Order of Malta Moment

Dear Fellow Member:

As all of you know, this year we have changed the process for the election of our President and Board members. Last week you received a package from the office containing voting instructions, a ballot with return envelopes and a package of candidate statements.

I am encouraging all of our members to read the candidate statements, to cast your vote on the ballot, inset the ballot into the blue envelope(albeit very tightly-you might need to fold) and insert the blue envelope into the white mailing envelope (again very tightly), write your name and return address on the white envelope and mail your completed ballot to the Order, in care of our accountants office.

Please vote as soon as possible, as the cutoff date is August 21st at noon. Thanks to all of you who have already sent in your ballots. We will notify all members of the election results as soon as possible. Please feel free to call me with any questions. I look forward to sharing the election results with you and seeing you at our annual meeting and investiture in October. –J. Paul McNamara, KM, President

The first article of the Constitutional Charter specifies the nature of the Order and defines it as a Hospitaller Order and clarifies; it ‘arose from a group of hospitallers of the Hospice of Saint John in Jerusalem’. The term “Hospitallers” refers to the medical activity but means more than this since it explicitly refers also to the virtue of hospitality, highly esteemed in the past. Those who are received into the Order besides considering themselves to be members of a religious order must realize that they are, although with different forms of membership, members of a Religious Lay Order, whose mission is to be an Order of “Hospitallers”—from the Constitutional Charter.

The Order of Malta Federal Association has awarded a $20,000 grant to the ANGEL program at Holy Rosary School in Memphis. The ANGEL program is the only treatment program designed specifically to treat children with autism; Executive Director Jessica Carnell runs the year-round program on the campus of the School.

The Grant will be used to purchase research-based resources to provide the latest technology and materials to work with autistic children. The ANGEL program treats 18 children age three to seven, and has a three to one patient-to-therapist ratio. Many students obtain significant improvement to where they can be mainstreamed into Holy Rosary School.

The ANGEL program is the Memphis Region’s principal work with the sick. The Order of Malta is the principal sponsor for the ANGEL program and its members have raised $60,000 over the past year to support the program. Additionally members provide hands on volunteer work, and the Order of Malta serves as the Advisory Board for the program.—Robert Hutton, KM, Memphis Hospitaller

A Grant from the Federal Association added to a security system that was provided by the Order of Malta a few years ago. As part of the presentation, Mike Easterday, KM and Shelter Director Loring Henerson gave a tour of the existing shelter and expressed a great appreciation for the security system which provides safety and peace of mind for guests of the shelter. Lawrence Community Shelter is the only homeless accommodation in Douglas County, KS. It currently serves over 100 guests each day through a Day Shelter, Night Shelter and Family Program. It also provides an Employment Program, along with Health and Mental Interventions.—Wayne Godsey, KM, Kansas City

Please click here for schedule of events and hotel information.

In Lourdes, the Grand Master conducted an interview with the radio program The Catholic Café, funded in part by a grant from the Defense of the Faith Committee. The program will air Sunday, Aug 12 on many Catholic radio stations around the country. Click here to listen!

Aug 15 - Montgomery County, MD - Malta House Anniversary Celebration, at 2 PM Contact:
Valencia Camp
Aug 23 - Milwaukee - Special Mass for Defense of the Faith and Dinner at Holy Rosary Church, Milwaukee. Contact:
Sam Ciccarelli
Aug 25 - Charlotte - Lourdes Reunion. The Reunion will be at Southminster, 8919 Park Road in Charlotte beginning at 4:30 PM with Mass in the Chapel; dinner will follow. RSVP to:
Gail Grim
Sept 1 - Houston - Sanctity of Life Mass celebrated by Cardinal DiNardo at St.Michael's. Breakfast will follow at the Houston Country Club. Contact:
Ron Riesmeyer
Sept 7 - Syracuse - First Friday Mass and breakfast with celebrant and speaker Fr. David McCallum, SJ at 7:00 AM. Contact:
Margaret Martin
Sept 15 – Montgomery County – Mass for the Sanctity of Life, Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Bethesda, 10:00 AM. Monsignor John Enzler will be the celebrant. A light reception after the Mass. Please click here for details and sign-up.
Oct 21 - Washington, DC - Fifth annual CRUDEM benefit for Hopital Sacre Coeur, at Georgetown Visitation School, 1554 Mass at 10 AM followed by a champagne brunch from 11 to 1.
Nov 2-4 - Pittsburgh / Western PA Retreat at St. Vincent's Archabbey with retreat master Fr. Justin Matro. Contact:
Dan McGrogan
Jan 11-13 - Memphis Retreat at Our Lady Queen of Retreat Center, Dancyville, TN. Contact:
Robert Hutton
Jan 14 - Lancaster - Sanctity of Life Mass at 7:00 PM; St. John Neumann Church in Lancaster. Contact:
Pat Whalen