News

Order of Malta celebrates St John’s Day worldwide

On every 24 June, the anniversary of the birth of St John the Baptist, the Order of Malta’s patron saint, the Order’s national Associations, Embassies and Relief Corps around the world celebrate the day.

In London, members, volunteers and friends gathered to mark the occasion at the Brompton Oratory, joining the Order’s world community in the celebrations. The Rt.Rev.Geoffrey Scott, OSB, Titular Abbot of Lindisfarne, in his homily describing a Renaissance painting of the Madonna with the young Jesus and St John Baptist at her feet, drew attention to the background, where the artist had depicted the tasks of daily life – showing the glory in the ordinary.
The ceremony included an investiture of new members and the presentation of medals for the active service of so many volunteers during the demanding period of the pandemic, actions which continue the Order’s traditional mission to help those in need.