About the Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men's fraternal benefit society that 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. [Read more from the Knights of Columbus' Supreme Council website...]

As a member of the Knights of Columbus you are entitled to partake in one of the best Insurance Programs available in the world.

Did You Know the Knights of Columbus. . .
1. Created the $20 million "Knights of Columbus Vicarius Christi" fund - the earnings on which are conveyed annually to the Holy Father for his charities. Since its inception this fund has generated more than $27.8 million for the Pope's good works, and the corpus remains intact.

2. Committed $8.8 million to the U.S. Bishops' Pro-Ute educational campaign since 1990, and budgeted an additional $1 million for the pro­duction of pro-life materials, to overturn the pro­abortion mentality and defend the right to life.

3. Bring the Pope to the world at least three times a year by providing the uplink cost for the tele­vising of papal ceremonies, especially at Christmas and during Holy Week - and the downlink in poor mission countries.

4. Presented a new mobile television production unit to the Vatican Television Center for the taping, recording and transmission of Vatican ceremonies at a cost of $600,000.

5. Established the $2 million Count Enrico Galeazzi Fund for the Pontifical North American College for the benefit of the College and for U.S. Bishop - and priest - students there; the Bishop Charles P. Greco Fund for the American College in Louvain, Belgium, and the Father McGivney Fund for the Pontifical Canadian College, the Father McGivney Fund for the Collegia Pontificio Filipino, the Our lady of Guadalupe Fund for the Pontifical Mexican College, and the Father McGivney Fund for Advanced Studies for Priests in Puerto Rico.

6. Underwrote completely the renovation of the entire facade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the most famous church in the world, the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Peter's Square, and the historic Rooms of the Architects in the Basilica proper.

7. Raised $1 million for the Bishop de laval Fund, earnings on which annually support the work of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

8. Contributed, since 1981, over $16.5 million to thousands of seminarians and postulants through the Refund Support Vocations Program, generating $3.2 million in rebates from the Supreme Council to participating councils, assemblies and circles.

Also established the $8.25 million Knights of Columbus Vocations Scholarship Fund, with earnings funding the RSVP rebates and annual $2,500 scholarships based on need to seminarians in theology.

9. Erected the Knight's Tower and carillon of bells at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, completely renovated it recently, and raised a $500,000 memorial fund in honor of Past Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart to promote Marian devotion at the Shrine and to preserve the Shrine in perpetuity.

10. Provide the entire budget of the National Family Planning offices of the U.S. and Canadian Bishops, and assist the NFP office of the Mexican Bishops.

11. Created the Father Michael J. McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives in Catholic Education in the amount of $1 million, annual interest on which funds projects designed to improve religious education in the U.S. and Canada.

12. In 2000, raised and distributed nearly $109 million and contributed 56 million volunteer­hours in service to Church, community, youth, and fellowman through the "Surge . . . with Service" outreach program.

13. Sponsor the Pope John XXIII Center's seminars for the Bishops of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the Philippines on vital life-death issues.

14. Underwrite, through an annual assessment of 80~ per member, the Order's Catholic Advertising Program, which provides free information on the Catholic faith to interested inquirers - more than 8 million responses and more than 750,000 enrollees in correspondence courses through the years.

15. Have distributed millions of special Knights of Columbus rosaries at the rate of 10,000 per month, especially to new members, and now to former members who are readmitted.

16. Support a multimillion dollar Student Loan Program for members and their children pursuing higher education, with all seminarians eligible.

17. Provide support for such varied apostolates as the Eternal Word Television Network; the National Clergy Conference on Alcoholism; Morality in Media; the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities; the National Apostolate for People with Menial Retardation.

18. Make available to dioceses and religious institutions a mortgage loan program at favorable interest rates. Over the years $245 million were provided to 271 entities, mostly local parishes.

19. Renovated SI. Mary's Church in New Haven, the birthplace of the Order, and entombed the remains of the founder, Rev. Michael J. McGivney, therein on March 29, 1982. Completed the 110-year-old construction plan of the church by erecting a 179-foot steeple, including a carillon of three bronze bells, atop SI. Mary's.

20. Support the spiritual welfare of armed services personnel and their families around the globe through a $900,000 fund for the Archdiocese for Military Services.

21. Sponsor daily Mass for deceased Brother Knights and their wives at SI. Mary's Church in New Haven and enable widows of Knights to receive COLUMBIA magazine each month.

22. Paid $115 million in death benefits to the families of deceased Brother Knights during 2000 and $257 million in dividends to insurance members.

23. Established a North American campus of the Lateran University's Pope John Paul 11 Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C.