The Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait marked five days of thanksgiving and celebration from Jan 1 to Jan 5, 2007, in honour of H.L. Bishop (Emeritus) Francis Micallef, OCD, former Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait, who commemorated the 25th anniversary of his Episcopal Ordination.

[...Bishop Francis was consecrated on 6th January, 1982, by the late Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. He took office as third Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait on 15th January, 1982. He served the Church in Kuwait tirelessly and selflessly, for almost 24 years, bearing many hardships along the way, notably, during the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Over the years, he won not only the respect and admiration of his 'beloved' faithful, but also, their love and deep gratitude...]

Bishop Francis graciously accepted the invitation of H.L. Bishop Camillo Ballin, MCCI, and the Clergy to celebrate his Silver Jubilee with the faithful in Kuwait. He arrived here in the late evening of Dec 31, 2006, from Malta. During his short stay in Kuwait, Bishop Francis received parishioners, friends and well-wishers at his residence at the Cathedral. The outpouring of love was truly remarkable, yet, not unexpected, as the Bishop was dearly missed and this was the first time he was visiting Kuwait since his retirement to Malta in 2005.

Bishop Francis concelebrated at Thanksgiving Masses (for his Silver Jubilee) in each of the three Parishes of Kuwait ...

The first of the events scheduled by the Vicariate to honor Bishop Francis was the Eucharistic Celebration on New Year's Day at 7.00 p.m. in the festively-decorated Church of St. Thérèse, Salmiya.

Rev. Fr. Berchmans, OCD (Parish Priest), Rev. Fr. Thomas, OCD (Asst. Parish Priest), Rev. Fr. Tony D'Souza, SDB, and Rev. Fr. Derek Misquita, SDB, concelebrated with the Bishop.

Following the liturgical service, the Parish felicitated Bishop Francis with flowers, gifts and the Jubilee cake, which he cut whilst the Parishioners sang and cheered.

Musical and dance performances by the Salmiya Parish Youth (SPY), the children of Salmiya Parish and the "Couples for Christ" contributed to the day's festivities. At the end of the celebration, Bishop Francis greeted each of the families individually.

-- Photographs by Winston Alphonso

At precisely 9.00 a.m., Bishop Francis was received and welcomed by the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Anthony Gabbas, OCD and the Parishioners at the entrance of the Church and taken in procession to the beautifully-decorated altar of the Church.

Bishop Francis was quite emotional during the Mass, as he recounted the various significant events of the Parish as he had witnessed them over time.

After Mass, Bishop Francis was felicitated by the parishioners with flowers and gifts. After meeting his "flock", Bishop Francis spent time with the children who were attending Catechism class.

The highlight of the Jubilee celebrations was the Thanksgiving Silver Jubilee Mass at the Holy Family Cathedral on Friday, January 5, 2007 at 5.00 p.m.

The day was special and to be cherished by the faithful who comprised the large gathering of multi-national Catholics hailing from the combined three Parishes. They had braved the bitter cold to fill the pews and corridors of the Cathedral to capacity! ...Usually the services are well-attended at the Cathedral only on major feast days!

Ecclesial dignitaries and clergy who concelebrated with Bishop Francis included Papal Nuncio to Kuwait H.E. Archbishop Mounged El-Haschem, H.L. Bishop Camillo Ballin, MCCI, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait, H.L. Bishop Gomes of Bangladesh, the Vicariate Clergy, the Salesians of Kuwait, Rev. Boutros Ghareeb of the Greek Catholic Church in Kuwait and visiting Priest, Rev. Fr. Wilson of the Syro-Malankara Rite.

Also present at the occasion were Religious Heads of other Christian denominations in Kuwait, the Rosary Sisters and the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation (two religious communities in Kuwait).

The two-hour liturgy was celebrated in English and Latin. Hymns and responses were rendered melodiously by the Jubilate Choir Ensemble ....

INTRODUCTION BY MR. FRANCIS FERNANDES
(Former K.N.S.T. Leader)

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"My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, a warm welcome to you all.

... It is with much gratitude to God and with great joy in our hearts, that we have assembled here today at this Holy Family Cathedral of the Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait, for this Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration. We have gathered to welcome our beloved Bishop (Emeritus) Francis Micallef, o.c.d. who is in Kuwait to celebrate this significant occasion of the Silver Jubilee of his Episcopal Ordination, to pray with him, for him and be a part of his celebration.

