Alfred Conti Borda writes:

Fabian Mangion gave a magnificent exposition of Fr Victor in the Times of Malta of July 3. However, I would like to add some more valid contributions for which Fr Jaccarini was responsible. His service was not only to the Jesuits whose ideal is to be ‘a person for others’, but he was also an expert in the field of zoology .

My first contact with Fr Victor was in the mid-1950s when I was a boarder at St Aloysius’ College, Birkirkara. During recreation, I preferred to walk round the then vast outer college grounds instead of playing football.

One day I met him at the Infetti ground (now the Birkirkara football pitch) and he noted my interest in observing caterpillars feeding on a plant. These turned out to be those of the beautiful Swallowtail butterflies. From that moment onwards he started to encourage me to be aware of the beauty of God’s wonderful gifts to us, namely the environment and all its living creatures.

Fr Jaccarini was well-known for his studies in marine biology. He was the forerunner of the first fish farms in Malta. In fact, in the early 1970s, he told me he was carrying out research on an edible fish called Tilapia at the marine station of the University of Malta at Fort San Luċjan. Although this type of fish was not commercially viable, his studies opened the door to the successful fish-farming in Malta of other species, mostly notably sea-bream, sea bass and tuna.

The Lord vested Fr Victor with the honour of looking after the spiritual needs of man, and in turn, he repaid his due by undertaking a serious and professional ­commitment on how God’s ­creatures could appropriately help mankind.