Who are the Knights of Columbus?

Knights of Columbus are Catholic gentlemen, 18 years of age or older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church. Knights share camaraderie with men who hold values similar to yours. Knights are involved with your community; they support your local Catholic Church and its causes, while deepening their faith; and they believe in protecting and enhancing their family life.

The Knights of Columbus is an international Catholic lay organization with more than 1.8 million members in 14,000 councils located throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Poland, and several other countries.

• Knights are committed to the exemplification of charity, unity, fraternity, patriotism, and defense of the priesthood.

• The Order is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Order is unequivocal in its loyalty to the Pope, the Vicar of Christ on earth.

• It is firmly committed to the protection of human life, from conception to natural death, and to the preservation and defense of the family.

• It was on these bedrock principles that the Order was founded over a century ago and remains true to them today.

Why Join the Knights of Columbus?

For men in every walk of life the name of the Knights of Columbus engenders the image of a united organization, efficiently going about its tasks of charity, unity, fraternity, patriotism and defense of the priesthood. It is composed of men who are giving unselfishly of their time and talents in the service of God and their country.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus provides the opportunity for association with other Catholic gentlemen. It offers the opportunity for fellowship with those who are of the same belief, who recognize the same duty to God, to family and to neighbor and who stand side by side in defense of those beliefs. Programs are organized as to appeal to the individual interest of the members. Through many activities of Christian fraternity, members are enabled to render service to their Church, their country and their fellowman. Through membership, they develop a consciousness of their ability to lead and to assist.

Organized Columbianism, united behind the individual Knight of Columbus, provides the power of an intelligent, alert body of Catholic men - a strength which the individual by himself cannot achieve.

The Knights of Columbus have a proud heritage. The qualified Catholic man can share in that heritage and build for an even greater future by affiliating himself with this forceful, effective body.

Aims of the Order

The aim of the founder, Father Michael J. McGivney, was to set up a parish-based lay organization that offered insurance benefits, specifically:

• To help Catholic men remain steadfast in their faith through mutual encouragement;

• To promote closer ties of fraternity among them; and

• To set up an elementary system of insurance so that the widows and children of members in the group who might die would not find themselves in dire financial straits.

• Our Council

• On June 24, 1987, Our Lady of Loretto Council 9601 was founded at Saints Peter and Paul church in Loretto, MN. Currently, there are 76 members serving our parish and community.

• Charity-over $9,800.00 in donations and support in 2013-2014

• Support for Priests and Religious

• Support mentally disabled adults

• Parish Youth Ministry

• Respect Life Activities

• Free Throw & Soccer Championships

• Parish Support

• Special Events

• Sunday rolls & coffee served

Time Commitment

You can get as involved as you want and as your schedule allows.

The more you get involved the more you will get out of it.

Meetings are held the Third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm in the Ss. Peter & Paul Parish Center KC room.

Other activities as announced or scheduled.