Preca Calling

Preca Calling

He who seeks perfection should neither be talkative nor curious Saint George Preca

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel

† Verbum Dei caro factum est

Editorial In relating the story of the SDC Centre of North Sunshine, Melbourne, Australia and that of Hobart, Tasmania the author of the article in this issue of Preca Calling exhorts us to be courageous “in our pursuit of missionary activity and evangelisation.”

The article brings to memory interesting milestones during the years in which the Society was present in these localities.

Societas Doctrinæ Christianæ M.U.S.E.U.M. Tel: (+356) 22290333 E-mail: info@sdcmuseum.org Homepage: http://www.sdcmuseum.org Issue no. 66

Contents 2 In Angustia Temporum 4 The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating 6 SDC Celebrates in the Australia Region

Design & Printing: Veritas Press, Malta

© SDC MUSEUM, Malta.

8 An Experience in Albania 12 La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre 15 World Youth Day 2011 17 The ‘Ceremony for Elects’ and the ‘Profession of Faith’ 19 ‘If you want to stay the same, you have to change.’

20 Around the Society in 2011 PRECA CALLING is published by the Society of Christian Doctrine, M.U.S.E.U.M. with articles on the spirituality of the Society and a review of its activities during the preceding year.

Front Cover Picture: Catholic Easter Tradition in Poland, 2011.

Times have changed since the Centres were established in 1957 and 1961 respectively. It is a natural tendency in societies to move from one phase to another; from phases when their presence is strongly felt in a locality to others when their presence is hardly noticed. Reasons for these changes include alienation from religious values in the country, migration of families from one area to another and the commitment of children and youths to other activities like sports, art, entertainment or so many other lures that the modern world presents.

The phasing out of SDC centres in some areas, however, may be due to initiatives taken by the Society to merge centres together, as is being done at present in the Region of Malta, where distances between towns and villages do not compare with those in other countries where the Society is present.

Apart from logistical changes, the Society is also reflecting on how to be more relevant in the contemporary world, by implementing the decisions of the 2009 General Chapter which called for a review of the SDC Constitution and the terminology of prayers used in the Society.

The administrative and logistical changes promise to be quite a challenge both to the administration as well as to the Members of the Society. But challenges are to be taken up, responding to the call in the song Courageous: “Where are you, men of courage?

You were made for so much more: Let the pounding of our hearts cry, We will serve the Lord.”

1

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus

In Angustia Temporum “There is a phrase in Holy Scripture that I think we should always bear in mind. The phrase says that Jerusalem was built in angustia temporum.

We must labour our whole lives in angustia temporum. Difficulties are not a passing phase.

We can’t wait for them to end as we would wait for a thunderstorm to calm down before getting to work. No, difficulties are the normal state of affairs.

We have to realize that we will spend our whole lives in angustia temporum so far as the good we want to do is concerned.”

in her apostolate and she often felt discouraged and dejected. “Awoke at 5:30,” she wrote in her diary of 21st April 1965. “Usual depression over failures, inefficiency, and incapacity to cope… It is hard to keep away from heaviness of heart. One must just keep going.”

Anguish in the spiritual life and in the apostolate is a common experience that can discourage many people. Our hearts can become filled with anguish when we look around us and see the evil that always seems to triumph, the injustices that

This is one of the paragraphs that most impresses me from The Spiritual Autobiography of Charles de Foucauld. De Foucauld is alluding to Daniel 9,25, where the author states that Jerusalem had to be rebuilt “in angustia temporum,” that is “in a time of anguish.” The book of Daniel was written approximately in 165 B.C. during a time when Antiocus IV cruelly persecuted the Jews. Charles de Foucauld wrote this paragraph in 1908, a very difficult and trying year for him. During this year, his health had deteriorated so much that those closest to him thought that his end was near. At the age of 50, he was feeling that his whole life had been a failure, a life full of “misery and sterility for him and for others”. He was alone in Tamanrasset in the desert of South Algeria, without having made any converts and without having attracted any vocations.

This paragraph was also one of the favourites of Dorothy Day, the woman who began the Catholic Worker movement in the United States in 1933, and who is considered as one of the greatest twentieth century Catholic figures in America. The Spiritual Autobiography of Charles de Foucauld was the last book she gave to her friend Patrick Jordan who noticed that she had underlined this paragraph for him. This is not surprising since Dorothy Day went through very turbulent times

2

The misery of war, Kosovo, 1998-1999

are inflicted upon the weak and the lowly, the miserly life that so many people have to endure, the widespread lack of faith and indifference towards God. We can become anguished because of failures and setbacks in our apostolic work: some project which does not seem to prosper or whose fruit does not meet the eye, the needs and the

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel demands which are always increasing and knocking incessantly on our doors, the labourers who are few and who become fewer because some do not persevere and cannot be replaced. Anguish can also rise from the deepest recesses of our hearts when we come in touch with our own weaknesses, lack of strength and weariness of spirit. All this burdens our hearts and fills our souls with sadness.

In times of anguish, we can become ridden with three attitudes or overcome by three temptations.

Charles de Foucauld refers to the temptation of making ourselves believe that the sadness and the difficulties we are going through will one day vanish from our lives. This is the temptation of taking a passive attitude whilst harbouring the vain hope that once the difficult times are over, one can continue without any further hitches.

It’s true that circumstances and wisdom may sometimes suggest that we wait and bid for time until things change or we regain strength, but it’s also true that difficulties will always be part of our lives and hence we cannot keep waiting forever.

We must find the best path to tread in the new circumstances, notwithstanding the difficulties. We must kindle hope in our hearts and dream of new methods to keep going. Jean Francois Six, the editor of The Spiritual Autobiography of Charles de Foucauld, writes that “ the suffering (of our brother Charles) gave birth to a great hope, and when he was fifty years old he embarked on a new scheme of evangelization on a much larger scale.”

Charles de Foucauld had accepted the fact that it was useless to expect the difficulties to disappear in order to start working quietly and comfortably for the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God requires effort and labour (Lk 16,16) and one must persevere even during times of anguish.

Another common temptation that might cross our minds in times of anguish is the temptation to numb our feelings of sadness by means that end up worsening the situation. The word “narcosis” is of Greek origin and is used for substances that dull or deaden the pain. Nowadays it is also used to refer to other means by which we seek to alleviate our pain and soothe our anxieties; means such as

gambling, excessive work, unbridled consumerism and addictive use of technology. Man has truly come of age: “The child is grown The dream is gone We… have become comfortably numb.”

