Archbishop Elder Council 1195

My name is Fred Bowling, and I am a Knight of Columbus!

I was approached back in the ’90s by a good friend of mine to join the Knights, and I must admit I had almost zero understanding of what the Knights are all about. But, since I had no good way to decline the invitation, I said yes, and started on a 20+ year journey with the Knights.

The Knights of Columbus are a Catholic Men’s Charitable Organization, raising and donating about $175 million a year, and donating thousands of man-hours of service. Our causes include Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, Veterans causes, and local charities. The founding principles of the Order are Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. You may be thinking, ‘that’s great Fred, but what’s in it for me?’ One of the many things I learned by being in the Knights is that it is good for growing in your Catholic Faith, thus benefiting your soul, your family, the parish, and the community at large.

The Knights are looking for a few good men! We are looking for practical Catholic men (not PRACTICALLY Catholic men) over the age of 18. Many times, when talking to men between the ages of 20 and 40, we hear that they think they don’t have time to be involved with the Knights, due to commitments to work, family, and any number of other things. I can assure you I felt the same way, but my concerns were unfounded. Our lives are like yours, and we are not looking for a crazy commitment of time. We meet once per month for our regular business meeting. And we also hold one optional social evening each month. As for all the projects you see us involved with, we just ask that a Knight participate in 2 per year. And if you don’t participate, sorry, we won’t kick you out!

But the Knights are not just all work and no play! We have a lot of fun, too. And I am blessed to say that some of the men I have met through the Knights have become my best friends. Ladies, our calendar offers a number of events that are geared towards you, too, and to the family as well. The Knights were founded with the family in mind. The Knights offer their members tremendous Life Insurance and other financial instruments, to protect the family in time of need. In fact, Fr. Michael McGivney started the Knights of Columbus, in 1882, specifically for the protection of the widows and orphans of the Knights.

Pope St. John Paul II called the Knights of Columbus ‘the strong right arm of the Catholic Church’. The Knights of Columbus have grown from several members in one council to 1.9 million members and more than 15,000 councils world-wide. Men, do you want to be part of something bigger than yourself? Are you looking for a band of brothers to help you get through the challenges life throws at you? Something that benefits others as well as yourself? If so, I encourage you to investigate the Knights, and become an active member.

Vivat Jesu!

My name is Phil Motz. I’m here to say a few words about the Knights of Columbus. The Knights work to support our faith, families, community, and life. The order is dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.

I joined the Knights about 5 years ago. What drew me to the Knights is, …that I just kept bumping into them. My wife asked me to go to the Sharonville abortion center to say the rosary one Saturday, …the Knights were there. I went to help pound crosses into the church front lawn to remind us of the babies lost to abortion, …the Knights were there. This kept happening, so I took it as a sign and joined.

I found out that the Knights of Columbus allows you to serve as much or as little as you want, on your schedule. We serve the Church and community in a multitude of ways. Some of the activities I have worked on include:

• Super Bowl Pizza Sale – we help make the pizza
• Pancake Breakfasts – including wives and families
• Veterans Day Collection for Cincinnati VA
• Old St Mary’s Baby Bottle Campaign
• Habitat for Humanity
• Madeira Independence Day Parade
• St. Gertrude Festival

But, it’s not just all about activities and charitable giving that the Knights are really great at. Considering today’s world, just spending time with fellow Catholic men is also refreshing and gratifying. The Knights of Columbus has challenged me in my faith to be a better husband, father, and man.

So, I challenge and invite you to join our council today, to live out your faith in the spirit of charity.

Thank You and God Bless!

My name is Mark Kosobud, and I am a Past Grand Knight of Archbishop Elder Council here at St. Gertrude.  I would like to thank our Pastor and fellow Knight Fr. Andre-Joseph LaCasse for giving the Knights the opportunity to invite the men of the Parish to consider joining our Order.

I’d like to tell you the story of a hat. You may recall having seen it floating above the sea of faces in the gathering space outside of St. Gertrude Church – usually hoping you’ll help Archbishop Elder Council of the Knights of Columbus with some charitable effort.

With just under two million members worldwide, the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic Men’s Fraternal Group in existence. We exist in over 44 countries – yet our efforts are focused on our individual labors in support of our local councils.

Here at St. Gertrude, you may have seen my red hat getting sweaty pounding in the Crosses of the Innocents; keeping me warm while selling pizzas on a Super Bowl Sunday; doing its best to keep me from getting sunburned while helping at the Parish Festival.

Globally, over the past year, the Knights have donated over $185 million dollars to Charity; and we’ve given over 75 million man-hours of volunteer time to our local communities. By the end of this year, we hope to have provided our 1000th ultrasound machine, in support of our pro-life efforts.

In my 8 years with Elder Council my red hat has served me well — helping the cause of ending abortion here in Cincinnati; assisting those with developmental disabilities in the Archdiocese, giving assistance to our veterans who are in need at the VA centers in the area.

Members of Elder Council will be available after Mass in the Gathering Space to answer your questions and to encourage you to join. Know that, while it may not be a good time to be an active Knight, there is never a bad time to be a Knight.