GWU Council 13242
The George Washington University Council 13242 of the Knights of Columbus was founded on December 8th, 2002 by a dedicated group of Catholic men at the Newman Catholic Student Center who wanted to grow in fraternity and in an authentic Catholic faith. The council has become a main fixture of the Catholic community at GW with a large part of its active men joining.
As Brother Knights, we thrive to create an authentic fraternity of men in service and care of one another, whether within the university or in the society. We firmly believe that "there is no brotherhood of men, without the fatherhood of God." Because of this belief, we devote ourselves to serving the church and community through service and we strive to grow in our Catholic faith and grow closer to Christ. We also hold regular dinners, socials, and other fraternal events, along with twice monthly council meetings.
See the video below for an overview of the college Knights program - it includes many of our council members!
Knights of Columbus

4th Degree Color Corps on the South Lawn of the White House
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. It was founded by the Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, and named in honor of the navigator Christopher Columbus. Originally serving as a mutual benefit society to low-income immigrant Catholics, it developed into a fraternal service organization dedicated to providing charitable services, promoting Catholic education and actively defending Catholicism in various nations.
There are more than 1.8 million members in 16,000 councils, with nearly 200 councils on college campuses. To this end, the Knights of Columbus is among the largest college fraternities nationwide. Membership is limited to "practical Catholic" men aged 18 or older. Membership consists of four different degrees, each exemplifying a different principle of the Order.
Councils have been chartered in the United States (including American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Guatemala, Panama, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Guam, Spain, Japan, Cuba, Poland, Ukraine and South Korea.
For their support for the Church and local communities, as well as for their charitable efforts, the Order has been referred to as the "strong right arm of the Church". In the 2010 fiscal year, the Order gave over $154 million directly to charity (over $1.406 billion in charitable contributions and 653 million man hours in the last 10 years) and performed over 70 million man-hours of voluntary service. The Order's insurance program has more than $100 billion of life insurance policies in force, backed up by $22 billion in assets, and holds the highest insurance ratings given by A. M. Best and the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. Within the United States on the national and state level, the Order is active in the political arena lobbying for laws and positions that uphold the Catholic Church's positions on public policy and social issues.
There are more than 1.8 million members in 16,000 councils, with nearly 200 councils on college campuses. To this end, the Knights of Columbus is among the largest college fraternities nationwide. Membership is limited to "practical Catholic" men aged 18 or older. Membership consists of four different degrees, each exemplifying a different principle of the Order.
Councils have been chartered in the United States (including American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Guatemala, Panama, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Guam, Spain, Japan, Cuba, Poland, Ukraine and South Korea.
For their support for the Church and local communities, as well as for their charitable efforts, the Order has been referred to as the "strong right arm of the Church". In the 2010 fiscal year, the Order gave over $154 million directly to charity (over $1.406 billion in charitable contributions and 653 million man hours in the last 10 years) and performed over 70 million man-hours of voluntary service. The Order's insurance program has more than $100 billion of life insurance policies in force, backed up by $22 billion in assets, and holds the highest insurance ratings given by A. M. Best and the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. Within the United States on the national and state level, the Order is active in the political arena lobbying for laws and positions that uphold the Catholic Church's positions on public policy and social issues.