December 2019 Bulletin: Christmas Celebration and Perrault Benefit Coming Up

Lead article from the December 2019 bulletin.

A busy November continued with setting up for the tree lot. Don Legatt once again orchestrated a very successful tree lot set up. Many hands did make light (or not so heavy) work setting up the tree lot. See the pictures in this bulletin. The following people volunteered their time on Saturday for the tree lot set up, unloading the trees or both depending on their availability – Don Legatt, Erich Kunzman, Cory Sommer, John DeLander, Dave Miodus, Mark Rademacher, Jeff Eull, “Jungle” Jim Valerius, Brad Altepeter, Tom Kienlen, Kenneth Justen, Pete Ruhland, Eric and Daniel Paluck, Scott Arndt, Daniel McDonald, Todd Rathbun, Jim and Jake Wiegers, Chad Ronning, Joe and Isaac Van Hoorick, and Brent and David Traynor and possibly more. Please forgive me if you were there and your name was not listed, it was a busy day. The tree lot sales help the St. Alberts and St. Michael youth group. Thanks for all of the help. 

The month of December will have an OPEN MEETING and WINE TASTING Party on Tuesday December 3rd at the St. Albert’s Parish Hall starting at 7:00 pm. Please come and bring your spouse, a friend or someone that is interested in joining the Knights. Many thanks to Cory Sommer who is running this event. Cory has indicated that this year’s wine tasting event will be extra special. The meeting day needed to be moved to Tuesday as there was a wedding reception set up at the parish hall and a parish wide adoration at St Michael’s church conflicting with the regular meeting date of the first Thursday in December. 

Following the wine tasting the St. Nicholas party is scheduled for Saturday December 7th in the St. Michael Catholic School cafeteria. Don and Marie Legatt are continuing their selfless work putting together another party for the Knights. Help is always appreciated for setting up, working, and cleaning up after the St. Nicholas party. Please contact Erich or Brad to let them know if you can help – thank you. 

A look into January shows that there is a spaghetti feed benefit for Joe Perrault, who is having back surgery on Saturday January 25 – please keep him in your prayers. 

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for all your work for the Knights to help out our community. 

God bless, 

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

November 2019 Bulletin: New Kniights, St. Nick, Christmas Trees and More!

Lead article from the November 2019 bulletin.

The Knights were busy in October with multiple events including a first degree after the October council meeting. Three new Knights have joined. Many thanks to the first degree team. October finished with the pro-life dinner at St. Albert’s parish hall. Thanks to Jim Shovelain for organizing another Pro-Life dinner and for his continued work protecting life. Marie Legatt organized another Saints party at St. Alberts parish hall – thanks Marie for your continued work helping out the Knights.

As the days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping you can feel the Knights tree lot is approaching. This year providing the weather and tree delivery cooperate, the tree lot set up starts on November 16 and lot filling on November 23. Youth from both St. Michaels and St. Alberts parishes will help with the tree lot setup. The Knights Tree Lot will be open beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 29, through Sunday December 15 (or earlier if the trees run out). There will be multiple ways to sign up for a shift or two helping to sell Christmas trees including a sign-up genius that is in this bulletin and will be sent out via e-mail. Please also consider help setting up and taking down the tree lot. As the dates get firmed up on the tree lot more information will be sent out.

Other activities in December include the St. Nicholas party will be held at the St. Michael parish school on Saturday December 7. Thanks to Don and Marie Legatt for organizing and running another St. Nicholas party. It has been heard that another St. Nicholas is needed this year – please contact Don, Erich or myself if you are interested in dressing up as St. Nicholas at the St. Nicholas Day party. There will be a coat drive November 9-17 and a toy drive starting November 11th and ending December 15th. All of this work done by the Knights helps out the local community. 

Thank you again to all who continue to help with the busy Knights schedule on top of your home schedule. Please include brother Knights in your prayers that we can continue to help out those around us and spread by word and deed the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

God bless, 

Andy Sipple 

Grand Knight

October 2019 Bulletin: Thank-Yous Abound

Lead article from the October 2019 bulletin.

