Texas State Council Charities

What a great Convention.Thank you Corpus Christi Convention Team for a great time.You folks even provided two days without any hard blowing winds!

State Charities provide funds for the Bishop’s programs, funds for infirmed Priests through the Knights Of Columbus License Plate, Special Olympics, Cardinal Medeiros Trust Fund, Educational Grants,Catholic School Grants, Emergency Relief, and the Wheelchair Program.Seventy per cent of the funds that is sent to State Charities go directly to the Bishop.The remaining thirty per cent is allocated to the other programs.Anything over the Diocesan goal goes directly to the Bishop.

I hope that all of our Brother Knights in our State avoids an event where their home, Parish, or family experiences a loss due to a flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, or anything.But, if it happens our Emergency Relief Team and Texas State Charities are ready to help.The monetary fund for assistance comes from the donations from the Councils through their Council participation to Texas State Charities.To insure that there are sufficient funds for assistance, every member, every Council needs to contribute to Texas State Charities.For those Councils who participate every year to State Charities, the State Charity Team thanks you for your dedication.For those Councils who don’t participate to a 100% level, we ask you to make 2018-2019 the year that you join the rest of the Councils and get to the maximum level of support.

To date, we are at around 80.6% of our goal $997,600.Out of the 718 active Councils in the State 448 have already met or exceeded their goal or 62% of the active Councils, 270 Councils, or 38% have not reached their goal. Eleven Districts and 161 Councils have contributed $0.Some of these Districts have only 1 or 2 Councils in it.Eleven Councils have purchased 1 pin and 1 Council purchased 3 pins. Some of these Councils have received financial support from State Charities for Harvey, flooding earlier in the year, and Educational and Catholic School Grants. The point is, my Brother Knights, we cannot succeed without everyone participating.Those who are standing with a single string in your hand, drop your string and grab the cable so we are all on the same team.”.

The Tyler Diocese is at 100.3% of their goal and they are not finished.The Fort Worth Diocese is at 97.7 % needing only $2,115 the make their goal, and the Victoria Diocese is at 99.6% needing only $245.Galveston/Houston is at 89.9%, Dallas at 89.0%, and El Paso is 81.1%.Austin is 78.2%, San Antonio is 77.8%, Amarillo 70.9% and Beaumont is at 70.2%.Lubbock 55.3%, San Angelo 54.6%, Laredo 44.9%, and Brownsville 34.6%.

David Keating (281-650-5503) heads up the fundraising team.Tony Scarpa (832-457-5150) is the fundraising committeeman for Galveston/Houston and Laredo.Joe Hernandez (830-832-6050) will have San Antonio, Brownsville, and Victoria.Bill Kennedy (903-694-5105) will be calling on Fort Worth, Dallas, Tyler, and Beaumont.Gregory Thompson (has San Angelo, Corpus Christi, and Austin.And, PSD Leo Hanus (214-732-2901) will be calling on Amarillo, Lubbock, and El Paso.

If you are as proud to be a Catholic, and you are as proud as I for being a member of the Knights of Columbus, why not show your pride with a Texas Knights of Columbus license plate.Joe Govea (817-703-8408) can assist you on KC License Plates and the Cardinal Medeiros Trust Fund.The license plate will cost an extra $30 to your existing fee.However, $22.00 goes to infirmed Priests so the cost to you is an extra $8.00 because the $22.00 is tax deductible.The Cardinal Medeiros Trust helps fund the Educational and Catholic School grants.You can honor your Priest or a member of your Council with a $1,000.00 contribution.

Texas has been fortunate to have had Special Olympic Chairmen.All of our Chairmen have a passion for Special Olympics.Carlos Ortiz (817-239-1314) is our Current Chairman.We are scheduling a meeting with the leadership of the Texas Special Olympics to get a solid schedule and exactly what they need the Knights to do for them.We will pass on the information as soon as we can. We have a one-of-a-kind pin to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Special Olympics in Texas that is.The Special Olympics committee in Corpus Christi must be recognized for their effort in the games held April 13.After being informed that the group who did the cooking bailed out.So, Special Olympics asked the Knights to cook for them.

Giacomo Leone (512-983-7576) can assist you with the Educational Grant.We were able to distribute 33 educational grants this year.The grants are funded from the Cardinal Medeiros Fellowship and State Charities.

Texas is very involved in the Wheel Chair program.We are very close to our $400,000 goal.St. Patrick Council 799 is the latest Council to help us get there by raising $3,529.The program is headed by Bill Weber (214-405-8023).Contact Bill at yankeesweb@tx.rr.com for a donation form.A chair can be donated, in your name, for $150.Also, small and large containers are available for $16,500 for 110 chairs and $42,000 for 280.The link for the Wheel Chair donation form is http://www.tkofc.org/downloads/v/wheelchair-mission-donation-form

The Emergency Relief Team is headed by Harry Storey (214-557-2923).The State is broken down into five areas.Ben Oani (214-478-9116) covers Fort Worth, Dallas, and Tyler.Mike Buecher (210-710-1457) has San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville.Austin, Victoria, Galveston/Houston, and Beaumont are coved by Larry Pellerito (281-224-3728).Robert Leal (806-781-9875) is over Amarillo and Lubbock.El Paso and San Angelo will be covered by Harry Storey.Our hope is that this group has nothing to do all year, but if they are needed to assist in any emergency that will help our brother Knights and their families, the men is ready and trained to help.We have been in contact with the Diocesan Coordinators in Central Texas to see if any Brothers are in need of assistance from the floods.

Every Council is constantly being asked to raise money for projects in the Parish, community, and schools.No doubt, we always come through.We have all learned the lesson of the cable.We are stronger if we band together and support our brother Knights and their families in times of need.Please consider participating in the State Charities program.

2018-19 Bishops’ Fund Ministry Designations

Amarillo Bishop Zurek - Priest & Seminarian spirituality training

Austin Bishop Vasquez - Vocations fund & Emergency fund for Priests

Beaumont Bishop Guillory - Infirm & Retired Priest fund

Brownsville Bishop Flores - Deaf & Disabled ministries

Corpus Christi Bishop Mulvey - ARK Emergency Shelter for Youth

Dallas Bishop Burnsl - Deaf & Disabled ministries

El Paso Bishop Seitz - Vocations fund

Fort Worth Bishop Olson - Deaf ministry & Vocations fund

Galveston-Houston Cardinal DiNardo - Catholic schools fund

Laredo Bishop Tamayo - Evangelization outreach & Seminarian support

Lubbock Bishop Coerver - Vocations & Seminarian support

San Angelo Bishop Sis - Pro-life, Seminarian and lay leadership development

San Antonio Archbishop Garcia-Siller - Deaf ministry

Tyler Bishop Strickland - Seminarian support

Victoria Bishop Cahill - Priest & lay leadership education & evangelization