Għasri Parish's notices for this week are as follows:
1. Għasri Local Council will be organising the annual cultural event relating to our community's heritage. Part of the event will include an exhibit of antique statues. These local artefacts will be part of the event "Traditions: Wine, Olive Oil and Honey" on the 23rd of September 2023 at 7pm organised by the Għasri Local Council together with the Gozo Ministry and other participants. The fair will include various activities and will be held at Għasri's Piazza.
2. From the 25th of September until the beginning of October, the parish administrator (i.e. Fr. Edward Vella) will be doing home visits. Monday: Piazza and Triq Salvu Gambin, Tuesday: Triq Dun Karm Caruana and Triq il-Wilġa, Wednesday: Triq il-Knisja, Thursday: Triq il-Fanal until Triq il-Ġonna, Friday: Remaining part of Triq il-Fanal until Triq Tamar and Saturday Triq il-Fenek and Triq t'Għammar.
3. On Thursday, 28th September 2023, the church will be open for silent Eucharistic Adoration from 8am until noon and from 5.30pm until 6pm.
4. On Thursday, 28th September 2023, we will pray the Rosary in front of the Holy Eucharist at 6pm with the prayer intentions for vocations and families.
5. On the 30th of September 2023 at 6.30pm, there will be a Thanksgiving Mass marking Għasri Day (i.e. Jum l-Għasri). The Għasri Local Council invites all Għasri residents for this Service. Whilst most of the festivities relating to Jum l-Għasri will be incorporated in the festival of the 23rd September, the Thanksgiving Mass will be held on the official Għasri Day which is the last Saturday of the month of September (closest to the 28th of September). Whilst the presence of humans in Għasri's geographical area goes back to the prehistoric era, the community of Għasri as we know it today initially started as a hamlet from Żebbuġ where the farmers working in the fertile fields around Wied l-Għasri congregated at Gozo's oldest basilica of Our Lady of the Patronage (built in the 1700s) rather than walking up the hill to go to Żebbuġ's parish church. When the new Għasri church was built between 1903 and 1917, houses started to being built around today's Salvatur Square. In 1921, Għasri was declared a parish, a status which later in the 1990s defined most of the boundaries of the local councils of villages in Gozo.
6. For the month of October 2023 only, the animated Eucharistic Adoration of the First Saturday of the month at the parish church will be held on 14th October instead of 7th October because on the 7th of October we will be doing the Marian prayers at the vigil of the feast of Our Lady of the Patronage at Wied l-Għasri Basilica.
7. During the meeting of the pastoral council which was held earlier this month, it was decided that it will be amalgamated with the parish council, the latter will assume both roles and be simply known as the parish council. In Europe and areas where the community is significantly larger than the amount of priests, the priests focus on spiritual/sacramental matters and the parish council focuses on all governance matters such as restoration, cultural activities, finance, projects, pastoral matters and material diocesan relations.
8. A confessor who is not resident in Għasri is available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Għasri Parish church on Saturdays between 6pm and 6.45pm. On Sundays, Confession is available: during 8.30am Mass, from 10.15am and during 10.30am Mass, and from 5.15pm until 5.45pm.
9. Communion for the sick (Viaticum) is given every Sunday after 8.30am's Mass.
Updates from Sunday School:
- Due to our community's small population, catechism lessons will be grouped, namely Years 1-3 (including class of First Holy Communion), Year 4 up to Holy Confirmation class (included). Others will be communicated in due course.
- Sunday School is held at one of the parish's buildings in the piazza and will start in October (exact dates will be communicated next week).
The updates on the two infrastructural projects which are currently ongoing at our parish are as follows:
- Updates on the Church's roof restoration: Collections during the first weekend of each month will go directly to this infrastructure project. The architect noted that it's not just the membrane which needs changing but also some stones around the windows.
- There are no new updates on the cemetery works. However, those who would like to reserve a new grave are kindly requested to contact the parish.
Notes from the Diocese:
- The diocese's pastoral theme for this year will be "Stay with us, Lord" (Luke 24:29). More information on the social media of Gozo Diocese.
- During the weekend of 23/24 September 2023, all donations from churches in the Diocese will go towards the humanitarian aid relating to Morrocco's earthquake and Libya's flooding.
- Prospective couples interested in initiating or continuing their two-year Catholic Marriage Preparation Meetings are encouraged to approach the parish (Fr. Eddie Vella) for the application process. Couples should apply for these meetings, irrespective of whether they have set a wedding date yet. The meetings are scheduled to commence on the last weekend of September. Gozitans who live on the main island of Malta will be able to attend the course in Malta rather than Gozo as the same meetings will be offered both in Gozo and Malta.