September was a busy month. School started, the St. Michael followed by the St. Albert fall festivals, Foxtailers snowmobile club celebration, Catholic Watchman Matt Birk speaking event, Synod listening session, and the Cornerstone/Options for Woman Gala event to name a few of the activities that took place. 

Many thanks go out to Brian Bruner who organized brother Knights directing traffic at the St. Michael fall festival. Brian, Cory Sommer, John Delander, Ken Pung, Wayne Becker, Vincent Zachman and a few other guys did great job standing out in the chilly weather and rain making sure the parking for the festival went well. Thanks guys! I would also like to thank Stanley Gozel for helping to man the Knights of Columbus booth at the St. Michael festival. Another thank you goes out to Jim Wiegers who organized brother Knights helping out at the Foxtailers snowmobile club celebration at the Liberty. And thank you to Jim and the other brother Knights who helped out at the Foxtailer celebration. 

Things will keep right on rolling in October. We are planning to have at least a first degree and possibly a major degree in October depending on how recruiting goes at the Matt Birk event. Other events happening in October include Sunday October 6 – the Respect Life breakfast at St. Albert Parish Hall from 8:00 – 12:30 pm and later on the STMA life chain on County Road 19 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Later on in the month on Saturday October 26 is the Pro-Life Dinner at St. Albert’s Parish Hall from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Thanks to brother Knight Jim Shovelain for the work on the Pro-Life events. 

I was hoping to have something deep and profound to get across in this article. After thinking about it, it seemed that looking at all the continued work put in by brother Knights from our council to help out in the community was profound. The guys mentioned and unmentioned in this article selflessly helped out. They were not looking for an atta-boy, or praise, they were helping out because help was needed. 

Most of the guys mentioned above are more than likely not keen on seeing their name in print. It is important to thank the guys who are helping out and remind the council that many hands make light work.

Looking forward to seeing you in October.

God bless,
Andy Sipple 

Grand Knight

September 2019: A Full Fall on Tap

Lead article from the September 2019 bulletin.

The August Hanover and St. Michael parades were a good experience. Many thanks to Earl Krajsa for another year of letting the Knights use his trailer and for driving the float (Earl’s trailer) in the Albertville, Hanover, and St. Michael parades. Thanks to Brent Traynor for organizing our councils ability to be in the parades. In the Hanover and St. Michael parades around 17 boxes of tootsie rolls were tossed to kids and adults. It seemed the adults enjoyed getting the monster Knights of Columbus tootsie rolls as much or more than the kids. The kids had a great time tossing out the tootsie rolls.

The September calendar is pretty full of events. In addition to St. Michael and St. Albert’s fall festivals on consecutive weekends there is major degree Saturday September 21 at St. Joseph’s in Delano. The 1st degree starts at 9 am, followed by the second degree at 10 am and the third degree at 11 am with lunch to follow. Please consider attending if you are looking to get additional degrees and/or support new Knights in our area.

Our council is co-sponsoring with the Catholic Watchmen a talk by Matt Birk on the evening on September 21 at St. Michael’s church. Mr. Birk will speak from 7:00 – 8:00 pm and be available in a reception after he finishes his talk. This is a father-son event and tickets are only $5.00 a head. Following the Matt Birk talk, a first degree is hoping to be held in October with recruits from the talk.

As summer comes to an end and as school supplies in preparation for the next school year start showing up around the house, I am reminded that the Christmas tree lot is not too far off. I believe that set up for the tree lot will start around mid-November and shifts to work the lot will be available shortly thereafter. Please keep some time available to help out at the tree lot. More information to come later. Many hands make light work at the Christmas tree lot. 

God bless,

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

August 2019 Bulletin: Traditions of Leadership

Lead article from the August 2019 bulletin, online now.

