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February 19, 2018Guidelines for Service Uniforms: Order of Malta, Federal Association, USADear Fellow Pilgrim to Lourdes:You will notice during our week in Lourdes that all of the Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta, andmany of their guests, wear “service uniforms”. These uniforms are important for a number of reasons,not the least of which is they serve as reminders that the Order is both a military order and a sovereignstate.The uniforms also serve less tangible purposes. The similarities among the uniforms show how we are allpart of one order, one community, with the Grand Master as our leader and religious superior. Theslight differences in appearance show the individuality of the various communities, or Associations,throughout the world.In a very real sense, the uniforms elicit reassurance among the Malades, our lords the sick, whom weserve in Lourdes. Surely, the uniforms signify to the Malades that those who are serving them are wellorganized and disciplined. They are in good hands. Also, the uniforms make crystal clear the sheerenormity of the prayer group behind our Malades during our week in Lourdes and for eternity.Therefore, our uniforms are important and should be taken seriously. This memo is intended to help youdo so, by laying out some guidelines.These guidelines should be viewed as just that – guidelines. There are no “uniform police” secretlywatching you and it is highly unlikely that you will be asked, at least overtly, to correct a faux pas.Ultimately the Lourdes Pilgrimage is about serving our Malades. Snappy uniforms are secondary at best.But I do ask you to read this memo, take the uniforms seriously, do not improvise, and follow the lead ofthe team leaders and our Lourdes “veterans”.One side benefit of taking the uniforms seriously is that you will look the better for it! Who knows, theFederal Association may someday give the Italians a run for their sartorial money!Confraternally Yours,Craig Jarchow, KMObChairman, Lourdes Committee1
Checklist: Men’s service uniformKnights, candidates, and auxiliary are required to wear the men’s work uniform. Volunteers and spousesare highly encouraged to wear it as well, and effectively all in recent memory have done so, but maywear their civilian clothes if they do not wish to purchase the uniform.Purchased from Liberty Army and Navy Store:1. Black, military-style jacket with epaulets and Order of Malta patch on left shoulder:a. The standard-issue jacket is a black ripstop BDU shirt.2. Black trousers with no cuffs:a. The standard-issue trousers also are black ripstop BDUs.3. Black rain jacket (optional):a. Waterproof, Order of Malta patch on left shoulder; An option is available throughLiberty Army Navy.b. A black rain poncho¹ or black rainproof golf jacket¹ with no commercial logos also areacceptable. Please, only black ponchos and jackets for the men.4. Necktie:a. The standard issue tie is a dark gray tie with white Malta crosses.b. A plain black tie is an acceptable alternative 1.5. Belt:a. Order of Malta belt worn over the black jacket. The standard issue Federal Associationbelt is the “British Association-style” belt provided through Liberty Army Navy.b. You also may purchase a belt from the British Association in Lourdes.c. The belt formerly provided by Muscatello’s remains an acceptable alternative, but is nolonger available for purchase.6. Black beret (optional):a. The standard issue beret is a black “inspection-ready” beret that has a red Order ofMalta insignia.b. Please, only military-style berets that have a stiff front-side for mounting insignia. Donot improvise.7. Black v-neck sweater (optional); A military style option is available from Liberty Army Navy.Supplied by the individual:1. White collared shirts:a. The Brooks Brothers white, all-cotton dress shirt is a good example.b. Bring several shirts for the week.2. Black socks:a. Consider calf-length socks.3. Black shoes or boots:a. Comfortable shoes are important, as you will be walking and standing a lot.b. Consider purchasing water-resistant or water-proof shoes, as it will rain. If your shoesare not at least water-resistant, consider bringing two pairs to allow for drying time.c. An optional boot is available from Liberty Army Navy.d. Please no sneakers, black or otherwise.1Purchased individually, not available from Liberty Army Navy or the Federal Association.2
