Michael Joseph McGivney, priest of the diocese of Hartford, Connecticut, assistant pastor of St Mary’s Church, New Haven, first dreamed the dream that became the Knights of Columbus. A small group of men, sturdy in faith and eager to promote the welfare of their fellows, contributed towards the development of Father McGivney’s idea, but without the priest’s enthusiasm the Knights of Columbus would never have assumed definite shape or overcome the difficulties of its infancy.
Young as he was, being only in his early thirties when he first had the inspiration to establish, in Connecticut, a great Catholic fraternal order, Father McGivney was the first to realize, as a result of his priestly experience, the vital need for a society of laymen which would unite the male element of the Church as its strongest point — strengthen above all its spiritual aspirations, and complete that synthesis between faith and good works, that combination of righteousness and the conduct of everyday temporal affairs, which must be, in our world, the province of true religion.
In the Connecticut of the early eighties Catholics were objects of a prejudice that placed them at a social and economic disadvantage. Catholic was a synonym for Irish, and feeling was strong against men of Irish descent. The position of Catholics in a democratic time when the value of majorities was considered as a most important factor in the management of social life, was far inferior to that warranted by the size of the Catholic population. A firm barrier stood in the way of Catholic advancement. This lack of prestige had its effect upon the individual Catholic, especially the man in the ordinary walks of life. It gave him a sense of social inferiority when confronted with the social advantages of men not of his faith.
Fraternal societies were, at this time, flourishing throughout the United States. Organizations which a Catholic could not in conscience join enjoyed a large prosperity. The benefits resulting from membership in such societies were manifest; social and business advantages during life and provision by insurance for the member’s family after his death. Membership in these societies held peculiar attractions for men whose occupations involved travelling. In general, most substantial allurements were offered to the ambitious young man of those days.
These societies had also the attraction of ritualism, which, though appealing more to non-Catholics who knew no other ritual, had the air, in the eyes of Catholic authorities, of being either sectarian or, perhaps, even blasphemous imitation. Besides, the vagaries of Cagliostro and the excesses of the carbonari in Italy were not calculated to soften the attitude of the Church towards oath-bound societies whose objects were mysterious and incapable of analysis by their fellow-citizens. Then again, the authorities of the Catholic Church, in common with a great many other students of social conditions, held that a secret oath, the content of which could not be revealed in any crisis of Church or State, which bound the taker of it to implicit obedience to any human authority, was detrimental to both the principles and the action of a human being in a society founded on the teachings of Christianity.
No intelligent observer could deny that the attractions of these oath-bound organizations were a source of conscientious difficulty to Catholic young men, who had no similar organizations approved by the Church offering temporal advantages of a like nature. In New Haven it was proposed at this time that a sodality of St. Mary’s parish join one of the outside, oath-bound societies and thus provide an attractive union for the young men of the parish. This suggestion, instantly rejected by the Right Reverend Lawrence T. McMahon, Bishop of Hartford, was yet a proximate cause of the origin of the Knights of Columbus.
The general impression prevailed among Catholics of mature thought in New Haven that the time was propitious for the introduction of fraternal insurance, a basic advantage of many societies. A preliminary experiment in Catholic social organization had been attempted, many of those participating in this experiment afterwards becoming incorporators of the Knights of Columbus. The Sarsfield Guard, captained by Joseph H. Keefe of New Haven, was composed of Catholic men and was a part — Company C — of the Second Regiment, Connecticut National Guard. The Sarsfield Guard had passed through various vicissitudes, notably the feeble surrender of Governor Minor of Connecticut to the bigots of Connecticut, when in 1856 he ordered the disbanding of all Guard units composed of Irishmen and the sons of Irishmen. But for the stout-heartedness of Adjutant General John C. Hollister, who refused to carry out the order, and resigned rather than sign it, the cause of equality might have gone down to defeat in Connecticut. Hollister’s courage strengthened the hopes of those American citizens who seemed to be in danger of the most cruel proscription. The Civil War came and the patriotism of the Catholics and of the Irish played its legitimate part. The Sarsfield Guard was revived. It became well known for its social entertainments, and it was at one of these, after a military review, that James T. Mullen, First Orderly Sergeant of the Guard, suggested an impromptu initiation for Sergeant F. P. Duffy, who had absented himself from his companions to procure supplies for the evening’s meeting. When Sergeant Duffy returned to the hall he was seized and put through a burlesque process of initiation. Upon completion of this he was dubbed a “Red Knight,” and the Red Knights became an over- night creation. Their fame grew and requests came from other cities in the State to New Haven that branches of the Red Knights be instituted.
