Grand knight
November 21, 2022
Brother Knights,
I am thankful this year for all of you. For all the programs we do, the service we provide, the donations we make, the prayers we pray together, the meetings and gatherings, camaraderie and friendship. It is an honor to be a member, with you, of St. Charles Council 2084.
This past weekend was an amazing time of service. Thanks to all who helped with Thanksgiving baskets and with the Family Focus on Jesus Advent Wreath-Making and Prayer Service. We provided 29 baskets for the needy (although not all were picked up), and we had more than 50 people attend the Sunday afternoon event. We had a lot more Knights help with setup and cleanup last year than this year, so that is a little disappointing, but those who helped did great work. Thank you! And the parish is starting to anticipate this event. It's something they look forward to and I heard countless "thank you's" throughout the day. I think it's worthwhile.
Meanwhile, Charlie Smith was able to get a Form 100 in the hands of one of the Thanksgiving Baskets volunteers, and I handed out six forms on Sunday afternoon. One came back fully filled out, one was filled out by a former Stanton member who is ready to transfer. A couple were outright rejected and left on the table when everyone was gone. It happens, but I'm encouraged that we might be able to add some younger gentlemen to our numbers.
Next up, two very important events. Saturday morning at 8 a.m. will be the setup for the Nativity at the corner of Lafayette and Benton streets. It takes about a half-dozen guys to assemble in less than an hour or so. Dress warm and join the fun.
Then, Sunday at 12:15 p.m. or so, in St. Charles Church, we will have an exemplification to welcome two new members into our council. Please come for the event and show your support for new members, just as you were shown support when you entered the order.
Happy Thanksgiving to all you brother Knights and your families. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and look forward to all the service we can provide to our parishes and communities.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
November 18, 2022
Brother Knights,
I can't help but think back to last year and our first wreath-making event, how so many of you responded and showed up the day before to help cut up greens, and then how so many of you showed up the day of the event to help clean up.
Please, let's repeat last year's response. Despite the snow, we'll need men Saturday morning, 10 a.m. at St. Charles to haul in greens and cut them up, then Sunday afternoon, we'll need men at 2 p.m. -- if you're not already there making a wreath with your family -- to help clean up.
I'm counting on all of us to help make this second-annual event as big a success as the first was. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow and Sunday
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
November 10, 2022
Brother Knights,
Please read this important message from our Pastor and Council Chaplain, Fr. Jim Wyse. As I told him yesterday, the Knights of Columbus Council 2084 stands behind his efforts to change society's way of thinking about life and human sexuality. It is only in changing that thinking will we be able to protect the sanctity of all life, born and not yet born.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Fr. Jim Wyse <frjwyse@saintscjm.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 10, 2022 at 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: This week
To: GK 2084 <gk2084@mikofc.org>
Dear Folks,
When Proposal 3 passed, I was very sad. The evil in Michigan goes much deeper than I thought.
Now I am determined.
The task is to shift the culture, and if we are serious about this, we shall have to up our game. The first and biggest task will be increasing empathy for unborn children. Our opponents are constantly trying to shift attention away from the children, to do anything to keep people from focusing on these live human beings. Imagine tens of thousands of yard signs with a picture of an unborn child and the caption, “I’m Alive.” Imagine thousands of people wearing buttons with the same picture and the same caption. Of, course, we would use social media too.
Secondly, though still important, we would increase by orders of magnitude the bandwidth given to messages about good care for rape and incest victims, and pregnant women with difficult medical or financial situations.
Finally, we would be sending messages about how sexuality is not a toy, but something immensely powerful for giving oneself profoundly to another person and generating life. As every Spider-man fan knows, with great power comes great responsibility. We would talk about how misusing this great power does harm to individuals and to society. As long as people look at sexuality as a toy, they will have a vested interest in believing in the goodness of abortion.
There are many practicalities to work out, and it is hard to get people moving, but there is some cause for hope. I’ve talked to a number of people who are unhappy with the passing of the Proposal, and would like to do something, but don’t know what.
I’m tentatively calling this the “Notice Human Life” project.
I would ask all of you to pray and consider if you would commit to something like this. If, of course, people have more ideas on what to do, now is the time to share.
Blessings,
Fr. Jim Wyse
November 7, 2022
Brother Knights,
Please attend our regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, Nov. 10, with rosary at 6:30 p.m. and business at 7 p.m. We have our many upcoming events to discuss.
In addition, the food drive will collect donations at this weekend's Masses. Please, when you go to Mass this weekend, help collect and load the gathered items. This is a very worthy cause as the holidays approach and food needs become so apparent.
