This year, the first semester came to an end on Wednesday 25th January. As always, the end of a study period is marked by examinations. The examinations were held between Saturday 28th January and Thursday 9th February. The examinations were followed by holidays which we spent in Malta. This break served to spur us on for the start of the second semester of study which started on Monday 13th February.
Il-komunità tas-Seminarju nhar it-Tlieta 24 ta’ Jannar attendiet għall-konferenza li saret mill-Kardinal Gianfranco Ravasi bil-titlu It-Tempju u l-Pjazza – Twemmin, kultura u soċjetà. Din it-taħdita kienet organizzata mill-Patrijiet Agostinjani f’Malta li qegħdin jiċċelebraw il-200 sena minn meta twaqqfet il-Provinċja Agostinjana Maltija. Din it-taħdita saret fis-Sala tal-Iskola tas-Sorijiet Agostinjani fil-Gżira. Qabel it-taħdita is-seminaristi kellhom iċ-ċans jiltaqgħu u jitkellmu ftit mal-Kardinal.
On Tuesday 24th January, the Seminary community attended a talk given by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. The talk was about The Temple and the square – Belief, culture and society. The Cardinal was the guest of the Maltese Augustian Community who are celebrating 200 years since the Maltese Province was set up as an independent Province from the Sicilian Province. The talk was held in the hall of the Augustinian Nuns in Gzira. Before the talk started, the seminarians had the opportunity to meet the Cardinal.
Kien eżattament nhar it-18 ta’ Jannar 1987 li Sr Giuseppina spostat ruħha mill-Casa Madre, għas-Seminarju. Minn hemm hi bdiet isservi fil-kċina tas-seminarju billi flimkien ma’ erba’ sorijiet oħra kienet tipprpara l-ikel għas-seminaristi. Aktar ma għadda ż-żmien kienu diversi s-sorijiet li ċċaqilqu iżda hi baqgħet isservi fis-seminarju u dan dejjem għamlitu bi mħabba kbira. Illum tletin sena wara, Sr Giuseppina flimkien ma Sr Pier Antonia, għadha tħabbrek sabiex tara li s-seminaristi ma jkun jonqoshom xejn speċjalment dak li għandu x’jaqsam mal-ikel.
Għalhekk, nhar it-Tlieta 17 ta’ Jannar, fis-seminarju tagħna ċċelebrajna dan l-anniversarju permezz tal-Ewkaristija li mexxa r-rettur flimkien mal-formators u wara ċena tal-okkażjoni. Kien mument verament sabiħ. Minn qalbna nirringrazzjaw lil Sr Giuseppina u nawgurawlha iktar ħidma fostna. Ad Multos Annos!
On January 18th, 1987, Sr Giuseppina left the Casa Madre to start service at the Seminary. Together with four other nuns, she used to prepare lunch for the seminarians. Throughout the years, many nuns have been called to offer their service in other places but Sr Giuseppina has never left the Seminary and she has always given her service with dedication. Thirty years on, together with Sr Pier Antonia, she is still at the Seminary, to see that the seminarians are well looked after and well fed! So, on Tuesday 17th January, the Seminary celebrated this anniversary with Mass concelebrated by the Rector together with the formators. Dinner followed. It was a moment worth celebrating. We heartily thank Sr Giuseppina for her service and we hope she will be with us for long. Ad Multos Annos!
Bejn l-Erbgħa 18 u l-Erbgħa 25 ta’ Jannar il-Knisja ċċelebrat il-ġimgħa ta’ talb għall-għaqda fost l-Insara. Il-komunità tas-Seminarju organizzat diversi mumenti ta’ talb biex titqajjem awareness fost is-seminaristi fuq it-tema tal-ekumeniżmu. Is-seminaristi pparteċipaw ukoll fis-servizz ekumeniku li jiġi organizzat ta’ kull sena fil-knisja ta’ Santu Wistin fir-Rabat.
