Swine Flu update for State Convention

Worthy Brother Knights,For those who are requesting information on precautions that are being taken for the upcoming Knights of Columbus State Convention in San Diego, the hotel has provided the information below. This is being sent by email to Chapter Presidents, District Deputies, the GKs and the FSs with email addresses. Please pass this information on to those you know that are planning to attend the Convention.St. Anthony - Pray for UsRobert J. VillalobosState Deputy________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tina Rees Senior Convention Services Manager Town & Country Resort & Convention Center 500 Hotel Circle North San Diego, CA 92108 (619) 908-5011 Fax 619-294-8154 t.rees@towncountry.com www.towncountry.com
Here is the latest from the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Swine Flu Resources For Concerned Travelers
Joe Terzi (619) 557-2831jterzi@sdcvb.org Kate Buska (619) 557-2889kbuska@sdcvb.org
SWINE FLU RESOURCES FOR CONCERNED TRAVELERS
SAN DIEGO, CA (April 29, 2009) – The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau reminds travelers to heed the advice of experts when determining how best to manage health concerns. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Swine Influenza (swine flu) should not discourage people from traveling to or within the United States .
The following resources are suggested to those seeking a better understanding of swine flu as it relates to visitors to the San Diego region.
San Diego County is a region of 4,269 square miles that encompasses metropolitan San Diego and 17 incorporated cities with a total population of 3,146,246. As of April 29, five individual cases of swine flu had been identified in San Diego County . For official information from the County of San Diego on the swine flu situation, visit http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/Portal/News/swineflu.html.
The Centers for Disease Control issued an outbreak notice for swine flu but has not recommended that people avoid travelling to or within the United States . At this time, the CDC recommends simple precautions, like hand washing, to help travelers stay healthy. For details on the CDC’s recommendations for travelers, visit http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluUS.aspx.
The Centers for Disease Control is the lead US agency dealing with swine flu outbreak. For official updates and a complete overview of measures being taken by the CDC, visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.
At all points of entry, border crossings and airports, Departmet of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection protocols are in place to monitor persons coming into the US and have those who appear to be sick evaluated by local health professionals. For details on these protocols, visit http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/testimony/testimony_1241017177339.shtm.

State Convention Blog news

Stay tuned for the latest updates on the 2009 California State Convention. Also feel free to ask any questions too. Just post your question and I will reply. The State Deputy welcomes all attendees.

John Ramirez
State Convention
Chairman, Tours and Events

Newsworthy Knights

Hero On the High Seas
When duty called and the world was watching the pirate hostage situation unfold, Cmdr. Francis X. Castellano performed his job with honor and distinction.
As the commander of the destroyer USS Bainbridge, Castellano was on the front line of the rescue operation that freed Capt. Richard Phillips from the grips of the Somali pirates, who had boarded his merchant ship Maersk-Alabama, and taken him hostage four days earlier.

Cmdr. Frank Castellano
The rescue on Easter Sunday, April 12, involved Navy snipers who killed three of the pirates holding Capt. Phillips on a covered lifeboat after they left the recovered Maersk-Alabama.
“We all worked seamlessly together, ensuring that the mission was accomplished,” Castellano told MSNBC in an exclusive televised interview.
Calling the situation tense, the commander said, “In the forefront of my mind was ensuring that Capt. Richard Phillips was returned to his family safely and to the United States.”
Cmdr. Castellano, age 41, is a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He joined Patchogue Council (N.Y.) # 725 in 1986, before his 20th birthday, and became a member of Holy Cross Assembly 3048 in Tennessee in 2006.
His father, also Francis X. Castellano, is a retired general agent for the Knights of Columbus insurance program.
Cmdr. Castellano is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Navy War College. He had formerly been assigned as an operations chief on the USS Cole, which was bombed by terrorists in October 2000.
Capt. Phillips also is Catholic, and Catholic News Service published a story about his Vermont parish and pastor praying for his safe return.
‘An Easter to Remember’
Lisa Castellano, the commander’s wife of 19 years, spoke to Fathers for Good by phone two days after the rescue.
“He called me last night. I was happy to hear his voice,” she said, speaking from their home in Virginia Beach, Va., where they live with their two teenage daughters. “He wanted to talk to me and his girls, to see what was going on in our lives.”
Castellano had been deployed on February 20th to patrol for pirates in the waters off Africa, she said.
“When the news began to break on Wednesday (April 8th) about the hostage situation, I had a feeling my husband would be involved. That was confirmed later that day when I heard the name of the ship on the news reports.”
She continued, “He’s a dedicated professional. He’s a family man, a man of faith. I didn’t have any fears for his abilities in the situation. But I had the natural fears any military wife would have for her husband.”
Mrs. Castellano and her daughters were visiting friends on Easter Sunday when news broke of the successful rescue of Capt. Phillips by the Bainbridge. She was in the backyard hiding Easter eggs for the children when she was called inside to see her husband’s picture on television.
“It was a time for celebration,” she said. “It was definitely an Easter to remember.”

The Vatican now has a link on Youtube

Brothers,

Here is the link to the Vatican on youtube. You will find alot of videos here.

If you look to the far right on our council blog you will see a quick link for easy reference.

http://www.youtube.com/vatican

Bible study site from Columbian

What is the Great Adventure?

The Great Adventure is a Catholic Bible learning system that makes the complex simple by teaching the story (the narrative) of the Bible. Every day, more and more people are encountering God’s Word through the methods taught in The Great Adventure.

Jeff Cavins developed The Great Adventure in 1984 when he realized that most people, despite their strong faith, did not grasp the “big picture” of the Bible. Though they knew selected stories, they were not able to connect them into a full narrative. His answer was to identify the books of the Bible that tell the story from beginning to end. By reading just these 14 “narrative” books, a chronological story emerges.

From this idea grew the immensely popular Bible Timeline program, which teaches the story in a way that is easy to remember and helps people to continue reading Scripture on their own. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics have learned to read the Bible through this system, which provides a solid foundation for all other reading and study.

Since the creation of The Bible Timeline, The Great Adventure has grown into a remarkable system designed to give the average Catholic a solid foundation for a lifetime of Bible reading. Parishes around the world are finding renewed faith and increased involvement among parishioners whose lives have been changed by this exciting study series.

The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study system provides related materials that include video DVDs, audio CDs, and workbooks. Also available are Live Seminars hosted by our Bible study Teachers.

"I am impressed with the methodology and growth of The Great Adventure: A Journey Through the Bible. The canonical approach that The Great Adventure employs is a marvelous way to introduce the faithful to salvation history. When Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium are all brought together in study the result is a clearer picture of God's will, resulting in a roadmap for living. The Great Adventure, being faithful to Dei Verbum (the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on Divine Revelation), is bearing much fruit in the Church today and contributing to a stronger, more informed laity." Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. Archbishop of Chicago

The Bible Timeline is Step One in our three-part foundational Catholic Bible study series. Step Two, Adventures in Matthew: The King and His Kingdom, focuses on Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament touching on Jesus’ establishment of the Church and the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Building on The Bible Timeline and Adventures in Matthew is Step Three, Adventures in Acts: Foundations of the Church and Spread of the Kingdom. By showing how Christ’s work continues through each of us in the Church today.

State Convention Blog news

Please keep this site as a favorite as I keep you abreast of updates for the Knights of Columbus California Council State Convention. May 14-17, 2009. San Diego, CA.

John Ramirez
State Tours and Events Chairman
State IT Committeeman
858 673 1949