Hajja Salesjana JANNAR -FRAR 2012il-223 Óar©a
Il-Madonna fil-Pittura, MuΩika u PoeΩija
Strenna 2012
L-Isqof Mario Grech fl-Awstralja
G˙aΩiΩa Alice - Novella
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 z-zghazagh huma r-raguni
li ghalija jezistu s-Salesjani
Ballu g˙al Karita 7
Strenna 2012 9
IΩ-Ûjara Pastorali tal-Isqof M. Grech 10
Brief Life of St. John Bosco 14
Qdusija fil-Familja Salesjana 16
Studenti ta’ St. Patrick’s 17
Malta Salesjana 20
The Old Dented Bucket 22
St. Francis De Sales 24
Is-Sliem G˙alik Marija 26
Big Fish Big God 29
L-Istudju - Salesjani li ggradwaw 30
GhaΩiΩa Alice 32
Editorjal / Pedago©ija / Caledar of events /
Something to think about / Don Bosco Around the World
Hajja Salesjana
EDITORJAL
3
Dun Bosco twieled nhar is-16 ta’ Awwissu 1815. Dan
ifisser li tliet snin o˙ra il-Familja Salesjana tkun
qieg˙da tiççelebra l-200 sena (biçentenarju) mit-
twelid tal-Qaddis fundatur tag˙ha.
F’˙ajtu Dun Bosco kien waqqaf il-
Kongregazzjoni tal-Patrijiet Salesjani, dik tas-
Sorijiet Ulied Marija G˙ajnuna tal-Insara, l-G˙aqda
tas-Salesjani Koperaturi u dik tad-Devoti ta’ Marija
G˙ajnuna tal-Insara. Ma’ dawn imbag˙ad, biΩ-
Ωmien, Ωdiedu l-G˙aqda tal-Past Pupils, tan-Nisa
Volontarji ta’ Dun Bosco u xi 15-il Istitut ta’ Sorijiet
jew G˙aqdiet Lajçi mwaqqfa minn Salesjani
madwar id-dinja, li kollha jimxu skont l-ispirtu
u l-kariΩma ta’ San Ìwann Bosco. Dawn kollha
flimkien jiffurmaw il-Familja Salesjana.
Min- nhar is-16 ta’ Awissu tal-2011 inbeda
proçess ta’ t˙ejjija g˙aç-çelebrazzjoni tal-
biçentenarju mit-twelid tal-Qaddis tag˙na (1815
– 2015). Dakinhar, ir-Rettur Ma©©ur, Dun Pascual
Chavez, flimkien mas-Superjuri tal-Kapitlu
Ìenerali tas-Salesjani, qaddes quddiesa solenni
fil-baΩilka Salesjana li hemm f’ Colle Don Bosco.
Proprju fuq din l-g˙olja ©ewwa razzett qrib ir-
ra˙al ta’ Becchi, mhux bog˙od minn Castelnuovo
(Asti), kien twieled iç-çkejken Ìwanni Melchior
minn Francesco Bosco u Margherita Occhiena.
Il-Familja Salesjana, mela, g˙andha quddiemha
3 snin ta’ t˙ejjija li matulhom a˙na lkoll mistiedna
niflu u nsiru nafu l-istorja ta’ ˙ajjet il-qaddis
(2011-2012) biex imbag˙ad nistudjaw il-metodu
ta’ edukazzjoni u formazzjoni li kien juΩa’ maΩ-
Ωg˙aΩag˙ (2012-2013) u naslu biex nifhmu xi ftit
aktar l-ispiritwalità tieg˙u (2013-2014). L-a˙˙ar
sena (2014-2015) tkun sena ta’ çelebrazzjonijet
mad-dinja kollha Salesjana.
Min˙abba dan, matul dis-sena, Óajja Salesjana
ser tippubblika l-˙ajja ta’ Dun Bosco f’˙ames
partijiet. Is-sena ta’ wara tippubblika ˙ames
artikli qosra fuq il-pedago©ija tieg˙u sabiex matul
it-tielet sena jkollna kitba fuq l-ispiritwalità tal-
qaddis. L-a˙˙ar sena tkun sena speçjali g˙alina
hawn Malta, g˙aliex matulha nittamaw li jaslu
r-relikwi ta’ San Ìwann Bosco li b˙alissa qeg˙din
iduru mad-dinja, kif tistg˙u taqraw f’kull ˙ar©a ta’
Óajja Salesjana.
Fr Joe Cini SDB.
“...3 snin ta’ t˙ejjija li matulhom a˙na
lkoll mistiedna niflu u nsiru nafu l-
istorja ta’ ˙ajjet il-qaddis...”
200 Sena mit-Twelid
ta’ Dun Bosco
Hajja Salesjana4
EDITORIAL
Don Bosco was born on the 16th August 1815, which
means that within 3 years, the Salesian Family will
be celebrating the 200th year (bicentenary) of the
birth of its holy founder.
During his life, Don Bosco founded the
Congregation of the Salesian Fathers, the Institute
of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the
Association of Salesian Cooperators and that
of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians. In
following years, there were added to these the
Association of Past Pupils, the female Volunteers
of Don Bosco and about 15 other Institutes of
Sisters or Lay Associations which all practice the
charisma and live the spirit of St. John Bosco.
Together, all these, form the Salesian Family.
Since 16th August 2011 there has begun a
process of preparations for the celebration of
this bicentenary of the birth of our Saint (1815 –
2015). On that day, the Rector Major Fr Pascual
Chaves concelebrated Solemn Mass with the other
Superiors of the General Council of the Salesians,
in the Basilica of Don Bosco at Colle Don Bosco. It
was in this locality, in a farm near the village of
Becchi, not far from Castelnuovo (Asti), that the
little John Melchior was born to Francesco Bosco
and Margherita Occhiena.
The Salesian Family has 3 years of preparation
during which all are invited to read and come to
know the life of Don Bosco (2011-2012) so that after
that one may study the method of education
which he applied to form the young (2012 – 2013).
In the third year we will try to understand his
spirituality (2013-2014). The last remaining year
(2014-2015) will be the year of celebration all over
the Salesian world.
Hajja Salesjana will be contributing to all this
by publishing the life of Don Bosco in 5 parts
during this year. The following year we will publish
5 short articles on the pedagogy of Don Bosco so
as to arrive at the 3rd year of preparation with the
publication of writings on the spirituality of the
saint. The last year will be for us, here in Malta, a
special year of celebration. During that year we
are hoping to have among us the relics of St. John
Bosco, which at the moment are going all around
the Salesian world, as you may read in every issue
of Hajja Salesjana.
Fr Joe Cini SDB.
‘‘2014-2015’’ WILL BE THE YEAR
OF CELEBRATION ALL OVER THE
SALESIAN WORLD
200 Years from the Birth
of Don Bosco
5Hajja Salesjana
PEDAGOÌIJASalesjana
Minn Pascual Chávez Villanueva – Trad. Joe Cini
Fil-qalba tal-Antik Testment insibu s-sej˙a ta’
Alla lil Mosè meta kellmu mill-g˙ollieq jaqbad.
Il-Mulej qallu: “Jien ˙arist u rajt it-tbatija tal-
poplu tieg˙i fl-E©ittu. U jiena smajt il-karba
tag˙hom min˙abba l-arguΩini tag˙hom u g˙araft
l-u©ig˙ tag˙hom. Issa nΩilt biex ne˙lishom…u
biex intellag˙hom minn dik l-art u ne˙odhom
f’art tajba u wieg˙sa…” (Es. 3, 7-8)
“Jiena rajt… jiena smajt… jiena g˙araft… jiena
ne˙lishom”. Erba’ kelmiet ta’ m˙abba ta’ missier.
Alla ma jabbandunax lil uliedu u hekk Dun Bosco
©ie msejja˙ biex iwassal l-im˙abba tal-missier Alla
fi Ωmienna.
Ûmien ta’ feriti.
Dun Bosco kien qieg˙ed jg˙ix fi Ωmien ta’ tibdil
mg˙a©©el. Dan it-tibdil kien trawmatiku speçjalment
fil-kamp soçjali u fil-Knisja. L-IlluminiΩmu beda
proçess ta’ bidla mg˙a©©la, li ©ab kwaΩi fix-
xejn lil hekk imsej˙a societas cristiana, permezz
ta’ ideolo©iji anjostici u anti-cristiani fejn ir-
ra©uni/xjenza ˙adet post il-fidi. Kien hemm ukoll
sfiduçja min-na˙a tal-klassi tal-˙addiem, lejn
Insiru nafu lil Dun Bosco
Is-Sej˙a ta’ Alla
L-G˙aΩliet ta’ Dun Bosco huma ddeterminati mis-sej˙a ta’ Alla, is-sid tal-istorja
6 Hajja Salesjana
l-istituzzjonijiet tal-knisja. Fl-Italja, il-©lied f’Ruma
sabiex jitne˙˙a l-Istat Vatican, kien qieg˙ed iwe©©a’
qalb il-Kattolçi. Il-pressjoni tal-intelligentsia lajka
u tal-klassi tal-borghesia, permezz tal-gazzetti u
kotba li kienu jinfluenzaw l-opinjoni pubblika u
l-istil ta’ ˙ajja, kienu qeg˙din jo˙olqu ©enerazzjoni
©dida li, min˙abba dan il-progress “ming˙ajr Alla”
˙assitha m˙awda waqt li bdiet taççetta ideat u
˙ajja mbieg˙da mill-fidi nisranija. Fl-istess waqt,
bdew jidhru forom ©odda ta’ faqar, mi©juba minn
emigrazzjoni qawwija ©ewwa u barra l-pajjiΩ, minn
kulturi li bdew jg˙ibu, minn xog˙ol im˙allas bil-ftit u
minn t˙assir morali fost l-ifqar parti tal-poplu.
Isalva liΩ-Ωg˙ar
Kien eΩatt dan il-kuntest storiku, dawn it-trawmi
soçjali u dawn it-tensjonijiet li taw lil Dun Bosco
l-okkaΩjoni li jisma’ u jag˙raf is-sej˙a ta’ Alla. Waqt
li o˙rajn kienu jargumentaw, jikkundannaw, inew˙u
fuq il-kruha ta’ Ωmienhom, huwa fela˙ jara lil Alla
preΩenti u attiv fl-istorja tal-bniedem. Im˙ejji sew
sabiex i˙ossu ‘rag˙aj’ u msejja˙ g˙as-salvazzjoni-
speçjalment taΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙,- da˙al g˙al dan ix-
xog˙ol b’im˙abba u b’g˙erf. Dejjem ˙ass ru˙u parti
minn dak li kien qieg˙ed ji©ri madwaru, lest li jag˙ti
˙ajtu g˙all-missjoni li kien i˙oss li kellu jwettaq.
Kien konvint li l-grazzja t’Alla hija aqwa minn kull
tfixkil uman u li twieΩen lil kull min jit˙abat sabiex
ixerred fil-qlub is-Saltna ta’ Kristu.
