The Cmdr Joseph T O'Callahan Assembly No. 1723 is located On Highway 27 North, across from the Lakeshore Mall at the council home of Pope John XXIII. The Navigator for 2006-2007 is William Reagan. You can contact the Knights by phone at (863) 385-0987 or by email at mailto:mikeflood@tnni.net.
First Tuesday of each month. The meetings start at 7:00 PM and are
held at the council home of Pope John XXIII, 900 US 27 North, Sebring, Florida.
Sir Knight: (Letter from Chairman)
At the supreme Board of Directors meeting held January 22, 1977, our Supreme Master Daniel
L. McCormick has advised our Master Philip F. Whitaker, Jr., it had voted to approve the
establishment of our new General Assembly to be known as Commander Joseph T. O Callahan,
S. J. General Assembly comprised of Fourth Degree members of Councils #5441 Sebring and
#5643 Lake Wales.
With the establishment of this new General Assembly Councils #5441 and #5643 will be detached
from Charles Carroll of Carrollton General Assembly. This has been accomplished with the
approval and guidance of our Master Philip F. Whitaker, Jr. of the Fourth Degree, DeSoto
Providence, Southern Florida District to whom we are very grateful and so honored.
Following three (3) organizational meetings held at Sebring and Lake Wales, a committee
was formed and a slate of officers were presented, as prescribed by the rules and proper
procedures.
It was agreed that our next meeting will be held at Sebring Council Hall Monday, March 7 at
8:00 P.M. when the election of officers will take place, the day of the month, monthly
meetings are to be conducted and/or any pertinent actions to be considered with the formation.
We will be making arrangements for the Master to install the officers and officially institute
the assembly.
Your attendance and guidance at this meeting will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely and fraternally
S.K. Edward J. Brennock
Acting Chairman
First Officers that were elected were
Edward Brennock, FN
Charles Cody, FC
Robert Moynihan, FA
Joe Carbeni, FPilot
Jerry Winterholt, F Purser
R Roy, F Comptroller
Fr Ruiz, Friar
Fred Weinbrant, F Scribe
Al Keen, I Sentinel
Borghund, Outside Sentinel
Tom Hugh, 1 yr Trustee
W Daniels, 2 yr Trustee
Paul Forest, 3 yr Trustee
At the March 7, 1977 meeting, home council to be Sebring in stead of Lake Wales, approved
last meeting.
June 13th meeting, a letter was read from Supreme acknowledge the change from Lake Wales to Sebring
as to be the new home location and meets at the council home of Pope John XXIII and is
comprised of Fourth Degree members of Pope John Paul I No. 7245 and
Pope John XXIII No. 5441.
Installation was held at St Catherine Church after the 11:30 am mass, covered dish to
follow at Sebring hall.
OCallahanChaplain Corps, USNR, (1905-1964) "the bravest man I ever saw." - Commanding Officer of the Franklin aircraft carrier describing Joseph O'Callahan.
Joseph Timothy O'Callahan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 14 May 1905. He joined the Jesuit Order of the Roman Catholic Church in 1922, after graduation from preparatory school, and subsequently received degrees from several institutions of higher learning. He was ordained in 1934, and was a Professor of Mathematics, Philosophy and Physics at Boston College in 1929-37, Professor of Philosophy at the Jesuit Seminary of Weston College in 1937-38 and Director of the Mathematics Department at Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1938-40.
Father O'Callahan was commissioned as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps in August 1940. He was assigned to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, in 1940-42, to the aircraft carrier Ranger in 1942-44 and to the Naval Air Stations and Alameda, California, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, into early 1945. Lieutenant Commander O'Callahan joined the aircraft carrier Franklin in early March 1945. A few weeks later, when his ship was badly damaged by a Japanese air attack, he distinguished himself comforting the injured and leading damage control and ammunition jettisoning parties. (724 crewmembers died as a result of the Japanese attack) The ship's Commanding Officer described O'Callahan as "the bravest man I ever saw." For his heroism on board Franklin, Lieutenant Commander O'Callahan was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Promoted to the rank of Commander in July 1945, O'Callahan served at the Navy Department and at the Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, until October 1945, when he reported on board the new aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1946, he served as Escort Chaplain as the body of the late Philippines President Manuel Quezon was carried from the United States to Manila. Released from active duty in November 1946, Commander O'Callahan returned to Holly Cross College as Professor of Philosophy. Upon his retirement from the Naval Reserve in November 1953, he was advanced to the rank of Captain on the basis of his combat awards. Joseph T. O'Callahan died at Worcester, Massachusetts, on 18 March 1964.
All of the text on Cmdr O'Callahan was used courtesy of the
Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center.
Lieutenant Commander
Joseph T. O'Callahan, USNR (ChC) portrait courtesy of the Department of
the Navy, Naval Historical Center
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