We, the Knights of said order, do hereby assemble ourselves in allegiance with Holy Mother Church, the Holy See, Holy Father, our Diocese and Bishop, our parish and Priest. We though laymen desire to conduct ourselves with a level of devoutness, purity, prowess and honor. Above all we wish to defend our faith which has been revealed by God and made manifest in the One, Holy, Apostolic Roman Catholic Church through the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and through the guidance of the Holy Ghost; and to uphold her teachings and especially her Most Cherished traditions in the Latin (Tridentine) Rite. We understand that indeed it is not against enemies in the flesh and blood that we have to fight, but against the Lords, the Powers, the Rulers of the world of darkness, against the evil spirits which inhabit the heavens, yet we stand ready and on guard as a Militia Dei in service and in defense against all enemies of the Church. We are poor knights, and as such we shall not work for monetary gain. We offer our services and loyalty free of charge and shall individually assume responsibility for all debts incurred.
We declare our intent to preserve Chivalric values of the purest form and to conduct ourselves in such a manner as to be warrior-brothers where the meekness and humility of Catholic life are united with the courage and noble intent of the virtuous knight and shall represent the perfect combination of physical force and inner strength so exalted in ages past but not forgotten. We shall also preserve, celebrate, promote and support the Tridentine rite and all the traditional teachings of Holy Mother Church.
Our motto is: “ Ecclessia Nos Servo” or "We serve the Church"
The Coat of Arms of the order shall be a shield bearing field of azure with a sable sword of St. Michael per pale and accosted by a flur de lis of or with Stuart Thistle protruding,on three sides. The knights Helm facing forward shall be crowned with a Fleur-de-lis crown of or and azure, of Saint Louis IX and crested with the image of St. Michael defeating Satan; it shall have an azure and white mantle; indicative of the crusader spirit from which we inherit from our forefathers and to represent our function as defenders of the faith and the Church it is supported by knights on horseback on both sides with shields bearing a white background and red Maltese cross (dexter proper) and a blue background bearing three Flur de lis in or (sinister proper) and the Stuart Thistle supporting the shield at the base. The Upper banner shall bear the name of the Order and the Lower shall bear the motto.
There shall be two Corps Divisions within the Order:
1. The St. Joseph’s Corps of Honor Guard shall serve normal knightly function and also participate in Honor Guard duties during Mass. They shall also be responsible for any extra duties asked by the Chaplain General and/or Chief Knight. They will always serve as the first line of defense, and all Knights are members of the Honor Guard unless specifically or permanently assigned to Altar Corps.
2. The Immaculate Heart Corps of the Altar shall serve as Altar Servers and carry out all functions thereof. A knight who is not being utilized during mass as an Altar Server shall fall under the command of the Honor Guard and shall assume Honor Guard duties. Altar Corps members are approved for service by the Chaplin General, upon completion of Altar Server requirements. The Captain in charge shall also function as a Chancellor of Vocations.
Membership
Membership is open to all Practicing Catholic Men of the Parish.
A practicing Catholic is in union with the Holy See is one who, in general, regulates his life according to the teachings of Christ and the Church, and endeavors to observe the commandments of God and of the Church. Strives to have a greater knowledge of the teachings of Christ and his Church, and to accept, respect and defend the Church’s authority (vested in the Supreme Pontiff, the hierarchy and clergy united with him) to teach, govern and sanctify the faithful. Gives material and moral support to the Church and her works on all levels, promoting the programs of the parish and diocese and comes to the aid of the missions, the needy, the underprivileged; endeavoring to eliminate unjust discrimination, prejudice, etc.; supporting the Church in her defense of marriage and family life and in her crusades against divorce, abortion, pornography and all the evils of today.
