May 2025

Joe Hunter

It is with tremendous appreciation and gratitude that the OLOH Council
designate Joe Hunter Knight of the Month for May 2025.
Joe serves as the Council’s 1st Year Trustee and a Past Grand Knight. He
is always willing to donate his time and talent to assist the Council’s many
events throughout the year. Joe lends his culinary skills for the two Lenten
Fish Fry events which are a huge parishioner favorite. He also lends a
hand in the kitchen during the Parish pancake breakfast. He is the first to
volunteer for any event especially if it involves grilling including the recent
end of year BBQ. For the Parish Christmas Market tree sales, Joe along
with another knight, Roger Bracken, rented a van and drove to
Pennsylvania to pick up selected Christmas trees and unloading them at
the Parish. As 1 st Yr Trustee, Joe oversees the audit of submitted
reimbursement receipts by fellow knights and an active participant in the bi-
annual financial audit of the Council. For the last several years, he has
served as the Council’s Membership Director and shepherds all new
knights processing their initial paperwork, presenting them to the Council
for a vote to join the Order, and scheduling and attending their 3 rd degree
exemplification ceremonies throughout our District parishes: St. Catherine
of Siena, Christ the Redeemer and St. Joseph’s. This requires a
tremendous amount of Joe’s time which the Council is grateful for his
commitment.
As a 4 th degree member of the Assembly, he serves as a 2 nd Year Trustee
and a member of the Color Corps assisting at the Bishop’s Stational Mass
and Feast of our Lady of Hope-Anniversary of the Dedication of the
Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass procession and guarding the
Crucified Hearts Relics tour. Joe also stands in respect at the funerals of
Sir Knights. This is the final demonstration of respect for members and
their families during a particularly difficult time in their lives and the final
demonstration of fraternalism and unity for a member.

Joe exhibits strong Christian values and he is a true asset to our Council
and Parish. Please join me in congratulating Joe Hunter Knight of the
Month for May 2025.

April 2025

Fred Mendicino

It is with tremendous appreciation and gratitude that the OLOH Council designate Fred Mendicino
Knight of the Month for April 2025.
Fred currently serves as Respect for Life coordinator for the Parish. Fred led the Parish participation in
the Virginia Pro -Life Day on January 29, 2025. This initiative invited fellow parishioners and other
faithful Catholics to meet directly with state delegates and senators to advocate in favor of legislative
action protecting the sanctity of the unborn and the sacredness of family life.
He also spearheaded the Parish’s Virginia March for Life on April 2nd. He coordinated bus transportation
for parishioners and students to and from the Parish to the state capital in Richmond. In addition, he
emailed to all a nine-day novena prayer leading up to the march. Knights, as in previous years were asked to provide security and the Women’s Group helped sponsor a light dinner once the participants
arrived back at the Parish.
Thanks to Fred’s dedication and attention to detail, all the participants were thankful to be part of this
march to show the state legislators our resolve to protect the life of the unborn.
Fred is a true Catholic gentleman who embodies our core Knight values of charity, unity, fraternity, and
patriotism. He is an asset to our Council and Parish. Please join me in congratulating Fred Mendicino
Knight of the Month for April 2025.

March 2025

Roger Bracken

It is with tremendous appreciation and gratitude that the OLOH Council
designate Roger Bracken Knight of the Month for March 2025.
Roger has been selected as Knight of the Month for his outstanding
contributions to the OLOH parish and the Knight of Columbus.
He serves as the Council’s Financial Secretary for the past 6 years which
the Council is very grateful for his long service. He collects dues from
members through the timely sending of billing notices and initiates retention
measures by providing a list of delinquent members to the grand knight (to
prevent members from being suspended for nonpayment of dues). He
ensures that the council’s membership records, including email addresses
are kept updated. He receives honorary and honorary life membership
cards from the Supreme Council and provides them to the grand knight for
distribution. He files various reports and membership/insurance
transactions with the Supreme Council. He is part of the Council audit
team ensuring our financial transactions are up to date and regularly keeps
the Grand Knight informed of the Council budget expenses throughout the
year.
Roger volunteers his time and talent for the betterment of our Parish and
Council. He assists at the annual Christmas Market, setting up for the
Corpus Christi procession, and the Lenten Fish Fry. He is also an usher at
the 5pm Vigil Mass.
We are grateful for his willingness to support our many activities and he is a
true asset to our Council and Parish. Please join me in congratulating
Roger Bracken Knight of the Month for March 2025.

