History of Order
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, the goal of which would be to prevent Catholic men from entering secret societies whose membership was antithetical to Church teaching, to unite men of Catholic faith and to provide for the families of deceased members.
As a symbol that allegiance to their country did not conflict with allegiance to their faith, the organization’s members took as their patron Christopher Columbus — recognized as a Catholic and celebrated as the discoverer of America. Thanks to Father McGivney’s persistence, the Knights of Columbus elected officers in February 1882 and officially assumed corporate status on March 29.
In addition to the Order’s stated benefits, Catholic men were drawn to the Knights because of its emphasis on serving one’s Church, community and family with virtue. Writing in The Columbiad in 1898, a year before he was elected supreme knight, Edward L. Hearn wrote that a Knight should live according to the virtues of loyalty, charity, courtesy and modesty, as well as “self-denial and careful respect for the feelings of others.” Fraternity and patriotism were added to the Knights’ founding principles of charity and unity in 1885 and 1900, respectively.
- 1882: The Knights of Columbus is born on Feb. 6, 1882, when the first members choose Columbus as their patron. Immediately after the Order’s March 29 incorporation, Father McGivney sends the first diocesan-wide appeal for new members to his fellow priests.
- 1886: By the end of his four-year tenure as supreme knight, James T. Mullen personally presides at the institution of 22 of the first 38 councils. John J. Phelan is elected to succeed him and is the first supreme knight to sense the Order’s destiny as a national society.
- 1890: Father McGivney dies Aug. 14, 1890. His funeral Mass is celebrated in Thomaston, Conn., four days later.
- 1892: The Order passes laws allowing noninsurance or associate members to join.
- 1892: 6,000 Knights march in the New Haven Columbus Day parade to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World.
- 1895: The Vatican’s first acknowledgment of the Knights comes when Archbishop Francesco Satolli, apostolic delegate to the United States, writes a letter extolling the “merits of this splendid Catholic organization” and giving the Order his apostolic blessing.
- 1897: On Nov. 25, 1897, Canada’s first council — Montreal Council 284 — is chartered.
COUNCIL HISTORY
Honesdale Council was institutionalized and granted its charter on July 10th, 1898 with the following members.
Charles T. McKenna, – Grand Knight
Philip P. Monaghan, – Deputy Grand Knight
William L. O’Connell, – Chancellor
Rev Thomas M. Hanley, – Chaplin
Thomas E. Finnaty Jr, – Financial Secretary
John J. Clair, – Recording Secretary
Edward Deitzer, – Treasurer
Michael J. Kelly, – Lecturer
F. M. Managhan, – Advocate
John H. Carrol, – Warden
William L. Clark, – Inside Guard
Francis S. Drumon, – Outside Guard
John P. Dunn
Charles H. Griffin
John F. O’Connell
Francis Skelley
Frank P. Sweeney
Philip C. Ryan
W. F. Kallighan
A. G. Law
M. W. Ryan
James J Reilly
James C. Ryan
T. J. Canivan
E. T. Shelly
Thomas F. Bracer
Martin J. O’Malley
Frank X. Wasman
John A. O’Connell
Michael F. Crimmins
Edward K. Brown
D. J. Moylan
James White
Frank Cunningham
Patrick Cleary
James J. Wilker
John F. Gallagher
T. D. O’Connell
Rev. John W. Healey
Francis Hoefkin
ACTIVITIES
What We Do to Help
The Church, The Community, The Nation and the World
Often you see member Knights dressed in a tuxedo, wearing a cape, and a chapeau, carrying a sword and helping at various church functions or offering respect to a fallen brother at a wake service. We, however, primarily offer aid and assistance to the sick, disabled and needy; and promote social and intellectual fellowship through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, and public relief works.
Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of projects.
“Whether at locally, nationwide, or abroad, charity is our Order’s first principle and the basis for all we do as brother Knights. It is the tangible way that we live out that spirit of fraternity and “missionary discipleship”.
The following initiatives and actions are ongoing through Honesdale Council.