Thank you, brothers, for all you do for our parishes and communities. Please let's continue to serve with integrity and joy.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 30, 2022
Brother Knights,
As October draws to a close, it means we're about to enter a very busy season for our Council.
First off will be the annual food drive. Dave Mendrea is leading this again this year. He will need help this coming weekend, Nov. 5-6, distributing bags after the Masses. The food then will be collected the following weekend, Nov. 12-13, and we'll need help collecting the donations on that weekend. This year, I want to do this program under the order's "Food for Families" program, which will provide extra benefits by filling out and submitting the appropriate forms. I will get with Dave and John Brown to make sure we meet the criteria.
Next will be Thanksgiving baskets, chaired by Charlie Smith. I believe distribution will be Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19. If you can help with the buying of supplies or be there to help with distribution, Charlie will definitely appreciate it.
Next will be our wreath-making event on Sunday, Nov. 20. If you remember correctly, six or eight people came in the Saturday before and cut up evergreens to be ready for the Sunday event, then we set up chairs and tables, and on Sunday we needed help to clean up afterwards. Again this year, we will need volunteers for that. This was a pretty successful event, and the more hands who help, the better it will be this year.
Beyond those three things, we will need help setting up the Nativity scene, and we will have our Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest and the local spelling bee. Then there is the Christmas Angels program.
All of these events benefit others. Please plan to join in on these worthy service programs. More information will come as things approach.
Before ending this, thank you to all who attended Thursday's Fraternal Benefits Night. We had 13 Council members in attendance, far surpassing the quota we needed. I really appreciate everyone who showed up. Dan Thelen was impressed.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 23, 2022
Brother Knights,
Please remember that on Thursday, in the place of our regular meeting, we will be holding a Districtwide Fraternal Benefits Night at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Gym in Belding. Please plan to attend and help us make the quota set for us by Supreme. If seven council members attend, we will have met our quota for the year. Plus, you just might learn some valuable information on Knights' fraternal benefits. And I might actually attempt to make a pot of coffee for the first time in my life. If anyone wants to come and guide me through that process, please show up at 6 p.m.
Once again:
WHAT: Knights of Columbus District 312 Fraternal Benefits Night, presented by general insurance agent Dan Thelen.
WHO: All Knights, their spouses, and any Catholic men considering the possibility of joining the Knights or in need of such benefits
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m.
Where: St. Joseph Catholic Church, in the gym. Enter through the door off the back parking lot.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 16, 2022
Brother Knights,
First and foremost, thank you very much to all who took part in the Tootsie Roll Drive this weekend. I cannot express in words how thankful I am for all who stepped up to serve. I do not have totals yet, but I know roughly we raised over $2,000, plus we had more people volunteer this time than in the spring, and that is a wonderful thing in itself.
Next, I want to share with all of you what our District Deputy presented to us at our Thursday meeting: the Columbian Award we earned for 2021-22, acknowledging all the service programs we did for Faith, Family, Community and Life. I am a little disturbed, however, that they engraved my name on this award, because it is not my doing, it is our doing as a group of brother Knights committed to providing these worthwhile programs for our community. It is an honor being the Grand Knight of this very active Council and serving with you.
This week, if anyone is available Thursday evening, please consider going to St. Joseph's gym in Belding to help Flat River Right to Life set up for their Friday evening Focus on Life benefit dinner. They have requested our help, probably setting up tables and chairs, sometime around 6 p.m. I hope to see you there.
Meanwhile, there are still three tickets remaining at the Knights table for the Friday dinner. Let me know if you are interested in attending.
And finally, this isn't about this week, but next week: Fraternal Benefits Night, Thursday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m., St. Joseph gym in Belding. This will be in place of our regular meeting. We need seven Knights to attend to fulfill our obligation to have two benefits nights each year. Why not show up, learn something about the Knights' offerings, and be done with the obligation? I hope to see you all there that evening as well.
Thanks, Brothers, for all you do. Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 11, 2022
Brothers, I'm perfectly happy to admit when I'm wrong. I have learned that at least one Knight has signed up for a Tootsie Roll Drive spot, received a confirmation email that he signed up, but the schedule has not updated. I will get to the bottom of this and let you know what's going on.
Meanwhile, there are still many open spots to fill. Go to stcharleskofc.org to see for yourself.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 10, 2022
Brother Knights,
No, I am not resigning as Grand Knight. But I am resigned to feelings of discouragement and frustration.
