Jasper Deanery Knights Honor

Hundreds of people from across the Jasper Deanery filled the Ferdinand Community Center on Oct. 2 to join the Knights of Columbus in a show of gratitude to the priests, deacons and religious serving in the deanery. After personally thanking them on behalf of a grateful diocese, Bishop Charles C. Thompson urged everyone in the room to continue praying for families – the collective foundation for religious, and all vocations.

“When I interview those who are discerning a call to religious life, I ask them what prompted them to move forward,” Bishop Thompson said. “Some say it was a TEC retreat. Others talk about Source Summit. But those are the events – the moments – that moved them off the fence.

“Inevitably,” he continued, “they tell me that the seeds of their vocations were planted in their families. So while we continue to pray for vocations across the diocese, we pray also for the strength and defense of the family.”

Knight Tim Jarboe provided an update on the growth of the Father Michael J. McGivney Knights of Dubois County Endowment, which enjoyed an investment return of more than 17 percent over the past year – and a long-term return of almost six percent.

The Knights also made a special presentation to Kathy Seger, the wife of longtime Knight Ron Seger, who passed away earlier this year. “If you ever wanted to see a living sermon, you just had to look at Ron,” said Steve Luegers, grand knight of K of C Council #1584 in Jasper.

Following Jarboe’s report and the presentation honoring Seger, the Knights individually recognized all of the priests, deacons and religious serving across the Jasper deanery. They presented each with gift baskets that included breads and cookies made by the Benedictine Sisters at the Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. Each basket also included a handwritten note of thanks from kindergarteners and some fourth graders from the Jasper Deanery.