On Saturday, August 28, 2021, there will be a 4th Degree Exemplification held at St. Michael Catholic Church in Louisville. Details can be found in the links below.
Knights of Columbus retire old flags in burning ceremony
The men’s organization at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church conducted the retirement ceremony on Monday for Flag Day.
- June 14, 2021
The Knights of Columbus at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church observed Flag Day on Monday by retiring several hundred American flags that were in poor condition.
Using the traditional retirement method of burning the flags, several members of the Knights participated in the ceremony. They built a fire in a large metal barrel and took turns dropping flags into the flames.
Hundreds of small flags that needed to be retired came from Green Hill Memorial Gardens, where the Knights place flags at all of the veterans’ graves every year on Memorial Day.
“Fellow citizens, we have here these flags of our country, which have been inspected and declared unserviceable. They have reached their present state in a proper service of tribute, memory and love,” master of ceremonies Joe Mezzoni said to begin the service.
“A flag may be a flimsy bit of painted gauze or a beautiful banner of the finest silk. Its inherent value may be trifling or great, but its symbolic value is beyond price. Fort it is a precious symbol of all that our veterans have worked for, lived for and died for.
“A nation of free men and women, true to the past, devoted to the ideals and practice of justice, freedom and democracy. Let these flags of our country be retired and destroyed with respectful and honorable rites and their places be taken by bright new flag.”
The Rev. Richard Meredith, priest at Saints Peter and Paul, led the group in a prayer.
The Knights of Columbus will continue to accept old flags from anyone in the community who wants to have them respectfully retired. Anyone interested in turning over old flags should call Mezzoni at 270-305-4701.
“We’ll make arrangements to pick them up,” he said.
Flag Day is observed on June 14, the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, approved the stars and bars design for the national Flag. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issues a presidential proclamation establishing the national observance.
The 13 red and white bars represent the original 13 colonies. The white stars on a blue background represent the states.
The current flag, the 27th version, dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.
New Assembly
Congratulations to the Sir Knights of Fr. George Boehmicke Assembly #2753 in Hopkinsville. They reactivated their assembly and welcomed 12 new Sir Knights.
Note: masks were worn the whole time. Just off for pictures and then right back on before they moved.
3rd Generation Sir Knight
At the 4th Degree Exemplification on February 8th, District Master Bill Schmidt elevated 29 men to the 4th Degree. This exemplification was extra special to Bill because his son, Curtis Paul, was one of the men becoming a 4th degree member. Bill’s father is also a 4th degree member and at the banquet following the exemplification, Bill presented Curtis Paul with the sword of the 4th degree that was passed down to him when he became a 4th degree member many years ago.
4th Degree Exemplification Owensboro April 25th – Canceled
Update 3/19/2020
Worthy Sir Knights, with all of the developments as of late with the COVID-19 situation, I have no choice but to cancel the Fourth Degree Exemplification in Owensboro on April 25th in the interest of everyone’s health and safety.
The next Exemplification is scheduled for June 20th in Louisville. I am already working with the local Assemblies to make this a great Exemplification.
Stay healthy, Brothers.
Bill Schmidt
KY District Master
4th Degree Exemplification Feb 8, 2020
The Fr. Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C. Province, Kentucky District is hosting a 4th Degree Exemplification on February 8th, 2020 in Frankfort, KY. Details can be found in the documents below.
Frankfort-02082020-Exemplification-Detail-LetterFrankfort-02082020-Candidate-Checklist
Frankfort-02082020-Registration-Form
