Restoring “hope in the City of God” was the cause drawing over 250 people to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (EOHSJ), Canada - Toronto Lieutenancy Christmas Gala on Nov. 29.

The nearly thousand-year-old papal order with 30,000 knights and dames in North America, Europe, South America and Australia secured well over $100,000 in sponsorships even before the gala began. This sum did not factor in ticket sales or the silent auction haul.

Lieutenant Colin Saldanha shared that $25,000 will be issued to the St. James Vicariate for Hebrew-Speaking Catholics, an organization supporting the impoverished, widows, orphans and elderly in Israel. A total of $50,000 is designated for various charities in the Holy Land. The largest sum, $100,000, will go towards education in the Holy Land.

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A cheque to ensure schools can remain open for 18,968 students and 1,700 staff was presented to Thomas Pogge, EOHSJ Vice Governor General for North America, of Omaha, Nebraska, one of the special dignitaries in attendance.  

Pogge told The Catholic Register that the order is answering the call to action from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who has espoused that education is a pathway to peace and restoration in war-ravaged Gaza.

“He talks all the time that the schools are a pathway to peace because in our schools we obviously have our Christians, we have Muslim students, and we have other (religious denominations) that (attend) our schools,” said Pogge. “They go to school together, play soccer and do other (activities) together. Our schools are a location that's neutral so dialogue can take place there. It's an example to the rest of the community.”

Originally, the goal established in 2024 was to raise $8 million for this campaign to upgrade 44 schools, but the target was raised to $12 million as the retention of staff and allocating a certain amount of the funds for tuition assistance were also deemed priorities. To date, $4.5 million has been spent on revitalization.

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Pogge said the $100,000 the Christmas gala garnered is offering hope.

“Maybe they have a new desk in a new classroom,” said Pogge. “There are 500 classrooms, roughly, that we want to upgrade. And so, when they have hope, their parents have hope. This is one of the most positive signs that we see in this situation in the Holy Land right now.”

MPP and Associate Attorney General of Ontario Michael Tibollo, the honorary chair of the newly established Holy Land Children’s Educational Endowment Fund, announced at the gala that $225,000 was pledged by a member to launch the fund.

“I am confident that we will raise over a million dollars,” said Saldanha. “The need is there. The desire to make a difference is there. And I am optimistic that the generosity of Friends of the Order will step up and contribute generously to the real needs of the school program and the Holy Land.”                                                                                                                        

Anna Rossetti, a dame of the EOHSJ who guided the proceedings as chair of the dinner and gala, said because of the efforts being made by the order and its generous supporters, "we see the opportunity to really have Christians remain in the Holy Land, which is very critical, because as you know, the percentage decreases year after year.”                              

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Cardinal Francis Leo, who serves as the Grand Prior of the EOHSJ Canada – Toronto Lieutenancy, was the gala’s guest speaker.

Contact EOHSJ manager Debra Gervasio at [email protected] or 416-540-4435 for information on contributing to the Holy Land Children’s Educational Endowment Fund.