The list of modern addictions is becoming longer and longer as human life becomes more unbearable. However, Dun Ìor© writes: “You should never alienate yourself with vanities, but, when you are afflicted, pray to God to deliver you from evil and from suffering.” It is right, and it is even a duty, that we learn to delight in what is good and beautiful in order to savour and cherish life: going for a walk in the countryside or by the sea, listening to beautiful music, reading a good book or eating a hearty meal. In times of great difficulty, Dorothy Day used to turn to Dickens’s novels, to Brahms’ music and to Audrey Hepburn’s My Fair Lady. But above all she used to resort to prayer, Scripture reading especially the Psalms, to her community and to the sacraments.

The last temptation in times of anguish is to escape. When he was fifty-one years old, Thomas Merton was seriously considering quitting monastic life. Dorothy Day wrote to him “your work is the work God wants of you, no matter how much you want to run away from it.” Dun Ìor© also writes about the temptation of quitting and abandoning the narrow path: “When you feel too burdened by the weight of your work and the afflictions which abound in the spiritual life, your nature tempts you to give up and seek a comfortable life and worldly pleasures. It lures you by means of certain thoughts to persuade you tread in its path; it tries to convince you that probably you won’t persevere to the very end, and that so much sadness and work will be in vain; it tries to persuade you that you surely are not in God’s grace, and so all your labour and affliction wouldn’t bring about any merits; it argues that all the labour and affliction will take its toll on your temporal life.”

Woe to whoever succumbs to inspirations like these.

Natalino Camilleri sdc Superior General

3

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus

The Proofis inofthe the Pudding Eating It was after the Second World War that SDC Members were being invited to consider the option of leaving the confines of the tiny Island of Malta and venture abroad. The main reason behind this idea was the huge number of Maltese people who were leaving the Island in the hope of a better future abroad.

Thousands upon thousands of Maltese and Gozitans left for Australia, Canada or the USA. Fr George Preca started asking for volunteers among the members of his Society who would consider such an option and on one particular occasion in 1956 he chose six members

to start preparing for the new assignment. It was Melbourne, Australia that was to receive these Members, and it was here that the first SDC Centre outside Malta was to be established.

Yet one can say that the first missionary experience that the Society ventured to take was in 1983 when two Members were sent on an exploratory mission to the Sudan. With very little formal and immediate preparation, these Members left Malta with a lot of enthusiasm, zeal and, above all, a burning desire that they witness to the Gospel in the local Church where they were expected to live.

First SDC Members in Australia

4

How very true is the axiom that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating�. Who could have told these first members how to live in the hot temperature of the Sudanese desert? Who was to tell them how to deal with the habub and the hubar when the hot wind from the desert brings along those millions of tiny dust particles that settle in and around everything!? The food, the smell, the language, the terrain were all but familiar to these first missionary Members.

Their zeal generated even more zeal. Other Members were inspired by the bold steps undertaken by the first missionaries and in no time more Members started offering their disposition to serve in missions outside Malta. In 1988 the Society opened its second mission, this time closer to home, in Brixton, London. One year later, Members were sent to Kenya and then to Albania. Peru was the first Latin American country that the Society had the opportunity to set foot on empowered by the hard work of the late Fr Carlos Azzopardi.

More recently, the Society started new missions that are still in experimental phase in Poland and Cuba.

When the SDC Member wakes up from his sleep in the morning, he takes up a small wooden

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel cross, kisses it and recites: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16, 24). The more time passes, the more I realize the challenge this quotation brings with it.

For the missionary Member, these words by Our Lord are even more challenging because the Member has to carry the cross in an environment that is not always one’s piece of the proverbial pudding.

Today, we try our very best to offer an adequate missionary formation programme that prepares the Member who is asked, or who would express a desire, to go to the missions.

Yet in the first few months, when one finds himself in the new environment, the challenges seem to be daunting, nothing compared to what we would have discussed, read or listened to in our preparatory programmes. As always a missionary experience can be a make or break challenge for an individual. It seems that

for the first few months, if not years, one continues to see and evaluate everything in terms of what he was used to when he was at home. Being Christmas, music, food, festivities, dress or body language one keeps on measuring every nitty gritty with the mental measuring tape that one packs and takes with him as he sails away from home.

As the plane takes off, we seem to try to extend our arm to grab as much as possible to take with us. As the bags rest softly on the balance at the departure lounge to be adorned with the tag identifying their destination, we hold our breath as we listen to the verdict of how much we are going to pay for the overweight!

For it does take some years for the missionary to understand that it will be better for him to travel light, and even more so to leave as much as possible of himself behind. In fact within a few weeks of breathing in the new air you will be hit by the harshness of a new reality; that of yourself.

The new reality is able to exhibit

to yourself and to the others your strengths and weaknesses.

Thus adapting to the new circumstances and the new world is not easy at all. We can talk and discuss for long hours what one may encounter, but it is never like the real thing. We can spend days living together in an effort of community building but it is never like the day-to-day hitches one has to face when the real routine starts.

In his book Culture, Inculturation and Theologians, A Postmodern Critique, Gerald Arbuckle, writes, “In the drama of inculturation people are telling their stories of what it means for them to wrestle with the tension between their own cultural narratives and those of the gospels.” (183) How very true this is, and what a struggle it is to wrestle with the old self that needs to come to terms with the new opportunity of growth that is at hand!

Tonio Caruana Malta

5

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus

SDC Celebrates in the Australia Region The SDC is often reticent in acknowledging milestones in its story, but we cannot let two significant events in the history of the SDC in the Australia Region go without notice.

The stories of the building of the North Sunshine centre and the establishment of the Hobart centre, both in 1961, encourages us in our pursuit of missionary activity and evangelisation. These milestones give us hope for the future in a time when we seek relevance in a changing world in the work that we do.

Hobart Centre In 1961, three Maltese Members settled in Hobart.

The SDC had established itself in Australia a few years earlier and the Members were experiencing cross culture tension as their expressions of faith were often misunderstood. This presented a challenge for the Members as they viewed themselves as part of the wider Church.

A community was set up at 500 Sandy Bay Road, Lower Sandy Bay and in 1963 the Blessed Sacrament was reserved there. Over the years, the house became iconic for the SDC, due to its impressive location on the Derwent River. The house was bought by the Archdiocese of Hobart from the catholic family, Connors, owners of the now closed department store in Harrington Street. Sir Guilford Young, Archbishop of Hobart’s intention was to move from the cathedral presbytery and live here but he found the traffic too noisy and so he acquired a property in Fisher Avenue, Sandy Bay. In the early years, penguins nested in the riverside of the property with their calls at night being a familiar sound.

