SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES – 69 & 70

 

The start of pastoral activity in the church of St Julians

 

     In the years just after the end of the Great Siege, Senglea was passing through a period of extreme poverty. The population was still very small and the city could not really function properly. Still even though the population was very scarce, our forefathers always felt the need of having a church, albeit a small one, where they could worship God and satisfy their spiritual needs. The only church in Senglea was that of St Julians. This small church showed the poor state of the city and it could not afford to have a full time priest. During this post Great Siege period there was a priest, Dun Erasmu, who used to act as rector of this church, but he could perform well his spiritual work because he was not a resident of our city.

 

     Mons Pietru Dusina during his apostolic visit to Malta, a visit which is of very historic importance, on the 19th February 1575 came to Senglea so that he could visit the church of St Julians. By than the city of Senglea still formed part of the parish of Vittoriosa and so the Parish priest of Vittoriosa, Dun Anton Vassallo, assisted Mons Dusina during his tour of our city. There was not much Dun Anton Vassallo could say about pastoral work being carryout out from this church apart from the fact that Mass was said every Sunday.

 

     The church of St Julians even though a poor church had all that was necessary so that Mass could be said there.

 

     The visitor Mons Dusina during his short visit to Senglea realised that something had to be done. He had a word with Dun Erasmu, the priest responsible for this church and asked him for exact information on how many homes and people there were in Senglea. We do not have a record of Dun Erasmu’s reply but we know that by 1615 there were about five hundred families in Senglea. From records of that period most of the people of Senglea lived in a very poor state, but we know for sure that by the time Senglea was made a parish the number of families was much lower than five hundred.

 

1575: the church of St Julians in Senglea was made Vice Parish

 

     Some people from Senglea on behalf of the other Christian residents of the city made heart and went to talk to Mons Dusina during his short apostolic stay on our islands. They expressed their sadness and said that they were not happy with the situation as it was. The distance to Vittoriosa, even though a short distance in an era when there was practically not transport, was a huge barrier to meet their ends. The lack of a priest was much felt especially when there were in need of receiving the sacraments.

 

     Mons Dusina understood their points and it was also clear that Dun Erasmus could not go and live in Senglea. So he told the delegation from Senglea that they should strive to look for a priest who was prepared to come and live in Senglea. They also had to get the Bishop’s approval for this request to be accepted. The people of Senglea realised that if they were going to have a priest permanently in their midst they had to be ready to support him so that he could live all the year round among them. Spiritually speaking they needed a priest not just to say Mass but also to administer the sacraments. Mons Dusina explained that the priest who was ready to go and live in Senglea had the right for his upkeep. The presence of a priest in Senglea would mean that the residents could have the Blessed Sacrament continually in their midst in the church of St Julians. The holy oils were also kept in a hole in the wall in this church but the residents had to make sure that the holy oil was kept under lock and key. In those days there were no Vice Parishes on the island. This was the first time in the history of the local church that a church was elevated to the title of Vice Parish even though the title as such was not used than.

 

     Notwithstanding the fact that the church of Senglea was elevated to the state of Vice Parish, Mons Dusina made it clear to the people that they still formed part of the parish of Vittoriosa and the sacrament of Baptism for the residents of Senglea could only be administered in Vittoriosa.

 

     After a short period of six years, Senglea was declared a parish, but still the church of St Julians was not considered good enough to serve the functions of a parish church. Senglea was a developing city growing continually and it deserved a better church as a parish. The church of St Julians had served its purpose and served as a temporary parish church but it was not good enough to serve the new purpose that is of a parish church, any longer.

 (This chapter taken from Volume I, pp. 47-51: L-Isla fi Grajjiet il-Bazilka Santwarju ta’ Marija Bambina)

 SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES - 70

 

Mons Ferdinando Mattei: an instrument in the hands of the British for the good of Malta

 

The greatest Senglean?

 

     It is rather difficult to say who can be considered as the most important citizen of Senglea ever. We can only look at people through our human eyes God looks at us differently. But reasoning as human beings the highest honour was bestowed on the Senglea Ferdinando Mattei when he was chosen to lead the diocese of Malta.

 

     A lot has been written about him and there is still a lot more to be said. While I was writing the history of Senglea I went through a lot of documents in Senglea and I also did lots of research in the archives of the diocese of Malta and those kept at the Vatican, up to than I had not seen the documents written by the British during their early days on our islands.

 

Wise enough during three eras

 

     The Knights of the Order of St John had very high regards of Mons Mattei in fact they appointed him as one of their Conventual’s Chaplains. Mons Mattei showed good sense during the turbulent time Malta went through in 1799. He did not make any accusations against the Knights even though there were many who made many accusations against the Order.

 

     Malta than went through the harsh days of the French occupation. Mons Mattei kept working on behalf of the Maltese without seeking any honours from the French, with whom he did not see eye to eye. Later on, during the time when Alexander Ball was the president of the provisional Government on behalf of the British Government, Ferdinando Matteri, together with his brother showed that they were ready to collaborate with the new government which was going to rule over our islands.

