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Knights of Columbus

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Community organisations;
Religious movements, traditions and organizations

   The Order of the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic
   fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882,
   it is named in honour of Christopher Columbus and dedicated to the
   principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. There are
   more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils, with nearly 200
   councils on college campuses. Membership is limited to practical
   Catholic men aged 18 or older.

   Councils have been chartered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the
   Caribbean, Central America, the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, and most
   recently in Poland. The Knights' official junior organization, the
   Columbian Squires, has over 5,000 Circles. All the Order's ceremonials
   and business meetings are restricted to members though all other events
   are open to the public. A promise not to reveal any details of the
   ceremonials except to an equally qualified Knight is required to ensure
   their impact and meaning for new members; an additional clause
   subordinates the promise to that Knight's civil and religious duties.

   In the 2005 fraternal year the Order gave US$136 million directly to
   charity and performed over 63.2 million man hours of voluntary service.
   For their support for the Church and local communities, as well as for
   their philanthropic efforts, the Order is often referred to as the
   "strong right arm of the Church". The Order's insurance program has
   more than $60 billion of life insurance policies in force and holds the
   highest insurance ratings given by A.M. Best, Standard & Poor's, and
   the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association.
   Knights of Columbus marching in a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Fort
   Collins, Colorado
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   Knights of Columbus marching in a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Fort
   Collins, Colorado

History

   Fr. Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus
   Enlarge
   Fr. Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus

   The Knights of Columbus was founded by a Catholic priest, Father
   Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut on October 2, 1881, and
   incorporated under the laws of the U.S. state of Connecticut on March
   29, 1882. Though the first councils were all in that state, the Order
   spread throughout New England and the United States in subsequent
   years.

   The primary motivation for the Order was to be a mutual benefit
   society. As a parish priest in an immigrant community, McGivney saw
   what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died and wanted to
   provide insurance to care for the widows and orphans left behind. He
   himself had to temporarily leave his seminary studies to care for his
   family when his father died. In the late 19th century, Catholics were
   regularly excluded from labor unions and other organizations that
   provided social services. In addition, Catholics were either barred
   from many of the popular fraternal organizations, or, as in the case of
   Freemasonry, forbidden from joining by the Catholic Church itself.
   McGivney wished to provide them an alternative. He also believed that
   Catholicism and fraternalism were not incompatible and wished to found
   a society that would encourage men to be proud of their
   American-Catholic heritage.

   McGivney traveled to Boston to examine the Massachusetts Catholic Order
   of Foresters and to Brooklyn to learn about the recently established
   Catholic Benevolent League, both of which offered insurance benefits.
   He found the latter to be lacking the excitement he thought was needed
   if his organization were to compete with the secret societies of the
   day. He expressed an interest in establishing a New Haven Court of the
   Foresters, but the charter of Massachusetts Foresters prevented them
   from operating outside their Commonwealth. The committee of St. Mary's
   parishioners McGivney had assembled then decided to form a club that
   was entirely original.

   McGivney had originally conceived of the name "Sons of Columbus" but
   James T. Mullen, who would become the first Supreme Knight,
   successfully suggested that "Knights of Columbus" would better capture
   the ritualistic nature of the new organization. The Order was founded
   10 years before the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New
   World and in a time of renewed interest in him. Columbus was a hero to
   many American Catholics and the naming him as patron was partly an
   attempt to bridge the division between the Irish-Catholic founders of
   the Order and Catholic immigrants of other nationalities living in
   Connecticut.
   The Knights of Columbus was founded in a time of increased interest in
   Christopher Columbus.
   Enlarge
   The Knights of Columbus was founded in a time of increased interest in
   Christopher Columbus.

   The Connecticut Catholic ran an editorial in 1878 that illustrated the
   esteem in which American Catholics held Columbus. "As American
   Catholics we do not know of anyone who more deserves our grateful
   remembrance than the great and noble man - the pious, zealous, faithful
   Catholic, the enterprising navigator, and the large-hearted and
   generous sailor: Christopher Columbus."

