Sacred Heart Parish Day
Sunday, June 14, 2026

After a week of cold rain, low clouds, and stubborn June gloom, Sunday arrived with clear skies just in time for Sacred Heart Parish Day.

Parish Day began with the Holy Mass. Bishop William McGrattan celebrated the 11:00 a.m. Mass as Sacred Heart Parish marked the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Rev. Fr. Arjay Abanto, Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, and Rev. Fr. Anthony Ngwaba, hospital chaplain and priest in residence at Sacred Heart, concelebrated with the Bishop. Rev. Fr. Wilbert Chin Jon, Moderator of the Curia, was also present for the day.

After Mass, the celebration moved outside to the Sacred Heart Elementary schoolyard, where the grace of the morning took on the shape of parish life: families visiting, children playing, ministries sharing food, music filling the yard, and parishioners lingering together in the welcome June sunshine.

By the time parishioners came out of Mass, the schoolyard was ready. The food stations were set. The bouncy castles were waiting. The Sacred Heart Band was in place. The popcorn machine stood ready. Volunteers were already at their posts. From the outside, it looked as though the morning had unfolded neatly.

It had not.

Before the first families reached the schoolyard, the morning crew had already dealt with a trapped key ring, a stranded griddle, a leaking coffee urn, and a bag of popcorn that had gone missing only in the Grand Knight’s memory.

The first trouble began below St. Carlo Acutis Hall, where the barbecue and griddle were stored. The heavy equipment normally comes up by way of the small elevator, and for good reason. The staircase between the basement and the main level has two flights, a landing, and a 180-degree turn that was plainly not designed with parish barbecue equipment in mind.

The barbecue came up first and was moved outside. Then the elevator chose its moment. The church key ring ended up trapped inside, hanging from the control panel, visible through the door but out of reach.

There was no time to admire the problem. The griddle was still in the basement, and the parish lunch was not going to cook itself.

So Br. Leslie Trainor, Br. Michael Walsh, and the Grand Knight turned to the stairs. Brother Mike pushed from below. Brother Leslie helped manage the upper flight. The Grand Knight pulled from above. At the landing, the 36-inch frame met the turn in the stairs, and the stairs won the first argument.

There followed a brief but memorable piece of parish choreography: the Grand Knight, in cowboy boots, working his way over the griddle and along the railing in search of better leverage, while everyone involved reconsidered, in silence, the wisdom of storing heavy cooking equipment in a basement. No one would have called it graceful, but as railing jigs go, it got the griddle moving again.

In the end, the crew had to separate the griddle top from its base before the pieces could be worked upstairs and moved outside into position.

Then attention returned to the key ring. The proper tools were behind doors opened by the very keys now trapped inside the elevator. Br. Cryztof Lopianowski went home to bring back wire coat hangers. Before they were needed, a small rake with a few broken tines was discovered.

It was not elegant. It was not specialized. But it had a hook, and a hook was what the morning required.

By the grace of God, the key ring came out on the end of one tine.
No damage. No charge. No harm done. 

With the keys recovered, Brother Leslie could get into the maintenance room. The barbecue was tightened, checked, and made ready for service.

Then the coffee urn made its own request for attention. A large commercial coffee urn began leaking before it could be put properly into service. With Brother Leslie’s tools and some patient adjustment, the urn was brought back under control and the central stem seated properly.

By the time parishioners saw the coffee service, it looked as though the coffee had simply been ready all along.

That was typical of Brother Leslie’s day. He was there early, stayed with the practical problems as they came up, and seemed to move naturally from one job to the next: helping wrestle equipment upstairs, getting tools, checking the barbecue, settling the coffee urn, helping with service, and staying involved as the work carried on. Br. Leslie Trainor was not always in the most visible place, but he was rarely far from whatever needed the next steady pair of hands. When the day was finally winding down, he was still there, helping see the last pieces through before being one of the final men to leave.

Outside, the celebration filled in around the work. By the time the afternoon was fully underway, the scale of the day was clear. At least 500 people, and likely more, came through the schoolyard as parishioners, families, ministry groups, clergy, volunteers, and guests filled the space. Families gathered in the schoolyard. Children found the bouncy castles. The Sacred Heart Band provided live music. Face painting gave the CWL ladies a steady stream of young customers. Lady Inge, Br. John Leahy’s wife, helped with that work, and Therese Symanczyk of the CWL took care of the coffee service.

The food tables told the story of a parish working together. The Filipino Catholic Community brought fried pork noodles and spring rolls. The RCIA group added Caesar salad and vegetable trays. Chips, dessert squares, and ice cream sandwiches rounded out the meal, with Missionary Families of Christ providing the ice cream sandwiches.