This is the first bulletin article of the Knights of Columbus fiscal year. The article would be remiss if we did not recognize all the work put in by previous people getting our council to the point where we are today. Our council is one of the largest and most active in the state. We should thank Gary Frandsen for all of his many man-hours of blood, sweat and beers/tears working for our council. Gary has selflessly worked as the previous Grand Knight, organized and ran the Father-Daughter Dance and the Father-Son Event, helped with the Senior Dinners, attended Albertville Friendly City Days council for planning, put in a large number of hours making sure that the beer tent succeeded, put in time on the tree lot, organized and ran multiple spaghetti feeds and countless other activities with a mind-boggling number of hours put in. Thank you Gary!

This article would also like to recognize John DeLander. John DeLander was inducted into the Fourth-Degree Hall of Fame for 2019. John has also put in countless hours over the multiple decades he has been involved with our council. It would take a book to attempt to list all of the activities John has been involved with helping our council and the community. Thank you, John!

It is humbling to think of all the work that has been put in for the benefit of our community including financial gifts to the parish youth, help to those in need, pro-life activities, St. Nicholas parties, All Saints parties, beer tents, tree lots and many more. There are many other people to thank too numerous to mention – you know who you are. 

All the work done before has helped to build a strong Catholic foundation in our community. There are many activities approaching with the opportunity to get involved and follow where many men have gone before. Please continue lending your hands this year in helping to continue the fantastic work done for multiple decades by our council for our community. 

Erich and I will attempt to fill in the large shoes left by Gary in the upcoming year. We hope to continue to lead our council by offering members the opportunity to help out our community. As a youth I remember hearing, "Many hands make light work." I knew that if I helped out the work at hand would get done faster and everybody working would have less to do. We are aiming to give everybody the opportunity to get involved and hoping you do! 

God Bless,

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

June 2019 Bulletin: A Higher Education

Lead article from the June 2019 bulletin, online now.

Andy Sipple and I just returned home from a ceremony at the STMA high school having awarded $750 scholarships to over thirty senior students. If we do nothing else as a council, this event alone is worth the current year's work. It is the single most satisfying thing that we do. Our youth are in need of all the help they can get. 

Kids today start worrying about SAT tests as early as the 9th-grade in this hyper-credentialed culture they are forced to contend with. It was not that big of a deal as recently as 1979-1981 when I attended the U of M. We surely did not spend one whole school day on one test (ridiculous nonsense). 

This was all in hopes of becoming "successful" as a student in hot pursuit of a top-rate (if not liberal progressive) education. This, of course, would lead to the landing of a great, high-paying position and rewarding career. The debt most of them will incur is a faint whisper in the far back corner of their young conscience. The debt Godzilla will surely rear its burdensome head shortly after they toss the tasseled hat in the air at the graduation ceremony. 

We need to focus our attention much more on targeted education in the form of community college, trade school, on-the-job training and such. Major public sector universities and state colleges continue to raise tuition while at the same time bellying up to the public hog-trough to feast on tax-payer cash. Some enterprising publication needs to dispatch a team of energetic young reporters to investigate all of these colleges' and universities' spending habits. I suspect some extensive waste ("just saying"). They are all in secret possession of bloated endowment funds. Most if not all of them could offer free tuition for all students for decades to come with this ever growing stash. What on earth are they planning for all of this money? Here is some information on university endowment funds for parents who struggle to find funds to help their kids: Yale-$27 billion, Texas University system-$26.5 billion, Stanford-$24.7 billion, Princeton-$23.8 billion, MIT-$14.9 billion, etc. 

Our own University of Minnesota is #24 on the list and has $4 billion in a large maroon and gold piggy bank with a gopher on it. This has never delayed their annual trip to the capitol to sing for more cold tax-payer cash from our complicit legislators. Having stated all of this, it is a wonderful thing we do as a council to help these kids in a small way to lessen the financial strain. 

It has been great serving Council 4174 KCs for the past two years as Grand Knight and the past seven years as an officer. I look forward to helping out Andy as best I can and wish him and all officers Godspeed as they take over. I know we will be in good hands.

God bless,

Gary Frandsen

Grand Knight

May 2019 Bulletin: Easter Vigil

Lead article from the May 2019 bulletin, online now.

