US Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, the spiritual leader of a group of Catholic men and women supporting the work of the Church in the Holy Land, will visit Brisbane in November.
The cardinal was appointed as Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in August 2011.
Queensland EOHSJ lieutenancy secretary Edward Foley said Cardinal O’Brien would follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, the late Cardinal John Foley.
“The cardinal will be visiting lieutenancies in Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
“He’ll arrive in Brisbane on November 11 and during this time will talk at Gregory Terrace (College) as well as Faith on Tap at the Pineapple Hotel.
“The cardinal will also speak at a breakfast at the Brisbane Club on Tuesday, November 12.”
Mr Foley said Cardinal O’Brien would also officiate at the investiture of new EOHSJ members as well as an upgrade of existing members on Wednesday, November 13.
The Order dates to the first Knights that were established by Godfrey de Bouillon around the Sepulchre of Our Lord as a guard of honour immediately after the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099.
Pope Pascal II approved the order in a Bull of Approbation in February 1113.
The modern history of the order began with the restoration of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem in 1847.
As well as being in Australia, the order also operates in Europe, North and Central America, South America and parts of Asia.
There are about 25,000 Knights and Dames around the world.
The order’s main function is to preserve the faith in the Holy Land.
There are about 500 Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in Australia.
