Morristown Knights honored for their selfless gift of service #Catholic – The sense of celebration was palpable on Oct. 10 at Assumption Church in Morristown. N.J. members of the Knights of Columbus George Washington Council No. 359 filled the pews. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 300 knights, spouses and other family members to celebrate the council’s annual Mass to mark the beginning of its fraternal year. The liturgy was followed by a dinner of appreciation honoring service and compassion throughout the community at Morris County Golf Club in Morris Township. The council, which recently added nine young men, is one of the oldest knight groups in the United States. “It’s a great blessing to see the inspiration of women and men of faith who serve, lead, and help us as disciples of our Lord Jesus to put our faith into action,” Bishop Sweeney said at the Mass. George Washington Council is the only one in the U.S. not named after a Catholic; instead, it was named after the Revolutionary War general and first U.S. president. Morristown is known as the military capital of the Revolution, where Washington and the Continental Army wintered during the war. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The council began at a time of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. Yet the council has always supported patriotism and been engaged in community service. The council typically raises at least $50,000 each year for local charities, which Knights trustee John Wooters said is focused on people on the margins facing challenges ranging from food and housing to mental health issues. But he said time and talent are as much of a compassionate asset to the community as their financial contribution. “It’s also manpower. We are probably doing something at least twice a week at some different organization, whether it’s moving medical supplies and medical beds so that they can be put on a container to go to Ukraine, or taking care of somebody who’s involved with [domestic] abuse. We have to move the family,” Wooters said. The knights’ financial and volunteer support spans from ArcMorris, helping people with disabilities, to performing tasks for the Discalced Carmelites of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption, a fourth-degree knight, and the council’s chaplain, said the call to service stems from the faith of these men of diverse ages, backgrounds, and talents. “It flows from who they are as Catholic men, Catholic gentlemen, as family men,” Msgr. John Hart said. During the Oct. 10 dinner of appreciation, former grand knight and current trustee Bill Kostyak received the council’s Knight of the Year award. Carolyn Lake received the council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer work with the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morris Plains. The event is the council’s main fundraiser, which has given yearly honors to people from various circles of service, from the medical and education worlds to law enforcement.  During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney praised the award winners in his homily, citing examples of saints celebrating October feast days such as St. Carlo Acutis and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. “The beauty of the lives of the saints, my sisters and brothers, is that they were normal people like us in so many ways, but they allowed themselves to fall in love with Jesus, to know Jesus in the sacraments, in prayer, and seeing him in our brothers and sisters who are in need,” Bishop Sweeney said. “To honor our honorees today, [we are] taking time to recognize the goodness, the generosity of those who respond to the Lord’s call.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

The sense of celebration was palpable on Oct. 10 at Assumption Church in Morristown. N.J. members of the Knights of Columbus George Washington Council No. 359 filled the pews.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 300 knights, spouses and other family members to celebrate the council’s annual Mass to mark the beginning of its fraternal year. The liturgy was followed by a dinner of appreciation honoring service and compassion throughout the community at Morris County Golf Club in Morris Township. The council, which recently added nine young men, is one of the oldest knight groups in the United States.

“It’s a great blessing to see the inspiration of women and men of faith who serve, lead, and help us as disciples of our Lord Jesus to put our faith into action,” Bishop Sweeney said at the Mass.

George Washington Council is the only one in the U.S. not named after a Catholic; instead, it was named after the Revolutionary War general and first U.S. president. Morristown is known as the military capital of the Revolution, where Washington and the Continental Army wintered during the war.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The council began at a time of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. Yet the council has always supported patriotism and been engaged in community service.

The council typically raises at least $50,000 each year for local charities, which Knights trustee John Wooters said is focused on people on the margins facing challenges ranging from food and housing to mental health issues. But he said time and talent are as much of a compassionate asset to the community as their financial contribution.

“It’s also manpower. We are probably doing something at least twice a week at some different organization, whether it’s moving medical supplies and medical beds so that they can be put on a container to go to Ukraine, or taking care of somebody who’s involved with [domestic] abuse. We have to move the family,” Wooters said.