The Lyceum Society, the charitable arm associated with Council 1186, made a significant financial contribution toward the celebration. It was the kind of support that is best seen in the fruit rather than in the announcement: food on the tables, families staying after Mass, and a parish able to welcome people generously. The Brother Knights added the labour: grills, setup, serving, popcorn, cleanup, and the thousand small jobs that turn plans into a parish gathering.

On the service side, Council 1186’s main role was the hot food: 240 hamburgers, roughly 280 hot dogs, and popcorn for the children and families. A crew of Brother Knights handled the cooking, serving, setup, photos, and cleanup, with almost all the food eaten by the end of the afternoon.

The popcorn also fulfilled its purpose, although not without a brief investigation.

Br. Franklyn Ugochukwu had originally been lined up to operate the popcorn machine, but sent his regrets that he could not take on the role. That left a vacancy of some importance. Popcorn may not sound like a critical ministry until children begin gathering near the machine and watching it with the seriousness usually reserved for major sporting events.

Into that vacancy stepped Br. Jason Widmeyer.

Brother Jason was assigned to the popcorn machine, given a red apron, and shown the essentials. Some men need time to grow into a role. Brother Jason did not. He stepped behind the machine as though the parish had simply been waiting for the right man to arrive. Red apron on, popcorn popping, bags ready, children gathering, he had the calm authority of a midway veteran and the good humour to match. If there had been a bell to ring and prizes to hand out, he would not have looked out of place.

After the first kilogram of kernels had been popped, the second bag could not be found. The Grand Knight looked. Brother Mike looked. Brother Jason looked. Others joined the search. The idea that a bag of popcorn kernels had somehow wandered off seemed unlikely, but by then the morning had already included a trapped key ring, a griddle hauled up the stairs, and a coffee urn with mechanical difficulties. Nothing could be dismissed too quickly.

Then Brother Jason opened the box that held the small popcorn bags.
There was the missing bag of kernels.

It had not wandered off. It had not vanished. The Grand Knight had put it there himself and then helped lead the search everywhere else.

Brother Jason found it. All the popcorn was popped. All the popcorn was eaten. The children were happy, the machine was empty, and the Grand Knight was not asked to lead any further searches that afternoon.

The main cooking line required steady work from many hands. Br. Cryztof Lopianowski, having already gone home for wire coat hangers during the morning’s key-ring adventure, helped with early setup and then cooked almost the entire hot dog service. The hot dogs did not simply appear. Brother Cryztof stood there and made them happen.

SK Leslie “Les” Kiss spent much of the day on what could fairly be called Hamburger Hill, turning out burgers and engaging parishioners in his direct, down-to-earth way. Br. Shibu Antony was a steady presence at the griddle. Br. Sijo Abraham gave important early help in the kitchen, preparing condiments and sauces for service and helping on the griddle before leaving for work.

Br. Phonse Delaney kept the practical side moving with the quiet focus of a man who believes every bun deserves a staging plan. Napkins, cutlery, buns, stations, flow, and supplies all seemed to move because Brother Phonse had already seen where they needed to be.

Br. John Leahy stayed behind the line with the crew, shoulder to shoulder in the work. He even went home to get his Knights of Columbus hat so he could represent the Council properly, then returned with something just as useful for the moment: a serious cleaner that helped tackle the griddle afterward.

Saturday evening table setup was also a larger effort than it first appeared. At least ten people helped prepare the space, including Br. Joel Bautista, SK Stephen Sheridan, Br. Leslie Trainor, Br. Donny Mulrain, Br. Allan Kohlman, Br. Phonse Delaney and Lady Lisa, Tyler Gulak, Rita Shank, Eucharistic Ministry Coordinator, and her husband Dale. Their work gave the outdoor celebration a head start before Sunday morning arrived. Tyler, a recent Sacred Heart RCIA graduate and online Knights member, was also with us on Sunday, and we look forward to welcoming him formally at an upcoming exemplification. Brother Joel returned Sunday with his family. Brother Stephen could not be with us on Sunday, but he had already helped make the day possible the night before.

Br. Tom Shannon was present in Council colours, including the red Council shirt, strengthening the visible Knights presence at the celebration.

Our council chronicler, SK Roland “Rollie” Reeves, brought his usual energy and enthusiasm behind the camera, capturing the day for Council 1186. Brother Rollie has a way of turning up wherever something is happening: near the barbecue, around the food tables, by the crowd, and among the Brother Knights. He caught the work, the families, the conversations, and the small moments that would otherwise disappear once the grills cooled down. As always, he made sure the Council would have a proper visual record of the day, and we are grateful for it.

Br. Joey J. Guinto also helped capture the celebration through photos for the parish.

