Welcome to the November 2025 edition of our Council newsletter!

As usual, here are a few quick but important items up-front before we get into the news.

• Our next regular business meeting is Wednesday, November 12th, starting at 7:30 p.m. All members are welcome. We'll be serving dinner for members at 6:30 for only $5.

• Bearing in mind that Charity is the first principle of our Order, in this newsletter are several different requests for donations to help local families and children in need: restocking the St. James the Apostle Food Pantry, a holiday gift drive for children in need, and collecting supermarket gift cards or non-perishable foods for local SNAP families. The current government shutdown has placed additional stress on local families, and we're asking for your support for as many of these efforts as your means will allow and as you see fit. We realize that not everybody can do everything, but we hope everybody can find it in their hearts to do something to help.

• The annual Westchester-Putnam Seminarians' Dinner is Sunday, November 16th, 2:00 p.m., at Fr. Grady Council in Port Chester. Our Council is taking at table, so speak with WGK Rick if you wish to attend. The support of our seminarians -- our future priests -- is more important now than it ever has been, so please support this important event!

Awards Presented to Very Worthy Honorees at the 2025 "Annual"

Our 54th Annual Dinner Dance & Awards Ceremony on November 1st was a wonderful night of food, fun, and celebration of the people that make our Council so very special. We were back at Mill Creek in Hopewell Junction, and just like last year, the food was outstanding, the open bar was top notch, and the service was excellent. That we were in a somewhat smaller space with a larger crowd only made things more cozy and convivial. And it was a perfect night to enjoy some time outside by the fireplace on the outdoor patio.

Brother Knight Denis Hanrahan was presented with the very well-deserved "Knight of the Year" Award for his countless and tireless contributions to our Council, parish, and the community at large. Among his many accomplishments, Denis spearheads our semiannual blood drives and is a prime mover in the 9-11 Heroes Memorial committee, which includes organizing the annual 9-11 services there. He also does so many things for our Council quietly and behind the scenes that we could devote an entire newsletter to him and never capture all that he does.

This year's very worthy Family of the Year Award was presented to The Nuñez Family -- Carlos and Tracey, and their children Miranda, Aidan, Andrew, Colette, Christian and Eva.

That award is presented annually to a family that models Christian family values and visibly lives them every day. Ask anyone who knows them, and you'll hear that certainly describes the Nuñez family!

Both Denis and Carlos gave heartfelt and humble acceptance speeches that were very well received by all on hand.

Worthy Grand Knight Rick Kreps also presented a special Service Award to Deb McDonald in appreciation for her chairing our Annual Journal Committee since 2019, and knocking it out of the park every time. This year's journal was just fantastic, thanks to hard work of Deb and the committee who pull together the ads, collect the money, and work with our printer to ensure a first-rate publication that pays tribute to our honorees and makes a great souvenir for all of our Annual guests.

Thanks go out to all those who took a journal ad in support our honorees and our Council.

Our Home Corporation, 6318 Associates, gave an award of appreciation to Sir Knight Kevin Shea. Kevin serves as the Corporation Treasurer and was recognized for his many contributions and for being an "all around good guy" who adds so much to our Council and Corporation with his fraternal spirit.

The Ladies Auxiliary also presented awards of appreciation to Auxiliary member Erica Sweeney and brother Knight Pat Barry for all that they do to help out the Ladies in so many ways.

Believe it or not, the Annual Committee is already working on the 2026 Annual, and the Council Officers have already met to start the planning. Please make sure to get in your reservations and payment as soon as it is announced next summer to ensure your spot at our "event of the year"!

A Final (for the year) Message from Our C&B Chair

The third and FINAL Charitable & Benevolent Program Raffle Drawing will be on December 6, 2025.

This is the drawing for the $25,000 Grand Prize! There will also be a $10,000 Second Prize, a $5,000 Third Prize, and ten $1,000 prizes!

We will be making a final sales push on C&B raffles at all Masses at St. James the Apostle and Our Lady of the Lakes/Mt. Carmel churches on November 22nd (Saturday) and November 23rd (Sunday).

I'm asking for help at each Mass. We need help before and after all Masses on Saturday and Sunday!

