Leaders of a global Catholic organization that supports the Church in Jerusalem and the Holy Land met in Philadelphia Sept. 14 to discuss their mission of supporting Christians in the land where the Gospel first took root and spread.
The Eastern United States leadership of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem traveled from New York City to meet with local members of the order and Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center.
One of his predecessors, Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, was instrumental in establishing the order in the U.S. 100 years ago. Globally, it was later led by the late Cardinal John Foley, priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who served for many years in the Vatican.
The Eastern Lieutenancy, based in New York City and celebrating its 75th year, is one of nine such local chapters of the order in the U.S. It includes more than 2,400 male and female members plus priest chaplains from four states and the Bahamas.
The executive director, Deacon John L. Heyer II, explained that the order forms its members “in the spiritual life and their commitment to the Church.”
“We try to get people to think beyond their parish,” he said.
The pontifical order carries out the mandate of the pope to strengthen the spiritual life of its members, known as knights and dames, and to aid the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the ministry of the Eastern Catholic churches in the biblical lands of the Middle East.
In the absence of available support for the small number of Christians residing there, the members make personal financial contributions and pilgrimages to the holy sites and ministries.
They also offer their prayers and presence to the residents of that region comprised mostly of Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
“The Christians in the Holy Land are descendants of the first hearers and spreaders of the Gospel,” Deacon Heyer said. “We owe it to them to support them, in gratitude.”
Joining him for the meeting in Philadelphia to raise awareness of the order and recruit new members were Michael J.L. La Civita, lieutenant for the Eastern Lieutenancy in New York, local delegate David Savage and Chancellor George Gunning IV.
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