Testimonies from some Dames of the Order

“I was chosen”

Anaïs Salamanca (Lieutenancy for Monaco)

“During the Covid 19 crisis, I was able to follow various masses for the Knights and Dames, through “Zoom”. I was delighted to be able to share these times from my home alongside my daughter and my husband. One evening, to my surprise, I got a call, which for me was a sign. Someone had dreamt about me and the dream had been about my Investiture in the Order. Through various exchanges, with an exceptional person from the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and through various meetings with Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre, I then realised the extent and importance of this mission. Joining this Investiture was an honour for me; I was so happy to have been chosen from among so many others. Even today, I still do not know if I am worthy of receiving this title, but I do know that I took it as a sign from elsewhere, I was chosen! And this choice was made for a specific reason, so that I could accomplish, support, help and be available to others. I will offer all my sincerity, all my love and all the availability necessary for this new commitment. I was so Testimonies from some Dames of the Order moved to see my seven-year-old daughter looking at me spellbound at this event. She is so proud, and that allows us to share real values together. The Church’s values are very important to us. At home, this strengthens our bonds of trust as well as makes everything calmer and more compassionate. I thank the Lord for giving me this chance and I will do my best to transmit the true values of Christian life to as many people as possible whom I will meet on my path of life.” 

“I want to help my neighbour and contribute to peace in the Holy Land”

Colombe de Boccard (Lieutenancy for Switzerland)

“On 5th June 2021, I had the immense honour of being invested in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. This celebration, as beautiful as it is solemn, moved me deeply. It made tangible my desire to serve the Church, the Holy Father, to make a commitment to support Eastern Christians, and to cultivate my faith. Being pregnant with our second child at the Investiture, this commitment took on special meaning for me. The kind support and attention of my friend, Donata Krethlow-Benziger and my godfather, Jean-Pierre de GlutzRuchti, during these stages, supported me a lot. I am very grateful to them. My husband is a Knight of the Order of Malta. Thus, through our involvement in these two Orders of the same Christian family, we wish to give a spiritual and charitable dimension to our lives. We also want to pass on these values to our children. It seems to me that the ancient values cultivated by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre –prudence, justice, courage, temperance – are more relevant than ever. They are the foundations of Christian morality, and must be upheld in the 21st century. Through this commitment I wish to help my neighbour and contribute, at my modest level, to peace in the Holy Land”.

“We want to be those people the Order can count on”

Victoria Vergara y Martínez (Lieutenancy for Eastern Spain)

“The most intense and exciting moment of my Christian life was my Investiture in the Cathedral of Barcelona! The sensation had already settled in my heart from the time of my application and it grew during the days of training we had beforehand. As a novice, and the only Dame in this Investiture, I had the honour of representing all my colleagues, and of making a short speech to my henceforth brothersin-robes. This is a summary of what I said on that occasion. What we all felt on entering the Order was the gratitude to be able to be part of this great family and to be able to help the brothers of the Holy Land. We may be few in number, but we are great in our desire to be useful. Given the situation we find ourselves in, this was a long-awaited Investiture, which made us want to get involved even more. We have had time to reflect on the responsibility of this commitment. We want to be those people on whom the Order can count, with initiatives that make our help to the Holy Land grow every day (…).”

(March 2022)