Gerard variously surnamed Tum, Tune, Tenque or Thom, is accredited as the founder of the Knights Hospitaller

Knights Hospitaller

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...

 who subsequently evolved into the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and the Order of Malta.

He was born possibly at Amalfi

Amalfi

Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...

 and had probably some connection to the convent of Saint Lawrence in Amalfi, which got a gift by Anna, her brother Constantine and Anna's son Maurus, who was one of the founder of the hospice of Muristan

Muristan

The Muristan is a complex of streets and shops in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem...

 among the merchants of Amalfi. Other accounts hold he was born in Martigues

Martigues

Martigues is a commune northwest of Marseille. It is part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the eastern end of the Canal de Caronte....

, Provence

Provence

Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...

, while one authority even names the Chateau d'Avesnes in Hainaut

County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....

. Either as a soldier

Soldier

A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...

 or a merchant

Merchant

A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...

, he found his way to Jerusalem, where a hospice

Hostel

Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...

 had for some time existed for the convenience of those who wished to visit the Christian holy places. Of this institution Gerard became guardian or provost

Provost (religion)

A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...

 at a date not later than 1100, and here he organized that religious order of St John which received papal recognition from Paschal II in 1113, by the bull

Papal bull

A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....

 Geraudo institutori ac praeposito Hirosolimitani Xenodochii. It was renewed and confirmed by Calixtus II shortly before the death of Gerard in 1120.

External links

• Blessed Gérard Tonque and his everlasting brotherhood: The Order of St. John