The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (Order of St. John) is one of the oldest components of the Canadian Honours System
.[1] The Order is a humanitarian order recognized as a national order in the Canadian Honours System since 1990.
What makes the Order of St. John unique in the Canadian Honours system is that it is a “
working order of charitable-minded men and women” whose good work is expressed principally through its two foundations, the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and St. John Ambulance.
[2]
[1] McCreery, Christopher. The Canadian Honours System. 2005, Dundurn Press, Toronto, page 115.
Appointment to the Order
Appointment to the Order is at the discretion of the Sovereign Head of the Order, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of the Prior, the Governor General of Canada.
Admission to and promotion in the Order is based on the merit of the nominee’s contribution to the Order through their voluntary service to the Order of St. John, St. John Ambulance or the Eye Hospital. All nominees for admission or promotion must support and uphold the mission of the Order of St. John.
The 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 of all races and creeds anywhere in the world”.
The Order of St. John is composed of members in the following grades:
Post-nominal letters, which are used to indicate a member’s Grade in the Order, are used properly in connection with participation in the work of the Order, or for inclusion in any publication of a biographical nature, as follows:
- GCStJ = Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross
- KStJ = Knight of Justice or of Grace
- DStJ = Dame of Justice or of Grace
- CStJ = Commander
- OStJ = Officer
- SBStJ = Member (male)
-
SSStJ = Member (female)
Admission or promotion to any Grade of the Order or the privileges derived does not confer any rank, style, title, dignity, appellation or social precedence. It is the means of recognizing one’s outstanding volunteerism or leadership to their community.
Roll of the Order
Members of the Order are listed on the Roll of the Order, alphabetically by surname, followed by post nominal letters as recognized by the Government of Canada, followed by city and province of residence. If no city or province is shown, the address is unknown.
Grades are indicated in ascending order beginning with:
| Esquire |
E
|
| Serving Member |
S |
| Officer |
O |
| Commander |
C |
| Knight/Dame of Grace |
K/D - G
|
| Knight/Dame of Justice |
K/D - J
|
| Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross |
GC |
The year indicated reflects the date that the admission or promotion was sanctioned by the Governor General.
Please advise of changes, errors or omissions by contacting: Order of St. John Secretariat, St. John Ambulance, National Office
Nomination Process
The nomination process is confidential. The person whose name is submitted for admission or promotion in the Order should not be made aware of this fact. Successful nominees will be notified by the Office of the Priory Secretary.
All nominees must be either Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada to be considered for admission or promotion in the Order and must be over 18 years of age to be considered eligible.
To be admitted as a Member, the nominee shall have performed good and devoted service to the Order, through sustained voluntary commitment of time, skills and/or resources to St. John Ambulance.
To be promoted to the grade of:
Officer, the nominee shall have demonstrated successfully, leadership at either a regional level in a position carrying substantial responsibility, or at a local level carrying major local responsibility.
Commander, the nominee shall have demonstrated successfully, leadership at a national or provincial / regional level, in a position carrying substantial responsibility.
Knight or Dame, the nominee shall have demonstrated successfully, leadership at a national or provincial / regional level, in a position carrying major responsibility.
All nominations must be submitted to the Provincial or Territorial Council Honours & Awards Committee, where the nominee resides. All submissions must be on the official Honours Nomination Form and received by the deadline date. To obtain a copy of the official "Honours Nomination Form" or for information on how to complete the form, please contact your Provincial or Territorial Council.
Termination of Membership
A member wishing to resign from the Order must indicate his/her intention in writing to the Priory of Canada. Once the resignation is accepted, the person concerned will cease to be a Member of the Order. The Grand Prior, on the recommendation of the Grand Council and Priory Chapter may terminate the Membership of any person.
As of the date of termination a person ceases to be a Member of the Order and will lose the right to wear or use the insignia and any other distinction or privilege of the Order.
Insignia of the Order As one of the recognized Orders in the Canadian Honours System, the Insignia of the Order may be worn with other decorations, medals and badges that have also been granted or authorized by the Sovereign, The Queen of Canada.
The Insignia of the Order is a white eight-pointed cross embellished in the four principal angles alternately with a lion passant guardant and a unicorn passant. The four arms of the cross signify the cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. The eight points signify the beatitudes: humility, compassion, courtesy, devotion, mercy, purity, peace and endurance.
Learn more about the
Order logo and its usage.