Il-President u l-Kunsill tal-Fergha Ewkaristika jixtiequ javzaw li:

nhar it-Tnejn 31 ta’ Jannar, 2011, ic­-Centru tal-Fergha Ewkaristika se jkollu jaghlaq il-bibien tieghu.
           
Wasalna ghal din id-decizjoni fid-dawl tal-fatt li t-terminu tal-Kunsill, li nhatar nhar il-Hadd 23 ta’ Jannar, 2005, skada, u ghalhekk ma jistax jibqa’ jmexxi. L-elezzjoni biex jinhatar Kunsill gdid, li kellha ssir waqt l-Assemblea Generali tat-23 ta’ Ottubru, 2010, ma setghetx issir peress li hadd ma kkontesta l-istess elezzjoni. Dan minkejja l-fatt li l-membri gew informati bil-laqgha u bl-elezzjoni kif jistabbilixxi l-istatut tal-Fergha Ewkaristika.

Minhabba r-ragunijiet hawn fuq imsemmija, f’Awwissu 2010, il-Kunsill talab id-direzzjoni tal-Arcisqof Mons. Pawlu Cremona. Din id-direzzjoni ghadha ma nghatatx.

Ic-Centru jerga’ jinfetah meta tinghata din id-direzzjoni.

Kif tafu, matul dawn is-snin inqalghu diversi diffikultajiet bejn il-Kunsill tal-Fergha Ewkaristika u l-komunità tax-xebbiet imsejha Ulied Marija Ewkaristika, li kienet giet kostitwita mill-Fundatur komuni taghna, is-Superjur George Grima, biex, fost hwejjeg ohra, “jghinu fl-appostolat li twettaq il-Fergha Ewkaristika”. Mill-ahhar Assemblea Generali lil hawn, il-komunità tax-xebbiet ma baqghetx tghin f’dan l-appostolat fic-Centru tal-Fergha Ewkaristika.

Tul dawn is-sitt snin, il-Kunsill zamm kuntatt regolari mal-awtoritajiet ekklezjastici dwar dawn id-diffikultajiet. Bi qbil mal-istess awtoritajiet, il-Kunsill ghazel li jzomm is-silenzju, izda issa wasal iz-zmien li l-membri jsiru jafu bil-fatti principali dwar il-komunità Ulied Marija Ewkaristika:

Dokument A:

Digriet: Fl-10 ta’ Lulju, 2006, inhareg digriet mill-Arcisqof Emeritus Mons. Guzeppi Mercieca, mehmuz ma’ din l-ittra, dwar ix-xebbiet tal-komunità Ulied Marija Ewkaristika fejn iddikjara li dawn:

“ma jiffurmawx Komunità jew Istitut ta’ Hajja Konsagrata”

u biex

“ma jilbsux aktar b’tali mod li jaghtu l-impressjoni li huma sorijiet jew membri ta’ Komunità jew Istitut ta’ hajja konsagrata”

 Dokument B:

Inkiteb mix-xebbiet li joqoghdu f’Dar Marija Ewkaristika, f’Haz-Zebbug, proprjetà tal-Fergha Ewaristika, li l-Fundatur ma kellux il-mezzi finanzjarji biex ihallas il-bilanc li kien dovut lill-Kuntrattur ghall-bini tal-imsemmija dar.     

Dan id-diskors m’huwiex minnu. Prova ta’ dan hi dikjarazzjoni bil-gurament tas-Sur Alfred Borg, il-Kuntrattur tal-bini ta’ Haz-Zebbug, li l-Kunsill ghandu fil-pussess tieghu. Is-Sur Borg jikkonferma illi l-fondi kollha mehtiega ghall-bini u ghat-tlestija tad-dar ta’ Haz-Zebbug thallsu lilu mill-Fundatur, is-Superjur George Grima.

Il-membri li jiffurmaw il-Kunsill, sia dawk prezenti, kif ukoll dawk passati, jistghu jikkonfermaw illi dawk il-fondi ngabru mill-Fundatur minghand benefatturi tal-Fergha Ewkaristika, tant illi l-istess bini huwa proprjetà tal-Fergha Ewkaristika.

Barra minn hekk, il-Kunsill jichad bil-qawwa kollha l-allegazzjoni miktuba tal-imsemmija xebbiet illi l-fondi tal-komunità Ulied Marija Ewkaristika ggemmghu matul iz-zmien, principalment mill-pagi li kienu jgibu x-xebbiet u mill-hidma taghhom.

