Knights of St. Joseph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Knights of St. Joseph, aka Order of the Lily, is an organization for Catholic boys and young men that promotes intellectual, physical, and moral development. It publishes a monthly newsletter, The Monarch. Local chapters, called "garrisons", meet regularly.
The purpose of the Order is to promote authentic Catholic action on the grassroots level which is entirely in accord with Catholic social teaching as traditionally outlined by the Roman Catholic Church.
The Order's focus is on the education of boys and men; however, it has also organized women's groups, called Ladies of Our Lady, and it has experience with Catholic schooling, adult study groups and book clubs, and other forms of Catholic action and interaction.
The Order uses two types of ceremonial swords. One is a Spanish-made replica of the sword used by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, which is carried by the leadership of the Order and used for various ceremonies of promotion such as dubbing new knights. The other is a standard sword issued to those who have reached the rank of Knight-Crusader, which they may wear as part of their official uniform for ceremonials.
[edit] Ranks
- Postulant
- Novice
- Page
- Apprentice
- Squire
- Prefect
- Knight-Freshman
- Knight-Captain
- Knight-Royal
- Knight-Crusader
- Knight-Commander
- Knight-Master
- Knight-Superior
- Knight Chaplain