Hospitaller’s Report
Australian Hospitaller Dr Ian Leitch RFD KMG reports on the increase in the number of coats handed out by Australian Association’s branches and the expansion our distribution network to help more people than ever who find themselves on the street during winter.
Our Coats Program reaches more than ever at home and now abroad
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ince the last Australian Hospitaller there has been much to report. The news has been inundated with world events and the Order of Malta’s international humanitarian relief agency, Malteser International, has been responding to these natural disasters and refugee crises. (More on the Order’s international efforts to support the global refugee crisis later in the pages of this publication.) Closer to home, Members and Supporters were very busy throughout 2015 raising funds for our national Coats for the Homeless campaign. This year we have increased our distribution volume and expanded our distribution network so that we can help more people who find themselves on the street this winter. A list of the distribution points around the country can be found on our website. It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that in 2015 we distributed 3,000 of our Coats for the Homeless across the country this year’s winter. Thank you to everyone who has supported this project and that enables us to help so many of “our Lords, the sick and the poor.” In our region, Members have been working on a number of projects in Timor-Leste and on individual local branch projects, including local Lourdes Masses around Australia, palliative care assistance in Victoria and New South Wales, purchase of medical supplies in South Australia and community care in New South Wales through the branch’s new Community Care Van. This year, Australians again returned to France on pilgrimage to Lourdes. On the first weekend in May, Members of the Order from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Lourdes to accompany ‘malades’ (the sick) who pray to Mary the Immaculate Conception and bathe in the healing waters. For those who are unable to make the arduous and expensive trip to France, Members of the Order host Lourdes Day
Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel, the Order’s Grand Hospitaller, joins volunteers on a soup van run though the streets of Rome where they distributed Coats donated by the Australian Association.
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his Christmas, 1,000 of our Coats for the Homeless were distributed to the rough sleepers of Rome. The donation was requested by a Member of the Order in the UK, Confrere Simon Grenfell, who on learning about this Australian project thought it would be the ideal Christmas gift from the Order of Malta to Rome’s homeless during their cold winter. Confrere Simon, contacted the Australian Association to place an order
with our manufacturers for our specially designed Coats. The coats were quickly manufactured, shipped directly from the factory and arrived at the Vatican just before Christmas. The Coats are being distributed at a soup station run by the Grand Priory and Military Corp of the Order in Rome. The spread of this Australian initiative continues to grow in momentum with both the Portuguese and Scandinavian Associations looking to adopt the project.
Mass celebrations around the country. A Blessing of good health takes place during the celebration of the Liturgy with water brought from the Shrine of Lourdes. Those receiving the Blessing are also provided with a bottle of Lourdes Water for their personal use. These annual Masses are open to all, but those who are sick, facing health challenges and wanting good health are particularly encouraged to attend and our
Members and volunteers go out of their way to help and support them throughout the day. All of these projects make a real difference to the lives of so many people and are only possible thanks to the commitment of Members and the generosity of our supporters. Thank you for your continued support.
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