Mid-Island Council #3842
Knights of Columbus
P.O. Box 426
Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5L3 Canada
Annual March for Life, Victoria, B.C., May 9, 2024
Most Rev. Gary Gordon, Bishop of Victoria, speaks at the Mass.
Approximately 1500-2000 people gathered on a beautiful, warm spring day in Victoria, BC for the Annual Western Canada "March for Life". The event began at 12:00 noon at St. Andrew's Cathedral with a Mass presided by Bishop of Victoria, Gary Gordon and concelebrated by seven priests. The marchers assembled at Centennial Square, and from there began their trek down Government St. at 1;45 pm with banners and hundreds of "Love life - Choose Life" posters. As in past years, the crowd included men, women and children from all walks of life and from many corners of our province. The march took about 30 minutes to reach the Legislature. Six excellent speakers addressed the crowds. Bishop Gary Gordon, was the first to speak and was followed by Brittany Garisto, Amanda Achtman, Fr. Larry Lynn, Alex Schadenberg, and Pastor Jack Schoeman leading the closing prayer . This year’s national theme was I will never forget you — a call for all of us never to forget the most vulnerable in our society, the child in the womb, the hungry and starving, those suffering famine and war, the sick, and the elderly. Each speaker in turn, in his or her own way, exhorted the crowd to work toward exactly that end, by keep spreading the pro-life message and to support life from in the womb to its natural end.
The march at the grounds of the Legislature
Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity
February 25, 2023......
On Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at 5:45 pm, right after the Saturday evening Mass, we conducted our first Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity in St.Peter’s Church. We had three members taking their degrees for our council. (In pictures, l to r) Bros. Dominic Petraroria and Steven Maughen, were new members who took out their on-line membership a few months ago, while Bro. Garnet Gautheir continued his journey to Knighthood taking his 2nd & 3rd degrees.......
D.G.K. Louis Curti invests the new Knights with the Rosary of Our Lady
Brother Knights congratulate the new Brothers
and ...... June 24, 2023
......and on Saturday, June 24, 2023, we, Holy Trinity Council #9990 and our Council, conducted another Exemplification for our district. We had two members taking their degrees, one member for each of our councils. Bro. Joseph Clemotte became a member of our council, while Bro. Ian Halowaty joined Holy Trinity Council. We are especially pleased that the Degree Team was a joint effort, made up of members from both of our councils.
G.K. Dan Bossert invests Bro. Joseph with the pin of the Order while Bro. Ian Halowaty looks on.
Bros. Joseph and Ian, with Bro Jim Loftus in the middle, display their certificates.
and again...... January 27, 2024
...... we conducted yet another Exemplification for our district at Holy Trinity Church. We had two members taking their degrees for our council, (in picture, l to r with our G.K. Lou Curti in the middle) Bros. Bernard Vilad and Casey Bartlett. Both had taken out their on-line memberships a few months ago. Bro. Neil Fernandes was initiated for Holy Trinity Council #9990, while Bro. Corbett Rushton, also for Holy Trinity Council, continued his journey to Knighthood taking his 2nd & 3rd degrees.
We thank the members of the Degree Teams for putting on the Exemplifications with such great dignity and inspiration. Thank you also to Frs. Harrison and Jozef, all our brothers Knights, their families and friends for coming out and showing their support! We are now happy to welcome our new Brothers to our ranks and wish them many years of happy and fruitful service to and for our council. Welcome Bros. Dominic, Steven, Garnet, Joseph Bernard, and Casey!
Our School Pancake Breakfast Program
Over the last 20 years, our Council has prepared and served pancake breakfasts to 3-5 elementary schools annually, feeding at each event anywhere between 250-400 students, teachers, and some times even parents. During 2022 we served 5 schools. On Jan. 24, 2023, we were at Georgia Avenue School where thirteen of our brother Knights and a special friend, Gilles Brouard, came together and worked: (l. to r. in picture) Barry Webb, Brian King, Greg Large, Lou Curti, Dominic Petraroia, Tony Bucar, Gilles Brouard, Randy Wilkes, Steven Maughan, Ed Campbell, Jim Cassino, Dan DePape, and (not pictured) Hans Fadum. They arrived as early as 7:00 in the morning to set up and get everything ready. The hot delicious pancakes and sausages were thoroughly enjoyed by all as was evident by the many happy and smiling faces, and above all, by the many children who returned multiple times for "second' helpings!
What is Bro. Brian up to with fork & knife in his hands??
Is he really working or just feasting??
And those gloves and mask really will not work; we know exactly who is after those sausages -- right Bro. Steven?!
As always, this was a very gratifying experience for all the Brothers involved, especially with the realization and knowledge that at least on this one day, and indeed on every other pancake day, they make a real difference in the lives of theses children. With the grateful financial support of the provincial Gaming Commission, we hope to be able to continue this program for many years to come. Thank you very much Brothers!
