Knights of Columbus - [Tom Vella-Zarb

Knights of Columbus - [Tom Vella-Zarb - Webmaster] The Knights of Columbus is open to Men who are at least 18 who are practising Catholics. Check with your Pastor to find out if there is a Council in your Parish. Or send me an e-mail and I will try to help you. Thank you for visiting this Knights of Columbus site. Please visit again, soon.

An Overview

The Knights of Columbus strongly support His Holiness Pope John Paul II in his fight against abortion

O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to bulld, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

- Evangelium Vitae

District 16 Activities include:
Clergy Appreciation Night 1992
Clergy Appreciation Night 2000
Clergy Appreciation Night 2002
Clergy Appreciation Night 2003
Clergy Appreciation / Vocations Night 2005
Children Safety Village Presentation
Christmas Dinner for the Poor and Lonely
Outreach for Hunger
District Barbecue 2001
Breakfast for 1600 Girl Guides - May 2002
Basketball Free Throw Competition
Silent March opposing Same Sex Marriage
Knight Day at the Shrine of Our Lady in Merlin
Knights' Chapel at Children's Safety Village

Here is a very brief overview of the area in which I reside - Chatham Kent [formerly Kent County], Ontario, Canada. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is about 60 miles long and 20 miles wide, is a rural-urban community witha population of around 110,000. Of these about 40,000 reside in the boundaries of the former city of Chatham itself.

Kent Deanery is part of the Diocese of London, Ontario, whose Bishop is the S. K. Most Reverend Ronald Peter Fabpo, C.S.B.. The former Bishop is also a Fourth Degree Sir Knight, S.K. Most Reverend John Michael Sherlock With pride we have the privilege to have Knights of Columbus Councils in most of the parishes in the Diocese. In Kent, we have Four Councils in Chatham, and one each in Blenheim, Dresden, Merlin, Pain Court, Tilbury, Ridgetown, and Wallaceburg.

To give you an idea of the impact of the K of C in our community, here are some of the recent local activities.

Several Bingos were run to raise funds to distribute to Transition House - A home/shelter for runaway kids

Women's Centre,

Outreach for Hunger - a food bank for the needy in the community,

Supported the Geranium House [Palliative care home],

Organized Family nights honouring the Clergy

Supported along with the C.W.L. the annual Canadians Against Sexual Abuse [W.R.A.P.]

Restored a cross at the cemetery,

Erected five monuments to the Unborn [Chatham, Dresden, Merlin, Ridgetown, Thamesville]

Help out with the Annual Christmas Dinner for the poor and the lonely

Organize an annual Basketball Free Throw Contest open to boys and girls in both Public and Separate Schools

In December provide drivers for Operation Red Nose to drive persons who may have had one too many to their homes safely.

We have erected a Chapel on the Children's Safety Village on the initiative of S K Frank Letourneau who says, "what's a village without a Chapel?

The Knights of Columbus has one of the World's best Insurance Companies. Its policies are available to Knights and their spouses only. Give the Fraternal Advisor a call to set up an appointment.

To commemorate the Centenary of the Formation of the Knights of Columbus in Canada 1897 - 1997, Canada Post has issued a special stamp. To find out more about this click here or click on the stamp.

The oldest existing Council in Ontario, Canada is the Pioneer Council # 00485, in Ottawa. They were chartered in 1900, and at the turn of the century they celepated their One Hundredth Anniversary. You may wish to email a contact person in that Council.

Emblems, regalia, certificates, and various items are specially designed for use by members of the Knights of Columbus. Catalogues are available from the Supreme Council of the K of C, Supplies Department. With Canada having a very large membership in the Order, an authorized supplier has been appointed. This is the Enterprises Roger Sauvé, Inc. of Montreal. You may wish to visit their home page, or e-mail the Vice President, S.K. Michel Sauvé.

Clergy Appreciation Night - 1992
	Council 1412 hosted the Clergy Appreciation Night in 1992, and had as guest speakers, the administrators of the St Joseph Hospital, Richard Kuhn and Jerome Quenneville. They spoke on the recent changes in the Hospitals. From Left to Right are Tom Vella-Zarb [Chairman of the event], Richard Kuhn, Jerome Quenneville, and Leo Soudant [G.K. 1412]

Clergy Appreciation Night - 2000
Fr Greg Bonin at the Clergy Appreciation Night 2000	Here are some members of St Agnes Council at the Clergy Appreciation Night, 2000
Here, Father Joe Padelt, retired, chats with Tom Vella-Zarb, at the Clergy Appreciation Night, 2000	John Masterson, with the Magician
John is really into the act.	Fr Dennis Wilhelm invited by the MC Robert Strong, tells a few jokes at the Clergy Appreciation Night, 2000

Family Fun Night honouring our Clergy - 2002
Entertainment by the Showcase Players
Murder Mystery

Family Fun Night honouring our Clergy - 2003
Entertainment by the Showcase Players Presenting a Royal Feast

Clergy Appreciation / Vocations Night - 2005

Sister Irène Meloche (Blessed Sacrament), John Clancey (Ontario State Deputy), Bishop Ronald Peter Fabbro (London Diocese), Fr Murray Sample (Dean of Kent), Vincent Pinsonneault (District Depty)

Picture courtesy of Merle Robillard, Chatham Daily News

Christmas Dinner for the Poor and Lonely
An Annual Tradition by Some Brothers and Sisters In Christ

Breakfast for 1600 Girl Guides - May 2002


PETITIONS AGAINST SAME SEX MARRIAGE David Bondy, distributes petition letters to be signed by the Parishioners of St Joseph's Parish, opposing the Same Sex Marriage Proposal [January 2005] [Photo: Merle Robillard, Chatham Daily News]

Presentation to Chatham Kent Children Safety Village - 2005

Donation to the Children's Safety Village

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS DONATION: The Chatham-Kent Children's Safety Village received a $5,500 donation from the Knights of Columbus District 16 Councils, which includes Blessed Sacrament, St. Agnes, St. Ursula, Pain Court, St. Joseph's, Corpus Cpisti, and the Father James Assembly. Safety village director Janet Cunningham, left, received the donation from Vincent Pinsonneault, District 16 deputy, and Tom Vella Zarb, past District 16 deputy.

The Chapel - a Reality - 2011

Courtesy Don Robinet - Chatham This Week

Don Smith, left, and Frank Letourneau were on hand September 11^th for the official opening of the Knights of Columbus Memorial Chapel at the Chatham-Kent Children's Safety Village.

Chapel opens at safety village

Chatham This Week St-Philippe’s Church in Grande Pointe may be closed, but part of it is still being used at a new non-denominational chapel opened Sept. 11 at the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village. The Knights of Columbus Memorial Chapel is the result of a three-year project and incorporates fixtures from the former church, including pews, the pulpit, a crucifix and lighting fixtures. Frank Letourneau, who chaired the committee that oversaw the chapel’s construction, said, “What’s a village without a chapel?” He said the chapel, which seats about 25 people, can be used for events including small weddings, baptisms and by people renewing their vows. Equipped with a furnace, Letourneau said, “It’ll be open all year long.” Don Smith, faithful navigator of the Father James Assembly Knights of Columbus, which oversaw the project, said the cost included about $20,000 for construction and $10,000 for the lot.

District Barbeque after Meeting