By Marie Mulvenna

In recent ceremonies at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, Major General (Ret.) and Mrs. Robert Schellman of the Cathedral of Christ the King, were invested as Knight and Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Cardinal Terence Cooke presided at the ceremony for 40 couples who were honored with the ancient award.

Also attending from Atlanta was Charles Moran, a Knight Grand Cross of the order and parishioner at Christ the King. Maximilian Cardinal de Furstenberg, Grand Master of the order, came from Rome to address the candidates.

Gen. and Mrs. Schellman are part of the Eastern Lieutenancy of the order in the United States. The order itself is said to date back to the time of Charlemagne and was established to aid the preservation of shrines in the Holy Land.

Both General and Mrs. Schellman have long been active in church affairs and moved to Atlanta two years ago when the general retired from service. Gen. Schellman was honored with the title of Knight of St. Sylvester in 1968 for his role as senior Catholic officer in Europe and president of the Military Council of Catholic Men in Europe. He has served as president of many Holy Name societies, was active in the first lector program that he began in Hawaii in 1966, and currently serves as a lector at the cathedral. Since moving to Atlanta, General Schellman has been an administrator for an Atlanta law firm.

Mrs. Schellman has long been involved with work for the church and has served as president of Catholic women’s guilds in many parts of the world while General Schellman was in service. She was honorary president of the Military Council of Catholic Women in Europe and in 1969 received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award from Pope Paul in recognition of her service to the church. In Atlanta, Mrs. Schellman is active in the religious education program and is cochairman of PACE (Putting Across Christian Education) at the cathedral.

The Schellmans are the parents of eight children, one of whom, Debbie, has been named to a pontifical committee studying the role of women in the church.