It was exactly 100 years ago today that my great-uncle Fr. Paul Galea was ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame d’Afrique in Algiers. I inherited his chalice which I still use daily. On it is inscribed the date of his ordination 23-12-1923 and donated by the Meilaq family, relatives who lived in Algiers at that time. He was born on August 26, 1899 in Nadur, on the sister island of Malta called Gozo. By 1926, Fr Paul was back in Malta when the bishop asked him to become chaplain of the Blue Sisters Hospital in St. Julian’s. Later on he became also chaplain of the Poor Clare, a monastery of cloistered Franciscan nuns. In 1927, together with my grand-father Joseph Cassar he opened the new St. Julian’s Band Club which is planning its centennial in 2027. Until 1951, he also served in the parish of St. Julian’s. In 1951, he became parish priest or pastor of the Mount Carmel parish in Gżira, where he stayed until 1966. During those years, he was instrumental in raising funds to buy the new set of bells, which for many years, they used to ring every 15 minutes. After he retired he used to celebrate Mass at the St Julian’s parish as well as at the Poor Clares Monastery, where I helped him as an altar boy, just before I entered the Seminary. He actually died on October 29, 1970, the same month I started my journey for the priesthood.
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