Edward and Anita Tagliaferro write:
Filippa Tanti was born in April 1917 in Żebbuġ. She started her career as a teacher in government schools and was the breadwinner of her family.
In fact, she waited until the age of 26 to join the Sisters of Charity. She became known as Sr Maria Laura and served in various schools and institutes of the order in Malta and in London. For a time she helped the novices of the province in their studies.
Sr Laura was one of the first people in Malta to qualify as a social worker. She founded the St Jeanne Antide Welfare Campaign with the motto ‘All the world is my parish’. For 36 years she led a small team of volunteers to seek out and help the poorest of the poor in Malta.
With the cooperation of heads of primary schools and teachers, she collected van-loads of foodstuffs from Maltese and Gozitan students. This made it possible for her to present a large hamper to needy families every Christmas.
Through tireless fundraising activities and the generous contributions from various confectionaries, she could organise modest weddings for orphan girls (this included a good part of the dowry), help numerous Maltese missionaries to build schools, churches and clinics and give financial assistance to people needing medical treatment abroad.
Sr Laura also provided families with items of furniture and other basic necessities to transform their houses into decent, habitable homes. She was also instrumental in finding good homes for orphans.
She offered free counselling services, paid regular visits to sick or aged people in their homes or in various institutes and was often invited to give lectures of a spiritual or social nature.
For this lifetime service to the poor, which Sr Laura carried out up to a ripe old age, she received the Active Senior Citizen award. Her work received high acclaim also from Archbishop Michael Gonzi, Prime Minister Dom Mintoff and the Knights Hospitallers.
Sr Laura’s love, kindness and concern for the poor were predominant factors in her daily life. These qualities rubbed off on all those who came in contact with her. This is her legacy to us. We will always remember her as a shining example and a true witness of our faith.
We consider ourselves privileged for having been Sr Laura’s helpers for quite a number of years. Through her altruism, we learnt what it really means to be ‘a person for others’.
Sr Laura passed away on May 16 at the age of 98. In the homily of her funeral Mass, Fr Salvinu Micallef said: “The short biography of Sr Maria Laura, read by Sr Teresa, was only an index of the volumes of works achieved by her.
“One may present himself at St Peter’s gates with a suitcase full of good deeds performed in this world. I’m sure Sr Laura had to take a whole container full of suitcases!”
May she rest in peace.