I'll be speaking about this at our business meeting on Wednesday, November 12th. I will have plenty of books on hand!

We will be selling raffle books at $10 each (4 chances per book), or $3.00 each. It will only require name and phone number. No need to fill out the back cover for the Final Drawing

Thanks for the help,

Kevin Shea

C&B Program Chair

Restock the St. James Food Pantry

Give to the Putnam Children's Holiday Gift Drive

At our October membership meeting, the Council approved a donation of $250 to support the children of families utilizing the services of Putnam County’s Department of Social Services. 

On behalf of the Council, gifts have been purchased for delivery on or about December 5th. To expand this effort beyond the Council’s contribution, a donation box will be set up in the bar area for your individual donation.

The age range we're collecting for is infants to teens. While we do not have details regarding gift or cost requirements, all donations will be greatly appreciated!

Please donate new and unwrapped gifts only. No cash or checks are being accepted. 

Please bring your gift to the upcoming membership meeting on November 12th, or any time during November using the donation box(es) provided. 

Thank you in advance for your support of our local children in need!

Let's "SNAP" Together to Help Local Families

Along with other local organizations, we are assisting The Putnam County Department of Social Services (DSS) by collecting non-perishable food items and supermarket gift cards (the preferred donation).

The government shutdown has put an added strain on many families who were already in need. So let's help those who are struggling to feed their families. Count your blessings and donate whatever you can to help every family in our community have a truly happy Thanksgiving.

All donations should be dropped off at our Council Hall (10 Fair Street in Carmel) so that they can be distributed directly to SNAP recipients by the DSS staff. Please drop off your donation starting at noon on Thursday, November 20th, through 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 23rd.

Holiday on the Lake / Christmas Village - Sat. Dec. 6th!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Here's the run down on the many fun holiday events taking place in Carmel on Saturday, December 6th! See the flyers below for more information.

• Start your day off with some Christmas shopping at the St. James Parish Annual Christmas Bazaar in the school gym from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.



• Our Ladies Auxiliary is hosting their fifth "Our Christmas Village"! There's loads of fun for the whole family inside our Council Hall starting with "Kids' Candy Bingo" (2:30 p.m. sharp); "Story Time / Cookies and Milk with Santa" (3:15 p.m. sharp); and there will be kids' crafts and an area for photos with Santa & Mrs. Claus. Visit more than 55 high-quality vendors in the huge, outdoor holiday market, and enjoy the offerings from the Hudson Valley's finest food trucks, all in the county parking lot behind our building, until 9 p.m. Bring the whole family!

• Our Council will once again provide a free Children's Christmas Party with dinner for our members' families starting at 4:30 p.m. Adults will enjoy a pot-luck dinner, so please bring a dish for the community table. Santa will be attending, so please bring a gift (value $20) for each child you bring, for Santa to distribute. RSVP to Grand Knight Rick or Anthony Falco by email or call/text (914) 450-4475 if you are attending.

• Starting at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, we will make our way over to the Paladin Center parking lot to line up for the Parade of Lights (steps off at 6:30), with our very own parade float. We need marchers! Come and march behind our Council banner and with our float! We'll once again be handing out thousands of glow necklaces to the crowd along the parade route. Help us assemble them before the parade and then hand them out as we march!

• There are many other events going on in this year's Holiday on the Lake, including Hayrides with Santa, trolley rides, live music, Chowder Fest at Cornerstone Park, choirs and a Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony honoring veterans in Cornerstone Park, and lots of other festive activities.

See the flyers below for more information.

Fourth Degree News

The next meeting of Mother Cabrini Assembly will be Thursday, November 20th at our Council.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. All Fourth Degree Sir Knights are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting.

Bags & Bucks Bingo - Sat. 11/15

See the info on the flyer below and click here to save $5 by purchasing your ticket in advance and guaranteeing your seat!

The First Thanksgiving in America was a Catholic Mass!

And it happened 50 years before Plymouth!

Enjoy this interesting bit of holiday history from Aleteia courtesy of St. James the Apostle Religious Education!

