Enduring chivalric service to the Holy Land: The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

 

--Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem 

 

We, the Knights and Dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, take a vow to protect our Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land in fidelity to a tradition of Catholic chivalry of more than nine centuries. Far from the anachronism that it may seem, chivalry lives, thrives, and serves today, for beyond mere decorous social conduct and by no means a purely honorific token of recognition, knighthood or damehood is a call to the exemplarily virtuous service of others. As Cardinal Casaroli once observed, “A knight is a man who intends to place himself at the service of a noble and difficult cause, a pure and arduous ideal; fighting evil, promoting good, defending the weak and the oppressed against injustice.” Accordingly, too, writes Peter Bander van Duren in Orders of Knighthood and of Merit, “From its beginnings, the aim of [our] Order was the protection of the Holy Places and of pilgrims,” with the explicit designation of guarding the Holy Sepulchre, which is the gloriously empty Tomb whence our Lord rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. Likewise further, as the Constitution of our Order declares and requires, we engage ourselves in the fulfillment of such purposes as sustention and aid to “the charitable, cultural and social works and institutions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, particularly those of and in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,” and “the preservation and propagation of the Faith in [the Holy Land], [involving] in this work the Catholics scattered throughout the world”. Indeed, ultimately, as Her Excellency Dame Margaret Romano, Lieutenant of the Western Lieutenancy remarks, “We are called to love and to serve the Lord. As members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, we do this by our acts, helping our Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. Where Jesus walked, we walk, following in His footsteps, bringing His message of love and hope.”  

 

In such a spirit, therefore, before October 7, 2023, we ordinarily raised funds to support the many Catholic ministries and other entities in the Holy Land already in operation: orphanages, homes for the elderly, parishes, schools, family businesses, a university, and a seminary are many of the recipients of the generosity of devoted members. Since the latest conflict, however, while support is still needed for those same ministries, we have also put a focus on humanitarian aid under name of the Peace and Mercy Crusade. Our goal is to raise $1 million over the next year to sustain that which is most urgent and necessary – food, housing, utilities, and medicine – for the main economy, which is pilgrimage, previously shattered by COVID-19, was recovering and once again is destroyed – hotels, restaurants, and shops are all closed. Nevertheless, while humanitarian aid fulfills day-to-day needs, another major focus of ours remains education, as the Latin Patriarch has identified that the recovery of the schools will be a major step in the return to normalcy, which includes teacher salaries, scholarships, and much-needed school repairs. Through these efforts, we intend, those who live in the Holy Land may come to know that the whole Church is with them in prayer and in deed, giving hope of current survival and of future rebuilding and assuring them that, in the land where our Lord Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for us, they have not been abandoned.  

 

These and similar efforts, moreover, are in practice locally too. In the Diocese of Tucson, approximately 100 devout Knights and Dames contribute to the good works of the Order, led by Sir David and Dame Elaine Ball of Saint Augustine Cathedral Parrish, Co-Councillors for the Tucson area, under the spiritual direction of His Excellency Bishop Edward Weisenburger. Inspiration toward personal sanctification comes from our Liturgical Coordinator Dame Sister Lois Paha of Saint Augustine Cathedral Parish. Education in support of Christians in the Holy Land is the purview of the Justice and Peace Coordinator Dame Ann Dickson of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parrish.  

 

Members of the Order also participate in many liturgical, devotional, and educational events throughout the year: we attend ordinations, special Masses, pray first Monday Rosaries together, participate in Lenten and Advent retreats, and celebrate Equestrian Order feast days. Finally, the spiritual highlight of the year is the annual meeting of the Western Lieutenancy, which will be held in Salt Lake City this October. 

 

Sir David and Dame Elaine Ball, invested in the Order in 2016 during the annual meeting in Tucson and have served as Co-Councillors since 2023, of which they say, “It has been an honor and blessing to serve the Diocese of Tucson, our fellow Knights, Dames, and Christians in the Holy Land as members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.” 

 

To learn more about our Order, its works in the Holy Land, and its local activities, visit the website of the Western Lieutenancy of the Order: https://www.eohsjwesternusa.org.