"Il-Miraklu tal-Mosta" – George Hogan¹

minn Anthony Camilleri

L-ewwel parti – Il-Mosta: Settembru – Ottubru 1988

(p.16) F'tahdita li Sir William Dobbie ghamel lil Malta fuq il-BBC bi stedina ta' Lord Gort, Gvernatur ta' Malta, f'gheluq is-sentejn mill-ghotja tal-George Cross lil Malta, l-ex Gvernatur tkellem b'mod generali dwar l-isforzi u t-tbatijiet li minnhom ghaddew il-Maltin u s-Servizzi militari. Izda ghamel zewg eccezzjonijiet u semma zewg postijiet b'isimhom, il-Belt Valletta minhabba l-attakk ta' l-E-Boats Taljani fis-26 ta' Lulju,1941 u l-Mosta minhabba l-grajja tad-9 ta' April, 1942.

Dobbie, li kien Protestant prattikanti hafna² u dejjem kien igorr il-Bibbja fuqu (mnalla kienet il-Bibbja tieghu malli Lord Gort gie biex jinghata l-gurament ta' Gvernatur fis-7 ta' Mejju, 1942, ghax l-ufficjali tal-protokoll insew igibu kopja) iddedika paragrafu shih fuq il-grajja mirakoluza li grat il-Mosta nhar il-Hamis, 9 ta' April, 1942.

Ix-Xhieda ta' Sir William Dobbi – L-ghola awtorita civili u militari ta' Malta meta gara l-avveniment storiku

"Rajt balla tolqot tabilhaqq il-koppla"³

(Tahdita mill-General Dobbie lil Malta)⁴

"Meta nharsu lura lejn iz-zmenijiet imghoddija niftakru f'hafna incidenti. Irrid infakkarhom f'incident iehor biss – jien kont qed nara l-attakk mit-torri tal-Palazz ta' Sant'Anton meta rajt bomba tolqot tabilhaqq il-Koppla. Jien dritt mort il-Mosta dejjem nistenna li ser nara dehra kbira ta' qerda. Niftakar kif hassejtni  niehu r-ruh meta sibt il-Knisja mhix mimsusa, u rajt fl-art tal-Knisja taht il-koppla sew il-bomba kbira li nifdet il-koppla u ma splodietx. Jien hassejtni nissieheb mal-poplu tal-Mosta fis-serhan tal-mohh u fil-gratitudni lejn Alla li jista' kollox talli heles il-knisja mill-qerda".

Te Deum Laudamus

Nota ta' l-Editur

Bomba kbira ma jgorrhiex Fighter Me 109 (Ara Il-Mosta Nru 129)

1. Malta: The Triumphant Years 1940-1943, George Hogan (Robert Hale, London, 1978) Kapitlu 8, The Miracle of Mosta, pp. 73-77.
2. Meta Lord Gort inghata x-xabla ta' l-unur f'Haz Zebbug, inizjattiva tal-Baned Maltin, fosthom il-Mosta, nhar it-12 ta' Marzu, 1944, fi zmien il-parrokat ta' l-Arcipriet Mosti Dun Paolino Galea, wara Arcipriet tal-Mosta u Monsinjur, il-Gvernatur ikkwota l-gurnali Maltin dwar Dobbie fid-diskors ta' radd il-hajr.
3. Il-Berqa, 17 ta' April, 1944, p.2. Traduzzjoni ta' Il-Berqa stess.
4. Idem.

It-tieni parti – Il-Mosta: Novembru – Dicembru 1988

(p.8) Meta nhar il-Hamis, 9 ta' April, 1942 intlaqtet il-knisja tal-Mosta mill-balal Germanizi, l-ahbar bdiet tixtered u twasslet ukoll permezz tal-gurnali. Din l-azzjoni kien jonqos wara t-twaqqigh tat-Teatru Rjal jumejn qabel fis-7 ta' April. Il-gurnali xeghlu. L-editur tat-Times of Malta tal-11 ta' April, 1942, ma l-ewwel opportunita li gietu minhabba c-cirkustanzi tal-gwerra, ikkummenta dwar "ir-reazzjoni kontra d-dive-bombing viljakk fuq il-Belt Valletta, u wara fuq il-Mosta …"

Hafna Maltin talbu li bombers alleati jahbtu ghall-monumenti fl-Italja. Hawn Malta kienet maghrufa bhala l-kontroversja Bomb Rome. (Ara Storja tal-Mosta ta' E.B. Vella u Ohrajn, 1972-1986, pp. 421-429).

