Family of the Month for Fr. Bill Johnson #11665 for September 2025 goes to Tony  and Rita Adams. Tony originally joined the Knights in the mid 1990’s at St. Jude in Monroe, CT, and our Council in 2023 under Grand Knight Dave Breitmayer.

Tony and Rita have a longtime legacy of service to and involvement in St Francis de Sales and the community. A sampling of this includes:

Tony and Rita have been married 41 yrs, and filled that time by participating in Marriage Encounters, ALPHA, and Multiple Pilgrimages. They have two sons and six grandchildren. Rita has been a lifelong Catholic right here at SFDS, while Tony entered through RCIA the year before their marriage. They have also been frequent Homebound Eucharistic Ministers.

Some of Tony’s contributions include:

– Extremely active in numerous community and parish events (Event Director for 40 years – Area Six Special Olympics, Newark Rotary Club, Licking Memorial Development Council, Center for Disability Services, Crime Stoppers of Licking County, Food Pantry Network, State Farm Federal PAC, Chamber of Commerce, United Way, OHSAA Class One Varsity Basketball Official 31 years, Professional Deejay 48 years)

– Founding member of Vanguard

– Took lead roles in many events, including significant benefits for three different parishioners, Men’s Hog Roast, and the parish Lenten Fish Fry’s

– Serves as Lector and Eucharistic Minister

And Rita has also been individually very involved, including

– Kidney Transplant Donor! (now that’s putting your faith in action!)

– Co-Chair for the Annual SFDS Giving Tree for many years

– Retired in 2019 from Newark City Schools where she worked as a Social Worker in various Elementary schools throughout the district.

– Currently provides Childcare at SFDS so that woman & young families can attend Faith Formation events

– Volunteered at Newark Catholic HS & St Francis De Sales School over the years

– 1979 Graduate and Outstanding Athlete

– Newark Catholic High School