In a letter to the “People of God,” Gozo Bishop Mgr Anton Teuma, has announced that, “for reasons beyond their control, the Poor Clares Sisters in Gozo can not continue this physical presence among us.”

Bishop Teuma said that, “some years ago, Bishop Mario Grech struggled to have the contemplative Sisters of St. Clare in our Diocese. Their small Monastery next to Manresa House in Victoria was a place of spiritual solace and comfort for many.”

A ceremony to mark the first arrival of the Poor Clares Sisters presence in Gozo took place in September 2011.

“Their presence among us was a call to a more authentic relationship with God and an example of continual communication of mind and heart with the Lord in prayer,” said Bishop Teuma.

He continued by saying that “shortly after I was called to be the Pastor of this Diocese, the Superior and some sisters called me to inform me that for reasons beyond their control they could not continue this physical presence among us. I was also told it was a decision they had been discussing for the last few years.”

“To be honest, this news shocked me, and I asked that we take more time to pray and make discernment to know together what the Lord wants from this situation,” the Bishop said.

Bishop Teuma said that after some time, the sisters confirmed their decision to reunite in one monastery in Malta. “It was a difficult decision not only for us, but also for them.”

Bishop Teuma stated that, “this means that our Diocese, which is adorned with various gifts, now lacks a particular and important gift: a community that lives the contemplative life. The life of prayer and contemplation is the most privileged experience through which the power of the Spirit of God can be present in the Church.”

To thank God for the gift of the presence of the Poor Clares Sisters among us in recent years, a Mass will be celebrated in the Sanctuary of Madonna Ta’ Pinu on Sunday, the 24th of January, at 5.00pm.

Bishop Teuma said that priests, the religious and the lay friends of the Poor Clares are invited to attend.

The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare were the second Franciscan order to be established. They were founded by Saint Clare of Assisi and Francis of Assisi on Palm Sunday in the year 1212.

The Poor Clares Sisters arrived in Malta in the beginning of the First World War on December 10, 1914. All 24 Poor Clares were exiled from Nazareth, Palestine.

The Poor Clares were all of French origin except two who were French-speaking Canadians. The sisters had lived a cloistered life in Nazareth for many years and the only notion of Malta they had was through the Acts of the Apostles with the story of St Paul’s shipwreck.

They were so eager to learn about Malta that they went on deck to catch the first glimpse of the island, and recall the words: “It is necessary that we come to a certain island” (Acts 27, 26) spoken by St Paul to his companions on the ship.

After clearing passport formalities, the great difficulty faced the Poor Clares: where were they going to stay that night? Mother Serafine of the St Joseph Sisters soon realised the seriousness of the situation. She approached the Poor Clares and assured them that she would not leave them before finding accommodation at least for that night. She even handed a 10-franc coin to the Abbess.

From the Customs House the Clares were accompanied to Tal-Pilar Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order. It was pitch darkness when the Clares arrived there. Unfortunately the convent could not accommodate 24 nuns. Sr Martha was very sick and weak and the sisters agreed to keep her and her nurse for that night.

Mons Paul Gauci, secretary of the Curia was contacted. He addressed them briefly in French, encouraging them to face the situation with courage, confidence and hope in God. At the end of prayers, he imparted Sacramental Benediction. He informed the Abbess, that no convent in Malta could accommodate the 24 Clares.

The Abbess, with tears in her eyes, implored him to do his best not to split her community; they preferred to share together the distress and hardship of their exile. Mgr Gauci invited the Poor Clares to accompany him to the Bishop’s Palace where he would put two large halls at their disposal.

The following morning after Mass and breakfast, Mgr Gauci contacted the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, who willingly offered their retreat centre at Tarxien to house the Poor Clares. Fr Serafin OFM, ex-provincial and ex-missionary in the Holy Land was to be their Chaplain. Bishop Portelli exempted the nuns from certain obligations which would not be fulfilled under those circumstances.

At the Tarxien retreat house, the Poor Clares stayed for 12 days. On the Third Sunday of Advent, December 13, 1914 the Poor Clares received an urgent letter from Bishop Portelli informing then that there was a vacant convent in Zabbar, formerly used by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The visit was made on December 16. The first impression was that the convent was too small for a community of 24 nuns. But on second thoughts it was agreed to divide the upper room which was formerly the chapel and created the desired space. The convent was built in a secluded area at the time.

On December 23, 1914, the Poor Clares prepared to leave Tarxien and walk to their new home in Zabbar. They packed their few belongings, some candles and a small wax statue of Baby Jesus.

The Clares entered the new premises at about 10am. Many essential things were missing, including chairs and tables. All they found were some small school benches. Fr Vincent Pace was chosen by Bishop Portelli to be the Poor Clares’ chaplain while they remained in Zabbar.

Never did they experience such poverty, not even in missionary lands. All they ate were some potatoes and herrings, which they ate standing up, holding the food in pieces of paper for plates. Nevertheless they were happy in their new home, in a quiet location. From the roof they could at least enjoy the open countryside.

The Poor Clares spent five years at their convent in Zabbar. In the meantime, a few months after the end of the First World War, on June 10, 1919, the majority of nuns returned to the Holy Land.

Soon the community in Malta grew by another four newly profressed nuns and Archbishop Maurus Caruana managed to get two other Poor Clares from Arundel in Sussex, England. On April 8, 1920, the Poor Clares left Zabbar for St Julian’s where the Carmelite Fathers offered a large house, in the hope that one day the Clares might have their own monastery, a dream realised in August 1933 on the initiative and with the help of the well-known philanthropist Alfons Maria Galea. The new monastery was built in Regional Road.

The monastery is dedicated to Infant Jesus of Prague, the Sisters had implored Him by a novena for land to be found where the monastery could be built. Before the novena was completed, land was provided on Kappara Hill.

The immense charity of many benefactors and friends contributed towards the building of the Monastery which the Poor Clares entered on March 25th 1935.

Photo: Gozo Diocese

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