Pontificia
Universitas Lateranensis
Institutum Theologiae Vitae consacratae
“Claretianum”
Tony Sciberras mssp
The
Incarnational Aspect
of
the
Spirituality of Joseph De Piro
Moderator:
Prof. S. Gonzalez Silva cmf
Dissertatio
Ad Doctoratum Theologiae Vitae
Religiosae assequendum
In Institutum Theologiae Vitae
Consacratae “Claretianum”, Universitatis Lateranensis
Romae 2005
To
my dear parents,
sisters and brothers,
superiors and
members of the Missionary Society of St Paul
and beloved friends
Contents
List of tables
................................................................................................................
PAGEREF tables \h xiv
List of
abbreviations......................................................................................................
PAGEREF abb \h xv
Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................
PAGEREF ack \h xvi
Introduction
..................................................................................................................
PAGEREF intro \h xvi
PART ONE – Joseph De
Piro: His Life and
Activity.....................................................
PAGEREF p4 \h 4
Chapter One – The private and public
phases of the life of Joseph De Piro................ PAGEREF life \h
6
Section I - The private phase of his
life (1877-1904): From birth to the first two years of
priesthood PAGEREF part1 \h 6
De
Piro’s birth , childhood and early youth…6;
Member of the Royal Malta Militia…9;
Member of the Congregazione degli Onorati…
PAGEREF onor \h 9;
Drawing and painting…10;
De Piro’s call to the priesthood…11;
Death of Joseph’s father…12;
Studies of philosphy and theology in Rome…13;
Worries, prayers … but even projects…14;
Minor Orders…16;
Subdiaconate, diaconate and presbyterate…213;
The “Accademia Ecclesiastica” issue put aside…20;
Poor health…20;
At Davos, Switzerland…21.
Section II - The public phase
of his life (1904-1933): From the first years of
priesthood up to his
death..............................................................................................
PAGEREF pa \h 22
(i) - A priest dedicated to the local
Church....................................................................
PAGEREF pr \h 22
Assistant parishpriest at the Qrendi Parish, Malta…22;
Procurator of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation, Qrendi,
Malta…24;
Sindaco Apostolico of the Franciscan Minors Convent, Rabat, Malta…24;
Canon of the Metropolitan Chapter…25;
Effective Member of the General Committee of the XXIV International
Eucharistic Congress (1913)…29;
Co-rector of the Manresa Retreat House, Floriana, Malta…30;
Director of the Associazione Sacerdoti Adoratori…30;
Secretary of Archbishop Mauro Caruana…30;
Member of the Commission for the formation of young priests…31;
Deputy of the Commission for the temporary administration of the
Major Semianry, Mdina, Malta…32;
Rector of the Major Seminary, Mdina, Malta…33;
Member of the Camera Pontificia Maltese…35;
Dean of the Metropolitan Chapter, Malta…35;
Acting Parishpriest of
the Gudia Parish, Malta…36;
Cooperator in the foundation and growth
of Maltese religious congregations…37
- the Daughters of the
Sacred Heart...37,
the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus...38,
the Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth...40;
President of the Special Consultative
Committee for the restoration of St Paul’s Church, Rabat, Malta…41;
Minister of the Word…42.
Archbishop’s Delegate in the Committee for the Peace Feasts…43;
Member of the National Assembly (1919-1921)…43;
The Sette Giugno Riots (1919)…44;
Cashier of the Committee Pro Maltesi Morti e Feriti per la Causa
Nazionale il 7 Giugno del 1919…45;
Member of the Committee for the Visit of H.R.H., the Prince of Wales
(1921)…46;
Member of the Unione Leoniana…46;
Member of the governing board of the Malta War Memorial Hospital for
Children…48;
Member of the Special Committee of the British Empire Exhibition…48;
Archbishop’s representative on the Committee of the Zammit Clapp
Hospital…48;
Archbishop’s representative on the Organising Committee for the
Visit of the Duke and Duckess of York…49;
Member of the Tourism Committee…49;
Mediator between the Church and Lord Gerard Strickland…50;
Senator in the Third Maltese Parliament…50.
(iii) - A father to the orphans and the
poor....................................................................
PAGEREF fath \h 51
Director of Fra Diegu Institute, Hamrun, Malta…51;
Secretary of the Committee of the Bishop’s Foundation for the bread
to the poor during the War…52;
Director of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Zejtun, Malta…53;
Director of St Joseph’s Institute, Santa Venera, Malta…54;
Director of St Joseph’s Institute, Ghajnsielem, Gozo…54;
Director of the Home for babies and young children, Santa Venera,
Malta…56;
Director of St Francis de Paul Institute, B’Kara, Malta…56;
His testamentary will and the Institutes…57;
Director of the Workshop or Laboratory for unemplyed young women,
Valletta…57;
Director of the Birkirkara Oratory…58.
(iiib) A non-institutionalised
charity..............................................................................
PAGEREF le \h 60
(iiic) Working for
justice...............................................................................................
PAGEREF wor \h 60
(iv) - De Piro’s Missionary
Spirit..................................................................................
PAGEREF sp \h 61
The “Idea”…61;
A lot of work in Malta and for the Maltese migrants, but priority to
the missions ad gentes…67;
The “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”…67.
(v) - His sudden
death....................................................................................................
PAGEREF sud \h 68
PART TWO - De Piro’s
love for the underprivileged and for evangelisation............
PAGEREF two \h 75
Chapter Two -
De Piro’s love for the
underprivileged: His institutionalised
charity, his non-institutionalised charity, and his work for
justice.....................................................................................
PAGEREF und \h 75
Introduction - Malta in the 19 and
early years of the 20 centuries…75
- The population...75,
The socio-economic conditions...75,
Nutrition...80,
The housing conditions...80,
Clothing...82,
Hygiene... PAGEREF hygi \h 82,
Education...83;
Begging...85
– The government’s share in charity...85,
The local Church’s share in charity...86,
De Piro’s share in charity...89.
Section I -
De Piro’s love for the underprivileged through
an institutionalised charity PAGEREF sec \h 89
(i) Director of Fra Diegu
Institute, Hamrun,
Malta................................................. PAGEREF di \h
89
De Piro’s dedication to Fra Diegu
Institute...89;
A very humble Director…91;
A balanced formator – loving but firm…91;
Financial guarantor for the Institute…92;
Grateful towards the benefactors…92;
A holistic formation - The learning of crafts…93,
Care of the spiritual aspect of the girls’ life…93,
Recreation, an important element in the girls’ upbringing…94;
The Director’s love for the families of the girls of Fra Diegu…95;
De Piro’s love even for the old girls…95;
De Piro, the orderly Director and a one who trusted God’s
Providence…97.
(ii) Director of the Jesus of
Nazareth Institute, Zejtun, Malta................................
PAGEREF je \h 99
De Piro, the Director of the
Orphanage…100;
His charity, the virtue that showed most…103;
His visits to the Jesus of Nazareth Institute… PAGEREF visits \h 104;
Did not talk frequently to the girls…105;
But he was gentle and kind with the girls … and enjoyed their
company…104;
Non talkative but sociable…105;
The poor and humble Director…105;
Holistic care of the girls… PAGEREF ho1 \h 105
- The physical health…106,
Food…106,
Hygiene…106,
Clothing…106,
Schooling…106,
Crafts…107,
Recreation…107,
He did encourage feasting…107,
The spiritual aspect…107,
Preparation for their future… PAGEREF pre1 \h 108,
Discipline and corrections…108.
(iii) Director of St Joseph Home,
Santa Venera, Malta..........................................
PAGEREF jo \h 109
Introduction…109;
De Piro’s initial involvement at St Joseph’s, Malta…110;
De Piro, the fourth Director of the Institute…112;
At St Joseph’s with the members of his Society…112;
What had been the situation of St Joseph’s before De Piro took
over…112;
Who were the boys at the Institute…113;
How many boys at the Institute…113;
De Piro was already quite busy when he took over St Joseph’s…113;
Because of the above, St Joseph’s not an easy job at all…114;
In fact all this and many other duties made De Piro very busy and
often tired…114;
De Piro could not be all the time present at the Institute…115;
Yet De Piro was synonymous with St Joseph’s…115;
De Piro’s relationship with the boys…115;
But he was never a one to be afraid of…116;
Because he was very humble…117;
When correcting the boys he still showed them his love and
kindness…117;
In this environment De Piro helped the holistic growth of the
boys…118
- The spiritual care…118,
Food…120,
Clothing…122,
In sickness…122,
The academic aspect…122,
The trades… PAGEREF t \h 124,
The music band…125,
Money saving…126,
Recreation…126,
The boys’ relationship with their families…128,
Reinsertion of the boys in the normal life after leaving the
Institute…128,
The end result…129;
De Piro was not alone…129
- To these De Piro delegated responsibilities…130,
… but he demanded accountability…130,
… and dignity…130;
Together with an organised good staff, De Piro had other sources of
support - His own family…130,
Especially his own mother…131,
The benefactors…131,
Himself a benefactor of the Institute…131,
But more than anything else he believed in Providence…132;
With all these De Piro worked miracles…132
- De Piro planned to send the St Joseph’s boys to the USA…133,
He enlarged the building of the Institute…133,
He provided a house for babies…134;
No limits for his generosity…134
- De Piro was always in solidarity with the boys…134,
The Director was in contact even with the families of the boys…135,
De Piro helped the employees of the Institute…135,
De Piro prepared the boys for life…136;
“An internal feeling tells me that God, from this Institute, wants
to form in Malta a Congregation of priests under the patronage of St
Paul…” PAGEREF internal \h 136.
(iv) Director of St Joseph’s Home,
Ghajnsielem, Gozo........................................... PAGEREF
jo1 \h 137
Gozo - an introduction…137
- The population…138,
Standard of living…138,
The public health system…139;
The Institute at Ghajnsielem, Gozo …139,
- The attempts by the bishops of Gozo…140,
The Gozo parishpriests sought the help of De Piro…140,
A branch of St Joseph’s, Malta, to be led by the Society of De
Piro …141,
De Piro did not want any interference from the side of the local
hierarchy in the administration of the Institute…142;
Inauguration of St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo…148;
The admission of the boys at St Joseph’s, Gozo…152;
The Director, a very busy man…152;
De Piro’s visits to St Joseph’s…153;
In his visits De Piro mostly talked to the Fathers…153;
No small talk from the side of the Director…154;
At the same time the Director was very affable…154;
Because he was humble…155;
The Director’s contact with the boys…156;
A holistic care of the boys…156
- The spiritual aspect…156,
The physical health…257,
Food…158,
Clothing…158,
Cleanliness…159,
Academic formation…159,
A trades school…161,
The music band at St Joseph’s: background…162,
De Piro started the music band at St Joseph’s…163,
Recreation…164,
Preparation for life…164;
De Piro, the man who always had new projects in mind…165;
The means with which De Piro directed the Institute - De Piro’s
administration…165,
His determination, courage and orderliness …165,
The members of his Society…165,
On his part the Servant of God respected the role of those
responsible for the House…167,
De Piro’s relationship with the employees at the Institute…167,
Fundraising…167,
The benefactors…168,
But his faith in Providence over and above anything else…168;
De Piro was therefore loved by the boys and all…169;
Vocation recruitment at St Joseph’s, Gozo…170;
But he never used any pressure on the boys…171.
(v) Director of the Home for
little boys, Sta
Venera.............................................. PAGEREF new \h
171
(vi) Director of St Francis de
Paul Home, Birkirkara (B’Kara), Malta................. PAGEREF fra
\h 171
(vii) A beggar for the children of
the
Institutes.........................................................
PAGEREF bega \h 172
(viii) De Piro’s testamentary will
and the Institutes..................................................
PAGEREF testa \h 172
(ix) De Piro’s care for the old
boys and old girls of the Institutes..........................
PAGEREF old6 \h 173
Director of the Sacred Heart
Laboratory, a workshop for unemplyed girls, Valletta, Malta…173;
De Piro’s second intervention in the Third Maltese Parliament in
favour of the old boys and old girls of the institutes…176;
The old girls of the institutes in his testamentary will…179.
(x) The Birkirkara (B’Kara)
Oratory......................................................................
PAGEREF birk \h 180
A Centre for boys…180;
an Oratory for the sons of the people…183;
The formation imparted at the Oratory…186.
Section II - De Piro’s love for the
underprivileged through a non-institutionalised charity
PAGEREF cont1 \h 188
(i) Financial
aid........................................................................................................
PAGEREF fi \h 188
(ia) From his own
money...........................................................................................
PAGEREF aid \h 188
(ib) From the money of Fra Diegu
Institute and St Joseph’s Home, Malta........... PAGEREF money \h
190
(ii) Non-financial
help...............................................................................................
PAGEREF non \h 194
(iia) Caring for the physical
health............................................................................
PAGEREF ca \h 194
(iib) A listening
ear.....................................................................................................
PAGEREF li \h 195
(iic) Academic formation of
youth..............................................................................
PAGEREF ac1 \h 195
Section III - De Piro’s love for the
underprivileged through his promotion of justice PAGEREF sec2 \h 197
(i) Stole-fees to confessors
and conference masters.............................................
PAGEREF stole \h 197
(ii) Justice with the employees
depending on him...................................................
PAGEREF jus1 \h 197
The employees of the Major Seminary,
Mdina, Malta…197;
The employees at St Joseph’s, Malta…197.
(iii) Justice during the riots of
the Sette Giugno
1919............................................. PAGEREF ju \h 199
The socio-economic history of Malta
before the Sette Giugno…199;The
National Assembly - justice with all the Maltese…200;
Saturday, 7 June 1919 - justice with the unemployed and the othpoor
Maltese…201;
Sunday, 8 June 1919 - justice with the unemployed and the other poor
Maltese (continued)…204;
Monday, 9 June 1919 - justice with the Archbishop…208.
Chapter Three - De Piro’s love for
evangelisation: De Piro’s “evangelisation to the faithful”, his
“second evangelisation” and his “first
evangelisation”...........................................................
PAGEREF ev \h 210
Section I - De Piro’s
“evangelisation to the faithful” or his evangelisation
to the Maltese in
Malta...............................................................................................
PAGEREF ev1 \h 211
(i) De Piro’s drawn
evangelisation in
Malta..........................................................
PAGEREF dr4 \h 211
Introduction: the devotion of the face
of the suffering Jesus…211;
De Piro’s drawing of the face of the suffering Jesus…212;
A study of the drawing…212.
(ii) De Piro’s preached
evangelisation in
Malta..................................................... PAGEREF
pr2 \h 214
The Word of God as the basic source…214;
Hagiography and the writings of spiritual masters as another
source…215;
The themes of De Piro’s preaching in Malta…215
- The Word of God…215,
The incarnation of Jesus Christ…216,
Jesus’ crucifixion…216,
The Eucharist…217,
The Sacred Heart of Jesus…219,
God the Father…220,
The Holy Spirit…220,
Our Lady…221,
Mary’s Immaculate Conception…221,
Mary our hope all along our life…221,
Mary hope for peace at the time of the First World War…223,
Salve Regina - Mater Misericordiae…225,
Our duties towards Mary…226,
As far as being consecrated to her…226,
Saint Paul…227,
Other saints…228,
The other topics preached by De Piro…229.
(iii) De Piro’s printed
evangelisation in Malta or the “Saint Paul:
Almanac of the Institute
of the
Missions”.........................................................
PAGEREF pr25 \h 229
The contents in general…229;
a more central topic - the Maltese migrants…230;
the most central topic - the missionary animation…232.
(iv) De Piro’s catechised
evangelisation in
Malta................................................... PAGEREF ca1
\h 235
Introduction - the teaching of
catechism in
Malta...................................................... PAGEREF
ca2 \h 235
(iva) De Piro’s personal catechetical
evangelisation to the Maltese children......... PAGEREF ca4 \h 239
In Mtarfa, a Rabat suburb…240;
in the Church’s charitable institutes…240.
(ivb) De Piro’s catechetical
evangelisation to the Maltese children and
youths through his
Society..................................................................................
PAGEREF ca7 \h 241
The teaching of catechism in the first
houses of the Society…241;
He organised catechism classes since the very first years of the
Society’s existence…241;
He catered for boys…and all of them…242;
He paid from his own money for the lodging of the catechism
classes…242;
He even made available the first house of the Society for the
teaching of catechism… and in fact several parts of the building…242;
His continuous attention for development of the catechetical
evangelisation…243;
De Piro involved the members of his Society…243;
The Founder involved especially the lay brothers…244;
De Piro gave his support with his own physical presence…244;
The catechetical service of De Piro and his Society did not have
geographical limits…244;
He and the members of his Society prepared the boys for the first
holy communion and confirmation…244;
… and even furthur than these two stages…245;
The catechism teaching imparted in the house of De Piro’s Society
was more organised than in some other places…245;
De Piro and the members of his Society did more than memory
catechetical teaching…246;
He and the Society gave the catechetical formation within a holistic
context…246.
(ivc) The catechetical formation of
children and youths: two main
apostolates in De Piro’s
Constitutions for his Missionary Society and in
his correspondence with the
ecclesiastical hierarchy........................................
PAGEREF ca24 \h 247
For all the members of his Society…247
- For the children…247,
For youths…248,
More than memory work…248,
The basis for the teaching of catechism: a holistic formation…248,
Youths helped by youths…248,
The young helpers must be themselves helped…249,
Love, crucial for youth catechesis…249,
And this on an individual basis…249;
Especially for the lay brothers…250
- In his correspondence with
the local and Vatican hierarchy… PAGEREF vatican1 \h 250,
In the Society’s Original Constitutions…252,
In St Joseph’s Institute, Malta…253.
(ivd) At the Oratory,
B’Kara......................................................................................
PAGEREF ca38 \h 254
Introduction - The teaching of
catechism in B’Kara…254;
De Piro, the members of the Society and the teaching of catechism at
the Oratory, B’Kara…256;
The Oratory and the Society of Christian Doctrine (MUSEUM)…258.
Section II - De Piro’s “second
evangelisation” or his evangelisation to
the Maltese
migrants...................................................................................................
PAGEREF mi1 \h 259
Introduction - Migration during the 19
and early years of the 20 centuries............. PAGEREF mi2 \h 259
(i) De Piro’s
contribution.........................................................................................
PAGEREF kont \h 260
(ia) Publication of information
about the living of the christian life by
the Maltese communities abroad - the
“Saint Paul: Almanac of the
......... Institute of the
Missions”...................................................................................
PAGEREF mi3 \h 260
(ib) .. He helped the Maltese
migrants by finding for them diocesan or religious priests and nuns
who could evangelise
them..................................................................................................
PAGEREF mi4 \h 260
(ic)... He himself went to
evangelise the Maltese in Tunis and Carthage.................
PAGEREF mi5 \h 262
(id) De Piro founded a Society
whose secondary aim was the evangelisation
of the Maltese
migrants.....................................................................................
PAGEREF mi6 \h 264
Before the foundation of his
Society…265,
after the foundation of his Society…267,
De Piro continued mentioning the migrants even when facing
misunderstanding regarding the principal aim of his Society…268,
in the Original Constitutions…275,
in the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”…275.
(ie) Why was De Piro so
determined to evangelise the Maltese
migrants...............................................................................................................
PAGEREF mi12 \h 276
Section III - De Piro’s first
evangelisation or his evangelisation
ad
gentes.......................................................................................................................
PAGEREF g \h 277
Introduction -
The missionary
movement....................................................................
PAGEREF intro1 \h 277
Worldwide…278;
In Italy…281;
Several of the popes and the Vatican…284;
The missionary movement in Malta…287
- The Opera della Propagazione della Fede…287,
The Opera della Santa Infanzia…289,
The Casolani Project…289,
The Crociata Missionaria San Paolo…291.
(i) De Piro, a promotor of the
first evangelisation or his evangelisation
ad gentes..............................................................................................................
PAGEREF g11 \h 292
(ia) The publication of the
“Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions”............................................................................................................
PAGEREF g12 \h 293
The missionary work is for all…293;
The truths contained in it - First evangelisation, a special
evangelisation…294,
It is God who calls the evangelisers and sends them to the ad
gentes countries…294,
The missions ad gentes are set up in the name of God…295,
Missionaries are working for God…295,
In fact Jesus is the master of the missions…295,
For De Piro the missionaries are those who…295,
What is faith according to the Servant of God?…296,
The tools of the missionaries…296,
The importance of contemplative religious commmunities in the
missions…297,
The necessity of the indigenous clergy…297
: On the example of the first christian communities…299,
Three reasons why the indigenous missionaries are necessary…299,
The result of the work of the indigenous missionaries…299,
Saint Paul, model of every missionary…299.
(ib) The sending of
missionaries.....................................................................................
PAGEREF g28 \h 300
The foundation of a Society for the
evangelisation ad gentes…300
- Seemed to be primarily for Maltese migrants…300
: De Piro’s own writings…300,
The impression of others…301,
The Maltese migrants, only a chronological priority - the
missions ad gentes, the primary aim …302;
De Piro sent the first member of his Society to the missions ad
gentes…303
- Br Joseph Caruana in Abyssinia…304;
More correspondence between De Piro and Fr Angelo Mizzi; De Piro
himself wanted to go to Somalia…306;
De Piro provided continuous support to his first missionary…307
- The Somalia museum…308,
The Laboratory for the Abyssinia mission…308;
Further plans for Ethiopia…309.
(ic) De Piro himself for
Abyssinia.............................................................................
PAGEREF g41 \h 312
(id) De Piro’s missionary
convictions in the Constitutions of his Society...............
PAGEREF g42 \h 313
First among the apostolates of the
Society…313;
With no geographical limits…314;
Within the context of a parish…314;
Always subject to the local hierarchy…314;
Accountable to the immediate superior of the Society…314;
The prayerful life of the evangeliser - A support for his
evangelisation…315,
Prayer for the evangelisation itself…315;
And by an exemplary life…315;
What De Piro meant by evangelisation…316
- Evagelisation of the whole person…316,
A non-possessive evangelisation or plantatio ecclesiae…316.
PART Three – De
Piro’s
Charity.............................................................................
PAGEREF c4 \h 318
Chapter Four - De Piro’s charity:
aspects..................................................................
PAGEREF ch2 \h 319
(i) An option for the materially
poor.......................................................................
PAGEREF ch4 \h 320
What helped De Piro opt for the
materially
poor........................................................ PAGEREF
ch5 \h 327
Gratis apostolate…327;
His humility…327.
(ii) An option for the poor
lacking the Good
News................................................. PAGEREF ch8 \h
328
The choice between remaining in Rome in
order to go to the “Accademia”, or returning to Malta where he could
start the Society which was expected to help “… quelli che
difettanto di operai evangelici”… PAGEREF operai \h 328;
A choice between continuing the option of the apostolate with
migrants and the more immediate approval of the Society…329.
What helped De Piro opt for the poor
lacking the Good News.................................. PAGEREF ch9
\h 330
The love of the Father shown through
the Incarnate, Suffering and Eucharistic Son, the one with a Heart
full of love for all…330.
(iii) An option for those in
immediate
need..............................................................
PAGEREF ch11 \h 331
What helped De Piro opt for those in
the most immediate need................................ PAGEREF ch12
\h 332
His adaptability…332.
(iv) A personal
involvement......................................................................................
PAGEREF ch14 \h 333
What helped De Piro be personally
involved..............................................................
PAGEREF ch15 \h 335
The incarnate Jesus…335
; Jesus in the Eucharist…336.
(v) In unity with
others.............................................................................................
PAGEREF ch18 \h 337
What helped De
Piro love in unity with
others............................................................
PAGEREF ch19 \h 344
His leadership…344;
Delegated
responsibilities…345;
Did
not mince words…345;
De Piro respected the roles of others…347;
De Piro’s ability to relate well with the employees of the entities
under his care…348;
His
ability to seek the help of others…348;
He was able to dialogue…350;
De Piro’s gratitude and appreciation…352.
(vi) A limitless incentive and
creativity....................................................................
PAGEREF ch28 \h 358
What helped De Piro live his
limitless incetive and creativity...................................
PAGEREF ch29 \h 370
Zeal, devoted dedication,
responsibility, determination, courage, perseverance,
consistency…370;
De Piro’s belief in God’s providence…372;
Did not give up when facing difficulties because he believed that
God’s help was stronger than the devil’s power…377;
Strong intellect, realistic and
practical…378;
Prudent…378;
Methodical…379;
Satisfied and happy with own achievements, grateful to himself…380.
(vii) A solidarity with the poor and
the needy...........................................................
PAGEREF ch37 \h 380
What helped De Piro live his solidarity
with the poor and the needy........................ PAGEREF ch38 \h
382
Jesus incarnate, the Suffering Jesus,
Jesus in the Eucharist…382.
(viii) Did not expose the others’
mistakes.................................................................
PAGEREF ch40 \h 382
What
helped De Piro not expose the others’
mistakes.............................................. PAGEREF ch41
\h 383
Good, pious and holy…383.
(ix) A love
towards those who did not support
him.................................................. PAGEREF ch43
\h 383
What helped De Piro love those who did
not support him.......................................... PAGEREF
ch44 \h 386
God’s love for him, a sinner and therefore God’s enemy…386.
(x) A holistic
love......................................................................................................
PAGEREF ch46 \h 387
The physical aspect…389
– Food…389,
Clothing…392,
Hygiene…395,
Physical health/care of the sick…396,
Housing… PAGEREF ch53 \h 398,
Financial and other material help…399,
Recreation…402;
The spiritual aspect (that which had to do with the human
character)…405
- Appreciation for service rendered…405,
A listening ear … and more than that…405,
The need of self government…406,
Schooling…407,
Trades/crafts…410,
The music band…411,
A good management…412,
Discipline and corrections…414,
Relationship with family…417,
Relationship with other people outside the entity…418,
Preparation for life outside the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes…418,
Vocation and decision making…418;
The religious aspect (religious practices)…419
- Teaching of the catholic faith…419,
Moral formation…423,
Liturgy/paraliturgy…424,
The Eucharist…425,
Confession or the sacrament of reconciliation…426,
Prayer and religious practices…427,
The Marian devotion…430,
Mary Assumed into heaven…431,
Saint Paul…434,
Saint Joseph… PAGEREF s3 \h 435,
Other saints…436,
Pastoral training…436;
The religious life aspect…438
- The community dimension…439,
The vows…439,
Chastity…439,
Poverty… PAGEREF p1 \h 440,
Obedience…442,
And the vow of mission…65.
What helped De Piro have a holistic
charity...............................................................
PAGEREF w \h 445
Mary assumed into heaven…445;
The lives of the saints considered together…445;
The holistic charity of Jesus…446.
(xi) Until it
hurts.........................................................................................................
PAGEREF ch94 \h 446
His own money…446;
The Society’s and
therefore his own houses…448;
His own bed and clothes…448;
His own rest…449;
His own food…449;
His own time…450;
His own dignity, prestige, honour, status and reputation…453;
Promotions in the civil society…454;
Ecclesiastical promotions…455;
His own health and his own life itself…455;
A lot of psychological, moral and physical suffering (lack of
understanding and support, discouragement, disheartenment,
disappointment, sorrow, sadness, deprivation, pain)…458.
What helped De Piro live a charity
until it
hurts.........................................................
PAGEREF ch107 \h 461
Jesus who suffered for him, a
sinner…461;
Jesus at prayer…463.
(xii) De Piro’s charity until it
hurts: not a
need.........................................................
PAGEREF ch110 \h 467
Chapter Five - An existence for a
pro-existence: The incarnational
aspect of De Piro’s
spirituality....................................................................................
PAGEREF ex \h 472
Section I - De
Piro’s
existence....................................................................................
PAGEREF ex1 \h 472
(i) De Piro’s
union with God the
Father......................................................................
PAGEREF ex2 \h 473
(ia)
Experienced through his union with the
Son...................................................... PAGEREF
ex3 \h 474
Incarnate…475,
Suffering…476,
and Eucharistic…477.
(ib)
Experienced through his union with the
Spirit................................................... PAGEREF
ex7 \h 477
(ic)
Experienced through his union with
Mary.........................................................
PAGEREF ex8 \h 478
(id)
Experienced through his union with the
saints.................................................. PAGEREF ex9
\h 479
(ie)
Experienced through his union with the Word of
God....................................... PAGEREF ex10 \h 480
In general…480,
St Paul’s Letters in particular…481,
And the
Password…482.
(if)
Experienced through a continuous search for the divine
will............................ PAGEREF ex14 \h 482
(ig)
Experienced through
prayer...............................................................................
PAGEREF ex15 \h 484
(ii) All the
above helped De
Piro.................................................................................
PAGEREF ex16 \h 489
(iia) Know
himself and accept
himself.......................................................................
PAGEREF know \h 489
(iib) And even
humble
himself....................................................................................
PAGEREF ex17 \h 490
De Piro could have had so much, but he
gave up all…492
Section II - For
a
pro-existence...................................................................................
PAGEREF ex18 \h 497
(i) Hving tried
to know God’s will, for him, De Piro went further;
he did his best
to do
it...................................................................................................
PAGEREF ex19 \h 497
(ii) Through the
cooperation of
others........................................................................
PAGEREF ex20 \h 502
With the help of his mother and other
members of his own family…502;
In unity with his local Ecclesiastical superiors…505;
Through the help of other priests…506;
In conjunction with the Foundress of the Jesus of Nazareth
Institute…509;
De Piro’s collaboration with other priests at St Joseph’s, Malta…509;
In union with the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, the
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth, the members of his own Society and
Maria Assunta Borg in the ecclesiastical charitable institutions…510;
With the other members of the Maltese National Assembly (1918-1921)
and those of its Central Commission…510;
In conjunction with the members of his Society, those of the Society
of Christian Doctrine (MUSEUM) and with Michael Casolani, for the
evangelisation of the children in Mdina and Rabat, in the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes and in B’Kara…511;
With others in favour of the
evangelisation of the Maltese migrants…511;
The collaboration of others for the evangelisation of those who
lacked the Good News…512.
(iii) And by loving everyone
according to one’s
needs.............................................. PAGEREF ex21 \h
512
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................
PAGEREF con \h 517
Appendices....................................................................................................................
520
1 List
of Biblical references made by De Piro in his
sermons.................................. 521
2 The
references to Pauline Letters made by De Piro in his
sermons..................... 526
3 De Piro’s
humility....................................................................................................
530
4 De
Piro’s contributions to the local and universal
Church and to society in general 535
5 The main and
secondary aims of De Piro’s
Society............................................... PAGEREF a5 \h
537
6 The genesis of the Original Constitutions of De Piro’s Society
(Documentation)......................................................................................................
PAGEREF a6 \h 544
Bibliography..................................................................................................................
PAGEREF bib \h 550
List of Tables
01 The
Maltese population (1842 – 1931)
02 Malta’s
naval commerce (1904, 1914)
03
Education in Malta (5-9 year old children according to the 1903
Census)
04
Education in Malta (10-14 year old children according to the 1903
Census)
05 The
Church’s charitable institutions in Malta (1725 – 1937)
06 The
Gozo population (1807-1931)
07 The
Gozo standard of living (according to the 1861 Census)
08 Table 3
repeated
09 Table 4
repeated
10 The
cost of basic necessities in Malta before the Sette Giugno
1919
11 The
escalation of the wheat price in Malta (1913 – 1918)
12 The
number of references De Piro made to the Pauline Letters
13 The
saints about whom De Piro preached and the number of sermons about
them
14
Catechetical initiatives in Malta (Early 17th century –
1930)
15
Catechism books published in Malta (1752 – 1933)
16
Catechism initiatives in Birkirkara, Malta (1820 – 1909)
17
Important dates related to the Birkirkara Oratory (March 1910 –
April 1927)
18 The
missionary movement worldwide (1800-1932)
19 The
missionary movement in Italy (1815-1931)
20
Missionary activities of some popes and the Vatican (1814-1933)
21 The
number of Maltese diocesan and religious priests, and male
and female religious in the missions (1800-1933)
22 The prayer timetable at St
Joseph’s Institute, Malta
23 References to Pauline Letters
dealing with Christ’s union with humanity
List
of Abbreviations
AAM Archives of the Archbishop of
Malta, Archbishop’s Curia, Floriana
AAS Acta Apostolicae Sedis
AFSHJ Archives of
the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus
AMSJN Archives of the Missionary
Sisters of Jersus of Nazareth
APF Archives of Propaganda Fide
APSAV
Archivum Provinciale S. Augustini, Vallettae
CIC Code of Canon Law
COSM Central office of Statistics, Malta
DP Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation
of the Servant of God
DPA De Piro Archives, Agatha’s,
Rabat - Malta
MG Malta Government
ML Malta Lyceum (Hamrun)
MSSP Missionalis Societas Sancti Pauli
PAR Public Archives, Rabat
PDS3 Parliamentary Debates, Senate,
3 Parliament
RML Royal Malta Library
RPA Rabat Parish (Malta) Archives
RRC Report of the Royal Commission
SCCS Sacra Congregatio pro Causis Sanctorum
SSP Societas Sancti Paoli
UMCI Unione Missionaria del Clero in Italia
Acknowledgments
I wish to express my gratitude to the good Lord
for having provided me with another possibility of going deeper into
the life, activity and spirituality of our Founder, the Servant of
God, Joseph De Piro.
My next thanks go to my parents, sisters and
brothers. The family environment has always been for me the place
where I grew up loving the search for truth in all its
manifestations.
A special thanks goes to my brother Fr Paul who
has been of great encouragement to me during this research. In spite
of his many other duties he has always been more than available to
give me excellent advices regarding contents and methodology.
I wish to thank my last Superiors General: Fr
Stanley Tomlin for having supported me as far back as 1980 in
obtaining the Licenciate in Spiritual Theology, especially in my
dissertation about the Founder, when no previous similar research
had been yet carried out; Fr James Bonello for having always
personally and in a particular way supported in the Society anything
academic, like this endeavour, especially matters regarding the
Founder and the Society; Fr Bernard Mangion, the actual Superior
General, who has continuously encouraged this research, conducive to
enhancing our identity.
I wish to thank all the members of the Society,
but in a most particular manner, I am indebted to Fr Martin Galea
mssp, who has always been at hand in the technical setting of this
thesis and Fr Gerard Bonello mssp, the College Rector, for making
all the School’s facilities available for me.
My moderator, Prof. S Gonzalez Silva cmf, I will
always consider as one of my greatest benefactors. When I could not
dedicate myself duly to this thesis because of my other
responsibilities as the General’s Delegate for Malta, as General
Councellor, as Postulator during the Diocesan Process of the Cause
of Canonisation of the Founder, and as Regional Treasurer, Prof.
Silva waited patiently with me for better times. When better
opportunities were available these last year and a half, he
accompanied me along the arduous journey of discovery of one of the
aspects of the spirituality of our Founder by reading, correcting
and suggesting better ways how to present the Servant of God.
Introduction
During the months of July and August 1982 the
Missionary Society of St Paul, of which I am a member, held its
General and Special Chapter which had the renewal of the
Constitutions as its aim. But on this same occasion the members
present also unanimously agreed to ask the Archbishop of Malta to
initiate the Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation of our
Founder, Monsignor Joseph De Piro. In fact on 14 November 1984, the
Superior General, Fr James Bonello, wrote to Archbishop Mgr Joseph
Mercieca, and manifested to him the members’ wish. On 28 January
1985 Fr Bonello wrote again to His Excellency asking him to approve
me as the postulator of the Cause. The Archbishop signed his
“Admittatur” on 1 February 1985. On that same day I started the
very long journey, the end of which is still quite far away: the
Diocesan Process has been closed on 25 January 2003, but the
Apostolic one is still in its initial stages.
One of the first steps taken by the Postulation
was the classification of the documents that were found in the De
Piro Archives, at the Society’s Motherhouse. These were sorted out
according to subject and put in chronological order. Then all
material was typed and presented in volumes for the members of the
Society to study and meditate. In the meantime an attempt was made
to meet as many individuals as possible who knew the Servant of God
de visu or de auditu a videntibus and who were ready
to give their testimony to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
Since 1948 the members of the Society
have been trying to publish very short biographies of the Founder
for themselves and for the general public. Short extracts of some of
Monsignor’s writings were also distributed among the members. Four
of us, members of the Society, have even written whole dissertations
or parts of them about some aspect of the life of the Founder for
Masters degree.
A historian, Fr Alexander Bonnici OfmConv., has even written a
two-volume biography of the Servant of God. Notwithstanding these
sporadic contributions, while doing the work of the postulation, I
have been noticing that there was still a dearth of extensive
scientific research specifically about the spirituality of the
Founder. To fill this gap I decided to study in depth the sources
for such an enterprise: the life, the works and the writings of De
Piro, the testimonies about him and all background material that
could help the better understanding of the Founder. Such material
was found in the De Piro Archives, in the Archives of Propaganda
Fide, in the Archives of the Archbishop’s Curia, at the Malta
National Library, the Public Archives - Rabat, Malta, at the Central
Office of Statistics, at the University of Malta Library, and at the
Malta Lyceum.
On its part,
then, this study made me conscious of a very crucial reality in De
Piro: his incarnational spirituality or his making himself always
one with the others in all kinds of needs. In fact I now consider
the present thesis as a working definition of this incarnational
spirituality.
Part One or Chapter
One of this thesis presents in detail and from a historical point of
view the life of the Servant of God. It is divided in two sections:
the private and the public phases. While in the first phase De Piro
was relatively restricted in his self-giving to the others, the
second phase presents a much more active and public figure: he was
the priest completely dedicated to the local Church, the citizen who
contributed a lot to his country, the father to the orphans and the
poor and the one who did his utmost to promote the missionary aspect
of the Church, whether through his evangelisation to the faithful in
Malta, or to the Maltese migrants, or to the ad gentes
people.
In
Part Two, or Chapters
Two and Three, De Piro’s main charism is shown to be his love
for the underprivileged and for evangelisation. This for four
reasons: (1) these two ministries occupied the better part of his
time. While many of his other activities implied only short periods
of time, the Servant of God dedicated most of his time and all his
energy for the underprivileged, especially in the Church’s
institutions, and in favour of evangelisation, especially through
the foundation of his Missionary Society; (2) while he carried out
other duties, he continued with the charitable activities and his
evangelisation; (3) whatever the contribution, his love for the
underprivileged and/or his love for evangelisation were always
reflected in it; and (4) in De Piro’s life, his love for the poor
identified itself with his love for evangelisation, and vice versa.
While in
Part Two the main
components of De Piro’s charity have already began to emerge,
Chapter Four of Part Three
deals specifically with these characteristics, those which have been
showing more and more the Founder’s self giving to the others.
Fundamental among these characteristics is the holistic attitude of
his charity.
Chapter Five of
Part Three, or the
concluding Chapter, presents the ingredients of De Piro’s
incarnational spirituality: his complete union with God helped him
know, accept and even humble himself, so much so that he always did
his best to carry out the divine will for him through the
cooperation of others and by loving everyone according to one’s
needs.
.
.
Part One
JOSEPH DE PIRO:
HIS LIFE and Activity
A man of poor
health, who lived a relatively short life of fifty-five years, ten
months, and fifteen days would not normally achieve what Mgr Joseph
De Piro did, both in society in general and in the Church -local
and universal- in particular. Key to this characteristic was
disclosed by the Servant of God himself in his continuous reference
to Psalm 126 (127),1: «Unless the Lord builds the house, those who
build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard
keeps watch in vain».
Chapter One
The life of the
Servant of God, Joseph De Piro, can be easily divided in two. The
first phase covers the years in between his birth, on 2 November
1877, and the months he spent in Switzerland for his recovery from
illhealth after his being ordained priest in 1902. The second phase
starts with his return to Malta from Switzerland, on 2 March 1904,
and ends up with his death on 17 September 1933.
Section I
This first phase
of the life of Joseph De Piro incorporates his birth, primary,
secondary and university education in Malta, his studies of
philosophy and theology in Rome, ordination to the priesthood and
the eighteen months he spent in Davos, Switzerland, to recuperate
his health. Compared to the second phase, this first part of
Joseph’s life can be considerd as quite hidden.
- De Piro’s birth, childhood and early youth
Joseph De Piro was born on 2
November, 1877
at Mdina, the old city of Malta. His father was the noble Alexander
dei Marchesi De Piro, and his mother, Ursola Agius,
also of noble blood. He was the seventh child of a family of nine.
According to the baptismal certificate Joseph was baptised at the
Metropolitan Cathedral, the day after his birth.
He was brought up in a truly
Catholic family and gradually grew up to be a noble child not only
in his ancestry but also in character. This was confirmed by the
Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace in his recommending Joseph for
the Capranica College, Rome:
Il Barone Giuseppe De
Piro mi ha fatto sapere, che suo nipote Giuseppe fin ora secolare
intende abbracciare la carriera ecclesiastica, e stabilire per
continuare gli studi in cotesto collegio che Vra. S. Illma e Revma
degnamente presiede: e quindi mi pregava di raccomandarlo a tale
oggetto a Lei.
Io ben volentieri mi
presto a tale officio, trattandosi di un giovane fornito di tutte le
belle qualità. Egli passò con lodi l’esame di matricola nella Regia
Università, ed ora sta nel corso di scienze ed arti. È poi di
morigerati costumi, ritirato sempre in casa dove non riceve, che
esempi di virtù, essendo la Nobile famiglia De Piro distinta pei
suoi sentimenti di religione e di pietà.
It is very hard to say anything about
Joseph’s early childhood. As one may expect, the only evidence we
can have is from the way the noble families generally reared their
children in those days, and from the interviews we made to people
who lived at Monsignor’s times. These witnesses
gave valuable testimonies. All of them agreed that both parents,
Alexander and Ursola, tried to give their children the best possible
christian formation. The mother considered it her duty to pass on
the basic christian truths to her sons and daughters. Besides this,
the family was often seen going together to the Cathedral, at Mdina,
for the mass, or for some other liturgical celebration. Baroness M.
Trapani Galea, one of the nieces of the Servant of God, had this to
say about the family of her grannies:
My grandma was very
serious and she did not allow confidences. She used to tell us to
keep the friends at the entrance hall only, and not further than
that.
They were very
religious people and as regards this aspect there were no
compromises; what had to be done had to be done, and what had to be
avoided had to be avoided. They were rigid as regards this; even in
the hardest moments of their lives religion was first. They always
said, ‘Fiat voluntas tua.’
The whole family was
consecrated to Our Lady of Pompei. Alberto had done his best to
restore the painting of Our Lady of Pompei in the Jesuit church in
Valletta. He had introduced the devotion and put the painting.
Alberto died when away from home; he felt sick, got out of his
senses and lost a lot of blood. Guido carried him up the stairs and
put him in bed. While sick his mother used to tell him, ‘Albert,
trust in Our Lady and she will help you.’ On his part he told his
mother, ‘Mum it is in her that I trust.’
Their father and
mother insisted a lot on discipline and the conduct of their
children. They preferred to get lower marks in languages, etc., but
not in their conduct. They did not admit any excuse for misconduct.
They attended the
church celebrations and they were very recollected. Everyone of them
had the missal so that each one could follow.
It was the custom among some noble
families to give their children the first schooling at home. In fact
this is what was done even in the case of the De Piro family.
To add to this it was not considered by the De Piros as downgrading
that the children learn some trade or craft. The girls used to be
instructed by the maids and learnt sewing, embroidery, and
lace-making, while the boys learnt carpentry and other similar
trades. Joseph got the tinsmith trade.
Over and above this, several of the testimonies already mentioned
above confirmed that the parents were a strong example of both the
human and moral virtues to the offsprings.
At almost eleven years of age Joseph
began his secondary education at the Malta Lyceum in Valletta.
Fortunately we, members of the missionary Society of St Paul, still
have the many exercise books on which he used to put down the notes
of his lessons. From these same records one can say that De Piro was
very diligent in his work at school.
In the year 1894 he passed the
Matriculation examination and entered the Royal University of Malta.
He studied Arts and Sciences for the first three years. Having
finished this course he started reading Law, and this he did up to
1898, that is for just one year.
-
Member of the Royal Malta
Militia
Schooling was not the only activity
that Joseph was involved in during the early years of his youth.
Soon he joined the local Militia.
It is worth saying that the Maltese were never keen on having their
sons enrolled as soldiers. It was very hard to persuade Maltese
youths to serve
their country by doing this type of
work. To encourage them, the noble families on the Island decided to
send their own sons for some time as members of the military corps.
Joseph, not even fifteen, was one of the youths who did this. In
fact from the registers of the Royal Malta Militia one can know that
he began his term of service on 11 October 1892, and served up to 23
February 1896.
His discharge certificate attests that his conduct and character
were unimpeachable.
On the physical side Joseph at the age of eighteen was 5 feet 7
inches (1.75m) tall, his eyes were bright brown, his hair light
brown and his general features were pleasant.
Without
doubt the military training strengthened the formation Joseph got
from his parents, such as discipline, order, determination,
comradeship, a sense of loyalty ... and a love for his own
country.
-
Member of the
Congregazione degli Onorati
While still at the
University of Malta and at the Royal Malta Militia, Joseph, aged 18,
was accepted, on 20 May 1895, as a member of the Congregazione
degli Onorati.
Mgr Arthur Bonnici
presented this Congregazione among those organisations which
practiced the Marian devotion.
In fact it was the first Marian Congregation in Malta.
It had the Assumption of Our Lady as patroness.
It was set up by the Jesuit Fathers for the Knights of St John of
Jerusalem in 1600. Its original seat was in the Jesuit College or
University, in Valletta, and was later removed to the Oratory
annexed to the same Church.
As time passed by, besides the Knights, there joined the
Congregazione several members of the highest strata of the
Maltese society.
The members met for their weekly devotions and performed acts of
mercy and corporal penances.
- Drawing and
Painting
Since an early age
Joseph showed an artistic inclination.
During his secondary education at the Lyceum he distinguished
himself in drawing for which subject he gained several prizes.
A number of his childhood sketches still survive. His preferred
medium was the pencil and he practiced by sketching details from
such masters as Michelangelo, Raphael and Perugino. In these he paid
particular attention to shading. The sketches were often carefully
signed G. De Piro. Although some of Joseph’s sketches are
undated, they must have been carried out between 1889 and 1898.
A particular
picture, in colour, seems to have been painted for some church or
chapel. Entwined with flowers of all shapes and colours there are
painted the words Indulgentia Plenaria and the picture is
signed in full: De Piro-D’Amico Joseph. Lyceum, 1892.
In 1893 Joseph
took part in a drawing competition organised at the Governor’s
Palace. Joseph was rather late in handing in his drawing and had to
be reminded on the very closing date by Mr. R. Baden Powell, the
secretary of the Governor General. Joseph won first prize and
received the following congratulatory letter:
The Palace
8 Jan. 93
My dear Joseph,
Herewith I send you a little prize for
your beautifully painted Fire Bucket. Yours was by far the best of
the 12 sent in for the competition, and I congratulate you and thank
you for having done it so well.
Yours truly - R. Baden Powell.
Joseph seemed to
have needed pushing to meet competition deadlines. On 4 July 1893, a
certain G. Calleja wrote to him reminding him of a drawing
competition that was to close on the l5 of the same month. Joseph
was to present two portraits which had been sketched at the Lyceum.
Young Joseph also participated in other activities at the Lyceum.
For example, in an extant letter he was reminded by a certain Julia
S. Gatt that he should take part in a tableaux vivants.
- De Piro’s call
to the priesthood
Providence,
however, was planning otherwise; he was going to continue neither
the Law studies, nor his military activity, nor his drawing and
painting. At the age of fourteen, Joseph had already felt
himself drawn to the priesthood.
He shared this with his father. The latter seemed to have considered
him immature for such a responsible decision. Also, Joseph’s health
was giving rise to some concern. Moreover, with his University
studies leading him to a different profession altogether, he must
have undergone anxious moments of goal searching. The legal
profession, he felt, would enable him to help materially the poorer
sections of the population,
but the call for the priesthood remained undiminished within him.
Alexander, his father, tried his best to dissuade him. Jerome De
Piro, a nephew of Monsignor, said this to Br Aloisius Aloisio: “His
father never thought that his son would become a priest. Once Joseph
talked to his father and told him about his wish to become a priest.
His father immediately disapproved…”
Joseph was the
favourite child of the De Piro family. In addition, he was extremely
sociable and he loved company, and he was considered to be a most
eligible bachelor with his good looks and family background.
Jerome De Piro
continued saying that in order to test the sincerity of Joseph’s
vocation, his father “… invited his son to go to Florence to some
friends of theirs. Joseph did this… but when he returned he told his
father that he had not changed his mind about the priesthood: he
wished to become a priest.”
Events were soon to make Joseph’s strong desire possible.
- Death of
Joseph’s father
Early in 1898
Alexander and Ursola went on a trip to Italy. Alexander had a rather
delicate constitution and suffered from poor digestion. On 10
January he was suddenly taken ill in Rome and died soon afterwards,
aged forty-nine.
Reflecting on the sudden death of his father, at the end of the same
year, 1898, Joseph, , wrote to his mother and his brothers and
sisters:
L’altro anno secondo
il nostro modo di vedere, ci è stato sfortunato, dico così perchè
Iddio non opera che perfettamente e le sue azioni non possono essere
altro che ottime; e poi in quella circostanza siamo stati tanto
consolati, che non esito a dire che la nostra consolazione
sopraffece il dolore della sfortuna.
Joseph felt deeply
his father’s loss, but these words seem to indicate that he saw in
it God’s way of levelling his own road. Meditating on death, as a
result of his father’s passing away and the grevious illness of his
brother Berti, Joseph came to the conclusion that he could serve God
by becoming a priest. In the summer of 1897, his confessor had told
him not to give up. Now with his father’s death he could review his
position.
He himself put down into
writing what made him think about his vocation:
RAGIONI PRO
1.
L’aver da fanciullo questa
vocazione fino quasi al quattordicesimo anno.
2.
Non essersi tale vocazione in me
per lungo tempo spenta negli susseguenti di mia vita.
3.
Fino a che non si fece più viva
in me, nel principio dell’ estate passato, quando per primo la
confessai al mio confessore.
4.
La meditazione della morte.
Sento che questo è il vero stato a cui sono vocato.
5.
Il desiderio di darmi tutto a
Dio avendo Egli tanto sofferto pei miei peccati.
6.
Il desiderio di camminare sulla
via della perfezione, e così non temere la morte, anzi considerarla
come il mezzo che ci reca alla vera felicità.
7.
L’aver letto in S. Alphonso de
Liguori che egli era uscito dal mondo a 26 anni, ma sarà beato colui
che ne uscisse prima.
8.
L’aver dopo riflessione trovato
essere questo lo stato più confacente alla mia natura.
9.
La malattia di mio fratello.
10.
La morte di mio padre.
11.
Il sentirmi dover essere felice
in questo stato, in tutte le controversie quali fin ora m’incontraì
in questa vita.
And in fact:
12.
Il giorno 8 Maggio ‘98, dopo una
novena alla V. di Pompei in cui la chiesi di farmi conoscere la vera
volontà di Dio: sentì la forza di decidere pel bene, cioè in favore
allo stato sacerdotale.
He immediately exposed
his ideas to his mother.
Knowing him quite well the latter was not surprised at all at the
sudden news. And being a really Catholic mother, Ursola encouraged
her son to begin without delay his studies of philosophy and
theology.
Coming from a rich noble family, money was not a problem at all.
Therefore it was thought that Joseph should be sent to Rome for his
studies. His father having died, there intervened his uncle who
consulted the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr P. Pace, about the idea.
Joseph De Piro was going to stay at the Capranica College and study
at the Gregorian University. Archbishop Pace even wrote a letter of
recommendation to Cardinal M. Rampolla, the Protector of the
Capranica, and to Mgr G. Coselli, the Rector.
-
Studies of philosphy and
theology in Rome
On 9 July 1898
Joseph collected the certificate of his studies from Malta’s
Director of Education. This document once again attests to Joseph’s
exemplary character:
No 1153
This is to certify that Mr. Joseph De
Piro D’Amico Inguanez, son of the late Noble Alessandro dei Marchesi
De Piro, after passing the Matriculation Examination in 1894 was
admitted as a regular student in the triennial Course of the Faculty
of Arts and Sciences of this University, wherein he studied Latin,
English and Italian Literatures, Intellectual and Moral Philosophy,
Mathematics, Physics and Political Economy.
that after passing
the Annual Examinations in the above subjects before the Special
Council of the above faculty,
he was admitted as a regular student in the Faculty of Laws, wherein
he attended from October 1897 to May 1898 the
courses of Civil,
Natural and Constitutional laws.
And that during the above period his
conduct was very good.
Given under the Seal of the University
of Malta on this 9th day of July in the year of Grace 1898.
N. Tagliaferro
Director of Education.
Joseph’s stay in
Rome is well-documented thanks to the regular correspondence he kept
with his mother.
On her part Ursola treasured and preserved all the letters she
received. These letters provide precious glimpses not only of the
events Joseph passed through, but also of the development of his
character.
Joseph left Malta
by sea on 10 July 1898, bound for Syracuse, accompanied by his
youngest brother, Giovanni Pio. From there they took the train to
Rome, stopping only for a few hours at Messina. They arrived in Rome
two days later and on the 14 Joseph was already writing his first
letter to his mother.
On 13 July, Joseph
went to the Capranica College to meet the Rector, Mgr Coselli, whom
he described as a “Gentleman”.
To the latter he presented his certificates.
While talking to Mgr Coselli he admitted being rather weak in Latin,
whereupon the Rector suggested he should enter the Capranica on 22
August. During this period he was expected to undergo an intensive
course in Latin. Moreover, Mgr Coselli pointed out that this
two-month period would enable him to brush up his philosophy.
In Rome, Joseph
stayed with relatives until he could enter the Capranica. Actually
he did not enter on 22 August as had been suggested: on 24 August he
was writing that he was going to join in about 12 days’ time.
In the meantime,
on 24 July, Cardinal Rampolla had formally granted his approval to
Joseph’s application.
- Worries,
prayers … but even projects
Joseph’s letters
clearly suggest that he was passing through a worrying time. He was
certainly concerned about his mother’s health which he thought could
suffer as a result of her separation from a number of her children:
(24 - 8 - 98)
Borgo Vecchio 170
Carissima mamma,
Stasera, poco fa, ho
ricevuto la tua lettera, la quale mi mise in pensiero sul tuo conto,
poichè dai calcoli che posso fare è già da tempo che ti senti male;
secondo me sarà la fatica dei nostri corredi, ma devi stare attenta
a non affaticarti più di quello che ti è permesso dalle tue forze.
Forse ti sarai inquietata un poco ancora vedendo approssimarsi la
partenza di Gino e Teresina.
Even before he
started his philosophy and theology, Joseph had a number of projects
in mind. Some of these projects were later to be realised.
At the same time Joseph’s health was in turn rousing worries to his
mother who kept insisting he should see a specialist.
On 5 September
1898 Joseph was admitted to the College, joining the philosophy
class.
At that same time he enrolled at the Gregorian University to follow
a course of lectures in philosophy.
Here De Piro dedicated himself
wholeheartedly to his studies and did not lose any time:
Io, grazie a Dio
finora ghadni nferfer (reggo ancora), ho molto da studiare ed
il tempo dello studio mi sembra che sia un poco ristretto. Durante
la giornata non ci è un quarto libero, con sempre in fretta per fare
a tempo alla campana; se ci è un momento di ricreazione siamo tenuti
di farlo insieme e non possiamo andare in camera senza permesso;
perciò questa lettera deve essere breve perchè altrimenti non te la
manderò neanche oggi.
But Joseph had to continue experiencing
the serious problem of ill health. While still in Malta he had first
been taken sick in a rather grave way when he was supposed to sit
for the Matriculation examination.
During the first year at the Capranica it seems that he still had
some trouble. In fact on 5 April 1899 he wrote this to his mother:
Giorni sono ho fatto
vedere la mia gola a Petacci. Localmente mi prescrisse il borato di
soda, che lo applico per mezzo di uno spruzzatore o polverizzatore;
non so come meglio chiamarlo; certi è che il borato è in soluzione,
e poi internamente prendo il (fauler?) a goccie prima del pranzo; in
quanto al bocato mi sembra che qualche effetto ce l’ha; il fauler
(?) poi non so giusto quel che fà; ma spero che mi farà bene; il
termometro dell’appetito segna piuttosto bene, e questo credo che
sia un buon indizio.
Also, while De Piro was in
Malta for his first summer holidays the Rector of the Capranica, Mgr
Coselli, wrote to him referring to the actual good health of the
Servant of God:
Almo Collegio Capranicense
29 Agosto 1899
Mio Carmo De Piro,
Ho ricevuto la sua seconda graditissima
lettera, dalla quale rilevo che godete ottima salute. Faccio voti
affinchè il Signore si degni di rendervela lui che mai galiarda e
salusta, affinchè possiate un giorno lavorare indefessamente nella
mistica vigna del Signore e riportare in essa frutti
abbondantissimi.
The Rector made a similar reference on
7 October of the same year: “Ho ricevuto la vostra carma lettera
dalla quale ho rilevato il vostro ottimo stato di salute.”
Even the following year Mgr Coselli mentioned again De Piro`s
health: “La vostra lettera mi è stata graditissima per le buone
notizie che mi dava della vostra salute.”
All this emphasis on the health of the Servant of God meant nothing
but a lack of it during Joseph’s stay at the Capranica in Rome!
To add to this, on
13 May 1899, Berti, one of Joseph’s brothers, died after a grievous
illness. During Berti’s illness Joseph had tried to fortify his
heartbroken mother. In a letter dated 5 April, he wrote to her: “…
ti debbo dire che il brontolare non è cosa buona; ma il pianto
offerto al Signore per le offese fattegli credo che sia di un merito
immenso; che un cuore afflitto pianga è cosa naturale, e quando
Iddio permette che ciò ci accada facciamo di esso gran tesoro.”
Joseph’s letter of
15 May, infused with the deep sadness of Berti’s death, is one of
his finest:
15 Maggio 1899
A.C.C.
Carissima Mamma,
Il meno che ti possa
consolare tra i fratelli credo che sono io, ma pazienza. Si vede che
Iddio e la Vergine non ci hanno dimenticato poichè ci offrono spesso
circostanze per manifestar sempre più la nostra fiducia in Loro. In
quanto a Berti possiamo ben dire e con ragione che sta meglio di noi
e che si trova in compagnia alle altre buone anime che ci lasciarono
prima di lui…
- Minor Orders
It was during Joseph’s first summer in
Malta, and precisely on 21 September 1899, that he received the
tonsure and the minor orders from the hands of Archbishop Peter
Pace. It was a private ceremony at His Excellency’s Palace, in
Mdina.
Joseph De Piro received the
subdiaconate on 14 February 1901.
With regards to his priestly studies we cannot say that Joseph was
unsuccessful, but at the same time he himself was not so much
satisfied. At the end of the second year of theology he sat for the
baccalaureate examination. Commenting on the results of this same
examination, Joseph said that they were not so much promising:
In fatto di
intelligenza non risplendo. Fin ora ho tirato avanti. Quando il
Signore mi chiamò allo stato ecclesiastico mi trovava al primo anno
di legge all’Università di Malta. Adesso faccio il terzo di Teologia
alla Gregoriana. L’esame per il baccellerato è andato maluccio, da
tre voti ho avuto due col vix; perciò tra quel che è in me ed il
rigore degli esami, la speranza di ulteriori gradi è molto ridotta.
In Diritto Canonico forse ci riesco di più. Siccome nelle mie
communioni una delle prime grazie che chiedo al Signore, è appunto
di farmi conoscere la sua volontà, credo che il rifiuto motivato, mi
sia stato da Lui suggerito.
The third year theology meant
for De Piro his ordinations to the diaconate and priesthood. In fact
he was ordained deacon on 21 December 1901, at the Basilica of St
John Lateran, in Rome, by Cardinal P. Respighi, the Vicar of Rome.
This time was very important
for Fr De Piro not only because he was nearing the priesthood, but
also because he had been thinking seriously about what to do after
being ordained priest. On the one hand he had been wishing to return
to Malta and live at St Joseph’s Orphanage, Santa Venera, together
with other priests, taking care of orphaned boys. This is what he
wrote in his Diary:
1898-1899
In sin dal mio primo anno di Collegio,
ho incominciato a vagheggiare l’idea di ritirarmi nella ‘Casa di San
Guseppe’ del Hamrun ed aiutare il Canonico Bonnici, fondatore della
stessa.
Tornato a Malta, per le vacanze estive
fui alquando sorpreso nel sapere, che il Canonico Bonnici aveva
abbandonato la Casa da lui fondata e che alla sua direzione
trovavasi il Sac. D. Emmanuele Vassallo e D. Giorgo Bugeja.
Durante le stesse vacanze sono stato a
visitare il Vassallo alla Casa di San Giuseppe, ho fatto la sua
conoscenza, gli ho portato i saluti del Collegio essendo egli gia
Capranicese, e strinsi con lui amicizia.
1899 - 1900
Ho continuato a tenere relazioni con D.
Emmanuele e col Bugeja. (1)
As footnote he added these words:
(1) Durante le vaganze estive ho
esternato al Vassallo il mio desiderio di fargli compagnia nella
Casa di S. Giuseppe. Egli (come pure il P. Sammut dal quale sono
stato ad Acireale al Collegio Pennisi) mi consigliò di terminare gli
studi prima di tutto e poi si sarebbe veduto…
On the other hand he had been invited
by the Archbishop of Malta to continue his studies at the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica dei Nobili”, in order to make part of the
diplomatic corps of the Church.
Even the President of the “Accademia” tried to persuade De Piro
to continue the diplomatic studies.
The Servant of God wanted to do only God’s will and therefore,
“Nel breve ritiro
spirituale che si usa a fare al Capranica in principio dell’anno
scolastico, ho messo in esame le ragioni pro e contro per conoscere
se dovessi o no, terminati gli studi, portarmi alla Casa di
S. Giuseppe. Ho deciso, coll’ aiuto del P. Gualandi, per
l’affermativa, previo però il permesso del Vescovo.”
The same exercise
he did three months later:
Durante il ritiro spirituale in
preparazione a ben ricevere l’ordine del Diaconato, incominciato
l’11 Dicembre, 1901, ho messo in esame tutte le ragioni pro o contro
tanto per l’entrata all’Accademia, come pure l’entrata alla Casa di
S. Giuseppe; ed il risultato fu negativo per l’Accademia ed
affermattivo per la Casa di S. Giuseppe.
Here are the exact words of
Deacon Joseph:
ACCADEMIA
RAGIONI PRO
1.
Alcuni di famiglia desiderano
che io andassi, e si son offerti perfino di pagarmi la rata.
2.
Lo stesso Presidente
dell’Accademia si è portato dal Rettore, e gli ha espresso il
desiderio che io andassi.
RAGIONI CONTRA
1.
Perchè all’Accademia, finchè io
sappia, non ci vanno che quelli, i quali possono vantare una
buonanascita.
2.
Perchè all’Accademia, mi si
mette, come a dire, in mostra, per aver qualche posto; mentre è
dottrina certissima che Gesù predilige coloro, qui ament nesciri. E
siccome Egli allorchè determinò di eleggermi per suo ministro seppe
trovarmi tra il numero dei peccatori: così adesso se Egli ha
deliberato di me qualche altra cosa, a fortiori saprà trovarmi nel
numero dei suoi eletti, e non è necessario che io mi metta avanti e
cercar di farmi conoscere coll’andar all’Accademia.
3.
Si recogito peccata mea, non mi
trovo degno che di bastonate; altro che prelature e posti
diplomatici!!! È già infinitamente troppo se arrivo ad essere
sacerdote.
4.
In fatto di intelligenza non
risplendo. Fin ora ho tirato avanti. Quando il Signore mi chiamò
allo stato ecclesiastico mi trovavo al primo anno di legge
all’Università di Malta. Adesso faccio il terzo di Teologia alla
Gregoriana. L’esame per il baccellerato è andato maluccio, da tre
voti ho avuto due col vix; perciò tra quel che è in me ed il rigore
degli esami, la speranza di ulteriori gradi è molto ridotta. In
Diritto Canonico forse ci riesco di più. Siccome nelle mie
communioni una delle prime grazie che chiedo al Signore, è appunto
di farmi conoscere la sua volontà, credo che il rifiuto motivato, mi
sia stato da Lui suggerito.
5.
Perchè mi metto in pericolo di
desiderare posti, cariche ed onori; et qui vult periculum peribit in
illo.
6.
Mentre all’ incontro, col
rifiutare di andare all’Accademia mi son messo al sicuro dal
desiderare e molto più dal domandare posti e cariche onorifici in
diocesi.
7.
Perchè, secondo me, il Signore
ha permesso che io fossi tentato di andare all’Accademia, per
formare la mia fermezza della risoluzione che avea preso, perchè
giorni addietro, quale è quella di portarmi e stabilirmi nella Casa
di San Giuseppe previo il permesso del Vescovo.
8.
Infatti allorchè per mezzo del
mio Rettore, mandaì al Presidente dell’Accademia la negativa,
sperimentaì grande consolazione nel pensare di aver scelto la corona
di spine con Gesù anzichè quella delle rose.
9.
Casa di San Giuseppe.
CASA DI SAN GIUSEPPE.
RAGIONI PRO
1.
Perchè un sentimento interno mi
dice, che Iddio da questo Istituto voglia formare a Malta una
Congregazione di Sacerdoti sotto il Patrocinio di San Paolo; e così
nel rendere stabile l’Opera a Malta si diffonda anche all’estero.
2.
N.B. Questa ragione mi è stata
consigliata di sospederla, e lo faccio ben volentieri.
3.
L’amore di vivere in communità
di persone ecclesiastiche e perciò sento dover essere contento in
compagnia dei due sacerdoti, che già stanno in direzione della Casa
di San Giuseppe.
4.
Il desiderio di far penitenza
pei miei peccati particolarmente per quelli che sono stati di danno
al prossimo.
5.
Perchè stando in famiglia mi
metto in pericolo di attacarmi alle richezze; o che è certo
occuperanno gran parte dei miei pensieri e del mio tempo.
6.
Perchè potrò imitare Gesù più da
vicino.
7.
Perchè troverò pronto il campo
di esercitare il mio ministero.
8.
Perchè mi sarà facile esercitare
la virtù della povertà; quantunque senza voto, ed in qualche modo
anche quello dell’ubbidienza.
9.
Perchè alla morte posso trovare
qualche conforto nel pensiero di aver sofferto un poco per Gesù
avendo Egli tanto sofferto pei miei peccati.
Fr. Joseph was ordained priest
on 15 March 1902, again
in the
Basilica of St John Lateran. In Malta Fr Joseph celebrated
his first solemn Mass on Easter Sunday, 30 March 1902, at the
Cathedral in Mdina. Soon afterwards he returned to Rome to continue
his third year theology.
- The “Accademia
Ecclesiastica” issue put aside
Right from the
beginning of the offer of the “Accademia”, the Servant of God had
showed quite clearly that having been ordained priest his wish was
to return to Malta and do pastoral work there. In fact this is what
he told the rector of the Capranica when the latter told him that
the president of the “Accademia Ecclesiastica” went to the College
inviting young Joseph to go there for the diplomatic studies, “Io ho
risposto che terminati gli studi intendevo tornare in Diocesi ed
esercitare costì il mio ministero, e che perciò non trovavo ragione
di abbandonare il Capranica per recarmi all’Accademia; e così per il
momento la cosa terminò.”
Later on the
Servant of God expressed this opinion to the President of the
“Accademia” directly:
Il vescovo Mgr Pace,
sempre coll’idea di mandarmi all’Accademia mi aveva dato un
biglietto per il Presidente dell’Accademia.
Arrivato a Roma sono
stato dal presidente dell’Accademia col biglietto del Vescovo e gli
ho dichiarato che dovendo tornare in Diocesi terminati gli studi,
non intendevo perciò portarmi all’Accademia, e baciandogli la mano
mi sono concedato dicendogli che avrei scritto al mio Vescovo.
In fact Fr Joseph
wrote to the Archbishop: “… dandogli le mie ragioni per non andare
all’Accademia, dichiarandomi peraltro pronto ad ubbidirlo. Egli però
mi rispose dicendomi che non intendeva forzare la mia volontà.”
Since the
Archbishop did not want to force the “Accademia” on De Piro the
issue was put aside for ever.
- Poor health
Reference has already been made to the
problems of De Piro’s poor health during his studies.
When back in Rome to finish his third year theology, he fell sick
again:
Il 10 Luglio (1902) mi
sono sentito male e per la seconda volta (la prima era il 19 luglio
1900) ho veduto andare in aria tutte le mie buone intenzioni. Fiat!
Il Signore guarda alla buona volontà.
Dichiarato dal medico
affetto di tubercolosi polmonare ...
It was therefore providential
that Archbishop Pace had asked that De Piro should be ordained
priest before the proper date.
Officially De Piro
terminated his course at the Capranica on 23 July 1902.
Of the few comments about him in the College archives we find these
words: “… d’indole mitissima, molto pio, lasciò cara memoria di se.”
- At Davos,
Switzerland
In the letter written on 24
August 1898, that is before his starting his studies in Rome, the
Servant of God shared with his mother his plans for his future
studies:
Secondo i calcoli incalcolabili che ho
fatto; se non morrò probabilmente canterò messa da qui ad altri
quattro anni; poichè più di due anni di filosofia non credo che mi
faranno fare, e poi dopo due anni di teologia credo che mi
lasceranno cantarla. Pregate a S. Tommaso d’Aquino che mi intercede
la grazia di aprirmi un poco la mente, ed allora forse un anno di
filosofia sarà sufficiente, ed allora potremo fare più presto; ho
detto S. Tom: poichè questo è il nostro protettore assegnatoci in
particolar modo da Leone XIII (che non abbiam ancora potuto vedere)
in una delle sue prime encicliche. Il corso di teologia è di quattro
anni e poi quello di diritto canonico è di tre cosichè se ancor ben
faccio l’addizione mi pare che fino a 30 anni trovo da studiare.
This plan was made up of ten
years of study. In fact he did not succeed in finishing even half of
them; he had to miss completely even the fourth year theology at the
Gregorian University. Returning to Malta at the end of July, 1902,
he prepared to go to Switzerland to recover his health there,
“… ho abbandonato gli studi, mi son portato a Malta, da dove dopo
pochi giorni sono partito per la Svizzera per la cura d’aria …”
From a letter sent to him by
his brother Gwido, who was in Louvain, Belgium, studying medicine,
one can conclude that Fr. Joseph was getting better after a short
while.
Fr Joseph
seemed to have been in continuous contact with Gwido; the latter
seemed to have been well informed about Joseph’s health improvement,
“… perciò prima di tutto ti auguro un anno felice e sano e un
subito ritorno a Malta ed in seguito mi gratulo con te della tua
completa guarigione.”
In fact the Servant of God
planned to return to Malta in January 1904.
Yet he left Davos
some time after that and was back in
Malta on 2 March of that same year.
Section
ii
While the first
twenty seven years of De Piro’s life were indeed private, the twenty
years that followed were completely different. In them he was more
than a full time priest, involved in the various ministries of the
local Church. He was the citizen who gave a big share for his
country’s development and well being. He was more than a benefactor
to the many poor children and wretched grown ups of Malta and Gozo.
And God chose him to be the Founder of the Missionary Society of St
Paul.
- Assistant
parishpriest at the Qrendi Parish, Malta
Although at Davos, the Servant of God
was almost completely cured from his illness he had to spend some
time in convalescence even when back in Malta. In fact he went to
Qrendi, a village where the De Piro family had one of its summer
residences.
There Fr. Joseph went for rest, but things turned out to be
different: he was attentive on his health, but at the same time he
was also quite involved in pastoral work. Louis Galea, Joseph
Brincat and Angelo Falzon, three witnesses who were asked to give
their testimony in the Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation
of the Servant of God, said that each day, early in the morning, De
Piro went to the Parish Church for the six o’clock mass.
De Piro had his own confessional in the
aisle of the Church and he used to sit in it hearing confessions
both before and after mass.
Not to mention the many other moments when he did the same thing. He
was so much sought for this ministry that even after leaving the
Parish, he went regularly to Qrendi to offer his service.
Fr De Piro realised that it was
not only the laity who needed help in their growth. Priests had to
continue strengthening that formation which they would have received
in the seminary. A certain Mgr John Baptist Ghigo referred to the
fact that when in Qrendi De Piro had planned an initiative in favour
of the ongoing formation of the priests of the nearby parishes:
After he was ordained
priest and came from abroad, he chose to go and stay in Qrendi,
because he was not feeling well. There he showed his priestly zeal;
he was very active and also was responsible for the Church’s proxy.
He started first by gathering together the priests of the area:
Luqa, Mqabba, Zurrieq, Qrendi and Kirkop, in the Church dedicated to
St John the Evangelist, at Hal Millieri, for sermons given by some
priest.
It was only because Fr Joseph
had to leave the Qrendi Parish that this project was stopped.
The pastoral
contribution of De Piro at Qrendi was strengthened all the
more by his exemplary life. Witnesses
say that De Piro was often seen saying the Breviary in the garden of
the house where he was staying.
When going from some part of the Village to the other he used to
carry a big rosary beads in his hands in order to say this Marian
prayer.
At Qrendi the parishioners are to this day divided in
two parties, one supporting the feast of Our Lady Assumed into
Heaven and the other that of Our Lady of Lourdes. Even at the time
of the Servant of God these two parties were very strong, and
especially at the time of the respective feasts their members used
to cause a lot of trouble to each other. Each party even tried to
involve both the parishpriest and the other clergy of the parish.
Louis Galea testified that De Piro always kept away from these
parties,
“De Piro never got involved in the
parties there are in Qrendi and which existed even in my time. Nor
did they ever involve him. Even the supporters used to say that they
would not approach him for he was a good man and would not be
involved in the parties.”
The witnesses from Qrendi all agreed
about De Piro’s charity. Louis Galea said this,“He was a charitable
priest. Charity was the hallmark of both the Monsignor and his
family. The people in need often asked each other: ‘Have you been to
the De Piros?’”
Joseph Brincat referred to the charity
De Piro lived in Qrendi and even elsewhere, “Mgr De Piro was a
person of great charity. Besides Qrendi, he was involved in many
projects of beneficence and charitable institutions. I hear the
people of Qrendi mention the Monsignor for this charity.”
Angelo Falzon confirmed the above and
said that De Piro was very discreet in his charity,“Monsignor was
very charitable. At that time there were many beggars, none the less
at Qrendi. These used to go a lot to De Piro and he used to help
them. Many a time he helped secretly.”
- Procurator of
the Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation, Qrendi
On 20 September 1909 Fr Alphonse
Tabone, parishpriest of Qrendi, wrote to the Archbishop of Malta,
Mgr Peter Pace, telling him that on 18 April 1909 Fr Joseph De Piro
was nominated and elected procurator of the Confraternity of Our
Lady of Consolation.
Tabone also asked the Archbishop to confirm the Servant of God
in this responsibility.
His Excellency sent his approval on 23 November 1909.
- Sindaco
Apostolico of the Franciscan Minors Convent, Rabat, Malta
Wherever they were
and since the beginning of their existence until a few years ago the
Franciscan Minor Friars were not allowed to administer their own
mobile or immobile property. Instead, they nominated what they
called the Sindaco Apostolico. This person, who did not make
part of the Franciscan community , province or Order, was always a
well off person, and at the same time was a trustworthy individual.
He had the duty to administer all types of property and was also
expected to keep in order all the documents related to the same.
Every month he had to give any money needed by the entity he
represented, and he had to give a monthly report of his
administration to the sostituto sindaco apostolico.
Mgr Joseph De Piro
was one of the sindaci apostolici of the Franciscan Minors
community in Rabat, Malta. It was not possible for me to find out
exactly when he started and when he ended up this minsitry. All I
can say is that in the De Piro Archives there were found three
letters related to this service; the first one is dated 21 August
1906 and the last one 22 February 1907.
- Canon of the
Metropolitan Chapter
If one were
to make reference to the above mentioned ‘Reasons in favour and
against’ which De Piro
put in writing in relation to his going to the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica” or St Joseph’s Institute, one finds amongst others
these words against his going to the “Accademia”:
1.
Perchè all’Accademia, finchè io
sappia, non ci vanno che quelli, i quali possono vantare una buona
nascita.
2.
Perchè all’Accademia, mi si
mette, come a dire, in mostra, per aver qualche posto; mentre è
dottrina certissima che Gesù predilige coloro, qui ament nesciri.
E siccome Egli allorchè determinò di eleggermi per suo ministro
seppe trovarmi tra il numero dei peccatori: cosi` adesso se Egli ha
deliberato di me qualche altra cosa, a fortiori saprà trovarmi nel
numero dei suoi eletti, e non è necessario che io mi metta avanti
e cercar di farmi conoscere coll’andar all’Accademia.
This reference can
be considered as a clear sign of De Piro’s humility. He was only
twentyfour years when he wrote these words, but he kept to this
frame of mind all his life. In fact he showed this very attitude
when he found out that he was going to be made canon of the Mdina
Cathedral.
As every other
mother, Ursola De Piro wished her children to achieve success in
life. In October 1910 she approached Fr Michaelangelo Pace,
secretary to the Archbishop of Malta, and asked his help on her
behalf, so that her son Joseph might be appointed canon of the
Cathedral.
At that time the Servant of God was barely 33 years old, and only a
few years had passed since his priestly ordination. Fr Michaelangelo
knew only too well how zealous and exemplary Joseph De Piro was, and
courteously promised Ursola De Piro to do all he could to help her
realise her desire.
Fr Michaelangelo
kept his promise. At that time the Dean of the Cathedral, Mgr
Vincent Vassallo, who was 73 years old, had been unwell for months.
The Archbishop’s secretary thought it was opportune to advise His
Excellency to persuade the Dean to ask for a Coadjutor in the person
of Fr Joseph De Piro.
The latter was unaware of these designs when the Archbishop made the
proposal to the Dean on 6 November, 1910. The appointment would be
an important choice, for the dean was subject only to the archdeacon
of the Chapter.
On 7 November Fr
Michaelangelo gave De Piro the news, and he was the first to
congratulate him, adding that his new assignment was still strictly
confidential, as the appointment was not yet official:
C.
Balzan
7 Nov 1910
Molto Revdo Signore,
Ho l’alto onore in
piacere di dirle sotto sigillo di confessione che Sua Eccza Revma
Mgr Vescovo è stato ieri da Mgr Canco Decano della Cattedrale a
proporre V.S. Molto Revda per suo Coadiutore ed è già tutto
combinato ciò servirà per di lei norma. Tanti sinceri auguri.
Intanto con sensi di
perfetta stima rinnovo i miei auguri qual sono.
Di Lei
Devmo Servo ed Amico
Sac: Angelo Pace,
Cappellano.
Meanwhile Fr
Joseph discovered that his mother had been behind the whole plot,
and frankly and humbly told her he did not approve of it:
Mother, you know I have always obeyed you, but I beg you not to
speak to the Archbishop about me, asking him to grant me these high
Church dignities. I wish to remain a priest without any honours; for
me the priesthood is the highest honour. If you wish me to be a
Monsignor at the Cathedral, I am sorry I cannot obey you.
On 11 November, De
Piro wrote to Fr Michaelangelo the following words,
I
beg you to present my thanks to the Archbishop for wanting to
promote me to these high honours. Please do me the favour of
informing the Archbishop that the honours offered are not suitable
for me due to the work I have started, and I do not have to mention
any other reason. It is impossible for me to accept.
Despite the secrecy entailed, the plan
had by now developed in a more concrete way. The Dean of the
Cathedral surprised De Piro with a visit on January 1911, and De
Piro was informed that all had been definitely concluded. The one
formality still required was the approval of the Governor of Malta,
Sir Leslie Rundle. This last step had already been made privately,
and although the official letter had not been written, De Piro knew
that the Governor had approved his appointment.
De Piro was firm
in the resolutions made ten years before. He courteously thanked
Monsignor Dean for having thought of him, but his conscience forbade
him to accept this appointment. He explained in detail to the
Archbishop adding that he felt unworthy and not capable of
undertaking the duties of the office offered him. De Piro feared the
precedent he might be creating for the members of his Society. He
explained to the Archbishop he did not wish his spiritual sons to
aspire to worldly honours. Should he accept to be Dean of the
Cathedral, how would he have the courage to present himself to his
young members, and persuade them to shun worldly honours?
Eccellenza
Reverendissima,
Giorni sono è stato da
me Monsignor Decano per informarmi che riguardo l’affare della
Coadiutoria tutto era sistemato, che la mia nomina era stata già
raccomandata da V.E. e che il Governatore era già pronto a mandare
fuori il ‘Warrant’. Tutto ciò mi ha confuso non poco, però nel
ringraziare Monsignor Decano non ho esitato a dichiarargli che in
conscienza non potevo accettare e che qualora V.E. avesse insistito
avrei solo ceduto di fronte ad un ordine preciso di obbidienza.
Ora oltre la mia
indegnità ed incapacità umilmente sottopongo alla prudente ed
illuminata considerazione di V.E. che l’occupare simili posti
onorifici, come appunto sono i canonicati della Cattedrale è contro
lo spirito del Nouvo Piccolo Istituto per le missioni Estere, e che
io dovessi accettare la nomina propostami mi sarebbe difficile
l’insinuare ai membri dell’Istituto il distacco da simili onori.
Pertanto spero che
V.E., veduta la ragionevolezza del mio riferito, non insisterò. In
ogni modo lascio alla coscienza di V.E. tutta la responsabilita`
della mia.
Da ultimo al bacio del
Sacro Anello umilmente Le chiedo la Benedizione ed ho l’onore di
dichiararmi.
Dell’E V Revma
Umilmo ed Ubbmo Servo
Sac Giuseppe De Piro
17 gennaio 1911
Notabile.
De Piro confided
in his Archbishop, but in his authentic spirituality he was fully
aware that obedience to his Superiors was more important than the
practice of humility. He still hoped to evade the assignment and he
wrote to his Archbishop. Thus he made the last effort to decline,
but placed himself in the hands of his Archbishop, ready to obey his
orders. Two days later, on l9 January 1911, the Archbishop replied
on the same letter De Piro had written:
Valletta
19 gennaio 1911
D. Giuseppe,
V.S. non ha mai
cercato ne posti , ne promozioni. Prenda quindi dalle mani di Dio la
proposta, e l’accetti per mia obbedienza. Al resto penserà il
Signore, il quale come ha cominciato l’opera non la … perfezionarla.
Intanto … La benedico,
mentre …di …benevolenza ne raffirmo
Di Lei D.Giuseppe …
P.Archiv. Vescovo.
At this time De Piro’s mother developed
a guilt complex about it, and she told the Archbishop that her son
was not ready to accept the dignity of Monsignor. But the Archbishop
was firm in his decision, knowing that the Servant of God was most
suited to the position he would occupy.
De Piro bowed his head to the wishes of
the Archbishop, knowing these manifested the will of God, and waited
for the necessary formalities to be concluded. The Governor, Sir
Leslie Rundle, on 25 February 1911, officially informed the
Archbishop that due to the age and ill-health of the Dean, Mgr
Vincenzo Vassallo, it was necessary for him to be aided by a
Coadjutor. He also added that he, the Governor, was presenting the
Servant of God as Coadjutor to the Dean with right of succession.
On 11 March 1911 Rundle wrote to De Piro and told him more or less
what he had told the Archbishop.
The application to the Archbishop by De Piro followed.
On the same day Mgr Vassallo was informed of the acceptance of De
Piro and the warrant was granted. Mgr Vassallo received the
information from the Office of the Crown Advocate, Dr. V. Frendo
Azzopardi.
Before the issue of the relative decree from Rome, Mgr Paul Gauci,
General Secretary at the Archbishop’s Curia, informed De Piro that
he had been accepted by the Concistorial Congregation as Coadjutor
to the Dean.
By decree of Pope Pius X, Fr Joseph was to enjoy by right whatever
concerned the Dean’s office, to represent him and fulfil his
relative duties.
From then on, much against his inmost desire, De Piro was addressed
as Monsignor Joseph De Piro.
For many the title
of Monsignor meant prestige and honour. For De Piro it signified
much more than that. First of all the canons of the Cathedral had
their liturgical duties at the Cathedral: the Conventual Mass, the
singing of the Lauds, Hours and Vespers and the celebration of
feasts, which at that time were not that infrequent.
Also, De Piro’s times were those when the Cathedral Chapter was for
the Archbishop what is nowadays the Presbyterial Council, His
Excellency’s consultative body, his senate and council.
Although in 1911 the Servant of God was not yet loaded with the many
responsibilities he had to carry in the coming years, the liturgical
duties and the Chapter meetings were still a big burden for him.
- Effective Member of the
General Committee of the XXIV International Eucharistic Congress
(1913)
A dar principio ai
lavori Mgr Arcivescovo nominò un Comitato Generale, in cui oltre
l’intero Capitolo della Diocesi, figuravano distinte persone, scelte
dalle classi diverse della popolazione. Un altro Comitato era
composto di Signori, oltre varie sotto comitati ai quali vennero
deferiti speciali incarichi …
The words above
refer to the nominations of the members of the committees which
organised the International Eucharistic Congress held in Malta in
1913. The main committee had the President, the Effective Vice
Presidents and the Effetive
Members.
De Piro was among the last group. The Servant of God was chosen
because he made part of the Capitular Chapter of the Cathedral. He
was also chosen because he was the Director of Fra Diegu Institute,
Hamrun.
Without doubt the
Servant of God participated in the celebrations which were held
during this International Eucharistic Congress,
but I was not able to find out what was the paticular contribution
of De Piro during these days. From a letter written to De Piro by
Mgr Alphonse Carinci, Rector of the Capranica and assistant of the
Cardinal Legate of the Pope, Dominic Ferrata, we know that De Piro
was involved in the arrangements for the Legate to celebrate a
pontifical mass at the Cathedral in Mdina.
From this same letter we know that the Servant of God had invited
the Cardinal Legate to the De Piro family Palace in Mdina,
an invitation we know that the Cardinal accepted.
- Co-rector of
the Manresa Retreat House, Floriana, Malta
This House, in
Floriana, Malta, had also a church and both of them were dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Manresa. It was also known as St
Calcedonius House. It was mainly used for the retreats of the
secular and regular clergy. De Piro was chosen, on 5 May 1913, by
the Archbishop, together with Canon Aloisius Attard as co - rector
of this House.
The two priests seemed to be responsible for all the aspects of this
House. Besides the day to day running they seem to have been the
administrators even of the property related to it.
- Director of
the Associazione Sacerdoti Adoratori
This Association
seems to have been founded in Turin, Italy. In Malta there was one
of its branches. When Fr Joseph Borg, the director of the Malta
branch, died, Archbishop Peter Pace, on 16 August 1913, nominated
Mgr Joseph De Piro for the post
and “…pro bono regimine et augmento eiusdem Piae Associationis inter
Prebyteros huius Meliten Diocesis…”
According to the programme of the Parrochial Eucharistic Congress
held in Rabat, Malta, between 11 and 18 June 1933, the Servant of
God was still the director of this Sodality until that year.
- Secretary of
Archbishop Mauro Caruana
If one were to go to the Archives of
the Archbishop’s Curia and get the section where there is preserved
the correspondence to and from Archbishop Mauro Caruana one would
notice that the very first letter of His Excellency, dated 3 March
1915, was addressed to the Governor General, Field Marshal Lord
Methuen. But for those who study De Piro it is all the more
interesting because after mentioning the choice of Bishop Angelo
Portelli as his Vicar General, Caruana also informed the Governor
that he had chosen Mgr Joseph De Piro as his Secretary. The decree
of nomination was written on 2 March 1915.
This three year
(1915-1918) contribution of De Piro to the Archdiocese may be
considered by many as rather insignificant. There was no room for
Monsignor to practice his creativity and energy. It may be so, but
it is as much true that this was an occasion where the Servant of
God could show his precision at work: he was very quick in answering
all correspondence which came to his desk.
During these three years he also showed his dedication to the
Archbishop. But this period was particularly important for De Piro’s
contact with the Maltese who had migrated to other countries and
with the priests who were working among them.
It was before the 1915-1918 years that Monsignor first thought about
the Maltese emigrants,
but the letters he received as His Excellency’s Secretary made De
Piro more conscious of the urgent situation of his conationals
living abroad. The Servant of God did his best to find some other
diocesan or religious priest to go with the migrants.
- Member of the
Commission for the formation of young priests
It has already
been said that at the time spent in Qrendi, Fr Joseph had planned a
project for the formation of priests in the nearby parishes.
During the time as secretary to the Archbishop, De Piro was involved
in another initiative in favour of the formation of the clergy. His
Excellency Mauro Caruana was noticing that, being the years after
the First World War, Malta was in a state of unsettlement and
therefore the newly ordained priests were meeting difficulties when
from the Seminary they were finding themselves in the pastoral
activities. To help these young priests, the Archbishop set up a
Commission made up of several more experienced presbyters:
D. MAURO CARUANA
DELL’ORDINE DI S. BENEDETTO
PER GRAZIA DI DIO E DELLA S. SEDE
APOSTOLICA
ARCIVESCOVO DI RODI VESCOVO DI MALTA
ALLA MEDESIMA S. SEDE IMMEDIATAMENTE
SOGGETTO
Impensieriti in sull’inizio del nostro
pastorale ministero intorno all’obbligo grave, che ci incombe, di
santificare questo gregge, della Divina Provvidenza affidato alle
nostre cure e di mantenere saldo nella mente e nel cuore dello
stesso il regno di Gesu` Cristo, fondato dall’Apostolo San Paolo,
crediamo proprio di rivolgere l’opera nostra a favore del Clero.
Niente infatti, come
leggiamo nel S. Concilio di Trento, è tanto necessario alla santità
dei Fedeli quanto la santità del Clero “Nihil est quod alios magis
ad pietatem et Dei cultum assidue instruat quam eorum vita et
exemplum, qui se divino ministerio dedicaverunt: quum enim a rebus
saeculi in altiorem sublati locum conspiciantur, in eos tamquam in
speculum reliqui oculus coniiciant, ex iisque sumunt quod imitentur.
Sess. XXII Cap. I De Reform.
Ci gode l’animo
rilevare che per la sollecitudine dei nostri Predecessori la Diocesi
è ben provvista di due seminari, per i grandi l’uno e l’altro per i
piccoli. Ed entro le sacre mura di questi due istituti i chiamati
nella sorte del Signore, sotto una vigilante osservanza ed
un’accurata disciplina, vengono insin dai primi anni educati nella
scienza e nella pietà, e così imparano a praticare quella santità di
vita che li rende sale della terra e luce del mondo.
In verità ciò che
maggiormente ci preoccupa ed accresce le nostre ansie, non è già il
giovane ecclesiastico, finchè perdura la sua dimora in seminario, ma
egli è il novello Levita, il quale per aver compito gli anni di
Seminario, trovasi costretto, ancor fresco dell’ordinazione, di
lanciarsi in mezzo ai pericoli del mondo. Ed è perciò che noi ci
determiniamo di nominare una Commissione composta da sacerdoti
esperti ed esemplari, la quale vada studiando i mezzi per venire in
aiuto, difendere ed indirizzare nella vita pubblica i giovani
sacerdoti particolarmente alla loro prima uscita di Seminario.
Nel ritenere a Noi la
Presidenza, ci è grato affermare che molte sono le persone
appartenenti al Nostro Clero e che potrebbero aver parte in questa
Commissione; però pel presente abbiamo creduto di formarla come
segue…
Noi intanto sostenuti
dall’aiuto di Dio e fiduciosi nella protezione della Beata Vergine e
dell’ Apostolo San Paolo ci sentiamo pieni di speranza, che l’opera
di una tale Commissione abbia un esito felice e sia coronata da un
buon successo, di retta com’è tutta quanta al bene di questa Nostra
cara Diocesi.
+ Mauro Arciv. Vesc.
di Malta
Dato dal nostro
Palazzo di Notabile nel giorno dei SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo,
1915.
Mgr Joseph De Piro
was first in the list of the members of the Commission.
- Deputy
of the Commission for the temporary administration of the Major
Seminary, Mdina, Malta
On 5 July 1916
Archbishop Mauro Caruana nominated Mgr Joseph De Piro deputy in the
Commission for the temporal administration of the Seminary.
As its own name indicates this Commission was responsible for the
temporal aspect of the life of the Seminary.
- Rector of the
Major Seminary, Mdina, Malta
It was because he was going to
be entrusted with another responsibility that De Piro’s services as
secretary to the Archbishop came to an end. On 30 September 1918
Archbishop Mauro Caruana nominated De Piro, Rector of the Major
Seminary, at Mdina:
D.MAURUS CARUANA
ORDINIS S.BENEDICTI
Dei et Apostolicae
Sedis gratia
Archiepiscopus
Rhodiensis Episcopus Melitensis
EIDEM SANCTAE SEDI
IMMEDIATE SUBJECTUS
Nos perfecte noscentes
doctrinam qua polles, probitatem morum, plurimaque merita in hanc
Nostram Dioecesim praesertim illud muneris et officii Nostri a
Secretis Generalis, quod usque nunc gessisti non tantum cum Nostra
satisfactione ac probationem, sed etiam omnium qui opera tua hos in
munere usi sunt, Te, Illum. et Revmum. Dnum. Josephum e Marchionibus
De Piro Navarra Can. Decanum Coadiutorem Nostrae S. Cathedralis
Ecclesiae eligimus et nominamus in Rectorem Nostri Ven. Magni
Seminarii a S.Paulo Apostolo Civitatis Notabilis, cum omnibus
juribus, honoribus et facultatibus huic muneri et officio adnexis.
Datum ex Pal. Archiep.
Civ. Vallettae dic 30 Septembris 1918
+Maurus O.S.B.
Archiep. Epies Melit.
Aloisius Can Theol
Attard
Vicisgerens a.
Sec.Gen.
Among the
persons interviewed by Aloisius Aloisio there was Fr George Cassar,
a priest who had been a seminarian during De Piro’s rectorship. This
Cassar emphasised the humanity with which Monsignor behaved when
relating with the seminarians:
He was never angry at us, but he always
admonished us with kindness. Before correcting us he always laughed.
When you asked him for something he always gave it to you
immediately…When the examinations were near we preferred to go to
John Mary’s field, under Saqqajja Hill, instead of going for walks.
We enjoyed staying under the shade of the trees to study and at the
same time to enjoy the fresh air. Once there was John Mary, the
farmer, who had wicker baskets full of fruits which he had just
picked up. Gently he encouraged us to take as much as we wanted. In
a split of a second we dismantled him of all the fruit. All we left
him with was one wicker basket. You can imagine how angry was the
poor farmer. As soon as we returned to the Seminary we found John
Mary talking to the Rector. We were shocked. As soon as the Rector
saw us he told us, ‘Can you come here, you gentlemen! John Mary has
just told me what you have done after he has been so kind to you.
What are we going to do now?’ One of us stood up and said, ‘We will
all offer some money to make up for the fruit taken.’ ‘No, no. go
away. I will try to fix everything myself,’ said the Rector. When
later I went to the Rector’s room, he asked me, ‘Can you tell me
what had happened to John Mary?’ When I explained to him what had
happened he really laughed heartily and could not stop. I curiously
asked him, ‘How did it end up with him?’ ‘We have fixed everything.
I know him well,’ answered the Rector. The day after they all agreed
to go back there and there was John Mary as well. ‘May we take
fruit?’ we asked him. ‘Take as much as you want, because I made a
very good deal with the Rector,’ answered John Mary. ‘Why?’ we asked
him. ‘He gave me double the price of the fruit,’ answered John Mary.
Also:
The seminarians,
especially the acolytes, when at the altar service, used to drip the
candles at the stairs of the altar before going out. One of the
senior Monsignori, Louis Camilleri by name, noticed this and
grumbled a lot about it. Once, while he visited the Seminary, he
found the Rector admonishing us about something we had done. ‘Well,’
said Mgr Camilleri, ‘Once we are here I need to tell you what I
observed them doing.’ The Rector answered him in a laughing manner,
‘I side with them in this matter.’ ‘Why?’ asked Camilleri. ‘Because
they are wise in caring for their cassock,’ answered the Rector. ‘It
is quite expensive and the seminarian of course should not spend a
lot of money. They have to wear the cassock especially when they go
to St John’s Co Cathedral. And you know that a cassock costs a lot
of money.’
Again:
Mgr Antonio Galea, ex provost of St
Philip at Senglea, was the Vice Rector of the seminary at the time
of De Piro. After the story of the fjakkoli we met De Piro and told
him what happened. He really laughed at it. “He is rich,” he told
us, “He has a lot.”
He was never angry at us. He used to be
sad but he never expressed what he felt in any way or other. He used
to admonish us but he was never angry at us; he always corrected us
in a loving way.”
Cassar referred
also to the spirituality of the Rector:
I was the sacristan at
the Seminary, and as sacristan I went often to the Rector. Often,
when I went to the Rector’s room I frequently found him saying the
Rosary or meditating. Sometimes he used to signal me not to speak to
him and disturb him. He used to ask me to be there later. He always
carried the rosary in his hand. He loved using the white Rosary.
And there was
mention of the special devotion of the Servant of God to St Joseph:
Once I entered the Rector’s room and
noticed that St Joseph’s picture was put in the opposite position,
facing the wall. Everytime I went there I found it in the same
position and I wanted to know why the picture was facing the wall.
In fact I asked the Rector, ‘Why is the picture facing the wall?’
‘It is like that as a punishment,’ answered De Piro. ‘St Joseph,
punished?’ asked I. ‘What did he do?’ ‘He will remain like that
until he grants me the grace I have been praying for,’ replied the
Rector. And when the grace would be granted, St Joseph would have
his punishment ended and would be facing the outside as usual.
But special reference must be
made to an eleven page report which the Servant of God prepared
before terminating his office of rector and which he sent to the
Archbishop on 27 August 1920. Apart from the fact that he had to
spend much time in preparing it, it shows quite clearly that
Monsignor was very much informed about the many aspects of the
Seminary.
And this at a time when he was already busy with other duties.
- Member of the
Camera Pontificia Maltese
On 23 May 1920, the secretary
of this Camera wrote to Mgr De Piro telling him that the day before
its members met and unanimously agreed to choose him as an effective
member.
- Dean of the
Metropolitan Chapter, Malta
At the Cathedral there was a fixed
number of Canons
and it was only when there was a vacancy that one was nominated for
that post.
In the case of De Piro it was Mgr Vincent Vassallo who was to be
replaced. But the latter was also the Dean of the Metropolitan
Chapter. This meant that the Servant of God was to take sooner or
later Vassallo’s place even in this latter responsibility.
In fact the ceremony of the conferment of the deanery was celebrated
at the Cathedral, Mdina, Malta, on 24 November 1920.
Again, the deanery might have been
considered as an honour to look for. But it was not in fact only
this. As regards the liturgical celebrations the Dean had all the
duties as the other canons.
Besides these, he had to preside over all Chapter meetings. Here one
must remember that the Chapter was in those days what the
Presbyterial Council is nowadays for the Archbishop.
Therefore the canons had to meet frequently to discuss many matters
of importance. Besides the Chapter sessions themselves the members
were expected to do even their homework! As dean, Mgr De Piro had to
lead delegations to the Archbishop. Since the Chapter was the
consultative body to the Archbishop, these delegations were quite
frequent. Furthermore, because the relations between Church and
State were wider in De Piro’s times there were more occasions when
there was need of some delegation from the side of the Church to go
to the government. And Mgr De Piro was supposed to head these
delegations.
- Acting
parishpriest of the Gudia Parish, Malta
The Servant of God was not destined to
spend his life working in a parish. After his stay at Qrendi,
Archbishop Pace entrusted him with another completely different duty
in the Archdiocese, for which he had to leave the Parish. At the
same time in 1922 De Piro was asked to give, for a short while, a
helping hand in another parish, this time the Gudia one.
It happened that in this village the
parishioners were divided in two, one group supporting the main
feast while the other favoured the secondary one.
These two parties had been in trouble for a rather long time, but in
the year 1922 the conflict reached its climax, so much so that the
parish priest abandoned the place and the church was closed on
weekdays.
The Archbishop did his best to find someone to take over, but
knowing the situation no one dared to
do it.
After one month, the Archbishop thought of De Piro as a temporary
solution; on 11 July 1922 His Excellency chose De Piro as his
special delegate for the administration of the Gudja Parish.
Monsignor was again ready to obey. In spite of the adverse situation
in the parish and the many other duties already at his back, De Piro
went immediately and succeeded in getting peace among the
parishoners. So much so that those parishioners who had been so
angry for the members of the other party, for the Archbishop’s Curia
and for the Archbishop himself, wrote to the latter a very
reconciliatory letter:
18 Sda Sta Maria
Gudia
19 Luglio 1922
Eccza. Revma.,
Noi qui sotto firmati a nome di tutti i
nostri compaesani, ma in specie di quelli che furono citati dinanzi
alla Corte per causa dell’ incidente occorso nell’ ultima festa e
che sfortunamente fu causa di tanti dispiaceri. La ringraziamo di
tutto cuore, per la Tua grande bontà nell’ aver interceduto presso
il Governo per la sospensione della causa già in corso, e così
liberato i nostri fratelli da ulteriori incomodi e dispiaceri; per
la qualcosa ci sentiamo spinti non solo a ripetere i nostri
ringraziamenti ma più ancora a protestarci assai dolenti per l’
accaduto e promettiamo di fare tutto il nostro possibile ad evitare
in avvenire qualunque occasione che possa condurci a tali eccessi
non solo ma ancora cercheremo di distogliere gli altri nel caso vi
saranno, e tener sempre la pace, e così con l’ aiuto del Buon Dio e
della Sua amatissima Madre Assunta in Cielo possiamo in avvenire
vivere in pace come veri fratelli aiutandosi e amandosi
vicendevolmente.
Protestandoci come
veri suoi figli in Gesù Cristo ringraziandolo nuovamente e chiedendo
la Sua paterna benedizione ci dichiariamo sempre pronti ad obbedire.
Firmati:-
Giuseppe Cutajar
Giuseppe Spiteri
Angelo Pace.
After a few weeks in Gudia De
Piro could leave the Parish and let the newly appointed parishpriest
take over.
- Cooperator in the
foundation and growth of Maltese religious congregations
-
The Daughters of the Sacred Heart
On 31 December
1919 the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, founded in Malta by Maria
Teresa Nuzzo in 1903, invited Mgr De Piro to help them with his
reflections about the last day of the year.
Although for its days of reflection a religious community generally
invited preachers who knew its members well, in itself this
invitation did not necessarily mean that the Servant of God had been
in any way close to these Sisters. Another sermon shows the
closeness of De Piro to these Sisters all the more; on 11 June 1920,
the Daughters of the Sacred Heart invited Monsignor for their
renewal of vows.
Again, the celebrant invited for such an occasion was usually a one
who was close to the community! But the document that proves that De
Piro was a real help to these Sisters is a letter written by a
certain Mother Nazzarena Gouder, a Franciscan Sister who had been
chosen by the Archbishop of Malta as superior of the Daughters of
the Sacred Heart:
Istituto Nuzzo
Hamrun
5 Agosto 1918
Revmo Padre,
Veniamo or’ ora dal manicomio dove ci
siam recate a mettere Suor Matilde. La Madre Rosalia che mi
accompagnò in questa facenda, Le faccia sapere tutte le
particolarità; io solamento mi limito a ringraziare prima il Buon
Dio che diede a V.Illma e Revma. S. un cuore dotato di tutte le
virtù e doni richiesti per aiutare il poverello e trarlo dai suoi
impicci, cosa che raramente si trova nelle persone del suo rango;
poi ringrazio lo stesso misericordioso Signore che mi fece la grazia
di farmi incontrare V.S. Rma. e godere delle sue beneficenze; indi,
piena di alta riconoscenza, mi rivolgo a Lei Padre Dilettmo e Le
dico che io mi serberò grata in eterno, per tutto quello che Ella ha
fatto per guidarmi nella retta via della santità e della società. Il
Signore la ricompensi in questa e nell’altra vita, ed io nella mia
miseria mi offro a qualunque Suo servizio.
Raccomando tutto l’Istituto al favore
della Sua preghiera mentre che con distinta Stima Le bacio la sacra
destra, e mi pregio di poter segnarmi,
Di V.S. Illma e Revma,
Umlma figlia in
Cristo
Sr. M. Nazarena.
These words of
Mother Nazzarena were not to be said to someone who had not already
helped a lot these Sisters!
-
The Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus
Further on in this chapter I shall be
saying that in 1907 the Servant of God was nominated by the
Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, as Director of Fra Diegu
Institute, Hamrun. When he started his ministry there, De Piro found
the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus as those responsible
for the day to day running of the Orphanage. Because of the
relationship that grew up between the Director and these nuns, and
because these religious had only been founded in Gozo in 1880,
De Piro involved himself even in the development of the Sisters’
Congregation. So much so that some Franciscan Sisters wrote several
letters to the Servant of God.
On 23 December 1916, Madre Nazzarena
Gouder, Superior General from 1911 to 1917,
wrote to Monsignor:
Quest anno piu che mai, mi incombe il
dovere di prevalermi della presente circostanza della festa
Natalizia per ringraziarla di tanti favori e benefici che
continuamente sparge su di noi, povere figlie di San Francesco,
colla Sua solerte cura spirituale e temporale.
Padre, l’interesse che, contro ogni
nostro merito, V.S. Rma nutre per il progresso della nostra
Congregazione oggimai si sente, si conosce e si dichiara da ogniuno
dei suoi membri. La medesima, per quanto misera e povera essa sia,
per la grazia di Dio, ha sempre trovato chi la benefica, chi la
protegge; ma oggi tra tante calamità e tristezze, il Signore, nella
Sua infinita misericordia, ci ha mandato l’aiuto di V.S. Illma e
Revma a poter scivare i pericoli e progredire nella virtù e nel
lavoro; e perciò, caro Padre, nel magnificare e ringraziare il
Signore per tanta Sua bontà e providenza, ringraziamo pure V.C. per
tutto quel bene che a favor nostro abbia operato.
Però, per quanto viva
sentiamone la riconoscenza, pur non di meno non possiamo mai
compensare V.S.Rma, e qualunque cosa noi facciamo non ci sarà maì
possibile di sdebitarci…
Three months later
the same Mother Nazzarena wrote to De Piro again, and again referred
to the support he offered to her Congregation, “Nel presentarle pure
i nostri ringraziamenti, per tutto quello che Ella opera a vantaggio
della nostra Congregazione… Gradisca, caro Padre, i nostri sinceri
affetti e distinti ossequi e ci benedica.”
It is interesting
to note that in the above two letters Madre Nazzarena called the
Servant of God “Padre”. The same did Sister Epifania, first
councellor and secretary general.
She wrote in the name of the Foundress, Margherita Debrincat. She
called De Piro, “…un vero Padre…”
Sister Epifania’s
words are as strong as those of Madre Nazzarena:
… la Sua preziosa vita
di quarant’anni fu spesa tutta quanta nel cercare la gloria di Dio e
nel beneficare il prossimo. Fortunatamente fra i molti da V.C.
beneficati sono i membri della nostra Congregazione che trovano in
Lei un vero Padre il quale cerca e desidera il loro avvanzamento
spirituale e temporale. Alle sue indefesse cure si attribuisce il
cambiamento notevole dell’ Istituto Fra Diegu, il vantaggio ricavato
da quelle Suore a cui tocco la sorte di avvicinarsi a V.R.P. e tanti
altri favori che per brevità taccio.
Mother Margherita Debrincat,
the Foundress, seemed to consider Mgr De Piro more than close to her
Congregation, “Insomma, rinnovando i più sentiti
ringraziamenti non solo per il passato ma per tutto quello che farà
(come spero nella S. Bonta) a vantaggio della nostra cara Comunità
la quale La riconosce quale Padre Generale, ecc.”
Exactly because
she considered the Servant of God as their superior general, the
Foundress wrote again to De Piro on 6 April 1920 and asked him
something quite intimate to her and her companions:
Abuso della Sua bontà
e colgo l’occasione della sua andata a Roma per pregarla a voler
farci la carità di procurarci delle informazioni, per ciò che si
richiede per la nostra approvazione. Mi dirigo a V.S. Illma di
comune intesa con Mgr Vescovo di Gozo ove risiede la nostra Casa
Madre, e Le rimetto anche copia manoscritta delle nostre
Costituzioni.
Eight years later
De Piro showed how much he wished to support these Franciscan
Sisters and the work they did. In October 1927 five of these nuns
went to Ethiopia to start their missionary work there. In his “Saint
Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”, the Servant of God
published an article in which he gave details about the departure of
these five nuns to the missions.
In the same publication De Piro presented to the readers a letter
written by His Excellency Andrea Jarosseau, a Bishop in Abyssinia,
in appreciation for the arrival of the Sisters in his diocese.
When Mother Rosa, the superior of the Franciscan group in Ethiopia,
died, Monsignor presented his readers with a short biographical note
about this pioneer missionary of the Franciscan Sisters in Ethiopia.
De Piro dedicated another considerable space of his 1932 Almanac to
describe the departure of another group of Franciscan Sisters to
Abyssinia.
-
The Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth
In this chapter
and in the second one
I shall be presenting Mgr Joseph De Piro as the Director of the
Jesus of Nazareth Orphanage. But the Servant of God had contact with
the Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth not only because they
were in charge of the day to day running of the Institute; he also
helped them a lot in their being set up as a religious missionary
institute. And he continued helping them until his death. It is this
contribution of De Piro that I shall be presenting here.
Although the Jesus of Nazareth
Orphanage and the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus of
Nazareth are not the same thing, but they can be said to have
started and progressed concurrently. Therefore one can say that even
the Congregation had its beginning in 1913.
Although since this date the Servant of God had been only the
spiritual director of Guzeppina Curmi, the Foundress, he must have
undoubtedly discussed with her both the foundation of the Institute
and that of her Congregation. Then there was a period where it was a
certain Fr Paul Zammit, a priest from Gudja, Malta, who directed the
Institute. During these years the contact between Curmi and De Piro
were suspended. In 1922 Fr Zammit died and Curmi sought again the
help of Monsignor. From the letter De Piro wrote to Archbishop
Caruana on 21 May 1933, we know that it was His Excellency who
invited th Servant of God to help Guzeppina.
De Piro accepted the request.
From a letter the Foundress wrote to
Archbishop Caruana on 28 December 1924 one concludes that His
Excellency had told De Piro something which discouraged the latter
and made him stop helping, as much as he was before, the advancement
of the Sisters’ Congregation.
At the same time on 11 February 1932 Archbishop Caruana wrote to the
Prefect of the Congregation for Religious and told him that he had
been asked for a long time by De Piro to approve as a sodality the
group of ladies who were taking care of various homes of
beneficence.
His Excellency wanted to approve this group of ladies but he wished
to go step by step.
To help the acquisition of the diocesan
approval for the ladies, the Servant of God suggested that (1) for
the moment they were supposed to consider the Constitutions of the
Society of St Paul as their own rule; (2) in Malta and abroad, the
ladies were expected to cooperate in their work with the members of
the Society of St Paul, founded by De Piro in 1910; (3) their name
becomes Missionaries of Jesus of Nazareth in order to indicate that
the scope of the Pia Unione was missionary; and (4) they were
expected to have a particular type of dress.
Not all proposals were accepted by the Congregation for Religious
and therefore the Servant of God had to face more difficulites.
De Piro was not alive when the nulla osta from the
Congregation for Religious reached Malta’s Archbishop for the
diocesan approval of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth; it
was written to Archbishop Caruana on 31 October 1933, more than a
month after the death of the Servant of God.
-
President of the Special Consultative Committee for the restoration
of St Paul’s Church, Rabat, Malta
On 4 January 1925 there was set up a
General Committee for the restoration of the Church of St Paul,
Rabat, Malta. This same Committee, then, created a Commission which
prepared a Project that was presented to the Archbishop of Malta,
re: the same restoration. On his part His Excellency nominated a
Special Committee to study the feasibility or not of the same
Project and present its conclusions.
De Piro was made President of this Special Committee.
In all there were four meetings of the
Special Committee: 27 May, 2 , 12 and 19 June of the year 1925.
On the 22 of the same month the members signed the corrected minutes
of their last meeting.
- Minister of
the Word
During his
seminary years in Rome, Joseph did not show very good qualities as a
prospective preacher. He suffered from an inflammation in his throat
which, apart from being painful, often created difficulties when
speaking.
Though when still in Rome he got rid of this, he continued suffering
from tuberculosis.
In fact during his first years as a priest in Malta he was afraid to
accept the offer of the director of the Opera della Missione, Mgr E.
Debono, to begin preaching in Maltese parishes.
However as time went on he overcame this fear and though on his own
and not with Mgr Debono, embarked on this apostolate with fresh
zeal.
We can deal with
this aspect of De Piro’s life because luckily, as in other areas of
his life, the Servant of God took pains to be precise. In fact in
the De Piro Archives one can still find sermons which the Servant of
God used to write, some of them in complete form, before delivering
them. There are two hundred and thirteen of these sermons. This is
already a good number, but these same sermons indicate that De Piro
had made more than these. Some of them are not complete; they imply
that there was more material. Others refer to sermons which do not
seem to exist anymore.
De Piro did not
only write the sermons. He even put them in files according to the
themes. At the top of the sermon he often noted where, when, and to
whom he was making the sermon. Through the several Maltese words and
phrases De Piro put in brackets, and which he included in the text,
one can conclude that he used Maltese when preaching. At the same
time the written preparation as a whole was in Italian.
De Piro’s
preaching was quite pastorally oriented; with his word he wanted to
help those hearing him to come closer to God. Thus his homelies
tended to be simple. At the same time an analysis of the texts
reveals sound biblical
and theological foundations.
- Archbishop’s
Delegate in the Committee for the Peace Feasts
When the First World War was over the
Maltese Government organised some festivities to celebrate the
acquisition of peace.
The Archbishop was asked by the Governor to choose his deputy for
the Committee that was to take care of the organisation of the
celebrations.
Archbishop Mauro Caruana chose De Piro as his representative.
- Member of the
National Assembly (1919-1921)
On 23 November 1918 Dr. Filippo Sceberras offered
to help the preparation of a draft of a
Constitution for the Maltese Islands.
First there was an appeal to all Maltese associations to send their
delegates to form a National Assembly.
Amongst those present there were four canons representing the
Metropolitan Chapter of the Cathedral of Malta and the clergy.
De Piro was the first of these.
The members met for the first time on 25 February 1919.
On 7 June of that same year there was held the second meeting of the
Assembly.
Here it was decided that there be formed a Central Commission made
up of a representative from each important Maltese association,
already present in that Assembly.
Monsignor De Piro, being the Dean of the Cathedral Chapter, was
chosen again.
In this meeting the members agreed to start work on the draft of the
Constitution.
But outside the "Giovine Malta", the place where the members
were gathered, there arose an upheaval and the session was
suspended.
It was on 23 June that the Central Commission held its first
meeting.
In all there were five sessions of the National Assembly and
fourteen of the Central Commission.
Although these meetings meant hours and hours of discussions, De
Piro, with the exception of the first and thirteenth meetings of the
Central Commission, was always present.
This was already a proof of his real love for his country. But it
was not only a question of attendance: his was always an active
involvement. Together with the other Monsignori he had to be present
at ordinary and extraordinary Chapter sessions in order to discuss
and prepare material which was to be treated in the Assembly or in
the Commission. Not infrequently he had even to do research work on
his own in order to support the Chapter’s convictions.
During the meetings he always behaved with the
other members with an open mind: he was
always and only after the good of the nation and never wanting to
impose his own ideas. After each session he had to inform the other
Canons, and this again meant much work for him.
De Piro’s efforts to be always present
in all these meetings and his active participation in them are
already a proof of his dedication to his country. But this love of
his for whatever was Maltese was expressed more directly when the
Central Commission discussed the language problem; he was among the
members who were in favour of the use of the Maltese language in the
future Parliament by those who wanted to do so.
- The ‘Sette
Giugno’ Riots (1919)
A few lines above mention has already
been made of the upheavals which arose during the second session of
the National Assembly held on 7 June 1919.
Since Monsignor De Piro was a member of the National Assembly and
this was the body set up with the explicit scope of seeking the
interests of the Maltese, he, together with a few other members,
considered it his duty to intervene even in this hard moment.
It is a known fact that in the Sette
Giugno riots there were several criminals who mixed with the
other Maltese and acted in a most condemnable way.
But these must be considered as the exception. In general those who
participated in the three day event were people who wanted to fight
for their legitimate rights. This was the only reason why De Piro
intervened in such a delicate situation. In spite of the fact that
he even risked his own life, the Servant of God spent three days
going here and there, at one time meeting some British officer, at
another time the Commissioner of Police, at another time members of
the Assembly, and at other times, even the mob.
It seems befitting to stress all this by a statement published eight
years later:
Fr Joseph De Piro, a
priest whom nobody can accuse of any fault, is an example of
integrity, devoted dedication and holiness. He is also a patriot,
who was involved in heartbreaking events - the disorders and deaths
on 7 June 1919. On that occasion he was in the midst of firing and
close to the injured. De Piro is, for the Church and his native
country, an exemplary priest and an ideal patriot. Everyone
should love and admire him.
And on our part we can add that
Monsignor was a real proof of the power of non violence.
- Cashier of the
Committee Pro Maltesi Morti e Feriti per la Causa Nazionale il 7
Giugno del 1919
The shooting of
four men by the British soldiers on 7 June 1919, made all Maltese
join forces and forget their different opinions about various
aspects of their lives.
In fact on 8 June 1919 there met at the “Giovine Malta”, a central
building in Valletta, a group of volunteers
who created a Committee which would gather money for the families of
the victims who died or were wounded the day before.
In the fourth meeting of this Committee, Sir Filippo Sceberras was
chosen as honorary president and Dr Enrico Mizzi as secretary.
De Piro was one of the clerics to join them.
He was made the cashier of this Committee.
In the beginning,
the Committee met twice a week. In all, the members met 52 times,
the last time in January 1926.
In the minutes of the Committee there are the details of the
information gathered by the members about the persons who were
helped and the amount of money each person was given.
-
Member of the Committee
for the visit, of H.R.H., the Prince of Wales (1921)
On 10 August 1920
there was the last meeting of the Central Commission of the National
Assembly which was entrusted with the writing of the draft
Constitution for Malta.
On 30 April 1921 there followed the promulgation of the Letters
Patent of 14 April 1921 from the side of Britain.
On 5 and 6 October 1921 there were the elections for the members of
the Senate of the first bicamerale Maltese parliament, while
those for the members of the Legislative Assembly were held on18 and
19 October of the same year.
On 1 November 1921 there came to Malta, the Prince of Wales to open
this first Maltese Parliament.
For the organisation of this visit there was set up a special
committee. Mgr Joseph De Piro must have been invited to make part of
this Committee. In fact after the celebrations were over the Servant
of God received two letters of appreciation: one was a personal
thank you note from the Superintendent of Public Works,
while the other one was written by the Lieutenant Governor himself
and it was addressed to all those who helped in the organisation of
the visit of His Royal Highness.
- Member of the
Unione Leoniana
In this thesis
there will soon be presented the socio economic situation of Malta
during the nineteenth and early years of the twentieth centuries.
Some reference will also be made to the employments issue and the
conditions of work of the employees during these same years.
But here it is important to say that after 1920 De Piro was implied
in a movement which was after these same issues. At least to some
extent.
It happened that,
Fr Charles Plater, the Jesuit considered by the English Catholics as
an authority in the social studies,
was feeling so much ill that he was ordered to have some rest. First
it was thought that he would go to Australia, but his doctor was
afraid of the length of the journey.
Plater had already some contact with a certain Canon Carm Bugelli of
Malta, about the labour issue.
He also had some contact with a certain Paolo Francesco Bellanti
about the same thing.
He therefore chose Malta where he thought that his apostolate would
find fertile ground.
Fr Plater arrived
in Malta on 15 December 1920.
When in Malta he seemed to forget about his rest. He met Governor
Lord Plumer, twice the Archbishop, several politicians, various
priests who were involved in the social life, and several socio
economic entities.
He even made talks to several organisations.
One point which Fr
Plater repeatedly emphasised during his stay in Malta was the need
for social education. He noticed that the local situation, which was
at the moment facing great social problems, lacked social
knowledge. To promote this indispensable knowledge and to stimulate
it with vital interest, he organised and set going the Unione
Leoniana, which was, according to his own draft statutes, “an
association for spreading in Malta among all classes of the
population, the social teachings of the Catholic Church and thus
paving the way for a sound christian democracy”.
On 28 January 1921 he also wrote that he wished, “… to see a dozen
study clubs at work…”
In these clubs Plater wished that the clergy would become conscious
of their paramount duty to know and instruct, and the laity to learn
and know, what the Catholic Church taught about the social question.
In Mdina there
seemed to be the wish to establish one of the Plater clubs. In fact
Albert Magri, secretary of the Unione Leoniana,
wrote toMgr De Piro telling him that in the meeting of the Unione,
held on 1 February (probably 1921) the Servant of God was nominated
as member of the sub committee of Mdina.
In the same letter Magri encouraged De Piro to accept becoming
member.
It does not seem that the project of Fr
Plater grew up. Emmanuel Agius referred to it as “… a seed which
did not find fertile soil.”
His presence however, enhanced a healthy discussion on the social
question.
- Member of the
Governing Board of the Malta War Memorial Hospital for Children
In a letter
written to him on 25 July 1922 by Dr Augustus Bartolo, the Servant
of God was told that in a general meeting of the Malta War Memorial
Hospital for Children he was unanimously chosen as a member of the
Governing Board of this Institution.
- Member of the
Special Committee of the British Empire Exhibition
A letter was
written by the Prime Minister of Malta, Mr Joseph Howard, on 27
September 1922 to Mgr De Piro telling him “… that His Excellency the
Governor has been pleased to approve of your appointment as a member
of the Special Committee to consider the question of the official
participation of Malta in the British Empire Exhibition of 1924.”
It was the duty of the Committee: “(1) to report what class of
exhibit should be sent to the Exhibition so that Malta may be
worthily represented; (2) to submit a list of intended exhibitors
and indicate the approximate space required by each exhibitor; and
(3) to ascertain under what conditions intending exhibitors would
come forward.”
In 1925, when the
Exhibition was over, the Servant of God was awarded a silver medal
and diploma for his contribution in the Committee.
- Archbishop’s
Representative on the Committee of the Zammit Clapp Hospital
According to a
letter sent by the General Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta,
Mgr E. Vassallo, to Mgr De Piro, Dean of the Metropolitan Chapter of
the Cathedral, the said Chapter was supposed to choose a canon who
could represent the Archbishop on the Committee of the Zammit Clapp
Hospital, St Julian’s, Malta.
From the several reminders Vassallo sent to the Cathedral Chapter
one can rightly conclude that this choice of a representative had to
be done each year.
On 28 January 1925 Canon Philip Muscat, Chancellor of the Cathedral
Chapter wrote to the General Secretary Vassallo and informed him
that De Piro had been confirmed representative of the Chapter on the
Zammit Clapp Committee even for that year.
Which meant that the Servant of God had already been representative
at least during the previous year. The last note we have in relation
to this representation is of 13 December 1930. This says that
Monsignor was confirmed as representative even for the following
year, that is for the year 1931.
-
Archbishop’s
representative on the organising committee for the visit of the Duke
and Duckess of York (1927)
On 17 June 1927
Prince Albert, Duke of York , the future King George VI, and his
wife, the Duchess, began an official visit to Malta. They had an
intensive programme to follow. This was prepared by a Committee
chosen specifically to organise this visit.
From a letter written by the Servant of God on 22 May 1927 to the
Secretary General of the Archdiocese, one can conclude that the
former was chosen by the Archbishop to represent him on this
organising Committee.
-
Member of the Tourism
Committee
According to a
letter written to De Piro on 8 November 1927 by the secretary to the
Minister for Public Instruction, Monsignor was also chosen as member
of the Tourism Committee.
From the correspondence still preserved in the De Piro Archives we
know that this Committee mainly dealt with the establishment of a
group of tourist guides who could take care of visitors to the many
churches of Malta, epecially the Cathedral at Mdina and St John’s
CoCathedral in Valletta.
The members of the Committee were expected to draw a draft of the
regulations that were to be observed by these guides.
- Mediator
between the Church and Lord Gerard Strickland
When one
comes to know that the Servant of God was so much involved in the
social life of our country, one may conclude that he was also active
in its political dimension. One may arrive all the more at the same
conclusion when one knows that the De Piros were quite involved in
politics in some one party or other. Monsignor might have had his
own personal convictions but he never expressed these same opinions
in public. It was because of this that he could serve as a mediator
between the Church and one of the primeministers of Malta, Lord
Gerald Strickland, during the years 1930-1932. It was to this
intervention that the Daily Malta Chronicle referred in an
appreciation published on 19 September, 1933:
Monsignor De Piro - A Tribute to his
Memory
... For a little more than a year ...
since the opening of the present Parliament ... he (Monsignor De
Piro) had, in addition to his manifold roles, yet another ... he was
one of the Archbishop’s representatives in the Senate ... a task we
are inclined to believe, he must have undertaken out of that sense
of duty and utter selflessness which were uppermost in his
character; for he fought shy of politics and kept away from the
political strife. Yet there has been a notable and quite recent
occasion, when he played a remarkable and beneficent part in the
political field, though he hardly figured in it at all. It was he,
in fact, who was mainly responsible, through his initiative, his
tact and particularly his sincerity and earnestness of purpose, for
putting an end to the unfortunate politico-religious dispute which
caused so much harm to the Island; it was he who restored the
relations between Church and State to their normal and traditional
state of peace and cordial cooperation. No one was better fitted for
the task ... no one enjoyed to a greater degree the confidence of
both sides, nor possessed the qualities that were necessary to
undertake the delicate mission and carry it to a happy conclusion.
Not for that alone, however, are we all in the Church and State
alike profoundly moved by his sudden and untimely death: we mourn in
him the loss of one who was indeed a pillar of both Church and
State.
From the various persons interviewed by
Aloisius Aloisio we know that after many interventions, Monsignor
was once again an instrument of peace, this time between Strickland
and the Church.
-
Senator in the Third
Maltese Parliament
One of the issues which caused most of
the trouble between Lord Strickland and the Church was the
participation of the clergy in Parliament. As had been just said
peace was acquired between Strcikland and the Church. But the
Archbishop held the right to have representatives in Parliament. In
fact when the Third Legislature was formed, on 17 October, 1932, His
Excellency nominated two Monsignori as members of the Senate; Mgr De
Piro was again one of the two.
After his
death, the Daily Malta Chronicle commented about this other duty of
De Piro:
A little more than one
year ago, Mgr De Piro was entrusted with another duty besides the
others he had. He was chosen as one of the Archbishop’s
representatives in the Senate. We feel we can say that he accepted
only because he considered it his duty and on his part he never
sought his own interests. For him duty and dedication to others came
first...
We know what were “the other duties” of De Piro! As
has already been
said he was Canon and Dean of
the Cathedral Chapter. He was also
Director of six ecclesiastical
charitable Institutes. Besides, the Servant of God had, in 1910,
founded the Missionary Society of St Paul which by 1932, had already
four communities in Malta and a mission in Abyssinia. Not to mention
the hundred and one other responsibilities and ministries.
Monsignor did not intervene too often in the Senate, only some three
times. “The dedication” mentioned above could be seen more in his
regular attendence, although his interventions, especially one, were
a very positive contribution to the social life of Malta and the
Maltese.
(iiia)
Institutionalised charity
The connection of
De Piro with St. Joseph’s Institute, Santa Venera, from early on in
De Piro’s life has already been referred to.
Before he was ordained priest he had already made his wishes clear
to Archbishop Peter Pace; he wished to go and live there together
with the other two priests.
When still a seminarian he had sent donations to the Institute.
And once he spent one whole month at the Institute substituting Fr.
George Bugeja in the running of the Institute.
However it transpired that though working with six different
Institutes, this ministry of his was not to start at St Joseph’s,
Malta.
In 1860 Fra Diegu
Bonanno, a Franciscan Minor, began providing shelter for those young
women who for one reason or another ended up on the Maltese streets,
often to the detriment of their reputation. This initiative had a
small beginning. In time however, this work began to grow. Fra Diegu
died on 4 May 1902.
His fellow Franciscans spent some time running the Institute, but
then had to leave, consigning it to the Diocese on 2 August 1907.
Archbishop Pace accepted the advice of Fr. George Bugeja, of St
Joseph’s Institute, about whom to place in charge of Fra Diegu
Institute. Bugeja had no hesitation in suggesting De Piro,
and the Archbishop took the cue, nominating him as Director of Fra
Diegu.
The Archbishop did
not choose the Servant of God only because of what Fr. George had
told him but as his Excellency declared in the nomination, also
because he had realised that Fr. Joseph was a good, diligent wise,
and active priest.
- Secretary of the
Committee of the Bishop’s Foundation for Bread to the Poor during
the War
On 1 December 1916
the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Mauro Caruana:
Desiderosi di recare qualche aiuto ai
poveri che formano la parte eletta del nostro gregge e che pei tempi
calamitosi che corrono, difficilmente possono procacciarsi il
necessario alla vita; abbiamo creduto di costituire un Comitato …
allo scopo di raccogliere fondi per poter coll’aiuto della divina
Providenza, allargare la distribuzione del pane dove se ne sente il
bisogno.
Mgr Joseph De Piro
was nominated secretary of this Committee.
In the same decree of foundation the Archbishop appealed to the
archpriets, parishpriests, curates, religious superiors and rectors
of churches to help the Committee with the collections of money.
In fact His Excellency ordered that in every church there would be a
collection specifically for this aim.
He even appealed to the rich individuals to help.
The Committee
published in the La Diocesi: Bullettino Ufficiale Ecclesiastico
di Malta, almost each month, for 15 times, the lists of
benefactors who contributed towards the Fund.
- Director of
the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Zejtun, Malta
In 1922, Mgr De Piro was assigned the
responsibility of the second ecclesiastical charitable Institute,
Jesus of Nazareth Institute, in Zejtun, Malta. The contacts with
Guzeppina Curmi, the Foundress of this Orphanage, had already been
established much earlier. In fact; even before 1913, Guzeppina
sought spiritual direction from Monsignor, and she continued to do
so even after opening the first and second houses in Zejtun. For a
time this contact was not maintained. It was then in 1922 that Madre
Curmi sought the Servant of God; she came with the proposal that he
become the director of the Institute which she and some of her
companions had at the house of Marquis Testaferrata Bonnici in
Zejtun. De Piro wrote these words to the Archbishop, “… la mia
direzione per l’Istituto Gesù Nazzareno, che io non accettaì, questa
volta, se non pel tramite di Vra Eccza …”
As the number of
children was increasing steadily Madre Curmi felt the need to build
a better Institute. After borrowing some money she bought a piece of
land near “San Girgor”, Zejtun, and in 1925 started the construction
works.
With the laying of the foundation stone De Piro, though already
laden with a lot of other things, had to cater also for the many
demands arising from such an enterprise as building a new institute.
The many letters we have show how he had to deal with Government
departments, benefactors, and agents so as to propel the work. He
did this for no less than five years, when on 16 July 1930 the first
part of the building was inaugurated.
- Director of St
Joseph’s Institute, Santa Venera, Malta
After being for two years Rector of the
Major Seminary in Mdina, De Piro requested that he be relieved of
the post. He wished to dedicate himself more fully to the religious
missionary Society which he had founded a few years earlier.
In spite of the fact that Archbishop Mauro Caruana had acceded to
this request,
two years later his Excellency nominated the Servant of God to yet
another post, that of Director of St. Joseph Institute, Santa
Venera.
This time De Piro did not even mention the Society. He accepted the
Archbishop’s request immediately. This meant that De Piro became
Director of St Joseph’s no less than 15 years after being first
nominated Director of Fra Diegu.
We have already noted how intimately De
Piro’s option for the poor was linked with St. Joseph’s,
Malta.
Also, we have to keep in mind that this was not simply a personal
option, but even one for his prospective missionary Society. After
returning from Switzerland, he immediately tried to find priests who
could join him in the setting up of his society. To Fr Emmanuel
Vassallo, director of St Joseph’s, he even presented his project in
writing.
When writing about the scope of the Society, De Piro mentioned St
Joseph’s Home as one of the “Campi prossimi d’azione” for the
members of his Society.
This was to occur in reality a short time after De Piro’s nomination
to St. Joseph’s, since the Freres De La Salle who were running St
Joseph’s, were finding it difficult to continue doing so because of
lack of vocations.
When they left, De Piro called in the members of his Society to
replace them.
- Director of St
Joseph’s Institute, Ghajnsielem, Gozo
Soon after the
setting up of St. Joseph’s Home, in Santa Venera, by Mgr Francesco
Bonnici, Bishop Pietro Pace, a Gozitan and a former Bishop of Gozo,
expressed his wish that a branch be opened in Malta’s Sister Island
to cater for its orphans and needy boys. Because of certain
difficulties that arose, this project never materialised.
Three years later, three Maltese men, most probably encouraged by
Archbishop Pace, tried to start a house where they could shelter
abandoned boys. Again, this other initiative never saw the light of
day.
Another effort was done by Fr John Camilleri, one of the
parishpriests of Gozo. Knowing that the Freres De La Salle were
taking care of St Joseph’s, Malta, he invited them to start
something similar in Gozo. He seemed to have persuaded the Malta
Delegate of the Congregation. In fact the latter asked the Bishop of
Gozo, Mgr Giovanni Camilleri, to open a College for boys where the
Freres intended to impart a religious and civil education as well as
a solid and theoretical and practical instruction in arts and
trades. Bishop Camilleri who had been wishing to start something
similar blessed and approved the venture. Yet the problems seemed
too big to overcome and the project never materialised.
However the need
for a home for the Gozitan abandoned boys continued to be felt and
on 17 November 1923 the parish priests of Gozo drew up a notarial
contract whereby such an orphanage could be founded. For this end
they were to ask for a LM1000 subsidy from the government in return
for an undertaking to keep twenty orphans in the home which they
proposed to call the Diocesan-Parochial Orphanage and which was to
be sited at Ghajnsielem, Gozo.
This proposal was accepted by Mgr Michael Gonzi who in the meantime
had succeeded Peter Pace as Bishop of Gozo. The relevant foundation
decree was issued on 6 November 1924.
According to this
decree the home was to be known as Orfanatrofio Diocesano and
the civil government was not to interfere in any way in its running.
The officials responsible for its administration were to be chosen
by the parishpriests themselves subject to diocesan approval. The
bishop reserved the right to preside over the council of
administration and to vet all applications. In case the orphanage
should be forced to close down, all property was to pass to the
Bishop of Gozo.
As regards the
actual administration of the Home, the parishpriests were
unanimously of the opinion that it should be affiliated to St.
Joseph’s Home, Malta, which at that time had Mgr De Piro as its
Director.
Always meticulous in all he did, De Piro kept asking for more
information before he would commit himself.
He eventually gave his consent on 3 February 1925. That same day, in
his dual capacity as Director of St. Joseph’s Home and Superior of
the Society of St. Paul, he wrote to the Archbishop of Malta, asking
for permission to let the Society take over the running of the
Orphanage in Gozo.
Official approval was granted on 9 February.
When Mgr Michael Gonzi chose De Piro to
initiate and direct the new Institute of St. Joseph at Ghajnsielem,
he issued a decree
which included a beautiful certificate about the Servant of God. In
this document De Piro is presented as a person who had, “… mani
esperte.”
Apart from this document there are
others which shed more light on De Piro. Since in the case of this
Institute, De Piro was not only the first Director but also the one
who moulded it into being, it stands to reason that it implied a lot
of work in order to organise the whole thing. Material in the De
Piro Archives indicates that he had to resort to Governmental aid
more than once.
Thus this man, who came from a wealthy family was now begging for
land, subsidies, and other things.
-
Director of the Home for babies and young children, Santa Venera,
Malta
As if four institutes were not enough,
De Piro’s dedication and interest for working with needy children
and youths led him to think of something new. His work especially at
St. Joseph’s, Sta. Venera, led him to realise the existent void in
the care of babies and very young children below the entry age at St
Joseph’s, Malta.
To make up for this he sought the Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth and
with their help, in 1925, opened a house for these little ones at
Sta. Venera.
In this house children “… up to the age of seven, and exceptionally
up to the age of ten” were accepted.
- Director of
the Institute, St Francis de Paul, Birkirkara, Malta
In 1927 the Servant of God was chosen
as Director for the sixth Institute of charity, that of St Francis
de Paul, in Birkirkara, Malta.
There are very few documents about this Institute, but it seemed
that the biggest problem in relation to this Institute was for the
acquisition of an adequate house. Despite the increasing demands on
De Piro, he accepted this Institute and worked as hard as
he could during his lifetime in order to acquire a new building.
- His
testamentary will and the Institutes
What has already been said well brings
out the link between De Piro and the ecclesiastical charitable
nstitutes. This is further confirmed in his will: in the orphanages
he did everything gratis.
