Order of St. John turns 900
CMAJ 1998;159:752
© 1998 Canadian Medical Association
The Order of St. John, which once counted knights among its members and kept the Mediterranean free of pirates, launches a year-long celebration of its colourful 900-year history this month.
The order, named after St. John the Baptist, was founded in 1099 by Benedictine monks who adopted the white cross as their symbol and cared for the sick and injured in Jerusalem. The turmoil of the Middle Ages shaped development of the order, which was forced to adopt military might in order to continue its work. Over the centuries, its members provided a vital naval presence in the Mediterranean and were "protectors" of Malta. In the 19th century, following the loss of Malta to Napoleon, the order became devoted solely to acts of charity, such as providing field ambulances during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-2.
Today the order continues to work in 40 countries, including Canada, as a nonprofit, nondenominational, charitable organization with a reputation for no-nonsense instruction in first aid and CPR.
More information is available from the St. John Ambulance Web site at www.sja.ca.
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