Ambassador Frank Rainieri celebrates feast of St. John the Baptist

Santo Domingo.- Ambassador Frank R. Rainieri, representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Dominican Republic, hosted a cocktail reception to mark the Feast of St. John the Baptist, the Order’s patron saint. The celebration began with a Mass officiated by Monsignor Francisco Ozoria, Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo.

During the event, Rainieri reflected on his decade-long tenure, highlighting the Order’s humanitarian impact under his leadership. Since his appointment in 2014, the Order has delivered over 180 containers of humanitarian aid, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, to more than 300 public health centers across the country. In 2023 alone, the Order distributed 17 containers—worth over 500 million pesos—to 120 health centers in 20 provinces.

Rainieri noted that the Order of Malta currently operates three health centers in Herrera, Monte Plata, and Haina, offering maternal and primary care services to over 50,000 vulnerable patients annually. He also spotlighted a recent collaboration with PUCMM’s School of Medicine, in which nearly 100 patients received free medical care from over 30 student doctors.

Rainieri announced his retirement from his role as Ambassador after 10 years of service, expressing gratitude to President Luis Abinader and Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez for their support and honors. “It is time to make way for new generations,” he stated, thanking his colleagues and wife, Haydée, for their unwavering support.