Knights of Columbus Information

  Sunday, July 04 2004 @ 09:09 AM CDT

General NewsWhat the Knights are all about
The Knights of Columbus is a lay Catholic family fraternal service organization. Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to all practical Catholic men in communion with the Holy See, age eighteen and above. The term practical Catholic implies that a person accepts and abides by the Commandments of God and the precepts and tenets of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Michael J. McGivney's vision was to create a type of fraternal society of Catholic men in Connecticut that would pay $5 each week for members who were sick and a thousand dollar death benefit after the society attained one thousand members. Fearing that his idea would languish if left to others, on October 2, 1881, Father Michael J. McGivney, 29-year-old assistant pastor at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut, brought together a group of laymen with whom he discussed his dream for a Catholic fraternal benefit society. It not only would assist widows and orphans of deceased members through its life insurance program, but also would boost members' sense of pride in their Catholic religion, then frequently challenged in the anti-Catholic climate of 19th-century America. Father McGivney and his associates met several more times over the next several months to continue planning, and the new organization --the Knights of Columbus -- was formally launched in early February, 1882 and used the Law Offices of Driscol and Asher as its first headquarters.

Speculation was rampant that the Knights of Columbus used the model of other societies such as the Knights Templar, the Masons or the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters but all these rumors were unfounded. The organization having the most influence on the newly created Knights was Columbus was the local Irish-American fraternal society known as the Red Knights—so-called because the first members at their initiation into the society wrapped themselves with red blankets from their Sarsfield knapsacks. In addition, beginning with Supreme Knight, James T. Mullen all of the officers, except Supreme Chaplain Rev. Patrick Lawlor and Supreme Corresponding Secretary Fr. Michael J. Mcgivney, were Red Knights. Mullen was a former Supreme Knight of the Red Knights.

Connecticut granted legal status to The Knights of Columbus as a corporation on 29 March 1882. San Salvador, the first council is formed in New Haven on 15 May. Membership was open to Catholic Men between the ages of 18 and 50; however, three years later at the Third Supreme Council meeting on 3 May 1885 the maximum age to join is dropped 45. Charity and Unity was adopted as the motto of the Knights. It would not be until 1885 that Fraternity is added as the Third Principle of the Order.

The new Catholic organization officers chose the name Knights of Columbus to honor Christopher Columbus, the Catholic discoverer of America. The word [knights] is also significant. We are ever mindful of the knightly qualities of spirituality and service to church that is embodied in the Knights of Columbus. The Order has evolved into a service organization with a strong family orientation.

On 29 April 1884 Fr. McGivney becomes the 2nd Supreme Chaplain and would serve in this position until his death on 14 August 1890 after a battle with pneumonia which he contracted in January that year. Replacing Fr. McGivney is Reverend Hugh Treanor Other major changes take place over the next twenty years. John J. Phelan is elected the 2nd Supreme Knight on 3 May 1886 [serving until 1897] and on 17 May the Supreme Council meets and changes the structure of the order from a Supreme Council and Supreme Committee to Board of Government and Board of Directors. In 1888 the first council outside of Connecticut is formed on 11 July in Providence, Rhode Island [Tyler Council]. In 1891 new ceremonies are developed for the Order.

At the Supreme Convention in 1892 resolutions are passed allowing for Non-Insurance (Associate) membership. Three insurance options are made available $1,000, $2,000, and $3,000 dollars. A Reserve Fund is created in case of an epidemic. To celebrate the Quadricentennial of the Discovery of America by Columbus and the 10th Anniversary of the Knights of Columbus 6,100 Knights, 36 Bands, 11 Drum Corps march in a parade in New Haven, Connecticut.

In 1894 Supreme moves to the Hoadley building on Church Street in New Haven but two years later moves to the Poli building on the same street. Elected Supreme Knight in 1897, James E Hayes dies on February 8, 1898 and is replaced by John J. Cone. The first council in Canada—Montreal Council No. 284—is formed on 25 November. Rev. Garret J. Barry becomes the 4th Supreme Chaplain in 1899. He is the last Priest not to be a Monsignor to serve as Supreme Chaplain. The Knights elected Edward L. Hearn as Supreme Knight.

