Ordo Sancti Lazari Newsletter: Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands incorporating the Commandery of Gozo Volume 8, Issue 1
January 2013
Christmas message from the Patriarch H.B. Gregorios
Inside this issue: News & Activities
2
Commandery of Gozo
2
Historical titbits
3
Grandmaster’s message
4
Biographies of GMs
4
Philanthropy of the G Priory
4
Senior Officers of the Grand Priory Grand Prior: Chev. Dr Joseph R. Pace Chancellor: Chev. Michael Ciavola Commander of Gozo: Chev Paul Banavage
Editor: Chev. Prof. C. Savona-Ventura
Email: saven@vol.net.mt
Unsigned articles are written by the editor. Any relevant news items or articles are solicited. Kindly send material in electronic format to the editor.
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O R D O S A NC T I LA ZA R I NE WS LE T T E R : G R A ND P R I O R Y O F T HE MA LT E S E I S LA ND S
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3rd November 2012: An annual remembrance Mass for deceased members of the Grand priory was held On the 17th December 2011, the affiliate Order Charity organised The Social & Fundraising Committee ofofthe Grand Priory at the Victory Church at Valletta celebrated by the <meta http-equiv="refresh" URL=/media/set/? have been quite practitioners active content="0; in the months a lecture for medical and last the public aboutorganising the philan- a Senior Chaplain of the Grand Priory. This was folnumber ofbeing fund-raising activities generally targeted for thropic work done by surgeon Dr. Donald Sammut among the set=a.474933309225780.123996.165208203531627&type=3&_fb_noscript=1" /> a<meta lowed by lunch.http-equiv="X-Frame-Options" an needy institution. lepers in Nepal. This/> work is partlyfighting supportedevent by funds donated by content="deny" Sword December the Charity. It must be reminded that the Order of Charity in 7th-9th Order 15thofSeptember 2012: A reception was held at Torri 2012: An Art Auction 2010Lanzun donated aattotal of Euros 17303 to various organisations working San Gwann to enable the introduction of for Charity was orwith new lepers postulants all over the world. The Grand Priory areInvestistrongscheduled for themembers October ganised with the aim ly encouraged to support Order of Charity’s fund-raising activities by ture to meet with the other members of the Grand of supporting a charibecoming members. TheCommandery Grand Priory is also lookingDuring for means to rePriory and the of Gozo. the ty of the Archbishception attended bothOne heads of the jurisdictions, support the remaining localby lepers. must remember that the op’s choice. The theraison postulants presented withoftheir brevets. original d’ etre ofwere the Order was the care lepers. Archbishop H.E. Paul Cremona blessed 29th September 2012: and inaugurated The Grand Priory particithe event. Choral pated in the National Singing was pro- Members of the Grand Priory night long Notte Bianca vided by Consoeur with the Archbishop of Malta Programme held annualMarie Therese ly at Valletta manning Vassallo. the Pilar Church and hosting an exhibition 22nd Decemabout the Order within ber 2012: A Christthe Church. A Choral mas Lunch was orSinging activity was givganised at the VecNotte Bianca Exhibition en by the Joy Gospel cia Restaurant at Group. The occasion Xemxija serving to served to increase the Order’s profile with the pubbring together the lic and dignitaries who visited the Church. members of the Grand Priory. 5th October 2012: A fund-raising activity with a lecture and demonstration of Sword Fighting 26th December 2012: A number of memfrom the Crubers assisted with the National activity Lsades to the ModStrina whose scope is to collects money on a ern Age performed nation-wide level for the H.E. the President Comby the Malta Hismunity Chest Fund. The money collected is eventorical Fencing Astually distributed among needy communities and sociation was held at families. A donation was made by the Grand Priory the MonteKristo Estates towards this fund. at Hal Farrug. This was followed by dinner and a raffle. All proceeds Commandery of Gozo—
Order of News & Charity Activities from the Grand Priory
Sword fighting event
Events
were directed to support the work of the Medical Missionaries of Mary who are planning to start a new mission in South Sudan. News Activities Total& of €1000 were donated by the Grand Priory following this event. These were formally handed over to Sister Irene Balzan, a Maltese sister of that Order, during the launch of the art auction on the 7th December.
20th October 2012: A Solemn Investiture was held at Tal-Pilar Church in Valletta followed by a Gala dinner at the Radisson Blu Resort at St. Julians. The Investiture was attended by a number of International guests from the Commandery of Londinium, the Grand Priory of Belgium, and the ommandery of Boigny.
15th September 2012: A number of new Commandery members received their bevrets in a joint activity held with the Grand Priory at Torri Lanzun. 16th December 2012: The Feast of St Lazarus was commemorated by Mass held at the MSSP Retreat house in Zebbug, Gozo led by the Commandery Chaplain. This was followed by lunch. A donation of €1200 worth of toys was made to the Parish priest of Zebbug to be distributed among children in need in the village and sold during the Fund raising Christmas Bazaar.
