Casey Stengel once said, "You could look it up." We hope this page is a start for you! There are many organizations and websites that provide a wealth of information and resources. We have endeavored to provide you with some of them here. This list was originally compiled by past Webmaster Steve Andrew.
(Please note: these links are not in any rank order!)
Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus
Supreme Council’s information on Myths about Columbus
Maine State Council of the Knights of Columbus
Just so you're aware, other Councils may have a Facebook page. If you're on Facebook and you haven't found a Council website, check Facebook as well. Bucksport's Council 5756 has a Facebook page as does Old Town's Council.
All Saints Catholic School, Bangor, Maine
Beginning in 2012, St. Paul the Apostle Parish has sponsored The Way of the Cross, a live community procession on Palm Sunday that starts at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Brewer and proceeds down Route 9, crosses the Penobscot River to Bangor, and ends at St. John's Catholic Church. Please check wayofthecross.info for further information about the procession.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, courtesy of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, Mississippi.
The New American Bible, courtesy of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (I found an interesting article on Choosing and Using your Bible on AmericanCatholic.org, so I decided to put a link to the article here.)
Catholic Maine focuses on Faith, Politics, and Culture in Mission Country (that's us). They also organize Hands Around the Capitol each January.
On November 27, 2011, a new translation of the Roman Missal will be used in the Mass. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has information about this change. If you'd like a basic review of the reasons why the Mass is changing, Jimmy Akin gives a clear, concise summary.
The Founder of the Knights of Columbus has a website. You can learn a lot about Venerable Michael J. McGivney at the site.
These men have led the Order as Supreme Knight. This link will give you a brief idea who they are and what happened during their tenures.
You may not know, but there is an organization of Catholic women similar to the Knights of Columbus called the Daughters of Isabella. Learn more about them in the State of Maine.
If you are an officer in the local Council or Assembly and need to access Supreme's forms, this will get you to their page. From it, you can find Council, Assembly, Circle, State and District, and Financial Secretary forms.
Many of us are Fathers. As such, we have to be aware of the important role that we play with our kids (they're always watching - even when they're adults!). The Knights have started an initiative called Fathers for Good website which is designed to help us be the best Dad we can. Take a look!
Broadcast Resources
The Diocese of Portland sponsors The Presence Radio Network. Its mission is to support Catholic evangelization throughout the State of Maine. You can hear The Presence in the Bangor area on 90.3 FM starting on December 12, 2011. If you'd like to listen to The Presence online, click here.
Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)
For those of you with a Sirius/XM subscription, check out The Catholic Channel on Sirius 159 and XM 129. They're right - it's "Not What You'd Expect" - very contemporary, lively, informative, and, dare I say it - entertaining.
Catholic Internet Broadcasting TV is also worth checking out.
Salt + Light TV is another Catholic broadcaster worth checking.
Print and Online Resources
National Catholic Register, a service of EWTN.
AmericanCatholic.org is a service of the Franciscans for Catholics, all Christians, and seekers.
If you're looking for a short audio meditation, check out OneMinuteMonk.com. Several meditations are provided by the Abbot Placid Solari of the Belmont Abbey just outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Just click on the audio headphone icon in the upper righthand corner of the page. This will lead you to the meditations.
The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly, founded in 1867
News.va is The Vatican's website for news. Aside from providing news itself, it brings together Vatican Radio, Vatican TV (CTV), and L'Osservatore Romano on one site for easy access.
Catholics Come Home has produced several very effective TV commercials inviting people to come to the Catholic Church. You can view these on their home page; simply wait for the Introductory Video to play through and the TV spots will start automatically. The website has additional resources that you may find helpful as well. If you like the commercials, there are some video testimonials on the website that you may also enjoy.
Are you a divorced Catholic? Do you know someone who is? DivorcedCatholic.org may provide you with some answers and support - check it out.
If you're wondering how you should influence the political process, take a look at Test of Fire.
Another source of Catholic information is the Catholic Education Resource Center. Take a look and see what they have to offer!
You may have heard Catholic Answers on The Presence Radio Network. They have some interesting resources available for us.
Have you been away from the Catholic Church? You may be interested in a program called Catholics Come Home. It's worth a look!
You may have heard him on The Presence Radio in Maine, but Father Larry Richards has his own website. He can also be heard through Relevant Radio's website where you can hear his "Changed Forever" program.
Vocations
Have you thought of religious life? Here are some resources to help you in your discernment.
Diocese of Portland, Maine, page on Religious Life and Vocations
US Conference of Catholic Bishops page on Vocations and Priestly Formation
The Marist Brothers
The Jesuits
The Dominicans
If you know a woman interested in religious life, here are a few resources:
The Dominicans
The Sisters of Life is a relatively new religious community of women founded by Cardinal John O'Connor in New York. They are a contemplative/active community dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life. They were profiled in the August, 2011 edition of Columbia Magazine.
The Sisters of the Cure of Ars were formed in the Diocese of Portland, Maine in 2011. Their mission is to pray for priests, seminarians, and priestly vocations.
Pro Life Resources
If you'd like to hear the unborn baby's point of view, please click this link to see and hear a moving song called "Let Me Be Born" by the Ladies of Cecilia.
