DISKORS MINN AMATA CAMILLERI, PRESIDENT ASSOĊJAZZJONI VOLUNTARJI LOURDES WAQT IL-LAQGĦA ANWALI ĠENERALI, PORZIUNCULA HOUSE, BAĦAR IC-CAGĦAQ – IT-TLIETA 15 TA’ MARZU 2011

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Huwa ta’ pjaċir għalija li nerġa nilqagħkom għal laqgħa anwali ġenerali ta’ l-AVL. Għaddiet sena minn l-aħħar darba li ltqajna u din is-sena hija tassew sena importanti għall-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna.

Fl-2011, l-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna qiegħda tiċċelebra l-għaxar anniversarju mit-twaqqif tagħha. Kienu għaxar snin ta’ sodisfazzjoni kbira għalina il-membri li waqqafniha biex nagħmlu servizz ma ħutna il-morda. Nixtieq nieħu l-opportunità biex nirringrazzja l-ewwel kumitat tal-Assoċjazzjoni immexxija minn Albert Mamo li tħabtu u ddedikaw il-ħin tagħhom biex b’tant dedikazzjoni u imħabba l-AVL hi dik li hi llum. Kienu għaxar snin fejn rajna ħafna membri ġodda jidħlu magħna b’mod speċjali memberi żgħażagħ. Dan kollhu jimliena kuraġġ għal-futur pero irridu nkomplu naħdmu u nirsistu biex l-AVL tkun tista taqdi il-vokazzjoni tagħha.

Huwa ukoll ta’ sinifikat li dan l-anniversarju qed niċċelebrawħ fis-sena Ewropea iddedikata lil-volontarjat. Nemmen li bil-ħidma tagħna nistgħu inkunu xhieda tal-valuri li nħaddnu u mhux biss inkunu ta’ għajnuna għal-morda imma wisq aktar permezz tal-ħidma u id-dedikazzjoni tagħna inkunu ta’ eżempju għan-nies ta’ madwarna. Dan l-eżempju rajnieħ ukoll aktar kmieni din is-sena meta il-viċi President tal-AVL, JP Fabri, ingħata il-premju ta’ żagħżugħ tas-sena għax xogħol li huwa jagħmel fil-volontarjat. Dan il-premju jgħati ġieħ lil-Assoċjazzjoni tax-xogħol kollhu li għamlet tuul is-snin u nahseb li għandna inkunu kburin b’dak kollu li irnexxielna nagħmlu.

Is-sena li għaddiet kienet waħda importanti għalina u li verament għamlitna kburin. Organizzajna pellerinaġġ ieħor li fih tellajna 194 ruħ. Kien pellegrinaġġ li fih tela grupp ta’ 12 mhux mal-ajruplan dirett imma minn Toulose. Nixtieq hawn ukoll nirringrazzja dan il-grupp li ikkopera magħna biex inkunu nistgħu intellaw lil kullħadd. Bl-għajnuna ta’ Ommna Marija, il-pellegrinaġġ kien ta’ suċċes kbir fejn inħasset l-għaqda tal-grupp u nistgħu ngħidu li komplejna nibnu fuq il-pelegrinaġġ ta’ qabel fl-ispiritwalità tas-servizzi reloġjużi. Naħseb kullħadd jaqbel li l-ispiritwalità fil-funzjonijiet tagħna qiegħda tiżdied bil-parteċipazzjoni tal-qaassin, funzjonijiet ġodda u atmosfera ta’ talb u imħabba.

Sen’ilu kelna ukoll il-privileġġ bħala Assoċjazzjoni nieħdu sehem b’mod uffiċjali fiż-żjara tal-Qdusija Tiegħu il-Papa Benedittu XVI. L-Assoċjazzjoni ħadet ħsieb l-ispazju u tagħmel servizz man-nies b’diżabilità fi Pjazza San Ġorġ fejn kelna 5-it tfal li tellgħu magħna fis-snin li għaddew kif ukoll ħadna ħsieb is-sezzjoni taż-żgħażagħ fil-Valletta Waterfront. Fil-quddiesa li saret fuq il-Fossos tal-Furjana l-Assoċjazzjoni ukoll kellha sehem attiv b’servizz mal-morda u persuni b’diżabilità flimkien mal-UMTAL. Kienet esperjenza unika u nixtieq nirringrazzja lil kullħadd tal-għajnuna li sibna.

Kif għidt aktar qabel din hija sena speċjali għall-AVL. Biex niċċelebraw dan l-għaxar anniversarju se nkunu qed norganizzaw pellegrinaġġ speċjali li diġa kkonferma il-parteċipazzjoni tiegħu l-Eċċellenza Tiegħu Pawl Cremona Arċisqof ta’ Malta. Dan il-pelleġrinaġġ ħa jkun ta’ żewġ ajruplani u li fiħ ħa ntellaw persuni minn instituti u djar għal-persuni b’diżabilità. Irridu niċċelebraw ma dawn ħutna ix-xogħol li nagħmlu u ngħatuhom ukoll l-opportunità li jesperjenzaw Lourdes.

Dan il-pellegrinaġġ jitlob ħafna xogħol hu itwaqqaff sotto-kumitat speċjali li qed jieħu ħsieb l-organizazzjoni ta’ dan il-pellegrinaġġ. Pelleġrinaġġ bħal dan jirrikjedi ħafna fondi u għalhekk se nkunu qed naħdmu fuq numru ta’ inizjattivi fix-xhur li ġejjin bħala fund raising u qed nitlob għal konkorrenza tal-membri tagħna biex jipparteċipaw fl-attivitajiet li se nkunu qed norganizzaw. Għad fadal ammont sostanzjali ta’ kotba tar-rużarju għat-tfal u qed nagħmel sejħa għal min jista jgħinna fil-bejgħ fil-aproċċi rispettivi.

Bi pjaċir ngħid li din is-sena ukoll l-AVL se tkun qed torganizza numru ta attivitajiet ġewwa pajjiżna. L-AVL qiegħda tagħti is-sehem tagħha f’inizjattiva tal-Clown Doctors li mistennija tibda fix-xhur li ġejjin ġewwa Mater Dei. Fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin se nkunu ukoll qed nibdew xogħol voluntarju u manwali ġewwa numru ta’ djar u istituti. Se nkunu qed nibdew fid-djar ta’ Dun Anġ Seychell b’żebgħa u xogħolijiet oħra. Hekk bl-għajnuna ta’Alla inkunu bdejna naħdmu fuq il-ħidma tal-Assoċjazzjoni ġewwa Malta.

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F’dawn iż-żewġ kelmiet xtaqt naqsam magħkom il-ħidma tagħna matul is-sena li għaddiet kif ukoll il-viżjoni għall-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna. Nispera li tkomplu tkunu attivi u parteċipi għax l-Assoċjazzjoni hija ta’ kull wieħed u waħda minnha. Hija waħda ħajja u l-kontribut ta’ kull individwu huwa mportanti u essenżjali.

Fl-aħħarnett nixtieq noffri l-ħidma kollha tagħna f’riġlejn il-Madonna għax dan kollhu li nagħmlu huwa kollhu għal-glorja tagħHa u mhux tagħna.

Għalhekk nixtieq noffri kemm ix-xogħol li wettaqna u dak kollhu li qedgħin inwettqu bħala t-talba tagħna lejn l-għażieża Ommna. Kif ukoll nixtieq li niftakru f’ħutna Julian Attard u Maria Zammit li ħallewna matul is-sena li għaddiet.

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Accounts for Year Ending 31/12/10

DISKORS MINN AMATA CAMILLERI, PRESIDENT TA’ L-ASSOĊJAZZJONI VOLONTARJI LOURDES, WAQT IL-LAQGĦA ANWALI ĠENERALI 2010, PORZIUNCULA HOUSE, BAĦAR IĊ-ĊAGĦAQ – IL-ĦAMIS 25 TA’ MARZU 2010

Huwa ta’ pjaċir għalija li nerġa nilqagħkom għal laqgħa anwali ġenerali ta’ l-AVL. Għaddiet sena minn l-aħħar darba li ltqajna u llum qedgħin f’mument importanti fl-istorja tal-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna.

Qabel ma nibda nixtieq f’isem il-kumitat u l-membri nirringrazzja lil Albert Mamo li din is-sena rriżenja. Illum qedgħin hawn miġbura bħala Assocjazzjoni grazzi għal-ħidma u d-dedikazzjoni tiegħu tul is-snin. Hu bena l-pedamenti ta’ din l-Assoċjazzjoni li tant inħobbu. Fl-istess ħin nixtieq nilqa’ lil Mark Bondin bħala membru ġdid fil-kumitat tagħna. B’hekk illum għandna kumitat b’età medja iżgħar u dan jawgura tajjeb għal-futur.

Matul is-sena li għaddiet organizajna pellegrinaġġ ieħor lejn Lourdes li bl-għajnuna t’Alla kien suċċess kbir. Kellna konkorrenza tajba ta’ żgħażagħ u nixtieq ngħid li l-esperiemnt maż-żgħażagħ ta’ San Alwiġi kien suċċess u fiduċjuża li anke din is-sena nerġaw nilqgħu fostna aktar zgħażagħ i jridu jagħmlu esperjenza ta’ volontarjat. Naħseb ħahfna minnkom taqblu miegħu li l-pellgrinaġġ tas-sena li għaddiet kien wieħed differenti mis-snin ta’ qabel – kien jinħass ħafna l-ispirtu ta’ grupp wieħed kif ukoll lat spiritwali kien qawwi. Erġejna introduċejna il-festin li ntoġob ħafna mal-grupp kif ukoll daħħaln adorazzjoni u esperjenza ta’ talb flimkien li din saħħiet il-grupp kif ukoll fetħet il-qlub ta’ ħafna nies biex jgħixu l-ispirtu ta’ Lourdes. Nemmen li tgħallimna ħafna minn dik l-esperjenza u l-programm ta’ din is-sena jirrifletti dak ta’ sen’ilu.

