About US
This page contains a brief history for both the Knights of Columbus and Council 565.
Knights of Columbus - History
On Oct. 2, 1881, a small
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.
Council 565 - History
Evansville Council 565, the first Knights of Columbus council
in
Evansville, Indiana, met for the first time on April 15, 1901 in the
old Knights of St. John Hall. Within three weeks, the new council
successfully rented a room in the old Journal Building for $75 per
year. This location served as the Council’s home and hall for the next
year. Also within the first three weeks, the Council approved a set of
by-laws and elected a slate of officers, including James V. Rush, as
the first Grand Knight and the Rev. F.H. Ryves as the first Chaplain.
The K of C District Deputy, William J. Mooney, formally installed these
officers in June of 1901.
In those early years, the Evansville Council provided an important
venue for discussion of issues of importance to Catholic adults. Each
Council meeting routinely included presentation and discussion of
research papers on religious and social topics. The Council, through
the K of C life insurance program, provided needed financial security
to Catholic families, long before the present social safeguards were in
place.
From these humble beginnings, this Council has represented a
significant part of the Evansville society and its Catholic community.
We hope to continue this fine tradition as we look forward to another
century of successful service.
