A contingent of 10 members of the Order of Malta from the Diocese of Cleveland – including four new knights and dames – attended the order’s Nov. 14 investiture ceremony in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and principal chaplain for the order, accepted the vows of the new members.
The local newly invested are Jim Ruddock of St. Noel Parish, Willoughby; Jim Ohliger and Wendy Ohliger, St. Joseph Parish, Amherst; and Brian McDonough, St. Angela Merici Parish, Fairview Park.
Other members from the diocese who attended the investiture were Michael Kelley, St. Francis of Assisi, Gates Mills; Niki McGowan, St. Raphael Parish, Bay Village; Mary Zenzcak and Greg Zenzcak, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Broadview Heights; Bob Hostoffer and Karen Hostoffer, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
A fifth person, Tim Collins from Walsh University in North Canton (Diocese of Youngstown), also was invested.
During a program presented last month to the First Friday Club of Cleveland, McGowan spoke about “The Order of Malta: A Legacy of Service, An Ancient Order with a Modern Impact.” She discussed the history of the order, which dates to the 11th century. Founded in Jerusalem in 1113, it is a Catholic lay religious order and a sovereign state. Its mission is to serve the sick and poor. McGowan said it has a footprint in 130 countries across the world with humanitarian and social projects, including medical assistance, disaster relief and care for refugees.
“Our spirituality is one of action. We are expected to participate in service to the poor and sick, in defense of the faith and pilgrimages,” McGowan said. She has participated in several pilgrimages to Lourdes where knights and dames assist the infirm. Last year, six members from the Cleveland Diocese were part of a Lourdes pilgrimage.
The order is loyal to the Holy See and has extraterritorial rights for its headquarters in Rome. It maintains diplomatic relations with many countries, she said. Knights and dames must be Catholics in good standing who promise to live according to the order’s rules/charism.
“It’s not a social club, it’s a charism,” McGowan said. There are three categories of knights: first class (professed religious brothers), second class (knights and dames who have certain religious requirements) and third class (everyday knights).
She said there also are affiliates or auxiliary members who are ages 18-39, associates who are 40 and older and volunteer auxiliaries who are non-Catholics 18 and older.
The order has many ongoing projects, including fighting human trafficking and support for mothers in need. It also supports medical institutions like Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, which is close to where the hostilities were taking place in Gaza, a leprosy clinic, a cholera clinic in Nigeria and relief programs in Ukraine. They also have a Malta Camp in the U.S. where disabled young adults can spend a week with their peers.
Click here to learn more about the Sovereign Order of Malta.