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History of the Knights
ORIGINS
 On
October 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 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 and 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 the Holy Faith to this New World. They were
Knights of Columbus.
 Through
the foresight and leadership of Father McGivney, and the
sacrifice and dedication of those early Knights, and the
millions of their brother who have followed in their footsteps,
the Knights of Columbus would become the world's foremost
Catholic fraternal benefit society, one that has helped millions
of Catholic families grow in their faith and defend their
beliefs. It has made its members better husbands, fathers, sons,
and citizens. It has helped families obtain economic security
and stability through the Knights' life insurance program. It
has built Catholic communities, fed the poor and defended the
vulnerable. It has helped to renovate the Vatican and bring the
Pope to the world.
CONTINUOUS GROWTH
Since it was
incorporated on March 29, 1882, the Knights of Columbus has
grown from several members in one council to more than 12,000
councils and over 1.6 million members throughout the United
States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, the Dominican Republic,
Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Guatemala,
Guam and Saipan. The Order has had several Supreme Knights—from
the first Supreme Knight, James T. Mullen, who designed the
famous emblem of the Order, to our current
Supreme Knight.
Millions of Catholic men have been Knights of Columbus—men of
all nationalities and backgrounds and professions—men like
baseball great Babe Ruth and President John F. Kennedy.
LOVE OF CHURCH AND COUNTRY
Charity, unity,
fraternity and patriotism—these are the watchwords of the
Knights of Columbus. And, since 1882, Knights of Columbus have
backed up these words with actions. During World War I, Supreme
Knight James A. Flaherty proposed to U.S. President Woodrow
Wilson that the Order establish soldiers' welfare centers in the
U.S. and abroad. The Order raised more than $14 million for this
program on its own, and was allocated another $30 million from a
national fund drive.
During the early years of World War II, Canadian
Knights set up similar soldiers' welfare centers in Canada. The
U.S. Knights were the first national organization to sponsor a
blood donor program, and numerous councils led war bond drives
in support of the war effort. Thousands of Knights were killed
in action during the war.
During the Cold War, Supreme Knight John E.
Swift oversaw the Order's varied responses to the Communist
threat, as the Knights operated speakers' bureaus, funded
anti-Communist advertisements and radio addresses, and published
pro-freedom pamphlets. In 1954, the Knights of Columbus led the
effort to officially include the words "under God" in the Pledge
of Allegiance to the American flag, a crusade that resulted in
federal legislation signed by U.S. President Dwight D.
Eisenhower.
In 1957, the Knights of Columbus donated a $1
million, 329-foot bell tower to the National Shrine of the
 Immaculate
Conception in Washington, DC—a tower that became known as "the
Knights' Tower." The Order has since donated a 56-bell carillon
to the Shrine and provided funding for its operation.
During the 1960s and 1970s, decades of
degeneration and social chaos, the Knights of Columbus, behind
Supreme Knight John McDevitt and Supreme Knight Virgil C.
Dechant, stood as a tower amidst societal crisis to promote
racial equality and love of country. Against a tide of
dissension, the Order championed Church teaching on divorce,
birth control, abortion, and pornography.
Knights of Columbus have helped to build and support the
Catholic Church, from the United States to the Philippines.
Knights have lived for their faith in Canada, and died for their
faith in Mexico. Throughout the history of the Order, in these
and many other ways, Knights of Columbus have provided
immeasurable support to their families and communities, to their
countries and the Church. The Knights of Columbus has enabled
its members to strengthen and protect their loved
ones—spiritually, by developing their faith, and financially,
with the highest quality life insurance available, a product
that has brought security and prosperity to millions of Knights
and their families.
Through their dedication to the ideals of the
Order—Charity, Unity, Fraternity, Patriotism—and through their
fidelity to Christ's Church and his Vicar, the Knights of
Columbus continue to be what they were called long ago: "The
Strong Right Arm of the Church."
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ARCHIVES
The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council
Archives exists to preserve the history of the Knights
of Columbus. The collection includes correspondence, pamphlets,
publications, programs, newspaper clippings and books relating
to the history of the Order. The collection focuses on Supreme
Council activities, but does contain some material relating to
state and local councils. Some topics relating to the Supreme
Council include anti-Catholicism such as the Mexican Persecution
and the Bogus Oath, the Historical Commission, the Roman
Playgrounds, the Oregon School Case, Columbian Squires, World
War I, Reconstruction, World War II, and the James Cardinal
Gibbons Memorial Statue papers. Material relating to the founder
Father Michael J. McGivney and St. Mary's Church are also
collected. The Archives includes material relating to the
Catholic Church as well as an over three hundred volume library
on Christopher Columbus and Columbus related materials such as
the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.
The Archives is located in New Haven,
Connecticut at the Supreme Council Headquarters. Access to the
archives is available by appointment and with the permission of
the Archivist. Some materials are restricted. The Archives is
usually open Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. It is
closed on major holidays.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MUSEUM
The Knights opened a
museum at their headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut
during the organization's 100th anniversary in August 1982.
The Museum is dedicated to the acquisition,
preservation, interpretation and exhibition of information and
materials deriving from or relevant to the history, formation
and activities of the Knights of Columbus. It also contains
material on the Catholic Church, Christopher Columbus, as well
as secular history in America. To view some of the exhibits,
visit the online tour of the Knights of Columbus Museum and view
the Gallery of Supreme Knights.
The Museum has grown over the years, and a
separate building is now being readied to house its expanded
operations. A grand opening at One State Street, where the
order's history will be showcased in an attractive setting and
interactive computer stations will enable research, is planned
by mid to late 2000. The old museum is currently closed while
exhibits are being transferred to the new building. In the
meantime, you can take a cyber-tour of the museum via the link
below.
Who Are These Knights
Founded by Father
Michael J. McGivney, curate at St. Mary's parish in New Haven,
Connecticut, the Knights of Columbus was chartered on March 29,
1882, in the State of Connecticut.
As the priest explained to a small group of men at a meeting in
the basement of St. Mary's Church in October 1881, his purpose
in calling them together was manifold: to help Catholic men
remain steadfast in their faith through mutual encouragement: to
promote closer ties of fraternity among them: and to set up an
elementary system of insurance sot hat the widows and children
of members in the group who might die would not find themselves
in dire financial straits.
The founder and first officers of the fledgling organization
chose the name "Knights of Columbus" because they felt
that, as a Catholic group, it should relate to Christopher
Columbus, the Catholic discoverer of America. This would
emphasize that it was Catholic who discovered, explored, and
colonized the North American continent. At the same time
"Knights" would signify that the membership embodied knightly
ideals of spirituality and service to Church, country and
fellowman.
By the end of 1897 the Order was thoroughly rooted in New
England, along the upper Atlantic seaboard and into Canada.
Within the next eight years it branched out from Quebec to
California, and from Florida to Washington.
From such promising beginnings Father McGivney's original group
has blossomed into an international society of more than 1.5
million Catholic men in nearly 10,000 councils who have
dedicated themselves to the ideals of Columbianism: Charity,
Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.
Today members of the Order are found in the United States,
Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama,
Cuba, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and the
Bahamas. They belong to many races and speak many different
languages. They are diverse, yet they are one. Their diversity
spells creativity: their unity spells strength.
The Knights' creativity is manifested in numerous programs and
projects directed to the benefit of their fellowman. Their
strength assures that these programs are operated effectively
and brought to positive conclusions.
Read more about
These Men They Call Knights
(PDF - 22 pages).
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