Vermont State Council

Latest news:

George F. Johnson Council will be hosting the 2008-state golf tournament, at the Montague Golf Club in Randolph VT. See Below

A message from the State Deputy

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at Isle LaMotte on the 13th of July. It will be an excellent opportunity for us to make our pilgrimage, be part of a special Mass with Bishop Salvatore Matano, share the experience of the Investiture of your State Officers and District Deputies and sit and enjoy a superb barbeque hosted by St. Albans Council. We have many challenges facing us in the coming year. Vermonters are famous for their ability to thrive in hardship and we have a few mountains we must climb. With prayer and our faith in God and Holy Mother Church we will hurdle these obstacles and keep the Order Strong and Healthy.

There is going to be some adjustments to help the Degree teams, to work on communication throughout the Jurisdiction and a concerted effort to tighten our fiscal belt. It is important that you attend the meetings coming up so that you will all be up to speed and we can focus on the theme set forth by Supreme ,”follow me, help us build up the Church”. We need to continue to focus on the good works that you Brother Knights are continuing to do around the State and work together in support of our Bishop and Church.

July is a special time for barbeques with our families, a patriotic time of celebration for the birth of our Nation. Let us not forget those who serve us in our parishes. Invite your Priest to your barbeques; they are part of our spiritual families.

There will be much more information coming in the next few months, God Bless You.

Vivat Jesus!

John C. Rudnicki SD

Vocations

I would like to thank all the Sir Knights who participated in the Mass for the Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate of Rev. Mr. Sean Dowling, Rev. Mr. Dwight Baker, Rev. Mr. Timothy Naples, and Rev. Mr. Brian O’Donnell, held at St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral on Saturday June 7. Your devotion to the Knights of Columbus and your support of our seminarians is certainly to be praised. The summer assignments for the seminarians are as follows:

Rev. Mr. Brian O’Donnell is assigned to Our Lady of Snows Parish in Woodstock.
Rev. Mr. Timothy Naples is assigned to St. Joseph Co-Cathedral.
Rev. Mr. Dwight Baker is assigned to St. John the Evangelist Parish in St. Johnsbury, St. Elizabeth Parish in Lyndonville, and Queen of Peace Parish in Danville.
Rev. Mr. Sean Dowling is assigned to Christ the King - St. Anthony Parish, Burlington and Holy Trinity Parish, Barton.
Michael Lantagne is assigned to St. Peter Parish in Vergennes.
Luke Austin is assigned to St. John Vianney Parish in South Burlington
and James Dodson is assigned to Holy Angels Parish in St. Albans.

The future of our church in Vermont is directly tied to people answering God’s call to a religious vocation. Promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life are high priorities of the Knights of Columbus. The Church, especially here in Vermont as we all know or should know, now faces a crisis of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. As Knights, we pledge assistance to the Church by financial and moral aid through our RSVP program. We need to intensify our vocational promotion. This intensification depends on energetic and planned activities in every council. We should plan programs to promote vocations awareness to young people as well as council members and their families.

I ask that all of our councils work with me as your State Vocations Chairman to ensure the proper and complete implementation of the RSVP program to ensure that every seminarian sponsored by the diocese is included in the RSVP program. Please contact me for information on a seminarian or seminarians to support or men and women who are novices or postulants in religious orders or religious communities.

You can E-mail me at gfbean44@yahoo.com Or call at 862-8581. Also if you have given financial support to a seminarian for the year (July 1, 07 - June 30, 08) and have not sent me a copy, please send me a copy of form 2863 (RSVP form)

Vivat Jesus!

Jerry Bean, PSD/FSM/VC

A message from the State Master

I would like to thank all the Sir Knights who participated in the Honor Guard for the Mass of Diaconate Ordination for Dwight H. Baker, Sean P. Dowling, Timothy P. Naples, and Brian J. O’Donnell on June 7, 2008 at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Burlington. On June 14, 2008 my wife Peg and I attended the 4th Degree Exemplification in Augusta, Maine. They had 78 candidates who took the degree. The Degree was held on Flag Day it was a very fitting way to honor our men and women who defend our country as well as remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

During the up coming year I would like to see all Assemblies participate in a project that would benefit our Veterans Hospital in White River Junction. This year one of our Assemblies the Charles W. Jasman #1151 held a raffle and donated $1000.00 to the Veterans Hospital. This was presented to Elizabeth Acheson, who is the Voluntary Services Officer at the Hospital during the Memorial Day Ceremony on May 30, 2008. She said that the money would be used to assist wheelchair bound Veterans. Another project at the Veterans Hospital is the Veterans Memorial Garden and Brick Walkway. If interested in these projects you can contact me for further information and forms. We should show our support to these Veterans who have given so much for our freedom.

