On the weekend of April 15 and 16, 2023 members of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem gathered in Montreal for a regional Investiture weekend, hosted by the Montreal Commandery of the Order.
The weekend centred on the Investiture ceremonies, which consisted of two parts.
The first part, the Investiture Vigil was held on Saturday at St. John’s Lutheran Church, while the second part, the Investiture service proper, was held on Sunday morning at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church as a part of the regular Sunday mass, with Pastor Eric Dyck (Chaplain-General of the Order of St. Lazarus in Canada) preaching and Fr. Marc-Philippe Vincent (Associate Priest at St. John the Evangelist and Commander of the Montreal Commandery of the Order of St. Lazarus) presiding.
These two events are normally held at churches of different denominations to emphasize the Order’s ecumenical nature and mission. During the Investiture the Rev. Joel Amis was received into the Order at the rank of Assistant Chaplain, and the Very Rev. Bertrand Olivier and the Rev. Marc-Philippe Vincent were among those members receiving promotions and commendations.
The weekend also included a visit to Maison St-Raphaël, a palliative care home and day centre in Outremont, supported by the Montreal Commandery. Support for palliative care is a core charitable mission of the Order of St. Lazarus in Canada.
The Order of St. Lazarus is an ecumenical Christian charitable and chivalric order of men and women, tracing its lineage back to the times of the crusader knights. The original mission of the Order was care for those suffering from leprosy (a highly stigmatized disease in the ancient world), but in modern times the mission of the Order has been expanded to include care for the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the dying, promotion of Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation, and the preservation and promotion of the ideals of Christian chivalry.
As a Christian Order of Chivalry, membership in the Order of St. Lazarus is open to men and women who: identify as Christian and strive to follow Christ’s teachings, are of good character and standing in their community, and wish to help others. www.saintlazarus.ca
