Eucharistic Celebrations

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Daily Mass at 9.15am

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday between 10.00am and 3.00pm

Due to COVID we are currently closed to the public for mass.

“Be a providence for someone else” – Fr Martin on his birthday

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“On my birthday I want to thank God for the gift of life and the numerous graces he gave me during my life. I was brought up in a family with good values, He called me to serve him as a priest, met a lot of people who were an inspiration to me and received from them a lot of love. This year I thank Him in a special way for the healing of cancer.

The nicest gift you can give me for my birthday this year is that any one who can goes to donate blood at the National Blood Transfusion Centre in Gwardamanġa. When I was receiving treatment I needed three bags of blood. In actual fact, more than 30% of blood transfusions are done to patients at the oncology and hematology units. Cancer patient treatments may spread over a few years and, amongst others, this includes transfusions of various blood forms. I now know from personal experience what a difference one blood bag can make on the road to recovery from cancer. I also know that right now there is an urgent need of blood. Please don’t think twice and donate blood.

Donating your blood to someone you don’t even know who he or she is is a huge noble gesture. I thank those persons who anonymously gave me blood. The Lord will repay you hundredfold for your act of charity. Donating blood is also a sign of God’s providence. Be a providence for someone else.”

AD MULTOS ANNOS Fr Martin

Dar tal-Providenza bids a final farewell to Fr Lino Cardona SJ

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Dar tal-Providenza bids a final farewell to Fr Lino Cardona SJ who has today joined his precious Lord in Heaven at the age of 76.

Fr Lino has been giving his service at Dar tal-Providenza since the summer of 1975 when Dun Mikiel Azzopardi, the founder of the Home, asked him to replace him so that he can go on a short holiday in August. Since then Fr Lino never missed saying mass at Dar tal-Providenza’s chapel every Wednesday and Sunday and also helped out wherever necessary. In 2011, Dar tal-Providenza awarded him the Premju Dun Mikiel in recognition of his voluntrary work at the Home. He was quite close to Dun Mikiel in the final days of his life and had an active part in his funeral and burial arrangements.

Last September, Fr Lino was interviewed on 103FM on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Home and he recounted once again the story of how Dun Mikiel Azzopardi, the founder of the Home, was given the first generous donation that was the beginning of Dar tal-Providenza. He said that Dun Mikiel used to describe this first donation as a miracle that kept repeating itself. Fr Lino said that recalled Dun Mikiel describing the first donation as the “first miracle.” He ended his interview by saying that a lot of people benefitted since the Dar tal-Providenza opened its doors and as far as he was concerned the Home is a treasure of the Church in Malta.

We offer our sincere condolences to his brothers of the Jesuit Community in Malta as well as to his relatives.

Lord, grant him eternal rest.

“Id-Dar tal-Providenza goes Disney”

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Id-Dar tal-Providenza has organised a stage activity entitled “Id-Dar tal-Providenza Goes Disney” for its residents. The production, based around various Disney characters, was staged between the 19th and 22nd October 2020. In spite of the present situation we are living in, the producers adopted all the protocols outlined by the Health Authorities and under their guidance staged the show on four different days so that residents of the flats stayed in their own bubble without having to mix with others.

The residents certainly appreciated this activity and enjoyed the production that some of the employees of Dar tal-Providenza prepared for them even under these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Id-Dar tal-Providenza Goes Disney”, was a great experience organised by the Home’s Ability Promoters directed by David Muscat with the help of Loralie Scerri under the supervision of Margaret Vella, together with the Physiotherapy Section. They all showed their singing and animation talents for the benefit of the Home’s residents.

We gratefully thank all those who gave their huge support to this activity especially the companies Louie Noir Academy and Cheeramigos Animation Group who provided the costumes as well as Audio System that provided the LED screens.

SPRED

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In today’s world, we are very much aware that people with learning disabilities, as baptized members of our Church, have spiritual rights and spiritual needs. How to respond to these needs has been something, we at id-Dar tal-Providenza, have tried to address consistently over the years.

