NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (CWNews.com) - The Knights of Columbus fraternal order announced on Tuesday that it had donated a record $107.1 million to charity in 1997 and volunteered more than 50 million hours of service to their communities and parishes.

      The 117-year-old Catholic brotherhood, which funds much of its charitable efforts through investing of insurance premiums for members, said more than $88 million was donated to the Catholic Church and charitable causes directly by state and local councils last year, while the remaining $18.9 million was distributed directly by the Supreme Council of the Knights.

      Over the past ten years, the Knights have donated more than $274 million to the Catholic Church through parishes, schools, religious education programs, seminaries, and other projects. Other community and youth charities, including the Special Olympics, have received more than $545 million during the same time frame.