SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES – 52 & 53

 

Canon Dun Gwann Theuma

 An intelligent Senglean writing about his youth

                                                                                                                                                                     

        Canon Dun Gwann Theuma died buried during an air raid in his home in Victory Street on the 16th January 1941. His death was a great loss for Senglea. In 1935, in his earlier days as a priest, he worked a lot so that the first Parochial Councils could be set up. He was a good preacher and all Senglea was proud of him when he started teaching liturgy at the University of Malta. In the beginning of the war he evacuated to Balzan (not to Attard as erroneously stated in other writings). But he returned to Senglea and all of a sudden, while still in his prime, he lost his life together with his two brothers and two nephews.

 

     While writing about the life of Mons Salvin Grima, the founder of the ‘Home for the Clergy’ and the ‘Servants of the Tabernacle’, I encountered some information about Canon Theuma and so I am letting the people of Senglea know what was written about him. While Mons Salvin Grima was studying at the Scottish College in Rome, he was in the company of Dun Gwann Theuma, Dun Mikiel Azzopardi, the founder of the ‘Providence House for the Handicapped’ in Siggiewi; Dun Vincenz Azzopardi, a Canon from St Paul’s church in Valletta and Gorg Zammit (a lawyer and local poet and novel writer).

 

     On the 17th September 1934, the Rector of the Scottish College, Fr William Clapperton informed the Arch bishop Mawru Caruana and said that the College was looking into Canon Theuma’s case so that he could start a course in the Biblical Institute in Rome. The College was happy to accommodate Canon Theuma.

 

     By December 1934 an agreement had been reached and the scholastic year had already started. Zammit was not there yet. There were four Maltese students. The Arch bishop Caruana was ready to help in financing three of the students. They used to pay eighty pounds sterling per year to cover food, accommodation and college expenses. The Arch bishop was ready to pay ten pounds sterling per person. Canon Theuma said that his family was going to cover all the expenses necessary. This came out in his letter of the 5th December 1934.

 

     From this same letter we can conclude that he was nominated as Canon of the Collegiate of Senglea. So during the Christmas of that year he returned to Senglea to take up his appointment and become a Canon of the Collegiate of Senglea. He was allowed to come to Malta because the Institute was on holiday during the Christmas period but he had to be back in Rome by the first week of January 1935.

 

     On the 27th January 1936 the Rector Clapperton again wrote to the Arch bishop Caruana and told him that Canon Theuma was in good shape and doing well in his studies. With him there was also a certain Father Gauci. After six months, at the end of the Biblical course, the Arch bishop received Canon’s Theuma’s final results:

 

Quaestio Johannea: 8; Introductio in Isaiam: 8; Lingua Hebraica: 7.5; Archeologia Biblica: 9; Theologia Biblica: 7.5; Lingua Graeca: 8.15; Exegesis Veteris Testamenti: 8.75; Exegesis Novi Testamenti: 7.75; Exercitatio: 9. Final Result: Cum Laude.

 

     In those days marks were much lower than those as marked nowadays and therefore the results obtained by Canon Theuma showed that he had very good prospects. One must point out that the results obtained by the Maltese students were better than those obtained by their Scottish counterparts in this Roman College. Unfortunately, Malta, Senglea and the local church did not enjoy such talent but for some years only. The Lord though otherwise. But it is important that we remember those who came before us and who brought honour to our city.

SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES – 53

 

The ringing of bells in Senglea during funerals – as treated in a recourse of 1778 to the Curia of the Bishop

 

    The Parish Priest Dun Fortunat Vella died on the 8th January 1778. He had been parish priest since 1717 that is for sixty years. Dun Salv Bonnici (a distant relative of mine) was no long the Vicar Curate, as he had been since 1762, but on the 11th January 1778 he was appointed Parish priest and later on he became the first Arch priest. The Bishop of Malta, Giovanni-Carmine Pellerano, left the diocese never to return and Mons Dun Gejt Grech became the Vicar General and he had the responsibility to run the diocese.

 

     Dun Frangisk Mugliet, the Procurator of the Solidality of the Clergy of Senglea, once the new Parish priest Bonnici was appointed and he wrote to the Curia saying that the parish of Senglea should have clear directions on how the church bells should ring during funerals. The following is the best part of his recourse:

 

‘The parish church, for some time, had two bells which are larger than the other three bells which have been here for some time now. These three old bells are an honour to the church, the leader of the community, the parish priest, the clergy and the people of Senglea. It is time that some order is brought into the ringing of bells during funerals. These regulations are needed so that no undue problems can occur in the future’.

 

     The recourse was being made to Mons Dun Gejt Grech who was leading the diocese at that particular time. Mugliet continued:

 

‘We would like to have specific regulations on how the bells should be rung during funerals and that these regulations should hold for all time’.

 

     Mugliet did not keep in mind that a Bishop had the right to change regulations made by previous Bishops. He continued his recourse:

 

‘The larger bell, together with all the other bells should be rung during funerals of church leaders and the Parish priest as they are considered as if married to the church. The second largest bell should be rung for the funeral of the clergy who were members of the Solidality of the Clergy. For the other members of the clergy and for the laymen, we will abide by what decision you take in the name of the Bishop’.

 

     Mons Grech talked to Parish priest Bonnici on the day after his appointment as Parish priest that is on the 12th January 1778. In a matter of six weeks the local Curia issued the necessary regulations which we will look into in future articles.

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