Hospitaller Region - Montgomery County, MD

History of Regional Projects:

GIFT OF PEACE AND THE ORDER OF MALTA

By Shep Abel, KM

The Gift of Peace was established in 1986, when Mother Teresa opened a home for individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C. With the approval of Archbishop James Hickey, she was granted a year-to-year lease, at a nominal fee, on a property owned by Catholic Charities, located at 2800 Otis Street NE.
At the time, public fear surrounding HIV/AIDS was widespread and often fueled by misinformation. Understandably, some neighbors were concerned about potential contagion. However, those fears were eased, in part, by the location of the property, which is set back from the street and somewhat secluded.
With help from the Federal Association of the Order of Malta, which provided much of the initial furnishings, Gift of Peace officially opened its doors. The home originally consisted of two separate sections: one for men and one for women living with HIV/AIDS. A third section was later added to accommodate men who, while not HIV-positive, were still in need of care and support.
The Order of Malta’s Federal Association began actively supporting the home in 1988. A small group of volunteers from the Order committed to assisting residents directly, an ongoing, hands-on effort that became one of their key service projects. Around this same time, the house also became a residence for Missionaries of Charity sisters in their final year of formation, with roughly 25 sisters living and working there, including about 10 tertians (those in their third year of preparation before final vows).
Volunteers from the Order of Malta played a wide range of roles: answering phones, participating in prayers, serving meals, spending time with residents, and helping them get up and dressed in the mornings. In the early years, the home saw the deaths of three to four residents per month. Thankfully, with advances in HIV treatment, that number has significantly decreased; today, only a few residents pass away each year.
Our support from members of the Order of Malta Federal Association was  temporarily halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, but was restarted so that we could continue our mission of bringing Christ to others and offering compassion and care, caring for the poorest of the poor.  A group of members from the local Regions join once a month to accompany the residents through fellowship and prayer, or active assistance, and to help the sisters by cleaning rooms and bathrooms, making the beds for the residents, cleaning the Chapel, gardening, getting groceries, or any other help they need.  

Click to see our work at Gift of Peace.

THE STORY OF MALTA HOUSE

A précis by Rosemary Casey Carter, DM, Born and Raised in Pittsburgh

In 1995 Rose Bente Lee, DM gave a million dollars to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in honor of her husband. She wanted to build a home in Washington for the frail elderly. Through the efforts of Annelise FitzGerald, DM, the wife of the  Hon. William FitzGerald, founder of the Federal Association, James Cardinal Hickey, Archbishop of Washington, who donated the land, and loans from the State of Maryland and Prince Georges County, Malta House was built. Mrs. Lee’s dream came true.  While the house was being constructed Annelise gave the Malta House Committee an education on taking care of Our Lords the Poor.  Once a month the committee of some sixteen met at the FitzGerald’s house for breakfast. It was an extraordinary experience to see so many plates of Eggs Benedict served at once!   During breakfast she invited experts to brief us on every aspect of taking care of, and assisting, the elderly. What an opportunity for all of us! We met for over a year getting educated while we waited for the House to open.

Meanwhile, Victory Housing, the housing affiliate of the Archdiocese of Washington, was preparing to build and operate Malta House.   All of the other houses run by Victory Housing were on the campus of a Catholic Parish, which would supply volunteers to assist the residents.  In our case, since we had no church, the Order of Malta was to supply the volunteers.  

The House was to have an interesting design of 15 bedrooms with baths in one wing with a matching wing of 15 bedrooms with baths on the other side and a garden in between the wings.  In the center hyphen was a kitchen between the two wings servicing two living rooms and two dining rooms. This design gave us an opportunity to build the home on a more favorable financial basis than having rooms over one another on a second floor.  With this arrangement we also were able to obtain a less complicated occupancy permit from the County.  On the partial second floor two apartments were built for on-site staff.  The plan of the house is completed with a library for large-print books and books on tapes and CDs, executive offices, supply rooms, a barber shop/beauty parlor, and finally a doctors examining room. 

When the house was under construction, I was head of the Spiritual Life Committee. I called my dear friend, Msgr. Kenneth Roeltgen, the Rector of Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  I told him about the project.  He drove an hour and quarter each way that day from Emmitsburg Maryland to Malta House and thinking he would call me in a few days to see the House a-building, imagine my surprise when he called the next day!

 ”Irish, what do you really want?” he asked.

Without so much as a pause I coughed out, “Two seminarians from September to May to have lunch with the Residents and give a homily or Bible Study.”  

He replied “On one condition. That you be their academic supervisor!”

Click to see our work at Malta House

ST. ANN’S INFANT AND MATERNITY HOME AND THE ORDER OF MALTA HISTORY 

Written by Joan Glasgow

The Order of Malta, Federal Association, and St. Ann’s began their rich partnership in 1991.  In that year, the Order founded an Auxiliary and tasked the newest members of the Auxiliary with finding works throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia that

 fit within the framework of the Order’s mission.  

Several charities were vetted by the then board of the Auxiliary, but the goal was to provide ongoing support for charities and very few one-time projects made the cut. A number of those organizations, such as Christmas in April, Share, Children’s Inn at NIH
 and of course, St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home were exactly what the board was looking for.  

Sheila Miller Dougherty was the first to run St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home as a project for the Auxiliary.  The first party was an Easter party at St. Ann’s which allowed us to interact with the residents at St. Ann’s.  The members of the Auxiliary found
 it rewarding and more parties were planned.  During that first year, we had a Halloween party, Christmas Party, Valentine’s Day Party, Easter Party and usually a barbecue in summer at Candy Cane City.   

Each event provided the growing base of Auxiliary members a chance to interact with the residents of St. Ann’s who were primarily children and who thoroughly enjoyed each party.  

The Board of the Auxiliary tried to encourage the Knights and Dames to join us in these events and that added to numbers with a goal being to have one of our participants for every two residents of St. Ann’s.  Sister Josephine, who ran St. Ann’s at that time,
 found our parties and organization to be helpful for the residents.  

Chrissy Page assumed leadership of the project in 1999 and expanded the scope by inviting local high schools who needed service hours to join us for the various events held.  

During that year, one of the Knight’s became our ongoing Santa at Christmas and one of the Dame’s assumed responsibilities for the gifts that each child could request from their list.  

In 2017, Tricia Lloyd, DM took over the planning and continued the good work and expanded support by inviting Miss DC and Miss Teen DC to our Christmas Party each year.  The party’s continued through Covid by having an outside parade to continue the fun.   

As we continue to host and grow the parties at St. Ann’s, the future holds a great outlook for the partnership between St. Ann’s and the Order of Malta. It provides the Order with a great chance for direct volunteering. The volunteers from the Order that show
 up when called upon, create a wonderful environment for the residents at St. Ann’s and are providing a positive influence on the next generation.  

Coming soon additional historys:
Wounded Warrior,  Mercy Clinic, Prison ministry and more!