Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus welcome Hot Springs native, Father William (Bill) Elser as their new priest as Monsignor Bernard Malone transitions into a new phase of his ministry. Father Elser was born and raised in Hot Springs with his 5 brothers and 3 sisters. His mother still resides in the family home she and her late husband moved into 58 years ago. Growing up in St. Mary’s parish in Hot Springs, Father Elser and his brothers all served as altar boys when Monsignor Malone was assigned there some 40+ years ago.
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| Father William Elser |
Over the years, Father Elser has served many Catholic parishes throughout Arkansas. One of his early assignments was with former Sacred Heart Pastor Father Rossi in Mountain Home, and over the years he has served in parishes from Fort Smith to Jonesboro and most recently in Benton and back home in Hot Springs.
Father Elser has been shepherd to many flocks and to the spiritual well-being of the young and old alike. He counseled college age students at the Newman Center when he was appointed to Jonesboro, and he thoroughly enjoys opportunities to teach youngsters about their religion. He has ample experience administering to the spiritual needs of the “retired generations” as well, having ministered to parishes in Bella Vista and Fairfield Bay.
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| GK John Bodensteiner Congratulating and Thanking Monsignor Malone |
At its June 8 meeting and installation of officers, the Daniel P. Sullivan Council recognized Monsignor's many years of service as a priest, his 61 years as a knight, and his eight years as Council Chaplain.
Monsignor Malone was presented with a $500 check, a plaque, and a Spiritual Bouquet consisting of prayers being offered by knights for his intentions and fulfillment in his new ministry. The bouquet included: 901 Our Fathers; 2460 Hail Marys; 922 Glory be to the Fathers; 590 Rosaries; 557 Prayers for priests; and an hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
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| Monsignor Malone Displaying His Plaque |
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| Bill Welch (l) receiving gavel from John Bodensteiner |
The new grand knight is Bill Welch and his officers include: Dave Johnston; Bill Roe; Steve Schramer; Ernest Folse; Steve Fetcko; Ron Barta; Chuck MacDonald; Dan Murphy; Jim Passe; Tom Thornton; Ed Miller; Ron Boudreaux; and, John Bodensteiner. Handling the directorship responsibilities for the grand knight will be: Dick Breckon; Tom Yerina; Milt Spaniel; Rolland White; Mac Good; Ike Eisenhauer; Mike Welsh; and, Art Morissette. Mike Miller is administrator of the web site (www.hsvkofc.org). Father Bill Elser is replacing the recently retired Monsignor Bernard Malone as chaplain. Deacon Larry Lipsmeyer will continue as assistant to the chaplain, and Randy Schnoebelen will serve the council as area field agent. (See the Organization Chart for officer and director titles with photos.)
The Daniel P Sullivan Council 10208 with 255 members under the leadership of Grand Knight John Bodensteiner and his officers and directors with the support of many mambers experienced an excellent 2009-2010 fraternal year, its 20th as a council in the Village. In addition to meeting its goal of 26 new members, it raised and awarded more than $33,000 in support of its charities and causes, which included a number of new beneficiaries.
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| Program Director Dick Breckon (l) receiving Award from GK John Bodensteiner |
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| Ann and Gerald Krawczynski receiving Award from GK John Bodensteiner |
Jim Passe was chosen May Knight of the Month for his efforts in leading the effort of attaining the Council's goal of 26 new members for the 2009-2010 Fraternal Year.
Dan and Marge Stehling were selected the May Family of the Month for their dedicated service to council, church, and community.
Follow the links to the Awards page for the complete stories. Congratulations and thanks for these excellent examples of dedicated service.
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| Pictured (l-r) Don Dierks, Billy Jones, and Bill Ligon |
The council welcomes Don Dierks, Billy Jones, and Bill Ligon.
With the recent establishment of a Roundtable in Malvern by District 10 Deputy Ed Miller, there were three former knights who reapplied for membership and one who transferred. The names of these men are Randy Floriani, Mitchell Melson, Danny Sampson, and William Stevens. These four knights are now part of Council 10208 while working with their pastor in Malvern.
June 24, 2010
(NEW HAVEN, CT) - Two of the world's largest rating agencies, Standard & Poor's and A.M. Best, have affirmed their top financial strength ratings for the Knights of Columbus. Standard & Poor's reaffirmed its top rating of AAA (Extremely Strong) for the 18th consecutive year, and A.M. Best reaffirmed its top rating of A++ (Superior) for the 35th consecutive year. Standard & Poor's said that its rating of the financial strength of the Knights of Columbus is "based on its extremely strong capital, very strong competitive position because of its unique strategic advantage in the Catholic market, historically strong profitability, and extremely strong liquidity.
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| Pictured (l-r) John Lucas, Ed Cudworth, Bob Steinpreis, Ed Voss, Jim McDermott, Wayne Winters, Bob Rodgers, Scott Krantz, and Jack Widlowski |
(reprinted from Supreme's web site www.kofc.org)
The Knights of Columbus passed a significant milestone on April 30, 2010, when its membership exceeded 1.8 million.
At the end of the last day of April, the official tally of Knights of Columbus around the world stood at 1,800,445.
“Achieving this milestone in membership is a testament to the high regard in which the Knights of Columbus is held among Catholic men everywhere,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. “We offer a unique opportunity to serve our church and our communities as one of the most active service organizations anywhere in the world.
“We truly offer the ‘experience of a lifetime,’ to join brother Knights in a common effort to become better fathers, better husbands, better citizens and better Catholics, together with the opportunity to provide financial protection for their families.”
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Special Olympics was created nationally in 1968 by the Joseph F. Kennedy Jr Foundation. Special Olympics Arkansas is a non-profit organization, providing approximately 14,000 individuals with mental or physical challenges the opportunity to excel. There are 18 area coordinators throughout Arkansas who support all the local coordinators and the activities in their area.
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| Pictured (l-r) from Sacred Heart of Jesus: Roger and Mary Ann Witcraft, Mike Frantz, Joanne Podraza, Ellie Barker, John Bodensteiner, Lillian Starsiak, and Dub and Geri Green. Mike and Ruth Kerwin were not available for the picture. |
The Summer Games are held annually in late May on the Harding University campus in Searcy. The Arkansas Knights of Columbus sponsor the Olympic Village where the athletes can come and relax between their scheduled events. A variety of games and activities is offered by the knights, their spouses, and friends.