UPDATED: St Helen's cross repaired

UPDATED: St Helen's cross repaired

I happened to be together with other members of St Helen Band Club, accompanying the procession of St Helen last Sunday, when just before nine o'clock St Helen's Cross got hit and suffered what resulted to be some minor damage. The initial reaction focused all people's attention on the extent of the visible damage, but fortunately everything will return to normal after permanent resotoration work on the Cross will take place.

May I kindly ask readers and contributors to the Times to be careful about comments they pass when referring to this incident. First and foremost, the history of Birkirkara is rarely understood in its proper historical context. What the founder of St Helen Basilica did in the past was to found a group of priests committed to praise God through liturgy and offer pastoral support to all parishoners. Following the example of St Helen ('she opened her hands towards the poor'), many people from Birkirkara follow her example regularly and in silence. I have personally experienced the generosity of these wonderful people during my childhood and pre-adolescence, and later I had the privilege of sharing with them in being generous with others.

I would like to thank both Mgr Paul Cremona, OP, the Archbishop of Malta, and Rev Provost Archpriest Can Anton Cassar, for highlighting and appreciating the generosity and festive spirit (especially its spiritual aspect) of the Birkirkara people on Sunday evening, while bringing great celebrations in honour of St Helen to an end. We are not perfect and like any other church we are and confess to be a community of 'saints and sinners.'

Finally, those who think that Birkirkara has already forgotten those five poor chaps who lost their lives tragically are completely mistaken, and maybe they should prefer not putting their pen to paper rather than following the erroneous track of publicising their misunderstanding of the true, genuine people of Birkirkara.

Meanwhile, I agree that there is always room for improvement.

Anthony Saliba