April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ANCIENT ORDER
Knights of Malta carry on after millennium of service
Their somber manner and archaic attire prompted more than one participant to ask: "Who are those folks?"
They are members of the Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta, which dates back nearly 1,000 years. Unbeknownst to many Catholics, they are still active; three men from the Albany Diocese were recently inducted into the Order of Malta.
Several members were eager to share their experiences with this ancient order and its charism.
"The credo of the Order of Malta is to care for the sick and the poor and to defend the Roman Catholic faith," explained Jack Sise, a parishioner at St. Pius X Church in Loudonville.
Mr. Sise serves as a counselor on the board of the American Association of the Order of Malta, and is also the area chair for membership recruitment.
Although there are annual membership dues, Mr. Sise emphasized that "becoming a member requires a commitment to hands-on service. It is not just financial support."
Knights and dames of the Order of Malta continue a legacy begun in the Holy Land in 1048 when the "Order of St. John of Jerusalem" founded a hospital to care for pilgrims.
The Order of Malta and the eight-pointed Maltese cross, signifying the Beatitudes, took their names from the Mediterranean island country of Malta, near Italy, where the order settled during the 16th century.
Today, the knights and dames are found in 55 countries. Locally, members volunteer with soup kitchens, pregnancy centers, shelters for battered women and prison ministries.
Some partner with the Little Sisters of the Poor at Our Lady of Hope Residence in Latham. Attorneys support the poor in legal matters; physicians offer their services locally and abroad. The knights and dames support Catholic schools through grants.
Mr. Sise said that individuals spend a year learning about the history and works of the Order of Malta before they are invested as members.
Dr. Louis Ianniello, James King and Dr Franklin Nocilla took on that commitment last November when they were inducted into the order in a ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, who is also Principal Chaplain of the American Association of the Order of Malta, presided at the Mass and ceremony.
"I was humbled," said Dr. Ianniello, a parishioner of St. Anthony's parish in Schenectady, "and glad to be a part of it. In my eyes, life should be a spiritual journey and this is part of mine."
Dr. Ianniello's hands-on work is with the Quest for Grace Foundation, a center he co-founded with his wife, Michele, to provide clothing, toys and school supplies to foster children.
But Dr. Ianniello was initially drawn to the Order of Malta through an interest in what Mr. Sise called its "flagship ministry" - the miracles of Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in France.
Annually, 55 contingencies of the order from around the world each take 50 "malades" (the French word for the sick) to Lourdes.
"As a physician, the miraculous healings have always been of great interest to me," Dr. Ianniello told The Evangelist. "I hope someday to go on medical missions with the knights."
Dr. Franklin Nocilla, another new inductee, has done just that. According to the knights' newsletter, he travels "to underprivileged countries to help the sick and the poor."
The third inductee, James King of St. Edward the Confessor parish in Clifton Park, said: "The service aspect of the group really appealed to me. I have a sense that I am accomplishing something beyond a normal contribution."
Mr. King said he collects donations for Saratoga County food pantries or takes "a list from the food pantry and take the kids and fill up a shopping cart. It's great for the children. They get excited to do that."
The Order of Malta took on a military aspect while defending the infirm in the Holy Land during the Crusades, thus adding "defense of the faith" to their charism. They grew to a formidable force and contributed to the defeat of the Islamic Ottoman invasion at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
Today, Knights defend the faith through education and public policy.
"'Malta Minutes' are DVDs that teach aspects of the Roman Catholic faith," Mr. Sise explained. "We have national speakers on bioethics and end of life issues, and we support the dignity of life from conception to natural death. Members sign an oath to that effect. And we meet as a group with state and federal legislators."
Mr. King said the time and service lead to an "internal spiritualization."
He added: "When you make the commitment, you find the time. The reward you get for serving the sick and the poor and the marginalized is so great, you don't want to miss it."
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