volume 8 Winter 2011–2012 - Order of Malta

Lourdes Pilgrimage 2012

Association Web site: Be sure to go our Web site at www.maltausa.org to find the latest information about the Associa-tion, forms needed for new members and new auxiliary members, Area Web sites and much more information about the Association and the Order of Malta. Links are also available to other Association Web sites and the Sovereign Magistry’s Web site.

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volume 8 Winter 2011–2012

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Recognition Given

Year Of Faith: New Evangelization

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Symposium of the IACB

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13Eighty-four Knights and Dames Invested at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was the focal point for the Solemn Mass of Investiture where thirty-one Dames and fifty-three Knights promised their commitment to the charism of the Order, to defend the faith and to help the sick and the poor. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, Principal Chaplain of the

American Association and Grand Cross Conventual Chaplain ad honorem, was the chief celebrant at the Mass where several thousand Knights, Dames, family and friends, witnessed the Rite of Investiture. His Excellency, Bishop William F. Murphy, Conventual Chaplain ad honorem and Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Center, Long Island, was the Homilist.

Six deputy chaplains were installed by Archbishop Dolan to support the work in the Areas: Reverend J. Barry Furey (CT); Reverend Michael Kerper (NH); Reverend Paul G. Murphy (CT); Reverend Richard Murphy (Vero Beach); Reverend Kenneth P. Paulli, O.F.M. (Albany); and Reverend Monsignor David L. Tressler (Scranton). Arch-bishop Dolan entrusted to them the spiritual care of the people and their families in the Areas.

Three Magistral Chaplains were received into the Order; Hap Redgate, Acting President, represented the Grand Master in installing Reverend Monsignor William J. Fadrowski (NJ), (continued on page 9)

Photos courtesy of Studio Eleven Productions

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Dear Confreres,

I want to thank the Dames and Knights for bestowing such an honor and blessing on me. I am humbled, grateful and will be dedicated in the Office of President.

I want to commend and thank Hap Redgate, not only as Chancellor of our Association, but serving as the Acting President after the loss of our President, Joe Miller this past summer. His performance has been stellar. Thank you Hap!

The Mission of our Order is to serve the sick and the poor and to defend our faith - very direct and simple. We accomplish this through our works and ministries which bring hope and joy to the served and we the servants. This completes who and what we are as Dames and Knights; and I will stay this course and serve you in any way asked. You as Dames and Knights are incredible tools in the hands of God. Pray for the Order of Malta,

our American Association and me as I begin this journey with you. As we begin our journey, things are exciting. We have just been joined by 84 newly invested Dames

and Knights with 90 candidates in preparation for investiture in 2012. We are now a force for good of over 1800 strong.

January is the month that the leadership and Board begin to lay out our goals and plans to succeed in accomplishing those goals. This process begins with our first Board Meeting of the year when the Committees are formed and the goals defined.

After this Board work is completed, you will be able to view the different committees on the American Association website at www.maltausa.org. You are invited to communicate with the Chairs of any committee to express any views or information you care to share. I am also available to you at any time by phone at 314-241-7777, ext. 23 or by email at [email protected].

The committees’ functions are to concentrate on succeeding in our mission to serve the sick and poor. This is accomplished by our incredible works and ministries that number over 200 throughout our 29 Areas. You the Dames and Knights are the hands that do the work in your hometown communities.

In addition to this, the American Association and its members support international works in Haiti – Sacré Coeur Hospital, Hope for Haiti, The Haitian Health Foundation, works in Honduras, Guatemala and others in Latin America. You also participate in what is called Malteser International – The Order of Malta’s worldwide relief for areas that are struck by unusual and devastating disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, the Tsunami in Indonesia and Japan and the devastation of war in the Congo of Africa.

Thank you for all you do!Our signature ministry and work is our annual pilgrimage in May to Lourdes with our beloved

Malades. This year the Pilgrimage takes place on May 2nd thru May 8th.Our Co-Chairs are Dede and Dr. Dick Milone who provide not only outstanding leadership but Dick

has served as the former Medical Director for 18 years before he and Dede accepted the 2012 Co-Chair role. If you aren’t able to attend this year, please help defray the cost of a Malade by making a donation.I look forward to working with the Area Chairs in each Area. I’m sure that you realize God has blessed

our American Association with outstanding, selfless, talented and very, very hardworking Area Chairs. They need your support and help to continue all the works in your Area.

I am sorry to report that Mary McCooey, our Hospitaller and former Vice-Hospitaller retired from the Board of Councillors and as the Hospitaller of the American Association. Mary has been extraordinary in her Hospitaller role for the past four years. We will miss her quiet way of accomplishing so much by steering our Works, Ministries and Spiritual development in the American Association. Thank you Mary!

We are also losing our Treasurer, James F. O’Connor, who retires after serving on the Board for six years and as Treasurer for three of those years. Jim has been remarkable serving in the office. He will be sorely missed as an Officer and as a Board member. Thank you, Jim!

On a Spiritual note, Rome has published a booklet titled Membership In The Order Of Malta – Regulations and Commentary. Your Area Chair will be sending this book to you if you have not already received it. It appears daunting at first glance but as you peruse the pages, you will realize that the Order of Malta invites, encourages and wants you to view the Order as your spiritual home.

As we begin this New Year, I’ve asked our Principal Chaplain Archbishop Timothy Dolan to remember all the members of the American Association in a special way during one of his January masses.

You are awesome in so many ways.God Bless

Jack E. Pohrer, KMPresident

BOARD OF COUNCILLORS

Jack E. Pohrer, President

Howard V. Redgate, Chancellor

Thomas J. Reedy, Vice Hospitaller

Marie L. Garibaldi, Secretary

Thomas F. Carney, Jr.

Hope E. Carter

Michael P. Castine

Joseph M. Cianciolo

Kenneth R. Craig

Sheila D. Feitelberg

Anthony M. Gagliardi, MD

Christopher J. Godfrey

Peter J. Kelly, MD

Peter C. Krause

JoAnne M. Kuehner

Carole B. Less

Margaret (Meg) M. Lyons

Peter F. Muratore

Deborah E. O’Hara-Rusckowski

P. Declan O’Sullivan

Thomas F. Schlafly

Ellen S. Shafer

John F. Shine, Ph.D.

John R. Sise

Joseph Sokolowski, MD

Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, Principal Chaplain

Reverend Monsignor James P. Cassidy, Assistant Principal Chaplain

Reverend Monsignor Robert T. Ritchie Coadjutor Assistant Principal Chaplain

Board of directors Malta HuMan services

foundation

Peter C. Krause,* President

William H. Besgen, Vice President

Honorable Marie L. Garibaldi,* Secretary

John R. Sise,* Treasurer

Thomas F. Carney, Jr.*

Robert L. Dilenschneider

Robert J. Fredericks, Ph.D.

