Mgr Mario Grech's legacy as Bishop of Gozo - Newsbook (original) (raw)

Tista' taqra bil-Malti.

A thanksgiving mass for the service offered by outgoing Gozo Bishop Mario Grech will be held on Thursday 27 August at 6.30pm at the Xewkija parish church.

Mgr Mario Grech served as bishop of the Diocese of Gozo for fourteen years.

The thanksgiving mass will be streamed live on Newsbook.com.mt as well as on the Diocese’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Mgr Grech will soon begin serving as the Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.

Mgr Grech’s legacy

As a bishop, Mgr Grech will be remembered for many things. **Newsbook.com.mt **has collected some of these in the list below. The outgoing bishop served as Kerċem’s parish priest before becoming the eighth bishop.

Mgr Grech launched the Diocesan Mission (2008-2009) and decreed the Marian Year between 2018 and 2019.

He visited Maltese emigrants in the US between 23-31 May 2006, followed by a second visit to the Maltese emigrants in the US and neighboring Canada between 22 April and 5 May 2008. He then visited the Maltese emigrants community in Australia in 2011.

The Bishop also visited Maltese missionaries and their communities. He went to Albania (22-25 September 2006), Brazil (13 September – 1 October 2009) and more recently Peru (13-22 November 2018).

While Bishop Grech was heading the Gozitan Diocese, various initiatives and commissions were set up; including the family therapy clinic (2011), the Commission for the Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults Gozo (2017), the Liturgical Arts Centre, Eikon (2017), a hostel for Gozitan students studying in Malta (2018), and the Pastoral Formation Institute (2019) among others.

Among the reforms he carried out, Mgr Grech spearheaded the reform of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in Gozo.

Mgr Grech ordained 24 priests and led the episcopal consecration of Bishop George Bugeja and Anton Teuma.

He initiated the diocesan process for the beatification and sanctification of Dun Mikiel Attard in 2014 and Gozitan Augustinian Brother Grazzja Cauchi in 2016.

He published 20 pastoral letters as Bishop of Gozo, 34 pastoral letters with the bishops of Malta and delivered hundreds of homilies.

Mgr Grech served as the President of the Maltese Episcopal Conference between 2013 and 2016. In addition, he served as a representative of the Maltese Episcopal Conference to the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE).

He also approved the first constitution of the Anawim Community in 2013.

Mgr Grech attended three Synods of the Bishops.

The Bishop Emeritus was consecrated Bishop by his predecessor Mgr Nikol Ġ. Cauchi on 22 January 2006 and he had chosen In Fractione Panis as his motto.

His successor, Dun Anton Teuma was consecrated on Friday, becoming the ninth Bishop of Gozo. During the homily, Mgr Grech highlighted that the Church could not afford to remain enclosed within its own walls, but had to go into the streets and serve what has become a “post-Christian” society.

The thanksgiving mass will also be aired on NET TV and Xejk.