Join the Knights of Columbus

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to practical Catholic men in union with the Holy See, who are at least 18 years old. A practical Catholic is one who lives up to the Commandments of God and the precepts of the Church. Application blanks are available from any member of the Knights of Columbus.

All priests and religious brothers having duly made application for membership and participated in the ceremonials become honorary life members of the Order and are exempt from payment of dues.

Candidates join local units, called "councils," most of which are based in one Catholic parish, or in the community at large. The candidate takes part in initiation degrees that explain the Knights of Columbus' four principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.

A candidate is considered a "Knight" after taking his First Degree, but he is encouraged to advance through the Second and Third Degrees and on to the Fourth Degree, whose members promote the virtue of patriotism by serving in honor guards, color corps and promoting respect for country and the flag.

Knights of Columbus have a proud heritage. The qualified Catholic man can share in this heritage and build for an even greater future by affiliating himself with this forceful, effective fraternal organization.

COLLEGE COUNCILS AND THE COLUMBIAN SQUIRES
In addition to the regular councils of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights sponsor college councils which enlist the enthusiasm of college and university students in Catholic devotions and service projects to their local communities. The college councils train the young men to be leaders of tomorrow, and many of the current leaders in the Knights of Columbus come from the college council ranks. To support and encourage these councils, each year the Supreme Council hosts a College Council Conference in New Haven.

Under the guidance of Christian Brother Barnabas McDonald (1865-1929), the first Columbian Squires circle was instituted in 1925. Membership in the Squires is for Catholic boys between the ages of 12 and 17. As of June 1999, the Columbian Squires has 25,234 members in 1166 circles, located in the U.S., Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. Squires' activities are many, varying from spiritual to active service for the Church and community. Each circle elects officer members from their own rank, teaching skills of leadership and responsibility. The year 2000 marks the 75th anniversary of the Squires — 75 years of providing support to thousands of young men on their way to adulthood.

Service to the Community

Volunteerism informed by Christian concern is the hallmark of the Knights of Columbus and results in outstanding contributions of time and talent to the Catholic Church, our communities, families, young people and brother Knights through the "Surge...with Service" program.

Much of the success for the Order's volunteer record can be attributed to the fact that the Supreme Council does not mandate participation in any volunteer initiative. Fraternal and charitable programs arise at the grassroots level to meet the needs of local parishes and communities.

PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES
The Knights of Columbus champions life from conception to natural death. The Order supports the Church in its work to defend human life, conducts education programs for its members and the public, provides financial assistance to national and local right-to-life groups, and prays for the protection of life. The Order prints and distributes millions of pieces of pro-life literature at no charge. Its most recent publication is a study guide to Pope John Paul II's pro-life encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), found in the Faith section of this site, along with Pope Paul VI's important and prophetic encyclical, Humanae Vitae. Also, see these important pro-life links.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS
The Knights of Columbus supports the New Haven World Games, Special Olympics and other programs for people with mental retardation. Individual Knights serve as trainers, coaches, officials and in any other capacity needed at international, state and local Special Olympics games. In 1999, the Order raised and donated more than $17.8 million to benefit people with mental retardation and programs supporting them.

HEALTH PROGRAMS
Knights of Columbus members participate in a variety of health service programs. Councils regularly join in national programs to bring public attention to heart disease and the dangers of smoking and alcohol and drug abuse. Members help raise money for medical research in a variety of areas. In 1999, Knights at all levels of the organization reported raising nearly $4 million for health and service organziations and hospitals.

Knights throughout the world organize and conduct blood drives. In 1999 they reported nearly 370,000 blood donors at Knights of Columbus-sponsored blood drives. Knights and their families regularly volunteer at veterans' hospitals, hospices and other health care facilities.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
Members' civic involvement comes in many forms. Councils and assemblies run campaigns urging citizens to vote. Knights take part in community recreation programs, patriotic observances, penal reform programs and cultural activities. K of C councils regularly recognize outstanding civil servants, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and others in their communities by presenting them with certificates of merit.

DECENCY
The Knights of Columbus has been at the forefront of efforts to stem the flood of pornography engulfing our culture. Councils promote programs to inform people of the dangers of pornography and report violations of community standards to those responsible for enforcing existing laws.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Knights of Columbus members regularly participate in and sponsor programs aimed at combatting substance abuse. Councils work with local police, youth groups and other organizations to conduct educational programs on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. The Supreme Council also offers posters on alcohol abuse awareness to local councils for community projects. Members also participate in programs that publicize the dangers of drunk driving.