The Supreme Council responds favorably to a request by Reverend Philip Garrigan, Vice Rector of the Catholic University of America, to sponsor a Knight of Columbus Chair of American History. The Knights pledge $50,000 and on 13 April 1904 they not only achieve their goal but surpass it when they presented a check for $55,633.79. This is the first financial contribution made by the Knights outside of the Order. Others were soon to follow: $5,000 for a Kansas Flood Relief fund [1903] and over $100,000 for the victims of the San Francisco earthquake [1906]

Over the next few years, the Order sees several internal changes. In 1900 Patriotism is added as the fourth principle of the Order. The 1st Exemplification of the Fourth Degree occurs on 22 February in New York City when 1,100 Third Degree members are exemplified. Msgr. Patrick J. McGivney becomes Supreme Chaplain in 1901. In 1905 the first council [Manila Council No. 1000] is formed on 23 April in the Philippines. It is soon followed in September by Guadalupe Council No. 1050, the first council in Mexico. The Order now has Councils in every State of the Union, Mexico, Philippines, and Canada. The next year the Supreme Council moves its Headquarters to the Lincoln building on Church Street in New Haven. Cost of the new building was $113,275.

The Knights of Columbus remains headquartered in New Haven, but is now present with councils in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, and several other countries.

In 1907 Archbishop John J. Glennon asks the Knights of Columbus to create a $500,000 Knights of Columbus Endowment for Catholic University of America. Two years later a plan is put into action to raise the $500,000 for the endowment. In return for their financial support, the Order receives one perpetual scholarship for a full course of studies in pursuit of a Masters or Doctorate degree with Knights or their families given preference. The $500,000 endowment was reached on 6 December 1913 exactly five years after Cardinal Gibbons, Supreme Knight Hearn, and the committee signed the plan.

Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty’s term [1909-1927] would see many challenges and triumphs for the Order. The Order successfully lobbied Congress, which commissioned the Columbus Memorial Fountain and allocated $100,000 for the project. President William Howard Taft, most of his cabinet and several Supreme Court Justices attended the unveiling in Washington D.C. on 8 June 1912. The inscription on the fountain reads: "To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind the new world."

In 1914 the Order designated $50,000 to begin a Commission on Religious Prejudices to investigate sources of prejudice, conduct an education campaign, and support the Department of Justice in Libel cases. The commission was terminated on June 30, 1917. The number of Anti-Catholic publications dropped from sixty to two or three.

The story of the Order's social service to soldiers began with the U.S. Army's incursion into Mexico in 1916 to avenge Francisco “Poncho” Villa's attack on Columbus, New Mexico on 19 March. Joseph I. Discoll, Daniel Long, and Joseph M. Nealon, knights of El Paso Council #638 were responsible for the start of K of C Recreation Centers along the U.S.-Mexican border for American troops, which were open to everyone, regardless of creed or color. It continued during into World War I, when the Knights of Columbus was recognized as the premier Catholic service agency and under the banner "Everybody Welcome -- Everything Free," established centers or "huts" in training camps throughout the United States and behind the lines in Western Europe and Eastern Asia. The Order raised $14,000,000 dollars and was given an additional $30,000,000 from a combined fund drive. Centers were opened in Andernack, Germany; Vladivostok, Siberia; Dublin, Ireland; Italy; and France. On the home front 350 Knights of Columbus secretaries, or "Caseys" as they were called, served 150 huts in the military camps. There were also 150 chaplains tending to the spiritual needs of the servicemen. By the end of 1918, there were 1,000 secretaries and nearly 150 clubs located throughout the war zone

After the war, funds from the Order's $30 million war chest were expended on a variety of Knights of Columbus educational, vocational, occupational, and employment programs for veterans in its 100 evening schools. More than 50,000 students enrolled, while some 25,000 took part in free home study courses. Of all the accolades and tributes paid to the Order during this time, the greatest tribute was the admiration demonstrated by the nearly 400,000 men who joined the Order between 1917 and 1923.

Overseas, the Knights of Columbus gave $35,000 to Cardinal Mercier for the restoration of the Louvain University which was destroyed by the Germans when they invaded Brussels in 1914. On 21August 1920 the Knights presented an equestrian statue of Lafayette to the city of Metz, France at which civic and ecclesiastical dignitaries were present.

