News

Today, the Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Gozo, H.L. Mons. Mario Grech, nominated a new Vice-Rector and Prefect of Studies for our Seminary. As of 1st June 2020, our Seminary would have Fr Samuel Grech as Vice-Rector and Fr Noel Debono, as Prefect of Studies. The community would like to thank Fr Gabriel Gauci who formerly had these roles. Whilst wishing them well, we continue accompanying them in prayer.

The Church hails the fourth Sunday after Easter as a special day of prayer for vocations.  On this Sunday, the Church presents the Gospel of the Good Shepherd to help us reflect on the gift of vocations.  We should remember that vocations are not related soley to priesthood.  We all have a vocation in life.  And what is our vocation?  Pope Francis says that a vocation is a treasure that God stores in the heart of human beings.  It is a treasure being the road which the Lord is inviting us to take and which leads us to happiness.  This happiness is  He himself.  Every vocation is unique and everybody has to look deep into his heart to discover this treasure donated to him by God.

In simple terms, the Gospel of the Good Shepherd reminds us of the true definition of a vocation.  Naturally, if Christ is the Good Shepherd, we are called to be part of his flock.  The Gospel tells us that the flock listens to his voice. Therefore, a vocation, the call of every Christian, demands from us above all a close attention to the Lord’s voice and will.

The Gospel continues: the sheep follow the Lord because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger.  In fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.  We should reflect on our lives and ask ourselves whom we are heeding,  Are we heeding God’s voice or other voices that we allow to determine our decisions?  Is our life following God’s call or is it following a vocation determined by ourselves for ourselves?

Therefore, the foundation of every vocation is prayer.  We pray to listen to God’s voice and to relate better with God, since if we do not learn to relate better with God, how can we discover his call for us?  The answer of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross sums it all: Vocation… is an answer which we get through prayer.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought abrupt changes in the way of life of all the people worldwide.  On Thursday, 12th March, the Department of Health issued a set of measures that led to the decision that the seminarians would stay at home and follow an extraordinary progamme of formation from home.  A great part of the programme is followed through the social media. 

The pandemic affected also the intermediary-year experience of two seminarians who gently accepted to share with us their experience during this particular time.

Joseph Bajada

My intermediary-year experience started on Tuesday, 24th September 2019.  After a short trip, I arrived at the Parish SS. Sacramento, on the eastern side of Rome.

I was staying at the parish house with the parish priest, Don Maurizio Mirilli, and four other priests. Gradually, I got acquainted with the pastoral life of the parish and I became involved in various parish groups, including the Youths Group, the Oratory and the football team of the parish.  I participated in the liturgical celebrations of the parish and visited the sick, the elderly and the homeless.   I feel that the weekly vocational meetings which I attended  were very important as helped me in my discernment and in becoming more mature.

Because of the pandemic, the authorities issued a set of measures which restricted pastoral activities and meetings with various groups.  I used to participate in the livestreaming of the Holy Mass.  Eventually, I had to cut short my stay in Italy and return to Gozo.

Because of this situation, I am joining the other seminarians in following our formation programme from home.  I hope that things will be better soon and I thank God for what I have been through during my experience in Italy.

Matthew Bajada

In a quiet and empty street, I could see a man, wearing a protective mask, walking his dog.  Usually this is a busy street with many cars passing through. That day it was different.  This is the scene which we have been witnessing these last few weeks when going out is restricted.  I imagine that you know what I am talking about.  At present, I am doing another intermediary-year experience with the Casa del Giovane community in Pavia, Italy.  This is a therapeutic and rehabilitating community that hosts people addicted to drugs, alcohol and gaming.  Six and a half months have passed since this experience started.  During my experience in Pavia, I feel that I have come to know God, myself and my neighbour better.  I never imagined that the world could pass through this dramatic situation caused by this pandemic that has spread worldwide.  Why is God permitting this to happen?  I feel that I can now say that a person proves his worth by his personality and not by his actions.

