HOSPITALLERS IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTAsm AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, U.S.A. VOLUME 9 SPRING 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage 3 2012 Blessed Gerard 8 Mecatti 10 Minnesota Library 12 The Foundation Archbishop Dolan Elevated to Cardinal American Association Pilgrimage to Rome Celebrates With the New Cardinal ore than seventy members of the American Association trav- eled to Rome on a pilgrimage to pray for the Association’s Prin- cipal Chaplain as he assumed the role of a prominent Church leader through his elevation to Cardinal. The Papal Consistory Ceremony held at Saint Peter’s Ba- Msilica in the Vatican on Saturday, February 18th, received coverage in the media around the world. Archbishop Dolan was joined by 21 other men who also re- ceived their red hats and the title of Cardinal in front of Pope Benedict XVI and thousands of the faithful from around the world. Association Web Site: Be sure to go our Web site at The American Association was led by President Jack E. Pohrer, Chancellor www.orderofmaltaamerican.org to find the latest Howard V. Redgate, Treasurer Joseph M. Cianciolo, Hospitaller Thomas J. Reedy, information about the Association, forms needed Vice Hospitaller Peter J. Kelly, MD, Peter C. Krause, President of the Malta Hu- for new members and new auxiliary members, man Services Foundation, William H. Besgen, Foundation Vice President, as Area Web sites and much more information about well as Board members, Knights and Dames, family and friends of the Associa- the Association and the Order of Malta. Links are tion. In addition to the opportunity to celebrate with Cardinal Dolan, members also available to other Association Web sites and of the pilgrimage visited with the Grand Master, members (continued on page 5) the Sovereign Magistry’s Web site. A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Confreres, BOARD OF COUNCILLORS Jack E. Pohrer, President ROME Howard V. Redgate, Chancellor It is with great pride that I write to share a once in a lifetime experience for more Joseph M. Cianciolo, Treasurer than 70 Dames and Knights and friends as Pilgrims to Rome. Thomas J. Reedy, Hospitaller The Principal Chaplain of the American Association of the Order of Malta, Peter J. Kelly, MD, Vice Hospitaller Archbishop Timothy Dolan, was elevated to a Prince of the Church as Timothy Marie L. Garibaldi, Secretary Cardinal Dolan on February 18, 2012. Needless to say Rome was alive and crowd- Thomas F. Carney, Jr. ed with the friends, parishioners and family of the 22 Priests that were Bishops or Hope E. Carter Archbishops about to become Cardinals. Michael P. Castine The ceremony, the awesome beauty of St. Peter’s, the music and singing, the Kenneth R. Craig color of the procession with the Bishops’ purple, the Cardinals’ red and the Pope’s white moving to the altar and the Papal Chair were indications of the momentous event that was about to take Sheila D. Feitelberg place. As Cardinal Dolan was processing and when he received his new title kneeling before the Anthony M. Gagliardi, MD Pope, he received long, loud and momentous applause from the assembled. Our Principal Chap- Christopher J. Godfrey lain was truly a favorite not only with the Italians but with the wide cross section of the multi- Peter C. Krause national congregation. JoAnne M. Kuehner It was obvious that Cardinal Dolan became a spokesman for the International Church. His Carole B. Less future as a church leader has begun. While in Rome, the American Association Pilgrims enjoyed Margaret (Meg) M. Lyons the company and dinner with the Grand Master, Frá Matthew Festing, and all the members of the Peter F. Muratore Sovereign Council at the Aventine Palace. Deborah E. O’Hara-Rusckowski Our Group also visited many historical and ancient sites in Rome. While enjoying a private tour P. Declan O’Sullivan of the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Dolan appeared, spoke briefly and greeted us and other American Thomas F. Schlafly Pilgrims. It was truly a memorable, enjoyable and once in a lifetime experience. I thank the Pilgrims Ellen S. Shafer that journeyed over 3000 miles to Rome, representing the American Association so proudly. John F. Shine, Ph.D. John R. Sise LOURDES Joseph Sokolowski, MD Before going to Rome, Michael Castine, Jeff Trexler, Hope Carter and I went to Lourdes to tour Timothy Cardinal Dolan, our two new Pilgrimage hotels – The Hotel Mediterranee and The Hotel Alba, both of which have Archbishop of New York, Principal Chaplain undergone extensive, multi-million dollar remodeling. Reverend Monsignor James P. Cassidy, We are happy to report to our 2012 Lourdes Co-Chairs, DeDe and Dr. Dick Milone that we Assistant Principal Chaplain found the remodeled hotels to be very acceptable and were impressed by the extensive access and Reverend Monsignor Robert T. Ritchie detailed features for the handicapped. Coadjutor Assistant Principal Chaplain There are many pluses to our new hotels especially the ability to assemble with our voitures in a private and safe street, not on the very busy street we have used in the past. Our Co-Chairs DeDe and Dr. Dick Milone look forward to seeing all the Lourdes Pilgrims on May 2nd at the airport in Newark, New Jersey. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MALTA HUMAN SERVICES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOUNDATION As I write these words a couple of days ago, the Senate of the United States voted to emasculate the Peter C. Krause,* President Religious Freedom for all Americans. William H. Besgen, Vice President This is not just a Catholic issue but one that is critical to all those who cherish and enjoy Honorable Marie L. Garibaldi,* Secretary Religious Freedom in America. This erosion of our Constitution must not stand. This battle is not John R. Sise,* Treasurer over! We now must exert all our energy, strength and fervor to the House of Representatives, our Barbara M. Burns next battle ground. Thomas F. Carney, Jr.* This fight is not only for our Religious Freedom but for the future of our children, grandchil- Michael J. Donoghue dren and great grandchildren and all those that come after them. Robert J. Fredericks, Ph.D. I implore you to maintain our stamina – let’s storm Congress with our voices, writing, passion, Peter F. Muratore* and numbers to prevent the beginning of the end of all Religious Freedoms in America. P. Declan O’Sullivan* Remember our mission to defend the Faith and in this case, it is all Religious Faiths. Thomas Pecora Thank you for this and all the good you do. Jack E. Pohrer* God Bless, Howard V. Redgate* Thomas J. Reedy* Frederic V. Salerno Kristy P. Snyder Jack E. Pohrer, GCM, President * Member of the American Association Board of Councillors 2 | Hospitallers | Vol 9 Spring 2012 LOURDES PILGRIMAGE Spring 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage With this Spring issue of HOSPITALLERS the 2012 American Association Pilgrimage to Lourdes draws ever closer. Preparations are fully underway. Our Co-Presidents of the Pilgrimage, Jack Pohrer and Michael Castine, along with Pilgrimage Coordinator Hope Carter and Executive Director Jeff Trexler journeyed to Lourdes the weekend of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Their many reports back to us have been uniformly heartwarming and exciting. Lourdes Pilgrimage(continued on page 4) 2012: “Ave Mar ia” by Dede and Dick Milone, Co-Chairs, 2012 Lourdes Pilgrimage Vol 9 Spring 2012 | Hospitallers | 3 LOURDES PILGRIMAGE The management and the staff at each of our hotels tion. This is why we come on Pilgrimage. eagerly anticipate our arrival. The renovations at the Ho- To one degree or another, we are all malades. We all bring tel Mediterranee have been completed. The hotel lobby is our own physical and spiritual frailties as we come to Lourdes, redone, and now the lobby and the upper balcony and terrace and pray that as we bathe in the waters, and have the opportu- are fully handicapped accessible. Our other hotel, the Alba, nity to reach deep inside ourselves in prayer, we locate a peace where we will be staying for the first time, was completely and a solace that we cannot find anywhere else in our everyday renovated just a little over a year ago. The lobby is bright and lives. There truly is something special about this place. Mary, airy (even with a glass pane waterfall), and the several dining Our Lady of Lourdes, really is here, and is present to us here, rooms are smaller and very attractive. The chapel at the Alba in this place, in a way different from any other. is a very special place, and we plan Exposition of the Blessed But let’s focus for a moment on our “identified” Malades, Sacrament there on Sunday. Between the two hotels, we have those precious, grateful, yet suffering individuals who with been assured of adequate and comfortable meeting rooms for simple trusting faith give themselves over completely to us, all of our prayer and social activities. the Knights, and Dames and Auxiliary of Malta. We, for the The hotels are next door to each other, separated only by most part, know each other, from the last Pilgrimage, from a quiet side street, a perfect place off the bustling and hectic the last Annual Meeting, or the last St. John’s Day Celebra- Avenue du Paradis in which to line-up for our processions to tion. But for them, ill, and away from home, away from fam- the Domain. We have been told, too, that our advance team ily, and probably most importantly away from their familiar has mapped out a slightly different route for our processions, medical care, they find themselves cast with a group of avoiding the narrow bridge in front of the Jean D’Arc Café, strangers, nice people, but still strangers; what a leap of faith where it seems we always arrived at exactly the same moment on their part! Why do they do it, why do they come? They as the largest tour bus that Lourdes has to offer.