Halima Naleçz (1914-2008) was a Dame d’Honneur of the Order of the Lion and the Black Cross. She was a noted artist and promoter of the modern art movement, and her Drian Galleries in London’s Bayswater were the location for several receptions for the members of the San Luigi Orders during the 1960s.
>>In Memoriam (in Polish)
H.M. King Frederik IX of Denmark received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thorns from Prince-Abbot Edmond II in a ceremony at Los Angeles in October 1960.
The Insignia of the Order of the Crown of Thorns pictured below belonged to the late Mgr. George F. Tull, who was Grand Prior for England and Wales and Vice-Chancellor for Europe of the San Luigi Orders, and a member of the Supreme Council. It subsequently passed to his successors in office and is currently in the possession of Mgr. Weston-Smart, who is the present Grand Prior for the United Kingdom. No manufacturer is indicated, but it is believed that it was made in Italy.
In this photograph of the future Prince-Abbot Joseph III from October 1894, he is wearing the insignia of the Order of the Crown of Thorns.
[Photograph: Mission Gallicane d’Alsace]
In commemoration of the 83rd anniversary of the interment of Prince-Abbot Joseph III on 4 July 1929, Fr. Raphaël Steck, member of the San Luigi Orders, has published a webpage with many archival photographs.
View the webpage (in French) here: https://sites.google.com/site/missiongallicanedalsace/mgr-vilatte
A service of investiture for the Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller (British Association of the Russian Grand Priory) took place at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell, London, on Saturday 30 June, by kind permission of the church authorities.
The Prince-Abbot and Archbishop Douglas Titus Lewins (Primate of the Old Roman Catholic Church of Great Britain) were installed as Chaplains of the Order.
In November 2012, the Prince-Abbot was separately appointed to the rank of Prelate – Knight Grand Cross of Justice in the Russian Grand Priory, Commandery of Carpathia, which had been established under the authority of the late Prince Michael of Russia, the Grand Prior of the Russian Grand Priory, in 2005. This was a further branch of the parent Order of the British Association.
After nine years as Chaplain, the Prince-Abbot resigned from all appoitments in the British Association in September 2021. He remains a Prelate and Grand Cross of the Russian Order of St John by virtue of his appointments of November 2012.
The armorial of Mgr. Jules-Ernest Houssaye (Abbé Julio) (1844-1912), Primate of the Gallican Church (image courtesy Mission Gallicane d’Alsace):
He was admitted a member of the Order of the Crown of Thorns by Prince-Abbot Joseph III in 1893 and served as Prelate-Commander and its representative in France (later Switzerland) until his death, maintaining a Secretariat at 21 Croix-des-Petits-Champs, Paris. He was formally invested by Prince-Abbot Joseph III in 1898 at 5, Rue Vernier, Paris. His episcopal arms bear a suspension of the jewel of the Order and a photograph of his office shows his commander’s collar together with the sword of his commandery.
Further details of his life can be read at this page.
Two new appointments in the San Luigi Orders have been announced.
The Revd. Canon Fr. Raphaël Steck has been appointed Chevalier in the Order of the Lion and the Black Cross and Chevalier Officier in the Order of the Crown of Thorns. Canon Steck serves the Mission Gallicane d’Alsace within the tradition of the Eglise Gallicane. Historically, the Eglise Gallicane has a close association with the San Luigi Orders through its common ancestry in Prince-Abbot Joseph III (Vilatte), with several of its prelates having held representative office in the past.
The Mission Gallicane d’Alsace maintains an informative website concerning its work at http://www.gallicanalsace.org and a page concerning the Order of the Crown of Thorns here.
The Abbey-Principality of San Luigi 
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