Fr Xavier Mifsud OSA passes away

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing away of fr Xavier Mifsud OSA who went to meet the risen Lord whom he loved and served along his life today 28th April 2021. Fr Xavier was lately residing at Villa Messina after leaving the Rabat Community just a few weeks ago.

Fr Xavier was born in Rabat in 1933 and joined the Augustinain family in 1952. After completing his studies he was ordained priest on the 2nd April 1960.  During the first years of his ministry, he lived in the Augustinian Community in Tarxien and worked at Saint Augustine College. In 1964 he went to Brasil where he dedicated most of his ministerial life as a priest. In Brasil he served in different communities and also as parish priest of various parishes. After almost forthy seven years of missionary service he returned to Malta and was a member of the Saint Rita Community in Saint Julians and later in the Rabat Community, where he lived until a few weeks ago.  

The Augustinian Province commends his soul in your prayers.

For those who wish to make a donation to the Augustinian Missions instead of sending flowers, the account number at BOV is 400-1018-8817.

Alternatively, a donation can be made by SMS as follows:-

506 17357 for a donation of €2.33

50618085 for a donation of €4.66

506 18085 for a donation of €6.99

506 19206 for a donation of €11.65

If by cheque, this should be made payable to Fr. Mario Abela OSA, Secretary Augustinian Missions, Zammit Tabona Street, Pieta’ PTA 1331.

O Lord grant him eternal rest.

"Għin bil-Passi Tiegħek" is a Virtual Marathon fundraising event organised by the Segretarjat Missjonijiet Agostinjani in aid of missionary work done in Africa particularly in Mozambique and Kenya. The aim of such event is to raise money to build 5000L water tanks in remote places which are far away from any fresh sources of water. People living in these remote areas have to travel over 5km daily to access such fresh and clean water from wells. With your help, we want to create an environment where fresh and clean water is available for more people without having to walk great distances to do so. These water tanks cost €300 to buy and setup.

The Amigos Virtual Marathon, is a run that everyone can do individually in their own time and pace, within the current Covid-19 regulations in place. The length of the marathon is of between 5-15km. Everyone is encourage to choose his own pace and distance. Even if running isn't your thing; you can cover the distance by walking. The only rule is that the distance chosen has to be covered during the month of May, starting from the 1/05/2021 till the 31/05/2021.

A certificate will be provided to every participant taking part in the virtual run. As a proof of participation kindly send a screenshot (or multiple screenshots if the distance was covered in more than one outing) of the distance covered from your preferred tracking app together with a selfie of yourself whilst doing the marathon to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with "Amigos Virtual Marathon" included in the email subject.

Fill in the form in the link below if interested.

http://bit.ly/AmigosVirtualMarathon

Entry Fee is €10 per person. Payment should be done via Revolut on +356 79255936.

Kindly include your name followed by "Amigos Virtual Marathon" in the notes section. Otherwise, bank transfer is also accepted using the following IBAN number : MT58VALL22013000000040010188817

The Augustinian Family celebrates ... The Conversion of St. Augustine, St. Mark the Evangelist and Our Lady of Good Counsel

Along the year, throughout the Liturgical Calendar we celebrate the great mysteries of our redemption, along with dogmas of faith or other occurrences that are relevant to the history of our salvation and the Tradition of the Catholic Church. In addition we also celebrate models, among these, the Holy Mary - whom we celebrate under various titles – and so many saints who chose to follow Jesus with their radical choices in life. In the Liturgical calendar of our Augustinian Family and moreover, of the Maltese Province, April 24, 25 and 26 are days of particular celebration.

April 24 marks the day on which so many years ago, exactly in the year 387, our spiritual father Saint Augustine received the sacrament of Baptism. It was the Easter Vigil Celebration. That is why on this day the Augustinian Order celebrates the Conversion of St. Augustine which is one of the most conversion stories which marked not only St. Augustine himself, but also served as an inspiration to many in the long Christian tradition. St. Augustine recounts this experience particularly in his book ‘The Confessions’ as the journey to the moment in which he found God being the moment in which his heart found rest.

On April 25, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. This year falls on a Sunday and therefore the liturgy celebrates the 4th Sunday of Easter to continue the journey of this strong liturgical season. However St. Mark carry particular significance in the Maltese Augustinian Province that bears his name. The Augustinian Province of St. Mark was founded in 1817, but the Augustinian Friars had been in Malta for hundreds of years before. In 1551 they were given a chapel dedicated to St. Mark in Rabat and a few delapidated buildings around it. This was the beginning of the presence of an Augustinian Community in that place with a monumantal church and priory. It was precisely the link with this presence that led to St. Mark being chosen as patron of the Province upon its establishment.

On April 26 then, the Augustinian family around the world celebrates Our Lady Mother of Good Counsel which is a title to Our Lady very much at hearth for the Augustinians because of the Sanctuary that bears this title in Genazzano just outside Rome, in Italy. This devotion was actually born in the Augustinian Church hundreds of years ago and eventually the devotion grew and spread not only in the Augustinian Family but also in various other Churches in every corner of the world. Several Popes have in fact resorted to Mary's intercession in this Sanctuary. In Malta the Augustinian friars run a church dedicated to Our Lady under this title in Paceville, but you can practically find such an image in all other Augustinian churches on the islands.

Let us pray for the intercession of the Mother of Good Counsel, St. Mark and St. Augustine so that the Lord may continue to guide us in our juorney to follow him. Above all, we pray for the Augustinian Family and the various pastoral initiatives it embraces so that the Lord may strengthen it and bless it with new vocations.

On Wednesday 14th April 2021, the Augustinian Friars organised another online session as part of their Permanent Formation. This was the second meeting in a series delivered by Fr Philip Cutajar OFM Cap on the theme: Building an Evangelical Community.

Fr Philip shared his experience of being infected with Covid-19. He explained that this experience helped him appreciate life and his community, particularly in the way they interacted with him during this difficult time.

Fr Philip invited the Friars to apply the second chapter of the Vatican Council II document Gaudium et Spes which deals with the human community and which can be applied to a religious community.

This document speaks on the importance of:

• Dialogue among brothers which respects the dignity of each person
• The religious seeking to be one family
• The superiors discerning the will of God with their community
• The common good and its centrality
• Showing respect and love towards adversaries
• Equality and its importance
• The moving away from an individualistic ethic
• Responsibility and participation
• Solidarity among one another.

 These meetings are of great help to the Friars in their quest to renew themselves as a community built on the Gospel.