News & Announcements

December 10, 2025 GK Notes

Little City Thank You Note
 

Welcome to Advent!

It was discovered that our meeting on Wednesday December 17th was in conflict with the All Parish Reconciliation Service on the same evening at 7pm.  I polled those who normally attend our meetings and the majority voted to start our meeting early, and finish by 7pm.  This allows all of us the opportunity to attend the Reconciliation Service. We will also cancel hospitality that evening to ensure we are done on time. 

So, please note that our COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING is on Wednesday December 17th at 6PM (1/2 hour earlier) in the normal room 083, and it will conclude by 7pm. 

We have a lot of volunteer opportunities in the coming weeks - please reference the items below my note, which have links to sign up.  Let's all find a way in this Season of Giving, to enhance the Advent experience for our fellow parishioners.  

I ask that you continue to pray for our many members facing serious medical issues. While we are grateful for the improved health of some of our members, we still have many cherished 11981 family facing health challenges! Please visit our council "Prayer Requests" on this web site by clicking here!

Lastly, when I close with "Thanks for all you do!", I'd like you all to know that our volunteer hours and financial contributions really make a difference! Please see our recent coat donation thank you note below and also the thank you notes from our presiders for our recognition of them. We do good work! 

Rick

A Sunday in Bethlehem - Need your help!

Karen McHale really needs help if you are available, she needs adults to staff booths and to help with craft projects - Please prayerfully consider helping!  (Remember the Bears are playing in the evening) 

 Click on the image below to sign up.  

Help Needed for Christmas Eve Parking

Volunteers needed for the Feast of the Holy Family

Our December 7, 2025 Holy Family Blood Drive!

On a very snowy morning - we still were blessed at Holy Family with 26 volunteer donors!  Thanks for giving the gift of life! 

Our Cafe is on Hiatus till January 25th!

Eucharistic Adoration 
January 8th and 9th
First Friday of every Month
 
From PGK Glenn Yamamoto: 
Let me ask you a question: How would your life change if you spent an hour each day before the Blessed Sacrament? I realize for most people this is not possible, but consider it for a moment anyway. How would your life change?  Now consider this, "What is possible"? One hour each month, for most people that would be doable.  Spending time in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist transformed me and my life in ways I could not even begin to imagine.  I believe that by spending time in the presence of Jesus, in the Eucharist, we  become more like Him.  Mother Teresa was quoted as saying, "If I can give you any advice, I beg you to get closer to the Eucharist and to Jesus.  We must  pray to Jesus to give us the tenderness of the Eucharist."
 
At Holy Family we Knights sign up for monthly 1 hour time segments for First Friday Adoration.  We serve from from 7pm on the Thursday to 6pm on Friday.  I encourage you to consider our one-hour adoration opportunities. 
 
Please contact brother Glenn Yamamoto at yamo225@gmail.com or call him at 847-609-2983
 

Archdiocese Chapter Newsletter

Click to open latest newsletter
 

Click Link Above ↑

 

Please click on the most recent edition for the latest Archdiocesan news.  Note our Breakfast and next Blood Drive are advertised. 

Faith Feeds needs Volunteers!

Many of your fellow Knights are now volunteering at Faith Feeds! We all got used to the monthly Produce Distribution Drives at Holy Family and other Northwest Suburban Parishes.  Faith Feeds gives you the same satisfaction of helping to feed others. Please consider helping at Faith Feeds! 

Faith Feeds has work on Thursdays unloading and sorting food delivered by the Chicago Food Depository. They are located at 1545 N Rand Road in Palatine ( right next to the Walmart).  They also have shifts on other days of the week distributing food at local apartment complexes. We also have shifts on the third weekend of the month collecting food at Holy Family after the masses. 

Again - Please consider Faith Feeds!

You can look for volunteer opportunities by clicking the Faith Feeds  image below.   

For Holy Family Mass collection shifts, click the Holy Family image below. 

 

 

 

Thank You Notes - Coat Drive

Last year (2024) before Christmas,  the Knights purchased new coats and through the Welcome a Stranger ministry we were able to donate directly to a family.  It was a Christmas blessing to be able to see how quickly these coats made a difference in the lives of the Amos  family!  (Pictured - Bottom Photo) 

This year (2025) we are again very happy to help another family through the Welcome a Stranger Ministry, just in time for some cold December weather. Pictured below (top photo) is the Burgos family. Our efforts will keep a family warm, who are not accustomed to winter weather.  What a blessing to have the opportunity to help!

