Knights, guilds and lay societies
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
SMOM · Order of Malta · Knights of Malta · Knights Hospitaller · Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta
Founded 1113Lay religious order of the Catholic Church and a sovereign subject of international law with diplomatic relations with over 110 states. One of only two orders of chivalry outside the Holy See's own five that the Holy See recognizes and protects.13500
By invitation
Invitation only. The alms are not made clear.
This one comes by invitation. Members are proposed from within the order and confirmed by it, so the warmest way in is simply to become known to the people already there.
There is no application form anywhere. The only real first step is knowing a Knight or Dame who will sponsor you; the linked page exists only to tell you which national association or priory covers your country.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
This is a nine-hundred-year-old order that still does the thing it was founded to do, which is care for the sick and the poor. Members are called Knights and Dames, and in practice they commit for life to hands-on work: serving at food banks, visiting prisons and hospitals, supporting pregnancy centers, and above all accompanying sick pilgrims on the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, where members push wheelchairs and personally look after the people they brought. You cannot apply. A current member has to invite and sponsor you, and then you spend a year in formation before anything is decided. The honour is real but the point of it is the work and a lifetime commitment, not the title.
What you promise
Lifetime commitment to the Order's spirituality, defense of the faith, and personal service to the sick and the poor, including the Lourdes pilgrimage. A year of formation before investiture, guided by your sponsor. A one-time initiation fee (called Passage Fees in the US Federal Association) plus annual dues, and members are encouraged to give to the annual appeal. Regular attendance at area and association spiritual and service events.
What the Church attaches
The Order has its own chaplains and liturgical life. First Class members (Knights of Justice and Professed Conventual Chaplains) take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and are religious under canon law. Second Class members make a Promise of Obedience. Third Class lay members live by the principles of the Church and the Order without vows. Retreats, the Lourdes pilgrimage, and Mass cards are part of ordinary membership.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.