Tradition in active service
A fellowship with a living purpose
Founded in 2008, the Noble Company of Saint Mary of Walsingham is dedicated both to historical preservation and to service in the community.
Its members bring together diverse cultural histories and traditions, passing them from generation to generation while applying their principles to the needs of the present.
The Company is a special home for those who understand heritage not merely as inheritance, but as an obligation to serve.
The character of the Company
Tradition, unity, and service
Tradition
The Company preserves historical and cultural heritage with care, ensuring that the knowledge and practices entrusted to it remain meaningful for generations to come.
Unity
Shared purpose, fellowship, and the Company’s publications foster bonds among members that extend beyond their individual interests and backgrounds.
Service
Members support charitable work, community initiatives, and the preservation of historical landmarks and cultural heritage around the world.
Institutional continuity
From foundation to the present
The charter
Created by Apostolic Mandate
The Noble Company was created by Apostolic Mandate and received a further ecclesiastical charter. Part of that charter states:
“So that this noble company may always be an apt and effective instrument of the salvific mission of spiritual discipleship . . . through the outward signs of temporal sovereignty which the Church carries out . . . this Noble Company, so created by Apostolic Mandate, shall exist in perpetuity and operate directly under the sovereign authority of the Patriarch and the Grand Master delegated by him.”
The Noble Company is a constituent body of the Pontifical Court of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church. Its Grand Mastership is vested ex officio in the Roman-Ruthenian Papacy; the present Grand Master is Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia.
The Company retains an ecumenical Christian character in which Christians of every affiliation are welcome.
The Pontifical Walsingham Guard is a distinct but complementary ceremonial and humanitarian institution, composed largely of military veterans and likewise dedicated to service, stewardship, and continuity.
Explore the Pontifical Walsingham Guard
From the Charter, as updated in ASP Vol. 6
Statement of Purpose
The Noble Company perpetuates the honour of chivalry and nobility through reflection, discipleship, and stewardship.
It continues the legacy of patrician honour and service under the Christian ideal of noblesse oblige—the principle that nobility entails obligation.
Eligibility may be established either through personal status, such as recognised personal nobility or armigerous standing, or through descent from at least one noble line. Historic elites are understood broadly and may include American colonial leadership and gentry, other forms of pre-republican civic, military, or landed leadership, and traditions such as the French noblesse de profession.
Because the Company reflects several historical traditions rather than a single national system, eligibility is assessed according to a broad and historically grounded standard rather than a narrow or purely legalistic one.
The Collar or Collarette may be bestowed upon Noble Companions at the discretion of the Grand Master. It serves as a visible reminder of the Companion’s obligation and is held, worn, and cherished while the Companion—and any future heirs—remain in good standing.
The Noble Company is a division of the non-profit foundation of the Holy Apostolic See of Saints Peter, Andrew, Stephen, and Mark, the United Roman-Ruthenian Church.
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