Okemos St Martha Knights of Columbus
What We Value
We Live by a Simple but Profound Set of Principles
Charity
Fraternity
Unity
Patriotism
Who We Are
We are the "Strong Right Arm" of the Parish
Ask any Parish Priest about the Knights of Columbus and you will invariably hear of the absolute support and assistance that the local Council has consistently provided. From physical labor to financial donations, the Knights are known to be there when it counts. Our Council has a long history of supporting St Martha and is also known for the support given to other Diocesan initiatives.
Our Story
It started in a humble immigrant parish...
Late-19th century Connecticut was marked by the growing prevalence of fraternal benefit societies, hostility toward Catholic immigrants and dangerous working conditions in factories that left many families fatherless. Recognizing a vital, practical need in his community, Father Michael J. McGivney, the 29-year-old assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., gathered a group of men at his parish on Oct. 2, 1881.
He proposed establishing a lay organization, the goal of which would be to prevent Catholic men from entering secret societies whose membership was antithetical to Church teaching, to unite men of Catholic faith and to provide for the families of deceased members.
As a symbol that allegiance to their country did not conflict with allegiance to their faith, the organization’s members took as their patron Christopher Columbus — recognized as a Catholic and celebrated as the discoverer of America. Thanks to Father McGivney’s persistence, the Knights of Columbus elected officers in February 1882 and officially assumed corporate status on March 29.

In addition to the Order’s stated benefits, Catholic men were drawn to the Knights because of its emphasis on serving one’s Church, community and family with virtue. Writing in The Columbiad in 1898, a year before he was elected supreme knight, Edward L. Hearn wrote that a Knight should live according to the virtues of loyalty, charity, courtesy, and modesty, as well as “self-denial and careful respect for the feelings of others.” Fraternity and patriotism were added to the Knights’ founding principles of charity and unity in 1885 and 1900, respectively.
The Order grew steadily and added the first Canadian Council in 1897. By the 1950's the Knights of Columbus Council was a fixture in the majority of American Parishes; further foreign expansion took place in the 1960's and 70's, Council 10006 was founded at St Martha in 1989 and has grown from a modest beginning to a membership of over 300 men. The efforts of these men have been recognized by the national organization by the awarding of the "Star Council Award", the fraternity's highest honor over 20 times. The Council has contributed to the life of the Parish in countless ways, and has made financial donations to both Parish and Community as a part of the mission of the Council; a mission that was established in a humble immigrant Parish by a young, idealistic priest.