Every once in a while when life slows down enough, we try to reflect on what makes us happy. The obvious ones of course include our family, living in southern Alberta and belonging to this community that we are so proud of. We are not just talking about Lethbridge, but our Catholic community, St. Martha’s Parish, and our parish Knights of Columbus Council 9280.
At this time in St Martha’s Parish history we have many young families in our congregation. We are all very busy as we try to balance the demands of life. It is also a time in our life when we are working hard to provide for our families while planning for the future. In today’s world, where often both parents work, trying to find time in our busy schedules, or money to help others, is not always easily done.
We are here to tell you we have found a way to accomplish all these things. The Knights of Columbus Catholic men’s organization is an easy, fulfilling way to meet these needs. We have found that belonging to the Knights of Columbus has been rewarding in many ways. We have met a group of men with similar values who we now proudly call our friends. Being part of this group we are able to help others with minimal individual effort. As the saying goes “many hands make light work.” There are also many fraternal benefits of just being a member that helps to protect our loved ones in times of crisis. Even if you can only give a few hours a year the benefits of being a Knight cannot be ignored.
As a group our council routinely gives to others through service, money and prayers. We have provided support to a number of university & college students who are part of the University & College Catholic community, and to our Youth through scholarships & school awards. In addition, we have donated significant sums to St Martha’s Youth Ministry Program, and St Martha’s Parish, including Father Sal’s Benevolent Fund. We have also donated to a large number of other Church & other charitable causes in the Lethbridge Community.Alone we could not afford to do this but as a Knight of council 9280 we helped raise these funds and it sure felt good to donate them to help others.
As a Knight, we believe:
1. In CHARITY – Being a not for profit organization we fundraise through fun events. For example, a Grey Cup party, pancake breakfast after Sunday mass, & the Lethbridge Air show to name a few. The profits go to help support others as the need arises.
2. In UNITY – In unity of our members, our families and our community. We sponsor family based events so volunteer time is actually family time.
3. In FRATERNITY – We stand proudly together as we build a better community while we strengthen our values as Brother Knights, fathers, husbands and families.
4. In PATRIOTISM – We have raised funds for wounded Canadian troops and sent care packages to Canadian soldiers. This helps us to feel good and makes us proud of who we are.
We have a general membership meeting once a month that is not mandatory to attend. We also have a family social generally on the third Friday of each month for a potluck supper. The social goes from 5-7:30 in our hall at the church. The hot dish is provided by the council. Desserts and salads are potluck. Generally we do not meet in July or August when school is out. The commitment here is low but the personal and spiritual rewards are incredibly fulfilling.
Along with our brother Knights of council 9280, we would like to personally invite all the Catholic men of our parish ages 18 or older to consider being part of our council. Our council’s direction is to involve ourselves in family oriented events so our loved ones can be with us. We have begun to attract younger members, including University students, but would love to see these numbers continue to grow. We would like to ask you to discuss the benefits with another member of the Knights of Columbus and especially your significant other.
There is much more to the Knights of Columbus then what we have described here. More information is a phone call away.
