MEMBERSHIP

Imagine being part of an organization that fills your heart and your mind with the joy of giving to others and the feeling that comes with making a difference.

Knights are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church. Being a Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved with your community; it is supporting your local Catholic Church, while enhancing your own faith; it is about protecting and enhancing your family life. Come see just what we are all about and take the first steps to enhance your personal life by viewing the segment, "Why Join?"

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How to Join

If you are a practical Catholic man, age 18 or older, we welcome you to join the leading organization of Catholic laymen.

Being a Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved with your community; it is supporting your local Catholic Church, while enhancing your own faith; it is about protecting and enhancing your family life. Come see just what we are all about and take the first steps to enhance your personal life by viewing the segment, "Why Join?"

If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus, please complete our inquiry form.

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Support for Vocations

Founded by a parish priest, the Knights of Columbus has always worked hard to encourage young men and women to consider God’s call to service in the priesthood or religious life.

Under the motto “Keep the Faith Alive,” the Order’s vocations initiative has a number of programs based on prayer and designed to reach the hearts and minds of young people, as well as to provide financial support during their years of seminary training or religious formation.

In keeping with Knights of Columbus tradition, an attractive new vocations tool has just been released that should serve as the centerpiece of your council's vocations programs.

Although the focus of the Order’s vocations programs is on encouraging men to consider the priesthood or religious life and women to consider religious life, the DVD also includes films on the lay vocations to underline the fact that everyone is called through their Baptism to serve God, the Church and their neighbors.

The heart of the Order’s vocations effort continues to be the Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) by which assemblies, councils and Squires circles provide monetary and moral support for seminarians and postulants who are preparing for the priesthood or religious life.

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Charitable Donations

During the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated more than $1.367 billion to charity.

From the moment of our founding in 1882, charity has been the first principle of the Knights of Columbus. We are men of faith and men of action.

Last year alone, in addition to rasing and donating more than $151 million to charitable needs and projects, Knights volunteered more than 69 million hours of their time to charitable causes. We undertake these acts of charity because we see those in need through the eyes of faith. Moreover, in the Knights of Columbus, we approach these acts of charity together. Pope Benedict XVI calls this the “practice of love...as a community.”

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 purely local charities, the opportunity to work together with fellow Knights and their families is virtually endless.

If you’d like to be a part of an international organization of 1.8 million Catholic men whose principal work involves helping others in need, we'd like to meet you and invite you to join us. Click here to find out how to become a member of the Knights of Columbus.

The Knights’ annual Survey of Fraternal Activity for the year ending Dec. 31, 2009, indicated that, despite a soft economy, total charitable contributions reached $151,105,867 – exceeding the previous year’s total by more than $1 million.

The figure includes $34,627,530 donated by the Supreme Council, and $116,477,971 in contributions from state and local councils assemblies and Squires circles.

The survey also indicated that the quantity of volunteer service hours to charitable causes by Knights grew to 69,251,926 – an increase of 468,291 hours compared to 2009. There were more than 413,000 Knights of Columbus blood donations during the year and, among the most common service programs, Habitat for Humanity received 227,900 K of C volunteer hours.

During 2009, the Knights of Columbus promoted the Year of the Volunteer and sponsored a summit on volunteerism, A Nation of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, in New York to encourage increased participation and collaboration in volunteer efforts from individuals and organizations.

Cumulative figures show that during the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated more than $1.367 billion to charity, and provided nearly 640 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable initiatives.

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Supporting the Catholic Church has been a hallmark of the Knights of Columbus since its founding in 1882. From funding the restoration of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome to operating an usher ministry at a local parish, the Knights of Columbus serves the Church in countless ways. Annually, the Order raises and distributes more than $45 million to Church groups in support of programs at the local, national and international levels. Local Knights and their families donate more than 25 million hours of volunteer time to the Church each year.

Vatican Support
The Knights of Columbus provides support for the Catholic Church in many ways, including the funding of many important Vatican projects.

Church Loan
For more than a century, the Knights of Columbus has provided financing for church development projects.

Support of Vocations
Supporting vocations to the priesthood and religious life is a top priority of the Knights of Columbus.

Articles
The cornerstone of the work of the Knights is allegiance to the Catholic Church and its mission. Millions of dollars are donated to the Church at all levels, and millions of hours of volunteer time are given.

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