The Sisters of Life are listed above in the Vocations section, but they are also a tremendous resource for women who are pregnant and need help. This link connects you to the Pregnancy Help page of their website.
If you or somone you know has had suffered through an abortion there are resources available to assist in the aftermath. One of them is Lumina/Hope & Healing after Abortion; it recognizes that abortion affects both women and men and provides information for them as well siblings.
I found this article on the Catholic Resource Education Center. It's a powerful story about an abortion survivor (yes, you read that correctly) and her testimony.
Every year in January, the Maine Right to Life Committee sponsors Hands Around the Capitol to mourn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. If you'd like more information, please visit their website.
Action Items
The Obama Administration's Health and Human Services Mandate has struck at the core of religious liberty. Visit Stand Up for Religious Freedom's website to see what is currently happening in the fight against the mandate.
From time you may find it necessary to contact our elected officials in Washington, DC. For your convenience, here are some e-mail links to:
United States Government
Representative Chellie Pingree - District 1
Representative Jared Golden - District 2
Maine State Government
If you'd like to e-mail your Representative in the Maine House, this is an alphabetical listing that includes the town from which the Representative comes. You can click on most of the Representatives names and be connected to their e-mail.
If you'd like to e-mail your State Senator, this is a listing of the Senators with e-mail.
Don't know who your State Representative or State Senator is? Click here and use the Voter Information Lookup page. You simply put in your address, press the button and you find out state and national representatives as well as your polling place and Town Clerk.
You may have heard of Glenn Beck, a radio commentator who can be quite controversial. He has a YouTube piece here on why every Christian needs to be in solidarity with Catholics and why Catholics need to hang tough with their values. Take a look at this video and consider what he's saying and the case that he makes. I've put this under the Action Item heading because it is a call to action.
Additional Items of Interest
The Knights of Columbus produced a Public Service Announcement for Presidents' Day weekend reminding Americans how God and religion are foundational to this country. To view the spot, click here.
Like spontaneous displays of patriotic affection? Check out: Flash Mob at Cape Cod Stop and Shop - Spirit of America Band.
Here's another that blends God and Country very nicely: In God We Still Trust
Kate Smith introduced God Bless America to the nation in 1940. Here's a clip from the movie "You're in the Army Now" in which Miss Smith sings it the way only she could.
9/11 has touched us all in one fashion or another. Out of this profound tragedy has come a way of healing for those who have experienced a trauma. Visit The National 9/11 Flag website to learn more.
In the aftermath of September 11, many from around the country and the world sent aid to the victims of the terrorist attack. Beginning in 2003 at the suggestion of a 5-year-old boy, the New York Says Thank You Foundation has worked to transform the 9/11 Anniversary into "a positive hands-on platform for national volunteer service."
In North America most of us take water for granted. However, this is not the case elsewhere in the world. According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 billion people do not have safe drinking water. The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council reported that 2.6 billion people, including almost 1 billion children, live without basic sanitation. Water School is a charity based in Canada and the USA that is working to change this in Haiti, Kenya, and Uganda. One key is SODIS - Solar Disinfection. Curious? Read more at WaterSchool.com.
Many of you know, or know of, Paul Harvey, a news commentator for many years. In 1965 he did a commentary called If I Were the Devil. Listening to it now, it is amazing how many of his predictions for our country have come to pass. There are several versions because apparently Mr. Harvey edited it over time.
Huey Lewis and the News have been performing the National Anthem for many years in the San Francisco Bay area. Here is their rendition in 1985 at Candlestick Park for the San Francisco Giants. It's tight, it's clean, and it sounds great. Now, if you prefer a choral version, check out this version of the National Anthem done by the combined military academies choral groups on the occasion of Suepr Bowl XXXIX.
If you have never heard Red Skelton recite the Pledge of Allegiance, you owe it to yourself to hear it at least once. His Pledge of Allegiance can be heard by clicking the audio link on this page or you can see a video by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. It is one of the best renditions of our Pledge I've ever heard.
And now, direct from the 2012 Bangor-Brewer 4th of July Parade, the Knights of Columbus singers: Click here! (OK, it's not Mitch Miller; it's our debut and for that alone it's great!)
Brother Ed Beaulieu found this gem: it's one of the top 100 plays in baseball. It's worth a look, and it's not something you'd expect!
The Old Town Rotary Club has been spearheading Sarah's House, the Cancer Hospitality House of Maine. It's named for Sarah Robinson, who was a member of the Old Town Rotary Club, who contracted cancer. In the time she had before her passing in December, 2011, Sarah worked diligently to establish a place wehre patients and their families could stay while receiving cancer treatment in the Bangor area. Please learn more about this project and consider a donation.
Gifts, Products, and Clothing
If you are interested in purchasing something with our local Pine Cone Council 114 information, you can contact W.S. Emerson in Brewer. They are located at 15 Acme Rd.; their telephone is 207-989-3410.
If you would like to see a variety of products, please visit these authorized Knights of Columbus suppliers:
As of September, 2013, The Knights of Columbus have begun to offer gifts and clothing. Please visit them at knightsgear to view their selection.