About Us

About the Knights of Columbus

Our Heritage 
Father Michael J. McGivney first invited a small group of parishioners to gather in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut back in1882. His goal was simple—to establish an Order that would unite men in their faith as well as help provide for Catholic families in times of need. It was from these humblest of beginnings that the Knights of Columbus was founded, guided by four core principles—charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.

These founding members strove to overcome the hardships of the time; poverty, unemployment, and even persecution. Father Michael J. McGivney’s perseverance and foresight have resulted in the largest Catholic fraternal and humanitarian organization ever created. The Knights of Columbus is an organization that has endured for well over a century because of the inspirational courage of so many men who have come before us. We would be remiss to forget our debt to them.

The Knights of Columbus are comprised of dedicated men—1.6 million members strong, and growing. An organization that, for over a century, has embodied the selflessness of man as it has helped overcome the problems of the world. Poverty, ignorance, and apathy are things which imperil not only a single individual, but the whole of humanity.

The Knights are men of good faith, built up of over 12,000 councils at home and overseas. We are guided not only by our belief in God and the Catholic Church, but by our belief in each other, and in ourselves. We are the Knights of Columbus. Believing that a man is defined by his actions as a follower of God, and as a leader in his community. We believe that a man is more than simply a man when he bears the title of “Knight.”

What we provide

SERVICE

Charity is the first principle of the Knights of Columbus. Knights are men who get things done. We volunteer our time to serve our parishes and our communities. And by working together, we were able to donate more than $1.4 billion and 664 million volunteer hours to worthy causes in the past decade.

SUPPORT

Unity and Fraternity are the second and third principles of the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus was founded so that men could work together to serve their parishes and communities, protect the well being of their Catholic families, and support each other in faith and in many other ways along life’s journey. The Knights of Columbus offers its members the opportunity to grow in their faith through living the example of a charity that evangelizes and personifying what it means to be a Catholic gentleman through the practicing of good works.

STABILITY

Knights and their families have exclusive access to our top quality insurance products. In fact, no insurer in North America is more highly rated than the Knights of Columbus. As an organization founded to protect the well being of Catholic families, we have continued to take that mission seriously for more than 130 years. Generations of Catholics have counted on the Knights of Columbus, and in an increasingly turbulent world,the Knights of Columbus can be trusted to affordably and securely protect the future of loved ones and to be there when we’re needed most.