ORDER OF MALTA MOMENT

The Chicago Region is hosting a retreat on “The Spirituality of the Order of Malta” at the Stritch Retreat House, Mundelein, Illinois. Rev. Eric Hollas, OSB, PhD is the retreat director. Please contact Fra' Tom Mulligan.

Throughout September, regions will be having their own Sanctity of Life Mass. Please contact your hospitaller for more information specific to your region. Below are a few regions that have sent the office their dates:

• Columbus - September 12
  
• Houston - September 6
  
• Mont Co/DC/ NOVA - September 13

All Members of the Federal Association are invited to participate on a pilgrimage to The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is the site of the only Marian apparition in the United States approved by the Catholic Church. Approval was received on December 8, 2010 by Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay. He also approved the chapel at the site as a shrine.

Click here to view the invite and to register.

This fall, we will welcome 52 new Members into the Order. Please join us for the many events throughout the weekend, including our annual Defense of the Faith forum on Friday. The principal speaker will be Kathryn Jean Lopez, Founding Director of Catholic Voices, on “Defending the Family”.

The weekend events will be held at the Mayflower Hotel. Mass will be at St. Matthew's Cathedral and the Annual Dinner will be held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in Washington, DC.

• Class of 2014 Registration
• Hospitaller Registration
• Member Registration

This week the Order lost another incredible foot soldier in our work. Monsignor Thomas Smith was the founding and only Chaplain for the Lancaster region. Please pray for him and all those who we have lost this year, including:

Hon. Thomas P. Melady
William F. Madden
Most Reverend Raymond Boland
Hon. Joseph J. Weis, Jr.
Hon. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.
Joan Luke Hills
Hon. Frank Ruddy
Thomas D. Washburne, Esq.
William J. Kane
H. Minton Francis
Rose Bente Lee
Mercedes J. McCarthy
His Eminence Edmund Cardinal Szoka
Reverend Monsignor Thomas H. Smith

In recent days, Malteser International - the international relief agency of the Order of Malta - delivered medicines, medical supplies, wheelchairs and equipment for water purification in two refugee camps in Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil, in northern Iraq. Malteser International has also delivered a mobile clinic to the medical center set up in the church Shmoni Mart, where critically ill patients are cared for and accommodated.

"This first shipment responds to the desperate need of basic drugs and chronic disease by health care facilities that assist a large number of displaced people," says Juergen Clemens, coordinator of emergency relief Malteser International. "I am, however, still many shortcomings that need to be filled, for example, psychosocial assistance, because they are not quite the professionals able to meet the growing demand."

In collaboration with local partner organizations, Malteser International is also planning to send a mobile medical team - consisting of two doctors and two nurses - in Erbil and surrounding areas. The team will join also an expert in psychotherapy to offer support to refugees. The Agency of the Order of Malta is planning to send a new medical center with a supply of medication for at least a month.

With Labor Day behind us, I write with an update on the impressive work of our family of clinicians, administrators and staff at Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem – whose wonderful efforts are made possible through the generosity and prayers of caring individuals like you. So, too, I ask for your continued support given Holy Family Hospital’s increasingly important role in serving the poorest of the poor mothers, babies and families throughout the Bethlehem region of the West Bank.

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In our most recent mailing, you received a beautiful prayer card, a part of the work by the Prison Ministry. Please click here for an e-mail explaining the purpose.

As you may know, we have been blessed with a new Executive Director, effective this Monday September 8, to support our many works and activities. Michael will replace Joe Dempsey, who retired after 22 devoted years of service to the Federal Association.

Michael Stankewicz is a deacon, a business man, and a devoted man of the faith, coming to us most recently from the Diocese of Wilmington where he has overseen marriage and family life, as well as served as Secretary of Catholic education for the diocese.

Please be sure to share your thoughts with Michael about how he can best help us advance our mission.

The Election Committee met on August 22nd and counted the votes in the election for six directorships. A total of 479 ballots were returned. Congratulations to our newly elected Board of Directors below:

Patrick J. Monaghan III
Lawrence O. Demaree
Michele Burke Bowe
Craig M. Jarchow
Cynthia M. Wilkinson
Paul David

Applications for admission - Class of 2016 have been revised and updated and are now ready for distribution. There are two important changes this year: the deadline for submission is December 1, 2014 and original signatures on the application form are required from the applicant, both sponsors and the Regional Hospitaller. Applications can be found on the Members section of our website. Sponsors should be willing to commit to mentoring their candidate during his or her formation year and during their first year of membership