Upon This Rock 115 January 2011

1 A H A p p y A n d H o l y n e w y e A r !

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Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by

EuropeAxess Media Ltd, Gibraltar.

Editor Fr. Stuart Chipolina: [email protected]

Production Editor: A. Sargent

[email protected]:The Requiem Mass

for Bishop Emeritus Bernard Devlin.

Photo collage: A. Sargent.

Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project.

To advertise: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: 200 79335 email [email protected]

Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements.

D i o c e s a n N e w s

The Bishop of Gibraltar the Rt. Rev. Ralph Hes-kett C.Ss.R. was invest-

ed a Knight Commander with Star, of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jeru-salem at an Investiture Mass held at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark. The main cele-brant was His Eminence John Cardinal Foley CHS, Grand Master of the Order. The event took place on Saturday 4th December 2010. His Lordship the Bishop of Gibraltar was invested together with 8 other Knights, 5 Dames and 5 Ecclesiastical Knights including the Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, and the Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, in a service organised by the Lieutenancy of England & Wales. Present at the Investiture were The Magistral Delegate of the Order in Gibraltar, Charles Sacarello KHS and his wife Yvonne together with the Secretary of the Order in Gibraltar, John Gaggero KHS and his wife Nena.The Order’s principal mission is to observe “as its foundation the principals of charity of which the Order is a fundamental means for assistance to the Holy Land…; to sustain and aid the charitable, cultural and social works and institutions of the Church in the Holy Land…; to support the preservation and propagation of the Faith in those lands…; to sustain the rights of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.” Delegates were able to hear first-hand accounts of some of the ways in which the

money donated by the Order (€2.3 million in the 1st quarter of 2010) is used to fund projects to support this work. Cardinal Foley reminded those present that “Christ was born, lived, died and rose from the dead in this land that we call Holy and which is so central to our faith and to the mission of this Order.”Charles Sacarello KHS commented, “whilst the sums contributed by the Order in Gibraltar are small in relation to the donations sent by Lieutenancies and Magistral Delegations around the world we shall try to better our contribution”. He added that he was overwhelmed by the warm welcome he received during the events surrounding the Investiture and hoped that the Order would grow in Gibraltar. “We are a charitable people and this is a cause which is close to many. We plan to hold an Investiture next year at which Mgrs. Charles Azzopardi and Paul Bear together with a number of other knights and dames are to be invested”His Lordship the Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Ralph Heskett, also becomes the Grand Prior of the Order in Gibraltar, a position previously held by Bishop Emeritus Charles Caruana KCHS.

Knights of the Holy Sepulchre honour

Bishop HeskettOnce again the Christian Family Movement is

organising the 25th, 40th, 50th or 60th anniversary for those couples who have celebrated their wedding anniversary during 2010.

If you or any other couples wish to participate in this celebration on the 28th of January 2011, contact Denise on 57021000 or John on 57256000 or email: [email protected].

2011 Wedding Anniversary Celebrations

On the 13th December 2010 five judges working in two

teams visited homes, patios, schools and places of work to look at and photograph nativity scenes. Many incredibly beautiful and well thought-out entries were seen, ranging from the almost unbelievably intricate hand crafted nativity to humble children’s cribs fashioned with simple materials. Each one was examined for four main

criteria: Group Involvement, Originality, Biblical Interpretation, and Creativity. The results were announced at the Children’s Mass at St. Theresa’s Church on the 24th December. Too late to publish in this magazine, but look out for the photos next month, and a list of the prizewinners and commended nativity scenes. Many of the participants are already planning next year’s crib, are you?

2010 Diocesan Crib Competition


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Fr. Stuart explains how each one of us can receive the light of revelation.

