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On Monday 9th October, four young men joined the Seminary community to embark on a new experience known as the Propaedeutic Year.  Samuel Aquilina and Gorg Pisani hail from St George’s Parish in Victoria while Matthew Attard hails from the Parish of  St John The Baptist in Xewkija.  The fourth candidate is Carlos Fernando Vargas Tobar from the parish of Fr Anton Grech in Guatemala.  He is residing at the parish of Sannat.

The four candidates will follow a specific programm spread over the week, from Monday to Friday.  They will spend their mornings at a place of work assigned to them by the Seminary administration.  In the afternoon they will join the Seminary community in various activities.  During the year, they will follow introductory courses in philosophy and theology and will  be guided to reflect on their vocational discernment. At the end of the year they will formally ask to be accepted as first year seminarians.  Welcome to the Seminary!

Welcome among us.

Anki din is-sena, il-komunità tas-Seminarju ta’ Għawdex qed torganizza ġurnata Adorazzjoni Ewkaristika kull l-ewwel Ħamis tax-xahar, bl-għan li jsir talb għall-vokazzjonijiet. L-ewwel adorazzjoni ta’ din ix-xorta saret nhar il-Ħamis 5  ta’ Ottubru 2017.

Il-quddiesa fis-6.30am u t-Tifħir ta’ Sbiħ il-Jum kienu miftuħa għall-pubblika. Wara, kompliet l-espożizzjoni tul il-ġurnata kollha, bi preżenza kontinwa ta’ nies. F’nofsinhar is-seminaristi flimkien ma’ dawk preżenti talbu t-Talba ta’ Nofs il-Jum u fis-7.00pm id-direttur spiritwali anima l-aħħar siegħa talb. Il-Jum Adorazzjoni ntemm fit-8.00pm permezz tal-Barka Sagramentali.

Il-Ħamis ta’ talb li jmiss se jkun nhar il-Ħamis 7 ta’ Diċembru.

As in previous years the Gozo Seminary is holding a day of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the first Thursday of every month. The aim is to encourage the faithful to pray for vocations.  The first day of the kind was Thursday 5th October, 2017.

The community invited the faithful to join them for the Morning Prayers at 6.30am and for the celebration of the Holy Mass.  The Blessed Sacrament was then exposed for adoration for the whole day.  At noon the seminarians were joined by the congregation for the Mid-Day Prayer.  At 7.00pm the seminarians animated an hour of prayer. The Adoration ended at 8.00pm with the Blessing by the Holy Eucharist.

The second appointment is for Thursday 7th December and the same programme will be followed.

Nhar l-Erbgħa 20 ta’ Settembru 2017 Dun Anthony Bajada, mill-Parroċċa ta’ Twelid tal-Verġni Marija, ix-Xagħra ġie maħtur Direttur tas-Sena Propedewtika fis-Seminarju Maġġuri. Dun Anthony se jkun se jkun qed jakkumpanja lill-Propedewtiċi l-ġodda li se jibdew is-sena tagħhom nhar it-Tnejn 9 ta’ Ottubru 2017.

Merħba Dun Anthony!

On Wednesday 20th September 2017, Fr Anthony Bajada from the Parish of Maria Bambina at Xagħra was declared Director of the Propaedeutic Year at the Major Seminary.  Fr Anthony will be accompanying the students who will be starting their Popaedeutic Year on Monday 9th October.

Welcome, Fr.  Anthony.

Il-komunità tas-Seminarju reġgħet lura għal sena oħra ta’ formazzjoni l-Ġimgħa 22 ta’ Settembru. Tul il-waqfa tas-sajf kien hemm diversi mumenti li fihom il-komunità ltaqgħet flimkien, fosthom in-nofstanhar ta’ riflessjoni li sar nhar l-1 ta’ Settembru fil-kappella tal-Madonna tal-Blat fil-Qala.

Il-Ġimgħa 22 ta’ Settembru, wara li ġiet iċċelebrata l-quddiesa, is-seminaristi taw daqqa t’id fit-tindif u fit-tħejjija tal-post għal sena oħra u tkellmu waqt sharing fuq id-diversi esperjenzi ta’ volontarjat li huma wettqu fis-sajf.  Filgħaxija niżlu fil-bajja ta’ Ħondoq ir-Rummien għal barbeque.

Bejn il-Ħadd 24 u l-Ħamis 28 ta’ Settembru l-komunità iġabret f’Saint Joseph Retreat House, ir-Rabat Malta, għall-irtir tal-bidu tas-sena, immexxi minn Dun Noel Debono.

Nhar il-Ġimgħa 29 ta’ Settembru ġiet iċċelebrata l-quddiesa lill-Ispirtu s-Santu, immexxija minn Mons. Isqof Mario Grech li biha ngħatat bidu għas-sena akkademika. Waqt l-omelija Mons. Grech ħeġġeġ lis-saċerdoti preżenti u lis-seminaristi sabiex bħal Natanael – bniedem bla qerq –  ma jkunux bnedmin ta’ żewġt uċuh, konxji mir-riskju li hemm li jidħqu bihom infushom u bil-Knisja. Ħeġġeġ lil kulħadd sabiex ikun umli f’dak kollu li jwettaq. Għal din il-quddiesa kienu mistiedna l-professuri, il-familjari tas-seminaristi u l-membri tal-Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju.

