I have been hearing about the missions and dreaming of doing some missionary work ever since I can remember. However, this dream only became a reality when Fr Joseph Camilleri, who was spending a short holiday in Gozo, invited me to join him in Guatemala for a brief missionary experience. I accepted promptly as I knew that I would have no problem communicating with the local people as I could speak their language.

Fr Joseph Camilleri has been doing missionary work in Guatemala for the past 14 years. His is a very difficult mission indeed, but I am sure that God Almighty must be blessing his work, because the project just completed by him is not one that many of us would have undertaken. In fact, he has just finished building a much needed hospital.

However, although the building has been completed, there is still work to be done – the fitting of the hospital with modern equipment. Some wards are already being used to the benefit of the very poor patients who are cared for there. All this is done thanks to the generosity of so many Maltese and Gozitan people who not only helped financially but also went over to help build the hospital. Here I feel I must mention Charles and Lina Thake who have helped Fr Joseph Camilleri from their home in Malta for many years.

I am sure that at this point you must be asking: What has all this got to do with Lent? Since Lent is a preparation for Easter, the Catholic Church encourages us to make sacrifices by fasting and refraining from eating or doing something we enjoy. So let us all think of the poor people of Guatemala during Lent and put our teachings into practice.

In Guatemala we have two Gozitan missionaries – Fr Joseph Camilleri and Fr Anton Grech. The latter runs a smaller parish but he is just as poor. So during Lent, let us all thank God for all He has provided us with, and make amends for our sins by being generous to people who are not as lucky as we are.

Donations can be sent either to: Fr Joseph Camilleri, 28 St Zachary Street, Xewkija, Gozo, tel: 2155-1327, Fr Joseph Sultana, 109 Racecourse Street, Xaghra, Gozo, tel: 2155-9400, Fr Anton Grech, Triq Papa Gwanni 11, Victoria, Gozo, tel: 2155-6509 or by sending blank SMS – 5061-7372 = Lm1, blank SMS – 5061-8066 = Lm2 or blank SMS – 5061-8911 = Lm3.

Fr Joseph Sultana

Xaghra, Gozo