The Ohloq Tbissima marathon, a 60-hour live broadcasting fund-raising event organised by CAM Productions international (CPi), the Production House within the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP starts at noon on Friday 12 July and carries on uninterrupted till midnight of Sunday 14 July.
This year Ohloq Tbissima is in its eleventh year. As in previous years, the aim is to enhance missionary awareness whilst raising funds for the missions in the care of the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP) in the Philippines, Peru and Pakistan as well as in aid of St Joseph Home in Santa Venera. Funds also go towards evangelisation through the media.
As Fr Bernard Falzon explains, through the missionary work carried out by MSSP missionaries in the Philippines many youths are helped financially and encouraged to further their studies. Moreover, the missionaries also see to the spiritual needs of the University students who number about 50,000 in total.
Not only are these aspects taken care of, but Fr Joe Cremona, who started off the mission in Bataan, helps teach various labour skills to the people he works with, and also daily provides nutritious food to a good number of children and their families.
On the otherhand, the missionary work in Pakistan includes spreading the message of the Gospels and also educating children and women who would otherwise not have the opportunity for an education. The missionary work in Pakistan focuses on the various needs of the families giving each person and each family the dignity they deserve.
In Peru, the missionary work includes providing the people with food, a home and also creating opportunities by giving them an education. The missionaries therefore build small rooms which serve a homes to the families, assist in clinics seeing to the various medical needs of the poor and also helping out in schools, besides running a home for children and also seeing to the spiritual needs of the parishoners.
Locally, besides spreading the word of the Gospels through the media, the MSSP missionaries also run St Joseph Home. Various projects are running to ensure that the boys who are resident at the home are given a sound education, seeing to their individual needs so that they will eventually be in a position to find work and live independently, away from any addictions or situations which would be detrimental to them.
Once again this year Ohloq Tbissima is being organised from the yard at St Joseph Home, from where a varied programme will be aired. The public is encouraged to participate both by giving their monetary contribution as well as by visiting the marathon at Santa Venera.
The telephone lines are in place and anyone who wishes to give a donation may call 5160 2004 to donate €10, 5170 2007 to donate €15 and 5180 2009 to donate €25. One can also SMS 5061 8099 to donate €4.66