Frequently Asked Questions about the Knights of Columbus.

What is the Knights of Columbus?
The Knights of Columbus is an international Catholic lay society, best described as a Catholic family fraternal service organization. Begun over a century ago as a men’s fraternal benefit society, it has evolved into a service organization with a strong family orientation. The Knights of Columbus is present in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, and several other countries. Its many programs and activities benefit members and their families, while aiding the Catholic Church and the community at large.

When and why did the Knights of Columbus begin?

On October 2, 1881, Father Michael J. McGivney, 29-year-old assistant pastor at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., brought together a group of laymen with whom he discussed his dream for a Catholic fraternal benefit society. It not only would assist widows and orphans of deceased members through its life insurance program, but also would boost members’ sense of pride in their Catholic religion, then frequently challenged in the anti-Catholic climate of 19th-century America. Father McGivney and his associates met several more times over the next several months to continue planning, and the new organization — the Knights of Columbus — was formally launched in early February, 1882. After 113 years the Knights of Columbus numbers over 1.5 million members whose concern for others has produced an outpouring of personal service and financial assistance to religious and community programs where the Order’s 10,000 units are present.

Why the name?

The founders chose Christopher Columbus as patron of the new organization to emphasize Catholic contributions to the exploration and evangelization of the Americas. Calling the members ‘Knights’ signified a commitment to high ideals of religious devotion and service to others.

How is the membership distributed and organized?
About 1.2 million of the more than 1.5 million Knights of Columbus are the United States, with the rest in Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, and several Central American and Caribbean countries. In terms of level of membership, all members have reached at least the ‘First Degree’ and most are ‘Third Degree’ members. For those who wish to participate, there also is a Fourth Degree, whose members make a special commitment to the virtue of patriotism. (Members of Fourth Degree Honor Guards in their colorful regalia of plumed hats and capes are a distinctive feature of many major Catholic ceremonies.) While only men are members of the K of C, in countless cases the families of members are active in its programs as well. The Knights of Columbus is organized into local units called councils. (The local unit of the Fourth Degree is called an assembly.) Councils vary greatly in size, from a few dozen members to hundreds. Many operate within individual parishes, while others draw members from several neighboring parishes. These local units are grouped at the state level under a state council. The international governing body, the Supreme Council, has its headquarters in New Haven. The Knights of Columbus also has a youth organization, the Columbian Squires, whose local units are called circles. (K of C councils in many places also sponsor Scout troops.)

What do the Knights of Columbus do?
While the fundamental religious, civic, and humanitarian purposes of the organization, described above, are the same everywhere, their concrete, programmatic expressions vary substantially from community to community. A typical Knights of Columbus council has a year-round program of religious, service, and social activities tailored to local circumstances and the interests of members and their families. Some councils have their own clubhouses, others don’t. In all cases councils seek to respond to local Church and civic needs. The activities of a typical council might include such things as distributing food to the needy, conducting sports programs for youth, running a low-cost housing program, hosting a fundraiser for a family with heavy medical bills, painting classrooms in the parish school, and so on. In recent years, support of programs for the developmentally disabled has been a priority for many councils. Knights of Columbus are also active in promoting and supporting vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and provide assistance for the higher education of young people through scholarship and student loan programs. In sum, the K of C is a leader in the volunteer movement in the United States and other countries where it exists.

Is it true that the Knights paid for renovating the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome?
Correct. With financial assistance from the Knights, the facade of St. Peter’s was repaired in a 20-month project completed in 1987. The organization also has funded other restoration work in the Basilica, most recently including repairs to the roof of its Blessed Sacrament Chapel. That is only part of the story of the Order’s support of the Pope and the Holy See. In 1981 the Knights established a trust fund — the Vicarius Christi (Vicar of Christ) Fund — whose proceeds go annually to the Holy Father for his personal charities. For 20 years the K of C has paid uplink costs of satellite telecasts that carry papal ceremonies like the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass to viewers in the United States and many other countries. It also has paid for the purchase of equipment used by the Vatican Television Center, and has given financial assistance to other offices and agencies of the Holy See. 

How do men join the Knights of Columbus?
A man applying for membership must be a practicing Catholic, at least 18 years of age, in union with the Holy See.

Those interested in applying should contact a local Knights of Columbus council.