Nar ta’ Tama

Nar ta’ Tama
L-Għaqda tan-Nar 23 t’April fi żmien il-Pandemija tal-COVID-19 tul 2020

Kitba ta’ Simon Vella Gregory
Ritratti tal-Għaqda tan-Nar 23 t’April

San Ġorġ daħal lura fil-Knisja, u hekk, kienet għaddiet sena oħra mimlija suċċessi.

Mill-ewwel bdejna ħidmitna biex għal għas-sena 2020 jkollna festi oħra speċjali anke fl-okkażjoni tat-titlu mogħti lill-Knisja tagħna, issa Kolleġġjata… Konna diġà ftaħna bil-kbir is-sena ta’ qabel fit-13 ta’ Diċembru.

Waslet l-ewwel tas-sena, sellimna is-sena 2020 bħal ma nagħmlu lil kull sena ġdida, l-ewwel jum tas-sena kien jum mill-isbaħ xemx tiżreġ, imma l-isħab malajr deher fuq ix-xefaq, hekk kif għadu invisibli imma qerriedi beda jinfirex, jiġri madwar id-dinja, biex mal-ewwel jiem ta’ Marzu feġġet il-pandemija f’pajjiżna.

Għall-ewwel ma fhimniex eżatt l-impatt li se tħalli fuqna, komplejna naħdmu sakemm in-numri bdew jiżdiedu u l-Knisja flimkien mal-Awtoritajiet Ċivili kienet kostretta tiddeċiedi li jitrażżnu u jitwaqqfu l-festi. 

Kulħadd imbellaħ, xi ħaġa li qatt ma stennejna jew għadditilna minn moħħna, il-pandemija iddettat il-ħajja ta’ kulħadd.

Diskussjonijiet twal, x’ħa nagħmlu? inkomplu naħdmu? nagħlqu? Imma bi tmexxija bil-għaqal komplejna naħdmu bil-limitazzjonijiet u bl-ikbar attenzjoni anke fid-dawl tar-regolamenti tal-Awtoritajiet tas-Saħħa. 

Nhar Ħadd il-Għid b’mod limitat sellimna wkoll lil Kristu Rebbieħ fuq il-mewt, minkejja li t-toroq Qriema li s-soltu jkunu fgati bin-nies din is-sena kienu baħħ.

Ftit jiem wara it-23 t’April, jum il-festa liturġika tal-Patrun tagħna San Ġorġ, il-volontiera tagħna ġabru xi ħaġa bejniethom biex tħallas il-permess u pruvajna nagħtu pjaċir lill-poplu Qormi b’ħarqa limitata imma sinifikattiva. 

Fit-8 ta’ Mejju, ingħaqadna ma’ 25 kamra tan-nar oħra biex sellimna l-75 sena minn meta ntemmet it-tieni gwerra dinjija. 

Biex fil-25 ta’ Mejju flimkien mal-Kamra tan-Nar San Sebastjan u fuq talba tal-Kunsill Lokali – b’mod partikolari tal-mibki Sindku Renald Falzon (vittma oħra tal-pandemija) – fakkarna Jum Ħal Qormi. 

Fl-ewwel ta’ Lulju, imbagħad, iċċelebrajna l-ftuħ mill-ġdid tal-ajruport ma’ diversi kmamar tan-nar oħra madwar Malta u Għawdex.

Issa kienet waslet l-ewwel ġimgħa ta’ Settembru, ġimgħa mhux normalment assoċċjata mal-Festa ta’ San Ġorġ, imma ħerqana, b’entużjażmu se nkunu qed insellmu lil patrun tal-Qriema. 

Kienet sena mimlija impenji u ngħalqet bil-kbir fit-2 ta’ Settmbru meta ġiet ċċelebrata l-Festa ta’ San Ġorġ. L-Għaqda ħarqet kemm filgħodu, f’nofsinhar u filgħaxija. Il-purċissjoni ma ħarġitx, in-nies ma segwitniex mill-wied kif is-soltu jiġri, imma pruvajna nagħtu ftit togħma ta’ festa f’perjodu li qatt ma ħlomna li se ngħixu. 

Fires of Hope
L-Għaqda tan-Nar 23 t’April during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

Written by Simon Vella Gregory
Photos by Għaqda tan-Nar 23 t’April

The statue of St George reentered the Church… after yet another year of successes.

And thus we began anew, we started our hard work for a once again spectacular feast, especially in the honour of our Church being named Collegiate. 2020 was set to be a great year – we’d already started along this vein on December 13th of the year before, with a great celebration.

We celebrated the start of 2020 with vigour, like we do with the start of any year. January 1st was a beautiful, sunny day, but we could see the clouds in the distance, looming until it hit here too. In the first days of March, the pandemic started to spread in Malta too.

In the beginning, we couldn’t exactly understand the impact this pandemic would leave on us, we continued working until the numbers started to rise and the Church together with Civil Authorities had to restrict and implement measures to halt all feasts.

We were stunned, it was something we could’ve never imagined. This pandemic was ruling over all of us.

Long discussions. What are we do to? Do we continue working? Do we shut down? With careful leadership, we continued working, whilst attentively respecting the limitations per regulations issued by the Health Authorities.

On Easter Sunday, we saluted The Victory of Christ, regardless of the fact that the streets of Qormi were never this empty.

A few days after April 23rd, the day of the liturgical feast of our Patron St George, our volunteers collected some money among them to pay for a permit for us to bring some much-needed cheer and solace to the people of Qormi with a round of fireworks, a small but significant move.

On May 8th, we joined another 25 fireworks organisations to commemorate the 75th anniversary since the end of the Second World War.

On the 25th, together with the Kamra tan-Nar San Sebastjan (Fireworks Organisation dedicated to St Sebastian in Qormi), and at the request of the Local Council, especially that of the deeply missed Mayor Renald Falzon (another victim of the pandemic), we marked Qormi Day together.

On July 1st, we also celebrated the reopening of the airport with other organisations around Malta and Gozo.

Then, as the first week of September approached, a week not normally associated with the feast of St George, we let off some fireworks with a lot of enthusiasm to salute the Patron of Qormi.

Despite everything, it was a year full of activity and we closed it off with great honour on September 2nd, when we celebrated the feast of St George. That day we let off fireworks in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The procession did not feature, the people couldn’t group to see the fireworks in the valley as usual, but we tried to at least give a little taste of festi during a period that no one ever thought we’d live through.