• A social activity is being organised by the Pontifical Missions Office and the Voluntiera Lajci Missjunarji Society of 7, Merchants Street, Valletta, today at 12.15 p.m. at the Mission’s Office Hall on the fourth floor.
Tickets cost €12 for adults and €8 for children under 10. For booking, call 2123 6962.
• The Mission Fund is organising a tea tombola in aid of Maltese missionaries working in Third World countries today at 3.30 p.m. at Villa Lija, Lija.
Tickets at €5 (without transport) and €7 (with transport) can be obtained from the Mission Fund at Eureka Court, Blk A/Flt 6, Main Street, Mosta (tel: 2141 3664) or Speranza Xuereb (tel: 7941 0860/2141 0860).
• Brigadier Claude Gaffiero will deliver a lecture on ‘The Palace: Reminiscences of an ADC’ in the ‘Rediscovering the Grand Master’s Palace’ series, organised by Salvatore Mousu, tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the Palace, Valletta.
• The Mission Fund is also holding a garage sale between Wednesday and December 7 at St Joseph, Gummar Street, Birkirkara (near the bakery). Mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; afternoons 4 to 7 p.m. Saturdays half day.
• A day of adoration will be held at the Archbishop’s Seminary, Tal-Virtù, Rabat, on Thursday to pray for vocations to the priestly and religious life. It will start with Mass at 9.30 a.m., followed by adoration for the rest of the day.
The seminarians will join at 6.30 p.m. and another Mass will be celebrated at 7.15 p.m. to conclude the day. Individuals and groups are welcome.
• Hospice Malta will be holding a buffet on Friday at 8 p.m. at the Dolmen Hotel, Qawra, against a donation of €24 for adults and €12 for children aged between five and 12.
For tickets, call Hospice on 2144 0085 during office hours or e-mail info@hospicemalta.org. There will also be Christmas cards, a cake sale, hampers and poinsiettas. A bazaar at Paola Youth Centre will also be held from Wednesday to Friday.
• The Our Lady of Lilies women’s section is holding a Christmas bazaar between Friday and December 11 in Triq Santa Katerina, Mqabba (near the square). The bazaar, which will be selling plants, books, gifts and decorations, will be open all day.
• The Association of Lyceum Past Students will be holding its annual Christmas dinner at the Westin Dragonara Resort, St Julian’s, on Saturday at 8 p.m. for 8.30 p.m. The price is €30 per person with free parking in the hotel garage on a first-come-first-served basis.
Confirmation of booking with advance payments is to be sent at the earliest to Alex Borg, ‘Alson’, 82, Naxxar Road, San Ġwann, tel: 2138 6812/9988 8579 or e-mail alps@global.net.mt or to Robert Ferrante, ‘Haven’, Triq Almerija, Birkirkara, tel: 2144 4570/7960 3622 or e-mail robbieferrante@hotmail.com.
• The Maltese Augustinian Commission for Justice and Peace is organising a seminar titled ‘Ecological crisis: What has prayer got to do with it?’ on Saturday between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. in the Millennium chapel’s auditorium. The main speaker will be Fr Francisco Ó Conaire, OFM.
• The traditional Christmas bazaar at Paola will be held at the parish hall, Church Avenue, from Saturday to December 11.
There will be many items at reduced prices, including plants, toys, decorations, books, drinks and clothes. Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to noon and from 4.30 to 8 p.m.
• The ceremony of the exposition of the Statue of Our Lady of Lilies will be held next Sunday at 10.30 a.m. The statue will be placed at the centre of Mqabba parish church for a fortnight of public veneration on the occasion of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated in Mqabba on December 11.
• A card party in aid of the Little Sisters of the Poor will be held at the Preluna Hotel, Sliema, on December 7 from 10 a.m. For bookings and information, call Blanche Martin on 2133 0387.
• As a preparation for Christmas, Fr Reno Grech, SJ, and Giovanna Tabone will lead a retreat from December 9 at 7 p.m. to December 11 after lunch at Manresa retreat house, Victoria.
• Fr Anthony Cilia, SJ, and the Parish Ignatian Ministry (PIM) team will lead a retreat at Manresa retreat house, Victoria, on December 13 from 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. for people who have experienced the PIM programme.
• The Centre for Ignatian Spirituality is holding the following retreats: from December 16 at 7 p.m. to December 18 at 2.30 p.m. at Mount St Joseph retreat house, Tarġa Gap, Mosta, Fr Pierre Grech Marguerat, SJ, and Cristina Spiteri will lead two parallel retreats for couples with children under 10, one forthe parents and the other for the children.
The retreat will be repeated from March 2 to 4.
• The International Wives Association will be holding a Christmas bazzar at the British Legion, Valletta on Wednesday at 10 a.m. There will be books, cakes, pies and gifts, among others. Entrance is free. All are welcome.