Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem
1991

(Self-Styled under John Grady MD Grand Master)

FACT FILE: It is a fact that in the historic Order of St John of Jerusalem was granted by papal dispensation freedom from control by the local Bishops. However this could not mean, the Order had freedom of control from the Papacy - if the papacy giveth - the papacy can take away! The work of the Order's historian Vertot is mentioned in Fr Wathen's book, and yet a thorough reading of Vertot's history reveals that the papacy had ultimate control! As a tridentine Catholic, Fr Wathen was impressed by the claims of Pichel, and heaps adulation on Pichel to a sycophantic level "Mr. Pichel .... is unquestionably the world's most able authority on the history of the Order during this period". The period under discussion on the page of that quote (Wathen, Fr James F. Is the Order of St. John Masonic. Tan Books, Rockford Illinois. 1973, page 23.) is that of the time of Paul I of Russia. Wathen saw Pichel's "OSJ" as being the real historic Order, and accepted Pichel's claims that Priests of the "Order" (Pichel's Shickshinny Order) were canonically exempt from control by local Bishops. This is just what was needed. Add a traditional Catholic organisation on to the Pichel Order - and as far as Fr Wathen was concerned you have a safe haven for tridentine rite Catholics - with legitimate historic dispensations from local control! Thus the "Grady" Order began within the Pichel Order. On page 70 of the same book, Wathen records that the Pichel "Order" (which he equates with the medieval historic Order) is; "A canonically independent Order: In order that it might accomplish its work, the Popes in the first generations of the Order's existence lavishly endowed the Sovereign Order with many unique privileges, among the more notable of which is canonical immunity from the authority of local ordinaries (who are bishops usually). It will do no good for anyone to deny that such a privilege was possessed because all treatises on the Order bear witness to this fact. The Order has never failed to recognize the preciousness of this endowment and seldom in its history has this been more essential to its. purposes, and at the same time more resented by its enemies, than during this present era. By virtue of this immunity the Order will continue to set up priories which will become asylums for the true Faith and the truly faithful." This is precisely the course of action Fr. Wathen took. Under his guidance the following Priories were set up: Priory of Saint John The Apostle, Brenton, Tennessee; Priory of Saint Michael The Archangel, Midland, Texas; Priory of Saint John the Baptist, Louisville, Kentucky; Priory of The Holy Family, Union, Kentucky; Priory of Saint Joseph, Greenwood, Indiana; Priory of Our Lady of Sorrows, Altamonte Springs, Florida; Priory of Saint Paul, Evansville, Indiana; Priory of Saint Athanasius, Palmyra, Maine. Fr. Wathen had gained a very keen layman who supported the tridentine Catholic cause - John Grady. In 1982, following the loss of Pichel and other Leaders in the Shickshinny Order, who had been close to Fr. Wathen and John Grady, Grady sought to create what would have been essentially an autonomous branch of the Shickshinny Order, by way of a license to use the Corporation's trademark (The Shickshinny Order had incorporate status from 1956). Although this was refused, Grady continued independently and in 1991 the breach was complete by Grady being elected the "75th Grand Master" and starting yet another self-styled Order. see;  http://www.law.emory.edu/6circuit/july97/97a0209p.06.html

List of "Grand Masters" 01. John L. Grady 1991- Grand Master #2. NOTES: #1 This organisation seceded from the Shickshinny Order. #2 No further information has been researched since 2002.

LINKS The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller   The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller   The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller   The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller   The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller   L'Ordre Souvereign de St. Jean de Jérusalem   The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Prelate's Website The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller  OLD URL The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller URL DEAD   The Priory of Saint John the Apostle, Order of St. John   The Priory of Saint Athanasius, Order of St. John   A Newspaper article by John Grady about SMOM in Malta   Comment on the Grady Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem   Traditional Catholics & the Grady Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem   Brickbats From An "Order of St. John" (OSJ) Director   The Knights of Saint John and Our Lady of the Rosary Home School   The Knights of Saint John and Our Lady of the Rosary Home School   A Newspaper article by John Grady about SMOM in Malta   Comment on the book "is the Order of St. John Masonic"   Comment on Prince S Troubetzoy's support for the Grady Order

NOTE: The appearance of a link to another Site does not mean there is a connection between any organisation represented by that Site and the the Web Site provider. The Links are provided for those who wish to discover more about the Orders of St. John, and their various claims.  The links are provided in honesty of purpose.

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Updated 1st September 2003

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