About - Officers - History
All the good works the Knights do are based by our four core principles:
Charity, Fraternity, Unity & Patriotism
St. Aloysius Council 6451 was incorporated as the Catawba Valley Knights of Columbus Council in 1973, with Grand Knight – Walter Booth. Since that time, the council has grown to over 225 members, and been recognized with the prestigious National Star Council Award numerous times. The councils in Morganton, Newton, Lenoir, Denver and Statesville have spun off from the original Catawba Valley council.
Our council is blessed with many members who give of their Time and Talents to support all our service program initiatives. You can see a list of these in the Programs tab. In addition, through fund raising activities, the council is able to make monetary donations to many worthwhile state and local charities like Special Olympics.
Our monthly meeting and social takes place at the second Wed. of each month at 7PM in the St. Aloysius Activity Center. Our Officers and Program Chairs meet two weeks ahead of the business meeting for pre-planning purposes. Our dues are only $24 a year. Come and join us!
COUNCIL OFFICERS - Consejo Oficiales
For the 2024- 2025 Fraternal Year
KNIGHTS HISTORY - Historia de los Caballeros
Late-19th century New England was marked by the growing prevalence of fraternal societies hostility toward Catholic immigrants, and dangerous working conditions in factories that left many families fatherless. Recognizing a vital, practical 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 in 1881. He proposed establishing a lay organization, the goal of which would be to prevent Catholic men from entering secret societies whose membership was antithetical to Church teaching, to unite men of Catholic faith, and to provide for the families of deceased members.
As a symbol that allegiance to their country did not conflict with allegiance to their faith, the organization’s members took as their patron Christopher Columbus — a Catholic and celebrated as the discoverer of America. Thanks to Father McGivney’s persistence, the Knights of Columbus elected officers in 1882 and officially assumed corporate status.
In addition to the Order’s stated benefits, Catholic men were drawn to the Knights because of its emphasis on serving one’s Church, community and family with virtue. Writing in The Columbiad in 1898, soon-to-be supreme knight, Edward Hearn wrote that a Knight should live according to the virtues of loyalty, charity, courtesy and modesty, as well as “self-denial and careful respect for the feelings of others.” Fraternity and patriotism were added to the Knights’ founding principles of charity and unity in 1885 and 1900, respectively.
CLICK HERE for a Historical Timeline of the Knights since its inception.