The Principles of the Order

Charity is the first principle of the Order. Knights are followers of Christ and men of faith. As St. James reminds us, “faith without works is dead.” Therefore, as Knights we are committed to charity, easing the plight of those less fortunate. Unity is the second principle of the Knights of Columbus. In unity there is strength. Existing in an environment that was openly hostile to Catholics, the founders of the Order relied on the strength of unity to remain steadfast in the Faith while claiming their rightful place in society. Today the Order uses that strength to speak out for religiously-grounded moral values in a culture that has forsaken them. Fraternity is the third principle of Order. In 19th century America, life insurance was beyond the financial reach of many poor Catholics and social services did not exist. Through the Knights of Columbus men were able to band together as brothers to help one another in times of distress, sickness and death. Patriotism is the principle of the Fourth Degree. One of the reasons the Order was founded was to emphasize that Catholics are proud citizens of their countries. Today Fourth Degree Knights in full regalia, the visible arm of the Order, serve to witness to the values of devotion to God and country, the bedrock of patriotism.

What the Order Stands for Today

By their deeds shall you know them. The Knights of Columbus is very much a grassroots organization. The international body does not dictate the charitable programs and activities of local councils. Rather, local councils develop the programs they believe will best serve the needs of their communities. Those needs are met under the umbrella of the “Surge. . .

With Service” program. It has five core areas: Church, community, council, family and youth. Within this framework,

state and local councils decide how best to direct their efforts. Funds raised by the state and local councils remain with

them for distribution in the ways the members feel best. This philosophy makes possible local efforts such as donating state-of-the-art computers to a Texas seminary; pledging $100,000 to a New Brunswick church to improve access for disabled people; raising $50,000 to equip police cars with cardiac defibrillators; or sponsoring a free medical clinic in

the Philippines. Vocations support is also a major Knights of Columbus effort at all levels of the Order. State and local councils directly support seminaries and vocations promotion efforts. Additionally many councils participate in the RSVP (Refund Vocations Support Program) by “adopting” a seminarian or postulant and providing him with moral and financial support. For each $500 in direct aid given to the candidate for the priesthood or religious life, the Supreme Council refunds $100 to the council. Through this program alone more than $2 million is given to seminarians and

postulants each year. Through the Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Scholarship Fund and the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Vocations Scholarship Fund, with an aggregate corpus of $6.5 million, nearly 400 scholarships have been given to seminarians in theology studies. Of these, almost 200 have been ordained since these programs began.

Strengthening family life is another major aim of the Order. Knights conduct a wide variety of activities and efforts to

enhance and strengthen family life in accordance with the social teaching of the Church. This includes everything from the

“Family of the Month” program that recognizes outstanding families on the local council level to funding the North American Campus of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The institute is a part of the Lateran University in Rome and it offers graduate level degrees to those who will be involved with family ministry in the Church. The Order is also known as one of the world’s strongest

proponents of the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death. Even before the Roe v. Wade decision which

legalized abortion on demand in the United States, the Knights of Columbus has been in the vanguard of the pro-life movement.

In addition to its own pro-life initiatives, the Order offers both assistance and financial support on an on-going basis to the

pro-life programs of the bishops’ conferences in the countries where the Knights of Columbus exists. In the latest of many efforts to restore a sense of the sanctity of human life in the world, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson has established March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn. On this day state and local councils across the globe are encouraged to organize special Masses and services. They pray that the Culture of Death

that now darkens our world will become a Culture of Life celebrating the dignity and value of every human being from the

moment of conception until natural death.

Who May be a Member?

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to any practical Catholic man in union with the Holy See who is not less

than 18 years of age on his last birthday. A practical Catholic is one who lives up to the Commandments of God and the

Precepts of the Church. There are two types of Knights of Columbus membership. Associate members belong to the Order and enjoy many of its benefits, but do not hold Knights of Columbus life insurance certificates. This distinguishes them from insurance members. Unlike many fraternal organizations, the Knights of Columbus does not require the purchase of insurance for membership. It is voluntary. However, a man must be a member before he is eligible to purchase insurance for himself or his family. Application for membership is made through the council in the community nearest the applicant’s place of residence. Applicants temporarily away from home, such as those in the

military, may apply either through their hometown council, the council on the military base to which they are assigned or

another council in a community near them. Acceptance of the application depends on an admissions process and a vote of the members of the council to which the application is made. Following a favorable vote the applicant becomes a member by initiation in what is called the First Degree. Subsequently he advances through the Second and Third degrees.

There are modest initiation fees and annual dues set by the local council in accordance with regulations established by the Supreme Council. Priests and religious brothers who have applied for membership and attended the ceremonials become honorary life members and are exempt from the payment of dues.