Sacred Heart Knights Serve Hundreds
for the Global Wheelchair Mission

By mid-morning on Sunday, May 24, 2026, the Sacred Heart Elementary School playground had become exactly what a parish gathering should be: tables full, children moving about, Brother Knights working steadily in the background, and parishioners lingering a little longer than they needed to because the morning had opened into a beautiful late-spring day and the cause was worth staying for.

The Sacred Heart Knights hosted the pancake breakfast after the 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. Masses in support of the Global Wheelchair Mission. The main gathering was outside in the school playground, with additional seating available inside Saint Carlo Acutis Hall, formerly known as the Upper Hall, for anyone who preferred a quieter or more sheltered seat.

The day had not begun so smoothly.

Brothers started arriving around 6:45 a.m., when charity still looks a great deal like moving tables before coffee has fully taken effect. There were supplies to carry, stations to set, coffee and iced tea to prepare, sausages to stage, batter to mix, and enough moving parts to remind everyone that a parish breakfast is never just a parish breakfast. It is a small logistical campaign with syrup available to the public.

The first test was the hunt for chafing dish inserts. The second was more serious. The pancake-making equipment, including the mixing bucket, drill, paddle, and pancake dispenser, had been forgotten and required a second trip to retrieve. Let the record show that this was not the preferred opening act. Let the record also show that the team recovered, the griddle heated up, the barbecue came alive, and breakfast began.

The pancake equipment was loaned by SK Dave Onysyk of Father Joe Toole Council 8471, who provided the mixing bucket, drill and paddle, and pancake dispenser. The equipment helped the griddle team work more efficiently through a very busy morning.

By the end of the event, an estimated 400 to 500 parishioners and guests had come through the breakfast. Approximately 750 pancakes were prepared, along with 25 kilograms of sausage, coffee, iced tea, and popcorn. The numbers are impressive, but the real story was the rhythm: serve, reset, refill, grill, pour, wipe, move, answer a question. Problem appears. Problem solved. Repeat until breakfast is over.

Moments before the 11:00 a.m. Mass crowd was due to emerge, the Square Terminal dropped its network connection again, offering another brief lesson in why technology should never be trusted with timing. Because this particular drama had been seen before, the response was quick: connect it to a phone hotspot, put it back to work, and keep the line moving.

Through the rush, Br. John Leahy and others kept the payment side moving, receiving cash and operating the Square Terminal, the sort of quiet job everyone notices only if it stops working.

The sausage operation began the day before. To help the barbecue crew keep pace with the crowd, SK Timothy Dahm, Grand Knight, parboiled the sausages ahead of time so they could brown quickly and cleanly on the barbecue, without becoming greasy, soot-covered, or prone to flare-ups once service began. No one came looking for a sausage bonfire, and none was provided.

At the griddle, Br. Sijo Abraham brought calm command to the batter and pancakes, working steadily through the morning. Br. Shibu Antony also helped prepare pancakes and stepped in wherever needed. Br. Lorne Gartner was invaluable in the kitchen, helping prepare batter and organize the early flow so service could begin smoothly.

Outside at the barbecue, Br. Gil Escobar and Br. Leslie Kiss grilled sausages and kept the food moving. When the oil ran short, Br. Gil made the necessary emergency run to Dollarama. Cream also ran a little short, but these were not failures. They were proof that the morning was busy enough to find the weak spots. Feeding hundreds after three Masses leaves very little room for theory. The team solved what was in front of it and kept the plates moving.

Br. Cryztof Lopianowski worked across the event from start to finish, helping with early setup, tables, pancakes, sausages, general support, and cleanup. Some men are assigned a station. Br. Cryztof seemed to belong to the whole operation.

The serving and hospitality side had its own choreography. SK Wayne Gerylo served pancakes and sausages, then stayed through the long cleanup. Br. Jim Delay engaged parishioners, watched over the syrup and condiment tables, helped put away tables late into the cleanup, and later joined Br. Tim for the least glamorous assignment of the day: cleaning the griddle, barbecue, and popcorn machine. Each had served nobly. Each then presented its bill.

The syrup and condiments, like all things at a large breakfast, did not supervise themselves. Br. Merhawi Kidane prepared iced tea and kept the water and coffee stations moving, which became more important as the outdoor tables filled and the day warmed.

One of the best small moments of the morning belonged to the popcorn machine. Br. Franklyn Ugochukwu operated it, made popcorn, and served it to the children. The machine became an event within the event. Children watched the popcorn pop and tumble in the machine with the kind of wonder adults forget they once had. By the end, approximately 75 bags of popcorn had been made and eaten.

