More and more often we receive letters with requests to familiarize our readers with the Knights of the Immaculata — let me then write a couple of words about it.

The Knights of the Immaculata was estabilished in Rome in 1917 among seminarists of International College of the Franciscan order (Via S. Teodoro 41 F). An opportunity to set it up was given by increasingly frequent actions of freemasonry and other enemies of Christ Church in the very heart of the christianity. A basis of the organization was a traditional service of the Franciscans towards the Immaculately Conceived, reaching the very beginning of the order. Financial basis was constituted by a spirit of poverty, characteristic for the order, based upon counting rather on Divine Providence through the Immaculata than counting incomes and expenditures. The will of the Immaculata was its signpost.

On January 2nd, 1922 the Knights of the Immaculata obtained a neccessary erection by the Cardinal Vicar of Rome. In Poland the first canonical erection took place in Poznań recently.

The Knights of the Immaculata’s spirit is briefed in MI Programme we regularly place at the end of each a “Knight of the Immaculata” issue. An abbreviation MI comes from the Latin name of Knights of the Immaculata: Militia Immaculatae, which serves for an international acronym.

Two sentences placed at the beginning of MI Programme: “She shall crash your head (Genesis 3, 15) and You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world (The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary) are the Knights of the Immaculata’s aim. That is why MI members devote themselves to the Immaculata in order to be instruments in Her hands so that She makes the abovementioned sentences come true.”

Freemasonry is undoubtedly the head of the hellish snake. I do not say „freemasons” as they are for sure unhappy people but their tendencies and their organization aimed against God and happiness of the souls — “She shall bruise this head”.

Miscellaneous heresies are the limbs of the snake. She destroyed all of them and in the whole world, equipping us with effective measures to eliminate them. Again, not the word „heretics” was used but „heresies” that She destroyed as She loves Her children like the best Mother and for this reason She saves them from darkness of falsehood and bonds of evil by crushing hellish forces. So, our aim is to „take efforts to convert sinners, heretics, schismatics, especially freemasons. Attempt to bring under care and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary all the people, and therefore into sanctification”. This is why the key feature of MI is to devote to the Immaculata thoroughly, boundlessly and absolutely and to put ourselves to Her disposal so that She may do with us whatever She likes and act through us in others (an act of such a dedication is in a diploma of a Knight of the Immaculata, together with the programme).

The second condition — or to use better words — a visible sign of this devotion to the Immaculata in life, death and eternity is the Miraculous Medal, carried by MI members on their chests.

Becoming an instrument in the Immaculata’s hands, they pray wholeheartedly every day with the words that She revealed on the Miraculous Medal: „O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”. Remembering about those who they want to be saved, MI members add „and for those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the freemasons”. Finally, they add all they want to be converted: „and those recommended to thee”, including in this way all who asked to be prayed for, enlisted in a “Knight of the Immaculata”, etc. This is the power of a prayer that comes from thousands of hearts every day and soars to the Immaculata.

Apart from the prayer — an occupation. It varies according to everyone’s conditions and life circumstances but it is revived by eagerness and guided by prudence. However, there is an unique feature of this work: to push the souls, as many as possible, towards the Immaculata. She will cleanse them of their sins, enlight them, strengthen and liven up with the love of Jesus Heart and their fellows — She will make them happy as it is rightly stated by the saints that it is impossible to die for anyone who worships Mary, that „love towards Holy Mother is a sign of being destined to Heaven”.

As the Immaculata promised to provide those who carry Her medal with numerous graces, MI members use it as a weapon in their fight to win the souls for the Immaculata, convinced that the more kingdom of the Immaculata will dominate the world, the more it will become heaven on earth. Currently, a “Knight of the Immaculata” is a link between all MI members spread over whole Poland.

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Anyone who would like to become a MI member should give his name, surname, occupation, address and will receive the diploma and the medal, commonly known as miraculous. We accept only voluntary payments as a registration fee to cover the cost of printing, producing the medals, posting, etc. Anyone who can not afford it despite renouncing alcohol, cigarettes or fun should not send the money but if it is affordable, a more generous donation can be made. However, let everyone enlist under the Immaculata’s banner.

A Knight of the Immaculata, Fr. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Grodno, January 1924

Since 1937 Militia Immaculatae is also called the Knights of the Immaculata.

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