KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS – COUNCIL 7624

IT ALL STARTED WHEN…

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature, on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity, and fraternity.

The Knights were formed to render financial aid to members and their families. 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.

The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world’s foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity, and long-term care programs. It has contributed time and energy worldwide to service communities.

The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more than 15,100 councils and 1.9 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea.

http://www.kofc.org/en//index.html

WHAT WE DO

From the moment of our founding in 1882, the charity has been the first principle of the Knights of Columbus. We are men of faith and men of action.

In 2014, we set new records in charitable giving for the 16th consecutive year. Our charitable contributions increased in 2014 by more than $3.4 million over the previous year to a record $173,550,680. In addition, we achieved our highest level of charitable service, volunteering more than 71.5 million hours. The number of service hours contributed by members rose in 2014 by more than a million hours over the 2013 total, with each member donating nearly a full workweek on average.

Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national, and international projects. From international charitable partnerships with Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair Mission, and Habitat for Humanity to our own Food for Families and Coats for Kids projects and other purely local charities, the opportunity to work together with fellow Knights and their families is virtually endless.

We undertake these acts of charity because we see those in need through the eyes of faith. Moreover, in the Knights of Columbus, we approach these acts of charity together. Pope Benedict XVI calls this the “practice of love…as a community.”

If you’d like to be a part of an international organization of more than 1.9 million Catholic men whose principal work involves helping others in need, we’d like to meet you and invite you to join us!

grandknight7624@gmail.com

In 1882, Father Michael J. McGivney gathered a small group of parishioners in St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn. His purpose was to establish a group of men united in their faith and to provide for Catholic families in times of need. This was the beginning of the Knights of Columbus.

Guided by the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, members of the Knights of Columbus work to overcome the hardships that people face in their parishes and communities. We are a growing organization – more than 1.9 million members – and for over 130 years, have committed to overcoming the challenges of the need for food, shelter, warm clothing, and financial security, as well as providing aid for widows and orphans in our local communities.

Joining your local council of the Knights of Columbus can change your life. As a Knight, you have the opportunity to strengthen your parish, give back to your community, grow in your faith, and gain exclusive access to our portfolio of top-rated insurance products to protect your family financially.

Joining your local council does not mean that you need to sacrifice quality time with your family. Volunteering an hour here or an hour there – with your family – can make an enormous difference in your life and in the lives of others.

If you’re interested in helping those in need in your parish and community, strengthening your parish and your familial relationships, growing in your faith, and gaining exclusive access to top-rated insurance protection for you and your family, then consider joining the Knights of Columbus council associated with your parish.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.