History Of The Order
The Knights of Columbus started at Saint Mary’s Church, 1882, in New Haven Connecticut. Father Michael J. McGivney and a group of men were motivated to found the Knights of Columbus because of the tragic needs of Catholic families of deceased men in the community. They realized that the first duty of a catholic husband and father was to his family – to care for their needs while alive and, to his best ability, to provide for their care at the time of his death. Father McGivney and his lay associates recognized that ordinary commercial insurance premiums then being charged were far beyond the income of the average working man and something had to be done to formulate a non-profit organization which could provide low cost insurance.
Today, more than 125 years after the founding of the Knights of Columbus, Catholic families of our members in the United States and Canada are protected by over 21 billion dollars of Knights of Columbus Insurance. Translated into social responsibilities it means that thousands of Catholic families can be kept together – that thousands of catholic mothers can remain in the home to raise their children – that thousands of Catholic boys and girls may be educated – that clothing, food and shelter can be provided to keep their homes intact and the families healthy. It means that tens of thousands can maintain a Catholic home life without becoming dependent upon charity groups
History Of St Elizabeth Council
St. Elizabeth Council shares the name of the patroness of the local parish church of which many of our members belong. Our council was founded in 2002, and works closely with the St. Elizabeth Parish in Upper Uwchlan, Pennsylvania, providing labor and funds for various projects. Our members are active participants in their parish and community, fulfilling the KofC principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.
Our council continues to grow, and now has over 180 member!
If you are interested in joining us, please click here for more information, or talk to a current member!