Karen 1

A young man visiting his parents at their retirement home in Hot Springs Village spends a few minutes in pleasant conversation with a family friend on the steps of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church after Sunday Mass. Neither man realizes at the time how many people would be affected by this casual conversation. The young man is Father Michael Hinken, SOLT (Missionary Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity) and the family friend is Bob Honzik.

A few days later Mr. Honzik logged on to the web site www.smaria.org for Father's Mike's Honduran mission and his life was changed forever. Through pictures and a narrative he was introduced to an 11 year old Lenca Indian girl, Karen Mendoza. Karen was born without a left leg below her knee and without an arm below her left elbow. Her parents, staunch Catholics, do the best they can for her, but the Lencas are referred to as `the forgotten people of Honduras". Their home is high in the mountains, where aldeyas (villages) of 15 to 18 families eke out an existence. There is no running water or electricity in the village. It is a two hour walk down the mountain from the village of San Bartolo to the parish church at Guaquiero. On the web site, Father Mike asks for help in acquiring prostheses for Karen. She has been educated in the village school, but to continue her education beyond the sixth grade level, she must be able to leave the village. Bob Honzik is drawn to the nobility and quiet dignity he sees in the face of the young girl and her family. He decides to do some internet research and find out what it would take to obtain the necessary help for Karen. After many hours on the internet and phone calls, Bob Honzik had enough information to realize that it would take $9,500 to $10,500 to bring Karen to the United States and get her the right kind of medical help. This amount seemed beyond the reach of his family.

At a dinner party one evening, he mentioned this young girl and her plight. Immediately one of the guests pledged $500.00 if a fund was formed. Bob and Bill Gerstner, members of the Daniel P. Sullivan Knights of Columbus Council 10208 at Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hot Springs Village, approached the council for help in administering the funds being raised. The officers agreed to help and the "Walking with Karen Fund" was opened with an initial K of C donation of $500.00. After some publicity in the Village Voice and the Hot Springs Sentinel Record, donations to "Walking with Karen" started to come in from the surrounding area. Grand Knight Emile Plaisance, a native of Louisiana, became interested in "Walking with Karen". The Honziks were directed to Karl Gann, local representative of the Shriners organization, who put them in touch with the Shreveport Shriners Children's Hospital. The Honziks, and several fellow Knights and their families were deeply involved with all aspects of the project. This included mountains of paperwork to qualify Karen for admittance to the Shriners Hoapital and to obtain traveling papers for Karen to leave her village, her family and her country to come to the U.S.

Within a year, in April of 2002, Karen was brought to Hot Springs Village by Father Mike. They traveled on tickets donated by retired airline pilots living in the Village. This young girl spoke no English and had never been beyond her mountain village, but she entered another world with bravery and fortitude, with faith in Father Mike and the goodness of the people who wanted to help her.

Bob and Mary Anne Honzik were also taking a leap of faith. Neither spoke Spanish and they were unsure how to introduce Karen to such things as indoor plumbing and sleeping in a bed. In Honduras, Karen and her family slept on blankets spread on the dirt floor of their one room house. Four members of Sacred Heart, including Tonie Garcia and Knight’s Lady Terri Gromley, acted as interpreters for the eight weeks that Karen was in the United States.

The first priority was a thorough physical exam and dental exam as required by the Shriners Hospital. Dr. Bill Lefler did a complete dental exam and Dr. Rita Albright did the complete physical exam, both of them donating their services. Dr. Albright found that Karen suffered from parasites, a common malady in under developed countries because of the uncertainty of the water source. Karen was treated and her supporters were made aware of a need that most people of the world have, a source of uncontaminated water for cooking and bathing. In Karen's village, water is hauled from a creek fed by a natural spring, a spring that is also the water source for animals. Bathing is done clothed because there is no privacy.

Karen and her American family found a true friend in Hilda R. Holder, director of family services at the Shreveport Shriners Children's Hospital. She helped with the paperwork and in explaining exactly what would happen at the hospital. The Shriners Hospital had no provisions for boarders, so Karen and her supporters traveled back and forth between Hot Springs Village and Shreveport. She lived with Bob and Mary Am Honzik for the eight weeks it took to fit her with prosthesis and then construct her custom made leg. From birth she had learned to crawl, using her good leg and her left knee. Now she had to learn to walk with both legs.

While waiting for her prosthesis, Karen met a family from Honduras that lived in Hot Springs Village. A grandmother and grandfather were raising three grandchildren. One of the girls had been badly burned by a kerosene cook stove while living in Honduras. Because of their involvement with Karen, the Honzik family was hopeful that the Shriners could help this child. With guidance from Karl Gann, the girl received help through the Shriners Bum Center in Galveston, TX.