Għal dan l-intervent tiegħi nixtieq nieħu spunt u nirrifletti fuq il-vers mill-Atti tal-Apostli li qed jintuża bħala tema għaż-żjara tal-Papa – jeħtieġ iżda li naslu fi gżira (Atti27,26). Kemm jgħodd għalina dan il-kliem! Kull darba li mmorru Lourdes ifissir li ħa nerġew lura Malta. Għalhekk wasal iż-żmien li il-vjaġġ lejn Malta ma jitqies aktar bħala l-għeluq tal-pellegrinaġġ imma bħala l-bidu ta’ pellgrinaġġ aktar wiesa. nkomplu naħdmu mal-poplu t’Alla ġewwa Malta u nkomplu nkabbru d-devozzjoni lejn il-Madonna ta’ Lourdes u wisq aktar bhiex insiru nafu lil-Alla permezz ta’ Marija. Ejja nħossuna msejħin minnha biex nagħmlu dan id-dover b’tant imħabba u dedikazzjoni. Qedgħin bil-mod il-mod naħdmu biex dan iseħħ u nemmen li din is-sena tista tkun importanti ħafna għalin f’din il-mixja.

Il-Ħadd li għadda għamilna ġurnata irtir bħala tħejjia tal-ġimgħa mqaddsa. Nista ngħid li kienet ta’ suċċess għalina b’konkorrenza tajba u nixtieq nirringrazzja lil Fr Martin u Fr Jose għal-għajnuna tagħhom u l-ospitalità. Nemmen li dan kien bidu tajjeb għal-dawn l-attivitajiet spiritwali li nixtieq nara iktar minnhom tul is-sena. Irridu nifmhu li dan l-attivitajiet ikomplu isaħħuna bħala helpers u b’hekk nistgħu verament inkunu strumenti f’idejn Alla biex inservu l-morda. Għalhekk nixtieq li l-Assoċjazzjoni tibda taħdem fuq sensiela ta’ adorazzjonijiet tul is-sena li huma ukoll jservu bħala reaching out ta’ l-AVL. Dawn l-adorazzjonijiet ikunu mezz kif aħna nkomplu niskopru lil Ġesu permezz ta’ Marija. Nemmen li dawn l-adorazzjonijiet ikunu bbażati fuq il-presenża ta’ Marija fil-Vanġelu biex inkomplu nitgħallmu u nkabbru id-devozzjoni lejn ommna Marija.

Irridu ukoll nkabbru l-ħidma tal-volontarjat ta’ l-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna ġewwa Malta. Fi ftit ġimgħat oħra ħa jkollna l-unur u l-privileġġ li nkunu qed naħdmu waqt iż-żjara tal-Papa Benedittu XVI f’pajjiżna. L-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna ġiet mitluba biex tagħmel servizz mal-morda waqt il-funzjonijiet tal-Papa f’pajjiżna. Ħa nkunu qed ngħinnu flimkien mal-UMTAL waqt il-quddiesa ta’ fuq il-Fossos; ż-żgħażagħ tagħna ħa jkunu qed jgħinnu waqt l-attività tal-Waterfront maż-żgħażagħ u ukoll ħa nkunu qedgħin fi Pjazza San Ġorġ mat-tfal kif ukoll f’numru ta’ positijiet tar-rottot. Dan huwa privileġġ kbir għal-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna u nittama li jkollna konkorrenza tajba mil-membri għal din l-esperjenza unika.

Fix-xhur illi ġejjin ħa nkunu qedgħin ngħatu l-appoġġ tagħna lis-servizz tal-clown doctors ġewwa l-isptar Mater Dei. Dan is-servizz ħa jkun immirat lejn it-tfal fl-isptarijiet tagħna u bħalissa qed isiru l-kuntatti mal-SOS Malta u l-Volserv biex jibda it-twettiq ta’ dan il-proġett.

L-aħjar xhieda u li twassal il-messaġġ tagħna hija l-ħidma tagħna ma l-iżgħar fost iż-żgħar. Hekk biss nistgħu inwasslu dan il-messaġġ ta’ fidi u tama – bil-ħidma tagħna

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Fl-aħħarnett nixtieq noffri l-ħidma kollha tagħna f’riġlejn il-Madonna għax dan kollhu li nagħmlu huwa kollhu għal-glorja tagħha u mhux tagħna. Għalhekk nixtieq noffri kemm ix-xogħol li wettaqna u dak kollhu li qedgħin inwettqu bħala t-talba tagħna lejn l-għażieża Ommna. Nitlobkom biex inkomplu ngħozzuha u wisq aktar biex nomplu nżommuha fiċ-ċentru tal-ħajja u l-ħidma tagħna.

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Accounts for Year Ending 31/12/09

DISKORS MINN AMATA CAMILLERI,

PRESIDENT TA’ L-ASSOĊJAZZJONI VOLONTARJI LOURDES,

WAQT IL-LAQGĦA ANWALI ĠENERALI 2009,

PORZIUNCULA HOUSE, BAĦAR IĊ-ĊAGĦAQ –

IL-ĦAMIS 26 TA’ MARZU 2009.

Huwa pjaċir u unur għalija li qiegħda nindirizzakom għal-ewwel darba bħala President ta’ l-AVL. Qabel ma nibda nixtieq nieħu din l-opportunità biex nirringrazzja lill Albert Mamo li serva lill-AVL tul dawn l-aħħar snin. Qedgħin hawn illum grazzi għal-ħidma u d-dedikazzjoni tiegħu. Hu bena l-pedamenti ta’ din l-Assoċjazzjoni li tant inħobbu.

Hawn ukoll nitieq insellem u nirringrazzja lil membri veterani tal-kumitat li rreżenjaw tul is-sena biex iħallu posthom għal nies ġodda – Dr Joe Grech Attard, Edward u Marilyn Attard u Peter Dacoutros. Jiena ċerta li l-ħidma tagħhom matul is-snin kienet kruċjali għall-Assoċjazzjoni u aktar minn hekk inthom tibqgħu sservu bħala mudell għal-bqija tal-Kumitat. Ithom kollha inspirazzjoni għal-bqija tal-membri. Nixtieq ukoll nilqa’ lil-membri ġodda Kiri Borg Costanzi, Paula Pace u Miriam Vella fuq il-kumitat. Dawn il-membri ġodda kienu diċa ħarġu għall-aħħar elezzjoni u kienu kollha r-runners up u għalhekk avviċinajna lilhom biex jidħlu fil-kumitat.

Fl-aħħar nett qabel ma nibda r-rapport amministrattiv nixtieq insellem lil Fr Albert Micallef li ukoll m’għadux id-direttur spiritwali ta’ l-Assoċjazzjoni. Il-Madonna li tant tieħu ħsiebna pprovdietilna lil Fr Martin Mamo, Franġiskan Kappuċċin bħala direttur spiritwali. Fr Martin, nixtieq nilqgħak ġewwa fi ħdan il-familja tagħna u jiena konvinta li l-imħabba u d-devozzjoni li għandek lejn il-Madonna ta’ Lourdes ħa jkunu ta’ benefiċċju kbir għall-Assoċjazzjoni u għal-morda li jitilgħu magħna.

Il-ħidma prinċipali tagħna hija marbuta mat-trasport tal-mordaġewwa Lourdes u kif tafu s-sena li għaddiet organizzajna żewġ pellegrinaġġi lejn Lourdes. F’Ġunju ħadna sehem f’pellegrinaġġ speċjali għat-tfal li kien organizzat għall-150 sena mid-dehriet ta’ Lourdes. Il-kumitat appunta sotto-kumitat biex ħa ħsieb l-organizzazzjoni min-naħa tagħna u l-ħidma tiegħu kienet tiffoka kemm fuq promozzjoni, kemm fundraising u kemm loġistika. It-tieħdet deċiżjoni li kull tifel u tifla li titla magħna tiġi sponsorjata. Il-Madonna bil-providenza kollha tagħha misset il-qlub ta numru qawwi ta’ benefatturi li għenu biex dan seta iseħħ. Il-pellegrinaġġ li sar f’Ġunju kien 185 ruħ li fosthom kien hemm 59 tifel u tifla. Nista’ ngħid f’isem il-helpers kollha li kienet esperjenza li ma ninsugħa qatt u li naħseb immarkatna. Nemmen li din l-esperjenza ħa tħalli mpatt fuq il-missjoni u l-ħidma tagħna bħala Assoċjazzjoni. Eżatt wara dan il-pellegrinaġġ bdiet il-ħidma tal-kumitat fuq dak ta’ Settembru. Dan ukoll kien ta’ suċċess kbir b’total ta’ 196 ruħ b’71 pażjent. Fiż-żewġ pellegrinaġġi kellna konkorrenza tajba ta’ tobba, nurses u qassisin kif ukoll ta’ helpers li kollha għenu fis-suċċess tal-pellegrinaġġi. Kif tistgħu timmaġġinaw dawn iż-żewġ pelleġrinaġġi kienu jirrikjedu ammont sostanżjali ta’ finanzi biex inkunu nistgħu nisponsorjaw numru dejjem jikber ta’ pażjenti. Għalkemm saru numru qawwi ta’ attivitajiet ta’ fundraising nixtieq nsemmi żewġ affarjiet li jispikkaw f’dan il-kuntest. L-Assoċjazzjoni ħadet l-inizjattiva li tippublika gwida bl-istampi tar-rużarju għat-tfal. Dan il-ktieb qiegħed jinbieħ għal-prezz ta’ ħames ewro u l-flus kollha sejrin għal-sponsorships ta’ pazjenti. Haenhekk nixtieq nirringrazzja lil Darren Duncan li ddisinja l-ktieb kif ukoll lil-Gutenburg Press talli stampaw il-ktieb. Dan il-ktieb mhuwiex biss għodda ta’ fundraising imma iktar minn hekk huwa l-kontribut tagħna lejn aktar devozzjoni lejn Ommna Marija u li nresqu t-tfal lejn it-talba tant sabiħa tar-rużarju. Nixtieq ukoll nirringrazzja lil Mrs Jackie Xuereb tax-xogħol kollhu tagħha u ta l-AX Foundation li qed jaħdmu u jgħinnuna fil-fundraising tagħna.

Din is-sena il-ħidma tal-kumitat diġa bdiet fuq il-pellegrinaġġ li ħa jseġġ bejn it-28 ta’ Awissu u l-4 ta’ Settembru. Għalkemm il-prezz għadu mhux magħruf l-applikazzjonijiet diġa bdew dieħlin. Kif tafu din is-sena hija ddedikata lejn Santa Bernardette u għalhekk ħsibna li norganizzaw vjaġġ lejn Neverres f’Mejju bejn il-21 u 24 ta’ Mejju bi prezz ta’ sitt mitt ewro. Nemmen li dan il-pellengrinaġġ spiritwali jgħinna biex inkomplu niskopru lil-Bernardette u l-Misteru ta’ Lourdes li tant hu għal-qalbna.