I have appealed to your sense of brotherhood. I have appealed to your pledge to service. I have appealed to your Christian faith. Three days ago I told you we had 24 of 64 spots filled for the Tootsie Roll Drive. Now, 72-plus hours later, we have 24 of 64 spots filled. What more can I do? What else can I say? We have 130 members. Not all are able to be out seeking donations. I get that. But I'm also not so blind that I can't go through the membership roster and say, "What about him? Or him? What about you?"
Thank you very much to all who have volunteered so far. Your involvement makes me so honored to know you and your commitment to helping our less fortunate fellow children of God. I pray that many more of you also step up.
A few more housekeeping details: Regular meeting is Thursday, Oct. 13, with rosary at 6:30 p.m. and business at 7 p.m. Please show up.
Right to Life fundraising dinner: We have a table available with five seats remaining. Please let me know if you're interested. Cost is $25 per seat to this worthy cause.
District-wide fraternal benefits night: Dan Thelen (or one of his associates) will be at St. Joseph gym in Belding on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m.to share and answer questions about the benefits you can obtain through the Knights of Columbus. If we have at least seven members in attendance, we will meet our annual obligation for taking part in such events. We are hosting this event for all four councils in our district, and it is taking the place of our regular meeting. So please attend and don't let Carson City, Ionia or Parnell show us up.
Church Drive: We have a membership drive scheduled for this month. More on this at Thursday's meeting, plus then I'll send out more information. We need six more new members to meet our annual quota. That should be easily doable if we're all looking for possible new members.
Chili Cookoff: We have decided to postpone this until January. More information to come.
Food drive: That quickly comes up in November. More news to come on this as well.
Hope to see you Thursday at the meeting and your name on the Tootsie Roll volunteer list.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 7 2022
Brother Knights,
We have had a good response from people volunteering to take spots for the Tootsie Roll Drive next week Friday and Saturday, but we have not had a great response. Thanks to all who have signed up for this worthy cause so far. But we have 40 more spots to fill. Some people might decide to just show up, but that doesn't work well. Please go to the Signup page and pick a two-hour slot. Please do it for those of God's children with intellectual disabilities.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-941
October 3 2022
Brother Knights,
The Flat River Right to Life is holding a fundraiser dinner Friday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph in Belding. Our Council has purchased a table, which means eight seats. I know one of them is spoken for so far. Before I hog two spots, please let me know if any of you are interested in attending. You would pay $25 per ticket to reimburse the council.
Unborn life is in serious jeopardy in this state, so helping Right to Life raise funds is definitely a worthy cause for a Knight to pursue. Plus, it will be a nice evening out with your significant others.
Let John Brown or I know if you're interested in tickets.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 2, 2022
Brother Knights,
Today I had the honor of representing our council at the 102nd anniversary Mass and celebration of the Knights of Columbus Council in Carson City. Their council is just nine months younger than ours, but while we could hold our celebration in January 2020, the pandemic postponed theirs for two years.
I'm glad I was able to attend, with Bishop Walkowiak celebrating Mass and three other priests joining him. During the luncheon, Father Doug Osborn gave remarks about the Knights, using Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan. Who are these neighbors that we're supposed to love as we love ourselves? The obvious choice in the parable is the man who was beaten and robbed -- in other words, the suffering and downtrodden. But Jesus doesn't ask about the obvious choice, he asks who was that guy's neighbor? The Samaritan -- the lowliest, least trusted, most shunned member of Jesus' society, is the guy who showed the injured man neighborliness. He is the neighbor. We are supposed to love the unlovable, those that society has scorned. "Go and do likewise," Jesus said. As Father put it, "Do the Gospel."
Father then gave a concrete example: Every time you stand out in the cold, the wind, the rain, the scorching sun during a Tootsie Roll drive, you are being neighbor to the person with intellectual disabilities, because all the money raised is going for them. You are doing the Gospel.
Please, use this as inspiration to sign up for the Oct. 14-15 drive. It's less than two weeks away, and as I write this, just five of 64 spots are filled, and two of them are filled by me. You can sign up at stcharleskofc.org.
One other thing, I was informed by Dan Thelen today that we had the required number of Knights tune in to the online fraternal benefits seminar on Sept. 15, so that qualifies as one of two that we need to hold during the year. Another such event, this time in-person, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Joseph gym in Belding. Please plan to attend and bring your questions about insurance, retirement planning, annuities, investing in doctrinally sound companies and any other financial issues you can think of.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-94
September 29, 2022
Brother Knights, please read this email and the accompanying attachments, then pray and act as you can. Vivat Jesus!
