THE MALTESE PRESENCE IN NORTH AMERICA E-NEWSLETTER Issue 26 MAY 2021 MALTESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY CLUB OF DEARBORN, APRIL 30, 2021 (See pages 10-12) 1 Issue 26 The Maltese Presence in North America May 2021 The Maltese Presence US is producing the vaccine not A new feature you will notice in North America only for itself but for other coun- with this issue is the use of a Issue No. 26 May 2021 tries as well, Canada is totally header including the name of the Editor dependent on other countries for newsletter, the issue number and Dan Brock its vaccine. date. This was suggested by one Fifty years ago, Canada was of the contributors to each issue Copy Editor one of the world’s leaders in vac- as a means of facilitating matters Mona Vella-Nicholas cine production but, since the for those copying certain articles time of Brian Mulroney’s Progres- to file or to send to others. Those Contributors to This Issue sive Conservative Government of you who receive The Voice of (1984-93), the federal govern- the Maltese and the Maltese e- CANADA ment seems to have turned its Newsletter from Australia are Ontario back on taxpayer support of re- familiar with this useful feature. Richard Cumbo search and development in this As with each issue, two pages Consulate General of Malta to area. of Maltese organizations in North Canada webpage In this issue one can sense the America have been listed with Fr. Mario Micallef great contrast between living on telephone numbers, email ad- USA the American and Canadian side dresses, postal addresses and California of the Detroit River. hours of opening, where pos- Evelyn and Dennis Simmons Michigan is starting to open up, sible. Michigan a case in point being the Maltese Thanks to the kindness and Rachael Darin American Community Club of efforts of Evelyn and Dennis Lisa Buttigieng-LiGreci Dearborn. Thanks to Rachael Simmons of California, all issues Mary Micallef Darin, Mary Micallef and Lisa and the latest “Table of Contents” AUSTRALIA Buttigieg-LiGreci we have much are posted on the web page of New South Wales to report from the Maltese Amer- the Maltese-American Social Mark Caruana ican Community Club of Dear- Club of San Francisco at MALTA born. (See pages 1, 8-9, 10-12) http://maltese- Maria Pia Gauci Meanwhile, there is a province- americanscsf.org/home.aspx. EDITORIAL COMMENT wide lockdown in Ontario. The Click on to “News & Resources.” Malta United Society of Windsor, If you have ideas to share or wish to be put on the free, bcc electronic We are now in the 15th month of Ontario is still offering curbside mailing lists, etc., I may be reached this covid pandemic. COVID-19 pickup on Saturday afternoons but public Masses are no longer at [email protected], is bad enough, but now there are celebrated at St. Paul the Apostle variants which spread more ra- CONTENTS Church in Toronto. (See pages 8, pidly and are more deadly. Mean- 2. Editorial Comment while, more and more people, 9) 3. Pastor’s Thoughts… especially the younger genera- As with the March 2021 issue, 4. Miss Malta Pageant, May 15, tion, are getting fed up with all this I’ve again given the “centerfold” 1971 and are unnecessarily risking position in this issue to Lisa Butti- 5. Ziju Guzeppi “Joe” Galea: In their lives and the lives of others. gieg-LiGreci’s recipe. In addition Tribute All this helps us to better appre- to the recipe itself for stuffed 7. Activities within the Maltese ciate what it was like for people artichokes, Lisa has provided us Communities living during the time of the 1918 with an extensive history of the 10. Malta to Motown Influenza Pandemic or World artichoke and some interesting 13. Mario Vella: “His Spirit Lives War II. facts. (See pages 15-19) On” Meanwhile hope is on the April 2021 saw the deaths of two 15. Maltese Stuffed Artichokes horizon with the vaccine rollouts inspirational men. Michael Cutaj- (Qaqoċċ Mimli) worldwide and most people ad- ar writes about his gentle uncle 20. Letters to the Editor hering to government controls. Guzeppi Galea, his mother’s last 23. Monthly Message from the At the time of writing, the United surviving sibling. (See pages 5-7) Consul General of the States has seen more than 37 I have written about Mario Vella, Republic of Malta to Canada percent of its citizens vaccinated. one of the longest living persons 26. Maltese Organizations in In contrast, the percentage in in Canada with ALS. (See pages North America Canada is