THESE MEN THEY CALL KNIGHTS
who “lives up to the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church.”
- Introduction
- History
- Welcome
- The Vision of Father McGivney
- The Principles of the Order
- What the Order Stands for Today
- Who May be a Member?
- Structure of the Order
- Supreme Council
- State Council
- Local Council
- The Patriotic Degree,
- College Councils
- Columbian Squire
- Benefits of Membership, Insurance program
- New Member Plan
- Member/Spouse Fraternal Benefit
- Family Fraternal Benefit
- Orphan Fraternal Benefit
- Scholarships
- Columbia
- Rosary
- Daily Mass Remembrance
- Widow benefits
- Travel Card
- Council activities
- Appendix A -The bedrock
- Appendix B – Basic Prayers
- Appendix C – Emblems
- Political activities
- Famous Knights (Past and Present)
Introduction
The Knights of Columbus is a Roman Catholic fraternal and beneficent organization was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut on February 2, 1882, and incorporated under the laws of Connecticut on March 29, 1882. Its membership is open to male “practical Catholics in communion with the Holy See,” age 18 and over. The organizers and incorporators were the Reverend M.J. McGivney, the Reverend P.P. Lawlor, James T. Mullen, Cornelius T. Driscoll, Dr. M.C. O’Connor, Daniel Colwell, William M. Geary, John T. Kerrigan, Bartholomew Healey, and Michael Curran. Fr. McGivney founded the Knights at a time when Catholics were regularly excluded from the unions and men’s organizations that provided social support services. The organization was also intended to provide an alternative for Catholics to membership in Freemasonry, membership in which was discouraged by the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy and banned by many Popes, starting with Clement XII in 1738, because they considered it contrary to Christian teachings. The purpose of the society is to develop a practical Catholicity among its members, to promote Catholic education and charity, and, through its insurance department, to furnish at least temporary financial aid to the families of deceased members.
The Knights of Columbus today is a multi-million dollar non-profit charitable organization. Knights may be seen distributing Tootsie Rolls to raise funds to fight mental illness, volunteering for the Special Olympics and other charitable organizations, erecting pro-life billboards and “Keep Christ in Christmas” signs, conducting blood drives and raising funds for disaster victims, or parading at patriotic events with their bright capes, feathered chapeaux, and ceremonial swords. The Knights of Columbus also provide annual funding for the satellite uplink of the Pope’s worldwide Christmas address. In many countries that cannot afford satellite downlink, the Order pays for this as well.
HISTORY
On 15 May, 1882, the organizers, as a Supreme Committee, instituted the first subordinate council, San Salvador, No. 1, New Haven. From this time on, subordinate councils were organized in the different cities and towns throughout the State of Connecticut, but it was not until 15 April, 1885, when a subordinate council was established at Westerly, Rhode Island, that the order was extended beyond the borders of the parent state. The Supreme Committee then enacted a law providing that a Supreme Council should be established, composed of the Supreme Committee and delegates from the subordinate councils, each council being entitled to one delegate for each fifty members. The number of delegates under this arrangement proving too large, the Supreme Council, on 14 May, 1886, resolved itself into a Board of Government, composed of the Board of Directors, formerly the Supreme Committee, and the Grand Knight and a Past Grand Knight of each subordinate council of the society.
Owing to the rapid growth of the society, the Board of Government, in 1892, provided for the organization of State Councils, composed of two delegates from each subordinate council in the state. On 29 April, 1893, the Board of Government was succeeded by the National Council, composed of the State Deputy and last Past State Deputy of each State Council, and by one delegate from every thousand members of the insurance class. In October, 1893, associate members were first admitted to the order. The establishment of the associate class was intended for those advanced in years, or unable to pass a physical examination, but has gradually been extended to comprehend all eligible men not desiring the insurance feature. On 22 February, 1900, the first instance of the fourth degree took place in New York City, when more than twelve hundred candidates from all parts of the United States received this degree.
Though the first councils were all in New England, the Order soon spread throughout the United States in every state and territory of the United States, in every province of Canada, the Philippine Islands, Mexico, Cuba, Panama. Councils are to be established in Puerto Rico and in South America and most recently in Poland. There are more than 1.7 million members worldwide in more than 14,000 councils.
The Knights of Columbus have done notable work in promoting Catholic education and charity, providing education and homes for Catholic orphans, endowing scholarships in Catholic colleges, providing lectures on Catholic doctrine, endowing hospital beds, providing sanitoria for its sick members, maintaining employment bureau, and, in general, performing the work of the apostolate of the laity. They have led to a better understanding of the Catholic faith on the part of non-Catholics, and a more friendly attitude towards it. It is a movement which does not aim at attacking any man’s belief, but at building up charity among men “and bringing us all closer to God Almighty”. In several cities the Knights have established Catholic libraries, and in many others have catalogued the Catholic books in the public libraries.
