A Brief History of the United States Delegation

The United States had diplomatic and commercial relations with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until the presidential administration of Abraham Lincoln. The first American invested into the Constantinian Order was Joseph Delafeld, in 1861. Today's American Constantinian knights and dames are called upon to fulfill a special spiritual mission.

Established in 1989 as a District of Columbia Non-profit Corporation, The American Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (Naples-Two Sicilies), Incorporated (usually referred to as the "United States Delegation") is the sole representative of this Neapolitan order of chivalry in the United States. The chancery of the Constantinian Order is in Naples, Italy, with an office in Rome. The office of the United States Delegation is now located in Dunkirk, Maryland.

The American Delegation exists to actively support philanthropic activities, particularly those traditionally supported by the Order, namely the propagation of the Roman Catholic Faith and charitable relief to the poor. The Delegation underwrites part of the costs of the Saint George High Adventure Trek, which took place in 1992, 1995 and 1998, 2000, and 2004. Sponsored by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, this program's purpose is to foster an interest in religious vocations in today's young men and women, aged 16 and 17. All participants dedicate themselves to lives of Christian leadership. The American Delegation also supports hospital and relief projects, such as the initiatives to assist earthquake victims in the Umbria and Marches regions of Italy, and flood victims in the Campania region near Naples. It acts as the corporate representative of Constantinian knights and dames resident in the United States, its territories and possessions.

The spiritual life of the Order is very important. Constantinian knights and dames are Roman Catholic ladies and gentlemen, in full communion with the Church, who are called upon to defend the values of the Catholic Faith in an increasingly secularized and materialistic world. American candidates are accepted into the Order every few years in a Solemn Rite of Investiture held during a Holy Mass. The most recent American investiture was celebrated in New York in April, 2010. Other investitures have been celebrated in the United States at Saint Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and in New Orleans. The Order observes as its special religious feasts Saint George's Day on April 23rd and the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th.