As announced earlier, this year the Seminary has taken the initiative to organize meetings with a pastoral orientation. These meetings form part of the seminarians’ formation and aim at helping the seminarians to get to be better acquainted with the various groups and societies in the Diocese and with the pastoral work being carried out.
On Wednesday 23rd October, Mr Alfred Grech, member of the Legion of Mary, addressed the first meeting. Mr Grech talked to the community about the origins and history of this organisation and about the reasons why the Legion was set up in Gozo as well. He talked also about the formation that the members of the Legion of Mary receive and about the work which this organisation performs both in Gozo and abroad. He emphasised the role that priests and seminarians can have in this organisation. He invited the seminarians to get to know the Legion better and to participate, if they so wished, in one of the Pellegrinazio pro Cristo that the Legion of Mary will be organising next Summer.
On Wednesday 6th November, it was the turn of Mr Antoine Vassallo, President of the Gozo Catholic Action Movement, to address the community of the Seminary. He talked about the origins of this movement in Italy and about how the movement came to Gozo. He referred to the close links that exist between the Major Seminary and the Catholic Action Movement. In fact, the first meetings of the movement used to be held at the Seminary. He defined the Catholic Action Movement as a movement of apostleship of the laity that teaches its members to work hand in hand with the Bishop and the parish priests in the parishes and in the Diocese. The work carried out by the members of the movement includes support to the aged and the teaching of cathecism. Lately, the Bishop has encouraged the members to approach and support people who feel that they are being rejected by the Church.
Then, on Wednesday, 4th December, the community was addressed by Joe and Giovanna Rapa, members of the Komunità tal-Mixja Neokatekumenali. They talked about the origins of their community back to in the sixties. The community was founded in Madrid by a person who was seeking faith. They talked also about how the movement evolved and the aims behind the meetings they hold. These meetings focus on the three pillars on which the movement is founded, mainly the Word of God, the Holy Eucharist and the community. Through these meetings, a person can start his walk of faith that will lead him to build a relationship with God.
