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Dis-sena, b’differenza mis-soltu, il-lungo passeggio sar billejl.  Din il-mixja ġiet organizzata fil-lejl bejn il-Ġimgħa 20 u s-Sibt 21 ta’ Novembru.  Is-seminaristi flimkien ma’ xi formators telqu bil-mixi mis-Seminarju għall-ħabta ta’ nofsillejl u mxew lejn il-kappella ta’ San Dimitri.  Minn hawn irħewlha lejn Wied l-Għasri u wara għal Marsalforn.  Il-mixja kienet ftit impenjattiva minħabba l-għejja tal-lejl u anki minħabba r-riħ li kien hemm f’dik il-lejla partikulari.  Għall-5.00am tas-Sibt is-seminaristi waslu Marsalforn fejn ġiet iċċelebrata l-Ewkaristija fil-Kunvent tas-Sorijiet Franġiskani tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù, li jinsab fil-Qbajjar.  Wara, is-seminaristi flimkien mal-formators ħadu l-kolazzjoni f’restorant f’Marsalforn stess.  Imbagħad, kulħadd inġabar f’daru għall-mistrieħ.  Għalkemm kulħadd kien xi ftit għajjien, kulħadd kien kuntent li dan il-lungo passeggio rnexxa.

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This year, the lungo passeggio was different from that of earlier years.  It was held on the night between Friday 20th and Saturday 21st November.  The seminarians and some formators started their hike from the Seminary at about midnight.  They proceeded to the chapel of St Dimitri, on to Wied l-Għasri and Marsalforn.  The hike was quite exhausting, mainly because it was windy.  The hikers reached Marsalforn at about 5.00am.  Mass was celebrated at the chapel of the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Qbajjar.  Then the seminarians and formators had breakfast at Marsalforn before returning home.  Everybody was tired but happy that this lungo passeggio had been a success.

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For the fourth consecutive year, the Seminary community celebrated vocations week in a chosen parish.  This year, the parish of Our Lady of Loretu of Għajnsielem hosted the seminarians between Sunday 15th and Friday 20th November.  The aim of vocations week was to promote vocations among the younger generation.  For this reason, the seminarians met the youth and adolescents of the village for discussion and prayer.

The Seminary community joined the parochial community for Mass and the seminarians paid visits to the Għajnsielem Primary School and MCAST which is in the same village.  There were moments of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and meetings with children at catechism centres and at the MUSEUM and with youth groups and priests serving in the parish.  However, the home visits were the central activity of the week.  From Monday to Thursday, the seminarians paid visits to several families who are raising adolescents and youths.  At the end of this experience, the superiors of the Seminary and the seminarians thanked God, Archpriest Fr Frankie Bajada and the parish of Għajnsielem for this opportunity of reaching out to the People of God.

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Għar-raba’ sena konsekuttiva l-komunità tas-Seminarju organizzat ġimgħa ta’ missjoni f’parroċċa partikulari.  Din is-sena saret bejn il-Ħadd 15 u l-Ġimgħa 20 ta’ Novembru fil-parroċċa tal-Madonna ta’ Loretu, f’Għajnsielem.  L-iskop tal-missjoni kien wieħed vokazzjonali.  Għaldaqstant kien hemm diversi mumenti sbieħ matul din il-ġimgħa li fihom is-seminaristi setgħu jiltaqgħu ma’ adolexxenti u żgħażagħ.

