Dear Brother Knights,

While our Order is always "the strong right arm of the Catholic Church", the Knights have been in the forefront of ecumenical activities, especially those benefiting the marginalized (the Good Neighbor Alliance Dinner, for example) and the unborn (CareNet Dinner and the January and October special collections, for example).

This month our Council is being asked to give our own special brand of leadership -- serving others -- at a first-ever "ecumenical event" here in Sierra Vista! On Sunday, 29 January, from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM, at the Apache Middle School on Fry Blvd. we will be helping to make the first Sierra Vista "Community Ministry Fair" a success. It is modeled on the Ministry Fair we have for the Parish every year in September, at which the various ministries in the Parish "display" their projects and look for new 'recruits' for those ministries. The purpose of our Parish Ministry Fair is not only to look for people interested in becoming involved, but it also provides an opportunity to meet those active in the various ministries and put "names and faces" on those ministries. It is always a lot of fun and we have recruited some very fine Brother Knights over the years! Using that model, a number of Christian Churches in the Sierra Vista area are coming together to present their "outreach" ministries -- those ministries which serve the wider community, and especially those in need. Such ministries include our own St. Vincent de Paul Society, as well as the Parish Nurses' Association, ViCap, Good Neighbor Alliance, Stephen Ministry, the Community Food Bank, and another 30 "out-reach" ministries. This will give the wider Christian community of Sierra Vista an opportunity to experience all of the various ministries reaching out to folks in need here in our own community -- connecting "names and faces" with these ministries, and perhaps becoming moved to volunteer!

One of the planned highlights of the Community Ministry Fair will be the refurbished Community Food Bank Wagon -- (donated by our Council #4584 to the Community Food Bank!) -- from which hot dogs and hamburgers will be served to those attending. Here is where the Knights will be participating, doing what we know how to do very well: feeding and serving! Please consider this your personal invitation to participate in the first-ever Community Ministry Fair and show our Order at its very best!
Thank you for being the best "advertisement" that the Knights of Columbus can have!

Vivat JESUS!
Fr. Greg