The Catholic Defender: These Men Called Knights of Columbus Strong Right Arm of the Church

From the moment of our founding in 1882, charity has been the first principle of the Knights of Columbus. We are men of faith and men of action.

“A Knight is a leader who stands in the breach. We defend the faith. We protect the family. And when a need arises, we rise to meet it — with charity, unity and fraternity.”

During 2012, in addition to raising and donating more than $167.5 million to charitable needs and projects, Knights volunteered more than 70 million hours of their time to charitable causes. These figures represent an increase of 6% and .1% respectively over 2011 figures. We undertake these acts of charity because we see those in need through the eyes of faith. Moreover, in the Knights of Columbus, we approach these acts of charity together. Pope Benedict XVI calls this the “practice of love…as a community.”

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 purely local charities, the opportunity to work together with fellow Knights and their families is virtually endless.

Cumulative figures show that during the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated $1.5 billion to charity, and provided more than 673 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable initiatives.

A Knights of Columbus council can work wonders; in fact, with its many programs, it can help change the community, town, city or neighborhood in which you live.

There is no better example than the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Knights were instrumental in organizing the first march in 1974. And year after year, we’ve helped it grow. The March for Life has become the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world.

Roe is overturned, but we have more work to do. Our principled stand in the public square has made a difference. So has our tireless work to support mothers and children. From the largest cities to the smallest towns, we’ve long supported a nationwide network of pregnancy resource centers.

Day after day, Knights and their families provide a helping hand and a caring heart.Most notably, we’ve supported pregnant mothers through our landmark Ultrasound Initiative.

In 2009, we placed a dozen ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers. At the time, we hoped to place a few dozen more. Thirteen years later, we have donated 1,566 lifesaving machines. And we’re not done.The end of Roe is a crucial milestone. But we cannot mistake it for the end of abortion.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization with 1.6 million members. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people.

To further aid councils in implementing service programs, the Supreme Council annually sends out a Surge Kit to all financial secretaries of record. This is usually done by early to mid-June. Use this link to review the materials included in the Surge Kit.