Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated the annual Mass for the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on Feb. 7 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Bishop Anthony Spinosa, a chorbishop in the Maronite Catholic Church, and Msgr. Robert Siffrin, vicar general and moderator of the curia, Diocese of Youngstown, concelebrated.
A chorbishop is similar to auxiliary bishop. Bishop Spinosa is rector of the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in North Jackson and chaplain to the Knights. Bishop Malesic also is a knight.
The Knights’ regional organization is the North Central Lieutenancy, which includes the states of Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Locally, Shaun Rankin is the leader of the knights’ group that encompasses the Diocese of Cleveland, the Eparchy of Parma, Diocese of Toledo, Diocese of Youngstown and Eparchy of St. Josaphat.
Bishop Spinosa, the homilist, thanked Bishop Malesic for allowing him to speak. He admitted to being a bit nervous as it was his first time preaching in the cathedral.
He referenced the first reading in which Job came to understand what God was telling him when he agreed to put his trust in the almighty. Paul endured pain and unjust criticism for the Church, Bishop Spinosa said.
He spoke about slavery and the dignity of man. “Our dignity is given to us by Christ,” the bishop said. “God invites us to trust in his love.” Freedom is another gift given to us by Christ because of his suffering on the cross.
“We are a people of hope,” Bishop Spinosa said.
The world and humanity are in crisis because of the pandemic, political and social upheaval. “Family life and our beloved Church are in crisis. But we are not without hope,” he said, explaining the difference between hope and optimism. “Hope relies on total confidence and trust in almighty God, while optimism often results in disappointment because it relies on human abilities. Christian optimism relies on hope in Christ. We know the promise of eternal life.”
Recalling the movie, “The Song of Bernadette,” which recounts the life of St. Bernadette, Bishop Spinosa said she suffered greatly after the Blessed Mother chose to speak to her. Bernadette was mocked, not believed and treated poorly – almost like a slave. But he said the Blessed Mother chose her and reminded her that we are free to speak to the Lord.
“She told Bernadette, ‘I cannot promise you happiness in this world, only in the world to come.’ That’s what we have: hope for eternal life through resurrection in the Lord,” Bishop Spinosa said.
In his closing remarks, Bishop Malesic thanked Bishop Spinosa for his homily. “Sometimes even bishops need to hear the word of God. And I was happy to take a back seat today.”
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre traces its roots to the First Crusade in the 11thcentury, when Christians tried to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim rule. The knights protected holy sites. Today, they work to ensure and strengthen the Christian presence in the Holy Land and to provide charitable aid to cultural and social institutions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.
Worldwide, there are about 30,000 knights.