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Tradizzjoni li daħlet sew fil-kalendaju tas-Seminarju hija l-lungo passeggio, li din is-sena ġiet organizzata nhar il-Ħamis, 9 ta’ Novembru. Is-seminaristi flimkien mal-formators telqu bil-mixi miċ-Ċirkewwa għaddew għal Marfa u mxew mal-kosta biex waslu fil-bajja tal-Għadira fejn imbagħad irritornaw lura lejn iċ-Ċirkewwa mit-triq prinċipali biex jaqbdu l-vapur.

Minbarra li din kienet l-ewwel darba li lungo passegio sar Malta l-mixja kienet ftit impenjattiva però fl-istess waqt kien mument fejn is-seminaristi setgħu jammiraw is-sbuħija tan-natura li għandna fil-gżejjer tagħna. Nistgħu ngħidu li t-temp kien favorevoli għax il-Ħamis ħareġ jum xemxi li għen sabiex il-mixja tkun waħda sabiħa.

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A traditional activity that is included in the calendar of the Seminary is the lungo passeggio, which this year was held on Thursday, 9th November. The seminarians were accompanied by their formators during this long walk, which started from Ċirkewwa, proceeded to Marfa and on along the coast to Għadira Bay. They took the main road to return to Ċirkewwa from where they boarded the ferry.  It was the first time that this activity was held in Malta.  The track was rather rough but it was worth following since the hikers could enjoy the natural beauty of the area.  The weather was ideal for such a walk.

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Nhar l-Erbgħa 8 ta’ Novembru, Dr Marlene Cauchi mexxiet laqgħa ta’ informazzjoni dwar metodi ta’ riċerka bl-internet. L-għarfien dwar dawn il-metodi kien interessanti u utli għas-seminaristi kemm għall-iskola u anke għall-pastorali tagħhom.

On Wednesday 8th November, Dr Marlene Cauchi led a meeting regarding methods of research on internet.  The seminarians found this information interesting and useful both for their studies and also for their pastoral work.

Is-Sibt 4 ta’ Novembru s-Seminarju tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù għalaq 151 sena. Sentejn biss wara t-twaqqif tad-djoċesi ta’ Għawdex, saret il-fundazzjoni ta’ dan il-post tal-formazzjoni tas-saċerdoti. Tul dawn is-snin kollha, kienu ħafna s-saċerdoti li ġew iffurmati u ħarġu minn dan is-Seminarju. Ħafna minn dawn il-qassisin qdew barra minn xtutna bħala missjunarji u oħrajn qdew lill-komunitajiet tagħna f’Għawdex.

Mons. Isqof Mario Grech, nhar is-Sibt filgħodu ngħaqad mal-komunità tas-Seminarju għat-talb tal-Uffiċċju u tal-Lawdi. Huwa għamel ħseib qasir fuq il-Vanġelu tal-ġurnata (Lq 23: 1-12) fejn ħeġġeġ lis-seminaristi biex bħalma jgħid Ġesù fil-parabbola meta mmorru f’xi festa ta’ tieġ ma nfittxux jew “nieħdu” l-post aħna, imma nħallu lil min ikun stedinna biex isibilna postna. Hu stqarr li ma nagħmlux ħażin jekk nirrinunzjaw għal ċerti privileġġi “mondani” li lill-Knisja tawhomlha fi żminijiet assolutament differenti minn tal-lum – fi żminijiet fejn l-istess Knisja ma kellhiex l-għarfien tagħha nfisha kif għandha llum! L-Isqof kompla jgħid li aħna rridu navviċinaw lil dawk li ma javviċinawniex allura inkunu iktar qrib tal-foqra – kemm dawk li huma foqra materjalment u kemm dawk li huma foqra spiritwalment.

F’dan il-jum sar talb speċjali għall-benefatturi ħajjin u mejtin tas-Seminarju, għas-saċerdoti li servew bħal superjuri, għas-sorijiet li qdew fis-Seminarju u anki għas-saċerdoti ħajjin u mejtin li ħarġu mis-Seminarju tagħna.

On Saturday 4th November, the Seminary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus celebrated its 151st anniversary.  The founding of the Seminary came two years after the founding of the Diocese of Gozo.  Throughout the years, many priests received their formation in the Seminary. A number of these priests became missionaries in other countries while others served the community of Gozo.

On Saturday morning, Bishop Mario Grech joined the Seminary community for the Liturgy of the Hours.  The Bishop based his short homily on the Reading of the day (Lk 23:1-12).  He urged the seminarians to follow Jesus’ words in the parable.  When we are invited to a marriage reception, we should not “choose” a seat but let the host offer us one.  He said that it would be better if we were to give up certain “worldly” privileges which had been bestowed upon the Church in times which were radically different from modern times.  Those were times when, unlike nowadays, the Church lacked an identity of its own.  The Bishop urged us to be close to those who alienate themselves from us.  In this way, we will be closer to the poor – to those who are materially poor and also to those who are spiritually poor.

On this day, special prayers were said for the benefactors of the Seminary, the priests and nuns who served at the Seminary and also the priests, whether alive or deceased, who received their formation at the Seminary.