The erection of a memorial to Christopher Columbus, in the City of Washington, by the United States Government, is due in a measure to the work of the Knights of Columbus. “Columbus Day” (12 October), which is observed at present in fifteen states of the Union (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island), was instituted largely through the efforts of the Knights, who are now striving to make it a national holiday.
Welcome
Welcome to the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest la’ Catholic family service organization. As their forebears did more than a century ago, today’s Knights and their families stand shoulder to shoulder in support of one another. Through the charity and the examples of their lives, they stand in service t< all as witnesses to the Good News of the Gospel.
Although the Order is a “can-do” organization, its scope an< the role it plays on the world stage often surprise people. The;
are amazed to learn that in the year 2005 Knights the world over combined to give more than 63 million hours of volunteer service and more than $136 million to a wide range of Church community and charitable activities and programs. This was ” record in both categories dating from the time statistics were first kept in 1977.
Most recently, through its $1.3 million Heroes Fund, the Knights of Columbus granted $3,000 to the families of each 0 the fire fighters, law enforcement officers and emergency service personnel who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. The aid was given immediately – the first check was hand-delivered just days after the tragedy – an< regardless of faith or membership in the Order.
In the wake of the tragedy too the Order established at annual “Blue Mass” in honor of law enforcement, fire an< emergency service personnel – those “Everyday Heroes” who risk their lives in service to our communities.
Examples of what the Knights do – day in and day out abound. For example, the Order funds the satellite uplinks necessary to broadcast papal messages and ceremonies especially at Christmas and Easter, throughout the world. The Knights paid the cost of the restoration of facade of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Order also financed the restoration of the Maderno Atrium which leads to the Holy Door that is opened by the pope beginning of a Holy Year – the most recent being Jubilee head to usher in the third Christian millennium.
Holy Father also receives each year a contribution from the Order for his personal charities. The contribution comes from rest earned on the $20 million Vicarius Christi (Vicar of fund. Each year the interest earned from this fund is presented to the pope. Since it was established in 1982 nearly lion has been provided to His Holiness.
The World Youth Days celebrated by the Holy Father every two years since 1987 have benefited from major funding and participation by the Order. At the World Youth Day in Toronto in e Reconciliation site in Duc in Altum Park was sponsored million gifts from the Knights of Columbus.
Though the Order does not restrict itself or its councils to any particular charity or cause, a favorite K of C activity over the year’s en service to people with mental retardation. Special Olympics at the local, state and international levels has been a recipient of funding, service and support from the Knights.
Our Order’s outreach to a variety of religious and other is chronicled in our monthly magazine, Columbia that I each of our members. Our deeds do not go unnoticed Holy Father. Pope Paul VI said. “Tell your sons, your IS, your grandsons; tell the people that the pope loves the of Columbus.” He added: “The glory of the Knights of Columbus is not based on humanitarian works alone. Even more admirable have been your insistence upon the supremacy of d your fidelity to the Vicar of Christ. In truth you can call yourselves ‘brothers’ because you call God your Father and have declared your selves ready to do his will and serve his cause. . the Knights of Columbus an immense force for good.”
Pope John Paul II once said: “Many times in the past, and again today, you have given expression to your solidarity with the mission of the pope. I see in your support further proof – if proof were ever necessary – of your awareness that the Knights of Columbus highly value their vocation to be part of the evangelization effort of the Church.”
The Vision of Father McGivney
Led by the quiet, unassuming curate of St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven, Conn., a small group of men established the Knights of Columbus in the church basement early in the spring of 1882. The priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, saw clearly that both Catholics and the Church faced serious problems in the last half of the nineteenth century such as anti-Catholicism and ethnic prejudice; under-employment; lack of social standing and early loss of the breadwinner.
To resolve those problems Father McGivney conceived the idea of an organization of Catholic men who would band together:
. To aid one another in times of sickness or death, by means of a simple insurance plan, so that their wives and children would not face abject poverty.
. To strengthen themselves and each other in the Faith.
. To strengthen families and family life.
. To be a strong pillar of support for their priests and bishops.
. To be of service to Church and community by coming to the aid of those most in need in society.
They called themselves Knights of Columbus – Knights to emphasize chivalry’s ideals of charity and support for Church and state, and Columbus as a reminder that Catholics had been the backbone and bulwark of America’s growth and greatness from the very beginning.
