This Council Is Doing More Than You Think
Brother Knights,
Sometimes I think we forget how much good this council is actually doing. We are not just holding meetings and having breakfast once a month. We are serving people, supporting good causes, helping our parish, and building real brotherhood along the way.
Here is just a small list of what our council has done and the charities and causes we support:
- Fed 200 homeless men and women at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in downtown Detroit and at The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
- Made 60 lunches for Elli’s House, which helps women rescued from sex trafficking rebuild their lives
- Supported Mary’s Mantle, helping single pregnant women with housing and support so they can keep and care for their babies
- Fed 16 retired priests at the clergy retirement village at Madonna University
- Participated in Jennathon, cooking breakfast for a Troy High School fundraiser benefiting children facing life-threatening illnesses
- Collected and distributed Coats for Kids
- Organized food drives
- Organized clothing drives
- Held diaper drives
- Supported Special Olympics
- Hosted our monthly buffet breakfasts
- Gathered families and parishioners for our St. John Bonfire
- Supported the Heart of Christ Clinic, which provides free medical care in Detroit
- Took on the project of helping design and build a new outdoor Nativity for St. Anastasia
And that is only part of what we do.
There is no shortage of opportunities to get involved, and nobody is asking you to do all of them. Pick something that means something to you. Maybe it is feeding the homeless. Maybe it is helping pregnant mothers, supporting people with disabilities, helping our parish, cooking breakfast, working on the Nativity, or simply showing up when your Brother Knights need another pair of hands.
Just choose one thing.
And while you are doing it, think about one good Catholic man you know who should be standing beside you. Bring him along. Let him see what the Knights actually do instead of trying to explain it to him.
We also need to think about the future of this council. Our membership is getting older, and if we want this council to be strong 10, 15, and 20 years from now, we need to intentionally reach younger Catholic men, especially men in their 30s and 40s who are raising families and looking for faith, friendship, and a meaningful way to serve.
I am doing my part by personally inviting younger men, but this cannot be one person’s job. Think about the younger fathers you know, the men you see at Mass with their children, your sons, nephews, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Those are the men who can become the future leaders of this council.
Service is one of the best recruiting tools we have because once a man sees the work, the fellowship, and the difference we are making, he understands what the Knights of Columbus is really about.
Pick one thing. Bring one man. Let’s keep building this council together.
Vivat Jesus!
Ed Bahoura
Grand Knight & That Man Is You (TMIY) Men’s Group Leader