Five decades of service to Order of Malta in Mayo honoured

KNOCK native John Egan has been honoured by the Order of Malta for over 50 years of sterling service at Knock Shrine and throughout the local region, writes Michael Byrne.

During the Order's recent annual pilgrimage to Knock Shrine, John was presented with the Sovereign Order of Malta Cross Pro Merito Melitensi, awarded by the Prince and Grand Master Fra John Dunlap and the Sovereign Council in Rome, and conferred on John by Patrick Downes, co-chair of the Irish Association.

This prestigious award, which is rarely given to civilians, acknowledges John's outstanding contribution to the Ambulance Corps and to the work of the Order of Malta both locally and internationally.

John said that receiving this award was indeed a great honour, but more significant because of the fact that it came from Rome.

He first began voluntary work in Knock Shrine in May 1973, when he established a team of volunteers to provide ambulance and first aid services for the growing number of pilgrims arriving every year. In 1984 he became the founding officer in charge when the Knock unit of the Order of Malta was formally established.

Over the years, John rose through the ranks to commandant and, in 2013, he was invested as a Knight of Magistral Grace, and also qualified as an emergency medical technician, tutoring new volunteers and delivering first aid training to schools and community groups.

John has been involved in providing cover for some of the shrine's most historic occasions, including the visit of Pope St. John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Francis in 2018, Mother Teresa in 1993, as well as the National Eucharistic Congress in 2011 and again in 2015.

This award is a fitting tribute to John for the countless hours of selfless energy and time he has devoted to Knock Shrine and the wider district over so many years.