More than 120 people attended the Investiture Mass celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB for one of the most ancient orders of Christian chivalry of the Catholic Church.
Held on 19 September 2015, the Mass began with a procession into St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth, of 60 members of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Lieutenancy of Western Australia.
In what can only be described as an inspiring celebration centred around a tradition dating back to the late 11th and early 12th centuries, four knights: Douglas Edward Barlow, Adrian Praveen Gnanamuthu, Freddie Swee Han Low, Joachim Teet Sin Wong, and two dames: Catherine Alice Barlow and Francisca Chai Hong Lim, took a decisive step in their ministry.
Each was robed with new vestments of the order after investiture; black berets and white capes with the red Jerusalem cross for the men; black mantillas and black robes for the women.
Surrounded by knights and dames in their full regalia, and in front of an altar adorned with the Cross of Jerusalem, the candidates went through the investiture process. This included verbalising a request to the Archbishop, who then individually accepts their promise.
At a Vigil service the night before, the candidates had sworn and signed an Oath of Allegiance to the Order, which the Archbishop countersigned at the Mass.
The Knights were then dubbed with the sword by the Archbishop and handed the Insignia of the Order (Cross of Jerusalem). Dames also received the Insignia but were spared the sword.
In his homily for the occasion, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe laid emphasis on the vocational aspect of belonging to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, labelling it both a unique and valuable form of life that not everyone may be called to follow.
“Each of us is called by God to take our place, and play our part, in the rich mystery of the Church. You have been called to your own vocation, the vocation we are celebrating today,” the Archbishop said.
“What each form of life and each specific ministry or mission in the Church has in common is the fact that these are all pathways of discipleship, ways of living out our baptism, God-given opportunities for us to become the people God has created us to be. They have been revealed to us as our unique vocation from the Lord,” the Archbishop added.
Commenting on the day’s Gospel, the parable of the sower, Archbishop Costelloe reminded those present of the precious seed of faith that they had received. He also spoke about the importance of being a “sower of the seed”.
“How well have we tried to understand the nature of the soil in which we are called to sow our seed? And even before we reflect on that question, we might ask if we are really out there, diligently and patiently sowing the seed, as God is asking us to do.
“After all, any vocation given by the Lord is never given just as a personal and private gift. It is always given as a gift to share with others,” he said.
Commenting on the Investiture Mass, which is an annual event, Lieutenant of Western Australia Jack Gardner KC HS stated that the Mass itself is a witness of the work of the Order and is therefore “a fundamental pillar of ministry. We were delighted to have Archbishop Costelloe celebrate this Mass for us and encourage us, as he did, through words which support us in the various works we undertake”.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is the only lay institution of the Vatican State charged with the task of providing for the needs of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and all the activities and initiatives to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land. The contributions made by its members are, therefore, the Patriarchal institution’s main source of funding.
The Order contributes to the preservation of ecclesiastical bodies, hospitals, dispensaries, laboratories and social centres. It finances 68 parishes, 40 nursery schools and elementary schools, 26 lower secondary and seven high schools. Its staff consists of 862 teachers, 107 nuns and 18,000 pupils of all religious faiths.
The first Australian Lieutenancy was established in Western Australia in 1985. Then followed NSW and Victoria in 1995, Queensland in 1997, the North Queensland Section in 2002 and, finally, South Australia in 2003. There are more than 350 members in Australia.
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