Knights of Columbus Membership
Knights are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making
their community a better place, while supporting their Church. Being a
Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved with your community; it is
supporting your local Catholic Church, while enhancing your own faith; and it is
about protecting and enhancing your family life.
Types of Membership
Catholic men 18 years of age or older who join the Knights
belong to a council, or local unit. Many 18 to 22 year olds first join the
Knights of Columbus in a college council. Members who have been in the
Knights for one year and have attained Third Degree membership are eligible to
join the Fourth Degree Knights. The Knights of Columbus also sponsors the
Columbian Squires, a service and leadership training organization for Catholic
youth ages 10 to 18.
How to Join
If you are a practical Catholic man, age 18 or older, we welcome you to join
this leading organization of Catholic laymen. You will be asked to fill
out a Form 100 and to submit to an interview to confirm your eligibility.
Afterwards your application will be voted upon. Your path to Knighthood
begins with an investiture ceremony called a Degree. There are three
degrees, each one a lesson. They are on Charity, Unity and Fraternity.
A fully vested Knight has participated in all of the degrees and is known as a
Third Degree Knight. There is a Fourth Degree, that of Patriotism, and
passage entitles one to membership in a separate, but related, organization
called an Assembly.
For more information, please e-mail us at
Membership@KofC5427.org or call us at 201-664-0422. You can
also click here to contact us online. We look forward to hearing from you.
Prospective Member Q & A
1. I don't have time to join another organization; why should I join the
Knights of Columbus?
As a Knight you can choose the projects with which you wish to be involved in
within your own community. What is more, the Order is dedicated to family
life and the many benefits it offers. From insurance to scholarships to
service and social activities and programs, all are open to the whole family.
2. What are the requirements?
Membership requirements are that he be a practical Catholic gentleman, who is 18
years of age or older.
3. What is a practical Catholic?
A practical Catholic is one who is in union with the Holy See and who practices
the precepts of the Catholic Church.
4. What are the Degrees?
There are four degrees within the Knights of Columbus. Each degree
ceremony imparts a lesson on the Order's core virtues of Charity, Unity,
Fraternity and Patriotism.
5. Do I have to purchase Insurance to become a member?
No. Unlike many fraternal organizations, one does not become a member by
purchasing insurance. In the Knights of Columbus a man has to be a member
before he may avail himself of the insurance benefit. Purchasing insurance
is optional, however; the life insurance and long-term care insurance products
offered by the Order are not only competitively priced, they are among the most
solid and highly rated products available anywhere. Standard & Poor's and
A.M. Best, the leading independent agencies that rate insurance companies, give
K of C insurance their highest ratings.
Mother Seton Council #5427 is affiliated with Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.
The organization received its charter on May 7, 1963. Membership hovers
around the 400 mark.
Notices and informational news are contained in the Seton Call, the Council’s
monthly newsletter; The Citizen, the Township’s quarterly newsletter; The
Township’s web site; and in press releases in local papers.
Business Meetings are held on the second Tuesday and last Thursday of the month,
except in July and August. Meetings start at 8:00 p.m. and food generally
follows afterwards. There is a Members’ Room and Bar that is open to
members and guests weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.