr. Tim Davidson and the following week will be His Excellency, Bishop Slattery. Last Saturday was Fr. Knipe from St. Pius X. We had 28 the first week, 29 the next week!

 

 

 

We have a new application for membership, David Bassler sponsored him. His applicant is from Christ the King and is married. The application was moved and approved.

 

Grand Knight’s Report:

• 4721 has had a busy year, Feb was short but busy. It included Priests and Ladies Appreciation dinners, Lenten dinner at St. Pius and two Lenten Masses at the Hall.
• We attended an educational seminar at St. Gregory’s for Financial Secretaries and Grand Knights. 

• On 2/26 the Knights sponsored the Friday Lenten Meal at St. Pius X. Cheryl Hull did a great time preparing the soup for the Lenten Meal.
• Dan Holmes has resigned as Fraternal Program Director.
• Bill Hull brought some food by the Madonna House around the middle of February.
• Open House for boys age 10-18 for Columbian Squires on Tuesday, March the 9th at Dorney Hall at St. Pius.

 

• Worthy Chancellor, Chris King, completed the presentation folders for our applications for Oklahoma State Council Awards. These are very impressive for our applications for Community, Council Activities, Church Activities, and Family Activities.

Financial Secretary’s Report –

• after the State Training, he was able to put the membership on the national database.
• We will be working on getting our lapsed members back on the rolls. Lon sent out 24 letters inviting our members who have not paid their dues to return. The letters reported on what we have been doing the past year and hoping that they will return.

Trustee’s Report was given. Our membership reports and financial reports were given for our annual report.

• Our next blood drive is March 21st at St. Pius X.

Program Director – Bob Caruso

Membership and Pro-Life – David Bassler

• In addition to the letters, David has been placing an ad into the St. Pius X  newsletter. All Masses will have a letter going into the St. Pius X bulletin on Sat and Sunday Masses. This is a way for us to do some recruiting.
• DVIS food drive is going slower than the Madonna House Drive.
• Thanks for all those that have been showing up for the Masses on Saturdays.
• Thursday Masses (this Thursday) meet at 8:15 at the Hall for the Veterans Mass

4th Degree News 

Moore, March 27th, the District Meeting for the Assemblies in Oklahoma – the District Master will be elected. This will affect how our honor guards are done.

4th Degree Exemplification in Muskogee – April 10th

 

New Business:

• Financial Secretaries meeting at St. Gregory’s. A team from Texas came up to teach our Financial Secretaries, it was an excellent learning experience. We will have all membership cards sealed! All membership cards have to have embossed seal and signed. Supreme is online! Arthur has inputted all data into the computer for Supreme to have online now!
• ByLaws have to be kept up to date! The last update of our bylaws was 1982 when Steve White was Grand Knight! Our dues were $25, our dues now are $28. Our Council fees, State Council fees and Supreme fees are not really covered by the dues anymore.
• We went over the new changes for the Bylaws. A proposed raise of the dues to bring us in line with our expenses for per capita.
• St. Mary’s and Bishop Kelly Youth Day – April 9th at Bishop Kelly.
• Major degree at St. Anne’s 6606
• Sunday March 14th, the usual dinner is going but we will have the Irish group to entertain us!  Starts at 4 pm. Irish stew will be served.
• March 28th free meal after the Retired Deputies meal at the Hall!
• These meals are sponsored by the Ladies Auxillary
• Thanks to the council for the KofC Scholarship (Council and State Scholarships) for making it possible for Andrew Arroyo to attend St. Gregory’s University next year

Knight of the Month

• Scott Collier for setting up the Lenten Masses

Family of the Month

• Chris King and family for his work on the Squires and the Reports

Pot of Gold

• Ron Waleska – not present

Good of the Order

• Chris King – back problems
• Friend of Mike Buckendorf, colon cancer
• Murry Buzzard’s newborn granddaughter needs a heart transplant. In neonatal ICU
• Bill Hull -
• Max Schmidt, Past State Deputy, in a hospice home. Max has been a long time Knight in Oklahoma Knights.

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MARCH

 

VATICAN CITY, 1 MAR 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for March is: "That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest".

  His mission intention is: "That the Churches in Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice in every part of that continent".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/MARCH/...                         VIS 100301 (80)

Officer’s Meeting Notes

February 18th, 2010

Our Lenten Mass series begins this Saturday at 9 AM. Please make plans to attend, we would like to show our priests our support. This week is Fr. Kastl and next week will be Fr. Caldwell.

This Sunday is our Pancake Breakfast, please plan to attend and help out. If you come in at 7:30, that is a good time to help set up. If you come later, please plan to stick around and help clean up.

On 2/26 the Knights will be sponsoring the Friday Lenten Meal at St. Pius X. Holy Hour is at 5:30 pm, Stations of the Cross at 6:30 pm in the Church, followed by Supper and a short presentation in Dorney Hall.

Bill Hull brought some food by the Madonna House last week. The place is always full and is always in need of donations. Just because the previous drives have ‘ended’, the need is still there. The Knights and Community Food Bank will be doing a food drive in the near future. We will announce this at the council meeting next week.

Worthy Chancellor, Chris King, completed the presentation folders for our applications for Oklahoma State Council Awards. These are very impressive for our applications for Community, Council Activities, Church Activities, and Family Activities.

Financial Secretary’s Report – after the State Training, he was able to put the membership on the national database. There are 116 non-insured members. We have 4 honorary members and 30 Life members. Several more members will be eligible to ask for for Life or Honorary Life memberships. A Knight has to have 25 years of uninterrupted service and be over 65 to get Life Membership, over 70 will be Honorary Life Members.

