The First Knights Council in North Carolina

From The Grand Knight...

I welcome you to our website and introduce you to Bishop Michael J. Begley Council #770 based in Charlotte, NC. Our council was chartered on 1903 at St. Peters Catholic Church in the center of Charlotte. Through the course of time, we have grown from our original Pioneering Catholic members to sponsor Knights for all the close Councils in Charlotte, There are now 9 Councils in the Greater Charlotte Area. Council 770 now has a Council Hall for over 150 seated members at 220 Kingston Street - just off South Blvd and East Street - near St. Patrick Cathedral and we work closely with the Bishop Peter Jugis. Our Council has grown to cover the Young Knights from FIVE Catholic Parishes: St. Peters, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Ann's, St. Gabriels and Our Lady of Consolidation. We now tally approximately 155 members.

During our existence, our council brothers have worked very hard to achieve different levels of recognition. Some have been; Star Council Award, Columbian Service Program Award, Father Michael J. McGivney Award and LAMB Recognition. (I will collect all the Plaques from the Past 104 years and add to this list later). I am going to put two more awards on our Award Wall this week.

The council is comprised of many talented and energetic men. Since our council and 5 parish have been working for years, our membership has a wide diversity of professional disciplines and talent. With our talent, our five main program directors heading up committees such as church, community, council, youth and family, have developed and maintained several worthy programs. They include the following: Family Bingo Fun at St. Ann's every Thursday at 7:20 PM ($500 grand prize weekly), Knights who go to the 2 hospitals every week and give Communion to the Sick and needy Knights and Families, Ushers for the Five Parishes, Support the needs of the Bishop and Priests for First Communions, Ushers, Parish Picnics, Lenten Fridays Fish Fry's, Support and Service and Outings for the Holy Angels (severely handicapped children), Sponsoring Masses for Fallen Knights and their Family Members, Dinner Meetings and Christmas Parties for the Knights and Families, Coffee and Donuts after Masses for each of our 5 PARISHES... etc. See the Calendar for the emerging events of the year.

In Addition, Council 770 sponsored and formed the FIRST FOURTH DEGREE Knights of Columbus in 1905 - Assembly 780. The Fourth Degree meets at our Council Hall on a Monthly Basis at 8:00 PM, (the FIRST Tuesday is for the First Council 770 Business Meeting,the Third Tuesday is for the Council Social Meetings, and the Fourth Tuesday is for the Fourth Degree Meetings). We rent out our Council Hall to the Drum and Bugle Corps, the Bagpipers of Charlotte, The Hibernian, Anniversaries, Conventions, Parties, and Knights or Parish Functions.

I hope you will navigate through our website to learn more about Council #770. Since this site was revised in 2007 and we are a relatively new in the Web Business, and I hope Brother Knights that you will send in up-dates and articles (with jpeg pictures) to make our Knights website a living News Letter for our our Knights. I do believe it will give you a sense of our brotherhood, enthusiasm, focus and interest in becoming better Catholic gentlemen, and Keeping with our Knights Programs of Fraternity, Charity, Service to our Priests & Parishes and Patriotism.

All practicing catholic males 18 years and older are eligible to submit an application for acceptance into the Knights of Columbus. Use the link in our web site to contact our membership director for more information.

Peace and Vivat Jesus!

Ray Maxson

Grand Knight Council #770

gk@kofc770.org