January 2021 Bulletin: Keep the Faith with a Weekly Rosary

Lead article from the January 2021 bulletin, online now.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope this message finds you and yours enjoying the Christmas season. Thankfully we had another great year at the tree lot. Thanks to all who helped out this year especially our Financial Secretary Don Legatt!

In what looks like a continued time of canceled activities Don proposed having a weekly rosary led by the Knight's. This rosary is going to be prayed once a week and led by a Knight. There is a Zoom link for joining the rosary found on page 2. Dates will be Wednesday’s in January: the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th at 7:30pm. 

It is uncertain at this time where and when we will be able to get together. The December Chillin' with the Priests was canceled and depending on how long the current lockdown continues, other previously planned activities are in danger of being postponed or canceled including the Father Daughter dance. As we enter a new year please try to focus on all of the gifts God has given to us and pray that the current state of affairs of our world can be put in right order. Please remember to pray for each other and keep the faith!

God Bless,
Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

 

August 2020 Bulletin: Planning Around COVID-19, Outdoor Meeting

Lead article from the August 2020 bulletin, online now.

It has been a wild ride so far this year. The officers met in July to go over the budget and activities for this upcoming Knight’s calendar year. With all the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 virus, a number of activities will take a year off as it is currently unclear when large in-person gatherings will be able to happen. Activities that made the cut and are anticipated to happen include, but may not be limited to, the Pro-Life Dinner in October, the Christmas Tree Lot, the Father-Daughter Dance and the Father-Son Fun Day.

Another event that is in the works depending on multiple factors is a combined Watchmen-Knights of Columbus sandwich-making event. More to come on that event as plans are nailed down. We also need to continue to welcome Fr. Brian Park into the parishes as our new pastor. It is definitely going to be more challenging for Fr. Park to connect names to masked faces.

The plan for the August council meeting on Thursday, August 6, will be to have the meeting outdoors near St. Albert’s parish hall (good weather) or in the St. Albert’s parish hall main room (not as good weather). It is important in this time of mask-wearing isolation to keep your brother Knights in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for all that you do, and remember to keep the faith! 

God Bless, 

Andy Sipple
Grand Knight

Please remember our sick Brother Knights in your prayers, in particular, Adam Roden, Tom Hackenmueller, Elmer Waltz, Joe Perrault and Mike Salonek. Pray for all deceased brother Knights and  for the repose of the souls of all those who passed away,especially Norbert Russell. Lyle Buckingham and Wallace Barthel.

November 2018 Bulletin: Prayers for Our Leaders

Lead article from the November 2018 bulletin, online now.

November 6th is mid-term election day. The political climate is stormy. The rhetoric on both sides is extreme. We are all getting crushed with political ads on radio and TV. Some crazy is sending "apparently" fake pipebombs to political figures. It's wild out there.

Those who know me know exactly where I stand on President Trump. To say I am a enthusiastic supporter would be an understatement. He has been under attack from the Washington political establishment since the day he was elected. Including talk of impeachment on the very day of his election. Both left and right. His personality and style has been thoroughly and comprehensively criticized, (some of it justified).

I for once don't have to wonder about the skeletons in our president's closet because they are doing the "twist" dance all about the room. We also don't have to sort through the passive - aggressive sophistry and platitudes associated with previous administrations. We are constantly told he is a "divider" not a "uniter". Nonsense I say. Most historians view Lincoln as the most "uniting" of all the presidents. Only one problem, 500,000 Americans including Lincoln himself had to die before we could unite. Talk of uniting our politics has been going on for over 250 years. Politicians have been throwing mud at each other since the mid 18th century. History clearly shows that it was much more politically polarized and aggressive then, than now. Maybe sometime in the future, politicians will figure out how to get along and enact the policies that we want in a bi-partisan way. Clearly, we are not there yet.

The unfortunate truth in Washington DC is that when you have power you need to use it in order to enact legislation that fits with your constituency. It has ALWAYS been that way. Naive idealistic politicians are of very little practical use in Washington DC. They are ignored in congress and languish accomplishing nothing and never get appointed to any meaningful committee positions. I think Trump is a cool rush of fresh air sweeping through Washington D.C. I don't agree with all of his tweets. I don't agree with all of his rhetoric. However, I do forgive him his defense of himself considering the anti Trump onslaught. We are all sinners are we not? He's no exception to the human condition. I pray for him all the time.

