SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES  1 & 2

         In olden days very few of our forefathers could read or write. We had no state schools. Whoever learnt anything always learnt it when he managed to get some lessons from a priest either on his own or in some organised group. Boys had a better chance to learn than girls. The latter stuck to their mothers’ aprons and were not given such opportunities to learn.

   Senglea educates its children

       In Malta, in times gone by, those lucky enough to be educated usually lived in the cities. In Senglea, we always had priests who were interested in educating the children, from a very long time ago.

      The beginning of Senglea goes back to just before the Great Siege of 1565. After the tragic siege, Senglea started slowly on the way to recovery. By the time it was declared a parish in 1581, it was easier to find priests willing to teach the children of the parish.

    Two classes

       The small church of St Julians became the first school in Senglea. In 1588, Dun Vincenz Caruana was asked by the Bishop Gargallo why and how come he took the initiative to educate the children. The priest answered that he was only acting out of Christian charity and could following this Christian teaching by helping the children with their education. He had a small school which catered for about twelve boys. So in fact the school was made up of only one class and he was the only teacher. After some time Dun Vincenz Caruana was appointed as the second parish priest of Senglea.

       At the same time, the vice parish priest of Senglea, Dun Bernardin Farnese, was also giving lessons in another part of our city. His class was made up of about twenty boys. The priests of the parish were doing their utmost to help the children to learn how to read and write so that they could become better citizens and therefore better Christians. This in turn would help them in the future and they would than be able to give good education to their children. Without doubt this was one of the best episodes in the very early days of the history of our city of Senglea.

                                                SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES - 2

       Nothing happens by chance. It was the will of God that Nikola Dingli and his wife Madalena, a rich couple, both born in Senglea, remained childless. So in 1794 they made a will in which they showed their desire that a large house they had on the Senglea marina be turned into a home for six female relatives who were old and had nobody to take care of them. Madalena had inherited this house from her parents. This premises was also bequeathed some income from various trusts with the Dingli couple set up.

   Ospizju Sant’Anna (St Anne’s Hospice)

       The administration of this home was left in the hands of the fratellanza tal-Kurciffis tal-Isla (the fraternity of the Crucifix of Senglea). The home, which was dedicated to St Anne, could not attain its full scope before the death of the Dingli couple so the first inmates were admitted in 1819. This home had a room which was converted into a chapel until in 1861, a new chapel was built. The new chapel was interconnected with the home and also had a separate entrance on the back street.

       The people admitted were not simply restricted only to relatives of the Dingli family but also to other old aged pensioners and handicapped people who had nobody to care for them. Nearly two hundred years have passed since this home was opened and only God knows know much material and spiritual aid was achieved by its residents. For over eighty years, the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart run this home. The home always had a procurator who took care of the administration side. The most noted procurators were Mons. Ignazju Panzavecchia and Canon Vincenz Camilleri.

   Dar Sant’Anna (St Anne Home)

      The building started to deteriorate as time went by but the need for the home never diminished. The old building was demolished in 1980 and in was replaced by a new building with all modern amenities possible. All this could be done because of the hard work and the dedication of the Curator Canon Vincenz Camilleri and the Arch Priest of Senglea Fr Gwann Sladden.

      The new house was reopened on the 30th June 1987. Now this home is taking old aged pensioners mainly from Senglea. It does not cater only for women, but also for men and couples. The number of residents it can take has been increased from six to about thirty. The Focolari Movement has replaced the Franciscan Sisters in the running of the house. The name of the house has been slightly changed from Ospizio Sant’Anna to Dar Sant’Anna.

       Senglea is proud of the help it is giving to its citizens. This service is given to those in need, and hence it is really an act of Christian charity.

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