On the 4th November 1866, exactly one hundred fifty three years ago, the Seminary welcomed its first seminarians. On this same date, the Church celebrates the feast of St Charles Borromeo, one the great reformer saints of the era of the Council of Trent. St Charles is regarded as the founder of the seminaries for the formation of priests.
At 7.00pm. H.E. Bishop Mario Grech, Apostolic Administrator for Gozo, celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of the Seminary as an act of thanksgiving to the Lord. The bishop encouraged the seminarians to change their way of thinking during their years of formation so that it will resemble the way of thinking of the Lord. The logic of Christ is not based on egoism. It is based on love and on serving others. At the end of Mass, the Reverend Rector, Fr Richard N. Farrugia conveyed a message of thanksgiving to Sister Pierantonia Muscat who was a member of the community of the sisters at our Seminary for the last four years. At present, Sister Pierantonia is at the Casa Madre in Palm Street in Victoria. After Mass, a dinner in honour of Sister Pierantonia was hosted in the refractory of the Seminary.
On this day we thank God for the many vocations He bestowed on our Diocese through the years. We pray that He enriches our Diocese with even more holy vocations and helps our priests who studied in this Seminary. We remember also the many benefactors, especially the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who helped our Seminary through the years. The Francisan Sisters have been serving the Seminary for almost one hundred years.
