Equestrian Order of Holy Sepulchre focuses on Ubi Caritas at their annual meeting

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Members of the Salt Lake Area of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem are shown at the annual meeting of the Western Lieutenancy in Los Angeles Sept. 22-26.

Ray and Rolinda Dardano

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

Nineteen members of the Salt Lake Area of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem attended the annual meeting of the Western Lieutenancy in Los Angeles Sept. 22-26.  The faith-filled weekend included several Masses, retreats, prayer and Adoration and fellowship, led by H.E., Dame Margaret A. Romano, DGCHS, Lieutenant of the Western USA Lieutenancy.

The EOHSJ is a papal order dating back to the 11th century and is dedicated to the service of the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

Attending the annual meeting were almost 600 members from the nine dioceses in the Lieutenancy, including H.E., The Most Reverend Jose H. Gomez, KC*HS, Grand Prior Western USA Lieutenancy; H.E., Roger Cardinal Mahoney, KGCHS; H.E., Robert Cardinal McElroy, KC*HS; 12 bishops and many priests and deacons. The North American Vice Governor General, H.E., Sir Thomas Pogge, KGCHS, also attended the meeting along with H.E., Knight of the Collar Sir Patrick Powers.

More than 60 new members were invested at the investiture Mass, including Salt Lake Area investees Sir George Michalko, KHS, Dame Nancy Michalko, DHS, Sir Victor Siebeneck, KHS and Dame Angela Siebeneck, DHS.

Salt Lake Area members receiving a promotion in the Order were Sir James Seaman, KGCHS, Dame Madalyn Seaman, DGCHS, Sir Jed Durbano, KCHS, Dame Susan Durbano, DCHS and Dame Maria-Cruz Gray, DCHS.

Intentions at the memorial Mass for the deceased members in the past year included Salt Lake Area deceased members Sir John Henkels, KCHS and Sir Gary Cosmo Young, KGCHS.  

Many members commented that they look forward to this meeting as a spiritual retreat that helps them with their personal sanctification and allows them to focus on our call to love and serve our fellow Christians in the Holy Land. Close friendships are developed across the membership as we come together to worship as ONE. Thank you to the LA EOHSJ council for the UBI Caritas Annual Meeting “Where charity and love are, God is there.”

The annual meeting of the Western Lieutenancy will be held in Salt Lake City in October of 2024. Area members attending this year’s meeting were already getting excited and discussing the opportunity they have to host a remarkably spiritual weekend in a few years.

Ray and Rolinda Dardano are Salt Lake Area Co-Councillors of the Salt Lake Area of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.