The Knights of Columbus are a Roman Catholic men’s fraternity whose aim is to

help their neighbor. The story of the Knights is a telling symbol of perseverance and

execution of goals, but also the deeper story reveals the rivets that masked much of what

America had faced in its pre-World War era and what many groups faced during the

course of their organization. Its inception was small, but its impact will remain

unforgettable. The small group of men in the basement of the Church that founded the

order 125 years ago reveals the community that persists today in the vision of missionary

goals and social endeavors.

The founder of this vast organization is Michael Joseph McGivney, who was born

in 1852 as the oldest of 13 children in Waterbury, Connecticut. His dad was an Irish

immigrant working in the booming brass industry, which at the time Connecticut was the

world capital of. Patrick McGivney, he was named, was a part of the waves of Irish

immigration who worked molding brass in high heat and fumes. Not only did Michael

bring his craft with him he, like many others who immigrated, brought Roman

Catholicism and that’s why there is a spike in the religion’s strength in the nineteenth

century. Thirteen attempts at children by the McGivney’s were made yet only 7

remained, Michael had 4 little sisters and 2 brothers. Most of the others died in their

infancy. This early grip on sorrow and poverty revealed to McGivney at a young age that

love, faith and family fortitude are the cornerstones to a strong and healthy life.

Early on Fr. McGivney was schooled by Bishop Tom Hendricken at the “East

Main Street School”, an arrangement in the St. Peter’s Church basement they had

arranged to educate the youth of the brassworkers in Waterbury. Aged 13 years,

McGivney finished his education unprecedentedly early, and knew that he wanted to be a

priest. Prior to ever reaching a seminary he worked for 3 years producing spoons. In 1868

he reached St. Hyacinthe, a Quebec seminary he soon left for St. Mary’s College for 2

academic years of seminary classes. His father Patrick died in 1873.

One of the biggest problems facing the booming brass industry residents was the

shortened life span set back by these rigorous industries. The Knights set out to correct

these mishaps in a family’s life and intercede as an insurance company for the widowed

and orphaned, making them one of the most affordable such sources for those who meet

their criteria. As an insurance source the Knights grew throughout the 20th century.

Although not ‘secret’ from the public, its secretive rites and procedures secured it

as interesting to the higher authorities for which it stood. “Secret societies were officially

condemned by the Pope in 1738” (Axelrod), a fact the bold young priest from

Connecticut ignored throughout the entirety of his groups annexation of members from

the church, even though remaining in both was the modus operandi. Fraternal orders are

often found to follow the same rules but if there is one overbearing rule it would be that

there are no absolutes when it comes to these secret societies. Secrecy is a key component

to them all, but there is usually secondarily a ritual or initiation rite that is used to

maintain the mystery of the order. Built into the rite, it is common that the secrecy is

conferred or passed down to share a sense of belonging. There are 7 aims of Orders and

McGivney’s Knights register our categorization outline provided by “The International

Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders” as social because of its degrees of

Knighthood. In earlier Knighthoods the aristocracy saw degrees of knighthood as

platforms for social clubs and significant of various involvement. (Axelrod.)

On 9 January 1882 Michael J. McGivney called together the preliminary

meetings of the group that would become known as the Knights of Columbus for the

purpose of helping the underprivileged families of the time, namely orphans and widows.

The name “Knights of Columbus” beat out the alternative name “Sons of Columbus” and

that’s what was put on the charter of the organization, a vote harkening back to their

patriarchal militant group, the Red Knights, who fought in the Civil War. The charter

from the State of Connecticut came for the newly planned insurance organization and

was delivered in the year 1882; Fr. McGivney was 29. He was raised in a mill town in the

revolutionary region along the rivers stretching across the area, the fertile piedmont of the

textile and industrial revolutions. It was the families of these industries, and especially

those working in the brass industry of Connecticut at the time.

His ministry was primarily in the vein of his own exposure to the darker aspects

of life early on such as death, poverty, and sorrow: it was family oriented. This is a basic

example of his early life clearly being steered by his ministry. He saw alcoholism as a

problem not only to the abuser but those he was to be caring for, and as the spike in secret

societies peaked McGivney thought an organization could be well used. He joined St.

Joseph’s Total Abstinence and Literary Society, but still had the need to found the

Knights of Columbus on 29 March 1882 with members of his parish.

McGivney’s involvement with his organization soon dropped but not without

good reason Later in life following the foundation McGivney saw the need structurally

for him to serve only as chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. From 1884 to his death

from the flu on 14 August 1890 the Knights came second to him from his ministry within

the church. His reassignment from St. Mary’s parish to St. Thomas in Thomaston, CT

consumed him as he took on the parish’s debt problems for people with “few resources

behind their faith;” they were underprivileged. He remained however at St. Mary’s as an

extreme chaplain. (Devotion)

The clergy eventually took to the group for the protection and the security of

widows was accepted across 68 districts nationally. Admirably, it retains $450 million

today to disburse to the poor widows and unfortunate orphans of its members. Officially,

Pope John Paul II spoke to the members of the Order, “In fidelity to the vision of Father

McGivney, may you continue to seek new ways of being a leaven of the Gospel in the

world and a spiritual force for the renewal of the Church in holiness, unity and truth.”

(His Legacy: The Knights of Columbus) This shows the renewed sense of Fr.

McGivney’s mission in the new millennium from a higher order of power, a nice reversal

from a little over a hundred years ago when the clergy were heavy pressed to fight the

uprise of organization’s such as Michael’s because of the Pope’s 1738 decree. What we

also see here is a force of renewal with a unified vision among men.