   The name of Columbus was also partially intended as a mild rebuke to
   Anglo-Saxon Protestant leaders, who upheld the explorer (a Catholic
   Genovese Italian working for Catholic Spain) as an American hero, yet
   simultaneously sought to marginalize recent Catholic immigrants. In
   taking Columbus as their patron, they were sending the message that not
   only could Catholics be full members of American society, but were, in
   fact,instrumental in its foundation.

   By the time of the first annual convention in 1884, the Order was
   prospering. In the five councils throughout Connecticut were 459
   members. Groups from other states were requesting information. The
   Charter of 1899 included four statements of purpose, including "to
   promote such social and intellectual intercourse among its members as
   shall be desirable and proper, and by such lawful means as to them
   shall seem best." The new charter showed members' desire to grow the
   organization beyond a simple mutual benefit insurance society.

   The original insurance system devised by McGivney gave a deceased
   Knight's widow a $1,000 death benefit. Each member was assessed $1 upon
   a death and when the number of Knights grew beyond 1,000 the assessment
   decreased according to the rate of increase. Each member, regardless of
   age, was assessed equally. As a result, younger, healthier members
   could expect to pay more over the course of their lifetimes than those
   men who joined when they were older. There was also a Sick Benefit
   Deposit for members who fell ill and could not work. Each sick Knight
   was entitled to draw up to $5 a week for 13 weeks. If he remained sick
   after that the council to which he belonged regulated the sum of money
   given to him. At the time, $5 was nearly ⅔ of the pay a man in his 30s
   or 40s could expect to bring home each week.

   Today there are more than 14,000 councils around the world and the
   Knights of Columbus is a multi-billion dollar non-profit charitable
   organization. Knights may be seen distributing Tootsie Rolls to raise
   funds to fight developmental disabilities, volunteering for the Special
   Olympics and other charitable organizations, erecting pro-life
   billboards and " Keep Christ in Christmas" signs, conducting blood
   drives and raising funds for disaster victims, or parading at patriotic
   events with their bright capes, feathered chapeaux, and ceremonial
   swords. The cause for McGivney's canonization is currently before the
   Congregation for the Causes of Saints and a guild has been formed to
   promote his cause. If his cause is successful, he will be the first
   American-born priest to be canonized as a Saint.

Organization

      Supreme Knight        Supreme Chaplain
     Carl A. Anderson
                         Bishop William E. Lori
     Carl A. Anderson    Bishop William E. Lori
   Deputy Supreme Knight     Dennis Savoie
     Supreme Secretary        Robert Lane
     Supreme Treasurer      John W. O’Reilly
     Supreme Advocate          Paul Devin
      Supreme Warden      Lawrence G. Costanzo

   The Supreme Council is the governing body of the Order and is composed
   of elected representatives from each jurisdiction. The Supreme Council
   acts in similar manner to shareholders at an annual meeting and each
   year elects seven members to the Supreme Board of Directors for three
   year terms. The twenty-one member board then chooses from its own
   membership the senior operating officials of the Order, including the
   Supreme Knight.

   State Councils in each of the 50 United States, each province in
   Canada, and other jurisdictions carved out of member countries are led
   by State Deputies and other officers elected at state conventions.
   Territorial Deputies are appointed by the Supreme Knight and lead areas
   not yet incorporated into State Councils.

   District Deputies are appointed by the State Deputy and oversee several
   local councils, each of which is led by a Grand Knight. Other elected
   council officers include the Deputy Grand Knight, Chancellor, Warden,
   Recorder, Treasurer, Advocate, Guards and Trustees. A Chaplain is
   appointed by the Grand Knight and a Financial Secretary by the Supreme
   Knight. Council officers are properly addressed by using the title
   "worthy" (e.g. Worthy Grand Knight). Councils are numbered in the order
   in which they chartered into the Order and are named by the local
   membership. San Salvador Council #1 was named for the first island
   Columbus landed on in the New World.

   The title "Knight" is purely fraternal and is not the equivalent to a
   sovereign accolade. Therefore Knights of Columbus do not rank with
   Chevaliers and Commanders of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the Order
   of Malta, the Order of St. Gregory the Great, or members of any other
   historic military or chivalric orders.

