Canon Dun Guzepp Bonanno (1882 – 1942): The tenth Archpriest of Senglea        Guzepp Bonanno was born in Senglea on the 18th June 1882. In 1904 while he was still a sub deacon he was appointed Canon of the Collegiate of Senglea. He was ordained as a priest by Bishop Gaffiero on the 23rd December 1905. On the 21st June 1927 he became the tenth Arch priest of our parish. His first years as archpriest were marked by the litigations with the local Curia and the Holy See re the precedence problem.

      In 1930 Arch priest Bonanno commissioned the artist from Birkirkara Guzeppi Briffa to paint the ceiling of the choir with painting showing the victory obtained by the Maltese and the Knights of the Order of St John over the Turks in 1565. Briffa was also commissioned to paint and decorate the inside of the cupola where he painted the figures of St Anne with Baby Jesus and seven women of the Old Testament. These pieces of art were completed in 1937 but unfortunately did not last that long.

     Canon Dun Guzepp Bonanno was coming to the end of his time as Arch priest when on the 3rd September 1939 Britain and France declared war against Germany. It was the beginning of a very difficult period for our islands and Senglea in particular. On the 30th December 1939, Arch Bishop Caruana nominated Can Guzeppi Bonanno as Monsignor of the Cathedral. Mons Bonanno died at Mdina on the 5th January 1942 and was buried in the crypt of the Cathedral.

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