My Dear Brother Knights,       

Happy First Full Month of Spring! Sure, Spring began last month, but this our first full month and hopefully we will have beautiful weather for the whole month. This year April places us right in the middle of the Easter Season, which is also another reason for rejoicing. Unfortunately the 15th of this month is also the day our tax returns are due, so I hope you’ve already got that taken care of.
 

As in preceding years, many young people will be receiving Jesus for the first time in the Blessed Sacrament during this month and I ask you please to keep them and their families in your prayers. Please pray that they will come to Mass every Sunday and that if it has been a long time between Masses for their families, that this event my change their hearts and minds.
 

During this month, we will remember many of the Saints of the Church. Two that I would like to point out to you are St. George and St. Louis Mary Grignion. St. George is the Patron Saint of England and Catalonia, and his feast day is April
23. He is usually pictured killing a dragon while rescuing a beautiful lady - the dragon stands for wickedness and the lady stand for God’s holy truth. St. George was a soldier in the Roman Army during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian; in fact
he was one of the Emperor’s favorite soldiers. Of course the Emperor was a pagan and was a bitter enemy to the Church as he put to death any Christians he could find. St. George, without fear, went to Diocletian and scolded him for being so mean and cruel, than he gave up his position in the military. For defending his faith and standing up to the Emperor, St. George was tortured and was then beheaded. St. George was so bold and even cheerful in defending his Faith that many Christians felt encouraged when they heard about it and they made up many songs and poems about him. Soldiers have always been devoted to him and invoke his intercession.
 

Also remembered is St. Louis Mary Grignion - better known as St. Louis de Montfort - whose feast day is April 28. St. Louis was born to a poor family at Montfort, France on January 31, 1673. He was educated at the Jesuit College in Rennes and was ordained there in 1700. St. Louis was assigned as a chaplain to a hospital and his much needed reorganization of the staff caused resentment, leading to his resignation; however, during his stay there he organized a group of religious women that he would call the Daughters of Wisdom. Eventually St. Louis went to Rome where Pope Clement XI appointed him missionary apostolic and he began to preach in Brittany. During his missions he furthered devotion to the Blessed Mother through the Rosary and he wrote the still popular book “The True Devotion to the Blessed
Virgin.” In 1715, St. Louis organized several priests to form the Missionaries of the Company of Mary. He died in 1716 and was canonized a saint in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. His work continues on in the preaching of the Montfort Fathers and Brothers and through the Daughters of Wisdom. They are very important to us here on Long Island as they have ministered in many parishes and as they run the Montfort House of Prayer in Bay Shore and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island in Eastport.
 

Two great Saints to remember and ask for their prayers so we too can carry on with the living out and spreading of our great faith in Jesus Christ the Risen Lord.

Fr. Mike