There will be some issues discussed that will impact the entire membership. Please plan to attend the next Business Meeting next week so that your voice will be heard.

We will be sending in the Family of the Month to Supreme beginning this month.

Lenten Reflections - Confession

Brother Knights and Friends;

Many of our Protestant friends have a problem with our practice of Confession. Here are some comments and some apologetics for Brother Knights. The most common argument is that there is “That is not in the Bible”. Well, here are instances of Biblical support:

Biblical References to Confession (Penance, Reconciliation)

• John 20:22-23
  And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
  • Source: Bible Answers for Bible Christians http://www.biblechristians.org/answers.cfm?ID=95

Well,  there are two instances in the Bible where God breathes on man, in Genesis where Life is given to Adam and in John, where Christ breathes His Spirit and gives new life to mankind. I think all of us have times where we have felt a kind of dread in entering the Confessional. I have had those times, and it has kept me away from the Grace which is always present in the Forgiveness of Our Lord. For whatever the reason I have stayed away, I have come back and felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. When I was in college, I took my walks down the front of St. Gregory’s with Fr. Ian, Fr. Louis, or Fr. Theodore.

If we think back, we can hold on to the real answer to our Protestant friends suspicions. The answer is the way we feel when we come out of the Confessional, when we feel like there is no forgiveness for how we have behaved, or how we’ve treated our friends, or our wives, or our children. But, without fail, there is forgiveness, there is no judgment, just those simple words,

“I Absolve You in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

With those simple words, we walk away feeling more refreshed than any shower, any caress, and light on our feet to receive the Body and Blood of the Savior that Redeems us, and forgives us through the Ministry of the Church.

When we confess our sins to a priest, we are confessing the guilt of our sinfulness. Why this is uplifting is that we hear Jesus, through the person of the priest, say the words:

 “Your Sins are forgiven!”

This is important because when we hear and believe, God's grace is poured out on us.  While going to God directly is good, after a while, when we don't hear God answering us, we begin the spiral downward. Believing that God does not hear us, and our hearts become hardened. The effect of God's Grace lessens because we do not believe we are worthy to receive this Grace. Thus, speaking your sins out loud to another person who stands in the person of Jesus as the head of the Church, is humbling because the priest, who is human, understands. It is uplifting because Jesus understands us as well. The Grace poured out is from the Heart of Jesus responding in and through the actions of the priest.

Vivat Jesus!

Next week, Eucharist…

 

Thank you, Fr. Jim, for your input into this article….

Mike Buckendorf Update

Brother Knights,

I visited Mike in Southcrest Hospital (Room 409) this morning. He had a severe kidney infection since Monday but has significantly improved since being hospitalized on Tuesday. He is not 100% yet but is quickly returning to his normal self and hopes to go home this evening. He very much appreciates all of our concerns and prayers. See the attached picture of Mike in a resting mode, a role very hard to envision for our ever active friend.

Bob Caruso

4721 to be in Columbia

Beginning March 1, 2010, Knights of Columbus Council 4721 will have an article viewable online at www.kofc.org. Because of the limited space in the print publication which we all receive in our mailboxes, it will be several months before it is printed in the national publication. Below is the response from the Columbia

Dear Joseph:

Thanks for your submission. We will include your report AND/OR photo in the next online posting of Knights in Action at www.kofc.org on March 1, 2010.

It will be viewable there for approximately one month, after which time it will be archived on the K of C Web site and filed for publication in the magazine at a later date. Due to the volume of reports received weekly and the limited number of pages available to us monthly in the print edition of the magazine, it will be several months before it appears in print. Thanks again.

Pat Scalisi

Associate Editor, Columbia

Knights of Columbus Supreme Council

1 Columbus Plaza

New Haven, CT 06510-3326

(203) 752 - 4485 (voice)

(203) 752 - 4109 (fax)

patrick.scalisi@kofc.org

Upcoming Events - Edited

Note: Our next Blood Drive is next month. The Pancake Breakfast at the end of the month will NOT coincide with the Blood Drive the next time. Pancake Breakfast & Blood Drive This was a misprint in the calendar, there will be a Pancake breakfast after the 8:00 and 10:00 am Mass but will NOT be the American Red Cross Blood Drive. Please contact Bob Caruso to schedule your time. bobnantul@cox.net. Phone 252-2216. Please plan to attend the Breakfast and help out where you can.
February 21, 2010 8:00 AM

Clergy Appreciation Dinner
There will not be a Ladies Auxiliary meeting on Feb 8th due to the Priests’ Appreciation dinner. The dinner will be subject to the weather.
February 8, 2010 6:00 PM

Veterans Mass
Veterans’ 9:00AM Mass at the VA Hospital in Claremore the 2nd Thursday of every month. Contact Lon Unsell, Leroy Weismann or Bob Caruso for carpooling. We leave Tulsa at 8:00AM and return around 11:00AM.
February 11, 3910 9:00 AM

FS Training
Feb 13, 2010

Ladies Appreciation Dinner
February 14, 2010 4:00 PM

Officers Planning Meeting
Planning meeting will be held in the Youth Room.
February 18, 2010 7:00 PM

Lenten Mass
Fr. Gary Kastl
Brother Knights; Make it a point to attend our Lenten Masses at the Hall during Lent. It is a wonderful time to be shared with your family and friends (these are open to all – if not Catholic, just don’t receive) and the talks given by the priests have been very instructional and edifying. I will update the time if it should change but last year we gathered at 9:00 AM for Mass followed by a talk by the Celebrant. After the Mass, we would hang around for visiting, lunch and fellowship.Vivat Jesus!
February 20, 2010 9:00 AM

