By Jerromie S. Walters
NEWARK, New Jersey — Cllr. Philomena T. Williams, President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), has been elected Supreme Trustee of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Knights of St. John International. The election occurred during the Order’s 62nd International Convention, held August 2–9, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey.
Delegates from the United States, Africa, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean voted overwhelmingly to elevate Cllr. Williams, placing her among the highest-ranking women in the global Ladies’ Auxiliary. The Supreme Trustee role requires managing the Order’s assets with integrity, institutional knowledge, and constitutional fidelity—qualities delegates cited as hallmarks of her career.
Noble Sister Williams has served the Order for over 30 years, rising through every rank since her initiation in 1994 into St. Philomena Ladies’ Auxiliary #306. Her leadership includes roles as Supreme Subordinate President (2025–present), Supreme Subordinate 1st Vice President (2023–2025), Supreme Subordinate Treasurer (2019–2023), and Grand President of the Monrovia Grand Ladies’ Auxiliary (2011–2017).
She has also held numerous district and local offices, including Supreme Deputy Organizer, Grand Vice President, and President of her home auxiliary. Beyond the Order, Williams has been recognized as Mother of the Year for her embodiment of Catholic motherhood. She has led Catholic Women’s programs focused on spiritual retreats, catechetical formation, and charitable outreach.
Her mentorship of junior members remains a defining legacy, with many former protégés now serving as leaders themselves.As Special Envoy of the Supreme President to Sierra Leone, Noble Sister, Cllr. Williams successfully established the Supreme Subordinate Auxiliary in Freetown, expanding the Order’s international presence and strengthening fraternal ties across West Africa.
Delegates at the convention described her ascendancy as “well-earned” and “a blessing to the international body,” citing her transparent leadership, discipline, and commitment to unity among the Order’s three Grand Auxiliaries.
The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Knights of St. John International, established in 1900 and formally organized in 1938, maintains members across the U.S., South America, Africa, Germany, the U.K., and Trinidad and Tobago. Williams’ election marks a historic achievement for Liberia’s jurisdiction, which continues to produce leaders who shape the Order’s global mission of charity, unity, and service.
Beyond The Knights:
Outside of the Knights of St. John International, Cllr. Philomena Tugbe Williams remains a prominent Liberian human rights advocate who serves as the President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) and was re-elected in April 2025 to her second consecutive term.
She has dedicated her career to strengthening the rule of law, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting survivor-centered justice. AFELL was established on February 10, 1994, in the midst of the First Liberian Civil War to systematically address severe abuses against women and children.
The association is composed exclusively of female legal practitioners—including lawyers, judges, and magistrates—who use their expertise to provide pro bono services. Cllr. Williams’ leadership has also boosted AFELL’s long-standing mandate to offer free legal representation, advice, and dispute resolution for marginalized populations and indigent individuals.
The institution drives national impact litigation, policy reforms, and tracking of gender-based violence cases. Her leadership has also been Instrumental in securing structural legal reforms in Liberia, notably including the passage of the Domestic Violence Act and modernized women’s inheritance laws.
