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Welcome
Welcome to the official website of the Australian Association of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.
Latest News A Black Day for Australia? - On 7 October 2008 the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament is poised to debate the Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008. MORE World Youth Day 2008 - What a wonderful event. The Order of Malta happily welcomed over 300 volunteers from around Australia and all over the world to fill its role as the officially designated ‘carer’ for the thousands of disabled pilgrims who visited Sydney during week of WYD08. MORE An update on the Gorman House as a charitable works project. MORE
The Order
The Order was founded before the taking of Jerusalem in 1099 by the armies of the First Crusade and began as a monastic community, dedicated to St John the Baptist. At that time, members of the Order administered a hospice-infirmary for pilgrims to the Holy Land, and its members were drawn from the nobility of Europe.
Reflecting phases of its history, the Order became known over time as the "Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta", now abbreviated to "The Order of Malta", or "SMOM".
The Order of Malta is unique in being at the same time a lay religious Order of the Catholic Church, an Order of Chivalry, and a Sovereign State with diplomatic relations with 96 nation states, and Permanent Observer status at the United Nations and other international agencies. There are 47 National Associations, with a total membership of 12,500. MORE
In as many ways as it has members, the Order of Malta draws upon and challenges the fullest capacities of its active members, encourages their application to the service of the poor and sick, (referred to in the Order as "Our Lords the Sick"), and to living ever more fully the values of the Catholic Faith.
The Australian Association, formed in 1974, has in excess of 225 members and aspirant members. Branches are organised in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia and a growing presence in Western Australia. It has ongoing and strong links with the Order's Association in Singapore and with members of the Order in New Zealand.
The President of the Australian Association is foundation co-chair of the International Association of Catholic Bioethicists, directed and co-sponsored by the Canadian Association of the Order of Malta. It supports Catholic positions in bioethics and opposition to campaigns to promote abortion, euthanasia and the harvesting of human embryos.
Hospitaller Activities
Individual members of the Australian Association are active in the United States, the United Kingdom and in Thailand as well as in Australia. The Hospitaller work is diverse and includes hospital administration, palliative care, diocesan administration, care for disabled adults and children and supplementing the education of migrant children. MORE
The Australian Association supports a variety of Hospitaller activities in Oceania, and is a foundation member of Malteser International. MORE
Pilgrimages
The Australian Association actively participates in the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, a world-wide event usually in the first weekend of May. For those Australians unable to make the journey to Lourdes, a Lourdes Day Mass is organised locally by the Order.
Spiritual Activities
The Order emphasises the development of the spirituality of its members who come together each year to celebrate the Feast of St John the Baptist, and hold a Memorial Mass for deceased members. Annual spiritual retreats are organised and a magnificent Investiture Mass is held at least every two years during the National Assembly.
International Activities
The Australian Association contributes two Ambassadors to further the works of the Order of Malta in Asia. These Ambassadors act under the direction of the Grand Chancellor, representing the Order in diplomatic relations with the Nation States of the Region.
The Order fosters fraternal links with the Venerable Order of St John, granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1888. |