The State of Connecticut officially chartered the Order on March 29, 1882. It’s founder, Father McGivney, and those first Knights dreamed of the day when there would be a council in every parish in Connecticut. Little could they know that their small group would grow into a global organization of more than 1.6 million members in nearly 12,000 local councils in 13 countries: the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Cuba, Virgin Islands, Guam and Saipan.
In the years since 1882 the Knights of Columbus has become one of the largest and strongest life insurance companies in North America with more than $53 billion of insurance in force. More than $6.2 billion in new insurance is sold annually and last year the Order paid $164 million in death benefits to the families of deceased members and $320 million in dividends to insurance members. witness to the values of devotion to God and country, the bedrock of patriotism.
To >TOP
The Principles of the Order
Charity is the first principle of the Order. Knights are followers of Christ and men of faith. As St. James reminds us, “faith without works is dead.” Therefore, as Knights we are committed to charity, easing the plight of those less fortunate.
Unity is the second principle of the Knights of Columbus. In unity there is strength. Existing in an environment that was openly hostile to Catholics, the founders of the Order relied on the strength of unity to remain steadfast in the Faith while claiming their rightful place in society. Today the Order uses that strength to speak out for religiously-grounded moral values in a culture that has forsaken them.
Fraternity is the third principle of Order. In 19th century America, life insurance was beyond the financial reach of many poor Catholics, and social services did not exist. Through the Knights of Columbus men were able to band together as brothers to help one another in times of distress, sickness and death.
Patriotism is the principle of the Fourth Degree. One of the reasons the Order was founded was to emphasize that Catholics are proud citizens of their countries. Today Fourth Degree Knights in full regalia, the visible arm of the Order, serve to
What the Order Stands for Today
By their deeds shall you know them. The Knights 0 Columbus is very much a grassroots organization. The international body does not dictate the charitable programs an( activities of local councils. Rather, local councils develop the programs they believe will best serve the needs of their communities.
Those needs are met under the umbrella of the “Surge. . . With Service” program. It has five core areas: Church community, council, family and youth. Within this framework state and local councils decide how best to direct their efforts.
Funds raised by the state and local councils remain with them for distribution in the ways the members feel best.
This philosophy makes possible local efforts such a: donating state-of-the-art computers to a Texas seminary pledging $100,000 to a New Brunswick church to improve access for disabled people; raising $50,000 to equip police car:
with cardiac defibrillators; or sponsoring a free medical clinic in the Philippines.
Vocations support is also a major Knights of Columbus effort at all levels of the Order. State and local councils directly supper seminaries and vocations promotion efforts. Additionally man councils participate in the RSVP (Refund Vocations Supper Program) by “adopting” a seminarian or postulant and providing! him with moral and financial support. For each $500 in direct ail given to the candidate for the priesthood or religious life, the Supreme Council refunds $100 to the council. Through the program alone more than $2 million is given to seminarians and postulants each year.
Through the Father Michael J. McGivney Vocation Scholarship Fund and the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vocation Scholarship Fund, with an aggregate corpus of $6.5 million, nearly 400 scholarships have been given to seminarians in theology studies. Of these, almost 200 have been ordained since these programs began.
Strengthening family life is another major aim of the Order. Knights conduct a wide variety of activities and efforts to enhance and strengthen family life in accordance with the social teaching of the Church. This includes everything from the “Family of the Month” program that recognizes outstanding families on the local council level to funding the North American Campus of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The institute is a part of the Lateran University in Rome and it offers graduate level degrees to those who will be involved with family ministry in the Church.
The Order is also known as one of the world’s strongest proponents of the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death. Even before the Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion on demand in the United States, the Knights of Columbus has been in the vanguard of the pro-life movement. In addition to its own pro-life initiatives, the Order offers both assistance and financial support on an on-going basis to the pro-life programs of the bishops’ conferences in the countries where the Knights of Columbus exists.
In the latest of many efforts to restore a sense of the sanctity of human life in the world, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson has established March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn. On this day state and local councils across the globe are encouraged to organize special Masses and services. They pray that the Culture of Death that now darkens our world will become a Culture of Life celebrating the dignity and value of every human being from the moment of conception until natural death.
Who May be a Member?
Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to “any practical Catholic man in union with the Holy See” who is not less than 18 years of age on his last birthday. A practical Catholic is one who lives up to the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church.
There are two types (classes) of Knights of Columbus membership: insurance and associate. Associate members belong to the Order and enjoy many of its benefits, but do not hold Knights of Columbus life insurance certificates. This distinguishes them from insurance members.
