Q: Apart from these tragic episodes hunger was also a big problem for the isolated Senglea. Actually there was not much bread in Malta but you had absolutely nothing in your city.

      A: There were times when I spent even three days without a bit of bread. I used to drink some water and find something and dip it into the water. In order to obtain some bread I pleaded with the Commission and his Assistant. They promised to help us but this help was not coming. So I wrote a letter and sent it by hand with Frangisku Fava from Senglea who was a Sergeant in the CID. I told him: ‘Please do me a big favour. Take this letter to the Governor so that he can provide us with some bread’. The Governor took personal interest in this matter and he sent us a small amount of bread. We did not have enough for all the residents of Senglea and I even had to give up my portion. I did not get any bread but on top of that, a person who did not get some bread, came arguing with me because he was left out.

      Q: Mons Brincat we all know what happened following the arrival of the Santa Marija Convoy. We also know about the decision you and your  Basilica Chapter took about the statues of Jesus Christ the Redeemer and that of Marija Bambina.

      A: The statues of Marija Bambina, of Jesus the Redeemer and a lot of our treasures were taken, with the help of the armed forces, out of Senglea for safe keeping. I personally accompanied the statues to Birkirkara. There I was welcomed by Canon Frangisk Abela who was the procurator of our church. The statues were accepted in Birkirkara’s church and were kept there with great devotion.

      Q: There was a period of time when against the advice of all the Chapter you saw that the time was ripe to return the statues back to Senglea. You decided to take the statues back to Senglea and it turned out a very memorable day.

      A: The Chapter met as usual at St Joseph Institute in Hamrun where we used to hold our meetings. It was 1943 and things had calmed down a little bit. There were persistent rumours that Italy was on the verge of surrendering. So I asked the Chapter whether it was the time that the feast should again be held in its rightful place in Senglea and not in another locality even though the locals made us very welcome and there were many refugees from Senglea. I used to take part in the feasts held at Birkirkara but had a great desire to hold the feast of 1943 in Senglea. The Chapter accepted that in September 1943 we will celebrate the feast of Marija Bambina in Senglea. I insisted that the statue would also be carried out in procession that year but they did not agree. I had a promotion and felt in my heart of hearts that Our Lady would not let me down. I told them: ‘You know that your vote is just a consultative vote in this matter. Do you find any objection if I were to take the full responsibility for this decision?’ They told me that if I were to be fully responsible than it was up to me to decide and so I said that I wanted the statue to be part of the feast of Our Lady on the 8^th September 1943. In fact the statue was taken to Senglea in a private way. We put it in a chapel so that on the eve of the feast we can give start to the celebrations. On the day of the feast, the 8^th September 1943, most of the people of Malta were in Senglea. For this solemn occasion I invited the Provost of Birkirkara and the Parish Priests of the parishes of Paola and of Tarxien for the procession. The three of them and I together held the ‘fiocco’ (tassels) because the statue is a crowned statue. These tassels represented a sort of bodyguard of the crowned statue. During the procession we had the great consolation of hearing the good news we had all been praying for and very eager to hear. While the procession was going through Senglea’s marina the sirens of the ships started to wail and we were told that Italy had surrendered. Once the procession was over I went up the pulpit at the church of St Philip and gave the good news to the congregation present. We than all sang the Te Deum.

(This interview was made with Mons Brincat on TV)