Għal aktar minn darba l-komunità tas-Seminarju ċċelebrat l-Ewkaristija mal-komunità parrokkjali, is-seminaristi żaru wkoll l-Iskola Primarja t’Għajnsielem u l-Istitut tal-MCAST li jinsab ukoll f’Għajnsielem.  Ġew organizzati diversi mumenti ta’ adorazzjoni u anki saru laqgħat lit-tfal fid-djar tad-duttrina u tal-MUSEUM.  Saru laqgħat lill-gruppi tal-adolexxenti u liż-żgħażagħ fiċ-Ċentru Parrokkjali.  Fi tmiem il-ġimgħa ġie organizzat ukoll mument ta’ fraternità maż-żgħażagħ u mas-saċerdoti tal-parroċċa.  Madankollu l-aktar attività ċentrali tul din il-ġimgħu kienet il-home visits.  Is-seminaristi, bejn it-Tnejn u l-Ħamis, kellhom iċ-ċans iżuru diversi familji li għandhom ulied adolexxenti jew żgħażagħ.  Fi tmiem din l-esperjenza s-seminaristi flimkien mas-superjuri tas-Seminarju raddew ħajr lil Alla, lill-Arċipriet Dun Frankie Bajada u anki lill-parroċċa t’Għajnsielem talli offritilhom din l-opportunità sabiħa biex permezz tagħha huma setgħu jħossuhom aktar qrib tal-Poplu ta’ Alla.

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Nhar is-Sibt 14 ta’ Novembru l-Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju flimkien mas-Seminarju u voluntiera oħra organizzaw l-Ikla ta’ San Martin.  L-ikla għandha skop ta’ ġbir ta’ fondi.  Din l-ikla għandha storja twila ħafna u dejjem ġiet marbuta mal-festa ta’ San Martin ta’ Tours li taħbat fil-11 ta’ Novembru.  Din is-sena wkoll, kien hemm numru sabiħ ta’ nies li attendew u kellhom ix-xorti li tul l-ikla jiġu servuti mis-seminaristi.  Hi tradizzjoni antika li s-seminaristi, waqt din l-ikla jagħmluha ta’ waiters.  Fi tmiem l-ikla Mons. Isqof u Dun Tony Sciberras mssp raddew ħajr lil kulħadd għall-preżenza tagħhom.

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On Saturday November 14th, the Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju, together with the Seminary community and volunteers, organised a fund-raising activity which consisted of a dinner linked with the feast of St Martin of Tours, celebrated on November 11th.  This activity has a long history, and, as usual, it was attended by a great number of guests who were served at table by the seminarians.  Serving at table is a traditional role that the seminarians play every year.  At the end of the activity, Bishop Grech and Fr Tony Sciberras MSSP thanked the guests for having participated in the activity.

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Wara li Sr Maria Micallef FCJ temmet il-ħidma tagħha fis-Seminarju u ħalliet il-komunità tagħna tul is-sena li għaddiet, il-komunità kollha kienet qed tistenna li titħabbar il-miġja ta’ soru oħra.  Nhar l-Erbgħa 11 ta’ Novembru filgħaxija, b’sorpriża, ġejna nfurmati li ngħaqdet soru ġdida.  Dlonk kulħadd mar isellmilha.  Din hi Sr Pierantonia Muscat FCJ.  Sr Pierantonia hija min-Nadur u issa se tkun qed taqdi fis-Seminarju flimkien ma Sr Giuseppina.

Merħba fostna Sr Pierantonia!

The Seminary community gives a hearty welcome to Sr Pierantonia Muscat FCJ, who is replacing Sr Maria Micallef FCJ. Sr Maria left our community last year.  To our surprise, the new member in our community arrived on Wednesday, November 11th. Sr Pierantonia Muscat hails from Nadur. She will be joining Sr Giuseppina in giving service at the Seminary.

Welcome to our Community!

Bejn il-Ġimgħa 23 u l-Ħadd 25 ta’ Ottubru l-komunità tas-Seminarju kienet Malta għal Human Formation Weekend.  Dan sar fis-Seminarju tal-Arċisqof, ir-Rabat u tmexxa minn Fr Dunstin Xuereb, saċerdot żagħżugħ li studja l-psikoloġija.  Fr Dunstin qassam dan il-weekend f’erba’ sessions fejn prinċipalment tkellem fuq stress management, time management, self care u peer pressure.  Kien hemm ukoll mumenti ta’ sharing fuq is-suġġetti diskussi.  Minbarra dawn il-mumenti ferm sbieħ li żgur kienu ta’ għajnuna għas-seminaristi, kien hemm ukoll mumenti ta’ talb flimkien.  Filgħaxijiet is-seminaristi kellhom ħin liberu flimkien.