The Red Knights are no more; they were not, during their brief but entertaining existence, an organization of serious purpose. But the Red Knights served to demonstrate a truth; that an organization meeting the desires of its prospective members along the established lines of fraternal benefit systems would gain attention and members by a repute for good, secret initiation exercises. It may be urged that here was proved the attraction of an elemental appeal to human curiosity. The human element is natural and so long as the curiosity is not dishonorable there is merit in utilizing it to guide its possessors to good.
Father McGivney, at that time an assistant in St. Mary’s parish, New Haven, had aided the Red Knights by his priestly counsels and was acquainted with many of the members of that organization. Always deeply interested in the welfare of young men, he had organized the St. Joseph’s Total Abstinence and Benevolent Society in the parish, and acted as its chaplain. It was, as an experiment, successful; but Father McGivney was keenly alive to the attractiveness of absolutely oath-bound associations. He sometimes had the painful experience of seeing young Catholics enter fraternal societies either frowned upon or actually forbidden by the Church. He realized keenly that some Catholic organization should be created to comprise solid fraternal benefits with the attractiveness of selected membership and secret initiation, and yet not oath-bound and only secret upon promise of man to man which promise must ever yield to the authority of Church and of State.
He had something definite in mind, for he talked of such a society among the men of the parish, and encouraged others to talk about it. Sufficient interest was aroused to warrant the calling of a meeting to discuss the project. An attempt had been made by Daniel Colwell of New Haven to revive the Red Knights, but little interest was shown. The idea of a Catholic fraternal and benevolent organization, however, would not down; it survived among the men of New Haven, although it temporarily lost active promoters. Father McGivney cherished the idea, and Bishop McMahon encouraged him to originate a strong lay organization.
When Father McGivney heard of the fruitless attempt to revive the Red Knights he saw in this an opportunity to launch a more substantial movement. He invited members of this organization to meet at the parish house of St. Mary’s Church on the evening of January 16, 1882. Those in attendance, besides Father McGivney, were James T. Mullen, Daniel Colwell, John Tracy, Michael Tracy, William M. Geary, Cornelius T. Driscoll, John T. Kerrigan, James T. McMahon and William H. Sellwood, all representative men of the parish. After a lengthy discussion it was decided that Father McGivney should go to Boston to consult with the executives of the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters regarding the practicability of instituting a Connecticut branch of that society.
Father McGivney reported at a meeting one week later that the Massachusetts Foresters were eager to render every assistance for the formation of a new society in Connecticut, but that they refused to institute a branch of their own organization in that state. He stated, furthermore, that the Catholic Foresters’ insurance feature was not that desired by those who hoped for a new and powerful Catholic fraternal society, as the benefits offered by the Foresters were considered too limited. It was thereupon unanimously decided at this meeting that a new and independent organization be formed, and a committee to accomplish this was appointed, Father McGivney, James T. Mullen, John T. Kerrigan and J. T. McMahon being its members. The name tentatively chosen for the new society was the Connecticut Order of Foresters. Frequent meetings were held, all under Father McGivney’s moderation. The situation was thoroughly discussed, from every conceivable viewpoint. It was at length adjudged that the name Catholic Foresters was unsuitable, and bound to lead to confusion with the Massachusetts order. The aim was to attain a field of fraternal endeavor higher than any before achieved and to avail themselves of the commendable features of the best fraternal benefit organizations in the country.
Definite progress was made with the formation of a committee on constitution to draft fundamental laws and rules.
It was decided, at the next conference called by Father McGivney, that before the parishes of the diocese could be circularized in the interest of the new movement a plan of insurance must be formulated. The per capita scheme of insurance, then common among fraternal bodies, was adopted. By this system, when a member dies a per capita tax is levied on surviving members and the sum collected delivered to beneficiaries. An investigating committee was appointed to look into the claims of those applying for membership in the new society, and this committee laid down rigidly the rule that all candidates must undergo a scrupulous medical examination. This strict provision limited vitally the organization’s numbers in those first days of growth, but laid the foundation of the present efficiency of the Knights of Columbus insurance system.
