Council 6600 Who We Are

Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s, fraternal benefit society formed in 1882 by Venerable Michael McGivney, an American priest whose cause for sainthood is being considered by the Catholic Church.

The purpose of our local council (John Ivey Smith Council 6600) is to help our parish men grow in their Catholic faith and strengthen their pursuit of God’s will in their lives. Our local council also supports our parish families, our Church, St. Peter Catholic School, JPII Catholic High School, our community, State and Nation through our God given talents.

We hope that you have seen us throughout your experiences in our parish. Our members are ushers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, pariah council members, Deacons and Priests. We have members who serve the poor through activities such as: St. Vincent DePaul society, cooking and serving meals at the Community Crossroads Center (local homeless shelter) and raise money for special needs children of Pitt County. We also raise money and provide other types of support for St. Peter School and JPII high school. We help fund youth programs and youth organizations within our parish. We have Knights that aid in faith education and development. We make Amazing pancakes and support our parish families. We also support our parish activities such as: The Parish picnic, monthly breakfast, many other parish events and many of you have eaten our fish and spaghetti.

We hope you have enjoyed the food and we thank you for your support.

We need Knights! This parish needs Knights! We need men who desire to serve! We need men who desire to serve God, their Faith, their families, the parish and community. We need men who want to make an impact with the little time and treasure they have. Men such as Leo Trujillo, a member of our Council, carved a wooden statue of the Blessed Mother for John Paul II Catholic High School. Our Council commissioned Leo, a master carver, to make the statue, and Leo donated his time to do so. The presentation of the statue was made after a Mass at the school celebrated by our pastor, Father James Magee.

Please see a Knight if you are interested, just look for those of us wearing the Knights of Columbus blue, silver or gold name badges. Or use the "Council 6600 Contact Form & Comments" form on the right side column of this page.

 

Introduction to Kights of Columbus

 

The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight.

The organization was founded on March 29, 1882 as a mutual benefit society for working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States. In addition to providing an insurance system for its members, it has grown to support refugee relief, Catholic education, local parishes and dioceses, and global Catholic social causes. The Knights of Columbus have played an active role in politics ever since its formation, and promote the Catholic view on public policy issues around the world.

The organization also provides certain financial services to the individual and institutional Catholic market. Its wholly owned insurance company, a Fortune 1000 company based on its annual revenue, underwrites more than two million insurance contracts, totaling more than $121 billion of life insurance in force as of 2023. The order also owns the Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, a money management firm which invests in accordance with Catholic social teachings.

As of 2024, the Knights reported having over 2.1 million members around the world. Women may participate in K of C through the Columbiettes and other female auxiliaries, and boys may join the Columbian Squires. The Order comprises four different "degrees," each one of which exemplifies one of the core principles of the order. There are more than 17,000 local Knights of Columbus councils around the world, including over 400 on college campuses. 

*Wikipedia contributors, "Knights of Columbus," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knights_of_Columbus&oldid=1263785405 (accessed January 9, 2025).