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Paul J. Palka <p.palka@mikofc.org>
Date: Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 8:53 AM
Subject: [All] Leading Through Conviction and Leadership - Defeat the Abortion Amendment
To: #All <all@mikofc.org>
On Behalf of Ed Strach State Life Director
Brother Knights and Families,
Earlier this week a statewide mailing went out to share the Michigan State Council's plan to help defeat the extreme abortion Proposal 3 which will be on the November 8th ballot.
Understanding and taking action of this plan, through Prayer, Education and Engagement, is important in our efforts to Defeat Proposal 3. This email is intended to reach further to our councils and members to ensure our communications are effective as possible.
This email includes a personal message from Archbishop Allen Vigneron urging us to action and the following: (Archbishop Message)
Introduction letter from State Deputy Chris Kolomjec
Details of Prayer, Education and Engagement actions
Vote NO Elevator speech and NO PROPOSAL reference guide.
Citizens to Support MI Women & Children Contribution mailing instructions. Please note, if any council or individual is interested or capable of making a significant contribution or has other questions, please send contact Ed Strach.
Aid & Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) pamphlet.
You are encouraged to share this information with all council members and families to take action to Defeat Proposal 3. It is up to each Knight to take any action they are capable of to defeat this proposal.
Thank you for your support and let's Fight Like Heaven to Defeat Proposal 3!
image.png
Ed Strach, Life Director
Michigan State Council
Knights of Columbus
734-476-6296
Vivat Jesus,
Paul Palka
State Program Director
Faith & Family First!
September 23, 2022
Brothers,
I got a volunteer, so hopefully all is set. Thanks very much!
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
September 23, 2022
Brother Knights, this message came to me from the parish office:
"We had an out of the box request for help. A couple needs help hooking up a gas dryer but doesn't have the funds to pay someone to do it. Are there any Knights that have knowledge and might consider helping out? This is a young family of 3; mom, dad, and a 2 year old."
If you're able to help, please let me know and I'll have Jennifer Hudson in the office get you the information. I do know this will just entail hooking up the dryer to the wall; they don't need a whole new line put into the house or anything like that. However, if we need to buy the line from the wall to the dryer for them, let me know and we'll take care of that.
Please, if anyone can help, let me know soon. Jennifer is on vacation next week.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
September 14, 2022
Brother Knights,
Thanks for the quick response to my email about the new Sept. 27 event. I have five very enthusiastic volunteers to lead the rosary: myself, Charlie Smith, Bob Thompson, Ralph VanOcker and Stewart Smith. I encourage all Knights to attend this event to pray for our priests while they are away in convocation together with the bishop.
While praying for vocations is completely necessary, praying for the priests we have is equally so. Let's pack the church with people asking God to provide his grace for a strong, vibrant priesthood in our diocese.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
September 13, 2022
Brother Knights,
On behalf of the council, I have accepted a request from the parish office that we Knights lead a rosary on Tuesday, Sept. 27, as part of a diocesan-wide Holy Hour praying for priests. Here is an excerpt of the email that the parish received:
"On Tuesday, September 27th from 6-7pm I have asked the priests if we (as lay people) could pray for them while they are at convocation. I want to try to have as many parishes as possible open, with as many lay people gathered as possible to pray for our priests!
"My hope is we can start at 6 with a rosary. ... You would need someone to lead the rosary at 6pm and then there can be quiet prayer until 7pm.
"I will drop off prayer cards, etc to those parishes who can make this happen."
I said absolutely we will lead this. I suggested we call it "While the Priests Are Away, the People Will Pray."
I will have more information as it gets closer, but so far it looks like it will be held at St. Joseph in Belding to take the place of the regularly scheduled evening Mass. Also, I will need four more Knights besides me to lead decades of the rosary. Let me know if you're interested in taking part.
In support of our priests, Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
September 11, 2022
Brother Knights,
Thank you to all who attended and participated in this evening's Sept. 11 Holy Hour Prayer for Peace. I thought the turnout was really nice for this excellent prayer service. Thanks especially to Roger Truszkowski for organizing this event. He has been leading it since our first one 21 years ago.
Join in this prayer that we prayed at the prayer service, written by Pope St. John Paul II:
With you, O Mother of the Redeemer,
may the hymn of the humble and the poor rise to almighty God:
may he, the merciful one,
bring peace to earth,
reconcile brothers at enmity,
confound Cain,
make Abel rise again;
may he bring all of creation to the design he had at the beginning
in the love of his son,
in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Please also remember Thursday's online Fraternal Benefits Night. Seven or more members have to sign up, watch until the end and then take the survey. All of that is tracked. Please consider signing up for this and helping us reach our goal of Star Council. Plus, you just might hear something to help or interest you.
Note that the image says 6:30 p.m., but that's Mountain Time, so it would be 8:30 p.m. locally.
