Because we are a service organization, having an active membership is vital to our continued work. New members must be Catholic men 18 or older, in good standing with the Catholic Church.
If you are interested, please contact Grand Knight James Hogon (740-380-3752). Any level of particpation is appreciated.
We are a Catholic men's fraternal service organization in service to the Church, the priesthood, and the community.
The Council meets every second and fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m.
Before each meeting, a Rosary is said in the chapel at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend to pray for the unborn.
While it is not required to pursue the fourth degree within the Order, any Knight may choose to do so. The local Fourth Degree Assembly includes men from Logan, Lancaster, and New Lexington councils.
The Fourth Degree was established in 1900 and is associated with the virtue of patriotism, often known as "The Patriotic Degree". A Knight must have been a third-degree member in good standing for at least one year, be an exemplary Catholic, and be of sound citizenship of this country.
Fourth Degree members can be recognized by the regalia of tuxedos, capes, chapeaux and swords while acting as the color guard for a Bishop or particpating in funeral services, confirmations, and other special occassions throughout the parish.
The Knights of Columbus were founded in 1881 by Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut as a fraternal benefit society to provide support for members and their families during a time when Catholics were persecuted heavily.
The Order was founded not only to provide support for its members, but also for the opportunity to purchase life insurance for themselves and their families (a purchase which was often denied to Catholics), as well as to promote social and intellectual fellowship through relief works in education, charity, religion, social welfare, war relief, and public relief.
In our own parish, the St. James Council #2299 was originally founded in 1921 but was dissolved during the Great Depression. The Council would not be re-instituted until 1984.
Prior to 1921, a fraternal society similar to the Knights of Columbus, known as the Knights of St. John, was active within the parish from the 1880's to the 1920's, when the switch to the Knights of Columbus was made.
While originally named St. John Council, the name was changed shortly after the re-institution in 1984 in honor of James O'Donnell, who was the first of the local members to pass away. James was a husband, father, local businessman, and active Knight who was well-known, liked, and respected throughout the community.
"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."