Eric J. Pelton of Hixson was invested into the Order of the Fleur de Lis in Memphis on Aug. 28. The Order of the Fleur de Lis is an organization of Catholic men incorporated under the laws of the state of Louisiana as a not-for-profit organization. The order’s domain is the five-state region of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Commander Pelton and his wife, Lady Melody Pelton, are active members of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga. Commander Pelton, a certified public accountant, heads the EJ Pelton CPA firm in Chattanooga. He also serves as state treasurer for the Tennessee Knights of Columbus.
Also invested into the order from Tennessee was Bishop J. Mark Spalding of the Diocese of Nashville.
The objectives of the order include supporting and defending the Holy Catholic Church and its teachings; promoting patriotism and good citizenship; encouraging public morality and unselfish service to God and country; assisting and publicizing the activities of other organizations that also promote these objectives; and memorializing and popularizing the memories and achievements of Catholic leaders in religion, the arts and sciences, philanthropy education, exploration and archeology, government and international relations, medicine and jurisprudence, and other established professions.
The Order of the Fleur de Lis encourages and recognizes leadership in living the values and principles of the Catholic faith by presenting the Monsignor Joseph Susi Award of Honor to an individual who has excelled as a Catholic leader in any one of the following: religion, family values, youth, aging, politics, patriotism, the arts and sciences, education, philanthropy, public morality, management-labor, the media, or medicine and jurisprudence.
Other Knight Commanders in the Diocese of Knoxville include Cardinal Justin Rigali; Bishop Richard F. Stika; Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens; Deacon Paul Nelson, who serves at St. Jude in Chattanooga; Deacon Sean Smith, chancellor of the Diocese of Knoxville; Raleigh E. Cooper III; Ronnie Holmes; C. Michael Horten; and Michael Wills.
[ Pictured above: Eric J. Pelton (second row, right) was invested into the Order of the Fleur de Lis on Aug. 28. Also pictured are (from left, front row) Bishop Robert W. Marshall Jr. of the Diocese of Alexandria, La.; Bishop Francis I. Malone of the Diocese of Shreveport, La.; and Bishop J. Mark Spalding of the Diocese of Nashville and (second row) H. Jerry Brecher of Alabama, Rennan J. Duffour of Louisiana, and Rodney L. Sandoz II of Mississippi.]
