Knights of Columbus Council 4796

What We Do
Have you and your family ever watched the telecast of Pope John Paul II’s midnight Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Christmas Eve? Well, the Knights of Columbus is the organization that underwrites the costs of beaming that telecast from the Vatican, and has done so since 1976. Our satellite uplink program covers the costs of uploading the transmission and pays for the downlink in mission countries as well.

Or perhaps you’ve seen us standing in front of your local shopping mall or grocery store raising funds for programs supporting people with mental retardation.

Over the past 10 years, the Knights of Columbus has volunteered more than 397 million hours of service and donated over $945 million to charity.  On a local level, you’ll find many ways that Knights are involved: running youth religious education programs, delivering Communion to homebound and elderly shut-ins, painting classrooms in Catholic schools, or volunteering at Special Olympics events. We put new roofs on senior citizens’ homes and write letters to young men studying for the priesthood.

All funds raised stay at the local level, helping causes local Knights want to help. The principal areas of volunteer involvement through our “Surge…with Service” program can be broken down into the following categories: Church, Community, Council, Family and Youth.

What we Offer
In a word, fraternity. More specifically, the Knights of Columbus offers the Catholic man and his family opportunities for leadership training through active involvement in a local unit, or council; volunteer opportunities in the parish and community; low-cost life insurance; fraternal benefits like college scholarships and student loans for himself, his wife and children; Columbia magazine; and so much more.

Being a Knight of Columbus allows a man to offer an added measure of protection to his family. By availing himself of the Order’s highly rated and financially sound insurance products, he can protect his family against hard times or an untimely death and provide for the retirement of himself and his spouse.

Who We Are
The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney and a handful of Catholic laymen. The aim of the founder and those first members was to set up a parish-based lay organization that offered insurance benefits. Father McGivney felt there should be some way to strengthen the religious faith of his flock and provide financial support for families overwhelmed by illness or the death of the breadwinner.

The Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest organization of Catholic men and their families, and has been cited by popes, presidents and other world leaders for support of the Church, for programs of evangelization and Catholic education, for civic involvement and aid to those in need.   “Protecting Families for Generations” is a motto that captures the Knights’ adherence to the legacy of its founder and fidelity to his vision.

How To Join
There are only two requirements for a man to join the Knights of Columbus: that he be a practical Catholic as understood by the Church, and that he be 18 years of age or older.
While dues-paying membership is only for Catholic men, most council programs are open to the member’s entire family, including social and family activities, scholarships, volunteer service programs and insurance benefits.
Candidates join local units, called “councils,” most of which are based in one Catholic parish, or in the community at large. The candidate takes part in initiation degrees that explain the Knights of Columbus’ four principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.
He is considered a “Knight” after taking his First Degree, but he is encouraged to advance through the Second and Third Degrees and on to the Fourth Degree, whose members promote the virtue of patriotism by serving in honor guards, color corps and promoting respect for country and the flag.

When and Where do we Meet?
Where:  4935 W. 1st Ave
When:  2nd and 3rd Tuesday of the month
Time:  7PM Rosary

Who to Contact:
Jerry Jaramillo at 720-564-9311