Walk The Connelly family was honored as the Family of the Month for August by the Knights of Columbus at a special breakfast at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church hall Sunday.
The Reverend Joseph Donnelly Council of the Knights of Columbus each month honors a family for their inspiration and devotion as a family as well as civic participation and kindnesses in the community.
Kevin Connelly, Sr and his wife Michelle were the honorees for this month’s event, sharing their honors with son, Kevin and his wife Valerie, and the entire family, all of whom could not be present at the ceremony.
The Connelly family was presented with as certificate and gift and honored for everything they do in the community and church.
In making the presentation Family Director for the Father Donnelly Council Michael Burke highlighted the importance of development of strong , vibrant families and noted it is that mission that inspired the local Council to contribute to a greater awareness of the many outstanding families in the Bayshore area.
The Council, he said, recognizes families who outwardly exhibit strong ties of love and faith, exemplifying Catholic family values by attending mass each week throughout the year, while making contributions to their parish and surrounding community.
The senior Connelly’s were married at St. Agnes Church in Atlantic Highlands in 1998 and have remained active parishioners while starting their family and raising their three children during the past 28 years.
Their daughter Claire is the mother of their two grandchildren, Leo Alexander 5 and Elaina Page 1. She and her husband Connor Merlyn are awaiting a third child due sometime in December.
The youngest daughter Molly Kate is engaged to Tyler Stulb who like his future mother in law converted to Catholicism. The Connellys have a gift for evangelizing and drawing loved ones to the table of our Lord God Jesus, Burke said.
Kevin Sr. is one of 16 siblings and is a twin. Michelle has 4 siblings “so you can imagine how lively Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas must be around the Connelly home,” Burke said.
In citing some of the reasons why the Connelly’s were honored this month, Burke pointed to Kevin Sr’s active involvement as a lector at mass, a volunteer CCD teacher, a Eucharistic minister, “a humble janitor for a year”, and a 4th degree Sir Knight with the Bishop McFaul Assembly #646 .
The Connelly’s son, Kevin Jr. who has been married to Valerie for a year, is also a member of the Bishop McFaul Assembly chair is chairman of the Knight’s annual blood drive.
Michelle Connelly is a nurse who oversaw an Alzheimer’s unit for 20 years.
“There truly is so much more I could say about the contributions of this wonderful Catholic family but my time is limited,” Burke explained, as attendees at the Breakfast applauded each of the contributions of each of the family members.
