Order is
under the Spiritual Protection of His Holiness Aleksey II, The Most Holy
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Under the
Imperial Protection of the House of the Romanov, In the Person of His Highness
Prince Michael of Russia
Statement
of Organization, Purpose
and Duties
Organization: The Order
has a Constitution and By-Laws and is a non-profit, charitable organization
incorporated in the state of New York. It is governed by a Grand Prior,
His Excellency Count Nicholas Bobrinskoy and is sanctioned by His Holiness
the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia., The International Headquarters
and Secretariat are located in Mount Vernon, New York.
Aims of
The Order in America: Following
the precepts of the Blessed Gerard, the Order in America encourages its
membership to do good and charitable works, especially for the ill, children,
the old and the destitute. It also serves as an educational source, maintains
and preserves hospitals and Christian institutions. The Order will promote
the continued improvement and understanding among Christian Churches, while
preserving and sharing the traditions of Orthodoxy. It will also actively
seek to enter into an understanding and cooperation with all other legitimate
branches of the Order of Saint John.
Aims of
The Order in Russia: In the immediate
future,'the Order will re-establish itself in Russia, particularly in Saint
Petersburg and Moscow. It will seek permission to use the ancestral chapels
in the Worontzov. Palace in Saint Petersburg, the. Order's original seat.
As interest is expressed in other suitable- locations, the Order will establish
Commanderies and Priories. The Order seeks outstanding individuals with
proper qualifications from all strata of Russian society. Aside from its
hospitaller work, the Order, will pursue a fourfold program:
to support
the Church and its undertakings;
to help
the youth of Russia seek meaning to their lives through Christian education
and moral virtues;
to inculcate
in all people the true ideals of Christian chivalry and the nobility of
spirit;
to promote
the cause of peace and goodwill among all the people of Russia.
Membership: All persons
of good faith and exemplary life are permitted to join the Order in one
of its categories of membership. There are four types of membership: serving,
brothers and sisters; donats; serving clergy and knights and dames. Each
type has further divisions into classes. They are honor, merit, grace and
justice. Membership is by recommendation and invitation. After nomination
and the submission of proper credentials, a review is made by the Sovereign
Council and submitted for approval to the Grand Prior.
Duties: The Order
is an active organization. Membership requires individuals to support actively
to the best of their ability in word and deed, both actual and financial',
the good and charitable work of the Order, Individual members are responsible
for the cost and upkeep of all properly recognized insignia and mantles~
(cloaks) and are also required to contribute a small annual fee for the
maintenance of the Order.
Regalia: The Order's
knights and dames may wear for suitable occasions a traditional black cloak
or mantle emblazoned with an eight-pointed white cross (the Maltese Cross).
The neck decorations, miniatures, plaques, and rosettes are those, approved
by the Order.
