Dear Members of the Western Association,

I am pleased to report that all planning and preparations for the 2022 Western Association Order of Malta Pilgrimage being held from April 26 through May 4, 2022 are either on track or ahead of schedule.  We are taking 60 Malades (plus 61 caregivers) to Lourdes this year and as of today we have 189 Knights, Dames, Volunteers, Religious and Auxiliary registered to participate in the Pilgrimage. In addition, we are in discussions with the Australian Association (comprised of pilgrims from Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Korea) to join us for the 2022 Lourdes Pilgrimage. Adding the Australian Association to our team will help guarantee an extraordinary experience for our Malades and pilgrims alike.

We learned a great deal from executing the highly successful 2021 Lourdes Pilgrimage and our leadership and medical team are once more prepared to execute all those activities necessary to keep us all safe and healthy, please see 2022 COVID Protocols. Once again we have our advance team traveling to Lourdes ahead of the main group to verify all preparations and protocols are in place to ensure our collective health and safety.

It also is important to note that we believe there is zero threat to the Lourdes Pilgrimage, at this time, posed by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. We shall continue to monitor State Department, French Government, EU and CINCUSNAVEUR assessments and warnings. Please be advised that we are working and sharing security related information with the leadership of the Archdiocese of the Military Services whose pilgrimage begins immediately after our departure from Lourdes. Our security team will continue to receive and evaluate the latest information until our return to Los Angeles.

While we have enough pilgrims to pull and push carts in Lourdes, we want to give our Dames and Knights from the Western Association the opportunity to participate in what promises to be a remarkable Lourdes experience. Once again there is no economic risk because everyone will get their money back if for any reason we cannot go. To register, please visit: 2022 Lourdes Pilgrimage Registration. If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact our Pilgrimage Coordinator Ms. Navarro at michelle.navarro@orderofmaltawestern.us.

If you have any questions regarding the Pilgrimage, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will continue to keep you advised of all developments related to the Pilgrimage and the challenges presented by Covid 19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Most importantly I look forward to you joining us in Our Lady’s Grotto for the 2022 Lourdes Pilgrimage and experiencing once again the miracle that is Lourdes https://orderofmaltawestern.us/return-to-lourdes-documentary/.

Respectfully,

Mark S. Tiernan, KM

Director

Lourdes Pilgrimage 2021-2023

Order of Malta, Western Association U.S.A.