Jiena nemmen li l-laqgħa ġenerali anwali mihiex biss opportunità biex inħarsu lura lejn is-sena li għaddiet u l-pellegrinaġġi li ġejjien imma wisq aktar hija okkażjoni biex naraw fejn irridu naslu bħala Assoċjazzjoni. Għal dan l-intervent nixtieq nirrifletti u nieħu spunt mil-vanġelu tat-tieni Ħadd tar-Randan li ttratta t-Trasfigurazzjoni ta’ Sidna Ġesu Kristu fuq it-Tabor. Naħseb li għal-ħafna minna u għall-Assoċjazzjoni, Lourdes tirrappreżenta l-muntanja Tabor f’ħajjitna. Huwa l-post fejn nagħmlu esperjenża ħajja ta’Alla, l-post fejn niltaqaw ma Ġesu personalment f’kull pażjent li ntellgħu. It-talliema mil-vanġelu hi li rridu ninżlu mil-muntanja qalb in-nies u mhux nibqgħu fuqha kif ried jagħmel Pietru. Din it-tgħalliema tgħodd għalina ukoll bħala Assoċjazzjoni.

Nemmen li wasal iż-żmien għall-Assoċjazzjoni biex inxerdu ferm aktar il-messaġġ u l-esperjenza ta’ Lourdes ma ħutna l-Maltin. Nemmen li l-esperjenza ġewwa Lourdes ma tispiċċax fuq l-ajruplan aħna u ġejjin lura Malta imma tibda dak il-ħin li nkunu ġejjin lura. Ejjew ninżlu mit-Tabor tagħna u nkomplu naħdmu mal-poplu t’Alla ġewwa Malta u nkomplu nkabbru d-devozzjoni lejn il-Madonna ta’ Lourdes u wisq aktar bhiex insiru nafu lil-Alla permezz ta’ Marija. Ejja nħossuna msejħin minnha biex nagħmlu dan id-dover b’tant imħabba u dedikazzjoni.biex dan iseħħ nixtieq nara ferm aktar konkorrenza mil-membri għal funzjonijiet reliġjużi u spiritwalu li norganizzaw – mhux biex tagħtu gost lil kumitat imma biex verament inkunu xhieda tal-messaġġ ta’ Lourdes. Fl-istess ħin nappella lil-kumitat biex ma naqtgħux qalba quddiem konkorrenza baxxa imma nkomplu naħdmu u nistinkaw biex norganizzaw dan il-funzjonijiet. Nemmen li ma nagħmluhomx għan-nies imma xogħolna hu li nfaħħru lil-Madonna u nkabbru d-devozzjoni. Jiena konvinta li biż-żmien u fejn ikun hemm l-imħabba, n-nies jiġu. Għalhekk nixtieq nara li l-ħidma ta’ l-Assoċjazzjoni din is-sena tibda taħdem fuq reaching out fuq żewġ binarji:

L-ewwel u qabel kollox nixtieq naħdmu fuq attivitajiet u funzjonijiet reliġjużi u spiritwali kemm għal-helpers u għan-nies. Nixtieq li matul is-sena ikolna xi irtiri spiritwali biex nkomplu nissaħħu fil-fidi tagħna u tal-kelma t’Alla. Irridu ukoll nkomplu nxerdu d-devozzjoni lejn il-Madonna ta’ Lourdes ġewwa Malta u nkomplu nwasslu l-messaġġ ta’ tama u kuraġġ lil ħutna Maltin permezz ta’ funzjonijiet reliġjużi.
Irridu ukoll nkabbru l-ħidma tal-volontarjat ta’ l-Assoċjazzjoni tagħna ġewwa Malta fl-isptarijiet tagħna, mat-tfal orfni kif ukoll ma tant familji fil-bżonn fil-paroċċi tagħna. L-aħjar xhieda u li twassal il-messaġġ tagħna hija l-ħidma tagħna ma l-iżgħar fost iż-żgħar. Hekk biss nistgħu inwasslu dan il-messaġġ ta’ fidi u tama – bil-ħidma tagħna.

Għeżież membri,

Fl-aħħarnett nixtieq noffri l-ħidma kollha tagħna f’riċlejn il-Madonna għax dan kollhu li nagħmlu huwa kollhu għal-glorja tagħha u mhux tagħna. Għalhekk nixtieq noffri kemm ix-xogħol li wettaqna u dak kollhu li qedgħin inwettqu bħala t-talba tagħna lejn l-għażieża Ommna. Nitlobkom biex inkomplu ngħozzuha u wisq aktar biex nomplu nżommuha fiċ-ċentru tal-ħajja u l-ħidma tagħna.

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Accounts for Year Ending 31/12/08

Administrative Report 2007-2008

General Assembly – 27^th March 2008

I welcome you to the Annual General Meeting of Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes for the year 2007 – 2008.

Before I move to the report itself please allow me to express a few personal thoughts. This is going to be the last time, that I shall be addressing you as President of the Association after some seven years in this position. When we founded the association, one of our beliefs was that to give space to all those who wished to contribute by sitting on the Committee, and to achieve this possibility we believed that the Statute should regulate the period of time that one can occupy any particular office. It is for this reason that it’s now time for me to terminate my tenure as president. During this period of time a lot of work has been carried out and from nothing we have together set up the association that today has a regular place in the calendar of pilgrimages for the sick to Lourdes. During this time I had the pleasure and the privilege to work with many of you who from time to time have served on the Committee and I wish to thank them for their trust, your efforts, and your support during the time that I have led the Association. I also had the pleasure and the privilege to work with many of you the members, and especially with those of you who came forward to organise some event during the course of the years and these too I wish to thank for their contribution that on the final analysis helps us to achieve our mission. I also would like to mention the benefactors of the Association who undoubtedly are instrumental for us to achieve our aspirations and for this I must thank them. Last but certainly not least I would like to thank our brothers and sisters, the sick, who chose to trust their wellbeing in the hands of the Association. If I have in any way hurt anybody's feelings from any one of all those that I mentioned, or for that matter to anybody else who has had anything to do with us, I ask you to pardon me and I assure you that it was certainly not intentional.

As is customary I commence this report by giving account of the pilgrimage of last September where once again we travelled as a group of just over 200 persons. This year we thank God that we did not have any incidents of note and everything went as planned. All those who in any way had any duties prior and during the pilgrimage carried these out with the greatest of responsibility and I wish to thank them all for the success of yet another pilgrimage for the sick.

During September of last year I had the opportunity to meet with H.G. Archbishop Paul Cremona and I explained to him the origins of AVL and all that the Association carries out in its mission. During this meeting, which lasted around an hour, we exchanged honest opinions and thoughts. I personally look at this meeting as very positive and I trust that we can continue to build on this foundation. Later in the year a small delegation from the Committee took the usual opportunity to meet with the Maltese Bishops to exchange greetings for Christmas and the New Year. A few months ago the appointment of the first Commissioner for NGO’s was announced, an appointment that we as an Association always sustained as important and we were invited to attend the introductory meeting with the new Commissioner. We shall now wait to see the direction that this office will take so that apart from any work related to verification of activities it will also give the necessary support to voluntary organisations.

During the course of the year we continued with initiatives to spread the name of AVL and its mission. This was done by going to schools to address the students, by participating in television programs among which was a program that concentrated on voluntary NGO’s with one programme being dedicated to AVL, we participated in programs on the radio, once again we organised a stand in the Caring Awareness Fair, together with various other activities. Complementary to this there was also the work related to the organisation and participation in various religious functions that also achieve a similar purpose. This was done on a number of occasions during the year and for the coming year of the Jubilee of the 150 anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to Saint Bernadette there are already plans to continue these initiatives around the theme of the jubilee. These initiatives serve to broaden the name of AVL and of that of our purpose so that this becomes more widely known especially by those who need our assistance. However, for this to happen successfully it is not enough that we organise events but it is fundamental that you the members participate. Obviously we cannot oblige anybody to attend, I understand that everybody has his commitments and responsibilities, however if a few of each of us try to attend at least one or two functions during the year, attendance would undoubtedly be a lot better.

I feel fortunate that I am terminating my period in this office during this special year of the Jubilee, I have this feeling as it gave me the opportunity to finish on a positive note with the committee proposing that for this year we organise three pilgrimages to Lourdes. The first pilgrimage to be held over the period of the first apparition of Our Lady to Saint Bernadette on 11^th February, the second towards the end of June specifically for the sick children, and the third being our normal pilgrimage during the first week of September. We therefore opened the Jubilee year with a mass celebrated at the parish church of San Gwann that is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes on the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a feast that is intimately attached to the story of Lourdes. I regret that unfortunately we were not able to confirm a full flight for February despite all our efforts which also included trying to consolidate with two established tour operators who also had to cancel their trips. It seems that during that time of the year the Maltese people are not keen to travel much. Nevertheless a small group of 16 people still managed to travel individually and spend a few days amongst thousands of other pilgrims in Lourdes. Certainly the lovely memories of those few days will stay with us forever. In the meantime the preparation for the other two pilgrimages is proceeding normally and for that of June we appointed a sub committee headed by Jean Paul Fabri and a number of other youths both from within as well as from outside the Committee. This pilgrimage has been named “Faith 150” to highlight that pilgrimages to Lourdes are fundamentally an act of faith and devotion towards Our Lord Jesus Christ as well as being a sign of devotion towards the Blessed Virgin on the 150 anniversary of her apparitions in that place. Now that the national elections are over and life has returned back to normal we will be increasing our efforts to focus on the organisation and fund raising aspects. In the meantime the chartering of the aircraft and the bookings for the functions in Lourdes for both other pilgrimages has been nearly completed. One should also add here that this year His Holiness the Pope has granted a plenary indulgence to all those who participate in a pilgrimage to Lourdes and observing certain conditions.

