I look back today to that historic day on Sunday June 19, 1977 when along with 13 other classmates, I was ordained a priest by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca at St John’s Cathedral in Valletta, Malta. After 7 happy years living at the Seminary with all my classmates and about another 60 seminarians, we were all assigned to different parishes, myself ending up in my hometown parish of St Julian’s, where I spent 4 years before leaving for the USA in September 1981. I enjoyed living at the Seminary, in a community with other seminarians, a few older than us and others younger, all in different stages of our journey to the altar. While attending the University of Malta, we also did manual work in the summer months, mainly to get acquainted with the life of workers. Personally I worked at a shipyard and a car assembly plant, but most of my time was spent helping my parish priest in various summer activities and other liturgical functions. Most of my classmates stayed in Malta working in parishes, and other than one other who went to Australia for a few years, and a three others taking post–graduate courses in Canon Law, Sacred Art and Communications, all stayed close to each other, meeting periodically and celebrating Mass every year on our anniversary. I joined them on the 10th and 25th anniversary but was not able to join them on most of the anniversaries because I was always involved in my parish work, especially over 35 years in New York and Oregon. Back in Malta in 2016, I continued my ministry with the elderly in a Retirement Home and helping in the parish of Naxxar, besides doing many other things, writing in a Catholic newspaper, blogging, painting watercolors, playing the flute and creating and presenting several PowerPoint talks which are always appreciated. Now we look forward to next year’s Golden Jubilee, as we continue to give of our time, our service and dedicated ministry.
To end I share this beautiful poem by Henri
Lacordaire, a French Dominican priest, which I have recited every year on my
anniversary Mass:
To live in the midst of the world, without desiring its
pleasures.
To be a member of each family, yet belonging to none.
To share all sufferings, to heal all wounds.
To penetrate all secrets, without being curious.
To go from men to God and offer Him their prayers.
To return from God to men, to bring pardon, hope and peace.
To have a heart of gold for charity, and a heart of bronze
for chastity
To teach, to listen, to forgive. To lead, to console, to
bless always.
This is your life, o priest of
Christ.
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