D e a r F r i e n d s F r . S t u a r t C h i p o l i n a

The significance of the star

If Jesus truly is who He claims to be, the eternal Son of God

and Saviour of the world, then why is He not recognized by everyone who hears His word and sees His works? John the Evangelist states that

when Jesus came into the world the world knew Him not and His own people received him not (John 1:10-11). Jesus was born in obscurity. Only the lowly shepherds recognized Him at His birth. Some wise men also found their way to Bethlehem to pay

homage to the newborn King of Israel. These men were not Israelites, but foreigners. They likely had read and discussed the Messianic prophecies and were anxious to see when this Messianic King would appear. God led them by means of an

extraordinary star across the desert to the little town where Jesus was born.John Chrysostom (347-407), in his homily on this passage from Matthew 2, explains the significance of the star of Bethlehem:


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D e a r F r i e n d s F r . S t u a r t C h i p o l i n a

The significance of the star

“Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their King; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,”

drawing and guiding them along their way. The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger.” [The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 7:3]

In their thirst for knowledge of God, the wise men from the East willingly left everything, their home and country, in pursuit of that quest. In their diligent search they were led to the source of true knowledge – to Jesus Christ, the Light and Wisdom of God. When they found the newborn King they humbly worshipped Him and gave Him gifts fitting for a king. How could they recognize this infant as both divine and a human king - born of flesh yet sent from heaven?The Lord of the universe who revealed the star of Bethlehem to

the Gentiles of the East so they could come and worship Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and King of Kings (Revelations 19:16), gives each one of us the same light of revelation to recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. It is through the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and opens the eyes of the mind, that we are able to understand, accept, and believe the truth which God has revealed to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. In faith, the human will and

intellect co-operate with grace.

“Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace”

(Thomas Aquinas).

Happy New YearFr Stuart

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O u r L a d y o f E u r o p e i n p r o c e s s i o n i n L a L i n e a

On the Feast of the I m m a c u l a t e C o n c e p t i o n

members of the Gibraltar Diocese were, for the first time, asked to bear the statue of Our Lady of Europe in a place of honour in the Extraordinary Procession held in La Linea de la Concepción at 6.00pm that day, to celebrate the 250 years since Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was adopted as patroness of all Spain. Photos: Spanish youth preparing to take part in the procession. Gentlemen from Gibraltar, prepare to bear Our Lady of Europe from the church. Ladies from Gibraltar lead Our Lady of Europe out to a round of applause. In all, six parishes took part and the clergy walked together. Many musicians also took part. It is hard to show the numbers of onlookers, of all ages.Top right, at the culmination of the procession each image of Our Lady was presented before the Church before being borne in to more applause and a round of the National Anthem as a mark of respect that would be awarded a royal figure, patroness of all Spain, the Queen of Peace.


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The Church in Action Sonia Golt talks to Fr. Binoy and Clive Nuza

In Gibraltar we have al-ways been known to be helpful and charitable and

it starts from our family back-grounds and the education we receive from a young age, so it is no wonder that our priests have gone afar to help others in distressful situations and to join others from bigger com-munities helping people who need support. Sonia Golt met up with Father Binoy on the Apostleship of the Sea, and Mr Clive Nuza who

helps him in this venture. Clive was the Senior Port Officer for many years and even though he has been retired for three, he still continues to help seafarers in whatever way he can. Either by serving at the Mass or via the Gibraltar Ports Welfare Commit-tee to welcome the seafarers to the local centres, as well as by attending a few meetings a year that includes finding better ways to help the seamen that come to Gibraltar. Clive became a vol-unteer way back when Father

Charles Bruzon started the whole thing locally, now it is Father Binoy who has taken over from Father Charles. Although our current way of living has changed significantly since the Apostleship of the Sea was founded in Glasgow in 1922, the essence behind this group is very much the same as it has been for all these years. Priests still go out to different ports to help seafarers regain their beliefs and help them in their spiritual path. This is very essential to the

seafarers as they are in a job that takes them far away from home and has them out at sea for many days and at times, even weeks in a row. In its beginnings the Apostleship of the Sea ran large seafarers’ hostels in all the major ports as it was a place for seafarers to stay while their ships were in port. There were many volunteers mostly from the local parishes in each port that were involved in providing hospitality and en-tertainment for these seafarers,

Human rights and compassion for seafarersWe live on a peninsula surrounded

by sea, and yet the lives of the seafarers in the merchant vessels moored around our shores are, for

the most part, far from our thoughts.


