A unique ceremony

      The beatification of our Founder, brought together thousands and thousands of people to the Granaries ground at Floriana (suburb of the Capital City Valletta) Malta. All the people were very happy on this occasion for practically everybody has heard or read about Father Preca. Many of those present had even personal experiences of our Founder to recount, and interestingly, one could see also quite a number of tourists who happened to be on the Island during the Beatification. Fr George was a very humble priest, he resisted any honour that was layed upon him. It is precisely because he humbled himself, that and God exalted him. We can all say, that this evangelical truth has been witnessed by the coming of Pope John Paul II to Malta to declared Fr Preca Blessed. This occasion was unique for all of us, since it is not only to be remembered as an event that took place on a particular day, but because it has a special message for all of us. As I was looking at the crowd gathered in front of the altar, I felt in a special way that our Founder helped all the people of the whole world to come to know and love God better especially by founding our Society. Therefore, I conclude that it is now up to each and every one of us to play our part as Members of this Society to try, as much as possible, to open up new ways for evangelization. Blessed George Preca touched the lives of many as we have witnessed in the ground at Floriana, he has even touched our lives, people who live thousands of miles away from the Island on which he lived! We too, in our small way are challenged to push with him the cart full of manure that Jesus was pulling. The cart is the same Gospel that we are obliged first to live and than to preach. After this life of our here on earth, through God’s grace we shall be happy together in heaven singing the sons of victory. 

Evan Ngugi 
Ruiru, Kenya.

      Greetings to all the Society from our Centre in El Obeid, Sudan. We are all so very grateful and happy for the proclamation of our Founder, George Preca, as blessed. May God bless us and give us His grace to persevere in our vocation and to have the courage and the energy to proclaim the Good News to everybody but especially to our brothers and sisters in the Southern Sudan. Thank you for keeping us always in your prayers, may God bless you.

Kawal Kawag 
El Obeid, Sudan

      The month of August 2001 has been a blessing to us Members of Mpeketoni, due to the visit of six Members from the Region of Malta. These Members have really shared with us the spirit of our Founder, Blessed George Preca. This visit was for all of us so uplifting and we could all share the sense of brotherhood in a very unique and particular way. On behalf of all the Members of this Centre, we would like to thank our dear brothers for their sacrifice on coming and paying us a visit. It is always wonderful to be with the Members from different places, as we share the same spirit of the founder. Who knows, may be one day we will be having Members from the other Regions or Vice-Regions coming to visit us and sharing with us their multiple experiences. We have already tasted the beauty of such an encounter when we were in Malta for the Beatification. May God bless us all.

Simon Wekesa sdc
Mpeketoni, Kenya

Various messages by Cardinals, Archbishops and other Church prelates reached the Central House at Blata l-Bajda on the occasion of our Founder's beatification.      We are here reproducing Cardinal's Dias letter of congratulations.

Condolences:

MARY FARRUGIA, died 12 August 2001. Mother of Joseph Farrugia Ardeer

MOST REVEREND FRANCIS RUSH. Archbishop of Brisbane ‹ 1973 - 1991. Died Saturday 21 July 2001. Friend of the SDC, supporting our foundation in Brisbane and maintaining contact with us up until his death. During the Second Vatican Council, Archbishop Rush visited our Members in Malta, praying at the tomb of Father George Preca. During the Annual General Meeting in Brisbane in 1999 , the Members visited Archbishop Rush in retirement at Verina Villa, Oxley. A great friend of the SDC, he always took an interest in our work even after his retirement as Archbishop of Brisbane. Archbishop Rush is remembered for his leadership in implementing the changes following Vatican II particularly those relating to Liturgy.

      Let us also remember in our prayers all the sdc Members who died during this year. The Members are: Carmel Schembri - Paola; John Gatt - Valletta; Joseph Vayarella - Rabat; Joseph Camilleri - Poala; Carmel Dimech - Naxxar; Antoine Randich - Marsascala; Francis Zammit - Vittoriosa; Eddie Zammit - Hamrun I; Bartolomeo Sammut - B’Kara III.