Celebrating a life of Joyous Service and Contemplation

Double fête for the Venerable Madre Margherita Debrincat on TVM2

The Public Broadcasting Services will be transmitting on TVM2 a four-part drama portraying the life of Madre Margherita Debrincat, founder of the Franciscan sisters of the Sacred Heart. This drama is being transmitted to celebrate the declaration of heroic virtues of Madre Margherita earlier this year. Through the work of the Ċentru Animazzjoni Missjunarja, TVM2 will be able to broadcast the dramatised version of Venerable Madre Margherita’s life. TVM2 will also be transmitting live from Kercem Gozo, a thanksgiving mass in honour of the recognition of the heroic virtues of the Venerable Madre Margherita. The mass will be celebrated by H.E. Bishop Mario Grech and Fr Gian Giuseppe Calafano who is leading the Cause for the Beatification.

Entitled Inhobbu l-imhabba ( Loving love) the play looks at the evolution of the charisma of this Maltese congregation. The play follows the trials and tribulations of Madre Margherita who, together with Mons Giuseppe Diacono, founded this new congregation based on Franciscan spirituality infused with the joy and simplicity of St Francis. The play is entirely based on primary sources and first hand rec- ollections of the older generation of nuns who remembered Madre Margherita. The late Lino Grech authored the play, inspired by the reflections of his sister, a nun of the Order. A cast of wellknown actors including Anna Dalli, Michael Sciortino, Lilian Attard and Theresa Gauci round up this robust production.

PBS chairman Dr Tonio Portughese praised this work which was directed for television by Fr Louis Mallia MSSP. Dr Portughese said that TVM2 will be enriched with the broadcast of this timely commemoration of a heroic life well lived. “It is a living example, if ever there was one, of great oaks growing from little acorns of faith,” said Dr Portughese.

The play will be aired on TVM2 on Wednesday, 2 July at 8.40pm (Parts 1 & 2) and on Thursday, 3 July at 8.40pm (Parts 3 & 4). On Friday, 4 July, all the four parts will be transmitted again on TVM2 from 2pm onwards. The “live” broadcast of the thanksgiving mass will be transmitted on the same day at 7.30pm.