Ordo Militantium Reginae Caeli
Every army has its order of battle, and the Ordo Militantium Reginae Caeli is no exception. The ranks set out below are not honours to be collected, nor titles to flatter the vanity of men. They are offices of service — each one a burden before it is a dignity, each one held in trust from Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, who alone is Sovereign of this Order.
Authority in the Church has never been a licence to command for its own sake. It is a share in the office of the Good Shepherd, who came not to be served but to serve, and who laid down His life for His sheep. So it is here. He who is given charge of others in this Order is given the heavier cross, not the lighter one. He will answer for those souls.
The ranks descend from the general governance of the whole Order, through its officers and professed members, to those still in formation at its threshold. Every member, from the Guardian General to the newest Aspirant, stands under the same Rule, prays the same Rosary, and marches beneath the same standard.
"Non ministrari sed ministrare." — Not to be served, but to serve. — After Matthew 20:28
The Order is ordered in five grades of twelve ranks. Each rank is set down here with its title in the vernacular and in Latin, the tongue of the Church and of this Order.
Its territory descends in three degrees: the province, governed by a Grand Chancellor; the district within it, governed by a Prior Provincial; and within the district the commandery, the local body in which the daily life of the Order is lived.
The Order receives both men and women. The rank of Dame — the ninth — is the highest to which a woman may be raised; the offices above it are held by men.
The highest office of the Order and the head of the General Council. The Guardian General is guardian of its charism, its Rule, and its fidelity to the Traditional Faith. He holds final authority in all matters of governance, admits members, appoints the officers of the Order, and answers for the whole body before Holy Mother Church.
Second in the Order. The Vicar General assists the Guardian General in the governance of the whole and acts with his authority when it is delegated to him, or when the office of Guardian General is impeded or vacant.
Keeper of the acts and archives of the Order. The Secretary General maintains the roll of members, records the deliberations and decisions of the General Council, conducts the official correspondence of the Order, and preserves its documents for those who come after.
Governs a province of the Order — its largest territorial division. The Grand Chancellor holds authority over every district within his province and over the Priors Provincial who govern them. Through him the decrees of the General Council pass to the province, and to the Council he answers for it.
Governs a district within a province. The Prior Provincial oversees the commanderies, members, and apostolates of his district, provides for the formation of those under his care, and is answerable for them to the Grand Chancellor of the province.
Leads a commandery — the smaller body within a district, and the level at which the ordinary life of the Order is lived. The Commander directs its members in the four apostolates of healthcare, education, the Faith, and fraternity, and answers for their discipline and their works to the Prior Provincial of the district.
Assists the Commander in the governance of the commandery and takes charge of it in his absence. He may be given charge of a smaller company within the commandery, and to him is entrusted the day-to-day ordering of its members and of the works committed to them.
The senior rank of the ordinary membership and the first office of regional leadership. The Sergeant carries the practical work of the commandery, instructs and leads those junior to him, and answers directly to the Lieutenant Commander.
The fully professed member of the Order, having made its promises and been received in full. Knights and Dames are the body of the Order — bound to the daily Rosary, the First Saturdays, and the works of mercy to which the OMRC is committed. The rank of Dame is the highest to which a woman may be raised in this Order.
Professed in the first degree. The Squire or Handmaid serves under the direction of a Knight or Dame, learning the Rule in the living of it, and advancing toward full profession in the Order.
The novice of the Order. The Postulant has been admitted to formation and is under instruction in the Rule of Life, the devotions of the Order, and the apostolates in which they will serve, preparing for profession in the first degree.
One who has petitioned to enter the Order and stands at its threshold in their first semester. The Aspirant discerns, under guidance and in prayer, whether Our Lady is calling them to serve beneath her mantle in this Order.
"He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." — Matthew 23:11‑12
Every rank in this Order is held under the authority of Holy Mother Church and in obedience to the lawful pastors of the faithful. Appointments to office are made by the Custos Generalis.
Every Knight and Dame of this Order began as an Aspirant at its threshold. If you feel called to serve Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, the way stands open to you.