It is true that we need to unite, we need to unite in terms of the issues of the day, the most important of which is the issue of life. No president in my lifetime has done more for this issue than president Trump. Most if not all the politicians we support because of the issues we hold dear, not their personality. No matter what you think of our president, please look at your local politicians and senators and congressman and please get out and vote the issues. I know that if a politician get the life issue correct, he or she is going to be right on just about everything else. These are my beliefs and my beliefs only. Forgive me if I stepped on any toes.

God bless.

Gary Frandsen

Grand Knight

May 2017 Bulletin: 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima and Reminders!

Lead article from the May 2017 bulletin, online now.

2017 marks the 100th Anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria, Fatima, Portugal, beginning on May 13 and ending October 13, 1917.  The children were Lucia Santos, age 10, and her younger cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto.

This amazing story begins with these children reporting that on May 13, 1917, a woman adorned like the sun appeared to them from the sky and lighted on a shrub.

The woman asked them to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to “pray the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to war.”  The woman asked the children to return on June 13th, and when Lucias’ mother heard about this she sought counsel from the parish priest, Fr. Ferreira.  He suggested she allow them to go and said he would question them afterward.

The Virgin Mary appeared as promised and told the children to pray the Rosary daily to bring an end to World War I – the war which precipitated the rise of godless Communism in Russia with the Bolshevik Revolution occurring in October, 1917.  Mary also revealed that Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to heaven soon, but Lucia would live longer to spread her message and devotion to her Immaculate Heart, which she promised would eventually triumph over Communism’s errors.  The 1918 flu pandemic, from which about 50 million died globally, took Francisco in 1919, and Jacinta in 1920.  Both were beatified by St. John Paul II on May 13th, 2000.

Our Lady allowed the children to see a vision of hell and asked them to pray for sinners.  They became fervent in their prayer life for the conversion of hardened sinners.  She also entrusted to them a secret.

Government officials intercepted the children before they reached the Cova da Iria on August 13th.  The parents and officials tried to convince the children to stop what they perceived as nonsense; but neither derision nor threats persuaded the children, and they courageously held true to their witness.

The Virgin Mary appeared to them on Sunday, August 19th, at nearby Valinhos, and spoke to them about a miracle at the Cova da Iria on October 13th. She reminded them to pray the Rosary daily and “pray a lot… for sinners and sacrifice a lot, as many souls perish in hell because nobody is praying or making sacrifices for them.”

Although it rained incessantly for three days before October 13th, an estimated 70,000 people gathered to witness the promised miracle, soon to be called “Miracle of the Sun”.  Our Lady appeared to the children and Lucia saw light rising from Mary’s hand and reportedly cried out, “Look, the sun.”  For about 10 minutes the sun seemed to dance and then zigzagged to the earth only to spring back to its original position.  The people were at first horrified thinking it was the end of time, but then they broke out in praise as the sun returned to its position, and all their clothes had become dry. 

In 1930, after ongoing investigations, the Catholic Church officially recognized the apparition events as “worthy of belief”.  It is important to note that the Catholic Church defines these events as “private revelations.” They do not form the deposit of the Catholic faith, and we are not bound to believe in them.  Yet, Holy Mother Church holds them out to those who wish to receive such miracles as supernatural gifts to deepen the practice of their Catholic faith by following Jesus in his Catholic Church.

In the coming monthly newsletters there will be small vignettes of the miracles and messages of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fatima until its conclusion on Oct. 13th, 2017.   Look for opportunities at both St. Albert and St. Michael Churches to draw closer to God’s promises through devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.  First monthly event: Mass, May 13th, 9:30 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church with Patriotic Rosary until Noon near the Historic Church (unless inclement weather).

Father Thomas McCabe

Council Chaplain

*     *     *

Deputy Grand Knights Message

Hello Knights.