In 2004, id-Dar tal-Providenza started to use the method called SPRED – SPecial REligious Development – which has been used successfully in many areas of the world. In SPRED each person with a learning disability has a sponsor and belongs to a small community of (usually) 14 people. To enable growth in a sense of the sacred, the environment where people meet is very carefully prepared. A room that offers a warm welcome with few distractions helps people settle and become ready for a more explicit sacred experience. After about 45 minutes, the group gathers round God’s Word in another room which is like an oratory and are guided, by the Leader Catechist, through meaningful catechesis. What is very real for our residents are the ordinary everyday events of life – eating, drinking, laughing with friends, waiting for someone to arrive, visiting. It is these ordinary events that are remembered at a SPRED session, skilfully evoked by the Leader Catechist. From the human, we move to the Divine for God reveals Himself in the ordinary. Every session ends with the sharing of food round a table that everyone helps to prepare. The whole experience lasts two hours.

The group of catechists meet the following week to review the last session and to prepare, through prayer, for the next gathering.
Since catechesis and Liturgy are intrinsically linked, the celebrations of Mass in the Chapel at id-Dar tal-Providenza take on more profound depths. The quiet and prayerfulness experienced at a SPRED session are brought to the Liturgy: the liturgical experiences of the Mass are evoked and deepened at the SPRED session. Through this balance of catechesis and liturgy, all are nurtured to enter more deeply into the mystery of God “doing something beautiful for us and among us.”

In SPRED the helpers grow in faith. The friends grow in faith. Together, as companions, they journey, sharing faith.
If you are interested in sharing your faith and friendship with persons with learning disabilities contact SPRED on Email: spred@dartalprovidenza.org

Karus ta’ Mħabba (A Moneybox representing a chain of LOVE)

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Id-Dar tal-Providenza has special coin boxes for children that are distributed in schools and parishes during Lent in which they can save some money in aid of the Home.

With each moneybox we give a leaflet explaining that the money collected will be used for the inclusion of persons with disability to have equal opportunities and live in an environment, where they can love and be loved, learn and share their experiences with others, grow together in faith, work and enjoy life like other human beings.

We also explain that this initiative is just a drop in the ocean of what we can do in favour of persons with disability.

Schools and parishes that want to participate in this ‘Chain of Love’ can call us on 21462844 or 21464915 or contact us by email on info@dartalprovidenza.org

Festa ta’ Ġenerożità

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On the 1st January of each year Id-Dar tal-Providenza organises a Festa ta’ Ġenerożità (Feast of Generosity) at the Siġġiewi Home to raise much needed funds for the Home. Every year more than five million euros are need to run the homes including those in the communities of Siġġiewi, Qawra, Birkirkara, Żurrieq and later on Balluta. This is one of the major annual fund-raising events.

Festa ta’ Ġenerożità kicks off with Mass in the Home’s chapel, while some of the top local entertainers will take part in a 15-hour marathon held under a big tent set up for the event in the parking lot of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. Festa ta’ Ġenerożità is broadcast live on all the main TV stations. Donors flock to Siġġiewi during different times of the day to make their donation and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Tied to Festa ta’ Ġenerożità an auction of art works kindly donated by local and foreign artists is also held in the early part of December. These last few years, under the patronage of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Anġlu Farrugia, an exhibition of the donated works is set up in the main foyer of the Parliament building in Valletta. Lately the live auction was also held in the foyer. All the works of art will be uploaded online at www.dtpauction.com.

Friends of Divine Providence House Group NSW Australia

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The Group was founded in October 2011 with the aim of raising funds for Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Malta. The current structure of the group is made up of:

· Mr Jim Borg, Founder/Co-ordinator

· Ms Marisa Previtera, Secretary

· Ms Miriam Friggieri, Treasurer

The Friends of Providence House is the official Ambassador to Id-Dar tal-Providenza in New South Wales, Australia.

Any person who may wish to obtain further details or wishes to make a donation should contact:

The Co-ordinator, Jim Borg on Tel: +61 296367767 • Mob: +61 418825591 The Group can also be contacted by Email: foph@bigpond.com

Bank details are:

Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Account Name: Friends of Providence House (NSW)
BSB: 062 416
Account Number: 1019 9448.

This is the only official bank account in Australia.

Bazaar

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The bazaar is currently closed.

St. Isidor Agriculture Centre

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The St. Isidor Agriculture Centre at Id-Dar tal-Providenza was officially inaugurated in May 2009. The Alfred Mizzi Foundation was the main sponsor of the project and has provided solid financial support for it to come to its start up.
Residents at the Home grow a variety of herbs in the spacious greenhouse and then pack the produce both for their own kitchens as well as for sale to the general public.
The Agricultural Centre is named after St. Isidore, the patron saint of farmers
For more information kindly contact us on: info@dartalprovidenza.org or telephone: (00356) 21 462 844.