Bishop Koenig celebrated Mass and attended dinner with members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on April 9.
The origins of the Order date back to the First Crusade (1096-1099) when its leader, Godfrey de Bouillon, liberated Jerusalem from Islamic expansion and established the “Kingdom of Jerusalem.”
The Order exists under the protection of the Holy See; its Grand Prior is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, currently Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa.
The Order’s mandate originates from the time of the crusader knights who were responsible for protecting the Christian pilgrims traveling to the sacred sites. Today the Order’s members continue to aid the church in the Holy Land and to strengthen the practice of Christian life amongst its members.
