COUNCIL INFORMATION
Council Award History
1950 - Star Council
1950 - Century Award
1974 - Columbian Award
1975 - Columbian Award
1976 - Star Council
1988 - Columbian Award
1988 - Fr. McGivney Award
1989 - Columbian Award
1989 - Fr. McGivney Award
1992 - Fr. McGivney Award
1994 - Columbian Award
1994 - Founders Award
2008 - Fr. McGivney Award
2015 - Columbian Award
2015 - Founders Award
2015 - Fr. McGivney Award
2015 - Double Star Council
2016 - Columbian Award
2016 - Founders Award
2018 - Columbian Award
2018 - Star Council
2021 Community Award
2021 - Columbian Award
2021 - Founder's Award
2022 - Community Award
2022 - Columbian Award
2023 - Community Award
2023 - Columbian Award
2023 - Founder's Award
2024 - Columbian Award
2024 - Founder's Award
Council History
.jpg)
The Knights of Columbus was founded on March 29, 1882 in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut. A group of men, led by a parish priest Fr. Michael J. McGivney, worked to create a lay organization that would work in conjunction with the Church in aiding those families whose breadwinner was taken by an untimely death. These first men, the first Knights, operated under the principals of Charity, Unity and Brotherly Love, just as we do today.
Just a mere eight years later, on July 27, 1890 in a room in the building on Cole’s Block in Pawtucket, R.I., courtesy of the Sarsfield Association, 27 men, led by Thomas F. Clark and Dr. T. H. McNally, the Delaney Council number 57 Knights of Columbus was founded. Council 57 was the third council founded in the State of Rhode Island after Narragansett Council 21, which is still active today, and now-defunct Tyler Council 45 in Providence. Of those 27 original Delaney Knights, three would rise to the role of Grand Knight, and one eventually rose to the position of Supreme Director.
In that first year, the men of newly established Delaney Council would elect one of the driving forces of its establishment, Thomas F. Clark, as its first Grand Knight. Other officers that first year were Deputy Grand Knight John B. Carlin, Financial Secretary William E. Forbes, and Chaplain Rev. J. F. Sullivan. Just 18 days after the establishment of Delaney Council, the men of all 57 established councils would suffer a great loss when Fr. McGivney succumbed to an illness and entered the Kingdom of the Lord, thus giving Council 57 the historic distinction of being the last council founded in Fr. McGivney’s lifetime.
The following year, John B. Carlin would be elected Council 57’s second Grand Knight. Mr. Carlin would serve as the Grand Knight for two terms, after which he was elected as the State Advocate in 1892. In the time shortly following his election to a state office, he was appointed as the first member from Rhode Island to serve on the Supreme Board of Directors. In the following years, Delaney Council continued to become pillars of Faith and Service in the community. In a Knights of Columbus publication, Delaney Council was often referred to as “one of the most flourishing and energetic (councils) in the Order.” This was evident by the recorded membership of 248 in 1896, just six years after its establishment.
Delaney was not only growing its own council, but was also helping the Order to stretch out across the state of Rhode Island. In late 1894, members from Delaney Council, specifically Grand Knight P.J. Murray, Past Grand Knight John B. Carlin, Dr. William F Barry and Michael J. Gleason, were instrumental in helping a group of Catholic men in Woonsocket, R.I. form their own Knights of Columbus Council. On January 27, 1895, Woonsocket Council 113 was born with 40 charter members. Delaney Council members Dr. William F Barry would join and become a Charter Member of Council 113 and Michael J. Gleason who would not only become a Charter Member of Council 113 but would become its first Grand Knight took heightened roles in its establishment. Again, in 1899, Delaney Council 57 Grand Knight John Jolly helped members of Sacred Heart Parish in his own city of Pawtucket begin the steps to join the Knights of Columbus. On April 16, 1899, Pawtucket Council 412 was established with 45 charter members. The fraternal bond that was formed stayed strong for years to come.