Pancake Breakfast & Blood Drive
This was a misprint in the calendar, there will be a Pancake breakfast after the 8:00 and 10:00 am Mass but will NOT be the American Red Cross Blood Drive. Please contact Bob Caruso to schedule your time. bobnantul@cox.net. Phone 252-2216. Please plan to attend the Breakfast and help out where you can.
February 21, 2010 8:00 AM

Lenten Mass
Fr. Jim Caldwell.
Brother Knights; Make it a point to attend our Lenten Masses at the Hall during Lent. It is a wonderful time to be shared with your family and friends (these are open to all – if not Catholic, just don’t receive) and the talks given by the priests have been very instructional and edifying. I will update the time if it should change but last year we gathered at 9:00 AM for Mass followed by a talk by the Celebrant. After the Mass, we would hang around for visiting, lunch and fellowship.Vivat Jesus!
February 27, 2010 9:00 AM

Majority of Americans, and Nearly 6 in 10 Young Adults, View Abortion as Morally Wrong

1/21/2010

56% of all Americans and 58% of those 18-29 years old say abortion ‘morally wrong’

Strong majority of Americans believe abortion to be morally wrong.

On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion throughout the United States, a new survey shows a strong majority of Americans believe abortion to be “morally wrong."

“Millennials” (those 18-29) consider abortion to be “morally wrong” even more (58%) than Baby Boomers (those 45-64) (51%). Generation X (those 30-44) are similar to Millennials (60% see abortion as “morally wrong”). More than 6 in 10 of the Greatest Generation (those 65+) feel the same.

The most recent Knights of Columbus – Marist survey – conducted in late December and early January – is the latest in a series of such surveys commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and conducted by Marist Institute for Public Opinion. In October of 2008 and July of 2009, the survey has been tracking an increasing trend toward the pro-life position – a trend confirmed by Gallup and Pew surveys in mid-2009.

“Americans of all ages – and younger people in even greater numbers than their parents – see abortion as something morally wrong,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “America has turned a corner and is embracing life – and in doing so is embracing a future they – and all of us – can be proud of.”

He added: “Advances in technology, show clearly – and ever more clearly – that an unborn child is completely a human being. That, coupled with the large number of Americans who know one of the many people who has been negatively affected by abortion are certainly two of the reasons that Americans are increasingly uncomfortable with Roe v. Wade’s legacy of abortion, and with abortion generally. The majority of Americans now understand that abortion has consequences, and that those consequences are not good.”

The question on abortion was part of a larger survey, which will be released in the next several days.

This report presents the findings from a survey of 2,243 Americans –including an oversample of 1,006 Millennials. Reports for Americans have a margin of error of +/-2% and for Millennials it is +/-3%. Data were collected from December 23, 2009 through January 4, 2010 using an online, probability-based panel from Knowledge Networks, Inc.

Click this link to go to the story on the Supreme Website

Copyright © Knights of Columbus 2010. All rights reserved.

Clergy Appreciation Dinner

…and a good time was had by all! Thank you Bishop Slattery for helping to make this Appreciation Dinner a success. I am posting some pictures from the dinner. Ladies and Knights came and helped to make this a wonderful evening.

Thanks to all the clergy, including deacons and their wives, who attended the dinner. One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation from our Worthy State Treasurer to the Bishop a check from Pennies for Heaven. This money will help the seminarians who are studying for the Diocese of Tulsa. With the addition of young men who are studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Tulsa, our average age of priests, according to Bishop Slattery, has dropped from the mid 60s when he came to Tulsa 16 years ago, to a current average of about 45!

View Full Album

Hall Available for Rental

Remember that the Hall is for rent for:

• Birthday Parties,
• Meetings,
• Dances,
• Weddings,
• Reunions, etc.

Call Walt Casey for information – 918-583-6856 or email at piwalt@cox.net

Pope Benedict’s Prayer Intentions for February

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR FEBRUARY

VATICAN CITY, 1 FEB 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for February is: "That by means of sincere search for the truth scholars and intellectuals may arrive at an understanding of the one true God".

  His mission intention is: "That the Church, aware of her own missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/FEBRUARY/...                              VIS 100201 (80)

February Business Meeting

Grand Knight’s Report:

• Thank you to Phil Nickles and Bill Hull for putting on the 50th Anniversary Dinner. Thanks to Leroy for his history of the council, Norbert cut the cake then gave a fantastic trip down memory lane! Thank you for the Memories. Now on to more and other things.
• Upcoming events are the Priests’ Appreciation Dinner and the Ladies Appreciation Dinner.
• Communications: Deacon Tran and his wife in thanks for the invitation to the dinner
• Four will be attending the Financial Secretaries Meeting at St. Gregory’s.
• State Scholarship program to St. Gregory’s – we are compiling a list of scholarships from our Council. Need it by April 15th.
• Amendments tried to be passed at last year’s State Meeting. Amendment passed was to assess active, ordained Deacons and Priests in the membership. These would not be assessed a membership fee.
• There are priests that will be leading pilgrimages. These are posted on the bulletin board. These include Italy, Prague, etc.
• Fr. Tim wrote an article in the Oklahoma Knight about Social Teaching in the Church. This is a good to read article.

Financial Secretary’s Report

• Pancake Breakfast – Made over $100 in profit from the breakfast.

