The Grand Prior of Continental Europe for the San Luigi Orders, H.E. Dr Norbert Wójtowicz, has published his latest book, “Freemasonry and the Catholic Church”, which explores both history and future prospects.

The Prince-Abbot, a staunch monarchist, has been honoured by the Polish Monarchists’ Association (Unia Polskich Ugrupowań Monarchistycznych), receiving the Medal of Merit and the 15 Year Commemorative Medal of the Association. The citation is for “promoting conservative values and traditions, and Polish military history”. The Regent of the Association, H.E. Alexander Podolski, is a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Thorns.

The Prince-Abbot was an invited speaker at the annual Reunion of the Central School of Religion in London today, of which institution he is a Fellow. He delivered a talk entitled The eirenic vision of Ambrose Philipps de Lisle (1809-78) which explored the life and work of this Victorian ecumenist and Catholic convert. Several members of the San Luigi Orders were in the audience.

At leisure, Prince-Abbot Joseph III greatly enjoyed the smoking of fine cigars. Less well-known is his hobby, which was to decorate cigar boxes in an elaborate style using metal foils laid upon designs in relief, also lining them with felt. Some of these were given as presents to friends.

The Archive of the Abbey-Principality has one example of a decorated box of this kind. Silver and gold foils are used, with the lining being of red felt. The last photograph shows the detail of the design inside the lid.

The concordat between the Abbey-Principality and the American Chapter of the Order of the Crown of Thorns in the 1950s brought together Prince-Abbot Edmond I and Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle in a resolve to work together for the common good and united future of the Order. As part of this agreement, the two prelates each gave and received a pectoral cross. Both crosses are now preserved as part of the Archive of the Abbey-Principality.

Jewelled gold pectoral cross presented by Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle to Prince-Abbot Edmond I to mark the concordat with the American Chapter of the Order of the Crown of Thorns.

Silver pectoral cross presented by Prince-Abbot Edmond I to Archbishop Lowell Paul Wadle to mark the concordat with the American Chapter of the Order of the Crown of Thorns.

The Archive of the Abbey-Principality contains several items from the earliest days of the missionary effort of the future Prince-Abbot Joseph III. 1885 is the year in which he was ordained by the Old Catholic Church as the first Old Catholic missionary priest in the United States. Working in Wisconsin, he opened the Church of the Precious Blood at Little Sturgeon, the Church of the Blessed Sacrament at Green Bay (still an Episcopalian church today) and a third church at Dykesville (Duval). These items, among the simplest and yet the most redolent of those contained in the Archive, attest to the essentials of ministry; it is from these foundations that everything else would be built over the years.

Unhemmed chalice pall. It is designed so that the card insert can be removed and the linen laundered.

Chalice veil in fine silk.

Ciborium cover in fine watered silk.

The Abbey-Principality has recently acquired an example of the insignia of the Order of the Crown of Thorns from the early twentieth-century. This is the insignia of a chevalier (knight). It was manufactured by the firm of Schubauer es Miticzky of Budapest, Hungary, and is presented in a specially moulded case. There are few known members of the Order in Hungary; the most prominent was Archbishop Count Victor J. Alexander de Kubinyi (1873-1966), who served in the Apostolic Episcopal Church.

The design is in accordance with other known examples of this period, and the high quality of the gilding and enamelling is notable.

We congratulate the San Luigi Grand Prior for Continental Europe, H.E. Dr. Norbert Wójtowicz, and his wife on the birth of their first child, a son, Stanislaus.