The first meetings began in the now demolished St John’s church on Main Road, Glenorchy. The

6

Superior General, Victor Delicata addresses the assembly at an SDC gathering in Hobart in 1985

Members in Hobart soldiered on and today we are able to give thanks for their enduring work over fifty years.

Following the collapse of the Tasman Bridge in January 1975, the mission was centred on the eastern shore with an emphasis in Warrane and surrounding areas. The bridge was not restored until October 1977. This also paved the way for the establishment of Preca Catechetical Centre, Old Beach in 1986.

Over the years the dynamics of the ministry have changed from supporting Catholic families in the early days, pre-evangelisation and education in faith in the 1970s through to the 1990s. Today the emphasis is on smaller groups who seek the faith.

Archbishop Young, champion of the laity, was a mentor and avid supporter of the SDC in Hobart.

He visited our generalate in Malta during a break in Vatican Council II. During a Mass in 1986 to celebrate 25 years of the SDC’s mission in Hobart, he said that the work of the Members was impossible to measure in a quantative kind

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel of way for they came quietly, asked for nothing and sustained his hope through their example in bringing others closer to Christ.

Superior Murivce Mifsud with Members

There is a challenge today for the SDC in a time when Members joining us are not forthcoming.

However, although much reduced, the SDC in Hobart still remains challenged to reveal the faith as a welcoming place of action.

The Members saw there was a need for a purposebuilt centre in the parish. The present property was acquired which is close to the church. On 17 February 1961, foundations began on the house at 82 Westmoreland Road, North Sunshine.

Preca House which is opposite the present St Bernadette’s church was opened by Monsignor L Moran, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Melbourne on 28 December 1961. During his address, the Vicar General said: “People from many nations were bringing to Australia their countries’ best traditions and greatest glories, not only to share with others, but to give them to others.” (Advocate 4.1.62). This attests well to the commitment of the SDC Members to the parish of North Sunshine over the years.

We have participated in the liturgical, sacramental and spiritual life of the parish; supporting and connecting with families.

A commemorative Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Adrian Doyle of Hobart on 12 November 2011 at St Canice chapel, Lower Sandy Bay. During his homily, the Archbishop expressed that the SDC was able to sustain itself over the fifty years because it was able to adapt and change according to circumstances.

North Sunshine Centre In July 1957, Fr Leonard Egan was appointed Parish Priest of North Sunshine. The early Members knew Fr Egan whilst he was Administrator of Star of the Sea church, West Melbourne, where we taught in the crypt of the church. He admired the work of the SDC and visited our work in Malta. He requested that a centre be established in North Sunshine.

The first meeting for boys was held on 10 August 1957. Over thirty attended this gathering which was held at St Bernadette’s church. On 15 September meetings begun in earnest and over the years, boys and girls have been prepared for the sacraments and received formation in their faith.

Blessing of Preca House, North Sunshine

by Monsignor L. Moran

In 2000, the North Sunshine activities were transferred to Rosslare Parade, St Albans and the property at 82 Westmoreland Road was modified and upgraded, providing a reference library and administration for the Regional Centre for Australia.

In 2011, following the purchase of the adjacent property, Preca Close, provides a hospitality unit together with units available for Members in retirement.

Peter Judge sdc Australia

7

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus

An Experience in Albania I happen to be writing today, 3rd January - the fourteenth anniversary of my mother’s passing away. Just seven months after her death the former Superior General, Victor Delicata, asked me to join the Society Members in Korçë, Albania. After praying and seeking advice, I accepted, though I did not have any idea what these past thirteen years would really entail. During my long stay, I have gone through moments of enthusiasm, zeal and joy. There were difficult times, as well; but I never lost hope, and consolation, happiness and peace always followed.

The first years I was introduced to the Albanian culture when Albania was still staggering from 450 years of foreign oppression. They had been deprived of their liberty under Turkish rule, when many had to deny their Christian faith and turn Muslim. Before the advent of the Turks the whole of Albania was a Catholic country. Then followed another 45 years under one of the worst communist regimes, that of Enver Hoxha. Until 1990 Albania was the most isolated country in the world.

To make matters worse, in 1997, after seven years of pseudo democracy, there was the collapse of the pyramidal deposit schemes in which a deposit of 100 dollars, for example, would pay 50% in six months time, then 100% reaching up to 300%. It was all a swindle and when the company declared bankruptcy there ensued one of the worst ever recorded anarchies in Albanian history, when both the army and the police deserted, leaving all arms depots open to the general public who took possession of every imaginable weapon, including tanks, and went on the rampage killing and

An arial view of Korçë

8

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel looting; and all of this happening among Albanians themselves, with no foreign intervention. That was April, 1997.

I arrived in Albania the following September. At night one could still hear shooting with Kalashnikovs and other small weapons. I remember hearing this shooting at night and seeing bunches of flowers the following day, indicating the places where the poor young people had been shot. About thirteen years ago I also remember, crossing to Greece from the border of Kapshtica witnessing what could have been the shooting of a scene for a film about slaves being driven to the slave market, or of the Hebrews in their time of slavery in Egypt. Hordes of Albanian young men, all dark, thin, barefoot and in tattered clothes, hungry and tired, having been rounded up by Greek Police and brought back into Albania as they were without passport or visa.

An activity with children in Korçë

Just one week later, I started teaching in Preca College. Then I was so busy with the school work that I did not feel the need to start studying the Albanian language immediately – there were enough SDC Members who knew Albanian to communicate with the few classes we then had. Time passed, and some Members returned to Malta, which led to my taking up a class at the SDC Centre with whatever I had picked up of the language, and the little I had studied from the books available at the time, during those two and a half years. But I was still hopeful that more and more children would come to the centre and we would have many more baptisms and perhaps more Elects and Aspirants in our SDC Centre.

very Orthodox, and did not have more than a handful of Catholics, and the number of those who were seeking Baptism was becoming smaller and smaller.

In the beginning most people went to all kinds of churches and denominations for one single reason: to see if by doing this they could obtain some advantages or material profits.

As time went by

But things change. Life started to become harder and harder, not only in the physical and social aspect, but also from the religious point of view. In 2004 the last resident priest left Korçë and we have been without a resident priest ever since. During these years we had to forego weekday Mass and we were not sure of having Sunday Mass, let alone confessions and other religious services.