Is-sitwazzjoni tat-tfal li ltaqa’ mag˙hom f’Turin
fis-snin 1840-1850, kif ukoll ©rajjiet tal-knisja u
tal-istat ta’ dawk is-snin, urewh kif jadatta b’mod
prattiku d-don tieg˙u ta’ edukatur, u Ω-Ωelu tieg˙u
g˙all-erwie˙. It-talenti naturali tieg˙u g˙enuh
sabiex ikun attiv fit-tajjeb waqt li jindokra mil-˙aΩin.
Matul is-snin ta’ wara, is-sitwazzjoni tbiddlet,
u nqalg˙u problemi ©odda. Huwa, bil-g˙aqal tal-
mo˙˙ u d-dehen tal-ispirtu, g˙araf jifta˙ orizzonti
©odda, ja˙dem u jippjana, u jkabbar l-opri tieg˙u,
filwaqt li jinvolvi fihom numru dejjem jikber ta’
dixxipli, benefatturi u nies interessati fil-pro©etti
tieg˙u. B’hekk, dawk it-tfal fqar u abbandonati li
kien ja˙dem g˙alihom saru dawk kollha li kellhom
bΩonn ta’ g˙ajnuna ekonomika, spiritwali, morali
jew kulturali.
“Kollox nifla˙ bis-sa˙˙a ta’ dak li jqawwini”
Dun Bosco g˙adu jg˙odd g˙al Ωminijietna g˙aliex
joffri ideat li jaqblu g˙all-˙ti©ijiet taΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ u
ta’ Ωmienna. Joffri wkoll twe©ibiet effettivi g˙all-
problemi ©odda, g˙ax i˙arsu ‘l bog˙od u huma
mqanqla mill-im˙abba t’Alla. Il-mod differenti kif
jeg˙leb sfidi ©odda, ˙ti©ijiet ©odda, u attakki ©odda
ta’ Satana, kollu ©ej minn fidi soda, tama qawwija,
g˙otja s˙i˙a lil Alla u lill-proxxmu u minn qalb ˙ielsa
minn kull irbit tad-dinja.
Hekk kiteb darba lil wie˙ed qassis li kien qata’
qalbu, “Jekk hemm xog˙ol xi jsir, jiena mmut fuq il-
kamp tax-xog˙ol b˙al suldat tajjeb ta’ Kristu. Forsi
jiena tajjeb g˙all- ftit jew g˙al xejn? Kollox nifla˙
bis-sa˙˙a ta’ dak li jqawwini. Hemm ix-xewk? B’dan
ix-xewk mibdul fi fjur l-An©li jins©ulek kuruna fis-
sema. IΩ-Ωminijiet diffiçli? Dejjem kienu, imma Alla
qatt mhu sejjer ma jg˙inekx: Kristu lbiera˙ u llum.
(25/10/1878, Epistolario di S. Giovanni Bosco, III, 399)
Dan kollu g˙alina huwa lezzjoni ta’ tama u kura©©,
stedina sabiex inqumu u n©eddu l-fedeltà,
l-impenn u l-fiduçja tag˙na f’Alla.
Kif jag˙mlu kull sena, il-Past Pupils ta’ Don Bosco
(NSW) organizzaw ballu gala fil-Mediterranean
Centre f’Five Dock. L-iskop prinçipali ta’ dan il-
ballu kif ukoll il-lotterija li ti©i organizzata li jkollha
t-tmiem tag˙ha f’dan il-ballu hu biex jin©abru flus
g˙all-karità. IΩ-Ωmien qieg˙ed jag˙mel tieg˙u u
hawn fl-Awstralja, dawk li rçevew il-formazzjoni
tag˙hom mis-Salesjani ta’ Dun Bosco f’Malta u
G˙awdex qeg˙din jonqsu, iΩda xorta rnexxielhom
iΩommu dan il-ballu ta’ kull sena f’livell g˙oli.
G˙al din l-okkaΩjoni, dis-sena kien hemm preΩenti
fost o˙rajn il-Kummissarju G˙oli ta’ Malta, Francis
Tabone, kif ukoll l-Onor John Aquilina u martu
Ann. Il-President tal-G˙aqda, Victor Grech ta
rendikont tax-xog˙ol karitattiv u volontarju li
l-G˙aqda tal-Past Pupils of Don Bosco jwettqu biex
jg˙inu missjonijiet u karitajiet o˙ra fil-bΩonn.
Offrew l-opportunità lill-Kummissarju G˙oli li
jitkellem g˙ax din tista’ tkun l-a˙˙ar okkaΩjoni ma’
din il-g˙aqda qabel ma ji©i msejja˙ lura f’Malta.
Huwa qal li f’dawn l-a˙˙ar ̇ ames snin fl-Awstralja
kellna forsi l-iktar Ωjarat minn viΩitaturi distinti
minn Malta. Huwa fakkar ukoll l-anniversarju
tal-Maltese Herald u kien jaf x’qed jg˙id meta
fa˙˙ar ix-xog˙ol li g˙amlu Lawrence Dimech u
Lino Vella tul il-˙amsin sena ta’ din il-gazzetta
nazzjonali Maltija fl-Awstralja. Issemmew wkoll xi
anniversarji mill-˙ajja politika ta’ John Aquilina.
Ballu g˙all-karità
Xi membri tal-kumitat tal-PPDB (NSW) mal-
Kummissarju G˙oli Francis Tabone.
7Hajja Salesjana
8 Hajja Salesjana
FEASTS & EVENTS
JAN
UA
RY
FEB
RUA
RY
MA
RCH
CALENDAR OF SALESIAN
2011
Sun 1 New Year’s Day. Feast of Our Lady, Mother of God. World Day of Peace.
Wed 4 Salesian Cooperators, Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.
Thu 5 First Day of School 2nd Term for Savio College
Fri 6 First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s Church at 6.15 p.m.
7 – 8 XENOS – Multilingual Performance by Atturi Salesjani at Salesian Theatre, Sliema
Mon 9 Start of 2nd School Term at St. Patrick’s School
Tue 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions
Sun 15 Bl. Luigi Variara –Salesian Missionary
Sun 22 Bl. Laura Vicuna – Pupil at Salesian Sisters
Tue 24 St. Francis of Sales – Patron Saint of Salesian Congregation. Devotions to Mary
Help of Christians: St. Patrick: 6.30 p.m./ Oratory (Sliema) 7.30 p.m.
Sun 29 Feast of St. John Bosco at St. Patrick’s Church. AGM for St. Patrick’s Past Pupils.
Solemn Mass for Salesian Family at 11.30 a.m. followed by Festive Dinner.
Tue 31 St. John Bosco. Celebrations at Salesian School and Oratories.
Wed 1 Salesian Cooperators, Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.
School Leaving Exams (F5) at savio College
Fri 3 First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s Church at 6.15 p.m.
Thu 9 Blessed Eusebia Palomino FMA
Fri 10 Feast of St. Paul Shipwreaked. Prayer Day for Salesian Missions
11 – 12 A Drama Soiree by Youths at Salesian Theatre – Sliema
Wed 15 Mid-Term Exams at savio College
20-21 Carnival Holidays
Wed 22 Ash Wednesday. Stations of The Cross and Mass at St. Patrick at 6.30 p.m.
Fri 24 Stations of The Cross and Mass at St. Patrick at 6.30 p.m.
Sat 25 Saints Louis Versiglia and Callisto Caravario – martyred in China
Fri 2 Stations of The Cross and Mass at St. Patrick at 6.30 p.m.
Wed 7 Salesian Cooperators- Sliema: Prayer Meeting at St. Patrick’s at 6.00 p.m.
Fri 9 Stations of The Cross and Mass at St. Patrick at 6.30 p.m.
Sat 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions
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
9Hajja Salesjana
In the introduction to his brief presentation, Fr
Chávez states, “We need to study him, and through
the events of his life we must come to know him
as an educator and pastor, founder, guide, and
legislator”. In 2012, members of the Salesian
Family will be called to discover and get to know
the many-faceted figure of this saintly man from
Turin. An awareness of Don Bosco's story has to
begin with certain reference points: his pastoral
charity; his hardship and suffering, and the many
sacrifices which he made to achieve the ultimate
purpose for the Salesian Family – that of being
apostles of the young, both in ordinary settings
and in poor and missionary areas.
To be faithful to Don Bosco means renewing
our life's purpose, - the salvation of the young
- the purpose for which he gave himself “until
his dying breath.” We meet the young in their
various difficult circumstances: “poverty, child
labour, sexual exploitation, lack of education
and vocational training, lack of work and self-
confidence, fear of the future, and the loss of
meaning of life”. It is also a case of looking
after the needs of addicts of technology, by
sharing their life and interests, offering them
help to acquire experience in forms of instant
communication and social mobility, and the
possibility of intellectual development and
economic progress, also the opportunity to be
pro-active through new technologies.
An indication of tasks that will flow from
Strenna 2012 are: being with the young in places,
circumstances and frontiers where they expect
Salesian Family members to be. We also need
to rediscover the “Memoirs of the Oratory of St
Francis de Sales”*, written by Don Bosco. “So
during this year (2012) let us be involved in getting
to know this text, communicating its contents,
disseminating it, and especially putting it into
the hands of the young: it should also become an
inspirational book for their vocational choice”.
*The Memoirs of the Oratory of St Francis de
Sales has been translated in Maltese and can be
requested from any Salesian House.
Coming to know Don Bosco in order to be faithful to him
Strenna 2012
The Rector Major presented the members of the General
Council with the theme for the 2012 Strenna; it is in
line with preparations for celebrating the bicentenary
of Don Bosco's birth: “Let us make the young our life's
mission by coming to know and imitate Don Bosco”. With
it comes a quote from John's Gospel (10:11) offering a
biblical point of view:
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep”.
10 Hajja Salesjana
“Ìej fostkom b˙ala ˙ukom fil-mixja tal-
fidi wara Kristu u b˙ala Rag˙aj Spiritwali.’’
Hekk kitbilna, lilna l-Emigranti fl-Awstralja,
l-Eççellenza Tieg˙u l-Isqof Mario Grech, ftit
©ranet qabel beda Ωjara Pastorali fostna. U
qalbna xeg˙let g˙al dan il-messa©©.
Issa˙˙arna warajh biex nisimg˙u minn fommu
l-Kelma t’Alla. Attendejna kotrana kull funzjoni li
saret u l-omeliji li l-Isqof g˙amlilna kienu qishom
manna nieΩla mis-sema wara tant Ωmien ta’
stennija biex naraw din iΩ-Ωjara ssir realtà.
L-ewwel quddiesa fil-programm kienet is-Sibt
filg˙odu, g˙ar-residenti anzjani fil-Hostel St.
