Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 18, 2007

Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Knights of Columbus, from left: Mike Bumgardner, Dennis Bizon, David Oakley, and Gene Gross.

Dearborn — The trophy case of the Knights of Columbus' Robert H. Jones Council 3078 is packed with mementos thanking the council for its service to burn victims, those in special education, those with muscular dystrophy, children with physical disabilities — and plenty more.

But a council that has been hero to many during its 60-year history has a hero of its own, and is spreading devotion to her — the Blessed Mother — by giving rosaries to young Catholics.

"We've always had a devotion to the Blessed Mother and we've always prayed to her," said Mike Bumgardner, former grand knight of the council.

The Knights in the past five years have given more than 500 rosaries to children making their first Communion. The rosaries — black for boys and pearl-colored for girls — come from Italy and are blessed by the Knights of Columbus' supreme chaplain. They're distributed, along with instructions on how to pray the rosary, to the children through their educators and catechists.

Parishes that have received the rosaries are St. Henry and Christ the Good Shepherd in Lincoln Park; St. Conrad and St. Mary Magdalen in Melvindale; St. Cyril of Jerusalem in Taylor; St. Frances Cabrini in Allen Park; and St. Francis Xavier in Ecorse.

"Each youth preparing for their first Eucharist sacrament will have an opportunity to use the rosary and learn about them for life," said David Oakley, a director of youth activities for the council.

The program was started five years ago when Steve Eisterhold — a Knight who is now deceased — approached then-grand knight Bumgardner with the idea.

Hanna Lizak (right), who's in catechism class at Christ the Good Shepherd in Lincoln Park, and her classmates show off the rosaries given to them by the Knights of Columbus' Robert H. Jones Council 3078.

Though some adults receive the rosaries through RCIA programs, the majority of recipients are children, such as a group of second-graders and catechism students at Christ the Good Shepherd Parish.

"It's something that you pray with and is very special," says Sky MacDonald, a second-grader and a parishioner at Christ the Good Shepherd in Lincoln Park.

It's also a way for the children to learn about the Knights of Columbus.

"They celebrate fundraisers for people in need," says Hannah Lavis.

Mostly, though, the children say the rosary is a reminder of the Holy Family.

"You just pray on it and it's really special to people. It might remind us of Jesus and Mary," says Avery Wright, who prays the rosary with her mother. "If you didn't pray, you probably wouldn't be as happy."

Holly Tockstein, who teaches catechism at Christ the Good Shepherd, says the rosary helps introduce Mary as a role model.

"To be able to receive this gift of the rosary and to learn about the Holy Family — they can think of that when they pray, and know that they should be that way in their own lives, too," says Tockstein.

Children from Christ the Good Shepherd and other parishes decorated colorful thank-you notes for the Knights of Columbus. But the real thanks, council members say, comes from giving people the opportunity to know their Blessed Mother.

And for second-grader Joseph Guinn and his peers, it's an opportunity seized.

"You pray with it so Jesus and Mary could always be with you," says Joseph. "You feel like you're getting loved by Jesus and Mary."

To learn more about the rosary program and other youth programs from Knights of Columbus Robert H. Jones Council, visit www.rhjoneskofc.org.