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OSMTH Convent 2010
The Priory of St. James is the host for the 2010 OSMTH Convent to be held in Toronto, Canada Sept. 22-26, 2010. Click here for the official brochure and here for the registration form. The Convent website can be found here. Plan to be in Toronto in September with your fellow Knights and Dames from around the world.
Who We Are
The Priory of St. James is the official representative body in Toronto, Canada, of the Canadian Grand Priory of The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Templar. The Priory of St. James was founded in 2004 and now has almost 50 members. The Priory of St. James is a very active organization, with regular meetings, active charitable and community outreach programs, committees and an annual Investiture ceremony at St. James Cathedral in Toronto.
Our parent body, The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ or OSMTH in Latin), is an international organization of men and women who seek to 
promote and live the chivalric and charitable traditions of the original Knights Templar. We are officially recognized by the United Nations with Special Consultative Status and provide SMOTJ Official Delegations to the United Nations in New York City, Vienna, and Geneva.
Our members apply themselves energetically and selflessly to Christian charitable endeavors.
We are a modern Christian Order of Knighthood dedicated to:
- Seeking God in our lives and promoting love and respect for our community.
- Increasing understanding between religions, helping pilgrims visit holy places, and maintaining a Christian presence in the Holy Land.
- Supporting the poor, sick, and unjustly accused; standing against oppression, and protecting freedom of speech.
- Encouraging the noble ideas of Chivalry; maintaining the monuments, archives, and history of the Knights Templar.
Our guiding lights are the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, through which members aspire to serve faithfully as Knights of God's Temple. The motto of the Order, "Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam" is the Latin version of Psalm 115, verse 1: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name be given glory."
The Order, in an increasingly secular and materialistic age, seeks, by reconstituting an ancient chivalric order, to adopt an organization of proven effectiveness in capturing the allegiance and spirit of dedicated leaders, and to show that spiritual idealism is most certainly relevant and not inconsistent with a sensibility for tradition, nor inconsistent with patriotism nor civic duty -- thus the Order's purposes include assisting and facilitating the growth of the virtues of Christian gentlemen and ladies, by endeavor with God's Grace. The members of this Order believe they have an obligation to participate in the coalescing and preservation of a constructive force similar to that which created knighthood and chivalry during the Middle Ages.
Governing Principles:
- To become a Knight Templar, one must be a Christian by faith.
- The Order is ecumenical -it does not restrict membership to a single Christian Church.
- Non-Christians may be admitted as Members of our Order of Merit.
- The Order does not allow its members to act contrary to their obligations to their country.
- The Order is not a political organization and does not engage in politics.
- The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem is not associated in any way with Freemasonry.
There is clearly a growing desire among caring men and women to spread goodness in the world. The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem is increasingly viewed as a means of doing so; its volunteer base is growing rapidly in terms of both numbers and talent. In order for a growing volunteer organization like SMOTJ to be effective on a large scale, it utilizes the varied talents of all and magnifies the results of their efforts through effective organization - all the while keeping a singular crusading focus.
Membership in the Knights Templar and the Priory of St. James is by invitation to qualified persons. Individuals wishing to know more about the Order and potential membership should contact the Chancellor or Prior.
