Knights of the Holy Sepulchre

Legates invest in the Holy Land by supporting the Church in the land of Christ . . .

The word “knight” usually conjures up images of fierce battles, shining armor and damsels in distress. Countless knights traveled to the Holy Land during the Crusades to safeguard the holy city of Jerusalem between the 11th and 13th centuries.

In Catholic circles, however, knights are still a reality. One group of knights has never stopped working to protect the Holy Land’s Christians and sacred places. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem has been active more than 900 years, ranking it as one of the Catholic Church’s oldest institutions.

Worldwide influence

Cardinal John Patrick Foley

“We want to make sure that a Christian presence continues in the land of Our Lord,” said Cardinal John Patrick Foley, the first American to be named the Order’s Grand Master. “We don’t want it to be a place of dead stones, but of living stones,” he told Legatus Magazine. “We’re called the Order of the Holy Sepulchre because the tomb is empty. Jesus has risen.”

Needless to say, the Order ceased all military activities centuries ago. Today, the organization focuses on building up the Archdiocese of Jerusalem, which encompasses Israel, Cyprus, Jordan and Palestine. It provides a full two-thirds of Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal’s annual budget.

The Order has 26,000 members in 53 different jurisdictions called lieutenancies. The organization has a worldwide reach with constituents in 35 countries and more than 12,000 members in the U.S. alone.

“The evaluation process for membership is quite thorough,” said Rita Deiss, Legatus member and Lady in the Order. “I consider it quite an honor to be a member.”

Women and men are equals in the Order, with the highest rank being Knight and Lady. Deiss is the first female chancellor for the Western lieutenancy of the U.S.

“We made a Holy Land pilgrimage very early in my membership and feel very strongly about Christian people living there,” said Deiss. “Christians make up less than 1% of the population, and we are the only group supporting these ‘living stones.’”

When on pilgrimage, members are encouraged to visit projects the Order supports. They are also asked to pray daily for peace.

“Members have a great commitment to the Holy Land,” said Monsignor Chris Connelly, a member of the Order and chaplain of Legatus’ Western Massachusetts chapter. “We get a newsletter for our lieutenancy and an annual report from Rome. We are connected through our different spiritual events and investitures of new members.”

Building the future

Prayer and financial donations are members’ primary means of protecting and building the Church in Israel, Jordan and beyond.

“Despite all the problems in the Holy Land, vocations are increasing,” said Cardinal Foley. “In fact, we’re working on building 10 new rooms for the seminary in Bethlehem.”

The Order has built 43 schools and Bethlehem University over the past 10 years, and a maternity wing is under construction at St. Joseph Hospital in East Jerusalem — the city’s only Christian hospital.

Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre have donated more than $50 million for the work of the Latin Patriarch since 2000, Cardinal Foley said. Most projects are suggested by the Patriarch. However, members also initiate projects.

“Our members visited a school in Zarga, Jordan,” Deiss explained. “They noticed there was no library. So they took it upon themselves to build one for them.”

Some American members import olive wood figurines. Others sell Christmas cards and rosaries produced in the Holy Land. But the economic impact of these projects is minimal, Cardinal Foley said. In a land where discrimination against Christians is not uncommon, stable employment is crucial for those who follow Christ.

The Order would like to develop a microcredit project for small Christian businesses, the cardinal said, but checkpoints at the Israeli West Bank security wall make such an endeavor incredibly difficult.

“I was in D.C. recently for the investiture of new members,” he said. “While I was there, I met with two senators and two representatives to speak about the freedom of movement issue.”

Stability and peace

Christian institutions, like those initiated by the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre, have contributed to peace and stability in the region. The majority of students at Bethlehem University, for example, are Muslim — and St. Joseph Hospital’s new maternity ward will serve Jerusalem’s Muslim sector.

“We partnered with Rotary International to build science labs in the Holy Land,” Deiss explained. “We also provided wheelchairs for a rehabilitation hospital in Bethlehem.”

The Order’s construction projects themselves help build bridges between Muslims and Christians by employing people of all faiths.

“The idea is that all of the works are open to everybody,” said Cardinal Foley. “King Abdullah of Jordan, President Abbas of Palestine, and President Netanyahu of Israel have all said that Catholic schools are a great source of mutual understanding.”

“On my first big trip to Galilee, I visited a school where a Greek Orthodox Boy Scouts band played ‘Oh Susanna’ on bagpipes,” he explained. “It was really something. It’s so important to meet with the Christian community when you go to the Holy Land. You have Druze, Muslims, Latin-rite Christians, Melkite, Armenian, Orthodox Christians, Syrian Catholics all living together. The Holy Land is a real ‘salad’ where people want to maintain their identity while accepting the other.”

Monsignor Chris Connelly

Cardinal Foley, who has participated in many of Legatus’ pilgrimages to Rome, said there is a unique connection between Legatus and the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre.

“As business leaders, Legatus members could have lots of ideas for the Holy Land,” he said.

Both groups have similar requirements, which may account for the high number of Legates who are also members of the Order.

“Knights have to obey and observe Catholic ethics and principles when carrying out professional and social duties,” said Monsignor Connelly. “Legates, in the marketplace, also observe Catholic ethics. A knight is asked to set an example as a Catholic in word and deed, and people in Legatus are proudly Catholic.”

Sabrina Arena Ferrisi is a Legatus Magazine staff writer.