Relic of Blessed Gerald taken to Warsaw

Mgr Henryk Blaszczyk, chaplain of the Polish section of the Order of the Knights of Malta, and Krystyna Mikulanka, honorary consul for Malta in Poland, yesterday left Malta with a relic of the Blessed Gerald which they will be taking to Warsaw.

Mgr Blaszczyk obtained the relic from the convent of the nuns of St Ursula, in Valletta, through the intervention of the Maltese Curia, Ms Mikulanka said.

The Blessed Gerald who found the Order later known as Knights of St John or Hospitallers was known for his caring of the sick during the pilgrimages to Jerusalem in the early years of the 12th century.

"The relic will be presented tomorrow - which is Blessed Gerald's feast day - to Polish President Lech Kaczynski who will officially nominate the Blessed Gerald as the patron of the Polish Ambulance Life Rescue Team.

"This nomination has been approved by the Polish Parliament," Ms Mikulanka said.

Mgr Blaszczyk is also the chaplain of the Polish Ambulance Life Rescue Team.

The relic will be kept at the church of the Knights of St John in Warsaw.