Din il-grajja, bhal dik tat-Teatru Rjal, baqghet hajja f'mohh il-Maltin u sena wara, f'April 1943, iz-zewg avveniment tfakkru b'mod specjali fit-Times of Malta u Il-Berqa. Wiehed li ffirma Sacerdot baghat dan l-artikolett lil Il-Berqa u l-gurnal ippublikah fil-harga tal-Gimgha, 9 ta' April 1943.

"Il-Bomba li laqtet ir-Rotunda tal-Mosta bla ma splodiet"²

"Tifkira ta' sena ilu"³

"Bhal-lum sena, il-Hamis, id-9 ta' April, fil-5 ta' wara nofsinhar, il-Kleru u l-poplu Mosti kien migbur fir-Rotunda biex jaghti bidu ghas-Siegha Mqaddsa meta bomba mill-kbar ta' l-ghadu, b'qilla kbira laqtet il-koppla ta' l-imsemmija Rotunda u ghamlitilha hsara kbira; mhux biss, izda nisslet biza' kbir u djieqa fost in-nies li kienu migburin fil-knisja.

B'ghageb kbir ta' kulhadd il-bomba ma splodietx bhas-soltu u hekk ma saritx hsara kbira daqskemm kellha ssir lit-Tempju u qerda fost in-nies.

Il-Providenza Divina ma riditx illi l-opra u l-hidma ta' l-umli tigi mxejna mill-moderni persekuturi tal-Knisja. Il-kbar benefatturi ta' l-imsemmi Tempju, il-Wisq Rev. Sac. Dun Felic Calleja, Dun Gammari Schembri u nies ohra maghrufin, li kienu tant habirku ghall-kura ta' l-erwieh u b'sagrificcji kbar hejjew ghamara denja lid-divina Majesta t'Alla, mill-gholi tas-smewwiet fejn, kif nittama, diga qedghin igawdu l-premju ta' l-opri tajba taghhom, ikomplu jharsu lill-gheziez taghhom minn kull tigrib u perikli ohra li jistghu qatt jigru matul din il-gwerra.

Ghalhemm bhala wiehed mill-hbieb tar-Rotunda taghna nixtieq bil-hegga kollha li llum, id-9 ta' April, il-Mostin u dawk kollha li jaqraw dan l-imfahhar gurnal, jiftakru f'dak li gara sena ilu u jroddu b'qalbhom kollha hajr ‘l Alla tal-kbir favur li ghamel maghna."⁴

Sacerdot

Te Deum Laudamus

Referenzi

1. Malta: The Triumphant Years 1940-1943, George Hogan (Robert Hale, London, 1978) Kapitlu 8, The Miracle of Mosta, pp. 73-77.
2. Il-Berqa, il-Gimgha, 9 ta' April, 1943, p.2.
3. Idem.
4. Idem.

It-tielet parti – Il-Mosta: Jannar – Marzu 1989

(p.15) Wiehed mid-dokumenti li ghandna tal-grajja tad-9 ta' April, 1942 hareg l-ghada li l-bombi waqghu fuq u madwar ir-Rotunda. Kien artiklu fl-Information Service Bulletin ta' l-10 ta' April, 1942, Nru. 84, stampat fil-faccata ta' quddiem. Il-Bulletin kien johrog mid-Dipartiment ta' l-Informazzjoni. Barra milli jidher car li dawk responsabbli rrapurtaw u xandru mal-ewwel x'gara fil-Mosta f'dik il-gurnata ghaziza tal-Hamis, 9 ta' April, 1942, tispikka wkoll in-nota religjuza ta' min kitbu u kif rabatha mal-fidi tal-poplu Malti f'Alla li jista' kollox.

Ghal darba ohra ghandna xhieda ta' zmien il-grajja li tindika li l-bomba kienet wahda kbira. Kienu mumenti storici meta d-destin ta' Malta kien imdendel b'hajta u xaghra sal-punt li bosta kienu ga qeghdin ibassru l-kapitulazzjoni ta' l-Inglizi u l-invazjoni mill-forzi ta' l-Assi.