Degrees and principles

   The Order is dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity
   and Patriotism. A First Degree exemplification ceremony, by which a man
   joins the Order, explicates the virtue of charity. He is then said to
   be a First Degree Knight of Columbus and after participating the
   subsequent degrees, each of which focuses on another virtue, rises to
   that status. Upon reaching the Third Degree a gentleman is considered a
   full member. Priests do not participate directly in Degree
   exemplifications as laymen do, but rather take the degree by
   observation.

   The first ritual handbook was printed in 1885 but contained only
   sections teaching Unity and Charity. Supreme Knight Mullen, along with
   primary ritual author Daniel Colwell, believed that the initiation
   ceremony should be held in three sections "in accord with the 'Trinity
   of Virtues, Charity, Unity, and Brotherly love.'" The third section,
   expounding Fraternity, was officially adopted in 1891.

Fourth degree

           Rank                   Colour
   Vice Supreme Master    Blue Cape and Chapeau
          Master          Gold Cape and Chapeau
    District Marshall     Green Cape and Chapeau
    Faithful Navigator    White Cape and Chapeau
    Assembly Commander   Purple Cape and Chapeau
   Colour Corps Members Red Cape and White Chapeau

   The Fourth Degree is the highest degree of the order. Members of this
   degree are addressed as "Sir Knight". The primary purpose of the Fourth
   Degree is to foster the spirit of patriotism and to encourage active
   Catholic citizenship. Fewer than 20% of Knights join the Fourth Degree,
   which is optional. A Knight must be active in his council for one year
   before he can join a Fourth Degree Assembly.

   Assemblies are distinct from councils and are led by a separate set of
   elected officers. The Supreme Board of Directors appoints a Supreme
   Master, currently Joseph P. Schultz, and twenty Vice Supreme Masters to
   govern the Fourth Degree. Each Vice Supreme Master oversees a Province
   which is then broken up into Districts. The Supreme Master appoints
   District Masters to supervise several assemblies.

   Each assembly is led by a Navigator. Other elected assembly officers
   include the Friar, Captain, Admiral, Pilot, Scribe, Purser, Controller,
   Colour Corps Commander, Sentinels and Trustees. Assembly officers are
   properly addressed by using the title "faithful" (e.g. Faithful
   Navigator). Assemblies are numbered in the order in which they
   chartered into the Order and are named by the local membership.
   A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Chapeau
   A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Chapeau

   Only Fourth Degree Knights may optionally purchase the full regalia and
   join the Assembly’s Color Corps. The Color Corps is the most visible
   arm of the Knights as they are often seen in parades and other local
   events wearing their colorful regalia. Official dress for the Colour
   Corps is a black tuxedo, baldric, white gloves, cape and naval chapeau.
   White tuxedos may also be used on certain occasions. Baldrics are worn
   from the right shoulder to left hip and are colour specific by nation.
   In the United States, baldrics are red, white and blue. Service
   baldrics include a holster for a sword and are worn over the coat while
   social baldrics are worn under the coat. The colors on a Fourth Degree
   Knight's cape, and chapeau, denote the office he holds within the
   Degree. Faithful Navigators and Past Faithful Navigators are permitted
   to carry a white handled silver sword. Masters and Vice Supreme
   Masters, as well as Former Masters and Former Vice Supreme Masters, are
   also denoted by their gold swords.

   The need for a patriotic degree was first considered in 1886 and a
   special plea was made at the National Meeting of 1899. The first Fourth
   Degree exemplification followed in 1900 with 1,100 Knights
   participating at the Lenox Lyceum in New York City. Today there are
   more than 2,500 Assemblies.

Insurance program

   Many early members were recent immigrants who often lived in unsanitary
   conditions and performed hazardous jobs for poor pay. Since its
   founding, a primary mission of the Knights of Columbus has been to
   protect families against the financial ruin caused by the death of the
   breadwinner. While this method originally was intended to provide a
   core group of people who would support a widow and her children after
   the death of their husband and father, it has flourished and matured
   into much more.

   Today the Order offers a modern, professional insurance operation with
   more than $60 billion of life insurance policies in force. Products
   include permanent and term life insurance as well as annuities and long
   term care insurance. Insurance sales grew 19% in 2004, more than three
   times the rate of industry at large. The Order holds $13 billion in
   assets and had $1.5 billion in revenue and $71 million in profits in
   2005. This is large enough to rank 72nd on the A.M. Best list of all
   life insurance companies in North America and places it on the Fortune
   1000 list of top companies. Only three other insurers in North America
   have received the highest ratings from both A.M. Best and Standard &
   Poor. The Order is certified by the Insurance Marketplace Standards
   Association for ethical sales practices.

Charitable giving

   Charity is the foremost principle of the Knights of Columbus. In the
   2005 fraternal year the Order gave $136 million directly to charity and
   performed over 63.2 million man hours in voluntary service. Endowed
   funds of over $54 million support a number of Church related causes. A
   Knight's highest duty is to assist the widow or orphan of a fallen
   brother Knight.

   The Knights have a tradition of supporting those with physical and
   developmental disabilities. More than $382 million has been given over
   the past three decades to groups and programs that support the
   intellectually and physically disabled. One of the largest recipients
   of funds in this area is the Special Olympics. In addition, the Order's
   highest honour, the Gaudium et Spes Award, was given with its $100,000
   honorarium to Jean Vanier, the founder of l'Arche, in 2005. L'Arche is
   a faith-based network that provides care, in a community setting, for
   people with severe developmental disabilities.

   The Vicarius Christi Fund has a corpus of $20 million and has earned
   more than $35 million, since its establishment in 1981, for the Pope's
   personal charities. The multimillion dollar Pacem in Terris Fund aids
   the Catholic Church's efforts for peace in the Middle East. The Order
   also has eleven separate funds totaling $18 million to assist men and
   women who are discerning religious vocations pay tuition and other
   expenses.

   Days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 the Order
   established the $1 million Heroes Fund. Immediate assistance was given
   to the families of all full-time professional law enforcement
   personnel, firefighters and emergency medical workers who lost their
   lives in the rescue and recovery efforts. Orderwide, more than $10
   million has been raised for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. On May 6,
   2006, $3 million was dispersed to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and
   the dioceses of Lafayette, LA, Houma-Thibodaux, LA, Lake Charles, LA,
   Biloxi, MS and Beaumont, TX. The Order also donated more than $500,000
   to the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 relief efforts.
   The Order funded the first renovation of the façade of St. Peter's
   Basilica in over 350 years.
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   The Order funded the first renovation of the façade of St. Peter's
   Basilica in over 350 years.

   At the 2006 American Cardinals Dinner, it was announced that the
   Knights would be giving a gift of $8 million to The Catholic University
   of America. The gift is to renovate Kean Hall, an unused building, and
   rename it McGivney Hall, after Fr. McGivney. The new McGivney Hall will
   house the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, a
   graduate school of theology affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran
   University in Rome as well as CUA. Supreme Knight Anderson serves on
   CUA's board of trustees and is the vice president of the John Paul II
   Institute. The Knights have a long history of donating to CUA.

   The Knights' Satellite Uplink Program has provided funding to broadcast
   a number of papal events including the annual Easter and Christmas
   Masses, as well as the World Day of Peace in Assisi, the Peace Summit
   in Assisi, World Youth Days, the opening of the Holy Door at St.
   Peter's Basilica's for the Millennial Jubilee, Pope John Paul II's
   visit to Nazareth and several other events. In missionary territories
   the Order also pays for the satellite downlink.

   United in Charity, a general, unrestricted endowment fund, was
   introduced at the 2004 Supreme Council meeting to support and ensure
   the overall long-term charitable and philanthropic goals of the Order.
   The fund is wholly managed, maintained and operated by Knights of
   Columbus Charities, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Before
   United in Charity was formed all requests for funds were met with the
   general funds of the Order or in combination with specific appeals.
   Requests from the Church and organizations closely aligned with the
   mission of the Order often far exceeded the amount available and it is
   hoped that eventually United in Charity's earnings will be sufficient
   to completely fund the Order's charitable priorities.

College councils

   While most Knights of Columbus Councils are located at parishes or near
   multiple parish communities, many men first join the Knights while in
   college. Over 14,000 Knights are members of 199 College Councils
   worldwide. College Knights are full members of the Order.

