Members of the Order and Living Witnesses of the Gospel

Colombe de Boccard, Dame of Romande Switzerland Section of the Lieutenancy for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, describes the significance of her commitment to the Order for the readers of the Jerusalem Cross

“I had the great honour of taking part in the Investiture Ceremony of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

This celebration, as beautiful as it was solemn, moved me greatly. It gave concrete expression to my desire to serve the Church, the Holy Father, to support the Christians of the East and to cultivate my faith.

As I was pregnant with our second child at the time of the Investiture, this commitment had special significance for me. The kind support and attention of my friend Donata Krethlow-Benziger and my godfather Jean-Pierre de Glutz-Ruchti during this process were of great support. I am very grateful to them.

My husband is a Knight of the Order of Malta. Thus, through our involvement in these two Orders of the same Christian family, we wish to give a spiritual and charitable dimension to our lives. We also want to transmit these values to our children. It seems to me that the secular values cultivated by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, such as prudence, justice, courage, temperance, are more relevant than ever. They are the foundations of Christian morality and must be upheld in the 21st century. With this commitment, I wish to help my neighbour and contribute, in my humble way, to peace in the Holy Land”.

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Luca Montaner, 32, from the Diocese of Lugano, Switzerland, is a Knight of the Order. He recounts the mission of the Order’s members through his experience during the Investiture presided over by the Grand Master in Lugano in the spring of 2022

“After two years during which the pandemic severely restricted the ordinary activities of the Lieutenancy for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, it was finally possible last Spring to organize the new Investitures without any health restrictions. It was deeply moving to once again gather together on a festive occasion: The Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Lugano, packed with so many sisters and brothers, will remain in the minds and hearts of the participants for a long time. It was an opportunity to touch and experience the family atmosphere of the Order first hand. This was also possible thanks to the presence of numerous international guests and the honor of being able to welcome the Grand Master Cardinal Fernando Filoni and Governor General Ambassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone to Ticino.

Gathering around them and with them to pray together, to celebrate the new Dames and Knights allowed us to breathe that air of unity and communion that binds us to the Holy Father and the entire Church. As Dames and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, we are called to be “convinced and sincere ambassadors of Peace and Love”; an important task, especially in these times that seem to have forgotten the principle of fraternity and the common good. Moments like the one we experienced in Lugano are precious, because they help us renew this promise of ours, shared with so many brothers and sisters in the faith, and rebuild those bonds of friendship based on charity, which are the foundations of our mission in the Church and in the World!”

(April 2023)