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The Church in Action Sonia Golt talks to Fr. Binoy and Clive Nuza

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Human rights and compassion for seafarers

and this is how the whole thing started abroad.Recognising and responding to the needs of seafarers is part of the Apostleship of the Sea’s pastoral care today and this is what Father Binoy is doing with Clive’s help and the help from other volunteers, specially the lady parishioners of Saint Ber-nard’s Church who knit woolly hats and scarves for the crews of these ships as they are always out in the cold and need protec-tion from the inclement weather conditions they sometimes travel in. Many seafarers feel great loneliness at sea as they miss their families and their culture, so with the visits of the Apostles of the Sea they find it helps them to fill the void. “I always give them a special Mass with lots of prayers and I always find time to stay on the

ship after the Mass to either hear their confessions or just to talk with them and hear about their life at sea – on a variety of oc-casions I have met many Indians, like me, who even come from the South like myself. It feels as if they have a need to chat about life back home and they, like myself, are away from our home town so we enjoy this type of conversation and gives everyone a lift.”How did you get involved with the seafarers?“In the beginning practically I did not know much about the seafarers or about working with them but I got to know with Fa-ther Bruzon and since there were a lot of Indians in the crew he started asking for my help, and by the time he moved away from Gibraltar to join the Navy he had made sure he had showed me the

ropes and I could take over from him. I was lucky to continue to have the help of Clive and five other volunteers all very experi-enced. I find that it is a very re-warding thing to do as the crew always welcomes us on the ships as they want to hear Mass and this seems to help them with their spiritual needs. When we say the Mass it is a solemn Mass and we do it with great feelings and knowing that we are helping these people in a special way. We have built up a good relationship with some of these crew mem-bers, and sometimes they come and visit me at the Cathedral if they have the time.” How long ago did you become a priest?“I was ordained on the 5th Janu-ary 2007, and from 2008 I started to help Father Bruzon, I have

now been in Gibraltar 5 years, as I came even before I was or-dained and now I am based at the Cathedral and feel part of the family here.”Life must be full of anecdotes in your contact with the seafar-ers, which come to mind?“A while back I went for a Mass in one of the cruise ships visiting Gibraltar at the time and during the entire Mass a young Filipino girl was continuously crying so at the end of the Mass I spoke to her and she told me her Indian boyfriend has been a crew mem-ber and had been accused of molesting a girl on the ship and been arrested in England and proved guilty – but the girl said she was sure he was not guilty – I spoke and prayed with her for a while and she made me promise continued page 18

Father Binoy and Clive Nuza go to cargo ships and to the Cruise liners to say Mass about 10 or 12 times a month in summer, maybe a little less often in winter. [Sorry for the quality of these photos, Ed.]


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A Personal Tribute to Father Devlin by Anne Mesilio

An Irish Gibraltarian the Gibraltar Chroni-cle headlines pro-

claimed in great truth (16th December, 2010) announcing the passing away of our be-loved Bishop Emeritus, Ber-nard Devlin. He was 89 years old and had been on the Rock since 1946. Born in Youghal, a picturesque town on the coast of Cork in 1921, his birth took place as Ire-land herself was caught in the throes of a bitter civil war as the nation struggled to be re-born after 800 years of cruel English oppression. Youghal is more than a place name, it is a living town which has a varied and interesting his-tory, though I could say that about just about every city, town and village in Ireland. However, Youghal named for the Yew woods (Eochaill) which once abounded there, is really an his-toric town. Sir Walter Raleigh was its Mayor in 1588, and it is here we understand that the first potatoes to be grown in Europe were planted. In 1954, John Huston filmed part of the Moby Dick movie here.

I feel that in remembering the man it is important to remember that, after sixty four years here, he had other ties which he held dear. We often shared our abid-ing love of Ireland over many a good cup of coffee. He had lived at Rock Cottages in Youghal, and only about twenty miles from there I went to a primary school called An Carraig Liath, the Grey Rock. We often chuck-led over these coincidences, and how different paths led us here to the ‘real’ grey Rock.

“This humble priest for himself he asked nought,

But helped re-build what sad war had wrought”.

Bishop Emeritus Bernard Devlin“This is a thank you for your life lived here with us,In self effacing goodness performed without fuss”.

Sponsored by

Rock Cottages, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland

Fr. Devlin arrived in Gibraltar in 1946


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A Personal Tribute to Father Devlin by Anne Mesilio

Bishop Emeritus Bernard Devlin“This is a thank you for your life lived here with us,In self effacing goodness performed without fuss”.

