Hartford Region Organizes Local Pilgrimage for Hispanics

Since 2006, the Malta House of Care, organized by the Order of Malta, has brought free medical care via a mobile van to the needy of the greater Hartford area.  In 2012, the Order opened a food pantry in one of the poorest areas of the city, and the state, to serve those in need, many of whom were patients at the Malta House of Care.

In 2014, we organized a pilgrimage for the sick and infirm locally, to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA, because we knew that the majority of them would never get the opportunity to go to Lourdes as Malades.    Afterwards, we realized that the most of those in attendance were English speaking, non-Hispanic, and that only a small representation of the Hispanic population, which comprises at least 30% of our patients, had attended.

With that in mind, and with the blessing of Archbishop Blair of Hartford, we decided to set aside a day of pilgrimage for our Hispanic Malades.  Jean Pierre van Rooy, KMOB, was the lead organizer in collaboration with the Secular Order of the Servants of Mary Cursillo movement, the Pope John XXIII movement and the Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, as well as with other Knights and Dames of the region.   

The event held at the Archdiocesan Center of St. Thomas Seminary in Hartford drew a full-capacity crowd in the chapel to hear Archbishop Blair’s healing message that the Church offers solidarity in faith and power in prayer.  Highlights included the anointing of the sick at the Mass celebrated in Spanish by Archbishop Blair, who also delivered the homily in Spanish.

During lunch, one of our patients from the Malta clinic said this was a gift from God for her and her family.  It also made her realize that not only does the Order of Malta take care of our corporal needs, but our spiritual needs also.  We hope that this will become an annual event which we will be involved in planning.