About

Knights of Columbus Council 4174 serves the Catholic churches of St. Michael and St. Albert and actively supports the communities of St. Michael and Albertville, Minn. The Wright-Hennepin Council, as it was called, was chartered in 1956 and today counts nearly 400 men from the two parishes as members. 

The pastors of our parishes support our charitable work, and our members enjoy numerous opportunities for service in the church and community. We also make time for fun, including social events for men and their spouses and events for the entire family. Whether you are new to St. Michael's or St. Albert's or are a long-time resident, we encourage all Catholic men to learn more about the KCs and consider becoming a Brother Knight.

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From the the Knights of Columbus home page:

History

On Oct. 2, 1881, a group of men met in the basement of St. Mary's Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. Called together by their 29-year-old parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, these men formed a fraternal society that would one day become the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization.  They sought strength in solidarity, and security through unity of purpose and devotion to a holy cause: they vowed to be defenders of their country, their families and their faith.  These men were bound together by the ideal of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas, the one whose hand brought Christianity to the New World. Their efforts came to fruition with the incorporation of the Knights of Columbus on March 29, 1882.

Principles
All the good works we do are informed by our four core principles:

• Charity. Our Catholic faith teaches us to "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Members of the Knights of Columbus show love for their neighbors by conducting food drives and donating the food to local soup kitchens and food pantries, by volunteering at Special Olympics, and by supporting, both spiritually and materially, mothers who choose life for their babies. Knights recognize that our mission, and our faith in God, compels us to action. There is no better way to experience love and compassion than by helping those in need, a call we answer every day.

• Unity. None of us is as good as all of us. Members of the Knights of Columbus all know that – together – we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. So we stick together…we support one another. That doesn’t mean that we always agree or that there is never a difference of opinion. It does mean that – as a Knight of Columbus – you can count on the support and encouragement of your brother Knights as you work to make life better in your parish and community.

• Fraternity. The Venerable Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, in large part, to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died – often prematurely. The Order’s top-rated insurance program continues to do this today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time to assist sick and/or disabled members and their families. In the Knights of Columbus, we watch out for and take care of one another.

• Patriotism. Members of the Knights of Columbus, be they Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Cubans, Filipinos, Poles, or Dominicans, are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both. Whether it’s in public or private, the Knights remind the world that Catholics support their nations and are amongst the greatest citizens.