Our Lady Seat of Wisdom

                           Council No.  11259

JULY 2005

For The Good of the Order!  A Priest’s Retirement Party

 

 A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was delayed so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.  I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I’d been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and, when stopped by the police, had almost murdered the officer. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his place of business, had an affair with his boss's wife, taken illegal drugs, and gave VD to his sister. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people.  Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived, apologizing at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk. "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the first one to go to him in confession

 Moral: DON'T EVER BE LATE!

 

Appreciation Dinner Held for Doug Sparrow

On June 27th the St. John Vianney Men’s Club and members of our Knights of Columbus Council celebrated the kind heart and working hands of Doug Sparrow.  Doug and Charlene were treated to a sumptuous fair cooked by Chef Larry Donnelly and his boss the beautiful Elaine. A number of Doug’s family was present to hear as Doug’s many charitable efforts were recounted.  Doug has been a parishioner at St. Johns for over 20 years.  A carpenter by trade, he built the Stations of the Cross that ring the cemetery on the St. John’s grounds.  Doug has been having some health problems and all who love Doug wanted to show him and Charlene how much we all appreciate the many wonderful contributions they have made to our parish family over the years.  We also wanted to show them how much we love them.  Doug received a number of plaques recognizing his many accomplishments.  Father Daly spoke a little about Doug’s loving gift of self in helping so many people and in always stepping forward to lend a helping hand with parish projects.  One such project was the Arbor/porch that used to sit at the back entrance of the old church.  Many an Easter vigil fire and a goodly number of after mass hospitalities were held out under Doug’s arbor.  At one point during the dinner people were afforded the opportunity to step up to the mike and say a few words to Doug and Charlene.  Several people did so, and each recounted stories of Doug’s giving nature.  Please keep Doug and Charlene and their family in your prayers.

        Grand Knight’s Report

 

My wife, Margaret, and I are honored to serve as your Grand Knight and Council First Lady this fraternal year.  Our four dogs (Sadie, Baxter, Liberty & Sage) will help out also and may even attend some of  our outdoor activities so that you can meet them too. It is going to be a great year.  I will not claim to know it all and will be the first to admit when I am wrong or make a mistake, so please don't hesitate to join me in my learning process so that we can both become part of the solution and not the problem.  Live and learn is what I say.

 

 If you are not aware of it yet, we as a council have decided not to continue volunteering at the University of Maryland football or basketball games.  Working the concession stands has been our council's major fundraising activity for many years, so now we will have to try new things in order to raise the funds we need in order to continue to support our three churches (St. John

 Vianney - Prince Frederick, Jesus the Divine Word - Huntingtown, and St. Francis de Sales - Benedict), seminarians, local charities and the council itself. So, please come and participate in this new adventure.

 

I will leave you with one of my favorite stories so that you will understand how I operate, The Legend of the Starfish.  As the old man walked on the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea.  Finally catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this.   The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.  "But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish," countered the old man. "How can your effort make any difference?" The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves.  "It makes a difference to this one,” he said. (Lauren Eisely - From "The Star Thrower").   You all have already made a positive difference in our lives and we will strive this whole year to pass on the gift.

 

 God Bless, Stephen & Margaret Bayliff

 

Calendar of Events

Council Meeting Schedule !!!!!!!!

Council meetings in June will be held on July 14th, at St. John Vianney, and on July 28th, at Jesus the Divine Word.  All meetings start promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Monthly Rosary -- Important – Important – Important!

The Council Rosary schedule is as follows:  Every 1st Saturday of a month at St. John Vianney Parish at 5:00 p.m. before the 5:30 Mass.  Every 2nd Sunday of a month at St. Francis De Sales at 8:30 a.m. before the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Every 3rd Sunday of a month at Jesus the Divine Word at 9:00 a.m. before the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

***The Installation Mass and Dinner for the new council officers for the 2005-2006 fraternal year is scheduled for Saturday, August 27.  The MASS will start at 5PM, the Installation ceremony starts at 6:10pm - 6:40pm ,  and the  reception / dinner will be from 6:50pm -8:30pm at Jesus the Divine Word Church  in Huntingtown. Fr. Jordan, council chaplain, will celebrate Mass, and Larry Smialek, PFN, PGK, FDD, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the reception / dinner.  The lovely Margaret, Scott’s wife, has volunteered to cook the dinner, so the food will be delicious.

Truck Raffle Dates: We Need Volunteers to work these Dates Someone will be contacting people shortly to work dates.

Sat, 7/16:    8a-11a    Giant  Grocery Store - Prince Frederick

Sat, 7/23:    8a-11a    Safeway  Grocery Store - Prince Frederick

Sat, 7/30:    8a-11a    Giant

Sat, 8/6:    8a-11a    Giant and  Wal-Mart

Sat, 8/13:  8a-11a    Wal-Mart

Sat, 8/20:  8a-11a    Safeway

Sat, 8/27:  8a-11a    Giant

Sat, 9/10: 8a-11a    Wal-Mart

Sat, 9/17: 8a-11a    Giant and Safeway

Sat, 9/24: 8a-11a    Wal-Mart

Sat, 10/1: 8a-11a    Giant & Wal-Mart

        Chaplain’s Corner

 

A LITTLE TRICK: HOW TO REMAIN HUMBLE IN THE MIDST OF RECEIVING PRAISE OR ADMIRATION

The quote below is from a small book titled Humility of Heart by Father  Cajetan Mary da Begamo available through Tan Book Publishers.  In studying the lives of the saints, universally you find individuals who were at constant work to slay the dragon of pride in order to plant the mustard seed of humility in their hearts and minds so that they could cultivate the peaceful fields of a heart that would prefer Christ over the love of the world.  Pride destroys peace because if you are focused on how great you are, you will be disturbed every time your actions do not bring you into the limelight.  You will be put out when you do not receive or you do not think you have received the level of praise you believe what you have done should have brought your way.  And if you are unfortunate enough to be one of those who thrive on the praise of others, you can never get enough, and you are out constantly seeking it.  Did you ever wonder how the saints, who did so much good during their lives, avoided getting big heads what with all the praise and thanks they surely received from their actions?  Well, Fr. Cajetan’s book is an excellent read for cultivating the humble heart of the saints.

 

“. . . One night my reading in the Chapel of a single line suggested this idea. . .God in the Old and New Testament named people after their personal characteristics.  Now, were I to name myself after my personal traits, I might name myself by the names of the seven capital sins. These are the innate springs of evil within me.  They are the heads and sources of evil within me.  They are the like gall spots, the sour or iron oozings that often disfigure a whole field that has been neither drained nor cultivated. Indeed they are much more mischievous and fatal than these, for they are capable of overflowing and destroying everything that is good and profitable.

 

The springs of these evil tendencies are so deeply imbedded in our nature that it is almost impossible to get rid of them altogether.  The doing so is the work of a lifetime, unless we be able to get below the main well-spring of them all, and so inflict a permanent injury on them all.  I may therefore, take myself in hand thus, and say:  ‘In the name of God I will call you what you really are, Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth; and I will add to these seven capital sins, five other characteristics of my soul, viz.: Weakness, Ignorance, Poverty, Theft and Cruelty --- twelve names which may not be the less appropriate, because I do not desire to be publicly known by them; twelve names that may bring home to me truths about myself, and which may be exceedingly goo and valuable for private use.  For the first thing is to begin by a profound knowledge of oneself, and of one’s own miseries, though it may not be wise o prudent to begin by proclaiming one’s sins to the world.  Some of these names may be obviously applicable to ourselves, such as Weakness, Ignorance, and Poverty.  For how weak and ignorant are we physically and morally!  How dependant upon others for the things of commonest use!  How poor, too, in grace and virtue, and every kind of excellence, especially if compared with many others.  The title of Theft is not so very obvious until we recognize that instead of giving glory to God for every good thing we may seem to do  or to possess, we rob Him of this glory as much as we can, in the most natural and thoughtless manner, and attribute to ourselves, all the credit and glory of any little thing we do.  He who makes this his habit may very deservedly be named thief or Theft, calling himself by the act he is habitually doing, and is habitually famous for.  But Cruelty, how is this name justified?

