Cardinal O’Connor

Celebrating a legacy of life and love.

Cardinal O'Connor founded the Sisters of Life to protect and enhance the sacredness of every human life. Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus with a mission to serve the vulnerable, encourage men in their faith, and protect Catholic families financially.

Sisters of Life Our Mission

Defending a culture of life. Building a legacy of love.

Cardinal O’Connor founded the Sisters of Life to protect and enhance the sacredness of every human life.

Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus with a mission to serve the vulnerable, encourage men in their faith, and protect Catholic families financially.

Our Founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, gathered and empowered Catholic lay men to become faith-filled leaders in their families and community. We invite you to follow in their footsteps. With the Knights of Columbus, you’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with more than 2 million brothers around the world. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your faith, help protect your family with our financial products and services, or serve your neighbors in need, the Knights of Columbus has the tools to help you point the world, and your family, to Christ.

Learn more about everything Knights of Columbus offers Catholic families.

Supporting Cardinal O'Connor's Legacy

Our Pro-Life Initatives Join Now

Our History With Cardinal O'connor

Order Honors Cardinal O’Connor

Gaudium et Spes Award salutes his service

Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, superior general of the Sisters of Life, and Cardinal John J. O’Connor greet one another in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Our Founder and Father

A recollection of Cardinal O’Connor’s paternal heart and spiritual legacy

Three sisters stand outside with their backs to the camera. They are in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus.

John Cardinal O'Connor: Founding the Sisters of Life

A moving testimony on the formation of the Sisters of Life

Mother Agnes Mary stands at the podium looking at the Convention attendees

An ‘Extraordinary Herald of the Gospel of Life’

Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, founding superior general of the Sisters of Life, receives the Gaudium et Spes Award at the 2023 States Dinner

Who We Are

The Knights of Columbus vigorously defends the dignity of each human being at every stage of life.

Knights work together to build a culture of life and a civilization of love. Knights stand ready to assist any pregnant woman in need, care for the elderly, aid the handicapped, empower those with special needs to realize their full potential, and bring attention to the injustices of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The March for Life: Transforming American Hearts and Mind

A year after the decision of Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion in the United States, Nellie Gray wasn’t going to let the first anniversary of this grim moment go unmarked. It was her firm conviction that Americans should stand up for life and march in the streets of Washington, D.C., to end abortion.

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Men Rooted in Faith

We are men of faith – men of courageous action – men on a mission. But without strong roots, a man cannot stand. What are you rooted in?

A man with a Knights of Columbus hat pushing a large bin full of groceries.

Courage and Charity

There is no shortage of desperate needs around us, but not every man has the courage and conviction to step into the breach and serve. Knights put charity into action. Do you want to live out your beliefs? Are you ready to work with your hands and help heal our broken world?

Life Programs

We Defend Life at Every Stage.

The urgency of the threat to a culture of life cannot be misunderstood. Respect for the dignity of life demands a commitment to human rights across a broad spectrum. Both as Knights of Columbus and as followers of Christ, “Catholics must be committed to the defense of life in all its stages and in every condition” (St. John Paul II, 1995). The Knights of Columbus defends the dignity of each human being at every stage of life. Knights work together to build a culture of life and a civilization of love. For Life program resources, visit kofc.org/life.

March for Life

Show public support for the right to life. The Knights of Columbus encourages others to choose life through public support of the pro-life cause. Knights can sponsor, promote, and participate in existing local, state, provincial and national marches. They can also organize bus trips. Councils in areas without existing events can organize new rallies, walks and marches on their own or by coordinating with other pro-life organizations.

Special Olympics

Celebrate the intrinsic worth and dignity of every single human being through the Special Olympics. The Knights of Columbus has a unique relationship with the Special Olympics and has helped disabled athletes train for and compete in games around the world. Knights of Columbus councils have assisted with all aspects of the Special Olympics events from fundraising to feeding the athletes, organizing and judging events, and providing equipment and awards. Without the support of the Knights, participants would not be able to train for the events that they love. Work with Special Olympics affiliates to determine how best to fund, sponsor or volunteer for events in the local community.

A woman and child smile while the woman holds an ultrasound image.

Ultrasound Initiative

Save lives and help women choose life by giving them the opportunity to view their unborn children on ultrasound machines at pro-life pregnancy centers. This initiative is funded by state and local councils and matching grants from the Supreme Council’s Culture of Life Fund. The Knights of Columbus donates funds to purchase ultrasound machines for qualifying pregnancy centers. After the state and/or local council raises 50% of the cost, the Supreme Council will provide the other 50% to complete funding for purchase of an ultrasound. Or, if the council raises 100% of the cost of a vehicle outfitted to serve as a mobile medical unit for a pregnancy center, the Supreme Council will provide 100% of the funds for an ultrasound machine to be used in that vehicle. This program has specific guidelines.

Christian refugee children hold hand while looking at the camera.

