On September 20-23, 2021, the Province of St. Paul the Apostle in Malta celebrated an Extraordinary Provincial Chapter.
The Chapter was convoked and presided over by the Minister Provincial, Friar Colin SAMMUT. It began on Monday, September 20, with a spiritual retreat conducted at the Oratory of the Missionary Society of St. Paul in Birkirkara, Malta.
On Tuesday afternoon, September 21, Malta’s Independence Day, a good number of friars boarded a boat for a moment of relaxation and fraternity, circumnavigating the island of Comino.
On Wednesday, September 22, the Chapter had a full working day. The friars gathered in the Chapter Hall at the Franciscan Cultural Center in Birkirkara to discuss updating the Provincial Statutes. The Assistant General for the Federazione Inter-mediterranea Ministri Provinciali (FIMP), Friar Giovanni VOLTAN, was present, while the Procurator General, Friar Maurizio DI PAOLO, joined the meeting online.
The last day, September 23, began with the celebration of Mass. Then the Chapter resumed its work on the revision of the Provincial Statutes, discussing and voting on each issue. The constructive and familiar atmosphere allowed for unanimous approval.
Being at the mid-point of the four-year term (2019-23), the friars had ample time to reflect on the present and future of the Province, in a spirit of discernment. Here, too, they generously shared their comments and experiences. There was an awareness that it was necessary to start from a place of listening, to each other and to the Word of God, in order to understand what the Lord is asking today and in the future.
Friar Allister M. AQUILINA, Chapter Secretary