He won the love and affection of hearts on the Rock as he toiled side by side with them in those early years as Gibraltarians returned home from what we know as the Evacuation. His legacy of goodness and real human caring is not in doubt. He was ‘strong’ for me in the early, very difficult years of my husband’s ill-ness. One evening he said, “Give me your pain and I will send it up to Himself when I say Mass tomorrow”. Well, Himself must have taken heed because the darkness that was my life at the time began to recede, and I never walked alone again. When someone leaves home on a journey we Irish see them off with the blessing, Slan Ab-haile, safe home, so its Slan Abhaile a Cara, safe home to God my friend, and I imagine the two of them sitting on some heavenly bench en-joying a great chat. That comforts me.

Rock Cottages, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland

Fr. Devlin arrived in Gibraltar in 1946

In Tangier

Pope John Paul II appointed Monsignor Bernard Devlin, who was then the Diocesan Administrator as Bishop of Gibraltar in 1985.The news of his election was pleasantly received since he was already an established member of the local clergy with which he had worked for forty years. The ordination took place in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on the 6th of January 1985.In 1986 Bishop Devlin started the delicate but much needed restoration of the Cathedral, obtaining funds from Rome to double those already collected at that time by the Fund Raising Committee in Gibraltar.From Bishop Caruana’s book: The Rock Under a Cloud

Fr. Devlin loved animals and would make a point of getting his photo taken with them. It looks as though these Barbary Apes were quite keen to be photo-graphed with himself!

Slan Abhaile a Cara


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Christian Unity Anne Mesilio

(Psalm 133.1)

“And when He came near, He (Jesus) beheld the city and wept over it”, Luke 19; 41

Jerusalem, emotive, evoca-tive city that has a men-tion over eight hundred

times in the Bible is without doubt a unique and special city. Year after year it features as one of the top news stories in our world which portrays the turmoil, danger, injustice and fragility which encompasses the whole Middle East. This city plays an important role in Judaism, Christianity and Islam and has been sacred to the Jews since King David proclaimed it his capital in the tenth century BC. Christians revere Jerusalem for its significance in the life of Jesus and Muslims believe the

Prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven from the Temple Mount there. Looked at from this simple viewpoint of a complex history it is easy to see the word unity, (ac-cord, harmony) is severely tried and tested. We who are fortunate to live on this Rock are well ac-quainted with accord/harmony which begets tolerant and liberal understanding of other beliefs and cultures which exist in har-mony side by side here. The Christians of Jerusalem and much of the Middle East are living under tremendous pres-sures and we are made aware of the difficulties, through the media where we see that both the political and religious situ-ations they face are daunting. Yet they have the courage to

“How good and pleasant it is......when brothers live together in harmony”

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Join us on pilgrimage 24th April - 1st May 2011 Accompanied by Fr Stuart Chipolina

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on return journey in a converted Monastery/Hotel. Full board in Lourdes staying at Vatican Astoria Hotel.

Optional Tours in Lourdes.

For more information contact Fr Stuart on 58041000 or Richard Martinez on 54714000


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Christian Unity Anne Mesilio

“How good and pleasant it is...

pray and study together for the unity of the Church. It is from Christians in Jerusalem that this year’s call to prayer for the week of Christian unity comes. We are asked to pray for the unity of all Christian people as we share in Christ’s ministry. They have chosen the theme from the Acts of the Apostles, 2:42, “One in the apostles teaching, fel-lowship, breaking of bread and prayer”. The breaking of bread must vividly recall the Last Sup-per and remind us that Christi-anity originated in Jerusalem, and later that night, on the eve of His passion Christ prayed for peace and unity that “They may be one”. From our suffering brethren in Jerusalem comes a clarion call, over two thousand years later to unite in this week of prayer as a means of petition-ing for the grace of unity. Prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God, our communion with Him, where in this week we pray for our brothers in need. “For whenever two or more are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them”. (Matt, 18; 20). Prayer needs to come from the heart, we need to focus and believe in what we pray, this puts power behind united prayer as we pray to al-leviate the suffering and grant peace to those troubled in the Holy Land.