Some additional coats were purchased this year (2025) and were sent to an organization in Waukegan, we hope to have more photos when those are distributed. 

Council makes a $500 Donation to the Little Sisters of the Poor

Thank you note from the Little Sisters of the Poor.
 

Grand Knight Rick McMahon, presenting a check for $500 to Liz Rahimi from St Joseph's Home. The Knights make annual donations to St Joseph's home, this donation came from the proceeds of our November Cafe. 

Lawrence (Larry) Szmurlo

Szmurlo Family Thank You
 

 

Our Brother Larry Szmurlo met our Lord early on Sunday October 5, 2025, he was 74. Larry bravely fought glioblastoma for most of this calendar year, only in the last couple of months opting for the peace of hospice care. 

See the PDF above for the Family Thank You Note. 

Larry has been entered into the "Knights in Memorandum" section of this website.  CLICK HERE to goto his entry. 

 

Bernie Rupe - Honored with the ChristiFideles Award for 2025

 
Congratulations to Bernie Rupe!
We are excited to share that Bernie Rupe has been honored with the Christifideles Award! This award, given by the Archdiocese, recognizes lay men and women who have demonstrated outstanding service to the Church, living out their baptismal call with faith and dedication.
Bernie's  generosity, commitment, and tireless service to our parish youth is an example Christ’s love in action. We are so grateful for all he does, and we celebrate this well-deserved recognition with him.
Please join us in congratulating Bernie on this special honor!

Military Outreach Donation Follow Up

At our August 2025 Cafe we highlighted the Military Outreach organization's Veterans Exiting Homelessness Program.  Our council donated $500 from the Cafe Proceeds. ( Graphic below from the FridayBLAST 09/26/25)   Below is PGK Glenn Yamamoto presenting a check to General Jim Mikoyama. 

HFCA "Welcome back to School breakfast 08/18/2025

 

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers for the 2025 HFCA "Welcome back to School" Breakfast.  We served approximately 400 Parents and Students. Thanks to the Mike and Marie Colby, Mike and Sharon Gilbert, Frank Biank, Greg Flanagan, Glenn Yamamoto, John Posch, Kent Deener, Rich Surma, Lou Rundio, and GK Rick. 

Recognition for the Veterans Exiting Homelessness drive at Holy Family on August 2-3, 2025!

Military Outreach recognized Holy Family for the Veterans Exiting Homelessness Drive held on the weekend of August 2nd and 3rd.  This drive was held under the Leadership of Glenn Yamamoto, our 11981 Faith director in partnership with Sue Geegan and the Human Concerns Ministry.  Click anywhere on the image below to read the entire newsletter.  Thank you to our fellow parishioners for a job well done! 

Please note - Our August 24th  "Café will donate $500 to Military Outreach's Veterans Exiting Homelessness Program.  

Feed My Starving Children Pack Night 7/15/2025

 

 

Our wonderful "Knights family of Volunteers", joined 85 other volunteers from 5 Knights Of Columbus Councils in the Schaumburg, Hoffman, Palatine and Inverness communities for a Pack Night at Feed My Starving Children. As you can see by the graphic below, it was a productive evening!  We, along with the other Volunteers, packaged over 49 thousand meals!  

The 4 participating councils donated $1555.00 to Feed My Starving Children from our participation in the Lou Malnati's dine to donate events earlier this summer.  Our thanks to all who participated!                                                            

11981 Donates $1000 to TLC Pregnancy Services

Thank You Note from TLC
 

Brother Dan Ostermeyer presented a check to Vivian Maly of TLC Pregnancy Services in Elgin for $1000, on Monday June 2nd.  This money was our planned annual contribution  to TLC. TLC  provides low income Moms with Prenatal care, as well as diapers and formula for the newborn. 

Fish Fry proceeds donated to Teen Ministry and HFCA!

Your Holy Family Knights are proud to announce the proceeds of the 2025 Lenten Fish Fries were presented Sunday May 18th at the 9am Mass.  

The Knights family of volunteers worked over 600 hours in the 5 events, serving over 1000 meals. We raised a total of $7300. The Fish Fries were also successful for creating Community at each event. We Were pleased to bring parishioners together to “grow” and share our Lenten journey - together.   