Unlike many fraternal organizations, the Knights of Columbus does not require the purchase of insurance for membership. It is voluntary. However, a man must be a member before he is eligible to purchase insurance for himself or his family.
Application for membership is made through the council in the community nearest the applicant’s place of residence Applicants temporarily away from home, such as those in the military, may apply either through their hometown council, the council on the military base to which they are assigned 0 another council in a community near them. Acceptance of the application depends on an admissions process and a vote of the members of the council to which the application is made.
Following a favorable vote the applicant becomes a member by initiation in what is called the First Degree. Subsequently hi advances through the Second and Third degrees.
There are modest initiation fees and annual dues set by the local council in accordance with regulations established by the Supreme Council. Priests and religious brothers who have applied for membership and attended the ceremonials become honorary life members and are exempt from the payment c dues.
Structure of the Order
Supreme Council
The Supreme Council meets annually~ It consists of the supreme officers, supreme directors, the stat deputies of the various jurisdictions, the most recent immediate past state deputies, territorial deputies, past supreme knight and elected delegates from each jurisdiction. There are two categories of elected delegates, associate and insurance, with the number of delegates in each category determined by the number of associate and insurance members in each jurisdiction.
In addition to receiving the reports of the supreme officers, the delegates also set policy for the Order by means of resolutions. They also elect members to the board of directors.
Directors are elected for three-year terms and, annually, they appoint from their own ranks the supreme officers who run the Order on a day-to-day basis. (Note: The supreme chaplain and the supreme warden are elected by the board.) The supreme officers are:
. Supreme Knight (chief executive)
. Supreme Chaplain (a voting member of the board)
. Deputy Supreme Knight
. Supreme Secretary
. Supreme Treasurer
. Supreme Advocate
. Supreme Warden
The day-to-day business of the Order is conducted from the Supreme Council office in New Haven. All the officers, except the supreme chaplain and the supreme warden, work here on a full-time basis. The office has approximately 700 employees.
Headquarters Building of the Supreme Council
The governing body of the Knights of Columbus is the “Supreme Council”, a body composed of elected representatives from each jurisdiction of the Order. This body acts in similar manner to the shareholders at an annual meeting, and elects each year eight directors to the board for a three year term. The twenty-four member Board of Directors then chooses from its own membership the senior operating officials of the Order, including the Supreme Knight. The current Supreme Knight is Carl A. Anderson.
Hierarchy descending from the Supreme Knight include State Deputies leading State Councils in each geographical state in the United States, each province in Canada and other jurisdictions carved out of member countries and territories; Territorial Deputies leading areas not yet incorporated into State Councils; District Deputies overseeing several Councils; and a Grand Knight heading each local Council in a specific geographic area. Councils are numbered in the order in which they chartered into the organization and are named by the local membership. San Salvador Council #1, in New Haven, Connecticut, still exists today. The Knights have ceremonial uniforms, and a variety of closed-door rituals and traditions.
Although the members are called “Knights”, this title is purely fraternal, and is not the equivalent to a sovereign accolade. Therefore “Knights” of Columbus do not rank with the Chevaliers and Commanders of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the Order of Malta, the Order of St. Gregory the Great, and other historic military/religious orders.
Learn more, see Supreme council website : http://www.kofc.org/un/index.cfm
State Council
– The State Council meets annually. It consists of the state officers, the most immediate past state deputy, the grand knight and a past grand knight of each local council. The State Council receives the annual reports of the state officers and sets state council policy by means of a resolutions process. The State Council annually elects the State Council officers who are, by title:
. State Deputy (chief executive)
. State Chaplain (appointed)
. State Secretary
. State Treasurer
. State Advocate
. State Warden
In addition to these officers, each jurisdiction has a number of directors and committee chairmen who are responsible for various State Council programs and for specific areas such a membership growth.
District deputies are appointed and assigned to be the only representative of the supreme knight and the state deputy to designated group of local, usually five in number.
Virginia state council : http://www.state.kofcva.org/ or Virginia state officers http://www.state.kofcva.org/statecouncil%20staff.htm
Local Council
– The basic unit of the Knights of Columbus is the local council. At monthly meetings council members hear the proposals of various committees, decide which activities programs and charitable causes the council will pursue and how the council will allocate its funds. They also vote on application for membership and hear the reports of key council officers and directors.
To be a council officer, a Knight must be a Third Degree member of the Order. Council officers are:
. Grand Knight
. Chaplain (the chaplain is appointed and must be a priest)
. Deputy Grand Knight
. Chancellor
. Financial Secretary (appointed)
. Recorder
. Treasurer. Advocate. Lecturer (appointed). Warden. Inside/Outside Guards. Trustees (three in number)
Please see Koc9655 council 2006-2007
The Patriotic Degree, The Fourth Degree
Degrees and Principles
The Knights operate under a hierarchy of degrees. When a member is initiated, he is initiated into the first degree of the Knights of Columbus. Upon taking part in respective Second and Third degree exemplifications, a Knight rises to that status. Upon reaching the third degree, a gentleman is considered a full member of the Knights of Columbus.
The principle of the first degree is Charity;
The principle of the second degree is Unity;
The third principle is Fraternity; and
the fourth principle of the Knights of Columbus is Patriotism.
Each principle is emphasized in each of the exemplification ceremonies.
Each of these principles were in place over 120 years ago as the bedrock of the Knights of Columbus and remain in place today.
Until 1900 the principles of the Order were charity, unity and fraternity. On Feb. 22 of that year patriotism was added with the first exemplification of the Fourth Degree. Sometimes called the Patriotic Degree, it is open to Third Degree Knights in good standing who have been members of the Order for at least one year. The primary purpose of the Patriotic Degree is to foster the spirit of patriotism by promoting responsible citizenship, loyalty to country and the love of God.
The Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus is an optional degree of higher rank. Due to the increased expense involved with attaining the degree, only 1 in 4 Knights actually make it to this level.
The basic unit of the Fourth Degree is called an assembly. It serves one or more local councils. Fourth Degree members are referred to as Sir Knights, and they may choose to join the assembly’s color corps, which serves as an honor guard at civic and religious functions. Color corps members are readily identifiable by their regalia (uniforms) consisting of tuxedo, plumed chapeau, cape, sword and white gloves.
This patriotic degree is the most well-known arm of the Knights of Columbus, as it comprises the flag-bearing Color Guards and sword-bearing Honor Guards often seen at religious and civil ceremonial events.
Upon reaching the fourth degree, a Knight is entered into a separate Assembly (similar to a Third Degree Council) led by a Navigator (similar to the Grand Knight of a Council). A Knight can purchase the full regalia to be a part of the Color or Honor Guard, and is requested to “turn out” at various events for which local associations send notice to the Navigator.
College Councils
While most Knights of Columbus councils are located at parishes or near multiple parish communities, many men first join the Knights while in college. Over 16,000 Knights first joined one of the more than 170 College Councils world wide. College Knights are full members of the Order, with the only difference being that the council is located on or near a university campus.
The first College Council was at The Catholic University of America, Keane Council 353, but it has since moved off campus. The Catholic University of America now has a new council, number 9542. The Order has a long history of working with CUA. Most recently, at the 2006 American Cardinals Dinner, it was announced that they would be giving a gift of $8,000,000 to renovate an unused building and rename it McGivney Hall, after Fr. McGivney. The new McGivney Hall will house the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, a graduate school of theology affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome as well as CUA. Supreme Knight Anderson serves on CUA’s board of trustees and is the vice president of the John Paul II Institute.
Today, the University of Notre Dame Council 1477 has the longest continually running College Council in the country. In 1937, The University of Illinois became the first public university with a Knights of Columbus College Council, Illinois Council number 2782.
On March 26, 1929, a group of nearly one hundred forty male students and faculty comprised the original charter members of the Crusader Council No. 2706 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. The council remains the oldest college council in New England and the oldest council established on a Jesuit college or university campus.
College Councils usually hold a unique form of the Knights Membership Blitz entitled “Go Roman Week”. The name is a play on the fact that most fraternities on college campuses are given Greek alphabet designations, while the Knights of Columbus is a Roman Catholic establishment. This is not a standard set up at all universities, as in some Catholic universities (such as the University of St. Thomas) the local KOC council is the only fraternity permitted on campus.
Each September the Supreme Council hosts a College Council Conference at their headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut. Each college council can send one representative at the Supreme Council’s expense and up to 4 more at their own expense. Awards are given for the greatest increases in membership, the best program activities and the overall Outstanding College Council of the year.
In years of an international World Youth Day the members of the College Council Conference Coordinating Committee represent the Order. They usually travel with the diocese of the Supreme Chaplain, currently Bishop William E. Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Columbian Squires
The Order’s official youth organization is known as the Columbian Squires. Membership is open to boys between the ages of 10 and 18. The basic Squires unit is called a circle.
Squires circles must be sponsored by a local councilor assembly. A highly organized and structured international organization, Columbian Squires aims to develop leadership qualities as well as a strong sense of civic and religious responsibility in Catholic young men.