The breakfast also included a draw for a lovely framed picture, which attracted more attention than a framed picture at a pancake breakfast has any reasonable right to attract. The winner was Ashmita Makwana.

Behind the scenes, Br. Mike Walsh handled one of the least glamorous and most important jobs: securing nearly all of the supplies. A breakfast this size depends on dozens of unglamorous things being in the right place before anyone notices they are needed. Br. Mike’s work meant the essentials were already in place before most people knew they were needed, and he was also present for early setup as the morning took shape.

And then, after the food was served and the parishioners had gone, came the part no photograph can fully dignify: cleanup.

The aftermath was considerable. The kitchen, serving areas, equipment, tables, supplies, garbage, and sticky evidence of a large breakfast told the truth about the morning. Hundreds had been served, and every surface seemed prepared to testify.

The cleanup crew stayed with it. Br. Sijo remained well into the final work. Br. Wayne carried on until the last stretch. Br. Tim stayed to the end. Lady Inge came during the cleanup and lent a hand while there was still plenty to do. Br. John Leahy helped close things down at the end. Br. Leslie Trainor, as he had been throughout the morning, was there to the ultra-bitter end, moving, carrying, sorting, wiping, hauling, and staying until the aftermath had finally been beaten back.

No account of the day would be complete without special recognition of Br. Leslie Trainor. He was everywhere all at once. He helped with early setup, transported goods to and from the event space, moved equipment, managed practical logistics, engaged parishioners, stayed through cleanup, and helped close down the event after a long morning of work. His contribution was critical to the success of the breakfast.

We are also grateful to Lady Inge, who brought leftover treats from the CWL ladies’ spring tea event. They were gratefully received by the weary Knights during cleanup. After hours of tables, dishes, batter, equipment, and garbage, that kindness landed very well.

Our Council Chronicler, SK Roland “Rollie” Reeves, photographed the event and captured the morning with care. Br. Victor Nwosisi worked hard through the final cleanup, as did Br. Cryztof. Events like this are remembered for food and fellowship, but they are sustained by the people who remain after the crowd has gone and the unglamorous work begins.

We were also pleased to have Br. Joel Bautista, Br. Allan Kohlman, and SK Stephen Sheridan present, with Br. Stephen stopping in briefly and adding his usual encouragement. Christian’s family, Br. Victor’s family, and Br. Sean Blair and his family were also present, helping the morning feel like a parish family gathering, not simply a fundraiser. We were pleased as well to welcome Br. Eugene Imhoede, our Knights of Columbus field agent, and his family.

With the breakfast proceeds and related online donations counted to date, the campaign has brought in just over $2,200 so far. After estimated food and supply costs, that leaves roughly $1,380 for wheelchairs, enough to provide about seven wheelchairs. Donations remain open until about June 10, so there is still time to push the total higher. At $195 per wheelchair, every additional gift helps move the campaign closer to the next wheelchair.

Those who would still like to support the Global Wheelchair Mission may donate online HERE.

Our sincere thanks go to Fr. Arjay for allowing the Sacred Heart Knights to host this breakfast at Sacred Heart Parish and for supporting this work of charity in the life of the parish. We are grateful to every parishioner who attended, donated, encouraged the team, brought family, shared fellowship, or helped make the morning joyful.

Beneath the noise, food, laughter, and cleanup, the morning carried a deeper purpose.

The Global Wheelchair Mission is not an abstract cause. A wheelchair is not a luxury. It can mean a doorway crossed again, a classroom reached, a job held, a family table rejoined, or a person living with disability able to move through the world with greater freedom. It is mobility, dignity, and participation made practical.

For Council 1186, the breakfast was more than a successful fundraiser. It was a visible expression of the Knights of Columbus mission: charity, fraternity, and practical service in the life of the parish. Charity is not only a word spoken at meetings or printed in reports. It is work: early mornings, heavy boxes, hot griddle, tired backs, emergency supply runs, careful accounting, and brothers staying behind when the easy part is over.

The morning began with a scramble, survived several small crises, fed hundreds, raised meaningful support, delighted children with popcorn, and ended with a cleanup worthy of memory. More importantly, it gave our parish a chance to take part in a work of mercy that will extend far beyond Calgary.

When brothers show up, take responsibility, and serve with good cheer, ordinary work becomes a witness. That is what happened on Sunday. That is what the Sacred Heart Knights carried out.
And for that, we give thanks.