Members gathered after the Solemn Mass of Investiture
Last weekend the Grand
Priory of Great Britain held its annual Investiture in Lancashire. Three Postulants were received into the Order and the Most Revd Much Honoured Chev Michael Chenery, Baron of Horsbrugh and Whitehope KLJ declared his allegance to the Order under the 40th Grand Master.
It was a also good opportunity to pass on the good news to those members who could not travel to Prague last month to see Cardinal Duka invested in the Order
as the Chaplain General for the whole Order, at the splendid St Vitus
Cathedral, in the presence of the Papal Nuncio.
Our
present Grand Master, Jan Count Dobrzenský z Dobrzenicz has been very
keen to enhance our traditional link with the Church, so for example, in
several countries the Order is now recognised as a Pious Union by the
Catholic Church and there is a strong insistence throughout the Order
that, unlike some of the other green cross organisations, members are
forbidden to be Freemasons (again to be in line with the teachings of
the Catholic Church). He has also worked very hard for the Order to
recently become an NGO in Luxembourg and to be granted Consultative Status at the United Nations. You can read more about the Order at our international site and on our British site.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Order or
interested in becoming a member should use the links page on the sites
to contact the Grand Secretary internationally or here in Great Britain.
As to the rest of the weekend, after the Vigil Service on Friday
evening, to invoke the Holy Spirit for the Investiture, the Grand Prior, H.E. the Much Honoured Baron of Fetternear, presented a
cheque for £1,000 to Mr Norman Cutler, representing St Catherine's
Hospice in Leyland. The Hospice is the British charity the Grand Priory is
supporting this year (the international one being SUROL - a leprosy
charity under the patronage of Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, for which we
have raised £9,000).
The Vigil
Postulants praying at the end of the Vigil
After the Vigil there was a Drinks Reception for members and guests.
Mr Norman Cutler receiving the cheque for £1,000 from our Grand Prior and with other members.
Afterwards, we held a Charity Dinner at Farington Lodge.
The Charity Dinner
On Saturday morning we celebrated High Mass with an excellent Schola singing Casali's Mass in G, followed by the Investiture of new members and a Gala Lunch.
The Solemn Mass of Investiture
Drinks Reception after Solemn Mass
Congatulations to our new members and those who were promoted, details to follow!
Atavis et Armis
