February 2021 Bulletin: Farewell to Gary

Lead article from the February 2021 bulletin, online now.

Happy February!

The tree lot has wrapped up and in previous years we would be preparing for the Father-Daughter dance followed by Lent. Well Lent is still coming but there will not be a Father Daughter dance this year. With the prospect of limiting the number of people that could attend and possibly turning people away at the door as well as trying to abide by who knows what kind of restrictions there may be, the best path this year is to cancel the dance. While thinking of previous years dances, I remember all the time and work put in by former Grand Knight Gary Frandsen. Gary has put in many hours helping people out over the years through the Knights of Columbus organizing and working multiple activities including, but not limited to, spaghetti feeds, Father – Daughter dance, Father – Son events, dinner and dance the night before the Fall Festival, and working on the Albertville Friendly City Days council. Gary will be relocating out of state in the near future. Thank you Gary for all of your work for the Knights, the church and the community – please know that you will be missed. With Gary’s relocation there is an opportunity for someone to step into the role of working with the AFCD council on behalf of our Knight’s council. Please let someone on the officer’s council know if you have an interest in helping out the council in this very important role. Remember in normal years the beer tent is the major fundraiser for council funds. Hopefully this year will be returning to a normal year.

The Knight’s February council meeting will be an online meeting. We are going to work on planning meetings and activities on a month-to-month basis. Hopefully we will be able to see each other in person at a Knight’s activity soon. Remember to pray for each other, our country, and our church and watch out for your neighbor. Keep the Faith!!!

God Bless,

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

 

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.

March 2020 Bulletin: Lent, Stations ofthe Cross and More

Lead article from the March 2020 bulletin.

I hope this article finds you very well in Lent approaching the biggest day in the church year Easter. The activities for the council are continuing.

Many thanks to Brad Altepeter and Erich Kunzman for the great work done on the Father – Daughter dance. It looked like there were more people cutting a rug this year than in previous years. Pictures from the dance are located in the St. Michael Church gathering space – please pick them up if you had them taken. Brad and Erich also are working on the Father – Son event. Brad saved the day for the Father – Son event as the pool heater at the Monticello Community Center broke down just prior to the original scheduled date. Brad was able to reschedule the Father – Son event at the Monticello Community center for March 8 from noon to 4:00 pm after the pool heater was replaced. 

The Joe Perrault spaghetti feed was a big success. Thanks to Jim Valerius and Francis Beaudry for organizing it and for all the people who helped out at the event. Thanks go out to Cory Sommer who organized the Knight’s Gala event on February 29th. The Knight’s sponsored the meat and cheese trays at the Holy Spirit day retreat on February 29th at St. Michael’s Catholic Church – thanks to Gary Frandsen for ordering the trays. 

The Knights are going to be leading the Stations of the Cross at St. Michael Church on Friday April 3rd. An email and/or sign up sheet will be sent out for people to participate. A Knight will read a meditation at each station of the cross. During Lent on Fridays please consider going to a Knights fish fry at St. Albert’s parish hall then head to either St. Alberts or St. Michaels church for the Stations of the Cross. 

Thanks for all of your work to help out the Knights – your work and prayers are greatly appreciated!

God bless, 

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

February 2020 Bulletin: Fathers, Bring Your Kids!

Lead article from the February 2020 bulletin.

Many thanks to all who helped at the Joe Perrault benefit – your work is greatly appreciated.

February is going to be another busy month. On Saturday February 1st from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm there is the Father Son event at the Monticello Community Center. On Saturday February 8th, the Father Daughter dance is at St. Albert’s Parish Center from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Many thanks to Erich Kunzman and Brad Altepeter for organizing both the Father – Son and Father – Daughter events. On Saturday February 29 the Knight’s Gala event will be at St. Albert’s Parish Hall. Cory is setting up another fantastic party including dinner, drinks and fun. The Gala will start at 6:00 pm and run until 9:00ish.

Coming up in March activities include the Knights leading a rosary at St. Michaels and fish fry at St. Albert’s Parish Hall.

Thanks to all who help and are planning to help out at these event – looking forward to seeing you in February!

God bless,
Andy Sipple
Grand Knight

January 2020 Bulletin: Happy (Busy!) New Year!

Lead article from the January 2020 bulletin.

I hope this message finds you having had a very Merry Christmas and that you are having a very Happy New Year. The Knights calendar was busy in December and will be so in January as well. Many thanks go out to all who were involved in a successful tree lot. A very special thanks to the guys who took down the tree lot especially a big thank you to "Jungle" Jim Valerius; “Jolly” Jeff Eull; "Dyno" Don Legatt; "Maddog" Mark Rademacher, and old reliable; JOHN DELANDER, for their effort in getting the tree lot torn down and put away on Sunday December 16. Jeff Eull reports “I thought Jim Valerius was going to need a tow truck to get his pickup and trailer out of the field he was turning around in after we unloaded the supplies at the old Vetsch farmstead where they are stored. After about a dozen tries Jim got his rig out of the field. Only had about ten trees left that Don hauled away, should be another good, profitable year”. Also thanks to Dan & Dexter Dehmer for pulling the fence posts and to John and Greg Hackenmueller for use of their warming house. Thanks a ton guys!!!!!!

The January calendar has a family vocation night on January 11th at St. Michael Church after the 5:00 pm Mass where Fr. Blume from the Minneapolis – St. Paul seminary will be talking with youth about finding their vocation and there will be a program for adults as well. On Saturday January 25th there will be a spaghetti feed for brother knight Joe Perrault after the 4:00 pm Mass at St. Alberts. More information on the spaghetti feed will be coming out the closer we are to the event. Please consider helping out at this event to support Joe. The Father-Son event will be at the Monticello community center on Saturday February 1st. The Father-Daughter dance will be at St. Albert’s parish hall on Saturday February 8th. And since we are already into the February calendar – please reserve the evening of Saturday February 29th for the Knights Gala dinner at St. Albert’s parish hall. Cory Sommer did a fantastic job with the wine tasting event in December – thank you Cory. Cory is organizing the Gala Dinner and I am sure it will be a fantastic evening. Thanks to all involved in the St. Nicholas party – Brad Altepeter, John Ingebritson, Erich Kunzman, Dan Laird, Marie & Don Legatt, and the list can go on. It is pretty awesome to consider all of the work put in by this council – thank you to all for all of your work!!!

God bless,

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight