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Salesian Bulletin (Malta) No. 226 Sep-Oct 2012

Hajja Salesjana SETTEMBRU - OTTUBRU 2012il-226 Óar©a

It-Tnax -il Appostlu

Is-Sena tal-Fidi
A Martyr’s Letter

Extraordinary Salesian Parishioner

The Logo of the Salesians of Don Bosco is made up of two superimposed images: in
the background a stylised “S” (Salesians) in white marked to the right and left by two
cuttings between the hills (a road). The second image is in the centre of the globe: an
arrow pointing upwards resting on three perpendicular legs on top of which are three
closed circles making a stylised image of three people: the first of these in the midde
and taller (the Salesian) appears as if embracing the side figures (the young). The three
stylised figures can also be viewed as an arrow pointing upwards (education / formation)
or simply as a dwelling (Salesian house) with three pillars holding it up (reason, religion,
loving kindness).

The coat of arms of the Salesian Congregation shows the shining star, the large anchor,
the heart on fire symbolizing faith, hope and charity; the figure of St. Francis de Sales
recalling the Patron of the Society; the small wood in the lower part reminds us of the
Founder (Bosco) the high mountains signify the heights of perfection towards which
members strive; the interwoven palm and laurel that enfold the shield either side are
emblematic of the prize reserved for a sacrificial and virtuous life. The motto Da mihi
animas, caetera tolle (give me souls, take the rest) expresses every Salesian’s ideal.

Óajja Salesjana
St. Patrick’s School, Triq San Ìwann Bosco,
Sliema SLM 1925 – MALTA
Tel. (+356) 2133 0238 / (+00356) 9986 1586
e-mail: hajjasal@salesiansmalta.org

Il-Bulettin Salesjan, imsejja˙ b’diversi ismijiet, ji©i
stampat f’56 edizzjoni u f’ 29 ilsien madwar id-
dinja u huwa mxerred fi 131 nazzjon

Responsible: Fr. Paul Formosa SDB
Director/ Editor: Fr. Joseph Cini SDB
Editorial Board : Margaret Buhagiar,
Andre Camilleri, Josie Grech.
Office: Eileen Alden, Joyce Scicluna.
Design & Printing: Salesian Press, Sliema.

Tista taqra ˙ajja Salesjana fuq il-kompjuter:
http://www.salesiansmalta.org

Fuqiex se naqraw

Front Cover: It-tfal u Ω-Ωg˙aΩag˙ huma r-ra©uni
li g˙aliha jeΩistu s-Salesjani

Is-Sena tal-Fidi 7
L.T.N. 40th Anniversary 9
Cheyenne the Dog and Dad 12
Brief Life of St. John Bosco 14
A Martyr’s Letter to His Girlfriend 16
It-Tnax -Il Appostlu 20
Malta Salesjana 24
Fuq ir-Ramel tal-G˙adira 26
Extraordinary Salesian Parishioner 29
Olympic Champions 32

Editorjal / Pedago©ija / Calendar of events /
Something to think about / Don Bosco Around the World

3Hajja Salesjana

EDITORJAL

Hajjet Dun Bosco kienet, g˙al dawk ta’
madwaru, lezzjoni dejjiema ta’ kif tg˙ix.

Fi kliem Papa Gwanni Pawlu II: ‘Dun Bosco
huwa sinjal qawwi fl-Istorja tal-Knisja; ̇ alla warajh
esperjenza ta’ ˙ajja u metodu ta’ edukazzjoni li
saru parti mill-wirt tag˙na. Fil-kliem tal-Venerabbli
predeçessur tag˙na Pawlu VI, huwa kien “©enju
mag˙ruf ta’ pedago©ija moderna u ta’ katekeΩi,
imma fuq kollox, ©enju tal-qdusija”

Dun Bosco offra stil uniku ta’ ‘mixja spiritwali
flimkien’ li wasslet liΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ tieg˙u g˙all-
qdusija. Huwa kien jemmen li dak li jg˙odd ma kienx
li “tag˙mel xi ˙a©a” g˙aΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙, imma li “tkun
xi ˙add” g˙alihom. Mela mhux “dak li nag˙mel”
daqs kemm “dak li jien” li jiswa g˙alihom. Dun
Bosco kien jag˙ti bidu u possibilta` lill-proçess
fejn jikber dak li hu spiritwali, waqt li jirnexxilu
jkun “dak” li joffri direzzjoni lil kull tifel. Duminku
Savio, Mikiel Magone u Francesco Besucco huma
frott ta’ din l’esperjenza ma’ Dun Bosco u l-mod
kif kien jakkumpanjhom spiritwalment. Dan jurina
li mhux biΩΩejjed li wie˙ed jorganizza attivitajiet
g˙at-tfal u Ω-Ωg˙aΩag˙ u li sempliçement ikun
preΩenti fil-log˙ob jew fil-klassi.

Jiena, li lili ©iet fdata l-Animazzjoni tal-
Vokazzjonijiet Salesjani f’Malta g˙al dawn
l-a˙˙ar 5 snin, skoprejt li mhux biΩΩejjed g˙alija
li norganizza. B˙ala Salesjan irrid nag˙mel pass
ie˙or. Jien msejja˙ sabiex inkun sie˙eb matur
u prezzjuΩ, li lest nisma’, nisfida u ninkora©©ixxi
Ω-Ωag˙Ωug˙ biex jiltaqa’ verament ma’ Ìesu`.
IΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ kollha huma msej˙a u jistg˙u jaslu
g˙all-qdusija…

Sikwit nisimg˙u li naqsu l-vokazzjonijiet. Dan
forsi g˙aliex Alla waqaf isejja˙ liΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙? Il-
Mulej g˙adu jsej˙ilhom u hija l-missjoni tag˙na li
ng˙inuhom jisimg˙u u jwie©bu g˙as-sej˙a tieg˙u.
Il-missjoni tag˙na b˙ala Familja Salesjana hija li
nnisslu u nkattru fihom il-˙ajja spiritwali. Irridu
wkoll ninkora©©ixxu u niggwidawhom fl-g˙aΩliet
ta’ ˙ajjithom biex b’hekk jirnexxilna niskopru
mhux biss lil Dun Bosco ottimista u ˙abrieki, imma
wkoll Dun Bosco “bniedem ta’ Alla” li bil-kalma
ji©bed lejh u jakkumpanja il-progress spiritwali
taΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙.

Fr. Louis Grech

HUWA KIEN JEMMEN LI DAK LI JGÓODD MA KIENX

LI “TAGÓMEL XI ÓAÌA” GÓAÛ-ÛGÓAÛAGÓ, IMMA LI

“TKUN XI ÓADD” GÓALIHOM."

Mixja Spiritwali
Flimkien

4 Hajja Salesjana

EDITORIAL

Don Bosco’s whole life was a constant lesson
on how to live, for the young under his care. In the
words of Pope John Paul II:

‘Don Bosco is a landmark in Church history. He
has left behind him an experience and a method
which have become part of our heritage. In the
words of my venerated predecessor Paul VI, he
was "a renowned genius of modern pedagogy and
catechesis but, above all, a genius of holiness” ’.

Don Bosco, offered a very unique way of
Spiritual Companionship which led his young
people to Holiness. Don Bosco believed that it
is not “doing something” for youth that counts
but “being someone” to them. It is “not what
we do” for them but “what we are” to them. Don
Bosco enabled processes of spiritual growth and
managed to be that “someone” who could offer
direction to each and every boy. St Dominic Savio,
Michele Magone and Francesco Besucco are the
fruits of Don Bosco’s experience and method of
spiritual companionship. Don Bosco’s experience
teaches us that it is not enough to organise
activities for young people and just merely be

there in the yard or classroom.
Having been entrusted with Salesian Vocation

Animation in Malta for the past 5 years, I realise
that being the organiser is not enough. Salesians
are called to go one step further. Salesians are
called to be that significant adult companion
ready to listen, engage and encourage the young
person to really meet Jesus. All young people
are called to and can achieve holiness. We often
hear that vocations have decreased. Is it because
God has stopped calling young people? Maybe
God is still calling them and it is our mission to
help young people to listen more to God’s voice.
Our mission as a Salesian Family is to instil and
encourage spiritual growth in our young people
and to guide them in their life choices. May we
rediscover not only Don Bosco the optimist and
activist, but also Don Bosco, the “Man of God” who
sat down, engaged and accompanied the spiritual
growth in youth.

Fr. Louis Grech S.D.B.

"DON BOSCO BELIEVED THAT IT IS NOT “DOING

SOMETHING” FOR YOUTH THAT COUNTS BUT

“BEING SOMEONE” TO THEM."

Spiritual
Companionship

5Hajja Salesjana

PEDAGOÌIJASalesjana
Minn Pascual Chávez Villanueva – Trad. Joe Cini

Il-President tal-Amerika Barak Obama, waqt
Ωjara fil-Brazil fl-2011 g˙al skopijiet politiçi
u kummerçjali, f’diskors tieg˙u lin-nies tal-
industrija, fakkarhom fil-˙olma ta’ Dun Bosco
dwar il-belt kapitali tag˙hom, BraΩilja. Obama
qalilhom, “BraΩilja hija belt Ωg˙ira fl-eta` - 51
sena biss. Imma kienet bdiet b˙ala ˙olma aktar
minn 100 sena ilu. Fl-1883, Don Bosco, il-qaddis
patrun ta’ BraΩilja, kellu viΩjoni li ©urnata wa˙da,
il-kapitali ta’ nazzjon kbir kellha tinbena bejn
il-15 u l-20 parallel. Kellha tkun mudell g˙all-
©ejjieni li tag˙ti d-dritt g˙al kull opportunita` lil
kull BraΩiljan.”

Globu Ωg˙ir tad-dinja
O©©ett gustuΩ fil-kmamar ta’ Dun Bosco ©ewwa

Valdocco, Turin, huwa globu tad-dinja, sewdieni u
mhux eΩatt. Diffiçli tag˙raf il-fruntieri bejn pajjiΩ
u ie˙or. “IΩ-Ωag˙Ωug˙ Mikiel Rua sikwit semg˙u
jg˙id, ‘O kemm ©id nista’ nag˙mel kieku kelli tnax-
il qassis ta˙t idejja! Kont nibg˙athom jippriedkaw
il-fidi qaddisa tag˙na mhux biss fil-knejjes, imma
wkoll fit-toroq!’ U kull meta kien i˙ares lejn mappa
tad-dinja, kien jie˙u nifs qawwi meta jara li tant
re©juni ma kinux insara, u kien jixtieq bil-˙erqa
dak il-jum meta, kieku jista’, jmur iwassal id-
dawl tal-Van©elu fil-postijiet mhux mil˙uqa mill-
missjunarji.”(Memorie Biografiche III, 383)

Insiru nafu lil Dun Bosco 3

Spirtu Missjunarju
Mudell Ìdid ta’ Missjoni u Missjunarji

6 Hajja Salesjana

L-istess Ωelu appostoliku li kien ˙a mill-iskola
ta’ Dun Cafasso, u li g˙inu jsib il-missjoni tieg˙u
fost il-foqra u t-tfal abbandunati, kellu jwasslu
g˙ad-deçiΩjoni li jag˙mel lill-Familja Salesjana
miftu˙a g˙all-Missjoni. Meta kien g˙adu fil-Kulle©©
EkkleΩjastiku, kien i˙obb jaqra fuq il-missjoniji.
Wie˙ed mill-kotba, l-Annali della Propagazione
della Fede, kien ©ieg˙lu jixtieq jid˙ol mal-Oblati
ta’ Marija Immakulata sabiex imur missjunarju fost
l-Indjani tal-Amerika ta’ Fuq. Imma dak li l-iΩjed
sa˙˙a˙lu fehmtu dwar il-Missjoni g˙as-Salesjani
tieg˙u kien il-Konçilju Vatikan I (1869-70). Hafna
isqfijiet mill-Amerika, l-Afrika u l-Asja, meta ©ew
g˙all-Konçilju, fittxew ukoll kleru u sorijiet g˙all-
missjoni f’pajjiΩhom. Çertament xi w˙ud kellmu
lil Dun Bosco wkoll, u huwa ra f’dan sinjal minn
Alla. Mtela b’entuΩjaΩmu, u huwa f’dan il-kuntest
li Don Bosco kellu l-ewwel ˙olma-viΩjoni dwar il-
missjonijiet.

“Sibt ru˙i ©o art selva©©a li qatt ma kont rajt
qabel, pjanura immensa, ming˙ajr g˙oljiet jew
muntanji ˙lief fuq ix-xefaq fil-bog˙od…Imbg˙ad
rajt grupp ta’ missjunarji o˙rajn, immexxija min
numru ta’ tfal, resqin lejn dawk in-nies slava©. Bdejt
nibΩa’ li sejrin jinqatlu; mort ni©ri lejhom: kienu
seminaristi u qassisin. Meta ˙arist sewwa ndunajt
li kienu s-Salesjani tag˙na.”

Ma˙kum mill-ispirtu tas-seklu tieg˙u, Dun Bosco
kien jimma©ina l-missjonijiet fis-sens strett (nies li
ma semg˙ux bi Kristu) u fis-sens romantiku (nies
kiefra u slava©). Importanti g˙alih kienet ukoll
il-viΩjoni ta’ Knisja Kattolika: mibg˙uta g˙al kull
©ens; kif ukoll il-fatt li l-vokazzjoni Salesjana kienet
miftu˙a g˙aΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ tad-dinja kollha; kif ukoll
˙e©©a kontra l-Protestanti. Il-kliem “Euntes in
mundum universum” kien i˙osshom b˙ala kmand,
u g˙alhekk bag˙at lill-missjunarji tieg˙u Ruma
sabiex jircievu l-barka tal-Papa."

Fuq quddiem ta’ armata kbira
G˙alkemm kellu minn fejn jag˙Ωel, ipprefera

l-Ar©entina: eluf ta’ emigranti kienu sejrin hemm
u l-missjunarji ma kienux i˙ossuhom maqtug˙in u
we˙idhom; kien hemm di©a` soçjeta` çivilizzata li
setg˙et twieΩen ix-xog˙ol tag˙hom; u kien hemm
ukoll ‘is-slava©’ tal-˙olm tieg˙u. L-ittri u l-a˙barijiet
ming˙and il-missjunarji ©ieg˙lu lil Dun Bosco
jbiddel il-viΩjoni li kellu dwar il-Patagonja. Inbidlet
ukoll l-istrategija: l-ewwel jitwaqqfu Kulle©©i,
Parroççi u Oratorji g˙at-tag˙lim u formazzjoni biex
imbag˙ad minn hemm jitilqu lejn il-missjonijiet.
B’hekk, il-mudell ta’ missjoni ©©edded b’elementi
mill-kariΩma tal-Oratorju ta’ Turin sabiex ting˙ata
importanza lill-kura u edukazzjoni taΩ-Ωg˙ar.
Il-missjunarji Salesjani ma kinux biss xhieda u
appostli li ˙allew kollox sabiex ixandru l-Van©elu,
imma, b˙al ponta ta’ iceberg jew l-ewwel linja ta’
armata kbira, ˙assewhom li qed jirrappreΩentaw
lill-Familja Salesjana kollha, li kienet issegwihom
spiritwalment u materjalment, fil-fer˙ u fin-niket,
fis-suççessi u fid-diffikultajiet.

Don Rua kiteb hekk lill-Koperaturi: “Is-Salesjani
u Ulied Marija AwΩiljatriçi, b˙al armata fil-kamp
tal-battalja, jag˙mlu l-parti tag˙hom, waqt li joffru
lil Alla u lill- proxxmu r-rieda, s-sa˙˙a u l-˙ajja
tag˙hom; il-Koperaturi min-na˙a tag˙hom, jag˙mlu
dak li missirijiet u ommijiet tal-familja jag˙mlu g˙al
uliedhom li jmorru fil-gwerra.” (Bullettin Salesjan 14
-1890- pp 4-5)

L-ittri tal-missjunarji, ippubblikati fil-Bullettin
Salesjan, kienu jag˙tu kull dettal, kull pro©ett, kull
kisba, kull suççess, kull tbatija u kull diffikulta`.
Kul˙add seta’ jag˙raf u jaqsam ix-xog˙ol tag˙hom,
jifra˙ bih, i˙ossu kburi, jbati mag˙hom, jitlob
g˙alihom u jg˙inhom b’xi g˙otja. U l-missjunarji,
li kienu j˙ossuhom parti mill-Familja kbira ta’ Dun
Bosco, kienu j˙ossuhom apprezzati, inkura©©uti,
ma˙buba, huma u jxerrdu l-kariΩma Salesjana mad-
dinja kollha.

"Sibt ru˙i ©o art selva©©a li
qatt ma kont rajt qabel"

Is-Sena tal-Fidi
Nhar is-17 ta’ Ottubru 2011, il-Papa Benedittu

XVI ippubblika l-Ittra Apostolika “Porta fidei”
(Il-Bieb tal-fidi) li biha istitwixxa s-Sena tal-Fidi.
Din is-sena speçjali se tibda f’Ottubru 2012 u
tintemm fl-24 ta’ Novembru, 2013. F’Ottubru,
2012 l-Assemblea Ìenerali tas-Sinodu tal-Isqfijiet
se tittratta dwar “L-Evan©elizzazzjoni Ìdida fit-
Trasmissjoni tal-Fidi Nisranija”.

F’ dan id-dokument il-Papa jistqarr li jixtieq
din is-Sena tal-Fidi bi twe©iba g˙all-kriΩi profonda
tal-fidi li qieg˙da taffettwa lil ˙afna nies f’dan
iΩ-Ωmien. Huwa jispjega li l-“Bieb tal-Fidi” huwa
dejjem miftu˙ u huwa l-muftie˙ biex nid˙lu fil-
Knisja ta’ Alla. Il-mixja tal-fidi tibqa’ sejra tul
il-˙ajja kollha, mill-mag˙mudija sakemm naslu
sal-˙ajja ta’ dejjem. Ta’ spiss ji©ri li l-Insara jag˙tu
aktar ̇ sieb u jimpenjaw ru˙hom aktar fir-realtajiet
soçjali, kulturali u politiçi minn dawk spiritwali.
Il-bniedem illum g˙alhekk g˙andu bΩonn jer©a’
jisma’ bil-fer˙ il-Kelma t’Alla u jaççetta l-istedina
ta’ Ìesù biex infittxu l-˙obΩ tal-˙ajja ta’ dejjem.

Is-Sena tal-Fidi sejra toffri lill-membri tal-Knisja
kollha okkaΩjoni biex fiha jirriflettu u jer©g˙u
jiskopru l-fidi tag˙hom. Il-Knisja dejjem g˙andha
bΩonn i©©edded il-fidi, issaffiha, tikkonfermaha u
tistqarrha. It-ti©did irid ise˙˙ permezz tax-xhieda
ta’ dawk li b’fidi kbira jemmnu u jg˙ixu s-sej˙a
tag˙hom b’mod li titwassal
il-verità tal-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Il-Knisja, g˙andha fi ˙danha
˙afna midinbin u g˙alhekk
hemm bΩonn li tissaffa u
timxi ’l quddiem bil-penitenza
u ti©did. Is-Sena tal-Fidi
g˙alhekk hija stedina g˙all-
konverΩjoni vera, m©edda fil-

Mulej, l-uniku Salvatur tal-bnedmin.
“Hija l-im˙abba ta’ Kristu li timlilna qalbna,”

kompla l-Papa, “u t˙e©©i©na biex nevan©elizzaw
illum ukoll u tibg˙atna fit-toroq tad-dinja biex
in˙abbru lil kul˙add il-Van©elu lill-©nus kollha.
Huwa me˙tie© li llum niskopru l-fer˙ fit-twemmin
tag˙na u ner©g˙u nimtlew b’entuΩjaΩmu biex
nikkomunikaw il-fidi.” F’din is-Sena tal-Fidi, f’dan
il-mument ta’ tant bidla fid-dinja, dawk kollha li
jemmnu jridu jiççelebrawha billi j˙e©©u lil dawk li
jemmnu fi Kristu biex jissa˙˙u huma u jsa˙˙u wkoll
l-g˙aqda tag˙hom fil-Van©elu. Iridu jistqarru l-fidi
tag˙hom fi Kristu Rxoxt fil-Katidrali u l-knejjes
tad-dinja kollha, fid-djar u l-familji u jittrasmettu
l-fidi lill-©enerazzjonijiet tal-futur.

In-nisrani ma jistax ja˙seb li l-fidi hija xi ˙a©a
privata. Hija titlob minnu responsabbiltà soçjali
ukoll. Matul din is-Sena, irridu niskopru l-g˙ana
tat-tag˙lim li l-Knisja laqg˙et u ̇ arset matul elfejn
sena ta’ storja. Irridu niltaqg˙u ma’ Kristu li jinsab
preΩenti fil-Knisja, fil-Litur©ija u s-Sagramenti.
Irridu nintensifikaw ix-xhieda tag˙na tal-karità,
g˙aliex il-fidi ming˙ajr karità tkun biss sentiment.

Il-Papa jtemm l-ittra tieg˙u bil-kliem: “A˙na
nemmnu b’fidi soda li l-Mulej Ìesù reba˙ fuq il-
˙aΩen u l-mewt. B’din il-fiduçja Ωgura a˙na nafdaw
fih. Huwa jinsab preΩenti fostna u jirba˙ fuq is-

setg˙a tal-˙aΩen (Lq. 11,
20). Il-Knisja, komunità
viΩibbli tal-˙niena tieg˙u,
tibqa’ fih b˙ala sinjal ta’
g˙aqda mal-Missier.

A˙na nafdaw din is-
Sena ta’ grazzja lil Omm
Alla, li kienet “hienja
g˙aliex emmnet.” (Lq. 1,45).

7Hajja Salesjana

8 Hajja Salesjana

FEASTS & EVENTSCALENDAR OF SALESIAN2012
SEP

TEM
BER

OCT
OB

ER
NO

VEM
BER

Wed 5 Salesian Cooperators - Sliema - monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.
Wed 2 First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick's at 6.15
Fri 7 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions
First Friday: Adoration and Mass at St. Patrick’s at 6.15 p.m.
Mon 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions
Sat 22 Blessed Spanish Martyrs (killed by Communists during Spanish Civil War)
Mon 24 Start of the new Scholastic Year. Commemoration of Mary Help of Christians at
St. Patrick’s– 6.30 p.m.& at Sliema Oratory at 7.30 p.m.

