The ‘Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem (EOHSJ) – Lieutenancy of Ireland’ hosted the visit to Ireland of His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from 19 to 22 July 2024.

Since November 2020,  Cardinal Pizzaballa has served as Patriarch of Jerusalem.  The chivalric Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher has a 1,000-year history of sustaining and aiding the Church, and preserving the faith, in the Holy Land.

During his visit Cardinal Pizzaballa presided at the Vigil Mass and Ceremony to invest an Irish Dame and Knights into the EOHSJ.

At this year’s annual ceremony in Saint Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth, one new Dame and eight new Knights were invested into the Order in the presence of Cardinal Seán Brady, GCHS, and all four of Ireland’s Catholic archbishops, including the Primate of All Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin.

The nine join the 30,000 members of the Order worldwide who are organized into 60 ‘Lieutenancies’.  These Lieutenancies stretch from South Africa, to Malaysia, Australasia, North and South America, and the Dominican Republic, the most recently established Lieutenancy.

The Patriarchy of Jerusalem was re-established by Pope Pius IX in 1847.  The name of the Co-Cathedral is ‘The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus’, and it is located in the Old City of Jerusalem.  The cathedral serves the See of the Patriarchate of the Diocese of Jerusalem whose territory includes Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and Palestine.

Prior to his departure from Ireland for Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa concelebrated Mass on Sunday 21 July in Saint Mary’s Pro Cathedral with Archbishop Dermot Farrell, archbishop of Dublin.