 

I have never been fond of giving pain to animals, at least not since I was a senseless child: why should I be called cruelty?  We have only to remember and understand that by our sins we crucify again to ourselves the Son of God, to realize how well deserving we are of the name of Cruelty.  We give wanton pain to an animal, and we are punished by the law; we are cruel to children, and we are prosecuted; we inflict pain unnecessarily on our friends and dependents, and we are justly esteemed heartless brutes. It is only our Lord Jesus Christ, only our Lord God and Father in heaven, whom we may treat with wanton injury and insult, disobedience and neglect, and escape without any name or mark of contempt and disapproval.  I have only but to consider my own share in the sorrows and passion and death of Jesus Christ, and how His Mother participated in all He suffered, to see how truly I have been a monster of Cruelty.  And so it seems that in this simple way, by merely repeating thoughtfully these our twelve Vicious names to ourselves we my become each time a little better grounded in the truth inculcated by this admirable . . . ‘Humility of Heart.’ 

 

. . .Such thoughts may be particularly serviceable at certain times.  For instance, if you are receiving public homage and addresses in circumstances of unusual pomp and ceremony; or if you happen to be, from your position, the object of any other special veneration, and certain noxious fumes of vanity or self-complacency be found ascending for a moment to your head an obvious remedy is to reflect that it is not yourself but your office that is receiving such special honour, and that any one else occupying the same position would be the object of just the same respect.   But better still than this will it be to call yourself quietly over by the twelve names drawn from your moral qualities and tendencies.  The noxious gas is then extinguished; the decked-out worm that you are is crushed in its own exuding slime beneath your feet; and you realize at once that you are playing a part which receives honour due to your official, not to your private character.

 

Of course it is only a small number who are in a position to receive public honours and addresses.  But there is no one who is not the recipient from time to time of praise and admiration; and when this seems stinted in kind or quantity, our pride and self-love quickly rises up to supply the defect.  It is on these occasions that the slow and measured recital to yourself of our twelve names will scatter the fumes of vanity, and leave you in the full enjoyment of a multitude of peace.”   

 

Please note: information about the Knights of Columbus and our council is now available at www.calvertkids.net – this web site provides a guide to family events and organizations in and around Calvert County.  It is an exciting new non-profit website that features calendars of events happening in the area, an extensive directory of community resources, news articles and discussion forums.  The website is operated by the Calvert Crusade for Children, and strives to create an electronic community in Calvert County.

 

Remember, if you have access to a computer and the Internet, I urge you to try to visit www.priestsforlife.org  This website is an amazing fount of information available to priests and non-priests alike on Pro-life issues.  Please visit the website, and please keep the unborn in your prayers. 

 

News from the District Deputy:  Jim Rank, SK

District Deputy's Report:  

 

Well, I am back again, like a bad penny.  Before I get started on my usual beginning of the year rants, I want to congratulate Scott on becoming the new Grand Knight for 11259.  It’s a big job that does not give much in the way of thanks for your efforts, and which brings me to my first rant.

 

Right now our council is gearing up under Scott’s firm hand to really put effort into the truck raffle and will soon begin the work of the tootsie roll drive.  It is a very busy time of year with lots of people looking forward to vacations to close out July and August, then getting ready for school to start and so on and so on.  These are the normal vagaries of life.  we would hope however that as a fellow Knight, you will have compassion on your fellow Knights who feel responsibility for the success of council programs and come out to collect donations for the raffle tickets and to collect donations for the tootsie.  They could use your help, even if it is just for a couple of hours, and it means so much to the charities these two activities support to boost the scholarship funds for the Knights of Columbus and to provide needed funds for several organizations right down here in Southern Maryland.  I will see you out there!

