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The HOLY NAME of JESUS - GOOD SAMARITAN COUNCIL of

the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS- WANTS YOU!

According to many of the leading psychologists, one of the greatest human needs is the need to be needed. Regardless of what your skills are, WE NEED YOU to join our KC Council. Together we can make a difference at Holy Name and enjoy one another’s company in the process. This is a lengthy read, but it’s important you learn a little history about our beginnings and the path that led us to Holy Name of Jesus. We are unique to many other KC Councils in that we only serve one parish – HNOJ in Medina, MN.

Back in the late 1800’s most of the emigrants entering the eastern seaboard of the USA were Catholic, i.e. German, Italian and Irish. Most of the US businessmen, bankers and politicians were Protestant. The jobs with the lowest pay and highest mortality rates i.e. police, fire & rescue, coal mining and rail and canal labor were all that was made available to the newcomers. Many of them died in work-related accidents, leaving large Catholic families orphaned and penniless and on the door steps of the Catholic priests.

Fr. Michael J. McGivney became overwhelmed in his large Connecticut labor town parish with all the fatherless families in need of food, shelter and Catholic education, so he turned to God and the Blessed Virgin for intercession. A vision came to him to form an organized group of businessmen within his parish to network support by creating jobs, income and assistance in keeping the orphaned families together and in the Catholic school system. The next night, he called a meeting with the community leaders of his parish in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut and shared his dream with his council. They called themselves the Knights of Columbus.

Columbus was a Catholic and claimed his discoveries in the name of his country and his Church. Most of the great mariners of that era were also Catholic and claimed many of there discoveries in like manor. To take it a step further, many of the territories and early US states, were discovered and settled by Catholic priests who canoed up great river systems and seaways all in the name of our Mother Church. Columbus is a great representation of a faithful servant with undying hope and unconditional love for God and country and the KC’s are proud to carry that banner.

The four corner stones of the Knights of Columbus organization are; Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. Each represents a different “degree” of Knighthood and each “degree” has a separate induction ceremony for new members to participate in, by way of combining the first three Degree ceremonies in one morning session, usually on a Saturday or Sunday. The location of the major degree ceremony rotates from parish to parish and numerous area KC Councils combine efforts to bring all their new members together at any given meeting. The Fourth Degree of Patriotism is optional for KC’s to join after they’ve been in for a year. Fourth Degree Knights have their own Council meetings and function as “honor guards” at special Catholic events and processions. They are the men you see wearing the tuxes, capes, swords and ostrich feather hats. HNOJ has a number of Fourth Degree Knights, but most of our members are Third Degree Knights.

Since the formation of the KC’s, the most noteworthy accomplishments are:

• adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in1954
• spending millions every year to keep it in the Pledge
• overturning a Supreme Court decision in Oregon to ban Parochial schools
• the formation and support of the Special Olympics
• millions in renovations for Catholic buildings of historic importance
• billions to Catholic schools, scholarships and loans
• 63 million volunteer hours per year by KC members

Growing up in Anoka, Minnesota, I am a direct descendant of both German and Irish emigrants. Both grandfathers told stories of job postings in windows, around the turn of the century, that read, “NOW HIRING- NO CATHOLICS”. One of my grandfathers and most of my uncle’s were KC’s. My cousins and I all attended Catholic schools and some of us benefited from the KC grants, loans and scholarships. Dad played on the KC softball team, bowled and golfed on KC leagues, took mom to numerous KC dances and card clubs. Us kids enjoyed many KC Christmas parties and Easter egg hunts, participated in KC sponsored hunting and fishing trips, Twins games and old fashioned church festivals.

THE HOLY NAME of JESUS DIFFERENCE

Times have changed and many of those activities are harder to pull off with any degree of success. Many families have too many competing activities to find comfort in joining one more. When Fr. Jonathan Licari supported forming a KC Council specific to HNOJ, the decision was easy for me. Not unlike 1882, most priests have their hands full in running a parish. Prejudice towards Catholics still exists, but is hidden in freedom of expression laws. With subtle hints from Hollywood, media blitz’s towards Pro-Life proponents and the elimination of any evidence of God in public buildings, the Catholic fight endures.

The need for the Knights of Columbus is as strong today as it was when we started in 1882. Our $30.00 annual dues from our 1.7 million members coupled with our highest possible ranking as a non-profit Insurance Company enabled us to give away $135 million dollars in 2004- 2^nd only to the Red Cross in charitable contributions for that year. The most immediate benefit to your joining the KC’s is a $2500 accidental death benefit to your wife and $80/month/child from the orphan fund. Also, $7000/year goes to college aged orphans of dues paying members attending a Catholic college. Additional insurance products are available to members only, but no pressure or commitments are expected.

Our main projects at HNOJ are to staff the kitchen on Wednesday night’s during Faith Formation and to sponsor a number of parish breakfasts that fund HNOJ causes. 10% of all funds we raise go to the Seminarian Fund and varying amounts go to special needs groups including, but not limited to Hammer School. Though separate from us, our KC Women’s Auxiliary group is also the HNOJ- Right to Life Ministry and we support them whenever we are called upon. Although we participate in many State and National KC events, the majority of funds we raise and manage stay with HNOJ causes.

HELP YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR PARISH AND - JOIN US NOW!