On Sunday 2nd February, members of Scotland’s Maltese community gathered in St Mary’s Monastery in Kinnoull, Perth, to celebrate the feast of the Shipwreck of St Paul. The feast – traditionally celebrated on the 10th of February in Malta – is a national holiday on the island and remembers the event when St Paul, in the year 60AD, was shipwrecked on the island of Malta as he was on his way to Rome as a prisoner.
The event started with a Mass celebrated by Maltese priest Fr Jean Gové, who is a weekend assistant at St Mary’s, Lochee, Dundee whilst studying in Scotland. Mgr Charles Hendry, parish priest of St Mary Magdalene’s, Perth joined in the celebration and the Honorary Vice-Consul for Malta in Edinburgh, Dr Nicholas Pace, was also present. Mass was followed by a potluck lunch full of tasty, homemade, Maltese dishes.
Malta is proud of its 2000 year association with Christianity. Paul was being taken to Rome to be tried as a political rebel, but the ship carrying him and some 274 others was caught in a violent storm only to be wrecked two weeks later on the Maltese coast. All aboard swam safely to land.
The site of the wreck is traditionally known as St Paul’s Island, and is marked by a statue commemorating the event.
Please contact Fr Jean Gové – govejean@gmail.com or contact +356 9910 1030