Notes from speech given by Council Historian, William J. Giblin, PGK, PFN, FDD

At Councils One 125^th anniversary dinner in 2007

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First meeting

October 2, 1881, Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

• 80 men attended this first meeting in the basement of St. Marys Church, to discuss the formation of a Catholic, Benefit, and Fraternal Society at t he request of Father Michael J. McGivney who was a curate at St. Marys church.

• Twelve men after this meeting were appointed to formulate a plan association to operate upon Fraternal Benefit line and to apply to the State for at charter.

• Other meetings in the year 1881 were October 16, November 6, November 20, December 4, and December 18.

On February 2, 1882, in the basement of St. Marys Church, 60 men assembled, when the meeting was over, the New Society will be called Knights of Columbus.

• Daniel Colwell was appointed to prepare the necessary petition for a charter from the General Assembly of Connecticut.

The organization received its charter from the State of Connecticut on March 29, 1882

11 Men Founded the Knights of Columbus

Rev. Michael J. McGivney from St. Marys Church

Rev. Patrick Lawlor from St. Marys Church

Cornelius T. Driscoll from St. Marys Church

William M. Geary from St. Marys Church

James T. Mullen from St. Marys Church

John T. Kerrigan from St. Patricks Church

Dr. Matthew C. OConnor from St. Patricks Church

Daniel Colwell from Sacred Heart Church

Michael Curren from Sacred Heart Church

Thomas M. Carroll St. John the Evangelist Church

Bartholomew Healy St. John the Evangelist Church

Grand Knight Term (s)

1 Cornelius T. Driscoll May-1882 - Nov-1882

2 James T. Mullen Nov-1882 - May-1883

3 John T. Kerrigan May-1883 - Nov-1883

4 Patrick H. Madden Nov-1883 - Jun-1884

5 Patrick H. Cosgrove FDDJun-1884 - Jun-1885

6 JohnT.O'Keefe Jun-1885 - Feb-1886

7 James P. Gallivan Feb-1886 - Jun-1887

8 PatrickH.Carrigan Jun-18871889

9 David O'Donnell 1890 1891

10 William M. Geary18921893

11 MichaelE. Tracy18941895

12 Cornelius T. Driscoll1896 1896

13 Francis Carlin18971898

14 Daniel W. Brennan 1899 1900

15 James E. Murphy 1901 1901

16 James R. Maxwell1902 1904

17 William H. Sellwood 1905 1905

18 Isaac E. Booth 1906 1906

19 Bernard E. Farrell 1907 1907

20 EdwardC. Lyons 1908 1908

21JohnC.Riley 1909 1909

22JosephH.Lynch 1910 1910

23 John J. McKeon 1911 1911

24 James G. Moran, PFN 1912 1912

25JohnMcKenna	19131913
26 MichaelF. Brennan	1914
27 J. Frank Doolan	1914
28 T.FrankMartin	1915
29 John H.Griffin	1915
30 JamesA. Shea, FDD	1916
31 W. Vincent Barry	1917
32 William H. Stoddard	1918
33 Francis A. Ford, FDD	1919
34 Michael T. Hunihan	1920
35 Charles F. Gaffney	1921
36 Joseph P. Markham	1922
37 P. FrankClyne	1923
38 William C. Meehan	1924
39 Edward P. Stohan, FDD	1925
40 Simon F. Meskell	1926
41 Alfred A. McCarthy	1927
42 W. Allen Moakley	1928
43 James T. Kelly	1929
44 Henry A. Bissonnette	1930
45 JohnH. Golden	1931
46 James E. Monahan	1932

47 JamesD. Barrett 1933

48HughA.Keenan 49 William B. Kelley		1934 1935 1936
Edmond J. Fitzgerald
50 (Res.)	1936
51 John H. Weir (Res.)	1936
52 James W. Burns	1936
53 Francis J. Moakley	1937
54 Raymond J. Connelly	1938
55 Francis J. Moakley	1939
56DanielC.Gorman	1940
57 Stephen M. Murray	1941
58 Harold F. Ryan	1942
59 Vincent D. Cornell	1943
60 Hugh J. Mac Donald	1944
61 Thomas F. Parks *	1945
62 Cyril H. Charbonneau	1946
63 William A. Reilly	1947
64 Thomas K. Bluitte	1948
65 Francis M. Gersz, PFN	1949
66 Louis J. Adams	1950
67 Marshall J. Brooks	1951
68 James P. McGovern	1952
69 Salvatore A. Coppola	1953

