Brother Knights of Council 9652,
It has been an honour to serve the past two years as Grand Knight of this council. I want to thank each and every one of you for your support over the last two years. These past two years have been a blessing and I have learned a great deal from many of you. I would like to share with you my final reflection as Grand Knight that I gave at my last meeting. Please take some time to read it.
On October 2nd, 2020, I began to pray the rosary daily. I had planned on October 1st, but I messed that up right off the get go. Almost exactly 2 months later, my oldest daughter Aunna began to have some very concerning medical issues out of seemingly nowhere. Over the next several months she had many more unexplainable medical situations resulting in several trips to the hospital. None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with her. Every visit resulted in testing. That testing became more thorough over time. On Sunday April 18th, 2021, my grandmother passed away. At the time she passed, Crystal was taking Aunna back to the hospital. Another overnight stay. Again, that night, like the many other times she had been admitted over the last several months, I found myself completely unable to sleep and found myself watching old episodes of CSI and praying the rosary. Just before 8 am Monday Crystal called. Aunna’s family doctor had come to the hospital and wanted to speak with us. Aunna had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Being in the middle of the COVID pandemic the surgical theatres were freed up for emergency and urgent surgeries only. Her case fell within this. This was a very difficult time. I had work to do preparing for my grandmother’s funeral. Everyone being in town, I also had to tell them about Aunna’s situation. As Aunna was in the hospital that whole time and Crystal with her. Telling my young kids who just lost their great grandmother that their older sister has cancer was a heart wrenching experience for me to do alone. Through it all, I continued to pray. In a time when many would turn away from God, I found my faith growing ever stronger. It had to. I couldn’t let my kids see me broken and I turned to God to help strengthen me. Less than 2 weeks later Aunna was in surgery where her entire thyroid was removed. Upon inspection of it they found that it was cancerous in not one but two areas and was at the point that if we had waited any longer it would have spread beyond the thyroid, which would have been very bad. The things that put Aunna in the hospital over the months prior to the cancer diagnosis had nothing to do with the cancer. There was nothing that would have signaled a thyroid issue. If it was not for these unexplainable medical moments, we would have been too late to discovering the cancer. I find it miraculous that 2 months after beginning to pray the rosary daily that she began to have issues that eventually led to the discovery of the cancer. I attribute this to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Blessed Michael McGivney who I prayed for their intercession from the beginning. I’ve since added more intercessors, but those two have been there from the start. It was for this reason that Br Michael did a 4th term as Grand Knight, and I thank him and all of you for letting me step back for a year before starting my term as Grand Knight. When I decided to run for the position, I was uncertain about whether or not I could do it. We were still dealing with Aunna’s situation and to be fair we still are.
When I began my term as Grand Knight, we were just starting out of the pandemic period. We were in the midst of planning our first event since we were locked down my COVID, our golf tournament. We had to hold it at the end of August in 2022. Meaning that in my 2-year term as Grand Knight, we have held 3 golf tournaments. In October we had a fish fry. This was the first parish get together in years and only proved how important it was to get everyone together again. We went back to the schools our parish supports and got the Basketball Free Throw going again. We ran the poster contest with the schools again. And we started to do the school Bar-b-ques again. We Bar-b-que’d for Catholic Christian Outreach at Queens again. We were asked by our parish priest Father John Hibbard to arrange a new summer annual event based on the multiculturalism of our parish. We brought back the parish spaghetti supper. We launched a much-needed program in A.S.K. to help track down and get our widows involved and informed in what is happening in the council. And we continued to do each of these events and programs since. It wasn’t easy to start going from a complete stand still. We were rusty and to get going again it took every liquid ounce of oil we could muster. But through it all, you were what made it work. It was our Brother Knights who came out to make these things work again. Many were hesitant at first and rightfully so, given our understanding of what a danger COVID could be. But you started to come out to provide the manpower that was needed. We led by example and showed that we could still operate our events and be mindful of restrictions that some individuals had. We put more effort into outdoor dining and gathering options that we continue to develop with each event. We recently have had some record-breaking numbers for some of our events. We were packed in January at the Parish 40th, we had even more at Father John’s 50th anniversary of ordination, and our golf tournament this year had the most golfers and diners we have ever had. We also brought back the ladies appreciation dinner recently and last September we held a council awards night, both of which had not happened in some time.
Throughout most of these events we have partnered with our CWL. With their experience and eyes for detail, they have not only made the organization of these events easier but have also made them more enjoyable for those attending. Their support in organizing and running new events such as the multi-cultural food festival, their ideas to help improve established events in this new post COVID era, and their decorating expertise from one event to the next has been an absolute blessing during my term as Grand Knight.
To Father John, you have been the absolute best priest that I possibly could have asked for as a Grand Knight. You were always approachable, and we seemed to see eye to eye on pretty much everything that we discussed. Your encouragement has meant the world to me. I feel that as Grand Knight it is my job to ensure that what our parish priest wants, he gets. He has a responsibility to minister to, watch over and grow the parish. I only hope that what I have done in my term as Grand Knight with the help of my brother knights has assisted you with the vision you have for us as a parish.
Before chairing my first meeting as Grand Knight I had attended 3 funerals. To finish out my term which ends on June 30th, since January, I have attended 10 funerals. At least 8 of those have been brother knights. This is probably a record for a term for a Grand Knight. Br Michael mentioned to me recently that this is probable a record for any 2 Grand Knights terms. It’s not exactly the record that I wanted to be known for. Most deaths in a term. Yet here we are. Just a few years ago I felt awkward at funerals, easily brought to tears and very emotional. The growing that I have done in my faith through being a knight has taught me to put all my faith in Christ. And to see all of you, who share in our faith, set an example for me, a revert to the faith, who was not very well catechised as a child, has brought me to see not only the sadness of loss but also the beauty that is found within our faith as Christians. It has emphasized to me the importance of being in a state of grace by going to confession more regularly. I have had some of my most cherished moments in my time as Grand Knight speaking with families in mourning.
This December marks 10 years for me in the Knights of Columbus. It was Br Howard sitting behind me and tapping me on the shoulder and convincing me to join that brought me here, but through each and every one of you I have learned about my faith. When I joined 10 years ago I was a much different person. I had recently been released from the only thing I had known for my adult life. I was broken and needed the grace of God to help me. Through it all, my faith has grown by seeing the example of each one of you. You taught me how to pray, how to trust in God, how to be an active parishioner. You helped me become a better catholic, you encouraged me to pray the rosary, you encouraged me to pray the liturgy of the hours, you encouraged me to start reading at daily masses. Brothers, what you do and how you do it helps the person next to you and encourages them to be a better Christian and to form in their faith better. It encourages them to do research to learn more, to study the catechism, to try to understand their faith and why it is the most important thing in life.
After two years at the helm, it is time for me to take some time to figure out what is next for me and for my family. I would like to thank Br Shaun for standing for the position of Grand Knight and know that you have my full support and the support of all of the past grand knights in our council. I wish you the best of luck in this role and please know that my prayers are with you as you take on this incredibly busy yet fulfilling position.
With that being said, please join me in supporting our Worthy Grand Knight Shaun Tymchuk as he takes office.
God bless.
Vivat Jesus!
Ryan
Ryan Karl Polywkan
Immediate Past Grand Knight
St. Paul the Apostle council 9652