
Several Kentuckians in the Archdiocese of Louisville are supporting Christians in the Holy Land through membership in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. They are among 30,000 members worldwide, according to the order’s website, oessh.va.
With origins dating to the first crusade, the order exists to provide for Christians, churches and Christian schools in the Holy Land, said Father Anthony Chandler, a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre. Father Chandler is pastor of Holy Spirit and St. Leonard churches, vicar for priests and director of the Office of Priest Personnel.
Christians are a small minority in the Holy Land, composing about two percent of the population, according to the Pew Research Center. The order falls under the Holy See and is the primary source of funding for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic diocese that includes Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and Palestine.
Christians “aren’t treated well” in the Holy Land, said Father Chandler in a recent interview. They depend upon the Christian operations — including churches, schools, religious orders, pilgrimage sites and religious organizations — that the worldwide church supports, he said.
“If it were not for the holy places and religious groups, the Christians would have no work,” he said.
The order is open to all, including clergy, religious and lay men and women. Men initiated into the order are called “knights” and are invested in a white cape, and women initiated are called “dames” and wear a black cape. Both bear a red Jerusalem cross.
Being a knight or dame involves four components: prayer, financial generosity, pilgrimage and awareness, said Father Chandler.
Prayer is essential to the order, he said, noting, members pray for the Holy Land and its Christian operations.
Members must also be practicing Catholics who continue ongoing formation, said Bruce Hines, the business manager for Holy Trinity Church who became a knight in October.

According to the order’s constitution, members are expected to be active participants not only in the order, but also in the parishes and dioceses they inhabit.
The spiritual development of the members is central to the order, said Edward Bauer, a parishioner of St. Louis Bertrand Church and a knight of the order.
“As knights and dames of the Holy Sepulchre, we are trying to be more devout in our spiritual lives, learn more about the church and learn how to grow in holiness,” he said in a recent interview.
Members also “have an obligation to support the church in the Holy Land with an annual contribution to support the churches and other ministries in a terribly war-torn Holy Land,” said Hines.
Members must also “attempt a personal pilgrimage to the Holy Land,” noted Hines.
Father Chandler, who has visited the Holy Land twice, said visitors on pilgrimage walk “in the footsteps of Jesus,” where “our church was founded.”
Seeing the terrain where the stories took place can be moving, he said, noting that he was moved by the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the house where Mary and the apostle John lived in Ephesus.
“It’s essential that we keep these places sacred,” said Father Chandler. A pilgrimage can strengthen the faith of the members and improve their understanding of the biblical text, he said.
Members also spread awareness about the Holy Land, including its needs and the Christian operations there.
Some of the order’s annual contributions fund Christian schools in the Holy Land. These schools — which enroll Christian and non-Christian students — educate for peace, said Father Chandler.

Hines added, “In all likelihood, the only place that any of these students are hearing a message of respect or tolerance is in the schools that the church operates in the Holy Land.”
Members of the order gather in their regions, known as “lieutenancies,” for an annual weekend. During this weekend, new knights and dames are invested into the order and all receive updates regarding the state of the Holy Land and its needs. The weekend also includes speakers, educational opportunities and time for personal prayer and Mass.
In October of 2024, members of the North Central USA lieutenancy — which includes the Archdiocese of Louisville — met in La Crosse, Wisconsin. That weekend four men from the archdiocese were invested into the order: Matthew Brotzge, a parishioner of St. Frances of Rome Church; John Campbell and Gregory Herberger, parishioners of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, and Hines.
Other members from the archdiocese include: Archbishop of Louisville Shelton J. Fabre; Father Philip Erickson, pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Therese churches; Father Martin Linebach, vicar for vocations and director of the Vocation Office; Deacon Scott Hedges, assigned to the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours; Sandra Lucero and Thomas Monaghan.
Individuals interested in joining the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem may email Edward Bauer at eddie@thebauergroup.com. For more information, visit the website of the North Central USA Lieutenancy at eohsjnorthcentral.org.
A collection is taken annually on Good Friday throughout the archdiocese to support Christian operations in the Holy Land.