H.L. Bishop (Emeritus) Francis Micallef, was ordained Bishop on 6th January, 1982, by our late Holy Father Pope John Paul and, took office as the third Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait on 15th January, 1982, where he served the faithful with much love and dedicated service for 23 long years. Since his retirement in July, 2005, he now lives in Malta, where he continues to serve our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in whatever manner he is called to.

A Jubilee in the life of any individual is a very significant event, especially when that life has been at the service God and His people. For us present here, it is a hope-filled moment that God continues to bless us with Shepherds to guide us and lead us to spiritual maturity in Christ. So with thanksgiving in our hearts, let us pause for a moment and thank God for this day's event and silently pray for Bishop Francis Micallef. (Silent pause).

With joy in our hearts, together with His Lordship Bishop Camllllo Ballin, the Clergy, the Religious and the faithful from the three Parishes in Kuwait, let us all stand and extend a warm welcome to Bishop (Emeritus) Francis Micallef and join him in prayer today, thanking God for His abundant graces."

WELCOME ADDRESS
BY HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP CAMILLO BALLIN, MCCI
(Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait)

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"Your Excellency,

... A little more than a year ago, on the 2nd of September 2005, you introduced me to this large community, at the beginning of my Episcopal Ordination. On that day, a big crowd heard your kind words of presentation of the new Bishop of Kuwait.

It is now my joy not to introduce you to this community which knows you very well and loves you deeply but to welcome you among us again. Today, also, a big crowd witnesses the love of the Christian community for their pastors. You and I, we thank God for having given us this community that loves us and all the priests with all their heart. I noticed that our Christians want to belong to God, which is their only sure base in Kuwait. It is this deep relationship with God that makes them open to us.

Your Excellency, in the name of our faithful, of His Excellency the Nuncio, of our beloved priests and myself, I thank you again for having worked hard for almost 24 years here in Kuwait to announce Jesus Christ to all. Everybody remembers your patience, your generosity and your good heart. You spent 25 years as Bishop, image of Jesus Christ, God will reward you in due time.

I thank you for having accepted our invitation to come among the people you still love. We wish you a very long life lived in a good health and in peace with all. Please, remember us in your prayers. I put in all the three churches the photographs of the Bishops that served in Kuwait, so your photograph is always before us. It is a sign that we continue to pray for you and to thank God for your ministry in this beloved Church of Kuwait.

May the Virgin Mary intercede for you and for us and keep us always in fraternal communion.

Your Excellency, congratulations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of your Episcopal Ordination. God bless you and fill your life with His divine love."

LITURGY OF THE WORD
(Readings for the Feast of the Epiphany)

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First Reading:	Is 60:1-6
Resp. Psalm:	Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13  All nations shall fall prostrate before you,  O Lord.
Second Reading:	Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
G. Acclamation:	Alleluia, Alleluia!  We saw his star as it rose  and have come to do the Lord homage.  Alleluia!
Gospel:	Mt 2:1-12

HOMILY
BY HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP FRANCIS MICALLEF, OCD
(Jubilarian, Retired Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait)

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"Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever!

... We are celebrating, today, the feast of the Epiphany, the 'shining forth' or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ, which in the Latin Church is a prolonging of the feast of Christmas. The Eastern (Oriental) Churches have continued to treat January 6 as Christmas, the day marking Jesus' birth, God's Salvific Plan of sending His only Son to earth to bring humanity back to God.

The feast coincides with my Episcopal Anniversary, today being the 25th Anniversary of my ordination to the Episcopate. This year, 2007, we also commemorate in a special way, the 60th Anniversary since the Very Rev. Fr. Vicar General of the Carmelite Order arrived in Kuwait and made plans for the installation of a resident priest, the first here, in Kuwait. So, today, we pay tribute, also, in a special way to the founders of the Church in Kuwait, the first Priest, the Bishops, the Clergy and Religious, the first resident Catholics who came from around the world to work here, all who truly can be considered the foundation of the Church in Kuwait. It was precisely the enthusiasm and religious fervour of these first Catholics that sowed the seed for the building of Catholic churches and ultimately the erection of a Vicariate here in Kuwait. The history of our anniversaries is ultimately the history of individuals, families, parishes, and communities striving to live out their commitments to Christ, through the Church.

The Second Vatican Council presented the Church, not as an organised institution, but, as a mystery and a communion (of baptized believers) in Christ. The Church is a new building, a living temple, the temple of God built of "living stones", of the people who profess Jesus as Master and Saviour and who live according to the values of the Gospel. So, it is our duty as Bishops, Priests and Religious to grow with you people, in holiness, even as the Church is Holy. Therefore, when we speak of Anniversaries, of a celebration of 25 years, we are including the whole family of that particular Parish or Diocese or Church as we cannot separate the members of one body, as, together, we make up the mystical body of Christ, the Church.