Through our Ultrasound Initiative, we have help funded ultrasound machines to assisting at risk mothers in areas of the US where these services otherwise would not exist.
Through our Christian Refugee Relief initiative, we have supplied humanitarian aid for Christians and other religious minorities suffering persecution in the Middle East, Far East and Africa.
As part of our Neighbors Helping Neighbors initiative, we provide funds to supply Coats for Kids in need across North America.
We help support the “House in a Box” program, which provides new household items for families who have lost everything and who are forced into situational poverty as a result of natural disasters.
We have donated financially to the Special Olympics and to programs for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, including ARC of Northeast PA.
Annually we provide funding for transportation to the March for Life rally in Washington, DC.
We team up with the Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs to fund and distribute countless wheelchairs throughout the United States and around the world, to those who lack the freedom of mobility.
The first renovation to the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica in 350 years was funded by the Knights in 1985. Today we continue to fund the much-needed renovation and/or preservation of the various chapels, grottos, mosaics and art pieces at the Basilica.
We helped fund the building of The Saint John Paul II National Shrine which is adjacent to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. It is a place of prayer for Catholics and welcomes people of all faiths. It houses a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II”.
We sponsor an annual parish scholarship and today we underwrite scholarships for our parish seminarians. In addition to funding our parish scholarships, we help fund the Matthews & Swift Educational Trust Scholarships and support the Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Scholarship Fund and Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarship Fund, Fellowships at The Catholic University of America and Bishop Charles P. Greco Graduate Fellowships which specifically offers fellowships for full-time graduate study leading to a master’s degree in a program designed for the preparation of classroom teachers for people with intellectual disabilities.
We’re one of the first to respond to disasters with funds to support the victims and the relief efforts following typhoons, hurricanes, storms, wildfires and earthquakes around the world.
Since 2013, we have worked with the “Archdiocese for the Military Services”, to sponsor the annual Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage. The event allows non-wounded (PTSD, etc.), wounded and ill military personnel, together with their designated caregivers and volunteers, to travel to the Marian Shrine during the International Military Pilgrimage for a time of rest, prayer and healing.
SEMINARIAN SUPPORT
Seminarian Scholarships Offered by the Order
Each year, the Knights of Columbus offers a limited number of $2,500 scholarships for tuition, room and board to men studying for the Catholic priesthood at major seminaries.
Refund Support Vocations Program
Our council keeps the faith alive by supporting our local parish seminarians. As the strong right arm of the church, we are committed to providing moral, financial, and spiritual support to our future priests and religious at all stages of their formation.
Father Mc GIVNEY
Father McGivney was born of Irish immigrant parents in 1852 in Waterbury, Conn., and began his priestly ministry in 1887 after being ordained in Baltimore. At a time of anti-Catholic sentiment, he worked tirelessly to offer practical solutions to immigrant Catholic communities in Connecticut.
Many Catholics — most of whom were immigrants — were working and living in unfavorable conditions. And many, tragically, were dying young, leaving behind widows and orphans with insufficient financial resources.
It was a cold reality that had confronted Father McGivney all too often — not only in the lives of his parishioners — but in his own. As a seminarian, he was forced to leave school and return home to aid his family when his father died unexpectedly.
Though this story of financial ruin for Catholic families was common, Father McGivney was convinced that there was a way to change the ending. He knew that if the Catholic men in his parish came together in mutual aid, widows and orphans could receive the support they needed.
He also knew that if Catholic men banded together, united by charity and unity, they could strengthen their faith, their families, and their communities.
So, in the winter of 1882 in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn. Fr. McGivney established the Knights of Columbus, and a solution to a recurring problem, and with it, a “pass-the-hat” insurance system to protect the Catholic families in his parish. Over time, that system has evolved, and today we stay true to our founding mission through our multi-billion-dollar, top-rated insurance program. Members in the United States and Canada have exclusive access to our insurance program and products, including life insurance, retirement annuities, long-term care insurance, and disability income.
