History, Mystery, and Majesty

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity. I flew out Wednesday evening and landed in London around noon on Thursday. That afternoon, I attended a meeting of Britannia Legion No. 1 of the Mysteries of Mithras and received the II°. I also assisted in conferring the I°. The evening concluded with a fantastic Festive Board.

Friday morning, I made my way into central London and took a bus to Stonehenge. Located on the windswept Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is one of the most iconic and mysterious monuments of the ancient world. Comprised of a circular layout of massive upright stones, it stands as a testament to Neolithic engineering, religious devotion, and social organization. The most prominent stones (each weighing up to 25 tons) are made of dense sandstone sourced from the Marlborough Downs, about 20 miles north. Interspersed among them are smaller bluestones, weighing 2 to 5 tons, transported from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales (over 150 miles away). This feat of transportation and construction remains astonishing.

Construction began around 3100 BC and unfolded over 1,500 years in several major phases. The earliest stage featured a circular ditch and bank enclosure (the "henge") dug with antler picks, along with a raised inner bank and a wide entrance aligned with the midsummer sunrise. Within this circle, timber or early stone uprights may have been erected. Soon after, 56 pits (now called Aubrey Holes) were dug, possibly for posts, stones, or cremated remains.

By 2900 BC, timber structures dominated the site, which likely served as a sacred burial and ceremonial space. Around 2600 BC, the most dramatic transformation occurred: the arrival of the bluestones and the beginning of the iconic stone circle. Their transportation likely involved sledges, rollers, and possibly river or sea routes.

Around 2500 BC, massive sandstone blocks from the Marlborough Downs were added to form the outer circle and the inner horseshoe of trilithons (two upright stones with a horizontal lintel). These stones are aligned with solstice events, suggesting a deeply spiritual, astronomical purpose. Builders used sophisticated joinery techniques such as mortise-and-tenon joints and tongue-and-groove fittings, indicating advanced woodworking knowledge applied to megalithic construction.

Later generations rearranged the bluestones, added ceremonial avenues, and constructed surrounding barrows and mounds. By 1600 BC, construction ceased, though the site remained a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Even into the Iron Age and Roman periods, Stonehenge saw sporadic activity before gradually falling into ruin.

After visiting Stonehenge, the bus took me to Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century after his victory in 1066, Windsor Castle has been continuously inhabited for nearly 1,000 years. The castle’s site was chosen for its strategic military advantages as well as its proximity to London. 

Initially, a motte-and-bailey structure with a wooden keep, the castle evolved significantly over time. Under King Henry II, stone replaced wood, and by King Henry III’s reign, a royal chapel and improved living quarters had elevated it to a major royal residence.

King Edward III, born at Windsor, began a sweeping Gothic transformation and founded the Order of the Garter in 1348, using St. George’s Chapel as its spiritual home. This chapel remains a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and a key site of royal worship.

The Tudor monarchs made minor alterations. King Henry VIII used Windsor for hunting and security, while Queen Elizabeth I sought refuge there during political and religious unrest. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces seized the castle and used it as a prison. Restoration came under King Charles II, who refurnished the interiors in Baroque splendor.

Subsequent monarchs, notably King George IV, transformed Windsor into the Gothic revival palace seen today. Queen Victoria made it her principal residence and established it as both a family home and a national symbol. Following the devastating 1992 fire, the castle was meticulously restored, funded in part by the first-ever public tours of Buckingham Palace.

Today, Windsor Castle remains a functioning royal residence, hosting state events, serving as the home of the Order of the Garter, and housing the tombs of monarchs, including King Henry VIII, King Charles I, King George VI, Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth II.

On Saturday, I set out to explore parts of London I had missed on my previous visit. In the early morning, I visited the Museum of the Order of St. John. Formally known as The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, this royal order of chivalry traces its lineage to the medieval Knights Hospitaller.

Suppressed in England by King Henry VIII in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the order's lands were seized, and its presence faded until a Victorian revival in the 19th century. Inspired by Crusader ideals and driven by the need for organized medical aid, philanthropists founded the St. John Ambulance Association in 1877. A uniformed Brigade followed in 1887, and, in 1888, Queen Victoria granted a royal charter, re-establishing the order under the Crown.

Today, the order operates worldwide through charitable institutions like St. John Ambulance and the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, serving all regardless of background.

