Retreat-Holidays
Malta: Mount Saint Joseph
Our base in Malta is Mount Saint Joseph retreat house, which is in Mosta, the largest town in Malta.
It is run by the resident Jesuit community, headed
by Fr Alfred Micallef SJ.
With the possible exception of the Dominicans, the Jesuits are the most scholarly of the religious
orders in the Roman Catholic Church, but they are very down-to-earth. They are particularly good at using Scripture and the imagination - both head and heart. The Jesuits take ecumenism for granted and people of all denominations are welcome to make retreats at Mount St Joseph.
Mount St Joseph was purpose-built as a retreat-centre and the building is light and airy. Although it is on the edge of a town, the extensive grounds and the views make for a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere.
There are numerous benches where you can sit and read or contemplate - or just let your mind go blank and be open to the Holy Spirit. In this photo, Fr Alfred is looking out towards St Paul's Bay, where it is thought that St Paul must have come ashore after his shipwreck (see Acts 27).
In the opposite direction is this view of Mdina, the beautiful medieval former capital of Malta. Its many treasures include St Paul's catacombs. Mdina is seven minutes away by taxi or rather longer by bus.
From the roof terrace, you also have views of Mosta, including the huge and famous church known as the Rotunda.
Mosta high street is about ten minutes' walk down the hill from the house and the Rotunda another 10-15 minutes from there.
As for the house itself...
Prayer is at its heart. There are two modern chapels and a small prayer-room. They are very plainly decorated by Maltese standards and they have some beautiful contemporary art.
There is a lovely ambiguity about this sculpture in the large chapel. It is the dead Jesus of Narareth hanging on the cross, but it is also the risen Christ, his fingers extended in the traditional sign of blessing.
The house has meeting rooms of various kinds and a computer room with internet access. The silent dining room used by people on individually guided retreats looks out on orange trees and lemon trees.
There are 40 bedrooms, all of them en suite. Most of them are twin-bedded, but
there is no supplement for single occupancy. All floors, including the roof terrace, are accessible by lift.
Probably the highest recommendation we can give for Mount St Joseph is to say that the director of Retreat-Holidays made her own, once-in-a-lifetime, 30-day retreat there in January 2007 and has been back three times since for more. It's a good place!
The Jesuit Community at Mount St Joseph (left to right):
Fr Godwin, Bro Paul, Fr Paul, Fr Alfred, Fr David, Fr Ray and Fr Reno
(Fr Paul and Bro Paul have moved to other houses since this photograph was taken.)
Individually Guided Retreats (IGRs)
Malta IGRs: Dates, prices and flights