Fr. Reginald Gillman Council 9706
Noblesville, IN
Why Join Fr. Reginald Gillman Council 9706?
Knights are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church. Being a Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved with your community; it is supporting your local Catholic Church, while enhancing your own faith; it is about protecting and enhancing your family life.
I don't have time to join another organization; why should I join the Knights of Columbus?
As a Knight you can choose the projects with which you wish to be involved in within your own community. What is more, the Order is dedicated to family life and the many benefits it offers. From insurance to scholarships to service and social activities and programs, all are open to the whole family.
What are the requirements?
Membership requirements are that he be a practical Catholic gentleman, who is 18 years of age or older.
What is a practical Catholic?
A practical Catholic is one who is in union with the Holy See and who practices the precepts of the Catholic Church.
Explain what Degrees are.
There are four degrees within the Knights of Columbus. Each degree ceremony imparts a lesson on the Order's core virtues of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.
Do I have to purchase Insurance to become a member?
No; unlike many fraternal organizations one does not become a member by purchasing insurance. In the Knights of Columbus a man has to be a member before he may avail himself of the insurance benefit. Purchasing insurance is optional, however; the life insurance and long-term care insurance products offered by the Order are not only competitively priced, they are among the most solid and highly rated products available anywhere. Standard & Poor's and A.M. Best, the leading independent agencies that rate insurance companies, give K of C insurance their highest ratings.
History of the Knights...
On Oct. 2, 1881, a small group of men met in the basement of St. Mary's Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven,
Connecticut. Called together by their 29-year-old parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, these men formed a
fraternal society that would one day become the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization.
They sought strength in solidarity, and security through unity of purpose and devotion to a holy cause: they vowed
to be defenders of their country, their families and their faith. These men were bound together by the ideal of
Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas, the one whose hand brought Christianity to the New World.
Their efforts came to fruition with the incorporation of the Knights of Columbus on March 29, 1882. They were
Knights of Columbus.
The Order has been called "the strong right arm of the Church," and has been praised by popes, presidents and
other world leaders, for support of the Church, programs of evangelization and Catholic education, civic
involvement and aid to those in need.
Father McGivney's founding vision for the Order also included a life insurance program to provide for the widows and
orphans of deceased members. The Order's insurance program has expanded substantially to serve more effectively the
Knights' growing membership. Year after year, the Knights of Columbus has earned the highest possible quality ratings
for financial soundness from A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The Order provides the highest quality insurance, annuity
and long-term care products to its members, along with many other fraternal benefits.
The Supreme Council is the governing body of the Knights of Columbus and is responsible for the development of the
organization as a whole. Supreme Council duties include establishing the Order in new regions and setting up regional
authorities, defining and advancing its values and goals, undertaking organization-wide initiatives, promoting awareness
of the Knights' mission worldwide, and protecting the families of members through its extensive insurance program.
Members working in local or subordinate councils, however, carry on the majority of the Knights' beneficial work.
Our Founder: Father McGivney
Our Founder: Father McGivney
Father Michael J. McGivney was a 29-year-old assistant pastor at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Conn., when he founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882. Father McGivney's holiness, devotion to priestly ministry and work to protect family life provide a powerful spiritual influence for Knights, their family members and a growing number of other Catholics.
Father McGivney's cause for canonization was opened in 1997 by then Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin of Hartford, Conn. Its diocesan phase has been completed. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican is currently reviewing Father McGivney's life and works and investigating two reported miracles attributed to his intercession.
The Knights of Columbus has established the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild to provide people with information about
his life, works and spirituality. If you are interested in joining the Father McGivney Guild, please visit the Father
McGivney Web site.
For information about the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild and Father McGivney's spiritual influence, faith, legacy,
life and cause for canonization visit the Father McGivney Web site Father McGivney Home
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