What are the activities of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre?

What are the activities of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre?

 

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, present in all continents through Sections and Delegations into which Lieutenancies or Magistral Delegations are divided, promotes initiatives and meetings in support of the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

Each Lieutenancy (or Magistral Delegation, when the Order is still in the process of foundation) manages the donations of its members according to rigorous accounting rules, in order to present an annual budget to the Grand Magisterium.

In fact, it is the central organ of the Order’s governing body which coordinates the entire aid sent to Latin Patriarchate, which counts about 60 parishes, around 40 schools and more than 150,000 faithful, in Jordan, Palestine, Israel and Cyprus. The Patriarchate’s institutions, in particular parishes and schools, are always the main focus of this material solidarity which, to a lesser extent, also contributes to specific restoration or construction projects which are always authorized by the Grand Magisterium in Rome. The global amount of aid sent to the Holy Land is more than 10 million Euros each year.

As part of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre also contributes to projects in other Biblical lands, such as Egypt or Lebanon.

In addition, members of the Order are required to travel regularly on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, bringing important moral support to the Christians of this region of the world who, in a climate of both economic and political crisis, strive to be protagonists of the "culture of  encounter" in the service of peace.

Knights and Dames are also attentive to being involved within the life of their dioceses, following the directives of the Grand Master, to respond to the needs of the poor, such as welcoming refugees and migrants.