Tuesday, Nov. 3 - New Book, New Leadership!

For Tuesday, November 3, please read the Introduction and Prologue, up through p. 26 in "The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living."

Father Aaron Kuhn is planning to lead us, so bring any questions about spiritual direction/discernment that are raised by your reading.

As always, we'll be meeting at 6 a.m. at the Sartell Perkins. If any of you are willing to lead our opening prayer, please let me know.

Tuesday, September 29 - Chapters 13 & 14 of "The World's First Love"

Jay Pederson will be leading the group in prayer and discussion of Chapters 13 & 14 of "The World's First Love."

Also, mark your calendars. October 13th is the first Argument of the Month Club in South St. Paul. Ken Porwoll will be speaking about the Japanese Bataan Death March. The meal for the evening looks to have an Oktoberfest theme. If you're interested in attending, please let Mark Berg-Arnold or Tim Drake know so that they can make arrangements so there's enough room for all who want to attend.

Tuesday, July 28 - Chapters 9 and 10

For Tuesday, July 28th, it was decided that we would end the discussion of the book by discussing Chapters 9 and 10. I do not believe that we have a leader.

For the following week, we will discuss an article of some type while awaiting the arrival of our new book.

Please remember to vote for which book you would like to read next.

Tuesday, July 21 - Chapter 8 - "What Difference Does it Make?"

On Tuesday, July 21, Bill Ritchie will be leading us in prayer and discussing Chapter 8 - "What Difference Does it Make? Seven Lessons from the Saints, the Fingers of Jesus" in Making Sense of Suffering.

Also, note that we have a new book poll on the right-hand side of the webpage. Please vote for the book you'd like to read next, so that we can have them on hand once we finish this book.

For further information on the books, you'll find links to the books, here:

Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard Maybury

Caritas Veritate (Charity in Truth) by Pope Benedict XVI

Virtues for Men: A Guy's Guide to the Good Lifeby Robert Lockwood

The World's First Loveby Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

Tuesday, June 23 - Chapter 4 of "Making Sense of Suffering"

For Tuesday, June 23, Ted Statz will be leading us in prayer and discussion of Chapter 4 of "Making Sense of Suffering." Be there!

Tuesday, June 16 - Chapter 2 and 3 in "Making Sense of Suffering"

For Tuesday, June 16th we'll be discussing Chapter 2 and 3 in Peter Kreeft's "Making Sense of Suffering."

Tuesday, May 12 - Chapters 13 and 14

On Tuesday, May 12, Bill Ritchie will lead us in prayer and in discussing Chapters 13 and 14 of The Gospel of John. Also, those interested in attending the Argument of the Month Club tomorrow evening will want to let Mark Berg-Arnold know, as he is planning to drive down. The topic is Catholic education.

We will need someone to lead us next week, May 19th.

Also, Jay Pederson had suggested that perhaps we read a book exploring the Jewish faith at some point in the future. One title that he suggested was: Salvation is from the Jews: The Role of Judaism in Salvation History from Abraham to the Second Coming by Roy H. Schoeman. The book is published by Ignatius Press. Take a look and see what you think for a future read.

After we finish The Gospel of John, we'll be reading the Kreeft book on suffering.

Tuesday, May 5 - The Gospel of John, Chapters 11 and 12

Richard Cash led us in discussing Chapters 9 and 10 today. I'll be leading discussion next week, Tuesday, May 5 on Chapters 11 and 12 of The Gospel of John.

Tuesday, April 21 - Chapters 7 & 8 in The Gospel of John

For Tuesday, April 21st, we'll be discussing Chapters 7 and 8 from The Gospel of John. Robb Bates has graciously agreed to lead us in our prayer and discussion.

Also a reminder - on Tuesday, April 28th a photographer from the St. Cloud Times will be on-hand at 7:00 a.m. to take a photo of the group for a story on our Pay-it-Forward fundraising efforts. It would be nice to have a full table that morning, so plan on attending if you can.

Tuesday, April 14 - Chapter 6...Plus Argument of the Month

On Tuesday, April 14th David Tholl will lead us in discussing John Chapter 6 - the Bread of Life Discourse.

That evening, for those who are interested, the Argument of the Month Club is featuring a debate on ecumenism. Jim Wildeson is planning to take one vehicle down, with three other people. Tim Drake or someone else may be taking another vehicle. At this point, it looks like at least six people will be going down in Tim's van. If you're interested in attending, but haven't told me, let me know so that I can be certain we have enough vehicles for everyone. I expect we'll be stopping at the McStop to pick people up - probably between 4:45-4:50 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7 - Chapters 4 and 5 in The Gospel of John

At the end of the last meeting it was decided that we would read Chapters 4 and 5 in the Gospel of John for discussion on Tuesday, April 7th.

Dave Tholl will lead discussion of Chapter 4. Richard Cash will lead discussion of Chapter 5.

Tuesday, March 31st - Chapters 2 and 3 of the Gospel of John

Michael Lauer has agreed to lead us through Chapters 2 and 3 in the Gospel of John for next week, Tuesday, March 31st.

