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Knights of Columbus

St. Mary's Council #4065

Fishkill, NY

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“We Save Lives & Change Lives”

Home Council of
Former Vice Supreme Master & Past State Deputy Walter J. Wych

What is the Knights of Columbus?

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic Fraternal Service Organization. Founded in 1882 in New Haven, Connecticut by Father Michael J. McGivney, a Catholic Priest.  The order was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus and founded as a way to serve as a mutual benefit society to working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States. The order has developed into a fraternal benefit society dedicated to providing charitable services, including war and disaster relief, actively defending Catholicism around the world, and promoting Catholic education.  The 4 principles of the order are Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.

About St. Mary's Council #4065

St. Mary's Council #4065 is a local council of the Knights of Columbus. Chartered in 1955, St. Mary's Council #4065 is a local council located in the Hudson Valley.  Our council serves the parishes of St. Mary Mother of The Church in Fishkill, St. Columba in East Fishkill, and St. Denis in Hopewell Junction. 

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Membership is open to all men 18 years of age or older who are practicing Catholics.

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Our Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:45pm.

About Our Members

Our members are active members of the parish communities that we serve.  They serve their parishes in many different ways.  Some of the ways they serve as volunteers are:

•    Ushers (Ministers of Hospitality)
•    Lectors
•    Eucharistic Ministers (Both at Mass and Bringing Communion to the Home Bound).
•    Religious Education Instructors
•    Parish Schools
•    Parish Council
•    Parish Outreach Ministries
•    Youth Ministries
•    Local Food Pantries
•    Music Ministries
•    Social Welfare Ministries
•    Veteran’s Affairs
•    Social Awareness

Not to mention the many wonderful programs that our Council runs and promotes.

Some donate a little time. Some donate a great deal of time. Some are unable to donate time, but support the programs that we are involved in.  No amount of help and support is too small or too much.  We are grateful for all that our members do,
 

OUR PROGRAMS

 

We have many programs that we offer, that our members can participate in. Our programs are broken down into 4 main categories:  FAITH, FAMILY, COMMUNITY, and LIFE.

 

Some of the programs we regularly run are:

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  • American Wheelchair Mission - Annually, we host an Adult Backyard Olympics to raise funds to purchase new Wheelchairs for those in need in our community. This is a great event that is lots of fun and for a good cause.

  • Special Olympics - We participate in the Polar Plunge and raise funds for Special Olympics.

  • Blue Mass - Each year, our Council sponsors an Annual Mass in honor of our First Responders - Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and Emergency Medical Personnel.

  • Habitat For Humanity - We assist in Building and Repairing homes for needy families.

  • Ultrasound Initiative - We raise funds to assist in the purchase of Ultrasound Machines for qualified Service Centers.

  • Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP) - We provide financial support for Seminarians in their journey to being ordained as Priests.

  • Deacon Support Fund - We subsidize parishioners who are in school studying to become Deacons.

  • Coats for Kids - We purchase cases of NEW Winter Coats to be distributed to needy children in our communities.

  • Keep Christ in Christmas - We promote the importance of Keeping Christ's associated with Christmas (which has become very commercialized and signified as X-Mas).

  • Light-Up For Christ - On the 1st Tuesday in December, all the Knights of Columbus Councils in the US, Canada and Mexico light their Nativity Scenes and Christmas Trees at 8pm.

  • Basketball Free Throw Championship - Each Year we sponsor a Basketball Free Throw Championship for boys and girls ages 9 to 14 with the winners advancing on to face other children in their age bracket from around the state. 

  • Soccer Challenge - Each Year we sponsor a Soccer Penalty Kick Contest for boys and girls ages 9 to 14 with the winners advancing on to face other children in their age bracket from around the state.

  • Rosary Program - We promote and encourage Families to Pray the Rosary together as a family.  We also provide Rosaries to our Religious Education Programs in our Parishes.

  • Food for Families - We hold food drives and raise funds for our local food pantries to help our neighbors in need. 

  • Children's Christmas Party - Annually, we hold a Christmas Party for Children in our community where we run a full program of activities topped off by a visit from a Jolly Old Elf with presents for the Children and grab bags for the kids that promote keeping Christ in Christmas.

  • Support for our Parish Schools and Religious Education Programs. - We support these fine institutions with Funds and Resources.

  • Clergy and Religious Recognition Dinner - Annually, we sponsor a formal dinner to recognize and thank our Clergy and Religious in our for all that they do for us and for their commitment and dedication to our Holy Religion.

  • Buck-A-Pound Weight Loss Contest - Annually, during the Lenten Season, we hold a Weight Loss Contest called a Buck-A-Pound, similar to a walk-a-thon where our members solicit their friends to sponsor their weight loss.  All proceeds then go into a separate account and each month we choose a worthwhile charity and we give them a donation from that fund.

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       We have many other wonderful programs, too many to mention in this limited space.

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