Council 9924 | Knights of Columbus

Star Council Award

Bob Rinda — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:07:00 GMT

Council 9924 Achieves Star Council Award Once Again At the monthly Council 9924 Membership Meeting on 6/10/2026, Deputy Grand Knight Mark Schafer announced that our council earned the prestigious Star Council Award for 2025-2026, and did so with numbers that even exceeded those from the previous year. Star Awards recognize outstanding achievement in membership, insurance, programming, and overall operations. Earning a Star Award is the marker of a high preforming Knights of Columbus unit and the goal to which every council, district, and assembly should strive. Star Council, Star District and Star Assembly Awards can be earned by completing criteria designed specifically for each division of the Knights of Columbus. Congratulations to all Council 9924 members who worked so hard to achieve these goals. Well deserved!

June 2026 Knight of the Month Award

Bob Rinda — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:22:00 GMT

John Owens Presented with the June 2026 Knight of the Month Award At the June 10th, 2026 Council 9924 Membership Meeting, John Owens (picured above) was presented with the Knight of the Month award by Deputy Grand Knight Mark Schaefer. This is in recognition and appreciation for John taking on the role of communications lead for our Council. Since taking on the communications lead, John has become a much needed liason between our Council and the Parish which has enabled us better coordinate our activities. John has also adopted the Flocknote software to better facilitate email communications to our Council membership for most purposes, such as volunteer requests and dissemination of information from our Grand Knight. Thank you John, for your all you've done since becoming our communication lead.

June 2026 Letter from the Grand Knight - The Cross & Compass

Bob Rinda — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:55:00 GMT

CROSS & COMPASS June 1, 2026 Dear Brothers, Welcome to the June issue of Cross & Compass. On Sunday June 14th we celebrate “Corpus Christi” the most Holy Body & Blood of Christ, and encourages us to reflect on the significance of Christ’s sacrifice and our participation in Holy Communion. Such remembrance brings gratitude, humility, and a deeper understanding of salvation. Sunday June 21st is also the official start of Summer as well as Father’s Day where we give thanks to our Fathers here and grateful for the blessings from our Heavenly Father. The Florida 2026 State Convention was held May 22-25th in Orlando. A big thank-you to Deputy Grand Knight Mark Schaefer who represented Council 9924. Our Council received an award for raising $10,094 through the Tootsie Roll Drive in February. Thank you to Brother Mike Milak and all the volunteers helped Council 9924 finish in the top three for Tootsie Rolls sales at the State Convention. Our Council also finished strong with the KofC State Raffle tickets, thanks to Brother Ron Bowes. Please note, the Officers meeting is scheduled for June 3rd from 9:00am-10:00am in person in the Parish Library. Eric B will connect with the Parish Library via Zoom on the Big Screen. During the summer General Meetings, beginning June 10th, Mark Schaefer, DGK, will lead the meetings in my absence. I trust you will extend to Mark the same respect you have shown me over the past six months. Please visit our website kofc9924.org and click on the Calendar link each month for a complete list of events and activities. June 1st Monday, Parish Bingo 5:30pm (Set-up) 7:00-8:00pm (Bingo) June 7th Sunday, 10:00am Mass William Morris Scholarship Presentations June 3rd Wednesday, KofC Officers Meeting 9:00am-10:00am (Zoom for Summer) June 10th Wednesday, KofC Meeting 5:30pm (Rosary) 6:00pm (Dinner) 6:45pm-8:00pm (Meet) June 14th Sunday, Corpus Christi (The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ) June 21st Sunday, Fathers Day & First Day of Summer June 27th & 28th Saturday & Sunday, Food Collection 40 minutes before all Masses Vivat Jesus, Eric Bisighini, Grand Knight Council 9924

Council 9924 Member Anniversaries for May, 2026

Bob Rinda — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:55:00 GMT

Name Years of Service Ronald Bowes 30 Michael Cleary 5 Leonard Danielewicz 12 Jeffrey Drop 38 Saji Ellickal 9 John Finn 26 Edmund Guszkowski 20 Paul Krause 15 Mark Piazza 2 Richard Sheldon 6 Gary Tessitore 30

