The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 in New Haven, Conn., by Fr. Michael McGivney, pastor of a parish in a working class section of the city. The young Fr. McGivney saw a need for a fraternal organization for working Catholic men, primarily factory workers, to provide them an opportunity for fellowship and activities as a means of strengthening their families, their Catholic faith and providing mutual support for the members. Fr. McGivney also identified a serious need for financial assistance for families where the husband/father, usually the only breadwinner in the family, was seriously injured or killed, on or off the job. To accomplish the latter, Fr. McGivney established an insurance fund, paid into by the members, for the financial security of members’ families.

Out of this small beginning, the Knights of Columbus has grown into an organization of 1.7 million members throughout the United States and with a strong presence in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and Poland. The Knights continue to promote the ideals of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism originally laid down by Fr. McGivney.

The Knights of Columbus insurance arm continues to receive the highest ratings from two national insurance rating companies and has more than $60 billion of coverage outstanding. There is, of course, no obligation on the part of any member to purchase insurance through the Knights, but Knights do well to consider this excellent program.

If you are a Catholic man and are visiting our website because you think you might be interested in the Knights, I encourage you to investigate further. We always are interested in men who would like to join a faith-filled, fraternal and service organization through which they can be of service to our church, our parishes and communities, and where they can enjoy the companionship of likeminded fellows.

I would be pleased to meet with you and your families to talk about the Knights and what we can offer. And be sure to check out our national and state websites for more information.

You can email me, Ken Madison Jr., at GrandKnight@koc6192.com.

Ken Madison Jr., Grand Knight