ABOUT US

About the Knights of Columbus

     The Knights of Columbus were founded in the midst of a society hostile to the Catholicism, including its values of charity and service. Father Michael J. McGivney, a parish priest from New Haven, CT conceived of a way to rescue the men of his parish from the miasma of New England in 1881. He gathered a few of these men in the basement of St. Mary’s church in order to discuss his plan for a fraternal society, which would eventually become the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization.

     Since those early days in the organization, the Knights have been inspired by the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. The Order grew as a group of Catholic laymen committed to the values of an idealized Christopher Columbus, discoverer of America who brought Christianity to the New World. This commitment manifested itself in charitable works, donations, evangelization programs, as well as the Order’s Insurance program. Created by Fr. McGivney for the purpose of protecting the widows and orphans of deceased Brother Knights, the program has consistently received high rankings from national organizations such as A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The Order quickly flourished throughout the country.

     Today, the Knights of Columbus continue to offer an escape from an increasingly secular society, where a commitment to faith-inspired service is considered strange. The organization has been called, “the strong right arm of the Church,” which is just one example of praise from various Church and world leaders. Collectively, the Knights have contributed over $175.1 million and 73.5 million hours of service over the past year alone. Since Supreme Knight Carl Anderson took up the leadership of the Order in 2000, the Knights of Columbus has donated more than 653 million hours of service and $1.4 billion to charity.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to practicing Catholic men in union with the Holy See, who are at least 18 years old.
A practicing Catholic is one who lives up to the Commandments of God and the precepts of the Church.
Applications are available from any Officer of the Knights or you can start the process online:
CLICK THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ONLINE:
www.kofc.org/en/join/sign-me-up.html

FIRST DEGREE (EXEMPLIFICATION) - CHARITY: Our Catholic faith teaches us to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Members of the Knights of Columbus show love for their neighbors by conducting food drives and donating the food to local soup kitchens and food pantries, by volunteering at Special Olympics, and by supporting, both spiritually and materially, mothers who choose life for their babies. Knights recognize that our mission, and our faith in God, compels us to action. There is no better way to experience love and compassion than by helping those in need, a call we answer every day.

SECOND DEGREE (ADMISSION) - UNITY: Unity means none of us is as good as all of us. This principle helps Knights realize their true potential as Christian brothers and the sacred power of unity. Members of the Knights of Columbus all know that – together – we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. So we stick together…we support one another. That doesn’t mean that we always agree or that there is never a difference of opinion. It does mean that – as a Knight of Columbus – you can count on the support and encouragement of your brother Knights as you work to make life better in your parish and community. Members of the Knights of Columbus are united in the body of Christ, ritualized and embodied in their full participation in the Catholic Church. Their loyalty to Christ and the unity which He encompasses, is realized through their commitment to one another and their local, regional, and global church.

THIRD DEGREE (FORMATION) - FRATERNITY: The Knights of Columbus was founded, in large part, to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died – often prematurely. The Order’s top-rated insurance program continues to do this today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time to assist sick and/or disabled members and their families. In the Knights of Columbus, we watch out for and take care of one another. Knights that have attained the 3rd degree enjoy privileges that include ability to serve as a local council officer, and admission to state and Supreme Council business meetings.

FOURTH DEGREE (KNIGHTHOOD) - PATRIOTISM: Each ‘degree’ of the Knights of Columbus is associated with a particular virtue, the fourth being “Patriotism”. Thus the 4th Degree is often known as ‘The Patriotic Degree’. It was established in New York on 22 February, 1900. The requirements for joining the 4th are that a brother Knight must have been a third degree member in good standing for at least one year, be an exemplary Catholic, and be of sound citizenship of his country. The Fourth Degree is frequently regarded as an honorary title with it’s distinctive regalia, but should rather be thought of in terms of service to church and country, and the goals of the Fourth Degree may be summarized as the promotion of the ideals of Catholicism and Patriotism side by side. In more detail, these goals may be stated as:
     To promote and strengthen the patriotic spirit of the civic community.
     To educate its members, and others, both in the teachings of Holy Mother Church, and the history of our nation.
     To promote by example the highest type of citizenship so necessary for the preservation and perpetuation of Republican form of government, and its democratic institutions.
     To oppose dissemination and spread of doctrine dangerous to our form of government, and to the Divine law of faith and morality.
     To support by word and deed, the duly constituted authorities of local, state and national government, and to recognize excellence in public life.

Therefore, it is not unusual to find Fourth Degree Knights participating visibly in church events, such as Eucharistic processions, and others, and in the community, standing up for the unborn and the elderly at Pro-Life events, and commemorating the sacrifices of previous generations on Remembrance Day.

If you would like to take the Exemplification (Degree) Ceremony now, online,
through the Supreme Council, you can register through this website:
www.kofc.org/en/for-members/resources/ceremonials.html?1tab=1tab1

Supreme Council Website
http://www.kofc.org

-Find a Council
-Find an Insurance Agent
-Online Membership Forms

Knights Gear
https://www.knightsgear.com/

Columbus Statue outside of Union Station, Washington, DC

Pennsylvania State Council
http://www.pakofc.us/

Pittsburgh Chapter
https://www.pittsburghchapterkofc.org

The official Charter, the founding document of our South Hills Council. It is dated May 3, 1948. Note the original name, "Mount Lebanon Council."

Our founder, Blessing Michael J. McGivney, with St. Mary's Church in New Haven, CT, the birthplace of the Order

On November 4, 2020, State Treasurer Michael Lynch presented GK Matthew Hoffman with
the Contest of Champions Award for 2019-2020,
an award only given to two councils in each state each year.
It is awarded based on net membership growth for the council in the previous year.
In 2019-2020, we brought in 47 new brother knights into our growing council!
It was the first time our Council has ever been awarded this rare honor!

Knight's Window-Detail from the Great East Window at Sacred Heart Church, Pittsburgh