An Invitation to our Knights of Columbus

Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Design Challenge 2019

Dear parents/guardians, grandparents and teachers: 

This comes to invite children ages 5-14  to take part in our annual Keep Christ in Christmas poster challenge. The contest is open to 5-7, 8-10 and11-14 year olds with three cash prizes in each group. We are anticipating an enthusiastic response again this year and we appreciate your help to make that happen.

This is a fun contest that provides an opportunity to witness the creativity and optimism of our young people and, through their artwork, to help us all to keep Christ at the centre of our upcoming Christmas 2019 celebrations.  Last December an eight-year old submitted a drawing of a special wreath with the manger in the centre and this touching caption – the reason there is a hole in the wreath is so God can peer in on us and see if we are fulfilling his dreams.  That submission along with many others made the poster challenge so worthwhile for all Councils who sponsored it last year. Our hope once again is that, through this project, the true spirit of Christmas will be promoted in our homes, parishes and communities.

The guidelines for the competition are simple.  Each entry must be original, from concept to layout, slogan and image, and represent the child’s own work.  Each poster must reflect the Keep Christ in Christmas theme with a visual image that is about 11×17 inches (28x43cm) in size.  Poster paper will be available at the Church entry and through the catechism classes beginning November 24th.  If pastels, chalk or charcoal are used, the poster should be laminated or covered with clear plastic. The name and age of each artist and his or her parish church must be printed on the reverse side of the poster. No names should appear on the front side of the poster so that fair judging can take place.  

A 100-point system is used for the judging: Slogan – 30 points for how clearly the theme is presented,  Visuals – 30 points for how well the visuals convey the message, and Overall Impact – 40 points for how well the poster captures attention and causes reflection on the theme. 

All entries received by the deadline will be assessed by a team of impartial judges and winners will be announced in the Christmas bulletin.  Winning posters for the pastoral unit will be kept on display in our parish churches over the Christmas season.  

Our Council winners will move on to a provincial competition on January 18th and PEI winners, with parental consent, will then be sent on for an international competition, with creative credit going to each winning artist.   Last year our K of C Council awarded $250 in cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each age group and first-place PEI posters were sent to New Haven, Connecticut in mid-February.  All children and youth who enter the contest will receive a special Certificate from our Council for taking part and posters will be returned to their creators in the new year. 

All posters must be submitted by Sunday noon December 15th to be entered in the contest.  They can be left in a box provided at the entry of the church in a sealed envelope or poster tube. 

Last year Knights of Columbus Councils around the world adopted a new Faith in Action Program with four major pathways to making the world a better place – Faith, Family, Community and Life.  Keep Christ in Christmas is one of our flagship Family Programs.  Nine of our 21 K of C Councils across PEI participated in this project last year and we want to at least match if not surpass that this Advent Season. 

We thank all the children who took part last year and their family members and teachers who encouraged them.  With your cooperation, encouragement and support, we look forward to another great poster challenge throughout our Pastoral Unit and across PEI.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Basil Favaro, PEI KofC Family Coordinator,

Paul Roberts, Grand Knight, Council #10808

Here is a link to see last year’s winning posters: https://kofcpei.com/2019/01/16/keep-christ-in-christmas-poster-contest/

Saturday morning members from the Kensington Knights of Columbus Council #12465 cleared away some of the fallen trees left behind by Hurricane Dorian.

Chainsaws, rakes, trucks and trailers were employed in the clean up operation.

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Mother nature was kind with a beautiful late summer day’s weather for the work.

The whole parish (especially Fr. Frank Jay) is very grateful for the effort, and hope that future storms are much more kind to Kensington.

by Andrew Butler | Mar 30, 2019

We remember Father Michael J. McGivney as a timeless witness to the faith.

Maybe you already knew that Father Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut in 1882. Maybe you already knew that he envisioned a Catholic order that would help Catholic men to remain steadfast in faith while providing insurance for their families.

But you might not have known these facts:

1. Protestants were also inspired by Father McGivney’s witness of faith.

Alida Harwood, the daughter of a prominent Episcopal minister in New Haven, frequented Mass at St. Mary’s Church where Father McGivney served. When Alida contracted malaria at the age of 25 and lay on her deathbed, it was Father McGivney she asked to see.

2. He was a heck of a baseball player.

We know that in one game with his seminary team he scored three runs, contributing to a big victory with a score of 23-6. He paved the way for a long history of baseball players who would join the Knights, including these MLB legends.

3. More forward-thinking than Yale? Father McGivney pushed the boundaries as a theater director.

At a time when, according to Parish Priest, nearby Yale University was limiting theater to only male actors, Father McGivney welcomed women to perform when he directed his parish’s St. Patrick’s Day play in 1880.

