The Knights of Columbus is an international Catholic family fraternal service organization with nearly 1.6 million members in more than 12,000 local councils.  Last year, Knights donated 55 million volunteer hours and more than $110 million to charitable and benevolent causes, sponsoring projects to benefit their church, councils, communities, families and youth.  In many Catholic parishes, a good number of the men who are active and involved are Knights.

     Our order was founded on March 29, 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney to provide financial assistance for widows and orphans of deceased parishioners.  It has grown to an international order which provides  support for our Church and charities, and meets its original objective through its highly rated insurance company.

     The Knights of Columbus are dedicated to four principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and  Patriotism. 

Charity is the first principle of our order.

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FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY

RED is then the symbol of FAITH, of belief in Christ, in the Redemptive and in the mission of every man to spread the knowledge and love of Christ. White is the color of the Eucharistic Host, pledge of God's Eucharistic presence among men, of the infinite love God had for man and of the overwhelming affection which the God-man had for each individual. WHITE is then the symbol of Christ-like CHARITY. Blue is the color of Our Lady's mantle in which She draped her beloved Son, through Whom salvation came to a sinful world. BLUE is then the symbol of HOPE.

 

The Emblem of the Order

The Emblem of the Order dates from the second Supreme meeting, May 12, 1883, when it was designed by James T. Mullen, who was the first Supreme Knight. A quick glance at the emblem indicates a shield mounted upon a Cross of Malta. The shield is that associated with a medieval knight. The CROSS of MALTA is the representation in a traditionally artistic design of the Cross of Christ through which all graces of redemption were procured for mankind. This, then, represents the Catholic spirit of the Order. Mounted on the shield are three objects, a MACE standing vertically, and crossed behind it, an ANCHOR and a DAGGER or short sword. The Mace from Roman days is symbolic of authority which must exit in any tightly-bonded and efficiently operating organization. The Anchor is the mariner's symbol for Columbus, Patron of the Order, while the short sword or Dagger was the weapon of the Knight when engaged upon an errand of mercy. Thus, the shield expresses Catholic Knighthood in organized merciful action with the letters K of C, it proclaims this specific from of activity.

 

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