To enable us to offer the services that we do we require funds and the committee during the year evaluates every opportunity that allows us to reach this objective. Certainly a matter of concern for the future is the gradual increase in costs, a reality that we need pay the required attention to so that we may have a diligent and secure future for our Association. In this regard perhaps the most important matter was having received towards the end of the year the funds related to our participation in the Strina 2006 which as you will see from the Financial Report will help enormously in permitting us to realise our plans for this forthcoming year. I therefore must mention all those who organise social and other events for AVL, those who for personal functions propose to their guests a donation to AVL, those who make personal donations, those who organise events in their homes or in other of their property, those who offer to pay for the costs of any equipment required for the better functioning of AVL such as the new radios for this year, those who do photocopying and incur the postage of AVL circulars during the year, those who offer the lottery prizes year in year out, as well as to many others who similarly support us. To these, as well as to all our benefactors, I must express my sincere gratitude and I ask that we always remember them in our prayers. Naturally all of this does not happen on its own, it happens through a lot of effort by a few of and to these I must show sincere appreciation. Here again I must mention that I do not expect that everybody attends every function, even though some do this, but with a little effort if you attend at just one or two functions a year, and possibly bring with you family and friends, you will be achieving our aim better.

During this year the committee met 13 times as well as other meetings of sub-committees especially connected with the organisation of the pilgrimage, this apart from other initiatives connected with fundraising and other activities. For this I wish to thank all the members for their effort who till last week were still giving their utmost so that the new committee for 2008-2009 will not find any unnecessary problems. As you all know this year there are going to be elections for the committee from which there will subsequently be the elections for the new officials of AVL. It is of utmost importance that these elections are made diligently so that we will have dependable people who give a reliable and conscientious contribution to lead this Association to future progress. They have to be people who think modestly but act decisively and who continue to work hard so that our product, that is our pilgrimage for the sick, will be one that is fitting.

In concluding this administrative report I wish to thank you once again for all you have done especially with the sick but also with me during this period of my presidency. I also wish to thank UNITALSI Campana for their continuous support, the Franciscan community of this House who welcome us in this home throughout the year for our meetings, and above all I wish to give praise to the Lord who permits us to render this service and I pray to Our Lady to intercede on our behalf to sustain our mission.

Let us pray for each other so that all that we do within the Association will have an outcome of benefit and good.

ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31/12/07

Administrative Report 2006 – 2007

General Assembly – 15^th March 2007

Whilst I praise the Lord for this year of activities of our Association that is coming to an end, I thank you all for your presence here tonight for this sixth Annual General Assembly. This is the forum wherein the committee is answerable to the members for all that it would have done in line with the administration throughout the year, and where all members have the right to express their opinion.

I think that it is proper that I should start this meeting, by mentioning the appointment of the new spiritual leader of the Maltese archdiocese. This is not an every day event and in fact for many of us is only the second such appointment that we have experienced during our lifetime and for others is their first. We as Christians believe in the intercession of the Holy Spirit in such appointments and therefore it is just that we celebrate with everybody else for this grace. We have written immediately to Archbishop Emeritus Mons. Guzeppi Mercieca wherein we recognised the long term during which he has had to carry the weight of office and we augured him a deserved retirement. We also took the opportunity to invite him to accompany us during one of our forthcoming pilgrimages of his choice. A delegation of the Committee attended the Archbishops Palace in Valletta to extend Christmas greetings to the newly appointed Archbishop Mons. Pawlu Cremona, as well as to Archbishop Mons. Mercieca and Bishop Mons. Annetto Depasquale. The day following the consecration of Archbishop Cremona, we sent a letter to him to offer our sincere regards as well as to assure him of our prayers. We have also requested him to meet us whenever he is available to do so.

This past year the Committee of the Association met thirteen (13) times to administer all that is connected with it. We also met in an extraordinary general meeting just before the pilgrimage, and as is required by the statute we also met after its conclusion to discuss it. Without any doubt our main commitment during the year is the organisation of the pilgrimage and last year we had the blessing to depart from Malta as a group of two hundred fifty nine (259) persons on two direct flights, and a group of nineteen (19) youths that travelled by train via Rome. Once again I have to give praise to our Lady that through her intercession we were blessed in taking such a handsome number of people to come closer to Jesus in the place she visited nearly 150 years ago. With sorrow I have to recall that for the first time we experienced the calling to Our Lord for a member of our group whilst in Lourdes. It is natural that such an occurrence has its effect however I have to add that by their decorous manner in this difficult and emotional situation, the family members present were of such example to the entire group that much of the emotional impact was mitigated, and for this I wish to thank them. Upon our return to Malta we had the honour to be asked by the family to officially provide the coffin bearers and to accompany the entry into Church at the funeral. Whilst living them, these experiences are surely not pleasant, however it is certain that they strengthen you for the future.

We now come to discuss the administrative part of last year’s pilgrimage, I have to underline the fact that without any doubt this was a financial burden and we as an association had to dig deep into our pockets. This was due to a number of reasons which is important for you to know. Firstly there was a rise of 25% on the cost of the flight mainly due to the increase in the cost of fuel, there was also an increase of 12.5% on the cost of accommodation and logistical support in Lourdes, as well as the loss of some of our regular sponsors. To this I have to add, that this year we had a greater demand for financial support for the sick, and the fact that we left Malta with a number of empty seats on the flights did not help, since all seats are paid for. However we have to accept that we raise funds for this purpose and whilst it is our duty to ensure that they are administered properly this is why we raise them. This obviously does not mean that we can be lax in our spending but providence is bountiful and while we were calculating the cost of the pilgrimage we received confirmation that AVL would be one of the beneficiaries during L-Istrina of 2006. As part of our contribution towards this activity a number of helpers came forward in response to our call to provide helpers to answer the telephones during the program. I understand that it will be some time yet for us to actually receive the funds however it is certainly reassuring to know that they will be coming in. In this regard I would like to add that in response to our call prior to the pilgrimage for benefactors to come forward we had a very good response from both members as well as others who agreed to sponsor a number of sick persons and for this I wish to thank them from my heart.

On our return from the pilgrimage, we thought of organising a get-together for the helpers to enable them to have an occasion to meet together without the burden of responsibility where they can relax and enjoy the company of each other and I feel that this initiative should be followed in the future. To close on the pilgrimage I have to say that we should be proud that once again we organised a successful pilgrimage, one of prayer and dedication to the service of the sick, and I would like to thank all helpers for their loyalty to the service they provide in helping those less fortunate.

As is customary during the year, we organised a number of religious functions and also other social occasions. We also changed some of these functions to try and have something different. With regard to Holy Mass, apart from occasions such as today, we tried to vary our annual Mass from the period of the Apparitions of our Lady to the feast-day of the Immaculate Conception at the St. Julian’s parish church. Unfortunately the weather was not ideal and although the attendance was good it could have been better. Since we have established a good relationship with this Parish Church we were also invited to participate in the Mass and officially accompany the procession of our Lady of the Rosary along the streets of this town. This was a new, fulfilling experience for all those who took part in this function. We also tried to depart from our usual functions by organising a procession “aux flambeaux” along the corridors of St. Catherine’s retirement home in Attard. The idea behind this function was to organise two or three of these functions during the year in different homes however although this function was appreciated by the residents the poor turn-out by our members puts the prospect in doubt. We therefore have to reflect about the future of these functions.

As I have mentioned, there was also the social aspect to our functions, some of which also allow us to fund-raise, and I would like to mention our outing to Mgarr in Malta, the tea party in St. Anton Gardens and the Maltese night at the Ramla Bay Hotel. I close this subject by urging you, your families, and friends, to participate in our future activities that we will be organising with the intention to raise more funds.

It is my duty here to thank all those who during the year organise functions or help us by assisting in organising the various activities such as our lottery, baking Christmas cakes and figolli, and various other activities in their respective homes and other occasions. It is with this dedication that we succeed in attaining our aim. This year, we had a very interesting proposition whereby two members, who were celebrating their wedding anniversary, organised a reception and asked all guests to make a donation to Caritas or AVL. I would like to thank them for this initiative, and ask more to follow their example.

I now come to the future and confirm our plans for the next pilgrimage. This year we have the intention to take to Lourdes a group of two hundred and twenty six persons (226) travelling by air and train. The date of departure is the 30^th August and we will be returning to Malta on 4^th September. As you can see we have this year extended our visit by one day, this will permit us to be more flexible and have more time so that no one will feel pressured. Unfortunately the timings will once again be at night time and since we will be divided into two groups we cannot make any changes. As you have also noted we have reduced the overall number of participants this year from that of the last two years and this mainly for two financial reasons, the first being that expenses have increased and this could result in a burden for some to accompany us, as well as our not being in a position to have enough funds available to subside a large number of sick. We also feel that logistically a group of three hundred persons is difficult to manage and therefore we re-dimensioned the number to reduce this pressure.

I would also like to take this opportunity to mention that on 11^th February of next year (2008) will be the 150 anniversary of the first apparition of our Lady to St. Bernadette in the grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes. This is a particular occasion which cannot fail to motivate us and therefore we shall be organising a special pilgrimage to Lourdes to be present on the 11^th February. Since we will be travelling in low season, the prices should be quite reasonable. This will be an interesting experience for many of us. During this period the weather in Lourdes is usually very cold, therefore for this reason we shall not be taking any sick with us on this occasion but the group will only consist only of helpers and pilgrims.

I close by praising and thanking all those who in one way or another participated or worked by helping us in our mission during last year. I would like to mention in particular UNITALSI – Campana who always give us their support during our stay in Lourdes, the Franciscan community for their hospitality in this home where we organise our meetings, and lastly to you the members who always answer our call and for the support you have always given us. I ask you to remember each other in our prayers so that through the intercession of Our Lady we continue to accomplish the mission of AVL towards the sick.

I would like to remind you all that this address, together with the financial report, can be found both in Maltese and English Language on the AVL website.

ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31/12/06

Administrative Report 2005 - 2006

General Assembly 16/03/2006

Once again we are meeting to praise the Lord for another year of service that we have rendered in his name, and to thank the Virgin Mary as through her intercession we were given the opportunity to be of service to our beloved brothers and sisters; the sick.

There is no doubt that our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes is our principal activity and although it is not the first activity our annual calendar I will as usual commence my report from it since it is fundamental to what we represent.

