Spring - Order of Constantine the Great

Volume 5,
Issue 1
—
Winter/Spring 2011
The Priory of Finland holds the first Investiture of 2011
at the House of (Nobility) Lords
The large collection of coats of arms depict 357 nobles dating back to the 16th century are
displayed in full color on the walls. This wonderful building which dates back to the early 19th
century, was reserved as a palace of the nobility in 1862 during the reign of Tsar Alexander II of
Russia.
Helsinki Finland
February 5, 2011
The Investiture took place in the assembly hall of 464 square meters providing a setting for our
Investiture and Gala banquet with 182 persons in attendance. Members came as far as from the USA,
France, Belgium and Italy.
The Great Hall created a wonderful background for Chevalier Aldo Bianchi, Prior for Southern Italy, to
show his great talents thru many wonderful songs.
We invested 8 new Knights and 1 Dame.
H.E. Pertti Jalasvirta, Prior for Finland gave
out 3 pcs 1000 euros scholarships, one to a
to Military Cadet, one to a newly qualified
Opera Soprano, and one to a young
exemplary business manager for their
outstanding achievements.
Pictured:
Cadet Mikko Eloranta, Sir Juha-Pekka Helkala, Sir
Charles Thomson, Grand Prior Pertti Jalasvirta, Sir
Hannu Borgenström, Sir Sami Vaskola, His Grace
Michael Schmickrath, Sir Zacharias Johansson, Sir
Esa Viitikko, Grand Lady Ulla Piekkari, Sir Abid
Aziz, Sir Carston Calkin, Lady Anne Aziz and Cadet
Erik Gockel.
Our thanks and our
congratulations go to all
the Officers and members of
the Priory for a great event.
Some Finnish Knights
The Great hall – a wonderful backdrop for this event
The Oath of Constantine
Coats of Arms
The Imperial and Charitable Order of Constantine the
Great and St. Helen is pleased to announce that our
members may now register their Coats of Arms
within our order.
Chevalier Robert Keller has assumed the position of
Heraldic Archivist. If you would like information on
how to register your Coat of Arms within the Order,
please contact him at [email protected].
If you do not have a Coat of Arms and would like
one, or have questions regarding Heraldry, the Order
is also pleased to announce Chevalier Dale Imbleau
as the Orders Heraldic Advisor; you may contact him
at [email protected].
The Constantine Flag
Flags were used during the Byzantine Empire times but,
unlike today, the flags were banners.
The Book of All Kingdoms (1350) tells of voyages by
an anonymous Castilian Friar and contains
illustrations of more than 113 flags. The 95th flag
illustrated is attributed to the Empire of
Constantine and the Byzantine Empire.
It has been depicted as such: flag consists of St
George’s Cross, (Red on white field) and the arms
of the ruling Palanologos Family. The charges in
the corners of each of 2 crosses are depicted as
either fireSteels or as the Greek Letter B.
In the Orthodox Church, the cross seen by
Constantine the Great is a very important symbol.
Before the battle at Suxa Rubra (Milivan Bridge), he
is said to have seen in the sky a very bright light,
(“Bright as Many Stars”). The message that he's
been heard was In hoc signo vinces. It is also a
representation of the bright cross many believe will
appear at the end of the world, (Mathew 24:30).
Translated from the book: The Emperor of Constantinople has for device a
flag quarterly, 1st and 3rd argent a cross gules, 2nd and 4th gules a cross
between 4 chain links or Greek letter B.
There are several different ways to represent
brightness of that cross. One of them is with diagonal
rays, the second is with the Greek letters IS HS NI KA
(Jesus Christ is victor). The third way is with four
firesteels. The cross with four firesteels is an old
Byzantine/Orthodox symbol.
H.G. Michael visits Turkey
A special thank you to Dame Sarah Alex Kim for the wonderful pictures, and to Chevalier
Dr.Tae yun Kim for making this trip possible.
Hagia Sophia is one of the most extraordinary buildings in the history of architecture. Built more than
1000 years ago, it is the 4th largest Cathedral in the world, after Saint Paul in London, Saint Peter in
Rome and Duomo in Milan.
