Saintly people in Malta

I read with interest the series of articles in The Sunday Times by Giovanni Bonello entitled 'Maltese Forgotten Saints'.

In his introduction, Dr Bonello asked whether it is complete coincidence that five out of five Maltese 'saints' he has come across did not manifest their sanctity in Malta but did so only after leaving the island?

It appears Dr Bonello forgot Christ's saying 'Nemo propheta est in patria sua'. If no one can be regarded as a prophet in his own country, how else can we expect our people to consider anybody among us to be worthy of sainthood?

In fact we did have saintly people among us. According to Inquisitor Dusina, a girl from Għargħur had a vision of Our Lady who cured her from a serious disease and in thanksgiving she built the Church of St Mary called taż-Żellieqa.

The girl was still alive at the time of Dusina's visit. Another servant of God from this village was Bro. Dominic Mifsud (sixteenth century) whose portrait still hangs in the sacristy of Għargħur parish church. However, this holy man lived most of his life in Noto, Sicily. Bro. Dominic had prophesised about the Great Siege of Malta and the final victory of the Knights and the Maltese. How come he was overlooked by the author?

Has Dr Bonello ever heard of Girgor Buttigieg (known as Grejger) from Nadur in the 17th century? This holy man could see in that very instant what was happening in far off places.

Some holy men of Malta and Gozo were Capuchins, priests and lay brothers: Augustine from Valletta, Augustine from Żurrieq, Innocent Abdilla from Cospicua, Bro. Andrew of Zurrieq, Bro. Crispin from Gozo, Teresa Parlar, Fr Carmelo Decelis, Fr Alfred Gatt, Fr Joseph Schembri of Tal-Patroċinju, Fr Carmelo Cachia of Żebbuġ, and Carmela Grima of Ta' Pinu, among others.

Unfortunately, the holy deeds of such people are very often relegated to the realm of folklore as legends recounting extraordinary deeds that many incredulous people can hardly believe. Sr Geltruda Cumbo was not at all forgotten by Gozitans.

I have to mention Bro. Adrian of Castrogiovanni, a foreigner living in the Capuchins' Monastery of Floriana. So we can have saintly people living among us as long as we believe they are sincere and genuinely good people. However enigmatic it may be, probably many people think that foreigners are saintlier than locals.