This year we had the grace to take to Lourdes a group of some three hundred and twenty persons made up of sick, accompanying persons, helpers and pilgrims. We travelled on two direct Air Malta flights and a group of youths travelled to Rome and then continued by train to Lourdes. We commenced accepting bookings in July and as usual we already had a list of persons who would have phoned during the course of the year for an application form. It was clear from the start that it was going to be a very fruitful year, and by the closing date of the applications, we had already a large number of over-bookings. In fact the committee decided to immediately commence the process to give priority to the applications which is no easy task in itself. However when we saw that applications were still coming in for this pilgrimage some one month before our departure we decided to check with Air Malta to see whether they had a second aircraft available for charter for the approximate times of our first flight. Undoubtedly through the intervention of the Virgin Mary, Air Malta had this availability and following discussions, in which they did their utmost to assist us, we confirmed the flight. You can understand that there was some anxiety at this since any seat left empty meant an incurred cost that could have been used to sponsor another sick person. There was also the issue of the hotel accommodation when during the high season in Lourdes we needed to double our existing bookings at the same hotel or in a hotel in the vicinity. This, we managed to achieve, however we had to sadly divide the group in two and the youths had to be accommodated in yet another hotel. This year we were blessed with a large number of helpers and this meant that we could take with us a larger number of sick persons. This involved us in a greater task of allocating the helpers to the sick to ensure that responsibilities would be shared as equitably as possible. We also took the opportunity to widen the number of officials of the pilgrimage since we were a large group spread over three different locations. We appointed four assistants to the leaders of the helpers, two male and two female. I believe that this initiative helped significantly for the smooth running of the pilgrimage and we should continue to do this. With such a large group, I believe that this was the largest single group that ever travelled to Lourdes from Malta together, you will appreciate that there were many instances where as organisers we had our difficult moments, however through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and with the cooperation of the whole group, we managed to overcome these moments and proceed in harmony. I have to say that the satisfaction that we received whenever the group was gathered together during a function was immense. I therefore wish to thank every participant of this pilgrimage, to the sick for entrusting us with their well being, to the accompanying persons for allowing us to give them some respite from their responsibilities, to the helpers for their full support and incessant service, and finally to everyone for their understanding even when at times we may have had our short comings. If there was something negative about it all this must have been the travel timings with which the committee was never happy, and which despite trying our utmost we did not manage to change

I truly believe that the response we received for this pilgrimage was mainly due to the TV programme “Nies ta’ Veru” produced by Joseph Chetcuti. The filming was done during the pilgrimage of 2004 and screened on various occasions over last winter. I wish to once again thank Joseph and his team for their good work with this programme which honoured our Association as well as every person who goes to Lourdes to help the sick, irrespective of whom they go with. If there is still someone who wishes to have a copy of the DVD of this programme, he can contact the secretary of the Association. Finally I wish to close my report on the pilgrimage by asking you to remember all our brothers and sisters who a short while ago were with us in Lourdes and have since left this world.

The pilgrimage takes us directly to the financial state of affairs and without taking anything from what the treasurer is due to report to you, I wish to give you some highlights. This year the turnover from the pilgrimage alone was that of some seventy thousand Maltese liri, and you can therefore easily understand the responsibility upon all us, in particular the Committee, to administrate these finances in the most appropriate way. The funding for deserving cases of sick and accompanying persons for this pilgrimage was of just under four thousand Maltese liri, however the net deficit of the whole pilgrimage was that of just over one thousand liri. As to the financial year we ended this with a surplus and for this I wish to thank all those who contributed towards this and in particular to those who organised some fund raising function, be it private or public such as the lottery, the making of “Figolli”, Christmas cakes and mince pies, as well as to all those who attended these functions or contributed by buying these items. I also wish to thank our benefactors who every year help us with their contributions, be it financial or by offering their services, both of which are so essential to our Association. I wish to add that this year the expenditure for the banner of AVL was redeemed in full. The money for this was always taken from funds that were collected specifically for the administrative account and no money ever collected for the fund to sponsor the sick was ever utilised for such matters. From the money that we had left in the administrative account we bought the megaphone and the straps for the banner. If in the future we will collect more money for this administrative fund, we will be using these for similar items.

During this past year we continued increasing our membership, which now stands at 314, as well as adding a number of new benefactors. Our endeavour to attract more people towards our Association must continue relentlessly and I invite new members to come forward to offer their services. This is not a matter of one being presumptuous but one of commitment. As an example we need someone who is a good writer, someone who feels our mission in his heart and is able to write both in Maltese and English articles in the local media so that we further the devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and to further the awareness of our Association and the services we offer. We wish to organise more activities during the year such as Mass with the theme of ‘an hour in Lourdes’ in places where we feel we can be of benefit. The Committee is elected to lead but everyone needs to give their contribution to enable us to carry out our mission in a continuous way with responsibility being spread and not being constrained to fall upon the same members. For this reason I ask all those in whose hearts the flame that is lit in Lourdes continues to burn throughout the year, to give their share for the common good. Last year it was proposed to organise a tour to Italy to visit Eucharistic shrines in the year dedicated by Pope John Paul II to the Sacrament of the Eucharistic. Unfortunately we did not have enough response to justify the organisation and we had to cancel it. I hope that in the future we shall have other opportunities to travel together other than the annual pilgrimage.

During this past year the Committee met on fifteen occasions and we also convened a General Meeting following the pilgrimage. This shows the level of commitment that our Association gives towards the organisation of its activities to ensure their smooth running as much as possible.

However during the course of the year we also had our disappointments and I am in duty bound to have to report our distress when we are ignored by the Church authorities. During this year for the second time a request for us to organise a mass in public, that did not interfere with any other similar event, and which therefore could not have confused the public, did not get any response. Notwithstanding, what we do we do for our brothers and sisters, the sick, in whom we see Our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered so much for us, and in the name of his mother the Immaculate. We, as is our duty as members of the Church of Christ, must continue to seek the direction of the ecclesiastical authorities as we are in duty-bound whilst we pray to Our Lord to give us guidance in all that we do to ensure that our motivation is that of good and not of any human weakness.

However as we say, every negative situation has its positive side and I truly believe that the greatest positive that our association has is the group of youths that through us have been drawn closer to the noble cause of serving the sick. They work hard throughout the year to raise funds to enable them to come to Lourdes to work hard. We must consider that our Association is a tool in the hands of Jesus Christ to achieve this and we must treasure this gift.

What are our plans for the future? Without doubt as the weather becomes more agreeable, there will be occasions where for one reason or another we shall gather together and some fund raising activities will no doubt also be organised. We have already commenced the organisation of the pilgrimage of the 4^th – 8^th September and for the more distant future we have decided that in February 2008, on the occasion of the 150^th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette, we shall be organising a special pilgrimage to Lourdes. We are confident that as we have always found your support and commitment in the past we shall likewise find these during this forthcoming year.

Finally I wish to close by thanking all those who helped us in our mission and I wish to mention here UNITALSI – Campana who are always there to help and assist us during our stay in Lourdes , to the Franciscan community of this house, where this year we are not only meeting for our general meetings but also for our regular committee meetings, and last but not least, I wish to thank you the members for always being ready to answer our call when this was requested and for the support you have always shown us.

May I remind you that this address, together with the financial report, in both English and Maltese will be available on our website shortly for the information of all concerned and I invite you to make more use of electronic communication which is so convenient and economical.

ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31/12/05

Administrative Report 2004 – 2005

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 17/03/05

Friends another twelve months have gone by since we last met for our annual appointment at which we take stock and account with regard to the running of our organisation.

It is a time when those you have appointed to manage the affairs of the Association are accountable to you the members with regard to how it is functioning. We are therefore here to report on the past twelve months of activity and to clarify any points and reply to any questions that form part of today’s agenda.

I shall commence from the annual pilgrimage since I believe that this is the focal point of our Association. Once again we were blessed to be a group of 200 participants and we have to thank the Lord for keeping his hand over us during the trip which this year did not offer the challenges that we have had on occasion in the past. That having been said it is always important to listen to people and to hear their opinion, and then to act upon it. One such action is to do with the separation of our group whilst in Lourdes, with the main group in one hotel and the youths who travel by train in another. It has been felt that this was at best a source of inconvenience and at worst a source of misapprehension. We have tried to remedy the situation in one way or another in the past and this year we are again trying to find a solution that will work towards bonding us better as one group without incurring a prohibitive cost. We also receive comments with regard to the programme, some to the effect that there is too much to do and it is too hectic, and some that would wish to go on an excursion and so on. The basic reality has to remain that we go to Lourdes as a pilgrimage for the sick and not on a tour, this means that the religious functions have a priority in our programme. We also have to ensure that we participate in all of the functions at least once as we have a duty towards those who may only have one opportunity to go to Lourdes. Finally we have to understand that in December we make our bookings for the following September which obviously cannot take into consideration weather conditions and the like, and therefore if we have a delay or a cancellation on a particular day we have to be in a position to make this up. I am not here justifying anything I am simply pointing out that the pilgrimage programme is not a haphazard fabrication but something to which we give a lot of time to ensure that we have the correct balance and that we fall in line with the functions of the Sanctuary as well as fulfilling our own programme.

In preparing these annual reports I have to be careful that I do not repeat myself year in, year out, and to ensure that what I say is truly reflective of that which has happened during the course of the previous year. However there are matters that I must repeat as they are fundamental to our purpose. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the trap of becoming complacent with what we have and thereby avoid recognising and thanking the Lord for certain blessings. Among these I have to show appreciation towards the group of youths who every year take time out from their own to answer this call. How many such young people do you know? I must also show my admiration and appreciation to those helpers who offer themselves to spend the time in Lourdes sharing a room with the sick, sometimes abandoning members of their own family or their friends to do this. I must also thank those who are intimately involved with the organisation of the pilgrimage which I can assure is a very demanding task involving much dedication. I have also always avoided, and I will do so again, in naming individual persons since I sincerely believe that each of us who play our part, to whatever degree, are all equal in our merit as long as it comes from the heart.

This year we also had two additional blessings. The first was in the form of Eric and Jane, together with their carer Mama Justine from Kenya, as well as Claudio and his carer Janilson from Brazil. We had our worries about how these guests of ours would be initially received by us in forming part of the group, however I have to say that after very few hours all of them had integrated and that everybody took them under their wing. I believe that ultimately they helped us in our prayers of thanksgiving to God for all the blessings he bestows upon us, many of which we are hardly aware of. The second was the participation of the crew from Nies ta’Veru who again integrated so well into our group and who managed to bring out the human element of a pilgrimage to Lourdes. This was in fact the first theme that went into two of these programmes and I am sure that we were all proud of the part played by our Association. I believe that this programme gave respect for the sick and that it was not an honour for AVL as such but recognition of the experience of Lourdes seen through the eyes of the sick.