Benefits of Membership, Insurance program
Many early members were recent immigrants, often living in unsanitary conditions, and performing hazardous jobs for poor pay. Since its founding, a primary mission of the Knights of Columbus has been to protect families against the financial ruin caused by the death of the breadwinner. While this method originally was intended to provide a core group of people who would support a widow and her children in light of a deceased husband, it has flourished and matured into much more.
Today the Order achieves this by offering an optional insurance program to its members. In early 2004, the organization achieved a level of $50 billion of life insurance policies in force. Products include permanent life insurance, term life insurance, annuities, and long term care insurance. The insurance program holds the highest insurance ratings that are given by A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s and the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (or IMSA).
The extremely efficient insurance operation gave the Knights of Columbus $1.5 Billion in revenue and $71 Million in profits in 2006, enough to place it on the Fortune 1000 list of top companies.
Writing to pastors throughout Connecticut to encourage them to start councils in their parishes, Father McGivney explained in part:
“Secondly our object is to unite men of our faith throughout the Diocese of Hartford that we may thereby gain strength to aid each other in time of sickness; to provide for decent burial; and to render pecuniary assistance to the families of decease members.”
That is why a primary feature of the Knights of Columbus was the insurance program. Membership in the Order was open t men between the ages of 18 and 50 who paid dues on a sliding scale from $3.25 to $11.25 per year depending on age. I addition, upon the death of a member, each member contribute, $1.00.
Thus, the Knights of Columbus was able to provide an ill member the sum of $5.00 per week during his sickness. Upon.
member’s death his family was to receive a death benefit c $1,000 (once the Order reached the 1 ,000-member mark). With the rapid expansion of the Knights of Columbus this rudimentary insurance plan proved inadequate and the system used today was adopted.
The Knights of Columbus insurance program offers many benefits unavailable through other insurers. A member may also purchase coverage for his spouse or his children.
Over the years the Order’s insurance program has joined the elite ranks of the most highly rated insurance companies in North America. The Order perennially receives the highest possible designations from two top rating agencies, AN (Extremely Strong) from Standard and Poor’s, and A++ (Superior from A.M. Best. The Order is also a member of IMSA (insurance Marketplace Standards Association) which is reserved only for those insurers that conduct their business by the highest ethical standards. The Knights of Columbus is the only fraternal organization and one of only five insurance and financial institutions to hold all three honors. The motto, “Knights 0 Columbus Insurance – Making a Difference for Life,” ha~ provided the impetus for those high ratings.
Today the Order’s 150 general agents and the more than 1,300 field agents provide K of C members and their families with more than $6 billion in new insurance coverage each year The total insurance in force is approximately $60 billion. Las year, nearly $300 million in death benefits were paid and insurance members received $327 million in dividends on the policies they held.
The insurance program provides a member with the means to protect his assets upon his death for the sake of his family.
Recently a new insurance product, Long Term Care, was developed to protect those assets by covering the cost
New Member Plan
The Order’s New Member Plan is offered on the back of the membership application (Form 100). It provides the new Knight and his spouse each the opportunity to purchase from $8,156 to $1,095 of whole life insurance, depending on age, for a premium of $50 per year. The face amount of the policy, set by the age of the member or his wife at the time of application, never varies.
Member/Spouse Fraternal Benefit
Upon the death of any member or his spouse within 90 days of an injury resulting from an accident (with some restrictions), the Order pays a death benefit to the heirs of the deceased.
There is no charge for this coverage, but is does require that the Knight be a member in good standing, current in his dues, of a council in good standing.
The coverage is provided on a 24-hour per day basis anywhere in the world and whether on or off the job. A member’s spouse retains her coverage after a member’s death.
- A $5,000 life insurance plan, at a rated premium, for a member’s uninsurable child between the ages of 61 day:
and 18 years old.
- Up to $5,000 life insurance at standard rates for a child with mental retardation who is otherwise in good health between the ages 3 and 18 years,
- A $1,500 death benefit to the family when a child dies less
than 61 days after birth.
- A $750 death benefit to the family when a child is
stillborn at least 20 weeks after conception. (The Order affirms that life begins at conception, but the law require:
a certified death certificate for the stillborn child, hence the 20-week rule.)
To be eligible for these benefits, the member must be in good standing with his council, and at least one parent must be insured under an individual Knights of Columbus certificate.
Family Fraternal Benefit
This Family Fraternal Benefit offers five distinct benefits for eligible members and their families. These benefits are unmatched in the insurance industry:
- A $5,000 life insurance plan, at standard rates, for a member’s uninsurable or rated newborn child provided application is made before the child is 61 days old.