Also, after declaring what he wanted to bequeath to the Society of
St. Paul, his mother, Archbishop Caruana, the Jesus of Nazareth
Sisters and “Dar Sant’Ursola” at Qrendi, in articles 8 and 9 of his
will the Servant of God bequeathed some things to the Institutes of
Fra Diegu, Jesus of Nazareth and St Francis de Paul.
- Director of the
Workshop or Laboratory for unemployed young women, Valletta
It seems that a certain Maria
Assunta Borg had originated the “Laboratorio delle
Pericolanti”
in order to provide a healthy environment for those girls who did
not have a family to care for them and who wanted to learn a trade
and get a living from it.
According to Borg, it was the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Mauro
Caruana, who assigned the Servant of God to the direction of this
place.
On his part Mgr De Piro never stopped thinking what could be done
for the Institutes entrusted to him. For this reason he would
change, arrange or build where needed. He also worked on bettering
the administrative systems of these Institutes. However his contact
with reality led him to see how some young ladies emerging from
these same Institutes, were finding no one to receive them and thus
ended up roaming about with some of them even seeking employment in
the pubs.
De Piro did not remain idle when faced with this reality; he did his
best to help these poor women. He thus accepted the Archbishop’s
assignment and embarked on this important project, the Laboratory.
The Workshop had a very difficult
beginning. Mgr De Piro had to work very hard to find a place for it.
The government was not very forthcoming.
However the main difficulties arose after the Laboratory was opened.
In fact we can say that this was a continual source of tension for
De Piro. He had to see from where to get the funds. At one point he
even went as far as organising a musical concert at the Royal
University, in Valletta.
Then he had to take care of the administration of the Project,
something which was even more difficult. To complicate matters the
person who was helping him was being given advice which went
diametrically opposite to his plans.
In the end the Laboratory had to be closed down!
- Director of
the Birkirkara Oratory
Birkirkara is one
of the oldest and most populous towns in Malta. There, early in the
twentieth century, an Oratory was built in its eastern part, to
cater for the christian formation of the sons of the people.
In 1910, Canon
Michael Sammut, a priest from Birkirkara, and Notary Michael L.
Casolani, obtained a plot of land for the building of a chapel.
It was Casolani who paid for its construction,
which was completed in four months and solemnly inaugurated on 31
July 1910.
Casolani had hoped that the Salesian Brothers would look after the
chapel and provide a religious and civil education for the people’s
children according to the methods of St John Bosco. In fact the
chapel was dedicated to Our Lady, Help of the Christians, patroness
of the Salesians.
A short time
after, an Oratory was built adjacent to the chapel. Again Casolani
paid for the building and, in accordance with his wishes, it was
entrusted to the Salesians who named it “Domenico Savio Oratory”.
When the Salesians
gave up the Oratory in 1912 due to a shortage of priests in their
congregation, the Freres De La Salle took over and renamed it after
St. John Baptist De La Salle.
But the Freres too had to give up responsibility of the Oratory
since they were finding it hard to get enough vocations.
For a number of
years the Oratory continued in its mission under the general
direction of its two founders.
On 15 December 1925 Casolani wrote to the Servant of God asking him
to take over the Oratory.
Although at that time De Piro had his hand full with his Society and
the various charitable institutions, and his physical condition was
giving him reason for concern,
he seriously considered taking over the Oratory for the Society of
St. Paul, asking Casolani for detailed information regarding all the
conditions he wanted to impose.
Since the Society
was still a diocesan one the Archbishop’s approval was necessary
before the Oratory could be accepted.
The Archbishop gave his consent on 21 January 1927
and the relevant contract was signed on 4 April.
De Piro made it quite clear that the Oratory was only being accepted
on behalf of the Missionary Society of St. Paul,
and that there should be no interference in its running by any other
congregation.
On its part the Society undertook to continue that spiritual welfare
that was already being performed and to accept responsibility for
all future expenses.
The ceding of the
Oratory to the Society came at a most opportune time because its
co-founder and director, Canon Michael Sammut died soon afterwards
on 11 November 1927.
The primary
concern of the Oratory was to educate the young poor children of the
area,
spiritually.
The children had mass daily and were encouraged to go to confession
every Saturday. The main feasts observed by the Oratory were
Christmas and Our Lady, Help of Christians.
The Servant of God, however, did not neglect the physical and
intellectual development of the children. The catechists supervised
them as they played in the playground and produced modest theatrical
representations to bring out their hidden talents.
For the first few
years of the Society’s administration, De Piro was formally
considered the Superior of the Oratory. It was he who signed all
correspondence and other documents.
Monsignor had also
struck a very close friendship with Notary Casolani with whom he
shared a deep desire for charitable deeds.
Casolani was eventually drawn towards the Society and he considered
it more than a coincidence that both the Society and the Oratory had
been inaugurated in the same year, 1910.
Mgr De Piro also
had in mind the utilising of the Oratory as a sort of aspirandate
for those who wished to join the Society as either priests or
brother - catechists. This possibility was discussed during a
council meeting on 4 August 1928.
As the Founder said in the following meeting of 11 August, the
Birkirkara Oratory would serve as a kind of Training School, while
the novitiate proper would remain at Mdina or Hamrun (Santa Venera),
or at St. Agatha’s when this bui1ding would be completed.
It was planned that the Training School, which was dedicated to the
Assumption of Our Lady, would open towards the end of the at same
year.
The Training
School was placed under the directorship of Fr Michael Callus. It
remained open for only six years, that is a few months after De
Piro’s death. But it has always been considered as intimately
connected with the early years of the Society in Birkirkara.
(iiib) A
non-institutionalised charity
Not all charitable activities of Mgr De
Piro were so organised as presented above. It was not the first time
that the Servant of God helped families of members of his Society.
Also, a glance at the Petty Cash Books of St. Joseph’s, Sta. Venera,
would prove illuminating. One would find entries such as
“To.... ’s mother,” “To …’s father,” “To an unfortunate poor lady”,
“To a poor family”, or “Elemosina donated at the door”.
This latter entry is quite frequent and at times involved relatively
substantial amounts of money.
(iiic) Working
for justice
nother virtue which accompanied De
Piro’s virtue of charity was justice. De Piro sometimes increased
the wages of the employees. This is borne out with a look at the
registers Casa di San Giuseppe - Ist. Bonnici, Piccola
Cassa. At a time when government pensions were still inexistent
he gave a pension to those who finished working at St. Joseph’s
Institute. Also pensions were given to widows of such workers. The
same treatment was meted out to the teachers at the Cathedral
School, at Mdina.
- “The idea”
When writing
about De Piro’s period of the diaconate it was said that this was
the time when he had to decide whether to go to the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica” or to St Joseph’s
Institute, Malta.
It was also said that he wanted to settle in the Institute in order
to be with other priests taking care of orphans.
But this was not the only reason. He himself also said that,
“Una delle ragioni che mi
inducevano di stabilirmi nella Casa di S. Giuseppe è stata la
seguente: ‘Perchè un sentimento interno mi dice, che Iddio da questo
istituto voglia formare a Malta, una Congregazione di Sacerdoti
sotto il Patrocinio di San Paolo, e così nel rendere stabile l’opera
a Malta, si diffonda anche all’estero’.”
This was the time when De Piro was
still at his studies, but had it not been for his spiritual
director, Padre Gualandi, who told him to stop thinking about this,
Joseph would have developed furthermore his “idea”.
Referring to De Piro’s Diary one finds
out that the Servant of God obeyed the advice of his spiritual
director.
During the remaining months of his stay in Rome he dedicated himself
to his studies. Then, when he went for eighteen months in Davos,
Switzerland, to recuperate his health, he could do nothing because
he was too far away from Malta, where he intended to start his
project.
The first person to whom De Piro said
something about his “idea” was Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the then
director of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta. It was on 16 January 1905.
Vassallo did not discourage De Piro but at the same time the former
did not seem so enthusiastic about the project.
Yet the contacts between De Piro and Vassallo continued.
On 11 February 1905 Vassallo suggested to the Servant of God to put
down his “idea” in writing.
On 22 February 1905 De Piro wrote this in his Diary:
Trovandomi in Valletta
invece di mandare la lettera mi portaì dal Vassalli e gli dissi che
non intendevo scrivere ciò che mi aveva domandato, lo esortaì alla
preghiera e gli dissi che non l’avrei cercato più. Però circa due
giorni dopo aprendo lo ‘Chainion’ Comp. di Meditazione, mi ha fatto
cambiare l’idea, la meditazione sul vangelo della prossima domenica
Sexagesima. ‘Il buon pensiero è un seme che il Salvatore getta nell’
anima nostra’.
De Piro tried
twice to write down his “idea”, but was unsuccessful. The third time
he succedded in doing so.
At the same time he kept contact with Vassallo.
On 7 August 1905 Fr Joseph met the latter and gave him the project
in writing:
1.
Una società di Missionari - pel
presente non è facile il dire se debba essere regolare o secolare,
però se coll’aiuto di Dio e della Vergine si arriverà all’erezione
di corpo regolare, questo deve essere perfettamente tale e deve
cercare il modo ed i mezzi di tenere a se aggregati il Clero
Secolare.
2.
Lo scopo principale, come indica
il nome della Società, consiste nelle Missioni estere.
3.
Campi prossimi d’azione possono
essere:
a)
La Casa di S. Giuseppe
b)
Le colonnie di Maltesi
all’estero ed
c)
a bordo le corazzate etc.
4.
Affidare la società al valido
patrocinio di S. Paolo, dal quale prenderà il nome.
5.
Pel presente non fare voti ne
giuramenti, però dobbiamo essere disposti a secondare la Volontà
Divina con somma generosità. La nostra parola d’ordine deve essere,
‘Sequar te quocumque ieris’
6.
Fare ogni anno gli Ezercizi
Spirituali di San Ignazio di Layola.
7.
Incontrarci almeno una volta al
mese.
8.
Incominciare la formazione di un
capitale per contribuzioni mensili.
In this meeting
Vassallo made some suggestions to De Piro amongst which that the
latter should meet Canon Francesco Bonnici, the Founder of St
Joseph’s Institute, Sta Venera.
The Servant of God tried to do this that same day but was
unsuccessful. It was on the 17 of that month that De Piro and
Bonnici met.
As regards this meeting, Fr Joseph wrote this in his Diary:
Sono stato dal
Canonico Bonnici e gli ho raccontato la facenda. Egli mi ha detto
che data l’indole del prete Maltese troppo attacato al paese natio;
se ben mi ricordo, qualificò la mia idea impossibile, qualora non
accadesse un fatto soprannaturale. Mi raccontò anche come aveva
lavorato ad una cosa simile e che non gli era riuscito soggiungendo,
‘forse non ero la persona destinata dalla Divina Provvidenza.’ Mi
consigliò di coltivare l’idea, che il Signore forse mi farà
incontrare con qualcheduno. Intanto mi esortò alla preghiera e di
non fare ulteriori passi, ripetendomi il detto del Padre Gualandi,
‘se son rose fioriranno.’
For De Piro
it seemed that for most of the year 1906 there was nothing worth
remembering; he did not write anything before the 18 November. On
that day he put down these words:
Trovandomi a Roma ed
occorrendo oggi la dedicazione delle Basiliche dei S.S. Apostoli
Pietro e Paolo, ho celebrato in San Pietro in Vaticano e proprio
sull’altare di S. Pietro. Ho applicato la messa in onore dei S.S.
Apostoli Pietro e Paolo pregando loro di farmi conoscere chiaramente
la volontà di Dio, ed aiutarmi a metterla in effetto.”
Returning to Malta
the Servant of God met again Vassallo who told him that he had met a
certain Mgr E. Debono, the director of the Pia Opera della Santa
Missione. The latter showed himself interested in De Piro’s
society, but from what Vassallo said, De Piro could see that Debono
did not understand the scope of the “idea”: Debono wished that the
Servant of God would join him in the Opera,
the aim of which was preaching in the
Maltese parishes. This activity of Debono had nothing to do with De
Piro’s missions ad gentes. Also, while Fr Joseph appreciated
Debono’s offer, he could not accept it because, “…essendo per
malattia inabile a predicare non ho avuto mai il coraggio di offrire
l’opera mia…”
On 10 December of that year De Piro
communicated for the first time his “idea” with Fr George Bugeja of
St Joseph’s, Malta.
The year 1907 was a bit better. Fr
Joseph met Fr George Bugeja, the assistant director of St Joseph’s
Institute, Malta, and the latter promised his help. They talked of a
community of secular priests.
No vows were to be mentioned.
They even mentioned some names of possible companions and agreed to
invite them to join in.
The year after deacon John Mamo showed
interest in De Piro’s Congregation.
Yet, it was quite clear from the beginning that Mamo’s plans were
different from those of the Servant of God.
The year 1908 offered another hope for
Fr Joseph. Archbishop Peter Pace had been wishing to start preparing
priests to go to the missions. He therefore wrote to the Superior
General of the MillHill Fathers and asked him his advise about the
setting up of a missionary seminary. The Superior General answered
His Excellency on 30 May 1908 and offered him several advices.
Archbishop Pace passed on this letter to De Piro. The latter thought
this matched with his “idea”. He in fact asked the Archbishop
whether he wanted to start that seminary.
His Excellency’s answer was negative.
The Servant of God asked the Archbishop whether he wanted him to
abandon his original project.
Pace told De Piro that he was not to do so. Rather he had to try to
find priests to join him in the founding of the missionary Society.
On 26 January 1909 Fr Joseph tried to
persuade a certain Rev Prof. Barbara to join him, Bugeja and Mamo.
In the meeting there was mention of life in community.
Barbara agreed but could not leave his mother sick at home.
Therefore De Piro, Bugeja and Mamo remained alone even during 1909.
More than this, even Mamo and Bugeja seemed to have different ideas
from that of the Servant of God: while the three agreed on the
opening of a house for the teaching of catechism, De Piro on his own
formulated the scope and nature of his project in a draft copy of a
profession that was to be made by the members of the future
institute. After mentioning Our Lady and St Paul as the patron
saints of the Society he said that the members must be ready to go
wherever necessary. He also presented the Spiritual Exercises of St
Ignatius as the basis of the rules and constitutions of the future
Congregation:
In Nome del Padre, del Figliuolo e
dello Spirito Santo, Così sia.
Promettiamo innanzi a Dio, alla Beata
Vergine Assunta in Cielo ed a San Paolo Apostolo di formar parte
della Piccola Compagnia di San Paolo appena ottenuta l’opportuna
autorizzazione dalla Santa Sede.
Scopo della Compagnia è quello di
formare dei Missionarii ed inviarli ove occorrono.
La Compagnia considererà come proprio
il libro degli Esercizi Spirituali di S. Ignazio di Loyola dal quale
estrae le proprie regole e constituzioni.
On 2 November 1909 De Piro met Mgr
Peter La Fontaine at Fra Diegu Institute, Hamrun. La Fontaine had
gone there while he was on an Apostolic Visit to Malta.
Since this very first meeting La Fontaine encouraged the Servant of
God a lot. He invited Fr Joseph to write his petition to the Pope.
In the petition De Piro, Bugeja and Mamo presented a religious
institute. Its members were to be missionaries, first and foremost
for the Maltese migrants.
This petition was recommended by Archbishop Peter Pace himself.
The work among the Maltese migrants was
first referred to by De Piro in his Diary in order to explain his
“idea” mentioned on 7 August 1905.
In the Supplica just mentioned above the Maltese living abroad were
referred to again. The Servant of God believed that the Society was
going to be mainly ad gentes,
but he could not forget the many Maltese who were going abroad. La
Fontaine got the impression that this other aim was the main scope
of the Society.
De Piro, Bugeja and Mamo wanted to have
a house for the Congregation. In the petition sent to the
Archbishop, the Society was again presented as religious, its
members were to be missionaries, but first and foremost for the
Maltese migrants.
The house was found. It was opened and blessed on 12 June 1910.
The first two members joined the Society on 30 June of the same
year.
The Servant of God did not have much
support except from Bugeja and Mamo. In 1910, after the beginning of
the Society, even these left him.
Also, La Fontaine so much seemed to have given Pope Pius X a wrong
impression about the main scope of the Society that in the blessing
sent to De Piro, His Holiness blessed the Founder and the catechist
priests who were working in the Maltese colonies of Corfù and
Tripoli.
In spite of this misunderstanding, Fr Joseph continuously emphasised
the ad gentes characteristic of the Society.
It was so much so that when the first member was nearing his
priestly ordination the Founder asked the Congregation of the
Sacraments for the titulo missionis.
The Society continued but not
without difficulties. What disheartened the Servant of God most was
the defection of some members who seemed promising, “Da
allora in poi ogni giorno ha avuto le sue fatiche e le sue
sofferenze, e se non mancarono dei disappunti e delle
umiliazioni, come la defezione di tre bravi studenti, che formavano
una vera speranza per l’Istituto…”
To balance this for a moment, John
Vella, one of the first two members of the Society, was ordained
presbyter on 20 September 1919.
The next step for De Piro was the
approval of the Society by the Maltese Hierarchy. He wrote the
petition on 10 March 1919.
This was accompanied by an information about the origin, development
and constitutions of the Society.
But Bishop Angelo Portelli, the Delegate Vicar General of Malta,
wanted the nulla osta from the Vatican in order to give the
diocesan approval to De Piro’s Society. Since the Servant of God was
presenting his Congregation as missionary, Portelli passed on the
material given him by De Piro and asked the consent of Propaganda
Fide.
Cardinal William Van Rossum, the Prefect of the Congregation for the
missions, could not see clearly (1) whether De Piro’s Congregation
was in fact religious, and (2) whether the main aim of the Society
was work in ad gentes countries or among the Maltese
migrants.
After some attemps at clarifications from the side of the Servant of
God
the Society was passed on to the Congregation for Religious.
This latter Congregation sent to Mgr Mauro Caruana, the Archbishop
of Malta, the nulla osta regarding the diocesan approval of
De Piro’s Society.
The canonical erection was dated 14 November 1921:
Decretum
Viso supplici libello Nobis porrecto ab
Ill.mo et Rev.mo Dno’ Can.co’ Decano Josepho De Piro pro erectione
canonica Societatis ab ipso fundata sub titulo S. Pauli Apostoli et
pro adprobatione constitutionem, quibus ipsa Societas regenda est;
Viso fine ad quem tendit institutio
praedictae Societatis; Auctoritate Nostra ordinaria erigimus et
tamquam canonice erectam declaramus Piam Societatem de qua in
precibus, sub titulo S. Pauli Apostoli; sub statutis quae ipsis
precibus adjicuintur, quaeque in modum experimenti adprobamus,
injungentes oratori ut infra sex menses Nobis exhibeat per extensum
et modo exhaurienti et completo statuto seu constitutiones, quibus
supradicta Societas regenda est.
Datum in N. Palatio Archiepali
Civ.
Vallettae
die 14 Novembris 1921
+ Maurus O.S.B. Arch.
Epus. Melit.
Sac. P. Vella Mangion
Cancell.
Concordat cum
originale
Sac. P. Vella Mangion
Cancellarius.
- A lot of work in
Malta and for the Maltese migrants, but priority to the missions
ad gentes
The missionary
activity was continuously the greatest ambition of De Piro for his
Society. In spite of the fact that the Congregation was already
doing much work in Malta and Gozo, especially in the Church’s
charitable institutes, and at the Oratory in
Birkirkara,
the Founder was still looking forward for the moment when he would
be able to send the first members to the missions. It was in 1927
that Br Joseph Caruana, one of the first two members of De Piro’s
Society, left Malta and went to Addis Abeba in Abbyssinia, or the
present Ethiopia.
This was not enough for Mgr De
Piro; he himself wished to go to the missions. In fact he had
planned that he, together with another priest and two catechist
brothers of the Society, would go to Br Caruana to see what were the
possibilities for the Society to work more in that African country.
From a letter sent by Br Caruana himself, it can be concluded that
the Founder, together with the others, intended to reach Abbysinia
in September, 1933.
- The “Saint
Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”
De Piro’s Society
was the main contribution he offered in favour of the Church’s
missionary activity. But it was not the only one! In 1922 he started
publishing a yearly pamphlet called “Saint Paul: Almanac of the
Institute of the Missions”. In it the Servant of God published
extracts from Papal missionary encyclicals;
information about missionary activities of the universal church and
social and geographical information about the missionary world;
profiles of missionary models, both Maltese and
foreign;
and original articles about some missionary aspect or other.
He continued publishing this Almanac until 1933. Although no one
article of the Almanac is signed we know that most of them were
written by the Servant of God himself.
(v) His sudden
death
Mgr De Piro’s desire to go to Abbysinia and plan for
the Society’s future there, had to give way to another completely
different event. It was 17 September, 1933. After the Servant of
God had led the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows in one of Malta’s
parishes, Hamrun, he felt sick while giving the Blessed Sacrament
benediction. He died that same day, late in the evening, at the
Central Hospital in Floriana, aged only fifty five.
PART TWO
De Piro’s love
for the underprivileged and for evangelisation
If one were to
analyse Appendix 4
one would find out that, during his lifetime, De Piro, gave to
society in general and the universal and local Church, at least
fifty two contributions. Some of these were minor services, which
committed the Servant of God only for a short while and consumed
very little of his mental and physical energies. As regards other
services De Piro dedicated a lot more time and energy. In the latter
group of ministries there were then two which dominated all the
others: (1) his love towards the underprivileged of any sort, and
(2) evangelisation, starting with “the evangelisation to the
faithful” in Malta, continuing with the “reevangelisation” or
“second evangelisation” or “new evangelisation” of the Maltese
abroad, and thirdly his efforts at “first evangelisation” or the
ad gentes missions.
These two services
of De Piro are to be considered as having been so important in his
life because:
(a) They occupied
most of his time. Many of his other activities implied only short
periods of time: eg., his being secretary to Archbishop Mauro
Caruana, his rectorship of the Major Seminary, his membership in
many committees, etc. On the contrary, the Servant of God dedicated
most of his time and all his energy for the underprivileged,
especially in the Church’s institutions, and in favour of
evangelisation, especially through the foundation and strengthening
of his Missionary Society.
(b) While he
carried on other duties he continued with the charitable activities
and his evangelisation.
(c) Whatever the
contribution, there were always reflected in it his love for the
underprivileged and/or evangelisation. Here are some examples:
·
In Qrendi, Malta, he went to
continue his convalescence and do some pastoral work. According to a
priest-witness, he evangelised to the priests of the nearby parishes
by organising ongoing formation meetings for them.
·
Especially because he was canon
of the Metropolitan Cathedral, De Piro was frequently invited for
liturgical and paraliturgical celebrations in the various Maltese
parishes. On these occasions he gave a lot of importance to
preaching: he thoroughly prepared the sermons or meditations - he
even wrote the whole sermon; he made it a point that he really
communicated with the listeners - in the written text which was
generally in Italian, he chose from beforehand the right Maltese
words and put them in brackets in the written sermon so that when
preaching he would use the right Malese word.
·
De Piro was very close to the
Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus. In fact their foundress,
Madre Margerita De Brincat called him “superior general and father.”
The assistance he gave these nuns was not so much because they were
religious, but rather because they were at Fra Diegu Institute, an
ecclesiastical charitable institute. Also in the “Saint Paul;
Almanac of the Institute of the Missions” the Servant of God
used to write short information about the missionary activity of
these nuns especially as regards their activity in Ethiopia.
·
The Servant of God objected to
his being made a canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral. His main
reason was that he did not want to scandalise the members of the
Society that was just starting. In the Constitutions of the Society
he ordered the members not to accept honours outside the Society;
he wanted them to be really near the poor.
·
De Piro helped Guzeppina Curmi
and her companions a lot to found the Congregation of the Missionary
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth, but he did this in view of their main
aim: the Jesus of Nazareth charitable Institute. Also he “helped
them” introduce missionary activity as part of their charism in
their constitutions.
·
The Servant of God was made
co-rector of Manresa House, Floriana, Malta. The only aim of the
House was the evangelisation of those who attended some retreat,
etc., there.
·
During the years of the First
World War, Monsignor was asked to give his share by being the
secretary of the Committee Fondo Vescovile per pane ai poveri
durante la Guerra (1914-1918).
This was obviously a charitable organisation!
·
In between 1915-1918 De Piro
very faithfully carried out all his responsibilities as secretary to
Archbishop Mauro Caruana.
At this same time he gave special attention to the demands of the
Maltese migrants and their chaplains.
·
He was nominated Rector of the
Major Seminary at Mdina, Malta. During these two years the Servant
of God practiced a lot of charity towards the seminarians who could
not pay their fees. He improved the material aspect of the life at
the Seminary. He practiced justice with teachers. He also improved
the ars dicendi or praedicandi.
·
De Piro made part of the
National Assembly (1919-1921). Through this he lived his love for
his fellow Maltese by the formulation of the draft constitution for
Malta, one which enabled the Maltese to have self government,
something lacking until 1921.
·
He intervened in the 7, 8, and 9
June 1919 riots. He did not enter in the long history of conflicts
between the British and the Maltese, but only at the moment when
injustice was being inflicted on the poor people.
·
He helped the Daughters of the
Sacred Heart to set up and strengthen their religious congregation.
The help he gave them was already a charity in itself. Then they
were founded to help in the education of the children of the poor.
·
The Servant of God was deputy of
the Archbishop in the Committee of the Peace Feasts at the end of
the First World War.
Obviously this was a charitable organisation.
·
Monsignor cooperated with the
Dame di Carità whose aim was “… di venire in aiuto a soccorrere
quei casi di indigenza rapportati alla stessa pel tramite unico
della Conferenza di San Vincenzo de Paoli di Notabile- Rabat”.
Therefore a charitable initiative again.
·
De Piro was the originator,
author and publisher of the “Saint Paul: Almanacc of the Insititue
of the Missions”.
This was quite obviously nothing but a missionary publication.
·
He was a member of the Governing
Board of the Malta War Memorial Hospital for Children.
Quite obviously charitable!
·
Mgr De Piro was director of St
Joseph’s Intitute, Malta.,
St Joseph
Institute, Gozo,
the
Home for babies, Santa Venera and St Francis de Paul Institute,
B’Kara.
All these were charitable entities.
·
De Piro was
given St Dominic Savio Oratory, B’Kara, and became its director. He
accepted this building on condition that it continued catering for
the children of the common people.
·
In 1927 he
started the Society’s mission in Abyssinia. Quite missionary, of
course!
·
He became
director of the missionary Museum and Laboratory.
Two initiatives with which to support the Ethiopia mission.
·
The Servant
of God was nominated director of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Laboratory. Another charitable initiative.
·
He founded
the St Joseph’s Band at St Joseph’s Institute, Ghajnsielem, Gozo.
Obviously another charitable activity.
·
Monsignor was
made Senator in the Third Maltese Parliament. Here he did not
intervene a lot, only twice. The first one was when he was asked to
express his opinion when one of the senators, Notary Saviour Borg
Olivier, showed his conviction about inheritances left for
charitable institutes.
His other intervention
regarded the young girls who had just left some one of the
ecclesiastical charitable insititutes or who had no family to care
for them.
·
He was first
superior, of St Agatha’s Motherhouse, Rabat, Malta. If one were to
make reference to the speech of De Piro on the occasion of the
foundation stone of the Motherhouse, one would find out that the
scope of this House was to serve as a home for the formation of
missionaries.
(d) When De Piro
thought of the poor he thought at that same time of evangelisation,
and vice versa:
·
When he thought of going to St
Joseph’s Orphanage, Malta, he thought also that from that Home there
would come out a missionary society.
·
In several of the drafts of the
original constitutions of his missioanry Society he mentioned the
case di beneficenza as one of its main works.
·
In two of the charitable
institutes, St Joseph’s, Malta, and St Joseph’s, Gozo, he did in
fact introduce the members of his missionary Society to take care of
the children.
·
He continuously respected the
main aim of the Oratory at B’Kara: the care of poor children. At the
same time there he started the aspirandate for the prospective
members of his missionary Society.
·
While dedicating himself for St
Joseph’s Institute, Malta, there he initiated the novitiate for the
Brothers of his Society.
Chapter Two
-
Introduction - Malta in the 19 and
early years of the 20 centuries
The Maltese
Archipelago consists of the Islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, and
two other uninhabited islands, Comminotto and Filfla. Since Joseph
De Piro gave his share both in Malta and Gozo this thesis includes a
background regarding both these Islands: in the immediate pages the
information is about the first of the islands, Malta, while a
background about Gozo precedes the presentation of De Piro’s
ministry in this sister island.
-
The population
The table down
here gives a clear picture of the population in Malta from 1842, the
year of the first census up to 1931:
|
Year |
|
|
|
|
|
|
106,640 |
|
|
118,596 |
|
1871 |
124,384 |
|
1881 |
132,129 |
|
1891 |
146,484 |
|
1901 |
164,952 |
|
1911 |
188,869 |
|
1917 |
223,741 |
|
1921 |
189,697 |
|
1927 |
228,574 |
|
1931 |
217,784 |
Table 1
-
The Socio - Economic Conditions
Up to the end of the rule of the Order
of the Knights of St John (1530 – 1798), Malta depended on Sicily
for its supply of grain. But the King of Sicily, Ferdinand II, had
prohibited the exportation of grain to Malta at a time when Sicily
enjoyed an abundant harvest. At the time of Napoleon’s rule (1798 –
1800) Malta enjoyed a temporary prosperity as a result of Napoleon’s
Continental System.
From 1813 onwards Malta began experiencing enormous economic
difficulties. We can say that Malta in the early part of the
nineteenth century had been reduced to indegence. This is best shown
by the subdivisions of Maltese society in the late 1840s. Two
thousand families belonged to the professional and land-owning
classes, a substantial number of whom experienced difficulties in
maintaining a decent standard of living. The wealthiest persons
included a few large landowners, some merchants’ families, and a
number of newcomers who shared trade with several British firms.
About 150 merchants, together with a few major industrialists and
retailers, were to represent the apex of Malta’s trading community.
In 1842 this community numbered about 5,000 and included numerous
shopkeepers, dairymen, bakers and the like. These probably earned a
little more than their friends and relatives in other occupations.
One can observe precious little difference between the conditions
and customs of unskilled labourers and those of the numerous
artisans on the Island. It was a current complaint, for example,
that numerous young tradesmen could never rise beyond the level of
unskilled labourers as they set out on their own far too soon, and
with little training. Likewise, one could hardly distinguish between
small farmers and agricultural labourers.
Taken as a whole the profit of the unskilled labourer and the less
able aristans in town and country areas is given as 3c for a full
day’s work in the 1830s. Women could add to this by weaving or
spinning.
Industrial activity was low. The main form of employment was in the
agricultural, cotton, fishing and lace industries. In fact a study
of the history of the period shows that in the early part of the
nineteenth century, many rural women worked as spinners and weavers
in their homes, or as beaters and dyers of cotton at home or in
small manufacturing factories. Often they even gave a helping hand
in fields and on the farm.
The economic history of Malta
in most of the nineteenth and during the early years of the
twentieth centuries is a case study in economic backwardness. The
general atmosphere during these years deteriorated; social
conditions were poor, often verging on starvation.
Going a little deeper into the
socio-economic conditions of the days, we find that the economic and
social plight of Malta was very unstable. The needs of Malta’s
population were only satisfied in times of war and crises in the
Mediterranean. The considerable economic fluctuation of the Island
was determined mainly by Britain’s decision to avail itself of
Malta’s strategic position as a fortress from which the British navy
could continue to have control over the whole Mediterranean.
As a military base, Malta was thus
vulnerable to variations in defense spending. This problem was
enhanced by the fact that the Island lacked diversity in its
economic structure.
The Royal Commission of 1912 defined Malta’s economy as follows:
For centuries the
Maltese have never been a self-supporting community. Their own
agriculture, industries and commerce have never supported them. They
have always been able to rely on a large expenditure in the Island
revenues drawn from outside sources. This has by no means produced a
pauperized and parasitic population, but it has diverted industry
from production for internal consumption and external trade to work
for the Government and the foreign governing class. A sudden
withdrawal of the British fleet and garrison would reduce a large
section of the population to illness and starvation.
The considerable source of gains from
commercial vessels calling at the Grand Harbour was also cyclical
and subject to variations. This was caused not only as a result of
alternations in world trade, but also because of the changing
patterns of trade in the Mediterranean itself.
In 1880 Malta’s shipping activity was poor. It improved bit by bit
during the following ten years. Again, by 1891 fewer and fewer men
were getting employed at the port.
Unfortunately, Malta entered the twentieth century with a decline in
trade, a fall in government revenue and a rise in unemployment. This
led to widespread poverty. On 18 February 1893, “Malta Taghna”, a
local newspaper, synthesised the situation in this way, “The social
plight of our island is terrible, particularly that of tradesmen,
who besides not being regularly employed, are treated with
the extremest cruelty and harshness, particularly by the Government,
who is paying them much less than they deserve.”
By 1836, the misery of the Maltese was
also generally attributed to their lack of initiative and reckless
birth rate.
Governor Hastings and his secretary blamed the Maltese for their
lack of enterprise.
George Percy P. Badger, an early nineteenth century historian,
refers to “… their entire want of spirit of enterprise.”
The French consul in Malta in 1840 concurred that the Maltese were
more inclined to imitate others than to start things by themselves.
However, the official report of the Royal Commission blamed the
government for the poor state of affairs. The islanders were in a
most miserable condition, the educated among them were a mere
handful, the nobles were starving, the rest of the population fared
worse.
Another reason for the bad
situation in which many Maltese lived was created by the expensive
works many of which were carried out under pressure from the British
authorities, works that the income of the Island could not afford.
It was the taxation of the people that was to make good for these
projects! And the taxes came from the bread consumers; the meat had
a nominal taxation on it! And the majority of the Maltese consumed
mostly bread and not meat! This implied that there was great misery
among the poor for they were to pay most of the taxes. The Daily
Malta Chronicle had this to say:
Most of us before
coming to Malta were under the impression that it is thanks to the
expenditure of the rich, that the poor manage to battle with the
stern realities of an advanced state of civilization… The poor are
the real supporters of Malta, because they are the bread consumers
living as they do mostly on the bread obtained from the imported
wheat subjected to that tax of 10s (50c) a quarter from which is
derived the largest part of the revenue of Malta … The rich are the
consumers of meat, on which there is but a nominal duty.
The British Empire materialised some
projects that brought about some labour activity and therefore some
prosperity in Malta. A case in point was the building of two other
docks which were to be added to the one built in 1872.
Also, on 5 July 1901, the British Government, announced that the
navy needed the building of a breakwater at the entrance of the
Grand Harbour. These and similar activities involved a huge number
of workmen; there were 9,000 Maltese employed in naval
establishments. With this increase in labour one must mention also
the increase of wages.
Seeing all this
prosperity many Maltese young men married at a young age. This
brought with it such consequences as the investment in houses and an
increase in the population. The standard of living as a whole went
up. But once the projects mentioned above were finished many
employees were discharged. While the years 1901-1905 brought
prosperity, the years 1906-1913 spelled poverty. By 1911 the number
of Maltese employed with the Admiralty dropped from 9,000 to 5,000.
Also, because of the German naval programme, Britain strengthened
the Home fleet at the expense of Malta and the departures of units
from the Grand Harbour added to the Island’s difficulties. The table
here expains the situation better:
|
Year |
Vessels in
mediterranean fleet |
Employed
with fleet |
Employed at
dockyard |
|
1904 |
59
(including 12 large vessels) |
11,995 |
5,005 |
|
1914 |
39
(including only 3 large vessels) |
8,325 |
4,508 |
Table 2
It could be said that Malta passed
from prosperity to misery.
According to the Royal Commission of 1912: “…the wages of the
working classes in Malta are low, there is much unemployment, and it
is with great difficulty that they support life…”
When the construction work and the employment with the Admiralty
experienced the rundown, since the local industry had never been
developed, the Maltese turned to agriculture. While in 1910 there
were c.7,000 farmers, in the following years there were 15,200.
Facing such economic crises and the
negative influences on most of the Maltese, the people of the Island
reacted to poverty by begging. During this time, begging was
commonplace; both grown ups and children appear to grow in the
streets. But not only; some considered stealing as a solution.
Others relied on borrowing money or emigration.
- Nutrition
In many ways the standard of living of
the 1870s and 1880s remained quite similar to that of the previous
forty years.
The low standard of living of the Maltese was reflected in their
food. The staple food of a male labourer consisted of some
vegetables, a little cheese, few olives, pasta, and occasionally
fish or fruit. Women and children had less than half this quantity.
The
main item in the diet of the Maltese was bread. The 1836 Royal
Commissioners had reported that a field labourer ate 2 pounds of
bread a day. Francis Roswell, a British Commissioner investigating
the matter forty years later, concluded that in 1877 the same person
ate from 4 to 5 pounds a day.
In
the more recent days bread was made from a good quality wheat, but
the prices were double those of the 1830s.
Meat was a rare luxury. In 1842, John Davy remarked that in Gozo, “…
only one bullock was killed for the market, and that was sufficient
for the whole population, including a detachment of British troops
who used a considerable proportion of it.”
Even visitors to Malta from 1840 onwards agreed that both breakfast
and dinner were very poor. At the time, only the rich used to eat
meat while as already said the poor were the real supporters of
Malta, because they were the bread consumers living as they did
mostly on bread which was more highly taxed than meat. One
commentator points out that, in spite of such a poor diet, the
Maltese were a strong and healthy people.
- Housing conditions
The general slump in the standard of
living of the nineteenth century was registered by the Maltese not
only in their poor diet, but also in all other aspects of everyday
life. Coming to deal with habitation Thomas MacGill, writing in
1839, attested that the dwelling of the peasants seemed
“comfortable”.
Other visitors gave different accounts of these conditions.
The lower classes, which in the nineteenth century amounted to over
90% of the total population, had very bad housing conditions. A
typical rural habitation usually had two floors, the first
consisting of one or two rooms where the family frequently slept on
straw covering themselves with rags and sacks.
The ground floor was usually meant for the animals with a dung room
receiving all human and animal excreta, which was removed twice a
year to be spread as manure in the fields by the farmers.
Sewers were non-existent and there was
no running water supply. In the towns, the
situation was not much better. Some sort of water drainage was only
available in middle class houses which had troughs of porous stones.
Poor homes had open sinks. In 1885, a system of drains was installed
throughout the harbour area. This was carried out just in time. Two
years later, an outbreak of cholera killed 435 persons and would
have probably caused the death of thousands more in the overcrowded
parts of the Island had these sewers not been installed.
Only after the beginning of the twentieth century was the drainage
system extended to most of the villages; the remotest of them did
not get it before 1945.
An attempt was made to conduct the main
water supply to all parts of Malta. During Bouvarie’s governorship
(1836-1843) an aquaduct was built to bring water from Fawwara to
several parts of the Island. In 1856 the first borehole was dug. A
domestic water supply was introduced in 1890. Until then many people
had to make use of public water pumps and private wells.
Both in town and country, ventilation
was poor and ordinary houses possessed few windows.
The 1851 census gives a fair impression of Maltese household. It was
in fact reported that only 17% of dwellings were found to be filthy.
It appeared that the population of both town and country did their
best to keep their places of habitation clean.
George Percy Badger mentioned six
reasons for the bad state of the Maltese, the first one being
overpopulation.
The worst cases of overcrowding were found in Valletta, the capital
city of Malta, and in Floriana, its suburb. In 1891 in Floriana
there were 1,249 persons living in 241 rooms, an average of 5.18
persons in one room. In Valletta the situation was not much better:
there were 4,571 persons in 885 rooms, an average of 5.17 persons in
a room.
- Clothing
Poverty was reflected also in clothing.
The family dressed in cheap, coarse local cotton – the man in a dark
blue shirt and trousers of fustian, supported by a cotton sash,
doubled and wound several times around the waist and on Sundays, a
sort of coat. Women dressed in a petticoat of black cotton with the
traditional headdress over all. The latter, made of black silk, was
often shared by all the women in the household, sometimes even by
neighbours.
Visitors were shocked meeting
people so ill dressed or in rags. Shoes were hardly ever used. In
fact, up to the late 1930s, it was still common to see town
and country people walking bare footed. Badger says that:
Country people had the
habit of putting on shoes before entering Valletta and taking them
off leaving. Nineteenth century visitors often mention the popular
story of one country woman who asked her companion who was going to
Valletta how long she had been using her pair of shoes. The answer
was that she had worn them since the time of the plague, 1813. ‘Oh!
replied the other, ‘mine are much older, for I have had them since
the blockade of the French, 1798.
- Hygiene
The Maltese themselves were dirty in
habit, displaying a marked reluctance to wash.
As had been said already, the domestic water supply was only
introduced in 1890.
Because of this, personal cleanliness was still generally rare until
the introduction of bathrooms. It was only in the second and third
decades of the twentieth century that newly built houses began to
include bathrooms.
Before these years the houses with a bathroom were a rarity. In
such conditions, it was no wonder that many diseases spread and
frequently claimed numerous victims.
This had other repercussions on Maltese society, such as the death
of nearly 50% of the infants born every year.
- Education
In early twentieth century Malta
illiteracy was widespread and education of the general population
was non-existent. The snail’s pace in education was not only due to
the government’s miserliness in the education vote, but also to the
little interest shown initially by the Church and most important of
all, to the language problem.
The Maltese language, originally
Semitic with overtones of Romance, and an exception to the group
with a Latin alphabet, had no official literary form at that time.
Italian had been the official language from the time of the Knights,
and so Maltese had not developed and next to nothing was published
in this language.
It was in the 1920s and 1930s, however, that the knowledge of
English started to spread so consistently that eventually it even
supplanted Italian.
The first elementary schools for the
people were opened in 1819. In 1831, apart from the University of
Valletta, to which the Lyceum or Secondary School was annexed, there
were two normal schools, one for boys and one for girls, supported
by voluntary contributions and by the local government.
At the nursery school children were taught folktales,
nursery rhymes, and prayers, but hardly anything else. The
Government Department for primary Schools was set up in 1840, but
the progress was so slow that by 1861, out of a population of
134,055, less than 8,000 males could read Italian and less than
4,000 could read English.
The low standard of living discouraged
parents from sending their boys to school. Boys were made to work at
a very early age in order to earn some money. The higher the cost of
living, the more this was liable to happen.
Girls
fared even worse.
The 1891 census reported that while 80% of males between the age of
40 and 50 could not read, 85% of females in the same age group were
illiterate. During this period there were also four main secondary
schools and a few small private ones. The Lyceum, which had 415
students in 1900, was by far the largest, while the girls’ grammar
school had a population of only 120. The University, which catered
almost exclusively for the well to do, had only 86 male students.
What follows shows the situation of the school attendance according
to the1903 Census of the Maltese Islands:
Children 5 to 9 years
inclusively:
|
Malta |
Total number |
In schools |
% |
Not in schools |
% |
|
Males |
9,738 |
4,486 |
46.1 |
5,252 |
53.9 |
|
Females |
9,445 |
4,856 |
51.4 |
4,589 |
48.6 |
|
Total |
19,183 |
9,342 |
|
9,841 |
|
|
Gozo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
1,144 |
689 |
60.2 |
455 |
39.8 |
|
Females |
1,168 |
665 |
56.9 |
503 |
43.1 |
|
Total |
2,312 |
1,354 |
|
958 |
|
|
Both Islands |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
10,882 |
5,175 |
47.5 |
5,707 |
52.5 |
|
Females |
10,613 |
5,521 |
52.0 |
5,092 |
48.0 |
|
Grand total |
21,495* |
10,696 |
49.7 |
10,799 |
50.3 |
Table 3
|
Malta |
Total
Number |
In
schools |
% |
Not
in schools |
% |
|
Males |
8,810 |
2,890 |
32.8 |
5,920 |
67.2 |
|
Females |
8,519 |
2,102 |
24.6 |
6,417 |
75.4 |
|
Total |
17,329 |
4,992 |
|
12,337 |
|
|
Gozo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
1,145 |
461 |
40.2 |
684 |
59.8 |
|
Females |
1,043 |
|
16.3 |
873 |
83.7 |
|
Total |
2,188 |
631 |
|
1,557 |
|
|
Both Islands |
Total
Number |
In schools |
% |
Not in schools |
% |
|
Males |
9,955 |
3,351 |
33.6 |
6,604 |
66.4 |
|
Females |
9,562 |
2,272 |
23.8 |
7,290 |
76.2 |
|
Grand total |
19,517* |
5,623 |
28.8 |
13,894 |
71.2 |
Table 4
Between 1908 and 1916 only 3,000
children followed a complete course of elementary education up to
grade VII.
To make matters in the field of
education worse, teachers were insufficiently trained and badly
paid, making the teaching profession unattractive to those who were
more qualified; many of these resorted to it only when no
alternative existed.
Primary
education began to spread after the Second World War.
From the middle of the nineteenth
century, the Church authorities showed a great interest in
education, firstly, with the reform of studies in the Seminary of
Malta, and secondly, with the establishment of ecclesiastical
schools and colleges run by male and female religious orders.
- Begging
The spread of poverty was best
reflected in the hordes of male and female beggars, roaming the
streets of towns, particularly Valletta. Beggars were an unpopular
sight with the British authorities and there were various attempts
to control them.
Sir
Penrose Julyan, a British commissioner, in 1880, noted that there
was too much charity in Malta.
In the 1850s,Valletta was described as a nest of beggars.
In the 1851 census, 1,452 persons were classed as aged and infirm
while 12,483 families, or 49 % of the population, were classified as
poor.
The situation remained pretty much the same in the early twentieth
century.
- The government’s share in charity
Through the Committee for Charitable
institutions set up in 1825, the government of that time gave
monthly alms and donations. By 1836 this amounted to almost 10% of
the total annual vote for both Islands by.
By 1854, 2,018 persons received relief from public funds, while
1,524 were kept in charitable institutions at public expenses.
Commissioner Penrose argued that anyone who lived by daily labour in
1880 was considered to have a claim to grauitous medical assistance
and medicines.
The situation remained pretty much the same in the early twentieth
century.
- The local Church’s share in
charity
Faced with these very hard and poor
situations in many aspects of Maltese life during the nineteenth and
early years of the twentieth centuries, the local Church authorities
were concerned to teach social principles and to draw the rich and
the working classes together by reminding everyone of one’s duties
towards the other, and especially of the obigations of justice.
The Church even encouraged the faithful towards almsgiving. Mgr
Peter Pace, the Archbishop of Malta, in 1909, said this in one of
his Pastoral Letters:
Let us accept it as
true Christians and let us seek to compensate the dispensations
given by the Holy Fathers. This could be done by paying a visit to
the Blessed Sacrament at least once every week and by giving alms
according to our means to the poor of Jesus Christ, especially in
these times when we are witnessing nothing except misery due to the
general crisis in all the branches of commerce.
In another Letter published in
1910 Pace exhorted the Maltese by these words:
We recommend the usual
visit to the Blessed Sacrament in gratitude for the many graces
showered upon us; and also almsgiving according to one’s capacity to
the poor in our times. Let us remember that almsgiving is the living
expression of fraternal charity.
The Church itself helped even
materially towards the improvement of the economic situation of
Malta and Gozo. At the worst times, the Church increased her
contributions by donating half the proceeds from masses for the
repose of souls.
Besides the above mentioned means the
Church felt the duty to contribute to the betterment of the poor
classes through her charitable organizations such as hospitals,
homes for the aged and the poor, orphanages, crèches and industrial
schools.
This was done with the aim that the poor would rise above poverty
and wretchedness, and better their condition of life.
Since the nineteenth century,
the local Church had multiplied her efforts to open new homes where
a not inconsiderable number of less fortunate children could receive
a sound spiritual formation, coupled with a good primary and
technical education. According to the Blue Book of 1937 the Church
had these institutions for children:
|
Institution |
Founder/Foundress |
Opened |
Locality |
Boys/girls |
Children |
|
Saint Joseph |
Andrea Agius sj and Laurica Agius |
1725 |
Cospicua |
Girls |
87 |
|
St Peter and Paul |
Bishop Vincenzo Labini |
1789 |
Victoria, Gozo |
Girls |
19 |
|
Good Shepherd |
Good Shepherd Sisters |
1858 |
Balzan |
Girls |
90 |
|
Cini |
Adelaide Cini |
1870 |
Hamrun |
Girls |
102 |
|
Vincenzo Bugeja |
Vincenzo Bugeja |
1876 |
Sta Venera |
Girls |
38 |
|
Fra Diegu |
Fra Diegu Bonanno Ofm |
1885 |
Hamrun |
Girls |
138 |
|
Piccola Casa di S. Giuseppe |
Mgr Isidor Formosa |
1887 |
Valletta |
Mixed |
80 |
|
Saint Joseph’s |
Canon Francesco Bonnici |
1893 |
Sta Venera |
Boys |
155 |
|
Ursoline Creche |
Mgr Isidor Formosa |
1902 |
Sliema |
Mixed |
80 |
|
St Patrick’s |
Alphonse Maria Galea |
1905 |
Sliema |
Boys |
52 |
|
St Joseph’s |
Daughters of the Sacred Heart |
1920 |
Zejtun |
Girls |
24 |
|
Home for infants |
Mgr G. De Piro |
1925 |
Sta Venera |
Boys |
40 |
|
St Joseph’s |
Gozo parish priests |
1925 |
Gh’Sielem, Gozo |
Boys |
23 |
|
St Francis de Paul |
Guzeppina Psaila |
1926 |
B’Kara |
Girls |
80(?) |
|
Jesus of Nazareth |
Guzeppina Curmi |
1930 |
Zejtun |
Girls |
98 |
|
St Theresa |
Daughters of the Sacred Heart |
1934 |
Zurrieq |
Girls |
13 |
|
St Joseph’s |
Fr F. Grech op |
1937 |
Zabbar |
Girls |
32 |
Table 5
Therefore:
·
Only 1 institute in the
eighteenth century; 6 in the nineteenth (all in the second half of
the century); and 8 in the first years of the twentieth.
·
Up to 1888 there were only the
institutes for girls. It was Mgr A. M. Buhagiar, the Apostolic
Administrator of Malta, who encouraged Mgr F. Bonnici to start an
institute for orphaned boys.
·
In 1937, 3 institutes were for
boys, 10 were for girls and 2 were for babies.
·
In all the institutes, with the
exception of those for babies, the children got all the aspects of
their formation, including the learning of a trade, within the
building of the institution.
·
The founders were: 4 diocesan
priests, 6 religious, and 6 lay persons.
·
No one of these institutes were
to be found in the north of Malta.
·
In all institutes, in 1937,
there were 1064 between babies, and boys and girls up to the age of
18.
In sharp contrast with this social
involvement which was mainly based on charity, in 1902, local Church
authorities took a bold stand vis-à-vis the colonial Government on
the problem of taxation which was touching the pockets of the
people , especially the poorest members of society.
In fact Archbishop Pace, on behalf of the Maltese people,
sent a petition to King Edward VII, on the occasion of his visit to
Malta in January 1902, wherein he asked His Majesty “to reduce
taxation …”
In a letter dated January 3, 1902, the special representatives of
the Archbishop and the Chapter of the Cathedral presented the
following petition to the newly arrived Governor, Thomas Wallace:
The Archbishop of Malta and the Chapter
of this Cathedral Church find it necessary under the present
political emergency to present themselves in all humility at the
August Throne of your Majesty in the present political events, to
protest against … the imposition of the new taxes, which directly or
indirectly will impoverish the lower class of the population which
already was very poor in the country.
This type of social action on
the part of the Church was directly intended to bring about social
order among the Islanders and the bettement of the dignity of the
poor. A few years after, Mgr Joseph De Piro greatly supported this
movement of the Church both in Malta and in Gozo.
- De Piro’s share in charity
De Piro had a big
share in the Church’s contribution towards the poor and the needy.
He carried on this ministry (1) in an institutionalised way in
various organisations of the Church, (2) in a non-institutionalised
way through personal and at times spontaneous initiatives and (3) by
working for justice.
Section I
De Piro’s charity
was not limited to any particluar place, but he practised it first
and foremost in the ecclesiastical charitable institutes under his
care. Michael Louis Casolani, the originator and great benefactor of
St Dominic Savio Oratory, in Birkirkara, once wished to have a
meeting with the Servant of God. On 15 December 1925 the former
wrote to De Piro inviting him for such a meeting. In this letter
Casolani considered De Piro as synonymous with the institutes of
beneficence,“Sebbene non abbia avuto ancora il piacere di vederla,
mi si dice che Ella sia, da qualche tempo, ritornato dal Suo
viaggio, che spero esser stato proficero alla Sua salute
tanto preziosa per quanti hanno a cuore le opere di beneficenza in
queste nostre isole.”
(i) Director of
Fra Diegu Institute, Hamrun, Malta
From the time he was a seminarian in
Rome, Joseph De Piro had contacts with Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the
director, and Fr George Bugeja, his assistant at St Joseph’s
Orphanage in Santa Venera, Malta. De Piro used to send them
donations for the boys living in that Institute.
In one occasion when De Piro even substituted Bugeja at the
Institute because Fr. George was abroad for about one
month ... and the Servant of God
was most successful.
This same contact with the Institute’s Assistant Director solved the
problem the Archbishop of Malta had about whom to choose for the
leadership of another orphanage, Fra Diegu Institute, at a time when
the Franciscans Minor could not continue administering it. When
Archbishop Peter Pace found himself faced with this difficulty he
talked to Fr George Bugeja of St Joseph’s, Malta, about it and the
latter immediately mentioned De Piro. His Excellency accepted this
proposal, and on 2 August 1907 nominated the Servant of God Director
of Fra Diegu Institute for girls:
“Rev. Signore,
Avendo i RR. PP.
Minori, per ordine del ‘Fra Diegu’ da essi con tanto zelo diretto, e
trasferito per atti pubblici a noi e nostri successori tutti i
diritti, azioni e pertinenze di detto Istituto; dovendo ora
provvedere il medesimo di un Direttore pio e solente, noi, a cui è
nota la prudenza di V. S., lo zelo e l’ attività, di buon cuore vi
nominiamo a tale ufficio con tutte le facoltà necessarie ed
opportune e siamo persuasi che diretto da Lei l’ Istituto ed
appoggiato dalla generosità dei fedeli, continuerà a fiorire coll’
assistenza delle benemerite Terziarie Francescane, le quali, animate
dallo spirito del loro Serafico Patriarca non risparmieranno fatica
di sorta, come fin ora han fatto per educare ed istruire le ragazze
in esso ricoverate, onde poter nella loro condizione guadagnare un
giorno l’onesto loro sostentamento.”
On that same day
the Servant of God was deputed and nominated administrator of the
same Institute:
Magna Curia Epale Melitem
Die 2 Augusti 1907
Attente deputatione Adm. Rev. Dni. Sac.
Josephi De Piro in Directorem Pii Instituti San. Francesci
Assisiensis, vulgo ‘Fra Diegu’ a quondam Fra Leidaco ex Ordine
Minorum fundati hodie ab Eccellmo ac Revmo Dno Archipiecopo Episcopo
Petro Pace facta per Litteras in Secreteria Asservatas … Sua Revma
diputavit atque nominavit prout deputat atque nominat in
Administratorum praefati Instituti eundem Adm, Rev. Dnum. Sac.
Josephum De Piro ... eidem tribuent omnes et singulas facultates
necessarias et opportunas.
Ita est
Can Al Camillleri
Cancellarius.
- De Piro’s
dedication to Fra Diegu Institute
De Piro involved
himself wholeheartedly in the running of the Institute. At that time
he had no other official appointment. He visited the Orphanage
regularly and spent hours talking to the Sisters and the girls.
Sisters Consiglia Vassallo and Felicia Vella, two nuns who were at
Fra Diegu Institue at the time of De Piro said this about the
Director, “He used to visit the Institute three times a week,
Monday, Thursday and Saturday… Whenever he visited the Insitute, he
used to go around all the children on the place of work in order to
encourage them.”
Mother Pauline
Cilia who was the superior at the time of the death of the Servant
of God, and Mother Cleophas Bondin, a teacher at Fra Diegu, said
almost the same things.
The Director kept
this regular contact even in later years when he was burdened with
many other responsabilities.
- A very humble
Director
The Servant of God
was thirty years old when entrusted with the direction of Fra Diegu
Instititute. At first the Sisters of the Tertiary Franciscan Order,
who did the day to day work of the Institute, imagined that coming
from a distinguished Maltese family, Fr Joseph De Piro would be
aloof and difficult to approach. This notion was rapidly dispelled
as soon as De Piro encountered them for the first time. Indeed they
were surprised by his ability to mix with the young orphan girls, in
spite of the fact that this was his first such experience.
- A balanced
formator - loving but firm
Srs Giakkina Vella
and Eletta Sant emphasised the fact that the Director became even
popular with the girls who saw in him a loving father.
However he was also a firm administrator and his first concern was
that the girls should get a proper education. Rather than punishing
the girls, De Pir
o always made it a
point to explain what they had done wrong. He was strongly against
corporal punishment and he discouraged the Sisters from shouting at
the girls. Sr Pacifika Xuereb said that the Servant of God used to
tell the Sisters, “Never shout at the children and always be kind
and gentle with the kids. You will win them over. Keep them always
happy. Be patient with them…”
Sr Pacifika continued saying that:
Children in those days were a bit
naughty and whenever there used to be a girl who was up to some
mischief, Mother Superior used to bring her in front of Monsignor
and tell him, ‘Monsignor, I brought her in front of you so that you
correct her.’ ‘Yes, bring her in,’ he answered. Do not think that he
shouted at her! Not at all. He used to tell her some words in a
gentle way. He would warn her not to do it again and never punish
her for whatever she would have done. Even whenever he spoke to the
girls together about their behaviour, he never used harsh words.
Rather he used to tell them these sort of words, ‘Consider
yourselves lucky for being at the Insititue.’ Moreover he used to
give them something or else invite them for lunch.
Sr Xuereb also
said that at the same time De Piro insisted that the girls should be
closely watched over at all times and that they should not be left
idle.
- Financial
guarantor for the Institute
Few people were
actually aware of the extent of De Piro’s regular financial help to
the Institute. Srs Consiglia Vassallo and Felice Vella said this,
“He loved the children a lot. He made huge sacrifices for them. He
used to go round collecting money for Fra Diegu Institute.”
Carmena Mallia, an
old girl of Fra Diegu Institute, confirmed this:
… because he was at
the same time kindness itself and was much devoted to us children.
In his capacity of Director, the Sisters of the Institute came to
him for all their needs and he was always ready to provide all they
required. He never ever mentioned where or how he obtained the
things which were asked of him and sometimes it was evident that it
was he himself who was the donor.
Mallia continued
saying that once, during the hard days of the First World War, when
the general social condition severely affected the contributions of
the population, De Piro personally paid the bill for the bread
consumed at Fra Diegu’s Institute.
- Grateful
towards the benefactors
If De Piro
personally helped the Institute a lot, it was also quite obvious
that Fra Diegu depended a lot on benefactors. On his part the
Director invited these kind hearted people regularly to all
activities in the various institutes under his care. This was
attested to by Mother Cleophas Bondin who was a teacher at Fra Diegu
Institute at the time of De Piro, “He gave a lot of importance to
the benefactors of the Insititute. He used to organise fairs for the
Institute, and also recreative activities, and he used to invite
noble persons for them.”
De Piro did not
distinguish between donors; for him it was not the value of the
donation that mattered. Mother Pacifika Xuereb witnessed this:
Whenever Providence knocked at the door
or I spoke to him of any donation given, he would promptly write a
note of thanks to the donor. When the donation was not a big sum and
still he would want to write a ticket of thanks, I used to tell him,
‘Why are you sending him a note for such a small sum?’ ‘No,’ he used
to say, ‘Small things and big things are the same in God’s eyes. One
can give so much and another can give more, but they both have the
same merit. Always be grateful for whatever comes as a Providence.
- A holistic
formation
- The learning of
crafts
In addition to
learning academic subjects, the girls were taught cooking, sewing,
embroidery and other practical subjects. De Piro personally used to
bring prizes for those who distinguished themselves in these
subjects. These prizes were often presented by some personality who
was invited for the occasion:
He also gave much
importance to the teaching of trades and crafts. Before he came to
Fra Diegu certain trades were already taught at the Institute, but
Mgr De Piro added other subjects to the list and brought about a
great improvement in their teaching.
It was not only
Monsignor who was interested in the trades. Members of his family
also used to make orders for work to be done for them at the
Institute. There was a first class dressmaker who taught the girls
this craft. The Franciscan Sisters who looked after the Institute,
and especially those among them who hailed from Gozo, taught us
lacemaking. At the end of the day Mgr De Piro would go round the
workshops and inspect carefully the work done during the day. He
also enjoyed taking visitors round the workshops to see the girls at
work. One particular visitor I remember was Lord Gerard Strickland
with whom Mgr De Piro was very friendly. The Director used to tell
us that Lord Strickland was a benefactor of our Institute.
- Care of the spiritual aspect
of the girls’ life
One of Monsignor’s
beliefs was that the girls should wear better dresses on Sundays as
these would make them realise that that day should be a special one.
The
Servant of God himself used to examine the young girls before their
First Holy Communion, to which he attached particular importance.
So much so that he personally saw to it that the girls were
suitably prepared to receive the First Holy Communion.
According to
Carmena Mallia, the Servant of God had a deep eucharistic
spirituality:
I also remember how
careful Mgr De Piro was to attend regularly at the weekly adoration.
Before the Eucharistic Congress we used to have this weekly
adoration every Friday, but after the Congress we started holding it
on Thursdays and Mgr De Piro never failed to be with us. Moreover,
when on special feast days he would say Mass at Fra Diegu Institute
we were much impressed by the devotion with which he officiated. He
not only lived this devotion in his own life, but he also managed to
instill it in us, children.
Moreover Mgr De
Piro had a genuine and deep Marian spirituality which was evident
even in his administration of Fra Diegu Institute.
His love for the Virgin Mary made him place his complete trust in
her. He had a special affection for Our Lady of Pompei. Its feast
day is celebrated on 8 May, the day on which he had finally decided
on his priestly vocation.
For some years he celebrated the feast in the chapel of Fra Diegu
Institute.
De Piro’s devotion
to Our Lady could be noticed all the year round. Whenever he came to
the Institute he never failed to kneel in front of the statue of Our
Lady and say three Hail Mary.
He was always praying whenever he found some free time. Indeed he
was always reciting the rosary.
The Director also
insisted that there should be a number of priests who visited the
Institute regularly in order to cater for the spiritual needs of the
young orphans.
- Recreation, an important
element in the girls’ upbringing
The Director
strongly believed in the importance of recreation as a means with
which to make the girls happy. He organised plays and outings and
games to gladden the young orphans’ lives. He wanted to make the
orphans’ existence in the Institute a happier one than they had
experienced before.
He had the girls of Fra Diegu so much at heart and he so much
believed in the importance of recreation that he remembered this
even while writing his will:
Articolo Ottavo
Lascio ancora a
titulo di prelegato all’Istituto Fra Diegu del Hamrun un titulo di
fondi pubblici, del valore di lire cento nominali, che attualmente
fruttifichi non meno di lire sterline quattro l’anno; il quale
interesse servirà per la ricreazione dell’Albero di Natale, alle
ragazze di detto Istituto ...”
- The Director’s
love for the families of the girls of Fra Diegu
Carmena Mallia
also said that more than once Monsignor visited the families of the
girls,
“On many occasions he was called to the
deathbed of one or other of the parents of a girl, and he would go
to assist them in the last moments of their life. He also gave
financial aid to those families who needed it.”
- De Piro’s love
even for the old girls
The Servant of God
did not care for the girls only while they were at Fra Diegu. The
documents which are still in the De Piro Archives give proof of
this: the Director recommended several petitions written to the
Archbishop of Malta asking him for some benefit either for their
entry into religious life or to be married:
A Sua Eccza Revma
Mgr Dom mauro Caruana O.S.B.
Arcivescovo Vescovo di Malta
etc etc etc
Umile ricorso di Emmanuela Sant
ricoverata all’Istituto Fra Diego.
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
La ricorrente prostrata al bacio del
Sacro Anello umilmente espone:-
Che sentendosi vocata allo stato
Religioso ha fatto domanda alla Superiora Generale delle Terziarie
Franescane e venne accettata ed ammessa come postulante.
Che non avendo una sufficiente dote,
essendo molto povera, ha avanzato domanda alla Confraternita è
desiderosa di venire in suo soccorso coll’offerta di £5 dal Cumulo
Pietro Barbieri" qualora V. E. lo permettesse.
Pertanto la ricorrente fiduciosa sul
buon Cuore di Vostra Eccellenza, sempre pronto a soccorrere i
poveri, umilmente Le domanda a voler autorizzare detta Insigne
Confraternita al surreferito prelevamento e cosi sollecitare la Sua
Vestizione.
E della grazia etc.
Presentato il di’ 4 Luglio 1919
Sac. P. Vella Mangion
Cancelliere
1 Luglio 1919
Certifico che Emmanuela Sant di
quest’Istituto, è una giovane che da segni non dubbi di vocazione
allo Stato religioso. Essendo però molto povera, è meritevole di
essere aiutata per esser ammessa al Noviziato.
Canco. G. De Piro
Direttore dell’Ist., Fra Diegu
Another one says this:
Eccellenza
Reverendissima,
Mgr G. De Piro nella
sua qualità di Direttore dell’Istituto San Fco. d’Assisi - Fra Diegu
- prostrato al bacio del Sacro Anello umilmente espone, che il fu
Sigr. Nicola Mamo, per Atti del Notaro Amabile Bezzina dell’11
Maggio 1907, lasciò trenta doti di maritaggio dell’ammonto di lire
sterline quindici (£15) l’una, da percepire una in ciascun anno
dalle ragazze ricorrente nell’Istituto Fra Diegu.
Che, salvo concorrenza, l’unica
condizione apporta nulla tavole di fondazione è che la ragazza
"fosse stata ivi (nell’Istituto Fra Diegu) ricoverata per almeno tre
anni."
Che la ragazza Caterina Calleia già
ricoverata nel detto Istituto dal 1907 al 1919 è sul punto di
collocarsi in oneste nozze, ed essendo priva di mezzi di fortuna
ricorre alla direzione di detto Istituto, domandando un soccorso;
Che l’Esecutore Testamentario, il
Signor Notaro Michael L. Casolani ritiene essere volontà del
testatore che la ragazza a cui fosse assequata tale dote doverse
essere "actu" ricoverate in detto Istituto; e perciò trova
difficolta di accedere alla richiesta del ricorrente in favore di
detta ragazza;
Che a parte, che questa volontà del
testatore non appare dalla tavola suddetta, il fidanzare una
ragazza, mentre ancora ricoverata, non è considerato prudente dal
ricorrente. Molto facilmente infatti può darsi il caso che la
ragazza dica di si, soltanto per liberarsi dalla vita dell’Istituto,
che ordinariamente incominciare a pesare a tutte quelle che crescono
in età;
Che per tranquillità di ascienza tanto
del Signor Esecutore Testamentario, quanto del ricorrente,
umilmente, lo stesso, domanda a Vra Eccza Revma, onde ottemperando
allo spirito della fondazione (la quale provvide pei casi di
conoscenza ed … "da deciderci dalla direzione dell’Istituto
coll’approvazione dell’Ordinario ossia del Vescovo pro tempore di
Malta") a voler asseguare alla ragazza povera a quà alcuna
dell’Istituto suddetto, Caterina, di questa dote dovuta nel 1915.
Che della grazia etc.
Mgr G. De Piro
Presentato dal ricorrente
il di 1 Luglio 1927
Can. P. Buttigieg
Cancelliere
Besides the
payment of these and other dowries, it was testified before the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal set up to hear the witnesses in the Diocesan
Porcess of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God, Joseph
De Piro, that the Director helped even in other ways the girls who
had been at Fra Diegu at his time. Carmena Mallia said that:
His care for us was
not limited to our stay at the Institute but followed us even when
we came to leave. It pleased him to buy bales of cloth for making
clothes, and when we reached the age of fifteen he would tell the
Mother Superior to prepare a parcel with the clothes we needed when
we left the Institute, and to start putting aside a little money
regularly to be given to the girls at the time of their departure.
Helen Muscat, another old girl
of Fra Diegu, said that:
When he celebrated his
25 anniversary as director of Fra Diegu, he invited the old girls of
the Institute. In the speech he delivered on this occasion he showed
them that he was still their father, ‘If you would be in need of
anything come to me, do not hesitate. The fact that you have left
the Institute must not hinder you from coming’.
- De Piro, the
orderly Director … and a one who trusted God’s Providence
It has already been said that Fra Diegu
had become a Diocesan Institute.
Therefore, periodically the Archbishop’s Curia sent a trusted person
to examine the ledgers of the Institute. Alphonse Maria Galea,
himself a great Maltese philantropist,
was one of those who had been sent to verify the Institute’s books.
In one of his reports he put down these words:
A Sua Ecc. Illma &
Revma.
Mgr Dom Mauro Caruana
O.S.B., G.C.O.M.
Arciv. Vescovo di
Malta
Eccellenza Revma,
In obbedienza al
mandato dell’E.V. Revma, ho esaminato io i libri degli otto anni di
amministrazione dell’Istituto "Fra Diegu" chiusi al 31 Dicembre
1915, ed i documenti relativi, e sono in grado di asserire di averli
trovati in perfetta regola. Ho pure esaminato i diversi Titoli di
Debito Pubblico nei quali furono impiegati il Lascito Hardman ed
altri Legati a favore del suddetto Istituto come pure i capitali
risultanti dalle due precedenti amministrazioni non che quello
formato per le economie del presente Direttore ed Amministratore
dell’Istituto, Monsignor Can. Don Giuseppe di Marchesi De Piro
d’Amico, durante i suddetti otto anni di sua gestione; e mentre
l’E.V. Revma m’ha offerta un’altra occasione di ammirare la
Providenza Divina, mi è grato di rilevare che coll’aiuto di Dio con
insistente affetto filiale implorato dall’Amministratore e con ferma
fiducia di esserne esaudito, non si potrebbe desiderare più ordinata
e diligente amministrazione. Posso inoltro asserire che i suddetti
Titoli di Debito Pubblico e il denaro in contante per le spese
giornaliere o altro bilancio fruttuante sono conservati in luogo
tuto.
In ossequio al mio mandato devo però
notare che dalla copia d’un ricevo di lucri pel capitale del Lascito
Baynes presso l’Amministratore dei Beni Creditari del Marchese
Giuseppe Scicluna che mi fu mostrata potrebbe, come è formulata,
risultare qualche ambigiutà quanto all’impiego del capitale se cioè
il detto capitale si trovi a interesse presso l’Amministratore dei
Beni Creditari suddetti ovvero se l’interesse provenga dall’impiego
del capitale in Titoli di Debito Pubblico ivi menzionati. Di fatto,
all’Istituto Fra Diegu siamo pagando i lucri del capitale alla
ragione del 3% l’anno. chieste le opportune informazioni a Monsignor
De Piro e viste le circostanze del fatto, sembra evidente che non si
fosse potuto agire altrimenti, ne’ vi ha ragione di dubitare del
risultato finale a favore dell’Istituto stesso già tanto benficato
dal Inste Scicluna…
Interrogato Monsignor Can. De Piro
intorno al diritto di amministrazione che gli potrebbe spettare,
sono stato dal medesimo informato che egli ha sempre prestato
l’opera sua gratuitamente (gratis et amore Dei) e che non ha
intenzione alcuna di chiedere compensi per l’avvenire.
Con tutta riverenza, mi prostro al
bacio del Sacro Anello dell’E.V.R. e La prego di benedire il
Suo Devmo Figlio in G.C.
Alf. Galea
"Betharram"
Sliema 10 Febbraio 1916
Presentata il 10 Giugno 1916
Sac. P. Vella Mangion
Cancelliere”
In another
report Alphonse Maria Galea had this to say:
Eccellenza Revma,
Per mandato dell’E.V. Revmo del 17
Gennaio 1920 ed in ossequio allo stesso, ho riveduto i Libri di
Amministrazione dell’ "Istituto Fra Diegu" (Hamrun) chiusi al 31
Dicembre 1919, tenuti dallo Illmo & Revmo Mgr Can. G. De Piro
Navarra, Direttore dello stesso, nei quattro anni, successivi alla
sua antecedente ammininstrazione, cioè dal 1916 al 1919, e li ho
trovati in piena regola e corredati dei documenti giustificativi, e
ben tenuti, come a buon Amministratore si addice ...Registri
dimostrano un attivo in cassa al 31 dicembre 1919 di stg.701.6.0
(Alf M.Galea]
L’apposito registro per capitali
impiegati in Titoli di Fondi Pubblici o a lucro presso le Banche,
suggerito nella Relazione del 10 Febbraio 1916 e ordinato con
venerato decreto dell’E.V. Revma, è stato debitamente aperto dal
Revmo Direttore. Esso dimostra il regolare incasso di dividendi e di
lucri dovuti come poi si trovano accreditati nel LiBr di
Amministrazione alle date ivi indicate, meno certamente quei
dividendi che per ragioni di guerra si trovano momentaneamente
sospesi. In ciascun conto aperto in questo registro si trova
indicata la provenienza del relativo capitale e il suo impiego, ed a
ciascuno di essi vi ho adesso apposta la mia firma in qualità di
Revisore.
Mgr Can. De Piro Navarra molto
generosamente rinunzia al proprio diritto di economia a favore
dell’"Istituto Fra Diegu" che egli amministra con tanta carità ed
esattezza.
I conti di Introito ed Esito dimostrano
il favore del pubblico verso l’Istituto e verso che degnamente
l’amministra, poichè quantunque ci troviamo in piena crisi
finanziaria, i due conti … a bilanciarsi senza alterare le assi di
proprietà dell’Isituto medesimo; ed è dir molto.
Prostrato al bacio del Sacro Anello
dell’E.V. Revma Devmo figlio in G.C.
A. M. Galea
Presentato dal ricorente
il di’ 8 Marzo 1920.
Sac. P. Vella Mangion
Cancelliere
(ii) Director
of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Zejtun, Malta
Maria Guzeppina
Curmi, a spinster, was born in Valletta on 15 October 1864. At about
the age of five she was taken by her family to Zejtun, a town to the
south of Malta, where her father was nominated mayor by the British
authorities.
In 1895, moved by the miserable situation of many poor and
orphaned children, Curmi started helping them by the teaching of
catechism.
In 1913 she also invited a group of young women to join her, and
with them initiated a religious congregation in order to take care
of those same poor children.
After passing from one house to another
Guzeppina Curmi borrowed some money and in 1925 started the
building of a new home, the Jesus of Nazareth Institute.
This was officially opened and blessed by the Archbishop of
Malta, Mgr Mauro Caruana, on 16 July 1930.
Mgr De Piro helped
Maria Guzeppina Curmi a lot. He was her spirtitual director from
1913 and for some years later.
Then, Curmi herself asked the Servant of God his help in the
foundation of her religious congregation the “Missionary Sisters of
Jesus of Nazareth”.
But according to the letter written by the Servant of God to
Archbishop Caruana, on 21 May 1933, it was His Excellency who had
nominated De Piro Director of the Orphange known as Jesus of
Nazareth.
It is this third contribution of De Piro to Guzeppina Curmi that is
going to be dealt with here.
- De Piro, the
Director of the Orphanage
In 1922, following
the death of Fr Paul Zammit, the Institute’s first director, Curmi
wrote to the Servant of God asking him to take over its running.
De Piro accepted, not because of Curmi’s petition, but because
of the Archbishop’s request.
Curmi let herself
be guided completely by De Piro in all matters pertaining to the
Institute.
In 1925 Guzeppina had obtained the Archbishop’s permission to
borrow money to buy land on which to build a bigger Institute, one
that was to accommodate 150 orphaned and homeless girls.
De Piro assumed responsibility of the project, the first stone of
which was laid that same year.
He kept a careful record detailing all expenses. These were so great
that all building activity soon came to a temporary halt. The basic
section of the new Institute was only finished in1930. On the
inauguration day De Piro delivered this speech:
Eccellenza
Reverendissima
Quanto più dura è stata la fatica al
raggiungimento di un obiettivo, tanto più è grato il possesso dello
stesso. Ed è perciò che oggi, con una naturale grande sodisfazione,
tanto propria come anche della Signa Giuseppina Curmi e delle sue
coadiutrici; nonchè di tutte le buone fanciulle, quà radunate, e
protette dal manto di N.S. Gesù Nazzareno; mi è concesso di
dirigermi, per la prima volta, a Vra Eccza entro queste nuove
pareti, per invitarla ad invocare sopra le stesse le più elette
celesti benedizioni secondo il rito della nostra santa ed amata
madre la Chiesa.
E.R.
Dal giorno, infatti, in cui la
benedizione del cielo è scesa, per ministero di V. E., sulla prima
pietra, sono trascorsi ben oltre cinque anni - cinque anni colmi di
ansie e di consolazioni, non disgiunte dai sensi di lode e di fede
verso la Divina Provvidenza - Venne infatti dato inizio a questa
quantunque incompleta, ma vasta fabbrica coi fogli del registro,
insin dal primo ancora in bianco - niente vi era scritto! e
quantunque non era da recar meraviglia, purtuttavia fu con una forte
stretta al cuore, se fummo costretti a veder fermato ciò che era
cominciato con tanta vitalità - ma il sacrificio doveva dare il suo
frutto ed il niente del registro accompagnato da un fisso sguardo in
alto divenne qualcosa, e dopo una sosta, lunga e breve allo stesso
tempo, il campanio degli atrezzi risuonò di nuovo attorno alle basi
gia quasi tutte delineate. A questa ripresa ci sembrava essere stati
meno temerari perchè la prima pagina del nostro liBr segnava un
attiva di settanta sterline, ma subito ci accorgemmo che non eravamo
piu savi di prima, - il Signore infatti ci moveva ad un termine che
doveva eccedere il valore di lire sterline quattromila - Ma ora che
il passato venne superato, godiamo! perchè non ci resta che di
lodare l’azione divina, che prevenne ed accompagnò l’umile, se non
inutile, opera nostra
E.R.
A questo punto mi permetterà di
presentare ai nostri benefattori, strumenti docili nelle mani di
Dio, i sensi più profondi ed intensi della nostra gratitudine per
l’aiuto direi spontaneo ed inspirato, col quale vennero a nostro
soccorso per questo primo compimento di un opera da tutti e sempre
ammessa come eminentemente sociale e cristiana. Tante erano le
industrie del soccorso, da farci spesso sentire la verità, che molte
e molte sono le vie della Provvidenza, ma ciò che più rifulse e
maggiormente glorificò Iddio, e sarà al certo di conforto a V.E. è
la modestia, tutta quanta evangelica, colla quale, al par di messi
celesti, ci avvicinavano; non mancarono infatti dei casi in cui
appena noi potevamo venire a conoscenza della mano benefica. Da
parte nostra corrispondemmo coll’alzare la nostra debole ed umile
voce all’Altissimo per ripagarli del centuplo promesso, ed oggi a
soddisfare meglio questo dovere, osiamo sempre a nome di tutto
l’Istituto, umiliare a V.E. la supplica di ricordare questi nostri
buoni benefattori e benefattrici; mentre per le Sue sacre mani, Gesù
Ostia verrà immolato al Padre Celeste, per la prima volta, entro
questo sacro recinto.
E.R.
L’odierna sacra e cara ceremonia forma
una prima tappa del cammino che ancora ci rimane, essa è una dolce e
soave oasi che ci rinnova la lena per riprendere il viaggio, essa è
il primo pianerottolo di una scala ben più alta; ma il cuore ...
maggiormente disposto dei nostri cari benefattori e benfattrici, ma
la graziosa presenza di Vra Eccza, che nel preconizzarci nuovi
favori ci unisce al vicario di Cristo in terra, ma la comunicazione
colla magione celeste, che Vra Eccza sta per darci e lasciarci; sono
tutte .... che danno certezza in fondo al nostro cuore di arrivare
al termine del nostro viaggio, e di sa lire in cima alla vetta
assegnataci dal Divin Volere.
E.R.
A nome proprio, a nome della Signa
Giuseppina Curmi e sue codiutrici compio il dolce ed onorifico
dovere di invitarla all’adempimento di un’azione che la rende,
ognior più simile al santo di cui degnamente porta il nome -
Eccellenza; La invito a benedire questi nuovi locali intesi a
ricevere l’Opera di Gesu Nazareno per ragazze povere ed orfane.
Mgr G De Piro
Direttore
In a report to the Archbishop,
the De Piro explained what his work had been in association with the
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth. He noted in detail the charitable work
the Sisters were accomplishing with generosity and self-denial, and
mentioned what his future projects for them were:
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Il Canco Decano Giuseppe De Piro,
prostrato all’bacio del Sacro Anello, umilmente espone : che egli
trovasi alla direzione degli Istituti Gesu Nazzareno di Zeitun e San
Francesco di Paula di Birchircara, del Laboratorio Sacro Cuore di
Gesu di Valletta, e della Sezione Infantile della Casa di San
Giuseppe a Hamrun; tutte Case indipendenti l’una dall’altra, ma che
tutte mirano a porgere una mano paterna ora all’infanzia di ambo i
sessi, ora a ragazze povere ed orfane, ed ora a ragazze disoccupate;
e si prevede che in futuro potrà essere estesa l’opera a favore di
povere vedove e di poveri vecchi, in modo pero ausiliare per quanto
possibile dell’opera principale surriferita;
Che in detta Casa di Beneficenza al
presente l’Ore è coadiuvato da Signore e Signorine che si danno al
bene di queste opere con tutta generosita ed abnegazione;
Che pero estendosi in dimensione tali
opere e dovendo provvedere alla loro stabilita si sente impellente
il bisogno di aver le stesse provedute e corredate da un personale
costituito in un corpo ben organizzato;
Che all’Istituto Gesu Nazzareno di
Zeitun, aperto dalla generosita della Signa Giuseppina Curmi,
l’Oratore a gia da tempo ravvisato nelle Signe coadiutrici con a
capo la Curmi il nucleo della divina provvidenza destinato a dar
principio alla detta istituzione, tanto che insin dal 30 luglio 1925
ha considerato opportuno in Domino a far loro firmare
l’accompagnante dichiarazione, e che ripristinata la sezzione
infantile della Casa di San Giuseppe, assunse due delle firmatarie
pel maneggio interno della stessa;
Che l’Oratore quantunque ravvisa insin
da ora la forza e l’importanza che verrà ad acquistare questa
Istituzione, pure pel presente, non osa domandare l’erezione a cui
accenna il Can. 492 del Codice di D.C.; ma umilmente domanda a Vra
Eccza a voler benignarsi di erigere le Signorine firmatarie di detta
dichiarazione in “sodalizio” a norma del Can. 707;
Che detto sodalizio verrà conosciuto
dal nome di “Missionarie di Gesu Nazzareno”; che per statuto proprio
in quanto e per quanto sono loro adattabili avranno le Regole della
Compagnia di San Paolo già da Vra Eccza. Revma. approvate con Vento.
Decreto del 18 marzo 1924; che per abito le consodali porteranno una
tunica di lana cremesi oscura con fascia della stessa stoffa e
colore alla quale verrà raccomandata la corona del Rosario della
B.V. uno scapolare e velo di lana bianca per dentro casa e velo e
cappa di lana di colore ozzurre oscuro per fuori di casa; una
medaglia d’argento coll’effigie di Gesu Nazzareno da un lato e con
quella della Vergina Assunta dall’altro, raccomandata al collo da un
cordoncino del colore della tunica per le coriste e del colore del
velo per le converse;
Che le difficolta che potranno in
principio insorgere nell’applicazione di dette regole al Sodalizio e
nella conseguente formazione di uno Statuto proprio verranno sciolte
e decise in Domino, dall’Oratore, coll’approvazione dell’Ordinario.
Che della grazia ecc.
Canco Dec. G. De Piro.
In his 1932 will, De Piro felt
urged to leave the following recommendations to the future directors
of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth,
“Raccomando intanto ai miei successori, nelle varie direzioni
di usare ogni premura per conservare la missione sociale di dette
pie opere quale intesa nei primordi delle varie fondazioni cioè a
favore di ragazze povere, orfane e pericolanti ed in alcuni casi in
riparo all’onore del prossimo.”
- His charity,
the virtue that showed most
Sister Maria Pia
Caruana was one of the ladies who joined Guzeppina Curmi when she
started gathering girls in Zejtun, Malta. She then also joined the
Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth. On 3 February 1987 she gave
testimony before the Ecclesiastical Tribunal about De Piro’s
charity, “…
I remember that he was a man whose joy
it was to help others.”
The Ecclesiastical Tribunal
interrogated Caruana again in 1989. On 12 June of that year she
referred again to De Piro’s charity and presented an example related
to it:
The Servant of God, came from a family
of barons. However he was not proud of this. On the contrary he
worked hard for the poor. When he went to visit his mother, she
used to say, “My poor man is coming.” This, is what we had been
told. He had opened a branch for us near St. Joseph’s Institute so
that we might be able to have in our care baby boys until they were
of the required age to be admitted to St. Joseph’s.
- His visits to
the Jesus of Nazareth Institute
In her testimony of 5 June 1989 Sister
Maria Pia Caruana said that the Director visited them once a month.
This was confirmed on 3 February 1987, 17 February 1992 and 2
March 1992 by Sr Scolastica Pace who had joined the Orphanage as a
girl of nine, in 1921, and then became a member of Curmi’s religious
Congregation.
- Did not talk
frequently to the girls
In her testimony
of 17 February 1992 Sr Scolastica said more than once that the
Director did not talk to them.
She said the same in her 1992 witnessing.
But on the same testifying occasions, Pace added that it was the
nuns who did not allow the girls to talk to the Director:
Those who were in charge of us kept us
back.
In the new home there was Madre Teresa
who, among other things, used to tell me to fry hazelnuts for him. I
wished to give them to him myself, but she would not let me. In fact
they did not let us approach him.
We children were not allowed to
approach Mgr De Piro. I do not think that this was Monsignor’s will.
Miss Vincenza Degabriele was very strict with us; she would not
allow us approach him or talk to him. This produced in us, girls, a
fear of Mgr De Piro, or better, of Miss Vincenza, which, however,
psychologically, became a fear of Mgr De Piro himself. Therefore
when I say that Mgr De Piro was “a very serious person”, I do not
mean that he was proud, or nervous, or that he never smiled, but I
am only giving my impression of him, caused in me primarily by Miss
Vincenza’s attitude. For my part, I wished very much to be able to
talk to him, and felt a spiritual attraction towards him.
- But he was gentle
and kind with the girls … and enjoyed their company
This was confirmed by Pace herself, “…
he spoke to me gently and kindly. He allowed me to talk freely”:
We attended Mass at St. Joseph’s
Institute every year on the 19 March. This was in the morning. Then,
on some date near the 19 March, in the evening, he came to our
Institute at Zejtun, where our Congregation prepared a concert for
the occasion. We did this because he was our Director, and it was a
way of expressing our gratitude ... Mgr De Piro was seen to be happy
on the occasion.
- Non-talkative
but sociable
During the visits
De Piro made to the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Sr Maria Pia
Caruana noticed that the Servant of God did not talk too much.
At the same time
Caruana elaborated on this:
… when he was at
Valletta one did not expect to be greeted by him because he had
always his eyes bent to the ground. I think that he did this more as
mortification than because he feared people, for he was very
friendly. Once my mother told me that he boarded the bus and went to
sit near her and tried to encourage her to come as usual for the
bazaar held in aid of our Institute.
- The poor and
humble Director
Another virtue brought out in
some detail by Sr Caruana was De Piro’s humility:
The Servant of God came from a family
of barons. However he was not proud of this. On the contrary he
worked hard for the poor. When he went to visit his mother, she
used to say, ‘My poor man is coming.’ This, is what we had been
told. I know that his clothes were smart but with no difference
from other priests. When he visited us he did not wear Monsignor’s
clothes. He traveled by cab or by route bus with others. When we put
up a bazaar to build the Institute he himself gave a helping hand,
spoke to everyone, and at times bought things from there. Once I
remember there was his mother selling articles at the bazaar and he
bought a dress for the children from her. She wanted to give it to
him free of charge, but he insisted on paying as he in fact did. He
was a humble person. He was not particular about food and ate what
we prepared for him. As regards money, I think he was careful how to
use it; I do not think that he used it carelessly although he was
always ready to give generously. I remember we used to go to beg
alms at St. Paul’s Bay and Mellieha. To lessen the problem of daily
transport, the Marchioness Marija of the ‘Bon Kunsill’, Zejtun, used
to let us stay for a whole week at her house in St. Paul’s Bay. One
summer she could not let us use it and M. Teresa told the Servant of
God, about this. He made arrangements for us with his Brother Fr
Santin who received us in his house and we did not lack anything.
- Holistic care
of the girls
The words of Sister Maria Pia
Caruana are quite clear about this, “Mgr De Piro took great care of
the children’s health both physically and spiritually.”
- Physical health
Caruana referred
to De Piro’s attention to the physical health of the inmates of the
Jesus of Nazareth Institute, “… he asked the Madre to send a Sister
to train as a nurse. The Madre sent me… I also remember that we had
a girl who always had fever and he took care to take her to another
place for a change of air. In fact she was healed.”
- Food
Sr Scolastica Pace was not
happy at all with the food at the Institute, “When I entered
the Institute, the food was very poor, and it was not hygienic.
Things remained the same.”
- Hygiene
As regards the hygiene Sr Pace said
that “… cleanliness was fairly good”.
- Clothing
Sr Pace was satisfied with the clothes
they had, “Our clothes, especially what we wore outdoors, were not
bad.”
“Clothing
was sufficient, though in winter we suffered cold. The clothes used
in the Institute were not comfortable, especially our shoes. The
clothes we used outside the Institute were very neat.”
- Schooling
Again Sr Scolastica Pace was not happy
with the schooling that was given at the Institute, “Teaching was of
a low standard. Also, when De Piro took over there was no change.”
Five years after
the above testimony, Pace corrected a bit her previous witnessing,
“At the Institute we received just rudimentary education. Sisters
Pia and Maura taught us some simple arithmetic, a little Maltese and
Italian. Later, when I was about twelve, three sisters, Asphar by
surname, took over our education and there was great progress.”
And Asphar went to the Institute at the time of De Piro!
- Crafts
Sr Pace referred
to a particular craft which was encouraged by the Servant of God at
the Institute, “… he was very interested in gold embroidery on
sacred vestments. It was he who told us how to appreciate it.”
Pace also said that, “… three sisters, Asphar by surname, took over
… and there was great progress. They taught us …handicrafts …”
- Recreation
Sr Scolastica made two
declarations about the Director’s attitude towards stage acting and
dancing:
We had our recreation
and also some activities. Once the Madre wrote to De Piro asking for
the construction of a stage on which the children could recite. He
did not agree and told her that, if they had a stage, the children
would go for it when they grew up. Also, once a six year old girl
began to dance. De Piro was not at all pleased.
Mgr De Piro was
against dancing and the use of the stage. According to what Madre
Tereza Degabriele said this was for fear that these children would
take to a life in cabarets when they grow up.
- He did encourage feasting
Sr Scolastica herself confirmed this,
“On the 19 March, feast of St. Joseph, we liked to celebrate the day
as he was named Guzeppi. On this occassion we also made some brief
recitation. He appreciated this a lot and appeared to enjoy it very
much.”
Sr Maria Pia Caruana emphasised
Monsignor’s efforts to make the girls happy:
He was kind-hearted;
he loved to make people happy. Once returning from abroad, he
brought the children large silk handkerchiefs. On the feast of St.
Catherine he used to bring nougat for us and for the children. On
Maundy Thursday he brought us the ring-loaf that was given to the
Monsignors. The children were much pleased with the handkerchiefs.
They were shouting: ‘See how much the Padre loves us. See what he
has brought us!’ The Servant of God hated to see people sad. This
was his nature.
- The spiritual aspect
Neither Sr Maria Pia Caruana,
nor Sr Scolastica Pace, nor Sr Cecilia Abdilla mentioned the care of
the girls’ spiritual aspect by De Piro.
- Preparation for their future
Sr
Scolastica’s testimony is negative in this regard, “We were not
prepared for life outside the Institute.”
- Discipline and corrections
In 1987 Sr Pace
testified that at the Institute the girls were treated in a harsh
manner, “Discipline in the Institute was very rough.”
On 16 March 1992 the same Sr Scolastica
said that as time passed by there was a great improvement, “I note,
however, that as time passed only one of the sisters continued to
beat children.”
Sr Maria Pia Caruana confirmed that the Servant of God did
correct when it was necessary, “When it was necessary he also
corrected us.”
But Sr Caruana also referred to De Piro’s
own way of correcting,
“Once he saw me, Sr Pia, shouting at a
girl. He immediately told me, ‘Oh, be gentle with the girls.’ ‘It is
useless to tell them anything,’ I answered him. ‘And we tell them
continuously! Imagine we do not tell them,’ he replied.”
Sr Pia continued saying that:
Even in his
corrections he was calm, though he would always correct anyone if
there was need to do it. For example, I remember that on one
occassion he drew my attention to something, for which I tried to
apologise; but he replied: ‘Tiskuzax ruhek’ (Don’t apologise). All
the sisters thought highly of him because of this.
In her testimony of 12 June
1989 Sr Caruana confirmed what she had said before, “I never
saw him scolding or getting angry with the children. On the other
hand he showed disapproval when once I beat one of them.”
The same Caruana mentioned another time
the Director’s way of correcting, “What I remember is that he let
the girl depart and then he said to me: ‘Not like that, not like
that! Children are to be treated gently!’ He did not say this
angrily but gently.”
Sr Scolastica Pace had another
impression of De Piro’s way of correcting:
Once the Padre gave a reception for
Cassar Torreggiani as the latter had given the Sisters the land for
the Institute. I had to read to him an address in Italian. Before
the reception De Piro wanted to hear me. While I was trying to read
it I made a mistake and he corrected me. I feel that the way he did
this was wrong; he seemed to mimic me. So much so that I was
humiliated and even cried. Nor did I want to read the speech. At the
reception I read it only out of obedience. Again when I finished he
didn’t even congratulate me. I think he did this to try me.
On another occasion Sr Pace
herself seemed to want to balance a bit what she had said before,
“It was Madre Tereza Degabriele who told me to prepare the
address for the occasion. I was left alone to prepare the address,
which was in Italian. It was only Mgr De Piro who helped me, but I
do not know the reason for this.”
(iii) Director
of St. Joseph’s Home, Sta. Venera, Malta
- Introduction
It has already
been said that in Malta, up to 1888, there were only ecclesiastical
charitable institutes for girls. It was
Mgr A.M. Buhagiar, the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese,
who asked Mgr Francesco Bonnici to start an institute for orphaned
boys.
In fact St. Joseph’s
Home, Malta, was founded in 1888 by Mgr Bonnici to accept orphaned
boys. From its origins in a rented house near Tas-Samra Chapel,
Hamrun, Malta, it moved in 1893 to larger premises, which up to 1919
lay in the limits of Hamrun before it became part of the Parish of
St. Venera, Malta. In order to give the proper care to the boys, Mgr
Bonnici soon involved other priests in his work. In 1898 Bonnici had
to leave the leadership of the Orphanage due to health reasons.
Mgr Bonnici’s departure almost caused the Orphanage to close
down until a new priest-director, Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, was found to
take charge of it. Vassallo was assisted by another priest, Fr
George Bugeja.
- De Piro’s
initial involvement at St Joseph’s, Malta
As De Piro himself
wrote in his Diary, he had felt the desire to join Mgr Bonnici since
his very first year at the Capranica College, in Rome (1898-1899).
In 1899, during his first summer holidays in Malta, De Piro went to
St Joseph’s to give some message to Fr Emmanuel Vassallo from the
Capranica. There he met Vassallo for the first time and a bond of
friendship was forged between them.
The Servant of God
did his best to help the Home even while he was studying in Rome.
From there he kept a regular correspondence with the priests in
charge of the Institute.
The Home depended almost entirely on voluntary charity for its
running. Joseph, although still a seminarian, more than once sent
donations to the Institute.
There was such a bond between St Joseph’s and De Piro that when all
the Brothers of Charity, whose Congregation had been founded to
provide help in looking after the boys,
had left the Institute,
Vassallo placed high hopes in the young Joseph who would one day
return as a priest to assist him at St Joseph’s.
It has already
been said that De Piro’s desire to involve himself in the running of
the Home was so strong that he even refused the opportunity of
furthuring his studies at the “Accademia Ecclesiastica” in Rome.
Still, he was for a long time afraid that he would be forced to
accept the diplomatic career.
Also, at that time De Piro was quite worried about his state of
health which could have even stopped him from realising his dream.
Then when Fr Joseph eventually returned from Switzerland to Malta in
1904, he failed to get the invitation to go and live in the
Institute as he had hoped so fervently. At that time Fr George
Bugeja had taken over as Director,
following the resignation of Fr Emmanuel Vassallo. Bugeja was to
dedicate himself fully to St. Joseph’s Home and the House
experienced a number of positive reforms during his time.
Until 1907, when
he was appointed Director of Fra Diegu Institute,
De Piro carried out his pastoral ministry in Qrendi.
During this time he did not forget his project of setting up a
congregation of priests who wou1d, amongst other tasks, have the
responsibility of running St Joseph’s Orphanage, in Santa Venera.
Events were however to prove that De Piro’s noble mission was not
destined to see light of day within that Institute! Though Fr George
Bugeja was to help him in the setting up of the Society of St. Paul,
Bugeja never formally asked the Congregation to use St Joseph’s
premises.
De Piro and Bugeja remained close friends and the Servant of God
must have made it quite clear to the other priest that he would give
all the assistance he could. Indeed one of the new Society’s aims
was to 1ook after St Joseph’s Institute.
Between 1905 and
1922 the Brothers of the Christian Schools, known as the Freres De
La Salle were asked to provide a helping hand in the education of
the boys at St Joseph’s.
Eventually the members of the Society of St. Paul started replacing
the Freres whenever these left the Institute for a few days to
attend some spiritual retreat. This activity helped to draw the
Society and St. Joseph’s Home even nearer to each other, while Fr
George Bugeja never failed to show his deep and sincere gratitude
for the part played by the Society’s members:
Carissimo Monsignore,
Sia ringraziato il Singore. La Santa
Missione dei figli di S. Paolo è terminata e speriamo che abbia dato
buon esito tanto ai nostri piccoli come agli stessi missionari; il
certo è che la S. Congregazione di S. Paolo abbia usato un vero atto
di carità, permettendo ai Fratelli addetti alla Casa su menzionata
di ritirarsi per otto giorni in S. Esercizi Spirituali e cosi’
potranno servir con più perfezione il Signore. I tre membri della
Congregazione si son diportati molto bene e spero gran bene da essi.
Si son diportati molto bene e spero mostrate tutti e tre di buona
volontà di servir Iddio e il prossimo e di più son pieni di zelo e
di ottime intenzioni di sacrificarsi intieramente pel bene altrui.
Perciò, caro Monsignore, preghiamo il Signore e facciamo pregare che
questi santi disposizioni non vengano mai meno anzi che siano
maggiori e da parte mia auguro a tutta la S. Congregazione e di più
al suo fondatore il Paradiso, ma prima tribolazioni, sofferenze e
sacrifici poichè tale e stata la vita di nostro Signore e di tutti i
Santi. Come tenue retribuzione accludo due sterline in favore della
sua S. Casa con tutto amore e stima mi firmo.
Umilissimo Confratello
D. Giorgio
- De Piro, the
fourth Director of the Institute
Fr George Bugeja
died suddenly on 23 November 1922 while saying Mass at St Joseph’s
Institute. That same day, De Piro was nominated by Archbishop Mauro
Caruana to take over the administration of the Home.
On 27 August 1920 the Servant of God had written to the
Archbishop of Malta asking to be exhonerated from the rectorship of
the Major Seminary. This he did “…per poter consecrarsi allo
sviluppo dell’opera suddetta (the Istituto per le Misioni Estere)”
When De Piro received the nomination for the direction of St
Joseph’s Institute he did not mention his involvement in his
Society’s development; he accepted the nomination and became the
director of the third ecclesiastical charitable Institute.
- At St Joseph’s
with the members of his Society
It has been said
that De Piro since his seminary days in Rome, had helped St Joseph’s
Institute.
When the Freres De La Salle were helping in the Institute and they
wanted to go for their annual retreat, Mgr De Piro sent the members
of his Society to substitute the Brothers.
This was only the beginning of the long service which the members of
De Piro’s Society were to give at St Joseph’s; when the Freres, in
1922, could not help at the Insitute anymore, the Director
introduced the members of his Society at St Joseph’s.
- What had been
the situation at St Joseph’s before De Piro took over
Alexander Cachia
Zammit, a Maltese medical doctor, a member of parliament, a cabinet
minister and also one of Malta’s ambassadors to the Holy See, knew
the Servant of God quite well because his father was a close friend
of De Piro. As regards St Joseph’s Home before De Piro went there,
Cachia Zammit was told this by his father:
… Mgr De Piro took over from Fr. George
Bugeja. During the time Fr. Bugeja was Director, who otherwise was a
very holy priest, at the Institute there was a great lack of
discipline. It was his idea that the important thing was to take a
boy into the Institute, there offer him food and a place where to
sleep and offer him spiritual help also. The result of this was that
children there did what they liked. Besides, there was a lack of
cleanliness.
- Who were the
boys at the Institute
On 6 June 1923 Mgr
Mauro Caruana, the Archbishop of Malta, wrote to the Superior of the
Freres De La Salle about the retirement of these Brothers from St
Joseph’s Home, where they had been since 1905. In this letter His
Excellency referred to the Institute as, “… istituto per ragazzi
poveri ed abbandonati …”
The above
mentioned Cachia Zammit said this about the boys of the Institute:
The children at St.
Joseph’s Institute were boys. They were from the worst strata of
society. They were difficult cases. When boys were accepted there
were the problems of cleanliness, moral problems, social problems,
background of broken families, and other problems. At that time
there was only another Institute for boys run by the Salesians,
where there were many formalities for acceptance. After all this
Institute depended on the government. Mgr De Piro accepted all,
even those not accepted by the Institute run by the Salesians.
The same Cachia
Zammit said also this about the boys, “… these children, besides
being poor, were, in many cases, dirty and infested with insects…”
- How many boys
at the Institute
Dr Cachia Zammit
also testified that, “There
were many children, at least about 80 (my family took care to buy 80
presents), but I cannot say how many.”
Nazzareno Attard, who was at the Institute from 1928 up to 1933,
was more sure than Cachia Zammit about the number of inmates at St
Joseph’s Home, “…the 150 children of the Institute…”
Br Venanz Galea, an old boy of the Institute and afterwards even a
member of De Piro’s Society, mentioned
140.
De Piro himself once wrote that in 1928 there were 134 boys at St
Joseph’s, Malta.
- De Piro was
already quite busy when he took over St Joseph’s
George Wilson
lived in Mdina since early childhood and his family house was quite
near to the De Piro Family Palace. When grown up, George was also
employed as a bookbinding instructor and a teacher at St Joseph’s
Home. Because of all this George knew quite well that the Servant of
God was already very busy when in 1922 he was nominated by
Archbishop Caruana for the direction of St Joseph’s Institute:
Later, when I was employed at St.
Joseph’s Institute, I came to know that after he had spent some time
abroad, and after some time at Qrendi, he was made Director of
various institutes. During this time his family lived in Mdina and I
remember people saying that he used to come up to Mdina only to
discharge his canonical duties at the Cathedral. But later, when he
had founded his own Society he would come up regularly every day.
Nazzareno Attard
was accepted as an inmate at St Joseph’s by De Piro himself. The
former mentioned some of the institutes directed by the Servant of
God:
Besides St. Joseph’s
Institute, Mgr De Piro had also under his care the Institute of Fra
Diegu for girls and the Institute of the Nazzarene of Zejtun.
Besides these, I believe he had others in Malta, but I cannot give
details. He also had St. Joseph’s Institute in Gozo.
The above information
was corroborated by several other witnesses.
- Because of the
above, the direction of St Joseph’s was not an easy job at all
Because St
Joseph’s was not in a very encouraging situation and De Piro was
already more than burdened by work when he took over the Institute,
it was not easy at all for him to direct it the way he wished.
Cachia Zammit referred again to what his father used to say, “My
father referred principally to the troubles Mgr De Piro had to run
the institutes, especially St. Joseph’s. The number of children and
their problems, the lack of funds, etc.”
- In fact all this
and many other duties made De Piro very busy and often tired
Obviously such a
hectic life made De Piro tired and unable to give his best for St
Joseph’s. Attard, as other boys at the Institute, noticed that the
Director very often did not have the necessary rest he needed,
“… We would meet him every morning. He
liked to say Mass at 5.50 a.m,
before the boys came in, at the side altar on the right hand side of
the chapel of St. Joseph… Here I would say that even at that hour
Mgr De Piro showed from his bearing that he was a tired man...”
Some time after, Attard
explained what he meant when he said that the Director was often
tired:
When I say ‘tired’ I mean that nearly
everyday we used to see Mgr De Piro tired. Lack of concentration in
the Mass was not frequent, but often enough for us to notice it. His
tiredness was not that of a person still half asleep, nor was it the
tiredness of a sick man. We children had reached the conclusion that
Mgr De Piro would have gone to bed late at night because of the
amount of work he used to have, and therefore in the morning he was
already tired because he had not enough rest.
- De Piro could
not be all the time present at the Institute
Nazzareno Attard
did not say only that De Piro was frequently tired because of his
many duties. He also emphasised the fact that his many other
responsibilities kept him back from being a lot at the Institute,
“The Director was not often present at the Institute, except at
certain times of the day.”
Some time after,
the same Nazzareno Attard clarified a bit what he had said some two
years before:
Mgr De Piro was at the
Institute every day, but not all the time. I saw him say Mass when
we went down at 5.40 am, which meant that he would have slept at the
Institute. We did not know at what time in the morning he went out.
I remember that Mgr De Piro came down for the meals with the members
… and they used to have meals in a refectory apart. In the evening
he used to come late…In the afternoon he used to go round the
Institute.
- Yet, De Piro
was synonymous with St Joseph’s
Dr Cachia Zammit
was not at St Joseph’s as much as Nazzareno Attard but his father’s
relationship with De Piro made it possible for Cachia Zammit to know
a lot about the Servant of God. In spite of the Institute’s poor
situation at the beginning of De Piro’s administration and the
Director’s difficulty to be continuously present there, Cachia
Zammit said that, “in my opinion, at St. Joseph’s Institute, Mgr De
Piro was everything. He was not just an administrator, or
supervisor. He was the heart of the place. He lived there and looked
after everything. One cannot separate Mgr De Piro from St. Joseph’s
Institute.”
- De Piro’s relationship with the boys
Nazzareno Attard
continuously gave the impression that the Servant of God did not
talk or joke too much with the boys, “… he was always very grave and
seldom joked…”
“…
he did not encourage too much familiarity.”
“ ‘We used to meet…’ in the sense that we used to see him
and not in the sense that Mgr De Piro used to talk to us. I do not
remember that he assembled us except on New Year’s Day and, perhaps,
on the feast of St. Joseph.”
“He would not talk to us, but he used to pass by with a certain
seriousness that would not allow any familiarities.”
Br Felix Muscat was one of the
first members of De Piro’s Society, but before he entered the
Society he was also at St Joseph’s. He corroborated what was said by
Attard
“I kept my contact with Mgr De Piro
only through St. Joseph’s. I entered this home when I was about
eleven years old. My first impressions here were that he was a very
serious person; he never encouraged familiarity…”
Another old boy of
St Joseph’s and one of the first members of the Piccola Società San
Paolo, Br Venanz Galea, had the same impression about De Piro, “All
the children were rather shy of the Director; he was very serious
and rarely did he smile.”
- But he was
never one to be afraid of
But Attard clarifies what he
meant by the above, “…yet he was a very kind hearted man. We
were never afraid of him. We would watch out for his coming, but
this was only because he was a disciplinarian.”
Attard continued saying:
When I entered the
Institute, I found myself in a completely new situation and it was
natural that I was scared. However, the way I heard him speak to Fra
Santi, the fact that he spoke to me and showed interest in me, made
me drop the fear I had from that very first meeting. Fear changed
into reverence and respect. All the children felt this towards the
“Padre”, as we used to call Mgr De Piro.
By the word ‘…
slowly …’ I mean that Mgr De Piro passed along with some other
priest without any hurry. We were not afraid of him. We respected
him as the Superior of the Home.
Mgr De Piro was not
serious in the sense that he was unfriendly, but in the sense that
he wanted punctuality and exactness.
Even in this regard Br Felix agreed
with Attard, “… but at the same time he showed great kindness to us
children.”
Br Venanz Galea
agreed with Attard and Muscat; he did not want to let one get the
impression that the Director was a person to be afraid of, “At the
same time we were not afraid of him.”
Cachia
Zammit confirmed Attard’s, Muscat’s and Galea’s impressions:
I never saw Mgr De Piro angry, nor even
heard others say that he was angry with the children. But I refer
also to what I said at the beginning of this session; children
obeyed him and loved him. On his part, Mgr De Piro took personal
care of the children and their needs. I know from my father that Mgr
De Piro passed a lot of time talking to the children at St. Joseph’s
Institute about their difficulties and problems.
- Because he was
very humble
De Piro never
wanted any preferential treatment. George Wilson said that the
Servant of God insisted on sharing the common food available, “He
was humble and used to eat the same food as that of the children of
the institutes.”
- When correcting
the boys De Piro still showed them his love and kindness
Br Felix Muscat
noticed the Director’s kindness when the latter corrected a boy:
He showed this
kindness when, for example, someone of us did something wrong. He
never shouted and whenever he warned us he never did this with
anger. I remember he asked us to recite an “Ave Marija”, whilst
trying to explain to us what we had done wrong … I remember that I
realized how kind he was when I became a member of the Society and
had children in my care. Often I went to him to let him know how
upset I was about some boy. Straightaway he pointed out that it was
patience that helped us with children.
Br Venanz Galea referred to a
particular moment when the Servant of God corrected the boys at St
Joseph’s:
When the children were in the chapel,
the Director liked to speak to them, especially about some
corrections. He had another habit; several times, before going to
sleep, he went to visit all the boarders (and at that time there
were about 140 children at St. Joseph’s) and see the children.
Probably this would be the occasion for the prefect to inform the
Director about some misbehaviour of a child. De Piro, whilst heeding
what was said, always showed kindness to the child who had
misbehaved. All the children were rather shy of the Director; he was
very serious and rarely did he smile. At the same time we were not
afraid of him. At times some child was naughty and the Brother
prefect reported him to the Monsignor. De Piro would send for the
child in his room, made him kneel, told him not to repeat and to say
the “Hail Mary.” That was all. He never caned the children. Nor did
he allow the prefects to do so. He loved the children a lot.
Nazzareno Attard
confirmed what the others said, “When he talked to us he exhorted us
to be good. He talked calmly and seriously and it was easy for us
to follow what he was saying. He talked to us only on these
occasions.”
Attard narrated a particular incident which happened to him:
Once, accidentally, I was late and did
not return to the Institute for the night because the one who was to
pick me up did not take me back. On that occasion the Monsignor was
really angry and said again and again that the regulations were
there to be obeyed. He added that it was a case when he could send
me away from the Institute. However, his anger did not last, he did
not loose control of himself and afterwards the incident was not
mentioned again. I never saw the Monsignor in this state before,
neither with me nor with anyone else.
- In this
environment De Piro helped the holistic growth of the boys
In 1928, St
Joseph’s Home, Malta, reprinted a book that had been already
published in 1890. It was called “The Greatness of the Glorious
Patriarch, St Joseph”. In the introduction to the 1928 edition, the
Servant of God put these words:
… in Hamrun there is
an Institute founded by Canon Bonnici the name of which is St
Joseph’s Home. The aim of this Institute is to gather the orphaned
and poor boys in order to form them in the fear of God and teach
them a trade so that they can get a living for themselves when they
grow up.
- The spiritual care
When testifying in
front of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in the Cause of Canonisation of
De Piro, Dr Cachia Zammit gave an overview of the spirituality
imparted by the Servant of God at St Joseph’s: “Mgr De Piro was a
very spiritual person himself, and because of this, he worked hard
to give a spiritual basis to all his work. There were times of
prayer at St. Joseph’s Institute. But more than that, there was a
spiritual change for the better.”
In his testimony
given to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal Br Felix Muscat presented the
acts of piety the boys practiced at St Joseph’s Insitute at the time
of the Servant of God,
“Mgr De Piro saw to it that we children
had a good formation. He did not often say Mass for us but obviously
we heard Mass everyday. At about 11.30 am we went to chapel to pray
for the ‘buona morte’.
In the evening we again met in the chapel for Rosary and Sacramental
Benediction.”
While Br Felix
said that the Director did not hear their confessions,
Nazzareno Attard said the opposite,
“When his Mass was over, and until the
children’s Mass began, the Director would sit hearing our
confessions and many of us used to go to confession to him. He
always heard our confessions quietly, calmly and with gentleness and
understanding, and he invariably gave the same penance, three Hail
Mary.”
Attard also
stressed the fact that they had the continuous service of other
confessors:
Mgr De Piro was always
available whenever we wanted to confess. I said, ‘he liked’, because
I noticed that he was always ready to hear our confession. He
treated us gently and spoke to us calmly. He used to be very
attentive while hearing confession. He would say a word of good
advice and explain to us how to live a better life. He did not
resort to fear. All this I can say from my personal experience
because I used to confess to him. We were about a dozen who used to
go to him for confession. No one of us would complain. We had the
opportunity to choose another confessor; confessors regularly
attended on Saturdays (among them Mgr George Preca).
I felt more at ease to confess to Mgr De Piro.”
In his testimony
to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal Nazzareno Attard also mentioned other
spiritual activities besides confessions, “The prayer of the ‘Buona
morte’ was said everyday. It was a prayer for the benefactors who
were dying at the moment. I found it there and it had existed before
Mgr De Piro became Director. Besides, Rosary was always recited
before the statue of St. Joseph. I do not know how this custom
originated or how it ceased.”
Attard also said that:
I do not remember that we used to have
spiritual exercises during Lent or the other celebrations mentioned
in the question.
I repeat, I could not go out
and therefore I do not know if my mates attended somewhere else.
However, I remember that we used to have the Altar of Repose at the
Institute and we did ‘the seven visits’ there. I used to participate
in these.
- Food
Nazzareno Attard did not
present a nice picture of the situation of food at the Institute:
Food and clothing were somewhat on the
short side and this told on us. In the evening we usually had only
tea and a piece of bread. On Thursdays and Sundays we had some meat
in gravy, and some potatoes. This meat would be goat’s meat, as
likely as not, which was collected free of charge from the abattoir.
On these two days we also had a sweet as dessert, but on the other
days of the week food was less plentiful. I remember how Brother
Jerome loved going into the boy’s refectory with a big basket full
of bread and how he would tell us that we might take two pieces but
woe to the boy who threw away any piece. It therefore became usual
for us to take two pieces and when we could not manage to eat all of
it, to smuggle out the piece left over which we would hide on a
window sill or in some odd corner. It sometimes happened that during
playtime we would feel hungry and we would then help each other to
climb up to the windowsills to look for odd pieces of bread. Even
though any such pieces of bread may have been lying there for some
time and possibly covered with dust we collected them just the same.
We rinsed the bread under the tap and ate it soaked with water. This
happened often during the evening because we had nothing at all to
eat between lunch and dinner. It was more or less the same in the
morning, the only difference being that the youngest boys received a
piece of bread. Sometimes these pieces of bread we salvaged from
their hiding places we would somehow toast by placing them on a part
or other of certain machines which parts became redhot while the
machine was running.
However, Attard himself admitted that
notwithstanding this poor situation, at the Institute it was far
better than at home, “I must admit however that in spite of all
this, things were much better at the Institute than they were at
home.”
Even three years after
depositing the above testimony, Attard said the same thing, and he
added that this was the opinion of other boys:
I should add however, that food and
life at the Institute, in my case, were much better than what I had
received at home. The way the other children spoke, from the very
first moment I entered the Institute, showed that this was their
opinion as well. I cannot say if, in normal families, food was
better and more abundant or not.
Br Felix Muscat agreed with
Attard as regards the poor situation of food at St Joseph’s, but
added that the Director did his best to keep the boys healthy:
As regards food, I
cannot say that we suffered hunger, but at the same time we did not
have more than the necessary. De Piro did not like innovations, not
even in food. I should think that he was so cautious about food and
clothing because he was afraid of a shortage of money. That is why
he was reluctant to introduce new things. It is to be remembered
that at that time his intention was to enlarge the Institute.
It is to be noted that he was careful not only about the boys but
also about himself; he lived a poor man. His clothes were made of
the same material as that of the children’s clothes. Again, he
wished that the children were better. When he went abroad he did his
best to bring them, for example, some crate of the best olive oil.
He used to say that oil shows in the face. In a few words when he
was careful with money he did not do this out of stinginess but
because he was aware that money was limited or to avoid wastage, or
to train the boys to live frugally and disciplined.
Br Venanz Galea was more
positive than Muscat and added that De Piro improved the situation
he found when he took over in 1922:
De Piro made
arrangements with the cook regarding the food for the priests and
Brothers whilst Br Jerome was in charge of the food for the
children. However, this does not mean that the Director did not care
about the food of the children. On the contrary he was very careful
to see that they had enough good food. Once he said that olive oil
was very nutritious for children and he ordered to have it in stock.
Food was abundant. Before De Piro went to St. Joseph’s it was said
that there had been little food.
George Wilson, the
bookbinding instructor at St Joseph’s, confirmed Galea’s
interpretation:
Before he came to St.
Joseph’s, the general sitituation there left much to be desired. The
boys’ evening meal, for instance, was very meagre indeed. This was
because Fr George Bugeja, De Piro’s predecessor, was of the opinion
that as the boys there came from poor families, they would not have
any fine foods when leaving the Institute. Therefore Bugeja was
against having good food served to the boys so that they would not
miss it (and suffer more) when they left. I can say that Mgr De Piro
changed all this. He improved the quality of the food and conditions
in the dining room.
Unlike Attard,
Muscat, and Galea, Dr Cachia Zammit was never an inmate of St
Joseph’s. Rather he came from a well to do family and therefore he
undoubtedly enjoyed good food at home. Yet he said this about the
food at the Institute:
I take the opportunity to say that the
food at St. Joseph’s Institute, which was prepared by a Lay Brother,
compared well with food at home. Whenever I had occasion to eat
there, I remember that I made positive comments to my father,
telling him ‘The food at the Institute was good’, meaning that it
compared well with food at home. I liked it.
Attard also
referred to those who provided their food:
Food varied in
quantity as well as in quality ... I do not know if Mgr De Piro knew
about the situation. The food did not vary whether Mgr De Piro was
present or not. The food was given to us by benefactors, either as
food (meat, fruit etc.) or in money; the greater the number of
benefactors the better was the food, both in quality and in
quantity. Food and other donations from the benefactors used to be
consumed by us children.
- Clothing
As regards
clothing Nazzareno Attard said almost the same thing as for food:
The boys’ clothing was
poor and of a coarse material, both underwear and outerwear, being
made of Malta weave. On this subject of clothing I would add
something else. I remember that when I first came to St. Joseph’s,
those boys who did not have any footwear at all when they were
admitted to the Institute, had a pair of sandals given to them.
After Mass these boys had to take off their sandals and put them
away in their compartment in the dormitory. Those boys who brought
their own sandals with them from their home were allowed to keep
them on.
Barefootedness
at St Joseph’s, Malta, was confirmed by Br Felix Muscat,
“At times there were boys who were barefooted.”
But Nazzareno
Attard wanted to be just in his presentation, “I must say however
that this was the case at the time when I first went to St.
Joseph’s. Things began changing for the better after two years or
so.”
- In sickness
Br Felix Muscat
referred to De Piro’s kindness in sickness:
He showed his kindness with us not only
in correction or food. When someone was sick Monsignor did his best
to give him all the attention needed. He was a very busy man and yet
he always found the time to come to see us when sick. He would ask
us if we had all the things we needed and if he could be of any
service to us.
- The academic aspect
Nazareno Attard
gave a detailed picture of the academic aspect at St Joseph’s:
We boys received our
schooling at the Institute, where a total of four classes catered
for our needs. The first two classes were for boys who had not yet
started learning a trade while the other two classes were for the
boys who had already started the trade classes. In the first two
classes the boys attended school both in the morning and in the
afternoon. When they came to the third class the boys had to choose
the trade they wanted to learn and they applied themselves to this
in the morning in the workshops, while in the afternoon or evening
they received their schooling. When they came to the fourth stage
the boys worked morning and afternoon in the workshops, and attended
evening class from five to six o’clock. We were taught arithmetic,
English, Italian and Maltese. Our teachers did not belong to the
staff of the Institute but came there only to give us lessons.
On 18 June 1990 Attard added
some other details to what he had said on 16 May 1987:
When I entered the
Institute, the school was already there; I do not know if it was
started by the Monsignor or not. There were four classes; three of
the teachers were laymen. They were paid but I do not know how much.
We used to learn Religion, Italian, English and Arithmetic. Prizes
were given not only for progress but also for conduct of all the
children of the Institute. On the prize day the children took part
in various activities. There were various guests, sometimes
including the Bishop or the Governor. There used to be even Mr.
Alphonse Maria Galea, a friend of Monsignor and a benefactor.
Br Felix Muscat
said almost the same things as Attard:
At St. Joseph’s we had
lessons. Our teachers did not belong to the Institute. At times when
these did not turn up, the Brothers would replace them. To stimulate
our interest in the school, De Piro organized a prize day once a
year. Even outsiders were invited for this occasion.
Attard continued by emphasising
the fact that school was compulsory, at a time when in the rest of
Malta this was not so, and that the boys remained on the premises
for their schooling:
School was compulsory,
although at that time on the part of the state it was not
compulsory. Also, we did not go to other places for our schooling. I
do not know why we didn’t go for lessons to other schools, but at
the Institute we had the necessary schooling. We did not mix with
other children…
On 15 July 1991 Cachia Zammit did not
say anything different from the others,
but on 5 August 1991 he emphasised the
fact that the Director improved the education system,
“He improved those things that
were good. He gave a great incentive to education. I myself could
notice, in general terms, that great progress was made.”
George Wilson explained as
follows De Piro’s interest in schooling:
He insisted on the
boys getting good schooling and he engaged qualified teachers for
them. This was not necessary before Mgr De Piro became Director at
St. Joseph’s because the De La Salle Brothers were present then, and
they taught the boys themselves. But after Mgr De Piro took over,
the Brothers left for some reason unknown to me and he then took
responsability for the boys’ schooling. He also held a prize giving
cermony every year.
Br Venanz Galea’s
testimony resembles almost word by word that of Attard only that the
former was more specific about who the teachers were:
As regards the school
timetable, there were two sessions, one in the morning and another
one in the afternoon. The younger children attended the morning
session. As these were still young they did not do any work and were
therefore free to attend lessons. The older ones, on the other hand,
took a trade, and as they had to work in the mornings, they could
not attend the morning classes. Instead, they went for the evening
session. In the morning the teachers were Brs. Santi, Karmenu and
Glormu, together with Mr. George Wilson. For the evening classes the
Director brought an outsider to teach.
On 28 May 1990 Nazzareno Attard added
something else to what he had already said in 1987, “I do not know
if it was possible for one to continue his schooling, but I know of
some who went on with their studies.”
- The trades
George Wilson
presented himself as having been a bookbinding instructor at St
Joseph’s, Malta.
This already indicated that at the Institute there was at least the
teaching of this trade. Nazzareno Attard indicated that there were
more than one trade taught at the Institute, “There were workshops
where trades were taught…”
In the Tribunal session of 28 May 1990 Nazzareno was still more
elaborate about the trades:
When I was admitted to St. Joseph’s
Institute, the following trades were taught: carpentry, tailoring,
shoemaking, printing, book-binding, typography and other items
connected with the printing press.
I do not know if these trades were
introduced by Mgr De Piro or if they had been already there before
his coming. At the time of the Monsignor no other trades, besides
these, were introduced. Before we started to learn a trade, we had
two years of schooling. In the third year we started learning a
trade together with the school. If it happened that too large a
number chose the same trade, then the Brother in charge would
suggest to us other trades so that there would be a certain balance.
In the fourth year, schooling was almost put aside completely; we
used to have only one hour of school daily, just not to forget what
we had learnt.
To be more exact I would like to add
that in the last years of his life Mgr De Piro might have introduced
also the trade of electrician. I am certain that immediately after
the death of the Monsignor I was considering to start learning this
trade, and I did not do so because I was soon to leave; I left on 12
May 1934.
To teach these trades there were some
laymen who were employed as instructors ... I believe that the
Institute paid these instructors £1 a week. I cannot assess the
ability of these instructors nor can I say if Mgr De Piro organized
things in a better way.
All those who so desired could learn a
trade... These trades were of benefit to us because they prepared
us for life. Besides, they also provided an income for the
Institute, especially the printing press and the ancillary trades.
Also the shoemakers did work for outsiders. The tailors
did work for the children of the Institute. Also the carpenters did
work ‘on order’.
Dr Cachia Zammit
mentioned the same aims referred to by Attard, namely that the
learning of trades guaranteed a future living for the boys.
George Wilson emphasised the fact that the Director was very
interested in the boys and their learning a trade,
“During working hours he would go round to see the boys working,
showing appreciation of their work and encouraging them in what they
did. I frequently accompanied the Director in these inspection
visits.”
- The music band
In his testimony
of 16 May 1987 Nazzareno Attard provided a lot of information about
the St Joseph’s Music Band. From what he said in his testimony it
is quite clear that he himself was a member of the Music Band:
The Monsignor gave
every consideration and every encouragement to the Band of the
Institute. Every boy was free to join the Band, but the Director saw
to it that those who opted to join had certain incentives. For one
thing we who belonged to the Band received more pocket money than
the other boys and we also had more money to spend on the Patron
Saint’s feastday. Moreover, belonging to the Band also gave us the
opportunity to visit many villages and towns.
Attard’s words
indicate that the Music Band was not limited only to the Institute
but performed in various parts of Malta! In the testimony he gave on
4 June 1990 Attard even mentioned some specific places which the
Band visited, “I remember various Brothers among them Br. Venanz,
who took care of the Oratory. At times we went with the Band to play
there. I also remember the laying of the foundation stone of the
Motherhouse of Saint Agatha in Rabat …”
In fact on 28 May 1990 Attard said that, “We often went to perform
programmes for the parish feasts and other occasions.”
Attard also said, “I also know that Mgr De Piro had under his care
an Institute in Gozo. Once we went to play there…”
In his 28 May 1990
testimony Attard gave more information about the band:
When I entered, the St. Joseph
Institute Band had the best bandmasters. First there was Anton
Muscat Azzopardi to be followed later by Joseph Abela Scolaro. It
was not open for all, but only for those who showed that they wanted
to take music seriously. Teaching was done with great assiduity and
seriousness. We were at least 34 members from the Institute only.
Besides these, there used to be also some old boys of the Institute.
We also used to teach each other. We had an additional distinctive
mark on the uniform of the Institute. The Band of the Institute was
one of the best.
When I entered the Institute the band
was already there, and therefore I do not know whether it was the
Monsignor who introduced it.
- Money saving
It was only Nazareno Attard who
referred to this other aspect in the boys’ upbringing, “We did not
receive direct remuneration, but money was saved for us and this
was given to us, together with a suit, when we left the Institute.”
- Recreation
Attard’s words are
quite clear and exhaustive about De Piro’s attention for this aspect
in the boys’ life:
The Director also gave due importance
to recreation, games and the proper use of free time, and he saw to
it that this was given practical recognition. In fact we often had
theatricals at the Institute where we also had a hall for indoor
games.
Once I find myself talking about this
subject of recreation I would like to give details of our annual
programme in this regard. We boys always looked forward to the next
holiday on the calendar. The first feast of the year was obviously
New Year’s Day when, after the recitation of the prayer for the
subscribers in the ‘Buona Morte’ Mgr De Piro would lead us to the
hall on the upper floor where he would first talk to us for ten
minutes or so on the significance of the feast we were celebrating.
After that he always gave us gifts. After New Year’s Day we would
begin waiting for Carnival. There was a reason after this. During
Carnival each one of us received a bag of sweets almonds and sugar
almonds. The next event after Carnival was Easter when every boy
would have a figolla (typical Maltese cake with almond paste
filling). After Easter there came summer, the season for swimming.
While during the winter months we were taken to the Stadium Ground
to watch football matches, during the summer months we were often
taken to the beach for a swim at Ta’ Xbiex or Sa Maison. But the
season was inaugurated by an event known among us as ‘the outing of
is-Sur Alphonse Maria Galea’. For this outing all the boys packed
some thirty or so ‘karrozzini’ or cabs and went to Birzebbugia. We
took our band instruments with us which we played along the way. As
soon as we arrived at Birzebbugia we would deposit our instruments
and other possesions at the house of is-Sur Alphonse and make haste
to the beach where we would spend the next four hours or so swimming
and enjoying ourselves on the beach. We would then go back to the
house where we ate our lunch in the shade of a big tree. The outing
ended up with the distribution of toys to all of us.
The next holiday on the list was the
feast of St. Joseph which was celebrated at the Institute. This was
one of the greatest feasts for us, not only because the refectory
was decorated and made to look at its best by Brother Venanz Galea,
or because we had good and tasty meals, but for various other
reasons. In the morning we attended the High Mass at which Mgr De
Piro generally presided. In the afternoon we had Solemn Vespers and
a procession with the Saint’s statue escorted by the Band of the
Institute. After the Eucharistic Blessing all of us would make our
way to the courtyard to enjoy ourselves at a grand fair which was an
annual event. On this occasion every boy received one shilling. We
Band members had an extra shilling. Along with the money we were
also given six fireworks to let off at the appropriate moment. The
feast would come to an end with a display of ‘catherine wheels’ and
other fireworks.
When summer was over we would begin
counting the days till St. Martin’s Day, when every boy would be
presented with a bag of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts,
dates, figs and St. Martin’s loaves.
After St. Martin we would start
preparing for Christmas. This was the last feast of the year for us.
On Christmas Eve we were allowed to play until ll.00 pm. After the
games we would don our uniform and proceed to the chapel for
midnight Mass. As soon as Mass was over we would all hasten to the
refectory where we were given hot cocoa, honey rings, sponge cakes
and date-cakes. On this occasion old boys would be present to share
with us the joys of Christmas.
I felt I had to mention these feasts
because in spite of the fact that those years (1928-1934) were a
lean period for Malta because there was a shortage of many things,
including foodstuffs, clothing and other items, the holidays and
festivities I mentioned were always faithfully observed. This was
precisely the period when the Director of the Institute was Mgr G.
De Piro.
On 18 June 1990
Attard explained more what he had said on 16 May 1987, “The Stadium
I mentioned was the one at Gzira, Malta. The owner used to invite
the children of the Institute every Sunday for the football
matches. Even at the Institute we used to play football between us,
workshop vs. workshop. Mgr De Piro could see us and at times watched
us from near his room, which was on the first floor. We also held
races.”
On 25 June
1990 Nazzareno added some other information:
Usually we used to go to the beach once
a week, on Sundays. We, the members of the Band used to go on a
weekday. We used to go at about 3.00 and return to the Institute at
about 7.00 in the evening. The beach we went to was suitable and not
crowded. Mgr De Piro did not use to come with us. It was the
Brothers who used to look after us. We used to be only children from
St. Joseph’s Institute. The boys used to walk to the beach, but I,
owing to a defect in my legs, used to ride.
We used to go to “Ta’ Xbiex” or “Sa
Maison”, apart from the occasion that I shall mention later on.
The ‘outing of is-Sur Fons’ was held
when the weather changed and hot days began, ie., in May. We used to
be children of St. Joseph’s Institute only. However, the trade
instructors used to come with us. Mr. Alphonse Maria Galea
defrayed all the expenses (including the food) of this outing.
Besides swimming, we used to have other activities including band
playing. Prizes were given. For this outing Mgr De Piro was present
at times.
In his testimony
Br Felix Muscat was much shorter than Attard but emphasised again
the importance Monsignor put on this aspect. He mentioned the daily
recreation, swimming in summer, carnival merry making at the
Institute, and film shows.
On 10 June 1991 Dr
Alexander Cachia Zammit referred to the feast that was celebrated on
Ascension Day by Mr Alphonse Maria Galea at Birzebbugia for the
boys.
Then, on 15 July
1991 Cachia Zammit made the all inclusive affirmation about De
Piro’s attitude towards recreation, “I noticed that Mgr De
Piro knew how to take care of, make happy, recreate, etc., the
children.”
- The boys’ relationship with
their families
Brs Felix Muscat and Venanz
Galea said nothing about the boys’ relationship with their families.
Nazzareno Attard was the only old boy to testify about it:
In fact we were
allowed to go home once a year, not necessarily on the occasion of
the feast of the Parish. It was a rule. I do not know the reason
behind it, but it applied to all the children without any exception.
It never occurred to us children to ask for a change in the
organization of the Institute. Our families were allowed to come to
see us whenever they liked, provided they were prudent as regards
the time of their visit.
- Reinsertion of the boys in
normal life after leaving the Institute
It was Dr Cachia Zammit who
gave details about this essential phase in the boys’ life:
Mgr De Piro ascertained himself, as far
as possible, that the families of the young men who left St.
Joseph’s Institute were able to accept them back. (The girls, who
were not otherwise settled, remained in their institute). Otherwise,
Mgr De Piro himself saw to it that these young men found a good
family. He also helped them find a job and settle in life. He either
did this himself, or through others. I also know from personal
experience …that Mgr De Piro followed up those who left the
Institute.
I cannot say what percentage had their
own good family ready to accept them back.
As for jobs, Mgr De Piro tried first to
find a job according to the trade the lad had learnt. If he failed,
he tried to find some other job compatible with the character,
capabilities, etc., of the boy concerned. Those who employed these
young men were glad to employ them since they already knew the trade
and had a sound formation. By the way, the children who left St.
Joseph’s Institute, not only did not suffer from any stigma because
of their social condition, but they were easily and happily accepted
in society; they did not find it difficult to be accepted for work,
or to marry.
When I said that Mgr De Piro followed
up those who left the Institute, I meant that he did this in order
to see that things were going on well. I cannot say whether he
himself sought them out intentionally, or took the opportunity
whenever it presented itself. But surely, in the case I mentioned
above, Mgr De Piro himself asked for the Tabone Brothers.
These families were morally good
families, who could help these young men, and they were families in
which these young people could find their place. Mgr De Piro himself
saw to these things. I never heard that it resulted that the choice
made by Mgr De Piro misfired, and I feel that I was in such a
position that, if anything like that had happened, I would have
heard about it, at least from my father.
In finding jobs, I must think that
considering Mgr De Piro’s character … the Servant of God tried to
find conditions of work that were good, according to the standards
of those times.
- The end result
Nazzareno Attard had this to say about
the boys who cooperated with the formation system as St Joseph’s,
Malta, “Those who were willing had every opportunity at the
Institute to leave as mature, responsible persons, capable of
facing life.”
These are the words of
one who had been at the Institute and who had benefited from the
years spent there!
- De Piro was
not alone
Those who
testified at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal confirmed that the Director
was not alone in his taking care of the boys at St Joseph’s
Institute, Malta. There was mention of the Brothers or the members
of his Society,
the instructors,
and old boys who after leaving the Institute went there to give a
helping hand.
- To these De Piro delegated
responsibilities
During the years
he spent at St Joseph’s, Malta, Nazzareno Attard could notice that
the Director delegated the various responsibilities related to the
administration of the Institute, “I know that work at St. Joseph’s
Institute was well organized and everyone knew who was responsible
for what.”
- But demanded accountability
Fr Joseph Spiteri
was De Piro’s assistant at St Joseph’s Insitute.
The Director seems to have trusted this member of his Society a
lot,
but at the same time the Servant of God wanted Spiteri to be
accountable. He presented him a three page instruction list, amongst
which there was a clause to the effect that the Assistant Director
should give the Director a weekly report.
- And dignity
In the
instructions given to Fr Spiteri, De Piro included a note about his
relationship with the boys, “… coi ragazzi mantenga la sua dignità.”
-
Together with an
organised good staff, De Piro also had other sources of support
- His own family
Dr Alexander
Cachia Zammit who was rather close to the De Piro family considered
the Director’s family itself as a main source for Monsignor’s
goodness and kindheartedness:
I cannot say for sure why Mgr De Piro’s
behaviour with the children of the Institutes was as I described
above. But I can say that he treated children from the Institutes as
he treated me, and as he treated the child I mentioned above, whom
my father employed. In my opinion, his family background was such
that he grew up as a good and kindhearted person.
- Especially his own mother
The process of
entry of Nazzareno Attard at St Joseph’s shows quite clearly that
there was at least once when the mother of the Servant of God helped
him in the running of the Institute:
Mrs. Ursula was the
mother of the Servant of God, Mgr De Piro. My mother had not talked
to the Servant of God, although at times he was in Qrendi. I do not
know why. Perhaps because my mother thought that Mgr De Piro left
certain things in his mother’s hand. I am certain that Mgr De Piro
(and his mother as well) observed the Institute’s regulations
regarding the admissions of the boys. Preferences were not made. And
when I was at the Institute I never heard any complaints about this.
