Knights of Columbus St. John Neumann Assembly 933 honored two people at its recent annual dinner at Twining Hall, in Trevose.
The honorees were Torresdale’s Edward Kligge, a past Faithful Navigator with the KOC, and the Far Northeast’s Helen Konstance, an active volunteer with the Knights and St. Martha Parish.
About 150 people attended the ceremony, which included a DJ and POW/MIA table set for one and kicked off with Konstance singing the Star-Spangled Banner.
Monsignor Andrew Golias, associate pastor at St. Martha, offered the invocation and read letters of congratulations from Archbishop Nelson Perez and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
Konstance led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Sister Paula Napoli, turning 80.
There was a 50-50 drawing for the Special Olympics. Kligge’s 10-year-old grandson, Coulson Hughes, picked the lucky ticket, and the winner donated the money to a Knights’ effort to collect soap, shampoo, toothpaste and other items for Ukraine.
As for the winners, Kligge, who turns 70 on Feb. 28, is a 1975 Mastbaum graduate and decorated U.S. Air Force veteran. He’s a retiree of the United States Postal Service and once received the USPS Hero Carrier Award. He has three children and two grandsons.
Kligge has volunteered for Cub Pack 332, Big Brothers Big Sisters and numerous church committees.
Kligge joined the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic lay organization, in 1981 and has held several leadership positions. He’s been with St. John Neumann Assembly 933 since 2006. He’s helped collect countless numbers of aluminum tabs to donate to the Ronald McDonald House, which gives them to a scrap metal company for recycling in exchange for a donation. He’s also provided outreach to the Delaware Valley Veterans Home, helping organize picnics and ice cream bingo events.
For his honor, Kligge received citations from the Veterans Home, City Councilman Mike Driscoll and state Rep. Ed Neilson.
Konstance is the first woman to receive the St. John Neumann Medal.
“This is such an honor. I accept this for all of the women here,” she said.
Konstance is a 1965 graduate of St. Maria Goretti. She and her husband, Rick, have been married for 57 years and have three children and nine grandchildren.
Konstance, senior population health specialist at Independence Blue Cross, helped lead a military families group while spouses and parents served overseas. She has been a 66th Ward committeewoman, Goretti alumna president, St. Martha choir member and cantor and cantor at St. John Neumann Nursing Home holy day services and funerals. She’s chaired the St. Martha School Board, and she and her husband have co-chaired numerous parish committees. She’s a homebound minister and extraordinary minister and was involved the Interfaith Chaplain Ministry of Lower Bucks Hospital. She’s worked with the United Way and raised money for the American Diabetes Association. ••
