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God has been good to me and I try to be good to him.
If you ever have the opportunity to meet Wayne Sokalski, you will find a friendly man full of thoughtfulness and faith. He is especially proud of the Knights of Columbus where he is a member, and where he has found his vocation. Wayne acknowledges, “God has been good to me and I try to be good to him, that’s my motto.”
Wayne has practiced his Catholic faith all his life. He attended Catholic elementary and high school. When it was time to continue onto college he chose St. Leo’s Catholic College. He says, “The strong belief in character and the moral beliefs [of the Catholic faith] always lead me on the right path.” Wayne was studying to be a teacher. He wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. He wanted to help people.
While at St. Leo’s, he had the opportunity to teach 200 8th graders prepare for confirmation. The experience was interesting and rewarding.
After college, Wayne found a job selling health benefits instead of using his education degree. It may seem that Wayne lost sight of his dream to help others but it was this experience that prepared Wayne for his role in the Knights of Columbus. 18 years after graduating college Wayne fulfilled his desire to make a difference and work with children. He taught 1st and 2nd graders in an inner city school; followed by a position with the Florida Department of Children and Family Services.
| Wayne has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 20 years. He joined while living in Ramsey, NJ and continued to be an active member when he moved to Florida. He originally joined to work on the famous “tootsie roll drive” which helps disabled children. He also wanted to participate in the Knights bi-yearly visits to work hands-on with mentally handicapped children and was impressed with the many ways the Knights of Columbus help the community, priests, and the Holy Father. Wayne joined to help others; he was surprised to find his brother knights rally around in his time of need. |
There was a time when Wayne was in-between jobs, moving from New Jersey to Florida, and needed to sell his house in order to afford the move. He knew that once his house was sold, things would straighten out financially but he did not know how long that would take. A brother knight, a man Wayne hardly knew, offered to loan him $10,000. No interest was charged and Wayne’s Good Samaritan reluctantly asked him to sign something. That something was literally a scrap of paper. The man’s wife has made him promise that the loan be put in writing. Wayne was taken aback by his brother knights generosity and trust in him.
It was just two years ago that Wayne was able to fulfill his desire to make a difference in people’s lives as well as use his background in insurance and support the Knights of Columbus. Wayne became a field agent for the Knights. His job is to sell insurance and recruit new members. He helps the members of the Knights of Columbus get the insurance they need to protect their families. He makes sure they understand the different policies and sells them only what they need. Wayne says, “You have to make sure they have what they need and don’t oversell. It can’t be a burden for people.” For Wayne this is not a job, it’s a vocation. He believes in the Knights of Columbus and his Catholic faith. Sharing them both on a daily basis is Wayne’s way of being good to God who has been so good to him.
If you would like to learn more about the Knights of Columbus, please contact Wayne at waynesokalski@yahoo.com or call 727-423-2709.
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