Council #824 meets every second Thursday at 7pm in the Council Chambers
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family, fraternal, service organization reflecting four core principles:
- Charity
- Unity
- Fraternity
- Patriotism
On October 2, 1881, Father Michael J. McGivney, the 29-year-old assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, gathered a group of men at his parish and proposed establishing a lay organization to unite men of Catholic faith and to provide for the families of deceased members.
The Knights of Columbus was thereby founded so that men could work together to serve their parishes and communities, protect the well-being of their Catholic families, and support each other in faith and in many other ways along life’s journey. The Knights of Columbus offers its members the opportunity to grow in their faith through living the example of a charity that evangelizes and personifying what it means to be a Catholic gentleman through the practicing of good works.
In the ensuing 135 years, the Knights have grown to an international organization of more than 1.8 million Catholic men whose principal work involves helping others in need. In fact, on an annual basis, the Knights contribute over $170 million and more than 70 million hours to charitable projects.
The Knights have also grown to become one of the top rated insurance providers in the world, recently surpassing $100 Billion of life insurance in force. The foundation of this extraordinary achievement is the farsighted vision of Father McGivney who was motivated to serve and strengthen Catholic families, in part by protecting their financial well-being. Forged through his own personal experience and suffering, Father McGivney’s inspiration was to combine spiritual insights and practical considerations; in fact, he was himself the Order’s first insurance member.
Reflecting the moral teachings of the Catholic Church and upholding the four core principles in its good works, the Knights concentrate their efforts in six main program areas:
Church Community Council Family Culture of Life Youth
Our own Lady of Fatima, Council #824 at St. Dunstan’s was formed on December 12, 1903 becoming the
first Council to be established east of Montreal. Our Council’s record of service of over 110 years is exemplary and reflects an ongoing dedication to the Order’s core principles by an ever changing group of Catholic men.
Membership is open to practical Catholics 18 years or older. If you are interested in joining our brotherhood or finding out more about our good works, please contact our current Grand Knight, Des Fall at 902-892-1925.
We meet every second Thursday at 7PM in our Chambers in St. Dunstan’s Basilica.
For more information, please visit www.kofc.org