These men they callKNIGHTS

These Men They Call KnightsWelcome to the Knights of Columbus! By joining your

council you have become a part of the largest Catholicfraternal organization in the world, which was founded bya handful of men at St. Mary’sChurch in New Haven, Conn., in 1882. You are now countedamong the nearly two millionmembers in a dozen countries onthree continents.

Our common bond is ourdevotion to the Catholic faith andour brotherhood in Christ. Wehave joined together to help oneanother become better Catholics,better husbands, better fathers,better providers for the financialprotection of our families andbetter citizens of the countries inwhich we live. And we placespecial emphasis on charity, the first principle of the Order,and the subject of the degree ceremony in which you’vejust participated.

Now that you’ve taken your Admission Degree, it’simportant that you become active in your council even ifthe time you’re able to give is limited. It’s also importantthat you acquire an understanding and appreciation ofKnighthood in the fullest sense by advancing through thehigher degrees as well, taking to heart the lessons thateach one teaches.

For members of the Knights of Columbus, our degreeceremonies remain highly relevant, because they play a keyrole in establishing a common culture among Knights asCatholic gentlemen. Each of our degree ceremonies

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explores one important aspect of our core values and howwe approach our shared commitment to charity, unity, andfraternity. The Patriotic Degree emphasizes patriotism.

This booklet is designed to help you get started incouncil activities right away and to assist you in yourpreparation for participation in the Formation andKnighthood Degree ceremonies that lie just ahead.

A Charity That EvangelizesBecoming a Knight opens many opportunities to you,

from helping to support yourparish and giving back to yourcommunity, to growing in yourfaith and having exclusive accessto our top-rated insurance program.

As you learned through thedegree you just participated in,charity is the first principle of theKnights of Columbus. Knights aremen — like you — who get thingsdone. We volunteer our time toserve our parishes and ourcommunities, and we’ve beensuccessful at this. By workingtogether, Knights of Columbuswere able to collectively donate

more than $823 million and 352 million hours to worthycauses over the past five years.

Volunteer opportunities abound in the Knights ofColumbus. For example, a council grew more than 14,000pounds of fresh food in a K of C garden for donation to afood pantry, a jurisdiction in one year raised and donated$37,000 to Special Olympics and provided volunteers at 56Special Olympics events, and a third council built a ramp

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which gave a 9-year-old boy who uses a wheelchair the giftof mobility. Your coucil probably has projects like thesethat you can become a part of.

Along with projects that areunique to local communities,Knights of Columbus councilsalso participate in Orderwideinitiatives such as:

p “Coats for Kids” whichprovides warm winter coats tochildren who may be withoutwarm clothes

p “Food for Families” whichprovides food to those facingtough economic conditions byrestocking local food pantries

p Partnerships with theGlobal Wheelchair Mission to purchase and deliverwheelchairs to those in need across the globe

p Collaborations with Habitat for Humanity to providevolunteers and monetary donations that help supplyshelter to families in need

p Joint efforts with Special Olympics and otherorganizations to support people with intellectual disa-bilities

p Participation in youth-oriented activities such as theOrder’s Squires program, Free Throw Championship,Soccer Challenge and various essay and poster contests

In addition to serving the community, Knights are alsothe “men of action” in their parish. Ever since the firstKnights joined with Father Michael J. McGivney to foundthe Knights of Columbus in 1882, we have maintained a

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tradition of support for our bishops and priests. Thequestion every council asks of its pastor is: “What can wedo to help?” Knights serve as volunteers in parishministries, help with special projects and sponsor parish

events — in short, we do anythingwe can to help our parish priestscarry out their ministry. We alsoprovide support to seminarians,sponsor retreats, and assist withvirtually anything else that’sneeded to help our parishcommunities.

Now is the perfect time foryou to pick a program area thatinterests you, and let your councilleaders know you’re interested inhelping out. You’ll soon find thatgiving of yourself in a worthycause, hand in hand with yourbrother Knights, is rewarding in

ways you may never have imagined.

Along with the volunteer opportunities that yourcouncil provides, there is also the occasion for you and yourfamily to grow in your faith. Councils like yours, oftenattend Mass and pray the rosary together, as well assponsors corporate communions. Orderwide, councilsregularly participate in prayer initiatives and in the Marianprayer program. Also, the Knights of Columbus offers avariety of publications and devotional materials throughits Catholic Information Service (kofc.org/cis).

Finally, as a Knight, you and your family haveexclusive access to our top-quality insurance products. Infact, no insurer in North America is more highly ratedthan the Knights of Columbus. As an organization

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founded to protect the well-being of Catholic families, wehave continued to take that mission seriously for morethan 130 years.

