Gene Keeling and Jerry Pilarski
No matter what your plans are for Saturday, July 22nd, you should make it a point to share your late afternoon at the Orange Grove 4H Barn.
The Council is joining family and friends to wish Jerry Pilarski a very Happy 90th Birthday. Arrive a about 4 p.m. and stay ’til the end at about 7 p.m. It is a nice drive in the country to the Orange Grove 4H Barn at 6716 Orange Grove Road.
Karen is preparing a Spaghetti Dinner! Call her to R.S.V.P at 919-819-3210.
We have had to share Gene Keeling for many months this year, while he was off on his several trips to California and beyond. He was sorely missed, but Lisa Keeling seemed to be everywhere filling in and often led efforts in support of both the Council and the Catholic Daughters.
Now, sadly, the news we feared the most has arrived. The Keeling Family is pulling up stakes and heading West to San Jose. We feel like parents watching our young take off, but we are full of pride as we look back over the more than ten years of Keeling Family support of the Knights and our parish.
The Keeling Family have been critical to parish events. Be it Parish Pride grilling, Pancake Breakfasts, Oktoberfest, Fish Fry’s, St. Thomas More School Graduation Breakfasts, preparing meals in support of Diocesan events, roasting pork for parish fundraisers, Operation LAMB, or one of the many other parish charitable events, Gene and family were there in a leadership role with sleeves rolled up and no job too hard to take on.
The Council recognizes their efforts and have named Gene Keeling our Knight of the Year and the Keeling Family as our Knights of Columbus Family of the Year.
Yes, we shall miss them, but our memories are many and their contributions to the parish and Council build a seemingly endless list of accomplishments. We are proud of them and wish them continued success in all that they do in their new parish community.
As Christians throughout the world prepare to commemorate the last hours of Jesus’ passion, we invite each of our brother Knights and their families to pray the Novena to the Divine Mercy. The novena begins Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23. The prayers of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, said on each day of the novena, can be found here.Our Forty Days of Lent are coming to a close and the celebration of Easter. Then, one week beyond, is Divine Mercy Sunday. Are your prepared? Do you understand Divine Mercy Sunday? Why not make it part of your journey as a Knight. It may be what leads you to the Fourth Degree and membership in the local Assembly.
“The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, he wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.” Won’t you join us on Divine Mercy Sunday on April 23rd at St. Thomas More Church.
We encourage you to learn more about Divine Mercy Sunday by visiting the Divine Mercy Shrine website. Learn more about why we gather for this special event. And, while you are there, click on their link to The 100th Anniversary of Fatima.
Our second of three parish fish fries was last night and everything appeared to have gone well, even with the absence of the Keeling Family and Tom Stoffel. Our Grand Knight, Newton Grant, was busy as a bee and, with the help of the ladies of St. Thomas More Church’s Catholic Daughters chapter, things went very well.
The Knights are about Family. We are here to create a family-friendly council that supports the mission and needs of our local parish. We invite all local and area brother knights to join in and assist us in making our Fish Frys, Barbecues, Pancake Breakfasts, and other fundraising events possible. It takes a lot of people to be successful in our mission.
We salute our Catholic Daughters and their helpers. They were outstanding! They arrived early to prep the kitchen, cooked and served food, and delivered the meals to the tables. Bob Patterson was at the gate selling tickets, Jim Heffernan, Dario Sena, Jim Ferris, Peter O’Grady, Brendan Fitzgerald, O’Neil D’Cruz, Mike Pacilio, and Bill Jackson, and a few more that I am still looking for their names. I would like to add your name to the list of Knights at our next Fish Fry event on March 31st.
Here is what you missed last night. Note the smiling faces! We were having fun. Okay, so there were a few shocked faces, too. What would you do if you saw the watchful eye of a camera sensor or flash in your face!
Next Friday is your last chance to join in and contribute your time and energy to a very worthy parish project.
Everybody chips in to get the job done. Here knights pull pig for charity.
The New Year is fast approaching and brother knight Jerry Pilarski is again hosting his annual New Year’s Day barbecue in the country. The Pilarski’s have been doing this with family and friends for almost FIFTY years as their way to thank friends and join together for the new year.
