The Federal Association’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes: The Early Years

In 1974 William H. G. FitzGerald, a Member of the American Association since 1959, petitioned and received approval from Rome to establish the Southern Association of the Order, renamed in 1986 as the Federal Association. The following year he and his wife Annelise, not yet a Member, accompanied the Order on the Lourdes Pilgrimage, thus beginning our association's participation, which has continued unabated ever since.

In 1955 a young Englishman, Andrew W. N. Bertie, joined the British Association. Along with others he was anxious to reinvigorate the pilgrimage charism of the Order, which was at the heart of its foundation. To that end he organized an initial pilgrimage to Lourdes, which came to be an annual event of the British Association.

In 1961 Pope Blessed John XXIII approved a new constitution for the Order, and on May 8, 1962, the Council Complete of State elected a Milanese attorney, Fra’ Angelo de Mojana di Cologna as Prince and Grand Master. A year later Fra’ Angelo decided to celebrate the first anniversary of his election by accompanying the British Association on its Lourdes Pilgrimage. 

Fra’ Angelo found the experience to be in keeping with the Order's traditions and decreed that henceforth the pilgrimage would be a general pilgrimage for the entire Order each year, and he led each pilgrimage for the remainder of his tenure. He also made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to Santiago de Compostella, and became the first Grand Master to return to Malta since its seizure by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798. Upon Fra’ Angelo's death in 1988, Fra’ Andrew Bertie, who had made his solemn profession of vows in 1981, was elected Prince and Grand Master. This was the first time such an occurrence had taken place on British soil since Henry VIII's break from Rome. He continued the Lourdes tradition, as has his successor Fra’ Matthew Festing.

The FitzGeralds attended every pilgrimage from 1975 until 1992. In 1987, William and Annelise, then a Member, and two other knights participated. They accompanied  William Cardinal Baum, who represented the Cardinal Patronus, who had been required to remain in Rome as Camerlengo, while Pope John Paul II was traveling abroad. The Federal Association brought two Malades and one volunteer that year.

In 1988 the Federal Association had one Member, one volunteer and one Malade, with one other Member being present for two days. Later that year William FitzGerald retired as chairman of the pilgrimage. Association President W. Shepherdson Abell appointed John Collins Harvey, M.D., to succeed him. With Mr. Abell's strong support and participation in 1989, the Federal Association numbers grew to 49, and in 1990 to 78. James Cardinal Hickey, also strongly encouraged participation and attended in person each year beginning in l989.

The Federal Association canceled plans for the official 1991 participation due to the uncertainty of the Gulf War; however, 16 Members went anyway, continuing the association's tradition of yearly support for the pilgrimage.

After three years Dr. Harvey retired as chairman, being succeeded by Admiral William M. Callaghan, Jr., who chaired and directed the pilgrimage for 15 years. From 1992 on the Federal Association has had more than 100 Members in attendance each year. Upon Admiral Callaghan's retirement in 2006, John T. Miller, Jr., became chairman.  In 2007 J. Michael McGarry, III, succeeded Mr. Miller.  In 2010, Mrs. Lindsay Gallagher assumed the chairmanship.