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Is-Sibt 13 ta’ Diċembru filgħodu, bosta abbatini nġabru fis-Seminarju għall-attività tal-Milied.  Din is-sena l-attendenza għal din l-attività kienet sabiħa ħafna.

Fid-9.00am saret laqgħa li mexxiha Joseph Attard.  Hu tkellem fuq is-sejħa li żmien il-Milied jagħmlilna biex inkunu ġenerużi u nitgħallmu nkunu aħna l-ewwel li nagħtu rigal lil xi ħadd ieħor.  Fi tmiem il-laqgħa, Fr Tony Sciberras, ir-rettur il-ġdid, għamel messaġġ ċkejken ta’ apprezzament lill-abbatini filwaqt li awguralhom għall-Milied.

Wara s-seminaristi qassmu lit-tfal fi tliet gruppi, organizzawlhom logħob adattat għall-okkażjoni u anki pprovdewlhom xi snacks.  Mons. Isqof Mario Grech żar lill-gruppi u qassam lill-abbatini r-rigal tal-Milied, li s-seminaristi kienu ħejjew għal din is-sena.

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During the morning of Saturday, 13th December, a great number of altar boys gathered at the Seminary for their Christmas activity.  

A meeting led by Joseph Attard took place at 9.00.  He told those present that Christmas time invites us to be generous and that we should learn to be the first to donate gifts to others.  Towards the end of the meeting, the new rector, Fr. Tony Sciberras spoke about the importance of the altar boy’s service and he wished them all a happy Christmas.

Afterwards, the seminarians divided the boys into three groups and organised games suitable to this occasion. They also handed out snacks to the boys.  Bishop Mario Grech visited the groups and distributed Christmas gifts to the boys.  This year’s gifts had been prepared by the seminarians.

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Għat-tielet sena konsekuttiva s-Seminarju organizza ġimgħa ta’ missjoni f’parroċċa partikulari.  Din is-sena saret bejn il-Ħadd 23 u l-Ġimgħa 28 ta’ Novembru fil-parroċċa ta’ San Girgor il-Kbir u l-Madonna tas-Sokkors, f’Ta’ Kerċem.  L-iskop tal-missjoni kien wieħed vokazzjonali.  Għaldaqstant kien hemm diversi mumenti sbieħ matul din il-ġimgħa li fihom is-seminaristi setgħu jiltaqgħu ma’ tfal, adolexxenti u żgħażagħ. 

Għal aktar minn darba l-komunità tas-Seminarju ċċelebrat l-Ewkaristija mal-komunità parrokkjali, is-seminaristi żaru wkoll l-iskejjel primarji li hemm f’Ta’ Kerċem, ġew organizzati diversi mumenti ta’ adorazzjoni u anki saret laqgħa liż-żgħażagħ.  Kien hemm ukoll mument ta’ fraternità mas-saċerdoti tal-parroċċa.  Madankollu l-aktar attività ċentrali kienet l-home visits.  Is-seminaristi, bejn it-Tnejn u l-Ħamis, kellhom iċ-ċans iżuru diversi familji li għandhom ulied adolexxenti, xi familji bit-tfal żgħar u anki lil xi anzjani fi djarhom.  Fi tmiem din l-esperjenza s-seminaristi flimkien mas-superjuri tas-Seminarju raddew ħajr lil Alla, lill-Kappillan Dun Brian Meilak u anki lill-parroċċa Ta’ Kerċem talli offritilhom din l-opportunità sabiħa biex permezz tagħha huma setgħu jħossuhom aktar qrib tal-Poplu ta’ Alla.

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For the third consecutive year, the Seminary organised a mission week in a particular parish.  This year’s mission week was held in the Parish of St Gregory the Great and Our Lady of Help of Christions between Sunday 23rd and Friday 28th November. The aim of the mission week was the promotion of vocations.  For this reason, various activities were held during the week and the seminarians met the children, the adolescents and the youths of the parish. 

