ELECTION OF GRAND MASTER AND SIGNING OF THE VIENNA AGREEMENT

Dear Confrères et Consoeurs,

As you know, on the 6th September, 2008, the Norwich-Group of Constitutional Jurisdictions held their first and last Chapter-General in Vienna. The Chapter-General endorsed the Agreement of Unification with our brothers and sisters in The Reunited Order, the result of  many months of careful negotiations, and voted nem. con. in favour of the election of

Don Carlos Gereda y de Borbon, Marquis of Almazan,

as Grand Master of the Order.

The following week Lord Ferrers and representatives of the Constitutional Jurisdictions attended the Chapter-General of The Reunified Order where our votes were added to theirs and the new Grand Master duly elected. At his installation in Manchester Cathedral by the Greek Melkite Patriarch, His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, Spiritual Protector of the Order, the Agreement of Unification was signed and witnessed.

We are now united under one Grand Master and the process of reunification at local level can begin.

That this great work has been achieved is due to the patient efforts of Lord Ferrers on the one side and Major David James on the other, assisted by their teams of negotiators. The process has been characterised throughout by good will and fellowship and we look forward to building on those virtues in our future endeavours to strengthen our union and heal the schisms of the past.

Gareth Vaughan KLJ

Registrar & Communications Officer

Grand Priory of England & Wales

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GRAND PRIORY OF ENGLAND & WALES - AUTUMN INVESTITURE,

SATURDAY 11th October, The Temple Church, London

L. Former Chaplain-General, Fr Ray O'Shea (standing); Spiritual Grand Prior of the Order, Canon Paul Denby & present Chaplain-General, Canon David Skeoch

R. Charles Marshall EsqLJ leads the Procession out of the Temple Church

The Grand Prior of England & Wales, Lord Ferrers                       Major David James, Grand Commander of the Order                   Lunch in Middle Temple Hall

PA113607 - The new Bailiff, the Revd Canon Jeremy Haselock EGCLJ                    

PA103486 - Dr Axel Mittelstaedt, Grand Prior of Romania (on left), with Chev. James Gilhooly of  the Grand Priory of Ireland

  Chev Johannnes Muehllechner of the Grand Priory of Austria with Lord Ferrers                                     The Chaplains waiting patiently for the laity

 The Temple Church with the Revd Robin Griffith-Jones, The Master, in the shadows                                 The Procession  enters the Temple Church

        The members of the Order assembled in the Round Templar Church                          Confreres and Conseours from the Grand Bailiwick of England & Wales

L. Left to Right: The Bailiff, Sir Antony Reardon-Smith; the Grand Prior,Lord Ferrers; the Grand Commander, Major David James   

R. Right to Left: Honoured guests Major David James and his wife, Anne, with Chev. Arthur Mitchelson, Secretary-General of the Grand Bailiwick          

           A manly hug, symbolising unity                                    Retiring Bailiff, Sir Antony Reardon-Smith          The new Bailiff Revd Canon Jeremy Haselock EGCLJis installed

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