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Please note these upcoming events.
For a complete list, see the Calendar page.
- San Francisco: St.
Anne's Home - Saturday, Dec 2
- Oakland: Annual Christmas
Party - Dec 13 & 14 (PDF)
- See the complete
Los Angeles Chapter calendar (PDF)
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As
we continue to see in the press and our
Order's Malteser International web site,
Lebanon remains a real disaster and the
humanitarian work that the Order of Malta
is performing there is superb. Anything
that our members can do will be greatly
appreciated. Contributions should be
earmarked 'Malta— Lebanon'
and sent to
Order of Malta
465
California St., Ste. 818
San Francisco, CA 94104-1820
Details about this
tragic situation follow.
Richard B. Madden
Rome, 22nd July 2006
URGENCY - LEBANON
Dear
Confrères,
His Excellency
Marwan Sehnaoui, President of the Order's
Association in Lebanon , has just sent this
information:
"The
situation in Lebanon is dramatic. The basic
infrastructures, especially in South Lebanon
and in the Bekaa plain are destroyed. Lebanon
is submitted to a total blockade. Even
trucks moving on the highways are arbitrarily
destroyed. The solution will take time.
The
population's distress and its needs are
many and increasing daily. Our centers
throughout the country are working very
hard and we must increase our efforts to
try to do the maximum for our Lords the
Poor and the Sick. Their numbers are rising
at an alarming rate. More than 500.000
Lebanese civilians are now refugees in
their own country.
However,
the presence of our Cross of Love in
the midst of all the different communities
that make up Lebanon is
on the one hand, the living Expression
of the LEBANON MESSAGE as described by
the late Holy Father Pope John Paul II,
and on the other a symbol of both moral
comfort and urgent necessity to the Christian
communities.
These
combined factors help the Christians
stay in their ancient homeland instead
of seeking to immigrate. It is our essential
participation in the defence of the Faith
in this part of the world.
Our
real needs are financial,
to help our centers go on with their
work which has been increased tenfold,
and to be able to assure medical and
elementary food supplies that we will
surely want to provide to meet this
humanitarian disaster. Meanwhile, keep
us in your prayers. Thank you for caring."
H.M.E.H. the Prince and Grand Master and the Sovereign Council kindly ask all
Confreres to contribute to the efforts of the Lebanese Association and of its
ten assistance Centres. These financial contributions will allow the Lebanese
Association to purchase medical equipment.
For the most up-to-date information please visit our website at www.orderofmalta.org
With our best confraternal regards,
| Albrecht Freiherr von BOESLAGER |
Jean-Pierre MAZERY |
| Grand Hospitaller |
Grand Chancellor |
Please note: Due to the impossibility
of sending any kind of help into Lebanon because of the conflict conditions,
the best way to contribute to the Order of Malta in Lebanon is by sending your
financial aid (by check) made out to the "Order of Malta",
and sending it to the Western Association, marked for "Malta—Lebanon".
We will then forward these monies to the Lebanese Association. Thank you for
your generosity. --Richard B. Madden, KM, President
 Click
here for printable version (PDF) >>
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In September 2005, the international Order of Malta held a conference on the
Holy Land attendees including representatives from the Holy Land , Jordan, Iraq
, Syria and Lebanon as well as the High Charges and members of the Sovereign
Council and the Papal Nuncio to the Holy Land and Lebanon Archbishop Batti.
The highlights of the conference included statements for the Grand Chancellor
H. E. Jean-Pierre Mazery, President of the Lebanese Association, H.E. Marwan
Sehnaoui, Raphael Debbone, government councilor.
The primary concern was
identified as the defense of the faith in
the Middle East . Mr. Deeone stated that to defend the Christians
in the Middle East and to give them power, three elements of quality,
service and dialogue should be assured: schools, healthcare and the
orientation for the development of small and medium enterprises that
would guarantee their survival.
H.E. Marwan Sehnaoui’s introductory speech insisted on the intervention
of the Knights in defense of the faith for love and service. This action in Lebanon
should be encouraged, supported, reinforced and developed in order to serve an
example for other countries of the region, as the role of the Order in the region
is fundamental.
Over twenty years ago, the Lebanese Association created and has controlled socio-medical
centers in disadvantaged regions with mixed population of Christian and Muslim.
The rapprochement between Christians and Muslims can be illustrated by the example
of one of the Centers in the Southern Lebanon managed by a great Muslim Shiite
woman, Mrs. Rabab El Sadr Caraffedine. These Centers need financial help of the
West for their survival, development and well-being. Each of the 13 Centers requires
$100,000 annually. The great sums of money from Arab countries and Iran for Muslim
organizations create an unbalance that we shall try to recuperate. Places that
were once the Citadels of the Order, the great fortresses for the Defense of
the Christian Faith, now, in juxtaposition, have become the Clinics of the Hospitaller.
The homeowner is usually around during the day, and it is wonderful to meet and work with the people who have suffered so much and are now so hopeful and excited about moving back into their home. By the end of the week every volunteer is tired, has lots of new friends from around the country, and feels a great sense of pride about what their group has accomplished.