The city of Novo Roma (Istanbul) was built in 6 years
and a world wonder architectural Church has been
built to represent its wonder. However it collapsed
in a riot in 414 and once more co llapsed again in a
riot in 532. The current structure was built in 537 by
emperor Justinian.
The Basilica Cistern, also known as the
"Sunken Palace" or "Yerebatan Sarayi" in
Turkish, was constructed by Justinian in
532 to supply water to the Byzantine
Palace primarily.
The Blue Mosque is an extraordinary mosque with
six minarets. Sultan Ahmet 1 wanted to have a
mosque with minarets made of gold which is “altin”
in Turkish. The architect misunderstood as “alti”
which means six in English. However, the Sultan
Ahmed I liked the minarets so much.
The Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi in
Turkish) is one of the the largest
covered markets in the world with
its 4400 shops in 64 streets and
with 22 gates.
The interior of the museum is decorated with splendid Byzantine mosaics. "Church of the Holy
Apostles'' was the first name of the Church when it was built in 360 AD.
Upcoming Events:
Council Meeting ------------------------ March 20
New Website
------------------------- April 2011
Hawaii Investiture ------------------- September 2011
Ongoing efforts
Sir Mauricio
Dame Maria
-----------------------------------------------
H.E. Christian Decouvreur --------
The Arch of Constantine
Constantine entered Rome and was
proclaimed by the Senate as Emperor of the
West. The Roman Senate paid unusual honors
to Constantine; games and festivals were
instituted in memory of his victory over
Maxentius, and a triumphal arch was erected
called the Arch of Constantine. The Arch of
Trajan was stripped of its ornaments to adorn
the Arch of Constantine.
Pro Kids
Fund Raisers
Benelux website
Columbia Contingent
Archbishop JAIRO GONZALEZ-MONTOYA
Gonzalo Giraldo Moncada
Investiture Hawaii, September 2011
The Hawaiian Investiture Planning Committee is preparing for a
gala week of activities associated with the Investiture in Waikiki.
The activities will be held at the Hawaiian Hilton Village hotel and
lagoon on the beach in Waikiki. Guests of the Order will arrive on
th
Tuesday, September 6 and will stay for a week with a full
itinerary of tourist activities. Guests of the Order will be afforded
rooms at special rates. The reception, investiture and formal
dinner and entertainment will be held in the hotel facilities on
th
Friday, September 9 .
Lolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii
USS Arizona Memorial Pearl Harbor
USS Missouri Memorial Pearl Harbor
The activities are being
planned and will include a
trip to the Arizona
Memorial and the USS
Missouri battleship. Other
events will be a full day at
the Polynesian Culture
Center, a must for any first
time visitors. Of course
there will be a tour of the
Lolani Palace, the only
royal palace in the United
States.
The Modern Knights
by H.G. Michael Duke of Gardham.
Though the Order was founded by a Christian Byzantine Emperor, there still exists a great deal of
confusion about the nature of Chivalric Orders around the world. Many of the original Chivalric Orders
arose in response to the crusades to the Holy Land and other efforts to protect their lords, as well as the
weak and less fortunate.
Byzantine Knights were appointed by their leaders in recognition of their valiant deeds in battles
protected their emperor or other high ranking nobleman. The earliest of knights were proclaimed the
defenders of the empire well before the crusades from 312 AD after the battle of the Melvin bridge and
1190 by the Byzantine Emperor Flavio Constantino I, Emperor Isaac II, as was the Holly Constantinian
Order of St. Sofia in 1290 These Chivalric orders continue till the fall of Constantinoble on the 29 th of
May 1453.
These Orders were held in trust by the Greek patriarch of Jerusalem after it was conquered by the
emerging Ottoman forces lead by the Sultan Mehmet II, after an 8 week battle in which the last
Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI was capture blinded and was executed.
In other parts of the world, well before the crusades we find as early as 300 A.D., the Order of St.
