Once again this year, Thanksgiving Mass at St. Matthew in Norwalk was a special experience for all. As in years past, Knights of Council 14360 joined with their families to give thanks alongside their fellow parishioners.

Sir Knights from Bishop Fenwick Assembly 100, Norwalk, many of whom are also members of St.Matthew Council 14360, provided a color guard. It was led by the assembly’s new Color Corps Commander, Scott Criscuolo.

The day after Thanksgiving has of course become known as “Black Friday”, with many shoppers rushing about in search of the best deals on everything from clothing to televisions. This Black Friday, some Knights of Council 14360 spent part of their day helping those with limited funds to stay warm and happy this winter.

Brothers handed out coats for children in need at St. Joseph Church in South Norwalk as part of the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids initiative. The coats were purchased by Council 14360 using money generated from recent fundraising activities such as our bake sale and Macaroni Dinner.

The Knights of Columbus launched the coats initiative (designed to keep kids warm in harsh winter climates) in 2009. With many families with young children struggling in tough economic times, there was a clear need to provide warm winter coats to children in their communities. And so, the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program was born.

Since the program’s inception, the Knights of Columbus in the United States and Canada has given away more than 167,000 coats to children in need. Approximately 2,000 local Knights of Columbus councils have participated in their communities.

Later that day, some Brothers and their family members were in Coney Island, NY to deliver toys (with the help of Al’s Angels) to Our Lady of Solace Church.  Council 14360 has been helping out Our Lady of Solace since Hurricane Sandy and this great and faithful parish family is finally going to get a refurbished church!

The Christmas season unofficially began at St. Matthew Church in Norwalk recently with the lighting of the beautiful creche outside the front of the church. The creche, assembled with the help of several brothers of Council 14360, was lit up following the 5:00 p.m. Mass on December 6, 2015. Afterward, Brother Knights served refreshments to St. Matthew parishioners.

Brother Tim Horne put in many hours helping get both the creche as well as the large evergreen tree outside St. Matthew lit up for the holiday season. Thanks, Brother Tim!

On Monday, June 13, 2016, the first annual Sword and Shield Golf Classic will take place at the beautiful Brownson Country Club in nearby Huntington, Connecticut.

The Sword and Shield Classic, co-sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 11077 (Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Fairfield, CT) and Council 14360 (St. Matthew Church, Norwalk) promises to be an event not to be missed! Not only will it be a day filled with fun, great golf, and delicious food, but all proceeds will benefit a host of worthy Knights of Columbus Charities of Fairfield County, including St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Malta House, Al’s Angels, Homes for the Brave, and others.

This full day event will begin at 9:00 with registration and a Putting Contest. A full breakfast buffet will begin at 10:00 with an 18 hole “Shot Gun-Best Ball” start for all players at 11:30 including golf cart.

Refreshments and activities will be held on the course during the round of golf including a $10,000.00 Hole-in-One contest.  Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin and Closest to the Line contests will be held on selected holes along with contest prizes available on all Par 3 holes.

After golf, participants can enjoy our Putting Championship during an open bar and appetizer hour along with a full dinner buffet.

Topping off the day will be our event raffle and the King of Aces raffle featuring a full screen TV  to be won by the last participant standing. Awards will be presented to the day’s activities winners as well as the first and second place foursomes.

The total cost for the full day package is $175.00 per player. Also available for the non-golfer is our $75.00 Pool and Dinner package where you can enjoy the club pool during the afternoon and join us for the open bar and dinner in the evening.

Hope you can join us for an enjoyable day on the links or by the pool and to support your Knights of Columbus councils and their worthy causes.  All are welcome to participate!  For information on registering, please click here: Sword & Shield Player Registration Form 2016

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for as little as $100.00! Please click on the following link for more details: Sword and Shield Sponsorships.

Want to use your credit card to register or pay for a sponsorship? No problem! Just click on the following link: https://squareup.com/store/kofcgolfouting

For more information about the tournament, please contact Greg Matera at (203) 209-2164 or greg.mtra@yahoo.com.  Hope to see you there!