The move of Supreme to their 5th Headquarters at 45 Wall Street in 1922 did not slow the Order’s activities or taking on new projects. The St. Peter's Oratory recreation center on a site donated by Pope Pius XI opens in Rome on 9 April 1924. This is the first of five centers to open by 1927—the others: the Benedict XV Playground located in the San Lorenzo quarter of Rome opens in January and the Pius XI Playground opens in May 1926; the Valle Giulia Playground and Tiber River Playground open in May 1927. The playgrounds were a request of Pope Benedict XV to curb the Protestant proselytization of the youth.

Changes also occurred within the Order. The institution of the first Squires Circle takes place in Duluth, Montana in August 1925; the result of Brother Barnabas McDonalds F.S.C., a noted expert in the field of social welfare work with young people, who felt that the Knights needed a youth organization. A change in membership requirement, which went into effect on 1 January 1927, required an associate member to be 26 years old. Knights between the ages of 18 and 25 were also required to carry a minimum $1,000 in insurance at a cost not to exceed $.80 per month. In 1927 Martin H. Carmody is elected Supreme Knight. The next year Msgr. John J. McGivney becomes Supreme Chaplain.

The next decade saw additional changes within the Order. The Honorary Member status was adopted in 1932 by the Supreme Council. The requirements were that a member be at least 65 years of age and have been a dues paying member of the order for 25 years. Dues were fixed $3.00 per year if you were between the age of 65 and 75. Dues were free is you were over 75. In 1936 the Service Department inaugurated the Five Point program. Charles Ducey introduced the Five Points as: Catholic Activity, Council Activity, Fraternal Protection, Publicity, and Maintenance of Manpower.

On August 14, 1932, the Knights of Columbus presented to the United States a statue of James Cardinal Gibbons. The statue was accepted by Herbert Hoover, for the people of the United States. The order published copies of the Encyclical Letter, Divini Redemptoris—On Atheistic Communism, by Pope Pius XI in 1937.

Prior to the start of World War II on 1 September 1939, when Germany invades Poland, Msgr. Leo M. Finn becomes Supreme Chaplain and serves until 1960. He is the last Monsignor to serve as Supreme Chaplain. Francis P. Matthews is Supreme Knight. The Knight of Columbus sponsored an international day of prayer, in response to Pope Pius XII's petition of prayers for peace, on Armistice Day [changed to Veterans’ Day in 1954], 11 November. The U.S. Catholic bishops created a new agency called the National Catholic Community Service, which functioned under the direct control of the United Service Organizations (USO). Knights assisted in the sale of war bonds (over $92 million to K of C members alone), civilian defense efforts, supplying blood banks, Red Cross work, and a multitude of local and national enterprises. Canadian Knights revived the popular "hut" program of the World War I when they established a hut in Montreal, Quebec, on 8 December.

In 1944 the Knights of Columbus established its $1 million Educational Trust Fund to provide a college education to the children of members who were killed or permanently and totally disabled in World War II. Later, this benefit was extended to those of other wars (Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and to United Nations peacekeeping forces). In 1970 this benefit of membership was enhanced to include the children of law enforcement officers, and in 1971, to full-time firefighters.

John E. Swift is elected Supreme Knight in 1945. Two years later two series of radio broadcasts began: "Foundations of Our American Ideals" and "Safeguards." Each was broken into six different broadcasts. The first series dealt with an exposition of the harshness of life in Communist Russia and ended with the struggle against the Communist effort in the United States. The second series focused on the natural-law roots of American idealism, divine source of the state's authority, religious freedom, and the contrast between democratic freedom and Communist tyranny. The next year a third series of radio broadcasts began call "The Future of America." This focused on America's place as a moral leader.

In 1951 the Order embarked on a major undertaking when it formed The Knight of Columbus Foundation for the Preservation of Historic Documents at the Vatican Library, officially known as the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. The Vatican Library was originally conceived and its organization begun by Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455) and was later instituted in 1475 by Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) in the bull Ad decorem. It is one of the richest repositories of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance manuscripts in the world, containing some 70,000 manuscript codices.

The Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, was created through the efforts of Fr. Lowrie J. Daly, S.J. (1914-2000) with the generous financial support of the Knights of Columbus. The Vatican film Library will be housed at the University of St. Louis. In June of 1956 the Vatican Film Library project was completed. In a little over 4 years, 9.5 million pages on manuscripts were placed on 6,900 rolls of microfilm. This was the largest microfilming project that had ever been undertaken up to that date. The cost of the project was more than double the original estimate of $140,000 at $350,000. When the project was complete, the Foundation for the preservation of Historic Documents was dissolved.

In 1952 Supreme moved its headquarters again, this time to a building on Meadow Street, which the Order purchased from the New Haven Railroad Company at a cost of $500,954. It was triangular in shape running 483' on Union Avenue, 405' on Water Street, and 258' on Meadow St.

On 7 June 1952 the seventh playground located Premavill, Roma was dedicated as the Pope Pius XII Playground. The dedication was attended by ecclesiastical and civic authorities as well as representatives of the Order.

In 1953 Luke E. Hart is elected Supreme Knight and on 17 December the Order purchases Yankee Stadium for $2.5 million and leases it back at $182,000 per year for 28 years with three renewable terms of 15 years at $125,000 per year.

The year 1957 saw the statue of Fr. Michael J. McGivney unveiled in the city of Waterbury, Ct., his birthplace. It is located near the heart of the city. In the same year
Archbishop Patrick O' Boyle, Chancellor of Catholic University and Msgr. Thomas J. Grady, supervisor of the National Shrine presented the Knights with the opportunity to erect the 329 ft Campanile Tower our National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The Knights agreed to fund $1,000,000 dollar project through $1.25 per capita assessment spread over five years. On 20 November 1959 1,000 Fourth Degree Knights participate in the dedication of the Campanile Tower. The plaque inside the tower reads, "The Knights Tower -- Gift of the Knights of Columbus to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as a Pledge of the Devotion to Its Members To Our Blessed Lady, Patroness of the United States." The fifty-six bell carillon was blessed on 7 July 1963 by Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle. The Knights financed the installation at a cost $150,000. In September 1989, Cardinal James Hickey rededicates the Carillon at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception after the Knights of Columbus $200,000 restoration.

The sixties saw several leadership changes in the Order: Bishop Charles P. Greco becomes Supreme Chaplain in 1961; John W. McDevitt is elected Supreme Knight in 1964; and Virgil C. Dechant, became 4th Supreme Master of the 4th Degree in 1966. He would as Supreme Master until 1977 when he became Supreme Knight. He is replaced by Daniel L. McCormick, who becomes the 5th Supreme Master of the 4th Degree. After his election Supreme Knight Dechant announced a program by which all new members of the Knight of Columbus would receive the Rosary of Our Lady, blessed by the Supreme Chaplain. Finally, in 1969 Supreme moves to the Order’s current Headquarters at One Columbus Plaza in New Haven, Connecticut.

The Order focuses on support of our Catholic faith. In 1979 it initiates its first Pilgrim Virgin program by honoring Our Lady of Gaudalupe. An image of Mary, blessed by Pope John Paul II circulated through 6,580 councils; 1981—second Pilgrim Virgin program honoring the Immaculate Conception using a replica of Murillo's painting located in the National Shrine; 1984—third Pilgrim Virgin program honors Our Lady of Perpetual Help with the circulation beginning at the Supreme Council meeting in Denver Colorado; 1986—fourth Pilgrim Virgin program honors Our Lady of Czestochowa; 1988--fifth Pilgrim Virgin program honoring Our Lady of Pochaiv [chosen in commemoration of the millennium of Christianity in the Ukraine] begins at the Mass of the 107th Supreme Convention in Baltimore; 1990—sixth Pilgrim Virgin program honors Our Lady of the Assumption. She was chosen because November 1st of this year would be the 40th anniversary of Pope Pius XII's proclamation of this dogma of the faith. From its inception until 1990 45,150 services were held with a total 8.8 million persons attending.

The 1980s sees the Eucharistic Chapel on the fourth floor of the Knights of Columbus Headquarters blessed [1980]. It is dedicated to the Holy Family. In 1981, The Knights of Columbus "Vicarius Christi" fund is created and $10 million dollars is unanimously approved; this amount increased in 1988 to $20 million dollars. Earnings are given to the Holy Father for him to give to his personal charities. The next year The Count Enrico Galeazzi Fund for the North American College is established at $1,000,000. The fund's earnings are earmarked for the Bishops and Priests of the United States and Canada to pursue continuing education or graduate studies in Rome.

