About Us

Fr. William Hart Council #8367

We are a Catholic fraternal order serving Church and community since 1882. Our Council supports parish life, families, and neighbors in need at All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville, Minnesota, living out the Knights' founding principles of Faith, Charity, Unity, and Fraternity.

The Founding of Lakeville Council No. 8367

Lakeville Council No. 8367 traces its roots to the members of All Saints Church who had, until then, belonged to the Knights of Columbus council in nearby Farmington, Minnesota. As their numbers grew and their ties to All Saints deepened, these men felt a calling to establish a council of their own — one rooted directly in their home parish rather than the one next door.

Their petition was granted by the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, and on April 13, 1983, Lakeville Council No. 8367 was officially chartered in the City of Lakeville, Minnesota. The charter bears the signatures of Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant and Supreme Secretary Howard L. Murphy, formally authorizing the council's forty-one charter members to organize and carry out the work of the Knights of Columbus. Charles P. Malecha was elected the council's first Grand Knight, leading a founding group that included fellow charter members William Alich, Don Atkinson, John Berdan, Donald Bergstrom, Charles Bernard, Edgar Bernard, John Bernard, Robert Bernard, Eugene Brunette, Carol Buesing, Laddie Chlan, Julius DeVos, Patrick and Robert Donnelly, William Emond, Dennis Forster, John Gallagher, Ronald "Kelly" Hayes, Royle Huber, Howard Kroll, Troy Malecha, William Markert, Roman Novak, Gilbert Novotny, David Oster, Bruce Revak, David Richtsmeier, Lawrence and William Ryan, Alton Scheffler, Joseph Schweich, Steve Splett, William Sticha, George Sullivan, Felix Tillges, Gregory Viscomi, Thomas Vucinovich, John Wallin, Flavian White, and Clarence Winter, Jr.

More than forty years later, Lakeville Council No. 8367 carries forward the vision of those forty-one charter members: a council born from a desire to serve All Saints Parish directly, built on the fraternity its founders had already forged together in Farmington.

Our council is named the Fr. William Hart Council #8367 in honor of Fr. William Hart, who once served as a priest at All Saints Catholic Church.

Father William Lawrence Hart, The Fighting Parson. William Lawrence Hart was born on June 21, 1865 in Newcastle-On-Tyne, England. He was educated at St. Michael’s College in Toronto, Canada and then attended Le Grande Seminary School in Montreal. He founded the St. George School for Boys in Montreal which became a model for these types of places in the United States. On January 10, 1898 when he was 33 years old, he caught a Grand Trunk Railway train and immigrated to America. He first lived and worked in St. Paul, Minnesota. He organized “The Catholic Mission of St. Anthony Park” in 1908. This new, planned suburb had no options to attend church other than taking the train to St. Paul or Minneapolis. By 1912 they had a church of their own. He then moved near Camp Funston, Kansas where he was a volunteer Chaplain. When the war broke out, he tried to enlist but he was already fifty-two and he was rejected. Instead he volunteered with the Knights of Columbus to serve as the Chaplain for the Missouri National Guard 140th Infantry, 35th Division. He traveled to France with this Unit that was involved in the Battle of Meuse-Argonne, considered the deadliest campaign of World War I. Twenty six thousand were lost there and 120,000 more were injured in the Argonne Forest over the next several days. When all of the officers in the 140th were either missing or dead, Father Hart took temporary command of the unit. He assigned men to take the officers' place and moved their unit ahead. For his bravery he received commendations and medals from the United States and France. It is said that he is the only civilian in the history of the world that ever commanded troops in action. In 1919 he was assigned as the head pastor of All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville, Minnesota. In 1931, the church burned to the ground and Father Hart was tasked to rebuild. He died on January 6, 1953 at the age of 87. He is buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota where his headstone reads “Reverend Father Hart, the Fighting Parson.

For additional information about Fr. Hart's life and military service, see:

• Full Biography of Fr. William Lawrence Hart (PDF)
• Hall of Valor: Silver Star Citation (PDF)
• Ramsey County History Magazine Article, Spring 2023 (PDF)

The Knights of Columbus

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity. The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works. The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy worldwide to service in communities. The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more than 14,000 councils and 1.8 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan. Charity: To share our time, talents, gifts and treasures with those in need. Unity: To work together to accomplish deeds not achievable individually. Fraternity: To aid our Brother Knights and their families, to show concern for them and to provide insurance protection for them.

Learn more at KofC.org