With the passing of time I started to realize that the situation could not improve immediately.

Korçë, mostly Muslim was also

Then doubts started to sprout: ‘And what am I supposed to be doing here? Why did I come here in the first place?’ I could answer by saying that I was doing the will of my superiors and that would have been enough to quell the doubts. Also, I was dedicating myself to Evangelization, which is the holiest work of mercy. And so I left it at that.

Was this the result of more than twenty years of democracy?

Corruption was rampant and unemployment is still very high today. In the meantime work on the infrastructure of the country has been greatly improved (with money coming from abroad) and big, beautiful buildings are sprouting all over the country.

Many Albanians had emigrated mostly to Greece and to Italy,

9

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus and when returning home with their savings started to build large houses and open some type of business. That is from the socioeconomic aspect. Unfortunately the soul of the people, which Enver Hoxha almost succeeded to destroy, has in fact slipped slowly from the political atheism of the previous regime to the practical pagan atheism of Western countries. Nowadays the only thing which means anything for the majority of the population is money, status, pleasure and entertainment. This does not mean there are no genuine believers, both Catholic and Orthodox. But there seems to be little hope of instilling faith in non-believers.

Today, more than ever before, I see that it is not important whether we have ten, five or two attending our class. And it’s not important whether we have five, ten or none for baptism this year. What is important after all is whether we are doing Preca College – Korçë

God’s will. And this does not depend on how active we are or have been (without of course relinquishing our duties) - but mainly on whether we have been true witnesses to Christ.

We teach some 230 students in Preca College, out of whom only one is a Catholic today.

But most parents and students acknowledge they have been greatly inspired by our way of living, and by our beliefs, our principles and example. They know we never fall victims to corruption. We never lie or deceive, we do not seek money for our services, we treat everyone in the same way – whether rich or poor. This is what matters when one is living as a true Christian, and as a true member of the Society of Christian Doctrine. We are still human beings and it is natural to seek some satisfaction in seeing children and young people coming for our meetings, coming to church and receiving the Sacraments. But that is not the

real thing. We have the Rule and the sacraments, a life of prayer and apostolate; as to the results, as always, those are in the hands of God. A reflection on my Albania experience But one may ask what I have learned during these 13 years.

One has to bear in mind first of all, that life here is not as hectic as in the Malta Centres. Besides, the weather here is very different too. During the five long winter months, night temperatures fall to well below zero. This at times results in a kind of life which is very rigid and austere. So I have often found myself in my room quite early in the evening and after finishing the daily routine, I start to experience the real silence. Our house is in fact in the right position for real peace and quiet. Whenever in Malta I always enjoyed retreats at Mt St Joseph. Now I could appreciate the peace of God in the silence of my own room, even learning to live without a lot of unnecessary things. I could experience the beauty of praying the rosary, slowly, in the light of a single candle, savouring the peace and tranquillity of that solitude. I have learned how to feel peace and tranquillity by just sitting in front of my big window just looking at the mountain, all white in winter, when it snows, and so green in spring and in early summer.

Having lived thirteen years in community I also discovered that God has shown so much love towards me, teaching me how to suffer, to accept both sadness

10

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel I thank the Holy Trinity who chose me to donate thirteen years of my life to the spreading of the love of God for humanity.

I will never regret my years in the missions. I do not regret going back either.

The SDC Centre in Korçë

Paulo COELHO has said:

and joy, to help and be helped, to forgive and be forgiven, and to keep silent when you feel you want to burst off. And also to stand for your rights, sometimes - and some other times not to. And all this I have learned through living in community. In my final countdown I can say that God has helped me a lot to start to love, to really love, with no need of physical, emotional or other natural attraction. The day arrives when you start to discover yourself better. You understand that people are so different, coming from different upbringings, having their own idiosyncrasies. We all have our own defects. So we start to be patient; we start to learn compassion, and the need to understand and accept that others see us as we see them: full of defects. We are then on our way to a better self-discovery.

I am now in my final weeks here in Korçë Albania, ready to return to my homeland. I want to thank all those who have helped me in

these long years, the Members here, the Superiors in Malta especially those who came here to encourage and advise. But mostly I want to thank our loving Mother Mary the Immaculate to whom I prayed regularly and constantly. I experienced the full evidence of her love for us.

“One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters - whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.”

Lawrence Cachia Albania

Albanian boys during a Sunday outing

11

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus

La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre This year Cuba is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the finding of the statue of La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre in the Bay of Nipe in 1612. During 2011 the statue was taken in pilgrimage to every parish on the island, arousing great enthusiasm all along. Between the 3rd and 6th June the pilgrimage passed through Sagua la Grande and the three SDC members then in Cuba participated both in the preparations for the visit and in welcoming Our Lady. The great display of devotion by the local population was a clear sign that the flame of faith in Cuba is still burning, even if not so noticeably to outsiders.

La Virgen in Sagua la Grande Devotion to La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre is so deeply rooted in Cuba that her image is to be found in every church and also in most homes, while men carry it with them in their pockets. Her feast is celebrated on 8th September by all Cubans, even those living abroad. Holding Jesus on her left arm and the cross in her right hand, Our Lady invites all to keep Jesus in their hearts and to look to him for mercy, encouragement and spiritual help.

Great crowds awaited the arrival

12

of the Virgen, a faithful replica of the original venerated in the Basilical Sanctuary of El Cobre.

The rain did not dampen the people’s enthusiasm, nor did it prevent them from showing their love for the heavenly mother.

In Sagua la Grande practising and non-practising Catholics as well as non-believers for a full forty-four hours openly showed their appreciation and joy for the special presence of Cuba’s patroness. This was a once-ina-lifetime occasion. Our Lady’s venerated statue was to visit some 25 different localities in the parish, including the residences of those who could not join in the celebrations due to their handicap or old age. Padre Pablo

Buttigieg, the parish priest, and Bishop Arturo Gonzales accompanied the people in their prayers and joyful singing.

Prior to Our Lady’s arrival most families were visited in their homes and offered a catechesis about Mary’s role in our salvation. Literature about the providential finding of the statue was also distributed.

The two sailors Cubans are no strangers to storms. So when in 1612 two brothers and a boy-slave found themselves in a storm in the middle of the Bay of Nipe on the Atlantic coast of Cuba, they decided to anchor for the night

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel and wait for dawn. They had left Santiago del Prado (today’s El Cobre) to fetch salt with which to preseve meat for the copper miners in their district. Early in the morning Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos observed a ‘small white bundle’ floating towards them.

