Our Lady's Garden
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Catholic Family Blog
In response to requests for James' thank you at the Knight's Award.
I have included it below.
Dear Brother Knights, I want to say, Thank you! But before I do, I have to say “WOW”. This convention has been TRUELY inspirational.
WE are not a perfect family, just ask anyone who saw us come in to the first mass. We require 3 miracles just to get to mass, 2 just to find shoes and one for an empty pew. Once I asked one of my kids to find their shoes and THE FIRST PLACE they looked was up, UP????. I have never found a pair of shoes hiding on the ceiling. But that’s us, a family trying to live our faith, raise our children and get to heaven.
So let me begin…THANK YOU dear Heavenly Father, God is so good. Thank you, Blessed Mother, Mary, she is the Immaculata. Thank you to our parents, our teachers, families, friends. Thank you, Supreme Director Ken Stockwell for preparing our nomination … countless people. Our family would not be here without the help of countless people and their prayers.
Picture a tree. Our trees in Wyoming have a tough time. They all lean about 15 degrees to the east. Wind. Wyoming wind. You have to stake them and they still lean. The definition of an optimist in Wyoming – Someone who plants a tree.
Well, picture a huge tree. My family, you see here, is just a little family of robins that built their nest in that tree. My family is protected by each and every leaf, all good people their actions and their prayers. We are sheltered by each branch, St Anthony’s parish and other catholic parishes, are Lifted high by the massive trunk of God’s grace. We can’t claim to be a branch, we are just resting on branches. Strong Branches like my local council #4031 have provided Charity,Unity, and Fraternity to us as a family.
22 years ago, when St. Anthony’s preschool was started, we needed help. The Knights were there. 10 years ago, when we had the idea for a pro-life party, the Who party, we needed help. The Knights were there. When my son Matthias’ funeral arrangements were made, the Knights were there.
Four years ago, our community wanted to start a pregnancy resource center. They could not overcome the huge burden of an ultrasound. That month, Columbia magazine had an article on the Ultrasound initiative. We read it. Our diocesan Pro-life Director Deacon Dobleman dropped everything to travel nearly 400 miles to make a recommendation. The Supreme Council approved the matching funds and our council accepted the challenge to raise over 25,000 dollars. With the council’s help the money was pledged and raised in 10 days. That ultrasound has been now been used over 300 times. In the beginning, we thought we were saving babies. YET That is only the beginning. Choosing life saves babies, and momas and daddies. It saves families. We didn’t REALIZE the job was to save families. WE DO NOW.
We need to thank Our parish priests who hear our confessions and celebrate mass. They stand in PERSONA CHRISTA strengthen, feed and heal our family. The good people of our parish, who provide encouragement and an example for us to live by, Our Diocese with its support, its Newman centers and youth pilgrimages. The Wyoming State knights who honored us with this nomination. The Supreme Council who offers guidance, support and example for Catholic Men and Fathers all over the world.
The Knights of Columbus offers Charity and Fraternity to so many people around the world. Father Michael J. McGuivney was one man with the faith to found this blessed organization. It is his forethought that we are called knights. So Brother knights let us become the Catholic Men that we are called to be. Supreme knight Karl Anderson’s report yesterday was moving, inspiring. Let us take Fraternity back to our parishes and councils and make his next report even better.
Thank you Knights of Columbus for being that support for my family and granting us this tremendous honor. We consecrate it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, without whom we can do nothing.