Joanne Coccia Lodge #2553

I retired from the City of New York after 26 1⁄2 years. I retired as a Police Sergeant for the NYC Police Department.  I moved to Southern California in September 2000, settling in Hesperia in the High Desert. The first organization I joined was the Knights of Columbus Desert Valley Council 4228. I am also a member of Msgr. William E. Van Garsse Assy 2664. I have served as the Grand Knight, Faithful Navigator, and District Deputy. I am still actively involved with the Knights of Columbus.

I also joined the OSDIA Desert Valley Lodge #2352, located in Victorville, CA, and served two terms as President. Several years ago, as we lost members due to relocation or passing away, it became apparent and heartbreaking that we had to make the decision to close the doors of our Desert Valley Lodge #2352.  Instead of walking away from OSDIA, I then joined the Joanne Coccia Lodge #2553 in 2017, located in Fontana, CA. I have been a delegate for our Lodge and enjoyed attending the 86th and 87th State conventions.

I’m a member of the 4th degree of the Knights of Columbus, which is the Patriotic degree. Our assembly decided to hold a ceremony to retire flags that could no longer be flown over the USA due to being tattered and torn from exposure to the sun and wind. In my research on how to dispose of the flags, I found that not all flags can be burned. Only flags that are 100% cotton can be burned. Flags that are made with a mix of materials like nylon cannot be burned because of the chemicals within the fabric that pose a hazard.

While I was conducting my research, I discovered that it’s possible to cut stars out and use them to honor Veterans and active duty military members of the armed forces. When I shared this information with the Assembly, they voted to start a program for honoring active duty and veterans. Additionally, the Assembly decided to extend the program to include Police, Firefighters, and EMTs. As the Assembly member who conducted the research, I was asked to name the program, which is now called STARS FOR HEROES.

A few years ago, I was dating a woman from my church who was a member of the Rosary makers. I asked her to teach me how to make rosaries and I learned both the rope and link types. Last month, while watching TV at home, I decided to make rosaries with the colors of the Italian flag. I ended up making nine of them and handed them out to a few members at our next Lodge meeting. After making an announcement at the Good of the Order, several members wanted me to make rosaries for them as well.  I noticed how popular rosaries were at my Lodge, so I decided to make rosaries for the State Lodge Officers. During the 87th State Convention, I announced that I would create rosaries with the colors of the Italian flag for anyone interested. I also offered to have the rosaries blessed and mailed to the members who requested them.  I look forward to meeting many more members in the coming years.

Fraternally,
Ron Manna