About Us
At Knights of Columbus Council 11961, we believe that faith is best lived through action. Our council is a community of Catholic men committed to strengthening faith, family, fraternity, and service while making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us.
Guided by the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism, our members come together to support our parish, families, local community, and those most in need. Through charitable programs, community outreach, fellowship, and service projects, we put our faith into practice and strive to be a positive force for good.
But being a Knight is about more than volunteering. It is about brotherhood. We support one another, encourage our families, build lasting friendships, and work together to create a stronger community. Whether we are serving those in need, supporting our parish, helping a family in crisis, or simply gathering together as brothers, we seek to make every effort an expression of our Catholic faith.
Council 11961 welcomes men who want to live their faith, serve others, strengthen their families, and build lasting friendships. Together, we can accomplish far more than any of us could accomplish alone.
Faith. Family. Brotherhood. Service.
That is who we are—and that is what it means to be a Knight of Columbus.
Life At The Monastery
Knights of Columbus: A New Chapter in the Life of St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery
In September 2024, the Knights of Columbus came to St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery in Korona–Bunnell. Since then, their presence has become an important and deeply appreciated part of the life of our monastery.
The Knights regularly gather at the monastery and have generously offered their time, energy, and talents in countless ways. They have become actively involved in caring for our grounds, helping us maintain and improve the property that surrounds our monastery. Their service also extends into our chapel, where they assist with the liturgy and willingly take part in the many needs of our religious community.
Over the past two years, the Knights have also organized and supported numerous events at the monastery and in our chapel. These have included the Silver Rose celebration, the pilgrimage of the Sacred Heart Icon, the Knights on Bikes event, charity breakfasts, and our traditional Lenten Fish Fry, held every Friday during Lent. They also organize blood drives at the monastery every two months, providing an important service to the wider community. Through these events and activities, they have helped bring people together in faith, fellowship, service, and charity, while also strengthening the bond between the Knights and our Carmelite community.
Their support, however, goes far beyond their presence at individual events. The Knights have also been generous financial supporters of our monastery. Through their own fundraising efforts, including golf tournaments, they have helped raise funds for the construction of our new Social Hall. They also generously support the monastery financially in other ways and actively participate in fundraising events organized by the monastery itself.
One of their most visible contributions has been the renovation of our pavilion. Through their hard work and generosity, the pavilion was transformed into a beautiful, fully functional meeting hall, complete with air conditioning. What was once a simple outdoor structure has become a welcoming and comfortable space where our community can gather, meet, and share fellowship. This is a lasting gift to the monastery and a wonderful example of the Knights' willingness to put their faith into action through practical service.
I can say with a clear conscience that the Knights of Columbus support our monastery in every way they can. Whether through their hands-on work, their service at the altar, their organization of events, their financial support and fundraising efforts, their renovation projects, or simply their willingness to be present whenever they are needed, they have become true friends and partners of our Carmelite community.
As Superior of St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery, I am deeply grateful for their presence. I believe that the arrival of the Knights of Columbus in September 2024 represents an important new chapter in the history of this place. Their involvement has brought a new spirit of service, fraternity, generosity, and active Catholic life to our monastery.
On a personal level, the Knights have also changed my own priestly life. They invited me to become a member of their brotherhood and to serve as their chaplain. I consider this both a great honor and a profound privilege. Being part of the Knights has allowed me to experience in a very personal way their fraternity, their commitment to the Catholic faith, and their desire to put that faith into action.
For all of this, I am profoundly grateful.
The Knights of Columbus have not simply become an organization that meets at our monastery. They have become part of the life of our monastery — our friends, our brothers, and our partners in serving God and His people.
May God bless every Knight, his family, and all those who generously give their time, talents, and resources in service to the Church, our local community, and St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery.
Father Robert M. Marciniak OCD
Superior, St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery
Korona–Bunnell, Florida