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A Johanniter ambulance in Germany

(© picture-alliance/dpa)

The Johanniterorden, or Order of St. John, was founded about 900 years ago in Jerusalem around the time of the First Crusade, in approximately 1099. They established a hospital for pilgrims which was later opened to anyone, including wounded soldiers, regardless of origin.

The purpose and goal of this oldest of Orders is to care for the needy and to defend the Christian faith.  The Protestant branch of what was previously called the Knights Hospitalier is nowadays called the Johanniter, while the Catholic branch is called the Order of Malta.

The Johanniter, or members of the Order of St. John, in Germany also have about 10 hospitals (with over 2,500 beds), 35 senior homes (with more than 4,300 places) and an ambulance service in Germany with some two million financial donors. And they do not limit their service to just Germany, but help all over the world, in countries where disasters happen or just where there is need.

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The "Aktion Deutschland Hilft" logo, representing an alliance of Germany based charitable organizations, including the Catholic Malteser Hilfsdienst and Protestant Johanniter Unfallhilfe, or ambulance service.

(© picture-alliance/dpa)

In the United States, even though there are only about 50 official Johanniter knights spread across the country (in clusters in cities such as New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta and Dallas as well as throughout the country), they are extremely active in charitable work.

The scale of how the Johanniter help is broad.  Their motto is Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Paperum, which means to defend the faith as well as to help the needy.  They understand Christianity in an active way through such work and service.  They work where the suffering of their neighbors awaits their acts of love and where the afflicted need the witness of their faith.  They always refer to those in need as their Lords the Sick and the Poor.

Here are four examples of the type of work that the Johanniter are doing in the United States:

Feeding wounded US soldiers and their families

The Johanniter provide dinners to wounded US soldiers and their families in local military hospitals.  Many of the wounded are amputees younger than 25 years old.  Many also are being treated for trauma.  There are also other military families who are facing non-combative health issues. The Johanniter strive to help support these persons both as a group and individually.   In a recent example, the mother of one of the Johanniter in Washington is trying to raise enough funds to help a 23-year-old triple amputee be able to purchase a car to accomodate his wheelchair.

Hurricane Relief

Recently, the Dallas-based Johanniter assembled five carloads and two truckloads of donations to help students who lost their possessions in Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas.

Feeding the Homeless

On a regular basis, Johanniter assemble to feed the homeless and poor in the cities where they are located.

Building a library in an underprivileged elementary school

In one city, an elementary school in a needy neighborhood had no library facility.  The Johanniter then transformed a large room in the school, repainted it, furnished it and assembled thousands of books.

The symbol of the Johanniter is the eight pointed cross based on the eight beatitudes of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  Regardless of origin or status, the Johanniter are there to help those in need. 

With the recent release of the film Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, it is interesting to note that about 14 persons who were martyred as a result of the July 1944 resistance attempt on Hitler were from the Johanniter and Order of Malta.

This article was contributed to Germany.info by the Johanniterorden, or Order of St. John, in Washington, DC. Its members have recently prepared food for, visited and prayed with wounded US soldiers now undergoing rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Fisher Houses, which assist military families.