For the first forty-nine years of my life, the Easter Vigil meant nothing to me. That all changed at the Easter Vigil 2009 when Fr. Gregory Abbott and Fr. Michael Becker led me into the water as a Catechumen as I welcomed the light of Christ. I found myself immersed in the same baptismal font that my youngest daughter Anna was baptized in five years earlier. I had literally followed all three of my girls into the faith.

The occurrence would not have taken place without them. God set me on my path in February 1986 aged twenty six years. The journey was started as a result of my signature on a document that clearly explained my commitment to raise my future children in the Catholic faith. Father Joe at St. Gerard's Catholic church would not marry us without it. After all, I was being honest when I informed him of my agnostic beliefs. We hoped to have a bunch of kids, but they did not come.

The next 14 years were filled with infertility, doctors and frustration. As a Catholic, my wife Gina prayed on it. I also offered prayers that followed within my agnostic parameters, you know, "If you are up there please present us with children" type of prayer.

Those prayers were answered in 2001- 2003 when we journeyed to the Russian Republic on four occasions and gained our daughters through adoption. We moved to Albertville between daughters and set up shop. We were reminded of our commitment to raise our daughters Catholic and began to attend Mass on Sundays. Father Siebenaler then baptized Marina in 2003 and Father Michael Becker baptized Anna in the new church in 2005.

For the next five years I attended Mass with my family on a weekly basis. I behaved myself as a non-Catholic and stayed in my seat during communion while paying close attention to that which was going on around me. I asked Gina many questions about the Mass the stand- up-sit down stand-up sit-down, the doing of the dishes and such. What I witnessed also was a lot of men bringing their families to church, and leading them to faith filled lives.

This began to chip away at my uncertain position about Christ and God. I began to watch the EWTN network and studied Pope John Paul to some extent due to his huge cultural impact in the Christian world. My wife asked me if I was stalking the Catholic church. I guess I was, and we placed both girls on the list to attend the Catholic school and continued attending Mass. One day I found my way to Father Abbott's office discussing the RCIA program. I joined and spent the next year pouring over the Catechism.

The long, 49-year, meandering path then ended in 2009 at the Easter Vigil where Fr. Abbott and Fr. Becker led me into that same baptismal font that my daughter was led into five years earlier. The congregation that night could not have made me feel more welcome. I was bathed in Christ's light for the first time in my life. Delivered there in no small part due to my three girls.

So when you are thinking about which Easter service to attend, please consider the wonderful Easter Vigil. Where else can you witness a large group of people coming into the light of Jesus and embraced by his welcoming arms?

God bless, 

Gary Frandsen

Grand Knight

April 2019 Bulletin: "Prickly Pear"

Lead article from the April 2019 bulletin, online now.

The working definition of faith has always been belief without proof. Inasmuch as the word relates to Christians. Consider the Opuntia "Prickly Pear" that not only grows, but flourishes in my back yard garden. One would seldom associate this thorny cactus with the inhospitable climate we Minnesotans tolerate. It is much more prevalent in Mexico and the southwest United States. Yet here it is. Last year it produced over 100 obnoxiously gorgeous bright yellow flowers. Each one features a blaze-orange bed deep within its depths to tantalize bees and hummingbirds into spreading its pollen which cling precariously in clumps on the ends of pale green stems. I have watched many territorial hummingbird skirmishes over these blooms. Each flower lives exactly 24 hours with 15 or so per day for a week or so. The fruit that follows is sold in the open markets of central America and Mexico. 

Charles Darwin was fascinated with these little gems and studied their peculiar tendency to setup shop in northern climates. Even before I was welcomed into the Church in 2009, the beautiful realities of nature (Gods creation) would not allow me to step out of pantheism into outright atheism. It was much easier to call myself agnostic. The Church gives none of the three a passing glance. And for good reason. All of the three fail to recognize what God intended for them to see. For a long time I wanted proof for the existence of God. I needed a miracle just for me and I felt that I deserved one. None came. I did not realize nor pay heed to the fact that these miraculous things were all around me. I simply had lost my ability to wonder. Something I possessed as a child had been vanquished as a mature adult. Beaten into submission by years of capitulation to the cynical contemporary culture we exist in. 

