Welcome
Welcome to the Ocean County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus. With 18 member Councils throughout the County, we represent over 4,000 brother Knights and their families.
Our Chapter meets at 8:00pm on the 2nd Monday of each month, we have a “traveling gavel” to enable the Chapter officers and the representatives from each Council to visit the other Councils throughout the County.
The Chapter serves as a clearing house for Councils to discuss their various programs; to offer support to member Councils; to coordinate various Degrees and events; and to serve as a forum for member Councils to discuss their particular needs.
The Councils in the Ocean County Chapter host a very diverse array of Programs throughout the year. Please check the Calendar area to see what events are upcoming.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
The 25th Annual Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade was held on Saturday, March 14, 2009. .
The day will began with the Celebration of Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10 a.m.
Pictures of the Parade will be posted if they become available.
Several Councils hosted dinners recnetly to celebrate St. Patrick's Day:
Council 7926 held a party on Saturday, March 7 at the Church of St. Martha.
Council 4969 held a party after the Parade on Saturday, March 14 at the Council home in Toms River. The A.O.H. were in attendance at the lunch affair and gave awards to the Irish Man of the year, and the Irish WOman of the Year.
Council 8160 held one on Saturday, March 14 at the Church of the Epiphany.
Golf Tournaments
St Martha Council 7926 , Pt Pleasant, is hosting a Golf Tournament on Monday, July 13, at Woodlake Country Club, in Lakewood. The Golf Tournament will commence at 11:30 a.m. with a 1 p.m. Shotgun Start. The day will conclude with a 6:30 p.m. Awards Dinner at the Church of St. Martha, prizes
Proceeds from this Tournament will be donated to several organizations supported by Council 7926, with the majority of the money donated to the local Chapter of the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
Please see the brochure by clicking: 7926 Golf Tournament.
Prayer List
Prayers are requestd for the people on this list. Everyone on this list is in need of Prayers, either for medical or Spiritual reasons. Please include the people on this list when you make your intentions during prayer.
Phone Cards for Hospitalized Vets
Give back to those who have been wounded defending freedom.
Italian Festival & Columbus Day Parade
The Seaside Heights Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival occurred the weekend of October 10, 11 & 12. This is the biggest Columbus Day parade in the State of New Jersey with Thousands of marchers and even more people lined along the parade route. This year, the Knights of Columbus were at the beginning of the parade, among the first 10 groups to march. The 3 local Assemblies, as well as some Councils, were represented in the Parade. The 80 member delegation from Sicily attended Mass, and the Italian entertainers put on 6 shows between Friday and Saturday. They left shortly after the Parade, making their way to the Columbus Day Parade in New York CIty, to be held on Moday, October 13.
Pictures of the parade are available at: Knights of Columbus - 2008 Italian Festival Weekend
Science, 'frauds' trigger decline in aetheism
According to a growing consensus among philosophers, intellectuals and scholars -- Godlessness is in trouble!
Catholic Issues
The media is attacking the very tenets of our Religion, act now!
Prayers Request
Please pray for Sir Knight William McCracken, PFN. Bill fell and was brought to the hospital. He was transferred to University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. Bill is in the Critical Care Unit, doctors had to amputate one of his legs.
Nominting Committee Recommendation
The Nominating Committee for the Ocean County Chapter has met and recommends the following Slate of Officers for the 2009 - 2010 Columbian Year:
| Office | Name/Title | Council |
| Chapter Chairman | Wilson Cruz, PFN | 8160 |
| Vice Chairman | David Stoll, PGK | 836 |
| Recorder | John Castle, PGK | 8160 |
| Treasurer | Rick Clary, GK | 4969 |
| Warden | Al DelTufo, PGK | 3826 |
| Advocate | Santo Cultrara, PGK | 11529 |
| Guard | Mike Hutton, GK Elect | 4969 |
| Trustee | John A. Gazis, DD31 | 7926 |
| Trustee | Frank Kearney, FS | 12940 |
| Trustee | Ed Kelly, KHS, DD28 | 3826 |
Respectfully submitted by Nominating Committee Chairman, Al Chrobocinski, FS, FDD, PGK, FM, PFN
A KNIGHT TO THE RESCUE
Death of a True American Hero
'Ed Freeman... A True Hero' You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, 11-14-1965. LZ Xray , Vietnam . Your infantry unit is out numbered 8 - 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.
