Knights of Columbus Council #2084 Grand Knight's Page
November 28, 2021
Brother Knights,
Yes, another busy week. On the other hand, I only have one request of all of you. This week, please pray.
Tomorrow, the Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest will begin. I'm working with the St. Charles school principal to get that rolling. On Thursday, the Knights spelling bee will take place at 8:30 a.m. at St. Charles. I will be pronouncing the words and Deacon Dan Schneider, Mary Hamman and Mary Reno will be our judges.
On Wednesday, please remember to pray, either on your own or collectively, for the Holy Spirit's guidance in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The parish will be praying the rosary right after the 8:00 a.m. Mass at St. Charles. Adoration to follow. Remember, the Dobbs case will decide not just the fate of Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but quite possibly the fate of Roe vs Wade Itself.
Also on Wednesday, our brother Knight, Frank Rademacher, will be undergoing surgery to repair a heart valve. Please keep Frank in your prayers.
Please let me know if there are any other Brother Knights in need of our prayers, and I will pass it along to everyone.
Have a great first week of Advent, Brothers.
Vivat Jesus,
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
November 24, 2021
Brother Knights, our fellow parishioners have scheduled a special rosary on Wednesday morning, Dec. 1, after the 8 a.m. Mass. Here is the note:
Hello friends,
We will be praying the rosary on Wed., Dec. 1, right after the 8:00 a.m. Mass at St. Charles. Adoration to follow.
The special intention is for the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Dobbs case will decide not just the fate of Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but the fate of Roe vs Wade Itself! If you cannot make it at this time, please offer your prayers & rosary for this intention.
I urge all Knights who are able to please take part in this most worthwhile endeavor. Prayer is powerful, group prayer is multiplied, and prayer for the unborn is absolutely essential.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
November 21, 2021
Brother Knights,
Glory be to God, the Father Almighty, and to Jesus Christ His only Son, Our Lord and Savior, the King of the Universe, in union with the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Advocate.
I can do nothing but praise God for his goodness when I think back over the weekend at all that our brother Knights accomplished in the past few days. Among the highlights:
While not sponsored by us, Knights were present helping with the God's Kitchen meal served at St. Charles on Saturday morning.
Our Council shopped for, assembled and distributed 25 Thanksgiving baskets for needy families in the area.
We created from scratch and held an Advent preparation event to help people in our parish communities to Keep Christ in Christmas. Numerous volunteers helped set it up, put it on and clean up when it was over.
I thank all of you volunteers so very much for stepping forward and taking part in these worthy endeavors. I'm going to do my best and name names, hoping the Spirit guides me so I don't forget anyone: Dave Mendrea, Mark Harrington, Russ McDowell, Charlie Smith, Tom Russell, John Taylor, Joe Haen, Greg Terry, Scott Holmes, Frank Ladiski, Kevin Norton, Deacon Dan Schneider, Mike Smith, Gene Hahnenberg, Andrew Havens, Paul Crystler, Tim Reno, Ralph VanOcker. This is just a huge outpouring of charity, unity and fraternity. I am awed and humbled by your generous spirits.
We have a council of more than 150 members, and we all realize that not everyone can show up for some or any events. Those who are praying in the background are just as important, and I thank you all for those prayers. Meanwhile, more opportunities to take part and share in the service are sure to come.
One immediate need is next Saturday, when we will assemble and install the outdoor creche at the corner of Lafayette and Benton, under the steel cross. The event will take place at 8 a.m., and we'll need about a half-dozen volunteers to make it go smoothly and quickly. Please reply to this email if you can come and help.
Once again, thanks to all from the bottom of my heart. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
November 14, 2021
Brother Knights,
We are counting on you to help lighten the load we will be taking on this coming weekend. On Saturday, we distribute our annual Thanksgiving baskets. A small handful of Knights is needed Friday to help with the shopping and some assembly of the packages, then another small handful is needed Saturday to help distribute them. Recipients will be coming to St. Charles, so we don't have to deliver or anything like that. Please respond to this email or contact Charlie Smith at astrovan67@gmail.com to volunteer to help. Charlie will have more details of what exactly needs to be done.