Luke 12:12 2-9: "Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Proof enough if I could hear. I don't need to test God and have him preform a miracle on a stage with me alone in the audience. He has given us a bounty of evidence. Just open your eyes, the proof is everywhere. It is not without irony that I offer up the vagaries of this little plant species with its glorious flower as evidence of God. Even Charles Darwin, the man cited for a theory used to argue against God also fell under its spell. The next time you think you need some kind of supernatural proof or you travel to some far away destination to be where miracles have taken place, remember to pause for a second and realize you may need travel only as far as your back yard. God bless!

Gary Fransen

Grand Knight

Job 12 7-9: "Ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky they will tell you or the bushes of the earth; they will show you and the fish of the sea will teach you.  Who among all of these does not know that the hand of the lord has done this"

March 2019 Bulletin: Ice Cream

Lead article from the March 2019 bulletin, online now.

I tend to struggle with the Lenten tradition of giving up some perceived vice or indulgence in order to suffer to some extent as we consider the profound suffering of Christ in the time leading up to his passion. I will of course follow all the Lenten rules. I also have much admiration for those who give up significant habits and routines so as to draw them closer to our saviors suffering.

I have given up things in past Lenten seasons only to feel underwhelmed about my sacrifice as I resume them after Easter Sunday. Did I suffer much? Nope. Did it bring me closer to understanding his suffering? Not really. So what should I do?

I may have had some small revelation in this regard on our recent trip to Florida. We were Staying at a Daytona beach hotel. Hotel guests were venturing out to the beach to see the strange family who were swimming alone in 65 degree cloudy skies weather. They came wearing parkas and took our pictures and asked us where we came from that we would be swimming on this day. We told them and a look of "Oh, I get it now" came over their faces. We hit the hot tub for a bit then decided to walk downtown where we could see a boardwalk and amusement park waiting for our arrival.

There were some Hurricane "Irma" ravaged hotels along the beach as we made our way. A few lined with fence and under repair and others seemingly abandoned. We noticed that the homeless were taking up residence in some of the lower floors of the abandoned buildings. Makeshift homes consisting of wood, cardboard, worn mattresses and the like. A young couple caught our attention as they moved a mattress out of the chill drizzle that was falling at the time. They were in the middle of a heated obscenity laced exchange about some grievance between them. There were many homeless along our way. Their deeply lined faces spoke to the nature of the untold witness they held from us. We made it downtown and the homeless quickly slipped from our minds.

We had much fun looking at shops, walked the pier and listened to the Atlantic. We had a great meal and started back. My youngest noticed a Baskin Robins Ice Cream shop and grabbed my arm. We made progress across the street via skyway where a vagrant was taking some rest. As we approached our destination, a tall thin elderly homeless black man was speaking to each passerby with his head down. I grabbed my eldest daughter and shifted her to my left as we neared the tall man on my right. I could barely hear him speak as we passed. "Could you please buy me some food, good sir." We hustled our step as we passed him a glance.

My eldest told me that he looked hungry. I mentioned some nonsense about his life choices and we joined the line at Baskin-Robbins. We were waiting about a minute for our 1,000 calorie indulgence when the brick fell upon my head. I looked at Marina and told her that she was spot on. He did look hungry. We bolted out and found the same tall black homeless man making his way down the sidewalk. When the distance was made up my daughter ask him if he was hungry still. He affirmed this and we crossed the street to the Burger King restaurant.

Marina then bought him a meal with a $20 bill and gave him the change. We could barely hear him say as we left "God bless you". I think it's more likely that God dropped the brick on my head than bless me. What value was the cash to me? Very likely much less than it was to him. What did he give up for lent? What did the homeless couple moving the mattress out of the rain give up for lent? Unknowable. Here is what I am going to give up for this Lent. I am going to give up making assumptions about homeless folks. I am going to give up judging them. I am going to give up donating nothing to their empty pockets. Hopefully it will continue long past Easter. I will end by quoting our new homeless and hungry friend.