Wed 3 Salesian Cooperators – Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.
Fri 5 Blessed Alberto Marvelli (Lay member of the Salesian Family).
First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s, at 6.15 p.m.
Wed 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions
Sat 13 Blessed Alessandrina M da Costa (Salesian Cooperator)
20-21 Kummiedja - L-Affari Kubinski – Salesian Theatre, Sliema
Mon 22 Blessed John Paul II
Wed 24 Blessed Luigi Guanella (Óadem ma’ D.Bosco u kien Salesjan g˙al 3 snin)
Commemoration of Mary Help of Christians at St. Patrick’s– 6.30 p.m.
Mon 29 Blessed Michael Rua (First Successor of Don Bosco)

Thu 1 All Saints Day
Fri 2 First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s, at 6.15 p.m.
1-2 Mid-Term school holidays
Wed 7 Salesian Cooperators – Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.

For any other info about the Salesians: www.sdb.org

Daughters of Mary Help of Christians: www.cgfmanet.org

Salesians in Malta : www.salesiansmalta.org

Hajja Salesjana On Line : www.salesiansmalta.org/hajjasalesjana

L.T.N. – 40th Anniversary: 1972 – 2012

L.T.N. stands for “Librerija Taghlim Nisrani”, the
Maltese phrase for “Libreria Dottrina Cristiana” –
L.D.C., that is Christian Doctrine Library. It is a shop of
Catholic books and other religious articles. It is a way
of evangelisation and service started by Don Bosco
who wrote and published many books and who always
wanted to have a printing press of his own. It is an
apostolate which has spread all over the world.

In Malta, L.T.N. started at Savio College, Dingli, and was
inaugurated on the 7th October 1972. The first sales
included film-strips, slides, videos and cassette-tapes,
posters, picture books and other audio-visual religious
aids.

In 1975, L.T.N. shop was transferred to a couple of
rooms at the Sliema Oratory where it remained for 34
years.

In 1989, a branch of L.T.N. was opened in Valletta, a
shop that served the people for 20 years.

In 2009, the Sliema Oratory shop and the Valletta one were both closed down and the activity transferred
to one central and more spacious place in No. 81 Dingli Street , Sliema. Here it is of service not only to
the Maltese people but also to foreigners and many tourists who visit our Island.

L.T.N. aims at helping Priests, Missionaries, Catechists, Parents, Teachers and other pastoral operators.
It also caters for the ordinary religious needs of the people in general.

We congratulate “Librerija Taghlim Nisrani” for its 40 years of fruitful existence and we offer our best
wishes for its future. We also thank, most heartily, all those who in any way contributed to or were
involved in this very effective Salesian Apostolate.

Fr. Francis Zammit S.D.B.

9Hajja Salesjana

10 Hajja Salesjana

Don Bosco Around the World

SUDAN

Don Bosco’s relic arrived at the Wau airport
(South Sudan) on Saturday 21 January. It was
welcomed by a crowd of people from the various
parishes in the city. Present to receive it were
Bishop Rudolf Deng Majak of Wau, the Hon. Rizig
Hassan, Governor of the State of West Bahr El
Gazal, the Minister of Health, the Minister of

AfricaThe visit of the casket in
Education, the Minister of Communications and
other government authorities. The casket, escorted
by the Police Band and that of the Salesian Institute
of Tonj. was taken in procession to the Salesian
Vocational Training Centre. After staying in Wau
until Monday 23 January, the casket was in Tonj
(24-25 January), Maridi and Yambio. Wherever
Don Bosco went, there were so many expressions
of appreciation and thanks for the Salesians. The
progress of the casket was a National event: the
news was passed by word of mouth, but it was also
on all the radio and TV programmes. Crowds you
could never imagine turned out!

MOZAMBIQUE
The casket of Don Bosco was in the vice

Province “Mary help of Christians” of Mozambique
in April. After arriving at the airport of Maputo,
there to welcome the relic of the Founder were Fr.
Manuel Leal, Superior of the vice-Province, various
representatives of the Salesian Family and the
band of “São José” of Lhanguene. The first Mass
was celebrated in the Cathedral of Maputo, by the
Archbishop Mons. Francisco Chimoio. Taking part

11Hajja Salesjana

were also the former President of the Republic,
the Hon. Joaquim Chissano, diocesan priests, men
and women religious of many Congregations and a
large number of faithful. The day after the casket
went first to the Salesian novitiate; then a long
procession took the relic to the diocesan shrine of
Our Lady of Fatima. Again on the move, the relic
reached the city of Moamba, where the Salesians
run a technical school with boarding, the mission-
parish and the pre-novitiate. In the afternoon
the casket was taken to Inharrime, a distance of
300 km, where it was awaited by a large crowd
of youngsters, Salesians and FMAs. Many children
and young people paid their respects to the relic
through to the next morning, with prayer and
traditional song and dance. After this, the casket
was taken to Bagamoyo, an outlying district of
Maputo, where the only parish of the whole country
dedicated to Don Bosco is situated, presently run
by the Orioni Fathers.

SPAIN-MADRID
In June the casket of Don Bosco arrived

for a brief visit in Spain. On 6th it arrived at the
Salesian Institute of Atocha, for the official start
of its pilgrimage in the Madrid Province. Present at
the welcoming ceremony were the Archbishop of
Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela and Fr
Luis Onrubia, Provincial of Madrid. 1,500 students
from the Institute accompanied by their teachers
and the Salesians filled the courtyard for a special

day of celebration in which the atmosphere of the
early days of the Valdocco Oratory were recreated.
The enthusiasm was palpable and the youngsters
shouted out loud “Welcome home,” when the
casket of Don Bosco made its solemn entrance.
Accompanied by the “Jesús de Medinaceli” Band
from Alcalá de Henares the casket crossed the
courtyard right up to the stage where it was
received by the Archbishop, the Rector Manuel
Aparicio, the Provincial and other dignitaries.
Two upper school students spoke and then the
Archbishop of Madrid officially welcomed the relics
of the saint in the name of the whole diocesan
church. Then everyone, young and old, made their
way in procession to the Church, dedicated to
Mary Help of Christians where there was a Liturgy
of the Word, at which the Cardinal presided. The
celebration ended with the Cardinal’s blessing on
all those present.

12 Hajja Salesjana

(ANS – Celbridge) –Among the Olympic Torch
bearers for the 2012 London Olympic Games were
two young athletes who grew up at the Salesian
School in Celbridge: Mark Kenneally and Fiach
O’Rourke.

Mark Kenneally, Ireland's first marathon runner
to qualify for the London Olympics, had been
selected to carry the torch on 6 June through
the streets of Dublin. On 25 May he visited his
‘alma mater’ Salesian College, Celbridge where he
was presented with a specially inscribed bowl to

mark his historic achievement, "Mark Kenneally,
Salesian Olympian 2012, Congratulations" and
the school's crest. On that occasion he was
also presented with two cheques, one from the
School's Parents' Association and one from the
school to help with his expenses in preparing for
the Olympics.

Another Past Pupil of the Salesians, Celbridge,
Fiach O'Rourke (2001 - 2007) who completed a
degree in Sport, Health and PE in 2010 in Bangor
University (Wales) and has been working in
Bangor since that time, had been chosen to carry
the Olympic torch on 28 May in Bangor. “"Fiach
has been an inspiration to sport in Bangor, Wales
and Ireland. He has a remarkable sporting profile
before moving to Wales including competing
for Ireland in sport but also organising and
facilitating of sport for youth… He captained the
university badminton club which he grew to the
largest club in the university, leading the team to
2 league wins and promotions in 2 years… while
also setting up a squash club.”

The Salesian school in Celbridge takes great
pride in the honour given to these two past pupil
athletes.

Ireland
Celbridge School

a nursery of champions

13Hajja Salesjana

(ANS – Seoul) – Miss Kim Yu-na, the Olympic and
World Figure Ice-Skating Champion from South
Korea, has given a donation to the Salesians
to open a school in Southern Sudan. In the new
African State the Salesians are intending to build
many new elementary schools.

Last June, Kim Yu-na visited the Salesian
Provincial House in Seoul and met Fr Vincenzo
Donati and Bro Giacomo Comino, both Salesian
missionaries in Southern Sudan. She gave them
70 millions of South-Korean won, (about 47,000
euros) thus personally financing the building of
one of these schools.

"I had a chance to visit Togo a year ago as part
of efforts to win support for Korea's bid for the
Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and I felt the
need to help out children there," Kim said.

Fr Donati thanked her profusely and said one

of the schools to be built in Southern Sudan will
be named after Kim and asked the athlete to come
visit the school after it is completed.

Kim Yu-na became a Catholic convert in 2008,
taking the Christian name Stella. She has made
other generous donations before: in October 2009
her published gifts amounted to about 2,5 million
euro.

The project in Southern Sudan is for the
building of just elementary schools. Fr Gianni
Rolandi, Superior of the East Africa Province
(AFE), including Southern Sudan told the MISNA
Agency the reason: “This choice is the result of
there being an almost total lack of infrastructure
in Southern Sudan, an independent country
scarcely a year old where the wounds of civil war
are still open: one can only begin by building the
foundations.”

South Korea
Olympic Champion
funding a school
in Southern Sudan

14 Hajja Salesjana

A WORLD OF CHILDREN
It was not long before the new boy was joined by
ten other lads whom John somehow stuffed into
the Pinardi house. After the winter of 1851, when
he finally purchased Pinardi house, John was able
to accept some thirty boarders. In the morning,
after a prayer together, they would depart for their
workshop or factory. At noon they would return
and crowd the kitchen for their noonday dinner,
which was served by John. The boys would depart
for afternoon work, returning in the evening for
supper, when Professor Bosco would supervise
their lessons.

The increased activity, however, took its toll on
Mama Margaret, now in her mid-60’s. She toiled
all day long cleaning house, washing and mending
clothes, and nursing the little boys who were ill.
One day, fed up with her clothes-line being knocked
down, her vegetable garden trampled, weary from
endless washing, mending and cooking. Mama
Margaret announced to her son: “I’m going home.”
Don Bosco felt his mother’s anguish and said
nothing. He simply pointed to a crucifix hanging on
the wall. His mother understood and her eyes filled
with tears. Mama Margaret replaced her apron.

PROJECTS AND PLANS
As quickly as John finished one project, he began
another. In rapid succession he built a boarding
home for 150 boys, a new chapel to accommodate
the Oratory’s increased enrolment, and pioneered
evening education and vocational schools for
his future craftsmen. He built shoemaker, tailor,
carpenter, bookbinder, printing and ironwork

shops. His schools, considered among
Turin’s best, took their inspiration and

direction from Don Bosco himself. A
colleague, a distinguished professor,

explains why. “His love shone
forth from his looks and his words
so clearly and all felt it …They

experienced an immense joy in
his presence.”
John demanded much from
his teachers. At a time when
schoolmasters considered

Saint John Bosco
A brief account of his life

Throughout history, God has sent prophets and saints to warn, teach and lead His people.
Modern times are no exception. God has sent saints to found religious orders of men and
women for particular needs. He has sent martyrs, virgin, and holy men, such as Don Bosco, to
teach virtue and apostleship to a special portion of God’s people – namely youth. This is his
life story.

