In 2003, the Knights of Columbus began participating in the Global Wheelchair Mission and sponsored 2,000 wheelchairs to be distributed in Afghanistan. Since then, Knights in the U.S. and Canada have sponsored the distribution of some 20,000 wheelchairs in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, the United States and Viet Nam.

In short it is an organization that the Knights of Columbus has teamed up with to help bring wheelchairs to those who lack freedom of mobility.

Question regarding Newsletter

Question: How many pages does it require for us to declare that we have a newsletter

Answer: The newsletter can be a one page report from the Grand Knight to the membership to keep a monthly record of what has been done or monthly events that will take place.

Question: Do we send copies of newsletters to the State Service Program Director.

Answer: The only time that copies are sent to any of the eight State Directors is if the report form asks for copies to be sent with the report.

I am happy with all the State Service Program Directors. All of you are committed and anxious to do right by the councils.

Gilbert

Question: We voted at our last council meeting to donate $200.00 for the Ultrasound project, however we do not have an address or point of contact at the state level where the funds need to be sent.

Answer: Make the check out to NMSC. In the memo area put Ultra Sound Machine and mail the check to Peter Quichocho, State Secretary 7207 Milan Hills Rd., NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144-0842. Also don't forget to claim the points on the Pro-Life Service Program Report.

Question regarding blank report forms

Question: Should a council submit a blank form for any program where the council does not have any activities to report for the month?

Answer: If no program activity was held for the month that is being reported, the council may submit a signed blank report form showing that no activities were held that month. The State Service Program Director will allow 100 points for that month.

Vivat Jesu!

Gilbert R. Perez
State Program Director

Regarding the Church/Vocations Service Report Form:

I have researched the first and second questions, which can be found below following my lengthy recitation. I have to be honest with the Brothers and admit that the first question would also apply to our council as we also attend the First Saturday Rosary that brought up the question to begin with. The rosary is recited at Saint Genevieve Church where our council is located. The rosary was first started by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and Council 1226 and Council 13969 decided to support them by our attendance at the rosary. Now to get to the intent of First Friday Devotions and First Saturday Devotions. The Catholic Church is following the request of our Lord, Jesus Christ and our Mother Mary. The following can be obtained by going to Google, type First Friday Devotion requirements, then click on First Friday Devotion and First Saturday Devotion.

Question: Item 1 in RPT Form: My council does not have a First Friday Devotion. We do have a First Saturday Rosary Devotion to the Blessed Mother. May I claim the 100 points for this activity?

Answer: First Fridays: In 1675, Our Lord appeared 'out of a monstrance' before Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque...Our Lord said: "The all powerful love of my Heart will grant to those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance." The Church further states "Those who honor Our Lord in His Sacred Heart by attending Mass and receiving Communion for nine consecutive First Fridays would receive many graces from the Heart of Jesus and would not die without receiving the Sacraments."

First Saturdays: The promise made by Our Lady to Lucia at Fatima on July 13, 1917, that there would be a future manifestation concerning the five First Saturdays, was fulfilled on December 10, 1925...She addressed Lucia as follows: "Look, my daughter, at my heart encircled with thorns, with which ungrateful men wound it every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Give me consolation, you, at least; and announce for me that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all who on the first Saturday of five consecutive month confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to me."

Based on this, it is my opinion that reciting the rosary alone on the First Saturday does not meet the intent of the First Friday Devotions under Part II, item 1. of the Church/Vocations Report. Since to my knowledge the First Saturday rosary is not a First Saturday Devotion to include receiving Communion, the substitution would not be valid. The councils can, however, include the First Saturday rosary In Part III for 25 points. This can also be included as a Family Activity Part III if the family or families attend the First Saturday rosary.

Question: Item 9 in RPT Form: My council has eleven (11) Parish Round Tables and growing. Do I have to report all of them in the July RPT? Or, may I report and claim additional RT through-out the year? Secondly, do I need a separate report for each RT?

Answer: You are correct in that all 11 Round Table Coordinators can be reported in one month at 200 points per Round Table or can be reported one every month for eleven months with each month receiving 200 points. However, I don't see the benefit to that as the points received in total will be 2200 points for the Fraternal Year either way. In researching the Form 2629, page 7 of the Supreme Council Report Forms Booklet, the form allows up to nine (9) Round Table Coordinators to be reported in one form. The councils do not need to submit a separate Form 2629 for each Round Table Coordinator. That is not the case with the Form 2630, which can be found on page 25 of the Supreme Council Report Forms Booklet. That Form requires a separate entry for each one of the Round Tables. We need to keep in mind that the Form 2629 refers to the Round Table Coordinators and Form 2630 refers to the Round Tables. Note: If a Form 2630 signed by each one of the Pastors at the end of the year is not submitted with the coordinator's and pastor's signatures, then the Form 2629 becomes suspect, but we are Catholic gentlemen!

In Conclusion: I have copied all the State Service Program Directors, our State Deputy, State Executive Assistant and our two Supreme Representatives, which we are blessed to have in the State. I always believe in keeping everyone in the loop in case I have missed something and I need to be corrected. I know that if I am wrong, someone will correct me! :-D

Brothers, I understand that we are all on a learning curve, so I am going to make this request. In the future, when questions come to you from Councils regarding the Forms, please forward the question(s) to me so that I can do some research. I will then send my reply to the council(s), copy all of you and submit an abbreviated question and answer to the State Council Webmaster, Brother Larry Kolker, to be entered into the question and answer link. By doing this, I will be the only one getting in trouble with the councils, you are the good guys. Some of the questions may affect other reports in some way and I need to make sure that we are all on the same page. The evenhanded application regarding points for all the councils is very important to me. As you can see I won't agree to giving our council 13969 any slack with the First Saturday rosary even though, at first, I was tempted to agree with the response given to council 1226.

God bless you all for the great work that you are doing. I am blessed to have you all assisting me with the task at hand.

Gilbert R. Perez
State Program Director