SERVICE, FORMATION AND SPIRITUALITY PROJECTS IN THE JACKSONVILLE REGION
The Jacksonville Florida Region remains active with a full listing of programs that address service to the sick and poor; local formation activities for our candidates in formation; and spirituality events.
One of the several important service programs for the Jacksonville Regions is the St. Francis Soup Kitchen. Each Saturday morning, members of the Jacksonville Region along with other dedicated volunteers help prepare and serve meals to the homeless from the City Rescue Mission in the inner city. This important work serves hundreds of homeless. We work side by side with homeless who have been accepted in the Rescue Mission’s program serving others who come in from the streets for a meal. The Knights and Dames also work with Catholic Charities and Feeding Northeast Florida in food distribution from mobile or permanent food pantries located in poor areas of town. Twice a year on Saturday mornings, the Jacksonville Region supports a food distribution at Guardian Catholic School where bags of grocery staples and fresh produce and meat are handed out to the cars of over 100 families.
Each May, nearly 7,000 Knights and Dames from all over the world travel to Lourdes to learn firsthand what belonging to the Order of Malta really means - devotion, service and fellowship. Making the pilgrimage can be a profound religious experience. Knights, Dames and Auxiliary members and volunteers are assigned to small teams, assisting a different Malade each day. You will meet and work with other Knights and Dames from the Federal Association, and around the world.
The Jacksonville Region has a long standing service program to support the residents of San Jose Manor and Bishop Hurley Manor. Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, Knights and Dames serve a wonderful dinner while residents get to enjoy a fun filled evening of fellowship. In addition, we host a dinner each year at the San Jose Manor in memory of one of our deceased Knights, Pat Thornton, KM who was instrumental in getting these progrmas started. San Jose and Hurley Manors are low income housing projects for the elderly. Most of the residents have no family and are alone.
Another major program for the Jacksonville Region is the annual Votive Mass of Our Lady of Lourdes with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Each February, Malades, along with thier families and friends join the faithful from several local Jacksonville parishes at this special Mass. The Jacksonville Region provides transportation to the residents of Hurley Manor and San Jose Manor senior living communities. This is a beautiful time for us in service to our malades who live in our area.
The Jacksonville Region is blessed to have dedicated Knights who organize and lead our commitment and service to the Prison Ministry. Recently, two of our Jacksonville Region Knights, Ernie Bono - GCMOb and Don Barnhorst - KM, were recognized and honored with a special Order of Malta medal as acknowledgement for their many years of faithful commitment to this ministry. Their dedication to caring for the forgotten and marginalized truly embodies the charism and mission of the Order, and we are profoundly grateful for their witness and generosity of spirit.
The Jacksonville Region has steadily grown its membership over the past several years. Our local history was written by the late and beloved Knight, Robert T. Shircliff, KM who began our region in the Federal Association after it was organized and before that as the Southern Association. Our local formation process includes many opportunities to experience and take part in the various ministries we have ongoing in our region prior to investiture. In additon, candidates will be invited to a Formation Day where they will hear from local Knights and Dames as well as as our region's Chaplain, the Reverend Father Remek Blaszkowski. Important topics covered during the Formation Day include the history of the Order, Spirituality of the Order and information on many of the local ministries we serve.
The Jacksonville Region has a monthly Mass and lunch meeting each fourth Thursday of the month. Prior to Mass, we enjoy one hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
We congratulate and thank several members of the Jacksonville Region for thier service to the Federal Association. Ernie Bono, GCMOb, was elected President of the Board of the Federal Association and Jane Lanier, DM, was elected Federal Assoication Hospitaller. In addition, Elizabeth Stoner, DM, serves on the Board of the Federal Association and Jerry Weedon, KMOb, serves on the Subpriory Board of Directors. What a blessing our leaders have been to the Jacksonville Region.
Patrick Hutton
Regional Hospitaller
pmjhutton@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
DOSA Eucharistic Encounter
DOSA Eucharistic Encounter
Monthly Adoration, Mass & Lunch Meeting
Monthly Adoration, Mass & Lunch Meeting
Monthly Adoration, Mass & Lunch Meeting
Monthly Adoration, Mass & Lunch Meeting
Guardian School Food Distribution
Guardian School Food Distribution
About
The Jacksonville Region is an active memberhip filled with highly engaged Knights and Dames supporting many ministries and programs that serve the sick and the poor. Signature events include St. Francis Soup Kitchen, Anointing of the Sick Mass, Guardian School food distribution, Baby Showers supporting pregnancy centers in Jacksonville, serving Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to residents of San Jose Manor and Hurley Manor senior living communities. Several members of the Jacksonville Region hold senior leadership positions within the Federal Association Order of Malta including Ernie Bono, GCMOb, who is currently serving as the President of the Federal Association Board of Directors.
Monthly Mass
Fourth Thursday of the month - Adoration (11:30 am), Mass (12:00 noon), monthly lunch meeting immediately following Mass.
Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta
Federal Association, U.S.A.
1730 M Street, NW | Suite 403 | Washington, DC 20036
202.331.2494 | Email Us