My family never had
contacts with De Piro’s family. Mgr De Piro was not dominated or led
by his mother, but, in my opinion, he respected her word. Also, in
my case, it is clear that Mrs Ursula had talked to her son about my
case, but Mgr De Piro still followed the regulations. I never
noticed or heard that Mgr De Piro was led by his mother or that she
tried to dominate him. I do not know other details.
- The benefactors
Nazzareno Attard
also mentioned the benefactors as a source of sustenance for the
Orphanage,
“I do not know if Mgr De Piro used to
beg alms or not for our needs, but I am sure that he kept certain
contacts, e.g. with Mr. Alphonse Maria Galea…, through whom we
children of the Institutes benefited a lot.”
Even Cachia Zammit
referred to this great help to St Joseph’s:
Besides, there was a
man who toured the whole of Malta, collecting alms for St. Joseph’s
Institute. People helped St. Joseph’s Institute quite willingly,
since all knew that the children there were very poor, and they had
no income. Besides, there were various other benefactors, like Mr.
Alphonse Maria Galea. For example, there were those who aided this
Institute and others, by giving a chance to these children to take a
holiday at the seaside in summer. The Bishop, Mgr Caruana, was one
of the benefactors.
- Himself a benefactor of the
Institute
Dr Cachia Zammit
was quite clear about this, “He gave all his wealth to the
Institute ... It is true that Mr Alphonse helped St. Joseph’s
Institute, but the same Mr. Alphonse said that De Piro made most of
the contributions.”
- More than anything else he
believed in Providence
Nazzareno Attard
mentioned several activities which helped the Director get the money
needed for the Institute. At the same time he referred also to De
Piro’s faith in Providence:
The Brothers warned us
not to waste the food, which, they reminded us, was given to us by
benefactors. When I was young I never noticed if Mgr De Piro trusted
in Divine Providence or not, but today that I am older I can better
appreciate the goodness, the calmness, etc., of Mgr De Piro in spite
of the great responsibility he had, of the 150 children of the
Institute, besides the Brothers, the instructors, etc. I learnt
from the collectors of the ‘Buona Morte’, of De Piro’s time, that he
insisted that they should collect the monthly fee. I also mentioned
the fun fair.
Dr Alexander
Cachia Zammit shared a personal experience which showed De Piro’s
faith in Providence:
On one of these
occasions, probably that of 1930, my mother had invited Mr.
Alphonse, De Piro and Mother Curmi to our house for dinner (the
children were outside enjoying themselves). On that occasion my
mother was worried because she saw that there was not enough food.
She told Mr. Alphonse about this since he was our neighbor. The
Monsignor soon realised what was the problem and the common
preoccupation. He intervened there and then and told mum: “God’s
providence is very great.” He said this because he truly believed in
God’s providence, especially in the Institutes. In fact there was
enough food to go round.
The same Cachia
Zammit mentioned the faith of the Servant of God in divine
providence another time, “It was natural for Mgr De Piro to trust in
God’s providence. And he had to, since he had to take care of
institutes, which depended totally on providence. His friend and
great collaborator, Mr. Alphonse Maria Galea, himself had a great
trust in providence, and this surely influenced also Mgr De Piro.”
- With all these
De Piro worked miracles
Dr Cachia Zammit
tried to be objective and balanced in his judgement as regards De
Piro’s administration:
One of the institutes he directed was
St. Joseph’s Institute in Hamrun. Although his way of running this
Institute was not perfect, he worked miracles in running it. As the
government helped the Institute, it had the right to admit
children. These were not always the best and they therefore
sometimes caused many problems. However, he could manage, and in
fact succeeded in running the Institute.
- De Piro planned to send St
Joseph’s boys to the USA
Fr George Bugeja
was the director of St Joseph’s, Malta, from 1905 until his death on
23 November 1922. The Maltese who lived in the USA did not know
immediately about his death and for this reason one of them,
Costantino Gatt, wrote to him on 4 December 1922. In this letter
Gatt sent Fr Bugeja the details about a money collection that was
done in San Francisco, California, for the Institute. In this letter
Gatt also made a proposal to Fr Bugeja: the Maltese of California
were ready to welcome the eldest boys of St Joseph’s if these wanted
to go to the USA to work there.
Obviously this letter arrived when Bugeja was already dead.
Therefore it was Mgr De Piro, the new Director, who handled this
offer. In fact, besides the care of the daily life of the Institute,
one of the first projects of the Servant of God was the attempt to
send the eldest boys of St Joseph’s to the USA.
De Piro gathered
together the eldest boys of the Institute and discussed the project
with them. These agreed and accepted the offer.
But for these boys of St Joseph’s there was the problem of
money, because to go to the USA the fare was rather expensive.
Therefore the Director wrote to Malta’s Prime Minister and asked
him about the possibility of having some governmental financial aid
for the boys.
We do not know whether the Prime Minister answered De Piro’s letter
or not. What we know is that the project did not materialise.
- He enlarged the building of
the Institute
Another big
enterprise was undoubtedly the building of new extensions of the
Institute. Br Felix Muscat referred to this initiative of the
Director when dealing with the subject of the expenditure of money,
“That is why he was reluctant to introduce new things. It is to be
remembered that at that time his intention was to enlarge the
Institute.”
Nazzareno Attard entered the
Institute in 1928. He said that others told him what De Piro had
done before he himself was admitted to St Joseph’s, Malta, “I
learnt from other people who worked at St. Joseph’s Institute that
at the time of Mgr De Piro there was also improvement in the
building.”
- He provided a house for
babies
By 1930 Mgr De
Piro was more than busy with the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes, but the charity of the Servant of God did not have
limits. In 1930 he wrote to the Archbishop of Malta showing his
concern about the fact that time was passing quickly and he had done
nothing about the building of a new extension of St Joseph’s where
he could shelter the babies.
Nazzareno Attard referred to another house, very near to St
Joseph’s, which the Director had opened in 1925 with the same aim:
Younger children were
kept in another Institute, a short distance from the Institute of
St Joseph. It was in the care of nuns helped by some laywomen, but I
do not remember to which Congregation they belonged. It seemed that
there was a connection between this Home and that of St. Joseph’s
Institute, because children were automatically transferred from
this Home to St. Joseph’s.
- No limits for
his generosity
Dr Cachia Zammit
mentioned a case where De Piro showed that there were no limits for
his charity:
As regards the case of the children I
insist that he did his utmost, so much so that my father said that
he knew about four unfortunate boys who lived like animals; they had
no food or clothes and much less care of their souls. This was so
because their mother had died and their father was busy with his
work at St. Lucian’s Tower. My father informed Mr. Alphonse about
them. The latter approached Mgr De Piro and asked him to keep them
at St. Joseph’s. In fact Mgr De Piro without hesitation accepted
three of them in the Institute and took care of them; the fourth one
was in the care of my father.
The same Cachia
Zammit added that, “Through his work in the Institutes, Mgr
De Piro came in contact with the families of these children.
Reference can be made to the case of the Tabone family I mentioned
above. Besides, Mgr De Piro was a person who never shirked the
chances of helping families in their material and social needs.”
- De Piro was always in
solidarity with the boys
George Wilson
could go into detail as regards De Piro’s behaviour because he did
several jobs at St Joseph’s, “Every
now and again I used to do the cooking at the Institute, and I can
say that Mgr De Piro took the same food the boys had without any
difference whatsoever, because he wanted to have absolutely the same
treatment they had in all respects.”
- The Director was in contact
even with the families of the boys
Alexander Cachia Zammit said
that through the boys of the Institute the Director maintained
contact even with their families, “Through his work in
the institutes Mgr De Piro came into contact with the families of
these children. As an example one can refer to the case of the
Tabone family I mentioned above. Besides, Mgr De Piro was a person
who never shirked the chances of helping families in their material
and social needs.”
- De Piro helped the employees
of the Institute
As an employee at
St Joseph’s, Malta, George Wilson could analyse even Monsignor’s
relationship with the employees of the Institute. But not only; he
noticed that De Piro was in touch with the situation of the
employees’ families and he often gave them a helping hand in their
needs:
… he helped in various ways whole
families who were in need of financial aid. To mention one
particular case, I know that out of his own pocket he paid the wife
of a certain Karmenu Abela her husband’s wages because he (the
husband) was out of work and a patient at the Connaught Hospital.
This I heard from Mrs. Abela herself who also told me that he
actually used to give her something more than her husband’s usual
pay. Fr. Joseph Spiteri, who was Mgr De Piro’s assistant, told us
that the Monsignor would hand the employees at the Institute their
wages. Spiteri also said that the Director did this so that if any
of them needed any extra money he would provide what was needed
himself without anybody knowing how much and what he gave in
charity.
He thought nothing of visiting any of
the employees who happened to be ill, and I myself have heard him
say that he was on his way to visit one or another. Not only this,
but according to the members of the families of these employees, he
would find out if they were in need of help which he then did his
best to provide. If circumstances so reqiuired he would see that
they had the services of the doctor. The lay Brother used to say
that the Monsignor never had a pair of shoes repaired, because he
would always give his shoes to some poor man before any repairs were
needed.
- De Piro prepared the boys
for life
Nazzareno Attard,
an old boy of St Joseph’s could confirm from experience that, “Those
who were willing had every opportunity at the Institute to leave as
mature, responsible persons, capable of facing life.”
- “An internal
feeling tells me that God, from this Institute, wants to form in
Malta a Congregation of priests under the patronage of Saint Paul…”
Although Nazzareno Attard lived
at St Joseph’s for some five years he did not seem to be close to
the Piccola Società San Paolo which had its main House not at the
Institute but in Mdina, Malta. Because of this he did not know from
where the Founder was recruiting vocations for his Society. What he
was sure of was that the Director never pestered the boys of St
Joseph’s to join his Congregation, “I do not know the number
of the members. Nor do I know where the vocations came from. I do
not remember that Mgr De Piro ever tried to persuade us to choose
the religious life; his contacts with us were few.”
Br Felix Muscat, who after
being an inmate at St Joseph’s, joined the Society of De Piro, was
more informed about this:
The Padre, this is how the members of
the Society referred to him, greatly desired that some of the boys
of St. Joseph would join him. At the same time it was not often that
he brought the subject with us. Even less was his insistence that we
should become members. At the same time he often asked the Brothers
of the Society whether there was any one who wished to join. He
encouraged these to help those boys who had the vocation (The
Brothers were entrusted with the youths who seemed to be promising.
In fact, I remember that, when I made the profession, I took care of
those youths for a considerable time). As regards myself I always
had the missions at heart. I remember that I had spoken about this
to Br. Guzepp who at that time was at St. Joseph’s. Br. Guzepp
informed the Padre. I still remember when I met him, and he asked me
what was my vocation. I told him that I wished to become a lay
brother and added that my mother wished me to become a priest. He
was so much interested in this that he sent for my mother to speak
to her. I remember that he told her these words: “I am a priest and
he helps me. We are together in this, we do the same work. Our Rule
says this: ‘The priest and the brother work together.’ He will be of
great help to the priest.”
I did not join the Society
straightaway. I kept contact with Br. Guzepp who took care of the
boys who wished to join the Society. This Brother helped me to meet
the Padre by sending me to clean his room. Monsignor, seeing me so
interested and keen on my work, was encouraged to accept me. At such
times he would start talking to me about the vocation.
Br Venanz Galea was another boy
who passed from St Joseph’s to De Piro’s Society. Galea said that:
… he (De Piro) paid
special attention to those children who were inclined to join the
Society that he founded; he took great care of them. He liked to
call these to his room, either alone or together, and spent some
time talking to them. At times he took them together to the house at
Mdina, where there were already the first members, for some feast,
like, for example, the feast of St. Paul. Besides the service, the
Founder liked to give them something to make them happy. He had even
founded what was known as the Congregation of St. Aloysius. Several
boys belonged to it, but it was mostly intended for those children
who were interested in his Society.. For these he had a medallion
made, and they had frequent meetings. Br. Guzepp Caruana was in
charge of them. In these meetings the Brother spoke to them about
various matters, including the Society. Sometimes also the Founder
went to talk to them. The St Aloysius Congregation was a kind of
society in which Br. Guzepp could spot children who later on would
become members of the Society. Whenever he found a boy who
was inclined to join, the Brother soon presented him to the Founder
so that he might get to know him better.
I was one who had the
wish to join the Society. In 1925 De Piro suggested that Br Guzepp
should send me with Father Michael Callus to Gozo, where he was in
charge of the Institute of St Joseph. At that time I was about 14
years old. I wasn’t even an aspirant. Although I was still very
young I went to Gozo.I was sent there just before the opening of
this Institute and specifically to help with the preparations for
the opening.
(iv) Director
of St Joseph’s Home, Ghajnsielem, Gozo
- Gozo : an introduction
The Island of Gozo
makes part of the Maltese Archipelago. Because of this it may be
thought that what has already been said about the socio- economic
situation of the Island of Malta can automatically be applied to
Gozo. The reality is not completely so; the two Islands, with some 8
kilometers of sea between them, experienced a bit of a different
fate in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. If the
socio-economic situation during these years was generally not good
in the case of Malta, for many of those years and in many aspects it
was still worse as regards Gozo. Because of this it is important
here to have at least a look at the Gozitan reality in these years
in order to understand better De Piro’ s contribution to this Island
and Diocese when he accepted to start, and then direct, St Joseph’s
Orphanage there.
- The population
|
Year |
Population |
|
|
|
|
|
12,766 |
|
1814
(plague)
1814-1826
(diminishing
agricultural prosperity) |
|
|
1826 |
13,136 |
|
Just before 1837 |
14,566 |
|
In late 1837
(346 Gozitans perish in epidemic) |
14,220 |
|
1842
(year of first census) |
14,342 |
|
1851 |
14,663 |
|
1861
(slow economic recovery) |
15,459 |
|
1864 |
16,038 |
|
1871 |
17,391 |
|
1881 |
17,653 |
|
1891 |
18,553 |
|
1901 |
19,790 |
|
1911 |
22,695 |
|
1921 |
22,561 |
|
1931 |
23,837 |
Table 6
Frederick M.
Lacroix, writing at about the year 1835, also noted that “… the
population has sensibly increased in spite of misery and
emigration”.
- Standard of living
It is impossible
to say how many lived below or above the normal standard of living.
The table below gives an idea of the reality according to the 1861
Census:
|
Occupations in Gozo |
Standard of living |
%
of the population |
|
|
|
|
|
In
agriculture, and
At
sea |
|
17.55
4.20 |
|
Government employees, and
some
of the priests |
Fared equally well. |
0.53
0.86 |
|
Majority of land owners, and
many
belonging to professional, and commercial classes |
|
0.19
0.39
2.27 |
Table 7
In the middle of
the nineteenth century the British Government sent to Malta, one of
the British colonies, a Royal Commission to study the situation on
the Island and present a report. Some of its words revealed the
extreme state of impoverishment of the people living at that time:
“In Gozo, when there is a want of field-work, about one sixth of the
population is reduced to begging”.
- The public health system
Here
it is enough to quote what has been written on 19 September 1903 by
“A voice from Gozo” in one of the Maltese daily newspapers:
A correspondent writes that there is
urgent necessity for more esxtensive medical assistance in the
Island of Gozo which is at present insufficiently furnished with
Civilian Medical Officers, more especially during the summer months
where there is a great deal of fever, enteric, etc., prevalent.
Casal Nadur (which includes Casal Kala and Ghainsielem) is mentioned
as an instance in which district there is no medical assistance
available in cases of urgent necessity. When a doctor is required, a
telephone message has to be sent to Citta` Vittoria, and great
delay, which is unavoidable, is the result, as there is long
distance to cover and the doctor may possibly be engaged elsewhere,
and even when obtained it is always at great expense, behond the
means of poor people. At present the arrangements are that the
doctor of Casal Caccia arrives late in the evening on Tuesdays and
Fridays, and leaves early on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which means a
very short stay for such large villages, the population of which is
very scattered. This causes an extra expense and personal
inconvenience which might be remedied by the government establishing
a resident medical officer in these villages, which should be
compelled to actually reside there and provide a substitute in case
of unavoidable absence, that the district would never be left
without an available medical attendant.
Several visitors from the Sister Island
who have been residing here during the summer months, have
complained of their inability to procure medical assistance when
required. A resident medical officer is claimed for Nadur, Kala, and
Ghainsielem in preference to other districts, because of their
having the largest population according to the last census.
- The Institute
at Ghajnsielem, Gozo
It has been said
that the economic situation in Malta and Gozo had been bad in most
of the nineteenth century. During many of the first years of the
twentieth century, things, sometimes, though very slowly, changed a
bit for the better.
Still, there was a good number of children who needed immediate
help. Michael Ciangura who was the 17th boy to enter St
Joseph’s Institute, Gozo
was asked to testify in the 1987 Tribunal sessions. Though in a very
few words, he indicated that in his childhood the situation was very
poor.
Peter Camilleri was the 23rd boy to enter St Joseph’s,
Gozo. He presented his childhood days as a time of scarcity.
Loreto Rapa, the 3rd boy to enter the Institute was more
explicit, “When I was still a small boy there were many poor and
orphan children…”
- The attempts by the bishops
of Gozo
The Gozo
parishpriests felt the responsibility to open some house or
institute in order to gather the boys in it.
There had already been one; it was the Saints Peter and Paul
Conservatory. It had been built by Bishop Vincenzo Labini in 1789.
But this was for girls; there was no such home for boys, yet. A
hundred years after the opening of the Conservatory, the Bishop of
Gozo, Mgr Peter Paul Pace tried to open an institute
for boys. He therefore asked the help of Mgr Francesco
Bonnici, the founder of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta. But the plan
failed because Bonnici could not handle two institutes at the same
time.
There were several
attempts after the one of Mgr Pace, but again they all failed.
The reasons for this lack of success were various: it was not easy
to find a place where to gather together the boys. There had to be a
lot of money to run it. But the main problem was the direction of
the institute. The Church in Gozo asked the Freres De La Salle to
run the projected institute. The offer was made to them in 1908. At
first the Brothers accepted, but in fact they never went to Gozo.
- The Gozo parishpriests
sought the help of De Piro
In 1920 the Gozo
parishpriests took over from the Bishop.
They found an adequate house and succeeded in getting some money
from the government.
On 17 November 1923 the parishpriests signed a notary contract with
which they bound themselves to set up a boys’ institute.
Since they were convinced that the failure of the previous attemps
was because of the lack of an adequate director they decided to
invite Mgr Joseph De Piro to be the first director,
who at that time was the director of another three institutes in
Malta: Fra Diegu, Jesus of Nazareth and St Joseph, Malta. On 25
December 1924, Fr Joseph Hili, the parishpriest of Fontana, Gozo,
wrote to the Servant of God in the name of all the other
parishpriests and offered him the direction of the Gozo Institute.
For some reason or other De Piro did not answer that letter.
Therefore Hili wrote to Monsignor again on 7 January 1925.
This time De Piro answered the letter on the 31 of the same month:
he wanted to know things more clearly.
Hili wrote to Monsignor on 3 February 1925, giving him more
information.
- A branch of St Joseph’s,
Malta, to be led by the Society of De Piro
De Piro decided to
accept. He wrote to the Archbishop of Malta, Mauro Caruana, and told
him about the request made to him by the Gozo parishpriests:
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Il Canco. Decano Giuseppe De Piro nella
sua duplice qualità di Superiore della Casa di San Giuseppe -
ist. Bonnici - e
della Compangnia di San Paolo, prostrato al bacio del Sacro Anello,
umilmente espone a Vra. Eccza. che per tra del Secretario del
Parrocato Gozitano, gli veniva ultimamente significato che tanto
Monsignor Vescovo, quanto tutti i Parroci di Gozo, consci della
necessità desideravano istituire in diocesi un
orfanatrofio e che
accoglie vero con piacere l’idea di aver diramata a Gozo, una
sezione della Casa di San Giuseppe di Hamrun.
Che la diramazione di una sezione al
Gozo della Casa di San Giuseppe ere già un desiderato di Mgr Arciv.
Vescovo P.Pace di f.m.; e se allora per una ragione o l’altra non si
era riuscito ad effettuarla, le circostanze odierne persuadono
diversamente. La prosperità infatti della Casa di San Giuseppe a
lato dello sviluppo della Compagnia di San Paolo che la maneggia, la
premura del nuovo Vescovo Mgr Gonzi la disposizione dei Parroci a
spallegiare l’opera, l’azione già dagli stessi spiegata in favore,
il concorso del Governo Civile coll’assegno di mille lire sterline,
tutto contribuisce ad infondere coraggio di por mano all’impresa.
Che l’Or… e pertanto, fidandosi sempre
nell’aiuto della Divina Provvidenza, osa umiliare a Vra. Eccza.
Revma. la domanda di autorizzarlo ad iniziare l’istituzione di
questa … diramazione sotto il nome di "Casa di San Giuseppe" -
Sezione Gozo-
Che della grazia etc.
Presentato dal ricorrente il di 3
Febbraio 1925
(f) Sac. Ant. Galea
Cancelliere.
One can notice
that in the above letter the Servant of God insisted that the future
Institute had to be a branch of St Joseph’s, Malta, and not a
separate one. Also, De Piro mentioned his Society. Without doubt the
Founder was anticipating the introduction of its members in the Gozo
Home. De Piro’s petition was accepted by the Archbishop on 3
February 1925. Mgr Caruana approved the affiliation of the Gozo
Institute with that of Malta, but he also told the Servant of God to
deal the matter with the Bishop of Gozo, “Approviamo purchè l’Ore si
metta in relazione all’Eccza Vescovo di Gozo”
De Piro went to
Gozo to discuss the matter both with Bishop Michael Gonzi and with
the parishpriests. On that day the Servant of God asked His
Excellency for the statutes. These were sent to him on 17 February
of that same year.
Through this latter document De Piro realised that on
6 November 1924 the statutes had already been written and
these determined the direction of the Institute.
This, De Piro did not know before the meeting with the Bishop and
the parishpriests. Also, in the letter of 17 February 1925, Bishop
Gonzi told the Servant of God that Archbishop Caruana had to rewrite
the decree.
-
De Piro did not want any interference from the side of the Gozo
hierarchy in the administration of the Institute
De Piro did not
accept the “Fundamental Statutes”and Gonzi’s other words written to
him on 17 February. In fact on the 24 of that same month he told
Gozo’s Bishop that the latter had to say only what would happen to
the new Institute in case it would not remain affiliated to the one
in Malta and in case the Society of St Paul were not to remain in
charge of it.
A quick look at the Statutes helps one understand the objections of
the Servant of God:
Nos, Michael Gonzi, Dei et Apostolicae
Sedis Gratia Episcopus Gaudisiensis Eidem Sanctae Sedi Immediate
Subjectus.
Attentis expositis in supplici libello
in Nostra Curia porrecto nomine Archipresbyterorum et Parochorum
Nostrae Dioecesis, qui adprobationem et canonicam erectionem
orphanotrophii ab ipsis erigendi, in quo recipi, ali et nutriri
debeant pauperes pueri orphani, petunt; itemque auctoritatem a
Gubernio Civili summam libellarum sterlingarum mille in subsidium
dicti orphanatrophii promissam acceptandi;
Viso exemplari contractus ab iisdem
Admodum Reverendis Dominis initi coram notario publico Dno. Josepho
Camilleri sub die 17 Novembris anni 1923, quo se obligant ad
recipiendos necnon alendos viginti quatuor pueros pauperes orphanos
e Nostra Dioecesi;
Visis aliis de iure vivendis;
Nos, qui curam specialem pauperem
habere debemus, matura deliberazione praemissa, Christi nomine
invocato, auctoritate Nostra ordinaria, tenore praesentis decreti,
dictum orphanatrophium pro pauperibus pueris vel orphanis
recipiendis alendis et nutriendis, fundamus et erigimus et pro
fundato et erecto haber volumus, subconditionibus in subnexis
statutis fundamentalibus expressis.
Tenore praeterea presentis decreti
dictis Archipresbyteris et Parochis auctoritatem facimus a Gubernio
Civili promissam summam libellarum sterlingarum mille acceptandi pro
erectione ac dote dicti orphanotrophii.
Et ita auctoritate qua supra, et iure
quo possumus et debemus, erigimus et praesens nostrum decretum
erectionis in actis Nostrae Curiae et in archivio orphanatrophii
canstruendo servari mandamus.
DATUM VICTORIAE IN AEDIBUS NOSTRIS
PONTIFICALIBUS
DIE SEXTA NOVEMBRIS ANNI MXMXXIV
+ Michael, Episcopus Gaudisien
STATUTI FUNDAMENTALI
1.
L’orfanatrofio suddetto sarà
appellato "Orfanatrofio Diocesano" e sarà la dipendenza del Vescovo
di Gozo "pro tempore".
2.
Il Governo Civile non avrà in
detto Orfanatrofio nessuna ingerenza fuorchè quella di invigilare
sull’osservanza dell’articolo del contratto del 17 Novembre 1923 già
sopra menzionato, cioè chè per lo spazio di anni computabili da un
giorno di fissarsi siano ricoverati e mantenuti nell’ orfanatrofio
24 ragazzi.
3.
Se un giorno detto orfanatrofio
verrà a chiudersi, tutti i beni mobili ed immobili appartenenti allo
stesso, passeranno nelle mani del Vescovo di Gozo pro tempore, il
quale ne disporrà pei bisogni della Diocesi.
4.
Tutti gli ufficiali
dell’orfanatrofio saranno scelti dai M.R. Arcipreti a Parroci ed
approvati dal Vescovo pro tempore.
5.
L’ammisione dei ragazzi si far’
dietro ricorso presentato al Vescovo, il quale lo passerà ai
M.M.R.R. Signori sopra menzionati o a chi ne farà le veci per
l’approvazzione o meno.
6.
Il Vescovo avrà il diritto di
presiedere tutte le adunanze dei R.R. Parroci o di chi ne farà le
veci nel governo dell’Istituto per se o per mezzo di un suo
delegato.
7.
Vogliamo ed ordiniamo che i
sopradetti statuti fondamentali siano esattamente osservati,
riservando a Noi ed ai nostri successor facoltà di accrescerli,
moderarli e variarli secondo che guidichereremo espediente pel bene
di detto Istituto.
DATO DAL NOSTRO PALAZZO VESCOVILE,
QUESTO DI 6 NOVEMBRE 1924
+ Michael, Vescovo di Gozo
Fortunately St
Joseph’s Institute, Gozo, was being promoted more by the
parishpriests than by Bishop Gonzi. Were it not so things would have
stopped completely, because until then His Excellency did not seem
willing to change his mind while the parishpriests were ready to
sacrifice everything in order to accommodate De Piro, something
which even the Bishop accepted in the end.
On 4 March 1925
Parishpriest Hili met Mgr De Piro at Fra Diegu Institute, Malta, and
assured him of this. Also, on the 16 of the same month Hili wrote to
Monsignor and told him about the money that was given them by the
Government. He also reassured him that from their side the Bishop
and the parishpriests did not want to create any difficulties for
the first Director of the Institute.
On 21 March 1925,
the Servant of God sent Hili a very important letter where he
repeated his previous convictions and presented some other
objections for the original statutes:
21 Marzo 1925
Casa di San Giuseppe
Hamrun - Malta.
Molto Revdo Signor Parroco,
Ho ricevuto la sua del 16 corrente. Non
posso nascondere la mia gioconda sorpresa tenuto infatti già prima
in mia cognizione lo sbanco dell’assegno intero all’avviamento
dell’Orfanatrofio e lo sbanco di cui Ella ora mi scrive, senz’altro
doveva conchiudere che le trattative erano tra di noi del tutto
interrotte e solo aspettava un breve accenno di Mgr Vescovo Gonzi
dichiarandomi il fatto. Ma grazie a San Giuseppe non era cosi’;
tanto però fu la confusione in cui mi son trovato che ho dovuto
fermarmi e tornare indietro per trovare a che punto stavano le cose.
Tralascio, per brevità la narrativa della genesi e sviluppo
dell’idea di aver un orfanatrofio a Gozo; e solo mi preme rilevare
che dall’esame di tutti i fogli passati tra di noi dal Dicembre u.s.
mi risultò che effettivamente ci troviamo di fronte a tre distinti
progetti sviluppati talmente insieme che mi impedivano di veder
chiaro, e perciò anche di poter rispondere alla sua pregma. già
sopra menzionata. Ecco pertanto i tre progetti.
1.
Diramazione (Branch) a Gozo di
una sezione della Casa di San Giuseppe di Hamrun-Malta-Istituto
Canco.Bonnici.
2.
Unione della Casa di San
Giuseppe di Malta all’orfanatrofio Vescovile di Gozo già
canonicamente eretto con appositi statuti.
3.
Messa in opera dell’Orfanatrofio
Vescovile di Gozo già canonicamente eretto, come sopra,
indipendentemente dalla Casa di San Giuseppe di Malta.
Il primo è il progetto più antico,
suggerito a Don Giorgio, buon’anima, da Mgr Pace di f.m. E tengo quà
a dichiarare che i miei affiatamenti avuti a tempo vergine col Rev.
Attard e col Parroco di C.Caccia erano sempre importanti a base di
questa progettata Branch. Cosi’ anche durante l’attuale
corrispondenza mi sono sempre guidato da questa idea preconcetta.
Ora se si vuole abbracciare questo progetto reso oggi effettuabile
col permesso accordatomi da Mgr Vescovo Caruana, non si ha da fare
altro che prendere le vedute da me già spiegate nella lettera a Mgr
Vescovo Gonzi del.......
Il secondo progetto lo deduco oggi
abbastanza chiaramente da tutte le lettere di V.S. ed anche da
quella di Mgr Gonzi del Febbraio u.s. Esso è ben diverso dal primo
tanto che lo stesso Mgr Gonzi mi suggeriva di riformare il mio
ricorso a Mgr Caruana e conseguentemente il relativo decreto. Ora
independentemente da quello che avrebbe fatto in questo caso
MgrCaruana; l’unione coinvolta in questo progetto; richiede ancora e
prima di tutto, la spiegazione dei limiti per quanto riguarda la
parte economica. E quantumque una tale delimitazione non è ancota da
me ben concepita, purtuttavia, da quel che posso prevedire, non
nascondo il timore, di essere trascinati ad intavolare dei dettagli
che possono muovere certe suscettibilità poco conformi ai sentimenti
di carità e di fiducia nella Divina Provvidenza a cui deve
inspirarsi la contemplata opera di beneficenza. Aggiunga, che perciò
che riguarda la parte direttiva già improntata negli statuti, essa è
troppo eterogenea allo spirito ed alla pratica che governa la Casa
di San Giuseppe;- e non puo essere riguardata con favore prevedendo
le difficoltà in cui verrà immancabilmente a trovarsi il personale
addetto alla cura dell’Orfanatrofio di Gozo; e lo stato di passività
in cui lo stesso verrà immerso a conto della prosperità dell’Opera.
Il terzo progetto, il quale finchè io
sappia già stava per essere messo in opera, però riguardarmi come
Capo di questa piccola Congregazione nascente di Missionarii,ed
allora bisogna ancora iniziare le trattative a base sempri di
un’autonomia interna tanto direttiva che economica. Può anche
riguardarmi personalmente ed allora tutto può da ora e con piacere a
servizio di Mgr Vescovo di Gozo l’esperienza da me finora acquistata
nel maneggio di simili Case di Beneficenza.
Nella speranza che queste mie brevi
note abbiano a dilucidare l’orizzonte e far adito, come dice Lei,
alla Maggior gloria di Dio, al trionfo a San Giuseppe ed al bene
delle piccole anime dei ragazzi poveri ...
La prego umiliare i miei profondi
ossequii a Mgr Diocesano i miei sensi di considerazione ai suoi
colleghi ed Ella gradisca i miei distinti saluti mentremi raffirmo
Di Vra.
Mgr G.DePiro
De Piro’s letter
was received by Parishpriest Hili on 25 March 1925. The latter
answered it on the same day.
Further
discussions were then held with Mgr Gonzi. Through these, De Piro
was informed about the positive decisions that were already taken.
Together they saw what remained to be done.
De Piro still
insisted on the affiliation of the Gozo Orphanage with St. Joseph’s
Home in Malta and the autonomy of its administration. He wanted to
obtain the same conditions as those for St. Joseph’s Home, Malta,
because he wanted his Society to look after the Gozo Institute. In
short he did not want any interference with the way in which he
understood his mission. Basically this meant that the Gozo Home
would not be dependent upon the Bishop of Gozo. He even disagreed
with the condition of the numerus clausus of the entrants as
laid down in Gonzi’s foundation decree because, to his mind, that
was a sign of mistrust in Divine Providence; for the Servant of God
the original Statutes lacked a sense of charity.
De Piro and Gonzi
eventually met towards the beginning of April.
On the 18 of that month, Mgr Gonzi issued the relevant affiliation
decree as De Piro had wished. Gonzi also authorised the transference
of all the rights and obligations of the Gozo Diocese and parishes
into the hands of Mgr De Piro. Only one condition was stipulated,
namely that should the Gozo Branch of St. Joseph’s Home secede from
St Joseph’s in Malta, all its rights and property would pass on to
the Bishop of Gozo. Here are the new statutes or the decree of
affiliation of the Gozo Institute with the Malta one:
Michael Gonzi
Per grazia di Dio e della S. Sede
Apostolica
Vescovo di Gozo
alla medesima S.Sede immediatamente
soggetto.
Vista la supplica presentata dal Revmo.
Monsignore Can. Decano Giuseppe De Piro Navarra nella sua duplice
qualità di Superiore della casa di San Giuseppe di Hamrun - Istituto
Bonnici - e di Superiore della Compangia di San Paolo, nella Gran
Curia Vescovile di Malta allo scopo di ottenere dal Revmo. Ordinario
di Malta l’autorizzazione per una diramazione della suddetta Casa di
San Giuseppe al Gozo.
Visto il relativo decreto emanato da
Sua E. Revma. Mgr Mauro Caruana Arcivescovo - Vescovo di Malta che
autorizza il prelodato Monsignore De Piro ad effetuare la su
menzionata diramazione;
Attesochè noi abbiamo già con Nostro
decreto del 6 Novembre 1924 canonicamente eretto un Orfanatrofio
nella Nostra Diocesi di Gozo sotto il nome di Orfanotrofio Diocesano
ed abbiamo col citato Nostro decreto dato ad esso gli Statuti
Fondamentali, riservando a Noi ed ai Nostri Successori la facoltà di
accrescerli moderarli e variarli;
Attesochè Ci pare più facile lo
sviluppo di detto Orfanatrofio se unito alla suddetta Casa di S.
Giuseppe ed affidato a mani esperte;
Colla presente Noi, previo il parere
del Nostro Parrocato, affidiamo al prelodato (Superiore) della Casa
di S. Giuseppe e della Compagnia di S. Paolo l’orfanatrofio
Diocesano di Gozo, trasferendo nella persona del prelodato
Monsignore nella sua duplice veste già menzionate tutti i diritti e
tutti gli obblighi che spettavano a Noi ed al Nostro Parrocato, in
vigore del Nostro decreto sopra citato e dei contratti publicati
presso il notaro G. Camilleri in data del 17 novembre 1924 e del 5
Marzo 1925 rispettivamente, con questo però che, se per caso la
sezione del Gozo della Casa di San Giuseppe cessi di formar parte
della casa di San Giuseppe o non resti più sotto la cura della
Compagnia di San Paolo, i diritti acquistati di proprietà di detta
sezione debbano passare nelle mani del Vescovo di Gozo pro tempore.
Dato dal Nostro Palazzo Vescovile
Vittoria, Gozo il di’ 18 Aprile 1925
(Fto.) Michael Vescovo di Gozo
Vera copia
18 Aprile 1925
Cancell.
De Piro continued
emphasising the affiliation of the Gozo Institute with the Malta
one. After indicating it in his very first contact with Malta’s
Archbishop, and then with the Bishop and the parishpriests of Gozo,
he referred to it even in the addresses he made to Governor Congreve
and Bishop Gonzi on 21 May 1925, or in the opening ceremony of the
Institute.
And it seemed he wanted to continue emphasising it all along
his life. Infact in 1928, St Joseph’s Home, Malta, reprinted a book
that had been already published in 1890. It was called “The
Greatness of the Glorious Patriarch, St Joseph”. In the introduction
to the 1928 edition, the Servant of God put these words:
I remind those who are devoted to St
Joseph, and therefore those who love their neighbour, that in Hamrun
there is an Institute founded by Canon Bonnici the name of which is
St Joseph’s Home. The aim of this Institute is to gather the
orphaned and poor boys in order to form them in the fear of God and
teach them a trade so that they can get a living for themselves when
they grow up. In this Institute besides the Gozo section where there
are 23 boys, and the infants’ section where there are 25 boys under
the age of seven, there are 134 boys. Because of this one can
imagine how much is needed your help.
- Inauguration
of St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo
De Piro was
greatly safisfied with the developments. According to Br Venanz
Galea, who at the time of the opening of St Joseph’s, Gozo, was
still a boy of 14,
De Piro went to Gozo some time before the inauguration and took
Galea himself to help in the preparations. Since the house was in a
dilapidated state,
the Director even asked the help of some boys from Ghajnsielem,
Gozo, to clean it and put it in order.
His first wish was
to have a private inauguration ceremony that was to be held on 8
May, a date so precious to him.
However on 25 April 1925, as De Piro was about to retire to his room
on the first floor of the Orphanage in Gozo, the roof slabs beneath
him suddenly gave way and he fell about four meters to the ground.
Though De Piro hurt himself he suffered no fractures. Still for some
days he could not stand up.
This incident was interpreted by some as the work of the devil.
The Servant of God himself considered it like this.
Monsignor accepted
this setback with humour and resignation, but the inauguration had
to be postponed to 21 May, the feast of the Ascension. Civil and
ecclesiastical dignitaries were invited, including the Governor, Sir
Walter Morris Congreve, parliamentary members and the Gozo Cathedral
Chapter.
On that day the Servant of God delivered two speeches, one in
English to Governor Congreve and another one in Italian to Bishop
Gonzi. The one to the Governor was read first:
Your Excellency,
It is a great honour to me to have to
welcome Your Excellency here in Gozo. I am not a Gozitan myself ,
but my relations in the past with Gozo and the Gozitans in
connection with the management of the Casa di San Giuseppe of
Hamrun, my intercourse with His Lordship the Bishop of Gozo and the
Parishpriests of this Diocese regarding the foundation of this
Orphanage, my long stay in Gozo to get cured from the wounds I
received in a mishap I met within this house, all gave me the
opportunity of knowing better the people of this Island and of
learning to appreciate their good qualities, foremost among which
their hospitality. Consequently I feel entitled to welcome Y.E. also
in the name of all the people here gathered this afternoon to
witness with joy the opening of this Orphanage and the realisation
of their long cherished desire.
Your Excellency,
The opening of this new branch of the
Casa San Giuseppe of Hamrun was to take place in a rather private
manner, without the festival array we see around us. My unexpected
long stay here however and the postponement of the ceremony to
Ascension Day gave an opportunity to the enthusiasm with which this
Branch has been received here, to manifest itself externally, and I
was repeatedly asked to have a more solemn ceremony on the occasion
of the opening of this Branch. And what was meant to be a private
ceremony gradually rose to be the public and solemn ceremony we are
assisting at; and while before we did not dare to take the liberty
of asking Your Excellency to be present, it seemed to us after a
great fault on our part, if we ommited to communicate to Y.E. the
event not only but also if we ommitted to invite you - the
Representative of our beloved King- to honour us with your presence
together with His Lordship the Bishop of Gozo.
Your Excellency,
To those here present who know the Casa
San Giuseppe of Hamrun and what is going on therein, it will be easy
to understand what our work in this Branch will be like. Together
with a sound and practical knowledge of Religion the boys here
sheltered will receive an elementary literary instruction and the
knowledge of a trade. The education they receive here will enable
them, when grown up, they leave this place, to find work and earn
their bread and occupy with honour a place in society; and
ordinarily the good qualities, that develop in them while here, will
gain for them the sympathy of others, be they masters or equals, not
only in these Islands but also in far distant countries, where our
people go in search of work and food.
Your Excellency,
In thanking you most heartily for your
kindness in honouring us on this occasion, I ask you to declare this
Branch of the Casa San Giuseppe open.
Then followed the
address to Bishop Michael Gonzi:
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Terminate le pratiche burocratiche
relative all’istituzione di un Orfanatrofio a Gozo, istituzione
tanto a coure di V. Eccza., e che nella storia formerà la prima
pietra migliaria del suo futuro benefico Episcopato. Era nostro
primo dovere di fissare il giorno dell’apertura di questa Casa,
intesa ad accogliere ragazzi poveri ed abbandonati e proclivi qual
sempre siamo E. R. ad onorarla ed esternarle il culto che
conserviamo in cuor nostro verso la Sua Venerata Persona, preso in
mano il calendario, la nostra attenzione in sull’istante venne
attirata sul giorno della Chiesa dedicato all’apparizione
dell’Arcangelo san Michael, e qual dolce sorpresa non fu per noi la
coincidenza del giorno universalmente conosciuto per la Supplica
meridiana alla Vergine di Pompei. Ma il Signore, pur accogliendo la
nostra buona intenzione, prendeva questa volta sotto la Sua
immediata protezione l’odierna occorrenza, forse per renderci sempre
più perseveranti nel tenere in alto fisso il nostro sguardo ed anche
il nostro cuore. Ed eccoci al giorno provvidenziale. In mezzo alla
gioia che in questo momento solenne copre il viso di tutti, ci
sentiamo oltremodo contenti che spetta a noi l’onorevole ufficio di
salutarla per la prima volta in questo luogo che dal saluto prende
il nome – Salve a Lei o Presule da Dio benedetto; con me La saluta
la Casa di San Giuseppe di Malta; con me La saluta il piccolo gregge
di Missionari, che con questo ricovero sente aprirsi a coprirlo e
proteggerlo l’ala destra di un altro angelo – Salve a Lei, con me La
saluta tutta questa accolta di persone disinte, vuoi del clero che
del laicato. Con me La saluta tutto questo popolo festante, qui
accorso da Gozo non solo ma anche da Malta ad assistere
all’invocazione delle celesti benedizioni su questi umili inizi –
Salve a Lei, con me La salutano I tre orfanelli, che nella loro
sfortuna di essere I primi ad esser accolti e beneficati.
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Viene detto che l’ingratitudine è un
peccato tanto grande, che nessun legislatore umano abbia mai trovato
una pena condegna, ma che questa è riservata unicamente al
Legislatore eterno. E non sia mai’ che noi su questo foglio
omettessimo l’espressione del sentimento contrario. Vivissime grazie
pertanto siano rese dinanzi a tutti a V.E. per la generosità ed
abnegazione con cui accolse nella sua Diocesi questa nuova sezione
della Casa di san Giuseppe di Hamrun. L’azione nobile spiegata verso
di noi, sarà per noi e pei nostri successori di edificazione, non
solo ma anche uno sprone continuo a corrispondere “ totis viribus”
allo sviluppo e completo stabilimento di questo Orfanatrofio.
Permetta, eccellenza, di approfittarmi di questa carta per inviare
ai benemeriti membri componenti il Governo di queste Isole nonche
delle due Camere pel sussidio finanziario assegnato a quest’opera
nascente. Ad essi in corrispondenza diamo l’assicurazione che nel
nostro intento, anzi è una nostra intima convinzione di
oltrepassare, “Deo adiuvante”, i limiti delle condizioni tanto
percio che riguarda il numero degli alunni. Vadano le nostre grazie
a Mgr Arcivescovo Vescovo di Malta per il favore con cui accolse la
nostra domanda ad estendere a Gozo l’opera della Casa di Hamrun.
Grazie anche siano date ai Parroci di questa Diocesi, che occupando
degnamente il loro ufficio compressare la necessità, ed affianco il
loro amato Pastore lavorarono senza lena, per aver la via da ogni
ostacolo sgombrato e cosi’ ‘quam primum’ istituita l’opera, che oggi
con nostra e loro soddisfazione rileviamo esser fatto compiuto. I
nostri sensi di riconoscenza giungano all’orecchio di un numero
discreto di benefattori che quale schiame di api, qui’ si aggirano
attorno a noi, studiando il modo di opportarci e cera e miele per
rendere ques’arnia sempre più atta ad avvantaggiare i poveri ragazzi
di Gozo.
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
L’Orfanatrofio di Gozo anche in questa
modalità ha formato per anni il desiderato di molti e sentiamo di
compire un dovere nel mandare il nostro saluto all’anima buona di
Mgr Vescovo Pace, all’anima del nostro predecessore Don Giorgio
Bugeja ed a tutti quelli, che prima di noi vagheggiarono l’idea di
aver a Gozo un Orfanatrofio. Ed Ella, Eccellenza, gradisca le nostre
più sentite congratulazioni per essere da Dio scelto ad inaugurare
l’opera, quantunque il suo principio si presenta ai nostri occhi
piccolo e povero.
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Fedeli al savio principio del santo
Curato di Ars che “Il bene non fa chiasso ed il chiasso non fa bene”
colla E. Revma eravamo d’intesa di evitare ogni pompa ed ogni
solennità e di dare invece a quest’opera un inizio umile e modesto,
quale che fu quello del magnifico odierno, sempre crescente
organismo, imminentemente benefattore dell’umanità – la Chiesa di
Gesù Cristo – ed infatti il nostro divisamento era punto
impossibile, perche se l’opera della quale tocchiamo il principio
era conosciuta per necessità di cose dal numero ristretto di persone
che investono l’Autorità vuoi ecclesiastica che civile, purtuttavia
essa era ancora quasi del tutto ignorata, non solo a Malta, ma vuoi
anche a Gozo stesso. Ecco il momento propizio al nemico di ogni
bene, approfittandosi del nostro intento e maliziosamente secondando
lo stesso, divisò di seppellire, tra le macerie,la opera anche
prima, direi che fosse nata,e cosi impedire perfino un grido
infantile ad una piccola batteria che veniva costruita contro il suo
campo. Ma viva a Dio che innanzi a Lui umiltà non significa
distruzione; la parte comica della diabolica manovra superò la parte
tragica, ed il sentimento di riconoscenza che occupò il nostro cuore
in sull’istante traboccò nel canto triplice dell’Inno Eucaristico.
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Priva ancora l’opera di tante cose non
recherà meraviglie ad alcuno se essa difetti anche di campane, che
in questa occorrenza ci avrebbero tanto aiutato particolarmente ad
ossequiare l’Eccellenza Vostra. Ma Provvidenza di Dio, il suono di
tegole e lastre di pietra nostrale, che dolcemente l’una contro
l’altra battevano, mentr’ io con loro in fondo sdrucciolava, è
rimasto vivo alle mie orecchie non solo, ma pervenne a quelle di
altri parecchi, che qui oggi tutti raccolse in gran numero, meglio
forse e che non avrebbe fatto un doppione di un formidabile
campanile.
L’uomo propone e Dio dispone. Noi
avevamo proposto di aver una benedizione direi quasi privata e iddio
volgendo in bene il male tutto mirabilmente dispone perchè la
cerimonia, relattivamente ai preparati vi riuscisse splendida,
magnifica e popolare forse più di qualsiasi altra del genere.
Eccellenza Reverendissima,
Coll’augurio di un rapido sviluppo e di
ogni migliore prosperità nell’opera, che vede la luce sotto gli
auspicii del Partiarca San Giuseppe pongo termine al mio indirizzo,
mentre La prego a voler degnarsi di benedire e di invitare tutti i
presenti a vociare alla stessa un fervido “evviva”.
On that same day
the first three boys were accepted in the Home,
and soon their number began to increase.
The Servant of God was confident that benefactors would continue to
support the Home.
One of the first
problems De Piro had to face was the procrastination on the side of
the government in honouring its pledge to contribute £1000. Indeed
the months dragged by until the contract was eventually signed.
On 16 October 1926 he was asked to withdraw the agreed subsidy.
The government on its part insisted that at least 20 boys be kept
for the first four years.
Although the
official superior of St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo, was the Servant of
God, the person chosen by Monsignor De Piro to administer the Home
was Fr Michael Callus, one of the first priests to be ordained from
within the Society of St Paul.
Some time later Fr Karm Azzopardi, another priest of the Society,
replaced Callus.
Mgr De Piro always kept in mind the particular needs of the Gozo
Home and regularly sent all possible help.
- The admission
of the boys at St Joseph’s, Gozo
Peter Camilleri
said that he had been the 23 boy to be admitted in the Institute.
Loreto Rapa who had been one of the first
three boys to enter St Joseph’s, said that only 21 boys were
admitted, “…because
that was the number of beds in the dormitory”.
And he gave other information:
Those who wished to
have their children admitted at the Institute came to talk to the
Superior. In the absence of the Servant of God, they used to see Fr.
Michael Callus, but when Mgr De Piro was there, it was he who
received them. There were cases when it seemed to Fr. Michael that
it would be better if they spoke to Monsignor and so he left the
parents waiting until the Servant of God came to Gozo. There was a
waiting list of the children who wished to be admitted, but there
were no vacant places. Then, when someone got fed up or left another
one immediately took his place. In my time there were five who left,
certainly not because of some fault of the administration of the
Institute.”
- The Director,
a very busy man
In his 1987
testimony, Michael Ciangura, an old boy of St Joseph’s, Gozo,
indicated that at the time of the direction of the Gozo Institute,
the Servant of God was busy with several other responsibilities.
Loreto Rapa was more explicit:
When he came, he would leave his other
commitments in Malta, which commitments were not few. In fact he was
responsible for about four Institutes. The largest was St.
Joseph’s, in Hamrun, which had about 100 children. Besides these
commitments De Piro was also involved in the political life as a
member of the Senate, and in some mediations.
Other testimonies
confirm that the old boys knew about De Piro’s involvement in the
direction of several other ecclesiastical charitable institutes.
- De Piro’s
visits to St Joseph’s, Gozo
According to
Carmelo Gauci, a cook at St Joseph’s, the Director did not visit the
Institute frequently, “When I was there Mgr De Piro did not come
often. He might have gone more often before 1928, but after this
date he would visit the place three or four times a year.”
In 1987 Loreto Rapa did not agree with Gauci, “… he often came to
St. Joseph’s.”
On 11 September 1990 Rapa was more explicit, “The Monsignor did not
come to Gozo regularly; roughly he came once or twice every two
months.”
Michael Ciangura, Peter Camilleri and Philip Gatt, all old boys of
St Joseph’s, agreed that the Director visited the Institute once a
month.
Ciangura,
Camilleri and Gatt said that when the Servant of God went to St
Joseph’s he stayed two or three days.
Loreto Rapa said that De Piro stayed much more, even a
fortnight,
though afterwards he mentioned the same number of days as the
others.
Loreto Rapa hinted
to the means of transport available in those days,
“At that time travelling by sea wasn’t easy or comfortable. As
means of transport there was the ferry that left from Valletta
and one could use also small passenger boats, which were more
uncomfortable. The Servant of God came to Gozo by ferry. When he
came he would stay for about two days.”
- In his visits
De Piro mostly talked to the Fathers
Carmelo Gauci, an ex-cook, referred to
what the Director did in his visits, “… when he did come he would
not spend the time visiting the Home; he wanted to check the
registers, talk to the superior, etc. Again De Piro was reticent and
so he would not waste his time talking.”
Loreto Rapa confirmed what was said by Gauci, “During his
visit he liked to meet Fr. Michael and also Fr. Guzepp Rapa and Fr.
Alphonse Mizzi; he spent a lot of time talking to them. Certainly we
children did not take part in these conversations, nor did we talk
to the Director for long at other times.”
Peter Camilleri said almost the same things.
- No small talk
on the part of the Director
Carmelo Gauci presented Monsignor as
reserved,
while Michael Ciangura and Peter Camilleri talked of him as “… a
very serious person…”.
- At the same
time the Director was very affable
Most of those who presented the
Servant of God as serious and non talkative were at the same time
very attentive not to give a bad impression of him; in the same
sentence where they would have mentioned his non talkativeness, or
imediately in the following sentence, they also talked of him as
very affable. Fr Raphael Azzopardi OSA, one of those who gave their
testimony at the Gozo Tribunal, had this to say:
When I say
‘recollected’ I mean that he was …most affable. He wasn’t distracted
or frivolous. Nor was he monotonous; he was of a cheerful
disposition.”
Although I never spoke
to him personally because I was always with my companions and we
spoke to him together, I had the impression that he was sincere and
he inspired confidence. He wasn’t reserved. On the contrary he was
easy to approach and talk to.
Carmelo Gauci
spoke about De Piro’s behaviour specifically at the Institute:
I remember, however,
that although the Monsignor was reserved, he always wanted to meet
the children everytime he visited the Institute. He made it a point
to see them every time he was there. Each time he was in Gozo he
made it a point that after meals he would talk to the boys and give
them sweets. It is true that he was always quiet and
taciturn, but he was not conceited.
Michael Ciangura
and Peter Camilleri said almost the same thing in their 1987
testimonies.
On 12 September 1990 Camilleri was more
eplicit than in 1987,
“When I describe the Monsignor as a serious person, I mean that he
did not talk much; he was collected and absorbed in
his work. He wasn’t a strange person, but his words were sweet. He
was an affable person.”
- Because he was
humble
As regards De Piro’s humility in his
relationship with the boys of St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo, Carmelo
Gauci said this, “He was so far from being proud that he was never
gruff or angry with the children or workers of the Institute.”
Peter Camilleri noticed the Director’s humility especially in
two particular moments:
He was not concieted, so much so that
he ate the same food as the children, although he had his meals in
another refectory with the members of his Society. Every time he
came he brought sweets and he himself would give us the sweets.
Whilst giving the sweets he liked to ask us, “What have you learnt?”
Because of this we were not afraid of him.
Philip Gatt and Loreto Rapa said almost
the same things as Camilleri.
But Rapa added somthing that happened to him:
The Monsignor came
from a wealthy family. In fact they had many fields rented to
Gozitans. I often went to St. Joseph’s Institute in Malta and there
I met the Director’s mother. I always saw her there and I had the
impression that for some time she lived there. Once I remember I
took an embalmed hen to the Servant of God, as a present from Karmnu
Garella, from Ghajnsielem. The Monsignor was much pleased when he
saw this present because he had long desired a hen like that.
Excited as he was, he took the hen and went into his office whilst I
remained standing outside. Then his mother entered (I do not
remember her name) and scolded her son, the Servant of God, because
he had not given me a chair to sit on. She said to him: ‘You are of
little intelligence, you left this boy standing.’ At these words,
the Servant of God, started crying and apologized to me.
Even Michael Cinagura referred to
Monsignor’s sense of humility.
Maria Concetta Sciberras who at the time of the opening of the
Institute was still a young girl, came from a family of benefactors
of St Joseph’s. Even she noticed De Piro’s humility, “He wasn’t
conceited. He was the picture of humility. In fact he welcomed us
and was very pleased with our presence.”
- The Director’s
contact with the boys
While referring to De Piro’s
humility, reference has already been made to his contact with the
inmates of St Joseph’s, Gozo. But the witnesses presented other
testimonies regarding this aspect of his life. Michael Cinagura
narrated a personal experience:
Every visit he stayed
for two or three days. I used to serve him at Mass and in summer I
used to go with him to the ‘Xatt l-Ahmar’, a beach. In fact once he
took me with him and he suggested that we should pick sea-anemonies.
When the Monsignor was a little dtstance away I tried to taste one
of these and this caused a burning sensation on my lips. De Piro
soon realized what I had done and said to me, ‘That’s not the way;
first we cook them and then you taste how good they are.’
Loreto Rapa
confirmed Ciangura’s words.
Peter Camilleri was quite convinced of De Piro’s wish to be near the
boys:
I think that the
Servant of God, and the other members of the Society had their meals
in a separate room for the simple reason that there wasn’t enough
room in the refectory where we dined. I do not think that the
Servant of God, dined apart to escape from the children, or because
their noise annoyed him. In fact the Servant of God, was not the
type of person who put us off. On the contrary he loved to be near
us.
We did not eat sweets
every day, and we looked forward to those that the Servant of God
gave us. According to the Brothers, the Monsignor bought the sweets
from his own money. He gave the same to each boy. I still remember
that he would take a handful of sweets and distribute them to us
without even lifting his eyes. He could have given the sweets to Fr.
Michael to give them to us, but I guess the Servant of God, took the
opportunity to meet each child and speak to him.
- A holistic
care of the boys
In a very few words Loreto Rapa summed
up this type of formation imparted by the Director, “He paid great
attention to us and he always saw that all our needs were satisfied
and was always ready with his help.”
- The spiritual aspect
Carmelo Gauci did not benefit from the
formation given to the boys at the Institute; he was there only as a
cook. But he could notice quite easily what type of upbringing the
boys had, “As regards the children, he showed them that he was
interested in their souls …”
Michael Ciangura
presented the elements which made up the spiritual aspect of the
life of the boys at St Joseph’s, “In the morning we had Mass. Then
at 11.30 am. the prayer of the “Buona morte”, and in the evening
the Rosary and Eucharistic Benediction. This was the prayers
programme at the Institute.”
Loreto Rapa said that,“He
said mass for us …”
Even Peter Camilleri made reference to De Piro’s mass and the way he
said it, “When he was at Ghajnsielem he always wanted that the Mass
for the children should be celebrated by him. He said Mass with
great devotion and this impressed the children. I used to serve him
at Mass.”
Michael Ciangura confirmed the words of Camilleri regarding the way
the Servant of God said the mass to the boys.
Besides mentioning the mass De Piro said to the boys, Philip Gatt
referred also to the blessing the Director gave them before their
going to bed.
Even Peter Camilleri referred to the benediction.
Loreto Rapa was more elaborate:
The Monsignor saw to
it that the words, ‘God sees you’ were written everywhere. The
improving of the chapel was his first priority. He even brought
workers from Malta and these built an altar and made a frame for the
titular painting. He ordered some gilt work and brought a ‘Via
Crucis’. He had a bell-tower built and made a statue of St. Joseph
on the wall of the Institute.
Michael Ciangura said that he did not
remember De Piro confessing the boys, but, “If I confessed to Mgr De
Piro, I would today consider myself very fortunate to have confessed
to a saintly priest. As a rule, the members of the Society asked
another priest to come to confess us.”
Loreto Rapa said that he confessed to the Director only once,
“… and anyone could confess to him. I
remember I confessed to him only once and I was not afraid. Usually
as penitence he gave three Hail Mary and an Our Father in honor of
St. Joseph.”
St Joseph was mentioned three times by
Rapa as being loved a lot by De Piro. The penance mentioned above is
already a proof.
At another moment Rapa said that,
“When the Institute was inaugurated, the chapel was ready to be used
and it was dedicated to St. Joseph according to the wish of the
Servant of God. The Monsignor was a great devotee of this Saint. On
various occasions he spoke about him in his sermons”
Also, “…he told me to
entrust myself in the hands of St. Joseph and to pray to him
to heal me.”
Peter Camilleri confirmed this devotion of the Servant of God
towards St Joseph:
He was a great devotee
of St. Joseph. In fact it was the Servant of God, who wanted the
chapel of the Institute to be dedicated to St. Joseph, and the image
of St. Joseph fixed on the external wall of the Institute was made
according to the wish of the Servant of God. As I have already said
the painting he had in his room included the figure of St. Joseph.
- The physical health
A personal experience of Loreto Rapa
shows how attentive the Director was about the physical health of
the inmates of St Joseph’s Home, Gozo, “Once I fell ill and went to
hospital in Victoria. Fr. Michael came to see me everyday and when
the Servant of God, was in Gozo he always paid me a visit. I felt
rather poorly and I remember that the Monsignor always encouraged
me…”
- Food
According to
Philip Gatt, Loreto Rapa and Peter Camilleri at the Institute there
was never lack of food.
Michael Ciangura was more descriptive, “I
remember that during my stay at the Institute food was varied and
abundant. The people were generous with us and the management of the
home could provide us with this food. I remember that on Sundays we
had meat. Fish was not something rare.”
- Clothing
Michael Ciangura
had this to say about clothing, “…
clothes were good ... De Piro was deeply interested in our welfare.
He also introduced our uniform. We always wore the uniform when we
went to visit the villages for charity. When the people saw us they
gave us contributions. Certainly those were different times for
all.”
Philip Gatt confirmed Ciangura’s opinion: considering the first
years of the twentieth century and the Gozitan socio economic
situation, the boys at St Joseph’s did not fare badly in their
clothing.
On 10 September 1990 Michael Ciangura was called again by the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal to give his testimony. On this day he
repeated what he had said before as regards clothing and added
something else:
Although when one joined the Institute
as an intern he was accepted with the only clothes he was wearing,
no one of the children lacked suitable clothes. The Superior of the
Home provided us with clean and smart clothes. When we went out we
wore a khaki uniform made at the Institute. The uniform also
included a cap. We were happy with this uniform. When people saw us
they soon concluded that we were children of St. Joseph’s. As
footwear we had shoes or slippers; I do not remember that there were
cases of barefooted children, not even when we were indoors. In
comparison with other children we lacked nothing.
Even Loreto Rapa and Peter Camilleri
referred to the uniform in their testimonies.
The former then elaborated a bit on the other clothes the
Institute’s boys wore, “As regards the clothes, besides the uniform,
we had enough clothes to change. We had clothes for work and others
to change. The members of the Society insisted on us to keep clean
and smart.”
Camilleri said the same thing:
On Sundays, when we
went for a walk, we put on our uniforms. We also wore uniforms when
we went to hear mass in the Parish Church of Ghajnsielem or when I
went for the feast of Mnarja, the feast of my Parish. Clothes were
not lacking; those who did not have their own would put on clothes
which the people gave us. I do not remember that shoes or sandals
were lacking. Although it was a time of scarcity we did not suffer.
- Cleanliness
This aspect has
already been implied in the previous dimension, but Michael Ciangura
said something specifically related to this effect, “We
had all the facilities to keep ourselves clean.”
- Academic formation
It has already been said that
the situation of the school attendance in Malta and Gozo according
to the1903 Census was the following:
Children 5 to 9 years inclusively:
|
Malta |
Total number |
In schools |
% |
Not in schools |
% |
|
Males |
9,738 |
4,486 |
46.1 |
5,252 |
53.9 |
|
Females |
9,445 |
4,856 |
51.4 |
4,589 |
48.6 |
|
Total |
19,183 |
9,342 |
|
9,841 |
|
|
Gozo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
1,144 |
689 |
60.2 |
455 |
39.8 |
|
Females |
1,168 |
665 |
|
503 |
43.1 |
|
Total |
2,312 |
1,354 |
|
958 |
|
|
Both Islands |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
10,882 |
5,175 |
47.5 |
5,707 |
52.5 |
|
Females |
10,613 |
5,521 |
52.0 |
5,092 |
48.0 |
|
Grand total |
21,495* |
10,696 |
49.7 |
10,799 |
50.3 |
Table 8
|
Malta |
Total
Number |
In
schools |
% |
Not
in schools |
% |
|
Males |
8,810 |
2,890 |
32.8 |
5,920 |
67.2 |
|
Females |
8,519 |
2,102 |
24.6 |
6,417 |
75.4 |
|
Total |
17,329 |
4,992 |
|
12,337 |
|
|
Gozo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
1,145 |
461 |
40.2 |
684 |
59.8 |
|
Females |
1,043 |
|
16.3 |
873 |
83.7 |
|
Total |
2,188 |
631 |
|
1,557 |
|
|
Both Islands |
Total
Number |
In schools |
% |
Not in schools |
% |
|
Males |
9,955 |
3,351 |
33.6 |
6,604 |
66.4 |
|
Females |
9,562 |
2,272 |
23.8 |
7,290 |
76.2 |
|
Grand total |
19,517* |
5,623 |
28.8 |
13,894 |
71.2 |
Table 9
From the first
part of the table one can easily notice that in Gozo the school
attendance of the 5-9 year olds was bigger than that of Malta. Then,
comparing the first part of the table to the second part, one easily
notices that the Gozitan 10-14 year olds attended school less than
the Maltese children of the same age. Loreto Rapa said, “At
my time, school attendance was not compulsory; there were children
of our age who did not attend any school.”
Peter Camilleri mentioned one of the
reasons, “In
those days, it wasn’t easy to find teachers.”
Facing this
situation De Piro did his best to give the boys in Gozo’s St
Joseph’s Institute the best education possible. Loreto Rapa said
this, “The Director had managed to give us lessons at the Institute.
During the day Fr Michael Callus gave the lessons and in the evening
a teacher from the Ghajnsielem school came to teach us. The subjects
were English, Maltese and Arithmetic.”
Philip Gatt, the sixteenth boy who entered St Joseph’s, Gozo,
gave the impression that as time passed by the situation did not
remain so good, “As regards schooling we had a few lessons at the
Institute, just a few lessons. We used to learn how to read and
write”.
Michael Ciangura, the boy who entered the Institute just after Gatt
corrected this impression, “As regards schooling Fr Michael gave
lessons during the day and a certain Guzeppi Sapiano did come in the
evening. All lessons were held in the Institute and the subjects
were English, Maltese and Arithmetic.”
Peter Camilleri, another of the first boys who entered St
Joseph’s, Gozo, almost repeated the same words to the 1987
Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
- A trades school
C. A. Price has been quoted as saying
that it was a current complaint that during the neneteenth century
numerous young tradesmen could never rise beyond the level of
unskilled labourers as they sat up on their own far too soon, and
with little training.
Things did not change a lot during the
first years of the 20 century. In fact Loreto Rapa had this to say,
“…the other
children, for these did not have such training. As a rule, no boy
who did not belong to the Institute learnt a trade.”
Facing this situation De Piro did his
best to give the Institute’s boys a formation which included even
their preparation for work. All four old boys of the Institute,
Rapa, Ciangura, Camilleri and Gatt, when interrogated by the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal, mentioned the fact that at St Joseph’s,
boys were taught either carpentry or tailoring or shoe-making.
It was the
Director himself who mentioned the trades at the Institute. On 29
October 1927 he wrote to the Honourable Minister of the Treasury
giving him the yearly report about the spending of the £1000.00
subsidy given by the Government to the Institute. In this same
letter De Piro added, “I can indeed add that of late the techinical
school was adjoined, and three shops already started, ie., tailor,
carpenter and shoemaker”
Not to mention some of the words of the inaugural speech De Piro
himself addressed to Governor Sir Walter Morris Congreve at the
opening of the Institute! Here the Director assured the Governor of
a good teaching of the trades.
Not only this.
Having referred to the teaching of trades at St Joseph’s, Gozo,
Loreto Rapa continued saying that, “When he noticed that someone was
keen on his studies he would take him to Malta for further
teaching.”
Michael Ciangura was one of the boys who was sent to Malta for
further trade studies, “De Piro was so interested in the learning of
the children that when he saw me progressing he even transferred me
to St Joseph Institute, in Malta… for De Piro greatly encouraged the
teaching of trades in the Institute.”
Philip Gatt and others said the same thing.
“In a certain sense we were in a privileged position compared
with the other children, for these did not have such training. As a
rule, no boy who did not belong to the Institute learnt a trade,”
admitted Loreto Rapa.
- The music band at St
Joseph’s – Background
During the first
half of the 19 century there were groups of men who knew how to play
some music instrument but did not make part of any sort of band or
other group. On particular occasions these were called together by
some individual or organisation in order to create a merry
atmosphere by their music.
Some years after, during the last half of the 19 century, music
bands began to crop up. They were mainly started in order to play on
the town or village feast days and at the Good Friday and Easter
processions.
After a short while these bands made part of organised clubs,
with written statutes, elected committees, members and even a
meeting place, many a times very prominent in the town or village.
These bands came
at a time when in Malta there was a lot of illiteracy. Many of the
bandsmen themselves did not know how to read anything. The club
taught them to read at least the music scores. Also, during the last
half of the nineteenth and early years of the twentieth centuries
the means with which the people could live the cultural aspect of
their life and their leisure time were very scarce and many could
not afford going for the very little that there was. These music
bands provided the cultural activities and were at the reach of
everyone. In the Island of Gozo there were only two such bands until
1928, the Philarmonic Society La Stella and the Leone Band, both of
them in the city of Victoria, or Rabat.
- De Piro started the music
band at St Joseph’s
When the Servant
of God started the St Joseph’s Institute in Gozo, he made it a point
that the same holistic formation given at St Joseph’s, Malta, be
imparted also in the Gozo branch: if there was a music band at Santa
Venera, De Piro did his best to have a similar one at Ghajnsielem,
“The boys were really surprised when they saw Monsignor De Piro
coming up to the Institute… carrying a big packet. Their curiosity
was immediately satisfied because soon after they found out that the
Director had bought some music instruments in order to start a band
made up of boys.”
In fact the
director did not want to start a band club; he wanted the
Institute’s boys to learn music and be the musicians who played the
instruments he himself provided.
The St Joseph’s Band was started in 1928. A certain Anton Muscat
Azzopardi, himself an old boy of St Joseph’s, Malta, and who had
been helped by De Piro to become a professional bandmaster, was
asked by the Servant of God to teach music to the boys.
After a while another bandmaster, Michael Farrugia, was asked
by the Director to take over.
On 17 May 1931 the Band went out of the Institute. It played just in
front of St Joseph’s; it was the sixth anniversary of the
foundation of the Institute. In this first public debut the Band
played Omaggio al Superiore Mgr Giuseppe De Piro.
The people of Ghajnsielem followed the Band’s progress with
great interest and attended numerously, together with other
Gozitans, for this first appearance.
Then the Band played at the feast of St Anthony, at Ghajnsielem
itself. It also played on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, again at
Ghajnsielem, and on the occasion of the blessing of the bells of
‘Ta’ Savina Chapel’, in Rabat, Gozo.
- Recreation
The St Joseph’s
Band was already a means for the recreation of the boys but there
were other means and moments which helped towards this. Michael
Ciangura mentioned a daily rereation,
“After lunch we had some time for recreation and we played together
in the yard of the home.”
Loreto Rapa said almost the same thing, only that he mentioned
another time in the day which was reserved for recreation
immediately after 5.00pm.
Then coming to the summer months he also mentioned swimming,
“The Monsignor also thought of allowing us periods of rest and
holidays. He himself loved to come with us to the Xatt l-Ahmar,
beneath the Institute, where we went to swim.”
Peter Camilleri
corroborated Rapa’s words.
- Preparation for life
Loreto Rapa said
this as regards the aspect of trades, “When someone left the
Institute, one had the required basis to open one’s own workshop and
earn a living, as in fact many did.”
But Rapa referred to their preparation even as regards life in
general, “I feel that the Institute prepared us for life; when I was
sixteen I emigrated to England and, with the formation I had
received from the members of the Society, I could manage well. They
taught us how to deal with people and they also taught us how to
plan for the future.”
- De Piro, the
man who always had new projects in mind
A short time after
the opening of St Joseph’s Institute, the original house was
becoming too small for the possible developments that De Piro had in
mind from the very start. He had no sound financial means, but he
trusted so much in Divine Providence that on 12 January and 15 March
1930 and 9 February 1932 he requested a plot of land from the
government where he could concretise his other dream, the building
of a new institute.
After protracted negotiations, on 17 November 1931
and 15 February 1933
he was granted the lease of a large plot of land.
The extension
project hit a snag when a farmer who cultivated part of the land,
refused to give up his property.
Mgr De Piro actually died on 17 September 1933 and the Society
eventually renounced responsibility for the Home on 2 October 1935.
The extension never materialized but De Piro had seen the Home
through its first difficult years.
- The means with
which De Piro directed the Institute
- De Piro’s administration
Loreto Rapa was
convinced of the Director’s good administration of the Home,
“In my time there were five who left, certainly not because of some
fault of the administration of the Institute.”
- His determination, courage
and orderliness
For Rapa, the Monsignor had another
three virtues which helped th good running of the House: his
determination,
his courage,
and his methodical character.
- The members of his Society
As in the case of St Joseph’s, Malta,
the Servant of God introduced the members of his Society even in
Gozo. In relation to the opening of the Institute, besides the
Director himself, Loreto Rapa mentioned two members of the Society
of De Piro, “Mgr De Piro, Fr. Michael Callus, a member of De Piro’s
Society, and Censu Galea, a young man who later joined the Society,
came from Malta to prepare for the opening. They went a few days
before the opening to make the necessary preparations.”
Some time after he also said that, “On the
inauguration of the Institute, the members of the Society organized
a big feast.”
Michael Ciangura mentioned
several names of members who ran the place:
In the absence of Mgr
De Piro, we were in the care of Fr. Michael Callus, Br. Venanz
Galea, Fr. Karm Azzopardi and Br. Ruzar Buhagiar; the last two came
with us when Fr. Michael and Br. Venanz went back to Malta. In
general Mgr De Piro left two with us: a priest who could celebrate
Mass, and a Brother. In my opinion they were dedicated to their
work, and I noticed that they were well prepared.
Ciangura also referred to “the
members of the Society” when talking of the fair organised by the
same members at the Institute.
With these, the Servant of God had the
best relationship. Loreto Rapa referred to the respect Fr Michael
Callus, the superior of the House, had for the Director.
Carmelo
Gauci witnessed to the sorrow felt by one of the members of the
Society at the death of the Director:
It was Fr Karm who
told me about De Piro’s death. He said to me, “My father has died.”
I thought he was referring to his natural father and to console him
I said that sooner or later death was inevitable. Fr. Karm showed me
that he was referring to De Piro who was like a father to him
because he was of great value to him.
Peter Camilleri was more
explicit about this respect for De Piro:
I always had the impression that the
relations between the Servant of God and the members of the Society
who were with us at the Institute were very good. In fact, I noticed
that the Brothers were happy when the Monsignor visited us. I
remember Br. Ruzar saying that the Servant of God, had confessed he
wished to come to Gozo more often but his work in Malta did not
allow him.
-
On his part the Servant of God respected the role of those
responsible for the House
Carmelo Gauci said that the Director,
“… did not like to interfere with the administration of the Home,
but left it to the superior who was in charge.”
Michael Ciangura agreed with Gauci,
“As regards the rest, the Servant of
God, did not interfere in the things mentioned; it was more
probable that he gave a free hand to those responsible for the
running of the Home.”
- De Piro’s
relationship with the employees at the Institute
Together with the
members of De Piro’s Society there were some lay employees in the
House. Carmelo Gauci was the cook at St Joseph’s. He could say how
the Director behaved in relation to the employees at the Institute,
“Another time I suspected that certain individuals were meeting the
Administration of the Gozo Curia to dismiss me. De Piro showed me
that he was aware of this, and he assured me that he would help me
to keep my job.”
Gauci added something as regards the Director’s love for the sick
employees:
He also showed
interest in the health of his employees. In fact when I was at the
Institute and fell ill, De Piro came to see me in bed. He inquired
about my illness and in order to see what could be done for me he
said he was ready to take me to a doctor, who was a relative of his.
As a result a short time after this Fr. Karm took me to Malta to see
a certain Professor Debono, who though not related to De Piro,
examined me very carefully and gave me the necessary help.
- Fundraising
Fr Raphael Azzopardi OSA had nothing to
do with anyone of the Institutes directed by the Servant of God, but
he could say that, “At that time the Institutes depended
completely on charity and the person responsible for them was
responsible to provide for the livelihood of the children.”
In fact as a source of
income for St Joseph’s, Gozo, the Director encouraged various types
of fundraising activities. Michael Ciangura mentioned the fair:
The annual fair of the Institute, which
was held on the first Sunday after Ascension, was a big feast not
only for us at the Institute, but also in the calendar of
celebrations in Gozo. Many people attended this fair. The people
donated to us all the articles we used at the fair. The members of
the Society did their very best to make the fair a success. I
remember that the first time our band took part before the public
was precisely at one of these fairs and, on that occasion the
Servant of God was present.
Also, the boys
went regularly to the towns and villages on the Island begging alms.
- The benefactors
Loreto Rapa
mentioned the benefactors as another means with which De Piro could
run St Joseph’s, Gozo, “Besides, one must not forget that he had a
number of benefactors who contributed to the life of the
Institute.”
Even Peter Camilleri made reference to these:
At my time, the
Institute was still in its first phase and therefore was not well
known by people. In no way do I want to mean that this lack of
popularity was due to carelessness on the part of the Servant of
God, or of the members of the Society. However, those who
knew about us were very generous with us. De Piro was the friend of
certain Monsignors in Gozo and these contributed to our maintenance.
According to
Loreto Rapa, the Servant of God was very grateful to the
benefactors, “De Piro was a grateful person and appreciated very
much the help offered by people to the Institute.”
Concetta Sciberras, who herself came from a family of benefactors of
the Institute,
still remembered that, “… he welcomed us and was very pleased
with our presence. He said that the Institute owed its existence to
us. In a few words he showed a great appreciation for our work in
favour of the Institute.”
- But his faith in Providence,
over and above anything else
Loreto Rapa was quite explicit about
this, “This courage of the Servant of God, was not only a natural
quality but it was the effect of the faith he had in divine
providence. Sometimes he told us not to be discouraged when facing
difficulties, for God knew what he was doing and would not leave us
alone.”
- De Piro was
therefore loved by the boys and all
Loreto Rapa was
quite clear about the respect shown to the Director by the boys, “We
were attracted to him because we saw in him a priest who loved us.
Children as we were, he would give us some useful advice. I have
never changed this impression I had of the Servant of God, not even
when I became an adult.”
Carmelo Gauci referred to the reaction of
the boys at the death of the Servant of God, “As
a matter of fact at the Institute everyone, children and employees,
wept for him.”
The same words were said by Ciangura,
Camilleri, Gatt and Rapa.
George Pisani
was never at St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo, neither as a boy nor as an
employee. But he heard a lot about Monsignor from his mother, and he
happened to be with the latter at the Addolorata Cemetry at the time
of the funeral of De Piro. He was so much impressed with what he saw
that returning home he immediately wrote a poem about the Servant of
God:
For some reason or
other, which I no longer remember, it happened that on the day of
Mgr De Piro’s funeral my parents and I were in Malta. On that day my
mother wished to visit the Addolorata Cemetery and I went with her.
Unexpectedly we found that there was the funeral of Mgr De Piro. I
was struck by the cortege, the presence of children and other
people, who were numerous. Because of this, when, after the funeral,
I was back in Gozo, I felt the need to put to paper the emotions I
felt during the funeral. It was at that time that the poem came out
naturally and spontaneously more from my heart than from my mind. It
was the poem about Mgr De Piro “On the death of Mgr De Piro (at the
Addolorata Cemetery)”. I must say that this poem came out naturally
like the water that springs out from the rocks of the plains. This
poem was included in the first volume of my poems, entitled “L-Ghid
taz-Zoghzija.’ (The feast of youth). It has been read by thousands
of students, and others. Besides, at home, Mgr De Piro was well
known by other people in Gozo. It was well known that he came from a
noble family. He had many beautiful gifts as well as a strong
intellect, not to mention his great goodness. He utilised all this
to help unfortunate children, whom the world abandoned.
Here is Pisani’s poem:
|
In the burial place, full of flowers,
Of Our Lady of Sorrows,
The last sweet abode
Which welcomes the Maltese,
I heard a thousand boys crying
In sorrow for their father,
And with that crying they effected
All those that heard them.
But I saw a small, small, tear
Of a boy who was near me,
Fall gently
On a flower near my feet.
|
I cut that flower
With the tear on it
And I heard this song coming out
Although a bit hoarse:
“I am not the tear of fear,
I am not a tear of mercy,
I am not a tear of sorrow,
I am not a tear of contrition;
I came out of the heart of a boy
Grown up in the greatest peace,
Who knows as his other Brothers
That when the day starts
They are all orphans”
|
- Vocations
recruitment at St Joseph’s, Gozo
If De Piro considered St Joseph’s,
Malta as a source of vocations for his nascent Society,
the same applied to the Institute in Gozo. Loreto Rapa said that he
had the impression that the members of the Society wanted to be near
the boys of the institutes precisely to recruit vocations.
Michael Ciangura narrated his personal experience:
At St. Joseph’s I was learning
tailoring. De Piro was so interested in the learning of the children
that when he saw me progressing he even transfered me to St. Joseph
Institute, in Malta. I believe that De Piro aimed at making me a
member of his Society. In fact he made the suggestion and at first I
accepted; I even went to the Oratory of B’Kara and joined the
aspirants for two months. After this short period I realized that
this was not my vocation, and so I returned to St. Joseph’s at
Hamrun, to resume my trade.
In his 10
September 1990 testimony, Ciangura was more explicit about De Piro’s
attempts to persuade him to join the Society,
“The Servant of God, was keen on having new members. When I was at
the Hamrun Institute, Mgr De Piro tried to persuade me to join the
Society. He made me the invitation several times…”
- But he never
used any pressure on the boys
Michael Cinagura confirmed this, “De
Piro had encouraged me to join the Society, but he never exerted any
pressure. Also when he realized that I was not made for the Society
he still helped with my tailoring.”
Later on Ciangura added, “… but he was always prudent and never
insisted too much.”
(v) Director of
the new Home for little boys, Santa Venera, Malta
New responsibilities were accumulating
on Mgr De Piro. He was already director of four charitable
institutes: Fra Diegu, Jesus of Nazareth, St. Joseph’s Home, Malta,
and St Joseph, Gozo. His love and understanding of the children
entrusted to him made him consider a new project: the opening of a
Home for the younger boys in a house next to St Joseph’s, Malta.
Here he sought the help of Miss Guzeppina Curmi and her
collaborators. They answered positively to his request and a small
group of them went to Sta. Venera to care for boys between three to
seven years of age. On 30 July 1925, Miss Curmi was asked
to sign a declaration accepting the care of the new Home and
entrusting it to the young women who worked with her.
(vi) Director
of St Francis de Paul Institute, Birkirkara, Malta
A certain Miss Guzeppa Psaila undertook
to open a small house under the patronage of St. Francis de Paul for
orphaned girls. This Institute was placed under the tutelage of the
Church of Malta, and Mgr De Piro was chosen as its Diocesan Director
in 1927.
The first step taken was to provide better accommodation for 20
girls who had been gathered in the house.
Documents regarding this charitable Institution are lacking, but we
know that while the Director was struggling to obtain ecclesiastical
approval for the Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth, he was also doing his
utmost to entrust to them the orphans’ Home in Birkirkara.
According to a letter written by De Piro to Mgr La Puma, Secretary
of the Congregation for Religious, on 7 July 1933, the Missionary
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth were only in two houses until July
1933.
(vii) A beggar
for the children of the institutes
The Servant of God
was not satisfied with only giving nearly all he himself had to the
poor, but he, the son of one of the noblest families of Malta and
canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral, reduced himself to great
humiliation when begging money and goods for the sake of the poor
children of the institutes. This is what Fr Joseph Tonna, a priest
from Rabat, Malta, said:
Sometimes when he
wanted money for his institutes, he used to pass even twice from the
same road. He never asked anybody, but walked with his head bowed
down. People became accustomed to this and whenever they saw him
walking with his head bowed down, they always gave him money for the
institutes he administered.
Fr John Vella, an
ex member of De Piro’s Society, testified that, “Every Thursday the
Founder used to go to the rich families and ask them alms for the
institutes.”
Often the Servant of God turned to his understanding mother
who used to call him “my poor one”
and who was sincerely worried that he would neglect himself for his
beloved orphans.
(viii) De
Piro’s testamentary will and the Institutes
What has been said is already enough proof of the
bond that existed between Joseph De Piro and the institutes under
his care. His testamentary will amply confirms this close link. The
second article of the said will goes like this:
Relativamente alle diverse
amministrazioni da me tenute, di Istituti caritatevoli e di
beneficenza, tengo appositi libri per ciascuna amministrazione. E
per ogni buon fine dichiaro che nei vari Istituti da me diretti,
siano essi missionari o di beneficenza, non si trovano mobiglio o
quadri o vasi sacri o altre argenterie, o abiti ed insegne sacre di
mia proprietà, dovendo significare la esistenza ivi di qualsiasi
tale oggetto la donazione da me fattane a tale Istituto.
Tengo inoltre a
dichiarare di non voler essere rimborsato per diritti di
amministrazione personalmente dovutimi, come nè anche di qualsiasi
spesa fatta o da farsi in qualsiasi Istituto sotto la mia direzione,
…
After saying what he left to the Society of St
Paul, his mother, Bishop Caruana, the Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth,
and St Ursola House in Qrendi, in articles eight and nine of the
will he leaves something to the Institutes : Fra Diegu, Jesus of
Nazareth, and St Francis de Paul:
Articolo Ottavo
Lascio ancora a titulo di prelegato
all’Istituto Fra Diegu del Hamrun un titulo di fondi pubblici, del
valore di lire cento nominali, che attualmente fruttifichi non meno
di lire sterline quattro l’anno; il quale interesse servirà per la
ricreazione dell’Albero di Natale, alle ragazze di detti Istituto,
coll’obbligo però, della celebrazione di una messa letta annuada da
essere fatta il di’ tredici Gennaio di ogni anno in suffragio
dell’anima del fondatore e successori nella direzione, sacerdoti
operarii e Suore Istitutrici, benefattori e benefattrici e delle
ricoverate di detto Istituto, passati, presenti e futuri. La
presente disposizione sarà però considerata di nessun effetto,
qualora avrò già provveduto durante la mia vita, sia mediante
deposito presso la cassa diocesana delle Pie Amministrazioni, sia in
modo diverso.
Articolo Nono
Lascio ancora agli Istituti S.Francesco
d’Assisi-Fra Diegu di Hamrun -Gesù Nazzareno -Curmi - di Zeitun,-
S.Francesco di Paula - Psaila - di B’Cara uno per ciascuno dei più
bei merletti che saranno in mio possesso al momento della mia morte,
a scelta e nell’ordine suddetto, della Reverenda Madre Superiora di
ciascun Istituto. Raccomando intanto ai miei successori, nelle varie
direzioni di usare ogni premura per conservare la missione sociale
di dette pie opere quale intesa nei primordi delle varie fondazioni
cioè a favore di ragazze povere, orfane e pericolanti ed in alcuni
casi in riparo all’onore del prossimo.
(ix) De Piro’s
care for the old boys and old girls of the institutes
- Director of the
Sacred Heart Laboratory, a workshop for unemployed girls, Valletta,
Malta
Mgr De Piro never stopped thinking what more
could be done for the Institutes under his care. It was exactly this
dedication that made him enlarge, refurbish, or change some part or
other of their buildings. It was again this interest in the
institutes that continually encouraged him to introduce new ways how
to run these charitable institutions. It was because he wanted to
also help the girls who had left the institutes and who had no one
to welcome them that he thought of the Laboratory of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus.
In 1927 De Piro
had already aired a project with government officials that would
consist of a workshop for poor and needy girls in Valletta:
“Casa di San Giuseppe-Bonnici
Hamrun
17th December 1927
Sir,
Referring to our conversation about the
difficulty. I am writing to find available place within Valletta for
the object to start a "Laboratory" in favour and in aid of poor and
unemployed girls, I dare ask, if it is possible to have a spare room
or two in any of the government buildings.
I can add besides ,as I have been
informed just now, that a small house, seated near the Lower
Barracca, and belonging to the government, is at present subject to
disposal. If not altogether free, perhaps, some favourable
arrangement can be met with.
Thanking you in advance for your
valuable aid, and asking pardon for the trouble I am giving you.
He had the idea of
siting this Laboratory or Workshop in a small house near the Lower
Barracca, Valletta. Nothing emerged from this particular plan, which
consisted of providing a moral and technical education to needy
girls. Rather than founding an institute, he had in mind to set up a
workshop where girls could work and get paid for whatever they
produced.
Early in 1928 the
government offered him temporary accomodation. The Servant of God
refused it, owing to the fact that he had in mind a place he would
not be turned out from.
Another accomodation was found and the official opening took place
on 11 April 1928. The house De Piro rented was at 101, St.
Christopher Street, Valletta, Malta.
In order to subsidise the high rent he was asked for, De Piro asked
for and was granted permission to hold lotteries to raise some
money.
The Servant of God
found an assistant, Maria Assunta Borg, who, after having been
legally separated from her husband, administered the Laboratory in
which she even resided permanently.
The girls were being instructed in sewing and other similar crafts.
After working from
1928 to 1931 together, relations between De Piro and Borg started
becoming strained. While Borg desired to open the Laboratory to all
girls living in moral danger, De Piro preferred to have it reserved
for girls coming out of the orphanages he was looking after. The
words of this notice
give proof of this:
Trattandosi di un’
Istituzione nuova, che conta appena un anno, sarà utile il sapere
che il Laboratorio, spiega l’opera sua in un locale molto ben
attrezzato in Str. Cristoforo 101. Esso ha per scopo il bene di
ragazze disoccupate e particolarmente di quelle uscenti di fresco da
entro le sacre pareti dei nostri varii Istituti di Beneficienza ove
per la generosità dei Signori Benefattori e per l’ abnegazione del
personale dirigente vengono allevate, istruite e sopratutto educate
nel Santo timore di Dio. È appunto in questo pangente, che a loro,
spesse volte, manca ciò che maggiormente ocorre, una mente più
esperta della loro che le aiuti a dare i primi passi in mezzo all’
aria libera di questo povero mondo, per loro tutto nuovo, ed una
mano più vigorosa della loro che conduce attraverso le prime lotte
per la vita.
Moreover, Borg
started thinking that only she was responsible for the Laboratory
while De Piro felt that he could even remove her from her office if
needs be. The disagreement between the two had arisen because Borg
started seeking advice from Mgr Enrico Dandria
who advised her to listen to De Piro insofar as the administration
of the Laboratory was concerned and to Dandria himself where
problems of conscience were involved.
Matters came to a
head in November 1930 when De Piro ordered Borg to leave the
Laboratory and move to her residence in Hamrun, Malta. In February
1931 she complained to Dandria who advised her to contact the
Archbishop. Instead she went to De Piro who was obviously displeased
that anybody had dared interfere in the running of the Laboratory.
De Piro wanted to remove Borg who was even told off by Dandria for
not having listened to his advice. Borg only went to the Archbishop
in March 1931 and he told her that he would personally discuss the
whole thing with De Piro.
When De Piro got
to know about her encounter with the Archbishop, he informed Borg
that he had lost all confidence in her and that she therefore would
have nothing more to do with the Laboratory. De Piro also let the
Archbishop know of his decision.
This clash of
opinions had its repercussions on the Laboratory. Indeed to avoid
legal problems it was decided that the Laboratory of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus be publicly proclaimed closed and a declaration to
that effect was drawn up by Mgr Joseph De Piro and Maria Assunta
Borg on 14 August 1931.
To show that there was no bad blood between them, De Piro entrusted
Borg with the small sum of money that was left over after the
dissolution.
Though the Servant
of God was greatly saddened by the whole outcome, the events prove
how strong-willed and decisive he was whenever he felt he was in the
right. Still, the failure of the project upset him deeply because he
was quite conscious of the magnitude of the problem of the young
girls who had to leave the shelter of the orphanages without having
anyone to provide them with a home. He dearly loved to found some
other charitable institution in its stead. Maria Guzeppina Curmi,
the Foundress of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth was to
be the alternative. She died on 27 December 1931, but the members of
her Congregation concretised what De Piro had dreamt.
As Monsignor was drawing up the statutes, he suggested the insertion
of the care of girls who left orphanages as one of the secondary
aims of the Sisters’ Congregation,
“Il fine speciale dell’Istituto è di prendere cura, in Malta ed
altrove specialmente in terra di missione…e di estendere poi in modo
secondario e subordinato, la propria azione a favore delle giovani
uscenti da Istituti…”.
- De Piro’s second
intervention in the Third Maltese Parliament in favour of the old
boys and old girls of the institutes
On 30 April 1921 Governor Lord Plumer
promulgated the Letters Patent of a new Constitution for Malta,
which had to come into force on 16 May 1921.
This gave the Maltese people the possibility to have self
government.
Matters of Imperial interest were to be controlled, with the advice
of a Nominated Council, by the Governor, as the nominee of the
Crown, whilst all matters of national and local interest were to be
under the full control of the elected representatives of the people
of Malta
As regards local affairs Malta was led by a diarchy with a
bicameral system: the Senate and the Legislative Assembly.
The Senate consisted of 17 members of whom 10 represented special
classes, and the others, known as general members, were chosen by
the general electorate. The 10 special members represented the
Clergy, the Nobility, the University, the Chamber of Commerce, and
the Trade Union Council, two each. The clergy representatives were
chosen by the archbishop while the other special members were chosen
by the group they represented. The Legislative Assembly was made up
of 32 members, elected, as in the case of the general members of the
Senate, according to the principle of proportional representation,
each voter having one transferable vote.
Matters of Imperial interest were: the
public safety and defence of the Empire; the general interests of
British subjects not resident in Malta; such matters as the control
of naval, military and air forces; the defence of the Island; aerial
navigation; surveys for naval, military or aerial defence purposes;
submarine cables, wireless telegraphy, etc; lands and buildings used
or required for naval, military or other purposes; the buildings in
the offical occupation of the Government; trade with any place out
of the Island; the importation of goods or animals for the use of
the naval, military or airforces; coinage; immigration;
naturalisation; postal and telegraphic censorship; passports; the
appropriation of any revenues accruing to the Crown in respect of
any reserved matters; and treaties with foreign states.
The above mentioned general limitations
were by Letters Patent of 26 June 1930 extended to matters touching
the general interests of British subjects resident in Malta and the
preservation and continuance of peace, order and good government
therein in the event of such interests and such peace, order and
good government being endangered, or the carrying on of responsible
government being prejudiced, by reason of any grave emergency to the
satisfaction of the Secretary of State having arisen and continuing
to exist in the Island.
On 11, 12, and 13 June 1932 Malta had
its general elections and therefore a new Senate and a new
Legislative Assembly. Mgr Joseph De Piro was chosen by Archbishop
Mauro Caruana, as a special member, to represent the clergy in the
Senate.
This Legislature did not last too much, only from 17 October 1932 up
to 23 July 1933.
During the parliamentary sessions the
Servant of God intervened only twice. On 18 November 1932 he
approved the proposal of Notary Salvatore Borg Olivier regarding the
amandment of the mortmain law.
Then it was on 21 February 1933 that De Piro made his memorable
speech about the morality, especially of the young girls who worked
in the bars or taverns:
Mr. President, I
very much regret that the question of morals - so close to the heart
of each one of us - and for which we should be working hand in hand
- has been dragged into the political field. Regarding political
points which are confusing and which I am not acquainted with - I
feel I cannot speak - but I feel it is my duty to speak about the
motion we have before us. I am sorry that my first speech in this
House has to be about this matter. I would like to convey to the
Hon. Members of the Senate my great wish to see all signs of
immorality removed from our Island.
Approval was expressed by the Hon. M.A.
Borg.
Monsignor continued:
We have to think not
only about our unfortunate girls, but also about so many young men.
Our wish is to see them grow up morally and physically healthy, to
be able to face in the future the hardships of life - which all of
us have to go through.
Mr. President, having
heard the reasons put forward by the Hon. Minister of the Police
Force, I do not want to enter into the question of the age of girls
serving in bars. On my part I feel no stone should be left unturned
until we remove these young women from these bars - which are a
common danger for all.
Lord Strickland from the Opposition
expressed his approval.
Mr. President”, Mgr De Piro resumed,
“after hearing the reasons expressed by the Hon. Minister of the
Police Force, I gauged by his words his good intentions regarding
the question of morals - although these good intentions were not
clearly stated.
Dr. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici thanked Mgr
De Piro for his appreciation.
Therefore I feel he
deserves everyone’s support to continue working in support of public
morals in our country; for this purpose I will do my utmost today
and ask the Hon. Minister to do all he can to make sure that the
laws regulating these bars are strictly enforced by the Department
of the Police Force. I think this responsibility falls on him alone,
before others.
Mr. President, I trust
the Hon. Minister of the Police Force - with strength of will - will
use all his youthful energy in this cause”.
Dr. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici intervened,
“I promise you I will go on doing all I am able to do”.
De Piro continued:
I ask him to use his
energy and his exceptional intelligence with prudence and wisdom in
this delicate matter, that is so urgent, Mr. President. As a
Minister and Head of the Police Force, he can exercise his authority
so that we may see the Island rid of this social plague, which has
developed in a way hard to understand. This problem exists under the
name of ‘barmaidism-cabaretism-tabarinism’. All of us must unite in
a struggle to lessen - at least - this plague.
Mr. President, I do
not expect human nature to change, yet surely we can lessen the ill
effects resulting from this sad state of affairs. this is what I
entrust to the Hon. Minister of the Police Force: he has the power
and the possibility in his hands. I am certain that all are
convinced that we, the Clergy, are doing all we possibly can.
However, Mr. President - in a family - what is the use of the
mother’s effort, if it is not supported by the father’s?
This intervention of De Piro
effected to a great extent some of the old girls of the institutes
administered by him. Several did not have a family to welcome them
and had no job from where to get their living. Therefore they turned
to work in bars as a solution.
- The old girls
of the institutes in his testamentary will
Even in his will
De Piro urged his successors in the administration of the Institutes
to cherish this particular aspect of their mission:
Articolo Nono
Lascio ancora agli Istituti S.Francesco
d’Assisi-Fra Diegu di Hamrun -Gesù Nazzareno -Curmi - di Zeitun,-
S.Francesco di Paula - Psaila - di B’Cara uno per ciascuno dei più
bei merletti che saranno in mio possesso al momento della mia morte,
a scelta e nell’ordine suddetto, della Reverenda Madre Superiora di
ciascun Istituto. Raccomando intanto ai miei successori, nelle varie
direzioni di usare ogni premura per conservare la missione sociale
di dette pie opere quale intesa nei primordi delle varie fondazioni
cioè a favore di ragazze povere, orfane e pericolanti ed in alcuni
casi in riparo all’onore del prossimo.
(x) The
Birkirkara (B’Kara) Oratory
- A Centre for
boys
In a petition
written by Fr P.J. O’Grady, a Salesian of Don Bosco, and presented
to the Archbishop of Malta on 5 March 1910, there was mention of the
wish of some Salesian cooperators to build an oratory at (B’Kara).
O’Grady told Archbishop Peter Pace that according to the Salesian
rules there had to be a chapel before the building of an oratory.
Therefore O’Grady asked his Excellency to allow these cooperators to
build the chapel.
But in this petition there was an important indication about the
scope of this building:
A Sua Eccellenza Revma
Monsignor Arcivescovo
Vescovo di Malta
Il Reverendo Padre P.
J. O’Grady, Superiore dei Salesiani a Malta espone riverentemente
che ad oggetto di sottrarre tanti fanciulli e giovanetti agli
innumerevoli pericoli che li circondano, impartendo loro al medesimo
tempo la necessaria cultura religiosa e civile, alcuni Coperatori
Salesiani intendono erigere un Oratorio Festivo Salesiano a
Birchircara, su terreno gia da essi acquistato, il quale Oratorio
s’intende mettere sotto la direzione dei Salesiani.
Che siccome una tale
educazione religiosa, non puo efficacemente impartirsi senza
l’erezione di una Cappella perciò il ricorrente chiede pei suddetti
Cooperatori il dovuto permesso per tale erezione.
Sac. P. J. O’Grady
S.C.
Presentato il di’ 5
Marzo 1910.
Sac. Fr. Vella
The facts that the
project was being planned by Salesian cooperators and that the
petition to the Archbishop was being done by a Salesian of Don Bosco
already indicated that it was going to be something related to the
education of children! The contents of the above letter confirm
this.
On 8 March of the
same year Mgr Aloisius Attard, the Acting Vicar General answered by
saying:
Intementur preces Can
Praeposito Parrocho loci Birchircara.
Datum in M. Curia
Episcopali Melitae die 8 Martii 1910
Aloisius Can. Theol.
Attard
Vicisgerens Vic
Generalis.
The Birkirkara
Canon Provost answered five days later, on the 13 March. Canon
Alphonse Borg referred to the aim of the project more than once; it
was going to be in favour of the education of the children:
Nella Gran Curia
Vescovile di Malta
In virtù di Decreto
dato il di’ 8 corrente dall’Illmo. e Revmo. Mgr Can. Teologo D.
Louis Attard D.D. Agente Vicario Generale di questa Diocesi mi venne
intimata la dimanda avanzata a Sua Eccza. Revma. D. Pietro Pace
D.D.K.C.V.O. Arcivescovo Vescovo di Malta dal Superiore dei R.R.P.P.
Salesiani, concorrente l’erezione di una Cappella per un Oratorio
festivo Salesiano, che s’intende erigere a Birchircara, e ciò,
perchè tanti fancuilli e giovanotti si sottoraggano agli
innumerevoli pericoli, che li circondano e lor venga impartita la
necessaria cultura religiosa e civile.
In esecuzione di tale
intima, dopo d’aver esaminato i Regolamenti della Pia Società di S.
Francesco di Sales riguardanti i catechisti Salesiani, di cui colla
presente esibisco copia, sono in grado di dire che l’erezione di
tale Cappella per l’Oratorio Festivo sarà certamente di grande
vantaggio ai ragazzi e giovinotti della mia Pieve perchè ad essi
coll’osservanza dei detti Regolamenti si darà una vera cultura
religiosa e civile, e sotto questo aspetto non solo non mi oppongo
alla domanda di che, ma anzi la raccomando vivamente alla prelodata
Eccza. Sua
Revma. , perchè però
saranno riservati i diritti parrocchiali e tanto l’Oratorio Festivo
quanto la Cappella in ogni futuro tempo saranno sotto la direzione
dei R.R.P.P. Salesiani.
Birchircara 13 Marzo
1910
Alphonseeo Can. Prep.
Borg
Curato
Presentata il di 15
Marzo 1910
Can. S. M. Camilleri
Cancelliere
In fact the
building of the chapel was started on 25 March 1910 and inaugurated
on 31 July of the same year.
From the contract made by Notary Salvatore Borg Olivier on 26
February 1910 we know that among the Salesian cooperators there was
Notary Michael Louis Casolani,
who was also the one who paid for all the building expenses.
This great benefactor was so much convinced that the building was
aimed for the formation of children that he wanted that a marble
slab be fixed on the main entrance of the chapel, with the words,
“Sinite parvulos venire ad me”.
Also, Casolani
entrusted the Oratory first to the Salesians (1910-1912) and then to
the Freres De La Salle (1912-1918). These two Congregations had the
care of children as their main apostolate.
The Salesians and
the Freres had to abandon the Oratory because of lack of vocations.
After 1918 Canon Michael Sammut, who had always been the right hand
of Casolani and who continuously helped both the Salesians and the
Freres in the administration of the Oratory,
took over. But Sammut was growing in age and could not continue with
the care of the Oratory. Therefore Casolani wrote to Archbishop
Mauro Caruana on 28 July 1922 asking His Excellency’s advice about
how to give the Oratory a stable administration. In this letter the
Founder of the Oratory presented again quite clearly the aim of the
place, “… and of the boys of Birchircara for whom it is intended, I
venture to submit to your Grace.”
On 15 December
1925 Casolani wrote to De Piro and offered him the Oratory, as a
donation.
From this same letter it seems that Casolani had already offered to
De Piro, some time before, the direction of the place. In this
letter Casolani himself hinted why he thought of Monsignor as
director of the Oratory; Casolani knew about the sterling sevice De
Piro was giving in the ecclesiastical institutes of beneficence in
favour of the children:
41 St. Cristoforo
Valletta 15 Dicembre
1925
Reverendissimo
Monsignore,
Sebbene non abbia
avuto ancora il piacere di vederla, mi si dice che Ella sia, da
qualche tempo, ritornato dal Suo Viaggio, che spero esser stato
proficero alla Sua salute tanto preziosa per quanti hanno a cuore le
opere di beneficenza in queste nostre isole.
Monsignor accepted
Casolani’s offer and on 4 November 1926 wrote to the Archbishop of
Malta asking him permission to accept the Oratory of B’Kara. In this
petition De Piro showed Mgr Caruana that the Oratory was intended
for young boys:
A Sua Ecc.za Revma.
Mgr Dom Mauro Caruana
Arcivescovo, Vescovo
di Malta
Ricorso di Monsignor
Canonico Decano Giuseppe dei Marchesi De Piro, quale, Superiore
della Compagnia di San Paolo.
Espone
riverentemente:-
Che il Nostro Michael
Louis Casolani e la di lui consorte Signora Giulia si sono rivolti
alla nostra Compagnia chiedendo che la stessa accetti in donazione
il terreno, con cappella ed altri fabbricati nello stesso esistenti,
sito in Via S.Giuliano, Birchircara, perchè tali terreno e fabbriche
adibiti, come lo sono stati per gli ultimi sedici (16) anni, quale
"Oratorio" sulle orme degli Oratori Salesiani di Don Bosco per la
educazione religiosa e civile dei giovanetti che volessero
frequentare tale Istituto - e ciò alle condizioni indicate e
specificate nell’annessa minuta di contratto.
The Servant of God
signed the donation contract on 4 April 1927. Amongst the conditions
presented by Casolani, the donor, there was this one related to the
aim of the Oratory, “Resta pure stabilito che la lapide con
iscrizione ‘Sinite Parvulos venire ad me,’ collocata dai donanti
sulla porta principale della cappella non potrà in alcun futuro
tempo venire da chiccessia rimossa e l’iscrizione alterata o coperta.”
Casolani wanted that the Oratory would be continuously used for the
formation of boys.
- An Oratory for
the sons of the people
When Fr O’Grady, a
Superior of the Salesians, wrote to Malta’s Archbishop asking him
the permission for the Salesian cooperators to build a chapel for
the Oratory at B’Kara, he sent His Excellency a copy of an extract
of the Rules of the Society of St Francis de Sales. In Part 1,
chapter 1 of these Rules there were these articles:
Art. 1223 - Lo scopo dell’Oratorio ,
essendo di tener lontana la gioventù dall’ozio e dalle cattive
compagnie particolarmente nei giorni festivi, tutti vi possono
essere accolti senza eccezione di grado o di condizione.
Art. 1224 - Quelli però che sono
poveri, più abbandonati e più ignoranti sono di preferenza accolti e
coltivati, perchè hanno maggiore bisogno di assistenza per tenersi
nella via dell’eterna salute.
Art. 1226 - Non importa che siano
difettosi della persona, purchè siano esenti da male attaccaticcio o
che possa cagionare grave schifo ai compagni, in questo caso uno
solo potrebbe allontanare molti dall’Oratorio.
After a few years
Canon Michael Camilleri wrote an undated letter to Field Marshal
Lord Methuen, who was the Governor of Malta from 1915 to 1919. Its
contents shows that article 1224 of the above mentioned Rules was
being really practiced at the Oratory:
His Excellency
Field Marshal Lord
Methuen G.C.B.G.C.V.O. C.M.G
Governor of Malta and
its dependencies and commander in chief of the troops serving within
the same.
Your Excellency,
…the hundreds of poor
boys attending the Institution whereof I am in charge …There are
hundreds of poor boys who daily flock to our Institution (The
Oratory, Via Strada S. Guiliano, Birchircara) …It is heartrending to
see so many of our children shivering with cold for want of
sufficient clothing and to know that, however we might strain our
resources in order to provide for a very bad care …those who are
kept away from attending the Government’s Elementary School simply
because their parents are so poor that they cannot dress them with
even the minimum degree of decency required for the purpose.
Reference has
already been made to the letter sent by Casolani to De Piro on 15
December 1925. By the words “… mi si dice che Ella sia, da qualche
tempo, ritornato dal Suo Viaggio, che spero esser stato proficero
alla Sua salute tanto preziosa per quanti hanno a cuore le
opere di beneficenza in queste nostre isole,”
Casolani showed that he was quite conscious about the specific
contribution of De Piro: in the ecclesiastical institutes the
children were orphaned and poor boys and girls!
The letter from
the Treasury, Malta, sent to De Piro on 24 March 1927 proved that
the Oratory was known as one for the poor boys:
Doc: D
Registered No
302/122/27
The
Treasury
Malta
24th March, 1927
With reference to your application
dated the 22nd ultimo, I have the honour to inform you that His
Excellency the Governor has been pleased to direct that the transfer
to the Company of St.Paul of the "Utile Dominium" of the field
called "tal Uita" in Strada San Giuliano, Birchircara, together with
the Chapel and other buildings erected thereon in order that the
said property may be used as an Oratory for the education of the
children of the poorer classes, be exempt both from Donation and
from Stamp Duty.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant
J. Huber
Treasurer.
Signed
The Most Reverend
Monsignor Can: G.De
Piro,
St. Joseph`s
Institute,
Hamrun.
fti. G.Can Decano De
Piro - G Casolani - Not. M.L. Casolani - M. Can. Sammut - Not. Ed.
Calleja Schembri.
In June 1928, as
director of the Oratory of B’Kara, De Piro wrote a letter to the
Minister for the Treasury. Monsignor introduced the place by these
words and was quite clear about who were the boys who attended the
Oratory:
Sir,
The "Oratory", Sda
San Giuliano Birchircara, is an Institution established in 1910 for
the Religious and moral education of the sons of the people, on the
identical lines of the Salesian Oratory at Sliema and of the other
similar "Oratories" of the Venerable Don Bosco existing all over the
world.
In a contract made
between Mgr De Piro and the Provost of B’Kara, on 1 February 1930,
the same aim was emphasised, “Primo:- Che avendo il Signor Notaro
Michael L. Casolani fondato un Istituto inteso alla educazione
religiosa e civile dei figli del popolo…”
In another
contract, made by Mgr De Piro and Fr George Preca, founder of the
catechetical Society, MUSEUM, in the presence of Notary Louis Gauci
Forno, on 11 June 1930, the Oratory was referred to as, “… opera
d’educazione, religiosa e civile dei figli della classe operaia, in
Birchircara…”
- The formation
imparted at the Oratory
On 28 July 1922
Notary Michael Louis Casolani wrote a letter to the Archbishop of
Malta, regarding the Oratory. The first words of this correspondence
indicated the parameters of the education imparted to the boys who
attended the place before De Piro took over:
My Lord,
As you are aware,
about 13 years ago I took a large plot of ground on perpetual lease
in Str. S. Giulano, Birchircara, and erected thereon a Chapel, a
teatrino, and two small houses, which, together with a spacious
playground, were intended to be used as a Salesain ‘Oratory’
When Casolani
donated the Oratory to the Servant of God he wanted that in the
donation contract, written on 4 April 1927, there would be included
these words:
Si deviene pertanto al presente atto,
mediante il quale i suddetti Signori Notaro Michael Louis e Giulia
coniugi Casolani trasferiscono gratuitamente alla suddetta
“Compagnia di San Paolo”;
c) Tutti gli oggetti mobili indicati in
opposito elenco segnato colla lettera B, che si unisce pure al
presente atto perchè sia dietro lo stesso conservato e registrato, i
quali oggetti dovranno rimanere per uso esclussivo dell’Istituto e
non potranno per qualsiasi ragione essere rimossi dallo stesso.
This list B
indicates quite clearly that at the Oratory the liturgical,
theatrical, cinematographic and sportive aspects were central.
Through Document
C, another one attached to the donation act, Casolani showed what
formation De Piro was expected to give to the boys who attended the
Oratory:
“Una nota di quanto si
va attualmente praticando e che la suddetta Compagnia, (e
copatibilmente collo spirito) assumendo la responsabbiltà
dell’Istituto, compatibilmente collo spirito della Compania e
compatibilmente colle esigenze dei tempi promette di praticare,
trovasi annessa al presente atto segnata colla lettera C, perchè sia
dietro lo stesso conservata e registrata.”
Doc C
Funzionamento
dell`Oratorio di Birchircara.
1.
Tutte le sere verso le ore 4.30
d`inverno e verso le 5.30 d`estate, i ragazzi si radunano nell`atrio
dell`Oratorio e vi si trattengono con guochi ed altro in onesta
ricreazione. Verso la prima ‘Ave Maria’ i ragazzi ed i giovanotti
sotto la guida dei rispettivi catachisti vanno nelle relative classi
e per lo spazio di una mezz`ora si fa loro lezione di catechismo,
seguite dalla Benedizione Sacramentale. Dopo questo il Direttore o
qualche altro sacerdote, volendo, farà per pochi minuti delle brevi
riflessioni dimostrando la bellezza di qualche virtù da seguire o la
bruttezza di qualche vizio da evitare.
2.
Il giorno di Sabato è riservato
per le confessioni dei ragazzi.
3.
La Domenica in un`ora adatta i
ragazzi e giovanetti si riuniscono nella cappella per assistere alla
Santa Messa ed accostarsi alla Comunione. Al dopopranzo essi si
trattengono nella solita ricreazione nell`atrio; finita la quale, si
fa loro una breve spiegazione del Vangelo, seguita dalla Benedizione
Sagramentale.
4.
La Compagnia Drammatica
"S.Genesio", composta di giovanetti che frequentano l`Oratorio, dà
in giorni determinati dalla direzione delle recite nel teatrino,
alle quali si ammettono anche i parenti dei ragazzi a pagamento.
5.
Le feste principali
dell`Oratorio durante l`anno sono:-
a)
Festa di Natale - la vigilia si
dà un trattenimento nel teatro, pure a pagamento, verso le ore 9
p.m. e si finisce verso le 11.30. A mezzanotte si celebra la messa
cantata con comunione generale.
b)
Festa di Maria Ausiliatrice -
titolare della cappella - si fa la Domenica dopo il 24 Maggio oppure
in qualche Domenica susseguente in caso d`impedimento. Il canto ed
il servizio all`altare nelle sacre funzioni, compresi i Secondi
Vespri, si fa dai ragazzi e giovanetti dell`Oratorio a ciò addetti.
c)
Feste di San Louis e di San
Giuseppe, protettori dei giovanetti dell`Oratorio.
d)
Esercizi Spirituali in tempo di
Quaresima seguiti poi dalla Comunione Pasquale nella Cappella.
e)
Prima Comunione che si fa ogni
anno e Conferma dei ragazzi ogni biennio.
6.
Il Direttore dell`Oratorio ha
pure cura di sorvegliare le lezioni di catechismo che si fanno la
sera nei giorni feriali nella Chiesa di San Paolo dai catechisti
addetti all`Oratorio.
7.
Nelle feste del "Corpus Domini"
del S. Cuore di Gesù, e della Beata Vergine sotto titulo della
"Dottrina" una larga rappresentazione di ragazzi, giovanetti e
catechisti assieme al Direttore o Vice-Direttore prendono parte alle
processioni che si fanno nella Chiesa Parrocchiale.
8.
Le funzioni liturgiche negli
ultimi tre giorni della Settimana Santa e visite al S.Sepolcro nella
cappella dell`Oratorio.
fti. - G.Can Decano De Piro - G
Casolani - M. Can Sammut - Not. Ed. Calleja Schembri.
Section II
De Piro did not practice his love for the
underprivileged only in the ecclesiastical charitable orphanages, in
the Sacred Heart Laboratory and at the B’Kara Oratory. He even
supported in a non-institutionalised and
formal way many and many individuals and families who sought his
help.
(i) Financial
aid
(ia) From his
own money
It has already been said that De Piro’s
contacts with St Joseph’s Institute, Malta, started when he was
still in Rome for his studies.
In the De Piro Archives there are still
eleven letters written by Fr Emmanual Vassallo, the director of the
Home, in answer to correspondence sent to him by the Servant of God
while at the Capranica. In most of them Vassallo thanked Joseph, the
seminarian, for his generosity towards St Joseph’s Orphanage,“Di
più ti debbo anche ringraziare a nome dei miei ragazzi della
generosa offerta che ad essi hai fatta. Che il Signore ti benedica e
prosperi.”
“Non so come ti debba ringraziare per tutto quello che hai fatto
colla casa di S. Giuseppe, la quale ti rimarrò eternamente grato. Ho
ricevuto il Rescritto con qualche altra cosa, che mi giunse in
tenuissimo punto. Tante grazie a nome anche dei miei ragazzi che a
Dio mercè stanno tutti bene, con un appetito da far paura.”
“Come ti ringraziano i miei ragazzi, perchè ti sei ricordato di
loro, anche io mi riunisco con loro ed infinitamente ti ringrazio.”
“Ho mancato grossolatamente verso di Te, a non scriverti ed a
non ringraziarti della offerta che facesti a questa Casa.”
“Ti ringrazio prima della limosina che hai fatto a questa Casa e
poi della medaglia che mi hai spedito per mezzo di Don Giorgio.”
“Ti ringrazio di cuore della memoria che serbi di me, ed a nome
dei ragazzi di questa Casa ti rivolgo i più caldi
ringraziamenti pei doni che hai fatto a loro. Il Signore ti premierà
ne son certo, della tua carità verso queste poveri orfanelli.”
“I ragazzi di questa casa ti ringraziano del regalo che hai loro
mandato nella tua ultima, e non cessano di pregare per te. Ti
vogliono tanto bene; essi ti augurano la Buona Pasqua.”
“La bellissima statua del Sacro Cuore di Gesù è arrivata
perfettamente sana e già si trova al suo posto nella Cappella della
Casa. Grazie del bellissimo dono. Grazie dunque di questo dono
grandissimo e graditissimo.”
Although still
very young, in his studies, and with no means of income, Joseph De
Piro was very regular in sending these donations to the poor
orphaned boys of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta!
The Servant of God was ordained priest
on 15 March 1902. In August of that same year he went to Davos, in
Switzerland, to recuperate his health. After eighteen months he
returned to Malta to stay.
In his Diary Fr Joseph wrote that on 16 January 1905, having
finished his spiritual exercises, he met Fr Emmanuel Vassallo of St
Joseph’s Home, Malta, and for the first time he shared with him his
wishes about the setting up of the Society of St Paul. Then he
continued saying that,
“Tengo nota che mentre oggi parlavamo o avevamo parlato di questa
cosa, prima di separarci un mendicante domandandoci l’elemosina ci
augurò l’aiuto di San Paolo, cosa non solita in simili circostanze,
tanto che D.Emmanuele vi fece sopra qualche osservazione.”
Although the Servant of God did not say that he and Vassallo
gave anything to the beggar, but from the beggar’s way of
comportation it seemed that he was given something!
When called by the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal to testify about De Piro,
George Wilson, a bookbinder at St Joseph’s Home, Malta said this,
“Mgr De Piro was a very charitable man and he could always be seen
giving alms to the poor who would be waiting for him in the street,
as I myself often noticed. He used to say that he would never forget
the poor.”
The ex Vicar
General of the Archdiocese of Malta, Mgr Carmelo Xuereb, narrated a
similar story to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal:
I greatly admired this priest and I was
struck by his saintliness and charity. These qualities helped me to
make up my mind about the priesthood at a time when I was still not
certain about my future. In fact an act of De Piro had a great
influence on me. I was still a young man when once as I was going
down Kingsway (Republic Street), Valletta, exactly in front of the
Museum of Archeology, I saw a poor man. He was walking in front of
me and suddenly he crossed to the other side where he saw Mgr De
Piro. This man said something to De Piro who, without a lot of
words, put his hands in his pocket, took out all the money he had,
and gave it to that man.
The fact that the pauper saw
the Servant of God and crossed the road to talk to him, meant that
he probably knew that Monsignor was a one who would give him what he
needed! Also, keeping in mind what De Piro himself wrote in his
Diary regarding his giving alms to the beggar in Valletta, when
accompanied by Vassallo, one can conclude that it was not infrequent
that the Servant of God gave money to poor persons.
Among those interviewed by Aloisius Aloisio there
was Fr John Vella, one of the first two youths who joined De
Piro’s Society and then became the first priest of the Society. Fr
John had accompanied the Servant of God when the latter was asked by
the Archbishop to go to the Gudia parish, Malta, at a time when no
one could be found to be a parishpriest. Vella said that:
“One, day, while
we were in the parish house, a poor man came to us asking charity.
Br Joseph opened the door and told him, ‘God will help you’. And
closed the door again. Monsignor who was inside heard the words and
called Br Joseph. ‘What do you mean by ‘God will help you? At the
moment, we are the parishpiriest and that poor man has come to his
father. We are God for him and we have to help him’.”
Camillo Aquilina,
a member of De Piro’s Society from 1918 to 1920,
and another one inteviewed by Aloisio, said that,“Many people came
to him for charity. From the type of people who came to him to ask
him alms the students could know that he was giving charity.”
(ib) From the
money of Fra Diegu Institute and St Joseph’s Home, Malta
Madre Pacifica
Xuereb, one of the superiors of Fra Diegu Institute at the time of
the Servant of God, witnessed this:
He was a man of great charity and
whatever he gave he did it in secrecy and silence. For example, some
of the children’s mothers used to come and visit them; he used to
give them some money himself was going to spend. He used to say, ‘I
am giving them alms but please keep it a secret. Charity should not
be spoken about.’
If one goes through one of the petty
cash books of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta, one realises that
it was Monsignor who registered all the income and expenditure of
the Home; all entries are in his own handwriting. From these records
one realises that the Servant of God helped even the relatives of
the boys who were at St Joseph’s, Malta. In the register mentioned
above one finds such entries as,“Alla madre di un ricoverato per
aiutarla a viver bene,”
“Alla madre dell’alunno Gialanze,”
and “Allo zio del detto alunno per comprargli …”
The petty cash book even shows that De
Piro did not abandon the boys who had been at some time or other at
St Joseph’s, Malta. On the contrary one finds such entries as,
“All’ex alunno… per vestiario,”
“A Nazzareno Micallef già alunno essendo disoccupato,”
“All’exalunno Raffaele Fenech per emigrare,”
“All’exalunno Nazzareno Micallef…,”
“All’exalunno Desiderio Farrugia per comprare strumenti del suo
mestiere,”
“All’exalunno Zaru Catania,”
“All’exalunno povero e malato Desiderio Farrugia,”
“All’alunno Tabone uscente…”
“All’exalunno Gioacchino Benedetto disoccupato,”
“All’exalunno Gius Muscat per… che ha dovuto avere da uno dei
prefetti della Casa.”
In the same petty cashbook one also
finds such words in relation to the old boys “Alla madre di Bonello
di recente uscito,”
“Il padre di Gibson,”
“Alla madre dell’ex alunno Giuseppe Bajada,”
“Alla madre di un ex alunno Bianchi,”
“Alle sorelle di un nostro exalunno…,”
“Alla madre dell’alunno… uscente,”
“Alla madre dell’exalunno… pel fitto,”
“Alla madre dell’exalunno Muscat,”
“Alla madre dell’alunno Cutajar uscente sotto età,”
“Alla famiglia dell’uscente ragazzo Antonio Vella … e soggetto a
convulsioni …”
Donations were
also given to relatives of employees at St Joseph’s, Malta:
“Alla figlia
dello stampatore della Casa… in occasione della morte della madre,”
“Al nostro falegname per i funerali della madre di sua moglie da
questa Casa soccorsa durante la vita,”
“alla madre del porinaio.”
Madre Pacifica
Xuereb witnessed that, “There used to be beggars knocking on the
door of Fra Diegu as well. ‘Please give them something from the
store,’ he used to tell the Superior.”
Monsignor helped also those individuals who came to the door of St
Joseph’s, Malta, begging alms: “Elemosina alla porta.” Generally
this donation was made up of substantial amounts, at least for the
time of De Piro. It can be seen more than once in many of the
pages of the register.
Donations were given also by the
Servant of God to help girls become religious. In the petty cash
book one fnds such entries as, “Alla madre dell’alunno Sammut, per
sua figlia, che sta per essere ammessa alle Suore,”
“Per viaggio di una ragazza di Hamrun per… a seguire la sua
vocazione e farsi suora colle Suore Bianche…,”
“Ad una povera ragazza per suora.”
Not to mention also donations given to
individuals to be married: “Ad un altra ragazza per sposarsi,”
“Alla madre di una ragazza povera pel corredo,”
“Per il corredo di una povera ragazza sposa,”
“Per la dote di una ragazza decaduta,”
“Contribuzione Giuseppe Xuereb… a maritarsi,”
“Ad un povero per maritare sua figlia.”
De Piro gave donations even to unknown
individuals: “Ad una povera disgraziata”.
In this case there is a substantial sum. “Allo stesso Paolo
Calleja per viaggio in Australia,”
“Elemosina ad una famiglia di Casal Paola che soffre fame,”
“Ad una donna idropica,”
“Elemosina ad un disperato per disserti finaziarii,”
“Ad un disperato…”
“Elemosina ad un disperato per disserti finaziarii,”
“Ad un povero disoccupato con numerosa famiglia per evitargli lo
sgombramento,”
“A un commerciante minacciato di sgombramento,”
“Ad una povera ragazza,”
“Ad una povera di Casal Paola,”
“Per salvare una persona disperata,”
“A Carmelo Zammit… essendo confuso per non poter pagare il fitto,”
“A Mrs Tomlin per far calze per i ragazzi,”
“Ad un’uomo in grande indigenza,”
“Ad una povera vecchia,”
“Ad una famiglia disgraziata,”
“Ad un disperato per pagare l’affitto,”
“Ad un disgraziato per l’acquisto di croccie,”
“Per una povera donna per accettare sua figlia,”
“A due povere giovani avanzate in estrema necessita,”
“Per la redenzione di una povera madre di famiglia da due grandi
prigioni,”
“Ad una povera donna di Cospicua,”
“Al Signor Chapman in miseria,”
“Per tramite di Padre Galdes ad una famiglia decaduta minacciata
dalla fame,”
“Ad una povera di Sliema per pagare il fitto.”
(ii)
Non-financial help
The Servant of God did not help others only
financially. At times people were not in need of money, but lacked
other necessities. De Piro provided them with what they really
needed.
(iia) Caring for physical health
George Wilson
testified about the type of relationship the Director had with the
employees at the Institute:
He thought nothing of
visiting any of the employees who happened to be ill, and I myself
have heard him say that he was on his way to visit one or another.
Not only this, but according to the members of the families of these
employees, he would find out if they were in need of help which he
then did his best to provide. If circumstances so required he would
see that they had the services of the doctor.
He used to pay his
employees himself. He was a respectable man. He was concerned about
their well being and also looked for a doctor when anyone needed
him.
Michael Vella
Haber was the son of Lucio, a trades instructor at St Joseph’s,
Gozo.
Vella Haber said that, in 1928 when he was still fifteen years old
he got a bad bronchitis and had to be rushed to hospital. He
continued like this:
That evening I was
given a bath at the hospital and the following morning I was so much
worse that I was administered the anointing of the sick. People from
Nadur came to see me and I was slipping into a state in which I
began to imagine visions and I was telling the other patients what I
was seeing. On that day, unexpectedly, Mgr De Piro came in to see me
... he spoke to me ... but I do not recall replying at all; I know
that he knelt down near my bed and prayed. Then he blessed me and
left.
In 1928 De Piro was burdened with six
charitable institutes, with the foundation of his Society, with the
start of the new mission in Abyssinia, and his many other
responsibilities. At a time when the means of transport between
Malta and Gozo were not that excellent,
he found the time and the energy to cross from Malta to
the sister island and pay a visit to Vella Haber who was not even a
child of the Institute; he was only the son of an employee there!
(iib) A listening ear
Fr Joseph Tonna, a
priest who served at the Cathedral in Mdina, mentioned another type
of help given by the Servant of God to others, “He always listened
to other people’s advice and he never shut anybody off. He was
always so gentle and always said, ‘We will see… well, well’. He used
to help people whenever they called for help. Even when people
called at night either to confess or to ask for something, he used
to come down and give them his help.”
(iic) Academic formation to youths
During the first
years of his Society there were several youths who joined. They
depended completely on the Founder for all the aspects of their
lives. This was confirmed by Fr George Cassar, a priest who had been
a seminarian during De Piro’s rectorship at the Mdina seminary:
On another day I was
talking to Monsignor’s mother. While we were talking we mentioned
the Society which Monsignor had just started. ‘The Society is
improving,’ I told her. ‘I am the one who is suffering because he
has impoverished me. At one time he comes here to ask for help. At
another time he asks for money. When there is not enough food he
takes from here. He also comes to take the bed linen,’ lamented his
mother.
After getting a
good academic formation some of them abandoned their vocation. There
were some people, even priests and religious, who used to comment
about this with the Founder. Fr Antonio Buhagiar was one of the
penitents of the Servant of God and a parishpriest of Rabat at the
time of De Piro. Buhagiar was so charitable himself that he used to
give whatever he had to the poor. At the same time he felt angry
when he saw that so many members of the Society of St Paul were
leaving the Founder alone after getting a good schooling. He told
the Servant of God about this. The latter did not react the same way
as Buhagiar:
Monsignor used to send
the aspirants to St Aloysius College for the Matriculation Exam and
then make them wear the habit. School was free of charge, thanks to
the Jesuits. Unfortunately some abused this treatment by leaving the
Society after their secondary education. They could find a suitable
job after getting the necessary qualifications. Once I told him,
‘Can’t you see that you are being deceived? They are only seeking to
be educated and be able to find a job.’ He always answered with the
usual calmness, ‘ I do not care if they do this. I am happy that
they will have acquired formation. That will suit them. Jesus never
forced his disciples. Who am I to impose anything on them? God knows
how to make use of their formation. The good they received will one
day give fruit.’
Mr Lawrence
Grixti, the butler of the De Piro family, verified this reality, “At
the beginning of the Society many abandoned him. His mother used to
tell him, ‘Cannot you see that they want to destroy you! They are
also robbing you!’ ‘It does not matter, mum,’ he would answer her.
‘I am doing all this out of charity. I do not care if they are
learning out of my own money.’
Madre Pacifica Xuereb, a nun at Fra Diegu Institute at the time
of De Piro, narrated a story which confirms this type of charity of
Monsignor:
“I was also the Superior at the Convent
in Sicily. Whenever he used to be abroad he used to visit us and we
used to host him at our convent (The place was Troina, in the
Province of Enna). One day he was saying mass and was accompanied by
a certain boy named Salvatore Gianblanco. The Director was deeply
touched by the boy’s respectful behaviour. After the Monsignor had
his coffee he told me, ‘I would like to see the boy who assisted me
during the mass.’ The boy arrived quickly because he did not live
far away from the Institute. ‘Would you like to become a priest?’
asked him Monsignor. ‘Oh, yes, I do wish,’ answered the boy. But we
are poor and my father cannot pay for my education.’ On hearing this
Monsignor sent for the child’s father. When the man came the
Director asked him, ‘Are you ready to allow your child to go to
Nicosia to learn?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the father, ‘but I do not have
the money to pay for his tuition.’ ‘I will pay for it,’ told him the
Director. The father promised Monsignor that he would send his son.
Therefore they argeed that the boy would go to Catania for his basic
studies and come to Malta for his Philosophy. They were both happy
with the agreement. When I met Monsignor I told him, ‘You are
risking because they are not reliable persons.’ ‘This is all for
God,’ he told me. ‘Whether he is a priest in Malta or abroad,
whether he marries, or whatever he does, the fact that he is
educated is always an asset.’ In fact Monsignor was ready to prepare
his dowry, and prepared whatever he needed. He bought him the books
he needed, all from his own money. He promised me he would send me
the money along the way to cover any expenses incurred. It happened
exactly as I had feared. When it was time to start Philosophy, his
mother did not want him to come to Malta. In a word he did not
resume his studies and abandoned everything. I wrote to the
Director and informed him about everything. He answered me
immediately and told me, ‘Do not ever worry, and tell Saviour not to
worry at all. These things are understood only by God.’
Section III
De Piro’s love for the
underprivileged through his promotion of justice
Justice was a
central element in the charity of De Piro.
(i) Stole-fees
to confessors and conference masters
At least here in
Malta religious congregations do not usually give money to
confessors each time these come to their communities to administer
the sacrament of reconciliation. De Piro, although himself needing
money both for the Society and the charitable institutes, gave stole
fees both to the confessors of the community and to those who
confessed the boys at St Joseph’s, Malta. He did the same to those
who gave some conference to the members of his Society or to the
boys of St Joseph’s, Malta.
(ii) Justice to
the employees depending on him
- The employees
of the Major Seminary, Mdina, Malta
It seemed that the
rectors of the Major Seminary had the duty to present to the
Archbishop of Malta a yearly report about the different aspects of
life at the Seminary.
The Servant of God presented the one for the scholastic year 1919-20
on 27 August 1920.
Having analysed the academic aspect, Rector De Piro presented
the servants’ situation, “12. Gli inservienti si sono tutti, durante
l’anno, diportati a nostra soddisfazione, e ci permettiamo di
pregare Vra. Eccza. a voler rivedere il loro salario, divenendo lo
stesso insufficiente all’attuale stato di cose.”
- The employees
at St Joseph’s, Malta
At the time of De
Piro there were two groups of workers at St Joseph’s, Malta: the
house attendants and the workshop instructors. The former group was
made up of the cook, the porter, the bandmaster, the wardrobe
master, and a certain Zaru. The printing composer, the printer, the
carpenter, the shoemaker, the bookbinder, the tailor, the assistant
carpenter and the son of the shoemaker worked in the workshops. In
all there were thirteen employees.
George Wilson, a bookbinder at St Joseph’s Home, Malta, at the time
of De Piro’s administration, testified about the type of
relationship the Director had with the employees at the Institute,
“He used to pay his employees himself. He was always cautious to
give some extra pay to those who needed it without letting anyone
else know about this. He was a respectable man.”
During the first
years of the twentieth century it was very rare that anyone got any
social benefit related to employment. It was only in 1920 that Dr
Nerik Mizzi, a politician, presented a draft copy of a law about
this in the Council of Government. His was “An Ordinance to make
provision for the grant of compensation to workmen for injuries
suffered in the course of employment”.
At this same time there existed in Malta the Camera del Lavoro,
“… il cui fine primario… è precisamente quello di sostenere, nelle
prossime elezioni sotto la nuova Costituzione, gli interessi della
classe lavoratrice in generale.”
In April 1921 this “Camera”, , made an appeal for the
establishment of the “Workers’ Party”. Those who responded
positively to the appeal met on 15 May 1921.
Their electoral programme included unemployment, the payment of the
employees and their working hours, a law about the compensation of
injuries at work, pensions of old age, etc.
In the Legislative Assembly and in the Senate, the “due camere”
of the Maltese Parliament, there was never a lack of interest about
the legislation of social benefits. On 16 May 1927 Prime Minister
Ugo Mifsud presented for the first time the “Widows and Orphans
Pension Act”. It was read again on the 23 of the same month. It was
approved after the third reading at the end of May 1927.
In spite of this lack of factual social assistance to those who
were injured at work, Mgr Joseph De Piro helped financially an
employee who was injured while doing his work at St Joseph’s, Malta,
“A … Nazzareno Attard per cura di una malattia contratta mentre a
servizio”.
From the pages
which make up the file “Mgr Joseph De Piro : Instructions to Fr
Joseph Spiteri”, it seems that at one time, for some reason or
other, the Servant of God decided to entrust one of the priests of
his Society, Fr Joseph Spiteri, with the payment of the employees at
St Joseph’s, Malta. He therefore wrote down some instructions which
could help Spiteri in the execution of his duty. Among these
instructions there was mention of the pention of two employees,
Sciberras, the carpenter, and the wife of… To the former Spiteri
was instructed to give £1. 10. 00 and to the latter £0. 10.00, a
month.
Pension was also given to the wife of one of the workers who
probably died while still at work, “Pensione alla vedova del
calzolaio Bianco”.
(iii) Justice
during the riots of the Sette Giugno 1919
The socio economic history of the
Maltese Islands during the ninteenth and early years of the
twentieth centuries has already been presented, at least briefly.
Here I go a bit further and arrive up to the fateful days of the 7,
8 and 9 June 1919 or the Sette Giugno, as it is known in
Maltese history. This is done in order to introduce the sad events
of that day and the two days which followed.
- The socio
economic history of Malta before the Sette Giugno
Due to the efforts to implement parts
of the recommendations of the Royal Commission of 1911 local economy
began to improve immediately before the First World War. In fact, by
1914, the Islands were no longer on the verge of isolation.
Also, with the outbreak of the War employment returned. Malta was
used increasingly not only by the Royal Navy, but also by the
warships of allied navies, particularly the French. The Dockyard
started working at full capacity, repairing and refitting vessels.
Malta also became the hospitalisation centre for countries from the
Dardanelles and Salonica campaigns and tens of thousands of wounded
men were treated on the Island.
However, it has already been said that an economy that depends on
wars is a non enduring one.
Also, the War brought with it an increase in the cost of living.
Even the price of several basic commodities went higher and higher.
The table here shows this quite clearly:
|
Basic
necessities |
1914 |
1919 |
|
Rice |
1c2 per rotolo |
3c6 per rotolo |
|
Sugar |
1c8 per rotolo |
4c6 per rotolo |
|
Eggs |
4c6 a dozen |
14c a dozen |
|
Milk |
2c per tin |
6c per tin |
Table 10
To make the situation worse the wages
did not increase proportionately. There was a war bonus, but the
salaries still did not compare well with the rise in the cost of
living. The situation became worse after the War: insufficient wages
and unemployment went higher and higher. The strike organised in
1917 by the Imperial Government Workers Union, and in which many
Dockyard workers took part, makes the above quite evident. This made
the Maltese rely on bread as their staple food, which meant that an
increase in the cost of bread would mean nothing but starvation.
