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HISTORY OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
 On Oct.
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 29-year-old 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, 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 Christianity to the New World. Their efforts came to
fruition with the incorporation of the Knights of Columbus on March
29, 1882.
They were Knights of Columbus.
The Order has been called "the strong
right arm of the Church," and has been praised by popes, presidents
and other world leaders, for support of the Church, programs of
evangelization and Catholic education, civic involvement and aid to
those in need.
Father McGivney’s founding vision for the
Order also included a life insurance program to provide for the widows
and orphans of deceased members. The Order’s insurance program has
expanded substantially to serve more effectively the Knights’ growing
membership.
Year after year, the Knights of Columbus
has earned the highest possible quality ratings for financial
soundness from A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The Order provides the
highest quality insurance, annuity and long-term care products to its
members, along with many other fraternal benefits.
The Supreme Council is the governing body
of the Knights of Columbus and is responsible for the development of
the organization as a whole. Supreme Council duties include
establishing the Order in new regions and setting up regional
authorities, defining and advancing its values and goals, undertaking
organization-wide initiatives, promoting awareness of the Knights’
mission worldwide, and protecting the families of members through its
extensive insurance program. Members working in local, or subordinate
councils, however, carry on the majority of the Knights’ beneficial
work.
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