Order of Malta

Salzburg, 22-29 July. Almost 500 guests flocked to the city of Mozart for this event, the 34^th of its kind. Participants were greeted by H.E. the Lieutenant of the Grand Master, Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Sanguinetto, in the city cathedral; he assured them of his continued prayers and asked for the blessing of the Almighty and of Our Lady of Philermo on their lives.

The Hungarian Association of the Order of Malta and the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta were represented by nineteen guests and volunteer helpers. The aim of the camp, as always, was to offer the participants a range of the kind of recreational and cultural programmes in which, due to their circumstances, they are normally unable to take part, or only to a very limited degree. The organisers came up with unusual activities such as white-water rafting, touring a salt mine, recreational flying and other such ideas. In addition to the “extreme” activities, there were cultural gems, as well. Guests could attend classical music concerts given as part of the Salzburg Festival: works by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, as well as the aria “Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss” from Lehár’s last operetta, Giuditta.

Beside the more serious events, there was a disco every evening: this kind of entertainment is a fundamental part of these camps, where the young disabled can move and dance freely and unselfconsciously, such as they can rarely do in their everyday lives.

The Hungarian team participated in most of the programmes, creating lifetime memories for themselves. A sign of how actively we took part: of the five issues of the camp journal, three had Hungarian participants on its front page! We also made the most of the chance to widen our international contacts: the highlight was the joint Holy Mass we organised together with the Lebanese contigent, during which our two nations prayed together. The Hungarians expressed their solidarity with the persecuted Christians of the Middle East, and during the Arabic-language, Eastern-rite Mass they prayed to our Blessed Lady  to protect this long-suffering people. The inspiring Holy Mass was followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral, attended by almost 600 people.

Besides the recreational and cultural programmes, the Hungarian team enjoyed the Austrian Kaffeehaus culture, consuming much coffee and cake in a traditional coffee-house on the Dom square.

Our young people came home physically tired but spiritually refreshed, and are looking very much forward to next year’s 35^th summer youth camp for the disabled, which will take place in the United Kingdom. “The sun has gone to bed and so must I – so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!”