Our Priory Activities

Aside from our regular Convent and Investiture gatherings,  The Priory of St. Matthew is involved in other charitable or fraternal outings.  Members have met to enjoy professional baseball games, attend concerts and performing arts productions, or attend a limited seating fundraising brunch in the home of a former Texas Secretary of State.

Our ongoing “Medal of Courage” program involves visiting children in hospitals and honoring their courageous efforts in dealing with injury, illness and disease.  Each child receives a medal and is encouraged by several Knights and Dames, some of whom are wearing tunics and armor of the Knights Templar. The program has been so successful that other Priories have adopted the program as well.

On Saturday, February 18, 2017 we had the opportunity to host a luncheon for the benefit of Chvse. Juliana Taimoorazy of the Priory of St. Norbert.  In 2006, Juliana made a commitment to be a greater voice and advocate for the persecuted church in Iraq and refugees who have resettled in the United States. She founded the Iraqi Christian Relief Council in 2007 which has helped thousands of displaced Christians throughout Iraq with food, shelter and medicine. Her endeavors help foster awareness about the plight of the Iraqi Christians, and to raise funds to deliver food, shelter and medicine to Iraq. Her own unique story as a refugee has made her a strong leader and an unshakable voice for Christians in Iraq today.  Through her activism and media appearances, Dame Taimoorazy has tirelessly promoted the cause of Assyrian Christians throughout the world.

In April of 2016 the Priory held a fund raising luncheon for Canon Andrew White, known globally as The Vicar of Bagdhad.  Up until November 2014 he served  as the vicar of St Georges Church just outside the Green Zone. He formerly lived in the Green Zone. He has been dubbed;Vicar of Baghdad", because his church is the only remaining Anglican church in Iraq. His people (the congregation of St Georges refer to him as their "Aboona" (Father). Here, he has continued the reconciliation that he promoted during his time as Director of International Ministry at Coventry Cathedral. The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East was established in 2005 as part of his reconciliation work in Iraq and the Middle East as a whole.  He resigned from the Foundation citing ill health in October 2016.

Security is a key issue in his work, and he has said that he has had up to 35 armed guards assigned to protect him. White's work is paid for partly by supporters and formerly by his Foundation, and the Priory of St. Matthew was glad to be able to assist him in his endeavors.

Our objectives are:

✠ Seeking God in our lives;
✠ Promoting love and respect for our community;
✠ Interfaith understanding;
✠ Helping Pilgrims visit holy places;
✠ Maintaining a Christian presence in the Holy Land;
✠ Supporting the poor, sick, and unjustly accused;
✠ Standing against oppression;
✠ Protecting freedom of speech;
✠ Encouraging the noble ideals of chivalry;
✠ Maintaining the monuments, archives, and history of the Knights Templar.

Please take this opportunity to explore the rest of our website and learn more about our good works.