37th Annual Lourdes Pilgrimage
April 29th – May 6th, 2025

Malade Proposal

Introduction

Each year the Order of Malta, American Association takes sick and handicapped people to Lourdes as our guests. They are our beloved Malades. Members of the Order have the opportunity, even the responsibility, to propose a person who would be a potential Malade. Members should not invite anyone; rather, they may propose a person as a candidate. Each candidate will be evaluated by the Malade Selection Committee. 

Things to consider as you propose a potential Malade:

• Only Knight, Dames, Conventual Chaplains and Magistral Chaplains can propose a Malade. 
• You assume serious responsibility for the candidate and the Order.
• You should recommend someone you personally know and believe will benefit from the Pilgrimage and can deal with the rigors of the Pilgrimage. You should not recommend someone you do not know. 
• You will be responsible to ensure your Malade and their Caregiver are engaged during the pre-pilgrimage communications (e.g. attend area’s Pilgrimage orientation, communicate with members of the team during outreach, have arranged for travel to and from JFK).
• Please remember that the trip is very strenuous.
• Malades fly overnight sitting up in coach seats on a non-stop charter flight from the U.S. to Lourdes.
• Malades stay in simple hotels with plain accommodations.
• Malades eat French country food with limited alternatives available.
• Many activities require long hours of sitting still.
• Many activities are outside. The weather is variable and often inclement.
• All Malades require a caregiver to accompany him/her. The caregiver information section is included for this reason.
• Caregivers will be required to walk long distances throughout the day.
• You will be responsible to ensure your Malade and their Caregiver are engaged during the pre-pilgrimage communications (e.g. attend area’s Pilgrimage orientation, communicate with members of the team during outreach, have arranged for travel to and from JFK).
• Please include any concerns in your proposal form.

 

Procedure for proposing a Malade:

Please use the form below to submit your malade proposal. After a preliminary review by the Pilgrimage Medical Director, if a decision to proceed is made, the Association office will send you the following documents and instructions:

• The medical release form which will allow the candidate’s physician to release information to the Malade Selection Committee.
• The medical forms to be completed by the candidate’s physician.
• A Malade information form.
• A Caregiver Information form.

Once you receive the above listed forms, immediately assist the potential Malade to complete each of them. The most time-critical documents are: a) the medical release form which must be signed by the Malade candidate and given to their physician and b) the medical form. You must do everything possible to ensure that the physician completes the medical form and sends it and the medical release form to the office as soon as possible. The Malade Selection Committee begins reviewing medical forms in mid-January.

A member of the Malade Selection Committee may call you for your observations of your candidate.

Please tell the Malade candidate about the pilgrimage and what to expect and explain that all the Malade and Caregiver Pilgrims are required to travel to and from Lourdes on the Association charter. Make sure they know no decision has been made.

If the Malade Selection Committee chooses your candidate, you will be notified and the Malade will receive the formal invitation to be our guest. Appropriate travel arrangements will be made from the Malades home to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). 

The Malade and their Caregiver are responsible to make their own travel arrangements to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).  

The Malade will then receive information about the Pilgrimage and the Order of Malta.

If your candidate is accepted, you are responsible to maintain on-going contact, to convey information, to answer questions, confirm their travel arrangements, and to keep track of the person’s health status.

Please report any change in the Malade’s health status to the Association office immediately.

If you have questions, contact Carla at 646-993-4283 or email at carla@orderofmaltaamerican.org.

Malade Proposal Form