To fully appreciate the dynamics of the Knights of Columbus, it's helpful to understand how the Order was started. To do this, take a step back in time to the 1880's. The United States was experiencing tremendous growth - much of it stemming from European immigrants. It was a time of adjustment and sacrifice for these pioneers. Catholic immigrants found themselves to be the despised minority. Discriminated against, they were given the lowest paid, most menial jobs. Poverty, disease, accidents took their toll and often resulted in the death of the breadwinner. Around the parish of St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut, Fr. Michael J. McGivney saw the hardships faced by the widows and orphans of his community. Having had the same experience as a child, he knew firsthand of the difficulties faced by these families. He then had the vision of the Knights of Columbus. When Fr. McGivney founded the Order, he gathered a handful of men in the basement of St. Mary's Church. He explained to them his purpose for the group was threefold: to help Catholic men remain steadfast in their faith through mutual encouragement; to promote closer ties of fraternity; and to set up a system of insurance so that widows and orphans would be protected in the case of an untimely death of a member. The founder and the first officers of the fledgling organization chose the name "Knights of Columbus" because they felt that, as a Catholic group, it should relate to Christopher Columbus, the Catholic discoverer of America. At the same time, "Knights" would signify that the membership embodied knightly ideals of spirituality and service to Church, country, and fellowman. From its humble beginnings in 1882, the Knights of Columbus has become the largest Catholic family, fraternal organization in the world, with membership of almost 1.7 million Catholic men and their families in 13,000 councils internationally. The Knights of Columbus last year gave $128,000,000 to countless charities and over 57 million man-hours of service. They recently restored the façade of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, and currently give over $1.6 million to the Holy Father annually. The Knights pay for the satellite up-link of the Holy Father's Christmas Mass, Easter Vigil, and other special occasions. They are a large supporter of Religious vocations. In addition, the Order offers many benefits to its members such as scholarships, student loans, orphan benefits, accidental death benefits, life insurance and many others. The Knights of Columbus continues to support the Church, the community, families, and youth programs. Their programs range from support of Special Olympics to aiding disaster victims, from working at soup kitchens to helping at Mass. Most important, however, the story of the Knights of Columbus continues to be written. That story continues with each and every person who becomes a member of the Knights of Columbus. Please take time to consider joining the Knights of Columbus for you, your parish, and your family.