Corporate Communion is held at the Seminary on Gozo at 11 a.m. on the first Wednesday each month.
Meetings are generally held on the third Monday each month.
Starting with coffee between 10.00 – 10.30 am followed by the Speaker, and Prayer Time, finishing at 12 noon
2011 PROGRAMME.
NEXT MEETING:
19th March – Enrolment of new Members venue at Holy Trinity Church Sliema – Lunch afterwards
FUTURE DATES:
19th May – Fundraising ENGLISH TEA in Manresa Retreat House Gardens 4pm-6pm.
18th June – Gozo final get together lunch before the summer recess
10th September – Meet and Greet in Malta venue to be decided.
15th October – Gozo
19th November – Possible MU Day at the Cathedral
10th December – Christingle Service Manresa Retreat House Chapel
Our members live on both of islands where they take an active part in the full life of the three local congregations. Traveling to meetings on the opposite island involves a sea crossing which can be difficult in inclement weather. However meetings are usually well attended and are also supported by regular visiting members from the UK. The fund raising family-based projects are well supported by all members who continually look for new ideas and recipients within the islands and worldwide.
2011 was one of change and progress. The most significant change came in January when Mrs. Valerie Ellis Branch Leader, also Faith and Policy Officer for Europe, became a major stroke victim, resulting with her immediate return to UK where she has since remained. Valerie Ellis signified everything our Branch is about, she created a strong feeling of fellowship, was always looking for ways we could progress and to support our outreach work which had so many directions in meeting the needs on both islands. We felt bereft and saddened that such a vital person would no longer be in a position to lead us. We are so very pleased that with the same determination she brought to her leadership she now makes steady progress towards gaining mobility in speech and movement. Together we decided that Val would not want us to fail but we should try and achieve all she wanted for the future and so with the permission of Barbara Woods, our Diocesan President, Chrissie Scott was installed as Acting Leader together with three new members at a service led by Fr. Jeffrey Williams and held at Holy Trinity Church in Sliema. Fr Jeff then went on to bless the restored MU banner which was presented to Holy Trinity and it is good to know that banners are now on display at both the Cathedral and Holy Trinity. Then with the consent of all concerned, we set about coming to terms with new ways to meet, enjoying coffee mornings together in Members homes and at Dar Manresa Retreat House, which we felt was vital if we were to maintain our commitment to each other, not perhaps doing so much fund raising for at least 2011, but still meeting needs where we felt we could do as much good as possible within our limited resources. It came as no surprise to us all, that Members immediately offered their homes to hold meetings, realising this would maintain and support in a way which was most appropriate, with discussion groups, speakers etc. and we particularly enjoyed sharing Norma Schooley-West’s birthday together with Rob when they made us so very welcome with lunch in their home, at Elizabeth Lochhead for our “Meet & Greet”, and recently our very happy evening of Harvest Supper at Margaret Thomas’s home.
In support of work with immigrants especially their babies and young children we have collected over 22 parcels (and they are still arriving!) sent from various UK branches and in particular Anne Bradley, Gill Hutchison, Majorie Hayward and Rev. Sheila Dawson-Campbell all who kept their Members in their various Branches busy knitting, and finding baby clothes. We were delighted to meet Anne Bradley and other Members who visited Malta and Gozo their suitcases filled with items for us, their generosity in time, overweight suitcases and goodwill invaluable. Our dear Eritrean immigrant friend Ruth together with her family has visited Gozo staying for the weekend and so we have been able to give her many items to give to the most needy in camp, and we were delighted to learn that she along with her children after 5 years of arriving on these shores in recognition of the hard work she has done in achieving so much, has with her husband & children been given legal status and repatriation to Dublin. She left on 12th December 2011 to start her new life, and our prayers go with them With the Libyan crisis and Malta’s involvement this network of supply and demand has remained a large part of the work we do. We were so delighted with the donation of € 175 from the MU Diocesan Office for Europe to contribute to this work and in particular the message which Chief Executive Reg Bailey sent to us all in recognition of this particular outreach.
We distributed shoe boxes full of gifts for the new Gozo long stay mental health ward at Gozo Hospital just before Christmas, Val Ellis has asked that an accreditation course be given in her name to a student at the De Bono Home, we have supplied bibles for newly baptised children at both St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral and Holy Trinity, and many Members have undertaken to make hospital visits not only to Members but others who came to their attention, we also still send cards to anyone we know who we feel would like to receive correspondence from us ie if they are ill or in personal difficulties. Our Webmaster for Mothers Union Europe www.mueurope.org Andy Scott who is also a Diocesan Member keeps us up to speed with what is happening in the rest of Europe and in our own Branch.
As a Branch we have always believed our strength is our loyalty to each other, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, our total commitment to uphold Mothers Union aims and objectives and to do everything for and in His name. Despite all the problems of illness, long distances, and personal difficulties this has meant we continue as a Branch, steadily looking forward to what else we can achieve in the coming year ahead.
Chrissie Scott – Branch Leader (as at our AGM in December duly elected)
Branch members are presented with a CD by members of Steynton MU in the Diocese of St Davids, Wales visiting Gozo with the Neyland Ladies Choir from Pembrokeshire on a wet Tuesday of Easter Week !
New Members Enrolled - 3 April 2011: Elizabeth Lochhead, Carole McLaren & Diocesan member: Andy Scott.
