On Saturday, March 29th, members of the Order of Malta in the Missouri Area gathered at Immacolata Catholic Church for a morning of prayer and service.

After assisting at 8 AM mass with people of the parish, members gathered in the parish cafeteria to put the finishing touches on the area’s quarterly service project, which will benefit men recently released from prison. Beginning with the Daily Prayer of the Order of Malta and a special prayer for those recently incarcerated and their families, the merry band set about the task of filling backpacks which had been generously donated by one of our Order of Malta Missouri members.

The packs were stocked with essential items needed by every man being released from prison. Those supplies had been donated by more than two dozen St. Louis Malta members, stored and sorted by the area co-hospitallers, and then transported to the Immacolata in a Malta Mobile Ministries van.

Members and volunteers had a marvelous time catching up with one another as they filled each backpack. Very quickly forty backpacks had been filled to the point of bursting. The packs were then transported in the Malta Mobile Ministry Van to the headquarters of the Criminal Justice Ministry (CJM) of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Met by Paul Faust, the CJM Ministry Coordinator, the backpacks were safely stored until needed in the CJM facility. Paul stated “I cannot express in words the impact you all have made to the men we serve.  Your kindness and love are beyond words.  Thank you all for the bottom of my heart!”