Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre traces its origins back to the liberation of Jerusalem in 1099 by Godfrey de Bouillon and his Crusaders. Whilst since then the Order has never completely disappeared, in common with the Holy Land it suffered many vicissitudes during the Middle Ages and beyond.

Today there are more than 25,000 members worldwide organised into 52 Lieutenancies, 24 in Europe, 15 in North America, 5 in South America and 6 in Australia and the Far East. In Australia Lieutenancies exist in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia Victoria and Western Australia. The Lieutenancy in New South Wales was established in 1995.

The Order is the lay organisation entrusted by the Vatican with the task of addressing the material needs of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem the financial support provided by the Order’s members is the Patriarchate’s main source of income.

The Order exists to

• increase in its members the practice of Christian life, in fidelity to the Supreme Pontiff and in accordance with the teachings of the Church;
• through active spiritual and financial charity to provide aid to the Christians of the Holy Land (The Order is the lay organisation entrusted by the Vatican with the task of addressing the material needs of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem the financial support provided by the Order’s members is the Patriarchate’s main source of income).
• to support the cultural, charitable and social institutions and organisations of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, particularly those of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with which the Order has long standing traditional ties.

This organisation is not a service of the Archdiocese of Sydney. Please direct any query to the organisation directly.