THE COUNCIL

St. John the Beloved Council #11796

Knights of Columbus
907 Milltown Road
Wilmington, DE 19808

 

THE 2011-2012 OFFICERS

Grand Knight: Jose G. Rodriguez
Chaplain: Father Anthony Giamello
Deputy Grand Knight: Anthony T. Saldutti

Chancellor: William K. Harris, PGK
Recorder: Dennis J. Connolly
Financial Secretary: J. Raymond McAllister

Treasurer: Kevin C. Duffy, PGK
Lecturer: Robert L. Dayett
Advocate: William J. Burgess
Warden: David A. Eppelheimer,PGK
Inside Guard: John P. Piechoski
Outside Guard: Charles F. Mealey, Jr.
Trustee 3rd Year: Stephen W. Oldiges,PGK,FDD
Trustee 2nd Year: William G. Matt,PGK,FDD
Trustee 1st Year: Richard J. Steffy,PGK

Program Director: Anthony T. Saldutti

Council Director: Anthony T. Saldutti
Membership Director: Vito C. DiChiara
Church Director: Stephen W. Oldiges,PGK,FDD
Vocations Director: Robert L. Dayett                               
Youth Director: Kevin C. Duffy, PGK
Family Director: Anthony T. Saldutti
Community Director: Kevin C. Duffy, PGK
    
Pro-Life Couple: Dave & Monica Williams

WHEN WE MEET

The council meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the SJB Hall Conference Room at St. John the Beloved Church.  No meeting is held on the first Wednesday of July and August.

The Rosary is prayed prior to the 1st meeting of the month at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE WE MEET

St. John the Beloved Parish at 907 Milltown Road, Wilmington, Delaware  19808

Council meetings are held in the SJB Hall Conference Room.

COUNCIL SIZE

As of 7/26/11 our Council has 173 members.

We are among the ten largest Councils in the state of Delaware.

HOW TO BECOME A KNIGHT OF COLUMBUS

Please e-mail our Membership Director, Vito C. DiChiara , or call him at 302-229-1941 for a membership application or information. 

Thank you for your interest in the Knights of Columbus.

COUNCIL HISTORY                                                                          

Our council was started in 1996 by a group of experienced knights from St. Michael's Council at Holy Family Parish in Newark and men from St. John the Beloved Parish who were new to the Knights of Columbus.  These brothers wanted a council in their home parish, and an opportunity to serve the local parish and community.

Membership drives were held on the weekends of April 14th and April 21st after all Masses to canvass the St John the Beloved parish community for new members and transfer members.  Information sessions were held starting on April 24th to explain more about the Knights of Columbus programs, and how local councils function.  On May 15th many new knights took their first degree in Father Sheehy Hall at St. John the Beloved, and joined the Knights of Columbus.  Because of the large response, additional First Degrees were held on 6/9/96 and 6/19/96.

Thanks to the large, enthusiastic response, formation of the council started immediately.  A meeting was held to nominate and elect charter officers who would lead the council.  Every position was quickly filled, and Michael A. DiCostanza was chosen to lead the Council as our first Grand Knight.  Our first meeting as a council was held on May 29th, 1996, and the officers were formally installed by then District Deputy Bill Galloway on June 12th at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli and Father Leonard J. Kempski at St. John the Beloved Church.  Members from 22 councils throughout Delaware attended the installation ceremonies.

Father Kempski noted in his homily that, “We need your witness to Jesus Christ.  We need your willingness to live the Gospel.  We need your help and strength to join the rest of us Knights, as families, as Catholics, as Christian believers.”  He continued, “We welcome you, we need you, we pray that your strength will strengthen us and that together we might truly be a sign of God’s power of God’s community.”

Bishop Saltarelli observed that St. John the Beloved Council was the first new council to be established after his 11/21/95 appointment as Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington.  He told the officers “This council will become a special favorite of mine.  I’m going to watch you very closely.  I expect this council to be an excellent model….to be a fantastic model to the rest of the state and to the Eastern Shore (of Maryland)”.

St. John the Beloved Council #11796 was officially chartered on June 22, 1996 with 99 men, unprecedented in Delaware State Council history.  The official charter was presented to the Council in Father Sheehy Hall at SJB following 12:30 p.m. Mass on April 12, 1997.

Our council was off and running.  The rest is history in the making.  Our council has become one of the largest and most active councils in the state of Delaware, and is thankful for the wonderful support of our parish and local community.  We ask for God’s continued blessing as our council continues to grow.