Beginning of the month of May in honour of Mary Our M. H. Mother, in the Chapel of the Institute

The news of Mother Rose's death reached us like a flash of lightning in a clear sky. We were used to the news that everybody is well. From the Maltese mission at Abbysinia we were used to receiving news of zeal, progress, and spiritual profit of the people of those areas. So we never expected such a news. Mother Rose was a very courageous woman; she worked as if she never tired. We know her very well because we could calculate her worth as a Mother-Superior at Fra Diego Institute at Hamrun. We saw her striving, never getting annoyed when we tell her something for the children's benefit and for the progress of the Institute. She would just start working like a boat which ploughs the seas and moves forward. It seemed that there were no obstacles in her way; she was always ready to side-step them and advance, without a word , on her duty. Therefore, when Mother General threw an open invitation for the first group of sisters who were to leave for Abyssinia, we were not the least surprised that Mother Rose was one of the first to offer themselves and that she was chosen to take care of the others and lead them in a voyage which none of them ever performed to areas of which they had only a faint idea. Friar Mizzi had already been working hard there; our Brother Joseph had been there for some months. As soon as she arrived at the blessed Mission land, she increased her persistent effort for God's glory and for the benefit of those souls. She was so helpful to the Missionaries, she directed the Sofi orphanage so quickly, she gave herself so much to teach catechism, she cured the sick with so much love, she was at everybody's service for works of God's love so much that some called her the Queen of Sofi. To make a long story short to speak only about the essence of her work in guiding and instructing her "dear little negro girls " as Mother Rose used to call them in her letters ( they were the object of her effort and love), we will only mention the beautiful feast which she managed to organize in a short time to receive one from the visitors of the Mission, the Friar Provincial of the Capuchins with due respect. There was singing and acting in French; these lasses also offered some articrafts of their own- some of them had not been there but for a short time. It seems to us that words of praise and approval by the Provincial on that same day during the feast and the report which Msgr Bishop Jarosseau delivered on the Progress of the Orphanage on this occasion were destined by Providence to be Mother Rose's crown for her work on earth. This was but a figure and an image of the other crown being already woven for her by the angels in heaven. In fact there was but a brief space of days for on the ninth of November she received one of her Superiors with due respect and love and on the twentieth of the same month her soul was accepted by Jesus her divine spouse.

Mother Rose was born at Hal Lija on the 14th of August 1871. At fifteen years of age she left the world and was accepted in the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Gozo. She was Superior, Mistress of Novices, Advisor of the Mother General; always and everywhere she was the fragrance of Christian life. Lately, as Mother Superior of the Somali Mission in Abyssinia she played a great part in the foundation of the Sofi and Gigiga Orphanage.

The funeral was a really great success; beautiful and devout. The Missionary stations of Harrar, that pertaining to the Bishop Msgr Jarosseau, that pertaining to the abbey of the nuns of Calais and the other station of the Leprosary took part. All the Friars and Priests of the place, major and minor seminarians, the whole european Colony, all were present. And many christians of the area did all in their possibility to honour this first victim of the Maltese Mission among the Somalis. They showed everybody the respect they had towards her; they showed how the sense of gratitude is deeply ingrained in their soul.

Friar Mizzi tells us that the name of Mother Rose will be blessed among the simple and gentle people of those areas for a very long time. We will not forget her quickly too; both as Mother Superior at the Fra Diego Institute as well as Missionary among the Somalis. Many times we received her words of thanks for whatever the Saint Agatha Laboratory sent to the sisters. Among her last words she wrote to us, we find the following; we may keep them as her testament, "Pray for us; compel others to pray alot for our Mission among the Somalis".

continued its work and sent many boxes towards Djigjiga in Abbysinia to Friar Mizzi, even this year. Friar Mizzi on his part was responsible to distribute the contents among the others as requested. Some other clothes are being sewn to be sent. The laboratory is also to send a bell to the Gololcia church as a suffrage for the soul of Fr.Santino, our brother. They will also send a small statue of Malta stone, donated by Fr. Nicholas Aquilina the parish Priest of Hal-Ghaxaq- Therefore we would like to inform those who want to donate something for the Maltese Mission among the Somalis or who want to help the Missionary Laboratory in some other way, that the following ladies belong to it: Mrs. Ursola De Piro who lives at Imdina; Miss Mary Asphar High Street Sliema, Miss Luisa Caruana Old Bakery Str. Valletta- Miss Agnes Asphar Saint George's of Birzebbuga- Mrs. Mary and the misses Pace Axiaq Boschetto Road Rabat- Mrs. Emma De Piro Hal Lija- Marchionesse Apap Bologna H'Attard- Miss Pina Caruana, Floriana.

The Sun rises at 5 and 8m. It sets at 6 and 45m.

Do not forget the Holy Childhood work.

There will be special devotions towards Mary Our Blessed Lady.

"Oh how I long to see the work of Msgr. De Piro advancing and developing more and more as befits the strong christian spirit which the great Apostle, Saint Paul Our Father, left in Malta. I intend to continue doing my part to develop it and to attract a large number of vocations and charities towards it."

Fr.Mizzi O.M.C.

FROM FRIAR MIZZI'S APPEAL : "There are about four hundred missions dispersed throughout the world; however they hardly supply half the need. Therefore, according this counting, a thousand Missions are necessary. We do not ever think that this is impossible because if every diocese takes a Mission upon it, this will be fulfilled in a short time. In Malta we already have a Missionary Institute, under the name of Society of Saint Paul. Therefore we will be doing our duty towards our pagan brothers if we help this Apostolic work which has been in our country for some years. Let all of us therefore help it to advance and remember these words of St. John Chrysostom: "I can never understand how someone can be really a christian without possessing a zeal for souls," that is without giving himself as much as possible for their salvation.

"The above mentioned work of Saint Paul has already bore its first fruit in the person of Brother Joseph Francis Caruana who has been working with us for some time in the missions of Sofi, Gigiga and Golocia in Abbysinia. With his work he is a living proof; we can therefore encourage others to help this Institute of the Missions."

The Society of Saint Paul the Apostle is a communion or society of missionaries, priests and catechists gathered together in perfect common life.

Its aim is to strive to perfect its members in the love of God and neighbour through the observance of the christian virtues and in a particular way those of perfect obedience, chastity and poverty and to save souls by helping those peoples which lack gospel workers and by taking care of those houses where orphans, old people and other poor people are sheltered.

After giving the necessary proof all members of this society are asked to profess the vows of obedience, chastity, poverty and mission.

The Society of Saint Paul is lucky because its beginning was encouraged and blessed by the Saintly Pope Pius X since the year 1910. By authorization of the Sacred Cogregation of Religious it was then cononically erected by H.E. Msgr Archbishop Dom Maurus Caruana O.S.B. by a decree of the 14th of November 1921.

The sun rises at 4 and 44m. It sets at 7 and 23m.

Enroll in the work of the Propagation of the Faith and encourage others to enroll too.