Unfortunately this is what happened because the London Royal
Commission of Wheat Supplies did not want to give Malta the wheat at
a moderate price. Rather, in December 1918 the price was higher than
the one in England itself.
The table here shows the escalation:
|
|
1913 |
1914 |
1917 |
1918 |
|
Bread
per rotolo |
1c |
1c5 or 1c8 |
2c2 |
3c2 |
Table 11
If those who had low wages suffered a
lot, the unemployed suffered more and more. The situation was
unsustainable and in April 1919 a crowd of people gathered in
Valletta, in front of the Casino Maltese, where the rich of the
Island usually gathered, in order to ask the intercession of these
as regards a reduction in the price of bread. Something was done for
a while because from April to June 1919 the price of bread went down
from 3c2 to 2c.
This was still high for the poor population of Malta. These two
tragic realities, unemployment and the high prices of basic
commodities, especially bread, led to the Sette Giugno riots.
- The National
Assembly - justice with all the Maltese
In 1918, Dr.
Filippo Sceberras started a national movement for greater
constitutional liberties. Associations in Malta and Gozo were
invited to send delegates to a National Assembly. The 270 delegates
were chosen from different walks of life. Mgr De Piro was nominated
as one of the four representatives of the Cathedral Chapter and the
clergy.
The National
Assembly had its first meeting on 25 February 1919 and a proposal
for a greater autonomy in local affairs was accepted. This proposal,
which met with half-hearted enthusiasm by the British Colonial
Authorities,
served to raise expectations among the general Maltese population.
- Saturday, 7 June
1919 - justice with the unemployed and the other poor Maltese
The second meeting
of the National Assembly was held on Saturday, 7 June 1919,
at the Giovine Malta and at a time when there was a considerable
tension on the Island owing to the widespread unemployment mentioned
above. A fortuitous spark turned the mass of people who went to
Valletta on that fateful day into a riotous mob.
The Maltese policemen could not control them and the British
soldiers who were called up in their stead lost their heads and
fired on the unarmed rioters. Four Maltese men died from gunshot
wounds that day, with a furthur two dying in the following days.
All this took place while the National Assembly was discussing a
proposal to select a Central Commision to draft a constitution for
Malta.
Mgr De Piro in his capacity of Dean of the Cathedral Chapter was
chosen as the representative of the Island’s Cathedral Chapter and
clergy among the fifteen representatives of the Central Commission.
The second meeting
of the National Assembly was dramatically interrupted when the crowd
brought one of the above mentioned wounded men into the Giovine
Malta, the place where the members of the National Assembly were
meeting. Those who entered the hall asked the delegates to intervene
on their behalf with the British Government. Out of the many members
present for the second meeting only a few remained to give a hand:
Advocate A. Caruana Gatto, Advocate S. Vella, Fr Nerik Dandria,
Councillor G. Vassallo, Saviour Zammit Hammet … and Mgr Joseph De
Piro. These ran the streets of Valletta, trying to calm down the
mob.
An Inquest Commission was set up by the Government in order to
establish the facts of that sad event. This was made up of Judge A.
Parnis LLD, as President; Dr M. Debono LLD; Magistrate L. Camilleri
LLD; Col E.W.S. Broke CMG, DSO; and Lieut., Col., W. T. Bromfield.
Mgr De Piro was called to give his testimony on 21 and 26 August
1919. Here are the facts as reported by him, and some of the others
who accompanied him:
Judge A. Parnis said,
“Your name has been mentioned by many witnesses. Can you, please,
tell me what you saw on Saturday, 7 June and Sunday, 8 June?” De
Piro replied “I was present at the meeting of the National Assembly
as Delegate of the Cathedral Chapter. After the discussion had
lasted an hour and a half, someone entered the hall of the ‘Giovine
Malta Club’ where the Assembly was holding the meeting. The person
who came in showed us a handkerchief stained with blood and said:
‘See what they have done to us; you must protect us, you must
protect us’. After this, order was restored and the meeting was
closed. I was asked to find some other members of the Assembly so
that we might try to restore peace among the people. I accepted the
request. We were six or seven. We tried to find out by telephone
where to locate Mr. Robertson, the Lieutenant Governor, and we were
informed that he was in the office of the Commissioner of Police. We
rang up the Assistant Commissioner of police to give us police
protection, to accompany us to the police station; but no help was
forthcoming.”
Major Hunter Blair
stated at the Inquest, “I was officially in charge of the Government
Administration during the month of May right up until 10th June.”
Caruana Gatto stated, “We were in Strada S. Lucia and we
thought of crossing the road to go to the Law Courts, as we wanted
to see the Officer Administering the Government and the Lieutenant
Governor, Mr. Robertson.”
Mgr De Piro continued:
We
went on our own and tried to enter the Law Courts by the back door
in Strada Stretta, then we could reach the police station; but we
did not succeed. We tried again and from Strada Stretta we went on
to Strada S. Giovanni, but as we reached Strada Reale we heard a
shot. So we turned back to the Club, the ‘Giovine Malta’. Later we
learnt that those were shots fired accidentally by soldiers in the
Police Station.
Major General
Hunter Blair received the following information:
A telephone message
from the Lieutenant Governor who was at the police station informed
me that the Delegation wished to see me at my home. I said ‘I am
prepared to receive them’. I later got another telephone message
telling me the Delegation were on their way to me. However, the
Delegates did not manage to make their way through the crowds, and
so they turned back to the police station.
Mgr De Piro continued, “In the Club,
the ‘Giovine Malta’, we found the Assistant Commissioner of Police
waiting for us, and he accompanied us to the police station.”
The Lt. Governor, Mr.
Robertson, was at the Law Courts. So they went through Strada S.
Lucia and Strada Reale to enter the Courts. Mgr De Piro omitted in
his evidence what occurred there. Advocate Caruana Gatto relates,
The first time we tried to enter the
Law Courts, people in the crowd were unfriendly towards us,
especially towards Mgr De Piro, and shouted: ‘You are to blame for
all this!’. Mgr De Piro replied: ‘Well, well. We are trying to save
you, and you are blaming us!.
At the end of his evidence, Monsignor
was asked many questions. One of these was, “Did not someone swear
at you?” Mgr De Piro answered all the questions, but according to
Alexander Bonnici he gave no importance to the above. He did not
want to harm his people, feeling that the impatient crowd was not
inciting an attack on the clergy. Words, said in anger by persons in
a frustrated crowd and addressed to him as a priest, were ignored
and omitted in his evidence. However, later, on 9 June, there were
evident signs of anticlericalism in the angry mob.
Mgr De Piro’s equanimity in his evidence again revealed his
integrity.
Mgr De Piro continued:
We spoke to the Lt. Governor , asking
him to withdraw troops from the streets, and we guaranteed that the
people would be pacified. Robertson was not fully convinced, and
several times he asked us the same question: ‘Were we really able to
guarantee a peaceful outcome?’ We answered that it was necessary for
us to obtain permission to address the crowd from one of the windows
of the Law Courts. This was granted.... Advocate Caruana Gatto spoke
to the crowd, relating what had passed between us and the Lt.
Governor. He asked the people to disperse, thus helping us as
mediators to keep our word to the Lt. Governor. The crowd showed
signs of co-operation, and we thought we had succeeded in our task.
This, however, was not yet to be. The crowd first insisted on the
soldiers leaving the Law Courts. This request was passed on to Mr.
Robertson, who promised to order all soldiers back to their barracks
. . . The excited crowd demanded more than the departure of soldiers
from the Law Courts and in loud voices they claimed that justice be
meted out to them.
In his evidence, Fr Enrico Dandria, one
of the members of the Delegation, said, “We promised them that
whoever had been guilty of the shedding of blood on that day would
be punished.”
Caruana Gatto affirmed the
same:
We spoke to the crowd
and assured them that those responsible for mistakes made on that
day would be punished. We advised the crowd to disperse. Mgr De
Piro, Advocate Vella and myself felt they were satisfied and the
crowd started to disperse, when unfortunately at that moment, a
group of Royal Marines arrived, and the crowd was infuriated again.
De Piro added that it took two and a
half hours to calm down the crowd, because the Marines appeared to
be heading towards the Law Courts. Whistling and booing became
tumultuous and it was feared shooting would start again if the
people lost their control. Fortunately this did not ensue. De Piro
stated that the Delegation remained there until all the Marines had
left the Law Courts.
This statement tallies with Fr Enrico
Dandria’s evidence, “We went out and told the crowd to promise not
to molest the Marines; and we told the Marines to take no notice of
the whistling, while they were walking out of the Courts. They felt
reassured by our words, and we accompanied them as far as St. John’s
Church.”
- Sunday, 8 June
1919 - justice with the unemployed and the other poor Maltese
(continued)
The following day, 8 June, turned out
to be a day full of turbulence and a time of grave anxiety for De
Piro. The Maltese were still restless, and, as usually happens in
times of riots, criminals take advantage of the situation for their
own interests, and are not in the least concerned with love of
country. In his evidence the Servant of God did not refer to his own
efforts to move Advocate Caruana Gatto to continue their work of
peace, but the words of Caruana Gatto reveal Monsignor as the leader
of the mediators, “Sunday morning I was not feeling well. At 8.30,
Mgr De Piro came and said: ‘Yesterday we assumed the responsibility
of calming down the people. It is our duty to see what we can do to
put a stop to this unrest. We must do something this very day’ .”
Advocate Caruana Gatto was
prepared to do his part. He felt it necessary to have the support of
Mgr De Piro, because his presence made him feel strong enough to
face the unruly mob. That same morning, serious incidents had taken
place: an English soldier had been gravely injured, the printing
office of the Malta Chronicle had been attacked and there had been
abusive shouting in front of the Casino Maltese. Mgr De Piro stated:
On Sunday morning I
went with Advocate Caruana Gatto and Advocate Serafino Vella to Dr.
Sceberras in Floriana, who came back with us to Valletta and we
decided to go to General Hunter Blair, who was the Officer
Administering the Government. We wished to warn him that we were
expecting trouble, as there was great unrest among the Maltese. A
rumour was going round that a British soldier had been killed, and
we wanted to stop the riot from getting out of control. I cannot
remember exactly what we said to General Hunter Blair; I was very
upset like the rest of us. The General addressed the crowd from the
Palace balcony. The crowd clamoured for an inquest and the General
promised to authorise it.
The President of the Inquest
asked De Piro if he had asked the General to speak to the people
from the balcony of the Palace. De Piro answered:
It was the General
himself who offered to speak. The crowd demanded that the troops
would not be allowed to leave the Island before the Inquest would be
held. The General promised he would see to that. We also spoke to
the General who promised the Inquest would be held, and further
promised that officers and persons involved in the happenings would
not leave the Island until the Inquest be closed.
From the evidence given, it was obvious
how serious matters were. In the report at the conclusion of the
Inquest, the cause of the riot was commented on, “Before the war,
the number of workmen employed at the Dockyard had been around
4,600, and during the war it rose to about 12,000. It was
understandable that the same number could not be retained.
Discharges were expected, and the local employment market was
insufficient for the number of unemployed.”
Mgr De Piro defended the cause
of the Maltese, and in his evidence he added:
I spoke to the General regarding the
discharges from the Dockyard because the people were affirming that
about 2,000 workmen had been discharged, and I personally felt this
was unfair to the Maltese, who had done four years of valid work
during the war. The General replied that my statement was not
correct; only 500 had been discharged.
Sunday afternoon brought with
it still more turbulence, and Lt. Governor Robertson was again in
touch with the mediators, asking them for help. Here Advocate
Caruana Gatto said:
On Sunday afternoon, I received a
message from Mr. Robertson, sent by the Inspector of Police, saying
he wished to see me. I went to the Police Office in the Law Courts
building and met Mr. Robertson, who told me he wished me to be with
him when he spoke to the people because he knew the crowds were
still very agitated. I told him that my presence alone would be
useless, and I had to have with me Mgr De Piro and Advocate Serafino
Vella. It was necessary for the people to see the same faces they
had seen before.
When Advocate Caruana Gatto went to ‘La
Valletta Band Club’, he found greater unrest: firing had taken place
and the Maltese were being pelted with pennies. Advocate Caruana
Gatto met Advocate Vella, and together they went to Robertson, who
was at the General’s house. Mgr De Piro entered and gave them the
news that the crowd was becoming uncontrollable, and that Francia’s
home, facing the Royal Theatre, was being attacked.
Mgr De Piro said, “We must go and tell the people to stop this
aggressive rampage; it will only delay and ruin our good cause.”
The Servant of God minimised his share
in the ‘cause’ when he related what happened, “I was asked to join
Advocate Caruana Gatto and Advocate Serafino Vella for the same
reason: to calm down the people. I accepted, and together we went
close to the area of the Theatre.”
Here Monsignor omitted what he had
witnessed. Advocate Caruana Gatto said, “Mgr De Piro, Advocate Vella
and I were standing on the portico of the Theatre, and from there we
assisted at the assault on Francia’s house. People with wooden rods
in their hands were trying to break down the front door of the
house.”
Advocate Caruana Gatto made here a relevant comment, “I must
say that on that day, the crowd was not made up of the same people
as the day before. I saw many faces familiar to me in the Criminal
Court.”
The President of the Inquest Commission
asked Mgr De Piro if he had spoken to the people that afternoon. The
Servant of God answered, “No; only Advocate Caruana Gatto tried to
speak and later when his voice was not audible because of the
deafening noise, and he was inclined to leave the spot, I was
asked to tell the people to come closer to us to be able to hear
us.”
The President of the Inquest Commission
asked De Piro, “Did you not tell them that what they were doing was
wrong?” De Piro answered, “I wished to say something, but all I said
was for them to come closer”.
At this point a nasty incident
occurred, of which we have first-hand evidence from Advocate Caruana
Gatto. It appears Monsignor preferred to keep silent about what
happened:
At first the mob
abandoned the attempt on Francia’s house, and gathered around us. I
told them that attacking that house had nothing to do with politics,
and asked them to stop if they wanted our political demands to have
a successful outcome. However, the criminal element in the crowd
gained the upper hand. They started booing us, swearing and stealing
money from our pockets, and returned to Francia’s home to break down
the back door. We warned them that if they carried on in this way,
the army would be called in again, and there would be bloodshed. Our
words, however, had no effect.
Mgr De Piro did not want to refer to
this pillage and said simply, “We realised all we were doing was of
no avail; the two gentlemen with me (Caruana Gatto and Vella)
decided to leave the site, and I went with them.”
Advocate Caruana Gatto was taken ill
and retired to bed.
Although the members of the National
Assembly involved in the mediation between the Government and the
Maltese were six people, only three were continually following the
events and placing themselves in danger: Mgr De Piro and the two
lawyers, Caruana Gatto and Serafino Vella.
This was not the
only task assumed by Mgr De Piro. For that very day, 8 June, a
Committee was formed ‘Pro
Maltesi Morti e Feriti per la Causa Nazionale il 7 Giugno del 1919’.
De Piro was the only priest member of this Committee, which
continued meeting until January 1926, offering help to the families
of the victims and to those who had been injured. He was in fact the
treasurer of this Committee.
- Monday, 9 June
1919 - justice with the Archbishop
Lawrence Grixti, the faithful butler of
the De Piro family, gave evidence, without distinguishing the
precise dates of events, and relating everything as if it all
occurred within a short time, “We saw a great crowd in front of the
Theatre, but their attention was directed to Francia’s house. One
could hear shouting, smashing of things, and at times furniture
being hurled out of the windows, as well as a piano.”
Events occurring on 9 June show us how
Mgr De Piro endeavoured to prevent the tumult from growing in
intensity. Lawrence Grixti mentioned Archbishop Mauro Caruana,
Bishop Angelo Portelli and the Servant of God. Some Maltese were
plotting to attack the Archbishop’s residence in Valletta. The
rumour was so rife that Archbishop Caruana showed partiality towards
the English and public opinion unjustly condemned him for not
sufficiently supporting the Maltese. On Sunday evening rumours went
round regarding people inciting hot heads with hatred saying, “We’ll
blow up with dynamite the Archbishop’s Palace and all it contains.”
This menace reached the Dominican
Bishop Portelli,
as well as Mgr De Piro. Early on Monday morning the Servant of God
went to Valletta to carry on with his mission of peace. He went
straight to the Archbishop’s residence, where he found Bishop
Portelli and Archbishop Caruana, who had already asked the Royal
Marines to withdraw from guarding the premises. The presence of the
Marines armed with rifles had infuriated the crowd. Mgr De Piro
found a mob in front of the Palace. He asked Lawrence to stay among
the people listening to what was being said and then reporting to
him. A little later Lawrence related that threats were spreading
among the people, directed towards the Archbishop.
Inside the Palace, the atmosphere was
tense as the Archbishop surrounded by a few priests listened to the
tumultuous uproar of the crowd outside. One man hung on to the front
door bell tugging at it with all his might.
Both Bishop Portelli and De Piro went out and faced the crowd,
addressing the people, “What do you want, my sons?”, Mgr De Piro
asked.
Some were heard saying, “We want to burn down the Curia!”
The Servant of God answered, “All that there is here, isn’t it
yours? Come. .. Calm down. .. And now quietly move away”.
The kind tone and approach of
Bishop Portelli and Mgr De Piro - two people who had done so much
for the Maltese brought about a certain lull in the anger of the
crowd and Archbishop Caruana authorised Bishop Portelli to speak in
his name to the people.
On 1 September 1919, Mgr Panzavecchia
stated before the Inquest Commission that Bishop Portelli spoke on
the Palace Square and later from the balcony of St. John’s. Those
present had been calmed down by what he said.
The
following is an excerpt from Bishop Portelli’s address, “ Do not
listen to the few who are inciting you to create trouble. Follow the
leaders of the National Assembly: Dr. Filippo Sceberras, Advocate
Caruana Gatto and Mgr De Piro. These are leaders you can rely on.”
The task of Mgr De Piro was rightly
mentioned by a writer of our time, on the well known event of 7 June
1919. This event revealed Mgr De Piro as a true patriot, and the
same writer highlighted the fact by mentioning “the fruitful task of
Mgr De Piro”.
Malta’s attempt to achieve freedom from
foreign interference was slowly materialising. De Piro was esteemed
by the British Authorities; in him they recognised the ideal
mediator, who had true Maltese blood running in his veins. As a
Maltese patriot, with deep love for his country, Mgr De Piro was of
the opinion that we Maltese ought to have the freedom to govern
ourselves. His contribution was valuable at a time when it would
have been easy for hot-headed patriots or ambitious men to take
advantage of the situation for their own selfish interests. His kind
and calming words united the Maltese, and the British were ready to
understand what was expected of them. De Piro’s task, as well as
that of those who shared the same ideals for the good of their
country, was a great help in the movement towards the approval of a
Constitution whereby the Maltese would be granted self government.
Mgr De Piro’s mission on 7, 8 and 9 June 1919 marked a step forward,
made by a true Christian convinced that, as an active member of the
National Assembly, his efforts to help his people would lead Malta
to obtain what the Island deserved.
It seems befitting to stress this fact by a statement published
eight years later:
Sacerdote integerrimo,
esempio vivente di pietà vera e di unzione santa, patriota che
conobbe le ansie, i triboli, le tristezze dei moti del 7 giugno 1919
che lo videro tra il fuoco ed i feriti. Fr Joseph De Piro offre alla
sua Chiesa ed alla sua Patria il tipo del sacerdote modello e del
cittadino patriota, che s’impone all’amore ed all’ammirazione di
tutti.
Chapter Three
Section I
De Piro’s “evangelisation to the
faithful” or his evangelisation to the Maltese in Malta
(i) De Piro’s
drawn evangelisation in Malta
- Introduction:
the devotion of the face of the suffering Jesus
A little while
after the death of Leo Dupont, an association, the Archconfraternity
of the Holy Face was erected by Pope Leo XIII. This association was
erected in the year 1885 in order (1) to incorporate “… in the whole
world” all those who in venerating Christ’s outraged face, wish to
unite themselves to the act of love by which he has saved the world.
This devotion was introduced in Malta by a certain Mgr Sidor
Formosa. In fact on 3 August 1889 he wrote an article in order to
diffuse this same devotion.
All this could have influenced Joseph since his early youth.
- De Piro’s
drawing of the face of the suffering Jesus
In
Chapter One reference
has been made to the discernment carried out by young Joseph De Piro
in order to arrive at the choice of his vocation. Joseph did this
exercise by putting down the reasons in favour and against his
choosing to the priesthood. Reason 5 shows quite clearly that Jesus’
suffering love was a strong experience for this young University
student, “Il desiderio di darmi tutto a Dio avendo Egli sofferto pei
miei peccati.”
Joseph in fact
decided in favour of the priesthood. That same year, 1898, he
abandoned the law studies and went to Rome for his philosophy and
theology.
Some four years passed and Joseph was doing his third year
theology in Rome. The Bishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, repeatedly
invited De Piro to continue his studies at the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica Dei Nobili”, after his being ordained priest. But in
fact Joseph had already thought that returning to Malta after
ordination he would go to St Joseph’s Orphanage to help other
priests with the poor boys of the Institute.
Again, the Servant of God wrote down the reasons in favour and
against the “Accademia” and the Orphanage. Even here the sufferings
of Jesus for him were presented as one of the reasons for his
preferring St Joseph’s Home, “Infatti allorchè per mezzo del mio
rettore, mandai’ al Presidente dell’Accademia la negativa,
sperimentaì grande consolazione nel pensare di aver scelto la corona
di spine con Gesù anzichè quella delle rose.”
But even before
this phase in his life, the Servant of God had shown that God’s love
for us expressed in the sufferings of Jesus had been quite vivid for
him. I have already said that in his childhood and young age Joseph
practiced the art of drawing and painting.
In 1891, when he was only fourteen years of age, Joseph De Piro
made use of this talent, and in one of his drawings exteriorised his
belief in the divine suffering love.
- A study of the
drawing
The drawing
presents the bust of Jesus, crowned with thorns. It can be said to
be an image of the Ecce Homo. Studying Joseph’s drawing one
can notice that the artist has put few thorns on Jesus’ head, and
these are put in a rather orderly way. As if the Servant of God
wanted on the one hand to be faithful to the Scripture tradition and
therefore presented Jesus crowned with thorns,
but on the other hand he did not seem to be courageous to put too
many on Jesus’ head. Also, some of the thorns do not even touch the
Lord’s crown.
The same can be
said regarding the blood coming out from the head and other parts of
the body of Jesus: De Piro put some drops of blood but not too many;
he only wanted to remind the others of Jesus’ sufferings.
Jesus’ eyes show
quite clearly his sufferings; they are broken; the Lord is really
suffering a lot. While suffering Jesus looks up; he seems to be
communicating with the One above. De Piro seemed to be wanting to
remind those who saw his drawing that the Son and the Father are
one,
even at this moment. The Suffering One is asking mercy from the One
above. Maybe Joseph wanted to gather together several moments of the
passion of Jesus in this one phase of his sufferings: eg., the
moment when Jesus was praying to the Father in the Garden of Olives
to have mercy on him.
Jesus is presented
by the Servant of God as the sign of contradiction: the Son of God
is silent, but he is very eloquent; Jesus’ eyes show that he is
calm, quiet, not shouting, but he is undoubtedly in communication
with the Father; he is praying to him in silence.
Jesus seems to pray calmly, quietly and without any shouting that
his lips are closed. He is communicating with the Father only
internally. For De Piro, Jesus was convinced of what he had said
before, namely that “…your Father who sees all that is done in
secret will reward you.”
Again Jesus is
presented as a sign of contradiction because he is drawn as weak,
very weak, but at the same time quite strong. The Lord is
undoubtedly effected a lot by his sufferings, but he is still in
possesion of his virtues: he is suffering in faith, he is suffering
and still believing. De Piro presented Jesus’ trust in the Father
and therefore his non despair also by drawing his hair well made.
De Piro’s drawing
presents Jesus as far as his shoulders. It is a bust. And these are
bare, naked. One can see the flesh. The suffering one is God, but he
is also the one who is incarnated, who became human.
When drawing, the
Servant of God was always very attentive for the preciseness and
balance in the measures. The face of the suffering Jesus is not an
exception. De Piro wanted to present Jesus as the perfect man.
Jesus has been
presented by young Joseph as holding a reed in his hand.
He is not holding it in anger. But he is not happy, either; he is
not naive.
I cannot say why
De Piro drew only the face of the suffering Jesus and not the whole
figure of the Lord. When further on in his life Joseph referred to
the sufferings of Jesus, he mentioned the whole suffering Jesus. Nor
can I say why the Servant of God used the pencil and not some other
medium, say the oil colours, to present the face of the suffering
Jesus; we still have an oil painting done by the Founder. The reason
can be a simple one; it could have been that Joseph was not yet good
at oil painting in 1891; the oil painting we have was done by the
Servant of God in 1895, four years after the one of the face of the
suffering Jesus.
This drawing seems
to be the starting point of the life of De Piro; he drew the face of
the suffering Jesus almost at the beginning of his life. Joseph De
Piro adopted the suffering Jesus as his model. He himself lived
continuously like the suffering Lord. He was uninterruptedly a
living contradiction – he was weak in his physique but very strong
of character, he was very fragile but did great things. Also he
countinuously suffered in silence. One can rightly say that there is
Joseph De Piro in the drawing of the face of the suffering Jesus.
It is also most
important to say that while all the other drawings were found
wrapped in paper and therefore hidden from the eyes of all, the
drawing of the face of the suffering Jesus was put in a frame and
hung to a wall in the family palace, at Mdina, for all to see. Since
he was fourteen De Piro wanted to evangelise everyone about the
sufferings of the Lord Jesus.
(ii) De Piro’s
preached evangelisation in Malta
Mgr De Piro has been presented at one
moment as the “Minister of the Word”.
Rightly so. Although, we, the members of his Missionary Society, do
not seem to have all the sermons of our Founder,
we still have four hundred pages of complete speeches or at least
notes of sermons.
- The Word of
God as the basic source
De Piro’s preaching abounds in
references from Holy Scripture. The Old Testament quotations are
from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, 1 and 2
Kings, Nehemiah, Judith, 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
Qohelet, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Daniel and Hosea.
As regards the New Testament, the Servant of God referred quite a
lot to the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1 and 2
Corinthians, Galatians, Ephisians, Philippians, Colossians, 1
Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1 John, and
the Book of Revelation.
And these sermons were delivered at a time when Holy Scripture was
not as widely diffused among the faithful as today!
- Hagiography and
the writings of spiritual masters as another source
It is also clear that the Servant of
God was familiar with the hagiography and with the writings of the
Early Fathers of the Church.
He also relied on some well-known and popular writers, especially
Padre Paolo Segneri, who wrote the Esercizi Spirituali, and
Il Quaresimale (3 Volumes).
- The themes of
De Piro’s preaching in Malta
- The Word of God
A sermon De Piro delivered to a
community of Franciscan Sisters, reflected his personal attitude
towards the Word of God. In this sermon, Monsignor highlighted the
following particular dispositions:
1.
Avere un vivo desiderio di
cavarne frutto e non andarne per usanza o per complimento. Come chi
va a mangiare con grande appetito, è segno di santità e di buona
disposizione cosi’ chi ha fame della parola di Dio da sengo che stia
bene nell’anima propria. Dall’altro lato come chi mostra nausea a
tavola da sengo di malessere, cosi’ chi si porta a sentir la parola
di Dio quasi trascinato, da segno di non star bene nell’anima. Chi
ama Dio vuol sentire di Dio. Come il padre o la madre che ama il
figlio piace loro sentire parlare degli stessi. S. Giovianni: "Qui
ex Deo est, verbo Dei audit." Propterea nos non auditis quia vos Deo
non estis.
2.
Non andarci per curiosità od
eleganza delle parole ma dobbiamo badarci alla sostanza di quel che
si dice. Non fare come il malato che gli occorre fare una
operazione e si ferma solo aguardare alla eleganza degli strumenti
chirurgici. Costoro fanno come il crivello che lascia passare il
grano ed il fior di farina e conserva a se la paglia e la crusca. Si
legge nel secondo liBr di Esdra che parlando egli al popolo della
legge di Dio tanto erano i pianti e la commossione che i leviti si
portavano in mezzo al popolo per acchetarlo per poter sentire la
voce del predicatore. Cosi’ dobbiamo sentire la predica con
comprensione interna paragonando le nostre azioni a quello che ci
viene detto.
3.
Andare per sentire cose
ordinarie e conoscerle ed infervorarci in esse, e non cose
straordinarie e nuove. San Paolo ai Filippesi: "Eadem vobis scribere
mihi quidem non pigrum, vobis antem necessarium". Quantunque sapeva
poteva dire cose nuove egli che era rapito al terzo cielo.
4.
Applicare a se, non agli altri,
quello che si sente. Non parla di tincianti - non vedere la paglia
nell’occhio del prossimo (S. Matteo). Cerchiamo di essere commensali
e non trincianti. L’Ecclesiastico dice l’uomo prudente applica a se
tutte le parole, l’uomo vizioso le getta dietro alle spalle.
5.
“Ante languorum adhibite
medicinam.” (Ecclesiasticus). Si parla dei difetti per prevenirli e
non per repremirli.
6.
Quello che si dice in generale
ciascuno se lo prenda per se.
The Servant of God ended his
exhortation, underlining St. James’ appeal, “Estote factores verbi
et non auditores tantum fallentes vosmetipsos”.
-
Jesus’
presence among us
- The incarnation of Jesus
Christ
At the centre of Monsignor’s reflection
was Our Lord and especially his Incarnation, “La Religione nostra
tutta quanta è compresa nell’idea della presenza di Dio in mezzo a
noi”.
At another moment he said that:
La natura umana
assunta dalla natura divina le riusciva di nascondere questa tanto
quanto riesce ad una nuvoletta nascondere il sole, essa viene da
questo illuminata e da un lato o dall’altro i raggi non mancano di
sfondarla. Così ancora succedeva alla natura divina nascosta sotto
l’umanità assunta di Gesù Cristo, dal suo sguardo imponente, dalla
sua parola affascinante, dalla sua azione maestosa e non di rado
miracolosa, appariva la sua divinità.
- Jesus’ crucifixion
For Mgr De Piro, the Crucifixion of
Jesus was another moment revealing God’s presence among us, “Negli
altri misteri la divinità si disvela - sul Calvario: ‘Vere hic homo
Filius Dei erat’. Non solo non appare Dio ma neanche uomo. Eppure
dice San Tomaso ‘è il maximum miraculum Christi’.”
- The Eucharist
From the Incarnation De Piro turned to
the Eucharist, his other favourite theme, “Ma niente, niente, e la
divinità, e l’umanità tutta nascosta sotto la forma comune di pane e
di vino, tutto silenzio, nessun segno di vita. Oh mistero
d’umiliazione! Oh umiltà profonda!”.
One can add another three quotations from the written sermons of the
Servant of God on the Eucharist:
L’ultimo termine (della presenza e
della vita di Gesù) consiste nell’unione più intima con noi per
trasformarci in se stesso. Disse un giorno a Sant’Agostino “cresci e
mi mangerai! ma non come il tuo cibo corporale muterai me in tua
sostanza; si bene tu sarai mutato in me”. La deificazione
dell’uomo per la grazia e nella gloria è l’opera più bella della
nostra religione. Nell’incarnazione la natura divina è unita alla
natura umana; e Gesù divenne della nostra famiglia; e nostro
fratello secondo la carne. Nell’Eucaristia si unisce a ciascuno di
noi per farci partecipi della sua divina natura.
“L’Eucaristia è il compimento
dell’incarnazione .. Ma che cosa abbiamo noi da invidiarvi…Voi
l’avrete ad intervalli di tempo noi l’abbiamo continuamente ... ...
Dopo l’unione della Gloria, la Comunione è l’unione più stretta che
la creatura possa contrarre con Dio. Si fine ultimo dell’Eucaristia
è l’unione dell’uomo a Dio. Tutti gli altri sacramenti ci uniscono,
senza dubbio a Dio, ma questo solo (l’eucaristia) ha l’unione per
suo oggetto immediato. Per quanto due uomini si amino tra di loro,
le loro anime restano sempre separate, ed un cuore umano giammai può
fondersi in un altro cuore. Ma nell’Eucaristia, ma nella Comunione,
l’anima nostra diviene una sola cosa coll’anima di Gesù, lo spirito
suo diviene una sola cosa collo spirito nostro. I Santi Padri
per spiegarci in qualche modo quest’Unione ci apportano l’esempio di
due pezzi di cera fissi insieme, o di due metalli - Ma quale unione
più intima di quella che passa tra di noi ed il nostro nutrimento.
Questo entra nella sostanza del nostro corpo, diviene il nostro
sangue e le nostre ossa; si cangia in quel cervello con cui pensiamo
ed in quel cuore con cui amiamo. È in questo modo che si compie la
nostra unione con Gesù nell’eucartistia, con questo pero che Gesu
attira noi a se e ci assorbe come l’elemento più forte attira ed
assorbe l’elemento più debole ed ecco perchè al tempo della
Comunione ciascuno di noi con verità può dire con San Paolo "Vivo
ego, iam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus." Io vivo ma non son io
che vivo ma è Gesù Cristo che vive in me - si per mezzo
dell’Eucaristia il nostro intelletto viene illuminato dalla
luce dell’intelligenza divina, il nostro cuore cambia la sua forza
naturale d’amore in una potenza di amore sopranaturale e
divina - lo stesso nostro corpo a poco a poco perde i suoi
istinti materiali, ed invece di peso, ostacolo e nemico
dell’anima diviene anzi un servo fedelissimo - Venga a testificarci
questa verità San Tomaso d’Aquino che oltre ad essere l’angelo della
scuola fu anche un serafino dell’Eucaristia. Ce lo testifichò S.
Teresa di Gesù, Santa M. Maddalena de Pazzi, San Pasquale Baylon,
Sant’ Andrea Avellino, il Venerabile Eymard, e tanti e tanti altri
santi. ... ... ... Vedete infatti l’Eucaristia non è altro che una
fornace d’amore divino, cosi’ infatti si degnò G.C. stesso apparire
alla Beata Alachoque mentre adorava il S.S. Sacramento, egli le
mostrò il suo cuore tutto avvampato come se stesso dentro una
fornace. Ora l’azione, il fine del fuoco è di investire talmente di
sua virtù gli oggetti a cui s’appiglia che più non si distinguono
dal fuoco medesimo. E gli effetti che produce differiscono dalla
diversità degli oggetti sottoposti alla sua azione cosi’
p.e.riscalda, mette in ebollizione, scioglie in vapore l’acqua;
dissecca, avvampa, carbonizzi, incenerisce il legno;
arroventa, ammollisce e liquefa il ferro.
Ora applichiamo questo principio a ciò
che stiamo trattando. Nell’Eucatistia questo fuoco dell’amore divino
di natura sua investe totalmente tutti coloro che comunicandosi si
appressano a lui e si sottomettono alla sua azione. Ecco perchè le
anime nostre sentono certi slanci verso Dio; ecco perchè
certe estasi di amore in alcuni al solo pensarvi che stanno
innanzi a Gesù Sacramentato - ecco perchè altre anime si sentono
sciogliere in lacrime al solo accostarvisi alla sacra mensa.
Ecco come si spiegano quelle fiamme d’amor divino (S. Stanislao
Kostka), ecco come si spiegano quei volti raggianti di tante e tante
anime belle agli occhi di Dio.
Ma quando nelle vite dei Santi noi
leggiamo di simili effetti dell’Eucaristia, subito gridiamo al
miracolo! miracolo!.
Oh quanto siamo ciechi! È egli miracolo
che il fuoco abbruci, avvampi, assoventi, liquefaccia e trasformi in
se ciò che viene sottoposto alla sua azione? Il miracolo sarebbe
vedere un pezzo di ghiaccio, che avvicinato al fuoco non si
liquefacesse, che un pezzo di legno gettato in una fornace
non avvampasse, che il metallo posto nel crogiolo si
rimanesse freddo, rigido, insolubile: questo si che sarebbe
miracolo.
E questo miracolo siamo noi. Si! Noi
siamo questo miracolo di insensibilità, che non proviamo gli effetti
della SSma Comunione - che ci lamentiamo di trovarci sempre gli
stessi dopo tante comunioni, quasi che l’eccellenza, il
fine e gli effetti dell’Eucaristia, di cui abbiamo oggi
parlato, fosserò una favola o per lo meno un’esagerazione di qualche
mente riscaldata. Ah! se vogliamo la ragione vera cerchiamola entro
noi e la troveremo nei numerosi difetti con cui ci accostiamo a
questo Sacramento particolarmente nella mancanza di fede e di
carità.
Perchè Gesù nell’istituire questo
sacramento - non aveva per fine, di essere onorato dagli uomini, ma
il suo fine era di apprestare a tutti noi un cibo che dia ed
accresca la vita delle anime nostre. Ogni qualvolta infatti ne parlò
di questo mistero sia agli Apostoli sia alle turbe di Galilea,
sempre ne parlò sotto l’aspetto di cibo. Il mio corpo è veramente
cibo, ed il mio sangue è veramente bevanda. "Caro mea vere est
cibus, et sanguis meus vere est potus". “Il pane che io vi darò”,
disse loro un’ altra volta, “è la mia carne" - panis quem ego dabo
caro mea est". E come promise la vita eterna a coloro che avrebbero
mangiato di questo pane, cosi’ anche la negò a coloro che avrebbero
rifiutato di mangiare di questo pane. Ecco perciò che il segno più
grande di rispetto che noi possiamo mostrare a Gesù in questo
solenne Congresso Eucaristico è appunto di accostarci alla sacra
mensa con una prepazione più grande e più fervorosa.
Ed i sentimenti che devono albergare
nella nostra mente e nel nostro cuore siano sentimenti di fede,
sentimenti di amore.
Sentimenti di fede perchè qua ci
troviamo dinanzi ad un mistero di fede. Se la fede infatti è
la dimostrazione delle cose che non si veggono. "Argumentum rerum
non apparentium", come ci dice San Paolo. Ditemelo qual segno
abbiamo noi della presenza di Dio in questo sacramento. Nulla, nulla
affatto, tutto silenzio nessun segno di vita. Nella sua vita mortale
era nascosta la divinità ma quà e anche nascosta l’umanità.
Ma quello che i sensi non ci scoprono, la fede ce lo dimostra.
"Prestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui". Si noi, o Gesù!, Vi
riconosciamo qui’ presente, e come tale vi prestiamo la nostra
profonda adorazione, “tantum ergo sacramentum, veneremur cernui".
Si, o Gesù quantunque nascosto sotto le specie sacramentali, noi vi
crediamo presente col corpo, col sangue, coll’anima e colla
divinità. Si, confessiamo dinanzi al cielo ed alla terra che quello
che stiamo per ricevere nella santa comunione è quello stesso Gesù
che nacque nel seno purissimo della vergine Maria, è quello stesso
Gesù che consumò la sua vita mortale nell’ammaestrare e beneficare
gli uomini. È quello stesso Gesù chè poche ore prima di morire nel
cenacolo di Sion in mezzo ai suoi discepoli istitui questo
sacramento, e mutò la sostanza del pane e del vino nel corpo e
sangue suo prezioso per poter restare con noi, perchè la sua delizia
è di restare con noi “Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum”.
Ecco perciò qual’è l’altro sentimento
che con fervore, a questo solenne momento deve albergare nel nostro
cuore: il sentimento di amore perchè ci troviamo anche
dinanzi ad un mistero di amore. Quando infatti Gesù per la prima
volta manifestò questo mistero alle turbe dei Giudei, questi
meravigliati andavano tra di loro dicendo: “comè mai questi potrà
darci da mangiare la stessa sua carne?” - quomodo potest hic nobis
carnem suam dare ad manducare?”. Ma quello che non potevano pensare
gli uomini, lo escogitò, lo concepi’ e lo mise in esecuzione
l’infinita bontà, l’infinita misericordia, l’infinito amore di Gesù
per noi, ed e qui appunto, in questo sacramento, che Gesù si mostra
qual padre che dona se stesso ai propri figli - qual pastore che non
è contento di aver dato la propria vita per le sue pecorelle, ma
continua a pascerle colle stesse sue carni. E poiche l’ultimo e
sommo grado dell’amore sta nell’unione tra l’amante e l’oggetto
amato, quale unione più grande e più intima di quella che passa tra
Gesù e l’anima che si comunica? Come il ferro si trasforma nel
fuoco, cosi’ l’anima che si comunica viene trasformata in Gesù - Oh
momento sublime! Oh momento prezioso diciamo a Gesù.
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus
“Ma quest’amore divino sceso dal Cielo
dove prese dimora?” asked the Servant of God in one of his sermons.
De Piro himself gave the answer:
Essa abitò nel cuore
santo, parte più nobile della natura umana unita alla divina - esso
abitò nel cuore santissimo di Gesu .. .. .. .. Noi troviamo che come
il timone dirige il bastimento, cosi questo cuore divino pieno
dell’amore sceso dal cielo dirige tutti i pensieri, tutte le parole,
tutte le azioni di Gesù - e percio di lui il Vangelo tesse il
panegirico più bello con quelle parole “pertransivit benefaciendo.
Even without the crucifixion, there
would have been place for devotion to the Heart of Jesus in itself:
In Gesu Cristo bastava infatti per la
nostra redenzione che quel Sacro Cuore, per mezzo del Sangue desse
vita al Corpo di Gesu e metterlo cosi’ nella possibilità di compiere
atti umani e divini nello stesso tempo, perchè ogni atto volontario
di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo aveva un valore infinito e perciò
poteva redimerci senza alcuna sofferenza.
However, it is the suffering of the
Sacred Heart that reveals Jesus’ love to perfection, “Cosi è con
Gesù, andate a dirgli che poteva risparmiare una goccia di sangue
col quale funzionava il suo Divino Cuore: non lo poteva”.
- God the Father
Mgr De Piro spoke mostly of the Son of
God made man. Yet he also referred to God as the Father of mercy. In
fact, although “.. ..l’anima dannata pel peccato mortale non muove a
pietà il cuore di Dio: ‘Homo vero in loco triste esset’ ”,
and it becomes “... oggetto dell’odio di Dio”,
all this is tempered by the Father’s desire for the sinner to return
to him, “Dio è paziente ed aspetta - non perchè Egli non possa
punire, non perchè egli non odia al sommo il peccato, ma lo fa per
dar luogo al ravvedimento e alla penitenza”.
The Servant of God exhorts sinners to
have “coraggio altro che disperazione”,
“timore non disperazione”
because “Dio aspetta, Dio chiama”.
For Mgr De Piro, the christian should
be afraid of sin as an offence to God’s love, because “il male di
colpa è maggiore di ogni male di pena”;
and he should look forward to the joy of paradise, “Vedere Iddio
questo formerà il paradiso, gioia, gaudio, contentezza.”
- The Holy Spirit
Direct reference was also made to the
Holy Spirit, “È la terza Persona della Santissima Trinità che
discende sull’universo per rigenerarlo”.
We can see the Spirit’s action on human
beings from the effects on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, “…
fece loro conoscere le verità più occulte, facendoli pensare
diversamente di prima … fece gli apostoli coraggiosi … li infiammerò
di santa carita.”
- Our Lady
Among the many sermons of Mgr De Piro
we find twenty about the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Mary’s Immaculate Conception
The Servant of God reflected profoundly
on the dignity and role of Our Lady in the Lord’s life. He
contemplated Mary’s Immaculate Conception and its relation to the
redemptive mission of Christ:
Il pregio più ammirabile dal quale trae
le sue glorie il Verbo umanato è senza dubbio l’esser Egli
l’Universale Redentore. Ora questa gloria della redenzione (di
Redentore) più che dal salvamento degli angeli e degli uomini egli
se la procurò e la ritolse dallo Immacolato Concepimento di Maria.
Come mai poteva ciò accadere, direte
voi? F.D? se la Vergine non aveva contratta la colpa originale, se
essa non è stata neanche per un istante sotto la schiavitù
dell’infernal nemico, in Essa il Figliol di Dio non trovò piaga da
risanare, ne schiavitù dalla quale liberarla? Però è appunto per
questo che Gesù Cristo acquistò per se la gloria di Redentore
perfettissimo, col distinguere la Sua Santissima Madre dal rimanente
degli uomini con questo singolare privilegio. Egli infatti non
aspettò che Ella con tutti gli altri cadesse nella colpa originale,
per poi sollevarla, ma ha fatto per guisa che Ella, per la
anticipata applicazione dei suoi meriti, fosse segregata dal comune
degli uomini con un modo di redenzione perfettissima, che dai
Teologi si chiama preservazione; dando cosi’ sfogo non solo
alla sua sapienza e potenza, ma altresi’ all’amore più tenero di un
figlio verso la sua madre, che è il più bel pregio e la più bella
gloria.
- Mary, our hope all along our
life
Being so near to God, the Virgin Mary
was presented by De Piro as the Mother in whom one has to hope in
his life in general:
In me omnis spes.” Eccli.24
Invochiamola, salutiamola insieme "Spes
nostra salve."
Maria è nostra speranza perchè è
POTENTE:
Perchè è Madre di Dio - Iddio nella sua
potenza non può fare un’opera più degna Sole, mondo, angelo - ma
crea
tura più bella non può.
- Un’anima amante di Dio - anima santa,
anima bella.
- Dopo Dio non si può dire una cosa più
grande.
- Se è beato chi avesse un santo che
preghi per lui - che di Maria?
Maria è nostra speranza
perchè ci vuol bene:
- Io non posso spiegare quanto ci vuol
bene Maria.
- Essa da sola ama Dio più degli
Angeli, santi e beati insieme. Ma l’abito della carità verso Dio è
distrutto dall’abito della carità verso il prossimo. Dunque ci ama
più di quello che ci amano tutti i Santi, etc.
- In paradiso intenderemo quanto ci
vuol bene Maria. L’accoglienza che ci fà, etc.
- Tutto il bene che abbiamo ricevuto è
venuto da Maria.
- Io come un santuario - essere,
sanità; forza, veste, impiego, ufficio.
- Voi non potete dire altrettanto?
guardate sono tutte grazie di Maria. Se avete peccato e non siete
all’inferno è grazia di Maria.
- San Bernardo non nominare Maria se vi
è chi non ha ricevuto grazia.
Sant’Antonino Arciv. di Firenze.
Angeli e demoni sul tetto
quando quando
fila - si
vano specchiavano
- Questa è la più importante grazia di
andare in paradiso.
2 grazie Una vera conversione ed una
santa morte
Unirla alla devozione a Maria.
Gesù a S. Brigida - quando voglio
prendere un peccatore pongo.
La Vergine a S.Matilde
Essa in persona viene ad assistere i
moribondi.
The same belief
was expressed by De Piro in another sermon of his:
Se il potere di Maria in cielo ed in
terra è cosi’ grande, quali sentimenti deve destarci se non quelli
di una immensa fiducia nel suo patrocinio? Il mondo stima fortunati
coloro che godono la protezione il favore di qualche principe
terreno; ma quanto siamo noi più fortunati, che possiamo godere la
protezione di questa Regina del cielo e della terra?
Sotto il suo patrocinio chi mai dei
nostri spirituali nemici può recarsi offesa? Se Maria è con noi chi
mai può essere contro di noi? Forse il Demonio? Ma non fù Maria che
schiacciò il capo a questo serpente infernale - Non è Maria che per
19 secoli lo tiene schiacciato sotto al suo piede verginale? Non è
Maria che ne distruasse il suo regno? Forse la carne? Ma non è forse
la devozione a Maria il mezzo più efficace per attutire (trazzan) le
mali inclinazioni della Concupiscenza e fiorire di castità la nostra
vita (izzejjen bl-indafa u l-kastità il-hajja taghna?) Forse il
Mondo? Ma chi mai ha dato tanta generosità a tante anime per
disprezzare la vanità del mondo, se non l’amore verso questa madre
celeste? Chiedetelo a tante anime che riconoscono dalla devozione di
Maria eccitamenti più efficaci alla penitenza, ardori crescenti
(hrara dejjem aktar qawwija) a spingersi sempre innanzi nella via
della perfezione, ed essi vi risponderanno quanti beni ebbero da
questa Madre di misericordia, in quante tentazioni se la videro a
fianco donando loro la vittoria? Quante grazie, quanti miracoli,
quanti favori riconosce il popolo cristiano dal potente patrocinio
di Maria? Con ragione perciò la Chiesa acclama Maria Rifugio dei
peccatori, salute degli infermi, Consolatrice degli afflitti, Aiuto
dei Cristiani, poichè anche nei temporali bisogni essa prontamente
soccorre ai suoi devoti, li libera da tutti i pericoli, li protegge
contro tutte le disgrazie, li guarisce nelle loro malattie, li
soccorre nelle loro miserie, li consola nei loro dolori e riempie di
favori tutta la loro vita.
- Mary, hope for peace at the
time of the First World War
But one hopes in
Our Lady in a special way in certain particular moments. During the
First World War De Piro seemed to have accompanied a pilgrimage to
one of the main Marian sanctuaries of Malta, that at Mellieha. On
that day he delivered a sermon. This was on the peace that Mary
could acquire for the nations which were fighting amongst
themselves:
MARIA ADDOLORATA
Oh! se potesse squarciarsi il velo, che
ci impedisce la visione della madre nostra Maria! Noi la vedremmo
lieta nel volto ad accoglierci dopo questo pellegrinaggio, che
abbiamo fatto in onore di Lei, e per ottenere da Lei la sua
intercessione presso il suo Divin Figlio a favore della pace - noi
la sentiremmo dirci, "Qui timetis Dominum sperate in illum et veniet
vobis misericordiam" (Eccl.2,9)
---- Si ... è stato il santo timore di
Dio, che ci ha raccolti insieme ed al lampo dei suoi flagelli siamo
qui’ venuti in questo antico e devoto Santuario, a pregare la Regina
della pace, perchè colla sua intercessione li allontani da noi. -
Dinanzi alle rovine ed alle stragi dell’ora presente, si suscita in
fondo al nostro cuore una domanda naturale.
- Perchè? Perchè mai tutta questa
guerra crudele, tutta questa guerra inumana? che tormento sconvolge
e travolge popoli e nazioni? La causa di tanti mali. - A.D. è una
sola. Perchè i popoli e le nazioni hanno mancato al santo timore di
Dio, si sono allontanati dalla legge di Dio, hanno dimenticato il
precetto dell’amore - Si’ la società ha mosso guerra a Dio e dalle
alte sfere fino ai più bassi gradi della stessa, Dio è stato fatto
segno di odio. - Da un capo all’altro della terra, invece di lodi e
di benedizione risuonò per Iddio il linguaggio diabolico della
bestemmia, "non serviam." - Da giovani e da vecchi, da fanciulli, da
uomini e perfino da donne risuonò il turpe linguaggio "non serviam"
- linguaggio dinanzi al quale Dio non può restare indifferente - e
non fosse per la sua bontà e misericordia, la terra, sulla quale
dilaga un mare di iniquità sarebbe già ridotto in cenere, sarebbe
ridotto nel nulla. Ma se noi temiamo Dio abbiamo ragione di sperare
"si timetis Deum sperate in illum" ci dice Maria, e la sua
misericordia scenderà a consolarci. Si! sono le anime timorose di
Dio, che colla loro continua riparazione trattengono il suo braccio
terribile. Ma sopratutto, A.D., chi vi accostate alla Santa
Comunione, sopratutto è lo stesso suo Divin Figlio il quale
annientato e nascosto sul SSmo. Sacramento, copre, come di una
corazza di salvezza, tutta la terra, e trattiene i suoi maggiori
castighi.
-- Si’ O Gesù siete voi che ci salvate
dalla Divina Giustizia, sdegnata pei nostri peccati. -- Voi ce vi
immolate per noi su tutti gli altari della terra, voi che in milioni
di tabernacoli restatre per nostra protezione, per nostra difesa!
Ebbene o Gesù noi in riparazione di tanti vi offriamo questa nostra
Santa Comunione, - vi offriamo tutte quelle Comunioni fatti sui
campi di battaglia e nelle trincee, e di moribondi e da coloro, che
si preparono al combattimento, - Vi offriamo i voti ed i meriti di
tante anime che sulla terra vi sono grate, - vi offriamo le fatiche
di quegli Apostoli, che in lontani regioni dilatano la vostra
dottrina, - vi offriamo i sacrifici e le privazioni di tanti, che
vivono nei chiostri, facendo del loro corpo innocente la più aspra
penitenza per i peccati del mondo, - Vi offiamo, in particolare modo
le fatiche e gli stenti di quanti in quest’ora sono sul campo di
battaglia -- Ed a voi preghiamo O Regina della pace, di presentare
questa nostra offerta presso il trono dell’Altissimo, perchè si
muova a compassione di noi, - perchè cessi quest’immane flagello e
torni la pace a brillare tra gli uomini.
-- Si’ O Madre nostra Maria,
ricordatevi che tutte le grazie devono passare per le vostre mani, -
Deh! volgete, O maria, il vostro sguardo sulla misera Europa,
provata dalla più grande sventura, tormentata da quasi due anni
dalla guerra più terrible che ricordi la storia - Abbiate pietà e
misericordia di essa. - Fate che il cuore del vostro Divin Figlio
Gesù sia placato dall’olocausto, che tanti giovani fanno della loro
vita sul campo di battaglia. - Fate che esso sia placato dal sangue
che tanto tempo inonda la terra. - Si’ voi O Maria, che una volta
piangeste il vostro unico figlio, guardate alle lagrime che
sGeorgeano dal ciglio di tante madri, di tante sorelle, di tante
spose e di tanti figliuoli innocenti - Fate, O Maria che cessi
l’orrenda catastrofe, si’ da Voi, O Regina di Pace, noi aspettiamo
la grazia, intercedete per noi pregate per noi - Regina pacis, ora
pro nobis.
On 21 March 1920,
some two years after the end of the First World War, the Servant of
God was in the same Sanctuary mentioned above, leading some other
pilgrimage. In the sermon he delivered on that occasion he referred
to the great hope the Maltese had in their Heavenly Mother in order
to help them during the tragic years of that War:
Pellegrinaggio alla Mellieha
21 Marzo 1920
Quattro anni or sono mentre una guerra
immane sconvolgeva popoli e nazioni, seminava ovunque rovina, strage
e morte e le pareti del focolare domestico faceva risuonare dal
pianto delle madri, delle sorelle e delle spose e di tanti figliuoli
innocenti, noi impauriti per tanta sciagura e trepidanti sulla sorte
che sarebbe toccata ai nostri congiunti sul campo di battaglia,
simili al naufrago che fra le onde do aspra tempesta pel mare, che
lo circonda, avido, fissa lo sguardo in cerca del legno che
l’avrebbe salvato, noi sollevammo lo sguardo al cielo, e col cuore e
colla mente pieni del santo timore di Dio tra il lampo del flagello
dell’ira sua noi scorgemmo l’astro consolatore che avrebbe llenito
la nostra afflizione.
Oh! visione beata! noi vedemmo tra le
nubi, come in suo trono, "in nube thronus eius", noi vedemmo la
madre nostra, noi vedemmo MARIA, che dalla corona reale cinte le
tempia, sul braccio portava l’Infante Divino. Essa allora in noi
fissò lo sguardo e dal dolce materno sorriso che le illuminava il
volto, noi comprendemmo che essa ci riconosceva per suoi figli. La
Madonna della Mellieha* Essa, essa sarà la nostra consolatrice.
Questo era il nostra pensiero, questa era la nostra parola; andiamo,
andiamo! dalla madre nostra la Vergine della Mellieha!
Dal pensiero alla parola, dalla parola
all’accordo, dall’accordo al fatto e la mattina del 16 febbraio 1916
chi da un punto chi dall’altro dell’isola noi tutti ci trovammo in
questo devoto santuario noi ci trovammo ai piedi di Maria. Chi di
noi si è scordato della soave consolzione che in quel giorno inondò
le anime nostre? Oh! essa era l’aria/arca sicura che noi saremmo
stati esauditi, e cosi’ fù. Ed è appunto ciò che oggi ci fa trovare
di nuovo al cospetto dell’altare della nostra tenera madre Maria.
Si’ noi sdegnando l’esempio dei nove lebBrsi di cui parla il Vangelo
ci siam messi avanti ad imitare il Samaritano ed al par di lui siam
quà tornati per sciogliere la nostra voce, per cantare insieme
l’inno di lode, l’inno di riconoscenza e di ringraziamento.
Si’, o Maria, pubblicamente al cospetto
di questo tuo popolo, continuo testimone delle tue grazie noi ti
ringrazieremo col canto del "TE DEUM" Si’ ti lodiamo O Dio, sia
sempre tuo ed in ogni luogo la tua lode. Sia sempre glorificato per
averci dato una Madre tanto tenera tanto affettuosa, una Madre tanto
sollecita ad asciugare le nostre lagrime.
Messa
Comunione
Benedizione
Pellegrini, Famiglia, congiunti,
Perchè vi diano in cielo quella gloria
che noi non possiamo darvi qui in terra.
- Salve Regina, Mater
Misericordiae
Mary’s help to sinners has already been
referred to in the quotations above, but on certain occasions the
Servant of God emphasised this intervention all the more. Monsignor
conceived Our Lady as the Mother of mercy; she was there to help the
sinner approach God, the all merciful:
Si’ Iddio nostro
padre, padre amoroso, padre che conosce la debolezza dei suoi figli,
un padre di bontà infinita non ha abbandonato il peccatore, non
abbandona il peccatore, no, ma tra il suo trono sull’alto della
gloria celeste e la misera terra che ci alberga ha posto un altro
trono, quello di Maria: tra il cuore di Dio Padre ed il cuore del
peccatore, vi è il cuore della Madre sua e Madre nostra - onde con
tutta fiducia il peccatore ( “thronus meus in columna nubis” Ecli.
24.7), può alzar il suo sguardo verso questo trono perchè nel
salutare la Maestà Reale di colei che trovasi assisa egli vi scorge
anche il cuor tenero di sua Madre "Salve Regina mater misericordiae"
(p.183-4). Msgr. De Piro does not hesitate to recognise that it was
on the Cross that Jesus entrusted with this mission: “per l’ufficio
di difendere gli uomini contro l’infernal nemico, il pensiero di
Gesù Cristo è di affidarlo a Maria, a preferenza di tutti. Infatti
per un tale ufficio ci vuole un cuore mansueto, un cuore che sa
compatire, un cuore pieno di carità, in una parola un cuore di
madre. Ebbene la parola omnipotente di Gesù moribondo creerà dunque
per tutti gli uomini, per tutti, diciamolo, i peccatori, una madre e
una madre degna di questo nome. Questa madre è sotto i vostri occhi,
è Maria (mulier ecce filius tuus, ecce Mater tua)... .... Da quel
momento in Maria venne formato un cuore tutto pieno d’amore verso
gli uomini; venne cosi’ formato ... ... dalle parole del Uomo Dio e
dal consentimento del cuore di Maria.
In an exhortation to the members of the
Congregation, Figlie di Mariae, the Servant of God drew the
attention to the fact that:
I primi fedeli già abituati a ricorrere
alla mediazione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo, e riflettendo sempre
più sulla grandezza di Dio, e sulla piccolezza dell’uomo, cercarono
altri intercessori, e qui troviamo che la devozione a Maria come
interceditrice tra l’uomo e Gesù rimonta fin’ dai primi’ tempi della
chiesa poichè nessuno è più vicino a Gesù che Maria; se lasciamo
qualsiasi considerazione altra basta fermarci sulle parole del
saluto dell’arcangelo Gabriele, “Ave Maria, gratia plena , Dominus
tecum”. Dunque Maria non è vicina a Gesù ma come madre di Gesù è una
sola cosa con Lui, ed ecco perchè la chiesa la onora anche col nome
di Corredentrice.
Ecco da qui’ la grande nobiltà, il
grande onore di Maria ed anche la grande Missione data dalla
Providenza a Maria di intercedere per l’uomo.
Ecco da quì il grande onore per voi di
chiamarvi d’oggi innanzi. Figlie di tanta madre, Figlie di Maria.
Dunque la medaglia è simbolo della
vostra nuova dignità, del vostro nuovo
onore.
- Our duties towards Mary
According to De Piro, we human beings
are not expected to do great things in order to have Our Lady’s
intercession, “Ad ottenere un si’ potente patrocinio non occorrono
grandi sacrifici: Basta amarla, onorarla, servirla, ma sopratutto
glorificarla colla corona del Rosario.”
In another two sermons the Servant of God added something else,
which for him was in fact more important, namely imitating Mary:
Ma essa (la medaglia
delle figlie di Maria) è anche ricordo di doveri. La devozione verso
Maria, sta nel ricordarsi spesso di ricorrere alla sua
intercessione, con preghiere, con giaculatorie, col solennizzare le
sue feste, col parlare di essa e delle sue preclare virtù, ma
principalmente stà sulla sua imitazione: nell’ubbidienza
.... ‘Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.’; nell’umiltà. ‘Quia
respexit humilitatem ancillae suae’; nella modestia.
Ah! - D.F. in questo
bel mese voi avete onorato Maria collo studio speciale delle sue
virtù. Orbene entriamo adesso nel Cuore immacolato di Maria,
richiamiamo alla mente la sua fede, la sua speranza, e la sua
carità, imitiamo, copiamo, Maria in questa tre virtù - ed ecco il
più bel apparecchio che voi potete fare per questa comunione...
Dalla fede nasce la
speranza e perciò se grande ed ammirabile è la fede in Maria Essa è
altresi’ modello di speranza…
Ma se ci è modello di
fede e di speranza Maria è anche a noi modello di
carità.
- As far as being consecrated
to her
In another sermon De Piro went as far
as mentioning the consecration to Mary:
Chiusura mese di
Maggio
Bonum est nos hic esse.
Dolcezza di parlare e di sentir parlare
di Maria che è ‘Causa nostrae letitiae.’ Stiamo sempre a lei uniti e
sentiremo sempre le parole che escono dalla sua bocca.
Per stare uniti a Maria dobbiamo
consacrarle il nostro cuore, metterlo per cosi’ dire nel suo, onde
dopo averlo purificato dai peccati e da ogni macchia lo offre a
Gesù.
Motivi per la consacrazione
Maria Regina dell’universo ha il
diritto sui nostri cuori. - Madre di Dio - La più santa di tutte le
creature- Maria è Omnipotente verso Dio - Piena di bontà- e
misericordia per noi- se siamo peccatori essa è madre nostra.
Ogni beneficio vuole riconoscenza - e
pei benefici ricevuti da Maria in questo mese diamole quello che
desidera - essa non desidera che il nostro cuore.
Qualità della Consagrazione:
sincera col cuore non colle labbra
intiero spirito, cuore, corpo, beni di
natura di grazia.
irrevocabile fuggire le occasioni
preghiera
sacramento
Vantaggi della consacrazione.
benefici ricevuti finora sono segno,
pel futuro ci darà la perseveranza
e la corona della gloria.
- Saint Paul
It is really
strange how on the one hand the Servant of God was so much fond of
St Paul and at the same time we have not found any single sermon
about this archetype of evangelisation. Yet in De Piro’s sermons
there are these references to the Letters of St Paul:
|
Letters referred to |
Number of references |
|
Romans |
19 |
|
1
Corinthians |
18 |
|
2
Corinthians |
3 |
|
Galatians |
10 |
|
Ephisians |
5 |
|
Philippians |
9
|
|
Colossians |
Once |
|
1
Thessalonians |
Once |
|
1
Timothy |
5 |
|
2
Timothy |
Twice |
Table 12
- Other saints
It is important
here to repeat that De Piro has undoubtedly written and preached
more sermons than there are nowadays in the De Piro Archives. From
those still exstant one can see that the Servant of God preached
about several saints:
|
|
Number of sermons |
|
St
Joseph |
2 |
|
St
Francis Xavier |
1 |
|
St
Michael |
1 |
|
St
Agatha |
1 |
|
St
Francis of Assisi |
5 |
|
St
Anthony of Padua |
3 |
|
St
Francis de Paul |
1 |
|
St
Vincent de Paul |
2 |
|
St
Joan Anthida Thouret |
1 |
|
St
Theresa of the Child Jesus |
2 |
|
St
Louis Gonsaga |
1 |
|
St
John Berchmans |
1 |
|
St
Ursola |
1 |
|
St
Calcedonius |
1 |
Table 13
In one of his
sermons the Servant of God told those in front of him what was the
canonisation of a man or a woman, “La Canonizazione è un
pubblico testimonio della Chiesa circa la vera santità di un’uomo
defunto. Essa consiste in una sentenza che la Chiesa dà attribuendo
ad alcuno gli onori che si devono a coloro che con Dio in paradiso
già regnano…”
Exactly because
the saints are those who are already with God in heaven, we who are
still here, can look at them and try to imitate them, “La Chiesa ci
propone i santi per imitarli.”
So that we
ourselves can obey God’s command, “Sancti estote quia ego sanctus
sum.”
- The other topics preached by
De Piro
The three volumes
of De Piro’s sermons indicate that the Servant of God preached also
many Sunday homilies,
and not infrequently gave retreats or led the spiritual
exercises of religious communities, especially of nuns.
Also, one can still find sermons about priesthood,
marriage,
religious life,
the missions,
human health,
death
and the end of the year.
(iii) De Piro’s
printed evangelisation in Malta or the “Saint Paul, Almanac of the
Institute of the Missions”
In 1922 De Piro
started publishing the “Saint Paul, Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions”. He continued doing this until his death in 1933.
This publication was interspersed with informative and formative
material. There are no signed articles in the Almanac, and so
none bearing the name of Mgr De Piro, but we know from one of the
first members of his Society
that probably the Servant of God wrote most of the published
material. Except for the first number, the publication always
carried the nihil obstat.
- The contents
in general
The Almanac
contains material on different topics, such as: blasphemy,
the Church,
the Catholic Church,
charity or love of neighbour,
the confessor,
the Council of Ephesus,
faith,
the guardian angel
heaven,
the heroic act of charity,
holy water,
indulgences,
Jesus Christ,
mortification,
obedience to the civil authorities,
observance of Sundays and days of obligation,
the Oratory of B’Kara,
Our Lady,
the Assumption of Our Lady,
peace,
prayer in general,
or in particular, such as the Angelus Domini,
providence,
religious lay brothers,
the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Saint Paul,
the Saints, such as Augustine,
Francis of Assisi
Francis Xavier,
Joseph,
and Publius,
suffering,
the souls in purgatory,
vocations,
the will of
God.
- A more
central topic - Maltese migrants
From the list of
topics presented above one can see quite clearly that through his
Almanac, De Piro tried to evangelise about as many christian aspects
as possible. But there was a topic which was more and more to his
heart: Maltese migrants spread in many foreign countries. He himself
said why this subject was second in the list of his priorities in
the Almanac:
Since the aim of Our
Institute (his Society) is the foreign missions and they will
probably try to serve the Maltese living abroad, we think that our
readers will be pleased if we give some brief information about the
feast of Saint Paul held in Tunis by the Maltese who live there. In
this way they can see how dear to them is this native feast and how
profound is their love towards this Apostle, their
father.
The Servant of God
seemed to be convinced that many of the Maltese migrants, though
living in a foreign country, still practiced the faith they carried
with them from Malta. He presented the enthusiasm with which the
Maltese in Tunis took part in the feast of St Paul organised for
them in 1922.
With the article that showed the belief of the Maltese, De Piro also
published a big photo of the Maltese Bishop and priests who led this
celebration.
He did the same with regards the Maltese living in Port de Bouc,
France,
those who lived in New York, Detroit and Toronto, those living
in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide,
and those Maltese who had migrated to parts of Africa,
“Therefore the Maltese who goes abroad does not only take with him
his faith; he also keeps it, treasures it and professes it.”
This does not mean
that De Piro took the faith of the Maltese for granted. On the
opposite he wrote a long article to show that it has to be taken
care of:
There are many interesting things in
the report of Captain Curmi, the Commissioner of Malta in Australia.
They are interesting both for those who think of opening the way for
Maltese emigrants as well as for those who have to leave their
country and seek other countries to earn their living. After he
stressed that the emigrant must have that technical and so to call
it material formation which sustains him in totally foreign land, he
then continued to say, and quite fittingly that one must strengthen
the emigrant’s will to remain his own master without being buffetted
by things which may wreck the principal aim for which he arrived in
a country other than his own; in this way instruction and external
education reach their fulfillment. To arrive at this point it is
most necessary to generate in good condition his faith and to help
it strike root more and more. It may be- and it probably is- this
lack of ability to behave externally according to the teaching
present in one’s soul and one’s faith, which drives the emigrant not
only to moral but also to material loss. And so Captain Curmi goes
into greater detail; he suggests also a course of religious
instruction together with other teaching. In this way, one always
strengthens more onès belief so that he finds the straight path
illuminated for him although he finds himself, in difficulties, in
mist and even in darkness when he is away from his people, relatives
and friends.
The reason is clear because, as the
King’s image on a coin wears away through use, likewise can happen
upon our souls to our faith. The worries and the vanity of this
world, the errors and falsities which prowl around our souls like
serpents, quite often blur the impression of the faith which we
receive together with baptism.
And just as the King’s image is subject
to blurring more or less according to the hardness of the metal in
which it is impressed, so faith and strength of character in the
soul of man go together. Therefore it matters alot to strengthen,
for his own benefit the will of the emigrant. In this way, he feels
and accepts the responsibility of his character according to his
faith; he does not become a slave of the spirit of the world; he is
not fickle like the weather cock that veers with every change of
wind.
Although the metal alloy is still very
soft, the king’s image is always very clear until coin is still in
the mint; let alone until it is still under the press. But when the
coin starts to be transferred from one bank to another, from one
hand to another, the story is completely different. We can say the
same for the Maltese emigrant’s faith. There is no danger of losing
his faith although he did not think of strengthening his faith until
he is in his country. The external practice of religion as it is in
Malta linked to the others’ good example are like a seal which often
press on his soul and prevents the faith, so to say, to lose its
features.
But when the emigrant leaves his
country, his home, when he is separated from his relatives and
friends, when after a few days he suddenly finds himself in areas
totally foreign to him where religion is not so widespread and
professed as it is in Malta, when he is surrounded by people whose
customs are totally different from his own, he looks inwards upon
his soul. We assume that everything goes right if there he finds
something to stand surety on behalf of what he left in his country.
But that danger mentioned in the Commissioner’s report begins if he
does not succeed to meet the roots of his faith when he seeks deep
within his soul at the first somewhat strong wind let us therefore
hold fast to Mr. Curmi’s wise suggestion. Let us hope with our whole
heart that he who is in power strives that these be implemented for
Malta’s honour and for the spiritual and temporal benefit of those
have to leave their country to earn their living.
He also published
prayers for the preservation of the faith by the migrants and for
more vocations in his Institute, which was supposed to work with the
migrants:
Let us now ask God to keep lighted in
our minds this light of our holy Religion amidst so many
difficulties in which we find ourselves. Let us ask him to raise
always new soldiers in this Institute. By his help, these soldiers
dedicate themselves for the work of the Gospel not only to keep this
Spirit in their Brothers but also to increase this spirit of the
holy religion of the Nazarene in their Brothers.
- The most
central topic - missionary animation
From the contents
of the Almanac itself it transpires that the main intention of the
Servant of God was to increase, the missionary spirit in
general especially among the Maltese, and the information about his
new missionary Society.
In the Almanac
one finds a poignant description of what it must have cost Mgr
De Piro to found his Institute. When on the 3 October 1932,
Archbishop M. Caruana, laid and blessed the foundation stone of St.
Agata’s Motherhouse, Rabat, Malta, the Founder expressed himself in
these terms:
It is in fact known
by everybody … that the works of God include as their sign and
beauty contrariety, and in the works which are now before us and in
our hands, throughout these fourteen years there were so many trials
that they could have had the power to tire any person. But, since
God was doing this work, he always provided his servants with
courage; God’s spirit was always present along in each difficulty,
like a constant and gentle breeze, helping our poor boat troubled by
the waves.
Monsignor knew
that according to the Word of God, everything depended on prayer. He
insisted that any missionary enterprise had to be continuously
supported by prayer. Referring to the Encyclical Rerum Ecclesiae
of Pius XI, he emphasised that the missionary activity should
always be accompanied by contemplative communites.
In fact in 1927 the Servant of God founded the first Missionary
Laboratory. One of the tasks of its members was to support the
missions through prayer.
De Piro firmly
believed that the works of the missionaries must be sustained also
by the help of the saints, especially Our Lady and St Joseph. In
fact he writes that, “Mary always shows herself to be a merciful
Mother with this Institute, who will never disown her children ...
that is why in the chapel we dedicate a feast to her…”
Furthermore, he added that, “.. wherever they (the missionaries) go
to announce the faith of Our Lord Jesus Christ, along with it they
would announce also the devotion to the Most Blessed Mary, because,
as it is not possible to separate Jesus from Mary, so it is not
possible to separate their love”.
When it came to
his own missionary Society, the Founder entrusted his members to a
more specific intercessor, Mary Assumed into Heaven; he proclaimed
her Patron of the Institute.
According to De
Piro the soul of all missionary activity was love: love of God and
love for others. He taught that, “One cannot separate love of God
from the wish that all created beings, who are endowed with reason,
would know, love, and give praise to Him.”
On the other hand, the Servant of God noted that amongst the
works of mercy, evangelisation was supreme, “... because the Gospel
brings them the soul’s salvation which is the most beautiful and
precious thing that man possesses.”
Mgr De Piro also
pondered upon the relationship that existed between a missionary
vocation and the parents of the potential missionary. Without doubt,
parents suffer when they come to part from their children on their
departure for the missions. This recalls both the sacrifice of Isaac
by Abraham and the sorrow experienced by Mary and Joseph at the loss
of their son, Jesus, in the Temple. The Founder was well aware of
the difficulties one who had a missionary call might encounter in
his own family. In fact he said that, “If we would then consider
worthy of our pity Our Lady and St Joseph, when they lost and cried
over their son Jesus for three days and three nights, how can we
condemn and not have pity on a mother who cries because she cannot
accept the fact of being separated from her beloved son?”
But he consoled these parents with these words:
Whoever enters into the House of the
Lord, becomes, so to say, a channel of grace between the family and
the divinity; he, in fact, would be spiritualising any kind of bond
that they would have with their children, and although he would be
far away from his parents and his brethren, however his love for
them is always alive and pure; he thinks about them, and will never
cease to ask for heavenly blessings for them many times during the
day, .. .. we frequently see that they (the parents) also become
religious through their heartful love, and without putting on the
habit, they accompany their son for the hundred times promised.
In the Almanac, De
Piro, used several means through which he tried to convey his
message to foster more love for the missionary work among the
Maltese migrants and in the ad gentes countries. Amongst
these one finds:
·
quotations from the encyclicals
and messages of the popes, such as Pius X,
Benedict XV,
and Pius XI;
·
references to the local
hierarchy;
·
news from the missionary
enterprises of the universal Church, such as M.I.V.A.,
the Society of St. Peter the Apostle,,
and the Sodality of St Peter Claver;
·
lives of different missionaries,
priests and religious;
·
information about the nascent
Society of St. Paul;
·
especially on Br. Joseph
Caruana, a member of the Society who was sent by Mgr De Piro in 1927
to Abyssinia to found the first foreign mission of the Society;
·
vocational promotion;
·
appeals for spiritual and
material help for the missions in general, and the Society in
particular.
(iv) De Piro’s
catechised evangelisation in Malta
Introduction -
the teaching of catechism in Malta
In its Sessions 5
and 24, the Council of Trent (1545-1563) decreed that on Sundays all
parishpriests should explain to their parishioners the Gospel in the
morning and the catechism in the afternoon. During the years
immediately after the Council this seems to have been observed only
partially in the Maltese and Gozitan parishes. In fact Mgr Pietro
Duzzina, who came to Malta as an Apostolic Visitor in 1575, found
out that the christian formation of children was almost completely
abandoned in most of the parishes.
Then in those parishes where it was imparted it was very poor;
children were taught the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Credo and
the Ten Commandaments.
The Council of
Trent also decreed that a new and up to date catechism text be
published.
In fact the “Catechismus Romanus” was published in 1566 with the
approval of Pope Pius V. Its full name was “Catechismus ex decreto
Concilii Tridentini ad Parochos Pii V Pontif. Max. editum”.
In 1570 the Capitular Vicar of Malta, Don Antonio Bartolo, imposed
its teaching on all priests and parishpriests, but again the order
was only partially complied with. Other catechism texts used in
Malta were the “Dottrina Cristiana Breve”, published in 1597, and
the “Dichiarazione piu’ copiosa della Dottrina Cristiana”, published
in 1598. These two texts were originally composed by Cardinal
Roberto Bellarmino. In 1681 Bishop Michael H. Molina (1678-82) sent
a positive report to the Holy See regarding preaching and the
teaching of catechism to children in Malta and Gozo.
During the following centuries the improvement mentioned by
Molina continued to increase. The table below shows the foundation
of various catechetical initiatives in Malta:
|
Founded |
Locality |
Initiative |
Founded by |
For |
|
Early 17 century |
St
Paul’s Church,
Valletta |
confraternity of Christian Doctrine |
|
Boys |
|
1727 |
Parish Church,
Lija
|
Sodality of Christian Doctrine |
|
|
|
1774 |
Senglea |
Confraternity of Christian Catechism |
|
|
|
1820 |
B’Kara |
Confraternity of Christian Catechism |
|
|
|
1839 |
Jesuit Church,
Valletta |
Istituto Maltese d’Educazione Cattolica |
Fr
Maximilian Ryllo sj |
Boys
of rich families |
|
1847
or
1848 |
St
Barbara’s,
Valletta |
Good
Shepherd Insititue |
Fr
Gavino Mamo |
Poor
boys |
|
1858 |
Our
Lady of Victories, Valletta |
Institute for Catholic Teaching |
|
Boys |
|
1864 |
St
Roque,
Valletta |
Institute for Catholic Teaching |
Mgr
Francis Spiteri Agius |
Girls |
|
1866 |
The
Pilar,
Valletta |
Institute for Catholic Teaching |
Mgr
Spiteri Agius |
Poor
girls |
|
1866 |
Purification of Our Lady Oratory, Senglea |
Institute for Catholic Teaching |
Fr
Francis Briffa |
Boys |
|
1874 |
Tarxien |
Confraternity of Christian Catechism |
|
|
|
? |
Gharghur |
Confraternity of Christian Catechism |
|
|
|
? |
St
Catherine of Italy, Valletta |
Institute for Catholic Teaching |
Can.
Lorenzo Pullicino |
Boys/girls |
|
1880 |
Pieta’ |
Institute for Catholic Education |
Fr
Manuel Mifsud |
|
|
1881 |
Sliema |
Institute for Catholic Education |
Fr
Manuel Mifsud |
Boys/girls |
|
1884 |
In
Mqabba.
Diocesan level |
The
Small Mission |
Mgr
Francesco Bonnici |
|
|
1886 |
Gharghur |
Institute for Catholic Education |
Fr
Manuel Mifsud |
|
|
After
1888 |
Safi |
Institute for Christian Doctrine |
Fr
Lawrence Degabriele |
|
|
After
1890 |
Zurrieq |
Institute for Catholic Education |
Fr
Manuel Mifsud |
|
|
1894 |
Senglea |
Figlie di Maria |
|
Girls |
|
1896 |
Zurrieq |
St
Aloisius Conzaga Institute for Catholic Education for
youths |
Fr
Manuel Mifsud |
Male
youths |
|
|
Zurrieq |
Figlie di Maria |
Fr
Manuel Mifsud |
Girls |
|
Early 20 century |
|
Catholic Action
Juventutis Domus
MUSEUM |
|
Boys/girls |
|
1900 |
St
Anne’s,
Senglea |
Istituto di Educazione Cattolica |
|
Boys |
|
1907 |
Diocesan level |
MUSEUM |
Fr
George Preca |
Boys/girls |
|
1908 |
Rabat, Malta |
Teaching of catechism |
Fr
Anton Ebejer |
Boys/girls |
|
1908 |
Sliema |
Oratorio of St John Bosco |
Salesians of Don Bosco |
Boys |
|
1908 |
St
James,
Valletta |
Teaching of Catechism |
Canon Karm Schembri, chosen by Archbishop P. Pace |
Boys |
|
1909 |
Senglea |
The
Domus |
|
Boys |
|
1910 |
B’Kara |
Oratorio Mary Help of Christians |
Canon Michael Sammut |
Boys |
|
1918 |
Porto Salvo Parish,
Valletta |
Teaching of Catechism |
|
|
|
1918 |
Mosta |
Teaching of Catechism |
Fr
Edgar Salamone |
|
|
1921 |
Cospicua |
|
Fr
Spiridione Penza |
Boys/girls |
|
? |
Naxxar |
St
Aloisius Consaga |
|
|
|
1930 |
Rabat, Gozo |
Oratory |
Fr
Paul Micallef |
Boys |
Table 14
During these same
centuries there were also attempts to publish some catechism books.
Some of these were:
|
Year |
Author |
Title |
|
|
F.
Wizzino
(translator) |
Bellarmino’s Catechism in Maltese |
|
1780 |
|
Compendio della Dottrina Cristiana |
|
1845 |
Approved by Bishop F.X. Caruana and used by the Istituto
Maltese di Educazione Cattolica nella Chiesa di San
Giacomo nella Valletta |
L’Alunno Provveduto del Catechismo Cattolico Ossia
Compendio Progressivo della Dottrina Cristiana |
|
1866 |
P.
Pullicino |
A
small catechism for the lower classes of the primary
schools |
|
1892 |
A.
Ferris |
Il-Hajja ta’ Sidna Gesu Kristu |
|
1892 |
E.
Galea |
Tifsir tal-Misteri tar-Religjon Taghna |
|
1894 |
J.
Vassallo |
Id-Djarju Spiritwali |
|
1899-1915 |
A. .
Galea |
Amongst others:
Kotba tal-Moghdija taz-Zmien (150 numbers) |
|
1901 |
|
Wizzino’s catechism, but having the English instead of
the Italian (1st edition) |
|
1905 |
Translation |
Catechism of Pius X |
|
1907 |
S.
Grech |
Dotrina Nisrania Ordnata mil Papa Pio X ghad Diocesi ta
Ruma u min Mons P. Pace, Arcisqof Isqof ghad Diocesi ta
Malta bl Ittra Patorali tal 11 ta Aprtil 1907. |
|
1907 |
|
L’alunno provveduto del catechismo Cattolico ossia
comp[endio progressivo della dottrina Cristiana
compilato sopra I migliori catechismi approvato da Sua
Eccellenza Rev.ma Monsignor Francesco Saverio Caruana,
arcivescovo di rodi e vescovo di Malta e prescritto ad
uso degli alunni dell Istituto Malese di Educazione
Cattolica nella Chiesa di San Giacomo nella Valletta
sotto il patrocinio dell Immacolata Cuor di Maria |
|
1908 |
S.
Grech (translator) |
Dottrina Nisranija |
|
1908 |
E.
Nastasi op |
Catechismu Zghir fuq il-Festi ta’ Sidna Gesù Cristu li
‘l Cnisia taghmel ma tul is-sena |
|
1911 |
|
Wizzino’s catechism, but having the English instead of
the Italian (2nd edition) |
|
1911
1913
1926 |
X.
Cortis
(translator) |
Taghlim Komplet tar-Religjon Nisranija
(Originally: Katekizmu ta’ Perseveranza) |
|
1911 |
C.
Vella
(translator)
(Originally by Mgr Guame) |
Taghlim Komplet tar-Religjon Nisranija
(Originally: Katekizmu ta’ Perseveranza) (1st
edition) |
|
1911 |
P.
P. Borg |
Il
Valore del sillabo di Pio X (3 vols) |
|
1917 |
G.
Formosa |
Trattato dei Fondamenti della Religione |
|
1923 |
The
Rabat Parishpriest |
Taghlim ghall-gid. A monthly parish periodical |
|
1924 |
C.
Diacono |
Catechismu ghal Ckar ordnat minn Papa Piu X Migiub bil
Malti … Traduzzioni ghat tfal tal iscola Elementari
Governativa. |
|
1926 |
X.Cortis
(translator) |
Taghlim Komplet tar-Religjon Nisranija
(Originally: Katekizmu ta’ Perseveranza) (2nd
edition) |
|
1930 |
R.
Mifsud Bonnici |
Alla
u l-Bniedem, u l-Bniedem u Alla |
|
1930 |
J.
Schembri |
Il-Katekizmu tas-Sahha |
|
1931 |
R.
Mifsud Bonnici |
Alla, ix-Xitan, il-Bniedem |
|
|
N.
Zammit |
It-Triq tal-Perfezzjoni Nisranija |
|
1932 |
A.
Tonna Barthet OSA |
Il
Catechismo di Pio X |
|
1933 |
|
Tahrig ta tieba Praticat fl Oratoriu Malti ta
Educazzioni Cattolica that it Titolu tal Buon Pastur li
jinsab fil Chnisia ta S. Anton Abbati tal Belt jeu tal
Vitoria |
Table 15
Having a look at
the two tables above one can easily see that some attempts in favour
of the promotion of catechism teaching were made, but a lot still
had to be done: many parishes still lacked catechetical centres, and
books, especially in Maltese, were still rare. In fact at the
beginning of the 20 century Archbishop Peter Pace showed that there
was still room for improvement, “The first and most important duty
is the teaching of christian doctrine to the grown ups and the
children. The parishpriest and his assistant will be able to carry
on this duty better if they seek the help of some other priest”.
Fr Alexander
Bonnici OfmConv., in Volume I of his hagiography of Blessed George
Preca (1880-1962), the Maltese catechist per excellance and
founder of the catechetical lay Society, MUSEUM, confirms this as
regards the catechetical situation at the beginning of the 20
century, “The Island of Malta, because of the lack of teaching, was
passing through a very bad time … The teaching of religion, both for
children and grown ups could be a lot better.”
Even in the parishes where there was some catechetical activity
going on, the situation was still poor. The two tables above show
that in Rabat, Malta, for example, there was the teaching of
catechism even before 1908. We know that during that year the
parishpriest, Fr Karm Sammut, had asked the Archbishop to nominate
Fr Anton Ebejer as director of the already existing teaching of
catechism in the same Parish.
In spite of this we know from witnesses in the Diocesan Process of
the Cause of Canonisation of Mgr De Piro, that even in this Parish
the catechetical teaching was rather poor. In fact Anthony Scerri
said that, “At that time we learnt catechism for the first Holy
Communion in the Parish Church (Rabat, Malta) or some similar place,
and then nothing else.”
Joseph Tonna said almost the same,
“… at Rabat, children were only
prepared for their first Holy Communion and their Confirmation.
Besides, lessons were given there in improvised classes formed by
grouping together a few benches in the church and one could hardly
say that they were very well organized.”
Paul Sammut confirmed the above in relation to the situation in
Rabat, Malta, during the first years of the 20 century:
I come from Rabat. At
first I used to attend catechism lessons at St Paul’s Church or the
Parish Church of Rabat, Malta. Catechism lessons, however, were not
very well organised here. Children were seated on a few benches in
the Church. For teacher there would be some priest or some young man
who frequented this Church. Teaching was very poor: we learnt
everything by heart, mostly prayers and some simple truths. Methods
of teaching and discipline were equally deplorable; teachers were
very strict often using their belts to beat children who misbehaved
during lessons.
(iva) De Piro’s
personal catechetical evangelisation to the Maltese children
- In Mtarfa,
a Rabat suburb
If
Rabat was lacking in well organised catechetical activities, this
was more the case in the small suburbs that surrounded it. Mtarfa
was one of them. De Piro’s charism to evangelise did not allow him
to remain passive: he realised that there was this situation; he
concluded what had to be done; and he took action. This was attested
to by Mr Christian Scerri who gave his testimony to Fr Aloisius
Aloisio mssp, “When I used to meet him (the Servant of God)
on the bridge going to Mtarfa for the catechism classes, because he
taught catechism there… Yes, when he found out that the children of
this area did not learn any catechism he started going there
himself. And he was a Monsignor already!”
The above
testimony meant that the Servant of God did this evangelisation when
he was already burdened with a lot of responsibilities! We do not
know for which specific years Scerri was referring to, but if we
were to take into consideration even the very first year of De
Piro’s Monsignorate, 1911, we find out that by that time he was
already Director of Fra Diegu Institute; this had something like 138
girls in it.
Also, a year before becoming Monsignor, in 1910, he had just started
his missionary Society. Its members depended on him for all the
aspects of their life, whether human, academic or spiritual. And, De
Piro went to Mtarfa on foot. This meant a half hour walk! Not to
mention the fact that especially in those days the Maltese would
have never imagined a Monsignor teaching catechism to small
children. More and more was this not conceived by the Monsignori
themselves. It was considered very downgrading for these
dignitaries, let alone for a Monsignor like De Piro, who was also
noble by birth!
- In the
Church’s charitable institutes
In the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes De Piro was responsible for hundreds of
children and youths. In these Homes the Servant of God did his best
to evangelise those dependent on him by providing them with the best
catechetical formation he could. Mother Pauline Cilia was superior
of Fra Diegu Institute at the time of De Piro’s death. Her testimony
about Monsignor is rather long. Amongst other things she said that:
He used to give conferences to the
Sisters. He used to talk to them about how to care for the girls. He
insisted a lot on the teaching of catechism. He was so attentive on
this that he used to come himself to do the examination before the
first holy communion. Once my girls were not that successful in the
examination and he called me in his office.
Having a look at
the volume “Confirmatorum” of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta, one can
easily see that the Servant of God did allow a layman to register
the names of the boys who were confirmed on some day or other and by
some bishop or other. At the same time it was De Piro himself who
examined the boys either for the first holy communion or for their
confirmation, and recorded the results.
At times the boys were “approvati con lodi”. At other times the
boys were simply “approvati”or “approvati appena”. There were cases
where the Director put down “Ad alias”. Some boys were even
“disapprovati per incapacità mentale”. And there were cases where
the Servant of God said that the boy was absent for the exam. All
this from 1924 up to his death in 1933.
(ivb) De Piro’s
catechetical evangelisation to the Maltese children and youths
through his Society
- The
teaching of catechism in the first houses of the Society
As already noted
De Piro gave his share in the evangelisation of the Maltese faithful
when he himself taught catechism in Mtarfa. He also helped this
evangelisation in the children’s ecclesiastical charitable
institutes under his care. But he also taught catechism through his
missionary Society of St Paul in the first houses of the Society.
- He organised
catechism classes since the very first years of the Society’s
existence
Three witnesses in
the Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation of Joseph De Piro
indicated that from the very first years of the Society that the
Founder addressed its members towards the evangelisation of the
Maltese faithful through the teaching of catechism. Anthony Scerri
testified to the fact that catechetical activities were already one
of the apostolates of De Piro’s Society only one year after its
foundation, “I knew De Piro because I attended the catechism class
and I was one of the first. We were around six. This was in 1911…”
Christian Scerri, who testified to Monsignor’s catechetical
initiative in Mtarfa, referred also to the teaching of catechism in
the first house of the Society of St Paul, in Mdina. Again, he
presented this service as one of the first ministries of the
Society, “I know De Piro because I attended the catechism classes
started by him in the first house of the Society. At that time, in
1914, the Society was just starting.”
Joseph Tonna, whom we have already
mentioned above in relation to the teaching of catechism in Rabat,
Malta, says this as regards this evangelisation on the part of De
Piro’s Society, “But above all I knew Mgr De Piro because I attended
catechism classes in St. Roque Street (Mdina, Malta) in the first
house of the Society founded by him.”
- He catered
for boys … and all of them
Anthony Scerri indicated who
attended the catechism classes organised by De Piro, “… in
order to gather together the boys for catechism.”
Christian Scerri confirmed this, “We started going there because
there were some boys who told us what they did there…”
From the nature of
the games mentioned and the fact that he spoke of the aspirants or
the future candidates to the Society of De Piro, Joseph Tonna
indicated quite clearly that only boys were accepted in the
catechism classes organised by the members of the Society of the
Servant of God.
The same was indicated by Paul Sammut.
Besides, this Sammut also said that, “… when Br. Guzepp noticed that
some boy was a bit too unruly…”
Which means that the group was not elitist!
- He paid
from his own money for the lodging of the catechism classes
Anthony Scerri was
the one to witness about De Piro’s financial generosity as regards
the catechism classes, “De Piro hired a room near the first house of
the Society in order to gather together the boys for catechism.”
- He even made
available the first House of the Society for the teaching of
catechism … and in fact several parts of the building
Christian Scerri
referred to De Piro’s opening of the doors of the first house of the
Society for catechism classes, “… I attended the catechism classes
started by him in the first house of the Society.”
Joseph Tonna confirmed Scerri’s words,
“… I attended catechism classes in St.
Roque Street in the first house of the Society founded by him.”
Paul Sammut indicated that, for the catechism classes, the
Servant of God made available several parts of the first house of
his Society, “At Mdina, in the house of the Society of De Piro, the
situation was very much different. First of all Mgr De Piro formed
seperate classes for children of different ages.”
- His continuous attention for the development of
catechetical evangelisation
Anthony Scerri was the first to
indicate this continuous attention, “… in order to gather
together the boys for catechism. After a while there were added
another two classes, one for the First Holy Communion and another
one for Confirmation. His first attempt was to gather together the
boys after the First Holy Communion.”
Joseph Tonna confirmed Scerri’s
ascertion,
“There we were prepared for our First Holy Communion and our
Confirmation and there was also another class for those who wished
to continue after that. There were therefore classes for the
youngest ones, those preparing for their First Holy Communion and
those more advanced.”
Paul Sammut corroborated both Scerri and Tonna, “First of all
Mgr De Piro formed seperate classes for children of different ages.”
- De Piro
involved the members of his Society
As catechists
Christian Scerri referred to some members by name, “There were Br
Joseph, Fr John Vella and another one. The first two taught us
catechism.”
Joseph Tonna mentioned also the aspirants
of the Society,
“…at Catechism classes, there were also
several young aspirants. These would change quite often and it
seemed as if they came and went often. But those who were studying
for the priesthood did not often take these classes; they gave
lessons occasionally but they did not hold regular classes.”
Paul Sammut added the Society’s students to the list of catechists,
“Students for the priesthood sometimes helped and took a class, but,
owing to their studies, they did not have a regular class.”
- The Founder
involved especially the lay brothers
Christian Scerri
named the first Lay Brother of the Society,
“…
and then after a while there used to come Br Joseph and in a very
loving way he used to take us for the catechism class.”
As did Joseph Tonna,
“Brother Joseph Caruana, who was responsible for the teaching of
catechism…”
Paul Sammut mentioned someone else by name and referred to the
Brothers, “The Brothers taught most of these classes. Br. Guzepp
Caruana and Br Emmanuel had a particular method.”
Also, all along his testimony, Sammut
referred to the Brothers’ way of dealing with the children.
He also referred to Br Joseph Caruana and his involvement with the
boys.
- De Piro
gave his support with his own physical presence
Joseph Tonna was the one who spoke of
this personal involvement of the Servant of God, “Apart from those
who were responsible for the teaching of catechism, Mgr De Piro
himself took a great interest in these classes and he would make an
occasional appearance to put questions to the children there.”
- The catechetical service of De Piro and his
Society did not have geographical limits
Again, Joseph Tonna was the one who
added this important note, “I may say here, that these classes were
not exclusively for us, Mdina children, but children from Rabat were
also accepted…”
- He and the members of his Society prepared the
boys for the First Holy Communion and Confirmation
Anthony Scerri said that,
“… in order to gather together the boys for catechism. After
a while there were added another two classes, one for the first holy
communion and another one for confirmation. His first atempt was to
gather together the boys after the first holy communion.”
And Joseph Tonna confirmed Scerri’s words
by saying that,
“There we were prepared for our first
holy communion and our confirmation…”
- And even
further than these two stages
Joseph Tonna wanted to be complete in
his testifying to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, “… and there was also
another class for those who wished to continue after that. There
were therefore classes for the youngest ones, those preparing for
their first holy communion and those more advanced.”
- The catechism teaching imparted in the house of
De Piro’s Society was more organised than in some other places
Joseph Tonna presented a
complete picture of the organisation of the catechism classes in the
Society’s house:
I may say here, that
these classes were not exclusively for us Mdina children, but
children from Rabat were also accepted because at Rabat children
were only prepared for their first Holy Communion and their
Confirmation. Besides, lessons were given there in improvised
classes formed by grouping together a few benches in the church and
one could hardly say that they were very well organized. On the
other hand in the house of the Society in Mdina things were very
much better run and organized. So much so that every Wednesday the
advanced class held a special service known as “Massime Eterne”.
Brother Joseph Caruana, who was responsible for the teaching of
catechism would read the ‘Massime” while they sat around a table on
which stood a crucifix and a skull.
Then again every
Sunday we would meet for Mass, generally at the Cathedral, and we
also had every facility to go to Confession. As a rule we went to
confession to the Archpriest of Mdina, Mgr Cortis, but sometimes we
would confess to Mgr, De Piro himself. He was very gentle and good
when hearing confessions.
Paul Sammut referred to a
certain pedagogy that existed in the members of De Piro’s Society:
At Mdina, in the house of the Society
of De Piro, the situation was very much different. First of all Mgr
De Piro formed seperate classes for children of different ages. Br.
Guzepp Caruana and Br. Emmanuel had a particular method. Their
methods were far better than those followed at Rabat.
At Mdina discipline was different: the
Brothers were more lenient and knew how to educate. For example,
when Br Guzepp noticed that some boy was a bit too unruly he used to
take him with him when shopping. He would also give him the bag to
carry so that he would feel important. Thus the small child would
grow to like Brother Guzepp and listen to him.
In addition to cathechism we also used
to have games. On Sunday afternoons the Brothers would take us to
the football ground, near the Deredin tunnel, to play football. At
Christmas all the kids would be given a present; a crib, Baby Jesus,
clay images, etc: We were never asked to contribute money.
- De Piro and the members of his Society did more
than memory catechetical teaching
Paul Sammut was the first to
witness for this:
Memory work became
limited. More emphasis was laid on deeper learning of things already
known; they even introduced meditation. This was often held in a
special room where, in addition to the benches, there used to be a
table with a skull and cross on it. The room was dark with only a
candle or lamp for a light. Often, the teacher encouraged us to use
our imagination and make use of daily material things to remember
God, and other spiritual things-a kind of ‘memorial exercise’.
- He and the Society gave catechetical formation
within a holistic context
Three old boys of the catechism
classes referred to the environment that was created by the members
of De Piro’s Society and in which catechetical instructions were
given. Christian Scerri was the first to mention this, “We
started going there because there were some boys who told us what
they did: football in the Deredin area, and then after a while there
used to come Br Joseph and in a very loving way he used to take us
for the catechism class.”
Joseph Tonna said almost the same things, but added something
else:
And not only this; we
also enjoyed many other activities and recreations. Brother Joseph
liked taking us children to a place known as “Id-Deredin”, near
Mdina, where he used to organize football matches for us. When he
began wearing the cassock he would lift it up a bit so that he could
play with the children. For Christmas we used to receive such
presents as cribs, figurines, wax figures of the Baby Jesus and
other similar articles. During Carnival a special programme was
prepared for us for all the three days.
Paul Sammut almost repeated Tonna’s
words, “In addition to cathechism we also used to have games. On
Sunday afternoons the Brothers would take us to the football ground,
near the Deredin tunnel, to play football. At Christmas all the kids
would be given a present; a crib, Baby Jesus, clay images, etc: We
were never asked to contribute money.”
(ivc) The
catechetical formation of children and youths: two main apostolates
in De Piro’s Constitutions for his Missionary Society and in his
correspondence with the ecclesiastical hierarchy
- For all
the members of his Society
- For children
De Piro presented the Original
Constitutions of his Missionary Society of St Paul in three books or
“Fascicoli”. The first one of these is divided into two sections:
(1) the various stages of formation of the members and (2) a list of
the apostolates of the Society. The fifth ministry that the members
were expected to render was the teaching of catechism to children.
This was for the Founder greatly esteemed:
I Missionari della
nostra Compagnia abbiano sempre in grande stima la formazione dei
fanciulli nei primi rudimenti della dottrina di nostra Santa
Religione, e siano persuasi che un tal ministero è accetto a Dio
quanto gli altri, fossero essi più alti ed onorifici; e perciò si
tengano sempre disposti ad esercitarlo tutte le volte che dai loro
Superiori verranno richiesti.
Here one may say that in 1924, when De
Piro’s Constitutions were canonically approved, there was no need
for the Founder to make this exhortation to the members of his
Society; the clergy and religious had already been asked by the 1917
Code of Canon Law to give this share.
This is all true, but it is important to remember what has already
been indicated:
that at the time of the Founder many clergymen and religious were
not in fact doing what was expected of them.
If the Servant of God could not
be considered to be the first founder to encourage the members of
his Society to dedicate themselves to the catechesis of children, he
was undoubtedly original when writing the other words of the
Original Constitutions. While the 1917 Code of Canon
Law
asked of religious to limit themselves to their churches as regards
the catechetical instructions, De Piro wanted the members to be
available for this apostolate even when they are living in a house.
And this implied all the members of his Society, “Nelle parrocchie
affidate alle nostre cure, ed anche nelle chiese e case nostre dove
l’opportunità delle circostanze lo permette, sarà cura del Superiore
Locale … di erigere la Congregazione della Dottrina Cristiana …”
Not only this! At
a time when the laity were not yet that much involved in the
teaching of catechism, at least here in Malta, the Founder
encouraged the members of his Society to, “… di erigere la
Congregazione della Dottrina Cristiana per mezzo della quale l’opera
del personale insegnante interno potrà essere molto utilmente
estesa, mercè l’aiuto dei catechisti esterni congregati.”
- For youths
De Piro started
the section of the Constitutions, “Cultura dei Giovani”, by these
words, “Se è buona cosa la cultura dei fanciulli …”
He does this just after he had presented the catechetical work
with the children. Which means that in the section about youths the
Servant of God used the word “culture” instead of catechetical
formation. This means that by “Cultura dei Giovani” the Founder
meant the catechetical work with youths.
- More than memory work
Referring to the
content of this section in the Original Constitutions one can
immediately verify the above meaning. But the content also shows
that for De Piro catechetical initiatives to youths were far more
than teaching the basic truths of our faith by heart, “Ove è
possibile perciò nelle nostre case … verrà istituita una
Congregazione … i quali oltre chè colla pratica di vari esercizi di
pietà, si potranno anche aiutare con qualche utile e santa
attrattiva come sarebbe una sala da studio.”
- The basis for the teaching
of catechism: a holistic formation
Besides the
contents of the catechetics for youths, the words, “… i quali oltre
chè colla pratica di vari esercizi di pietà, si potranno anche
aiutare con qualche utile e santa attrattiva come sarebbe una sala
da studi,”
also indicate that even here De Piro is implying that as an
environment for this same apostolate there is need of a holistic
formation.
- Youths helped by youths
The people who can
best impart this service to youths, and in this way, are the youths
themselves; the Congregazione della Dottrina Cristiana
mentioned above is to be made of: “… giovani laici …”
If De Piro had anticipated other times when he promoted the
participation of the laity in catechetical projects, he did
anticipate other times more and more when he encouraged the
contribution of the youths themselves in the catechetical work for
youths. The Servant of God can be said to have understood even as
far as the first years of the 20 century that peer groups are vital,
even for catechetical formation.
- The young helpers must be
themselves helped
For De Piro the
aim of involving youths in catechetical work with their peers was
not a way to leave the members of the Society idle. They had to be
there, so as to guide the youths in their apostolate with their
companions, “Il Padre Superiore Locale, coll’approvazione del suo
Superiore più prossimo nominerà uno o due dei Missionari perchè
dirigano una tale Congregazione.”
- Love, crucial for youth
catechesis
De Piro starts
this section by a strong reality: it is not a question of doing
catechetical work with the youths. For this to be really effective
there is need that this be animated by love from the catechist
towards the youths, “L’avere essi infatti una mano paterna che li
coltivi e li diriga …”
- And this on an individual
basis
So that there can
be real love between the catechist and the youth there must be an
individual attention from the side of the catechists, “Questi
avranno per ufficio di conoscere individualmente tutti i congregati
e dirigerli sempre all’ amore di Dio.”
It is worth
noticing that the two sections “Catechismo Ai Fanciulli” and
“Cultura Dei Giovani” make part of Book I of the Original
Constitutions where the Founder deals also with the phases of
formation of the members. It can be justly concluded that De Piro
wanted to have the formation of the members very closely related to
the apostolates of the Society. In this case it can be said that the
Founder through the Original Constitutions, approved by Archbishop
Caruana on 18 March 1918, had anticipated Pius XI who, a day after,
on the 19 of the same month, published a letter in which he urged
those responsible for the studies of young religious to help them
train in catechetics.
- Especially for
the lay brothers
- In his correspondence with
the local and Vatican hierarchy
Before writing the final draft
of the Costitutions of his Society, De Piro had to write a lot of
letters to the local and Vatican authorities regarding the nature
and scope of his Congregation. In these documents the Founder
repeatedly called the lay brothers, “catechists”. This at a time
when the Church’s official documents, such as the code of Canon Law,
called these religious only “lay religious”, “lay brothers” or
“conversi”. Here are some examples of De Piro’s writings:
·
Mgr Peter La Fontaine came to Malta in
1909. On 2 November, as Apostolic Visitor, he went to the
ecclesiastical charitable Institute, Fra Diegu. There he met the
Director, Fr Joeph De Piro. The latter grasped the opportunity and
talked to La Fontaine about the setting up of a society for foreign
missions.
The Apostolic Visitor showed that he wanted to help De Piro.
Therefore the latter continued corresponding with La Fontaine even
after the latter had left Malta. On 27 June 1910 the Founder wrote a
letter to the Apostolic Visitor informing him about the blessing and
opening of the first House of his Society. He also told La Fontaine
that, “ ‘La Piccola Casa’ incomincierà per accogliere uno studente
ed un catechista.”
Which means that even three days before the entry of these first
two members the Founder already referred to one of them as a
catechist!
·
On 9 June 1911 Mgr La Fontaine wrote a
letter to a certain Mgr Bressan, an official at the Vatican. La
Fontaine told Bressan that De Piro wished to have a written blessing
from Pope Pius X, for him and the Society he had just founded. La
Fontaine showed Bressan that De Piro’s Society was made of two types
of members; some were priests but the others were catechists, “Una
Pia Unione di sacerdoti e catechisti…”
·
The Pope’s blessing was written on 10
June 1911. Pius X sent it to the Founder and the members, both
priests and catechists, “Al diletto figlio Sacerdote Giuseppe De
Piro e a tutti gli egualmente diletti sacerdoti e catechisti
ascritti alla Pia Unione…”
·
Another letter of De Piro to La
Fontaine was written on 6 January 1914. After asking La Fontaine’s
forgiveness for his not writing sooner, the Founder informed his
friend and benefactor about the progress of the Society. Here again
he mentioned the catechist members, “Il Piccolo Istituto è oggi
conposto di 9 studenti e 2 catechisti.”
·
On 30 June 1914 the Servant of God
wrote to the Apostolic Administrator and Vicar General of Malta,
Bishop Angelo Portelli. He asked him to give permission to the
members of his Society to start wearing the habit. With this
petition there was also “A Brief Prospect of the Institute for the
Foreign Missions”. Number 3 of this Prospect mentions again the
catechist members, “La Piccola Compagnia sarà composta di sacerdoti
e catechisti laici…”
·
In 1915 De Piro started asking the “titulo
missionis” for the ordinations of his Society’s first student.
The Founder’s first letter was addressed to Pope Benedict XV. He
continued writing as well to others. On 22 August 1916 he wrote to
Cardinal Philip Giustini, Prefect of the Congregation of the
Sacraments. Attached to this letter the Founder sent a “Breve
Notizia intorno ‘La Piccola Compagnia di San Paolo’ (Istituto
Maltese per le Missioni Estere).” While describing the opening of
the first house, the Servant of God said that, “… la ‘Piccola Casa
di San Paolo’, la quale il 30 dello stesso mese accolse per la prima
volta uno studente ed un catechista.”
·
The Servant of God tried for a long
time to get canonical approval for his Society. He also tried more
than once to persuade Propaganda Fide to take it under its
protection. On 6 February 1919 Cardinal William Van Rossum, Prefect
of Propaganda Fide, wrote to Bishop Angelo Portelli asking him for
information about the Society. On his part Portelli sent a letter to
De Piro asking to be provided with such information. De Piro wrote
to Portelli on 10 March 1919. In the section about the origin of the
Society, the Founder put these words, “… la detta Pia Casa, la quale
il 30 dello stesso mese, giorno di San Paolo, riceveva entro le sue
sacre pareti uno studente ginnasiale ed un giovane aspirante
catechista.”
In the section “Lo Sviluppo” of the same information written
by De Piro to Portelli, the former presented the Society as, “… una
Società di Missionari sacerdoti e catechisti…”
·
Cardinal Van Rossum wanted more
information about De Piro’s Society. On 18 May 1920 Mgr Mauro
Caruana, Archbishop of Malta, wrote to Van Rossum giving him this
information. Amongst others things Caruana told the Prefect of
Propaganda Fide, “Che l’Istituto iniziato allora con due giovani,
uno studente ed un catechista, è oggi composto da nove studenti e
tre catechisti.”
It was undoubtedly De Piro who supplied Archbishop Caruana with
this information, and therefore it was De Piro who called some of
the members “Catechists”!
·
The Servant of God continued to
struggle to get the canonical approval for his Society. On 10 April
1921 he wrote to Archbishop Caruana asking him for this approval.
With this petition there was the “Prospetto delle Regole della
Compagnia di San Paolo”. In the very first paragraph he mentioned
the lay catechists, “La Compagnia di San Paolo Apostolo è una
Società di missionari, sacerdoti e catechisti laici …”
- In the Society’s Original Constitutions
Mgr De Piro presented the first two
parts of the Society’s Constitutions to the Archbishop of Malta,
Mauro Caruana, on 10 November 1922.
In the very first sentence of the first part of these same
Constitutions the Founder mentioned the two types of members of the
Society, “La Compagnia di San Paolo Apostolo è una Società di
Missionari, Sacerdoti e Catechisti laici…”
In the section “Dell’Ammissione”, having written about the
prenovitiate, novitiate, profession and studentate, the Founder
presented the section “Dei Fratelli Catechisti”. And he continued
referring to these members with this title all along.
Coming to describe the contribution of
the lay brothers of his Society, De Piro mentioned “… la loro
ordinaria occupazione”.
And he immediately said what he meant by this: “… consiste nel
prestare gratuitamente e per amore di Dio, l’opera loro pei bisogni
temporali della Compagnia.”
But the Servant of God also mentioned
“… il loro più nobile ufficio …”
In the same paragraph the Founder continued saying that the lay
brothers, “… si dedicheranno all’istruzione religiosa e ad altri
simili uffici …”
So much so that among the entry requirments for these members,
the Founder asked for an, “…attitudine ad insegnare il catechismo …”
- In St Joseph’s Institute, Malta
It has already been said that De Piro
involved himself personally in the catechetical aspect of the boys’
formation of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta.
Also, it has just been said that the Servant of God has presented
the catechetical work as the main ministry of the lay brothers of
his Society.
The Founder was so much convinced of this latter truth that at St
Joseph’s he sought the help of the lay brothers when it came to the
teaching of catechism.
The last 42 pages of the Volume “Mons
Guzeppi De Piro: Istitut ta’ San Guzepp (Malta)”, are made up of
lists of duties that were to be carried out at the Institute, and
who was expected to execute them. There are also several timetables
that were to be followed by the different age groups or classes that
were in the Home. One of the recurrent moments mentioned in these
timetables especially for classes I, II and IV was the teaching of
catechism. It is important to note that for classes I and II this
was known as Istruzione Religiosa, which meant that the boys
were not made to do memory work, but were given religious
instructions. In relation to class IV there was Spiega Catech. e
Memoria. Here memory work was mentioned which means that those
responsible for the teaching of catechism knew of this method, and
they did in fact use it, but they also gave an explanation of the
catechism to the boys. It is also to be noted that while it was a
priest of the Society, Fr Joseph Spiteri, who helped the class IV
boys during the catechism istructions, there was Br Felix Muscat, a
lay brother, who was responsible for this aspect in relation to the
first and second classes.
(ivd) At the
Oratory, B’Kara
- Introduction:
The teaching of catechism in B’Kara
The Table below
indicates that the Confraternity of Christian Catechism was set up
in B’Kara in 1820. This does not mean that before this year there
was no teaching of catechism in this town. In fact from the petition
made by the Parishpriest, Francis Sammut, regarding the setting up
of the above mentioned Confraternity, we can deduce that there had
already been a group of priests, clerics and laymen who were
teaching catechism.
There was a catechetical activity even before this! The canonicate
with the title of theologian was set up in 1787 and one of its aims
was the care of catechism teaching.
At the same time it was quite clear that this teaching had not been
always very satisfactory. In fact the Apostolic Visitor Mgr Pietro
Duzzina, in 1575, had instructed that there be a catechism book in
the parish church.
Also, some century and a half after Duzzina’s visit, Bishop Paulo
Alpheran de Bussan (1728-57) administered the sacrament of
confirmation in two different ceremonies; in one there were 335
persons and in the other 42. And some of these were grown ups. Which
means that confirmation had not been administered in this town for
some years!
After the approval
of the Confraternity of Christian Catechism on 20 January 1820 there
were these initiatives in B’Kara, in favour of the teaching of
catechism:
|
Date |
Initiative |
|
Until the first
week of
February 1820 |
·
Approval of the statutes of the
Confraternity, amongst which there were these articles:
·
provost or archpriest to be
director;
·
the town’s doctor, the secretary;
·
made up canons, the vice provost,
some clerics, nuns (perhaps some members of a third order),
men and women;
·
43 administrative posts amongst
which 18 teachers, mostly occupied by the priests or the
clerics, the laity occupying such posts as that of
procurator, secretary, sacristan, sub sacristan and some
teachers;
·
responsibilities of each post;
·
children to be examined, in order
to pass from one class to another;
·
which prayers to be said before
and after lessons;
·
which prayers to be said on
certain special ocasions;
·
confession of children;
·
activities for the First Holy
Communion children;
·
taking care of catechism even of
grown ups;
·
9 classes of children: up to
fourth class for first holy communion, while at eight or
ninth class, for confirmation;
·
to use Compendio della
Dottrina Cristiana, a version revised by the order of
Bishop Mattei; |
|
6 February 1820 |
Inauguration of the Confraternity.
During 1820 there were 185 men and 208
women.
On 12 May 1850 were registered 100 men
and 6 women. |
|
Trinity Sunday, 1820 |
Celebration of the feast, Sedes
Sapientiae or the feast of our Lady of the teaching of
catechism. |
|
1834 |
A statue of Our Lady of the teaching of
catechism was inaugurated |
|
1857 |
In spite of the above, not so much was
done for the teaching of catechism in B’Kara. Therefore
Provost Calcedon Agius set up the Istituto d’Educazione
Cattolica at Tal-Herba chapel for boys. |
|
1870 |
Another statue of Our Lady of the
teaching of catechism was made |
|
1905 |
It is important to note here that on 15
April 1905, Pope Pius X, published his Encyclical Acerbo
Nimis, about the Teaching of Christian Doctrine |
|
1906 |
Setting up of the Society of St Louis
Conzaga for boys. |
|
1909 |
The deacon Michael Sammut was ordained
priest. He was a priest who dedicated himself the education
of boys and youths. |
Table 16
During the first years of the 20
century girls in B’Kara were taught catechism by some women who
offered their own homes for this same aim.
In the previous pages historical
indications have already been given about the first years of the
Oratory. In the chart which follows I go through the years, from the
beginning up to 1927, when De Piro took over its administration, and
I present once more, this time in note form, the most important
events:
Date
|
Initiative |
|
23 March 1910 |
Foundation stone of the chapel of the
Oratory, B’Kara |
|
20 July 1910 |
Inauguration of the Chapel of the
Oratory, B’Kara.
Continuation of the building of the
Oratory.
The Salesians of Don Bosco had the
direction of the Oratory. |
|
20 October 1912 |
The Freres De La Salle took over the
administration of the Oratory. |
|
23 August 1916 |
The Freres decided to leave the Oratory. |
|
26 August 1916 |
Notary Michael Casolani asked the Freres
to continue frequenting the Oratory at least twice a week.
The Freres accepted. |
|
1914 |
The Chapel of St Paul in the valley, at
B’Kara,used as annex for the teaching of catechism. |
|
1916 |
The Freres left the Oratory.
Notary Casolani and Canon Michael Sammut
tried again to find another administration for the Oratory.
No success. |
|
4 May 1917 |
The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who
had shown themselves available to administer the Oratory
were given a negative answer by Casolani. Instead, they
rented a house in front of the Oratory. And started helping
a bit there.
Canon Michael Sammut, helped by his
Brother Canon Joseph and some other priests took over the
administration of the place. |
|
4 April 1927 |
Notary Michael Casolani donated the
Oratory to Mgr Joseph De Piro |
Table 17
- De Piro, the
members of the Society and the teaching of catechism at the
Oratory, B’Kara
In the pages above
we have already presented the various aspects of the formation that
was imparted at the Oratory before its being donated to the Servant
of God.
Also, a reference has been made to “Document C”, one of the
documents attached to the donation contract. In this latter document
Notary Casolani, the donor, asked, and De Piro, the donee, promised,
that the activities carried on till then at the Oratory be continued
even after the signing of the contract. Among these activities there
was strong mention of the teaching of catechism.
Monsignor kept his
word. Although he himself could not stay there all the time he paid
frequent visits to the Oratory and he showed a lot of interest in
the teaching of catechism. This is what was said by Saviour
Schembri, a catechist at the Oratory and one of the witnesses in the
Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God:
Mgr De Piro always
showed great interest in the Oratory. Every now and then he came to
see how things were going. He was greatly interested in catechism.
There is still a photograph of him surrounded by the children of the
Oratory. He loved this place so much that later he saw to it that
two of the members of the Society celebrated their first Mass in the
chapel of the Oratory. We also knew that in 1932 he had in mind to
buy the house next to the Oratory to execute the project as we see
it today. However, he had not yet achieved any of his aims.
A few months after the donation of the
Oratory to De Piro and his Society, Fr Carm Azzopardi, a member of
the Society and the priest in charge of the Centre, organised the
first holy communion to all the B’Kara boys. The main celebrant was
De Piro. The photo mentioned above by Saviour Schembri shows the
Servant of God and Fr Azzopardi surrounded by the first communicants
and their lay catechists.
Another photo shows De Piro, Fr Azzopardi, and Fr Joseph Spiteri,
another member of the Society, together with the catechists of the
Oratory.
A third photo shows the Servant of God in the football ground of the
Oratory, surrounded by the boys who attended there. This latter
photo was taken on 25 March 1928, after the spiritual exercises of
that same year.
All this attention of the Servant of
God for the Oratory came at a time when he was busy with so many
other responsibilities! If we only take into consideration the year
1927 when the Oratory was donated to him, we find out that De Piro
was director of six charitable institutes and Founder - Superior of
the Society of St Paul. Not to mention many, many other minor
duties!
In 1933 the “Annuario della
Diocesi di Malta” started being published. In part IV of the 1933
edition there was the section “Istituti di Educazione Cattolica”.
Among the institutes mentioned there was the “Oratorio Maria
Ausiliatrice – B’Kara”. The Annuario provided important information
about the Oratory during the year 1932:
·
it was for boys;
·
it was situated in St Julian’s
Road;
·
director: Fr Michael Callus ssp
·
helpers: Canons Louis Debono,
Lawrence Sammut and Joseph Sammut;
·
catechists: 10;
·
assistant catechists: 6;
·
aspirants: 2;
·
boys who attended: 400, divided
in three sections;
·
the teaching of catechism was
given daily, for half an hour, after the Ave Maria, in three
different places:
·
section A: in the chapel of the
Oratory;
·
section B : in the chapel of St
Paul;
·
section C : at the Museum;
·
saturdays : confessions;
·
the three Sections were
expected to meet together for:
·
the mass on Sundays and feasts,
after which there would be the explanation of catechism, prayers and
communion (more or less 200 communions);
·
in the afternoon, on Sundays
and feasts, there would be the explanation of the catechism and
Blessed Sacrament Benediction;
·
in 1932 there were 108 first holy
communions and 280 confirmations.
- The Oratory
and the Society of Christian doctrine (MUSEUM)
It has already
been indicated here and there that the Director of the Oratory was
not responsible for the teaching of catechism only at the Oratory.
As a branch of this there was also the chapel of St Paul, also in
B’Kara. In fact in the year 1915 the catechists of the Oratory had
started teaching catechism there. Even De Piro was bound to carry on
this responsibility. In the donation contract this was one of the
conditions presented by Casolani and accepted by the Servant of God,
“6) Il Direttore dell`Oratorio ha pure cura di sorvegliare le
lezioni di catechismo che si fanno la sera nei giorni feriali nella
Chiesa di San Paolo dai catechisti addetti all`Oratorio.”
It also happened
that the MUSEUM, which had been founded by Fr George Preca in 1907
for the teaching of catechism in all Malta, started one of its
centres in B’Kara, in 1918, for boys. Notary Casolani considered
this as a threat to the Oratory and therefore asked the
ecclesiastical authorities to close the MUSEUM Centre at B’Kara. In
1930 the MUSEUM members wanted to move their Centre and have it
nearer to St Paul’s Chapel. This time it was De Piro who was
directing the Oratory. His attitude was completely different from
that of Casolani: although he wanted that the Oratory and the MUSEUM
would settle the issue by a formal contract, he realised that a
MUSEUM centre would be only beneficial to the catechetical formation
of the boys. He, therefore, together with the Provost or Archpriest
of B’Kara, wrote a petition to the Archbishop of Malta asking him to
give the permission for the opening of the MUSEUM Centre:
A Sua Eccellenza
Reverendissima
Monsignor Diocesano
Umile ricorso del
Canonico Preposito di Birchircara, Dottor Don Carmelo Bonnici; e del
Canonico Decano Capitolare, Giuseppe dei Marchesi De Piro Navarra.
Sottomettono
riverentemente
Che essi, Canonico
Preposito Bonnici, in detta qualità sua; e Canonico Decano Giuseppe
dei Marchesi De Piro Navarra, qual Superiore della Compagnia di San
Paolo, e Direttore dell’Oratorio di Birchircara, han ritenuto di
sommo vantaggio ai figli delle classi operarie di Birchicara,
accordare alla Società dei Papidi di San Giovanni Battista, la
facoltà d’insegnare, nel loro Istituto in Birchircara, nel Vicolo
Nannua di Strada Hassajed, il catechismo. Alle condizioni, bensi’
espresse nella minuta giù unita.
De Piro did not
want any monopoly over the teaching of catechism; he was only after
the evangelisation of the children through the teaching of
catechism.
Section II
De Piro’s “second evangelisation”
or his evangelisation to the Maltese migrants
Introduction -
Migration during the 19 and early years of the 20 centuries
At the end of the
presentation of the Maltese socio economic conditions of
Malta in the ninteenth and
early years of the twentieth centuries it has been indicated that:
Malta could be said to have passed from
prosperity to misery. According to the Royal Commission of 1912:
‘…the wages of the working classes in Malta are low, there is much
unemployment, and it is with great difficulty that they support
life…’ When the construction work and the employment with the
Admiralty experienced the rundown, since the local industry had
never been developed, the Maltese turned to agriculture. While in
1910 there were c.7,000 farmers, in the following years there were
15,200 according to the Report of the Royal Commission of 1912.
Facing such economic crises and the
negative influences on most of the Maltese, the people of the Island
reacted to poverty by begging; during this time, begging was common
place; both grown ups and children appear to grow in the streets.
But not only; some considered stealing as a solution. Others relied
on borrowing money or emigration.”
In fact several Maltese went to Algiers, Australia, Brasil,
Canada, Cephalonia, Constantinople, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Corfù,
Lampedusa, Libya, Palestine, Tunisia, United Kingdom and USA.
Obviously, De Piro never encouraged the
solution of stealing mentioned above. Nor have we ever met any
instance when the Servant of God was involved in the borrowing of
money. But it has already been said that De Piro did help the
beggars.And
we shall be immediately seeing that he did a lot for the Maltese
migrants.
(i) De Piro’s
contribution
(ia)
Publication of information about the living of the christian life by
Maltese communities abroad - the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the
Institute of the Missions”
De Piro continued
exteriorising his own love for the evangelisation of the Maltese
migrants in his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions”. He did this mainly by showing his appreciation for what
was being done in several countries for the benefit of the Maltese
who were living abroad: in Carthage,
in Egypt,
in Marseille,
in Tripoli,
in Tunis,
and in the USA.
(ib) He helped
the Maltese migrants by finding for them diocesan or religious
priests and nuns who could evangelise them
It seems that this
dedication of the Servant of God for the evangelisation of the
Maltese migrants was not demonstrated only in writing and in his
giving of information to the Maltese about their co-nationals living
abroad. On 9 November 1914, Mgr Dominic Darmanin, Archbishop of
Corfù, Greece, wrote to De Piro and thanked him for having found a
certain Fr A. Galea to go and work at least for some time in his
Diocese where there were many Maltese, “Io La ringrazio di tutto
cuore per il bene veramente straordinario che ha procurato alla
nostra colonia maltese di campagna e di città per mezzo del nostro
carissimo e zelantissimo D. A. Galea, che animato dallo spirito del
Signore, non si … un momento dal cercare le anime e di portarle al
seno di Dio…”
A certain J.
Fenech, living in San Francisco, California, USA, did the same thing
as Archbishop Darmanin; he wrote to the Servant of God on 9
September 1914, thanking him for having already found a priest who
could work among the Maltese in that part of the USA. In this same
letter Fenech also expressed his convictions about De Piro himself:
Dear benefactor not
only of the Maltese in Malta, but also of all the Maltese scattered
all over the world and especially those of California. They are sure
that you are really so. They were sure that once you yourself were
involved in the affair, it had to be undoubtedly successful…
I thank you deeply in
the name of all the Maltese in California and I assure you that your
image will be continuously seen in the church we are going to build
in San Farancisco.
In between the
years 1915 and 1918 Mgr De Piro was chosen by Malta’s Archbishop,
Mauro Caruana, as his secretary.
Amongst those who corresponded with the Servant of God there was Fr
William Bonett. The latter was born in Gibraltar in 1884 from
Maltese parents. He returned to Malta with his family in 1904 where
he was afterwards ordained priest. He went to Australia in 1916.
An undated letter of Bonett to De Piro shows that most probably the
former had contact with the Servant of God because the latter was
the Archbishop’s secretary. In this letter he asked the Servant of
God to send him the “exeat”so that he could be incardinated
to the Diocese of Sydney.
Even another letter, again undated, could have been sent by
Bonett to De Piro for the same reason.
But from this last letter one can easily conclude that this
Bonett believed that De Piro could persuade some Maltese diocesan or
religious priest to go to Australia and work among the Maltese
there:
Pochi giorni fa mi recai a fare una
visita al P. Provinciale dei Francescani.
Parlammo di Malta ed egli mi domandò se
vi fossero Padri del loro Ordine. Risposi di si ed egli mi pregò
perchè io potessi scrivere al superiore locale perchè si possa
mandare due padri o almeno uno. Lo indirizzai una lettera a Padre
Serafino e gli spiegai tutto. Gli dissi pure che Padre Bajada
sarebbe la persona adatta, siccome costui può parlare l’inglese
(perchè come V.S. Reverendissima sa, tutti i preti che si vogliono
qui, si voglioni per gli Inglesi). Il Padre Provinciale è pronto a
pagare tutte le spese occorrenti, ed appena accomoderano tutto non
devono fare altro che telegrafare al Superiore (di cui spedii
l’indirizzo) ed egli spedirà il denaro.
Non si èinvogliato nessun altro prete
ancora per l’Australia?
Due settimane fa si recò da me Padre
Giacomo Cassar, Cappuccino Maltese, il quale sta in Australia da 40
anni. Propriamente egli è in charge of a parish in North Rockhampton
in Queensland…. Intanto egli mi disse che richiederebbero 20 preti
almeno nell’Arcidiocesi di Queensland e nelle altre Diocesi.
Lo scrissi già a V.S. Reverendissima
perchè faccia un appello a tanti giovani preti specialmente a quelli
che dissero Messa ultimamente.
Dica loro che ove venissero sarebbero
contentissimi. L’onorario è di 7 sterline al mese e l’elemosina
della messa è libera. Inoltre Board and Lodging is free.
Nel caso che qualcuno si invogliasse di
venire una previa raccomandazione da S.E. Reverendissima è
assolutamente richiesta. Colgo questa occasione perchè V.S.
Reverendissima si degni presentare i miei distinti ossequi a S.E.
Monsignor Arcivescovo Vescovo.
Mandi i miei ossequi a V.S.
Reverendissima e mi raffermo.
Suo dev.mo ubb.dmo servitore
Rev. William Bonett.
The Servant of God
did not answer Bonett’s first letter immediately, but after the
second one, on 17 November 1916, De Piro wrote to Bonett and shared
with him one of his wishes:
Sarebbe un mio vivo desiderio di vedere
aperta in Australia qualche casa delle nostre pie Suore le Terziarie
Francescane; secondo me sarà di grande aiuto spirituale anche alla
colonia Maltese, potendovi in tal modo forse rimediare al male da te
lamentato nell’ultima tua diretta a S.E. Reverendissima. Se
insegnassero un pò di catechismo mi pare che dovrebbero fare del
bene; ci sono parecchie di esse che conoscono sufficientemente
l’inglese e sono certo che subito l’apprenderanno bene, dopo una
breve residenza.
Fr William Bonett
wrote again to De Piro in June 1917 about the dire need of priests
in Australia and appealed to Monsignor to find some from among the
diocesan clergy who could go to Australia.
(ic) He himself
went to evangelise the Maltese in Tunis and Carthage
If De Piro’s
search for diocesan and religious priests and nuns, who could go and
evangelise the Maltese abroad, was a step further than his Almanac’s
articles about these same Maltese, his own going to Tunis twice to
evangelise the Maltese there, was more and more impressive. This at
a time when the Servant of God was more than busy with so many other
responsibilities!
In May 1922 the
Maltese in Tunis organised a feast in honour of St Paul. Although
the main aim of this activity was to honour the Apostle who
evangelised the faith in Malta on the way to his martyrdom in Rome,
those responsible wanted also to organise a mission for the Maltese
in that African country. For this occasion the Maltese there invited
Mgr Angelo Portelli, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Malta,
five canons of the Maltese Metropolitan Cathedral and a Dominican
preacher. Among the canons there was Mgr Joseph De Piro.
It was probably
the Servant of God himself who, in “Saint Paul: Almanac of the
Institute of the Missions”, wrote an article about this
evangelisation of the Maltese migrants in Tunis.
Unfortunately he described the contributions given by his companions
in this mission, but he said nothing about his own share in it. The
Maltese missionaries ran from one parish to another. They even went
to the Institute of the Freres De La Salle and that of some nuns.
They were busy with a lot of preaching and led several ceremonies.
In the end there was also a procession. The celebrations could be
said to have been successful because many of the Maltese went for
confession and received Holy Communion.
Eight years later,
De Piro went again to the Maltese community in Tunis, this time on
the occasion of the International Eucharistic Congress held in
Carthage between 7 and 11 May 1930. Again, the Servant of God
published a report about this mission of his to the friends and
benefactors of his Society, “This year we ourselves could attend for
the one (the Eucharistic Congress) which took place in Africa in the
place where the ancient city of Carthage once stood … the
Eucharistic Congress was held in Carthage from the 7 to the 11 May.”
In the article,
the Servant of God mentioned several activities which made part of
the Congress. He also referred to the many national meetings held
for the language groups: the French, the Italian and the Maltese. As
regards the last group De Piro also said that:
In the Maltese section there were no
Cardinals or Bishops as there were in the French and Italian
sections. Circumstances did not permit neither the Archbishop of
Malta nor the Bishop of Gozo, to attend ... But the Maltese of Tunis
had the consolation to meet a large number of Maltese from Malta;
three Canons of the Cathedral of Malta took part. The section was
presided by Mgr Dean J. De Piro as a representative of the beloved
Bishop M. Caruana…
The morning functions and the afternoon
meetings were held in the church of Beb il Khadra dedicated to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus; it is much frequented by the Maltese. The
presbytery was always full of Maltese priests and in the church one
could always mark them. Abbè Patiniot, always on the go, and
attending to everybody’s needs, often showed his satisfaction when
he saw the extent of success of the Maltese section. He always
strives for the good of souls, especially for the Maltese colony in
Tunis. In the morning the Maltese priests used to go into the
confessionals, surrounded by a large number of penitents. Therefore
it is no wonder when we say that at the morning functions there were
about a thousand people daily for communion. On Friday, the first
day, Mgr Fr. Saviour Manduca, Archpriest of Saint Paul’s, said the
mass for general communion and Mgr Cantor Fr. Paul Prelate of the
Pope said the Sung Mass. Mgr Fr. Paul Ganci said mass of general
communion and Mgr Dean De Piro said the Sung mass on Saturday 10th
of the month. It was also his turn to perform the last general
communion preceded by an exortation of the occasion on the next day,
Sunday morning, which was the last day of the Congress.
The afternoon meetings
took place with the greatest order. They could not but yield
abundant fruit for the souls of all those who attended. Every time
there were three speeches; Mgr Dean De Piro started speaking on the
Mass…So these meetings of the Maltese section ended by the
complimentary speeches of Mgr Gauci, of the Abbè Fr. Patiniot and of
Mgr Dean De Piro to everybody’s greatest satisfaction.
De Piro presented
with a lot of enthusiasm the evangelisation of the Maltese in Tunis
during the International Eucharistic Congress held in Carthage
in1930. But when he described the children’s activities his
enthusiasm was even more pronounced:
Children’s day was undoubtedly one of
the functions of the Congress which shone above all others. There
was neither boy nor girl in all the Tunis parishes who did not take
part. On Thursday morning they gathered in the large and beautiful
garden known as Belvedere, outside Tunis. On that day it was a
really fitting name - for about six thousand boys and girls, all
dressed in white with a red cross on their breast could be seen
running here and there; heavenly joy was visible on their face for
they had just received the Bread of Angels from Cardinal Hlond’s
hands. No less attractive and moving was the children’s part in the
afternoon. It consisted in the offering of palm leaves at the
amphitheatre where many martyrs, especially children, went up to
heaven in the first centuries of the Church.
The children went in
very slowly, singing and swinging the palm leaves every now and then
until they filled the whole amphitheatre- Here in one voice and with
one swing they left the most soave memory in everybody’s mind. The
Cardinal Legate attended this ceremony; the other Cardinals and many
bishops were present; around the amphitheatre forty thousand
delegates were gathered.
De Piro ended his
article by mentioning some other activities that made part of the
International Eucharistic Congress.
(id) De Piro
founded a Society whose secondary aim was the evangelisation of the
Maltese migrants
- Before the
foundation of his Society
While at the Qrendi Parish during the
years 1904 – 1907, De Piro was expected to rest in order to continue
recovering his health. As has already been said he was instead all
the time busy giving his share in the parish apostolate.
Besides this pastoral contribution, he started working
concretely for the setting up of his Society.
He consulted his spiritual director continuously.
On 16 January 1905 he shared his project for the first time with
Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the director of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta.
The latter told De Piro to put his project to writing.
Fr Joseph hesitated for some days, but at last, on 7 August
1905, he presented to Vassallo his “written idea”:
1.
Una società di Missionari …
2.
Lo scopo principale, come indica
il nome della Società, consiste nelle Missioni estere.
3.
Campi prossimi d’azione possono
essere:
a)
La Casa di S. Giuseppe,
b)
Le colonnie di Maltesi
all’estero, ed
c)
a bordo le corazzate etc.
Therefore as early
as 1905 De Piro was already presenting the work among Maltese
migrants as one of the secondary works of his Society.
The Servant of God
continued with his attempts to find other priests who would accept
his dream and join him in the setting up of his Society. On 10
December 1906 Fr Joseph shared his “idea” with Fr George
Bugeja, the successor of Fr E. Vassallo as director of St Joseph’s,
Malta.
Bugeja showed that he wanted to help. About a year and a half later,
on 8 August 1908, De Piro talked to another priest, Fr John Mamo,
about his project. This priest was also cooperative.
On 2 November 1909, Fr De Piro, now the Director of Fra Diegu
Institute, Hamrun, met Mgr Pietro La Fontaine, the Apostolic
Visitor, at Fra Diegu. While talking to La Fontaine, the Servant of
God mentioned the foundation of the Society.
The Apostolic Visitor welcomed the “idea” a lot and
encouraged De Piro to put it in writing in order to be presented to
the Pope.
On 3 November 1909 the petition was already written and signed
by the Servant of God.
Even Bugeja and Mamo put their names on it.
On 15 November 1909 the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, put
down his recommendation.
In this petition De Piro presented the evangelisation of Maltese
migrants as primary for his future Society, “… una società religiosa
allo scopo di formare dei Missionari particolamente ed in primo
luogo per le colonie di Maltesi all’estero.”
