More than 300 people gathered at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale March 16 for the Annual Mass and Anointing of the Sick, sponsored by the Northern Virginia Region of the Order of Malta.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge was celebrant and homilist. Individuals from across the Arlington diocese came to pray for comfort and healing, and to receive the sacramental anointing. More than 20 Dames, Knights, Candidates and Volunteers from across the region came in uniform to serve all in the tradition of the order’s Masses in Lourdes.
Concelebrating the liturgy were Father Alexander Drummond, pastor of St. Michael Church in Annandale; Father Andrew Fisher, pastor of St. Ambrose; and Father Joseph Rampino, each of whom serve as magistral chaplains of the order in the Northern Virginia region. Fathers Anthony Appiah, James Hinkle, Michael Nugent, and Paul Richardson (who had been a 2016 Lourdes Pilgrimage malade) also concelebrated. Father Noah Morey, chaplain of Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, served as the master of ceremonies. The concelebrants joined Bishop Burbidge in administering sacramental anointing to those wearing large blue-and-silver miraculous medals, distributed by the order members prior to Mass.
Bishop Burbidge commended all those present for offering their pain and suffering for the sake of the church, emphasizing the fact that their sufferings were making them holy in the sight of God. He also thanked those who are sick and their companions for their faithful witness as they unite themselves to the Lord and his cross, especially during the Lenten season. Bishop Burbidge noted that all who are sick are very close to Our Lord at this moment in their lives. For that reason, he encouraged them to offer their sufferings for the needs of the church, especially at this time, when so many in the church need healing and transformation.
After Mass, a luncheon prepared by Richard Micheli and the staff of Portofino Restaurant in Arlington was held in the parish center. Members and candidates of the order served the guests. The restaurant’s founders, Pilar Micheli and the late Sergio Micheli, have served in the Order of Malta for more than 30 years.
Order members and volunteers from across Northern Virginia provided Lourdes water and prayer cards so private petitions can be taken to the grotto during the order’s annual pilgrimage to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in France in May. Those sending prayer petitions will receive an acknowledgement mailed from Lourdes when their petitions are brought to the grotto.
Many attendees expressed gratitude for being able to attend the Mass, to receive the sacramental anointing, to send prayer petitions to Lourdes, and to take home a vial of Lourdes water. Regional Hospitaller Kevin Fischer commended all who regularly come together to serve the faithful of the diocese.
Lora Hindenburg, a registered nurse at Fairfax Inova Hospital, attended as a first-time volunteer for the Mass.
“As I watched the bishop and priests anointing the sick, I was moved to tears by the beauty of the sacrament,” she said. “I simply thought to myself, ‘Where would we be without the church?’ ”
Petrino is a dame of Malta.
