Mission

A Shared Dedication to Improving the Human Condition

As part of the worldwide Order of St John, the Priory in the U.S. exists to fulfill this mission:

• To encourage the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind in accordance with the first great principle of the Order, Pro Fide;
• To promote the relief of sickness and suffering without discrimination of race, gender, class, or creed in accordance with the second great principle of the Order, Pro Utilitate Hominum; and
• To cooperate with other organizations having similar objectives.

Helping to Create a Brighter Future in the Holy Land

 

In honoring the vow they take upon joining the Order, Members of the Priory in the U.S. have raised millions of dollars over the years to support the work of the St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital, its hospital in Hebron, satellite eye clinics in Gaza and the West Bank, and mobile outreach, training, teaching and research programs. The Priory also provides and organizes substantial donations of medical supplies and equipment, and recruits doctors and nurses to support the Hospital’s work.  

In addition to providing general operating support, the Priory in the U.S. launched in 2007 the Initiative for Women and Children, which raised the funds to renovate the Women’s and Children’s Ward, and the Male and Female Nurses’ Hostels. Funds generated by the Priory also purchased a Phacoemulsification machine for cataract surgery, among other equipment.

The Priory encourages Members to fundraise in their local areas for much-needed cornea transplants and other operations.

Other Activities of the Priory in the U.S.

As one of eight international Priories of The Order of St John, the Priory in the U.S. has hosted the international Annual Grand Council Meeting of The Order of St John twice. It also has supported the Grand Prior’s Appeal for The Priory of South Africa for its Home-Based Care Training Program, St. John programs in Sri Lanka and in Canada, and renovation projects for the Order’s Church crypt and museum in London. On a broader scale, members of the Priory in the U.S. responded to (among other disasters) the tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina, and the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe by providing medical equipment, supplies and financial support to relief efforts.    

 

Cholera relief in Zimbabwe