La Fontaine kept
his word and presented De Piro’s petition to the Pope, after which
the Apostolic Visitor wrote to the Servant of God this letter:
Cassano Ionio -
27-1-1910
Mio Carissimo D.
Giuseppe
Il Santo Padre a cui
esposi la sua dimanda informato da me in proposito, si rallegrò del
sonto divisamento e mi affidò l’onorevole incarico di dirle che Egli
conforta lei e i compagni con la Benedizione Apostolica.
But La Fontaine continued saying that,
“A me pare che l’opera debba essere foggiata a simiglianze di
quella di Mgr Coccolo per gli emigranti italiani. Sarebbe buona cosa
accordarsi col P. Vella S.J. il quale, per essere stato lungo tempo
fra i Maltesi in Grecia, potrà dare utilissimi lumi.”
It was therefore quite clear that La Fontaine got the impression
that De Piro’s Society was for the Maltese migrants! And he could
have got it from no one if not from De Piro himself!
On 6 June 1910 the
Servant of God, together with Bugeja and Mamo, wrote to the
Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, asking him permission to open a
house for their Society, “… la quale servirà di residenza ai
componenti una Società religiosa allo scopo di formare dei
Missionari, particolarmente ed in primo luogo per le colonie di
Maltesi all’estero.”
De Piro found the
House and asked Archbishop Pace to open it and bless it. His
Excellency accepted and the inauguration celebration was held on 12
June 1910. On that occasion the Founder read an address to the
Archbishop and in it repeated the scope of the House:
Eccellenza Reverendissima
Ci sentiamo oggi assai consolati da un
lato e confusi dall’altro nell’indirizzarci a Vostra Eccellenza per
domandarle a voler benedire e dichiarare aperta questa "Piccola Casa
di San Paolo" la quale servirà di residenza ai componenti una
Società Religiosa allo scopo di formare dei Missionari
particolarmente ed in primo luogo per le colonie di Maltesi
all’estero.
As was expected
the Founder informed his benefactor, La Fontaine, with this step
forward. On his part the Apostolic Visitor answered De Piro on 30
June 1910. After encouraging Fr Joseph, La Fontaine assured him
that, “I buoni Maltesi lontani dalla patria avranno da voi altri
grandissimi aiuti.”
- After the
foundation of his Society
After its opening
and blessing, the “Piccola Casa di San Paolo”, on 30 June
1910, welcomed in it the first two members.
De Piro had asked Mgr La Fontaine for a blessing from Pope Pius
X. On 9 June 1911 La Fontaine wrote to a certain Mgr Bressan, an
official at the Vatican, and asked him for this blessing. La
Fontaine presented De Piro’s Society as, “… una Pia Unione di
Sacerdoti e Catechisti, allo scopo di dedicarsi alla cultura
speciale delle forti colonie Maltesi di Corfù e di Tripoli.”
On 30 June 1914 De
Piro asked the Auxiliary Bishop and Apostolic Administrator, Mgr
Angelo Portelli, the permission for the members of his Society to
wear the habit. Attached to this petition De Piro presented also a “Breve
Prospetto delle regole dell’istituto per le Missioni Estere”. As
regards the aim of the Society, the Founder was quite clear, “2.
Scopo della Piccola Compagnia sarà quello di venire in aiuto dei
popoli… particolarmente ed in primo luogo dei Maltesi lontani dalla
patria ...”
Although Mgr
Emmanuel Vassallo did not join the Servant of God in the concrete
initation of the Society, Vassallo helped his old friend a lot in
its first years. De Piro had received a Rescript from the then
Congregation of the Sacraments. In it there were some words which
neither De Piro nor Vassallo could understand well. The latter, on
25 November 1916, wrote to one of his friends in Rome asking for a
clarification. In this letter Vassallo told also this to his friend,
Don Archangelo Bruni:
Mgr De Piro col
consenso di Mgr Pace di F.M. fondò questa pia unione in favore dei
Maltesi residenti all’estero. Con questo egli non intese, e non
intende di adibire i suoi missionari esclusivamente pei Maltesi, ma
anche per altri che ne avessero bisogno. Il fine primario però della
Congregazione sono i Maltesi residenti all’estero.
Vassallo had the
right to put down these words about De Piro’s Society because the
latter had talked a lot to him about the Society!
- De Piro continued
mentioning migrants even when facing misunderstanding regarding the
principal aim of his Society
It has already
been said that there were two youths who joined the Society of De
Piro on 30 June 1910. One of these, John Vella, intended to become a
priest. Five years after joining, Vella was nearing the minor
orders. Therefore the Founder wrote to Pope Benedict XV, asking him
the permission for his student to be ordained “titulo missionis”.
The answer from the side of the Vatican was already indicating
doubts about the principal aim of the Society:
Estratto dalla lettera
del 3 Dicem. 1915 del Dr. Giuseppe Sebastiani Spedizioniere
Apostolico.
Riguardo alla facoltà
per lo studente Giovanni Vella per essere ordinato “titulo
Missionis” la Sacra Congregasione desidera conoscere qualche notizia
riguardo all’Istituto della Piccola Casa di San Paolo per le
Missioni Estere, se depende dalla Congregazione di Propaganda Fide e
se altre volte si sia domandata tale facoltà.
The Servant of God answered Sebastiani
on 4 January 1916:
1.
In riscontro alla sua
pregiatissima del 3 Dicembre 1915 relativamente alla mia domanda,
per poter presentare all’Ordinazione ‘titulo Missionis’ il giovane
studente Giovanni Vella sono a significarle:-
2.
Che esso in primo luogo, è
inteso a favore dei Maltese lontani dalla patria e pure
dell’assistenza religiosa.
3.
Che l’Istituto non dipende dalla
Congregazione “De Propaganda Fide”.
4.
Che questa è la prime occasione
nella quale viene avanzata tale supplica.
Estratto dalla lettera
del Dottor Giuseppe Sebastiani - Spedizioniere Apostolico dell’8
Febbraio 1916.
Riguardo poi alla
supplica dello studente Giovanni Vella per essere ordinato ‘titulo
Missionis’ mi rincresce di doverle dire che la Congregazione dei
Sacramenti visto che l’Istituto della Piccola Casa di San Paolo non
si occupa che di Missionarii per i Maltesi residenti fuori
dell’isola e non per altre Missioni ed infedeli, non ha creduto di
accordare il detto privilegio per l’ordinazione.
This was in fact
the instance when De Piro, because of his mentioning of the
Society’s evangelisation to the Maltese migrants, experienced the
first of a serious of setbacks as regards the canonical approval of
the Society. At such a moment the Servant of God remembered his
friend and benefactor, Bishop La Fontaine. He wrote to him and told
him that, “La Sacra Congregazione dei Sacramenti, dopo chieste ed
avute delle informazioni riguardanti l’Istituto rispose
negativamente, adducendo per ragione che l’Istituto è inteso per
Misssionari per soli Maltesi e non per altre nazioni ed
De Piro did not
stop here. Although the answer of the then Congregation of the
Sacraments might have been considered by the Founder as negative, it
offered him an oportunity where he could explain better to La
Fontaine what he had in mind as regards the aim of the Society;
although the evangelisation of the Maltese migrants was not the main
goal, he was quite clear about his wanting to continue with it:
Anzitutto come Ella
potrà vedere dal foglio che accompagna la presente, nel dire in
primo luogo, non si intende fare l’esclusione supposta dalla Sacra
Congregazione; ed utinam il Piccolo Istituto Maltese possa in futuro
avere quest’onore di inviare Missionarii presso gli infedeli e per
tutto il mondo. Ma come ben comprenderà l’Eccellenza Vostra da parte
nostra sarebbe troppo ardire il solo accarezzare una simile idea -
Inoltre ho desiderato che il titulo per l’ordinazione fosse quello
di Missione, per imprimere sempre più nella mente e nel cuore dei
giovani l’idea missionaria. Ella che conosce qualche cosa di Malta,
sa molto bene quanto il Maltese sia attaccato al suolo natio; e
comprenderà anche che l’idea delle Missioni Estere non trovando
terreno fertile, se lo deve formare per se.
La Fontaine
answered De Piro on 28 July 1916. In this letter, the Patriarch of
Venice showed the Servant of God that for him the Society was one
for the Maltese migrants. It was obvious; he got this impression
from his contact with De Piro, the one who showed so much love for
the evangelisation of the Maltese away from their country:
Sarei d’avviso che per ottenere
l’ordinazione al Suddiaconato del suo giovine Missionario titulo
missionis, Ella esponesse brevemente e chiaramente l’organismo, lo
scopo e lo statuto della piccola Società, facendo vedere il bene
grande, che i missionari esercitano in mezzo ai cattolici Maltesi
all’estero, e come non venga messo ad essi il pane quotidiano.
L’esposto insieme con una supplica affettiva dovrebbe essere
indirizzato propria al Santo Padre.
Mgr De Piro did
what La Fontaine had told him to do. On 22 August 1916 he wrote to
Pope Benedict XV. Although he was eager to get the “titulo
missionis” for his first member to be ordained priest, at the
same time he also knew that mentioning the work among the Maltese
migrants would hinder him from getting this “titulo”. Still
he did not keep back from mentioning this apostolate when
writing to the Pope, “… ha iniziato nel 1910 la costituzione di un
Istituto per le Missioni Estere, particolarmente ed in primo luogo
pei Maltesi fuori dell’ Isola…”
Even Mgr Mauro
Caruana, the Archbishop of Malta, who wrote his recommendation at
the end of De Piro’s letter to the Pope, referred to this
evangelisation of the Society to the Maltese migrants, “… che per il
futuro non potrà non fare bene immenso ai Maltesi residenti
all’estero …”
It is obvious that Archbishop Caruana was influenced by no one
but by De Piro himself!
Reference has
already been made to Fr William Bonett and his two undated letters
to De Piro.
It has also been said that the Servant of God answered Bonett
after his second letter.
In this letter De Piro reminded Bonett about the difficulty of the
Maltese diocesan priest to leave his native country and go abroad.
At the same time the Founder tried to make Bonett hope in some other
help, the members of his own Society:
… però nella tua Messa non ti
dimenticare di fare sempre un piccolo memento per nostro nascente
Istituto per le Missioni Estere, e finalmente il Signore ci farà
assaggiare qualche frutto di tante fatiche e sacrifici. Uno degli
studenti ha incominciato teologia, sto per ammettere un altro in
filosofia e ci sono altri parecchi nel corso ginnasiale. Finalmente
si arriverà magari anche in Australia, ma credi pure che per
presente nonostante la piccolezza dell’Opera il lavoro è duro e
richiede grande pazienza. Quindi aiutaci colle tue preghiere e forse
qualche bel giorno vedrai raggungerti qualch piccolo Missionario
della Piccola Compagnia di San Paolo. Sarebbe un mio vivo desiderio
di vedere aperta in Australia qualche casa delle nostre pie Suore le
Terziarie Francescane; secondo me sarà di grande aiuto spirituale
anche alla colonia Maltese, potendovi in tal modo forse rimediare al
male da te lamentato nell’ultima tua diretta a S.E. Reverendissima.
Se insegnassero un pò di catechismo mi pare che dovrebbero fare del
bene; ci sono parecchie di esse che conoscono sufficientemente
l’inglese e sono certo che subito l’apprenderanno bene, dopo una
breve residenza.
Fr William Bonett
wrote again to De Piro in June 1917. No reference was made to the
Society’s work with the Maltese migrants. Bonett wrote to the
Servant of God about the big need of priests in Australia and
appealed to Monsignor to find some from among the diocesan clergy
who could go to Australia.
Fr John Mamo had
been one of the two priests who had helped De Piro to start the
Society, but who after a short while abandoned the Servant of God in
order to start something on his own. Propaganda Fide had asked the
Archbishop of Malta information about this priest and his
initiative. Bishop Angelo Portelli, the Auxiliary Bishop, wrote in
the name of Archbishop Caruana on 20 December 1918. After answering
the Congregation’s query, Portelli mentioned De Piro’s Society.
Propaganda Fide showed interest in the Society of De Piro and asked
more information about it. Portelli told De Piro about this and
asked the Servant of God to supply him with this information. De
Piro wrote to Portelli on 10 March 1919. In the section about “Lo
Sviluppo” he put down these words, “La Compagnia di San Paolo
Apostolo è una Società di Missionari ... indi cercherà di venire in
aiuto di quei popoli i quali difettano di operai evangelici
incomminciando dai Maltesi lontani dalla patria …”
This information was sent to Propaganda Fide. Cardinal Van
Rossum, the Prefect of Propaganda, answered by an encouraging letter
to Portelli. He also asked the Auxiliary Bishop to tell him whether
De Piro intended to bind the members with the religious vows. The
Servant of God tried to solve this difficulty of the Congregation by
several letters and through Mgr Portelli, but another problem which
the Founder had already faced, cropped up: whether the Society was
one for the ad gentes countries or for the Maltese migrants:
Innanzi tutto però occorre che Mgr De
Piro chiarisca meglio la finalità dell’Istituto. Nella relazione
inviata dalla S.V. si dice che ‘l’Istitutò cercherà di venire in
aiuto di quei popoli i quali defettano di operai evangelici;
incominciando dai maltesi lontani dalla patria, ecc....’ Ora il
porre come fine precipuo l’assistenza dei maltesi all’estero, può
essere un’intralcio per lo sviluppo dell’opera. Gli istituti
missionari si prefiggono principalmente di propagare la fede tra gli
infedeli o di tutto il mondo o di una particolare regione; cosi’ ci
sono istituti missonari per i Negri, per i Cinesi, ecc. Vegga la
S.V. che Mgr De Piro entri in quest’Ordine di idee, se, come credo
accetterà tale modificazine, gli manderò dei statuti di
Congregazioni Missionarie su cui modellare le proprie regole; dopo
di che la S.V. potrà ricevera dalla Santa Sede la facoltà, di cui
sopra, per erigere canonicamente l’Istituto.
De Piro decided to
go himself to Propaganda Fide in order to talk directly to Van
Rossum.
According to a
letter sent to La Fontaine, De Piro was in Rome on 9 April 1920.
From further correspondence we know that the Servant of God met the
Prefect of the Congregation and the former got the impression that
things were clarified.
On 18 May 1920 Malta’s Archbishop, Mauro Caruana, sent more
information to Propaganda Fide. Obviously this was supplied by De
Piro. In it there was again mention of the Maltese migrants:
Il Canonico Giuseppe De Piro, della
Diocesi di Malta, prostrato al bacio della Sacra Porpora, umilmente
espone che egli accolto ed incoraggito dall’Emo’ Pietro La Fontaine,
allora Visitatore Apostolico di detta Diocesi, e confortato dalla
Benedizione Apostolica di Sua Santità Pio X di s.m., diede principio
nel 1910 all’istituzione di una Società Religiosa, avente per scopo
le Missioni Estere, ad incominciare dall’assistenza dei Maltesi
lontani dalla patria.
In spite of De
Piro’s personal visit to Van Rossum in Rome, and Portelli’s just
mentioned letter, Propaganda Fide could not see the ad gentes
aim of the Society. In fact the Founder received a letter sent to
him from the Congregation on 26 July 1920. In it Mgr Camillo
Laurenti, on behalf of the Prefect, went as far as saying to De Piro
that for any future needs he had to contact the Congregation for
Religious:
Sarei stato ben lieto
d’interessarmi della cosa, qualora l’opera sua fosse destinata
all’evangelizzazzione degli infedeli, però veggo che ella intende
provvedere col suo Istituto all’assistenza religiosa dei maltesi
lontani dalla patria…
Ella per la sua
istituzione dovrà rivolgersi piuttosto alla S.C. dei Religiosi…
The Founder was
obviously shocked by the letter of Propaganda Fide, but, still, in
his written reaction he did not say that he changed his mind about
one of the secondary aims of his Society, the evangelisation of the
Maltese migrants:
Io infatti avevo
spiegato che coll’ incominciare dalla coltivazione spirituale dei
Maltesi all’estero non si escludeva la conversione degli infedeli,
ma che anzi un tale inizio nell’acquistare il favore del paese verso
il nascente Istituto gli avrebbe dato l’agio di lanciarsi nel vasto
campo dei paesi infedeli, dopo acquistata una certa vigoria.
On the same day,
18 August 1920, De Piro wrote also to another friend of his, Don
Archangelo Bruni, an official at the Congregation of the Sacraments.
He asked him to see to the difficulties met with by Propaganda. In
this letter, De Piro also said to Bruni that:
Senza alcuna mia
premura ma per semplice disposizione della Divina Provvidenza mi son
trovato in contatto colla Congne de Propaganda Fide…
… poiche, questo
Istituto ha per fine la conversione degli Infedeli, ma per le
ragioni adotti incomincierà l’azione sua a favore dei Maltesi. In
Africa poi, dove ci sono colonie di Maltesi vi sono anche infedeli e
mi pare che l’Egitto stia tuttora sotto la giurisdizione della
Congnè de Propaganda.
Bruni did what he
was asked to do by the Servant of God and on 16 September 1920
communicated his findings to De Piro, “La difficoltà
dell’approvazione dell’Istituto per parte della Propaganda sussiste
in quanto che l’Istituto non riguarda direttamente la conversione
degli infedeli, ma i Maltesi dimoranti all’estero e quindi secondo
il nuovo Codice l’approvazione spetta alla S. Congregazione dei
Religiosi.”
In the letter
written to De Piro on 26 July 1920, Mgr Laurenti had offered that
Propaganda Fide would recommend the Founder and the Society of St
Paul to the Congregation for Religious. De Piro accepted this offer
in his letter written to Laurenti on 18 August 1920. Propaganda
wrote to the Congregation of Religious on 18 November 1920. It could
not but present De Piro’s Society as a one for the Maltese migrants:
Il sottoscritto Card. Prefetto della
S.C. di Propaganda espone all’ E. V. R.ma che in Malta il Can.co
Giuseppe De Piro ha dato principio, da qualche anno, ad una
istituzione per le missioni estere sotto il nome ‘PICCOLA CASA DI S.
PAOLO’.
Sua intenzione è di dare all’Istituto
forma di Congregazione religiosa con voti semplici; e questa S.C. se
ne era interessata nella supposizione che il fondatore volesse
costituire una società in tutto e per tutto missionaria, avendo però
la Propaganda invitato il Rev. Can.co De Piro a chiarire meglio il
fine dell’Istituto, questi ha dichiarato che egli intende occuparsi
prima di tutto dell’ assistenza dei Maltesi all’estero, e poi anche
in avvenire alla conversione degli infedeli. Questa S.C. ha allora
fatto conoscere al sullodato Canonico che una tale opera sfuggiva
alla Competenza della Propaganda la quale si accupa delle opere ed
istituzioni dirette esclusivamente all’evangelizzazzione degli
infedeli, e che perciò avrebbe dovuto rivolgersi a cotesta S.C. dei
Religiosi.
Ma il De Piro con lettera del 18 Agosto
esprime il suo dispiacere di interrompere le sue relazioni con la
S.C di Propaganda, perchè da essa si riprometteva un accrescimento
dello spirito missionario; torna poi a chiarire meglio il suo scopo,
dicendo che l’assistenza dei Maltesi è un mezzo scelto per
acquistare il favore del paese per il nascente istituto, mentre il
fine propostosi è sempre l’evangelizzazioni degl’ infedeli.
Lo scrivente Cardinale trasmette
l’intiera posizione di più rimette all’ E. V. di decidere in merito
al desiderio espresso dal Can.co De Piro di dipendere dalla S.C. di
Propaganda per il suo istituto di assistenza dei Maltesi e di
missioni per gl’ infedeli. Raccomanda ad ogni modo alla sua
benevolenza questo nascente istituto da cui è lecito sperare buoni
frutti per il bene delle anime.
From the
Congregation for Religious Van Rossum was told that De Piro’s
Society was accepted there, because, “… l’opera delle Missioni per
gli infedeli, a cui intende giungere il Fondatore, si presenta
ancora come cosa lontana, mentre il fine prossimo sarebbe
l’assistenza dei Maltesi all’Estero.”
The Congregation
for Religious, on 4 February 1921, wrote also to the Archbishop of
Malta, Mauro Caruana, telling him that the next step was not the
approval of the Society by the Vatican but by him as the Local
Ordinary.
It could have been
that Archbishop Caruana was not quick in passing on to the Servant
of God the letter of Propaganda Fide of 4 February 1921, regarding
the canonical approval of the Society. This could have been the
reason why De Piro wrote to Don Archangelo Bruni on 14 February 1921
and asked him to whom he had to write in order to get the canonical
erection of his Society, whether to Propaganda Fide or the Local
Ordinary.
Also, on the 14 of the same month Caruana wrote to the Holy
Father asking him the permission for two other members of De Piro’s
Society to be ordained “titulo missionis”.
This last letter of Caruana might have been passed on to the Holy
Father through Don Bruni. In fact the latter wrote to the Servant of
God on 11 March 1921 and told him that:
·
the permission for the
ordination “titulo missionis” of two of the members of his members
was acquired;
·
from then on De Piro had to
write to the Congregation for Religious.
The latter meant
that the Vatican still considered the Society as set up for the
Maltese migrants!
Led by Bruni’s
letter of 18 May 1921, but more and more by that of Propaganda Fide
of
4 February of the
same year, the Servant of God wrote to Mgr Mauro Caruana, the
Archbishop of Malta, on 10 April 1921, asking His Excellency to
declare La Compagnia di San Paolo a religious congregation.
In this petition De Piro still said that the aim of his Society was,
“… le Missioni Estere ad incominciare dall’assistenza dei Maltesi
lontani dalla patria.”
Attached to this letter to Archbishop Caruana the Servant of God
sent also a “Prospetto delle Regole della Compagnia di San Paolo”.
Even here the Founder was quite explicit, “Indi cercherà di venire
in aiuto di quei popoli, i quali difettano di operai evangelici,
incominciando dai Maltesi lontani dalla patria …”
- In the
Original Constitutions
The Archbishop of
Malta canonically erected La Compagnia di San Paolo on 14 November
1921. His Excellency, Mauro Caruana, also asked De Piro, “…ut infra
sex menses Nobis exhibeat per extensum et modo exhaurienti et
completo statuto sue constitutiones, quibus supradicta Societas
regenda est.”
In fact the Founder presented the rules guiding his Compagnia di San
Paolo.
These rules “… quantunque lo stesso nella sua integrità non è
del tutto esauriente e completo …,” but “…esso delinea in sostanza
il carattere della Compagnia.”
And this especially as regards the apostolate of the Society
with the Maltese migrants. In fact in the section “Prospetto” De
Piro has very clear words, “… e di salvare le anime venendo in aiuto
di quei popoli, i quali difettano di operai evangelici,
incominciando dalle colonie Maltesi all’estero…”
- In the “Saint
Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”
In the Almanac, De
Piro also referred to the evangelisation his Society was going to do
among the Maltese abroad, “Since the aim of our Institute is the
foreign missions and they will start from the Maltese far away from
their country …”
In the same year the Founder presented some information about
“The Detroit Mission”. He made reference to two Maltese Capuchin
Frairs and to Bishop George Caruana, another Maltese, who had worked
there. De Piro also mentioned Fr Michael Borg, the priest who was
helping the Maltese at the moment. The Servant of God ended his
article by referreing to a letter this Fr Borg had sent him some
time before, which means that De Piro had some sort of contact with
Borg who was evangelising to the Maltese in Detroit:
We thank heartily the
already mentioned Fr Michael Borg for his letter he sent us together
with some temporal help: this letter encouraged us to continue to
strive in the vineyard of God for the good of others. We also hope
that his so beautiful wishes, which are also our wishes, will be
fulfilled in the future; we wish this wholeheartedly in our Lord
Jesus Christ.
The wishes
mentioned in this letter of Borg were undoubtedly related to the
future work of De Piro’s Society!
(ie) Why De
Piro was so determined to evangelise the Maltese migrants
The Servant of God
also tried to expalin to the readers of his Almanac the why of his
evangelisation to the Maltese abroad. In one article he referred to
and commented about the contents of a report made by Mr Henry Curmi,
who had been appointed Malta’s Commissioner for Australia on 1
January 1929:
There are many interesting things in
the report of Captain Curmi, the Commissioner of Malta in Australia.
They are interesting both for those who think of opening the way for
Maltese emigrants as well as for those who have to leave their
country and seek other countries to earn their living. After he
stressed that the emigrant must have that technical and so to call
it material formation which sustains him in totally foreign land, he
then continued to say, and quite fittingly that one must strengthen
the emigrant’s will to remain his own master without being buffetted
by things which may wreck the principal aim for which he arrived in
a country other than his own; in this way instruction and external
education reach their fulfillment. To arrive at this point it is
most necessary to generate in good condition his faith and to help
it strike root more and more. It may be- and it probably is- this
lack of ability to behave externally according to the teaching
present in one’s soul and one’s faith, which drives the emigrant not
only to moral but also to material loss. And so Captain Curmi goes
into greater detail; he suggests also a course of religious
instruction together with other teaching. In this way, one always
strengthens more one’s belief so that one finds the straight path
illuminated for him although one finds oneself, in difficulties, in
mist and even in darkness when he is away from his people, his
relatives and his friends.
The reason is clear because, as the
King’s image on a coin wears away through use, likewise can happen
upon our souls to our faith. The worries and the vanity of this
world, the errors and falsities which prowl around our souls like
serpents, quite often blur the impression of the faith which we
receive together with baptism.
And just as the King’s image is subject
to blurring more or less according to the hardness of the metal in
which it is impressed, so faith and strength of character in the
soul of man go together. Therefore it matters alot to strengthen,
for his own benefit the will of the emigrant. In this way, he feels
and accepts the responsibility of his character according to his
faith; he does not become a slave of the spirit of the world; he is
not fickle like the weather cock that veers with every change of
wind.
Although the metal alloy is still very
soft, the king’s image is always very clear until coin is still in
the mint; let alone until it is still under the press. But when the
coin starts to be transferred from one bank to another, from one
hand to another, the story is completely different. We can say the
same for the Maltese emigrant’s faith. There is no danger of losing
his faith although he did not think of strengthening his faith until
he is in his country. The external practice of religion as it is in
Malta linked to the others’ good example are like a seal which often
press on his soul and prevents the faith, so to say, to lose its
features.
But when the emigrant leaves his
country, his home, when he is separated from his relatives and
friends, when after a few days he suddenly finds himself in areas
totally foreign to him where religion is not so widespread and
professed as it is in Malta, when he is surrounded by people whose
customs are totally different from his own, he looks inwards upon
his soul. We assume that everything goes right if there he finds
something to stand surety on behalf of what he left in his country.
But that danger mentioned in the Commissioner’s report begins if he
does not succeed to meet the roots of his faith when he seeks deep
within his soul at the first somewhat strong wind let us therefore
hold fast to Mr. Curmi’s wise suggestion. Let us hope with our whole
heart that he who is in power strives that these be implemented for
Malta’s honour and for the spiritual and temporal benefit of those
have to leave their country to earn their living.
Section III
De Piro’s first evangelisation or
his evangelisation ad gentes
Introduction -
The missionary movement
- Worldwide
At the end of the
18 century the missionary aspect of the Church went through a deep
crisis. A. Mulders says that in the mission territories there seemed
to be no more than 300 missionaries and the number of catholics was
terribly small, something like 500,000.
This was attributed to the illuminism, the abolition of the Society
of Jesus or the Jesuits, the French Revolution and secularisation.
All these led to the fall of structures in the Church and the
reduction of the number of vocations.
This then was the result of from a lack of the interior
dimension of the life of the Church.
To add to the above, among some episcopates there existed an
antiroman tendency: Gallicanism, Febronianism and Episcopalism.
On the other hand, when the Church, since the first half of the 19
century, could vivify itself in the countries of origin through an
external and internal reorganisation, there followed also a better
missionary activity. In the second half of the 19 century the number
of missionaries increased to 12,000 and the catholics in mission
countries increased to 25, 000 000. The Table here shows the
Church’s missionary initiatives, worldwide:
|
Date |
Missionary initiative |
Place where |
By whom |
|
1800 |
Foundation of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of
Jesus and Mary (Picpus) (SS.CC.). |
Poitiers, France. |
Pierre-Marie-Joseph Coudrin. |
|
1801 |
L’Opera Apostolica. |
Namur, France. |
Marie Zoe` de Chesne. |
|
1802 |
Genie du Christianisme. |
London, England. |
Francois Rene` De Chateaubriand.
Deboffe (ed.). |
|
1808 |
Foundation of the Mercy Fathers (C.P.M.). |
Lyon, France |
Jean
Baptist Rauzan. |
|
1814 |
An
appeal for regular small offerings and prayers. |
England. |
Denis Chaumont, of the foreign missions of Paris. |
|
1815 |
Went
to Rome to present the precarious situation of his
Diocese regarding vocations.
In
Italy collected money for his Diocese and persuaded some
priests to go there.
Stopped in Lyons and started a yearly collection of
money for his Diocese. |
Rome, Italy
Italy
Lyons, France. |
Louis William Valentino Du Bourg, Bishop of Luisiana,
one of the founders of the Church in the USA. Was
helped by a widow, Madam Petit, and her son, Didier
Petit. |
|
1816 |
Foundation of the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers)
(S.M.). |
Belley, France. |
John
Claude Colin. |
|
1816 |
Foundation of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate
(O.M.I.). |
Aix-in-Provenza. |
Charles G. Eugene de Mazenod. |
|
1817 |
Foundation of the the Marianist Fathers (S.M.). |
Bordaux, France. |
William Joseph Chaminade. |
|
1817 |
Foundation of the Marist Brothers of the Schools
(F.M.S.). |
La
Valle, Loira, France. |
Marcellino G.B. Champagnat. |
|
1817 |
Foundation of the Josephites of Belgium (C.I.) |
Grammont, Belgium. |
Costance- William van Crombrugghe. |
|
1819 |
Transplant of the Association of Denis Chaumont..
Organisation of the members in tens, hundreds and
thousands. They were expected to donate a penny each
week. The money was destined for the East
The
Ouvere de la Propagation de la Foi is born. |
Lyons, France. |
Pauline Jaricot. |
|
1822 |
Canonical recognition of the first Association for the
Propagation of Faith. |
Lyons, France. |
|
|
1822 |
Foundation of the Annales de la Propagation de la Foi. |
Lyons, France. |
|
|
1822 |
Inglesi wanted to strengthen the initiative started by
De Bourg. Sought the help of a certain Benoit Coste, a
person familiar with Pauline Jaricot. Coste said that
he did not want to help a particular mission but the
missions in general.
Adopted the name Ouvre de la Propagation de la Foi. |
Started in Lyons. Was extended to Paris and the
provinces. |
Du
Bourg was substituted by Mgr Angelo Inglesi, the Vicar
General. |
|
1822 |
Foundation of the Priests of St Basil |
Annonay, Diocese of Viviers, Ardeche, France. |
Joseph Bouvier Lapierre. |
|
1823
- 1919 |
Publication of 380 missionary peridicals, 79 in French. |
All
over, especially in Europe. |
|
|
1825 |
The
publication Annales de la Propagation de la Foi,
with news, financial reports and letters from the
missionaries. |
Initiative of the Oeuvre. |
|
|
1828 |
Foundation of the Congregatio Filiorum B.V.M.
Immaculatae (F.M.I.) |
Lucon, France. |
Louis Baudouin. |
|
1831 |
Foundation of the Clerics of St Viateur. |
Vourles, Belgium. |
Louis Marie Querbes. |
|
1832 |
Foundation of the Betharram Priests of the Sacred heart
of Jesus. |
Betharram, France. |
Michael Garicoits. |
|
1835 |
Foundation of the Brothers of the Christian Instruction
of St Gabriel (S.G.). |
Lucon, France. |
Gabriel Deshayes. |
|
1836 |
Foundation of the Resurrectionists (D.N.J.) |
Paris, France |
Adeodato Ganski |
|
1837 |
Foundation of the Congregation of the Holy Cross
(C.S.C.) |
Sainte-Croix-Ies-Le-Mans, France. |
Basil Moreau. |
|
1838 |
Foundation of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales of
Annecy (M.S.F.S.) |
Annecy, France. |
Pierre-Marie Mermier. |
|
1843 |
Foundation of the Opera della Santa Infanzia. |
Nancy, France. |
Forbin Janson. |
|
1843 |
Society of St Edmond (S.S.E.) |
|
|
|
1845 |
Foundation of the Assumptionists (A.A.) |
Nimes, France. |
Emmanuel d’Alzon. |
|
1849 |
Foundation of the Claretians (C.M.F.) |
Vich, Spain. |
Anthony Maria Claret |
|
1850 |
The
traditional colonial powers which had for many years
sustained the missionary activity of the Church, were in
crisis; patronising had no more sense. The missions
were no more there to help the diffusion of the European
civilisation, but that of the christian faith and the
Gospel. The resuscitation of the religious character of
mission could be seen in the fact that the subject of
mission was the People of God. It could have been that
at the basis of this there was the romantic conception
of the dignity of the people, of every people. |
The
colonialised countries. |
The
colonialisers. |
|
1852 |
Foundation of the Missionaries of La Salette (M.S.) |
Grenoble, France. |
Filibert de Brouillard. |
|
1856 |
Foundation of the Society for the African Missions
(S.M.A.) |
Lyon, France. |
Melchiorre de Marion-Bresillac. |
|
1858 |
Foundation of the Society of the Missionary Priests of
St Paul the Apostle (C.S.P.). |
New
York, USA. |
Isaac Thomas Hecker. |
|
1862 |
Fondation of the Congregation of the Missionaries of
Scheut (C.I.C.M.) |
Scheut, Bruxelles. |
Teofilus Verbist from Anversa. |
|
1866 |
Foundation of the Mill Hill Fathers (M.H.M.) |
Mill
Hill, London. |
Herbert Vaughan. |
|
1868 |
Publication of the weekly Les Mission Catholiques.
In nine languages. |
Initiative of the Ouvere. |
|
|
1868 |
Foundation of the Missionaries for Africa (White
Fathers) (M.Afr.) |
Algiers. |
C.
M. Lavigerie. |
|
1871 |
Fondation of the Oblates of St Fancis De Sales
(O.S.F.S.) |
Troyes, France. |
L.
Brisson. |
|
1872 |
Foundation of the Missionaries of St Joseph in Mexico
(M.J.) |
Mexico City. |
Jose` Maria Vilaseca. |
|
1875 |
Foundation of the Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.) |
Steyl, Holland. |
Arnoldo Janssen. |
|
1878 |
Foundation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
(Dehoniani) (S.C.I.) |
San
Quintino, Diocese of Soissons. |
John
Leone Dehon. |
|
1885 |
Foundation of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart |
Issoudun. |
Julkius Chevalier. |
|
1890 |
Foundation of the Missionaris of the Sacred Hearts of
Jesus and Mary. |
Randa, Maiorca |
Joaquin Rossello`. |
|
1892 |
Foundation of the Society of St Joseph of the Sacred
Heart (S.S.J.) |
Baltimore, USA. |
Herbert Vaughan. |
|
1894 |
Fundation of the Sodality of St Peter Claver |
Salzburg, Austria |
Maria Teresa Ledochowska. |
|
1899 |
Foundation of the Spanish Institute of St Francis Xavier
for Foreign Missions (I.E.M.E.) |
Burgos, Spain. |
Gerardo Villota y Urroz. |
|
1901 |
Foundation of the Missionary Brothers of St Francis of
Assisi (C.M.S.F.) |
India. |
Godfrey Pelckmans. |
|
1909 |
Foundation of the Mariannhill Missionaries (C.M.M.) |
Durban. |
Abbot Francis Pfanner. |
|
1910 |
Foundation of the chair of missionology. |
Munster, Germany. |
|
|
1911 |
Foundation of the Society for Foreign Missions
(Maryknoll) (M.M.) |
New
York, USA. |
Anthony Walsh and Thomas Frederick Price. |
|
1914 |
Foundation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit
(M.Sp.S.) |
Tepeyac, near Mexico City, Mexico. |
Felix Rougier. |
|
1916 |
Foundation of the Society “Queen of the Apostles” |
India. |
Paul
Sonntag. |
|
1917 |
Foundation of the Society of St Colombano for the
Foreign Missions (S.S.C.M.E.) |
Dalgan Park, Ireland. |
Edward Galvin and P. Blowick. |
|
1918 |
Foundation of the Scarboro Society for the Foreign
Missions (S.F.M.) |
Almonte, Canada. |
John
M. Fraser. |
|
1920 |
Foundation of the Society for Divine Vocations (S.D.V.) |
Pianura di Napoli, Italy. |
Giustino Maria Russolillo. |
|
1921 |
Foundation of the Swedish Society of the Foreign
Missions of Bethlehem (S.M.B.) |
Immensee, Switzerland. |
Pierre-Marie Barral and Pietro Bondolfi. |
|
1921 |
Foundation of the Society of the Foreign Missions of the
Province of Quebec (P.M.E.) |
Quebec, Canada. |
Cardinal Begin and Archbishop Bruchesi. |
|
1925 |
The
Oeuvre was established outside France, at times
with a different name and in some way independent from
it. Other auxiliary associations were born. In this
year there were 228 of these. |
|
|
|
1925 |
Missionary Study Week. |
Louvain, Belgium. |
Unione Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1926 |
Missionary Study Week. |
Louvain, Belgium. |
Unione Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1927 |
Foundation of the Yarumal Institute for Foreign Missions
(M.X.Y.) |
Yarumal (Antioquia), Colombia. |
Miguel Angel Builes. |
|
1927 |
Missionary Study Week. |
Louvain, Belgium. |
Unione Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1928 |
Missionary Study Week. |
Louvain, Belgium. |
Unione Missionaria del Clero |
|
1929 |
Missionary Study Week |
Louvain, Belgium |
Unione Missionaria del Clero |
|
1930 |
Foundation of the Portugese Society for the Missions
(S.M.P.) |
Villa Real, Portugal. |
The
Portugese Episcopacy. |
|
1930 |
Missionary Study Week |
Louvain, Belgium. |
Unione Missionaria del Clero. |
|
October
1930 |
Establishment of the chair of missiology
|
Nijmegen, the Netherlands |
Radboud University. |
|
1931 |
Missionary Study Week. |
Louvain, Belgium. |
Unione Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1932 |
Foundation of the St Patrick Society for the Foreign
Missions (S.P.S.). |
Kiltegan, Ireland. |
Patrick Joseph Whitney. |
Table 18
- In Italy
It is also most
important to have a look at the missionary movement in Italy:
|
Date |
Missionary initiative |
Place
where |
By whom |
|
1815 |
Foundation of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood
(C.PP.S.). |
Giano
dell’Umbria, Perugia. |
Gaspare
del Bufalo. |
|
1816 |
Foundation of the Stimmatini Fathers (D.N.J.C.) |
Verona. |
Gaspare
Bertoni. |
|
After
1822 |
Introduction of the Opera della Propagazione della Fede. |
In the
Sardinian States. |
|
|
1828 |
Foundation of the Rosminians (I.C.) |
Santo
Monte Calvario di Domodossola, Novara. |
Antonio
Rosmini |
|
1828 |
Translation into Italian of the Annals of the Propagation of
Faith |
|
|
|
1831 |
Foundation of the Congregation of the Sons of Charity
(Canossiani) F.d.C.C.) |
Venice. |
Francesco Luzzo. |
|
1833 |
Foundation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus
and Mary (M.SS.CC.) |
Secondigliano, Naples. |
Gaetano
Errico. |
|
1835 |
Foundation of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers)
(S.A.C.) |
Rome. |
Vincent
Pallotti |
|
1836 |
The
foundation of a missionary college |
Rome. |
Vincent
Pallotti |
|
1836 |
Foundation of the Octave of the Epiphany. Through the
celebration of the Mass in the different rites, this Octave
was a most clear sign of the unity and universality of the
Church. |
|
|
|
1837-1840 |
Introduction of the Opera della Propagazione della Fede
|
In many
Italian regions, other than the Sardinian States |
|
|
1837 |
Publication of a pastoral letter about the Association for
the Propagation of Faith |
|
The
Italian bishops |
|
1838-1840 |
Rosmini
had founded in 1828 the Istituto della Carita` at
Domodossola. Fter he had started a seminary for the intenal
missions, he eagerly wished to start one for the foreign
ones. This project had to be infact abandoned in 1850,
because of missionary needs in England, Scotland and
Ireland. |
San
Michele, Diocese of Susa. |
Antonio
Rosmini. |
|
1841 |
On the
Feast of Pentecost of this year Fr Cottolengo founded the
Collegio dei Tommasini in order to guarantee a number of
collaborators for his projects and to provide vocations for
the Diocese of Turin. He also wanted ths Collegio in order
to promote in it the missionary vocations. |
Turin. |
Giuseppe
Benedetto Cottolengo |
|
1843 |
The
diocese of Mondovi` abounded in priests and its Bishop
Ghirardi wanted to provide some even for the missions.
Therefore that same year he informed Propaganda about his
wish and three years after even wrote to Pope Pius IX. The
project was actuated in 1867. It lasted only for a short
while.
|
Mondovi`. |
Bishop
Giovanni Tommaso Ghirardi |
|
1843 |
Introduction of the Santa Infanzia. |
|
|
|
1843 |
Publication of a pastoral letter about the Santa Infanzia |
|
The
Italian bishops. |
|
1846 |
Fr Mazza
founded and was in charge of an orphanage for girls and a
home for poor students who wanted to proceed with their
studies. Especially in the latter one Mazza did a lot of
missionary animation. During this year (1846) he sent the
first youth, Angelo Vinco, to Central Africa.
|
Verona. |
Fr
Nicholas Mazza. |
|
1847 |
The
foundation of a monastic seminary for foreign missions.,
which could prepare the Benedictines for the missions. |
Genoa. |
Pier
Francesco Casaretto. |
|
1848 |
A
certain Fr Biagio Verri asked Mazza to accept some negro
orphans in his female orphanage. As a result of this, Mazza
thought of a third institute, that for the African missions. |
Verona. |
Fr
Nicholas Mazza. |
|
1850 |
Foundation of the Sts Peter, Paul, Ambrose and Charles
Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions
|
Milan,
Italy. |
Mgr
Ramazzotti. |
|
1853 |
Fr Mazza
sent another two missionaries, Giovanni Beltrame and Antonio
Castagnaro, to Central Africa |
Verona. |
Fr
Nicholas Mazza. |
|
1857 |
Fr Mazza
sent to Khartoum five of his priests and a layman, led by Fr
Beltrame. These met many difficulties and the project had
to be abandoned. Later this was taken over by Mgr Daniele
Comboni, one of the followers of Don Mazza.. |
Verona. |
Fr
Nicholas Mazza. |
|
1859
(1862) |
Foundation of the Salesians of Don Bosco (S.D.B.) |
Turin. |
John
Bosco. |
|
1867 |
Foundation of the Missionary Combonians of the Heart of
Jesus (M.C.C.I.) |
Verona. |
Daniel
Comboni. |
|
1871 |
Foundation of the Sts Peter and Paul Pontifical Seminary |
Rome. |
|
|
1873 |
Foundation of the Congregation of St Joseph (Murialdo
Josephites) (C.S.I.) |
Turin,
Italy. |
Leonard
Murialdo. |
|
1878 |
Foundation of the Oblates of St Joseph (O.S.I.) |
Asti. |
Giuseppe
Marello. |
|
1881 |
Foundation of the Salvatorians (S.D.S.) |
Rome. |
Francis
Mary of the Cross |
|
1885 |
Foundation of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart |
Verona. |
Daniel
Comboni. |
|
1895 |
Foundation of the Society of St Francis Xavier for the
Foreign Missions |
Parma. |
Guido
Maria Conforti. |
|
1898 |
Foundation of the Franciscan Brothers of the Atonement
(S.A.) |
|
|
|
1901 |
Fondation of the Consolata Institute (I.M.C.) |
Turin. |
Joseph
Allamano. |
|
1904 |
Foundation of the Congregation of the Sons of Mary
Immaculate (F.S.M.I.) |
Genoa. |
Giuseppe
Frassinetti. |
|
1907 |
Foundation of the Poor Servants od the Divine Providence |
Verona. |
John
Calabria. |
|
1917 |
L’Unione
Missionaria del Clero |
Italy |
Paolo
Manna. |
|
1920 |
Missionary Study Week |
Rome,
Italy |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero |
|
1922 |
Transfer
of the Ouvere and the Opera della Santa Infanzia to
Rome.
Creation
of the Society of the Native Clergy.
Fusion
of the above three initiatives (the Opera della Propagazione
della Fede, the Opera della Santa Infanzia and the Opera di
San Pietro Aposlolo) to the Congregation Propagnada Fide. |
Rome. |
By the
Motu Proprio Romanorum Pontificum of Pope Pius XI |
|
1922 |
Missionary Study Week |
Rome. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero |
|
1925 |
Missionary Study Weeks |
Italy. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1926 |
Foundation of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions
(PIME) |
Rome. |
C/o Motu
Proprio of Pius XI “Cum missionalium Opera”. |
|
1926 |
Missionary Study Week |
Bergamo. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1927 |
La Lega
Missionaria Studenti |
Rome
(Istituto Massimo). |
Studenti
dell’Istituto Massimo. |
|
1927 |
Missionary Study Week |
Naples. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1927 |
Missionary Study Week |
Loreto. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1927 |
Missionary Study Week |
Rho. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1928 |
Missionary Study Week |
Molfetta. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1928 |
Missionary Study Week |
Bologna. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1929 |
Missionary Study Week |
Messina. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1930 |
Missionary Study Week |
Cagliari. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1930 |
Missionary Study Week |
Molfetta. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1930 |
Missionary Study Week |
Turin. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
|
1931 |
Missionary Study Week |
Pistoia. |
Unione
Missionaria del Clero. |
Table 19
- Several popes
and the Vatican
And to have a more
complete picture there are also presented the missionary initiatives
taken by several popes and the Vatican:
|
Date |
Missionary initiative |
By whom |
|
1814 |
Reconstruction of the Jesuit Society. |
Pius VII |
|
1817 |
Reorganisation of Propaganda Fide. |
Pius VII |
|
1823 |
Approval
of the Society for the Propagation of Faith |
Pius VII |
|
1826 |
Sending
of a letter to the bishops of the papal states asking them
to encourage their clergy in favour of the missions.
Sending
of another letter to all the priests, diocesan and regular,
inviting them to go to the missions. |
Leo XII,
through Gaspare del Bufalo |
|
1831-1846 |
Gregory
XVI, who had been secretary of Propaganda Fide before
becoming Pope, knew well the needs of the missions. He
therefore received many ambassadors from the mission
countries, funded many new dioceses and vicariates; founded
some Apostolic Delegations. |
Gregory
XVI |
|
1836 |
Aproval
of the missionary college planned by Vincenzo Pallotti in
Rome |
Gregory
XVI |
|
1840, 15
August |
The Pope
published the Encyclical, Probe Nostis, through which he
strongly recommended the Opera della Propagazione della
Fede. |
Gregory
XVI |
|
1845, 23
November |
A
fundamental appeal in favour of the indigenous clergy. |
Gregory
XVI |
|
1846-1878 |
The Pope
set up several Apostolic Delegations, founded many new
diceses and ecclesiastical provinces in the USA, and some
others in Australia. In the “pagan countries” he erected
many vicariates and prefectures. He dedicated himself to the
unification of the Oriental Churches. |
Pius IX |
|
1856, 18
July |
Recommeded the Opera della Santa Infanzia.
|
Pius IX |
|
1867 |
Founded
the missionary Seminary for the Society of Sts Peter and
Paul (founded by Peter Avanzini). |
|
|
1862, 6
January |
Separation of the Oriental Section from Propaganda Fide, the
Prefect of the latter reamaining the one in charge of the
former. |
Pius IX |
|
1869, 8
September |
Published an instruction of the missionary superiors of
India. |
Pius IX. |
|
1874 |
Foundation of the Sts Peter and Paul College. |
|
|
1878-1903 |
Set up
several apostolic delegations, apostolic vicariates and
prefectures, archdioceses and dioceses.
Continued the work started by Pius IX in favour of the
unification of the Oriental Churches. |
Leo XIII |
|
1880, 3
December |
Publication of the Encyclical, Sancta Dei Civitas, where he
recommended the missionary auxiliary associations and
encouraged the faithful to be generous with the missions. |
Leo XIII |
|
1883, 18
October |
The
publication of an ample Instruction for the Chinese
missions. |
Leo XIII |
|
1893, 19
March |
Instruction for the missions in India. |
Leo XIII |
|
1897 |
Introduced the collections for the Holy Land. |
Leo XIII |
|
1903-1914 |
Two
missions were created, and many apostolic delegations,
prefectures, vicariates, dioceses and archdioceses. |
Pius X |
|
1908, 29
June |
In the
apostolic Constitution Sapienti Consilio, reorganised the
territories, personnel, etc., the competences of Propaganda
Fide. |
Pius X |
|
1913 |
An
appeal to the representatives of the Italian missionary
houses to promote the Italian missions. |
Pius X. |
|
1914-1922 |
Setting
up of several apostolic prefectures and vicariates, and
dioceses and archdioceses. |
Benedict
XV. |
|
1917, 1
May
|
Separation from Propaganda Fide, of the section for the
Oriental Churches and its creation as an autonomous
Congregation. |
Benedict
XV. |
|
1917, 25
October |
Foundation of the Oriental Institute. |
Benedict
XV. |
|
1919 |
Foundation of the Ethiopian College |
Benedict
XV. |
|
1919, 30
November |
Papal
Encyclical, Maximum Illud.
Contents:
full of
the apostolic spirit;
a
comprehensive, deep and eloquent appeal to each and every
member of the Church for a bigger collaboration in the
missionary activity of the Church;
preparation, attention and permanent formation of the
missionaries;
collaboration between all the faithful and the missionary
institutions, with special emphasis on the foundation of the
Unione Missionaria del Clero;
promotion and cultivation of the indigenous clergy.
|
Benedict
XV |
|
1920 |
Reorganisation of the Maronite College. |
Benedict
XV |
|
1922-1939 |
The
election of the “Pope of the Missions”. He deepened and
widened the missionary programme initiated by his
predecessor.
Setting
up of many new missions, apostolic prefectures and
vicariates, prelazie nullius in mission lands, archdioceses
and dioceses. |
Pius XI |
|
1922, 3
May |
Transfer
of the Opera della Propagazione della Fede to Rome.
Confirmation of the above, the Opera della Santa Infanzia
and that of St Peter the Apostle, as Opere Pontificie.
Also,
recommendation of the Unione Missionaria del Clero to all
the bishops and clergy as the means with which to promote
the above mentioned organisations. |
Pius XI |
|
1922, 4
June |
The
homily delivered on 4 June: after looking back at the work
already done by Propaganda, what was being done at the
moment and what had still to be done, the pope emphasised
the responsibility and the grave duty of all to help the
missionary cause. |
Pius XI |
|
1922, 14
September |
The
Jesuits were entrusted with the Oriental Institute in Rome. |
Pius XI |
|
1925 |
During
the Holy Year, holding of the Missionary Exhibition.
|
Pius XI |
|
1925, 20
June |
In the
Congregation for the Oriental churches, the establishment of
the Commission for Russia. |
Pius XI |
|
1926 |
At the
Lateran, erection of the Ethnological Museum of the
Missions. |
Pius XI |
|
1926, 28
February |
Papal
Encyclical, Rerum Ecclesiae. Contents:
collaboration of the bishops and the clergy in the
missionary activity of the Church;
importance of the indigenous clergy;
formation of catechists;
introduction of the comtemplative life in the misison
countries;
organisation of the pastoral work in the missions;
division
of the missionary territories. |
Pius XI |
|
1926, 15
June |
A letter
of the Pope to the superiors of the China missions. |
Pius XI |
|
1926, 28
October |
Consecration of six Chinese bishops. |
Pius XI |
|
1927 |
L’Agenzia Internazionale “Fides” |
Pius XI |
|
1928, 6
January. |
Encyclical Mortalium Animos, addressing the unity among all
separated brothers. |
Pius XI |
|
1928, 1
August |
Message
to the Chinese People, sharing with them what was going to
be said to the procurators of the missions in China on 6
December of the same year. Also, the Pope wished to the
Chinese internal and external peace and prosperity through
the Christians’ participation in the life of the nation. |
Pius XI |
|
1928, 28
September |
Encyclical Rerum Orientalium. |
Pius XI |
|
1928, 30
October |
Consecration of the first Japanese bishops. |
Pius XI |
|
1929, 24
June |
Dispositions for the collaboration between the Opere
Missionarie Pontificie.
The
definitive statutes of the Opera di San Pietro.
|
Pius XI |
|
1929, 15
August |
Erection
of the Russian Pontifical College. |
Pius XI. |
|
1929, 2
December |
Institution of the Commission for the formation of the
Oriental Code of Canon Law. |
Pius XI. |
|
1929, 6
December |
In an
audience to the procurators of the missions the Pope
recommended these truths:
the
missionaries must never work for any nationalism, but only
for catholicism; they must only do apostolate; they must
only serve the souls and never any particular nation;
the
missionaries have to do with the things of God;
the
missionaries must continuously work for unity on all fronts. |
Pius XI |
|
1930, 12
February |
The
Ethiopian Pontifical College is transferred to its new
building at the Vatican. |
|
|
1930, 6
April |
The
Commission for Russia, at the Congregation for Oriental
Churches, is made autonomous. |
Pius XI. |
|
1933, 5
June |
Consecration of another three Chinese bishops, an Annamite
and an Indian. |
|
Table 20
To the above
organisations and activities there must be added:
·
the fascinating narratives of
the explorers;
·
the colonialisation of peoples
especially in African countries – the colonisers called the
missionaries to the colonialised peoples;
·
some 20 auxiliary associations
which helped the missionaries especially when these were abandoned
by the colonisers;
·
the Parish Missionary
Commissions initiated by the Unione Mssionaria del Clero in
most of the Italian parishes;
·
the missionary books and
periodicals published in Italy: 23 books
and 49 periodicals;
·
it is also interesting to note
that some of the founders of missionary institutes were also
responsible for charitable institutes, eg., Mazza, Rosmini,
Cottolengo.
- The missionary
movement in Malta
- The Opera della Propagazione
Della Fede
In 1830 Fr
Maximilian Ryllo sj was returning from a mission in Sudan. On his
way back to Rome, he came to Malta. While here he did his best to
make known the Opera della Propagazione della Fede to the Maltese.
It was set up in Malta by a certain businessman, Paul Imbroll,
helped by his Brother Canon Felix Gerard, by Canon Felix Darmanino
and by the priests Emmanuel Speranza and John Anthony Vidal.
They formed the first Committee of the Opera here in Malta. After
this foundation of the Committee, Frs Speranza, Philip Calleja and
John Francis Pace mentioned it very frequently in their preaching.
Archbishops F X Caruana (1831-1847) and P M Sant (1847-1857)
recommended highly the Opera.
In 1879 a
permanent committee was set up, presided by the Archbishop of Malta,
in order to direct the Opera. In 1893 Alphonse Maria Galea was
chosen as secretary of the Committee. This “… most noble figure of
the Maltese lay apostolate”
published the book “L-Opra tal-Propaganda Fide – X’inhu u
x’taghmel”.
The Opera in Malta
set up a sub committee in order to publish the Annali della
Propagazione della Fede in Maltese. Alphonse Maria Galea was chosen
as the translator. To help him there were Frs Louis Galea, Xand
Cortis and Joseph Busietta, and Mr Annibale Preca. The aim of the
Annali was to inform the Maltese about the work of the missionaries
in mission countries and to collect money for the missions. The
contents of the Annali were made up of extracts from French
missionary periodicals, parts of letters sent by Maltese
missionaries working abroad, summaries of Papal encyclicals, and
pastoral letters of the Maltese bishops. From 1896 up to 1934 the
Annali were published twice a year. From 1935 up to 1941 there was a
yearly publication. The sub committee distributed 2500 copies each
year among its members.
In December 1930
the Opera della Propagazione della Fede, the Opera della Santa
Infanzia and the Opera di San Pietro Apostolo, joined together under
the name “Opri Pontificji Missjunarji”, were approved canonically.
On 26 September of the following year a certain Mgr Alphonse Agius
was chosen as the first director for the Opera in Malta and Gozo,
the sister island. Together with the nomination, the Vatican sent
also the Statutes on which the Opere Missionarie were to be led.
Propaganda Fide also indicated that only a Central Council for the
two Dioceses of Malta and Gozo was needed, and a Diocesan Council
for each one of them.
In fact these two Councils were set up by letter of the Archbishop
of Malta, Mauro Caruana, on 12 March 1932.
- The Opera Della Santa
Infanzia
This was
introduced in Malta at about the year 1854, some ten years after its
establishment in Nancy, France. The Society promoted the spiritual
and physical welfare of pagan children, through the faithful’s
prayers and alms.
- The Casolani Project
Annetto Casolani
was born on 10 August 1815. Having started his studies for the
priesthood he graduated utroque from the University of Malta,
after which he proceeded to the Seminario Romano from where he got
his doctorate in theology. In 1831 he received the four minor orders
from Bishop F X Caruana. In 1837 Governor Bouvarie recommended
Casolani to the Papal Secretary of State of the Vatican, as
Cathedral Canon Precentor after the death of Canon Salvatore Susano.
The recommendation was accepted. In 1838 Casolani pursued further
studies in Theology and Oriental Laguages at the Collegio Urbano, in
Rome.
At about the same
time the Bohemian merchant Ignatius Pallme visited Kordofan in
Central Africa, and the description of his voyage urged Casolani to
propose to Propaganda Fide in Rome the setting up of a mission in
Central Africa.
There is no trace of Casolani’s first memoir of 1840, but four
years later he again stressed to the Congregation the urgency for
the establishment of the mission before the muslims could extend
their hold on these regions as well.
Propaganda Fide requested Casolani to prepare a draft. On 5 June he
submitted a fifty one page project entitled A Brief Description of
the Countries in Africa Situated Between The Big Desert and The
Mountains of The Moon.
In these pages he described his project in detail, basing it mainly
on the narratives of contemporary travellers. Propaganda Fide took
notice of Casolani’s proposal and asked him whether he would join
the mission. For this Casolani answered that he would lead the
project if that would speed things up. The Congregation accepted the
offer and gave its consent.
Casolani suggested
that he be accompanied by Jesuit fathers in this mission. This was
also the opinion of Propaganda. The Jesuit General, Fr Roothan,
disagreed. Instead he suggested that Casolani himself would first go
and make a preliminary exploration of the region in question.
Roothan offered Casolani the help of Frs Emmanuel Pedemonte and
Maximilian Ryllo, the Polish Jesuit who had come to Malta in 1841 to
establish a Jesuit day school and who was at that time the Rector of
the Urbano College of Propaganda.
This move, however, was strongly opposed by Canon Amato, the
secretary of Bishop F X Caruana, and the Governor of Malta, on whose
request the Bishop of Malta removed Fr Ryllo’s faculty to preach.
On the other hand the proposal of Fr Roothan about the
preliminary expedition was approved by Propaganda Fide.
On 28 January 1846 it also chose two students of the Propaganda
College Fr Ignatius Knoblecher of the Diocese of Lubiana and Fr
Angelo Vinco, of Don Mazza, to join Casolani.
On 3 April 1846 Pope Gregory XVI, the Pope who really helped the
resuscitation of the missionary movement of the 19 century
,
established the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa and
nominated Annetto Casolani as the first Apostolic Vicar. Casolani
was consecrated Bishop of Mauricastro in May of the same year.
In 1846 Fr Ryllo
had to go to Beirut to introduce the nuns of St Joseph there.
Therefore Casolani and Ryllo agreed to meet in Alexandria, Egypt, in
the autumn of that same year, and proceed from there on their
mission. While waiting to go to Egypt Casolani tried to do two
things in Malta: to set up a seminary, and to get the letters of
recommendation from the sovereigns of Egypt for their projected
journey. Propaganda judged this waiting of Casolani as
procrastination and urged him to start as quickly as possible.
Casolani wrote to the Congregation and after giving the reasons for
the delay he resigned from the leadership of the mission. Propaganda
accepted the resignation and Ryllo was chosen instead.
After a while Casolani wrote again to Propaganda and asked about the
possibility of his joining the project as a simple missionary. His
request was accepted.
Casolani had
planned to go to Alexandria to meet Ryllo in May 1847, but he in
fact arrived in Egypt on 11 June. Casolani and Ryllo started their
journey in mid July accompanied by some other eleven other
travellers. Although Ryllo was the official leader of the group,
Casolani was recognised as the Patriarch on the strength of the
firman obtained through the British Government. According to
Knoblecher, the enterprise would have failed from the very start had
it not been for Mgr Casolani. In fact Fr Roothan had recommended to
Fr Ryllo to consider Bishop Casolani as his superior, and to consult
him in all matters.
On 11 February
1848 the group reached Khartoum. There a church and a school were
founded. Casolani, Knoblecher and Vinco, another of the group,
proceeded with their scouting in order to set up more missions in
the interior. After discovering some pagan tribes Casolani proposed
a vast enterprise which necessitated the recruitment of more
missionaries.
Ryllo felt
seriously sick and could not continue with the mission. He infact
asked Casolani to go to Rome and report about the success of the
mission, while asking for more missionaries. Casolani was back in
Cairo in October 1848 and in Malta in December, on his way to Rome.
Propaganda Fide urged Casolani to remain in Malta because of the
revolution in Italy. His Excellency obeyed the instructions of the
Congregation and waited for further instructions. Bishop Casolani
died on 1 August 1866 at the age of 51.
- The Crociata Missionaria San
Paolo
In November 1928
Mgr Spinosa, rector of the Major Seminary of Liege, wrote an article
in the “Malta”, one of Malta’s newspapers, asking the Maltese to
collect used stamps, etc., in order to raise funds for the missions.
Urged by this same article, Mgr Giuseppe Darmanin, rector of the
Major Seminary of Malta, proposed to his seminarians to set up a
society which could animate the seminarians themselves with the
missionary spirit and help the missions financially. The society was
started on 13 November 1928, with the formation of a committee. The
committee worked for the formulation of the statutes and in the end
the Saint Paul Missionary Crucade was formed. Its aim was made clear
in its second article: the raising of funds for the missions and the
education of seminarians in the missionary spirit. The first aim was
reached by the sending of money to the missionaries. The second aim
was reached through the prayers of the seminarians for the missions,
conferences and study circles, missionary festivities, subscriptions
to missionary periodicals, and with correspondence with missionaries
abroad.
Fr Angelo Mizzi
OfmCap., the zelous missionary in Abyssinia and the author of the
two Volume L’Apostolato Maltese said that the missionary enthusiasm
that existed during the late thirties was undoubtedly at least
partly the effect of the Crusade. The Crusade has helped:
·
the foundation of the Unione
Missionaria del Clero;
·
the foundation of the Lega
Missionaria Studenti;
·
the publication of the monthly
periodical “Malta Missjunarja”;
·
the writing of several articles
in the above mentioned missionary periodical;
·
from 1932 the yearly adoption of
an indigenous seminarian;
·
the organisation of missionary
conferences in centres all over Malta.
From the
information given by Mizzi in his book mentioned above, one can
conclude that there was this number of Maltese diocesan and
religious priests, and male and female religious, in the missions
between the years 1800-1933:
|
Diocesan priests |
76 |
|
Discalced Carmelites |
27 |
|
Augustinians |
10 |
|
Dominicans |
10 |
|
Jesuits |
49 |
|
Franciscan Minors |
81 |
|
Capuchin Friars |
65 |
|
Franciscan Conventuals |
4 |
|
From various religious orders |
18 |
|
Nuns |
227 |
|
Total of diocesan and religious,
males and females |
567 |
Table 21
(i) De Piro: a
promotor of the “first evangelisation”or his evangelisation ad
gentes
Joseph De Piro
lived in the environment presented above. It could not but make of
him a man full of missionary zeal! Fr Angelo Mizzi OfmCap.,
dedicated nine pages of Volume II of his “L’Apostolato Maltese” in
order to present short biographical notes about the Maltese diocesan
priests who had spent their whole life or part of it working in the
mission countries. It is most interesting to say that the same Mizzi
felt it his duty that at the end of this collection of short lives
he put a special note about someone who had never left Malta for
long, but who could rightly be put side by side with the Maltese
missionaries:
Menzione Speciale
Un ricordo
specialissimo è da tramandarsi, di quell’insigne Missionario
nostrale che risponde al nome, benedetto da tutti, dell’Illmo, e
Rmo. Mgr Can. Decano Giuseppe De’ Marchesi De Piro… Fu da Dio
richiamato proprio solo quindici giorni prima che salpasse dai
nostri lidi… per venire nell’opera della missione Maltese dei Somali
(Etiopia) …
Tutta Malta riconobbe
in lui, i sentimenti profondi e generosi del vero apostolo e
missionario, quantunque egli non sia mai stato propiamente nelle
missioni.
(ia) The
publication of the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions”
The missionary work is for all
The Servant of God
was convinced that God called every member of the Church to
participate in one way or other in the missionary aspect of the
Church. This is what he meant when he narrated the story of the
chimney sweeper:
A little youth who was a chimney
sweeper was full of enthusiasm after he heard a conference on the
missions. Although in his pocket he only had enough money to buy
some food, he put four pence in the bag. A day later, one of his
friends saw him well washed and clean, well dressed and hurrying
with a certain unusual graveness. Where are you going- he asked him.
- I am going to a Missions’ meeting.
You?.. why are you going there?
- What do you mean?! Why are you saying
that? I am going because now I have joined the missionary enterprise
and I want to see how things are going. And truly the little chimney
sweeper was right. Because to interest oneself in the matter one
need not but pray, or give something, pray and give, compels others
to give and compels others to pray. Because the matter of the
missions concerns everybody. In fact Our Lord Jesus Christ was
addressing all of us when he said the following words, " I have
other sheep which are not of this fold and it is necessary that I
gather these also to hear my voice and so there will be one
shepherd" St. John. 10.16, he was recommending and entrusting us
with the souls of those who are still in the darkness of paganism.
Let us reflect well on these words and
if we have not joined the affair of the Missions, Let us join
quickly. At least we will walk with the little chimney sweeper;
otherwise we shall lag behind him.
Because of this
same conviction, in 1922, De Piro started publishing this “Saint
Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions” itself. In it
he presented summaries of papal missionary encyclicals or speeches.
He also brought to the readers information and news about activities
in favour of the missionary dimension of the Church.
Not to mention the many short biographies of missionaries who
dedicated their lives to evangelisation.
But in the Almanac, the Servant of God presented also his deep
theological and spiritual conviction
- The truths
contained in it
- First evanglisation, a
special evangelisation
The author of the
Almanac was quite clear about this truth, “If the work to defend and
maintain faith where it is already planted and in blossom is divine,
it is no less sublime and no less dear in front of God and
profitable and salutary for your neighbour the engagement undertaken
to scatter and to erect it where it is not yet present or to
strengthen it where it has just struck root.”
-
It is God who calls the evangelisers and sends them to the ad gentes
countries
Before starting
his article “Malta and God’s call to the Missions” De Piro quoted
some of the words Christ said to his disciples before his leaving
them in order to go to his Father: “Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations… (Mt 28,19)”. This command of the Lord shows quite
clearly who is the sender of the evangelisers.
The Servant of God started the same article just mentioned by these
words, “Before going up into heaven, Our Lord Jesus Christ ordered
his apostles and disciples gathered around him and in their person
all those who were to come instead of them, to go throughout the
world and preach the Gospel.”
- The missions
ad gentes
are set up in the name of God
Through his “St
Paul: Almanac of the Insititue of the Missions” De Piro tried
especially to keep the Maltese informed about the missionary
activity of the Church. In the 1925 edition he presented an article
about the Missionary exhibition that was opened in the Vatican
Gardens on 22 December 1924. On this occasion, Cardinal William Van
Rossum, Prefect of Propaganda Fide, presented the exhibition to the
Pope through a speech he addressed to His Holiness. Pius XI answered
Van Rossum by another speech. The Servant of God chose the following
words from the Pope’s speech, “The Pope also … spoke about the aim
for which this missionary exposition was set up, namely in honour
and glory of almighty God whose name all the missions bear…”
- Missionaries are working for
God
In 1927 Pius XI
initiated the World Missionary Day. The year after De Piro wrote a
few words about this first Mission Day; he told the readers of his
Almanac what the members of his Society did on such a day. In his
presentation the author was quite clear about for whom the
missionaries were working, “In the morning the Bl. Sacrament was
solemnly exposed and we began an hour of Adoration in front of Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord of the vast estate of the
missions. Through our insignificance we asked him as much as is
possible for us to help those poor missionaries, who for him left
their country…”
- In fact Jesus is the Master
of the missions
Mgr De Piro
presented Jesus Christ as, “… the Lord of the vast estate of the
missions…”
- For De Piro the missionaries
are those who:
·
have their hearts full of love
and zeal for God;
·
live a balance between the
spiritual and the material aspects of their lives;
·
bring non believers to God;
·
try to recognise each day Jesus
Christ;
·
work in order to implant the
love of God in the hearts of the nonbelievers;
·
help Jesus save everyone;
·
work to make known to everyone
the love of the heart of Christ;
·
work for the enlargement of the
Church;
·
spread the faith where it is not
yet existant.
- What is faith according to
the Servant of God?
·
the civilization and a holistic
melioration of humanity;
·
the giver of life;
·
no faith: no light;
·
introduces liberty in human
society;
·
the light of truth.
- The tools of the
missionaries
According to De
Piro, the missionary has to use certain tools in order to do his
evangelisation:
…not a war of swords however, but of
more potent arms of the evangelical words. These pierce the hardest
hearts not by cannons but through good customs which demolish the
terrible fortresses of vice; a war of peace, not of sorrow; not a
war of loss but of victory and of certain victory; of triumph and
not of a domination which ends, but a kingdom of heaven which lasts
for ever and ever.
The motto " Domine, da mihi animas "
induced Pope Pius XI to encourage and help the works of the
missions. In this way, the missionary would be able to arrive in far
away countries and penetrate the reign of the devil and here triumph
and enlighten with the light of faith while he sows the seed of
truth.
Mission work consists in this: in
nothing but the continuous and hard sacrifices of those who become
messengers of the word of God for the salvation of souls to go on
fulfilling the gentle prayer of some holy persons who with a great
and holy greed wished always to gain a very large number of souls
who are far away from God. To teach the christian religion and to
persuade the infidels from their deceptive superstitions what care
won’t the missionaries take and to which limit of patience won’t
they go? Will sick pagans lack the care of some sisters? With what
attention and gentleness do they behave towards abandoned babies;
and how they behave towards children prepared for baptism and for
the First ( Holy) Communion?
And just as the mission takes care of the soul, it
also cares for
the body by civilizing their bad customs , by
exercising them in trades, in the sciences and in many other
worthwhile matters.
- The importance of
contemplative religious communities in the missions
In the Almanac,
the Servant of God wrote also about the importance of contemplatives
in the missions:
Apart from what we
have said, in this letter (Rerum Ecclesiae of Pope Pius XI) there is
a recommendation which all the people of lively faith will
understand well. The Pope infact recommends that in the countries of
the missions, wherever possible, contemplative religious orders are
to be erected; these are of sublime importance. In fact as Moses
they pray from the height of the mountain receiving the power and
victory of the combattants at the plain which no weapon and human
fervour will succeed in overcoming.
- The necessity of the
indigenous clergy
About the
necessity of the indigenous clergy De Piro made two contributions:
Lately we have seen the missions
flourishing. We owe this not only to the great zeal lit in the
hearts of the christians for the Popes’ calls; it is also a result
of the indigenous Clergy. This means that the priests who have been
ordained come from the mission country itself.
From its early days, the Church has
always understood the necessity of the local clergy. Called also for
God’s service, they can become priests and work among their other
Brothers as you can see in the picture where the seminarians ( young
men from the same country) are gathered together with their Rector
Friar Joachim from Zejtun and the Bishop, Msgr. Andrew Jarusseau is
blessing them. In fact if we look at the Apostles, we find that in
their wanderings throughout the world, they always sought to leave
others chosen from among the people of that same place instead of
them. They consecrated bishops who then took care of and nurtured
that teaching given them. Our Country’s history is also an evidence
of this. When the Apostle Paul embarked on our island and preached
the doctrine of Jesus Christ, he consecrated Saint Publius as Bishop
so as to keep and develop the teaching which he had left…
Pius XI our Pope did not refain to give
a most clear proof of how much he has at heart the indigenous
clergy. We can see this in the solemn consecration of those six
chinese bishops whom he himself wanted to consecrate in St. Peter’s
basilica two years ago.
The Pope’s wish in this matter is
always being fulfilled and the indigenous clergy is always
increasing and growing; as a result of this the spreading of the
catholic religion grows with it. Let us therefore pray to God so
that He continues to further this work which is so beautiful and
necessary for the salvation of
souls.
The first Ethiopian Bishop
The Work of Saint Peter consists in
prayer and collections so that, young people in the areas of the
Missions would be able to be well led in the seminaries and promoted
to holy orders. So, those who belong to the same race would be won
over for Christ or strengthened in His faith in a shorter time. A
look at those areas which have known the Gospel for some time but
which still lag behind or are very backward in Gospel teaching
because no one thought to set up the indigenous clergy is enough to
show us the importance of such work. We also find that in some areas
christian instruction Brought with it every type of development in
every field of civilization; able men in every trade and profession
arose but we find neither bishops to head nor priests to strengthen
the faith in Christ by their teaching and all the wealth it brings
with it because no provisions were made for the indigenous clergy…
Abyssinia is one of the areas where the
work of Saint Peter is set up successfully. At Harrar, under the
leadership of the industrious Bishop Msgr Jarosseau there is a
seminary where young people who feel God’s call can be taught and
led to become priests. Many a time, our Brother Joseph told us that
he meets these indigenous priests.
This is a fact of consolation and also
of admiration to us. Consolation because we feel new new courage
when we think that in this Mission Field complete work is being
performed which in fact gives us great hope for the future. In fact,
since our just visible Institute started to get involved with this
Mission at Friar Mizzi’s hard work, we started to feel for it and to
wish it every type of prosperity, A fact of admiration because we
ourselves know the large sums of money one needs to raise up
children to the priesthood and the enormous obstacles one meets even
in a country where the Church is spread everywhere and so firmly
erected. The work in favour of theindigenous clergy was fruitfulnot
only in the priesthood butalso in its fulfillment.
In fact, at the Chapel of the
Pontifical Ethiopic College, situated in the Vatican City, the first
indigenous Bishop of Italian Ethiopia or Eritrea, Mgr Chidane Mariam
Cassa was consecrated by Cardinal Sincerolast August.
Mgr Chidane Mariam was born in Hebo,
the much beloved place of the Missionary Bishop Mgr Justin De
Jacobis: it was the very first place which received generously the
word of the missionary and kept firmly to it. Bishop De Jacobis is
also buried in Hebo. Up to the present day, his tomb is venerated
not only by christians but also by those who live in heresy and by
the muslims: for Abba De Jacobis as they call him, worked and toiled
not only not only for the souls of Ethiopia but he also took care of
them in matters temporal. As Brother Felix da Collepardo told us,
they remember him up to the present day as a great benefactor for by
his quick wit and by the persistent effort of his heart he saved
them from the scourge of famine. The grandparents of Msgr.Chidane
were the first people to receive the word of the Missionary De
Jacobis. The managed to instil a great attraction towards the
christian faith in their children. In fact, both his mother as well
as his father are known by all as two very religious souls. His
father Cassa’ Tammam died when he was six years old but his mother
Hagosa’ Tare’ is still alive and was lucky to see her son a Bishop.
And so, in Asmara we have the first indigenous Bishop, a Bishop of
the christians of the Ethiopic rite in Eritrea.
- On the example of the first
christian communities
To prove the
validity of his convictions about the indigenous missionaries, the
Servant of God referred to the first Christian community:
Therefore, what the gloriously reigning
Pope, the Pope of the Missions, Pope Pius XI is saying is completely
right. He says that it seems that we have not reflected enough how
the Church of Christ spread in the beginning and what the Apostles
did to those early gatherings of christians. Together with teaching
and baptism they also made provisions for those who must keep
kindled the light of faith. Let us take our own example. Our father
Saint Paul left Publius, the Prince of our Island at the time,
before departing. He could ordain priests and in that way he could
not only keep the Faith of Christ but also confirm it more and more.
-
Three reasons why the indigenous missionaries are necessary
The well known Pope Benedict had
recognized this very well. So he highly recommended the erection of
the indigenous clergy to missionaries. And rightly:
(1) for the indigenous missionary can
overcome some difficulties with the greatest ease while other
missionaries, not indigenous, do not overcome them easily. The
spreading of the Catholic religion finds many obstacles in these
difficulties.
(2) The indigenous Missionary can
recognize the character of the people of his country much better
than others; so he can adapt himself better with them. This thing is
very costly as many times a great amount of work of the missionary
does not bear fruit because of the diversity of his character
compared to that of the local people.
(3) Apart from this, the indigenous
missionary is believed more and his word has a greater power over
the heart of those poor people who can never understand clearly how
a missionary who does not belong to their country leaves his native
place to live among them just for the good of their souls. So some
suspicion or some doubt always falls on his brave action.
-
The result of the work of the indigenous missionaries
There is no need to say how much harm
this matter causes on the missionary work. Who knows how many a time
the labour of so many years yielded a very small amount of fruit
because of this, while the indigenous missionary enjoys the complete
trust of his country and his word has a great force over their
hearts.
-
Saint Paul, model of every missionary
Saint Paul is a heart set alight with
the love of God, a heart full of strong love toward his devotees.
Therefore let us pray to Saint Paul: for the conversion of the
infidels, for the recovery of those who left the Church, for the
perseverance in going good, for the spreading of the Holy Gospel,
for all the missionary works, for missionary vocations and for this
institute of the missions which is under his patronage .
Let us ask St.Paul to raise
Missionaries, to give them an inclination for suffering, zeal for
the good of souls, love for the Divine Master, in their souls; a
love like that which he had burning in his heart, a love which often
drove him to suffer for his Brothers.
(ib) The
sending of missionaries
- The foundation
of a Society for the evangelisation ad gentes
With the above
mentioned deeply held convictions, De Piro looked at the world and
saw that many parts of it had never had the opportunity of listening
to the Good News. Helped by God’s given charism the Servant of God
founded the Society of St Paul for the not yet evangelised
countries.
We have already
referred to the short appreciation of De Piro made by Fr Angelo
Mizzi OfmCap. In it he said more than the above; Mizzi emphasised
the foundation of the ad gentes missionary Society:
Menzione Speciale
Un ricordo
specialissimo è da tramandarsi, di quell’insigne Missionario
nostrale che risponde al nome, benedetto da tutti, dell’Illmo, e
Rmo. Mgr Can. Decano Giuseppe De’ Marchesi De Piro. Egli fondò per
le missioni la “Società San Paolo” per la quale visse e mori’. Fu da
Dio richiamato proprio solo quindici giorni prima che salpasse dai
nostri lidi, per venire recare all’autore di queste pagine, un
secondo e valido aiuto nell’opera della missione Maltese dei Somali
(Etiopia), menandogli un Sacerdote e un Fratello Coadiutore, già
destinati entrambi alla stazione di Gololcia, dove lavora, dal 1928,
il primo frutto della stessa veneranda Società S. Paolo, Fra
Giuseppe Francesco Caruana, SSP…
Tutta Malta riconobbe
in lui, i sentimenti profondi e generosi del vero apostolo e
missionario, quantunque egli non sia mai stato propiamente nelle
missioni.
- Seemed to be primarily for
Maltese migrants
- De Piro’s own writings
When De Piro
presented his Society, he himself used such words as, “… allo scopo
di formare dei missionari , particolarmente ed in primo luogo per le
colonie di Maltesi all’estero;”
“che esso in primo luogo, è inteso a favore dei Maltesi lontani
dalla patria…incominciando dai Maltesi lontani dalla patria…;”
“.. ad incominciare dall’assistenza dei Maltesi lontani dalla
patria…;”
“… and they will probably start from the Maltese far away from
their country…”
- The impression of others
Others conceived
the Society as having the work among migrants as its main aim, “A me
pare che l’opera deve esser foggiata a somiglianza di quella di Mgr
Coccolo per gli emigranti Italiani. Sarebbe buona cosa accordarsi
col P. Vella sj il quale per essere stato lungo tempo fra I Maltesi
in Grecia, potrà dare utilissimi lumi”
“I buoni Maltesi lontani dalla patria avranno da voi altri
grandissimi aiuti.”
“Mgr De Piro col consenso di Mgr Pace di F.M. fondò questa pia
unione in favore dei Maltesi residenti all’estero.”
“… visto che l’Istituto della Piccola Casa di San Paolo non si
occupa che di Missionarii per i Maltesi residenti fuori dell’Isola e
non per altri Missioni ed infedeli …”
“Innanzi tutto però occorre che Mgr De Piro chairisca meglio la
finalità dell’Istituto. Nella relazione inviata dalla S. V. si dice
che l’Istituto cercherà di venire in aiuto di quei popoli I quali
defettano di operai evangelici, incominciando dai maltesi lontani
dalla patria… Ora il’porre come fine precipuo l’assistenza dei
maltesi all’estero…”
“Sarei stato ben lieto d’interessarmi della cosa, qualora l’opera
sua fosse destinata all’evangelizzazione degli infedeli, però veggo
che ella intende provedere col suo Istituto all’assistenza religiosa
dei maltesi lontani dalla patria.”
“… l’Istituto non riguarda direttamente la conversione degli
infedeli, ma i Maltesi dimoranti…”
-
The Maltese migrants, only a chronological priority; the missions ad
gentes, the primary aim
But in fact De
Piro clarified more than once what was the main aim of his Company
of St Paul; he wanted a Society whose primary apostolate was the
evangelisation of the ad gentes countries; the evangelisation
of the Maltese migrants was only a chronological priority:
Anzitutto come Ella
potrà vedere dal foglio che accompagna la presente, nel dire in
primo luogo, non si intende fare l’esclusione supposta dalla Sacra
Congregazione; ed utinam il Piccolo Istituto Maltese possa in futuro
avere quest’onore di inviare Missionarii presso gli infedeli e per
tutto il mondo. Ma come ben comprenderà l’Eccellenza Vostra da parte
nostra sarebbe troppo ardire il solo accarezzare una simile idea -
Inoltre ho desiderato che il titulo per l’ordinazione fosse quello
di Missione, per imprimere sempre più nella mente e nel cuore dei
giovani l’idea missionaria. Ella che conosce qualche cosa di Malta,
sa molto bene quanto il Maltese sia attaccato al suolo natio; e
comprenderà anche che l’idea delle Missioni Estere non trovando
terreno fertile, se lo deve formare per se.
Io infatti avevo spiegato che coll’
incominciare dalla coltivazione spirituale dei Maltesi all’estero
non si escludeva la conversione degli infedeli, ma che anzi un tale
inizio nell’acquistare il favore del paese verso il nascente
Istituto gli avrebbe dato l’agio di lanciarsi nel vasto campo dei
paesi infedeli, dopo acquistata una certa vigoria.
Senza alcuna mia premura ma per
semplice disposizione della Divina Provvidenza mi son trovato in
contatto colla Congne de Propaganda Fide…
… poiche, questo Istituto ha per fine
la conversione degli Infedeli, ma per le ragioni adotte incomincierà
l’azione sua a favore dei Maltesi. In Africa poi, dove ci sono
colonie di Maltesi vi sono anche infedeli e mi pare che l’Egitto
stia tuttora sotto la giurisdizione della Congne’ de Propaganda.”
Ma il De Piro con lettera del 18 Agosto
esprime il suo dispiacere di interrompere le sue relazioni con la
S.C di Propaganda, perchè da essa si riprometteva un accrescimento
dello spirito missionario; torna poi a chiarire meglio il suo scopo,
dicendo che l’assistenza dei Maltesi è un mezzo scelto per
acquistare il favore del paese per il nascente istituto, mentre il
fine propostosi è sempre l’evangelizzazioni degl’ infedeli.
There were several
times when the Servant of God asked for the titulo missionis
for the ordination of some one of the members of his Society.
Each time, he did this for a specific reason:
Inoltre ho desiderato che il titulo per
l’ordinazione fosse quello di Missione, per imprimere sempre più
nella mente e nel cuore dei giovani l’idea missionaria. Ella che
conosce qualche cosa di Malta, sa molto bene quanto il Maltese sia
attaccato al suolo natio; e comprenderà anche che l’idea della
Missioni Estere non trovando terreno fertile, se lo deve formare per
se.
When on 10
November 1922 the Founder presented to the Archbishop of Malta the
first two parts of the Constitutions of his Society, he wrote that
the aim of the Society was, “… di salvare le anime venendo in aiuto
di quei popoli, i quali difettano di operai evangelici* …”
But related to these words he added a footnote indicating how
the members had to proceed in their process of evangelisation. He
was quite clear that the evangelisation of the Maltese abroad was to
happen chronologically before, but also for the advancement of the
ad gentes one, “*Incominciando dalle Colonie Maltesi
all’estero.”
In the section
“Delle Missioni” of the same Constitutions, De Piro was quite clear
about the type of Society he wanted: namely one which, having
finished its work, goes elsewhere to evangelise there, “Terminata
poi nel Signore l’opera loro, con sollecitudine si ritirino dal
campo evangelizzato.”
The Founder was
not founding a Society that established itself in one place and
stayed there permanently. Rather he wanted one that worked for the
plantatio ecclesiae and therefore one that was after first
evangelisation.
- De Piro sent
the first member of his Society to the missions ad gentes
In 1927 the
Servant of God celebrated the 25 anniversary of his priestly
ordination. On that occasion, the Archbishop of Malta, Mauro
Caruana, sent his friend, Mgr De Piro a very important letter. It
included a very clear declaration about the main aim of the Society.
And His Excellency referred also to the fact that in reality the
“Piccola Società San Paolo” was already living its principal aim; on
21 June of that same year Br Joseph Caruana, one of the two first
members who had joined the Society in 1910, had gone to Abyssinia in
order to evangelise that ad gentes country:
Dear Monsignor De
Piro,
I was very much
pleased to see the Society of St.Paul for foreign missions, which
you founded and are directing, is progressing under your care. I
hope it will not be long to start performing its work for those who
are still in the darkness of death and deceit. I said I hope it
won’t take long to start. I would have better said it would not take
long to increase what it has started because one of your sons is
already working in Abbysinia.
Every beginning has an
end. I am very anxious to give the missionary cross to those brave
ones who wander across the world like the Apostle Our Father St.
Paul. People who wander where Faith leads them, where the love to
spread the kingdom of God with the name of Jesus leads them.
Won’t you be well paid
for the work you have performed, beloved Monsignor, if this year in
which you have celebrated the 25th anniversary of your ordination
and service for God, you see this result? Still I augur you more
than that. I wish that what you planted and has sprouted, what you
have watered by your sweat , what grew and is bearing fruit, on your
50th anniversary of priesthood will be a large tree; and a large one
at that. I hope that you will also see many plants taken from this
tree and planted elsewhere. I hope that these plants will have
become trees and that on them birds of every kind will fly to seek
shelter. I hope that on that day you will listen to these birds
singing without rest, as if thanking God for finding shelter, light
and life through you.
That this wish may be
fulfilled I wholeheartedly bless you, the missionaries your sons and
all those who help in your work and share it with you.
From my Valletta
Palace on the 8 December of the year 1927.
+ Maurus o.s.b.
Archbishop, Bishop of Malta
- Br Joseph Caruana in
Abyssinia
Until today we do
not know how, when and where De Piro communicated for the first time
with Fr Angelo Mizzi, the Apostolic Vice Prefect of the Maltese
Capuchin Mission in Abyssinia. It could have been that it was Mr
Alphonse Maria Galea who introduced the two men to each other; Galea
was the cousin of Mizzi and an old friend of De Piro. Therefore
Galea knew quite well about Somalia’s big need of missionaries and
on the other hand about the evangelising zeal of the Servant of God.
Whatever the cause and the way of their first contact, from what we
have in our records, the first letter of Mizzi to De Piro carries
the date of 4 March 1927.
But from this same letter we can rightly conclude that there
must have been some sort of communication between them even before
this date. In the letter of 4 March, the Capuchin Friar thanked the
Servant of God for the Almanac he had sent him. Also, the words of
the second paragraph are these, “Poi debbo ridomandarla dei
Catechisti capaci di far la scuola ai nostri fanciulli.”
The word “ridomandarla” means that Mizzi had already asked De Piro
for catechists! Then, further down in the letter Mizzi called De
Piro “amico”
Immediately after this he told the Founder that his was the
first request regarding the missions.
Had he asked De Piro for something else in the past?
As has already
been said just above, Mizzi asked the Founder for catechists. In
this same letter the Capuchin missionary asked the Servant of God
also what were the conditions for the payment of the trip and the
remuneration the Founder expected for the work of the catechists to
be sent to Somalia. De Piro answered Mizzi on 5 April 1927. The
Founder seemed to have understood quite well that it was the great
need of personell in the mission field that made Mizzi ask for
several catechists. At the same time in 1927 De Piro’s Society was
still small in number and therefore the Founder could not afford
sending to Abyssinia but one member, “Ho ricevuto la sua preg. ma
del 4 marzo 1927 e come mi richiede la accolgo con tutta la
generosità. Spero di poterle mandare uno…”
In this letter of 5 April, the Servant of God emphasised a lot
his belief in prayer in favour of the missions and especially in
favour of the missionary vocations:
… il quale,
accompagnato dalla benedizione del Signore non mancherà di tirare
altri dietro di se. Ella faccia pregare i piccoli ragazzi Somali,
registri le loro preghiere sull’annessa formula e faccia il farne di
mandarmela. Lo dico per esperienza, da quando ho fatto pregare i
piccoli ricoverati negli istituti di beneficenza la piccola opera
missionaria ha acquistato maggiore consistenza.
From the Almanac
we know that the insititutes were St Dorothy School, Mdina; Fra
Diegu Institute, Hamrun; Adelaide Cini Institute, Santa Venera; the
Pilar Inatitute, Valletta; the Franciscan House of Perpetual
Adoration, Valletta; Vincenzo Bugeja Institute, Santa Venera; the
Franciscan Institute, Troina, Sicily; and all the other Institutes
under the care of De Piro.
As usual, De Piro
was not sending Br Joseph to Abyssinia to get any money; he again
showed his belief that if he gave generously the Lord would pay him
back, “In quanto al pagamento dell’individuo non esigo niente. Il
Signore benedirà l’opera nostra.”
But
Monsignor’s generosity was not a need in him; it was a virtue
and therefore he could afford telling
Mizzi that he could not pay Brother’s trip himself, “Non posso fare
la stessa offerta per il viaggio, che l’opera nostra è ancora
bambina.”
- More
correspondence between De Piro and Fr Angelo Mizzi
De Piro wrote to
Mizzi on 5 April 1927. Fr Angelo answered De Piro on 23 April
1927. After thanking the Founder for the member he was going to send
to Abyssinia, Mizzi asked De Piro whether the new missionary was
going to be a priest or a catechist Brother. He also told Monsignor
from whom and how he could get the money for the trip. He then asked
the Founder to provide him with personal information regarding the
future missionary. Again Mizzi started and ended his letter
referring to the friendship that existed between him and De Piro.
From the letter
written by Mizzi to De Piro on 30 April 1927 it seems that the
latter had sent some material to the former regarding the
celebration of his 25 anniversary of priestly ordination. In this
letter of 30 April, Fr Angelo assured Monsignor of his prayers for
his work in the charitable insititues, but more and more for his
being able to send a member of his Society to the missions that same
year.
De Piro wrote to
Mizzi on 1 June 1927. He gave him the information asked for: that
the future missionary was going to be a catechist Brother; his name
was Br Joseph Caruana; and that he was 36 years of age. Then
followed a list with some components which according to the Founder
made Caruana a good missionary, “…uomo di molto spirito, capace, sa
adattarsi molto coi ragazzi e fa anche l’infermiere.”
Then De Piro told Mizzi, “Io perdo il suo aiuto quà…”
But he also told the Capuchin missionary why he was going to
sacrifice Caruana, “… ma sono contento di fare questo sacrificio
nella persuasione che il Signore manderà altri a supplirlo.”
In the last part
of his letter the Servant of God showed again his great generosity.
He was providing all the material needs of the members of his
Society and at the same time when he found out that there were
difficulties to get the money for Br Caruana’s trip in the way Mizzi
told him, he did not keep the Brother from going. He himself paid
for the trip, hoping to be reimbursed afterwards.
It seemed that Fr
Angelo had not received De Piro’s letter of 1 June 1927. Therefore
on 4 June 1927 Fr Mizzi sent another letter to Monsignor and asked
him again for the information about the member who was going to
Abyssinia. Mizzi assured De Piro about the prayers asked for by the
latter and asked the same thing for the mission of Somalia.
Mizzi wrote to the
Servant of God again on 18 June 1927, this time assuring the latter
that he had received his letter of 1 June 1927. Fr Angelo also asked
the Founder to intervene on behalf of the Abyssinia Mission so that
another two missionaries could go to Abyssinia together with Br
Caruana.
The Founder
answered Fr Angelo on 1 July 1927. It was a short letter where he
mainly asked the Capuchin Friar to pray the Lord for more missionary
vocations.
The next letter of
Mizzi, written by him on 6 July 1927, is important because by it he
gave the Founder the news of the arrival of Br Joseph Caruana in the
Somaliland:
Grazie mille e grazie infinite al
Cielo. Il suo caro Fra Giuseppe Caruana è giunto a Dirre-Dawa (a
cinquanta sette chilometri da qui) il 4 corrente (forse il 3)
inaspettato assolutamente perchè non fu finora avvertito della sua
partenza da Malta.
Scendo domani per abbracciarlo e
condurlo io stesso nella mia stazione di Sofi dopo averlo fatto
conoscere alla S. Ecc. Rma. Mgr Andrea Jarosseau che le rimane
riconoscentissimo per il sacrificio immenso che si e imposto in
favor di questa missione Maltese nascente.
Continui a far pregare I fanciulli per
I nostri bisogni e l’espressione di tutta la mia profonda
gratitudine.
Le scriverò fra giorni e più a lungo
quando avrò abbracaiato il caro nuovo missionario nostro.”
- De
Piro provided continuous support to his first missionary
Unfortunately we
do not have the letters written by De Piro to Br Joseph Caruana, but
from those written by the latter to the former we know that the
Servant of God wrote regularly to this first missionary of his
Society.
The Founder helped Br Caruana by writing frequently to him about
his spiritual duties, “As regards the retreat do not worry, because
before Fr Joachim was made superior we talked about its necessity
for the missionary and I told him also how much you like it, and
that you frequently recommend it to me.”
At the same time De Piro was convinced that even the other aspects
of the life of the missionary had to be supported:
Brother Joseph once
wrote to us that it is not enough to baptize the pagans and abandon
them. Some times you have to sustain them and help them in their
needs. The same thing happens with the missionary. It is not enough
to send the Missionary and leave him on his own. You must support
him and give him that help which he requires. Otherwise when he
finds himself among many people who do not know him, and maybe even
against him, and certainly they expect much from him, if he does not
find the means he needs, his eagerness for action slowly withers
away.
Therefore the
Founder personally sent Br Joseph some object or other the latter
had asked him for. But more than this, the Servant of God, together
with his mother Ursola, set up the Somalia Museum and the Missionary
Laboratory in order to support Brother in a more organised way.
- The Somalia Museum
In his letter
written to the Founder on 21 July 1927, Br Joseph Caruana mentioned
“the project of your mother”.
Brother Joseph did not specify anything about this project of
Ursola De Piro, but from the letter Fr Angelo Mizzi wrote to the
Servant of God ten days after Caruana had written his own, we know
that the latter was referring to “The Somalia Museum”. The aim of
the Museum was to make the Maltese more sensitive to the needs of
the missions in general and the Somalia work in particular.
Ursola sought the
help of Fr Angelo Mizzi in order to find the material for the
Museum. On his part the Capuchin missionary immediately started
sending Baroness De Piro whatever was available.
- The Laboratory for the
Abyssinia Mission
One type of this
work consists in what is called the Missionary Laboratory, meaning
that some good souls, moved by God’s grace, meet together every now
and then and offer their work to help some field in the large Estate
of the Missions. And therefore we too who are just touching the
Missionary field, we have thought about and erected a small
Missionary laboratory with the blessing of our beloved Bishop.
The Servant of God
published in his Almanac several articles about the Laboratory.
While reading about this Organisation the Maltese were animated with
the missionary spirit.
After being filled with enthusiasm, the Maltese helped the
evangelising activities, both spiritually and materially.
It was at first
intended to site the Laboratory at St. Joseph Home. Since the
Orphange was diocesan property, the Servant of God asked the
permission of the Archbishop. The first reaction of His Excellency
was negative. But in fact the Laboratory was then actually
inaugurated there sometime towards October 1927.
This project was
run by a group of pious women and it provided sterling assistance in
sending gifts and necessary items to Somalia. The help provided by
the Laboratory and by Mgr De Piro was indeed extremely important.
The Laboratory was
later transferred to St Agatha’s, the Motherhouse of De Piro’s
Society, in Rabat, Malta. When there, it was known as Saint Agatha
Laboratory.
- Further Plans
for Ethiopia
It had always been
in Mgr De Piro’s mind to be able to send priests to the missions. In
July 1927, Father Angelo Mizzi wrote from Somaliland suggesting the
name of the then director of St. Joseph Home in Gozo, Father Michael
Callus, for Ethiopia.
On 14 September
1927, the Bishop of Somalia, Mgr Andrea Jarosseau wrote to the
Servant of God to thank him for his work so far and to request the
sending of a priest of the Society for his mission.
De Piro answered on 30 October 1927. It is worth putting down
the exact words of the Servant of God:
L’appreciation que vous faites de notre
tre`s petit secours il a ètè pour nous une grand consolation. Le
notre dèsir il est azzez plus grand de ce que nous avons faisais
jusqùa pre’sent. Mais le notre regard se lance sur le futur lorsque,
avec le secours che Bon Dieu, nous pourrons faire quelque chose de
plus. Le notre Istitut se trouve encore dans les difficulte’s de
commencement, et il dever jusqùa ici aller contre la courant; parce
que l’insulaire est trop attachè a son pays. Comme la notre
Istitution est encor diocesaine elle depend de l-Ordinaire de Malte;
et c’est pourquoi une nvet de Vote Grandeur à Monsenieur
l’Archeveque Caruana elle tenira le chemin aplain pour le futur –
Pendent les notre conversations. Le Mission Africaine des Somalis a
toujours son leiu; comme encore dans notre prieres quotidiens. Parce
que, “Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui
aedificant eam”. De la grand necessitè de priere “Dominus Messis” a
venir a notre secours, et d’accèlèrer le jour de voir accomplè le
notre vive desir d’envoyer a la mission des pretres aussi…
On 18 January 1928
Mizzi wrote once again to remind De Piro about sending a priest and
imploring him to persevere with the Bishop of Malta so that official
permission be granted without further delay.
All through 1928, Mizzi kept informing of the situation in the
mission and the almost desperate need for a priest, preferably
Father Callus.
Father Mizzi, who
although a Maltese, belonged to the Capuchin Province of Toulouse,
in France, was at that time very keen in making the Maltese Province
interested to take over the running of the mission he was looking
after. In these efforts he also tried to enlist Mgr De Piro to put
pressure on the Maltese Capuchin Community to bring this about.
Mizzi ends this letter by telling De Piro:
Non mi dica che Lei
non può niente, Lei c’ha degli amici intimi fra i Cappuccini e potrà
arrivare a questo risultato grazie al suo tatto delicatissimo eda al
suo personale disinteress nella questione.
Mi renda questo
servigio, e Lei vedrà che colla preghiera e la sua profonda fiducia
nell’aiuto di Dio, riuscirà perfettamente a cambiare I sentimenti
attuali del M. Rdo. P. Provinciale dei Cappuccini di Malta.
Time showed that
the Maltese Capuchins never took over this mission.
As regards the
possibility of sending a priest from the Society, De Piro’s letters
became more infrequent during 1929, though Mizzi’s demands remained
inistent, this time asking for a priest and a Brother.
At this time De Piro was however suffering from exhaustion and
mental tiredeness brought on by the heavy workload he had to cope
with. In fact, on the doctors’ orders, he went on a trip to Lourdes.
In 1929 the
Somalia mission suffered further drawbacks. Locusts devastated the
harvest and brought about a serious famine. The chapel at Gigiga was
destroyed in a fire and a Capuchin friar and two Franciscan sisters
died. All this obviously made the need for more missionaries all the
greater.
Father Mizzi’s
perseverance to get the Maltese authorities interested further in
Somaliland eventually led to the mission being offered to the
Diocese of Gozo which was then administered by Mgr Michael Gonzi.
But even these efforts moved too slowly, particularly to Mizzi’s
expectations, and eventually came to nothing; Mgr Gonzi did not want
to get inolved without the Archdiocese of Malta as well.
During these
attempts to involve the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Mauro Caruana, in
taking up this offer, Mizzi once again wrote to De Piro to act as
messenger on his behalf.
Certain local difficulties were, however, making it extremely
improbable for these wishes to be realized. On the other hand Father
Mizzi’s methods started upsetting many individuals, including
Brother Joseph Caruana himself, who, on 9 September 1931, advised De
Piro not to send anybody else because he "…does not know how to
administer at all and he acts like a child without thinking matters
over."
Early the following year Father Mizzi’s jurisdiction over the
Maltese mission came to an end though he remained vice-prefect.
Another Maltese Capuchin, Father Joachim, was appointed Superior in
his stead and he proved a better administrator.
The major reason
that had stopped Archbishop Mauro Caruana to send more help to
Abyssinia was that there was the hope that the Society would be soon
in a position to take over the running of one of the missions. When
Father Mizzi got to know of this plan he at once agreed and, though
by that time he was not in charge of the mission, he approached
Bishop Jarosseau on the Society’s behalf.
Bishop Jarosseau
offered Gigiga to the Society. Gigiga was the most important station
and the capital of the entire Maltese mission. As a result of how
Mizzi conveyed the message, Bishop Jarosseau took a stand and
declared that he did not want any of the Maltese Capuchins there.
The matter was far from clear and, Father Mizzi explained to De
Piro, it seemed that the Bishop was only interested in keeping the
Maltese mission subservient to the French one. This information made
De Piro extremely careful lest he should be involved in some case of
ecclesiastical politics.
Gradually the
position clarified itself. Bishop Jarosseau explained that the offer
should be made conjointly to the Society and the Dioceses of Malta
and Gozo, though Mgr De Piro was to be the official spokesman for
the three of them.
(ic) De Piro
himself for Abyssinia
At one time it
seemed probable that Mgr De Piro had the intention to go personally
to Somalia to see matters for himself and to discuss the project
with Bishop Jarosseau.
Naturally Brother Caruana was extremely pleased with this news,
though such a visit could not be arranged at short notice.
Eventually the
Founder wrote to Mizzi explaining that his Society could not take up
the entire mission being offered to it and added that he would have
liked to see his members being assisted by the Capuchins already
there. Mizzi was greatly pleased with this but warned him to be
careful of any agreement unless all details were clear.
De Piro however
would not be hurried and for that reason delayed his departure to
Somalia. Moreover Brother Caruana had written on 3 November 1932,
telling him not to allow Father Angelo meddle with anything as this
would only lead to failure. Brother Joseph’s letter also maintained
that he was making ready a humble room in the station of Gololcia, a
piece of news that led to De Piro actively consider taking up this
particular station.
The "negotiations"
went on for quite some time because De Piro was meticulous and
careful in whatever he did. Certainly he did not want to involve the
Society in any problem. It was not an easy decision because often
Brother Caruana and Fr Joachim sent conflicting evaluations and
suggestions.
Mgr De Piro
thought deeply about the whole matter and asked for advice from
whoever could give him one. However as he was about to take a
decision, on 9 January 1933 he received a letter from Father Joachim
in which the acceptance of the mission was not even mentioned.
In the meantime he had also asked Brother Caruana for more
information about Gololcia and the reply had taken long to arrive.
Caruana gave all the required details explaining the local
conditions.
In Somalia Bishop Jarosseau was getting anxious to hear a definite
reply. On 9 February 1933 Mgr De Piro convinced the Council of the
Society which, in addition to himself, included Father Michael
Callus and Father Joseph Spiteri. Brother Caruana’s letter was read
out and, “It was decided by the Council for the Society of St Paul
to ask for the station of Gololcia from Bishop Jarosseau, the
Apostolic Vicar of Abyssinia, as its first missionary camp and a
priest will be sent together with a Brother-cathecist or two.”
That same day Mgr
De Piro wrote to Father Joachim about the happy news. The Founder
also announced his intention to lead these first missionaries
himself the following autumn.
On 28 February 1933 he wrote to Brother Joseph giving him all
the necessary details regarding the Society’s decision.
Both Fr Joachim
and Br Joseph wrote back to express their pleasure and satisfaction.
On 19 March 1933, the former informed De Piro that Bishop Jarosseau
was keenly interested in the Society’s contribution and that the
Founder was to have full freedom in his actions.
Br Joseph wrote to De Piro on 2 April 1933. He told him that he
too was happy with the developments. He also assured Monsignor that
when there he would have a room for his own.
Mgr De Piro
started preparing for this voyage. By August 1933, he seems to have
been completely involved in getting together all the necessities. He
was so busy that, for the first time, he delegated the compiling of
the Society’s “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of th Missions”.
That month he told his companions, “You will be responsible for next
year’s Almanac. You will do it on your own. I will not be with you”.
Unfortunately De
Piro never went to Somalia. His sudden death on 17 September 1933
hindered him from doing this. And it impeded him also from taking
some other missionary or two to accompany Br Joseph Caruana in his
mission.
(id) De Piro’s
missionary convictions in the Constitutions of his Society
In the Original
Constitutions of the Society, the Founder presented two whole
sections about the ad gentes missionary activity of the
Society. He started the part “Dei Campi d’Azione” with the section
“Delle Missioni”.
Then coming to the vows he added “Del Voto di Missione” to the
sections about the three vows traditionally related to religious
life.
- First among
the apostolates of the Society
It has been
indicated just above that this section has been presented as the
first one in the list of apostolates of the Society founded by De
Piro. Then in the very first paragraph the Founder was quite
explicit about this priority of the evangelisation ad gentes
for the members of his Society, “… le Missioni sono tra i nostri
ministeri il principale…”
- With no
geographical limits
The aim of the
Society already indicated that according to the Servant of God there
had to be no territorial boundaries regarding the evangelisation of
the members of his Society, “… di salvare le anime venendo in aiuto
di quei popoli, i quali difettano di operai evangelici…”
In “Delle
Missioni” the Founder emphasised this unconditional consecration of
the members of his Society, “… ed in forza del voto di missione
tutti sono obligati di essere sempre disposti e pronti di recarsi in
qualsivoglia parte del mondo.”
- Within the
context of a parish
“Oltre alla
predicazione, confessione ed altre pie pratiche, che verranno
osservate nelle nostre chiese, i Missionarii si daranno anche a
quelle azioni ministeriali, che sono strettamente parrocchiali…”
- Always subject
to the local hierarchy
“… sempre
naturalmente, secondo quello che viene richiesto dagli Ordinarii dei
luoghi.”
- Accountable to
the immediate superior of the Society
In the original
Constitutions De Piro put a lot of emphasis on accountability. He
demanded it from formators
and in the parish work.
He also requested it from all evangelisers ad gentes:
Il Superiore di ogni Missione avrà la
cura ogni settimana, di informare il Padre Superiore più prossimo,
di tuttociò che succede di notabile, e di chiedergli consiglio e
direzione. Lo stesso è a dirsi di coloro, che trovansi lontanti
dalla communità per ragioni di ministero.
- The prayerful
life of the evangeliser - a support for his evangelisation
I Missionari da ultimo
quanto più per ragione della loro missione, saranno privi dei grandi
benefici della vita in communità, altrettanto procurino di ardere
dal desiderio della propria perfezione, e siano più strettamente
osseranti delle Sante Regole della Compagnia e non tralascino mai la
meditazione e gli esami di coscienza quotidiani, e tutti gli altri
esercizi di pietà.
- Prayer for the
evangelisation itself
De Piro was a
priest who was all the time more than busy; he was all the time
doing something or other. The witnesses who knew him well referred
to this characteristic of his. Even the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the
Institute of the Missions” gives proof of this; when he presented
some missionary model many a times he emphasised this reality in the
individual.
At the same time the Servant of God believed that: “Unless the Lord
builds the house, those who build it labour in vain…”
For this reason he insisted on the members of his Society that they,
“… appena dall’ubbidienza viene loro assegnata una Missione,
procurino di accogliere questa come dalle mani della Divina
Provvidenza, ed incomincino fino da allora a pregare pei popoli che
devono evangelizare.”
And the
missionaries must continue with this praying all along their
mission, “…preghino ogni giorno per le anime affidate alla loro
cura…”
- And by an
exemplary life
In Maltese we say
that “the word moves the other person, but the example drags him.”
Monsignor was convinced of this. After insisting on the importance
of prayer he draws the attention of the missionary towards a
personal good life, “Arrivati sul luogo abbiano sempre innanzi ai
propri occhi le parole di San Paolo nostro Padre, "Christi bonus
odor sumus" 2 Cor. 2.15, e si terranno contenti della camera, del
letto e del cibo con cui verranno trattati.”
Even as days go
by, the members must remember that good living is an evangelisation
in itself, “… e massima premura venga da tutti usata, che non vi sia
neanche l’ombra del cattivo esempio, ma tale sia sempre il loro modo
di vivere e di trattare con coloro che evangelizzano da conciliarsi
la loro venerazione…”
The Founder
continued by emphasising that the evangelisers must be always
discreet in their apostolate, very attentive in observing their
boundaries and never to mix roles. He mentioned such things as
matchmaking, the involvement in the drawing of wills, and their
being godfathers.
As regards
discretion in evangelisation the Founder has these words, “… ma si
guarderanno in questa cosa dall’eccedere la debita misura con danno
spirituale proprio e degli altri.”
- What De Piro
meant by evangelisation
In senso stretto - Per
missione in senso stretto s’intende l’invio di due o più Missionarii
in una parrocchia o in un altro luogo per amministrare il pane della
parola di Dio, e distribuire il sangue preziosissimo di N.S. Gesù
Cristo per mezzo dei sacramenti della Penitenza e dell’Eucaristia.
- Evangelisation of the whole
person
De Piro did not
want to be misunderstood when presenting the last instruction. He
did not want the members to get the impression that evangelisation
had to do only with the spiritual aspect of the human life. He
therefore encouraged his followers in the Society in favour of the
formation of the human dimension of the people they evangelised, “I
Missionari però che devono evangelizzare dei popoli infedeli, non
rifiuteranno di educare i selvaggi nei doveri della vita civile, ciò
infatti contribuisce molto allo stesso bene spirituale degli
stessi…”
- A non possessive
evangelisation or plantatio ecclesiae
The Founder
finished the section “Delle Missioni” by presenting to the
members of his Society an attitude that had to exist in their
evangelisation of the ad gentes countries, “Terminata poi nel
Signore l’opera loro, con sollecitudine si ritirino dal campo
evangelizzato.”
De Piro did not
want the members of his Society to possess those they evangelised.
On the opposite, he urged them to leave the place when they would
have done their duty. And this without delay!
Part Three
De Piro’s
Charity
If Mgr Joseph De
Piro were to write an autobiography he would have undoubtedly put
these words somewhere in the beginning:
The spirit of the Lord has been given
to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to:
·
be a father and a mother to the
girls and boys of the ecclesiastical charitable institutes;
·
sustain in their various needs
the boys and youths of the B’Kara Oratory;
·
see to it that there is a
provision for all the needs of the seminarians at the Mdina Major
Seminary;
·
be a real “Padre” to the members
of my Missionary religious Institute;
·
help, in their various needs,
the families of the girls and boys of the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes;
·
follow the old girls and boys of
these institutes;
·
create social assistance to the
employees of these institutes, of the Mdina Cathedral School and of
the Major Seminary;
·
give alms to the many poor and
miserable beggars, whether young or old, women or men;
·
help the Maltese workers earn a
just wage;
·
help the Maltese families enjoy
a decent living;
·
mediate for peace and concord
between conflicting individuals or entities;
·
keep strong the faith of the
faithful Maltese in Malta, whether young or old, women or men;
·
rejuvenate the faith of the
Maltese migrants, whereever they are; and
·
announce God’s love to those who
have never heard of it.
The Servant of God
was a man whose life was to help others.
Chapter Four
Many were the
ingredients that made up the charity of the Servant of God, Joseph
De Piro.
(i) An option
for the materially poor
Joseph De Piro had
the possibility to enjoy a very prosperous life. He could have
become a drawing or painting artist.
In his teens he spent three and a half years as member of the Royal
Malta Regiment of Militia
where, if he had remained, he could have easily been promoted to
higher ranks. In 1898 he started the law course at the University of
Malta which could have led him to a lawyer’s career.
Being of noble birth, De Piro would have undoubtedly become a member
of the Maltese nobility.
The De Piro title meant a lot of property, both mobile and immobile,
for which Joseph had a right.
His nobility also implied a popularity in the Maltese society
and therefore the possibility of some
important role in the civil administration of Malta.
The Servant of God left all these behind him and opted for the
priesthood.
Joseph had not yet
began his seminary studies at the Rome Gregorian University when on
24 August 1898 he wrote to his mother from Rome:
Secondo i calcoli
incalcolabili che ho fatto; se non morrò probabilmente canterò messa
da qui ad altri quattro anni; poichè più di due anni di filosofia
non credo che mi faranno fare, e poi dopo due anni di teologia credo
che mi lasceranno cantarla. Pregate a S. Tommaso d’Aquino che mi
intercede la grazia di aprirmi un poco la mente, ed allora forse un
anno di filosofia sarà sufficiente, ed allora potremo fare più
presto … Il corso di teologia è di quattro anni e poi quello di
diritto canonico è di tre, cosichè se ancor ben faccio l’addizione
mi pare che fino a 30 anni trovo da studiare.
According to this
letter Joseph De Piro had planned ten years of study in Rome,
finishing with a specialisation in Canon Law. At the same time
during this very first year at the Capranica College, or a very
little while after he had made his choice for the priesthood, young
Joseph seemed to be already favouring an option different from the
one just mentioned or the specialisation in Canon Law; he was
already preferring St Joseph’s Home rather than academic
specialisations.
Through this last option the Servant of God showed that his was
going to be a priestly life dedicated to the poor. In fact,
immediately after finishing his first year of studies in Rome, he
returned to Malta for his summer holidays and went to St Joseph’s to
meet Mgr Francesco Bonnici, the Founder - Director of the Institute.
To his astonishment, Joseph found out that Bonnici had retired from
the Institute and there was Fr Emmanuel Vassallo instead.
The latter was being helped by Fr George Bugeja.
While at St Joseph’s, during his second summer holidays from Rome,
young De Piro showed Vassallo that, after finishing his studies, he
wished to go himself to the Institute and live there with him.
Joseph, the seminarian, continued his contact with Vassallo and
Bugeja
and wrote to them all through the years of his stay at the
Capranica.
At the end of De
Piro’s studies in Rome, Malta’s Archbishop, Mgr Peter Paul Pace,
offered him more than once the possibility to go to the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica dei Nobili”.
The same did the President of the “Accademia”.
Joseph did not accept this offer. He still preferred to return to
Malta and stay at St Joseph’s Institute.
The Archbishop accepted the option of the Servant of God.
Again, De Piro left behind him a career full of prosperity and
prestige, this time in the Church, and opted for the poor
boys of St Joseph’s Orphanage.
After ordination
and some three months of more study in Rome, Fr Joseph went to
Davos, Switzerland, to recuperate his health.
In Switzerland he spent 18 months, after which he returned to Malta
and stayed for almost 3 years in Qrendi, a parish to the south of
the Island, again with the aim of continuing to regain his strength.
Although De Piro had talked to Fr Emmanuel Vassallo about his wish
to go to St Joseph’s,
Vassallo did not offer him the possibility to live there. Instead,
in 1907, the Archbishop of Malta, Peter Pace, assigned to Fr Joseph
the direction of Fra Diegu, a Home for orphaned and poor girls.
This was only the first of a series of ecclesiastical charitable
institutes to be entrusted to the care of the Servant of God.
Another five followed: Jesus of Nazareth;
St Joseph’s, Malta;
St Joseph’s, Gozo;
the Home for babies;
and St Francis de Paul.
In itself the
acceptance of Fra Diegu by De Piro included some other options.
Pastoral work has always been the thing wished for avidly by all
young priests. De Piro was quite settled in Qrendi.
He felt himself accepted and loved there.
Most probably it was not that easy for De Piro to leave the Parish.
In spite of all this, he left it, and without hesitation went to
help the poor girls of Fra Diegu Institute.
Fra Diegu was not
the Institute of his wish; he wanted to go rather to St Joseph’s,
which, besides being an Institute for orphaned boys, was a Home from
where he had thought that there would come out a male Society under
the patronage of St Paul.
Fra Diegu was an Orphanage for girls and therefore it was not
possible to initiate a male society in it. The Servant of God put
the Society’s project aside. He left Qrendi, he also put aside the
Institute where he had been thinking to start the Society, and opted
for Fra Diegu.
In 1922 he also
accepted the direction of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute.
He had been dreaming about the possibility to go to St Joseph’s,
Malta, since his first scholastic year in Rome (1898-1899).
For several years or until November 1922 the offer had never been
made to him. Instead, another Institute was put in his hands, the
Jesus of Nazareth, at Zejtun. This was again a girls’ Institute and
therefore as in the case of Fra Diegu, the Servant of God could
never get from it members for his new Society, as in the case of St
Joseph’s. Yet, he accepted Jesus of Nazareth and dedicated himself
completely for the good of the poor orphans of that Institute.
While accepting
Fra Diegu and Jesus of Nazareth, De Piro was not sure that there
would come a moment when he would be offered the St Joseph’s
Orphanage. On the opposite it seemed that the Institute for which he
had sacrificed the diplomatic career would never be given to him. In
such a situation the Servant of God did not address himself only to
the Society by refusing the direction of the two female Institutes
mentioned above. Instead, he opted for the poor girls of Fra Diegu
and Jesus of Nazareth and became Director of both.
But it was not
only for himself that De Piro made a continuous option for the poor.
He wanted that even his Society would prefer these in its
apostolate. In fact as far as 7 August 1905, the Servant of God
wrote what he meant by his “idea” or Society.
After saying that the main aim of his Congregation was going to be
the foreign missions, he also mentioned the other three apostolates.
St Joseph’s Home, Malta, was going to be the first of these
secondary pastoral works of the Society.
On 30 June 1914
the Founder wrote to Bishop Angelo Portelli, Malta’s Apostolic
Administrator, asking him the permission for the members of his
Society to wear the habit. With this petition, De Piro sent a
Breve prospetto delle Regole of the Society. Number 2 of the
rules was made up of these words, “Scopo della Piccola Compagnia
sarà quello di venire in aiuto dei popoli privi di operai Evangelici
particolarmente ed in primo luogo dei Maltesi lontani dalla patria,
ed a tal fine le sarà a cuore la cura di case di beneficenza.”
These words include quite clearly another option for the poor. This
time it was not only St Joseph’s Home, in Malta. It was not even
limited to the other charitable institutes in his native country.
Rather, the Founder wanted that the members of his Society, wherever
they were going to be, would opt for these homes of poor children.
In the part of the
Constitutions of the Society, written by the Founder, and which were
approved by the Archbishop of Malta on 18 March 1924,
Mgr De Piro almost repeated what he had written in 1914, “Essa si
propone come fine … di salvare le anime venendo in aiuto di quei
popoli, i quali difettano di operai evangelici, (*I) ed assumendo la
cura di case di beneficenza.”
When the Salesians
of Don Bosco had been asked by Notary Michael Casolani, the Founder
of the B’Kara Oratory, to take responsibility of the place, on 5
March 1910, Fr O’Grady, of the Salesians, wrote to Malta’s
Archbishop asking him the permission for the Salesian cooperators to
build a chapel for that same Oratory.
Seven days after, Canon Alphonse Borg, Provost of the B’Kara parish,
wrote to the Archbishop recommending the building of the chapel.
With this letter Borg sent His Excellency also a copy of an extract
of the Rules of the Society of St Francis de Sales. In Part 1,
chapter 1, of these Rules there were these articles:
Art. 1223 - Lo scopo
dell’Oratorio , essendo di tener lontana la gioventù dall’ozio e
dalle cattive compagnie particolarmente nei giorni festivi, tutti vi
possono essere accolti senza eccezione di grado o di condizione.
Art. 1224 - Quelli
però che sono poveri, più abbandonati e più ignoranti sono di
preferenza accolti e coltivati, perchè hanno maggiore bisogno di
assistenza per tenersi nella via dell’eterna salute.
Art. 1226 - Non
importa che siano difettosi della persona, purchè siano esenti di
male attaccaticcio o che possa cagionare grave schifo ai compagni,
in questo caso uno solo potrebbe allontanare molti dall’Oratorio.
The above Rules
were quite clear about whom the Salesians accepted in their
oratories: they welcomed the boys of all conditions and grades, but
the poor, the abandoned and the ignorant were given preference.
After a few years,
Canon Michael Camilleri, who took over from the Salesians, wrote an
undated letter to Field Marshal Lord Methuen, who was the Governor
of Malta from 1915 to 1919. Its contents showed that article 1224 of
the Salesian Rules was still practiced at the Oratory at the time of
Sammut:
His Excellency
Field Marshal Lord
Methuen G.C.B.G.C.V.O. C.M.G
Governor of Malta and
its dependencies and commander in chief of the troops serving within
the same.
Your Excellency,
…the hundreds of poor
boys attending the Institution whereof I am in charge …There are
hundreds of poor boys who daily flock to our Institution (The
Oratory, Via Strada S. Guiliano, Birchircara) …It is heartrending to
see so many of our children shivering with cold for want of
sufficient clothing and to know that, however we might strain our
resources in order to provide for a very bad care …those who are
kept away from attending the Government’s Elementary School simply
because their parents are so poor that they cannot dress them with
even the minimum degree of decency required for the purpose.
Reference has
already been made to the letter sent by Casolani to De Piro on 15
December 1925.
By the words, “… mi si dice che Ella sia, da qualche tempo,
ritornato dal Suo Viaggio, che spero esser stato proficero alla Sua
salute tanto preziosa per quanti hanno a cuore le opere di
beneficenza in queste nostre isole,”
Casolani showed that he was quite conscious about the specific
contribution of De Piro in Malta. In the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes, where De Piro was Director, the children were orphaned
and poor boys and girls! On 4 April 1927 Notary Michael Casolani
donated the Oratory to the Servant of God. This was a Center for
poor boys.
De Piro, on his part, took over the Oratory and bound himself and
his Society to continue directing it on the same lines on which it
had been led before.
It was another option of the poor!
The letter from
the Treasury, Malta, sent to De Piro on 24 March 1927 proved that
the Oratory was known as one for poor boys:
Doc: D
Registered No
302/122/27
The Treasurer
Malta
24th March, 1927
With reference to your application
dated the 22nd ultimo, I have the honour to inform you that His
Excellency the Governor has been pleased to direct that the transfer
to the Company of St.Paul of the "Utile Dominium" of the field
called "tal Uita" in Strada San Giuliano, Birchircara, together with
the Chapel and other buildings erected thereon in order that the
said property may be used as an Oratory for the education of the
children of the poorer classes, be exempt both from Donation and
from Stamp Duty.
I have the honour to
be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant
J. Huber
Treasurer.
Signed
The Most Reverend
Monsignor Can: G.De
Piro,
St. Joseph`s
Institute,
Hamrun.
fti. G.Can Decano De
Piro - G Casolani - Not. M.L. Casolani - M. Can. Sammut - Not. Ed.
Calleja Schembri.
In June 1928 De
Piro, as director of the Oratory of B’Kara, wrote a letter to the
Minister for the Treasury. Monsignor introduced the place by these
words and was quite clear about who were the boys who attended the
Oratory:
Sir,
The “Oratory”, Sda San
Giuliano Birchircara, is an Institution established in 1910 for the
Religious and moral education of the sons of the people, on the
identical lines of the Salesian Oratory at Sliema and of the other
similar “Oratories” of the Venerable Don Bosco existing all over the
world.
In a contract made
between Mgr De Piro and the Provost of B’Kara, on 1 February 1930,
the same aim was emphasised, “Primo:- Che avendo il Signor Notaro
Michael L. Casolani fondato un Istituto inteso alla
educazione religiosa e civile dei figli del popolo…”
In another
contract, made by Mgr De Piro and Fr George Preca, Founder of the
catechetical Society, MUSEUM, in the presence of Notary Louis Gauci
Forno, on 11 June 1930, the Oratory was referred to as, “… opera
d’educazione, religiosa e civile dei figli della classe operaia, in
Birchircara…”
All the above
material proves that the Oratory was a center for the poor children
of the common people. It was such a place that De Piro took under
his care.
What helped De
Piro opt for the materially poor
- Gratis
apostolate
One of the virtues
that helped De Piro be dedicated this much to the poor was
undoubtedly his disinterest in financial remuneration for his
ministries. Because Fra Diegu Institute was a diocesan orphanage,
the Archbishop’s Curia sent every now and then sent some trusted
person to examine the financial accounts of the Institute. Alphonse
Maria Galea was the one sent to do this job in 1916. In the report
he wrote on 10 February of that year, Galea said that, “… egli (De
Piro) ha sempre prestato l’opera sua gratuitamente (gratis et amore
Dei) e che non ha intenzione alcuna di chiedere compensi per
l’avvenire.”
In 1920 Galea made
another audit of the financial registers of Fra Diegu and on 8 March
he presented his findings to his Ecclesiastical superiors. In this
last report Galea again referred to De Piro’s gratis
ministry, “Mgr Can. De Piro Navarra molto generosamente rinunzia al
proprio diritto di economia …”
- His humility
The Servant of God
was thirty years old when entrusted with the direction of Fra Diegu.
According to the testimony of Sr Pacifica Xuereb, the Franciscan
Sisters who did the day to day work of the Institute at first
imagined that the new Director, belonging to a distinguished Maltese
family, would be aloof and difficult to approach. This notion was
rapidly dispelled as soon as De Piro met them for the first time.
Indeed they were pleasantly surprised at his ability to mix with the
young orphan girls, in spite of the fact that this was his first
such experience.
Srs Giakkina
Vella, of Fra Diegu, emphasised the fact that the Director did not
want the Sisters to treat him differently from the orphaned girls of
the Institute.
The same thing was said by Sr Bibiana Zammit.
The testimony of
Sr Pia Caruana shows the different aspects of De Piro’s humility:
while his clothes were clean and tidy, there was no distinctive mark
on his cassock which showed that he was canon of the Cathedral. He
used the ordinary means of transport and always travelled with the
common folk; he talked to everyone he met; he always wanted to eat
the same food as the orphans; he gave money to the needy; he always
worked for the poor; he himself gave a helping hand in the
fundraising activities that were organised to support the charitable
institutes; in these activities he did not want to be treated
differently from the other people – if he bought anything he wanted
to pay for it; he used to beg alms for the poor; he himself became
poor.
(ii) An option
for the poor lacking the Good News
From the above,
one may get the impression that De Piro opted only for the poor in
need of material things. But in the previous pages of this thesis it
has already been clearly indicated that even in the very same
charitable institutions, the Servant of God did not cater only for
the material dimension of the orphans or poor children and youths
living or attending there. Even in both the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes and in the Oratory themselves, Monsignor
realised that the children greatly lacked the Good News. And
he did help them even in this.
- The choice between
remaining in Rome in order to go to the “Accademia”, or returning to
Malta where he could start the Society which was expected to help
quelli che difettanto di operai evangelici.
The Servant of God
started the pages of his Diary by saying that after finishing his
studies in Rome he wished to stay at St Joseph’s, Malta.
Almost immediately afterwards he also wrote that an internal feeling
told him that from that Institute, God wanted the setting up of a
Congregation whose members would go even abroad.
Therefore when De Piro preferred coming to Malta rather than staying
at the “Accademia Ecclesiastica”, he did not opt only for the poor
orphaned boys of St Joseph’s. He also favoured the Institute in
order to set up in it a Society for those countries which were poor
of evangelisers.
De Piro registered
the above option in another place in his Diary. He was writing about
his experience in Davos, Switzerland, “Ho continuato intanto durante
tutto il tempo della cura a carezzare le mie ormai divenute antiche
idee. Ma tra il ghiaccio delle Alpi cosi’ lontano dal paese dove
intendevo metterle in effetto non mi restava altro che la preghiera
- mia ottima compagna - ed ho pregato, pregato, pregato”
The country
mentioned here by De Piro was undoubtedly Malta. For him the Island
was therefore the place where he intended to concretise his “… ormai
divenute antiche idee…” In another place in his Diary, the Servant
of God explained what were “his ideas”, “Una Società di missionari
…”
The scope of this Society was going to be, “… Missioni
estere.”
Therefore when De Piro favoured Malta instead of remaining at the
“Accademia”, he opted for the country where he could found a society
which was going to cater for those who were poor of evangelisers or
missionaries. Or one can say that De Piro did not opt for Malta only
in order to go to St Joseph’s Orphanage and there live with other
priests among the poor orphaned boys. He also wanted to start his
Society there; a Society that was to cater for those peoples who
lacked evangelisers.
After being
ordained priest, the Servant of God made another choice. This time
it was not between the “Accademia Ecclesistica” and St Joseph’s,
Malta, the Orphanage where De Piro wished to work for the poor boys
who lived there. It was not even between the “Accademia” and St
Joseph’s, Malta, where he also thought to start a Society the
members of which were to dedicate themselves for the evangelisation
of those who lacked the Good News. These options he had already made
since his retreat for the diaconate. As a newly ordained presbyter,
Fr Joseph had to make another choice. On the one hand he could live
like his brother, Fr Sante, as a priest in his family palace,
surrounded by all the commodities which could be found in noble
surroundings. On the other hand he was faced by the possibility of
being the founder of a Congregation for the evangelisation of the
ad gentes people. De Piro again opted in favour of the poor,
this time those lacking the Good News.
- A choice between
continuing the option of the apostolate with migrants and the more
immediate approval of the Society
If one were to
have a look at Appendix 5
one would immediately realise that De Piro had every reason to put
aside, at least on paper, the Maltese migrants’ apostolate and
present the missions ad gentes as the one and only aim of the
Society. Had he done so he would have undoubtedly acquired what he
wanted so much from Propaganda Fide; if not the Decretum Laudis at
least the affiliation of the Society with the Missions Congregation.
The Founder did explain to his superiors why he always included the
Maltese abroad in the aim of the Society.
At the same time he stuck to his charism and continued implying the
Maltese migrants in the draft constitutions of his Society.
Because of this he had to accept his Society’s affiliation with the
Congregation of Religious.
What helped De
Piro opt for the poor lacking the Good News
- The love of the
Father shown through the Incarnate, suffering, and Eucharistic Son,
the One with a Heart full of love for all
Joseph De Piro can
be said to have been imbued with the love of God the Father,
expressed in a special way through the various mysteries of Jesus
Christ. In his sermons the Servant of God referred very frequently
to the Lord’s incarnation – through it Jesus became one with us.
The passion and death the Son suffered for us, sinners, were the
mysteries that influenced so much the Servant of God himself since
his early youth and countinued helping him move forward all through
his own life.
The Eucharist was for De Piro the continuation of the incarnation -
the Sacrament invented by Jesus and through which he becomes one
with us.
Christ’s Sacred Heart was for the Servant of God nothing less than
the abode of the divine love and therefore that which saves us
continuously.
Being permeated with this divine love, De Piro, personally or
through others, could not but continuously tell his brothers and
sisters, whether the Maltese in Malta, the Maltese migrants or the
ad gentes people, about this same divine love. He also
uninterruptedly evangelised the faith: a faith that embraced the
civilization and the holistic melioration of the human being,
that which introduces liberty in human society,
the giver of life,
and light for humanity.
There is also a
sermon of Monsignor where he showed quite clearly what was his
conception of evangelisation. De Piro was rector of the Maltese
Major Seminary from 1918 up to 1920.
Some time after, a newly ordained priest who had been a seminarian
during those two years, invited the Servant of God to preach the
sermon in his first solemn high mass.
Since De Piro was preaching on the occasion of the feast of a
priest, he presented the teaching of the Good News as the work of
the priest, but from De Piro’s words one can easily see what the
Servant of God understood by evangelisation in itself:
Non può negarsi che la Società … nelle
arti, nelle scienze ed in ogni sorte d’invenzione, a chiunque ama la
prosperità della sua patria non può non compiacersi del suo
incivilimento e del suo progresso - Però per quanto una nazione
abbia camminato nelle vie della civiltà e del progresso, ha sempre
bisogno di una luce che la conduca al porto della gloria. Si
l’insegnamento religioso la è di una assoluta necessità; essa ha
bisogno di essere istruita, ammaestrata, come deve deportarsi al
cospetto di Dio - Ora chi soddisferà a cosi’ forte bisogno? F.D. non
son io che vi risponderò, non sono i filosofi antichi e molto meni i
moderni. È solo lo stesso Gesù Cristo che additandovi il suo messo,
il suo ambasciatore, additandovi il suo sacerdote, vi dice ecco la
luce che vi preserverà dall’errore, ecco la luce che vi condurrà al
porto di salute e di gloria. Sentitelo a G.C. come parla, come
ordina, come comando` (S. Matt. 28) ‘Andate ed ammaestrate.’ Ed in
un altro luogo per confermare questa sua missione cosi’ suggerisse
‘Qui vos audit me audit’ (Luc X) ‘Chi ascolta voi ascolta me’ - Ecco
dunque come si taglia alla società il Sacerdote cattolico essa viene
derubata da ogni bene. Perchè tolto il sacerdote è tolto altresi
Gesù Cristo e dove non regna … Gesù Cristo non vi è luce ma tenebre,
non vi è verità ma errore, non vi è vita ma morte perchè solo Gesù
Cristo può dire come ha detto ‘Ego sum via veritas et vita.’ (S.
Giov. XIV 6) ‘Ego sum veritas.’
F.D. qualunque volta
che l’errore come serpente velenoso incomincia a diffondersi in un
paese, in uno stato, in una nazione ed incomincia ad oscurare le
menti, a guastare e corrompere i cuori, è il sacerdote che grida,
che alza la voce come una tromba, tiene vivo il fuoco sacro della
fede cattolica - Quando trionfa l’egoismo, e vengono maltrattati i
poveri, la vedova e l’orfanello, è il sacerdote che predica il
precetto della carità evangelica e con apostolico coraggio ricorda a
tutti quella giustizia … che attende l’uomo nell’altro mondo. E
quando la corruzione si è introdotta ed ha guastato la famiglia, è
sempre il sacerdote che fa sentire la sera voce e alla sua parola vi
torna la calma, la tranquillità, la pace, quell’ordine,
quell’armonia che rimette la famiglia sul diritto sentiero e la
innalza alla sua pristina dignità. - È il sacerdote che chiama alla
sua scuola le moltitudini, i popoli, il sacerdote che parla, parla
ai giovani e ai vecchi, parla ai grandi, e ai piccoli, ai ricchi e
ai poveri, al sapiente, all’ignorante, al sovrano ed al suddito:
parla ed alla sua parola tutto diventa sacro: sacri i fanciulli,
sacro il popolo, sacra l’autorità, perchè il sacerdote grida
indistintamente, amate Dio, amatevi a vicenda, seguite la virtù,
fuggite il male.
When one reads
these words of De Piro, one can already understand why he opted so
much for those brothers and sisters who lacked the Good News!
(iii) An option
for those in immediate need
In some of De
Piro’s options for the poor it was quite clear that the Servant of
God had still another option; while following or living a particular
option for some poor, Monsignor did not hesitate to live another
option: he always chose those in the most immediate and urgent need;
after always choosing the poor, he then chose those who were in the
most imminent need; he had a scale of priorities in his preferences
of the poor. The Sette Giugno events are a case in point. By
1919 De Piro was dedicated to the poor orphans of Fra Diegu
Institute. He was also very dedicated to those who were in need of
learning the Good News, whether the Maltese in Malta, the Maltese
migrants or the ad gentes people. But when on the 7, 8, and 9
June 1919, the Maltese asked his help in order that they could
acquire their basic needs, he left everything and for three days he
dedicated himself completely for them.
What helped De
Piro opt for the most immediate need
- De Piro’s
adaptability
There seemed to be
in the Servant of God a virtue that helped him a lot to live in this
way: his adaptability. The De Piro family house was one of the rich
palaces in Mdina. Yet the Servant of God adapted to several other
completely different environments, so much so that he was able to
live in the ecclesiastical charitable institutes,
in the old house which had to hospitalise the Gozo St Joseph’s boys,
in the first small and very poor houses of the Society,
and in the not yet finished St Agatha’s Motherhouse in Rabat, Malta.