The website to sign up is here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gwihvc0yS26n5wYXBCPtjQ
September 7, 2022
Brother Knights,
We need to have Fraternal Benefits Night events in order to reach our goal of Star Council. While I'm trying to get an in-person event scheduled, this opportunity has arisen. Seven or more members have to sign up, watch until the end and then take the survey. All of that is tracked. Please consider signing up for this and helping us reach this goal. Plus, you just might hear something to help or interest you.
Note that the image says 6:30 p.m., but that's Mountain Time, so it would be 8:30 p.m. locally.
The website to sign up is here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gwihvc0yS26n5wYXBCPtjQ
September 6, 2022
Brother Knights,
It's hard to believe, but yes, we have a meeting on Thursday. The fact that it's so early in the month, plus being the same week as the long Labor Day weekend, has thrown me off a bit and sending this email is a little later than optimal. But here it is. Please plan to attend the meeting, with rosary at 6:30 p.m. and business at 7 p.m., in McKinney Hall at St. Charles.
Please also remember the Prayer Service for Peace, which is at 6 p.m. Sunday evening, Sept. 11, the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I hope to see you there. And at the meeting.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
August 28, 2022
Brother Knights,
That handsome young man in the photo to the rught is our very own Council brother, Frank Rademacher, and his dashing young bride, Cheryl. They will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, Sept. 1, but on Saturday, Sept. 3, Father Jim will honor them at the 7 p.m. Mass.
Please, Brothers, whoever is able to, plan to attend the Saturday 7 p.m. Mass in your Knights wear to honor our esteemed fellow Knight and his dear wife.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
August 28, 2022
Brother Knights,
Thanks to all who helped clean up this afternoon after Father Jim's reception for his 35th anniversary of ordination. To those who listened to me about being there around 2 p.m. to help, I apologize for overestimating how long the event would take. I returned at 1:45 p.m. to see all the tables and chairs down, the floors done and just the kitchen crew finishing up in there. I appreciate all who were able to help. Thanks again.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
August 27, 2022
Brother Knights,
Once again, I want to remind you we need volunteers to help clean up after Father Jim's reception tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 28. I think we can start showing up to clean up around 1:30 or 2 p.m. in the activities building at St. Charles. A good tight group of half a dozen should be done in a half hour or less. Please consider doing this for your priest and fellow parishioners.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
August 27, 2022
Brother Knights,
If anyone is interested in seeing the Knights of Columbus-produced movie about Mother Teresa, I suggest you order tickets online early, as there will be limited showings at limited theaters. Go to this link:
https://www.motherteresamovie.com
If you click on "tickets," it will take you to the place you can order them. Type in your ZIP code to find the nearest theaters. There are two in Grand Rapids that are listed.
As I said, show times are limited to once on Monday, Oct. 3, and once on Oct. 4. We can hope it will appear later on EWTN or be available on DVD, but there's no guarantee at this point. I think it would be a worthwhile night out for any and all of us.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
August 22, 2022
Brother Knights,
Our regular meeting is Thursday, Aug. 25, with rosary at 6:30 p.m. and business at 7 p.m. If I can convince Ralph VanOcker and John Brown, we will have pizza! If there is any pop left from the booth, we can share in that as well. With school starting, the chairs and tables are no longer set up in the gym, so we will meet in McKinney Hall.
We need to review our outcomes from Danish Festival weekend. The report I've seen shows a profit far less than what we did in 2019, the last time we ran the booth. It also shows our costs far higher than that year. All of that will be in the review.
It was a lot of work, and there were bumps along the way, but such is to be expected. I am very proud of us and thankful for all who turned out to help, both Knights and volunteers. We couldn't have done it without you or them.
Thanks again, and I hope to see you Thursday.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
August 18, 2022
Brother Knights,
I am forwarding this email from Tom Russell just in case he doesn't have your email address. If you now have it twice, please think twice about signing up and helping. If you go to stcharleskofc.org, you can see just how many spots are left unfilled. I am not adverse to begging. I beg you, please find it in your heart to help with this event.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Thomas Russell <knights2084@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 18, 2022 at 5:08 PM
Subject: Danish Festival workers needed
To: GK 2084 <gk2084@mikofc.org>
Good evening My Fellow Knights,
Tomorrow begins our largest fundraiser of the year. That's right, the Danish Festival. Because of the money raised in this one activity we are able to help individuals in our parish, community and nation. We are able to feed the hungry. cloth those who need clothes, give spiritual guidance to the troubled, and build strong Catholic families. All this and more by donating a couple of hours at the booth or kitchen. You will meet and make new friends and have fun.
