Waconia K of C Council #2506 Programs

Faith in Action Report 2021 - 2022
Faith

Seminarian Program: Refund Support Vocation Program (RSVP) keeping the faith alive by supporting our seminarians and postulants. As the strong right arm of the church, Knights of Columbus are committed to providing moral, financial, and spiritual support to our future priests and religious at all stages of their formation. We also provide our “adopted” seminarian or religious with moral support and prayers for their success.

Into the Breach: Deepens member and men of the parish’s spirituality and formation to combat the
crisis of religious faith in our world. Into the Breach is a call to battle for Catholic men which urges them to
wholeheartedly embrace masculine virtues in a world at crisis. Study groups are formed to read and view the apostolic exhortation “Into the Breach” and use the Study Guide for facilitating enriching group discussions.

NEW Spiritual Reflection: This program provides an opportunity to grow in faith. The events can include council members, men of the parish, or entire families. Small groups, mini retreats, or a day of reflection are organized to facilitate spiritual growth and renewal.

Building Domestic Church Kiosk: Helping to strengthen our church and families by providing exceptional religious education materials to all Catholics. The kiosk in the church narthex contains engaging, faith-based literature and is available for free to members, parishioners, and the general public.

Columbus Day Mass and Dinner: The Knights celebrate Columbus Day mass together at St Joes Catholic Community on the Saturday closest to Columbus Day followed by a gathering at the Legion Club for a steak dinner. This group activity reflects the core values of the Knights. We’re men of faith that are called to bring our families together to celebrate mass then share fellowship together as a group. Embracing opportunities to share our faith together through fellowship and service is what we do and have fun along the way!

NEW Sacramental Gifts: The sacraments stand as the most significant events in the life of the domestic church. The Knights of Columbus are there to support and embrace our parish families at these essential moments of encounter with Christ. Our Council will play an integral role in these momentous faith events and the lives of our families and parish community through prayer and the presentation of symbolic gifts. As children and adult members become more integrated into the life of the church and their parish, they should know that members of the Knights of Columbus will always be present in a tangible and meaningful way.

Family

KC Fun Fest: This summer picnic is held the first Sunday in August for all families of the parish and community. Admission and activities are FREE! Activities are for all ages and include Pre-school Age Activities, Kickball or Baseball for Elementary Age and Up, Volleyball for Middle School Age and Up & Cornhole Tournament for Middle School Age and Up! Food and beverages available for purchase.

NEW Consecration to the Holy Family: Designed to strengthen families and revitalize our parish. To help families live out the joy of Christ, supreme Chaplain archbishop William Lori has composed a prayer through which families come together to consecrate themselves under the protection of the Holy Family. In this prayer, we ask for the aid or intercession of the perfect son Jesus Christ, Mary the perfect mother, and Joseph who is a model for every father. Seeking to strengthen families and revitalize our parish, our council will guide our parish and community to understand and offer this important and impactful prayer. Through this consecration, each participant is consciously choosing to be a beacon of god’s love through his Church.

Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest: Promoting the true spirit of Christmas in our homes, schools, parishes and communities is what we’re called to do in the name of Christ. The Knights of Columbus offers multiple activities that promote Christmas and the season of advent in their proper context. The Keep Christ in Christmas (KCiC) poster contest encourages our children and neighbors to shift from a preoccupation with materialism to the light of Christ and the spirit of giving. Participants range from grades K-8.

Food for Families/Food Shelf: The goal of Food for Families is to ensure that as few as possible go to bed hungry each night. Many in our community are struggling through hardship and unable to provide food for their families. The Knights of Columbus are committed to helping end hunger through the Food for Families program which donates to our local Food Shelf.

Life

Respect Life Pancake Breakfast: This event is typically held the third Sunday of January and is co-sponsored by the Waconia Knights with Trinity Lutheran Church. The location alternates between the St Joseph Catholic Community and Trinity Lutheran Church. Free will offerings are welcomed from those attending. Proceeds from the event go to support local organizations support life of the unborn such as Enkrateia: House of Hope and Southwest Options for Women.

