We have some events coming up that will take place too soon to wait for the next regular edition of the monthly Grand Knight’s Blog.

·        Worcester Catholic Men’s Conference

Saturday, March 25, 2023   

Tickets are available at their website: www.catholicmenworc.com or by calling (508) 835-8551. Tickets are $50 through March 13, $65 after that or at the door

If you plan on going, email GrandKnight@kofcmarlboro.org  or sign up on our website too, and we can coordinate or carpool.  But don’t forget to register and pay as shown above first.

See the attachment below for this year’s speakers.

·        Protecting God’s Children

Saturday, March 18, 2023   9:00 a.m. to noon       Westford

The Archdiocese wants all of our members who participate in any programs or events at churches or schools attended by children – including ushering at Mass, parish picnic, etc. — to attend the “Protecting God’s Children” program.  This is a 3-hour training session on a Saturday morning.

Of course, you all know what a big hit our Church has suffered in the past two decades so it’s important that we all step up and visibly support the effort to prevent child abuse in the future.

The next program is on March 18^th at 9:00 a.m. in Westford.

You can register here:  https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_0.cfm?theme=0

You can also let the council know by signing up on our website so we can coordinate and carpool.  Perhaps we can have breakfast on the way or lunch on the way back.  But don’t forget to register as shown above first.

If you can’t make this event, there are lots of others at many locations, but the Westford one is the closest and repeats every month.  See here for a list:  https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_list.cfm?theme=0

·        Other Stuff

If you have any news to report for the next blog, email GrandKnight@kofcmarlboro.org.

• Vivat Jesus.Mike Tremblay
  Grand Knight

2023 Worcester Catholic Men’s Conference

• Host of Motorcycle Based Reality TV show “Long Ride Home with Bear Woznick”. Distributed worldwide on EWTN and Armed Forces Network to more than two hundred million homes and Amazon Prime.
• Host of EWTN’s “The Bear Woznick Adventure” Radio Show heard by millions each week on over 500 radio stations in nearly all 50 states as well as Sirius FM and Video version on most podcast apps.
• Host of the fifteen-minute Ocean Sunrise Catechism seen weekdays on Facebook live.
• Author of the Books “A Surfing Guide to the Soul,” (an Amazon best seller) “Deep Adventure – The Way of Heroic Virtue” and soon to be released “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone = 12 Rules For Manliness.”
• Speaks globally with an emphasis on Men’s Conferences
• Benedictine Oblate at the Mary Spouse of the Holy Spirit Monastery on North Shore of O’ahu.
• Married to Cindy Woznick lives in Waikiki and has five adult children.
• CPA with Masters Degree in Tax.
• Pursuing Masters of Theology from Franciscan University at Steubenville.
• World Champ Surfer and adventurer

Jeff Joaquin is a member of the Board of Directors of Paradisus Dei which is the ministry that provides the That Man Is You! (TMIY) Program to over 700 Parishes across the United States. That Man is You! addresses the pressures and temptations that men face in our modern culture. For more than 14 years Jeff has been actively involved in spreading the TMIY program on a local, regional and national level and recently provided content for three different sessions which are part of the Year 7 and 8 programming for TMIY.

Jeff is one of the founding members of the Tampa Bay Catholic Men’s Conference which had its 12th Annual Conference in February of 2022. The Conference has consistently provided national speakers and ministry opportunities to the nearly 1,000 men in attendance for over the last decade. The Conference focuses on the Suncoast Catholic Ministries mission to encourage their fellow men to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jeff is the Owner of JMJ Site Development Inc. which is a philanthropic construction company supporting worthy ministries all over the world from the Philippines to the Central Africa Republic to Guatemala to Jerusalem and across the entire United States.

Jeff has embarked on a new journey to create awareness of the often-overlooked men’s perspective of abortion. He lays bare the impact and lifelong burden of guilt and grief that men carry after abortion in an effort to provide men and women a path to healing and to help others make positive decisions about unexpected pregnancies. Jeff has given talks on abortion, pro-life, substance abuse and charity to high school students, men’s conferences and retreats all over the country His abortion talk has received national attention and has been played on TMIY, Formed.org, Shalom Media, Heroic Men and countless other media outlets. Jeff joined the Men’s Steering Committee for Support After Abortion in 2021 and is blessed to share a man’s perspective on abortion.

