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

The Feast of Saint Pope John Paul II in Greymouth

07/11/2021 


Pictured: Consoeur Abina Pope at John Paul II High School with the Presidential Chair.

Report by Bevan Killick

The Feast of Saint Pope John Paul II was celebrated with gusto at John Paul II High School in Greymouth, on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

As the school’s Director of Religious Studies is Consoeur Abina Pope DMG (who is both Polish and a Pope), it was a case of all things Polish! The school celebrated with red and white jelly cups for all students and traditional pierogi for staff morning tea.

Unfortunately due to Level 2 Covid-19 restrictions currently in place, the Polish Ambassador His Excellency Zbigniew Gniatkowskiwas unable to attend the student exhibition and parish Mass.  The Ambassador has presented the school with the ‘Totus Tuus’ Cup (Totus Tuus, tr. “All yours”, being the motto of Pope John Paul II). The Totus Tuus Cup will be presented annually to a student who lives out the motto.

The Presidential Chair used by Pope John Paul II at the Mass at Lancaster Park in Christchurch during his 1986 visit to New Zealand was taken over the Southern Alps to Greymouth for the celebrations.

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.