By Jonathan Martinez - Florida Catholic
Photographer: JONATHAN MARTINEZ |FC
Jose M. Fernandez, right, receives an award recognizing his service as district warden for District 78 as well as being in charge of their bulletins and newsletter. The award was given to him by Don Goolesby state deputy for the Knights of Columbus in Florida.
Photographer: JONATHAN MARTINEZ |FC
Dozens of Knights of Columbus and their families from around the state gathered at St. Patrick Church, Miami Beach, for the annual council 13654 banquet. The group celebrated the achievement of having received 14 awards at the Knights of Columbus State annual convention held in Orlando from May 27-29.
Photographer: JONATHAN MARTINEZ |FC
Dozens of Knights of Columbus and their families gathered at St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach to celebrate Council 13654's annual banquet. Among the many achievements accomplished by the San Patricio Knights was being named Council of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.
Photographer: JONATHAN MARTINEZ |FC
Gustavo and Hilda Bengechea received the award for Family of the Month at the Knights of Columbus Council 13654 annual banquet. The event was held at St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach.
MIAMI BEACH | Of all the Knights of Columbus councils in Florida, the one at St. Patrick Church here can rightly point to itself with pride.
“In the state of Florida there are 360 councils, and out of the 360 we were number 1,” said Raul Cendan, district deputy for District 78.
With pride in his voice and a sense of accomplishment in his demeanor, Cendan noted that San Patricio Knights of Columbus Council 13654 received 14 awards at the state convention in Orlando this year. Among them was the award for Council of the Year, which St. Patrick’s has won for five consecutive years.
Council members celebrated that and more July 10 at a special banquet at St. Patrick attended by over 100 people. Among them were fellow Knights from District 78, which includes the councils at St. Joseph (San Jose), St. Mary Cathedral, St. Michael (San Miguel) and St. Martha parishes.
“Through our faith we had a great year. We are very proud,” said Don Goolesby, State Deputy for the Knights of Columbus in Florida.
The San Patricio Knights also distributed awards at the banquet: One went to Gustavo and Hilda Bengechea, Family of the Month; the other to Dr. Ricardo F. Alonso, Knight of the Year.
Over 54,000 Knights make up the 360 councils or chapters around the state of Florida. The Catholic fraternal organization provides charitable services, promotes Catholic education and supports the pope and bishops on public policy and social issues.
“We are just a group of men who love our faith, who love our Church, and we try to do what we can to help each other,” said Goolesby.
“When I saw what they do, how they help the world, that’s one thing I wanted to do. It gave me a guideline on how to live my life,” said Josue Hercule, a Fourth Degree Knight from Council 12758 at St. Mary Cathedral in Miami. “I’ve become the man that I am today because of the Knights.”
The Knights inspire service and aim to engage men to be active members of the faith community.
“We want to keep asking Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, to come and join us because there is still a lot of work that has to be done,” said Goolesby.
For more information on the Knights of Columbus and their work in Florida visit http://floridakofc.org.
Photographer: JONATHAN MARTINEZ |FC
Dr. Ricardo F. Alonso receives the Knight of the Year award at the Knights of Columbus Council 13654 annual banquet. At left is the council's outgoing Grand Knight Gustavo T. Navarro, and at right is District Deputy Raul Cendan.