 

Vivat Jesus!

Jim Rank DD # 9

 

If you haven’t visited the State Web site recently, take some time to peruse it at

http://www.kofc-md.org/  A reminder: The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council ‘s Web Site is http://www.kofc.org there you will find information regarding the Father McGivney Guild.

 

IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT!

Our council under the great efforts of John McFadden has started a web page that will soon contain issues of the newsletter and other information.  Your ignorant editor, whose computer now in firmly in the last century will have to upgrade to be able to properly assist Jack in getting copies of the newsletter up on the web page.  For those of you who have more up-to-date equipment and software, you can access the web page at www.kofc11259.us

        Fourth Degree

OK! GUESS WHAT IS HAPPENING AT YOUR LOCAL ASSEMBLY?  DO YOU KNOW THAT MR. EDWARD WASKIEWICZ WILL SOON BECOME THE NEXT FAITHFUL NAVIGATOR?  NO? WELL HE IS! ON SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2005, HE WILL BE INSTALLED AS THE FAITHFUL NAVIGATOR OF THE ASSEMBLY AT ST. JOHN VIANNEY.  CELEBRATION OF THE MASS WILL BEGIN AT 5:30 P.M., FOLLOWED BY THE INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS AT 6:30 P.M., FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION AT 7:30 P.M.  YOU SHOULD RSVP YOU ARE COMING, IF YOU ARE, AT 410 535-0408.

 

Attention Ladies:  Council 11259 is starting the process of trying to form a Knight’s Auxiliary, which is an organization that will ultimately function much like the Ladies of the Fourth Degree function now.  The formation of a Knight’s Auxiliary might best be handled if a few of our fine ladies who already participate in the Ladies of the Fourth Degree would step forward and take the lead in starting up the Knight’s Auxiliary.  If you are interested in helping us start an Auxiliary, please contact the Grand Knight a 410 257-2072.

 

 

        Pro-Life

 

 

Did you know the State Council has a new web site containing a clearinghouse of info on the Pro-life efforts of our Order?  It is http://www.kofc-md.org/pages/Service/community.htm#ProLife

 

 

        McNamara Chapter

 

Chapter Schedule for 2005-2006 Fraternal Year will be published when it becomes available. 

 

        INSURANCE

 

I got it, you need it, at least if you have any idea that you would like to provide a little more for your family.  If you want to know more about what I can do for you, just call me at 301-262-4300  Cell:  301-335-7939   Fax: 301-262-6304. 

 

God Bless!

William Guinane

Trivia Question

 

Last Month’s trivia question was as follows: Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictines had a sister.  What was her name and what is notable about her life?

 

St. Benedict’s sister is St. Scolastica. Not much is recorded about her life, except that she started a Benedictine community of nuns not far from her brother’s monastery at Subiaco.  One event in her life shows the efficacy of prayer.  She and her brother had a custom of meeting at a small chapel once a year. The chapel was about half way between Scolastica’s convent and Benedict’s monastery.  On this occasion, Scolastica and Benedict talked for several hours, and Benedict wanted to go back to his monastery before evening prayer.  Scolastica wanted him to stay and talk some more, but Benedict and his several monks seemed adamant about leaving.  Scolastica prayed fervently to God asking Him to intervene to keep Benedict and his monks from leaving.  A powerful thunderstorm arose in response to her prayer, and Benedict and his monks were forced to stay the night in the chapel.  Scolastica and Benedict spent the night in prayer and conversation and departed for their respective motherhouses the next morning.  That next evening, Benedict had a vision of his sister being escorted into heaven by angels, and soon after found out that his sister died the very moment of his vision.

 

This month’s trivia question is what are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and what are the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit?