The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882, it is an international society of more than 1.5 million Catholic men working together with their families for a better community and a better world.
In "Solidarity with our Priest", we are committed to the service of our Heavenly Father, the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Our Country, and Our Fellow man.
The Knights of Columbus have four main objectives.
1. To aid our Church
2. To develop fellowship
3. To perform charitable, educational and patriotic works
4. To provide a system of fraternal insurance.
Today, the Knights of Columbus have over 1.5 million members.
The strength and stability of the K of C is further reflected in assets of over 4 billion dollars. Our insurance in force is nearly 22 billion dollars.
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family, fraternal, service organization. It offers unlimited opportunities for its members and their families. Knights share their time and talents in a vigorous program of service. Coming from every walk of life -- doctors, bricklayers, lawyers, plumbers, teachers, farmers -- K of C members working together to help their Church and their community.
Firmly founded upon the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, the Knights of Columbus are able to accomplish a wide range of worthwhile goals -- thanks to the strength and mutual support of members and their families.
Since our founding in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, the Knights of Columbus has been in solidarity with the Catholic Church, the Holy Father and the bishops, priests and religious in union with him. The Knights of Columbus is, above all, a fraternity - a brotherhood of like-minded Catholic men and their families. Members aim to support one another in good times and bad and thereby strengthen the ideals of Catholic knighthood. Active participation in membership recruitment efforts, the degree ceremonials, and the social and athletic programs of a council enhances one's appreciation of what it means to be a Knight of Columbus.
From its very beginnings, the Knights of Columbus have been committed to Catholic family life, especially to meeting the needs of widows and orphans of members. Truly, the Knights of Columbus have been protecting families for generations through its programs.
Today the Knights of Columbus is in the forefront of organizations aiming to renew the family and reassert its primacy in these socially difficult and confusing times. Through varied programs of support for family life, the Knights of Columbus champions a model of family and marriage as taught by the Church.
**a majority of this content was taken with permission from the Knights of Columbus Council 7246 located in Newport, Oregon. You can find a link to their website on our links pages.***
