2023 - 2024

S.K. Clyde Labonte

For his commitment, dedication and volunteer work within our Council, Parish and Community Sir Knight Brother Clyde Labonte has been awarded the SK Rev Father Michael P. Parent Knight of the Year Award

2022 - 2023

S.K. Br. Christopher Kowalsky PGK

To have a PGK remain as active as he has, is truly remarkable.

We are lucky that a Past Grand Knight stay involved in our Council. PGKs in our Order often drift away for a needed rest after their terms, but not in this Council, especially Chris!

He has served our Council and our Parish with dignity and loyalty for many years. He is serving a second 3-year term as a Trustee; he is an active leader in Fundraising via our Bottle Drives and the St. Patrick’s Day Dance and his association with MS Bike Charity which many Knights ride to support is a testament of his commitment to our Order and our Council.

He headed up our Nomination Committee this year along with being an active member of the Fourth
Degree serving as a member of the Honour Guard of the Dean Wagner Assembly.

Sir Knight Brother Chris Kowalsky is a model Knight and has been for many years and I cannot think of anyone else who is more deserving of this award than Chris.

2020 - 2021

Brandon Bernardon

SK. Br. Brandon Bernardon – Knight of the Year

Brandon grew up in our parish attended Holy Cross School as well as St. Thomas of Villanova High School. From an early age he was engaged with parish life while being active with our Youth Group under the leadership of Jerry Leroux.

He was recruited to join the Knights while volunteering at the Parish Family BBQ during the first year of our Council taking the lead role in managing this event at Father Mike’s request.

At 18 years old, while just starting his first year at the University of Windsor, he completed his 3 Degrees in very short order.

He served as the Chairman of our Essay Contest Committee in his first year involving Grade 8 students at both parish schools.

He later became a member of our Executive when he was named one of our Guards – a position he has held ever since. In 2019, 2 months before his 20th birthday, he was exemplified as a Sir Knight having joined the Dean Wagner Fourth Degree Assembly.

He has stepped up and made effective presentations to our membership last year ‘live’ before the ‘pandemic affected us all as well as on -line in support of the Knights of Columbus as a service organization.

He helped launch and initiated a Facebook Group and provided support and training in ‘WhatsApp’ to our members. He has volunteered to head our new Communications Committee and is taking over as our Webmaster in July.

He, also, has been an effective leader in the recruitment of new members through sponsorship, further demonstrating a commitment to serve.

The core of young members our Council has is the envy of many area Councils and Brandon’s contribution towards the recruitment and engagement of these members is to his credit.

On a personal level with so many accomplishments already behind him, he continues to grow as a Young Man!
• He just graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Honors Criminology with Political Science with distinction
• He is currently doing research with a professor at the University
• He is currently planning on doing his masters in Sociology come the fall of 2021 completing the course stream with no thesis
• He hopes to attend law school here in Windsor
• Planning of returning to volunteering at Victim Witness assistance program in the fall
• Is also currently on the executive for the University of Windsor Firearms Association

We are proud of having Brother Brandon with us a Brother Knight, and we can say that he has made his family, parish, and his Council very proud of him!

A remarkable young man!

2019 - 2020

SK Br Anthony Osula

I am delighted and honoured to present our Knight of the Year to Brother Anthony Osula.

Brother Anthony joined the Knights of Columbus 6 years ago, completed his 3 degrees in short order and later on became ‘Sir Anthony’ by joining the Fourth Degree as a member of the Dean Wagner Assembly.

In November on 2018, he made a commitment to me that he would apply to Supreme to be our next Financial Secretary knowing that Br. Barry St. Pierre had served notice of his intention to retire in June of 2019 when his latest 3 year term expired.

Of all the positions within a Council’s Executive, the one office that a Council cannot continue without is that of the Financial Secretary. This position is appointed by our Supreme Knight in New Haven Ct., and serves as the key liaison between our Council, the Ontario State Board and our Supreme Offices.

