HISTORY OF
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded by Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, it was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus. Originally serving as a mutual benefit society to working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, it developed into a fraternal benefit society dedicated to providing charitable services, including war and disaster relief, actively defending Catholicism in various nations, and promoting Catholic education. The nearly 16,000 councils, including over 300 on college campuses, are chartered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, and around the world. The Knights' official junior organization, the Columbian Squires, has more than 5,000 circles, and the order's patriotic arm, the Fourth Degree, has more than 2,500 assemblies.

The current Supreme Knight is Patrick E. Kelly.
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)
2,000,000+
MEMBERS GLOBALLY
16,000
COUNCILS
300
COLLEGE CAMPUS COUNCILS
Certificate indicating the establishment of Petaluma
Council No. 1586 on September 17, 1911
SINCE 1911

OUR COUNCIL HISTORY

Congratulations on OUR 112th Anniversary.

Hanging in St. James Classroom No. 9 is the framed poster size certificate indicating the establishment of Petaluma Council No. 1586 on September 17, 1911. This certificate has the names of the 51 founding members of our council to include our first Grand Knight F.A. Meyer and our first Financial Secretary V.C. Mattei. Since our beginning in 1911 we have had 85 Brothers lead our council as Grand Knight’s and 17 Brothers act as our council’s Financial Secretary, with Paul Lauricella acting as our Financial Secretary for 37 years.

Our council went inactive in the Columbian years 1954/55. Prior to being inactivated the council had funds put aside to pay any, and all, Supreme and State dues during the inactive period, thus keeping our council relevant, if only in the books. In the Columbian year 1976/77 five Brother Knight reactivated our council. Those Brothers were Ray Handyside, Sam Ulibarri, Paul Lesage, Pete Ryan and Bob Cameron. Since that reactivation 48 years ago Council 1586 has grown to over 140 Brother Knights.

Council 1586 is an extremely active council. We have a mix of old and young, and some in between, members. Our meeting will typically have over 35 attending. When it comes to participating in any event/activity for our council, our priests, our St. James community, and our Petaluma community, we always have tremendous support from our members. There never seems to be an event/activity where there are not enough Knight’s participating.

It's a pleasure and honor to be a member of Council 1586 and carry on what F.A. Meyer and V.C. Mattei started in 1911 and the Group of Five reactivated in 1976. It is also a pleasure and honor to be among the 140 current Brother Knight’s of Petaluma Council 1586.
COUNCIL 1586

