Divine Mercy Sunday is the Sunday after Easter.  It completes the one week of events leading to the His appearance before the apostles and  the ascension.  It is a very special day where all are welcomed home as was done in the story of the prodigal son. This is the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday is a day of forgiveness.  If you have been away from the church and want to come home, now is the time to do it and return to your family in the celebration of the Eucharist.  Learn more

St. Thomas More Church, Chapel Hill, will also have a Divine Mercy Sunday devotion and adoration at 4 p.m., concluding at 6 p.m.  Come join us.

View videos on the Chaplet of Divine mercy.

• Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song
• Chaplet of Divine Mercy devotion

The Assembly sponsored our second annual Wounded Warriors Veterans Day challenge. Fr. John Durbin has once again supported a special good will offering from the parish.

At the end of each mass Knights and their families were stationed in the Narthex and outside the church. Each participant held a simple placard announcing the collection. Our priests and deacon announced the Knight’s program at the conclusion of each mass and the parish support was outstanding. A total of $2,405.44 was collected. Each dollar will be matched for a total benefit of $4,810.88.

The monies are used by The Military Order of the Purple Heart to send amputee in-patients home for Christmas. This project benefits soldiers, sailors and marines in Ft. Bragg and Camp Lejeune. Last year there were 145 amputees in this group. This year there are about 185.

Thank you one and all for your generosity.

“So, what does a Fourth Degree Knight do? What makes him different from other Knights of Columbus?” Well, some people have strange ideas, especially children. Overheard at a past feast, a child said in Spanish, “Look Mama, they are pirates!”

No, we are the Knights of the Third Degree that stood up and said that they want to do more for not only the council, the community, but for Holy Mother, the Church. So you will see us in tuxedos or in full regalia as we participate in church events, masses, and rituals.

Take a journey with our Color Corps, under the leadership of Sir Knight Chris Cushing, as they join other knights and our bishop, Bishop Burbidge, at Holy Cross Church in Durham on October 2nd. This is the installation of Holy Cross’ new priest.

In your Faithful Admiral’s travels within Florida, I came across not one, but two basilica’s. The first was at The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine, Florida. The second was in Daytona Beach. It was the first church to receive designation as a basilica in America by Pope Benedict XVI. This is the Basilica Of St. Paul in Daytona Beach.

This was a must see as it was close to where we were staying in Port Orange. So, we spent Sunday morning at mass at St. Paul’s. The mass was a delight. It was more formal, but very open and friendly. The church building was over 85 years old (the parish is 125 years old).

The church is similar in some aspects to St. Thomas More Church. In fact, the baptismal font is identical in design, but smaller and no walkway into the pool. The fountain overflows loudly and with authority. There is no doubt that the water is pouring into the deep pool. The sounds of cascading water echoes throughout the quiet church and enrich the experience of meditation and prayer.

Several things struck me as I was comparing our church to the basilica. The Blessed Sacrament was again behind the altar framed by a series of Romanesque columns. Above the altar is a massive dome that is lit as the candles receive their flame. It was humbling to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. As each person walked up the center aisle you could see humility and respect for the Lord’s presence. He was not hidden away in an alcove or another room. He was here waiting for us to join in the mass.

As the mass concluded and we took time to appreciate the beauty of the church, we lit a candle. No, it was not one of the typical small candles we see in most churches. The candles in the basilica were massive quart size glass bulbs full of wax. They will burn for days to remind others that prayers were said and are remembered.

Six grottoes lined the walls, three on each side. As I looked at each one and took in the significance of each, I came upon Divine Mercy. It was the newest statue added to the collection of the Holy Family, Sacred Heart, and other religious. And, there, I stopped in amazement. I exclaimed, “It’s Divine Mercy!” Just then, an elderly lady was approaching in a wheelchair. She proudly said, “Yes, it is Divine Mercy. We just got it.” Below the statue were twelve large candles shining brightly and bearing witness to those who asked for His blessing.

Outside, in the Narthex, there were not one, but two Apostolic Blessings from Pope John Paul II. Divine Mercy was his cause, and he passed on the weekend of the Feast of Divine Mercy. The first Mass of Repose for Pope John Paul II was said on Divine Mercy Sunday.

And, as our visitation was drawing to a close, we headed back through the Narthex. For the first time I spotted it, the flag of our Nation. It was proudly displayed in its own alcove. The first time I have seen our national ensign in a church at a place of high honor. No, this was not a military town. It is far from it. Known for drag racing, wild parties, and college kids out of control, the people of the parish were showing their pride in God and Country.