When he was preparing to open St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo, he
thought of a private celebration.
But it happened that while he was in the House, helping in the
preparation for the opening, the first floor gave way and the
Servant of God fell through to the ground floor, so much so that he
had to spend some days of convalescence.
The inauguration date was transferred to another day.
Not only. From a private celebration it turned to be a moderately
solemn occasion: the Director invited the Diocesan Bishop, several
Monsignori, the parishpriests, the local clergy, the Governor
General, members of parliament, the benfactors, and the public in
general.
On this occasion De Piro also delivered two speeches, one to the
Bishop and the other one to the Governor General.
When thinking of the foundation of the Society the Servant of God
was open for any suggestion from the side of Archbishop Peter Pace.
When Pace gave him a letter he had received from the Mill Hill
superior General, De Piro was prepared even to open a minor seminary
for the formation of the boys for the missions.
He kept a dialogue with his companion priests, especially Frs George
Bugeja and John Mamo.
De Piro discussed each step forward with Mgr Peter La Fontaine and
did as was told by this big friend and benefactor of his.
From the contents of his sermons he seemed to adapt a lot to the
kind of congregation he had listening to him.
(iv) A personal
involvement
De Piro’s options
for the poor of some sort or other did not stop at the moments when
he made these same choices; he continued involving himself
personally even throughout the process of their concretisation.
To the six ecclesiastical charitable institutes under his care
or the B’Kara Oratory, he paid regular visits, in some more than in
the others; he was not rarely personally present in each one of
them.
When some families of children of the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes who had some trouble or who had some member sick, De Piro
personally visited these families and himself did his best to help.
As regards the old girls of the institutes he personally worked for
their well being through the Sacred Heart Laboratory.
He was also personally present in Parliament on 21 February 1933 to
defend the well being of the institutes’ girls.
He personally wrote more than once to the Archbishop asking the
money of some legacy for some girl or other of the Institutes.
He was so much personally involved with the employees of St Joseph’s
that he himself wanted to pay their wages. This shows that he knew
well their financial situation and helped them when there was the
need.
In the case of the Sette Giugno 1919 riots he was there
personally for the well being of the Maltese in general, for the
employees, and for their families.
He was also there on the 9 June of that same year to defend the
interests of the Archbishop.
He was also personally there when accepting to make part of the
Committee “Pro Maltesi Morti e Feriti per la Causa Nazionale il 7
Giugno del 1919”.
As regards the evangelisation to the Maltese in Malta De Piro was
continuously involved in preaching.
He himself started the publication of the “Saint Paul: Almanac of
the Institute of the Missions” and uninterruptedly wrote most of the
material of the 1922-1933 editions.
De Piro personally took care of the promotion of the cathecism
classes in several places: in Mtarfa by going himself to teach the
children of that poor Rabat suburb;
in the ecclesiastical charitable institutes by personally checking
the teaching of catechism and himself examining the boys and girls
of these institutes;
in the first House of the Society in Mdina by paying visits
to the boys who attended there;
and at the B’Kara Oratory by going regularly there himself.
As regards the Maltese migrants he personally visited the
Maltese in Tunis
and Carthage.
In the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”, he
himself wrote articles about the Maltese abroad.
He himself
struggled to find nuns and diocesan or religous priests who could
accompany the Maltese in the far away countries.
As regards the ad gentes missions he assiduously published
the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions” for 12
whole years and wrote the articles about the missionary activity of
the Church.
This, while carrying on the many other responsibilities he had. He
was undoubtedly personally involved in the foundation and first
years of his missionary Society.
He planned to go himself to the Abyssinia mission.
He himself lost a lot when he sent Br Joseph Caruana to Abyssinia.
What helped De
Piro be personally involved
- The incarnate
Jesus
Reference has
already been made to some words De Piro used in order to refer to
the incarnation of the Son of God.
These expressions which Monsignor used in his written sermons about
God’s coming personally among us in order to help us be saved, are
already a clear indication of one of the main models Monsignor had
in him for his personal involvement when helping his needy brothers
and sisters. Here are some other such phrases, again taken from his
sermons: “Verbo umanato”,
“incarnazione del Verbo”,
“Dio fatto uomo”,
“si fece uomo”
“discendi fra noi”,
“amore divino sceso dal cielo”
“scendere dal Cielo Iddio onnipotente per divenire uomo come noi”
“Gesù Bambino”
“nacque Bambino”
“nato Messia”
“l’incarnazione del Verbo”
“(il) Verbo che loro comandò di adorare nell’unione ipostatica colla
natura umana”
“nell’incarnazione la natura divina è unita alla natura umana”
and “la presenza di Dio in mezzo a noi”.
- Jesus in the
Eucharist
Without doubt
Jesus personally present in the Eucharist was another model for De
Piro and his personal involvement in his charity towards the needy.
The Eucharistic expressions he used in his written sermons, prove
this. Some of them are made up of only a few words: “L’ultimo
termine consiste nell’unione più intima con noi …,”
“… nell’Eucaristia si unisce a ciascuno di noi …,”
“…quel Gesù, di Betlehem, Nazareth, vita pubblica, passione, morte,
Gloria, sta dentro di te, ed il tuo palpito è il tuo,”
“Quello che Gesù fa per unirsi a noi,”
“… noi che abbiamo il Dio nostro cosi’ vicino a noi nel Santissimo
Sagramento dell’altare non in figura - non in ombre ma in realtà,”
“…come il Re’ in mezzo ai suoi sudditi come un padre in mezzo ai
suoi amati figli - come un Pastore in mezzo alle sue pecorelle …,”
“…si è compiacuto di stare con noi…,”
“Ma nell’Eucaristia, ma nella Comunione, l’anime nostra diviene una
sola cosa coll’anima di Gesù, lo spirito suo diviene una sola cosa
collo spirito nostro,”
“…in me manet et ego in illo vivit in aeternum,”
“…Gesù è con noi …,”
“…ego vobisum sum …,”
“…nel tabernacolo abita con noi la Sapienza incarnata,”
“…Gesù … arde continuamente dal desiderio di unirsi a noi,”
“…un re che visita i suoi sudditi …”
Other De Piro quotations about Jesus who becomes personally one with
us in the Eucharist are longer:
‘ego vobiscum sum, omnibus diebus,
usque ad consummationem saeculi.’ Io sono con voi per tutti i giorni
sino al terminar dei secoli. Si S. Agostino ce lo lascio scritto che
l’Eucaristia non è altro che l’estensione dell’Incarnazione e perciò
lo stesso fine dell’incarnazione, della passione e della morte di
N.S. è anche il fine dell’Eucaristia. Anzi l’Eucaristia è il
compimento dell’Incarnazione. Ora questo fine è divinamente espresso
nel Simbolo che si dice nella Messa, ivi dunque è detto che il
Figlio di Dio è disceso dal Cielo e si è fatto uomo. ‘Propter nos
homines et propter nostram salutem.’ ed altrove lo stesso Gesù ci
dice ‘Ego veni ut vitam habeaut et abumdantius habeant.’
… la Comunione è l’unione più stretta
che la creatura possa contrarse con Dio. Si fine ultimo
dell’Eucaristia è l’unione dell’uomo a Dio… ma questo solo
(l’eucaristia) ha l’unione per suo oggetto immediato.
Questo entra nella sostanza del nostro
corpo, diviene il nostro sangue e le nostre ossa; si cangia in quel
cervello con cui pensiamo ed in quel cuore con cui amiamo. È in
questo modo che si compie la nostra unione con Gesù come elemento
(permettetemi la parola) più forte attira noi a se e ci assorbe come
l’elemento piùforte attira ed assorbe l’elemento più debole ed ecco
perchè al tempo della Comunione ciascuno di noi con vertià può dire
con San Paolo "Vivo ego, iam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus." Io
vivo ma non son io che vivo ma è Gesù Cristo che vive in me …
Ora l’azione, il fine del fuoco è di
investire talmente di sua virtù gli oggetti a cui s’appiglia che più
non si distinguono dal fuoco medesimo. E gli effetti che produce
differiscono dalla diversità degli oggetti sottoposti alla sua
azione cosi’ p.e.
~ riscalda, mette in ebollizione,
scioglie in vapore l’acqua
~ dissecca, avvampa, carbonizzi,
incenerisce il legno
~ assoventa, ammollisce e liquiefa il
ferro.
Ora applichiamo questo principio a
ciò che stiamo trattando. Nell’Eucatistia questo fuoco dell’amore
divino di natura sua investe totalmente tutti coloro che
comunicandosi si appressano a lui e si sottomettono alla sua azione.
È quello stesso Gesù
ceh poche ore prima di morire nel cenacolo di Sion in mezzo ai suoi
discepoli istitui questo sacramento, e mutò la sostanza del pane e
del vino nel corpo e sangue suo prezioso per poter restare con noi,
perchè la sua delizia è di restare con noi ‘Deliciae meae esse con
filius hominum.’
…in questo sacramento
che Gesù si mostra qual padre che dona se stesso ai propri figli -
qual pastore che non è contento di aver dato la propria vita per le
sue pecorelle ma continua a pascerle colle stesse sue carni e poi do
l’ultimo e sommo grado dell’amore sta nell’unione tra l’amante e
l’oggetto amato; quale unione più grande e più intima di quella che
passa tra Gesù e l’anima che si comunica?
(v) In unity
with others
From the above,
one may get the impression that De Piro lived his charity on his
own. The reality was not so. On 5 April 1902 De Piro wrote in his
diary that the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, had tried more
than once to persuade him to continue his studies at the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica dei Nobili”.
But according to the Servant of God himself, in the retreat before
his diaconate, which started on 11 December 1901, he had already
decided to abandon the idea of the “Accademia” and instead go to St
Joseph’s Orphanage, Malta.
In the same entry of his Diary he said that he had arrived at this
decision after making another
of his pros and cons discernment exercises.
It is interesting to note that among the reasons in favour of St
Joseph’s Home, De Piro put down these words, “2. L’amore di vivere
in communità di persone ecclesiastiche e perciò sento dover essere
contento in compagnia dei due sacerdoti, che già stanno in direzione
della Casa di San Giuseppe.”
At this early age
of 24, and even before his being ordained deacon, Joseph De Piro was
already showing that for him it was not enough to do pastoral work,
but that he wanted to do it in communion with others. In the case of
the ecclesiastical charitable institutes De Piro’s unity was
undoubtedly practiced first and foremost with the Bishops of Malta
and Gozo. Since his first year of studies in Rome, the Servant of
God had thought that after finishing his theology he would ruturn to
Malta and settle at St Joseph’s Institute.
He continued cultivating this thought, but in his diary the Servant
of God wrote about his wish to be continuously united with the
Archbishop “… dichiarandomi peraltro pronto ad ubbidirlo.”
St Joseph’s,
Malta, was most important for De Piro. Besides wishing to live there
with other priests,
an internal feeling had told him that at St Joseph’s a Congregation
under the patronage of St Paul would be born.
In fact, once back in Malta in 1904, he immediately tried to find
other priests who could join him.
In 1907 the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, did not nominate
the Servant of God to St Joseph’s. Instead, he asked him to go to
Fra Diegu, an Institute for girls.
De Piro obeyed and, in unity with his ecclesiastical superior,
started his apostolate there.
Fifteen years passed since De Piro had been made Director of Fra
Diegu. Another Institute was entrusted to the care of the Servant of
God. Again, it was not St Joseph’s, but the Jesus of Nazareth
Orphanage.
Again, this Institute was a Home for girls, and therefore Monsignor
could never get any vocation from there for his nascent Society. In
spite of this, De Piro accepted, only because he wanted to
collaborate with his Archbishop, this time Mauro Caruana.
It was only at the sudden death of Fr George Bugeja, the Director of
St Joseph’s, on 23 November 1922, that Mgr De Piro was nominated to
take responsibility of that Home.
The Servant of God did as before; being determined to be one with
Archbishop Caruana, he obeyed and took over St Joseph’s, Malta. The
unity of De Piro with Gozo’s Bishop Michael Gonzi could be noticed
quite clearly in the continuous contact there was, in one way or
another, between His Excellency and the Servant of God, both before
and after the opening of St Joseph’s, Gozo.
At first there was some lack of agreement between His Excellency and
De Piro on some points of the statutes written by Gonzi, but after
some meetings and a bit of correspondence, Gonzi accepted De Piro’s
views
and St Joseph’s, Gozo, was opened on 21 May 1925.
On that day the Director delivered a speech addressed to the Bishop.
His words there continued showing his bond with Gonzi:
… qual sempre siamo E.
R. ad onorarla ed esternarla il culto che conserviamo in cuor nostro
verso la Sua Venerata Persona …ci sentiamo oltremodo contenti che
spetta a noi l’onorevole ufficio di salutarla per la prima volta in
questo luogo … E non sia mai che noi su questo foglio omettessimo
l’espressione del sentimento contrario. Vivissime grazie pertanto
siano rese dinanzi a tutti a V. E. per la generosità ed abnegazione
con cui accolse nella Sua Diocesi questa nuova sezione della Casa di
san Giuseppe di Hamrun …
De Piro was close
to the Foundress of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute,
Guzeppina Curmi. Mother Teresa Degabriele, one of the first members
of the Institute, testified that, “The Monsignor used to come to our
Institute once a month. After having lunch with us we used to spend
some time talking together. I, Mother Teresa, was in Hamrun. When De
Piro came to our Institute, the Foundress used to inform me. I used
to go to Zejtun and both of us met the Monsignor.”
Sr Scolastica Pace confirmed this in her 2 March 1992 testimony.
Before taking over
St Joseph’s, Malta, the Servant of God was in continuous communion
both with Fr Emmanuel Vassallo and with Fr George Bugeja, his
predecessors in the direction of the Institute. He was still in Rome
for his studies and from there he wrote regularly to Vassallo.
With Bugeja, De Piro had a lot of contact because of the Society the
latter wanted to set up.
When Fr George became Director of St Joseph’s, Malta, the Servant of
God himself substituted him when he had to be away for about a
month.
At other times, after the Servant of God had founded his Society,
there was so much contact between Bugeja and De Piro that the latter
more than once sent the members of his Society to St Joseph’s to
substitute the Freres De La Salle with the boys.
Within the context
of the ecclesiastical charitable institutes the Servant of God was
also continuously one with those who were in charge of the day to
day running of these same Homes. He collaborated so much with the
Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus in their care of the Fra
Diegu girls that these Sisters sought his help even in matters
regarding their own religious Congregation.
Again, the bond that existed between the Servant of God and the
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth helped these religious to seek De
Piro’s help for the foundation and first years of their
Congregation.
This relation between the Servant of God and the Jesus of Nazareth
Sisters helped the former entrust the new Home for babes near St
Joseph’s, Malta, to the care of these nuns.
Hand in hand with the members of his Society Monsignor worked for
the orphaned boys of St Joseph, Malta and Gozo.
De Piro had been
chosen as the first of four Monsignori to represent the Cathedral
Chapter in the National Assembly of 1918-1921, led by Sir Filippo
Sceberras, to write a draft constitution for Malta.
On 25 February 1919 De Piro met the other members of the National
Assembly for their first session.
On 7 June of the same year the members met for the second time.
While the members attended this meeting, in the streets of Valletta
the tragic riots of 7, 8, and 9 June 1919 started to unfold.
The Assembly members were asked to help calm down the angry mob.
There were 270 members in the National Assembly,
but only a handful offered themselves.
The Servant of God was one of these few ones.
He collaborated with this small group and together with them
mediated for the acquisition of peace.
In the first
houses of the Society, the Founder worked hand in hand with
the members in order to give a good catechetical preparation to the
boys of Mdina and Rabat.
The Director, and again the members of his Society, collaborated
together in the teaching of catechism to the boys of St Joseph’s,
Malta.
At Fra Diegu Institute the Servant of God was one with the
Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus in the catechetical
instructions given to the girls there.
De Piro, the members of his Society and the laity worked together to
give a good basic catechetical formation to the boys who attended
the Oratory of B’Kara.
For the teaching of catechism in B’Kara, the Oratory’s Director also
sought the collaboration of the MUSEUM members.
De Piro wanted to
set up a Society which, at least in terms of time, had to work first
and foremost among the Maltese migrants.
But until it could grow up and provide the evangelisers for the
Maltese abroad, the Founder cooperated with those who wrote to him
on behalf of the Maltese migrants by collaborating with diocesan and
religious priests and helped some of these to go abroad with their
conationals.
The Servant of God
was one with the anonymous millions and millions of persons who
still lacked the Good News by working for the setting up of a
Society whose main aim was evangelisation in ad gentes
countries.
He also collaborated with these millions and millions of persons by
publishing in his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions” many articles about the ad gentes missionary
activity of the Church.
He was so much one with Fr Ang Mizzi OfmCap., and the other Capuchin
Friars in Abyssinia, that he really worked hard to find some member
of the Society to go there.
After Br Joseph Caruana was chosen,
and in fact went to Ethiopia,
the Founder did not stop sending him letters.
The Servant of God also worked for the setting up of the Laboratorio
Sant’Agata and the Missionary Museum in order to guarantee the
material and spiritual support to Br Caruana.
To these activities one must add the many articles De Piro published
in the Almanac related in one way or another to the missionary
activity of Br Joseph.
De Piro returned
to Malta from Switzerland on 2 March 1904.
Although some three years had passed since his diaconate retreat
mentioned above,
De Piro’s wish to live in community was still burning in his heart
and mind. In fact on 9 January 1905 he consulted with his spiritual
director, Fr Ferrara, and asked him whether he had to share with Fr
Emmanuel Vassallo, the director of St Joseph’s Institute, his wishes
about his going to live with him at the Orphanage.
Ferrara encouraged De Piro to talk to Vassallo.
Fr Joseph met Fr Emmanuel in Valletta on 16 January 1905 and he
talked to him for the first time about his “idea”.
Since the wish of the Servant of God included even the foundation of
a missionary Society,
it was not that easy for the Director of St Joseph’s to immediately
invite De Piro to go and stay with him at the Institute. Also,
Vassallo ended up his mission at the Orphanage in 1905 and was
succeeded by Fr George Bugeja as director. To the latter, De Piro
talked about his project on 10 December 1906.
Again some time passed and little was done. It was only on 19
February 1907 that De Piro and Bugeja decided something quite
significant. They agreed that if they were to invite any other
priest to join them they would not mention the vows, but, “… la
formazione della comunita.”
Some other time
passed and both De Piro and Bugeja did their best to find other
priests who could join them.
To one of the priests who showed himself interested, De Piro said
this on 26 January 1909, “… che l’opera doveva incominciar colla
vita in comunità.”
The Servant of God
continued mentioning community living and not the vows. On 1 August
1909 he did this when he formulated the first draft of the
profession that was supposed to be done by the members of his future
Society:
In Nome del Padre, del
Figliuolo e dello Spirito Santo, Cosi’ sià.
Promettiamo innanzi a
Dio, alla Beata Vergine Assunta in Cielo ed a San Paolo Apostolo di
formar parte della Piccola Compagnia di San Paolo appena ottentuta
l’opportuna autorizzazione dalla Santa Sede.
Scopo della Compagnia
è quello di formare dei Missionarii ed inviarli ove occorrono.
La Compagnia
considererà come proprio il libro degli Esercizi Spirituali di S.
Ignazio di Loyola dal quale estrrrà le proprie regole e
constituzioni.
On 7 August 1905
Fr Joseph wrote that his Society “… se coll’aiuto di Dio e della
Vergine si arriverà all’erezione di corpo regolare, questo deve
essere perfettamente tale.”
For a society to be regular the members had to profess the vows. In
fact in 1915 the Founder introduced the promise of the vows in the
profession formula of the first two members of his Society. But he
kept also the community aspect.
In the CIC (1917),
or better in the commentaries to this Code, there was the use of the
phrase “community life”, but it was nothing more than “common life”:
“In every organisation the community life shall be followed
faithfully by all, even in those things pertaining to food, clothing
and furniture…”
It was then mentioned again in CIC (1917) 2389, but here only the
violation of community life and the punishment to be incurred were
presented. In many of the sections of the Original
Constitutions of our Society, De Piro put down here and there
several articles which were intended to help the community living,
but the Founder never used the word “community”, except in the
section about the librarian.
Only the phrase “common life” is to be found. Obviously one
cannot therefore find a particular section about the community
aspect in the Original Constitutions. At the same time the Servant
of God wrote a whole section about charity.
This can be considered without hesitation as the section about the
community living.
De Piro, started
the section about charity with these words:
Tutti devono essere
persuasi della grande necessità di mantenere fra noi il più stretto
vincolo di scambievole carità. Infatti quanto più uniti, saranno fra
loro i membri della nostra Compagnia, altrettanto questa si mostrerà
più vigorosa, e sarà ognora più atta alle imprese della gloria di
Dio e salute delle anime.
In 1901 De Piro
had mentioned his wish to live personally in community with other
priests. From 1905 up to 1907 he laboured, in communion with other
priests, to set up a missionary society. In 1907 he decided,
together with another priest, to set up a society of priests living
in community. This he insisted upon even in 1909.
Then coming to the Constitutions of his Society, the Founder wanted
to make the members realise that the heart of all their apostolate
must be the unity among them. This is what he emphasised again in
his spiritual testament:
Ed intanto raccomando
a tutti i membri indistintamente della Compagnia di S.Paolo, siano
essi superiori o sudditi, ad usare tutte le loro sante premure per
mantenere tra di loro la mutua carità in Cristo tenendosi per
persuasi che nulla potrà maggiormente procurare la gloria di Dio, la
prosperità della Compagnia, il bene spirituale proprio e del
prossimo, quanto la conservazione della stessa giusta le parole di
S. Paolo Nostro Padre ‘Charitas vero aedificat’ I Cor.
What helped De
Piro love in unity with others
- His leadership
The Servant of God
possessed certain virtues that helped him a lot to live and act
continuously in union with others. He was a true leader by nature
and therefore one who could work with others. To the Inquest
Commission, set up by the British Government to investigate the
events of the Sette Giugno 1919, Advocate Caruana Gatto
testified that although he himself was the leader of the mediators
between the angry Maltese and the civil administration, it was
Monsignor who had this role de facto.
It was De Piro who told Caruana Gatto and Serafin Vella, another
lawyer, that the three of them had to go and tell the people to stop
their aggressive rampage because it would not help their good cause.
On the 9 June 1919, it was Bishop Angelo Portelli, Apostolic
Administrator of the Archdiocese of Malta, who declared Mgr De Piro
a leader of the Maltese.
- Delegated
responsibilities
During the years
he spent at St Joseph’s, Malta, Nazzareno Attard could notice that
the Director delegated the various responsibilities related to the
administration of the Institute,
“I
know that work at St. Joseph’s Institute was well organized and
everyone knew who was responsible for what.”
At St Joseph’s, Gozo, De Piro chose Fr
Michael Callus, one of the first members of his Society, as his
delegate in the administration of the Institute.
- Did not
mince words
In the report
mentioned above, the Servant of God, as Rector of the Mayor Seminary
at Mdina, showed that he was worried about the ever worsening
situation of the satisfaction of the basic needs of the seminarians.
At one moment he referred to the evening meal that was becoming
poorer and poorer.
This situation was caused by the increasing cost of living in Malta.
It was the year just after the riots of the Sette Giugno
1919, which were sparked amongs others by the lack of basic needs of
the Maltese.
The Rector therefore highlighted the need of a resident treasurer so
that the provision for these needs could be better guaranteed.
He was considering the improvement of this aspect as so important
for the seminarians that he addressed these strong and quite clear
words to the Archbishop: “ …per provvedere immancabilmente e con
urgenza, presentandole, suo malgrado, l’alternativa di chiudere il
Seminario in caso d’impossibilità.”
And there were 35 seminarians at the Seminary!
Joseph De Piro can rightly be called
the father of the orphaned boys and girls of the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes. Also, he was so much faithful and loyal to
his ecclesiastical superiors that while not yet ordained a priest,
Mgr Peter Pace had encouraged him to continue his studies for a
dipomatic career in the Church,
and then nominated him as Director of Fra Diegu Institute.
Besides many other responsibilities,
Archbishop Mauro Caruana chose him as his private secretary.
In spite of his unique dedication to the charitable insitutes and
his great respect for the Church’s hierarchy, the Servant of God did
not hesitate to express his objections to Bishop Michael Gonzi
before accepting the direction of St Joseph’s, Gozo. When things
were not yet clear for him he did not hesitate to ask Fr Joseph
Hili, the representative of the Gozo parishpriests, for clearer
terms.
While in the original statutes Gonzi presented the Gozo Institute as
under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary,
De Piro wanted it to be affiliated to St Joseph’s, Malta, and
therefore himself becoming its superior.
The Servant of God also wanted to introduce the members of his
Society as responsible for the day to day running of the Home.
Also the numerus clausus mentioned by Bishop Gonzi in his
original statutes
was another thing not accepted by the Servant of God.
De Piro was quite clear: had these articles of the original statutes
remained unchanged, he would not have accepted the direction of St
Joseph’s Institute, Gozo.
The Servant of God had long felt the
need of some sort of shelter and a workshop for the girls who ended
up their term in some ecclesiastical charitable institute.
After a lot of fatigue he succeeded in finding a place and started
the Sacred Heart Laboratory.
For its day to day running there was a certain Maria Assunta Borg.
At one moment the latter started thinking that she was the one
responsible for the Laboratory while De Piro was the real director.
Although Monsignor had worked
so much for its beginning, when matters
came to a head he did not hesitate to terminate Borg’s term of
office … and close the Laboratory.
After the Maltese general elections of
11, 12 and 13 June 1932, Archbishop Mauro Caruana chose Mgr Joseph
De Piro as one of the clergy representatives in the Maltese Senate.
The Servant of God remained senator until the end of that short
legislature, 23 July 1933. During these months he intervened only
twice.
On 21 February 1933 he made his second intervention. On this
occasion he did not mince his words. He told the senators that what
had to be considered an issue of morality was dragged to the
political arena and was being discussed within this context.
While the Senate was debating the age when the girls had to be
allowed to work in bars, the Servant of God most explicitly said
that they did not have to be allowed to work there at any age,
whatsoever.
After praising the good intentions of the Minister of Police, De
Piro showed that according to him the Minister’s intentions were not
clear.
He addressed the Minister himself and in direct words asked him to
use his power and see to it that there be an implementation of this
law.
When it came to the aim of his Society,
the Founder was very clear: he wanted it to work in ad gentes
countries.
At the same time he continuously said that he wanted it to arrive at
this by first evangelising the Maltese migrants.
Were he a person who played with words he would have put aside the
migrants’ apostolate and mentioned only the ad gentes
missions … and he would have got, if not the decretum laudis, at
least his affiliation with Propaganda Fide immediately. But De Piro
was not like this; he was always clear in his words.
- De Piro
respected the roles of others
Peter Camilleri,
one of the old boys of St Joseph’s, Gozo, testified that on his part
the Director respected the role of those responsible for the House,
“He did not like to interfere with the administration of the
Home, but left it to the superior who was in charge.”
A little while after the same Camilleri said also that,
“As regards the rest, the Servant of God, did not interfere in the
things mentioned; it was more probable that he gave a free hand to
those responsible for the running of the Home.”
- De Piro’s ability to relate well with the
employees of the entities under his care
Together with the
members of De Piro’s Society there were some lay employees at St
Joseph’s, Gozo. Carmelo Gauci was the cook there. He could say how
the Director behaved in relation to the employees,
“Another time I suspected that
certain individuals were meeting the Administration of the Gozo
Curia to dismiss me. De Piro showed me that he was aware of this,
and he accertained me that he would help me to keep my
job.”
Further on he also said:
He also showed
interest in the health of his employees. In fact when I was at the
Institute and fell ill, De Piro came to see me in bed. He inquired
about my illness and in order to see what could be done for me he
said he was ready to take me to a doctor, who was a relative of his.
As a result a short time after this Fr. Karm took me to Malta to see
a certain Professor Debono, who though not related to De Piro
examined me very carefully and gave me the necessary help.
- His ability to
seek the help of others
If De Piro was
able to cooperate with others and helped them in their work, he
himself did not hesitate to ask others to support him in his
apostolates. As regards the ecclesiastical charitable institutes
under his care the Servant of God sought the cooperation of
government ministries in order to get special financial concessions
or some other particular permit.
For the day to day running of these institutions the Director
continuously asked the help of the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart
of Jesus,
the Jesus of Nazareth Sisters
and the members of his Society.
He sought the help of school teachers and instructors to educate and
train the boys and girls of these institutes.
At times the Director asked for the help also of old boys and girls
of these same institutions.
Since these Homes depended on charity, the Servant of God asked for
the material support of rich families,
businessmen,
and the common folk.
At times he even asked for the cooperation of his mother.
For the daily running of the Sacred Heart Laboratory he accepted the
help of Maria Assunta Borg.
In relation to the Oratory, at B’Kara, he again asked for the help
of the government ministries for certain permits, financial
concessions, etc.
Similarly, as regards the daily running of the Oratory he sought the
help of the members of his Society.
When De Piro
started thinking about the foundation of the Society, he consulted
with his spiritual directors, Fr Vincent Sammut sj
and Fr Ferrara sj.
He talked to his friends Mgr Francesco Bonnici,
Frs Emanuel Vassallo,
George Bugeja
and John Mamo.
He referred to the Apostolic Visitor to Malta, Mgr Peter La
Fontaine,
and Malta’s Archbishop, Peter Pace.
After the foundation of his Society, the Servant of God continued
seeking the help of his friends Mgr Emmanuel Vassallo,
Mgr La Fontaine
and that of Mgr Angelo Portelli, the Apostolic Administrator of
Malta,
Mgrs Peter Pace,
and Mauro Caruana,
the Archbishop of Malta, Vatican officials,
the canons of the Rabat Collegiate Chapter from whom at one moment
he asked temporary lodging for his Society,
the Maltese Jesuits for the secondary education of the members.
He asked the Augustinian Fathers for help with the literary,
philosophical and theological studies of the members,
and for a formator for the spiritual and religious formation of the
junior members.
He asked various speakers to talk to the members about the
missionary aspect of their life,
and Maltese migrants, their chaplains and other missionaries for
their prayers for the Society.
He sought the help of some lay people like Alphonse Maria Galea,
and the generosity of the benefactors for prayers and financial
help.
Not to mention the support he sought from his mother, Ursola.
- He was able to
dialogue
It was since his early teens that
Joseph De Piro showed his ability to dialogue. Jerome De Piro, one
of the nephews of the Servant of God, testified that when his uncle
felt the first inclinations towards the priesthood, he discussed
this with his father.
Some years passed and the Servant of
God decided in favour of the priesthood. He therefore went to Rome
and started his studies of philosophy and theology. In his second
summer holidays he came to Malta and while here he discussed with
Mgr Emmanuel Vassallo, the Director of St Joseph’s, his wish to live
at the Institute after his priestly ordination.
During the retreat at the beginning of the scholastic year 1901-1902
he even talked to Padre Gualandi, his spiritual director, about his
going to the Orphanage.
Archbishop Peter Pace had been trying
to persuade Joseph to continue his studies at the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica”.
De Piro was determined not to go there.
In fact he wrote to the Archbishop expressing his wish.
At the same time he showed himself open to know and accept His
Excellency’s will.
After being ordained priest and
spending some seven years in Malta, Fr Joseph found out that
Archbishop Pace had nominated him Monsignor of the Metropolitan
Chapter.
On his part De Piro told His Excellency that for more than one
reason he did not want to become Canon.
At the same time he was ready to respect the Archbishop’s will.
In 1925 De Piro was asked by the Gozo
parishpirests to start and direct St Joseph’s Institute in their
Diocese.
Before this request, Mgr Michael Gonzi, the local Ordinary, had
prepared the Statutes
which were sent to the Servant of God.
De Piro did not like some of the articles of these Statutes.
In fact he was going to accept the direction of that Institute only
if the Statutes were changed.
But this in itself offered an opportunity for De Piro to dialogue
with Gonzi and the parishpriests, so much so that after some
correspondence between the two sides,
Gonzi, De Piro and the parishpriests came to an agreement and the
Servant of God became the first Director of St Joseph’s, Gozo.
It seemed that it was with Padre
Gualandi that Joseph talked for the first time about the foundation
of a congregation.
On 2 March 1904, Fr Joseph returned to Malta for good and he
immediately started meeting other priests with whom he discussed his
plans about the foundation of the Society.
On 29 September 1908 he started a similar discussion with Archbishop
Peter Pace.
The Servant of God was so open to dialogue with His Excellency that
on the same occasion he asked Pace whether he blessed the project.
Also, the Archbishop mentioned a letter written by the Mill Hill
Superior General and promised to send it to him.
The project mentioned in the letter was not similar to that of De
Piro, but the latter wanted so much to dialogue that he showed
himself ready to abandon his original “idea” and address his
energies towards the foundation of the seminary mentioned in the
letter.
On 2 November 1909 he even discussed his plans with Mgr Peter La
Fontaine, who visited Fra Diegu Institute as Apostolic Visitor.
As regards the development of the Society, De Piro continued to
dialogue both with the local and Vatican authorities
and with his companion priests.
But the Servant of God dialogued not
only with his superiors or equals. In 1922 De Piro was made Director
of St Joseph’s, Malta.
Immediately after his nomination, there arrived at the Institute a
letter addressed to Fr George Bugeja, Monsignor’s predecessor as
director of the Orphanage.
In it Mr Costantino Gatt, an emigrant in San Francisco California,
U.S.A., invited Bugeja to send to America those St Joseph’s boys who
wanted to find work in that country.
Since Fr George had just died, De Piro, being the new Director, was
the one to handle the letter. The first thing he did was exactly a
dialogue with the eldest boys of the Institute; he shared with them
the contents of the letter in order to know the boys’ opinion.
Round about the year 1914 the Founder
was trying to write down the first formal set of rules for his
Society. Fr John Vella, one of the first two youths who joined De
Piro on 30 June 1910, testified that while writing the first formal
draft of the constitutions the Servant of God used to call around
him the members and tell them what he was writing.
As the years passed by, it was the
Founder himself who felt the need to ask the Archbishop of Malta to
give him the possibility to choose two members of his Society to
constitute with him the general council. According to De Piro
himself these two members were expected to help him especially with
the choice of the new entrants and the preservation of the spirit of
the Society.
- De Piro’s
gratitude and appreciation
De Piro’s gratitude and appreciation
were two virtues so dear to the Servant of God that in the speech
addressed to Bishop Gonzi at the opening and blessing of St
Joseph’s, Gozo, he said this, “Vien detto che l’ingratitudine è un
peccato tanto grande, che nessun legislatore umano abbia maì trovato
una pena condegna, ma che questa è riservata unicamente al
legislatore Eterno …”
These two virtues were among those
which helped De Piro live and work in unity with others. His
gratitude made him recognise and appreciate whatever was done to him
personally. Helen Muscat was an old girl of Fra Diegu Institute.
When she was going to be married she invited the Servant of God to
bless her wedding. On her wedding day he told her, “I am so happy
that I have come here. The old girls have never invited me to bless
their wedding. This is the first wedding I have ever celebrated for
the old girls.”
Srs Consiglia Vassallo and Felice Vella, of Fra Diegu Institute,
said that, “On his 25 anniversary of his being director of the
Institute he was given lace for his vestment as a gift. With great
simplicity he wore it in order to show how pleased he was with it.”
During De Piro’s two years as rector of
the Major Seminary, and on his birthday or feast day, the
seminarians used to organise some small feast in his honour.
A similar thing was done by the members of his Society.
Not to mention the Institutes under his care.
On such occasions he showed a lot of appreciation for what was done
in his name.
Monsignor’s virtue of gratitude made
him appreciate and recognise all the efforts made by persons who
before him had wished to initiate projects similar to those he
himself started or was directing. In the inaugural speech at the
opening of St Joseph’s, Gozo, the Servant of God reminded those
present of Mgr Peter Pace who had been Bishop of Gozo, Fr George
Bugeja of St Joseph’s, Malta, and all those who before De Piro had
wished to set up an Orphanage in Gozo.
In the very short speech with which he greeted Archbishop Peter Pace
at the blessing and opening ceremony of the first House of his
Society, the Servant of God dedicated a whole paragraph to those
zelous members of the Maltese clergy who before him had thought to
found a similar Society: Mgrs Francis Bonnici and Emmanuel Debono.
Monsignor was thankful to the founders
of the institutions under his care. In his will he wrote that he
left the money for a mass to be said on 13 January of each year for
the repose of Fra Diegu Bonanno, the Founder of the girls’ Institute
in Hamrun.
In the speech at the ceremony of the opening of the new Jesus of
Nazareth Institute, the Servant of God expressed his own
satisfaction for the progress done on the building , but he also
mentioned the satisfaction of Ms Guzeppina Curmi, the Foundress of
the Institute.
In the welcome speech addressed to Bishop Gonzi at the opening of
the St Joseph’s, Gozo, De Piro showed his appreciation and gratitude
for the efforts done by the parishpriests of the Diocese in order to
start their own Orphanage.
It has just been said that in article 8
of his will, Monsignor left a legacy for the celebration of a yearly
mass for the repose of Fra Diegu Bonanno. But De Piro was also
grateful to his successors in the direction of the Institute; he
mentioned even these in his will.
He also included the priests who had given, were giving or were
going to give their share in this Orphanage,
and the nuns who were in charge of the day to day running of the
Institute.
In the speech of the opening of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, the
Director acknowledged the part played by the cooperators of the
Foundress, Guzeppina Curmi.
In a report written to Archbishop Mauro Caruana about the Jesus of
Nazareth Institute, the Servant of God made a list of the services
given by him in favour of poor and needy girls. In this report De
Piro pointed out to the Archbishop that in this ministry there were
women who were helping him generously and with a lot of self denial.
It can be said without
hesitation that De Piro appreciated in a special way the support of
the benefactors who helped him in his many apostolates. Mother
Cleophas Bondin noticed this gratitude of the Director in relation
to the benefactors of Fra Diegu Institute,“He gave a lot of
importance to the benefactors of the Insititute. He used to
organise fairs for the Institute and recreative activities, and he
used to invite the nobility for them.”
In the speech at the opening
ceremony of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Zejtun, the Servant
of God had these words for the benefactors, those whom he considered
as “strumenti docili nelle mani di Dio”:
A questo punto mi permetterà di
presentare ai nostri benefattori, strumenti docili nelle mani di
Dio, i sensi più profondi ed intensi della nostra gratitudine per
l’aiuto direi spontaneo ed inspirato, col quale vennero a nostro
soccorso per questo primo compimento di un opera da tutti e sempre
ammessa come eminentemente sociale e cristiana. Tante erano le
industrie del soccorso, da farci spesso sentire la verità, che molte
e molte sono le vie della Provvidenza, ma ciò che più rifulse e
maggiormente glorificò Iddio, e sarà al certo di conforto a V.E. è
la modestia, tutta quanta evangelica, colla quale, al par di messi
celesti, ci avvicinavano; non mancarono infatti dei casi in cui
appena noi potevamo venire a conoscenza della mano benefica. Da
parte nostra corrispondemmo coll’alzare la nostra debole ed umile
voce all’Altissimo per ripagarli del centuplo promesso, ed oggi a
soddisfare meglio questo dovere, osiamo sempre a nome di tutto
l’Istituto, umiliare a V.E. la supplica di ricordare questi nostri
buoni benefattori e benefattrici; mentre per le Sue sacre mani, Gesù
Ostia verrà immolato al Padre Celeste, per la prima volta, entro
questo sacro recinto.
Loreto Rapa
referred to the Director’s appreciation of the benefactors of St
Joseph’s, Gozo. He mentioned De Piro’s gratefulness towards these.
Concetta Sciberras, whose family had helped the same Institute in
Gozo, said that the Servant of God,
“… welcomed us and was very
pleased with our presence. He said that the Institute owed its
existence to us. In a few words he showed a great appreciation for
our work in favour of the Institute.”
Monsignor himself, in the
speech at the opening ceremony of the Gozo Institute had these words
for the benefactors of that place,
“I nostri sensi di
riconoscenza giungano all’orecchio di un numero discreto di
benefattori che quale schiame di api, qui’ si aggirano attorno a
noi, studiando il modo di opportarci e cera e miele per rendere
ques’arnia sempre più atta ad avvantaggiare i poveri ragazzi di
Gozo.”
To show his
gratitude to the benefactors of his Society the Servant of God used
to publish their names in the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute
of the Missions”.
At times he even published short information in the Almanac about
some contribution given for the Abyssinia mission of the Society.
In this gratitude
towards the benefactors of the institutions under his care, De Piro
did not discriminate in any way between the big contributors and the
small ones. This was witnessed by Mother Pacifica Xuereb of Fra
Diegu Institute:
Whenever Providence
knocked at the door or I spoke to him of any donation given, he
would promptly write a note of thanks to the donor. When the
donation was not a big sum and still he would want to write a ticket
of thanks, I used to tell him, ‘Why are you sending him a note for
such a small sum?’ ‘No,’ he used to say, ‘Small things and big
things are the same in God’s eyes. One can give so much and another
can give more, but they have both the same merit. Always be grateful
for whatever comes as a Providence.
The Servant of God was also grateful
and appreciated the support and backing given to him by the Church’s
hierarchy in his apostolate. In the speech he delivered at the
opening ceremony of the New Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Zejtun,
the Director referred to the support received from His Excellency,
Archbishop Mauro Caruana.
In the speech at the opening ceremony of St Joseph’s, Gozo, and
which was addressed to the Diocesan Bishop, the Servant of God
showed his gratitude towards His Excellency for his efforts towards
the opening of the Institute. Amongst others he told Mgr Gonzi:
Vivissime grazie
pertanto siano rese dinanzi a tutti a V. E. per la generosità ed
abnegazione con cui accolse nella Sua Diocesi questa nuova sezione
della casa di San Giuseppe di Hamrun. L’azione nobile spiegata verso
di noi, sarà per noi e ei nostri successori di edificazione non
solo, ma anche uno sprone continuo a corrispondere ‘totis viribus’
allo sviluppo e completo stabilimento di questo Orfanatrofio …
In the above mentioned speech the
Servant of God also thanked the Archbishop of Malta, Mauro Caruana,
for making it possible that in Gozo an extension of St Joseph’s,
Malta, could be set up.
In the already mentioned ceremony of
the opening of St Joseph’s, Gozo, the Servant of God showed also his
appreciation to the civil authorities for the support they showed in
the foundation of the Institute. In the speech addressed to the
Diocesan Bishop, De Piro thanked the, “… membri componenti il
Governo di queste Isole nonchè a quelli delle due Camere pel
sussidio finanziario assegnato a quest’Opera nascente.”
But not only this! Immediately after
this address to Mgr Gonzi, the Director delivered another one to the
Governor General.
It was the latter whom De Piro asked to open the Orphanage.
The same recognition and appreciation Monsignor showed to the civil
authorities in the correspondence he had with them. After asking
something or other for St Joseph’s, Malta or Gozo, for the Oratory
at B’Kara or for his Society, he always thanked the one or ones who
helped him.
De Piro has already been
presented as a realistic and down to earth person. When he was
pushing forward some project or other he never alienated himself
from what was not yet done. At the same time the virtue of
gratefulness made him appreciative of what had already been done.
The Servant of God had worked a lot to see the first part of the new
Jesus of Nazareth Institute ready. In 1930 there was still more to
be done. At the same time the Director was quite appreciative of the
part that had already been built. This is what he said to those
present at the opening of the building of the Zejtun Institute,
“L’odierna sacra e cara ceremonia forma una prima tappa del
cammino che ancora ci rimane, essa è una dolce e soave oasi che ci
rinnova la lena per riprendere il viaggio, essa è il primo
pianerottolo di una scala ben più alta …”
But without doubt De Piro was first and
foremost grateful to God … and His providence. He had been thinking
about his vocation since he was 14.
For some time he did not think about it any more,
until there came a time when he put to writing the reasons in favour
and against the priesthood.
In reason 5 in favour of this call, the Servant of God showed his
gratitude to the suffering love of Jesus Christ, “Il desiderio di
darmi tutto a Dio avendo Egli sofferto pei mei peccati.”
In his sermons De Piro preached a lot
about his gratitude towards God and the divine love. In a most
explicit way his sermons about the Incarnation of the Son of God,
those about the Eucharist,
and the ones about the Sacred heart of Jesus,
were from beginning to end an acknowledgement of the divine love.
Similarly, even though in his other sermons the Servant of God dealt
with other topics, even in these he made clear his acknowledgement
of the divine love.
In his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions” De
Piro published an article which he called “Treasures”.
In this writing of his, the Servant of God reminded the readers
about some of the gifts donated to us by God: our faith, our
fatherland and the virtue of charity. In relation to the latter he
put down these words,
“Then Charity is treasure above treasures. It is the queen of
virtues, the fullness of perfection, God himself. And who is like
God? Man’s first and greatest obligation is to love first and above
all else the great God our Lord because we owe it only to Him what
we are and what we have.”
In the very first
entry in his diary, Joseph De Piro said that after his priestly
ordination he wished to settle at St Joseph’s, Malta. A little while
later he put in another entry. In this one he mentioned the
Orphanage in relation to the foundation of his Society. In a very
clear way he acknowledged that the Congregation was not his but
God’s own project, “… Iddio da questo Istituto voglia formare a
Malta, una Congregazione …”
The Founder
continued in this same way in his correspondence with the local and
Vatican hierarchy: he repeatedly showed his gratitude towards God’s
help for him and the members of his Society. In fact in a brief note
about the history of the Society, written on 22 August 1916, the
Founder wrote that, “… pure d’altra parte la Divina Provvidenza non
mancò di lenire i guai, interpolando le contrarietà con delle soavi
consolazioni …”
Not to mention his
many expressions like: “… grazie a Dio …”
and “…ringrazio la Divina Providenza …”
Francis Scerri, a lay catechist at the
B’Kara Oratory, witnessed to De Piro’s acknowledgement of God’s help
in his life, “Whenever he finished something, he used to go to the
chapel to pray.”
But De Piro’s
acknowledgement of God’s help in the life of the Society showed most
when the Founder quoted Psalm 127 (126): at the beginning of each
one of the three sections of the Constitutions, “Unless the Lord
builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”
(vi) A
limitless incentive and creativity
As Director of the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes, De Piro never put any limits
as to how many boys or girls there had to be in a particular
institute. On the contrary, the Servant of God did his best to
welcome all those who showed their wish to enter anyone of the
institutes under his care. At the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, Br Felix
Muscat referred to the building extensions the Director intended to
do at St Joseph’s, Malta.
When in 1922 the Servant of God accepted the direction of the Jesus
of Nazareth Institute, he immediately involved himself in the
building of the new big Home in Zejtun.
It was exactly De Piro’s continuous non acceptance of a numerus
clausus in the institutes led by him that was going to be one of
the reasons why he was thinking not to accept the direction of St
Joseph’s, Gozo. In the original statutes written by Bishop Michael
Gonzi, his Excellency limited the number of boys to 24.
The Servant of God considered this as, “… certe suscettibilità poco
conformi ai sentimenti di carità … a cui deve inspirarsi la
contemplata opera di beneficenza”
It was only after
Bishop Gonzi changed the original statutes
that De Piro accepted to initiate, and then direct, the Institute.
Some five years
after opening St Joseph’s, Gozo, De Piro immediately started
thinking about the building of a new Institute.
It was only because of opposition from a farmer who cultivated the
land where the new Institue was going to be built, that Monsignor’s
dream never came to fruition.
If Monsignor never
limited the number of boys and girls in his Institutes, similarly he
did not reserve the institutes for any particular type or types of
boys and girls. In Malta there is still another Institute directed
by the Salesians of Don Bosco which existed even at the time of the
Servant of God. Until today the direction of this Home chooses which
boys to accept in it. Dr Alexander Cachia Zammit witnessed that,
“Mgr De Piro accepted all, even those not accepted at the Institute
run by the Salesians.”
Cachia Zammit, a medical doctor, continued saying that, “… these
children, besides being poor, were in many cases dirty and infested
with infections.”
The same Cachia Zammit narrated this story to the Ecclesiastical
Tribunal:
As regards the case of
the children I insist that he did his utmost, so much so that my
father said that he knew about four unfortunate boys who lived like
animals; they had no food or clothes and much less care of their
souls. This was so because their mother had died and their father
was busy with his work at St. Lucian’s Tower. My father informed Mr.
Fons about them. The latter approached Mons. De Piro and asked him
to keep them at St. Joseph’s. In fact Mons. De Piro without
hesitation accepted three of them in the Institute ant took care of
them; the fourth one was in the care of my father.
Nazzareno Attard,
an old boy of St Joseph’s, Malta, testified that he was himself
handicapped.
In relation to St Joseph’s, Gozo, Loreto Rapa said that, “… I
remember that the Servant of God accepted a handicapped boy …”
De Piro’s
limitless love for the poor boys and girls of the institutes could
be seen in the never ending patience he himself practiced towards
these orphans. The same unlimited patience he wanted to be lived by
those who took care of the boys and girls. Mother Cleophas Bondin,
of Fra Diegu Institute, said that, “When I talked to him about the
behaviour of the girls he used to tell me, ‘We must thank God they
are here instead of being somwhere else.’ ”
And, “I do not know that he ever shouted at the girls. He always
treated them kindly. Whatever he could give them he gave them. He
was all out to make them happy.”
Sr Assunta Galea testified that, “Whenever he came to Fra Diegu
Institute and saw some girl standing in the corridor because she
would have been up to some mischief he used to remark, ‘Oh, poor
girl, what did she do? Please have mercy on her, Mother.’ Then he
used to turn to the girl and tell her, ‘Will you promise Mother you
will never do it again?’ ”
Mother Pacifica
Xuereb testified that the Director always said to the Sisters not to
shout at the girls but to be always patient at them.
The same Xuereb said even this to the Ecclesiastica Tribunal:
Children in those days
were a bit naughty and whenever there used to be a girl who was up
to some mischief, mother superior used to bring her in front of
Monsignor and tell him, “Monsignor, I brought her in front of you so
that you correct her.” “Yes, bring her in,” he answered. Do not
think that he shouted at her! Not at all. He used to tell her some
words in a gentle way. He would warn her not to do it again and
never punish her for whatever she would have done. Even whenever he
spoke to the girls together about their behaviour, he never used
harsh words.
The Servant of God
wanted that the Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth Institute behaved in
the same way with the orphans of their Institute, “Once he saw me,
Sr Pia, shouting with a girl. He immediately told me, ‘Oh, be gentle
witht the girls.’ ‘It is useless to tell them anything,’ I answered
him. He replied ‘And we tell them continuously! Imagine we do not
tell them.’”
Fra Diegu
Institute was originally founded in 1886 in a small house in
Birkirkara.
It then moved to another house in Hamrun and then to another one in
the same town.
By 1907, when De Piro took over the administration of the Home,
it was already providing for at least the basic needs of the girls.
Yet, the Servant of God himself started examining the girls for
their First Holy Communion.
Carmena Mallia, an old girl of the Institute, mentioned the
introduction of the devotion to Our Lady of Pompei by the Servant of
God.
Mallia also testified that although at Fra Diegu some trades already
existed before the coming of Monsignor, he increased their number.
He even invited important people to visit the institute,
and buy the objects made by the girls.
She also said that they were even given some money.
Srs Pauline Cilia and Eletta Sant, nuns at Fra Diegu at the
time of the Servant of God, and Elena Refalo, one of De
Piro’s nieces, referred to the introduction of the Christmas Tree.
At the Jesus of
Nazareth Institute the situation was completely different. Although
Guzeppina Curmi, the Foundress, had started gathering the girls as
early as 1913,
she did not have a proper house where to hospitalise them. Therefore
when De Piro, in 1922, was asked by Archbishop Caruana to take over
the direction of the Institute,
he immediately started helping Curmi to build a new Institute. From
the documents, one can easily conclude that it was he who in fact
took care of the building.
After the construction work was ready De Piro even helped the
organisation of the day to day needs of the girls living there.
De Piro’s
limitless dedication for the poor orphans of St Joseph’s, Malta,
made him do his best to find work for the eldest of those youths, in
the United States of America. When the Director received the letter
written by migrant Costantino Gatt to Fr George Bugeja,
he immediately wrote to Malta’s Prime Minister asking him to
subsidise the trip expenses of those lads who wanted to go abroad.
The House for
babies at St Joseph’s, Malta, was another of the neverending list of
projects of De Piro in favour of the Maltese orphans.
Monsignor did not
limit his charity to the inmates of the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes; his helping hands were stretched as far as the very poor
families of the orphans. Carmena Mallia, an old girl of Fra Diegu,
was quite explicit about this, “The parents of children at the
Institue also benefited from his generosity … he gave financial aid
to those families who needed it.”
Mother Pacifica Xuereb said almost the same thing, “He was a man of
great charity… For example, some of the children’s mothers used to
come and visit them; he used to give them some money he himself was
going to spend.”
Not to mention the various entries in the Petty Cash Book “Casa di
San Giuseppe. Ist. Bonnici. Piccola Cassa ‘A’, 1926-1932”. In this
ledger the Servant of God registered, amongst others, the various
donations he made to the families of the boys who were at St
Joseph’s, Malta.
As long as the
boys were still at St Joseph’s Institute they were never given any
money by the Director for any work they did there. Instead,
according to Nazzareno Attard, some money was saved for them and
this was given to the boys when they left the Institute.
Carmena Mallia said the same thing as regards the girls of Fra Diegu
Institute:
His care for us was
not limited to our stay at the Institute but followed us even when
we came to leave. It pleased him to buy bales of cloth for making
into clothes, and when we reached the age of fifteen he would tell
the Mother Superior to prepare a parcel with the clothes we needed
when we left the Institute, and to start putting by a little money
regularly to be given to girls at the time of their departure.
The Director
continued following the boys and girls of the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes even after they left the Homes. More than once
he helped financially those who left St Joseph’s, Malta.
In the name of the old girls of Fra Diegu Institute the Servant of
God made several petitions to the Archbishop in order to get for
them the money of legacies from the Curia.
On the 25 anniversary as director of Fra Diegu, he invited the old
girls of the Institute. In the speech he delivered on the occasion h
showed them that he was still their father, “If you would be in need
of anything come to me, do not hesitate. The fact that you have left
the Institute must not hinder you from coming.”
De Piro’s
limitless creativity, inventiveness and initiative in favour of the
old girls, especially those of Fra Diegu, made him found, in 1927,
the Sacred Heart Laboratory in Valletta.
Here the girls could learn a trade, practise that same trade, get
paid for the work they did, and in this way got a living.
For the Servant of God this did not mean only creating the idea and
then selling it to someone else. He begged the government to lend
him the place.
He had to work hard for the money he needed in order to rent the
place.
There was need of instructors to teach the girls the trades.
And Monsignor had to seek the cooperation of a lady, Maria Assunta
Borg, in order to be in charge of the day to day running of the
place, a cooperation that was not easy to work out with Borg.
Though as Senator
he had never intervened in the Senate sessions of the Third Maltese
Parliament, when it came to the life of the old boys and old girls
of the ecclesiastical charitable institutes De Piro made a memorable
speech in order to help the ex inmates of the charitable institutes
from living in the streets.
De Piro was not
interested only in the work the employees did at St Joseph’s
Institute. In the employees the Director saw more than the workers.
For him these were human beings. He was sensitive enough to notice
their needs. He was also “courageous” enough to take some money from
the Institute, a money he so much needed for the boys and the
building extensions of the Orphanage, and give that money to the
employees or their families. According to George Wilson, a
bookbinder at St Joseph’s Home, the Director used to pay the workers
himself so that he could give some extra money to those who needed
it, without anyone else knowing it.
De Piro gave money to a certain Nazzareno Attard who was injured at
work at St Joseph’s.
In 1911 Fr Joseph
De Piro was chosen by Archbishop Peter Pace as Monsignor of the
Metropolitan Cathedral.
On his part the Servant of God did not want this.
It was only out of obedience to His Excellency that he accepted.
De Piro was first made coadjutor to Mgr Vincent Vassallo who was the
dean of the Cathedral. Therefore when Vassallo died the Servant of
God substituted him even in this role.
Because of this status De Piro was afterwards involved in a hundred
and one committees, commissions, councils, etc., both ecclesiastical
and civil.
This included his being the first representative of the Metropolitan
Chapter in the 1918-1921 National Assembly of Sir Filippo Sceberras.
De Piro’s unlimited option for the needy made him accept. During the
second session of the National Assembly the riots of the
Sette Giugno started.
The members of the Assembly were asked to intervene and help their
Maltese brothers and sisters get their basic rights from the British
authorities.
Only a handful of the members offered themselves.
Again De Piro’s limitless dedication to the poor meant he was one of
the volunteers.
Since, on that very day, 7 June 1919, four Maltese were killed and
several were wounded, there was set up the Committee Pro Maltesi
Morti e Feriti per la Causa Nazionale il 7 Giugno del 1919.
Because of his never ending selfgiving, the Servant of God accepted
to be the cashier of this Committee.
De Piro’s
limitless dedication to the needy could be noticed most clearly even
in his zeal to catechise. Christian Scerri said this to the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal, “When I used to meet him (the Servant of
God) on the bridge going to Mtarfa for the catechism classes,
because he taught catechism there… Yes, when he found out that the
children of this area did not learn any catechism he started going
there himself. And he was a Monsignor already!”
The above testimony meant that the
Servant of God did this evangelisation when he was already burdened
with a lot of responsibilities! We do not know for which specific
years Scerri was referring to, but if we were to take into
consideration even the very first year of De Piro’s Monsignorate we
find out that by that time he was already Director of Fra Diegu
Institute. This had something like 138 girls in it
and the Director there had to go as far as running here and there
begging alms for the girls and the nuns who took care of them. Also,
a year before becoming Monsignor, in 1910, he had just started his
missionary Society. Its members depended on him for all the aspects
of their life, whether human, academic or spiritual. And, De Piro
went to Mtarfa on foot. This meant a half hour walk! Not to mention
the fact that especially in those days the Maltese would have never
imagined a Monsignor teaching catechism to small children. More and
more was this not conceived by the Monsignori themselves. It was
considered too downgrading for these dignitaries! Besides, this,
Monsignor came from a noble family, and therefore was himself a
noble!
In the Church’s charitable institutes
the Director was not satisfied with only providing for the basic
needs of the poor boys and girls who lived there. He himself checked
their preparation for their first holy communion and confirmation.
When it came to his Society, the
Servant of God wanted that even its members would be unlimited in
their availability towards the needy; the Founder introduced them
even to the catechetical evangelisation.
At the beginning of the Society the
catechism imparted in Rabat, Malta, was many a times given in the
parish church for all ages together.
According to Christian Scerri, De Piro and his Society were not
satisfied with only gathering the boys together; they wanted to have
something more organised according to ages, or at least according to
stages, “… in order to gather together the boys for catechism. After
a while there were added another two classes, one for the First Holy
Communion and another one for Confirmation. His first attempt was to
gather together the boys after the First Holy Communion.”
Paul Sammut, another witness in the
Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God,
confirmed that De Piro and his Society formed separate classes for
the children of different ages.
As time passed De Piro and his Society
entered St Joseph’s, Malta. There the boys were provided with
catechetical formation. Even here this was given according to age
groups.
At the time of the foundation of the
Society the teaching of catechism was restricted to the preparation
of the children for their first holy communion and their
confirmation. De Piro and his Society gave this, but since the very
first years of the Society even more was offered. Joseph Tonna said
to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal that,
“There we were prepared for our first Holy Communion and our
Confirmation and there was also another class for those who wished
to continue after that. There were therefore classes for the
youngest ones, those preparing for their first Holy Communion and
those more advanced.”
The fact that at St Joseph’s, Malta, there were four separate
classes, according to the ages of the boys,
signified in itself that the Director and the members of his Society
followed the boys further than their confirmation.
The limitless charity of De Piro and the members of his Society
towards the needy made them offer a catechism more organised than
that found in other places. Joseph Tonna confirmed this:
… at Rabat …
lessons … could hardly say that they were very well organized. On
the other hand in the house of the Society in Mdina things were very
much better run and organized. So much so that every Wednesday the
advanced class held a special service known as ‘Massime Eterne’.
Brother Joseph Caruana, who was responsible for the teaching of
catechism would read the ‘Massime’ while they sat around a table on
which stood a crucifix and a skull.
Then again every Sunday we would meet for
Mass, generally at the Cathedral, and we also had every facility to
go to Confession.”
This was also a time when the
teaching of catechism was synonymous with memory work. Paul Sammut
testified that the Servant of God and the members of his Society did
not stop at this; they offered something further than memorising:
Memory work became
limited. More emphasis was laid on deeper learning of things already
known; they even introduced meditation. This was often held in a
special room where, in addition to the benches, there used to be a
table with a skull and cross on it. The room was dark with only a
candle or lamp for a light. Often, the teacher encouraged us to use
our imagination and make use of daily material things to remember
God, and other spiritual things - a kind of ‘memorial exercise’.
At St Joseph’s, Malta, there were four
catechism classes.
As regards the first and the second, the catechetical moment was
known as “istruzione religiosa”.
Instructions are not memory work! As regards the fourth class the
moment of catechism was known as “spiega catech., e memoria”,
which means that there was the distinction between catechism and
memory work. Therefore the Director who set the timetable, and the
members of the Society who imparted the teaching, knew that there
was memory work and they did give it. At the same time they also
gave catechism which they presented as distinct from memory work.
The Founder so much wanted that
the members of his Society impart more than memory work that in the
Constitutions he put down these words, “Ove è possibile
perciò nelle nostre case … verrà istituita una Congregazione … i
quali oltre chè colla pratica di vari esercizi di pietà, si potranno
anche aiutare con qualche utile e santa attrattiva come sarebbe una
sala da studio.”
Although the Piccola Casa San Paolo was
in Mdina boys came even from Rabat for their catechetical classes;
De Piro and the members of his Society did not put any geographical
boundaries for their catechetical service. Joseph Tonna was quite
explicit about this, “I may say here, that these classes were not
exclusively for us Mdina children, but children from Rabat were also
accepted…”
De Piro was so limitless in his
selfgiving in evangelising the Maltese in Malta that he was not
satisfied with his own catechising activity mentioned just above.
Nor was he contented with having the Society doing this same
apostolate. Nor was he satisfied with his own frequent preaching on
many topics in the various parts of Malta. In 1921 the Servant of
God set up the first edition of his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the
Institute of the Missions” for the year 1922. He continued compiling
it until 1932 when he prepared the one for the year 1933.
When De Piro started publishing the
Almanac he had been director of Fra Diegu Institute since 1907.
In 1910 he had founded his Missionary Society,
the members of which depended totally on him.
He had been made Monsignor of the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1911,
and its dean in 1920.
In 1921, the National Assembly, of which Monsignor had been member
since its beginning in 1918,
had just finished its drafting of a constitution for Malta.
Without doubt, all these activities were already a lot for one
person. Imagine adding to all these the publication of an almanac.
And Fr Augustine Grech testified to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal that
it was the Founder who wrote most of the material of this yearly
publication.
De Piro continued this particular
evangelisation even when his work increased considerably with his
being nominated director of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute,
St Joseph’s, Malta,
St Joseph’s, Gozo,
the House for Babes
and St Francis de Paul.
In 1927 the Servant of God, after a lot of efforts,
succeeded in sending the first missionary to Abyssinia,
a project that implied a lot of work even after its being initiated,
including the St Agatha’s Laboratory and the Somalia Museum in order
to support this same mission.
In 1928 he founded the Sacred Heart Laboratory for the old girls of
the ecclesiastical charitable institutes.
During these same years he did not abandon his Society. On the
contrary he introduced in it such new elements as the aspirandate at
the Oratory, B’Kara,
and the novitiate for the Brothers at St Joseph’s, Malta.
In 1932 Monsignor was chosen as one of the two representatives of
the clergy in the Third Maltese Parliament.
Not to mention the many committees, commissions, boards, etc., of
which De Piro was a member.
And what about the financing of such an
evangelising initiative as the Alamanac? The Servant of God had been
the source of income for all the needs of his Society,
let alone of the Almanac. There could have been some benefactors who
gave small donations for its publication. But were these enough?
The contents of the Almanac continued
proving De Piro’s limitless self consecration for the Maltese in
Malta who were in need of strengthening the various elements of
their faith. On the one hand the Servant of God did not restrict
himself to only a few topics about which he felt himself comfortable
to write. Rather, he presented material that had to do with most of
the elements of the christian life of the Maltese who lived in
Malta.
But Monsignor was not satisfied with this; he also treated another
two topics in the Almanac: the Maltese migrants
and the ad gentes people.
With his writing about the Maltese
migrants De Piro helped the Maltese around him be informed about
their brothers and sisters who lived away from their country.
He encouraged the Maltese at home to pray for the migrants.
De Piro also encouraged the Maltese in Malta to pray for the youths
so that after being gifted by God with the priestly or religious
vocation they could go to their migrant brothers and sisters and
help them with their second evangelisation.
The Almanac was also accessible to already ordained priests and
professed religious. With its publication the Servant of God could
encourage these priests and religious to leave Malta and Gozo in
search of an apostolate among the Maltese in far away countries.
Writing in the Almanac about the ad
gentes missions the Servant of God helped his conationals to be
informed about the missonary activity of the Church and also to be
formed in the missionary spirit.
The Maltese had already been very generous in their help for the
missions. With their reading about the Church’s activity in these
countries they could pray more for the missions and become more
enthusiastic and generous financially. Even here De Piro expressed
his wish that more priests and religious would go to mission
countries and do first evangelisation.
What helped De
Piro live his limitless incentive and creativity
- Zeal, devoted dedication, responsibility,
determination, courage, perseverance and consistency
The
virtues that existed in the Servant of God could not but make De
Piro express his charity through a limitless incentive and
creativity. At the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, Dr Alexander Cachia
Zammit testified that De Piro had the virtues necessary to face the
many difficulties in order to run the institutes under his care.
On 2 August 1907 the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, chose the
Servant of God, Director of Fra Diegu Institute.
In the nomination decree His Excellency referred to several of the
virtues of Fr Joseph.
Among these there was mentioning of the latter’s zeal.
The author of the article “Giubileo Sacerdotale”, published in the
journal “Malta” of 19 April 1927, mentioned “the devoted dedication”
of the Servant of God.
In 1920 De Piro was Director of Fra Diegu Institute,
Monsignor of the Metropolitan Cathedral, member of the National
Assembly, had just finished his mediations in the Sette Giugno
riots and was more than busy with his nascent Society. He was also
going to end his two year rectorship at the Major Seminary in Mdina.
In spite of all these heavy duties, he possessed so much the virtue
of responsibility that he did not keep back from giving the
Archbishop a detailed report about the various aspects of the life
of the Seminary.
For Loreto Rapa, an old boy of St Joseph’s, Gozo, the Monsignor had
three important virtues which helped a lot his limitless incentive
and creativity. Among these Rapa mentioned the Director’s
determination and courage.
The Servant of God lived the two
virtues just mentioned, in a particular way when founding the
Society and during the first years of its existence. In order to
initiate the Society and help it go further, the Founder faced many
difficulties. Among these there was the fact that Propaganda Fide
was unable to understand how the Society could be ad gentes
and at the same time be destined to work first and foremost among
the Maltese migrants.
De Piro wrote many times to the officials of the Congregation,
and he himself went to Rome to explain well his plans.
Although he had thought that he had made himself clear,
Propaganda did not accept Monsignor’s Society as one for ad
gentes countries.
Yet, the Founder was not disheartened and did not give up. On the
opposite he kept on trying until he had his Society approved.
This was also the fruit of his perseverance, which helped him face
this particular challenge and many other challenges such as the
going away of several of the first members of his Society.
During the Sette Giugno riots
Monsignor showed his great perseverance and consistency. The
National Assembly, set up by Sir Filippo Sceberras, had 270 members.
During its second meeting, held on 7 June 1919, some Maltese who
were in Valletta “struggling” for their fundamental rights, entered
the Assembly Hall and asked their representatives to intervene on
their behalf.
Only six of the many members offered to mediate between the Maltese
and the British government. De Piro was one of the six.
Out of these six, only three continued till Sunday, 8 June.
The following day, Monday, 9 June, the Servant of God was alone
defending the Archbishop.
His perseverence, consistency
and determination made him continue till the end not only in the
Sette Giugno events. Together with a lot of patience these same
virtues also showed continuously before De Piro founded the Society
and all along the first years of its existance. Some of the
Maltese clergy could not understand his “idea”.
Propaganda Fide never understood how
he could set up a society ad gentes and at the same time
mention so much the work among Maltese migrants.
After the foundation in 1910 he and the members had to go from one
house to another because it was not possible to start the building
of the main House until 1932.
Many youths who joined the Society abandoned it after a while.
Even the first priest left to become diocesan.
- De Piro’s
belief in God’s providence
When Mr Alphonse Maria Galea was sent
by the Archbishop’s Curia to inspect the ledgers of Fra Diegu
Institute, he presented a report to His Excellency which covered the
years 1907-1915.
Amongst others he presented an excellent certificate about De Piro’s
trust in God’s Providence:
… non che quello
formato per le economie del presente Direttore ed Amministratore
dell’Istituto, Monsignor Can. Don Giuseppe di Marchesi De Piro
d’Amico, durante i suddetti otto anni di sua gestione; e mentre
l’E.V. Revma m’ha offerta un’altra occasione di ammirare la
Providenza Divina, mi è grato di rilevare che coll’aiuto di Dio, con
insistente affetto filiale implorato dall’Amministratore e con ferma
fiducia di esserne esaudito …
Br Paul Spiteri
OSA, an ex member of De Piro’s Society, witnessed to the trust in
providence of the Servant of God as Director of St Joseph’s
Institute.
As did Ms Elena Refalo, one of the nieces of Monsignor.
On 16 July 1930 there was the opening of the new Jesus of Nazareth
Institute, Zejtun. On this occasion the Servant of God delivered a
speech in which he reminded those present of the difficulties met
with while building the place. But he also referred to God’s help,
“Ma ora che il passato venne superato, godiamo! Perchè non ci resta
che di lodare l’azione divina, che prevenne ed accompagnò, l’umile,
se non inutile, opera nostra.”
On 25 December
1924 Fr Joseph Hili wrote to De Piro in the name of all the Gozo
parishpriests and asked him to start and direct St Joseph’s
Institute there.
The Servant of God wrote to Mgr Caruana, Malta’s Archbishop, to get
from him the permission to do this.
In this letter of De Piro to Caruana, the Servant of God said that
he was accepting, “…fidandosi sempre nell’aiuto della Divina
Providenza …”
When dealing with
the Bishop of Gozo about the foundation and opening of an orphanage
there, De Piro could not accept that the statutes made by His
Excellency would include a numerus clausus of boys who could
be accepted at the Institute.
For him this was nothing but, “… certe suscettibilità poco conformi
ai sentimenti di carità e di fiducia nella Divina Providenza a cui
deve ispirarsi la contemplata opera di beneficenza.”
In a letter De
Piro himself wrote to the Superintendent of Public Works on 12
January 1930, the Director of St Joseph’s, Gozo, showed that he was
planning to build another Institute and he wished that the
government would give him some land next to the existant Home.
Monsignor himself admitted that at the moment of writing the
petition he had no money, but, “… the mere fact of having acquired
the site will, under divine guidance loosen the purse-strings of
people who can afford to defray the necessary cost.”
In the very
beginning of the petty cash book of the Sacred Heart Laboratory, De
Piro put really strong words as regards his complete trust in God’s
help. In the very first page of this register the Director declared
that he was starting the administration of this Workshop, “In Nomine
Sacri Cordis Jesu. Amen.”
Then at the beginning of the income and expenditure columns of each
year of the Workshop’s existence, the Servant of God always put the
words, “Spes mea Deus”
The two
declarations just mentioned, or others similar to them, were made by
the Servant of God even in the petty cash books of his Society. In
fact they can still be seen in the Registro della Dispensa,
in the Spesa Giornaliera della Piccola Casa di San Paolo,
in the Libro Cassa,
in the Educandato Santa Maria, Oratorio, B’Cara – Registro Primo,
in Borsa di studio affidata alla Vergine Maria Assunta
and in the Procura, Missione d’Abissinia - Libro Cassa presso
l’Economo Generale.
The Founder lived
his belief in God’s Providence within the context of his Society
even at other times and in other different circumstances. In the
speech delivered at the opening of the first house in Mdina, the
Founder admitted with Archbishop Pace and those present, that the
house lacked a lot of things, but he trusted in God’s help.
This trust in God’s support he continued referring to many a times
in his correspondence about the Society’s foundation. He used such
expressions as: “la fiducia … la Providenza Divina,”
“abbandonarmi intieramente nelle mani della Divina Providenza,”
“aiuto del Divino Maestro,”
“la Divina Providenza non mancò di lenire i guai, interpolando le
contrarietà con delle soavi consolazioni,”
“il Signore ci farà assaggiare qualche frutto di tante fatiche e
sacrifici,”
“disponente la Divina Providenza,”
“grazie a Dio,”
“piacendo a Dio,”
“aiuto di Dio.”
In the
Constitutions the Founder wrote for the Society, he saw to it that
each of the three sections began with the first verse of Psalm 127
(126): “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it
labour in vain …”
On the occasion of the blessing of the foundation stone of St
Agatha’s Motherhouse, De Piro delivered a speech which he addressed
to Archbishop Mauro Caruana and those present.
After beginning this speech with the same biblical verse mentioned
just above, the Servant of God said what these words meant for him:
Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, in
vanum laboravernut qui aedificant eam.
Your Excellency,
The divine words kindle total trust in
us, without any reserve, in God’s help. Better still, they give us
strong faith in the first movement of the Principal Agent; they were
already chosen and placed at the beginning of the rules which guide
the new Missionary Institute which gathered us here for the benefit
of its increase and prosperity. These words are, no less fitting and
worthy to be remembered to day.
As everybody knows- Your Excellency-
God’s works and not ours, bear contrariety as a sign and as an
ornament. In the work we have before us and in our hands, for the
span of about fourteen years, there were so many difficulties one
after the other, that they could have tired every man. But since it
was God who set to work at the task, His servants never lacked
courage. Moreover, like a firm and sweet breeze God’s spirit which
always accompanied the difficulty blew in the sails of our poor
boat, troubled by the waves.
Further on in his
speech, the Founder continued referring to God’s Providence:
… on the other hand
we look upwards and put our hope in him who is Our most beloved
Father because, when God is building, those who build the walls do
not labour in vain. We find another consolation in the thought full
of truth that God’s power which made everything out of nothing and
the power of the God Man who fed thousands of people from five
loaves, has never changed and is still there for ever.
Camillo Aquilina,
one of the first members of the Society said that the Founder, “…
had great faith in Providence. Whenever we went to him and told him
that we had something missing he always told us, ‘The Lord will
provide.’ ”
The Founder was
going to send Br Joseph Caruana to Abyssinia. Since Fr Angelo Mizzi
OfmCap., was in charge of this mission he asked De Piro what payment
he expected to get for this missionary. The Servant of God wrote
back to Mizzi and told him, “In quanto al pagamento dell’individuo
non esigo niente, il Signore benedirà l’opera nostra.”
De Piro trusted in
divine providence not only as regards money and material things; he
also believed that God helped priestly vocations. Mother Pacifica
Xuereb testified that the Servant of God paid the money for the
education of a Sicilian youth, whom he met during mass and who
showed his wish to become priest. Xuereb advised De Piro to pay
attention to the boy’s real intentions. In fact it happened that the
boy, after getting a good education, abandoned his vocation. Mother
told Monsignor about this, and he answered her, “Do not ever worry,
and tell Saviour not to worry at all. These things are understood
only by God.”
De Piro shared
with Fr Angelo Mizzi OfmCap., this conviction about God’s sending
him new members for his Society. Br Joseph Caruana was going to
Abyssinia and the Founder wanted to introduce him with the Capuchin
Friar. He also referred to what encouraged him to send Caruana to
the missions, “Io perdo il suo aiuto quà ma sono contento di fare
questo sacrificio nella persuasione che il Signore manderà altri a
supplirlo.”
The Servant of God
considered as part of God’s providence even the negative aspects of
life. On 10 January 1898, while on a holiday in Italy, Joseph’s
father fell ill and after a short while died
leaving his wife Ursola a widow and his nine children orphans. At
the end of this same year, while a seminarian at the Capranica
College for his first year of priestly studies, Joseph wrote to his
mother, brothers and sisters, “L’altro anno secondo il nostro modo
di vedere, ci è stato sfortunato, dico cosi’ perchè Iddio non opera
che perfettamente e le sue azioni non possono essere altro che
ottime; e poi in quella circostnza siamo stati tanto consolati, che
non esito a dire che la nostra consolazione sopraffece il dolore
della sfortuna.”
On 18 April 1925
the decree with which De Piro was declared director of St Joseph’s,
Gozo was published.
After this, Monsignor went to Gozo to prepare the old house which
was expected to welcome the orphans in it. On 25 April, after waking
up from his siesta, some stone slabs gave way under him, and he fell
down about 4 metres, finding himself in the coal room below.
He was not badly hurt, but he could not walk for some days and
therefore he had to stay for a while in bed. On 30 April he wrote to
Fr Michael Callus, one of the members of his Society, who was in
Malta. In this letter the Director referred to this accident, “Sia
ringraziato il Signore che tra tanta prosperità ha voluto visitarci
con un poco di contrarietà. Del resto anche questo saprà volgerla a
favore quest’opera nascente.”
- Did not give up when facing difficulties
because he believed that God’s help was stronger than the devil’s
power
Even when faced with
difficulties, the Servant of God did not give up; he considered them
as coming from the devil and therefore as being challenges which had
to be faced and overcome. After he had already decided on the date
of opening of the St Joseph’s Institute, Gozo, De Piro fell from the
first floor to the second one. In his speech addressed to the
Diocesan Bishop at the opening celebration of the Institute, De Piro
was quite explicit, “Ecco il momento propizio al nemico di
ogni bene, approfittandosi del nostro intento e maliziosamente
secondando lo stesso, divisò di seppellire, tra le macerie,la opera
anche prima, direi che fosse nata, e cosi impedire perfino un grido
infantile ad una piccola batteria che veniva costruita contro il suo
campo.”
Loreto Rapa, an old boy of St Joseph’s,
Gozo, confirmed this attitude of the Director.
The Servant of God considered in the
same way the accident where a boy of St Joseph’s, Gozo, was
terrified because he said he had seen a Turk in the House.
At the same time the Director
strongly believed that the help from God is stronger than the evil
power. During the actual opening celebration, the Director delivered
a speech to the Governor General, and then another one to the
Diocesan Bishop, Mgr Gonzi. In the latter De Piro showed his belief
in the divine power, “… per renderci sempre più perseveranti nel
tenere in alto il nostro sguardo ed anche il nostro cuore …
Ma viva a Dio che innanzi a Lui umiltà non significa
distruzione; la parte comica della diabolica manovra superò la parte
tragica, ed il sentimento di riconoscenza che occupò il nostro cuore
in sull’istante traboccò nel canto triplice dell’Inno Eucaristico.”
He used to share
this belief even with the boys of St Joseph’s, Gozo. Loreto Rapa
said that,
“This courage of the Servant of God,
was not only a natural quality but it was the effect of the faith he
had in divine providence. Sometimes he told us not to be discouraged
when facing difficulties, for God knew what he was doing and would
not leave us alone.”
- Strong
intellect, realistic and practical
When Mr George Pisani was witnessing at
the Gozo Ecclesiastical Tribunal he mentioned Monsignor’s strong
intellect.
In the speech addressed to Bishop Gonzi on the occasion of the
opening of St Joseph’s, Gozo, De Piro himself referred to the many
things that were still lacking at the Institute.
Although he was the one responsible for the Home he did not try to
give the impression that everything was complete. On the opening of
the new Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Zejtun, the Servant of God
delivered another speech. In it he mentioned the anxieties
experienced during the five years until the building was ready.
De Piro was a realistic and objective person.
The Servant of God was also very
practical. In his dealings with Fr Angelo Mizzi about the Abyssinia
Mission, the Capuchin missionary adviced De Piro to ask Mr Alphonse
Maria Galea for the money for the trip of Br Joseph Caruana.
There seemed to be some difficulties on the side of Galea to hand
over the money to Monsignor. At the same time the days were pressing
and Caruana had to be sent on his mission. De Piro did not get mixed
up. Instead, having informed Mizzi about the outcome, the Founder
paid the trip from his own money hoping to be refunded afterwards by
Mizzi himself.
- Prudent
When Archbishop Peter Pace nominated
the Servant of God Director of Fra Diegu Institute, His Excellency
referred to De Piro’s prudence.
De Piro’s prudence could be noticed
each time the Servant of God was going to embark on some new
project. When it came to the foundation of his Society he was quite
clear about its aim: he wanted an ad gentes religious
insitute.
But at the same time he wanted this to be reached in two stages: The
members had to go first to the Maltese migrants and when they get
accustomed to going abroad they would then be sent to the ad
gentes missions.
The Servant of God was himself
completely dedicated to the houses of beneficence. But he wanted
that even the members of his Society would give their share in these
charitable institutions, both in Malta and abroad.
Still, when the Gozo parishpriests offered him the direction of St
Joseph’s,
he did not rush to give an answer; he wanted to know things more
clearly.
It was only after he had more information that he accepted the Gozo
Institute.
De Piro was also very prudent as
regards the Abyssinia Mission. On 4 March 1927 Fr Angelo Mizzi, the
Capuchin responsible for that mission, wrote his first letter to De
Piro asking him for members who could teach catechism in that
African country.
We do not have the letters written by the Servant of God to Fr
Angelo, but from those of the latter to the former we know that De
Piro, although he had been waiting for such an opportunity for more
than 17 years,
he was not carried away by enthusiasm. Before taking any action he
wanted to have the necessary information about the Ethiopian mission
in general and what was expected of the member of his Society whom
he was sending there.
When afterwards Mizzi invited Monsignor to take one of the stations
in the Abyssinia mission under his care, the Founder became more and
more cautious. He continued asking more and more information from
Mizzi himself.
Not only this, but the Founder also wrote several letters to Fr
Ireneè OfmCap.,
Fr Joachim OfmCap.,
and to Mgr A. Jarosseau, the Bishop responsible for that mission.
Not to mention the many other letters written to Br Joseph Caruana,
the member whom he had sent to Abyssinia.
But more than writing these letters he was planning to go to
Abyssinia to see for himself that mission.
- Methodical
Monsignor also excelled in orderliness.
Alphonse Maria Galea was sent by the Archbishop’s Curia to audit the
registers of Fra Diegu Institute. In his report Galea declared that
De Piro kept the records “in perfetta regola”
This was confirmed by Mother Pauline Cilia, a superior at Fra Diegu.
The way he kept the documents related to the Jesus of Nazareth
Institute prove the same thing.
George Wilson testified to this orderliness in relation to St
Joseph’s, Malta, “He was exact in everything, so much so that at his
death everything was found in order, whether the registers, the
money, etc.”
Loreto Rapa, an old boy of St Joseph’s,
Gozo, witnessed to the methodical character of the Director.
Not to mention what was said by Ms Piera De Piro Gourgion, one of De
Piro’s nieces, “Although he was busy he did not leave any confusion
after his death; in his will everything was in order.”
- Satisfied
and happy with own achievements, grateful to himself
De Piro was able to feel satisfied with
his own achievements. He was happy when he succeeded in doing
something. He appreciated and recognised the results of his own
efforts. He was able to be grateful and thankful to himself and his
efforts after having done something. The building of the new Jesus
of Nazareth Institute was finished in 1930. The Servant of God
invested a lot of mental and physical energy on this big project. In
the speech he delivered at the opening of the Institute he admitted
with those present that on that day he felt a lot of personal
satisfaction for what had been done.
In the same speech, after mentioning the financial problems met with
while building the Orphanage, the Servant of God invited those
present to be happy.
(vii)
Solidarity with the poor and the needy
Joseph De Piro was
nearing his diaconate. In the retreat for this ordination he put to
writing the pros and cons in relation to his going to
the “Accademia Ecclesiastica” or to St Joseph’s, Malta.
The seventh reason in favour of the Orphanage indicated quite
clearly that this seminarian wanted as early as his 24th year of age
not only to give something to the poor, but to be one with them,
“Perchè mi sarà facile esercitare la virtù della povertà; quantunque
senza voto …”
As time went on,
the Servant of God continued living this solidarity. George Wilson
testified for De Piro’s solidarity with the boys of St Joseph’s,
Malta,
“Every now and again I used to do the
cooking at the Institute, and I can say that Mgr. De Piro took the
same food the boys had without any difference whatsoever because he
wanted to have absolutely the same treatment they had in all
respects.”
Elena Refalo, one of the nieces of De Piro, confirmed this.
As did Ms Beatrice Cremona, another niece of De Piro.
The Servant of God lived his
oneness with the poor so fully that his mother frequently
referred to her son, Joseph, as “the poor one”. Christian Scerri and
Paul Sammut, two boys who attended the catechism classes in the
first House of De Piro’s Society, heard Ursola, Monsignor’s mother,
referring to her son with these words.
Giga Camilleri, who used to join Ursola in the meetings of St
Vincent Ferreri,
confirmed this.
Carmena Mallia, an old girl at Fra Diegu Institute, testified that
she did hear the Director’s mother referring to her son in this way.
Mother Pauline Cilia who had been at Fra Diegu both as one of the
nuns and then as mother superior, confirmed Mallia’s words.
Even Sr Pia Caruana from the Jesus of Nazareth Institute used to
hear Ursola calling her son so.
Not only this.
Several of the witnesses mentioned above also testified that Ursola
had reason to call her son in this way. Antonia, a maid at the Mdina
house of a certain Mgr Mifsud, said that De Piro never had any money
for himself.
Christian Scerri witnessed that, “He gave both the salary of the
Cathedral and what his mother used to give him.”
Ms Giga Catania and Mr Paul Sammut said that the Servant of God gave
all he had to the poor.
During the
Sette Giugno 1919 riots the Maltese fought for their basic
rights.
Monsignor had been so much in solidarity with them that “Malta”, one
of the local newspapers, eight years after the tragic events,
published these words about the Servant of God:
Sacerdote integerrimo,
esempio vivente di pietà vera e di unzione santa, patriota che
conobbe le ansie, i triboli, le tristezze dei moti del 7 giugno 1919
che lo videro tra il fuoco ed i feriti. Mons Giuseppe De Piro offre
alla sua Chiesa ed alla sua Patria il tipo del sacerdote modello e
del cittadino patriota, che s’impone all’amore ed all’ammirazione di
tutti.
What helped De
Piro be in solidarity with the poor and the needy
- Jesus incarnate, the Suffering Jesus, Jesus in the Eucharist
De Piro’s sermons indicate in a very
clear way who was the main source and model of his solidarity with
the poor and the needy brothers and sisters: the Son who from God
became completely one with us human beings,
and the one who remained with us body, soul and all in the Sacrament
of the Holy Eucharist.
(viii) Did not
expose the others’ mistakes
In the 7 June1919
events, Advocate Caruana Gatto and another handful of the members of
the National Assembly were intervening for the Maltese. During those
same interventions they, especially Mgr De Piro, were blamed for all
that happened,
“The first time we tried to enter
the Law Courts, people in the crowd were unfriendly towards us,
especially towards Mgr De Piro, and shouted: ‘You are to blame for
all this!’. Mgr De Piro replied: ‘Well, well. We are trying to save
you, and you are blaming us!”.
Caruana Gatto also witnessed
that on 8 June the defenders of the Maltese were again offended:
At first the mob abandoned the attempt
on Francia’s house, and gathered around us. I told them that
attacking that house had nothing to do with politics, and asked them
to stop if they wanted our political demands to have a successful
outcome. However, the criminal element in the crowd gained the upper
hand. They started booing us, swearing and stealing money from our
pockets, and returned to Francia’s home to break down the back door.
We warned them that if they carried on in this way, the army would
be called in again, and there would be bloodshed. Our words,
however, had no effect.
The Servant of God was asked by the
Inquest Commission to testify about the events. And he did witness!
But his charity was such that he left out the above details
presented by Caruana Gatto. It was something that concerned him
personally and therefore he could leave it out without causing any
injustice to anyone. He did not want to expose the mistakes of the
angry Maltese.
What helped De
Piro not expose the others’ mistakes
- Good,
pious and holy
It could not be otherwise in the case
of the Servant of God. George Pisani, when interrogated by the Gozo
Ecclesiastical Tribunal, referred to De Piro’s great goodness.
The decree with which Bishop Peter Pace nominated the Servant of
God, Director of Fra Diegu Institute, mentioned his piousness.
The article “Giubileo Sacerdotale” of the “Malta” of 19 April 1927,
presented Monsignor as holy.
(ix) Towards
those who did not support him
In spite of the fact that De
Piro did nothing but love the others, there were a few persons who
were in some way or other “his enemies” or at least an obstacle to
him especially in the execution of the plans which were so close to
his heart. The Servant of God had been in contact with Frs
Emmanuel Vassallo and George Bugeja since his seminary days in Rome
and his stay in Switzerland.
He had even shared with them his wish to go and live at St Joseph’s
Institute, Santa Venera, after finishing his studies.
Returning to Malta, neither Vassallo nor Bugeja invited De Piro to
the Orphanage. It was only when Bugeja was in need of the help of De
Piro himself
or that of the members of his Society
that he asked the Servant of God to come himself or send the members
to St Joseph’s. Instead of feeling slighted or insulted over the
requests, Monsignor unhesitantly gave his support.
Propaganda Fide
could not understand what was the real nature of De Piro’s Society,
whether it was for the Maltese migrants or for the ad gentes
people,
so much so that he was neither granted the affiliation with the
Congregation
nor was he recommended for the decretum laudis.
As Founder, De Piro was sure of his Society’s charism. He was also
sure that he had explained everything clearly to Propaganda.
For these reasons he could have reacted in an aggressive way against
the Prefect and the other officials of the Congregation. Instead,
the Servant of God wrote a letter to Mgr Camillo Laurenti, Secretary
of Propaganda, and showed him his great gratitude for the fact that
the Congregation offered him its help to recommend him to the
Congregation for Religious, “Qualora poi dovessi necessariamente
dirigermi alla Congne’ dei Religiosi ringrazio immensamente la
Congne’ di Propaganda dell’offerta fattami di una sua
raccomandazione, che accetto, di tutto cuore e sulla quale mi fido
per l’ottenimento dell’ essere canonico, che tanto mi necessita.”
Some of the
Maltese clergy could not understand his “idea”.
At times there were those who invented ways and means how to
obstruct his projects.
But Fr Louis Gatt, one of the first members of the Society was quite
clear about the Founder’s reactions to all the opposition he met,
“He was never angry with those who created the difficulties; he
often said that he offered everything for Jesus.”
Frs George Bugeja
and John Mamo who had joined him before the start of the Society and
at its very beginning,
abandoned him after a very short while, one to return to St
Joseph’s, Malta, and the other to go to the Institute he opened in
one of the Maltese parishes, Tarxien. Though we do not know how he
behaved with Mamo, but we have just said what was his relationship
with Bugeja; he continued supporting him in his apostolate at St
Joseph’s.
The behaviour of
some of those who joined his Society was not that good in relation
to the Padre. Fr John Vella said this about himself, “I caused him a
lot of trouble because I used to answer him back several times.”
Yet, Vella said also that the Founder never shouted at the members
who behaved in this way.
Some of those who
joined De Piro’s Society left after receiving a good academic
formation.
Other persons, such as Fr Anton Buhagiar, were angry at these.
The Servant of God, the one who provided everything for these
deserters, reacted differently, “ I do not care if they do this. I
am happy that they will have acquired formation. That will suit
them. Jesus never forced his disciples. Who am I to impose anything
on them? God knows how to make use of their formation. The good they
received will one day give fruit.”
Mother Pacifica Xuereb testified that De Piro paid for the education
of a youth from Sicily who had shown a wish to become priest but who
changed his mind after receiving this academic formation.
Others were as far as hostile
to Monsignor. Maria Assunta Borg of the Sacred Heart
Laboratory was one of these.
Yet, De Piro behaved quite charitably with the latter: he entrusted
her with the money which remained at the Laboratory and the
furniture used there.
During the events of the Sette
Giugno, Monsignor was offended at least three times. On
Saturday, 7 June 1919, in the afternoon the Servant of God was in
the company of lawyers, Alfred Caruana Gatto and Serafin Vella.
Monsignor was going out of the Law Courts. These three men were
struggling with The Lieutenant Governor to save the Maltese from the
British soldiers who were firing at them. The angry mob turned to
them, and specifically to De Piro, and said: “You are to blame
for all this.”
On Sunday, 8 June, 1919, in the afternoon, Caruana Gatto and De Piro
were on the steps of the Opera House trying to stop the mob
from countinuing with the attack of Francia House. The criminals,
who were among the people, started booing at both Caruana Gatto and
De Piro. They even swore and stole money from the pockets of Carauna
Gatto and Monsignor.
On Monday, 9 June 1919, in the morning, Bishop Angelo Portelli and
De Piro went out of the Archbishop’s Palace in Valletta and tried to
calm the people. The Servant of God asked the people what they
wanted. Some were heard saying, “We want to burn the Curia.”
The Curia was undoubtedly dear to De Piro! The latter reacted
positively to each of these offences by those for whom he was
working so much for three whole days at a time when he was so busy
with other responsibilities. He continuously addressed them as his
sons and daughters.
Also, at the Inquest Commission he did not even refer to the above
mentioned reactions.
What helped De
Piro love those who did not support him
- God’s love
for him, a sinner, and therefore God’s enemy
De Piro could not have acted otherwise.
During his vocation discernment process, which he finalised at the
age of 21, he put to writing the reasons in favour and against the
priesthood. Among those which made him opt for this vocation there
was the one where the Servant of God remembered God’s sufferings for
him, who was a sinner and therefore God’s enemy,“Il desiderio di
darmi tutto a Dio avendo Egli tanto sofferto pei mei peccati.”
In the pros and cons
discernment method in order to decide whether to go to the
“Accademia Ecclesiastica” or to St Joseph’s, Malta,
Joseph referred more than once to God’s love for him who was a
sinner. In reason 2 against the “Accademia” he put on one side God’s
love for him by choosing him for the priesthood, and on the other
hand his being an enemy of God by his sins.
He repeated the same dual reality in reason 3 against the
“Accademia”.
In reason 8 in favour of St Joseph’s Institute he made the same
double mention: God’s suffering for him and his own sins against
God.
When preaching about God,
Monsignor generally preached about the Second Person of the Trinity.
In the few sermons where he referred to God the Father, he
repeatedly emphasised the divine mercy and forgiveness for the
sinner, God’s enemy, “Dio è paziente ed aspetta - non perchè
Egli non possa punire, non perchè egli non odia al sommo il peccato,
ma lo fa per dar luogo al ravvedimento e alla penitenza.”
In another sermon De Piro said to those
who were listening to him, “Dio aspetta, Dio chiama.”
In a sermon about Our Lady, Monsignor presented God the Father as,
“… Iddio nostro padre, padre amoroso, padre che conosce la debolezza
dei suoi figli, un padre di bontà infinita non ha abbandonato il
peccatore …”
When De Piro preached about the Son of
God he said that Jesus’ work of redemption, and therefore the
salvation of us, his enemies, was his greatest action, “Il pregio
più ammirabile dal quale trae le sue glorie il Verbo umanato è senza
dubbio l’esser Egli l’Universale Redentore.”
In his sermons the Servant of God made
several references to the Letters of St Paul. He referred 31 times
to the Letter to the Romans. Here the emphasis is on the glory of
God’s love for us.
To Gal 2:20 De Piro referred 15 times.
In these last references Christ has been presented as the one who
has sacrificed himself for Paul.
When Monsignor presented the Eucharist, he quoted again Gal 2:20 and
he showed he was much aware of the essence of the Eucharist: the
sacrifice of Christ for the love of man.
And De Piro was more than convinced that he, a man, was a sinner!
(x) A holistic
love
At Fra Diegu Institute the girls were
accustomed to celebrate the onomastic of De Piro. On this occasion
one girl prepared and even read a short speech to the Director.
Among the words addressed to Monsignor in the 1919 speech, there
were these, “… quì, sotto le ali di questo Istituto Ella ci ha
accolto, quì con viva sollecitudine, Ella ci va alimentando la vita,
l’anima …”
Dr Alexander
Cachia Zammit, one of the witnesses who gave his testimony at the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal in the Diocesan Process of the Cause of
Canonisation of De Piro, presented a contrast between the attitude
of Fr George Bugeja, the predecessor of the Servant of God as
Director of St Joseph’s Home, Malta, and De Piro himself:
I know from my father that Mgr. De Piro
took over from Fr. George Bugeja. During the time Fr. Bugeja was
Director, who otherwise was a very holy priest, at the Institute
there was a great lack of discipline. It was his idea that the
important thing was to take a boy into the Institute, there offer
him food and a place where to sleep and offer him spiritual help
also. The result of this was that children there did what they
liked. Besides, there was a lack of cleanliness. When Mgr. De Piro
took over he had to tackle these problems. He succeeded to bring
back good administration to St Joseph’s Institute. To bring back
discipline, he took it on himself to see the needs of the Institute.
He separated the boys into different rooms according to age. He
ameliorated those things that were good. He gave a great incentive
to education. I myself could notice, in general terms, that great
progress was made. I could notice also certain things that showed
the discipline at the Institute, e.g. in the case of the Tabone
brothers, they had a fixed time in which to depart, and Mgr. De Piro
asked about their behaviour. I could also notice great strides
forward in cleanliness.
On 27 August 1920
Mgr De Piro, as Rector of the Mayor Seminary at Mdina, presented to
the Archbishop of Malta a report about the various aspects of
Seminary life, for the scholastic year 1919-20.
Amongst others, the Rector said these words to His Excellency:
7.
L’azione dei suddetti Ufficiali
pel bene del Seminario e dei giovani è tuttora sempre molto critica
stante il difetto di uno Statuto Organico come richiesto dal codice
Can. 135o/. L’introduzione infatti di continue nuove
disposizioni restrittive introdotte in questo Seminario da circa un
decennio a questa parte ha fatto i giovani tanto nervosi da rendere
assai difficile il loro maneggio. - Vra. Eccza. ci aveva già
affidato l’incarico di abbozzare il detto Statuto ed effettivamente
sono state da noi raccolte varie disposizioni riguardanti gli esami;
ma questo costituisce solo una parte dello stesso, e per condurre a
compimento anche gli altri capi; considerando utile l’esperienza
altrui, osiamo suggerire a Vra. Eccza. la costituzione di una
Commissione ‘ad hoc’ composta dagli Ufficiali Maggiori e dai
Professori del Vendo. Seminario.
Three of the
witnesses who gave information about the catechism taught in the
first House of De Piro’s Society, testified that this teaching was
given within a holistic context. According to Christian Scerri,
Joseph Tonna
and Paul Sammut
the boys had games organised for them; Br Joseph Caruana used to
take them to play football. For Christmas the members of the Society
used to prepare for them cribs and statues of Baby Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, etc. During the Carnival days they had a special programme
In the 1928
edition of the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions” the Servant of God wrote this:
The same thing happens
with the missionary. It is not enough to send the missionary and
leave him on his own. You must support him and give him that help
which he requires. Otherwise when he finds himself among many people
who do not know him, and maybe even against him, and certainly may
expect much from him, if he does not find the means he needs, his
eagerness for action slowly withers away.
According to the
speech quoted above, at Fra Diegu Institute, a holistic formation
was imparted. In the above testimony, Cachia Zammit referred to the
attitude of the Servant of God towards the orphans and those of a
specific Institute, St Joseph’s, Malta. In the report about life in
the Mdina Mayor Seminary, De Piro himself showed part of his
holistic attitude towards the seminarians. The three witnesses who
talked about the catechetical activity in the first House of the
Society were quite clear about the all round formation of the boys
who attended the catechism classes.When writing his article “How to
Help the Missionary”, in the 1928 edition of the Almanac, Monsignor
showed his holisitc attitude towards the missionaries and their
missionary work. But one can go as far as saying that whatever
responsibility De Piro had and wherever he was, he always cared for
the physical, the religious (the religious practices) and the
spiritual aspects (those which have to do with the human character)
of the human beings dependent on him.
- The physical
aspect
- Food
The old girls and
old boys of the ecclesiastical charitable institutes led by the
Servant of God and who gave their testimony at the Ecclesiastical
Tribunal had mixed opinions as regards the food in the Homes where
they lived. Sr Scholastica Pace said that at the Jesus of Nazareth
Home, Zejtun, the food situation was bad.
Even Nazzareno Attard, an old boy of St Joseph’s, Malta, both in the
1987 and in the 1988-1992 witnessing sessions said the same thing
for his Institute.
But Attard also emphasised the fact that the food at the Home was
still better than in many Maltese families.
Br Felix Muscat,
an old boy of St Joseph’s, Malta, who did his novitiate there, and
was then one of the prefects in charge of the orphans, in the 1987
Testimonies, disagreed with Pace and Attard: at St Joseph’s, Malta,
De Piro was attentive to see that the boys had enough good food.
But the same Br Felix emphasised the fact that the Director saw to
it that there was not more than the enough.
Mr George Wilson and Br Venanz Galea, both of them ex pupils of St
Joseph’s, Malta, compared the situation at the time of Monsignor
with the days before his coming. For both of them there was an
improvement.
According to Mr Philip Gatt there was no lack of food at St
Joseph’s, Gozo. On the opposite it was abundant.
Br Felix Muscat indicated why the Director always taught the boys
not to waste any food at St Joseph’s, Malta:
De Piro had thought of enlarging the Institute and therefore he was
keen on saving money.
Br Felix added that the Servant of God himself lived like a poor
man.
Before the Servant
of God took over the Oratory at B’Kara the boys who attended there
were undoubtedly poor. Canon Michael Sammut, the prodecessor of De
Piro as director of this place, at one moment wrote an undated
letter to Field Marshal, Lord Methuen, the Governor of Malta between
1915 and 1919, and showed him the miserable situation these boys
were living in.
This was not strange at all; those were the years of great
depression in Malta.
When Monsignor took over the Oratory, it seemed that the situation
had by then improved a bit. Otherwise the Servant of God would have
sensed the basic needs of the children and without doubt would have
done something to help them.
In the report
mentioned above, the Servant of God, as Rector of the Mayor Seminary
at Mdina, showed that he was worried about the always worsening
situation of the satisfaction of the basic needs of the seminarians.
At one moment he referred to the evening meal that was becoming
poorer and poorer.
This situation was caused by the increasing cost of living in Malta.
It was the year just after the riots of the Sette Giugno
1919, which were sparked amongs others by the lack of basic needs of
the Maltese.
The Rector therefore highlighted the need of a resident treasurer so
that the provision for these needs could be guaranteed better.
He was considering the improvement of this aspect so vital for the
seminarians that he addressed these strong and quite clear words to
the Archbishop: “…per provvedere immancabilmente e con urgenza,
presentandole, suo malgrado, l’alternativa di chiudere il Seminario
in caso d’impossibilità.”
And there were 35 seminarians at the Seminary!
Within the context
of the Society, that which was considered by De Piro as “…Madre
amorosa … continuamente in aiuto dei suoi membri, tanto per cio che
riguarda lo spirituale, come anche per cio che riguarda il temporale
…”,
the Founder catered for all the basic needs of the members,
including food.
According to Michael Vella Haber, one of the first members, the fact
that the Society depended on the Founder’s money, meant that at
times it was a bit restricted as regards finances. This made food a
bit lacking at times.
According to Frs Louis Gatt, and Joseph Caruana, and Mr Paul Xuereb,
three of the first members of the Society, food was ok.
In the section of
the Original Constitutions about “Il Compratore” the Founder showed
that the buyer has to take care that there be enough food for the
members, “Importa molto alla Casa l’avere un buon compratore. Sia
egli pertanto diligente di fornire la casa di tutto ciò che a
giudizio del Superiore è richiesto all’uso quotidiano, e di
consegnarlo al dispensiere o al cuoco ad ora opportuna.”
The same
responsibility did the Founder put on the “Dispensiere”, “Secondo
l’ordine che dal Superiore gli verrà dato tenga la dispensa della
Casa fornita di quelle cose necessarie al vitto; pertanto prima che
del tutto siano consumate sia premuroso di dare avviso al Superiore
perchè si possa avere del tempo per l’opportuno refornimento.”
The buyer must not
only buy enough food. He has to see to it that the food is good,
“Procuri di conoscere la qualità delle cose…”
In the same
section of the Constitutions, De Piro encouraged the buyer not only
to guarantee the quantity of food necessary for the community, and
to see to it that what he buys is healthy, but when possible the
buyer has to vary the kind of food to be served to the members, “Sia
anche premuroso di rendere l’Economo consapevole di ciò che secondo
la stagione, trovasi al mercato esposto alla vendita, e convenevole
all’economia perchè entro i limiti della nostra povertà possa egli
somministrare la mensa alquanto variata.”
For De Piro, the
ladies who formed part of the Missionary Laboratory were working
mainly to support the missionaries in their evangelisation of the
Good News: “More often than not someone (of the ladies of the
Laboratory) reads a letter which has just arrived from the
missionaries. The letter always fills everyone of them with an urge
to work harder to spread the faith and to extend the Kingdom of Our
Beloved Lord Jesus Christ.”
But in the article referred to here, “The Missionary Laboratory”,
Monsignor showed quite clearly that these “lay missionaries” had to
express their love to the ad gentes people even through their
providing them with food:
… The box contained
also sweets for children. Everybody likes sweets; it is very rare or
an unheard of thing to meet a boy who does not like sweets. The
children of Sofi lack the delicacies which the children in our
country have; but the Missionaries tell us that now, once they
tasted sweets, they do nothing but ask for them. So, when the
laboratory ladies fill a box, they try to fill every nook and cranny
with sweets for the children.
- Clothing
What Sr
Scholastica Pace said in relation to the food at Jesus of Nazareth
Home, was repeated as regards the clothing of the girls: it was
again poor.
But Pace wanted to be just in her judgement: while the indoor
clothing was poor, the outdoor one was good.
Br Felix Muscat and Nazzareno Attard said the same thing as Pace as
regards their clothing at St Joseph’s, Malta: it was poor, not
varied and of a very coarse material.
They even mentioned a form of discrimination as regards the
footwear: when inside, there were boys who did have shoes, while
there were others who did not have any.
But then the same Muscat and Attard also said that although they
still depended on what the people gave them,
as time went on the situation at St Joseph’s, Malta, improved.
St Joseph’s, Gozo, seemed to be a bit better. Michael Ciangura,
Philip Gatt and Peter Camilleri, three old boys of the Institute
were quite satisfied with the clothing at the Orphnage.
There was mention of clean and smart
uniforms.
And unlike the case of St Joseph’s, Malta, all boys in the Gozo
Institute had sandals or shoes.
And this was a time of scarsity!
Mother Pauline Cilia, a superior at Fra Diegu, had this to say about
foorwear, “At that time the girls were barefoot. So that they would
not feel humiliated the Director asked a shoemaker to come to the
Institute and make a pair of shoes for each of them.”
Reference has just
been made to the letter written by Canon Michael Sammut, of the
B’Kara Oratory, to the Governor of Malta, Field Marshal, Lord
Methuen.
In it Sammut mentioned the hundreds of boys who attended this place
and who were so badly clothed. He also asked the Governor to give to
the Oratory the “… waste pieces of old Military Uniforms which were
probably at the moment being destroyed…”
so that “…the lady benefactors would turn them into articles of
clothing for our children…”
Again, it seems that during De Piro’s directorship there has never
occurred such a need. At least the witnesses in the Diocesan Process
of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God and the members
of his Society who lived at the Oratory never mentioned that the
Director had ever himself given or worked that someone else would
give any clothes to the boys of the Oratory. Without doubt, De Piro,
who had given his own money,
and his own clothes
to those who needed them, would not have hesitated to help the
children who attended the Oratory if the need existed.
What Michael Vella
Haber said for food in the Society of De Piro he also meant for
clothing; for the same reason mentioned above regarding food, there
were times when the clothing of the members was not that sufficient.
On the other hand Frs Louis Gatt, and Joseph Caruana, and Mr Paul
Xuereb, three of the first members of the Society, were quite
satisfied.
In the Original
Constitutions the Founder wrote this in relation to the local
treasurer, “In tutte le comunità oltre all’Economo, il quale sotto
la dipendenza del superiore deve provvedere i Missionari di tutto
l’occorrente, vi sarà anche un custode delle vesti …”
The fact that in
the Original Constitutions of the Society the Founder has included a
separate section about the wardrobe keeper
indicates in itself that Monsignor was quite attentive about this
aspect of the life of the members. Then such an article as the one
below shows this a lot more, “Sarà sollecito che si facciano le
richieste rammendature tanto nelle vesti; siano esse di casa, perchè
i Missionari appaiono all’esterno con quella decenza propria del
nostro stato; come pure nella biancherià perchè la stessa non abbia
a deteriorare per trascuraggine.”
The Founder even
included a whole section about the habit of the Society.
Here the emphasis is on simplicity. The same was the case when
dealing with the hairstyle and the individual’s outward appearance.
In the Conferences
to the 1929-1930 Brother novices
there is almost the same material as in the Constitutions.
In the article
“The Missionary Laboratory”
mentioned above, Monsignor showed quite clearly that the ladies of
this Laboratory rightly expressed their love to the ad gentes
people even through their preparing clothes for them. And he
presented himself as one who sent the clothes together with the
other members of the Laboratory group:
The name itself, laboratory, shows
everybody what those Ladies who take part in it must do. They meet
every so many days. Everyone says what one managed to perform since
they last met. Meanwhile everybody works assiduously: some take up
the scissors to model clothes, others will be ready to baste, others
set the sewing machines in order. For two or three hours they just
work and work and think of the children at the missions for whom
they sew … And when it is time to pack up, everybody sees what each
can take at home so that next time, each one of them would bring
some finished article. Through what is sewn and through clothes
donated, clothes are collected and we think of preparing a box to
send it to the Missionaries of Sofi where, as you know, a Maltese
Mission is being formed … It is difficult to satisfy your curiosity
and tell you the whole contents of this box. We ourselves do not
remember everything. There were clothes sewn for children …
- Hygiene
Sr Scholastica
Pace was rather satisfied with the hygiene at the Jesus of Nazareth
Institute, Zejtun; it was fairly good.
Dr Alexander Cachia Zammit testified that at St Joseph’s, Malta,
hygiene was lacking before De Piro took over,
but he also said that he could notice great strides forward
in cleanliness after the Servant of God became Director.”
To the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, Michael Ciangura said that at the
Gozo Institute the boys had all the facilities to keep clean.
In the original
Constitutions of our Society there is no specific section about
hygiene, but here and there the Founder indicated that this was
another aspect very central for him as regards the members of his
Society. The Servant of God referred to the hygiene in the community
when referring to the foodstore, “Curi il dispensiere di tenere ben
pulita la dispensa, non solo ma anche tutte le cose che in essa
vengono conservate. Tenga perciò per ogni cosa un posto perchè non
vi sia miscela di cibi e bevande e possa cosi’ somministrare sempre
ogni cibo ed ogni bevanda nel suo stato genuino e naturale.”
The same he did
when presenting the section about the refectory keeper:
Curi il Refettoriere
di tenere il refettorio e tutto ciò che ha attinenza collo stesso in
uno stato di grande nettezza.
Ogni settimana farà
cambiare i tovaglioli e le tovaglie, ove sono in uso. Riceverà
contata tutta la biancheria ad uso del refettorio e cosi’ anche la
restituerà.
Abbia cura che non
manchino in refettorio i bicchieri, le tazze, le posate e tutt’altre
cose necessarie, e che tutto sia mantenuto nella massima pulitezza.
Perciò il recipiente ove vengono lavati i bicchieri sia distinto da
quello over vengono lavate le tazze ed osservi la stessa distinzione
per i relativi asciugatoi.
Regarding the
cook’s attention for cleanliness, the Sevant of God was quite
detailed:
In tutto ciò che
appartiene al suo ufficio procuri il cuoco, una grande nettezza.
Cosi’ ad esempio non tocchi le vivande colle mani ma si serva di
strumenti appositi, per lavare e preparare la verdura abbia un
recipiente custodito unicamente per quest’operanzione, e per
asciugare i piatti tenga sempre una tela unicamente a ciò destinata.
Among the
conferences the Servant of God gave to the 1929-1930 novices there
were one about the stewardand
two about the refectory and the member in charge of this place.
In all De Piro emphasised the need of cleanliness.
- Physical health and care of
the sick
According to Brs
Felix Muscat and Venanz Galea, the Director of St Joseph’s, Malta,
was very attentive on the boys’ physical health. Sr Scholastica Pace
said the same thing ar regards the girls of the Jesus of Nazareth
Institute in Zejtun.
Muscat and Galea added that the Director went as far as providing
himself olive oil for the St Joseph’s boys because he was convinced
that this helped a lot the children grow strong.
Then, when the boys got sick De Piro was always kind with them.
Although he was very busy he paid personal attention to those who
fell sick; he used to go himself to their sickbed and talk to them
while seeing to their needs.
This De Piro did not only with the children in Malta. Loreto Rapa
testified that the Director visited personally even the boys of the
Gozo Institute.
This was obviously of great encouragement to the sick poor boys.
In the case of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute Monsignor encouraged
Mother Superior to send a nun to train as a nurse.
“Whenever there
was a sick seminarian he visited him frequently in his room,”
testified Fr Loreto Zammit, a priest who was a seminarian at the
time of De Piro’s rectorship.
If the members of
the Society of St Paul depended on their Founder for their food,
clothing and hygiene, they did the same as regards their physical
health.
When it came to the sick members of the community De Piro, mentioned
several exceptions in the Constitutions of the Society. When dealing
with the food storekeeper the Servant of God insisted that when
distributing food to the members of the community, the former must
not be preferential with anyone, except when it comes to the sick
members, “… tenga però conto speciale per gli infermi e
convalescenti come gli verrà prescritto.”
In the section
about the refectory keeper, “Curi il refettoriere di trattare tutti
colla stessa eguaglianza e carità; con distinzione dei casi di
malattia e necessità dei quali sarà dal Superiore avvisato, e senza
il permesso del medesimo non arbitri di concedere niente ad alcuno.”
A little while after the Founder also put down, “Ad eccezione
dell’infermiere, il cuoco senza permesso del Padre Superiore non
permetta ad alcuno di cucinare o preparare alcunchè di particolare
per se’ o per altri.”
The Founder wanted
to give so much importance to the sick members of his Society that
in the Constitutions he wrote a whole section about the nurse
supposed to be in each community.
Then in this section certain articles are stronger and more
sensitive than the others, “Sebbene per la carità che costituisce il
vincolo e la forza della Compagnia tutti devono essere preparati di
darsi al servizio dei loro fratelli infermi, purtuttavia il
Superiore nominerà uno o due all’ufficio di infermiere; ai quali
viene affidata speciale cura degli infermi.”
And also, “Allorchè l’ammalato entra nello stato di convalescenza,
sarà anche ufficio dell’infermiere di procurargli del sollievo o con
qualche lettura gioconda o con conversazione moderata e lieta che
giovi anche allo spirito.”
The Servant of God
then presented in the Constitutions a whole section about the sick
members themselves.
The section is rather exhortative. As in other parts of the
Constitutions the Founder emphasised that the superior be informed
about each step taken in favour of the infirm. But De Piro also told
the local superior, “Il Superiore poi invigili alla cura temporale e
spirituale dell’infermo, lo visiti ogni giorno e procuri che sia
trattato con carità e provveduto di tutto l’occorrente tanto per
l’anima che per il corpo.”
To all the
members, the Servant of God said this:
Chi è sano non
dimentichi che gli infermi sono gli eletti del Signore e che
attirano sulla casa le celesti benedizioni; quindi preghi per loro e
secondo la licenza che ne avrà li visiti con molta carità e
devozione, ricordandosi che il sollievo che loro recherà con buone
ed edificanti parole e coll’aiuto che gli sarà permesso di prestar
loro, Nostro Signore lo riputerà recato a se stesso.
As in the above
paragraph, the Founder exhorted the members to continuously
accompany the sick person especially during the last moments of his
life.
He even reminded the members to administer the sacrament of the
anointing of the sick to their invalid companion.
To the 1929-1930
novices he delivered three conferences about the care of the sick.
Their content is almost the same as that of the Constitutions.
If De Piro
considered it most important that the Maltese send food to the
missionaries so that these could sustain themselves and the people
with whom they were working, the Maltese were expected to do the
same thing regarding medicines and first aid items:
… cotton and many types of medicine.
They write that these things used for medications are very necessary
because now this Mission has the fame throughout the country that it
is qualified to medicate. Many are the sick people who visit it to
get cured. It is not difficult to understand that cotton,
cotton-gauze, and disinfectants, together with other medicines which
they ask for, are very necessary.
To this quotation
there can be added the article about the infirmary of Br Joseph
Caruana.
Through this material the Servant of God emphasised the missionary’s
need to take care of the physical aspect of the ad gentes
people.
- Housing
If for De Piro
food, clothing, hygene, and physical health were among the
ingredients of a balanced growth of the boys and girls of the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes, the same could be said for the
provision of good housing. Br Felix Muscat indicated that the
Director wished to enlarge the building of St Joseph’s, Malta.
In 1925 De Piro had many responsibilities on his shoulders. In spite
of this heavy load, the Director of Jesus of Nazareth Institute
started the building of a new home for the girls of that Orphanage.
In Gozo he wished to do something similar. The house chosen by the
parishpriests for the new charitable Institute was not that
adequate. Although the Servant of God initiated St Joseph’s Home in
that old building, but immediately after the inauguration he started
working to acquire land for the building of a new Orphanage.
It was also the
Founder who saw to it that the members of his Society would have an
adequate house where to live.
According to the Founder himself the first house was not suitable
anymore for the Society.
Michael Vella Haber was accepted into the Society on 29 September
1929. He commented that the second house (and perhaps even the third
one) the Society had in Mdina, was again not good at all.
On the other hand Frs Louis Gatt, and Joseph Caruana, and Mr Paul
Xuereb, three of the first members of the Society again disagreed
with Vella Haber and said that the lodging was quite good.
Still, De Piro worked a lot so that the members would have a bigger
and better house. The foundation stone of this building was blessed
by the Archbishop of Malta, Mauro Caruana, on 3 October 1932.
St Agatha’s Motherhouse was then inaugurated on 30 June 1933.
- Financial and other material
assistance
The Director
continued following the boys and girls of the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes even after they left the Homes. More than once
he helped financially those who left St Joseph’s, Malta.
In the name of the old girls of Fra Diegu Institute, the Servant of
God made several petitions to the Archbishop of Malta in order to
get for them the money of legacies from the Curia.
The above
mentioned elements presented in relation to the charity practiced by
the Servant of God towards the boys and girls of the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes already indicate quite clearly that De Piro’s
love for the orphans was holistic. But exactly because De Piro’s
approach towards these boys and girls was so, he did not stop on
these poor children and youths. Rather, he gave a helping hand even
to the families of these same orphans. Carmena Mallia, an old girl
of Fra Diegu, was quite explicit about this, “The parents of
children at the Institue also benefited from his generosity … he
gave financial aid to those families who needed it.”
Mother Pacifica Xuereb said almost the same thing, “He was a man of
great charity… For example, some of the children’s mothers used to
come and visit them; he used to give them some money he himself was
going to spend.”
Not to mention the various entries in the Petty Cash Book “Casa di
San Giuseppe. Ist. Bonnici. Piccola Cassa ‘A’, 1926-1932”. In this
ledger the Servant of God registered, amongst others, the various
donations he made to the families of the boys who were at St
Joseph’s, Malta.
De Piro showed the
same attitude towards the families of the dead or wounded of the
Sette Giugno riots. He was in fact chosen as the cashier of the
Committee “Pro Maltesi Morti o Feriti il 7 o 8 Giugno 1919”.
The Committee was quite busy. In all it met 52 times up to January
1926.
De Piro was not
interested only in the work the employees did at St Joseph’s
Institute. In these men the Director saw more than the workers. For
him these were human beings. He was sensitive enough to notice their
needs. He was also courageous enough to take some money from the
Institute, a money he so much needed for the boys and the building
extensions of the Orphanage, and give that money to the employees or
their families. According to George Wilson, a bookbinder at St
Joseph’s Home, the Director used to pay the workers himself so that
he could give some extra money to those who needed it, without
anyone else knowing it.
The Rector of the
Mayor Seminary at Mdina had already done a lot when in his report
about the Seminary scholastic year 1919-1920 he referred to the
employees and said that their service was quite satisfactory. Yet,
this was not enough for him. As in the case of St Joseph’s Home, the
Seminary employees were for De Piro more than workmen from whom he
got a service. They were human beings with personal needs and men on
whom most probably depended wives and children. Therefore, although
that was a time when he was more than busy with Fra Diegu Institute,
the Cathedral Monsignorate, the foundation of the Society, his
membership in the National Assembly, the just finished tragic events
of the Sette Giugno 1919, and many other minor
responsibilities, in the Rector’s report for the scholastic year
1919-1920, he showed that he was sensitive enough to notice that the
salary of the employees was “…insufficiente all’attuale stato di
cose”.
Also, in the same report the Servant of God was courageous enough to
ask the Archbishop to increase these wages.
In the file “Mgr
Joseph De Piro: Instructions to Fr Joseph Spiteri” we find
that the Servant of God had instructed this member of his Society to
give £0.10.00 a month “to the widow of …” who had been
working at St Joseph’s Home, Malta.
Pension was also given to the wife of the worker who had probably
died while still at work at the same Institute.
From some of the
witnesses who testified in front of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of
the Diocesan Process in the Cause of Canonisation of Joseph De Piro,
we know that Monsignor had no limits as to whom to help with his
charity; people met him in the streets and were sure that the
Servant of God would help them. The ex Vicar General of the
Archdiocese of Malta, Mgr Carmelo Xuereb, presented himself as
witness of De Piro’s charity to a man who was begging in the streets
of Valletta.
Fr John Vella, the first priest of De Piro’s Society, witnessed to
the Founder’s sadness when a poor man came to the Gudia
Parishpiest’s House, where De Piro was acting parishpriest for a
short while,
and Br Joseph Caruana, who acompanied the Founder, sent him away
without giving him anything. De Piro was so much saddened that he
ordered Caruana to call back the beggar and give him what he asked
for.
George Wilson, another witness in the Diocesan Process, testified
that the Servant of God helped both individuals and families.
Camillo Aquilina, a member of the Society in De Piro’s times, Madre
Pacifica Xuereb, a superior at Fra Diegu Institute at the time of
the Servant of God, and John Buhagiar, an employee at St Joseph’s,
Malta, corroborated Wilson’s testimony.
The long list of names of persons who sought the Director’s help by
knocking at the door of St Joseph’s Home is again a proof of the all
inclusive charity of De Piro.
In the
Constitutions of his Society the Founder urged the storekeeper to
think of the poor when storing back the food, “Memore della povertà
sia diligente nel raccogliere tutto ciò che possa avanzare dalla
mensa, perchè possa servire per altri usi domestici od anche pei
poveri secondo l’ordine che avrà ricevuto dal Padre Superiore.”
The Servant of God
considered the Maltese in general as a people who could enjoy a
greater justice especially at the place of work
and a people who could have a less expensive daily living.
Especially during the three days of the Sette Giugno 1919
Monsignor treated the Maltese as those who were not interested in
creating riots, but those who only wanted to fight for the above
mentioned basic rights.
On his part De Piro forgot all his other duties, Fra Diegu
Institute, his Society, the Monsignorate, and the many other
responsibilities he had, and spent three whole days running from one
place to another trying to help his conationals acquire what was
theirs by right.
- Recreation
Carmena Mallia had
this to say about De Piro’s promotion of recreation at Fra Diegu
Institute, “He was fully aware of the value of recreation and made
sure that we had our share of it …”
Sisters Maria Pia Caruana and Scholasitca Pace confirmed that even
at the Jesus of Nazareth Institute the girls could enjoy recreation.
Nazzareno Attard reported that at St Joseph’s, Malta, the boys had
daily recreation.
This was encouraged for the proper use of the free time of the boys.
Michael Cinagura said that at St Joseph’s, Gozo, there was the daily
recreation, after lunch, in the yard,
and there was another one in the afternoon, after 5.00.
Mallia continued saying that at
Fra Diegu recreation consisted of: stage acting,
outings,
games,
and the Christmas Tree.
Sr Pace said that at her Institute acting on the stage and dancing
were not allowed.
At St Joseph’s, Malta there were theatricals,
indoor games,
football,
and filmshows.
Also, according to Attard, the Institute’s calendar demonstrated the
centrality of this aspect in the Home’s life: New Year’s day,
carnival, Easter, summer swimming, 1 May, St Martin’s Day, and
Christmas.
The one who had said that food and clothing at St Joseph’s, Malta,
were bad, also said that these festivities were celebrated
regularly.
In the Gozo Institute the boys had swimming in summer, and De Piro
used to accompany them.
Dr Alexander Cachia Zammit testified that the Servant of God knew
how to recreate the children.
Recreation was a
very important aspect in the life of the Oratory at B’Kara. The
construction of the playground in the very centre of the whole
complex already showed the centrality of games and sports in the
life of the Center. Before the catechism class, each weekday and on
Sundays, the boys and youths had one whole hour of games.
Next to the playground in importance there was the theatre hall
where every Sunday afternoon the boys and youths gathered together
to watch some play acted on by the local dramatic company, St
Genesius.
In this hall the members of De Piro’s Society even held filmshows.
In fact in the Acts of the Society’s Council session of 23 April
1932, one can still find that Fr Michael Callus, the priest in
charge of the Oratory at the time, asked the Society to lend him
£32.00.00 for the purchase of a cinematographic projector for the
Oratory.
Although under a certain condition, the permission for the loan was
granted.
This was still the time when the Society completely depended
financially on the Founder. It was also the time when the Servant of
God was preparing to start the building of the main House of his
Society, St Agatha’s.
In his report
about the 1919-1920 seminary scholastic year, Monsignor presented
the extraordinary common recreations and the walks in the
countryside as a help towards the creation of more discipline among
the seminarians.
According to the Rector these activities could help the clerics be
happy and jovial. They also helped them be more filial to the
superiors and the superiors less autoritative towards the
seminarians.
Here the Servant of God even suggested some subsidy from the side of
the Seminary in favour of such activities.
Frs Joseph Caruana
and Louis Gatt and Mr Paul Xuereb all agreed that the aspirants of
the Society had each day their recreation both after lunch and in
the evening.
They even had walks.
According to Fr Augustine Grech, all the members in formation had
their recreation each day.
Br Venanz Galea referred to the daily recreation of the other
members.
Fr Gatt also said that during the Carnival days the Servant of God
took the members to St Joseph’s, Malta, for filmshows.
Galea also testified that the members had their summer holidays.
The members went to Marsaxlokk, a seaside resort.
According to the Acts of the Council of the Society the members also
went to a place called Cavallerizza, again a place near the sea;
Testimonies mentioned Qrendi, where the De Piro family had one of
its summer houses
The Founder also hired a house in Gozo next to St Joseph’s
Institute, Gozo.
In the
Constitutions, the Servant of God included a whole section about
this aspect of the members’ life.
The Founder was quite clear about the scope of recreation, “La
ricreazione comune dopo il pranzo e dopo la cena è ordinata non meno
al sollievo del corpo e dello spirito, che a fomento di mutua carità
ed all’esercizio di molte virtù.”
De Piro insisted
that during recreation time the presence of all the members had to
be an active one, “In tempo di recreazione niuno si mostri muto e
taciturno, anzi procuri per quanto gli possibile è di concorrere
alla comune letizia e sollievo…”
And he continued
referring to the behaviour of members:
… evitando il ridicolo
intorno ai compagni, alla regola ed alle cose sacre; ed anche tutti
quei difetti, che sono contrarii al contegno religioso, non solo, ma
anche all’urbanità e convenienza. Perciò ciascuno si guardi dai modi
secolareschi e da quei tratti troppo confidenziali e liberi, che non
convengono alla gravità e modestia religiosa.
Ognuno cerchi di
evitare i contrasti, se però in alcuna cosa vi fosse diversità di
parere e sembrasse bene ad alcuno di doverla manifestare, cerchi di
proporre le ragioni con modestia e carità, e solo con animo, che la
verità abbia il luogo, e non per parere in ciò superiore agli altri.
Ciascuno ancora si
guardi di non dare mai segno di impazienza o di superbia, con poca
buona edificazione degli altri.
In his conferences
to the Brother novices, one finds three about recreation.
They have similar material to that of the Costitutions. It is
important to note the holistic conceptions, “Recreation must provide
corporal and spiritual relief.”
A little while after he added that, “The Rule tells us that
afternoon recreation, that is, recreation after lunch and after
supper should uplift us spiritually as much as it does temporarily.”
- The spiritual
aspect (that which had to do with the human character)
- Appreciation for service
rendered
Mgr De Piro was
quite conscious of another fundamental need of the human being:
every human being wants that his/her services be recognised, so much
so that they are appreciated; that an individual who has received
something from someone has to be grateful to that someone. The
Servant of God did not take for granted the service rendered by the
Franciscan Sisters at the Mayor Seminary. Again in his report
mentioned above he appreciated the work done by them and the
sacrifices they had to undertake in order to do this.
- A listening ear … and more
than that
There were times
when the families of the boys and girls of the Institutes did not
need any financial support, but only someone with whom they could
share their troubles and pour their broken hearts. Carmena Mallia,
an old girl of Fra Diegu Institute, testified that during the years
she was at the Institute there were times when the Director used to
visit the girls’ families and saw to their needs, even when they
were not financial.
On the 25
anniversary of his direction of Fra Diegu Home, De Piro invited all
the old girls of the Institute for a reception. On that day he
pleaded to the old girls to seek his help when they needed it.
The foundation of the Sacred Heart Laboratory or Workshop was
another proof of this extended love of the Servant of God for the
Institutes’ old girls.
As was Monsignor’s intervention in the Third Maltese Parliament on
21 February 1933,
and his including of the old boys and girls of the Institutes in his
will.
- The need of self government
De Piro could have
considered the Maltese only as people who attended Church services;
or only as those who gave charity to the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes; or only as the ones who gave donations to the missions;
or only as those from whom there could come out vocations for the
Maltese migrants and the ad gentes missions. If one were to
have even a quick look at the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute
of the Missions” one would immediately find out that the Servant of
God did consider the Maltese like this.
But he also looked at the Maltese as a people who could have the
government of their own country more in their hands. He would not
have accepted to participate in the National assembly of Sir Filippo
Sceberras had he not conceived the Maltese in this way.
It has already
been said that in 1918 Mgr Joseph De Piro was nominated as one of
the four Canons to represent the members of the Cathedral Chapter
and the Maltese clergy in the National Assembly that was going to be
set up in order to prepare a draft constitution for Malta.
In the second meeting of the National Assembly it was decided that a
Central Commission, made up of only fifteen members of the Assembly,
be set up in order to prepare the draft of the constitution.
Again, the Servant of God was asked to make part of this Commission.
In spite of his many already existing duties De Piro accepted being
member both in the National Assembly and in the Central Commission.
He accepted again, and together with the other members of the
National Assembly and the Central Commission gave his share so that
Malta could have in the end its bicameral parliament: the Senate and
the Legislative Assembly.
- Schooling
At Fra Diegu
Institute the academic aspect of the girls was already organised
when the Servant of God took over in 1907.
It was not the same at the Jesus of Nazareth Orphanage. Here
schooling was very poor in the beginning.
As time went on it was improved.
At St Joseph’s, Malta, the situation was still better. According to
Dr Cachia Zammit De Piro, “… gave a great incentive to education.”
In fact there were four classes at St Joseph’s, Malta.
The first two were for those boys who had not yet started the
trades.
These had lessons both in the morning and in the afternoon.
The boys of the third class had trades in the morning while in the
afternoon they had the lessons.
The boys of the fourth class had trades both in the morning and in
the afternoon, while in the evening they attended lessons.
In the speech De Piro delivered to the Governor General on the day
of Inauguration of the Institute, St Joseph’s, Gozo was expected to
provide “An elementary literary instruction.”
At St Joseph’s,
Malta, the boys were taught Arithmatic, English, Italian and
Maltese.
The boys in Gozo lacked Italian.
Both in Malta
and in Gozo
classes were held in the Institute itself. The teachers of St
Joseph’s, Malta, came from outside the Institute.
In Gozo Fr Michael Callus taught during the day,
while a layman taught in the evening.
In all the Institutes schooling was compulsory while outside the
Institute it was not.
As regards Fra
Diegu Institute, Carmena Mallia said that the Director showed a lot
of interest in the academic aspect of the girls’ formation. He
supervised the classes
and gave individual attention to the girls during their study.
At St Joseph’s, Malta, the Servant of God did the same thing. He
used to visit the classes personally.
This happened especially after the Brothers De La Salle left the
Institute. When there were still the Brothers it was they who cared
for the academic aspect of the boys.
When the Brothers left, De Piro himself took care of this aspect.
According to
Nazzareno Attard, some boys were given the possibility to continue
further studies, “… I know of some who went on with their studies.”
In order to
motivate the children of the Institutes the Servant of God organised
a yearly prizeday.
Prizes were given not only for progress but also for the conduct of
all the children of the Institutes.
On the prize day the children of the Institutes were involved in
various activities.
The Director invited distinguished guests and others for the prize
day.
Obviously the
report for the 1919-1920 seminary scholastic year would not have
been holistic had the Rector omitted the academic aspect from it. He
presented a list of the lecturers.
The Servant of God put in writing his appreciation towards the
progress done in relation to the teaching staff after the
institution of the Prefect of Studies.
According to Monsignor the attendance of the lecturers was
satisfactory.
The seminarians got good
results.
To motivate the seminarians for more study, De Piro suggested to the
Archbishop the exemption from the Curia exams for those who fared
well in the annual exams.
Monsignor also insisted on the need of textbooks
and notes on the part of the lecturers.
De Piro’s holistic
attitude towards the seminarians made him say a word about at least
several of the subjects taught at the seminary. For example, while
he was all praise for the dogmatic theology course he did not say
the same thing for the moral theology classes.
There was still the lack of lecturers of ascetic theology and
Gregorian chant.
Again, his
holistic perspective even made the Rector suggest, in the Report,
the introduction of a new subject in the Seminary curriculum:
because it was the time of the drafting of a new constitution for
Malta and the setting up of various Catholic social clubs in several
Maltese towns and villages, De Piro proposed the introduction of
lessons in christian sociology.
Even when it came
to the academic aspect of the members of his Society, the Servant of
God was very interested
.
And this even as regards the members who had not yet joined the
Society.
For this dimension the Founder saw to it that the members would have
ample time in their timetable.
As regards the secondary education of the members the Founder asked
the help of the Jesuit Fathers.
For the literary formation of the students De Piro sent the members
to the Augustinian Fathers.
He did the same for philosophy and theology.
He himself was very attentive about this aspect of the members’
life, so much so that he often discussed with them some topic or
other which they were studying.
The words of Mgr
Antonio Buhagiar said to Fr Louis Aloisio testify to the fact that
De Piro considered the academic aspect as very important, even to
those members who abandoned the Society.
- Trades and crafts
Fra Diegu was an
Institute for girls and therefore the Servant of God saw to it that
cooking, sewing, dressmaking, embroidery, lacemaking and other
subjects appealing to the girls were taught there.
The same thing happened at the Jesus of Nazareth Institute. In this
Home the girls were taught the handcrafts usually learnt by girls.
It was different at St Joseph’s, Malta. This Institute catered for
boys and therefore the Director provided typography, printing,
bookbinding, and other trades connected with the printing industry.
There were also carpentery, tailoring and shoemaking.
De Piro felt the need to add also the electrician trade.
Being the one who opened the St Joseph’s, Gozo, it was he who
introduced the teaching of trades there.
And when the Director inroduced the teaching of trades in the
Institute he could also be said to have been the first one on the
whole Island to introduce this teaching; in Gozo, trade schools were
completely inexistant.
With the exception of the printing trades the subjects taught at St
Joseph’s, Malta, were taught at the Gozo Home.
Anyone in Gozo interested to further his training was even invited
to go to Malta at St Joseph’s, Santa Venera.
The above is
already a proof of De Piro’s interest in the teaching of trades to
the Institutes’ boys and girls. But Carmena Mallia emphasised that
at Fra Diegu, the Director’s interest was even personal;
he himself made daily inspections of the workshops.
Sr Scholastica Pace testified to the Director’s personal interest in
gold embroidery; he himself taught the girls how to appreciate it.
Not only this; Mallia also said that Monsignor made others love the
girls’ work. And she mentioned such people as the other members of
the De Piro family and Lord Gerard Strickland.
At Fra Diegu Monsignor even gave prizes to encourage the girls.
While Sr
Scholastica Pace testified that it was laywomen who taught crafts at
the Jesus of Nazareth Institute,
Nazzareno Attard mentioned the laymen as the trades instructors at
St Joseph’s, Malta.
