College and Seminary Graduates Hear of Order’s Mission, Now and in History

The Federal Association was well represented at last graduation ceremonies last April at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, CT, where the graduating class was the largest yet, comprised students from many parts of the US, Canada, Europe and Vietnam.

 

Rev. Douglas Mosey, its rector and president, is magistral chaplain for the Hartford region.  Among those graduating was Tom Moreland, hospitaller in Des Moines, IA, who received an MA in Theology with a concentration in Bioethics.  Among those in the audience were Members Peter Kelly, KM, Emilie de Brigard, DM and Sheila Flanagan, DM.   And I received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D).

 

In my remarks at the graduation, I spoke about the Order of Malta, its history and mission, as well as our work in the Hartford region.  Here are some excerpts:

 

There is a moment at Mass when the priest, just before he offers the wine at the altar, adds a few drops of water to the chalice and prays these startling words: "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we become partakers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." 

 

Familiarity may have dulled our sense of wonder, but what we are asking for is nothing less than to become divine like Christ himself. 

 

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." This shows us what this life means and that it is ours for the living. We are not on our own. God lives in us, and that makes all the difference.

 

This brings me to  the mission of the Order of Malta ... which is that of protecting, teaching and living the Catholic faith and our obligation to improve the misery of the poor and sick by giving them our love and care in the most direct and dedicated way possible.

 

This mission has not changed since its beginning 900 years ago, and it is especially fitting to speak about it today as we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy, proclaimed by Pope Francis to encourage the faithful to be more effective witnesses of God's merciful love.

 

Pope Francis called mercy the "beating heart" of the Gospel that demands justice for the poor. He speaks of the tender mercy of God for us and, in return, we should be merciful to one another and especially to the poor. 

 

In an effort to fulfill our mission of taking care of the poor and the sick, we operate the Order of Malta clinics in Hartford and Waterbury. 

 

Realizing that health care is an essential part of human life and dignity and that access to it is a basic right, Members of the Order (many of whom are known to you here such as Peter Kelly, JP Van Rooy, Ronald Jarvis, Brian Horan, etc.) decided to start a clinic for the uninsured. It was decided to have a mobile clinic which would travel to the people in the poorest areas of the city, rather than have them travel to a designated site. 

 

The clinic opened in Hartford in 2006 and in Waterbury a few years later.

 

We see a variety of patients with one common criterion -- no medical insurance. We also encounter a diversity of disease.

 

Several thousands of our patients look on the Malta clinics as their medical home, as a safe haven where they can receive free care in a non-discriminatory environment. We are largely a volunteer organization comprised of nurses and doctors from different specialties. All are happy to help the poor and give back to the community -- remembering that we are here to add something to life rather than getting what we can out of it. 

 

We have several human interest stories connected to the Malta clinics.  In the interest of time, I will tell you one. Dr. Paul Kelly, KM is the medical director of the Waterbury clinic. He is also on the board of directors of Holy Apostle Seminary, and his specialty is cardiology. A woman from Ecuador who lives in Waterbury with her 10-year-old son came to the clinic complaining of shortness of breath. Dr. Kelly evaluated the mother and discovered that she had a complex congenital heart problem, which needed surgery. The surgery was performed at no cost. Happily, this woman can now lead a normal life and her son will not be an orphan.