PAST GRAND KNIGHTS

1911 F.A. MEYER
1912 F.A. MEYER
1913 W.A. LYNCH
1914 J. MURPHY
1915 V.C. MATTEL
1916 WILLIAM H, BIHN
1916-1917 R.G. McNALLY
1917-1918 J.L. WHITE
1918-1919 J.L. WHITE
1919-1920 THOMAS J. CLINE
1920-1921 A.B. COPNER
1921-1922 A.B. COPNER
1922-1923 WM. T. MOONEY
1923-1924 WM. T. MOONEY
1924-1925 W.A. MAHONEY
1925-1926 RAYMOND MOMBOISSE
1926-1927 D.W. KAMP
1927-1928 D.W. KAMP
1928-1929 WILLIAM PRICE
1929-1930 LEO T. LYNCH
1930-1931 JOHN B. LOUNIBOS
1931-1932 J.L. WHITE
1932-1933 LELAND J. GUGLLELOMETTI
1933-1934 HENRY J. SOLDATE
1934-1935 CHARLES J. McGOLDRICK
1935-1936 J.F. McNALLY
1936-1937 W.A. EARLY 25th Year
1937-1938 LEROY J. LOUNIBOS
1938-1939 FRANCIS A. WHITE
1939-1940 WALTER J. MINOGUE
1940-1941 WALTER J. MINOGUE
1941-1942 S. GEORGE McLAUGHLIN
1942-1943 S. GEORGE McLAUGHLIN
1943-1944 S. GEORGE McLAUGHLIN
1944-1945 S. GEORGE McLAUGHLIN
1945-1946 J.A. FERNANDEZ
1946-1947 C.H. KINNE
1947-1948 J.B. LOUNIBOS
1948-1949 H.H. HEARNEY
1949-1950 Dr. G.W. LANE
1950-1951 W.E, ARATA
1951-1952 A. SCHROEDER
1952-1953 P.K. BECK
1953-1954 A. SCHROEDER
1954-1955 A.J. LEONI
1955-1956 J.M. LAWRENCE
1956-1957 HARRY S. DONLEY
1957-1958 HARRY S. DONLEY
1958-1959 HARRY S. DONLEY
1959-1960 HAROLD VIETH
1960-1961 Dr. GEORGE W. FLYNN
1961-1962 DONALD ZINKE 50th Year
1962-1963 GEORGE KASH
1963-1964 GEORGE KASH
1964-1965 HAROLD VIETH
1965-1966 JULIO ERCOLINI
1966-1967 RICHARD H. FERRIS
1967-1968 RAYMOND HANDYSIDE
1968-1969 RAYMOND HANDYSIDE
1969-1970 JAMES ORDWAY
1970-1971 JAMES ORDWAY
1971-1972 LAWRENCE LAUERRNAN
1972-1973 LAWRENCE LAUERRNAN
1973-1974 LAWRENCE LAUERRNAN
1974-1975 LAWRENCE LAUERRNAN
1975-1976 ARNOLD H. VOLKER
1976-1977 RAYMOND A. HANDYSIDE
REACTIVATED
1977-1978 PAUL J. LESAGE
1978-1979 PAUL J. LESAGE
1979-1980 HECTOR HERNANDEZ JR.
1980-1981 JAMES J. McGLOIN
1981-1982 PAUL D. LAURICELLA STAR COUNCIL 1982-1983 JOHN M. MILLER
1983-1984 PLACIDO D. FERNANDEZ
1984-1985 RAYMOND M. MONKS
1985-1986 ROBERT H. THOMPSON
1986-1987 MIKE McGRADY 75th Year
1987-1988 SAMUEL L. ULIBARRI
1988-1989 JIM CARR
1989-1990 JIM THORNTON
1990-1991 JIM CONLEY
1991-1992 STEVE BAJADA
1992-1993 EDDIE HAVERLAH
1993-1994 KEVIN BRETT
1994-1995 JERRY TOTAH
1995-1996 GEORGE STORTI
1996-1997 LARRY SKANDERSON
1997-1998 EDMUND MOLINARI
1998-1999 EDMUND MOLINARI
1999-2000 JEAN P. OSPITAL
2000-2001 BARRY McCARTHY STAR COUNCIL
2001-2002 ROGER FERNWOOD
2002-2003 EDWARD KILGORE
2003-2004 JOHN RAPA
2004-2005 MICHAEL DOW
2005-2006 DAVID LANGERMAN
2006-2007 CHRISTIAN OVARD
2007-2008 PATRICK W. BARNES
2008-2009 PATRICK W. BARNES
2009-2010 ISADORE B. FOMASI JR.
2010-2011 TOM McGAW
2011-2012 EDWARD KILGORE
100 YEAR CENTENNIAL
2012-2013 GREG DRUKALA
2013-2014 STEVEN GIES
2014-2015 MICHAEL BLUME
2015-2016 TOM McGAW
2016-2017 MARK MARCHIONE
2017-2018 MIKE MC BRIDE
2018-2019 RICHARD PACINI
2019-2020 RICHARD PACINI
2020-2021 DAVE DIBBLE
2021-2022 DOUG COOPER
2022-2023 DOUG COOPER
PRESENT GRAND KNIGHT:
2023-2024 TIMOTHY P. SHEEHAN

Only a few hours a month can make the difference in someone's life.

I want to make a difference