Peter F. Muratore*

P. Declan O’Sullivan*

Thomas Pecora

Jack E. Pohrer*

Howard V. Redgate*

Thomas J. Reedy*

Frederic V. Salerno

* Member of the American Association Board of Councillors

A m e s s A g e f r o m t h e P r e s i d e n t

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Lourdes Pilgrimage 2012: “Ave Maria” by Dede and Dick Milone, Co-Chairs, 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage

On Monday, March 1st, 1858, the day of the twelfth apparition of Our Lady at the Grotto in Lourdes, Catherine Latapie, a young preg-nant woman with a paralyzed hand, dipped her hand in the water, and was suddenly healed. This was to be the first miracle recognized by the Church and attributed to Our Lady of Lourdes. In the years since, that first recognized miracle has been followed by another 67 officially sanctioned miracles, and thousands of other reported cures.

l o u r d e s P i l g r i m A g e

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l o u r d e s P i l g r i m A g e

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Before we know it, 345 of us, Malades, Caregivers, Knights, Dames, Auxiliary, Clergy, Medical Team and Volunteers will be boarding our chartered jumbo jet for the overnight flight to Lourdes. We depart Newark Airport on Wednesday, May 2nd, and spend the next six days in the foothills of the Pyrenees walking the streets of Lourdes and moving in procession through the Domain, soaking up all the joy, comfort and peace that come to us in this holy place, returning back to Newark on Tuesday, May 8th.

If you are planning to join us do not delay in submit-ting your registration packet to the American Association office in New York. We do not want to disappoint anyone, but our Pilgrimage will be slightly smaller this year since we will have only the charter flight, and no commercial travel. Whether or not you are able to join the 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage, remember the privilege that is yours as a Knight or Dame, the opportunity to propose a Malade, someone you know well, who is ill. The Malade Selection Committee will be meeting during the early weeks of 2012, so this is the time to submit a Malade proposal for consideration by the Committee. Those proposal forms are available online, or through the New York office.

Another way of actively participating in the Pilgrimage is through the Malade in Spirit (MIS) Program. If a Malade is too ill to travel, or cannot join the Pilgrimage itself for any other reason, that individual can still be part of our jour-ney. Their names and their intentions are carried with us throughout the Pilgrimage, especially to all of our Masses in the Domain, and we pray in a special way for them during

all of our time in Lourdes. This spiritual union is always a source of great comfort.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in his message for Lent 2011 focused on the miracles of Lourdes. He referred in particular to the case of a nine year old child cured of blindness, a case which had been reported in the Bulletin of the Office of Medical Observations of Lourdes, “The miracle of this healing is a sign that Christ wants not only to give us sight, but also open our interior vision, so that our faith may become ever deeper and we may recognize him as our only Savior”. The Holy Father concludes his appeal to us, to all pilgrims, with this invitation, “walk resolutely towards Christ.”

It is a tradition of our Order that the Malades and their Caregivers accompany us on the Pilgrimage as our guests, and in doing this we uphold one of the tenets of our Daily Prayer, to “practice charity towards my neighbors, especially the poor and the sick.” Our goal is to bring 50 Malades and an equal number of Caregivers to Lourdes. This is a huge financial undertaking to which our Order remains commit-ted as its signature work.

We are blessed with wonderful clergy for the Malades’ spiritual care, and expert teams of physicians and nurses for their medical care. We rely on you, the Knights and Dames of Malta, to assist us with the Malades’ material care, to house them and feed them, and tend to their every need and want, much as our medieval predecessors, the Knights Hos-pitaller did for the sick and poor pilgrims to the Holy Land. We will greatly appreciate your financial help to allow us to carry out this Mission of our Order. ■ Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.


Lourdes photos courtesy of Michelle Babyak

Election Results Announced at the Annual Meeting of the American AssociationThe annual elections for the American Association were completed in early November and the results were tabulated. Over eight hundred ballots were cast in total, representing more than 45% of the American Association’s membership. Voting was done by mail - returns were counted in the New York office under the supervision of the Honorable Marie L. Garibaldi, DM, Secretary of the American Association.

Judge Garibaldi announced the results at the Association’s Annual Meeting on Friday, November

11th in the Empire Room at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Elected President for a three year term was Jack E. Pohrer.

The terms of eight members of the Board of Councillors expired in 2011. Current Board members who were re-elected for a second term included Kenneth R. Craig, KM, Peter F. Muratore, KM, Thomas J. Reedy, KMOb, and John R. Sise, KM. Christopher J. Godfrey, KM, who was appointed to fill a 2011 vacancy on the Board, was elected for a three year term.

Other members who were elected to three year terms were Joseph M. Cianciolo, KM, Anthony J. Gagliardi, MD, KM, and Deborah E. O’Hara-Rusckowski, DM.

Members of the 2011 Board who retired at the end of 2011 were Hospitaller Mary C. McCooey, Treasurer James F. O’Connor, KMOb, and Margaret R. Lyons, DM. They were recognized at the Annual Meeting in November. They all served the Association with distinction and deserve the thanks of the entire membership.

Judge Garibaldi announced that the membership had overwhelming approved the recommended changes to the by-laws. The changes will be sent to the Sovereign Council for their approval.

The Officers of the Association and the entire current Board of Councillors and the newly elected members all wish to thank those members who took the time to vote. In addition, the gratitude of the Officers and the Board is directed to all who willingly agreed to run for office, giving members a choice among many worthy candidates.

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Cardinal Merry del Val

As a Servant of God, Cardinal Merry del Val, a Bailiff Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion, is not yet officially enrolled among the Saints and Blessed of the Order of Malta. Yet while we wait and pray for his eventual canonization we should

remember him not only for the tremendous work he did for the Church but also for his deep humility and service to the poor. From his early days in the Accademia dei Nobili Ecclesiastici which prepared priests for service in the Church’s diplomatic service, where he became a Monsignor even before being ordained a priest, to his service as Secretary of State to St. Pope Pius X, his one goal had always been and was that written on his tomb: “Give me souls, take away all else.”

Born into a noble family, his father was the Marquis Raphael Merry del Val and his mother was Countess Josephine de Zulueta. His father was an ambassador of Spain and during his early life young Merry del Val often came into contact with the aristocracy of Europe and even the Imperial Court in Vienna. Despite his many fine qualities and a char-acter which undoubtedly would have led to his success he was not attracted to a life in that world of high society preferring to follow the Divine Voice calling him to the priesthood. So at the age of

eighteen, forgoing the allurements and opportunities of a life in the world he entered St. Cuthbert’s Seminary.

Pope Leo XIII was quick to recognize the gifts and talents of Merry, just 22 years old, and wasted no time putting him into his service by appointing him a Supernumerary Private Chamberlain, which carried the title of Monsignor. He was graced with many additional honors after becoming a priest in 1889 yet he paid little heed to such earthly glory but dedicated himself further to the salvation of souls.

