Patron Saints of the Order
Founding Feast of the Teutonic Order, February 6
The Order came into existence before Acre in the Holy Land in 1189/90 with the establishment of a field hospital by Papal deeds for caring for ill pilgrims and wounded crusaders. The brothers of this hospital took over a German house in Israel later on, with a chapel of St. Mary, which already existed in 1127. However, after the establishment of the field hospital, they were designated as the Brothers of the Teutonic House of St. Mary in Jerusalem by means of the Papal deeds. Pope Clement III granted Papal protection under this name for this new brotherhood on February 6, 1191. It was their ideal to serve those in need for Christ’s sake in unselfish love.
As our community put itself under the protection of the Mother of God from the beginning, we want to carry her picture deep in our hearts. Mary accepted everything in humbleness as maid of our Lord. She did not rely on her own strength in order to do God’s work, but was prepared that His will be done with her and her live, in spite of the full opacity of God’s plans. This was her unique act: Faithful surrender. She teaches us to be completely committed to the realm of Christ: “Do whatever he tells you!” (John 2,5). Because of her special task in the salvation plan of God, the veneration of Mary should always be cultivated in the forms recommended by the Church. Therefore, the brothers pray each day – jointly or privately - the Rosary and the Angelus.
Rules of the Knights of the Teutonic House of St. Mary in Jerusalem, No. 67
1st patron saint of the Teutonic Order, November 19
Elisabeth was raised at the Wartburg and married to the landgrave Ludwig IV of Thuringia with whom she gave birth to three children. She helped widows and orphans, the ill and the poor. In times of famine she generously gave away the foodstuff of her household.
Elisabeth endured scorn, mockery and derision with her heart unbroken. As a young widow, she founded the hospital of St. Francis in Marburg, where she totally consumed her weakened animal spirits in self-sacrificing charity and austereness in serving the ill and the lazar in her grey penitential garment. She regained her strength from prayers. She died in Marburg in 1231, at the age of 24. Shortly after her death, Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia was chosen as patron saint of the order by the brothers, as she lived the hidden work for God’s realm and embodied it in a unique way. As woman and mother with a loving heart she is regarded as role model for love in action. Already in 1235, her brother-in-law Conrad of Thuringia – the later Grand Master of the Teutonic Order – effected her canonization. Above her sepulchre our Order erected the church of St. Elisabeth. The Saint was soon chosen to be our patron, as she exemplified through her own life the hidden work for God's realm and embodied it in an exemplary way.
Second patron saint of the Teutonic Order, April 23
We also venerate the holy martyr George. He has been the patron of the soldiers of faith for centuries. As such he should light us the way in our struggle for faith. The daily loyalty up to the dedication of all of one's strength can also be a bloodless martyrdom and requires a noble attitude.
Rules of the Knights of the Teutonic House of St. Mary in Jerusalem, No. 69
The provable veneration of Saint George dates back to the early 4th century. Since the middle of the 4th century there is a large number of cultic evidence or churches particularly in the Syrian-Palestinian and Egyptian area, but also in Greece. The oldest of these churches in Hauran (Saccaea/Shaqqa in the province Arabia) consecrated by bishop Tiberinus in honour of Saint George and his companions can be traced back to the years 354/57. It was assumed quite early that Melitene/Cappadocia is the Saint’s home. This is the cradle of one of the oldest legends of George (Y-Red.). Originating in the 4th / 5th century, this redaction assumes a flourishing cult of St. George and thus probably also a church consecrated to the martyr. In the church in Lydda-Diospolis near Jerusalem, which was built by Emperor Justinian (527-65) the Saint’s sepulchre with the claimed relics of the Saint was presented already at an early stage. In Thebes (Greece), in the 4th century and in Thessaloniki in the early 5th century a church of St. George was erected from a pagan Temple.
The oldest sources report about a bishop George of Cappadocia (4th century), but also about a soldier, who – for the sake of faith – suffered martyrdom; this was around 300. The historic figure of the Saint cannot be defined exactly. The truth of the legendary traditions testifies to the devotedness, the engagement for faith and the indestructibility of life in Christ.
Very soon the Eastern Church counted him among the grand martyrs; he enjoyed great veneration particularly in the East. In the course of time, the life of the traditional hero of faith enclosed in a dense bunch of legends; this is how the legend of the dragon fight developed as allegory of a fight between good and evil, whereby the dragon is to be understood as a symbol of all powers and forces that are adverse to life and faith.
George is regarded as the young vanquisher of evil; this is why he is presented with the victory banner. Our Order chose him as patron saint, since Saint George was regarded as an allegory fort he liberation of a country from idolatry and the conversion to the Christian faith. The rules of our Order summon us to be loyal every day taking him as role model; this loyalty can be a bloodless martyrdom when dedicating all of one’s strength and requires a noble attitude.
The veneration of the Saint found the most significant artistic expression by the cycle of paintings presented in a room next to the palace chapel in the old castle palace in Bohemia (today Jindrichuv Hradec) of 1338. The cycle of paintings comprises 67 scenes presenting the entirety of the motives known from the bunch of legends of the Saint’s life and suffering, is an eloquent iconographic proof for the rich spiritual figure of the veneration of Saint George, which exceeds by far the motif of knight and dragon and dates back much farther.