The Church celebrates the day dedicated to consecrated life on 2 February, feast of the Presentation of the Lord. On this day the Church remembers all religious men and women who consecrate their lives to God by living in community and promising God to live in poverty, chastity and obedience. For this occasion the new Archbishop, Mgr. Paul Cremona OP, presided over a meeting for consecrated persons at St. Monica convent, in Birkirkara, on Friday 1 February. Vespers were celebrated, together with prayers and songs on the theme of Mgr. Cremona’s motto: “Prepare the way for the Lord”.
Furthermore, our Franciscan students Walter and Joseph Ciappara joined in to help with there musical instruments together with other students from different religious orders Our two postulants Aaron
and Joseph Cilia helped in a liturgical dance. Mgr Cremona also had his time to deliver a message to the Religious and his main message was that religious in today’s world have to be a guiding light for others. On the aspect of obedience which he said is not always easy, but if one has faith in God nothing is impossible. He once again pointed out the importance of prayer of the religious for the needs of others and he humbly asked the religious to pray for him to be in a position to guide the Church, and asked the religious to help him in his mission.
At the end of the celebration the Provincials of all the Orders also presented to the new Archbishop with a gift. They presented to him three pins which he will attach to the pallium, which is worn only by Metropolitan Archbishops (in their own dioceses), as a symbol of their authority. It is a band of white wool adorned with 6 small black crosses, worn around the neck with extensions front and back, and pinned to the chasuble in three places about the neck. The non-silk part of the pallium is made of white wool, part of which is supplied by two lambs presented annually by the Lateran Canons Regular on the feast of St. Agnes (21 January). The wool is solemnly blessed on the high altar of that church after the pontifical Mass, and then offered to the Pope, who sends palliums made of this wool to the archbishops.
