Filipino council goes all out for Ephphatha House

Nazareno knights will make stations of the cross an ongoing project

- photo supplied Knights Vince Reyes and Manuel Ibasco carrying a concrete block to a station of the cross while Andy Gabi and Romeo Cejero unload blocks from a pickup truck.

By GLEN ARGAN
WCR Editor
Edmonton

When the Nazareno Council of the Knights of Columbus takes on a project, it pulls out all the stops.

So it was last summer, when the Filipino council decided to erect platforms around the stations of the cross at Ephphatha House north of Stony Plain.

Sixty-five to 70 members of the council took part in the project over seven weekends. They hauled lumber, gravel and concrete blocks up to each of the 14 stations and built the platforms.

They organized the work bees with military precision with every knight assigned a specific role at one of the stations. Others organized the lunches. And each day of work began with prayer followed by a safety lecture.

"This is a labour of love, for sure," said grand knight Ferdie Maingat.

Altogether, about 1,200 man-hours went into the project last year. The Knights also spent about $10,000 on materials as well as on renting a Bobcat, compacter and pickup truck.

Ongoing project

But, wait! Nazareno Council is not yet finished. Having built the platforms to enable people to pray on level ground, the council this summer will reinforce the platforms and plant flowers at each station. It will also maintain the stations as an ongoing project.

- photo supplied Ferdie Maingat, grand knight, and Orly Damasco, both of Nazareno Council, prepare the ground next to one of the stations of the cross at Ephphatha House.

Moreover, it will also replace the table used to celebrate Mass on top of the hill with a real altar.

"People were very pleased when the project was done," said Vince Reyes, the past grand knight of the seven-year-old council. "They could stand or kneel on the platform."

The idea for the project came when some of the Nazareno knights attended a retreat at Ephphatha House and noticed the uneven ground surrounding the stations. They brought their observations back to the council and the council decided to act.

While some knights, like Maingat and deputy grand knight Manuel Ibasco, are experienced in the construction trades, others, like Reyes, offered more muscle than expertise.

"It gives you some consolation to know that you're contributing something," Reyes said. "It's all for the glory of God."

Cold and rain

The project began on a cold, rainy Aug. 17 and the Bobcat quit. It ended with a thanksgiving Mass, potluck lunch and stations of the cross on Sept. 30.

Nazareno Council has been one of Alberta's most active councils since its inception, regularly winning awards at the state convention. But Reyes is especially excited about the Ephphatha project.

"We have done so many worthwhile projects," he said. "This one will top them all."

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