The Installation of State Officers will be held Sunday July 13, 2008 at St Anne’s Shrine in Isle LaMotte. 4th Degree members are encouraged to wear their regalia for the Honor Guard, please be present at 11:45 AM, the Mass will start at 12:15PM. I would like to see a nice showing of Sir Knights in Regalia to show our support for our Bishop and the new officers for the coming year.

Vivat Jesus!

Philip Molliter SM

A message from the State Chaplain

Dear Brother Knights,

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on May 30th. Normally this important celebration occurs during the month of June, which is why June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "In June, 1675: during the feast of Corpus Christi, while praying before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Monstrance. Our Lord revealed His Heart to [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque] and said: Here is the heart that has so loved men as to spare nothing for them, exhausting and consuming itself in order to prove its love for them; and in return I receive, from most of them, only ingratitude."

It is from the Sacred Heart that the gift of the Sacraments is born. I am thinking in particular of the ordained Priesthood. God said through the prophet Jeremiah: "I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently." Recognizing the connection between the Sacred Heart and the priesthood, John Paul II declared the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to be the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is nevertheless one divine person. His is the personality of the only Son of God. The priest acts in the person of Christ, and yet his is a thoroughly human personality, which is prone to fail. Each day the priest must try to make his personality conform to Christ. So that as St. Paul says: "I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me." There is then a great need to pray for priests. Perhaps as a council, or a family, or as an individual, you might consider ‘adopting' a priest, spiritually speaking. Secretly pray for his sanctification.

It may be that the fruits of your prayer will only be known in Heaven, but you too will benefit. Consider what occurred at the Last Supper when St. Peter told St. John to ask Jesus about the one who would betray Him. These Twelve Apostles were the first priests, and yet one of them turned out to be a devil, as Jesus had prophesied. Scripture records that at the Last Supper

St. John laid His head alongside the Sacred Heart of Jesus as he posed the question about the betrayer. Judas still sinned against his Lord, but see what happens with St. John: he, out of all the Apostles remains with Jesus, and to him was given the Blessed Mother. He drew close to the Sacred Heart on behalf of another, but was himself strengthened.

The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests falls at the end of May this year, but pray for priests everyday, and most especially during the Month of the Sacred Heart. It is from the hands of the priest that we receive God's forgiveness. It is from the hands of the priest that we receive Christ's precious Body and Blood. Pray for priests that as they bring Christ's love to others, they too will grow in holiness of life.

Vivat Jesus!

Fr. Karl H. Hahr SC

Community Acitivities:

Dear Brother Knights,

The George F. Johnson Council will be hosting the 2008-state golf tournament, at the Montague Golf Club in Randolph VT. In fact, Montague is the longest operating golf course in Vermont. At Montague, the front nine incorporates a tight layout consistent with a mature course. The back nine is more of an open "links-style," as the fairways wind with the sloping land. To complete the Geoffrey Cornish design, the fairways are sandwiched by thick rough and tall heather grass. Keeping the ball in the fairway on the back nine is the strategy for the successful golfer. This combination is a very interesting eighteen holes of golf. Although Montague is not a very long course, these two distinct styles come together as a wonderful test for any golfer.

Since the last State K of C Tournament in 2006, several new tees have been added as well as new sand traps to make the course more of a challenge.

The tournament will be held on Sunday August 24. The day will start with a blessing of the golfers at 12:45 pm. Shotgun start will begin at 1:00 pm. Dinner and prize presentation to follow at Montague.

Montague is conveniently located in Central VT. Just three miles from Exit 4 off 1-89.
The tournament will be played according to scramble format.

There is a limit of 100 players or 25 teams. All players must be Brother Knights.

Applications must be received prior to Aug 1, 2008 and will be processed in an Early Bird Gets the Worm basis.

The cost for this event will be an all-inclusive fee of $65.00 per person or $260.00 per 4-man team.

Questions may be addressed to Stephen Day: (DGK)

(802)-234-5036 {H) : (802)-234-9946 X-1177 (W)

OR email s1day@.aol.com

The George F. Johnson Council appreciates this opportunity to be your hosts and wish you the best of luck.