The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
(Under the Protection of the Holy See)
Knights and Ladies in the Northern Lieutenancy who are associated with St. Peter Church:
Most Reverend Michael J. Sheridan, KC*HS, S.Th.D (Bishop of Colorado Springs)
Msgr. Robert E. Jaeger, V.G., KCHS (former St. Peter Church Pastor)
Rev. Lawrence Brennan, KHS, S.Th.D.
Lady Mary Cathie Bowen, LHS
Sir Jay Campbell, KHS, D.D.S.
Lady Kathy Campbell, LHS
Sir Robert T. Burns, KHS
Lady Carol A. Burns, LHS
Sir David Fitzgerald, KHS
Lady Jane Fitzgerald, LHS
Purposes and Aims of the Order
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is the only lay institution of the Vatican State
charged with a special mission from the Holy Father to provide for the needs of the Latin Patriarchate of
Jerusalem and for all the activities and initiatives which are necessary to support the Christian presence
in the Holy Land. The Order’s mandate originates from the time of the crusader knights who were
responsible for protecting the Christian pilgrims traveling to the sacred sites.
The purposes of the Order as stated in its Constitution are:
• to strengthen in its members the practice of Christian life, in absolute fidelity to the Supreme Pontiff
and according to the teachings of the Church, observing as its foundation the principles of charity of
which the Order is a fundamental means for assistance to the Holy Land;
• to sustain and aid 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, with which the Order
maintains traditional ties;
• to support the preservation and propagation of the Faith in those lands, [and to interest] in this work
the Catholics scattered throughout the world, united in charity by the symbol of the Order, and also
all fellow Christians;
• to sustain the rights of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.
In addition to its financial and spiritual aid, all of the Order's Lieutenancies (territories) arrange formal
pilgrimages, in the course of which Members do not simply view and explore the Holy Sites, but also have
the opportunity to meet the people whom they are supporting and assure them that they are not forgotten.
They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Structure of the Order
The Order has some 28,000 members (Knights and Dames) worldwide in 62 Lieutenancies: 31 in Europe,
15 in North America, 7 in South America, 6 in Australia and the Far East, 2 in Asia, and 1 in South Africa.
Its governing body in Rome is led by the Cardinal Grand Master, His Eminence Edwin Cardinal O'Brien,
who is appointed by the Holy Father. The Grand Master is assisted by the Governor-General, the
Chancellor, and the Grand Magisterium whose task is to identify the programs and actions to be
undertaken each year to provide for the Catholic institutions and communities in the Holy Land in concert
and agreement with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, is the Grand Prior of the Order of the Holy
Sepulchre. He is the bishop whose see has as a permanent privilege the honorific title of patriarch, similar
to the Patriarchs of Rome (the Pope), Venice, Lisbon, and the East Indies, and who are the highestranking bishops in the Catholic Church. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the diocesan bishop of Latin
Catholics in the Holy Land, including Jordan and Cyprus.
Membership in the Order
Membership in the Order is by local nomination and appointment by the Cardinal Grand Master. It is
offered to Roman Catholic men and women, lay or clerical, whose record of service to the Church and
community indicates that they can be expected to make a commitment for life. The commitment is to be a
Witness to the Faith, to lead an exemplary Christian life of continuing charity in support of the Christian
communities in the Holy Land, and to maintain the true charitable commitment of a Christian. The
purpose of an individual in joining the Order should be to serve the Catholic Church and to support the
efforts of the Church and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to maintain the Christian presence in the
Holy Land.
The Order’s Activities
Together and individually, each Lieutenancy draws up a yearly program of meetings and events aimed at
strengthening the spiritual growth of its Members as well as organizing and contributing to events aimed
at raising awareness of the Order’s role and activities in their local Catholic communities.
The Order's purposes being strictly religious and charitable, it does not participate in any activities of a
political character – a principle of particular importance in the context of the current political problems in
the Holy Land.
Conditions in the Holy Land have caused many Palestinian Christians to lose their jobs, homes, and land.
This has prompted the Latin Patriarchate, the Apostolic Nunciature, and the other Catholic institutions to
engage in distribution of social and humanitarian aid to provide the families most in need with direct
financial support. The primary objective is to empower the Christians in this difficult moment and help
ensure a life with dignity by providing them with educational support, housing possibilities and jobs.
