Wilton Knights Of Columbus

Category: Volunteering

  • More than 1,100 Coats Distributed at FCA by Knights of Columbus

    More than 1,100 Coats Distributed at FCA by Knights of Columbus

    Official Press Release

    NORWALK – On Saturday, November 1, more than 1,100 brand new coats, gloves, and hand-knit winter hats were distributed to clients of Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) by the greater Norwalk area Knights of Columbus Councils as part of the Order’s Coats for Kids Initiative. Sizes from toddler and children’s to men’s and women’s were organized and distributed. Since the initiative launched in 2009, more than 1 million coats have been distributed in 49 states and all 10 Canadian provinces to keep kids warm through the winter.

    When the doors opened at 10 a.m., the line stretched around the building at FCA’s Ben Franklin location, showcasing the need in our community. Knights of Columbus Councils from Norwalk, Darien, New Canaan, Westport, and Wilton worked together to purchase the brand-new coats through various fundraisers throughout the year. In addition to the new coats, handmade winter hats were donated through the Hearts & Crafts Ministry led by Karen Delvecchio and Terri Sargent at St. Matthew Church for the seventh year in a row. Employees from FactSet also volunteered their time to help families find their coats.

    “We have been doing our Coats for Kids initiative with FCA since 2019 and each year we are able to increase the number of coats we can provide by sharing the impact that FCA makes for so many families. We look forward to this every year and hope that we can continue our partnership as long as it is needed,” said Project Chairman George Ribellino.

    “We are deeply grateful for the continued partnership with the Knights of Columbus,” said Robert F. Cashel, President & CEO of FCA. “This event demonstrates what is possible when neighbors come together to care for one another, and I am grateful to everyone who helped make this generous act of kindness a reality for hundreds of families.”

    Local participating councils:
    Bishop Fenwick Assembly 100 4th Degree
    Church of the Assumption Council #3688-Westport
    Father John Stapleton Council #2287-New Canaan
    Msgr. Thomas J Finn Council #46-Norwalk
    Our Lady of Fatima Council #12698-Wilton
    South Norwalk Council #1253
    St Matthew Council #14360-Norwalk
    Reverend James J McGuane Council #4460

    Feedback from George Ribellino – Assembly 100 Coats for Kids Team Leader

    “I want to thank all of the councils helping make the coats for kids distribution on Saturday, November 1st a great success. The program directly embodies the Knights’ founding mission of serving families through acts of charity.
    By providing coats, the Knights help ease the financial pressure on low-income families, allowing parents to focus on other essentials.
    The distribution events serve as a way to connect with and support the local community, bringing together volunteers, children, and families.
    This event has been a passion of mine since 2014. The best part of it is seeing brother Knights from local councils coming together to make a difference in the local community.”

    Feedback from Lisa Habasinski – Community Engagement Coordinator at Family & Children’s Agency in Norwalk

    I would like to thank you all on behalf of Family & Children’s Agency for this amazing donation of winter coats. Because of your efforts, we are able to help keep 1,100 individuals warm this winter season.
    Your compassion and kindness shines through with this incredible donation. For those of you who were fortunate enough to be at the agency on Saturday and help our clients try on coats and pick out what they need for their loved ones, you have made a huge impact on their lives. You are all so wonderful and caring. Just an amazing group men!!

  • Oktoberfest done right!!

    Oktoberfest done right!!

    A fantastic party atmosphere was present on Saturday October 18th as the annual Oktoberfest event kicked off at the School Gym of Our Lady of Fatima. A large crowd turned out to experience excellent food provided by the Columbiettes with the Knights assisting when needed. Great traditional German folk music featuring polka and oompah music was provided by the Austrian Boys Band who dressed to fit the occasion. More to come.

  • 3rd Annual Fatima Family Oktoberfest 2025

    3rd Annual Fatima Family Oktoberfest 2025

    Come join the Columbiettes and the Knights at the 3rd Annual Fatima Family Oktoberfest Event on Saturday, October 18th at the Our Lady of Fatima School Gym from 5:30pm for dinner and live music.

