Tomorrow, 3rd May 2012, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. will leave Malta on a pastoral visit to Maltese emigrants in San Francisco, United States and to Maltese missionaries in Central America.
The Archbishop will arrive in California tomorrow, where he will be welcomed by the Maltese Consul, Mr Louis Farrugia and members of the Maltese Community. On Sunday 6th May, he will celebrate mass at the Cathedral dedicated to St Mary, in the city of San Francisco and attend several meetings with Maltese communities. The following day he will meet the Archbishop of San Francisco, His Grace Mons George Niederauer. Another meeting will be held with Maltese people who are infirm and others who are in hospital. On Wednesday 9th May, the Archbishop will celebrate mass on the occasion of the feast of St George Preca.
From San Francisco, the Archbishop will fly to Honduras and Cuba to visit Maltese missionaries. He is expected to land in Honduras on Friday 11th May, where he will be welcomed by Maltese bishops, Mons Robert Camilleri OFM and Mons Joe Bonello OFM, as well as the Franciscan Fathers (Minor) P. Albert Gauci OFM and P. Anglu Falzon OFM. He will then be accompanied by the Maltese bishops on a courtesy visit to Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodrieguez, who is also the Archbishop of the Archdiocesse of Tegucigalpa.
On Saturday 12th May, Archbishop Cremona will call upon the Franciscan missionaries and the “Diego Vella” formation centre in the city of Juticalpa. This centre has been named after the first Maltese Franciscan missionary in Honduras, P. Diego Vella OFM, who lived for several years in this country. The Archbishop will also pay a visit to his grave.
On Sunday 13th May, the Archbishop will celebrate mass in the Cathedral of Juticalpa. He will visit the Monastry of the sisters of the Poor Clares and Franciscan novices. On the same day, he will also celebrate mass in the parish church of Santa Gertrudis.
On Monday 14th May, the Archbishop will leave from Juticalpa and journey to Comayagua, as the guest of Bishop Robert Camilleri OFM. He will then visit the city of Tegucicalpa to meet, among others, the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency, Mons Luigi Bianco.
The last stop on the Archbishop’s journey will be Cuba, where he will spend four days. He is expected to arrive on 17th May. In the capital city of Havana, he will meet Maltese missionaries of the Augustinian order, diocesan priest Fr Paul Buttigieg and members of the MUSEUM, who have lived in Cuba for the past 18 months. During his visit to Cuba, the Archbishop will pay a courtesy call to the Bishop of Cuba, Mons. Arturo Gonzalez.
Archbishop Cremona OP will return to Malta on Tuesday 22nd May. Fr Alfred Vella, Director of the Emigrants Commission is accompanying the Archbishop on his pastoral visit.