I am very grateful to the Mission Fund in Malta for the generous donation given to the Galilee Centre in mid-February. A grant of €2,000 was offered to subsidise the school fees of the children of our workers and to cover more than half the building of a new septic tank at the centre. My present ministry at the Galilee Centre – which is a retreat house in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, run by the Jesuits and the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady – is twofold. My main apostolate is to offer retreats, seminars and workshops to the religious and priests of the Ethiopian Catholic Church and to other Christian Churches as well. I also offer spiritual direction to religious, priests and some lay persons.

With the help of a team of other priests and religious, we also offer weekend retreats to university students and youths coming from different parishes.

My other responsibility is the administration of the centre with the help of three Sisters on the staff. That means taking care of the workers, and by way of appreciating them, we are subsidising the school fees of all their children. This second responsibility involves maintenance work, making the centre a space of prayer and welcoming the participants who come from different churches. Starting from this February I am also helping in the funding and facilitating the building of a block of 12 rooms, as part of our programme to renovate the Galilee Centre.

I encourage all readers to continue to send used stamps and donations to the Mission Fund. By means of your donations the Mission Fund would be able to assist us in helping the people we serve, in God’s name, in Third World countries. Kindly send your donations to one of the following accounts: HSBC [Account No: 061 197 448 050]; BOV [Account No: 163 007 980 19]; APS [Account No: 200 008 207 62]; or BNF [Account No: 000 879 631 01]. More information on the Mission Fund can be accessed from the website www.missionfund.org.mt.

I will pray for your families and the repose of your bereaved ones in my daily Eucharist. As Psalm 127 says, “If the Lord does not build a house in vain do its builders toil”. Kindly support our work here at the Galilee Centre with your prayers. May God and Blessed Mary make us always willing to do God’s will.