Part 4

15Hajja Salesjana

whipping an indispensable tool of their trade, Don
Bosco forbade any such violence. “Make yourself
loved,” he counselled them. “If you wish to be
obeyed, be fathers not superiors.”
Bosco could make no such demands unless
he himself led the way. He joined in students’
recreation, challenged them in conversation, and
joked with them. He would often race with them,
and, although plagued with varicose veins at 54, he
could still outrun any of them. If he had to punish,
he was careful never to demean or embitter a child.
“Without affection, there is no confidence,” he
often counselled his faculty, “without confidence,
no education.”
Don Bosco saw a relationship with God as the very
source and foundation of all human growth and
activity. For him it was essential to present God as
a loving Father to his children. He most effectively
did this by being a loving father to his Oratory.

BELOVED BEGGAR
During the building of this big magnificent shrine,
Bosco was always somehow able to pay his bills.
When money did not come from ordinary sources,
Don Bosco was quite prepared to beg for it.
Once he visited an extremely wealthy man who
had been bedridden for three years. After a few
moments of chatting, Don Bosco ordered the man
to get his clothes, go to the bank and withdraw the
money necessary to pay the Basilica’s latest bills.
“Promise to take your money out of the bank,” Don
Bosco said, “and Our Lady will take you out of bed.”
The man made the promise and left his bed. John,
taking no chances, accompanied him to the bank.
A wealthy lady judging him a great financier, asked
him where she could best invest her money. Not
saying a word, Bosco simply held out his open
hands in front of her. Although millions of dollars
passed through his hands, he never kept a penny
for himself. Indeed, he lived poorly, going so far as
to save half sheets of letters, dyeing string black
to use as shoelaces and saving wrapping paper and
cord. He wore a cast-off military overcoat and used

old army blankets on his bed. He gravely warned
his Salesian sons that if they should ever lose their
love of poverty, it would be a sure sign that the
Society “had run its course.”

THE BLESSED MOTHER
Don Bosco made many a demand on the Blessed
Mother. Once a pastor requested him to give a
three-day mission to prepare his people for the
feast of the Assumption. Stricken by a terrible and
lengthy drought, the people were suffering bitterly
and the farmers were desperate. In his opening
sermon Bosco remarked, “Come for these three
days, make a good confession, do your best to
prepare for a fervent communion on the Feast of
the Assumption, and I promise you, in Mary’s name,
that rain will come to refresh your parched land.”
After the sermon, the pastor accusing Bosco of
raising false hopes, was furious. For the next three
days the farm folk jammed the church. On the Feast
of the Assumption, the day of the promised event,
Bosco awoke and looked into the sky. It was a
cloudless blue. As John made his way to the church
for morning Mass, people crowded around him.
“Will it rain?” they demanded.
Calmly he responded, “Purify your hearts.”
As evening came and the people gathered for the
last devotion for the Feast, there was still no sign
of rain. As John entered the church for the final
evening devotion, he looked once more to the
horizon. It was cloudless – almost. A miniscule grey
cloud hung like a tiny rag on the porcelain sky.
John made his way to the pulpit. Hundreds of faces
turned up to him, and all had written on them the
same question, “When is it going to rain?” These
wondering questioning faces could, in a short time,
turn hard and bitter with disappointment. Suddenly
yellow lightning stabbed the sky, thunder clapped
and the first heavy raindrops splattered on the
roof. The farmers, with a new lease on life, broke
into heavy cheers and joyful songs. Although the
farmers did not realise it, the most relieved man in
the district was their pastor. (to continue)

16 Hajja Salesjana

On 18 August 1936, during a time of persecution
for Catholics in Spain, Barrolome’ was arrested
and imprisoned. On 24 September 1936 he was
moved to a prison in Jaen where he was held with
fifteen priests and other laymen before being
judged and condemned to death for sedition (for
being a Catholic). During his trial he remained
true to his faith and his religious convictions. He
did not protest his death sentence and told the
court that if he lived, he would continue being an
active Catholic. The letters he wrote on the eve of
his death to his family and to his girlfriend Maruja
show his profound faith. In a letter to his relatives
he wrote, ‘May this be my last will: forgiveness,
forgiveness, forgiveness; but indulgence, which I
wish to be accompanied by doing them as much
good as possible. Therefore, I ask you to avenge

me with the vengeance of a Christian: returning
much good to those that have tried to do me evil.’

According to documents supporting his cause
for beatification, Bartolome’ went to the site of his
execution barefooted, ‘in Christ.’ Although only
twenty-one, he impressed even his executioners
with his courage. He kissed his handcuffs,
surprising the guards that had put them on him,
and refused to be shot from behind. “Whoever
dies for Christ should do so facing forward and
standing straight. Long live Christ the King!’ he
shouted as he fell to the ground under a shower
of bullets. Bartolome’ was beatified by Pope
Benedict XVI on 28 October 2007.

In jail prior to his execution he wrote a
beautiful and moving letter to his girlfriend,

A MARTYR’S
LETTER
TO HIS
GIRLFRIEND

Blessed Bartolome’ Blanco Marquez was born in Pozoblanco, Spain on 25 November 1914. After
being orphaned as a child he was raised by a family who had known his parents well. He was
educated by the Salesians and was an excellent student. He also served as a lay catechist. At
eighteen he was elected youth secretary of Catholic Action in Pozoblanco.

17Hajja Salesjana

Maruja. The letter is a witness of human love built
on the foundation of Christ. Clearly deeply in love
and ready to take up the vocation of marriage,
God called him instead to embrace the vocation
of martyrdom.

Provincial prison of Jaen 1 Oct. 1936.

My dearest Maruja,

Your memory will remain with me to the grave
and as long as the slightest throb stirs my heart,
it will beat for love of you. God has deemed fit
to sublimate these worldly affections, ennobling
them when we love each other in him. Though
in my final days God is my light and what I long
for, this does not mean that the recollection of
the one dearest to me will not accompany me
until the hour of my death. I am assisted by many
priests who – what a sweet comfort – pour out the
treasures of grace into my soul, strengthening it.
I look death in the eye and, believe my words, it
does not daunt me or make me afraid.

My sentence before the court of mankind will
be my soundest defense before God’s court; in
their effort to revile me, they have ennobled me;
in trying to sentence me, they have absolved me,
and by attempting to lose me, they have saved
me. Do you see what I mean? Why, of course!
Because in killing me, they grant me true life
and in condemning me for always upholding the
highest ideals of religion, country and family, they
swing open before me the doors of heaven.

My body will be buried in a grave in this
cemetery of Jaen; while I am left with only a few
hours before that definitive repose, allow me to
ask but one thing of you: that in memory of the
love we shared, which at this moment is enhanced,

that you would take on as your primary objective
the salvation of your soul. In that way, we will
procure our reuniting in heaven for all eternity,
where nothing will separate us.

Godbye, until that moment, then, dearest
Maruja! Do not forget that I am looking at you
from heaven, and try to be a model Christian
woman, since, in the end, worldly goods and
delights are of no avail if we do not manage to
save our souls.

My thoughts of gratitude to all your family and,
for you, all my love, sublimated in the hours of
death. Do not forget me, my Maruja, and let my
memory always remind you there is a better life,
and that attaining it should constitute our highest
aspiration.

Be strong and make a new life; you are young
and kind, and you will have God’s help, which I will
implore upon you from his kingdom. Goodbye,
until eternity, then, when we shall continue to
love each other for life everlasting.

18 Hajja Salesjana

Something
to think about…

12 Thoughts
to Remember

19Hajja Salesjana

1. Rememberthatyouareauniqueand
unrepeatablecreation.

2. Remember to count your blessings,
notyourtroubles.

3. Rememberthatyou'llmakeitthrough
whatevercomesalong.

4. Remember that decisions are too
importanttoleavetochance.

5. Rememberthatnothingwastesmore
energythanworry.

6. Rememberthatnotgettingwhatyou
wantissometimesawonderfulstroke
ofluck.

7. Remember not to take things too
seriously.

8. Remembertolaugh.
9. Remember that a little love goes a

longway.
10. Remember that happiness is more

oftenfoundingivingthangetting.
11. Remember that life's treasures are

people,notthings.
12. Rememberthatmiraclesstillhappen.

20 Hajja Salesjana

IT-TNAX-IL APPOSTLU
MAGÓÛULA MINN KRISTU

“Morru fid-dinja kollha, xandru l-Bxara t-tajba
lill-˙olqien kollu”(Mark 16:15)

IL-MISSJONI TAL-APPOSTLI

Il-kelma ‘appostlu’ ©ejja mill-verb grieg

‘apostello’ li jfisser ‘jibg˙at’. Anke l-verb ebrajk

‘xaluah’ g˙andu l-istess tifsira. Fil-Malti g˙andna

l-kelma ‘rasul’ li tfisser ‘messa©©ier’ u li g˙andha

affinità mal-verb Lhudi. It-tnax-il appostlu kienu

tassew ‘mibg˙utin’ minn Kristu sabiex ixandru

l-Bxara t-Tajba tieg˙u. Kollha kienu bnedmin

sempliçi u ordinarji, imma laqg˙u s-sej˙a ta’

Kristu, imxew mieg˙u u wara bdew jg˙allmu f’ismu

u jwettqu g˙e©ubijiet kbar, li b’hekk inxterdet il-

Knisja mad-dinja kollha.

Fit-Testment il-©did insibu erba’ listi tal-

ismijiet tal-Appostli, dejjem maqsumin fi tliet

gruppi ta’ erbg˙a. Dawn l-ismijiet insibuhom f’Mt

10, 2-4; f’Mk 3, 16-19; f’Lq 6, 14-16 u f’Atti 1,13. San

Ìwann, fir-raba’ evan©elju ma jag˙ti l-ebda lista,

iΩda jsemmi ‘t-Tnax’ darbtejn f’6:67 u f’20:24 u

jag˙tina ˙afna tag˙rif dwar l-appostli. Anke l-Atti

tal-Appostli huwa sors important fejn insibu ˙afna

tag˙rif dwarhom. Il-kittieba tal-ewwel sekli tal-

Knisja wkoll ikomplu jag˙tuna ˙afna tag˙rif.

L-EWWEL GRUPP TAL-APPOSTLI

Fl-ewwel grupp tal-Appostli nsibu dejjem

l-ewwel wie˙ed lil Pietru; imbag˙ad lil Andrija; lil

Ìakbu u lil Ìwanni.

San Pietru: Ìesù biddel l-isem ta’ Xmun bin

Ìona g˙al Pietru (isem li jfisser ‘blata’; bl-aramajk:

‘kefa’ ; bil-grieg: ‘petra’). Pietru kien miΩΩewwe© u

sajjied fl-g˙adira ta’ Tiberjas fil-Galilija; kien minn

Beth Saida u wara mar joqg˙od f’Kafarnahum u

Kristu g˙aΩlu biex ikun l-ewwel Kap tal-Knisja u

fdalu f’idejh l-imfieta˙ tas-Saltna. Huwa g˙araf lil

Kristu b˙ala l-Messija fl-istqarrija tal-fidi tieg˙u

f’Çesareja ta’ Filippi: “Inti l-Messija…” (Mk 8, 29).

Kien dejjem ma’ Ìesù fl-iktar mumenti partikulari

b˙al dak tat-Trasfigurazzjoni u tal-Getsemani.