Christian unity is not secular and goes deeper than any political way the world offers. Unity can only be in Christ, that for which Christ prayed, unity with Him as head of the Church as we strive for a return to a time when the Church was one and all Chris-tian people can share in His min-istry without fear. When I was wondering how to approach the writing of this piece I remem-bered a quotation which I had liked and saved and it seems apt to use it now. It’s from Sidlow Baxter, a theologian, 1903-99. “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers”. This week of prayer for Chris-tian unity has been taking place for over a century and when you consider that unity is a gift from

God and we are asked to pray in imitation of Jesus who asked the father on his disciples’ behalf, “That they may be one…so that the world may believe”, then how can we not answer that call? Let us heed the cry born out of despair and suffering from our brethren in Jerusalem and the Middle East as we join together and pray for peace and justice. Last year Pope Benedict XVI gave an address which included this passage. “Dear brothers and sisters, I ask everyone to pray

for the complex ecumenical re-ality, for the promotion of dia-logue, as well as in order that the Christians of our time may give a new common witness of faith-fulness to Christ in the eyes of this world of ours. May the Lord hear our invocation and that of all Christians which we are rais-ing to Him with special intensity during this week”.The week of prayer for Chris-tian unity will take place from January 18-25. Please check with your parish for details.

During the Roman occupation of Judaea, the Temple was a place of worship for the Jewish people. It was later destroyed by the Romans during the Siege of Jerusalem. It is believed that only part of the Western Wall of the complex remains standing. Detail from a painting by Francesco Hayez c. 1826

Top Right: modern Jerusalem, Right: The City of Jerusalem from the Nu-remburg Chronicle. The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated world his-tory. Its structure follows the story of human history as related in the Bible; it includes the histories of a number of important Western cities. Written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, with a version in German translation by Georg Alt, it appeared in 1493. It is one of the best-documented early printed books - an incunabulum (printed, not hand-written) - and one of the first to successfully integrate il-lustrations and text. (Wikipedia)


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A gem of a woman! Celebrating 30 years in business

The most important as-pect about a person is their personality and

through this it is possible to attract or disenchant others. A person who shows humil-ity and kindness and is always eager to help others in need, is already a gem but if on top of all this she also has a positive attitude then it is no wonder that she can and does run a very

successful business and gets on really well with customers and staff. This person is Rosanna Olivares who has very recently celebrated 30 years in the jewel-lery business at The Jewel Box. A gem of a woman!How did it all start?“Well my sister Josephine and her friend Amelia decided to open a little kiosk at the Mon-tarik Hotel where they started

selling jewellery, they soon re-alised that the business would do really well if it was in Main Street and I joined them at that time. On the 30th of November 1980 we opened the Jewel Box, in exactly the same location that we are now, and after 30 years in the business I am a sole partner. Initially, as I had small children, I did most of the office work at home while keeping my parents company. When the children grew older I started to dedicate longer hours to the business and currently I work more than ever.” Is it difficult to run a jewellery business?“I suppose like any business you need to be dedicated to it but with jewellery you need to also invest in stock. Initially all the profits went back into the busi-ness. I was lucky that the busi-ness took off well as I believe we opened it at the right time when people were investing in

jewellery.” Due to being in the business from a young age Rosanna has been able to learn quickly and was not afraid of a challenge. She was always eager to learn more and she started by learning about gemology as well as how jewellery is manufactured from source and so this has enabled her to give information on dif-ferent aspects of jewellery and gems to many of her clients and most importantly to her sales team. She has attended a series of specialised trade fairs around the world and specifically in the countries where the best designs and the best designers congre-gate thus bringing out the best and most trendy and fashion-able looking pieces of jewellery. She is usually accompanied by one of her three daughters as it is always good to get a second opinion. “I have found that trends have changed tremendously over the

“The Loreto nuns made me aware that we had to think of other people in different circumstances to ours.”

Rosanna Olivares shopping at the Woterfront Christmas Fair.