Over the ensuing years, these three councils would join together for banquets, celebrations and parades. In hundreds of historical documents researched, Delaney, Woonsocket and Pawtucket councils are listed together – as if one singular council – marching in countless parades. From Woonsocket, to Providence, to Pawtucket, the Knights of Columbus came out in large numbers. One account from October 1903 credits Delaney Council with celebrating the 411th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus founding the New World with a parade of more than 500 Knights marching the streets of Pawtucket. The fraternal brotherhood was evident in the councils that joined in this grand parade; LaSalle Council 58, Leo Council 71, Sante Marie Council 96, Woonsocket Council 113 and Pawtucket Council 412 all marched behind Delaney Council charter member and parade Grand Marshal Jeremiah F. Leahy. Also in the parade was the current State Council officers including Past Grand Knight of Delaney Council Patrick J. Murray who was serving as State Advocate.
In September 1915, in the midst of World War I, Delany Council recognized its 25th Anniversary with a grand celebration under the leadership of Anniversary Chairman James H. Mooney. Many dignitaries were in attendance, including Daniel Colwell of New Haven, Connecticut. Mr. Colwell is credited as being one of the principal organizers of the Order. Past Grand Knight and Supreme Director John B. Carlin, rose to toast Delaney Council 57, and in doing so said:
“We cherish the hope that the next 25 years will prove as prosperous and prolific in results as the past period was in promoting the principals of our honored Order in all that goes to make a worthy Knight, a devout Catholic and a loyal citizen which is the glory of its present membership.”
Throughout its, history the Knights of Columbus has always been an organization that has honored and held its armed services and veterans in the highest esteem. Council 57 has been no different. This is evident in the many patriotic celebrations and presentations held during World War I. It was said in a September 1917 publication that Delaney Council “was one of the first Councils in Rhode Island to make actual contribution to the War Camp Fund and among the first in the Order.” The true commitment to our military is never more obvious than in the 1920 publishing of “The Knights of Columbus in Peace and War” Volume II, in which 183 members of Delaney Council are listed as having served in the armed forces. One such man, James H. Quinn, is listed as making the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country.
In 1920, Delaney Council, once again through the fraternal brotherhood that is the Knights of Columbus, joined together with Pawtucket Council 412 in a momentous occasion. On April 9, 1920, the grand opening of the Knights of Columbus hall located at 355 Main St in Pawtucket was celebrated. This is the first known and recorded non-Parish home for both Council 57 and 412. This building would not only serve as a meeting place and a function hall, but from 1920 to 1922, served as a Knights of Columbus Realty Corporation. This new business venture was jointly run by both councils.
During the middle of the 20th Century, the council continued to grow and operate under the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. It was yet again, under the principal of Fraternity that Delaney Council partnered with Pawtucket Council 412. In 1980 Council 412 found itself in dire straits and unable to support itself independently. It was their drive to remain active in their Order that kick-started the work to rejoin the council that helped to establish that council some eighty years earlier. On August 1, 1980, Pawtucket Council 412 officially merged back with Delaney Council 57.
Since that time, Delaney Council 57 has also navigated the rough waters of change. In the early 2000s, the Council had to face a difficult decision surrounding their council home on North Bend Street in Pawtucket. After making the decision to sell the property and move to a Parish-based council, the members of Delaney Council 57 soon thereafter in 2003 began meeting at St. Teresa’s School – and began writing the next chapter of the Council’s long and exciting history.
Today, Delaney-St. Teresa Council 57 remains an ever-strong pillar of Faith and Service in the community. Through the foresight of the previous council leadership, and with the funds from the sale of the North Bend Street council home, a scholarship fund was established that has allowed Council 57 to donate more than $21,000 to local Catholic School students since 2005. Again, operating on the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism, the Council has been able to donate more than $8,000 to the Salvation Army though the Keep Christ in Christmas Breakfast since 2005. All told, Delaney-St. Teresa Council 57 has donated more than $64,000 to numerous worthy causes in need over the last 10 years.
Just as the history of the Knights of Columbus has been written by those Knights that have led the Order in the past, so, too, will its future be written by those who would become disciples of Fr. Michael McGivney, those who would become Knights of Columbus!