The Christians of the Middle East
lead their everyday battles for survival. Their faith is alive. We, the members
of the Order of Malta , whose primary mission is the protection of the religious
faith, must be present there. We must intervene in this region of the world.
We must contribute to the success of this mission.
In the 12th century, the Knights
came to save and to protect the Christians of the East with their swords and
service to the poor and the sick. Today we ask for the assistance of the members
of the 21st century for the support of the Christians in this Eastern land
where Christianity was born through the development and perpetuation of the
hospital and social works of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
The Holy Land , Jordan , Iraq Syria
and Lebanon are the starting point of Christianity. Today the human needs in
these countries are considerable: the Christians are a minority and lead an
everyday battle for the protection of their faith and for their own survival.
Their future depends on the favorable climate of the co-existence of all the
communities based on the mutual respect.
The Sovereign Order of Malta responds
to this attempt of Christian minorities and during these years in Lebanon it
managed to demonstrate its humanitarian and social actions in the whole country
in service to “the poor and the sick” of mixed confessions, and
created the link of love and essential and constructive comprehension between
people. In this sense the Order’s vocation is to spread and develop its
action.
Mrs. Rabab el Sadar Caraffedine,
an influential Muslim woman who was awarded the Order of the Merit of the Order
of Malta for her humanitarian activity stated that “Collaboration for
charity purposes and piety is the best and surest way for the dialogue of our
cultures as it leads to Heaven, while a political dialogue is based only on
personal interests.”
For
a printable version click here >>
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Even as we enter into this year's "hurricane season", the three American Associations
of the Order of Malta are helping New Orleans recover from the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina. Please see the report by Joseph Dempsey on the work in progress.
Many members of our Western Association have already pitched in: John & Georgeann
Fannon, Andrew Madden, Jay Hurley, Don Larsen, Tricia Lasman, Zee Marzec, Bryan
Morehouse, Bill Regan, Peter Johnson, Ralph & Oonagh Linzmeyer (and 4 children),
Mack & Jeanne Miller, George Delucchi, and Dick Hunsaker. But more volunteers
are needed, beginning in September!
The three US Associations of the Order, Malteser International, and Rebuilding Together have joined forces in an effort to repair 30-40 homes in New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Working closely with Catholic Charities of New Orleans and two inner-city parishes, Order of Malta volunteers are working with skilled laborers provided by Rebuilding Together one week per month.
Volunteer
Now! Click here for details.
The bulk of the funding for this
project (almost $1.5 million) has come from contributions from members of the
Order in the United States. There have also been significant contributions
made by Malteser International and Banamex (Bank of Mexico). The project is
being administered by the Federal Association office, and the volunteer coordinator
is a member of the Federal Association who now works for Malteser.
Three teams of Order of Malta volunteers have already worked a week inNew Orleans. Thirty-seven volunteered for the first work session in March, twenty-five volunteered in April, and thirty-nine Knights, Dames, family members and others volunteered the last week in May. As a result, six families in St. Leo the Great Parish in Gentilly have had their badly damaged homes repaired. And their lives are a lot closer to normal.
Volunteers arrive in New Orleans
from all over the country on Sunday afternoon, and make their way to The New
Orleans Marriott in the French Quarter. There is an informal reception and
orientation meeting on Sunday evening, and the work (light carpentry, painting,
installing drywall and insulation, gardening, and lots of hauling) goes from
Monday morning thru Thursday afternoon. The Marriott provides a simple breakfast
and box lunch every day, and a hearty dinner each night at the hotel. There
is a farewell banquet on Thursday evening, and everyone checks out and heads
home on Friday morning.
The homeowner is usually around during the day, and it is wonderful to meet and work with the people who have suffered so much and are now so hopeful and excited about moving back into their home. By the end of the week every volunteer is tired, has lots of new friends from around the country, and feels a great sense of pride about what their group has accomplished.
Volunteers are needed on the six remaining
sessions (see below). If you are interested, please go to Volunteers Needed - Announcement for more information and a sign-up sheet.
Volunteer
Now! Click here for details.
Work Sessions Remaining -
- September 24 - 29, 2006
- October 22 - 27, 2006
- December 3 - 8, 2006
- January 21 - 26, 2007
- February 11 - 16, 2007
- April 1 - 6, 2007
Volunteer
Now! Click here for details.
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Bay Area Members and Auxiliary part of "The Miracle on Jones Street"
St. Anthony's
Dining Room
Eighteen members of
the Order of Malta , Western Association,
and the Bay Area Auxiliary had a powerful Day of Service at San Francisco ’s
St. Anthony Dining Room on August 27. Beginning with Mass at
nearby St. Boniface, the team volunteered to serve lunch at one of
the City’s
largest free kitchens. The biennial service day was established
by the Bay Area Auxiliary several years ago
under Auxiliary Hospitaller Anthony Ordona. The Auxiliary also
provides a yearly financial contribution to the St. Anthony Foundation
for the support of the program.
St. Anthony Dining
Room on Jones Street was founded in 1950
by a Franciscan friar. It
serves approximately 2,000 lunches or 4,250
pounds of food a day. St.
