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Last Janurary, the US associations of the Order of Malta responded
with great generosity to assist the victims of the devastating tsunami in southeast
Asia. We were moved by the distressing photos, and perhaps we assumed that such
devastation could only happen in areas which do not enjoy our technological and
material advantages. The horrific events unfolding in the gulf states have demonstrated
how fragile such presumptions were. We must now face a natural disaster of unparalleled
proportions in our own United States, and assistance from the Western association
is urgently needed. Please
respond to the appeal from our President, Richard Madden.…
Click
here to find out how to donate (PDF) >>
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On the national and international level, the Order of Malta is providing material
and spiritual assistance to aid the victims of the hurricane which has ravaged
the Gulf States . On the national level, the tragedy has struck close to home:
the Federal Association counts 47 members living in the affected area. The leadership
of the three American associations is cooperating with Catholic Charities and
Catholic Relief Services to assist the dispossessed. Here is a recent communiqué describing
some of these efforts:
Sunday 4, September
11:00 AM EDT
- In Houston
, Charles Scholz has arranged to get
a 28-foot Airstream trailer, a truck,
and a driver. The trailer is in excellent
condition, and will comfortably house
four men. The truck and trailer will
be at the Order’s disposal as long
as it is needed. Trailer, truck, and
driver will be ready on Monday.
- Scholz and
his confreres in Houston will meet the
members of Malteser International at the
Houston Airport when they arrive on Monday.
They will arrange to feed and house the
group on Monday night.
- The group
will leave Houston on Tuesday morning,
and will likely arrive in Baton Rouge late
afternoon. Frank Carlin reports that arrangements
for the trailer will be made at an RV park
in Baton Rouge . The driver of the truck
should call Carlin on Tuesday for directions
to RV park.
- Carlin is
ready to receive Malteser team on Tuesday
afternoon. There will be a briefing session
and a time to get the team situated. They
will go to work on Wednesday morning.
On the international level, Malteser has
donated $100,000 to the relief efforts, and
has an emergency response team available to
assist in the work of recovery. These efforts
are described in more detail on the Malteser
website.
In addition, the presidents of the French and
Spanish associations have sent letters expressing
their support and the promise of assiduous prayers from their
membership on behalf of those effected by the
tragedy.
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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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