You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.
He's coming anyway. And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out, through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses.
And, he kept coming back...... 13 more times..... and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.
Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died August 20, 2008, at the age of 80, in Boise , ID ...... May God rest his soul.....
(Oh yeah, Paul Newman died that day too.) I guess you knew that. He got a lot more press than Ed Freeman.
Ed Freeman was a veteran not only of Viet Nam, but of World War II and Korea.
He was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on November 14, 1965, at Landing Zone X-Ray, in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War Freeman served as a helicopter pilot with the rank of Captain in US Army's Company A, 229th, Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division Air Mobil.
On November 14th, 1965, a US battalion was surrounded by the enemy. In the heat of the battle when all hope was lost, an unarmed helicopter came to their aid, bringing water, much needed supplies and ammunition.
According to survivors of the battle the unarmed Huey returned more than 21 times with supplies, evacuating the wounded each trip. That day, more than 70 soldiers were flown to safety by Captain Freeman.
Freeman was decorated with the distinguished Flying Cross for his act of bravery. But for decades those who survived this battle felt that a higher honor should be awarded to the helicopter pilot. On July 16, 2001, Congress awarded the Medal of Honor to Freeman with the persuasion of Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Crandall, other survivors who were rescued by Freeman, and Senator John McCain. That day, Freeman and his wife, Barbara, were invited to the White House where President George W. Bush presented the Congressional Medal of honor before witnesses consisting of Vice President Cheney, the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Joint Chiefs as well as members of the Joint Chiefs, Senator John McCain, Senator Craig, Congressman Otter, and Congressman Simpson from the delegation of Idaho.
On August 20, 2008, Major Ed Freeman passed away from complications of Parkinson's disease at the age of 80 and was laid to rest at the Veterans Cemetery in Idaho, where he settled.
In March of 2009, the United States Congress bestowed one more honor to Major Freeman. They designated the US Post Office in his place of birth McLain, Mississippi, the "Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office."
Message from a concerned Knight
Tom Lorenc
St. Mary of the Lake, Council 11527, Lakewood
Passing of Joseph Lorenc, PGK, PFN
It is with great sadness that the Ocean County Chapter announces the passing of Joseph Y. Lorenc, PGK 11527, PFN 2143. Joe passed away after a lengthy illness.
Wake services were held at the D'Elia Funeral Home, Route 70 in Lakewood. The line of mourners was quite large and long, extending out the door in the evening, with people on line until 9:15 p.m.
The Color Corps, stood Honor Guard for Joe, and performed a prayer service. The Officers and members of Our Lady of Lourdes Assembly wish to thank the Color Corps members from Msgr John F. Baldwin Assembly for their assistance at this callout for Joe.
Joe was adopted by Tom and Joan Lorenc from the Pattaya Orphanage, and Toms has asked for donations to be made in Joes name. Monies thata re donated will be used to purchase new computers for the Computer Lab at the school operated at the Orphanage. Checks should be made payable to Pattaya Orphanage, and mailed to:
Radchada Chomjinda
Inter-Country Adoption
Pattaya Orphanage
384-Moo 6 Sukhumvit Road, KM 144
P.O. Box 200 Naklue
Banglamung, Chonburi 20150
PFN Communion Brunch
Msgr John F. Baldwin Assembly hosted a Communion Brunch honoring Past Faithful Navigator David Stoll at Simko's Grill, Brick Blvd. in Brick. The Brunch followed 9 a.m. Mass at St. Dominic's Church, located on Rt 88 in Brick.
Polar Bear Plunge
State Deputy, Thomas Ciborski, Chapter Chairman John Gazis DD, and Chapter Treasurer John Castle PGK, plunged into the ocean at the 16th annual Polar Bear Plunge, Saturday, February 28, 2009, at 1 p.m., to benefit Special Olympics.
