Displaying items by tag: Province of Malta

Alfred Mizzi Foundation and Notarial Archives Foundation Join to Save Maltese Carmelite Library

In February 2022, a powerful storm hit the country of Malta. Small islands situated in the Mediterranean Sea, the country endured showers of hail and rain as well as winds at the beginning of the month. The historic Carmelite library in the Carmelite prior in Valletta, suffered severe damage. Besides numerous manuscripts and books being heavily damages, the wooden structure of the library itself was heavily damaged as well.

According to published reports, the Alfred Mizzi Foundation and the Notarial Archives Foundation have joined efforts to save the library. Since February 2024, the NAF and its team of volunteers have been carefully removing the books and manuscripts from the shelves of the library. This will allow the wooden library structure to undergo the necessary restoration as well as the books.

Warranted wood conservator Josef Aquilina has been entrusted with this job. While emptying the shelves, NAF volunteers are also superficially dusting the books and making an inventory. The books are then placed in archival boxes and temporarily stored in a different area of the priory. Besides the water damage, many of the books suffer from biological and chemical damage accumulated over the years. The conservation of the books is being done under the supervision of the NAF's warranted book and paper conservators Chanelle Mifsud Briffa and Maria Borg.

Carmelite Alex Scerri, the prior of Valletta, contacted the Dean of History from the University of Malta to seek help. The NAF got involved and with their help and the volunteers, the Mizzi Foundation became involved.

The Alfred Mizzi Foundation has committed to sponsoring the preliminary works and surveys for the conservation of the wooden library structure. This will guarantee that the structure is professionally reconstructed to last for many years.

The monastery in Valletta and its library houses many items of interest. The majority of the books deal with either theology or philosophy. But there are also works on Carmelitana and Melitensia which are of particular interest because they go back to the period of the Knights of Malta in the 15th century. The holdings include 7 incunabula, books using metal type and created before the printing press was invented. They differ from manuscripts, which are documents written by hand. The oldest of these incunabula in the Carmelite library in Valetta dates from 1471.

Fr. Alex spoke about the task ahead. “Quotes are still being studied by the architect, but the cost will be thousands of Euro. The plans are to restore the main roof of the bibliotheca which has to be built again as well as the furniture. So the cost of the project will be very large.”

The Carmelite Order arrived in Malta in 1418. The Carmelites agreed to serve at a chapel and minister to the people in the area around Lunzjata (Rabat). The church and convent in Valletta were founded in 1570.

Valletta’s Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel underwent various transformations over the centuries. Damaged during the Second world War, it was rebuilt from 1958 to 1981 providing a new skyline for the city with its striking dome. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fr Alex expressed his thanks to the Notarial Archives Foundation, The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, and the volunteers for their hard work and dedication in preserving the historic library and the patrimony of the Carmelite library. “The community and I are very grateful to all the volunteers who make the sacrifice to come each week to remove the books and make sure they are properly cared for. We are also grateful to everyone who has taken an interest in this major project so that our Carmelite heritage in Malta and especially in Valletta, dating back to 1570, will be restored and preserved for future generations.”

The Alfred Mizzi Foundation funds projects related to Maltese culture, its heritage, education, the environment and social solidarity. It promotes and assists the presentation and development and the public manifestation of Maltese heritage, including culture and the environment. The Notarial Archives Foundation is a non-governmental voluntary organization which seeks to preserve and raise awareness of the 600-year-old collection of notarial deeds of the Notarial Registers Archive. Since these records document the history of Malta, their availability to future generations is of paramount importance.

(Pictures courtesy of the Valletta Priory)

Free Online Seminar | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM (European)
The Carmelite Institute of Malta Online Seminar: Disenchantment and Hope

On May 25, the Carmelite Institue of Malta is sponsoring a free English language seminar by Michael Farrugia. Registration is by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In recent years many discussion have centered on the problem of disenchantment, which primarily is the loss of meaning or value. The term was first coined by the German sociologist Max Weber. Although thought to be a distinctly modern problem with the rise of science, people of faith known from the Scritpures went through periods of doubt and disenchantment.

