KOC Holy Ghost Council #4977

01/22/2026

Dear Brother Knights,
Saturday Jan.24 at St. Thomas of Villanova there will be a Memorial Mass at 5pm.

Immediately following the Mass, the lights will dim and 248 candles will be carried lovingly to the alter.

Each candle is a personal memorial for one specific child who lost their life to abortion in Illinois.

We will observe 248 seconds of silence symbolizing the voices silenced that day.

KNIGHTS -PLEASE JOIN THE UNIFORMED SIR KNIGHTS AND THE HGC4977 TRIBUTE TEAM ( SUIT AND SASH TEAM ) TO HONOR ILLINOIS ABORTED CHILDREN .

Jim DeGiulio
Past Grand Knight

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01/16/2026

Remember, fellow knights, to wear your council shirt to mass this weekend!

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01/14/2026

Please participate!
Both of our parishes will be participating in a Saturday, 5:00 pm Pro-Life Mass followed by a Candlelight Prayer Procession for Victims of Abortion.

IMPORTANT: Our 2 churches will be conducting these masses on 2 different Saturdays:
St. Theresa - THIS Saturday, Jan 17 at 5:00 PM
St. Thomas of Villanova - NEXT Saturday, Jan 24 at 5:00 pm

A 15-minute Candlelight Procession will immediately follow the closing of each 5:00 pm mass. The procession will include 248 seconds of silence which memorializes the children who lost his or her life to abortion that day in Illinois.

All Knights are invited to participate in our Tribute to the Unborn. A combination of 1) 4th Degree Sir Knights in Uniform with Sword and 2) our Council 4977 Suit/Sash Tribute Team (Dark Suit, White Shirt, and Tie) will lead the procession of candle bearers to the altar and lend assistance as needed. If you are participating in this special Knight's Tribute, please arrive at 4:30 PM. If you have never participated in an Honor Guard, this is a great one to start!

Please participate in this important KoC "Faith in Action" Life Program (or simply attend mass and perhaps process with a candle) to give honor and prayer to the unborn. Thank you, and Vivat Jesus!

Please note that these 2 Pro-Life Masses and Candlelight Processions for Victims of Abortion are part of the 3 formal KoC "Faith in Action" LIFE events we participate in January. The other 2 events are 1) the 40 Hours Devotion and 2) the 9-Day Novena for Life Prayer.

SK Robert J Novak
Novena for Life Chairman

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01/07/2026

This Sunday, January 11, we will be holding our next Knights of Columbus–Vitalant Blood Drive. We ask each Knight, if medically able, to prayerfully consider donating blood to help those in need within our community.

Blood Drive Details:
Date: Sunday, January 11
Time: 7:45 AM – 1:00 PM

To make an appointment, please call 847-258-4825 or visit donors.vitalant.org and use Blood Drive Code: ORD0A216. Walk-ins are always welcome.

Giving blood provides a tremendous benefit to those facing illness, injury, and emergency situations. This is a simple but powerful way to live out our commitment to charity and service.

If you are able, please consider donating. Thank you for all that you do for our council and our community.

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12/22/2025

12/22/2025

On the weekend of December 27/28, we are participating in the Faith in Action program "Consecration to the Holy Family" at St. Thomas of Villanova. The purpose of this wonderful program is to ask families to come together in prayer to consecrate themselves under the protection of the Holy Family. In this prayer, we ask for the aid or intercession of the perfect son Jesus Christ, Mary the perfect mother, and Joseph who is a model for every father.
The attached trifold outlines the action steps for you and your family.

Our Council's role at the St. Thomas masses over the weekend is simply to hand out Prayer Cards at the beginning of the Masses. Father Kris supports this event and will ask the celebrant to lead the congregation in prayer during the Masses on the weekend of December 27/28 which coincides with the Church's "Feast of the Holy Family".