Tom says "The Knights of Columbus has enjoyed a close relationship with Special Olympics since it's inception. This year, I want to make a "Personal Commitment' to the Olympians. They are CHAMPIONS 365 days a year."
Tom has done alot for the State since joining the Order, let's join him in this fundraising effort. Please make a pledge to help Tom in his effort. Please go to: 2009 Polar Bear Plunge Donation
Pictures of the plunge are available at: 2009 Polar Bear Plunge Pictures
Rally in Defense of Marriage
The New Jersey State Council sponsored a Rally in Defense of Marriage at the State House on Sunday, October 19, 2008. The rally began at 2:15 p.m. with a prayer service at St. Mary's Cathedral, and processed to the State House shortly thereafter. This rally was held to defend the traditional definition of marriage, one man and one woman.
We, the Knights of Columbus, are the key to the success of this drive. There are too many things changing in the world today, changes that are due to the lack of tradition. We must take a stand now, make it known that we are tired of the changes, the lack of tradition. Please come out and support this very important event. Lets show the politicians that the people are tired of the way things are changing, WE WANT THE TRADITIONAL STANDARDS.
Pictures of the day are available at:
Rally for Traditional Marriage
Knights of Columbus sets record for charitable giving, volunteer service
New Haven, CT - June 6, 2008 - The Knights of Columbus announced today that it set new all-time records for charitable giving and volunteer service hours in 2007. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson released the results of the survey in a speech to state deputies and members of the board of directors in New Haven, Connecticut.
The results of the Order's Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity for the year ending December 31, 2006 show that total contributions to charity at all levels reached $144,911,781 - exceeding the previous year's total by more $1 million. The figure includes $31,235,220 donated by the Supreme Council, and $113,676,561 in charitable donations from state and local councils, Fourth Degree assemblies, and squire circles.
The survey also shows that the reported number of volunteer hours by Knights for charitable causes grew to 68,270,432 hours, up more than 400,000 hours from 2005. There were 393,030 Knights of Columbus blood donors during the year, and Knights made more than 5.5 million visits to the sick and bereaved.
Cumulative figures show that during the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated nearly $1.28 billion to charity, and provided in excess of 612 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable causes.
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest lay Catholic organization, with more than 1.75 million members in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Central America, and Poland.
Chapter Meeting
The Ocean County Chapter will meet on Monday, July 13. The meeting will be held at Father Capadano Council 6522, in Forked River, and will begin at 8p.m. We will be electing the Officers for the 2009 - 2010 Columbian year at this meeting. Nominations from the floor will be accepted at this meeting. Persons nominated from the floor must be present to accept the nomination.
5 Night Cruise to Bermuda
Council 7926 is sponsoring a 5 night Cruise from November 7 - November 12, 2009. The Cruise, featuring 2 days docked at King's Wharf, Bermuda, and will depart from Bayonne on Saturday, November 7, aboard the Explorer of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
For more information, please go to: Bermuda Cruise
8160 - Passion of the Christ play
Council 8160 put on a 2 performances of a play showing Christ's Passion. The cast of 40 was made up of members of the Council, as well as Parishioners and friends. The performances were extremely well done, keeping the audience enthralled throughout the evening.
PGK Joseph Mignone wrote a poem that preceeded the performances, which is available by clicking POEM
Pictures are available by clicking PICTURES.
Free Throw Tournament
Each year, the Knights of Columbus hosts a Free Throw Tournament for children ages 10 -14. It begins with the local Councils, then moves on to the District Round, Diocesan Round and the State Championships.
For more information and pictures, please go to: Free Throw Tournament
Council Christmas Parties
The Councils in Ocean County host Christmas Parties for their members to attend with their families and friends. They are nights to enjoy Unity and Fraternity, the second and third principles of our Order, with their Brothers and Families. Below is a link to pictures taken at these afairs:
2007 - 2008 Archives
For pictures of the events from 2006 ~ 2007, please go to: 2007 - 2008 Archived Photos
2006 ~ 2007 Archives
The Councils in the Ocean County Chapter had a busy 2006 - 07 year
For pictures of the events from 2006 ~ 2007, please go to: 2006 - 07 Archives