It turned out to be a completely dry statue of Our Lady attached to a wooden board carrying the inscription ‘I am the Virgin of Charity’. It was a sixteen-inch image of Our Lady standing on the moon with clouds on either side and three golden-winged cherubs beneath. The Christ Child on her left arm had one hand raised in blessing. In the other he had a golden globe. The Virgen was holding a crucifix in her right hand, a symbol of the salvation her Son was offering mankind. The wide embroidered cloak gave the statue the semblance of a triangular shape.

It did not take long for the inhabitants to erect a sanctuary in honour of the Virgin of

Charity in Santiago del Prado, which sanctuary soon became a national place of pilgrimage. The city was later given the name of El Cobre, the Spanish word for copper, due to the copper mines in the area.

In 1916 Pope Benedict XV declared La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre patroness of Cuba and in 1977 Pope Paul VI crowned the statue during the Eucharistic Congress held in Santiago de Cuba. For this reason a replica of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre was later commissioned for the sanctuary in Santiago de Cuba, and it was this replica that made the rounds in the parishes and barrios in 2011.

The original statue was crowned a second time by Pope John Paul II in Santiago de Cuba during his historic visit in 1998.

Cubans feel a natural urge to implore Our Lady’s protection whenever they find themselves in difficult situations. It is no wonder

that they even took the statue with them on the battlefront during the wars for independence (1868-1878 and 1895-1898). A good number of soldiers were in fact from El Cobre.

A prayerful pilgrimage In the parishes a prayer prepared especially for the occasion by the ecclesiastical authorities was daily recited after Holy Communion.

On Thursday evening, when the statue of Our Lady was being brought over to Sagua la Grande, the pilgrimage stopped briefly at the local cemetery and the small barrios which were too distant from the parish. By the time it arrived at the hospital the rain had stopped and the statue was taken out of its van and carried inside to the great joy of the patients, nurses and doctors who offered their ernest prayers to the heavenly Mother.

At Villa Alegre the residents came out at 10.00 p.m. to welcome the Virgin. Believers mingled with non-believers as men, women and children danced, clapped and sang to La Virgen, offering flowers and candles as a sign of gratitude for her visit. Though the rain kept pouring most of the time during the Virgin’s stay in Sagua la Grande, this was considered a heavenly blessing for the fields were in dire need of rain and the wells were dry.

Fortunately, with the help of Joe, John and Roberto, the three SDC members residing in the parish, the refurbishment of the Gothic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sagrado Corazón)

13

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus which had been going on for the previous two years was brought to conclusion just in time. After having made the round of the town, the statue of Our Lady of Charity on Saturday afternoon made its entrance into the church where it was given a rousing welcome by a great multitude of parishioners. In the course of the Holy Mass that followed, the children sang the hymns which the SDC members had taught them. To facilitate the singing, the lyrics were also projected on a screen. Mass was followed by a procession to the parish church, less than a kilometre away. In the evening a concert in honour of the Virgin was held on the church parvis and the programme included a song composed especially for the occasion.

Joe Buttigieg who played the violin was among the orchestra.

The concert was introduced by the parish priest who outlined

14

the history of La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre and explained the scope of the pilgrimage.

The statue left Sagua la Grande on Ascension Sunday.

Bishop Arturo Gonzales, who was present during most of the pilgrimage, urged the congregation to continue to cooperate with Christ in his work of salvation, even after Our Lady and her Son had departed.

That afternoon La Virgen de la Caridad started its journey to the parish of Calabasar de Sagua.

On the way there were once again several stops, as people everywhere flocked to see the effigy and rejoice in its presence.

May our heavenly Mother help all Cubans to remain united to her divine Son Jesus.

Padre Pablo Buttigieg Cuba

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel

World Youth Day 2011 A group of about 35 SDC Members and Candidates participated in the World Youth Day, which was held in the Spanish capital city, Madrid, in August 2011. The World Youth Day was established by Pope John Paul II in 1985 and has continued to date. It is held annually on Palm Sunday at diocesan levels and every two or three years in a city which is deemed capable of hosting such an impressive number of pilgrims.

In 1985, Pope John Paul II said, “The Church has a lot to say to the youth. This dialogue has to be done with an open heart, clearly and courageously.

This dialogue has to create an exchange of ideas between people of different generations and this change between various generations is of great help to the youth, the Church and to all society.”

The World Youth Day is considered as a pilgrimage of faith, where youths from different social and cultural backgrounds from all over the world, come together as one as they experience God’s love for them. The pilgrims’ experience is divided in two. The first phase is called ‘Days in the Diocese’ where the youths live in different parishes in the country and meet with the people living there. The second phase consists of a week full of activities, for some of which the Pope is present. The motto for last year’s week was taken from the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith.” (Col 2, 7) SDC Members and Candidates who participated were divided into three groups, each going to a different diocese: Valencia, Seville or St. Sebastian in the northern part of Spain, very close to the French border. Some of us stayed with host families and that was a truly wonderful experience.

This experience was so fantastic because we managed to meet so many different people and to experience cultures different from our own.

Moreover, we were pleased to realise that like us, there are so many people who are following Jesus’ footsteps or are still looking for Him. On the feast of the Assumption, all participants attended mass, at the end of which, we were sent to Madrid by the main celebrant, where we would eventually take part in the main events. It is worth noting that preparation and bookings for the events had been done a long time beforehand. In Madrid, we stayed in a Salesian School together with some other Maltese groups. We were given a bag full of essentials including food, transport tokens, a ticket for mass, a map of Madrid, a prayer book with prayers of the major celebrations and a cap. Madrid was packed full to the brim with young pilgrims from the four corners of the world, all waving their country’s flag.

During the opening mass held at Plaza del Cibeles, on Tuesday 16th August, Madrid’s Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela insisted that faith is a key factor in the life of each one of us. Everything changes in relation to whether one believes in God’s existence or not. He reminded the youth of Pope John Paul II’s words, “Do not be afraid!”

15

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus The mornings of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were dedicated to catechism. A number of Englishspeaking pilgrims, including ourselves, met in an Augustinian church and listened to messages delivered by the Bishops of New York, Sydney as well as by the Bishop of Gozo, Mgr. Mario Grech. We were greeted by Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday afternoon, at the start of his official visit in Spain. The Pope told the youth: “Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to go further, to reach the heights, even God himself, always hold a sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow with divine grace, generously and without half-measures, as you remain steadfast in your aim for holiness. And, in the face of our weaknesses which sometimes overwhelm us, we can rely on the mercy of the Lord who is always ready to help us again and who offers us pardon in the sacrament of Penance.”