Dominic , immexxi mis-sorijiet Dumnikani, ©ewwa
Blacktown. Hawnhekk l-Isqof xebbah il-mi©ja
tieg˙u fl-Awstralja b˙al meta l-Arkan©lu Gabriel
sellem lil Marija u qalilha “Il-Mulej mieg˙ek’’. Hekk
ukoll hu ried jurina li l-Mulej qieg˙ed mag˙na,
l-emigranti fl-Awstralja.
Fil-g˙axija mbag˙ad kien imiss li ssir quddiesa
o˙ra fiç-çentru La Valette, fejn is-sala kienet
ma˙nuqa minn emigranti kemm Maltin kif ukoll
G˙awdxin. Frank Zammit ta mer˙ba lill-Isqof
b’dawn il-kelmiet:
“Ilqa’ dil-mer˙ba o Rag˙aj ma˙bub tag˙na:
Il-mer˙ba m˙e©©a ˙ier©a minn qieg˙ qalbna;
G˙ax ilha t˙e©©e© fina x-xewqa mqanqla
Li narawk fostna u nisimg˙u kliemek’’.
IΩ-Ûjara Pastorali
tal-Isqof Mario Grech
©o l-Awstralja
L-g˙ada l-Óadd 2 t’Ottubru, morna bi ˙©arna
fil-Katidral ta’ St. Mary ©ol-belt ta’ Sydney g˙al
quddiesa pontifikali. Jikkonçelebraw mal-Isqof,
kellna lil Fr. Tarcisio Micallef, Fr. Joe Barbara, Fr.
Joe Cremona, Fr. Claude Borg u Fr. John Taliana
li huma kollha membri tas-Soçjeta Missjunarja
ta’ San Pawl. Mag˙hom kien hemm ukoll Fr. John
Briffa sdb, l-Arçipriet Paolo Cardona, Fr. John
Sultana, Fr. Eddie Zammit, Fr. John Vella ofm u Fr.
Remi© Galea ofm.
Fl-omelija, l-Isqof g˙amel riflessjoni dwar
“l-g˙alqa’’ mqabbla mis-sid lill-bdiewa, li qatt
ma ssir “propjeta’ privata’’ imma tibqa’ tg˙ajjat
lis-Sid. U hawn l-Isqof Grech semma tliet tipi
ta’ “g˙elieqi’’ li s-Sid jafda lill-bniedem: (a) Il-
kuxjenza, (b) Il-familja mibnija fuq iΩ-Ωwie© u (ç)
Il-Knisja.
Quddiesa o˙ra li g˙aliha kien hemm
attendenza ta’ ̇ afna emigranti Maltin u G˙awdxin,
saret fil-parroçça ta’ Our Lady Queen of Peace,
©o Greystanes, nhar il-©img˙a filg˙axija. G˙al
darb’o˙ra, l-Isqof wasslilna messa©© poΩittiv kif
a˙na l-bnedmin nistg˙u noqog˙du g˙all-pressjoni
minn Emmanuel Zammit
Sydney 14/10/2011
11Hajja Salesjana
li tibdilna minn “fa˙am’’ g˙all- “djamant’’ permezz
ta’ tliet mezzi li huma l-Kelma t’Alla, is-Sagramenti
u l-Karità.
Is-Sibt 8 ta’ Ottubru, f’nofs inhar, l-Isqof Grech
ikkonçelebra quddiesa fil-knisja ddedikata lil St.
Mary of the Cross (Mary McKillop), l-ewwel qaddisa
Awstraljana u wara talab fuq il-qabar ta’ l-istess
qaddisa. Filg˙axija mexxa konçelebrazzjoni o˙ra,
din id-darba fil-Parroçça ta’ Our Lady of Victories,
©o Horsley Park, fejn kien hemm ‘l fuq minn 500
ru˙. L-Isqof semma l-fatt li ˙afna mill-problemi
tal-˙ajja jinqalg˙u g˙ax ma nag˙rfux inpo©©u
l-prijoritajiet ta’ ˙ajjitna f’posthom. Hawnhekk,
l-Isqof g˙amel referenza g˙al Ìesu Kristu li
jg˙idilna biex l-ewwel infittxu s-Saltna t’Alla,
imbag˙ad il-bqija jing˙atalna biΩ-Ωieda.
Il-lejla spiççat b’çena uffiçjali fejn attendew
mat-300 ru˙ u fejn l-Isqof dar mejda, mejda biex
ikellem lil dawk preΩenti.
Il-programm uffiçjali ©o Sydney ing˙alaq
b’quddiesa o˙ra fil-parroçça ta’ Riverstone u Ωjara
fil-club tal-ÓamruniΩi fejn g˙al darb’o˙ra kien
hemm ˙afna emigranti minn pajjiΩna li kellhom
çans jiltaqg˙u ma’ l-Isqof. L-Isqof Grech kellu
wkoll laqg˙at mal-Kardinal George Pell u anke
mal-Isqof ta’ Parramatta, Anthony Fisher.
L-Isqof wara kompla Ω-Ωjara Pastorali fost ̇ utna
l-emigranti ©ol-istat ta’ Victoria, f’Melbourne.
Huwa Ωar ukoll l-emigranti ©o Woollongong u anke
dawk ta’ Canberra.
Mhux ta’ b’xejn Frank Zammit stqarr quddiem
l-Isqof Grech:
Imferrxa l-mer˙la li mill-GΩira çkejkna
Tat-Tliet G˙oljiet marret ‘il bog˙od titlajja'
Fejn ittamat li ssib merg˙at ˙adrana
Mnejn titma’ l-frie˙ fis-sliem u l-barka…
U stag˙na l-©isem u l-kus ©mielu mtela’
IΩda r-ru˙ donnha ftaqret,
G˙ax tilfet l-eg˙ΩeΩ tifkiriet bikrija –
l-og˙na teΩori illi hienja kienet kisbet.
Iva Eççellenza, ©ejt fostna b˙ala ˙una fil-mixja
tal-fidi wara Kristu u b˙ala r-Rag˙aj Spiritwali
tag˙na. U a˙na l-mer˙la, g˙alkemm a˙na mferrxa,
b˙al ma qal il-poeta, irnexxielna ning˙aqdu
flimkien permezz ta’ din iΩ-Ωjara pastorali tieg˙ek.
Il-ftit jiem li g˙amilt fostna, kebbist in-nar u ru˙na
re©g˙et xeg˙let bil-fer˙. Er©ajna akkwistajna
l-eg˙ΩeΩ ‘tifkiriet bikrija’, ftakarna f’dak kollu
li g˙oΩΩejna fi tfulitna. Serra˙tilna mo˙˙na,
wennistna u mlejtna bil-kura©©. Grazzi, grazzi.
12 Hajja Salesjana
Don Bosco Around the World
KOCHI- KERALA
The 21-day pilgrimage of Don Bosco Relics in Kerala
seems to have created records in the number of
stops made for veneration of the relics in any
Indian Province to date, as well as the number of
parishes and dioceses visited. During this time in
fact, Don Bosco’s relics had stops for veneration
in 82 places in Kerala covering 12 districts and 34
dioceses. The number of Christians is not a large
one, but people turned up in huge numbers far
India
A very warm welcome for Don Bosco
beyond the calculations of the organisers. The
cooperation of local clergy and bishops was
more than anyone could have asked for. Media
coverage in general and that of the Salesians was
quite impressive. The local newspapers, especially
the district editions and television channels, gave
extensive news coverage of the pilgrimage of Don
Bosco’s Relics.
Varadarajanpet
13Hajja Salesjana
VARADARAJANPET
22 October 2011: Don Boscoçs casket arrived in
Varadarajanpet, in the Tiruchy Province. It was
welcomed by youth groups in traditional dress
who sang and danced in honour of Don Bosco.
After saying a prayer, the relic was carried into
the parish church where Bishop Antony Samy DD
of Kumbakonam, presided over Mass in which 50
priests , 200 sisters and 15 thousand people took
part .
CHENNAI
From the middle of October until the middle of
November Don Bosco’s casket was in the Indian
State of Tamil Nadu. On the 13th of October after
its successful visit to the State of Kerala, where
Catholics constitute an important minority (19%),
Don Bosco’s casket entered the Tiruchy Province
at Kuthenkuzhy.
It was kept in the Tiruchy Province until the
28th of October, being taken round the Salesian
houses, all of which had made special preparations
and welcomed the casket with joy. On many
occasions there was also a significant presence
of diocesan religious authorities. For example, at
Coimbatore, Mass in the Cathedral of St Michael,
at which Bishop Thomas Aquinas Lephonse
presided, about 60 priests concelebrated. Early
in the morning of the 28th October at Yercaud,
in the presence of 3,000 faithful, the Provincial
of Tiruchy, Fr Albert Johnson, presided over a
farewell. On the 29th October, at “Don Bosco Anbu
Illam” for young people at risk and street children,
the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil
Nadu, the Hon. D. Jayakumar showed his respects
to the casket; and the following day at the Don
Bosco Church in Ayanavaram, it was welcomed
by the newly elected Mayor of Madras, the Hon.
Saidai Duraisamy and the Member of Parliament
the Hon N. Balaganga.
14 Hajja Salesjana
A TROUBLED CITY
Political intrigue, assassinations, urban riots
and civil wars wrecked Western Europe as it
struggled to establish democratic governments
during the 19th century. The continent’s Christians,
bitterly divided, offered feeble opposition to
militant atheists.
Turin, a gracious northern Italian city, had seen
better days than those of the winter of 1846. For
centuries before that travelers knew Turin as the
“loveliest village in the world.” Many aristocratic
families traced their ancestry to the days when
Roman legions had guarded Italy’s northern
reaches and controlled the Alpine passes through
which commerce and occasionally invading armies,
moved into Italy. With this magnificent scenic
setting, cultured population and commercial
importance, the city developed a distinct
aristocratic style. In the times of which we write,
the House of Savoy, royal rulers of northern Italy,
held court there.
However all was not serene. Nineteenth-century
Turin, like so many European cities, was changing
from a quite provincial centre into a busy industrial
city. As more and more factories appeared, more
and more people flowed from farms and out of
valleys to seek the employment and excitement
offered by Turin. The recently arrived working
class crowded into filthy, airless tenements,
sometimes six or eight to a room. Vice, disease
and crime flourished; for most slum dwellers God
was a dim memory associated with the farms
they had abandoned for the city. Vicious
gangs of young toughs formed in the
streets, leaving a trail of robberies,
muggings, and occasionally
murders in their wake. City fathers
increased the police force and
administered justice swiftly. “The
loveliest village in the world,”
now claiming a population of
150,000 people, boasted no less
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 1
15Hajja Salesjana
than four good-sized prisons. Many inmates were
mere boys, some not yet in their teens.
THE PIED PIPER
A new problem now plagued Turin’s harassed
citizenry. At its root was, of all things, a slightly
offbeat priest. For the past several years this
cleric, known as Don Bosco, had been leading
a band of singing, shouting slum boys through
Turin’s stylish streets. The priest, clad in battered
biretta, patched cassock and peasant work shoes,
had started with a handful of boys. Now the original
pack had swollen into a horde numbering some
400. Although the boys had not yet committed
any crime, citizens worried about Bosco’s ability to
control his small army.
