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Knights of Columbus
Fourth degree welcomes 82 new members
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 12, 2010
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Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Walter Winkle Jr., district master for Michigan District No. 1 of the Knights of Columbus-Fourth Degree, congratulates Fr. William Promesso, pastor of St. Cyprian Parish, Riverview, the Knights' honoree at last Saturday's exemplification in Riverview. |
RIVERVIEW – The Knights of Columbus welcomed 82 new fourth-degree knights at an exemplification last Saturday at Thomas Crystal Gardens in Riverview, followed by Mass at nearby St. Cyprian Church.
The Knights also made St. Cyprian's pastor, Fr. William Promesso, the class honoree for the event, recognizing his 25 years of support for and involvement with the K of C, and his key role in helping get the local Riverview Council 13980 started.
New fourth-degree Knights
The new fourth-degree Knights, listed by the assembly they now belong to are:
Detroit Assembly 470, Detroit: Jason L. Thornton.
Msgr. Van Antwerp Council 475, Allen Park: Ronald B. Bush, Richard L. Metric, Fr. Anthony Richter, Jeffery P. Riley, James P. Riley, Deacon John Szwarc, Alan I. Tarlo, Sr., Antonio Tucci.
Msgr. A.X.M. Sharp Assembly 477, Clarkston: Bradley O. Baker, Robert D. Gajda, Norman B. Kuriekuz, Joseph F. Kwasneski, Alex Letterson, Charles L. Spadafore.
St. John Neumann Assembly 478, Utica: Carl A. Baecker, Willie L. McCray, Jack D. Meinhart, Noel Nieves, Fr. John J. O'Keefe.
Babylon Assembly 479, Southfield: Bashir Abro, Adnan Goqa, Kahtan D. Goqa, Fr. Safaa J. Habash, Hazim P. Mukhtar, Mansour P. Sabbagh.
Richmond Assembly 480, Richmond: Andrew J. Brickel, Brian J. Brickel.
Bishop Gallagher Assembly 482, Eastpointe: Sean G. McCarthy, Michael A. Shaw.
Cardinal Cushing Assembly 484, Eastpointe: James O. Cauley, Edward C. Rohlf, Anthony J. Russo, Peter A. Yodhes.
Raisin River Assembly 488, Monroe: Charles W. Russell, Gary Q. Tester.
Bishop Kelley Assembly 490, Mount Clemens: Raymond C. Flowery, Joseph M. Hughes, Richard W. Leonard.
Msgr. Schulte Assembly 492, Dearborn: Travis D. Baker, Charles A. Caruana, Paul G. Heckler, Idel A. Olivera, Jr., Joseph E. Uetz, Paul M. Zafarana.
Cardinal Mercier Assembly 515, Hamtramck: Michael O. Adebayo, Fr. Andrew C. Ifele, Richard Kelly.
Fr. Solanus Casey Assembly 521, Roseville: Joseph Martin.
Pope John XXIII Assembly 1536, Plymouth: Michael R. Johnson, William Grorowicz.
Blessed Virgin Mary Assembly 1839, Sterling Heights: Phillip W. McCown, John A. Messina, Douglas R. VanBuren.
Msgr. Clement Kern Assembly 1963, Lincoln Park: John M. Kepes, Timothy E. Mostoller, William J. Munday.
Cardinal Mooney Assembly 2032, Imlay City: Michael J. Hughes.
St. Michael the Archangel Assembly, Clinton Township: Curt J. Hooper.
Fr. John Hogan Assembly 2521, Port Huron: Gregory J. White.
Sacred Heart Assembly 2599, Macomb Township: Sheldon G. Chamberlain, Jan M. Darner, Patrick J. Devereaux, Kenneth M. Dumais, Carl G. Grewe, Joseph J. Kielasa, George A. Lutfy, Timothy M. McKeown.
St. Mary on the Lake Assembly 2804, Anchorville: Steve Huber, William J. Krul.
