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On Sunday 1 December, the First Sunday of Advent, the seventh-year seminarians Samuel Aquilina and Marlon Victor Bajada, were conferred the Ministry of Acolytes by the diocesan bishop H.E. Mgr Anton Teuma.

The mass with the rite of institution took place at 10.00am at St George’s Basilica in Victoria. Seminarian Samuel hails from the said parish, that of St George in Victoria, while seminarian Marlon is from the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St Gregory the Great in Ta’ Kerċem. Following the proclamation of the Gospel, the candidates were presented to the Bishop by the Rector Fr Joseph Bajada. After the homily, H.E. Mons. Teuma prayed upon the candidates and presented them the chalice and paten, inviting them to live their life in a closer relationship to God.

Several priests, including the Seminary formators and priests from Samuel’s and Marlon’s parishes, concelebrated with the Bishop. The celebration was also attended by the Franciscan Sisters of the Seminary, the relatives of the seminarians and other friends and acquaintances.

Through the ministry of Acolyte, the seminarian lives a more profound discipleship of love to the Lord and service to the others. Apart from this the seminarian is able to assist the priest and deacon during liturgical celebration, distribute the Holy Eucharist to the faithful in church and to the sick at their homes, and expose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration.

Last Saturday at noon, the Church marked the beginning of a new liturgical year with the start of Advent. The Seminary community celebrated this occasion with the Proclamation of Advent, held at the Seminary Chapel.

The celebration, which began at 11:00 a.m., was divided into two parts. The first part focused on the enthronement of the Word of God on the altar. Following an opening greeting by the celebrant, Vice-Rector Fr. Gabriel Gauci, the passage from Luke 4:16-19 was proclaimed. Fr. Gabriel then delivered a reflection on the significance of the celebration of the Jubilee, in anticipation of the upcoming Jubilee of Hope in 2025.

The second part featured the enthronement of a new painting inspired by this year’s theme, drawn from Mark 3:14. This painting, created by artist Paul Falzon, was officially unveiled and blessed during the ceremony. The celebration concluded shortly after noon with the celebrant’s blessing upon the community.

Throughout Advent, the Seminary community will follow a modified schedule. Each morning before Mass, at 6:10 a.m., the community will gather in the chapel to pray the Office of Readings. During Mass, the celebrant will also offer a brief reflection following the Gospel reading.

During this week, the Seminary community made two vocational initiatives.

The first was a vocational experience for students frequenting the 16+ Diocesan Vocational Group, were invited to stay for some days at the Seminary. The live-in started on Wednesday 27 November evening, till Saturday 30 November morning. During these days, the seven students had the opportunity to experience the daily life at the Seminary, and together with the seminarians they had moments of prayer, reflection, pastoral activity, as well as recreation.

On Friday 29 of November another experience was done in Sir M.A. Refalo Sixth Form in Victoria. The seminarians were accompanied by three students of the Order of the Friars Minor, two Dominican Sisters of the Order of Saint Catherine of Siena, a nun of the Franciscans of the Sacred Heart, another from the Carmelite Missionaries of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, and another nun from the Ursolines of Saint Angela Merici. During the third lesson, the seminarians and consecrated people, divided in various groups, had the opportunity to visit every class in the school and deliver a short vocational message to the students. Throughout the remainder of the morning, altogether they stayed near the school entrance and canteen to be able to encounter students and talk to them, whilst offering them hot chocolate and biscuits.

This week, on Wednesday 27 November at 4.00pm, a moral case study regarding the using of IVF methods, was held at the Seminary Conference Room. The case was presented by the seventh-year seminarian Samuel Aquilina, as a part of the course ‘The inviolability of human life’ taught at the Seminary’s theological institute by Can George Frendo. The case study was attended by the seminarians, several of the formators, lecturers and other members of the Gozitan clergy.

The case was about a couple who after six years of marriage was unable to conceive children. The couple were presented with IVF as a possible solution for their difficulty, by the medical team at the hospital. In front of this proposal, the couple consulted a priest to get to understand better the Church’s teaching with regards to IVF before making their decision.

After the case was outlined, Aquilina presented his research as a response, in three parts. In the first part he highlighted some important definitions and explained the basic process involved in IVF procedures. He proceeded by demonstrating the Church’s teaching about procreation, making reference to three magisterial documents: Humanae vitae (1968), Donum vitae (1987) and Dignitatis personae (2008). In the final part of the work, in light of the Magisterium’s teaching, Aquilina showed which aspects of IVF are problematic.

The two main values around which the presentation revolved were: (1) the unconditional respect to every human being from the beginning of his existence, and (2) the specifically human character of the personal act which transmits life. These two fundamental principles are outlined in both of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith’s instructions: Donum vitae and Dignitatis personae.

Following the presentation there was a brief discussion moderated by Canon Frendo.

