The Malta Anglican

The magazine of the Anglican Church in Malta and Gozo

December 2017
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Dear Friends,
As His Holiness the Pope begins his Papal visit to Myanmar formally Burma in
South-East Asia, we add our prayerful support to his powerful voice. Of late,
Myanmar and its President Aung San Suu Kyi has been mired in controversy.
The United States and the United Nations have accused Myanmar of the ethnic
cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims. Over 620,000 Rohingya have fled to
Bangladesh in the wake of killings, rape and arson and a call to rescind Aung
San Suu Kyis Nobel Peace prize is on everyones lips. In the midst of this , Pope
Francis is to visit over three -quarters of a million Catholics. In Bangladesh he
will attend a youth rally having met Aung San Suu Kyi , the military chiefs,
Buddhist monks and a delegation of Rohingya. His Pastoral visit had been
arranged some months before the latest spasm of violence erupted in August.
The diplomatic stance of the Vatican and its Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro
Parolin has had to embrace the difficult nature of the political precipice.
Myanmars local Catholic Church has publicly urged Pope Francis to avoid using
the term Rohingya which is not recognised as a minority ethnic group within
the country. But the Holy Father has already prayed for Our Rohingya
brothers and sisters and any decision to avoid the term could be viewed as a
capitulation to the military dictatorship and a blot on his legacy of standing up
for the oppressed and marginalised of society however controversial. The
debate is not just semantic: Myanmars government and most of the Buddhist
majority consider the refugees as Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living
illegally in the country albeit for generations. Although Catholics make up only
a tiny minority in Bangladesh where some 90% of its 144 million strong
population are Muslims , the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need
(ACN) plans to help in the Diocese of Mymensingh. Perhaps apart from our
continued prayer for Christians facing persecution around the world we should
be supporting the work of ACN financially, particularly in its ministry in
Myanmar and Bangladesh. This Christmas let us hope that the Peace of the
Christ Child will suffuse international politics with the promise of Jesus
blessing. May your Christmas bring the love and passion of the Holy Family into
your homes and to those of all faced with confrontation, fragmentation and
division.

The Reverend Canon Simon Godfrey, Chancellor and Senior Chaplain

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Churchwardens News Gozo

As quiet November draws to a close we look forward to a very busy December
with Christmas fairs, Carol services, Christmas parties and, of course, Bethlehem
in Ghajnsielem. In early November we welcomed the Rev Thomas Brown from
the Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester, Massachusetts who conducted our
service on the 1st. Several of us went to the Remembrance Day Service which,
strangely, was held on the 5th November on Gozo this year.

Judith
pilgrimpugh@hotmail.com
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THE ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY IN MALTA AND GOZO

CHRISTMAS SERVICES 2017

Sunday 17th December 9 Lessons and Carols Cathedral 18.30

Monday 18th December 9 Lessons and Carols Holy Trinity 18.30

Wednesday 20th December Christmas Mass Gozo 11.00

Sunday 24th December Midnight Mass Cathedral 23.30

Roman Catholic Mass of the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Sunday 24th December Midnight Mass Holy Trinity 23.30

(1st of Christmas)

Monday 25th December Christmas Carols Gozo 9.00

Christmas Mass Holy Trinity 9.30
(2nd of Christmas)
Cathedral 11.00
(3rd of Christmas)

Tuesday 26th December St. Stephens Mass Cathedral 11.00

Wednesday 27th December St. Johns Mass Gozo 11.00

Friday 29th December St. Thomas Becket Holy Trinity 9.30

Sunday 31st December Holy Family Mass Holy Trinity 9.30

Cathedral 11.00

Sunday 7th January Epiphany Mass Holy Trinity 9.30

Cathedral 11.00
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From the Editor

I have decided that the time has come for me to give up producing the
magazine after almost three years. And although I have thoroughly
enjoyed doing this I am finding the time required an increasing burden
due to my other many commitments. I am appealing for someone to take
on the role and the challenge, as it would be a shame if the magazine
was no longer produced. This will be my penultimate edition.
I am providing a detailed job description so that anyone who is interested
would know what is involved on a monthly basis.

Job Description
1. Assembling all the articles sent each month and putting them together
into a readable form. (including inserting notices, events and weekly
services and prayers) and converting it to pdf form.
2. Photocopying approximately 190 copies (in Fr Simons office in
Valletta).
3. Printing labels
4. Collating the magazines (folding and stapling), stuffing the envelopes
and sticking the labels
5. Taking magazines to the post office.
6. Emailing approx. 40 copies.

Time involved
Creating the magazine, 6-8 hours spread over several days
Photocopying and assembling, 2 to 3 hours
Sticking labels on envelopes, hours
Waiting in queue at post office, ????

The editor would legally have to apply to be registered as editor and will need
to apply for the post office licence for bulking mail once a year when due for
renewal.

