About Us

Knights of Columbus Council 4914

Our Council was chartered in 1960. We average around 375 members and support the parishes of St. John the Baptist in Savage, the Church of St Michael in Prior Lake and the Franciscan Retreat & Spirituality Center in Prior Lake.

We meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month alternating our meetings between the two parishes. Our meetings run around one hour.  Our dues are $30 per year, of which a portion goes to the Supreme Council and the State Council to support their programs. The rest stays with our local council to support our many programs.

Locally, we are involved with many programs which focus on 5 areas:

Church

Volunteering as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, choir, ministries and parish organizations

Monetary support through RSVP to seminarians, Jim Campbell Fund and financial support to priests to support their continuing education

Parish Round Table providing moral support to the pastor and church by seeking out their needs

Marathon for non-public education - volunteering to provide crossing guards & security for participants & sponsoring a pancake breakfast

Provide pro-life monuments at both parishes to support the Pro-Life Movement

Put up nativity scenes during the Christmas season

Council

Participate in the Tootsie Roll drive to support mentally and physically challenged athletes

Publish a monthly newsletter to inform members on activities

Honor all past members of our council with a memorial mass in November

Community

Highway Cleanup of Highway 13 in Savage

Provide a Firearm and Hunter Safety class for youth 12 and older

Sponsor and support Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops

Provide Thanksgiving and Christmas Baskets for the needy

Youth

Offer an Essay contest - two years in a row we've had state winners

Student Loan Program available to members and their families through the State Council

Scholarship and Student Loan Programs available through our Supreme Council

Family

Annual Bowling event for council family members

Family Council Picnic in August

Twins Game Family Nights in June & July

Ladies Auxiliary Potluck dinner

International Programs

Vicarius Christ Fund - $10,000,000 invested with profits given to Pope for his special needs

Uplink provided for satellite feed for 2 major Vatican broadcasts (Christmas and Easter) each year

Provide the Pope with $150,000 whenever he travels

Renovation and maintenance of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

Who are the Knights of Columbus?

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity.

The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works.

The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy worldwide to service in communities.

The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more than 14,000 councils and 2 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan.