COUNCIL INFORMATION
About Our Council - Kempsville Council 10515
Chartered in December 1990, Kempsville Council 10515 is a growing fraternal organization of Catholic men committed to actively supporting our priest, serving our parish community, the Catholic Church of St. Mark, and working to help and improve our local community, state and country. We are known as the “Red Shirts” because of the bright distinctive shirts worn by all 10515 council members.
We strive to live the principles of Catholic Social Teaching as described by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching).
"The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. In these brief reflections, we highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition."
- Life and Dignity of the Human Person
- The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.
- Call to Family, Community, and Participation
- Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
- Rights and Responsibilities
- The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency.
- Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
- A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
- The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
- Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. The economy must serve people, not the other way around.
- Solidarity
- We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be
- Care for God's Creation
- We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation.
We look forward to you joining with us on this journey to serve God by serving others.
Your Role as a Member of Kempsville Council 10515
Members Experience and Interest Survey Form
The council leadership strives to meet the needs of each member, but we need your help! The personal joy and satisfaction that you derive from being a member of the Knights of Columbus depends entirely on you and your personal commitment to the organization and its programs. We value your judgment, we appreciate your opinions, and we rely on your participation for our continued success. Our council conducts a variety of programs—programs where you can personally apply your talents and fulfill your ambitions to serve others. To ensure that we are helping you to be successful on this journey, annually we ask each current and new member to complete a "Member Experience & Interest Survey". The survey may be downloaded by simply clicking on the link below.
Our programs are aptly referred to as "FAITH IN ACTION" and encompass the four main volunteer areas emphasized by the Knights of Columbus: FAITH, FAMILY, COMMUNITY and LIFE. The individual programs listed below may be substituted for or augumented by additional programs that the council develops and supports. Additional information on each Faith In Action program area can be found by clicking on the links shown below:
- FAITH PROGRAMS (https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/faith/index.html)
- Into the Breach
- Pilgrim Icon Program
- Build the Domestic Church Kiosk
- Rosary
- Spiritual Reflection
- Holy Hour
- Sacramental Gifts
- Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP)
- FAMILY PROGRAMS (https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/family/index.html)
- Family of the Month
- Keep Christ in Christmas
- Family Fully Alive
- Family Week
- Consecration to the Holy Family
- Family Prayer Night
- Good Friday Family Promotion
- Food for Families
- COMMUNITY PROGRAMS (https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/community/index.html
- Disaster Preparedness
- Free Throw Championship
- Soccer Challenge
- Helping Hands
- Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest
- Coats for Kids
- Global Wheelchair Mission
- Habitat for Humanity
- LIFE PROGRAMS (https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/life/index.html)
- Christian Refugee Relief
- Silver Rose
- Pregnancy Center Support
- Aid & Support After Pregnancy (ASAP)
- Novena for Life
- Mass for People with Special Needs
- March for Life
- Special Olympics
- Ultrasound
We ask each member to abide by four firm council requirements:
- Pay your annual membership dues on time. Our dues are $50 per year for regular members and $10 per year for life members . Membership dues are not used to fund charitable activites, but rather are used to support:
- Funding of the Supreme and State councils' operations as well as supportng national catholic advertising through per capita assessments which are based on membership totals
- Each member's monthly subscription to the Columbian magazine
- The council's administrative operations such as supplies and fees,, annual liability insurance, and fraternal activities such as awards and events
- Support the council's annual KOVAR drive by dedicating at least two hours of your time to help raise funds. KOVAR is a Virginia Knights of Columbus 501(c) (3) tax exempt charity established in 1971 to provide financial assistance through grants and home loans to tax exempt organizations providing training and opportunities to persons with intellectual disabilities.
- More information is available at the KOVAR website: (https://kovarva.org/)
- We ask that you purchase and wear your council name tag to Mass and other church functions
- Name tags can be purchased for $13.25 each. See the Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight or Financial Secretary if you would like to order a nametag.
- We ask that you volunteer to participate in ot least one activity per year.
- The council's annual calendar, which is posted to this website and updated throughout the year, provides the dates and times for all council activities.