BEATRICE (SNR) – The St. Joseph Knights of Columbus Council 1723 of Beatrice will sponsor a Mass for people with special needs Oct. 9, at 3:30 p.m. at the Mosaic Chapel in Beatrice.
Mosaic is located at 722 S. 12th St. in Beatrice.
The invited are those who have developmental, cognitive and/or physical disabilities and their family members.
“Three brother knights, members of the Knights of Columbus Council 1723, have disabilities and live at the Mosaic homes,” said Joseph Brewer, grand knight of Beatrice Council 1723. “It is challenging for these three members to participate (in Mass) each Sunday at St. Joseph Parish in Beatrice.”
Most Sundays, he explained, a family member can drive each of them to Mass. Other adult Catholic residents of Mosaic cannot leave the Mosaic facility due to their disabilities.
More than 50 adult Catholics in Beatrice are residents at Mosaic Home or the Beatrice State Developmental Center (BSDC), said Father Robert Barnhill, pastor of St. Joseph Parish. He said almost half of the 50 special needs adults have received catechetical instruction, including first Communion and Confirmation.
The “Mass for People with Special Needs” is part of the “Faith in Action” Program of the Knights of Columbus. The program recognizes the Council’s firm belief in the beauty and dignity of every human life. The Knights of Columbus seek to assist those in need. The celebration of Catholic Mass for Those with Special Needs is a step in integrating those with disabilities into the sacramental life of the parish.
Knights of Columbus Councils across the nation will conduct the annual “Tootsie Roll” drive in October.
The Knights “Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities” has been in existence in the US and Canada since 1970, and the Nebraska Knights of Columbus have participated since 1976. Across Nebraska, some of the programs and services assisted by the campaign include residential care and community living facilities, recreation and physical education, vocational and social training, advocacy services, prevention programs, research and more.