At the age of thirty-five he became an Archbishop and then three years later after being appointed Secretary of State by Pope Pius X he was made a Cardinal. It would seem he was placed in this office for his natural skills and training but St. Pius X made it clear that his decision was due to Cardinal del Val being a man of God, dedicated to the Church, whose spiri-tual life was equal to his own. His service as Secretary of State is well known and he was recognized for being a holy priest. However, it was not until after his death that the depth of his holiness and sanctity became known.

Cardinal del Val loved the poor and needy and his charity was unbounded, inspired solely by love of God and concealed

from those around him; many only became aware of their benefactor after his death when the money stopped. The sal-ary he received from his position passed quickly through his hands as alms for the poor. He even gave his own sheets and mattress to a family in need. Shortly before his death he had an orthopedic device made for the father of a large family. He was regularly seen walking through the streets of Trastevere, one of the poorest sections of Rome, distributing alms.

He viewed charity as an apostolate for the salvation of souls and once wrote, “When a poor person sees a priest ap-proach him with consideration for his misery and sympathy for his suffering it will be easy for him to recognize the truth that lies hidden beneath the priest’s habit of love.”

Upon becoming a Cardinal, Pope Pius X sent him twenty-five thousand lira to cover expenses associated with his promotion to this office. Cardinal del Val refused saying his parents would take care of this but St. Pius insisted. In gratitude he accepted the offering but then gave it to pay for the installation of a heating unit in the Pope’s own apartment that was being renovated.

He gave to numerous other organizations such as the Kitchens for the Poor at St. Peter’s, the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Little House of Peace for abandoned children of Rome. He was one of the most generous supporters for the Society of Converts from Anglicanism which aided for-mer Anglican ministers who had converted and become priests but nevertheless often faced poverty and other difficulties. When he died he left everything to the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda for poor missions.

Equal to his charity was his spirit of mortification which during the last days of his life was described as one of extraor-dinary virtue. Two Sisters of the Servants of Mary who cared for him during the last month of his life testified to his spirit of resignation during his trying illness, “He practiced mortifica-tion to such a degree that we can state we never met another person who combined nobility and virtue in such a high de-gree. All that we saw in him served to edify us and was worthy of a perfect and saintly priest.”

He died in February, 1930 and among his personal effects were found two penitential instruments: a scourge with little iron points nearly worn out from use with traces of dried blood and two hairshirts made of little iron hooks woven closely together.

One of his noble characteristics was his ability to be at ease among the highest and lowest levels of society and when he died more than 12,000 people from all walks of life passed by his tomb. Twenty-three years later on February 26, 1953 in the Vatican he was declared a Servant of God and his cause for his canonization was officially opened. One of the beautiful prayers that Cardinal del Val is known for is his Litany of Hu-mility. Perhaps by adding this to our daily prayers for his cause of canonization we will soon see him added to our Ordo. ■

Article submitted by John Dick, KM, Area Hospitaller for Minnesota


highlights

Over the Investiture weekend, a number of people were honored at various events. The retiring Board of Councillors members were recognized at the Annual Meeting for their leadership and service to the Association during their years on the Board.

Margaret R. Lyons

Mary McCooey, Hospitaller

James O’Connor, Treasurer

Retiring Area Chairs were thanked for their service and recognized at the meeting as well.

Thomas and Mary Jean Tisdale (CT)

Margaret R. Lyons (Vero Beach)

Hans Geisler (Central/Southern Indiana)

Thomas Larabell (Michigan)

Carole Less (Missouri)

Declan O’Sullivan (Ohio)

At the meeting, Acting President Howard Redgate presented certificates ap-proved by the Grand Master to Executive Director Jeffrey Trexler (Crucem) and to staff members Carla Gunerard (Numisma Argento Excusum) and Raymond LaRose (Numisma Argento Excusum). Mr. Redgate said that the approval pro-cess for the recognition of the three New York staff members had been started by the late President Joseph Miller.

At the Annual Dinner, several Honors were presented. Louis J. Mahoney, KM, was recognized by the Grand Master with the Cross of Pro Merito Melitense for his work in Detroit establishing medical and dental clinics for the poor in Detroit.

During the past year, the medical clinic has treated approximately 2,800 patients, and the dental clinic has cared for 4,500 cases. All this is done at an operating cost of $75,000 per year and a lot of Lou’s own blood, sweat and tears.

Daniel D. Heffernan, Sr., MD, KM, was also recognized by the Grand Master with the Cross of Pro Merito Melitense for his work in establishing Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, Michigan. After 29 years, Hope Medical Clinic consists of almost a full time medical clinic, dental clinic, a food bank, a weekend hot meal program, free laundry service for the needy and a direct assistance program.

President’s Award EstablishedAlso honored at the Annual Dinner as the initial recipients of the American As-sociation President’s Award were Patricia McCarthy, and Bill and Betty Bourke. Mrs. McCarthy was present to receive her award while the Bourkes will receive their awards at a later date.

The following were the remarks made by Mr. Redgate regarding the establish-ment of the President’s Award:

“The President’s Award has been established in the American Association to provide the opportunity to recognize persons who have made a significant, life-time commitment to the American Association. The Award is intended to reflect the extraordinary dedication of individuals who have served the Association as its Presidents from the founding days in 1927 through the current time.

Recipients of the President’s Award exemplify leadership, creativity and dedica-tion to the charism of the Order and have produced an impact of significance in the direction and legacy of the Association.

Additionally, recipients of the President’s Award have demonstrated the very ideals to which our past Presidents have aspired by their commitment, energy and their focus.

Today, we are proud and happy to announce that the inaugural recipients of the newly established American Association President’s Award are Patricia Mc-Carthy and Bill and Betty Bourke.”

Mrs. A. Patricia McCarthy, DMOb, was honored for her long service to the Association, including leadership roles as Area Co-Chair, member of the Board of Councillors, and Co-Chair of the National Membership Conference on Long Island in 2009. Mrs. McCarthy has participated in all twenty-six Association Pilgrimages to Lourdes.

Mr. William Bourke, KM, and Mrs. Elizabeth Bourke, DM, have been active members of the Association for many years, focusing on assisting the sick and the poor. While living in Long Island, they were active at the parish and diocesan level and in community charities. Since moving to Florida, they helped to establish, organize and lead St. Justin Martyr Parish outreach to the Sick and Homebound. The Bourkes have participated in more than twenty Lourdes Pilgrimages.

Sub-Priory RecognitionAfter the Sub-Priory Mass on Saturday afternoon, the attendees assembled in the Rectory where D. Desmond McCarthy, KMOb, was recognized by the Grand Master with the Grand Cross of Pro Merito Melitense. Mr. McCarthy has been a Knight for over forty-five years and serves currently as the Chancellor of the Sub-Priory of Our Lady of Lourdes. He served as Area Co-Chair of Long Island, Co-Chair of the National Membership Conference on Long Island in 2009, and a member of the Board of Councillors of the American Association. Mr. McCarthy participated in all twenty-six Association Pilgrimages to Lourdes and was Presi-dent of the Pilgrimage for six years. He has served on the Boards and as Chair of the Boards of Catholic Charities of Rockville Centre and of Mercy Hospital.

