The Knights of Columbus and the Military

Knights of Columbus have served on the front lines of every war fought by the United States since the Order’s founding in 1882. There is a natural affinity between the virtues of military service and the Knights’ principles, and the Order has never wavered in its support for the armed forces. This legacy is explored in a new 40-minute documentary, Armed with the Faith: The Knights of Columbus and the Military.

Today, there are 67 active K of C military councils, eight Fourth Degree military assemblies around the world and one overseas military roundtable. Overseas military councils are located in countries where the United States has a long-established military presence, including Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Belgium and Spain. Pictured here are members of the Afghanistan round table and other personnel delivering supplies to local Missionaries of Charity sisters. The round table collected clothes, toys, food, toiletries, backpacks and school supplies for the sisters' work. Similarly, Military councils at home and abroad volunteer their time in support of migrant workers, refugees and the homeless in their local communities.

In 2014, the Knights began partnering with the Gary Sinise Foundation, providing funding to help complete the construction of computer-equipped custom smart homes for severely wounded heroes.

Since 2013, the Knights of Columbus has partnered with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS) to sponsor the annual Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage.

In 2011, the Order established a new scholarship program to help fund the education of seminarians preparing to become Catholic chaplains in the U.S.

The Order’s Fourth Degree has embraced programs serving our veterans, most notably the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Today, the Knights of Columbus has more than 1,130 volunteers regularly serving at 130 VA medical centers through this program.

Since 2003, the Order has worked closely with the Global Wheelchair Mission, including in the distribution of wheelchairs to veterans in hospitals located in major cities throughout the Order.

The Knights has printed and distributed more than 600,000 durable Catholic prayer books titled Armed with the Faith/Armure de Foi for members of the US and Canadian armed forces.

During World War II, Knights in the Philippines ran a program very similar to the WWI hut program for American servicemen. Canadian Knights operated KC Huts once again for Commonwealth soldiers.

Following the war, the Knights established both a tuition-free education program for veterans and a job bank that placed more than 300,000 veterans with employers throughout the country.

The Order organized a military pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Lourdes immediately following the end of WWI and published a Guide to Lourdes after repeated requests from American pilgrims.

In addition to establishing the huts, the Knights of Columbus raised more than $14,000,000 (in 1917 dollars) in the United States for war relief.

The huts served all branches of the military and were places that provided recreation and freely dispensed “personal items” to the members of the A.E.F. The Knights also used the huts to provide entertainment in a manner later emulated by the U.S.O.

The military recreation centers expanded in World War I with the KC “hut program.” The motto of these huts was “Everybody welcome. Everything free.” The Knights ― first at home and later abroad ― established huts near the front, at or near military bases and in cities frequented by US soldiers and sailors. An official Knights of Columbus Army Hut was even established in Lourdes itself.