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Who are the Knights of Columbus?
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men's fraternal benefit society that was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works.
The Knights of Columbus are the largest lay organization in the Catholic Church with over 1.6 million members. The Order has been praised by popes, presidents and world leaders for its programs of evangelization and Catholic education, civic involvement and aid to those in need.
For an inspiring look at what it means to be part of the Knights of Columbus, see the video introduction, In Service to One. In Service to All (ram, 30 minutes). To access the video you will need RealPlayerŽ, a free download.
History
Founded in 1882 by 29-year-old parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, in the basement of Saint Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut, the Knights of Columbus has grown grown from several members in one council to more than 12,000 councils and 1.7 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan.
Knights in Action
The history of the Knights of Columbus's involvement in community life is a record of outstanding benevolent achievement. Knights volunteer in a variety of charitable enterprises to serve the people and programs of their communities.
For more information on the Knights of Columbus, download These Men They Call Knights (pdf, 215k). To access the document you will need Adobe Acrobat ReaderŽ, a free download.