4. Black umbrella (optional):a. Please consider bringing an umbrella, as it will rain.b. Shorter umbrellas with belt hooks are nice, as they free-up your hands.5. Black gloves (optional). Sometimes helpful for pulling carts.6. Cold-weather gear (optional):a. Check www.weather.com or equivalent to determine whether it will be cold in Lourdesduring our pilgrimage. If so, the following items may be useful. Only bring these items ifit is predicted to be cold, as they are bulky.b. Warm undershirt or long-johns.c. The black rainproof golf jacket (with no commercial logos) mentioned above.d. The black gloves mentioned above.7. Knight of Malta ribbon (for Knights only) and any service ribbons.8. Choir robe 2 and Malta Cross for the Pontifical Mass and Eucharistic Procession (Knights only).Supplied by the Federal Association (to the extent not already possessed by the individual):1. Epaulets, name tags, Lourdes service medal.2. Please also bring the following if you already have them:a. Name tag.b. Lourdes service medal (silver medal hung on red ribbon).c. Medical pin (if on medical team).Choir robes also are referred to as “church” robes. The former term is preferred and refers to the “choir” stalls inancient churches wherein clergy or religious (e.g., monks) would sit facing one another to pray the Divine Office,etc.23
Checklist: Women’s service uniformAll Dames of the Order, candidates, and members of the auxiliary are to wear the work uniformthroughout the week in Lourdes. Spouses likewise are strongly encouraged to wear the uniform.Volunteers may wear this uniform if they wish, but it is not required. Effectively all spouses andvolunteers in recent memory have opted to wear the uniform.Purchased from Liberty Army and Navy Store:1. White cotton nurse’s veil with red Order of Malta insignia.a. An acceptable alternative is the white veil offered by the Lebanese Association inLourdes and the veils offered by the Federal Association in prior years. The FederalAssociation will have pins available for these veils in Lourdes.Supplied by the individual:1. Cape:a. Dames of Malta receive capes upon their investiture.b. If not a Dame, the Federal Association has capes available for rental. Please do notborrow a cape from a Dame, as the rental capes conform to Rome’s new guidelines forvolunteer capes (the crosses are slightly smaller).2. Nurse’s uniform:a. White nurse’s dress or a white blouse and white knee-length skirt.b. Black or beige (not white) stockings.c. White nursing-style apron with bib (optional).3. Black shoes:a. Comfortable shoes are important, as you will be walking and standing a lot.b. Consider purchasing water-resistant or water-proof shoes, as it will rain. If your shoesare not at least water-resistant, consider bringing two pairs to allow for drying time.c. Please no sneakers, black or otherwise.4. Red cardigan sweater (not orange or fuchsia).5. Red belt (optional):a. The red belt sold by the British Association in Lourdes is a nice option.6. Rain gear (optional):a. Although the cape is water-resistant, other rain gear is advised.b. Red poncho.c. Red or black umbrella.7. Black gloves (optional).8. Cold-weather gear (optional):a. Check www.weather.com or equivalent to determine whether it will be cold in Lourdesduring our pilgrimage. If so, the following items may be useful.b. A red fleece vest or red jacket with minimal commercial logos (worn under the cape).c. A red or black scarf (worn under the cape).d. The black gloves mentioned above.9. Malta Cross (Dames only) for cape during Pontifical Mass and Eucharistic Procession.10. Service ribbon(s) (if any).4
Rented from the Federal Association:1. Rental capes:a. These are for candidates, spouses, family members, volunteers, young volunteers (notpages), and auxiliary. These capes are ordered through the Federal Association.b. Dames do not need to rent a cape and instead should bring the one they received uponinvestiture.Available from the Federal Association (to the extent not already possessed by the individual):1. Team colored ribbons, name tags, Lourdes service medal.2. Please also bring the following if you already have them:a. Name tag.b. Lourdes service medal (silver medal hung on red ribbon).c. Medical pin (if on medical team).5