There many other memories created during our visit, but this is just a short story to share with you the beauty, love, charity and faith of our brothers and sisters in Florida. And, of course, the 165 Knights of Columbus of the Third and Fourth Degree. These soldiers of Christ were at the entrances to the church with their hands open in friendship and a smile on their face to welcome all who come to share in prayer, praise and the bread and wine of God’s table.

Jesus, I Trust in You!

Holy Cross was the Bishop Burbidge’s first new church. He dedicated it last year and many of our Fourth Degree Knights attended with their ladies. The bishop is returning in October to install the new pastor.

The installation of the new pastor (Fr. Ray Donaldson, S.J.) is scheduled for Thursday, October 2 at 6:30pm. Holy Cross Catholic Church located at 2438 South Alston Avenue in Durham, NC 27713. Here is a link to the church website: http://www.holycrossdurham.org/

Fr. Donaldson welcomes the Knights of Columbus in full regalia to participate in his installation ceremony which will be conducted by Bishop Burbidge.

Sir Knight Ron Patterson will coordinate the assembly participation. I encourage all assembly members to participate. Bring your ladies for an inspiring event.
Our Bishop loves the Knights and he, himself, is a Knight.
I do not know if swords will be used. Have yours ready.

Chris Cushing, David Lucas, Don Williams and George Cummings from Pope John Paul II Council (13812) joined together on Friday, April 25th, to form a Knights of Columbus Honor Guard. This honor guard was for the opening ceremonies for the Durham Special Olympics contests.

We especially appreciate their work because this was a daytime event and required some to take off to participate. But, from the smiles on the kids faces, they were proud to see the games begin with a formal ceremony.

Again, this is a strong example of the importance of putting a face on the Knights of Columbus through participation in every event we can. We are the patriotic degree. Let’s show that we, too, are “Proud to be Americans….”

Many of you are totally unaware of the events on April 26^th at the State Capitol.

This is the LARGEST PARADE IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY. It is history in the making. It may be the largest event you will have an opportunity to witness in your lifetime.

You, as a patriotic citizen, and as a member of one of the many military veterans organizations, should be there.

Follow this link for full details.

Here is the event’s official site for Salute our NC Troops.org for even more details:

Wear your patriotic attire. Take your kids and grandchildren. What more can I say?

I shall be there.

Sir Knight James Storey received his Class of 2007 Exemplification Certificate last night at the Assembly meeting. Seen here is the proud Sir Knight accepting his certificate before a crowd of about 25 assembly members.

You would think that your Faithful Navigator was better organized. He should be able to get a new Sir Knight’s Exemplification Certificate to him in short order. Well, it was a busy fall and he was off to California in early December and he has been disorganized ever since. Thank you SK Chris Cushing for capturing this moment and getting it to your blog master for publication.

Two other certificates are ready for presentation for Sir Knights Bob Troy and Buddy Giordano. We will present these after the Divine Mercy Mass on Sunday.

And, since we are talking about Divine Mercy Mass this Sunday, did you know about the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy? Learn more by clicking here.

An American priest of humble beginning pulled local men together to provide for the families of deceased parishioners. That beginning has created a world-wide organization of men serving their local priests, their parishes and their communities.
On Saturday, March 15th, the Pope declared Fr. Michael J. McGivney a “Venerable Servant of God.” This declaration is a critical step on the path to sainthood. Fr. McGivney may one day be declared a Saint, and he would be the first American priest so honored.
For more details, visit www.kofc.org.

Note correction in date

Last year we participated in a program to produce ready-to-cook-and-eat meal packs. We packaged 170,970 meals! It is time to get back to work and make more this year.

It is on Saturday, April 5th, at the American Legion Hall on Legion Road. We start the first crew in at 8 a.m. First two-hour assembly crew arrives at 9 a.m. Crews are sent by the VFW, American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, St. Thomas More Church, the several Chapel Hill Rotary Clubs, and other local church groups. See our Assembly story from 2007.

This is a family event. Be it a kid of 8 to a kid of 100, we have a job for you. Have a child with a community service school requirement? We’ll sign their provided form to show the project and number of hours served.

You will work hard and fast and before you know it you will be done. There will be a smile on your face and a cockiness in your step. You will have made a difference! Want to see the Durham Rotary Club in action? They hosted an event in September 2006 and you can view their on-line video.

Here is the hard part. Besides your time, can we count on you for a donation? We have two matching donors and a challenge of $1,000. It works this way. For each dollar you contribute, a fellow knight will match it dollar for dollar in the name of the Assembly. It gets better. For each dollar the Assembly contributes, the Rotarian’s International will match dollar for dollar. Have I lost you yet? Your $20 is matched twice. It becomes $60. That is 300 meals.

Remember, the Rotarians control the meals from building to delivery. Your money is well spent and the food gets to the children who need it.