The knights of Columbus organization was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney at St. Mary's Parish
    in New Haven Conn. in the spring of 1882.  Catholics and the Church at the time faced serious problems
    such as anti-Catholicism, ethnic prejudice, under-employment, lack of social standing and early loss of
    the breadwinner of the family.  

    To address those problems Father McGivney conceived the idea of an organization of Catholic men who
    would band together.......

    - To aid one another in times of sickness or death, by means of a simple insurance plan, so that wives        
    and children would not face abject poverty.   
    - To strengthen themselves and each other in the Faith.
    - To strengthen families and family life.
    - To be a strong pillar of support for their priests and bishops.
    - To be of service to Church and community by coming to the aid of those most in need in society.
How It All Began
Knights Today
    We call ourselves Knights to emphasize chivalry's ideals of charity and support for Church and state,  
    and Columbus as a reminder of Catholics contribution to America's greatness since the beginning.  
    Today, the Knights global organization has over 1.7 million Knights in more than 12,000 local Councils
    located in 13 countries.

    Four Principles guide our Order;

    CHARITY - we are committed to charitable works to ease the plight of those less fortunate.

    UNITY - in unity there is strength.  Strength to speak out for religiously-grounded moral values in a
    culture that    has forsaken them.  

    FRATERNITY - we band together to help one another in times of distress, sickness and death.

    PATRIOTISM - emphasizes that Catholics are proud citizens of their countries. Knights who have  
    achieved the    Fourth Degree are the visible arm of the Order when they appear at public functions in
    full regalia.  Fourth Degree Knights serve as witness to the values of devotion to God and country, the
    bedrock of patriotism.

    Today the Knights are a very grassroots organization. Local councils develop the programs they believe
    will best serve the needs of their communities.  A service framework guides these choices.  The framework
    has five core areas: Church, community, council, family and youth.  Funds raised by local councils
    remain with them for distribution in the ways the members feel is best. In addition to the five core areas,
    the Knights also directly support seminaries and vocational promotion efforts.  
Join Us, We Need Your Help
    Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to any practical Catholic man in union with the Holy
    See who is not less than 18 years of age on his last birthday.  A practical Catholic is one who lives up to
    the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church.

    To apply for  membership in Our Lady of the Rosary Council #9039 just contact any of the officers or
    members you find listed on this site. They will tell you more about us and provide you with an
    application form.  Your  application form (Form 100) will be submitted for consideration at our next
    monthly business meeting and voted on by the assembled members.

    Following a favorable vote you become a member by initiation.   Modest initiation and annual dues are
    required. Subsequently, when you are ready,  you advance via preparation and ceremony through the
    four degrees of our Order... Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.      

    Please join us in this work for Church and community.  Review this WEB site and you will find many
    programs and events where your time and talents are needed.  

Contact our Membership Director Bob Pearson today to learn more.
Knights of Columbus
Our Lady of the Rosary Council #9039
P.O. Box 6146 Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.  28469
Ceremonials of the Order
    There are four "Degrees" of Knighthood within the Knights of Columbus. The initiation ceremonies into
    each of these Degrees (the ceremonies themselves are also called "Degrees") are the only facets of the
    Order which are not made known to non-members. Each of the Degrees is designed to exemplify one of
    the four Principals of the Order: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. The Degrees must be taken in
    order.

    Every applicant must take the First, or Membership, Degree before he can be considered a Member of the
    Knights of Columbus. Once he has taken his First Degree, he becomes a member in good standing in the
    Order. To reach full Knighthood, members must also take the Second and Third Degrees, and all members
    are strongly encouraged to do so. Members must have taken the Third degree to be elected to Council
    offices or to enter into the Fourth Degree.

    Once a man has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for a year and has taken his Third Degree, he
    is eligible to join a Fourth Degree Assembly. The Fourth Degree has its own structure separate from that
    of the Council. Fourth Degree Assemblies gain their membership from Third Degree members of several
    Councils within a larger geographic area. The most visible members of the Order are often the Fourth
    Degree Color Corps, with their colorful capes, chapeaux and sabers.