A day with Pope Saint John Paul II – was a celebration which took place on Saturday at the Nativity of Our Lady Basilica in Xaghra Gozo, with a Mass at the Basilica led by Bishop Carmel Zammit.

This is an initiative by the JP2 Foundation of Gozo as part of this preparative year to celebrate the first centenary in 2020 of the birth of Karol Wojtyla and will be visiting Titular Churches round Malta and Gozo to revive the memory of the Polish Pope by holding – A Day with Pope Saint John Paul II.

Saturday’s event was well attended by a number of parish children and parents. They were welcomed by His Lordship Mgr Carmel Zammit Bishop of Gibraltar who celebrated the Holy Eucharist.

Bishop Zammit talked about the similarity of Gibraltar and Gozo. He also spoke about the love Pope John Paul II had towards Our Lady, explaining that the Pope’s childhood was not that a happy one.

Mgr Zammit greeted a happy feast to everyone and at the end of the celebration Mgr Zammit gave an illustrated book to every child participating on the life of Pope Saint John Paul II “Karol it-tifel li sar Papa” by Andrew Borg.Present for this event which was held in full collaboration with the Xaghra Parish Church, were the Minister for Gozo Justyne Caruana, Dr Kevin Cutajar, Anton Tabone Speaker Emeritus and Xaghra Councillor Antony Attard.

The second appointment of “A day with Pope Saint John Paul II” will take place on Sunday, the 18th of August at Our Lady of Fair Help and Saint Dominic Basilica Valletta.

The day will be marked by a Mass to be celebrated by His Lordship Mgr Giovanni Cefai newly elected Bishop a Diocese in Peru.

The Mass starting at 10.00am will be animated by Soprano Roberta Hili accompanied on the organ by Mro Antoine Mercieca and flutist Noemi Portelli. The general Public is invited to attend.

Bishop Zammit was born in Gudja, Malta, in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1974. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Italian and economics, a licentiate in theology from the University of Malta, and a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome.

Before his appointment, he served in a number of pastoral roles in Gibraltar, including judicial vicar, Episcopal delegate for Catholic education, school chaplain and parish priest.

Upon returning to Malta in 1998, he became chancellor of the archdiocese and judge in the ecclesiastical tribunal. He also served as Canon of the Metropolitan Chapter, as President of the St. John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation, and Judicial Vicar in the Archdiocese of Malta.

He was consecrated bishop on the 8th of September 2016, by Vincent Cardinal Nichols in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina. Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and Bishop Ralph Heskett of Gibraltar acted as co-consecrators.

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