   The first College Council was at The Catholic University of America,
   Keane Council 353 (it has since moved off-campus). The Catholic
   University of America has a new council, number 9542. Today, the
   University of Notre Dame Council 1477 has the longest continually
   running College Council in the country. In 1937, the University of
   Illinois became the first public university with a Knights of Columbus
   Council, The Illini Council Number 2782. The Crusader Council No. 2706
   at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, chartered
   in 1929, is the oldest College Council in New England and the oldest
   council established on a Jesuit college or university campus.

   Some College Councils hold a unique form of the Knights Membership
   Blitz styled "Go Roman Week". The name is a play on the fact that most
   fraternities on college campuses are given Greek alphabet designations,
   while the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic organization. At some
   Catholic universities, such as the University of St. Thomas, the
   Knights are the only fraternity permitted on campus. However, some
   councils have difficulty attaining official college recognition because
   of their all-male composition.

   Each September, the Supreme Council hosts a College Council Conference
   at their headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut. Awards are given for
   the greatest increases in membership, the best Youth, Community,
   Council, Family and Church activities and the overall Outstanding
   College Council of the year. In 2005, the Outstanding College Council
   award went to Msgr. Cornelius George O'Keefe Council 8250 at the U.S.
   Military Academy at West Point. In years of an international World
   Youth Day the Order is represented by members of the College Council
   Conference Coordinating Committee, who travel with the diocese of the
   Supreme Chaplain (currently Bishop William E. Lori of the Diocese of
   Bridgeport).

Emblems of the Order

   At the second Supreme Council meeting on May 12, 1883 Supreme Knight
   James T. Mullen introduced the emblem of the Order. It consists of a
   shield mounted upon a Formée cross. The Formée cross, with its arms
   expanding at the ends, is an artistic representation of the cross of
   Christ. The shield harkens back to medieval knights and the cross
   represents the Catholicity of the Order. Mounted on the shield is a
   fasces with an anchor and a short sword crossed behind it. The fasces
   is a symbol of authority while the anchor is the mariner's symbol for
   Columbus. The sword, like the shield it is mounted on, was used by
   knights of yesteryear when engaged upon an errand of mercy. Each Knight
   receives the emblem as a lapel pin.

   Three elements form the emblem of the Fourth Degree. A dove floats over
   a globe showing the Western Hemisphere, the New World Columbus is
   credited with discovering. Both are mounted on the Isabella cross, a
   variation of the Maltese cross with knobs at the end of each of the 8
   points. This cross was often found on the tunics and capes of the
   crusading knights who fought for the Holy Land.

   Spiritually, the symbols of the emblem symbolize the three persons of
   God. The Globe represents God the Father, Creator of the Universe. The
   Cross is symbolic of God the Son, who redeemed mankind by dying on the
   cross, and the Dove represents God the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier of
   Humanity. The colors of the emblem, the red cross, white dove and blue
   earth are the colors of the flag of the United States, where the Order
   was founded. The elements serve as a reminder that the principle of the
   Degree is patriotism but also that the Order is thoroughly Catholic.

Litany

   The Knights have a strict protocol, sometimes referred to as the
   "Litany" which dictates the order of rank with the Order, and is
   typically used at formal functions or presentations in the Order:

    1. Hierarchy
    2. Clergy
    3. State or Territorial Deputy
    4. Supreme Officers
    5. Supreme Directors
    6. Vice Supreme Master
    7. State or Territorial Officers
    8. Masters of the Fourth Degree
    9. Immediate Past State or Territorial Deputy
   10. Past State or Territorial Deputies
   11. Former Masters of the Fourth Degree
   12. Executive Staff
   13. District Deputies
   14. Supreme Council Insurance Directors
   15. Supreme Council Benefits Advisors
   16. State or Territorial Directors
   17. Chapter Presidents
   18. State or Territorial Chairmen
   19. Wardens to the State or Territorial Deputy
   20. District Wardens
   21. District Marshals
   22. Grand Knights
   23. Faithful Navigators
   24. Past Chapters Presidents
   25. Past Grand Knights
   26. Past Faithful Navigators
   27. Chapter Officers
   28. Council Officers
   29. Assembly Officers

   Additionally only officers elected to the chief position in either a
   council (GK), assembly (FN), chapter (President), or state/territory
   (State or Teritorial Deputy) are referred by the title "Past" once they
   have left office. All other members having previously held a chief
   position are referred by the title "Former", the distinction being made
   between having been elected (Past) and having been appointed (Former).

Political activities

   In 1954, lobbying by the Order helped convince the U.S. Congress to add
   the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. President Dwight
   Eisenhower wrote to Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart thanking the Knights
   for their "part in the movement to have the words 'under God' added to
   our Pledge of Allegiance." Similar lobbying convinced many state
   legislatures to adopt October 12th as Columbus Day and led to President
   Franklin Delano Roosevelt's confirmation of Columbus Day as a federal
   holiday in 1937.
   Tens of thousands of Knights of Columbus placards are handed out at the
   March For Life.
   Enlarge
   Tens of thousands of Knights of Columbus placards are handed out at the
   March For Life.

   While the Knights of Columbus support political awareness and activity,
   United States councils are prohibited by tax laws from engaging in
   candidate endorsement and partisan political activity due to their
   non-profit status. Nevertheless, President George H. W. Bush appeared
   at the annual convention during the election year of 1992 and President
   George W. Bush sent videotaped messages before he attended in person at
   the 2004 election year convention. Public policy activity is limited to
   issue-specific campaigns, typically dealing with Catholic family and
   life issues.

   In the United States, the Knights of Columbus often adopts socially
   conservative positions on public issues. They have adopted resolutions
   advocating a Culture of Life, defining marriage as the union of one man
   and one woman, and protecting religious expression in public schools,
   government, and voluntary organizations such as the Boy Scouts of
   America. The Order also funded a postcard campaign in 2005 in an
   attempt to stop the Canadian parliament from legalizing same-sex
   marriage.

   On April 9, 2006 the Board of Directors commented on the " U.S.
   immigration policy [which] has become an intensely debated and divisive
   issue on both sides of the border between the U.S. and Mexico." They
   called "upon the President and the U.S. Congress to agree upon
   immigration legislation that not only gains control over the process of
   immigration, but also rejects any effort to criminalize those who
   provide humanitarian assistance to undocumented immigrants, and
   provides these immigrants an avenue by which they can emerge from the
   shadows of society and seek legal residency and citizenship in the
   U.S."

Heads of state

   George W. Bush greets Fourth Degree Knights at the 122nd Annual
   Convention.
   Enlarge
   George W. Bush greets Fourth Degree Knights at the 122nd Annual
   Convention.

   The Knights of Columbus invites the head of state of every country they
   operate in to the Supreme Convention each year. In 1971, U.S. President
   Richard Nixon gave the keynote address at the States Dinner; Secretary
   of Transportation and Knight John Volpe was responsible for this first
   appearance of a U.S. President at a Supreme Council gathering.
   President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Centennial Convention in 1982.

   John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic to be elected President of the
   United States, was a Fourth Degree member of Bunker Hill Council No. 62
   and Bishop Cheverus General Assembly. Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart
   visited Kennedy at the White House on Columbus Day, 1961. The president
   told Hart that his younger brother, Ted Kennedy, had received "his
   Third Degree in our Order three weeks before." Hart presented Kennedy
   with a poster of the American Flag with the story of how the Order got
   the words "under God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance.

   In 1959 Fidel Castro sent an aide to represent him at a Fourth Degree
   banquet in honour of the Golden Jubilee of the Order's entry into Cuba.
   Supreme Knight Hart attended a banquet in the Cuban Prime Minister's
   honour in April of that year sponsored by the Overseas Press Club and
   later sent him a letter expressing regret that they were not able to
   meet in person.

Famous Knights

   Many famous Catholic men from all over the world are Knights of
   Columbus. In the United States several of the most notable include John
   F. Kennedy, Samuel Alito, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of
   the United States and Jeb Bush, the Governor of Florida and brother of
   President George W. Bush. Daniel Daly, a two-time Medal of Honour
   winner once described by the commandant of the Marine Corps as “the
   most outstanding Marine of all time” was also a Knight of Columbus.