Spiritual Activities
The Knights of Columbus encourages the spiritual growth and personal holiness of each of its members, and each Knight in turn strives to perfect his own spirit as well as those of his brother members. Participation in Church ceremonies, prayer, and charitable works allows the Knights to work for the Church in many different ways. These ideals are even represented in music used at Knight functions, including many Christian hymns, such as Faith of Our Fathers. A few of the ways members serve the Church are:

VATICAN/CHURCH SUPPORT
Support for the Holy Father and the Church universal takes many forms. At the request of Pope John Paul II, the Knights of Columbus financed the restoration of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City between 1985 and 1987. Visitors to the Supreme Council office in New Haven can tour a display that highlights this effort to renew one of Christendom's and Western culture's most important structures. In 1999 the Knights volunteered 25.7 million hours of service and raised and distributed more than $33 million to the Catholic Church.

RESTORATION OF ATRIUM OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA
When architects and engineers studied the Maderno Atrium of St. Peter's Basilica in 1998, they found that climatic conditions, pollution and termites had made restoration necessary. The atrium is an historic extension of the nave of St. Peter's, designed by Carlo Maderno in 1605, through which all visitors pass. It is considered one of Rome's most beautiful architectural works, and it includes 32 statues by the master sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Because prompt restoration is required, the Knights of Columbus have stepped in to fund the restoration so that it can be completed in time for the Great Jubilee.

For more than 100 years the Knights of Columbus has provided financing for church development projects. The loans are available to dioceses, parishes, catholic schools and hospitals or any other Catholic facility. Once a loan is approved it can be used to replace a bank construction loan. These loans not only offer attractive rates, but also feature maturities up to 20 years. There are no points and no hidden charges.

You will need the following prior to the application process: approval and guarantee of the loan by your diocese or religious order and sufficient real estate so that the loan-to-value amount does not exceed 75%. The Knights will also consider unsecured loans.

Please contact the ChurchLoan Department for more information on this service from the Knights of Columbus.

'KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS'
Each year the Knights of Columbus supports the "Keep Christ in Christmas" campaign to remind people that Christmas is above all else a holy day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. To help deliver the "Keep Christ in Christmas" message, the Order offers a variety of posters and other materials as well as public service announcements (PSAs) for radio and television. Local K of C councils also participate in "Light Up for Christ" ceremonies, in which councils throughout the Order simultaneously illuminate Nativity scenes and Christmas trees on the first Tuesday in December.

ROSARY PROGRAM
The Knights of Columbus is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Order fosters devotion to Our Lady and, in particular, encourages its members and their families to pray the rosary as often as possible.

Every new member of the Knights of Columbus receives a rosary. Each month through this program thousands of rosaries, which have been blessed by the Order's supreme chaplain, Bishop Thomas V. Daily of Brooklyn, New York, are distributed. In addition, the Supreme Council office offers rosary prayer cards, audio cassettes featuring the praying of the rosary and booklets on this devotion.

MARIAN HOUR OF PRAYER PROGRAM
The Knights of Columbus has sponsored Marian Hour of Prayer programs since 1979. As part of this program the Order distributes pilgrim icons depicting Mary under her various titles, which travel on a year-long journey from council to council in each of the Order's jurisdict throughout the world. These Marian icons serve as the focal point for prayer services held in council homes, churches or other locations. More than 10,851,768 people have participated in more than 68,989 prayer services since the program began.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH
St. Mary's Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, is the church of the city's original Catholic congregation. The parishioners' first church burned down in 1834. The current church was dedicated in 1874. Burdened by a $150,000 debt, the original plans for a steeple were left on the drawing board.

Since it is the birthplace of the Knights of Columbus, the Supreme Council helps maintain and update the church as needed. Over a four-year period from 1981 to 1984, the Knights completed a top-to-bottom renovation of the church. In 1986, the Order added a 179-foot steeple to the church and a three-bell carillon installed. Occasional restoration projects have been undertaken since then as part of the Order's efforts to maintain the beauty of the church, which is the final resting place for Father Michael J. McGivney, the Order's founder. Use the link below to take a pictorial tour of this beautifully renovated Church.

History of the Knights

ORIGINS
On October 2, 1881, a small group of men met in the basement of St. Mary's Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. Called together by their parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, these men formed a fraternal society that would one day become the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. They sought strength in solidarity, and security through unity of purpose and devotion to a holy cause: they vowed to be defenders of their country and their families and their Faith. These men were bound together by the ideal of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas, the one whose hand brought the Holy Faith to this New World. They were Knights of Columbus.

Through the foresight and leadership of Father McGivney, and the sacrifice and dedication of those early Knights, and the millions of their brother who have followed in their footsteps, the Knights of Columbus would become the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society, one that has helped millions of Catholic families grow in their faith and defend their beliefs. It has made its members better husbands, fathers, sons, and citizens. It has helped families obtain economic security and stability through the Knights' life insurance program. It has built Catholic communities, fed the poor and defended the vulnerable. It has helped to renovate the Vatican and bring the Pope to the world.

