KNIGHTS OF CHRIST

URSZULA BUGLEWICZ

The Polish supremacy of the Knights’ Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (OESSH) chose Lublin as a place for its investiture in 2012, that is, liturgical celebrations connected with accepting new members – five knights and one lady and a priest. The solemn Holy Mass with the ceremonies on investiture was celebrated in the Lublin arch-cathedral on 9 June under the leadership of Cardinal Józef Glemp, a senior primate, and also a great prior of the Polish supremacy.

The investiture in which priests, knights and ladies with the superior of the Order commander Karol Bolesław Szlenker and the Council of the Polish Supremacy OESSH, was marked with the presence of guests in various places and events of Lublin. Apart from the meetings connected with the investiture which took place, among the others, at the Catholic University of Lublin of John Paul II and the parish church under the invocation of St. Andrzej Bobola, one could see the Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem at the Central Corpus Christi Procession and a concert devoted to the memory of Blessed John Paul II. The residents of Lublin were admiringly looking at knights wearing white coats and ladies wearing black cloaks. Jerusalem crosses, clearly marked on their robes directed thoughts towards the Holy Land, awakening the desire in hearts to get to know the places connected with life and activity of Jesus Christ, as well as care about the contemporary face of this land.

The summit of the meeting, preceded, among the others, by vigil at the relics of the wood of the cross, was the solemn Holy Mass with the ceremonies of investiture. It was celebrated by a few dozen priests, under the leadership of Cardinal Józef Glemp, among whom the rector of the Catholic University of Lublin was present – Fr. Prof. Stansław Wilk. – I thank the Supremacy in Poland that they wanted to choose Lublin for the celebration, a town rich in traditions, pulsing with life and various activities in the spirit of the Gospel – said archbishop Stanislaw Budzik, welcoming priests, ladies and knights in the cathedral, as well as candidates for the Order. – Lublin is a great history of our homeland – said Cardinal Józef Glemp, justifying the choice of the place for the investiture. He recalled golden cards of history connected with the times of Jagiellonian dynasty, Union of Lublin and creating and acting of the Catholic University of Lublin into which Blesses John Paul II has been inscribed through his presence and work.

Explaining the importance of the investiture to the gathered, Cardinal Józef Glemp emphasized that it was putting on new robes. – The first investiture for the man is baptism. Freeing oneself from the original sin and putting on white robes submerges the man into death and the resurrection of Christ and lays specific obligations on him – said the primate. – Growing up and undertaking various tasks, the man realizes in the service directed to Christ. For some people the next investiture will be wearing a school uniform, and for others – wearing uniforms characteristic for a particular job or wearing a cassock. For, new robes always mean new tasks and functions. Wearing robes by the Knights’ Order of the Holy Sepulchre means their faithful service to the ideal which is summarized in the symbolism of the empty grave of Christ – explained the cardinal. Among the main tasks for ladies and knights of the Holy Sepulchre the Great prior mentioned, among the others, serving to the basic truth about the Resurrection of Christ and care about the Lord’s Grave in Jerusalem. – Faithful to knight’s ideals, you are supposed to be ready to defend what is the most important. For the ethos of the knight: a noble, good, ready to bear a sacrifice, built on God and cultivated as a noble virtue, there is a special demand in the contemporary world – he emphasized. In response, the candidates expressed their readiness to be faithful to the universal ideals of ‘becoming Christ’s soldier, fight for Christ’s kingdom, spreading of the Church and undertaking charity service in the spirit of faith and love’. As a sign of being accepted to the Order, the knights, a lady and a priest receive the insignia of the knights’ Order: Jerusalem crosses and coats.

During the Holy Mass there were also commodore’s promotions and decorations with medals ‘Glory of the Polish Supremacy of the Knights’ Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’. The supreme distinction awarded to the members of the Order and other people for their attitude and the merits for the sake of the Polish Supremacy OESSH were given to Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik and Fr. Prof. Stanislaw Wilk.

(AA)

"Niedziela" 26/2012

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl