English Post - Knights Battle to Defend Rhodes

The English Post in the siege of Rhodes was named for the English knights who were responsible for defending that portion of the walls of the city. It was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting. Twice the knights lost it and twice they won it back. The tenaille is on the left and the main wall is further is visible in the background further behind it.  On the right of the wide dry ditch is the counterscarp that the attackers had to climb down before storming the city wall. The ditch is enfiladed by the Tower of St. John, its bulwark and lower wall providing vertically stacked fields of overlapping fire. The stone cannon balls seen in the ditch are remnants from the fighting. To experience first hand the history of the Knights of St. John please join us on a tour to the beautiful islands of Rhodes and Crete next September. For more information visit MedSeas Catholic Journeys.

Photo courtesy of Norbert Nagel.

Kilteel Castle - Priory of the Knights of St. John in Ireland

In the village of Kilteel six miles north of Naas at the foot of the Wicklow mountains is Kilteel Castle.

It was built in the early thirteenth century by Maurice Fitzgerald for the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The site upon which the castle was built was once a monastic settlement.

It's most notable resident was Sir John Rawson who was the last Prior of the Kilmainham house of the Order before King Henry VIII dissolved the Order.

In 1511 he was appointed Prior of Kilmainham; this was a position of considerable political power, entitling him to sit both in the Irish House of Lords and on the Privy Council of Ireland. In 1517 he became Lord Treasurer of Ireland.

During the second siege of Rhodes in 1522 Sir John was the only knight from Ireland that responded to the Grand Master's request for knights to come to defend Rhodes. After the Siege, Rawson returned to Ireland where he continued to serve as Prior.

When Henry VIII decided to dissolve the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and after lengthy negotiations Rawson in 1541 surrendered the Priory of Kilmainham in return for a payment of 500 marks and the title of Viscount Clontarf  and the lease of the castle was given to Thomas Alen and his wife.

In 1669 Col. Richard Talbot, Earl of Tyreconnell became the owner of Kilteel. He then sold the castle to Sir William Fownes of Kilkenny where it remained in his family until 1838 when it was sold to the Kennedys of Johnstown-Kennedy.

Today the castle is a designated National Monument. It consists of a tower house dated to the fifteenth century, another projecting towerhouse with a spiral stairs and two further rooms at the gate-way.

Knights Hospitaller Commandery of Bubicon, Switzerland

According to the inscription in the mural painting of the benefactors in the chapel, Count Diethelm V. of Toggenburg bequeaths the commandery of Bubikon to the Knights Hospitaller in Jerusalem circa 1192.

In 1215 there was a dispute over the land donated to the commandery between the noble families of Rapperswil and Toggenburg comes to an end with the joint re-foundation of the commandery by both families, captured by the painting of the benefactors.

In 1428 the revenues of the Commandery are transferred to the Grand Priory of Germany which was at that time headquartered in Heitersheim. 

Knights of Malta Commandery of Bubikon around 1750. It was sold to a private citizen in 1789. More historical detail can be found at the Ritterhaus Bubikon website. 

In 1938 plans for renovation of the property began and continued until 2011 when it was finally completed. In 1960 the first phase was complete and the property was placed under protection of the Swiss government.

Two Knights of St John with Rabies Cured by the Blessed Virgin

From the Cantina CSM 275 of the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X

Two Hospitaller friars of the convent of Moura [Spain] were stricken with rabies. They raged and clutched one at another and anyone else they could grab.
   To subdue them the people tied them securely with a very strong rope. Then, hoping that the Virgin would cure them, they took them to Terena.
   They lead them with difficulty, for they were snapping like dogs. They took them across the Guadiana River and entered Portugal.
   As the first friar reached the top of the hill, he looked around and saw Terena, nestling in the valley up ahead. He asked to be released and said that he could see the Virgin and was sure that he had cured her of rabies.
   He asked for a drink of water. The other friar said the very same thing when he saw the church. He also felt himself cured of rabies and they gave him a drink of spring water.
   After they had finished drinking, they set off at once for Terena to fulfil their pilgrimage. They each offered the Virgin gifts and lit long candles, which they placed before the Virgin’s altar.

Archbishop of Malta Celebrates Mass with the Knights of St. John

The link to the homily given by Archbishop Scicluna at the Mass. The Archbishop celebrates a Solemn Mass on the Nativity of Our Lady- maltadiocese

Video of Processional and Recessional parts of the Mass at St. John's Co-Cathedral commemorating the 450th anniversary of the Great Siege of Malta. In the video you will see the resident knight from Fort St. Angelo carrying the sword of Grand Master La Vallette from the Siege.




Prayer in the Cathedral's crypt before the tomb of the Grand Master La Vallette.

450th Anniversary Procession to Commemorate Great Siege of Malta.

Procession of the Knights of St. John to the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Birgu to commemorate the victory of the Knights and the end to the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.

Liturgical memorial service following the procession.

Order of Malta Taking Possession of Malta in 1530

On this day, 26 October 1530, the Order of Malta took possession of the Island of Malta which had been given to them by Emperor Charles V in agreement for an annual tribue of one Maltese falcon. This image by Rene Berthon shows Phillipe Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, the 44th Grand Master of the Order taking possession.

Order of Malta Taking Possession of Malta in 1530

On this day, 26 October 1530, the Order of Malta took possession of the Island of Malta which had been given to them by Emperor Charles V in agreement for an annual tribue of one Maltese falcon. This image by Rene Berthon shows Phillipe Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, the 44th Grand Master of the Order taking possession.

Grand Master Fra Festing's Interview on The Catholic Cafe

Earlier this Spring in Lourdes, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra' Matthew Festing dropped by The Catholic Cafe for an interview. He talks about the history and nature of the Order and gives an interesting lesson on the actual meaning of the motto 'Tuitio Fidei' as being more than just "Defense of the Faith" but more accurately as "nurturing or teaching the Faith."

The Catholic Cafe, Inc. is incorporated in Tennessee as a not-for-profit corporation, under the umbrella of the Diocese of Memphis for tax-exempt purposes. It’s board members and officers are all members of the Order of Malta serving with the approval of the Bishop of Memphis. The mission of The Catholic Café, Inc. is to reach out to non-Catholics and fallen-away Catholics with positive, high quality radio and Internet programming to faithfully present Catholic teaching and follow up with personal outreach when requested. We wish to invite all people to consider joining us in the Catholic Church.

The interview lasts about half an hour and can be heard by clicking here.

Grand Master Fra Festing's Interview on The Catholic Cafe

Earlier this Spring in Lourdes, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra' Matthew Festing dropped by The Catholic Cafe for an interview. He talks about the history and nature of the Order and gives an interesting lesson on the actual meaning of the motto 'Tuitio Fidei' as being more than just "Defense of the Faith" but more accurately as "nurturing or teaching the Faith."

The Catholic Cafe, Inc. is incorporated in Tennessee as a not-for-profit corporation, under the umbrella of the Diocese of Memphis for tax-exempt purposes. It’s board members and officers are all members of the Order of Malta serving with the approval of the Bishop of Memphis. The mission of The Catholic Café, Inc. is to reach out to non-Catholics and fallen-away Catholics with positive, high quality radio and Internet programming to faithfully present Catholic teaching and follow up with personal outreach when requested. We wish to invite all people to consider joining us in the Catholic Church.

The interview lasts about half an hour and can be heard by clicking here.

Pie postulatio voluntatis

Today marks the 898th Anniversary of the papal bull, Pie postulatio voluntatis, promulgated by Pope Paschal II on February 15, 1113 which approved the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. At left is a copy of the bull.

Pie postulatio voluntatis

Today marks the 898th Anniversary of the papal bull, Pie postulatio voluntatis, promulgated by Pope Paschal II on February 15, 1113 which approved the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. At left is a copy of the bull.

444th Anniversary of Fall of Fort St. Elmo

Today marks the 444th anniversary of the fall of Fort Saint Elmo during the Great Siege of Malta. I just finished an excellent novel, Angels in Iron, that describes the whole siege in a very descriptive and accurate manner. What these few knights, soldiers and civilians withstood for a horrifying month is nothing short of miraculous. Below is an excerpt of a talk given by Michael Davies in 2002 that was part of a conference given at the Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute 2002 Summer Symposia entitled “The 1st Through 8th Crusades; Military Orders; Catharist Crusade; and the Siege of Malta.” The full article can be read here, it describes some of what they went through during that month.

Mustapha finally acknowledged that St. Elmo could not be taken within that day and ordered the recall. St. Angelo's suddenly heard a burst of cheering from their brothers in St. Elmo. They had lost 200 men in the battle, in comparison to 2,000 Turks. But they knew the end was near, for there would be no more reinforcements.

St. Elmo's men readied themselves for a fight to the death. The two chaplains who had stayed with the defenders throughout the siege confessed the remaining knights and soldiers. Determined that the Mohammedans would not have the opportunity to mock or desecrate their holy relics, the knights and the chaplains hid the precious objects of the Faith beneath the stone floors of the chapel, and dragged the tapestries, pictures and wooden furniture outside and set them on fire. They then tolled the bell of the small chapel to announce to their brethren in the nearby forts that they were ready for the end.

In the gray pre-dawn light of the 23rd of June, Piali's ships closed in for the kill. The galleys, pointing their lean bows at the ruined fort, opened up their bow chasers in unison with the first charge made by the entire Turkish army. To the astonishment of Mustapha and his council, Fort St. Elmo held for over an hour. Less than 100 men remained after that first onslaught, yet the Ottoman army was forced to draw back and re-form. The knights who were too wounded to stand placed themselves in chairs in the breach with swords in their hands.

There was something about the next attack that told the garrisons looking on from Birgu and Senglea that all was over. The white-robed troops poured down the slopes, hesitated like a curling roller above the wall, and then burst across the fort, spreading like an ocean over St. Elmo. One by one the defenders perished, some quickly and mercifully, others dying of wounds among the bodies of their friends.

