Welcome to the Knights of Columbus Council 12888

Dear Web Site Viewers,

I wrote this article for our Greenfield Newspaper on January 22, 2003. It was written so that you could understand "who" the Knights of Columbus are and "what" this organization is all about. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this article as all of us in Greenfield, California have. Enjoy........

Greenfield, California

From left to right: Rev. Eugenio Aramburo, Sergio Siquenza, Bob Ferreira, Jose G. Magallon, Dennis Rolandi, Juan Contreras, Miguel Rendon, Phil Cassera, Carol Martella, Leonard Dart, Pedro Trujillo, Nick Chavez, Mike Romo, Tony Gonzalez, Moises Serrano, Jose Aguilar, and Michael Juster.

Many readers may be wondering, “Who are the Knights of Columbus and what is this organization all about?”

The Knights of Columbus was created by a priest by the name of Father Michael McGivney on October 2, 1881 in the basement of St. Mary’s Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. It was there where Father Michael McGivney had gathered a small group of men and with them he had formed a fraternal society that has become the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. That day they vowed to be defenders of their country, their families and their faith and to have united and purposeful goals devoted to a holy cause.

Now every fraternal society needs a name of recognition and as most of you know, it was Christopher Columbus who discovered America and it was also Christopher Columbus who brought the Holy Faith to this New World, and hence, the name “Knights of Columbus” was adopted by this newly created fraternal society.

The Knights of Columbus is an organization that has always been there for the poor, the sick, the orphaned and they have also supported their Catholic brothers with their practical or spiritual needs. They have also helped to renovate the Vatican and bring the Pope to the world.

The Knights of Columbus has grown into the largest society of Catholic men in the world totaling 1.6 million members with more than 12,000 councils throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan. Millions of Catholic men have been members of the knights of Columbus. Even men like baseball great Babe Ruth and President John F. Kennedy.

Now, for a little background history about our Knights of Columbus Council 12888, which was created in our beautiful city of Greenfield, California on May 27, 2001.

Leonard Dart started the Knights of Columbus Council 12888 in Greenfield and on May 27, 2001 it became " official ". It took Leonard about one year before he could get Council 12888 approved by the Knights of Columbus. We needed at least 30 members before the Knights of Columbus would consider approval. Leonard easily had gotten the needed 30 members and a date was set for the Knights of Columbus to come to Greenfield and explain to all " what" the Knights of Columbus was all about and all the benefits that the Knights of Columbus offers to its members. They also explained how we should plan for different events in order to bring in revenues that could help in the support of our Holy Trinity Parish and our Community. They suggested events such as a "Pancake Breakfast" each month at our Holy Trinity Parish Hall.

The Knights of Columbus came back the following month and "initiated" the "first degree" to us all and they helped us to choose our Grand Knight and all our Officers and explained the various responsibilities that each Officer has. Leonard Dart became our Holy Trinity's Council 12888 first Grand Knight and a Pancake Breakfast at Holy Trinity Parish Hall was planed for the following month and we have been offering our Pancake Breakfast, at Holy Trinity Parish Hall, for well over a year and a half now.

Last year during lent, our Pastor, Rev. Eugenio Aramburo, requested to our Knights of Columbus Council 12888, if we could offer a free Fish and Chip dinner at our Greenfield Holy Trinity Parish Hall. We honored his request and well over 300 hundred people from our community participated in this free dinner and they all enjoyed one of the best Fish and Chip dinner around. It was a “great sight” to see parents with their children, grandparents with their grandchildren and our senior citizen’s, sitting next to each other, enjoying an excellent dinner and getting to know each other.

Yes, this is what the word “community” is all about. Bringing our community closer together is one of the “basic” goals of the Knights of Columbus.

On January 8^th of this year, our Knights of Columbus sponsored a New Year’s dinner at our Holy Trinity Parish Hall in Greenfield. This dinner consisted of Tri-Tip Steak, Baked Potato, String Beans, Garlic Bread and a Beverage. Many people from our community participated in our New Year’s dinner.

My “hat goes off” to all of our “fellow Knights” that contributed their time and hard work in this annual event.

Contributing time towards a united goal that will benefit our Parish and our community is another “basic” goal of the Knights of Columbus.

The “revenues” that we acquire from the various events that we sponsor, are solely used for the benefit of our Holy Trinity Parish and for our community. These revenues have given us the ability to beautify the inside and the outside of our Holy Trinity Parish Hall. We had the hard wood floor resurfaced, planted new lawn, added a sprinkler system to our newly planted lawn and we also added a new concrete wheel chair ramp to the front entrance to our Holy Trinity Parish Hall. We also painted the inside and the outside of our Holy Trinity Church, replaced many worn out fluorescent lights and painted the Red Wood fence that surrounds our Church.

“All in all”, our most important accomplishment has been that we have brought a large part of our community “closer” together and that has always been and will always be the “main” goal of the Knights of Columbus.

Hopefully, you now know “who” we are and “what” we are all about.

Bob F.

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