George Preca

George Preca was born in Valletta on 12 February 1880[4] as the seventh of nine children of Vincent and Nathalie Ceravolo Preca.[5] His father was both a merchant and a health inspector.[6] He received his baptism on 17 February 1880 in the Church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo.[7] Preca was a frail child due to a range of illnesses he had and in 1885 almost drowned in the harbour though boatmen rescued him.[8]

In 1886, the family relocated to Ħamrun. He received both his First Communion at some stage in his childhood and then his Confirmation on 2 August 1888 in the Parish Church of St. Cajetan, Ħamrun.[7]

In 1897, while walking along with the Maglio Gardens in Floriana, Ġorġ Preca met one of his professors, Father Ercole Mompalao, who encouraged his religious vocation. Preca first studied at the state-owned school on the island before he commenced his studies for the priesthood; he had studied Latin and English but also studied Italian and received a prize in handwriting.[6] Shortly before his ordination, Preca was diagnosed with acute pulmonary tuberculosis and given a poor prognosis. He attributed his recovery to the intercession of Saint Joseph, patron of the dying, however, the illness left him with a damaged left lung.[9]

On 8 April 1905 his confessor Aloysius Galea died and Preca would often recount that not long after Galea seemingly appeared to him and encouraged his call to the priesthood. In his studies he began to write a rule in Latin for use in a planned religious movement for permanent deacons that he wished to establish but this desire subsided over time. The idea remained much on Preca's mind but he altered the idea after being ordained. Preca received his ordination to the priesthood alongside thirteen others on 22 December 1906 from Bishop Pietro Pace and he celebrated his first Mass on 25 December – Christmas – at the Saint Cajetan parish church in Ħamrun.[4] He was appointed assistant priest at St. Gaetano, and immediately devoted himself to teaching the youth.[8]

He began to teach the Catholic catechism along the waterfront to people, including labourers, and to gather male catechists including Ewgenju Borg around him.[7] In February 1907 he arranged a spiritual conference at the Ta' Nuzzo church; later meetings were held at 6 Fra Diegu Street. This led to the founding of a new religious movement on 7 March 1907 at Ħamrun at the first meeting of the Society of Christian Doctrine (known locally as M.U.S.E.U.M.).[10]

Senior clergy began to suspect that the rapid growth and popularity of Preca's movement could have heretical implications, especially as it involved so many of the low skilled and uneducated. The Vicar General, Mgr Salvatore Grech, issued an order in 1909 that all the "MUSEUM centres" should be closed. A protest by other parish priests led to the order being rescinded. Nevertheless, the new society continued to receive criticism in the press, and in 1916 Bishop Maurus Caruana opened a formal enquiry. This cleared the movement of any negative behaviour and paved the way in due course for ecclesiastical recognition of the Society of Christian Doctrine on 12 April 1932.

It was at the height of the crisis that Preca claimed to have received a powerful religious experience in 1910 one morning as he passed the Marsa Cross – triggered by a child aged twelve pushing a cart with a bag of manure who had shouted: "Lend me a hand!". Preca helped him and as he placed his hands on the cart he felt profound spiritual calmness and understood that he had experienced a revelation as the boy symbolized Christ and the wagon, the work of evangelizing.[8]

Preca became a Third Order Carmelite after being admitted on 21 July 1918, and made his profession on 26 September 1919 with the new religious name of "Franco". In the parishes, Preca established Nativity plays at Christmas time; a custom maintained to this day in almost all the parishes of Malta.[8]

In the 1950s Fr Preca himself sent six members of the Society to Australia to serve the Maltese who had emigrated to Melbourne.[10] As of 2016, there were 1,200 members serving in six countries.

Despite his ability in Italian and English, Preca taught and wrote in Maltese, the language of the common people, so that everyone could understand. He wrote about 150 booklets, pamphlets and leaflets.[10] To publish and spread his works, he obtained a printing press and founded in the 1920s what would become “Veritas Press”, one of the main Catholic publishing companies in Malta.

Throughout his pastoral mission he was a popular preacher and sought-after confessor.[6] Preca was named as a Monsignor after Pope Pius XII – on 2 October 1952 – named him a Privy Chamberlain, much to his mortification, and he held this title until the pope died in 1958. He never wore the vestments that the title entailed, nor did he ever claim the official document from the archbishop's office.[2]

Preca died in the evening of 26 July 1962. His funeral on 28 July was one of the largest funerals ever held in Malta and Bishop Emanuel Galea presided over it at the Saint Cajetan church.[6]

In 1957 Preca wrote five mysteries which he called the "Mysteries of Light" (il-Misteri tad-Dawl) which he said had been inspired by John 8:12: "The light of the world".[11][lower-alpha 1]

These were:

• After Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, he was led into the desert.
• Jesus reveals Himself as true God by word and by miracles.
• Jesus teaches the Beatitudes on the mountain.
• Jesus is transfigured on the mountain.
• Jesus has His Last Supper with the Apostles.

• Saint George Preca, patron saint archive

• Archdiocese of Malta - St George Preca Statue Unveiled
• The Times of Malta - President unveils St Gorg Preca monument in Australia
• Society of Christian Doctrine