ANOTHER SUCCESS WITH THE CELEBRATION OF FESTA SANT ANNA / PWALES – MALTA
After an absence of three years because of the pandemic when Festa Sant Anna had to be cancelled
because of health warnings, this year has seen the revival of FESTA SANT ANNA in the Pwales hamlet.
A sizeable congregation attended for this celebration. ALPS chaplain Fr William Bartolo celebrated Holy mass on the open chapel parvis that was specially prepared with an altar for this occasion. Seating was all filled by those who made an effort to come to Pwales, to again revive this annual event that has been unavoidably missing from the ALPS almanac for the past three years. This is another great success for ALPS.
Everything comes at a price and a concerted effort by ALPS council members and friends, has helped for a repeated success to this event. Starting from our dear council member who resides in Canada, a beverage sponsorship from SFC was duly obtained by Milo Vassallo through his many connections that he still has in Malta. Milo and his dear wife Rita were visiting the Maltese Islands in June and have just missed attending to this Festa Sant Anna. We say thank you to Milo and to his supporting friends at Simonds Farsons Cisk Ltd, for having provided the bulk of the beverages. Other council members in The Association of Lyceum Past Students, have also given their share by offering addition help with wines and food for the occasion. From the ALPS coffers the cakes and the muffins have been paid. Besides doing the cleaning and preparing the chapel for this occasion,
our dear friends the Vella /Bezzina families have also contributed by bringing along and distributing melons and watermelons that they grow in their fields that are in the surrounding fields to the Pwales chapel.
Fr. William delivered a wonderful sermon and made special emphasis on the role of Sant Anna who was the mother of our Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Anne is considered also as the patron of all Grandparents. This year, the sound system was duly enhanced by the recently obtained equipment that has been graciously donated through the intervention of ALPS past president George Stagno Navarra who happens to be also a member of The Catenians Association. Thanks goes to The Mensija Circle Catenian Association committee, for their kind and generous gesture which is greatly appreciated.
Newly appointed Secretary General of ALPS- Mark Darmanin, has done miracles in the few months that he has been in office. He circulated numerous Face-Book and e-mail announcements to ALPS members and friends of the association, who have responded quite satisfactorily for this event. Our past council member Oscar Galea did his best to send out e-mail messages at regular and repeated intervals to all those who are on the association data base. Every little bit has helped for this years’ success.
Thank you all who have contributed to this FESTA SANT ANNA 2023. Together we can do a wonderful job. Our founder President
Dr. Guido Saliba must be happy to watch the success of ALPS that he has so painstakingly formed in 1994. We continue to promise him our loyalty and determination for even greater success in the coming years.
George Stagno Navarra
This message is prepared and
circulated by ALPS Past President
