The Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center mission focuses on the spirituality and charitable vision of the founder of the Knights of Columbus and his legacy.
The center was established on Nov. 1, 2020, to advance the vision of Knights of Columbus founder Father Michael J. McGivney (1852-1890). A priest of New Haven, Conn., who is being considered for sainthood in the Catholic Church, he established the new fraternal benefit society on the principles of unity and charity more than a century ago.
The McGivney Center welcomes visitors to learn about this holy priest’s life and legacy, imitate his benevolent outreach to the needy and outcast, and invoke his heavenly intercession for needs great and small in their own lives.
The Pilgrimage Center is the new manifestation of the Knights of Columbus Museum, Inc., established in 1982 as a nonprofit institution serving the general public through exhibitions of history, art and faith. The Center will continue that mission by serving as an archive for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council and maintaining a permanent gallery showcasing the organization’s history, in addition to its greater focus on Father McGivney.
A visit to the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center will enhance the formative experience of a pilgrimage to Father McGivney’s tomb at St. Mary’s Church, also in New Haven, as well as other sites related to his life throughout Connecticut.