Training will be provided. If you think you could do this, are computer
literate and have some spare time please let either myself or Fr Simon
know.

Aileen
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The Innkeepers Wife

Spare a thought of me, the innkeepers wife

At that time , my world was full of strife!
The Romans were throwing their weight around:
Many curses to heap on their heads were found.
Folk had descended on us from far and wide,
For none from the census call could hide
All were demanding bed, board and fine wine;
Not one minute in the day could I call mine!
My husbands a good man, dont get me wrong,
But he was under strain too, and feelings were strong.
So when this weary couple appeared out of the night,
Under and an unusually bright stars light,
Begging a room, I took one look at her state,
And showed them to our stable, the birth to await.

Linda Henry
Christmas 2017
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Marie Curie- a Woman who changed the World.

Part 1:Early life and career to the outbreak of World War 1.

"Marie Curie"-as she was later to become, was born
in Lublin, Poland, on 7th November 1867,being called
Maria Salomea Sklodowski. Her parents were
teachers and the family had been in education for
some time. Maria was certainly precocious, and
started to read at 4 years old. She was good at
languages (later she was to speak not only Polish, but
Russian , German, French and English.)She had a keen interest in maths and
physics, subjects in which she was to become extraordinarily proficient. At age
16 she won a gold medal from the "girls gymnasium", as her school was called.
Though capable of university entry, she could not do so in Warsaw, as it was
for men only. She taught and learnt, for a while in the "Flying University", an
unofficial (and illegal) university for women.
Her family had been quite well off, but her father's involvement with Polish
patriotism, suppressed by the Russian occupation, led to a loss of property,
and a much poorer and harder lifestyle.
She began work as a tutor and governess, to earn money to help her older
sister Bronislawa ("Bronya"),hoping that if she qualified and got a good job,
Bronya could then help her to do the same! The years were not easy. Marie
had suffered the death of an older sister Zophia, who died of typhoid, and 3
years later her devout catholic mother died of TB. The impact of this, on a
young girl, was severe. Her letters show a background ,in the Poland of
Victorian times ,of startling inequalities, ignorances, and much illiteracy.
In 1891 she moved to France and enrolled in the Sorbonne; she tutored in the
evenings to afford a poor garret living space in Paris. She quickly got her
master's degree in physics, and one in mathematics the following year! She
also achieved some practical training in chemistry.
In 1894 she met the esteemed physicist, Pierre Curie, whom she married the
next year. From this point it must be said that her astonishing succession of
scientific discoveries began.
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At first working in very rough conditions in a leaky old shed, which was the only
laboratory the University of Paris could find for them, she and Pierre
succeeded in defining the radiation given off by uranium-a discovery of X-rays.
At about the same time, two other scientists confirmed the discovery.
Marie noted many properties of X-rays e.g. that they passed through solid
matter and could affect photographic plates. Also noticing that a mineral
called "pitchblende" was very "radioactive"-a term she coined herself-they
succeeded in extracting a new element, which she called "polonium"(after her
homeland, Poland),and another, now known as thorium.
The investigation did not end here. The extract they worked with was found
to contain an even more powerful radioactive element in very small quantities,
eventually, and laboriously ,identified as radium, isolated in 1902.
Their work had not gone unnoticed, and in 1903 they shared a Nobel Prize for
the discovery of X-rays. Not achieved without pains-Marie and Pierre began to
suffer from what was to be called "radiation sickness", but did not realise what
this was. Perhaps by good fortune, Marie's gifted infant child Irene grew up
healthily.
Others noted that apart from causing burns to healthy tissue, radium radiation
destroyed tumours faster than healthy cells. Quickly the use of radium in the
treatment of cancers was realised, and the element had an initial value of
750,000 gold francs (a bigger figure in modern money!) per gram. It was not
easy to get due to its extremely small presence in the ores from which
extraction was a lengthy process.
Despite the successes of the Curies, tragedy was to intervene. In 1906,in a
heavy rainstorm, Pierre was killed as he was knocked down by a brewer's dray
(a beer cart),when crossing a Paris street. Shattered as Marie was by his death,
she recovered enough to accept his position as Professor of Physics, when the
University, shortly after, offered her it. She became the first woman to hold
such a post.
Her remarkable work continued, and in 1911 she received a second Nobel
prize, this time in chemistry, for the creation of a means of measuring
radioactivity.
Not long after, the Sorbonne built the first Radiological Institute. It had two
laboratories. Marie was appointed Head of the Radioactivity lab, and the other
was devoted to biological research into cancer treatment. Important
discoveries followed, such as the use of radon, a radioactive gas.
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So far, a most astonishing career, also greatly encouraging women to enter

science, and dispelling foolish prejudices about the leadership of women. She
spent her Nobel awards largely in furthering her work, and in generously
helping others, and not on herself.
In about 16 years, the world of atomic physics and chemistry had been stood
on its head; it was now known that an element could transform itself into
another; that there were many more elements than had been known before
1898,and that "radioactivity" was a major force in the evolution of the
universe, and one for which many uses could be found in technologies.
A new era, both for women and for science had begun, but it was not to
develop peacefully.
Chris Linskill.
^^^^^^^

The Mothers Union met for its monthly

meeting on Monday 20th November at PBH. It
was lovely to be joined by two members from
the Blackburn diocese and also a guest. The meeting confirmed purchases to
support the following: Christmas boxes for distribution on Gozo, Ghabex, and
the Malta food bank.