Finally with regard to the pilgrimage I have to make reference to the matter of finance. Those of you who have been members for some time know that I very rarely make such references however this year has to be an exception. I make this exception as two matters have caused the deficit for this year to be higher than usual. As you are aware the purpose of our Association is to transport sick persons to Lourdes whatever their economic means, which is the reason for our undertaking fund raising activities. Therefore it goes without saying, and this is also evident from our accounts, that each year we incur a deficit between what we collect in fees from pilgrimage participants and what we have to pay to third parties to carry out the pilgrimage. I feel therefore that as an accountable committee I should bring the matter to your attention. The reason for this above average deficit is twofold, the first is that as I have said earlier we this year sponsored a number of foreign participants to our pilgrimage and insofar as the group from Kenya is concerned we also had to incur the full travel costs from their own country. The second is that in working out the costing from the information given by UNITALSI there was a misunderstanding whereby the charge for the pilgrimage to all participants was understated, resulting in a shortfall of revenue and for which I take full responsibility. However there was also a positive side and the opportunity made available to us by Mondial Travel together with Hamilton Travel and Britannia Tours of utilising flights as part of their summer programme gave us the possibility of a saving which we shall be taking again this year. For this I have to thank them together with all our other benefactors whom I ask you to always remember in your prayers.

As you all know we are committed throughout the year to activities that generate income for us to support our mission, and these together with other activities that offer us the opportunity to occasionally meet in different circumstances to pray together and to spend some time together. During the past year we organised a number of such functions and I appeal to you for your participation to support the effort that goes into their organisation. Once again we participated in the Caring Awareness Fair which helps us get across the message of Lourdes, and we organised a well attended Mass at St. Julian’s parish church to express in public our devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. It is with disappointment that I have to say that our plans to participate in the celebrations organised by the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Cospicua on the 150th Anniversary of the promulgation of the dogma of faith were regretfully not allowed to materialise.

At our General Assembly of this time last year there were elected to the Committee two youths who have shown dedication and commitment and it was indeed very positive that members should invest in the future. There is no future without the present but to have a future we must also have a vision and the involvement of the younger people in AVL should be a responsibility on the part of all of us. I believe that it is important that we sincerely believe that the doors of AVL are open to those who wish to serve and that they remain so.

Our plans for the current year have already commenced and above all we look forward to our September pilgrimage. For this year the Sanctuary of Lourdes have dedicated the pastoral theme “Come to me all you who suffer” (Matt. 11.28) highlighting an essential part of the experience of Lourdes with these words of Jesus. The choice of the annual theme is not a random affair but one that requires preparation and prayer. The theme for this year underlines the fact that it is not only those whom we take to Lourdes as sick that should go to the Lord, but all of us who suffer in whatever form. One interesting development this year has been the approach by two separate individuals who have come forward themselves and offered to annually sponsor three deserving sick for our pilgrimage. I therefore take this opportunity to invite you to keep this in mind and if perhaps you are approached by anybody who shows such an interest to get in touch with me so that it can be followed up.

As you know His Holiness the Pope has dedicated the current year to the Holy Eucharist and in line with this we are proposing a trip to Italy where we will have the opportunity to visit a number of Sanctuaries that have a close connection with the Holy Eucharist. As we outlined in our circular we shall proceed with our plans depending on the response we receive. In April we shall again be organising a Mass of devotion at St. Julian’s Parish Church and we look forward to seeing you at this annual appointment. Throughout the summer we shall be organising various activities and I invite anybody who has any idea and the drive to organise to come forward.

We are undertaking our fifth full year of activities as AVL and I believe that we have much to be proud of. However this does not mean that we can sit back and relax, that is not what commitment is all about. We are here for a mission towards our brethren who require our support and from whom we are privileged to receive so much. Our organisation is made up of people for people, and we cannot ever forget this. We cannot participate in events such as the Caring Awareness Fair unless we are indeed caring. We cannot promote ourselves as offering support to sick persons who want to pay homage to Our Lady in Lourdes unless there is love and compassion in all we do. These are not sentiments that we switch on and off at random, these are sentiments that we have to live every day and especially whilst rendering service with AVL, be it during the pilgrimage, be it during a function, be it during a meeting. We have to remember that we are above all there to serve and not to satisfy ourselves.

In closing I have to thank all of you who support AVL in our activities and our fundraising efforts. I have to thank all those who in their quiet way make things happen for us. I believe that the strength of any organisation is in it’s diversity, we cannot be all on the committee, we cannot all be para-medical helpers, and equally we cannot all have the tolerance to be of support to those who need somebody to keep them company, therefore we each have to believe in the gifts of everybody else which together makes us what we are.

However above all I have to thank all those who come to us to seek our support, for without them our call would be worthless.

ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31/12/04

Administrative Report 2003 – 2004

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 04/03/04

Dear friends, I would like to welcome you to the third Annual General Assembly of the Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes.

When we had first formed AVL we had said that this was to be a mission, a calling that would not only manifest itself once a year during our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, but a calling that we would keep alive by way of various activities throughout the year. Another of these years has gone by and we meet today to consider what we have accomplished during these past twelve months to achieve our aspirations, as well as to consider what we may not have accomplished.

Our following continues to strengthen and we were all very proud of our annual pilgrimage that once again consisted of some 200 persons. Undoubtedly our last pilgrimage was a very trying one and our resources were tested to their limit. There is an English saying that goes ‘if you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen’, I can certainly say that there was definitely a lot of heat in our kitchen in Lourdes last September and we stood up to it, and through the grace of God everything came to a safe and satisfactory conclusion. However we have to believe that there is always a lesson to be learnt from any experience in life, and this was certainly one of them. We have to study carefully the obligations that fall upon us when organising such trips so as not to expose ourselves to unforeseen eventualities. We are also looking at the effect that Malta’s accession to the EU will have on the infrastructural facilities that will be available to us in Lourdes.

In terms of organisation I must say that each year we improve on the previous one, and we have now developed to a fine art the pure organisational procedures of our pilgrimage. This I can tell you from experience is no mean feat. In life one can make things happen or let things happen and I am proud to form part of an organisation that falls into the former category. However we all have to accept that a pilgrimage for the sick to Lourdes cannot be looked at as a purely logistical exercise, above all it has to be looked at as an exercise in humanity. The balance of these two components is essential to the well being of both the particular pilgrimage but above all of the very purpose of AVL. This is a challenge that we have to live with and I am afraid that we constantly run the risk that in pursuit of organisational perfection we undermine the very reason for our being. We have to understand that we are interacting with people who like us have their own beliefs, their own understanding of matters and their idiosyncrasies. We cannot in the pursuit of mechanical perfection ignore this and we have to accept that in doing so we are going to sometimes fail in our organisational objective, however if in doing so we would have achieved our humane objective that to me prevails. When we put on our uniforms we have to understand that this is a privilege, however a privilege that carries a burden, a burden that we have to accept with humility and not with authority. All too often we have situations where minor matters become major issues, issues that with a greater dose of love and understanding could be easily avoided.

I also consider that it is very important for us to understand that it is simply not enough to believe that our calling only involves our annual presence to render physical assistance to the sick whom we accompany, we must also appreciate the religious significance of our calling. I believe that we have to all become more aware of the fact that our function carries with it a spiritual responsibility and this is a responsibility that no general assembly or any election will give any of us. It is a responsibility that we have to achieve through prayer and to do this we have to truly believe this fundamental principle. This is not a notion that I am coming up with for the purpose of this report, this is something that has always been our intention, and this is confirmed by our Statute. For the specific purpose of developing our spiritual calling we each year organise two retreats, one during advent and one during lent. To say that we should all be most disappointed by the attendance would be an understatement. I believe that unless we all understand the value of religious formation in our calling we run the serious risk of this calling becoming of emotionless significance. I understand that it is not always possible to attend every function organised by AVL, however if we indeed believe that this is a mission to serve Our Lord, if we believe that in doing what we do we do in the name of God, we must also recognise the importance that we must attach to our religious formation We have said that we are privileged in having this opportunity, however unless we develop this opportunity it will become merely a mechanical function.

From an administrative point of view I have to report that last year the Committee met thirteen times and we held the two general assembly meetings as required by the Statute. We also organised a number of fundraising initiatives that permit us to offer the opportunities for those who deserve them. We also organised a number of functions the scope of which were purely to offer the occasion of our getting together. We could not have achieved all of this were it not for the generosity of those who offer their time and effort towards our mission, some in the collective initiatives and some in individual initiatives, and to these we have to express our gratitude. Although you will hear the details of our financial position in the financial report however I have to say that with the contribution of many we have once again managed to close the year in a satisfactory manner.

Last year I had informed to you that we had met with Mr. Joseph Magro who is the Archbishop’s delegate for the Lay and who had been appointed by His Grace to understand the causes of the rift that eventually resulted in the formation of AVL. During this past year we have responded to various requests made by him for information but there is at the moment nothing further to report on this matter. Having said that however I have to add that since last year there have been a number of exchanges with UMTAL, of which I highlight their acceptance to lend us the statue of Our Lady for our Mass on the 25^th March of last year. This year the members of our Committee were officially invited to attend the national Mass of the 11^th February and some of us indeed attended.

One function that last year was of particular interest was our participation, together with a small number of sick, in a procession through the streets of Qrendi followed by a Mass in the village square. This occasion was held to commemorate the one hundredth and twenty-fifth anniversary of the formation of the Holy Confraternity dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in the parish of Qrendi which from what we understand was the first official devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes in Malta. This came about when the parish priest of the time a Rev. Xuereb visited Lourdes and upon his return founded the Confraternity. This demonstrates the long association of the Maltese diocese with the Grotto in Massabielle that we as AVL are proud to maintain in our own way. I am sure you can visualise the courage and the vision that this person must have had to undertake such a journey in those times and how difficult it must have been

It is important to note that this year will mark the one hundred and fiftieth year from the issuing of the Dogma of Faith of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX. This Dogma, which is closely connected with the apparitions to Saint Bernadette, should be a source of inspiration to us all, inspiration that has as its fundamental humility and humanity.

