More than 300 delegates and alternates representing the 143
local councils and more than 27,000 members of the Knights of
Columbus in Virginia gathered at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel
in Richmond May 1-3 for their 115th annual meeting.
The Knights elected a new slate of officers who will assume
office July 1. The delegates elected Stephen P. Raschke Sr.
of Gloucester as the new state deputy. Raschke retired from
the U.S. Army in 2002 with the rank of Command Sergeant
Major. For the past 13 years, he has worked as the civilian
operations manager for the 733rd Force Support Division at
Joint Base Langley/Fort Eustis, Va.
Raschke joined the Knights of Columbus in Newport News, where
he served in a variety of offices, including Grand Knight,
district deputy and the statewide offices of warden, advocate
and secretary. He and his wife Donna have been married for 38
years and have three children and two grandchildren.
Other officers winning election include Michael J. Gasper of
Richmond as secretary; Stephen J. Kehoe of Fairfax as
treasurer; Roy Blakeburn of Virginia Beach as advocate; and
Ed Polich of Glen Allen as warden.
The current state deputy, Stephen A. Burnley of Alexandria,
will assume the post of immediate past state deputy. Past
State Deputy Kelly Mortensen of Midlothian will continue for
a second year as executive secretary.
Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde is the state chaplain of the
Virginia Knights of Columbus, and is joined by two associate
state chaplains – Father John Abe, pastor of St. Matthew
Church in Virginia Beach, and Father John Cregan, pastor of
Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria.
Among the awards presented at the convention were Knight of
the Year, Ronald Wisniewski of Ashland; College Knight of the
Year, Daniel Tillson of George Mason University in Fairfax;
Family of the Year, Michael and Laurie Candalor of
Springfield; Young Man of the Year, Charles Egress of
Chesapeake; and Young Woman of the Year Samantha Malanga of
Fredericksburg.