Knitted items for children in Africa has seem dozens of jumpers and hats
produced which will be forwarded to the people coordinating this appeal.
Support for the above people is possible thanks to the generous support
fundraising efforts have received over the past year so a very big thank you to
everyone concerned.
The AGM for the Mothers Union will be held on Monday 11th December at
10:30 at Manresa House Gozo. Followed by an Advent carol service (approx.
11:15) and Lunch at 12:30. Lunch is 18 euros per head.
All are welcome to join the carol service and / or the lunch. Booking for lunch
is essential. Please contact Susan on susanwarner76@gmail.com before the 5th
December
Susan Warner
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Editors Comment

Reply or Reply all

This is one of my pet peeves. Many people either are not aware of what
they are doing when replying to emails or do not realize the implications.
I am continuously receiving emails which have no relevance to me or
contain personal information, yet I have been copied in the reply.
For example do not use reply all when1
1. Only the original sender needs to know your reply,
2. Your comments will be crucial to know for the original sender and
a few other recipients, Do a normal reply in this case, and then
add the select other recipients manually. ...
3. Your message is simple like "Thanks!" or "Me too:"

Reply all is reserved for special cases only. It should only be used if you
need to send the same message to every single recipient in the group.
It's not usually appropriate in this situation to send a reply to everyone
else and explain that you can't go because you have to work this
weekend and that your child is sick anyway, so it's not a good weekend
for you. Those details are relevant to the sender but probably not to
everyone else that was invited.
There are, however, times when you should reply to all and when
you're expected to reply to all. Maybe it involves a group discussion
about a work project, or something else that directly involves the other
recipients.
No matter the case, you should always think it through before sending a
mass email out to others. It's even worse when a few people are sending
reply all messages one after the other, and you get a dozen emails in
the span of a minute or two. Those are not only hard to keep track of but
also annoying if you have no need to read them.

Aileen

11
https://www.lifewire.com/do-not-default-reply-all-1173272
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A CHRISTMAS DRINKS PARTY

AT BISHOPS HOUSE

An Invitation for:
the Friends of Holy Trinity and members of the
Congregation who are interested in becoming Friends of
Holy Trinity
The Friends of Holy Trinity are pleased to invite you to a
Christmas Drinks Party in the Chaplains Apartment at
Bishops House on Saturday 16th December 2017 from 7 to 9
pm.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Tickets: 5

Now available from Mary 99 210 620

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Services and Liturgical Dates for December

Friday 01 Charles de Foucauld, Hermit in the Sahara, 1916
Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 03 The First Sunday of Advent

Francis Xavier, Missionary, Apostle of the Indies, 1552
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 04 John of Damascus, Monk, Teacher of the Faith, c.749

Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Wednesday 06 Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c.326

Gozo 11:00 Mass

Thursday 07 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Teacher of the Faith, 397

Friday 08 The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 10 The Second Sunday of Advent

Francis Xavier, Missionary, Apostle of the Indies, 1552
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 11 John of Damascus, Monk, Teacher of the Faith, c.749

Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Wednesday 13 Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304

Gozo 11:00 Mass

Thursday 14 John of the Cross, Poet, Teacher of the Faith, 1591

Friday 15 The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 17 The Third Sunday of Advent

O Sapientia
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 18 Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

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Wednesday 20 Gozo 11:00 Mass

Friday 22 Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 24 The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Christmas Eve
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Holy Trinity 11:30 Midnight Mass

Monday 25 Christmas Day

Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Tuesday 26 Stephen, Deacon, First Martyr

Wednesday 27 John, Apostle and Evangelist

Gozo 11:00 Mass

Thursday 28 The Holy Innocents

Friday 29 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr, 1170

Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 31 The First Sunday of Christmas

John Wyclif, Reformer, 1384
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass
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Dates for your Diary

Cathedral

Christmas Fayre, Saturday, December 2nd

09:30 12:30 in the Undercroft, Valletta

Nine Lessons and Carols, Sunday, 17th December,

18:30. Singing led by the St Paul Choral Society.
Following the service there will be mince pies and
mulled wine in the Undercroft. Entrance 3.00

Holy Trinity

Christmas Fayre, Saturday , December 2nd,

09:30 13:00 , Bishops House, Sliema
Gifts, Decorations, Baked goods, preserves
and more Books & Bits will also be open for
your perusal

Nine Lessons and Carols, Monday, 18th December, 18:30.