A milestone for a pillar of our community by Sonia Golt

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past 30 years. Customers still want quality gold jewellery pieces and they also like to have a variety of new designs and more modern pieces to choose from. These are now available in both gold and silver as silver is also very popular. I am lucky to have clients that have been with me for years, some were coming into the shop in prams as babies with their mothers and now they come to buy presents themselves as grown ups. So it is these clients that keep return-ing that have helped my busi-ness to flourish and I am very happy to have made friends with more than one generation from the same family. We have clients who enjoy buying spe-cial pieces of jewellery and other clients who prefer some-thing more casual. We cater for everyone’s budget because we have affordable things for all to enjoy.” Rosanna’s Jewel Box is a fam-ily business catering for a di-verse market offering a range of beautiful gold chains and qual-ity diamond jewellery mostly set in their workshop. Keeping up with new trends and main-taining the best possible prices for her customers is important to Rosanna, but the part she considers paramount is getting to know her customers well and treating them with respect and making them feel welcome in her shop. The charming sales team at The Jewel Box are Lydia, Sonia, Sylvia and Angi who have been working with her for a long time. I personally have visited them in the shop on a variety of occasions and they have im-pressed me with their dedica-tion and knowledge, something they have undoubtedly learnt in their years working with Ro-sanna. Rosanna is very proud of them and she knows that they have contributed towards the success of the business. Since 2009 her husband Stephen also joined the firm and is now re-sponsible for the workshop. So husband and wife together with the help from their three daugh-ters and their sales team ensure

the business runs smoothly and efficiently. Her daughters help when they are needed with ac-counts, office work, selling or even going a bit further as did Elka, who studied jewellery de-sign and manufacturing as well as gemology, not forgetting she is an incredible valuator. “It is important to have the family around you, as well as friends. Stephen and I have very close childhood friends. I believe also that you have to live your religion. My time studying at the Loreto Convent influenced me tremendously and has stayed with me for the rest of my life. The nuns made me aware that we had to think of other people in different cir-cumstances to ours and to re-spect and help them whenever possible. I keep close contact with Loreto and the Loreto nuns both here and in Ireland and also in Asilah. I was very involved in school activities and enjoyed organising events. My life has not changed much since those school days and my way of thinking is still the same.” Tell us about the charity work you do? “I do what I can on a personal basis as a little attention at a specific moment in time may make a difference in a person’s life. I also collect clothes that are in good condition and take them over to Morocco to fami-lies that I know need them. In Gibraltar we do have people who also welcome a little ex-tra help. We are very lucky in Gibraltar, I am not saying that there aren’t people here too who need help but not at the same level. We have to thank God for a lot of things we take for grant-ed. I work through a registered charity with different organisa-tions and families in Morocco. Morocco is a beautiful coun-try with natural resources but some families live with the bare minimum. Food prices have increased drastically and wages are very low. There is improve-ment but not for all. I used to be granted permission from the Moroccan authorities before

to take in the clothes but now it seems to have become very complicated. I must take this opportunity to openly say that I am looking for a high official locally who can help me get the necessary permits needed to bring these clothes to Morocco as there have been moments when I have been stopped at customs and felt that instead of helping I was doing something wrong. Twice both Stephen and I were turned back.”Rosanna is an extremely busy lady, yet still she finds time to do other interesting things in her spare time. How she does it is beyond me! What other hobbies do you have time for?“I am blessed with 10 grand children my sister also has ten grand children, so really we share 20! I love cooking, so I can cook for the whole family or friends and enjoy it. I am a keen gardener and grow my own vegetables, only those the apes do not like! As Stephen

and I have both had a boat since we were 15, I love water sports like skiing, swimming, sail-ing and going out in our motor boat with friends and family members. During the summer I leave, or try to leave, the shop early to enjoy time with the family. My husband is very experienced at sea so we all feel at ease even when speed-ing across the straits in a rally or when watching dolphins or having a swim out at sea.”A little bird told me that re-cently she has won one of these races herself but she would not tell! That is how humble this lady is. Her business expertise is very obvious. She has been pretty involved too with the Gi-braltar Women Business Net-work. Still there are more good things we could say this lady is involved with but they are too numerous to mention. Rosanna is well respected in the community and very pop-ular because everyone knows they can count on her.