Jeff and his wife Sandy have one daughter and have resided in Tampa Bay for the last 25 years.

Monsignor James P. Moroney is a priest of the Diocese of Worcester, pastor of Saint Cecilia Parish and Director of the Office for Divine Worship. A frequent lectuerer on Liturgy and Spirituality, he has previously served as Executive director of the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy, Rector of Saint John’s Seminary in Boston and Saint Paul Cathedral. He is also author of The Mass Explained, recently published in its third edition by Catholic Book Publishing Company.

David and his wife, Pamela, live in Tulsa, OK, and have five children. They are passionate about building Catholic culture, especially within the home. David is a financial advisor, President of St. Michael Catholic Radio, and co-host of The Catholic Man Show. They recently wrote a book with the Minihan’s for Ascension Press entitled, Living Beyond Sunday: Making your Home a Holy Place.

Adam and his wife, Haylee, live in Tulsa, OK, where they homeschool their four children and are passionate about the Christian family life. Adam is the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Tulsa, CEO of St. Michael Catholic Radio, and co-host of The Catholic Man Show. They recently wrote a book with the Niles for Ascension Press entitled, Living Beyond Sunday: Making your Home a Holy Place.

Father Chris Alar, MIC, entered the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, the religious community entrusted with spreading the message and devotion of Divine Mercy, as a postulant in July 2006. Prior to that time, he received a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan. After working as an engineering manager at a large automotive supplier in Detroit, he began his own consulting firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2000. Answering the Lord’s call, he attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Ohio, for his philosophy studies; Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., for his theology studies; and he earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. He wrote and produced the popular “Divine Mercy 101” and “Explaining the Faith” DVD series and is the author of the bestselling book After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and for You, as well as Understanding Divine Mercy. He is host of the EWTN show Living Divine Mercy, which airs on Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. EST. He serves as “Fr. Joseph, MIC,” the Director of the Association of Marian Helpers, and is the head of Marian Press, located on the grounds of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Bishop Robert J. McManus was born in Providence on July 5, 1951. The son of Edward W. and Helen F. (King) McManus of Narragansett, he is a graduate of Blessed Sacrament School in Providence and Our Lady of Providence Seminary High School.

He studied for the priesthood at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (bachelor and master degrees), and the Toronto School of Theology (master of divinity degree). He has also earned licentiate and doctoral degrees in sacred theology from The Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

After performing a year’s diaconal service at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in East Greenwich, Bishop McManus was ordained to the priesthood there by Bishop Kenneth A. Angell on May 27, 1978. Following ordination, he served as temporary assistant chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital (1978), associate pastor at St. Matthew Parish in Cranston (1978-81) and associate pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Providence (1981-82). From 1982 to 1984 he was the Catholic chaplain at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) in Warwick while continuing in residence at St. Anthony. He pursued advanced studies in theology in Rome from 1984 to 1987. While still in doctoral studies in Rome, he was named director of the diocesan Office of Ministerial Formation on July 1, 1986, and in July 1987 he returned to the diocese and took up residence at St. Luke Parish in Barrington.

Bishop McManus became diocesan Vicar for Education on November 9, 1987 while continuing as director of the Office of Ministerial Formation and in-residence at St. Luke. On October 4, 1990, he assumed the additional duty as theological consultant and editorial writer for The Providence Visitor newspaper. He was appointed a Prelate of Honor to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor on February 28, 1997. He was named rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary on June 26, 1998 while continuing his duties as Vicar for Education and Director of Ministerial Formation. At the same time he left St. Luke for residence at the seminary and assumed responsibility for weekend assistance at St. Margaret Parish in Rumford. Bishop McManus was ordained as Titular Bishop of Allegheny and Auxiliary Bishop of Providence on February 22, 1999 and he continued to serve as Secretary for Ministerial Formation and Rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary for some time.

Pope John Paul II named Bishop McManus as the Fifth Bishop of Worcester and he was installed on May 14, 2004.