Maybe you’re an old pro and already knew that Father Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Conn. in 1882. Maybe you already knew that he envisioned a Catholic order that would help Catholic men to remain steadfast in faith while providing insurance for their families.
But you probably didn’t know these facts:
- Not only Catholics, but even Protestants were inspired by Father McGivney’s witness of faith. Alida Harwood, the daughter of a prominent Episcopal minister in New Haven, frequented Mass at St. Mary’s Church where Father McGivney served. When Alida contracted malaria at the age of 25 and lay on her death bed, it was Father McGivney that she asked to see.
- He was a heck of a baseball player. We know that in one game with his seminary team he scored three runs, contributing to a big victory with a score of 23-6. He paved the way for a long history of baseball players who would join the Knights, including these MLB legends. (click here for more information)
- More forward-thinking than Yale? Father McGivney pushed the boundaries as a theater director. At a time when, according to Parish Priest, nearby Yale University was limiting theater to only male actors, Father McGivney welcomed women to perform when he directed his parish’s St. Patrick’s Day play in 1880.
- He helped young people take charge of their lives and create a better future. Father McGivney saw that many young men were neglecting their religion and turning to alcohol abuse. In response, he founded St. Joseph’s Total Abstinence and Literary Society, a group that helped young men stay strong in the faith and become active in their communities. They organized and participated in sports and theatrical productions. McGivney offered members a meeting space with books, magazines, newspapers and a piano. No doubt, Father McGivney’s experience with this group prepared him when he later founded the Knights of Columbus.
- His vision for the role of the laity was very unusual for the time. Seventy-seven years ahead of the Second Vatican Council, the idea that a Catholic organization could be led by laymen was quite extraordinary. Yet that was Father McGivney’s vision for the Knights of Columbus.
- He ministered to inmates. Father McGivney was responsible for ministering to inmates in the city jail. One inmate was 21-year-old Chip Smith, who — while drunk — shot and killed a police officer. Smith was convicted for first-degree murder and sentenced to be hanged.
Father McGivney visited him daily, and, on the day of Smith’s execution, the priest was filled with sorrow. Just before he died, Smith comforted him: “Father, your saintly ministrations have enabled me to meet death without a tremor. Do not fear for me, I must not break down now.”
- He was only 38 years old when he died. And that’s actually not surprising — life expectancy was short for priests in Connecticut in the 19th century, when the Catholic population was growing, disease was common and the priests were overworked.
- He’s on the path to sainthood. His cause for canonization is open, and he was given the title “Venerable Servant of God” by the Holy See in 2008. You can help promote devotion to this Servant of God.
- His belongings were burned when he died. When Father McGivney died of tuberculosis, his personal items were burned to prevent the spreading of the disease. Only a small number of his writings and belongings survived.
- He is known to intercede especially in four areas;
- Employment and finances. Just as parishioners looked to Father McGivney for help when “No Irish need apply” was often included in job postings, so today many receive help when they are laid off or seeking a better job.
- Substance abuse. In Father McGivney’s day, alcoholism afflicted the immigrant population, and many now find relief from drug or alcohol abuse after praying to him.
- Family reconciliation. Father McGivney helped immigrant families struggling to stay together and to make ends meet. Today, Father McGivney continues to respond to the prayers of families.
- Return to the faith. Father McGivney founded the Order to keep men from joining anti-Catholic societies. Today, many Catholics receive favors when calling upon him to help their fallen-away children return to Mass.
SUPREME KNIGHT
Patrick E. Kelly has been elected the 14th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. Starting March 1, 2021, he will serve as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, with more than 2 million members.
Mr. Kelly’s election as Supreme Knight follows a distinguished career in the Knights of Columbus, the military and public service. For more than 25 years, he has a demonstrated track record of service to Church and country, which will serve him well in advancing the Knights’ mission of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.
Mr. Kelly has served as Deputy Supreme Knight since 2017. Prior to that, he served as Vice President for Public Policy for 11 years, spearheading the Knights’ interaction with the White House, Congress and federal agencies. He has also served as State Deputy in the District of Columbia. As a longtime executive and fraternal leader of the Knights of Columbus, he has consistently strengthened its record of charity, advocacy, insurance, investment and membership growth.