4. He helped young people take charge of their lives and create a better future.

Father McGivney saw that many young men were neglecting their religion and turning to alcohol abuse. In response, he founded St. Joseph’s Total Abstinence and Literary Society, a group that helped young men stay strong in the faith and become active in their communities. They organized and participated in sports and theatrical productions. McGivney offered members a meeting space with books, magazines, newspapers and a piano. No doubt, Father McGivney’s experience with this group prepared him when he later founded the Knights of Columbus.

5. His vision for the role of the laity was very unusual for the time.

Seventy-seven years ahead of the Second Vatican Council, the idea that a Catholic organization could be led by laymen was quite extraordinary. Yet that was Father McGivney’s vision for the Knights of Columbus.

6. He ministered to inmates.

Father McGivney was responsible for ministering to inmates in the city jail. One inmate was 21-year-old Chip Smith, who — while drunk — shot and killed a police officer. Smith was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to be hanged.

Father McGivney visited him daily, and, on the day of Smith’s execution, the priest was filled with sorrow. Just before he died, Smith comforted him: “Father, your saintly ministrations have enabled me to meet death without a tremor. Do not fear for me, I must not break down now.”

7. He was only 38 years old when he died.

And that’s actually not surprising — life expectancy was short for priests in Connecticut in the 19th century, when the Catholic population was growing, disease was common and the priests were overworked.

8. He’s on the path to sainthood.

His cause for canonization is open, and he was given the title “Venerable” by the Holy See in 2008. You can help promote devotion to this Servant of God — click here to join the Father McGivney Guild.

9. His belongings were burned when he died.

When Father McGivney died of tuberculosis, his personal items were burned to prevent the spreading of the disease. Only a small number of his writings and belongings survived.

10. He is known to intercede especially in four areas (from Columbia magazine):

Employment and finances. Just as parishioners looked to Father McGivney for help when “No Irish need apply” was often included in job postings, so today many receive help when they are laid off or seeking a better job.

Substance abuse. In Father McGivney’s day, alcoholism afflicted the immigrant population, and many now find relief from drug or alcohol abuse after praying to him.

Family reconciliation. Father McGivney helped immigrant families struggling to stay together and to make ends meet. Today, Father McGivney continues to respond to the prayers of families.

Return to the faith. Father McGivney founded the Order to keep men from joining anti-Catholic societies. Today, many Catholics receive favors when calling upon him to help their fallen-away children return to Mass.

A Share form the Sober & Friendly Environment’s Facebook Page

John Cameron of Morell Knights of Columbus dropped off a $200.00 Cheque to Sober And Friendly Environment – SAFE on their behalf.

Thank you Morell Knights.

St. Pius X Council #6917 held their annual celebration dinner Friday June 14. At that time the following awards and recognitions were presented.

Grand Knight Dan Miller presented Harold and Marjorie Gallant with the St Pius X Family of the Year award.

Grand Knight Dan Miller presented District Deputy Jeff Sampson with the St Pius X Knight of the Year Award.

Fr. Maurice Praught, Pastor of St Pius X Parish was presented the Prince Edward Island State Council Chaplain of the Year Award from Phyllis and Ralph Dunn accompanied by Grand Knight Dan Miller.

Wednesday, June 19 the Knights of Columbus and their guests assembled at the Kensington Legion for their annual banquet and awards presentation.

A high light was the awarding of the “Principle of Charity Scholarship” to Keanna Reid.

Keanna a graduate of Kensington Intermediate High School Class of 2019 will use the $500.00 award to attend St. Francis Xavier University starting this September.

Here is a slide show of the recipients of various awards:

Thank you to Brother Knight Vic Negus for the photos in the slide show.

Following is the list of the PEI Knights of Columbus State Lottery 2019 winners –

1st –  $1,000 – Cornwall Knights of Columbus Council #10808

2nd – $750 –    Josh Green, St. Eleanor’s

3rd – $500 –     Darren O’Brien, St. Mary’s Road

4th – $250 –     Marilyn Yu, Charlottetown

Thank You to all who bought lottery tickets this year and to all of the Brother Knights who sold the tickets.

Grand Knight Paul Roberts shared his report that will be presented at the Knights of Columbus State Convention at the end of April.

It makes good reading and here is a link to the PDF version of the document.

Looks like things are very active in Cornwall.

Thanks to all the Brother Knights for their great work!

The T.P. Butler Council held it’s annual pre-Lenten Pancake Breakfast Sunday, March 3.

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George Deviat contributed all of these photos.