Anthony Executive Director the Rev. John
Hardin surveyed 356 guests last fall and found that the number of
homeless diners doubled since the last survey in 1995. It is
estimated that 8,000 to 15,000 homeless people live in San Francisco
, and hunger is a major component of the plight of these city residents.
The Auxiliary was
joined on August 27 by several new or prospective Auxiliary members,
plus knights, dames and provisional members. We are deeply
grateful for all who showed support for this opportunity to serve
the poor of the City.
---P. Christiaan Klieger,
Auxiliary Treasurer
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On July 21 st, eighteen members of the Order and their spouses met for a spiritual
weekend retreat on the beautiful campus of Thomas Aquinas College , which is
located just north and east of Ventura in Southern California . The campus is
set in a beautiful valley that it has all to itself. At least a dozen undergraduates
working for the summer on campus were charged with catering to our needs. Their
attention to detail in serving us and obvious love of their alma mater were among
the surprising highlights of the weekend.
The theme of the weekend was a study
of tuitio fidei, commonly translated
as “defense of the faith.” Beginning with Monsignor Otellini’s
2004 remarks to provisional knights and dames entitled, "The
Spirituality of the Order",
we explored the richness of the Order’s motto and learned that “tuitio” has
a meaning far broader than “defense.” Indeed, had the knights desired
a motto that meant only “defense,” the motto might have ended up
as defensio fidei. Instead, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit,
the earliest members of the Order understood that our faith requires far more
than mere “defense.” Tuitio, which is the Latin root word
for the English word tuition, has a far more expansive meaning and includes
financial support (the English meaning that has endured) as well as to nurture
and support. By tuitio fidei, we undertake to nurture and support the
faith by our active prayer life, our acts of charity, and, finally, by our example
to others. Tuitio fidei is not defensive but an offensive reaching out
to those around us by a gentle and constant example of living the Gospel message.
In St. Francis’ words, “Preach the Gospel: Use words if necessary.”
Monsignor Otellini’s text suggested
that a prerequisite to nurturing the faith in those around us is first to be
strong and knowledgeable in our faith by prayer, study, and practicing the
virtues. Over the weekend, the members of the Order studied Aquinas’ “Hope
and Prayer,” his commentary
on the Lord’s Prayer, and Pope Benedict XVI’s Deus Caritas Est,
his first encyclical that explores the nature of love and acts of charity as
the core and distinguishing characteristic of the Christian faith. President
Thomas Dillon, Ph. D., KM, personally led the seminar on Aquinas, followed by
seminars led by Rev. Cornelius M. Buckley, S.J. on faith in action and by Rev.
Eric Hollas, OSB and Chaplain of the Order, on the Holy Father’s encyclical
and in particular, the calling of each member of the laity to live a life of
holiness. (Father Hollas’s talk may be found here.) For those in attendance,
the seminars were eye-opening and led to greater understanding of how prayer,
study and acts of charity mutually reinforce each other in living a Christian
life.
During the weekend, we came to learn and to
enjoy each other’s company,
but we also saw beautiful gardens, ate wonderful catered meals, and listened
to the musical performances of students at the Saturday evening dinner in the
open-air Spanish style courtyard of a beautiful student dormitory. The weekend
concluded with brunch at the home of Dr. Dillon and his wife, Terri, on campus.
We came away blessed and thankful for the gift of our faith and the opportunity
to practice tuitio fidei.
[Talks by Monsignor Otellini and Father Hollas
can be found in "Sermons and Speeches" in the Spiritual
Formation page the
website.
—Ed.]
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On 19 May 2006 Kevin Starr, KM, PhD, historian for the Western Association, was
awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters from the Dominican School
of Philosophy and Theology of the Graduate Theological Union and named a Fellow
of the School. On 7 June 2006 , as part of Harvard Commencement ceremonies,
the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University awarded Dr. Starr
its Centennial Medal for public service and scholarship. On 22 June 2006
, the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology awarded Dr. Starr the Archbishop
Joseph Sadoc Alemany Award for Christian service. On 3 August 2006 the
United States Senate confirmed Dr. Starr to a three-year term to the board of
the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Kevin Starr
University Professor and Professor of History
University of Southern California
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Sunday August 20th the chairs of “Growing the Faith” in Northern
California met at the Bob and Helen Mary Stein’s home to celebrate a successful
year. Along with the chairs were members of the founding group that helped form “Growing
the Faith”. We were all gathered together as the Malta Family, young and
old. It was a beautiful Sunday, warm with plenty of sunshine.
Our Malta Chaplain Fr. Bruno Gibson, O.P., celebrated Mass with us outside on
the patio.Jeannie Stiles and Cyrus Johnson (holding his young son Luke) proclaimed
the readings. Fr. Bruno started his homily by drawing our attention to the greatness
of God’s grace as we look around us at the beauty of His creation reflected
in the garden; he then spoke to us on the Eucharist. We were inspired by his
faith in and love for the Eucharist.
A meeting was held to review the school year
2005-2006 and to prepare for the upcoming school year. In 2006-2007 we are
looking forward to serving 1,943 children grades 1-6 with books, and personally
handing to the children 3335 Rosaries and pamphlets on how to pray the Rosary.
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