Knights of Columbus



Mission
The Knights of Columbus was established in 1882 to provide a means by which Catholic men could support the Catholic Church, provide financial protection to protect their families, and engage in works of charity to benefit the less fortunate. Today, its nearly 1.8 million members make up the largest Catholic lay organization in the world, its insurance program has $74 billion of life insurance in force, and last year Knights donated more than $150 million and volunteered 68 million hours of their time to charity. From helping children in need to providing wheelchairs for the physically disabled and support for the intellectually handicapped, from helping to stock food banks to offering top-rated and affordable life insurance to its members, the Knights has been at the service of the communities in which we live and the needy around the world for more than 127 years.


Description
Late-19th century Connecticut was marked by the growing prevalence of fraternal benefit societies, hostility toward Catholic immigrants and dangerous working conditions in factories that left many families fatherless. Recognizing a vital, practical need in his community, Father Michael J. McGivney, the 29-year-old assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., gathered a group of men at his parish on Oct. 2, 1881. He proposed establishing a lay organization to unite men of Catholic faith and to provide for the families of deceased members.

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity.


Byron Council - Father Paul Kunkel Council 4739
Byron has an active Knights of Columbus Organization who serves and supports our parishes and surrounding communities.  The Council meets on the 1st Tuesday of Month of the month in the Knight's Room of the Parish Hall.


Contact person: Jason Ketter at home 815-713-8879