On Thursday, December 5th, members of the Boston Area gathered together in Wellesley fo rtheir annual Advent Mass and Dinner. Mass was celebrated at St. Paul’s Church in Wellesley, followed by dinner at the Wellesley Country Club. Below is a reflection of this joyous event, written by Boston Area Knight Dr. Roger Jean-Charles.

Under the inspirational leadership of Ed Delaney, KM, the Boston Area held a special celebration of Advent on December 5, 2024. This gathering coincided with the 532nd anniversary of the arrival of the first Cross in the Americas, in Haiti. 

Our Advent celebration took us to Wellesley for Mass at Saint Paul Church and reception at the Wellesley Country Club. The liturgical ceremony was offered by Bishop John J. Ahern, ChM, with Rt. Revd. Mgr. Ahern as homilist and Rev. Ghazar Bedrossian also concelebrating, and Ms. Kelly Meraw singing splendidly. Ed Delaney led the Daily Prayer of the Order and then announced that Stacey Reisman, DM, has been approved by the American Association to serve as co-chair of the Boston Area of the Order. We heartily applauded and then made our way to the Wellesley Country Club for a gracious reception and dinner.

The evening was filled with spirituality brought on by congenial conversation, the singing of Christmas carols well chosen by Stacey Reisman, and an angelic a cappellarendition by Rev. Bedrossian of the 1847 carol “O Holy Night”. At the conclusion of the dinner, Ed Delaney reflected on the past year and announced that a robust group of prospective candidates are in their Year of Formation. Marlene O’Brien, DM, described the momentum of the humanitarian work of Rev. Paul O’Brien, pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Lawrence, and invited attendees to visit there on the morning of December 21, meet parents in need and help them choose donated Christmas gifts for their sons and daughters. 

Following the prayer of grace led by Rev. Bedrossian, yours truly offered a toast in commemoration of the first appearance of the Cross of Christ in the Americas. It was, indeed, on December 5, 1492 at 11:30 pm when Christopher Columbus landed at Mole St. Nicholas, northwest of Haiti. During the night of December 24-25, the Santa Mariacapsized. Spaniards who had accompanied Columbus used ship remains to build a fort on land offered to Columbus by the Chief of the Indian tribe Le Marien, Guacanagaric. On Christmas Day, “Fort La Navidad” became the first European settlement in the Americas, and Haiti became the first country in the Americas in which Christmas was celebrated. 

In my reflections, I reminded fellow Knights and Dames about the pivotal role of Haiti in promoting human dignity. I explained how Haitians had denounced and successfully fought against slavery in 1804; how they had liberated the Dominican Republic from the Spaniards in 1804 and had liberated South American countries from colonization by Spain and Portugal; and how they had supported Greece in its quest for independence from the Ottomans in 1822. I also described how Haitians had accepted 50,000 Jewish refugees at the Evian Conference in 1938, which many in attendance at our dinner said they had not realized, and how Haitians had helped secure the independence of Libya in 1952. I then listed the works of the Order of Malta in Haiti, including Crudem, or Hopital Sacre-Coeur, in Milot, northern Haiti; Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) in Jeremie, in southern portion of Haiti; Hope for Haiti, in Cayes, in the deep south of Haiti; and of Malteser International in many places, including in Port-au-Prince, the capital, and in Nippes. 

Our Advent Mass and Dinner felt imbued with spirituality, grace, and good will. As fervent Catholics illuminated by the light of Christ, may we feel the urgent call to pray for, support and rescue those in need, especially our brothers and sisters in Haiti on the anniversary of the arrival of the Cross of Christ in the Americas! In this blessed season of Advent, let us join Haitians in prayer to restore this cradle of Christianity in the Americas so that the nation can become whole and, again, a beacon of human dignity, compassion, solidarity and humanism.