The Knights of Columbus empowers Catholic men to live their faith and serve their family, parish, community and country. Founded by Blessed Michael McGivney in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is the premier lay Catholic men’s organization. Guided by the principles of charity, unity and fraternity, we build lifelong relationships with our members and families. We are multigenerational and international. We offer formation, mutual aid and financial security to members through our charity, products and outreach. We aspire to invite every Catholic man to join the Knights of Columbus and to extend our charitable reach as widely as possible.

All the good works we do are informed by our four core principles:

Charity
Members of the Knights of Columbus show love for their neighbours by conducting food drives and donating the food to local soup kitchens and pantries, by volunteering at Special Olympics, and by supporting, both spiritually and materially, mothers who choose life for their babies. 

Unity
Members of the Knights of Columbus all know that - together - we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually.  So we stick together ... we support one another.  As a Knight of Columbus, you can count on the support and encouragement of your brother Knights as you work to make life better in your parish community.

Fraternity
The Venerable Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, in large part, to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died - often prematurely.  The Order's top-rated insurance program continues to do this today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time to assist sick and/or disabled members and their families.

Patriotism
Members of the Knights of Columbus, be they Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Cubans, Filipinos, or Dominicans, are patriotic citizens.  We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both.  Whether it's in public or private, the Knights remind the world that Catholics support their nations and are amongst the greatest citizens.