Knights of Columbus

Holy Rosary Council 10238

Isanti, Minnesota 55040

Volume 18           Issue 7          January 2005

 

 

 Greetings Brother Knights and Family; 

 

 

Happy New Year!  May God bless you as we embark on a new calendar year.  This being the first newsletter of the New Year there is a considerable amount of information to cover.  We have an active council and there is always something going on - I look forward to serving with you in the upcoming months.  A wise man once said, “Life is not a destination, it is a journey”.

 

Next Saturday and Sunday – January 15th and 16th will be the only weekend for our “Roses for Life” campaign.  The roses will be given out and donations collected after all three masses.  We can use your help after whatever mass you plan to attend.

 

Our Basketball Free Throw Contest is scheduled for the 18th of January, at 3:45pm in the Isanti Middle School gym.  If you would like to help, please call Jon Gotfredson at 763-444-6382 or Ray Cronin at 763-444-6586.  Be sure to encourage our area youth to participate.  Ads will be running in the local papers.

 

We will have a Knights’ of Columbus Open House on Sunday, February 5th to recruit new members and keep our council growing.  Be sure to ask a Catholic friend to join us.  We plan to bring prospective Knights to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree Exemplification in Anoka on Sunday, February 13th, 2005.  Let’s see if we can’t get at least five new members this year.

 

Lent comes early this year.  The first Fish Fry is scheduled for Friday, February 11th, 2005.

 

Our next regular meeting will be Thursday, January 20th at 7:00 pm.  Be sure to come as this will be our last chance to make final plans for the Fishing Contest which will be held on Sunday, January 23rd, 2005.  The Fishing Contest is one of our biggest events of the year.  Its great fun for the whole family – come on out and join us!

 

Enclosed is your yearly dues renewal.  Remember to send your money back to Lyle Myren as soon as possible. 

I

 

Todd Nelson, Grand  Knight

763-444-6116

 

Fish Fry Fridays

 

February 11

Isanti, MNFebruary 18

February 25

March 4

March 11

March 18

 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

Corner of County Rd 5 and Whiskey Rd

Isanti, MN

 

All you care to eat: fish, potatoes, vegetables, coleslaw, dessert, coffee/milk

 

4:30 pm to 7:00 pm

 $6.50 per adult, $3.00 under 12, Free under 6

 

The Military Corner,

 

Happy New Year to all the Knights and their families.

For our military families, the next year will be marked by two significant events:  Deployments and Redeployments. 

Deployments are marked by nervous excitement for those who have not yet experienced war in the deserts of Iraq or Afghanistan. For those returning for a second or third tour, the deployment is often a tearful event as, again, a service member is separated from his/her family for many months. In either situation, we are proud to serve. 

Redeployments are joyous, yet nervous, events. My helicopter ambulance unit returned to Germany and their families from Operation Iraqi Freedom #3 last week. They evacuated nearly 4,000 casualties during their nine months in theater. Five soldiers were awarded the Air Medal with Valor for rescuing nine wounded infantrymen in a very hot landing zone during a firefight with Saddam Loyalists outside Baghdad. Despite losing one Apache Helicopter and its two pilots, all nine of the infantrymen survived thanks to their brethren’s very brave actions.

Redeployments are also a nervous time. Spouses and children have to welcome their father/mother back into a home they haven’t occupied in months. The returning parent often looks different, and definitely acts different, than before the deployment. Finances, children discipline, and simply relating to each other can lead to tense moments.

For the returning warrior, “winding down” can be difficult. Soldiers I care for often complain of inability to sleep in quiet rooms. Also, they are unable to stop waking up “energized” for the rescue missions they’ve conducted eight times daily, on average, for the past nine months. The faces of soldiers who died in their arms as their helicopter

raced toward the hospital are difficult to put aside. Despite these difficulties, the vast majority of service members returning relate nothing short of absolute joy. God Bless them all.

            In this light, please take every opportunity to remember loved ones, friends, and even strangers the great sacrifice America’s sons and daughters make to ensure 2005 is safer for everyone.

As a Soldier, I’d like to thank each of you for supporting we who serve. Your letters of encouragement help remind us that we are not alone. In fact, every time I’m in an American airport, I have the pleasure of witnessing total strangers give heartfelt thanks to a Service Member wearing desert camouflage as they journey home.

Finally, thanks to all Americans who continue to give of their time and hard earned money to help total strangers. Despite our increasing budget deficit and struggling economy, America gave unequaled support to the victims of S.E. Asia’s recent Tsunami. Despite other nation’s criticisms of our actions in Iraq (i.e. France, Germany, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia), when the amount contributed relative to gross national product is compared, we outshine the naysayer in both combat and non-combat world support. In doing so, you have proven you are, simply, the best.

Until next time, "thank you" and God bless you all for your ever-present support.

 

Aaron Cronin, Captain, Specialty Corp

421st Air Evacuation Battalion, U.S. ARMY

 

 

 

Knight of the Month:    Brian Beaufeax, for helping out at the December Pancake Breakfast with Santa

 

Family of the Month:    Dan and Christine Huesman for their involvement in the Pancake Breakfast with Santa.  They helped take the Polaroid pictures that the kids embossed on buttons.

 

Anniversaries of Note:  January 23, Bernard and Marcella Sylvester; February 27, Bradley and Suzanne Dutcher;

 

Birthdays of Note:   January 25, Fred Cross; January 26, Victor Bennett; January 27, Aaron Cronin;  February 6, Father Richard McGuire; February 12, Thomas Fehrman; February 20, Roger Schoenecker; February 22, Brian Strike; February 23, Raymond Cronin; February 24, Robert Morley