Mġarr’s homeless and lonely are once again being invited to a communal New Year’s Day lunch hosted by the parish priest.

Mgr Kalċidon Vassallo’s dining room will hum with cheerful chatter as people who would otherwise be eating alone will feast at his pastoral home in Mġarr.

“The idea is to help those who have nowhere else to go and help those really in need, at a time that nobody wants to be alone,” said Mgr Vassallo.

He told the Times of Malta how he first organised the meal back in the 1980s, when he was carrying out his pastoral duties in the Floriana parish.

He continued to organise the meal when he was transferred to serve Mġarr.

Last year, one of the guests, a teary 78-year-old widow, admitted that solitude was “unbearable” and every passing year, she was finding it harder to handle.

The woman, whose mobility had been made more difficult because of an injured leg, would have spent the day alone at home. Fellow diner John-Mary Bezzina, 10 years her junior, would have spent the day hanging around the village, whiling away the time in shops.

Mgr Vassallo said the meal was a gesture of kindness from the Mġarr community.

The meal is prepared by a local family of restaurateurs, the meat is donated by another family, and Mgr Vassallo has just received a call from someone who wanted to donate the dessert.

“The food arrives at my home warm and ready. The help we get is really impressive. I also received calls from a number of people who wanted to give a helping hand or donate money towards the initiative,” he said.

The meal is organised mostly by members of the locality’s Diakonia Commission.

One volunteer, Giovanna Bugeja, said the commission helped out those living on their own, most of whom were elderly, throughout the year. Apart from a monthly meeting, which includes an informative talk and tombola, the eight members of the commission also visit some 52 former Mġarr parishioners residing in homes for the elderly across the island.

The Archbishop’s Curia and Caritas hosted some 440 lonely people for a hearty Christmas Day lunch. This was the third edition of the event, with 380 having turned up last year. The food was provided by the Alf Mizzi Foundation, and the Office of the President donated desserts.

Several other companies and individuals also made donations.