This website uses technical and assimilated cookies as well as user-profiling third party cookies in a grouped format to simplify online navigation and to protect the use of services. To find out more or to refuse consent to the use of one or any of the cookies, click here. Closing this banner, browsing this page or clicking on anything will be taken as consent to the use of cookies.

Close

Order of Malta Australia

News

Order of Malta New Zealand Retreat in Timaru

16/09/2021 


The New Zealand retreat took place at the Convent of the Mercy Sisters and Sacred Heart Basilica in Timaru between Friday 10 and Sunday 12 September.

Whist COVID-19 restrictions limited international participation, Australian Association President, the Hon James Douglas KHD provided a welcome address and discussion via video link and the Grand Chancellor HE Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, provided a video presentation for retreatants.  His Eminence, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, Cardinal Patron of the Order, also sent a message expressing how pleased he was to learn that the Knights of Malta are having a revival in New Zealand and that the retreatants had such a good retreat experience.

Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart basilica was broadcast to parishioners and the world due to Sunday Masses being unavailable to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. The celebrants were Fr Christopher Friel, Order of Malta chaplain designate and Fr Do Nguyen. The retreat attendees were fortunate to be able to celebrate Mass in a side chapel on the Saturday.

Specials thanks to member of the Order, Abina Pope DMG who led the retreat and Fr Chris Friel who provided the sacramental elements.  Belfiore Bologna KMG, who is also the South Island’s Italian Honorary Consul, treated the attendees to a wonderful pasta lunch.  Aspirant and talented religious artist, guilder and restorer, Damien Walker, brought Sacred Heart basilica’s magnificent pipe organ to life during our Sunday Mass.

The New Zealand Regional Hospitaller, Bevan Killick KMG, was delighted the retreat proceeded, having once been postponed, noting that “The location of Timaru’s Mercy Sisters’ Convent and the magnificent Sacred Heart basilica was ideal and is likely to become a regular fixture in our calendar.  The hope is that in 2022 we can hold another retreat with twice as many attendees”.

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.