With just a few months to go until the Jubilee Year 2025, which has the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”, we are witnessing strong signs of hope in the pastoral life of the Church in Malta.
A few weeks ago, the Archdiocese of Malta signed a deed to hand over the imposing Dar Saura, a €25 million site covering 5,500 square metres in Rabat, to the Malta Trust Foundation on a 65-year contract for its transformation into an empowerment centre for young people with disabilities.
Until a few months ago, this late 17th-century building served as a retirement home, but it will come alive again with the laughter and music of young people as Villabianca, Malta’s first music and arts centre, moves to larger premises to accommodate its long waiting list. The centre’s vast land will allow the foundation to build an occupational therapy centre, social enterprises, a multi-purpose hall for training, a petting farm and a multi-sensory room. Eventually, it will provide studio apartments to house the foreign music therapists and specialists who will work at the centre, as well as space for workshops.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna said, Reason for existence Commenting on the church’s decision, he said: “The best use of church assets is for social causes, particularly supporting those who need it most. We hope that Dar Saura, under the leadership of the Malta Trust Foundation, will become a state-of-the-art hub to help children and young people with disabilities develop their skills and realise their full potential through music and the arts.”
It is a church that cares, reaches out and seeks to address the gaps and barriers faced by those in need.
Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, Chairperson and Honorary President of the Malta Trust Foundation, said the agreement marks a historic moment that positions Malta as a Mediterranean hub for young people who struggle to reach their potential due to disadvantaged backgrounds or disabilities. Coleiro Preca said: “This is a groundbreaking agreement and we are deeply moved by the Church’s generous act. My dream is that this hub will become a one-stop shop for families to see their children with disabilities thrive – a place where children can grow, develop their capabilities and be empowered to go out into the world. This will show that there is a purpose in all of God’s creation.”
This is the second time in five years that the Archdiocese of Malta has donated property to support an NGO that is making a tangible difference to people’s lives. In 2019, the Archdiocese handed over the site of a church known as the Adelaide Cini Institute in Santa Venera to Hospice Malta. The property will be used for the construction of St. Michael Hospice, the first state-of-the-art complex offering comprehensive palliative care, which is due to open later this year.
These are concrete signs of hope. They embody the very essence of the Gospel that the Church preaches. A Church that cares, that seeks to reach out and address the gaps and barriers faced by those in need, so that everyone has access to the support they need to realise their potential. A Church that cherishes its traditions but also seeks to share them so that they can be a source of strength and empowerment for new generations.
The Most Rev. Joseph Galea Kurmi is an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Malta.
j.galea.curmi@maltadiocese.org
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