Pilgrimage Trip To Malta
10 April, 2024
The thought of going on a Pilgrimage trip to Malta has been on the minds of several members of the SDC Friends group of our Centre in London for some time. People in this group have been showing interest in visiting Malta for a number of reasons including to see the birthplace of the SDC Society, learn more about the Founder St George Preca and to explore the rich Christian environment of the island. Some also expressed their desire to experience how Holy Week and the Easter Triduum are celebrated and how this differs from that in London.
Following months of thinking and deliberations, the idea came into fruition during the Easter Break 2024 when a group of fourteen people visited the islands for a week long pilgrimage trip.
The group left from London Gatwick airport on a very early flight on Good Friday, 29th March and was therefore on the island around lunchtime, thus in good time to be able to attend the Good Friday celebration at the parish of St Sebastian in Qormi. They walked over to the neighbouring parish of St George the Martyr to see the amazing Good Friday procession with live characters, statues and solemn music played by various bands – things that no one in the group had witnessed before.
Over the weekend the pilgrims visited other places of interest and continued to take part in the Easter Triduum celebrations which included attending the Easter Vigil on Saturday at the Co-Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Valletta and then attended the Risen Christ celebration in Cospicua on Sunday.
One important aspect of this trip was to give a better understanding of the SDC and how it operates in Malta. The group had the opportunity to visit a number of SDC Centres such as Qormi, Ħal Lija and Mosta, but we also attended Mass at the Chapel of the Miraculous medal in Blata l-Bajda. This was followed by a visit to the SDC General House and meetings with the members of the SDC Administration. On Wednesday 3rd April, the group led the Wednesday meeting which takes place in the Auditorium. This included information about the SDC Friends group, hymns and sharing of personal experiences by three members of the group.
During the rest of the stay in Malta the pilgrims also had the opportunity to visit other places of historical interest including the capital city Valletta, the old city of Mdina where they were treated to a guided tour, Dingli Cliffs and other places. A day to visit the charming island of Gozo was also organised. This included visits to churches, beaches and other attractions such as the Ggantija temples.
The final day was also a very important one. The group visited St Paul’s Bay and Bugibba where we read the narration of the Shipwreck of St Paul (Acts 27 and 28) from the Qawra Promenade. In the evening pilgrims attended mass at the parish church of St Cajetan in Hamrun where Fr Preca served as a priest for so many years.
For the whole week the group was hosted at the Dar il-Ħanin Samaritan in Santa Venera. Everyone commented on the good level of service at this centre, its amenities, quality of food and not least the welcoming and accommodating staff working there.
This visit will stay in the memory of those who took part for a long time, but more importantly, it helped enhance their Christian faith. Different people have been touched by different things and aspects of this trip but they have all commented that this was a great opportunity to get an deeper insight into the life of SDC and the Catholic Church in general.
