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Order of the Knights of St Mary of Bethlehem
A Chivalric Order in Service of Faith and Community
The Order of Knights of St Mary of Bethlehem - known as OKSMB - is a chivalric order of service and compassion, canonically received into the Ancient Apostolic Catholic Church and operating under the authority of its Presiding Archbishop. Drawing inspiration from the noble traditions of medieval chivalry and the spirit of mercy that has always marked the Church's engagement with the world, the Order exists to serve those on the margins of society: the homeless, the vulnerable, veterans, those living in poverty, and those struggling with mental ill-health.
The Order is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC No. 16027893) and brings together its charitable mission and its life of faith in a single, unified vocation. Its members, knights and dames drawn from across the Church and wider community, are not merely charitable volunteers. They are men and women who have accepted a call to serve Christ in the faces of those the world too often overlooks.
Our Mission
The Order's mission is rooted in three interlocking commitments:
Service: to be present and active in communities across the United Kingdom and beyond, offering practical assistance to those in need, partnering with other charities and organisations, and responding with compassion in times of local and national crisis.
Prayer: to sustain the work of service through a regular rhythm of prayer, devotion, and participation in the sacramental life of the Ancient Apostolic Catholic Church, grounding every act of charity in a living relationship with God.
Chivalry: to embody the ancient virtues of honour, courage, and selfless dedication, conducting all work with integrity, transparency, and a non-judgmental commitment to the dignity of every person served.
The Order and Church
The OKSMB's canonical reception into the AACC marks a new and significant chapter in the Order's life. Under the oversight of the Presiding Archbishop and in communion with the Church's Synod of Bishops, the Order now has a firm ecclesial home from which to develop not only its charitable work but its spiritual formation, its chaplaincy ministry, and its life of devotion to Our Lady of Bethlehem, the Order's patron.
The AACC supports the Order in several concrete ways. The Church provides canonical oversight and governance, ensuring the Order operates within a recognised and accountable ecclesiastical structure. The Church's liturgical life: its Mass, its Daily Office, its sacramental celebrations, is made available to all members of the Order as the spiritual foundation of their service. And through the Order's patronal devotion to Our Lady of Bethlehem, the AACC helps members to root their chivalric vocation in a rich Marian spirituality that connects the poverty of the stable, the mercy of the Mother, and the needs of the poor served by the Order today.
One of the most significant gifts the AACC brings to the Order is access to professional chaplaincy formation. Members of the OKSMB who feel called to chaplaincy ministry, serving in hospitals, hospices, care homes, prisons, schools, or community settings, are able to undertake licensed and accredited chaplaincy training through the Seminary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the AACC's own centre of theological education.
This training is provided entirely free of charge to members of the Order. It ensures that every chaplain who ministers in the name of the OKSMB is equipped with a grounded, compassionate, and theologically informed approach to pastoral care, and that they do so as a recognised representative of both the Order and the Church.
Chaplaincy Training Through the Seminary of Saint Thomas Aquinas
How to Find Out More
The Order of Knights of St Mary of Bethlehem maintains its own website at www.oksmb.org, where visitors can find full details of the Order's aims and goals, upcoming events, membership information, and how to make a donation to support its work.
If you are interested in membership of the Order, or in exploring chaplaincy formation through the Seminary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, we warmly invite you to visit the Order's website or to contact us through the AACC's pastoral office.
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