I have had the opportunity to be chosen as one of the pilgrims in the pilgrimage to Lourdes recently organised by the Maltese Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM).

The love, gentleness and humility generated during our four-day stay in Lourdes was so impressive that I will surely never forget this wonderful experience.

Here I am not referring to the inner spiritual healing and well-being I received from this experience but to SMOM’s excellent organisation and to the fact that each member of the order took such great care of each pilgrim with so much love and dedication, making one feel special, loved and cared for. The members of SMOM gave so much of themselves with smiles on their faces and with so much dedication that it was they who were thanking us rather than the other way round.

All this goodness should be publicised and given the merit it richly deserves. I believe that, if such goodness were to be given the coverage it deserves, people would at least have some good to believe in rather that all the bad happenings in the world which we are constantly being bombarded with.

News like this can give people encouragement to go on in life despite all the harsh cruelties now afflicting the world.

I wish to take this opportunity to publicly thank SMOM for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime and for making my dream come true and giving me such a positive outlook on life despite all my hardships and sufferings.