Then comes our pre-Advent event on Sunday, Nov. 21, "Family Focus on Jesus this Advent." We will need at least a half-dozen Knights to help set up at noon on Saturday. Tables will be set up in the St. Charles gym, but we'll need Knights to bring pruners/loppers to cut up the donated evergreen trees we're getting to make usable greenery for assembling Advent wreaths. I think a half-dozen to a dozen men can finish that up in a very brief amount of time. On Sunday, the event begins at 12:30 p.m., and you are all welcome to bring your wives and families to make an Advent wreath for your homes this year. The event runs until 2 p.m., at which point we'll need cleanup help. There will be tables and chairs to put away and I'm sure plenty of twigs and needles to sweep up and garbage to tote out. Again, half a dozen to a dozen volunteers and we'll be done in no time. Please respond to this email to volunteer. Tom Russell or I can provide you with more details if you need them.
Please make an effort to help with one or both of these events. I thank you in advance for volunteering.
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
November 7, 2021
Brother Knights,
When this fraternal year began in July, our council set up a pretty full list of activities for the first six months. Month five is upon us and we are really in the middle of the busiest part of it. The food drive began this weekend, with people asked to drop off donations next weekend. When you go to Mass next weekend, please see if your help is needed in collecting and loading up the donations.
Planning continues on our Advent preparation event that will be held Sunday, Nov. 21. We will need help setting up on Saturday the 20th, plus cleanup when it's over on Sunday. Part of the set-up will include cutting up the donated trees we're getting into manageable bits of greenery that people can use to create Advent wreaths. More on these volunteer needs coming soon.
That same weekend, we will be shopping for, assembling and distributing Thanksgiving baskets for the needy. I will be sure to let you know if we need volunteers for this event as well.
Finally, please remember our officers' planning meeting on Thursday, Nov. 11, is open to all Knights. Rosary is at 6:30 p.m. with the business meeting taking place at 7 p.m. I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Thanks.
Vivat Jesus,
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 31, 2021
Brother Knights,
Today, during our very first exemplification using the new, open-to-the-public format, we welcomed two new members to St. Charles Council #2084. David Albert is a parishioner at St. Mary's, and Kevin Norton is a parishioner at St. Charles. In addition, Andrew Havens, a parishioner at St. Charles, also attended the ceremony as a 1st Degree and now joins us as a full 3rd Degree member. It is always a great day when we can welcome new men into our brotherhood of charity, unity and fraternity.
We now have three new members since the beginning of the fraternal year, July 1, and the quota of seven new members assigned to us doesn't seem that far-fetched. Please, everyone, keep your eyes open for other men who might like to join the Knights. If everyone is working toward increasing membership, we can count on success.
One other thing I need to mention: Several Knights were approached this morning with what somewhat of an urgent plea that our Council help Flat River Right to Life set up tables and chairs for Friday's Right to Life dinner. The set-up will take place Thursday evening from 6 to 10 p.m. at the St. Joseph gym in Belding. Please, anyone who can, show up early and we can finish it up long before 10 p.m. Thanks in advance to all who can help.
Vivat Jesus,
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 15, 2021
Brother Knights,
Michael Adams at Montcalm Habitat for Humanity has invited us to do a handicap ramp project at Pond View Mobile Home Park in Greenville on Saturday, Oct. 23. The ramp will make it easier for the family of an elderly woman to get her in and out of her home. The ramp will sit on an existing concrete pad so it will not require footings. We should be able to complete the project in one day. Habitat will provide tools, the design and a crew leader for the project. Brother Knight Dave Mendrea, who received the request, said he thinks that all materials required will be provided by a local veterans organization.
This should be a great opportunity for us to help this woman and her family and to answer Jesus' call to serve. Please respond to this email if you are available to help on Saturday, Oct. 23, and I will forward the list of people to Dave and we can get you more information, like time and place.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 13, 2021
Brother Knights,
The wheels are rolling. Our church drive is scheduled to take place the weekend of Oct. 23-24 at all Masses. We will need a handful of Knights to volunteer to be Ambassadors, as the drive literature calls them. These Knights would put brochures, prospect sign-up cards, and pens in the pews before Mass, distribute prayer cards to all people entering Mass, thank people and collect prospect cards after Mass and then clean everything up from the pews. Ideally, I'd like a Saturday evening Mass team to attend those two and a Sunday morning team for those two, probaby six people for each team, although I understand if attending two Masses might not work. I will take any and all volunteers we can get. Please respond to this email if you can help or have questions.