On Saturday, November 9th, the Seminary hosted its traditional fundraising dinner to honour Saint Martin, the bishop of Tours. The event, which began at 7:00 pm, welcomed around 170 guests along with numerous volunteers who helped with preparations. The menu featured a five-course meal, including Gozitan cheeslets with honey and figs, minestra, għaġin il-forn, pork loin with roasted vegetables, and the customary St. Martin’s cake. Guests were also offered coffee and limoncello.

During the dinner, members of the association “Aħwa-ħbieb tas-Seminarju” held a raffle with various prizes, such as vouchers and items donated by generous supporters. After the meal, Rector Fr. Joseph Bajada invited attendees to explore the Seminary and visit the seminarians’ quarters.

The Seminary extends its gratitude to all the guests for their attendance and the many volunteers organising the event. Special appreciation goes to the Franciscan Sisters at the Seminary for their dedicated hours preparing for the evening.

Today, Thursday 24 October 2024, marks an important anniversary in the history of our Seminary. The Seminary community is celebrating hundred years of the presence of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Seminary.

The anniversary was celebrated with a mass presided by H.E. Mgr Anton Teuma, Bishop of Gozo, at 11.00am at the Seminary Chapel. Numerous priests previously involved in the Seminary formation concelebrated. Present also were the Mother Provincial of the congregation Sr Claudia Zammit, and many sisters from the several convents of the congregation in Gozo. Afterwards a reception for those present was held at the Seminary courtyard.

The Franciscan Sisters first came to the Seminary on the 24 October 1924 on the wish of their founder the Venerable Madre Margherita Debrincat. They were entrusted the mission of taking care of the kitchen and of bringing a motherly touch to the institution. They dedicated their tiny chapel and convent to Saint Michael Archangel. The sisters came after the departure of the Jesuit fathers during whose administration the kitchen was run by a local cook and assistant.

The Seminary convent today houses three Franciscan sisters: Mother superior Sr Giuseppina Farrugia, Sr Clementia Borg and Sr Shanti Perbo. While wholeheartedly congratulating the sisters on this anniversary, we thank them for their service and promise them our prayers and prayers for more vocations in their congregation.

Last week, the Liturgical and Missionary Group organised various activities in view of the World Mission Day, celebrated on Sunday, 20th October 2024. This week’s theme was inspired by the parable of the wedding banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14), as commented by Pope Francis in this year’s World Mission Day message.

This Mission Week started on Monday, October 14th. On this day, the community prayed for Bishop Giovanni Cefai MSSP and Fr Raymond Portelli, who are both Gozitan missionaries in Peru. After dinner, the seminarians watched “Cabrini,” a film that depicts the life of Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini.

On Tuesday, the Seminary community prayed for Bishops Joe Bonello OFM and George Bugeja, who are both Gozitan missionaries in Honduras and Libya, respectively. In the evening, the seminarians organised a Eucharistic adoration that included special prayers related to Mission Day and a reflection on the parable of the wedding banquet.

On Wednesday, the prayers were dedicated to Fr Anton Grech and Mgr Joseph Camilleri, both Gozitan missionaries, this time in Guatemala. On Thursday, the seminary community welcomed Mgr Jimmy Xerri, currently serving as the diocese’s delegate for Caritas and previously serving as a missionary in Brazil. Mgr Xerri celebrated mass and shared a reflection on his previous work in Brazil. On that day, the community prayed for Sr. Martha Joy and Sr. Lux Marie, two Gozitan nuns with the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity. In the evening, a videocall with Br Carmel Duca MC was organised. Br Carmel is a Maltese consegrated layperson forming part of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity Brothers and is currently serving his mission in Los Angles. During the videocall, Br Carmel shared his experience with Missionaries of Charity Brothers and also answered several questions made by the seminarians.

On Friday, the prayers were dedicated to Fr Adeodato Schembri and his mission in Brazil. In the afternoon, the Seminarians visited the form 5 students of the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary. They shared with them a missionary-themed message, which included the sharing of missionary experiences in Guatemala, India and the Philippines done by some of the Seminarians in the past months.

In addition to the above-mentioned activities, the Liturgical and Missionary group prepared some missionary symbols, which were placed in the chapel.

Yesterday, Friday 11 October 2024, the two sixth year seminarians Anthony Joe Borg and Fabio Cini were admitted as candidates for the Sacred Orders.

The rite of admission took place during a solemn high mass celebrated by H.E. Mgr Anton Teuma, Bishop of Gozo, at the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in Victoria. This day also happened to be the 308 anniversary from the Dedication of the Cathedral. By this rite, the Bishop formally accepted the seminarians Anthony Joe and Fabio as candidates for the Sacred Orders. He prayed God to bestow upon them His blessing, aid them so that they may give themselves to His holy service and that of His Church, and to remain faithful to God’s calling so that that can be unified through love, to the heart of Christ the High Priest.

