Officer Elections are Coming Up!

On Tuesday, April 23, the Council Officers met to consider officer nominations for the upcoming Fraternal Year, which begins July 1, 2019 and runs through June 30, 2020.  Below are our nominations.  Additional nominations will be considered at our next Council Meeting on May 2 immediately followed by the final elections.

Officer Position	Nominee	Notes
Grand Knight	Lee Fracker	Incumbent
Deputy Grand Knight	Benny Drozd	Incumbent
Chancellor	Jeff Kirk	Moving from Trustee
Treasurer	Raymond Tatum	Incumbent
Recorder	Edward Ruvalcaba	New
Warden	Paul Vinklarek	Incumbent
Outside Guard	Robert D’Antonio	Incumbent
Inside Guard	Gilbert Zamora	New
Financial Secretary	Karl Arunski	New, Appointed by Supreme
Advocate	Ronnie Eberts	Incumbent
3 Year Trustee	Larry Young	New
2 Year Trustee	Steve Venzon	Previous 3 Year Trustee
1 Year Trustee	Gary Young	New

On Thursday, May 2, we will open the floor to additional nominations and then conduct the elections. Any member of the 3rd degree can serve as an officer and can be nominated by another member or even himself. Obviously, these officer elections are among the most important events of the year. See you there!

Vivat Jesus!

The Best Fish Fry of the Year!

This Good Friday our Council presents the Best Fish Fry in Bastrop -- and anywhere, really!  As always, our generous plate and take-out boxes are stuffed with two large catfish filets, cod, coleslaw, fries, beans, and hush puppies so good you’ll want more! 

Oh, did I mention that this is the last and best Fish Fry of the Year?  Don't miss it!  Dine in or take out.  Proceeds benefit local charities!

Meet Our Council's Newest Members!

Three new members joined our Council on Thursday, 4 April 2019:  Chris Bodine, Jose Oviedo, and Roque Peña.  We welcomed them into our Council using Supreme's new First Degree Ceremononial video production, a first for our Council and our District.

	Chris Bodine, his wife Deanna, and their five children have been members of the Ascension Catholic Community for 20 years.  Chris comes from a family of Knights, his father having been a Knight for most of his adult life.  Chris is a principal and landscape architect for Norris Design by day and real estate investor by night!
	Dr Jose Oviedo is a pediatrician with the Seton Family of Doctors in Smithville.  He is often seen at the 7:30 a.m. daily mass at Ascension before he goes to work. Dr Oviedo also leads the RCIA program at Ascension Catholic Church, culminating in the baptism, confirmation, and/or reception of new members into the Catholic Church during the Great Vigil of Easter!
	Roque Peña and his wife Olga have been members of Ascension for nearly six years.  He works as a manufacturing plant manager in nearby Giddings, Texas.  Roque says his name is pronounced like "Okay" with an "R" in front!

We, the Ascension Knights of Columbus, are delighted to have these three wonderful Catholic men join our ranks. They each bring different gifts to our Council and will be helping us in our mission to serve Jesus Christ by serving others!

Vivat Jesus!

Weeds in the Wheat Field

Jesus told his followers a parable about a farmer who planted a wheat field.  After a while, the farmhands came to inform him that there were weeds growing among the wheat!  The farmhands asked, "What should we do?"  The farmer said, "An enemy has done this to us.  But don't worry, I will take care of the weeds.  I want you to take care of the wheat."  (You can find Jesus' parable in Matthew 13:24-30.)

This parable reminds me of the various scandals going on in the Church today that are shocking so many of us.  The fact that Matthew thought it necessary to include this parable in his Gospel tells us that such scandals have been going on for a long time, all the way back to the beginning of the Church.

How did these evil men get into the Church and do so much damage?  Jesus tells us, "An enemy has done this."  As Catholic Christians, we know that Christ has conquered the enemy and is already purging the Church of the weeds who have grown up within it.  Therefore, let us leave the weeds in God's hands while we as Knights continue spreading the Gospel through our mission of service to those for whom Christ died, the wheat in God's field!

Vivat Jesus!