The Order of St. John – its full name is The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem - is one of the world’s oldest humanitarian organizations. This world-wide, non-denominational, charitable organization is dedicated to the service of others in over 40 countries. There are more than 30,000 members worldwide, supported by approximately 250,000 regular volunteers and 4,000 employees.
With roots dating back to the 11th Century, the present day Order of St. John was incorporated in the United Kingdom by a Royal Charter granted by Queen Victoria in 1888.
The Order of St. John, is a Royal order of Chivalry, which has Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as its Sovereign Head. In Alberta, His Honour, Norman Kwong, The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's representative at the provincial Investiture Cerermony.
The world-wide mission of the Order of St. John is….
“To prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the
health and well-being of people anywhere in the world.”
The Motto of the Order is "Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum", which means For the Faith, In the Service of Humanity.
The objectives of the Order include the following:
- To maintain and develop the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem Foundation.
- To maintain and develop the St. John Ambulance Foundation.
- To provide reserves trained in First Aid and allied subjects ready to act in aid of the Armed Forces and Civil Defence Organizations.
- To award honours and other recognition for special services in the cause of humanity, especially personal bravery.
The Organizations of the Order
With a few exceptions, each member of the Order is also a member of a Priory, Commandery or a St. John Association.
Priories are the larger and more established organizations of the Order. Commanderies are organizations within Priories with a significant degree of practical autonomy. St. John Associations are generally the less substantial organizations. Priories, Commanderies and St. John Associations are collectively known as Establishments. Currently there are:
a. 8 Priories (England and the Islands, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the United States of America.
b. 2 Commanderies, namely the Commandery of Ards in Northern Ireland, which is part of the Priory of England and the Islands, and the Commandery of Western Australia, which is part of the Priory in Australia
c. 33 St. John Associations, namely in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenade, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
d. An Associated Body in the Republic of Ireland
The majority of the work carried out by the Order is through its two foundations, the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and St. John Ambulance.
The St. John Eye Hospital Foundation has a modern 49 bed hospital in Jerusalem with operating theatres and a busy outpatient department; it conducts mobile outreach programs in the West Bank, and currently has well-equipped clinics in Gaza and Hebron.
The St. John Ambulance Foundation, which exists to provide First Aid care, First Aid training, community care and other care services encompasses the aggregate of these activities carried on by the Priories, Commanderies and St. John Associations. It is also a major organization for the training and development of young people. Much of the work of the Foundation is undertaken by some 250,000 St. John Ambulance volunteers worldwide.
The Order is a Non-Governmental Organization, which since 1999 has had Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
To learn more about The Order in Canada