More than €1.4 million were collected for the Dar tal-Providenza home for the disabled during a fund-raising telethon on New Year’s Day.
“Once again the people of Malta and Gozo have shown their generosity towards Dar tal-Providenza by donating €1,409,085. The funds will help the Home to continue providing the best residential services to a hundred and fifteen persons with disability that live in the Siġġiewi Home or its other community homes,” Fr Martin Micallef, Director of the Home, said at the end of the event.
He said he hoped that the solidarity shown towards Dar tal-Providenza on the first day of the new year will continue throughout the year with all those in our society who need support.
The important fundraising aspect of TV Marathon including appeals, telephone and on-line donations were done at the WE Media studios in Qormi between noon and midnight.
During the marathon, visitors to the studios included the President of Malta, Dr George Vella and Mrs Vella, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi, President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the Leader of the Opposition and Mrs Grech and, through Skype, Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma.
Also present were Ministers and Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, delegations representing the main political parties, various personalities and representatives of constituted bodies who also took time to answer the phones.
After a pause of two years, the auction of works of art donated by various Maltese and foreign artists was held online and raised the sum of €28,605.
As has now been the custom, various parishes in Malta and Gozo made special collections during church celebrations that were donated to the Home on behalf of the community some of them also using Skype.
In the morning, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrated Mass in the Home’s chapel on the first day of the year dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and the World Day for Peace. He was assisted by Mgr. Charles Cordina, Episcopal Vicar for Diaconia, Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Dar tal-Providenza, Fr Trevor Fairclough, Spiritual Director, and Fr Josef Mifsud, Archpriest of Siġġiewi.
In his homily, the Archbishop said that at the beginning of a new year, he wanted to convey his greetings to all with the same words that the Lord passed on to Moses. “May the Lord lift his face toward you and give you peace." He said that the Lord’s look at us is one of love because love and mercy go hand in hand. How nice it would be if we were to teach ourselves to pray for the Lord’s protection. We also pray to him to give us wisdom so that we can find the true peace.
Mgr Scicluna hoped that the choices we make during this new year would be the right ones because what good is there in recreation that we think would fulfill our heart’s desires: drugs in all their forms, abuse of alcohol and other choices that alienate us for a little while and do nothing but harm?