KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

St. Louis Park Council Number 3949 of the Knights of Columbus was founded in January 1955. The Council's Charter Grand Knight was Patrick Corcoran, who was also a member of the local Lion's Club. Charitable activities include an annual Tootsie Roll drive to raise money for the mentally retarded, and a Marathon for Nonpublic Education. The Knights participate in a long list of activities that include fundraising for nonprofit organizations and scholarships, sponsorship of a Little League team, and many fraternal activities. In 1960 and 1961, the group was hired to take the census for the city directory. Volunteers went house to house to gather information.

In 1961-62, the group met at the Holiday Lodge, which had been Jennings Tavern and would be Jennings Red Coach Inn. The official newsletter of the local Knights was called The Crusader.

The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Conn. in 1882, who gathered together 24 men in the basement of his church. Its members "were bound together by the ideal of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas, the one whose hand brought the Holy Faith to this New World." McGivney originally called the organization the "Sons of Columbus," but it was changed to "Knights" at the behest of "Irish-born Civil War veterans [who] felt it would help to apply a noble ritual in support of the emerging cause of Catholic civil liberty." Membership was and is open to all Catholic men age 18 and over. Its original principles were unity and charity; fraternity and patriotism were added later.

The Knights of Columbus was only open to men, but in the early days women could belong to the Columbian Ladies. In 1970 an official ladies auxiliary was formed, open to wives, widows and adult unmarried daughters of Knights in good standing.

The Columbian Squires was open to Catholic boys between the ages of 13 and 17. The first such group was formed in 1925 in Duluth, with the goal of leadership development.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.