Government authorities, newspaper editors
and enemies feared that Father Bosco was laying
the foundations of a future political power base.
In Italy’s then unstable political climate such
an assumption was not unreasonable. The Italy
of Father Bosco’s time was divided into seven
different states. Austrian and French royal houses
ruled a good half of the nation. The Papal States,
ruled by Pope Pius IX, straddled the nation’s central
portion. When Pius IX, who had no army, refused to
support a war to throw out the Austrian occupiers,
many Italians judged the pontiff to be a defender
of foreign rulers and an opponent of national unity,
thus the vast tide of anti-clericalism, which had
been building for years, swept over the land.
Enemies of the Church drove bishops from their
dioceses, suppressed religious houses and exiled
priests, Sisters and Brothers. Pope Pius IX and
the Italian clergy became the favourite whipping
boys of the liberal revolutionary press. Hatred
reached a boiling point when revolutionary gangs,
in November 1848, broke into Pope Pius IX’s Roman
palace, stabbed his prime minister and fatally
shot one of the Pope’s staff. Pope Pius IX fled to
the kingdom of Naples, where he remained in exile
for six months. Due to the nature of his work and
the success he had already enjoyed with youth,
John Bosco too became a favourite target. To all
charges he calmly replied: “In politics I side with no
one. I am a priest. The only kingdom I serve is the
kingdom of God.”
FROM THE AGE OF NINE
John had been yearning to serve that kingdom
since he was a small boy. “At the age of nine,” he
wrote, “I knew I wanted to be a priest and to help
young people.” His father, a hardworking farmer,
died when John was not yet two years old. His
mother Margaret held her family together, running
the small Bosco farm, raising three children, and
supporting her own elderly and infirm mother-in-
law. Margaret, a woman of sterling character and
enormous courage, proved equal to the relentless
and often bitter struggle to survive.
Although lacking money and influence, young
John Bosco was not without resources. He
possessed an amazing array of talents and his
physical coordination was superb. At country fairs
he studied the magician’s tricks and the daredevil’s
acrobatic stunts, then back home he practiced
these feats until he could imitate and often excel
his mentors. John never lost his enthusiasm for
this dangerous recreation. He knew that magic
tricks and tightrope balancing would attract young
people to him.
His physical prowess, however, pales before his
mental acumen. Highly intelligent, John possessed
a formidable memory. This talent came to light
one evening when, during the course of a parish
mission, the pastor inquired if John understood the
sermon. The little boy of only nine years repeated
without mistake every word the missionary had
preached. Remember, this was in the day when no
missionary would dare descend the pulpit unless
he had spoken for at least an hour!
As John grew to young manhood he had
becomes cheerful, disciplined and had a
tremendous capacity for work.
Qdusija fil-Familja Salesjana
San Luigi Guanella
Dun Luigi Guanella infatti, huwa fundatur
tal-Qaddejja tal-Karità (Qassisin) u ta’ Ulied
Santa Marija tal-Providenza (Sorijiet), li
huma msej˙a sabiex jimxu
fuq l-eΩempju tal-Familja ta’
Nazzaret, waqt li jg˙ixu ˙ajja
qaddisa bi programm sempliçi:
li titlob u li ssofri. Dawn iΩ-
Ωew© Kongregazzjonijiet huma
mxerrda fi 15-iI pajjiΩ.
Meta kien g˙adu saçerdot
novell kien sema’ b’Dun Bosco,
“il-qassis taΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙” u xtaq
˙afna jiltaqa’ mieg˙u. Fl-1870
mar Turin, proprju f’Valdocco
fejn kien hemm l-Oratorju ta’
Dun Bosco; u wara dan mar
drabi o˙ra sabiex jiltaqa’
mieg˙u. Dun Bosco dejjem
laqg˙u bil-˙lewwa, sakemm ma
aççettahx b˙ala Salesjan.
Fl-omelija tieg˙u, il-Papa qal, “Grazzi g˙al
g˙aqda profonda u dejjiema ma’ Kristu, u fil-
kontemplazzjoni ta’ m˙abbtU, Dun Guanella,
immexxi mill-Providenza Mqaddsa, sar is-
sie˙eb u l-g˙alliem, il-fara© u l-qawwa tal-iΩjed
fqar u dg˙ajfa. L-im˙abba ta’ Alla nebb˙itu sabiex
jag˙mel l-almu tieg˙u g˙al dawk fdati lilu, fiç-
çirkustanzi tal-˙ajja ta’ kuljum… Hija
l-im˙abba ta’ Kristu li ddawwal il-
˙ajja ta’ kull bniedem, waqt li turina
li meta nag˙tu lilna nfusna lill-o˙rajn
ma nkunu nitilfu xejn, anzi nil˙qu
l-milja tal-veru fer˙.”
Il-Papa mbag˙ad ikkonkluda,
“Jalla San Luigi Guanella jaqlg˙alna
l-grazzja li nikbru fil-˙biberija mal-
Mulej, sabiex in©orru a˙na stess,
f’jiem ˙ajjitna, il-milja tal-im˙abba
ta’ Alla u hekk immexxu l-˙ajja
lejn l-a˙jar mod ta’ g˙ajxien u
kundizzjonijiet, sabiex il-bnedmin
isiru dejjem aktar veri wlied Alla.”
Waqt li l-ferg˙at kollha tal-
Kongregazzjoni Salesjana qeg˙din
mexjin lejn it-Tieni Çentenarju
tat-twelid ta’ Dun Bosco, il-qdusija ta’ San Luigi
Guanella tidher b˙ala frott appostoliku ta’ m˙abba
f’dik is-si©ra kbira li hija l-Familja Salesjana.
Nhar il-Óadd 23 ta’ Ottubru 2011, wara li kien ©ie aççertat il-miraklu ta’ fejqan ta’ Ωag˙Ωug˙
Amerikan, Willian Glisson, fl-2002, il-Papa Benedittu XVI iddikjara qaddis lill-qassis Luigi
Guanella. Dan sar 96 sena wara l-mewt ta’ das-saçerdot mag˙ruf g˙all-karità tieg˙u. B’dan tifra˙
il-Familja Salesjana g˙aliex Dun Luigi kien ˙adem ma’ Dun Bosco g˙al 3 snin s˙a˙ u min˙abba
l-fatt li l-˙idma tieg˙u b˙ala fundatur kienet ispirata mill-kariΩma edukattiv tal-Qaddis ta’
Valdocco.
16 Hajja Salesjana
G˙at-tieni sena konsekuttiva, l-istudenti ta’
St. Patrick’s ©eddew l-impenn tag˙hom favur
l-annimali. Il-˙sieb beda sena ilu meta waqt il-
©img˙a ddedikata g˙all-˙arsien tal-annimali,
l-istudenti ˙assew il-bΩonn li barra milli jitkellmu
fuq das-su©©ett fil-klassi u jwa˙˙lu xi stampi,
jag˙mlu xi ˙a©a iktar prattika li tkun tista’
titkompla mas-snin. Kien propju b’dan il-˙sieb li
©iet imnedija kampanja ta’ ©bir ta’ fondi biex ikun
jista’ ji©i sponsorjat kelb. Filfatt in©abru biΩΩejjed
flus biex setg˙u ji©u sponsorjati 3 iklieb.
Din is-sena l-pro©ett tkompla u permezz tal-
kontribut tal-istudenti u membri tal-istaff kien
hemm biΩΩejjed biex igawdu 5 iklieb mhux 3. Il-
benefiçarja ta’ din il-kampanja hija l-Assoçjazzjoni
tal-Annimali Abbandunati (AAA) li tinsab il-Marsa.
Mela ©iet organizzata ˙ar©a lejn das-santwarju
sabiex l-istudenti jaraw b’g˙ajnejhom il-kura ta’
dawn l-annimali abbandunati. B˙alissa f’dan is-
santwarju hemm iktar minn mitt kelb. L-istudenti
li marru g˙al din il-mawra, waqt il-˙in li g˙addew
hemmhekk, kellhom opportunita’ li jΩuru dan
is-santwarju u jie˙du g˙al dawra il-klieb li tant
ikunu mixtieqin.
L-istudenti setg˙u jaraw b’g˙ajnejhom in-
numru kbir ta’ klieb li jinsabu ©ewwa dan is-
santwarju - klieb ta’ kull daqs u razza kollha
jistennew li xi darba tinstabilhom familja.
Min˙abba n-numru eΩa©erat ta’ klieb u l-ispazju
Ωg˙ir li jg˙ixu fih, ix-xog˙ol li hemm bΩonn huwa
sostanzjali. G˙al˙ekk l-AAA te˙tie© iktar familji
lesti li jaddottaw xi kelb, jg˙inu finanzjarjament
jew ikunu ©eneruΩi bil-˙in tag˙hom.
L-istudenti wrew ix-xewqa li jer©g˙u jΩuru dan
is-santwarju u ddeçidew li jibqg˙u j©eddu l-impenn
tag˙hom kull sena. It-tama tag˙hom hi li l-iskejjel
u organizzazzjonijiet o˙ra jag˙mlu kampanji
simili u jg˙inu lil dawn il-klieb abbandunati. Il-ftit
ming˙and il-˙afna jag˙mel differenza kbira.
Studenti ta’ St. Patrick’s i©eddu
l-impenn tag˙hom favur l-annimali
17Hajja Salesjana
18 Hajja Salesjana
Something
to think about…
19Hajja Salesjana
God doesn’t have a Blackberry or an iPhone,
but He is my favourite contact.
He doesn’t have Facebook, but He is my best friend.
He doesn’t have Twitter, but I follow Him,
He doesn’t have internet, but I am connected to Him.
And his customer service never puts me on hold.
20 Hajja Salesjana
Malta Salesjana
ASPIRANTI…
Irtir ta’ jum s˙i˙ g˙all-Aspiranti tag˙na,
nhar it-2 ta’ Novembru 2011, immexxi minn
Fr. Louis Grech li huwa id-Direttur tal-
Vokazzjonijiet. Dan sar fid-Dar “Mount St.