Msgr. James Cassidy HonoredOn December 11, 2011, at a ceremony in the Chapel of the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center in New York City and in the presence of many members of the Order of Malta from the New York City Area, H.E. Frà John T. Dunlap, member of the Sovereign Council, acting on behalf of His Most Eminent Highness, Prince and Grand Master, Frà Matthew Festing, honored Reverend Monsignor James P. Cassidy, Assistant Principal Chaplain of the American Association, with the Grand Cross of the Order of Malta. Monsignor Cassidy, now Grand Cross Conventual Chaplain ad honorem, has served as Assistant Principal Chaplain of the American Association since January, 2004.

Recognition Given


highlights

Malta Human Services Foundation

Report for the Annual Meeting of the American AssociationThe following remarks were delivered by Malta Human Services Foundation President Peter C. Krause, KM, at the Annual Meeting on November 11, 2011:

Thank you, Hap, and on behalf of the entire association, thank you for the great job you have done as our Acting President since Joe Miller’s passing. Thank you all for your attention as I take you briefly through an update on the work of the Malta Human Services Foundation.

As you know, the Foundation’s purpose is to manage the investment portfolio for the American Association and to periodically transfer funds to the Association to support the Grants Program. I know how important grants are to our local area charities from my six years as Chair of the New York City Area. In 2011, the Foundation provided approximately $403K to the American Association for use in its grants program. This represents a five percent distribution on the av-erage of the year end value of the portfolio for each of the last three years. Unfortunately, the $403K was only able to fulfill a portion of the $1.9M grant requests we received from the Area Chairs; you can all appreciate the importance of growing our endowment.

As of September 30th, the value of the investment portfolio was ap-proximately $8,634,000 which includes investment gains of $1,730, 911 since CapTrust began managing the portfolio in May 2009. Finishing my first year as President of the Foundation, I can assure you that our funds are being prudently managed in a morally ethical manner on a cost effective basis.

Our Capital Campaign has raised in excess of $3.3M. Of this total, over $1.7M in pledges have been made of which over $1M cash has already been received. In addition, estate bequests of over $1.5M have been committed as well as over $100K in insurance and trust commitments. The efforts to reach major donors will continue while the day to day operations of the Capital Campaign will come to an end as of December 31, 2011.

Later this month, a letter will be sent to all members asking you to consider making a cash or planned gift to the Foundation. The West-ern Association does a similar mailing to its members each year and achieves a sixty percent participation rate and an average gift of over $3,500. Please be generous and talk it up with your fellow Knights and Dames in your local Areas.

At this time I would like to recognize several people who have been very important to the Foundation. Dame Marissa Blackett has been working as a volunteer Operations Chair of the Capital Campaign all this year. Her advice to the board and her tremendous work ethic have been exemplary. Marissa has done an incredible job for the Campaign and I would like to personally thank her for her Herculean efforts – they have made a tremendous difference and we are going to miss her as she steps down from her role.

Thank you Marissa, for all your hard work and important contributions.

Two of our Foundation Board Members are retiring after lengthy service.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the reconstituted Malta Hu-man Services Foundation was held on November 14, 2003 at 1011 First Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY. The Foundation, having been dormant for a long time, was being revitalized by Acting American Association President Dan Kelly. Among those present were John R. Mullen and, by phone, Mary Kay Farley. And by resolution, John R. Mullen was elected President of the Malta Human Services Founda-tion and Mary Kay Farley was elected Secretary of the Foundation. Now almost eight years to the day later, we are honoring them at their retirement from the Foundation Board.

The Foundation Board works behind the scenes without fuss or fanfare for a very practical purpose for the American Association – to raise and to steward funds for the support of the Grants Program. Mary Kay’s and Jack’s eight years of commitment to the purpose and objectives of the Foundation are a demonstration of what is best about Knights and Dames of the Order – no spotlight, no personal benefit – just roll up our sleeves and get the job done.

Jack Mullen and Mary Kay Farley are unable to be here and we will mail them their awards.

Thank you all for your support of the work of the Foundation.

Estate and planned gifts can support the work of the Association for years to come Each year, the Malta Human Services Foundation provides a con-tribution to the American Association to support the Annual Grants program. Your consideration of the Foundation in your annual cash giving plan as well as in your estate plan or with a planned gift will help to ensure that the works of the Order of Malta will continue for years to come. If you have questions about the Foundation, see the Foundation section of our web site at www.maltausa.org. For more information, call Kathleen Lyons in the New York office at (212) 371-1522.


Very Reverend Joseph R. Johnson (MN) and Reverend Mon-signor Michael T. Mannion, S.T.L. (NJ) as chaplains with their promise “to be faithful to the traditions of the Order, to participate in its services, to have a special care for the poor and sick, and to nurture the spiritual lives of the Members of the Order.”

The new Knights and Dames being invested made their promise to bear witness to the Catholic Faith, to defend the Church, and to lead a life in accordance with the teachings of Holy Mother Church. They declared themselves “ready as a mem-ber of the Order of Malta to care for our lords, the sick and the poor, with all [their] strength and ability.”

The Choir of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, led by Dr. Jen-nifer Pascual, Director of Music and Mr. Daniel Brondel, Associate Director, filled the magnificent Cathedral with the strains of the Anthem of the Order, Hail White Cross. Members who died since the last Investiture were remembered in prayer.

The Investiture was the highlight of three days of non-stop activity; Foundation and Board of Councillor meetings on November 10th were followed by an orientation session in the afternoon for new members and their families. A Mass and the blessing of the robes and capes ended the orientation session but the day was followed by an evening reception for the new mem-bers, their families and the Officers and the Board of Councillors.

On Friday morning, over three hundred members and their

families attended the Annual Meeting of the Association in the Empire Room at the Waldorf-Astoria where crisp reports from the officers and Lourdes and Prison Ministry chairs kept the pace moving. Mr. Daniel Kelly, former President of the Association and Chair of a Strategic Planning Committee convened to review the grants process, reported on the work of the committee.

Several speakers from organizations supported by the As-sociation and by members highlighted the agenda with their heartfelt presentations on the work they were involved in. James O’Connell, MD, President of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, gave the audience a feeling about the uniqueness of each home-less person; his engagement with the homeless in the Boston area gave him a special perspective on what life on the streets is all about and how the profile of the typical homeless person might be very different from the generalizations that are sometime made. Ms. Tina Figurelli, Executive Director of Birth Haven in New Jersey, spoke about the work of that organization and shared her own story about when she was pregnant and without support – Birth Haven was her refuge.

Recognition of retiring Board members and Area Chairs closed out a busy morning.

