Our Faith
Our goal is to help men, their families and their parishes grow closer to Christ. Through our programs and resources, we provide opportunities to live and spread the Catholic faith.
Fr. Michael J. McGivney
Late-19th century Connecticut was marked by the growing fraternal benefit societies, anti-Catholic prejudice and dangerous factory working conditions that left many families fatherless. Recognizing a need in his community, Father Michael J. McGivney, the 29-year-old assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., gathered a group of men at his parish on Oct. 2, 1881. He proposed establishing a lay organization to prevent Catholic men from entering secret societies antithetical to Church teaching, uniting Catholic men and helping families of deceased members.
To demonstrate their loyalty to their country as well as their faith, these men took Christopher Columbus — recognized as a Catholic and celebrated as the discoverer of America – as their patron. The Knights of Columbus elected officers in February 1882 and assumed corporate status on March 29.
In addition to the Order’s benefits, Catholic men were drawn to the Knights because of its emphasis on serving one’s Church, community and family with virtue. Fraternity and patriotism were added to the Knights’ founding principles of charity and unity in 1885 and 1900, respectively.
Marian Devotion
Marian Consecration: A Call to Deeper Union with Our Lady
Marian Consecration is a sacred act by which one entrusts oneself entirely to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that she may guide one ever more fully to Jesus. Consecration to Mary always points toward Christ, conforming us more closely to His will and mission.
When we consecrate ourselves to Mary:
- We surrender our life, virtues, merits, and intentions without reserve to her maternal care.
- We avail ourselves of her powerful intercession and accompaniment.
- We embrace a more disciplined and missionary spirituality under her patronage.
- We commit to grow in holiness, purity, and apostolic fruitfulness.
In the tradition of the Church, two classic methods are especially recommended: the de Montfort (33-day) method and the Kolbean method (Militia of the Immaculata).
Methods of Marian Consecration
1. St. Louis de Montfort –
Total Consecration (33-Day Method)
- A 33-day preparation of readings, prayers, and meditations.
- Culminates in the Act of Consecration on a Marian feast day.
- Emphasizes giving all to Mary “without reserve” so she may lead us perfectly to Christ.
How to Make St. Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration
PDF: True Consecration – 33 Days of Preparation
2. St. Maximilian Kolbe / Militia of the Immaculata (MI)
- Shorter and very missionary in emphasis.
- Focuses on becoming a “fit instrument” in Our Lady’s hands for the salvation of souls.
- Promoted worldwide by the Militia of the Immaculata, founded by St. Maximilian.
Militia of the Immaculata Canada – Consecration
Official Act of Consecration (Kolbe)
The Rosary
The Holy Rosary and Its Spiritual Benefits
The Holy Rosary is one of the Church’s most powerful prayers, deeply rooted in Scripture and tradition. In meditating on its mysteries, we walk with Our Lady through the life of Christ—from the joy of His Incarnation, through His Passion, to the glory of His Resurrection. Each bead becomes a step in contemplating the Gospel with Mary, the one who pondered all these things in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19).
The Catechism reminds us that prayer is “the raising of one’s mind and heart to God” (CCC 2559), and the Rosary does precisely this—uniting vocal prayer with deep meditation on the mysteries of our salvation.
Among its many spiritual benefits are:
- Growth in Holiness: By uniting ourselves to Christ’s mysteries, we are conformed more closely to Him.
- Marian Intercession: As St. Louis de Montfort taught, God has willed that all graces come to us through Mary . The Rosary draws us under her maternal care.
- Peace of Heart: St. Maximilian Kolbe urged daily recitation of the Rosary, calling it a weapon of peace and conversion.
- Protection of Families: History and countless testimonies affirm the Rosary’s power in strengthening homes and defending against spiritual dangers.
- Aid in Evangelization: St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote that those who spread devotion to Mary will never be lost . The Rosary is a simple yet profound way to evangelize within our families and communities
As Knights of Columbus, consecrated to Our Lady, the Rosary is not only our daily prayer but also our shield and mission tool. By praying it faithfully, we advance the cause of life, family, and faith—entrusting all to the Queen of the Holy Rosary.
“The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times.” — St. Padre Pio
Our Lady of Lourdes
History and Meaning for Knights
The Apparitions at Lourdes
In 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared eighteen times to a poor, uneducated girl, St. Bernadette Soubirous, in the small town of Lourdes, France. The Lady appeared in a rocky grotto of Massabielle, dressed in white with a blue sash, holding a rosary.
On March 25, 1858—the Feast of the Annunciation—the Lady revealed her name: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This was just four years after Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854), which teaches that Mary, by a singular grace, was preserved free from original sin from the first moment of her existence.
Mary asked Bernadette to pray and do penance for sinners, and she directed her to a miraculous spring of water at the grotto. Since then, Lourdes has become one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world, renowned for physical and spiritual healings. Millions of pilgrims come each year to seek grace and conversion through Our Lady’s intercession.
The Immaculate Conception: Why It Matters
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception highlights the unique role of Mary in salvation history. Preserved free from original sin, she is the pure dwelling place prepared for the Son of God. As the Catechism teaches, this privilege was granted “by the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race” (CCC 491–492).
At Lourdes, Mary herself confirmed this truth—not with theological discourse, but with the simple words to Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This revelation strengthened the Church’s faith in Mary’s singular dignity and in God’s saving plan through her.
For us as Knights, this title reminds us that Mary is not only our Mother but also our model of purity, humility, and total receptivity to God’s will. She was chosen to be the vessel of Christ, and she now desires to form us as living instruments of His grace.
The Connection to St. Maximilian Kolbe
St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894–1941), the “Martyr of Charity,” had a lifelong devotion to Our Lady under her title of the Immaculate Conception. As a boy, he had a vision of Mary offering him two crowns—white (for purity) and red (for martyrdom). He accepted both, and his life fulfilled this prophecy.
Inspired by Lourdes and the dogma of 1854, Kolbe founded the Militia of the Immaculata (MI) in 1917. Its mission: to bring all souls to Christ through total consecration to the Immaculata. He taught that Mary, the Immaculate Conception, is the channel through which God wishes to pour out grace on the world.
Kolbe often referred to the Immaculata as the “completely transparent window” of God’s love. Just as Lourdes became a fountain of grace for pilgrims, so Mary herself is a living spring of grace for the Church.
Why This Matters for Knights of Columbus
- Lourdes reminds us of the power of prayer and penance for the conversion of sinners.
- The Immaculate Conception shows us Mary’s singular mission as Mother and Mediatrix of grace.
- St. Maximilian teaches us to entrust everything to Mary so she may make us more effective soldiers of Christ.
As Knights of Our Lady of Lourdes, we are called to live in the spirit of Lourdes: humble, prayerful, Marian, and missionary—bringing healing and grace into our families, parishes, and communities.
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”