less than 18. While the 13-14, 28) 2 Issue 26 The Maltese Presence in North America May 2021 GLEANINGS FROM THE SUNDAY BULLETIN We Are Not Alone in Our Struggles ….It has been more than a year now that we have PASTOR’S THOUGHTS… been living in the shadows of a pandemic….We go through feelings of frustration, anger, loss of hope and the desire to question God’s presence in all of this. Moreover, while these past months have been hard for many of us, these feelings can come to any of us in any time during our lives. It could be because of the unexpected loss of a loved one, a moment of crisis in our relationships, something bad that happens, or even just without any explanation at all. In these moments Jesus reminds us that, while we are going through all this, we are not alone. Fr. Mario Micallef, MSSP, is pastor of St. Paul the Even though we might not really recognize him, he Apostle, Toronto, the only Maltese national parish in North journeys with us and gently helps us to live through America. These “Pastor’s thoughts…” are extracts from these experiences, eventually coming out of them his commentaries on the Sunday readings which are even better than before. That is the story of the published in the Parish’s Sunday Bulletin. resurrection…. Once we live through such an experience and ac- Hope Triumphs in the Face of Despair knowledge it, Jesus invites us to share it with others, ….For the second time in a row, we are celebrating to witness to what he has done for us in our lives. Easter overshadowed by a pandemic. Some of us This we do mostly by the way we live our lives. have been through the virus experience them- Sometimes, we might need to use words too. selves. Some have lost jobs. Others have lost loved ones. All of us have been through moments of hope- God’s Love Is Unconditional lessness, of not being able to see the end of it. ....The central theme found in all of St John’s In the midst of all this we are celebrating Easter. writings is this: the great, unconditional love that The resurrection speaks of hope triumphing in the God has for each one of us. It is a love freely given; face of despair. we do not receive it because we deserve it, and we do not have to do anything to earn it! Reflecting on Go Out, Forgive, Heal this, St Paul would say, in his letter to the Romans, ….Often, we are scandalized by a Church that is that God loved us when we were still sinners, still wounded. We doubt the validity of the community his enemies. Some people find it very difficult to we form part of. And yet, it is only there that we can understand this, because we are accustomed to meet the risen Christ. On the road to Damascus St love people who love us or who, at least, we like and Paul recognized that Jesus Christ and the church to do things so that we earn the love of someone were one and the same thing. Jesus invites Thomas else. God does it the other way around. He loved to put his hand and fingers in those wounds. The me first, and this makes it possible for me to start apostle had to learn that he was not to be loving others, including Him…. scandalized by those obvious reminders of what evil God’s love is freely given. It is up to us whether we can do. He had to acknowledge them knowing, want to accept it or not. Once we experience this however, that they did not have the last say. In spite love, it comes only naturally then that we would want of what had happened on Good Friday, Jesus is to share it with others….As followers of Christ, we alive. Those wounds did not stop him from coming are all called to share God’s love with others. Some out of the tomb to see his friends again. And he are called to share in Jesus’ ministry of being gives that broken, wounded community a mission: shepherds, willing to offer their whole lives for the to go out, to forgive, to heal. flock. Others have other callings, other vocations. ….We are also invited not to let our own As baptized, we are all called to share the love we brokenness paralyse us. With the power of the Holy have received from God with others, who may so Spirit given to us by the risen Christ, let us be true desperately need it. bearers of the merciful love which we all continue to receive. 3 Issue 26 The Maltese Presence in North America May 2021 MISS MALTA PAGEANT, MAY 15, 1971* Dan Brock The 1971 Miss Malta Pageant, hosted by the Maltese-Canadian Society of Toronto (M.C.S.T), was held under the distinguished patronage of Senator Paul Martin, Sr.