We are still looking for 3 - 4 volunteers to hand out Prayer Cards at each of the following Masses @ St. Thomas:
• Saturday, Dec 27 @ 5:00 pm
• Sunday, Dec 28 @ 7:15 am/10:00 am
If you are able to assist, please email Jim at jdegiulio@hotmail.com. You can also email me at cbertz219@yahoo.com.

Conrad Bertz
FiA Family Programs Director

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12/12/2025

BAKE SALE THIS WEEKEND

We will be hosting a Bake Sale this weekend at St Theresa before and after every Mass, and we need your help!

Please consider bringing baked goods or store-bought items to donate for the sale. Cookies, cakes, brownies, pastries - anything is appreciated and will help support our Council's efforts. You may drop off your items before or after any Mass on Saturday and Sunday.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!

SK Steven J Taromina
Grand Knight

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12/06/2025

Brother SK Jim Killigrew and family have requested that both the 1) Sir Knights (uniformed 4th degree) and the 2) HGC4977 Tribute Team (dark suit/white shirt - all degrees) honor his wife Darcy's life. KoC ceremonial sashes will be provided to the 4977 Tribute Team members.

Fri, Dec 12 VISITATION: From 3:00 - 8:00 PM on Friday, December 12 at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 185 E. Northwest Hwy., Palatine. Uniformed SK's and 4977 Tribute Team members should assemble at 5:30 PM in preparation for a 1-hour tribute starting at 6:00 PM.

Sat, Dec 13 FUNERAL MASS: Uniformed SK's and 4977 Tribute Team members will also honor Darcy on Saturday, December 13 at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 455 N. Benton St., Palatine. Please assemble at 9:30 AM at church. The Funeral Mass starts at 10:00 AM.

Eternal rest grant unto Darcy, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May Darcy's soul and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

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12/02/2025

Our Christmas Wreath distribution is officially complete! Thank you to everyone who braved the snow, cold, and wind and to those who took time out of their day to help deliver wreaths to some parishioners.

I also bought a few extra wreaths… and thanks to the terrible weather, only one brave soul actually bought one. So now I have a small group of lonely, unsold wreaths staring at me like puppies at the shelter.

If you—or someone you know—would like to give one of these wreaths a loving Christmas home let me know by replying to this email. First come, first serve. Here is the list of what is available:
• Two 25" Wreaths ($32 each)
• One 30" Wreath ($38)
• One Centerpiece ($41)

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11/26/2025

Christmas is almost here, and it’s time to spread some holiday cheer — one wreath at a time!

We will be distributing Christmas Wreaths at St Theresa before and after all Masses on Nov. 29 & 30. We also need volunteers to help deliver wreaths to the St Thomas parishioners’ homes. A quick delivery and a friendly greeting can bring a little extra Christmas joy to those who need it.

We will be set up in the St. Theresa garage located on the south side of the Dolan Center, across from the Reception area. Please stop by there to help set up and hand them out. Any time you can give is truly appreciated!

If you can help, please reply to stevet.kofc4977@gmail.com and let me know. Your time, spirit, and willingness to serve makes a big difference!

SK Steven J Taromina
Grand Knight

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11/18/2025

The following is from our 4th Degree Assembly 2330:
Worthy Sir Knights,

The 150th anniversary of the Patriotic Degree will be celebrated at the 12:30pm Mass at Holy Name Cathedral next Sunday, November 23rd. There are a limited number of spots available for the Honor Guard. The Honor Guard will assemble before Mass at 11:30am.

Please contact District Marshall Gregg Biliskov (skgreggb@gmail.com; 847-417-1988) if you would like to participate in the Honor Guard.

Fraternally yours,
Tom Senese, Faithful Comptroller

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11/13/2025

We need your help this coming weekend (Nov. 15/16) with Advent Calendar sales at both Parishes -- before and after all Masses on Saturday and Sunday.

This is a great opportunity to support our Council and connect with parishioners as we prepare for the Advent season. Even if you can cover just one Mass, it would be a big help!

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our Council.


SK Steven J Taromina
Grand Knight

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