We participated in the Via Crucis on Friday evening. Apart from the traditional Spanish statues, one could also feel the spiritual atmosphere that was ever present throughout the evening. The Pope explained that “Christ’s passion urges us to take upon our own shoulders the sufferings of the world, in the certainty that God is not distant or far removed from man and his troubles. On the contrary, he became one of us ... hence in all human suffering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us” On Saturday morning we left for Cuatro Vientos, a military airport. This airport is as large as 50 football stadiums put together. We camped in an area

that was incredibly close to the main stage. It was extremely hot and the temperature rose to levels as high as 43ºC. The Vigil with the Pope on Saturday evening was characterised by wind and rain but the atmosphere was still one of devotion and prayer, especially during the Eucharistic Adoration. A short excerpt from what the Pope said is the following: “God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful. We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life originates as part of a loving plan of God. To abide in his love, then, means living a life rooted in faith, since faith is more than the mere acceptance of certain abstract truths: it is an intimate relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God.” After spending the night in our sleeping bags, we woke up enthusiastically for the final mass. It was a beautiful mass in spite of the August sun. The Pope travelled amongst the youths by the Popemobile and in the homily said: “Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me”.

It was truly a unique experience. May the Pope’s words stay in our hearts and change us forever. May our lives be built on a strong foundation in Christ, and may He be the sole purpose of our thoughts and actions.

Anthony Dimech Malta

16

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel

The ‘Ceremony for Elects’ and the ‘Profession of Faith’

France is one of the traditional Catholic countries in Europe.

Baptised Catholics in France amount to 80% of the total population, with 65% of these declaring themselves Catholic.

Whilst just 7% to 10% attend Sunday Mass, Churches are quite full on Christmas Day, during the Sundays of Lent and on All Saints Day. Parish catechists and priests assigned with the task of providing religious formation in schools prepare adolescents from the age of 11 and upwards to receive and celebrate a ceremony called the ‘Profession of Faith’ – either at their local parish or in another parish. It may be worth comparing the Ceremony for Elects of the Society of Christian

Doctrine, M.U.S.E.U.M. with such para-liturgical ceremony that takes place in certain localities in France.

The Profession of Faith This ceremony is taken by adolescents some time following their Confirmation and is made only once. However each year a further 20 to 30 other adults renew the resolutions of their Baptism in the parish.

Adolescents normally wear white robes for the Profession of Faith and although this is not compulsory, participants are not usually shy to wear such attire.

In preparation for their Profession of Faith, the adolescents participate in a

two/three-day retreat, which usually takes place in the quiet environment of a monastery.

This retreat is a strong experience of spiritual formation, of prayer and reflection. The participants are invited to deepen their faith and to better comprehend the sense of Baptism, Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

On the Sunday when the celebration takes place, the adolescents themselves are the protagonists during Mass.

Now they have decided to declare their faith publicly, in the presence of friends and relatives. They reaffirm their religious convictions and renew the Baptismal resolutions which were previously assumed on their behalf by their parents at Baptism. The Profession of Faith centres on statements such as: “I believe that God revealed himself to us”; “God is true”; “God is Almighty”; “He is the Creator and Saviour”; “God loves us, and Christ gave his life for us”; “I want to put all my life in his hands”. The Profession of Faith integrates itself in a holistic way in one’s journey towards the Father. It is a further step after Confirmation to strengthen the personal faith of the participants and it is usually a festive occasion for the family too.

The Profession of Faith

17

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus A comparison with the Ceremony of Elects This Profession of Faith in France dates back to the fifties.

In Malta however, ore than 40 years earlier, the Founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine Saint George Preca introduced the Ceremony for Elects. The first Superior General Eugene Borg describes how the Founder came up with the original idea that each group of Elects should be of 12 adolescents aged 12 – an idea inspired by the

the benefits that emanate from a solid religious formation. The event is not enjoyed only by the Elects themselves but also by their relatives, and by members and guests. It is not just a oneoff occasion isolated from the rest of the yearly activities, as it highlights values that are regularly addressed at all SDC Centres. The Ceremony reflects the effective method of the MUSEUM in assisting young people to choose Christ in their lives.

The Ceremony for Elects, Ruiru Kenya

episode of Jesus teaching the elders in the temple. Eugene Borg says that initially, the Elects were not called by this name, but The Twelve. The fact that the Founder limited the number to 12 points to the fact that there has always been an element of selection, so that young members preparing for the Elects’ Ceremony are given special care so that they will be ready to commit themselves to a authentically Christian way of life.

The Ceremony for Elects is a sign of grace to an SDC Centre. It is not an artificial occurrence and in itself explains

18

How healthy it is that one still finds young people who try to live according to the resolutions they made during the Ceremony.

The ceremony is based on Gospel values, and the lifestyle it proposes contrasts with the current trend that promotes selfishness, disobedience and lack of respect. It is a ceremony which also demonstrates the value of self-denial, focused on the image of the Crucified Christ.

The concept of commitment makes much sense today, in a world where genuine commitment is so lacking. As a good model of commitment to Christ and his values for Elects the Founder presents the martyr Saint Lawrence.

The resolutions taken by Elects We also find this in the core of the Profession of Faith, where adolescents declare their Faith and enter into a commitment.

In the case of the Ceremony for Elects, these resolve to take seriously their own religious formation by promising to attend diligently to their sessions of formation in order to cultivate their Christian life. They declare that they will endeavour to stay in good company, and to follow Jesus’ example by loving all without exception, even to the point of praying for those who would harm them physically or otherwise. They also resolve not to allow sentiments of pride feature in their words or actions. A crucial moment in the ceremony touches the hearts of all those present, not only the Elects: the presiding superior invites everyone to join him in praying Jesus as a master of each beatitude: “Grant that we will follow you”.

The Ceremony for Elects has little changed since its inception.

Perhaps it would be useful to explore further similar prayerful ceremonies we celebrate in the Society, which may have similar or common elements to others such as the Profession of Faith.

One example is the retreat that takes place in the Profession.

This may help the Society to achieve better outcomes from the Ceremonies that take place regularly in SDC Centres.

Joe Galea Malta

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel

“If you want to stay the same, you have to change.”

I was contemplating this ironic statement at our annual retreat in Australia in July 2010. I wanted to continue as an active member but with retirement 6 months ahead I knew from the experience of others who had retired before me I would need to do something different. It is too easy to settle into a rut as the pressure of regular work and schedules that form the framework of one’s life disappears and the enthusiasm declines. “Take it easy! You have plenty of time! Tomorrow is empty.”

