Grand Chancellor S Visit to Malta

NEWSLETTER 53 OCTOBER 2016

Index

Grand Chancellor’s visit to Malta

Grand Prior Paulo Martinho in Fatima

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

Report from the Grand Chapter of Germany

From the Grand Master

Dear Confreres and friends of the Confraternity,

On Sunday, 16th. October, the Grand Chapter of Melbourne, organised the feast of Our Lady of fatima for the first time. This was celebrated in the Maltese Cultural Centre in Albion, west of Melbourne.

The celebration commenced with an entance procession in the Hall at 3.00 pm. with the participation of the knights and dames of the Confraternity.

The main purpose of this celebration was to get as many people involved in the prayers. Five people were selected to recite the Holy Rosary and few others to do the readings during the Mass.

Fr. Manuel Adami MSSP celebrated the Mass with the participation of the Resurrection Parish Choir of Kings Park.

This was truly a well organised celebration to honour the Our Lady of Fatima with great devotion. A celebration fitted for the Queen of Heaven.

Thanks to all involved for their part in putting the program together and the helpers to decorate the altar and the statue with beautiful setting.

God willing, next year we will celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Apparition of Fatima.

Many commented afterwards that next year will be better.

Our Lady of Fatima pray for us.

Preparing for the convention in Malta

By Grand Chancellor Chevalier Joseph Coleiro

Personal Secretary of the Grand Master

"I visited Malta in partrepresenting the Confraternity and met with Chev Eddie Vella and Chev Carmel Saliba. I met Chev Vella so as to meet the leaderof the confraternity in Malta and catch up on its work, and present him with certificates commemorating my visit, on behalf of the Grand Master HE Chevalier Peter Paul Portelli.

It happened the Chancellor Chev. Vellawas on the Malta to Gozo ferry at the same time I was and so, we met and had a profitable discussion and I presented him with the certificates of my visit with the backdrop of Comino and the lovely Meditterranean. The day in Gozo was busy with visits to sites of interest including to Nadur and the church where we will be for next year's conference; I also visited the hotel where it is likely many delegates will stay and where meetings and the dinner will be held.

Gozo and Malta were perfect and I highly commend the conference to all readers - the dates are24-29 June 2017. Further details will be forthcoming in the coming few months.

On Gozo I met and had a wonderful meeting with Chevalier Carmel Saliba who also hosted my hosts for Malta, my cousin Carmel Coleiro and his wife, Virginia Coleiro. The work done by these two members both in the Confraternity as well as their commitment to people's welfare is exemplar. I have included some photographs of these meetings and I personally look forward to renewing the acquaintance with each of them in 2017."

Photos from left: Grand Chancellor Chevalier Joseph Coleiro (on right) presenting a certificate to the Chancellor of the Grand Chapter of Malta Chevalier Eddie Vella. Grand Chancellor Chev. Joseph Coleiro with Chevalier Carmel Saliba. Photos by Charles Coleiro.

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Melbourne 16 October, 2016.

The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was organized by the Confraternity of the Knights of St. Peter & St. Paul and the Maltese Cultural Centre in Melbourne.
It was celebrated at the Maltese Cultural Centre in Albion. Melbourne.
It was a very solemn celebration fitting for the Queen of heaven.
The celebration started with the Holy Rosary and after each decade the Ave Maria was sung by the Resurrection Parish Choir of Kings Park.
This followed by a Mass celebrated by Fr. Emanuel Adami MSSP.
The was truly a beautiful celebration to honour the Virgin Mary of Fatima.

Photos by Mary Portelli.

Grand Chapter of Portugal

From Fatima with love

13 October feast of the Apparition

By Grand Prior Chevalier Paulo Martinho.

Yesterday and today I prayed in Fátima for you and for the members of our Confraternity.

Grand Prior Chevalier Paulo Martinho with his lady at the celebration in Fatima, Portugal.

From the Grand Chapter of Germany

Peter & Paul-Brief

der Bruderschaft der Ritter von

St. Peter und St. Paul

Dr. hc Gerhard Ficker new Chancellor

During a ceremony of the Austrian Knightly Order of the Archangel St. Michael the Deputy Grand Prior of the Grand Chapter of Germany was appointed new Chancellor of the Grand Chapter of Germany.

At the same time the Grand Prior handed out the red mantle to Brother Gerhard.

Plans for 2017

The Grand Chapter of Germany has a lot of plans in mind for the year 2017. On top of the list there is the registration as a non-profit organization according to the German Tax Act. There is plenty of hope that legal entities and private persons are more ready to give any donations when they see that our Grand Chapter is registered formally.

As a further step it could be envisaged to sort out the possibilities to get consultative status within the UN as an NGO. This however has to be done after consultations with the Grand Master and the Supreme Council.

A very important act will be the fundraising activity. Since the number of members is growing there are possibilities to collect any donations than before. A good start was the support of the Organisation Mary’s Meal, where several of the German Knights and Dames transferred money in order to give children a hot meal in schools in underdeveloped countries.

On the agenda are as well visits to other chivalric orders in Germany and Austria to make them familiar with the ideas and goals of the Confraternity.

Monthly report October 2016

The first event to report on – as it actually took place on the first day of October – is the Patron’s Day to which the German Chapter of the Confraternity of the Knights of St. Peter and St. Paul was kindly invited to Austria. The order of the Knights of St. Michael, Vienna, had prepared an interesting program to celebrate their patron. It started at 2 p.m. on October 1st with a solemn service in the church of St. Michael, a little wine-growing village on the banks of the Danube. Part of this mass was also to commemorate the deceased Grand-Chancellor Werner Hartmann and acknowledge his work for the Austrian order. After the service, hosts and guests gathered for a photo in front of the church and then enjoyed a wine-tasting in a near-by wine-growing estate. In the pleasant atmosphere of its garden, friendly orders exchanged news and new friendships were formed. To pass the time until the evening program started, the visit of a shipping museum was offered. Some orders arranged a short meeting to discuss current matters instead.

The Grand Master Chevalier Peter Paul Portelli and the Supreme Council wish to congratulate the Grand Prior of Germany Chevalier Professor Dr. Lothar Gellert for his enthusiasm to make the new mantles complete with the black cross.
It is nice to see our members wearing the new mantles with such pride.
HappySilver Wedding Anniversary to the Grand-Prior Chevalier LotharGellert and Dame Christina. God Bless.

At 6 p.m. the convention began with the official welcome, the admission of new members and honors. The Grand-Prior of the German Chapter of the CKSPP, Prof. Dr. LotharGellert and the dames Christina and Brigitte Gellert were given a friendly welcome as new members of the Order of the Knights of St. Michael, Vienna. At the end, LotharGellert surprised the Grand-Prior of St. Michael, Dr. Gerhard Ficker, with his official inauguration as Deputy Grand-Prior and Chancellor of the German Chapter of the CKSPP. The evening ended with a delicious buffet and interesting conversations.

Photo from left: Dame Brigitte Gellert, Deputy Grand Prior and Chancellor Chev. Dr. Gerhard Ficker, Grand Prior and Assistant to the Deputy Grand Master of Europe Chev.Professor Dr. LotharGellert and Dame Christina Gellert.

As enough members of the CKSPP had come to Austria, the Grand-Prior LotharGellert grabbed the opportunity and put his plan to make our confraternity a charitable organization into effect. This will make fund-raising and donations much easier and in accordance with the German tax legislation. Due to LotharGellert’s perfect preparatory work and clear rules of procedure, all necessary posts could be allocated quickly and on November 1st, a bank account will be opened.

To pave the way for the investiture of the German Chapter of the CKSPP next year, the Grand-Prior has taken the next step and visited the priest of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Brochterbeck, were the church service will be celebrated. Together they could agree on the 22nd July 2017 for this event. The solemn entry of all the friendly confraternities and orders, which will be invited, will be an unforgettable sight for the inhabitants of this little parish, too. As far as locations for the other parts of the convention are needed, the Grand-Prior has come to agreements with owners of restaurants and halls. A nice sight-seeing program to show the lovely and historically interesting “Münsterland” to our guests will be prepared as well.

The Grand-Prior has spread a letter he himself got from the German Commander of the Corps Saint Lazare International (of which some of us are members, too), in which people are asked to donate some money to a charitable organization, which offers food and sweets to the very poor of the little town of Burgkunstadt (Bavaria, Germany), where they have an incredibly high percentage of needy people. They will offer bags with these goods as Christmas gifts and ask all of us to deposit some money in an account given in the letter.

Finally the German CKSPP does not only concentrate on helping others, but also finds occasions to meet privately and to strengthen bonds of friendship then. Such an event was the silver wedding anniversary of the Grand-Prior LotharGellert and Dame Christina, to which many knights and dames were invited and could spend a nice unforgettable evening.

Last but not least we would like to mention that we have started a little monthly online-paper with news and interesting topics, with which we supply all our members to bring them a bit closer together also in this way.

Refugees, Gambling, Earthquakes, War

By Chevalier Ange Kenos

Melbourne

The attitude of the media never ceases to amaze me. Nor how politicians regardless of political party, put their own self interest above that of the community.

Over the past few weeks there have been many small earth quakesin northern Hellas (Greece) and in Italy and we should pray that the residents of affected areas are safe. But even if safe, the constancy must terrify them.

But then we have politicians talking about banning refugees who come to Australia by boat from ever being allowed in Australia "even if genuine refugees". I do not believe that Our Lord would be happy with such an attitude. He would have wished to have them cared for and protected. Our politicians are supposed to represent the people andopinion polls strongly suggest that we the people wish to help refugees.

Then we come to gambling and the evils that it causes, and yes I most certainly include the Melbourne Cup. Gambling was one of those sins that annoyed Our Lord especially when he saw it in and around Holy Temples. So I cannot understand how any Church can hold a mass for the Melbourne Cup. Call me prudish but the day will see many people drink excessively. Some may be hurt in brawls or worse in driving while intoxicated. And far too many will lose far more than they can afford.

Finally, I cannot tolerate those fools of which ever nation or faith who openly talk about any war as "God's War" or that God will support them, protect them etc. God does not take sides. He does does not support wars. He does not wish to see people slaughtering people. Or is the Fifth Commandment, Thou shall not kill, to be ignored consistently in the name of greed and power and arms sales?

I place my faith in The Lord. I believe in His divine guidance, in helping others, in doing good where possible as I know all the members of our Confraternity do.

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Instanbul

By Chevalier Francis Haggerty

The High Altar of the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Instanbul, Turkey. Beautiful church, now the place of worship for the Maltese community in Intanbul. Praying for you and our community of knights and dames.

New members in the Confraternity of the Knights of St. Peter & St. Paul

In the meeting of the Supreme Council of Thursday 20 October, 2016, the Members approved two new knights ChevalierAndreas Stephan Wagner of Germany and Chevalier Francesco Ventura of Italy. GabrieleNeuen was appointed Dame for the Grand Chapter of Germany.

Dame GabrieleNeuen
Grand Chapter of Germany / Chev.Andrea Wagner
Grand Chapter of Germany /
Chev. Francesco Ventura
Grand Chapter of Italy

Knights convention in Malta 2017

What to see in Malta next June.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

St. John's Co-Cathedral was commissioned in 1572 byJean de la Cassière,Grand Masterof theOrder of St. John.It was initially named, in the Italian common language of the time, asChiesaConventualedi San Giovanni Battista.The church was designed by the Maltese architectGirolamoCassar, who was also responsible for the construction of many important buildings in Valletta. Construction of the oratory and sacristy began in 1598, during the magistracy ofGrand Master Martin Garzez, and they were completed by Grand MasterAlof de Wignacourtin 1604.

For the first century of its existence, the church's interior was modestly decorated. However, in the 1660s, Grand MasterRaphael Cotonerordered the redecoration of the interior so as to rival the churches ofRome. Calabrian artistMattiaPretiwas in charge of the embellishment, and effectively completely transformed the interior in theBaroquestyle.In 1748, Grand MasterAntónioManoel de Vilhenabuilt annexes on the side of the cathedral.

Tomb of the Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette died peacefully in 1568 before the completion of the city. His tomb (in the form of a sarcophagus) can be found in the Crypt of the St John's Co-Cathedral, situated within the walls of Valletta.

Chapel of the Langue of Aragon.

This is all I have for you this month. As always thank you for your compliments on the newsletter.

I hope that this newsletter will find you all well.

I send you God’s blessings in St. Peter and Paul.

"IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII ET SPIRITUS SANCTI"

Yours in St. Peter Paul

Peter Paul Portelli

Grand Master