A gem of a woman! Celebrating 30 years in business A milestone for a pillar of our community by Sonia Golt


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A Story of God’s Great Love

A potted history of salvation for children opens with the words,

“There is a great bowl of love called God, we call him God because we humans like to give names to everything”. So begins Lavinia Borda’s beautifully simple re-telling of the “Greatest love story ever told”, so aptly described by His Lordship, Ralph Heskett, Bishop of Gibraltar. How did this all come about? I asked Lavinia: “In January, 2010,

I was very sick in ITU in hospital on oxygen treatment, and I got an overwhelming urge to write down a story which had formed in my head, so, leaning over the bed table to help my breathing, I found a few napkins and started to write, and the story just flowed. I filled up two and a half napkins”. Remembering, she laughed quietly but it was filled with a special joy. That was it I prompted, “Oh no, I went home and forgot about it but I got sick again in June and

Discover the child in you, as you help the children discover God through the pages of this new book.

My Little Bible: A Review by Anne MesilioPh

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A Story of God’s Great Loveonce home again the longing to do something about the story on the napkins was too strong to ignore so I got in touch with Angela (Upon this Rock) as I had no idea where or how to begin publishing, because that’s what I felt was needed”. Did the title come easily I wondered? Lavinia explained there were several but her daughter’s title was the final choice, “her grain of sand”, her mother lovingly acknowledged. The story was written with children in mind, (it can appeal the child in all of us,) to show God’s love throughout the ages, that’s how Lavinia feels about it “and it’s just another example of ‘god-incidences’ that it was published at Christmas. This twelve page story is presented with visually eye catching

illustrations by Giorann Henshaw who “felt it an honour” to be asked by her friend Lavinia to illustrate the book. They have been good friends for many years and together co-founded the Gibraltar Arts and Crafts Association in Gibraltar in 1995. Lavinia, who has travelled extensively during her life, noticed that most countries represent themselves through their arts and crafts, a very cultural thing, and she felt Gibraltar could benefit from adopting this method. Giorann’s illustrations which Lavinia described as “very childlike, fresh and bright”, have transformed this well known story, (ever old, ever new), which cannot but appeal to children. Each illustration emphasizes a key point in the story which draws the reader in to

become a participant. So, it’s all happening for you? I asked a pleased Lavinia who admits the road to publishing was problem strewn, but, it’s all worked out and she is “really delighted, very happy, it makes me smile a lot”. Lavinia writes from a personal background of belief which lends certain credence to the story which I hope will become a valuable

educational tool, especially for Communion age children. The book is available from the Catholic Bookshop, Sacarellos and the Gibraltar Bookshop priced at £8.50. So, go on, treat yourself and the children to a copy and experience “a breath of fresh air”.

My Little Bible: A Review by Anne Mesilio

Confraternity successfully re-launched

The Confraternity was launched on 7th December after Mass at St. Theresa’s on the Eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.Subsequent to that, the first edition of the ‘pocket-size’ Prayer Book of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Europe is being now being distributed free of charge to members.The 104-page Prayer Book, which contains a ‘Foreword’ by Bishop Ralph Heskett, includes prayers for all needs and occasions, including the full text of the Mass for the Solemnity of Our Lady of Europe on the 5th May, the Liturgy of the Hours, Adoration and Benediction, Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Consecration to Our Lady, The Rosary and Prayers to Our Lady, together with many other traditional Catholic prayers and devotions.

Included also, is the revised text of the Mass which will come into effect in Advent 2011.If you would like to become a member of the Confraternity Information leaflets with enrolment forms are available in all parish churches and at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe,. Members of the Confraternity will be encouraged to deepen their devotion to Our Lady by joining their daily prayers with those of other members, and to support with their prayers the life and witness of the Shrine. They will be able to share in the weekly Mass at the Shrine and in special Masses offered for members and their families. Social gatherings and celebrations will develop as the Confraternity grows. For further details, contact Fr Charlie Azzopardi (58522000), or Denis Hook(58658000) or at the Shrine.

First new members sign up to the Confraternity of Our Lady of Europe, which was first established in 1540.

