Grand Knights Message – October 2012
Dear Brother Knights, Family Members, and Honored Clergy,
September was once again a busy month for our council. We led or participated in the following events this month:
- Sunday Breakfast – We had a more than average crowd and many of our brother knights assisted in serving and clean up (PGK Gary Koonce coordinating)
- Bethesda Healing Ministry two-day conference for seminarians – Excellent conference for a very important aspect of priestly formation – how to counsel post-abortive women. Our council assisted in serving breakfast and provided parking lot security on Friday night. His excellency Bishop Campbell graced us with an inspiring dinner homily at the end of the day. Thanks to Rocky Lomano, Andrew Mauricio, and Dave Jones for their much appreciated assistance. The foundress of Bethesda Healing Ministry, Judy Schlueter, was very, very thankful for the assistance provided by the Knights.
- Corn Roast – We were all treated to great beer brats served up by DGK Scott Muehlbauer.
- Blood Drive (Worthy Advocate Tom Crotty coordinating)
- 40 Days for Life Rally & Kickoff – A spirit-filled rally led by Ohio Right to Life Director Ruth Yorston. We are all gearing up for the upcoming fall campaign coordinated by our fellow council member State Pro-Life director Gary Anderson.
We also managed to assist a St Paul parishioner in a household move this past weekend – coordinated by Parishioners in Need chair Tom Foos.
Thank you Brother Knights for all that you do for this council.
This being the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, I wanted to reflect on this most powerful weapon given to us by our Blessed Mother and so readily available to us all. The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary is the first Sunday in October. This date is attributed to by early tradition to the defeat of the Albigensian heresy in 1213, or by others, to the defeat of the Turkish invading fleet in 1571. Which ever date one is inclined to acknowledge as the inception of this feast, it really does not matter. All we know is that through the Blessed Mother’s intercession, we are protected and kept safe – as long as we continue this devotion by frequent fervent prayer.
On a personal level, the praying of the rosary and the many graces that have come forth from the Lord to our family, have been many, some small, others quite profound. Our Lady has led us to a closer communion with God (through various life changing experiences – a story for another time), helped us through many of life’s difficult moments, and has most definitely tied our family closer together. However, I will be the first to tell you, that even though this devotion is quite simple to execute, keeping up a constant, daily devotion to this practice is a learned experience. Yes, saying many decades of the rosary is not easy. As with anything physical, spiritual fortitude takes practice and dedication. Many years ago, as we were being led to pray the rosary as a family, we started small. We made it an effort to simply say one decade. Just one. That’s how we started. Today, at the start of any road trip, or time at home, praying one mystery, or more, is second nature. We don’t even think about it; it’s like saying grace before and after meals. It is part of the spiritual life at our home. I would encourage all my brother knights, if you are not already doing so, to make this a practice in your domestic church. Start small, and then move on to longer prayers at a later time. Encourage your family to participate in opportunities to pray the rosary as a community. Remember your first degree ceremony when you were given the rosary.
This coming month, we will have those opportunities available to us. October 6 will be the our regular First Saturday recitation of three mysteries at the Samuelson abortion clinic on Cleveland Ave. This day, by the way, is the one year anniversary of our council praying the rosary at this clinic. This day also coincides with the St Paul Day for the 40 Days For Life fall campaign. You may sign up for other prayer times anytime during this day – contact Gary Anderson to sign up for a time slot. The next day, Sunday, October 7 at Christ the King parish, Family Rosary Day is being celebrated by Bishop Campbell.
Then, on October 20, we are planning a day of Pro-Life events: mass at St Patrick’s, rosary at the Founders abortion clinic, tour of the Women’s Care Center, and the Stop HHS Rally at City Hall. Watch our calendar on the web site for more details.
I encourage your participation, as a family, in this great devotion to our Blessed Mother. You and our family will most assuredly be blessed.
Oremus Pro Inviciem,
(Let Us Continue To Pray For One Another)
Sebastian Mauricio