[Y]ou must always keep your gentleness and your smile. Giving food or clothes isn’t all [you] can do. The poor are your masters, extremely sensitive to the differences between you and exacting as you shall see. Yet […] the more bitter they have become, the more you must give your love to them. It is only because of your love–and your love alone–that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them. – Saint Vincent de Paul

What exactly are Malta Walks? The NYC Malta Walks, begun in 2014, focus on regularly coming together in faith as a community, then assembling care packages so that we can take them on walks through the city, where –with love– the packages allow Order members and volunteers to enter into relationship through conversing with and serving the Poor personally, all with the understanding that in doing so we serve Our Lord. The main purpose is to serve Christ in his poor and to personally recognize with love the individual dignity of each human being who is homeless or indigent. 

Last week, the NYC Malta Walks convened at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Along with volunteers from the cathedral’s St. Vincent de Paul Society and Italian study abroad communities, everyone participated in Mass celebrated by Fr. Luigi Portarulo. After preparing the care packages to take on the Malta Walks, in a special moment, everyone joined together to record the singing of “Happy Birthday” and “Tanti Auguri” to the Order’s Sovereign Prince and Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap. 

Afterwards, the largest group of Malta Walkers on record fanned out into the city streets, speaking to, praying for, and sharing their care packages and love with the homeless along their routes. The group also collected and shared the names of those they spoke with on the streets for continuing prayer.

The next NYC Malta Walks will be Wednesday, May 13th, 6:30 p.m., at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.