In the peace and quiet of the retreat the inspiration came to me to offer to go anywhere overseas to the missions. Having been to the various places where the SDC works, I thought I might be of some use for a few years while still fairly healthy.

As the Superior General was in Australia at the time, I approached him and made the offer.

Months passed and finally a phone call came through that caught me by surprise. The Superior General had accepted my offer to serve overseas and suggested I go to London. LONDON! I had never thought of that! The process of organising my house, van, furniture, etc to move overseas took over a month but by March I was in London.

The change has been invaluable in making me re-examine and rethink various aspects of my life. Being in a new environment takes away the security of the comfortable past and makes you question why and how you do things. Living alone in my own home allowed me to do things when and how I wanted. Living again in the company of others means I have to be considerate and learn to accept other people who have different habits, opinions and values. This is where the domestic virtues are tested and the challenge is to live the Christian virtues that are so easy to talk about but much harder to practise.

Christmas Celebration 2011

Being a Christian in a country as secular as England is difficult. How do you present the message of Christ to people who are not interested? Even Australia is not as secular a country as this place.

Waiting in a queue in the local Post Office I counted 63 different Christmas cards. Only 3 had a Christian theme!

The SDC here has an active ministry in catechesis in 3 parishes. It is a challenge to adjust to a new environment and culture. English is not Australian English. It is hard to be away from family and friends when loneliness strikes. But the strangers I am among are gradually becoming my new friends and God has blessed me with the company of many fine people.

It is a challenge to learn the best approaches to present the Gospel message in this different country. But this same challenge offers a fresh lease of life and, God willing, deeper understanding of God’s will for me.

Joseph P. Gatt London

19

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus

Around the Society in 2011 Together with the Superior General, the General Executive Council of the Society continued the implementation of the conclusions of the General Chapter of 2009. Eighteen meetings of the General Executive Council were held during the year apart from a series of focus sessions to study the Society’s Regions and vice-Regions. 2011 was the second year of the Society’s apostolate in Poland and the first year in Cuba.

Visits to the Society On 23 February 2011 the Apostolic Nuncio H. E. Tommaso Caputo addressed the male and female Members at the auditorium of the Central House.

He highlighted the pastoral work done by Pope Benedict XVI during 2010, exhorted the Members to study the apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini and encouraged the members in their vocation.

On February 24, 2011, H. E. Mgr Gilbert Armea Garcera, Bishop of the Diocese of Daet, in the Philippines, visited the Central House of the Society. He met the Superiors General of both the male and the female sections of the Society and said Mass at the Shrine of St George Preca.

Visits to the Shrine of the Founder

Visits by the Superior General in the Malta Region On 11th July 2011, the Superior General, the Malta Regional Superior and the Secretary General paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Archbishop Paul Cremona at his residence in Attard. The Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Society, Mgr Lawrence Gatt, was also present. During the meeting the Archbishop was informed about the latest developments in the Society and about its missions.

During 2011, the Superior General paid official visits to 20 SDC Centres in Malta and Gozo.

During these visits the Superior General, the Assistant Superior General, the Primarius and the Secretary General met young children and adolescents during catechism classes and then met with the Assignment group.

20

On 5th June 2011 the Society welcomed H. E. the President of Malta, Dr George Abela, on his visit to the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal. After a short prayer at the Chapel of the Holy Eucharist, President Abela paused for a while in front of the sacred remains of St George Preca. He stated that he felt highly privileged to come and pay homage to St George Preca, whom he so admires.

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel On 19th June 2011, Fr Marcel Portelli, a priest newly ordained in America on 20th May 2011, celebrated Holy Mass at the Chapel.

On 4th July, Fr David Torpiano, who was ordained priest the day before together with 11 others, celebrated his first Mass at the Chapel.

On 6th July 2011 Fr Wojciech Mueller, the Assistant parish priest at St Luke Parish in Poznan, Poland said Mass at the Chapel for the repose of the soul Dr Marlena Knapczyk, a promoter of the Society in Poland.

On 10th August 2011, H. E. Mgr Vincente Costa, the Maltese Bishop of Jundiaí, in San Paolo, Brazil, celebrated Mass at the Chapel.

On 29th October 2011 H.E. Mgr Joseph Mercieca, Bishop Emeritus, celebrated a thanksgiving Mass at the Chapel on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of his ordination as Bishop.

Celebrations The feast of St Michael was celebrated in Malta on 28th and 29th September 2011 with prayers from the ‘The Watch of Prayers’. Candidates attending the Responsorium Course participated in a night vigil in honour of St Michael at St Matthew’s Chapel, Qrendi.

34 youths from the Society, accompanied by three adult Members, took part in the World Youth Day celebrations in Madrid, Spain, from 16th to 21st August.

Thanksgiving Masses were celebrated to mark various anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the Xag˙ra (Gozo) and St Paul’s Bay Centres, the 80th anniversary of the Qrendi Centre and the 100th anniversary of the Floriana SDC Centre.

Commemorating the Founder

Incorporation On Christmas Day 2011 six Candidates from the Malta Region were incorporated as Members of the Society. The new Members are Noel Agius (Paola), John Sant (Zebbug), Christian Borg and André Buhagiar (Qormi I), Keith Muscat (Kalkara) and Francesco Randich (Kalkara). A speech for the occasion was delivered by SDC Member Kevin Scicluna. Superior General Natalino Camilleri and Mgr Lawrence Gatt, the Ecclesiastical Assistant also offered short messages at the end of the ceremony.

On the feast of St George Preca, Holy Mass was said at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, on 8th May 2011 at 9 a.m. It was celebrated by Mgr Lawrence Gatt, Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Society. On 9th May a pilgrimage was organised from Gozo to the Chapel, where H.G. Mgr Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo, concelebrated.

The Founder was also commemorated by Thanksgiving Masses in NSW Australia at Blacktown, Plumpton and Carss Park. Other celebrations in Melbourne included presentations on the Founder, a Thanksgiving Mass at Altona Meadows, a day of Eucharistic Adoration at the Regional Centre, and a pilgrimage to the monument of St George Preca on the Grounds of St Patrick’s Cathedral.

21

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus In Peru, the Lurin Centre prepared a play in Spanish about the life of the Founder and the origin of the Society of Christian Doctrine.