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Between Friday 23rd and Sunday 25th October, the community of the Seminary was in Malta for a Human Formation Weekend.  The Archbishop’s Seminary at Rabat hosted us for this weekend.  The weekend was divided into four sessions which were led by Fr Dunstin Xuereb, a young expert in psychology.  The topics of the sessions were stress management, time management, self care and peer pressure. The sessions were followed by discussions related with the topics.  Besides these discussions, which were surely helpful to the seminarians, there were also moments of communial prayer.  In the evenings the seminarians spent some free time together.

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Nhar il-Ħadd li għadda, 18 t’Ottubru, il-Knisja ċċelebrat Jum il-Missjoni.  Dan hu jum fejn kulħadd huwa mistieden jirrifletti u jagħraf kif jista’ jaqdi s-sejħa tiegħu biex ikun missjunarju fl-ambjent li hu jgħix fih.  Hu mument li fih nitfgħu ħarsitna fuq il-Knisja li tinsab ’il barra minn pajjiżna, 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.  B’hekk anki s-seminaristi jkunu jistgħu jilqgħu s-sejħa li jkunu missjunarji!  Għal din is-sena, it-tema magħżula kienet: Fidi + Karità = Missjoni.  Kuljum, bejn it-Tlieta 13 u s-Sibt 17 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 (’il fuq minn 60) li sal-lum għadhom jaqdu fil-Knisja ’l bogħod minn pajjiżna.

Minn din is-sena, kull tielet Ħamis tax-xahar filgħodu, bħala komunità tas-Seminarju, se ningħaqdu mas-sorijiet Klarissi fil-monasteru tagħhom, Nazaret, fir-Rabat sabiex magħhom nitolbu t-Tifħir ta’ Sbiħ il-Jum u wara niċċelebraw il-Quddiesa.  Għalhekk nhar il-Ħamis 15 t’Ottubru filwaqt li fakkarna t-tifkira ta’ Santa Tereża t’Avila tajna bidu għal dawn il-Ħamisijiet għand il-Klarissi.  Il-Grupp Missjunarju stieden lill-E.T. Mons. George Bugeja ofm sabiex imexxi l-Quddiesa u jaqsam magħna l-esperjenza missjunarja tiegħu.

Mument mill-isbaħ kien il-Ħamis wara nofsinhar fejn il-Grupp Missjunarju żar l-iskola tas-Seminarju Minuri u wassal il-messaġġ missjunarju lill-istudenti kollha tal-iskola!

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Last Sunday, October 18, the Church celebrated Missions Day.  On this day, the Christians are invited to reflect on and understand how they can be missionaries in the environment they live in.  On this day too, we are invited to think about the Church in Third World Countries.

For Missions Week, the Missions Group within the Seminary Community organizes a number of activities.  In this way, the seminarians too can embrace the call to be missionaries.  The theme for this year was: Faith + Charity = Missions.  Every day, between Tuesday and Saturday, October 13 to 17, special prayers were said for the missions of each continent.  We could appreciate the fact that besides the many nuns and lay missionaries who serve the missions, there are still more than 60 priests and monks who are working in parishes abroad.

During this year, in the morning of every third Thursday of the month, the Seminary community joins the Poor Clares at Nazaret, their monastery at Victoria.  We recite the Lauds and then we celebrate Mass.  Thursday, October 15, was our first Thursday at Nazaret.   We celebrated the feast of St Therese of Avila and then we participated in the Mass led by His Excellency Mgr George Bugeja, whom the Missions Group had invited to share his missionary experiences with us.

In the afternoon of the same Thursday, the Missions Group paid a visit to the Minor Seminary.  Members of the group delivered a message about the missions to all the students of the school.  It was a visit worth remembering.

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