Knights of Columbus

What do the Knights of Columbus do?

We help people, we change lives, we save lives!

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, 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.

The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works.

The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world’s foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy worldwide to service in communities.

The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to 15,342 councils and 1.9 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea.

Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national and international projects. From international charitable partnerships with Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair Mission and Habitat for Humanity to our own Food for Families and Coats for Kids projects and other local charities, the opportunity to work together with fellow Knights and their families is virtually endless. In 2016, the Knights of Columbus set a new all-time record for the 18th consecutive year. Our charitable donations increased from $175 million in 2015 to a new total of $177,500,673 in 2016. In addition, we achieved our highest level of charitable service in 2016, volunteering more than 75 million hours of service.

For the most current update on the achievements of the Knights of Columbus Organization click here to view the 2021 Annual Report of the Supreme Knight, Patrick Kelly.

Joining our Holy Name Council, 8789 of the Knights of Columbus can change your life. As a Knight, you have the opportunity to strengthen your parish, give back to your community, grow in your faith and gain exclusive access to our portfolio of top-quality insurance products to financially protect your family. Our council conducts many programs that support our parish and community including:

Various prayer and Eucharistic adoration programs
Coats for Kids during Christmas
Parish Food for Families programs
Encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life
Quarterly blood drive for the San Antonio Blood Bank after all Masses on a designated Sundays

Parish fish fry every other Friday during Lent
Ladies appreciation dinner for the wives of our members
Annual golf invitational
Communion Mass on the fifth Sunday of the month with free
breakfast for the parish after the Mass
Plus other activities

But joining our council does not mean that you need to sacrifice quality time with your family. In fact, volunteering an hour here or an hour there with your family can make an enormous impact in your life and in the lives of others.

If you’re interested in helping those in need in your parish and community, strengthening your parish and familial relationships, growing in your faith, and gaining exclusive access to top-quality insurance protection for you and your family, then joining our Knights of Columbus council 8789 gives you the way to achieve these goals.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

Our K of C Council meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month in the Activity Center Meeting Room with a recitation of the rosary before each meeting and a sit down dinner afterwards.

Checkout the current Knights of Columbus Update Posts at https://holynameusa.org/

To Join our council please contact:

Wayne Cure, Grand Knight, (210) 508-5480

Jeff Herber, Deputy Grand Knight, (520) 255-0636 email: jeffrey.herber@yahoo.com