Inaugural
NATIONAL DAY
From Rome to Melbourne, the Order of Malta in Australia has launched its first National Day to promote its significant work to the wider Catholic community and help develop the next generation of supporters.
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n October 2018, Italian members of the Order of Malta launched a National Day in Rome to improve the knowledge of the Order of Malta and its activities, attract new volunteers and supporters, and promote health and solidarity. From 9am to 7pm, the Italian Order of Malta initiated its first “Giornata Nazionale Ordine di Malta” across 11 Italian cities, including Bologna, Cagliari, Florence, Genoa, Loreto, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome, Turin and Venice. Within these cities, the Order organised for free blood-pressure tests and a doctor’s assessment. Together with basic health information, the day was organised to publicise the Order of Malta’s manifold humanitarian and charitable works in Italy and another 120 countries. In Rome, the event made news headlines as the Grand Master Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre visited the Order of Malta popup tent in Piazza del Popolo and thanked volunteers for their efforts.
The success of this day was quickly recognised, and Rome saw the opportunity to grow the National Day of the Order into an international event. One by one, many associations around the globe were encouraged to adopt similar activities and celebrate the Order’s National Day to coincide with Blessed Fra’ Gerard’s Feast Day. For the first time from 12 to 13 November 2019, Australia joined in the occasion. On very short notice, South Eastern Hospitaller David Blackwell and South Central Region Noel Mifsud agreed to participate and launch the event. Across six parishes, 14 members and volunteers in Adelaide, and in the Melbourne regions of Hawthorn, Black Rock, and Toorak, spoke at Churches to inform parishioners about the work of the Order both nationally and internationally. “The National Day is a wonderful opportunity to not only improve the wider community’s knowledge 2019 Australian Hospitaller
