The Maltese Augustinian Province joins the Church in its sorrow for the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: faithful pastor; thinker; scholar and great admirer of our Holy Father Saint Augustine.

Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927, in the German city of Bavaria. He served the Church in various roles as priest, lecturer, bishop, cardinal and later Pope. Shortly before his appointment as Pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had taken part in the pilgrimage with the remains of Saint Augustine in Rome. On Sunday 14 November 2004 he actually accompanied the pilgrimage to the city of Ostia, where he presided over the Solemn Eucharist in the Augustinian Church of Saint Aurea.

Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope in a conclave called after the death of the late Saint John Paul II in April 2005 and took the name of Benedict XVI. During the years he served as pastor of the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI showed his great admiration for Saint Augustine by often quoting his teachings. Several times he also reflected on his life in the catechesis of the Audiences on Wednesdays, and in homilies or documents he published.

On the 22nd April 2007 then as Pope, he made a pilgrimage to venerate the relics of Saint Augustine venerated in the Augustinian Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia.

In June 2007, Pope Benedict canonized the first Maltese saint, St. George Preca, in a celebration held in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City. Between the 17th and 18th April 2010, Pope Benedict made a short but intense visit to Malta. This was actually the third visit of a Pope to our islands, blessed by the Apostle of the gentiles.

On 6th January 2012 Pope Benedict had announced the creation of our brother Prospero Grech O.S.A. as a cardinal in appreciation for his work and great contribution to the Church over the years. His creation was actually then made on 18th February 2012.

When his health began to decline, Pope Benedict felt he had to retire to a life devoted more to prayer and silence. He thus resigned on the 28th February 2013 and for almost 10 years he lived in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican City.

Pope Benedict XVI passed to eternal life today 31st December 2022. The Maltese Augustinian Province pays tribute to the memory of a faithful shepherd, and recommends his soul in our prayers.



On Wednesday 28th December the Augustinian Friars gathered for their annual Christmas Lunch. This year the Augustinian Community of Rabat welcomed and offered the lunch for all the province. It was a beautiful experience sharing some time together!


What does the Augustinian Youths group mean to you?

As members of the Augustinian Youths group we work together to create an active space as a young community within the Church. This group stands out for me because through meetings, activities, moments of prayer and voluntary work we have the opportunity to share various perspectives and experiences all together.

This helps me to give some of my time to others and share my talents with others. The most beautiful moments are those in which we offer our time to cheer or help those who are on the periphery or marginalized. I have great appreciation for this group because through these young people with different ideas we can dream and grow together as one Christian family.

Nicole Pace

If you would like more information on Tagaste Youths and other activities for young people ( 18+) contact fr. Terence Spiteri osa (21222884) or facebook/instagram Augustinian Youths.

Why do you take part in the activities organized by Tagaste Youths?

Tagaste Youths is a place where one can grow not only when it comes to growing one’s circle of friends but also spiritually. The Tagaste Youths has helped me become more confident and also provided a place where I can feel comfortable to express myself freely. Tagaste Youths is also a place where one can find comfort and protection in difficult, turbulent and troubling times.

We are a very close family where we have bonded together very well. The Tagaste Youth is also a place where we do various community work but it is also a place where we relax and spend some time together. The few hours we spend together is a good way to relax, unwind and take our minds off the stressful school life.

The Tagaste Youths is always open to new members. It is always important to keep the spiritual aspect of your life vibrant and alive since it serves a guide and as a compass for a better and fulfilling life and a life with a scope and purpose. The Tagaste offers this with young people and teenagers in mind who are still searching for their purpose and goodness in themselves and who may not be confident in who they really are.

Tagaste is also the place where St. Augustine was born and raised is presently used in the name – ‘Tagaste Youths’ which is a cradle of love, friendship and protection.

Yevgeny Spiteri

If you would like more information on Tagaste Youths and other activities for young people (15+) contact fr. Terence Spiteri osa (21222884) or facebook/instagram Augustinian Youths.

 

 


Once again we are celebrating the mystery of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This celebration opens every year a new liturgical journey with an invitation to prepare ourselves not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but moreover to welcome him into our lives. This is actually not a new experience for us but it finds us every year in different circumstances and realities. The central invitation remains that of seeing how Jesus can give us an experience that touches our hearts and breeds serenity and hope in the journey of life.