Did you know that the first “thanksgiving” meal in the United States was actually not celebrated by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, but rather by Spanish settlers, in what became Florida? And that first “Thanksgiving” was Eucharistic!

“When the first Spanish settlers landed in what is now St. Augustine on September 8, 1565, to build a settlement, their first act was to hold a religious service to thank God for the safe arrival of the Spanish fleet… After the Mass, Father Francisco Lopez, the Chaplin of the Spanish ships and the first pastor of St. Augustine, stipulated that the natives from the Timucua tribe be fed along with the Spanish settlers, including Don Pedro Menéndez de Aviles, the leader of the expedition. It was the very first Thanksgiving and the first Thanksgiving meal in the United States.”

The Spaniards, with food that they brought with them on the ship, prepared the communal meal. According to records, the meal would have consisted of salted pork, garbanzo beans, ship’s bread and red wine.

This account of the first “thanksgiving” reflects what was found in Father Francisco’s memoirs. In it we read, “the feast day [was] observed . . . after Mass, ‘the Adelantado [Menéndez] had the Indians fed and dined himself.’”

The feast celebrated by the Spaniards was that of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birthday, a day in the Church calendar that follows nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8 (which just happens to be the patronal feast of the United States of America).

The meal “may have also included Caribbean foods that were probably collected when Menéndez stopped to regroup and resupply at San Juan, Puerto Rico, before continuing to Florida… If the Timucua contributed, it would likely have been with corn, fresh fish, berries, or beans.”

Additionally, before the Mass was celebrated, “Father Francisco López, the fleet chaplain…came ashore ahead of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the leader of the founding expedition, and then went forward to meet Menéndez holding a cross… Menéndez came on land, knelt and kissed the cross.”

This historical event reminds us that the Eucharist (from the Greek that literally means “thanksgiving”) is the primary way to offer thanks on Thanksgiving Day, followed by a meal shared in a spirit of fraternity. Let God be a central part of your holiday! As Americans this is our heritage, one that we hope to pass on to the next generation.

• Veterans Day is Tuesday, November 11th. Please join us in honoring and thanking all of our United States military veterans and current service members. As they do each year, the Fourth Degree Sir Knights of Mother Cabrini Assembly will be donating a beautiful, patriotic themed floral wreath to the ceremony at the Carmel VFW. Don't forget to fly the American flag from your home or business until sunset to honor our veterans!

• Nativity Scene Setup & Council Christmas Decorating: Nov. 29 (Sat.) - We need two crews -- one at the Council and one at the Rectory. One crew will meet outside the St. James the Apostle rectory at 9 a.m. to set up the parish nativity scene. We will need the usual tools and equipment including ladders, screw guns, a socket set (or two), staple guns for the roofing membrane, etc. The second crew will meet at our Council to decorate the tree and hang the outside decorations. It's always a good time, so join in the fun!

• Our Council's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will be Tuesday, December 2nd. All over the world, Knights of Columbus Councils gather together on the first Tuesday of December to "Light Up for Christ" by illuminating their Nativity Creche or Christmas tree. Our Council joins in this celebration of the upcoming birth of the Christ Child with light refreshments and some caroling around the tree. Bring the family and your best singing voice for this very informal - but very fun - annual Council tradition. Gather at 7 p.m.; caroling at 7:30; tree lighting at 8 p.m.!

• Adult Christmas Party: Dec. 20 (Sat.) - Save the date for our Annual Christmas Party which starts at 6 p.m. Enjoy a fabulous (and free!) dinner prepared by our Kitchen Crew and desserts from our Ladies Auxiliary. Cash bar. Bring a supermarket gift card for the less fortunate in our community so that they too can enjoy the blessings of Christmas through the St. James Food Pantry.

• Beefsteak: Jan. 17 (Sat.) - The J.O. Memorial Men's Beefsteak Dinner will be here before you know it, and the Council is looking to do something special for this year's Tenth Anniversary dinner. Details will be announced, but please save the date and be sure to make your reservations as soon as they open. This event sells out every year! We'll also need your help with the critically important task of securing donations for our raffles and auctions to make the event a successful fundraiser for our Parish. Speak to GK Rick about making donations or helping out with the event.

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