“Good things happen to good people.”
Joe De Mott tries to live out these words and encourages his two children to do the same.
Now, good things have happened to the De Mott family.
Late last year, Joe De Mott and his wife, Katie, learned their family had been named the November 2021 Family of the Month by the Knights of Columbus’ New York State Council.
“What’s outstanding about this family is that the family is always together,” explained Chip Scoppa, auxiliary coordinator of the Family of the Month program for the Knights’ Finger Lakes Chapter.
Scoppa and Joe De Mott are both members of the Knights’ Bishop McQuaid Council 7085, which is based at Fairport’s Church of the Assumption and Church of the Resurrection. De Mott spearheads two of the council’s four main youth events and is involved with just about everything the council does, Scoppa said.
“Joe loves to flip pancakes for our council’s and parish pancake breakfasts as well, and the other events like the Car-B-Que and the corned beef and cabbage dinner,” Scoppa said. “Joe’s family is always close at hand pitching in to help on the events as well. They come and they volunteer at all the dinners, and they’re there as a group, rather than just the father coming.”
“I feel the best when I’m helping somebody, and I think that’s true for all of us,” Joe De Mott remarked.
Involvement in the Knights and in parish life at Church of the Assumption truly has been a family affair, he added. A Fairport native, Katie De Mott attended Church of the Assumption with her family when she was a child, while Joe De Mott and his family belonged to St. Monica Parish in Rochester. The De Motts were married at Assumption in 2003 and attend Mass there with their children, 13-year-old twins Paul and Mary.
Joe De Mott initially became involved with Knights of Columbus functions about 10 years ago at the request of his father-in-law, Jim Robinson, who is a Knight.
“He’s a very good salesman. He’s one of those guys that’s able to recruit people for anything. Me always trying to keep my father-in-law happy, I ended up going to the Knights,” Joe De Mott said with a chuckle.
Joe De Mott now coordinates the council’s annual youth free-throw and soccer-challenge competitions, and assists with the annual fishing derby. When they were younger, Mary and Paul helped by fetching soccer balls that landed outside the net and basketballs that bounced off the court. They’re now old enough to participate in the contests themselves but still help when they’re not competing, and their involvement is not limited to athletic events, their father said.
“With the pasta dinner, they’re helping hand out silverware or helping to clean up,” he remarked.
The family is active in parish life in other ways as well, he said, noting that Paul and Mary were altar servers prior to the pandemic, and that he had served as an usher. Paul and Mary currently are preparing to be confirmed, he added.
“Certainly we’re encouraging them to do everything they can. Whatever church event is going on, we try to participate in it,” he explained, citing his belief that good things happen to good people.
“If my kids are doing good activities, if they’re being polite, I think things will be good for them. I think the church is a good foundation for that,” he added.
Mary and Paul’s grandparents helped lay that foundation through their involvement in their respective parishes and by serving as “fantastic role models,” Joe De Mott said.
“Our children get to see their parents and their grandparents at church,” Katie De Mott said. “When you say family, it’s not just our nuclear family. It’s our extended family too.”
Joe De Mott’s twin brother, Jim, also joined the Knights of Columbus recently after helping out with several council events in an unofficial capacity. It’s not unusual for various members of the De Mott family to help others outside of church functions too.
“My twin brother and I helped rake an elderly lady’s yard in the fall, and then three weeks later, we showed up again because more leaves had fallen, and I brought my kids,” Joe De Mott remarked.
Paul and Mary haven’t complained about the time they spend helping others, and Joe and Katie De Mott said they feel blessed that their children enjoy spending time with their parents, even at home.
“Our favorite thing is movie night,” Joe De Mott said. “Our couch is perfectly sized for four people to squish together. I think the kids like that. I know Katie and I love that.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Profiles in Faith” highlights Catholics throughout the Diocese of Rochester — of all ages and walks of life — who are role models for living the faith. To suggest a person to profile, email Newsroom@CatholicCourier.com.
Tags: Monroe County East, Profiles in Faith
