Mass was said at Ghaxaq Parish Church today to recall Blessed Vicente Scicluna, a little-known priest of Maltese descent who was executed during the Spanish Civil War and beatified by Pope John Paul II.

Fr Scicluna's grandfather was born in Ghaxaq and emigrated to Spain, where he married Margarita Caruana Cappello, also of Maltese descent.

Fr Scicluna was born in Valencia in 1859 and ordained priest in 1884. In 1903 he was appointed parish priest of Navarres.

During the Spanish Civil War he and many other priests were the subject of abuse by Republicans. Betrayed while in hiding, he was arrested on September 22, 1936 and was shot by a firing squad a few days later - 73 years ao today.

He was beatified on March 11, 2001, along with another 73 martyrs killed in Valencia.

A number of Maltese from Ghaxaq were present for the ceremony, but the parish priest of Ghaxaq admitted this morning that he did not know if any of his distant relatives still lived in the village.

Mgr Philip Calleja, director of the Emigrants' Commission, said Blessed Fr Scicluna is considered as the co-patron of Maltese emigrants.

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