HAPPY FEAST OF ST. THERESA OF AVILA TO MY HOME PARISH

BORN MARCH 28, 1515

    DIED OCTOBER 4, 1582 

SPAIN

Patroness

of

Bodily ills; headaches; chess; lacemakers; loss of parents; people in need of grace; people in religious orders; people ridiculed for their piety;  sick people

SAINT THERESA CHURCH
My Beloved Home Parish

Founded in 1818 - (First two churches were log cabins)
Present Church 1855
(Same architect as the Cathedral of the Assumption and Nazareth Motherhouse Chapel.)

   

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PART OF THE ST. JAMES PROJECT?

MY NAME IS "JAMES!"  
MY FATHER'S NAME WAS "JAMES!"
I HAVE SOME FRIENDS NAMED "JAMES!"

IS YOUR NAME "JAMES?"

IF NOT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HONOR SOMEONE WITH THE NAME "JAMES?" 

DOES THE NAME "JAMES" HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOU?

It's Official! Bishop County has approved the name! The new chapel will be named after the
apostle, James, who was the brother of John. Like brothers Peter and Andrew, brothers James and John were fishermen.
People praying in this needed new chapel in the Diocese of Kingstown Pastoral Centre will be able to look out at at the ocean and maybe catch a glimpse of some modern day fishing boats and remember the words of Jesus, "I will make you fishers of men!"

I have worked hard and made great progress on paying for the new St. James Chapel, but I am not there yet. Anyone want to help me complete the St. James Chapel in the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Kingstown in the island country of

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines? My goal is to get it paid for by Christmas!

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:

St. Bartholomew Church - SVG MISSION FUND




SEND TO:

Rev.  James Ronald Knott
Chapel Fund
1271 Parkway Gardens Court
#106
Louisville, KY 40217 

1-502-303-4571

FAITHFUL FRIENDS II

Every once in a while, I like to put the spotlight on some of my friends. Today I would like to feature....

MY FRIENDS IN PUEBLA, MEXICO

That is Jesus Hiram Lopez on the right. I met him when he was a seminarian at St. Mienrad.
Next to him are his two brothers and in front is his dear mother, Maria Mendez Zamora. They read my blog faithfully. I want to salute them and express my friendship. 

THE LITTLE ONES

"...the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

Matthew 19:14



Resident at St. Benedict Children's Home in SVG 

These are some of the kids who attend St. John Church is Mesopotamia on the island of St. Vincent where I celebrated Holy Week and one Sunday before Christmas last year. Aren't they the cutest kids you have ever seen? The little boy in green meets his parents for lunch sometimes at the Pastoral Centre in Kingstown when he is in school. The little girl is sweet, but the look on her face distressed me. I would love to know what was on her worried little mind that day. I wish I had been able to give her more attention and had the opportunity to tell her how nice she looked in her little pink dress.  I hope she was just camera shy. 

 

Look at these hungry African children standing in line for something to eat! Notice how close together they are - as if being closer will bring them to the food faster! Notice how orderly! Notice their sad expressions - no one is smiling or laughing.



Father Rex Ramos wore a pirate hat when he interacted with his young parishioners and read to them in the parish library on the island of Canouan, SVG. Like kids everywhere, they are curious, proud of what they found on the beach, attentive and, yes, a bit in your face. Notice the young boy sticking his tongue out for the camera in the bottom, right picture. Isn't that universal with kids?



These altar servers at St. John Church in Mesopotamia on the island of St. Vincent are disciplined and attentive at Mass. They are all leaders, or soon-to-be leaders, in the parish. That little guy on the left is a real charmer. He was selected to serve at the new bishop's ordination. He was so attentive to his ministry that day that he was inspiring just to watch him carry out his duties.



Just one of the innocent victims of the war in Syria. No child should ever have to go through this!



There is all sorts of suffering children have to endure. God only knows how many children in this country endure cyber bullying, so many in silence.



So many helpless children suffer from physical, emotional and sexual abuse.



Children need to be protected, encouraged, nurtured, respected and loved. We will be judged most harshly if we don't do that for them. 