Mr. Kelly served as the first executive director of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and oversaw the renewal of the facility after its purchase by the Knights in 2011. During his tenure, the shrine became a leading pilgrimage site and a source of education and inspiration for Catholics throughout the United States and the world.
Prior to his leadership roles in the Knights, Mr. Kelly pursued a lengthy career of public service. Most notably, he was Senior Advisor to the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom at the State Department from 2005 to 2006. His responsibilities included serving as the Department’s principal liaison with the Holy See and assisting with the formulation of U.S. foreign policy on religious freedom worldwide. He led U.S. delegations to the World Summit on Islamic-Christian dialogue (2005), the UN conference on interfaith cooperation (2005), and annual Sant’Egidio conferences. He has also held advisory roles on the House Intelligence Committee and the Department of Justice, where he specialized in counterterrorism and national security.
Mr. Kelly served in the United States Navy for 24 years, on land and sea and on active duty and reserve status. As a Judge Advocate General, he specialized in international and operational law and served as the Commanding Officer of the international law unit at the U.S. Naval War College. He served on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations and aboard the USS Guam as the Staff Judge Advocate for Amphibious Squadron Two. His personal awards include three Navy Achievement Medals, five Navy Commendation Medals and the Meritorious Service Medal. He retired from the JAG Corps Reserve in 2016.
Mr. Kelly has served as consultant to three committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for more than a decade: The Committee on Pro-life Activities, the Committee on Religious Liberty, and the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.
Mr. Kelly has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the March for Life since 2012. Under his leadership, the March for Life has become one of the most effective pro-life organizations in the world. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) since 2013. He has helped guide the NCBC in its mission to promote respect for the dignity of each human being through an understanding of how the moral teachings of the Church apply in health care and the life sciences.
Mr. Kelly holds a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America, a law degree from Marquette University Law School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Marquette University, where he joined the Knights of Columbus in 1983.
He and his wife, Vanessa, have three daughters. They live in Connecticut.
EMBLEM OF THE ORDER
The Emblem was designed by our first Supreme Knight, James Mullen back in 1883.
The background of the emblem is that of the Cross of Malta. It is the representation of a traditionally artistic design of the Cross of Christ through which all graces of redemption were procured for mankind. This then, represents the Catholic spirit of the Order.
1) The Red segment of the cross is the symbol of Faith, of a belief in Christ, in the Redemption and in the mission of every man to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.
2) The White segment of the cross is the color of the Eucharistic Host, symbolizing God’s presence among men and of the infinite love God has for man. White is then the symbol of Christ-like Charity.
3) The Shield is associated with a medieval Knight and today expresses Catholic Knighthood in organized merciful action and with the letters K of C emblazoned, it proclaims this specific form of activity.
The Blue color of the shield is the color of Our Lady’s mantle in which she draped her beloved Son, through whom salvation came to a sinful world. Blue is then the symbol of Hope.
Additionally, the red, white and blue are the colors of the flag of our great nation, the one in which our order originated.
Mounted on the shield are three objects; a mace standing vertically, and, crossed behind it, an anchor and a dagger or short sword.
4) The mace from Roman days is symbolic of authority, which must exist in any tightly bonded and efficiently operating organization.
5) The anchor is the mariner’s symbol for Columbus, patron of the Order.
6) The short sword or dagger was the weapon of the Knight when engaged upon an errand of mercy.
PRAYER TO Blessed Virgin Mary
Our Lady, Queen of the Knights, bless all of the activities of our order. Keep us true to the pledge to extend the Kingship of thy Divine Son on earth. Through thine intercession, win for us the grace ever to exemplify in our public and private lives the virtues which should be characterize those specially dedicated to the service of the heavenly court. Make us always aware that as your Knights we are constantly observed, our faith judged, and our order appreciated. Accept O Mary, this renewed pledge of fealty and devotion of thy servants, the Knights of Columbus. Amen.