About Us

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity.

Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national and international projects. From international charitable partnerships with Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair Mission and Habitat for Humanity to our own Food for Families and Coats for Kids projects and other local charities, the opportunity to work together with fellow Knights and their families is virtually endless. In 2017, the Knights of Columbus set a new all-time record for the 19th consecutive year. Our charitable donations increased from $177 million in 2016 to a new total of $185,652,989 in 2017. In addition, we achieved our highest level of charitable service in 2017, volunteering more than 75 million hours of service.