While living with Bob and Mary Anne, Karen had many new experiences. She had never seen a phone before, but every Saturday, she talked on the telephone to her parents. They walked three hours from their home in the mountains to the nearest phone in Guaquiero. She visited the Little Rock Zoo, several local restaurants, the malls and learned to love Dr. Pepper, salsa and chips. She also underwent an emergency appendectomy at St. Joseph's hospital. If she had been at home in San Bartolo, she probably would have died, but because she was near modem medical facilities, she came through the ordeal without any problems.

When her prosthesis leg was ready, the Honziks, with Karen and her supporters, returned to Shreveport. Karen and Mary Anne Honzik stayed together at the hospital while she received her therapy for both prostheses. Her artificial leg matched her skin color exactly. When she saw that she could stand and walk instead of using the wheelchair (silla) that had been her method of transportation in public, she said “No more silla!"


Karen returned to Hot Springs Village in time to take part in the Shriner's Golf-A-Rama fund raiser and to show off her new ability to walk. Additional "Thank You’s" were extended during her farewell party at the home of her American family. She and the Honziks returned to Honduras at the end of May. The first time her parents saw her walking toward them, her mother shed tears of happiness.

Karen family

The miracle is not finished. Father Mike hoped to start a cottage industry in the aldeyas, with the women making clothes and table liners that could be sold. Most of the people are involved in farming, trying to grow enough food to feed their families. There is very little monetary income for them. The beautifully decorated items sent to Sacred Heart sold within 15 minutes after Sunday Mass. In order to make more things that could be sold, more sewing machines and fabric were needed. Knight's Lady Terry Gromley made an appeal to the Ladies of Sacred Heart Church at their monthly meeting. She hoped to raise enough money to buy three treadle sewing machines at $90.00 each. Within a few minutes, $839.00 was raised. The women at Sacred Heart also decided to sponsor a Fair in November to provide a market for the products the women of the Honduran aldeyas produce.

At a Knights of Columbus meeting after Karen had retimed home, the men decided that this bright, intelligent child should continue her education. The "Walking with Karen Fund" is committed now to encourage Karen to go as far with her education as her spirit will take her. As a handicapped indigenous female, she has the potential to be a role model for so many of her people.

Karen is now attending school at the Institute of Santa Clara Catholic Prep School of 120 students (21 boarders) administrated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. The `Walking with Karen Fund" continues to be the source for educational and travel expenses to allow Karen to return to the United States for medical treatment as she grows and develops until the age of 21.

When presented with a problem, most people say “I’m only one person, what can I do"? The Honzik family found out what one person can do when their heart is touched by the plight of another individual. Through their concern, Bob and Mary Anne Honzik made it possible for the Knights of Columbus, the Shiners, their families and the people of the larger community to pool their collective prayers, talents and money to accomplish modern miracles. As Mother Teresa said `to show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much we put in the doing, that makes our offering something beautiful for God."

Because of the dedication of the Honzik family, the Knights, the Shriners, and their families, the lives of hundreds of people living thousands of miles away have been changed forever.

Postscript: The above information was written in 2003. Karen is now (2021) thirty years old. She lives in San Bartolo and Teaches the local school children. 

Karen Honziks and Ganns

Karen and Family in Nicaragua

Karen family and house

History of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is known to have began promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form. She was a French Roman Catholic Visitation nun and mystic.

St. Margaret Mary was born in 1647 at a community in Burgundy, France. She was the only daughter in a family of several sons. From early childhood Margaret was described as showing intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and preferring silence and prayer to childhood play.

After her first Communion at the age of nine, she practiced secret severe mortification, until rheumatic fever confined her to bed for four years. At the end of this period, have made a vow to the Blessed Virgin Mary to consecrate herself to religious life, she was instantly restored to perfect health. According to her later account of her life, she had visions of Jesus Christ, which she thought were a normal part of human experience and continued to practice austerity.

She was very young when her father died, and the family’s assets were held by a relative who refused to hand them over. The family experienced a hard time of poverty, her only consolation was frequent visits to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the local church. When she was 17, however, the family’s fortune was restored and her mother encouraged her to socialize. Out of obedience, and believing that her childhood vow was no longer binding she began to accompany her brothers on the social events, attending dances and balls. 1:22.

