Four Sydney Catholics have been invested into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Michael Toohey and Peter Crawford were invested as knights of the ancient order, while Fr Mark Podesta was invested as chaplain and Susan Lusty as a dame.
The Archbishop of Sydney, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, who is Grand Prior of the NSW Lieutenancy of the order, presided over the investiture Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, on 29 November.
In his homily, the archbishop recalled the traditions of “that ancient and noble order”.
“This order is made up mostly of lay faithful devoted to building up the faith and practice among themselves in fidelity to pope; to sustaining the spiritual, charitable and social works of the Church in the Holy Land; and to propagating the Faith and defending the faithful there,” he said.
“We pray for many more vocations to the priesthood and married life, to various forms of consecration and affiliation, including to lay sodalities, associations and chivalric orders.”
Fr Podesta is a Sydney priest and a member of the Sydney Archdiocesan Commission for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations. Mr Crawford, a chartered accountant, is a parishioner of North Rocks.
Mr Toohey is religious education co-ordinator at Freeman Catholic College, Bonnyrigg Heights, and is training for the Permanent Diaconate. Mrs Lusty is a parishioner of St Patrick’s, Sutherland.