I then made my way to St. Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest surviving church. Founded in 1123 by Rahere, a courtier-turned-cleric who experienced a vision of St. Bartholomew during a pilgrimage to Rome, the church began as part of a priory and hospital complex. Built in the Norman Romanesque style, it features thick walls, rounded arches, and massive columns. The chancel, transept, and ambulatory still survive, while the nave was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII.

Despite this, the choir was preserved as a parish church, and the Lady Chapel was finally restored in the 19th century. The church escaped both the Great Fire of 1666 and the World War II bombings. Today, it is a vibrant Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of London and a living relic of England’s medieval past.

From there, I navigated the growing crowds to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Founded in 1824 with the acquisition of banker John Julius Angerstein’s collection, the gallery was intended as a public institution - open to all, not just the elite. Its neoclassical building, completed in 1838, now houses over 2,300 works spanning the 13th to early 20th centuries.

The National Gallery is especially strong in the Italian Renaissance, Dutch Golden Age, and British schools. It stands out not only for its masterworks by Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Turner, and Monet, but also for its commitment to public access and conservation leadership.

My final stop was the Churchill War Rooms, located beneath the Treasury building in Whitehall. These underground chambers served as the nerve center of Britain’s wartime leadership during WWII. Constructed in 1939 just before war broke out, the rooms were operational by late August and remained active throughout the conflict.

Here, Churchill and his cabinet met, military movements were tracked in the Map Room, and decisions were made amid the Luftwaffe’s aerial attacks. After the war, the site was mothballed and largely forgotten until the 1970s. The Imperial War Museum opened it to the public in 1984, preserving it as a powerful reminder of Britain’s darkest and finest hours.

It was a quick trip, but an eventful one. From ancient stones to sacred churches, royal halls to wartime bunkers, I walked through centuries of history in just a few days. England remains a land where the mythic, the majestic, and the meaningful still converge.

Order of the Holy Sepulchre

Introduction

Today known as the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre is an ancient and unique chivalric order among Christian knighthoods. As a Christian and a Knight Templar who has had the privilege of standing before the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, this most sacred site is dear to my heart. The site of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection has inspired countless Christians to take up spiritual or literal arms in its defense. Among those defenders was a group of knights formed during the First Crusade under the banner of the red Jerusalem Cross: the predecessors of what would become the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. 

History

The Order’s genesis lies in the tumultuous period following the conquest of Jerusalem by the Seljuk Turks in 1070 AD. The Seljuk Turks, a group of nomadic Turkish warriors from Central Asia, had embraced Islam during their conquests of Persia and the Middle East. Emerging from what is now northern Iran, they captured Baghdad in 1055 AD and Jerusalem in 1070 AD before pushing into Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), then part of the Byzantine Empire. In 1071 AD, the Seljuks famously defeated the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, capturing Emperor Romanus IV Diogenes and paving the way for further encroachments into Christian territory. Over the next two decades, they solidified control over Anatolia and eventually wrested Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate in 1077 AD. Unlike the Fatimids, who were Shia and had allowed Christian pilgrimage, the Sunni Seljuks imposed severe restrictions on Christian access to the Holy City. This shift is widely considered a catalyst for the Crusades.

Romanus's successor, Emperor Michael VII Ducas, pleaded with Pope Gregory VII for assistance in repelling the Turks and recovering the Holy Sepulchre. Though Pope Gregory envisioned a united Christendom and a military expedition, his papacy ended in exile due to conflicts with Henry IV. The plea resurfaced under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who requested aid from Pope Urban II. By 1095 AD, the Seljuks had also seized Antioch and Nicaea, cities steeped in Christian tradition and ecumenical councils.

Pope Urban II responded by convening the Council of Clermont, where he urged Western Christians to unite in defense of their Eastern brethren and to liberate the Holy Land. His impassioned plea ignited the First Crusade. The cry “Deus Lo Vult!” (God wills it!) resounded throughout Europe, galvanizing knights and commoners alike.

When Jerusalem was finally taken in 1099 AD, Godfrey de Bouillon declined the title of King and instead adopted the humbler role of “Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri” (“Advocate or Defender of the Holy Sepulchre”). He entrusted the city and its sacred relics to a newly formed community of Canons Regular and knightly defenders known as the Milites Sancti Sepulcri. These knights took on a semi-monastic lifestyle, pledging themselves to poverty, chastity, and obedience while defending the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and surrounding Christian territories.