And please, please, help if you can. I'll set up a quick information meeting next week so everyone's on the same page and knows what to do, although the job is fairly easy and straightforward.
Vivat Jesus,
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
October 3, 2021
Brother Knights, if you feel you are being bombarded with emails asking you to take a shift during the Tootsie Roll drive coming up Friday and Saturday, that's only because there still are so many shifts yet to fill.
Please, I'm asking you — man to man — to take part. As I said in the church bulletin this weekend, this drive does not benefit us as Knights in any way — it is a chance to provide people with intellectual and physical disabilities more resources to live a happy life. This is pure service to the least of our brothers. Remember when I sent that email that said, "You are a Knight. What are you going to do about it?" How about doing one of these two-hour shifts?
Several have reported to me that they won't be able to participate for various reasons, and I appreciate you letting me know. Others have already signed up, and I thank you very much for coming forth. For those not yet signed up, please go to our website, stcharleskofc.org, scroll down past my goofy face to the Tootsie Roll Drive section, click on "sign up" and fill out the form. You can see there how many shifts we have yet to fill.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this worthwhile fundraiser. Please pray for its success, and also please pray for your brother Knights with health issues, including Jim Rewa, Frank Ladiski, Frank Rademacher, Deacon Dan Schneider, Dan Wolf, Bob Thompson. I'm sure there are many more. May God grant them comfort, healing and peace.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
September 19, 2021
Brother Knights,
Please remember we have a regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 23. Rosary is at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting to start at 7 p.m. Once again, the plan is to be done by 8 p.m. or shortly after.
Please remember also that we have a Tootsie Roll drive coming up on Oct. 8-10. Calls will be made to fill the numerous volunteer slots. Don't forget, your family members and friends can join you in this worthwhile cause of raising funds for the disabled among us. It is among our biggest charities. Please, every Knight, take a shift as you are able.
Attached to this email are the minutes from our last meeting. It is the intent of the order to distribute the minutes in this way so that the membership can see what happened without us having to read the minutes at the next meeting, saving time. Please review them and let me know if you have any changes or additions. (Mintues are under the "Minutes" Tab above.)
I will see you Thursday. Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
August 22nd, 2021
Brother Knights,
In his homily this weekend, Fr. Jim Wyse asked us a very important question: "Why do you go to church?" I think it goes without saying there are answers we can give to this question that are "more correct" (better?) than others. I am no theologian, but to me such an answer would include our desire to praise and worship our Lord and God, to participate in the Paschal mystery as it is made present to us on the altar and in the Eucharist, and to seek God's grace to better know, love and serve him.
As I have meditated on Father's homily, a couple of additional questions popped into my mind, which I hope Father will indulge me. The first is this: Why are you a Knight? Again, here is another question that would have "more correct" answers. I'm sure most of us originally joined at the prompting or suggestion of someone we know. But what made us say "yes" and go through with it?
Recently, I received a text from a young man I've known since he was a baby. He saw in the bulletin and congratulated me on my election as grand knight. I thanked him, of course, and said I needed prayers more than congratulations, which is the absolute and obvious truth. But then I replied, "I have a membership form with your name on it." I didn't push, shame, cajole or pester. I simply said, "The Knights of Columbus is what you're looking for. It can help you be a better father, a better husband, a better Catholic." A day later, he replied that he had done some research on the Knights and, bluntly, "I'm in." God willing, we soon will have another member.
The point of this is I hope we are Knights to be better men, whatever our calling, better Catholics and better followers of Jesus, rooted in the Order's principles and seeking to grow in charity, unity and fraternity.
This brings me to the second question that popped in my mind: We are Knights -- what are we going to do about it? There is plenty of opportunity for everybody. Brother, think about that. What are you going to do about it?