These days full of tension and paradoxes make us realize that a change in the usual routine unravel our weaknesses and the way we have ignored that which really matters.  These days are calling us to renew our trust in God, so that we can abandon our attitudes of egoism and superiority and adopt instead an attitude of solidarity with others.  God will always be with us and his voice will always reach our weaknesses and help us overcome them.  The street may be empty but God is inviting us to continue walking along our respective roads.  I wish you all a happy Easter and I would like to thank you for your prayers and your kind thoughts.  I believe that this Easter, which is different from others, God still wants to talk to us.  In this particular time, the Risen Christ will help us revive our faith in him so that we can live fearlessly according to his wishes.

“Death with life contended: combat strangely ended” (Sequence). The community would like to wish the peace of the Risen Christ to all, especially to the families, friends and benefactors which sustain us with their prayer. Let the light of the Risen Christ give us hope and courage in these difficult times. Happy Easter!

On the 7 of March, the Seminary community, did an outreach experience at St Peter’s and St Paul’s Parish in Nadur.  The seminarians did this outreach experience together with Ray Brincat and Chris Bugeja, members of the Franciscan community founded by Fr Hayden Williams ofm Cap.

The community gathered at the Nadur Basilica at 8.45pm for a short moment of prayer before the actual outreach experience.  Afterwards, the seminarians, together with the Franciscan brothers left in groups of two to meet people in the surrounding bars, listen to them and talk to them about God.  Meanwhile adoration was taking place in the Basilica.  Priests were available for confession.  The outreach experience ended around midnight with Eucharistic benediction in the basilica.

The experience in Nadur was one of the two outreaches which were going to take place.  A second outreach in the parish of St George in Victoria was planned to take place on the 21^st of this month.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this outreach had to be cancelled.

On Saturday, 8th February, our Seminary hosted the fraternity of Fr Hayden Williams OFM Cap. To prepare for the outreach for the Lenten period, the fraternity of Fr Hayden led a seminar with the theme “Church that reaches out”. During the seminar, members of the fraternity shared their experience in the sphere of evangelisation in both Malta and Gozo. At the end of the seminar, the fraternity led a one-hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

It had been a long time since the seminarians presented a play in the hall of the Major Seminary.  This year the Seminary community presented the play ‘Stejfen Jilħaqlu’, directed by Fr Joseph Bajada.  The play was staged on Sunday 24th November at 7.40pm, on Friday 29th Novermber at 8.00pm and on Saturday 30th November at 8.00pm.

This comedy had been presented for the first time in the 80’s.  The author of the comedy housed at the archives of the Major Seminary, was most probably Mgr Salv Borg.  The story is about Alessandru and Danjeli, sons of two rich men, Basilju and Kajju.  Alessandru and Danjeli took a loan to help a poor young boy called Ġiġi. Stejfen, who is Alessandru’s servant, does his best to cheat Basiju and Kajju out of their money to repay the loan.  Eventually, Basiju and Kajju find out what is going on.  The play has a happy ending when Basilju discovers that Ġiġi is his youngest son from whom he has been separated since Ġiġi was a baby.

Besides creating smiles and laughter, the play created an opportunity for the audience to get acquainted with the Seminary since, after the play, the audience was invited to go round the Seminary and see where the seminarians live, learn and get their formation to become priests.

On Saturday, 16th November 2019, the Seminary hosted the traditional Saint Martin’s Dinner.  This dinner is the principal fundraising activity in aid of the Seminary and is hosted annually.  The dinner, which is held at the Seminary Hall, requires a lot of hard work.  Our whole-hearted thanks goes to the members of the Community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, present at the Seminary.  The nuns prepare the dinner with the help of many volunteers.  We would also like to thank the various shops and establishments for the gifts and gift vouchers they offered as prizes for the raffle held during the said dinner.  Finally, we would like to thank all those who attended the dinner.  It was an enjoyable evening for our guests who are always ready to give a helping hand to the Seminary.