The afternoon ceremonies at the Cathedral were followed by a reception and Annual Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Members, old and new, joined with family and friends to cel-ebrate their many friendships in the Order of Malta. A receiving line featured Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, Acting President Hap Redgate, former President and Government Council member Daniel Kelly, and other dignitaries. Dinner featured a (continued on page 11)

Jennifer M. BaggettJudith A. BoyleJacqueline C. Brunetti, MDLeslie H. CarterHelen E. CogburnCarol L. CostiganMarianne EarleMary B. FoxNancy L. GaseElizabeth A. GiglioAnne Marie R. HansenMary K. HartnettFrances J. HowardJean Marie IrishDee A. JoynerKaren E. LeoneAnn G. Martin

Anne M. McShaneAnne H. MétraillerVeronique A MonierMary Rita MooneyClaire E MorrowGerrie E. MusiccoDebra A. PellegrinoMaureen A. ReedDeborah S. SchlapprizziCatherine A. Schwarz-SapetaBeatrix StevensKathleen A. Swift*Marietta P. Tempesta

* In Absentia

** Elected in 2010

Christopher E. BaldwinPaul V. Beresford-Hill, Ph.D.Jean-Pierre BerlietJerry E. BernJames J. BoyleStephen T. Brady, MDColin A. J. Chisholm IIIThomas M. CogburnRobert V. Dawe, MDRaymond J. De SouzaJack L. Del Rio*Joseph V. DeMarco**David A. DempseyJames A. DowneyDouglas J. FarringtonArthur R. GaseAnthony J. GiglioGregory L. GoltermannFrancis J. Harmon*Joseph J. Hong, MD

John M. HowardGregory S. HumeneskyThomas G. KolenbergAntonio S. LimbardoJohn A. LoGuidice, MDDaniel R. McAuliffe, Jr.Michael E. McCadden, MDMichael J. MilletteJean-Hugues J. MonierMichael H. MooneyJoseph John MorrowMichael Patrick MurphyJean-Paul A. MusiccoThomas H. O’Connor, Jr.Frederic S. Osell, Ph.D.Robert E. PedersenFrank G. PellegrinoJames A. PittsEdwin M. Posadas, MD*Brian L. Quilter

Michael J. ReedMichael P. RicattoKenneth SapetaJohn JD SchweskaFabian SeguraDouglas A. StevensMark F. SullivanMichael P. TempestaJohn H. Van KootenWilliam R WeberMichael C. WilliamsDavid E. Wilson**Christopher L. WinkelmannMichael J. Woolfolk*Paul Young

Knights of Magistral Grace Dames of Magistral Grace

Eighty-four Knights and Dames Invested at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral(continued from cover)

c o v e r s t o r y


industries. In 1992, he and his son, Joel, founded the New Canaan Group, a financial planning firm specializing in wealth management and insurance planning services. The firm is now located in Stamford. Mr. Miller began his business career as an agent for AXA/Equitable Life Assurance Society in 1960 and climbed the ranks to district manager, vice president and agency manager. Through his long, successful career with AXA/Equitable, he and his wife and children lived in Pennsylvania, California and Texas before settling in New Canaan in 1978.

In addition to Barbara, his wife of 48 years, Mr. Miller is survived by two sons, Joseph H. Miller III and wife, Judith, of New Canaan, and Christopher P. Miller and his wife, Victoria, of Suwanee, Georgia.; three daughters, Beth MacInnes and her husband, Benjamin, of Rowayton, Allison Lesson and her husband, Mark, of Rowayton, and Meghan Creedon of McKinney, Texas, and 19 grandchildren.

Mr. John PauL rEInEr SEPtEMbEr 17, 1931 – MarCh 21, 2011Mr. John Paul Reiner was the seventh President of the Ameri-can Association, serving from 1999 to 2002. He died in March in New York with his wife and two children by his side. Mr. Reiner was elected to the Order of Malta in December of 1978 and was a member of the Second Class – one of the first to make the Promise of Obedience in the United States. He was very supportive of the pro-life efforts of the Association. Mr. Reiner was dedicated to the Church and to the Order; he was referred to by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, as a “great and humble man”. For his service to the Order, Mr. Reiner was presented the Order’s Grand Cross Pro Merito Melitense. He was a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Saint Gregory and a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Sylvester.

Mr. Reiner enjoyed a distinguished career in the legal profession, starting as law clerk in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. He also served as Assistant District Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Fol-lowing his service in the District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Reiner

2011: a Year of Memories

President Joseph H. Miller and President John Paul Reiner

The members of the American Association had the sad experience of dealing with the deaths of their President and one of their past Presidents in 2011.

Mr. JoSEPh h. MILLEr aPrIL 25, 1938 – JuLY 20, 2011

Members will recall that Mr. Joseph Miller died in July after a short but courageous battle with cancer with his family by his side. Mr. Miller had a deep love for the Order of Malta and a genuine commitment to its charism to help the sick and the poor and give witness to and defend the Faith. His familiar face on the streets of Lourdes will serve as a lasting memory for many of the Knights and Dames he counted as friends.

Mr. Miller was invested into the Order of Malta, American Association in January of 1994. In addition to serving as the Area Hospitaller for the Southern Connecticut area, he was elected to the Board of Councillors on January 1, 2003 and became the Chancellor on January 14, 2004. He and his wife, Barbara, served as Co-Chairs of the 2008 Lourdes Pilgrimage. Mr. Miller was a member of the Second Class. He was elected the tenth President of the American Association on February 22, 2010. For his service to the Order, Mr. Miller was presented the Order’s Grand Cross Pro Merito Melitense.

Mr. Miller worked in the insurance and investments

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pursued a career in private practice, serving as partner in several prestigious law firms.

Beyond his legal practice, Mr. Reiner offered his legal expertise to many charitable organizations and to the Catho-lic Church. He served as advisor to Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations. He assisted the Apostolic Nuncio to the UN twenty years earlier in establishing the Path to Peace Founda-tion to expand the scope and reach of the diplomatic, educa-tional, and humanitarian activities of the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations. Mr. Reiner served as Secretary of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Reiner is survived by his wife, Mary, his daughter and son-in-law, Mary and her husband John Barnes of Houston, his son, Clark B. C. Reiner of New York and his two grandchildren.

Members of the Association remember these past leaders in their prayers, with gratitude for their generous service. ■

fabulous meal in the magnificent Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf and the entertainment was provided by Hank Lane Music.

The guest speaker, Father James Martin, SJ, best-selling au-thor and culture editor of America magazine, spoke of the impor-tance of joy in our spiritual lives. He told the over six hundred people in the Ballroom that Jesus had a sense of humor which is often hidden by the differences in the cultures of the times. Father Martin graciously autographed copies of his latest book, Between Heaven and Mirth, for the more than a hundred people who waited after his talk to share their “Jesuit stories” or to pass along their favorite clergy jokes.