Chancellor’s Report

• Pope Benedict’s Prayer for Vocations is being handed out
• Please pray one extra rosary each month for vocations

Program Director’s Report

• New Membership Committee
• David Bassler – Our Pro-Life Project is DVIS for Easter – provides domestic services for victims of domestic abuse – there is a list of items they will need to make a nice donation for them for after Easter. Conclusion will be the week before Easter
• Bill Hull – Blood Drive was not as good as before. Next Blood Drive is March 21st so mark your calendars.
• There is a full docket for the Lenten Masses. 9 am each Saturday. Fr. Gary Kastl will celebrate the first Mass. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. We need to make a good showing! Bring a friend.

Here is the schedule for our Lenten Masses:

Feb. 20               Father Gary Kastl

Feb. 27               Father Jim Caldwell

Mar. 6                Father Mike Knipe

Mar. 13              Father Tim Davison

Mar. 20              Bishop Slattery

Mar. 27              Father Brian O’Brien

• Chris King – Columbian Squires is having an open house. We are officially opening our Circle. The Social is Tuesday, March 9th at 6:30 PM at St. Pius X. There will be a pizza, cookie, and drink social for the families. Chris is the State Squires Chairman and will serve and the Council Squires Chairman.
  • We are hoping to have a All City Investiture of the new Squires. Hopefully, we can have the Bishop, as well as the Archbishop from Oklahoma City (Eusebius Beltran, who is also a former Squire).
• Thursday we will be going to the VA Mass in Claremore. It is at 8 am.
• Chris King is putting together packages for the State Awards including Priests Appreciation, Easter, Halloween and Christmas parties, Pro-Life Madonna House efforts, and 50th Anniversary Dinner. We want all the pictures we can get. Send any pictures you have to Chris King.
• Bill Hull – We need RSVP’s for the Ladies Appreciation Dinner. Tom Metzler will be the cook for the dinner for the ladies. The dinner is Monday.
• Lenten meal on Friday nights at the Hall during Lent. We will pray the Rosary after the dinner. There will be a nominal $6 charge for the meal.

New Business:

• Proposed to offer 2 scholarships to St. Gregory’s. Proposition was carried. There will need to be a new vote for the next meeting to approve it.
• Delegates to the State Convention on April 23rd through the 25th. Lon Unsell, Grand Knight, was proposed as well as Bill Hull, Trustee and Past Grand Knight was proposed. Lon, as Grand Knight is automatic. Bill was proposed since he is a Past Grand Knight.  J.A. Arroyo, DGK as Alternate and Chris King as an Alternate.
• Bernie Fonzo Award, Civic Award – Nominations. Does not have to be someone that is Catholic but has to be someone that has contributed to the community. The winning nominee will be invited to the State Convention. Nominees have to be in my March the 4th.
• Next Pancake breakfasts will be March 21st (Blood Drive too), April 21st Pancake Breakfast.
• Council will be offering an annuity for Fr. Mike at St. Pius X.
• In the newsletter, there is a link to the Tulsa World for the story on the March for Life. Over 3000 were in attendance! This was well over the initial estimates for the March.

District’s Deputy Report

• The 50th Anniversary Dinner was fantastic. We all had a great time and it was a successful evening.
• Our District quota is 12, we have no additions but no deductions. We need to get a new membership going. Holy Family has 9 new members! We need to really push for new members.
• Holy Family will have a First Degree on Sunday, Feb 28th at 1:00 pm. We can get our new members in there so we can get members into the Council. There is a 2nd and 3rd Degree in Broken Arrow on April 18th at St. Anne’s. We can get our members here through all three degrees in Feb and complete them in April.

JOHN COLLIER! Won the Pot of Gold! John won $157 for being at the meeting this month.

Good of the Order

• Matt Buckendorf – in an accident during the ice and snow storm. Flipped his car and was trapped for awhile. Nothing was broken and bruised pretty good. Praise be that he is doing well.
• Brody Million, grandson of J.A. Arroyo, had surgery today for tonsils and adnoids.
• Kim Weisman, Leroy Weisman’s daughter-in-law, will begin Chemotherapy next week
• Josephine Prugge, Scott Collier’s aunt, has terminal cancer
• Deacon Todd Young and Colleen, keep in prayers
• Don Dupruis new grandson Bode Reaves, born premature and in hospital 45 days.

Knight of the Month – J.A. Arroyo for his work on the Newsletter

Family of the Month – Bill Hull and Phil Nickles

Vocations:

Don’t forget to send an email or letter to at least one of our seminarians this month! Show your appreciation to our young men who are working hard to be our Priests!

Seminarians for the Diocese of Tulsa

Keep Our Seminarians in Your Prayers

We encourage you to email our seminarians as often as you can. I am including email addresses and pictures of our seminarians for you to keep these men in your prayers and thoughts. During the summer, many are back in the Diocese for various assignments. Click on the picture or the email address to email the Seminarian

Kerry Wakulich
3rd Theology
St. John Vianney Theological Seminary
1300 S. Steele St.
Denver, CO 80210
wakulich@yahoo.com

Ernesto Calvillo
3rd Theology
St. Meinrad School of Theology
200 Hill Drive
St. Meinrad, IN 47577
semi_81@hotmail.com
Alex Carroll
2nd College
Tulsa Community College
440 S. Florence Ave.,
Tulsa, OK 74104

Andrew Dever
4th College
Conception Seminary College
PO Box 502
Conception, MO 64433
Sean Donovan
2nd Theology
North America Pontifical College
00120 Vatican City State, Europe
North America Pontifical College

Kevin Gasperino
2nd College
Conception Seminary College
PO Box 502
Conception, MO 64433
imgas2@cox.net