The long winter's over and we will be mowing our lawns soon.  We are also nearing the end of Grand Knight Joe VanHoorik's  second year at the helm and I would like to personally thank him for his great leadership and the great things he has accomplished for Council 4174.  We are also closing in on the Albertville Friendly City Days (AFCD) softball tournament and beer tent event.  This three day annual effort funds much of what we do during the year.  We will need the assistance of many Knights to make this important three day event a great success.  Multiple shifts on June 8th, 9th, and 10th will be open on the Sign Up Genius website soon.  We will need more volunteers than in years past.  There will be opportunities to serve beer as well as help out with score keeping and ball shagging during our new multi-tier softball tournament.  I would like to ask the new Knights in particular to sign up for this year's AFCD events.  Let's get this new 4174 Council year started with a bang!  Thank you for your help. God bless you and your families.

Gary Frandsen

Deputy Grand Knight

  

April 2016 Bulletin: Death and Prayer

Lead article from the April bulletin, online now.

Brother Knights, March has been a month of mourning. This month we lost two great men: Willis Heins and Gordy Bongaarts. Between the services for both men I spent many hours at the funeral home and church. This was good time to reflect on the lives of these men and the importance of life and prayer.

I never had the opportunity of meeting Willis but I heard from several members that he was a great man and very active member. He served as Grand Knight from 1967 to 1969 and was one of the men that helped build this Council in the early years of its existence. Without men like him we wouldn't have this wonderful Council that we have today.

Gordy needs no introduction. If you have been a member for more than a couple years then you know him; chances are he probably recruited you. My Gordy story happened a few years ago when he drove Jim Weigers and myself to St. Cloud to receive our 4th Degree. The story involves arriving several hours early, failing to make plans for lunch, and a white-knuckle, death-defying ride home in the pouring rain. It's everything you would expect in an outing with Gordy. Gordy absolutely loved the KCs and the church and he wanted everyone to experience their many blessings in the way he had.

Both men were 4th Degree KCs, and I had the honor of serving in the guard at both of their wakes and funerals. When most think of the 4th Degree, they think of the masses we serve at, but the true beauty and joy of the 4th Degree comes in the way we honor our fallen brothers. During the wake we sit in a back room, shoulder to shoulder, for the entire length of the showing waiting for our five-minute turn to go out and guard the casket. Once our guard is over we return to the room and wait again. This process repeats for the entire length of the wake, which can be several hours. Nobody complains about the cramped quarters or long intervals of sitting and waiting. The man we are there to honor was once sitting in that room just like we are doing for him. The whole process leads up to the final salute and presentation of chalice and certificates to the family. After the 4th Degree is dismissed, the 3rd Degree comes in to say a rosary. In Gordy's case there must have been 40-50 KCs forming a circle around the visitation room praying a rosary for the soul of our fallen brother. Personally, I cannot think of a better way to honor a Catholic man than to have his fellow brothers surround him in prayer.

Tell your families that you want the KCs involved in your final preparations. Someone will reach out to your family but they need to know that this is important to you so it can be done properly. If you are a 3rd Degree member, that will include a rosary in your honor. If you are a 4th Degree that can be a full guard posting along with the rosary. The single most important thing you can do for the deceased is to pray for their soul. We are born and die as sinners and we need all the prayers we can get to make it to our final destination.

This month when you are kneeling in front of the blessed sacrament before mass I want you to say extra prayers for the deceased. Pray for grandparents, parents, siblings, friends, brother Knights, or anyone else you knew that has passed on. Pray for their souls, the forgiveness of their sins, and that the Lord welcome them into his heavenly kingdom.

God Bless,

Joe

Joe VanHoorik
Grand Knight

February 2016 Bulletin: Prayer Matters

Lead article from the February 2016 bulletin, online now.

Thank you to all those who came out to the Monica Mize Benefit. I can tell you that during all the planning leading up to the event we never thought it would be as successful as it was. There was so much outpouring from the community that words cannot describe it. I especially want to thank DGK Gary Frandsen for coordinating the spaghetti feed and Andrea Zachman and the CRHP women that did most of the event planning. I also want to thank all the Knights and their families who showed up to help out. I was fortunate enough to help count the proceeds that evening and be able to share the final number with Steve and Monica. That final number, that has grown even more since that evening, turned out to be over $25,000. How amazing is that?