The times we are living are undoubtedly moments of continuous change, which we do not always manage to keep up with. For us as a Church, the most important mission remains that of bearing witness to Jesus, and thus we should never give up on promoting life, working for justice, supporting those who are burdened, offering meaning to those who feel lost, and above all spreading genuine joy. This is how we make sure that everything we do really gives birth to Jesus even if it requires an effort from us. The birth of Jesus was never a comfortable one. Not even when it happened in the cave of Bethlehem! On that day the family of Mary and Joseph felt unwelcome; then they had to accept the poor whereabouts of an animal cave; then they had to satisfy themselves with very little; but the most important thing was the fact that Jesus was born!

This said, we are continuously summoned to embark in a process of discernment leading to Jesus being born in our hearts. Then we also want to make sure that, even though we sometimes feel like we are becoming fewer, and time is changing us rapidly, we continue to be in one way or another a presence that makes a difference in our society both on a personal level but also as a collective witness, as Augustinians and as a Church.

In his catechesis  in the last weeks, Pope Francis is talking about discernment. In the Audience of the 19th October 2022, the Pope refers to the experience of Saint Augustine and talks about one’s personal story in the course of choices one is compelled to make in life. "Saint Augustine, a great seeker of the truth," - Pope Francis tells us - understood that sometimes we find ourselves searching in wrong paths when he decided to "reread his life, noting in it the silent and discreet, but incisive, steps of the presence of the Lord. At the end of this journey, he noted with wonder: “You were within, and I without, and there I did seek you; I, unlovely, rushed heedlessly among the things of beauty you made. You were with me, but I was not with you” (Confessions  X, 27.38). Hence his invitation to cultivate the inner life to find what one is seeking: “Return within yourself. In the inward man dwells truth”(cf. On True Religion, XXXIX, 72). This is an invitation I would extend to all of you, and even to myself: “Return within yourself. Read your life. Read yourself within, how your journey has been... With serenity. Return within yourself”.

All of our stories together make up a much bigger story; Our Story! I would like to wish from the bottom of my heart that this Christmas brings with it an invite to each and everyone of us to look at his own story and seek to open up more and more in the new year to a genuine journey of discernment. May this journey keeps Jesus always in the center thus giving meaning to everything we are and to what we do. It is only in this way that in the face of the  challenges and the signs of the times I am convinced that Jesus will continue to be born for us, and through us he will continue to be born in the hearts of others.

Fr. Leslie Gatt osa

Prior Provincial


On November 13, the Augustinian Order celebrates the Feast of all the Saints of the Augustinian Family and the birthday of Saint Augustine. This day is also celebrated as Vocations Day. Although this year it fell on a Sunday and therefore the liturgical celebration was missed, during the month of November several initiatives related to vocational ministry were organized.

Monday, November 14 the Provincial Commission for the Laity organized a moment of prayer for Vocations at the Santa Rita Priory in Saint Julians. During this celebration, Fr Terence Spiteri shared with those present the experience of the various initiatives carried out, together with a beautiful reflection on the Gospel that accompanied those present in their prayers for more Augustinian vocations. A very encouraging participation of lay people from various Augustinian realities was present.

The Provincial delegate for youth work and vocational discernment, together with the Provincial Commission also organized several initiatives including a live-in for a group of young people who last year completed their education at St. Augustine College. The Live-in was held at the Saint Thomas from Villanova Priory in Tal-Pieta. Meanwhile, in the Youth Space located in the basement of the same convent, a Prayer Spaces initiative is being organized open to groups of Teenagers and young people who wish to come and live this experience of personal reflection and a walk of faith.

During the past few weeks the chaplaincy team of St. Augustine College organized also half-day visits for all the students of the secondary sector at the Saint Augustine Priory in Valletta. In this initiative, the students were welcomed by several augustinians who shared with them different different moments and experiences.

These are just a few of the initiatives organized with the intention of promoting a culture which appreciates the call for religious life and encourage the young people to reflect about their future. If you are interested to know more about the Augustinian Religious life or need any support to discern about your future, we can definately help you.

 

 


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