Frequently asked questions:1. Am I required to wear a work uniform? The answer is “yes” for Knights, Dames, candidates, andauxiliary. Effectively all volunteers and spouses wear the uniform as well, but may wear theircivilian clothes if they do not wish to purchase the uniform.2. When must I wear the uniform? All week, with the exception of travel days (both Wednesdays),the countryside tour, and the farewell banquet. On these occasions, service uniforms are notworn.3. Are the commemorative pins for the Blessed Gerard Society and the Holy Family Hospitalfundraiser allowed on the uniform? Yes. For men, please place these pins on your right side, onthe breast pocket, with the top about a half-inch below the pocket flap.4. Are other commemorative pins allowed on the uniform? Yes, but only if they are approximatelythe size of a normal lapel pin. Please be discrete and limit the number or pins. Less is more. Also,women have the option to wear the pins on their blouse, apron or sweater inside their cape andare encouraged to do so. Unfortunately, the men have no such option for downplaying the pins.5. Are women allowed to wear name tags, service ribbons, and Lourdes medals on their capes?Yes. Although normally they should be worn centered at the top of the apron, they may be wornon the cape if otherwise they would not be visible. The only exception is the Pontifical Mass andEucharistic Procession when the cape becomes the Dame's choir robe. In this case, only the Crossof the Order for Dames may be worn on the cape.6. When do women wear their capes? Throughout the week whenever the work uniforms areworn. However, during the Eucharistic Procession on Saturday afternoon and the Pontifical Masson Sunday morning, the cape with the large embroidered Malta Cross on the left side becomesthe formal choir robe and thereby protocol dictates that it should only be worn by Dames, notcandidates, spouses, volunteers, or auxiliary. Note, however, that inclement weather may makeit ill-advised for women who are not Dames to remove their capes during the EucharisticProcession (the Pontifical Mass normally is indoors).7. I am a member of the medical profession (physician, dentist, nurse, or pharmacist). How do I getthe medical pin? The pin is provided by the International Medical Association of Lourdes. Medicalprofessionals on their first pilgrimage should contact the pilgrimage medical director (throughtheir team leader, if they like) to obtain a medical pin upon their arrival in Lourdes.8. Are black baseball caps with the Order of Malta logo acceptable? No.9. Is any other type of headgear for men other than the beret acceptable? No.10. Is it acceptable to wear the beret during Mass? No. This guideline includes the Grotto Mass.11. What should I do with my beret when I take it off? It should be tucked under your belt in avertical fashion and folded over the belt. Tucking it under an epaulet is discouraged.12. What is the difference between a medal and a ribbon? Ribbons signify that one is a member ofthe Order of Malta or commemorate some service to the Order. They are rectangular and are6
about 1.375 inches long by about 0.375 inches wide. They are worn above the nametag. Medalsare what you would normally consider a medal to be – a circular, imprinted piece of medal at theend of a one-inch-wide ribbon that is several inches long. They are worn below the nametag.13. What medals should be worn on the uniform? Just the red Lourdes service medal. The blueHospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes medal also is acceptable (for the relatively few people whohave it). No other medals are worn.14. What are those “stars” on the red Lourdes service medal? Those “stars” actually are small Maltacrosses that indicate the number of times the wearer has attended the Order of Malta’s Lourdespilgrimage. A small silver cross represents one pilgrimage, whereas a gold cross represents five.15. I have more than one service ribbon. How do I place the ribbons on my uniform? There areguidelines for ribbon placement (see following pages). Also, use a ribbon mount for more thanone ribbon. These mounts are available from the Federal Association in Lourdes.16. What ribbons are acceptable? Only those ribbons representing decorations legitimately issued tothe wearer by the Order of Malta or any of its related entities. No ribbons issued by otherpersons or institutions, Catholic, military, or secular, should be worn.17. Is it acceptable to wear insignia or ribbons from other Catholic Orders or fraternal organizations(e.g., Holy Sephulcre, St. Gregory, Knights of Columbus)? No.18. I lost the metal clasp for the back of my pin, nametag, ribbon(s), etc., how do I get areplacement? Your team