Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518433
THE first day of April 2024 marked the 90th year since the offical opening of the first Don Bosco Oratory in Gozo. And on the same day, back in 1934, Don Bosco, the founder of the Salesian con- gregation, was proclaimed saint by the Catholic Church. The founder of the Don Bosco Orato- ry of Gozo was Fr Paul Micallef, a priest from Victoria, who however was not present on the official opening of the first oratory, since he chose to make a pilgrim- age to Rome in the same days in order to be present for the canonisation ceremony of the patron saint of children and youths. So instead, he left everything in the hands of Fr Joseph Spiteri, a Maltese priest hailing from Naxxar, who was help- ing Fr Paul to realize his dream in favour of the gozitan children and youths. The first Oratory in Gozo was opened in a small house in Charity Street in the town centre of Victo- ria, adjacent to the sacresty of St. George's Parish. But that was the humble beginning of a very big project intended for the well-be- ing of Gozitan children and youth, a project which is still ongoing 90 years later, now in a much larger building at St. Augustine's Square in Victoria. To commemorate these 90th anniversa- ries, various activities are currently being organised in Victoria. A photographic exhibition of vintage photos is being held at the Foyer of the Don Bosco Oratory in St. Augustine's Square. Some of the displayed photos are being revealed for the first time, soon after they were discovered in a private collection. This exhibition will stay open till 15 April. The exact day of the anniversaries, on Monday 1April, was marked by a prayer vigil in the Chapel of the Salesian Sisters in Republic Street, Victoria, starting at 5:30pm. Those present then proceeded to the Gozo Cathedral to visit the tomb of Fr Paul Micallef, the Oratory's founder. On Sunday 7 April, a solemn Thanksgiv- ing Mass will be held at the Don Bosco Or- atory Chapel at 10:30am. This Mass will be led by Mgr. Carmelo Mercieca who worked hard at the Don Bosco Oratory during his early priesthood years. Mgr Mercieca is currently celebrating his 60th year as a priest. A celebrative lunch will follow. On Thursday 11 April, the Don Bos- co Oratory will host the classical music festival "Gaulitana" which will present a lunchtime concert by the Chinese musi- cians "Mei Guo" at the Oratory Chapel on the traditional Chinese instrument known as the "Pipa". The concert with the name of "Eastern Hues" will start at 11:30am, and amongst other pieces, will include numbers from the rock-opera "Ġwanninu" about the life of St. John Bosco. The 90th anniversaries programme will come to an end with the production of the classical Maltese comedy "It-Tieġ ta' Karmena Abdilla", originally written by Charles Clews. This production at the Don Bosco Ora- tory Theatre will be staged by Don Bosco Oratory Dramatic Company on Saturday 13 April at 7:30pm. Booking is recom- mended before the date of the show. NEWS 12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 APRIL 2024 Gozo marks 90th year since the official opening of the first Don Bosco Oratory Some of Oratory's children posing on the steps of the Gozo Cathedra (left) and standing in front of the Oratory in 1947 (right) with Fr Paul Micallef (inset) THE Convenience Shop, a lead- ing name in the local convenience sector, has announced a series of tree-planting initiatives across various localities in Malta. In collaboration with environmen- tal NGO Coast is Clear and local councils, these initiatives aim to embellish public spaces and pro- mote more greenery within the communities it serves. Following successful tree-planting events in Ħaż-Żeb- buġ and Santa Luċija, The Con- venience Shop will be contin- uing its green journey with plantings in various localities in the coming weeks. These ef- forts align with the company's commitment to help make Mal- ta greener and more vibrant for future generations. In addition to these communi- ty-focused events, The Conven- ience Shop organised a special tree-planting event at Kenne- dy Grove in Qawra. This event served as both a company staff event and a community engage- ment initiative. Andrew Attard, Executive As- sistant to the Directors at The Convenience Shop, said, "As a company deeply rooted in our local community, we're bring- ing our colleagues together for a meaningful cause. Our tree-planting event at Kennedy Grove not only reinforces our commitment to the environment but also fosters team spirit and a closer community engagement." The Convenience Shop Group launches community green initiative