Council 9924 Member Birthdays for June 2026

Bob Rinda — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:06:00 GMT

Name Richard Anderson James Bosley William Cossaboon Mark Debaene Larry Fasciano Anthony Giardullo Frank Guglietta Patrick Hilbrich Janusz Jancarz Edmund Jones Joseph Maguire Stephen Marrone Frank Mayle Alfred Miller George Moesch John Owens Walter Pannone Joseph Pustizzi David Russell David Schwartz Arthur Sech Peter Spagnuolo Vic Springer William Tarr Charles Woodrum "Hoping your birthday brings you many happy reasons to celebrate!"

The Abundant Life Award for Council 9924

Bob Rinda — Sun, 31 May 2026 18:54:00 GMT

Abundant Life Award Presented to our Council by Pregnancy Solutions The Abundant Life Award was presented to John Yaglenski (above, center) by Pregnancy Solutions on behalf of the Knights of Columbus Council 9924 for our ongoing support for the "Culture of Life." John, who is our council's Respect Life Committee lead, is accompanied by our Grand Knight, Eric Bisigihini (above, left) and Dave Tura (above, right) who is the chairman of our council's annual Circle of Life Charity Golf Tournament fundraiser which benefits Pregnancy Solutions and other local area Respect Life Charities. Thank you to all those in our council for continuing to support the "Culture of Life" with your time, treasure and talents.

May 2026 Knight of the Month Award

Bob Rinda — Sun, 31 May 2026 17:18:00 GMT

Bill Szyper Presented with the May 2026 Knight of the Month Award At the May 13th, 2026 Council 9924 Membership Meeting Bill Szyper (above, left) was presented with the Knight of the Month award by Grand Knight Eric Bisighini (above, right). This is in recognition and appreciation for his willingness and efforts to assume the role of our council's Financial Secretary on an interim basis. This is the second time in the past couple years that Bill has stepped up to fill this role in our time of need. On both occasions it has been under very difficult circumstances. Thank you, Bill, for your outstanding dedication to our council.

2025-2026 Knight of the Year Award

Bob Rinda — Sun, 31 May 2026 15:38:00 GMT

Council 9924 Grand Knight Eric Bishigini presents Steve Vacca the '25-'26 Knight of the Year Award At the May 13th Council 9924 Meeting, Grand Knight Eric Bishigini (above, right) presented SK Steve Vacca (above, left) with the prestigious Knight of the Year award for assuming the role of our council's Membership Chairman and for his success in running the Fall and Winter Recruiting Drives in that capacity. As a result of his efforts, 12 new members have been exemplified in the past 4 months, and planning for the next Recruitng Drive and Exemplification is currently in the works. gThank you, Steve, for your valuable contribution to our council. The honor of your being presented with this award is well deserved!

