Gozo Bishop Mgr Mario Grech will be making a pastoral visit to the United States of America from tomorrow to 31 May. This is the first overseas pastoral visit by Mgr Grech who was invited by the Maltese community in New York and Washington.

In New York, Mgr Grech will be meeting Maltese and Gozitan emigrants for Mass at the Church of Mount Carmel in Astoria followed by a meeting at the Maltese Centre at the same location. He will also visit St Patrick’s Cathedral, the United Nations and Ground Zero while he will meet with Gozitan priests who are performing pastoral work in the city.

In Washington, Mgr Grech will take part in a concelebration where there will be the blessing of an image of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The ceremony will be conducted by Cardinal Teodor McCarrick with Mgr. Grech making the homily.

Mgr Grech will also be meeting Ambassador John Lowell and the Apostolic Nuncio for the United States, Mgr Pietro Sambi. He will be accompanied by his personal assistant Fr Eddie Zammit. In his absence, Vicar General Mgr Giovanni B Gauci will be locum tenens of the diocese.