Generations of Catholics havecounted on the Knights ofColumbus for their financialstability. In an increasinglyturbulent world, you can trust theKnights of Columbus to afford-ably and securely protect thefinancial future of your lovedones. Should you choose topurchase life insurance orannuities from the Knights, you’llalso have the peace of mind thatyour funds will be secure andinvested in accordance withCatholic Doctrine. To learn moreabout the insurance productsoffered by the Knights of Columbus, make some time tovisit kofc.org/insurance and then contact your localKnights of Columbus insurance agent.

Our FounderThe founder of the Knights of Columbus was Father

Michael J. McGivney, a Catholic priest who was declaredVenerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and whose causeis under consideration by the Vatican’s Congregation forthe Causes of Saints. All Knights (and all Catholics) areencouraged to join the Father McGivney Guild(fathermcgivney.org) and to help promote his cause forsainthood.

The son of Irish immigrant parents who came toAmerica during the famine of the 1840s, he was born inConnecticut and grew up at a time when anti-Catholic

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prejudice greatly limited social and employmentopportunities in the United States. From an early age, heknew he wanted to become a priest. He was ordained in1878, and his first assignment was at St. Mary’s Church inNew Haven, Conn.

It was at St. Mary’s in early 1882 that he gatheredtogether a group of laymen from his parish and formed theKnights of Columbus. He had two goals for the new group:to provide assistance to widows and children when a familybreadwinner died, and to provide Catholic men with afraternal association that would draw them closer to theirCatholic faith and to one another.

For the next several years, Father McGivney helpedfoster the growth of the Order, first in Connecticut andlater in adjoining states. In 1884 he was named pastor ofSt. Thomas Church in Thomaston, Conn. Never robustin health, Father McGivney was suddenly stricken witha serious case of pneumonia in January 1890. The youngpriest lost physical strength just as the Order he foundedwas moving toward new vitality, and died on August 14,two days past his 38th birthday. Father McGivney’s well-attended funeral was an indication of the love andrespect the people felt for this hardworking, holy parishpriest. It also reflected the deep personal appeal thatimmigrant Catholics immediately found in theKnights of Columbus.

Father McGivney was an idealist. He was a man whoseyouthful vision and creativity expanded and matured evenas his physical well-being diminished. That visioncontinues today in the organization you have just becomea part of — the Knights of Columbus.

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Our Catholic FaithOur Catholic faith is central to the Knights of

Columbus. As you advance through the higher degrees inthe Order, you may be asked to answer questions aboutthe central tenets of the Catholic faith. As we wish toassist you along your journey through the higher degrees,please take this opportunity to review those central tenetslisted below.

The Ten Commandments1. I am the Lord, your God. You shall not have strange

gods before me.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God,

in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

4. Honor your father and your mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your

neighbor.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

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SacramentsThe sacraments are signs instituted by Christ to give

us grace.

1. Baptism

2. Reconciliation (confession)

3. Holy Eucharist

4. Confirmation

5. Matrimony

6. Holy Orders

7. Anointing of the sick

GraceThere are two kinds of grace:

l Sanctifying grace makes us holy and pleasing to God.

l Actual grace helps us to do good and avoid evil.

Precepts of the Churchl To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days

of Obligation.

l To fast and abstain from meat on appointed days.

l To confess one’s sins at least once a year.

l To receive Holy Eucharist during Easter time.

l To contribute to the support of the Church.

l To observe the laws of the Church concerning

marriage.

l To join in the missionary spirit and apostolate of

the Church.8

BaptismThe ordinary minister of the sacrament of Baptism is a

bishop, priest or deacon. In case of emergency, anyone canvalidly baptize. Water is poured on the forehead of theperson to be baptized. While the water is being poured, thefollowing is spoken: “I baptize you in the name of theFather, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

PentecostPentecost is known as the “birthday of the Church.” On

that day, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, givingthem the graces they needed to go forth and teach theGospel to all nations. This is one meaning of the word“Catholic.” The Church is found in every land, andtherefore it is “universal” or worldwide.

The Seven Capital Sins1. Pride

2. Covetousness

3. Lust

4. Anger

5. Gluttony

6. Envy

7. Sloth

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The Gifts of the Holy Spiritl Wisdom

l Understanding

l Counsel

l Fortitude

l Knowledge

l Piety

l Fear of the Lord

The RosaryThe rosary (from the Latin rosarium, or “rose garden”)

is a form of mental and vocal prayer centered on themysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

The Joyful Mysteries

l Annunciation

l Visitation

l Birth of Jesus

l Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

l Finding of Jesus in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteriesl Agony in the Garden

l Scourging at the Pillar

l Crowning with Thorns

l Carrying the Cross

l Crucifixion

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The Glorious Mysteriesl Resurrection

l Ascension

l Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles

l Assumption of Mary

l Crowning of Mary as Queen of the Angels and Saints

The Luminous Mysteriesl Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan

l Manifestation of Jesus at the Wedding at Cana

l Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

l Transfiguration of Jesus

l Institution of the Eucharist

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