In the week between Wednesday 18th January and Wednesday 25th January, the Church celebrated a week of prayer for unity among Christians. The Seminary community organized various prayer meetings to raise an awareness of ecumenism among the seminarians. The seminarians participated also in an ecumenical service which is held every year at Saint Augustine Church in Victoria.
Nhar is-Sibt 14 ta’ Jannar is-saċerdoti Għawdxin inġabru fis-Seminarju għall-awgurju tal-bidu tas-sena. Mons. Isqof jieħu din l-okkażjoni biex jawgura s-sena t-tajba lis-saċerdoti kif ukoll iwassal il-messaġġ tiegħu fil-bidu tas-sena l-ġdida. Mons. Isqof tenna li s-saċerdot għandu jkun dak li jifforma il-kuxjenzi u mhux jeħdilhom posthom. Id-dixxerniment għandu jkun wieħed personali. Hu kompla jgħid li s-saċerdot għandu japplika l-arti tal-poroposta tal-verità filwaqt li jistenna b’sabar lill-penitent sabiex japplikaha. L-Isqof qara ukoll il-linji gwida dwar l-applikazzjoni ta’ kapitlu tmienja tal-Amoris Laetitia li ġew ippubblikati ġurnata qabel minnu u mill-Arċisqof ta’ Malta. Is-seminaristi attendew ukoll għal din l-attività.
On Saturday 14th January the Gozitan priests met at the Seminary to exchange New Year’s greetings. Every year, on this occasion Bishop Grech exhanges greetings with the priests and passes on a message for the new year. Bishop Grech said that the priest should be the one who forms the conscience of man and who not replaces it. The discernment has to be personal and the priest has to apply the art of the proposal of truth and waits patiently for the penitent to accept it. The Bishop also read the guide lines regarding the application of chapter 8 of the Amoris Laetitia. The guide lines had been published the day before by Bishop Grech in conjunction with Archbishop Scicluna. The seminarians attended this activity too.
Nhar it-Tnejn 9 ta’ Jannar 2017, is-seminarista Joseph Hili ppreżenta it-talba tiegħu biex jiġi aċċettat għall-ordinazzjoni djakonali filwaqt li d-djakni Michael Grima u Carl Scerri ippreżentaw it-talba għall-ordinazzjoni presbiterali. Dan sar waqt il-quddiesa ta’ filgħodu fil-kappella tas-Seminarju, fil-preżenza tal-formators, is-seminaristi u anke s-sorijiet.
Joseph, Michael u Carl ressqu t-talba tagħhom waqt il-mument tal-offertorju.
On Monday 9th, January 2017, seminarian Joseph Hili presented his request to be ordained deacon while deacons Michael Grima and Carl Scerri asked to be ordained priests. The request was presented during the morning mass at the Seminary chapel. The formators, the seminarians and the nuns were present for the mass. Joseph, Michael and Carl presented their request during the Offertory.
Ix-xahar ta’ Diċembru huwa xahar speċjali anki għall-komunità tas-Seminarju. F’dan iż-żmien il-programm tal-ġurnata jiġi mibdul. Jisbieħ il-bini tas-seminarju u jiġu organizzati attivitajiet li ma jsirux fil-bqija tas-sena.Tul żmien l-Avvent fis-6.15am isir it-talb tal-Uffiċċju tal-Qari u fil-Quddiesa ta’ kuljum isir ħsieb wara l-Vanġelu.
Fl-aħħar jiem ta’ qabel il-Milied, is-seminaristi flimkien mal-formators, iżejnu s-Seminarju u jiġu organizzati diversi attivitajiet fosthom il-quddiesa fl-għar u l-attività flimkien mal-familjari tas-seminaristi.
Din is-sena s-seminaristi ħarġu għall-vaganzi tal-Milied nhar il-Ġimgħa 16 ta’ Diċembru. Dakinhar saru l-aħħar lectures għas-sena 2016. Huma se jirritornaw lura nhar it-Tlieta 3 ta’ Jannar 2017.