Later on this evening we have on our Agenda the election of four members of the Committee. Our Statute is clear insofar as with effect from this year there will be an election for one third of the Committee every two years so that the opportunity is given to all those who wish to serve whilst also ensuring that continuity is maintained. I therefore have to thank those outgoing members of the Committee for their contribution and to welcome in anticipation those who will be elected.

I believe that in life it is relatively easy to achieve success as long as you work hard at it, and it is considerably easier to destroy such success, what is difficult is to maintain success. To achieve something there has to be unity of purpose and there is no place for personal or hidden agendas, and as I end this term of President of AVL I can look back with pride at we have achieved together. I have to add however that it is upon the responsibility of all of us, especially the members of the Committee, present and future, to ensure that such unity of purpose is not disrupted if we really believe in what we are doing and in maintaining our success.

In closing I wish to thank the Franciscan Friars for always welcoming us so generously in this place where we are able to meet and conduct our affairs. I have to thank UNITALSI Campana for the support that they offer us during our pilgrimage to Lourdes, and this past year especially. I also have to thank all of you the members of AVL for your participation in the various functions and may I ask you to continue with this support that ultimately gives us our purpose.

And finally I have to thank the sick who participate with us and who put their faith in us to take them to Lourdes and back and who by doing so give us the grace to serve in the name of Our Lord.

God bless you.

Accounts for Year Ending 31/12/03

Administrative Report 2002-2003
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 11/03/03

I would like to welcome you to the second Annual General Assembly of the Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes.

Last year was our first full year since we have been formed and I would therefore like to report to you the activities, as well as to update you on all other developments that our Association has experienced during this period.

I believe that the first item that I should report on is what we consider to be our principal annual activity, that is the Pilgrimage to Lourdes. This was held during the first week of September and undoubtedly we should all be pleased with the outcome. A group of 170 persons travelled by air and this consisted of the usual combination of sick, accompanying persons and helpers. At the same time a group of 36 helpers travelled by train from Rome and this consisted of youths, many of whom were travelling to Lourdes for the first time, as well as two experienced helpers who volunteered to take responsibility for this group. I have to say that this year’s pilgrimage was a wonderful experience and the harmony that was present during those four days in Lourdes was truly exceptional. If one had to measure the success of our pilgrimage from the replies to the questionnaires by the sick I can tell you that this will be a hard act to follow.

I must say that the group of youths that accompanied us were a tremendous support and they made us proud with their enthusiasm being contagious. I feel that the participation of these enthusiastic youths is a grace from God for which we should be thankful in this day and age but unfortunately I sense that we are still sometimes hesitant in allowing them the space to use their initiative. They are our future and in the same way we were allowed space, we have the responsibility to do likewise.

A successful pilgrimage does not happen but is made to happen by the effort of all the participants and it is for us all to ensure that any problems that arise are addressed properly if we are to maintain a Christian spirit within our group. From year to year we obviously try to improve on any shortcomings after evaluating the questionnaires that we collect. We take note of all suggestions made and implement those possible. As an example this time we chose a hotel that was closer than that of the previous year making our trips to the domain less strenuous.

Before I move on it is with sadness that I have to record that a number of sick friends that accompanied us have since passed away, notwithstanding the grief I feel proud that AVL had given them the opportunity to fulfil their wish to visit Our Lady. May God grant them eternal rest.

Earlier in the year we were contacted by the Civil Protection Department who were organising a charter flight for a number of residents of id-Djar tal-Providenza. They requested the assistance of AVL in facilitating the organisation whilst in Lourdes. A small group of our helpers, including Dun Gorg Grima as spiritual director, accompanied them. Whilst in Lourdes we were entrusted with the accommodation in the Salus Infirmorum as well as with the participation in the functions. For this we were assisted by UNITALSI Sottosezzione Benevento whose pilgrimage happened to coincide and I have to thank them for their support and for making our stay comfortable and purposeful. I can assure you that our presence was instrumental in ensuring that these residents were looked after suitably whilst in Lourdes and both the Director as well as the Administrator of id-Djar tal-Providenza had words of praise for AVL.

Although the pilgrimage is the highlight of our year it is by no means our only function and today we have an active association that is constantly seeking ways to gather its members together throughout the year. With your support we were able to continue developing our programme of events and this year for example we initiated bi-annual full day retreats, one during lent and one during advent, since we believe that spiritual preparation is just as important as organisation for an association such as ours. Moreover during the course of the year we organised a number of religious functions in connection with our activities as well as other functions such as the humanitarian gesture of donation of blood. As an association we consider that it is important that we include the participation of our friends the sick in all of our activities and I believe that in this area we can still achieve more. I therefore call upon you to remember these friends and when you attend our functions and if you are able to offer your services, such as transport, you make this known to the organisers so that we can plan better and offer the opportunity of participation to those who could not normally participate.

Last year we were very fortunate in acquiring two new banners. The first one was kindly donated by Mrs. Carabott who lovingly made it herself and which we refer to as the ‘Bandalora tal-Madonna’, the other we refer to as the ‘Bandalora tal-AVL’ which we ordered to our own design from Italy and which symbolises our sentiments towards Our Lady and to our country. We also had a full programme of other activities both to raise funds for our cause, as well as of a recreational nature and once again I have to underline that our intention would not be achieved without the effort of those who organise these events, those who open their homes to us, and those who through some way or another participate in these functions making them a success and fulfilling our objectives. I must say that this year has been a very positive one in terms of fund raising and for this I must thank you all.

From an administrative point of view during the course of the year we had 14 meetings of the Committee together with the required General Assembly meetings which is quite a number. I therefore must also thank all those involved in the administration of AVL, in whatever capacity or role, for their constant support. We also sought to ensure that our Association, and what it stood for, become more widely known and to achieve this we participated in the Caring Awareness Fair at the Trade Fair Grounds, Naxxar as well as various programmes on television and radio. During the course of the year we also launched our own internet web site that not only contained information items such as our accounts, the annual report and a calendar of events, but also items of general interest such as a photo gallery. When AVL was formed the paramount consideration was to ensure that it acted in the most transparent and just manner and in this direction we published our audited accounts in the newspaper. As discussed at last years Annual General Assembly we finalised a Code of Ethics for members and Guidelines for the Composition of our pilgrimage and these have been put into practice.

We have endeavoured to maintain contact with the ecclesiastical authorities and a number of meetings have been held over the year with His Grace Archbishop Mercieca. In these meetings we keep His Grace informed on what is happening at AVL as well as take the opportunity to discuss any other matters of interest. You will recall that last year we celebrated the international day of the sick with a Mass on the 11^th February at Balluta Parish Church. This date was chosen primarily since it was the date of the first apparition of Our Lady to St. Bernadette, a date dear to us all, but we also considered, from the information we had in hand, that the Mass being organised by UMTAL was to be held on another day due to the 11^th falling on a carnival day. The date of the UMTAL Mass was subsequently changed without our knowledge and therefore we had a situation where there were two Lourdes Masses being celebrated at the same time in different locations by different organisations. Later on during the year the Archbishop expressed his feelings that such clashing functions create confusion and his opinion was that AVL should not organise such a function on the same day but could equally well organise it on a different date. It has certainly never been the intention of AVL to either create confusion or to create competition on matters of Our Lord and the wish of His Grace was willingly complied with and as you are aware the date of our Mass for this year will be the 25^th of March also at Balluta Parish Church. In a further effort to eliminate any semblance of competition we are also changing key aspects of our uniform to establish this as the AVL uniform to be used for AVL functions.

At our last meeting with His Grace on the morning of the 11^th February he expressed his feelings that he was not comfortable with situations that seemed to be a characteristic of Malta where similar organisations appeared to duplicate in their function. He added that he wished to make clear the rift that had caused the split between UMTAL and the group that eventually formed AVL. He therefore proposed that he appoint a lay intermediary to meet all parties and to report to him. We at AVL certainly had nothing to hide and this suggestion was accepted. In due course His Grace informed me that the appointed intermediary was Architect Mr. Joseph Magro and a few days ago we had a first meeting with him. There is no agenda for these meeting and you will be kept fully informed of any important developments.

Many of you will recall that last year we had mentioned that 2003 would be the centenary of the formation of UNITALSI and that as part of the celebrations an international children’s pilgrimage was to be organised in June. This was a pilgrimage that brought the happy memories of Joy 2000 to many of us and we immediately started to make preliminary plans to organise such a pilgrimage, in addition to our normal pilgrimage in September. We also planned to bring over a number of children from Maltese missions in Brazil and Kenya to make this a special event. In an attempt to make this pilgrimage also a matter of Christian reconciliation we proposed, through the Joy 2000 committee, that this pilgrimage be organised as a joint effort between AVL and UMTAL. With regret I have to say that this offer was not accepted by UMTAL who said that they have specific instructions from UNITALSI that this pilgrimage has to be the sole responsibility of affiliated organisations. Our plans therfore have had to be shelved, however I have to affirm that any funds collected for the purpose of taking children to Lourdes will still be used for this purpose.

I feel that I have to conclude on this matter by saying that when we had formed AVL a resolution that I had made for myself, and which I believe I have tried to constantly convey, was that AVL should not be a forum to ferment the past. We are a group of people who have moved on and we are in our own way doing our own thing and that in many ways this has been a benefit in opening up the options for the sick to travel to Lourdes. I say this since what I have just been reporting to you may seem to be in direct contrast to my belief, however I also hold the belief that if what we are doing is for the glory of God we must also submit to his path and play our part. We ask the Lord to enlighten us to ensure that in what we do we are guided by his teachings and not by our human aspirations.

As you are aware I deliberately do not mention many names in my report and this for two reasons, one is to avoid the human failing that I may omit in error somebody deserving from my list, the other more important reason is that Our Lady knows much better than any of us know who these persons are and I am sure that in her own way she is able to thank them much more appropriately than I ever can.

However I do make some exceptions whilst concluding my report and this year I have to mention Kenneth Zammit Tabona who so generously passed on a substantial part of the income from his recent art exhibition to the funds of AVL with the specific request that these be used to transport sick children to Lourdes. I am sure that you will also allow me to thank Fr. Julian and the Franciscan Fathers of Porziuncola House who always welcome us with open arms whenever we request their help. To our Chaplains who are always available when we call for their services and who are such support during all our functions. I also have to thank Francesco La Palombara and all of the team at UNITALSI Campana for their support and encouragement throughout the year and most especially during our pilgrimages to Lourdes.