One night, after returning home from a ball for a carnival in her finery, she experienced a vision of Christ, scourged and bloody. He reproached her for her forgetfulness of Him: yet He also reassured her by demonstrating that his heart was filled with love for her, because of childhood promise she had made to his Blessed Mother. As a result, she determined to fulfill her vow and entered, when almost 24 years of age, the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial on 25 May 1671 intending to become a nun. Margaret was subject to many trials to prove the genuineness of her vocation. She made her final vows in November of 1672 taking the name of Mary.

In the Convent Margaret Mary received several private revelations of the Sacred Heart. The chief features being reception of Holy Communion on the First Friday of each month, Eucharistic adoration during a Holy Hour on Thursdays, and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

On 27 December 1673, the feast of St John, Margaret Mary claimed that Jesus had permitted her to rest her head upon His heart, and then disclosed to her the wonders of his love, telling her that he desired to make them known to all mankind and to diffuse the treasure of his goodness, and that he had chosen her for this work.

Initially discouraged in her efforts to follow the instructions she had received in her vision Margaret Mary was eventually able to convince her Superior of the authenticity of her visions. 1:42 Unfortunately she was unable to convince a group of theologians and many members of her community of the validity of her apparitions, and suffered greatly at their hands. She eventually received the support of Jesuit Father Claude de la Colombiere, the community’s confessor for a time, who declared the visions were genuine. Beginning in 1686 the monastery began observing the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Two years later a chapel was built a Paray le Monial to honor the Sacred Heart.

In 1689 Margaret Mary received a private request to urge the King of France, Louis XIV, to consecrate the nation to Sacred Heart, so that he may triumphant over all the enemies of the Holy Church. Louis XIV, along with his successors Louis XV and Louis XVI failed to consecrate the nation and 100 years after Margaret Mary’s death Louis XVI was stripped of his power in 1789 during the events of the French revolution. Margaret Mary Alacoque died 17 October 1690. The devotion to the Sacred Heart was officially recognized 75 years after her death.

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a solemnity the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. This Feast day is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost, on a Friday.

During Margaret Mary’s canonization process her tomb was opened in 1830, two instantaneous cures were recorded to have take place. Today her incorrupt body rests above the side altar in the Chapel of Apparitions, located at the Visitation Monastery in Paray le Monial, and many striking blessings have been claimed by pilgrims attracted there from all parts of the world. She was canonized by pope Benedict XV in 1920. Her feast day is celebrated by the Church October 16th.

The First Friday devotions are a set of Catholic devotions to especially recognize the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and through it offer reparations for sins. The devotion consists of several practices that are performed on the first Fridays of nine consecutive months. On these days a person is to attend Mass and receive Communion.

According to the words of Christ, through his apparitions to St Margaret Mary, there several promises to those who practice the First Friday Devotions.

        
Promises For Devotion to the Sacred Heart

1.   I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.

2.   I will establish peace in their houses.

3.   I will comfort them in their afflictions.

4.   I will be their strength during life and above all during death

5.   I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.

6.   Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.

7.   Tepid souls shall grow fervent.

8.   Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9.   I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored.

10.  I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11.  Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart never to be blotted out.

12.  I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to those who shall receive communion on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence: they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments: My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.  

 

The Furr Family Story by Bill Roe.

You have often hear that God works in mysterious ways. I’m going to tell you a story which confirms that story and how this is tied to the Knights of Columbus.

In the year 2013 and 2014 I was Grand Knight of the K of C located in Hot Springs Village. I was contacted during this time by an individual who had received a Christmas basket from the Knights. She gave me the name of Lisa Furr, whose family needed food.

The Furr family consisted of Greg and Lisa Furr and their 4 children ranging in age 15 to 20, the youngest was named Hunter. Both parents were LPN’s. Lisa was unable to work as she had been diagnosed with Lupus and chronic leukemia.

The Knights of Columbus provided this family with food 3 times and I provided them with some needed furniture during the summer of 2013. In November, in my opinion God started directing me to assist this family on a long-term basis.

It all started when the Knights were distributing ham products for a fund-raising project. One of the parishioners had donated 3 boxes of ham products to be given to a needy family.

I contacted the Furr family and learned that Greg Furr had an operation for spinal stenosis which had gone very poorly. He was in the hospital for 3 weeks and almost died. He was being fed intravenously and of course was not able to work. I also learned that Hunter, the youngest had been diagnosed with MS and a brain tumor.

I contacted a fellow Knight who offered to donate more leftover food to the Furr family and also suggested that I set up a fund at a local bank, have an article published in the local paper and ask for donations. I declined these suggestions as I was only offering to help on a short term basis. He also gave me the name of a new Villager who wanted to donate to a family in need.

