From June 30 to July 7, 2025, the Master of the Order, Brother Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, accompanied by his Socius for Europe, Brother Thomas Brogl, OP, made a canonical visit to the Province of St. Pius V in Malta.
The visit began in Albania, where the Province has a mission. During this time, the Master of the Order learned about the friars’ ministry and, in a meeting with the Dominican Family, about the work of the Dominican sisters in Albania, who serve primarily in schools and nurseries.
At the conclusion of the visit, the Archbishop of Tirana, Monsignor Arjan Dodaj E.d.C., presented the Master of the Order, his Socius, and the Provincial of Malta with an image of the “Virgin of Consolation.” This image symbolizes the history of Albanian Christians. Under the communist regime, Albania was declared the world’s first atheist country, resulting in the destruction of churches and religious objects. The statue of Mary and the Child was buried by the communist secret police and, after religious freedom was restored in the 1990s, was rediscovered and returned to the Church. Despite the scars of its history, the faces of Mary and Jesus remain almost miraculously intact. At Archbishop Arjan’s request, this revered image now resides in Tirana Cathedral, where, as the “Virgin of Consolation,” it offers strength to many in their daily struggles.
It is also worth noting that the large, beautiful flags that herald special events in Malta recently marked the visit of the Master of the Order. A sign of the deep devotion of the Maltese faithful to Saint Dominic was evident during Mass with the Dominican Family, when a replica of the beautiful statue of Saint Dominic in Valletta was presented to the Master of the Order.
