Knights of Saint Columba

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Columban of Iona , patron saint of Scotland, leaded glass window in Oban

The Knights of Saint Columba (KSC, German: Ritter des Sankt Columban) are a brotherhood in the Roman Catholic Church . They are the largest knightly brotherhood in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and were founded in Glasgow in 1919 . The KSC is a member of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights .

history

The Knights of St Columba were on 5 October 1919 by Patrick Joseph O'Callaghan, an Irish immigrant from Cork ( Ireland founded). 24 Catholic men took part in the founding meeting, and they gave themselves the name: Brotherhood - Knights of St Columba. As a model and example, they took over the construction criteria of the Knights of Columbus , founded in the United States in 1882 . The brotherhood was also suspected of being a secret society , as only members were allowed to attend their meetings. The reception ceremony always takes place in connection with the celebration of Holy Mass and is carried out in a Catholic church.

motivation

The founding idea arose from the desire to found a community in which the principles of charity , brotherhood and unity should be in the foreground. The members wanted to lay the foundations for social, economic and spiritual welfare while representing the Catholic faith, its principles and the interests of the Church. The brotherhood supports social projects and helps materially and financially in the event of serious accidents or disasters in Great Britain.

organization

The organization is a non-political, neutral and democratically oriented, church-oriented institution that only accepts men in its ranks. The admission age is at least 16 years. The brotherhood is divided into three levels of leadership:

  • Local groups, it is led by a great knight,
  • Provinces , you are headed by a knight provincial, and
  • the "Supreme Council", the President is the "Supreme Knight".

The provinces are usually aligned with the borders of the Catholic dioceses in Great Britain. The "Board of Governors" is based in Glasgow and holds an annual general meeting . This highest body and the “Supreme Knight”, as well as the leadership of the local groups and provinces, are elected for a period of three years. According to its own information, the KSC has over 8,000 members in 340 local groups.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Columban of Iona (around 522–597) was an Irish monk and missionary . He is considered one of the "three patrons" and the "twelve apostles of Ireland".
  2. ↑ Nepotism? Not us, say Knights of St Columba (Sunday 25 June 1995) [1] (English)