The Knights of Columbus fund the cleaning and restoration of the 65,000 square foot facade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in response to the 1985 request of Archbishop Lino Zanini. This was the first major renovation in 350 years. In addition the Order restored the statues of Peter and Paul at the two side of the entrance. They also converted two ancient rooms into six rooms to house the collections of Reveranda Fabbica di San Pietro. This was dedicated to the memory Count Enrico Galeazzi.

Bishop Thomas V. Daily becomes Supreme Chaplain in 1987. The Order is the principal sponsor of the International Summer Special Olympics at the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana. The Order donated $250,000 in addition to the thousands of Knights who volunteered.

In 1992 the Knights of Columbus make a substantial contribution to the smoky basilica-shaped Vatican Pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo: "The Age of Discovery." In 1999 Supreme Council launches new Web Site. The new site includes a searchable "Catechism of the Catholic Church." Christmas Eve this year marked the 25th Anniversary of Knights of Columbus Support for Worldwide Vatican Telecasts.

The end of the century began with Cardinal James Hickey, Archbishop of Washington receiving the "Gaudium et Spes Award" of the Knights of Columbus, the highest award given by the 1.6- million-member Catholic family fraternal service organization. The formal presentation was made on 1 April 2000, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC in conjunction with the Jubilee Year pilgrimage of the Knights of Columbus to the Shrine. Also the 100th Anniversary of the 4th Degree - Supreme Secretary Carl A. Anderson and Supreme Master Charles A. Foos placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. The ceremony took place on 22 February, the 100th anniversary of the first Fourth Degree exemplification and served as the official kick-off of the centennial of the Fourth Degree. A 30-member honor guard from assemblies from the District of Columbia and Virginia participated in the wreath-laying ceremony.

The year 2000 saw Dominican Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell delivering 700 pages of historical information and evidence of popular devotion on Knights of Columbus founder Father Michael J. McGivney to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome on 13 March. Carl A. Anderson is elected Supreme Knight.

The worst tragedy to occur on U.S. soil happened on 11 September 2001 when terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing thousands of people. The Knights quickly responded by establishing the $1 million "Heroes Fund" on 12 September. Funds were provided for the families of all full-time professional law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical personnel who lost their lives in the rescue and recovery efforts. More than 400 families received $3,000 checks from the Knights of Columbus from Heroes Fund. The checks were given to the families of all deceased heroes regardless of whether they were Catholics or members of the Knights. The fund was created with $500,000 from the Supreme Council and more than $500,000 raised and donated by local Knights of Columbus units throughout North America and elsewhere. A total of $1,251,000 in Heroes Fund benefits has been disbursed. This was the first time in the Order's history that a fund of this nature was created in response to a national tragedy.

In 2002 Supreme Knight Anderson and Deputy Supreme Knight Jean Migneault presented Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Meagher of Toronto and Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic of Toronto with a check for $1 million for the summer's World Youth Day. The Knights of Columbus announced the gift to fund costs related to developing the venue where the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation was offered during this meeting of the world's youth with Pope John Paul II. The Knights also hold a Eucharistic Congress at the Basilica on the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception from 22 to 23 June.

The Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child is observed Order-wide in 2003; in New Haven, an hour long program of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration is held at St. Mary's Church and broadcast on EWTN. The Order also makes $1 million donation to the Special Olympics to cover the travel expenses of Team USA, Team Canada and Team Mexico to World Summer Games in Dublin Ireland.

One of the primary missions of the Knights of Columbus is to support local charities. The Knights are a familiar sight around town during the annual Tootsie Roll® drive, which raises funds for charities that support the retarded and handicapped. We also support other fund raising drives to aid local parishes and charities.

The Knights of Columbus promotes family values by providing numerous activities throughout the year that the entire family can participate in. Additionally, the organization provides an opportunity to ensure that a knight's family is provided for in the event of his death.

