Our Principles
All the good works we do are informed by our four core principles:
Charity – Our Catholic faith teaches us to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Members of the Knights of Columbus show love for their neighbors by:
- conducting blood drives – We currently support 6 drives annually at QAS collecting over 30 pints at each drive
- collecting donations at our MR (tootsie roll) drive for the mentally handicapped – funds from this go to:
– Cardinal Glennon Hospital where the Knights sponsor a wing of the hospital,
– T.A.S.K. (Teams Assist Special Kids) – a local organization who help kids with special needs through team sport activities ( http://www.tasksports.org )
– Special Olympics - supporting, both spiritually and materially, mothers who choose life for their babies. Knights recognize that our mission, and our faith in God, compels us to action. There is no better way to experience love and compassion than by helping those in need, a call we answer every day. Each January, we run our Roses For Life campaign in support of the fight against abortion. Roses symbolic of the lives lost are passed out at all masses. Each parishioner is asked to sign these. They are then presented in Washington D.C. to our congressman to show our support for the Pro-Life movement against the Roe vs Wade decision.As a council through donations made during the Roses for Life campaign we send 4 youth and 2 chaperons to Washington D.C. for March for Life in January of each year.
- running various events (fish Fry’s, 3rd grade basketball tournament, Mouse Races, Road rally, Texas Hold’em, BBQ, Picnic Dice Wheel) which support our School, PSR, youth groups, all scouting organizations, the parish etc.
- Run both a basketball Free Throw contest and a soccer Challenge for all kids interested in the 10 to 14 year age groups. Winners of the council contest are able to go to both District and State contests.
- setup and remove the nativity set each year in front of the church. The set was donated to the parish in 2001 by our council.
- Through funds generated by our council we have given up to (4) $1,000 scholarships to eighth grade boys and girls pursuing high school education at a catholic institution.
Unity – We are united in the catholic faith working for the holy gospel given to us by Jesus Christ in support of the Holy See, Pope Benedict XVI, here on earth. None of us is as good as all of us. Members of the Knights of Columbus all know that – together – we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. So we stick together…we support one another. That doesn’t mean that we always agree or that there is never a difference of opinion. It does mean that – as a Knight of Columbus – you can count on the support and encouragement of your brother Knights as you work to make life better in your parish and community. The Queen of All Saints council is very active and successful because we band together, working as a unit to bring our various events to a successful conclusion.
Fraternity– The Venerable Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, in large part, to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died – often prematurely. The Order’s top-rated insurance program continues to do this today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time to assist sick and/or disabled members and their families. In the Knights of Columbus, we watch out for and take care of one another.
To Promote Fraternity in our in the QAS council we:
- host our annual dinner for all council Knights and their wives or significant others at no cost to members
- promote Fifth Sundays (four per year) – On these Sundays we organize the hospitality and extraordinary ministers for the 9:00 am mass. We encourage all Knights and their families to come to church with their badges and our Fourth Degree Honor Guard members dress out to show the parish who we are. We then enjoy breakfast together afterward.
- organize both an Advent and Lenten prayer service at the White House Retreat Center chapel for all members and families
- participate in the Knights of Columbus night at the ballpark
Patriotism – Members of the Knights of Columbus, be they Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Cubans, Filipinos, Poles, or Dominicans, are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both. Whether it’s in public or private, the Knights remind the world that Catholics support their nations and are amongst the greatest citizens. Our Fourth Degree is developed around patriotism.
As a fourth degree member you may also join the Honor Guard. The Honor Guard performs a prayer service for a fourth degree member at his wake. They are also frequently called to ‘dress out’ for the Archbishop for various functions within the archdiocese as well as individual parish’s. (IE. our council dresses out for the QAS Corpus Christi procession each year)