Let us accompany Anthony Joe and Fabio with our prayers as they get closer to their ordination as presbyters. At the same time we continue to pray for more vocations so that God blesses our Diocese with more works in his holy field.

Last Monday, 7 October 2024, Andrea Cauchi, the new propaedeutic student, was welcomed at our Seminary. Andrea who is 19 hails from the Parish of the Shipwreck of St Paul, in Munxar.

As a part of his formation Andrea is doing a part-time job in a hardware store, during the morning. Formation continues in the evening ,consisting in introductory academic courses, prayer and other experiences. He has been assigned for pastoral work during the weekend in the Cathedral Parish of the Assumption of Our Lady, in Victoria. Andrea is accompanied by the Rev. Can Anthony Bajada, parish priest of the Parish of St Lawrence, who also happens to be the incumbent director of the propedeutic year.

The Seminary community welcomes Andrea with great joy and promises to pray for him in the beginning of his journey of formation and discernment of his vocation.

On Monday, 1^st October, a new year of formation was officially started at the Seminary. During the morning, the Seminarians received their first lectures. At 5.00 pm, the Prefect of Studies gave an introductory meeting to the Seminarians. Following this meeting, his H.L. Mgr Anton Teuma and the Prefect of Studies led a meeting for the academic staff of the Seminary. Afterwards, at 7.00 pm, the Bishop presided the Holy Sacrifice of Mass together with the members of the Seminary formation team, as well as several lecturers, the Seminarians and their relatives, the Seminary’s community of Franciscan Sisters, and the employees and volunteers. After Holy Communion, the Veni Creator hymn was sung as a prayer to the Holy Spirit to enlighten the minds of all those involved in the formation at the Seminary.

As is customary during the beginning of each year of formation, this week the seminarians kicked off a new year with a spiritual silent retreat. The retreat was held at the Archbishop’s Seminary at Tal-Virtù in Rabat Malta between the 23^rd and the 28^th of September, 2024. The meditations were led by Rev. James Saydon, director of the Seminary vocations centre in the Archdioceses of Malta. The seminarians were accompanied by the Rector Rev. Joseph Bajada and the spiritual director Rev. Anthony Calleja SJ.

Fr James’s reflections were centred on different passages from the Gospel. He explained them from a particular perspective, considering the apostles as the very first twelve seminarians, with Jesus being their formator. Fr James also shared some accounts of his vocational story. Every retreat is a moment of grace for the seminary community. It enables the seminarians to start the year united with God through prayer, meditation and contemplation.

On Saturday, at the end of the retreat the community of our seminary had a fraternal lunch with the Maltese seminarians.

A profound exploration of Gozo’s liturgical art heritage was held on Friday, 21st June 2024, through a seminar titled ‘L-Arti Nisranija f’Għawdex. Minn fejn tlaqna u fejn sejrin?’ (Christian Art in Gozo: Where We Started and Where We Are Going?). The seminar, which began in the morning, offered seminarians an immersive experience through visits to four significant cultural and religious sites on the island.

The seminar kicked off at the Museum of the Gozo Cathedral, where Mons. Dr. Joseph Bezzina provided an enlightening talk on the historical evolution and significance of the artifacts housed within the museum. His deep insights into the cathedral’s treasures set the tone for a day rich in learning and reflection.

The second visit took the seminarians to the Gozo Cathedral itself. Paul Muscat, director of the restoration company ReCoop, led this session. He detailed the meticulous restoration processes that have preserved the cathedral’s grandeur, offering participants a behind-the-scenes look at the techniques and challenges involved in maintaining such a historic structure.

Next, the group visited Eikon, a renowned liturgical art centre. Here, iconographer Fr Roberto Gauci guided the seminarians through the intricacies of iconography, highlighting the spiritual and artistic elements that define this sacred art form. His expertise provided a deeper appreciation for the devotional and aesthetic qualities of liturgical icons.

The final stop of the seminar was the chapel of Santa Luċija in Kerċem, Gozo, where contemporary artist Austin Camilleri delivered an engaging talk. He discussed modern interpretations and expressions of liturgical art, bridging the traditional with the contemporary. Camilleri’s perspective invited seminarians to contemplate the evolving nature of religious art in the modern era.

The seminar was meticulously organized and coordinated by Jason Farrugia, whose efforts ensured a seamless and enriching experience for all participants. The primary aim of the seminar was to deepen the seminarians’ knowledge and appreciation of liturgical art in Gozo, fostering a greater understanding of its past, present, and future.

This unique educational journey allowed the seminarians not only to gain intellectual insights but also to experience firsthand the profound connection between art and spirituality in Gozo’s religious heritage. The seminar was a resounding success, leaving participants with a renewed appreciation for the island’s rich artistic legacy and its continuing evolution.