Jorge Gomez
2nd Theology
St. Meinrad School of Theology
200 Hill Drive
St. Meinrad, IN 47577
jorgelmoxad_tulok@hotmail.com

John Grant
1st Theology
St. John Vianney Theological Seminary
1300 South Steele Street
Denver, CO 80210
johngrant27@gmail.com

Michael Judkins
Pre-Theology II
St. Meinrad School of Theology
200 Hill Drive
St. Meinrad, IN 47577

Bryan Ketterer
4th College
St. John Vianney College Seminary
Mail #5024, 2115 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105

Todd Nance
4rd College
Conception Seminary College
PO Box 502
Conception, MO 64433
toddnance19@yahoo.com

Duy Nguyen
1st College
Tulsa Community College
2720 South 129th Street East Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74134
nvtd_tommy@yahoo.com
Jorge Perez
3rd Theology
Pontifical University of Mexico
Victory #98, Col. Tlalpan CP 14000, Mexico, DF

Mike Pratt
2nd Theology
North America Pontifical College
00120 Vatican City State, Europe
homer6923@sbcglobal.net

Joe Thummel
3rd Theology
St. John Vianney Theological Seminary
1300 S. Steele St.
Denver, CO 80210
wildthumbs3@hotmail.com

Monthly Business Meeting Thursday

Just a reminder to the membership that we have our business meeting tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at the Hall.

Successful March In Tulsa

Thank you, Tulsa for making the Mass for Life and the 1^st Tulsa March for Life a huge success.  Holy Family Cathedral was standing room only with overflow out the front steps of the Cathedral.  The 1^st Tulsa March for Life had 3,000 marchers and a passionate rally to end the perfect evening.  Even though we pray for an end to abortion soon, place this date on your calendar for next year, January 22, 2011.  Either way we will march in unity and pray for the dignity of life. 

Upcoming Pro-Life Events

Rose Day, Wednesday, February 3

Visit your Legislators at the State Capitol expressing your beliefs in the dignity of life, Dr. Alveda King will be the guest speaker (flyer attached).

1^st Bishop’s Pro-Life Dinner, Saturday, March 6

Join Bishop Edward J. Slattery for dinner and guest speaker David Bereit the National Director of the 40 Days for Life Campaign (details coming soon).

Thank you for supporting life.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and NFP

Direct:  918-307-4939

Fax:  918-294-0920

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Tulsa World Publishes Story on March for Life

Yesterday, yes, Jan. 26th, the Tulsa World published an article about the March for Life held last Friday. The official estimates, published in the article, estimated that over 3,000 attended the March. I am including a link to the article for you to read. I encourage you to also read the comments to the article at the bottom. I was amazed at the lack of media attention to the march while, in most cases, if the protest would have had a dozen and was something more ‘popular’ or politically correct the media would have been all over it.

Click here to view the story

Bloody Sunday/Bogside Massacre Exhibit at Holy Family – 1/21

This coming Sunday, January 31 see the exhibit to Bloody Sunday at Holy Family Cathedral following 12pm mass. The exhibit is being put on display by the Ancient Order of Hibernians - Bobby Sands division , Tulsa.

 

Bloody Sunday - Sometimes called the Bogside Massacre occurred January 30, 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland. Twenty-seven civil rights protesters were shot by a British Army Parachute Regiment during a Northern Ireland Civil rights association march. See exhibit to this event in Tulsa this weekend at Holy Family Cathedral.

Blood Drive and Breakfast at St. Pius X

Thanks to all that attended the Breakfast and Blood Drive this past Sunday! Your donation of the gift of life is appreciated and we hope to see you again in about 54 days!

1st March for Life Success!

Council 4721 had a wonderful turnout to the first Tulsa March for Life! Led by our Bishop and many priests, Catholics were not the only ones that attended this incredible event. Mass began at 5 PM with an Honor Guard from the 4th Degree. Fourteen Knights from various Assemblies around Tulsa performed the honors. Bishop Slattery celebrated with priests of the Diocese a Mass of Penance for the sins against Life.

After Mass, 8 Knights from 4721 provided Marshall duties at the corner of 9th and Boulder. Other Councils from around the area protected the protesters at the corners where they passed. As you can see from the pictures, well over a thousand participated in this March for Life.

View Full Album

Mass for Life Homily at St. Gregory's Abbey and University

Mass for Life – January 22, 2010: St. Gregory’s Abbey & University


Readings: 1 John 1:5-2:2 and Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

My brothers and sisters in Christ, today – in keeping with the instruction of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) – we are observing a special day of penance and reparation for sins against the dignity of the human person through acts of abortion. Of course the reason for this particular observance is that today is the 37th anniversary of the “Roe vs. Wade” decision that effectively legalized abortion in the United States. That single legal opinion, and the subsequent millions upon millions of individual and societal decisions that have been made in its wake, not only have taken the lives of countless human beings in the womb, but have also taken an unimaginable toll on those who have turned to abortion, those who have performed abortions, those who have encouraged abortions, and on our society as a whole as we have witnessed a steady desensitization regarding all forms of assaults on human dignity and life at all its stages.

This day of prayer and this celebration of the Eucharist in particular must be understood in their proper context. Yes, we are expressing our sorrow and are performing acts of penance for the countless sins that have been committed against human dignity specifically through abortion. But most of all our day of prayer today can only be fully understood in the context of hope. Even in the face of countless acts against life, we must remember that our God is the God of Life. And in this truth we are called to remember that God continues not only to call all peoples to the fullness of life through the grace and reconciliation that has been won for us in Jesus Christ, but that God also calls each of us to be channels of that grace, that reconciliation, that healing and that love which God alone can provide.

