FR MARIO ATTARD OFM Cap was born in San Gwann on August 26 1972. After being educated in governmental primary and secondary schools as well as at the Naxxar Trade School he felt the call to enter the Franciscan Capuchin Order. After obtaining the university requirements he entered the Capuchin friary at Kalkara on October 12 1993. A year after he was ordained a priest, precisely on 4 September 2004, his superiors sent him to work with patients as a chaplain first at St. Luke's Hospital and later at Mater Dei. In 2007 Fr Mario obtained a Master's Degree in Hospital Chaplaincy from Sydney College of Divinity, University of Sydney, Australia. Currently, he is one of the six chaplains working at Mater Dei Hospital. Furthermore, he is a regular contributor in the MUMN magazine IL-MUSBIEĦ and hosts radio programmes about the spiritual care of the sick.
The Divine Mercy Sunday came and went by. It was Jesus himself who said to St Faustina: I want the first Sunday after Easter to be the Feast of Mercy (Diary, 299). Furthermore, Jesus added: I want the Feast of Mercy to be a refuge and sanctuary for...
As we were praying the Novena of the Divine Mercy that prepared us to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, I felt something very interesting happening. Upon going through the Novena one can encounter similarities with the Good Friday Solemn intercessions...
We are now in the Easter Triduum. On Holy Thursday, Jesus gives us the two great sacraments which are intimately related to his presence, the Eucharist and the Holy Orders. On Good Friday, we celebrate the passion and death of Our Lord. Then, Holy...
Recently the chaplains’ quarters at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre was blessed by the beautiful Crucifix that was previously put on the chair of the celebrant at our hospital chaplain. To tell the truth this Crucifix filled a certain void in the...
In his general audience address of Wednesday 20 April 2011, Pope Benedict XVI described Holy week as the culmination of the Lenten journey. It would be appropriate if we could delve deeper into the apex of the Lenten iter, which is of...
Friday, March 8, 2024, marked International Women’s Day (IWD). This universal event celebrated the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. One of the great advocates for women was certainly Pope St John Paul II. His precious...
During the Masses of February 17th and 18th, I had the grace of reading the Pastoral Letter for Lent 2024 written by the Maltese Bishops, namely Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta, Msgr. Anton Teuma, Bishop of Gozo as well as Msgr...
Lent and freedom undergo the same route. I came to realize this fact when I read the message for Lent of Pope Francis for this year, 2024, which is entitled: Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom. The Holy Father wrote: Lent is the season of...