We are proud to support our youth in ensuring that more teens can afford to attend retreats with a donation of $3650 to the Teen Retreat Fund.  We are equally as proud to give a donation of $3650 to the Holy Family Catholic Academy Tuition Fund, as a part of our council's Neil McManus Scholarship fund. This fund helps families afford the quality education our parish Academy provides. 

Lastly and most importantly, we’d like to thank our fellow Parishioners who supported the Fish Fries allowing us the opportunity to provide these funds! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Good Press for the Fish Fry

Printed Article on HF Fish Fry
 

At our March 14th Fish Fry, we had Multimedia Journalist Karie Angell Luc in attendance.  Karie was invited by Father Terry to document our Fish Fry for publication by the Archdiocese. Karie also made a video of her time at the  Holy Family Fish Fry, interviewing many of our members -  You can read the Article in PDF form above, or Click the Link below to see the video! 

https://youtu.be/L9NsQ3rzi-w?feature=shared

Wheel Chair Donation Thank you!

Our Council made a $200 donation to the Knights of Columbus Wheelchair Mission.  Below is a wonderful thank you card for our donation.  Another reminder of the good work we do as a council!

 

A thank you from Mary Whiteside and the RCIA Group

Back in February when we were discussing ways to interact with other ministries, Greg Flanagan  had the idea to present Rosaries to our new RCIA candidates and catechumens. This way we could begin their faith journey with knowledge of both the Rosary and the beauty of time with the Rosary in the Adoration Chapel. Greg found K of C Rosaries with a card that explains how to pray with the Rosary. Faith Director Glenn Yamamoto and GK Rick McMahon presented the Rosaries on Sunday March 9th.  Below is a thank you note from Mary Whiteside who is the Director of Adult Faith for Holy Family . 

 

 

2024 Vocations Lunch (12/27)

It was wonderful catching up with brother Knights and Seminarians, Tyler Harris and Jack Rosenwinkel at our Vocations Lunch at Moretti's.  Their experiences and perspectives gave us hope for the future of our faith. We presented both of them with monetary support from our vocations drive funds.  We are also giving monetary support to three other seminarians from Mundelein.  Attending the lunch (photo) from the left, Faith Director and Vocations drive Chairman Glenn Yamamoto, Jack Rosenwinkel, Tyler Harris, Financial Secretary Dan Tokarz, and  Grand Knight Rick McMahon. 

Keep Christ in Christmas 2024

2024 Keep Christ in Christmas as an enormous success due to the work of Holy Family Catholic Academy Art Teacher Jamie Schnell, and program director Mike Colby. Approximately 330 students participated, making the drawings in Jamie's art class.  The drawings were judged in 5 categories, Kindergarten, First and Second, Third and Fourth,  Fifth and Sixth, and Seventh and Eighth.  In each category the first place winners received a $25 gift card, Second received a $15 gift card, Third place was a $10 gift card.  All of the winners as well as three consolation prize winners received a free breakfast at the "Café" for their Family. 

The poster below created by Rich Surma, contains the winning pictures. To see the photo gallery for the winning students, click anywhere on the image below. 

Holy Family 40th Anniversary

On Saturday November 23rd, our Parish celebrated 40 years since the parish formation!  The Knights served in the opening procession. These photos and more are in the website photo gallery.  

 

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Intellectual Disabilities Drive Donation to Little City

Our Council is proud of our partnership this year with Little City.  Little City does so much to build confidence and independence among those with neurologic challenges, and they are located right here in our Parish.  Between our hours outside of Jewel,  at the intersections, in the church narthex, our online contributions, and our  $500 Café donation, we were able to  donate $8276.07 to Little City. The check was proudly presented to Little City's Theresa Fifarek by Father Terry at our November 17th Café. 

Thank you to all our volunteers for your long hours and sore feet, You made a difference! 

 

Below is the Photo of the donation presentation by Father Terry to Theresa Fifarek of Little City, and GK Rick McMahon.  Also below is a thank you note from Little City CEO Rich Bobby. 

How to help us Recruit more Members - Quick and Easy!

How many times have we been asked about joining the Knights.  Were you ready?

Our Website has a button ( on the front page)  that takes you to a page with easy instructions and a link to online sign up.  It costs the person nothing to sign up, all we need is YOU to be ready! 

Please put a 11981 Website Icon on your phone so you are ready to help recruit! See Rick or anyone in the leadership team for instructions on how to do this!