God Bless.

Gary Frandsen

Grand Knight

February 2019 Bulletin: Miracle of Life, Culture of Death

Lead article from the February 2019 bulletin, online now.

Think for a few minutes back to your youth when life was full of energy, reckless abandon and sheer excitement. When all of Gods miracle's were first presented before your inquisitive eyes. You probably played with your friends each day until the earth blocked the days light. Think about how play had worn you down and how quickly you fell into sleep. Every new day was met with the same eager commitment. Think of how your parents must have looked on at your youth with just as much joy and excitement reminding them of their youth, innocence, and vigor for life. Think of your grandparents and relatives looking on during family gatherings at all the children playing and how it might have reminded them of their youth and the beauty of life. Try to comprehend the sum total of all the blessings in your life. Think of all that you are and all you ever will be. Even the sadness, pain and misery inexorably connected to what you have become. Think of the grace that finally released you from that pain and doubt.

Think then of how your mom must have felt with you growing in her womb. The life about to be brought forth and what would come of it. What would your personality be like? Your sense of humor? Your laughter? Those secrets of course would remain mysteries that would only reveal themselves while watching you grow. Think of her thoughts as you kicked and fidgeted within the warm comfortable confines of her womb.

There is and was of course one who did know. From him no secret could be held. One who had designed. One who had determined. One who had chosen. One who knew intimately the tone of your laughter and the signature of your smile. By now you know of whom I speak. All of this He knew the moment your mother's egg was fertilized. All of this was set into motion by His hands, just as his hand set the stars tumbling throughout the sky above.

Each and every embryo God has ever created has a life in front of him/her. Each one a possible patriarch or matriarch of dozens if not hundreds of lives. So when the abortionist reaches for the tools of his/her misguided trade, and his/her final act on the operating table brings about the release of the soul of a beautiful baby to fly on angels wings into Gods arms, one can only imagine the pain that our Lord feels. He knows intimately and all too well the hurt as He himself watched His only Son on the cross.

I am convinced there is a place where all of these babies reside. Surely, It is the most joyful and laughter filled place in heaven. One day we can all hope to hear the laughter they were robbed of here on earth. My wife and girls attended the March for Life last week and inspired me to contribute some small thing.

You may think these words over the top and idealized. I believe this message can't be overstated. You need to ask yourself if it's even possible to exaggerate or idealize the snuffing out of a baby's life. We live in a culture where half of us believe it's okay to terminate a pregnancy because it's inconvenient to our lifestyle. Or we may fear the child might not have a good quality of life. How dare we endeavor to do this dark work! To end that which He has begun. Shame on us!

I am told to pray for the abortionist. OK, I will, but only as time allows having prayed for all those innocents whose lives were snatched from within reach of the living. And the poor mother who must now live with her decision. March for Life received a few minutes of coverage on most news channels. C-SPAN aired a rebuttal of sorts before and after the event (as if stopping the purposeful killing of a human life somehow deserves a rebuttal). How in God's name did we get to this place? It's up to us to convince our political leaders and pro-choicers that this is profoundly wrong. Please resolve to do something this year to help these innocent souls. God bless.

P.S. There is a movie coming out later this year called "Unplanned" it may change the direction in the argument about abortion. Please make plans to go see it. Bring someone who is pro-choice with you..

P.S.S. Disclosure statement: Insomuch as it relates to this article and my being welcomed into the Church in 2009. Back in 1979 as a senior at Robbinsdale High School having been prompted by my English teacher, I wrote a similar paper based on the songs "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" that run together from the album "Dark Side of the Moon" written by David Gilmour and Rodger Waters of the rock band "Pink Floyd". I wrote about the songs and how spiritual I thought they were--the first of which, "Brain Damage" being an allegory on life turned upside down (our current pro-death abortion culture); the other, "Eclipse," a reflection on affirmation and redemption. Little did my English teacher know it would send me in some small way on a path to the church some 30 years later. If you haven't you should listen to it and see if you agree.

Gary Frandsen
Grand Knight