B˙ala bniedem dg˙ajjef ça˙ad lil Kristu fil-passjoni

Fr. Charles Buttigieg

21Hajja Salesjana

g˙al tliet darbiet imma mal-ewwel nidem. G˙andna

Ωew© ittri kanoniçi minn tieg˙u. Huwa ppriedka fil-

Palestina, f’Antijokja tas-Sirja fejn kien l-ewwel

isqof ta’ din il-komunità, fl-Asja Minuri, fil-Greçja

u wara sar Isqof ta’ Ruma u l-ewwel Papa. Madwar

is-sena 64 W.K. ˙a l-martirju f’Ruma billi ©ie

msallab b’rasu ‘l isfel. Il-qabar tieg˙u jinsab ta˙t

l-artal tal-BaΩilika tal-Vatikan. Il-festa litur©ika

tieg˙u hija flimkien ma’ ta’ San Pawl l-Appostlu

tal-Ìnus, fid-29 ta’ Ìunju – l-Imnarja.

Sant’Andrija: Andrija jew Indrì kien ˙u Pietru,

kien ukoll sajjied u qabel ma’ ltaqa’ ma’ Kristu

kien dixxiplu ta’ Ìwanni l-Battista. Meqjus fi

Llvant b˙ala l-‘protoclete’, ji©ifieri l-ewwel wie˙ed

imsejja˙ minn Kristu. Infatti skond San Ìwann kien

huwa li introduça lil ˙uh Pietru ma’ Kristu: “Sibna

l-Messija” (Ìw 1, 41). Kien hu wkoll li ressaq lejn

Ìesù lit-tifel li kellu l-˙ames ˙obΩiet u Ωew© ˙utiet

g˙at-tkattir tal-˙obΩ (ara Ìw 6, 1-15). Ippriedka fl-

Asja Minuri u fl-Asja ta’ dak iΩ-Ωmien. Óa l-martirju

f’Patras fil-Greçja billi ©ie mislub fuq salib forma

ta’ ‘X’ (crux decussata), madwar is-sena 69 W.K.

Huwa meqjum ˙afna fil-Knisja ta’ Kostantinopli u

fil-Knejjes kollha tal-lvant, kif ukoll fl-Iskozja. Il-

festa tieg˙u hija fit-30 ta’ Novembru.

San Ìakbu: Ìakbu, bin Ûebedew u ˙u San

Ìwann l-Evan©elista, hu meqjus b˙ala l-ewwel

appostlu li ˙a l-martirju. L-isem ©ej minn

‘Iakobos’ li huwa forma griega tal-isem ‘Ìakobb’

u hu msejja˙ ‘il-Kbir’ biex jag˙mlu differenza minn

Ìakbu l-ie˙or li kien appostlu wkoll. Dan kien

sajjied fl-G˙adira tal-Galileja li flimkien ma’ ˙uh

©ie msejja˙ minn Kristu b˙ala ‘Boanerges,’ ji©ifieri

‘ulied ir-rag˙ad’ (ara Mk 3, 17). Qabel dan kien

dixxiplu tal-Battista. Huwa kien ukoll wie˙ed minn

dawk preΩenti fil-Getsemani u fit-Trasfigurazzjoni.

Huwa ppriedka fil-Palestina u skond it-

tradizzjoni anke fi Spanja. Óa l-martirju bil-qtug˙

tar-ras fis-sena 44 W.K. minn Erodi Agrippa I,

neputi ta’ Erodi l-Kbir (ara Atti 12 , 1-2). Il-fdalijiet

tieg˙u jinsabu fil-post ta’ pellegrina©©i kbar ta’

Santiago de Compostela ©ewwa Spanja. (Iago

tfisser Ìakobb bl-Ispanjol). Il-festa tieg˙u hija fil-

25 ta’ Lulju.

San Ìwann: Ìwanni ˙u Ìakbu, huwa meqjus

b˙ala d-dixxiplu l-ma˙bub ta’ Ìesù u dan g˙aliex

kien g˙adu Ωag˙Ωug˙ meta ©ie msejja˙ u g˙alhekk

kellu bΩonn attenzjoni partikulari. Kien sajjied

flimkien ma’ ˙uh u missieru. Kien imqabbad minn

Ìesù biex flimkien ma’ Pietru jipprepara g˙all-

a˙˙ar çena. L-uniku wie˙ed mill-appostli kollha

li baqa’ preΩenti fil-©rajja tal-Passjoni fejn minn

fuq is-salib Ìesù fdalu lil-Marija b˙ala ommu (ara

Ìw 19-27). Flimkien ma’ Pietru mar ˙dejn il-qabar

ta’ Kristu. Kien appostlu prominenti fil-bidu tal-

Knisja. Huwa ppriedka fis-Samarija, fil-Greçja, u

fl-Asja Minuri. Kiteb ir-raba’ evan©elju, tlitt ittri

u l-ktieb tal-Apokalissi. Ìie me˙lus mill-martirju

meta tefg˙uh fiΩ-Ωejt jag˙li u ma ©ralu xejn u ©ie

eΩiljat ukoll fuq il-gΩira ta’ Patmos fil-Greçja. Miet

f’età avvanzata ˙afna ©ewwa Efesu fit-Turkija

madwar is-sena 100 W.K. Huwa çert li ma mietx

martri. Il-festa tieg˙u hija fis-27 ta’ Diçembru.

22 Hajja Salesjana

IT-TIENI GRUPP

Fit-tieni grupp fil-lista tal-appostli nsibu lil

Filippu; lil Bartilmew; lil Tumas u lil Mattew.

San Filippu: Filippu hu wkoll sajjied minn Beth

Saida. Qabel kien ukoll dixxipplu tal-Battista u

huwa wie˙ed minn tal-bidu li mexa wara Ìesù kif

jurina Ìw 1, 43. Kien hu li ntroduça lil Natanjel ma’

Kristu: “Sibna lil dak li fuqu kitbu Mosè fil-Li©i u

l-Profeti fil-kotba tag˙hom. Ìesù min- NaΩaret bin

ÌuΩeppi “…”Ejja u ara” (Ìw 1,45-46). Kif ukoll g˙en

lil xi Griegi f’Ìerusalemm qabel il-Passjoni sabiex

jiltaqg˙u ma’ Kristu: “Dawn marru g˙and Filippu

u talbuh: ‘Sinjur, nixtiequ naraw lil Ìesù . Filippu

mar jg˙id lil Indrì, u mbag˙ad Indrì u Filippu marru

jg˙idu lil Ìesù’ (Ìw 12: 20-22). Skont it-tradizzjoni

huwa ppriedka fl-Asja Minuri, fil-Greçja u anke fi

Franza. Óa l-martirju, skond xi w˙ud, permezz tat-

tislib fuq salib g˙oli f’Hierapolis ©ewwa t-Turkija.

O˙rajn isostnu li ©ie m˙a©©ar. Il-fdalijiet tieg˙u

jinsabu fil-BaΩilika tat-Tnax-il Appostli ©ewwa

Ruma. Il-festa tieg˙u hija fit-3 ta’ Mejju flimkien

ma’ San Ìakbu Ω-Ωg˙ir.

San Bartilmew: Bartilmew huwa msejja˙

Natanjel fl-evan©elju ta’ San Ìwann. Kien minn

Kana tal-Galileja u ©ie mfa˙˙ar minn Ìesù meta

rah l-ewwel darba : “Ara dan tassew wie˙ed minn

IΩrael li jixraqlu dan l-isem; ma hemm ebda qerq

fih” (Ìw 1, 47). Huwa jistqarr lil Ìesù: “Mg˙allem,

int l-Iben ta’ Alla, int is-Sultan ta’ IΩrael” (Ìw 1,

49). Huwa ppriedka f’Ìerusalemm, fl-Asja Minuri,

fl-Armenja, fil-Persja u anke, skond xi w˙ud, fl-

Indja. Óa l-martirju f’Derbend, fl-Armenja billi

qaxxruh ˙aj. Il-fdalijiet tieg˙u jinsabu fil-knisja

ta’ San Bartilmew f’Ruma fuq il-gΩira tat-Tevere

fejn in©iebu mill-imperatur Otto III fis-sena 983.

Il-festa tieg˙u hija fil-24 ta’ Awissu.

San Tumas: Tumas imsejja˙ ‘Didimus,’ bil-

grieg tfisser ‘it-Tewmi’. ‘L-appostlu tad-dubji’ kif

t˙obb tlaqqmu t-tradizzjoni g˙aliex m’emminx

mal-ewwel fil-qawmien ta’ Kristu: “Jekk ma narax

f’idejh il-marka tal-imsiemer u ma nqieg˙edx

sebg˙i fuq il-marka tal-imsiemer u idi fuq ©enbu,

jien ma nemminx” (Ìw 20, 25). IΩda meta ra lil

Kristu rxoxt huwa wie©eb bl-isba˙ stqarrija tal-

fidi: “Mulej tieg˙i u Alla tieg˙i” (Ìw 20, 28). Skont

it-tradizzjoni mar jippriedka fis-Sirja, fil-Persja u

fl-Indja fejn ˙a l-martirju qrib Chennai (Madras),

minfud b’lanza. Il-fdalijiet tieg˙u jinsabu ©ewwa

l-katidral ta’ Ortona, l-Italja. Il-festa tieg˙u hija

fit-3 ta’ Lulju.

San Mattew: Mattew, bin Alfew minn

Kafarnahum kien pubblikan, ji©bor it-taxxi g˙ar-

Rumani. L-isem Lhudi tieg˙u kien Levi (kif insibu

f’Mk u f’Lq) waqt li dak grieg kien ‘Mattew’ (kif

insibu f’Mt) li jfisser ‘don t’Alla’. Ìie msejja˙ minn

Kristu waqt ix-xog˙ol tieg˙u (ara Mt 9, 9-13) u

laqg˙u g˙andu fid-dar g˙all-ikel (ara Lq 5:27-32).

Huwa ppriedka b’mod partikulari fil-Palestina, fl-

Asja Minuri, u skont it-tradizzjoni mar il-Persja u

anke l-Etjopja. Huwa kiteb l-ewwel evan©elju bl-

Aramajk kif jixhed tajjeb Papija fis-sena 130 W.K.

Aktarx ˙a l-martirju ©ewwa l-Etjopja jew l-E©ittu.

Il-festa tieg˙u hija fil-21 ta’ Settembru.

23Hajja Salesjana

IT-TIELET GRUPP

L-a˙˙ar erba’ appostli huma Xmun il-Kananew;

Ìuda Taddew; Ìakbu t’Alfew u Ìuda l-Iskarjota.

San Xmun: Xmun il-Kananew (skont Mt u Mk),

jew Xmun iΩ-Ûelota (skont Lq) aktarx li qabel

kien membru tal-grupp rivoluzzjonarju kontra

r-Rumani, iΩ-Ûeloti. Huwa mag˙ruf ukoll b˙ala

Xmun l-Im˙e©©e© u kien minn Kana. Skont xi w˙ud

huwa ppriedka fir-Russja, fl-Afrika u anke, skond

xi tradizzjonijiet, fil-Brittanja. Óa l-martirju fil-

Persja. Il-festa tieg˙u hija fit-28 t’Ottubru flimkien

ma San Ìuda Taddew.