"Malta's Proudest Hour"²

"More than anything else the citizen of Malta is sustained by the knowledge that Right is on his side; that God will not desert those who struggle for Good against Evil. Elsewhere is the issue we give evidence of the vile nature of the criminals against whom we are struggling. There are not wanting Signs of Providence that are very encouraging to the people of Malta. One of these is the statue of Christ the King in the Biskuttin which continues to stand although there were bomb craters all around it. Another is the heavy calibre bomb which fell inside Mosta dome without exploding. None of the 150 worshippers present at the time was seriously hurt. Other bombs also fell near the dome without exploding".3

"Izjed minn kull haga ohra c-cittadin Malti hu msahhah bil-fatt li jaf li s-Sewwa mieghu; li Alla mhux ser jabbanduna lil dawk li jiggieldu favur it-Tajjeb kontra l-Hazin. Band'ohra f'din il-harga qeghdin ingibu xhieda tas-sura vili tal-kriminali li qeghdin niggieldu kontra taghhom. Is-Sinjali tal-Providenza lanqas naqsu milli jqawwu lill-poplu Malti. Wiehed minn dawn is-sinjali hi l-istatwa ta' Kristu Re fil-Biskuttin (Furjana), li ghadha wieqfa minkejja li hemm hofor tal-bombi madwarha. Iehor hu l-bomba ta' kalibru kbir li nizlet gewwa l-koppla tal-Mosta minghajr ma hadet. Hadd mill-150 fidil li kien hemm ma wegga' serjament. Bombi ohra wkoll waqghu magenb il-knisja u ma hadux".3

Referenzi

1. Malta: The Triumphant Years 1940-1943, George Hogan (Robert Hale, London, 1978) Kapitlu 8, The Miracle of Mosta, pp. 73-77.
2. Information Service Bullettin, 10th April, 1942, No.84, p.1.
3. Idem.

Ir-raba' parti – Il-Mosta: April – Gunju 1989

(p.15) F'xi parrocci Maltin, bhal dik ta' Hal Luqa, il-Hamis, id-9 ta' April, 1942, ifakkar il-qerda tal-knisja parrokjali bil-hidma tal-Luftwaffe. Fil-Mosta d-9 ta' April hu jum ta' ringrazzjament mhux biss ghax dakinhar il-mit Nazista safa meghlub mill-pjan inskrutibbli t'Alla u mill-imhabba materna tal-Patruna tal-Mostin, Marija Santissima, izda wkoll ghax l-ahbar xterdet ma Malta. Kienet ahbar li awspikat is-sostenn kontinwu tal-Providenza divina, tema rikorrenti fil-kitba ta' l-istudjuzi ta' l-istorja.

Il-mibki Dun Guzepp Micallef ta' Hal Luqa, ghalliem tieghi u wara kollega, hallielna din ix-xhieda fil-ktieb tieghu When Malta stood alone (1940-1943) (Malta 1981).

"Miraculous Escape"²

"On April 9 the Mosta Rotunda was hit by a 1000 lb bomb. The high explosive bomb penetrated the nine feet thick dome, smashed into the cornice on the left hand side of the church and finally came to rest on the pavement. Considerable damage was caused by the heavy stonework which fell from the dome, 184 feet high, onto the pavement. A large congregation was in church at the time but no one was injured. The Bomb Disposal Unit was promptly in the church and removed the bomb. In that bleak and cruel April the news of the "miraculous" escape of "a church so dear to the heart of the people of this Island"3 strengthened the fortitude and endurance of the population".4

Fid-9 ta' April ir-Rotunda tal-Mosta ntlaqtet minn balla ta' 1000 libbra. Il-bomba bi splussiv qawwi dahlet mill-koppla wiesgha disa' piedi, farrket lunetta n-naha xellugija tal-knisja u fl-ahhar striehet fuq il-paviment. Hsara konsiderevoli saret bil-gebel tqil li waqa' mil-koppla, gholja 184 pied, ghal fuq il-paviment. Kien hemm kongregazzjoni kbira fil-knisja dak il-hin izda hadd ma wegga'. L-iskwadra tat-tnehhija tal-bombi griet il-knisja u nehhiet il-bomba. F'dak April sewdieni u krudil l-ahbar tal-helsien "mirakuluz" ta' "knisja hekk ghaziza ghal qalb il-poplu ta' din il-gzira"3; sahhet il-qawwa u r-rezistenza tal-popolazzjoni".4

Te Deum Laudamus

Referenzi

1. Malta: The Triumphant Years 1940-1943, George Hogan (Robert Hale, London, 1978) Kapitlu 8, The Miracle of Mosta, pp. 73-77.
2. Dun Guzepp Micallef ikkwota lil Joseph M.Cassar Torregiani, Times of Malta, April, 16, 1942, p.2.
3. Idem.
4. When Malta stood alone 1940-1943, (Malta 1981), Rev. Dun Guzepp Micallef, p.135.