The Impact of Technology on Human Relationships

Bob Rinda — Sat, 30 May 2026 23:56:00 GMT

The Impact of Technology on Human Relationships By Ray Ross (Respect Life Team) Earlier this month the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) published a detailed report entitled, The Impact of Digital Technology on Human Relationships: How Smartphones, Social Media, Pornography and AI Chatbots Threaten Sex, Marriage, and Fertility. The report was written by Clare Morell and Chloe Lawrence. I urge you to read the full report ==> here. <== Because of the length of the report, I’m going to discuss the first part of the report this month, and the rest of the report next month. As we know from my earlier articles, the birth rates and fertility rates in the U.S. are down significantly and getting worse. We also know that marriage rates are dropping sharply due to co-habitation and a host of other factors. The average time young people spend with friends has gone from 12 hours a week in 2010 to 5.1 hours in 2024. Young people are spending their time engaged with their smart phones, social media, pornography and gaming. As a result, they are not learning the social skills needed to form lasting relationships. How often have we seen a young couple out on a date not talking with one another but looking at their phones. “The reality today is that people’s lives are flooded with digital distractions that offer alternatives for the comfort and connection people desire from human relationships…” A major impact on human relationships has been the increased access to pornography which has “damaged the human brain, sexual satisfaction, sexual function, and human relationships.” A 2023 study found that 73% of teens between 13 – 17 have watched pornography online and 54% of those said they first watched pornography before the age of 13. I remember leaving a party a few years ago behind a mother and her 12-year-old son and he mentioned an X rated series that was playing on HBO. His mother told him he would never watch that series in her house and his response was I’ve watched every episode for the last year on my X-box. The authors point out that pornography causes spikes in dopamine in the brain and that these spikes, like drug usage, are addictive. Worse yet, pornography users need more viewing as they get increasingly desensitized and need more viewing to get the same level of dopamine hit. This results in significant changes in brain structural formation, but other physiological changes occur as well over time. Many male users suffer from erectile dysfunction well before the age of 50. Hormonal changes often occur in both men and women. This leads to less pleasure from and less desire for normal sexual and romantic relationships and a “growing compulsion to view pornography, which perpetuates the vicious cycle.” What is the societal impact of this pornography consumption? Adults often fail to enter into meaningful relationships, there is less marriage formation, those in relationships often breakup, there is significant relationship dissatisfaction, marriages end in divorce, sperm rates and fertility are affected for those couples that want to have children, children are impacted when there is a divorce. This has become a huge threat to the American family. Worse yet, AI further threatens to exacerbate an already terrible situation. I’ll cover the AI pornography apocalypse next month in part 2.

Food Collection Results - May 2026

Bob Rinda — Wed, 20 May 2026 15:26:00 GMT

May 27th & May 28th Collection Results: $1,946 Cash Approximately 2,100 Pounds of Food Thanks to all the donors, and to our Brother Knights who volunteered!

Poll: A Majority of Americans Continue to Support Legal Limits on Abortion

Engage Software — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:54:00 GMT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The 2026 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll results, released today, show that 64% of Americans support placing legal limits on abortion, and that 57% support limiting abortions to at most the first three months of pregnancy. This survey, conducted by the Marist Poll and commissioned annually by the Knights of Columbus, also found that 84% of Americans support pregnancy resource centers, which offer support to mothers both during their pregnancy and after their baby is born. Additionally, the poll found that 63% of Americans believe healthcare professionals with religious objections to abortions should not be legally required to perform them, while 88% of Americans believe that laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child. “Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus of opinion on this issue among Americans. Americans believe abortion should be limited yet include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” says Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of the Marist Poll. “Despite the changes in practice that have occurred since the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision, public opinion has remained consistent.” “Once again, most Americans are steadfast in their belief that abortion should be significantly limited yet laws should include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” says Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of the Marist Poll. “This clear trend found in the annual Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll has continued, nearly two years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision.” “The Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll continues to show that a majority of Americans support legal restrictions on abortion. At the same time, a growing majority support pregnancy resource centers, which provide assistance to mothers and their children in their time of greatest need,” said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. He continued, “The Knights have supported vulnerable women and their children since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney more than 140 years ago, and our commitment has never wavered. And now, we’re guided by the encouraging words of Pope Leo XIV, who recently mentioned in his “State of the World” address, ‘life is a priceless gift,’ and that, as Catholics, we have a ‘fundamental ethical imperative’ to ‘welcome and fully care for unborn life.’ The Knights of Columbus’ mission will continue to be guided by these principles until abortion becomes unthinkable.” Knights across the United States and Canada have raised more than $19 million to support vital pregnancy resource centers through our ASAP, or Aid and Support After Pregnancy program. Knights have also funded the purchase of over 2,000 ultrasound machines, which empower vulnerable mothers to see their unborn babies. For more information, please visit kofc.org/polls.

