Knights, guilds and lay societies
National Christ Child Society
NCCS · Christ Child Society · Christ Child
Founded 1887Lay Catholic volunteer service organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a national office in Rockville, Maryland and autonomous local chapters. Not an insurance society and not canonically erected.5000
A letter or two
Through a local council. Varies by chapter; published chapter dues run from about $50 to $95 for a regular member, with sustaining and benefactor tiers from $125 to over $325.
How to find a councilClick your state on the chapter map to find a local chapter and contact it directly, or if there is none near you call the national office at 301-881-2490 and they will help you start one.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
Founded in Washington DC in 1887 by Mary Virginia Merrick, who ran it from a wheelchair, the Christ Child Society serves children in need regardless of race or creed. Members, mostly women, join a local chapter and do concrete, repetitive, deeply practical work: assembling layettes for newborns, distributing diapers, giving away books to address child literacy, and packing hygiene kits for teenagers who would otherwise skip school. Chapters meet and sew and pack together, which is a large part of the appeal. The founder's line is still the motto: nothing is ever too much to do for a child.
What you promise
Join a local chapter and pay that chapter's annual dues, which vary widely. Published chapter figures include an average of around $95 in Washington DC including guild dues, $75 for an active member in Toledo with a 40-hour annual service requirement, tiered dues from $75 to over $325 in South Bend, and $250 for sustaining membership in Fort Wayne. Several chapters also admit members at large at a slightly higher rate where no local chapter exists. The expectation is service hours, not just a check.
What the Church attaches
The Society is a service organization rather than a devotional one, and the national pages advertise no chaplaincy, indulgences, or required devotions. Its Catholic identity sits in its founder's spirituality and in chapter practice rather than in formal spiritual privileges.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.