Joseph” il-Mosta. Dawn it-tliet Ωg˙aΩag˙,
bil-g˙ajnuna ta’ Alla, bdew il-mixja tag˙hom
lejn il-˙ajja Salesjana u s-Saçerdozju. Kien,
mela, jum ta’ riflessjoni sabiex jibdew
jifhmu sewwa s-sej˙a ta’ Alla li g˙ad
trid twassalhom sabiex jag˙tu ˙ajjithom
lill-Mulej. Din is-sena l-aspiranti ©odda
tag˙na, jisimhom Bernard Briffa, Johan
Bugeja u Karl Galea. Nitolbu g˙alihom
JUMEJN TA STUDJU
Immorru, issa, fit-Tunisija, ©ewwa Manouba. Nhar it-2 ta’ Novembru 2011 bdew il-vaganzi
tal- “Aid-el-Kebir” g˙at-tfal tal-iskola. Imma l-g˙ada u l-pitg˙ada, l-iskola re©g˙et
infet˙et g˙al dawk l-istudenti tas-Sitt Klassi – xi 30 minnhom ta’ madwar 11-il sena – li
xtaqu jqattg˙u jumejn ta’ studju intensiv, bi program ma˙sub. Dawn in-nofstanhari kienu
ta˙t is-supervisjoni ta’ Bro. Roberto, is-Salesjan taljan li issa ng˙aqad ma’ Fr. Lawrence
Essery u Fr. Mario Mulè Stagno, il-Headmaster. Fr. Mario infatti ta’ mer˙ba lill-istudenti u
nkora©©ihom jistudjaw bi t˙ejija g˙all-eΩamijiet tal-iskola sekondarja. Din kienet attivita li
ntog˙©bot ˙afna kemm mill-istudenti u kemm mill-©enituri.
b’mod partikulari kull meta nitolbu g˙all-
vokazzjonijiet Salesjani.
DON BOSCO FRIDAY CLUB
Dan il-Club immexxi mis- Salesjani Koperaturi ta’ G˙awdex
re©a’ beda sena o˙ra ta’ attivitajiet. G˙alih jistg˙u jattendu
tfajliet mil-Form 1 il-fuq. Din is-sena hemm 25 tfajla li
jin©abru sikwit mas-Sorijiet Salesjani f’mixja ta’ formazzjoni,
attivitajiet, passatempi u ˙ar©iet. F’jum minn ta’ Ottubru 2011,
ix-Xag˙ar tar-RuΩarju, il-grupp kien jin©abar madwar Sr. Elsa u
Sr. Antoinette fil-kappella tal-iskola “Laura Vicuna”, fl-G˙asri,
sabiex jitolbu r-RuΩarju g˙ad-dawl tax-xemg˙a. Imexxu u
j˙e©©u l-dan il-Club hemm Margot Portelli u Sandra Mifsud. Din
il-laqg˙a intemmet b’sorpriΩa ta’ festin f’©ie˙ Sr. Antoinette li
kella g˙eluq sninha…il-kant instema’ minn na˙a l-o˙ra tat-triq!
21Hajja Salesjana
OPEN DAY
Din ©iet organizzata fl-Iskola Laura Vicuna
tas-Sorijiet Salesjani ©ewwa l-G˙asri, u kienet
tassew mistennija mill-istudenti, g˙alliema
u familji. It-tfal setg˙u ja˙lu l-ener©ija
tag˙hom fuq il- ”Bouncing Castle” u “Go
Karting”, jew jdellku wiççhom bil-kuluri, jew
inkella joqg˙odu attenti jisimg˙u u jaraw il-
kelliema tal-SPCA jg˙idulhom u juruhom kif
jie˙du ˙sieb l-annimali feruti jew mitluqa
fit-toroq. Ûew© Salesjani Koperaturi li g˙enu
f’din l’attivita kienu lebsin u miΩbug˙in ta’
Mickey u Minnie Mouse sabiex iferr˙u lit-tfal,
waqt li ommijiet mil-Ladies Circle taw daqqa
t’id sewwa sabiex kollox jirnexxi. Grazzi mil-
qalb lill-Headmistress, Sr. Antoinette, u lil Ms
Claire Debono flimkien mal-g˙alliema kollha.
SALESJANI KOPERATURI.
Dawn ta’ Savio College-Dingli, li nhar it-13
ta’ Novembru 2011 ing˙aqdu mal-inizjattiva
tas-Salesian Brigade ta’ Tas-Sliema sabiex
jag˙tu d-demm. Dan sar fil-“Mobile Clinic”
tal-Bank tad-Demm li ©iet quddiem l-iskola
ta’ St. Patrick, f’Tas-Sliema. Dan kien ©est
sabi˙ li çertament huwa apprezzat mit-
tobba li joperaw ©ewwa l-isptarijiet , imma
aktar mill-pazjenti li jkollhom bΩonn din il-
g˙otja hekk prezzjuΩa. Imma dak li g˙amlu
l-Koperaturi ta’ Savio College kien ukoll
©est ta’ solidarjeta' ma’ dik il-parti tal-
Familja Salesjana ta’ Tas-Sliema. Billi kien
g˙eluq snin Mary Rose Caruana, biçça cake
u kafe niΩlu g˙asel!
HBIEB DUMINKU SAVIO.
Ìurnata mimlija f’Savio College g˙al dawn it-
tfal li jag˙mlu parti minn grupp ©mielu msejja˙
“Óbieb Duminku Savio”, u li ltaqg˙u g˙al darba
o˙ra fil-grounds ta’ Savio College nhar id-19
ta’ Novembru 2011. Kien hemm madwar 100
minnhom, mil-Forms 1, 2 u 3. It-tfal t˙alltu
bejniethom sabiex isiru jafu aktar lil xulxin u
jsiru ˙bieb. Dan kien filg˙odu; imbag˙ad, wara
nofsinhar waslu daqs 120 tifel u tifla o˙rajn
(Forms 4 u 5) sabiex jattendu dawn il-laqg˙at
tal-HDS u tal-GOSPA. It-tfal kollha da˙lu g˙al
kull attività b’qalbhom u ̇ ilithom kollha. Grazzi
kbir u “prosit” lis-“Salesian Animators” li tant
˙abirku sabiex dan il-jum ta’ formazzjoni u
˙biberija tassew jirnexxi.
22 Hajja Salesjana
“Why, he’s hardly taller than my 8-year-old,”
I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled
body. But the appalling thing was his face,
lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his
voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening.
I’ve come to see if you’ve a room for just one
night. I came for a treatment this morning
from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus ‘til
morning.”
He told me no one seemed to have a
room. “I guess it’s my face .... I know it looks
terrible, but my doctor says with a few more
treatments .. I could sleep in this rocking
chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the
morning.”
I told him we would find him a bed. I went
inside and finished getting supper. When we were
ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. “No,
thank you. I have plenty.” And he held up a brown
paper bag.
I went out on the porch to talk with him a few
minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this
old man had an oversized heart crowded into
that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living
to support his daughter, her 5 children, and her
husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a
back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint;
in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with
a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful
that no pain accompanied his disease, which was
apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God
for giving him the strength to keep going...
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s
room for him. When I got up in the morning, the
bed linens were neatly folded and the little man
was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but
just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking
a great favour, he said, “Could I please come back
and stay the next time I have a treatment?” He
paused a moment and then added, “Your children
made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by
my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told
him he was welcome to come again.
And, on his next trip, he arrived a little after 7
in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and
a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen! I
knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. And I wondered what
time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
THE OLD DENTED BUCKET
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore . We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-
patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock
at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man.
23
In the years he came to stay overnight with
us, there was never a time that he did not bring
us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail,
always by special delivery; fish and oysters
packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale,
every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must
walk 3 miles to mail these, and knowing how little
money he had, made the gifts doubly precious.
I know our family always will be grateful to
have known him; from him we learned what it was
to accept the bad without complaint and the good
with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a
greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we
came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden
chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my
great surprise, it was growing in an old dented,
rusty bucket. I thought to myself, “If this were my
plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had!” My
friend changed my mind. “I ran short of pots,” she
explained, “and knowing how beautiful this one
would be, I thought it wouldn’t mind starting out
in this old pail. It’s just for a little while, till I can
put it out in the garden.”
She must have wondered why I laughed so
delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene
in heaven. “Here’s an especially beautiful one,”
God might have said when he came to the soul of
the sweet old fisherman. “He won’t mind starting
in this small body.” All this happened long ago -
and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely soul
must stand.
The LORD does not look at the things man
looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)
Hajja Salesjana
24 Hajja Salesjana
Francis was born in 1567 in the castle belonging to
the Sales family in Thorens, Savoy, south-eastern
France. He studied in Paris and Padua. During
his student days in Paris he experienced a great
spiritual crisis. He cried out to God in desperation
and vowed his love for God, placed his hope in his
mercy and promised to praise him always. In the
depths of his anguish he went to the church of St.
Stephen in Paris, knelt in front of the image of Our
Lady of Kind Deliverance and promised he would
recite the rosary every day. At that moment his
eyes fell on a card bearing the Memorare of St.
Bernard. He recited the prayer and experienced
a complete transformation. A great peace
came over him - he was healed. This profound
experience of God’s unconditional love was the
bedrock for all his future theological studies and
writings. The gospel came alive for him – Jesus
came not to condemn, but as his Saviour.
THE RESPONSE OF LOVE
Francis understood the essence of human
freedom. The great choice facing every human
being is the freedom to respond or not to
respond to God’s love. He followed God’s call to
priesthood, was ordained at the age of twenty-
five and consecrated Bishop of Geneva at the age
of thirty-five. He lived in Annecy until his death
twenty years later. Francis took seriously the call
of the Council of Trent to restore the unity and
vitality of the faith. When he became bishop, he
took care that all priests in his diocese were well
formed spiritually. He encouraged his priests to
study ‘everything good’. He believed that learning
for a priest was the ‘eighth sacrament of the
Church’. He always encouraged gentleness and
compassion.
‘LIVE JESUS’
Shortly after becoming bishop, Francis
met Jane de Chantal, a young mother recently
widowed. He became her spiritual director.
Between these two saints there grew a deep
spiritual friendship. All their correspondence had
engraved on it the motto ‘Live Jesus’. To allow
Jesus to live was the very heart of their friendship
and the love of God, revealed in him, pervaded
every line of their letters. Together they gave
shape to the new spiritual family of the Visitation
Sisters. Francis and Jane show us clearly that the
deepest intimacy among people is an intimacy
that finds its origin and its goal in God who gave
people to each other to be incarnate signs of his
divine love.
Francis saw humanity as the vessel which
could contain the miracle of divine life. The
human person had the most compelling vocation
– to realize his or her fullest capacity for the love
St. Francis de Sales
24 th January
Bishop and Gentle Pastor of Souls
25Hajja Salesjana
of God. This love, Francis said, has ‘two arms –
one is the love of God in prayer; the other is the
love of God known by loving care for others’. His
Introduction to the Devout Life provides practical
direction for building up the whole community,
giving encouragement to the laity to develop a
life of prayer and love that would animate the
whole body of Christ. He encouraged the practice
of ‘little virtues’. ‘Let us belong to God in the midst
of much busyness’. It is in the midst of the world,
that God has planted the worker, housewife,
student and parent.
CHRIST IN THE HEART
In all his direction of souls, Francis stressed the
centrality of the heart as the place of conversion
and transformation. There we can gently return
to God, curbing the impatient, angry retort
and responding with gentleness, humility and
simplicity. As we ‘learn Christ’ and are conformed
to him, he lives in us and so is radiated with love
to the world. When Jesus is written in the heart
it will produce actions bearing the stamp of the
sacred name.
