October 02, 2015. Jerusalem, Custody of the Holy Land

Cross of Pope Leon XIII SIGNUM SACRI ITINERIS HIEROSOLYMITANI

For the support of the missionary movement and pilgrimages in the Holy Land, on October 1 of 2015, the Custodian of the Holy Land Pierbattista Pizzaballa awarded me, and Israeli guide Slava Kim with commemorative medals – Golden Crosses «SIGNUM SACRI ITINERIS HIEROSOLYMITANI».

The Cross «SIGNUM SACRI ITINERIS HIEROSOLYMITANI» was introduced in 1900 and instituted by a decree of Pope Leon XIII on May 2, 1901. The medal in the shape of the Cross of Jerusalem (The Crusader’s cross) is fixed to a silk ribbon of red colour with four blue stripes in the middle, on the edges at each side it has a white band with a yellow bar; the medal is a large cross within which four more smaller crosses are set.

Letter of Recognition for the Cross of Pope Leon XIII SIGNUM SACRI ITINERIS HIEROSOLYMITANI

The Large Cross is a symbol of Christ; four smaller crosses signify the four Apostles, authors of the four Gospels, spreading the teaching in the four corners of the earth. On the obverse of the cross there are five medallions: the medallion in the centre has the image of Pope Leon XIII and an inscription around it «Leo XIII creavit anno MCM» (Leon XIII created in 1900), above it there is a medallion with the scene of Annunciation, on the left hand – Christ’s Nativity, on the right hand – Baptism of Jesus Christ, below – the Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper). Four words on the crossbars of the large cross are read: CHRISTI — AMOR — CRUCIFIXI — TPАXIT NOS, which mean when translated from Latin – Christ’s Love Attracted Us. On the reverse side, there are five medallions: in the centre there is the Ascending Christ, above – His Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the left – the Flagellation of Christ, on the right – the Laying of the crown of thorns, below – the Lord on the Cross.

Sister Naomi at the Awarding Ceremony at the Custody of the Holy Land

The words on the ends of the large cross read like this: SIGNVM -  SACRI — ITINERIS – HIEROSOL which translates as Sign of the Holy Voyage of Jerusalem. The Cross is worn on the left breast and has three degrees – Golden, Silver, and Bronze.