About Us

How We Began

In the late 19th century a young priest, Fr. Michael McGivney, saw the problems confronting a largely immigrant population. There were no welfare programs and when the husband/father was injured, sick or died, the family was left without a bread winner. Social and educational opportunities were limited and the pressure to leave the Church was great.

To deal with this situation, Fr. McGivney gathered a group of men to a meeting in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut. From this meeting came the establishment of an organization with the goals of supporting Catholic men in maintaining their Faith, offering social and intellectual opportunities to them and their families, providing aid to injured members and to the widows and orphans of deceased members. They called themselves “Knights of Columbus.”

Who We Are

Today, this small group of men has grown into the largest Catholic men’s fraternal organization in the world with over 1.8 million members. The modern Knights of Columbus, operating through its State/Provincial Councils and its local councils, such as St Thomas More Council, is engaged in charity and service to the Church, community, youth and families of its members. The protection of its members and their families has developed an A.M. Best A++ rated annuity, disability and life insurance program with over $80 billion in coverage.