The community of the Seminary celebrated the Eucharist a number of times with the parish community.  The seminarians visited the primary school at Kercem, led adoration sessions and held a meeting for youths.  The members of the Seminary also shared a moment of fraternity with the members of the clergy of the parish.   However, home visits were the most important activity of the week.  Between Monday and Thursday, the seminarians visited the homes of various families with adolescent children, other families with smaller children and even elderly persons.  At the end of this experience the seminarians and their superiors thanked God, Parish Priest Fr. Brian Meilak and the Kercem Parish for giving them the opportunity with which they could be closer to the People of God.

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Ta’ kull sena, f’dawn l-aħħar snin, il-manifestazzjoni djoċesana fl-okkażjoni tas-Solennità ta’ Kristu Re kienet qed tibdel il-forma tagħha sabiex tiġi enfasizzata t-tema tas-sena.  Din is-sena, fl-okkażjoni tal-150 sena mit-twaqqif tad-djoċesi, it-tema kienet marbuta mal-vokazzjonijiet.  Għaldaqstant il-manifestazzjoni saret il-Ħadd 23 ta’ Novembru, fit-triq ta’ quddiem is-Seminarju.  Għaliha kienu mistiedna s-saċerdoti, ir-reliġjużi, is-seminaristi, l-abbatini kollha ta’ Għawdex u anki l-ġenituri tagħhom.  Kien mument sabiħ fejn id-djoċesi, bl-għajnuna ta’ Mons. Isqof setgħet tapprezza l-ħidma b’risq il-vokazzjonijiet li qed issir fi ħdan il-Knisja Għawdxija.  Mons. Grech enfasizza l-fatt li s-Seminarju hu l-qalb tad-djoċesi tagħna u hu meħtieġ li kull wieħed minna jagħmel ħiltu biex din il-qalb tibqa’ tħabbat!

Every year, for the last few years, the diocesan manifestation for the occasion of the Feast of Christ the King has been given a new form which adheres to the theme of the current year. This year, which happens to be the 150th anniversary of the founding of the diocese, the theme was linked with vocations.  For this purpose, the manifestation took place on Sunday, 23rd November, in the street outside the main door of the Seminary.  Priests, members of Religious Orders, seminarians, parents of altar boys and altar boys from all the parishes of Gozo took part in the manifestation.  It was a special occasion in which the diocese, through Bishop Grech, showed its appreciation for the promotion of vocations within the Gozitan church. Bishop Grech emphasized the fact that the Seminary is the heart of our diocese and that we all should do our best to keep it strong and healthy.   

Nhar is-Sibt 22 ta’ Novembru l-Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju flimkien mas-Seminarju u voluntiera oħra organizzaw l-Ikla ta’ San Martin.  L-iskop ta’ din l-ikla hu dak ta’ fund raising.  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 radd ħajr lil Dun Daniel Xerri li qed jersaq lejn tmiem il-ministeru bħal rettur tas-Seminarju u ppreżenta wkoll lil Dun Tony Sciberras mssp.

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On Saturday, 22nd November, the Aħwa Ħbieb tas-Seminarju, members of the Seminary and volunteers organised a fund raising activity in the form of a dinner, known as L-Ikla ta’ San Martin.  This activity has been organised annually for many years and has always been linked with the feast of St Martin of Tours, celebrated on the 11th November.  This year, quite a big number of guests participated in this activity and they were served at table by the seminarians, who this year too, followed the tradition of acting as waiters.  When dinner was over, Bishop Grech thanked Fr Daniel Xerri for the number of years he served as Rector of the Seminary and introduced the new Rector, Fr Tony Sciberras MSSP.

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Tuesday, 4th November, was the 148th anniversary of the founding of the Sacred Heart Seminary, two years after the setting up of the Diocese of Gozo.  Along the years, the Seminary has  been the fount of formation for many priests, some of whom became missionaries in other countries while others served in Gozitan communities.

On Tuesday morning, Mgr Bishop Mario Grech joined the Seminary community in a Mass of Thanksgiving,  During his homily, based on the Reading of the day, he urged the seminarians to accept the invitation of the Lord to dinner (Lk 14,15-34).  Bishop Grech said that it is difficult to accept this invitation since, very often, one has to renounce to securities that one may have in life.  However, the true joy exists in living the priestly vocation the way Jesus Christ designs it, and in the way the Church needs it.

