Religiously Devoted, Patriotically Proud
"Sir Knight" is more than a title — it’s an honor.
For most men who follow Jesus, there comes a time when duty extends beyond our own lives, beyond how we lead our families, and into how we serve our fellow man. That's what the Knights of Columbus is all about. The Patriotic Degree allows K of C members to take this one step further.
Vision & Goals
Standing Firm in Support of the Order
Proudly Serving the Country
Unwavering Support of the Faith
Honoring the Legacy of Knighthood
Color Corps of the Patriotic Degree
When knighthood was in flower, knights carried the sword to defend their God, their Church, their country and their fellow man according to the code of chivalry. Today, Sir Knights wear regalia and carry the sword to honor Christ and His apostles, especially on religious and civic occasions. Hence, the primary purpose of the Fourth Degree is to encourage active Catholic citizenship and foster the spirit of patriotism in members and the community at large.
The public appearance of Fourth Degree Knights as a Color Corps at religious and civic functions is an important activity of each assembly. By these public demonstrations, their loyalty and patriotism bring credit to themselves and to the Knights of Columbus.
The Color Corps members exemplify all the principles of our Order:
- Charity - by the gift of their time and energies necessary to practice, perfect and perform the ceremonials and sword drill;
- Unity – by the united efforts of Sir Knights to practice and perfect a coordinated drill for the good of the Church and the Order;
- Fraternity – by expressing an “Esprit de Corps,” sharing a common desire for drill excellence and camaraderie; and
- Patriotism – by performing precision drill as a salute to God and to country and visually exhibiting a love for both.
Emblem of the Patriotic Degree
The triad emblem of the Fourth Degree features the dove, the cross and the globe. The dove, classic symbol of the Holy Spirit and peace, is shown hovering over the orb of the Earth (globe). Both are mounted on a variation of the Crusader's cross, which was found on the tunics and capes of the Crusading knights who battled to regain the Holy Land from the pagans.
Spiritually, the sacred symbols on the emblem typify the union of the Three Divine Persons in one Godhead, the most Blessed Trinity.
- The Globe – God the Father, Creator of the Universe.
- The Cross – God the Son, Redeemer of Mankind.
- The Dove – God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of Humanity.
The colors of the symbols are:
- A blue globe with the land of the Western Hemisphere in white.
- A red cross with gold borders and gold knobs at the end of the points forming the ends of the arms of the cross, also known as the Isabella cross.
- A white dove.
Red, white and blue are the colors of the flag of the country in which the Knights originated. They are used to stress patriotism, the basic principle of the Fourth Degree.
Assembly #3308 - Arthur J. Corr
Chartered: July 12, 2017
