HUNTERSVILLE — Lucy Dvorak, a St. Mark Homeschool student, was awarded the Knights of Columbus International Award for eighth-grade students for her essay, “Virtues of an Elected Leader.”
Hers was chosen from hundreds of entries submitted from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. A frame holding her letter from the Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight and her essay was presented to her after Mass April 27 by state and council officers.
Pictured are (from left) Mark Schmidt, St. Mark Council grand knight; Lucy’s father Eric, mother Amy and her siblings; Sergio Miranda, North Carolina state deputy; Father John Putnam, St. Mark pastor and council chaplain; Tim Kelley, North Carolina state advocate; and Bill Lange, council deputy grand knight.
In 1882, the Knights of Columbus was founded by Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut, to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into the world’s premier lay Catholic men’s organization, with more than 2.1 million members in over 16,800 local councils.
As members of one of the world’s leading international charitable organizations, Knights around the world donated more than 47 million service hours and over $190 million for worthy causes in their communities in 2023.
BLACK MOUNTAIN — High school students from 17 parishes around the Diocese of Charlotte attended the 48th annual Diocesan Youth Conference May 2-4 at Ridgecrest Conference Center. The event was sponsored by the diocese’s Youth Ministry Office.
The conference theme was “Rescued,” and its goals were to help youth to develop a personal relationship with Christ, solidify their moral values and character and reach a deeper understanding of what it means to be rescued by Jesus.
Keynote speakers included Father Pat Cahill, pastor of St. Eugene Parish in Asheville, Louisiana-based retreat leader and musician Anne Trufant, and Dr. Matt Harrison.
There were workshops on the Beatitudes, dealing with anxiety and despair, different cultural heritages and worship traditions in the Church, overcoming sin, and responding to the problem of human trafficking as part of the Catholic pro-life programming focus.
Youth had time for fellowship and activities as well as for prayer, including the opportunity to go to confession, attend Mass and adore the Blessed Sacrament. A Eucharistic procession was held on May 3, while Masses were celebrated by Father Cahill and Father Shawn O’Neal, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Brevard.
As Bishop Michael Martin wrote to participants: “You don’t have to wait until you’re older or have it all figured out to make a difference. Right now – in your school, on your team, among your family and friends – you’re called to bring the healing presence of Jesus.”
“This is our ‘rescue mission’ as disciples of Jesus!” he noted.
— Christina L. Knauss
