— Holy Land Councillor News
Written in Stone: Feast of the Dedication of the Holy Sepulchre
July 20, 2026
Every July 15, the Church of Jerusalem marks the anniversary of the dedication of this most holy place, a feast that speaks directly to the faithful in the Holy Land and their supporters.
The first basilica on this site was consecrated in the year 335 under Constantine and his mother, St. Helen. It was destroyed, rebuilt, and rededicated by the Crusaders in 1149, and it stands today as it did then, holding both Calvary and the Empty Tomb under one roof.
This feast is not a celebration of stones. It is a celebration of what those stones represent: a community of faith that has been broken down and raised up again and again, without ever losing what it fundamentally is.
“To commemorate the dedication means to commemorate a building of stone, which is the memory of a building of living stones, which is the People, who here are born from faith, from the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.”
As Knights and Dames, our support for the Custody sustains these same living stones today. Consider marking this feast with a prayer for the Holy Land, or by learning more about our upcoming pilgrimages to walk where this history still lives.
