Chaplain
Father Steve joined Holy Spirit Catholic Church in July 2020 as Parochial Vicar and soon after became a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 8157 and graciously accepted the appointment of Council Chaplain. Father Steve is fluent in three languages including Spanish and he presides over the Sunday Spanish Mass.
Grand Knight
The Grand Knight presides over all meetings and is tasked with enforcing the rules and regulations of the Council and the laws of the order, and is chairman of the Board of Trustees. He appoints all directors and committee members. He acts as chaplain in the absence of the regular chaplain. He countersigns orders drawn and signed by the Financial Secretary. Responsible for the council’s First Degree Team. He is responsible for the overall success of this council's activities. Jim joined our council in February 2012, he is in charge of Member Retention and serves as Lecturer. Jim also serves as a member of our Degree Team and he and his wife, Mary, live in Cedar Hill.
Deputy Grand Knight
The Deputy Grand Knight Assists the grand knight with operation of the council and any other duties assigned to him by the grand knight. In the absence of the grand knight, presides at council meetings. Recommended to serve on the council’s Retention Committee.
Chancellor
The Chancellor has the duty of strengthening the members’ interest in council activities. Assists the grand knight and deputy grand knight with their duties as assigned. Recommended to serve on the council’s Admission Committee.
FINANCIAL SECRETARY
The Financial Secretary is responsible to collect and receive all moneys due the council, and all funds received from any source. He keeps an account of the indebtedness of each member and each certificate holder and the amount received from each. He keeps a roll of the membership and certificate holders, their ages, residences and occupation, with date of initiation. He notifies the Supreme Secretary of the names and addresses of all council officers. He keeps the seal of the council and affixes same to all proper papers. Peter joined the Knights in 2011 and is also a member of our Degree Team. He and his wife, Bernadine live in Dallas.
Recorder
The Recorder is assigned the task of keeping a true record of the doings of this council upon books approved by the Board of Directors and furnished by the Supreme Secretary. He records minutes of each meeting and publishes same. He will also conduct all correspondence of the council and perform such duties as the council may direct.
Treasurer
The Treasurer’s job responsibilities include being the custodian of all funds of the council. He shall pay to the Supreme Council all money assessed by it or the Board of Directors. He shall pay all orders drawn on him which are signed by the Financial Secretary and countersigned by the Grand Knight. He shall keep separate accounts for all moneys placed in his hands by his council or the officers thereof and shall plainly show at all times the amount of money in the general expense of the council and the amount of money in each and every special fund. James joined the Knights of Columbus in February 2013. James is a retired phlebotomist. He and wife Judy have been members of Holy Spirit for 31 years and enjoy their 5 children and 13 grandkids. The Smiths live in Duncanville.
ADVOCATE
The Advocate is the attorney for the council. The Advocate will advise the council in all matters that require legal clarification. The advocate will be the counsel is case of trial and investigation of any matter whatsoever pertaining to the council. Russell is a past Grand Knight, a practicing attorney, and has been a member of the Knights since 1987. He was voted Knight of the Year in 1998. He and his wife, Patricia, live in DeSoto.
Warden
Inside Guard
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The Inside Guard attends the doors of the council chamber, checks current membership cards and allows entrance. Assists the Warden with his responsibilities.
Outside Guard
Lecturer
The Lecturer is appointed by the grand knight to provide both educational and entertaining programs to the council. He is responsible for the ‘Good of the Order’ portion of council meetings. In order to provide members with informative and educational programs, he must be knowledgeable and aware of all council programming. Wendell and wife Connie celebrated their 35th anniversary in March. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren. They left New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They were initially put up by a nephew who lives in DeSoto and decided to make their permanent home here.
Trustee One-Year
Trustees supervise all financial business of the council and conducts the semiannual audits. Trustees are elected for terms of three years, two years and one year. At each regular election, the position of each trustee will be voted upon, with the current three- and two-year trustees moving on to become the two- and one-year trustees, respectively.
Trustee Two-Year
David has served as operations chairman for the church festival, coordinating the manpower needed to get most of the infrastructure up and running and taken down at the conclusion of a busy weekend. David is a member of the choir for the 9:30 Mass and of our council’s Degree Team, serving in the role of Grand Knight. He joined the Knights in 1980 when he and wife Clara were members of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Waco. David served as Grand Knight for its Council 1358 and was on its Degree Team. David also serves as Co-facilitator for the ACTS Retreats Core Team and is the Director of the Men's ACTS Retreat in April 2015. The Dybala's came to our area in 1985, when he began 22 years working for the City of Dallas. They have two grown children and four grandchildren. A 1972 Texas A&M graduate, David is now mobility coordinator for A&M’s Transportation Institute dealing with the restructuring of downtown traffic.
Trustee Three-Year
The Board of Trustees consists of grand knight and three other elected members. Trustees supervise all financial business of the council and conducts the semiannual audits. Trustees are elected for terms of three years, two years and one year. At each regular election, the position of each trustee will be voted upon, with the current three- and two-year trustees moving on to become the two- and one-year trustees, respectively. Tom joined the Knights in 2007 and he has been the leader of our Degree Team since its start in August 2012. He was voted Knight of the Year in 2014. He and his wife, Helen, live in Duncanville.