That is why today is a day of hope. It is a day of hope because we recognize that the “culture of death” has not achieved, nor will it ever achieve, a final victory. No, Jesus – our Lord of Life – has already won the victory over sin and death, and he continues to be with us to call us and to strengthen us to bring the good news of his victory through the Gospel of Life.

In light of this fundamental truth, I would like to quote from a document written by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1998 entitled “Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to All Americans.” Paragraph 27 of that document holds an important message for us today.

“God is always ready to answer our prayers for help with the virtues we need to do His will. First and foremost we need the courage and the honesty to speak the truth about human life, no matter how high the cost to ourselves. The great lie of our age is that we are powerless in the face of the compromises, structures and temptations of mass culture. But we are not powerless. We can make a difference. We belong to the Lord, in Him is our strength, and through His grace, we can change the world. We also need the humility to listen well to both friend and opponent on the abortion issue, learning from each and forgetting ourselves. We need the perseverance to continue the struggle for the protection of human life, no matter what the setbacks, trusting in God and in the ultimate fruitfulness of the task He has called us to. We need the prudence to know when and how to act in the public arena -- and also to recognize and dismiss that fear of acting which postures as prudence itself. And finally we need the great foundation of every apostolic life: faith, hope and charity. Faith not in moral or political abstractions, but in the personal presence of God; hope not in our own ingenuity, but in His goodness and mercy; and love for others, including those who oppose us, rooted in the love God showers down on us.” (USCCB, Living the Gospel of Life, 27)

Courage, honesty, humility, perseverance, prudence, faith, hope and love: These indeed are virtues that we need as we accept the call of the Lord to be ministers of the Gospel of Life in our world today.

Without the grace of these virtues, our efforts to promote the cause of Life might very well fall into self-righteousness, contempt for others, and pride. Like the older brother in today’s gospel, we might be so absorbed in our own fidelity that we actually become a barrier to the healing and welcoming love of the Father of Mercies. The spirit of our service, rather, needs to be offered with a humble, honest and courageous acknowledgement that we are all sinners, that we have each in our own way squandered the gift of life that has been so abundantly entrusted to us and that we are beneficiaries of the forgiveness of God. As the First Letter of John states, to say that we have not sinned is to live in self-deception and in our own self-imposed darkness.

On the other hand, to humbly acknowledge that we have sinned is to come into the light of Christ so that we might receive and live in that love that He has shared with us, bearing witness to the hope of salvation. Rather than becoming self-righteous, we will be able to be instruments of hope, healing, conversion and life for one another, for our culture and for our world.

And so today we turn with hope to the Lord of Life and Light to grant us the healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and new life that only He can give, and which He indeed came to give freely. I close this homily with the beautiful and inspiring words that the Most Reverend Paul Loverde, Bishop of Arlington, delivered in a homily on January 22, 2009:

"Our prayer is answered here. Hope comes to us, beyond words: the Lord Jesus Himself, Hope Incarnate! He embraces us in Holy Communion: He sends us forth, so that by word and deed, we may live the Gospel of Life and witness to Him, Christ Our Hope! He sends us forth today … into the streets where we live, not to be violent or cynical, not to crush those who are already burdened by their participation, often without full consent, in abortion. We are sent forth to proclaim hope, the hope that forgives and heals, the hope that strengthens and enables all of us in our efforts to eliminate abortion and to promote life! This is the hope that, through God's grace and only with His grace, will empower us to overturn the current culture of death and to restore and to intensify the new culture of life.”

Schedule of Upcoming Events

• March for Life is Friday, Jan. 22nd at 5 pm. As mentioned before, we are responsible for the corner of 9th and Denver. The March will commence after a Mass at the Cathedral. Mass will begin at 5pm. Be there time for the Honor Guard will be 4:30 pm.
• This Sunday is the Pancake Breakfast at St. Pius X. Breakfast is served after the 8 AM and 10:30 Masses. If you plan to assist, please come about 30 minutes before the Mass. Please stick around and help out cleaning up the kitchen.
• The Blood Drive is also going on this Sunday. Don’t forget to attend the breakfast and have breakfast as well.
• Priests’ Appreciation Dinner is Feb. 8th at the Council Hall. Drinks at 6 and dinner follows at 7. Priests, Deacons and their wives are free. Knights and their wives are $10. The bar is a cash bar. Please contact Lon, J.A. or Arthur to confirm if you will attend.
• Ladies Appreciation Dinner is Feb. 14th at 3 pm at the Hall. Social Hour begins at 3 pm with dinner at 4 pm. This dinner is for our wives and Religious Sisters of the Diocese.
• Our Council will sponsor the Pius X Friday Lenten meal on Friday, Feb. 26th. The meal will follow the Stations of the Cross at St. Pius.
• Sunday, Feb. 21st, we will have the Pancake Breakfast at St. Pius X.
• Chris King has spoken with Fr. Mike, the St. Pius Boy Scout leader, and the St. Pius Youth Director and all are in favor of (and excited about) us starting a Squires Circle at St. Pius.  He is working with the parish on a date but is planning to have the introductory social for the young men and their parents the first week of February.
• Be expecting a call from a Brother Knight. We will be doing a drive to encourage participation at the meetings and the activities.

