When we refer to the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, we are referring to the executive council of Knights that work in our headquarters, located at 1 Columbus Plaza in New Haven, Connecticut, and oversee all councils and operations of the Knights of Columbus throughout the world.  Both the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of Columbus insurance company are headquartered in New Haven, CT.

You are welcomed to visit the website of our Supreme Council at https://kofc.org.  There you will find a list of our officers, detailed information about the programs we support, info about the history of the Knights of Columbus, webcasts, features about our work in Ukraine, and much more.

The head of the Knights of Columbus is called the Supreme Knight.  His name is Patrick E. Kelly.   He is the 14th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, having taken office on March 1, 2021. He serves as the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, with more than 2 million members internationally.

Mr. Kelly has had a distinguished career in the Knights of Columbus, the military and public service. His demonstrated track record of service to Church and country for more than 25 years serves him well in advancing the Knights’ mission of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.

Mr. Kelly served as Deputy Supreme Knight from 2017 until February 28, 2021. Previously, he served as Vice President for Public Policy for 11 years, spearheading the Knights’ interaction with the White House, U.S. Congress and federal agencies. He also served as State Deputy in the District of Columbia. As a longtime executive and fraternal leader of the Knights of Columbus, he has consistently strengthened its record of charity, advocacy, insurance, investing and membership growth.

Mr. Kelly served as the first executive director of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and oversaw the renewal of the facility after its purchase by the Knights in 2011. During his tenure, the shrine became a leading pilgrimage site and a source of education and inspiration for Catholics throughout the United States and the world