Braving weather that brought the Metro-North Railroad large sections of the New York City Subway to a halt, members of the Knights of Columbus John Paul the Great Council #486 of Middletown donated and delivered 12 wheelchairs to the Saint John Vianney Clergy Residence in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.

On Friday, September 29, as New York City was being soaked by what would be eight inches of rain, Steve Merschen, Past Grand Knight (PGK) of #486 of Middletown, drove to Long Island to pick up the wheelchairs from the Knights of Columbus Maria Regina Council #12533 Long Island. They then turned west and, despite weather-related delays, arrived at the Saint John Vianney residence in the early afternoon. 

In his role with the Archdiocese of New York’s development team, and knowing of the Knights of Columbus’s global wheelchair mission program, Merschen worked with Mary Lynch, executive director of Saint John Vianney to meet their need for 12 new wheelchairs. Merschen then turned to his Knights of Columbus council to pass a motion and fund the purchase of all 12 wheelchairs.

In order to conserve resources, Merschen and other Brother Knights volunteered to pick up the wheelchairs in Long Island and deliver them to their final destination in the Bronx. “It would have cost more time and more money to order from the
distributor and have them delivered. Instead, we bought them from a Council in Long Island and saved the shipping.”

Unfortunately, the date of delivery fell on one of the worst weather days of the year. Merschen said the drive was slower than expected, but that he only realized the severity of the weather once he had returned home.

“Sometimes I doubt that miracles happen, but when I saw the pictures later, but like Moses, God parted the seas for me that day,” he said.

Upon arrival, Rev. Joseph O’Meara, a Saint John Vianney resident, blessed the wheelchairs. The chairs will benefit Saint John Vianney’s residents who have mobility issues or otherwise that require assistance.

Merschen recommended membership in the Knights of Columbus as a way to get involved and make a difference. “Wherever you see a need, you are a lot more likely to accomplish the mission with the help of your Brother Knights,” he said.