Knights of Columbus Council 15719 Queen of Angels - Similar companies

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded by Michael J. McGivney in New ... Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, it was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus. Originally serving as a mutual benefit society to working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, it developed into a fraternal benefit society dedicated to providing charitable services, including war and disaster relief, actively defending Catholicism in various nations, and promoting Catholic education. The Knights also support the Catholic Church's positions on public policy issues, including various political causes, and are participants in the New Evangelization. There are over 1.9 million members around the world. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men aged 18 or older. The Order consists of four different degrees, each exemplifying a different principle of the order. The nearly 15,000 councils, including over 300 on college campuses, are chartered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and around the world. The Knights' official junior organization, the Columbian Squires, has more than 5,000 circles, and the order's patriotic arm, the Fourth Degree, has more than 2,500 assemblies. Pope John Paul II referred to the order as the "strong right arm of the Church" for their support of the church, as well as for their philanthropic and charitable efforts. In 2015, the order gave over US$175 million directly to charity and performed over 73.5 million man-hours of voluntary service, part of the $1.55 billion given to charity over the past 10 years. Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national and international projects. "We are answering Pope Francis’ call to go to the peripheries,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said. “We can reach half way around the globe to help those in need and we can reach to our neighbor next door. And we do that every day. That makes us witnesses to the faith." read more