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Knights of Columbus was started by a small group of men gathered in the basement of St Mary’s church on oct.2, 1881, in new heaven, CT under leadership of an young parish priest- Fr. Michael J McGivney. This fraternal organization has global presence now with more than 1.7 million members. The idea of uniting the men in faith and to provide help for the catholic families in times of need was the motive of Fr, McGivney in forming this Order. Charity, unity Fraternity and Patriotism are the underlying principles on which this order is founded. The perseverance and foresight of the founder priest has resulted in the largest Catholic fraternal and humanitarian organization of the world.
The dreams of the founder members found expression, when the Knights of Columbus was incorporated on March 29, 1882. These members followed the ideals of Christopher Columbus who discovered America and brought Christianity to the new world. The main purpose of this order was to reach out to the needy member families with financial aid. Social and intellectual causes are promoted among the members and their families through charitable, religious and social activities.
The Knights of Columbus has grown to more than 13,000 councils and 1.7 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan.
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