About The Lecturer
Jim Russell
Our current lecturer Jim Russell has been composing monthly lectures for our council since July 2013.
Lecture No. 54 – August 2018
Several weeks ago, maybe a few months ago, the church observed Vocation Sunday. I usually associate the word “vocation” with a call to the priesthood or possibly the religious life. Members of the religious orders all share a special vocation. Certainly, our Deacons are engaged in a special vocation. The homilist explained that the word…
Lecture No. 53 – April 2018: We are called – Chapter 2
We Are Called Yes, my brother knights. We are called. From the founding of our order in 1882, our order has been based on three principles: charity, unity and fraternity. We have not wavered from these principles but have developed specific means to meet the challenges each principle presents. Initially, we were called to perform…
Lecture 52 – March 2018
We Are Called It was early January. The church’s Christmas season had just ended. I was getting ready for the start of Mass when the cantor announced that Jan. 14 was the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. I thought for a moment that I might have missed something: like, maybe, the First Sunday in Ordinary…
Lecture No. 51 – Christmas
By now, most of us have been “Christmased out.” But I would like to read to you one of two articles that are almost totally unconnected except they both deal a bit with Christmas. I will save the second one for next month. Several years ago, I subscribed to “Smithsonian” magazine. I already had a…
Lecture No. 50 – December 2017
I grew up in what we referred to as “Upstate New York,” more properly western New York. From my earliest years, I was taught that we were “Irish, with a bit of Scotch, English and maybe some Norman French.” Somewhere on my father’s side, there was an Aunt Fitzpatrick. On my mother’s side, there were…
Lecture No. 49 – November 2017
Veterans Day The motorcade made it way down the unfamiliar streets of the city. It was an open vehicle, and the riders waved as was expected to the crowd lining the streets to see this powerful couple. The driver was becoming more and more confused with the unfamiliar streets and the city. He made a…
Lecture No. 49 – October 2017
A few weeks ago, I was on a tour of Ireland. Now, I’m not going to take up your time telling you all about the tour. I’ll save that for next month. I returned home to news that is, to me, grossly confusing. My trip began about a week after Harvey had devastated southeast Texas….
Lecture No. 48 – September 2017
For almost 30 years, whenever the reader began, “A reading from the Book of Jeremiah,” I would look to the lady sitting next to me in choir and whisper, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.” She would reply, “was a good friend of mine.” And together we would finish with, “I never understood a single word he…
Lecture No. 47 – August 2017
I have heard tell that we can all thank Vice President and presidential candidate Al Gore for the Internet. I used to look forward to the arrival of the postman. I still do but not for the same reasons. Instead I turn on the PC and open my email account to see if anyone has…
Lecture No. 45 – June 2017
I was recently reminded that I have another birthday approaching. They seem to come around quicker than they used to when I was much younger. Not that I have any regrets. When I was very young, I was pleased that my birthday was safely removed from Christmas so that the likelihood of getting “combined” gifts was remote at best….
Lecture No. 44 – May 2017
I am convinced that who we are, what we believe, our likes and dislikes, even how we make decisions, is all based on our previous life experiences. I grew up in western New York. My neighbors were from just about everywhere you could imagine. My schools were on the other side of “Little Italy.” My church was surrounded by Italians….
Lecture No. 43 – April 2017
It was the evening of St. Patrick’s Day, And after arriving home from that night’s fish fry, I settled back into my easy chair to partake of a little frozen refreshment and watch the news. I had an interest in Saturday’s weather as I had plans to do some yard work unless my wife had…