The Italian Knight Francisco Lanfreducci, acting on orders received before the battle began, crossed to the wall opposite Bighi Bay and lit the signal fire. As the smoke curled up and eddied in the clear blue sky, La Valette knew that the heroic garrison and the fort they had defended to the end were lost.

It was now that Mustapha Pasha impatiently strode to view his conquest. A standard-bearer carrying the banner of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent stepped through the breach into St. Elmo. Standing victorious on the ruins of St. Elmo's walls, with the flag of St. John in the dust at his feet, Mustapha gazed at the massive bulk of Fort St. Angelo on the horizon. “Allah!” he cried. “If so small a son has cost us so dear, what price shall we have to pay for so large a father?”

In an offensive act of cruelty, he ordered the bodies of the knights to be set apart from the common soldiers. Their heads were struck from their bodies and fixed on stakes overlooking Grand Harbor. The beheaded corpses were then stripped of their mail, nailed to crossbeams of wood in mockery of the crucifixion, and launched onto the waters of Grand Harbor that night.

It was the eve of the Feast of St. John, the patron saint of the Order. Despite the loss of St. Elmo, the Grand Master had given orders for the normal celebrations to take place. Bonfires were lit and church bells were rung throughout Birgu and Senglea. The next morning the headless bodies of the knights washed up at the base of Fort St. Angelo.

444th Anniversary of Fall of Fort St. Elmo

Today marks the 444th anniversary of the fall of Fort Saint Elmo during the Great Siege of Malta. I just finished an excellent novel, Angels in Iron, that describes the whole siege in a very descriptive and accurate manner. What these few knights, soldiers and civilians withstood for a horrifying month is nothing short of miraculous. Below is an excerpt of a talk given by Michael Davies in 2002 that was part of a conference given at the Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute 2002 Summer Symposia entitled “The 1st Through 8th Crusades; Military Orders; Catharist Crusade; and the Siege of Malta.” The full article can be read here, it describes some of what they went through during that month.

Mustapha finally acknowledged that St. Elmo could not be taken within that day and ordered the recall. St. Angelo's suddenly heard a burst of cheering from their brothers in St. Elmo. They had lost 200 men in the battle, in comparison to 2,000 Turks. But they knew the end was near, for there would be no more reinforcements.

St. Elmo's men readied themselves for a fight to the death. The two chaplains who had stayed with the defenders throughout the siege confessed the remaining knights and soldiers. Determined that the Mohammedans would not have the opportunity to mock or desecrate their holy relics, the knights and the chaplains hid the precious objects of the Faith beneath the stone floors of the chapel, and dragged the tapestries, pictures and wooden furniture outside and set them on fire. They then tolled the bell of the small chapel to announce to their brethren in the nearby forts that they were ready for the end.

In the gray pre-dawn light of the 23rd of June, Piali's ships closed in for the kill. The galleys, pointing their lean bows at the ruined fort, opened up their bow chasers in unison with the first charge made by the entire Turkish army. To the astonishment of Mustapha and his council, Fort St. Elmo held for over an hour. Less than 100 men remained after that first onslaught, yet the Ottoman army was forced to draw back and re-form. The knights who were too wounded to stand placed themselves in chairs in the breach with swords in their hands.

There was something about the next attack that told the garrisons looking on from Birgu and Senglea that all was over. The white-robed troops poured down the slopes, hesitated like a curling roller above the wall, and then burst across the fort, spreading like an ocean over St. Elmo. One by one the defenders perished, some quickly and mercifully, others dying of wounds among the bodies of their friends.

The Italian Knight Francisco Lanfreducci, acting on orders received before the battle began, crossed to the wall opposite Bighi Bay and lit the signal fire. As the smoke curled up and eddied in the clear blue sky, La Valette knew that the heroic garrison and the fort they had defended to the end were lost.

It was now that Mustapha Pasha impatiently strode to view his conquest. A standard-bearer carrying the banner of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent stepped through the breach into St. Elmo. Standing victorious on the ruins of St. Elmo's walls, with the flag of St. John in the dust at his feet, Mustapha gazed at the massive bulk of Fort St. Angelo on the horizon. “Allah!” he cried. “If so small a son has cost us so dear, what price shall we have to pay for so large a father?”

In an offensive act of cruelty, he ordered the bodies of the knights to be set apart from the common soldiers. Their heads were struck from their bodies and fixed on stakes overlooking Grand Harbor. The beheaded corpses were then stripped of their mail, nailed to crossbeams of wood in mockery of the crucifixion, and launched onto the waters of Grand Harbor that night.

It was the eve of the Feast of St. John, the patron saint of the Order. Despite the loss of St. Elmo, the Grand Master had given orders for the normal celebrations to take place. Bonfires were lit and church bells were rung throughout Birgu and Senglea. The next morning the headless bodies of the knights washed up at the base of Fort St. Angelo.