Fr. E. Philip O’Hern Council 10776

Council 10776 conducted several activities this fall in support of our parish and St. Austin Catholic School.

As summer vacation came to an end, the Council treated the teachers and staff of St. Austin Catholic School (SACS) to our annual Teacher and Staff Appreciation Luncheon on August 24^th. After lunch, everyone gathered around our Chaplain, Fr. Bruce Nieli CSP, for a group shot (Photo 1). Just as the Knights figuratively stand with our great SACS teachers, five Knights literally stood with them for this photo. The new school year started on September 5^th in SACS’s brand new school building. Some interior work continued as students, teachers and staff started to settle into the expansive facility.

On Saturday September 9^th, five Knights of Council 10776 provided the weekly meal for the Micah 6 Street Youth Drop-In Center at the University Baptist Church. Our plates of fried chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, green beans, grapes and brownies were quickly consumed as the guests came back for seconds and thirds!

The culmination of many years of planning, fund raising, demolition and construction occurred on September 24^th with the dedication of St. Austin’s new School and Ministry Building. In addition to dollars, many parishioners including Knights dedicated many hours of sweat equity to reach this point in the history of our parish. As part of the dedication ceremony, the Council provided 200 sausage wraps, grilled in the new courtyard and served with onions and bell peppers sauteed in our new kitchen. These ingredients (and cooks) received a blessing from our Chaplain, Fr. Bruce Nieli CSP (Photo 3). After all the speeches, Bishop Joe Vasques of the Diocese of Austin blessed the new facility and people in attendance with the sprinkling of holy water. As he passed the serving window from which appetizing aromas emanated, he said to the Knights “Smells good, guys, smells good!” We felt doubly blessed that day!

Over the weekend of October 20-22, the Knights presented the Silver Rose at all Masses, including the Friday morning Mass with the SACS students. After the Mass, the Rose visited all the classes of pre-K through 5^th grade. We are grateful for Ms. Mitzi Eastman’s assistance (Photo 5).The students were all eyes and ears as she told them the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s visitation with Juan Diego and the significance of the roses. After the Masses, parishioners stayed to ask about the Silver Rose, some even taking pictures of it. The Silver Rose, a part of St. Austin’s Journey to Tepeyac and a K of C Faith In Action event, will return next year!

Over the weekend of October 20-22, the Knights presented the Silver Rose at all Masses, including the Friday morning Mass with the SACS students. After the Mass, the Rose visited all the classes of pre-K through 5^th grade. We are grateful for Ms. Mitzi Eastman’s assistance (Photo 5).The students were all eyes and ears as she told them the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s visitation with Juan Diego and the significance of the roses. After the Masses, parishioners stayed to ask about the Silver Rose, some even taking pictures of it. The Silver Rose, a part of St. Austin’s Journey to Tepeyac and a K of C Faith In Action event, will return next year!

Several other Council events, not documented with photos, included our World Famous Tace Breakfasts in October and November, and our service as crossing guards for SACS’s Halloween Hoot event on Friday evening October 27^th.