As modern society goes through disenchantment, we remember what God has done and continues to do in our lives, In the experience of disenchantment, hope is indispensable. Hope is God's gift and virtue that has to be cultivated, nurtured, and practiced. Hope guides us on the journey by keeping us focused on the true meaning and essence of life.

The seminar is free. But if you wish to donate you can do so in three ways:

1) Bank Transfer: Institute Bank Account: [IBAN] MT 28 VALL 2201 3000 0000 400 1797 9621
2) Cheque addressed to "Carmelite Institute" for amounts greater than €20 (according to Directive n. 19 by the Central Bank of Malta)
3) via Revolut or BOV Mobile to 79060733

Glen Attard, O. Carm.

Emotional and spiritual intelligence are two fundamental pillars of the human “inner cosmos”, each offering unique insights into the complexities of the human experience. This seminar aims to delve deeply into these two intelligences separately before exploring possible areas of convergence. The first session will begin by dissecting emotional intelligence, unraveling its components of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. Following this, the focus shifts to spiritual intelligence, probing the depths of meaning and transcendence, the measure of spiritual growth, its areas of development, its method, its barriers, and its types. In the final session, the seminar brings emotional and spiritual intelligence into dialogue, highlighting their shared principles and areas of convergence. Participants examine how self-awareness and self-deception, empathy and relationships, common values and limits bridge the gap between the emotional and spiritual realms, fostering holistic well-being and personal growth.

Program:

Friday 26 April 2024 (6-8 pm)

Saturday 27 April 2024 (9:30 am – 12:30 pm)

(Central European Time)

Language: English

Venue: Online via Zoom

How to register: Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Carmelites Decide to Remain in Valletta, Fgura, and Santa Venera

During the 2024 Provincial Chapter of the Maltese Province of the Carmelite Order, it was decided that the Carmelites would continue to sustain their presence and service in three out of six communities. This decision aimed to maintain the Carmelite presence in the parish of Fgura, at the national shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta, and in the parish of St Venera.  The Order will also continue to care for St Elias College. Consideration will be given to exploring new arrangements for houses where a continued presence is no longer viable. These decision have been taken due to decreased numbers in vocations.

Regrettably, the Chapter, with a heavy heart, also acknowledged the impracticality of maintaining a Carmelite community of friars in Mdina and Balluta. Collaborating closely with Archbishop Charles Scicluna and the laity who identify with the Carmelite Order, plans for the future ministry of pastoral care in Balluta will be formulated. Moreover, efforts will be made, in collaboration with the laity, to ensure the continuity of the Carmelite priory of Mdina as a centre for Carmelite spirituality.

Recognizing the long tradition of the Carmelite Order in Malta since the fifteenth century and the generous support from local communities over the decades, the Carmelites express understanding of the disappointment that this decision may bring to many. These changes are undertaken to fortify community life, strengthen Catholic witness, and promote vocations to continue enriching the Church in Malta with the Carmelite charism.

In the course of the Provincial Chapter, the new government of the Maltese Province was also elected, set to serve until 2027: Fr Charles Mallia as prior provincial, with Fr Maurice Abela, Fr Martin Schembri, Fr Alex Scerri, and Fr Ivan Scicluna as councillors.

The Province of Malta Celebrates Its Elections in First Part of the Provincial Chapter

During the first part of the Provincial Chapter held February 5-9, 2024, the elections of the leadership of the Province of Malta took place. The gathering was held at the Dar il-Ħaninn Samaritan Center of the Society of Christian Doctine (M.U.S.E.U.M.) whose founder was St. George Preca, a Third Order Carmelite. During the meetings, the elections for the the prior provincial and councilors were held.  

Míċéal O'Neill, the prior general, accompanied by Richard Byrne, the Councillor for the Europe, also participated as did Michael Farrugia, procurator general and member of the province.