Thanks go out to the families of Council 14360 for helping make the 7th Annual Knights Bake Sale a major success. A little over $2,000.00 was raised over the weekend of November 21-22, 2015, money that will directly benefit a number of local organizations supported by the Council.
The parishioners of St. Matthew in Norwalk are second to none with their support of this annual event, both baking as well as buying baked goods. It was so nice to hear from parishioners showing their appreciation of the work that Council 14360 does at our church and in our community.
Thanks to DGK Scott Criscuolo and FS Anthony Armentano for helping run the sale all weekend long, and to Brother Al DiGuido, who helped promote the sale with email blasts to parishioners.
A special thanks also goes out to Terri Sargent, who volunteered to help put together all the baked goods. In addition, thanks to Zenaida Moncayo JoAnn Miller, Marie Horne and Cinthya Shaughnessy for helping decorate the baked goods.
A special thanks to Msgr Walter, Father Sunil and Sister Sally for their support.

NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk’s Knights of Columbus Saint Matthew Council 14360 and students at Fox Run School and All Saint Catholic School sponsored a donation drive for veterans at the Homes for The Brave in Bridgeport in honor of Veterans Day.

Homes for The Brave is a facility in Bridgeport that takes care of veterans who are working to get back to regular life after serving in the armed forces.

The massive donation drive for goods for the soldiers was much appreciated by the residents.

“When I walked into work Monday morning, my jaw nearly hit the floor,” said Homes for the Brave Communications Director Katie Marinelli. “Two offices had been filled with the items we always need most: laundry detergent, paper goods, coffee, food, and more. In disbelief, I looked at my colleague who is also a Veteran and former Homes for the Brave resident. He said, ‘This is the greatest country in the world. The outpouring of love and support that Americans have for their Veterans–you won’t find that anywhere else.’ After a weekend that was marked with tragic events for the people of Paris and Beirut, the generosity displayed by All Saints Catholic School, Fox Run School, and the Knights of Columbus St. Matthew Council was a much-needed reminder of how much good and kindness exists in the world and in our community.”

Fox Run School teachers Mary Jo Pecora-Runkle and Jane Jawlik and the Fox Run Student Council organized the drive. Knights of Columbus Council 14360 member Joe Ginadurco and his wife, Alice, a retired Fox Run teacher, approached the school about organizing a collection for the third straight year. When Council 14360 approached All Saints about doing a drive, Principal Linda Dunn, Student Council advisor John Mezzacappa and the All Saints Student Council were immediately responsive and were excited about the opportunity to help Homes for the Brave. Both schools along with Council 14360 held drives and delivered 1 van and 2 car loads of food and supplies to Homes for the Brave.

Joe Gianadurco is a former Marine who served in Vietnam.

“Homes for the Brave is a top-notch organization. It is my pleasure and honor to help my fellow veterans in any way I can,” he says.

Grand Knight George Ribellino added, “The compassion and drive that our members have for the military is one of love and appreciation. I am also thankful to the students, teachers and administration at Fox Run School and All Saints Catholic School for their generosity and support

Under the Knights of Columbus motto “Keep the Faith Alive,” the St Matthew Faith Formation students grades 1-6 came to life in the artwork for the vocation poster contest sponsored by the St. Matthew Knights of Columbus Council 14360 through the CT State K of C Council. The winners in each group received gift cards.

“We are so proud of the students who participated in the first Vocation Poster Contest hosted by our council. I give credit to Sister Sally Norcross and Father Sunil Pereira at St. Matthew for encouraging and explaining to the students what it means to respond to God’s call, said George Ribellino, Jr, Grand Knight of K of C St. Matthew Council 14360. The contest aims to give students an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of ministry and vocation in the context of their daily life experiences.

 
A big thanks to Michele Scholl and Lori Palladino of the St Matthew Faith Formation program for helping coordinate the contest. The Vocation Poster contest is hosted through the Knights of Columbus State Council and executed by the local councils around the state. The local winners will be judged by the state council vocation committee and the winners of each group receive a $50 gift certificate and be honored at the State Convention in May 2016. The Knights of Columbus is committed to support, encourage, and pray for vocations.

 
The St. Matthew Religious Ed Poster contest winners for K of C Council 14360 are listed below:
Grade 1 and 2-Sadye Bustillo
Grade 3 and 4-Danielle Alexis Erive
Grade 5 and 6-Victoria Bumberova