The Volunteer list is on the Website stcharleskofc.org, find a time that works for you and either text or email your time to Tom Russell (616)250-0981 or knights2084@gmail.com. We especially need help Sat. afternoon. This is great fun for the whole family. Please consider helping; we as Knights are built on Charity. May God Bless You.
Thomas Russell
Program Director
(616)250-0981
August 17, 2022
Brother Knights,
Brother Knights, here we are, just a couple of days from Danish Festival and our aebleskiver booth. If you've seen the local paper, you've seen that "the return of aebleskivers" is being touted as a huge part of this year's event. We are just about ready to go and make that happen, and I thank everyone who has been working to prepare, as well as thanks in advance to all who will be working in the booth or kitchen on Friday and Saturday.
That being said, we still have major holes in the schedule. Much of Saturday is grossly understaffed. If you have a time scheduled, thank you so much. If you could maybe extend that, we would surely appreciate it. If you still haven't scheduled a shift, no worries, we will still accept your help. Consider the unity and fraternity to which you pledged when you joined, and consider this work charity for the good of the community and its festival.
Call Ralph VanOcker at 616-240-0273 or Tom Russell at 616-250-0981 and they can get you on the schedule. Please, I beg you for your help in this, our biggest fundraiser of the year.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 25, 2022
Brother Knights,
I have confirmation our Exemplification can be held Sunday, April 10, 12:30 p.m. after the 11 a.m. Mass. Larry will alert the candidates, Ralph will get the team together to rehearse as needed. Please plan to attend, get your families, friends and loved ones to attend; let everyone know it's open to the public and they are invited and welcome.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 22, 2022
Brother Knights,
Thanks to everyone who replied. His name is Randy Davis and he is in RCIA, so he is not a Catholic yet but will be on Easter. Looks like maybe we will have two exemplifications in our near future. He seemed very eager to join, and I think RCIA participants, with their zeal for the faith, are perfect candidates to become Knights. Does anyone know of any other RCIA candidates we might approach?
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 22, 2022
Brother Knights,
I've spent a couple of weeks promoting our Sunday exemplification and the fact that we have two new members coming in. I put it in the bulletin and invited the parish because it is now open to the public. What I didn't do is make sure the new members could actually attend. I was reminded this weekend that spring break begins at area schools this weekend, and unfortunately, at least one of our candidates is going to be out of town. I currently am trying to get a hold of Father Jim to see if we can hold it Sunday, April 10. I realize that is Palm Sunday, but we don't want to let this slide too far down the line. So stay tuned for a replacement date coming in the near future.
On another note, we just might have another candidate. During pie making, I was standing next to a volunteer named Randy, the owner of La Cocina Mexican Grill in Trufant, and I asked if he was a Knight. Then I asked if he'd like to be and join our council. He said he would. The trouble is, I forgot to get his last name and didn't have a form 100 with me. Good reminder to always have one handy. If anyone knows Randy's last name, please let me know.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 21, 2022
Brother Knights,
We have such a busy week this week, it's taken me until right now to get it all written up in an email. Or, perhaps, I didn't get to it until now. Either way, here is the rundown.
First off, let's look back at what we accomplished last week. We completed our three fish fries. Thank you so very much to Ralph Van Ocker for coordinating these and for all who chipped in and helped. You were a great crew and I really appreciate all you did.
Then, we finished up our pie sale with pie making and distribution. Thanks very much to Tom Russell and Mike Smith for coordinating this, plus all who sold pies, bought pies, made pies and distributed pies. And now I can personally vouch that the pie making process in Pewamo is a lot of work and a lot of fun.
Now, on to this week. Tomorrow, Tuesday, is the Flat River Right to Life Spaghetti Dinner. Our council sponsors this, so please show up if you can, have a great spaghetti dinner and support this worthwhile event.
On Wednesday, we will have our prayer service for peace. The rosary is at 6:30 p.m. out at St. Mary's Church, followed by the brief service based on Our Lady of Fatima. As Father said at Mass this weekend, if there's one thing our world needs right now, it is prayers for peace.
Thursday will be our regular meeting. Rosary is at 6:30 p.m. and business follows at 7 p.m. Please join in and have your voice be heard on the topics we need to discuss.
Saturday will be Father Bauer's retreat at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Grand Rapids. I've sent the information out a couple of times now, but if you need the details, let me know and I'll get it to you directly.
So there you have it: plenty of opportunity to join your brother Knights in prayer, fellowship and service. Please join in.