Singing led by the St Paul Choral Society. Following the
service there will be mince pies and mulled wine in the hall.
Entrance 2.00
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Notices
Judith Buttigieg wishes everyone in all three parishes
A JOYOUS CHRISTMAS and PEACEFUL NEW
YEAR. May you all enjoy good health in 2018.
.
In the interest of saving the environment and earning money for the church I
have decided to send my Christmas Greetings this way

To all my friends at Holy Trinity

May I wish you a blessed, peaceful and merry Christmas
and a fantastic New Year
Love Ursula

Reverse Advent Calendar

Holy Trinity is once again encouraging members of the congregation to create

a Reverse Advent Calendar This involves putting aside an item of food each
day throughout December until 25th . This will then be donated to the food bank.
When complete, please bring your donations to Holy Trinity.

Thanks Ursula and Aileen

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2017 Archdeaconry Synod of Italy and Malta

The 2017 Archdeaconry Synod of Italy and Malta took place in the Villa Sacro
Cuore near Milan from the 27th to the 30th September. In the absence of Fr
Simon and Paul Tillbrook, Judith Buttigieg and Judith Pugh represented the
Chaplaincy.

As usual we had a busy schedule encompassing bible studies, addresses and

discussions on Synod business as well as times of worship. As usual also, it
was good to meet up with representatives from other churches, renewing old
friendships and hearing about their triumphs and concerns.

The Bible studies were led by Clare Amos, Diocesan Lay Discipleship and
Ministry Development Officer who dealt with aspects of being 'Energised by
Faith'. We were also addressed by Bishop David Hamid and Archdeacon Vickie
Sims who spoke about Chaplaincy governance and Diocesan structures. Three
Locum priests attended the synod and talked about the duties and expectations
of locums when invited to work in a parish. It was stressed how important it was
that they had Permission to Officiate and had undergone safeguarding checks.

Ian Carter, Safeguarding Manager for the Diocese of Europe, ex-policeman who
worked in youth justice and child protection and has worked for UNICEF, spoke
of safeguarding issues in the Diocese and the training courses to be conducted
in the Diocese by Paul Tillbrook, the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer. He related
how he and his team had suffered abuse while going about their duties. Another
interesting, and harrowing, talk was given by the Revd Carrie Pemberton-Ford
who spoke about Human Trafficking and the Archdeaconry of Italy and Malta
and how trafficking has become part of organised crime working with the people
smugglers to enslave vulnerable people, especially the young.

As in past years synod representatives gave reports on the activities of their

churches. We both spoke about our respective churches adding to the written
reports sent by Fr Simon. We spoke about energy and enthusiasm; how and
when we are encouraged to 'talk about God' and share faith stories with others;
the ways our church helped people to grow in faith; the ways in which worship
and the sacramental life of the church move people closer to God.

We left for home enthused and encouraged.

Judith Pugh
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Chancellor of St Pauls Pro Cathedral

The Reverend Canon Simon Godfrey, SSC

The Lodge, Independence Square, Valletta VLT1535
21225714 79913561 Anglican@onvol.net
Chaplain based at Holy Trinity Church
Vacant
Reader
Vacant
St Pauls Pro-Cathedral
Chaplaincy Warden Mrs Bernice Caruana 2147 0630
Churchwarden Mr Simon Walker 2141 5887
Organist Dr Hugo Agius Muscat 2141 1995
Sec. Friends of St Pauls Mr Simon Walker 2141 5887
Holy Trinity Church
Chaplaincy Warden Mrs Aileen Grech 7904 8509
Churchwarden Mrs Ursula Smith 9926 3572
Organist Mr Tony Camilleri 2180 2096
Sec. Friends of HT Mrs Mary De Gruttola 9921 0620
Our Lady of St George, Gozo
Chaplaincy Warden *Mrs Judith Pugh 7986 6367
Archdeaconry Representatives marked * and including Mrs Judith Buttigieg
Chaplaincy Council:
Hon. Secretary Mr Paul Tillbrook* 9906 5616
Hon. Treasurer Mr Dean Bucknell 9980 7653
Electoral Role Officer Mrs Aileen Grech 7904 8509
Safeguarding Officer Mrs Susan Warner 79641143
Magazine Editor Mrs Aileen Grech 7904 8509

aileen@go.net.mt

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of expressed in this magazine

are not necessarily those of the chaplaincy

Picture front cover:

https://i1.wp.com/images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-
large/orthodox-nativity-scene-munir-alawi.jpg