   Many notable clerics are also Knights, including William Joseph Levada,
   the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
   Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the Archbishop of Boston and Cardinal Jaime
   Sin, the former Archbishop of Manila. In the world of sports, Vince
   Lombardi, the famed former coach of the Green Bay Packers, James
   Connolly, the first Olympic Gold Medal champion in modern times, and
   baseball star Babe Ruth were Knights. Former heavyweight boxing
   champion, Floyd Patterson, was also a Knight.

   On October 15th, 2006, Bishop Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878-1938) was
   canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, thereby becoming the first
   Knights of Columbus bishop declared a saint. Already in 2000, six other
   Knights were declared saints by Pope John Paul II.

Criticism

   Some public colleges refuse to recognize Knights of Columbus Councils
   as official student organizations because the men-only membership
   policy is considered discriminatory. The Supreme Council issues
   Charters to qualifying groups despite lack of college recognition and
   the students often get around the anti-discrimination policy. Clubs
   named the "Friends of the Knights of Columbus" are open to all students
   and they then sponsor meeting space for the Council.

   Some local councils were accused of being racist during the early half
   of the 20th century. While nothing prohibited black men from joining
   and the membership application did not ask what race the candidate was,
   black men were sometimes turned down. During this time five negative
   votes on a membership application resulted in the applicant being
   rejected. While some Councils were integrated, increasing pressure came
   from Church officials and organizations to change its blackball system
   and Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart was actively encouraging councils to
   accept black candidates by the end of the 1950s.

   In 1963 Hart attended a special meeting at the White House hosted by
   President Kennedy to discuss civil rights with other religious leaders.
   A few months later, a Notre Dame alumnus' application was rejected
   because he was black. Six council officers resigned in protest and the
   incident made national news. Hart then declared that the process for
   membership would be revised at the next Supreme Convention, but died
   before he could see it take place.

   The 1964 Supreme Convention was scheduled to be held at the Roosevelt
   Hotel in New Orleans. A few days before the Convention, new Supreme
   Knight John W. McDevitt learned the hotel only admitted white guests
   and immediately threatened to move to another hotel. The hotel changed
   its policy and so did the Order. The Convention amended the admissions
   rule to require one-third of those voting to reject a new member and in
   1972 the Supreme Convention again amended its rules to require a
   majority of members voting to reject a candidate.

   In 2005, a local Knights of Columbus Council in Canada was fined $2,000
   by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to rent
   their hall to lesbians Tracey Smith and Deborah Chymyshynto. The
   Council's Hall Manager signed a contract with the women but canceled it
   after they became aware that it was for a same-sex wedding. The two
   women claimed they were unaware that the facility was affiliated with
   the Catholic Church. The local council responds that the hall is on the
   same compound as a parish church and there were Catholic symbols such
   as a picture of the Pope and a crucifix inside. The tribunal ruled the
   Council was within its rights to refuse to rent it based on their
   religious convictions but fined them "for injury to dignity, feelings
   and self-respect" of the women.

Similar organizations

   The Knights of Columbus is a member of the International Alliance of
   Catholic Knights, which includes fifteen fraternal orders such as the
   Knights of Saint Columbanus in Ireland, the Knights of Saint Columba in
   the United Kingdom, the Knights of Peter Claver in the United States,
   the Knights of the Southern Cross in Australia and New Zealand, and the
   Knights of St. Mulumba in Nigeria.

   Many councils also have women's auxiliaries. However, the Supreme
   Council does not charter them and they may adopt any name they choose.
   At the turn of the 20th century two were formed by local councils and
   each took the name the Daughters of Isabella. Using the same name, both
   groups expanded and issued charters to other Circles but never merged.
   The newer organization renamed itself the Catholic Daughters of the
   Americas in 1921 and both have structures independent of the Knights of
   Columbus.

Trivia

     * In the 2004 movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ron
       Burgundy, who is portrayed by Will Ferrell, makes a reference to
       the Order by exclaiming: "Knights of Columbus! That hurt!"
     * In the 2006 movie The Departed, Irish mob chief Frank Costello,
       played by Jack Nicholson, claims that the Knights of Columbus were
       extremely powerful in Boston, particularly among the Italians of
       the North End.

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