 

Good of the Order:

Paul Dudley's son-in-law Mendenhall died

Heart surgery for Jeanette Friendly mother-in-law of Arthur Barber

Died:Charles Bodine father-in-law of Jim Miller

Surgery for Jacob Pruitt, related to Scott Collier

MARCH FOR LIFE FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd AT 5:00 PM

Tulsa and surrounding areas –

Let’s show our community that Tulsa and Oklahoma are Pro-Life by attending Mass and by marching tomorrow night.

Abortion was legalized in the United States 37 years ago this month.  Since then over 50 million babies have lost their lives to abortion.  Pray for an end to abortion and join Most Rev. Bishop Edward J. Slattery who will celebrate the Mass for Life at Holy Family Cathedral at 5:00pm on January 22, 2010.

After Mass join Bishop Edward J. Slattery and participate in the 1^st Tulsa March for Life.  The March starts at Holy Family Cathedral and ends at 6^th & Boston at the new Chapman Centennial Green where a rally will take place.  A rally will be held approximately 30 minutes long with three speakers.

• Dr. Kevin Donovan will speak on when life begins
• Cynthia Carney will share her testimony of having an abortion
• Dr. McCutchen from Mount Zion Baptist Church will speak how abortion has impacted the black community

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or go to our blog at tulsamarchforlife.wordpress.com.

Thank you for supporting life.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and NFP

Direct:  918-307-4939

Fax:  918-294-0920

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Thursday Reflections

Thursday, December 10, 2009
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Good morning, and welcome back to our reflection this week on how we can prepare our hearts to welcome the Child Jesus, and ask Him specifically for spiritual gifts that help us grow in holiness and grace. I am Fr. Jim Caldwell, pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church, and it is truly a blessing to share with you a faith filled experience of God’s presence and love in our lives.
St. Paul in his letter to Titus writes in Chapter 3, verses 6 and 7: “…whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.” In St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews he also says: “…let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for He who made the promise is trustworthy.” (10:22-23)
Today’s gift to ask God for as we prepare for Christ Jesus to enter our lives is the gift of HOPE. This gift of hope can be a great source of happiness and strength because it motivates our hearts to anticipate and look forward to the promise of the Kingdom of God and to the promises that God has made and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
In a general way, if we have hope, we have life. Hope helps us look forward as well as challenges us to do well in life. It is the impetus in some ways of why we as a society are stuck in the mode of shopping for Christmas. We shop because we are anticipating the joy and happiness our family and friends will have when they open this gift that hopefully is the right gift for the right reasons. We look forward to this day, December 24^th or 25^th when in joy we can present our gifts to our family and friends to see their expression. We hope that they will appreciate and like the thoughtful gift that seems to express a love and concern for them.
We also hope for events and experiences that lead to positive experiences in life. We hope, for example, that a doctor’s report will indicate that the cancer is benign and not malignant. We hope that the exams we take help increase our wisdom and knowledge of the subjects we are studying. We hope that our Christmas celebrations will be with family we love, rather than family with whom we are estranged from. We hope that one day our family will be together to celebrate in joy the blessings of familial relationships. We hope that the sun will continue to shine and brighten our day.
In all these examples, the hope is for something in the future that will be long lasting and treasured in our hearts. Yet we know that at times, what we hope for often falls short of our desires. We know that when we place our hope in things of this world, we lose sight of the things in our life which matter, not material things, but experiences that connect our heart, mind, body and souls together. When we connect at these levels, the gift of hope increases because it requires that we actively pursue these goals and dreams in life that change our hearts. We can hope all we want to pass the exam, but if we do not put the effort into studying, we fail to put that hope into reality. We can hope that we will be remembered by others, but unless we act in a spirit of charity and love toward others, we will not achieve anything at all. In other words, our hope, if rooted in this world will falter quickly because we fail to assist ourselves and others to use hope as a catapult for happiness and peace that is internal.
Therefore, the gift of hope we are seeking is the gift which keeps us going day after day. It is the gift of hope that the life we live and experience draws us to do great things for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is the higher realm of hope that truly sustains us and puts our actions, deeds and experiences in a new light. This deeper understanding of hope enables us to move beyond the worldly allurements and see that relationships with others take work. This hope enables us to see that having our hearts prepared to welcome the Child Jesus into our lives means we take time to assess how we are living and sharing the love God bestows on us with others.
This kind of hope enables us to put our motivations and aspirations into perspective as we begin to understand how God truly blesses us with many gifts and talents. With these gifts, we can utilize the endowment of hope to determine the course of action that roots us in being Disciples of Christ Jesus. We are promoting this virtue of Hope now, because the time is right to prioritize and put into perspective our vocation in life. When we hope in God, we discover a deeper sense of peace and joy because of the grace God bestows from this gift. When we open our hearts and accept this gift of hope, we realize that every single day is a new day to prepare for Christ to come. We do not have to wait until December 25^th, or January 1, or your birthday, or the second Tuesday of next week. In hope, we experience the Child Jesus smashing our stony hearts and revealing how much He is with us every day.
In asking God for the gift of hope, we are asking for an increase in knowledge of who He is for us, why He has called us to do His will, and how we can succeed in growing in holiness and grace. We can use this gift of hope as a means to pray, live, love and learn. How does this hope manifest itself in our hearts and lives? It starts by first understanding that hope animates our inner thoughts and feelings to seek God and His love in our lives. Hope helps us not to be discouraged when the temporal world collapses around us. Hope sustains us during the times we feel abandoned or unloved. Hope becomes the life preserver that is tossed to us by God in order to lift us up and fill us with His love. Hope becomes the celebration of hearts prepared in love to welcome the Child Jesus into our hearts and lives. It is hope that stirs our passions to find and seek God in every action and experience in our lives. This hope is more than simply optimism. It is an anchor in God that keeps us afloat in the ups and downs of life.
One great way to increase this gift of Hope within our hearts is to mediate on the Our Father. This prayer, spoken by Jesus for us to pray is a great way to ask God. The power of the Lord’s Prayer is found in how it sums up for us our wants, needs and desires in life. It is a prayer of hope because as we voice in word and thought this prayer, we are drawn to the belief that through Jesus Christ, He will hear and answer our prayers and enkindle in our hearts the gift of hope. This prayer also challenges us to serve God in a spirit of faithfulness and love. We are called in hope to put into action the Gospel of Love. We are instructed by the prophets to prepare our hearts for Christ to come again.
Let us seek the gift of hope in our hearts and lives so as to understand that the spiritual gifts we desire far outweigh the material things of this world. Invite the Holy Spirit to enkindle this hope within our heart so as to love better, forgive more, serve others, and be Christ like in our lives. Confront in life the fears and addictions that dampen the hope of Christ to live in our hearts. Ponder the heavenly gift of the Kingdom of God that we hope to share in one day. Inspire others to achieve hope in God by preparing for God’s many blessings He willingly pours out for us. Continue to pray each day, petitioning the Lord to hear our prayers. Drawing on this petition for hope, we conclude with the prayer Jesus taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
May God continue to bless us and fill us with hope as we anticipate with joy Christ’s presence among us. May Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Have a very blessed and hopeful day today.