Awards.....

...CARRY A COST

You end up with a "bellie!"

I haven't won that many awards, but I have had that same feeling she exhibits!

I had a chicken like the one she is holding and we even had a propane gas tank that close to the house! 

A PATHETIC START....

1. My first award was a Parker Pen and Pencil Set for a fire prevention poster I did in the second grade for a regional contest.

     2. I came in first place in a "sack race" at the Meade County Fair in the sixth grade.

     3. I won a purple ribbon in 4-H for bread baking in the seventh grade. 

     4. I won an art contest at Saint Meinrad College for my sculpture of a seated man.  

....FOLLOWED BY A VERY LONG DROUGHT....

....THAT GOT A LITTLE BETTER LATELY.

Louisville Central Area, Inc.
Community Award for Significant Contribution to the Revitalization of Downtown
1983-1997

The Charles L. Weisberg Brotherhood Award
National Conference of Christians and Jews
2001

National Federation of Priests' Councils
Touchstone Award
2008
Building Intentional Presbyterates 

Distinguished Alumnus Award
2010
Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology

Distinguished Alumnus Award
2015
Catholic Education Foundation
Archdiocese of Louisville

I haven't won that many awards in my life, but that hasn't stopped some of my friends begrudging me a few trinkets for my bookshelf. One good friend called me "an affirmation_____!" Friends have a way of keeping you humble even when you don't want to be!



2016 Bellarmine University Bellie Award
"CATHOLIC IDENTITY IN THE SPIRIT OF THOMAS MERTON AWARD"

In accepting this award, I told the audience at Bellarmine. "I came here seventeen years ago without a "bellie" and today I am leaving with two of them!"

MY SAINT MEINRAD SEMINARY EXPERIENCE - THE EARLY DAYS

FROM THE ARCHIVES

MEMORIES FOR MY DAYS AS A SEMINARIAN

Brace Yourselves!

Before he died several months ago, Father Tony Olges (seminary classmate for twelve years) gave me a CD of old college pictures. I was amazed at how much we had all changed, how many made it and didn't make it and, yes, how many have already died!

The one thing that stands out for me is how much fun we had and how, in some ways, it was not too different from any college of the time.

It's a soft drink! Yes, that's me!



That tie was a little short, don't you think? But, oh, to be that thin again!

I played sports - sort of! Softball says it all!



I studied - sort of!



Partying at the lake with David Dutschke and Denny West of Louisville. That's me in the middle!



A break between classes. That's me again on the left!




Parties! Lots of parties with cheap wine. That's my hand on the left with a white shirt and a wine glass.



Passing the birthday cake, right in front of my face,  without an "excuse me!"  Those Pittsburgh guys!



Another party - more cheap wine! That's classmate, Paul Bleuel of Louisville,  at the top of the table on the right with white shirt elbow on the table.



The musicians warm up for an evening of music. That's a beer mug on the keyboard over "VOX!"



A friendly game of poker?



When drinking became legal for seminarians, we spent a lot of time at the Arts Center Tavern in Fulda - about three miles away. Notice the red flashlight! He must be planning on walking home after dark?



We did a lot of walking. Notice the pants cuffs! We didn't have a lot of money for clothes. When we out grew them, we wore them! That's Pat Abell from Lebanon, Kentucky, in the long black coat.



One of the first steps to priesthood - Tonsure! Yes, the Bishop of Indianapolis actually cut snippets out of our hair as a sign we were getting serious about going on to priesthood. They don't do that any more! I am on the right with my candle in hand. In front of me are two Passionists (Newburg Road) who studied with us for a few years before moving to Chicago. Yes, we wore cassocks in those days.
Here we are preparing to process into Church for the first of seven steps to the priesthood: tonsure, acolyte, porter, lector, exorcist and subdeacon - called "the Minor Orders." (Yes, I am indeed an ordained exorcist!) Deacon and priest were "the major Orders" of Holy Orders.



That's classmate James Greenwell from Louisville in the foreground and (Father) Nick Rice of Louisville in the background. Stan Esterle of Louisville is in the middle.