For those who weren't able to attend this morning, Mark Berg-Arnold has agreed to be our representative to the Saint Cloud Technical College Foundation for the Pay-it-Forward Scholarship. That means he will be working with the Foundation to review the applications for the scholarship.

And, for those who are interested, here are the final numbers from the Pay-it-Forward Fundraising Breakfast.

Pay it Forward Fundraising Total
Catholic Charities' Emergency Food Shelf = $4,860
(with 1-1 match from Minnesota Foodshare = $9,720)

Saint Cloud Technical College Foundation = $3,538

Total = $8,398

All donations made to Catholic Charities' Food Shelf during the month of March are matched 1-1 by Minnesota Foodshare. That means that the total impact of our $8,398 donation is actually $13,258.

Tuesday, March 24 - We start the Gospel of John

Since the discussion/study questions are broken up at the end of the book by Chapter, we'll be tackling the two Introductions and Chapter 1 for Tuesday morning.

It's not a lot of reading, but be sure to look at the study questions for Chapter 1 as we'll probably use those to guide discussion. If there are no volunteers to lead I can lead for next week.

Even if you didn't purchase the book (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - The Gospel of John), you can pick up your Bible, read through the Gospel of John, follow along, and join us for discussion.

I would specifically like to ask those men who wrote checks to the SCTC Foundation at this week's breakfast to be there on Tuesday, as there is a very important question I need to ask each of you. That includes: Joe Warner, Jim Wildeson, Mark Berg-Arnold, Joe Schmitz, Greg Cruze, Jim McCoy, Marc Dvoracek, Rob Stay, Ted Statz, Jay Pederson, and Mike Rydberg. For those who donated cash, I don't know who you are, but can address the question to our entire group on Tuesday. If you cannot make it next Tuesday, please give me a telephone call at 230-1881.

A Successful Breakfast!

To say that our fundraising breakfast was a success is an understatement. There were approximately 50 men in attendance, as well as a few extras who came after the 7 a.m. Mass at St. John Cantius.

Here, Rich Cash and Chris Larson are busy the night before, cracking eggs for the egg-bake. In the background, Marc Dvoracek is slicing bread and Jim Wildeson is pre-cooking the sausage links.

To the left, Mike Rydberg and Jay Pederson configure the griddles so as not to blow any circuits in the church basement.

In all, over $8,284 in donations and pledges were made. Adding the Minnesota Foodshare 1-1 match for donations made to Catholic Charities Emergency Food Shelf during the month of March, the actual impact of our donations is $10,947. Pretty impressive for one morning breakfast!

Of course, all of the food, beverages, and paperware was donated by local area businesses and individuals, which means that every dollar raised will go directly to help individuals locally.

To the right, Lee Gohmann and Tim Rydberg are stunned by Tim Drake's incredible two-handed pancake flipping technique.

(Photo credit: Greg Cruze)


Steve Bresnahan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud, was on-hand to share a word of thanks and an anecdote about the Food Shelf's usage.


A good time was had by all, provoking some to suggest, "we should do this every few months."

At left, Mike Rydberg rallies the men in preparation for the grand pancake flipping event. Pictured from left to right: Mike Rydberg, Joe Warner, Tom Klecker, Jay Pederson, Lee Gohmann, and Tim Rydberg.

Tomorrow's the Day!

That's right, tomorrow - St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17 - is the day of our Pay-it-Forward Fundraising Breakfast. Whether you've RSVP'd or not, please plan on attending.

For regulars, don't show up at Perkins. We won't be there.

We'll start at 6:00 a.m. at St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Saint Cloud, Minn. A short presentation outlining the goals of the breakfast is planned.

It's a free-will donation. All proceeds and money raised will go to support Catholic Charities' Emergency Food Shelf and the Saint Cloud Technical College Foundation's Pay-it-Forward Scholarship for Dislocated Workers. Checks can be made out to either or both.

We hope to see you bright and early in the morning.

Tuesday, March 17th - Breakfast is On Us!

Just a reminder, next week, instead of meeting at the Sartell Perkins, we will be gathering for our Pay-it-Forward Breakfast at St. John Cantius Catholic Church in St. Cloud.

Whether or not you can contribute financially, please plan on joining us on Tuesday, March 17th for the fellowship. It begins at 6:00 a.m.

The menu continues to change as additional items have been contributed for the breakfast.

The tentative menu will include:

- Sausage, Bacon, Ham, or meatless egg-bake, all dripping with cheddar cheese
- Freshly flipped pancakes (cooked to perfection by Mike and Tim Rydberg and Jay Pederson), served with syrup.
- Browned sausage links.
- A selection of succulent breads from Great Harvest Bread Company (we're hoping), served with creamy butter.
- Piping hot and fresh Caribou Coffee or milk or juice

If you plan on attending and/or bringing a male guest or two, and haven't yet RSVP'd, I'd appreciate a quick email (tdrake@clearwire.net) or call (320-230-1881). That helps us with planning. However, even if you don't know at this point, but wake up early the morning of St. Patrick's Day, I hope you'll still attend. Rich and I would appreciate seeing you there.

