John Consiglio writes:
Quiet, always deeply spiritual but also profoundly enthusiastic in all he did, a great intellectual and researcher, and, above all, a genuine Jesuit and educator, Fr Anton radiated peace and the love of God in all who worked with him or came into contact with him.
His demise leaves both the Company of Jesus and the history of Malta’s education with a great void.
He would engage with everyone with whom he came into contact, be they students, teachers, fellow religious and, above all, us parents, with a clarity, precision of goals and how to achieve them but, above all, gentleness, that all bore the hallmark of a really great man.
When the institution he loved and worked very hard for, St Aloysius College, was passing through what was possibly the darkest and most threatening months of its life, he was right there in the middle and at the head of the big movement that rallied strongly to save it. All the time he never uttered one single word of conflict at those who did not see the correctness of his and his helpers’ position. But even when adversaries threatened him with physical violence he stood firm but also kindly and gently so.
The number of people in whose lives and education Fr Anton was an unforgettable experience, in both Malta and abroad, is truly great. Indeed, he never stopped being a great priest, a unique educator and, above all, a kind counsellor.
He knew how to manage situations, institutions and people but he also knew the best part of management, that of delegating while remaining always both responsible and accountable.
He knew how to teach (ask the thousands of his ex-Sixth Formers in whom he imparted the correct use of language and love for Shakespeare) but he also knew how to counsel for life.
I am proud to have had the honour of working with him for some eight years on the PTA of St Aloysius College. But I am also always nostalgic when I read his researched, excellently written works, on the theatre, education history in Malta, the history of his beloved Company of Jesus and other areas of wisdom.
There are indeed many in Malta who will, like me, miss him very much.
After what he would probably have described as “a very good wicket” down here, he has now gone to meet the Risen Christ soon after Easter. I am sure he is now very happy there.