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The Local Council
The highest administrative organ of the parish is the Presbyterian. It is made up of the parish-priest as President and the clergy of the parish. The policies and major lines of pastoral action are discussed in the Presbyterian which convenes approximately once every term.
The Parish Council is a consultative assembly made of representative of the various organisations in the parish. It is chaired by parish-priest and the members discuss and give suggestions on a wide range of matters, from the day to day running of the parish to new capital projects. Sometimes task teams are established to carry out agreed-on initiatives. The Council has three sub-committees dealing with the Liturgy, Catechism and Charity. It is also directly responsible for the running of the Parish Centre.
This is the oldest lay religious organization in the parish. The first branch (female) was established in 1952 two years after the legion had arrived in Gozo. Today there are nine branches (called Praesidia) which cater practically for all age groups starting from infants to adults. The charisma of the Legion, besides prayer, is apostolic work which each legionary is bound to perform every week.
In Il-Munxar we have a female branch of the Catholic Action which was established in the beginning of the eighties. The meetings are held once a week and are chaired by the Ecclesiastical Assistant who is a priest. The meeting involves prayer, talk and discussion on chosen subjects. At determinate times during the year, the branch organises activites, usually of a spiritual nature, for the parishioners.
This is an organisation or recent set up and the group in Il-Munxar has been in effect since 1996. Meetings are held weekly and the members are both male and female, in a number of cases even husband and wife. At the centre of the meeting is the Eucharistic presence which turns the gathering into a sort of prayer group where member participation is essential. Longer meetings and retreats are held in preparation for the high times liturgical year.
Originally, the M.A.S. Group in Il-Munxar came into being after the Central Committee of the Social Action Movement organised a Social Week in our village in February 1990. Initially the group was concerned with various environmental issues. One of its main achievements was a five day seminar on the work ethic held at Il-Munxar Parish Centre. After a lull of some months, the Group was reconstituted in late 1996 with new members. Since then, its main field has computer courses.
Ghaqda Drammatika Il-Munxarin is the latest offshot of successive attempts to establish a permanent Stage Committee to oversee the promotion of drama in our locality. Ever since the Parish Centre was inaugurated, the popularity of drama in our locality has never waned. Children, youngsters and adults have always participated in both serious and comic sketches. Of a more regular nature, the Passion Play and the Christmas Concert have always attracted a sizable audience. The present group has ambitious targets, which have been lately boosted by the installation of a brand new PA System in the theatre-hall. Munxar Falcons F.C has been launched in 1972. Then, the team of enthustic youngsters participated in the Gozo Youth Football Association crowning the experience with the conquest of the championship. In 1976 the club officially joined the Gozo Football Association in the Second Division. During the last twenty years or so, the club has had a chequered history which is given in more detail on page...
This is a wide-range group of loose adherence, practically every parishioner is expected to contribute towards the feast effort. It is almost exclusively concerned with the social side of the village festa dedicated to St. Paul's Shipwreek. The build-up activities, including fund raising, go on throughout year, but reach a feverish height during the last month before the feast in late May.
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