WHO WE ARE:
The Order of the Knights of Columbus is an international, Catholic, fraternal service organization that offers charitable service and financial aid to its communities, parishes, families, and members. The Order was founded by Fr. Michael McGivney in 1882 in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Supreme Council, located there as well, is the governing body of the Order and is composed of elected representatives from each jurisdiction. Jurisdictions are composed of the 50 United States, each province in Canada including Saskatchewan, and other jurisdictions from member countries. Each jurisdiction is led by a State Deputy who in turn appoints District Deputies to oversee several local councils. Each of these districts is referred to as a Chapter.
Councils are numbered in the order in which they chartered into the Order and are named by the local membership. Here at St. Philip Neri Parish, we are KofC Council #9539.
The Knights of Columbus are committed to four core principles or “degrees” in the parlance of their Order: charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. Members are invited to learn about, and practice these degrees, advancing through ceremonies to foster a sense of brotherhood.
WHAT WE DO:
- Many members attend weekday Mass, help out with the weekday or weekend liturgy in the various ministries as well as help with the weekend collections. Members also help with the Extendicare lay service, ecumenical services, Stations of the Cross at Lent, funeral setups/takedowns, delivering Meals on Wheels, and driving parishioners to appointments or to Church for Mass, just to mention a few.
- Many of our volunteer hours consist of helping out at the Extendicare Home beside the Market Mall, organizing the Bingo fun and taking the boys for coffee and pie across the street at Market Mall. This has be paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- We organize a Marian Prayer service in conjunction with an Oblate Holy Day each year.
- Some of our youth activities include building birdhouses and feeders or other wood working projects with the youth of our Parish.
- We help some of the youth in winter with a program we call, “Coats for Kids”. We’ve given coats to many kids that attend St. Philip School, George Vanier School, St. Frances School and Pope John Paul II School.
- Another program the Knights organize is the “Basketball Free Throw”. This is a competition held in the elementary schools where kids can try their hand at shooting basketballs.
- We provide funds for the youth at the Blackstrap Youth Camp and at the Knights of Columbus Indoor Games.
- We also help with the Christmas Carol Festival held at TCU Place in December along with the annual Pro Life Dance and Silent Auction held in February.
FUNDRAISING:
- every summer, we organize fundraiser BBQs at Canadian Tire locations in the city.
- other funds come from the KofC Charity Appeal tickets, Grey Cup Pool tickets and Co-op gift cards
- we also assist with fundraisers for Bosco Homes, the Bishop’s Dinner, and the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Dinner at the Cathedral of the Holy Family.