The Neumann News
St. John N. Neumann Assembly 1763
Bowie, Maryland
Volume XX, Issue 8
In the Spirit of God’s Beloved Angels, We are Men for Others
Faithful Associate Friar’s
Report
Deacon Andrew J. Nosacek
The Saints we will always have with us!
-A multitude of voices.
A wise teacher does not rely soley upon words,
written or said, to elevate his pupils to a better life in
society. He relies upon models found in histories of men
and women who have contributed good in society
through governance, invention, exploration, medicine,
arts.
Even moreso does one who wishes to elevate his
wards in the life of the soul, the spirit. In this, one relies
on what is revealed of the good life in the lives of the
saints. For to catch a saint, with saints does bait thy
hook! (Measure for Measure II). For to the saints we too
must look to grow in our life of faith. What better way
to begin than by one of the Prayers for All Saints Day:
Grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed Saints in all
virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those
unspeakable joys, which Thou hast prepared for them
that unfeignedly love Thee.
Our Mother Church, through the Ordo of daily Mass
Liturgies, and through the daily Liturgy of the Hours for
the month of February, has provided us with a most
wonderful guide for this purpose. Pray daily so that one
may grow daily.
We begin by placing ourselves in the Temple in
Jerusalem where two great saints presented our Lord.
We too must be forever grateful to our parents for our
sanctification - our presentation into the Church at our
Baptism. Then let our minds go to Lourdes, the place of
the great gift of healing, brought to earth by Mary
herself, as a boost for the healing of our beliefs. At the
same time we are mindful of St. Blaise and the gift of
physical healing even in our day.
But February first calls to mind St. Valentine, the one
called upon to exchange between us one of the most
February 2015
essential spiritual elements - love. Here we speak of that
pure love that leads to congugal love in marriage.
[Picture a most charming "valentine" that depicts the
balcony scene in the play, Romeo and Juliet: a fair
maiden looking down from her balcony upon her young
beloved below. The script of the card reads: Hark! What
light through yonder window breaks? The house that
has a baby sleep forsakes.] Of such as these are fond
fruitful reflections made.
Of course, this great saint's name in the Roman
Calendar is replaced by Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
Millions of Slavic people must always remember that
these great men brought the Faith to their ancestral
homes, the essence of their religious culture. This
month all Danes and Swedes call upon St. Ansgar, while
Japanese turn to St. Paul Miki and his companions. Like
them, we too must bring the great Catholic lifestyle to all
we meet.
In summary fashion, we turn to the other February
saints: first, a special man who was a savior of orphans,
St. Jerome Amelian, a true physical and spiritual support
in their abandonment. My own boarding school was
named for this man of comfort and care. We pray for,
and emulate those who care for us. In the midst of
physical, spiritual, or civil persecution, St. Agatha is our
source of strength. For familial love one need but turn to
St. Scholastica. To refresh ourselves in the greatest of
Church teachings we turn to the writings of St. Peter
Damian and St. Polycarp. All these that we have
reflected upon are models of what our own lives can be.
In sum, in the words of Pope St. Clement I (+801
A.D.):
We must recognize, therefore, that all upgright men
have been graced by good works, and that even the
Lord Himself took delight in the glory His works gave
Him. This should inspire us with a resolute
determination to do His will and make us put our
whole strength into the work of a Christian life.
THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL YOUR GRACES
AND BLESSING
Newsletter Page 1
Please Pray for Those
Serving US Today
Faithful Navigator’s Report
Tom Torrell
As the month of February begins, we have passed the
halfway mark of the Fraternal Year. Recruitment of new
members is an important part of our mission. Like any
organization, we need new members to sustain our
growth and keep doing the good works we do. If you
know of any 3rd degree member who does not yet have
their 4th degree, talk to them about the benefits of
joining. The Exemplification of the 4th Degree will take
place the weekend of April 10-12, 2015, at the Colony
South Hotel in Clinton, Md., with the exemplification
taking place on Saturday, April 11th. As a reminder, all
fourth degree members are invited to attend. Registration
of new members can be done by filling out a Form 4,
and the registration can be done on the WEB site at
www.awddistrict.org. It is very convenient since you can
use a credit card to pay the fees, and it eliminates some
paperwork, although a Form 4 must still be submitted
to me or our Comptroller, Frank Italiano. We have until
March 10th to get registrations in. I will be at the
meetings on Feb 12th and Feb 19th and I will have Form
4’s and brochures available.
Did you know that Presidents’ Day is a Patriotic
holiday? George Washington’s birthday was established
as a holiday in 1885, and it celebrates the life and
contributions of our first president and General of the
American Revolution. In some states the holiday is
expanded to include that of Abraham Lincoln and is thus
referred to as Presidents’ Day. It occurs on the 3rd
Monday of February, near both Presidents’ birthdays.
Our next 4th degree meeting will be held on Thursday,
Feb 19, 8pm at Boswell Hall. Our next AWD meeting is
Feb14, 10am at St. Hugh’s Grenoble Hall in Greenbelt.
All 4th degree members are invited to attend.