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
August 14th, 2021
Brother Knights,
Thank you to all who attended and participated in our prayer service in honor of the feast day of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney. It is a beautiful, prayerful, thought-inspiring service based on the rosary and the principles of the order that I hope can become an annual event. Special thanks to Deacon Dan Schneider for organizing the event, and to the Brother Knights who had roles in the service. May our prayers help in some way bring about the eventual canonization of Father McGivney.
Now, the reminder: Danish Festival begins next Friday, including our furniture sale in conjunction with the school. Organizers Larry Kassuba and Stewart Smith have done an excellent job putting this together, scheduling workers and preparing for a successful event. If you have a shift, please remember to take part. If you don't, please feel free to stop in and help or shop for a piece of furniture. And everyone, please pray for success for the fundraising effort for us and the school.
Note that the Aug. 26 meeting is canceled because of a Tri-District meeting being held that night in Rockford. Members of our council are welcome to attend that event, and I encourage anyone who can to do so. Our next Council meeting will be Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m. rosary, at St. Charles.
Thank you for your time. I ask you to pray for your Brother Knights and their families, especially those with health or other problems, and I most assuredly am praying for all of you.
Vivat Jesus!
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council #2084
August 9th 2021
Good Monday morning, Brother Knights,
There are at least three events this week I want to call your attention to and invite you to participate.
Wednesday, Aug. 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: The Danish Festival furniture pre-sale will be held at the St. Charles Activities Building. This will be your chance to peruse the items and choose your favorite to purchase before the general public event during Danish Festival. Light refreshments also will be served.
Thursday, Aug. 12: Officers planning meeting, but all members are welcome and invited to attend. Rosary at 6:30 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. We are attempting to keep each meeting to an hour.
Friday, Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m.: Prayer service in honor of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, on his first feast day, at St. Charles Church.
These events are in addition to the weekly 9 a.m. Saturday rosary at the church. Please take part in any and all things that you can.
Vivat Jesus,
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
July 28th, 2021
Greetings, Brother Knights,
While I have not heard back from everyone to verify email addresses, I must get this email out, since Danish Festival begins in 23 days.
Not everyone has heard yet, but because of ongoing issues with the pandemic -- and the ability to get enough volunteers because of those issues -- the Knights will not be doing the aebleskiver booth this year, although we plan to resume it in 2022.
In its place, Ken Lehman has generously donated about 150 pieces of handmade wood furniture -- such items as benches, stools, chairs, side tables and a variety of other pieces. We are planning to sell these in a sort of showroom/warehouse arrangement. A 10-by-20-foot tent downtown will show the pieces, with the remainder in the St. Charles Activities Building (the gym). We are asking for people to sign up for two-hour shifts on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20-21.
Hours will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. Saturday. The last shift each day will be one hour of sales and the remainder of time getting furniture back to St. Charles for the night.
The main point of sale will be downtown, with some representative pieces and information on what is at St. Charles. People also will be able to buy at the activities building, and some restocking of the tent will probably have to be done over the course of each day, most likely a short truck transfer.
Training will be quick and fairly uncomplicated, as people with extensive questions probably will be directed to go to St. Charles for more information. Basically, we'll be friendly, as informative as we can be, salesmen but not the pushy kind, and security guards, all rolled into one. Of course we'll emphasize the uniqueness of the items and extoll their virtues.
Shifts will be two people each at the tent and at the activities building.
Friday: 9 to 11 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1 to 3 p.m.; 3 to 5 p.m.; 5 to 7 p.m.; 7 p.m. to 8 and then transfer.
Saturday: 9 to 11 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1 to 3 p.m.; 3 to 5 p.m.; 5 p.m. to 6 and then transfer.
Please respond to this email with the shift you'd like to fill, or call the sale chairman, Larry Kassuba, at 616-754-9832. He also can answer any of your questions.
The potential here is to raise a lot of money with just a little effort. Thanks in advance for your involvement. And thanks for reading this far. I realize it was pretty long.
--
Mike Karpus
Grand Knight
St. Charles Council 2084
(616) 225-9419