CONTINUOUS GROWTH
Since it was incorporated on March 29, 1882, the Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more than 12,000 councils and over 1.6 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. The Order has had thirteen Supreme Knights—from the first Supreme Knight, James T. Mullen, who designed the famous emblem of the Order, to our current Supreme Knight, Carl A. Anderson, who leads the Order across the threshold of the 21st century. Millions of Catholic men have been Knights of Columbus—men of all nationalities and backgrounds and professions—men like baseball great Babe Ruth and President John F. Kennedy.

LOVE OF CHURCH AND COUNTRY
Charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism—these are the watchwords of the Knights of Columbus. And, since 1882, Knights of Columbus have backed up these words with actions. During World War I, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty proposed to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson that the Order establish soldiers' welfare centers in the US and abroad. The Order raised more than $14 million for this program on its own, and was allocated another $30 million from a national fund drive.

During the early years of World War II, Canadian Knights set up similar soldiers' welfare centers in Canada. The US Knights were the first national organization to sponsor a blood donor program, and numerous councils led war bond drives in support of the war effort. Thousands of Knights were killed in action during the war.

During the Cold War, Supreme Knight John E. Swift oversaw the Order's varied responses to the Communist threat, as the Knights operated speakers' bureaus, funded anti-Communist advertisements and radio addresses, and published pro-freedom pamphlets. In 1954, the Knights of Columbus led the effort to officially include the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, a crusade that resulted in federal legislation signed by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1957, the Knights of Columbus donated a $1 million, 329-foot bell tower to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC—a tower that became known as "the Knights' Tower." The Order has since donated a 56-bell carillon to the Shrine and provided funding for its operation.

During the 1960s and 1970s, decades of degeneration and social chaos, the Knights of Columbus, behind Supreme Knight John McDevitt and Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant, stood as a tower amidst societal crisis to promote racial equality and love of country. Against a tide of dissension, the Order championed Church teaching on divorce, birth control, abortion, and pornography.

Since the late 1970s, Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant led the Knights to record-breaking growth in all areas of the Order's operations: membership, new council development, international development, insurance sales, volunteerism and charitable giving. He fostered devotion to the Church and the Blessed Mother, and pledged the Knights' support for the Holy Father, the cardinals, bishops and all the clergy and religious. In 2000 the current Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson was elected to office.

Continuing the tradition of devotion to the Church and the Blessed Mother, he rededicated the Order to its role as "strong right arm of the Church" in the renewal of society. He especially promised new vigor in the fight for the culture of life over the culture of death as the Order moves into the 21st century.

Knights of Columbus have helped to build and support the Catholic Church, from the United States to the Philippines. Knights have lived for their faith in Canada, and died for their faith in Mexico. Throughout the history of the Order, in these and many other ways, Knights of Columbus have provided immeasurable support to their families and communities, to their countries and the Church. The Knights of Columbus has enabled its members to strengthen and protect their loved ones—spiritually, by developing their faith, and financially, with the highest quality life insurance available, a product that has brought security and prosperity to millions of Knights and their families.

Through their dedication to the ideals of the Order—Charity, Unity, Fraternity, Patriotism—and through their fidelity to Christ's Church and his Vicar, the Knights of Columbus continue to be what they were called long ago: "The Strong Right Arm of the Church."

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ARCHIVES
The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council Archives exists to preserve the history of the Knights of Columbus. The collection includes correspondence, pamphlets, publications, programs, newspaper clippings and books relating to the history of the Order. The collection focuses on Supreme Council activities, but does contain some material relating to state and local councils. Some topics relating to the Supreme Council include anti-Catholicism such as the Mexican Persecution and the Bogus Oath, the Historical Commission, the Roman Playgrounds, the Oregon School Case, Columbian Squires, World War I, Reconstruction, World War II, and the James Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Statue papers. Material relating to the founder, Father Michael J. McGivney, and St. Mary's Church are also collected. The Archives includes material relating to the Catholic Church as well as an over four hundred volume library on Christopher Columbus and Columbus related materials such as the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.

The Archives is located in New Haven, Connecticut in the Knights of Columbus Museum at 1 State Street. Access to the archives is available by appointment and with the permission of the Archivist. Some materials are restricted. The Archives is usually open Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. It is closed on major holidays. E-Mail Susan.Brosnan@kofc-supreme.com.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MUSEUM
The Knights opened a museum at their headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut during the organization's 100th anniversary in August 1982. The Museum has grown over the years, and is now housed in a separate building. The grand opening of the Knights of Columbus Museum at One State Street, New Haven took place on March 8, 2001. The Order's history is now showcased in an attractive setting, and interactive computer stations enable visitors to conduct research.

The Museum is dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of information and materials deriving from or relevant to the history, formation and activities of the Knights of Columbus. It also contains material on the Catholic Church and Christopher Columbus, as well as secular history in America. You can take a cyber-tour of the museum and view the Gallery of Supreme Knights via the link below. We soon will be updating our cyber-tour to allow you to see displays from the expanded facilities.

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