News

Hello Brother Knights,
What an awesome year for our 19th Annual Knights of Columbus Motorcycle Run for Wednesday’s Child. Brother Clyde Hayes from Newman Council started the Motorcycle Run 19 years ago along with news anchor Liz Everman from WLKY-TV in Louisville to make sure The Wednesday’s Child Kids would have an awesome Christmas. Brother Clyde wanted them to have what they wanted for Christmas and not some generic toy for a boy or girl. Clyde worked tirelessly to make this happen and even used his own money to make sure his goal would be reached. Sadly for all of us Clyde passed away three years ago. In Clyde’s honor and memory we have named the ride “Clyde’s Ride” The Knights are So Proud to keep his legacy going. A little information on Wednesday’s Child Kids. The Wednesday’s Child Program was introduced 41 years ago by Liz Everman on a 30 minute tv show on WLKY-TV in Louisville, KY called of course Wednesday’s Child. In the last 41 years they have placed over 2000 kids in loving forever homes. These kids are older children with issues that make them harder to place in forever homes. When the Motorcycle Run started there were only around 100 children to buy for and unfortunately the number has grown to over 400 kids in the Kentucky area. This year has been our most successful year ever. We raised $10,100.00 for these awesome kids’ Christmas. I want to thank everyone who has donated time, money and support helping make this the best year ever. Thanks to all the councils for all the hard work helping raise money. Thanks to Newman Council and Mc Kune Council for covering all the expenses to make the ride possible. Thanks to St. Teresa of Calcutta Church in Louisville for the use of their facilities use for the run. Thanks to the Motorcycle riders for their generosity. I wish I could list all the names of each and every one of the people who helped make an awesome Christmas for these kids. Most of all I want to Thank Brother Clyde Hayes for starting The Motorcycle Run. I know Brother Clyde is sitting on his Harley looking down and smiling. Brother Clyde you are Missed.

Vivat Jesus,
Steve Arnold

What were you doing in 1917?  Most of us will answer, “Nothing I was not yet born!

   Recently our Council decided that in addition to our recruiting efforts to reach out to new prospective Knights, our Financial Secretary, Rick Ratterman,  and Member Retention Chair, Tom Bennett would again make an extra effort to contact those brothers that we have lost track of over the years.  As we looked at our membership roster, we thought we had found a mistake when we noted that one of our Honorary Life Members had a birth date of 3/22/1917 – surely this Knight could no longer be with us in this life since he would now be 104 years old.  We were wrong.  He is alive and perky and has been a Knight for 55 years and he is also the oldest living member of our Council and one of the oldest living Knights in Kentucky.

    I talked with the daughter of Herman W. Steilberg and asked her a few questions. Herman has a bit of a hearing problem and thus phone conversations can be challenging, so I asked his daughter, Diana Reuther, some questions to relay to him.  Our “interview” covered the following questions:

• Do you remember when you first became a Knight? Yes, it was in 1966.
• Why did you become a Knight 55 years ago? My long-time friend Tony Heichelbach was a Knight and he encouraged me to join and he sponsored me.  At the time I was a busy father and the club on River Road had a swimming pool for the kids, so I joined for the benefit of having special times with friends and family.
• Since you have been a Knight for 55 years, do you remember anything about your exemplification initiation into Knighthood? I remember that it took place at the River Road Club on a Sunday Afternoon.   There were about twelve candidates who were blindfolded and we were asked several questions about our Catholic Faith. 
• Where did your Council meetings take place? At the River Road location where it is located to this day. My daughter’s wedding reception in 1967 was also held at our club.
• Do you have any special memories from the past that happened because you are a Knight? I especially remember all the good times we had with my Knight brothers and their wives at the K of C Sunday dinners.

     Life is full of surprises, some pleasant and other challenging.  What a delight for us to “re- discover” Herman.  His memory is phenomenal and we are all blessed that he is still among us as a loyal and valued member of the Knights of Columbus.

Ken Rosenbaum,
Grand Knight
Council 2761, Louisville, KY

Albin “Al” Stoeckle served as Kentucky State Deputy from July 1, 1982 until June 30, 1984. He also served as District Master. Below is a copy of his obituary.

Park Hills – Albin “Al” Edmund Stoeckle, 96 of Park Hills, Kentucky passed away on October 13, 2021. Al was a Marine veteran of WWII serving at Pearl Harbor during the war. Al spent his working career as a sales representative for numerous toy manufacturers and was affectionately known as “Uncle Al the kiddies Pal”. He was a parishioner of St. Agnes Church for over 35 years, then at St. Edward’s Church in Owenton and finally Good Shepherd Church in Frankfort. Al was an avid golfer who finally gave up the game at the age of 93. He was a Past State Deputy of the Knights of Columbus as well as a former State Master. He was a member of the VFW, and the Greater Cincinnati Model Railroad Club. Al is preceded in death by his wife Marilyn Stoeckle (Suhre) and Darlene Stoeckle (Hawkins). He is survived by his children Deacon Bob Stoeckle (Millie), Nancy Shibuya (Steve), David Stoeckle (Mary), and Michael Stoeckle (Jayne). Al is leaving behind 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Visitation will be Monday, October 25, 2021 from 4:00-6:00 pm at St. Agnes Church, 1680 Dixie Highway, Fort Wright, Kentucky followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 6:00 pm. A Celebration of Life reception will follow in the church undercroft. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Agnes Church, 1680 Dixie Highway, Fort Wright, Kentucky 41011 or Notre Dame Academy, 1699 Hilton Drive, Park Hills, Kentucky 41011. Special condolences and memories may be made at www.dmefuneral.com. Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home caring for Al and his family.

Newly installed Bishop John Iffert of the Diocese of Covington visited the Holy Donut trailer at the St. Agnes Oktoberfest on Sunday, October 3, 2021. The Brothers of Bishop Ackerman Council 5453 gave His Excellency a crash course in how Holy Donuts are created.

This event concluded the donut season for 2021.