In all, more than two dozen Brother Knights, Sir Knights, family members, and guests were present or helped with the celebration over the weekend. Many Brother Knights and family members were present and added to the day: Br. Roberto “Rob” Velasco and his wife, Br. Hany Farag and his guest, Br. Lorne Gartner and Lady Maria, Br. Hamilton Joseph, Br. Victor Nwosisi and his family, Br. Christian Pisoh and his family, and others. Br. Allan Kohlman, who had also helped Saturday evening, came by Sunday morning to wish the team well and kept the day in his prayers. SK Wayne Gerylo served and provided the day’s unofficial quality control, greeting people warmly and making sure the food passed inspection.

Council 1186 was pleased to welcome guests from the wider Knights family. SK Danny Barth, State Ceremonials Director, attended with Lady Elaine. SK Dave Onysyk of Father Joe Toole Council 8471 at Holy Spirit attended with Lady Debbie. Brother Dave has become a good friend of Council 1186 in the practical way Knights often do: not with speeches, but with equipment, trust, and help when it is needed. The pancake equipment he loaned for the recent Global Wheelchair Mission breakfast is expected to return for duty at the July 12 Stampede Breakfast.

Br. Tony Iuliani of Holy Name Council 8783 also attended with his brother Jim and his niece. Tony has quietly helped Sacred Heart with difficult electrical work over the years, and it was good to have him with us as a guest for the day. Their presence was a welcome reminder of the wider Knights fraternity in Calgary, including the Fourth Degree fraternity many of our Sir Knights share through Father Doucet Assembly 006.

And then came cleanup.
It is one thing to serve when the line is moving and people are smiling. It is another thing to stay when the crowd has thinned, the griddle is dirty, the barbecue needs attention, and most people have begun drifting toward home. Br. Donny Mulrain deserves special thanks for taking on one of the least glamorous jobs of the day. After the June appeal for men to stay for cleanup, Brother Donny signed up, showed up, and cleaned the barbecue and griddle with determination and good humour.

SK Roy Ifill also came as promised for cleanup, helping ensure the work did not fall on just one or two men. A parish event is not truly finished when the last burger is served. It is finished when the equipment is cleaned, the space is restored, and the next group can use the parish facilities without inheriting the mess.

That is charity too.

Brother Knights, Sir Knights, family members, and parish volunteers who helped or attended included: Br. Sijo Abraham; Br. Shibu Antony; Br. Joel Bautista; Br. Phonse Delaney; Br. Hany Farag; SK Wayne Gerylo; Br. Joey J. Guinto; Br. Hamilton Joseph; Br. John Leahy and Lady Inge; SK Leslie “Les” Kiss; Br. Allan Kohlman; Br. Cryztof Lopianowski; Br. Donny Mulrain; Br. Victor Nwosisi; Br. Christian Pisoh; SK Roy Ifill; SK Roland “Rollie” Reeves; SK Stephen Sheridan; Br. Tom Shannon; Br. Leslie Trainor; Br. Roberto “Rob” Velasco; Br. Jason Widmeyer; Br. Michael Walsh; Tyler Gulak; and members of our parish families and ministries.

Visiting Knights and guests were also gratefully acknowledged: SK Danny Barth, State Ceremonials Director, and Lady Elaine; SK Dave Onysyk of Father Joe Toole Council 8471 at Holy Spirit and Lady Debbie; and Br. Tony Iuliani of Holy Name Council 8783, who attended with his brother Jim and his niece.

Sacred Heart Parish Day was more than a parish feast in the schoolyard. It began where a celebration in honour of the Sacred Heart should begin: with the Holy Mass, gathered around the altar and the love of Christ made present there. From there, the celebration moved into the open air, where that same spirit of charity took practical form: families gathering, children playing, parish ministries sharing food, music filling the schoolyard, and volunteers doing the hidden work that made the public joy possible.

When service is done well, much of it disappears. The griddle is hot. The coffee is ready. The buns are staged. The popcorn is popping. The children are fed. The families stay a little longer. The parish becomes, for an afternoon, more visibly itself.

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus reminds us that charity is not an idea kept safely at a distance. The Sacred Heart is the love of Christ, wounded and burning for the life of the world. A parish celebration in His honour should bear some of that love: the Holy Mass first, then practical charity, patience, shared parish life, good humour, and work done for others without needing to be the centre of attention.

After a morning involving a trapped key ring, a rescued griddle, an unexpectedly useful garden rake, a repaired coffee urn, and a bag of popcorn the Grand Knight had hidden from himself, there may be a lesson here about knowing when to pass the apron.

More importantly, the day showed what the principles of the Knights of Columbus look like when they are lived at parish level: charity in food prepared and served generously, unity in many hands taking up one shared task, fraternity in Brother Knights working side by side, and love of God in ordinary work offered quietly for the good of His people.

Thankfully, Brother Mike has already proven he can push a griddle uphill.