“Maltesers Day” brings together hundreds of Maltesers from all over Lithuania and important quests from abroad. On July 1-2, more than 200 members of the Malteser community took part in the “Aerodream” agritourism homestead, located in the village of Antakalnis, Trakai district:

Among them were Dr. Constantin von Brandenstein-Zeppelin, representative of the German Association of the Order of Malta, Krzysztof Edmund Wardawy, Interim head of the Embassy of the Order of Malta to Lithuania, Marcin Swierad, Hospitalier of the Polish Association of the Order of Malta and President of the Maltesers in Poland with his wife, Ilona (a  Dame of the Order of Malta), and his daughter, Mr.Robert Wyrashka, a member of the Polish Association of the Order of Malta, and Reverend Edgaras Versockis, from Estonia.

The celebration began with a Holy Mass, which was celebrated at the Trakai Church of the Holy Trinity.

The Mass was celebrated by the Malteser Chaplain  Rev.Vytautas Rapalis. The vaults of the Basilica echoed with the music of the organist Aida Baliukevičienė, the organist of the Vilnius Church of the Holy Trinity.

This year 19 Maltesers, in the words of Chaplain Vytautas, were “kissed by the Lord and embraced by grace” – in a solemn ceremony they made a pledge to the representative of the German Association of the Order of Malta, Constantin von Brandenstein-Zeppelin, to serve the Lord and to fight in the spirit of the Order the ashtrums of poverty: sickness, grief, homelessness, hunger, heartlessness, guilt, indifference, disbelief, faith.

The commitment made was marked with Malteser badges, which were pinned by Mr. K.E. Wardawy, the Interim head of the  Embassy of the Order of Malta to Lithuania. The pledges were also blessed by the Maltesers’ Chaplain Rev.V. Rapalis.

Maltesers concluded the Mass with a Malteser prayer – may their path be enlightened by faith, gratitude and may God help them to their way to help our little ones.