March 2021 Bulletin: Lenten Activities

Lead article from the March 2021 bulletin, online now.

The great Lent season of fasting and praying is upon us preparing our hearts and souls for Easter Sunday. The activity of the council has been slow, but will hopefully pick-up steam soon. As of the writing of this article, Stations of the Cross are going to be at St. Michael’s Catholic Church during the Friday’s of Lent. The fourth degree voted to suspend all Honor Guards for Stations for this Lenten season. The council will be leading a Stations of the Cross during Lent. Please look for an e-mail with details on when the council will be leading Stations of the Cross as the date has yet to be determined. The Knights will not be sponsoring a fish fry this year.

The bars have been open and gaming is starting meat raffles at Dittos again. The gaming managers are looking for help with the meat raffles. If you are able to help please contact Dan Laird. Many thanks to Dave Miodus who has already volunteered to help out.

The March council meeting will be held at St. Albert’s Parish Hall on Thursday March 4th at 7:00 pm. Please remember to keep the church and each other in your prayers, please watch out for each other and remember to Keep the Faith!

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

September 2017 Bulletin: Tradition, Symbolism, and the Fourth Degree.

Lead article from the September 2017 bulletin, online now.

There is a flame that burns in virtually every man that speaks to their desire to fight for something bigger than themselves. For the American citizen, it is to look back with profound fondness and respect at our veterans of war and those who have died defending all we hold dear.

There is no higher thing we can do than to serve our fellow man in the military.  This was not lost on the Knights of Columbus at the turn of the century when in 1900 in New York, they established the 4th Degree by exemplifying its first 1400 members.  This was followed in 1903 with the Board of Directors officially approving the new degree centered around patriotism.  The current version of the regalia worn by the Fourth Degree was established in 1940.  It includes a chapeau with plume in various colors, cape, baldric, and a ceremonial sword all over the top of a black tuxedo.  The uniform appearance represents some 75 years of tradition and clearly points in the form of symbolism to Catholic men fighting for something bigger than themselves.  

The Fourth Degree KCs regalia is by nature a metaphor for the uniform that our Fraternal Catholic Order would wear in battle.  It is true our battles, unlike past world, civil and revolutionary wars, is one that does not require us to draw the blood from or kill our enemy.  We must, however, ask ourselves if the battle (considering our current fight to stop abortion) is no less bloodless?  We fight contemporary culture and the reckless way it leads our youth.  We join into the skirmish to keep Jesus in the public square.  We struggle to move to the forefront in order that we might promote the values of our great Catholic faith.  At the end of my 20 minute struggle to change into my outfit, is the sword that I attach to my baldric an anachronism?  I think not.  I remember attending Mass at the historic Church in 2003 with my wife and two small daughters as a non-Catholic.  Father Siebenaler was led in procession by the Fourth Degree in full regalia.  I mentioned to my wife that I was not sure where this Catholic thing was going to lead me, but I was sure it would not lead me to wear "that  get-up".

Flash forward 14 years, and I am eight years a Catholic and five years a Fourth Degree Knight who has worn the "get-up" multiple times.  The powers that be have determined that they will get more young men to join the Fourth Degree by changing the uniform.  They may be correct.  They actually look pretty cool.  To me they look more like the peace corps than a fighting corps.  Maybe that is what the Fourth Degree needs.  Call me a romantic, but I have discovered a renewed fondness for the "get -up" that is in my closet as I write this article.

God bless,

Gary Frandsen

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

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ..."

Archbishop Nienstedt prays over Deacon Paul Shovelain.

Deacon Paul's first baptism...

Last Saturday, many of our council witnessed the ordination of one of our own. Paul Shovelain, son of our former Grand Knight and long-time Pro-Life Director Jim Shovelain, was ordained to the transitional deaconate along with six other young men at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. God willing, these seven will be ordained priests next year. Numerous families drove in from Albertville and St. Michael, along with countless family members, and even the elderly priest who baptized Paul decades earlier. In addition, among the Fourth-Degree Honor Guard escorting the seminarians, clergy, and the archbishop in were at least five local Knights. Paul has given so much of himself to St. Michael parish, the St. Michael and St. Albert youth groups, and the community. It was good to give him something back, in the form of our presence and our prayers.

On Sunday morning at the 10:30 mass, Deacon Paul baptized two infants and delivered a moving homily (below) about meeting and sharing Christ. He spoke without notes, with the earnestness and joy that every knows and loves in Paul.



Congratulations, brother -- may God continue to bless and guide you. Blessed Mother, pray for him!

Christ the King Assembly Welcomes New Fourth Degree Members from Council 4174

Eighty-eight Minnesota Knights were initiated into the Fourth Degree on Saturday, April 20, in Rochester, Minn. The Fourth Degree is the patriotic degree of the KCs and has regional assemblies in addition to the local councils. Seven of the new initiates are now members of our local Christ the King Assembly, including three from Council 4174. Photos courtesy of Brother Sheldon Barthel.

Seven new members of the Fourth Degree, Christ the King Assembly
(left to right): Scott Fredrickson (St. Michael-Albertville),
Gary Frandsen (St. Michael-Albertville),
Wayne Hermanson (Buffalo), Andrew Lindquist (Big Lake),
Mike Engel (St. Michael-Albertville), Wayne Mevissen (Montrose),
and Dale Lesser (Buffalo)

Representing Council 4174 (St. Michael-Albertville) and looking sharp
doing it: Scott Fredrickson, Mike Engel, and Gary Frandsen

Several of the Fourth Degree members from Council 4174:
Gary Frandsen, Joe VanHoorik, Gordy Bongaarts, Jim Weigers,
Mike Engel, and Scott Fredrickson