Albania

The 53rd Annual General Meeting of the Australia Region was held in Adelaide from 28th December 2010 to 2nd January 2011. The theme of the gathering was “Be transformed by renewing your minds to discern what is the will of God” (Rom 12, 2).

On 27th January 2011, the SDC Members in Korçe, Albania were invited to the residence of H. G. Mgr George Frendo, Auxiliary Bishop of Tirana, for a meeting with the Hon. Minister Tonio Borg who was on an official visit to Albania.

The Primarius Tonio Caruana visited the Korçe SDC Centre, Albania from 4th to 10th March 2011 and the Assistant Superior General Nicholas Balzan visited the Centre from 11th to 18th May 2011.

On 4 October 2011 Mgr Paul Cremona, Archbishop of Malta visited Preca College and the SDC Centre in Korce. He was accompanied

by H.E. Mgr George Frendo, Bishop Auxiliary of Tirana and Durres. The college caters for 225 students, 75 joining this year.

GEC Member Frans Zahra visited the Korçe SDC Centre from 16th October and 6th November 2011.

The Regional Superior, Angelo Abela visited the Region of Malta from 10 to 21 April 2011. During his visit, he met with the Superior General and his Private Council, the General Executive Council and the Malta Regional Superior.

Primarius Tonio Caruana visited Australia from 22nd December 2011 to 8th January 2012 where he participated at the Region’s Annual General Meeting. He shared prayers with the Members, presented a message by the Superior General and addressed Members on the theme: Vision as a result of understanding identity.

Preca Close, a new complex (located adjacent to the Regional Centre) providing a hospitality unit together with units available for Members in retirement was completed in September 2011.

Cuba

Australia 2011 marked the fiftieth year of the SDC’s apostolate in Hobart, Tasmania. A commemorative Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Adrian Doyle of Hobart on 12 November at St Canice chapel, Lower Sandy Bay.

22

The Maltese mission in Cuba started in March 2011. The Superior General and the Primarius visited the Cuba SDC Centre from 20th August to 12th September 2011. They met the Bishop of Santa Clara Mgr Marcelo Arturo Gonzáles Amador and the Vicar General Mgr Arnaldo Isaac Fernandes Berroa. The two Superiors visited the SDC’s mission in Sagua la Grande where a number of initiatives have been started with parish groups during the summer.

SDC members in Cuba joined the local faithful in welcoming the statue of La Virgen de la Caridad

Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow your Gospel del Cobre, as in 2012 Cuba will be celebrating the 400th anniversary from the discovery of the statue in the Bay of Nipe in 1612. In its year-long pilgrimage around all of Cuba the statue was in Sagua la Grande from 3rd to 5th June 2011.

On 7 March, over 300 Members and Candidates from Malta and Gozo took part in a programme commemorating the Museum vocation day, 7th March. The participants enjoyed lunch together.

England Members in London are carrying out their ministry in the parishes of Holy Rosary in Brixton, Virgo Fidelis in Upper Norwood and St Andrews in Thornton Heath. The activities of the London Centre include formation for SDC Juniors, a group of youths from Brixton who attend quite regularly.

The SDC Juniors have been in touch with the Society for the last 5 years and four of the youths also help in catechism classes.

GEC Member Francis Zahra visited the London Centre from 25th March to 25th April 2011. He was accompanied by Joseph P. Gatt who became the fourth Member at the London Centre.

Two young Members from Malta, Robert Gauci and Silvan Xerri, also visited the London Centre from 15th to 30th April and attended all the meetings organised by the Centre, which included sports activities for SDC Juniors.

The second and final year of the Formation Course for Superiors ran every second Sunday of the month. The main issues tackled were formation of members and the administration of SDC centres.

A day seminar was organized for catechists responsible for Aspirant, Elect and Preparatory groups respectively.

The Responsorial Course was re-evaluated in order to address better its formative aspect. Thus as from January 2012, the PreResponsorial Course will run for 1 year (instead of 2) and the Responsorial Course will run for 4 years (instead of 3). The course curriculum has been re-organised, thus adopting a more participant-centred approach.

Study-weekend seminars will also be introduced.

Kenya

Malta

Twelve Maltese Candidates, in their third year of Responsorium, were accompanied by four SDC members for a 3-week experience in Ruiru, Kenya, from 3rd to 25th August 2011. During their stay, the Candidates organised activities and games for children, attended daily meetings in the evenings, and took an active part in a seminar about the five dimensions of SDC life.

The Superior General chaired a joint meeting of the General Executive Council and the Regional Executive Council on Sunday 9th and a seminar on Sunday 30th January 2011 where the measures taken on the amalgamation and redimensioning of SDC Centres was evaluated. Another meeting of this kind was held on 30th October 2011 on The Identity of the SDC Member.

23

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus Superior Joseph Abdilla visited the Ruiru Centre from 25th November to 6th December 2011 to conduct a two-day seminar for Aspirants and a reflection day for Members and Candidates.

Peru

Poland The two SDC Members in Poland, Anton Grima and Ivan Grixti, are now in their second year in Pozna´n, Poland. They have been attending various courses in the Polish Language. The use of Polish facilitated activities with children in the parish.

The Superior General and the Primarius visited the SDC Centre of Lurin, Peru from 20th to 29th September 2011. They took part in various activities, including a day of reflection in a retreat house outside Lurin.

On 8 July 2011, a live-in with the theme United in Jesus was organized for 23 Aspirants of the Lurin SDC Centre, at the retreat house in the Sanctuary of María de la Consagración, in Pachacamac.

On 7th April 2011 the two Members were present during the official inauguration of the Maltese Embassy in Warsaw, after an invitation by the Maltese Ambassador to Poland, the Hon. Godwin Montanaro. The Embassy was inaugurated by Malta Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

A new website in Spanish was launched in September to make known the Society’s spirituality to Spanish speaking people and to provide catechetical resources.

The Superior General and the Primarius visited Pozna´n, Poland from 20th to 28th April 2011. They met H. G. Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki and H. G. Bishop Grzegorz Balcerek. They participated in the Holy Week programme with the Members in Pozna´n.

St Michael School The number of students at St Michael School, which has been run by the Society for the last 65 years, has reached 370. The school participated in the EU programmes, Comenius and eTwinning. A third floor of the school was inaugurated by H. E. Mgr Paul Cremona, Archbishop of Malta, on 22nd September 2011. In November 2011, the school was awarded the Green Flag for its attainment in environmental standards and initiatives for sustainable energy.

24

Preca Calling

He who seeks perfection should neither be talkative nor curious Saint George Preca