Special to The Message
The founding day of the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, the Knights of Columbus, is March 29. Founded by Blessed Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 29, 1882, the organization was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus. In 2020, Pope Francis announced that Father McGivney would be beatified, the next step on the journey to sainthood.
Originally serving as a mutual benefit society to working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, the Knights of Columbus developed into a fraternal benefit society dedicated to providing charitable services, including war and disaster relief, actively defending Catholicism in various nations and promoting Catholic education. The Knights also support the Catholic Church’s positions on public policy issues, including various political causes.
There are at least 23 active Knights of Columbus Councils serving across the Diocese of Evansville. The first council founded within the Diocese was Council 565 in Evansville on April 14, 1901, according to Knight Mark Hackert. The larger the council number, the newer the council, Hackert explained.
In addition to St. Vincent de Paul, local Knights said area councils offer financial and volunteer support at their schools and parishes, Habitat for Humanity, Gibault School in Terre Haute, as well as many other services. Each council has its focus on who they serve.
Membership in the Knights of Columbus is limited to practicing Catholic men aged 18 or older. Around the world, there are nearly two million members across more than 16,000 councils. The order is devoted to four different degrees, each exemplifying a different principle: charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.
Pope John Paul II referred to the order as the “strong right arm of the Church” for their support of the church, as well as for their philanthropic and charitable efforts.
The Knights of Columbus Founders Day is observed to honor and remember how important Knights are to communities and parishes, according to the K of C website.
K of C Councils Serving within the Diocese of Evansville include:
Council 10257, St. Clement Parish in Boonville
Council 13623, Good Shepherd of the Hills in Celestine
Council 565, St. Boniface Parish in Evansville
Council 7544, St. Benedict Cathedral Parish in Evansville
Council 12541, Holy Redeemer Parish in Evansville
Council 14659, St. John the Evangelist Parish in Daylight
Council 14673, Good Shepherd Parish in Evansville
Council 15092, Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Evansville
Council 14555, St. Ferdinand in Ferdinand
Council 2215, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Haubstadt
Council 13086, St. Mary Parish in Huntingburg
Council 5581, St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in Ireland
Council 1584, Jasper
Council 6679, Linton
Council 732, Loogootee
Council 16454, Auxilio Council in Mt. Vernon
Council 8746, St. John the Baptist Parish in Newburgh
Council 1131, Princeton
Council 11165, Rockport
Council 15777, St. Anthony of Padua in St. Anthony
Council 13504, Holy Trinity in Santa Claus
Council 712, Vincennes
Council 630, Washington
For more information on the Knights of Columbus, visit www.kofc.org.