Brother Knights,
I hope everyone is doing well. It appears that we have jumped straight from Summer to Winter! Maybe Fall will sneak its head in this month. I’ve been really busy with replacing both cars and getting a new roof as a result of the September hailstorm. Rebecca & I are both enjoying our new vehicles. I was lucky enough to have spent some relaxing time out at a lake house this past month. I don’t remember the last time I did it, however, it was really cool watching the eclipse. We had a perfect day and a good time socializing. Last week I had an enjoyable time watching the RR Dragons and the Texas Longhorns win their football games. Last week I attended a fundraising banquet in support of Central Texas Fellowship of Catholic Men (CTFCM). The keynote speaker, David Bereit, was really good. Among other activities, David is a mentor for young ministry leaders and is the founder and former CEO of 40 Days for Life. He told his story of how he waited for ever to convert to Catholicism, down to Holy Saturday before he took his vows. He was a dynamic speaker on the topic of pro-life. You could feel his energy. He was doing what we are all called to do: Evangelize. Brothers, I suggest that all of us find the virtue that we are passionate about and pursue it. Put your trust in Jesus and he will give you the words needed.

Thank you to those that have supported the Food Drive on Monday afternoons. We have processed just shy of 8K lbs of food. Also, thank you to those that have been attending the 1st Friday Adoration, followed by the fellowship. We our entering our end of year activities. Please step up when called for the following:

75th Anniversary Mass – Sat. Nov. 18th
The Church has asked for Knights to support Ushering.

Annie’s Way – Wed. Nov. 22nd
Come out for the fellowship with your brother knights as we prepare food for Annie’s Way and enjoy some beverages and grilled food.

Breakfast w/St. Nick – Sat. Dec. 2nd
Come join us at the Parish Hall as we cook pancakes and sausages and serve breakfast to the parish community.

Christmas Party – Wed. Dec. 20th
Join us we celebrate Christmas with our brother Knights.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rick Mara, Grand Knight Council 9368
Saint William Catholic Church, Round Rock Tx
512-626-3899
rickkc9368@gmail.com
kofc9368.org

Brother Knights,
Welcome to October, my favorite month of the year temperature wise. We finally got a break from the 100-degree days.
College football is in full swing. With Michigan and Texas being undefeated, there is a chance that they could meet in the college football playoffs, which would be awesome!
My daughter was in town last week. We had a wonderful week catching up with her. She is a very busy person, trying to get her break in the LA dance business. The week ended with us taking her to a RR football game. I’m not sure if she missed us or the cats more!
The hailstorm brought lots of destruction. Both of our cars have been totaled and we’ll need a new roof on our house. I’m thinking that I’ve gathered enough material for a country song. It would go something like this: Both of my cars were trashed by the hailstorm. I need a new roof to stop the leaks. Etc., etc. I pray that everyone recovers their possessions and offers any suffering to God.
Well, we pulled off another wonderful Casino Night. Thank you to everyone that worked on this event. It is truly awesome seeing this huge event come together after several months of planning. It was a bit more stressful than usual, especially with making the tough decision to postpone the event. As it was the past few years, I most enjoy going around the room and meeting and talking to people. We don’t have the final numbers, but it should have
Knights of Columbus Chisholm Trail Council #9368 Round Rock Texas
Saint William Catholic Church October 2023

been a successful night. Next year I would like to have things organized much earlier. It will take support from the whole council.
To report on some recent activities, several Brother Knights helped serve at the Blue Mass this past Friday at 6:30am. It was wonderful to mingle with the first responders.
The Food Drive continues moving forward on Mondays from 4-6pm. We have had great collaboration with the SVDP folks, and the work is completed quickly.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rick Mara, Grand Knight Council 9368
Saint William Catholic Church, Round Rock Tx 512-626-3899
rickkc9368@gmail.com
kofc9368.org

Brother Knights,
Well, we have entered the month of September and there is no end in sight to this unbelievable heat wave. I cannot remember a summer like this in the 30 years that Rebecca & I have lived in Texas. I’m looking forward to those cooler days so that I can spend more time outside and get my yard in shape.
We have entered my favorite time of year. We attended a Round Rock football game, which was great, even though the score didn’t work out. College football has arrived like gangbusters! The Wolverines & Longhorns looked very good in their wins. TCU doesn’t know what hit them, which brings me to the point that I wanted to make.
Colorado rolled into Fort Worth and overcame tremendous obstacles by upsetting the no. 17 Horned Frogs. What makes it really surprising is that the coach overhauled the entire Colorado roster and removed 80% of the existing team. The 1st year coach of Colorado, Deion Sanders, a.k.a. Coach “Prime”, pulled off the impossible. Nobody gave Colorado a chance as they were 21-point underdogs. But what really caught me was his post-game interview. It was all God-focused. In the midst of all the craziness that just occurred, Deion made statements that included, “God is Good”, “Thank you Jesus” and “God Bless America”. Almost every response included either praise or thanks to our Creator and his Son. This was a great reminder and example to us all. We are told to thank God & Jesus all day long for everything that we receive, both the good things and the personal sacrifices. My hope is that all Brother Knights follow the example of Coach “Prime”.
Knights of Columbus Chisholm Trail Council #9368 Round Rock Texas
Saint William Catholic Church September 2023