Monsignor Dennis Francis Sheehan, Ch.M., Pastoral Vicar at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton, MA, celebrated the Saturday morning Mass and delivered an enlightening talk about the “Priesthood, Past and Present”. With an artist’s hand and a story-teller’s words, Msgr. Sheehan gave a glimpse of the life of a parish priest back in the mid-1960s when, in many ways, life was much simpler in the parish. He then took the audience on a tour of life in today’s Church. One of the big differences is in the active role of the laity in parish life. Those who might have wished to sleep in were happy they made the effort to hear Mon-signor’s thoughtful and interesting presentation.

The Sub-priory of Our Lady of Lourdes drew members of the Sub-priory and others to a 2PM Mass at the Church of Saint Joseph in Greenwich in Greenwich Village. At the Mass, there was the Religious Profession of First Temporary Vows as a Knight of Justice of John Collins Harvey, Novice Knight of Justice; the Promise of Obedience was made by Thomas J. Reedy, KM, and by Richard J. Wolff, KM. A reception followed in the parish hall, bringing the three days of activities to a happy ending on Satur-day afternoon. ■

in memorium

Anthony R. Abraham, KM Coral Gables, FL

Mary Anne Baker, DMOb Bloomfield Hills, MI

Yvelise M. Bosch, DM Miami, FL

The Honorable Governor Hugh L. Carey, KM Loudonville, NY

Patrick Francis Carone, KM Massapequa Park, NY

Charles Clark, Jr., KM Dallas, TX

Alfred Michael Donovan, MD, KM Lynnfield, MA

Henry Frederick Frigon, KM Scottsdale, AZ

Augustus James Grace, KJ Westford, MA

Timothy J. Guinee, KM Topsfield, MA

John P. Hayes, KM Boca Raton, FL

Robert E. Healy, KM Vero Beach, FL

Lawrence Francis Hickey, KM New York, NY

Joseph J. Hurley, KM Salem, MA

Horace C. Jones, KM Westwood, MA

William O’Connell Matthews, KM Bronxville, NY

William J. McKenna, KM Chesterfield, MO

Joseph H. Miller, KMOb New Canaan, CT

Frank Joseph Milloy, MD, KM Glencoe, IL

Robert James Monahan, KM New Canaan, CT

Peter P. Mullen, KM Bronxville, NY

Joseph Peter Pellegrino, KM Boston, MA

William M. Regan, KM Bronxville, NY

John Paul Reiner, KMOb New York, NY

George A. Resnik, Sr., KM South Bend, IN

Hubert J. Schlafly, KM Stamford, CT

William A. Schreyer, KM Princeton, NJ

Frances W. Strachan, DM Loudonville, NY

Vincent Tricomi, MD, KM Garden City, NY

Deceased Members January 1, 2011 – Present

Eighty-four Knights and Dames Invested at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral(continued from page 9)

1 2 | H o s p i t a l l e r s | Vo l 8 W i n t e r 2 011-2 01 2

Year of Faith: new EvangelizationMost Rev. Frank J. Rodimer, Conventual Chaplain ad honorem Bishop Emeritus of Paterson, New Jersey

Pope Pius XII declared a “Marian Year” in 1954 to honor our Blessed Mother. I was a young priest at that time and I asked a class of city youngsters I had under instruction what they thought a “Mar-ian Year” might be. What one of the girls heard

was not a reference to Mary but “marryin,” and suggested: “A good year to get married?” “A marryin’ year!” That’s what it sounded like to her, and I, at least, learned an early lesson about asking questions.

We’ve had quite a few special years singled out by the Popes since then. Each one has been a time of grace, but we have to make sure people get the message clearly and make the most of it. Pope Benedict recently announced a “Year of Faith” to begin on October 11, 2012, the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and to conclude on the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 24, 2013.

It’s not the first “Year of Faith” to be celebrated. Pope Paul VI announced one in 1967 to commemorate the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul on the 19th centenary of their martyrdom.

October 11, 2012 is also the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And that October is, as well, the month in which the Synod of Bishops convoked by Benedict XVI will deal with the theme “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.”

We can safely assume that our Holy Father and a consid-erable number of Church leaders, missionaries and members are putting great stock in this Synod on the New Evangeliza-tion, perhaps more than on most earlier synods. That goes for

the Year of Faith, as well.A lot has been written already, and we can be sure there

will be a great deal more to be said on the subject of the new evangelization. A good bit of it seems obvious. We need new methods of teaching. We need new enthusiasm. We need new ways of communicating. We need a better understanding of the peoples of the world and their needs. We need renewed convictions about the truths of the Gospel and a correspond-ing dynamism in living up to them and in teaching them. We most certainly need a positive attitude in facing the challeng-es of our day; after all, the very word “evangelization” means proclaiming Good News.

This coming October, then, will be a heavy duty month for Catholics who take their faith seriously. We will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, the inau-guration of the “Year of Faith,” the 20th Anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Faith, and a Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Catholic Faith will be convened. With the conviction that the Holy Spirit is at work in the Church – and that is as basic as it is essential to our Catholic Faith – we can expect good things, even great things, to come out of these celebrations and events.

Yet as we try to fathom what can be new about knowing and practicing our faith, we would do well to keep in mind Pope Benedict’s observation: “What is new about the New Testament is not, strictly speaking, ideas – the novelty is a person: God who becomes man and draws man to himself.” Jesus, the Son of God, has become one of us. Jesus by his passion, death and resurrection has redeemed us. Jesus draws us to himself as his intimate friends. Jesus renews the world. “The One who sat on the throne said to me, ‘See, I make all things new’” (Rev 21:5).

New Evangelization begins with serious believers in Jesus rediscovering him. Msgr. Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict’s priest secretary, in commenting on the Holy Father’s basic teachings said that one of the Pope’s major points is: “Faith is not a problem to be solved; it is a gift to be discovered anew.” And since faith is a gift of God, it follows, as the lineamenta (agenda outline) of the forthcoming synod states, the task of evangelization is a gift of God. Jesus is God’s great gift. Faith

is God’s gift. The Gospel is God’s gift. And the task of sharing Good News is in itself God’s gift.

Pope Benedict in his Apostolic Letter “Door of Faith,” October 11, 2011 (the title taken from Acts 14:27) cited Saint Luke’s account of Saint Lydia. Those of us who have devotion to Saint Lydia, the successful businesswoman who was the first person of what is present day Europe to be baptized by Saint Paul (Acts 16:14) should be (continued on page 14)

Vo l 8 W i n t e r 2 011-2 01 2 | H o s p i t a l l e r s | 1 3

Symposium of the International association of Catholic bioethicsJohn M. Haas, Ph.D., KM, President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center

Few members of the Order of Malta are aware of the extent to which the Order is committed to the field of bioethics, i.e., the application of the Church’s moral teachings in the area of medicine and bio-medical research. This field has become

all the more important in recent years because of the aban-donment of traditional moral values by our surrounding culture and also because of many of the rapid developments in medicine and biotechnology.