leader has replacement clasps.19. How do I purchase a British Association belt or a Lebanese Association veil? Ask your teamleader or assistant team leader and he/she will guide you to the stores for these Associations orwill find a Lourdes veteran who will. British Association-style, the new standard issue, belts formen are available for pre-order via the Liberty Army and Navy Store.20. Some of the items in the standard-issue uniform have changed over the years. Am I required topurchase the latest versions of these items? No. The blue, striped tie and gray tie purchasedfrom Muscatello’s both are acceptable. So is a solid black tie. The various versions of the men’sbelt all are acceptable.21. Who qualifies as a “Page”? Generally boys and girls not yet in high school who are accompanyinga family member on the Lourdes Pilgrimage.22. Will I be thrown into the Lourdes brig if I run afoul of these guidelines? No, these are guidelinesonly.23. Is there any chance that the Federal Association will look snappier than the Italian Associationthis year? Maybe, possibly. With these guidelines, surely there is no longer a need to pray to St.Jude, the patron of lost causes, to achieve this outcome! On second thought, prayers to St Judewouldn’t hurt 7
The Federal Association men’s service uniformTie (standard issue)Epaulets (colors vary by team)White shirt with collarOrder of Malta ribbonService ribbon(s)FederalAssociationinsigniaName tag (pinned topocket flap)Lourdes service medal(pinned to outside ofpocket flap behindnametag)Blessed Gerard Societypin and/or Holy FamilyHospital pin (optional).Two pins are worn sideby-side.Belt (standard issue)Note: The men’s jacket is depicted in gray for clarity. It actually is black. You will receive epaulets, aname tag (if you don’t already have one), and the Lourdes service medal (if you don’t already haveone) from the Order during the pilgrimage. You are responsible for bringing everything else.8
The placement of ribbonsRibbons are placed about half an inch above the left pocket on the men’s work uniform. They areplaced about a half an inch above the name tag on the women’s cape, sweater, apron, or blouse. Inboth cases, the ribbons are centered above the name tag.There is an order of precedence for the ribbons in the case where there is more than one Knights and Dames all have a black ribbon on account of their membership in the Order. This ribbonis always of first precedence and always appears in the upper left-hand corner of any set of ribbons.Other service ribbons are placed in slots of lower precedence. You may notice that some Knights andDames have a ribbon that commemorates their volunteer service for Katrina disaster relief. Anotherribbon commemorates the 150 anniversary of Lourdes. Yet another commemorates the 900anniversary of the Order itself.If you have more than one ribbon, use a ribbon mount (available in Lourdes). These mounts keep theribbons together and keep things looking sharp!Order of precedence for ribbonsHigh4High9356Low½”½”2Low
The placement of ribbons (continued) So, you might ask: “How do I determine the order of precedence for my ribbons?”. Good question.The answer is:1. The appropriate Knight/Dame ribbon,2. The appropriate Pro Merito Melitense ribbon,3. Malteser International Silver Medal of Merit ribbon,4. Federal Association President's ribbon,5. All other decorations from the Order of Malta in the order in which they were received.You may be interested to know that there is a Wikipedia page on ribbons from the Order! It can befound by clicking here.Here is an actual example:The ribbons in the photograph above are as follows (starting at the top and working downward inprecedence – that is, downward and from left to right): (1) Appropriate Knight's ribbon; (2) ProMerito Melitense ribbon (3) Federal Association President's Award ribbon; (4) 2000 JubileeAssistance Award ribbon; (5) Malteser Disaster Relief Bronze Medal w/Disaster Bar ribbon; (6)150th Anniversary Lourdes ribbon; (7) 900th Anniversary Rome ribbon.10
