The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem has always been a pilgrim Order. For over nine hundred years, members of the Order have traced routes from their homes to the Holy Land to discover Jesus in new ways, to walk in his footsteps and to stand in awe in the places where he was born and raised, preached and healed, died and rose again. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land has always been, and remains, an important religious commitment for members of the Order. Through pilgrimage to Jesus’ homeland, the sacred scriptures come alive. As Cardinal Pizzaballa, Patriarch of the Holy Land, puts it: “The Holy Land is the fifth Gospel. I also like to call it a kind of eighth sacrament, because it allows you to experience an encounter with Jesus, physically, that you can touch…If you go to the Holy Land, your Christian faith becomes stronger and more concrete.” (Vatican News, 13 January 2026).
Pilgrimage in this sacred place is also where we encounter the “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), the vital indigenous Christian communities of the Holy Land with whom our Order has an enduring relationship. These communities, comprised of the descendants of the very first followers of Jesus, daily seek to live the Gospel in the place where it was first proclaimed. EOHSJ pilgrimages always include opportunities to interact with the local Christians, as well as to visit the Catholic ministries and projects supported by the Order.
The Northern Lieutenancy promotes pilgrimages to the Holy Land as the best means of strengthening the Order’s relationship with local Christians, and serves as a uniquely meaningful path for its members’ spiritual growth. A highlight of one’s first EOHSJ pilgrimage is receiving the Pilgrim Shell. It is the most prized decoration of the Equestrian Order, awarded to those who have experienced an Order pilgrimage to the Holy Land and prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Pilgrim Shell is presented by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem or his delegate.
At least one pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a moral duty of all members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. But it is a joyful obligation – one that will hopefully be the first of many visits to the Holy Land.
A pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Land is a moral obligation of every Knight and Dame of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and should be realized, with the help of God, at least once during one’s lifetime.
A pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord, to the other sacred places, and to the ministries and projects supported by our Lieutenancy is an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters living in the Holy Land. Our presence among them is an encouragement to the Christian communities who are struggling and suffering because of the difficult circumstances in which they live, but who continue to be Holy Land witnesses to the Gospel of peace, justice and reconciliation.