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Order of Malta Australia

News

Confrere Sean Parnell's Report on the Opening of the Clinic in Dili and the Seventh Asia Pacific Conference in Singapore

11/12/2017 


Member if the Order, Sean Parnell provides a personal account of his experiences at the opening of the Order’s Clinic in Dili and the Order’s Asia Pacific Conference in Singapore.

It was a great privilege to be able to attend the opening or our Order’s clinic in Timor Leste in November, with Frances Booth  and our Magistral Chaplain Father Malcolm Fyfe. 

 The excitement at the opening from the Timorese was noticeable.  The visit albeit brief allowed us to see first hand where our efforts will have had asigninfican positive impact on the front line of poverty. 

 It was a great honour to have the Vatican’s Chargé d’Affaires for Timor Leste Monsignor Mario Codano attending the opening blessing of the clinic and we look forward to have a close and beneficial involvement, particularly from our Members here in the territory.

 It wa pleasing to see one of the main benefactor of the clinic Mr Jape recieive an award Pro Merito Melitensi for his generous and ongoing financial support for our work in Timor Leste.

 Many thanks is to His Excellency David Scarf for his excellent drive to get the project up and running and for the success of the day. A great thanks to his many staff who assisted as well.

 It was very exciting and most definitely worthwhile to attend the Asia Pacific Conference for the Order in Singapore immediately following the clinic opening. To say the presence and insight into the works of the Order of our Confrerers throughout the Asian region was inspiring would be an understatement.

 The Asian region is relatively new territory for the Order yet the growth and dedication of the Order’s Knights and Dames and volunteers was inspirational and at times deeply moving. I took back many valuable lessons on translating the twofold Charism of the Order Obsequium Pauperum (Serving the Poor) and Tuitio Fidei (Defence of Faith) into hands on practical works centred around our Gospel led values.

 It was also very reassuring and spiritually uplifting to have some many of the Orders Chaplains in attendance who were able to celebrate the Daily Mass and bring  unique and earthly dimension to our discussions.

 The next Conference, in 2018, is to be held in the Phillipines next year and I strongly urge and Members who are thinking of attending to do so. You will not regret it and it will provide not only a vision of hope for the future of the Order in our region but also provide many valuable insights and lessons for our own Association here in Australia.

 It was a great privilege to have the attendance of the Grand Hospitaller and the Grand Chancellor to guide some of our discussions and provide insights into the global happenings of our Order. Additionally the present of representatives from Malteser International and CIOMAL as well as our Ambassadors and government staff made the event even more orthwhile and gave a global perspective to our regions works”

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The Australian Association

The Australian Association, formed in 1974, currently has in excess of 300 members and aspirant members across every State and Territory of Australia. We also have ongoing and strong links with the Order’s National Associations throughout the Asia Pacific Region including in Singapore and the Philippines and with members of the Order in New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand and Korea. The Order of Malta is committed to serving Our Lords the Poor and Sick worldwide and has done so for over 900 years. This website shares with you the history, mission and current activities of the Order of Malta in Australia, and provides links to the work of the Order world-wide.