The Lourdes Service MedalThe Lourdes Service Medal is a silver and red medal emblazoned with the Malta cross hung on a redribbon. It is worn immediately below, and centered on the nametag.All Knights, Dames, candidates, spouses, volunteers, auxiliary, and pages wear the Lourdes ServiceMedal. It is awarded to first-time pilgrims on Saturday evening, usually by a representative of theOrder of Malta’s Sovereign Council, and sometimes the Grand Master himself.You will notice that Lourdes “veterans” have small Malta crosses affixed to the red ribbon that is partof the medal (see pictures below). These small crosses indicate the number of times the wearer hasattended the Order of Malta’s Lourdes pilgrimage. A small silver cross represents one pilgrimage,whereas a gold cross represents five. These crosses are distributed at the end of the pilgrimage bythe Federal Association. Don’t leave Lourdes without one!Lourdes service medal. Centered on thenametag. Pinned to outside of pocket flapbehind the nametag.11
The Federal Association women’s service uniformThe ribbons, nametags, pins, and medalsappear in the same relative configuration onthe women’s uniforms, except that these itemsappear on the cape, sweater, apron, or blouse(whichever is the outermost layer; they areworn on the cape only if they would otherwisenot be visible) In addition to a cape (required forDames, optional for everyone else), thewomen wear a white blouse, a whiteknee-length skirt, a white veil, black orbeige (not white) stockings, and blackshoes (tennis shoes are not acceptable).A red cardigan sweater (not orange orfuchsia) also usually is worn, as is a redbelt (see note about the BritishAssociation belt on a page that follows).Veils are available for purchase fromLiberty Army and Navy. In the adjoiningphoto, the veil on the left is thestandard-issue veil. The veil on the rightis shorter and can be purchased fromthe Lebanese Association in Lourdes.Instead of epaulets, women wearcolored ribbons on their nametags todesignate their team affiliation. Theseribbons will be provided to you.12
Variations on the theme You will see three principal variations on the uniform theme The first is a pin worn by all members of the medical team. This pin is large, white and blue with across in the middle. The cross is red for physicians, purple for dentists, white with a red outline fornurses, and green for pharmacists. The pin is provided by the International Medical Association ofLourdes. Medical professionals on their first pilgrimage shouldcontact the pilgrimage medical director (through their teamleader, if they like) to obtain a medical pin upon their arrival inLourdes.Medical pinThe second variation is a blue medal with white vertical stripesthat is worn alongside the red Lourdes service medal. Thismedal is worn by members of “Hospitalité Notre Dame deLourdes” who have contributed at least one week of service toLourdes per year working in the Domaine aside from ourpilgrimage for at least five years and have committed tocontinue this service for as long as they are able. This service isnot restricted to Knights and Dames of the Order.This medal should not be confused with the Katrina Disasterrelief medal, which looks similar. Katrina Disaster Relief shouldbe commemorated with a ribbon, not a medal, on the workuniform.Hospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes medal13
Variations on the theme (continued) The third variation on the work uniform is the belt.The new Men’s standard issue belt is a style commonly referred to as the British Association-stylebelt. Men may purchase the belt from Liberty Army and Navy. The British belt is shown below (leftside).The British Association also offers a nice red belt for women (below right). It is optional and can bepurchased directly from the British Association in Lourdes.The men’s belt obtained in previous years from Muscatello’s has a square buckle. It is perfectlyacceptable, but is not available for purchase in 2018. Three examples are shown below.14
Good examplesGood examples of sharp uniforms appear below. Looking good! So much so, that traffic comes to ascreeching halt!15
Men’s headgearThe official headgear for the Federal Association’s work uniform is the standard-issue beretpurchased from the Liberty Army and Navy Store. The purchase and wearing of this beret is optional.Note that any other hat, including black baseball hats with the Order of Malta logo, are notacceptable. Also, any other beret is unacceptable. Men’s headgear is not worn during Mass. Thisincludes outdoor Masses, such as the Mass in the Grotto. Similarly, headgear is not worn with themen’s choir robes.When not in use, the beret should be tucked under your belt in a vertical fashion and folded over thebelt. Tucking it under an epaulet is discouraged.During prior pilgrimages, it has been a challenge to establish some consistency in headgear. Perhapsthis is because berets are difficult to wear well and are unfamiliar to men who have not served inmilitary units where the beret is part of the uniform.However, when worn well, berets are quite stunning in appearance.In the picture immediately below, the beret on the left is worn in the French, non-military style. Thisis perfectly acceptable and is becoming. In contrast, on the right, the beret is worn in the militarystyle. This is quite becoming, and is the perfect complement to the service uniform. How does oneachieve the military look? Well, it is a well-kept secret that men in the military “form” their beretsinto the military shape.16