Attard added that these instructors were not volunteers; the
Director paid them money.
In his speech to
the Governor General on the occasion of the opening of St Joseph’s,
Gozo, the Director explicated the aim of the Home, “… helped the
boys find work, earn their living and occupy with honour a place in
society.”
Loreto Rapa said almost the same thing as regards the teaching of
trades at the Institute.
When it came to
the members of his Society, De Piro wanted that these would give
their share in the running of the house. He thought them cookery,
how to preserve food, etc.
The novices had an hour daily for manual work. He even brought an
instructors from St Joseph’s, Malta, to teach the novices the
trades.
He even sent the Brothers to St Joseph’s, Malta, to learn a trade
there.
- The music band
At St Joseph’s,
Malta, the music band existed before De Piro took over,
but after coming to the Institute he encouraged it a lot.
It was not the same with St Joseph’s, Gozo. Here it was Monsignor
who started the band. He personally bought the instruments and took
them himself bit by bit to the Institute.
Both in Malta and in Gozo the boys were free to join the bands,
but in order to be accepted the boys had to show some interest.
Teaching was assiduous and was taken seriously.
In Malta they had the best bandmasters of the time:
Anton Muscat Azzopardi and
Joseph Abela Scolaro.
The same was the case at the Gozo Home; a lay professional
bandmaster taught the boys to play.
Boys also taught each other.
There were some 34 boys: some lived at the Institute and some were
old boys.
Those who joined
were encouraged to stay by being offered some incentives:
some pocket money;
on the Institute’s feast day they were offered some more money than
the other boys;
they visited villages and towns;
and had a distinctive mark on the uniform.
The band played in
places other than St Joseph’s, Malta:
at the Oratory, B’Kara;
at
St Agatha’s, Rabat, on the day of the foundation stone;
at St Joseph’s, Gozo;
and in various feasts of Maltese villages and towns.
Even the Gozo band played in public.
- A good management
A good management
of an entity is of great help for the progress of the entity itself,
but when the central element of that entity is the human being even
the latter benefits a lot from the management. A good management
helps the human beings which compose that entity to be more
organised, more calm; they are helped to know more where they are
heading to. Mother Pauline Cilia, Fra Diegu’s superior, said that,
“It was he who introduced the registers in the Institute. He put in
them whatever had to do with the girls: when they entered the
Institute, when they left, their first holy communion, their
confirmation, etc. He was exact in everything so much so that when
he died everything was in order.”
Reference has
already been made to two assessments made by Mr Alphonse Maria Galea
on behalf of the Archbishop’s Curia, regarding Fra Diegu Institute.
In both of them Galea emphasised De Piro’s exactness in his
adminstration.
When Dr Cachia Zammit was testifying to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal
he said that De Piro, “… succeeded in bringing back good
administration to the Institute… He separated the boys into
different rooms according to age. He ameliorated those things that
were good… I myself could notice, in general terms, that great
progress was made.”
As regards to the
good administration of St Joseph’s, Malta, one can also refer to the
various “distributions of work” still found in the file “Mons
Guzeppi De Piro Istitut ta’ San Guzepp (Malta)”. Here each one of
the members of the religious staff, and therefore including the
members of De Piro’s Society, knew what they were expected to do.
Then the Director also put down what was expected of the prefects of
the different groups of the Institute’s boys:
1.
Che tutti i maestri di scuola, e
capi d’arte stiano al loro dovere.
2.
Che tutti i ragazzi stiano al
loro posto, giusta’ l’orario, ed impedire assolutamente il
girovagare.
3.
Adocchiare di giorno in quando
la porteria, la Capella, ed i ragazzi avanti per la ‘Buona Morte’
quando vi siano.
4.
Prestate attenzione, ad essere
pronti alle chiamate che avrà dalla porteria.
5.
Attenzione allle due porte ....
cioè quella del Laboratorio e della reicreazione dei piccoli.
In his report, re:
the Seminary scholastic year 1919-1920, the Servant of God wrote
about the necessity of the existence of the organic statutes in
order to lead the Seminary well. Because of the lack of these,
seminary life was very unsettled, “… l’introduzione infatti
di continue nuove disposizioni restrittive introdotte in questo
seminario da circa un decennio a questa parte ha fatto i giovani
tanto nervosi da rendere assai difficile il loro maneggio …
The files related
to Jesus of Nazareth, St Joseph’s, Gozo, and the Oratory, prove
Monsignor’s good adminstration of these entities.
Not to mention the many files related to the Society he founded. All
these documents were not only well preserved, but all of them were
properly classified according to their contents.
Dr Alexander
Cachia Zammit testified at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal and said that
De Piro wanted, “To bring back discipline…”at
St Joseph’s Institute. Srs Giakkina Vella and Eletta Sant
spoke of the Director of Fra Diegu Institute as, “… a firm
administrator…”
- Discipline and corrections
Cachia Zammit also
indicated that the Servant of God was a disciplinarian by first
creating an environment for this: De Piro divided the boys according
to the age groups;
he improved those things that were good;
and he gave a lot of importance to the education of the boys.
This in relation to St Joseph’s, Malta. Mother Cleophas
Bondin said that De Piro never shouted at the girls of Fra Diegu
Institute.
On the opposite, he was always kind with them.
Sr Assunta Galea and Mother Pacifica Xuereb, both of them from Fra
Diegu, said the same thing.
Sr Pia Caruana corroborated this in relation to the Jesus of
Nazareth Institute.
According to Xuereb even when he talked to all the girls together,
the Director never used any harsh words.
But the Director
was not satisfied with this; he even wished the Sisters to behave in
the same way. According to Mother Xuereb, Monsignor also exhorted
the nuns not to recur to shouting in order to discipline the girls.
Srs Assunta and Pacifica also said that the Servant of God never
gave the girls any punishment, and when the nuns punished them he
did his best to save them from that same punishment.
Nazzareno Attard said the same thing in relation to De Piro’s
direction of St Joseph’s, Malta.
Instead of shouting and punishments De Piro suggested to the Fra
Diegu nuns other remedies for discipline: to be kind with the girls;
keep them happy; be patient with them, and persevere; never letting
them idle; and never letting them alone, but always under
supervision.
He even told the Sisters to remember that what they were doing with
the girls was being done to Jesus himself.
With the girls, then, he always insisted that they promised not to
repeat the mistake, but work for impovement.
Also, while correcting the girls, he tried to suggest to them some
better way how to do their duties.
Whatever he could give them he gave them. He always wanted to
satisfy them.
According to De
Piro a superior cannot expect that there be discipline in the entity
he is responsible for, if he has not created the environment for it
before. In his report about the Seminary scholastic year 1919-1920,
the Servant of God noted that the seminarians were not that
disciplined. At the same time he tried to show that there were
various factors that were making the clerics uncontrollable: (a) the
non existence of organic statutes, the lack of which has led to the
creation of new restrictive dispositions;
(b) the evening meal that was becoming poorer and poorer;
(c) certain innovations regarding the division of points of the
annual examinations;
and (d) the revolutionary trend that existed even in Malta at that
time.
Monsignor wrote that discipline could be helped by extraordinary
common recreations and walks in the countryside.
These activities could help the seminarians be happy and jovial.
These activities could also help the seminarians be more filial to
the superiors and the superiors less authoritative towards the
seminarians.
Here the Servant of God suggested some subsidy from the side of the
Seminary in favour of such activities.
Further on in his report, De Piro made reference to other aids which
could strengthen the discipline of the seminarians: the choice of
the prefects,
and better reports from the side of the parishpriests as regards the
behaviour of the seminarians during the summer holidays.
Fr Louis Gatt, was
quite explicit about the Founder’s responsibility to correct the
members of his Society, “He
often corrected … He corrected always, and all members of the
Society. His discipline was felt by all; novices, students and
professed.”
But the same Fr Louis was as much clear about what made the members
obey the Founder, “… with prudence and charity. He was never angry.
We were inspired with awe in his presence.”
The fact that the Founder was never
angry was referred to by Fr John Vella, one of the first two members
who joined De Piro’s Society.
Michael Vella
Haber continued adding other credentials to the Founder. He was like
a father to the members of his Society,
so much so that they called him “Padre”.
He cared for them a lot.
He was a man of a big heart.
He was very humane with them.
He treated each one of them as mature persons.
De Piro’s approach with the members was persuasive and not imposing.
Fr John Vella’s words are quite clear about this, “… he always tried
to make you understand what was wrong so that you would not make the
mistake another time.”
Obviously this was very encouraging to the members.
For the Founder
the members made part of a community, but they were also
individuals. As regards his relationship with the members, the
Founder had talks with them together.
But Monsignor also had individual conversations with them, even when
they were still aspirants,
or even before.
For Fr Peter Paul Borda, an ex member of the Society, this was
nothing but sound psychology.
Michael Vella
Haber who had emphasised the personal contact for a while, also said
then that the Founder did not talk to them a lot when they were at
St Agatha’s.
Fr Louis Gatt, who before had said that the Founder talked to the
members even individaully, said at another time that De Piro did
this only if asked by the individual. Here he even said that the
Founder did not have time for individual contact.
In the original
Constitutions, the Founder presented two types of discipline: self
discipline and the discipline to be carried out by the superiors and
those responsible for some aspect or other of the life of the
Society or the communities. As regards self discipline, De Piro
wrote the sections: “Del Distacco”,
“Della Modestia”,
Del Silenzio e della Puntualità”,
“Fuga dell’Ozio”,
“Penitenze Corporali”,
and “Delle Visite e delle Lettere”.
Related to the second type of discipline the Padre has all Fascicolo
III of the Original Constitutions.
In the Conferences
the Founder delivered to the 1929-1930 novices, the emphasis here is
on self discipline. We have: four about detachment,
five about silence,
one about punctuality,
nine about the avoidance of laziness,
five about corporal penance,
and five conferences about the refectory and how one must behave
there.
Almost all the material found in these conferences is a repetition
of that found in the Original Constitutions.
- Relationship with family
Nazzareno Attard
testified that the boys of St Joseph’s, Malta, could go to their
families once a year.
On the other hand the family could visit them at all times.
It has already been noted that besides helping the boys and girls of
the ecclesiastical charitable institutes, De Piro was also
charitable with the families of these same orphans.
The same he did with the families of the dead and wounded of the
Sette Giugno riots; he joined the Committee “Pro Maltesi Morti e
Feriti per la Causa Nazionale il 7 Giugno del 1919” and through it
helped the families of the victims.
Fr Augustine Grech
said that the Founder talked to them about detachment from their
families,
while Michael Vella Haber indicated the opposite.
In fact the latter said that when De Piro went to Gozo there were
times when De Piro took Michael with him.
- Relationship with other
people outside the entity
The Rector was
quite conscious that the seminarians, although to some extent
separated from the people outside the Seminary, carried in them the
trends of the society outside; they still made part of the Maltese
people. Therefore if, according to De Piro, the revolutionary trend
was entering Malta, it was being brought into the seminary by the
seminarians and therefore they had to be prepared for the world
outside.
- Preparation for life outside
the ecclesiastical charitable institutes
At St Joseph’s,
Malta, “Those who were willing had every opportunity … to leave as
mature, responsible persons, capable of facing life”, said Nazzareno
Attard to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal on 14 May 1990.
In his speech to the Governor General on the day of the opening of
St Joseph’s, Gozo, the Director said these words:
The education they
receive here will enable them, when grown up, they leave this place,
to find work and earn their bread and occupy with honour a place in
society; and ordinarily the good qualities they develop in them
while here, will gain for them the sympathy of others, be they
masters or equals, not only in these islands but also far distant
countries, where our people go in search of work and food.
Loreto Rapa, one
of the first boys who were admitted at St Joseph’s, Gozo, proved De
Piro as right, “When someone left the Institute, one had the
required basis to open one’s own workshop and earn a living, as in
fact many did.”
Rapa also said that, “I feel that the Institute prepared us for life
…”
- Vocation decision making
In his Diary, De
Piro wrote that, “In sin dal mio primo anno di Collegio ho
incominciato a vagheggiare l’idea di ritirarmi alla Casa di San
Giuseppe del Hamrun…”
Also, “Una delle ragioni che mi inducevano a stabilirmi alla Casa di
San Giuseppe è stata la seguente: ‘Perchè un sentimento interno mi
dice, che Iddio da questo Istituto voglia formare a Malta, una
Congregazione di sacerdoti sotto il patrocinio di San Paolo, e così
nel rendere stabile l’opera a Malta, si diffonda anche all’estero”.
In fact Br Felix Muscat used to notice that the Founder seemed to
wish that some boys from St Joseph’s, Malta, would join his Society.
Loreto Rapa, from the Gozo Institute, said that the Director wanted
to be near the boys of the institutes in order to get vocations from
them.
Michael Cinagura, another old boy of St Joseph’s, Gozo, testified
that De Piro tried several times to persuade him to join.
The Founder went
as far as organising vocational recruitment at the institutes. He
entrusted the Brothers with the care of those boys who showed any
interest.
Then De Piro himself took care of those who wished to join. He
called these to his room and talked to them.
He invited them to go to the Society’s House in Mdina for meetings
specifically organised for the prospectives.
For these youths the Servant of God set up the Congregation of St
Aloisius.
A Brother was chosen to be in charge of the Congregation and he
talked about the Society.
Sometimes De Piro himself talked to the boys of this Congregation.
Lastly, the Brother in charge chose some from among the youths and
presented them to the Founder.
In spite of all
this activity, Br Felix Muscat and Nazzareno Attard, another old boy
of St Joseph’s, Malta, said that De Piro never pestered the boys
with vocational propaganda.
Michael Ciangura confirmed this last truth. De Piro had tried to
persuade him to join the Society, so much so that the Servant of God
sent him to the Oratory to become an aspirant. After a while
Ciangura showed that he did not want to remain there. Monsignor did
not force him to stay; he never exerted any pressure on him.
On the contrary the Founder accepted Michael’s wish and sent him
back to St Joseph’s, Malta, where he had been in order to continue
learning his tailoring.
- The religious
aspect (religious practices)
- Teaching of the catholic
faith
De Piro preached
about different topics: from the Word of God in the life of the
human being, to the incarnation of the Word, to the sacraments, to
the saints, to human health, and to death.
In the Original Constitutions of his Society he presented this
exhortation to the member preachers:
Avranno pertanto i
Missionari ogni cura di ammaestrare il popolo nelle verità della
Santa Religione; di esortarlo alla pratica dell’orazione, delle
virtù e delle opere buone, alla frequenza dei Sacramenti della
penitenza e dell’eucaristia; di mettere in orrore le occasioni del
peccato, le false massime del secolo ed i piaceri dannosi; di
incitare alla buona e santa lettura; di promuovere la devozione del
Sacro Cuore di Gesù, della Vergine SSma. e del suo Rosario, di San
Giuseppe di San Paolo e degli angeli custodi e delle anime purganti,
raccomandando in favor loro l’atto eroico di carità.
The Servant of God
preached in different circumstances.
And he preached to all sorts of people: whether boys and girls,
youths, laymen and laywomen, religious and diocesan priests.
The topics of the
articles of his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the
Missions” were again quite varied. He started from those having to
do with the daily living of the readers:
from blasphemy to the Church, from heaven to mortification, from the
observance of the Day of the Lord, from Our Lady to peace in the
world, from the Sacred Heart to suffering in the life of the human
being, from the souls in purgatory to the will of God. Then he went
on to widen the view, perspective, mind and heart of the Maltese by
referring to the Maltese migrants.
Further than this, he even wrote a lot of material about the
evangelisation of the ad gentes people.
If De Piro was so
keen to provide the boys and girls of the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes with all the material basic needs for their life, he was
no less attentive to supply them with the teaching of catechism.
Besides guaranteeing a good teaching,
the Director organised things in a way that there was memory work,
but there were also instructions about the living of the faith in
their lives.
In the speech made to the Governor General on the occasion of the
opening of St Joseph’s, Gozo, the Servant of God himself said that
at the Institute it was intended to give the boys “A sound and
practical knowledge of Religion.”
In fact in the Original Constitutions of his Society he referred to
the teaching of catechism as the culture of the youths, the
formation of the various aspects of their lives.
It has also been said that in the first house of the Society the
members were keen to organise games for the boys who attended the
catechism classes there.
On the other hand the Constitutions mention another element for the
creation of an environment which guarantees a holistic formation, “…
i quali oltre chè colla pratica di vari esercizi di pietà, si
potranno anche aiutare con qualche utile e santa attrattiva come
sarebbe una sala da studi…”
This was the main
aim of the Oratory even before the Servant of God took over.
Then in the donation act De Piro bound himself and his Society to
continue giving that same catechetical service.
In fact each weekday the 400 boys and youths who attended
were separated in their respective classes and had half an hour of
catechism.
This was the time when, almost anywhere in Malta, the teaching of
catechism was lacking a lot.
The Oratory was not responsible only for the catechism imparted in
its building; it also had a branch at the chapel of St Paul, in
Valley Road and had to supervise the catechism classes at the
MUSEUM, both of them at B’Kara.
In an article in
the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions” De Piro
referred to a report by Captain Henri Curmi, the Commissioner of
Malta in Australia.
The article is mainly about the faith of the Maltese migrants, but
in it the Servant of God showed quite clearly his holistic outlook
towards the life of the Maltese abroad. In the article, Monsignor
referred to the formation that has to be given to the migrants. This
must be made up of material instruction and external education, and
the generation in good condition of the faith of the migrants. This
can be given by means of religious instruction, and other teaching.
If the above is not given the result would be moral and material
loss. A weaving together of the material and spiritual aspects,
indeed!
It was not
infrequent that De Piro wrote about some model of the missionary
agent in his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”.
In the 1928 edition he referred to Pompe Nosuelli, a lay brother of
the Institute of Milan.
This missionary was presented as having lived a balance between the
spiritual and material aspects. Then as a result of this same living
he was able to impart a holistic formation to those around him. In
this presentation the Author, instead of presenting the ingredients
of the material and the spiritual aspects in two distinct groups,
one following the other, presented these dimensions as different
threads woven together in order to make one single cloth, the life
and the activity of the missionary. Nosuelli always followed the
footprints of our Redeemer, Our Lord Jesus Christ; always sought to
do good to everybody; died blessing everyone; was a man of wonderful
piety; when free from his duty he spent long hours in the Church;
was exact in performing his religious duties - no obstacle hindered
him from it; when his office hindered him from performing his
religious duties, he would perform them at another time; at 4.30am
he woke up and did his meditation; was a man of great action; in his
mission he built the first house for the missionaries and the first
church too; he was remembered for the skill he had to provide the
missionary Friars, his companions dispersed throughout the
mountains, with whatever they needed.
In the Original
Constitutions of the Missionary Society, the Founder was quite
explicit about the necessity of the intertwining of the material and
spiritual elements in the missionary work ad gentes, “…
educare i selvaggi nei doveri della vita civile, ciò infatti
contribuisce allo stesso bene spirituale degli stessi…”
On the other hand in the 1928 Almanac, De Piro wrote that the work
of the missionaries ad gentes is the setting on fire the
hearts of the pagans with God’s love.
In the 1927
edition of the Almanac, Monsignor equated the missionary work ad
gentes to the scattering and the erection of faith.
But both before and after this publication the Servant of God said
more than once what he meant by faith. It is:
Which shows quite
clearly that for De Piro missionary work was not only material or
only spiritual but both, and therefore holistic.
De Piro was quite
clear about the specific ministry the Brothers of his Society were
expected to give to the Church, the teaching of catechism.
He had also written to Mizzi and received from him information about
the big need of catechists in Ethiopia.
Yet he did not send Brother Joseph Caruana with a specific mission,
that of catechetical teaching. Rather he helped him prepare himself
with several skills, crafts, etc, to help the Ethiopians in the
various aspects of their life.
- Moral formation
Dr Alexander
Cachia Zammit can be said to have synthesised the moral formation
given in the Institutes directed by the Servant of God, “One could
see that the children had a sound moral formation.
This could also be seen in
them when they left the Institute.”
In his 1919-1920
seminary report De Piro referred to the problems the seminarians
were meeting in relation to the moral theology course.
- Liturgy/paraliturgy
The fact that
Carmena Mallia referred to the fervent eucharistic spirituality of
the Director
implicitly indicated that De Piro saw to it that the girls of Fra
Diegu had their daily mass. Nazzareno Attard made direct references
to the daily mass at St Joseph’s, Malta.
The several references made by the old boys and old girls of the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes to the way how Monsignor said
mass
again indicated that he wanted the Institutes to provide the mass
for the residents. Then, according to Carmena Mallia the Director of
Fra Diegu Institute wanted that Sunday would be celebrated as a
special day: he insisted that the girls wear better dresses than
usual.
Again, by the
donation act between Notary Michael Casolani and the Servant of God,
the latter bound himself and the members of his Society to be
regular in the administration of the liturgy and the paraliturgy at
the Oratory in Birkirkara.
On Sunday mornings they had mass and communion.
Sacramental Benediction was given after catechism on weekdays,
while on Sundays it was received in the afternoon after the
explanation of the Gospel.
In his report, the
Rector of the Major Seminary at Mdina made reference to the lack of
teaching of the Gregorian chant.
He praised the faithful service rendered by the seminarians both at
the Cathedral in Mdina and at St John’s CoCathedral in Valletta.
Frs Augustine
Grech and Louis Gatt testified that the Founder talked to them,
members of his Society, about the liturgy.
Gatt also said that the Padre involved the members in the Liturgy,
both at Home and elsewhere:
For the liturgy there was the calendar.
This contained all the celebrations that were held in the chapel of
the Society’s house. Whenever he was in the house when a feast was
being celebrated, he himself conducted the service. He was very
meticulous and serious as regards ceremonies and the preparation of
the vestments to be worn. He also loved to take the members of the
formation group to some Institute of which he was director, e.g. on
the eve of Easter he used to take them to Fra Diegu.
In the Original
Constitutions the Founder emphasised the importance of the Liturgy
in the Society, “Si abbia nella nostra Compagnia una devota cura
della liturgia tanto nel canto che nelle cerimonie, ed il Padre
Superiore Locale provvederà perchè uno della Comunità si dedichi
allo studio speciale delle rubriche, perchè le stesse possano essere
da tutti osservate colla maggiore esattezza.”
While continuing
his reference to the liturgical vestments of the Founder, Fr Gatt
also said that Monsignor wanted the novices to learn the liturgical
rites and its sacred music.
- The Eucharist
Carmena Mallia
testified that, at Fra Diegu where she lived her childhood and
youth, the Director demonstrated a deep eucharistic spirituality.
He celebrated mass with great devotion.
Peter Camilleri and Michael Ciangura said the same thing as regards
the masses the Servant of God said at St Joseph’s, Gozo.
Peter Camilleri said that when De Piro was at St Joseph’s, Gozo, he
always wanted to say mass himself.
According to Mallia, the Director himself regularly attended the
weekly adoration of the Blssed Sacrament.
As regards the First Holy Communion, Monsignor wanted that the girls
of Fra Diegu be well prepared for it.
He himself examined the girls.
He then saw to it that the girls would be instilled with this
eucharistic spirituality.
To keep alive in
the members of his Society their love to the Blessed Sacrament, the
Founder saw to it that there be the eucharistic presence in the
houses.
The aspirants at the Oratory in B’Kara, the novices at St Joseph’s,
and all the other members in the first houses of the Society in
Mdina, had mass in the morning.
The aspirants’ timetable had the visit to Blessed Sacrament after
lunch.
At the end of the day the aspirants, the novices, and all the other
members, had the Sacramental Benediction.
- Confession or the sacrament
of reconciliation
Br Felix Muscat
said that De Piro did not confess the boys of St Joseph’s, Malta.
The same was said by Michael Ciangura as regards St Joseph’s, Gozo.
Another priest came there.
Carmena Mallia said that at Fra Diegu other priests were available
for the spiritual needs of the girls.
Nazzareno Attard, from St Joseph’s, Malta, said the opposite.
As did Loreto Rapa regarding the Gozo Institute.
He himself did confess to him.
Attard, in 1987, said that many boys went to De Piro,
while in the 1988-1992 Tribunal sessions the same Attard testified
that some dozen boys went to De Piro for confesion.
Nazzareno Attard
also said that the Director heard confessions attentiviely, quietly,
calmly, gently and understandibly;
that in confession the Servant of God gave advices for a better
life;
that the Director did not resort to fear;
and that as penance he gave three Hail Mary.
Attard added that there were other confessors in the Institute.
Every Saturday the
Oratory boys and youths were encouraged to receive the sacrament of
reconciliation.
In his Seminary
1919-1920 scholastic year report, the Rector made reference to the
lack of the presence of a spiritual director.
From De Piro’s own words one easily finds out that the Servant of
God was rather referring to the confessor of the seminarians.
As regards the members of the
Society and the emphasis the Founder made on the sacrament of
reconciliation Fr Louis Gatt had this to say, “With us members of
the Society he used to emphasize the importance of this sacrament.
He did this as much as he did in relation to the other acts of
piety.”
In the Original Constitutions the
Servant of God reminded the members of his Society of the weekly
confession.
- Prayer and religious
practices
On 9 January 1987
Carmena Mallia, an old girl of Fra Diegu Institute, testified that
the Director strongly believed in the power of prayer
and he tried to instil this in the girls themselves.
Dr Alexander Cachia Zammit said to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal that
there were times of prayer at St Joseph’s, Malta.
The boys’ daily timetable proves this:
|
05.30 am |
Mass |
|
11.30 am |
Prayer: Buona Morte |
|
pm |
Rosary,
Eucharistic Benediction. |
Table 19
In the Gozo
Institute the timetable was exactly the same.
Nazzareno Attard
also said that on Maundy Thursday, the boys at St Joseph’s visited
the Altar of Repose and did the Seven Visits to the Blessed
Sacrament.
As in the case of
the Institutes, the daily and Sunday Oratory timetable included the
Blessed Sacrament Benediction.
Almost at the very
beginning of his 1919-1920 Seminary report De Piro presented the
meditation as very important for the seminarians.
Further on in his report the Rector mentioned the retreats held at
the Seminary.
When in Rome for
his studies, Joseph De Piro had already started thinking about the
setting up of a missionary society.
It was his spiritual director who told him to stop thinking about it
for that moment.
Having finished his studies he became ill again of tuberculosis.
To be healed of this sickness the Servant of God went to Davos,
Switzerland, on 10 July 1902.
In his diary De Piro said that “…tra il ghiaccio delle Alpi così
lontano dal paese dove intendevo metterle in effetto…” he could not
do anything about his “… ormai divenute antiche idee”, “… non mi
restava altro che la preghiera - mia ottima compagna - ed ho
pregato, pregato, pregato.”
If De Piro himself prayed a lot before concretising his dream, so
much so did he exhort the members of his Society to pray. Fr
Augustine Grech emphasised the fact that the Founder talked to the
members of his Society about the spiritual aspect of their life in
general.
In his testimony to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, Fr Peter Paul Borda
said that the members of De Piro’s Society had a timetable that in
itself showed the Founder’s attention to this aspect of the members’
life.
Fr Grech, Br Felix Muscat and Mr Paul Xuereb, all among the first
members of the Society, agreed that even when they were loaded with
work, the Founder emphasised that they had to do the acts of piety
just the same.
The meditation points were mentioned by Br Venanz Galea.
Galea, and with him Frs Louis Gatt and Peter Paul Borda, mentioned
also the meditation.
According to Michael Vella Haber the meditation was expected to be
done even by the aspirants.
Paul Xuereb hinted to the meditation in common.
Fr Gatt and Br Muscat testified that the novices, even the Brothers,
had two meditations daily.
Besides the daily acts of piety, Borda and Vella Haber mentioned the
annual retreat.
Vella Haber also said that the members used to recite the De
Profundis while going down the stairs.
He even mentioned the Miserere.
The programme of the aspirants included, according to Xuereb, the
spiritual reading during meals.
Frs Joseph Caruana and Louis Gatt said that spiritual reading was
done in the afternoon.
According to Gatt and Br Felix Muscat, the Brother novices had two
moments of spiritual reading.
Fr Joseph Caruana and Paul Xuereb indicated that the aspirants and
the Brother novices did the examen of conscience in the evening.
Michael Vella Haber said that while making part of the Society he
learnt two short prayers: “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex iudeorum, miserere
nobis”
and “Ecce crucem Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, fugite partes adversae,
vicit leo de tribu Judeae, radix David. Hallelujah.”
Fr Augustine Grech and Br Felix Muscat added, in their testimonies,
the prayer for the souls in purgatory: the heroic act of charity.
They said that the Founder put a picture near the main entrance of
the Society’s House so that everyone remembered to pray for the
dead.
In the
Constitutions of the Society, De Piro started the section “Ezercizi
di Pietà”
by presenting the essential connection between the missionary
actions of the members and the acts of piety, “Per perfezionarsi
sempre più nella vita interiore, che deve essere l’anima delle
nostre azioni esterne, e senza la quale poco si potrebbe sperare
dalle opere di Missione e di carità alle quali i membri della
Compagnia si dedicano, ciascuno in Domino, attenderà con tutta
diligenza agli esercizi di pietà…”
The Servant of God
continued by presenting a list of the particular acts of piety,
finishing with an emphasis on the necessity of the meditation and
the examen of conscience.
To the novices of
1929-1930, Mgr De Piro delivered thirteen conferences about the acts
of piety.
In these he explained to the Brothers the why of these acts: they
help the individual get closer to God.
Most important among these is the meditation.
For the priest’s life the mass must be central.
As it is for the other members of the community.
So much so must the members get closer to Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament of the Eucharist.
On two separate days the Servant of God exhorted the novices about
the monthly
and annual retreats,
and the Via Crucis
and confession.
Spiritual reading was referred to twice in these conferences.
As in the Original Constitutions, the Founder emphasised in a
special way the importance of meditation and the examen of
conscience.
- Marian devotion
Carmena Mallia
testified that the Servant of God had a deep trust in Our Lady.
At the beginning of every visit to Fra Diegu, the Director always
knelt down in front of the statue of Our Lady and said three Hail
Mary.
When possible he was always saying the rosary.
He had a special devotion to Our Lady of Pompei.
In fact he encouraged the girls of Fra Diegu to celebrate this feast
of Our Lady each year.
If one were to
have a look at the Original Constitutions written by De Piro for his
Society, one would find out that the Founder exhorted the members to
pray to God and the Society’s patron saints in favour of the
Society.
He mentioned Our Lady as the first among the saints.
Also, in the Original Constitutions he recommended prayers to Jesus
and Mary in a special way for the living of the vow of chastity.
According to witnesses in the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, the Founder
insisted with the members of his Society to say the rosary.
The novices, the Brothers and all other members had the daily
community rosary.
In the case of the Brothers he wanted to see the rosary beeds
hanging to the sash of their habit.
To these he addressed these Constitutional words regarding their
devotion to Our Lady:
Tutti i Fratelli Catechisti abbiano e conservino una tenera
devozione alla Vergine Santissima, che si studieranno di imitare
nello spirito di raccoglimento e di orazione; di ubbidienza, di
povertà e purità, mantenendosi sempre umili ed attivi in continuo
aiuto ai Sacerdoti, che profondamente rispetteranno, ed alle opere
della Compagnia. Essi pertanto reciteranno giornalmente l’intera
corona della Beata Vergine; e quando l’ufficio e le loro occupazioni
lo permetteranno, sappiano di fare una cosa molto grata alla
Compagnia se indulgeranno nella recita di questa preghiera tanto
efficace.
In the conferences to the 1929-1930
novices, De Piro made two exhortations about the rosary.
In one of them he brought out the biblical basis of this marian
prayer.
The Founder also encouraged the members of his Society to promote
the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Rosary in their
preaching.
From the Vatican Arts Laboratory De Piro ordered an image of Our
Lady to be put in a central place in the main House of the Society.
- Mary Assumed into heaven
In 1909 De Piro
was preparing for the foundation of his Society. On 1 August of that
same year he wrote a draft of the formula that was expected to be
read by the future members during their religious profession. In it
he referred to Our Lady. But not only; he mentioned the “Beata
Vergine Assunta in Cielo”.
On 12 June 1910 Archbishop Peter Pace opened and blessed the first
House of the Society, at Mdina. In the speech with which the Founder
greeted His Excellency, there was again mention of the “Madre
Nostra Maria Assunta in Cielo”.
In the Society’s Council session of 17 April 1928, the Founder
invited his assistants, Frs Spiteri and Callus, to discuss the
opening of a novitiate for the Brother Catechists, at St Josephs’,
Malta.
On 4 August 1928 the Servant of God and his General Council decided
to open this novitiate exactly on the 15 August,
the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, and be dedicated to the “B.
Vergine Assunta”.
In the Acts of this session, the Secretary of the Council added that
Mary assumed into heaven was the “Patrona Principale della
Compagnia”.
And De Piro signed these Acts!
In the following Council session, 11 August 1928, the Founder asked
his assistants to discuss the opening of an “educandato”, for the
aspirants of the Society,
at the B’Kara Oratory.
The name of this Centre was not decided in that session, but in that
of 15 February 1929 there was a first clear mention of it:
“Educandato Santa Maria”.
This is nothing but another name for Our Lady Assumed into Heaven.
In the “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions”, De
Piro, more than once, showed that as time passed by the devotion to
Our Lady Assumed into Heaven continued, “… in the chapel we
celebrate her feast under the title of the Assumption, a title which
has brought new graces on the institute.”
Ten years after the Founder wrote these words:
In our missionary
institute we also tried to offer flowers to Our Lady by means of a
literary academy among the students who are housed there (At the
Oratory, B’Kara). We concluded by a resolution to make heard our
small voice to the Bishop to place another pearl in the crown of
Mary Our Most Holy Mother through the dogmatic definition of the
glorious Assumption of Mary ...
And a year later
he added:
Therefore we too chose
her as our most cherished patroness, we who since the beginning of
the Institute felt Mary’s help. Since the Institute had its
beginning in the island of Saint Paul, we felt that we could not do
better than venerate her under a very ancient custom in Malta when,
under the title “Santa Marija” her assumption into heaven is
celebrated throughout the whole place.
And when in the course
of development of the Institute we came to open the Boarding house
at the Oratory of B’kara, we could not find a better name than that
of Santa Marija. We also dedicated the first academy we held at the
Boarding House in honour of the Blessed Virgin, since it was also
the year of the centenary of the Council of Ephesus. Before
concluding that very dear meeting we adopted a resolution to ask the
Bishop, in our smallness, to ask the Pope to advance the dogmatic
definition of the Assumption of the Blessed virgin , how and when he
sees it fit.
In the last
writing, the Servant of God himself said why he chose Mary’s
Assumption into Heaven for the members of his Society: his
Congregation was founded in Malta and the Maltese have a special
veneration to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven.
But in Malta there is also an extended devotion to Our Lady of
Mount Carmel. For an image to be crowned it is necessary that the
image itself be antique. There must be a special devotion towards
it. And graces must be granted through its intercession. Archbishop
Carmelo Scicluna crowned the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
found in Valletta, Malta. It was the first image to be crowned in
Malta. This happened as far back as 15 July 1881.
Wednesdays and Saturdays are observed by many as days of prayer and
mortification in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Ursola, the mother of the Servant of God was herself a member of the
Carmelite Tertiary Order.
Our Lady of Victories, or the birth of Our Lady, has been
continuosly considered among the Maltese as the one who saved our
Islands from their enemies, especially during the two great sieges:
the one by the Turks in 1565, and the other by the Germans in the
last World War. As far as 1585 a church was dedicated to the
Nativity of Mary. This church was known as the church “de la
Vittoria”.
Many devotions were practiced all along the years to thank Our Lady
and her intercession in favour of the Maltese.
In Malta there are 47 churches and chapels dedicated to Our Lady of
Victories.
In 1570 a detailed inventory was made in the parish church of
Zabbar, one of the Maltese towns, and reference was made to the high
esteem which Our Lady of Graces enjoyed.
Until a few years ago one could easily find an image of Our Lady of
Graces in almost each and every Maltese house. Our Lady of Mellieha
is still very popular among the Maltese. To the latter De Piro
himself led at least one pilgrimage, and on that occasion he even
preached a sermon.
In his “Saint Paul: Almanac of the Institute of the Missions” he
wrote an article about Our Lady of Mellieha.
Here the Servant of God himself mentioned “… the many people who
went and are still visiting her …”
And it is to her that De Piro encouraged the readers of his Almanac
to go!
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated twice a year in
Malta: a week before Good Friday and on 15 September. On the first
festivity there is a procession in almost all the parishes of Malta,
and the Maltese attend in their hundreds, if not in their thousands,
for it. While not forgetting the various sermons Monsignor preached
about the sorrows of Our Lady,
one must add that it was Monsignor who helped the Hamrun
parishpriest to get the permission from the Archbishop to start
celebrating the 15 September feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
And one must not forget Our Lady of Pompei. There has always been
great devotion to this Madonna all over Malta. Until today, on 8
May, at noon, many Maltese still recite the Supplica of Our Lady of
Pompei. The De Piro family was very devout of this Madonna.
The Servant of God himself,
his own mother
and several witnesses linked Our Lady of Pompei to Joseph’s
vocation.
The Servant of God himself encouraged this devotion.
In spite of the fact that all these Marian titles were more than
popular among the Maltese … and even with De Piro himself, the
latter chose no one of them for the members of his Society; he
preferred the mystery of the Assumption of Our Lady.
Although it was
only in 1950 that Pope Pius XII proclaimed that: “… the ever
Imaculate Virgin Mary, after her life here on earth, was assumed to
the glory of heaven, body and soul …”
there had already been before a constant belief that Our Lady was
assumed into heaven, body and soul.
Which means that the Servant of God could have chosen the mystery of
the Assumption of Our Lady for his Society exactly because it
embodied his belief in the glorification of the whole human being.
- Saint Paul
According to Fr
Augustine Grech, the Founder had a special devotion to St Paul.
He named the Society after this Apostle.
He then included Paul’s name in the profession formula of the
Society.Grech
also said that the Padre wanted the members to celebrate the feasts
of the Apostle, especially his conversion, in the chapel of the main
House of the Society.
Br Felix Muscat added that De Piro wanted the feast to be celebrated
even in the other Houses of the Society.
In the Constitutions of the Society, Monsignor encouraged the
members to pray the Apostle for the Society.
Muscat also said that in his talks to the members, the Servant of
God often referred to the Saint
because he wanted the members to have the Apostle’s zeal.
In the Original Constitutions De Piro exhorted the members of his
Society to imitate St Paul in his generosity
and absolute obedience to God’s call to follow him,
in his humility
and in his love for the others.
To help them arrive at this, added Muscat, the Padre insisted that
the members learn the Letters of St Paul very well,
according to Grech even by heart.
Obviously the articles he wrote in the Almanac about St Paul
also helped the members to come nearer to the Apostle of the
Gentiles. In the Constitutions, then, the Founder insisted with the
members that they preach the devotion to St Paul.
- Saint Joseph
Loreto Rapa and
Peter Camilleri, two old boys of St Joseph’s, Gozo, testified that
they could notice that the Director had a great devotion to St
Joseph.
Rapa added that one of the first things De Piro did when he took
over the Institute was to embelish the chapel and dedicate it to St
Joseph.
He even put a statue of the Saint on the outside wall of the Home.
Fr George Cassar
was a seminarian at the time of De Piro’s rectorship at the Mdina
Seminary. He witnessed to the Rector’s devotion to St Joseph when he
shared a short nice experience:
Once Fr George entered the Rector’s
room and noticed that St Joseph’s picture was put in the opposite
position, facing the wall. Everytime he went there he found it in
the same position and he wanted to know why the picture was facing
the wall. In fact he asked the Rector, “Why is the picture facing
the wall?” “It is like that as a punishment,” answered De Piro. “St
Joseph, punished?” asked I. “What did he do?” “He will remain like
that until he grants me the grace I have been praying for,” replied
the Rector. And when the grace would be granted, St Joseph would
have his punishment ended and would be facing the outside as usual.
Without doubt the
statue of St Joseph facing the wall must have been noticed by other
seminarians and these must have been positively influenced in their
devotion to St Joseph.
Even the members
of De Piro’s Society noticed the Founder’s devotion to St Joseph.
In the Original Constitutions the members were exhorted to encourage
certain devotions in their preaching. After mentioning the Sacred
heart of Jesus, and Our Lady and its Rosary, the Founder reminded
the preachers of St Joseph. Even before St Paul!
- The other saints
Fr Louis Gatt said
that whenever the Founder talked to the members in private he used
to refer to the saints.
In the Original Constitutions, De Piro exhorted the preachers of the
Society to encourage their audiences in their love for the saints.
- Pastoral training
Fr George Cassar,
a seminarian at the time of De Piro’s rectorship, testified to the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal that the Servant of God took a lot of care
regarding this aspect of formation of the seminarians, “When he was
Rector of the Seminary he used to send us, seminarians, to preach in
the institutes so that he could train us in preaching and in order
to become self confident when we were ordained priests.”
The Founder did
not hesitate to involve the members of his Society in its
apostolates. Mr Paul Xuereb told the Ecclesiastical Tribunal that De
Piro used to send the students at the B’Kara Oratory to give a
helping hand.
Even Fr Augustine Grech mentioned the Oratory. He said that
Monsignor sent him to help with the prospective members there. This,
when Grech was still a student.
Felix Muscat, one of the first Brothers of the Society, testified
that at St Joseph’s, Malta, there were sent especially the Brothers.
Br Venanz Galea was sent to the Gozo Institute when he was still a
prenovice.
The timetables for the aspirants, the prenovices, the students and
the other members of the Society are a clear proof of the above.
Muscat added that
the Servant of God wanted the members to be dedicated to their
duties, to the extent of sacrifice.
In Fascicolo I of
the Original Constitutions, the Founder presented “Dei Campi
D’Azione” for the members of his Society.
These pages include: the missions, the orphanages, preaching,
confessions, child and youth catechism, spiritual retreats,
parishes, liturgical celebrations, printing apostolate, houses of
beneficence, prisons, assistence to the dying.
In itself this list already shows quite
clearly the holistic perspective of De Piro’s apostolic love and
service. Then, going through at least some of the articles of these
sections of the Constitutions, one can notice the holistic reality
all the more.
Regarding the work
of members both in mission countries and in the orphanages, the
Founder said almost the same thing, re: the holistic attitude:
|
The missions |
Ecclesiastical charitable institutes
|
|
“The missionaries… who have to
evangelise the unbelieving people must not refuse to educate
the savages in the duties of the civil life…” |
“All (the members), helped by the spirit
of sacrifice, must pay attention to be continuously of
edification and good example to the children, not only… in
that which pertains to the morality, but also regarding
civil manners…” |
The holistic
outlook of De Piro was again expressed, this time while dealing with
the relationship between the spiritual duties and the apostolate or
pastoral work of the members of his Socety. To start with, the
Founder synonymised sanctification with perfection and said that
these could be acquired through the practicing of the spiritual
duties prescribed in the Constitutions. Then it is important to note
that the Founder did not dichotomise between the spiritual and the
apostolic aspect of the members’ lives. On the opposite he put down
these words, “… perciò ognuno, con animo costante, procuri nel
proprio ministero o ufficio qualsiasi, di non omettere l’acquisto di
quella perfezione…”
The member must acquire perfection not apart from his apostolate but
in the apostolate.
Linking, “Sia a
tutti di conforto che la Compagnia, quale madre amorosa, ci appresta
numerosi aiuti per la nostra santificazione perciò ognuno, con animo
costante, procuri nel proprio ministero od ufficio qualsiasi, di non
omettere l’acquisto di quella perfezione, che colla grazia divina
può acquistare mediante la buona osservanza delle sante regole.”
to, “D’altra parte sia ad ognuno di stimolo il pensiero, che
l’osservanza, lo zelo e la pratica delle virtù e delle cose
spirituali, non mancheranno di dare alla dottrina ed ai doni
naturali ed umani, che ognuno avesse da Dio ricevuto, quella utile
efficacia, che serve tanto per la conservazione e prosperità, non
solo del corpo, ma anche dello spirito della Compagnia,”
one would have this:
|
The observance, zeal and practice of the
virtues and spiritual duties… |
…which help towards our sanctification
and perfection… |
…give to our teaching (preaching) and
natural and human talents… |
…that efficacy which is so important for
the conservation and prosperity of the body and spirit of
the Company. |
De Piro did not
use the word spirituality but sanctification and perfection. He only
used the phrase spiritual duties. Could this be because he did not
want to limit perfection and sanctification to the spiritual aspect?
Did he want to include the whole person, body and soul, when dealing
with perfection and sanctification?
- Religious life
aspect
According to Frs
Augustine Grech and Louis Gatt and Mr Michael Vella Haber, the Padre
talked to the members of his Society about the various dimensions of
religious life.
To the Brother novices he talked almost daily about this aspect.
This according to Felix Muscat, who was himself a Brother. The
Founder provided the formandi with a Father Master, Fr
Emmanuel Bugeja, an Augustinian.
As regards the
community dimension, Br Venanz Galea said to the Ecclesiastical
Tribunal that the Servant of God put a lot of emphasis on the common
acts.
But the Founder showed in the Constitutions that he knew that it was
charity that had to bind the members together, “Sebbene per la
carità che costituisce il vincolo e la forza della Compagnia …”
- The community dimension
In the
Constitutions’ section about the refectory keeper, the Padre showed
his great sensitivity regarding the love for each individual of the
community, “Si tenga sempre consapevole il refettoriere del numero
di coloro che mangiano sulle diverse tavole, perchè a tempo
opportuno possa tenere avvisato il cuoco, il quale anche terrà
consapevole se alcuno tarda a venire perchè egli possa regolarsi nel
distribuire le porzioni.”
- The vows
In Fascicolo I of
the Original Constitutions, the Servant of God mentioned the vows
twice. In the “Prospetto” he presented them as obedience,
poverty, chastity and missions.
In “Della Professione” the Founder put down the formula of
the religious profession of the Society. Here he mentioned
obedience, chastity, poverty and missions.
In the first part of Fascicolo II of the Original Constitutions, the
Founder presented the articles about each vow.
He presented them in this order: obedience, missions, poverty and
chastity. Among the conferences to the novices of 1929-1930,
- Chastity
Fr Louis Gatt testified that, “As
regards chastity, he used to tell us about its beauty and give us
directives how we should deal with temptations, as well as in our
relation with women.”
Michael Vella Haber said that the Servant of God did not allow any
misbehaviour regarding chastity.
In the Constitutions, the Founder presented chastity as the fourth
vow.
De Piro avoided to expand on the meaning of chastity, but when he
came to the means with which to preserve the vow, he was really
holistic; he insisted that the whole person must live chastity:
Per la perfetta
osservanza di questo santo voto tutti sono tenuti di procurare di
vivere e di mantenersi in tale purezza interiore ed esteriore da
essere santi di corpo e di spirito ...
Nel trattare col
prossimo, particolarmente con persone di sesso diverso, siano tutti
molto accurati ed avveduti in custodire anzi tutto il cuore,
guardandosi con ogni diligenza dalle genialità e dalle amicizie
particolari; poi anche custodicano da ogni disordine le porte dei
loro sentimenti, particolarmente gli occhi, le orecchie, la lingua
...”
One cannot forget
the Constitutions section “Della Modestia”.
The very first article of this section proves the Founder’s holistic
attitude towards the members’ behaviour, “Ricordevoli tutti i membri
della Compagnia che ‘Christi bonus odor sumus’ 2. Cor. 2. 15
unitamente alla mortificazione delle passioni interne procurino di
moderare giusto il proprio stato, anche le azioni esterne.”
The Founder delivered three conferences
about chastity to the 1929-1930 Brother novices.
Even here the Servant of God was quite holistic; he talked to the
novices about fantasies and the senses. He also suggested both
material and spiritual help.
- Poverty
Fr Louis Gatt said that, “Regarding
poverty he taught us how to avoid what was unnecessary, to take care
of what we had and to ask our superior what was needed.”
In the Original Constitutions there is a specific section about
the vow of poverty, the longest one when compared with the sections
of the other vows.
Though much of it is rather juridical, such words as those in the
beginning show quite clearly the Founder’s holistic outlook towards
this vow, “Il voto di
povertà esige innanzi tutto che non si disponga di cosa alcuna come
propria: ma la sua perfezione richiede ancora che il cuore sia
totalmente libero e distaccato dai beni terreni. Tutti adunque i
membri della compagnia si guardino dal più tornare coll’affetto a
ripigliare quelle cose, a cui hanno rinunciato …”
Even when the Founder presented the object of the vow of poverty, he
succeeded in making up a holistic inclusion: earthly goods;
the benefits of some inheritance, etc;
material basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing and furniture;
payment for any service rendered;
and money and other forms of gifts.
But besides the pages of the
section specifically about poverty there are references to this vow
in other sections of the Constitutions:
The buyer:
… e sia paziente per
comprarle buone ed al minor prezzo possibile.
Tenga nota del denaro
che egli riceve dall’Economo, ed in quali cose l’avrà speso. È poi
assai importante che tutti i giorni faccia con lui il conto della
spesa, per poter indi intendersi collo stesso circa quello che dovrà
comprare per l’indomani. Sia anche premuroso di rendere l’Economo
consapevole di ciò che secondo la stagione, trovasi al mercato
esposto alla vendita, e convenevole all’economia perchè entro i
limiti della nostra povertà possa egli somministrare la mensa
alquanto variata.”
The storekeeper:
Tenga egli tutte le
cose chiuse sempre sotto chiave. Sia diligente ed assiduo nel
visitare spesso la dispensa e tutti altri luoghi dove tiene le
stesse conservate perchè nulla vada a male o si corrompa, ed appena
avverte il pericolo di corruzione in qualsiasi cosa ne faccia
consapevole il P. Superiore.”
Memore della povertà
sia diligente nel raccogliere tutto ciò che possa avanzare dalla
mensa, perchè possa servire per altri usi domestici od anche pei
poveri secondo l’ordine che avrà ricevuto dal Padre Superiore.”
The cook:
Il cuoco poi, in
conformità della religiosa povertà che professa, impedisca con
diligenza ogni spreco a consumo non necessario.
One can also say
that the sections “The General Treasurer”,
“The Provincial Treasurer”,
“The Treasurer of the Vicariate”,
and “The Local or District Treasurer”
are in themselves sections which shed light on the poverty that has
to be observed in the Society. But then certain parts of these
sections are still more direct. As regards the local treasurer,
“Egli provvederà il vitto alla Comunità, con quella semplicità e
parsimonia che è propria della nostra povertà senza nulla aggiungere
o scemare dal modo ordinario o dall’uso prefisso senza l’ordine del
Superiore.”
In the Conferences
for the Brother Catechist novices of the year 1929-1930, De Piro
commented about the vow of poverty eight times.
Several sections of the conferences are rather juridical in nature.
Others are not that much; they are more practical and concrete. All
in all they are not more than an expansion of what had been
indicated in the Constitutions.
- Obedience
Coming to testify about the Founder’s
presentation of obedience to the members of his Society, Fr Louis
Gatt said that, “With regards to obedience he used to say that it
should be ‘cieca’, that is, we should always obey promptly.”
In the Original Constitutions De Piro presented obedience as the
first vow,
but he included some material about it even before the section
specifically about this vow. In one of the articles about the
novitiate, the Founder made reference to this vow,
“I novizi … nel seguire con grande
diligenza le orme di questo Esemplare Divino, si studieranno con
premura di imitare la sua vita privata; per la qual cosa si terranno
perfettamente sottomessi agli ordini dei Superiori, ed ubbidienti
con molta diligenza a tutte le regole della Compagnia.”
The section about obedience is
presented, as in the 1917 CIC, the first among the sections about
the vows.
Here De Piro gave a really holistic presentation of obedience. He
started with obedience towards God. For the Founder this is the
perfection of the virtue of the consecration to God.
Monsignor
mentioned the obedience to the Holy See, “… una sommissione la più
figliale ed assoluta alla Santa Sede … alla quale la nostra
Compagnia si gloria di professare la più speciale e segnalata
soggezione.”
Then he passed on to the obedience to the superiors. Here again the
Servant of God presented a holistic understanding of this vow; the
member has to be internally and externally involved:
|
Keep the superiors
as being instead of Jesus Christ; internal reverence and
love. |
Internally |
|
The member must be
quick, perfect, and … without excuses and murmurs, even
when asked to do hard things… |
Externally |
|
humble to obey |
Internally |
|
… and this not only
externally. |
Internally |
|
Resignation and abnegation of own
judgement; conformity of own judgement with that of
superiors.
|
Internally |
|
Expose difficulties… |
Externally |
|
But with great humility. |
Internally |
As regards
obedience, CIC (1917) 593 mentioned both superiors and subjects. In
some articles of the Constitutions, De Piro was not that clear as
regards the fact that even superiors were bound with the vow of
obedience.
At the same time it is also true that in other articles there are
indications otherwise.
If one were to
include the two conferences about the observance of the Rule, one
would find out that about obedience the Founder delivered twelve
talks to the 1929-1930 Brother novices.
Most of the material is quite similar to that of the Constitutions.
Only that in one of the conferences the Founder added that the
members had to obey at all times, quickly or without hesitation, and
wholeheartedly.
Again the ingredients for a holistic obedience!
- The vow of missions
Fr Louis Gatt said that: “Regarding the
missions his idea was that we should go wherever our superior sent
us.”
In the Constitutions, the vow of missions is presented as the second
one, just after that of obedience. Here the Founder presented only
one article, “Per il voto
di Missione ciascuno membro della Compagnia deve essere sempre
disposto e pronto a recarsi in qualsivoglia parte del mondo dove
sarà mandato dall’ubbidienza.”
I must admit that
I expected something more than this in the Constitutions of a
missionary Society. The Founder himself referred to this fact in his
conference about the missionary vow, delivered to the Brother
novices.
Most probably the Founder presented only this one paragraph because
he had in mind the section “Delle Missioni” in the pages about “Dei
Campi d’Azione”.
Analysing the
conferences to the Brother novices, one finds only one about the vow
of missions.
But the Founder did a lot more to instil the missionary spirit in
the members of his Society. According to Frs Augustine Grech, Louis
Gatt and Peter Paul Borda, Monsignor talked to the members about the
missions even before they entered the Society.
Borda said that when he was still a boy, De Piro even gave him
missionary literature to read.
Frs Grech and Gatt, and Br Felix Muscat, referred to the fact that
in his conferences to the members,
De Piro emphasised the missionary aspect.
He even brought several other persons to talk to the members about
the missions: Fr Angelo Mizzi, a missionary in Abyssinia;
Mgr George Caruana, Bishop of Porto Rico;
and Monsignor’s own brother who had been a doctor in Africa.
The publication of the Almanac helped a lot, first and foremost, the
members themselves in the increase of their missionary zeal. Br
Felix Muscat remembered that the
Padre often encouraged them to work out small
things to be sold and its money sent to the missions.
Fr Augustine Grech testified that the Padre introduced the one hour
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Mission Sunday.
Obviously the sending of Br Joseph Caruana, one of the members, to
the missions and the Founder’s talking about him
helped a lot towards the missionary animation of the members. Not to
mention De Piro’s own going to Abyssinia.
What helped De
Piro live a holistic charity
- Mary assumed
into Heaven
It has already been said that Our
Lady’s assumption into heaven was very central to the Founder of the
Society of St Paul.
Therefore it might have happened that, God’s will to have with him,
in heaven, Our Lady, body and soul, could have made De Piro love his
brothers and sisters holistically, in all their needs, whether
material or spiritual.
- The lives of
the saints considered together
The knowledge of the lives of the
saints and holy persons could have been another source for
Monsignor’s holistic charity. In a sermon he delivered on the
occasion of the first solemn high mass of a newly ordained priest
who had been a seminarian at the time of De Piro’s rectorship, the
latter presented a list of saints and their different acts of love.
Together they made up the holistic charity lived by the Church: John
of Matthew, Felix of Volois, Raymond of Peniafort and Peter Nolasco,
who offered themselves and founded the Trinitarian and Mercy
Congregations for the liberation of the slaves; St Vincent de Paul,
the one who in France and then all over the world, set up so many
congregations of charity; the Benedictine monk Ponce and the two
brother priests Gualandi, who set up charitable institututions for
the deaf and dumb, in Spain and in Italy respectively; St John of
God, the founder of so many hospitals all over the world; St Camillo
de Lellis, the saint of lepers; St Jerome Emiliani, who took care of
orphans; Fr Ludovico da Casoria, who wanted to convert Africa and at
the same time set up a house at home to hospitalise the poor and the
needy; St John Bosco and his work among the youths; Canon Bonnici,
who set up St Joseph’s Orphanage in Malta; and Canon Cottolongo, the
one who opened the House of Providence for the handicapped.
In this sermon he also named other saints, this time those who lived
their charity in favour of those who lacked the Good News: St
Augustine, St Patrick, St Remigio, St Boniface, St Ascanius, St
Francis Xavier, St Cyril, St Metodio and St Solano.
- The holistic charity of Jesus
But in the same sermon just referred to, the
Servant of God made it clear that for him all the saints mentioned
above had in their hearts and minds the model of holistic charity,
Jesus Christ himself:
‘Pertransit
benefaciendo.’ Cosi’ leggiamo nel Vangelo di N.S.G.C. che egli passò
opportando a tutti benefici e consolazioni e benedizioni. Ebbene
Gesù Cristo volle che le opere di beneficienza si continuassero
nella ‘- Parola sublime. ... uscita dal labbro di quel Dio che è
fonte di sapienza eterna, l’accoglie il sacerdote ed i miracoli più
stupendi della carità divina si rinnovellano.
Without doubt, the
holistic charity of Jesus Christ was the first and most important
source and model even for De Piro and his holistic charity.
(xi) Until it
hurts
- His own money
Mgr John Baptist
Ghigo testified that Ursola, the mother of the Servant of God, used
to tell him about the charity her son used to make, “He is always
asking for money, ‘Do you have £2.00, because what I had I gave to
the poor.’”
Mr Christian Scerri witnessed that, “He gave both the cathedral
salary and what his mother used to give him.”
Ms Piera De Piro Gourgion, a niece of the Servant of God, confirmed
the above.
It was already a
lot that the Servant of God provided the orphans of the Institutes
and the members of his Society with whatever they needed. Yet, this
was not all. There were times when Monsignor gave them his own
money. Carmena Mallia, an old girl of Fra Diegu Institute, was quite
explicit about this:
In his capacity of Director the Sisters
of the Institute came to him for all their needs and he was always
ready to provide all they required. He never ever mentioned where or
how he obtained the things which were asked of him and sometimes it
was evident that it was he himself who was the donor. One day the
Mother Superior asked us to say special prayers as the sum of ninety
pounds was urgently needed to pay off our debt for bread. Soon after
we came to know that the Director had acquired the sum in question.
During the war (the First World War) he saw to it that we never
lacked anything even though the times were difficult. We had all we
needed and never missed our morning tea and we also had sugar and
bread every day.
While in Rome for his studies, De Piro
did not have any other income except that given to him by his
mother. In spite of this, not infrequently, Joseph used to send
donations to St Joseph’s, Malta.
Dr Cachia Zammit
said this about the Director’s charity to St Joseph’s, Malta,
“He gave all his wealth to the Institute ... It is true that Mr
Alphonse helped St. Joseph’s Institute, but the same Mr. Alphonse
said that De Piro made most of the contributions.”
De Piro did not
give his own money only to the ecclesiastical charitable institutes
and to the members of his Society. Anthony Scerri testified to the
Ecclesiastical Tribunal that the Servant of God addressed some of
his finances for the teaching of catechism, “De Piro hired a room
near the first house of the Society in order to gather together the
boys for catechism.”
George Wilson, who
was himself from Mdina, showed that De Piro gave to the poor even
the money that was really necessary for him,
“He was so generous with the poor that he would often be obliged to
go back home on foot, because on leaving the Institute to go home he
would find that he had given away all the money he had, even the
tram fare to take him home. I myself have seen him take to the road
to walk back home.”
Later on Wilson added that,
“He was a charitable man and he often
gave money to the poor. The funny thing was that he used to have to
go back home on foot because he was penniless.”
Fr George Cassar, a seminarian at the time of De Piro’s rectorship,
said the same thing, “There were many times when he wanted to go to
Mdina with the tram and he did not have the money to pay the fare
because he would have given it to someone…”
Later on Cassar also said that, “Sometimes instead of using the
train he used the cab. In this way he saved the money and gave it to
the poor drivers.”
The same thing was repeated by Sr Bibiana Zammit, a nun at Fra
Diegu.
- The Society’s,
and therefore his own houses
It was the Founder
who provided the housing for the members of the Society.
Therefore the houses of the Congregation were his own, or at least
it was he who paid from his own money for their renting. Just a year
after the foundation of the Society, De Piro opened the first house
of his Congreagation for the teaching of catechism.
Because of this one can say that Monsignor was indirectly paying for
the catechism classes in the Society’s first House. Not only this!
While the 1917 CIC asked of religious that they make available all
their parish churches for the teaching of catechism,
De Piro exhorted the members of his Society to make available even
their other churches, besides the parish churches, and their houses,
for catechetical instructions.
This meant nothing less than all the Society’s property!
- His own bed
and clothes
Lawrence Grixti,
the De Piro family butler, narrated this story about De Piro:
When Monsignor visited his family, at
Mdina, he used to travel by train. This used to stop at the station
which was below the bastions, where there is the bridge. Once I saw
him coming towards me and I noticed he was trembling. I asked him
what had happened. ‘Lawrence, I had a big fright today,’ said
Monsignor. ‘But what happened?’ I asked him. ‘On my way to Mdina,
from the station,’ said Monsignor, ‘I was attacked by two men who
gave me a terrible fright.’ ‘What did they do to you?’ I asked him.
‘Nothing,’ answered Monsignor. ‘As soon as they realised who I was,
they let me go.’ ‘So I will come and meet you every evening, at
about 7.00, and accompany you on your way,’ I told him. Once when I
was waiting for him with a lantern in my hands I saw him coming with
a boy whose clothes were dirty and torn. ‘He had been alone on the
shore and so I brought him with me,’ said Monsignor. He brought the
boy with him to Mdina. In those days rich people used to have two
matresses on top of each other, which were stuffed with weeds. On
top of these they used to have one stuffed with wool. He took the
boy to his room and without thinking twice removed the sheets from
his bed, took the matress which was on top, put it in one corner of
the room and prepared it so that the boy could rest on it. After a
few days without telling Monsignor himself, Lawrence went to
Monsignor’s mother so that she could give him a matress for
Monsignor. ‘What happened to the one he had?’ asked Ursola. Then I
told her what had happened. When Monsignor came home his mother
gently told him, ‘Joseph, why did you do that? You are very tired
after a day’s work. You will not be able to rest on those two
matresses.’ On his part Monsignor said nothing. When he and I went
out, he turned to me and told me, ‘Lawrence, whatever you see and
hear in my room is not to be reported to my mother. ‘Who else could
I tell if not your mother?’ I asked him. ‘Who else could give me a
matress for you?’ ‘Silence is the best thing in such circumstances,’
he answered me.
The case of the
poor boy was mentioned also by Ms Elena Refalo, one of the nieces of
the Servant of God.
Joseph Tonna, who hailed from Mdina, said this:
In summer the Founder
used to go to Birzebbugia and he used to take even Lawrence Grixti
with him. When the latter went to Mdina and Ursola, the Founder’s
mother, asked him about her son, Lawrence used to answer her, ‘As
usual; he would sleep on the floor on some sheets and only wearing a
jumper because the matress and the other clothes he gave for
charity.’ He never showed off his charity.
Anthony Scerri,
who attended the Mdina catechism classes in the first House of De
Piro’s Society, testified this, “When he used to come to Mdina to
see her (his mother), and he had some old shoes she used to
tell him, ‘Oh, Joseph, what a pair of shoes you have. This is not
appropriate for you.’ On his part he would tell her, ‘No worries,
mum. What I save from the shoes I give as charity.’ ”
- His own rest
Obviously, living his duties very
responsibly made Monsignor many a times keep back from having enough
rest. At least this is what Nazzareno Attard testified more than
once.
- His own food
George Wilson was
an employee at St Joseph’s, Malta. On one particular occasion he
noticed that De Piro deprived himself of something more vital than
his own money, clothes, bed or rest:
He used to be grateful for the least
thing. If you offered him an apple he would be glad to have it. He
would take it and thank you for it and then surprisingly pass it on
to someone else.
One day, while waiting for the relic of
St Francis Xavier to arrive at St Joseph’s Institute, he got tired
and hungry. ‘Would you kindly bring me some coffee, Wilson?’ he
asked me. I brought him the coffee. But he gave it to Canon
Aquilina.
A certain Anthony
Gatt referred to the same thing. He quoted Fr Joseph Spiteri, one of
the first members of the Society of St Paul and a very close
collaborator of De Piro, “As Fr Joseph Spiteri used to say, there
were many times when Monsignor used to give his food to someone and
he had only a cup of tea. He was a very charitable person; he gave
everything and never had anything.”
- His own time
Since early in his
life as a priest, the Servant of God offered his own time for St
Joseph’s, Malta. Before De Piro was chosen Director of Fra Diegu
Institute in 1907, Fr George Bugeja had to be away from the
Institute for a whole month. He asked Fr Joseph to substitute him
and De Piro accepted.
When the Servant
of God became Director of Fra Diegu Institute he had no other
official appointment. He therefore visited the Orphanage regularly
and spent hours talking to the Sisters and the girls. Sisters
Consiglia Vassallo and Felicia Vella, two nuns who were at Fra Diegu
Institue at the time of De Piro, said this about the Director, “He
used to visit the Institute three times a week, Monday, Thursday and
Saturday… Whenever he visited the Insitute, he used to go around all
the children on the place of work in order to encourage them.”
But Mother Pauline Cilia who was the
superior at the time of the death of the Servant of God, and Mother
Cleophas Bondin, a teacher at Fra Diegu, showed that the Director
continued with his regular visits to Fra Diegu even when he was
loaded with many responsibilities.
After accepting to
found and direct St Joseph’s, Gozo, he had to prepare the building
that was going to shelter the orphans. He sent Fr Michael Callus and
a young lad called Vincent Galea to do this. Not only! He went
himself and stayed there for some weeks in order to help in the
preparations.
In 1918 De Piro
was already quite busy with Fra Diegu Institute and the
Monsignorate. Yet he again sacrificed his time when he accepted
being member of the National Assembly
and of its Central Commission,
when he intervened in the Sette Giugno 1919 events
and while he gave his share in the Committee “Pro Maltesi Morti o
Feriti il 7 o 8 Giugno del 1919”.
If
Rabat was lacking in well organised catechetical activities, more
and more did the small suburbs that surrounded it. Mtarfa was one of
them. De Piro’s charism to evangelise did not allow him to remain
passive. He realised that there was this situation. He concluded
what had to be done. And he took action by going himself there in
order to teach catechism. This was attested to by Mr Christian
Scerri who gave his testimony to Fr Aloisius Aloisio mssp,
“When I used to meet him (the Servant of God) on the bridge going to
Mtarfa for the catechism classes, because he taught catechism there…
Yes, when he found out that the children of this area did not learn
any catechism he started going there himself. And he was a Monsignor
already!”
The above
testimony meant that the Servant of God did this evangelisation when
he was already burdened with a lot of responsibilities! We do not
know for which specific years Scerri was referring to, but if we
were to take into consideration even the very first year of De
Piro’s Monsignorate we find out that by that time he was already
Director of Fra Diegu Institute. This had something like 138 girls
in it,
and the Director there had to go as far as running here and there
begging alms for the girls and the nuns who took care of them. Also
in 1910, a year before becoming Monsignor, he had just started his
missionary Society. Its members depended on him for all the aspects
of their life, whether human, academic or spiritual. And, De Piro
went to Mtarfa on foot, which was a half hour walk!
After founding his
Society De Piro opened the Houses of the Society and organised
catechetical classes in them. But not only this. According to Joseph
Tonna, the Servant of God, every now and then, made himself present
and asked questions to the boys who were there.
In the
ecclesiastical charitable Institutes the Servant of God dedicated
his own time for the catechetical formation of the children who
lived there. Mother Pauline Cilia, a superior of Fra Diegu Institute
said that the Director insisted a lot on the teaching of catechism.
Also, he so much cared for the catechetical preparation of the
children for their first holy comunion and their confirmation, that
he used to go to Fra Diegu and himself examine the girls about their
catechetical knowledge.
He did the same at St Joseph’s, Malta.
Here it was also he who recorded the results in the register “Esami
Conferma e Prima Comunione”.
Saviour Schembri, another witness in the Cause of Canonisation of De
Piro, said the same thing in relation to the Oratory, at B’Kara:
every now and then the Servant of God went there to see how things
were going.
All this when De Piro had so many other duties!
De Piro dedicated
a lot of time for the foundation of a Society the members of which
were supposed to leave Malta in order to work among the Maltese
migrants.
But the Servant of God himself went twice abroad, in order to
evangelise the Maltese who were away from their country. In 1922 he
went to Tunis
and in 1930 he went to Carthage.
But De Piro’s
Society was first and foremost for the missions ad gentes;
its members were supposted to go to those peoples who were not yet
evangelised.
And as its Founder he wanted to set the example. Although Br Joseph
Caurana, a member of the Society had already gone to Abyssinia, the
Servant of God seriously planned to go himself for some time to this
first mission station of his Society.
It was only his sudden death that impeded him from doing this.
Fr Joseph Tonna
who ministered at the Cathedral in Mdina, said that Monsignor, “…
was very quick in helping the individual who asked anything from
him. Even when someone went to him at night, or for confession or
for anything else, he was always available.”
And what about the
memberships in the many other committees, commissions, etc?
- His own
dignity, prestige, honour, status and reputation
The Servant of God
was not satisfied with only giving nearly all he himself had to the
poor. He, a son of one of the most noble families of Malta, a canon
and dean of the Metropolitan Chapter, the director of six
ecclesiastical charitable institutes, the Founder of a missionary
Society, for two years rector of the Mayor Seminary, a member of the
National Assembly and of so many other committees and commissions,
both civil and ecclesiastical, many a times reduced himself to great
humiliation and begged money and goods for the poor children of the
institutes and the members of his Society. This is what Fr Joseph
Tonna, a priest from Rabat, Malta, said, “Sometimes when he wanted
money for his institutes, he used to pass even twice from the same
road. He never asked anybody but walked with his head bowed down.
People became accustomed to this and they always gave him money for
his institutes, whenever they saw him walking with his head bowed
down.”
Fr John Vella, an ex member of De Piro’s Society, testified that,
“Every Thursday the Founder used to go to the rich families and ask
them alms for the institutes.”
Sisters Consiglia Vassallo and Felice Vella, two nuns at Fra Diegu
at the time of De Piro confirmed the above.
The same was stated by Sr Iole De Piro Gourgion, one of the nieces
of the Servant of God,
Mr Saviour Camilleri, an old boy of St Joseph’s, Malta
and Fr George Cassar, a seminarian at the time of De Piro.Another
niece of De Piro, Elena Refalo said that during the First World War
her uncle used to go to the market and beg alms, and from there he
used to get a lot of things.
Often, the Servant of God turned to his understanding mother who
used to call him “my poor one” and who was worried that he would
neglect himself for his beloved orphans.
As regards the
members of his Society, the Founder had to provide for all the
dimensions of their life.
He did have his own money, but at times this was not enough for the
Society’s members, whose number was always increasing. When he
lacked the finances necessary for these he again turned to his
mother:
On another day I was speaking to
Monsignor’s mother. While we were talking we mentioned the Society
which Monsignor had just started. ‘The Society is improving,’ I told
her. ‘I am the one who is suffering because he has impoverished me.
At one time he comes here to ask for help. At another time he asks
for money. When there is not enough food he takes from here. He also
comes to take the bed linen,’ lamented his mother.
During the
Sette Giugno riots De Piro did not beg any money for anyone; he
only struggled with the British authorities for the basic rights of
his fellow Maltese.
At the same time some Maltese who made part of the Valletta mobs
blamed especially De Piro for all the injustices.
During De Piro’s
times no one would have ever imagined that a member of a noble
family, and a Monsignor, would have ever gone on foot, to a remote
rural area, to teach catechism to small poor children. According to
Christian Scerri, Monsignor did this when he realised that the
Mtarfa children did not have anyone to teach them catechism.
- Promotions in
the civil society
De Piro came from
a family which was one of the noblest in Malta.
Because of their nobility the De Piros had a lot of riches.
Also, Joseph was himself quite promising artistically,
had the possibility of becoming a lawyer,
and could also look forward towards a high ranking position in the
Royal Malta Regiment of Militia.
All this made young Joseph highly esteemed, with so many
possibilities of becoming influential and powerful in the Maltese
civil society. In spite of all this he put everything aside and
opted for the priesthood.
Exactly because of
the above credentials in his favour, the Servant of God could have
had certain important roles in civil society, even as a priest.
Before, during and after De Piro’s time, clergymen with less
credentials than him were given important roles in the Maltese civil
society.
On his own part the Servant of God preferred to be given to other
different works. He dedicated himself to the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes. He gave himself to preaching. He was very
involved in the teaching of catechism. He spent a lot of time on the
foundation of a Society that was expected to work in the ad
gentes countries and for the Maltese migrants. He himself went
twice to the Maltese abroad. And he spent time planning to go to
Abyssinia.
- Ecclesiastical
promotions
The same thing can
be said as regards the ecclesiastical environment. As has already
been said, the Servant of God was entrusted with some important
ministries. But had he been less involved in these, he would have
been undoubtedly given many other more prestigious roles in the
Church. Archbishop Peter Pace believed in him so much that even
before Joseph was ordained priest, His Excelleny invited him more
than once to go to the “Accademia Ecclesiastica” for diplomatic
studies.
De Piro did not accept because he preferred to go the St Joseph’s
Orphanage.
Archbishop Mauro Caruana chose the Servant of God as his
representative on many committees, commissions, boards, etc, not to
mention his nominating him as his personal secretary and rector of
the Major Seminary.
Without doubt Caruana would have given him many more
responsibilities, but the Archbishop himself could not but be
conscious that De Piro had to take care of the several burdens he
already had on his shoulders.
- His own health
… and his own life itself
Joseph De Piro was
by nature rather weak in health.
He had first been taken sick in a rather serious way when he was
supposed to sit for the Matriculation exams.
During his first year in Rome he wrote to his mother on 4 April
1899, telling her that he went to a certain Dr Petacci because of
trouble in his throat.
Because he still felt this sickness, he even went a few times
afterwards
to another doctor, this time Dr Egidi, the
best one in Rome as a throat specialist.
This sickness did not seem to be something very serious, but from
Joseph’s own letter to his mother, written on 4 June 1899, it seemed
it was going to take some time to cure.
It was so much so that in his Diary, De Piro wrote that on 26
November 1906, and therefore seven years after he had had this
sickness for the first time, he went to Mgr Emmanuel Debono and
while talking to him, told him that because of his illness he was
still unable to preach.
Concurrently with
the throat sickness, the Servant of God seemed to be suffering from
another disease, this time much more serious. When he was back in
Malta from Rome for his first summer holidays,
Mgr Coselli, the Rector of the
Capranica College, where De Piro stayed while in Rome, wrote to him
referring to the actual good health of the Servant of God:
29 Agosto 1899
Mio Carmo De Piro,
Ho ricevuto la sua
seconda graditissima lettera, dalla quale rilevo che godete ottima
salute.
Coselli made a similar reference on 7
October of the same year, “Ho ricevuto la vostra carma lettera dalla
quale ho rilevato il vostro ottimo stato di salute.”
Even the following year Mgr Coselli mentioned again De Piro’s
health, “La vostra lettera mi è stata graditissima per le buone
notizie che mi dava della vostra salute.”
All this emphasis about the health of
the Servant of God meant nothing but a lack of it during Joseph’s
stay at the Capranica! In fact De Piro himself confirmed in his
Diary that the first time he felt this particular sickness was on 19
July 1900.
In the same entry of his Diary he said that he felt sick again with
the same illness on 10 July 1902.
Not only this! This time he even said what was ailing him:
“Dichiarato dal medico affetto di tuberculosi …”
In fact this time he had to abandon his studies, came to Malta for a
few days, and afterwards go to Switzerland, “… per la cura d’aria”.
After 18 months there, De Piro seemed to be healed.
But according to the letters written during April 1918 by the
members of the Society to the Founder, who was staying at Fra Diegu
Institute, it seemed that the Founder was sick again.
In a letter written by Monsignor to Archbishop Mauro Caruana, and
which was recorded in the Acts of the Society’s Council meeting of 5
April 1927, De Piro himself mentioned “l’attacco nervoso di cui ebbi
a soffrire l’anno scorso.”
Therefore according to the Servant of God in 1926, he was suffering
of a nervous attack! Monsignor continued saying to His Excellency
that because of this attack, “… la mia energia ed attività è di
molto scemata …”
De Piro did take care of his health. It
has already been said that when still in Rome he went to more than
one doctor, at one time even to a medical specialist, to be cured of
the illness he had.
After his ordination he went for 18 whole months to Davos,
Switzerland in order to get fresh air.
Ruturning to Malta he went to Qrendi for two and a half years to
continue to recover his health.
According to Lawrence Grixti, the De Piro family butler, the Servant
of God continued going there every now and then for short breaks.
Br Venanz Galea, one of the first Brothers of the Society, said that
the Founder, in order to have some rest, used to accompany the
members for a day or so while they were having their summer
holidays.
As the years passed by Monsignor went abroad more than once to get
some rest.
After the 1926 nervous attack, he asked the Archbishop to let him
choose two members of his Society to be his councellors or
assistants.
He was also attentive on his diet.
But in spite of all this attention, De Piro because of his many
different responsibilities,
seemed at times very tired. Nazzareno Attard, an old boy of St
Joseph’s, Malta, testified more than once about the Director’s
tiredness.
Frs John Vella and Michael Camilleri , two of the first priests of
De Piro’s Society, were quite explicit about the link between the
many duties of the Founder and the tiredness he showed when he
visited the members in Mdina. They said that he used to sleep even
while in the refectory.
Mr John Buhagiar, who was quite near to the Society’s community at
St Joseph’s, Malta, said the same thing.
This tiredness seemed to have continued until the end of his life.
Mother Pauline Cilia, the Fra Diegu Superior at the time of the
death of Monsignor, testified this,
“During the last few weeks before he
died he was very tired and weak. In fact he used to tell me, ‘I have
not come to work but to rest a little’. When I asked him if he
wanted them to prepare him something he used to ask for some meat
because he felt weak.”
In a letter written by Fr Angelo Mizzi
OfmCap., to De Piro on 7 October 1929, there is reference to the
tiredness of the Servant of God, “… Fra Giuseppe … mi disse che Lei
era alquanto indisposto e che i dottori furono costretti a farLe
fare un viaggio che La potesse riposare un pò.”
But this time it seemed that De Piro
was much more than tired; it seemed he was just about mentally
exhausted. This was in fact confirmed by Monsignor himself in the
first draft of his secret will. Here he himself said that he was
suffering of a: “… esaurimento nervoso …”
Most probably this was the time when he also started feeling the
symptoms of the fatal sickness, uremia.
- A lot
of psychological, moral and physical suffering: lack of
understanding and support, a lot of discouragement, disheartenment,
disappointment, sorrow, sadness, deprivation and even pain
Coming from a very
noble family Joseph De Piro had almost everything. To add to this,
he was quite convinced that he was the one chosen by God to be the
founder of a missionary Society.
Exactly because of his attempts to found this same Society, the
Servant of God ended up begging from his superiors,
and also from his companion priests,
some dialogue and discussion time about the nature of his future
Society, an understanding of the sense of his Society.
Because he wanted
to help the Church’s hierarchy understand the nature and sense of
his Society he had to wait a lot, be very patient, practice
temperance, endurance and even perseverance.
Had Joseph lived
as a priest in his family, he would have experienced a lot of
encouragement. The other members of his family, especially his
mother, trusted him a lot. These, and the family environment, would
have given him a lot of support in his projects. When he opted for
the foundation of the Society, De Piro found very little of this
backing from the Church’s hierarchy and his companion priests.
Instead of support he experienced discouragement from some of the
Maltese bishops,
from his Vatican superiors
and some of the Maltese priests.
Discouragement
came for the Founder even from those priests who respected him a
lot. Amongst these there was Mgr Francesco Bonnici. The latter did
not believe that the Maltese priests could ever go away from Malta.
Two other clerics, Frs George Bugeja and John Mamo, understood his
project in the beginning, and did in fact support him in the first
days of the Society,
but after a short while they immediately abandoned him.
Some youths did join him and were in fact members in formation, but
left after getting a good education.
Another one, John Vella, joined him,
finished his years of formation, and was even ordained priest.
But after four years of priesthood he abandoned him and became a
diocesan priest.
All this implied a lot of disappointments, sorrow and sadness.
Because of his
family, the Servant of God could have lived a very easy, tranquil,
cosy, comfortable and challenge-free life. When he decided to
dedicate himself for the foundation of the Society, De Piro opted
for a completely different life.
With the above mentioned challenges one can add such others as: the
discomfort of the lack of money because he had to find lodging for
the members of his Society,
provide food,
clothing, etc.,
for them, guarantee the members’ academic,
spiritual and religious life formation,
provide their recreation,
etc; the discomfort of lodging - while at his mother’s palace
he had his own room,
he stayed in the houses of the Society
where he had very small and uncomfortable rooms;
the discomfort of food - the food of the members of his Society
was, according to some member, not that rich;
the discomfort of his not having any more time for himself, because
he had to be with the members, even to sleep with them;
the discomfort of travelling because much of his work was in the
south eastern part of Malta,
while the Society’s first houses were in the South western part of
the Island, Mdina - in those days all transport was uncomfortable
… and De Piro used the public transport;
the discomfort of companions with whom to talk - the first members
were still very young, coming from low class families and therefore
not much cultured, etc.
Also, being from
the De Piro family, had Fr Joseph stayed at home he could have
easily enjoyed a lot of popularity both in the Church and in Maltese
society. The setting up of a missionary society implied for him a
completely different life. In the Constitutions he himself prepared
for the members of his Society, the Founder did not want them to
accept honours.
To be an example for them he did not want to accept to become
Monsignor.
What helped De
Piro live charity until it hurts
- Jesus who
suffered for him, a sinner
In the first
Chapter of this thesis reference has been made to the discernment
carried out by young Joseph De Piro in order to arrive at the choice
of his vocation. Joseph did this exercise by putting down the
reasons in favour and against his going for the priesthood. Reason 5
shows quite clearly that Jesus’ suffering love was the motive of
Joseph’s self offering, “Il desiderio di darmi tutto a Dio avendo
Egli sofferto pei miei peccati.”
Joseph in fact started his philosophy and theology that same year.
While in Rome for his studies this young seminarian
thought that, returning to Malta after ordination, he would go to St
Joseph’s Orphanage to help other priests with the poor boys of the
Institute.
Therefore in his third year theology the Servant of God
wrote down the reasons in favour of his going to the Institute and
against what Archbishop Pace had offered him, the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica”. Even here the sufferings of Jesus for him were
presented as one of the main reasons for his preferring St Joseph’s
Home, “Infatti allorchè per mezzo del mio rettore, mandaì al
Presidente dell’Accademia la negativa, sperimentaì grande
consolazione nel pensare di aver scelto la corona di spine con Gesù
anzichè quella delle rose.”
Even before his
years in Rome, the Servant of God had shown that the experience of
God’s love for him, expressed in the sufferings of Jesus, had been
quite vivid in him. It has already been said that Joseph was only 14
when he drew the face of the suffering Jesus.
In one of the reflections made during the study of this drawing of
De Piro, it was said that the passion in general, and the thorns
around the Lord’s head, caused Jesus a lot of suffering and pain,
because of which the Lord would have shouted and screamed a lot. But
it was also noted that in his drawing De Piro presented Jesus with
his lips closed, or almost closed;
the Lord suffered in silence. Br Joseph Caruana, one of the two
youths who joined De Piro on 30 June 1910 in the first House of the
Society in Mdina, wrote this about De Piro’s own suffering in
silence, “Imagine how many conflicts he had. It was not possible to
realise this because he was always smiling. This impressed me most.”Caruana continued, “Once he came to St Joseph on a Saturday
to confess the children. He told me how he had been going up the
stairs and found out that there were the children at his back making
some funny signs to ridicule him. He was very sorry for this and
told me, ‘Now I can understand what you suffered when they did the
same thing to you.’ ”
Even in relation
to the members of the Society, the Founder suffered in silence. Fr
John Vella, the other youth who joined De Piro on 30 June 1910,
testified that:
Sometimes when somebody would have done
something wrong and not admitted, he used to pay himself for the
wrong deed. He used to go to the centre of the refectory, kneel
down, keep the plate on the floor and start eating. He did not place
the fork and the knife on the plate but on the floor. He used to do
this instead of the person who was guilty and did not admit.
There came a time
when Fr John Vella wanted to leave the Society to become a diocesan
priest. Malta’s Archbishop sent Vella’s acceptance decree with De
Piro himself. Vella testified how the Founder behaved at this hard
moment when the very first priest of the Society was leaving the
Servant of God, “He approached me, looking downwards, and told me,
‘The Bishop accepts you in the Diocese.’ ‘What are you saying?’ I
asked him. I was thunderstruck. He left me alone and went to the
chapel, knelt down and remained there praying, with his head in his
hands.”
It has already
been said that during the Sette Giugno 1919 events
Monsignor was offended at least three
times: on Saturday, 7 June 1919, when he put aside all other duties,
dedicated himself to the mediation between the Maltese and the
British government and at the same time he was told by the same
Maltese, “You are to blame for all this.”
On Sunday, 8 June, 1919, while trying to stop the mob from
countinuing with the attack of Francia House, some criminals, who
were among the people, started booing at both Caruana Gatto and De
Piro and they even swore and stole money from the pockets of Carauna
Gatto and Monsignor.
On Monday, 9 June 1919, while in the company of Bishop Angelo
Portelli, De Piro went out of the Archbishop’s Palace in Valletta
and tried to calm the people, and some were heard saying, “We want
to burn the Curia,”
a place so dear to De Piro! The latter reacted positively to each of
the above mentioned offences. Also at the Inquest Commission, De
Piro could have reported in detail what had been done and said to
him and his companions. But he did not. He gave a detailed account
of the events, keeping silent about the offences made to him.
- Jesus at
prayer
The second reflection made
about the drawing of the face of the suffering Jesus was that although
Jesus’ lips are closed or almost closed, his eyes are wide open;
they are looking up; they are communicating … with the One above;
Jesus and the Father are one, even at this moment. The eyes are
pityful. Jesus is asking for pity from his Father. Therefore Jesus
is in silence but he is at the same time praying to the Father. His
is an eloquent silence.
In the case of Joseph De Piro prayer was central. In the testimonies
given at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in the Diocesan Process of the
Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God, there are recurrent
affirmations about Monsignor’s prayerful life.
But then there were some crucial, vital, important, and at times
even intense and hard moments when it was De Piro himself who showed
quite clearly that for him the solution was communion with God
through prayer.
Joseph De Piro had
been thinking about his vocation since the age of 14.
When he shared this wish with his father, the latter disapproved.
For some years, young De Piro stopped thinking about it,
but at 20 it came to his mind again.
This time he did not abandon his wish. It was not an easy choice to
do. Joseph had a very promising life in front of him. He had the
drawing and painting talents.
In the Royal Malta Regiment of Militia he could have been easily
promoted to high ranks.
The law course which he started in 1898 at the University of Malta
could have led him to a lawyer’s career.
The fact that he was a member of the De Piro family for Joseph meant
access to the Maltese noble class.
He was also entitled to a lot of property, both mobile and immobile.
His nobility also implied a popularity in Maltese society
and therefore the possibility of some important role in the civil
administration of Malta.
The Servant of God faced this big challenge. He sought the help of
prayer by practicing the intensive pros and cons
discernment method. Supported by this method he left
everything behind him and opted for the priesthood.
Only some three
years after this hard choice, De Piro had to face another challenge.
The Archbishop of Malta invited him more than once to go to the
“Accademia Ecclesiastica”, after his being ordained priest.
As did the President of the “Accademia”.
Again, there was a very promising career in front of the young
seminarian; choosing such a thing could have meant for De Piro
important roles in the Church. At the same time Joseph had been
thinking about something completely different; he wanted to go and
live with other priests at St Joseph’s Institute in Malta.
Communication with God through prayer was again the help for De Piro
at this crucial moment of his life. He again made use of the pros
and cons discernment exercise and opted for the
Orphanage.
Besides the exercise in itself, Joseph himself said that he did this
discernment during his spiritual retreat for the diaconate.
The Servant of God
was ordained priest in 1902.
After some more months in Rome, he went to Switzerland for
convalescence.
Returning to Malta he stayed for almost three years at Qrendi, again
to rest.
In 1907 he was nominated director of Fra Diegu Institute.
In 1922 he was chosen to direct another charitable Institute, Jesus
of Nazareth.
Immediately after taking over the direction of this Orphanage, De
Piro started the building of a new Home for the girls whose number
was always increasing.
But unfortunately Monsignor was immediately hindered by a big
problem; there was no more money with which to pay this project and
therefore the work had to stop, at least for some time.
For the Director this was a “… forte stretta al cuore …”
But the Servant of God himself referred also to “… un fisso sguardo
in alto …”
This was that which made him look forward.
In 1925 De Piro
was chosen as the first director of St Joseph’s, Gozo.
After this nomination, Monsignor went to Gozo to prepare for the
opening of the House. On the 25 April, after the siesta, the roof
slabs beneath him suddenly gave way and he fell about four meters to
the ground floor.
The opening day was transferred from the 8 May to the 21 of the same
month.
On that occasion the Director delivered two speeches, one to the
Governor General and the other to the Archbishop. In the latter, the
Servant of God referred to this incident, but at the same time he
presented it as having happened, “… per renderci più perseveranti
nel tenere in alto fisso il nostro sguardo ed anche il nostro
cuore.”
Since his first
year at the Capranica College, De Piro had been thinking to found a
society under the patronage of St Paul.
It was only because his spiritual director had told him to suspend
his dreams that Joseph stopped for that moment.
Although in 1902 the Servant of God was ordained priest, he could
not return to Malta, if not for a very short while; he felt sick and
instead he had to go to Switzerland to regain his health.
There, he himself said that he thought of his Society, but he felt
himself helpless about doing anything about it; he was too far away
from the country where he could realize his dream.
At such a hard moment in his life he only prayed, “Ho continuato
intanto durante tutto il tempo della cura a carezzare le mie ormai
divenute antiche idee. Ma tra il ghiaccio delle Alpi cosi’ lontano
dal paese dove intendevo metterle in effetto non mi restava altro
che la preghiera - mia ottima compagna - ed ho pregato, pregato,
pregato.”
After 18 months in
Switzerland De Piro returned to Malta
and he immediately started sharing his plans with other priests.
He met with very little support; no one of the priests assured him
of joining him.
At such a difficult moment De Piro referred to prayer:
18 Novembre (1906):
Trovandomi a Roma ed occorrendo oggi la dedicazione delle Basiliche
dei S.S. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo, ho celebrato in San Pietro in
Vaticano e proprio sull’altare di S. Pietro. Ho applicato la messa
in onore dei S.S. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo pregando loro di farmi
conoscere chiaramente la volontà di Dio, ed aiutarmi a metterla in
effetto.
In spite of all
the hurdles, Fr Joseph De Piro started the Society on 30 June 1910.
This did not mean in any way that the Founder was then spared from
problems and difficulties. In a letter he wrote on 17 November 1916
to Fr Wiliam Bonett, in Australia, the Servant of God himself
admitted that, “… tante fatiche e sacrifici… nonostante la
piccolezza dell’opera il lavoro è duro e richiede grande pazienza.”
But in this same letter Monsignor mentioned twice the real remedy,
“… nella tua messa non ti dimenticare di fare sempre un piccolo
memento pel nostro nascente Istituto per le Missioni Estere … Quindi
aiutaci colle tue preghiere … ”
Fr Joseph De Piro
started the Society by accepting two youths, one with the priesthood
in mind and the other to become a brother catechist.
John Vella was in fact ordained priest on 20 September 1919.
Without doubt this was the cause of a lot of joy for the Founder.
But this happiness was not long lasting because Vella, the very
first priest of the Society, abandoned De Piro in 1923,
to become diocesan. Vella himself testified that the Founder did
only one thing at such a hard moment: the Founder only prayed.
In 1927 Monsignor
was seriously planning to send the first member of his Society
abroad. In fact on 5 April 1927 he wrote his first letter to Fr
Angelo Mizzi, the Capuchin Friar in charge of the Abyssinia Mission,
and promised him one member.
This was obviously a big challenge for De Piro, but he again trusted
in the power of prayer, “Ella faccia pregare i piccoli ragazzi
Somali … Lo dico per esperienza, da quando ho fatto pregare i
piccoli ricoverati negli istituti di beneficenza la piccola opera
missionaria ha acquistato maggiore costanza.”
All along these
very difficult moments of the history of the foundation and first
years of the Society, the Servant of God was facing another very big
problem: Propaganda Fide could not understand what was the real main
aim of De Piro’s Congregation.
But during these same years the Founder showed clearly what made him
go forward:
But courage, my
brothers: My faint-hearted brothers, courage! This is not something
which one cannot do, especially when we understand the strength and
power we receive through prayer in any difficulty and obstacle.
Prayer gives us all we need from God; it opens the great God’s
infinite treasures of grace. So we ask these people to pray
and courage will not be lacking.
Referring again to
De Piro’s drawing one can rightly conclude that as an effect of his
passion, Jesus is obviously very weak. At the same time the Servant
of God presents him as seeming to be standing strong and not tired
or feeble. The Lord is also presented as holding a stick … and he is
holding it straight. His is therefore strong fragility. It was the
same thing with Monsignor. It has already been said that De Piro was
by nature very weak:
he had throat trouble, he suffered of tuberculosis, he experienced a
nervous attack and it was not that infrequent that he was exhausted.
Yet, he kept going till the end with his six ecclesiastical
charitable institutes, the Society and the many other
responsibilities he had in the Church and in civil society.
His was strong fragility.
As in the case of
Jesus one can say that De Piro was a sign of contradiction. His life
was one of suffering, which he endured many a times in complete
silence. Yet in this silence he was communicating with the Father
through prayer. Although weak by nature he did big things and did
them till the end.
(xii) De Piro’s
charity until it hurts: not a need
In his book “L’Essere
e il Nulla”, Jean Paul Sartre wrote that in its essence, loving
is the project to have oneself loved.
Although this affirmation may be considered as irremediably
contradictory, I myself hold that at times we human beings do love
because “we have the need” to love… or because “we have the need” to
be loved. And there is nothing wrong when this motive of our love is
not the first and only reason why we love. In fact human love is not
motivated always and only by the need to love and/or be loved ; it
can be the effect of causes other than this! De Piro had undoubtedly
other motives than the one mentioned by Sartre.
Having recuperated
his health in Switzerland,
De Piro returned to Malta in 1904
and continued his convalescence at his Qrendi family house.
At that time there was Fr Emmanuel Vassallo as Director of St
Joseph’s, Malta.
This one knew quite well that De Piro had long wished to live in
that Orphanage.
Fr George Bugeja took over from Vassallo in 1905. Even he knew about
Fr Joseph’s wish.
To Vassallo and Bugeja one can add Archbishop Peter Pace. His
Excellency knew why De Piro did not accept his offer to go to the
“Accademia Ecclesiastica”.
Notwithstanding all this, in 1907 Archbishop Pace, on the advice of
Fr George Bugeja,
nominated the Servant of God not to St Joseph’s, but to Fra Diegu
Institute.
On our part we know why Fr Joseph wanted to go to St Joseph’s: he
wished to live in the company of other priests,
and an internal feeling told him that God from that Institute,
wanted to start a Congregation under the patronage of St Paul.
In spite of these reasons De Piro accepted the nomination and became
Director of Fra Diegu Institute.
Not only this! The
Servant of God founded his Congregation in 1910.
He continued hoping to get the direction of St Joseph’s, Malta. For
many years De Piro’s wish to go to St Joseph’s was not satisfied.
Yet, whenever the Founder was asked by Fr Bugeja to send some
members of his Society to do supply work at the Orphanage, he always
sent them.
There came the
year1922. De Piro’s wish to go to St Joseph’s was still there, but
Archbishop Mauro Caruana had another Institute for him, the Jesus of
Nazareth one.
Although it was again completely different from what he wished, the
Servant of God accepted again and became the Director of this second
charitable Institute.
It was only
because of the death of Fr George Bugeja, on 23 November 1922, that
Archbishop Caruana turned to De Piro and asked him to be the
Director of St Joseph’s.
And the Servant of God accepted this third charitable Home.
In 1925 there came
for De Piro the fourth Orphanage, St Joseph’s, Gozo. In fact on 25
December 1924, Fr Joseph Hili, the parishpriest of Fontana, Gozo,
wrote to the Servant of God in the name of all the other
parishpriests and offered him the direction of the Gozo Institute,
which they were going to set up on their Island.
Had it been a need for the Servant of God to be the director of
charitable Institutes, he would have answered Hili immediately. But
he did not. Therefore Hili wrote to Monsignor again on 7 January
1925.
This time De Piro answered the letter on the 31 of the same month.
But again; because it was not a need in him to be in charge of a
charitable institute, he showed the parishpriests that before
accepting, he wanted to know things more clearly.
Hili wrote to Monsignor on 3 February 1925, giving him more
information.
Still, De Piro did not accept unconditionally. While in the original
draft of the Institute’s Statutes, Bishop Michael Gonzi had
presented the Orphanage as “… Orfanatrofio Diocesano”,
De Piro continuously showed that he only wanted it to be affiliated
to, to be a part of , to be a section or a branch of St Joseph’s,
Malta.
Also, the Servant of God wanted to be the authority in charge of the
Institute.
Another condition presented by Monsignor was that his Society be
allowed to take over the day to day administration of the Orphanage.
To add to the above, the Servant of God did not want to accept the
numerus clausus mentioned in the first statutes.
Rather, he wanted to accept all boys who applied to enter the
Institute.
De Piro could afford putting conditions to the Gozo Bishop and to
the parishpriests exactly because his charity was not first and
foremost a need in him.
De Piro’s
involvement in the running of the two Institutes, Fra Diegu and
Jesus of Nazareth, made him feel in a particular way the
responsibility to do something for the girls who reached the age of
leaving these same Institutes and had no family or home where to go.
On 11 April 1928 he succeeded in opening the Sacred Heart
Laboratory.
This place cost the Servant of God begging to government ministries
to provide him with an adequate building.
He had to find the money for the renting of the place.
Since he could not stay there himself, he had to find someone to run
it. So he found a certain Maria Assunta Borg.
Not to mention the instructors who could teach the trades and the
crafts to the girls! Notwithstanding all these efforts, Monsignor
was free enough from the need to keep this place open. When he
repeatedly found out that Borg had criteria different from his as to
whom to accept at the Laboratory,
and there was a dispute as to who was in fact the director of the
Laboratory, whether himself or Borg,
he publicly declared the place closed.
Had he opened it because it was a need in him to have another
charitable institution under his care , he would not have afforded
to close it.
When De Piro wrote
the Constitutions of his Society, he presented some articles about
the administration of the sacrament of reconciliation. In this
section, the Founder put down these words, “Memore sempre che il
confessore è per le anime e non le anime pel confessore …”
Monsignor was
convinced that the confessor must not use the sacrament to satisfy
his own needs; he has to consider the sacrament as a service to the
penitents.
When dealing with
the missions in the Constitutions of his Society, the Founder again
emphasised that the members were not expected to seek the
satisfaction of their own needs in what they choose to do. Rather,
they had to see first what was asked for by the local bishops.
It has already
been said that according to the Founder, the Brothers of his Society
were expected to have the teaching of catechism as their primary
work.
One would have expected therefore, that when De Piro sent Br Joseph
Caruana to Abyssinia, he sent him there with this specific mandate.
Instead, the Founder did not qualify what Caruana was expected to do
when in the missions. When presenting Br Joseph to Fr Angelo Mizzi
OfmCap., the superior of the Abyssinia mission, the Founder said
that, “È un uomo di molto spirito, capace, sa adattarsi molto coi
ragazzi e fa anche l’infermiere.”
The Founder wanted
that the members of his Society be ready to help the needs of the
people they worked with, whatever they were.
It has been said
that Fr Angelo Mizzi OfmCap., continuously asked the Servant of God
to send him missionaries.
Mizzi had also assured De Piro that Bishop Jarosseau wanted to offer
the Gigiga mission to his Society.
The Founder could have taken these opportunities and sent to
Abyssinia as many members as possible in order to persuade
Propaganda Fide that his Society was really for the ad gentes
people. But the Founder did not want to rush or be overenthusiastic.
He continuously kept in mind the needs of his Society, which was
still small.
Chapter Five
De Piro’s existence …
If one were
to study the lives of individuals who lived charity whether in
schools, in orphanages, in hospitals, in old peoples’ homes, in
prisons, etc., etc., and /or through the evangelisation of others,
one would immediately find out that in the Church human activity
cannot be supernaturally fruitful, or there cannot be the
spirituality of action, if it is not the fruit of an
experience of contemplation. This is so because when we say that an
individual in the Church lived evangelical love towards the
children, the sick, the elderly, the oppressed, etc., or towards
those in need of evangelisation, we mean that he or she lived the
charity of Jesus Christ. And the charity of Jesus Christ, incarnated
in his words and/or his actions, was inseparable from his filial
experience, an experience of closeness with the Father. Or one can
say that Jesus’ filial relationship with God appeared to be the
centre of his personality. Or we can say that Jesus’ actions and
words were really just an echo of the Father’s love that the Son
experienced in his inner self. De Piro’s love for the
underprivileged and for the spreading of the Good News can be
considered to have been evangelical because it came out of his
intimate relationship with God; it came out of
his face to face encounter with God’s love, his experience of God,
his rootedness in God.
(i) De Piro’s
union with God the Father
It was since early
youth that Joseph De Piro had wished to be united to God. And this
in a complete way. He was not yet 21 years of age when he wrote the
pros and cons exercise in relation to his choice of
vocation. In it he put down these words, “5. Il desiderio di darmi
tutto a Dio …”
On 15 May 1987 Fr
Augustine Grech, one of the first members of the Society, testified
that, “…
externally it could be noticed that he
was continually in the presence of God.”
Grech repeated almost the same thing some fifteen days later.
Br Felix Muscat, another member of the Society, said almost the same
thing.
Fr Louis Gatt, also a member of the Society, verified what was said
by Grech and Muscat, “…
I noticed that God was always in his mind …”
Br Venanz Galea, another
member of De Piro’s Society, indicated where he noticed the
Founder’s union with God, “The
Servant of God was a man of great supernatural faith. He impressed
us very much (and much more than others did) when he spoke to us
either together in instructions, homilies, etc., or individually. He
seemed a man divinely inspired and of deep convictions.”
In 1987 Sr Marie De Piro, one of the nieces of the Servant of God,
testified that her uncle was a person very close to God. She could
see her uncle’s union with God in his apostolate,“To
serenely and competently fulfill so many seemingly incompatible
commitments could only be the fruit of a deep union with God…”
After referring to her uncle’s capability to give advices and his
dedication to his ministries, the same Sr De Piro said that, “I
would now say that Uncle’s wisdom and prudence came from his union
with God, and were not simply the fruit of his natural qualities and
character.”
Mgr Paschal Robinson, who was in Malta
between 3 April and 2 June 1929 as Apostolic Delegate during the
politico religious conflict between the Church and Sir Gerard
Strickland,
talked about the Servant of God to Fr Daniel Glavina sj.
For Robinson, De Piro was “a man of God ”.
As was for Fr John Vella, the first priest of the Society,
for Fr Raphael Azzopardi OSA,
for the two ex members of the Society, Mr John Vella,
and Mr Victor Tedesco,
for Fr Arthur Vella sj, a nephew of the just mentioned Fr John
Vella, for Sr Marie De Piro and for John Buhagiar, an employee at St
Joseph’s, Malta. Fr Azzopardi also said that the other religious in
Rabat, Malta, had the same impression about De Piro.
(ia) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through his union with the Son
The same can be said for De Piro’s
union with Jesus Christ; the Son of God occupied Joseph’s heart and
mind quite early in his life. At fourteen years of age the Servant
of God drew in a most expressive way the face of the suffering
Jesus.
When he came to the choice of his vocation he showed that he wished
to be one with the suffering God and therefore the Lord Jesus.
Some three years later, Joseph, a seminarian at the Capranica,
expressed this same wish when he wrote about his wanting to imitate
Jesus. And this in an intimate way, “Perchè potrò imitare Gesù più
da vicino”.
The Founder urged the members of his
Society to imitate Jesus Christ in his obedience, in his modesty and
in his sacrifices.
To the novices he presented the imitation of the hidden life of the
Lord.
On the spiritual prefect of the catechist brothers, the Founder put
the onus of a weekly talk. First among the topics to be dealt
with, De Piro mentioned,
“… la dottrina di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo …”
For the Servant of God the superior general of the Society must be
so united to Jesus Christ that he spreads on everyone the fragrance
of the Lord.
The Founder exhorted the sick
members of the Society to be united to the suffering Jesus Christ:
L’infermo non dovrà in
verun modo affliggersi se il suo stato lo renda inutile alla
Comunità, se egli non possa più attendere, come prima, al suo
apostolato, al suo ufficio, ma tutto il suo studio dovrà essere di
fare la volontà di Dio, nella condizione in cui lo ha posto,
offrendogli i suoi patimenti in unione di quelli sofferti da Gesù
Cristo nella sua passione e morte…
In the section of the
Constitutions, “Della Purità d’Intenzione”, the Servant of God
exhorted all members not to bother about the criteria of the world
or their self love when doing their apostolate. In order to arrive
at this, there is only one solution, “… rimiri sempre in
ciascuno Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo …”
To the preachers of the Society, the Servant of God said this, “Per
rendersi idonei alla predicazione siano i sacerdoti della Compagnia
ben compresi dall’amore di Gesù Cristo, e dal dovere inerente di
spargere sempre ed ovunque il suo buon odore (2.Cor.2.15.).”
- De
Piro’s union with God experienced through his union with the
Incarnate Son
It has already
been indicated that apart from some meditation notes about the birth
of Jesus, De Piro did not seem to have written any complete sermon
exclusively about the incarnation of the Lord.
Reference has also been made to
the many phrases of Monsignor about the mystery of Jesus’
incarnation.
Studying these phrases
one can easily conclude that for De Piro the central truth in the
mystery of the incarnation was precisely God’s becoming one with
humanity through his Son, Jesus.
Also, the above
mentioned phrases are to be found in his sermons which deal with
other topics: God,
Jesus Christ and his various mysteries,
Our Lady and her mysteries,
the saints,
and the missions.
This means that the unification of God with humanity through Jesus’
incarnation was all the time in the mind and heart of De Piro. But
he himself was a human being. Therefore one can rightly say that
God’s union with him through the incarnation of the Son was a truth
so central in his mind and heart.
- De
Piro’s union with God experienced through his union with the
suffering Son
In this thesis
ample reference has been made to De Piro’s drawing of the face of
the suffering Jesus. There has been both a description of the
drawing
and even some reflections on the main elements which make up this
representation.
In fact there was special reference to Jesus’ eloquent silence,
his strong fragility,
and therefore his being a sign of contradiction.
How could Joseph, a young teenager of 14, include all this in his
drawing had he not been united to the suffering Jesus even from
before the drawing itself?
In the pros
and cons exercise in order to discern his vocation, Joseph De
Piro mentioned several realities which made him decide in favour of
the priesthood.
Among these he mentioned his desire to be completely united to the
God who suffered for him, “Il desiderio di darmi tutto a Dio, avendo
egli tanto sofferto pei miei peccati.”
This God was no one but the suffering Jesus!
In the pros
and cons discernment exercise to decide whether to go to the
“Accademia Ecclesiastica” or to St Joseph’s, Malta, Joseph, a third
year theology student, put down numerous reasons against the former
and in favour of the latter.
Amongst these, the Servant of God included two, one against the
“Accademia” and another one in favour of St Joseph’s Orphanage.
These last two referred to Jesus’ sufferings:
8. Infatti allorchè per mezzo del mio
Rettore, mandaì al Presidente dell’Accademia la negativa sperimentaì
grande consolazione nel pensare di aver scelto la corona di spine
con Gesù anzichè quella delle rose.”
8. Perchè alla morte possa trovare
qualche conforto nel pensiero di aver sofferto un poco per Gesù
avendo Egli tanto sofferto pei miei peccati.”
- De
Piro’s union with God experienced through his union with the
Eucharistic Jesus
De Piro’s
preaching has already been referred to at length.
Monsignor preached about many topics. In the case of many of these
sermons the subject assigned to him was not the Eucharist, but
during these same sermons, at some one moment, the Servant of God,
as if forgetting the main topic, preached about the Blessed
Sacrament just the same.
Then in the sermons which dealt uniquely with the Eucharist, De Piro
referred to the various dimensions of the Eucharist: the sacrificial
characteristic of the Sacrament,
the conditions for the reception of the Sacrament,
the Eucharist and sin,
the First Holy Communion,
the frequency of its reception,
its effects,
the adoration of and prayers to the Blessed Sacrament,
the one hour adoration,
the visit to the Blessed Sacrament,
and the Eucharistic Congress.
In spite of these many and various Eucharistic aspects one can note
that the Servant of God repeatedly mentioned another particular one:
Jesus’ unification with the human being through the Blessed
Sacrament. In the 44 pages of Eucharistic sermons there are no less
than 28 references to Jesus’ becoming one with us through the
Blessed Sacrament. Some are made up of only short phrases while
others are made up of longer passeges.
Without doubt, therefore the Blessed Sacrament was another main
source for De Piro’s union with Jesus Christ.
After all this, one can say
without hesitation that between Jesus Christ and De Piro there was a
love relationship. De Piro can be said to have been a
permanent disciple and progressive property to the person of Jesus
Christ; he was an authentic expression of the sentiment of Jesus
Christ that penetrated his whole being.
(ib) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through his union with the Spirit
In his sermons,
Monsignor referred some 19 times to the Holy Spirit.
In one of them he said who was for him the Third Person of the
Trinity, “È la Terza Persona della SSma Trinità che discende
sull’universo per rigenerarlo.”
With these words De Piro already showed that the Holy Spirit does
not act on the universe from afar; he first becomes one with the
universe and therefore with humanity. But some other words of the
Servant of God show this all the more; he presents the Holy Spirit
as the, “… alleanza universale tra Dio e gli uomini.”
With these last words Monsignor is more explicit about God’s union
with humanity through the Holy Spirit.
(ic) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through his union with Mary
Mgr De Piro
started one of his sermons about Our Lady by referring to what he
considered as the fundamental need of every human being, his or her
union with God, “Il cuore dell’uomo è fatto per Dio - che uno tenda
verso Dio, che uno si avvicina a Dio, che uno si unisca con Dio, è
il primo bisogno dell’anima umana - il cuore dell’uomo in Dio solo
trova la sua vita, il suo riposo, la sua felicità.”
But the Servant of God reminded those who listened to him that at
times the human being tries to seek sin as an alternative for God.
After a while the sinner realises that through sin he or she is not
able to acquire what was being sought. Therefore the individual
turns again to God, but while doing this the human being realises
that it is too hard to reach God immediately. At this very moment
the sinner discovers the possibility of a mediation, Our Lady, “…
tra il cuore di Dio Padre ed il cuore del peccatore vi è il cuore
della Madre sua e Madre nostra - onde con tutta fiducia il peccatore
... può alzar il suo sguardo verso questo trono perchè nel salutare
la Maestà Reale di colei che trovasi assisa e gli vi scorge anche il
cuor tenero di sua Madre ‘Salve Regina mater misericordiae’.”
De Piro ends this sermon by saying where in Scripture one can find
Mary presented as the one who unifies again the sinner to God:
… la parola che Dio c’insegna che Maria
è la nostra madre di misericordia, è il nostro rifugio portiamoci
col nostro pensiero nel luogo e nel giorno in cui per la prima volta
entrò il peccato nel mondo. I due nostri progenitori Adamo ed Eva
insieme col colpo della sentenza di maledizione sono consolati da
una speranza. Nel mentre che Iddio il peccato verrà disfatto per
mezzo di una donna, per mezzo di Maria.
Ed ecco perchè F.D. Maria viene
chiamata ed è protettrice degli uomini, un vero loro rifugio, per
questo ufficio che le viene da Dio assegnato noi la troviamo
paragonata nelle sacre Scritture ora ad un esercito schierato alla
battaglia, ora una fortezza inespugnabile, ora ad una torre forte di
mille combattenti, tutti uniti colle quali lo Spirito Santo vuol
significare la potenza di Maria e la sua azione benefica a favore
nostro, poveri peccatori …
Mirabile inchiodato moribondo sulla
croce. A chi incaricherà di non lasciar che vada perduto il frutto
suo lavoro doloroso? A chi incaricherà per preparare gli uomini a
reclamare per Lei il prezzo del suo sangue?
… il pensiero di Gesù Cristo è di
affidarlo a Maria a preferenza di tutti.
Ebbene la parola omnipotente di Gesù
moribondo creerà dunque per tutti gli uomini per tutti, diciamolo, i
peccatori, una madre e una madre degna di questo nome. Questa madre
è sotto i vostri occhi è Maria Mulier ecce figlius tuus, ecce Mater
tua, in luogo di Gesù tutte le generazioni di peccatori, in luogo di
un sol uomo tutti gli uomini.
(id) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through his union with the saints
In the 59 pages of
De Piro’s sermon notes about the saints there are not less than 23
exhortations towards their imitation.
But why all this emphasis on the imitation of the saints? Who were
the saints for the Servant of God? In a sermon about St Joseph, De
Piro presented the saints as, “… esemplari dell’osservanza della
legge di Dio.”
When talking about
St Francis, the Servant of God referred to the saints as, “…
campioni, degli eroi come per rinfrescare la memoria della sua vita
mortale, come per infondere nelle anime dei fedeli nuova
forza onde possano seguirli nella via delle croce.”
At another time Monsignor was asked to preach about St Anthony of
Padua. On this occasion he makes an assertion about the saints,
“Quello che innanzi agli occhi di Dio ingrandisce e rende preziosa
l’anima dei santi è senza dubbio la pratica della virtù.”
While talking about St John Berchmans, De Piro said that the saints
are, “… questi intimi amici di Dio, quali esemplari
dell’osservanza della sua santa legge, quali modelli di perfezione,
di santità …”
At another moment Monsignor showed that for him the saints were, “…
veri seguaci di Lui …”
Being so the
saints could not but be another most efficient means with which De
Piro became always all the more united with God
(ie) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through his union with the Word of God
- The Word of
God in general
Amongst the many
pages of sermons of De Piro a short note was found where the Servant
of God, while referring to St Theresa, said that together with the
Eucharist, the Word of God gives life, conserves it, sustains one’s
health, gives happiness … defends us from the devil.
But Monsignor also frequently presents God’s Word as another means
with which to be united to God. He presents the Word of God as one
of the means which helps us get the Beatitudes which awaits us after
death.
In fact it is a powerful means to arrive at this.
It is obvious that the Servant of God is here referring to eternal
life, the life to come. But he immediately says that the effects of
the Word of God are not only a future reality; one can enjoy them
even here on earth. In fact he mentions our feeling “… sollevati
nello spirito …”
And what is this feeling in the spirit mentioned by De Piro if not
God’s presence in us? What is eternal life if not our complete union
with God? According to Monsignor this happens through the Word of
God.
In a sermon about
God’s commandaments, De Piro mentioned the frequenting of the
sacraments, the mass and prayer as means with which to sanctify
Sundays.
But he also referred to the Word of God.
And what is Sunday if not the day of the Lord? And what is its
sanctification if not our union with God?
In the sermon just
mentioned, De Piro also referred to the third commandament and the
means with which to observe it: prayer and the sacraments.
To these he adds the Word of God.
But what is the obedience of the seventh commandament if not one’s
union with God through the actuation of his will?
On a 9 Sunday
after Pentecost, the Servant of God preached about Luke 19: 41-47.
In this sermon he made special reference to Jesus’ words: “… your
visitation from God.”
He mentioned the several means with which the Lord visits the
individual in order to help him or her. Among these means De Piro
mentioned the Word of God.
On 11 June 1920
Monsignor was invited by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart to lead
the celebration of the renewal of the vows of some Sisters. In the
homily he delivered on that occcasion the Servant of God referred to
the fact that the nuns’ house was a sacred place. He also told them
why he considered the convent as sacred: there lived Jesus Christ.
He also told them that amongst the means with which Jesus Christ was
present, there was the Word of God.
For De Piro the
Word of God is that which saves and therefore that which unites the
individual, even when a sinner, with God for ever, “Oh quanti anche
peccatori ora risplendono nella gloria del paradiso per aver
ascoltato con umiltà e aver custodito nel loro cuore la divina
parola.”
Having all this in
mind De Piro could not but refer very fequently to the Word of God
in his sermons.
And this at a time when it was not that quoted by preachers.
- The Letters of
Saint Paul, in particular
If one were to
have a look at Appendix 2 one would find out that in his
sermons De Piro made 104 references to the Letters of St Paul.
Of these references 46 dealt with Christ’s union with humanity:
|
Reference |
Quotation |
Times referred to |
|
|
However, you are not in the flesh but in
the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But
if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not
belong to Him. |
1 |
|
|
For those whom He foreknew, He also
predestined to become conformed to the image of His
Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; |
1 |
|
|
Who will separate us from the love of
Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? |
19 |
|
|
For I am convinced that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, |
2 |
|
|
nor height, nor depth, nor any other
created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
1 |
|
|
Do you not know that you are a temple of
God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
|
1 |
|
|
"I have been crucified with Christ; and
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
|
15 |
|
|
This mystery is great; but I am speaking
with reference to Christ and the church. |
2 |
|
|
… but emptied Himself, taking the form
of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of
men. |
4 |
Table 20
- And “the
Password”
De Piro did not
only preach these dispositions. He even lived them himself. So much
so that the living of the Word in general and Paul’s Letters led him
to the living of a particular Biblical phrase,
a phrase which has undoubtedly united him most intimately with his
Lord. After returning to Malta from Switzerland in 1904, he
immediately started his search for other priests with whom he could
discuss the foundation of his Society. One of these was Fr Emmanuel
Vassallo of St Joseph’s Institute, Malta. On 7 August 1905 the
Servant of God even gave to Vassallo a written description of his
project. Amongst others, the Founder put down these words, “La
nostra parola d’ordine deve essere, ‘Sequar te quocumque ieris’.”
(if) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through a continuous search for the
divine will
Without doubt the above
mentioned union with God, made De Piro continuously search the
divine will for him. But on its part this same search continued
making De Piro one with God all the more. During his first
year of law studies at the University of Malta, De Piro discerned
whether he had to continue those studies and become a lawyer or put
behind him this course and start the seminary formation which could
lead him to the priesthood. In order to arrive at the knowledge of
the divine will for him, he made use of the pros and cons
discernment exercise.
He did the same when he was in his third year theology. On his part
Archbishop Peter Pace repeatedly invited him to continue his studies
at the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica dei Nobili” after his priestly ordination, while he
himself wished to go and settle at St Joseph’s, Malta.
Even on this occasion Joseph made use of the pros and cons
discernment exercise. The fact itself that the Servant of God made
the above mentioned exercises, already indicated that even while
still a youth De Piro was already very attentive about knowing God’s
will for him. But then the contents of the exercises shows this all
the more. In the exercise he did in order to choose his vocation,
Joseph said that he had felt the call to the pristhood since early
childhood.
Then there was a time when he did not feel it, but this was only for
a short while.
When he felt it again he immediately sought the help of his
confessor
… obviously to know through the help of the latter what was the
divine will for him!
Further on in this
pros and cons exercise, De Piro wrote that:
1.
… Sento che questo è il vero
stato a cui sono vocato.
2.
Il desiderio di darmi tutto a
Dio …
12.
Il giorno 8 Maggio ‘98, dopo una
novena alla V. di Pompei in cui la chiesi di farmi conoscere la vera
volontà di Dio …
A few months after
he had abandoned the law studies at the University of Malta, Joseph
went to Rome and started his philosophy and theology. One of his
sisters, Teresina, seemed to have sent him some good wishes for his
studies and future life. On 23 February 1899, Joseph wrote to his
mother and showed her that trying to know the will of God, was still
what he wished most, “Faccio osservare a Teresa che certi auguri con
tanta serietà sarebbe meglio che se le risparmiasse. L’augurio che
accetto con piacere e di ben conoscere la Volontà di Dio…; e basta.”
In the exercise by which the Servant of God discerned whether he had
to go to the “Accademia Ecclesiastica” or to St Joseph’s, Malta,
there was again a very clear indication about De Piro’s wish to know
the divine will for him, “Siccome nelle mie communioni una delle
prime grazie che chiedo al Signore, è appunto di farmi conoscere la
sua volontà …”
In relation to the same choice, the Servant of God was making use of
another means with which to know God’s will for him: the Archbishop
of Malta. Joseph strongly wished to put aside the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica” and go to St Joseph’s Home. At the same time he only
wanted to do this if allowed by Mgr Peter Pace.
On 15 March 1902 Joseph was ordained priest.
Having finished his third year theology
and gone to Switzerland to recuperate his health,
the Servant of God returned to Malta for good.
On 9 January 1905 he shared his dreams about the Society with his
spiritual director, Fr Ferrara, and asked him whether he had to talk
also to Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the Director of St Joseph’s, Malta.
This was nothing but another attempt by De Piro to know God’s will
for him. Ferrara’s answer was positive.
In order to know
God’s will for him as regards the foundation of the Society, De Piro
did not approach only his spiritual director; he even started
talking to several of his companion priests..
With one of them, Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the Servant of God had the
first meeting on 16 January 1905.
De Piro again
sought the help of his superiors, this time in relation to the
starting of the Society. On 29 September 1908 he talked to Mgr Peter
Pace.
He did the same with the Apostolic Visitor, Mgr Peter La Fontaine,
on 2 November 1909.
And he continued doing this all along the years.
(ig) De Piro’s
union with God experienced through prayer
“Prayer is the
lifting up of the soul towards God to know him well, to adore him
and thank him and to ask him what you need.”
These words of De Piro show quite clearly what was another most
efficient means with which he lived his intimate union with God.
For Monsignor prayer was that which first and foremost helped the
individual come to the knowledge of God. But here it is quite clear
that by knowledge De Piro was not implying only intellectual
understanding; he even meant experiential awareness. Then as a
result of this type of knowledge the individual finds out that he
has to adore and thank God. The individual’s experience of God
through prayer also encourages the former even to seek the divine
help.
There were several
witnesses in the Diocesan Process of the Cause of Canonisation of
the Servant of God who referred to the prayerful life of De Piro.
Putting these testimonies together one can conclude that Monsignor
prayed a lot, whenever and wherever it was possible for him to do
it. Fr Telesphoro Farrugia O. Carm., said that he used to see
Monsignor praying while going to Fra Diegu Institue or when coming
back from St Joseph’s, Malta.
Mr Louis Galea, who hailed from Qrendi, said that he used to see Fr
Joseph going from one side of the parish to the other, praying.
Benedetta Farrugia, an Mdina spinster, testified that when she met
Monsignor passing by, he often had the Breviary open and he prayed
with it.
Srs Teresa Degabriele and Pia Caruana said that after visiting the
Jesus of Nazareth Institute, De Piro used to go back to St Joseph’s,
Malta, by cab, accompanied by Degabriele herself who lived in the
Home for babies and small children near St Joseph’s. This must have
therefore been after 1925 because the Home was opened during that
year.
Therefore this was the time when the Servant of God could have taken
the opportunity of these trips and talked to Sr Degabriele about her
nascent Congregation, the building of the new Institute at Zejtun,
or the Home for babies. De Piro did nothing of this. While on the
cab, he used to stay quiet, all the time praying.
Fr Augustine Grech, a member- priest of De Piro’s Society almost
summarised all the above when he said that the Founder
was rarely seen if not praying, even when walking in public streets.
Br Emmanuel Gafa, one of
the first members of the Society, testified that when at St
Joseph’s, the Director used to pass through the corridors, praying.
Another Brother of the Society, Felix Muscat, said almost the same
thing.
Srs Consiglia Vassallo and Felice Vella of Fra Diegu Institute
testified that the first thing De Piro did whenever he entered the
Institute was that he spent some time in prayer.
Sr Pauline Cilia repeated the same thing.
Fr Michael Camilleri, another ex member of the Society, said that
whenever the Founder could not sleep at night, he used to stay
praying.
Br Felix Muscat synthesised all the above with these few words, “Mgr
De Piro was a man of continuous prayer.”
De Piro cultivated
his union with God through prayer all though his life, but then
there were particular occasions when prayer helped him in a
particular way in order to keep alive this union with the Divine. As
he did in Davos where he was because of his sickness “… mi sono
sentito male e per la seconda volta (la prima era il 19 luglio 1900)
ho veduto andare in aria tutte le mie buone intenzioni.”
In Switzerland he could not start that congregation which he
intended to found in Malta.
He could only pray, “…ed ho pregato, pregato, pregato.”
Returning from
Switzerland to Malta, Fr Joseph was determined to put into practice
the “… antiche idee”.
In less than 12 months, on 9 January of the following year, he
started sharing his plans with those whom he thought would be of
some help to him.
But not only this! He continued praying, “18 Novembre (1906):
Trovandomi a Roma ed occorrendo oggi la dedicazione delle Basiliche
dei S.S. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo, ho celebrato in San Pietro in
Vaticano e proprio sull’altare di S.Pietro. Ho applicato la messa in
onore dei S.S. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo pregando loro …”
After facing many
difficulties of all sorts, De Piro started his Society on 30 June
1910.
If he had prayed before founding his Congregation, he prayed as much
after its beginning. In 1923, John Vella, in whom the Founder had
put so many hopes, because he was the first priest of the Society,
abandoned him to become diocesan. It was De Piro himself who brought
Vella the news of his incardination to the Maltese Archdiocese. Fr
John himself testified how the Servant of God handled the case, “…
the Bishop informed me through Monsignor that he was accepting me in
the Diocese. As soon as the Founder returned home, he went straight
to the chapel, stayed there for a while and afterwards came to me
with the Bishop’s answer.”
Some time after Vella added, “He approached me, looking downwards,
and told me, ‘The Bishop accepts you in the Diocese.’ ‘What are you
saying?’ I asked him. I was thunderstruck. He left me alone and went
to the chapel, knelt down and remained there praying, with his head
in his hands.”
The acquisition of
the land on which he had thought to build the Society’s Motherhouse
implied a lot of fatigue for the Founder. According to Mr John
Buhagiar,an employee at
St Joseph’s, Malta, and Fr Beninju Azzopardi, one of the first
members of the Society, the Servant of God prayed a lot on that
occasion.
Mr John Balzan of
Qrendi testified that Monsignor was very regular in his prayers. He
used to be daily at church for the rosary and the Blessed Sacrament
Benediction.
Fr John Vella, the first priest of the Society, said that even after
a hard days’ work, he never slept without reciting the Breviary.
And in order not to drowse while reciting the Liturgy of the Hours,
he used to say it while walking.
Anton Muscat Azzopardi, a St Joseph’s old boy, said that in order to
remain awake he wanted one of the members, Fr Joseph Spiteri, to
remain near him.
Several witnesses
emphasised the fact that the Servant of God was very concentrated,
recollected and devout during his personal prayers or the liturgical
celebrations. And he did not want anyone to disturb him. Fr Michael
Camilleri said that, “During prayers he did not talk to anyone. Once
there came the Bishop to talk to him. Since we knew that he did not
want to be disturbed when praying we did not want to tell him. At
last one of us informed Monsignor. After the Founder went out of the
chapel he told us, ‘The one with whom I was is more important than
the Bishop.’”
Camillo Aquilina,
another of the first members of the Society, emphasised the same
thing as regards the Founder.
Sr Eletta Sant of Fra Diegu, noticed the Director’s recollection
while in the chapel of the Institute.
Carmena Mallia referred to De Piro’s devotion during mass.
As did Fr Augustine Grech,
a priest of De Piro’s Society, and Joseph Vella
and Br Felix Muscat,
two old boys of St Joseph’s. The latter also noticed the Director’s
great recollection when praying in front of the Holy Eucharist.
Fr Ugolino Gatt OSA related Monsignor’s devoutness to God’s presence
in him especially in his participation in the Liturgy at the Mdina
Cathedral, “In liturgical acts
and in the sacristy he showed the same seriousness. And here one
could observe the solemnity of his behaviour. He showed most
clearly that there was something in him which he really lived and
showed externally.”
Sr Pauline Formosa, who was a child in
Mdina at the time of Monsignor, confirmed Gatt’s testimony. As did
Fr Seraphim Fenech OfmConv., Mr Biagio Galea, Mr Peter Paul Cutajar,
Fr Alphonse Maria Camilleri Ofm., and one of De Piro’s nieces, Sr
Marie De Piro.
In the above
paragraphs some types of prayer of Monsignor have already been
mentioned, but there can be more references to De Piro’s particular
prayers. Fr Augustine Grech referred to the Founder’s meditation:
He made his daily
meditation.
He used the book “Meditazioni per Religiosi” written by a Jesuit
father. From a note written in his meditation book by the late Fr.
Joseph Spiteri MSSP, we know that his last meditation, on the very
day of his death, was ‘Il Religioso infedele dinanzi al Tribunale di
Dio.’ Whenever he was in our House, he made his meditation with us.
Our meditation used to last for half an hour.
Here Fr Grech was referring to the days
when De Piro had already founded the Society. But the Servant of God
himself indicated that he had been doing the meditation much before
1910. In the pros and cons exercise with which he discerned his
vocation, Joseph, although he was not even a seminarian, mentioned
the meditation.
De Piro could not act otherwise. He was
so much convinced of the necessity of the meditation in the life of
consecrated persons. To the 1929-1930 Brother novices he said this,
“Meditation is very much necessary … The meditation is what we think
of God in his virtue. Meditation is half an hour’s retreat.
Therefore we should leave everything behind and think of God.”Fr Augustine said also that De Piro, “… was faithful to the
Divine Office.”
The same witness testified that,“At midday he made the particular
examen, and before going to rest in the evening, the general examen
of conscience.”
Two Brothers of the Society, Felix Muscat and Venanz Galea, and Fr
Dominic Coppola Ofm, an ex member, said almost the same words about
the Founder’s meditation, the Divine Office and the examinations of
conscience.
Srs Vassallo and
Vella said that the Director visited the Institute three times each
week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. On Thursday, at about 3.00
pm., he used to make the one hour adoration with the girls of the
Institute.
The same was said by Carmena Mallia, an old girl of the Orphanage.
Michael Vella Haber, another ex-member
of the Society, mentioned two invocations repeated frequently by the
Founder: “Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudeorum, miserere nobis,”
and “Ecce crucem Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, fugite partes adversae,
vicit leo de Tribu Iudeae, radix David, Hallelujah!”
In the pros and cons
exercise for the choice of his vocation, young Joseph De Piro
mentioned the reading of the lives of the saints.
Fr Augustine Grech testified that he
could notice that the Founder, because he was a man of prayer, was
continuously in the presence of God.
(ii) All the
above helped De Piro …
(iia) Know
himself and accept himself
In the pros
and cons exercise by which he discerned his vocation,
and in the other one with which he decided to go to St Joseph’s,
Malta, and not to the “Accademia Ecclesiastica”,
De Piro showed quite clearly that even though still at a young age,
he already knew himself quite well. In two of the reasons in favour
of his joining the priesthood, Joseph showed that he knew so much
the components of his own “nature” that he could see quite clearly
that the priesthood was the state that could match most with
himself, “8. L’aver dopo riflessione trovato essere questo lo stato
più confacente alla mia natura.”
And, “11. Il sentirmi dover essere felice in questo stato, in tutte
le controversie quali fin ora m’incontrai in questa vita.”
Among the reasons in favour of his going to St Joseph’s Orphanage
and not to the “Accademia”, the third year theology student
mentioned a particular characteristic of his, the wish to live in a
community, “2. L’amore di vivere in communità di persone
ecclesiastiche e perciò sento dover essere contento in compagnia dei
due sacerdoti, che già stanno in direzione della Casa di San
Giuseppe.”
The one reason De Piro brought out against his becoming priest
showed that he was conscious of the existence and power of his
sexual needs, “1. L’istinto animalesco alla vita coniugale … 2. e
perciò il timore che durante la mia vita celibe; nella lotta tra lo
spirito e la materia abbia questa ultima il sopravvento.”
When Joseph was deciding in favour of his going to St Joseph’s,
Malta, and on the other hand against his studying at the
“Accademia”, he mentioned another two needs which he felt he had to
educate in him:
4. Perchè stando in famiglia mi metto
in pericolo di attaccarmi alla richezze; o che è certo occuperanno
gran parte dei miei pensieri e del mio tempo.
5. Perchè mi metto in pericolo di
desiderare posti, cariche ed onori …
6. Mentre al incontro, col rifiutare di
andare all’Accademia mi son messo al sicuro dal desiderare e molto
più dal domandare posti e cariche onorifiche in diocesi.
When discerning
whether or not to go to the “Accademia” he mentioned his
intellectual limitations “4. In fatto di intelligenza non risplendo
…”
In the two
exercises mentioned above, the Servant of God showed that he knew
and admitted that he was a sinner. He used such expressions as, “5.
… pei miei peccati,”
“2. … seppe trovarmi tra il numero dei peccatori …,”
“3. Si recogito peccata mea desi…,”
“3. Il derio di far penitenza pei miei peccati …,”
“… pei miei peccati.”
And he mentioned a particular type of sin, “3. … particolarmente per
quelli che sono stati di danno al prossimo.”
The above
references to De Piro’s own words show that he was not only
conscious of his own nature and being. He also accepted himself with
all that.
(iib) And even
humble himself
In the previous
pages emphasis has been made about the union with God one has to
live in order that one may really live charity towards the
underprivileged or those who lack evangelisation. But it has to be
affirmed that there is another requirement for one to be charitable:
one has to be also humble. Jesus, the Master, lived his emptying of
self in order to bring to us the love of the Father.
De Piro was in fact humble. Because he was so much united with God,
through his words and actions Monsignor wanted to be the faithful
transmitter of God’s love and for this he accepted paths of service
and humility and projected his existence in terms of solidarity and
self sacrifice.
If reference were
to be made to the testimonies given at the Ecclesiastical Tribunals,
it can be easily noticed that one of the virtues mentioned several
times by the witnesses was De Piro’s humility. In the 1987 sessions
there were 26 references to it,
in the 1988-1992 sessions, 70 references,
and in the Gozo sessions, 3.
Some of those interrogated referred to it more than once.
There were those who did more than refer to De Piro’s humility.
These went as far as saying that the virtue that excelled in the
Servant of God was undoubtedly the virtue of humility.
Among these last ones there was Aloisius Aloisio who interviewed
some of the witnesses during the 1960s and 1970s, and who said this
to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal:
Those I interviewed
showed me that they were not so much struck with the many activities
of the Servant of God but with his humility and his humanity that
had a lot of spirituality in it. At times I was really astonished
with what they narrated to me. What they told me made me feel the
deep spirituality of the Founder. There were times when I was
transcribing the information and I felt really moved.
Even individuals
like Mgr Lorenzo Spiteri, who did not have the opportunity to meet
the Servant of God very frequently, knew quite well that the Servant
of God was a humble person, or still more: a very humble one.
Appendix 3 puts
together all the witnesses who singled out De Piro’s humility.
Studying this synoptic presentation one would find out that the
witnesses came from all walks of life: there were diocesan priests,
religious men and women, amongst whom members of De Piro’s own
Society, and laymen and laywomen. They came both from Malta and from
Gozo, from Mdina and other Maltese towns or villages. The witnesses
knew De Piro in different circumstances: his own relatives met him
in family environments; some attended the catechism classes in the
Society’s first House at Mdina; others were boys and girls in the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes; some of them made part of the
charitable institutes’ staff. Put together they made it clear that
the Servant of God was humble always, everywhere and with everyone.
- De Piro could
have had so much, but he gave up all
The Servant of God
was descended from a very noble and rich family. Witnesses referred
to the several houses, or rather palaces, owned by the De Piros.
They mentioned those in Mdina,
Valletta,
Qrendi,
Birzebbugia,
Attard,
Lija,
and St Paul’s Bay,
all in Malta. Some of the nieces of Monsignor mentioned also another
two houses, one in Rome
and another one in Florence,
Italy. All of them were big, well furnished houses.
Even the brothers and sisters of the Servant of God,
including Fr Sante, the brother of the Servant of God, had their own
spacious and rich houses.
Monsignor could have had a house of his own, at least as much as his
brothers and sisters. Yet, he did not have any. Instead, he had
available for him a room in his mother’s houses.
These rooms were again well furnished and having all the
necessities.
But he did not even use any of these rooms.
