EDINBURGH, Scotland (LifeSiteNews) — The Scottish branch of a 1,000-year-old chivalric order, the Knights of Malta, hosted their annual ball last weekend, raising funds for charitable causes.
On Saturday, May 14, around 200 people gathered for the event, which featured a dinner, dance, and live auction.
An organizer told LifeSiteNews that the ball raised money for two pressing needs.
“This year, the specific causes supported include relief for the ongoing crisis in Lebanon and Dial-a-Journey Glasgow, which provides a friendly and reliable ‘door-to-door’ transport service for people with mobility problems who are unable to use conventional public transport,” Annabel Hamid told LifeSiteNews.
The ball raised £40,000 for Lebanon and Dial-a-Journey. The Order of Malta in Scotland has traditionally held a ball annually as a fundraising event. However, due to COVID-19 regulations, the ball has not been possible the past three years.
Accordingly, this year, the Scottish Knights of Malta were glad to be able to return to the Sheraton Grand Hotel for the event.
“Around 200 guests ate, drank, and danced the night away to raise money for this great cause, which also included a live auction compered by auctioneer Willie Paterson, and a stunning musical performance from talented up-and-coming soprano Aileen Baker,” Hamid said.
Founded in 113, the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta is a lay religious order of the Catholic Church.
The order, originally founded under the name ‘Knights Hospitaller,’ built a hospital in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims regardless of their religious faith or race.
Now, the order continues this mission by “helping people living in the midst of armed conflicts and natural disasters by providing medical assistance, caring for refugees, and distributing medicines and basic equipment for survival.”
As a religious order, the Knights traditionally took vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. However, now most of the 13,500 knights and dames are lay members.
In addition to the knights and dames, the Order of Malta has 80,000 permanent volunteers and 42,000 employees, mostly medical personnel.
Currently, the Order of Malta has members across the globe. The order focuses on medical, social, and humanitarian projects in 120 countries, providing “constant support for forgotten or excluded members of society.”
“It is especially involved in helping people living in the midst of armed conflicts and natural disasters by providing medical assistance, caring for refugees, and distributing medicines and basic equipment for survival,” Hamid told LifeSiteNews.