- The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal
organization in the U.S. known for charitable work, community service, and
supporting church activities.
On January 27, 1900, eighty Catholic gentlemen launched upon a fraternal and social mission. They obtained permission to organize a Council of Knights of Columbus to be named after the first Archbishop of New York, Reverend John Hughes. The Supreme Body of the Knights of Columbus granted a charter to this group of men under the title, Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of Street 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.
