Priory of St. Marks welcomed Companion at Arms Sandra McKellann. Sister McKellann will be assigned to the Commandery of St.Lazarus under Commandant Matt Davis.
McKellann introduced herself saying, "I am excited to become a part of the Knights Templar Grand Priory of America.
"I was born into a military family and raised in the Ithaca area of upstate New York. I have 3 sons who are military, first responders and family men, along with 9 grandchildren.
"I began my Christian journey as a teenager when I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior and was baptized as a young adult. As with all of us, I have had trials and hardships, but I knew that God had his hand in all of it then and continues today.
"After careers in the legal and medical fields I now work as a caregiver to the elderly and hospice patients. I am in the process of becoming a certified Christian life coach.
"I am a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary and organized a food drive for the families of wounded service members in Tampa before the Fisher House which houses the wounded and their family members was built. I believe community service is of utmost importance, but I have received more joy and satisfaction from it than I can say and look forward to being an active participant in the charitable activities of the KTGPA.
"I have a number of various hobbies, but I have always been an avid reader, particularly history, and have had a fascination with the Knights Templar. I was fortunate to have visited the Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal. It is phenomenal site in its own right, but seeing how the knights lived and worshiped, walking the same, halls they did was truly a profound experience. It brought their lives and sacrifice into reality. Their courage and honor palpable. A desire to become a part of their legacy grew, and here I am today.
"To be a part of KTGPA is more than a dream or desire, it is a calling," she said.