Aims of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Europe:• To promote true devotion to Our Lady (under the

title of Our Lady of Europe)• To pray for the continent of Europe• To pray for the work of the Shrine• To support the activities at the Shrine• To assist financially with the upkeep of the Shrine

and its Marian apostolate


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I would send her boyfriend a let-ter to prison to try and console him during his time in prison. So on my return I prepared a letter together with one of my friends and we sent it – about a year later I was invited on the same cruise ship again and on arrival the same Filipino girl was there waiting for me to tell me he was out of the prison and they had got married and she happily showed me the wedding photos and was very grateful that I had somehow helped her and him to get through that bad patch. This was very rewarding.”“I was very impressed to find out that during the last four years some ships hold prayer meetings at 11 at night for all the Catholic staff to pray the rosary as having such a difficult life they find these prayer meet-ings are of great help to them and are something they look forward to. I know how difficult it is for them out at sea, away from their family and friends. The problems they have and the suffering this causes is im-mense as I hear many of these problems they encounter within their confessions, so I am very

happy to be doing this work to help people who not only ap-preciate it but also need it. It has opened my eyes to see the struggle some of these persons go through on a daily basis and this has touched me and made me understand them better and we cannot really judge from the outside until you know what is really going on inside!”

Father Binoy together with Clive Nuza go to cargo ships and to the cruise lin-ers to say Mass about 10 or 12 times a month in the summer although possibly in the winter a little less.

“A while back a cargo ship that had encountered any problems in their voyage to Gibraltar came into port and although there were only three Catholics on board, the Captain, who was a Hindu himself, sent the three members to the Church to look for me so I could go and bless the ship so they would not en-counter so many problems on the way back. I was received by over 50 persons and we cel-

ebrated Mass and they all held their hands in prayer and stood through the whole Mass even though there were only three Catholics amongst them, it was amazing and rewarding and I was very touched.” Clive explained that the crew members see the priests as he-roes and I suppose in a way like counsellors too so this is how essential it is to continue to support seafarers. On their trips on board ship they distrib-ute rosaries and Bibles, as well as the warm hats and scarves knitted by the lady helpers in Gibraltar. All these gifts are re-ally welcomed and appreciated. I also heard a story from Clive who said that a while back, two stowaways had been found on a cargo ship – “When we went on board they were holding them in the chain locker in the bow of the ship. This is a very small space and they were squashed in tightly with little room to move.

They were from Croatia and it seemed as if they were not even being fed properly either. This is obviously to discourage stowa-ways, but we found this very inhuman so we spoke to the Captain and the men were then transferred to a cabin for the trip back to their repatriation, so at least we managed to find a bet-ter way for them to travel back as they had been previously treated like animals and not as persons.”The Apostleship of the Sea have their own ‘Stella Maris, Star of the Sea’, an ancient ti-tle for Our Lady, traditionally used by seafarers and others associated with the sea. Just as seafarers have tradition-ally depended on the stars for navigation, so they trust in the protection and guidance of Our Lady. The Apostleship of the Sea use Stella Maris as their patron to pray over sea-farers and keep them safe.

Sonia Golt talks to Fr. Binoy and Clive Nuza continued from page 7

Human rights and compassion for seafarers

In the case of cruise ships anchored off Gibraltar, Fr. Binoy and Clive Nuza travel out to visit the crew on the ship’s tender.


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Sonia Golt talks to Fr. Binoy and Clive Nuza continued from page 7 Testimony Fr. Dominic O’Toole

“I was a business consultant...then I saw the light”“I decided to make a change when I was about 30. I’d spent my working life in retail as a buyer for head office before moving into consultancy work for small companies. I was really driven by work and it defined much of my personality. But I came to the realisation that something was missing. I had this nagging

feeling that I should be doing something different with my life – more importantly that I should be devoting my life to God through a religious order.I’m based in St Mary’s in Clapham, South London. It’s a busy parish and the days are long. I spent most of yesterday morning at a hospice, speaking to people who are close to death. Later on I was due to

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have a meeting with a couple about a baptism. That’s a typical day, you are privileged to be present at key moments in people’s lives.I don’t miss the outside world or my former job because I’m still very much involved in what is happening around me. This is not the kind of order that remains hidden in an ivory tower and I’m very clear that I have made the right decision. Like any job there are difficult days but most of the time I love what I do.”Father Dominic O’Toole, 39, is a member of the Congregation of the Most

Holy Redeemer, an order more commonly known as the Redemptorists. Followers take the simple vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience The photos above and below were taken at his ordination by H.E.Keith Patrick Cardinal O’BrienPhotos: Paul M. C. Sherry.


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Documents

Upon This Rock 115 January 2011