San Ìuda Taddew: Ìuda Taddew hu l-isem li

nsibu f’Mt u f’Mk b˙ala Taddew. F’Luqa u fl-Atti

nsibuh b˙ala Ìuda ta’ Ìakbu g˙ax kien ˙u Ìakbu

u qarib tal-Mulej (ara Ìuda 1, 1). Jissemma fl-a˙˙ar

çena waqt id-diskors ta’ Ìesù (ara Ìw14, 22).

Huwa l-awtur ta’ ittra kanonika u possibilment

it-tielet isqof ta’ Ìerusalemm wara Ìakbu u

Xmun. Ippriedka fl-Asja Minuri u fil-Persja fejn ˙a

l-martirju. Il-fdalijiet jinsabu fi Franza, f’Rheims u

f’Toulouse. Il-festa tieg˙u hija fit-28 ta’ Ottubru

ma’ San Xmun.

San Ìakbu t’Alfew: Ìakbu Ω-Ûg˙ir, bin Alfew

huwa meqjus minn ˙afna b˙ala l-qarib tal-Mulej

kif juri San Pawl f’Gal 1, 19. Huwa l-awtur ta’ ittra

kanonika u sar isqof ta’ Ìerusalemm u mexxa

l-ewwel konçilju ta’ Ìerusalemm (ara Atti 15, 13 u

Gal 2, 9). Huwa ppriedka fis-Sirja u wara fir-Russja

fejn ˙a l-martirju billi qasmuh min-nofs, fis-sena

62 W.K. Il-festa tieg˙u hija fit-3 ta’ Mejju flimkien

ma’ San Filippu.

Ìuda l-Iskarjota – San Mattija: L-appostli

kollha huma mill-Galilija minbarra Ìuda

l-Iskarjota, li aktarx kien minn Keriot, qrib Hebron

fin-nofsinhar tal-Ìudija. O˙rajn isostnu li kien

marbut maΩ-Ûeloti. Ìuda kien jie˙u ˙sieb il-kaxxa

tal-flus tal-appostli. Ittradixxa lil Kristu g˙al tletin

biçça tal-fidda (ara Matt 26, 14-16). Miet iddisprat

min˙abba f’dak li g˙amel billi tg˙allaq (ara

Matt 27, 3-5 u Atti 1, 7). Minfloku, imbag˙ad kien

intg˙aΩel Mattija kif naraw fl-Atti 1:23. Il-festa ta’

San Mattija hija fl-14 ta’ Mejju.

KONKLUÛJONI

Ìesù g˙amel sej˙a speçjali lil dawn it-tnax-il

appostlu biex imorru jippriedkaw ir-Reb˙a Tieg˙u

kanoniku; liema missjoni g˙ada sejra u tkompli

fil-Knisja. Il-mixja tag˙hom hija wkoll il-mixja ta’

kull wie˙ed u wa˙da minna, li tibda mill-mument

çentrali tas-sej˙a ta’ Kristu u tkompli bil-missjoni

ta’ din l-istess sej˙a nisranija.

24 Hajja Salesjana

Malta Salesjana

EUROVISION PASTA NIGHT
Nhar il-lejla tal-Eurovision Song Contest,
is-26 ta’ Mejju, ©ie organizzat “Pasta Night”
fl-Oratorju, Sliema, sabiex flimkien, dawk
li riedu, setg˙u jaraw il-festival fuq screen
kbir. Grupp ta’ membri lestew l-imwejjed,
si©©ijiet, platti u kull ma kien hemm bΩonn;
dawk aktar kbar ˙adu ˙sieb it-tisjir g˙al
aktar minn 100 ru˙. Kienet lejla daqsxejn
storbjuΩa, imma ferrie˙a waqt li ˙afna
minnhom setg˙u jivvutaw u jippruvaw
jaqtg˙u min ser jirba˙: fil-fatt daqs 30 ru˙
qatg˙u li tirba˙ l-Isvezja.
G˙alkemm kien tard, ˙afna kienu dawk li
g˙inu sabiex kollox jer©a’ jitpo©©a lura
f’postu!

WORSHIP TEAM: ORATORJU SLIEMA

Nhar it-18 ta’ Mejju, minflok it-talb tas-soltu,
l-membri tal-Oratorju in©abru fil-kappella
g˙all-˙in ta’ adorazzjoni mmexxi mill-
istess Ωag˙aΩag˙. Xi whud irreçtaw sketch
fuq il-kanzunetta “Everything” tal-grupp
Lifehouse, waqt li l-membri tal-Worship
Team animaw l-adorazzjoni bil-muΩika. Dik
il-lejla, il-membri tal-Worship Team raqdu
fl-Oratorju sabiex l-g˙ada setg˙u jitilqu
kmieni lejn Ta’Qali fejn qattg˙u il-©urnata
f’avventuri, picnic u log˙ob. Nag˙tu prosit
lil min organizza kif ukoll lil min ˙a sehem
fl-adorazzjoni u fil-˙ar©a sa Ta’ Qali.

FESTA TA’ MARIJA F’GHAWDEX
Il-Festa ta’ Marija G˙ajnuna tal-Insara ©iet iççelebrata
fl-Oratorju ‘Dun Bosco’, G˙awdex, nhar l-24 ta’ Mejju.
Mgr. George Tabone mexxa l-konçelebrazzjoni animata
mill-Chorus Urbanus. Wara l-quddiesa saret purçissjoni
bl-istatwa ta’ Marija fit-toroq madwar l-Oratorju. Il-
çelebrazzjoni ing˙alqet bil-konsagrazzjoni tal-Oratorju lil
Marija G˙ajnuna tal-Insara u bil-barka ewkaristika. Qabel
dan il-jum, kienet saret t˙ejjija billi fil-quddiesa kienet
issir omelia fuq id-devozzjoni lejn Marija u l-˙e©©a ta’ Dun
Bosco sabiex iferrex din id-devozzjoni. Intwera wkoll, fil-
kappella, video fuq il-˙ajja tal-Ver©ni Marija.

25Hajja Salesjana

FESTA TAL-QALB TA’ GESU – L’ISLA
Il-Komunita` Salesjana tal-Isla tie˙u ˙sieb torganizza il-
purçissjoni ta’ nhar il-Qalb ta’ Ìesu`.
Mal-parruççani tal-Isla, din is-sena, ing˙aqdu numru ta’
membri u Past Pupils mill-Oratorju ta’ Tas-Sliema. Barra
minn dawn kien hemm ukoll is-Salesian Brigade li mxiet
quddiem nett, u l-Worship team li kien hemm sabiex janima
il-quddiesa. Mexxa iç-çelebrazzjoni l-Arçipriet il-©did tal-
Isla, Dun Ivan Scicluna. Wara l-purçissjoni kien hemm bibita
g˙al kull min ˙a sehem, u wara, bosta minn dawk li ©ew
minn Tas-Sliema marru jieklu pizza ix-Xatt tal-Isla.

TREVOR ZAHRA F’SAVIO COLLEGE
Kienet esperjenza unika g˙all-istudenti tal-Form3 kollha,
li jilqg˙u fil-Kulle©© Savio il-mag˙ruf kittieb Malti, Trevor
Zahra. Dan ©ara nhar it-12 ta’ Ìunju, meta l-kittieb qasam
ma’ l-istudenti l-istorja tal-karriera tieg˙u b˙ala kittieb.
Huwa wkoll ˙ass fer˙ kbir li jkun fost studenti, lest li
jisma’ l-istejjer tag˙hom, g˙aliex g˙alihom huwa jikteb u
minnhom jie˙u l-ideat. Dan l-avveniment kien mod kif Ms.
Dorothy Bezzina, g˙alliema tal-Malti fil-Kule©©, riedet turi
l-apprezzament tag˙ha g˙ax-xog˙ol eççellenti u kreattiv
tal-istudenti li g˙arfu jg˙aqqdu flimkien il-letteratura u
l-media. Kien ukoll ˙a©a sabi˙a u nkura©©anti il-mod kif is-
Sur Zahra analizza il-˙sibijiet u r-reazzjonijiet tal-istudenti
g˙all-ktieb tieg˙u “Sfidi” li ©ew murija fil-video ta’ kull

PAST PUPILS F’GÓAWDEX
Is-Sibt 2 ta’ Ìunju inzerta sabi˙ u dak inhar il-Past
Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco qasmu l-fliegu
sabiex iqattg˙u ©urnata G˙awdex. Mal-wasla
tag˙om l-Im©arr, grupp ta’ Ωeffiena tawhom mer˙ba.
Imbag˙ad rikbu il-karozza li ˙adithom dritt lejn is-
Santwarju tal-Madonna Ta’ Pinu. Il-quddiesa ©iet
iççelebrata minn Fr Joe Forte, u wara, il-grupp kollu
mar il-Belt Victoria fejn min mar g˙all-kafe` u min
Ωar is-suq u l-˙wienet. G˙all-˙in tal-ikel il-karozza
˙adithom fir-Restaurant ‘Ta’ Kenuna’ fejn kielu ikla
tajba u abbundanti. L-a˙˙ar ˙in ta’ wara l-ikel u
qabel it-tluq g˙addewh Marsalforn, minn fejn, g˙all-
˙abta ta’ 4.30 p.m. telqu lejn il-port u lura lejn Malta.
Jum mill-isba˙, flimkien, f’isem Dun Bosco.

26 Hajja Salesjana

Qamet kmieni, qamet ming˙ajr ma biss
g˙alqet g˙ajn m’g˙ajn tul il-lejl. Mhemmx
dwejjaq e˙rex minn dawk ta’ meta
takkuΩa lilek innifsek b’xi Ωball serju li
bih qsamt qalb xi ˙add, xi ˙add li sa ftit
minuti qabel kont ta˙lef li t˙obb. Hawn
min jemmen li l-im˙abba g˙andha ˙abta
tinbidel f’mibeg˙da f’tebqa’ t’g˙ajn; qatt
ma emmintha, imma wara dak li ©ara
l-biera˙ filg˙axija …

L-ewwel deçiΩjoni li ˙adet Moira kienet li
m’hemmx xog˙ol g˙aliha. Mhux possibli li
tiffaççja jum problemi fl-uffiçju meta mo˙˙ha u
qalbha kienu f’taqtig˙a bejniethom. Iddeçidiet
x’kellha tag˙mel: iççempel lil s˙abha l-uffiçju u
ter˙ilha lejn l-G˙adira, fejn kienu l-lejla ta’ qabel;
forsi hemm is-sitwazzjoni tidher aktar çara, tkun
taf x’kellha tag˙mel, jekk hux minnu li hi u Maurice
issa kienu mi©©ildin g˙al kollox. Sa ftit jiem qabel
tkellmu dwar g˙erusija u l-©ejjieni. Il-biera˙
faqqg˙et il-bomba!

G˙al xid-disg˙a waslet. NiΩlet bl-g˙a©©la fuq
ir-ramel, firxet xugaman, intefg˙et bil-qieg˙da,
tiççassa t˙ares lejn dik il-medda ka˙la u kalma
ta’ quddiemha. Kien g˙adu nofs Mejju, kollox
sliem, kollox nadif, kollox sabi˙ u kwiet - minbarra
qalbha!

kul˙add fer˙an, jiekol, jixrob, u jkanta, xi drabi
jiΩfnu g˙ar-ritmu tal-muΩika li ©abu mag˙hom. Hi
u Maurice bdew jiΩfnu ̇ afjin, fuq dak ir-ramel s˙un
mix-xemx tal-jum. Óin minnhom rifset çag˙aka,
tilfet il-bilanç u ggranfat ma’ se˙ibha. Qal li
we©©g˙atlu u girfitlu g˙onqu, u li xtaq li jieqfu
miΩ-Ωfin biex ipo©©u fuq il-pultruni tal-kanvas.

