Admission Criteria & Procedure / Formation Program

Admissions Criteria

• Applicants are to be Catholic lay men or women in good standing with the church.
• Applicants are to be at least 25 years old.
• The applicant should have achieved a degree of distinction in his or her professional field (business, law, medicine, academics, military, Foreign Service, government, philanthropy/charitable activities, etc.). The applicant should be regarded as a leader in his/her field and in the community.
• The applicant must have a record of service to the Catholic Church and to Catholic-related causes by lending professional expertise or "hands-on" volunteer service to the poor.

Sponsorship

• Applicants must be sponsored by two members (Knights or Dames) of the Federal Association. The sponsor and applicant should discuss the criteria for admission before requesting an application. To avoid possible embarrassment, it is the sponsor's responsibility to be sure that the applicant satisfies the criteria for admission listed above as well as the requirements after a person has been approved: formation program, financial obligations, participation in spiritual activities and service projects, etc.
• Both sponsors must submit a letter showing personal knowledge of the applicant's qualifications for membership in the Order of Malta. A similar letter of recommendation is also required from the applicant's pastor.
• At least one sponsor must attend the Day of Formation and both agree to participate in the applicant's formation program. Sponsors will submit a written evaluation at the end of the candidate's formation program.
• Where possible, it is strongly recommended that the applicant meet with the Regional Hospitaller in his/her area before submitting this application to the Admissions Committee. This meeting will allow the applicant to learn more about the volunteer projects and spiritual activities in the area.
• A Knight or Dame may only sponsor three applicants a year. Sponsors cannot be related to the applicant, nor can they be related to each other. Chaplains and candidates-in-formation may not sponsor a candidate.
• Husbands and wives cannot be nominated for membership in the same year.

Formation Program

• If an applicant is initially approved as a candidate, he or she will be required to participate in the Association's Year of Formation. Every candidate must attend the Day of Formation in Washington and over the following twelve months will be required to attend at least two of the Association's spiritual activities and participate as a volunteer at two of the Association's personal service projects.
• If the candidate successfully completes this program, he or she will be finally approved by the Board and will be invested into the Order.

Financial

• Prior to Investiture, every candidate will be required to pay an initiation fee, known as "Passage Fees", of $3,500. (The Passage Fee for members under the age of 35 is $1,750.) Of this, two thousand Euros are sent to the Order to support their international relief programs and the rest is used to help defray the costs associated with the Investiture Weekend activities.

©2008 Order of Malta, Federal Association, U.S.A.
The emblems and insignia of the Order of Malta and the name of the Order of Malta are registered service marks of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta, Via Condotti 68 Rome Italy I-00187, used under license to the Order of Malta, Federal Association, U.S.A.