Next up, Casino Night. The event takes place Sept. 23rd. My request is for all Brother Knights to step up and participate one way or another. If you choose not to volunteer for the event, please buy tickets and attend. Bring your friends. Bring your family. Bring your employees. We need most volunteers to work the games, no experience required (except for Hold’em. I hear Hold‘em players are very demanding). If you can count to 22, you can deal Blackjack. We can use help with setting up and decorating the room on Friday the 22nd. On Saturday the 23rd, we need help at check-in, meal service, bartending, cashiers, and gaming. If we all participate, we can make this the most successful Casino fundraiser ever.
To report on some recent activities, 13 Brother Knights convened at 4am this past Saturday morning to participate in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards we enjoyed breakfast and fellowship at Taco-Donut.
I am looking for a volunteer to lead the “Silver Rose” procession. This was presented by Blake Krass at last month’s meeting. Please see me if interested.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rick Mara, Grand Knight Council 9368
Saint William Catholic Church, Round Rock Tx 512-626-3899
rickkc9368@gmail.com
kofc9368.org

Brother Knights,
It seems like there is so much negativity in the news these days. I get so tired of hearing about the political battling, rising crime, cost of living. I’m writing this as I prepare to head over to my Adoration slot at 11pm. Praise God for the gift of his Blessed Son Jesus and the ability to spend time with the Blessed sacrament. At first, I was hesitant about committing to a timeslot, every week, late at night, going forward. Like many of us, we don’t like to be tied down to, or committed to, an obligation like this. We all prefer to wait and “see how it goes”. Maybe someone else will step in so I am no longer needed. We don’t commit until the last minute, if at all. This was not easy for me either. However, as I soon discovered, I need this time with Jesus. This is my “reset” from all the secular attacks that we see every day. I would say it is more like “recharging my electric vehicle” than filling my tank with gas. If you do not have a slot yet, please consider it. When I checked this past Sunday, there were about 8 slots with no adorers. You will not regret it.

To report on some recent activities, 12 Brother Knights got together at 7am on a Saturday morning to do our Highway cleanup commitment. After enjoying the special Mike Goertz tacos and some donuts and coffee, we knocked it out and were done before 9am, leaving most of our Saturday to do what else we needed.

This past Sunday was Welcome Sunday. This is a time where multiple ministries set up a table and displays and talk to prospective clients. It is Knights of Columbus Chisholm Trail Council #9368 Round Rock Texas Saint William Catholic Church August 2023 always fun and encouraging to “sell” clients on the Knights and get them to sign up. Please look forward to greeting these new members. Of course, the major activity coming up is Casino Night 2023. We had to reschedule it about a month later due to a slow start in donations. This event requires all hands-on deck. Please, please, please reach out and offer your services!! We urgently need sponsors and donations. Depending on the amount of sponsorship, you may be eligible to receive tickets for
admission. Regarding donations, please speak with businesses that you frequent for gift cards. Restaurants, theaters, car washes, dog groomers, hair care, distilleries, etc. We will accept any and all donations. And of course, if you prefer to attend, bring your family and friends with you. Attendees that participate in the live and silent auction are our biggest source of revenue.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rick Mara, Grand Knight Council 9368
Saint William Catholic Church, Round Rock Tx
512-626-3899
rickkc9368@gmail.com
kofc9368.org

Brother Knights,
On a recent episode of the gameshow “Jeopardy”, all 3 contestants could not fill in this blank, “Matthew 6:9 says, Our Father, who art in heaven, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ be thy name”. Fans were shocked at their lack of knowledge of the most common Christian prayer. Unfortunately, it shows where a majority of our country is at in relation to religion. Brothers, we have a lot of evangelizing to do. Quick update on my health. My broken arm is on the mend. I no longer need to wear the sling, and most days I only take a few Advil for pain management. With some effort, I’m able to do all of the personal hygiene activities that we all take for granted. I’ve been in PT for a few weeks now and I’m making good progress. I’m amazed at how limited the motion in my right arm is. I still can’t raise my arm more than 20 degrees. My therapist says to expect about 3 months for full motion. I wanted to thank my brothers for all the help and prayers that have been provided. You are truly my “Texas Family”! Finally, June and July are lower activity months regarding Knight activities. For those that attended the June meeting, we have elected a full slate of officers for the 2023/24 Fraternal year. 3 officers have moved on and we gained 3 new ones. On July 30, the Knights have been asked to participate in “Welcome Sunday” following the 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am and 1:30 pm Masses. Please volunteer to help speak with the parishioners and to ask men about joining the Knights. Also, we have our largest fundraiser, “Casino Night”, coming up on August 19th. This event can only be successful if we get a huge quantity of Knights to volunteer their time. Please, please, please consider donating your time, talent and treasure to this event. I guarantee that you will get more out of working this event than the people you are serving. We urgently need more Brother Knights to help obtain gifts and donations in support of the silent and live auctions. Please look for an email from me that will provide more details. Thanks and God Bless,

Rick Mara, Grand Knight Council 9368
Saint William Catholic Church, Round Rock Tx
512-626-3899
rickkc9368@gmail.com
kofc9368.org

Upcoming Events:

July 5 th
Business Meeting
7 pm in the Pavilion (6:30pm Rosary)

July 8th
First Friday Adoration
4am in the Adoration Chapel (followed by fellowship)

July 30th
Welcome Sunday
Following the 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, and 1:30 pm Masses

August 19th
Casino Night
5-11pm at St. William PEC