If you know Jerry, you are invited. If you don’t know Jerry, then it is time to learn about a wonderful person in our Knights of Columbus that has made it his personal mission to do something for others ALL THE TIME without expectation of something in return.
The Pig Picking Event is on January 1st. We gather at about 1:30 to 3 p.m. to be ready to serve and eat at 3:30 pm. Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish or dessert to share. Beverages and pulled pig are provided with hush puppies. We will gather for the blessing and eat at 3:30 p.m.
The barbecue is at the Orange Grove 4H Cattle Barn on Orange Grove Road at Dairyland Rd, just above the firehouse. Take NC 54 or Dairyland Rd from Carrboro to Orange Grove Road, then turn right.
I am reminded of a homily so very long ago given by one of our parish priests. It was about 1993. He told the story of his shopping experiences in Chapel Hill. He marveled at the cute sayings, little mice, Santa, animals, bright red banners of “Happy Holidays,” and other seasonal decor.
But, he asked, “Where was Christ?” Our Holy Day was fast becoming a “shopping and celebration” experience without Christ in the middle of our life. We were more for us and were losing, or maybe even lost, the meaning of Christ’s Holy Day. The day he was born was fast becoming forgotten.
Like the book, “Neverending Story,” where the world was disappearing because the inhabitants lost interest and their beliefs …and … their world of Fantasia is slowly being devoured by a force called “The Nothing,” Christ and Christianity is being overshadowed and even erased from our lives and culture.
But, at Christmas we are reminded that The Promise of Christmas is still with us and brings hope to the world, for we believe.
Luke 2:9-14
9. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.
10 The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Calling all Knights to another monthly edition of “Let’s make a meal!” Come
on down and put some earnest effort behind our pledges of charity and good
eats for mankind.
Our Pancake Breakfast helps our council raise money for the parish and at the same time build a strong council. Knights working together are also playing together. If you have not participated in a fish fry, pig pull, Oktoberfest, or pancake breakfast, you are missing an opportunity to work with others, learn more about your fellow knights, meet and greet new parishioners, and all the while making life-long friends. We are building our church community.
We need Knights to help staff the kitchen, serving line, and dining hall duties, and help with setup and teardown. If you can’t help, then at least support the breakfast by coming and eating, and bringing some family and friends along. The rest of us will be happy to serve you.
It’s real simple… if you are a Knight, you need to be there to contribute
to the success of this ongoing fundraiser for STM School and Church, and for
other charitable matters that we elect to help with throughout the year.
And if you cannot attend, at least say a prayer for a successful breakfast.
Of course, our Sunday pancake breakfasts are open to everyone and make a great opportunity for you to bring along family, a neighbor, or friends. It is your chance to show them your church and share your faith with them.
Gene and Lisa Keeling will not be available on Sunday, so we have a critical
shortage in the kitchen to overcome. We may be one or two short in the
dining hall as well. Please make an extra effort to help, especially if you
can be there at 7 am in the kitchen.
How do you know when an event is a resounding success? From what you see, hear, and enjoy. There was laughter everywhere, a little singing, more laughing, joking, sharing, and lots more laughing. New friends were made, stories shared and our church family was bonding. We may have even rekindled interest in the knights from a relocating knight.
Tom Stoffel said, “Congratulations Gene and Lisa for taking this event from zero to success in a mere 45 days! And for winning the “best German attire” award. And for
Bob Patterson greeted our guests and served as cashier.
pulling it off with Gene stranded in Dallas overnight Friday night.
For those that did not attend Oktoberfest on Saturday, you missed a great event. We sold about 60 tickets in advance, so we planned for 100. We lost count at 120! In fact, we turned some people away because we ran out of food.
A special thanks goes to the Catholic Daughters and all of the knights that served food, beverages, and helped with our Oktoberfest.
St. Matthew’s Council 13812 has set their schedule for 1st degrees.
October 16, 2016
November 20, 2016
December 18, 2016
January 15, 2017
February 19, 2017
March 19, 2017
April 16, 2017
May 21, 2016
June 18, 2017
July 16, 2017
August 20, 2017
We are hoping Durham’s Council 3390 will also have a team ready soon to offer a 2nd Degree Ceremony. Durham needs our help with building their 2nd Degree team. Can you assist?