Antonio of Ethiopia, in 496 under the reign of King Clovis, the Order of St. Ampolla, in 732 the Order of
the Genette by King Charles the hammer and in 800, we find the Order of Royal Crown by King Carlo
Magno - just to mention a few.
In 1291 after the Christian Crusades, the European Orders of Knighthood serving under its Grand
Masters, had to find new missions for their existence since the Holy Land had effectively been lost.
Most orders were originally established as military and monastic Orders, and had the title bestowed
upon them as Chevalier or Knight, some Orders became Monarchial. Others became Confraternal and
Honorific.
The Byzantine and Charitable Order of Constantine the Great, along with a small handful of other
Orders, remain today as some of –if not the- oldest Orders along with The Order of St. Michael 1171, St.
Lassarus 1187, The Order of the Bear, 1213 by Emperor Federico II, the military Order of Jesus Christ,
1317 by pope Giovanni XXII, The Equestrial Apostolic Order of St. George of Bourgone, 1390.
In 1525 only four of the recognized Medieval Orders survived as their continuation had been thwarted
by a number of territorial Kings, Prince Regents and interfering and or weak popes who continuously
tried to dismantle most Chivalric Orders due to the fact that they had grown in size and reputation and
had become much too powerful and wealthy, creating fear within the Royals and the papal circles. The
Orders had to be stopped!
In 1560 with the introduction of newer and more sophisticated weapons of war, and the formal
establishment of Armies and Navies, many of the Monarchial Orders became unnecessary, and were
transformed into honorific Orders where military and civic leaders rewarded the past deeds and service
of distinguished individuals bound by a permanent rule of behavior and charitable goals.
The Orders now expanded to the civilian side, allowing prominent citizens from all walks of life to
become part of our chivalric families. Some Monarchial and governmental Orders still remain today.
The Order of the Count de Lion 1745; Belgian Order of Leopold I 1832; the Order of the Crown 1897; the
Order of Leopold the II, 1900; The Legion d’Honeur of France; The Order of the Garder of England 1347;
The Order of the Elephant 1458 of Thailand ; the Order of Rizal of the Philippines are among the many
European and Asian Orders.
Then we have the modern Knights and ladies, selected from all professions and whose Orders have
evolved into bodies dedicated to a return to the chivalric values of old, such as charity, educating,
military service and the arts – all the while maintaining a sense of those great traditional noble values,
that are needed today perhaps more than ever in the history of mankind.
Many Modern Orders are patterned after a few ancient truly important Orders, and have many
branches worldwide. Such Orders include our Orders of Constantine the Great and Saint Helen, the
Knights Templar 1118, Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of St. John of Jerusalem Order of Malta,
Orders of the Holy Sepulchers , Orders of St. Lazarus, The Order of St. Michael, the Order of St. George,
just to mention a few.
Excluding the Orders associated with ruling Monarchs and the leaders of the world’s leading religions,
most of the remaining Orders if not all, are Private and Honorific even though this might not be an
admitted fact.
Regardless to which Order one belongs, the modern Knights and Ladies of the 21st Century are expected
and by sworn oath, required to uphold certain traditional and historic values.
During the ceremonies of investiture, the members pledge themselves to a Grand Master and to the
Constitution of the Order and agree to follow its ideals of personal honor, courage and service to
others.
So the tradition continues, they are conferred and bestowed with the honorary Title of Knight, or
”Chevalier” for Gentlemen and ”Dame” for our Ladies. Our Order is worldwide in nature, with
functioning Priories in 13 countries.
Since 2005, our charitable order has given well over $125,000.00 and we will continue to do so with the
help of our membership. The Order has an increased popularity in many countries. I have been
interviewed and published in Turkey, Korea, Finland, Belgium, and in the USA via the printed media and
television shows.
The Order will petition the Catholic and Orthodox churches to be recognized as a Charitable Chivalric
Order this year. With your help, the Imperial & Charitable Order of Constantine the Great and of Saint
Helene will continue to grow and prosper.
An interview with Soul
Broadcasting Corporation on
The Tae Yun Kim Show Jan 7,
2011