I contacted this individual who offered to donate $500 and bring it to my house the next day. This phone call changed my view as I believe God had intervened telling me that I needed to help this family on a long term basis.

After getting permission from Lisa Furr to grant an interview and set up a bank account, the local reporter met with the Furr family and an article was published. Approximately 60 people and organizations donated anywhere from $10 to $1,000 to this fund. A total of $19,000 was raised to help this family including moving them from a mobile home in a crime infested area to a very nice duplex area in the Village.

I often wondered why God had chosen me to help this family when I had never done this before. A priest on a retreat told me that God selected me because he knew that I would help this family as an extension of his love for people in need. This assistance to the Furr family obviously helped the Furr family, but it also changed my life for the better. I also had the support of the Knights of Columbus and the individual members contributed to the Furr family.

The Crazy Coin Caper


Back in the Fall of 2015, Geraald Krawczynski and Ed Doyle were delivering over a  thousand dollars in coins for deposit at the Regions Bank. The money had been collected in the council's annual Baby Bottle Campaign. As they approached the front door, one of the bags fell off the hand cart, split open and dumped about $300 in coins all over the entrance. For the next half hour, the bank patrons were treated to the spectacle of our Treasurer and Financial Secretary, down on their hands and knees, retrieving the council's money. There were no photographs recording this episode, thank God!

This past Christmas Sir Knight Deacon Larry Lipsmeyer and his wife Jan delivered a basket to a family of three people – a husband, his wife and a grandson that they had been raising for many years. Deacon Larry is a member of Council 10208. In the process of delivering the food to the family and the presents for the child, Deacon Larry learned that the husband had lost his job and the wife was being treated for pancreatic cancer. They had moved into a partially built, uninsulated house that had a cold water tap and some electricity. There were no facilities for bathing and toileting, and a kitchen did not exist The beginning of the building had been done by the husband on property he owned prior to the loss of his job.

At the January Council meeting, Deacon Larry contacted Past Grand Knight (PGK) Tom Ament who was also a member of the Family Assistance Committee, as well as the coordinator of the Pennies from Heaven for the Council. After visits to the family by FAC chair Knight Marvin Young and Tom Ament, it was decided we should assist this family as follows:

The Council's Pennies from Heaven donated $300 for a septic tank and that was matched by the Arkansas state Knights of Columbus . The Family Assistance Committee donated an initial $1000 towards a partnership with the Council to upgrade the family living conditions. A fairly new member of the Council, Jim Arnold, who is a retired aerospace engineer, drew the plans for a 32'X10' addition, and agreed to direct the project. PGK Ament became the project coordinator and he put out a plea for assistance to the Council for the necessary manpower to build this addition. Many Knights volunteered that night, and others joined in later.

By the end of February, the addition was completed to include the placements of the necessary windows and doors. Outside steps were also made for the addition and the water lines from the well on the property were replaced in an underground trench dug by the members to avoid freezing.

Twelve fellow Knights spent some 1000 volunteer hours over 13 days of on site work. They drove a combined total of approximately 2000 miles traveling to the work site or picking up building materials.
The hours spent working together drew us all closer as brother knights, and gave us that good feeling that comes with doing good deeds. The family was overwhelmed with our commitment and our Council's generosity.

Knowing funds were limited, Ament reached out to different businesses for donations or reduced prices with great results. The following businesses deserve recognition.

Lowes Co. of Hot Springs provided approximately $1100 of materials at cost for the actual building.
Peters Paint in Hot Springs is donating the carpet for the grandson's bedroom.
B and M Plumbing of Hot Springs Village is providing the labor free to connect all the plumbing for the shower, sink, toilet and washer as well as the connection to the septic tank.
Razorback Roofing of Hot Springs is donating the labor to roof the addition.
Carpet Barn co. is providing the floor covering at cost.
Caldwells Hardware donated pipe fittings for water line.
Village Home Center-Hot water heater at a reduced price
Ouachita Construction- Septic Tank hole dug at reduced price.
Village Outreach- funds for hot water heater

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Family Assistance Committee has donated another $1000 to cover the cost of the shower, hot water heater and roofing materials. A woman in the village who heard about the project has also donated $400 to assist in the completion.

Depending on the weather we anticipate the project will be completed by March 31.
The good news for the family is that the husband who at the start of the project was experiencing blood clots that required stents in his legs, was able to avoid serious complications to his feet and as of Monday, 6 March has been able to go back to work.

We believe the work accomplished by the members of this Council to assist this family was quite exceptional because all of these Knights are retired from active work life. It also demonstrates the power of Councils working with the parish to create a better life for all God's children and people to fulfill one of the key Principles of the Order -Charity.