Archbishop Paul Cremona said Maltese missionaries deserve a big "thank you" because their work is done on behalf of all Maltese.

Mgr Cremona was addressing Maltese missionaries during a meeting for members of religious orders in Malta on holiday.

The meeting is organised annually by the Church Secretariat for Maltese Priests working outside the Diocese at Dar l-Emigrant, in Valletta.

Missionaries working in Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Phillipines, Jerusalem, Ghana, Jordan, Guam, India, Italy, Israel, Kenya, Libya, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia attended the meeting.

Emigrants' Commission director Mgr Philip Calleja said 282 Maltese priests are working in the missions. Of these, 56 are in Australia, 40 in Latin America, 26 in Africa, 24 in the US, 28 in Canada and 86 in Europe, among other places.

A number of nuns who are members of Maltese congregations and are offering their services in other countries total 348. There are another 48 Maltese nuns, members of other congregations, working in the missions.

The Church Secretariat for Maltese priests was set up in 1969 to assist priests and other members of religious orders working in the missions and maintain contact with them.