Since our founding we have quickly grown into a band of brothers that truly has a family spirit. Meeting together on a Monday night once a month and working shoulder to shoulder on various projects for the parish, we have gotten to know one another in ways that we might never have, merely by seeing each other at Liturgy or chatting over coffee on a Sunday morning. We have been able to offer the gifts and talents that we all have as individuals to respond to various needs in the parish and community.

The first opportunity came last May, when we sponsored the Mother’s Day brunch. This summer, we ran the parish picnic, in conjunction with Ukrainian Independence Day, and next month, we will be assisting at the parish’s St. Michael’s Day Dinner. We are also helping a Ukrainian soldier who was wounded in the conflict in the East of Ukraine and is staying in New Haven for medical treatment.

The possibilities for service are endless, and there is a slate of activities in the coming year. Let me simply offer a few ideas on how the K of C can help fulfill Patriarch Sviatoslav’s vision for a vibrant parish, as outlined in his 2011 pastoral letter “The Vibrant Parish – a place to encounter the living Christ.”

At each meeting, in addition to discussing business and making plans, we hear a spiritual talk by the chaplain, our pastor. This is in response to Supreme Knight Carl Anderson’s desire that members be well informed and well-formed in the faith. It also comports well with His Beatitude’s desire to see more of a focus on the Word of God in the “vibrant parish.” 

At the end of each meeting, there is an opportunity for members to bring up their own needs or the needs of others. Let’s say someone is out of work, or someone knows of an elderly parishioner who needs a ride to Sunday Liturgy—or whatever the need may be. We pray for them, and we learn about opportunities to help.

I would suggest that this is very much in line with the Patriarch’s call for diakonia, or service, in the vibrant parish.