Here is short list of reasons you may want to join the Knights of Columbus:

• An opportunity to become part of the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization

• A great way to make a personal contribution to the Church and community through charity and fraternity

• Active participation in Council activities serves as a "school of leadership" which will enable you to develop qualities that enhance your strengths and abilities

• A sense of "belonging" in an organization that shares your religious beliefs and brings to together like-minded men joined in a common cause

• Concerns for your family and your retirement years can be addressed by the Orders optional, low-cost life insurance

• A sense of pride, knowing that the Knights of Columbus is second to none in support of our Holy Father, our Bishops and Priests, and our fellow man
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Hierarchical Structure of the Knights of Columbus

All members of the Knights of Columbus belong to a particular Council, and any group of at least thirty men may apply to found a new Council in their area. The highest elected officer of each Council is the Grand Knight, who, with the other Council officers, is elected by the membership each year. The Grand Knight appoints various Program Directors and Chairmen to run the Council's activities for the year. All Council activities except Membership activities fall into one of five Program Areas, each with a Director. The five Directors of Church Activities, Community Activities, Council Activities, Family Activities and Youth Activities report to a General Programs Director, who in turn reports to the Grand Knight.

Several Councils within the same geographic area are grouped together in a District under the guidance of the District Deputy and his assistant, the District Warden. There are currently 110 Councils organized into 29 Districts in the state of North Carolina.

The District Officers are appointed by the State Deputy, the highest elected officer of the State Council. State Officers and Program Chairmen are analogous to those at the Council level and coordinate the activities of all the Councils throughout the State. Each spring, the State Deputy hosts a Convention to elect officers and conduct other State business. Every Grand Knight and one elected Delegate represent every Council in the state at this Convention.

The highest level within the Knights of Columbus is the Supreme Council, [we can link this to the Supreme Council website] headed by the Supreme Knight. At the Supreme Convention each summer, State Deputies and Representatives from each State, Territory, or Country meet to conduct business concerning the international operation of the Order.
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Ceremonials of the Order

There are four "Degrees" of Knighthood within the Knights of Columbus. The initiation ceremonies into each of these Degrees (the ceremonies themselves are also called "Degrees") are the only facets of the Order which are not made known to non-members. Each of the Degrees is designed to exemplify one of the four Principals of the Order: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. The Degrees must be taken in order.

Every applicant must take the First, or Membership, Degree before he can be considered a Member of the Knights of Columbus. Once he has taken his First Degree, he becomes a member in good standing in the Order. To reach full Knighthood, members must also take the Second and Third Degrees, and all members are strongly encouraged to do so. Members must have taken the Third degree to be elected to Council offices or to enter into the Fourth Degree.

Once a man has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for a year and has taken his Third Degree, he is eligible to join a Fourth Degree Assembly. The Fourth Degree has its own structure separate from that of the Council. Fourth Degree

Assemblies gain their membership from Third Degree members of several Councils within a larger geographic area. The most visible members of the Order are often the Fourth Degree Color Corps, with their colorful capes, chapeaux and sabers.


Emblem of the Order

The emblem of the Order dates from the second Supreme Council meeting May 12, 1883, when it was designed by James T. Mullen, who was then Supreme Knight.
A quick glance at the emblem indicates a shield mounted upon the Formee Cross.

The shield is that associated with a medieval Knight. The Formee Cross is the representation of a traditionally artistic design of the Cross of Christ through which all graces of redemption were procured for mankind. This then represents the Catholic spirit of the Order.

Mounted on the shield are three objects: a fasces standing vertically, and, crossed behind it, an anchor and a dagger or short sword. The fasces from Roman days is symbolic of authority which must exist in any tightly-bonded and efficiently operating organization. The anchor is the mariner's symbol for Columbus, patron of the Order, while the short sword or dagger was the weapon of the Knight when engaged upon an errand of mercy. Thus, the shield expresses Catholic Knighthood in organized merciful action, and with the letters, K. of C., it proclaims this specific form of activity.
Red, White and Blue

Red is then the symbol of Faith, of belief in Christ, in the Redemption and in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

White is the color of the Eucharistic Host, pledge of God's Eucharistic presence among men, of the infinite love God has for man and the overwhelming affection which the God-man has for each individual. White is then the symbol of Christ-like Charity.

Blue is the color of Our Lady's mantle, in which she wrapped her beloved Son, through Whom came salvation to a sinful world. Blue is then the symbol of Hope.

   

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