Vivat Jesus,
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 18, 2022
Brother Knights,
If you plan to attend Father Bauer's retreat next Saturday, March 26, please register so the organizers can plan for lunch. The number of registrations so far is pretty small and they don't want to decide lunch on such a small number.
Please register by 3/24/22 by contacting State Deputy Regional Representative Marty Brown at 616-560-0479 or m.brown@mikofc.org.
Knowing Father Bauer, this will be a worthwhile event for all of us.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
Retreat Brochure
March 14, 2022
Brother Knights,
Those of you graciously volunteering to help make pies on Saturday: the Knights will be gathering at 6:30 a.m. at the St. Charles Church lower lot, where carpools will leave a few minutes later. The plan is to be in Pewamo with everyone in place to start at 8 a.m. You also can meet the group down at St. Joseph in Pewamo.
Tom Russell says there will be doughnuts or rolls, maybe both, for those working, and a lunch will be served when everything wraps up after noon. MIke Smith says it may take until 1 or 2 p.m. to get it all done and cleaned up. He will have the trailer to bring our pies back to Belding and Greenville, although any workers who ordered pies will be able to bring them home with them.
Tom Russell will coordinate distribution of the pies at St. Charles, and Bob Thompson will do the same at St. Joseph's in Belding.
Please consider joining in the pie-making process. Last I heard, we had more pies ordered this year than the last time it was done two years ago, so that is a good thing for the Council.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 13, 2022
Brother Knights,
I hope you all enjoyed the extra hour of evening sun today, despite losing that hour of sleep overnight. They say spring is going to start to appear this week. and I think we can all get on board with that.
No meeting for the Council this week, but there are two big events I just wanted to remind you about: Friday will be our last fish fry, and Saturday is pie making. Fish fries have been pretty successful in the first two weeks, and I am so very thankful for the crew that has been working to put these together. Great job, folks!
If you haven't been called yet, please consider joining us down in Pewamo for the pie making on Saturday. I will get more information to you on times and things, and we'll see if maybe people will want to carpool as well. I understand from past years this is a great experience, and I look forward to taking part. I hope you will, too.
One other item. The Flat River Right to Life Spaghetti Dinner will be Tuesday, March 22 (next week) from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Charles Activity Center. The Knights put this on for the organization to help them raise money. Please consider attending, eating a delicious meal and contributing to this most worthy cause.
Also, our brother Knight Stewart Smith is undergoing knee surgery tomorrow, Monday the 14th, so please keep him in your prayers.
Thank you all for answering the call to be Knights!
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
March 10, 2022
Brother Knights,
Please see the attached flyer promoting a one-day retreat with Fr. Mark Bauer. Cost is $20 per person, to be paid at the door. I already have registered and look forward to seeing you there if you can make it.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
Retreat Brochure
February 28, 2022
Brother Knights,
The holy season of Lent, of self-reflection, sacrifice, prayer, fasting and almsgiving, is upon us again beginning Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. While it is not a holy day of obligation, it is a good day to attend Mass to begin your Lenten observance, and our parishes make it very easy to attend with three Masses that day. Of course, it also is a day of abstinence from meat and a day of fasting for those of us still under 59 years old, although Pope Francis has asked us to pray and fast this Ash Wednesday for Ukraine. Please join in doing so if you are able.
As we use this Lent to tidy up our spiritual lives, please also note that the Knights are really getting active as March begins. It all begins Friday with the return of our Lenten fish fries. We hope this is the gathering and the outing that people have been longing for, the chance to get together with fellow parishioners over a shared meal. Ralph VanOcker has been diligently planning the Knights' three fish fries, and he can use any and all help we are able to give to make these a success. Please call Ralph at 616-240-0273 if you are able to help March 4, 11 or 18. Your offer will be most welcome.
Next up is the return of our annual pie sale. Tom Russell and Mike Smith are coordinating this. We already have started selling pies before and after weekend Masses, and we will need a collection of Knights to go to Pewamo on March 19 to do pie assembly. Tom may be making calls seeking volunteers, but you can take the first step and call him at 616-250-0981 to offer your services. We all would appreciate it.
On another note, Charlie Smith is coordinating another fundraiser involving the sale of fresh strawberries, jams, salsas and other condiments. More information will be forthcoming as these plans are firmed up.
Once we move into April, there also will be the Tootsie Roll Drive, so rest assured you will be asked to help with that, too. Plans are in the works now to secure the sights for us to do the drive.
Because of the cost of everything going up, these fundraising opportunities are going to bring in a lot less money than in the past, as we have tried to keep prices down. The best way to increase our income will be for as many people as possible to get involved in the raising of the money. Remember, it is in getting these funds that we are able to do the charitable work that we do as Knights of Columbus.
