Young people from all over the world have come together to celebrate World Youth Day in Cologne, with Pope Benedict XVI, among them many of the Order’s young members and volunteers. For the ceremonies surrounding the Day, Malteser Germany has been responsible for the first aid facilities for the entire week, covering 12 venues in Cologne, 18 in Bonn and 7 in Düsseldorf, as well as the Vigil with the Pope, with 40 on the Marienfeld (where the service with His Holiness has been attended by over 800,000). 1,764 trained volunteers from Malteser Germany are taking part, together with 70 medical doctors, and 850 young Order of Malta people from Poland, Italy, France, Spain, Ireland.

In particular Malteser Germany in Cologne it is supported by Malteser teams from Poland: 46 task forces and physicians from Krakau and other cities serve at the locations Pollerwiesen, the Marienfeld and particularly with the Polish catecheses.

Coordination: Professor Dr. Henry Kubiak, President of the Polish Malteser Relief Service Maltanska Sluzba Medyczna (MSM), and Ernst Brück, officer for disaster prevention/control North Rhine-Westphalia and long-term Poland connoisseur of Malteser Germany.

Malteser Germany in Bonn with its technical manager Dr. Michael Faber receives support from Malteser Ndihmon ne Shqiperi (MNSH) from Albania. Malteser Germany in Bonn provide medical service for approximately 60 meetings and events, including the visit of the Pope and the German Federal President. 100 volunteers provide daily health care for the pilgrims.

Malteser Germany can also trust in German-Irish teamwork. 20 Malteser volunteers of the Irish “Order of Malta Ambulance Corps” travel from Dublin and other Irish cities to Cologne. “Not for the first time”, as Udo Lauterborn, member of the Malteser operation centre, says. “Since 10 years we are very active in cooperation, for example at the Carnival in Cologne and at the St. Patrick’s Parade in Dublin.”

Finally, 20 volunteers of the Italian Order of Malta Relief Service (CISOM), are working in Solingen.

The team is lead by Dr. Carlo Simili and accompanied by Joseph of Radowitz, a German member of the Order of Malta.

For Wolfgang Guenther, press and rescue service officer of Malteser Germany in Solingen, a consequential visit: “Malteser teams from Solingen have supported the Italian Order of Malta Relief Service during the obsequies for the Pope in Rome last April. Now they come to help us here. That’s great!”

More international support offer Malteser teams from Lithuania (Maltos Ordino Pagalbo Tarnyba, MOPT), Luxembourg (Premier Secours de la Croix de Malte), Austria (Malteser Hospitaldienst Austria), Romania (Serviciul de Ajotor Maltez in România, S.A.M.R.) and Hungary (Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálat/MMSZ).