WHO WE ARE and WHAT WE DO

The Knights of Columbus, founded by Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut in 1881, is a Catholic men’s fraternal and service organization dedicated to Christian charity and faith through its active support of the Catholic Church, our clergy, and local parishes and communities through volunteer service programs and financial support.  It has over 2 million members worldwide.  In 2019, our members collectively contributed over $175 million in charitable donations and over 75 million volunteer hours.   Our organization is founded on the principles of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity.

Membership

Membership in the Knights is open to Catholic men who are at least of 18 years of age and “practical” Catholics, that is, those who live in accordance with the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.   Initiation into the Knights of Columbus (referred to as “exemplification”) is conducted in a public ceremony, performed in the local parish church and open to spouses, families, and the parish community.  
The Knights of Columbus also offers, to its members and their families, life insurance products and financial annuities, including whole life and term life insurance policies, long-term care insurance, and disability insurance.

The Knights of Columbus is organized into “Councils,” subordinate organizations that are affiliated with one or more local parishes.    Saint Anne Council #8627, for example, serves Saint Anne Parish.  [link]  Local Councils are brought together in a “Chapter,” usually at the Diocesan level, and Chapters are brought together at the State or regional level, which are all under the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut.
Councils are headed by a Grand Knight, elected by Council members, and served by other elected Officers (Treasurer, Recorder, etc.) and appointed program chairmen who coordinate specific service programs, under the spiritual guidance of a Council Chaplain, an ordained priest.

Our service programs are conducted under the umbrella of FAITH IN ACTION, in four major areas:  Faith, Family, Community, and Respect for Life.
Many of the events conducted or sponsored by the Knights are open to spouses and families, who are encouraged to participate in Knights activities serving our parishes and communities.  

There are also Fourth Degree (“Patriotic degree”) “Assemblies” for interested Knights, which provide color guards and honor guards to assist at parish religious observances and other parish and community events, and also render honors at the funerals of departed Knights and their family members.   Fourth Degree Knights are attired in distinctive uniforms, formerly our traditional colorful chapeaux (plumed hats) and capes that have recently been replaced by a simpler, more modern uniform capped with a beret.    

SAINT ANNE COUNCIL #8627
Saint Anne Council #8627, chartered in 1984 and affiliated with Saint Anne Catholic Parish, has over 200 members and has received numerous awards from the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council and California State Council for its service programs serving our Church, parish, and larger local community.
Our service programs include free flu vaccinations, participation in Saint Anne Festival, Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest for CCD students, annual Saint Anne Crab Feed, Easter Egg Hunt, Knights of Columbus Family Choir, First Friday Adoration, and, with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, collecting food for the less fortunate of our community.   We also hold fundraising activities to provide donations to local charities and service organizations, such as Special Olympics, Birth Right Foundation, St. Anne Building Fund, New Haven Schools Foundation Scholarship Fund, Oakland Diocese Vocations Program, Columbian Charities for the Intellectually Disabled, and the Union City Fire Department Christmas toy drive.

Our Council also supports our Pastor/Parochial Administrator in his pastoral duties overseeing parish activities, such as setting up chairs and tables for parish events, serving as ushers at various special liturgical celebrations, stringing Christmas lights, preparing palm branches for Palm Sunday, clean-up of church grounds, and other relatively humble but important functions that contribute to the effective operation and well-being of Saint Anne Parish.

Council meetings are held monthly at Saint Anne, typically on the fourth Wednesday of the month, and all Council members are encouraged to participate as we plan and coordinate Council service program activities and fraternal events.  Our capstone fraternal event is the annual Past Grand Knight Dinner-Dance, a semi-formal event for members and their families and guests typically held in October, honoring all Past (former) Grand Knights of the Council and celebrating our accomplishments for the past year.  We also hold other fraternal events – which include our families and guests -- during the year, such as the annual Family Picnic and Christmas Party.
Knights of Saint Anne Council are affiliated with several local Fourth Degree Assemblies, including San Lorenzo Ruiz Assembly #2627 (Union City), Eugenio Pacelli Assembly #70 (Hayward), and Bishop Floyd L. Begin Assembly #3546 (Hayward/Fremont/Union City).

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to any Catholic man 18 years of age or older who is a “practical” Catholic, that is, one who accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.  There are no other requirements for membership.
 Interested Catholic men can join the Knights of Columbus in one of two ways:
(1)    By contacting a local Knights Council and entering the Knights through the local Council.   CONTACT US TO JOIN
              or 

(2) By applying online with the Supreme Council and entering the Knights through the Supreme Council.  Members who join online will be directed to a local Council where they may participate in local Knights activities.  kofc.org/secure/en/join/join-the-knights.html

If you are not in the Union City/Hayward/Fremont area and would like to find a local Knights Council, you can find a Council near you at:  http://kofc.org/en/get-involved/find-a-council.html
St. Anne Council NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Please check out our latest Council Newsletter – Faith in Action – for relevant news and a list of upcoming events.  [link to St. Anne Council Newsletter, current and archive]
Current information about Council activities and events is also posted on our Council’s Facebook Page.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Saint Anne Council Facebook Group         https://www.facebook.com/groups/saintanne8627
Knights of Columbus Supreme Council    http://kofc.org/en//index.html
Join the Knights of Columbus Online        https://www.kofc.org/secure/en/join/join-the-knights.html
KofC Faith in Action Programs                    https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/index.html
Knightline                                                         https://www.kofc.org/en/news-room/knightline/archive.html
Knights Gear                                                    https://www.knightsgear.com/
KofC Insurance Programs                             http://kofc.org/en/what-we-do/insurance/index.html
California State Knights of Columbus        https://www.californiaknights.org/
California State KofC Facebook Page        https://www.facebook.com/california.kofc/
Golden State Knightletter                            https://www.californiaknights.org/state-council-news-social-media/knightletternews/
KofC Catholic Information Service             https://www.kofc.org/en/who-we-are/our-faith/cis.html