Social and personal

ASPHAR. Today and tomorrow being the anniversaries of AGNES and MAUDE. Please remember them in your prayers. Their family.

CASSAR - JOSEPH. Cherished memories of a dear husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, especially today the 12th anniversary of his demise. Always in our thoughts and prayers. His loving wife Maria Stella, children and their families. Lord, grant him eternal rest.

CORDINA. In loving memory of our dear FRANCIS, husband to Antida and father to Raymond, Joanna and Mariella who passed away 27 years ago but remains forever in our hearts.

GALEA - COSTANTINO. Cherished memories of a very dear father, today the ninth anniversary of his demise. So sadly missed by his children Perry, RoseMarie, Sr Maria Dolores, David, Joe and their families. Always in our thoughts and prayers. A Mass for the repose of his soul will be said today at 7.15 p.m. at St Paul's church, Birkirkara.

GILI. In loving memory of MARIA on the 15th anniversary of her demise. Lord, grant her eternal rest. Her family.

GOUDER - CARMELO. In loving memory of our dear father, today the 17th anniversary of his death.
Dear papa,
You may be unseen, unheard
But you are always near
Still missed, still loved
And always dear.
Joseph, Monica and Gloria.

SEYCHELL - JOE. In loving memory of a dearest husband and father on the 26th anniversary of his passing away. Never forgotten by Valerie and John Seychell Navarro.

Lost

On Friday, September 9 in Balzan area, black, fluffy, eight-month-old cat with orange collar and bell. Reward given if found. Phone 2144 2468 or 9982 8299.

Fund-Raising Sale

The Mission Fund is holding a clearance sale at ex-Sperry, Labour Avenue, Naxxar from September 26 to 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Funds are being raised to help relieve the hunger and misery of Third World countries. Those who would like to donate items can contact the Mission Fund at 72/2, St Joseph Flats, Triq il-Farinal, Mosta MST 07, or on tel. 2141 3664.

Power Cuts

The electricity supply will be suspended in the following localities today:

San Pawl Il-Bahar, from 8 a.m. to noon in Triq Il-Karmnu, Triq Parades, Triq San Pawl and Triq San Publiju; Zurrieq, from 7.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in part of Triq Valletta; Mellieha, from 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in Triq Is-Sajjieda, Triq It-Trill and parts of Triq Il-Qarnit and Triq Dawret It-Tunnara.

Mass For Katrina Victims

The Maltese-American Association, in conjunction with the Malta Emigrants' Commission, will be offering Mass on Friday in remembrance of the victims of Hurricane Katrina at St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta at 6 p.m. The American Ambassador, Molly Bordonaro, is expected to attend. Whoever wishes to attend may do so.

Dock Workers' Reunion

Former dockyard shipwright apprentices of the 1955 entry are invited to a reunion on the occasion of their 50th anniversary which will be held on October 5 in the evening and will include a Mass celebrated by Fr Alfred Darmanin, a member of that group, followed by a meal at a restaurant.

Those interested in attending are requested to phone Nicholas Baldacchino on 2148 8068 for further information by not later than September 26.

Cable Damage

Yesterday at 9.45 a.m., a private contractor who was carrying out works in Triq Hal-Kirkop, Mqabba damaged an underground power cable which caused the electricity service to be interrupted in parts of Mqabba.

Measures were taken in hand immediately to repair the cable. The electricity service is expected to be restored after all necessary repairs are completed, Enemalta said.

Volunteers Needed

Prison Fellowship Malta would like to inform its members and anyone who would like to offer their services as volunteers, that the usual monthly meeting will be held on September 22, at 5 p.m., at its premises, No. 8 (Basement), Magazines Junction, Floriana.

For any other information, contact Mark Vella, director, on telephone 2131 8149 or 9982 0726 or Doreen Galea, secretary, on 7970 8505.

Appreciation - Sr Emily Mamo

Pat Azzopardi writes:

I have been hesitating to write about my beloved great aunt Sr Emily Mamo, as I come from a family of far, far wittier cousins who would most certainly do a better job of it.

I have, however, kept hearing the words of a famous poet over and over again in my head: "Look into thy heart and write".

I am sure every single member of my big family has their own personal story about Sr Emily because she made each and every one of us feel unique and uniquely loved.

I can almost see all my relatives nodding their heads in agreement. God gave Sr Emily almost 93 years of life so she saw all her brothers and sisters die one by one and innumerable nephews and nieces, too. One of them was my father, Paul. Her simple comment, though wracked by grief at the loss of yet another family member, was "God's ways are not ours".

I will never forget my first day of school at St Joseph in Blata l-Bajda where she spent the last 39 years of her life. I was crying my heart out but the moment she walked in, she took my hand and spirited me out of the classroom, and I forgot what I had been crying about.

At one point she must have had at least a dozen great nieces all attending "her" school but somehow, she managed to keep track of each and everyone's progress and regularly spoke to our teachers and parents.

She had an encyclopaedic memory of everyone's degrees and qualifications and up to the end, she would easily reel them off one by one. This was a source of great amusement not to mention amazement to us all.

Another day that stands out in my memory for obvious sad reasons is when at the age of 14, my sisters came for me at school. My father had just died. Sr Emily was at reception hugging us all, crying and insisting on coming back home with us to comfort us when it was she who also needed to be comforted at losing another beloved nephew.

In the 21 years that my father has been gone, she must have attended 20 of the annual Masses at the police headquarters where my father had his office.

To the many of us who had lost parents, she provided the priceless missing link. Her excellent memory made it possible for her to remember with clarity, things that happened 75 years ago.

One day she amazed my family by coming across an old family photo at one of her nephews' home and pointed out a sweet curly haired boy who happened to be none other than my father, then aged two. The reason we were amazed and pleasantly surprised was because we had never ever seen a photo of him so young.

Finally, the last memory of Sr Emily which I shall always treasure was almost three years ago, when my son Paul was born just one month short of her 90th birthday. She came to visit us in hospital and took a priceless photo holding my son which I fondly call "Our zero to 90 photo".

She was so much more than an aunt to us all. When he gave me the sad news of her passing away, a cousin of mine told me "She was like a second mother to me" and having had the privilege of knowing her, I'm sure he wasn't exaggerating.

I am comforted by the fact that she was fully conscious when my mother and I saw her for the last time a few hours before she passed away and managed to say our goodbyes by telling her what she meant to us.

Sr Emily was my great aunt. In more ways than one.

Religion Course

The Catholic Institute is organising a course in religion (A level), leading to the June 2006 exams. Lectures are being held every Monday from October 3 from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. at the Catholic Institute. Applications are available from the Catholic Institute from Monday.

Prayer Meeting

The International Movement of Prayer Blessed Pope John XXII is holding its usual evening of Prayer for Peace and New Evangelisation of the World at the basement chapel of Sarria Church in Floriana on September 21 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

What's On Today

Films
At 6.45 p.m. at St James Cavalier, Valletta, Kinsey (18)

At 9 p.m. at St James Cavalier, Valletta, Coffee And Cigarettes (16).

Music
At 8.30 p.m. at the Independence Gardens, Sliema, music by the Versatile Brass Ensemble.

Exhibitions
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Archaeology, Valletta, Money in China.

At St James Cavalier, Valletta, photographs, digitised film footage, vintage photographic cameras and printing tools marking the 50th anniversary of the Department of Information.

At St James Cavalier, Valletta, I Will Never Forget, photographs by Pim Tiggleman.

At the Zabbar local council, On The Way, works by Herbert Du Bois.