Tulsa March for Life on Jan 22nd

Abortion was legalized in the United States 37 years ago this month.  Since then over 50 million babies have lost their lives to abortion.  Pray for an end to abortion and join Most Rev. Bishop Edward J. Slattery who will celebrate the Mass for Life at Holy Family Cathedral at 5:00pm on January 22, 2010.  After Mass join Bishop Edward J. Slattery and participate in the 1^st Tulsa March for Life.  The March starts at Holy Family Cathedral and ends at 6^th & Boston at the new Chapman Centennial Green where a rally will take place.  A rally will be held approximately 30 minutes long with three speakers.  Dr. Kevin Donovan will speak on when life begins, Cynthia Carney will share her testimony of having an abortion and Dr. McCutchens from Mount Zion Baptist Church will speak how abortion has impacted the black community.

I am enclosing a pdf file of the 'official' poster for our first-ever Tulsa March for Life. Please feel free to download and print out a many copies as you need to:

• post this weekend around your church campus
• ask people to bring one home
• ask volunteers to post them in coffee shops, food stores, and other community bulletin boards.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or go to our blog at tulsamarchforlife.wordpress.com.  Thank you for your time.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa

Family Life, Pro-Life and Natural Family Planning

918-307-4939

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Pro-Life March Work Day

I am passing this along from the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Tulsa. If you have an hour or so available this Sunday, please consider giving of your time for the March for Life.

Have you ever worked on a Pro-Life service project for the Church?  Here’s your chance to help?  How better to spend your Sunday afternoon but with family and friends making a difference.  If your unable to attend please pray for the success of this service project.

I need volunteers to help stuff packets for the Washington March for Life Pilgrimage 2010.  Please let me know by Saturday evening if you can help by emailing how many will be attending.  Do you have a high school student or a youth group that needs service hours?  The entire family can volunteer. 

Sunday, January 17^th - 2-5pm

Diocese of Tulsa, Chancery Offices
12300 E. 91^st Street
Bldg B Conference Room

Thank you for considering your time for this service project.

For Life,

Tracy Callicoat

Diocese of Tulsa, Family Life Office

918-307-4939

tracy.callicoat@dioceseoftulsa.org

Lenten Mass Schedule

Here is the schedule for our Lenten Masses:

Feb. 20               Father Gary Kastl

Feb. 27               Father Jim Caldwell

Mar. 6                Father Mike Knipe

Mar. 13              Father Tim Davison

Mar. 20              Bishop Slattery

Mar. 27              Open

Brother Knights;

Make it a point to attend our Lenten Masses at the Hall during Lent. It is a wonderful time to be shared with your family and friends (these are open to all – if not Catholic, just don’t receive) and the talks given by the priests have been very instructional and edifying. I will update the time if it should change but last year we gathered at 9:00 AM for Mass followed by a talk by the Celebrant. After the Mass, we would hang around for visiting, lunch and fellowship.

Vivat Jesus!

And A Good Time Was Had By All…

 

50 years of service to the Catholic Church in Tulsa was celebrated at the 4721 Council Hall on Saturday night. Along with memories and a celebration of what has passed since the 1959 founding of our council, a fantastic dinner was served and music was provided for the celebration.

Norbert Sorries reminded the gathered guests of some of the challenges of the council before settling in to the ‘new’ home in North Tulsa. Memories was shared by Leroy Weisman with a history of the council (which will be reposted on the web site when he has completed his comprehensive history). Memories of our past Grand Knights, old friends, and new friends were shared as the night progressed.

We remembered names and stories of Al Sorries (who is half of the only father/son to be Grand Knights – Mike and Al), Ed Terrel, Jim Highland, Bob Rauner, and Zarski and Zeller. I guess we had KofC from A to Z!

Vivat Jesus!

During these 50 years, we have helped to form the Center for Family Love, supported Pro Life, held horseshoe tournaments, supported our Catholic Schools and Oklahoma’s only Catholic University, St. Gregory’s in Shawnee. We have been involved in all of the Tulsa Bishop’s Installations, from Ganter to Slattery.

And a good time was had by all….