Moira serr˙itlu mo˙˙u li g˙addielha, li setg˙u
jkomplu jiΩfnu, imma hu nsista li jmorru lura bil-
qieg˙da. Po©©iet, iΩda ma setg˙etx tifhem g˙al-
liema ra©uni ma komplewx jiΩfnu. Baqg˙et t˙ares
çass lejh g˙ax deherilha li rat espressjoni stramba
fuq wiççu, deher im˙asseb, imdejjaq. Wara li po©©a
pprova jibda, bi kliem maqtug˙ minn xulxin …

mhux nitkellmu konna waqt li qed niΩfnu!”
“ Le, bis-serjetà … g˙ax ili jiem s˙a˙ nipprova

ng˙idlek …”
“X’inqala’?”
“Mhux qed insibha ˙afifa biex ng˙idlek …Forsi

jkun a˙jar … ferm a˙jar … jekk a˙na t-tnejn ma
nkomplux flimkien!”

“Din xi çajta tieg˙ek? Ma nkomplux g˙ax kont
ser naqa’ fir-ramel? Taf x’qed tg˙id?”

“U le, x’g˙andu x’jaqsam ir-ramel! Ili na˙sibha
biex intarraflek xi ˙a©a, imma dejjem nibΩa’
nibda. Ftit ilu … tiftakar … inti semmejt g˙erusija.
Ósibt ˙afna dwarha u fl-a˙˙ar iddeçidejt li a˙jar

Lina Brockdorff

Fuq ir-Ramel
tal-Ghadira

27Hajja Salesjana

ninsewha.”
“Jien m’g˙edtlekx biex nitg˙arrsu l-lejla,

nistg˙u intawlu jekk trid …”
“ Moira … Ma xtaqtx nid˙ol g˙al risponsabbiltà

Li jien kollox g˙alik … li ming˙ajri l-˙ajja ma tfisser
xejn … x’qed tivvinta issa? Taf li ilna ‘steady’ g˙al
kwaΩi sena?”

“G˙andek ra©un! …Kull ma g˙edtlek kien
kollu minnu, hekk ˙assejt u nista’ ng˙id li hekk
g˙adni n˙oss g˙alik, imma … çerti çirkustanzi qed
irossuni biex nie˙u din id-deçiΩjoni …”

“Kemm ©ej b’misteri l-lejla! Ma nistax nifhmek.”
Skiet g˙al ftit sekondi. “Kompli, g˙aliex waqaft?
M’g˙andekx kura©© tkompli? Ma nag˙mlux kaΩ li
ser tg˙idli li hemm xi ˙add ie˙or, hux ?”

“Dawn x’affarijiet huma?”
“Ja˙asra ifhem dak li qed nipprova ng˙idlek

… ili li ssuspettajt, imma issa n˙ossni Ωgur … ma
rridx inqarraq bik … A˙jar ma niΩΩewwi©x … u forsi
ma na˙sibx aktar f’nisa!”

Ma’ dik l-a˙˙ar kelma Moira ˙arset çass lejh
qisha mhix temmen dak li semg˙et, imbag˙ad
qabditlu idu li kellha ©o jdejha u sabtitilu fuq il-
maqbad tal-pultruna filwaqt li qaltlu: “Eh, iva, sur
galantom! Domt biex indunajt … Qatt ma kont
nistennieha minnek! Ara, x’qed ng˙idlek, ara biss
ifettillek tersaq lejja jew t˙ares lejn wiççi!”

Dak il-˙in stess ©abret il-basket, libset iΩ-
Ωarbun u telqet ti©ri wa˙edha biex tirkeb tal-
linja u tin©abar id-dar. Qam warajha jipprova
jkellimha, jg˙idilha li lest iwassalha, imma bdiet
twarrbu u tkeççieh bi kliem li qatt ma basret li ser
tindirizzahom lil ˙add. Xorta wa˙da, x˙in waslet
id-dar sabitu hemm qrib jistennieha. Lanqas biss
indenjat tkellmu, warrbitu bi drieg˙ha waqt li

tul il-lejl kollu, waqt li titqalleb min-na˙a g˙all-
o˙ra tas-sodda.

L-ewwel reazzjoni tag˙ha kienet li tit˙assar
lilha nnifisha. X’ser tg˙idilhom lil tad-dar, lil
s˙abha tal-grupp? Kif ser tag˙mel biex tinsieh?
L-o˙rajn kienu jafu bl-istorja? Imma wara li ˙liet
ir-rabja kollha fuq dawn il-˙sibijiet, bdiet ti©i
quddiemha stampa ta’ wiçç Maurice. Bdiet ter©a’
tara l-espressjoni ta’ w©ig˙ g˙all-kliem xejn
xieraq li bih bdiet toffendih. X’fettlilha? L-aktar
kliem iebes li qaltlu kien meta bdiet ti©ri biex
ta˙rab minnu fuq ir-ramel, waqt li hu jsej˙ilha
biex jwassalha d-dar. Kull kelma li qaltlu bdiet
tirbombja ©o mo˙˙ha. Possibli li kellha kura©©
tkellmu hekk? Ipprova jkun sinçier mag˙ha, qalilha
çar u tond li jirrispettaha kien u jibqa’, imma li ma
xtaqx iqarraq biha. U jekk tabil˙aqq kien g˙adu
kif inteba˙ bl-orjentazzjoni tieg˙u, xi ˙tija kellu?
Kien xi diΩunur? Min jaf x’kien qed i˙oss issa li
jinsab g˙al kollox wa˙du ming˙ajr biss il-˙biberija
tag˙ha? Wa˙du, bil-fakra tal-kliem iebes li qaltlu.
Kien jafdaha biΩΩejjed biex feta˙ qalbu mag˙ha …
b’riΩultat li warrbitu u offenditu.

Ma fel˙itx aktar. Hemm fuq dak ir-ramel kiesa˙,
f’salt wie˙ed infaqg˙et tolfoq. Bdiet tolfoq mhux
g˙ax issa tinsab ming˙ajr sie˙eb, imma aktar g˙ax
kienet Ωgura kemm offendietu, farrkitlu d-dinjità
tieg˙u. Kull ma g˙amlet g˙amlitu biex tpattilu talli
ddiΩappuntha. Mill-banda l-o˙ra, hu xi ˙tija kellu?

Baqg˙et hemm bla tag˙ti kaΩ ta’ xi koppji turisti
g˙addejjin minn quddiemha j˙arsu lejha. Lanqas
ma kienet taf jew jimpurtaha x’˙in sar. Baqg˙et
hemm sserra˙ qalbha bla ma taf x’kellha tag˙mel
biex issewwi s-sitwazzjoni. Wara ˙afna ˙in, mill-
basket tag˙ha semg˙et ç-çempila familjari tal-
mowbajl. Gerfxet qalb l-affarijiet tal-basket sa ma
sabitu. Kien hu, Maurice. Wie©bet mill-ewwel bla
qag˙det ta˙sibha.

28 Hajja Salesjana

“Bon©u Moira! G˙idli s-sewwa, fejn tinsab?”
Malli semg˙et le˙nu aktar bkiet u ma fel˙itx
twie©eb. “Moira, we©ibni g˙all-erwie˙, taf kemm
jien inkwetat fuqek. G˙idli fejn tinsab u ni©i ni©ri
˙dejk. Mo˙˙i fik!”

“Fuq ir-ramel tal-G˙adira, fejn konna lbiera˙,”
lissnet waqt li baqg˙et tolfoq.

“Ibqa’ hemm u tiççaqlaqx. Dalwaqt inkun ˙dejk
… Fuq kollox tridni ni©i, jew veru dak li g˙edtli
lbiera˙ … li ma tridx tarani b’g˙ajnejk jew nersaq
lejk?”

“Ejja, Mor, nixtieq li tkun ˙dejja b˙alissa. Imma
int fejn tinsab?”

“Dak mhux importanti. Ibqa’ hemm, dalwaqt
tarani ˙dejk.”

F’inqas minn g˙oxrin minuta tarah ©ej
ji©ri ˙dejha. Óadet nifs qawwi ta’ solliev. Intefa’
g˙arkubbtejh fuq ir-ramel qribha. Óare© pakkett
‘tissues’ u waqt li warrbilha xag˙arha minn
quddiem wiççha, beda jixxuttalha d-dmug˙.

“Ma rridx narak tibki aktar Moira. Jien ukoll
bkejt ˙afna dal-lejl. Naf li we©©ajtek, li farraktlek
il-˙olm leqqieni kollu li bnejna flimkien … a˙firli.”

“Mhux g˙alhekk … mhux g˙alhekk qed nibki …
mhux dak li qed jaqsamli qalbi …”

“Ieqaf u insa int ukoll. Ieqaf dil-minuta, Moira.”
Re©a’ dar lejha u xxuttalha d-dmug˙ li kien g˙adu
jleqq fi xfar g˙ajnejha. Qam minn fejn kien, “Ser
in©ib Ωew© kikkri kafè minn g˙and tal-gabbana …
tiççaqlaqx …”

“Le, le! Ibqa’ hawn ˙dejja. Jekk tassew ˙firtli
ibqa’ ˙dejja … er©a’ po©©i hawn bilqieg˙da, hawn
… ˙alli nersaqlek fuq ix-xugaman. Hekk ag˙tini
idejk f’tieg˙i, anzi … ˙addanni mieg˙ek biex inkun
Ωgura li ˙firtli.”

Baqg˙u hemm g˙al Ωmien twil bla ma jit˙arrku,
bla ma jitkellmu, i˙arsu lejn ir-ramel dehbi
mbewwes mil-ba˙ar ik˙al li lejn ix-xefaq jisfuma
f’çelesti. Óassew s-se˙er tal-armonija misterjuΩa
g˙addejja mill-istess natura g˙al ©ewwa qalbhom;
bdiet tissarraf f’im˙abba li b˙al balzmu bdiet
tfejjaqhom. G˙aliex kellha dik l-im˙abba ta’
bejniethom tinbidel f’velenu qerriedi ta’ mibeg˙da,
tg˙ajjir u ©lied? G˙aliex kellhom ikissru u jferu ‘l
xulxin, wara tant xhur ta’ m˙abba sinçiera? Iva,
fehmu li issa kienet im˙abba differenti minn dik
ta’ qabel fejn t˙obb biss biex takkwista mill-ie˙or.
Kienet warrdet f’im˙abba altruista; t˙obb lill-
ie˙or g˙ax hu tabil˙aqq ta’ min i˙obbu!

29Hajja Salesjana

On May 1 Pope Benedict XVI beatified the most famous one-time parishioner of the
Salesians, Karol Wojtyla from St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in the Debniki - Krakow,
Poland. The world now knows him as Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Extraordinary Salesian
Parishioner

By Michael Mendl, SDB

In August 1938, 18-year-old Karol and his
father moved from their native Wadowice
into tiny quarters at 10 Tyniecka St. in Krakow,
a three-minute walk around the corner from
St. Stanislaus Church at 6 Konfederacka St.,
where Karol attended Mass daily at 6:00 a.m.
Karol would be counted as a parishioner until
1944, well into his seminary years.