Thanks go to our sponsors, who have provided in-kind donations to make the breakfast possible. Please patronize these businesses and thank them for their support. They include:
Apperts, Caribou Coffee, Cashwise, Cub Foods, Dan & Carrie Ellis and Family, Foley Locker, Great Harvest Bread Company, Chris & Stacie Larson and Family, Molitor Organic Farms, Party City, Sam's Club, and Traut Wells.

Finally, if you haven't seen it yet, over on the right hand side of the page you'll find a link to a CafePress storefront, where you can purchase all your Knights of the Breakfast Table gear - mugs, beer steins, T-shirts, aprons, etc. Just so you know, any money raised through the sale of that gear will also be added to the fundraising total. So, you can order your Knights' Hoodie knowing that you're supporting a great cause!

For Tuesday, March 10th - Chapters 25 and 26

Jay Pederson has agreed to lead the group in discussing the final two chapters from Dinesh D'Souza's book on March 10th, Chapters 25 and 26.

Just a reminder that the Argument of the Month Club is meeting that night in South St. Paul. Father Robert Altier will present on "To Mortify or Not to Mortify." Mike Schmitt and David Tholl would like to go down, if any of you are planning to attend. I don't believe that I'll be able to attend.

Won't You Help Us Pay it Forward? Breakfast is on us!

Dear Past, Present and Future Knights of the Breakfast Table,

Save the date – Breakfast is on us!

Richard Cash and I have a very special request to ask of you. In lieu of our usual Tuesday morning meeting, will you mark your calendar and plan to attend a Pay-it-Forward free-will donation fundraising breakfast on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 6:00 a.m. in the basement of St. John Cantius Church?

Citing the parable of the talents, the St. Cloud Visitor recently asked for ideas on how one might take $100, grow it, and use it to help others. Rich and I submitted an idea to utilize the power of the Knights of the Breakfast Table – a group that includes more than 80 previous attendees.

Our idea was this: Rather than meeting at Perkin’s, we would make breakfast and ask the men to consider generously donating to create a “giving circle” to fund two charitable efforts to help those impacted by the recent economic downturn

The Visitor decided to fund our idea.

Given these uncertain times, our economy, and those whom we know personally who have lost their jobs, we plan to use the donations for two charitable purposes to assist families facing difficulties. Whatever money we raise will be split to cover both immediate and long-term family needs. Half of the money raised will go to Catholic Charities’ Emergency Services’ food shelf. The other half will go to create a Pay it Forward Scholarship through the St. Cloud Technical College Foundation. The scholarship has been established to help a married man who has lost his job, and qualifies for financial aid, to pursue additional schooling so that he might find employment. Both efforts are designed to help people locally.

Now we need your help.

Those who would prefer to donate directly to either organization for tax-deduction reasons may do so, but we would ask that you bring the checks with you the morning of the breakfast.

So, what can you do to help?

1. Please plan on coming to breakfast, whether you’ve been there in a long time or not, on Tuesday, March 17 at 6 a.m. at St. John Cantius Church in St. Cloud. Also, please consider bringing a male guest.

2. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to me at tdrake@clearwire.net or 320-230-1881 as soon as possible so that we know how many men to prepare breakfast for.

3. Come prepared to help the Pay it Forward money grow.

Rich and I will give a short presentation on the effort and ask for free-will donations. Would you prayerfully consider matching the original Pay it Forward amount of $100? Anything that you can contribute will be greatly appreciated.

If you live far away and cannot make it to breakfast, will you still consider a financial contribution? Checks can be made out directly to Catholic Charities Emergency Services or the Saint Cloud Technical College Foundation. We would simply ask that you send them to me at: Tim Drake, 35474 County Road 2, St. Joseph, MN 56374as the Visitor wants to know how much we’ve raised.

We’ve been asked to implement our idea before the end of Lent. The Visitor will eventually be writing a story on the effort.

Let’s demonstrate to others the power of a faith-filled men’s group!

Your brothers in Christ,
Tim Drake and Richard Cash

For Tuesday, March 3 - Chapters 23 and 24

Jim W. will be leading us in discussing Chapters 23 and 24 in What's So Great About Christianity. We will wrap up discussion on this book on Tuesday, March 10th.

I will have copies of The Gospel of John: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Revised Standard Version to handout on Tuesday. I have copies for Joe S., Jay P., Patrick F., and Greg C. Discussion on this book will begin Tuesday, March 24th. The cost, with shipping, is $9.

Also, for those interested in attending March 10th's Argument of the Month Club, Father Robert Altier will be speaking on mortification, with an appropriate accompanying dinner of soup and bread and apple pie.

Finally, mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 17th - Breakfast is on us! You all should have received an email and/or snail mail letter inviting you to our Pay it Forward fundraising breakfast at St. John Cantius Church. I'll post additional details here soon.