The history of the Knights of Columbus has been pushing the boundaries through

forces of good: church and society. The immigrant men who founded it led by a visionary

priest took to the spirit of their time and made the organization. Its longevity may also be

attributed to these two facts: Its appeal is timeless, its goals are for eternity(History).

After the Civil War, a lot of the Protestants were persecuted for not being ‘American’

enough. Many of the groups that fought in the war used red knapsacks and later banded

together as the Red Knights when it came time to protect themselves from the oppression

of allegations resembling treason. From these Red Knights, Fr. McGivney drew and

informed his own collaboration to its form and purpose. Before this, religion was seen as

scorned and suspicious when terms of patriotism were brought to the table. This time

around, the practical additional value of citizenship was added to the spiritual value the

church offered. At the same time, churches were more and more being left for secret

societies because of the spirit of the times. The Order gave many of its members the

ability to be “proudly American and defiantly Catholic.”(History) The prime theme was

how to be a Catholic in America. It is now 125 years old and its name links its country

with religion. It was an unassailable fact that Columbus’ descendents were entitled the

same freedom to worship religion freely. The Order paid its first life insiurance policy out

in 1885 and also had around 1000 members. The self entityship of the Knights finally

pushed through during the 1898 Spanish American War. The Catholic Church took an

official stance against the war but the Knights out of national duty proclaimed the war

was a necessity to the American cause. Taking a stand was an essential part to being a

Catholic man, and it was this defiance of the clergy that really helped shape the

organization outside the church in a secular realm. In 1905 clerical opposition to the

group melted away and there were councils in every state. The organization became a

presence against international anti-church sentiment especially in the Mexican region.

There was a memorial to Columbus dedicated in 1912 near Washington, D.C. At the

ceremonies were President Taft, Supreme Court justices, and Congress as well as a

number of Knights such as the Supreme Knight James Flaherty. History soon recognized

that anti-Catholic sentiment was because of the immigration waves leading to World War

I. The Knights respectfully fought back with libel suits, lecture tours, and commissions

on racial prejudice. The sentiment from the knights became a memory of the war:

“Everybody Welcome, Everything Free”(History). It is a testament to the charity of the

group.

Its large growth through the social revolutions can be attributed to the outreach

and social involvement programs the Knights have included in their fraternal

organization. Its growth can also be attributed to its ties with the Anti-communist

movement and its addition of the Fourth Degree in 1900 when it was submerged in anti-

Catholic sentiment. This degree was intended to show the benevolent outreach of the

Knights and the social involvement that was expected from the developed members of

the group. Its prosperity continued through two world wars and in the 60s and 70s

proceeded to help the unfortunate especially through its work with the deaf. In 1968 it

absorbed the Catholic Benevolent Region of Brooklyn, NY. (Schmidt.) Although its

mission in the new century may have changed in the form it took and the roles it provided

the widowed and orphaned it interacts with, the same vision of Fr. McGivney shone

through in its readiness to collaborate together for the common good of the participants.

Although it has been many years, in 1997 Archbishop Daniel Cronin of

Connecticut opened a Diocesan investigation whereby Pope Benedict XVI declared

Michael McGivney venerable in the Roman Catholic Church for his heroic virtue in

founding the Knights. He is currently waiting to be beautified.

Stemming from the goals of Columbia are the Principles of the Knights of

Columbus, which are practical and recognizably simple, as was the life of its founder.

Knights find strength in solidarity, security through unity of purpose and devotion to a

holy cause. They vow to defend country, family, and faith. These are corollaries from the

highly regarded virtues of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. Bound together by

Christopher Columbus, the organization highlights the Christian ideals of manifest

destiny and exploration that brought Europe to the New World. Early on the Order was

called “the Strong Right Arm of the Church.”(Growth of the Knights of Columbus.)

Praise has come from Popes, Presidents, and other worlds leaders. Knights have been

lauded for Church support, civic involvement, Catholic Education, Evangelization

programs and giving aid to the needy. Their Principles are core to the Knights’ Mission,

they are Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. Charity is exhibited through food

drives, soup kitchens and the Special Olympics. They are pro-life, included in their

mission is a provision that pro-life means to not only support life materially but also

spiritually. A Knight’s Mission and Faith in God compels him to action. They view

helping the needy as the best way to experience compassion and love. Unity is seen

through the encouragement of Brother Knights. The obvious benefit to this principle is

the simple fact that you accomplish more working together than you would individually.

Fraternity is largely built in the vein of Unity, that it is largely a reason to assist and

provide aid to those that need a Knight’s attention. Patriotism is the global principle:

Knights are asked to show devotion to God and country and stand up for both. Publicly or

privately the organization tries to show that Catholics are among the world’s best

citizens.

The structural organization the Knights of Columbus implements is a Supreme

Council, the national council responsible for the development nationally and to share the

Order with new regions and install their authorities. Supreme defines and advances the

values, goals and directives and undertakes organization wide activities and initiatives, as

well as promoting the Knights globally. They are also in the business of protecting

families as a result of their insurance program.

As an Order the Knights of Columbus have done well in their aims to aid the

poor, orphaned and widowed through their insurance policy program for their members.

As a social group they have excelled too, with over 68 districts nationally and 1.8 million

members (History). Fr. Michael J. McGivney’s founded organization was a feat, and now

at over 125 years of duration will continue their charitable works for generations to come.