CHARLOTTE — Two members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem received promotions in rank and were recognized during Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral Oct. 10.
Sir Richard and Lady Terri Taylor were promoted to the ranks of Knight Commander and Dame Commander, respectively.
Bishop Peter Jugis offered the order’s annual “Scroll Mass,” which was concelebrated by Father John Putnam, pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville and chaplain of the order’s Charlotte chapter.
Also pictured is Lady Valencia Yvonne Camp, lieutenant of the order’s Middle Atlantic Lieutenancy.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem was founded by the pope during the Crusades when the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem – built upon the site of Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection – came under attack.
Today, members of the order still defend and support the Catholic presence in the Holy Land through their financial contributions.
There are now approximately 30,000 members in 40 nations worldwide.
Members are required to travel regularly on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the global amount of aid they send to support the work of the Latin Patriarchate and the other Catholic institutions in the Holy Land is more than $10 million annually.
Knights and ladies wear capes featuring a thick red “Jerusalem cross” that has four miniature crosses in each corner of the main cross. Each of the five crosses represents the five wounds of Christ.
Learn more about their work at www.holysepulchre.net.
— Photo by James Sarkis