NEWSLETTER 36 JUNE 2015  

Greetings from the Grand Chapter of  Melbourne 

Dear Members of the Supreme Council, Grand Prior, Prior,  Confreres and friends of the Confraternity.

It give me a lot of pleasure to write a message on these festivities of our Patron Saints Peter and Paul. St. Peter and Paul were given the mission to go far and wide to spread the word of God. They were abused where ever they went, they were stoned, arrested , persecuted and eventually martyred for their Lord Jesus Christ. In our time, we are experiencing the same troubled times as our patrons and other followers of Christ has experienced. We as knights and Ladies of St. Peter and Paul have a commitment to practice our mission to help the persecuted

Christians in the Middle East and Africa, by donating some money to help them in their sufferings. This week through the Grand Chapter of Malta, we donated $900 dollars to Fr. Douglas Youssif from the city of Erbil in Kurdish-governed north-eastern Iraq which have welcomed thousands of Christian refugees. The donations of $220 came from the Grand Chapter of Vienna in Austria and the rest from our Grand Chapter of Melbourne. I urge you honourable members to donate to the those who are suffering persecution, the poor and the sick. You can chose where your donation is donated to. Here is our Bank Account: BSB 733092 Account No. 647423 Your name and a statement will be posted in the Newsletter every month. My message for you is to imitate St. Peter and Paul in your daily mission to be kind especially with people who are suffering, the poor, the sick and the persecuted. In the name of Jesus the Lord, I thank you for your work in the Confraternity. God Bless you and the people you touch. Happy feast of St. Peter and St. Paul

Peter Paul Portelli

Peter Paul Portelli

 

 O.S.J. 

Order of Saint John of Jerusalem

Knights Hospitaller  

Under the Royal Charter and Constitution of HM King Peter II of Yugoslavia Grand Master: HRH Prince Karl Vladimir Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia GCSJ

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

23 June 2015 Mr. Peter Paul Portelli Melbourne Gran Master of the Confraternity of the Knights of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dear Sir,

I am delighted to be able to take this opportunity to convey to you and your fellow confraters the most cordial greetings of HRH Prince Karl Vladimir Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia GCSJ, Grand Master of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller for your Patronal Feast Day. Our Grand Master was most moved by the ecumenical nature of your Confraternity and its indefatigable charitable work: both of which chime with the ethos of our own Order. I am also most pleased to communicate the best wishes of the Prior of Victoria, Chev. William (Bill) Mehan ED KCSJ. Given our

close geographical connection, our Prior expresses the hope that we may work closely together to relieve the suffering of Christ's Poor. Yours sincerely, Dino De Marchi Dino De Marchi RFD KCSJ Assistant Secretary General Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Hospitallers

  

Greeting by the Grand Chancellor  Chevalier Joe Coleiro

Greeting to all the Knights and Dames of the Confraternity. Recently in Melbourne, Australia we enjoyed two major activities. First was attendance by members of the Confraternity at St Patrick's Cathedral to assist with, and take part in, the Mass celebrating Republic Day for Italy. The Confraternity was well represented and took part in the celebration, including, while wearing the medals and Mantles, being part of the procession at

the commencement and the conclusion of the Mass. The Confraternity has grown internationally and in Melbourne, a multi-cultural city, the Confraternity has a number of Knights and Dames whose origins trace to Italy and so it was an honour to support them and be with them and the Italian community in this annual, special Mass. Second, on 20 June the Confraternity had a dinner-dance to celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. It was also a fund raising event, which was well attended, well run and well catered. The event was especially enjoyable with dancing after every course that was served, with a range of music that invited persons to join in. The Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Emmanuel Brincat organization for the activity, and the food, wine, music, and venue were very good. The event ran smoothly, which created a good ambience and a very enjoyable evening; those present consumed alcohol responsibly and everyone present can be commended on contributing to a warm, sociable, incident free and fun atmosphere. The activity was held at the Italia Club in Sunshine, a suburb of Melbourne. It served to bring the Knights and Dames together, and to raise funds for a worthwhile charitable cause, namely the Royal Melbourne Children's Hospital, Cancer Foundations, the Mission of Malindi in Kenta, etc.; such causes are the focus of the Confraternity. In closing for this segment, I personally thank all the organizers, the Grand Master Chev. Peter Portelli and the Master of Ceremonies Mr. Emmanuel Brincat for a great evening. Thank you also to all who generously contributed to the charity, and to all Knights and Dames in the overseas Chapters who continue to work tirelessly at raising funds to support the charitable causes of the Confraternity. Finally, this brings some most current news - the Confraternity has set up a new 'Charitable Donation Bank Account' to which donations can be sent directly; the depositor can provide details for the gift, such as to identify the depositor. This will allow persons to send a contribution at any time from any place. The details are: Westpac Banking Corporation. BSB 733092 Account No. 647423

Greetings by the Secretary of the Supreme Council Chevalier Michael Meilak  

On behalf of my family and the members of the Confraternity of St Peter and St Paul, I would like to wish everyone God’s blessings on this very special day when we celebrate the Feast of these two great Apostles, St Peter and St Paul. I will be visiting Malta from the 29th June for four weeks and I intend to make contact with some of the members of the Confraternity in Malta. God bless, Michael Meilak Secretary

Mission of Malindi in Kenya  

Your Excellency and Members of the Supreme Council and Members of the Confraternity of the Knights of St Peter and Paul. It is with great joy on the great Feast of the apostles St Peter and Paul to join you on this day. May they continue to support you in your apostolate and work to consolidate the faith they died for. Under the protection of Mary, +Emanuel Barbara ofm cap

Bishop of Malindi

Grand Chapter of Vienna 

 Dear Grand Master Chev. Peter Paul Portelli, dear brothers and sisters of the Supreme Council, dear brothers and sisters in the Priory of the Confraternity. We celebrate on June 29, 2015, the feast in honor of our patron saints, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. This name also carries our confraternity. Peter and Paul lived in a time when Christians were persecuted and killed. We, my dear brothers and sisters, live in such a time. Again Christians are

being hunted and murdered, raped and brutality. And what does the world know what people do, they look the other way, it does not concern herself. We should in the Confraternity and may not look the other way, on the contrary, we must support our brothers and sisters in these countries, to give them help, give them a safe home, and do not let them down. We have to convince others that it is not God's will, that this is happening. Every day our Holy Father prays to our Lord that this killing of Christians finally stops. We agree with him, and pray to God that he will protect his flock, and the stop the killings. I ask all of you, on this festive day to commemorates those people who are crucified and beheaded. Women and children who are raped and sold as if they were animals commemorates. Keep in mind, and it cries out to the world so that others also hear it and maybe perk from their sleep. This is my message to you. Eure Simone Mayer with all brothers and sisters of the Grand Chapter of Vienna - Austria. God bless you, and may he be in all your hearts. God, according to the mysterious counsels your love you can share the Church the suffering of your Son. Strength our brothers and sisters, who are persecuted because of their faith. Give them strength and patience, so that they in their affliction trust in you and prove itself as your witness. Give them the strength to follow Christ to carry the cross and also in the Tribulation their Christian faith to preserve.

Chapter of South Australia  Holy Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Veneration of the two great Apostles, Peter and Paul, has its roots in the very foundations of the Church. They are the solid rock on which the Church is built. They are at the origin of her faith and will forever remain her protectors and her guides. To them Rome owes her true greatness, for it was under God's providential guidance that they were led to

make the capital of the Empire, sanctified by their martyrdom, the center of the Christian world whence should radiate the preaching of the Gospel.

St. Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67. He was buried on the hill of the Vatican where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the basilica of St. Peter's. St. Paul was beheaded in the via Ostia on the spot where now stands the basilica bearing his name. Down the centuries Christian people in their thousands have gone on pilgrimage to the tombs of these Apostles. In the second and third centuries the Roman Church already stood pre-eminent by reason of her apostolicity, the infallible truth of her teaching and her two great figures, Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Feast of St Peter & St Paul is celebrated in Malta at Mdina, the oldest capital city and at Nadur, Gozo. This spectacular feasts is celebrated on June 29th. Thousands of people gather in the main streets of Gozo's biggest village, Nadur, to celebrate the feast of St Peter and St Paul in the parish church..

Official celebrations start a week before the actual feast day. Band marches and activities targeted for all sections of society make up a very busy week prior to the big day. Wherever you are in Nadur, you can notice foreign flags flying on top of private houses. The US, Canadian, Australian and British flags clearly highlight Western ties and show signs of returning immigrants. Nadur is indeed one of the most localities in Malta with a long tradition of immigration.

However, let's go back to the year 1688 when it was decreed that the east of Gozo an area comprising Nadur, Qala, Ghajnsielem, Imgarr and Comino island would become a parish. All together they had a population of around 400. The Historic shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Qala was to serve as parish church temporarily while immediately work commenced to build a bigger church on Nadur Hill which was therefore to make Nadur one of Gozo's first and proudest parishes.

The titular statue of St. Peter and St. Paul (picture above) was made in Marseilles in 1882. The Church is also endowed by wonderful frescoes, including works of Lazzarus Pisani. A beautiful painting near the main altar is attributed to the school of Mattia Preti. This Nadur Basilica also boasts of 33 stained glass windows, an onyx presbyter and a fascinating pulpit with carved bronze images.

Chev Frank Scicluna and Chev Charlie Farrugia from South Australia wish you all a happy and holy feast day. May Sts Peter and Paul keep protecting the Confraternity to continue its mission and be faithful to its objectives.

 

Chapter of Peru 

Greetings from the Selva of Santa Rosa in Peru. I have had some meetings with the Knights and Dames of our small Priory and we are planning to help the Mayor in donating clothes and games to the poor of Santa Rosa as soon as the container from Gozo-Malta gets here. From Lima. Chevalier Anthony Zammit - Prior

Emmanuel Brincat writes for the Confraternity Herald  

"I would like to congratulate the Confraternity of St Peter & St Paul, for the great work that they are doing with all the donations that they pass on to the various missions around the world. I have learned at first hand how fruitful their work is, when with my wife Mary Anne we joined them at their annual Dinner Dance to celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter & Paul. With the invitation from the Grand Master Chev: Peter Paul Portelli I acted as MC for the evening. It was a great pleasure doing the job and learning at the same time how important the work of the Confraternity is.

God Bless you all, for the work you are all doing. Emmanuel Brincat Melbourne

Chapter of British Columbia Dear H.E. Chev. Peter Paul Portelli, Grandmaster, Supreme Council, Grand Priors, Priors and Confreres of the Confraternity.

On June 29th-2015, the Feast of our Patrons St. Peter and St. Paul, our Inaugural Investiture Ceremony of the Chapter of British Columbia will take place in Vernon, British Columbia. We will celebrate mass at St. James Roman Catholic Church honouring our patrons St. Peter and St. Paul. Our new Knights and Dames will take their vows and will be presented with their medals and certificates. The Knights and Dames of the Chapter of British Columbia, the first Chapter of the Confraternity in Western Canada, are very proud to be a part of the Confraternity

of the Knights of St. Peter and St. Paul.

As Prior of the Chapter of British Columbia I would like to express my sincere thanks to H.E. Chev. Peter Paul Portelli, Grand Master for all his help and guidance forming the new Chapter of British Columbia. I also would like to thank H.E. Chev. Peter Paul Portelli, Grand Master for establishing in 1996 the Confraternity of the Knights of St. Peter and St. Paul. I’m humbled to be a part of this fine Confraternity. Best wishes to H.E. Chev. Peter Paul Portelli, Grand Master, Supreme Council, Grand Priors, Priors and Confreres of the Confraternity, celebrating the Feast of our Patrons of St. Peter and St. Paul. May the Lord will shine his light on us, give us the strength to follow our patrons St. Peter and St. Paul. Let us be strong defenders of our faith and help us to be humble servants of God. Amen. With prayerful wishes. Rt. Hon. Guenter A. Rieger , Prior.

Greetings from the Grand Chapter of the Philippines 

  

From left: Fr. Francis Mateo OFM Conv. with H.E. Cardinal Ricardo Vidal D.D. and Grand Prior Chevalier Ramon Moreno.

The Chaplain of the Grand Chapter of the Philippines, Father Francis Mateo OFM. Conventual, extends his warm regards and will see how he can be of help being our Head Chaplain in the Main Chapter. The Cardinal H. E. Ricardo 'Cardinal' Vidal D.D. likewise sends his warm greetings and we have been asked to meet him again later next month for his message to us and also for his formal signing into our confraternity as patron and protector.

 

From Western Australia Dear Grand Master Peter Paul Portelli, fellow Grand Prior. Priors , knights and dames.,

I join in you prayer in the coming of the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. Let's always be united with our families and our communities always in the spirit and in the love of our God. Let's continue to follow the footsteps of St Peter and St Paul and as St Paul said "it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me". With grace and blessings, regards to all, Happy Feast.

Nick De Luca Grand Prior

Grand Chapter of Malta

Investiture ceremony 25th June, 2015

Grand Prior Chev. Dennis Mifsud place the medal on newly appointed Dame Marlene

.

Group photo from left: Chev. Charlie Xuereb - Prior, Dame Sue Ellen Bugeja - Secretary, Chev. Guzi Zerafa, Dame Carmen Cefai, Dame Marlene Muscat, Chev. Dennis Mifsud - Grand Prior, Dame Veronica Camilleri Cauchi, Chev. Michael Camilleri Cauchi, Chev. Carmel Saliba - Public Relations and Chev. Eddie Vella - President

Chev. Eddie Vella reading. the prayer of the faithful

The knights and dames of the Grand Chapter of Malta during the Mass in the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Photos by Chev. Carmel Saliba and Mario Muscat

Greetings from the Grand Chapter of Malta  The Grand Chapter of Malta had its investiture ceremony on Thursday, 25 June at the Nadur Town Council in North Street.

I welcomed the knights and Dames, the candidates and their families.

I informed the members of the goal we had set in our first meeting that is to raise some funds for Charity.

The Archpriest of the parish of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Rev Mgr. Jimmy Xerri had identified Fr Douglas Youssif. an Iraqi priest from Erbil in Kurdish‐governed north‐eastern Iraq for he has seen thousands of Christian refugees arrive over the last few months with many relying on the church for sanctuary. 

The work we did together to open a PayPal account and your assistance/generosity to forward $900 Aust. Dollars to Euro 741, which has been credited to this new account. I informed them that Abraham of Vini and Capricci had given me a hamper and a donation of Euro 50 and that I was going to hand a cheque to Fr Douglas to the amount of Euro 1000 even if we do not make up for the balance. I would make good for this

Then we attended Mass in the Basilica and made it to the first 2 benches. New Dame Marlene Muscat read the first Reading and the two knights and two dames were delegated to bring the offerings. I then read a few prayers with the congregation. The Master of Ceremonies Chev. Joe Zerafa mentioned our participation.

I will be attending the Pontifical Mass on Monday, 29th June, the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul and I have invited the knights and dames to let me know who would be coming. Seats will be very difficult to obtain. But from were ever I will be seated, after the end of the Mass, I will make our presentation.

The Grand Chapter of Malta wishes all the Members of the Confraternity of the Knights of St Peter and St Paul in all their respective ranks, a Very Happy Feast. We wish you all to be here with us in Gozo to celebrate the feast of our patron saints Peter and Paul both during the Pontifical Mass and later in the streets during the joyful activities accompanied by top bands from both Malta and Gozo. The colourful fireworks display on the 28th of June has become a main attraction for tourists too.

Chevalier Eddie Vella President of the Grand Chapter of Malta

GREETINGS FROM CHEVALIER SYDNEY VAS    

Please include my sincere greetings on the occasion of the Holy Feasts of two of the church’s great Saints St. Peter (our first Pope) and St. Paul, a very learned man of the gospels. Happy feast to all our Knights and Dames in Melbourne and in all the chapters around the globe. May they all be blessed and be inspired to do great works of charity in their names and may the Confraternity go from strength to strength, Amen Cav. Sydney Vas.

Grand Chapter of Melbourne Feast Dinner Dance 20 June, 2015 

 Cake made for the occasion by Cardique Craft Studio. www.cardique.com.au 

 Group photo of the Knights and Dames at the Dinner Dnce

 The Maltese United Brass Band provides merriment

  

  

   

Encyclical of His Holiness   By Chev. Ange Kenos  

Recently His Holiness came out with a very detailed document on the environment. Now I realise that to some this may seem political but I earnestly believe that His Holiness is not interested in politics but is deeply interested in the health of the world in which we live. If the world is sick then so too will we become sick. I urge all to go to http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/06/18/read-the-encyclical-for-yourself-laudato-si/ and read this amazing document for yourselves.

What each one of you does next is up to you but I believe that His Holiness has the best wishes of all human kind in mind and that we should pay serious heed to what he has to say. regards Ange Kenos

Charitable Donation Bank Account' 

Bank Account Statement

Deposit Grand Chapter of Vienna 20 March, 2015 100 Euro's for pins. 6 May, 2015 200 For the Mission in Kenya 14 June, 2015 150 For the Mission in Kenya 22 June, 2015 150 For Fr. Douglas Youssif of Erbil - Iraq Withdrawal 20 March, 2015 100 Euro's for pins. 25 June 2015 150 Euro's to Fr. Douglas Youssif of Erbil - Iraq. Balance 350 Euro's Thank you to the Grand Prior Dame Dr. Simone Mayer and the Knights and dames of the Grand Chapter of Vienna, Austria for your generosity. In the past 12 months, the Grand Chapter of Melbourne, donated $1000 dollars to the Mission of Malindi in Kenya, $2000 to the Royal Melbourne Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal. $300 dollars to the Parish of St. Martin De Porres.

The purpose for the account is to supplement fund raising activities and give members and others the opportunity to make contributions at any time during the year. I personally thank you for their tireless work that ultimate benefits the needy, and hence, the thank you is from their voices as recipients of our Christian good will.

In the Pontifical Mass on Monday, 29 June, the Grand Chapter of Malta with the contribution of the Grand Chapters of Melbourne, Vienna, the Grand Master, the family of Chev. Eddie Vella and others.will donate € 1100 to Fr. Douglas Youssif Fr. Douglas Youssif who helps Christian Refugees in Northern Iraq.

 

Why we celebrate the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul 

What does the feast of St. Peter and Paul mean to us the Knights. St.. Peter and St. Paul were the first missionaries of Christ. They went far and wide to spread the word of God. They were abused wherever they went, they were stoned, arrested, persecuted and finally martyred for their Lord Jesus Christ. In our times we are experiencing the same troubled times as our patrons and other followers of Christ. Today we remember them in their sufferings and in their glory as builders of the universal church. My message for you is to imitate St. Peter and Paul in our daily mission to be kind especially with the people who are suffering, the poor, the sick and the persecuted.

May the Lord Jesus bless you all for your good deed. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Yours faithfully in Jesus Christ the Lord. Peter Paul Portelli Grand Master