Former U.S. Grand Prior of the Knights of Lazarus Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu lays a sword on the shoulder of Bishop Larry Silva, investing him as a member of the order. (Photo courtesy of Dann Ebina)
The Knights of St. Lazarus in Hawaii focus on helping Hansen’s disease causes
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
On Jan. 22, the first investiture ceremony for the Hawaii branch of an ancient chivalric order took place at St. Augustine Church in Waikiki.
The Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, which dates back to the medieval ages, has been in Hawaii since the late 1990s, and focuses its ecumenical mission on helping people with Hansen’s disease, or what was once called leprosy.
Seven members were invested in a short ceremony at St. Augustine, including Bishop Larry Silva. Two members had come from the mainland specifically to share their investiture with Bishop Silva, and a few had previously been unofficially invested over video call because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Diocese of Honolulu priest Father William Tulua and Sacred Hearts Father Lane Akiona received the rank of Chaplain of the Order. The Knights also recognized Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities William Marie Eleniki for her service to Kalaupapa, Hansen’s disease efforts and work with St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.
In Hawaii for the investiture activities were current Grand Prior of the Grand Priory of America, John Byrnes, and former U.S. Grand Prior Kenneth Moritsugu, a retired rear admiral and former acting U.S. surgeon general originally from Hawaii.
St. Lazarus members also attended a Mass later that day at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace for St. Marianne Cope’s feast day.
Chevalier Steven Brock, a Knight of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, found out about the order and admired its mission enough to join in 1999. He was the first official member in Hawaii though he says that the order has been active in the Western U.S. since the 1960s.
The Hawaii group now has 13 invested members and seven members who have received the Order of Merit, an honorary award.
In Hawaii, the Knights support the treatment of Hansen’s disease patients in and out of Kalaupapa.
“Our mission is not only to support the doctors and nurses [treating them,] we want to support the quality of life for the patients,” Brock said.
“We care about the living patients and making them comfortable.”
That means doing things like providing a shave ice machine and games to the Kalaupapa settlement and holding an annual luau for everyone on the settlement pre-COVID. They’ve also provided computers, digital cable and other tech support for Kalaupapa and Oahu clinic Hale Mohalu patients to have access to Zoom to call family and friends and participate in telehealth appointments.
The local Knights also work with the Hawaii State Department of Health to supplement the care and comfort of patients when needed. For example, the order purchased a sterilizer for the Kalaupapa health clinic when members found out from nurses at the clinic that the existing sterilizer had broken.
“The Order of St. Lazarus has been very generous in supplying medical equipment and supplies for the patients here in Kalaupapa,” said Sister of St. Francis Alicia Damien Lau, who lives in the settlement. “We are very grateful that the Order supports our remaining patients here in Kalaupapa.”
The Knights of St. Lazarus in Hawaii have raised about $5,000 for Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa, a group of Kalaupapa family and supporters. They have also fundraised about $50,000 since becoming active in Hawaii.
In recent years, the Grand Priory of America’s has also focused its charitable work on promoting organ donation and transplants.