Welcome to the Acadia Commandery. The Commandery (the smallest administrative division of a military order) is part of the national Grand Priory in Canada which is a jurisdiction of an international Order called The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (OSLJ) or simply the "Order". The OSLJ is one of the Orders of chivalry to have survived the downfall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the attempts by the Crusader knights and Saint Lazarus knights during the Second Crusade (1147 - 1149) to win control of the Holy Land.

The Order includes a military orientation whereby when the Knights Templar contracted Hansen's disease (leprosy), they were transferred to the Order of Saint Lazarus and continued their military duties as best they could until they could no longer effectively carry out their duties due to the ravages on their bodies by the disease. With the exception of a brief period in the 17th century the Order played a minor military role after 1291. The Order of Saint Lazarus is one of the most ancient of the European orders of chivalry. At the very least it dates back to the time of the Crusader knights. From its foundation in the 12th century, the members of the Order were dedicated to two ideals: aid to those suffering from the dreadful disease of leprosy and the defense of the Christian faith.

Today, Acadia Commandery strives to facilitate the original missions of the Order, however, in the 21^st century, the missions have expanded the hospitaller mission to include the support, promotion and advocacy of hospice and palliative care. Since 1974, the Acadia Commandery has been active in the Maritime, providing aid and assistance to those in need, in particular, to those people who need our help in hospice or palliative care. Through the efforts of the Acadia Commandery, the Order has helped numerous people and health/care organizations and continues to focus on hospice and palliative care today in service to humanity.

Members and Friends of the Acadia Commandery over the years have volunteered, contributed and supported a variety of local initiatives through fundraising events, visits to care facilities, informational events, training and support including the First Nations in the Maritime. Acadia Commandery also keeps the military history alive with period authentic Saint Lazarus knights who are involved with fundraising events and visits to care facilities which are a real treat for the patients in those facilities.