Pope Paschal II recognized this brotherhood in 1113 AD, and Pope Callistus II formally defined their duties in 1121 AD. The knights were integrated into a chapter governed by the Augustinian Rule and directly associated with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Hugh de Payens, who later founded the Knights Templar, is believed to have served among the Milites Sancti Sepulcri before establishing the Templars in 1119 AD. Thus, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre occupies a unique niche in the development of Christian chivalry - distinct from, yet intersecting with, the Templars and Hospitallers.

Unlike other Crusader Orders, the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre were inherently tied to ecclesiastical authority. Their distinctive red Jerusalem Cross became a powerful symbol of faith, sacrifice, and Christian sovereignty in the Holy Land.

Decline and Dispersion

Following Saladin’s reconquest of Jerusalem in 1187 AD and the Fall of Acre in 1291 AD, the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and its supporting military institutions were scattered. The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre took refuge in Acre and later dispersed across the Mediterranean basin. While the Templars and Hospitallers retained centralized command structures and military objectives, the Holy Sepulchre knights became a more loosely affiliated body, their original role as defenders of the church and city gradually eroding.

The Franciscans emerged as spiritual successors to the knights in Jerusalem. By Papal decree, they were entrusted with custodianship of the Christian holy sites. In 1330 AD, Pope John XXII designated the Franciscan Prior in Jerusalem as Custodian of the Holy Sepulchre, responsible for welcoming new knights into the Order. The Franciscans maintained the Order’s spiritual mission throughout the centuries, often under Muslim or Ottoman rule.

The Order’s continuity during this period of dormancy was ensured by scattered priories in Europe. In places like Spain, France, and Poland, men were still invested under the red Jerusalem cross, often in recognition of spiritual zeal or social service. Yet the lack of central authority led to a loss of cohesion and the Order’s gradual eclipse by more institutionalized chivalric bodies.

Suppression and Revival

In 1489 AD, Pope Innocent VIII attempted to merge the Order with the more militarily active Knights of Malta, seeking administrative efficiency and centralized control. This union lasted only seven years before Pope Alexander VI reversed it in 1496 AD, restoring the Order to independent status. He reserved the title of Grand Master for the Pope himself and future pontiffs, distancing the Order from Franciscan administration and formalizing its existence under Papal authority.

Despite this restoration, the Order languished in obscurity for centuries. It was not until the 19th century, with the re-establishment of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1847 AD, that the Order was revived in earnest. Pope Pius IX modernized the Order’s structure, vested the Latin Patriarch with the title Grand Prior, and defined new ranks: Knight, Commander, and Grand Cross.

In 1868 AD, Pius IX opened the Order to women, making it the first international chivalric order to do so. The first Dame, Contessa Maria Francesca di Tomas, was admitted in 1871 AD.

In 1949 AD, Pope Pius XII instituted further reforms. He transferred the role of Grand Master from the Papacy to a Cardinal of the Church and designated the 15th-century Palazzo dei Penitenzieri as the Order’s headquarters in Rome. This monumental building, built by Cardinal della Rovere (later Pope Julius II), remains the Order’s administrative center to this day.

Modern Structure and Governance

The Equestrian Order today operates as a Public Association of the Faithful under Canon Law. Its governance is shared between ecclesiastical and lay authorities. The Grand Master, a Cardinal appointed by the Pope, oversees the entire Order with the support of the Grand Magisterium, a body that includes the Governor General, Vice Governors, and Chancellor.

The Order is structured geographically into Lieutenancies, which may be further divided into Sections and Delegations. Each has both lay and clerical leadership. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem serves as the Grand Prior, reinforcing the Order’s connection to the Holy Land and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Globally, the Order includes around 30,000 active members in nearly 60 Lieutenancies. Membership is reserved for practicing Roman Catholics. Unlike the Orders of Malta or Papal orders that include non-Catholics, the Equestrian Order requires a formal Profession of Faith as part of its investiture.

Mission and Charity

The Order’s modern mission is to support the Catholic presence in the Holy Land. This is achieved primarily through financial and spiritual support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Since the end of the 19th century, the Order has funded the construction of patriarchal schools across the Levant. In a region where Christians now comprise only 2-4% of the population, the Order’s focus on education, infrastructure, and community support is a form of quiet resistance against depopulation and extremism.

The Order’s contributions also fund parishes, seminaries, orphanages, clinics, and housing projects. While the Knights and Dames are not required to live communally or take vows of celibacy or poverty, they are called to live exemplary Christian lives of service and fidelity to the Church.

