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8 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2026 CULTURE Like Mother, Like Son: J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Conversion' to Catholicism DURING the next public talk at Il-Ħaġar Museum, taking place on Friday 6 March 2026 at 19:30, Rev. Geoffrey George Attard will delve into the exception- ally close and loving bond the English writer and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien shared with his mother, Mabel Tolkien, known before marriage as Mabel née Suffield. This bond shaped both his life and his faith. After his father's death, when Ronald was three, Mabel became the sole caregiver and educator for her two sons, teaching them subjects such as Latin, French, botany, and drawing. Her decision to con- vert to Roman Catholicism in 1900 resulted in severe condem- nation and the complete loss of all financial support from her staunchly Baptist family, forcing them into poverty. When Mabel died of acute diabetes in 1904 at the age of 34 – two decades before insulin was discovered – Tolkien, then only 12, was left orphaned and came to regard her as a martyr for her faith and for the hardships she endured to ensure her sons were raised Catholic. THIS deep love and profound sense of loss left an indelible mark, influencing his strong re- ligious identity and the themes of suffering, sacrifice, and en- during love found in his works. Born in 1978, Rev. Attard is a priest of the diocese of Gozo. He holds a Masters in Ec- clesiastical History from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Theology from the University of St Andrews', Scotland. He is a member of the Oxford Tolkien Society. He teaches Church History at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Gozo (Malta). He reviews books for The Sunday Times of Malta. As always, admission for this talk is free, but seat res- ervations are encouraged by sending an email to events@ heartofgozo.org.mt Born in 1978, Rev. Attard is a priest of the diocese of Gozo. He holds a Masters in Ecclesiastical History from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Theology from the University of St Andrews', Scotland. He is a member of the Oxford Tolkien Society. He teaches Church History at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Gozo (Malta). He reviews books for The Sunday Times of Malta. Bejn il-Veru u l-Hlieqa: Public dialogue with Judge Toni Abela TONI Abela is probably best known as a politician and a judge serving in our courts of justice. However, there is another side to Judge Abela: that of a short-story writer. On Saturday 7 March at 11:00 at Il-Ħaġar Museum, Judge Abela will discuss this latter aspect with Notary Christian Zammit. This will be an opportunity to under- stand what the creative pro- cess involves for a person for whom writing and life are inseparable. Judge Abela has written about politics, cur- rent affairs, law, court sen- tences, and more recently, novels. In this public dialogue, Abela will share the experi- ences and inspirations that have shaped his thinking into novels that blend reality and fantasy, hence the title of the event Bejn il-Veru u l-Ħlieqa. Admission is free but seat reservations are rec- ommended by sending an email to events@heartof- gozo.org.mt. This event is be- ing held in collaboration with Kite Group. Proceedings in this event will be in Maltese. Toni Abela will share the experiences and inspirations that have shaped his thinking into novels that blend reality and fantasy, hence the title of the event Bejn il- Veru u l-Hlieqa (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)