About The Priory of the Delaware
The Priory of the Delaware - A heritage built on God Chivalry Family Friendship Faith Hope Loyalty Charity Community
The Priory of the Delaware is a dedicated community driven by faith, charity, and a commitment to upholding the chivalric values of the Knights Templar in a modern context. We invite you to learn more about our rich history, our leadership, and the meaningful charitable initiatives that define our collective mission. We are honored to share our journey with you as we work to provide support and inspiration to those in need within our region.
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About The Priory of the Delaware
Faith, Hope, and Charity are our guiding lights. We aspire to serve faithfully, embodying the spirit of Psalm 115:1: “Not unto us, Oh Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name be given glory.”
Extending a helping hand is another core principle. We offer support to the less fortunate, including the poor, sick, and those facing injustice. We champion freedom of speech and stand against oppression. Finally, we embrace chivalry, upholding its noble ideals while preserving the history and legacy of the Knights Templar.
The Symbolism for the Arms of The Priory of the Delaware
The war cry is Latin for “First” announcing that we are from the “First State”; that is to say… we were the first State to ratify the US Constitution. The “19” and “68” reflects the year that the Priory of the Delaware was established. Also, as the oldest standing Priory in the GPUSA, we rank “First” in longevity.
Yellow (gold) and Aure (blue) are colors taken from the Swedish flag of those who founded Delaware. Gold is for glory or generosity and blue for loyalty and truth which is reflected in our Knight’s and Dame’s Oath.
The lozenge represents the Diamond State and the Blue Hen Game Cock represents the heroes of the revolution. The two crossed swords point to the Jerusalem crosses (the gold cross indicating our support of the Templar efforts in Jeruslem and the silver cross for our efforts at home). The swords represent our strength and resolve in support both our charitable works in the Holy Land and at home; and are symbols for our “Charge”.
The griffin is taken from the Arms of Lord De La Warre who was the first Governor of Virginia and for whom the De ‘La’ Ware River is named. It is a symbol of daring and suggests death before captivity and in a part of our heritage.
The motto “MERCY TRUTH” is taken from the second half of the first verse of Psalm 115, the Templar Psalm; and symbolizes a fundamental religious philosophy of “The Priory of The Delaware”.
Local Charitable Activities
The Priory of the Delaware hosts several events during the year. Our one formal event is the convent and investiture of new members in the spring, followed by a banquet to celebrate our new Knights and Dames. The summer party is our mos t casual event every year, typically held somewhere near the beach. The Christmas reception and dinner at a private club is popular with many of our members, as well. We may also host a meeting in the spring and/or fall to hear a speaker on a timely topic of interest. Besides social events, we sometimes will organize a weekend “workday” in which members provide hands-on assistance to an organization needing our help.
Membership
The Knights Templar today are dedicated to making a positive impact in the world, and are actively seeking new members to join the fight. Prerequisites for membership are that you: 1) are affiliated with any Christian denomination; 2) are kriown in the community to be of good character; 3) are accomplished in your professional and/or civic life; and 4) are committed to the ideals of the order and to active participation in it. If the values and mission of our organization “strike a chord” and you would like to discuss membership, please let us know. We look forward to getting acquainted with you.
Knights Templar Brief History
We are the Modern Knights Templar, an Ecumenical Christian and Chivalric charitable Order. Though we do not claim a direct lineage to the original Knights of the Temple, we seek to emulate their positive attributes in our daily lives. We have adopted two of the original Templar missions of protecting Christians at risk–particularly in the Holy Land and the Middle East, and keeping the road to Jerusalem open to all people as our own.
The order called Knights of the Temple, Knights Templar, or Poor Knights of Christ of the Temple of Solomon, later to be known as Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, traces its tradition and history to the year 1118. Founded by Hugues de Payens, Geoffroy de Saint-Omer, André de Montbard, Gondemare, Godefroy, Roral, Geoffroy de Bissol, Payen de Montdidier and Archambaud de Saint-Agnan, all of whom were Chevaliers of France serving under Godefroy de Bouillon, the Order was created in the early days of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, when crusaders controlled only a few strongholds. Pilgrims depended upon the Knights to provide a means for their safe passage through the Holy Land. The Knights consecrated themselves to the protection of Christian pilgrims and the defense of the Holy Land against barbarian aggressors, accepting monastic vows under the Patriarch Garimond of France.
For almost two centuries, the good deeds done by these Knights and their successors in protecting the Holy sites in Jerusalem, the Holy Land itself, and the routes to the Holy Land became legendary. The Order grew in strength and prospered greatly during the crusades, until those jealous of its financial power violently overthrew it and confiscated its properties, ultimately executing its Grand Master Jacques de Molay and many other leaders in 1314.
The original Order of the Temple ended with the death of its leaders, but the Templar spirit survived in a misty and elaborate world of legend and myth. The sacrifices of the original Knights in the name of Christianity; their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and their legendary fighting prowess offered a vision of purity, honor, and bravery that many individuals and organizations have sought over the seven centuries since then to ally themselves with that image.
Knights Templar Timeline
The Crusades
(1095—1291 A.D. were initiated by Pope Urban II. He gathered Christians from all over the world to battle Muslims for the purpose of recovering Jerusalem. During this period, The Knights Templar was formed in 1118 A.D. by Hugues de Payens with a primary goal of protecting the many pilgrims who made the journey to Jerusalem.
Growth and Power
The Knights became a formidable force throughout the Holy Land and Europe and were feared by all who challenged them. They amassed great wealth by virtue of noble grants and gifts received from nobility throughout the land. To manage these gifts and great wealth, the Knights were credited for the creation of what we now refer to as our modern banking system.
In 1128 A.D., the Knights were sanctioned by the Catholic Church. Pope Honorius II granted a papal sanction to them by declaring them to be an Army of God. Later, In 1139 A.D., Pope Innocent II granted the power of exemption to the Templars. They continued to fight through the remaining crusades throughout the Holy Land and were considered exempt from all local laws. Their only required obedience was to the Pope.
False Accusations & Downfall
An unscrupulous King Philip IV of France owed a great financial debt to the Knights and in order to avoid repaying this debt, he falsely accused them of heresy and blasphemy and unduly influenced Pope Clement V to dissolve the Templars in 1311 A.D.
On Friday, October 13, 1307, the Templars came under siege. They were ordered arrested. Accusations from King Philip IV were responsible for the deaths of many Templars by torture and burning at the stake. It was this day that many hold as the origin of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day.
Many Templars confessed to the heresy in order to avoid death while others escaped to distant lands. Notable among those tortured was Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay. In 1314, de Molay denied his former confession of heresy and blasphemy due to torture. He stated that they were false and was immediately burned at the stake. This was the final event causing the Templars to go underground for nearly 500 years.
An Underground Society
The Templars escaped to such lands as Scotland and Portugal and from there, some are believed to have sailed to America and Nova Scotia. Thus the Templars survived as an underground order after 1314, both on the continent of Europe and in Scotland.
