Grand Knight's Report
MIKE BYRNE
Iron is sharpened by iron;
-Proverbs 27:17
one person sharpens another.
Brothers,
Greetings and may God Bless all of you and your families as we enter into the fifth week of Easter.
April was another good month for the Knights of Council #9487. On April 1st, we hosted a Fraternal Benefits Event in the Santiago Room, put on by our worthy Financial Advisor Mark Yubeta. This event completed our requirements for FBEs for the year, qualifying us for Star Council. Thank you, Bro. Mark, and to all who attended. The Knights sponsored our last Lenten meal on Good Friday, April 3rd. Thank you PGKs Dave Atkins and John Teeter for putting on two good events, and for all who helped out and had to hustle when parishioners wanted to start early! Sunday, April 5th: Easter Sunday. He is Risen! Always great to see the church packed for every Mass. Makes navigating the parking lot worth it. On April 11th, we had another successful Car Wash Fundraiser, despite the weather not quite cooperating. Our April 12th Breakfast Burrito Fundraiser was very successful, thank you PGK Tom Sixsmith for spearheading that. This year’s Day of Sharing was the first one I’ve ever attended, and if you’ve never been, please plan on being there next year. You won’t regret it. The Council Field Trip to Mission San Juan Capistrano was attended by 21 Knights and their families. It was one of the most memorable and enjoyable events I’ve had with my brother Knights.
Our busy May activities:
May 1: First Friday Adoration
May 2,3: Book Sale, clearing out our parish library and raising money for Let’s Build a Church.
May 2,3: Avocado Sale, raising money for Diocesan retired priests.
May 3: Breakfast Burrito Sale, raising money for Let’s Build a Church.
May 6: Council Meeting.
May 9: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser.
Coffee & Donuts. Mother’s Day roses.
May 14, 16: State Convention, Visalia. Brothers DGK Mark Angel and PGK John Ruelas will be joining me to represent our council.
May 16: Horizon Pregnancy Clinic Walk for Life
May 20: Officer’s Meeting, all are invited to attend.
May 23: Car Wash Fundraiser.
May 23,24: ID Drive - collecting after all Masses.
May 26: Red Cross Blood Drive 1:30 PM - 7:30 PM.
May 30: Council Field Trip to St. Michael’s Abbey
May 31: Breakfast Burrito Fundraiser (yes, again!)
Pope Paul VI was the pope from the time I was born until I was thirteen years old, and I have to admit I didn’t pay much attention to this fact. I did take notice when we got a new pope in 1978, Pope John Paul I, and when he died 33 short days later! What a huge turmoil this created, but thanks be to God we were blessed with Pope John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian pope in 450 years. He survived Nazi-occupied Poland, became a priest in 1946, and reigned as the Holy Father for over 26 years. As for towering figures resisting the “evil empire” of the godless Soviet Union and their repressed/ satellite nations, Saint Pope John Paul the Great was at the top. During his papacy, he travelled extensively, visiting 129 countries, including Japan. My family was living in Japan at the time of his visit, and although we didn’t get to see him in person, we were so excited we took pictures of our TV set when we saw him on the news! A fact I didn’t realize about the Holy Father Pope John Paul II: he canonized 483 saints, more than any of his predecessors. Some famous saints he canonized: St. Maximilian Kolbe, St Padre Pio, St. Faustina, St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Thomas More, and St. Juan Diego, the indigenous visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
May almighty God Bless and protect us and our families. St. Pope John Paul the Great, pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
