FAQs

Q. How old do I have to be to become a Squire?
The minimum age at the time of Investiture is 20, and the maximum age is 35.
Q. What are the requirements for admission to the Fellowship of Squires?
To qualify to become a Squire, one must
• Be a baptized, practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church, have a deep, living Faith, and be committed to being a witness to the Faith;
• Be of unblemished moral character, leading an exemplary Christian life with no irregularities in one's life;
• Receive the Sacraments regularly;
• Have served or contributed in some way to one's parish or to the wider Catholic community;
• Have attained the age of 20, but be no older than 35 at the time of Investiture.
Q. Is there a formation period?
There is a period of discernment and formation for Squire candidates, which is a minimum of six months prior to Investiture. After Investiture, Squires continue with ongoing formation about the Order and its work in the Holy Land, attending the monthly Squire's Mass and talk from our Prior, and attending the biannual Days of Reflection.
Q. What are the costs to becoming or being a Squire?
No. There are no dues or financial obligations asked of Squires.
Q. Is there a commitment?
At Investiture, Squires make formal promises to remain a Squire for one year. Afterwards, ​one can remain a Squire as long as one ​wishes.
Q. What are the duties and obligations of being a Squire?
• Assist at Liturgies/Masses (this may be as an Usher, Lector, Eucharistic Minister or altar server);
• Attend a monthly mass and continuing formation sessions hosted by the Section Prior and the Knights and Dames;
• Attend the Lenten and Advent Days of Reflection (the Section's one-day retreats);
• Participate in the liturgical life of the Section, as much as one is able.
• Participate in liturgical events at the invitation of the Bishop of Covington (i.e. pontifical masses, benedictions, Vespers, Prayer Services, etc.)
Q. What are the benefits from being associated with the Equestrian Order?
Association with the Knights and Dames benefit an individual in a number of positive ways:
• Spiritual growth as a participant in section and Diocesan liturgical events;
• Fraternity with fellow Catholics that may include social and professional connections as well as spirtitual guidance from clergy members;
• Association with an ancient eccleiastical Order and Papal Order of Chivalrd with a history and tradition nearly a thousand years old.
Q. Can I become a Knight or Dame after being a Squire?
Yes, as long as an individual has been a Squire a minimum of one year, has attained at least 25 years of age, and qualifies in all other respects for membership in the Order.

To apply to become a Squire, download the application by clicking HERE. You can also send us an email at squires@eohsjcovington.org.
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_The Squire's Prayer

Lord Jesus, Your have called us to serve the Order of your Holy Sepulchre in the North Central Lieutenancy of the United States of America. Gathering with all our fellow Squires under the maternal regard of Your Blessed Mother, we come humbly to renew our faith in You, our homage, and the contrite admission of our sins. Teach us to give ourselves by Love without expecting any return. Protect our brethren in the Holy Land who suffer for having chosen to remain faithful to you. Watch over our Holy Father the Pope, our Cardinal Grand Master, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and all the Knights, Dames and Squires throughout the world. Remember those in the Order throughout the centuries who have died, particularly those for whom no one prays. Finally, Lord, bring it about that in our turn, when our pilgrimage on earth ends, we may appear before You submissive and confident, with our souls strong as a sword and our hearts full of love.
Amen.

Covington-Lexington Section Invests New Squires

Photo Courtesy of the Messenger

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky - The first group of Squires of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (EOHSJ) in the United States was ceremonially invested into the "Fellowship of Squires" in a solemn ceremony on Thursday, September 14, 2023, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Mary Seat of Wisdom Chapel, Thomas More University. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass followed the Investiture ceremony, with some of the newly invested Squires serving as altar servers.

Four men and two women made their Promises and were received into the Fellowship of Squires by the Covington-Lexington Section on behalf of the North Central Lieutenancy. They are the first Squires of the Equestrian Order in the history of the United States! The six invested are: Squire Heather F. Konerman; Squire Madison A. Light; Squire Esteban Munguia; Squire Jeffrey C. Noe; Squire Houston A. Watson; and Squire Juan Pablo Villagrana.

