Order of the Holy Sepulchre Visits Belmont Abbey

We welcomed the Knights and Dames from the Midlands and South Wales and thanked God for their mission and service.

We were delighted to welcome members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem to Belmont today for Mass in honour of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and all the Holy Land, principal patron of the Order.

At a time of continuing suffering and uncertainty in the Holy Land, the visit was a particular opportunity to pray for peace and reconciliation, and for the Christian communities who continue to live and bear witness in the land of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. Through its prayer, pilgrimage and practical support, the Order has a special commitment to sustaining the Church and its people in the Holy Land.

In his homily, Abbot Brendan reflected on the vocation which lies behind membership of the Order:

“Membership is an honour, certainly, but Christian honour always becomes service. The Cross worn upon the cloak points us not towards privilege but towards the Crucified One. And the empty Sepulchre from which the Order takes its name tells us that even death does not have the last word.”

Drawing on the Gospel of the Visitation, Abbot Brendan spoke of Mary as one who receives Christ and then carries Christ to others.  In the same way, the members of the Order are called through their prayers, generosity and practical service to stand alongside the “living stones” of the Holy Land and to support the Christian presence there.

Their visit came in a week in which seven Christians were shot dead by extremists in Jordan at a funeral. The Christian communities in the Middle East are particularly struggling at this time.

The Mass concluded with prayers that Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and all the Holy Land, might protect all who live there and lead that land, so deeply marked by the mysteries of our redemption, towards justice, reconciliation and peace.

Afterwards, the Knights and Dames had lunch together in the Chapterhouse.