austraLasia #3507

A Salesian is appointed Chaplain to the Knights of Malta (THA)
BANGKOK: September 4, 2014 – There was a special interest in getting to know some young EAO Missionaries these past days, in relation to the missionary formation activities happening in Rome. But what about knowing the older missionaries? Yes, there are still many senior missionaries in the East Asia Oceania Region. One of them is Fr. Carlo Velardo SDB, born in Italy and already in Thailand since 1978. He received the membership, with a rank of Magistral Chaplain, to the world's oldest surviving order of chivalry: The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), also known as Knights of Malta. The official name of this Roman Catholic lay religious order is: The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.

This order is already 901 years in existence, going back to the time of the Crusades. It has about 13,000 members; 80,000 permanent volunteers; and 20,000 medical personnel including doctors, nurses, auxiliaries and paramedics in more than 120 countries. Their goal is to assist the elderly, handicapped, refugeed, children, homeless, those with terminal illness and leprosy in all parts of the world, without distinction of race or religion. According to the SMOM press release, they are now giving medical assistance to the 10,000 displaced Christians and minorities at two refugee camps in Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil in north Iraq.

Presently, Fr. Carlo is residing at the Provincial House in Bangkok and works at the Apostolic Nunciature, while caring also for the Cappellania Italiana in Thailand. But in the past, for about thirty years, he had been involved in the work for young blind adults in Pakkred. In fact, he had received numerous acknowledgements from national and international organizations for his work on behalf of the handicapped and disadvantaged.

Yesterday, the 3rd of September, at the St. Louis  Church, Sathorn Road-Bangkok, after the bi-monthly Mass for the members and the friends of the Order of Malta, H.E. Dr. Michael Mann, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, presented Fr. Carlo a framed certificate of his appointment as Magistral Chaplain in The Order of Malta. A double celebration followed because, incidentally, that day was also the 37th anniversary of his priestly ordination.