Pope Leo XIV Receives K of C Board of Directors on Pilgrimage

Engage Software — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:53:00 GMT

Pope Leo XIV received in private audience the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors Oct. 6 and commended the Order’s charitable work, including “efforts to uphold the sanctity of human life in all of its stages.” The audience took place in the Sala del Concistoro (Hall of the Consistory) of the Vatican Apostolic Palace during the board’s pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee Year of Hope. “Through a variety of initiatives undertaken by local councils,” Pope Leo said, “you and your brother Knights also seek to bring the compassion and love of the Lord into your local communities, including through your efforts to uphold the sanctity of human life in all of its stages, to assist victims of war and natural disasters, and also to support priestly vocations.” The Holy Father expressed his gratitude to the Knights of Columbus for its role in restoring two 17th-century works by Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini in St. Peter’s Basilica: the iconic baldacchino and the gilt bronze monument containing the Chair of St. Peter. The monthslong cleaning and preservation projects, underwritten by the Order, were undertaken by the Fabbrica di San Pietro in 2024 in anticipation of the Jubilee Year. “These masterpieces help all who look upon them to contemplate two of the principal tenets of our faith: the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the pope as successor of Peter, who unites and guides the Church,” Pope Leo said. “I would like to express profound gratitude to the Knights of Columbus for your generosity in making these projects possible. They are a visible sign of your continued devotion to the Vicar of Christ,” he added, noting the millions of pilgrims who would see the restored masterpieces over the course of the Jubilee Year. Pope Leo XIV meets with Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore before the Oct. 6 audience. (Photo by Vatican Media) Pope Leo further noted, “Throughout its history, the Order has supported the charitable work of the Roman pontiff in a variety of ways,” enabling him “to express solidarity with the poor and most vulnerable throughout the world.” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori met privately with the U.S.-born Pope Leo for the first time on July 4. During that meeting, they pledged the Order’s loyalty to the new pontiff and provided an overview of the activities of the Knights of Columbus. The supreme knight and supreme chaplain again met with Pope Leo shortly before the Oct. 6 audience with the board of directors. In addition to discussing K of C initiatives and sharing about their recent visit to the Holy Land, Supreme Knight Kelly presented the Holy Father with a bound copy of personal petitions submitted during the Order’s novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The novena, which was prayed for the intentions of the newly elected pontiff, began June 19, the anniversary of Pope Leo’s ordination as a priest. The supreme knight also presented a calligraphed copy of a resolution in honor of the Holy Father, adopted by the delegates to the 143rd Supreme Convention in August. “It was a wonderful meeting where we were able to express our thanks to him and what he means to us,” said Supreme Knight Kelly in an interview with Vatican News following the pope’s Oct. 6 audience with the board. “We were honored that he expressed his gratitude to the Knights of Columbus and the works that we do to support the Church, to support the Vatican and to support human life.”

Papal Video Greeting to Knights’ Annual Convention

Engage Software — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:51:00 GMT

Dear friends, I am pleased to greet all of you gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 143rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. I also greet those who are participating virtually in these opening ceremonies. You are meeting during the Jubilee Year of Hope, which encourages the Universal Church, and indeed the entire world, to reflect on this essential virtue, which Pope Francis described as “the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring” (Spes Non Confundit, 1). I’d like to reflect briefly with you on this important virtue. As Catholics, we know that the source of our hope is Jesus Christ and he has sent his followers in every age to bring the good news of his saving Paschal Mystery to the entire world. The Church has always been called to be a sign of hope through the proclamation of the Gospel in words as well as in actions. In a particular way during this Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind. Your founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, understood this well. He saw the many needs of immigrant Catholics and sought to bring relief to the poor and suffering through his faithful celebration of the sacraments as well as through fraternal assistance, fraternal assistance which continues on to this day. This year’s Convention has the timely theme of “Heralds of Hope,” reminding all Knights of Columbus of the invitation to be signs of hope in your local communities, parishes, and families. In this regard, I commend your efforts to bring together men in your communities for prayer, formation, and fraternity, as well as the many charitable efforts of your local Councils throughout the world. In particular, your generous service to vulnerable populations, including the unborn, pregnant mothers, children, those who are less fortunate, and those affected by the scourge of war, brings hope and healing to many and continues the noble legacy of your founder. With these brief words, I offer my good wishes for the work of the Supreme Convention, which I entrust to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and to the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney. And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

