The Priory in the USA of the Order of St John
Serving Mankind for a Millennium through Serving the Sick and the Poor
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The Priory in the USA of the Order of St John
Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum
The history and original purpose of the Order of St John - one that began over 1,000 years ago in a hospice for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem - continues to this day. Throughout the centuries, two things have remained constant and are preserved in the motto of the Order: Pro Fide (For the Faith) and Pro Utilitate Hominum (In the Service of Humanity). As it has developed into a modern charity, the Order has never forgotten its roots and the integral connection between faith and action.
Saving Sight, Changing Lives
Today the Order of St John is a global humanitarian charity consisting of 11 Priories and over 30 associations, 21,000 members worldwide and 250,000 dedicated volunteers operating in more than 30 countries. The Order encompasses the foundations of the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group (SJEHG) and St John Ambulance.
Over 1,000 Years Serving Humanity
The first objective of the Order is the encouragement of all that makes for the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind in accordance with the first great principle of the Order embodied in the motto “Pro Fide.” The Order’s second objective is the encouragement and promotion of all work of humanity and charity for the relief of those in sickness, distress, suffering or danger, without distinction of race, class or religion and the extension of the second great principle of the Order embodied in the motto “Pro Utilitate Hominum.”
St. John Eye Hospital Group
St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group (SJEHG) was established in 1882 and continues to provide the highest quality ophthalmic care to the people of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, irrespective of race, gender, or ability to pay.
The Hospital continues to witness new levels of determination and strength, making it a year of progression in our fight against preventable blindness.
In 2023
135,293 patients treated
5,966 major operations
$3.2M donated to SJEHG
In 2024
59,107 children screened to date
105,549 patients treated to date
2,416 major eye surgeries performed to date
Meet the Patients and Medical Staff
“We know the doctors there will do all they can to save our son’s sight.”
Born prematurely, baby Bilal’s eyes were badly underdeveloped.
"I knew that St John Eye Hospital was the only place which could help me to be a certified ophthalmic nurse."
Nurse Ahmed is one of our amazing nursing students.
"There is nowhere else in Palestine with St John’s level of training. I would not trust anyone other than St John with my daughter’s eyes.”
At a weekly pediatric clinic, six-year-old Luma’s severe squint was diagnosed early enough to avoid surgery
“The best thing about St John is the teamwork in the Hospital. Other hospitals do not treat their colleagues in the same way — here it’s like one big family!”
Nurse Alice is one of our 2015 ophthalmic nurse graduates from the Sir Stephen Miller School of Nursing.