July – August - Franciscan Province – MALTA

FRATERNITAS
New Discreet elected for the
Custody of the Holy Land
Eng Vol. XXXX. Nr. 133 - OFM Rome - Email: rbahcic@ofm.org - 01. 07. 2007
On the 9th of June, the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated its Chapter lived a
moment of particular importance and where Fr. Noel Muscat OFM was elected.
During the celebration of Vespers, the friars prayed for and remembered the deceased
brothers of the past triennium.
The remembrance of those who preceded us in the walk of faith is frequently
an efficacious stimulus to help us confront the future with faithfulness. Today the
Custody Chapter, looking to the future, chose the new Discreets of the Holy Land.
Before the election the chapter members prayed, invoking the Spirit of the Lord.
They also listened to words of wisdom of St. Francis, which describe the qualities
of Friars who are proposed to be leaders of their brothers.
The following were elected: Fr. Gregor Geiger, Fr. Athanasius Macora, Fr. Noel
Muscat, Fr. Rachid Mistrih, Fr. Dobromir Jasztal, and Fr. Nicolas Marquez. After
the elections, the new Discreets received congratulations from all the chapter
members. We wish them the best in serving the other brothers with wisdom and
responsibility!
Immediately after the elections, the Friars walked to the new Church of the
Theotokos (“Mother of God”), built adjacent to the Milk Grotto. A festive Mass was
celebrated there in honor of the Friars who celebrated their priesthood anniversaries.
Fr. Angelico Pilla and Fr. Garret Edmunds celebrated 50 and 25 years of
priesthood, respectively. Fr. Angelico, in his homily, remembered, with likeable
wittiness, some significant episodes
in his long missionary life. It is always
with gratitude that one celebrates
faithfulness to their vocation,
which is certainly a gift from God,
but which is also the fruit of a humble
and constant commitment on
the part of man.
The Holy Mass was followed by
a festive lunch at Casa Nova
(Franciscan hotel for pilgrims). The
chapter members warmly received
the Friars celebrating their anniversaries,
manifesting to them fraternity.
In the afternoon, after a meeting
dedicated to the approval of
some norms regarding the Statutes,
the chapter members participated in
the ceremony of inauguration of the
new Catholic Action Sports Center
of Bethlehem. We would like to
wish Fr. Noel every success in his
new post.
Noel Muscat, OFM jieħu l-āurament
wara li āie magħŜul bħala Deskrit
għall-Kustodja ta’ l-Art Imqaddsa.
L-A{BAR LULJU - AWISSU 2007 33
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