San Salvador Council #283

Since 1897 the Knights of Columbus San Salvador Council #283 has been proudly serving the Catholic community of South Philadelphia.

In 1882 the Knights of Columbus were founded on the principles of charity, unity and fraternity, by Father Michael J. McGivney and a group of parishioners. Their mission? To bring financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled and needy members and their families.

The San Salvador Council #283 works to continue this mission today.

Father McGivney is currently being considered for sainthood

Check out our latest updates below!

See how you can help support your local community and the work of the Knights of Columbus in Philadelphia

The Knights of Columbus San Salvador Council #283 in South Philadelphia is holding our annual Spring Diaper Drive for Mercy Hospice! All donations raised will benefit the women and children served by the great people of Mercy Hospice, located right here in Philadelphia.

For mothers in need, diapers are often a heavy financial burden. Food stamps and WIC do not cover diapers, and babies need up to 12 diapers a day to stay clean, dry and healthy. The Knights of Columbus asks you to join them in addressing this need for Philadelphia mothers and their children.

We have 2 ways to donate:

1) Monetary Donations: our primary way to donate. Donations raised will be used to purchase cases of diapers needed for the children of the women served at Mercy Hospice. To contribute, please follow our donation link: Diaper Drive 2025

2) In-Kind Donations: we will be collecting donations of NEW baby diapers (Sizes 1-4) and wipes at our collection locations. We will also be collecting NEW baby bottles, pacifiers, baby shampoo and baby lotion and diaper cream, as well as NEW and LIGHTLY USED baby clothing. (baby formula, strollers, shoes, and towels WILL NOT be accepted).

Donation Drop Locations:

Epiphany of Our Lord Parish - 1121 Jackson St #1, Philadelphia, PA 19148
St. Paul Parish - 808 S. Hutchinson Street Philadelphia, PA 19147
The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia - 1166 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19146

Mercy Hospice Diaper Drive

More about Mercy Hospice

"Mercy Hospice is a community grounded in faith and service where single women and mothers with children, experiencing homelessness and in recovery can find opportunities for new beginnings."

Mercy Hospice has been a vital part of the social safety net in Philadelphia for over 35 years. They offer a range of residential services to assist homeless women in recovery, with the mission of alleviating the poverty and family instability caused by serious addictions, associated trauma and mental health issues. Mercy Hospice fulfills an essential ministry of the Catholic Church by reducing poverty, restoring and strengthening families, and promoting the integral health and well-being of those struggling to break the bonds of addiction.

Annual Spring Clothing Drive

The Knights of Columbus San Salvador Council #283 in South Philadelphia is holding our annual Spring Clothing Drive. All donations raised are for the men, women and children served by our partner ministries throughout the City of Philadelphia.

Donation bins will be located in the back of our churches during the months of April and May. Acceptable donations include:

New and gently used men's, women's and children's clothing (all sizes)
Men's and women's underwear and socks (NEW ONLY)
Towels and Sheets
Men's belts
New and gently used shoes (no sandals)
Desk/Bedside lamps and end tables
Strollers

New socks, underwear and men’s belts are of particular need. We will also be accepting donations of new toiletries and gift cards on behalf of our ministry partners at the St. Paul Parish Homeless Ministry.

In Kind donations of new diapers and baby supplies for the Spring Diaper Drive can also be dropped off during our collection days

Any questions please contact us:

Email: kofcsouthphilly@gmail.com

2025 Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Mass and Parade - PA Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus San Salvador Council #283 and PA Knights of Columbus we’re proud to once more take part in the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Mass & Parade this year! Our council is honored to be a part of this celebration of Irish heritage, culture and faith.

A beautiful mass at St. Patrick's Church in Rittenhouse Square with Archbishop Nelson Perez. Thank you to all of our brothers, family and friends who took part this year. And thank you to all those who have worked so hard to make this day possible for our city and community. Vivat Jesus!

Father Bill Atkinson OSA - 2025 Annual Rosary Reflection & Healing Mass

Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Father Bill Atkinson Healing Mass possible this past Sunday. A beautiful homily given by our celebrant, Fr. Bob Guessetto OSA.

Special thanks to Fr. Paul at Saint Paul and Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, the St. Paul Parish Music Ministry and Brother Knight, Anthony Giunta for their work putting this mass together.

A recording of the mass has been made available on our YouTube page. We look forward to seeing you all next year! Vivat Jesus! Fr. Bill Atkinson, Pray for us!

2024-2025 Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest Results are In!

Congratulations to the Pennsylvania Jurisdictional Winners of the 2024-2025 KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS POSTER CONTEST!!

We had 3 winners at the state level from the South Philly San Salvador Council 283 submissions. Congratulations and thank you to all of our participants!!

