Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus (often abbreviated as K of C) is the world’s largest Catholic lay fraternal order. The organization was founded in 1882 by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Michael McGivney, in New Haven, Connecticut. The Arkansas State Council of the Knights of Columbus was organized in 1909 and established a number of active chapters across the state.

The Knights of Columbus order is named after the explorer Christopher Columbus, with its membership open to practicing Catholic men. K of C reported having about two million members worldwide in 2023. According to the Arkansas State Council of the Knights of Columbus, there are more than 7,000 men in local K of C councils across Arkansas.

A main motivation for Father McGivney in forming the Knights of Columbus was to assist widows and orphans. The Knights of Columbus focus on service opportunities, social fellowship, spiritual support, and the advancement of patriotism. There are four degrees of membership, with each exemplifying one of the core principles of the order: charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.

Arkansas has a number of K of C chapters across the state, including large groups in Benton (Saline County), Bentonville (Benton County), El Dorado (Union County), Hot Springs (Garland County), Hot Springs Village (Garland and Saline counties), Jacksonville (Pulaski County), Jonesboro (Craighead County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), Morrilton (Conway County), Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), Rogers (Benton County), and Texarkana (Miller County).

The programs of the K of C in Arkansas are family- and community-based in order to be of service through deeds and actions. Arkansas Knights of Columbus maintain a relationship with Subiaco Abbey and Academy, a Catholic Benedictine monastery in Subiaco (Logan County) that was named after the birthplace of the Benedictine Order in Subiaco, Italy. Each summer, Knights from Arkansas councils offer support and sponsorship for boys ages nine to thirteen to enjoy outdoor activities by attending the week-long Camp Subiaco.

Other activities traditionally include the Coats for Kids program, color guards for Independence Day parades, cemetery clean-ups, food drives, Mardi Gras events, and an annual free-throw competition in Morrilton that is open to boys and girls ages ten to fourteen from across the state.

Along with ladies’ groups at individual churches, Catholic women may join the Columbiettes, an international organization headquartered in Mineola, New York, that was formed in 1939 to aid the Knights of Columbus as needed. Individual Columbiette auxiliaries must be sponsored by a local Knights of Columbus council. Membership in the Columbiettes is open to Catholic women who are in good standing with the Church. In addition, Catholic boys who are ages ten to eighteen may join the Columbian Squires, a leadership development program that operates under the guidance of the Knights of Columbus.

For additional information:
Arkansas State Council, Knights of Columbus. https://arkofc.org/ (accessed December 19, 2024).

Arkansas State Council Directory, Knights of Columbus. https://uknight.org/StateCouncilSite/councilDirectory.asp?CN=US&ST=AR (accessed December 19, 2024).

Brinkley, Douglas, and Julie Fenster. Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism. New York: William Morrow, 2006.

Walther, Andrew, and Maureen Walther. The Knights of Columbus: An Illustrated History. Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers. 2020.

Woods, James M. Mission and Memory: A History of the Catholic Church in Arkansas. Little Rock: August House Publishing Co., 1993.

Nancy Hendricks
Garland County Historical Society