The Assembly lost a good person, friend, and storyteller. Kai Wing Young left us on December 10, 2023.
Kai was active with the Knights, Assembly, and other events at St. Thomas More Church for many years. He also served as an Eucharistic Minister. Kai volunteered to help, supported programs financially, and participated in all things that were family-centric. His close friends of many years, including Frank Cruz, Dario Sena, and the Heavlin’s enjoyed his company and his warm smile.
Kai was also a consummate storyteller. He would often take the opportunity to share an experience or story about family, his life journey, or adventures. He loved his family and was very close to his wife Amelia and children. His heart was big, warm, and open. He lost his wife a number of years ago to illness, but even at a late year in his life he opened his heart again to Kwai Chun Yung. Now their two families are one.
It is coooold outside and that reminds us that Winter is upon us and Christmas is a time of great wonder and joy. It is time for all Assembly members to dig deep and help the Assembly raise money for HOMELESS VETERANS and DIOCESAN SEMINARIANS.
To put a face on our seminarian support, here is a photo of last year’s class. If you look close you will see our very own Fr. Nicholas Rapkoch. Our seminarians are not paid and a check for a small stipend from our Assembly may be what gets one or more home for the Holidays with their family!
Homeless vets in our area receive warm parkas and personal items gift cards from us. We have been doing this for a number of years and one member benefactor has kick-started our Annual Coats for Homeless Vets fund with $100 and is looking for matching funds or new contributors.
We hold an Annual Assembly Raffle to raise the funds for these important programs. It is how we share the opportunity with our parishioners who might need a little encouragement to donate to our project. They can purchase a raffle ticket for $5.00, but we encourage their generosity by giving them an extra raffle ticket if they buy four tickets for $20.00.
Many of you may feel that you don’t need a raffle ticket. But, as mentioned, we know that most of you would give out of the goodness of your heart for this very important project. You can take the tickets and give one or more to others or place them in your family stockings. Just imagine if your young adult were to win! They would have cash to buy a gift for themselves or a person of choice.
Sorry, we are not mailing tickets out to all members. We are getting smarter and distributing at the Narthex after all masses on the weekends of November 11-12 and December 9-10. Tickets will not be available at the November or December Assembly meetings. They were cancelled.
You can also order day or night online using this QR Code. It is a simple linkup, completion of an order form, and charge to your Visa or MasterCard. We use Square.
Scan the same QR code to make a generous donation, help a friend make a donation, and share the opportunity with family.
The Assembly has but one drive for funds, but our intentions are not to benefit our members. Our annual Christmas Raffle raises funds for two purposes: (1) Provide a stipend of $500.00 to one or more seminarians in our diocese and (2) provide funds to purchase winter coats for area homeless veterans and assist the VA Hospital in Durham with needed items for these men and women.
This has been the annual project for William “Bill” Jackson who continued the VA Homeless Veterans effort after observing firsthand the special needs of area homeless veterans. Bill spent many years as a member of the Durham VA Care Team and we are proud of his drive to make a difference by helping others. Here are a few pictures of Bill Jackson. Can you spot him? In the top two pictures, you will also find Mike Pacilio (top left) and Jim Ferris (top right).
Seminarians have been assisted by the Knights of Columbus and our Assembly for over twenty years through this and a Council fundraising program.
How can you help? Purchasing a raffle ticket is one way and, if you purchase four tickets, we will give you an extra ticket free! If you want to order your raffle ticket now, just scan the QR Code here, select $20 to order a set of five tickets, insert your personal information and complete the transaction. It is a safe way to charge and reserve your tickets. We use Square! Bill Jackson and his team will complete a set of tickets and insert them into the box for you.
We also will accept any free-will gift of cash or a check. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated. Remember, this is to help homeless veterans and diocesan seminarians. Use the QR Code and, if you donate $200.00 or more, the Assembly will send you a receipt for your tax deductions list.
Watch for Bill Jackson and other Knights of the Fourth Degree after all masses on the weekends of November 11-12th and December 9-10th.
We will be in place in the Narthex before the masses too. If you are not in a hurry, come on by and talk with us. Share your personal family story of a Fourth Degree Knight in your family with us. We’ll also gladly share the story of what we do and how a member of your family, male and 18 or over, can become a Knight of Columbus.
This is just one of the many stories about your local Knights of Columbus serving our parish and local communities.
We gathered with the Durham Assembly Knights for a joint dinner and to recognize our parish priests. Knights dressed to impress their wives and family and we all looked really good.
How about you? Did you miss the dinner? We hope you can join us next time and every time the call goes out…”Dear Brother Knight.” Participating in meetings, gatherings, projects, and in all programs and projects of the parish ensures our growth. Take a look at the show below and see what you missed.
Lots and lots of things to share, good conversation, and cold cans of Seagram’s Ginger Ale, made a couple of Brother Knights (Gil and Lee) enjoy a country, small town parade led by our very members carrying “Old Glory.”
Here are pictures for you to see what you missed. The second photo is a short movie of the parade start!
Sir Knights and Brothers, we have settled on the key times for assembling and decorating the float for the Caswell parade. The Assembly will assemble the Knights of Columbus trailer on Friday July 1 at 4 PM.
Please meet us behind the Parish Hall to help put the plywood on the trailer and make any other preparations we can prior to the parade. We need all the help we can get for this short task and we can be done within an hour.
The day of the Parade (Monday, July 4th) we will have the float at the firehouse (7020 Guess Road (just before the intersection of Hwy 57) at 9:00 AM to finish attaching the flags and other decorations. We need lots of hands for this. Also, bring some water with you. We will have some at the end of the parade waiting for us.