Il-Kunsill jinsisti illi dawk il-fondi, sia dawk f’isem il-kommunità kif ukoll li jistghu gew trasferiti f’ismijiet ohra, jinkludu flejjes moghtija lill-komunità Ulied Marija Ewkaristika mill-Fundatur matul hajtu, ukoll migbura minnu mill-benefatturi tal-Fergha Ewkaristika. Fil-fatt, il-Fundatur kien ghadda kumment lil wiehed mit-tnax-il membru korporattivi li l-komunità tax-xebbiet Ulied Marija Ewkaristika, “hadu flus fuq li hadu, u hadu zzejjed.” Dawn barra eluf ta’ liri ohra li l-Kunsilli tal-Fergha Ewkaristika taw lill-komunità minn wara mewt il-fundatur sal-2005.

Dan kollu qieghed jingieb ghall-informazzjoni tal-membri billi l-Kunsill tal-Fergha Ewkaristika jhoss id-dmir illi jiddefendi l-memorja u l-gieh tal-Fundatur, li tant hadem u stinka sia sabiex ipoggi lill-Fergha Ewkaristika fuq sisien sodi, kif ukoll sabiex ix-xebbiet tal-komunità Ulied Marija Ewkaristika jghixu hajja dinjituza, mehdija fit-talb u fl-adorazzjoni ta’ Gesu Ewkaristija.

Nixtiequ ninfurmaw li

a. l-attivitajiet kollha li kienet torganizza l-Fergha Ewkaristika ghalissa huma sospizi

b. il-quddies li kien inghata biex isir fil-kappella tal-Fergha Ewkaristika se jitqassam biex isir bnadi ohra

TMIEM

English Version

The Council of the Fergħa Ewkaristika, a religious organisation for lay people which manages a chapel in Marsa dedicated to fostering devotion towards the Holy Eucharist, has informed its members that with effect from the 31st January, 2011, the Chapel will close its doors to the public. The Council’s term of office lapsed on the 23rd January, 2011.

The decision was reached after elections for a new Council, which should have been held during the Annual General Meeting held on the 23rd October, 2010, were not held. None of those eligible contested the election.  

In August, 2010, when no nominations were received, the Council had sought the Archbishop’s guidance, but none has been received to date. The Chapel will re-open when this guidance is imparted.

The Council also informed the members on the difficulties which arose with the women’s group known as Ulied Maria Ewkaristika, which had been constituted by the same founder as the Fergħa Ewkaristika, namely Superjur George Grima. The scope for which the women’s group had been established was to help in the work of the Fergħa Ewkaristika, but since the last General Assembly held in 2005, the women who formed part of Ulied Maria Ewkaristika had not provided their assistance in the Chapel.

The Council stated that during the last six years it had kept in contact with the Ecclesiastical Authorities on this matter, and with their consent had decided to keep silent, but now the Council feels that it is time for the facts to be brought to the attention of the members.

In the first place, the Council informed the members that by virtue of a decree dated 10th July, 2006, issued by the Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca, it was decreed that the women do not form part of a community or consecrated institution, and ordered them not to dress in a manner which gives the impression that they are nuns or members of a community or consecrated institution.

Secondly, the women members of Ulied Maria Ewkaristika have written that the founder did not have the financial means to pay in full the balance due to the contractor who built and finished Dar Maria Ewkaristika, in Zebbug, where the women reside.

The Council stated that this is not true. The contractor has given the Council a sworn affidavit which states that all funds due to him for construction and finish of the property in Zebbug were paid to him by the Founder.

The members of the Council added that they can confirm, as can members of earlier Councils, that those funds were collected by the Founder from benefactors of the Fergha Ewkaristika, and that the building in Zebbug, where the women reside, is actually property of the Fergha Ewkaristika.

Moreover, the Council strongly denied the women’s allegation that the funds in the organisation’s accounts were saved over time, principally from their wages and their work. The Council reiterated that funds held in accounts named Ulied Maria Ewkaristika, and other accounts in other names into which monies may have been transferred, include amounts given to Ulied Maria Ewkaristika by the Founder. These funds were also collected by the Founder from benefactors of the Fergha Ewkaristika. Indeed, the Founder had commented to members of the Fergħa Ewkaristika that Ulied Maria Ewkaristika had received “enough ... and more than enough”.

The Council concluded that the members were being informed of these facts because it feels the duty to defend the memory of the Founder who worked incessantly to ensure that the Fergha Ewkaristika is based on solid foundations, and that the women members of Ulied Marija Ewkaristika can live respectably, dedicated to prayer and the adoration of the Holy Eucharist.