A friendship formed by volunteers in Lourdes last year led to more than 1,000 surgical masks being sent from Hong Kong to the west of Ireland
Two Order of Malta teams from Co Mayo and the former British colony looked after the disabled and the sick in hospitals at the pilgrimage site.
The volunteers stuck up a strong bond and rapport during their work last May and it led to the delivery of PPE on Tuesday.
Michael Hughes and Bernie Green of the Order of Malta in Westport collected the masks when they were delivered.
Michael said: “We have a very small group in the Order of Malta here and for those masks to be sent from the other side of the world is amazing.
“It’s a very small group of people who started the Order of Malta over there in Hong Kong in 2018.
“They are all Japanese.
“We met them last year when we were in Lourdes when we were working together and looking after the handicapped and the sick.
“They were assigned to assist the Irish team in the hospitals there and there were a number of them who worked with our team from Westport.
“They had extra masks and they thought to get in contact with us and have them flown over.
“It’s a very generous and kind donation and it’s a sign of great spirit and cooperation.”
Mr Hughes said the organisation which gets no State funding has 20 senior members and up to 35 junior members, all of whom are volunteers.
He added: “There’s 11 or 12 units in Mayo.
“We will distribute them to our colleagues based in Castlebar, Ballina, Louisburgh, Ballyhaunis and Sligo.”