    The music will be supplied by the Austrian Boys Band, a traditional Austrian-German style and Alpine-American rock music band and, as usual, excellent food will be served, including Bratwurst, Roast Chicken, Braised Cabbage, German Potato Salad, Spaetzel, Hot Pretzels, and Dessert. While water will be provided, its BYOB, so please bring your own beverages.

    Adults are $20 each, and children under 10 years of age are $10 each. You can register by clicking here. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation and link to our secure online credit processing. Please allow 24hrs for the email to arrive.

    While we strongly encourage pre-registration for planning purposes, walk-ins will be welcomed according to the room’s capacity and our dinner provisions. Thank you for helping us plan in advance by registering.

    Please email olf.columbiettes@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

    Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit! A toast to good cheer and coziness!

  • Coats For Kids Drive

    Coats For Kids Drive

    Each year in October, the Knights of Columbus starts a “Coats For Kids Drive” which is a charitable initiative that collects and distributes warm winter coats to children in need, to ensure they stay warm and healthy during the colder months, particularly for families facing financial hardship. Last year, Knights of Columbus Councils from Wilton, Norwalk, New Caanan, Westport and Bishop Fenwick Assembly 100 4th Degree worked together to purchase over 900 brand-new coats and hand-knit winter hats which were distributed to clients of the Family & Children’s Agency (FCA). Since the initiative launched in 2009, more than 1 million coats have been distributed in 49 states and all 10 Canadian provinces to keep kids warm through the winter.

    Last year, your local Wilton Knights of Columbus Council 12698 collected close to 2000 dollars for the Coats for Kids initiative. This year, our drive kicks off on the weekends of October 11th and October 18th where we will be collecting after each mass. If you would rather give electronically, please click below.

    Donate to Coats For Kids

    Thank you for your participation and contributions in advance.

    Michael Healy – Grand Knight
    Knights of Columbus Council 12698

  • Wilton Rotary Club Carnival

    Wilton Rotary Club Carnival

    The Wilton Rotary Club Carnival Weekend Festival kicked off on Friday September 9th with huge crowds coming out for the annual event. The carnival, a cherished Wilton tradition, is the perfect way for families to celebrate the onset of autumn and the new school year. All proceeds from the carnival are invested back into the community to support projects in Wilton and Norwalk as well as global humanitarian programs led by Rotary International.

    Once again, the Assembly 100 Knights of Columbus volunteered for the event to provide parking assistance, manage ticketing, cleanup and general assistance to anyone in need. The event is held over 3 days from Friday to Sunday and it was very well attended as usual.

    Thanks in particular to all from the Wilton Knights of Columbus Council 12698 who volunteered.

  • Easter Weekend Activities

    Easter Weekend Activities

    Firstly, I hope you all had a very happy easter and that the resurrection of Christ brought you and your family peace and joy as you rejoiced in the miracle of Easter, surrounded by the love of family, the warmth of friendship, and the blessings of faith.

    I also want to thank all the Knights and our sister Columbiettes who volunteered and participated in the Easter Activities over the weekend. What a fantastic effort to get everything just right, from the cleaning of the Church, the beautiful flowers that were added by the Columbiettes, the washing of the feet, the preparations for the Easter Egg Hunt, the joy on the children’s faces, and the beautiful Easter Vigil Service by Fr. Pawel. I hope you all had a great Easter!

  • Easter Schedule Summary

    Easter Schedule Summary

    Everyone, there is a lot happening as we approach the Easter weekend. We have several Volunteering opportunities that I know our membership will step up for. Please read below and ensure you mark your calendars accordingly:

    • April 18th, Friday, 4:30pm: The Church Cleaning – we will need a lot of volunteers for this to ensure the church is prepared properly for Easter Services
    • April 19th, Saturday, 8:45am: Set up for the Easter Egg Hunt. Student volunteers will be arriving at 9:00am but we will need Knight Volunteers to arrive by 8:45am
    • April 19th, Saturday, 10:00am: Knights will serve Coffee and Donuts
    • April 19th, Saturday, 10:30am: Easter Egg Hunt begins, followed by cleanup which will require volunteers
    • May 4th, Sunday, 9:30am: Set up for Father Pawal’s Installation Mass & celebration – volunteers needed
    • May 4th, Sunday, 11:00am: Installation Mass with the bishop
    • May 4th, Sunday, 12:00pm: Reception, followed by cleanup – volunteers will be needed
    • May 9th, Friday, 7:00pm: Knight at the Playshop. The performance will be “Into The Woods“and the flyer is attached. People can use the code KOC2025 to get a 10% discount when ordering online: https://www.wiltonplayshop.org/. There will be a small gathering reception area in the back prior to the event and we will provide hors d’oeuvre but attendees should BYOB. This will start at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. This is a relaxing night where most present are Knights – please join us. Its important you purchase your tickets early as they will be sold out quickly

  • Easter Flower Sale

    Easter Flower Sale

    The Columbiettes are once again hosting their very popular Easter Flower Sale based out of Our Lady of Fatima.

    This year, they have significantly increased the number of options available for purchase to 27, with multiple sizes, colors, and flower offerings available. You are guaranteed to find something you will like!

    Flowers on offer include Tulips, Daffodils, Easter Lilies, Hydrangeas, Pansies, Calla Lillies, Gerbera Daisies, Palm Cross, Mini Roses and Bergonias!

    Click the button below and place your order before its too late! Orders must be in by Monday April 7th.

    Place your order here
  • Fish Fry Friday

    Fish Fry Friday

    Yet another fantastic night was had at the annual Fish Fry Friday hosted by the Columbiettes. A large turnout meant the Columbiettes had a lot of fish to fry – “Simply Delicious” lived up to their company name and provided excellent food cooked onsite for everyone.

    It was great to see everyone talking and laughing while enjoying the food. This is a fantastic event and everyone is already looking forward to next year’s!

    Thanks to Patti Terranova and her Columbiettes team who outdid themselves yet again by providing an excellent event, and to the Knights who helped set up and take down at the end of the night, especially Xaviar Flores who took some excellent snapshots of the event!

  • St Patricks Day Fundraiser Event Report

    St Patricks Day Fundraiser Event Report

    A fantastic night was had at Our Lady of Fatima School Gym on Saturday afternoon, March 15th. A huge crowd of over 130 parishioners turned up to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style. The afternoon started with Fr. Paul giving an Irish Blessing to kick things off, followed by a fantastic meal provided by our top two sponsors, O’Neills Pub and Restaurant of Norwalk who provided the Irish food, and the Wilton Market who provided cookies and dessert for everyone.


    Once everyone had their fill, they gathered for the raffle of the year – in total, Wilton local businesses offered up 13 prizes, including Rings End Wilton, The Village Market Wilton, The Little Pub Wilton, Stop & Shop Wilton, Wilton Hardware, Marleys Restaurant Wilton, Craft 14 Kitchen & Bar Wilton, Pinocchio Pizza Wilton, Tavern on 7 Norwalk, Wilton Kneads, Tusk & Cup Wilton, the Wilton Chamber of Commerce and Sipsters Wilton. In addition, our local First Selectman,Tony Boucher, personally offered up about 13 UConn Huskeys and Wilton Highschool Apparel, including Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Shirts, and Caps. In total, over 26 very happy people left with prizes on the night, including Fr. Paul.


    This was all followed up with Irish Dancing from the MulKerin School of Irish Dancing from Fairfield, managed by Kathy Carew., who danced their hearts out for over 30 minutes. It was great to see the crowd clapping and cheering in tandem with the dancers.


    I would like to thank everyone who helped out in preparation for the night, including the Wilton Knights of Columbus, the Wilton Columbiettes let by Patty Terranova, and I have to specifically mention Suzette Grimmer who is a genius at creating marketing materials, Fr. Paul and, of course, everyone who turned up on the night. A goal that Patty Terranova and myself set for this year was to create social events for the parish that would bring people together and I think this event showed what a great time people can have by coming together and getting to know each other.


    Our next event is the Fish Fry Friday on April 4th – we will be posting further information about this shortly, so please stay tuned.