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Council News
Greenville Knights Support GHS Robotics Team
How To Build Robot: Greenville Knights of Columbus member John Hodapp
(right), an engineer at L3 Communications in Greenville, is shown here
assisting Greenville High School students Matt Sikes and Matthew Mahrer
(center) with the design phase of their task to build a robot that
was used
in last year's regional and national competition. Several engineers
from
L3, including John, are again assisting the Greenville High School
Robotics
Team in the design and building of their robot and will accompany them
when
they travel to this year's regional competition at Reliant Stadium
in
Houston and the national competition at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta
during
April. The GHS Team will be competing against teams from 50 other states
and several foreign countries when they go to Atlanta. The team has
won
numerous awards during the past ten years of its existence including
last
year's GM Industrial Design Award and the Xerox Creativity Award. The
Greenville Knights of Columbus are one of two major sponsors for the
team.
Matthew Mahrer is a junior at GHS and the son of Past Grand Knight
Bobb
Mahrer. For more information, go to the team's website at
www.robowranglers.com
25th Anniversary
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary
of Msgr. J. J. Davis Parish Council # 7230 in Houston
are members of the Honor Guard from Bishop Charles P. Greco Assembly
# 1141,
Houston.
They are ( from left to right) Sir Knights: Fernando Gonzales, Juan
Picon, Andy Sanchez, Henry Irigoyen, Jr., Faithful Navigator Cruz R.
Hinojosa, Jr., Cruz R. Hinojosa, Sr., State Deputy Ken Otte, Bill Bennett,
State Treasurer Larry Zapalac, Paul Gloria, Jon Neiss and David Lopez.
KC Council #3910 Knights’ Wives make 300 Egg rolls
The Vietnamese Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine’s Convent invited the wives of Council 3910 Knights who routinely work at the convent to participate in an egg roll workshop. The Saturday morning class was at the convent on Gasmer Road. A total of nine “holy rollers” attended the class, and the main professor was Sister Lucy.
Seated (L-R) Dolores Falcon, Mary Kay Izard,
Margaret Schueler, and Stephanie Louis
Standing (L-R) Mary Gosline, Theresa Mack, Sr. Lucy Luong Nguyen (Prioress),
Brenda
LeSage, Peri Webb, and Jana O’Brien.
“
Peeling and chopping the onions sure brought tears to our eyes. We
used 9 to 10 pounds of onions for the recipe,” commented one
of the students. Some of the other ingredients
included: 13 lbs of shredded cabbage, 10 lbs of grated carrots, and
8 lbs. of chopped pork. The only secret ingredient revealed was vermicelli
bean thread. The group made their own fish sauce. “There was
plenty of work, but it was fun,” added another participant. One
roller related that it felt like being back in Catholic school saying, “If
our egg roll was not tight or was deformed, Sister would have us undo
it and start it over.” The ladies rolled 300 egg rolls during
the time of the class. Knights from 3910 have been maintaining the
grounds at the convent since meeting the sisters during a food distribution
ministry drop in February 2003. The introductory distribution
was the day our knights had secured a huge shipment of eggs from the
nearby Wal-Mart neighborhood Grocery store. With 784 dozen eggs on
hand our knights needed additional food pantries or kitchens to accomplish
that delivery. They were referred to the convent, and the sisters accepted
a very sizeable donation of eggs. Sister Lucy Luong
Nguyen is the Prioress of St. Catherine’s Convent.
Tomball GUMBO!
For the second year in a row, St. Anne Council Number 11472 (Tomball,
Texas) assisted Columbian Squire Circle Number 4518 as it conducted
an event called gumbo karaoke. The Knights prepared in excess of 40
gallons of Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and supervised and directed
the 20 members of the Squire Circle in the setup of the facilities
to accommodate the evening’s event. This entailed setting up
a stage with stage lights, video monitors, and a big screen for a video
projection system; a sound system; and a karaoke machine; tables and
chairs and a serving line.