The flow of middle-class Christian families leaving the Holy Land to seek a more secure future abroad
has become a real exodus. Young adults have increasingly dim prospects for the future so many of them
are leaving the Holy Land. Today, the proportion of Christians varies from 2% to 4% in different areas of
the Holy Land, and continues to decline steadily.
Those who remain are very largely craft workers, small tradesmen, and those working in the tourist
industry that has developed alongside Holy Land pilgrimages. Such very small minorities can only survive
if their skills are high enough to earn them the appreciation and esteem of the society in which they live.
This can only be achieved with high standards of education and training.
To that end, the Order has financed the construction of 44 Patriarchate schools in Israel, Palestine, and
Jordan and it has a continuing commitment to fund at least part of their running costs. Today, around
22,000 students attend these schools, from nursery classes through elementary, middle and upper
school, as well as in a number of technical schools. On average, the student breakdown is 60% Christian
and 40% Muslim. It is noteworthy that many leaders of the Muslim community in the Holy Land have been
educated in the Patriarchate's school system, and that they continue to send their children to these
schools, which are overseen by the parish priests of the Latin Patriarchate.
The Order’s emphasis on education aims to deal with a very important problem in the region – how to get
people of different races and religions accustomed to living in peace and mutual respect. Christian Arabs
are a bridge to peace for the troubled region. They share the Old Testament with Jews and share the
same culture, language, history, and national aspirations as Muslims. They bridge the distance between
those mired in the political conflict in the Holy Land and offer hope for peaceful resolution.
It is hoped that, if the values of mutual tolerance and cooperation are inculcated and encouraged from an
early age, they may become a habit and continue into adult life.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem keeps alive in a modern manner the spirit and
ideals of the medieval Crusader Knights, with the arms of faith, of the apostolate, and of Christian charity.
To this end the Order: (a) fosters in its members the practice of the Christian life; (b) is zealous for the
preservation and spread of the faith in Palestine; and (c) champions the defense of the rights of the
Catholic Church in the Holy Land, the cradle of the Order.
The crusader affirmation, "God Wills It!" is the motto of the Order, but it signifies today a commitment to a
Christian way of life very different from that of the medieval knights who took up the cross. Though of
ancient origin, the motto is ever alive and vibrant, for it inspires the Knights and Ladies of the Holy
Sepulchre to crusade for equality, justice for all, and peace in the Holy Land so that Christian, Jew, and
Muslim may live side by side in love of God and each other – "God wills it!"
A Brief History of the Order
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is one of the oldest and most historic Chivalric
Orders of the Roman Catholic Church. The origins of the Order date back to the First Crusade in 1099,
when the Crusade's leader, Godfrey de Bouillon, liberated Jerusalem and reclaimed the Holy Lands. As a
component of his reorganization of the religious, military and public bodies of the territories newly freed
from Muslim control, he founded the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulchre.
Receiving knighthood at the Empty Tomb of Christ became an important ritual for the Crusaders.
According to accounts of the Crusades, the first King of Jerusalem, Baldwin I, assumed the leadership of
this canonical order in 1103, and reserved the right for himself and his successors (as agents of the
Patriarch of Jerusalem) to appoint Knights to it, should the Patriarch be absent or unable to do so.
There are many structures built by the Crusaders still standing in the Holy Land. The most important of
these is the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in the center of the city of Jerusalem. This ancient gothic
structure was built by Crusaders on the site of Emperor Constantine's original basilica and it covers the
ground where Christ was crucified and the tomb from which he rose. This ancient church is the spiritual
heart of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and continues to be a special place of pilgrimage for our
members.
The Knights of the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulchre gradually returned to their homelands soon
after the First Crusade. This led to the creation of priories all over Europe, which came under the
jurisdiction of the noble knights or prelates who had been invested at the site of the Holy Sepulchre.
Although they were no longer in the direct service of the King of Jerusalem, they continued to belong to
the Order of Canons.
The Order began to decline as a cohesive military body of knights after Saladin regained Jerusalem in
1187. The passing of the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem left the Order without a leader, though it
continued to survive in the European priories thanks to the protection of sovereigns, princes, bishops and
the Holy See. The priories kept alive the ideals of the Crusader Knights: propagation of the Faith, defense
of the weak, charity towards other human beings. Throughout Europe today, many beautiful churches and
castles once belonging to the Order, as well as documentary evidence, attest to its continuing presence
through the centuries.