 

     Once the French were expelled from our islands the British soon started to look with favourable eyes on the Senglean Mattei who in 1801 was forty years of age. He was admired by the Civic Commissioners Sir Charles Cameron and Sir Alexander Ball. By 1803 Ferdinando Mattei was no longer a canon of the Collegiate of Senglea because he had been appointed as Monsignor of the Cathedral. It was the Bishop Labini who at that period was not feeling well because of age and sickness. He trusted nobody on the island as much as he trusted Mons Mattei.

 

Chosen to serve the Maltese

 

     Even before Bishop Labini proposed Mattei to Pope Pius VII as the next Bishop the British had already had him in mind for this post.

 

     A letter dated the 15th November 1803 written by Alexander Macaulay, the Secretary of Sir Alexander Ball showed in black and white the high esteem the British had of Mattei. He could be used as an instrument so that help could be given to the poor and the handicapped. The British wanted to give him a committee and by their blessing he could be able to help Maltese in need.

 

     This was a great honour for Senglea. One of its citizens was chosen to collaborate with the British Government to help the Maltese.

 

     This is the first time that this side of life of Ferdinando Mattei is being published. The documents are found in the National Archives of Malta at Rabat where up to 1969 there was the Santu Spirtu hospital.      

 

Hospices for the poor and the handicapped

 

     The year is 1803: Senglea was still under the jurisdiction of the jurors and led by a mayor. We have their names written down in documents but not known to all. Fortunately we have records that members of the clergy collaborated with the civil authorities so that social services could be provided to the poor people of Malta. Among these persons who were trying to help there were also some from Senglea.

 

     In those days the leader among these go doers was Mons Ferdinando Mattei a Senglean who brought honour to the city where he was born. Malta was not yet a colony of the British and Mons Mattei had not as yet been appointed Bishop of Pafo. The Order of St John expressed its wish to return to Malta but the British were determined not to let go of their hold on our islands. Malta still belonged to Spain because some years had to pass before it could completely pass into the hands of the British.

 

     During those transitional days Sir Alexander Ball had already pinpointed Mons Mattei as the person who could help him to try and help the many poor and handicapped persons in Malta and Gozo.

 

The plans of the British administration

 

     Mons Mattei knew pretty well the great needs of the poor and the extraordinary services the handicapped required, and so he was very happy when he received the letter from Alexander Macaulay who wrote on behalf of Sir Alexander Ball.

 

     This letter was written on the 15th November 1803 and we find it registered in the documents register called Nomina d’impieghi. In the early days of the British in Malta Italian was still the language used in correspondence. This letter is found documented in the National Archives of Rabat, Malta.

 

     Mattei appreciated a lot what Alexander Ball wrote in the letter sent by Macaulay, namely: The help to the poor cannot be put aside by the British Authorities. His Excellency the King’s Commissioner (Ball) has his eyes on homes for the poor and the handicapped.’

 

A committee set up to see to this issue

 

     Ball’s idea was to set up a committee with Mons Mattei as its president. The plan was set up a group of capable administrators who would see to it that they satisfy the people’s wishes and expectations in this regard.

 

     Mattei was informed by the Provisional Government that most of the funds were going to be provided by the British Government but they were expecting help from those who could give a helping hand locally. Mattei was encouraged to look for people who could help in this benefactor act of charity. So a committee was formed and it was called Kullegg.

 

     Actually there already was a committee to take care of these people. It was made up of a group of carpenters and stone masons but it was not functioning properly. Mons Mattei asked them to hand over any registers they had about their organisation. Work on this project had to start immediately and work without any undue haste. Mons Mattei was the sole representative of Sir Alexander Ball in this project so a statue had to be set up which than had to be approved by the Commissioner and the committee had to observe the regulations set up.

 

An honourable service

 

     In his letter Macaulay continued to say that Mons Mattei was going to be appointed as the president and administrator of the hospice for the poor. The British Government was sure that Mons Mattei would be honoured by such a nomination and they expected him to be true to his job and give a good service as expected of him.

 

     In these documents we find the names of the persons who were appointed with Mons Mattei to implement these plans. The other persons on the committee were: Canon Susano; the Juror Zammit; Pawlu Sciberras; Marquis Delicata; Marquis Gann-Anton Apap and Doctor Dimech.

 

     Mons Ferdinando Mattei did a thorough good job and Bishop Labini was proud of his work and appreciated the work he was doing in favour of so many unfortunate persons. In 1805 Mons Ferdinando Mattei was proposed to be elected as Bishop. On the 23rd December 1805 Pope Pius VIII appointed him as titular Bishop of Pafo and thus he could also help Bishop Labini in Malta. In 1807 the British Government proposed Mons Mattei as Bishop of Malta where they found a lot of opposition from Mons Frangisku-Saverju Caruana who did his best to be himself nominated as Bishop. On the 18th September 1807 Mons Mattei was elevated to Bishop of Malta and he was the first in a long line of Bishops who were all born in Malta.

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