Please note these upcoming events for the Knights Hospitaller. For a complete list, see the Calendar page.

• No Noteworthy Events for this month

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Oakland Tribune, by Barbara Grady

"OAKLAND — Hoping to help some of 166,000 people without health insurance in Alameda County, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is planning to open a free health clinic in the new Christ the Light Cathedral Center under construction in downtown Oakland.

By the time it opens in late September or October, the Cathedral Center, at 21st and Harrison streets, will include a 1,700-square- foot health clinic staffed by a doctor and a nurse practitioner and drawing from a community of volunteer physicians, diocesan officials said. Services will be free to those without health insurance.

The clinic will be funded and operated by the Order of Malta, a Catholic fraternal organization with a 900-year history of caring for the sick."

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On Sunday May 25th, 17 Knights, Dames and volunteers gathered in the kitchen to prepare the meal for the next day. Included in the 4 hour work session were Tim Dunn and his son, Georgeann Fannon, Maggi Willard, John Hullar, Gene and John Cates, John Espiritu, Mary Jo and Ken Ansty, Tony and Karen Sanchez-Corea and Laura Hosking and her son. Meat, produce, and all food items had been purchased and delivered so that the cleaning, chopping and marinating could begin promptly at 9 AM. This crew was so great - we made the traditional BBQ sauce, marinated chicken, sliced cabbage and made the cole slaw, scrubbed potatoes, steamed, peeled and made potato salad.

Monday was Memorial Day and we had a great turnout with lots of the same great volunteers back for more fun – Tony Sanchez-Corea led the barbeque team of Ken and Kathleen Ryan and George Kiesel from 7 AM to noon and everything was delicious thanks to the great BBQ team. Kevin White made a delicious Romaine salad and helped with the plating of the dessert and salads. Though Dan and Diane Linehan could not be with us, they generously arranged to pick up fresh sour dough and delivered 40 loaves Monday morning. We melted butter and diced garlic to make loads of garlic bread that was devoured. We had 8 Auxiliary members who are really such experienced and appreciated volunteers. Fr. Kavanaugh celebrated Mass and Andrew Hosking and Sean Perez served. The tables looked great with red, white and blue everywhere and Fresca Madden again made the table decorations. Our generous and friendly bar managers Jeff and Hilary Dito again underwrote and ran the Bar that was very active!

Paul Vogelhiem brought music for the residents and as the cheesecake covered with fresh berries was being served, everyone sang along with Paul on the keyboard. The residents and their families enjoyed the afternoon tremendously and thanked one and all for their efforts. Many of these lovely people, wearing festive balloon hats especially tailored for them, expressed how happy they were to be able to invite family members to this fun event. Many Malta members stayed to clean up not only plates but table and chairs and tidied the kitchen too.

Thank you to the more than 60 Knights, Dames, Auxiliary and volunteers for continuing our fine tradition at St. Anne’s where so many people can participate to help the elderly. We can only achieve this kind of magnificent meal served with fun in an atmosphere of grand camaraderie when so many become involved.

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In 1988 under the leadership of H.E. Peter Nigg, Richard Dunn and Marygrace Dunn the Western Association embarked on an effort to create more “hands on” activities for our  lords the sick and the poor. The effort centered on San Francisco, because up until that time, most of the Northern California hospitaller activities were carried out in the East Bay. Dick and Marygrace Dunn charged Lucille and Tony Sanchez-Corea with the task of finding good, worthy projects in which our San Francisco members could actively participate.

At that time our beloved founding Chaplain and friend, Msgr. Donnell Walsh was being cared for with kindness and love at Saint Anne’s Home, Little Sisters of the Poor. Some of us, including Father Jack Kavanaugh and Lenore and Frank Heffernan, made frequent visits to Msgr. Walsh and it became evident to us that the work the Little Sisters did there, with their vow of “Hospitality” for the aged poor, fit closely with our  mission of obsequium pauperum (service to the poor). After consultation with Mother Superior, it was decided that we could be allowed to “serve” their residents. This is an important key to our partnership with the Little Sisters, because they usually do not allow anyone outside the home to actually “serve” their guests, but because of our mutual spiritual life, they have welcomed us into their “family.”

The first party was created to celebrate Christmas with Msgr. Walsh. We decided that we couldn’t leave out his fellow-patients, so we asked the help of our confreres to prepare and serve an elaborate Christmas meal for the Residents . A small group of San Francisco members, led by Tony the Chef and Father Kavanaugh the Sous-Chef prepared served and entertained at our first Saint Anne’s Christmas, 1988!

The following year we decided we needed a “summer” event and thought that Memorial Day would be a nice occasion to honor the residents. During the 20 years we have had some spontaneous celebrations, like Mardi Gras , complete with Floats and “King” and Queen” and Halloween, but the most blessed event is our Lourdes Day, established in 1996 to offer the Lourdes Experience to those Malades who are too ill to travel with us to Lourdes and to the Residents of Saint Anne’s. This blessed event now draws  400 sick from  Northern California and is an important part of our Hospitaller activities.

In addition to our world class parties, the Hospitaller Committee of Saint Anne’s also supports the staff at St. Anne’s with the every day work of the home. Changing beds, walking with residents, helping in the dining room, etc.

From the very beginning, The Little Sisters of the Poor have given us their love and trust and shared their vow of hospitality so that we can serve our lords the sick and poor. We could not have such a spiritual enriching experience without their partnership. We are most grateful.

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Myanmar: Malteser International's medicines reach Yango Children and sick people urgently need assistance

“The situation in Labutta is disastrous. Within the city itself, there are around 100,000 internally displaced persons living in 58  camps. The people are really lacking everything,” Malteser International staff members that have been providing assistance in the Irrawaddy Delta since the weekend report. “Within the first hours after the opening of our emergency clinic in Labutta, we treated around 250 patients. The people mostly suffer from diarrhoea, skin diseases and burns due to cooking outdoor on the open fire.” Another big problem is the provision of children and babies. “As a reaction to the horrible events, many of the breastfeeding women don’t have milk for their babies. This endangers first of all the youngest ones who therefore urgently need help.”

To assist the survivors, Malteser International sent three so-called “Emergency Health Kits” to Myanmar. “Our relief supplies were on the plane of the German Technical Relief Organisation that landed in Yangon last night,” Roland Hansen, Head of the Asia Desk of Malteser International, says. “Already tomorrow, our staff members on the ground can bring the medicines and further relief supplies with which we can help 30,000 people for three months, to Labutta in the Irrawaddy Delta.” There, they will make up the supply for the emergency health station as well as the two mobile medical teams of Malteser International in Labutta. Staff members will also distribute further relief goods in the three districts of Yangon where the organisation has been providing assistance since right after the Cyclone.

“The example of the successful cargo plane with relief supplies shows that the financial donations we receive really reach the survivors in form of concrete help,” Hansen points out. “Our very well trained local emergency experts have free access to the disaster regions.” They treat patients, take care of the provision of drinking water, the construction of latrines and help building emergency shelters. “To be able to assist more people, we urgently need further donations.”

Already yesterday, Malteser International sent a second cargo with medicines, dressing material, plastic covers, cookware, feeding bottles, milk powder as well as water pumps, pipes and tools for the supply of safe drinking water – together with further staff (a doctor, a nurse and a water engineer) to Labutta.

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