Orphan Fraternal Benefit
The Knights of Columbus has always been concerned about the welfare of the child who loses both parents. With the Orphan Fraternal Benefit the Order again demonstrates this concern for the children of eligible families by offering:
- An Orphan Fraternal Benefit of $80 per month to heir: support each eligible orphan until he or she reaches the age of 19, graduates from high school, enters military service, marries, discontinues Knights of Columbus
insurance, or no longer attends school (except if he or She has a disabling illness). If the orphan attends college or vocational/technical school full time, the benefit may continue to age 23.
- The child may be eligible for up to $1,750 each year in educational grants. Grants are based upon financial need and will not exceed a maximum of $7,000 over a four-year period.
To be eligible for these benefits, the orphan’s father must have been in good standing at the time of death, at least one parent must have been covered under a Knights of Columbus certificate and the child must be covered under a Knights of Columbus certificate.
Scholarships
The Supreme Council offers scholarships, based on need, to members and their families. The Matthews-Swift program offers a full scholarship to a Catholic college to the child of a member in good standing who is killed or permanently and totally disabled as a member of the armed forces or as the result of a criminal act in the line of duty as a full-time police officer or fire fighter. Additionally, many state and local councils also offer scholarships.
Columbia
The Knights of Columbus magazine, the largest circulation Catholic family magazine in the world, is provided monthly, free of charge, to members in good standing in English, French and Spanish.
Rosary
Upon initiation into the Order each member is presented with a Knights of Columbus rosary blessed by the supreme chaplain. Additionally, the Order encourages Marian devotion through its biennial Pilgrim Virgin program.
Daily Mass Remembrance
Deceased members, the deceased spouses of members and Columbian Squires are remembered daily in Mass at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, birthplace of the Knights of Columbus.
Widow benefits
In addition to the benefits offered to spouses of members such as the New Member Plan and the accidental death coverage outlined above, the widow of a Knight is eligible to buy more insurance, with certain restrictions, up to one year after the death of the member. Also the widow may choose to receive, Columbia at no charge for as long as she lives and special effort are made to keep her actively involved in the life of the council
Travel Card
The Knights of Columbus membership card makes a Knight welcome at any activity sponsored by a K of C council in an part of the world in which the Order is established.
Council activities
Local councils offer a variety of council family, youth and athletic activities for members and their families.
Soon after joining the Order; a new member will be contacted (by a Knights of Columbus field agent who will explain all the Order’s benefits, including insurance, student loans scholarships and many others, available to members and their families.
Appendix A
The bedrock upon which Columbianism is built consists of the truths of the Catholic religion. These include:
The Ten Commandments
- I am the Lord, your God. You shall not have strange god: before me.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
The Commandments of God may be stated more simply in terms of “the Greatest Commandment:
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Sacraments
It is difficult to live up to the Commandments of God. To help us do so, Jesus has given us the Church and the sacraments, signs instituted by Christ to give grace. The seven sacraments are:
- Baptism
- Reconciliation
- Holy Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Matrimony
- Holy Orders
- The Anointing of the Sick
Of the seven sacraments, Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony and the Anointing of the Sick may be received more than once.
Grace
There are two kinds of grace.
Sanctifying grace makes us holy and pleasing to God.
Actual grace helps us to do good and avoid evil.
Precepts of the Church
The precepts of the Church are:
.1- To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
2- To fast and abstain from meat on appointed days.
.3- To confess one’s sins at least once a year.
4- To receive Holy Eucharist during the Easter time.
5- To contribute to the support of the Church.
6- To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage .
7- To join in the missionary spirit and apostolate of the Church.
Baptism
The ordinary minister of the sacrament of Baptism is a bishop, priest or deacon. In case of emergency, anyone can validly baptize. Water is poured on the forehead of the person to be baptized. While the water is being poured, the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” are spoken.
Pentecost
Pentecost is known as the “birthday of the Church.” On that day the- Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, giving them the graces they needed to go forth and teach the Gospel to all nations. This is one meaning of the word “catholic:” the Church is found in every land, therefore it is “universal” or worldwide.
Capital Sins
The seven capital sins are:
- Pride
- Covetousness
- Lust
- Anger
- Gluttony
- Envy
- Sloth
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
.
Wisdom .
Understanding .
Counsel
Fortitude .
Knowledge .
Piety .
Fear of the Lord
Appendix B – Basic Prayers
The Rosary
The rosary is a form of mental and vocal prayer centered on the mysteries of events in the lives of Jesus and Mary.
The Joyful Mysteries are:
. Annunciation .
Visitation
Birth of Jesus .