The military style beretIt will be no surprise to anyone that the U.S. Military has instructions on the proper wearing ofberets. Boiled down, these instructions are as follows:1.2.3.4.The logo on the beret should be centered over the left eye.The brim of the beret should be horizontal and two finger-widths above the both eye brows.The right side of the beret should overlap the right ear slightly.The crease on top should extend forward, in front of the stiff flashing on which the logo ismounted.5. The adjustment strings in back should be tied off and cut once a good fit is established.Crease on top should extend forward, in frontof stiff flashing on which the logo is mountedLogo centered over lefteyeRight side of beretshould overlap theright ear slightlyBrim should behorizontal and twofinger-widths aboveeye browsThis is fine, you might say, but why won’t my beret conform to the shape shown above? For the2018 pilgrimage, this shouldn’t be a problem because the standard-issue berets are “pre-formedinspection-ready” berets. For the berets purchased prior to 2015, there is a trick that is widely usedin military circles dampen the beret thoroughly and place it on your head. Create the crease in front. Work the beretby running your open hand firmly from the top of the beret down to the right. After you are finishedforming the beret let it dry on your head or an inverted bowl about the size of your head, otherwiseit may shrink too much (remember that berets are wool). Repeat this process as necessary. To readmore about this process simply Google “shape a beret” and ample how-to information and videoswill be immediately forthcoming.17
More formal occasionsThere will be two occasions in Lourdes where we are more formal. The first is Eucharistic Processionon Saturday afternoon and the second is the Pontifical Mass in the underground basilica on Sundaymorning.On both of these occasions, the Knights wear their choir robes¹ (shown below). Note, however, thatfor the Pontifical Mass, the choir robes are not worn until inside the basilica. In contrast, robes areworn outside for the Eucharistic Procession. Knights in choir robes should not pull carts during theprocession. Note that no headgear is worn when Knights are in their choir robes.During the Pontifical Mass and Eucharistic Procession, the cape, worn as the Lourdes work uniformby women, becomes the Dames' choir robe and, accordingly, no name tags, ribbons, or medals areto be worn during these events other than the Cross of the Order for Dames (see below).¹ Choir robes also are referred to as “church” robes. The former term is preferred and refers to the“choir” stalls in ancient churches wherein clergy or religious (e.g., monks) would sit facing one anotherto pray the Divine Office, etc.18
Uniforms for pagesPages are the young boys and girls not yet in high school who join their families in Lourdes.Obviously, the uniform guidelines for pages are flexible, but we do have some suggestions.For the boys, we suggest that they wear the Order of Malta work uniform. If not feasible, perhapsthe following will suffice:1.2.3.4.5.A button-down cotton white dress shirt.A navy or similar dark tie.Dark pants, perhaps navy or black.Black shoes. Avoid sneakers please.A dark navy sweater or navy jacket or navy fleece.For the girls, we suggest the following:1.2.3.4.5.A dark gray skort.White blouse with a collar.Navy v-neck or cardigan sweater or navy fleece.Navy or black stockings.Black leather shoes (not sneakers, not patent leather).19
Knight of Malta ribbon (for Knights only) and any service ribbons. 8. Choir robe2 and Malta Cross for the Pontifical Mass and Eucharistic Procession (Knights only). . c. Medical pin (if on medical team). 2 Choir robes also are referred to as "church" robes. The former term is preferred and refers to the "choir" stalls in