Keep Christ in Christmas PA Knights of Columbus Poster Contest - 7th & 8th Grade Level - 2nd Place: Ruby H.

Keep Christ in Christmas PA Knights of Columbus Poster Contest - 3rd & 4th Grade Level - 3rd Place: Elena R.

Keep Christ in Christmas PA Knights of Columbus Poster Contest - Kindergarten Level - 3rd Place: Nicole F. E.

2024 Annual Coats for Kids Drive UPDATE!!

What an absolutely incredible year for the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids Drive! On Saturday, December we wrapped up our drive, culminating in the Coats for Kids sort and shopping day here in South Philly. The San Salvador Council is happy to report that we absolutely smashed our target raise and are able to do even more good this year for the children of Philadelphia.

We are now ready for delivery of this year’s coats, which will be taking place Thursday, December 19 through the end of the calendar year. Thank you to all who donated! Through your contributions and the efforts of our brother Knights we have been able to do so much good for those in need. God bless you all!

Continue looking for additional updates on the 2024 drive.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

Did you know that many children throughout the United States and Canada go without a coat each winter?
Low-income families use their scarce resources to meet the most basic needs and cannot always afford this vital winter necessity.
That’s why the Knights of Columbus developed the Coats for Kids program, which allows councils across North America the opportunity to put their faith into action and purchase new winter coats at bulk purchase discounted rates for children in need in their communities.
Every dollar you donate will go directly to the purchase of new coats and warm clothing for Philadelphia children in need.
More than 1,000,000 new winter coats have been distributed throughout the United States and Canada since the program began in 2009.
This program’s primary goal is to help kids stay warm in the winter when a child’s family does not have the resources to adequately meet this need. A warm coat means a child can more realistically attend school, go to after-school programs, fit in with other children, play and do all the things that kids do to be kids. In a very real sense, a warm winter coat means mobility. Our mission is to make this seemingly small part of life a little bit easier for these families.

Mother Cabrini Statue Unveiling Ceremony (October 09, 2024)

Thank you to all who attended the Mother Cabrini Statue Unveiling ceremony at St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi Church!

The statue is dedicated to the immigrant heritage of the people of Philadelphia.

Special thanks to Fr. Paul Galetto OSA from St. Paul Parish for his beautiful words and blessings in the dedication.

The statue will be permanently housed with a remembrance book at St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Church in the Italian Market, the first Italian National Parish in the United States. It will make its debut this weekend at the 2024 South Philadelphia Italian-American Heritage Parade.

Inspired by her story, the Knights of Columbus San Salvador Council launched this project in early 2024 to have a statue of Mother Cabrini made to honor the immigrant heritage of the people of Philadelphia and to serve as a symbol of the contributions of Italian Americans in our community. We are very much hoping to have this statue serve as a permanent unifying symbol for the people of South Philadelphia, and exist as a lasting memorial to those who sacrificed much so that we all could be here today.

Unity is very important in our world which has become so divided. It is in times like this that we need symbols of hope and love for our fellow man. We find this love in the image of Christ. And we find it in the lives of the lives of the Saints who followed Him. Saints who gave us a template on how to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Saints like Francis Cabrini.

Our Council is working towards the unity of our entire South Philadelphia Catholic community. To those who donated toward the statue we thank you for being part of this mission. From Epiphany of Our Lord Church to here at Saint Paul and Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi. From St. Nicholas Of Tolentine Parish to St. Augustine Church and to the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, this statue will take part in major events at all of our covered parishes, including the Italian Market Festival Procession of the Saints, the St. Nicholas Italian Festival and the South Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade where she will make her wider debut this weekend.

Like Mother Cabrini we as Knights of Columbus seek to live out our Catholic faith beyond mass on Sundays. In our parishes and in our communities. Through our daily lives and works. We encourage all to follow the example Mother Cabrini set for us and live out our faith through prayer and through action.

Donations can still be made via check (Pay to: “KofC San Salvador Council 283”; Memo: “Cabrini Statue”) mailed to/delivered to:

Attn: KofC283

Epiphany of Our Lord Church

1121 Jackson Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

Please include the attached form name of the Individual, Family, Organization or Business you would like listed in the remembrance book as well as your contact information (Name, address, phone, email).

Online donations can be made on GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/da13a400

Please include on your online donation the name of the Individual, Family, Organization or Business you would like listed in the remembrance book as well as your contact information (Name, address, phone, email).

For Sponsor and Memorial Donations levels we will be in contact with you for the remembrance book page (and name plate if applicable).

Thank you for your generosity and may God bless you. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us!!

Donation Form

Statue will be housed at St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Church in the 9th Street Italian Market, the first Italian National Parish in the United States.

How to Support the Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus are a Catholic organization focused on supporting the local community and parishes through our faith as well as through volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and donations.