900 Years Serving Those in Need

Mission of the Order

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, better known as the Order of Malta, is one of the oldest institutions of Christian civilization and in fact is the first Christian religious order dedicated to helping the poor and the sick.  Founded in Jerusalem around 1050, it is a lay religious Order whose members commit to living their Catholic faith in service to the sick and the poor.

The Cuban Association was founded in La Habana, Cuba, in 1952. In the intervening decades, history and politics required us to move, and today we are headquartered in Miami, Florida, but our membership continues to consist mainly of native Cubans and their decedents regardless where we live who have committed to live their lives in accordance with the principles that unite all members of the Order of Malta: testifying the Faith and service to the suffering. Its members share the same vocation and strive together for solidarity, justice and peace. Based on the teaching of the Gospels and in the closest communion with the Holy See, we are active in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and South Florida.

Throughout those years, we never lost our focus of helping those in need in Cuba and today our programs extend throughout the Island serving over 5,000 elderly through over 60 points of service. Our travels expanded our horizons, however, and our aid extends beyond Cuba. A majority of us live in Miami, Florida, and accordingly we serve those in need through La Casa de Malta, a facility on the grounds of St. John Bosco parish which serves many undocumented aliens from Central America and the Caribbean. And our doctors and other volunteers also conduct medical missions in the Caribbean Basin and Central American regions, particularly in the Dominican Republic.