This event was offered to all who attended for free. The Squires collected
donations for a fund they established. This fund, "The Rachel
Jauma Memorial Fund" or "The Rachel Fund". Rachel Jauma
is the daughter of a charter member of our Council. Rachel, a Downs
Syndrome child died in May of 2002. The inaugural event held in March
of 2003 netted a total donation of $ 550.00. Along with another Squire
fundraiser the 2003 “net” for the "Rachel Fund" was
$ 1,250.00.
This year’s event was held on March 6, 2004 (what would have
been Rachel’s 10th birthday). Bishop Vincent Rizzotto from the
Diocese of Galveston-Houston celebrated Mass and then attended. An
Honor Guard of the Fourth Degree was at the Mass. Several persons from
the Diocese also attended. Numerous families who have benefited by
the Rachel Fund attended as well. The funds collected for this event
were $ 1,650.00 (three times more than last year). All of the money
collected at these events ($ 2,900.00) was sent to the Diocesan CCE
Office for Persons with Special Needs.
Because of the Knight’s generous support and assistance the cost
of the event was free thereby allowing the young men of the Squires
to contribute 100% of their efforts to this ministry.
Council Number 11472 considers its Squire Circle an investment in our
future. This event and the Rachel Fund not only assists the Handicapped
of our Diocese but also teaches these fine young men a wonderful lesson
in working and giving of their time and talents and of charity.
Nearly 10% of the membership of our Council is former members of The
Columbian Squire Circle we sponsor. Of the five Squire from this Circle
who are eligible to join the Knights, two are already Brother Knights
and our Membership Director holds the form 100s of the other three
until these young men turn 18.
Two articles about this event have been published in the Houston Chronicle,
and one has been included in the Texas Catholic Herald. The Texas Catholic
Herald was present at this event and took pictures of the Mass that
preceded it as well as the event itself. Another article will be published
in that publication soon. The Supreme Squire’s newsletter (March
2004) also will contain a write up concerning last year’s event.
The Diocesan office is working with our Council and our Circle to assist
us in promoting this idea to other Circle and Councils in the Diocese
to conduct similar events using the model we established. Possibly
a single donation could be given to the Bishop at the annual Clergy
Appreciation Banquet.
Parish in India Helped by Knights of Columbus Council 13070
A small Southeast Texas Knights of Columbus Council, St. Helen Parish, Orangefield Council 13070 has donated $1,000 to assist the Village of Wangamarthy, a very poor area located in southern India, with a much-needed project. This donation was in response to an appeal by Father Francis Gayam, a missionary priest from St. Joseph Parish which is in Wangamarthy.
The project involves the installation of equipment
necessary to remove fluoride from their drinking water. The drinking
water in that area
contains a high amount of fluoride which causes birth defects along
with other health problems. Fluorosis is the condition that develops
when excessive amounts of fluoride are absorbed into your teeth and
bones. Fluorosis can cause mottling of teeth enamel and changes in
the skeleton, such as abnormal bone density and deformations. Many
people in the Village of Wangamarthy are living on the verge of death
due to fluorosis. The local people have contributed to the cost of
this project, but they are in need of additional money to fulfill
their plan to install the equipment necessary to remove the dangerous
levels
of fluoride from their drinking water.
KC Council 13070 Grand Knight Neil Carriere said, “We are honored
to be able to help the people of St. Joseph Parish to realize their
goal of having a safe supply of drinking water and we request that
other Knights of Columbus Councils in Texas consider this as a very
worthy charitable project. In its purest sense, this is what being
a Knight is all about”
Anyone interested in helping with this project should contact one of the following:
Father Francis Gayam
St. Francis Xavier Church
1703 Lurting Avenue
Bronx, NY 10461
Email: FrancisGayam@aol.com
Knights of Columbus Council 13070
St. Helen Parish
8105 FM 1442
Orange, Texas 77630
Email: wreeh@pnx.com
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2004
Texas State Council Knights of Columbus
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