History

Our Beginnings…

St. Matthew Council of the Knights of Columbus at St. Matthew Catholic Parish in Charlotte was established on April 1, 1992, by the Supreme Council and under the sponsorship of St. Vincent de Paul Council 9560.  There were 74 charter members of the council and they elected James Nass as the council’s first Grand Knight.

Throughout the Council’s history its membership steadily increased and now stands at more than 460 Knights.  Over the years the activities of our council clearly manifest the primary principle of the Knights of Columbus: In Service To One, In Service To All.  The vision and leadership of the Council’s Grand Knights have directed the membership to accomplish many great things.

Some of the charitable works that Council 10852 has performed in its relatively brief history.

In conjunction with our ladies’ auxiliary the Columbiettes, our Council supports the parish of St. Matthew both financially and in service.  We have made contributions over the years to various projects at St. Matthew, ranging from the stained glass windows in the main Sanctuary to the renovation of the Parish Center Kitchen as well as many other initiatives.  We volunteer time, such as for parking control for Christmas and Easter and setting up the Christmas Crèche.  Knights give prayer support to the parish by participating in weekly Eucharistic Adoration and many of our members belong to other ministries of the Church.  Over the years we have helped set-up and tear down for various parish celebrations.

Our Council also supports the community at large. Our LAMB (Least Among My Brethren) Foundation contributions to organizations that assist the intellectually disabled in our area have steadily increased over our history and our lifetime total to this cause now surpasses One Million Dollars!

We provide Thanksgiving dinners to more than 150 families through the Missionaries of Charity. At the Uptown Men’s Shelter in Charlotte we provide, prepare and serve a meal every month and through our Operation Exodus program we construct handicap-access ramps for the needy free of charge.

We also serve fish dinners on Fridays during Lent. In December we provide a bonus and have St. Nicholas on hand to speak to the kids about the true meaning of Christmas.

We host family picnics on national holidays as well as an annual picnic for the St. Matthew altar servers and their families. We also support pro-life activities and the parish’s SPRED (Special Religious Education) Ministry.

Grand Knights of Council 10852