How can you get ready for Friday? Here is the list of items needed for this effort from SK Don Williams’ e-mail below with some edits for were we stand. If you got anything listed, please bring it.
“What to bring during prep and day of:”
Portable screwdrivers (need 2 or 3)
Black and white zip ties of different sizes
Painters tape if you want to protect vehicle surface from scratches
Vise grips and/or needle nose pliers to remove damaged screws
Staple gun with staples (anyone have one?)
Knife or scissors to cut whatever is needed (bring your blades)
Decorations (there are some in the shed) – red, white and blue (SK David Kuboushek will provide)
Bungle cords
Candy (SK Andy Sciacca will provide some of the best candy ever)
Dress will be Khaki shorts and dark blue 4th degree T-shirts or our bright blue council shirt. Hats if you got them. I believe we will all be riding (either inside or in the back of SK Tom Clifton’s truck) after we have decorated it nice and pretty.
SK Tom Clifton and I thank you in advance for your help at both the 4 PM trailer preparation and the Monday parade. Remember many hands make short work.
Leaders aren’t born. You may have read this quote or heard about it. It goes on to say that leaders are made. Do you know who said these words?
Hint… He was a famous Catholic, too.
He was Vince Lombardi. Here is a quote about him. “The three constants throughout Lombardi’s life were his Roman Catholic faith, his family, and football. His father was a daily Communicant throughout his life and his mother’s favorite picture of Vince as a child was on his Confirmation…” Read more
He was playing football before World War II. Many of our younger Knights got their start in life maybe 40 or more years later. “Back in the day….” Vince was our Coach K.
So, where is this writer going with the tale? He is approaching his 8th decade and he is trying to come up with something that rocks the ground under our Council and Assembly to create an awareness that nothing happens without a spark. A spark from a driven Knight to assume a training leadership role this year so that as our older members “age out,” they have an opportunity to pass on their skills to our newest members. He may also be the new Knight that you encourage to join our Council.
“What got into Lee?,” you ask? Well this writer was recruited by Gene Drogos, Jerry Pilarski, and Thomas Chegash. (They not only recruited me for the new Council, but as a member of our church and three veterans groups…not to include joining the Fourth Degree.” We lost two of these Knights this past year and one is now in Hospice. Tom’s story will be shared with you soon….
Each of these guys were on active duty. Two World War II (Army and Navy) and one was Korea-Vietnam era Navy. All three were recruiters and not because of the office they held, but because of a deep love for their Church and taking responsibility for its success. All three were founding members of Council 10910.
Your new officer team, led by Chris Kremer, and assisted by the Durham Assembly, is eager to energize the Knights. We are now Post-COVID and ready to get busier to help our parish and Catholic community. So remember, time flies…. “TEMPUS FUGIT, MEMENTO MORI”
Sir Knight Lee Heavlin was awarded a Divine Mercy Assembly Certificate of Appreciation for his past exemplary services as Faithful Navigator and as Scribe. The award was presented
at Lee and Yoli’s home due to Covid-19 restrictions. This award is way overdue! Lee was the founding father of Assembly 3005!
Without Lee’s dedication in establishing an Assembly in Chapel Hill we would all be driving to Burlington still or northern Durham. Lee’s strong leadership set the Assembly on a firm footing that all succeeding Faithful Navigators would follow!
Lee is a 30-year Navy veteran and has had a strong presence with the VFW and American Legion Posts in Chapel Hill. He has been Post Commander and was instrumental in the planning of a new Post Home for the American Legion Chapel Hill Post on NC Highway 54 West.
Many VFW local, district, and state activities were conducted at the same time Lee was creating Assembly 3005. A tremendous achievement! Lee is a true leader! His guidance and direction have led to many accomplishments in both the Assembly and Council. Congratulations Lee!
Jim Boyd was honored this week by Faithful Navigator William Jackson. Jim received an Assembly Certificate of Appreciation for his past service as our Faithful Navigator and as a Trustee.
Jim is very active in our Catholic Community of St. Thomas More and you will find him “everywhere.” Jim is a long-time member of the Choir, serves as a Eucharistic Minister, visits the sick, cleans roadways, volunteers serve the parish ministries, and so much more.
They say that if you lead, they will follow. This is very true with Jim. Congratulations, Jim!
Reverend Christopher Koehn was recognized his past week with a Certificate of Appreciation for his service in Divine Mercy Assembly, 3005. Faithful Navigator William Jackson presented him with a certificate and a mantel clock. Joining in the well-wishing was Past Faithful Navigators Jim Boyd and Lee Heavlin.
We are sure that Fr. Chris will also have a story to tell about receiving the award and memento wearing a mask like the Lone Ranger.
Change is often a time of sadness, but more often it is a time for renewal, new opportunities and growth. The latter is the case for Reverend Christopher S. Koehn. He was recently the recipient of the following news from Most Reverend Luis Rafael Zarama, Bishop of Raleigh.
“Reverend Christopher S. Koehn, Parochial Vicar at Saint Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill, is appointed Administrator of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Apex.”
We knew that his time at the Catholic Community of St. Thomas More would eventually end and that another parish would welcome him. The time is now. Two years have come and gone way too fast.
Father Chris has touched many, many lives in our town. He has left an indelible mark at our Parish and we are the better for having him with us. We know that he is ready for the new challenges before him.
Luckily for our Assembly, Father Chris will serve as our Faithful Friar for another year.
