The aims of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller are to bring together ladies and gentlemen who are already known for their love of humanity and who are, and will continue to be, contributors to the good of their communities. To become a member brings with it the highest honor and responsibility for carrying on the centuries-old history and traditions of the Order.

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller is an Order of Chivalry dedicated to the service of all humanity in the name of Christ. It is an ecumenical, international, Christian Order directly descended from the Order of St. John founded by the Blessed Gerard in the late 11th century.

When the Crusaders stormed the gates of Jerusalem in 1099 they found a hospice dedicated to St. John which had been established for the purposes of caring for the sick and poor of the area, including pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land.

For their selfless Christian work and commitment to serve others, Pope Pascal II responded to the petition of the Blessed Gerard to create a Religious Order of Brothers with his Papal Bull, Pie Postulatio Voluntatis, on February 15th 1113.

For many years the Order provided care in the facility located near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Later in its history, the brothers assumed a both military and administrative role. In recognition of this service, the Members were formally recognized as an Order of Knighthood and adopted the traditions and honors still visible today, including the distinctive red robe with the white cross of Malta and neck regalia.

In 1291 the Order lost its foothold in the Middle East After a brief relocation to Cyprus and 213 years in Rhodes, and following advice given by Pope Clement VII (1523-1534) to the Hapsburg Emperor Charles V (Charles I King of Spain 1500-1558), the Order granted the Islands of Malta on the 28th of October 1530, where the Knights remained until 1798.

Napoleon conquered Malta in that year and seized all the wealth and property of the Knights. The Knights relocated to Russia under the protection of His Imperial Majesty Czar Paul I. The Czar was elected the Grand Master in 1799 and established Priories Knights, and the ecumenical Grand Priory continued in Russia.

The 19th Century saw the creation of new autonomous Orders emanating from the same historical tradition.

The Czaravitch Grand Duke Paul was invested into the Order during an early visit to Germany. He was officially appointed Protector of the Order and reconstituted the former Grand Priory of Poland as the Grand Priory of Russia.

The Knights, now in the safety of St. Petersburg, elected Czar Paul as Grand Master and he continued to insure the position of the Order within the Russian Court. He was assassinated in 1801. His successor, Czar Alexander, issued a Court Order (Ukase) that appropriated the assets of the Order-an event probably quite necessary for the Russian Treasury as Napoleon made his famous march on Moscow in 1812.

The Order continued in Russia until the Revolution in 1917. During these hundred years many Court Circulars and Imperial Edicts mentioned the Order, even up to 1916, with the creation of a Hereditary Commander by Czar Nicholas II.

Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the deposition of the Romanov Protectors and Communist rule, the activities of the Order were virtually extinguished in Russia. The Order was nurtured abroad by members of the Romanov families and other Members of the Order. Its headquarters were then transferred back to Malta where it flourished under the protection of the Yugoslavian Royal Family.

After the murders of many members of the Russian Imperial Family, the relics of the Order, the hand of John the Baptist, which has been venerated through the ages, was transported for safekeeping to Denmark, the home-in-exile of the Dowager Czarina Maria Dagmar. On her death in 1928 the relic was entrusted to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, a Member of the Order, and is now in a religious sanctuary in Serbia-Montenegro. The Seat of the Order, under King Peter II was established in Malta.

It was to his son, King Peter II, that history entrusted the modern continuance of the Order, which remained uninterrupted until the German invasion of Yugoslavia forced the young monarch into exile.

King Peter II was a descendant of Czar Paul I and Queen Victoria. He was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1962, he was confirmed as Grand Protector of the Order.

His Majesty demonstrated his concern for the promotion of the work of the Order by promulgating a new Constitution and Royal Charter in 1964. It is on this basis that the accolade of knighthood is conferred. In 1965, King Peter II was elected as the 73rd Grand Master, an office he held until his death in 1970

In the 21st Century this ancient and chivalric Order thrives on its collective mission-the care of the sick and poor of Christ. It has a democratically elected leadership, continuation of the customs and traditions of its glorious past and the vitality of its 900 members in Grand Priories and Priories located in nine countries: The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller Priory of the Eastern USA; The Priory of Eastern Canada Order of the Hospitallers; The Russian Grand Priory of Malta and Europe; Het Prioraat van de Lago Landon de Ordo van Sint Jan van Jerusalem Hospitaliers; The Priory of Austria Hospitallers; The Priory of Deutschschweitz Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller; and The Prioratus Flandriae de Ordre van Sint Jan van Jerusalem Hospitaliers. The entire organization operates through local non-profit entities created under the laws of their respective countries. Each unit carries out humanitarian projects under its charitable trusts, while promoting good works undertaken separately by its Members.

The motto: Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum (For Faith, For Service to Humanity) is upheld by all Members of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller. The Order strives to serve Christ's sick and the poor and the needy worldwide to the best of their ability. Members work together to raise funds at events and projects to support those beneficiaries and promote Aspirants to membership in the Order.

Membership in the Order is strictly "by invitation only." Members of the Order have distinguished themselves in service to the sick and poor of Christ and are recommended for the accolade of knighthood by their peers. Regular solemn ceremonies of Investitures are held at which new Aspirants receive the accolade of knighthood and are admitted as a Knight or Dame of Honour. Through their continued service to others, Members are encouraged by their fellow knights and dames to continue their own service within the Priory or Commandery and to perpetuate the work of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller.