Fraternal Year 2020-2021

The year that began with so much uncertainty and ended with a glimmer of hope.

Our story is much like all the other Knights of Columbus councils. We began the year trying to determine what we couldn’t do, how to do it differently, andwhat we needed to accomplish.As we look back, our council adjusted were needed, developed a program that stayed positive as it focused on providing all members an opportunity to experience the our work of charity to our Parish, Community, Families and defending the rights of the unborn. Overall we became stronger as we learned to do things differently, adapting to challenges that were presented and maintaining a course of action.

We embraced the Faith in Action Program Plan and chose areas that we could succeed; we were successful in obtaining our goals.

Faith

• As the St Helen parish slowly began to recover, our Usher members lead the way in getting the parishioners into and out of the sanctuary safely by maintaining social distancing protocols and under CDC guidelines.
• Since our youth altar servers were unable to assist, some of our members assisted our priest at the altar and now have become acolytes in the church ministry.
• Provided assistance in church decorating, setup/ teardown of events
• Conducted monthly Prayer Hour sessions.
• Financial Contributions
  • St Helen Catholic Church
  • St Mary Seminarian Support (3)
  • Priest Gifts and Clergy Appreciation
  • Supported the church’s fundraising efforts

Community

• Working in conjunction with the St Helen SVDP Society and the Houston Food Bank, our members, Squire Circle, and their families led the way in volunteering in weekly food distributions. This program began slowing then rapidly became in huge resource for the families in our community. At the end of the year the numbers were astronomical; 700,000 pounds of food, 3000 families, 40000 family member and our volunteers along with others accumulated 6900 service hours.
• Blood Drives, Council 8960 held (5) drives during the year. A total 150 Units of blood was collected for the Gulf Coast Blood Bank.
• When doors were closed, our hall doors were opened. Our hall hosted (2) Diocesan/ District Conferences, was one of the first to host a live degree exemplifications and was used by Galveston/Houston State Convention Planning Committee in the months leading up to the convention. In the 11^th hour as rain came down our members converted the hall into the Friday Night of over 400 Knight of Columbus members throughout from all parts of Texas.
• Road Cleanup, our members maintained our assigned road for the Adopt-A-Highway program as outlined by the Keep Pearland Beautiful effort.
• Financial Contributions
  • ST Helen SVDP
  • Pearland Chamber of Commence
  • Pearland Police Department
  • Pearland Parks and Recreation
  • Pearland Lions Club

Family

• Distributed (2) Youth Scholarships
• Presented awards for Family of the Month and Knight of the Month
• Provided Corporate Communion breakfasts after mass for our members
• Financial Contributions
  • Youth Scholarships
  • St Helen School Youth Group
  • St Helen School Fundraisers
  • Squire Circle

Life

• Held monthly First Saturday Rosary for the Unborn.
• Participated in the Pearland Life-Chain Rally
• Financial Contributions
  • Special Olympics

Overall our year ended with positive results, we paid 100% of our State Charity within the first month, we were the presented the Columbian Award for our service work, paid our charity obligations and met our financial goals.