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Founded
by father Michael J. McGivney, curate at St. Mary's parish in New
Haven, Conn. the Knights of Columbus was chartered on March 29, 1882,
in the state of Connecticut.
The Knights of Columbus is a
Fraternal organization of Catholic Men like yourself, based on the
principles of "Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism". The primary objective of the council
is to promote "Christian Family Values" through active sponsorship and
participation in "Church, Civic and Youth Activities".
By the
end of 1897 the Order was thoroughly rooted in New England, along the
upper Atlantic Seaboard and into Canada. Within the next eight years
it branched out from Quebec to California and from Florida to
Washington.
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The Knights of Columbus
Is the world's largest Catholic
family fraternal service organization with nearly 1.7 million
members. It provides members and their families with
volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church,
their communities, families and young people.
Membership
Benefits
As a member of the Knights of Columbus you and your
family enjoy many benefits, including 12 free issues
annually of the Columbia magazine, the world's largest Catholic family magazine,
eligibility to join the Knights of Columbus top-ranked
life insurance program,
and many more family and personal benefits.
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Charity
The love of man for his fellow man; an act of goodwill; benevolence; a
giving of help, such as money, talent or time, to those in need.
Catholic, Protestant or Jew; believer or non-believer; black, white or
yellow; from here to elsewhere, the St. Katharine Drexel council 14212
of the Knights of Columbus is here to help those less fortunate than
ourselves.
Unity
The state of being one;
united, oneness; continuity of purpose; an arrangement of parts that
will produce a single harmonious effect. But, "Unity" also implies
having common beliefs and supporting common causes. One of the key
issues the council has supported is the "Right to Life" movement. The
efforts for the St. Katharine Drexel council, along with other councils
of the Knights of Columbus, has resulted in a 32% decrease in the
number of abortions in the past ten years.
However, the most obvious example of "Unity" is demonstrated by the way the Knights of
Columbus work together to accomplish their many goals. The knights of
the council constantly work together to plan, coordinate and complete
numerous fund raisers throughout the year. Their efforts are key to
the success of the council's ability to support various charitable
causes and activities.
Fraternity and Patriotism
Fraternity:
Fraternal relationship; brotherliness; a group of men joined together
by a common interest for fellowship; a group of people with the same
beliefs, interest, work, etc. Patriotism: Love and support of one's country. Saint.
Katharine Drexel Knights of Columbus is not only a fraternal
organization dedicated to the ideals of "Christian Family Values", but
also supports the ideals of the "United States of America". this
completes the traditional theme of "God and Country". While not a
radical religious organization trying to impose its religious values on
others, the council actively believes all Americans are responsible for
the actions of their government. And in times of national crises, the
council will encourage the government to seek negotiated settlements
when possible, and will support the men and women of the armed forces
who have willingly volunteered to defend our nation and the cause of
freedom worldwide.
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Why should I join the Knights of Columbus?
The answer is quite simple, we need your help. The St. Katharine Drexel Knights
of Columbus is one of the most active in the state of Florida, and we
come from one of the newer parishes. But as we have shown, we can't do
it without the support of the parish family. By joining the Knights of
Columbus, you can accomplish three things:
You'll formalize your commitment to help. Many of you help already and
the council gratefully acknowledges the support. But the more of us we
have working together, the more we can accomplish and the easier it
will be.
You'll get a feeling of belonging to a group of like-minded men. The
men and their families that are active within your council work well
together. They gain an opportunity to meet new people, and establish
new friendships. These new relationships only increase the feeling of
belonging within the parish family and add warmth to your presence in
church. This is important as our community continues to grow, and along
with it, our parish.
You'll have an opportunity to obtain additional financial security for
your family. Financial security is available through the Knights of
Columbus insurance program. Increased support for your family is a
bonus that comes from the fraternal aspect of the organization.
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| Who can join the Knights of Columbus?
The Knights of Columbus is open to all Catholic men age 18 and older, who are active practicing Catholics. Your local chapter has members ranging is age from their late teens to early seventies.
By active practicing Catholics, we mean men who regularly attend church and celebrate the Sacraments of the mass.
What does it cost me to join?
There is a one-time administrative fee of $5.00 and annual dues of $35.00. The administrative fee and the first years dues must be paid prior to being inducted in the local council. If you cannot afford to pay the dues and administrative fee, they can be waived with the concurrence of the council.
The purchase of low-cost group or whole life insurance for the Knights of Columbus is encouraged, but not required for membership.
Besides the monthly meetings, what am I committed to support?
Obviously we would like all of our members to actively support as many of our activities as possible. But all of us have jobs, many of us travel, and most of us have families to support.
Therefore, the St. Katharine Drexel Knights of Columbus only asks that you "help with what you can, when you can". If each member of the council would support just one of the fund raising or charitable activities a year, the work load would be distributed over a large number of men and their families.
In terms of hours committed, the council may ask you to assist once or twice a year for five or six hours at a time.
But there are other ways you can contribute to the efforts of the council. These may include building something at home that the council needs to support their activities, or repairing a piece of hardware that has worn out. Or it could be something as enjoyable as a Saturday golf outing, or helping with the "Children Christmas Party".
The bottom line is that " we only ask you to help with what you can". That is what working together is all about. And it is this attitude of working together to help others that has made the St. Katharine Drexel Knights of Columbus the success that it is today.
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