PLEASE PRAY FOR
ALL OUR
DEPARTED
BROTHERS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS
OF SIR KNIGHTS,
ESPECIALLY,
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND
RECOVERING,
•
•
SK Ferris George
Eva Poiani, wife of SK Claudio Poiani,
PGK, PFN
If you know of a SK or SK’s family member who is
ill, has died, or is in need of our prayers, please
contact Faithful Pilot Bill Sapero 410-721-9163.
M/SGT Robert K. Burkhardt, USAF
Son of Bob & Jeanne Burkhardt
Stationed in Washington State
SGT Scott A. Cecilio, US Army
Son of Alan & Linda Cecilio
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
CAPT Colin Green, USN Seal
Son of Leo & Alhen Green
Commander of Seals in Iraq et al.
MAJ John Marshall, US Army
Son-in-Law of Angelo Troisi
Stationed in Afghanistan
M/SGT Brian McMullen, USMC
Son of Jeff & Lorna McMullen
Stationed in Twentynine Palms, CA
CMSG Steve Poiani, USAF
Son of Claudio & Eva Poiani
Stationed in Spokane, Washington
Col Greg Scheidhauer, US Army
Son of Jerry Scheidhauer
Assigned to U.S. Capitol from Pentagon
LtCol Michael Sierco, USAF
Son of Mike & Mary Jo Sierco
Air Staff for Air Force Issues Pentagon
LtCol Ross Vincent, USAF
Nephew of George & Rosemary Vincent
Stationed in San Antonio, Texas
Lt Dawn Weaver, USN
Grandchild of Bruno & Martha Seppi
Stationed United States Naval Academy
“The Nation Which Forgets Its Defenders Will Be
Itself Forgotten.”
- Calvin Coolidge
Newsletter Page 2
The Fourth Degree Color
Corps are the Visible Knights
of Columbus and frequently
are seen at Religious,
Patriotic, and Civic
Functions.
Heros Fund
On September 11, 2001, America lived through a
heart-wrenching event. It shook the United States to
its core, even as it made heroes of ordinary men.
But instead of paralyzing the nation, the tragedy of
9/11 inspired Americans to work together as few
events in our history have before.
Understanding the dramatic impact on countless
families, the day after 9/11, the Knights of
Columbus established the “Heroes Fund” to provide
immediate assistance to the families of emergency
first responders who lost their lives in the rescue
and recovery efforts. The fund was created with a
$500,000 donation from the Supreme Council and
was matched by a $500,000 donation raised by
Knights of Columbus councils throughout the
world.
For most men who follow Jesus, there comes a time
when duty extends beyond our own lives, beyond
how we lead our families, and into how we serve
our fellow man. That's what the Knights of
Columbus is all about. The Patriotic Degree allows
K of C members to take this one step further. "Sir
Knight" is more than a title — it’s an honor.
ASSEMBLY OFFICERS
Faithful Friar
Rev. John Barry 301-249-9199
Faithful Associate Friar
Deacon Andy Nosacek 301-262-5755
Faithful Navigator
Tom Torrell, PGK 301-262-8062
Faithful Captain
Joe Massimini, PGK, FDD 301- 464-4656
Faithful Admiral
Ray DeVous, PFN 301-731-0073
Faithful Pilot
Bill Sapero 410-721-9163
Faithful Comptroller
Frank Italiano, PGK, PFN, FDD 301-336-6113
Faithful Purser
Ed Fox 410-451-4382
Faithful Scribe
Donahue Aitcheson, PGK 301-352-0947
Faithful Sentinels
Romeo Paternoster, PGK, DD 301-509-0236
Luther Holley, PGK, PFN 301-249-3539
The Knights of Columbus was one of the first
organizations to mobilize in the aftermath of
9/11, offering immediate financial assistance to
the devastated families of fallen police,
firefighters,
and
emergency
personnel,
regardless of their religious affiliation.
Faithful Trustees
Paul Mendez, PFN
Jonathan Tallmadge PFN
Fred Raggazone, PGK, PFN, FDW
Color Corps Commander
Alex Simpson (443) 745-6727
Vice Commander
Jeff McMullen, GK 240-353-6021
Newsletter Editor and Website Author
George Vincent 301-249-6399
Newsletter Page 3
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Family Foot Care
North Oak Professional Park
3006 Mitchellville Road
Bowie, MD 20716
301-390-3338
Dr. Natalia Nosacek Bassford
1329 W. Central Avenue
Davidsonville, MD 21035
410-798-5222
Dennis Doyle
DOYLE PRINTING & OFFSET
COMPANY, Inc.
6911 Old Landover Road
Landover, Maryland 20785
301-322-4800
301-322-4801
Fax 301-322-2860
The Catholic Standard
The Archdiocese of Washington and Your
Family’s Catholic Newspaper
www.catholicstandard.org
202-281-2410
The St. John N. Neumann Assembly of Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus was established on
August 12, 1978. It serves two Bowie Councils: Sacred Heart #2577 and Fr. Peter C. Boyle #12254.
The Neumann News is the Assembly’s monthly newsletter, which is distributed on or about the first of
each month. Send any correspondence to the Faithful Navigator, Boswell Hall, 6111 Columbian Way,
Bowie, MD 20715.
Visit our website http://www.kofc2577.org
Newsletter Page 4