The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882 as an organization committed to Unity as a Catholic lay organization, Charity to those in need, and Fraternity with fellow Brother Knights. Today, the Knights and their families remain true to these founding principles.

The Knights of Columbus was instituted in the Rensselaer area by a group of Catholic men who organized what was known as the Columbus Club. All of the Knights of Columbus members, which included those transferring from other councils, as well as new applicants for membership, met at St. Joseph’s College on Sunday, May 1, 1917.

They formed the new council to be known as the Bishop Dwenger Council, so named in honor of the Most Reverend Joseph Dwenger, second bishop of Fort Wayne, who was a member of the Society of the Precious Blood at the time of his elevation. The early initiations were held at the college in the gymnasium until it was remodeled for the library.

Clubrooms were later established on the second floor of a building on West Washington Street. These rooms were used for meetings and social gatherings until the new building was built in its present location at 325 East Vine Street. The dedication and open house was held on October 16-17, 1965. Corporation meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, and regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

The Bishop Dwenger Council 1881 has approximately 200 members. Over the years, our Council has been very involved in helping (physically and financially) the St. Augustine Parish, the St. Augustine School, Gibault, BirthRite, CDC (Tootsie Roll Drive) and many other community organizations as well as supporting our Clergy and Seminarians. Even though this is a men’s organization, we try to encourage family involvement. We hold several social events for our members and families, such as: Christmas Parties, Super Bowl Parties, Steak Fries, 5th Sunday Breakfasts (fundraiser for our Scholarship Funds), etc. Our two major sources of income are our weekly fish fry and rental of the hall for special events. We try to help the community, as well as, have fun at these events.

Meetings
Meetings are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on 325 E. Vine Street in Rensselaer. Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 pm CST. The second Tuesday is a formal business meeting and the fourth Tuesday is normally more of a social meeting. The K of C Club (which owns the facilities) Board of Directors meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm CST. All members are welcome to attend.

Come Check Us Out!
To acquaint you with our Council, we invite you and your family to attend one of our Friday night fish fries and enjoy a delicious meal. We serve a variety of fish, shrimp, and chicken strip dinners as well as an all-you-can-eat salad bar. You can dine in or carry-out. Our fish fry hours run from 5:30 pm to7:30 pm CST every Friday evening.