Knights of Columbus Museum near New York, NY

Knights of Columbus Museum near New York, NY

The Knights of Columbus organization, which was founded by a Catholic priest, is the largest fraternal service organization in the Roman Catholic Church. Father Michael J. McGivney started the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut. Father McGivney brought together a group of men from the his parish, St. Mary's, for a meeting in 1881.  A year later, the Knights of Columbus order was incorporated under the U.S. laws in Connecticut. This may have been the first council of this kind; they soon began to be organized in many other states as well. The Knights of Columbus organization is named after Christopher Columbus.

The Knights of Columbus Museum has many exhibits of papal history, Christopher Columbus as well as information and exhibits on the actual organization. Individuals can come and take a tour of the Knights of Columbus Museum as well as groups. At the start of the tour, you have the option of watching a video on the museum. There's also a beautiful exhibit of the Vatican to view. Other fascinating items or objects to see are the galleries, the church and the museum gift shop. You are also invited to attend the mass at St. Mary's Church, which is located nearby. The staff at the museum is always available to answer any of your questions and can also give you the history of the Rome office.

You'll also love viewing and learning about the Christopher Columbus Primary Sources Exhibit. You'll see beautiful and talented paintings like the 17th century painting of St. Peter. Francesco Trevasini is the talent responsible behind this masterpiece. The Knights of Columbus Museum is an extremely interesting place to visit, even for those that aren't religious.