Pope John Paul himself wrote in Gift
and Mystery, “I cannot fail to mention one
particular place … from [which] I really
received much during that period. The place
was my parish, dedicated to Saint Stanislaus
Kostka…. I believe that the presence of the
Salesians played an important role in the
formation of my vocation” (G&M, p. 23).

The Pope spoke further of his vocation
when he travelled to Turin in September
1988. At the end of the beatification Mass
of Bl. Laura Vicuna, he thanked Providence
for the gift of Don Bosco and then added
some very personal remarks: “I bring my
own gratitude because I also lived for five
or six years in a Salesian parish. And when I
find myself here at Colle Don Bosco…, when
I look at the imposing facade of this great
church, it brings to my mind that of another
church: the parish church of St. Stanislaus
Kostka in Krakow. ..And so I too come here
in pilgrimage with all of you to give thanks
for the part played by St. John Bosco, his
spiritual Family, and his charism in my life”
(Acts of the General Council, n. 328, p. 19).

John Paul also notes the “special devotion
there to Mary, Help of Christians.” It was
precisely in front of the image of Mary Help of
Christians venerated in the church in Debniki
that young Karol came to the decision to
devote himself entirely to the service of
the Lord and his Church. Germany launched
World War II in Europe by invading Poland on
Sept. 1, 1939. In the first year of the German

occupation, writes Weigel, the Salesians “at
the risk of their lives … tried to continue
this [youth] apostolate…, conducting
underground catechetical programmes for
elementary and high school students” (p.
59). Another biographer, Tad Szulc, singles
out a pre-Easter retreat they organized in
1940 for the young people of the parish as
a significant moment. “The retreat having
proved successful,” he writes in Pope John
Paul II, “the Salesians requested a priest
who lectured at the Jagiellonian University
to hold weekly theological encounters for
twenty to thirty young people between
the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, who

had come to
the original
r e t r e a t ”
(p. 112).
From these
g a t h e r i n g s
the Salesians
came up with
the idea of
“the Living
Rosary” to

30 Hajja Salesjana

maintain a clandestine network among the
youths to circumvent the Nazis’ wariness of
church organizations. Karol’s experience of
Salesian pastoral care for the young must
have made a profound impression on him,
not only in terms of his vocation and his
Marian devotion, as he has testified, but also
in his interest in young people, so evident
throughout his own priestly, episcopal, and
papal ministry. Writing to the Salesians on
Feb. 22, 2002, Pope John Paul remarked:
“Your life, my dear sons, is lived out among
the boys as Don Bosco wanted it to be. You
are happy among them, and they enjoy your
friendly presence. Yours are ‘houses’ in
which they feel at ease.” (Acts of GC25, n.
145). Surely the Holy Father was speaking
from personal experience. If Pope John Paul
II “connected” with the young and inspired
so many of them to deepen their faith in
Jesus Christ and even to pursue religious or
priestly vocations, may we attribute that in
good part to the Salesians of Debniki?

One participant in the youth gatherings
following this Lenten retreat of 1940, by
no means one of the younger ones, was a

Karol enrolled (cf. G&M 12-13).
During his last visit to Poland, John Paul

II stopped in front of St. Stanislaus Church
on August 17, 2002,
and declared: “I
always remember
those Salesians who
were taken away
from this parish to
the concentration
camp.... I also
remember Mr. Jan
Tyranowski’s Living
Rosary...” (ANS). He
was a special “person from whom I received
much during that period” (G&M 23); from this
spiritual mentor Karol “learned the basic
methods of self-formation which would later
be confirmed and developed in the seminary
program. Tyranowski…helped me to read the
works of Saint John of the Cross and Saint
Teresa of Avila, something uncommon for a
person my age” (G&M 24). Many of the Living
Rosary Group eventually became priests or
religious.

After his ordination on Nov. 1, 1946, Fr.
Wojtyla returned to St. Stanislaus on Nov.
3 to celebrate one of his “first Masses” as
a priest, “with a beaming Jan Tyranowski
present” (Szulc, p. 133).

31Hajja Salesjana

39-year-old tailor named Jan Tyranowski who
offered to take charge of the Living Rosary.
The Salesians, recognizing “his gifts of good
sense, piety, and apostolic zeal” (ANS),
entrusted the pastoral care of the young men
and women to him. This unpretentious and
devout man was steeped in the spirituality of
the Carmelite mystics, especially St. John of
the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila.

When the Gestapo arrested Fr. Jan Swierc,
St. Stanislaus Kostka’s pastor, and 11 other
Salesians from the parish and the Salesian

seminary on Tyniecka St. on May 23, 1941, the
parish was left with only one elderly priest
and the provincial, Fr. Adam Cieslar. Within
12 months Fr. Swierc and 7 others had been
killed at Auschwitz. One, Fr. Joseph Kowalski,
is among 108 Polish martyrs of the Nazis
beatified in 1999, including 5 young leaders
of the Salesian youth centre in Poznan—
evidence of just how dangerous youth
gatherings were, during the occupation, and
for that matter, the underground seminary
program that Archbishop Sapieha of Krakow
organized in the fall of 1942 and in which

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington
and Oregon. He had entered gruelling lumberjack
competitions, and had placed often. The shelves
in his house were filled with trophies that attested
to his prowess. The years marched on relentlessly.
The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked
about it; but later that same day I saw him outside
alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable
whenever anyone teased him about his advancing
age.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday,
he had a heart attack. At the hospital, Dad was
rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he
survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest
for life was gone. My husband, Dick, and I asked
Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We
hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would
help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I
regretted the invitation. He criticized everything I
did. I became frustrated and moody.

Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and
explained the situation. The clergyman set up
weekly counselling appointments for us. At the
close of each session he prayed, asking God to
soothe Dad's troubled mind. But the months wore
on and God was silent. Something had to be done
and it was up to me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book
and methodically called each of the mental health
clinics listed in the Yellow Pages and I explained
my problem. Just when I was giving up hope, one
of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read
something that might help you! Let me go get
the article..." The article described a remarkable

study done at a nursing home. All of the patients
were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet
their attitudes had improved dramatically when
they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. I
moved down the row of pens, each contained five
to seven dogs all jumping up trying to reach me.
As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of
the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the
front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer,
but this was a caricature of the breed. Years
had etched his face and muzzle with shades of
gray. But it was his eyes that caught and held
my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me
unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about
him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in
puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of
nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought
him in, figuring someone would be right down to
claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've
heard nothing.” I looked at the pointer again. The
calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take
him," I said. When I reached the house I honked
the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the
car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. "Ta-
da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust.
"If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one.
And I would have picked out a better specimen
than that bag of bones. I don't want it". Anger
rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat
muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd
better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!"

CHEYENNE THE DOG AND DAD
Story by Catherine Moore

32 Hajja Salesjana

Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I
screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his
hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed
and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each
other like duellists, when suddenly the pointer
pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward
my dad and sat down in front of him. Then
slowly, carefully, he raised his paw... Dad's lower
jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw.
Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The
pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his
knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate
friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne.
Together he and Cheyenne explored the
community. They spent long hours walking down
dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on
the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout.
They even started to attend Sunday services
together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying
quietly at his feet. Dad 's bitterness faded, and he
and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one
night I was startled to feel Cheyenne's cold nose
burrowing through our bed covers. He had never
before come into our bedroom at night. I put on
my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay
in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left
quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened
when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside
Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug
he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a
favourite fishing hole, I silently thanked
the dog for the help he had given me
in restoring Dad's peace of mind. The
morning of Dad's funeral I was surprised to
see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had
made filling the church. The pastor began his
eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog
who had changed his life. And then the pastor

turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for by this some have
entertained angels without knowing it."

"I've often thanked God for sending that
angel," he said. For me, the past dropped into
place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen
before: the sympathetic voice that had just
read the right article, Cheyenne 's unexpected
appearance at the animal shelter, his calm
acceptance and complete devotion to my father,
and the proximity of their deaths.

And suddenly I understood. I knew that God
had answered my prayers after all. God answers
our prayers in His time... not ours! (Edited)

33Hajja Salesjana

34 Hajja Salesjana

“A good priest is a truly human person who
expresses his love for God in prayer and in
love for people. These gifts are sanctified
and focused through the grace of ordination
when he becomes ‘a man for others’.”
Cardinal Cormac Murphy – O’Connor

• Do I really want to follow Jesus and show
his love to others, especially to the young,
as Don Bosco did?

• Is prayer and my own relationship with God
at the centre of my life?

• Do I want to be honest and ‘real’ before
God and others?

• Do I enjoy the life and company of other
people? Am I approachable?

• Am I concerned for the young, the poor
and vulnerable?

If you believe you have a calling to be a
Salesian priest then contact the voca-
tions director, Fr. Louis Grech SDB at:

Tel. 21 454546 / 21 456251
or e-mail: vocations@salesiansmalta.org

for more information
www.vocations.salesiansmalta.org

way of life?

Are you
being calledto the

PRIESTHOOD

And to the

SALESIAN

jj l j

Testmenti

Il-kontribuzzjonijiet kollha, kemm Ωg˙ar u kemm kbar,
huma dejjem apprezzati.

Ibg˙at il-kontribuzzjonijiet tieg˙ek lil:
Fr. Eric Cachia SDB - Amministratur tad-Delegazzjoni
Savio College, Buskett Road, Dingli DGL2702
Tel: 2145 4546

Tista’ tg˙inna fix-xog˙ol li a˙na nag˙mlu mat-tfal u
maΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ foqra billi tiftakar fina fit-testment tieg˙ek
jew tibg˙at donazzjoni.

Huwa bil-g˙ajnuna ta’ nies b˙alek li x-xog˙lijiet li
g˙andna madwar id-dinja jibqg˙u jag˙tu l-frott.

BorΩa ta’ Studju
X’INHI BORÛA TA’ STUDJU?
Hija somma ta’ flus li tg˙inna biex in˙allsu parti mill-formazzjoni
ta’ Ωag˙Ωug˙ li qed i˙ejji ru˙u biex isir saçerdot Salesjan.

KEMM TRID TAGÓTI BIEX TWAQQAF BORÛA TA’ STUDJU?
Kapital ta’ b600

JEÓTIEÌ LI BILFORS TAGÓTI S-SOMMA F’DAQQA?
Le. Wie˙ed jista’ jag˙tiha biçça biçça, tant fix-xhar jew tant fis-sena.

JEÓTIEÌ LI BILFORS IS-SOMMA TKUN MOGÓTIJA MINN WIEÓED BISS?
Le. Jistg˙u jiftehmu flimkien iktar minn persuna wa˙da u kul˙add jag˙ti
sehmu. IΩda min jo˙ro© wa˙du s-somma kollha, ikun fundatur ta’ dik il-BorΩa.

JISTÀ WIEÓED IÓALLI L-BORÛA BÓALA LEGAT WARA MEWTU?
Jistà. U min jag˙mel hekk, jistà jikteb fit-testment: “In˙alli b˙ala legat
lis-Salesjani ta’ Don Bosco, is-somma ta’ g˙all-formazzjoni ta’
Ωag˙Ωug˙ Malti fl-istess Soçjetà.

NEWSPAPER POST ST.PATRICK’S SCHOOL, ST. JOHN BOSCO STREET, SLIEMA 1925