NEWS BRIEFS
Aug. 6, 2009 | The Catholic Sun
CatholicTV to air Knights events live from Phoenix
CatholicTV will air live key events from the Knights of Columbus’ 127th Supreme Convention Aug. 4 on its cable television station and Web site.
The broadcast begins with Mass at 9:30 a.m. celebrated by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. Some 70 cardinals and bishops and as many priests are expected to concelebrate the 90-minute liturgy.
The broadcast also includes the convention’s opening session at 1 p.m. and the State’s Dinner at 7:30 p.m. with rebroadcasts scheduled. The State’s Dinner will include a keynote presentation by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.
The convention brings together Knights from all over the nation for business sessions, annual reports, prayer and initiatives.
In celebration of the convention, CatholicTV will also broadcast special presentations featuring the Knights, such as “Crowning Achievement,” a program that follows the restoration of the birthplace of the Knights of Columbus.
For information, visit www.catholictv.com.
Cancer ministry coordinator loses cancer battle
The diocesan Healing Through the Body of Christ Cancer Ministry recently lost one of its own to cancer.
Debbie Bond, volunteer coordinator for the cancer ministry at St. Anne Parish in Gilbert, died July 16. She was 42.
Bond was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast cancer less than four years ago and contacted Healing Through the Body of Christ Cancer Ministry for support. She found that and a higher calling to help others battling cancer.
“She wanted to give them hope and comfort. She knew that even if they didn’t survive the cancer, she could help them find a sense of peace,” said Melissa Veselovsky, St. Peregrine Chapel Director.
Bond coordinated volunteers at St. Anne, hosted community events and provided one-on-one support despite her own suffering when the cancer spread to her bones and vital organs. Veselovsky said Bond never gave up hope and always shared her faith in God.
Healing Through the Body of Christ Cancer Ministry, headquartered at the new St. Peregrine Cancer Chapel at Christ the King Parish in Mesa, will place an engraved brick at the chapel in her honor.
The St. Peregrine chapel offers hope and support to all who are affected by serious illness, especially cancer. Cancer-related resources such as information, wigs, and treatment supplies as well as trained volunteers will be readily available, free of charge.
For information, contact the St. Peregrine Chapel at (480) 844-4493 or visit www.cancershrine.org.
Anthem family to appear on EWTN
Amanda and Greg Gilstrap, parishioners at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne in Anthem, will be among the guests on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock” Aug. 6. The program, hosted by two priests, features a variety of guests during its weekly run and is aimed at young adults.
Amanda is a summer resident of Anthem as she spends the school year at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was her four months spent abroad through the school’s Austrian program that helped land Amanda and Greg, her father, on EWTN. Amanda lived and studied in a 14th-century monastery during the summer of 2007.
She e-mailed her dad frequently during her journey discussing her studies, adventures and faith. Other family members began looking forward to reading the latest Catholic dialog between father and daughter, which led the Gilstraps to publish “Being Amanda — In Europe” last year.
Hear more of their story on “Life on the Rock” live at 5 p.m., Aug. 6, with a taped version repeating at 10 p.m., and 10 a.m. on Aug. 7 and 8 p.m. Aug. 9. For information, visit www.ewtn.com.
For information on the book, visit www.beingagilstrap.com.
Foundation for Senior Living hosts Facebook workshop
The Foundation for Senior Living is helping multiple generations of families stay connected as the busy school year resumes.
Ken Colburn, host of KTAR’s Computer Corner and founder of Data Doctors, will host a free, hands-on Facebook workshop Aug. 6. He’ll show parents and grandparents how to set up their own Facebook pages, establish privacy settings, post photos, offer status updates, post comments, and search for other Facebook friends.
Seating is limited so advance registration is recommended. The workshop is 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Foundation for Senior Living Caregiver House, 1201 E. Thomas Road. For more information or to pre-register, call (602) 285-1800 ext. 321.
East Valley gym hosts workout competition to fight cancer
Most people who visit CrossFit 2260 work on improving their health and fitness. Through Sept. 19, they will also be able to help improve the health of others.
Steve Richards, owner of CrossFit 2260 and a Mesa firefighter, is planning a workout competition and silent auction to benefit the Desert Cancer Foundation of Arizona. Richards is seeking donations for the silent auction, sponsorships of athletes and monetary contributions through the event, which will be held Sept. 19. The foundation works in conjunction with Catholic Healthcare West.
The workout competition includes three rounds of five different stations, including wall-ball, Sumo deadlift high-pull, box jump, push-press, and row. Points are given for reps and calories burned. The competition is open to CrossFit members, as well as the general public. For information, visit www.crossfit2260.com or e-mail Richards at crossfit2260@gmail.com.
Arizona Knights pledge wheelchairs for veterans
Arizona’s Knights of Columbus are following in the footsteps of fellow Knights nationwide by donating wheelchairs to local veterans who cannot afford them.
State deputy Herb Maddock, an Air Force veteran, pledged the support of more than 14,500 Arizona members to the project.
“Until the day that every vet in this state has the tools they need to live with dignity, the Arizona Knights of Columbus will work with other agencies and organizations to see that these men and women are not forgotten,” Maddock said.
Michael Kingman, master of the Arizona District Fourth Degree for the Knights of Columbus, will coordinate fundraising and distribution for the project. Kingman is a Navy veteran.
The Knights also support the military by volunteering at veteran administration hospitals, printing prayer books for troops, and through support for the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
‘Sun’ columnist, former tabloid writer launches Web site
Chris Benguhe, who walked away from life in the spotlight as a tabloid writer in 1999, is now posed to help others find their inner light.
Benguhe, a regular columnist for The Catholic Sun, recently launched OneMoreDayAlive.com as a Web portal for helping people overcome life’s great tragedies one day at a time.
“The bottom line is that for all of us, there is a reality, and no amount of positive thinking or perception-twisting rhetoric is going to make it go away,” Benguhe said. “We can make that reality meaningful and constructive by finding a noble purpose in the way we deal with it. That purpose is to love and be loved by others.”
Benguhe, who penned his first book, “Triumphs of the Heart,” in 2000, wrote “Overcoming Life’s 7 Common Tragedies” last year. The book examines the positive potential of tragedy to bring people closer to each other and to realize their ultimate purpose. It includes interviews with Terry Schiavo’s brother, Enron victims, cancer survivors and more.
“Sometimes it takes years, and we may spend many of those years ignoring the positive potential of our struggles, only to wake up one day to see the light,” he wrote.