The knights’ financial and volunteer support spans from ArcMorris, helping people with disabilities, to performing tasks for the Discalced Carmelites of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption, a fourth-degree knight, and the council’s chaplain, said the call to service stems from the faith of these men of diverse ages, backgrounds, and talents.

“It flows from who they are as Catholic men, Catholic gentlemen, as family men,” Msgr. John Hart said.

During the Oct. 10 dinner of appreciation, former grand knight and current trustee Bill Kostyak received the council’s Knight of the Year award. Carolyn Lake received the council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer work with the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morris Plains.

The event is the council’s main fundraiser, which has given yearly honors to people from various circles of service, from the medical and education worlds to law enforcement. 

During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney praised the award winners in his homily, citing examples of saints celebrating October feast days such as St. Carlo Acutis and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

“The beauty of the lives of the saints, my sisters and brothers, is that they were normal people like us in so many ways, but they allowed themselves to fall in love with Jesus, to know Jesus in the sacraments, in prayer, and seeing him in our brothers and sisters who are in need,” Bishop Sweeney said. “To honor our honorees today, [we are] taking time to recognize the goodness, the generosity of those who respond to the Lord’s call.”

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
 

Morristown Knights honored for their selfless gift of service #Catholic –

The sense of celebration was palpable on Oct. 10 at Assumption Church in Morristown. N.J. members of the Knights of Columbus George Washington Council No. 359 filled the pews.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined about 300 knights, spouses and other family members to celebrate the council’s annual Mass to mark the beginning of its fraternal year. The liturgy was followed by a dinner of appreciation honoring service and compassion throughout the community at Morris County Golf Club in Morris Township. The council, which recently added nine young men, is one of the oldest knight groups in the United States.

“It’s a great blessing to see the inspiration of women and men of faith who serve, lead, and help us as disciples of our Lord Jesus to put our faith into action,” Bishop Sweeney said at the Mass.

George Washington Council is the only one in the U.S. not named after a Catholic; instead, it was named after the Revolutionary War general and first U.S. president. Morristown is known as the military capital of the Revolution, where Washington and the Continental Army wintered during the war.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The council began at a time of strong anti-Catholic sentiment. Yet the council has always supported patriotism and been engaged in community service.

The council typically raises at least $50,000 each year for local charities, which Knights trustee John Wooters said is focused on people on the margins facing challenges ranging from food and housing to mental health issues. But he said time and talent are as much of a compassionate asset to the community as their financial contribution.

“It’s also manpower. We are probably doing something at least twice a week at some different organization, whether it’s moving medical supplies and medical beds so that they can be put on a container to go to Ukraine, or taking care of somebody who’s involved with [domestic] abuse. We have to move the family,” Wooters said.

The knights’ financial and volunteer support spans from ArcMorris, helping people with disabilities, to performing tasks for the Discalced Carmelites of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption, a fourth-degree knight, and the council’s chaplain, said the call to service stems from the faith of these men of diverse ages, backgrounds, and talents.

“It flows from who they are as Catholic men, Catholic gentlemen, as family men,” Msgr. John Hart said.

During the Oct. 10 dinner of appreciation, former grand knight and current trustee Bill Kostyak received the council’s Knight of the Year award. Carolyn Lake received the council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer work with the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morris Plains.

The event is the council’s main fundraiser, which has given yearly honors to people from various circles of service, from the medical and education worlds to law enforcement. 

During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney praised the award winners in his homily, citing examples of saints celebrating October feast days such as St. Carlo Acutis and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

“The beauty of the lives of the saints, my sisters and brothers, is that they were normal people like us in so many ways, but they allowed themselves to fall in love with Jesus, to know Jesus in the sacraments, in prayer, and seeing him in our brothers and sisters who are in need,” Bishop Sweeney said. “To honor our honorees today, [we are] taking time to recognize the goodness, the generosity of those who respond to the Lord’s call.”

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]