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Guest Column: What Is The Equestrian Order Of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem?
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November 17, 2021A Short History
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem has a history going back to the 1100s AD. The First Crusade ended with the fall of Jerusalem to the Crusaders in 1099. At this time, the leader of the Crusaders, Sir Godfrey de Bouillon, called for volunteers from his knights to spend their lives guarding the tomb of Christ. This order received Papal approbation by Pope Paschal II in 1113.
The Latin Kingdom lasted less than 100 years, during which time the Crusaders built many churches and shrines in the Holy Land, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After the Crusades, the members of the Equestrian Order were dispersed, doing charitable works in the Mediterranean and in Europe.
The modern history of the Order began with the restoration of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem in 1847. Pope Pius IX established the four classes of knighthood.
Today the Equestrian Order works for the Church’s survival in the Holy Land. The objectives of the Order established by succeeding popes are to strengthen members’ Christian life, to assist Christians in the Holy Land and support the preservation of the Faith in the Holy Land.
The Order Today
The Equestrian Order is a worldwide Order of over 24,000 members. The Order is divided into lieutenancies. The Southwestern Lieutenancy is composed of dioceses in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
There is an annual meeting in the fall of each year. This meeting is the venue for the investiture of new knights and dames to the order and of promotion of current knights and dames. Typically, married couples are invested and promoted at the same time, although unmarried singles, deacons and priests are also invested.
To be a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, one must:
• Be a practicing Catholic;
• Have been married in the Catholic Church (if married);
• Pledge an oath of allegiance to the Pope at the investiture ceremony;
• Purchase a cape and beret (men) or mantilla (women);
• Make an annual donation to the Order; and,
• Make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land during your lifetime.
Our efforts in the Holy Land provide 81% of the budget of the Latin Patriarchate, support schools with 19,000 students, build new churches and convents and give aid to orphanages, refugees and the elderly and sick. We also support the Nursing School at Bethlehem University.
This Order supports a great cause: Catholic Christians in the Holy Land. Since these Catholics are neither Israeli nor Muslim, they tend to be overlooked and discriminated against. Our aid transforms their lives and affirms their Christianity/Catholicism.
If you are interested in joining the Order or inquiring about the Order, contact your parish priest or myself, Dennis A. Ice, KCHS at 806-336-5779 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.
Deus Lo Vult /God wills it (Our Motto)
Dennis A. Ice, KCHS, is a parishioner at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo.
