   
HELFEN -
WEHREN - HEILEN
(Help,
Defend, Heal - Motto of the
Teutonic Knights)
GOTT MIT
UNS (NOBISCUM DEUS)
(God
with us - Battle Cry of the Teutonic Order and the late Roman Empire)
"The
composure of true knights is no longer expressed through the sword
as it once was, but rather through devotion to the Kingdom of God,
protection of the defenseless, assistance of the marginalized and
mistreated, and of all those in need. That is the essence of true chivalry."
Archfather
Papa Rutherford I
The Order
of the Knights of the Hospital of Saint Mary of the Teutons in
Jerusalem was formally established as a knightly brotherhood of
hospitallers near Acre in the Holy Land in 1190 during the time of
the Third Crusade. The order served to protect Christian pilgrims in
the Holy Land and to found hospitals for the sick and injured. They
also fought in the Crusades and had a long and distinguished history
of military service. Today the original Teutonic Order exists in two
forms. The first is the religious branch of Teutonic Knights under a
Catholic Bishop Grand Master, and the other is the secular branch
known as the Imperial Teutonic Order. There are two Priories and one
Bailiwick of the Imperial Teutonic Order within the Patrimony of the
Patriarchate of St. Stephen. These are the Grand Bailiwick of
Estonia, the Grand Priory of Etruria, and the Grand Priory of Canada
and are collectively known as the Imperial and Patriarchal
Confraternity of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Teutons in
Jerusalem, or more simply as the Confraternity of St. Mary of the
Teutons. In addition, the modern Walsingham
Guard is the serving and ceremonial successor of the units of
the Imperial Teutonic Order of the Hospital of St. Mary vested in the Patriarchate.
   
Membership
in the Imperial and Patriarchal Confraternity of the Hospital of St.
Mary of the Teutons in Jerusalem is rare. Only those persons of the
following categories are considered for admission:
(1)
Clerics who are canonically resident within the Patriarchate
(admitted as Chaplains);
(2) Laity
who are canonically resident within the Patriarchate and are linear
or collateral descendants of Teutonic Knights (admitted as Serving Companions);
(3) Those
who hold an Imperial Warrant as a Teutonic Knight (admitted as
Knights Companion);
(3)
Religious Teutonic Knights of recognised standing who seek collegial
association within the Confraternity (admitted as Knights-Affiliate);
(4) Laity
canonically resident with the Patriarchate who are a member of a
Patriarchal Institute of Spiritual Perfection, confraternity, or
order (admitted as Serving Companions or, if in vows, as Serving Brothers/Sisters).
N.b.
The Confraternity
does not itself confer Teutonic knighthood.
   
Patrons
of
the Teutonic Order

The
Blessed Virgin
The
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God is the principle patroness of the
historic Teutonic Order and of the Patriarchal Confraternity, due to
the name of the order referencing the Hospital of Saint Mary of the
Teutons in Jerusalem. |
St.
George
In
addition to patronage of the Teutonic Order, St. George is also the
patron saint of all chivalry and of horsemen. He was celebrated for
his chivalrous behaviour and for the defense of those in need. His
popularity grew from the time of the Crusades. |
St.
Elizabeth of Hungary
Noted
for her devotion to the sick and poor, the
patronage of St. Elizabeth
of Hungary, Landgravine of Thuringia comes from the Teutonic Knight
in Marburg, Thuringia (in the Duchy of Franconia, part of the
historic patrimony of the Imperial Patriarchate). |
HELFEN (HELP) |
WEHREN (DEFEND) |
HEILEN (HEAL) |
HENRY
III (Plantagenet) OF ENGLAND
Patron
of Walsingham and the Teutonic Order

Henry III,
King of England was of the Norman-Frankish House of Plantagenet,
which originated in Anjou (in modern-day France) with Geoffroy V,
Count of Anjou, son of Count Fulk d'Anjou, King of Jerusalem. After
the Norman Conquest, the House of Plantagenet succeeded the House of
Normandy in rule of England. Henry II was the first Plantagenet King
of England, being the son of Holy Roman Empress Matilda (daughter of
Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland, granddaughter of William
the Conqueror) and Geoffroy V, Count of Anjou. Henry II's reign came
as a conclusion to a period known as "The Anarchy" in
medieval England, in which the throne was disputed between the
Empress Matilda (also called Maud) and King Stephen of Blois, also a
grandson of William the Conqueror by a female line. Ultimately the
Anarchy ended when Henry II was adopted by King Stephen as his son
and heir.
Henry III
ruled over the vast Plantagenet Empire, which stretched from England
to the Spanish border and included most of modern-day France. He was
known for his genuine piety and regularly went on pilgrimages,
including to the Shrine of the Holy House in Walsingham, which
resulted from a vision of the Blessed Virgin by Saxon noblewoman
Richeldis de Faverches in 1061. Henry became a royal patron of
Walsingham from around the time of his first visit about 1226, and
his pious patronage as a royal champion contributed to the Shrine's
growth as one of the most important places of pilgrimage of the
medieval period.
As part of
his religious devotion, Henry III supported the crusading military
orders. He became a Royal Patron of the Teutonic Order in 1235.
Henry's sister Isabella married Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, of
the Hohenstaufen
dynasty. Isabella was also Queen Consort of Sicily during the period
of Hohenstaufen rule of southern Italy that followed the Norman era.
Earlier, Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (son of Emperor Frederick I,
known as Frederick Barbarossa), married Constance, daughter of Roger
II, the Norman King of Sicily of the House of Hauteville. When he
succeeded to the Sicilian throne, he established the Teutonic knights
in Sicily. Teutonic holdings would eventually become widespread
throughout the German and Italian lands, including parts of Prussia,
Poland, and the Baltic lands, which became known as the Teutonic
State (or the State of the Teutonic Order).
Insignia
of the Imperial & Patriarchal Confraternity of St. Mary of the Teutons
 |
 |
The
neck cross of Serving Brothers and Serving Sisters within the Imperial
and Patriarchal Confraternity of the Hospital of St. Mary of the
Teutons in Jerusalem. |
The
neck cross of Imperial Teutonic Knights and Dames within the Imperial
and
Patriarchal Confraternity of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Teutons
in Jerusalem. |
 |
The
breast star of Imperial Teutonic Knights Grand Cross and Dames Grand
Cross, held by the High-Commander, the Grand Bailiff, and Grand
Priors and otherwise is only extremely rarely conferred otherwise by
Imperial Warrant. |
|