26TH INVESTITURE

The Grand Priory of England, Wales, Isle of Man and Channel Islands held its 26th Investiture of Postulants, Promotions and Awards in the Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great, City of London on Saturday 27th September 2008.

A short memorial service was held for two Knights of Grace, Chevalier Phillip Brown and Captain David Wright, who had been called to Higher Service since the previous Investiture. Members of both families of the deceased were present.

The Commander of the Commandery of Buckingham, Confrère Andrew Marsden CLJ, presented his new Commandery Banner to be solemnly dedicated. The Banner was dedicated and blessed by the Chaplain of the Commandery, Reverend Father Victor Bullock ChLJ.

The Master-General, Frà John Baron Dudley von Sydow von Hoff, had great pleasure in investing the Chancellor of the Grand Priory of England, Wales, Isle of Man and Channel Islands, Lieutenant Colonel Roderick Morriss TD KCLJ KMLJ DL with his Chain of Office. The Chancellor then invested his Deputy Chancellor, Chevalier Joachim Seydel KLJ OMLJ; the Commander of Richmond, Surgeon-Commander Trevor Dutt RD CLJ RNR; the Commander of Buckingham, Confrère Andrew Marsden CLJ; and the Commander of Westminster, Captain Richard Sheridan CLJ OMLJ RA respectively with their Chains of Office.

The Master-General then appointed Chevalier Nicolas Laos KLJ to be the first Chancellor of the newly formed Grand Priory of Greece, and had great pleasure in investing him with his Chain of Office. The Chancellor of Greece then invested the Commander of the Commandery of Athens, Confrère Ioannis Patiniotis CLJ with his Chain of Office.

The Master-General was pleased to invested the Grand Treasurer of The United Grand Priories of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, Dame Commander Pauline Julia Baroness von Sydow von Hoff, as a Dame Grand Cross of Justice. Baroness von Hoff is a member of the Grand Council and has been a member of the Confraternity for almost 14 years.

The Master-General invested Reverend Father Paul Bagott as a Chaplain of the Order and appointed him Chaplain of the Commandery of Westminster.

The Chancellor, Lieutenant Colonel Roderick Morriss then invested the following Postulants as Members of the Confraternity, Consœur Nola Mary Latham-Boal MLJ; Consœur Melanie Pimm MLJ; Consœur Shiela MacLean MLJ; Confrère Nicholas Paul Latham-Boal MLJ; Confrère Paul Anthony Phillips MLJ JP; Confrère Wesley Val Hollands MLJ; Confrère Adrian Ewart Jones MLJ; Confrère Kevin Llewellyn Chappuis SBrStJ MLJ; Confrère Helmut Palz MLJ and Confrère Emmanouil Kapizionis MLJ (Grand Priory of Greece).

The Master-General admitted Confrère Avraam Papadopoulos CLJ (Grand Priory of Greece) into the Companionate of Merit of the Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem with the rank of Officer of Merit.

The Chancellor, Lieutenant Colonel Roderick Morriss, then presented Consœur Rhiannon Seydel OLJ with the Silver Oak Leaf of Merit for her outstanding work for the Order.

The music, provided by the choir of Saint Bartholomew the Great under the direction of the Choir Master, David Trendell OMLJ, with organ and trumpeters was, as always, of the highest standard and, on this occasion, augmented by Piper-Major Douglas Shand who played a lament during the memorial service.

The Investiture Service was attended by 124 members and guests and afterwards 115 members and guests repaired to the Butchers’ Hall for a splendid lunch. Amongst the honoured guests present was Sir Robert Balchin KStJ GOMLJ, Knight Principal of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, Patron of the Saint Lazarus Hospice Association, and Lady Balchin.

The next Investiture, to be held by the Grand Priory of England, Wales, Isle of Man and Channel Islands, will be at the Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great on Saturday 28th February 2009.

The first Investiture to be held by the Grand Priory of Greece is provisionally scheduled for January 2009.