November 2024

Alex Rybak

It is with tremendous appreciation and gratitude that the OLOH Council names Alex
Rybak Knight of the Month for November 2024.
Alex has been selected as Knight of the Month for his outstanding contributions to the
OLOH parish and the Knights of Columbus. Alex assisted delivery of boxes of coats to
area elementary schools as part of the Coats for Kids campaign. In addition, he
volunteered his time and talent assisting putting together the metal bench for the
Blessed Michael J. McGivney statue. We look forward to his continued assistance as
he has already signed up to donate his time unloading Christmas trees for this year’s
Christmas market.
Alex willingness to support our Parish is much appreciated. His teamwork and
dedication are commendable to making Council events a success. He is a true Catholic
gentleman and worthy of Knight of the Month for November 2024.

October 2024

Tom Hohn

It is with tremendous appreciation and gratitude that the OLOH Council names Tom
Hohn Knight of the Month for October 2024.
Tom has been selected as Knight of the Month for his outstanding dedication to the
OLOH parish and the Knights of Columbus. Tom has been involved in leading the
Pancake Breakfast for the past several months. He orders and picks up the food for the
breakfast making sure the right amount is purchased each month. In addition, he
oversees the student volunteers for assigning them where needed and meticulously
records and remits all cash transactions. During the recent hurricane relief pancake
breakfast, Tom made sure there was enough food as this one event which was the
Council’s busiest to date and raised over $1200 for Catholic Charities USA- Hurricane
Disaster Relief.
In addition, Tom volunteers his time and talent to other Council activities such as the
recent Coats for Kids donations event and his service as a long time usher.
His willingness to support our Council helps our entire parish community. His selfless
dedication and support make him truly deserving of recognition. It is with great honor to
name him Knight of the Month for October 2024.

September 2024

Sam Ostergren

It is with tremendous appreciation and gratitude that the OLOH Council names Sam
Ostergren the Knight of the Month for September 2024.
Sam has been selected as Knight of the Month for his outstanding dedication to the
OLOH parish and the Knights of Columbus. His commitment shines through in his
involvement in the parish pancake breakfasts, where he consistently lends his time and
energy to ensure their success. Whether it’s setting up, serving or cleaning, he is
always the first to offer a helping hand.
Beyond these, Sam has built strong, meaningful relationships with fellow Knights,
fostering camaraderie and unity within the council. He also played an instrumental role
in organizing and supporting the recent OLOH appreciation dinner, contributing to its
smooth execution and welcoming atmosphere. In addition to his involvement in these
specific events, Sam actively participates in the general activities of the parish, always
ready to serve in any capacity.
His selfless dedication and unwavering support make him truly deserving of recognition.
We are grateful for his continued commitment and service to our Parish, and it is with
great honor to name him Knight of the Month for September 2024. Congratulations
Sam!

August 2024

Tom Duncan

It is with great honor and appreciation that Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 names Tom
Duncan Knight of the Month for August 2024.
Brother Tom has been a long serving member of our Councill and Parish. He volunteers his
time and talent to many programs and activities. He serves as Inside Guard for the Council and
recently stepped up to fill a void for Outer Sentinel for the Pope John Paul II Assembly. Tom
readily volunteers his time as OLOH usher at both the 0900 and 1215 masses and you can find
him assisting with set up and volunteering at our Pancake Breakfast, a favorite event for many
parishioners.
In addition, Tom is one of five Team Leaders responsible for the conduct of Scripture Services
and the distribution of Communion each Sunday for the inmates at the Loudoun County
Detention Center.  As Team Leader, he assigns each team member, normally 5 men and 2
women to the proper Pod and updates them on any changes.  After the Service he prepares a
consolidation report to the Prison Ministry Coordinator based on inputs from each volunteer
which lists the number of inmates from each Pod who attended, any request that they have
made, and recommendations for improvements.
Always willing to be proactive on Parish/Council issues, he was instrumental in bringing up the
safety issue of trucks and trailers parked alongside our shared access road to the entrance of
the Parish which has now been eliminated with no parking signs.
Tom’s teamwork and dedication are in great part responsible for making our Parish a vibrant
community. Our Council is indebted to Tom for his dedication. Please help me in
congratulating Tom Duncan Knight of the Month for August 2024.

