Volunteers of the Order was established in 1987, over thirty years ago, as a peripheral organisation of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The aims and principals of the Volunteers of the Order are to enroll and organize its Members to operate on a voluntary basis within the spirit of the Order of Malta, particularly in the fields of spiritual, social and medical welfare, thereby upholding the Order’s values of tuition fidei and obsequium pauperum.
What started as a small group of youths has developed over the years into a flourishing organisation with no less than 80 Members to date (and a further 20 Aspirants), most of whom contribute regularly to the Volunteers of the Order’s events and commitments.
Volunteers of the Order is very active in many fields. Many of it’s Members participate in the Order’s Annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Volunteers of the Order contributes yearly towards the cost of this Pilgrimage as well as fully sponsoring the special Children’s Programme in Lourdes. The International Summer Camp organised by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and held every year in a different country for youths with learning disabilities is another event that Volunteers of the Order contributes towards and several of it’s Members participate by attending and helping to look after our young patients. In recent years, Volunteers of the Order has established a ‘Follow Up Committee’ which organizes several events each year where past patients who have been to Lourdes with the Order are invited to meet up with us and fellow patients. This has been a great success and we have built truly lasting friendships with many of these patients, especially the most needy and lonely. Added to this, Volunteers of the Order also donates monies and hampers at Christmas time to deserving Organisations and individuals. To do all this, Volunteers of the Order organizes two or three fund raising functions each year to raise funds to cover the costs of all our activities. Apart from this Volunteers of the Order is keen to emphasize the importance of spirituality amongst it’s Members and to this end, organizes two topical talks every year generally during Lent and Advent.
Volunteers of the Order is constantly looking for new, energetic Members who feel they can contribute to it’s cause. For further information please contact the Secretary of Volunteers of the Order at voto.masmom@gmail.com