Gary and I were talking while we were cleaning up about how it seemed a little superficial that we did all of this to raise a bunch of money. It just felt like there is something more we can do.  The truth is we did do a lot more than raise money for the family. We got a whole community praying for them. At one point in the evening there was a prayer circle around Monica, which was unbelievably touching to see. We cannot heal the disease or take away the suffering that the family is going through. But we can pray for them and try to take away the worldly stresses as much as possible. Hopefully, the family can focus on healing and spending time together rather than worrying about getting the bills paid. Hopefully our prayers have an impact. Hopefully our community grew a little bit closer. Hopefully we all grew a little bit stronger in our faith.

I also had the pleasure of delivering checks to Cornerstone and the Parish School this month.  It's got to be my favorite part of being Grand Knight.  I get to see first hand the appreciation on the faces of those we help.  It's a blessing I will never forget.  I am very thankful and proud of all of you for what we have built. Keep up the good work!

God Bless,
Joe VanHoorik
Grand Knight

December 2015 Bulletin: Helping Those in Need

Lead article from the December 2015 bulletin, online now!

This month I want to keep it short and simple because we are actively working on a fundraiser benefit for Monica Mize and I want that to be front and center in your minds. For those that don't know Monica, she is a member of the St Michael parish. She was just diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized to her bones causing hypercalcemia. She is looking to fight this battle with a more holistic approach because she is also pregnant with their 8th child and the treatments for the hypercalcemia cannot be prescribed during pregnancy. In addition, the path that the Oncologists would take involves chemotherapy and radiation, which is harmful to the developing baby. Several of the officers met with Monica's CRHP team last week to begin planning a fundraiser for her family. With last month being Respect Life month, I now call on you to take action in supporting our pro-life beliefs. This woman, with seven children at home, is deciding to fight this disease without hurting her unborn child. I could not imagine a more selfless example of being pro-life than what she is doing right now. We must support her and pray for her..

My aunt and godmother were diagnosed with breast cancer in April of this year. This came not even a month after being let go from her job. Due to the intense chemotherapy she's been going through she has not been able to look for a new job and her unemployment benefits have run out. She is not an active member of a parish where she lives and does not have the community support that we have here. I can only do so much to help her and it pains me to see her struggle so hard to get through this. I share this with you not for sympathy but to ask for your prayers and to remind you that we are part of something great. We as the Knights of Columbus and as a Catholic Community are so very blessed to be able to do so much for our own that are struggling and in need. Don't forget that and don't take it for granted because you might be in need of assistance some day. If you can help in any way (time, talent, or treasure) in our upcoming fundraiser for Monica please reach out to myself or another officer.

God Bless!
Joe VanHoorik
Grand Knight

The Knights of Columbus are joining forces with Monica's CRHP team for a comprehensive fundraising event on January 17th culminating with a 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. spaghetti feed at the St Albert’s Parish Center. We will need our spaghetti feed A-Team available to make this feed a huge success!

May 2015 Bulletin: Catholic Prayer and Devotions

Lead article from the May 2015 bulletin, online now. Reprinted from the KC Supreme website.

The human heart is drawn to the divine.  Many people have a sincere longing for holiness and that is why they spend time in contemplation.

We are encouraged to cultivate a profound inner life, contact with Jesus Christ that is both personal and constant.  The Fathers of the Church have consistently said that without true friendship with Jesus, it is impossible for a Christian to fulfill the mission of the Lord.

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church may help focus our attention on the nature of prayer.  Here is a sampling of what you will find:

What is Prayer?
Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God, or the petition of good things from him in accord with his will.

It is always the gift of God who comes to encounter man.  Christian prayer is the personal and living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is infinitely good, with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit who dwells in their hearts.

How Does Jesus Teach Us to Pray?
Jesus teaches us to pray not only with the Our Father but also when he prays.  In this way he teaches us, in addition to the content, the dispositions necessary for every true prayer: purity of heart that seeks the Kingdom and forgives one’s enemies, bold and filial faith that goes beyond what we feel and understand, and watchfulness that protects the disciple from temptation.

