Solidarity with brother and sister missionaries (1)

The Maltese are well known for having big hearts. I experienced the truth of this statement during the past nine years since I left home to serve in the missions the Maltese Carmelites have engaged in Tarija (Bolivia) for the past 55 years.

The Maltese Carmelite presence in Bolivia is conveying hope by promoting human rights and providing dignity through projects that empower 60 per cent of the population by showing them how they can have their daily needs. This was done by organising skilled workers into cooperatives, promoting higher education, building a clinic to address the needy and giving the people a sense of dignity that they can succeed in life.

The missionaries in Tarija also embarked on evangelisation projects, among them organising pastoral centres with their respective worship spaces. The first mission station and chapel to be built by the Maltese Carmelites was dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tarija. That happened more than 50 years ago. In recent months, experts evaluated the infrastructural state of the chapel and advised us that restoration is desperately needed if this worship space is to continue to serve God’s people. The budget to restore this building is of €60,000.

I am dropping this note to call on the Maltese and Gozitans who have the Church and Carmel at heart to show solidarity with their spiritual brothers and sisters in Tarija and help us raise funds to restore this sacred space. For us Carmelites restoring this chapel is of fundamental importance because it happens to be a living monument of the first Carmelites who left our motherland to serve a faraway and needy Church.

Anyone interested in giving donations can write to the Provincial Animator of Carmelite Missions, c/o Fr Jürgen Cucciardi O.Carm., Kunvent tal-Karmnu, Triq il-Parroċċa, Santa Venera SVR 1261. Thanks in advance for the generosity of the Maltese and the Gozitan people.