At the third conference, Father McGivney proposed the name ” Sons of Columbus/’ which he held to represent the character of the new society as a Catholic Columbian organization. Mr. Mullen suggested that the word “Knights” be substituted for “Sons.” This carried, the name “Knights of Columbus” then coming into being. It was decided that a ceremonial should be written in three sections or degrees, the basis of the present first three degrees of the Order. Father McGivney undertook to present this ceremonial, when completed, to Bishop McMahon for his approval. Daniel Colwell was appointed to prepare the necessary petition for charter to the General Assembly of Connecticut. This was promptly done, the passage of the measure incorporating the Knights of Columbus being aided materially by the Honorable C. T. Driscoll, one of the petitioners, then representing New Haven in the General Assembly, and by the Honorable H. P. Hotchkiss, Mr. Driscoll’s associate in the House, and the Honorable A. E. Robertson, representing New Haven in the State Senate. The petition was speedily granted, and the charter formally issued to the Knights of Columbus, which became the first national fraternal organization to be incorporated in Connecticut, on March 29, 1882. The following are the original incorporators: Michael J. McGivney, Matthew C. O’Connor, Cornelius T. Driscoll, James T. Mullen, John T. Kerrigan, Daniel Colwell and William M. Geary.
The task of organizing the first council of the new society was then undertaken. Father McGivney presided at the conferences, and on April 3, 1882, the Committee of Investigation reported favorably upon eleven applicants, and Smith’s Hall on Chapel Street, New Haven, was secured as a meeting place for the Order. The first election of the Knights of Columbus was held in this hall on April 6, 1882, when the following temporary officers were chosen: President, James T. Mullen; Vice-President, John T. Kerrigan; Corresponding Secretary, the Reverend Michael J. McGivney; Recording Secretary, William H. Sellwood; Financial Secretary, James T. McMahon; Treasurer, Michael Curran; Advocate, C. T. Driscoll; Medical Examiner, M. C O’Connor, M. D.; Chaplain, the Reverend P. P. Lawlor ; Lecturer, Daniel Colwell, and Warden, John F. Moore.
From the very beginning was made manifest the conservatism that has been the Order’s unfailing safeguard. Inundated with applications from all parts of New Haven, the Committee of Investigation was loath to increase the membership, wishing to have a charter list readily manageable from the outset.
Work on the proposed ritual and constitution had progressed, and it was wisely decided that no system should be hurriedly adopted, but that all available rituals and constitutions should be studied, and the Knights of Columbus initiatory exercises and fundamental laws be modelled after the best so that there should be no feature even in the slightest way objectionable to ecclesiastical authority. It was further decided that only Catholic and American allusions should be used in the ritual, that the ritual should be divided into three degrees, and that the several parts should be so arranged that the leading officers of subordinate branches of the society should have a part in its exemplification, and also that the ritual should comprise appropriate ceremonies for instituting new branches, with installation ceremonials for new officers. To Mr. Colwell was assigned the task of arranging this ritual. In conjunction with Mr. Mullen and with the constant advice of Father McGivney, the work was completed.
The new society’s constitution presented a harder problem. Father McGivney, with Messrs. Mullen, Geary and Kerrigan,
collaborated on it, and, pending its completion, Cushing’s Manual was the vade mecum of the Order in its formal business procedure. After several months of research the constitution was completed; but its publication was postponed until the society found funds sufficient for this purpose in 1883.
On May 16, 1882, exactly four months after the first meeting of the Knights of Columbus, when Father McGivney had launched his idea for the new fraternity, the election of the first Supreme Council was held, the officers being those chosen at the temporary election some weeks before, with the exception of William H. Sellwood. Immediately following the creation of the Supreme Council, which, according to the resolution then passed, was to be the “authoritative body of the Order” there was held the election of the first subordinate council, named then, and still named, San Salvador No. 1 of New Haven. The roster of officers, whose official titles have always been preserved unchanged, ran: Grand Knight, C. T. Driscoll, a graduate of Yale University and former Mayor of New Haven; Deputy Grand Knight, Henry S. Kenny; Chaplain, the Reverend M. J. McGivney; Recording Secretary, John F. O’Brien; Financial Secretary, James T. McMahon ; Treasurer, Michael Curran; Lecturer, Daniel Colwell; Medical Examiner, Dr. M. C. O’Connor, and Warden, John F. Moore.