Fi tmiem il-Quddiesa saret bibita fis-sala.

It-Tnejn 2 t’Ottubru tajna bidu għal-lezzjonijiet.

Ritratti

The Seminary community began another year of formation on Friday 22nd September.  During summer, the community held several activities, including the half-day of reflection held on 1st September in the chapel of the Madonna tal-Blat at Qala.

On Monday 22nd September the seminarians attended the celebration of Holy Mass and then helped with the cleaning up and the preparation of the premises for another year of formation. There followed a session of sharing of experiences of voluntary work during the summer holidays.  In the evening the seminarians met again at Hondoq ir-Rummien for a barbeque.

From Sunday 24th to Thursday 28th September, the community held a retreat at the St Joseph Nuns’ Home in Rabat, Malta.  Fr Noel Debono led the retreat.

Routine life at the Seminary started on Friday 29th September with the celebration of the Mass of the Holy Spirit, led by Mgr Bishop Mario Grech.  This celebration marked the beginning of the academic year.  The bishop’s homily centred on the figure of Natanael in whom, Jesus states, there exists no hypocrisy.  The bishop urged the priests and seminarians to be like Natanael.  Hypocrisy leads to delusion of the self and of the Church and humility should be the watermark of us all.

Professors, relatives of the seminarians and members of Għaqda Ħbieb tas-Seminary were invited to this activity.  The guests were then hosted in the hall for drinks.

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Il-Ġimgħa 14 ta’ Lulju, l-għada li rritornajna mill-missjoni fil-Gwatemala, Mons. Isqof ingħaqad mal-komunità fil-kappella tas-Seminarju għall-Quddiesa fi tmiem is-Sena ta’ Formazzjoni.  Kienu mistiedna għal din il-Quddiesa l-familjari tas-seminaristi flimkien mal-Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju.

Is-seminaristi bdew il-vaganzi tas-Sajf nhar is-Sibt 15 ta’ Lulju 2017. Dan il-perjodu jkun għalihom żmien ta’ esperjenzi pastorali u fih huma jqattgħu aktar ħin ma’ tal-familja tagħhom.

On Friday, 14th July, on the morrow of our return from Guatemala, Mgr Bishop Grech joined the community in the Seminary chapel to celebrate Mass to mark the end of the Year of Formation.  Relatives of the seminarians and members of the  Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju were invited to attend the celebration of the Mass.

Holiday time for the seminarians started on Saturday 15th July 2017.  During the holidays, the semarians have time to spare for pastoral experience and time to spend with their families.

Fil-bidu tas-sena formattiva r-rettur kien ħabbrilna li fi tmiem is-sena ta’ formazzjoni bħala komunità tas-seminarju konna se mmorru nagħmlu esperjenza ta’ missjoni fil-Gwatemala fejn hemm jagħmel ħidma missjunarja is-saċerdot Għawdxi Dun Anton Grech. Għalhekk wara li dħalna mill-vaganzi tal-Milied mill-ewwel bdejna nippreparaw attivitajiet ta’ fundraising għal dan il-għan.

Fil-21 ta’ Ġunju ta’ din is-sena flimkien morna l-Gwatemala u ġejna lura fit-12 ta’ Lulju. Fil-Gwatemala konna ngħinu f’dak kollu meħtieġ minn tikħil, għajnuna fl-għelieqi sa xogħol fil-knisja. Flimkien ma’ Dun Anton żorna diversi villaġġi li fihom joqgħodu gruppi żgħar ta’ nies. Kienu tlett ġimgħat impenjattivi iżda fl-istess ħin sbieħ għax iktar milli tajna, irċivejna.

Ritratti

In the beginning of the formative year, the Rector had announced that the seminary community would be embarking on a missionary experience in Guatemala, at the Mission run by Fr Anton Grech, a priest who hails from Gozo.  Fundraising activities started to be held just after the Christmas holidays.

The visit to Guatemala lasted from June 21st to July 12th.  During our stay, we did many odd jobs, including plastering and work in the fields and in the church.  We joined Fr Anton on visits to various small  villages.  We spent three very busy weeks in Guatemala.  During our stay we gave a lot but I am sure that we received  much more in return.

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Nhar il-Ħamis, 15 ta’ Ġunju 2017, fil-Knisja Katidrali, Mons. Mario Grech, Isqof ta’ Għawdex amministra s-Sagrament tal-Ordni Sagri fil-grad tad-Djakonat lil Joseph Hili mill-Parroċċa tax-Xagħra, fil-preżenza tal-familjari u l-ħbieb flimkien ma’ numru sabiħ ta’ saċerdoti. Il-Quddiesa tal-Ordinazzjoni ġiet animata mill-Kor Djoċesan taż-Żgħażagħ.

Ritratti