The 4th November is the feast of St Charles Barromeo, Bishop of Milan and Patron Saint of seminarians.  Bishop Grech ended his homily by urging the seminarians to accept the invitation that St Charles Barromeo made to his contemporary seminarians and priests: seek daily to spend some time in meditation and prayer.  The bishop thanked the priests and formators who work hard to sow these values in the heart of the seminarians.

On this day, special prayers were said for the benefactors of the Seminary, both living and departed, priests who were superiors of the Seminary, nuns who served at the Seminary and all priests who received their priestly formation at the Seminary.

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It-Tlieta 4 ta’ Novembru s-Seminarju tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù għalaq 148 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 it-Tlieta filgħodu ngħaqad mal-komunità tas-Seminarju għall-quddiesa ta’ radd il-ħajr. Waqt l-omelija qasira fuq il-Vanġelu tal-ġurnata hu ħeġġeġ lis-seminaristi biex jilqgħu s-sejħa li s-sid jagħmel għall-pranzu (ara Lq 14,15-24). Hu stqarr li mhux faċli li wieħed jgħid iva għal din is-sejħa għax ħafna drabi wieħed ikollu jiċċaħħad minn sigurtajiet li jista’ jkollu f’ħajtu. Madankollu, il-ferħ veru jinsab f’li wieħed jgħix is-saċerdozju kif jixtiequ Ġesù Kristu, kif verament teħtieġu l-Knisja.

Nhar l-4 ta’ Novembru tiġi ċċelebrata wkoll il-festa ta’ San Karlu Borromeo, Isqof ta’ Milan u patrun tas-seminaristi. Mons. Isqof għalhekk, temm ir-riflessjoni tiegħu billi ħeġġeġ lis-seminaristi sabiex jilqgħu l-istedina li dan il-qaddis jagħmel lis-seminaristi u lis-saċerdoti ta’ żmienu: dik li ta’ kuljum ifittxu l-ħin għall-meditazzjoni u t-talb. Mons. Grech radd il-ħajr lill-qassisin, il-formators, li qed jaħdmu biex jiżirgħu dawn il-valuri fil-qalb tas-seminaristi.

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.

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At the beginning of this year of formation, Rector Fr Daniel Xerri announced that Sr Norah Momanyi, who had accompanied Sr Guzeppina for the last three years at the Seminary, is leaving our community to offer her services in another convent in Malta.  Sr Norah is being replaced by Sr Maria Micallef.  Our community welcomed Sr Maria.

Sr  Maria was born on the 17th February 1932 at Rabat, Malta.  She joined the Congregation of Franciscan Nuns of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the 7th January 1957.  She spent most of her religious life in the missions.  She spent 55 years working with the children of Brazil.

On Wednesday 22nd October, Sr Norah joined the Seminary community for the midday lunch.  We thanked her for her sevices at the Seminary.

Farewell Sr Norah and welcome Sr Maria!

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Fil-bidu ta’ din is-sena r-Rettur Dun Daniel Xerri għarrafna li Sr Norah Momanyi, li kienet qed taqdi fis-Seminarju, flimkien ma’ Sr Ġużeppina għal dawn l-aħħar tliet snin, se tħalli l-komunità tagħna biex tmur taqdi f’kunvent ieħor ġewwa Malta. Flok Sr Norah ingħaqdet magħna Sr Maria Micallef.  Fil-bidu ta’ din is-sena, bħala komunità tajna merħba lil Sr Maria.

Sr Maria twieldet nhar is-17 ta’ Frar, 1932 ġewwa r-Rabat Malta. Fis-7 ta’ Jannar 1957 ingħaqdet mal-Kongregazzjoni tas-sorijiet Franġiskani tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù. Hija għaddiet ħafna mill-ħajja reliġjuża tagħha fil-missjoni. Infatti hi għaddiet 55 sena fil-Brażil f’ħidma mat-tfal.

Nhar l-Erbgħa 22 ta’ Ottubru, Sr Norah ingħaqdet mal-komunità tas-Seminarju għall-ikel ta’ nofsinhar.  B’dan il-mod il-komunità setgħet issellmilha u troddilha ħajr għas-servizz tagħha fi ħdan is-Seminarju.

Grazzi Sr Norah u merħba Sr Maria!

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