70 William J. Haggerty	1954
71 Joseph J. Costello	1955
72FrederickJ.Scanlon	1956
73 James B. Mckay	1957
74 T. Stuart Hanley, FDD	1958
75 Joseph A. Fitzgerald	1959
76 Vincent J. Lupone	1960
77 James J. Coughlin	1961
78 Harold P. Ayotte	1962
79 Anthony DiPalma	1963
80 John J. Jackson	1964
81 Carmine T. Vece	1965
82 Joseph P. Barbiero	1966
83 Daniel J. Cohoon, PFN	1967
84 Thomas S. Dobrowski	1968
85 Batholomew L. Richards	1969
86 W. Vincent Barry PFN	1970
87 Salvatore J. Allevi	1971
88 Francis J. Pinto	1972
89 J. Whitney Paine	1973
90 James F. Agro	1974
91 James J. Mulvey	1975
92 Joseph W. Rogers, PFN	1976

93 Leo L. Mauri Jr., PFN	1977
94 Salvatore V. Lupone	1978
95 Paul S. DiMauro	1979
96 JosephB. Clark	1980
97 Roger J. Wilson Sr.	1981
98 Donald W. Guenther Sr.	1982
99 Lester F. Burns	1983
100 JohnF. Hogan, PFN	1984
101 Joseph L. Pisani	1985
William J. Giblin, 102 PFN, FDD	1986
103 Harold F. Houston Jr.	1987
104 TerranceR. GilbertJr.	1988
105 PierreM. Goubourn	1989
106 ArmandC. DeToro	1990
107 Walter F. O'Brien	1991
108 Ronald J. Pierpaoli	1992
109 Edward J. Parshall	1993
110 John F. Bergami, FDD	1994
111 John S. O'Connell	1995
112 Robert A. Bland	1996
113 Charles C. DeMartino	1997
114 MarioA. Florio	1998

115 Donald A. Hayden,	1999	2001
116 Thomas B. Pursell	2001	2003
117 Robert J. Brunell II	2003	2004
118 Dru R.Grant	2004	2005
119 John S. O'Connell	2005	2006
120 James J. Bamberg	2006	2008
121 Manuel A. Galvis	2008	2009
122 Michael Rogers	2009	2011

123 John Winchell 2011-2012

On Oct. 2, 1881, a small group of men met in the basement of St. Mary’s Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. Called together by their 29-year-old parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, these men formed a fraternal society that would one day become the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization.

They sought strength in solidarity, and security through unity of purpose and devotion to a holy cause: they vowed to be defenders of their country, their families and their faith.

These men were bound together by the ideal of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas, the one whose hand brought Christianity to the New World. Their efforts came to fruition with the incorporation of the Knights of Columbus on March 29, 1882.

 They were Knights of Columbus.

The Order has been called "the strong right arm of the Church," and has been praised by popes, presidents and other world leaders, for support of the Church, programs of evangelization and Catholic education, civic involvement and aid to those in need.

Father McGivney’s founding vision for the Order also included a life insurance program to provide for the widows and orphans of deceased members. The Order’s insurance program has expanded substantially to serve more effectively the Knights’ growing membership.

Year after year, the Knights of Columbus has earned the highest possible quality ratings for financial soundness from A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The Order provides the highest quality insurance, annuity and long-term care products to its members, along with many other fraternal benefits.

The Supreme Council is the governing body of the Knights of Columbus and is responsible for the development of the organization as a whole. Supreme Council duties include establishing the Order in new regions and setting up regional authorities, defining and advancing its values and goals, undertaking organization-wide initiatives, promoting awareness of the Knights’ mission worldwide, and protecting the families of members through its extensive insurance program. Members working in local, or subordinate councils, however, carry on the majority of the Knights’ beneficial work.

Who We Are

A fraternal and beneficent society of Catholic men, founded in New Haven, Connecticut, 2 February, 1882, and incorporated under the laws of Connecticut, 29 March, 1882.

The organizers and incorporators were the Reverend M.J. McGivney, the Reverend P.P. Lawlor, James T. Mullen, Cornelius T. Driscoll, Dr. M.C. O'Connor, Daniel Colwell, William M. Geary, John T. Kerrigan, Bartholomew Healey, and Michael Curran.

