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The Chapter General of the Sovereign Order of Malta, called every five years, took place in Rome on June 8th, 2009, under the chairmanship of His Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing, 79th Grand Master of the Order. Sixty representatives were present: the members of the Government, the Grand Priors, the Regent of Sub-priories, and the elected presidents of the 47 National Associations of the Order established around the world.
The Chapter General is the Supreme Assembly of Knights, which elects the members of the Sovereign Council (the Government of the Order), the Government Council and the Board of Auditors, amend the Constitutional Charter and Code as appropriate, and discuss important issues such as spiritual status, the humanitarian activities and diplomatic relations of the Order.
Today the Chapter General has elected the following members of the Sovereign Council for the period 2009-2014:
Grand Commander (Head of the Religious members):
H.E. Fra’ Gherardo HERCOLANI FAVA SIMONETTI
Grand Chancellor (Minister for External and Internal Affairs):
H.E. Jean-Pierre MAZERY
Grand Hospitaller (Minister for Health and Humanitarian action):
H. E. Albrecht Freiherr von BOESELAGER
Receiver of the Common Treasure (Minister for Budget and Finance):
H. E. Marquis Gian Luca CHIAVARI
Members
H.E. Fra' Carlo d'IPPOLITO, di SANT'IPPOLITO
H.E. Fra' John T. DUNLAP
H.E. Duncan GALLIE
H.E. Emmanuel ROUSSEAU
H.E. Antonio SANCHEZ-COREA, Jr.
H.E. Winfried Graf HENCKEL von DONNERSMARCK
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Dr. Thomas E. Dillon, President of the Thomas Aquinas College and Chairman of the Western Association’s Defense of the Faith Committee, was laid to rest on April 24th following a funeral Mass in the magnificent chapel of his college, which was dedicated just a month ago. Dr. Dillon served on the faculty of Thomas Aquinas College since 1972, and contributed much to the school’s reputation for intellectual rigor and fidelity to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Dr. Dillon was received into the Order of Malta in 2006, and recently assumed responsibility for the Defense of the Faith. His monthly mailings, which brought together inspiring and instructive material from a variety of sources, was a great source of spiritual nourishment to the members of our Order.
Dr. Dillon was killed in a car accident on April 15th, while travelling in Ireland. While we mourn his sudden loss, we are consoled by the same faith to which he was so deeply committed: he went home to God within the Octave of Easter, the great celebration of Christ’s victory over death. Please pray for the repose of his soul, and for his family, especially his wife Terri, who was seriously injured in the same accident.
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On February 12, 2009, more than 100 Knights, Dames, Auxiliary members and friends, gathered at the Olympic Club in San Francisco to celebrate and raise money for a cause near and dear to our hearts—malade companion sponsorship for the 2009 Lourdes Pilgrimage. As the night began, the Most Reverend Archbishop George H. Niederauer gave a warm welcome introduction to the crowd, which set the tone for the entire evening. Andrew Leven, who served as a companion to his wife Dotty on the 200X pilgrimage, delivered a heartfelt reflection about his experience in Lourdes that inspired all who heard it.
Thanks to a crop of generous donors, a plethora of auction items found their way to the auction block—and the bidding was fierce! Luxury weekend getaways, sports tickets, fine wine, and the crown jewel—a painting depicting King Andreas of Hungary’s admission to the Order of St. John—tempted many generous bidders. Guests mingled late into the evening, enthusiastically bidding on auction items, enjoying award-winning Fritz wine and celebrating the spirit of the event.
The Auxiliary is truly honored and inspired by the number of the people who supported From the Heart through their attendance, auction bids, in kind donations and good will. Through this generosity, the Auxiliary is able to sponsor eight companions to the Lourdes this year, making this the most successful From the Heart to date.
When we give, we give from the heart.
That was the inspiration for the first From the Heart fundraiser in 2002, it rang true at the 2009 event, and will continue to guide the Auxiliary’s efforts for the future. We look forward to FTH 2010!
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