Annual Baby Shower for local Pregnancy Centre
We hosted our 15th Annual Baby Shower during January 2024. The program aims to raise funds and collect donations of various baby supplies and clothes for our local pregnancy centre. A baby crib is set up in St.Peter’s Church foyer and used to collect the donations. In addition, envelops are made available for monetary contributions. All items are then presented to the Nanaimo Crossroads Pregnancy Centre, who sorts, stores, and distributes them. Year after year parishioners respond with great generosity! In the picture, Bros. Randy Wilkes and Brian King present the donations of our campaign to Noreen MacLeod, Director of the Centre. The many items included formula, brand new items, used items (8 bins full!), a blender, high chair, and diapers. The Centre sorted them and provided us an estimate value of an incredible $4,161. In addition, $1,300 in cash was collected and presented on behalf of our Council from our very generous parishioners. And finally to top it all off, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office, through its Aid and Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) Program, contributed another $400 directly to the Centre. We extend our very sincere thanks to all parishioners who contribute so generously year after year, and to Bro. Randy Wilkes and Brian King for continuing to organize and manage the project so well. The Pregnancy Centre, on its part, is always extremely grateful for our contribution and continued support.
Fun Day at Park Avenue School, May 27, 2023
For more pictures, please visit the “Gallery” page.
As on two previous occasions, we were excited to participate again in Park Avenue School’s Fun Day fund raiser this year. On Saturday, May 27, 2023, eleven of our brother Knights helped in this bi-annual event. For about 6 hours, (in picture, l to r) Bros. Steven Maughan, Ed Campbell, Randy Wilkes, Garnet Gauthier, Barry Webb, Dan DePape, Dan Bossert, Dominic Petraroia, Jim Cassino, Greg Large, and Hans Fadum worked along a large number of parents and teachers providing various fun activities for the children. While Bros. Ed, Hans, Steven, and Garnet served and “punched” the tickets for the drinks and snacks; Bros. Dominic, Greg, and Dan Bossert, punched the tickets and prepared the buns for the hamburgers and hot dogs; and finally and most importantly, Bros. Dan DePape, Jim, Randy, and Barry were in charge of the barbeques! By all accounts, the day was a great succuss, judging by the many happy and excited children! Well done, Brothers.
(Italic narrative taken from: Knights of Columbus, Charities, Coats for Kids web page, at www.kofc.org)
“When families struggle to clothe their children with warm coats in the winter, Knights of Columbus councils help meet this basic need with the Coats for Kids program. As part of the Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Coats for Kids allows councils across North America to purchase new winter coats for children at a discount and to distribute them to children in need in their local communities.
Since the program’s launching in 2009, more than 310,000 coats have been distributed in 49 states and all 10 Canadian provinces. In winter 2016 alone, the Knights of Columbus distributed 78,576 coats in 1,600 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, including events at military bases, in Native American communities, at inner-city neighborhoods and through partnerships with local police and fire departments...
[As for example,] in Connecticut 4,680 coats were distributed during the 2015-16 fraternal in 35 communities. At another Coats for Kids event, this time on the Monday prior to Super Bowl L, more than 270 students at Our Lady of the Visitation school in San Francisco received new coats. California Knights of Columbus and representatives from the Supreme Council headquarters joined Football Hall of Famers Anthony Muñoz (Cincinnati Bengals) and Dave Casper (Oakland Raiders), Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio and his wife Linda, and several current NFL players and coaches to distribute the coats to the students at the Catholic grammar school...
These are just some of the thousands of activities that the Knights of Columbus members regularly conduct in their communities to help those in need…”
We are proud to add our council to that list. Through a very generous anonymous donation to our Council, we were able to purchase 12 boys and 12 girls coats for both Bayview and Park Avenue schools. In the top picture, our Worthy G.K. Greg Large presents the coats to Kevin Brand, principal, & Michelle Swecera, Community School Coordinator, of Bayview School; and in the picture below, he presents the coats to R. Dhillon, principal of Park Avenue School.........
Coats for Kids, Nov. 2017 .......
and.......Coats for Kids, Dec. 2018
In December 2018, our council and brother council, Holy Trinity#9990, joined forces to purchase 48 more coats for the children of the Ahousaht First Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island. On Sunday December 16, G.K. Greg Large and Bro. Tony Bucar joined G.K. Aurel Muego and Bro. Mick Brzoza of Holy Trinity Council loading four large boxes of coats into a truck and headed for Port Alberni to meet up with Sisters Janet Byron & Lilia Samaniego along with D.D. Glenn Wynans. As soon as the weather will again be safe for crossings from Tofino to Ahousaht, the Sisters will assist in the distribution of these coats. Ahousaht, also spelled Ahousat, is the principal settlement on Flores Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Accessible only by water or air, Ahousaht is a small community predominantly composed of First Nations people from the Nuu-chah-nulth nation.
In the picture, Bro. Tony Bucar (left) and G.K. Greg Large present the coats to the Sisters.