Finally I thank the Lord for giving us the strength to fulfil our commitments and we pray to him and to Our Lady that he may guide us in our efforts and that he grant us the grace to see him in those of our brethren less fortunate.

Accounts for Year Ending 31/12/02

The “Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes” was formed in 2001 to assist in taking sick persons on pilgrimages to Lourdes. The Association is a voluntary, independent, autonomous and non-profit making philanthropic organisation, embracing the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

For the year ending 31^st December 2002

Income	LM	Expenditure	LM
Membership fees and donations	6,042	Administrative and other costs	685
Lourdes Pilgrimage	36,708	Cost of Functions	1,641
Functions and other income	7,341	Lourdes pilgrimage	40,643
		Audit Fee	175
		Depreciation charge	222

	50,091		43,366

		Net Surplus for the year	6,725
STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS As at 31^st December 2002
	LM		LM
Tangible Fixed assets	888	Current liabilities
Current assets		Creditors and accruals	175
Stocks	322	Accumulated fund	8,783
Cash at bank	7,748
	8,958		8,958
The financial statements for the year to 31^st December 2002 have been audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and an unqualified report was issued.

Administrative Report 2001-2002
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 26/03/02

I would like to welcome you to this first Annual General Assembly of the Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes.

Our Association has now been in existence for less than a year, that is since the 18th April 2001 and I believe that I can safely say that the level of activity that we have had during this period of time has been quite remarkable.

At that first meeting held in this very room we had taken the basic decision to proceed with the formation of an association since we all felt that we still had at lot to offer both as individuals as well as a group. From this we than proceeded to elect a ‘pro-temp’ Committee which we directed to carry out two main tasks, the first was to organise a summer pilgrimage for the sick to Lourdes and the second was to propose a Statute for the approval of the members by the end of the year.

The Committee met after three days and elected the first officers of AVL and after that,
meetings were held on a regular basis. In fact I can report that a total of 19 Committee meetings have been held during the period under review, that is from the 18th April 2001 to the 28th February 2002. The Committee proceeded to establish an administrative set up, such as the opening of a Bank Account, VAT registration and other such matters to enable us to function. Where it was felt necessary sub-committees were established with specific tasks in mind. There has also been established a youth sub-committee with the specific task of encouraging young people to participate in our activities. I am pleased to say that through their efforts AVL is now recognized by the MKSU (Moviment Kattoliku Studenti Universitarji) and our Lourdes pilgrimage has been accepted as a credit in social work as part of the optional qualification requirements of the University. I feel that we should be proud that we have such youths among us and we should encourage them in their efforts. It should also be recorded that during the period under review we held three General Assembly meetings, this included the formation meeting, the meeting to approve the Statute and the meeting to discuss the Lourdes pilgrimage.

Following the formation of our Association it was felt that the first official function to be organized should be a Mass, and this was celebrated on the 12th of May for the purpose of thanksgiving to Our Lord and to ask for enlightenment and guidance in all that we do in the future.

A very important feature was to establish a diary of events, both with the scope of fund raising, as well as to fulfil our spiritual needs. In either case it was important that we not only involved as many members as possible but equally involve the sick in all of our activities. I feel that on both these fronts AVL has been very committed and I would remind you that over this period we held the following activities, a visit to the Great Siege of Malta exhibit, a Mellieha car wash and bar-b-que, Freddie Portelli at the Ramla Bay, a tea party at San Anton Palace, a children’s Christmas party, participation in a Carnival party for ‘our sick children’, and finally the recent tour to San Giovanni Rotondo to visit the resting place of Padre Pio and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Pompei. There were also a number of other profitable fund raising activities not involving functions such as, the making of mince meat and the baking of cakes at Christmas, the making of marmalade, the making of figolli at Easter, as well as private fund raising initiatives undertaken by members. These all involve a lot of work, dedication, and expense by those persons who organise them and I thank them for their efforts.

We also held a number of functions that were of a spiritual nature such as the Mass in the San Martin Grotto on 12th of May, which I have already referred to, another Mass celebrated at the same venue on the 16th July to mark the date of the last apparition of Our Lady to St Bernadette, and this was preceded by a procession with the recital of the rosary, and again at the same venue a Mass was celebrated on the 8th December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. I also have to refer to the Mass celebrated as the opening of the Lourdes Pilgrimage at Santa Marija tal-Angli, Bahar ic-Caghaq, and finally our participation in a Mass on the 10th of February to celebrate the world day of the sick in the diocese of Gozo at Ta’Pinu Sanctuary followed the next day by a Mass with the theme of ‘an hour in Lourdes’ at Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish church at Balluta.

Of course the highlight of our year is undoubtedly our Lourdes pilgrimage, it is what we work towards throughout the year and one of our main motivators. We had established that our preferred way of travel was by direct flight and we immediately made contact to establish a date that was both convenient and achievable. We also understood that the trial carried out for Joy 2000, that is keeping the entire group under one roof, had been successful and we therefore wanted that this be a feature of AVL pilgrimages. With the support of a local travel agency we established a date in late September and when we opened for applications our main problem was that of over-booking. I can say that the days leading up to our departure were quite nerve-racking as we tried to find ways to ensure that all those applying actually travelled. In the end, by ways that only God knows how, we had the exact number for a full load of 145 persons. I think that those of you who were there will agree that this first AVL pilgrimage was a successful one. However there are always things that one can improve upon and the initiative that we took in asking everyone to fill in a questionnaire with their comments is one of the ways that give us the necessary feedback to make these improvements.

As I said earlier another basic task for the Committee was the formulation of a Statute which was to regulate our Association in a transparent and democratic manner. After much deliberation a final draft was submitted for the consideration of a General Assembly on the 26th of November and after discussion involving some alteration to the draft it was approved. Following this approval the ‘pro-temp’ Committee resigned and fresh elections were held in accordance with the provisions of the Statute.

I feel that I have to mention here that our existence has not been a bed of roses. When Associations such as ours are born, in the way that we were born, there is bound to be some negative rebound. Unfortunately we are no exception and over this past year there were many times when our motives were questioned and put to test. There were also times when others tried to draw us into media controversy. I feel proud to say that we however never gave in to the temptation and I believe that we are the stronger for it. When we had met to form AVL we had agreed that the scope of this organisation was not that of trying to outdo any other organisation but simply a vehicle to enable us, a group of dedicated helpers of the sick, to do what we enjoy doing to the best of our ability. This is what we have to remain doing. Temptation is the work of evil and we must remain committed to our ideals and to remain loyal to the truth.

I am sure that you will agree that we have been very active throughout this past year, and it seems that no sooner had we organised something that we are already planning for the next one. For this we have to thank all of our members for their enthusiasm and initiative, with a special thanks to those who in one way or another participate in our activities. I am not mentioning names as I feel that it would be unfair to mention some and run the risk of leaving others out. At the end of the day what we do, we do for the glory of God, in devotion to Our Lady and for our brethren the sick. What is important is that it is they who know what we do. We also have to say that we could not have achieved all of this without the generosity of our benefactors, be they members or not, and I would ask that you remember these people in your prayers. It is the combination of the work of our members and the support of our benefactors that make possible our principal aims.

During this past year we have learnt a lot, and from this knowledge we are in the process of establishing our calendar of events for this current period. This will involve a number of what I can refer to as ‘standard’ functions, that is functions that we will be repeating every year, whilst it will also involve some other different functions especially those with the scope of fund raising. Whilst on the subject of fund raising I have to thank the Lord for opening so many doors to us, I also have to thank all of those who organise or contribute in whatever way to these functions, and to encourage all of you to continue to support them. It is important that when we have what I can refer to as a social function we all try to bring guests who are outside our Association, in this way we will be spreading our net even further. We also have to include in our calendar other functions that will help develop further the spiritual nature of our organisation. In this regard we plan to hold one-day retreats as well as one-day pilgrimages to local Marian Sanctuaries.

In closing I am going to make a slight exception in not mentioning names and I have to thank Father Savio for making this hall available to us for our General Assembly meetings, Father Marcello for making available the church and hall at Bahar ic-Caghaq, and Father Joseph Falzon for making available the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for our 11 February Mass. I also have to thank Francesco La Palombara, President of the Sezione Campana of UNITALSI, together with others in that organisation, including the personnel in Lourdes, for their support and assistance in making available to us all that we require from them. This is a relationship of true friendship and respect that we should value.

Finally I ask the Lord to guide us in our efforts and Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette to intercede on our behalf. With such support I am sure that the coming year will be another successful year for AVL.

Accounts for Year Ending 31/12/01

The “Assocjazzjoni Voluntarji Lourdes” was formed on the 18^th April 2001 by a group of voluntary helpers to assist in taking sick persons on pilgrimages to Lourdes. The Association is a voluntary, independent, autonomous and non-profit making philanthropic organisation, embracing the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

For the period from 18^th April to 31^st December 2001

Income	LM	Expenditure	LM
Membership fees and donations	2,498	Administration expenses	84
Lourdes Pilgrimage	24,446	Cost of Functions	1,273
Functions	3,834	Gifts and donations	271
Net Interest received	64	Lourdes Pilgrimage	26,944
		Foreign exchange loss	37
		Audit Fee	175
	30,842		28,784

		Net Surplus for the period	2,058
STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS As at 31^st December 2001
Current assets	LM
Cash at bank and in hand	2,182
Creditors: Amount falling due within one year	124
Net assets	2,058
Accumulated fund	2,058
The financial statements for the period ending 31^st December 2001 have been audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 167, Merchants Street, Valletta, and an unqualified report was issued.

Any reference to the Statute of AVL made in this web site is for information purposes only.

Administrative Report 2007-2008

General Assembly – 27th March 2008

Administrative Report 2005 - 2006

General Assembly 16/03/2006

ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31/12/05

Administrative Report 2004 – 2005

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 17/03/05

Income

LM

Expenditure

LM

Net Surplus for the year

LM

Tangible Fixed assets

Current assets

Income

LM

Expenditure

LM

Net Surplus for the period

LM

Cash at bank and in hand

Creditors: Amount falling due within one year

General Assembly – 27^th March 2008