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
Welcome from the Prior of the U.S. Priory of the Order of St John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem is an ancient chivalric Order that brings together long-established traditions and new, innovative practices to meet the needs of today’s world.
We began a thousand years ago with a hospital in Jerusalem treating arriving pilgrims in Jerusalem regardless of gender, race, religion or ability to pay. Today we have grown into a modern international charity that provides state-of-the art services for the sick and poor around the world.
The U.S. Priory has over 1,500 members across the United States, with a primary mission of supporting the St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group and its operations in East Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, Kufor Aqab, and Gaza. SJEHG also operates four outreach mobile units serving more than 280 remote locations across the Holy Land.
Here in the United States, we assist the vulnerable through the St John Volunteer Corps, working with organizations that serve those in need in the communities where our members live and work. We also support our members by encouraging fellowship, furthering friendships, and joining together in service to others.
The Order of St John welcomes members of all faiths or none at all who respect and support the aims of the Order’s motto: Pro Fide (for the faith) and Pro Utilitate Hominum (In the service of humanity).
Please explore our website, and should you have any questions please contact us at PrioryUSA@saintjohn.org if you would like to learn more.
John Macaskill, KStJ
U.S. Prior
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 2025
231,968 patients treated
4,450 major operations
$3.2M donated to SJEHG
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.