The typed annotation is by Prince-Abbot Edmond II, referring to a card that is also in our Archive. This envelope is dated 7 June 1928 and it will be seen that it was redirected as a result of the future Prince-Abbot Edmond I leaving his Episcopalian parish in Canada for one in Los Angeles.

On 19 June 1925, Prince-Abbot Joseph III wrote to the future Prince-Abbot Edmond I, then Grand Chancellor-General of the Order of the Crown of Thorns. His letter is important in that it discusses some of the details of Prince-Abbot Joseph III’s formal ceremony of reconciliation with the Roman Catholic Church and also in that it reaffirms the closeness between the two men, such that Prince-Abbot Joseph III was moved to write of “my most sincere and faithful friend for ever”.

The first paragraph of the letter details assistance that had been sent to Prince-Abbot Joseph III, most likely of a financial nature. It is a myth that Prince-Abbot Joseph III was living in abject poverty before his reconciliation with Rome. He was always able to provide for himself, but was in constant need of more funding for his mission work. It appears that he was given an annuity from the American Catholic Church, based in Chicago, of which he had formerly been Primate, but was initially not able to access this from his new home in Versailles, hence the appeal for funds. He was also to receive a generous Papal pension.

At the end of the letter the signature of Georges Panchaud is found under that of Prince-Abbot Joseph III. Panchaud was the nephew of the Prince-Abbot and lived with his uncle at Versailles.

The three-page letter is reproduced below (click each page for a larger version) with a transcript following:

[Seal of the Order of the Crown of Thorns]

Versailles, the 19^th June 1925

To Monseigneur Barwell Walker
Grand Chancellor General
C[hivalrous] & R[eligious] Order of the Crown of Thorns
La Porte, USA

My dear and sincere Friend,

First I must reply to your kind and sincere letter of June 22. I have received your most welcome offer, who came in the right time to help me in this rainy days. Many, many thanks.

In your letter July the 7^th you ask me if I was received in to the Church of Rome. I will say Yes, I was received, with all respect and great consideration after 12 days of retraite in the Home and Chapel of the Fathers of the Fraternity Sacerdotal by His Excellency the Papal Nuncio of Paris in the presence of 12 dignitary. The ceremony was imposing, strictly private full of charity and of the spirit of God.

Through the kindness of the Holy Father I have to my disposal and use a pavillon of 5 rooms, and a very large garden for Georges to work and amuse. This is in the City of Versailles, near a monastery of Cistercians, from time to time I visit the Abbot and he always return the visit to me with large baskets of vegetable or fruits. I am a free man in that papal pavillon and do what I want, visiting Paris or others city if it please me.

Again 3 or 4 months of forebearance and then I will receive more regularly my Chicago money etc. etc. May be Dr. Slade will paid me. Will you in charitable way give him my new address.

Concerning my situation in France, I like to say more to you but please wait and do not stop to correspond with me. You are my Chancellor General and my most sincere and faithfull friend for ever.

Your last letter to me shows your noble Christian spirit. God will certainly reward you. Thanks for your comfortable words in your letter. Don’t be discouraged. We will meet again. God is good.

Believe me dear Monseigneur Yours affectionately old friend, +Mar Timotheus Archbishop Vilatte.

Strictly Private letter never to be publish in news papers,

My address: Monseigneur J.R. Vilatte Archevêque
19, rue de Pont Colbert,
Versailles
Seine-et-Oise,
France

Respectuous salutations of Georges.

A commemorative Mass was celebrated on 30 June at the Gosberton Chapel for the anniversary of Prince-Abbot Joseph III, which falls the following day. In his homily, the Prince-Abbot called to mind the symbolism of the Crown of Thorns and the sacrifices and ministry of Prince-Abbot Joseph III.

The Prince-Abbot before the statue of St Louis in the Chapel

Archbishop Douglas Lewins, GCCT, Senior Chaplain of the San Luigi Orders for the United Kingdom

During the service, Archbishop William Myers of the Old Roman Catholic Church in America was admitted to the rank of Knight in the Order of the Crown of Thorns.

The Prince-Abbot reads the commission to the knight expectant

The diploma of appointment is presented to the new knight

Archbishop Myers presented the Prince-Abbot with Knighthood in the Order of the Precious Blood, the award of merit of the Old Roman Catholic Church in America, as well as that church’s Medal of Friendship.

Prayer was offered for all members of the San Luigi Orders past and present during the service. The Mass was followed by a dinner for the clergy and their guests.

The Prince-Abbot has been presented with several commemorative medals of the Royal House of Thailand. They were presented for “outstanding work for the progress of mankind through peace education” by the former Advisor of the President of the Committee for Private Education of the National Assembly.  In Thailand, it is customary for these medals to be worn by members of the civil service and the armed forces.

The medals presented were the Commemorative Medal for the 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), 2007; Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary of H.M. Queen Sirikit, 2004; Commemorative Medal for the Investiture of H.R.H. Prince Vajiralongkorn as Crown Prince, 1972. Each of the medals was first issued on an earlier date, but this presentation was made in December 2012.

The photograph of Bishop Harry Brewster Carpenter above was taken on 1 April 1978, when he attended a consecration service.

Harry Carpenter was consecrated bishop by Prince-Abbot Edmond II assisted by Archbishop Emile Rodriguez y Fairfield on 15 November 1963, and was given the title Mar Veritas. For a time he served as Chancellor of the Order of the Crown of Thorns.

Carpenter, who supplemented his living from the church as owner of a print shop, was attached to a small cathedral in Las Vegas, Nevada, established by the Syro-Malabar Church under Mar Anthony Devan in the 1930s. Mar Anthony came from India to the United States as a result of the activity of the Church of England in attempting to convert his co-religionists to what had become the state church in British India. He sought to find members of the Mar Thoma churches living in the United States and having done so, established the American Eastern Orthodox Church around 1940. Mar Anthony consecrated Thomas Martin, who succeeded him as head of the jurisdiction, but on Martin’s death in 1979 the church became inactive.

Our Archive includes a black silk cape of office that was gifted to Bishop Carpenter by Prince-Abbot Edmond I. At a later service of commemoration, Bishop Carpenter was directed to wear this cape “to honour the memories of those who pioneered our cause”. One of those commemorated at the service was Archbishop Frederick E.J. Lloyd.

Carpenter died on 21 May 1986.

24 January 1854 – 1 July 1929

Memory Eternal!

This photograph from 9 May 1948 shows Prince-Abbot Edmond I (far right) presiding at a ground-breaking for the Episcopal Church. The Prince-Abbot served ministries of the Episcopal Church for many years, and came out of retirement for this event. It can be seen that he is wearing the insignia of the Order of the Crown of Thorns.