This role requires someone with an ability to manage day to day interaction with the Grand Knight and the Council’s Treasurer so organizational skills and commitment are certainly prerequisites.
Making this commitment took a huge burden off of my mind knowing that we had such a dedicated and qualified individual so willing to serve.

Beyond the many duties of our a Financial Secretary, Brother Anthony offers support to our Youth Dances, Breakfast events where he has taken up to help in the kitchen, and he has helped with the clean-up duties following fish fry events.

He always steps up to help whenever anyone seems to be in need.

Believe me, the tasks and time devoted to being an active Financial Secretary alone is enough, beyond all of this extra help identified, Brother Anthony is an active member of the Fourth Degree Assembly which is often forgotten about.

He also has a very kind and fraternal side of him that many people do not know about. Countless hours spent visiting members in distress, driving a member who can no longer drive to Sunday morning Mass are all signs of fraternalism and charity two of our Order’s founding principles.

Beyond the Knights functions, he also serves as an Usher at our church rounding out what an active, practical Catholic gentleman should be.

Brother Anthony Osula a very special man – a true Knight in service to his church, our parish and our Council.

I know everyone will join me in recognizing and congratulating Brother Anthony on this well deserved award.

2018 - 2019

Brother Murray Harris

I am very pleased to present the Knight of the Year Award for 2018-2019 to Brother Murray Harris.
Brother Murray became a Knight in 2015, completed three degrees in very short order, and will be exemplified as a member of the Dean Wagner Assembly on June 22 becoming a member of the Fourth Degree.
In the summer of 2018 when standing committees were being set up, Brother Murray agreed to take on the responsibility of Chairman of our Parish Breakfast.
This responsibility was in addition to taking over the lead role in the Parish Youth Dance after helping at this event for the previous three years.
Brother Murray also provided support roles when called upon to assist where needed at our Parish Family Day event, Fish Fries, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and was on hand for the Basketball Free Throw event which returned this year.
In order to stay closer to the Council’s regular activities, he rearranged his long standing personal commitments on Monday nights to be present at our Council meetings – a reflection of his commitment to our Order and the love he has for our Council and our Parish.
When approached to stand for an Officers position in March, he agreed and was elected to the position of Chancellor further establishing his significant contribution and personal growth within our Council.
In three short years, Brother Murray has evolved and developed into an active member of our Council and taking a significant leadership role now serving as an Executive Officer.
I know everyone will join me in congratulating Brother Murray on being named as Knight of the Year!

2017 - 2018

SK Br. Marc J Morneau

Knight of the Year Award 2017/18

The recipient of the “Knight of the Year Award” is a brother Knight who most certainly exemplifies the principals of our order, Charity, Service and Fraternity.

Lecturer and PGK, SK Marc Morneau, became a Knight in Burlington Ontario in 2010 and served in just about every capacity at Executive level including 2 terms as a Grand Knight of Council 5073 in Burlington. This is significant because council 5073 serves 4 Parishes in the GTA.
So now you understand where Brother Marc gained all that experience we so often take advantage of.
Upon his retirement Brother Marc moved back to Windsor and in 2015 he transferred to our Council. In 2016 he served as our Deputy Grand Knight, and this past year accepted the appointment of Lecturer, replacing Brother Jerry Zima when he retired the position.

Often Marc would say to me “I don’t know a lot of the members of our council”, so to fix that he rolled up his sleeves and got right involved. He was a member of our Retention Committee, assists often at Youth Dances, initiated socials after every meeting, he took the initiative to learn the UKNIGHT website program and launching it in August last year became our webmaster.

Marc has been a mentor to me, several other executive and many of our general membership that I am aware of. Marc is no stranger to the BBQ and is not opposed to getting his hands a little dirty either. At GH he helped to install shelving in the garage and last year he cut the grass all summer.
Marc, you can no longer say that you don’t know too many of these guys and for sure they all know you.

Help me congratulate Brother Marc