I have a few more items to mention but I will do so in a future email. This seems to be more than enough to contemplate. But most of all, I pray that you have a holy, spiritually rewarding Lent. Please continue to pray for each other, especially our brothers who are sick or in distress. And I thank all of you who pray for me.
Vivat Jesus!
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
February 21, 2022
Brother Knights,
Whenever I remind you we have a meeting coming up, I tend to say "We have a lot to discuss" because, well, we always do. We covered a lot of ground at the Feb. 10 meeting, but we have some follow-up on some topics and new topics have come up. Please come and help us sort through the work we do as Knights. The meeting is Thursday, Feb. 24. Rosary is at 6:30 p.m. and business will be conducted at 7 p.m. I hope to see you there.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
February 6, 2022
Please remember to come to the meeting on Thursday, Feb. 10. Rosary is at 6:30 p.m., business meeting starts at 7 p.m. We have lots to talk about and will need many points of view. Hope to see a packed house. I will be wearing a mask just in case we have lingering virus in this house.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
January 30, 2022
Brother Knights, Thank you very much for the prayers for my wife and for me. She is feeling much better and will be returning to work in the morning. I have been lucky enough to test negative so far, and I hope I have been spared. I do have too many of those "pre-existing conditions" they say could make things pretty tough if I were to contract it. And, of course, the chance is still there, but so far so good. God be praised.
It is my sincere hope we can meet Feb. 10 for our regularly scheduled meeting, as we have much to cover. I'm glad I have 10 days to make sure I get it all in front of me so nothing gets forgotten, which seems to be one of my biggest weaknesses. I ask for your patience, prayers, and forgiveness.
One more thing, please see the attached information that diocesan officials have asked us to share with our councils. I know many of you have attended in the past, and tickets go quickly. Men's Conference
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
January 25, 2022
Brother Knights,
I now have to cancel Thursday's meeting. My wife tested positive for COVID-19 last evening and I am now in quarantine, I suppose just waiting for my turn to get it. So far she feels similar to having a bad cold, so I'm praying for her speedy recovery.
Unfortunately, we do not have a deputy grand knight to take over and run the meeting. We will need to remedy that as soon as possible. Kevin Norton has indicated to me he would be willing to fill that position, but we of course would have to vote on that. I am thankful for his enthusiasm in jumping head-first into active Knighthood.
Once again, I ask you to pray for everyone touched by this pandemic, for trust in God to see us through and to please care for and about each other.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
January 24, 2022
Brother Knights,
I am passing on this opportunity to you for your consideration. St. Charles will be the site of a men's Cursillo at the end of March, and you are invited to apply to attend. While I have never attended a Cursillo myself, many who have will tell you how it has changed them as people and as Catholics. If you have any questions, you can contact our Brother Knight, Tim Reno, who is part of the team organizing this event..
The Cursillo brochure and applications are attached to this email. Men's Cursillo Application Cursillo Brochure
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
January 23, 2022
Brother Knights,
With Mass canceled this weekend because of Father's illness, it reminds us just how vulnerable we are as a people without our spiritual leaders. In fact, I received three emails from the state council this weekend to pray for priests, two who specifically had contracted COVID-19. The pandemic continues, people are getting sick, people still are dying. Please, first and foremost, pray for our priests, pray for the sick, the suffering, the dying. Pray for compassion in all of our hearts to care for each other and care about each other.
We have a regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 27, with the rosary at 6:30 p.m. and business at 7 p.m. Please plan to attend, as we have several items to cover. If you would be so kind, please wear a mask to help protect each other, and please sit apart so we can have some social distancing. I do not want our council to be a vector for disease that could harm the older members who regularly attend. And if, for any reason, we have to cancel, I will send out an email announcing it as soon as possible. But at this point, we will plan to meet, and most definitely plan to pray.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
January 21, 2022
Brother Knights, Today I received the following email from the parish office:
All weekend Masses at St. Charles, St. Joseph, and St. Mary have been canceled for this weekend, Jan. 22/23 due to Fr. Jim being ill. Please consider attending Mass at one of the other nearby parishes. We ask that you keep Fr. Jim, and all those suffering from illness, in your prayers. Please visit the parish website to read a letter from Fr. Jim.
https://saintscjm.com/blog/2022/01/21/all-weekend-masses-for-jan-22-23-are-cancelled/
The pandemic, no matter how we feel about it personally, is still affecting us and those we know. Let's all pray for Fr. Jim and all who are suffering, have suffered or will suffer from this disease, including for the souls of those who have been lost to it.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419