Four Limestone Coast people from a variety of backgrounds will be invested into the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller this weekend.
Grant District Mayor Kylie Boston, Commander Sandy Coulson CSM RAN Rtd, Salvation Army Corps leader Millicent/Mount Gambier Tim Frost and Ben Hood MLC will be invested on Saturday at 11am at Mount Gambier’s St Pauls Roman Catholic Church.
The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller is a Christian, chivalric and ecumenical organisation.
It was established in 1048 by Brother Gérard of Amalfi to provide care for Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem.
Today, it continues its mission of charity and service to those in need.
The Order of Saint John has 300 members in Australia with a Priory in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. A Commandery will shortly be established in New Zealand. Membership of the Order is by invitation.
The four people being invested this weekend will form the nucleus of what will hopefully become a Limestone Coast Commandery which will be a Commandery of the Priory of South Australia.
The Priory focuses on charitable activities and community service.
The Priory of SA, an Adelaide based Commandery, has donated over $600,000 to the Mary Potter Hospice Foundation, along with donations to other charities it has supported. This includes assistance to those affected by bush fires and support for the work of a cancer clinic in Papua New Guinea. The chosen local charity is In Home Hospice Care based in Mount Gambier and funds are already being raised for donation.
The Prior of South Australia Chevalier Peter Robertson CJSJ who is hosting the investiture and lunch to be held after the event at the Commodore Motel, has already extended his thanks to the Parish of St Pauls led by Father Peter Zwaans, and Father Olek Stirrat for the welcome the Priory organisers have received.
Chevalier Robertson said he appreciated the support of the congregation, organist, and choir and hoped that members of the parish would attend the investitures. He also said the four initial investitures would enable the Priory to extend its membership to the Limestone Coast, furthering its commitment to serving those in need.
“The new Knights and Dames will hopefully identify other people from the region interested in fund raising for the In-Home Hospice Care group and other groups as the need arises,” he said.
The Investitures will be conducted by the Grand Prior of the Order of Saint John Knights Hospitaller Australasia His Excellency Bailiff David Wilckens OSJ.