Why is Our Prayer Efficacious?
Our prayer is efficacious because it is united in faith with the prayer of Jesus.  In him Christian prayer becomes a communion of love with the Father.  In this way we can present our petitions to God and be heard: “Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full” (Jn 16:24).

God Bless,
Jim 

For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ. 

-- Philippians 1:20

January 2015 Bulletin: Don't Give Up On God

Lead article from the January 2015 bulletin, online now.

Lyrics from Casting Crowns, “Praise You in this Storm”

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen,"

and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

It is easy to Praise God when everything is going well for you and your family; on the same token we find it all to easy to curse God when things don’t go the way we planned.  I know all too well from experience how easy it is to get frustrated and give up on God.  Many of you know part of my story and for those who don’t, you soon will.  The Holidays are always tough on us for my wife and I have lost many pregnancies over the years, the hardest of which is the loss of my son Connor who was still born at 36 weeks.  It took me a while to get over this loss and I did a ton of blaming everyone from my wife to the doctors to God.  It has been over 10 years already and I can’t help but think how things could have been.  As I reflect on this and the other losses I see that this helped form me into who I am today.  It helped me to realize that I was on the wrong path and I needed to bring God back into my family.  So I guess what I am saying that even in your darkest hour, God is still with you and will help you along your journey if you help him.  I still find myself wandering and from time to time; I am still a work in progress, I guess.  But I know that if I stay strong in my faith and help my family stay strong in their faith we can make it through anything.

I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to you

And you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry on

If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

My little words of advice: even though you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, keep your faith and keep moving forward.  No matter what life brings you -- the ups, downs, twists, and turns -- don’t turn your back on your faith and know that God is with you on your journey.

God Bless,

Jim Wiegers

Grand Knight

May 2014 Bulletin: Courageous

Lead article from the May 2014 bulletin, online now.

The other night I couldn’t sleep so I was flipping through the channels before I finally came across something decent to watch. I ended up stopping on the movie Courageous, which I had seen before and enjoyed the first time I watched it. It was getting late, but I couldn’t stop watching. The movie had me hooked.

When the movie was over and time for bed I still couldn’t sleep. Some lines in the movie stuck with me and kept running through my head. The first line that was on my mind was when one of the male characters was talking about fatherhood and how he didn’t want to just be a good enough father anymore; he wanted to be the best father he could be. That got me thinking. Am I settling for just being a good-enough father or am I being the best father I can be? After examining my conscious, I found that I have some room for improvement and that I need to make some changes in how I am parenting. Why put off that dance with your daughter or shooting hoops with your son? You may not get another chance to enjoy them, and in a blink of an eye they could be gone.

The other line that stuck with me that I really struggled with went something like this: I will be the spiritual leader in my home. So again I thought through that statement, and lo and behold, I didn’t like the conclusion I came back with. I don’t walk the walk as to being the spiritual leader in my household. I found that I don’t always follow through and pray with my family. I pray and read scripture, and I know that my wife also does, but why don’t we find the time to do this together? My children need to see us praying, not just before meals or while at Mass, but together as a family.

How could I have let this happen? If I don’t take the time to show and teach them, who will? It is up to me to show them and to guide them to the best life possible. Below is part of the resolution from the movie:

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children. I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home. I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me. I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I hope that you will also examine your life; maybe there is room for improvement for you as well. If you have never seen the movie Courageous I would highly recommend you do. Maybe some parts of the movie will stick with you also.

God bless,

Jim

For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ. 

Philippians 1:20

Spend Time With Christ in Adoration

The Knights of Columbus have been acting as God’s hands and feet on Earth for over 130 years. Knights have performed countless charitable acts in communities all over the world and continue the fight for Catholic family values. The Venerable Michael McGivney’s great vision is alive and well—but much like solders need to drill to keep sharp for the fight, so too must Knights train in order to be at the ready.

Our training is rooted in the strength of our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, who better to go into contemporary cultural battles with than our lord and savior? How better to grow closer to Christ than through prayer? And what better form of prayer than Eucharistic Adoration?