In this country, the Order has supported the work of The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia for many years. The president of the Center is a Knight of Malta of the American Association, and the Director of Bioeth-ics and Public Policy is Dr. Marie Hilliard, a Dame of Malta of the Federal Association. Altogether, five members of the Order from the American, Federal and Western Associations serve on the board. Grants from the American Association helped the Center launch its award-winning scholarly pub-lication, the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly. Not only the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops but also the Holy See often turns to the Center for assistance in addressing many of the complex medical moral issues of our day.

But the Order is committed to the work of bioeth-ics also internationally. A number of years ago, Dr. Wil-liam Sullivan of Toronto was instrumental in establishing the International Association of Catholic Bioethics (IACB) which has been supported by the Canadian, British, Austra-lian, German and the American Associations of the Order of Malta. The IACB provides an international forum for Catholic bioethicists to collaborate, interact and engage in

research. The principal means of achieving this has been an international colloquium held in a different country every two years hosted by the Order of the country in which it takes place. Participants in these colloquia listen to papers on a specific medical moral topic and then spend three days crafting an initial consensus statement on the issue under consideration. This is subsequently circulated among the participants and finally issued in their name.

The IACB has now organized five international collo-quia – the first four were held in Canada, England, Australia and Germany. After the German-sponsored colloquium in 2009, the IACB approached the American Association to sponsor the next one in the United States. President Joseph Miller, KMOb, agreed to this request and successfully so-licited support also from the Federal and Western Associa-tions, achieving true collaboration among all three associa-tions in the United States for this international event. Each association contributed $10,000 toward the colloquium, and participants paid registration and activities fees. President Miller asked The National Catholic Bioethics Center to orga-nize the event on behalf of the three US Associations.

The colloquium was on the theme “Palliative Sedation: Moral Distinctions and Practical Considerations” and was held at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia July 10–14, 2011.

By every standard, the event was a great success. The 50 participants were health care professionals, philoso-phers and theologians from 8 different countries. The papers delivered were of a very high scholarly level, and the discussions were robust and informative as the participants worked together toward their “consensus statement”.

The colloquium opened with Mass with representatives from all three Order of Malta associations in the United States. At the conclusion of the Mass, the Cross of Merit was bestowed on Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, who is considered the “Dean” of Catholic bioethicists in this country. Dr. Pellegri-no served as president of Catholic University of America, the Chairman of President G. W. Bush’s Bioethics Council, and was founder of the Center for Clinical (continued on page 14)

Baron Albrecht von Boeselager, Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, Dr. John M. Haas, Dr. Thompson Faller, Michele B. Bowe


Symposium (continued from page 13) Bioethics at Georgetown University. Michelle Bowman, Hospitaller for the Federal Association, read the citation for the bestowal of the award. Since Dr. Pellegrino is a Knight of Malta of the Federal Association, the request to the Grand Master for this award was made by the Federal Association. His Excellency Baron Albrecht von Boeselager, Grand Hospi-taller of the Order and representative of the Grand Council, bestowed the honor.

The Opening Ceremony was chaired by Dr. John Haas, president of The National Catholic Bioethics Center. Baron von Boeselager presented the initial paper, an excellent scholarly work with important data relevant to the topic. Father Scott Borgman brought greetings from the Vatican’s President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, and Dr. William Sullivan, as Executive Director of the IACB and the representative from Canada, welcomed all to the event.

The presentations went from the more general topics on moral principles to many specific issues of clinical practice. Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, O.F.M. of the University of Chicago opened with a discourse on the Principle of Double Effect which received a response from Dr. Pellegrino. Clinicians involved in palliative and end-of-life care applied the prin-ciples in clinical settings.

The principal disputed issue was whether one in intractable pain could be sedated into permanent uncon-sciousness only if death was imminent. The participants had forged most of the consensus statement but it was not completed by the end of the colloquium. The practice has been for Dr. William Sullivan and Dr. John Hang of the University of Toronto and of the IACB to continue working on the statement after the colloquium and then to send it around to all the participants with two or three revisions until a consensus has indeed been reached. The statement has customarily been published in the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly.

Health care professionals who attend these colloquia comment on the congenial mix of prayer, worship, fellow-ship and scholarship. These colloquia are quite different from the medical or academic conferences they customar-ily attend. The colloquia organizers also plan excursions to local sites for the participants, most of whom are usually not from the area where the colloquium is held. The NCBC organized a cocktail reception and dinner on a hundred year old sailing ship on the Delaware River, the Moshulu, and then a tour of colonial Philadelphia with Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Old City Tavern which served as the site for much of the conspiracy against British rule.

If any member of the Order would like a copy of the program, copies of any of the papers presented, or a copy of the Consensus Statement, please feel free to request it from John Haas at [email protected]. ■

delighted. The Pope wrote that Lydia is an eloquent example of a person with her heart in the right place. She came to a faith that was “God’s gift, and the action of grace which acts and transforms the person deep within.”

A deep down transformation into firm faith in Jesus, who loves us enough to die for us, who teaches us to love one another, especially the poor and those most in need, and who gives us the command and the privilege of sharing the Good News with others is, at least, the beginning of a New Evangeli-zation. If we understand it correctly, it is one that is bound to succeed.

As one priest put it: “When we Catholics rediscover who Jesus is, we won’t have enough seats to accommodate all the members.” ■

Year of Faith (continued from page 12)

reminder

Web-only articlesBe sure to go our web site at www.maltausa.org. Click on “News & Events.” Click on “Association Newsletters.” Then, click on the “Web Only Articles” under the Winter 2011-2012 issue of Hospitallers.

• Cardinal Sean O’Malley delivered an important homily on the defense of the faith to members of the Order of Malta. You can read the complete text of the homily on our web site.

• In the “Members Only” section, you can find the forms neces-sary for signing up for the 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage as well as forms for recommending a Malade for the pilgrimage. You can also find copies of the 2012 Grant Application and instructions for completing the application

• “Spiritual Reflections” can be found on the tab on the left navi-gation bar. The current Sunday’s reflection is available as well as an archive of the previous weeks’ reflections.

• You can find the collection of Malta Minutes in the “Malta Media Ministries” section on the web site. You will also find a listing of the stations where the Malta Minutes are being broadcast. Broadcasts are available in English and Spanish.

• Copies of all of the previous Hospitallers newsletters are available on the web in the “News & Events” section on the left navigation bar.

• A copy of a prayer said by Cardinal Merry del Val is available in the web-only section. The Cardinal was accustomed to recite this prayer daily after the celebration of Holy Mass.


