What do the Knights of Columbus DO?

I have been a Knight since 1989 and I can honestly say that I have never heard this question asked more often than I have in the last year. I have to believe this is a good omen due in part to the activity of our council here at IHM. First and foremost the Knights of Columbus is the oldest and largest Catholic Men’s Social Fraternity in the World. But to truly understand the Mission of the Knights of Columbus one must understand the plights facing Catholic Men in the late 1880’s at the time of the Knights inception.

The Knights of Columbus was founded by Fr. Michael McGivney in New Haven Connecticut in 1882. At that time the United States was undergoing dramatic changes. The Civil War was still fresh in the minds of the people. The emotional and physical toll the war had on the Country was changing almost ever aspect of American Life. The Pioneer way of living where a man worked for himself or lived off the land was giving way to the Industrial age. More and more men were working for a company in a factory setting earning a wage which allowed them to experience an increase in personal wealth. But lost was the power that a man had in setting his own hours and being in control. Many men of this time had a feeling of worthlessness and were searching for an identity.

In the 1880’s the country was also in the midst of a Catholic Immigration boom; especially Irish Catholics. The Catholic Immigrants were not welcomed additions to the population. In many regions Catholics were not allowed to purchase land and usually worked the most labor intensive and dangerous jobs. It was not unusual for the head of the house to be killed while working or be stricken with a deadly disease such as tuberculosis. This left a wife and children behind with no source of income or family to help. In these cases The Probate Courts would demand a bond be posted for each child to insure they would not be a bane to society. If no one stepped forward with the money, usually $1500.00 per child, the children would become wards of the state.

With the increased pressures placed upon the male and his ego there were an ever increasing number of secret societies cropping up. These societies gave the member a feeling of belonging and became sources of pride. The great fear within the Church was that these societies would separate the men from their Faith and their Families causing an erosion of both institutions. The Catholic Church therefore forbade Catholic men from joining such societies.

Father McGivney, a young Parish Priest felt there was a need to develop an organization centered on the Catholic Faith which could address the problems facing male parishioners:

“the loneliness that ran through displaced populations; the reassessment of the role of the family in the face of technological advances that progressively decreased reliance on group living; the pressure to judge self-worth purely on a monetary basis; the availability of low cost inebriants with the industrialization of breweries and distilleries and a transient societies tendency to undermine the adult sense of responsibility due to increasingly simple and acceptable options of moving far away from inconvenient obligations.” 1.

By forming the Knights of Columbus Fr. McGivney was able to prevent Catholic men from joining secret societies while simultaneously developing a support group for the members and offering affordable insurance benefits that helped with burial and financial assistance to the families of deceased members.

124 years later, many of the same issues face Catholic men and their Families and through it all the Knights of Columbus has continued to evolve to fulfill Fr. McGivney’s vision. The Knights continue to offer one of the finest Insurance programs in the Nation, rated AAA by Standard & Poor’s 14 years in a row.

This once benevolent organization has also developed a strong charitable aspect.

In the past decade the Knights of Columbus has donated 1.174 Billion dollars to various charities, 139 Million dollars and in excess of 560 Million hours volunteered in 2005 alone. The Supreme Council has donated 4.5 Million to victims of Katrina and is currently organizing volunteers to assist in the reconstruction of the Gulf States. Education on stem cell research, defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman and keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance are a sample of the issues the Knight’s of Columbus has supported.

Locally, the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Council here at IHM started 8 years ago by Joe Bishop has a membership approaching 100 men. You no doubt have heard about the Monthly Breakfast, the Super Bowl Party, seen the Knights collecting money at Kroger’s, working the Poker Tournaments, and this year holding the Italian Fest. But did you know that the money raised at these events supplemented the Youth Group’s Mission Trips and purchased a new projector and screen for the youth room; supported a First Theology Seminary Student at the Athenaeum; made donations to the Parish Festival, St. Rita’s School for the Deaf, Cincinnati Right to Life, The Thomas Wiley School & Clermont County Special Olympics to name just a few.

Despite all the fund-raising activities, the K of C is still a social organization which holds monthly family gatherings such as the Council Picnic and Christmas Brunch.

But at the Core that which bonds each member, despite differences in age & ethic origin, beyond the desire to perform charitable acts or interact socially is the deep faith in the Principles of the Catholic Church. Besides attending Mass together and praying the Rosary prior to Meetings, The Knights of this Council are also active in many Ministries here at IHM.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to Men at least 18 years of age who are Practical Catholics. All those interested in becoming a Knight should contact Chuck Blankenship, Membership Director. For more information visit our national website at www.kofc.org and our local site at www.ihmknights.org.

Sincerely,

David J. Marcon

Excerpted from Parish Priest by Douglas Brinkley and Julie M. Fenster 2006