The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an international Christian chivalric Order.
It is non-political, ecumenical and non-denominational, its membership is by invitation and is open to men and women who are practising members of the Christian faith in good standing within their particular denomination. Its international membership consists of Roman Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox and other Christian denominations.
Its members are committed to seeking to live their lives with charity in a manner that embodies the Christian spirit. The Order is dedicated to the care and assistance of the poor and the defence of the Christian faith and the principles of Christian chivalry.
The Order has been in continual existence since the year 1098 and was established in Australia in 1979.
The Grand Priory of Australia comprises seven Commanderies centred on the various capital cities.
Membership is confined to a Commandery. Commandery activities include meetings, special religious services and fundraising events. Once a year a National Chapter- effectively a general meeting of the Grand Priory – is held in a capital city over four days and to which all members are invited. A highlight of the National Chapter weekend is the Investiture of new members and the advancement in rank or award of others.
Under the governance of the 50th Grand Master,
His Excellency Don Francisco de Borbón, Graf von Hardenberg GCLJ (J) GClLJ
The Grand Prior of the Order in Australia is
Chevalier Roderick Edward Scurrah KCLJ CMLJ
The Chancellor of the Order in Australia is
Chevalier Anthony Kennedy OAM KHS KCLJ OMLJ
The National Council is responsible for the administration of the Order in Australia
There are Seven Commanderies in the Australian Grand Priory:
ACT, NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania, Victoria, WA
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About the Australian Grand Priory
The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an international Christian chivalric Order. It is non-political, ecumenical and non-denominational, its membership is by invitation and is open to men and women who are practising members of the Christian faith in good standing within their particular denomination. Its international membership consists of Roman Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox and other Christian denominations.
The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an international self-governing and independent body, having its own Constitution and a presence in 37 countries.
Its members are committed to seeking to live their lives with charity in a manner that embodies the Christian spirit. The Order is dedicated to the care and assistance of the poor and the defence of the Christian faith and the principles of Christian chivalry.
The Order has been in continual existence since the year 1098 and was established in Australia in 1979. The Grand Priory of Australia comprises seven Commanderies centred on the various capital cities.
Membership is confined to a Commandery. Commandery activities include meetings, special religious services and fundraising events. The Order is both a military and a hospitaller order. Accordingly, there are ranks of membership. Advancement through the Order is largely dependent on the member’s commitment to giving, and their voluntary work within and outside the Order. Christian worship and ceremony underpins the Order’s charitable works. In addition to promotion through the ranks of the Order, awards are made for services rendered to supported charities or to the Order itself.
An International Christian Chivalric Order
We are part of an international organisation. There is a Grand Magistry that oversights Jurisdictions in countries across the world. The Grand Magistry website can be found at: st-lazarus.net.
We have a Grand Master (currently the 50th in a long line of Grand Masters): His Excellency Don Francisco de Borbón, Graf von Hardenburg – Spain (picture at right).
The traditional headquarters in the past have been at Boigny, in France, and the Castello Lanzun, in Malta, which has been fully restored and also contains the Order’s archives. The seat of the Order is now in Madrid (the residence of the Grand Master) in the San Domingo el Real monastery, and the Grand nobiliary proofs, and Grace for other members
Members rank in the following grades: Member, Officer, Commander, Knight or Dame, Knight or Dame Commander, Knight or Dame Grand Cross. As a mark of the Grand Master’s special esteem, the Order may also award a Collar to a head of State and very occasionally to its high dignitaries. The Order also confers decorations of merit to its members and to individuals not necessarily members of the Order who have contributed, by their service, to its humanitarian work.
The Order is wholly Christian, ecumenical and non-denominational and has Christian unity as an objective. The members are committed to seek to live their lives with strength, simplicity and charity in a manner that embodies the Christian spirit that has enlivened the Order for nearly a thousand years. The Order is, in part, a military Order and so each office-bearer under- takes the duties allotted and becomes the officer primarily responsible for their fulfilment, earning the support and active assistance of fellow members. The Order is, in part, a hospitaller Order and so its objective will always be that members serve to alleviate the plight of the sick and poor, whether they suffer a deficiency in spiritual or physical health, or a poverty of means necessary to live with dignity.
Every person proposed for admission into the Order must be a practising member of the Christian faith and shall be of sound mind and of such means and position as will enable him or her to live honourably and to observe the laws and decrees of the Order. Each Postulant must prove that he or she is a person of irreproachable conduct, honour and integrity.
A number of obligations are demanded of members when admitted to the Order. All members have to observe the Constitution of the Order and to obey their senior officers. There are some financial obligations. Each member is required to pay annual fees and to give funds (according to their own discretion) and provide services (according to ability) to the hospitaller work for the sick, the homeless and disadvantaged members of the community who are in need.
Also it is expected that every member will endeavour, where possible, to support the Order by attendance at as many of its events as possible including Commandery meetings, Commandery functions, the Commandery annual Saint Lazarus service, annual National Chapter meetings and Investitures. There are also international meetings which members can attend. Members are encouraged to pray regularly for the well-being and extension of the Order.
Governance of The Order
The Grand Master is the supreme head of the Order and to him is delegated all power and authority of the Chapter General. The Chapter General, is the supreme governing body and repository of all power in the Order, when convened. When the Chapter General it not convened, this power is delegated to, and vested in the Grand Master. The Grand Magistral Council is the principal policy making body of the Order. The Grand Executive Committee is the principal governing body of the Order, with responsibility to oversee and co-ordinate the execution of the policies adopted by the Grand Magistral Council. The Grand Master appoints the Principal Grand Officers of the Order – the most senior being the Grand Commander of the Order. The Heads of National Jurisdictions are appointed by the Grand Master on the recommendation of the relevant national body.
Chancery and administrative offices are in Washington DC. While the Order’s original and traditional humanitarian activities are in the field of leprosy, the Order is dedicated to guard, assist, succour and help the poor, the sick and dying, to promote and maintain the principles of Christian chivalry and to follow the teachings of Christ and His Holy Church in all its works.
The Order looks to His Beatitude, Youssef Absi, Greek Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, for spiritual support as the constitutional Spiritual Protector.
There are two categories of membership in the Order: Justice, for individuals able to submit
Its world membership numbers approximately 7000 members in Grand Priories, Grand Bailiwicks, Priories, Commanderies and Delegations on the five continents.
Members agree that the principal features of the Order’s activities are the enjoyable atmosphere of social engagement with like-minded people in a formal setting, with the deep sense of gratification that can only come from successful fundraising for the chosen charities.
The Australian Grand Priory has in recent years raised hundreds of thousands of dollars per annum from fundraising activities.
National Chapter
Once a year a National Chapter – effectively a general meeting of the Grand Priory of Australia – is held in a capital city over four days and to which all members are invited. The National Chapter includes the Investiture of new members and the advancement in rank or award of others
Members rank in the following grades: Member, Officer, Commander, Knight or Dame, Knight or Dame Commander, Knight or Dame Grand Cross. As a mark of the Grand Master’s special esteem, the Order may also award a Collar to a head of State and very occasionally to its high dignitaries. The Order also confers decorations of merit to its members and to individuals not necessarily members of the Order who have contributed, by their service, to its humanitarian work.According to our Christian beliefs, charity is held to be the ultimate expression of the human spirit, bringing us closer to the true essence of God. The activities of the Order attempt to bring its members towards this state of grace through application of charitable giving and hands-on charitable activities.