St Vincents RC Church
Mallard Close, Dartford, Kent, DA1 5HU
Who we are
We are an Order of Catholic Laymen who are dedicated to the service of the Catholic Church and fellow man.
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What we do
We exist to support the mission of the Catholic as well as work for the spiritual and material good of our members and their families. We also work for the good of our local Parish, helping when and where needed. We arrange and run charity events throughout the year with proceeds going to charity such as our Peru project, LIFE, Mary's Meals, House of Mercy Gravesend and more.
Where we meet
We meet in the Parish Conference Room (by the hall) every 3rd Thursday of each month.
Interested?
If you are interested in joining, have any questions or want to come along to a meeting please contact a Knight using the form below or alternatively visit our Facebook page
More information taken from Knights of St Columba's National website
History
On 5th October 1919, Patrick Joseph O'Callaghan, an Irish migrant from Cork, gathered a meeting of 24 Catholic men at Central Hall, Bath Street, Glasgow and agreed to form a fraternal organisation - The Knights of St Columba.
In 1882, the United States' Knights of Columbus was founded by Fr. Michael J. McGivney. The founders, known as the Incorporators, modelled the Knights of St Columba on their example.
The first initiation of members began on 11th November 1919, while the following year a concert was held on Saint Patrick's Day which strongly boosted the membership numbers of the organisation into the hundreds.
The Order is set at three levels: councils are local groups which are arranged into larger groups called provinces. The highest level is a Board of Directors led by the Supreme Knight. There is a Head Office located in Glasgow, Scotland, where the Order was founded. The highest constitutional meeting of the Knights of Saint Columba is the annual conference or Supreme Council and is the body that decides national policy.
The Supreme Knight is elected annually and can serve for a maximum of three years. Councils and Provinces are chaired by Grand Knights and Provincial Grand Knights respectively and these, too, are in office for a maximum of three years or an additional one year if approval is given by the Supreme Knight.
The Order is noted for its charitable work and has raised money for projects such as assisting health in the developing world, earthquake relief as well as projects in Britain.
Organisation
At local level, members belong to a Council, led by the Grand Knight meet on a monthly basis. The Councils in an area (often corresponding to a Catholic Diocese) come together to form a Province, under the Provincial Grand Knight.
A minimum of two representatives from a Council (normally the Grand Knight and Immediate Past Grand Knight) attend the Provincial Council quarterly.
Representatives of the Provinces meet at least annually at the Supreme Council which governs the Order. The Supreme Knight presides over the Supreme Council.