In a special way, I thank Bishop Camillo and the Clergy for having invited me here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of my Episcopal Ordination. I also wish to thank the Holy Father, represented here, today, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, for his personal greeting to me on this occasion. I also want to mention my gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Order, the Order to which I belong. I thank the Civil authorities of the State of Kuwait and the Kuwait Oil Company for their kind assistance, over the years. I thank, also, the pastors representing the Christian Churches of other denominations, the Clergy and Religious Sisters who have come here today to celebrate this occasion, and you, dear Faithful who have been staunch collaborators of the Priests in our mission here in Kuwait.

The Vicariate of Kuwait has been entrusted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of "Our Lady of Arabia". I, once again, entrust you and your families and all Christians in Kuwait to the motherly care and intercession of Our Lady with the invocation << QUEEN OF ARABIA, PRAY FOR US. >> "

OFFERTORY GIFTS / PRAYERS
(Presented by the Different Communities)

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FLOWERS: Presented by the Indian Community ... Father, You have endowed humanity with beauty, by Your gift of flowers.. Accept our humble offering of a minute segment of this beauty. May these flowers which symbolize the beauty of the love and life of Our Bishop Micallef over the 25 years as Bishop and pastor, now continue to grow in the same splendor, spreading the perfume of His love to the people around.

FRUIT: Presented by the Sri Lankan Community ...Children are the fruit of the family of God. You are the giver of life. Today, along with this fruit we bring before You Our Bishop Francis Micallef, whom You had given to this Church of Kuwait to bring the family of God to the Eternal shores.

CANDLES: Presented by the Filipino Community ... Father, we bring forth these candles as a sign of our undying love and loyalty to You, ever burning and never faltering. Help each of us to be like this candle that loses nothing by burning in the service of others and illuminate the lives of all those we come in contact with. May this light which represents Christ shine in the life of Bishop Francis Micallef, so that through him, Christ may shine in the lives of the people he ministers to.

STAFF: Presented by the Pakistani Community God our Father, 25 years ago, You entrusted to our Bishop Francis Micallef the responsibility of tending Your people and leading them to the green pastures. We thank You, Lord, for the role he played as shepherd of the flock; and we pray that You may bless him and guide him in all his undertakings.

BREAD AND WINE: Presented by the Arab Community ... Many grains make one bread and many grapes make wine. At the Eucharistic Celebration, Father, we come before You as one family unmindful of our race, culture and language to worship You and to partake of this Sacred meal. Change us into Your likeness. May our lives be transformed into Your Body and Blood. As Bishop Micallef celebrates the daily Sacred Mysteries may he be imbued with Your strength and zeal to continue his pastoral work wherever he is placed.

CHALICE: Presented by the Nigerian Community ... Lord we offer You this empty chalice which symbolizes the emptiness of our lives without You. Fill us and Bishop Micallef with Your Divine life and love and let it overflow into the lives of others.

PRESENTATION OF GREETING
BY HIS GRACE ARCHBISHOP MOUNGED EL-HASCHEM
(Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait)

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The Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, H.E. Archbishop Mounged El-Haschem presented an autographed greeting from the His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Bishop Francis ...

VOTE OF THANKS
BY REV. FR. MELWIN D'CUNHA
(Carmelite Superior in Kuwait, Parish Priest - Kuwait City)

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"On behalf of all the Parishioners and Carmelites, I wish to extend heartiest felicitations and congratulations to Bishop Francis Micallef. Just three years ago, we celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Bishop Francis' Priesthood and today we are privileged to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of his Episcopal Ordination. On this auspicious day, I recall with gratitude, all that he has done for the Vicariate and the faithful.

Your Lordship, with your hard work, simplicity of life, selfless service and holiness, you have inspired and touched the lives of so many.

May God who has done such wonders through your life, continue doing the same and grant you good health and strength to serve Him for more years in His vineyard.

We thank you for accepting our invitation and coming here all the way from Malta to grace this occasion, which shows your love and concern for us. Do continue visiting us and keep us in your prayers as we promise you the same. On behalf of Bishop Camillo and all gathered here, I wish you a safe journey to India and back to Malta."

PRAYERFUL & LOVING WISHES
from the Clergy, Religious & Faithful in Kuwait

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