Priory of St. Thomas á Becket

Priory History

 

A CHRONICLE of THE PRIORY of SAINT THOMAS A’BECKET History: 

     The Priory of Saint Thomas a`Becket is named for the martyred Archbishop of Canterbury who was canonized on Ash Wednesday 1173, only a few years after his death, due to the piety and exemplary dedication he exhibited in his life to Holy Mother Church and to those who suffered in his archdiocese. The primary conflict between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas a`Becket centered on the deliberations of the Council of Claredon, in 1164. This clash between church and state limited the rights of the ecclesiastical courts to administer the disciplining and designation of duties of and for their own clergy. During the time of Thomas a`Becket’s self-imposed exile in France, King Henry’s II son, Richard Lionheart, was coronated by the Archbishop of York. Upon his return, the secondary political battle began when Thomas a`Becket excommunicated the Archbishop of York as well as many of the King’s advisors for failure to submit to the guidance of the Church. This provoked Henry II to suggest an indirect death sentence for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Templar connection is this: King Henry II who had incited them (the four Norman knights), not only did public penance in Canterbury Cathedral but promised to provide the Templars with the money to support two hundred knights for a year. (Pg. 154, The Templars, Piers Paul Read) The Priory of St. Thomas a`Becket has been in existence since March 15th, 1997, and with God’s grace, will continue to serve in the tradition of our Patron Saint. For the first time in the history of this Priory, a new Preceptory within the Priory was formed on April 8th, 2005, named Iona, the Holy Isle of Scotland.  After the Vernal Convent and Investiture in 2007, the Prior and officers of St. Thomas a’ Becket were informed that some members of St. Thomas a’ Becket in the Preceptory of Iona were recruited to form a new Commandery, took the name of the Holy Isle, and were leaving the Priory. The Commandery formation and member separation had been approved by the Grand Priory USA and was effective immediately. This reduced our Priory membership significantly, but did not alter the Priory proper in regards to it’s constituted function in support of the Order and it’s mission to support Christians at risk in the Holy Land.

     On April 28th, 2007, in the City of Williamsburg, Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the most important events in the history of the Priory of Saint Thomas a’Becket, and of the GPUSA occurred. The Priory, together with the Priory of the Monitor and the Merrimac, jointly hosted the Grand International Convent of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, which took place at historic Bruton Parish Church. The international scope of the Order was illustrated by the fact that representatives of some fourteen nations were present and participated in this historic event. The Prior, COL Chev. Buren Shields, GOTJ, was one of the principals who worked tirelessly over a period of many months to ensure the success of the Grand Convent, and selected Knights and Dames of the Priory played key roles in the execution of the programme 

 

     We are the Modern Knights Templar, an Ecumenical Christian and Chivalric charitable Order. We do not claim a direct lineage to the original Knights of the Temple, but we do seek to emulate their positive attributes in our daily lives today. We have adopted two of the original Templar missions of Protecting Christians at Risk particularly in the Holy Land and the Middle East and in Keeping the Road to Jerusalem open to all people as our own.

The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Inc. is an autonomous and independent organization, incorporated in the United States, which seeks to emulate the chivalric and charity traditions of the original Templars; its members apply themselves energetically and selflessly to Christian charitable endeavors.

We are a modern Christian Order of Knighthood dedicated to:

    • Seeking God in our lives and promoting love and respect for our community.

    • Increasing understanding between religions, helping pilgrims visit holy places, and maintaining a Christian presence in the Holy Land.

    • Supporting the poor, sick, and unjustly accused; standing against oppression, and protecting freedom of speech.

    • Encouraging the noble ideals of Chivalry; maintaining the monuments, archives, and history of the Knights Templar.

     Our guiding lights are the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, through which members aspire to serve faithfully as Knights of God’s Temple. The motto of the Order, “Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam” is the Latin version of Psalm 115, verse 1 — “Not unto us, Oh Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name be given glory.”

     The Order, in an age of democratic materialism and secular humanism, seeks, by reconstituting an ancient chivalric order, to adopt an organization of proven effectiveness in capturing the allegiance and spirit of dedicated leaders, and to show that spiritual idealism is most certainly relevant and not inconsistent with a sensibility for tradition, nor inconsistent with patriotism nor civic duty — thus the Order’s purposes include assisting and facilitating the growth of the virtues of Christian gentlemen and ladies, by endeavor with God’s Grace. The members of this Order believe they have an obligation to participate in the coalescing and preservation of a constructive force similar to that which created knighthood and chivalry during the Middle Ages.

     The Order has both a Chaplain’s Corps for ordained ministers and a Chirurgeon’s Corps for medical professionals. It also has an associated honorary Order of Merit that recognizes accomplished individuals of all faiths for their extraordinary work for God and humanity.

    • To become a Knight Templar, one must be a Christian by faith.

    • The Order is ecumenical; it does not restrict membership to a single Christian Church

    • The Order recognizes the Constitution and statutes of the United States and of its several States as sovereign and temporally supreme public law.

    • The Order does not allow its members to act contrary to their obligations to their country.

    • The Order is not a political organization and does not engage in politics.

    • The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Inc. (also referred to as SMOTJ) is not associated in any way with Freemasonry.

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     There is clearly a growing desire among caring men and women to spread goodness in the world. The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem is increasingly viewed as a means of doing so; its volunteer base is growing rapidly in terms of both numbers and talent. In order for a growing volunteer organization like SMOTJ to be effective on a large scale, it utilizes the varied talents of all and magnifies the results of their efforts through effective organization – all the while keeping a singular crusading focus.