Fil-weekend tat-28 u d-29 ta’ Ottubru l-komunità tas-Seminarju inġabret f’ Dar Stella Maris, iż-Żebbuġ għal Human Formation Weekend.  Dan tmexxa minn Dr Nicholas Briffa, psikologu u sesswologu.  It-tema kienet dwar is-sesswalità u l-aspetti kollha li jduru magħha. Dr Nicholas qassam dan il-weekend fi tlett sessions fejn waqt li hu tkellem duq din it-tema saru ukoll mumenti ta’ sharing fuq is-suġġett diskuss. Minbarra dawn il-mumenti ferm sbieħ li żgur kienu ta’ għajnuna għas-seminaristi, kien hemm ukoll mumenti ta’ talb flimkien. Is-Sibt filgħaxija s-seminaristi kellhom ħin liberu flimkien.

Ritratti

On the 28th and 29th October, the Seminary Community met at Dar Stella Maris at Zebbug for a Human Formation Weekend.  The talks, which centred on sexology and aspects associated with it,  were delivered by Dr Nicholas Briffa,  who is a psychologist and sexologist. Dr Briffa divided the weekend into three sessions which were characterised by talks and discussions about the theme.  There was also time allotted to prayer.  Saturday afternoon was free.

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Nhar il-Ħadd 22 ta’ Ottubru l-Knisja ċċelebrat Jum il-Missjoni.  Dan hu jum fejn kull wieħed u waħda minna hu mistieden jirrifletti u jagħraf kif jista’ jaqdi s-sejħa tiegħu biex ikun missjunarju fl-ambjent li hu jgħix fih. Hu mument ukoll fejn nitfgħu ħarsitna fuq il-Knisja li tinsab ’il barra mill-pajjiż ċkejken tagħna, speċjalment fil-pajjiżi tat-tielet dinja.

F’din l-okkażjoni l-Grupp Missjunarju fi ħdan il-komunità tas-Seminarju jieħu ħsieb iħejji ġimgħa ta’ attivitajiet.  Hekk anki s-seminaristi jkunu jistgħu jilqgħu s-sejħa li jkunu missjunarji!  Għal din is-sena, it-tema magħżula kienet ‘Iż-Żgħażagħ tama tal-missjoni’.  F’kull ġurnata bejn it-Tnejn 16 u s-Sibt 21 ta’ Ottubru sar talb partikulari għall-missjoni f’kull kontinent. Stajna nagħrfu li barra l-ħafna sorijiet u lajċi missjunarji li ħarġu minn Għawdex tagħna, hemm ukoll kwantità kbira ta’ saċerdoti u patrijiet (aktar minn 60) li sal-lum għadhom jaqdu fil-Knisja ’l bogħod minn pajjiżna.

Mument mill-isbaħ kien il-Ħamis 16 ta’ Ottubru, dakinhar il-Grupp Missjunarju żar l-iskola tas-Seminarju Minuri u tal-iskola Medja tal-Kulleġġ ta’ Għawdex u wassal il-messaġġ missjunarju lit-tfal!

On Sunday, 22nd October, the Church celebrated Missions Day.  On this day, the faithful are invited to reflect on how all of us are called upon to be missionaries in the environment where we live.  We are also asked to remember the Church beyond our shores, especially the Church in Third World Countries.

Every year, the Missions Group within the Seminary community organizes a set of activities associated with Missions Day.  In this way, the seminarians themselves seek to be missionaries.  The theme chosen for this year was Youths: The Hope of the Missions for the Future.  From Monday 16th to Saturday 21st October, prayers were said for the missions of a specific continent.  Besides the great number of nuns and lay missionaries that originated from Gozo, there are more than 60 priests and monks that are serving the Church abroad.

The climax was reached on Thursday 16th October when the Missions Group delivered the missionary message to the students of  the Minor Seminary and the Middle School of the Gozo College.

Nhar it-Tnejn 9 ta’ Ottubru ngħaqdu mal-komunità tas-Seminarju l-erbgħa żgħażagħ li se jibdew l-esperjenza tas-Sena Propedewtika.

Samuel Aquilina u Ġorġ Pisani mill-parroċċa ta’ San Ġorġ, ir-Rabat, u Matthew Attard mill-parroċċa ta’ San Ġwann il-Battista, ix-Xewkija se jkunu qed jgħixu l-esperjenza tal-Propedewtika fis-Seminarju. Magħhom ingħaqad ukoll Carlos Fernando Vargas Tobar mill-Parroċċa tal-Katidral ta’ Puerto Barrios, fil-Vigarjat Apostoliku ta’ Izabal (li fih hemm il-missjunarju Għawdxi Dun Anton Grech), li ġie mibgħut biex jgaħmel il-formazzjoni tiegħu fis-Seminarju tagħna. Għal din is-sena, Carlos se jsegwi programm simili għal tal-Propedewtika, imma se jkun residenti fid-dar parrokkjali tal-parroċċa Ta’ Sannat.

Fost affarijiet oħra, il-propedewtiċi jkollha esperjenza ta’ xogħol part-time f’Għawdex, jattendu għal korsijiet introduttorji fil-filosofija u t-teoloġija, u jkunu mal-bqija tas-seminaristi għat-talb, għall-ikel u f’xi mumenti oħra. Wara din is-sena, jistgħu jerġgħu jressqu t-talba lill-Isqof sabiex jibdew l-ewwel sena ta’ formazzjoni bħala seminaristi.

Merħba lkoll fostna!