On the 4th November 1866, exactly one hundred fifty three years ago, the Seminary welcomed its first seminarians.  On this same date, the Church celebrates the feast of St Charles Borromeo, one the great reformer saints of the era of the Council of Trent.  St Charles is regarded as the founder of the seminaries for the formation of priests.

At 7.00pm. H.E. Bishop Mario Grech, Apostolic Administrator for Gozo, celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of the Seminary as an act of thanksgiving to the Lord.  The bishop encouraged the seminarians to change their way of thinking during their years of formation so that it will resemble the way of thinking of the Lord. The logic of Christ is not based on egoism.  It is based on love and on serving others.  At the end of Mass, the Reverend Rector, Fr Richard N. Farrugia conveyed a message of thanksgiving to Sister Pierantonia Muscat who was a member of the community of the sisters at our Seminary for the last four years.  At present, Sister Pierantonia is at the Casa Madre in Palm Street in Victoria. After Mass, a dinner in honour of Sister Pierantonia was hosted in the refractory of the Seminary.

On this day we thank God for the many vocations He bestowed on our Diocese through the years.  We pray that He enriches our Diocese with even more holy vocations and helps our priests who studied in this Seminary. We remember also the many benefactors, especially the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who helped our Seminary through the years. The Francisan Sisters have been serving the Seminary for almost one hundred years.

Illum, 14 ta’ Ottubru 2019, Wallace Camilleri, mill-parroċċa ta’ San Ġorġ, beda l-esperjenza tas-Sena Propedewtika. Filwaqt li nilqgħuh bil-ferħ fil-komunità tagħna nwiegħduh li nitolbu għalih fil-bidu tal-mixja tiegħu fis-Seminarju.

Today, 14th of October 2019, Wallace Camilleri, from the parish of St George, Victoria started his Propaedeutic Year experience. We welcome him into our Seminary with joy and pray for him at the beginning of his journey.

Wara waqfa twila għaż-żmien tas-sajf, il-komunità tas-Seminarju reġgħet inġabret għal sena ġdida ta’ formazzjoni. Għalkemm is-sajf huwa żmien ta’ mistrieħ, il-komunità żammet l-impenn li tiltaqa’ darba fix-xahar għal nofs ta’ nhar irtir. Dawn l-irtiri saru f’dar Stella Maris fiż-Żebbuġ. L-ewwel wieħed ġie mmexxi mill-Viċi-Rettur Dun Gabriel Gauci u l-ieħor mill-pastoral mentor Dun Giovanni M. Curmi.

Is-Seminarju reġa’ fetaħ il-bibien tiegħu nhar it-Tnejn 23 ta’ Settembru. Fl-4.00pm, ir-Rettur Dun Richard-Nazzareno Farrugia mexxa s-sagrifiċċju tal-quddiesa. Wara, is-seminaristi qasmu flimkien l-esperjenzi li għaddew minnhom matul is-sajf.

L-għada, jiġifieri it-Tlieta 24 ta’ Settembru, il-komunità marret għal irtir ġewwa l-Monasteru ta’ San Pietru fl-Imdina, li dam sas-Sibt ta’ dik il-ġimgħa. Mexxa l-irtir Dun Daniel Sultana, li hu s-Segretarju Pastorali Djoċesan. Is-silta li fuqha kien ibbażat dan l-irtir kienet is-sejħa ta’ Ġesù lill-ewwel dixxipli, mill-Vanġelu skont San Luqa (Lq 5, 1-11).

It-Tnejn ta’ wara, jiġifieri fl-1 ta’ Ottubru, il-ħajja fis-Seminarju qabdet ir-ritmu normali. Ingħata bidu uffiċċjali tas-sena akkademika 2019-2020, nhar il-Ħamis 10 ta’ Ottubru 2019, permezz tal-Quddiesa tal-Ispirtu s-Santu li tmexxiet mir-Rettur. Għal din il-quddiesa kienu mistiedna l-lecturers, il-familji tas-seminaristi u l-Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju. Wara l-quddiesa kien hemm bibita ġewwa s-Sala tas-Seminarju.