Francis loved the Church. He was acutely
aware of the spiritual turmoil, laxity and
erroneous theological views that prevailed in
his day. This did not blind him to the Church’s
heavenly origins. Rather, it spurred him to work
for renewal. To Jane he wrote: “Next to the love
of God, I commend to you love of his Bride, the
Church. Have compassion for all pastors and
preachers in the Church... Pray for them so that
they may obtain the salvation of souls at the same
time that they are saving themselves.”
A SURE GUIDE TO HEAVEN
When Francis died in 1622, aged fifty-five he
left behind many theological works, a vast range
of correspondence, a renewed diocese, a new
religious order, and men and women in every walk
of life dedicated to holiness of life. The holiness
that Francis presents is attractive to ‘little souls’
– one comes to God in prayer without anxiety,
with peace and humility. Because of his writings,
he became patron of writers and journalists. His
Introduction to the Devout Life was a best-seller
and his Treatise on the Love of God is a spiritual
classic. He was canonised in 1665 and declared a
Doctor of the Church in 1877.
St. John Bosco chose him as a Model, Titular
(Salesians) and Patron Saint of the Salesian
Congregation.
26 Hajja Salesjana
Marija hija krejatura privile©©jata li ilha
ti©i meqjuma mill-Insara mill-ewwel snin tal-
kristjaneΩmu. Fil-katakombi ta’ Priscilla tat-tieni
seklu ©ewwa Ruma jinsabu mnaqqxa mal-˙itan
graffiti tal-Madonna mag˙mula mill-ewwel Insara
li juru kemm kienu riedu jigglorifikaw il-kobor
tag˙ha. Imxerrda mad-dinja insibu bosta ikoni
ewlenin fosthom il-Madonna s-Sewda ©ewwa
l-Polonja u l-famuΩa Salus Populi Romani fil-
BaΩilka majestuΩa ta’ Santa Maria Maggiore
©ewwa Ruma, mibnija mill-Papa Liberius. Insibu
wkoll numru sewwa fit-Turkija, u f’Malta nsibu
l-ikona tal-Madonna tal-Mellie˙a li jing˙ad li ©iet
impittra min San Luqa, u l-Madonna ta’ Caraffa
li tinsab fil-konkatidral ta’ San Ìwann. Bejn il-
˙ames u s-sitt seklu l-ikoni Marjani xterrdu
mal-knejjes Insara kollha. Kienu l-ewwel g˙amla
ta’ xbihat reli©juΩi. Wara l-Konçilju ta’ Efesu tas-
sena 431 meta Marija ©iet pproklamata Omm Alla
- Theotokos l-inçidenza tal-ikoni Marjani kibret
sew, l-iΩjed fil-knejjes tal-Lvant.
Mal-medda tas-snin, fil-knejjes bdew jidhru
pitturi u muΩajçi ta’ Marija li bdew jag˙tu wiçç
©did lill-ikonografija reli©ju©a fil-knejjes Kattolici,
speçjalment dawk tal-Ewropa tal-punent. Il-mi©ja
tal-perjodu rinaxximentali, bejn is-sekli erbatax
u sbatax, wassal g˙all-introduzzjoni ta’ Ωmien
artistiku u kulturali li influwenza mhux ftit, l-arti
figurattiva, letterarja u muΩikali. Kien f’dawn is-
snin li bdiet tintuΩa l-arkitettura barokka u neo-
klassika, l-iΩjed fl-Italja u Spanja. Dawn kienu
mimlija movimenti, kuluri u trijonfaliΩmu li bdew
jie˙du post dak romanesk u gotiku. Ma setax
jonqos li madwar l-Ewropa, inkluΩ f’pajji©na,
l-arkitettura u l-arti barokka effettwaw il-viΩjoni
ta’ diversi kategoriji ta’ pitturi li warrbu l-istil
sobriju tal-ikoni u bdew juru lill-Madonna f’g˙amla
iΩjed ˙ajja u movimentata. Il-korrelazzjoni bejn
l-arti, il-muΩika u l-poeΩija bdew jissawru b’rata
mg˙a©©la f’immensità ta’ ˙sibijiet li permezz
tag˙hom Ωejnu u gglorifikaw l-eççellenza ta’
Marija.
Ma na˙sibx li nkun qed niΩbalja jekk ng˙id li
l-ewwel evidenza ta’ tif˙ir bil-fomm sar minn
Marija stess meta ltaqg˙et ma’ Eli©abetta,
permezz tal-Kantiku ta’ Marija - Il Magnificat
- innu li jissemma fil-Van©elu ta’ San Luqa (1:46-
55) u li fil-KatekiΩmu tal-Knisja Kattolika huwa
deskritt b˙ala l-Innu ta’ Omm Alla.
Fl-ewwel tmien mitt sena tal-era Kristjana
fe©©ew bosta kitbiet li Ωviluppaw f’innijiet; ta’ min
isemmi fosthom Stabat Mater fis-sena 930 minn
Pietro di Compastella u Salve Regina tas-sena
1080 aktarx miktuba minn San Anselmu min Lucca.
IS-SLIEM GÓALIK
Il-Madonna fl-arti, fil-muΩika u fil-poeΩija minn John Bisazza
Il-fidi mhix fatt razzjonali biss iΩda te˙tie© anki espressjonijiet li jistimulaw id-
devozzjoni. F’artiklu qasir huwa impossibbli li wie˙ed isemmi l-opri kollha tal-arti,
muΩika u poeΩija li n˙olqu biex ifa˙˙ru lil-Marija.
Marija
27Hajja Salesjana
Ûew© innijiet antiki ˙afna huma Ave Maris Stella
tas-seklu tmienja attribwit lil-Pawlu d-Djaknu u
li jinsab fil-kodiçi tal-monasteru ta’ San Gallo u
Alma Redemptoris Mater miktub fil-˙dax-il seklu
minn Hermann ta’ Reichenau. L-istrofi tal-a˙˙ar
tnejn ji©bru fihom it-tag˙lim teolo©iku essenzjali
dwar Marija.
Sas-snin tan-nofs (bejn is-sekli erbatax u
sbatax) id-devozzjoni lejn Marija tant kibret
li ©iet irre©istrata Ωieda konsiderevoli ta’
kompoΩizzjonijiet letterarji u ta’ arti viΩiva b’tema
Marjana. Wie˙ed mill-isba˙ u l-aqwa xog˙lijiet
letterarji huwa l-kapolavur ta’ Dante Alighieri
La Divina Commedia li fiha nise© l-isba˙ tif˙ir
lill-Vergni Marija u li f’l-1898 Giuseppe Verdi silet
minna l-lirika tat-tielet Canto u mmuΩikah ta˙t
l-isem ta’ Laudi alla Vergine Maria. Ma jistg˙ux
ji©u rre©istrati l-ismijiet ta’ dawk kollha li kitbu,
ikkomponew muΩika, jew ˙olqu opri ta’ pittura
u skultura f’©ie˙ dik li Alla g˙aΩel g˙at-tjubija,
l-umiltà u s-safa tag˙ha, f’artiklu wie˙ed; imma
ma nistax ma nsemmix ©enji kbar b˙al pitturi
Botticelli, Giotto, Masaccio ming˙ajr ma n˙alli
barra lil Michelangelo - pittur u skultur ta’ ©enju -
li ming˙ajr dubju wa˙da mill-isba˙ opri tieg˙u hija
LaPieta’ ©ewwa l-BaΩilka ta’ San Pietru.
Fis-sekli dsatax u g˙oxrin ©ew definiti d-dommi
l-kbar ta’ Marija Imwielda Ming˙ajr Tebg˙a (Piju
lX 8/12/1854 -Ineffabils Deus) u Marija Imtella’
s-Sema bir-Ru˙ u l-Ìisem (Piju Xll (1/11/1950 –
Munificentissimus Deus) Ωew© ©rajjiet li komplew
jag˙tu g˙arfien lill-kobor ta’ Marija. Kienu s-sekli
ta’ l-apparizjonijiet ta’ Marija ©ewwa Lourdes
(1858) u Fatima (1918). Matul dawn is-sekli nsibu
bosta xog˙lijiet ta’ muΩiçisti li kkonfermaw
li l-venerazzjoni lejn il-Madonna kellha post
prominenti fil-˙ajja artistika tag˙hom – Ωvilupp li
influwenza numru ta’ kompoΩituri Maltin, fosthom
Antonio u Paolo Nani, Riccardo u Vincenzo Bu©eja,
Carlo Diacono, Giuseppe Caruana u Ferdinando
Camilleri (1859-1942) - il-kompoΩitur tal-antifona
Stella Maris - u ibnu Giuseppe (1903-1976). Dan
Giuseppe wiret il-©enju muΩikali ta’ missieru u
ma naqasx li juΩa t-talenti tieg˙u biex ifa˙˙ar
lill-Marija permezz tal-muΩika – fost l-o˙rajn
ikkompona l-innu Lil Marija Kewkba tal-Ba˙ar
fuq il-kliem tal-poeta Dun Pietru Pawl Grima.
Kienu bosta l-kittieba u poeti Maltin li fa˙˙ru
lil-Marija bl-isba˙ kliem ispirati minn devozzjoni u
qima, ewlenin fosthom, RuΩar Briffa, Luigi Billion,
Patri Anastasio Cuschieri, mag˙ruf b˙ala l-poeta
tal-Madonna, Patri ÌuΩepp Delia SJ, Dun Pietru
Pawl Grima, Patri Marjanu Vella OFM, u l-poeta
nazzjonali Dun Karm Psaila li l-ewwel poeΩija
28 Hajja Salesjana
tieg˙u bil-Malti, li kiteb fil-11 ta’ Jannar tal-1912,
kienet ‘Quddiem Xbiha tal-Madonna’ u li kienet
il-bidu ta’ xe˙ta poetika b’ispirazzjoni Marjana li
baqg˙et kostanti tul ˙ajtu kollha. Insemmi, mela,
tlieta mill-isba˙ innijiet Marjani tieg˙u ‘Ismag˙ha
l-G˙anja’ , ‘Fil-Ólewwa ta’ Mejju’ u ‘O Kemm
Nixtieq Naraha’.
Bejn nofs is-seklu tmintax u matul is-sekli
dsatax u g˙oxrin pitturi Maltin u barranin ˙olqu
xog˙lijiet sagri tassew ta’ livell g˙oli; fost dawn
insibu lil Francesco Zahra, Lazzaro Pisani,
Giuseppe Calì, Emvin Cremona u t-Taljani Virgilio
Monti, Stefano Erardi, Alessio Erardi, u Pietro
Gagliardi li taw ©ie˙ lil Marija permezz tat-talenti
tag˙hom. It-Taljan Mario Caffaro Rore, bejn is-
snin 1956 u 1959, ˙alla tnax-il pittura fuq diversi
episodi tal-˙ajja ta’ Marija fil-Knisja ta’ Stella
Maris, f’Tas-Sliema. Ta’ çertu pre©ju artistiku
huma, hawnhekk, il-kwadru titular, impin©i fl-1583
u li ori©inalment kien jinsab fil-Knisja ta’ Porto
Salvo fil-belt Valletta u li jista’ jkun li huwa ta’
Filippo Paladini, il-pittura tal-abside fil-kor, xog˙ol
ta’ Giuseppe Cali’ tal-1887, u ming˙ajr dubju il-vara
titulari ma˙duma fi Franza fl-1891 li timmortalizza
id-devozzjoni u l-arti flimkien.
L-istess g˙amlu l-istatwarji ta’ Carlo Darmanin,
Marjanu Ìerada u Agostino Camilleri li, imnebb˙a
minn influwenza Ewropeja tal-punent, ˙admu
˙afna statwi tal-Madonna li jinsabu imxerrdin fil-
knejjes tag˙na.
F’Malta nsibu tnejn u tletin parroçça, u sitta
f’G˙awdex, minbarra numru ta’ kappelli, kollha
ddedikati lill-Madonna. Fit-toroq tal-ibliet u
l- ir˙ula tag˙na ma jonqsux numru ta’ niçeç
iddedikati lil-Marija. Dan juri li d-devozzjoni lejn
Marija kellha u g˙ad g˙andha g˙eruq sodi fil-
gΩejjer Maltin.
F’G˙eluq il-mitt sena mid-Domma tal-
Immakulata il-poeta u drammaturgu Vincenzo
Maria Pellegrini (1911-1997) kiteb l-Azzjoni Marjana
bit-Taljan ‘La Predestinata’ li fiha sawwar
l-avvenimenti l-iktar qaddisa fil-˙ajja tal-Madonna
u li fi kliemu stess ‘insi©t l-isba˙ innu li qatt ˙are©
mill-pinna tieg˙i’. Kienu ˙afna dawk id-drabi meta
l-kliem tal-poeti ©ew addattati g˙al-muΩika u
ssawru f’innijiet; eΩempju ta’ dan hija silta mill-
innu ta’ Dun Karm Psaila ‘Ismag˙ha l-G˙anja’, li
tirrifletti r-rabta bejn Marija u pajjiΩna -
"F’kull na˙a mwarrba tal-GΩira tag˙na, hemm
l-isem tieg˙ek fil-blat miktub, Tid˙aq xbiehetek
fil-Knisja kollha, fejn tqimek dejjem l-g˙anja tal-
qlub."
Dun Karm Psaila
(Dan l-artiklu ©ie adattat mir-rivista Le˙en il-Parroçça ta’ Stella Maris
bil-permess ta’ l-awtur)
Stefano Erardi
29Hajja Salesjana
Big Fish and a Big God
Two men went fishing. One was an experienced fisherman and the other wasn’t. Every time the
experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice-chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the
inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish he threw it back into the sea.
The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day, and finally got tired of seeing the man
waste good fish.
“Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?” he asked.
The inexperienced fisherman replied, “I only have a small frying pan.”
Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big jobs, big
opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small.
We laugh at that fisherman who didn’t figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet
how ready are we to increase the size of our faith?
Whether it’s a problem or a possibility, God will never give you anything bigger than you can
handle. That means we can confidently walk into anything God brings our way.
“I can do all things in God who strengthens me.” (Philippians4:13)
Nothing is too big for God. Stop telling God you’ve got big problems. Tell your problems you’ve
got a big God.
30 Hajja Salesjana
Matul dawn l-a˙˙ar 3 xhur, numru ta’ Fathers Salesjani temmew l-istudji tag˙hom u ggradwaw f’diversi
oqsma. Dawn l-istudji kollha jservu sabiex huma jistg˙u jaqdu l-missjoni tag˙hom b’aktar g˙aqal u
dehen. Il-Familja Salesjana tifra˙ lil dawn il-Fathers u tawguralhom. Hawn ta˙t lista tag˙hom skont l-età
tag˙hom; nibdew bl-iΩg˙ar!
Fr Jeremy Vella, beda l-istudji tieg˙u sekondarji u s-Sixth Form fil-
Kulle©© San Alwi©i, B’Kara. Wara dan huwa wkoll segwa kors ta’
Filosofija u IngliΩ f’ l-Università ta’ Malta; ma' dawn imbag˙ad Ωied Post
Graduate Certificate in Education (PCGE) mill-istess Università. Wasallu
Ω-Ωmien li jitla' Turin g˙all-kors tat-Teolo©ija fejn spiççaha bil-B.A.
mill-Università Pontificia Salesiana. Huwa wkoll kompla l-istudji tieg˙u
f’Dublin, All Hallows College, minn fejn akkwista l-Masters in Leadership
and Pastoral Care (2010-11). Il-Óidma t-tajba, Fr Jeremy!
Fr Louis Grech
twieled l-Ingilterra u
beda l-istudji tieg˙u
hemmhekk. Meta
l-familja Grech ©iet
Malta, huwa ng˙aqad
mas-Salesjani u
da˙al l-Università
ta’ Malta fejn segwa
l-kors ta’ BA fil-Filosofija u MuΩika (1994-97).
Kompla g˙al sena o˙ra sabiex ikollu il-PGCE
& Music. Segwa wkoll kors sabiex seta' jkollu
LTCL-Music minn Trinity College ta’ Londra. Fr
Louis studja t-Teolo©ija f’Ruma, fl-Università
Pontificia Salesiana minn fejn spiçça bil-BA
Theology. Wara l-ordinazzjoni tieg˙u (2006)
Fr Louis re©a’ lura l-Università ta’ Malta
g˙al grad ie˙or ta’ Masters in Spiritual
Companionship. Fr Louis huwa d-Direttur tal-
Vokazzjonijiet Salesjani.
L-Istudju – it-Tmien Sagrament tal-Knisja
(San Frangisk ta’ Sales)
KwaΩi fuq l-istess triq mexa Fr Gerald Mangion
li, però, beda l-istudji tieg˙u f’Savio College,
Óad-Dingli. Dan kien fis-snin 1990/1-1996.
Kompla fil-Junior College minn fejn g˙adda
g˙all-Università ta’ Malta sabiex jag˙mel il-B.
Sc (Hons) fil- Biolo©ija u l-Kimika. Wara rega’
fl-istess Università g˙al grad fil-Filosofija
u l-Psikolo©ija. B˙all kull Salesjan, fis-snin
ta’ formazzjoni, g˙adda sentejn jg˙allem u
jassisti fid-Dar tat-Tfal ta’ St. Patrick, Tas-
Sliema. Meta wasal il-waqt, telaq lejn Turin
sabiex jistudja t-Teolo©ija (2007-10). Wara
dan ©ie mibg˙ut Dublin, l-Irlanda, fejn kiseb
Masters in Leadership
and Pastoral Care
minn All Hallows
College, affiljat ma’ l-
Università ta’ Dublin.
Nifirhu u nawguraw lil
Fr Gerald.
31Hajja Salesjana
Ir-Rettur Attwali ta’
Savio College, Fr Joe
Portelli huwa Past
Pupil ta’ Savio College
(1972-77) u b˙ala
aspirant Salesjan
g˙amel is-Sixth
Form fi Stella Maris
College, GΩira. Wara n-novizzjat fl-Irlanda
baqa’ hemm u kiseb degree fil-Filosofija
minn Maynooth College. Rega’ lura Maynooth
g˙at-Teologija minn fejn spiçça bl-Honours in
Theology. Re©a’ baqa’ l-Irlanda sa ma kiseb
Diploma in Pastoral Ministry minn All Hallows
College (1990). Wara kwaΩi 20 sena rega’
ntefa’ g˙all-istudji u ©ab Masters in Spiritual
Companionship mill-Università ta’ Malta
(2011). Il-˙idma t-tajba lil Fr Joe ukoll.
Wara li ©ab BSc fil-Computer Science minn Maynooth, is-superjuri bag˙atu lil
Fr Antoine ja˙dem fost it-tfal ta’ St Patrick’s. Wara dan huwa kompla l-istudji
tal-Filosofija u t-Teologija fl-Universita Pontificja Salesjana f’Ruma. Wara
d-djakonat qatta' sena o˙ra post-graduate fil-Kulle©© ta’ All Hallows ©ewwa
Dublin. Mill-©did sab ru˙u ja˙dem mat-tfal u l-familji ©ewwa St Patrick’s g˙al
ghaxar snin s˙a˙. Sabiex ja˙dem b’iktar kompetenza da˙al jistudja s-Social
Work Management u ©ab il-Warrant ta’ Social Worker. Óadem ma’ a©enziji
tal-gvern fi sforz komuni biex jiΩviluppaw il-‘policies’ fil-qasam tal-kura
residenzjali g˙at-tfal f’Malta. Fl-2009 reba˙ borza ta’ studju li wasslitu sa ma
din is-sena jiggradwa b’MSc fic-Child Protection and Welfare mill-Universita
presti©juΩa ta’ Trinity College Dublin. Il-Mulej ikabbar l-im˙abba li Fr Antoine
g˙andu lejn it-tfal fil-bΩonn.
B˙al issa, ©ewwa Ruma, fl-Università Pontificia Salesiana, i˙ejji ru˙u fl-istudju
g˙ad-Dottorat fl-Ispiritwalità, g˙andna lil Fr Manuel Camilleri. Fr Manuel sar
Salesjan f’età matura, wara snin ta’ tag˙lim fil-Kulle©© San Alwi©i. Huwa kien
g˙amel l-istudji tieg˙u fil-Kulle©© Sant’Elias (Karmlitani) u fis-Sixth Form
tal-gvern sa ma da˙al l-Università ta’ Malta fejn spiçça bil-BA fil-Malti u
l-Psikologija. B˙ala Salesjan re©a’ beda jistudja l-Filosofija sabiex i˙ejji ru˙u
g˙as-Saçerdozju. G˙amel it-Teologija f’Ruma u s-sena ta’ Pastorali f’Dublin.
Spiçça bil-Masters in Pastoral Ministry minn All Hallows. Hawn Malta, ming˙ajr
ma qata’ xejn, kompla fl-istudji sabiex ˙a il-Masters fit-Teologija. Mitlub mis-
Superjuri sabiex jie˙u d-Dottorat fit-Teologija Spiritwali, Fr Manuel ©enerosament aççetta. Huwa ser
ikun ‘lecturer’ kemm f’Ruma u kemm f’Berkeley, California. Nawgurawlu mill-qalb.
Il-Junior College tal-
Imsida kienet l-iskola fejn
Fr Sandro Camilleri wkoll
studja g˙all-A Levels
tieg˙u fil-Lingwi. Minn
hemm, b˙all-o˙rajn huwa
g˙adda g˙all-Università
ta’ Malta sabiex jistudja
l-Filosofija, l-Psikolo©ija u s-Soçjolo©ija li
fihom iggradwa fl-1993. G˙al sentejn g˙allem
u assista lit-tfal ta’ St. Patrick sakemm ma
bediex l-istudji tat-Teolo©ija f’Ruma, dejjem
fl-Università Pontificia Salesiana. Iggradwa u
kompla jistudja f’Dublin biex spiçça bid-Diploma
in Holistic Development (1999), fl-istess sena
li ©ie ordnat saçerdot. Wara xi ftit tas-snin, Fr
Sandro re©a’ qabad jistudja g˙al 4 snin o˙ra
sa ma ggradwa b˙ala Gestalt Psychotherapist
(GPTIM), proprju f’Settembru ta’ dis-sena. Fr
Sandro ilu Headmaster ta’ Savio College g˙al
dawn l-a˙˙ar 13 il-sena.
32 Hajja Salesjana
Margot telqet it-telefown minn idha l-leminija.
Ixxuttat l-g˙araq kiesa˙ li beda jxoqq minn ©binha,.
Óasset qalbha qisha trid taqbeΩ mill-qafas ta’
sidirha. Bil-˙effa xeg˙let il-kitla tal-elettriku biex
tfittex tibla’ kikkra kafè qabel ma jaslu l-pulizija. Ma
kenitx mara li titlef rasha malajr, imma dak il-˙in
˙asset li jekk ma te˙ux kikkra kafè Ωgur kienet ser
tinstabat mal-art.
Li kienet mara o˙ra aktarx li tibda twerΩaq u tibki
g˙all-g˙ajjut, imma Margot ta’ bniedma bilançjata li
kienet ippruvat iΩΩomm il-kalma. Kienet taf sew li bit-
twerΩiq ma kienet ser takkwista xejn, ma ssolvi xejn
˙lief li tpaxxi xi ©irien li dejjem jag˙tuha l-impressjoni
li mo˙˙hom fiha.
Ne˙˙iet il-fardal minn madwarha. Resqet quddiem
il-mera antika fl-intrata tad-dar kbira u lussuΩa tag˙ha.
Melset ftit xag˙arha biex tqieg˙du f’postu. Kienet ser
tirran©a d-dehra ta’ wiççha meta ftakret f’xi ˙a©‘o˙ra li
f’dawk ç-çirkustanzi kienet ta’ akbar ˙tie©a mid-dehra
ta’ wiççha - kellha issir malajr, qabel ma ji©u l-pulizija.
Bil-˙effa telg˙et it-tara©. Ming˙ajr ma nteb˙et
x’qed tag˙mel ˙abtet fuq il-bieb ta’ Mr. Parker, jew
a˙jar ta’ Ernest kif drat issejja˙lu. Ming˙ajr ma stenniet
twe©iba da˙let fil-kamra. Skantat bil-kura©© li ˙asset.
Ma stkerr˙itx, ma warrbitx ˙arsitha minn fuq is-sodda
fejn kien stendut il-mejjet. Resqet lejn l-iskrivanija. B’id
tirtg˙od ©abret ittra qasira li kien kiteb. Tat daqqa
t’g˙ajn ˙afifa lejn il-bidu tal-ittra. Kienet tg˙id hekk:
“G˙aΩiΩa Alice ...”
Ma kellhiex ˙in taqra aktar, imma l-isem ta’ ‘Alice’
stona ftit f’mo˙˙ha. Qrat l-indirizz ta’ fuq l-envelop:
“Mrs. A.Parker, Parker Lodge, 3,Throgmorton Avenue,
London, EC 2” Ma kienx l-indirizz tieg˙u tas-soltu. Jista’
jkun li kien kiteb lil ommu, imma ommu g˙adha ˙ajja?
Intant, ˙atfet l-ittra u l-envelop minn hemm u ˙biethom
g˙ax hi rra©unat li ittri personali ma kellhomx jaqg˙u
f’idejn il-pulizija. F’g˙ajnejn Margot, pulizija qatt ma
jista’ jkun bniedem b’qalb ta’ bnedmin o˙ra; dawk
kienu razza ta’ nies g˙alihom. Fil-˙in indunat li waslet
il-karozza tal-pulizija quddiem id-dar tag˙ha.
Ma damux hemm. Ftit mistoqsijiet ta’ rutina u li
g˙alihom wie©bet bla tlaqliq. Imbag˙ad çemplu lill-
ma©istrat li kien g˙assa u lil dawk li kellhom jie˙du lil
Ernest g˙all-awtopsja.
Filg˙axija x˙in marret issaqsi biex tkun taf ir-riΩultat
qalulha li Ernest kien tah attakk kbir tal-qalb. Kellha
tie˙u ˙sieb tibg˙at tg˙id lill-familja tieg˙u. L-ewwel
˙sieb tag˙ha kien li tikkuntattja lil Mark, iben Ernest.
Óasbet li jkun a˙jar jekk tag˙mel hekk u wara tqabbad
lilu stess jag˙ti l-a˙bar lil ommu.
Kos, kemm taf tkun stramba l-˙ajja! Kien l-ewwel
darba li Ernest ©ie wa˙du ming˙ajr martu Mavis li
“Ghaziza
Alice...”
- ..
Lina Brockdorff
33Hajja Salesjana
dejjem kienet tie˙u ˙siebu. Margot ftakret li g˙addiet xi
rimarka meta ratu wa˙du, imma dak il-˙in Ernest qisu
pprova jaqtg˙alha fil-qasir. Kienet drathom ji©u hemm
g˙andha dawk l-a˙˙ar ˙ames snin, ji©u kull tliet xhur.
Kienet tg˙odd il-jiem li jkun fadal biex jaslu g˙ax draw
sew ‘il xulxin u tqishom aktar b˙ala ˙bieb milli dawk li
jikru minn g˙andha biex iqallg˙uha xi sold. Issa li miet
Ernest aktarx jispiçça kollox, Mavis ma ti©ix we˙idha
g˙ax mhux li tg˙id li kellha xi ˙ajra speçjali g˙al Malta.
Margot g˙amlet ftit tal-kura©© biex te˙les minn
dik it-telefonata lil Mark. We©bitha mara li le˙inha
ma g˙arfitx. Staqsiet g˙al Mark waqt li bdiet tie˙u ftit
tar-ru˙ x˙in semg˙et le˙nu. Mill-a˙jar li setg˙et bdiet
ittarraflu xi ˙a©a u ftehemu li l-g˙ada filg˙odu kellu ji©i
Malta flimkien ma’ ommu.
Raqdet tard u qamet kmieni u fit-tmienja kienet
©a qed tistenna l-ajruport. Minn ˙in g˙all-ie˙or beda
jaqbΩilha d-dmug˙ x˙in tiftakar f’dak li nqala’ ©ewwa
darha stess, u l-fatt li miet wa˙du ming˙ajr lanqas biss
ma la˙aq sej˙ilha. Il-jum ta’ qabel ma setg˙etx tibki,
u issa ma setg˙etx twaqqaf id-dmug˙. Kif kienet ser
tikkonsla lil Mavis?
L-ajruplan wasal fil-˙in u bdew ˙er©in il-passi©©ieri.
G˙ajnejha mill-ewwel lem˙u lil Mark. Imma lil Mavis ma
setg˙et taraha b’xejn. Qrib Mark kien hemm mara o˙ra,
forsi t-tfajla tieg˙u. Fl-a˙˙ar mill-kurutur tal-passi©©ieri
bdew ˙er©in in-nies, rat lil Mark u ... le, dik li kienet
mieg˙u mhix tfajla ... kienet mara kbira ftit fiΩ-Ωmien,
liebsa skur. Óarsu lejn Margot mill-bog˙od u tbissmulha.
Margot bdiet tit˙awwad ©mielha. U Mavis fejnha, g˙ala
ma ©ietx? Kien hemm xi ˙a©a li ˙assitha li mhix qed
tifhem, bdiet tinfixel. Fl-istess ˙in tat pass ‘il quddiem
biex tmur tilqag˙hom.
Mark kien l-ewwel li ˙adilha b’idha u waqt li g˙amel
hekk dawwar drieg˙u x-xellugija ma’ dahar dik il-mara
tal-libsa blu. Ta ˙arsa li tfisser ˙afna lil Margot waqt
li qalilha: “Margot, din il-mamà!” Il-mara tal-libsa blu
wie©bet: “Jisimni Alice ...” Margot bisitha. Bisitha bla
˙e©©a. Ma kenitx tafha, imma ˙asset li hekk suppost li
tag˙mel f’çirkustanza b˙al dik. Margot bdiet tipprova
tag˙mel ta’ bir-ru˙ha li ma ©ara xejn stramb, li hi kienet
qed tistennieha sitwazzjoni b˙al dik. Fl-istess ̇ in ̇ assitha
qisha qed tirreçta parti ta’ xi dramm, tag˙mel kull mossa
u tg˙id kull kelma g˙ax hekk suppost trid tag˙mel. Ma
˙assithiex li kienet sinçiera, imma kellha xi tort?
Marru l-isptar u wara dritt id-dar. Il-konversazzjoni
kienet g˙adha m©ebbda, formali, artifiçjali. Imma Margot
insistiet li kien jin˙tie© li jieklu xi ˙a©a ˙afifa. Kienu
madwar il-mejda x˙in Margot g˙al g˙arrieda ftakret fl-
ittra. Marret i©©ibha mill-kexxun fejn bil-g˙a©la kienet
˙bietha qabel ma waslu l-pulizija. Tatha lil Alice waqt li
spjegat kif waslet g˙andha.
Alice dehret li n˙asdet. Waqfet mill-ikel u bdiet taqra.
G˙ajnejha bdew jintlew bid-dmug˙ u g˙alhekk Margot
bi skuΩa li kien jonqos xi ˙a©a fuq il-mejda warbet mill-
kamra. Imma ma damitx we˙ida fil-kamra tal-kçina g˙ax
rat lil Alice sejra ˙dejha bl-ittra f’idejha. Alice ippruvat
tkellimha, imma l-kliem ma setax jo˙ro© minn fommha.
Fl-a˙˙ar tat l-ittra f’idejn Margot biex taqraha hi. Ittra
qasira. Kienet tg˙id hekk: “G˙aΩiΩa Alice, nittama li
mhux tard wisq. Qed na˙seb fik spiss. A˙firli. In˙obbok
aktar milli qatt ˙abbejtek qabel. Ninsab wa˙di. Nixtieqek
˙dejja. Çempilli u ddumx. Ûew©ek Ernest”.
IΩ-Ωew© nisa ˙arsu lejn xulxin. Alice g˙annqet lil
Margot waqt li nfexxet f’bikja ta’ niket u konsolazzjoni
m˙alltin flimkien. Dawk iΩ-Ωew© nisa kien ilhom jafu ‘l
xulxin biss g˙al ftit sig˙at, imma setg˙u jifhmu sew x’qed
i˙osssu t-tnejn. G˙alkemm kienu qed i˙ejju g˙all- funeral,
dik id-daqxejn ta’ ittra ©abet mag˙ha qawmien setg˙an
ta’ m˙abba li lanqas il-mewt ma tista’ xxejjen.
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
34 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.