Christian Refugee Relief

Help save persecuted and at-risk Christians facing genocide all over the world, particularly in the Middle East. Knights of Columbus are called to bring awareness and support to those who have suffered for their faith. The Knights of Columbus Persecuted Christians Fund provides humanitarian assistance, primarily in Iraq, Syria, and the surrounding region. Councils will aid this cause by collaborating with their parishes to spread awareness and raise funds to help these Christians and those in their care.

Silver Rose

Share the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe and promote respect for life by participating in this meaningful pilgrimage. The Silver Rose program demonstrates the unity between Knights of Columbus in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, through a series of prayer services promoting the dignity of all human life and honoring Our Lady. Each year Silver Roses are stewarded by councils along routes from Canada to Mexico. Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a rosary-centered occasion for Knights, parishioners, and community members to pray for respect for life, for the spiritual renewal of each nation, and for the advancement of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

A father is attending Mass with a child who has special needs.

Mass for People With Special Needs

Welcome individuals or families who might not normally feel comfortable participating in a regularly scheduled Mass. People with special needs resulting from physical, emotional, mental, or cognitive conditions are all around us in society, at school, at work, and in our families. It can be challenging for these important members of our society to participate in church due to physical and social barriers — or even family member anxiety. Councils will sponsor a distinct Mass for people with special needs. Celebrating a Mass for People with Special Needs can be the first of many steps toward integration into regular weekly or even daily Mass — and more deeply into all of the sacraments and other aspects of parish life. Holding this Mass sends the message that all of God’s children are welcome under the parish roof and that every person is an integral part of the parish family.

Pregnancy Center Support / ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy)

Change hearts and minds about abortion by showing that we love both mother and child before and after birth. Thousands of pro-life pregnancy centers operate in jurisdictions throughout the Order. By the very nature of our founding, Knights of Columbus are called to care for the widow and orphan. Vulnerable unborn children and mothers experiencing unexpected pregnancies certainly fall within our mandate. With our aid, pregnancy centers can offer support to help women choose life. Councils can provide material, financial, and other support to pro-life pregnancy centers that help pregnant women during pregnancy and following the birth of their newborn children.

Through the ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) program, councils can contribute even more support to pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. For every $500 a council donates to a qualifying pregnancy resource center or maternity home (up to maximum published seperately), the Supreme Council will donate $100 more.

A mother and child's hands together while holding a rosary.

Novena for Life

Lead your community in the spiritual fight to establish a culture of life in our nations. The protection of life is a sustained prayer intention of the Church, and in particular of the Knights of Columbus. Knights remain firmly committed to defending the right to life of every human being — from the moment of conception to natural death.

Faith Formation

We Form Families in Their Faith.

Like Blessed Michael McGivney, we believe that when men come together in fraternity seeking to grow in faith, they change the world.

Man and his son partake in Men of the Word Bible Study.

Learn More About Your Faith

Learn more about the richness of the Catholic faith by accessing hundreds of resources through Catholic Information Service® (CIS).

Get Resources

Three men bowing in prayer while reading their Bibles. One man is in focus while the other two are in the background, blurred.

Cor: Christ-centered Brotherhood

Cor answers the needs of Catholic men looking for real life community and encouragement to lead as virtuous, courageous witnesses to Jesus in a broken world.

Learn More About Cor

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Live a Life of Faith and Virtue

Live a life of faith and virtue. Our video series Into the Breach and Into the Breach: The Mission of the Family help Catholic families live their faith in a challenging modern world.

Step Into the Breach

Financial Services

We Help Protect Catholic Families Financially.

Knights of Columbus is the leading Catholic fraternal benefit organization in the world. Members have access to an array of financial products and services. With the Knights as a partner aligned with your faith and values, you can protect what matters most, invest with integrity, and give generously.

Protect Your Family

Guard your family with our suite of insurance products including whole life, term life, annuities, long-term care insurance and disability income insurance.

Our Products

Invest With Integrity

Invest with integrity through Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors (KoCAA), knowing your money is invested according to Catholic principles and teachings.

Faith-Based Investing

Give to Those Most in Need

Give generously. Let Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund help you and your family make the most of the gifts God has given you.

Make a Difference

Charitable Work

We Help Those in Need

Our first principle is charity, and we live by the mandate that where there’s a need, there’s a Knight.

Support Mothers and Their Babies

Support mothers and their babies at pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes through our Aid and Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) program.

Warriors to Lourdes

Faced with metastatic breast cancer and a prognosis of just one year to live, Charna Seibert, wife of a U.S. Air Force member, turned to her Catholic faith for strength. In 2024, the Knights of Columbus made it possible for Charna and her family to join the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimage. At Lourdes, Charna discovered peace, seeing herself and others as "soldiers for Jesus."

A building with an open doorframe in ruble and ruin

Shelter and Provide

Shelter and provide for families displaced by war or natural disasters. From providing financial and material aid to victims of the 2025 California wildfires, to housing Ukrainian refugees, Knights are often among the first to respond in times of great need.

Be Courageous. Become a Knight.

The world needs men like you to say, “Yes” to living a life of faith and virtue. Will you join us in pointing the world to Jesus Christ?

Join Now