The following members were elected to leadership at the meeting:

Prior Provincial | Prior Provincial | Priore Provinciale
Charles Mallia, O. Carm.

1st Councilor | 1er Consejero | 1^o Consigliere
Maurice Abela, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2do Consejero | 2^o Consigliere
Martin D. Schembri, O. Carm.

3rd Councilor | 3er Consejero | 3^o Consigliere
Alexander Scerri, O. Carm.

4th Councilor | 4to Consejero | 4^o Consigliere
Ivan Scicluna, O. Carm.

The 450th anniversary of Ven. John of Saint-Samson’s birth was celebrated at the Mdina Carmelite Priory, the seat of the Carmelite Institute Malta, with a series of events.

On December 23, Fr. Charlò Camilleri preached the Christmas retreat to the Augustinian Sister Servants of Jesus and Mary on the meditation by John of Saint Samson entitled “Of the Ineffable Incarnation of God made Man.” The accompanying text for personal reflection and communal prayer for the day was John’s Song of the Most Deep Love of God.

On December 28, a talk on Aspirative Prayer according to John of St. Samson was delivered to the group participating in the monthly Christian Meditation Class in the Carmelite Tradition.

On January 5, the Mdina Carmelite Third Order Secular Fraternity, during the monthly fraternity meeting, reflected on John’s mystical doctrine of union with God.

The Carmelite Church in Mdina also owns a painting of Ven. John of Saint Samson. Holy cards with a short biography on Ven. John are also made available in various languages, and are particularly appreciated by the French vistors to our Church.

To commemorate the 450th anniversary and make the spirituality of John of Saint-Samson more widely known, a variety of newspaper articles were published locally by Fr. Herman Duncarn, O. Carm.

The Provincial Chapter of the Maltese Province was held on November 15-19, 2021, at the Carmelite Retreat Center in Dar Tat-Talb, Lunzjata, Rabat.

Fr. Conrad Mutizamhepo, general councilor for Africa, was president of the Chapter.

The following were elected:

Prior Provincial: Fr. Joseph Saliba

First Councilor: Fr. Maurice Abela

Second Councilor: Fr. Renald Lofreda

Third Councilor: Fr. Jurgen Cucciardi

Fourth Councilor: Br. Vincent Rotin

Provincial Secretary: Fr. Ivan Scicluna

The Carmelites arrived in Malta in 1418, when the noblewoman, Margaret d'Aragon, deeded the chapel and surrounding land of Lunzjata (Rabat) to any religious Order that would undertake the incumbent religious duties. The Carmelites accepted the offer. Subsequently, they opened priories in Valletta (1570), Vittoriosa (1582-1652), Mdina (1659), Balluta - Sliema (1892), Santa Venera (2 houses: 1913 and 1980), Fgura (1945) and Fleur-de-lys (1947). At present the Province of Malta has about 40 religious working in Malta, Bolivia, Italy and Spain. For more informations: http://www.karmelitani.org/

FGURA
Kunvent tal-Karmnu
Triq il-Karmelitani
FGURA, FGR 1205
Tel. +356 21827900 / 21661745
Parrocca Madonna tal-Karmnu
website http://fguraparish.org

MDINA Kunventtal-Karmnu
Triq Villegaignon
MDINA, MDN 1190
Tel. +356 21454524
website https://www.carmelitepriory.org/

RABAT
Patrijiet Karmelitani
Dar tat-Talb «Lunzjata»
RABAT, RBT 14
Tel. +356 21459021

SANTA VENERA
Kunvent tal-Karmnu
Misrah Santa Venera
SANTA VENERA, SVR 1681
Tel. +356 21484053
St. Elias College
Tel. +356 21484121- 21483146
website http://steliascollege.edu.mt/

VALLETTA Kunvent tal-Karmnu
Triq il-Punent
VALLETTA, VLT 1535
Tel. +356 21233808
website https://www.facebook.com/karmelitanivalletta/