3 former pro-democracy lawmakers arrested in Hong Kong

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‘The effect is kind of glorious’

Between the abuse scandal that has rocked the church in recent years and the coronavirus that claims more victims every day, Paul Chromey said, &ldquo;It feels like the Dark Ages.&rdquo;
				But Chromey, 66, of Plains Township, doesn&rsquo;t want to huddle in the darkness. He wants to be a beacon of light, to &ldquo;delve into the breach.&rdquo;
				He believes that he and his brother Knights of Columbus from Old Forge-based Council 5940, which he serves as Deputy Grand Knight, are doing that when they help the community by distributing face masks, supporting blood drives and stocking the shelves in food pantries.
				&ldquo;Charity is the most important thing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have a program called &lsquo;Leave No Neighbor Behind.&rsquo; &ldquo;
				While many civic-minded groups might provide face masks or food to those in need, Chromey also is pleased to have accomplished another recent project, one the Knights of Columbus are perhaps more likely than any other group to carry out.
				It took 11 months, but now the council has a new mobile platform, suitable for carrying statues of the Blessed Mother in processions and at rosary rallies.
				&ldquo;We (Council 5940) plan to use it in August for the Feast of the Assumption, in October for the Feast of the Holy Rosary, and in May for a May Crowning,&rdquo; he said.
				During the rest of the year, other churches are welcome to invite the Knights to bring the platform and statues to their respective devotions. &ldquo;Just ask the Knights of Columbus at your church and they&rsquo;ll get in touch with us,&rdquo; he said.
				The inspiration for the project came to Chromey in a dream, which left him with the idea of how the platform should look. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t use any blueprints,&rdquo; he said.
				Chromey is grateful to everyone who helped, from his council&rsquo;s Grand Knight Robert Pagnotti II, who helped with the carpentry, to Mariotti Building Products of Old Forge for donating building materials, and to Giant Floor and Wall Covering in Wilkes-Barre for donating and installing the carpeting and gold metal runners.
				The Rev. August A. &ldquo;Gus&rdquo; Ricciardi, chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, provided a 5-foot-tall statue of the Blessed Mother, which had once been displayed in the former St. Stanislaus Church in Old Forge, and the Rev. Phillip Sladicka from Avoca provided a 28-inch tall statue. Both statues can ride on the platform, with the smaller one removable so it can be taken into a church for indoor devotions.
				Early in the project, Chromey said, his friend and brother Knight Stephen Gasdik donated a 5 x 8-foot trailer hitch, &ldquo;which made the project possible.&rdquo;
				Sadly, Gasdik lost his life in an ATV accident a few weeks later.
				&ldquo;He was a young man, just 55,&rdquo; Chromey said. &ldquo;They found him because he called his wife to tell her he was hurt, and his cell phone kept pinging.&rdquo;
				Chromey and Pagnotti assembled the platform over 6 and a half hours one Saturday, and were pleased to learn that Bishop Joseph C. Bambera wanted to celebrate a dedication Mass on Oct. 10 at Prince of Peace Parish in Old Forge and consecrate the statues.
				&ldquo;This was a rare and beautiful moment in church history,&rdquo; Chromey said, adding that he hopes to inspire people not only to pray but to come together to pray.
				&ldquo;My goal is to reassure people it&rsquo;s safe to come to church,&rdquo; Chromey said. &ldquo;We wear masks, we keep our social distance, and we disinfect the church after Mass &#8230; so we encourage people to come back.&rdquo;
				Chromey said Council 5940 recently received two awards from the Knights of Columbus national organization, based in New Haven, Conn. The National Columbian Award recognizes the council&rsquo;s charitable works, and the Rev. Michael McGivney Award recognizes that the group has increased its membership.
				The McGivney Award is named in honor of the priest who founded the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal men&rsquo;s organization devoted to &ldquo;charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism in 1882 in New Haven, Conn.
				McGivney, who became one step closer to sainthood when he was beatified in late October, died during the flu epidemic of 1889-1890, in what researchers believe may have been a pandemic similar to COVID-19.

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Knights of Columbus construct new platform for processions