Remembering my Seminary Rector

Fr Victor with my family after my Diaconate ordination in 1976

After 95 hard-working years with utmost dedication and commitment to the church in Malta, my Rector at the Seminary, Monsignor Victor Grech was called to eternal life yesterday February 5. He followed his brother Joe, a popular singer in Malta, who passed away just a few weeks ago. Dun Victor, as most of the priests still call him, spent the last part of his life working for an organization CARITAS that helped rehabilitate drug addicts and other young people with various behavioral issues. But I remember him mostly as our Rector, serving from 1962 until 1977 in that responsible role, as he also acted as a spiritual father and mentor to all of us seminarians. He was a role model to all future priests, most of whom are still actively involved in various parishes or Diocesan organizations. It’s worth noting that under his leadership, over 150 priests were ordained, while the Archbishop's Seminary was still in Floriana, presently used as the Chancery. During that time, he would spend a lot of time counselling families and couples who would be waiting outside his office until very late at night to talk to him. Moreover he would give Lenten Spiritual Exercises to various large groups who would pack the largest churches, and in auditoriums that would accommodate the largest possible crowd. He was very gentle with us, disciplined, yet very kind. He had a great influence on my whole family as my parents respected him, and my two brothers Paul and Marcel also attended the Minor Seminary during his time as Rector.

My Class of 1977 sharing a drink with our Rector before our ordination in 1977

I have a nice anecdote about him that happened to me in one of our talks which we were obliged to do every two months or so in his office. It was 1974, mid-way through my Seminary formation. Since I always loved audio-visual aids,  someone had told him that I had a camera and a cassette tape-recorder. So his introduction was ...’Julian, I heard you have a camera and tape-recorder.....don’t you think you are showing a mundane side of yourself as a seminarian?’ Of course I was speechless and mumbled a few words to justify my point that I only used them to serve the community, playing music during religious features and the silent retreats at lunch and dinner, and taking an occasional photo of community events. Of course I kept all the gadgets that I owned, and continued using them. But if Fr Victor only knew how the world would change and gravitate towards a technological revolution within a few years, and that the presence of cameras, CDs, cell-phones, videos, Ipads, TVs, and so much more would become an indispensable part of our lives! I never reminded him of this remark he made to me 50 years ago, but I’m sure he would tell me ‘Julian, you were right, I had no idea you had such foresight of how things would develop over the years.’ Fr Victor himself used the media most of his life and consoled many people who would call him on local radio stations to find comfort  in his consoling words. May he rest in peace. It is fitting that the state of Malta is giving him a state funeral on Saturday February 8.