Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta ®
The Auxiliary Corps of the American Association, U.S.A.
The American Association Auxiliary Corps works in association with the Order of Malta whose mission as a lay religious order of the Catholic Church is to care for the sick and poor and bear witness to the Catholic faith.
- What is the Malta Auxiliary Corps?
-
- Beginning in 2006, the Malta Auxiliary Corps will take on a new presence in the American Association.
- The new "ageless" Malta Auxiliary Corps may help with Malta projects and can initiate its own projects and experiences to create a strong and vibrant membership.
- Auxiliaries fully support and participate in all the spiritual and ministerial activities of the Order, as well as their own projects and programs.
- Who May Join the Malta Auxiliary Corps?
-
- Any practicing Catholic lay person 18 years of age or older who is sponsored by a Knight or Dame.
- Candidates must be willing and able to commit fully to the mission of the Order of Malta as expressed in the motto: "Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum" Witness of the Faith and service to the poor.
- What are the Criteria for Joining?
-
- Learn about the history, spirituality, works, projects and ministries of the Order of Malta
- Attend area Malta spiritual and educational events
- Volunteer in Malta works, projects, and ministries
- Participate in the Malta events in their area
- Consider a lifetime commitment to the Order of Malta by becoming a Knight or Dame
- Pay a small initiation fee and annual dues
- In What Activities are Auxiliaries Involved?
-
- Ministering to the sick in hospitals and clinics
- Feeding the poor in soup kitchens and food distribution centers
- Clothing and sheltering the homeless
- Tending to the elderly
- Mentoring inner city students
- Staffing day-care centers for poor working mothers
- Providing job placement services for the unemployed
- Assisting migrant workers
- Staffing prison ministry programs
- Sponsoring lectures and conferences on important social and ethical issues
- The Auxiliary's Opportunity in Lourdes
-
- Every year members of the Auxiliary Corps, along with Knights, Dames, clergy, physicians and nurses, take Malades (French for "the sick") on pilgrimage to Lourdes.
- Auxiliaries are well known for their valuable assistance in caring for the Malades. This can involve pulling a voiture (cart) during a candlelight procession or the Stations of the Cross, accompanying a Malade to the Baths, or taking a Malade to the Grotto for a late night visit.
For more information about joining the American Association Auxiliary Corps please send us an e-mail, or contact a Knight or a Dame in the American Association. They can find the Auxiliary Corps membership application in the Members Only section of the web site.