A "Peace Garden" was inaugurated on Wednesday morning on Ta' Ghammar Hill, in front of the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu in Gozo.

Ta' Ghammar has always been known as a place for gathering and prayer, particularly with the Stations of the Cross symbolised as the Via Crucis on the hill.

The "Biblical Garden" inaugurated at the beginning of November, had 42, carob, pomegranate and fig trees planted in the area of the 4th Station of the Way of the Cross, trees which are mentioned in the Bible.

Now another part of this garden has been inaugurated, to be known as a "Peace Garden," with over 50 olive trees, olive being the symbol for peace.The garden was inaugurated by the Minister for Gozo Dr Anton Refalo and blessed by Fr Gerard Buhagiar, Rector of the Ta' Pinu Sanctuary.

Also present for the inauguration were Gozo Local Council Mayors – donations had been offered by the public for the garden. There was also a representation of students from the Gozo College Gharb Primary, who sang the traditional `tal-Milied Ninni.`

The "Peace Garden" was expected to be inaugurated jointly by the Minister for Gozo together with Rula Ma'ayah, the Minister for Tourism and Antiquities for the State of Palestine, who is a resident of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The Minister unfortunately had to cancel the visit due of the current instability in Bethlehem.

Dr Refalo said that this initiative further encourages us to fully appreciate the surroundings, as we have been encouraged to do so by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato si, and that we live by our mission, like St. Francis of Assisi, we are instruments of peace in the environment in which we live.

Photographs: MGOZ/George Scerri

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