On June 15th of the same year Father McGivney read the proposed Constitution at a full meeting of the Order, which unanimously adopted it. Then was made the first line of demarkation between the Supreme Council and the subordinate council, setting the precedent that has ruled ever since.
Amid all this flurry of organization, of active and chiefly oral propaganda among the Catholic men of New Haven, and especially among those of St. Mary’s parish, the question of state-wide growth had been gravely considered. Before even the first council had been inaugurated, Father McGivney published a digest of the aims of the Order with the view of promoting its growth once ecclesiastical approval had been obtained. In a comprehensive circular, heralding what he termed one of the most important events in the annals of American Catholicity, he set forth the hopes and claims of the new organization. This was the first official document to be issued by the Knights of Columbus. Applications from Catholic men within and without New Haven increased, the surprising progress within a few short months from a mooted proposition to an established fact proving the need for the Knights of Columbus.
To concentrate executive power there was formed a Supreme Committee of the Supreme Council. This Supreme Committee was the original of the Supreme Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus. It was composed of the elective officers of the Supreme Council, and in it was vested all executive authority. Its powers were plenary, excepting in the matter of amendments to the Constitution — exactly as are the present powers of the Supreme Board. To this Committee was given the sole power to grant charters and organize subordinate councils.
It was necessary to complete the Order’s ritual before any attempt could be made to initiate accepted applicants residing outside of New Haven, for this ritual was designed to add the attraction possessed by the so-called secret societies (but without their danger) to the other benefits offered by the Knights.
Of course, the Order adopted no ritual until the approval of Bishop McMahon had been obtained. Many difficulties had to be overcome. During the controversy over the powers of the Supreme Council there were frequent threatenings of dissolution. There were those not of the Order who thought that Father McGivney, the humble curate, had exceeded the functions of his rank in fathering so large and, from the experience of the Church, so hazardous a movement as a great lay organization. It had even been prophesied that the Bishop would quench the fires of ambition, and gently but firmly dissuade Father McGivney and his associates from further effort.
The Order’s ritual was completed on July 7, 1883, and was promptly accepted by the Supreme Council subject to the Bishop’s approval. With other Supreme Officers, Father McGivney laid the entire ritual before Bishop McMahon, who examined it carefully. He pronounced it exceedingly interesting, giving special praise to the third section, now the third degree. ” I have followed the wording and explanation of this ritual closely,” he said. “I cannot detect anything amiss or improper. You need no further ruling than this. I am of the opinion that it will be a valuable medium for carrying sound moral principles to your members; that it will be the means of attracting many to your organization. I do not see why you should not go on without let or hindrance from anyone.”
Here was victory for the Knights of Columbus! This whole-souled approval, this instant display of favor from the Bishop, was a guarantee of fitness for success. His Lordship blessed the Order, and the pioneers of Columbianism left his presence rejoicing in the blessing of the Church on their enterprise. Bishop McMahon further evidenced his interest in the most practical way by becoming a charter member of Green Cross Council when it was instituted in Hartford, the year following. He was the first bishop to enter the Order, and his espousal of the cause gave strength to the new organization, playing a vital part in its early growth; for even with the Bishop among its members, the Knights of Columbus still had opponents within the Catholic fold whose opinions carried weight — for many were fearful that the new Order might become other than a blessing to the Church; they questioned its necessity, they questioned the sincerity of some of its organizers, suspecting that it might be used politically. As the Order advanced, members of the hierarchy not only encouraged its growth by favorable opinion, but by joining the Order and by active association with its work. Now, practically, every archbishop and bishop in the United States is a member, and the two cardinals are its strongest supporters.
While all was not harmony without the Order, sound organization ‘guaranteed effective work within. Applications for charters commenced to be filed with promising regularity. Councils were instituted at Meriden, Wallingford and Cromwell, and the cities around New Haven applied in rapid succession for admission. It was generally realized in Connecticut that at last a society had sprung up that could offer the things powerfully attractive in non-Catholic societies. Gradually, through dint of hard, honest work, the impression gained ground that the Knights of Columbus was all that its prospectus claimed, and when the clergy began to apply for membership as quickly, in numerical proportion, as the laity, it was felt that recognition had been secured and growth assured. With wise government the Order was destined for a career of patriotic usefulness.
Taken from The Knights of Columbus In Peace and War, Vol. 1, By Egan, Maurice Francis; Kennedy, John James Bright.(1920)