He chose to live in the rooms he had in the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes
or in the Society’s Mdina Houses, at St Agatha’s, Rabat, or at the
Oratory, B’Kara.
The rooms at the institutes
or in the Society’s Houses
had nothing to do with those in his mother’s palaces.
In the De Piro
houses there were as far as five maidservants,
and a butler.
Even Fr Sante had servants in his two houses.
Br Calcedon Zammit, one of the first Brothers of the Society, who
was himself a cook, said that these maids prepared very good food.
Although some of the witnesses said that in the ecclesiastical
charitable institutes
and in the first houses of the Society
food was quite good, several others talked of very poor food in the
institutes
and in the Society.
De Piro did not only choose to eat in the institutes and with the
Society’s members; he had the same food as the orphaned boys and
girls of the institutes
and the same food as the members of his Society.
Without doubt, had
the Servant of God stayed at home, his mother would have surely
taken care of his clothing. In fact this is what Francoise Marie
Leopardi, a niece of Monsignor, said as regards the liturgical
vestments,
“His mother saw to this and one of her
maids (Nuzzi) was in charge of laundering his white vestments and
keeping his Dean’s clothes in order.”
She also said that, “When I say that Grandmama supervised
everything, I mean that she saw to it that his clothes, etc., were
well looked after, but the maids did the work.”
Monsignor went to his
family home only for short whiles and therefore his mother could not
care so much for his daily clothing. Some of the witnesses said that
he always wore neat clothes,
but some others testified to the opposite. His niece, Sr Marie De
Piro said that,
“Once Uncle came to see my mother. He
was wearing a simple scarf and had a half broken umbrella. It was
raining. His look on that occasion was that of a poor shabbily
dressed man. For him it seemed all right. For us it seemed that he
could and ought to have been better dressed, with an old overall and
all that.”
Another niece, Anna Sant Cassia, testified that, “… he did not spend
money for his own everyday clothes. He used his clothes as long as
they could serve him.”
Anthony Scerri, one of the boys who attended the catechism classes
in Mdina said that, “His
mother would complain because he did not care much about his dignity
as monsignor and because his shoes were torn. At times I noticed
that his shoes were torn. I believe that if he had money he reserved
it for the Institutes because he was more concerned about the
Institutes than about clothes or shoes.”
Fr Alexander Bonnici OfmConv., the biographer of De Piro, tried to
balance the two groups of the above mentioned testimonies, “He was
tidy in his cassock, but the clothes he wore underneath were
patched.”
Without doubt the
sacrificing of the above mentioned basic needs meant for De Piro a
lack of good health.
The other members
of the De Piro family, especially his mother, trusted Joseph a lot;
he was his mother’s favourite.
On the other hand Beatrice Cremona, one of the nieces of the Servant
of God, went as far as saying that Ursola was Joseph’s confidant.
Witnesses say that it was to her that he first confided his decision
in favour of the priesthood.
Then, when he was in Rome for his philosophy and theology he wrote a
lot of letters to her.
And these were intimate ones.
After returning to
Malta from Switzerland Fr Joseph stayed at the Qrendi Parish.
In 1907 he was nominated Director of Fra Diegu Institute.
Some time after, round about 1910, Ursola thought of promoting her
son Joseph further. Through the Archbishop’s secretary, she made His
Excellency decide to nominate Fr Joseph, canon of the Metropolitan
Cathedral. Archbishop Peter Pace agreed with the suggestion and in
1911 Fr Joseph became Monsignor Joseph De Piro. He was only 33 years
old.
Because of the
above mentioned benefits, the Servant of God could have lived a very
easy, tranquil, cosy, comfortable and challenge-free life. The
Servant of God never gave up the support of his relatives in the
many ministries he had in the local Church. At the same time, when
he opted for the foundation of the Society, De Piro found very
little of this backing from the part of the Church’s hierarchy and
his companion priests. Instead of support he experienced
disheartenment from some of the Maltese bishops. Fr John Vella, the
first priest-member of the Society said this about the Maltese
Bishops’ lack of support to the Founder:
I was asked to go to the Vicar General,
Bishop Portelli. ‘You know where I am,’ I told him. ‘That is a
mess!’ answered me Bishop Portelli ... Bishop Pace did not like to
please him. The Founder asked him more than once to approve the
habit of the Society. ‘Let them be an example,’ was always the
answer. He himself wished to give us the habit. He tried for a long
time to get it. The ecclesiastical authorities kept him back from
progressing. They did not show so much hope in the scope and ideal
which Monsignor De Piro wanted to actuate. Bishop Portelli was not
less sceptic than his predecessor.
Some youths did
join the Founder and even became members in formation, but these
left the Society after getting a good education.
Fr John Vella, the one mentioned above, joined the Servant of God.
He finished his years of formation, and was even ordained priest.
But after four years of priesthood even this one abandoned the
Founder and became a diocesan priest.
With the above
mentioned challenges one can add such others as: the discomfort of
the lack of money because De Piro had to find lodging for the
members of his Society,
provide food,
clothing, etc.,
for them, guarantee the members’ academic,
spiritual and religious formation, provide their recreation, etc;
the discomfort of his not having any more time for himself,
because he had to be with the members, even to sleep with them;
the discomfort of travelling because much of his work was in the
south eastern part of Malta, while the Society’s first houses were
in the South western part of the Island, Mdina - in those days all
transport was uncomfortable … and De Piro used the public transport;
the discomfort of companions with whom to talk - the first members
were still very young, coming from low class families and therefore
not much cultured, etc.
Being a De Piro,
had Fr Joseph stayed at home, he could have easily enjoyed a lot of
popularity both in the Church and in the Maltese society. The
setting up of the missionary Society implied for the Founder another
detachment: that from honours and promotions, even in the Church. In
the Constitutions he prepared for the members of his Society, the
Founder did not want them to accept honours.
To be an example for them he did not want to accept to become
Monsignor.
All the civil
openings could have made the Servant of God highly aesteemed by
those around him, with so many possibilities of becoming influential
and powerful in the Maltese civil society. Whenever to the civil
openings there was added the priesthood, the individual concerned
always got the possibility of several promotions even in the
ecclesiastical environment. De Piro was himself entrusted with
several such responsibilities,
but he could have been entrusted with many more had he not opted for
the charitable institutes and the foundation of the Society.
Whereas living as
a priest in his family environment would have meant for the Servant
of God a lot of security, leaving behind that environment and opting
for a life dedicated to the poor and for evangelisation meant for De
Piro disheartenment, discouragement, difficulties and even
opposition.
Section II
For a pro-existence
In the first part
of this chapter the question asked was: what did De Piro receive?
what did he have in him? what was he? Basically, it was said that
Monsignor was one with God. In this second part we shall be asking:
what has the Servant of God done? We can say that all the above can
be considered without hesitation as the source of De Piro’s person
and work and the centre of gravity of his words and actions. The
above was the criterion for Monsignor’s actions and words. The
contents of the following pages, what he did, was the effect of the
above. His was a “received” mission. If he had been so much one with
God, he could turn his life into an existence for others. De Piro’s
union with God educated him in love, formed him in his giving
himself to his underprivileged brothers and sisters or those who
needed evangelisation. His relationship with God was the school that
thought him about to whom to give, what to give, how to give, when
to give, where to give. De Piro was the humble envoy or faithful
ambassador of the God-love.
(i) Having
tried to know God’s will for him, De Piro went further: he did his
best to do it
Reference has been
made to the pros and cons discernment exercise Joseph
De Piro made in order to know what was God’s will for him regarding
his vocation. In this same exercise the Servant of God did not show
that he only wanted to know the divine will; the last reason in
favour of the priesthood indicates that Joseph had in fact decided
to live it, “12. Il giorno 8 Maggio ‘98, dopo una novena alla V. di
Pompei … sentì la forza di decidere pel bene, cioè in favore allo
stato sacerdotale.”
But for the
Servant of God the priesthood in general,
and his own priesthood in particular, were synonymous with a
selfgiving to the brothers and sisters who needed his help.
Therefore living God’s will for him was his giving himself to his
needy brothers and sisters.
Again, in the
letter Joseph sent to his mother on 23 February 1899, Joseph did not
say that he only wished to know the will of God. He said that he
even wanted to execute it.
For De Piro the
superiors were not only means with which he could know God’s will
for him. Through them he felt assured that he was actuating the
divine will. This in the case of the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes. It has been said that Fr Joseph had planned that after
his priestly ordination he would return to Malta and dedicate
himself completely to the poor orphans of St Joseph’s Home.
In 1904 he came back to his native country
Because of his health he stayed for almost three years in Qrendi.
In 1907 he did not go to St Joseph’s but to Fra Diegu Institute.
And this because Archbishop Peter Pace nominated him Director there.
In 1922 it was again his superiors who showed him God’s will; he
went to the Jesus of Nazareth Institute.
It was only in
1922, or 20 years after his priestly ordination, that De Piro went
to St Joseph’s, Malta.
Again it was the Archbishop who nominated him for this post and it
was only then that he went there.
For the Gozo
Institute, the Servant of God had two sources to assure him that
what he was doing was God’s will for him. Parishpriest Joseph Hili
wrote in the name of Gozo’s Bishop and the other parishpriests,
making the request to De Piro to start and direct the Orphanage in
the Diocese.
Then before accepting, De Piro asked the permission of the
Archbishop of Malta.
During the first
eight years of the direction of St Joseph’s, Malta, the Servant of
God felt the need to have a Home for babies and young children.
He was more than convinced of the urgency of such a place. In fact
in a letter he wrote to Archbishop Mauro Caruana, De Piro showed his
disappointment for procrastinating the beginning of this project. At
the same time he did not want to act before he had the necessary
permission of his Archbishop.
Even in the case
of his being made Monsignor of the Metropolitan Chapter, the
Archbishop was considered as the one who assured De Piro that he was
actuating God’s will for him. When Fr Joseph found out that he was
going to be nominated Monsignor, his first reaction was one of
nonacceptance. He expressed his disagreement with his mother, with
the then dean of the Chapter and even with Archbishop Peter Pace
himself who nominated him. The Servant of God only accepted after
His Excellency assured him that by his obedience he was going to
follow God’s will for him.
This nomination
introduced Monsignor to several other responsibilities amongst which
his becoming, in 1918, a member of the National Assembly.
During the second meeting of the Assembly there began the three-day
riots of the Sette Giugno 1919.
It seemed that here the divine will was asking of De Piro his
intervention in favour of the Maltese. And the Servant of God gave
his share.
Since De Piro was
so much involved in the foundation and development of the Society of
St Paul, one may easily get the impression that the Servant of God
was the beginning and end of the development of this Congregation.
One may easily forget that the Founder was executing the divine
will.
Some eight or nine
years before the foundation of the Society, Joseph, a seminarian at
the Capranica College, put down in very clear words who was going to
be the real originator of this new Congregation. At some time during
the scholastic year 1901-1902 he wrote down in his Diary that, “… un
sentimento interno mi dice, che Iddio da questo istituto voglia
formare a Malta, una Congregazione di sacerdoti sotto il Patrocinio
di San Paolo, e così nel rendere stabile l’opera a Malta, si
diffonda anche all’estero.”
On 11 December 1901 Joseph De Piro started the retreat for his
diaconate.
During these days of reollection the Servant of God put down the
reasons in favour and against his going to the “Accademia
Ecclesiastica” and/or St Joseph’s, Malta.
Among the reasons in favour of the Orphanage, he mentioned again the
foundation of the Society and repeated the truth that it was God who
wanted to start it at St Joseph’s.
Therefore with his going to the Institute he was only doing God’s
will.
When in 1904 Fr
Joseph returned to Malta for good, he tried to find other priests
with whom he could share his projects about the foundation of the
Society.
Amongst these there was Fr Emmanuel Vassallo.
The latter told De Piro to put his ideas in writing.
The Servant of God tried to do this, but was not successful.
Instead, he wrote a letter to Vassallo and asked him to pray for the
initiative.
This in itself indicated again that De Piro was convinced that he
was doing everything he could in order to start the Society, but he
also believed so much that he and others had to pray God’s
intervention on it; he was convinced that the Society was God’s own
project.
Six months later
Fr Joseph succeeded in writing down his “idea” and he personally
took the written paper to Vassallo.
In this paper the Founder showed that he was considering God as the
one who was expected to dictate the type of Society De Piro was
going to set up, whether it was going to be a religious one or
something else. Also, the Founder was making it clear for the future
members that their main aim was going to be to do God’s will for
them, unconditionally, “5) Pel presente non fare voti ne giuramenti,
però dobbiamo essere disposti a secondare la Volontà Divina con
somma generosità. La nostra parola d’ordine deve essere, ‘Sequar te
quocumque ieris’.”
The same he did when in Rome on 18 November 1906: through the
intervention of Saints Peter and Paul he prayed God to show him his
divine will and help him actuate it.
Since 1919 the
Servant of God had been seeing that the first house of the Society
was becoming smaller and smaller for the increasing number of
members.
In fact he had also been trying to get a piece of land, adjacent to
St Agatha’s chapel, in order to build the house on it.
He got the land
and on 3 October 1932 held the blessing of the foundation stone of
St Agatha’s Motherhouse. On that occasion the Founder delivered a
speech.
In it he referred to the hard work undertaken to arrive at that
date. At the same time De Piro emphasised God’s primary share in
this project. In the very beginning of the speech he referred to the
words of Psalm 127 (126), “Unless the Lord builds the house, those
who build it labor in vain.”
Then he also referred to God with such words as “… l’agente
principale”
and “… il Signore che aveva posto mano all’opera …”
Therefore with the building of the House the Founder was executing
God’s will.
To Fr Angelo
Mizzi, a Capuchin missionary in Abyssinia, De Piro presented his
missionary contribution as being one with God’s will, “Ella faccia
pregare i piccoli ragazzi Somali, registri le loro preghiere
sull’annessa formula e faccia il favore di mandarmela. Lo dico per
esperienza, da quando ho fatto pregare i piccoli ricoverati negli
istituti di beneficenza la piccola opera missionaria ha acquistato
maggiore consistenza.”
Even whenever he
referred to the sending of the members of his Society to the
missions, De Piro was quite clear about the connection between the
missionaries being sent and God’s own will, “We hope that one day
our Institute will be fortunate in sending some of its members who,
like these four new apostles, disperse the seed of the Word of God
in those countries where in his mercy he would like to send them.”
In his secret will
De Piro was quite clear about his own role and God’s part in the
foundation of the Society, “… la Compagnia di S.Paolo Istituto
Religioso per le Missioni Estere-nell’Istituzione del quale il
Signore in cui ho posto sempre la mia speranza, si è degnato di
servirsi di me ed oggi canonicamente eretto dal Diocesano di Malta
per venerato decreto del 14 Novembre 1921 …”
The Society, which was that through which Monsignor became one with
those in need of the Good News, whether the Maltese in Malta, or
those abroad or the ad gentes people, was God’s will for the
Founder himself.
(ii) Through
the cooperation of others
- With the help
of his mother and other members of his own family
Ursola De Piro
encouraged her son Joseph a lot with her continuous backing in his
many apostolates. Although Beatrice Cremona, one of the nieces of
the Servant of God, could not give examples, she witnessed to the
cooperation between her grandma Ursola and her uncle Joseph.
Elena Refalo, another niece of De Piro, referred to the
collaboration between mother and son.
Br Paul Spiteri OSA, an old boy of St Joseph’s, Malta, referred to
the mother’s support in the Director’s help to the beggars,
“I
know that Mons. De Piro used to help my sister and I saw him also
helping others. Besides, I heard about other cases. People came
everyday. The money needed was partly his own. His mother, who was
of great help to him, also contributed …”
Carmena Mallia, a Fra Diegu old girl, said something similar, “I
know that the Servant of God gave alms because I heard people say
this. He was well known for his charity ... I think that the money
he gave was partly his and partly from his mother …”
Fr Alexander Bonnici
OfmConv., the biographer of the Servant of God, corroborated the
above testimonies, “More than anyone else, he used to ask for help
from his mother. He used to beg her unceasingly for … the poor.”
Ursola supported
her son’s ministry in the ecclesiastical charitable institutes. Sr
Marie De Piro, a niece of the Servant of God, noticed that at Fra
Diegu her grandma collaborated with her son Joseph through her
physical presence, “It was Grandma who used to take me to Fra Diego.
I do not know whether Grandma was invited by Uncle or whether she
went on her own initiative. We used to go on the 19 March, the feast
day of Uncle’s patron saint, and on some other occasions.”
Another niece of Monsignor, Anna Sant Cassia, corroborated this
affirmation of Sr De Piro.
The same was said by the above mentioned Elena Refalo.
This last witness said that her grandma did this because she loved
Fra Diegu Institue very much.
Fr Anton V Gaffiero, a Hamrun priest, testified that, “He made his
mother a poor woman in order to improve the situatiuon of the
institutes.”
Mgr Antonio Buhagiar, a penitent of De Piro, said this about Ursola
and her support to the Director of the charitable institutes, “His
mother helped and supported many institutes and this support
increased when the need was bigger. Monsignor often used to give his
share when the institutes were in need, especially during the war.
‘Mother, mother, they do not have sugar. What are we going to do,’
he used to tell her.”
Sr Marie and Anna
Sant Cassia also said that their grandma helped her son and the
institutes financially.
Elena Refalo said that Ursola supported her son by buying cloth and
lace from Fra Diegu.
Refalo mentioned
another type of support offered by her grandma to Uncle Joseph, “I
know of two girls from Fra Diego’s, one Richet by surname, and the
other Thomas by surname, who wanted to become Sisters. Grandma
employed them as maids (presumably on Uncle’s suggestion), even
though she did not need their services, until they prepared the
necessities to enter religion.”
Within the context
of the charitable institutes, Nazzareno Attard mentioned also the
fact that the Director referred to his mother for advices,
“Mons. De Piro was not dominated or led by his mother, but,
in my opinion, he respected her word. Also, in my case (Attard being
admitted or not to St Joseph’s, Malta), it is clear that Mrs. Ursula
had talked to her son about my case …”
Anna Sant Cassia
witnessed something similar, “Then Uncle would walk along the long
corridor absorbed in his thoughts. Sometimes he would make a
question or ask the opinion of his mother about some point. Grandma
would take her time to think things over. Then she would answer
him.”
As was said by Sr Iole De Piro, another niece of the Servant of God.
Mother Pacifica Xuereb referred to the same thing as regards Fa
Diegu Institute, “His mother used to suggest to him several projects
to be introduced in the Institute so that the children would not be
idle.”
The Anna Sant
Cassia referred to above, mentioned her other relatives in relation
to the support given to her Uncle at Fra Diegu Institute, “I do not
know the reaction of the other members of the family to Uncle’s work
at the Institutes. Some members of Fra Diego’s Institute were
employed, when they grew up, with brothers and sisters of the
Servant of God. One of them was employed with us …”
Elena Refalo referred to the support offered by Fr Santo to his
brother Joseph:
This same servant
(Giuseppa Borg) used to tell me that Uncle Santo used to give alms
and help a lot. Besides, I know personally that once, when I was at
Uncle Santo’s, I saw a table covered with fish which Uncle Santo had
caught (he used to go out fishing as a hobby), prepared to be sent
to various institutes, among them I remember Fra Diego’s. Besides,
every year he used to invite the girls of this Institute to his
house for a holiday at his own expense, and he gave them some sweets
before leaving.
De Piro, besides
being Canon of the Cathedral was also Dean of the Metropolitan
Chapter. Because of this responsibility he always had to treat
special guests who went to the Cathedral for some of its main
feasts. Sant Cassia said that on these circumstances her grandma
supported Uncle Joseph by hosting these same guests in her house.
Elena Refalo
referred to another type of support: her uncle asked his mother what
to preach to the girls.
Besides the
support mentioned above, the Servant of God was also aided by his
family as regards his Society. Br Paul Spiteri OSA, an old boy at St
Joseph’s, Malta, said this in the 13 January 1989 Tribunal session,
“… she loved him very much and provided
him with financial help for the Society he was founding… the
financial help that his mother gave to the Monsignor for his
Society.”
Michael Vella Haber and Paul Xuereb, two ex members, Fr Alexander
Bonnici, OfmConv., the biographer of the Servant of God and Fr John
Vella, the first priest of De Piro’s Society, said almost the same
thing.
Fr George Cassar, who happened to be a seminarian at the time of De
Piro’s rectorship, testified to the more varied material help Ursola
gave her son and his Society:
On another day I was
speaking to Monsignor’s mother. While we were talking we mentioned
the Society which Monsignor had just started. ‘The Society is
improving,’ I told her. ‘I am the one who is suffering because he
has impoverished me. At one time he comes here to ask for help. At
another time he asks for money. When there is not enough food he
takes from here. He also comes to take the bed linen,’ lamented his
mother.
Mr Damian Bugeja,
whose family took care of the De Piro house in Qrendi, witnessed
that Ursola helped her son’s Society by making her Qrendi house
available for the holidays of the members, “The students had some
three rooms attached to the villa of Monsignor’s mother. During the
summer days they used to go there for the holidays.”
Dr Alexander
Cachia Zammit testified to another type of help, “I know that Ursola
(the S.G’s mother, known popularly as Kika) helped her son a lot,
financially. She also gave her son moral support.”
Beatrice Cremona, a niece of the Founder testified that, “… Uncle
used to discuss things with mother.”
- In unity with
his local Ecclesiastical superiors
Since his first
year of studies in Rome, the Servant of God had thought that after
being ordained priest he would ruturn to Malta and settle at St
Joseph’s Institute.
He continued cultivating this thought, but at the same time wished
to obey the Archbishop.
St Joseph’s,
Malta, was most important for De Piro. Besides wishing to live there
with other priests,
an internal feeling had told him that at St Joseph’s there would
begin a congregation under the patronage of St Paul.
In 1907 the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, who knew that the
Servant of God wished to set up a missionary society,
did not nominate the Servant of God to St Joseph’s. Instead, he
asked him to go to Fra Diegu. Although the latter was an Institute
for girls, and therefore Fr Joseph could not start the congregation
there,
he obeyed and, in unity with his ecclesiastical superior, started
his ministry there.
Fifteen years
passed since De Piro had been made Director of Fra Diegu. Another
charitable institute was entrusted to the care of the Servant of
God. Again, it was not St Joseph’s. It was the Jesus of Nazareth
Orphanage.
This Institute catered once more for girls, and therefore it did not
offer any possibility for an expansion of De Piro’s Society in it.
In spite of this, Monsignor accepted, but he only accepted because
he wanted to collaborate with his Archbishop, this time Mauro
Caruana, “… la mia direzione per l’Istituto Gesù Nazzareno, che io
non accettaì, questa volta, se non pel tramite di Vra Eccza …”
It was only at the
sudden death of Fr George Bugeja, the Director of St Joseph’s, on 23
November 1922, that Mgr De Piro was nominated to take responsibility
of that Home.
The Servant of God did as before; being determined to be one with
his Archbishop, he obeyed and took over St Joseph’s, Malta.
De Piro’s unity
with Archbishop Caruana was again demonstrated when the Gozo
parishpriests asked the Servant of God to start a charitable
institute in their Diocese. Monsignor asked the permission of his
Ordinary before saying yes to the request.
On the same occasion De Piro collaborated also with Gozo’s Bishop,
Michael Gonzi. This could be noticed quite clearly in the continuous
contact there was, in one way or another, between Mgr Gonzi and the
Servant of God, both before and after the opening of St Joseph’s,
Gozo.
At first there was some lack of agreement between His Excellency and
De Piro on some articles of the statutes written by Gonzi. But after
some meetings and a bit of correspondence, Gonzi accepted De Piro’s
views
and St Joseph’s, Gozo, was opened on 21 May 1925.
On that day the Director delivered a speech addressed to the Bishop.
His words continued showing his bond with Gonzi:
… qual sempre siamo E.
R. ad onorarla ed esternarla il culto che conserviamo in cuor nostro
verso la Sua Venerata Persona …ci sentiamo oltremodo contenti che
spetta a noi l’onorevole ufficio di salutarla per la prima volta in
questo luogo … E non sia mai che noi su questo foglio omettessimo
l’espressions del sentimento contrario. Vivissime grazie pertanto
siano rese dinanzi a tutti a V. E. per la generosità ed abnegazione
con cui accolse nella Sua Diocesi questa nuova sezione della Casa di
San Giuseppe di Hamrun …
- Through the
help of other priests
In order to decide
whether to go to the “Accademia Ecclesiastica” or to St Joseph’s
Orphanage, the Servant of God made one of his pros and
cons discernment exercises. Among the reasons in favour of St
Joseph’s Home, Joseph, the seminarian at the Capranica, put down
these words, “2. L’amore di vivere in communità di persone
ecclesiastiche e perciò sento dover essere contento in
compagnia dei due sacerdoti, che già stanno in direzione della Casa
di San Giuseppe.”
At this early age
of 24, and when he was not even ordained deacon, Joseph De Piro was
already showing that for him it was not enough to be given to the
poor and the needy. He wanted to do this in communion with other
priests. In fact it was even a bit earlier than his retreat started
on 11 December 1901, that Joseph had thought of going to live with
other priests at St Joseph’s, Malta: in connection with the
scholastic year 1899-1900 the Servant of God wrote in his Diary that
during the 1900 summer holidays he talked to Fr Emmanuel Vassallo,
the Director of St Joseph’s, about his wish to go and stay with him
at the Orphanage.
On 9 January 1905,
and therefore a little more than four years after he had shown for
the first time Fr Vassallo his wish to go and stay with him at the
Orphanage, Fr Joseph consulted with his spiritual director, Fr
Ferrara sj., and asked him whether he had to share again his wish
with the Institute’s Director.
Fr Joseph met Fr Emmanuel in Valletta on 16 January 1905 and again
mentioned to him St Joseph’s.
This time the Servant of God did not share with Vassallo only his
inclination to live in communion with him. Vassallo was also the
first of a series of Maltese diocesan priests whom De Piro asked to
join him in the foundation of a new missionary congregation.
Exactly because De
Piro’s plan included the foundation of a missionary society
it was not that easy for Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the Director of St
Joseph’s, to immediately invite De Piro to stay with him at the
Institute. Also, Vassallo ended up his mission at the Orphanage in
1905 and was succeeded by Fr George Bugeja. To the latter, De Piro
talked about his project on 10 December 1906.
Again some time passed and there was not so much done. It was only
on 19 February 1907 that De Piro and Bugeja decided something quite
significant. They agreed that if they were to invite any other
priest to join them they would not mention the vows, but, “… la
formazione della comunita.”
Some other time
passed and both De Piro and Bugeja did their best to find other
priests who could join them in their project of evangelisation.
To one of the priests who showed himself interested, De Piro said
this on 26 January 1909, “… che l’opera doveva incominciar colla
vita in comunità.”
The Servant of God
continued with his mentioning the community living and not the vows.
On 1 August 1909 he did this when he formulated the first draft of
the profession that was supposed to be done by the members of his
future Society:
In Nome del Padre, del
Figliuolo e dello Spirito Santo, Cosi’ sià.
Promettiamo innanzi a
Dio, alla Beata Vergine Assunta in Cielo ed a San Paolo Apostolo di
formar parte della Piccola Compagnia di San Paolo appena ottentuta
l’opportuna autorizzazione dalla Santa Sede.
Scopo della Compagnia
è quello di formare dei missionari ed inviarli ove occorrono.
La Compagnia
considererà come proprio il libro degli Esercizi Spirituali di S.
Ignazio di Loyola dal quale estrarrà le proprie regole e
constituzioni.
On 7 August 1905
Fr Joseph had written that his Society “… se coll’aiuto di Dio e
della Vergine si arriverà all’erezione di corpo regolare, questo
deve essere perfettamente tale.”
For a society to be regular the members had to profess the vows. In
fact in 1915 the Founder introduced the promise of the vows in the
profession formula of the first two members of his Society. But he
kept also the community aspect.
In the CIC (1917),
or better in the commentaries to this Code, there was the use of the
phrase “community life”, but it was nothing more than “common life”:
“In every organisation the community life shall be followed
faithfully by all, even in those things pertaining to food, clothing
and furniture…”
It was then mentioned again in CIC (1917) 2389, but here only the
violation of community life and the punishment to be incurred were
presented. In many of the sections of the Original
Constitutions of our Society, De Piro put down here and there
several articles which were intended to help the community living,
but the Founder never used the word “community”, except in the
section about the librarian.
Only the phrase “common life” is to be found. Obviously one cannot
therefore find a particular section about the community aspect in
the Original Constitutions. At the same time the Servant of God
wrote a whole section about charity.
This can be considered without hesitation as the section about
community living.
De Piro, started
the section about charity with these words,
“Tutti devono essere
persuasi della grande necessità di mantenere fra noi il più stretto
vincolo di scambievole carità. Infatti quanto più uniti saranno fra
loro i membri della nostra Compagnia, altrettanto questa si mostrerà
più vigorosa, e sarà ognora più atta alle imprese della gloria di
Dio e salute delle anime.”
Coming to the Constitutions of his Society, the
Founder wanted to make the members realise that the heart of all
their apostolate must be the unity among them. This is what he
emphasised again in his spiritual testament:
Ed intanto raccomando
a tutti i membri indistintamente della Compagnia di S. Paolo, siano
essi superiori o sudditi, ad usare tutte le loro sante premure per
mantenere tra di loro la mutua carità in Cristo tenendosi per
persuasi che nulla potrà maggiormente procurare la gloria di Dio, la
prosperità della Compagnia, il bene spirituale proprio e del
prossimo, quanto la conservazione della stessa giusta le parole di
S. Paolo Nostro Padre ‘Charitas vero aedificat’ I Cor.
- In conjunction
with the Foundress of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute
De Piro was one
with the Foundress of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute,
Guzeppina Curmi. Mother Teresa Degabriele, one of the first members
of the Institute, testified that, “The Monsignor used to come to our
Institute once a month. After having lunch with us we used to spend
some time talking together. I, Mother Teresa, was in Hamrun. When De
Piro came to our Institute, the Foundress used to inform me. I used
to go to Zejtun and both of us met the Monsignor.”
Sr Scolastica Pace confirmed this in her 2 March 1992 testimony.
- De Piro’s
collaboration with other priests at St Joseph’s, Malta
Before taking over
St Joseph’s, Malta, the Servant of God was in continuous communion
both with Fr Emmanuel Vassallo and with Fr George Bugeja, his
predecessors in the direction of the Institute. He was still in Rome
for his studies and from there he wrote regularly to Vassallo.
With Bugeja, De Piro had a lot of contact because of the Society the
latter wanted to set up.
When Fr George became Director of St Joseph’s, Malta, the Servant of
God himself substituted him when he had to be away for about one
month.
At other times, after the Servant of God had founded his Society,
there was so much contact between Bugeja and De Piro that the latter
more than once sent the members of his Society to St Joseph’s to
substitute the Freres De La Salle with the boys.
- In
union with the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, the Sisters
of Jesus of Nazareth, the members of his own Society and Maria
Assunta Borg in the ecclesiastical charitable institutions
Within the context
of the ecclesiastical charitable institutes the Servant of God was
also continuously one with those who were in charge of the day to
day running of these same Homes. He continuously worked hand in hand
with the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus in their care of
the Fra Diegu girls.
Again, there was a strong bond between the Servant of God and the
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth as regards the care of the orphaned
girls of their Institute in Zejtun, St Francis de Paul at B’Kara and
in the Home for babies at Santa Venera.
Hand in hand with the members of his Society, Monsignor worked for
the orphaned boys of St Joseph, Malta and Gozo.
- With
the other members of the Maltese National Assembly (1918-1921) and
those of its Central Commission
De Piro had been
chosen as the first of four Monsignori to represent the Cathedral
Chapter in the National Assembly of 1918-1921, led by Sir Filippo
Sceberras, to write a draft constitution for Malta.
On 25 February 1919 De Piro met the other members of the National
Assembly for their first session.
On 7 June of the same year the members met for the second time.
This time it was decided that they set up a Central Commission to do
the spade work for the drafting of the Constitution. The Servant of
God was again chosen as a member.
While the members
attended the second meeting of the Assembly, in the streets of
Valletta there started the tragic riots of 7, 8, and 9 June 1919.
The Assembly members were asked to help calm down the angry mob.
There were 270 members in the National Assembly,
but only a handful of them offered to help. Monsignor was one of
these few ones. He collaborated with this small group and together
with them mediated for the acquisition of peace.
Together with the other members of the Committee Pro Maltesi
Morti e Feriti per la Causa Nazionale il 7 Giugno del 1919 he
financially helped the families of the dead or wounded of the
Sette Giugno riots.
- In
conjunction with the members of his Society, those of the Society of
Christian Doctrine (MUSEUM) and with Michael Casolani, for the
evangelisation of the children in Mdina and Rabat, in the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes and in B’Kara
In the first house
of the Society, the Founder worked hand in hand with the
members in order to give a good catechism grounding to the Mdina and
Rabat boys.
The Director, and again the members of his Society, collaborated
together in the teaching of catechism to the boys of St Joseph’s,
Malta.
At Fra Diegu Institute the Servant of God worked hand in hand with
the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus in the catechetical
instructions given to the girls there.
De Piro, the members of his Society and the lay catechists worked
together to give a good basic catechetical formation to the boys who
attended the Oratory at B’Kara.
For the teaching of catechism in B’Kara, the Oratory’s Director
sought even the collaboration of the members of the Society of
Christian Doctrine (MUSEUM).
- De
Piro’s work with others in favour of the evangelisation of the
Maltese migrants
The foundation of
the Society itself already indicated that De Piro did not want to
work on his own for the Maltese migrants; he wanted to have many who
either as priests or as lay brothers would make part of a religious
congregation which had to start with an apostolate among the Maltese
abroad.
Also, until his Society grew and provided the evangelisers for the
Maltese migrants, the Founder cooperated with those who wrote to him
on behalf of the Maltese abroad by collaborating with diocesan and
religious priests and helped some of these go abroad with their
conationals.
- De
Piro’s seeking of the collaboration of others for the evangelisation
of those who lacked the Good News
De Piro was still
at the Capranica, in Rome, when he talked to his spiritual
directors, Frs Sammut sj and Gualandi sj, and to Fr Emmanuel
Vassallo, the Director of St Joseph’s, Malta,
about the foundation of a congregation. After settling in
Malta for good, the Servant of God did his best to find other
priests who could either help him with their advice or join him in
the setting up of a congregation whose main aim was the
evangelisation of those peoples who still lacked the Good News.
With the help of Fr Angelo Mizzi OfmCap., superior of the Abyssinia
mission, and the other Capuchin Friars there, in 1927, De Piro sent
Br Joseph Caruana, a member of his Society, to that African country.
Mizzi wished to have even priests from De Piro’s Society, but this
was impossible for the time being.
Therefore the Servant of God was entrusted with the task to convince
the Capuchins in Malta to go themselves to Abyssinia.
After even this attempt failed, Mizzi thought of the Diocese of Gozo
as a solution.
Mgr Gonzi, Gozo’s Bishop, did not want to embark on this
mission if not with the cooperation of the Archdiocese of Malta.
Therefore Mizzi again turned to De Piro to persuade Malta’s
Archbishop Caruana to take over the African Mission.
(iii) And by
loving everyone according to one’s needs
It has been
indicated in chapter 1 that De Piro’s service to society and to the
Church has been quite varied, but for the reasons already mentioned
at the very beginning of chapter 2 we focused since then our
attention on his love for the underprivileged and for
evangelisation.
In the
ecclesiastical charitable institutes, both in Malta and Gozo, the
Servant of God saw to it that the boys and girls were well
nourished,
had the necessary clothing,
a decent home where to stay,
and enjoyed a satisfactory hygene.
De Piro was also very attentive on the orphans’ physical health.
He personally visited them when sick in bed.
With the orphans, the Director balanced between discipline and
kindheartedness.
Monsignor paid a lot of attention to the academic aspect of the
orphans’ life: they all got a basic education
and some were even encouraged to continue further studies.
In order to help the orphans
find work, earn their living and occupy
with honour a place in society,
the Director encouraged the teaching of trades and crafts.
He even promoted the cultural aspect of the institutes by
encouraging the orphans’ participation in the music band.
But he was also very attentive that the boys and girls be given
a sound and practical knowledge of religion
and a good moral formation.
Monsignor paid a lot of attention to the Liturgical and
paraliturgical aspects of the Orphanages, especially the Eucharist
and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
As he did for prayer,
the Marian devotion
and the devotion to St Joseph.
Recreation was quite central in the timetable of the Institutes.
Even the relationship of the boys and girls with their families,
their preparation for life outside the charitable institutes
and their choice of vocation.
Before the boys and girls
left the Institute, the Servant of God used to give them some money.
De Piro’s helping
hand was extended even as far as the families of the instititutes’
boys and girls. He helped them financially
and he frequently listened to their broken hearts when in trouble.
The Servant of God
felt himself responsible to assist financially even the old boys and
old girls of the charitable insititutes.
He even included them in his will.
He was also available to help them by listening to their problems.
On 21 February 1933, being a senator, Monsignor intervened on the
part of the institutes’ old boys and old girls in the Third Maltese
Parliament.
He helped the old girls by providing them even with a training
centre where they could learn a trade and get a living.
The workers at St
Joseph’s Institute needed financial help and the Director did help
them by adding some extra money to their salaries.
There was an occasion when he gave injury money to one of the
employees.
While Rector of the Mayor Seminary at Mdina, the Servant of God
asked the Archbishop to increase the salary of the employees who
worked there.
He also encouraged the increase of the salary of the academic and
lay staff of the Cathedral School and their being given a retirement
pension.
De Piro helped
financially even the families of the Institutes’ employees.
Monsignor’s
financial charity was not limited to the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes, the Oratory, the Seminary or the Cathedral school. Many
individuals, most of them anonymous, asked for his help and the
Servant of God always assisted them.
The Franciscan
Sisters of the Heart of Jesus who cooked the food at the Seminary,
were not in need of any material help, but as other human beings
they appreciated their superiors’ gratitude for what they were doing
at the Mayor Seminary in Mdina. While writing his report for the
scholastic year 1919-1920, the Rector praised the contribution of
these nuns in the formation of the seminarians.
At the Major
Seminary in Mdina, De Piro protested strongly with the Archbishop
himself against the miserable food that was served at the Seminary.
He personally visited the seminarians whenever these were sick in
bed. Without doubt the Rector could not but pay a lot of attention
to the academic aspect of the seminarians. In his report for the
1919-1920 scholastic year, Monsignor showed his concern about the
not so good teaching of moral theology. He also encouraged the
teaching of the Gregorian Chant and some new subjects, very
important for the prospective priests. The Servant of God paid
attention to the liturgical aspect of the life of the seminarians,
including the frequenting of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The
same he did for prayer and the devotion to Saint Joseph. As he did
for the pastoral dimension and the seminarians’ relationship with
the world outside the Seminary. And for the moments of relax. At the
Seminary, De Piro practiced a very reasonable discipline.
According to
several witnesses, the Constitutions of his Society, and the notes
of the Conferences he delivered to the 1929-1930 Brother novices,
the Founder presented clear material about the need to have enough
good food for all the members.
He even procured a good academic formation for them.
In the Society’s Houses there was a lot of attention for the
Liturgical aspect of the members, especially the Eucharist
and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Even prayer was given a lot of importance.
As was given to the Marian devotion,
especially to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven,
the love for Saint Paul,
for Saint Joseph
and for other saints.
De Piro saw to it that the members of his Society received a good
religious life formation, whether in general,
as regards their community living,
the vows in general,
the vows of chastity,
poverty,
obedience,
together with the vow of missions and the Society’s charism.
Even the pastoral dimension was well catered for.
As were the moments of recreation.
Attention was paid to the members’ relationship with their families.
The Padre went as far as seeing that the members involved themselves
in some manual work.
With the members of his Society, De Piro related with a fatherly
discipline.
De Piro set up his
Congregation first and foremost to evangelise the ad gentes
countries.
For him this was mainly the spreading of the faith, but this
proclamation of the Good News was in itself the giver of life,
the holistic melioration of humanity,
liberty,
the light of belief,
the light of true life,
and the light of truth.
The Missionary Laboratory was principally set up in order to serve
as moral support for the missionaries. But it was also expected to
provide the missionaries themselves and the ad gentes people
with the basic human needs, such as food, clothing,
first - aid material and medicines.
The Founder insisted continuously on this attention for the material
and spiritual aspects of the missionaries themselves and the
evangelised people.
Conclusion
In his article “Christology,” Alois
Grillmeier affirmed that after the Summa Theologica of St
Thomas Aquinas no new Catholic teaching regarding Jesus Christ
appeared in Christian thought and scholarship; only commentaries
about the Angelic theologian’s work were produced.
Antonio Giliberto adds that this same conviction is held by many
other theologians besides Grillmeier.
Illuminism provoked some new discussion; it promoted the
dissociation of Jesus from Christ, in that a historical individual,
and therefore one limited by time and space, cannot work out
universal salvation.
Here Jesus was only human. In an opposite direction, the Biblical
Historical-Critical Method,
while always distinguishing between the Jesus of history and the
Christ of faith, tried at the same time to recuperate the historical
reality of Jesus Christ. It therefore gave importance to the
historical figure of Jesus, but who was considered only a prophet.
He was messianic but not divine. This method of exegesis led to the
Modernist crisis, which continued creating a distance between the
data of faith and that of history. Modernist theology presented
Christ as a man possessed by the divine Spirit, one endowed by
superior religious experiences and therefore one with a conscience
of a different Being.
Obviously this theory met with opposition from the side of some
theologians. Louis Billot (1846-1931) was its vigorous leading
opponent,
especially with his most speculative theology.
He showed the importance of laying an adequate philosophical basis
for dogmatic speculation.
In relation to Christology he wrote his De Verbo Incarnato
where he gave consideration to the question of the distinction of
essence and existence before propounding and developing his theory
of the hypostatic union.
Louis Billot taught at the Gregorian
University in Rome during the years 1886 and 1888-1911.
During the academic years 1900-1901 and 1901-1902, the 2nd
and 3rd years theological studies of Joseph De Piro,
Billot taught the second, third and fourth year theology students.
The Servant of God had therefore been one of his students. An
exercise book of the Servant of God with notes of the De Verbo
Incarnato course is still extant in the De Piro Archives. These
pages are nothing but a summary of Billot’s textbook about the same
subject.
The theological formation imparted by
Billot to De Piro on Incarnation was translated in a clear way
throughout the Founder’s life. The Servant of God did not teach or
publish any systematic treatise about the Lord’s hypostatic union,
but during his life he did indeed follow Jesus, human and divine, by
giving a most balanced attention to both the human and the spiritual
aspects of the human person.
The Founder’s charism was dual: love for those in need of basic
human necessities and evangelisation.
While practising his charity with the underprivileged and with those
in need of the Good News, Monsignor continuously lived a holistic
charity: enhancing the physical aspect, promoting all that had to do
with the human character, encouraging the religious dimension or the
religious practices, and in certain cases sustaining the living of
religious life.
De Piro could live so because, on the example of the Incarnate Word,
he was all the time in union with God through his uninterrupted
search for the divine will, the concrete living of the divine Word
and through prayer.
In this way this
incarnational spirituality of the Servant of God, Joseph De Piro,
could very well be seen as the inheritance passed on to the members
of his Society and to the Church Universal.
Appendix 1
(This list was
taken from the dissertation “The Handling of Pauline Texts by the
Servant of God, Joseph De Piro” presented, in 1993, by Fr Mario
Zammit Satariano mssp for the S. Th. L. degree at the University of
Malta)
(In each case the
text is followed by homily number, volume and page number according
to the printed edition.)
Gn 1,3. 15; I,
37.
Gn 1,27. 138;
III, 324. 144; III, 330.
Gn 3,4. 141; III,
327. 143; III, 329.
Gn 3,5. 117; III,
297. 170; III, 363.
Gn 3,15. 61; II,
167. 62; II, 170. 63; II, 173. 69; II, 184.
Gn 3,19. 172;
III, 367.
Gn 5. 172; III,
366.
Gn 19,22. 136;
III, 322.
Gn 22, 9-19. 15;
I, 37. 104; II, 275. 212; III, 422.
Gn 28,17. 201;
III, 409. 110; III, 286.
Ex . 29; I, 78.
Ex 16,4. 30; I,
81.
Ex 30, 23-25.
113; III, 292.
Lv 11,44. 99; II,
261; 103; II, 271. 110; III, 287. 134; III, 319.
Lv 19,2. 58; I,
161.
Dt 4,7. 29; I,
78.
Dt 28,1-15. 15;
I, 37.
Dt 32,20. 14; I,
34.
2S 1,13. 15; I,
37.
2S 12,1-11. 175;
III, 371.
2S 12,7. 123;
III, 306.
1K. 15; I, 38.
1K 2,19. 78; II,
206.
1K 21,23. 167;
III, 359.
2K 5,27. 206;
III, 416.
Ne 8,9. 1; I, 2.
Jdt 15,10. 78;
II, 209.
2M 7,22. 138;
III, 324. 144; III, 330.
2M 7,28. 6; I,
11.
Jb 7,1. 19; I,
49.
Jb 7,5. 167; II,
359. 172; III, 366.
Jb 17,1. 169;
III, 361.
Jb 19,21. 119;
III, 301.
Jb 20,5. 5; I, 8.
Ps 8,7. 149; III,
335.
Ps 14,1. 12; I,
23.
Ps 14,2. 12; I,
23.
Ps 23,4. 6; I,
11.
Ps 35,4b. 3; I,
6.
Ps 36,4. 49; I,
136.
Ps 36,27. 12; I,
23.
Ps 37,14. 3; I,
6.
Ps 39,11. 112;
III, 291.
Ps 41,2.3. 119;
III, 300.
Ps 41,8. 13; I,
29. 14; I, 34.
Ps 50,12. 65; II,
177.
Ps 50,19. 65; II,
176.
Ps 58,7. 160;
III, 348.
Ps 69,2. 111;
III, 290.
Ps 86,36. 11; I,
20.
Ps 88,49. 13; I,
31.
Ps 88,50. 119;
III, 300.
Ps 95,6. 3; I, 6.
Ps 104,21. 84;
II, 225.
Ps 105,24. 117;
III, 297.
Ps 110,4. 186;
III, 385. 187; III, 387. 189; III, 390.
Ps 117,24. 184;
III, 384.
Ps 119,5. 119;
III, 300.
Ps 129,1. 183;
III, 382.
Ps 132,1. 201;
III, 409.
Ps 132,1-2. 113;
III, 292.
Pr 8,16. 78; II,
208.
Pr 8,24. 61; II,
167. 62; II, 170. 63; II, 173.
Pr 8,31. 35; I,
102. 42; I, 115. 43; I, 119. 46; I, 130. 186; III, 385. 187; III,
387. 188; III, 389. 192; III, 394.
Pr 8,39. 89; II,
216.
Pr 13,3. 140;
III, 326.
Pr 15,83. 104;
II, 274.
Pr 23,26. 67; II,
179.
Pr 24,30-34. 153;
III, 340.
Qo 1,2. 142; III,
328. 149; III, 335. 151; III, 337.
Qo 7,17. 5; I, 8.
Qo 12,1. 158;
III, 346.
Qo 12,5. 117;
III, 296. 118; III, 299. 141; III, 327. 143; III, 329.
Sg 4,7. 62; II,
169. 64; II, 174.
Sg 5,2. 108; III,
283.
Sg 6,9. 61; II,
166. 62; II, 169. 63; II, 172.
Ws 4,2. 78; II,
204.
Ws 10,13. 40; I,
111.
Ws 18,16. 5; I,
8.
Si 2,1. 108; III,
282.
Si 2,9. 72; II,
191.
Si 3,24. 160;
III, 348.
Si 5,4. 155; III,
342.
Si 7,10. 157;
III, 345.
Si 14,12. 5; I,
8. 167; III, 359. 172; III, 366.
Si 18,20. 1; I,
3.
Si 24,7. 69; II,
183. 73; II, 193.
Si 24,25. 68; II,
181.
Si 41,1. 169;
III, 361.
Si 50,5. 61; II,
167. 62; II, 170. 63; II, 173.
Is 43,7. 138;
III, 324. 144; III, 330.
Is 48,52. 158;
III, 346.
Jr 2,20 72; II,
191.
Jr 6,13. 172;
III, 367.
Jr 8,6. 155; III,
343.
Jr 17, 7-8. 111;
III, 290.
Ezk 18,32. 122;
III, 305.
Ezk 28,17. 86;
II, 228.
Dn 3, 23-30. 104;
II, 275.
Dn 14,23-27. 167;
III, 359. 172; III, 366.
Hos 2,14. 81; II,
219.
Mt 1,19. 82; II, 221.
Mt 1,23. 71; II,
189.
Mt 2,1-11. 52; I,
145.
Mt 4,19. 115;
III, 294.
Mt 4,19. 136;
III, 322.
Mt 4,1-11. 154;
III, 341.
Mt 5,3. 88; II,
232. 89; II, 236.
Mt 5,12. 115;
III, 294.
Mt 6,9. 90; II,
240. 91; II, 242.
Mt 6,10. 35; I,
103. 57; II, 158.
Mt 6,21. 80; II,
213.
Mt 6,22. 1; I, 3.
Mt 6,24. 158;
III, 346.
Mt 6,25-33. 15;
I, 38.
Mt 7,7. 49; I,
137. 157; III, 345.
Mt 7,13-14. 16;
I, 41.
Mt 7,15-21. 12;
I, 22. 159; III, 347.
Mt 8,4. 136; III,
322.
Mt 8,8. 65; II,
176.
Mt 8,22. 107;
III, 280. 115; III, 194.
Mt 10,14. 59; II,
163.
Mt 11,28. 22; I,
57. 39; I, 110. 58; II, 161.
Mt 11,29. 111;
III, 289.
Mt 11,30. 158;
III, 346.
Mt 12,25. 201;
III, 409.
Mt 12,43-45. 157;
III, 345.
Mt 13,55. 184;
III, 383.
Mt 14,16-21. 15;
I, 38.
Mt 16,18. 116;
III, 295.
Mt 16,24. 6; I,
12. 19; I, 48. 92; II, 244. 208; III, 418.
Mt 16,26. 117;
III, 297. 118; III, 299.
Mt 17,1-9. 1; I,
1. 6; I, 10. 75; II, 198.
Mt 18,11. 58; II,
161.
Mt 19,3. 17; I,
43.
Mt 19,6. 45; I,
125.
Mt 19,14. 25; I,
70.
Mt 19,16-21. 109;
III, 285. 83; II, 224. 136; III, 322.
Mt 20,1-16. 136;
III, 322.
Mt 22,1-14. 16;
I, 40.
Mt 22,21. 107;
III, 280.
Mt 22,34-46. 15;
I, 37. 17; I, 43. 197; III, 403.
Mt 23,10. 39; I,
110.
Mt 24,16-18. 160;
III, 348.
Mt 25,13. 5; I,
8.
Mt 25,41. 3; I,
6.
Mt 26,26-29. 46;
I, 128.
Mt 26,36-44. 77;
II, 201. 108; III, 282.
Mt 27,46. 18; I,
46.
Mt 27,54. 192;
III, 394.
Mt 28,19. 25; I,
65. 115; III, 294.
Mt 28,20. 32; I,
92. 39; I, 109. 46; I, 128. 186; III, 385. 187; III, 187. 188; III,
389. 190; III, 392.
Mk 6,3. 184; III,
383.
Mk 7,31-37. 3; I,
6.
Mk 8,1-9. 11; I,
20.
Mk 11,13. 153;
II, 339.
Mk 15,34. 18; I,
46. 71; II, 189.
Lk 1,26-35. 80;
II, 215. 78; II, 207.
Lk 1,38. 71; II,
190.
Lk 1,39. 79; II,
212. 81; II, 218.
Lk 1,42. 77; II,
202.
Lk 1,48. 71; II,
190. 104; II, 274.
Lk 1,66. 93; II,
246.
Lk 2,1-50. 181;
III, 378. 182; III, 380.
Lk 2,14. 21; I,
53.
Lk 2,51-52. 184;
III, 383. 189; III, 390. 78; II, 207.
Lk 3,1-6. 21; I,
53.
Lk 5,8. 65; II,
176.
Lk 6,12. 77; II,
201.
Lk 6,36. 199;
III, 406.
Lk 6,37. 199;
III, 406.
Lk 7,14. 136;
III, 322.
Lk 9,23. 59; II,
163.
Lk 9,60. 88; II,
233. 89; II, 237.
Lk 10,2. 25; I,
71.
Lk 10,16. 25; I,
65.
Lk 10,18. 86; II,
228.
Lk 11,1. 77; II,
201.
Lk 11,14-28. 1;
I, 1. 20; I, 51. 178; III, 374.
Lk 12,18-19. 118;
III, 299. 183; III, 382.
Lk 12,40. 109;
III, 284. 118; III, 299. 168; III, 360. 169; III, 361. 172; III,
366.
Lk 12,49. 51; I,
143.
Lk 12,59. 173;
III, 368.
Lk 13,6-9. 124;
III, 307.
Lk 13,34. 14; I,
35.
Lk 15,11-16. 174;
III, 369. 176; III, 372.
Lk 16,1-9. 13; I,
26.
Lk 16,24. 164;
III, 354. 165; III, 356.
Lk 17,1-11. 32;
I, 90. 73; II, 193. 81; II, 218. 121; III, 304.
Lk 17,11-19. 4;
I, 7. 5; I, 8. 109; III, 285.
Lk 18,1. 81; II,
217.
Lk 18,9-14. 2; I,
4. 108; III, 282.
Lk 19,41-47. 14;
I, 32.
Lk 22,15. 28; I,
77. 30; I, 83. 38; I, 108. 186; III, 386. 187; III, 387.
Lk 22,19. 38; I,
108. 186; III, 386. 187; III, 387.
Lk 22,43. 108;
III, 282.
Lk 22,54-62. 9;
I, 16.
Lk 23,34. 18; I,
45. 199; III, 406.
Lk 23,43. 18; I,
45.
Lk 23,46. 18; I,
46.
Jn 2,1-11. 70;
II, 188. 79; II, 212. 80; II, 215.
Jn 4,7-26. 134;
III, 319.
Jn 4,10. 139;
III, 325. 140; III, 326.
Jn 5,6. 136; III,
322.
Jn 6,39. 28; I,
77.
Jn 6,50. 30; I,
82.
Jn 6,51. 30; I,
81. 31; I, 82.
Jn 6,52. 28; I,
77. 42; I, 114. 43; I, 118. 186; III, 386.
Jn 6,53. 31; I,
82. 42; I, 114. 43; I, 120.
Jn 6,54. 28; I,
77. 186; III, 386.
Jn 6,56. 42; I,
114. 43; I, 118. 192; III, 394.
Jn 6,57. 82; II,
223.
Jn 6,50-58. 38;
I, 108.
Jn 8,12. 39; I,
110.
Jn 8,21. 160;
III, 346.
Jn 8,34. 162;
III, 351.
Jn 8,44. 160;
III, 346.
Jn 8,46. 1; I, 2.
Jn 8,47. 7; I,
13. 8; I, 15. 10; I, 20. 178; III, 374.
Jn 8,49. 8; I,
15.
Jn 8,59. 8; I,
15.
Jn 9,4. 122; III,
305.
Jn 10,10. 32; I,
92.
Jn 11,38-44. 77;
II, 201. 121; III, 304.
Jn 12,24. 108;
III, 283.
Jn 13,1. 186;
III, 386.
Jn 13,15. 156;
III, 344.
Jn 13,34-35. 113;
III, 292. 198; III, 404.
Jn 14,2. 39; I,
109.
Jn 14,6. 25; I,
65.
Jn 14,15. 196;
III, 404. 198; III, 405.
Jn 14,28. 39; I,
109.
Jn 15,5. 46; I,
128.
Jn 15,12. 113;
III, 292. 198; III, 404. 200; III, 408.
Jn 15,13. 91; II,
242.
Jn 15,17. 198;
III, 404.
Jn 16,20. 212;
III, 422.
Jn 17,5. 78; II,
207.
Jn 19,26. 9; I,
16. 18; I, 45.
Jn 19,27. 69; II,
183.
Jn 19,28. 18; I,
45.
Jn 19,30. 18; I,
46.
Jn 21,15-17. 115;
III, 294.
Ac 2,1-11. 9; I,
16. 10; I, 18.
Ac 2,41. 9; I,
16.
Ac 2,42. 30; I,
83.
Ac 4,32. 198;
III, 404.
Ac 4,41. 9; I,
16.
Ac 10,38. 25; I,
68. 26; I, 73. 58; II, 161. 186; III 386. 187; III, 387. 189; III,
390. 192; III, 394.
Ac 28,1-5. 85;
II, 226.
Rm 1,17. 82; II,
221.
Rm 2,5. 155; III,
343.
Rm 2,11. 112;
III, 291.
Rm 5,12. 172;
III, 366.
Rm 6,22. 141;
III, 327. 143; III, 329.
Rm 8,9. 6; I, 12.
Rm 8,29. 83; II,
224.
Rm 8,35. 17; I,
44. 53; I, 148. 54; I, 152. 55; I, 155. 105; II, 276. 106; II, 278.
Rm 8,39. 55; I,
155. 105; II, 276. 106; II, 278.
Rm 10,18. 25; I,
66.
Rm 14,4. 198;
III, 404.
1Co 2,9. 6; I,
10.
1Co 2,14. 104;
II, 274.
1Co 3,12-15. 7;
I, 13. 36; II, 105.
1Co 3,16. 160;
III, 348.
1Co 6,9-10. 155;
III, 342.
1Co 7,29. 6; I,
11. 109; III, 284. 116; III, 295. 167; III, 359.
1Co 9,24. 116;
III, 295.
1Co 10,12. 157;
III, 345.
1Co 11,1. 83; II,
224.
1Co 11,24.26. 30;
I, 83.
1Co 13,4. 97; II,
257.
1Co 13,8. 91; II,
241.
1Co 15,56. 5; I,
8. 118; III, 299.
2Co 4,10. 83; II,
224.
2Co 4,12. 172;
III, 366.
2Co 12,4. 6; I,
10.
Ga 2,20. 28; I,
77. 32; I, 94. 82; II, 223. 88; II, 232. 89; II, 236. 100; II, 264.
101; II, 268. 120; III, 303.
Ga 3,27. 83; II,
224.
Ga 6,14.17. 156;
III, 344.
Ep 2,19. 120;
III, 303.
Ep 5,2. 198; III,
405.
Ep 5,15. 122;
III, 305. 124; III, 307.
Ep 5,32. 44; II,
122.
Ph 2,7. 31; I,
87. 39; I, 110. 41; I, 112. 198; III, 404.
Ph 2,8. 156; III,
344.
Ph 3,1. 1; I, 2.
Ph 3,20. 107;
III, 280.
Ph 4,13. 157;
III, 346. 214; III, 428.
Col 3,14. 201;
III, 409.
1Th 5,4. 16; I,
40.
1Tm 1,15. 176;
III, 372.
1Tm 2,9-10. 71;
II, 190.
1Tm 4,12. 107;
III, 280.
1Tm 4,13. 205;
III, 414.
1Tm 6,9. 172;
III, 367.
2Tm 2,5. 157;
III, 345.
2Tm 4,7. 18; I,
46.
Heb 7,25. 7;
I,13.
Heb 9,27. 13; I,
31. 118; III, 299. 170; III, 363.
Heb 10,5. 208;
III, 418.
Heb 11,1. 41; I,
112. 42; I, 115. 43; II, 119.
Heb 12,6. 111;
III, 289.
Jm 1,19. 111;
III, 288.
Jm 1,22. 1; I, 3.
Jm 2,17. 107;
III, 280.
Jm 3,6. 20; I,
51.
Jm 4,6. 86; II,
228. 94; II, 249. 95; II, 252. 96; II, 256. 104; II, 275.
Jm 4,12. 198;
III, 404.
1P 5,2. 24; I,
62.
1P 5,5. 86; II,
227.
1Jn 1,8. 7; I,
13. 8; I, 15.
1Jn 3,1. 6; I,
11.
1Jn 4,8. 46; I,
127. 198; III, 404.
1Jn 4,11-12. 197;
III, 403.
1Jn 4,20. 201;
III, 409.
Rv 2,10. 157;
III, 345.
Rv 3,3. 157; III,
345.
Rv 3,15-16. 153;
III, 339.
Rv 3,19. 111;
III, 289.
Rv 3,20. 8; I,
15.
Rv 4,8. 78; II,
208.
Rv 8,3. 86; II,
229.
Rv 10,6. 122;
III, 305.
Rv 12,7. 86; II,
227.
Rv 21,21. 6; I, 1
Appendix 2
|
Reference |
|
Subject of
sermon |
Pages of sermon |
Times referred
to |
|
Rm 1,
17 |
For in
it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to
faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL
LIVE BY FAITH." |
St Joseph |
221-223 |
1 |
|
Rm 2,
5 |
But
because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are
storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and
revelation of the righteous judgment of God, |
Effects of
mortal sin |
342-343 |
1 |
|
Rm 2,
11 |
For
there is no partiality with God. |
Mother
superiors |
291 |
1 |
|
Rm 5,
12 |
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the
world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all
men, because all sinned-- |
Death |
366 |
1 |
|
Rm 6,
22 |
But now
having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive
your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome,
eternal life.
|
Aim of human
being
Aim of human
being |
327
329 |
1
1 |
|
Rm 8,
9 |
However,
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
|
2 Sunday of
Lent |
10-12 |
1 |
|
Rm 8,
29 |
For
those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the
firstborn among many brethren; |
St Joseph |
224 |
1 |
|
Rm 8,
35 |
Who will
separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword? |
17 Sunday after
Pentecost
Sacred Heart of
Jesus
Sacred Heart of
Jesus
Sacred Heart of
Jesus
St Calcedon
St Calcedon |
42-44
148-151
152-154
155-157
276-277
278-279 |
1
1
4
3
4
3 |
|
Rm 8,
38 |
For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, |
St Calcedon
St Calcedon |
276-277
278-279 |
1
1 |
|
Rm 8,
39 |
nor
height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. |
Sacred Heart of
Jesus |
155-157 |
1 |
|
Rm
10, 18 |
But I
say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they
have; "THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND
THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD." |
Assumption of
Our Lady and first solemn high mass of new priest |
64-72 |
1 |
|
Rm
14, 4 |
Who are
you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he
stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to
make him stand. |
Charity |
404-407 |
1 |
|
1Co
2, 9 |
but just
as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS
NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF
MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."
|
“ Sunday of
Lent |
10-12 |
1 |
|
1Co
2, 14 |
But a
natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand
them, because they are spiritually appraised.
|
St Ursola |
274-275 |
1 |
|
1Co
3, 12-15 |
Now if
any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will
become evident; for the day will show it because it is to
be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the
quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work
which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer
loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
|
Passion Sunday
Frequent
communion |
13-14
104-107 |
1
1 |
|
1Co
3, 16 |
Do you
not know that you are a temple of God and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you? |
Sin |
348-349 |
1 |
|
1Co
6, 8-10 |
On the
contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do
this even to your brethren. 9 Or do you
not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the
kingdom of God. |
The
consequences of mortal sin |
342-343 |
1 |
|
1Co
7, 29 |
But this
I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from
now on those who have wives should be as though they had
none; |
2 Sunday of
Lent
End of the year
(for the Nuzzo Sisters)
The effects of
death on the body |
10-12
284-285
359-360 |
1
1
1 |
|
1Co
9, 24 |
Do you
not know that those who run in a race all run, but only
one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may
win.
|
15 October
1927: to the first group of Franciscan Sisters who went to
Abyssinia |
294-295 |
1 |
|
1Co
10, 12 |
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he
does not fall. |
Sinning again |
345 |
1 |
|
1Co
11, 1 |
Be
imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
|
St Joseph |
224 |
1 |
|
1Co
11, 24-26 |
and when
He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body,
which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25
In the same way He took the cup also after supper,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this,
as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
|
Eucharist |
81-83 |
1 |
|
1Co
13, 4 |
Love is
patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does
not brag and is not arrogant, |
St Vincent de
Paula |
257-259 |
1 |
|
1Co
13, 8 |
Love
never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they
will be done away; if there are tongues, they will
cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. |
St Francis |
241-243 |
9 |
|
1Co
15, 52 |
in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed. |
Sinning again |
345 |
1 |
|
1Co
15, 56 |
The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
|
Death |
299 |
1 |
|
2Co
4, 10 |
always
carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the
life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
|
St Joseph |
224 |
1 |
|
2Co
4, 12 |
So death
works in us, but life in you. |
Death |
366-367 |
1 |
|
2Co
12, 4 |
was
caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which
a man is not permitted to speak. |
2 Sunday of
Lent |
10-12 |
1 |
|
Ga 2,
20 |
"I have
been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself up for me.
|
Eucharist
13 Sunday after
Pentecost
St Joseph –
Eucharist
7 centinary of
the beginning of the Franciscan Third Order.
7 centinary of
the beginning of the Franciscan Third Order.
St Theresa of
the Child Jesus.
St Theresa of
the Child Jesus.
Praying for the
dead. |
77
90-97
220-223
232-235
236-238
264-266
267-268
302-302 |
1
1
1
3
3
4
1
1 |
|
Ga 3,
11 |
Now that
no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for,
"THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." |
St Joseph |
220-223 |
1 |
|
Ga 3,
27 |
For all
of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ. |
St Joseph |
224 |
1 |
|
Ga 6,
14 |
But may
it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world. |
Avoidance of
sin |
344 |
1 |
|
Ga 6,
17 |
From now
on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body
the brand-marks of Jesus. |
Avoidance of
sin |
344 |
1 |
|
Ep 2,
19 |
So then
you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow
citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,
|
Praying for
the dead |
302-303 |
1 |
|
Ep 5,
2 |
and walk
in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant
aroma. |
Love -
forgiveness |
405 |
1 |
|
Ep 5,
15 |
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as
wise, |
End of the year
End of the year |
305
307 |
1
1 |
|
Ep 5,
32 |
This
mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ
and the church. |
Marriage |
122-124 |
2 |
|
Ph
2, 7-8 |
but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of men.
Being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. |
Eucharist
Eucharist
1 Communion
Charity
Avoidance of
sin |
84 – 89
109-110
112-113
404-405
344 |
1
1
1
1
1 |
|
Ph 3,
1 |
Finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things
again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for
you. |
Dispositions
for the reception of the Word of God |
1-3 |
1 |
|
Ph 3,
20 |
For our
citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait
for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; |
The nun must
be an example by her life |
280-281 |
1 |
|
Ph 4,
13 |
I can do
all things through Him who strengthens me. |
No two masters |
346-347 |
1 |
|
Col
3, 14 |
Beyond
all these things put on love, which is the perfect
bond of unity. |
Charity |
409-410 |
1 |
|
1Th
5, 4 |
But it
is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that day
to overtake you like a thief. |
19 Sunday after
Pentecost |
40-41 |
1 |
|
1Tm
1, 15 |
It is a
trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom
I am foremost of all. |
Parable of the
Prodigal Son |
372 |
1 |
|
1Tm
2, 9-10 |
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with
proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided
hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10
but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women
making a claim to godliness. |
Jesus Christ
and Mary: Mediation between God and man. |
189-190 |
1 |
|
1Tm
4, 12 |
Let no
one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in
speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show
yourself an example of those who believe.
|
The nun must
be an example by her life |
280-281 |
4 |
|
1Tm
4, 13 |
Until I
come, give attention to the public reading of
Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.
|
The promise of
nor sinning again |
415 |
1 |
|
1Tm
6, 9 |
But
those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare
and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into
ruin and destruction. |
Death |
366-367 |
1 |
|
2Tm
2, 5 |
Also if
anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize
unless he competes according to the rules.
|
Sinning again |
245 |
1 |
|
2Tm
4, 7 |
I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have
kept the faith; |
Jesus’
crucifiction |
45-46 |
1 |
Appendix 3
De Piro’s humility
(Humility is
being singled out as a separate appendix because after charity it
seems to me to have been the prevalent virtue exercised by the
Servant of God, Joseph De Piro)
|
Name
|
Status |
Where |
Aspect/s
|
|
Aloisio, Aloisius. |
Priest member of Society. |
While collecting testimonies. |
In
general. |
|
Azzopardi (Fr) Raphael. |
Religious student – OSA. |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical
celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral. |
Approachable by
all.
In
general. |
|
Balzan, John. |
Young lad. |
In
the Qrendi streets and in the parish church |
Served the celebrant during liturgical
celebrations. |
|
Bonnici (Fr) Alexander OfmConv. |
Religious priest –Ofm Conv. |
Biographer |
No
boasting of his own contributions. |
|
Brincat, Joseph. |
Young lad |
In
the Qrendi streets and in the parish church. |
Did
not lord over other priests.
In
liturgical celebrations.
In
general. |
|
Borda (Fr) Peter Paul |
Religious student – (M)SSP |
In
the Society’s Houses. |
Talked to all and helped all.
Always obeyed Archbishop and did what he was asked to
do.
|
|
Cachia Zammit (Dr) Alexander. |
Young boy |
When
with his father, during visits to St Joseph’s, Malta. |
In
general. |
|
Camilleri (Fr) Alphonse M. |
Religious student – Ofm |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical
celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral. |
In
general.
Approachable.
In
his dealings with children. |
|
Camileri Peter. |
Young lad. |
In
the everyday life of St Joseph’s, Gozo. |
Had
same food as boys of Institute. |
|
Caruana (Sr) Pia. |
Young religious – Jesus of Nazareth |
In
the everyday life of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute,
Zejtun. |
Worked for the poor.
Ordinary clothes.
Used
public transport.
Did
not want to be preferred from
others.
Was
not particular about food. |
|
Ciangura, Michael. |
Young lad. |
St
Joseph’s, Gozo. |
In
general. |
|
Coppola (Fr) Dominic Ofm |
Religious aspirant – (M)SSP |
At
the Santa Maria Aspirandate - Oratory, B’Kara, Malta. |
Made
conferences about it.
Had
same food as memers.
Ordinary clothes. |
|
Cremona, Bice. |
Young niece. |
In
the De Piro family environment. |
Same
food as children of institutes. |
|
De
Piro (Sr) Marie. |
Young niece |
In
the De Piro family environment and at the Mdina
Cathedral |
Clothes, rather
poor.
He
was a beggar for the institutes.
Unassuming. |
|
Fenech (Fr) Seraphim OfmConv. |
Religious student – OFMConv. |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical
celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral. |
Had
same food as the children of the institutes. |
|
Formosa (Sr) Pauline. |
Young girl |
In
the De Piro family environment in Mdina.
|
In
general. |
|
Galea, Biagio. |
Young lad |
In
the Rabat streets and during liturgical celebrations at
the Mdina Cathedral |
Never raised his
voice. |
|
Galea (Br) Venanz. |
Young lad at St Joseph’s, Malta and Gozo, and as young
religious Brother – (M)SSP |
St
Joseph’s, Malta and Gozo and in the Houses of the
Society |
With
the members of the Society.
In
general. |
|
Gatt
(Fr) Louis. |
Religious student – (M)SSP |
In
the Society’s Houses in Mdina and Rabat. |
He
lived in the poor houses of the Society and not in the
family palace.
In
general.
Had
same food as members. |
|
Gatt
(Fr) Ugolino. |
Religious student – OSA. |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical
celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral. |
In
general.
Non
pretentious. |
|
Giordmaina, Catherine. |
Young lady. |
In
the Mdina streets. |
In
general. |
|
Grech (Fr) Augustine. |
Religious student – (M)SSP |
In
the Society’s Houses in Mdina and Rabat. |
In
general.
Same
food as members. |
|
Leopardi, Francoise M. |
Young niece. |
In
the De Piro family environment. |
Same
food as relatives.
Same
food as girls of Jesus of Nazareth.
Did
not boast of privilages. |
|
Mallia, Carmena. |
Young lady. |
Fra
Diegu Institute, Malta. |
Gentle and kind.
Talked about humility to girls. |
|
Muscat, (Br) Felix. |
Young lad at St Joseph’s, Malta and as young religious
Brother – (M)SSP |
At
St Joseph’s, Malta and in the Society’s Houses in Mdina
and Rabat. |
In
his relations with boys. |
|
Rapa, Loreto. |
Young lad. |
At
st Joseph’s, Gozo. |
The
way he treated the boys. |
|
Sammut, Paul. |
Young lad. |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets and during catechism classes
in first House of the Society. |
In
general. |
|
Scerri, Anthony. |
Young lad. |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets and during catechism classes
in first House of the Society. |
Did
not bother about his status.
Torn
clothes.
Ordinary clothes.
In
liturgical celebrations.
No
show off. |
|
Schembri, Angelo. |
Young lad. |
In
the Qrendi streets and in the parish church. |
In
his salutations to everyone. |
|
Schembri, Saviour. |
Young lad. |
As a
catechist at the Oratory, B’Kara. |
Never shouted at the children.
Treated everybody with gentleness. |
|
Sciberras, Concetta. |
Young girl. |
As a
benefactress of St Joseph’s Gozo. |
Gentle with all. |
|
Spiteri, (Mgr) Lawrence. |
Young seminarian. |
At
the Seminary (after De Piro’s rectorship). |
In
general. |
|
Spiteri, (Br) Paul. |
Young religious Brother – (M)SSP |
In
the Society’s first Houses. |
Same
food as members.
In
general.
In
liturgical celebrations.
Charitable humility.
|
|
Tedesco, Victor |
Religious aspirant – (M)SSP. |
At
the Santa Maria Aspirandate - Oratory, B’Kara. |
Approachable by
all.
Not
a popularity seeker.
In
general. |
|
Tonna, Joseph. |
Young lad. |
In
the Rabat and Mdina streets and during catechism classes
in first House of Society. |
In
general. |
|
Tonna (Fr) Joseph. |
Diocesan priest. |
During liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral. |
In
general. |
|
Vassallo, Anthony. |
Young lad. |
In
the Mdina streets. |
Aproachable. |
|
Vella (Fr) Arthur. |
Religious priest – sj. |
The
first priest of the Society was his uncle. |
In
general.
When
correcting the members of his Society. |
|
Vella (Sr) Giakkina. |
Religious Sister – Franciscan. |
In
the everyday life of Fra Diegu Institute. |
Same
food as girls of Fra Diegu.
In
appearance.
In
behaviour in general. |
|
Vella, John. |
Religious aspirant – (M)SSP |
At
the Santa Maria Aspirandate - Oratory, B’Kara. |
Non
pretentious. |
|
Vella Haber, Michael. |
Religious student – (M)SSP |
In
the Society’s first Houses. |
Same
food as members.
Serving at table.
In
his dealings with the members of his Society.
Accepted all responsibilities given him by Archbishop. |
|
Wilson, George. |
Young lad. |
He
was himself from Mdina and was an employee at St
Joseph’s, Malta. |
The
way he talked to boys and employees of Institute.
Had
same food as the boys of St
Joseph’s. |
|
Xuereb, Paul. |
Religious aspirant and member – (M)SSP |
At
the Santa Maria Aspirandate – Oratory, B’Kara, and in
the first Houses of the Society. |
Ordinary clerical clothes.
Approachable by members of Society.
Same
food as members of Society.
Talked about it to the members of his Society. |
|
Xuereb (Sr) Pauline. |
Religious Sister – Franciscan. |
In
the everyday life of Fra Diegu Institute. |
In
general. |
|
Zammit (Sr) Bibiana. |
Religious Sister – Franciscan. |
In
the everyday life of Fra Diegu Institute. |
Same
food as girls of Fra Diegu. |
|
Zammit, (Fr) Loret. |
A
seminarian. |
During De Piro’s rectorship. |
The
way he asked something from the seminarians.
|
Appendix 4
to the local and universal Church
and to society in general
(Here the order is chronological)
Painter
: 1889-1898
Military career
: 1892 – 1896
Faculty of Arts
: 1894-1897
Member, Congregation of the Onorati
: 1895 -
Faculty of Law
: 1897 – 1898
Studies in Roma
: 1898 – 1902
Foundation of the Society
: !901 - 1933
Priesthood
: 1902 – 1933
Member, Unione Leoniana
: Dates not known
Qrendi parish
: 1904 – 1907
Preacher
:
1904 – 1933
Sindaco Apostolico, Franciscans Minor, Rabat, Malta
: 1906 -
Director, Fra Diegu Insitute
: 1907 – 1933
Helper, Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus
: 1907 – 1933
Procurator, Confraternity of BMV of Consolation, Qrendi :
1909 -
Monsignor, Metropolitan Chapter
: 1911 – 1933
Cofounder, Missionary Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth
: 1913 - 1933
Member, Committee, International Eucharistic Congress
: 1913
Diocesan Director, Sacerdoti Adoratori
: 1913 – 1933
Secretary, Comm., Fondo Vesc., Per Pane ai Poveri Durante La Guerra
: 1914-1918
Co-rector, Manresa House, Floriana
: 1914 -
Secretary to Archbishop M Caruana
: 1915 – 1918
Formation of newly ordained priests
: 1915 -
Deputy, Comm., Administration of Seminary
:
1916 – 1918
Secretary, Archbishop’s Bread Fund
: 1916 -
Member, Comm., Statue, St Paul, Saqqajja, Rabat
: 1918 – 1925
Rector, Major Seminary, Mdina
: 1918 – 1920
Member, National Assembly
:1918-1921
Helper, Daughters of the Sacred Heart
: 1918 – 1933
Deputy, Comm., Peace Feasts
: 1919 –
Cashier, Comm., “Pro Maltesi Morti o Feriti il 7 o 8 Giugno”
: 1919 - 1926
Peace maker
– 7, 8, 9 Giugno 1919
Cooperator, Dame di Carita’
: 1919 –
Member, Camera Pontificia
: 1920 -
Dean, Metropolitan Cathedral
: 1920 – 1933
Director, “San Pawl: Almanacc of the Institute of the Missions”
: 1921 – 1933
Member, Committee, Visit Prince of Wales
: 1921
Acting parishpriest, Gudia
: 1922 – 1922
Member, Governing Board, Malta War Memorial Hospital for Children
: 1922 -
Member, Special Comm., British Empire Exhibition
: 1924 : 1922 -
Director, Jesus of Nazareth Institute
: 1922 – 1933
Director, St Joseph Institute, Malta
: 1922 – 1933
Deputy, Archbishop, Committee Zammit Clepp Hospital
: 1925 – 1933
President, Comm., Decision, Restoration St Paul’s Church, Rabat
: 1925 -
Director, St Joseph Institute, Gozo
: 1925 – 1933
Director, Home for babies, Santa Venera
: 1925 - 1933
Director, St Francis de Paule Institute, B’Kara
: 1927 - 1933
Director, St Dominic Savio Oratory, B’Kara
: 1927 – 1933
Mission, Abyssinia
: 1927 - 1933
Director, Museum and Laboratory, Somalia
: 1927- 1933
Deputy, Archbishop, Comm., Feast, Welcome, Duke of York
: 1927 –
Member, Tourist Comm
: 1927 -
Director, Sacred Heart of Jesus Laboratory
: 1928 – 1931
Superior, Novitiate – Santa Venera
: 1928 – 1930 (?)
Director, St Mary Aspirandate
: 1928 – 1933
St
Joseph’s Band, Gh’Sielem, Gozo
: 1928 – 1933
Director, Pilgrimage, Rome and Pompei
: 1931
Senator, Third Parliament
: 1932 – 1933
Appendix 5
The main and secondary aims of De
Piro’s Society: work in ad gentes countries and among the
Maltese migrants
|
Date |
Steps
taken |
|
16
January 1905 |
De Piro
shared his project with Fr Emmanuel Vassallo, the director
of St Joseph’s, Malta. Vassallo told De Piro to put his
project in writing. |
|
7 August
1905 |
De Piro
presented in writing his project : “3) Campi prossimi
d’azione possono essere: a)… b) le colonie di Maltesi
all’estero, ed c)…” |
|
10
December 1906 |
De Piro
shared his project with Fr George Bugeja, thesuccessor of Fr
E. Vassallo. Bugeja wanted to help. |
|
8 August
1908 |
De Piro
talked to Fr John Mamo about the project. Wanted to help. |
|
2
November 1909 |
De Piro
met La Fontaine at Fra Diegu and talked about the project.
La Fontaine encouraged De Piro and tld him to put it in
wrinting to be presented to the Pope. |
|
3
November 1909 |
Petition
written and signed by De Piro. Bugeja and Mamo added their
names on it. |
|
15
November 1909. |
Archbishop Peter Pace put his recommendation on the
petition.
In this
petition De Piro presented the evangelisation of Maltese
migrants as primary for his future Society:
“…
una societa' religiosa allo scopo di farmare dei Missionari
particolamente ed in primo luogo per le colonie di Maltesi
all'estero.”
|
|
27
January 1910 |
La
Fontaine kept his word and presented the petition to the
Pope. Told De Piro that the Pope blessed the project. La
Fontaine added that:
“A me
pare che l'opera debba essere foggiata a simiglianze di
quella di Mgr Coccolo per gli emigranti italiani. Sarebbe
buona cosa accordarsi col P. Vella S.J. il quale, per essere
stato lungo tempo fra i Maltesi in Grecia, potra' dare
utilissimi lumi.”
|
|
6 June
1910 |
De Piro,
together with Bugeja and Mamo, wrote to the Archbishop of
Malta, Mgr Peter Pace, asking him the permission to open a
house for their Society:
“… la
quale servira' di residenza ai componenti una Societa'
religiosa allo scopo di formare dei Missionari,
particolarmente ed in primo luogo per le colonie di Maltesi
all'estero.”
|
|
12 June
1910 |
The
Archbishop accepted. Opened and blessed the house. In the
inaugural speech DePiro said this to the Archbishop:
“Ci
sentiamo oggi assai consolati da un lato e confusi
dall'altro nell'indirizzarci a Vostra Eccellenza per
domandarle a voler benedire e dichiarare aperta questa
"Piccola Casa di San Paolo" la quale servira' di residenza
ai componenti una Societa' Religiosa allo scopo di formare
dei Missionari particolarmente ed in primo luogo per le
colonie di Maltesi all'estero.”
|
|
30 June
1910 |
“I
buoni Maltesi lontani dalla patria avranno da voi altri
grandissimi aiuti.” |
|
9 June
1911 |
After
its opening and blessing, the “Piccola Casa di San Paolo”,
on 30 June 1910, welcomed in it the first two members.
De Piro had asked Mgr La Fontaine for a blessing from
Pope Pius X. On 9 June 1911 La Fontaine wrote to a certain
Mgr Bressan, an official at the Vatican, and asked him for
this blessing. La Fontaine presented De Piro’s Society as:
“… una
Pia Unione di Sacerdoti e Catechisti, allo scopo di
dedicarsi alla cultura speciale delle forti colonie Maltesi
di Corfu' e di Tripoli.” |
|
30 June
1914 |
De Piro
asked the Auxiliary Bishop and Apostolic Administrator, Mgr
Angelo Portelli, the permission for the members of his
Society to wear the habit. Attached to this petition De
Piro presented also a “Breve Prospetto delle regole
dell’istituto per le Missioni Estere”. As regards the
aim of the Society the Founder was quite clear:
“2.
Scopo della Piccola Compagnia sara' quello di venire in
aiuto dei popoli… particolarmente ed in primo luogo dei
Maltesi lontani dalla patria ...”
|
|
25
November 1916 |
Although
Mgr Emmanuel Vassallo did not join the Servant of God in the
concrete initation of the Society, Vassallo helped a lot his
old friend in its first years. De Piro had received a
Rescript from the then Congregation of the Sacraments. In
it there were some words which neither De Piro nor Vassallo
could understand well. The latter, on 25 November 1916,
wrote to one of his friends in Rome asking for a
clarification. In this letter Vassallo told also this to
his friend, Don Archangelo Bruni:
“Mgr
De Piro col consenso di Mgr Pace di F.M. fondo' questa pia
unione in favore dei Maltesi residenti all'estero. Con
questo egli non intese, e non intende di adibire i suoi
missionari esclusivamente pei Maltesi, ma anche per altri
che ne avessero bisogno. Il fine primario pero' della
Congregazione sono i Maltesi residenti all'estero.” |
|
3
December 1915 |
It has
already been said that two were the youths who joined the
Society of De Piro on 30 June 1910. One of these, John
Vella, intended to become a priest. Five years after
joining, Vella was nearing the minor orders. Therefore the
Founder wrote to Pope Benedict XV, asking him the permission
for his student to be ordained “titulo missionis”.
The answer from the side of the Vatican was already
indicating doubts about the principal aim of the Society:
“Estratto
dalla lettera del 3 Dicem. 1915 del Dr. Giuseppe Sebastiani
Spedizioniere Apostolico.
Riguardo alla facolta' per lo studente Giovanni Vella per
essere ordinato "titulo Missionis" la Sacra Congregazione
desidera conoscere qualche notizia riguardo all'Istituto
della Piccola Casa di San Paolo per le Missioni Estere, se
dipende dalla Congregazione di Propaganda Fide e se altre
volte si sia domandata tale facolta’. ”
|
|
4
January 1916 |
The
Servant of God answered Sebastiani on 4 January 1916:
“In
riscontro alla sua pregiatissima del 3 Dicembre 1915
relativamente alla mia domanda, per poter presentare
all'Ordinazione ‘titulo Missionis’ il giovane studente
Giovanni Vella sono a significarle:-
2)
Che esso in primo luogo, e' inteso a favore dei Maltese
lontani dalla patria e pure dell'assistenza religiosa.
3)
Che l'Istituto non dipende dalla Congregazione "De
Propaganda Fide".
4)
Che questa e' la prima occasione nella quale viene avanzata
tale supplica.”
|
|
8
February 1916 |
"Riguardo poi alla supplica dello studente Giovanni Vella
per essere ordinato ‘titulo Missionis’ mi rincresce di
doverle dire che la Congregazione dei Sacramenti visto che
l'Istituto della Piccola Casa di San Paolo non si occupa che
di Missionari per i Maltesi residenti fuori dell'isola e non
per altre Missioni ed infedeli, non ha creduto di accordare
il detto privilegio per l'ordinazione.”
|
|
30 June
1916 |
“La
Sacra Congregazione dei Sacramenti, dopo chieste ed avute
delle informazioni riguardanti l'Istituto rispose
negativamente, adducendo per ragione che l'Istituto e`
inteso per Misssionari per soli Maltesi e non per altre
nazioni ed infedeli.”
De Piro
did not stop here. Although the answer of the then
Congregation of the Sacraments has been considered by the
Founder as negative, it offered him an oportunity where he
could explain better to La Fontaine what he had in mind as
regards the aim of the Society; although the evangelisation
of the Maltese migrants was not the main scope, he was quite
clear about his wanting to continue with it:
“Anzitutto
come Ella potra' vedere dal foglio che accompagna la
presente, nel dire in primo luogo, non si intende fare
l'esclusione supposta dalla Sacra Congregazione; ed utinam
il Piccolo Istituto Maltese possa in futuro avere
quest'onore di inviare Missionarii presso gli infedeli e per
tutto il mondo. Ma come ben comprendera' l'Eccellenza
Vostra da parte nostra sarebbe troppo ardire il solo
accarezzare una simile idea - Inoltre ho desiderato che il
titulo per l'ordinazione fosse quello di Missione, per
imprimere sempre piu' nella mente e nel cuore dei giovani
l'idea missionaria. Ella che conosce qualche cosa di Malta,
sa molto bene quanto il Maltese sia attaccato al suolo
natio; e comprendera' anche che l'idea delle Missioni Estere
non trovando terreno fertile, se lo deve formare per se.” |
|
28 July
1916 |
La
Fontaine answered De Piro on 28 July 1916. In this letter,
the Patriarch of Venice showed the Servant of God that for
him the Society was one for the Maltese migrants. It was
obvious; he got this impression from his contact with De
Piro, the one who showed so much love for the evangelisation
of the Maltese away from their country:
“Sarei
d'avviso che per ottenere l'ordinazione al Suddiaconato del
suo giovine Missionario titulo missionis, Ella esponesse
brevemente e chiaramente l'organismo, lo scopo e lo statuto
della piccola Societa', facendo vedere il bene grande, che i
missionari esercitano in mezzo ai cattolici Maltesi
all'estero, e come non venga messo ad essi il pane
quotidiano. L'esposto insieme con una supplica affettiva
dovrebbe essere indirizzato propria al Santo Padre.” |
|
22
August 1916 |
Mgr De
Piro did what La Fontaine had told him to do ; on 22 August
1916 he wrote to Pope Benedict XV. Again, although he was
eager to get the “titulo missionis” for his first
member to be ordained priest, and at the same time he also
knew that mentioning the work among the Maltese migrants
would hinder him from getting this “titulo”,
he did not keep back from mentioning this apostolate when
writing to the Pope:
“… ha
iniziato nel 1910 la costituzione di un Istituto per le
Missioni Estere, particolarmente ed in primo luogo pei
Maltesi fuori dell' Isola…”
Even Mgr
Mauro Caruana, the Archbishop of Malta, who wrote his
recommendation at the end of De Piro’s letter to the Pope,
referred to this evangelisation of the Society to the
Maltese migrants:
“…
che per il futuro non potra’ non fare bene immenso ai
Maltesi residenti all'estero …”
It is
obvious that Archbishop Caruana was influenced by no one but
by De Piro himself! |
|
17
November 1916 |
Reference has already been made to Fr William Bonett and his
two undated letters to De Piro.
It has also been said that the Servant of God answered
Bonett after his second letter.
In this letter De Piro reminded Bonett about the
difficulty of the Maltese diocesan priest to leave his
native country and go abroad. At the same time the Founder
tried to make Bonett hope in some other help, the members of
his own Society:
“…
pero' nella tua Messa non ti dimenticare di fare sempre un
piccolo memento per nostro nascente Istituto per le Missioni
Estere, e finalmente il Signore ci fara' assaggiare qualche
frutto di
tante fatiche e sacrifici. Uno degli studenti ha
incominciato teologia, sto per ammettere un altro in
filosofia e ci sono altri parecchi nel corso ginnasiale.
Finalmente si arrivera' magari anche in Australia, ma credi
pure che per presente nonostante la piccolezza dell'Opera il
lavoro e' duro e richiede grande pazienza. Quindi aiutaci
colle tue preghiere e forse qualche bel giorno vedrai
raggungerti qualch piccolo Missionario della Piccola
Compagnia di San Paolo. Sarebbe un mio vivo desiderio di
vedere aperta in Australia qualche casa delle nostre pie
Suore le Terziarie Francescane; secondo me sara' di grande
aiuto spirituale anche alla colonia Maltese, potendovi in
tal modo forse rimediare al male da te lamentato nell'ultima
tua diretta a S.E. Reverendissima. Se insegnassero un po' di
catechismo mi pare che dovrebbero fare del bene; ci sono
parecchie di esse che conoscono sufficientemente l'inglese e
sono certo che subito l'apprenderanno bene, dopo una breve
residenza.”
|
|
20
December 1918
10 March
1919 |
Fr John
Mamo had been one of the two priests who had helped De Piro
to start the Society, but who after a short while abandoned
the Servant of God in order to start something on his own.
Propaganda Fide had asked the Archbishop of Malta
information about this priest and his initiative. Bishop
Angelo Portelli, the Auxiliary Bishop, wrote in the name of
Archbishop Caruana on 20 December 1918. After answering the
Congregation’s query, Portelli mentioned De Piro’s Society.
Propaganda Fide showed interest in the Society of De Piro
and asked more information about it. Portelli told De Piro
about this and asked the Servant of God to supply him with
this information. De Piro wrote to Portelli on 10 March
1919. In the section about “Lo Sviluppo” he put down
these words:
"La
Compagnia di San Paolo Apostolo e' una Societa' di
Missionari ... indi cerchera' di venire in aiuto di quei
popoli i quali difettano di operai evangelici incomminciando
dai Maltesi lontani dalla patria …”
|
|
31 March
1919 |
This
information was sent to Propaganda Fide. Cardinal Van
Rossum, the Prefect of Propaganda, answered by an
encouraging letter to Portelli. He also asked the Auxiliary
Bishop to tell him whether De Piro intended to bind the
members with the religious vows. The Servant of God tried
to solve this difficulty of the Congregation by several
letters and through Mgr Portelli, but another problem which
the Founder had already faced, cropped up: whether the
Society was one for the ad gentes countries or for
the Maltese migrants?
“Innanzi
tutto pero' occorre che Mgr De Piro chiarisca meglio la
finalita' dell'Istituto. Nella relazione inviata dalla S.V.
si dice che ‘l'Istituto’ cerchera' di venire in aiuto di
quei popoli i quali defettano di operai evangelici;
incominciando dai maltesi lontani dalla patria, ecc....’
Ora il porre come fine precipuo l'assistenza dei maltesi
all'estero, puo' essere un'intralcio per lo sviluppo
dell'opera. Gli istituti missionari si prefiggono
principalmente di propagare la fede tra gli infedeli o di
tutto il mondo o di una particolare regione; cosi' ci sono
istituti missonari per i Negri, per i Cinesi, ecc. Vegga la
S.V. che Mgr De Piro entri in quest'Ordine di idee, se, come
credo accettera' tale modificazine, gli mandero' dei statuti
di Congregazioni Missionarie su cui modellare le proprie
regole; dopo di che la S.V. potra' ricevera dalla Santa Sede
la facolta', di cui sopra, per erigere canonicamente
l'Istituto.”
|
|
9 April
1920 |
De Piro
decided to go himself to Propaganda Fide in order to talk
directly to Van Rossum.
According to a letter sent to La Fontaine, De Piro was in
Rome on the 9 April 1920. From further correspondence we
know that the Servant of God met the Prefect of the
Congregation and the former got the impression that things
were clarified.
|
|
18 May
1920 |
“Il
Canonico Giuseppe De Piro, della Diocesi di Malta, prostrato
al bacio della Sacra Porpora, umilmente espone che egli
accolto ed incoraggito dall'Emo' Pietro La Fontaine, allora
Visitatore Apostolico di detta Diocesi, e confortato dalla
Benedizione Apostolica di Sua Santita' Pio X di s.m., diede
principio nel 1910 all'istituzione di una Societa'
Religiosa, avente per scopo le Missioni Estere, ad
incominciare dall'assistenza dei Maltesi lontani dalla
patria.” |
|
26 July
1920 |
In spite
of De Piro’s personal visit to Van Rossum in Rome, and
Portelli’s just mentioned letter, Propaganda Fide could not
see the ad gentes aim of the Society. In fact the
Founder received a letter sent to him from the Congregation
on 26 July 1920. In it Mgr Camillo Laurenti, on behalf of
the Prefect, went as far as saying to De Piro that for any
future needs he had to contact the Congregation for
Religious:
“Sarei
stato ben lieto d'interessarmi della cosa, qualora l'opera
sua fosse destinata all'evangelizzazzione degli infedeli,
pero' veggo che ella intende provvedere col suo Istituto
all'assistenza religiosa dei maltesi lontani dalla patria…
Ella
per la sua istituzione dovra' rivolgersi piuttosto alla S.C.
dei Religiosi…”
|
|
18
August 1920 |
The
Founder was obviously shocked by the letter of Propaganda
Fide, but, still, in his written reaction he did not say
that he changed his mind about one of the secondary aims of
his Society, the evangelisation of the Maltese migrants:
“Io
infatti avevo spiegato che coll' incominciare dalla
coltivazione spirituale dei Maltesi all'estero non si
escludeva la conversione degli infedeli, ma che anzi un tale
inizio nell'acquistare il favore del paese verso il nascente
Istituto gli avrebbe dato l'agio di lanciarsi nel vasto
campo dei paesi infedeli, dopo acquistata una certa
vigoria.”
|
|
18
August 1920 |
On the
same day, 18 August 1920, De Piro wrote also to another
friend of his, Don Archangelo Bruni, an official at the
Congregation of the Sacraments. He asked him to see to the
difficulties met with by Propaganda. In this letter, De
Piro also said to Bruni that:
“Senza
alcuna mia premura ma per semplice disposizione della Divina
Provvidenza mi son trovato in contatto colla Congne de
Propaganda Fide…
…
poiche, questo Istituto ha per fine la conversione degli
Infedeli, ma per le ragioni adotti incominciera' l'azione
sua a favore dei Maltesi. In Africa poi, dove ci sono
colonie di Maltesi vi sono anche infedeli e mi pare che
l'Egitto stia tuttora sotto la giurisdizione della Congne'
de Propaganda.”
|
|
16
September 1920 |
Bruni
did what he was asked to do by the Servant of God and on 16
September 1920 communicated his findings to De Piro:
“La
difficolta' dell'approvazione dell'Istituto per parte della
Propaganda sussiste in quanto che l’Istituto non riguarda
direttamente la conversione degli infedeli, ma i Maltesi
dimoranti all'estero e quindi secondo il nuovo Codice
l'approvazione spetta alla S. Congregazione dei Religiosi.” |
|
18
November 1920 |
In the
letter written to De Piro on 26 July 1920, Mgr Laurenti had
offered that Propaganda Fide would recommend the Founder and
the Society of St Paul to the Congregation for Religious.
De Piro accepted this offer in his letter written to
Laurenti on 18 August 1920. Propaganda wrote to the
Congregation of Religious on 18 November 1920. It could
not but present De Piro’s Society as a one for the Maltese
migrants:
“Il
sottoscritto Card. Prefetto della S.C. di Propaganda espone
all' E. V. R.ma che in Malta il Can.co Giuseppe De Piro ha
dato principio, da qualche anno, ad una istituzione per le
missioni estere sotto il nome ‘PICCOLA CASA DI S. PAOLO’.
Sua
intenzione e' di dare all'Istituto forma di Congregazione
religiosa con voti semplici; e questa S.C. se ne era
interessata nella supposizione che il fondatore volesse
costituire una societa' in tutto e per tutto missionaria,
avendo pero' la Propaganda invitato il Rev. Can.co De Piro a
chiarire meglio il fine dell'Istituto, questi ha dichiarato
che egli intende occuparsi prima di tutto dell' assistenza
dei Maltesi all'estero, e poi anche in avvenire alla
conversione degli infedeli. Questa S.C. ha allora fatto
conoscere al sullodato Canonico che una tale opera sfuggiva
alla Competenza della Propaganda la quale si accupa delle
opere ed istituzioni dirette esclusivamente
all'evangelizzazzione degli infedeli, e che percio' avrebbe
dovuto rivolgersi a cotesta S.C. dei Religiosi.
Ma il De
Piro con lettera del 18 Agosto esprime il suo dispiacere di
interrompere le sue relazioni con la S.C di Propaganda,
perche’ da essa si riprometteva un accrescimento dello
spirito missionario; torna poi a chiarire meglio il suo
scopo, dicendo che l'assistenza dei Maltesi e' un mezzo
scelto per acquistare il favore del paese per il nascente
istituto, mentre il fine propostosi e' sempre
l'evangelizzazioni degl' infedeli.
Lo
scrivente Cardinale trasmette l'intiera posizione di piu'
rimette all' E. V. di decidere in merito al desiderio
espresso dal Can.co De Piro di dipendere dalla S.C. di
Porpaganda per il suo istituto di assistenza dei Maltesi e
di missioni per gl' infedeli. Raccomanda ad ogni modo alla
sua benevolenza questo nascente istituto da cui e' lecito
sperare buoni frutti per il bene delle anime.”
|
|
27
November 1920 |
“…
l'opera delle Missioni per gli infedeli, a cui intende
giungere il Fondatore, si presenta ancora come cosa lontano,
mentre il fine prossimo sarebbe l'assistenza dei Maltesi
all'Estero.” |
|
4
February 1921 |
The
Congregation for Religious, on 4 February 1921, wrote also
to the Archbishop of Malta, Mauro Caruana, telling him that
the next step was not the approval of the Society by the
Vatican but by him as the Local Ordinary. |
|
14
February 1921 |
It could
have been that Archbishop Caruana was not quick in passing
on to the Servant of God the letter of Propaganda Fide of 4
February 1921, regarding the canonical approval of the
Society. This could have been the reason why De Piro wrote
to Don Archangelo Bruni on 14 February 1921 and asked him to
whom he had to write in order to get the canonical erection
of his Society, whether to Propaganda Fide or the Local
Ordinary.
Also, on the same day Caruana wrote to the Holy Father
asking him the permission for two other members of De Piro’s
Society to be ordained “titulo missionis”.
This last letter of Caruana might have been passed
on to the Holy Father through Don Bruni. In fact the latter
wrote to the Servant of God on 11 March 1921 and told him
that:
·
the permisison for the ordination “titulo missionis”
of two of the members of his members was acquired;
·
from then on De Piro had to write to the Congregation for
Religious.
The
latter meant that the Vatican still considered the Society
as set up for the Maltese migrants! |
|
10 April
1921 |
Led by
Bruni’s letter of 11 March 1921, but more and more by that
of Propaganda Fide of 4 February of the same year, the
Servant of God wrote to Mgr Mauro Caruana, the Archbishop of
Malta, on 10 April 1921, asking His Excellency to declare
La Compagnia di San Paolo a religious congregation. In
this petition De Piro still said that the scope of his
Society was:
“… le
Missioni Estere ad incominciare dall'assistenza dei Maltesi
lontani dalla patria.”
Attached
to this letter to Archbishop Caruana the Servant of God sent
also a “Prospetto delle Regole della Compagnia di San
Paolo”. Even here the Founder was quite explicit:
“Indi
cerchera' di venire in aiuto di quei popoli, i quali
difettano di operai evangelici, incominciando dai Maltesi
lontani dalla patria …” |
|
14
November 1921 |
The
Archbishop of Malta canonically erected La Compagnia di San
Paolo on 14 November 1921. His Excellency, Mauro Caruana,
also asked De Piro, “…ut infra sex menses Nobis exhibeat
per extensum et modo exhaurienti et completo statuto sue
constitutiones, quibus supradicta Societas regenda est.”
In fact the Founder presented the rules guiding his Society
on 10 November 1922.
The rules presented 1921 “… quantunque lo stesso
nella sua integrita` non e` del tutto esauriente e completo
…,” but “…esso delinea in sostanza il carattere della
Compagnia.”
And this especially as regards the apostolate of the
Society with the Maltese migrants. In fact in the section “Prospetto”
De Piro has very clear words:
“… e
di salvare le anime venendo in aiuto di quei popoli, i quali
difettano di operai evangelici, incominciando dalle colonie
Maltesi all’estero…”
|
Appendix 6
The genesis of the Original
Constitutions of De Piro’s Society (Documentation)
From the Founder’s Diary
“Son tornato dal Vassallo; gli ho
presentato la mia idea scritta …
1) Una societa'
di Missionari - pel presente non e' facile il dire se debba essere
regolare o secolare, pero' se coll'aiuto di Dio e della Vergine si
arrivera' all'erezione di corpo regolare, questo deve essere
perfettamente tale e deve cercare il modo ed i mezzi di tenere a se
aggregati il Clero Secolare.
2) Lo scopo
principale, come indica il nome della Societa', consiste nelle Missioni
estere.
3) Campi
prossimi d'azione possono essere: a) La Casa di S. Giuseppe, b) Le
colonnie di Maltesi all'estero ed c) a bordo le corazzate etc.
4) Affidare la
societa' al valido patrocinio di S. Paolo, dal quale prendera' il nome.
5) Pel presente
non fare voti ne giuramenti, pero' dobbiamo essere disposti a secondare
la Volonta' Divina con somma generosita'. La nostra parola d'ordine
deve essere, 'Sequar te quocumque ieris'.
6) Fare ogni
anno gli Edercizi Spirituali di San Ignazio di Layola.
7) Incontrarci
almeno una volta al mese.
8)
Incominciare la formazione di un capitale per contribuzioni mensili.”
1 ta’ Awissu 1909
Part of the first formula of the profession to be done by the
members of the Society
“Scopo della Cimpagnia e' quello di
formare dei Missionarii ed inviarli ove occorrono.
La Compagnia considerera' come proprio
il libro degli Esercizi Spirituali di S. Ignazio di Loyola dal quale
estana le proprie regole e constituzioni.”
30 June 1914
From letter of Founder to Archbishop Peter Pace
“Breve Prospetto
delle Regole
dell'Istituto per
le Missioni Estere
1. L'Istituto
portera' il nome di Piccola Compagnia di San Paolo.
2. Scopo della
Piccola Compagnia sara' quello di venire in aiuto dei popoli privi di
operai Evangelici particolarmente ed in primo luogo dei Maltesi lontani
dalla patira, ed a tal fine le sara' a cuore la cura si case di
Beneficenza.
3. La Piccola
Compania sara' composta si Sacerdoti e Catechisti laici congregati in
vita con me.
4. I membri di
detta Picc. Comp. emetteranno i voti di Ubbidienza, Missione, Poverta' e
Castita'.
5.
L'abito sara' il talare nero con fascia anche nera.
6. In appresso a
tempo opportuno sara' presentato per l'approvazione dell'Autorita'
Ecclesiastico lo sviluppo particolare delle suddette Regole generali.”
10 March
1919
Part of letter of De Piro
to Bishop Angelo Portelli
“Ed ora per cio' che riguarda le
Costituzioni particloari dell'Istituto debbo riferire che poche pagine
manoscritte ed incomplete che non hanno ancora il bene di alcuna
approvazione diretta, ne servono pel momento come norma direttiva, delle
quali per brevita' transcrivo qua il Prospetto. "La Compagnia di San
Paolo Apostolo e' una Societa' di Missionari, Sacerdoti e Catechisti,
congregati in perfetta vita comune. Essa si assume la lotta di
perfezionare i suoi membri nell'amore di Dio e del prossimo per mezzo
dell'osservanza delle virtu' cristiane ed in particolar modo di una
perfetta ubbidienza, castita' e poverta'. Indi cerchera' di venire in
aiuto di quei popoli i quali difettano di operai evangelici
incomminciando dai Maltesi lontani dalla patria, ed assumera' la cura di
case di beneficenza. Gli ammettendi devono essere idonei per essere
formati giusta lo scopo della Compagnia, i cui membre possono essere di
appartenervi o per ritiro o per esculsione. Il Superiore eletto avra'
la facolta' e l'obbligo di stabilire cio' che maggiormente conduce la
Compagnia, al conseguimento del fine prefessosi.”
10 April 1921
Part of letter of Servant of God to Archbishop Mauro Caruana
“Prospetto delle
Regole della Compagnia di San Paolo.
La Compagnia di San Paolo Apostolo e'una
Societa' di Missionarii, Sacerdoti e Catechisti laici, congregati in
perfetta vita comune,
Essa si assume la lotta di perfezionare
i suoi Membri nell'amore di Dio e del prossimo per messo dell'osservanza
delle virtu' cristiane ed in particolar modo di una perfetta ubbidienza,
castita' e poverta'.
Indi cerchera' di venire in aiuto di
quei popoli, i quali difettano di operai evangelici, incominciando dai
Maltesi lontani dalla patria, ed assunera' la cura di case di
beneficienza.
Tutti i membri, dopo la debita prova,
emetteranno i voti di ubbidienza, missione, poverta' e castita'
L'abito e' il talare nero
con fascia anche nera; alla prima professione i Catechisti ricereranno
la corona del Rosario della Beata Virgine che terranno raccomandata alla
fascia; gli studenti riceveranno una croce di legno raccomandata all
collo da un cardonicino e stretta al petto per mezzo della fascia; ed i
Sacerdoti la proteranno munita del Crocefisso.
Gli ammettendi devono essere i donei per
essere formati giusti lo scopo della Compagnia.
I membri possono cessare di appartenervi
o per ritiro o per espulsione.
Il Padre Generale, eletto a vita, ed
assistito da quattro Consiglieri, avra' la facolta' e l'obbligo di
stabilire, entro i limiti delle regole, cio' che maggiormente conduce la
Compagnis al conseguimento del fine prefissosi.
(Distesa la Compagnia in tre case e
pervenuto a dodici il numero dei Sacerdoti professsi questi passeranno
all'elezione a vita del Padre Generale della Compagnia. Fino a tanto
pero' che questa elezione potesse avere luogo, il Vescovo nominera' il
Padre Superiore della Comapgnia e questi a sua volta nominera'
accorrendo i Padri Superiori Locali).”
14 November
1921
Approval of Society by
Archbishop M. Caruana. The Founder was also reminded to present
complete text of Constitutions
Viso supplici libello Nobis porrecto ab
Ill.mo et Rev.mo Dno' Can.co' Decano Josepho De Piro pro erectione
canonica Societatis ab ipso fundata sub titulo S. Pauli Apostoli et pro
adprobatione constitutionem, quibus ipso Societas regenda est;
Viso fine ad quem tendit institutio
praedictae Societatis; Auctoritate Nostra ordinaria erigimus et tam
canonice erectam declaramus Piam Societatem de qua in precibus, sub
titulo S. Pauli Apostoli; sub statutis quae ipsis precibus adjicuintur,
quaeque in modum experimenti adprobamus, injungentes oratori ut infra
sex menses Nobis exhibeat per extensum et modo exhaurienti et completo
statuto sue constitutiones, quibus supradicta Societas regenda est.”
10 November 1922
The Founder presented the
Constitutions to Archbishop M. Caruana
Nota del Decano
G. De Piro
Comparisce il medesimo ed ottemperando
al Venerato Secreto di Sua Ecc.za Rev.ma Mgr. Arciv. Vescovo di Malta
del 14 Novembre 1921, prorogato verbalmente, esebisce in estero, per
l’opportuna approvazione, il corpo di regole dalle quali è eretta la
Compagnia di San Paolo - Compie inoltre il dovere di dichiarare che
quantunque lo stesso nella sua integrità non è del tutto esauriente e
completo pur tuttavia esso delinea in sostanza il carattere della
Comagnia…
Valletta il 10
Novembre 1922
30 January
1923
Analysis of the
Constitutions by Fr V Furci sj
Fr V. Furci sj, rector of
St Aloisius College, B’Kara, was asked by Archbishop M. Caruana to
examine the Constitutions presented by De Piro. Furci made two pages of
observations rather than corrections:
-
General observations. Related to the structure and methodology of
the presentation rather than to the contents.
-
The
three vows traditionally related to religious life must be presented
first. The vow of missions follows these.
-
According to the Founder, all the members, whereever they are, have
to wear the same habit. In some places this is not possible.
-
Furci made some observations, re: some articles, eg., the novitiate.
-
General observations: excellent Constitutions, based on Christian
perfection and on the teaching of the founders of other religious
orders.
-
They are hard to follow because there are too many details: there is
need of a distinction between the constitutions, the norms and the
common rules.
-
Furci suggests the Ignatian month.
-
He
notes that the devotion to the Sacred Heart and St Joseph are only
mentioned in the end.
11 September
1923
Fr Furci pays a visit to
the Society’s House in Mdina
Furci wrote to De Piro
telling him that he was asked by Archbishop Caruana to pay a visit to
the Society’s House in Mdina. He was going to do this the day after.
16 September
1923
Report to Archbishop
Caruana about Furci’s visit to the Society’s House
Furci wrote to Archbishop
Caruana telling him that he is writing with a lot of trepidation because
he is conscious that he has to be acountable to God.
-
The
visit was made on 12 of the month.
-
The
Socety is in itself of glory to God and he therefore recommends
every help frm the side of the Archbishop. At the same time it
cannot porgress as it is. If it continues in the same way it will
close down. The reason is the almost complete absence of the
Founder; he has to be completely dedicate to it. Furci suggests
that there be found some virtuous religious who can take care of the
novices. The latter is most important.
-
Fr
John Vella has to be sent away “… senza indugio ne
tergiversazione…”. He is causing harm to the others.
-
For
the vows to be valid there is need of a good novitiate.
-
Fr
Michael Callus and Br Joseph Caruana seem to be the best members of
the community; they are young, virtuous and mortified.
-
Mgr
De Piro has to show himself more disciplined and less tolerant
especially with those who are not observant. When there are public
mistakes he must correct in public. And he has also to inflict
punishments.
-
Furci also noted that some were not punctual. These exempted
themselves from the common acts.
10
January1924
Fr Furci recommended the
Constitutions
Fr Furci wrote to
Archbishop Caruana and told him that he had examined the Constitutions
twice. And this with Mgr De Piro. Furci also told Caruana that he had
made some corrections and modifications here and there. He considered
the corrections more as “sottocapi integranti” than as essential, and
these had to do with the general and special administration of the
Company … Furci recommended the approval of the Constitutions as they
are because this encourages a lot the members.
18 March 1924
Archbishop Caruana approved the first
two parts of the Constitutions
Decretum
Cum per Letteras Apostolicas Sacrae
Congregationis Religiosorum diei 4 Februarii 1929 Prot. 6550/20 Nobis
tributa fuit facultas erigendi Piam Societatem Religiosam ab Ill.mo et
Rev.mo Dno' Joseph De Piro D'Amato Can.co' Decano Nostrae Ecclesiae
Cathedralis Fundatam, quam die 14 Decembris 1921 decrevimus ut
cognascatur et appellatur sub titulo "Congregazione di San Paolo", et
quam iam canonice erezimus, constito Nobis Pium Opus non habere alium
finem nisi Dei Omnipotentis gloriam et salurem animarum, nec non
constito etiam Nobis de salutari progresser egusdem piae societatis a
die institutionis, virtute supradictum Letterarum Apostolicarum et
vigore Decreti Executorialis adprobamus Corpus Regularum Nobis exhibitum
a supradicto Rev.mo Can.co' Fundatore, ex quo Corpore, etsi nondum
completo, satis appare6t nobilis et sanctus character proedictae Piae
Congregaitonis, cum ipsae regulae ducunt ad Chrisianam perfectionem et
sunt juxtanorman doctrinae et spiritus sanctorum fondatorum ordinum
religiosorum.
Tamen ut compleatur hoc Corpus
Regularum, ex quibus habetur ordo, volumus non tantum tu serventur
correctiones et modificationes quas in Domino judicabimus esse faciendas
in supradicto Corpore Regularum, sed volumus etiam et mandamus ut per
supradictum Canonicum Fundatorme quam primum redigentur et Nobis
exhibeantur alias regulas quae ed regimen generale et particulare
ufficiorum ipsuis Congregaitonis spectant, reservantes in furtre Nobis
Nostrisque Successoribus facultatem tollendi, addendi, modificandi
quidquid in Domino magis expedire vidibitur.
Auspicientes in Domino omnia bona,
Nostram Partoralem Benedictionem peramantea impertimur dilecto filio
Nostro Canonico Fundatore omnibusque Sociis Piae Congregationis.
Datum in Nostro Palatio Civitatis
Vallettai dei 18 Martii 1924.
Sign. Maurus O.S.B. Arch. Epsum.
Meliten.
(L+s) sign. Sac. Ant. Galea Canvellarius
Concordat cum originale
Datum ex M.
Curia die 2 Aprilis 1924
Sac. Ant. Galea Cancellarius.
The Founder
finalised the writing of the Constitutions
From the note written in
the “Scritti” one can conclude that the Founder went to the Monte
Cassino Abbey, Italy, and on this day he finalised the last part of the
Original Constitutions, or the part about the general and particular
administration of the Society.
De Piro presented to
the Archbishop the last part of the Constitutions
Nella Gran Curia
Vescovile di Malta.
Suppliche
396/32 Nota del Can.co Decano G De Piro
quale Superiore della Compagnia
di San Paolo - Istituto Religioso
per le Missioni Estere.
Comparisce il medesimo ed in esecuzione
del Venerato Decreto di Sua Ecc.za Rev.ma Mgr. Arciv. Vescovo, del 18
Marzo 1924, consequa e sottomette alla relativa approvasione il
complemento delle regole, dalle quali viene governata la surriferita
Compagnia di S. Paolo.
Ed eseguito quanto sopra, con profondo
figliale ossequio, so rafferma di Sua Ecc.za Rev.ma Mgr. Argiv. Vescovo
Umilissimo servo.
Presentata del cimparente il 9 Dic 1925
Sac. Ant. Galea.
Cancelliere.
17 May 1929
Examination of Constitutions by Mgr
Carmel Zammit
Archbishop M. Caruana asked
Mgr Zammit to examine the last part of the Constitutions.
Report by Mgr C. Zammit about the last
part of the Constitutions
Nella Curia
Vescovile di Malta
Eminenza Reverendissima.
In esecuzione del venerato
decreto del di 17 Maggio 1929, col quale V. E. intimava al sottoscritto
di riferire intorno ad alcune delle Regole della Compagnia di S. Paolo
presentate all' E. V. dal Rev.mo Mons. Can. Decano G. De Piro per la
relativa approvazione, ho l'onore di sottomettere a V.E. che, avendo
esaminato attentamente dellt regole, che trattano del Procuratore
Generale presso la S. Sede, dei visitatori, del Provinciali e vicari di
Missione, dell'Economo, dei Capitoli Provinciali e Vicariale, del
Superiore Locale, del Prefetto Spirituale e dei Fratelli Catechisti, del
Sagrestano, dell’Economo Locale, del Custode delle vesti,
dell’Infermierem del Portinaio, del Compratore, del Dispensiere, del
Refettoriere, dello Svegliatore e infine dei Funerali ed altri Suffragi,
non ho trovato nulla che mi sembra oggessionabile all’approvazione delle
stesse, da parte di Vostra Eccellenza.
Avendo eseguito quanto sopra con sensi
di piena devozione e figliele ossequio passo a raffermarmi dell’ E.V.
Revmo.
Ubb.mo dev.mo servo
C.Can. Zammit
16 Luglio 1930
5 October
1932
Archbishop M. Caruana approved the last
part of the Constitutions
Decreto
Siccome l'Ill.mo e Rev.mo Mons. Giuseppe
de Piro Navarra, Can.co Decano della Nra. Cattedrale, ottemperando al
Nro. Decreto dle 18 Marzo 1924, lei ha esibito il complemento delle
Regole della Compagnia di S. Paolo, da lui fondata particolarmente per
cio' che riguarda il Governo Generale e Particolare.
Siccome, giusto il voto qui annesso, del
Rev.mo Relatore da Noi incaricato per Nro' Decreto del 19 Maggio 1929,
nulla si e' trovato di oggezionabile all'approvazione delle stesse;
Col presente Nostro Decreto concediamo
ben volentieri la chiesta approvazione ai termini e sotto le riserve del
precitato Nro Decreto del 18 Marzo 1924.
Desiderando ogni ulteriore prosperita'
in Dno' alla prelodata Compagnia, impartiamo di cuore alla stessa la
Nra. benedizione.
Dato in Valletta, il 5 Ottobre 1932
fto. Maurus O.S.B. Arch. Epus. Melit.
Bibliography
De Piro documents
(Where possible the
order of these documents is chronological)
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Il-familja tieghu.
=
Original documents or copies mainly related to the De Piro
family.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Fl-ewwel snin ta’ hajtu.
=
Original documents or copies related to the life of the Servant of God
from his birth to the moment when he decided his vocation.
Joseph De Piro: Lyceum.
=
Documents related to the years Joseph spent at the Malta Lyceum for his
secondary education ( 1889 -1894).
Joseph De Piro: Royal Malta Militia.
= Documents related to the three years and
five months the Servant of God spent as “a military man”.
Joseph De Piro: Royal University of Malta.
= Copies of documents and originals of
notebooks of De Piro as a University student.
De
Piro: sketches, drawings and paintings.
= These are original sketches and a
painting of Joseph De Piro as a young boy and until he started studying
for the priesthood.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Vokazzjoni.
= Two discernment exercises: one related to
his choice of vocation and the other one in order to decide whether to
go to the “Accademia Ecclesiastica”, Rome, or St Joseph’s, Malta.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Capranica.
= Documents related to the years Joseph De
Piro spent at the Capranica College, Rome (1898-1902).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Suddjakonat, Djakonat, Presbiterat.
=
Documents connected to the three Orders received by the Servant of God.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Sacerdozju.
= Material related to his ordination and
first solemn high mass, confessions permits and the mass registers.
Il-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De Piro: Korrispondenza,
I: Ittri lill-familjari.
=
Letters exchanged
between mother and son and between Joseph and his brother Guido, when
the Servant of God was in Rome for his studies (1898-I902).
Il-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De Piro: Korrispondenza,
II: Ittri mill-familjari.
=
Letters which Joseph
received from his mother, brothers, sisters and his brother in law,
Paolo, when he was in Rome.
Il-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De
Piro: Korrispondenza,
III: Ittri mill-iskola, mid-direttur spiritwali u mid-direttur ta’
San Guzepp.
=
Letters Joseph received
from various persons during his years of secondary education. In this
volume there are also letters Joseph received from Fr Emmanuel Vassallo,
the director of St Joseph’s, Malta, and from Fr Sammut sj, his spiritual
director, while he was at the Capranica in Rome (1898-1902) and in Davos
– Switzerland (1889-I904).
Il-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De Piro: Korrispondenza,
IV: Mixxellanea.
=
Letters to young Joseph
De Piro which cannot be included in the above three volumes.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Davos.
=
A few pages related to
the period De Piro spent in Switzerland (1902-1904) to be
cured of tuberculosis.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Qrendi.
= A
register with the masses said by the Servant of God during his stay in
this parish (1904-1907).
Mons Guzppi De Piro: Djarju.
=
Personal notes of De Piro himself from the time he started
studying for the priesthood until he clarified his ideas about the
nature of the Society he wanted to found. Almost each and every entry is
related to the Missionary Society. Years covered: 1898-1909.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Sindku Apostoliku OFM – Rabat.
=
Includes photocopied documents connected to De Piro’s administation of
the property of the Franciscan Minors Convent, Rabat, Malta.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Monsinjur u Dekan.
=
Mainly photocopies
of the acts of the Chapter of
the Cathedral where De Piro was canon and dean.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Kungress Ewkaristiku, 1913.
=
Letters related to the apponintment of Mgr Joseph De Piro as member of
the organising cmmittee of the International Eucharistic Congress, held
in Malta in 1913.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Sacerdoti Adoratori.
=
Documents related to the administration of this sodality.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Segretarju tal-Arcisqof Mawru Caruana.
=
This
includes only the letter of
appointment of Mgr. De Piro as secretary to Archbishop Mauro Caruana
(1915-1918).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Membru tal-Kummissjoni ghall-formazzjoni
tas-sacerdoti novelli.
= This
is made up of the letter of appointment of Mgr. De Piro as first member
of this Commission.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Rettur tas-Seminarju.
= Original documents and photocopies
related to the years 1918-1920, when Monsignor was rector of the Major
Seminary at Mdina, Malta.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro:Dekan.
=
Correspondence between Archbishop Peter Pace and Fr Joseph De Piro, re:
the latter’s nomination as Monsignor and dean of the Metropolitan
Chapter. Also, some documents related to the role of dean of the
Chapter.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Gudja.
= His
nomination as acting parish priest (July-August 1922). Also, information
about conflict between two parish parties.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Frangiskani tal-Qalb ta’ Gesu` - Sorijiet
tan-Nuzzo.
=
Correspondence between
the Servant of God and the administration of these two Maltese religious
female Congregations.
Dame di Carita’.
=
De Piro’s mother had
gathered around her some other ladies with the aim of preparing
vestments for poor churches. This file includes the rules and the
petition to Archbishop Mauro Caruana to start the Organisation.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Kumitat Specjali ta’ Konsultazzjoni dwar
ir-restawr tal-Knisja ta’ San Pawl – Rabat.
= The
minutes of the Committee set up by Archbishop Mauro Caruana in order to
study the possible restoration of the Rabat Parish Church, Malta. De
Piro was the president of this Committee.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Predikatur imheggeg tal-Kelma ta’ Alla. 3 vols.
=
Whole or parts of sermons written by Monsignor himself.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Politika.
=
Pages related to De Piro’s share in the National Assembly and its
Central Commission (1918-1921), the Sette Giugno riots (1919),
the conflict between Lord Gerard Strickland and the Church (1930), and
the Senate of the Third Maltese Parliament (1932-1933).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Unione Leoniana.
= A very few pages of documents related to
the statutes of this Unione and De Piro’s membership in the same.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Sptar Zammit Clapp.
= Containing mostly the nomination and
yearly confirmations of De Piro’s membership in the Committee of
Administration of this hospital.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Fra Diegu.
= The
documents related to Monsignor as director of this Institute
(1907-1933).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Istitut Gesu` Nazzarenu – Istitut San Frangisk ta’
Paula.
=
The documents which
witness to De Piro’s direction of these two ecclesiastical charitable
institutes and his efforts to help in the foundation of the Missionary
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth (1922-1933).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Institut ta’ San Guzepp (Malta).
= Documents related to De Piro as director
of this Institute (1922-1933).
Casa di San Giuseppe, Istituto Canco
Bonnici: Registro dei beni mobili ed immobili.
=
During the year 1926, De Piro, as director of St Joseph’s, Malta,
started registering all mobile and immobile property of the same Home.
Casa di San Giuseppe, Istituto Bonnici:
Piccola Cassa “A”.
= The petty income and expenditure of St
Joseph’s, Malta.
Registro delle Conferme nella Casa di San Giuseppe.
=
Register containing the names of boys who received the sacrament of
confirmation at St Joseph’s, Malta, the year when they were confirmed
and the names of parents and godfathers.
Casa di San Giuseppe: Registro degli esami per la conferma e prima
comunione.
= Register containing the names of
candidates for first holy communion or confirmation, their approval or
not, and date of approval or not.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Istitut ta’ San Guzepp (Ghawdex).
= Material related to Monsignor, as founder
and director of this Home (1925-1933).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Laboratorju tat-tfajliet.
= The
documents which show Monsignor’s efforts to create this Initiative in
favour of poor and abandoned young girls (1928-I931).
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Laboratorio Sacro Cuore di Gesu` - Cassa.
= Register containing the income and
expenditure of the Sacred Heart Laboratory.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Oratorju San Domenico Savio, Birkirkara.
=
A collection of
documents related to the history of the Oratory since its beginning
(1910-1933).
M.S.S.P. at the time of the Founder.
=
Documents and letters, to and from Monsignor, related to the various
moments of the history of the Society, until the death of the Founder
(1908-1933).
M.S.S.P. at the time of the Founder: Addenda.
= Same
as above.
Regole della Compagnia di S. Paolo. Fascicoli I-III.
= The Constitutions of the Society, written
by the Founder and approved by Mgr Mauro Caruana, Archbishop of Malta,
on 18 March 1924 (first two Fascicoli) and 5 October 1932 (the third
Fascicolo).
Atti del Consiglio del Pedro Preposto della Compagnia di San Paolo.
=
These are the official
acts of the first Council of the Society of St Paul. As assistants to
the Founder there were Fr. Michael Callus and Fr. Joseph Spiteri, both
of them members of the Society.Years
covered: 1927-1933.
Personal files.
=
Documents related to taking of habit, professions, courses, ordinations
and correspondence to or from the members of De Piro’s Society.
Missjoni Abbissinja: Korrispondenza (1927 – 1975),
I: Fra Guzepp lill-Fundatur.
= Letters written from Abyssinia by Br
Joseph Caruana to Mgr De Piro.
Missjoni Abbissinja: Korrispondenza (1927 – 1975),
II: Fra Guzepp lil ohrajn.
=
Letters written from
Abyssinia by Br Joseph Caruana to various other individuals.
Missjoni Abbissinja: Korrispondenza (1927 – 1975),
III: Ohrajn lil Mons G. De Piro.
=
Letters written from
Abyssinia to De Piro by several missionaries in Abyssinia.
Missjoni Abbissinja: Korrispondenza (1927 – 1975),
IV: Mixxellanea.
=
Letters written by
various persons to various individuals, re: Abyssinia mission.
Procura, Missione d’Abissinia - Libro
Cassa presso l’Economo Generale.
= Here one finds the income and
expenditure related to the Society’s mission in Abyssinia, for the years
1927 up to 1951.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Konferenzi lin-novizzi (1929-1930).
=
Conferences delivered by Mgr. De Piro to the novices during the
novitiate 1929-1930, held at St. Joseph’s Institute, Sta Venera, Malta,
as recorded by Br Jerome Gatt ssp.
San
Pawl: Almanacc ta l’Institut tal Missioni (1922-1936).
= A
yearly publication for missionary animation. Most probably De Piro was
not only the publisher but also the author of almost all the material of
the 1922-1933 editions. English translation by Fr Frans Ferriggi mssp.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Dar Sant’Agata.
=
Documents related to St Agatha’s Motherhouse (1898-1934).
Sant’Agata: Procura del Barone De Piro.
=
Documents related to the administration of St Agatha’s Church, Rabat.
Years: 1812 until it was given to Baron Joseph De Piro.
Conti, Chiesa di Sant’Agata.
=
Documents showing the passing on of the Church to the Society of St.
Paul.
Acquisto siti attigui a S. Agata –Rabat.
=
Documents showing the acquisition of land on which St. Agatha’s
Motherhouse was built.
Registro della Dispensa.
= In this petty cash book there were
recorded the income and expenditure of the first members for the years
1921 up to 1925 as regards cooking.
Spesa Giornaliera della Piccola Casa di
San Paolo.
= This cash book includes the petty income
and expenditure of the first nine years of the Society’s community.
Libro Cassa.
= Here one finds the petty income and
expenditure of the first members of the Society for the years 1923 up to
1941.
Educandato Santa Maria, Oratorio, B’Cara
– Registro Primo.
= The income and expenditure of the
Educandato Santa Maria from the year 1928 up to 1932.
Borsa di Studio affidata alla Vergine
Maria Assunta.
= Income for study burseries and its
investment in various kinds.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Appuntamenti Varji.
=
De Piro was asked to sit on
various committees and make part of many organizations, both
ecclesiastical and civil. e.g. Congregazione Degli Onorati, Casa San
Calcedonio per gli Ezercizi Spirituali, Camera Pontificia Maltese, Malta
War Memorial Hospital for Children, Comitato Pro Maltesi
Morti o Feriti il 7 o 8 guigno, Committee: Smyrna Refugees (1922),
Special Committee: British Empire Exhibition (1924), Tourist
Committee, etc., etc.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Apprezzamenti u Ringrazzjamenti lilu.
=
Short messages or
speeches with which the boys and girls of the ecclesiastical charitable
institutes, the seminarians, the members of his Society, etc., thanked
or expressed their appreciation to De Piro for services rendered by him.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Apprezzamenti u Ringrazzjamenti lilu – Addenda.
=
Same as above.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Testment Sigriet.
= The Servant of God made his testamentary
will on 8 February 1932.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Funeral.
Transportation of Remains of De Piro from the Addolorata Cemetery to
St. Agatha’s Motherhouse (1948).
=
Documents related to
these two occasions.
Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Trasport tal-fdalijiet (1948).
=
Documents related to the
transportation of the remains of the Servant of God from the Addolorata
Cemetry, the place where he was originally buried, to St Agatha’s
Motherhouse, the actual burialplace.
Miscellaneous.
=
All other
De Piro documents.
Other documents
Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God, Joseph De Piro: Diocesan
Process, Tribunal sessions “Ne Pereant Testes”.
Archbishop’s Curia 1987.
= The
sessions held during the year 1987 by the Diocesan Tribunal in order to
gather testimonies, ne pereant testes.
Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God, Joseph De Piro: Diocesan
Process. Archbishop’s
Curia, 7 October 1988 - 25 January 2003.
= The ordinary Tribunal sessions for the gathering of
testimonies about the Servant of God, Joseph De Piro.
Bonnici
E., Stat tal-Istituti u
tas-Socjeta` S. Pawl fil-mewt tieghu.
= A
report, written by Mgr Enrico Bonnici, the successor of De Piro in the
direction of the charitable institutes and the Society, about the state
of affairs of these institutes and the Society.
Sciberras
T., Taw xhieda fuq Mons
Guzeppi De Piro, vol I + Index.
=
Testimonies obtained from those who knew Monsignor directly (Gathered
during 1960s-1970s by Aloisius Aloisio and then edited and indexed by
T., Sciberras in 1986).
____,
Taw xhieda fuq Mons Guzeppi De Piro, vol II.
=
Other testimonies obtained from those who knew Monsignor directly
(Gathered during 1960s-1970s by Aloisius Aloisio and then edited and
indexed by T., Sciberras in 1991).
De Piro: Biographies
Bonnici
Al., Mons Guzeppi
De Piro (1877-1933), i:
Fundatur tas-Socjeta` Missjunarja ta’ San Pawl, Malta 1982.
____,
Mons Guzeppi De Piro (1877-1933),
ii: F’Kull Qasam
tal-Istorja ta’ Malta, Malta 1985.
____,
Giuseppe De Piro (1877-1933): Founder of the Missioanry Society of St
Paul, translated by Monica De Piro Nelson, Malta 1988.
De Piro: Short biographies
Bonnici Al., Mons Guzeppi De Piro: Fundatur tas-Socjeta`
Missjunarja ta’ San Pawl, Malta 1979.
____, Mons Guzeppi De Piro (1877-1933): Fundatur tas-Socjeta`
Missjunarja ta’ San Pawl, in Malta Kattolika fil-Hajja Mqallba
tas-Seklu XX, Malta 1979, pp. 22- 34 .
____, Mons Guzeppi De Piro, in
Taw Xhieda b’Ghemilhom, Malta 1984, pp. 91-102.
____, Mons Guzeppi De Piro, in
Maltin Xhieda tal-Evangelju, Malta 1986, pp. 67-78.
____, Mgr Joseph De Piro: Founder of the
Missionary Society of St Paul, in Civilization 35 (1987), pp.
962- 966.
____, Mgr Joseph De Piro: Genuine love towards everyone,
in Civilization 36 (1988), pp. 987- 991.
____, Mgr Joseph De Piro: A graphological analysis of a
personality, in Civilization 37 (1988), pp. 1022- 1023.
____, Mgr Joseph De Piro: A man of untiring energy, in
Civilization 38 (1988), pp. 1037- 1039.
____, Giuseppe De Piro (1877-1933): Fundador de la Sociedad de
San Pablo, translated by Antero W. Melendez C., Lima 1993.
Bonnici E., Chelmtejn fuq Mons. De Piro, Malta 1933.
Ciarlo` J. ─ Galea
M., Mons Guzeppi De Piro, in Qaddejja u Xhieda, Malta
2002, pp.32-34 .
Sciberras T., Missjunarju minn Pajjizu: Guzeppi De Piro,
Malta 2002.
____, Mons Guzeppi De Piro, Malta
2002.
s. n.,
Mons Can. Dec.Gius. dei Msi. De Piro: Il-Hajja u l-Opra,
Malta 1948.
s.n., Il-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De
Piro, Malta 1993.
s.n., Il-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De
Piro, in Sala ta’ Espozizzjoni Permanenti ta’ Dokumentazzjoni
Storika, Malta 1994, pp. 89-93.
s.n., Mgr Joseph De Piro: The nobleman
that served the poor, Australia s.a.
De Piro: Studies
Aloisio,
A., Nagharfu
lill-Fundatur.
=
Periodical publications about some aspect of the life and activity of
the Servant of God. For use by the members of the Society.
Cilia
M., The Missionary Spirit
of Joseph De Piro (Unpublished M.A. dissertation), All
Hallows Missionary College, Dublin,
2001.
Ferriggi
F., Twemminu f’Kitbietu, Sayings ta’ Mons G. De Piro,
i, Malta 1996.
Sciberras T.,
Mgr Joseph De Piro: A life of chastity, poverty and obedience
(Unpublished Licenciate dissertation), Gregorian University, Rome, 1981.
____, San Paul: Almanacc ta l’Istitut
tal Missioni, 1922-1936 – Indici analitiku, Malta 1986.
____,
The Virtues of the Servant of God, Joseph De Piro. Malta, 1987.
____,
Il-Hajja tal-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De Piro - Indici analitiku
tal-biografija miktuba minn Fr Alexander Bonnici OfmConv. Malta,
1993.
____,
Il-Hajja tal-Qaddej ta’ Alla, Guzeppi De Piro: Indici tal-ismijiet
tal-biografija miktuba minn Fr Alexander Bonnici OfmConv. Malta,
1993.
____,
The Servant of God, Joseph De Piro: A reconstruction of his life,
Malta 21995.
____,
Publications: Articles, etc. about De Piro published at some time
or other, in newspapers and periodicals, both local and foreign,
Malta 2001.
____,
Mgr Joseph De Piro, Original Constitutions of the Missionary
Society of St Paul. Text, Commentary and Analythical Index, Malta
2003.
Zammit Satariano M., The Handling of Pauline Texts by The
Servant of God, Joseph De Piro (Unpublished Licenciate
dissertation), University of Malta,1993.
Church Documents
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1841.
Codex Iuris Canonici, Vatican Edition 1929.
Vatican City, Annuario Pontificio 1933.
Pius
XI, Rerum Ecclesiae, Editrice Studium - Rome 1928.
Pius
XI,Twelve Encyclicals, London 1943.
Pius
XII, Atti e Discorsi, Rome 1950.
John
Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana,
1991.
Congregatio Pro Causis Sanctorum, Canonizationis Servi Dei
Pauli Manna, Positio Super Virtutibus (1872-1952), Rome 1985.
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Allamano (1851-1926), Positio Super Virtutibus, Rome 1986.
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____, Beatificationis et Canonizationis
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