Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity.
The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works.
The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world’s foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy worldwide to service in communities.
The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more than 13,000 councils and 1.7 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan.
感謝美國康奈狄格州紐海文市聖瑪利亞聖堂助理司鐸彌額爾•麥基夫尼神父和多位教友的努力，康州立法會於1882年3月29日正式頒佈哥倫布騎士會為一個友愛慈善團體，哥倫布騎士會至今仍抱著創會的原則：行善、團結和友愛。
哥倫布騎士會的成立，是為會員和他們的家庭給予經濟援助，為患病、有殘障和有需要的會員和他們的家庭提供支援和救助，通過教育、慈善、宗教、社會福利、戰爭救援和公共援助等工作在會員和他們的家庭中促進社交聯誼和知識交流。
哥倫布騎士會的歷史，顯示正受梵帝崗教廷審核封聖的麥基夫尼神父的遠見，怎樣發展成為全世界最重要的天主教友愛慈善團體，哥倫布騎士會以人壽保險、養老金和長期照顧計劃曾幫助過很多家庭，令它們得到經濟上的安全和穩定，和貢獻時間和精力，在全球各地的社區提供服務，哥倫布騎士會從最初一個只得幾名會員的組織成長為在包括美國、加拿大、菲律賓、墨西哥、波蘭、多明尼加共和國、玻多黎各、巴拿馬、巴哈馬、處女島、古巴、危地馬拉、關島和塞班島多個國家成立了超過一萬四千個屬會和擁有超過一百八十萬名會員。