‘Hardwired for Mission’

Engage Software — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:47:00 GMT

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly delivered opening remarks and participated in a panel discussion at the inaugural Symposium on Young American Men, held Nov. 3 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The daylong symposium, organized by the Lafayette Company, was a bipartisan gathering of lawmakers, researchers and leaders of men’s organizations convened to address the crisis of isolation and the search for meaning among young men in the United States. “It’s no secret that many young men in America today are struggling,” Supreme Knight Kelly said in his opening remarks. “Plenty of experts, scholars and observers have explored the reasons behind this crisis. At the Knights of Columbus, we’ve encountered the crisis firsthand, and I believe our experience shows a way to help young men move forward.” He noted that since its founding in 1882 by a Catholic priest in New Haven, Connecticut, the Knights of Columbus has united men in faith-based fraternity and helped them find purpose through charitable service. “We are hardwired, as men, for purpose and mission,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “That’s why, last year, our members contributed more than 48 million hours of volunteer service. By serving shoulder to shoulder and making sacrifices to help those in need, men find the meaning they’re looking for.” The supreme knight stressed young men’s need for authentic human connection rather than its digital surrogates. “Many are drowning in the depths of the internet and social media,” he said, noting that many young men are now turning to artificial intelligence and “chatbots” for companionship. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly (right) is pictured beside U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma during the Nov. 3 panel discussion at the National Press Club. (Photo by Matthew Barrick) “These are AI tools that tailor their responses to the emotional needs of the user, and they offer comfort, support and validation — but it’s not real,” he explained. “This isn’t the road to friendship and meaning. It’s the road to further isolation.” To overcome such isolation, Supreme Knight Kelly said, the Knights of Columbus helps men find authentic fraternity centered on their faith and identity in God. He highlighted Cor — Latin for “heart” — the Order’s faith-formation initiative that brings men together in more than 6,000 parishes worldwide. “It connects men with the truth about themselves, their world and their Creator,” he said. “Ultimately, these men grow together as friends, pursuing a life of virtue.” Survey data released in conjunction with the symposium by the polling firm Cygnal found that 48% of Gen Z males have two or fewer friends, with 11% reporting they have no friends at all. Of the 1,000 males ages 16 to 28 who were surveyed, half said they spend more than five hours a day streaming content, using social media, playing video games or engaging in other online recreational activities. Young men who participated in single-sex or coed organizations reported better mental health than their non-affiliated peers, and those who identified as religious were more likely to report stronger well-being than those who did not. In the afternoon, Supreme Knight Kelly took part in a panel discussion titled “The Role of Faith and Civic Institutions in Restoring Male Community,” together with U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma; Larry Wiese, executive director of Kappa Alpha Order; and Michael DeVaul, national director of the YMCA’s Boys and Young Men of Color program. The panel was moderated by Michael Mayer, chief executive of Theta Chi Fraternity and a member of Father M. Joseph McDonnell Council 11044 in Carmel, Indiana. During the panel, the supreme knight emphasized that many young men are seeking an antidote to relativism in organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, which is on pace to welcome 100,000 new members this year. “A lot of young men are coming out of their parents’ relativistic view of life,” he said. “It’s those men who are yearning for more of an institution — and yearning for moorings.” In response to a question about changing attitudes toward organizational membership among Gen Z and millennial men, the supreme knight noted that the Order has expanded its digital presence and adjusted membership requirements to accommodate busy family schedules. Equally important, he said, is what has not changed. “We haven’t changed the fact that we’re a service organization — that we believe, based on our faith in Jesus Christ, that we are in service to others.” While culture changes, Supreme Knight Kelly explained, human nature remains fundamentally the same. “The organizing principle of the person,” he said, “is the longing for love and the longing to be part of something bigger than yourself.”