C a L E n D a r o F E V E n t SJanuary 11, 2012 Malta Human Services Foundation Board Meeting (NYC)

January 12, 2012 Board of Councillors Meeting (NYC)

February 11, 2012Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

May 2 – May 8, 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage XXVII

May 16, 2012Malta Human Services Foundation Board Meeting (NYC)

May 17, 2012 Board of Councillors Meeting (NYC)

June 24, 2012Feast of Saint John the Baptist

September 8, 2012 Feast of Our Lady of Philermo

SeptemberMalta Human Services Foundation Board Meeting (TBD)

September 13, 2012Board of Councillors Meeting (TBD)

November 8, 2012Malta Human Services Foundation Board Meeting (NYC)

November 8, 2012Board of Councillors Meeting (NYC)

Northeast Florida Area Knights and Dames Support Work of Comunitá Cenacoloby Linda Del Rio, DM

The Knights, Dames and Auxiliary of the Northeast Florida Area of American Association have been supporting Comunitá Cenacolo, an international mission founded by Mother Elvira Petrozzi in Italy. Ce-nacolo serves the poor, disillusioned, hopeless and desperate young men and women of addiction. The organization has missions in Argentina, Austria, Bosnia, Brazil, Croatia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and most recently, in Liberia. In the United States, there are communities in Florida and Alabama.

The residents at Cenacolo go from living a life of chaos to a life where they surrender all material things and choose to live a simple, disci-plined life based on prayer, work and faith, relying on God’s providence to meet their material needs. Through their community involvement, the members of Cenacolo rediscover the preciousness of the love of God and a renewed life. Cenacolo is not for everyone. Its God-centered approach to daily life and its focus on returning to a simpler material life can work miracles for those open to its gift but not everyone can be successful there. For those who are, it is life-changing.

In St. Augustine, Florida, there are three established communities; two serve young men – Our Lady of Hope and Mary Immaculate. There is only one community serving women in the United States, Maria Goretti. Members of the American Association provide food, clothing, appliances, generators, automobiles, tools and a grant to

secure storage for the three growing St. Augustine Communities. The communities waste nothing; they live in gratitude for all that is given to them. Visitors sense that their joy does not depend on what they have or what they lack because their prior materialistic lives were unfulfilling and empty.

One of our Auxiliary members, Beth Gutman, works with the communi-ties to help grow and harvest their vegetables and herb gardens. Our Area members have been providing support to Cenacolo for about two years and it has been a most rewarding project. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Del Rio, a Knight and Dame from the Area, donated outdoor altars a few years ago. When celebrating Mass with the young men and women of the communities, you realize that love generates trust and trust gener-ates peace which is manifested in the surrender of these chosen souls. They trust that this new day of life will give them something; this trust is the foundation that gives them and all that support them a sense of true hope. Approximately fifteen members in the Northeast Area are regularly involved working with Cenacolo communities.

In serving Mother Elvira’s community, I have learned many profound lessons. I thought I carried crosses, but the graces and mercies I have witnessed at Comunitá Cenacolo have made it evident that the Cross carries us. God has a special love and passion for those who are small, poor, or for those who feel they have failed. God told Moses, “The Lord bound Himself to you and chose you…because the Lord loves you.”

In the journey and darkness of the addicts’ desperation, they find God and His mercy at this beautiful, holy place. He has created something beautiful, a living parable at Comunitá Cenacolo where addicts learn that they dwell in and were created from His image and in His love.

Linda Del Rio, DM, is a member from the Northeast Florida Area. For more information on Comunita Cenacolo, visit their Web site at www.comunitacenacolo.org.

highlights


Vo luM e 8 W i Nt er 2011-2012

Our MissionThe American Association of the Order of Malta, carefully observing the centuries-old

tradition of the Order, has as its mission, to enhance the glory of God through the

sanctification of its members, through dedication to and defense of the faith and the

Holy See and through service to our fellow man, especially the sick and poor.

ChAnCellor’s Column ExECUtIvE OFFICE 1011 First Avenue, Suite 1350

New York, NY 10022-4112 USA Telephone: (212) 371-1522 Fax: (212) 486-9427

www.maltausa.org

ExECUtIvE OFFICE StAFF

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey R. Trexler Executive Director

Raymond J. LaRose Assistant Executive Director, Newsletter, Board Meetings

Kathleen L. Lyons Controller

Maria Di Giacomo Administrative Assistant

for Member Services

Carla L. Gunerard Program Coordinator

for Major Events

Matthew T. LaRose IT Systems Manager/Assistant to the Controller

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Articles for future issues of this newsletter should be mailed to:

Raymond J. LaRose American Association

1011 First Avenue, Suite 1350, New York, NY 10022 or sent via email to: [email protected]

© 2012 Order of Malta®, American Association, U.S.A.

Change of address (physical or virtual)? Please notify the New York office of all changes of address.

If your primary mailing address or your e-mail address changes, please be sure to notify the American Association’s administrative team. Just send a note to the New York office or send an e-mail to [email protected] or call our office at (212) 371-1522. Maintaining correct addresses ensures that you will receive mailings on a timely basis. It can also save the American Association a significant amount of time and money.

At the recently concluded Annual Business Meeting, I had the opportunity to review three significant initiatives we were able to put in place during the 2011 “stub” year for the Board of Councillors.

Office Staff:The Office Staff is critical to the efficient functioning of the Association. Personnel turnover has, historically, been minimal. Critical to this lack of attrition has been the periodic review of job activities to make sure they adequately represent job responsibili-ties. A thorough review of activities and compensation was conducted and adjustments were made where necessary. As such, we are satisfied we have established a platform for a stable office environment for the foreseeable future.

Regional Area Chair Coordinators:Regional Area Chair Coordinators were put in place to facilitate communications between the Board of Councillors and Area Chairs. Area Chairs have accepted the effort and have participated both on conference calls and in forum settings. Since we are a bottom up organization, providing additional support to our Areas by expanding additional two sided dialogue seemed a reasonable activity and the Area chairs have enthusiastically embraced these new positions.

New Grants Procedures:The Board of Councillors unanimously voted to adopt the recommendation of the Strategic Planning Committee organized to examine the Grants collection and distribu-tion process. This very visible activity of the Order is currently funded by a distribution from the Foundation and the residual of the Association’s Operating Budget. These two sources of funds led to wide variances between Grant expectations and the ability to deliver. Beginning in Fiscal 2013, the Association will budget a fixed amount of our annual contribution for grant distributions. Matched with the Foundation distribution, this pool of funds to be distributed will become more predictable. Further, protocols will be written in concert with Areas for the establishment of local Grants Committees who will evaluate and recommend Grants. Area Grant funding amounts will be determined by the number of members in a particular Area. Local Grants requests will be fulfilled by direct distributions from New York.

Additionally, strategic national and international Grants will be considered by the National Grants Committee. These Grants will be fewer in number and larger in Grant amount. As such, national Grant contributions will be more visible and strategic.

The revised local, national and international Grant activity more closely align with the wishes of our members and develops the added benefit of getting more of our mem-bers involved with the highly visible activity of the Order.

In conclusion, let me express my gratitude for being able to serve the Order as acting President over the past months. My term as Chancellor expires at the end of this year and I pledge my best effort in the execution of the duties of this office.

Howard V. Redgate, KM, Chancellor

volume 8 Winter 2011–2012 - Order of Malta

Documents

Transcript of volume 8 Winter 2011–2012 - Order of Malta