July 2024

Tim Melia

It is with great honor and appreciation that Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 nominate Tim
Melia Knight of the Month for July 2024.
Tim serves as the Recorder for the Council responsible for keeping and maintaining a true and
permanent record of all actions, reading the bills and correspondence during the Business
Meeting which he performs admirably. In addition, he showed great leadership and initiative
to get the No Parking signs on the pipestem road as you enter the Parish parking lot by the gas
station. Tim conducted research with the Sheriff’s Office, the County property records which
set the stage for Fr. Killian to coordinate with Falcon’s Landing, Va Tire & Auto, and the gas
station about installing the signs. This successful effort now leads to a significantly safer street
entrance without the big trailers that parked along the shared street, a significant
accomplishment. Tim is also leading the effort in researching alternative interest-bearing
savings accounts to increase our Council’s budget.
He is a member of the Pope John Paul II Assembly. He coordinates with the other Assembly
parishes, St John’s the Apostle in Leesburg and St. Francis de Sales in Purcellville in scheduling
Assembly meetings at their locations to bring fraternity among the members. In addition, he
was instrumental in planning the St. Faustina Relics tour last September at OLOH which was
well attended and co-chairing the effort for the upcoming relic program “Call from the Crucified
Heart”. Tim is also very active with the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) and a parish lector
since 2000.
We are extremely grateful for his willingness to support our many activities and he is a true
asset to our Council and Parish. Please join me in congratulating Tim Melia Knight of the Month
for July 2024.

June 2024

Robert Hodges

It is with great honor and appreciation that Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 nominate Robert
Hodges Knight of the Month for June 2024.
Robert serves as deputy grand knight who I have come to depend on since the start of the
fraternal year, assisting me greatly throughout this year in sending out knight announcements
or accompanying me to state events in the area. When there is a need at council events, he
steps in wherever he can to assist from serving food or tending bar. He lends his natural vocal
talent as a member of the church choir and also assists the parish audio-visual team. He was
appointed Parish Vocations liaison and is responsible for coordinating with the Arlington
Diocese for keeping vocations in the spotlight at all times in our parish.  Robert recently
contributed his time and talent collecting for KOVAR at GIANT food store, assisting as a member
of the college scholarship committee and parish picnic committees.
Brother Robert’s teamwork and dedication are in great part responsible for making our Parish
a vibrant community. We are grateful for his willingness to support our many activities and he
is a true asset to our Council and Parish. Please join me in congratulating Robert Hodges Knight
of the Month for June 2024.

May 2024

Alex Zebango

It is with great honor and appreciation that Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 nominate Alex
Zebango Knight of the Month for May 2024.
Since joining the Council last year, Brother Alex has been very active, volunteering his time and
talent for the good of the Parish. He stepped up with his young children, Nicholas and Norah,
to collect donations at Giant for the KOVAR campaign this past weekend. He volunteered to
serve on the Parish Picnic Committee, where his valuable advice to the committee will help
make the event a tremendous success. He enthusiastically gives his time in whatever capacity
in supporting other recent Council events such as the Christmas Market, St. Patrick’s Party, and
the Lenten Fish fry.
Brother Alex embodies the virtues of a knight: charity, unity, and fraternity. We are grateful
for his willingness to support our many activities and he is a true asset to our Council and
Parish. Please join me in congratulating Alex Zebango Knight of the Month for May 2024.

April 2024

Bill Dwyer

It is with great honor and appreciation that Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 names William
(Bill) Dwyer, Knight of the Month for April 2024.
Brother Bill has been very active in the Council and Parish, volunteering his time and talent to
many programs and activities. Most recently, he was the Knight lead for the March for Life
campaign to Richmond which resulted in increased participation by brother knights and OLOH
students. Bill lends his technical acumen to the parish audio visual team and to the newly
created IT team. This team is responsible for updating the Knight’s website and expanding our
social media outreach. Bill participated in judging the OLOH Science Fair, providing valuable
insight, advice, and feedback to students who aspire to work in the science field.
Bill quietly works behind the scenes assisting and supporting other recent Council events such
as the Christmas Market, St. Patrick’s Party celebration, the Lenten Fish fry and Easter Egg Hunt,
to name a few.
His teamwork and dedication are in great part responsible for making our Parish a vibrant
community. Our Council is indebted to Bill for his commitment. Please help me in
congratulating Bill Dwyer Knight of the Month for April 2024.

March 2024

Patrick O'Mara

It is with great honor and appreciation that Our Lady of Hope Council 12791 names Patrick O'Mara Knight of the Month for March 2024.
Brother Patrick is a long standing member of our knights and generously assists with his time, talent and treasure to the Parish and School in serving as disc jockey throughout the year. He performs at the annual parish picnics, the Crusader Walk, OLOH school auction and the OLOH school father/daughter dance. He is also a member of the parish audio-visual team providing vital support to Sunday masses.
Patrick's willingness to support our Parish is much appreciated. His teamwork and dedication are commendable to making Parish events a success. He is a true Catholic gentleman and worthy of Knight of the Month for March 2024.