On Oct. 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 29-year-old 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. 

Father McGivney dedicated his life to the spiritual and physical welfare of others, creating the Knights of Columbus to provide insurance for the protection of widows and orphans, and the spiritual benefit of its members and families. Today, a growing number of schools, medical centers and social service agencies named for him associate their work with his charisma, and the Knights of Columbus insures the lives of more than 1.2 million men, women and children.

But beyond charitable works, Father McGivney wanted each Knight's heart and mind attuned to greater love of God and his Son, both within the Church and within the family. That is his spiritual legacy.

Through the Knights, Father McGivney sought to form young Catholic men into good spouses and fathers. He has become known as Apostle to the Young and Defender of Christian Family Life. He saw strong families as the foundation of his parish, of the Church and of society at large. He was convinced that the Catholic layman had a unique role in influencing society and promoting the values found in what Pope John Paul II has since named the Culture of Life and Civilization of Love. Father McGivney did not use the vocabulary of the 21st century, but he espoused the same Gospel values that Catholics affirm today.

Increasingly, Church leaders realize that part of Father McGivney's spiritual genius is that nearly a century before the Second Vatican Council addressed the important role of the laity in the Church, Father McGivney built a way for laymen to make a substantial and enduring contribution to their parishes, communities and physical and spiritual security of their families. And he saw that by doing so one parish and community at a time, Catholic families could help build a better world.  He was a man ahead of his time.

Click here to view a chronological history of the Knights of Columbus and their faith in action.

SUPREME KNIGHT PROMOTES KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN POLAND

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson recently traveled to Poland  to meet with Polish Knights and to promote the recent publication of the Polish edition of his bestseller A Civilization of Love. The Supreme Knight also appeared live on a popular television talk show promoting the Knights of Columbus.

LEGISLATIVE ATTACK ON CONNECTICUT'S CATHOLIC CHURCH POSES THREAT TO ALL CHURCHES

The Connecticut legislation that proposed to strip administrative authority from Catholic priests and bishops has clearly woken a “sleeping giant” – the state’s Catholic population. Bishops from the state’s three dioceses, along with other speakers, including Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, addressed a crowd of more than 5,000 Catholics and others concerned for religious freedom in Hartford, CT on Wednesday, March 11, 2009.  

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FATHERS ARE ESSENTIAL

In keeping with a longstanding commitment to build stronger marriages and families, the Knights of Columbus launched a new initiative at the 126th Supreme Council Meeting, called Fathers for Good. The centerpiece of the initiative is an interactive Web site, www.fathersforgood.org. The theme for the launch of the Web site is “A Father’s Identity,” which offers men resources on how to build a strong, loving and confident identity in a culture that often does not value fatherhood or masculine virtues. The Web site also offers sections on male spirituality and building a better relationship with God, topics that are often overlooked on other male-oriented sites.

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Last modified: 06/26/09

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