Phil Carl (l) and Ron Boudreaux standing guard at the vigil.

Bishop Emeritus Andrew J. McDonald, 90, the former bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock for 28 years, died April 1, 2014 at St. Joseph Home for the Elderly in Palatine, IL after months of declining health.  He was the fifth bishop of the diocese, serving from 1972 to 2000.  

Many important diocesan ministries were started during his tenure.  However, he considered his most significant experience to be a visit to Little Rock in 1982 by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta  during which she agreed to send sisters to run Abba House (an annual beneficiary of Council 10208's charity since 2010). 
 
The vigil service with rosary for Bishop McDonald was held Monday, April 7 at the Cathedral of St Andrew in Little Rock. It was followed by an all-night vigil during which the Cathedral remained open for prayer and visitation. The Mass of Christian Burial and interment was celebrated at the Cathedral on Tuesday, April 8.

Assembly 2316 was represented by a total of 10 Sir Knights who participated in the Vigil  and the Mass of Christian Burial.  Standing guard from 4:00-5:00am were Ron Boudreaux, Phil Carl, Bob Heisler, and Tom Yerina; from 6:00-7:00am were Bill Patterson, Jack Griffin, Mike Kerwin, and Ed Miller.  In addition, Bill, Jack, Mike, and Ed were joined by Gerald Krawczynski and Bill Nosek as part of the 16-member Honor Guard at the Mass.  All of the knights thought it was a great experience to participate in these ceremonies for Bishop McDonald.