Please allow me to discard the technical definition for the purposes of this article, which is to define what it means for the average Catholic man to come and spend quality time with his lord and savior Jesus Christ. Friendships are built over time; they become stronger with each hour they are together. The same is true with your relationship with Jesus Christ. Come  spend an hour per week in the Adoration Chapel getting closer to your redeemer. You can do it in your own way, no profundity is needed here. Just come to talk, pray, or just sit and listen to what he has to tell you. There is something very spiritual, therapeutic, and satisfying when you come to adoration after a long week of life’s joys and trials. Your savior does not require that you pre-qualify; there are no tests or expectations. Come if your faith is strong; come if you are struggling. Bring with you your humanity, with all of its burdens, joys, and sorrows, and spend an hour talking and visiting with your savior and good friend Jesus Christ.

There is currently a need in the adoration chapels at St. Michael and St. Albert churches. Please prayerfully consider signing up for one of the hours of need. For information, go to stmcatholicchurch.org and churchofst.albert.org and check Eucharistic Adoration heading.

Thank you, and God bless. 

Your Chancellor, 

Gary Frandsen

September 2013 Bulletin: Make Time to Pray

Grand Knight's article from the September 2013 bulletin.

As the Year of Faith is drawing to a close, I was reflecting on if I had made any sustainable changes in my faith life. To my surprise the answer smacked me right in the face as I watched the news on my lunch break.

As I sat in the lunch room, a story came on that you may have heard. It goes something like this: a young woman was hit head-on by a drunk driver. She was barely clinging to life, and her vital signs were falling fast. The fire department’s equipment was failing, and they were having a hard
time getting her out. That’s when she asked them to pray with her.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a man dressed as a Catholic priest appeared, even though the road was blocked off for two miles. The priest prayed and gave the young woman the anointing of the sick as well as absolution. After this there was a calming on the scene, and the fire fighters equipment was working again. They were able to get her out and off to the hospital, and the priest had vanished.

That is when I realized what has been missing in my life. I have gotten so consumed in my hectic life, with work, a new baby, and my son’s sports. I was so consumed in all this that I didn’t leave time or was too busy to spend time in prayer.

Watching the news that day made me do some soul-searching: how could I be so busy as to not find time to pray? What is so important that I couldn’t spend some time talking to God our Father? Well, I will tell you what: nothing. I decided to make a change and get back to some time with our Lord.

And I will also tell you this: things don’t seem as chaotic, and I feel more relaxed. I am still busy with all the other things, but they don’t seem to consume me like they did before. If your life is anything like
mine, and you find yourself out of balance, I want to challenge you to spend some time in prayer with our Father.

“The Lord never tires of forgiving – never! It is we who tire of asking his forgiveness. Let us ask for the grace not to tire of asking forgiveness, because he never tires of forgiving. Let us ask for this grace”

 — Pope Francis

April 2013 Grand Knight's Message: Prayers for Pope Francis

Grand Knight's article from the April 2013 bulletin: 

 My wife and I sat on the beach in Florida enjoying the beautiful weather and our children making sand castles on a beautiful afternoon. As we sat in our chairs, I overheard a couple of women talking about the day’s events. "Well, we have a new Pope! I think the Catholics will now be happy again."

Just how true her words are! To have the Vicar of Christ watching and praying for the Church should bring us great relief. With great excitement we announced to our children the good news, and were excited to learn more about who our new Pope was. We stopped for a moment and offered up a Glory Be in thanksgiving for our new Pope and for his Pontificate.

And so, this is a very simple article. I ask you all to pray for Benedict XVI in his retirement — in great thanksgiving for his sacrifice to Mother Church and for blessings on him in all his journeys yet to come. Let us also pray for Pope Francis. Please spend time in prayer for him as we begin to discover how God will use him to guide the Church. Certainly, we will see great scrutiny around the departure of Pope Benedict and the shortcomings of Pope Francis. Let us be their support through constant and continual prayer for them.

Please take a moment to offer up The Angelus for the intentions of Pope Francis:

• Leader: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
• Response: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
• All: Hail Mary, full of grace...

• Leader: Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
• Response: Be it done unto me according to thy word.
• All: Hail Mary, full of grace… 

• Leader: And the Word became flesh. 
• Response: And dwelt among us.
• All: Hail Mary, full of grace…

• Leader: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
• Response: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
• Leader: Let us pray.
• All: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.