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.
I purposely opted to name this experience as witness and not as a simple experience because what I am going to say has clearly been the work of God’s power! And certainly not mine, a sinner! I still remember the chapter meeting we had, as Capuchin...
The feast of the nativity of St John the Baptist is certainly characterised by joy, which the Latin word for it is gaudium. Interestingly enough we are not talking about felicitas, happiness, but gaudium, joy. The collect for the Mass during...
On Tuesday, May 31st, we celebrated the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this Feast we commemorate the Virgin Mary’s famous visit to her cousin, Elizabeth, which is beautifully recorded in Luke’s gospel (1:39–56). The account...
During the third week of May, the Maltese Capuchin Province celebrated 70 years of its beautiful history. I had the grace to be one of those who actively participated in this chapter, which was held at our Holy Cross Friar in Floriana, our Capuchin...
It is quite evident that the Apostle Paul brought his Jewish background into his letters, especially with reference to the Letter to the Romans. Paul the Jew drew extensively from his very significant Jewish legacy in order to preach Christ to the...
It has been of immense joy that we Maltese, from April 2-3, 2022, joyfully welcomed Pope Francis on our Islands of Malta and Gozo. Pope Francis was the third Roman Pontiff who visited us, after of course the two visits of St John Paul II and Pope...
One of the topics which really strikes me when talking about the beginnings of Christianity within First Century Judaism, is that of Messiah, which means the anointed one. The more I have tried to master it, the more it has happily escaped from my...
The recent invasion of Ukraine at the hands of Russian forces brought heaps of condemnation worldwide. This barbaric act, plainly violating the legitimate sovereignty of a country and its people who have the right to determine its future, not only...