Pregnancy Center Support: Change the hearts and minds of society about abortion by showing that we love both mother and child before and after birth. With our aid, pregnancy centers can offer support to help them choose life. Our Council provides financial support to pro-life pregnancy centers that help pregnant women during pregnancy and following the birth of their newborn children. Our Council has adopted the Southwest Options for Women and Enkrateia: House of Hope providing financial and spiritual support throughout the year.

Pro-Life Flags / NEW Novena for Life: The Knights and friends of the Knights place flags next to the church representing a child who has been aborted. This event typically occurs the third Friday of October. There are over 2300 flags placed, which is the number of abortions that occur every day in the U.S. We will lead our community in the spiritual fight to establish a culture of life promoting a novena, nine days of sustained prayer, to build up a culture of life in our parish, homes and wider community. Knights and their families will come together in both public and private acts of prayer to promote the protection of life.

Ultrasound Program: The Knights of Columbus help save lives by helping each abortion-minded woman who
visits a pro-life pregnancy care center to choose life by viewing her unborn child on an ultrasound machine.
This initiative is funded by state and local councils and matching grants from the supreme Council’s Culture of life Fund. The Knights of Columbus works together to purchase ultrasound machines for qualifying pregnancy
centers.

Special Olympics / Tootsie Roll Drive: The Knights of Columbus has a unique partnership with the Special Olympics and has helped disabled athletes train for and compete in games around the world. The Knights support the “Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities” by collecting donations. For every donation, each donor is offered a piece of candy by the Knight present, most commonly a Tootsie Roll. Because of these little gifts of appreciation, the “Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities” has frequently referred to as the “Tootsie Roll Drive.”

Community

Free Throw Contest: The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is for boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 14 and provides an athletic outlet to encourage the values of sportsmanship and healthy competition. Kids compete within their own gender and age and progress from local level to district, regional and state/province competitions. This program is typically held the 2nd Sunday of January.

Fish Fry: The Knights of Columbus Fish Fry is our largest fund raiser starting the first Friday of Lent serving the entire community. The KC Fish Fry provides a non-meat option for the community committed to fasting during Lent, brings the parish together outside of Sunday gatherings, and raises money for causes close to the hearts of our local Council, such as pregnancy center support, nursing homes, and supporting seminarians. The Fish Fries are held from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Fridays during Lent except Good Friday. Takeout and Dine-In are at the St Joseph School Commons at 41 E 1st St, Waconia, MN 55387.

Helping Hands Thanksgiving Turkey and Fixings: The Knights provide helping hands for the Thanksgiving Meal hosted at St. Joseph Church and coordinated by Love INC along with several local churches in Waconia. The Knights work side by side with other volunteers who collect donated food, package the food items, and deliver the food to families throughout our community. The entire group of volunteers releases lots of joy in a concerted effort to serve over 100 local families.

Waconia Faith in Action Blood Drive: The Knights of Columbus co-coordinate the Waconia Faith in Action Blood Drive in partnership with North Memorial Blood Center the first Monday in March. Spanning multiple faith-based organizations in Waconia and the surrounding area, we are focused on leaving no neighbor behind by giving life by giving blood. This voluntary donation program encourages people to care for one another and promotes community service through people helping those in need of blood.

NEW Soccer Challenge: The Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge is for boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 14 and provides an athletic outlet to encourage the values of sportsmanship and healthy competition.
Children demonstrate the most important skill in soccer — shooting accuracy on the penalty kick — and compete to reach the international level of competition. This program will be held in conjunction with the KC Fun Fest the first Sunday in August.

Helping Hands Gifts for Troops: The Knights in partnership with the Masonic Lodge and Lions Club support “Gifts for the Troops” by filling and delivering packages to soldiers oversees. The Knights donate to support this program for the troops that serve all of us. The packages are filled at the Waconia American Legion in November and contain candy, cookies, and small gifts.

Waconia K of C Council #2506 Programs

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