Sacramental Gifts Director
Keith Archer grew up in Oklahoma City and came to the Dallas area for work in his mid-20s. He’s a project manager for Weldon Parts. Keith spends most Saturdays participating in the Catholic ministry that’s held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in downtown Dallas. Keith and Mary have been married for 29 years.
Knight Hands Director
David has served as operations chairman for the church festival, coordinating the manpower needed to get most of the infrastructure up and running and taken down at the conclusion of a busy weekend. David is a member of the choir for the 9:30 Mass and of our council’s Degree Team, serving in the role of Grand Knight. He joined the Knights in 1980 when he and wife Clara were members of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Waco. David served as Grand Knight for its Council 1358 and was on its Degree Team. David also serves as Co-facilitator for the ACTS Retreats Core Team and is the Director of the Men's ACTS Retreat in April 2015. The Dybala's came to our area in 1985, when he began 22 years working for the City of Dallas. They have two grown children and four grandchildren. A 1972 Texas A&M graduate, David is now mobility coordinator for A&M’s Transportation Institute dealing with the restructuring of downtown traffic.
FAITH DIRECTOR
Our goal is to strengthen our men and their families in the faith. When we entered the Order, we were reminded to constantly inform ourselves in the Catholic faith. This formation goes beyond mere facts or religious practice to an authentic connection with a loving God and his son Jesus Christ. Programs in this category are designed to draw us closer to God and the Church in a tangible and meaningful way — whether through helping the future shepherds of the Mother Church, quiet contemplation in a spiritual reflection program, or honoring Mary, Mother of God. These programs should strive to arm us for the spiritual battle that our men and families face daily.
Membership Director
Jim Kowalski has been Assistant Diocesan Deputy for two years and Membership Director for about five at the Dallas Diocese. Jim is a two-time Grand Knight at 8157 and Knight of the Year both here (in 1988) and at his original council, 3593 in Oak Cliff. He became a Knight in 1962 at the urging of his new father-in-law. Jim and wife Lillian met in 1960, at a Catholic singles function, and were married on Thanksgiving Day 1962. They have three sons, one daughter and five grandchildren. Jim, his sister and his mother boarded a train in 1949 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Forest Avenue High School in 1952 and then began his working career. His resume includes 11 years as a KC field agent. Jim serves as a Contributing Writer on Special Olympics in the Awareness Committee.
LIFE DIRECTOR
Mike took both his first and major degrees early in 2005 and advanced to the Fourth Degree on Sept. 27, 2014. His list of council and Holy Spirit activities includes serving as our council’s Pro-Life Director and doubling that up under the parish’s outreach ministry, being both a Eucharistic Minister and lector for Masses (usually the 5:30 Sunday Mass), a youth catechist, involved in RCIA and Holy Spirit’s ACTS retreats. And he’s the organizer for the annual Hike for Life, which is held every October at Armstrong Park in Duncanville. He is member of the Awareness committee where he serves as a Contributing Writer about our Pro-Life activities. Mike has been deeply involved in the Catholic faith since his youngest days in Jersey City, N.J. His parents were Catholic missionaries and would take Mike and his five siblings across into New York City to help at homeless shelters, hold block parties and participate in other outreach activities. “It’s all I’ve ever known,” he said. He and wife Karen moved to Dallas in 1997 in connection with his job as a distribution manager. They celebrated their 23rd anniversary on Sept. 14. They have four children – Meghan (21), Jennifer (19), Kaitlyn (15) and Sean (7).
COMMUNITY DIRECTOR
In his capacity as our director of community activities, Dan Murphy oversees the annual cookout at the V.A. hospital. Not coincidentally, he has organized the parish’s annual Veterans Day dinner and program for seven years. Dan is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was active military 1975-95, so activities with and honoring veterans are special to him. After retiring from the Navy, he coordinated R.O.T.C. programs at area high schools through 2012-13. Dan joined the Knights in 1998 and was our Grand Knight during the fraternal years of 2002-03 and 2003-04. The parish’s Lenten fish fries started during Dan’s term as Grand Knight when Father Tim Heines sought an alternative to the soup suppers that had been held. His wife Pat is a hospice field nurse for Lion Hospice Care. The Murphys live in Dallas and have been married since 1975.
Health Director
Roberto keeps a busy schedule – operating a neurology clinic in Mansfield with two daughters in college and one in high school – but decided it was a good time to join the Knights after witnessing the Order’s good works for so many years. He’s from Corpus Christi, graduated from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston in 1989, and came to our area when doing his training at UT Southwestern. He and wife Gloria, who’s from Dallas, met at a singles function at St. Rita’s parish and have been married for 21 years. Maria, 20, attends Oklahoma State. Marisa, 18 will start at SMU this fall. Monica, 16, will be a junior at Bishop Dunne, which all the girls have attended. The Nietos have lived in Cedar Hill for 15 years and have been Holy Spirit parishioners for five years.
Baseball Concessions Director
James joined the Knights of Columbus in February 2013. James is a retired phlebotomist. He and wife Judy have been members of Holy Spirit for 31 years and enjoy their 5 children and 13 grandkids. The Smiths live in Duncanville.