Il-hames parti – Il-Mosta: Jannar – April 1990

"Saved by the intervention of their own patron, Our Lady"

(p.8) Mill-Kapitlu 8 tal-Ktieb ta’ Hogan

“Tal-Mirakli with its simplicity and faith is in way the key to the real miracle that happened at Mosta on 9th April, 1942 … The people of Mosta also raised the money to build their own church and provided, too, the volunteer labour. It was but seventy-eight years old when the miracle happened and there were still a few who could remember it in its early days … The miracle occurred on 9 April when other villages also were tortured in their faith. At about the tea hour some 300 parishioners were  assembled inside the church awaiting the early evening service … Now the planes were overhead and suddenly there came a piercing, shrieking whistle and a crash like a thunderbolt. The whole huge auditorium was filled with dust and noise. The people knew the church had been struck. They could not see through the dense haze but it seemed to be falling about them. In fear and bewilderment they fought to prevent panic. Then daylight began to filter through the dome and they dimly understood that a bomb had bounced and rolled along the floor of tre nave. With realization they fought fear again and struggled as fast as they could towards the main door. As they rushed outside, gasping and blinded by the dust, and stood gathering sight in the daylight, then, in their agony, they saw another bomb beside the entrance. Having almost escaped one they knew terror afresh. But neither exploded, nor in this miracle were there any casualities among the congregation. The people of Mosta, humble in their thankfulness, declared that they were saved by the intervention of their own patron, Our Lady, to whom the Church is dedicated. With 300 witnesses I believe there must be many today who would accept that this was indeed a miracle. So many in Malta had so often prayed: ‘Oh Mother Mary spread your wide mantle that the bombs may not harm us' …”

“Fis-semplicita u fil-fidi taghha l-knisja Tal-Mirakli hi f'certu sens ic-cavetta (biex tifhem) il-miraklu veru li gara l-Mosta nhar id-9 ta’ April 1942 … In-nies tal-Mosta, ukoll, gabru l-flus biex jibnu l-knisja taghhom u hadmu b’xejn ukoll. Kienet ilha wieqfa tmienja u sebghin sena meta gara l-miraklu u kien ghad hemm x’uhud li kienu jiftakruha fiz-zminijiet bikrija (wara li tlestiet). Il-miraklu gara nhar id-9 ta’ April meta rhula ohra kienu ppruvati sewwa wkoll fil-fidi taghhom. Ghal hin it-te xi 300 parruccan u parruccana kienu migburin gol-knisja jistennew is-servizz ta’ filghaxija, li kien kmieni … Issa l-ajruplani kienu fuq rashom u f’daqqa wahda nstemghet tisfira ttaqqab u twahwah u xi haga tikkraxxja bhal sajjetta. Il-qiegha enormi kienet kollha mimlija bit-trab u bl-istorbju. In-nies indunaw li l-knisja kienet intlaqtet. Ma setghux jaraw bl-ghabra li kien hemm izda donnu kienet niezla fosthom. Bil-biza’ u bil-fixla ghamlu li setghu biex jevitaw il-paniku. Imbaghad id-dawl tal-jum beda jidher mill-koppla u bil-ftit il-ftit indunaw li bomba kienet habtet u tgerbet fuq l-art tal-korsija. Huma u jirrealizzaw regghu ssieltu kontra l-biza’ u thabtu biex jaslu hdejn il-bieb ewlieni. Hekk kif grew ‘il barra, jiehdu n-nifs u moghmijin bit-trab, u bdew jaraw fid-dawl tax-xemx, imbaghad, imkexkxin, raw bomba ohra hdejn id-dhul tal-Knisja. Kien kwazi rnexxielhom jaharbu wahda u regghu sfaw imbezzgha mill-gdid. Izda ebda wahda ma hadet, u anqas, f’dan il-miraklu, ma kien hemm korruti fost il-kongregazzjoni. In-nies tal-Mosta, fl-umilta tar-radd il-hajr taghhom, stqarrew li kienu mehlusa bl-intercessjoni tal-Patruma taghhom, il-Madonna, li lilha l-knisja hi ddedikata. Bi 300 xhud nemmen li llum bilfors hemm hafna li jammettu li dan kien tassew miraklu. Tant nies f’Malta kienu talbu ta’ spiss: ‘Madonna, ifrex il-mant wiesa’ tieghek biex il-bombi ma jaghmlulniex hsara' …”

Te Deum Laudamus

Referenzi

1. Malta: The Triumphant Years 1940-1943, George Hogan (Robert Hale, London, 1978) Kapitlu 8, The Miracle of Mosta, pp. 73-77.