The purpose of the society is to develop a practical Catholicity among its members, to promote Catholic education and charity, and, through its insurance department, to furnish at least temporary financial aid to the families of deceased members.

On 15 May, 1882, the organizers, as a Supreme Committee, instituted the first subordinate council, San Salvador, No. 1, New Haven. From this time on, subordinate councils were organized in the different cities and towns throughout the State of Connecticut, but it was not until 15 April, 1885, when a subordinate council was established at Westerly, Rhode Island, that the order was extended beyond the borders of the parent state. The Supreme Committee then enacted a law providing that a Supreme Council should be established, composed of the Supreme Committee and delegates from the subordinate councils, each council being entitled to one delegate for each fifty members. The number of delegates under this arrangement proving too large, the Supreme Council, on 14 May, 1886, resolved itself into a Board of Government, composed of the Board of Directors, formerly the Supreme Committee, and the Grand Knight and a Past Grand Knight of each subordinate council of the society.

Owing to the rapid growth of the society, the Board of Government, in 1892, provided for the organization of State Councils, composed of two delegates from each subordinate council in the state. On 29 April, 1893, the Board of Government was succeeded by the National Council, composed of the State Deputy and last Past State Deputy of each State Council, and by one delegate from every thousand members of the insurance class. In October, 1893, associate members were first admitted to the order. The establishment of the associate class was intended for those advanced in years, or unable to pass a physical examination, but has gradually been extended to comprehend all eligible men not desiring the insurance feature. On 22 February, 1900, the first instance of the fourth degree took place in New York City, when more than twelve hundred candidates from all parts of the United States received this degree.

The order is now established in every state and territory of the United States, in every province of Canada, in Newfoundland, the Philippine Islands, Mexico, Cuba, Panama. Councils are to be established in Puerto Rico and in South America. The membership, divided into two classes, insurance and associate, included, on 1 March, 1910, 74,909 insurance members, and 160,703 associate members, a total of 235,612. Insurance policies are issued for $1000, $2000, and $3000, to desirable risks between the ages of 18 and 60. The rate of each member increases every five years until the age of 60 is attained, after which he pays a level premium based upon his age at initiation. The society has paid to the beneficiaries of deceased members $4,438,728.74.

The Knights of Columbus have done notable work in promoting Catholic education and charity, providing education and homes for Catholic orphans, endowing scholarships in Catholic colleges, providing lectures on Catholic doctrine, endowing hospital beds, providing sanitoria for its sick members, maintaining employment bureaux, and, in general, performing the work of the apostolate of the laity. In 1904 the order presented to the Catholic University at Washington $50,000 for a chair of American History, besides several thousand dollars for library purposes, and is at present engaged in raising $500,000 to endow 50 scholarships in the University.

The work of lectures to non-Catholics on questions of Catholic teaching and belief has always appealed to the spirit of the order, and of late years has been taken up with no little success. Splendid results have attended the lectures so far delivered. They have led to a better understanding of the Catholic faith on the part of non-Catholics, and a more friendly attitude towards it; they have shown that bigotry is on the wane, and that the non-Catholic mind is open to conviction. The series of lectures delivered by the Right Reverend Bishop J.J. Keane of Cheyenne, Wyoming, in Denver, in 1909, inaugurated the work. At Cedar Rapids, Iowa, eighty-five per cent of the audience, at the lecture under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus, was non-Catholic. The work has been taken up successfully in Buffalo, Milwaukee, Houston, Los Angeles. It is a movement which does not aim at attacking any man's belief, but at building up charity among men "and", in the words of Bishop Keane, "bringing us all closer to God Almighty". In several cities the Knights have established Catholic libraries, and in many others have catalogued the Catholic books in the public libraries.

The erection of a memorial to Christopher Columbus, in the City of Washington, by the United States Government, is due in a measure to the work of the Knights of Columbus. "Columbus Day" (12 October), which is observed at present in fifteen states of the Union (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island), was instituted largely through the efforts of the Knights, who are now striving to make it a national holiday.

Publication information Written by Edward Hearn. Transcribed by Dennis McCarthy. In Memory of the Deceased Members of K. of C. Atlanta Council No. 660 The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. Published 1910. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York