Four priests from the Diocese of Baton Rouge were recently invested as chaplains in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
Father Matthew Graham, Father Chris Decker, Father Josh Johnson and Father David Dawson were invested as chaplains in order with the rank of knight May 29 during the plenary gathering of the Southeastern Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher at Immaculate Conception Church in New Orleans, perhaps more commonly known as the “Jesuit church.”
“I consider it a great honor to be counted among the ranks of the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher,” said Father Decker, pastor at St. Mary of False River Church in New Roads. “This is a beautiful opportunity to take Jesus at his word to join with others and beg the presence of God to dwell among the lands and peoples that our Lord knew well.”
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem is an ancient Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of The Holy See, of which the pope is the sovereign. Originally, its knights guarded the sites in the Holy Land and cared for the pilgrims who visited them.
Today, the order comprises more than 30,000 members worldwide and assists the religious, spiritual, charitable and social works and rights of the Catholic Church and the Christians in the Holy Land. The order supports the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which receives $10 million annually in donations from members of the order.
The knights also aid Bethlehem University, a college first founded by the De La Salle Brothers. Clergy in the Order of the Holy Sepulcher offer spiritual support and intercession for the activities of the knights and dames.
“It was an honor to be nominated by Bishop (Michael G.) Duca for investiture into the order,” Father Dawson, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church in Livonia, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Maringouin and St. Joseph Church in Grosse Tete, said. “After recently visiting the Holy Land, I saw first-hand how the minority Christian population is persecuted. The order sends close to $1 million annually to the Holy Land to assist them in their needs.
“I am fortunate to be one of the many members who helps our brothers and sisters in Christ through this act of charity.”
Father Graham, pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs, said his interest in supporting Christians in the Holy Land came after a pilgrimage in 2015 with his fellow seminarian classmates.
“It was moving to visit and pray at all of the holy sites but it was just as moving to hear what the church has done and continues to do despite the obstacles. Joining the Order of the Holy Sepulcher for me helps to keep up my commitment to support the church in the Holy Land in a deeper and more personal role,” Father Graham said.
“It was an honor to be invested in the Holy Sepulcher. I am grateful to be entrusted with interceding for the land that was so important to our Lord Jesus Christ,” said Father Johnson, pastor at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge.
Father Decker noted the aims of the order from the beginning were the protection of the sites sacred to Christians and the welfare of the pilgrims and inhabitants of the Holy Land.
“More than a military order, the knights count among their number a chaplain corps to lead in spiritual intercession for the holy places and peoples while asking God for peace among all,” he said. “To be a chaplain of the order means that I not only have a responsibility to pray for peace in the Holy Land and direct alms for the welfare of those who live there, but now specifically join with others who have this same desire.”