The Knights of Columbus

Fast Facts:Catholic, men’s, fraternal organization

dedicated to service and supporting the Church

Not a secret society though ceremonials are private

Founded on three pillars: charity, unity, and fraternityPillar of Patriotism added after WW I

Began in United States but now in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, and Italy, and Poland

Over 1.8 million members in over 15,000 councils

A Need for CatholicsFounder Venerable Fr.

Michael J. McGivney (1852-1890)

Reasons for Creating:Orphan and WidowTemperanceSecret SocietiesAnti-Catholicism

1882…A Humble BeginningSt. Mary’s Catholic

Church (New Haven, CT)Met in Parish

BasementOrphan and WidowGreeted with much

success

A New Experiment: The College Council

Notre Dame students wanted their own council

Debates with National Council (now Supreme Council)

In 1910, Notre Dame became Council 1477, the first college council

Since, nearly 200 other colleges have created college councils

Early History of Notre Dame Council1910s – began raising funds to purchase own

building1920s – began Santa Maria, a magazine

published for 15-20 years that reached 15,000 subscribers

1928 – made plans to construct building at Dillon Hall’s locationlost investments in Great Depression

1940s-1960s ran Bengal Bouts

A Council Home…Council 1477

finally got its dream of a building in 1967

Old Post Office granted to Council 1477 on permanent lease following a donation that set up a scholarship fund for minority students

Steak SalesStarted in 1974Evolved from

tailgating events started by Knights in 1950s

All proceeds go to charitymainly Gibault and

Corvilla Home, but many others

raised nearly $1 Million total ($60,000 this past year)

Steak Sales (cont.)Gameday Statistics:

~3,000 steaks sold per game

5,500 record for individual game (1988 Michigan)

~50 bags of charcoal per game

raise $8,000-10,000 for charity per game

Not Just Steak Sales…Eucharistic

ProcessionLenten Soup

DinnersRodzinka DinnersChess TournamentPoker SmokersDancesEdith SteinMovie Nights

Traveling ChapelRetreatsWRAP WeekTunnel TourCatholic TalksBookstore

BasketballSteak GramsPenguin Race