Order of the Holy Grail
Also called the Order of the Sangreal, it is best known today as
Ordo Sancti Graal.
The Order is a tripartite fellowship of disciples
comprising of (1) lay members dispersed far and wide in like manner to that experienced
in the early Church, (2) lay members and clergy in Britain, and (3) brothers,
deacons and priests in permanent residence, or in close proximity, to the
Bishop & Primate.
“A spiritual journey had led us to that summit beneath a
darkening sky where the echoes of yestercentury mingled with a portent for
tomorrow. It was the vision of the Holy Grail we experienced that Easter. Hence
the name of our fellowship: Ordo Sancti Graal. And on that fateful day an inner
voice told us that the renewal had begun. This became our central quest: to
rebuild the ancient Grail Church and restore its sacred orders so woefully
broken down when Rome succeeded at Canterbury. … Brothers of Ordo Sancti Graal
wear only white. This has been so from the beginning. However, those who enter
holy orders are recognised by a red cross on their vestments. The Order’s
symbol is the Grail Cross (a chalice at the centre of an equidistant cross)
which would later be incorporated into our episcopal coat-of-arms.”
Superior General: Ordo Sancti Graal
“Like the Celtic Christians, St Francis of Assisi
appreciated the beauty and wonder of Creation and he was certainly no stranger
to supernatural experiences. It is therefore not too surprising to learn that, in
his youth, St Francis sought the Holy Grail itself.”
“There is a delightful painting by Giotto of St Francis
preaching to the birds. An astonished friar looks on and is witness that the
event is ‘true’ just as a nearby tree serves to set the picture in the real
world. … The saint is unsmiling and serious in his address to the fowl of the
air. They ~ the least disciplined of creatures ~ nevertheless form attentive
ranks before him and, though they might not understand his utterances, they
seem conscious of a holy presence. Perhaps St Francis is preaching to the birds
because he cannot make himself heard by the men and women of his time. … St
Francis, more than anyone, interprets Christ’s challenge to all aspiring
disciples with a freshness and a vitality. Christ, the only way to God, is our
Master and gentle Francis is a fellow-disciple guiding us along the often
difficult path all Christians must follow. The little saint suffered silently
and painfully for the Church of the Middle Ages with its abuses, thinking he
could change the proud prelates with their clerical pomp not by criticism but
by holy humility and reverence. Undoubtedly, some were transformed by his
Christ-like example.”
