STREATOR — Eight members of the Knights of Columbus from around the Diocese of Peoria will be honored for outstanding service to the organization, the church, and their communities at the 31st annual “Night of Knights” recognition dinner here on Saturday, April 6.

The evening, sponsored by the Peoria Diocese Chapter Knights of Columbus, begins with a 4 p.m. Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 711 Lundy St. A social period will follow Mass at the Streator Kaysee Club of the Msgr. George A. Dzuryo Council No. 790 at 806 Oakley Ave.  The dinner will be served at 6 p.m. with the program to follow.

Dinner tickets are $30 each and must be purchased no later than March 30. There will be no tickets sold at the door. Ticket information is available by calling Larry at (815) 830-8722, Dave at (309) 635-2405, or Paul at (309) 635-8806.

Following are brief biographies of the honorees, two of whom are being recognized posthumously.

Father Adam Cesarek, Pontiac Council No. 854, Pontiac

Father Cesarek

A strong supporter of the Knights of Columbus, Father Cesarek actively invites the men of his parishes at which he serves as parochial vicar — St. Mary, Pontiac; St. Joseph, Flanagan; St. Joseph, Chenoa; and St. Mary, Lexington — to join the Knights. A former campus minister with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, he is a six-year member of the Knights of Columbus and is the associate chaplain for his council. Ordained on May 23, 2015, Father Cesarek works with elementary and high school students, encouraging and energizing them to develop a strong prayer life. He is active in the local ministerial council.

Father John-Joseph dePorres Logan, Allouez Council No. 688, Rock Island — (Awarded posthumously)

Father Logan

Father Logan believed that every Catholic man should be a Knight of Columbus and was a strong promoter of the organization. Prior to his death on Feb. 9, 2016, his 37 years of priestly life included service at all Rock Island parishes as well as periods as pastor of faith communities in Silvis, Peoria, Annawan, Hooppole and Sheffield. Father Logan was an organizer and frequent speaker at the annual diocesan Men’s March, also known as A Call to Catholic Men of Faith. In addition, he led the Fathers of St. Joseph, a confraternity for fathers in the Quad Cities, and was known for his dedication to the culture of life and the support of the family.

Doug Booher, Spalding Council No. 427, Peoria

Doug Booher

A Fourth Degree Knight, he was responsible for organizing the last Fourth Degree Exemplification held in Peoria and serves as faithful pilot and is the color corp commander. While a member of the Knights of Columbus for only five years, he has been recognized as a Knight of the Month by his council every year for the past four years and has served as outside guard and trustee for three years. He has organized workdays at the club and worked in the kitchen for the council’s Friday night dinners. A member of Holy Family Parish, he has helped coordinate its annual Heritage Days Festival, has served as a home and school officer, is active in the men’s club, and takes part in the parish’s “This Man is You” program. In the community, he is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and has worked to build 15 houses to date. He and his wife Audrey have been married for 37 years and have two children.

William Bulfer, Spalding Council No. 427, Peoria

William Bulfer

A member of the Knights of Columbus for 37 years, he has been his council’s recording secretary, newsletter editor, and home corporation recording secretary, holding each of those positions for more than 10 years. He assists in council fundraising efforts and works at the weekly fish dinners. He is a member of St. Mark Parish, where he has served as a lector and a member of the choir. He is also a member of the  St. Anthony Camerata Chorale Festival Choir, which performed for Pope Francis at the Vatican. In the community, he is a past grand commander of the International Order of Alhambra — Ziryab 52 Caravan — and is an avid bridge player, receiving the Silver Life Master Award. He and his wife Patricia were married 39 years before she died. They have three children.

Charles “Scott” Diestelkamp, Spalding Council No. 427, Peoria

Scott Diestelkamp

He is the council’s financial secretary and also serves as a home corporation trustee. A 20-year member of the Knights of Columbus, he is an active volunteer at numerous council events and functions. He is a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and sacristan at Holy Family Parish, where he is also a member of the men’s club and takes part in the parish’s “This Man is You” program.  His many volunteer activities include assisting support staff weekly in the emergency room at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center; helping at Sharon Oaks Nursing Home; and at the annual food festival dinner at St. Shabel Church. He is active in the Cursillo movement, the German-American Society, and is a regular Red Cross blood donor. He is the father of four.

Raymond Dubois, Eugene M. Dunn Council No. 8321, Lacon — (Awarded posthumously)

Raymond Dubois

A member of the Knights of Columbus for 17 years until his death, he served his council as deputy grand knight, chancellor, and warden, as well as assisted with the council’s fundraising efforts. He was a member of St. Mary Parish in Metamora, where he served as an usher and was a generous supporter of the parish and school. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a member of the Farm Bureau for many years. He received a 30-year award for his exceptional work with St. Joseph Nursing Home in Lacon. He and his wife Alice were married for 48 years. They have two adopted children.

Kevin M. Kusnerik, Msgr. George A. Dzuryo Council No. 790, Streator

Kevin Kusnerik

A past grand knight and trustee for his council and a Fourth Degree Knight, he has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 35 years. Kusnerik has served as faithful navigator and faithful trustee for his assembly, and was chairman for the council’s parking lot restoration and dining room carpet replacement projects. He is a member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, where he assists with decorating the church for special holidays and works on fundraising events for the school. He has organized and chaired a dinner attended by more than 700 veterans, a spaghetti dinner benefit that raised more than $18,000 for tornado relief efforts, and has served on the Streator Fourth of July and Light Up Streator committees. He and his wife Donna have been married for two years and have one child.

Earl Sheets, Eugene M. Dunn Council No. 8321, Lacon

Earl Sheets

An 18-year member of the Knights of Columbus, he has served as grand knight and trustee of his council for two terms. Sheets took food sanitation classes to obtain a food handling certificate so his council could host pancake and sausage breakfasts, fish fry dinners, and the annual Old Settler’s pork chop stand fundraiser. He is a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Lacon, where he has served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and a lector. He was also a We Are The Church program leader and has served as the spiritual director for the WATCH program. He has served on the Lacon City Council for eight years and has been president of area community organizations. He is a sexton at the Lacon Cemetery, assisting persons who are searching for relatives and friends buried there. He and his wife Mary have been married 41 years and have three children.