The Fellowship is comprised of Catholic men and women, age 20-35, who wish to engage in a deeper and more meaningful spiritual life and experience in Christ through association with the Knights and Dames of the Order. At the time of coming into the Squires, one makes a commitment to Christian formation of the interior life, and to charitable activity for the Christians of the Holy Land. This life is centered around the knightly virtues of the Order, which are represented by the five crosses on the Jerusalem Cross that symbolizes the Five Wounds of Christ.

On September 14, 2023, the first Investiture of Squires in the history of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in the United States of America was celebrated. Their ceremonial vesture (called mantles or capes) are identical to those used by Squires in France. They consist of a flowing black, knee-length garment, a black velvet collar with red piping, and the signature red Jerusalem Cross of the Order on the left shoulder.

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____________2023 Squire Investiture

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Photos © 2023 The Messenger and Thomas More University.

The Fellowship of Squires is an association of Catholics of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem within the North Central Lieutenancy and Covington-Lexington Section in the Diocese of Covington. Squires are not members of the Order in the formal sense, but are a fellowship of Catholic men and women wishing to engage in a deeper and more meaningful spiritual life experience through association with Knights and Dames of the Order, so that one may grow and deepen one's faith in the virtues that lead to a true following of the Lord.

This requires a commitment to oneself and to the Lord. It is a process of learning and growth. Squires seek, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, a“school at the service of the Lord”, and a school in service to the Christians of the Holy Land.

At the time of coming into the Squires, one makes a commitment to Christian formation of the interior life and to charitable activity for the Christians of the Holy Land. This life is centered around the knightly virtues of the Order, which are represented by the five crosses on the Jerusalem Cross that symbolizes the Five Wounds of Christ.

An interested individual typically attends one or more of the Order's events or liturgical functions, or they may meet with another Squire, a Knight or Dame. Interested individuals ultimately download an application, fill it out and send it in. Applications are reviewed by the Council, and once approved, the applicant becomes a Candidate. Candidates participate in a discernment and formation period of from a minimum of six months up to a year, depending on when they applied. During this period leading to Investiture, Candidates are guided by the Section Prior in their formation.
     At Investiture, Candidates make the promise to remain a Squire for at least one year. During that time, he or she is privileged to share in the life and spirituality of the Order through participation in the community of the local Section. According to Rev. Msgr. Gerald E. Twaddell, DPhil, KCHS, Section Prior and Vice-Chancellor of Squires for the North Central Lieutenancy, this commitment Squires seek is founded on three pillars: "formation in Catholic doctrine, a deepening of the spiritual life, and the practice of works of charity and prayer in favor of the Christians of the Holy Land. There are no dues or are financial obligations asked of a Squire.
     A Squire’s participation in the Section is the best way to deepen one's spirituality and grow in the Faith. Squires participate in pontifical masses and episcopal liturgical events at the invitation of the Bishop of Covington. They may also participate and assisting at the Section's own liturgies and serve as an Usher, Lector, Eucharistic Minister, or altar server. One may also participate in the Section’s retreats or in one of the organized pilgrimages. In addition, Squires have access to mentors, who are knights, dames and clergy, from whom they can find guidance in their spirituality as well as in their pursuit of life experience as they enter the workforce.

History of Squires

    Squires of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem were originally established in 1923 by Baron de Lormais, chancellor of the Lieutenancy of France, who wanted to interest young people in works of charity and prayer in favor of the Christians of Palestine. Its statutes were adopted and approved by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who encouraged their adoption by other countries. The Squires disappeared during the Second World War, but after the war, France re-established the Squire movement which continues to grow today.
    Since then, the Squires movement has spread to Toronto and Montreal in Canada, and most recently to the United States, where the Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filoni, KGCHS, gave his approval for its formation in the North Central Lieutenancy, with the first Squires attached to the Covington-Lexington Section in the Dioceses of Covington and Lexington.
    Young Catholic men and women should find being a Squire exhilarating and having the potential to give a deeper meaning to their lives. We hope this is what our future Squires will discover who will join us.