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Historical titbits—The Russian connection: more evidence The last issue in August dealt with the visit made by King Louis XVIII while in exile made to the Court of Emperor Paul I of Russia in the late 18th century. This article received the attention of our foreign confreres. While on a humanitarian mission in Novgorod - Russia in 1991, Confrere Chev Klaus-Peter Pokolm had the opportunity to view the painting of Vasily Vasilievich Confreres of the Order with Levashov Levashov sited then behind a curtain in the Museum of Novgorod. In the meantime another picture of a late 18th century Russian members of the Order of Saint Lazarus has come to light.
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov Generalissimo Suvorov [born in Moscow 1730, died in St. Petersburg 1800] was admitted to the Order on the 20th April 1800. The painting clearly depicts him wearing three eightpointed neck crosses. From right-to-left— the first cross composed of an green eight-pointed cross and a white cross belongs to the Sardinian Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus; th second white eight-pointed cross belongs to the Order of St. John [then expelled from Malta], while the final green eight-pointed cross belongs to the French Order of St. Lazarus. Of noble birth - family was also from Novgorod— Suvorov entered the army in 1748 and served with distinction in several wars distinguishing himself in battle becoming a colonel in 1762. Suvorov's full awards include the Order of St. Andrew the First Called Apostle,
Order of St. George the Bringer of Victory First Class, Order of St. Vladimir First Class, Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, Order of St. Anna First Class, Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, (Austria) Order of Maria Teresa First Class, (Prussia) Order of the Black Eagle, Order of the Red Eagle, the Pour le Merite, (Sardinia) Order of the Revered Saints Maurice and Lazarus, (Bavaria) Order of St. Gubert, the Golden Lionness, (France) Order of the St. Lazarus (on 20. April 1800), (Poland) Order of the White Eagle, and the Order of Saint Stanislaus.
Count Peter Alekseyevich Pahlen Count Pahlen [born in 1745, died 1826] was admitted to the Order in 1800. his painting depicts him wearing the white eight-pointed cross of the Order of St. John, and the neck and breast crosses of the Order of St Lazarus. Pahlen served initially in the house guards distinguishing himself during the Siege of Ochakov during the Russo-Turkish war. He was promoted to general in 1798 and eventually a count in 1799. He served as Military Governor of St. Petersburg from 1798 to 1800 . In august 1800, he was discharged from his governship to be reappointed in October. Realizing his fragile political situation, he joined the conspirators plotting Emperor Paul I’s murder. He was present during Paul’s strangling on the 12th March 1801. Because of his actions, he was discharged from service and ordered to retire to his estates. The historical evidence is very conclusive that in spite of what has been written by the Order’s detractors in their attempts to diminish the status of the Order of St. Lazarus, the Order in France was NOT disbanded and not awarded further after 1788. There is no doubt that the then reigning Grandmaster and King-in-exile Louis XVIII had awarded the cross of the Order to Paul I and his entourage in 1800. King Louis XVIII continued to wear his decoration until his death and is depicted wearing this in a 19th century portrait painted during the Bourbon Restoration.
Grand Master’s Christmas Message In the Grand Masters Christmas message he emphasized that Members of our Order are obliged to take an active position towards living our values and understanding our goal of changing society for the better.
The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands Commandery of Gozo Further information about the Grand Priory can be obtained from the homepage
The Grand Master invites all our confreres and consoeurs to reflect on the moral values contained in Christ's teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. He continues by saying the Beatitudes are a moral obligation, a dedication to make Jesus' teachings of compassion, forgiveness, humility, justice, love, service and truth a reality. Christmas should encourage us to make greater efforts in works of charity to mitigate, wherever possible, the ills affecting our society.
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Philanthropic activities of the Grand Priory—2012 The Hospitaller’s Report has still to be completed. It however is important for the Grand Priory’s members to have an idea of the philanthropic activities carried out by them throughout the year totalling over €12000. Support for Syria in resonse to the appeal made by the Patriarch — €2000 Donation made to the International Blue Cross — €263 Donation to the Salesians’ Boys Brigade to honour Dame Alda Fosbery’s wish — €100 Fridge for a refugee Somali family in need — €250 Support of cancer patient — €500 In addition , the Grand Priory this years has continued to support the work of its affiliate THE ORDER OF CHARITY that works to collect funds to fight leprosy—€1220. Direct financial support for local lepers—€473 A significant sum was donated this year to the Medical Missionaries of Mary for their hospitaller work in Africa—€4220 Donations to the Community Chest Fund—€1500 Pending donation to UMTAL, the Organisation for the transport of sick and disabled Maltese and Gozitans to Lourdes—€2000.
Biographies of the Grandmasters The Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands has recently published an ebook prepared by the Historian of the Grand Priory dealing with a available biographies and heraldic arms of all the Grand Masters of the Order of Saint Lazarus, its administrators, and Secular and Spiritual Protectors. The publication—ISBN 97899957-0-355-4—can be downloaded freely from the Grand Priory’s website at http:// www.stlazarusmalta.org/res.html. This 77-page booklet should be owned by all members interested in the history of our Order. It brings to life the individuals who have led the Order from its origins in the Holy Land through the tick and thin of political machinations throughout the centuries. It also includes a significant array of portraits and photographs of the various grandmasters, administrators and protectors of the Order.