Pope John Paul II Assembly 2942, Taylor: Randy L. Baughman, Robert S. Butkowski, Brian Y. Cronan, Dominic Mancini, Lawrence R. Masserant, Michael T. O'Keefe, Stephen B. Reno, Leo Scantamburlo, Gary J. Schoenherr, Mark K. Slagle, Mark K. Straub, Sr., Edward A. Umin, William G. Wilson.
Bishop Schoenherr Assembly 3057, Romeo: John W. Cassidy, Jr., Allan M. Koluch.
Divine Mercy Assembly, Auburn Hills: David C. Bray.
Fr. John Hardon, SJ, Assembly 3099: Michael V. Kopay, Jeremy J. Paliwoda.
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"My involvement with the Knights goes back to seminary days, when I joined them through the Pope Leo XIII Council in Eastpointe, near my home parish of St. Veronica," he said.
He became a fourth-degree Knight 15 years ago while serving as an associate pastor at St. Rene Goupil Parish, Sterling Heights. The K of C has "a history, a tradition and a structure" that helps Catholic men join together to grow in their faith and to serve the Church, Fr. Promesso said.
He said the Riverview Council, which meets at St. Cyprian, has been of great service to the parish. "They have a great sense of pride in the work they do, and a sense of belonging to something that is bigger than themselves," Fr. Promesso added.
The fourth degree, known as the Degree of Patriotism is a higher-level of membership in the Catholic men's fraternity, which is taken by about 20 percent of all men who join the K of C, said Walter Winkle Jr., district master for Michigan District No. 1 of the Knights' Fr. Hennepin Province.
The district covers the Archdiocese of Detroit.
"It does involve a little bit more of a commitment. Less than 1 percent of the guys who go on for the fourth degree ever drop out of the order, versus maybe 10 to 15 percent of those who don't," Winkle said.
When Knights enter the fourth degree, they leave the local council to which they had belonged and become a member of a fourth-degree assembly, he explained.
Some fourth-degree Knights join their assembly's color guard unit, which most Catholics have seen participating in Church ceremonies wearing their distinctive capes, swords and chapeaux.
"One of the advantages of becoming a fourth-degree knight is having the color guard at your funeral, and there is a chalice engraved with your name that is presented to a priest – often in the missions – so that you will be remembered at Mass for as long as that chalice is used," Winkle added.
Carl Baecker, 62, who has been a member of San Juan Diego Council 13930 in Pontiac for four years, was among the new fourth-degree knights last Saturday.
"I'm just trying to get into heaven, and I figure I've got a lot of catching up to do," Baecker said when asked why he decided to go on for the fourth degree.
On a more serious note, Baecker, a member of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford Township, said he was attracted by the degree's focus on patriotism.
He becomes a member of St. John Neumann Assembly 478 in Utica.
Mark Straub, 47, a member of Our Lady of the Woods Parish in Woodhaven, said he saw advancing to the fourth degree as a way to further his involvement with the Knights' work in the areas of charity and defending the faith. "It's just a way to enhance what I was already interested in. The Bible speaks of charity, and loving your fellow man, and that's what the Knights are all about," he said.
Straub has been a member of Msgr. Eppenbrock Council 3615 in Trenton, and now becomes a member of Pope John Paul II Assembly 2942 in Taylor.
Andrew Brickel, at 26 one of – or perhaps – the youngest of the new fourth-degree knights, said the first three degrees of the K of C were so enlightening that he wanted to go on and learn more.
"You obtain a much deeper understanding of the Church," said Brickel, a member of Holy Family Parish, Memphis.
He said he would recommend that other young Catholic men join the Knights, because "you get to serve the Church, and it's a good fraternity – you make a lot of friends."
Having been a member of Richmond Council 2667, he now becomes a member of Richmond Assembly 480.
Sheldon Chamberlain, 58, a member of K of C Council 2599 for about six years, said the Knights are a "good, family-oriented organization" that he would recommend to any Catholic man. "I've grown closer to the Church through the Knights," he added. He becomes a member of Sacred Heart Assembly 2599 in Macomb Township.
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