Presentation of Jesus in the Temple .
Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries are:
. The Agony in the Garden .
Scourging at the Pillar .
Crowning with Thorns .
Carrying of the Cross-.
Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries are:
Resurrection.
Ascension.
Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.
Assumption of Mary .
Crowning of Mary as Queen of the Angels and Saints
The Luminous Mysteries are:
. Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan .
Manifestation of Jesus at the Wedding at Cana .
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Transfiguration of Jesus .
Institution of the Eucharist
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Our Father
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen
Fatima Prayer
0 my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. 0 clement, 0 loving, 0 sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, 0 Holy Mother of God.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. 0 God, whose only begotten Son, by his Life, Death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech you, that we who meditate on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the blessed Virgin Mary, may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Appendix C – Emblems
Knights of Columbus Third Degree Emblem
The Emblem of the Order is given as a lapel pin to all Knights. It consists of a shield mounted upon the Formée cross (having the arms narrow at the center and expanding toward the ends). The shield is that associated with a medieval knight. The Formée cross is the representation of a traditional 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.
Mounted on the shield are three objects: a fasces (a bundle of rods bound together about an ax with the blade projecting) standing vertically and, crossed behind it, an anchor and a dagger or short sword. The fasces from Roman days, carried before magistrates as an emblem of authority, is symbolic of authority which must exist in any tightly-bonded and efficiently operating organization. The anchor is the mariner’s symbol for Columbus, patron of the Order, while the short sword or dagger was the weapon of the Knight when engaged upon an errand of mercy. Thus, the shield expresses Catholic Knighthood in organized merciful action, and with the letters, K of C, it proclaims this specific form of activity.
The emblem of the Order dates from the second Supreme Council meeting on May 12, 1883, when James T. Mullen, who was then Supreme Knight, designed it
Fourth Degree Emblem
The triad emblem of the Fourth Degree features the dove, the cross and the globe. The dove, classic symbol of the Holy Spirit and peace, is shown hovering over the orb of the Earth (globe). Both are mounted on a variation of the Crusader’s cross, which was found on the tunics and capes of the Crusading knights who battled to regain the Holy Land.
Spiritually, the sacred symbols on the emblem typify the union of the Three Divine Persons in one Godhead, the most Blessed Trinity.
The Globe — God the Father, Creator of the Universe.
The Cross — God the Son, Redeemer of Mankind.
The Dove — God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of Humanity.
Columbian Squires logo
The Columbian Squires is a youth fraternity created by the Knights of Columbus for Catholic boys between the ages of 10 and 18 (who are therefore not eligible to be a Knight yet). The Squires are broken up into Circles, much like the Knights’ Councils. The squires’ motto is “Esto Dignus,” or, translated into English, “Be Worthy!“
Some local councils also have youth programs for girls in the same age range known as the Columbian Squirettes, the Squire Roses or another name.
Political activities
While the Knights of Columbus are staunch supporters of political awareness and activity, councils are prohibited from engaging in candidate endorsement and partisan political activity. Public policy activity is limited to issue-specific campaigns, typically dealing with Catholic family and life issues.
In the United States, the Knights of Columbus adopts many socially conservative positions on many public issues, campaigning against abortion, same-sex marriage, and attempts by the courts to restrict religious expression in public schools, government, and voluntary organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America.
In 1954, lobbying by the organization helped convince the U.S. Congress to add the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance recited daily by many American schoolchildren. In addition, similar lobbying in the past has developed Columbus Day into a federally recognized holiday.
In February 2005, the Canadian organization of Knights of Columbus funded a postcard campaign in an attempt to stop the Canadian parliament from legalizing same-sex marriage. The Knights of Columbus have also supported a constitutional amendment opposing redefining marriage to include same-sex marriages. [1]
Famous Knights (Past and Present)
Below are several of the more prominent Knights.
John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
Samuel Alito, Justice on the United States Supreme Court
Ray Flynn, former Mayor of Boston and ambassador to the Holy See under President Bill Clinton
Al Smith, former governor of New York
John McCormack, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Sargent Shriver, first director of the Peace Corps and ambassador to France
Hilario Davide, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Sean Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston
William Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila
Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila
Father Guy Selvester, Priest and heraldi scholar
Babe Ruth, Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
Vince Lombardi, former coach of the Green Bay Packers
James Connolly, first Olympic Gold Medal champion in modern times
Chris Godfrey, former right guard for the New York Giants and founder of Life Athletes
Daniel Daly, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, two-time Medal of Honor winner once described by the commandant of the Marine Corps as “the most outstanding Marine of all time.”