On June 23rd, 2005, our Holy Father received in audience the Grand Master of Order of Malta, together with the Sovereign Council. By tradition, this annual meeting takes place in conjunction with the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist, patron of the Order. The new pontiff knows the work of the Order well, and has served as Bailiff Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion. In the course of the audience, several topics were addressed: the profound attachment to the Holy See and the Successor of St. Peter, which every member of the Order renews in our daily prayer to defend “the Holy, the Apostolic, the Roman faith”; the spirituality of service to the poor; and the importance of defending the dignity of each person and the family, the “holy places” under attack today. Fra’ Andrew Bertie informed the Holy Father that on the day after the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist the Order would launch “Malteser International”, a significant step forward in the coordination of the Order’s service to those in need throughout the world. The headquarters of Malteser International are in Cologne, the city which Pope Benedict will visit for World Youth Day in August. Along with expressing gratitude to the Order for its efforts to respond to disasters such as the recent tsunami and the pandemic of AIDs in Africa , the Holy Father commended to the members of our Order a cause very dear to his heart: the furtherance of Christian unity.

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The Rosary is associated with one of the great events in the history of the Order of Malta , the Battle of Lepanto, and Our Lady’s Rosary Crusade is one of the important works of our Association for the defense of the faith. For many years the standard bearer of this crusade of prayer was Mary Kane, and her husband Eneas continues her fine work. Along with financial support, the Western Association is involved in the governance of this spiritual work: along with Eneas Kane, Sheila Carmassi, Stephen Lopez, Mary McInerney and Annette Warren serve on the Board of Directors, and Herm Carmassi offers his talents as Secretary-Treasurer. As of August 1 st, Our Lady’s Rosary Crusade will have its own web site: www.bluerosary.com. Our late Holy Father called the Rosary his “favorite prayer”, and it has been a sure path to holiness for millions of people over the ages. By praying the Rosary and encouraging others to do so, the members of our Association can deepen their union with Christ and spread our faith in Him. Check out this new site to learn more about this worthwhile initiative.

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The Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta in San Francisco gathered at Saint Anne’s Home with the Little Sisters of the Poor and the residents of the home to observe Memorial Day with a beautiful Mass followed by a luncheon. The day began with a concelebrated Mass led by the Reverend Monsignor Steven Otellini. The chapel was full to overflowing with the Knights, Dames, Sisters, and residents of the home, as well as guests. The altar was resplendent with flowers, and the hymns reflected the patriotic nature of the occasion.

Monsignor Otellini’s sermon was inspirational. Based on the readings of the day, from the Book of Tobit and the holy Gospel according to Mark, the congregation was reminded of the significance of Memorial Day. We contemplated the responsibility of paying our respect for those who have died, and the need to observe the ceremonies that accompany these occasions.

The family bar-b-q- was prepared under the direction of Tony Sanchez Corea III, and Laura and Doug Hosking. Tony Sanchez-Corea Sr. and Lucille, who have newly and briefly returned from Rome , helped with the preparation and greeted all of us with the joy after a lengthy separation. Almost 100 Knights, Dames, Provisionals, Auxiliary and their families put on aprons, and barbequed. They put the final touches on the food that was prepared the day before, and served the fine presentation of a true feast. The day prior to the picnic, 20 Knights, Dames and Volunteers spent 4 hours marinating and preparing food for Memorial Day. There were many helping hands, and the atmosphere was joyful. The dining room was decorated in red, white and blue table settings, with flags, top hats and floral arrangements of Rose plants in “flag” buckets. In the entryway, nibbles and eats provided sustenance for the residents, servers and guests. The aviary provided a happy pastime for the many children of the families who gathered there, and the “balloon man” made many a child, and child of heart, happy.

It was a holy, joyous remembrance day.

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On Friday, June 24, 2005, on the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of our Order of Malta, in the Church of St. John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Seattle Chapter said “Farewell” to Angie Herbert, a malade on our 2004 Lourdes Pilgrimage.

Angie and her husband Shawn were in only the second annual group that Seattle has had the privilege of sponsoring to Lourdes. Angie was not initially selected by the Lourdes Committee and it wasn’t until late in the process, when another malade couldn’t go, that we were able to resubmit Angie for reconsideration. It seemed like its own sort of Lourdes Miracle when Angie was then accepted for Lourdes.

Angie was suggested to us by Marsha Baumann who was in Seattle’s very first group of malades in 2003. After her 2004 return from Lourdes, Angie herself suggested Kristen and Gloria Strauss, who made our 2005 Lourdes Pilgrimage. It is important and meaningful to us that we are so far having our malades themselves enthusiastically share and pass on the legacy of grace that comes with a pilgrimage to Lourdes. The Miracle of Lourdes takes many forms.

In Seattle, once you experience Lourdes as a malade, you always remain and are welcome to continue at no cost as a part of our Chapter’s “Order of Malta family”. All our prior and the following year’s prospective malades are invited to our monthly Masses, and to most all of our other gatherings such as World Day of the Sick, Lourdes Reunion Mass & Dinner, Lenten and Advent Afternoon’s of Recollection, our Annual Summer Social, our British Columbia Marian Pilgrimage, and our Matt Talbot Center Christmas Dinner.

In the 2 1/2 years since Angie first applied in December 2003, we have come to love her and to pray for her and her family. She was a wonderful wife and mother to four young children. She and her loving, faith-filled, and faithful husband Shawn have twin boys Daniel and Peter born in 2002 a daughter Grace born in 1999, and a daughter Sophie born in 1998.

Angie was diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma in Janurary 2003. Angie took seriously ill the day after Mother’s Day this year. A few days later, at our Prospective Members meeting on May 18th, we distributed a picture we had taken of Angie at our Summer Social last year. We continued to remind each other of Angie’s progress and need for prayer via e-mails. Angie turned 33 on May 27 th. She seemed to be recovering slightly, but she entered her eternal rest on Father’s Day June 19, 2005.

Angie was a gifted writer and passionate about literature, books and words. She kept a detailed journal every day and left a legacy of notebooks for her family and friends, and so her children could come to know her better when the lonely times would come and they would miss their mother.

Members of our Chapter attended both Angie’s vigil, and her Funeral Mass held on the feast of St. John the Baptist in the Church of St. John the Baptist. During the vigil we were able to talk about our prayer partner program and how important Angie and Shawn were to all of us.

At the Funeral Mass, we were asked by the family to wear our church robes, and to formally escort Angie’s casket both upon her entrance into the church and upon her departing the sanctuary. We also escorted her children and their friends bringing gifts and symbols of Angie’s life to the altar, and we helped place them on the table near the Easter Candle--symbol of Christ’s light in Angie’s life.

As we escorted Angie’s casket from the church, we were invited to bless her casket with Holy Water. It was our final salute and prayer of farewell to Angie.

We attended Angie’s reception and spoke with her friends and family and with her parish priest. It was a day of remembering and a day of dawning as we realized that perhaps we will be asked to participate in future funerals for our malades. We enjoy a closeness with our malades; they continue to encourage us, to invite us to be united in prayer with them and their families, and with each other. Important traditions are being born in our Seattle Chapter.

We are now guided by an angel—Angie Herbert. We expect to continue our relationship with Shawn and their family. He’s already said he hopes that his daughters might one day become Lourdes volunteers.

In Seattle , we feel graced and blessed by Angie Herbert’s pilgrimage, to Lourdes and throughout this life. It was a privilege to be a part of Angie’s farewell, hopefully a fitting Farewell to Our Lord, the Sick.

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