In 1847 the Patriarchate of Jerusalem was restored and Pope Pius IX modernized the Order, issuing a
new Constitution which placed it under the direct protection of the Holy See and assigned its government
to the Latin Patriarch. The Order’s fundamental role was also redefined to uphold the works of the Latin
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, while preserving the spiritual duty of propagating the Faith.
In 1949, Pope Pius XII decreed that the Grand Master of the Order should be a Cardinal of the Holy
Roman Church and assigned the position of Grand Prior to the Patriarch of Jerusalem. In 1962 Pope
John XXIII and in 1967 Pope Paul VI respectively reorganized and revitalized the Order by adding more
specific regulations to the Constitution with the intention of making the Order’s activities more coordinated
and effective.
Under its current Papal Constitution, enhanced by Pope John Paul II, the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a legal entity in Canon Law. As an Ecclesiastical Order of Knighthood it is part
of the Holy See with the Pope as its Supreme Head. Other than its own Orders, the Equestrian Order of
the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta are the only Orders
recognized and supported by the Holy See, though S.M.O.Malta is under its own independent authority.
Consequences and Needs
The situation of the Christians in the Holy Land is important to all Christians throughout the world. The
indigenous Arab Christians are the Living Stones of the Holy Land, descendants of the first faithful who
embraced Christ’s message on the same ground where He lived, died, and rose. They are the historical
bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
If the issues in the Holy Land are not addressed and resolved, there will be negative consequences for all
Christians, Jews, and Muslims due to the continued exodus of Christians. The bridge to peace from
Christian Arabs to Jews and Muslim neighbors will diminish, further destabilizing the region. There are
only 150,000 Christians in the Holy Land today with approximately 500 families leaving every year. At this
rate, there will be no living Church in the Holy Land within 60 years.
The Holy places from which we draw our Christian heritage will become cold museums devoid of the daily
living body of Christ. During a pilgrimage in 2012, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, KC*HS and Northern
Lieutenancy Grand Prior, asked their young tour guide about his motivation to become a guide for the
pilgrims. The guide said he was standing outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christendom’s most
sacred site, and was indignant when he overheard a non-Christian guide leading a large group of pilgrims
refer to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a revered living place of worship, as a museum instead of a
Church.
Above all else, our religion, rooted in the teachings and ideals of Jesus Christ, calls on us to help those in
need. If nothing is done, the living conditions of remaining Christian Holy Land families will continue to
deteriorate.
Here is what every parishioner at St. Peter Church can do, both individually and as members or leaders
of the various church ministries and activities:
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Pray! Pray in solidarity for your fellow Christians and their intentions.
Stay informed and up to date about the situation and conditions in the Holy Land.
Be aware of what to look for during typical Holy Land Pilgrimages.
Contribute to periodic special collections.
Purchase religious olive wood crafts from businesses of the Christian artisans living in the Holy Land.
Incorporate Holy Land awareness and needs into educational programs, ministries, and fund raising.
St. Peter Church parishioners who are members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem are available to actively assist in facilitating in all of these areas.
Links to Additional Information
Introductory Video to the Order
This web page provides a 3-minute video introduction to the history and purposes of the Order.
The Grand Magisterium of the EOHSJ
The Vatican’s official website for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
The official website of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem with information about the parishes and schools of
the Holy Land, the current projects supported by the EOHSJ, and timely news about the Holy Land.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – Northern Lieutenancy
The Northern Lieutenancy website with useful links to news and other Lieutenancies’ websites.
Christians in the Holy Land Links
This web page provides links to multimedia presentations about the situation of Christians in the Holy
Land and of all who live in the Palestinian territories, and to other Internet sites which contain more
information about the Holy Land and the issues that divide it.
Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre
The Holiest Site of Christendom. This website provides a "virtual visit" to this most sacred Christian site
and reviews its twenty centuries of history.
History of the Holy Sepulchre in 3D
A creative trip back through time from the Custody of the Holy Land. History, art and archaeology come
together to tell the story of the Holy Sepulcher, thanks to the 3D reconstructions.