The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic
family fraternal service organization that was formed to organize the “able and
willing” in assisting those in need. Today the Knights of Columbus contribute
time and energy worldwide to service in communities and parishes. 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.
History:
The Knights of Columbus Order was started by a young
Catholic priest (Father Michael J. McGiveney) who had the first meeting in the
basement of St. Mary’s Church on Oct 2, 1881, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Father McGivney and the first members were bound together by
the ideal of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas, the one
whose hand brought Christianity to the New World. Their efforts came to
fruition with the incorporation of the Knights of Columbus as an Order, on
March 29, 1882.
Now, the Knights of Columbus has grown from several members
in one council to more than1 2,000 councils and 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.
As the Order has grown, its benevolence has increased. The
Order continues to break all of its previous records for charitable contributions and
volunteer service. In the past decade, the Knights have raised and donated nearly $1
billion to numerous charitable causes and volunteered nearly 400 million hours of service.
Last year alone, the Knights donated more than $125 million and more than 60 million
volunteer hours to charitable causes.
For more information about the Knights Of Columbus and it’s
workings, please refer to www.kofc.org or contact us at info@kofc7599.org
