On Wednesday 4th April 2012, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. led the national Via Crucis which started at the Marsa Open Centre and continued in Marsa parish church (Holy Trinity) due to unexpected downpours. Hundreds of people, including immigrants, participated. The theme selected for this year was ‘Jesus and the Refugee on the Way of the Cross’.
The Marsa Open Centre was chosen to remind the faithful about the suffering which many immigrants go through when leaving their countries and their families behind, for a better life. On the Archbishop’s request, the Way of the Cross, normally takes place in locations where people are undergoing some form of suffering.
Since the residents of the Marsa Open Centre pertain to different religious beliefs, prior to the commencement of the Via Crucis, a moment of prayer and reflection was held in the Open Centre by a representative of the Imam and the head of the Coptic Christians. As a gesture of solidarity, the Archbishop presented 500 ‘qaghaq tal-Appostli’ (traditional bread loaves for Holy Week) to the immigrants.
The text for the Way of the Cross was written by Fr Alfred Vella, Director of the Emigrants Commissions. Each station relates the story of a particular refugee or group of refugees.
The Way of the Cross is organized annually by RTK Radio, in collaboration with the Pastoral Secretariat of the Archdiocese of Malta.
Click on the photos to enlarge. The photos of the Archbishop’s events may be purchased from PHOTOCITY, Valletta. Tel: 21236723. Email: [email protected]