The Knights of Columbus originated in the Parish of St. Mary's in New Haven, Connecticut, in the Spring of 1882. Back then and there, Father Michael J. McGivney was inspired to address the social and economic troubles facing Catholics in his community, among them prejudice, unemployment, destitution and alienation, both as recent immigrants and as displaced "Americans" who didn't yet have a voice in their community. Father McGivney conceived the idea of an organization of Catholic men who would serve to strengthen each other in Faith, aid one another and their families in need, defend the Church and her Priesthood and to serve those most in need in their community. With great foresight, an insurance plan was conceived for this brotherhood which would serve to cement the promise to assist the families of those members who departed and faced intimate personal and financial loss.

Father McGivney and those willing Catholic Gentlemen who shared this vision organized the Knights of Columbus on February 6, 1882. The Order took the name of the great Catholic explorer who also made a difference in his world back in 1492. By emphasizing the connection with Christopher Columbus, who discovered, colonized and enabled the Catholicization of the New World by the Church and her Priesthood who followed, Father McGivney identified his Order directly with an archetype of American History. By emphasizing the Knighthood of Catholic Gentlemen, the Order would embody spirituality, fealty and service to the Church, Country and fellow man. The principles (called Degrees) of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity became the staples of the Knights of Columbus. The State of Connecticut officially chartered the Order on March 29th, 1882. The Vatican first acknowledged the Order in 1895, with the Apostolic Blessing of Archbishop Francesco Satolli. In 1900, the application for a Charter to become a new Council of the Knights of Columbus was submitted. This application was approved by the Order's Board of Directors in 1901, and thus, Santa Maria Council 553 of the Knights of Columbus was born. The first Grand Knight was John G. Ewing from 1901 to 1904. In the years since, our Council has served it's membership, our Church, and all of our Community's citizens, both born and unborn, selflessly and with great love. It is not uncommon to meet members in our Council who have been members for decades, families who have been in the Knights for generations, as well as young members new to the parishes that we serve, all of whom share a commitment to one another, our Church and our Community.