Chivalric Identity

As a Knight Templar, I find resonances with the Order’s commitment to Christianity. Our own oaths include the defense of the Christian religion and the call to serve with humility and fidelity. Yet our rituals are allegorical and initiatic, whereas the Equestrian Orders are sacramental and ecclesiastical. Masonic Templary is open to Christians of various denominations, emphasizing brotherhood and moral virtue. The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, by contrast, is unambiguously Roman Catholic in governance and theology. Nonetheless, both traditions are animated by the memory of Jerusalem, the tomb of Christ, and the call to chivalric virtue. My visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre revealed how transcendent that sacred space truly is. Its holiness is shared by all who follow Christ.

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre has long inspired Christian chivalric ideals of devotion, sacrifice, and service to the faith. Beyond its direct influence within Roman Catholicism, the ethos and symbolism of the Order have found resonance in other Christian and fraternal communities. Even within the Masonic family of concordant and appendant bodies, a similar reverence appears in the degree of the Holy Sepulchre found within the Red Cross of Constantine. This degree, conferred in the context of Christian Masonic knighthood, reflects the themes of resurrection, sacred duty, and the defense of the faith. It emphasizes the symbolism of the empty tomb and draws upon the legacy of early Christian devotion to the site of Christ’s burial and resurrection. Although it is not historically linked to the Catholic Order, the spiritual parallels suggest a common ideal.

Conclusion

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is more than a relic of Crusader history. It is a living embodiment of Catholic chivalry, adapting ancient vows to modern acts of charity, and sustaining the Christian presence in the cradle of the Faith. Though I am not of the Roman obedience, I regard this Order with profound admiration. Its knights and dames represent a model of disciplined, faithful engagement with the challenges of our time.

As the Church and world face rising secularism, extremism, and division, the Order's work in the Holy Land stands as a testament to what Christian action, rooted in faith and charity, can achieve. May all who wear the red cross of Jerusalem continue to walk in the footsteps of the risen Christ, bearing witness to His love through both sword and sacrament, prayer and deed.

References

1. Holy Sepulchre.net. (n.d.). About the Order: History and structure. http://www.holysepulchre.net/history/structure.html

2. Holy Sepulchre.net. (n.d.). Insignia and uniform. http://www.holysepulchre.net/insignia_uniform/insignia.html

3. Holy Sepulchre.net. (n.d.). Order activities in the Holy Land. http://www.holysepulchre.net/history/activities.html

4. Holy Sepulchre.net. (n.d.). The Order’s history and revival. http://www.holysepulchre.net/history/history.html

5. OESSH. (n.d.). Who we are: History of the Order. https://www.oessh.va/content/ordineequestresantosepolcro/en/chi-siamo/histoire.html

6. St. Louis Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. (n.d.). Origins. https://www.sleohs.com/pages/origins.html

7. Southwestern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. (n.d.). About us. https://www.eohssouthwest.com/#about

8. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. (n.d.). The Order of the Holy Sepulchre. https://www.lpj.org/en/the-patriarchate/order-of-the-holy-sepulchre

9. Vatican Order of the Holy Sepulchre. (n.d.). Operational structure. https://www.oessh.va/content/ordineequestresantosepolcro/en/chi-siamo/la-struttura-operativa-dell-ordine.html

The Pentecost

Today is the Pentecost which marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and followers of Jesus fifty days after Easter. 

This event, described in the New Testament book of Acts, occurred in Jerusalem during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, attracting a diverse crowd. The Apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, began speaking in different languages, enabling them to communicate with people from various regions - a symbolic reversal of the Tower of Babel's confusion of languages. Many churches mark this as the establishment of the Christian Church. 

Pentecost symbolizes unity in diversity among believers and the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Moreover, the Pentecost underscores the universal mission to proclaim the Gospel to all people.

The celebration of Pentecost is marked by various customs and traditions within the Christian community. Churches often decorate their sanctuaries with symbols of fire and doves, representing the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit. Special liturgies, prayers, and hymns focus on the themes of unity, empowerment, and mission.

In addition to its religious observance, Pentecost also holds cultural significance in many parts of the world. In some countries, Pentecost is celebrated with festivals, parades, and other communal gatherings, highlighting the diversity of expressions within the global Christian family.

Ultimately, Pentecost invites believers to reflect on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It challenges us to renew our commitment to the mission of spreading the gospel and building God's kingdom on earth. As we commemorate Pentecost each year, may we be reminded of the profound truth that we are not alone, for the Spirit of God dwells within us, guiding, empowering, and uniting us in love.