The chaplaincy of the German Catholic community in Malta is celebrating its 50th anniversary on October 30. On that day in 1966, the late Rev. Professor Maurice Eminyan, SJ, was appointed the first chaplain to this community.

The Church in Malta, realising the growing importance of tourism and foreign investment in the island, had decided to set up separate personal chaplaincies for the Italian, Spanish, French and German Catholic residents and tourists. The British and Greek communities’ chaplaincies had already been in existence for a number of years.

Fr John Sammut, chaplain to the German community in Malta since 2002.

The idea was for each community to have Sunday Mass and other religious services in their respective language. These include christenings, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Confessions and weddings.

The German, French, English and Filipino communities hold Sunday Masses in their respective languages at St Barbara’s church in Republic Street, Valletta.

Fr Eminyan served as chaplain to the German community for 34 years; he was followed by Fr Joe Sammut, assisted by Canon Dr Joseph Debono (who for some years now has been serving in the parish of Hamm in the Paderborn diocese of Germany) and, since 2002 by Fr John Sammut.

Fr Sammut praised the pioneering work of Fr Eminyan in this field — he complemented spiritual services with cultural, entertainment and other activities for the growing German-speaking community. Under Fr Eminyan’s supervision, a mixed choir was formed and performed during Mass and other occasions, especially at Christmastime. This choir was ably led by Marianne Buttigieg and later by Adrian Genovese.

Many of these cultural activities were held in collaboration with the German-Maltese Circle, which had been set up in 1962, and where Fr Eminyan served for some years as president. He also developed a close relationship with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and always invited incoming German ambassadors to dinner to meet members of the community.

On her visit to Malta in 2011 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, seen here with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, met Fr Sammut and members of the German community on the island.

Fr Sammut’s interest in Germany started quite by accident

The German Chaplaincy in Malta forms part of a network of 160 parishes in 100 countries, called Auslandssekretariat der Deutschen Bischoefe (German Bishops’ Conference) which provides priests, funding and advice to these communities.

The network also holds regional conferences every two years for priests to exchange experiences. These have twice been held in Malta. There are about 100 registered members of the community, including mixed Maltese-German families. Fr Sammut is helped by a pastoral committee (Kirchenvorstand) who helps him in liturgical services and social activities.

The services are sometimes carried out jointly with the St Andreas Evangelical Church (based at the Scots church in South Street, Valletta) on such occasions as the feast of St Martin (November 11) and St Nicholas (December 6).

At times this ecumenical activity includes a reflexion on the baptismal vows (Taufgedaechtnis) in the chapel on Comino and visits to the Seven Churches in Rabat on Maundy Thursday.  Every month members of the two communities meet to discuss religious and cultural themes.

Fr Sammut says the German community is generous and through their donations have financed the restoration in Maltese stone of the apse at St Barbara’s church. They also donated the keyboard and hymn books.

At a reception held at the German-Maltese Circle, marking the German chaplaincy’s silver anniversary in 1991. Fr Maurice Eminyan and Canon Joseph Debono are second and third from right.

Fr Sammut’s interest in Germany, its language and culture, started quite by accident when he dropped out of the BA course at the University of Malta; having time on his hands, he started learning German on his own while still at the Archbishop’s Seminary.  After his ordination he used to travel to Germany where he served as supply priest. He later decided to improve his German and obtained two German government scholarships to study at the Goethe Institute in Munich, where he graduated with a teaching diploma. For several years Fr Sammut was a registered German-speaking tourist guide. Thanks to this background, in 2002 he was chosen by Archbishop Mercieca as chaplain to the German community.

The community is marking its 50th anniversary with a concert at Palazzo Messina, in St Christopher Street, Valletta, home of the German-Maltese Circle, on October 29 (by invitation only), followed by a reception, in which an ensemble made up of Jose and Maria Garcia Conrad (French horn and violin), Giselle Grima (piano) and Ansgar Getcher (double bass) will play works by Corelli, Duvernoy, Humperdinck,  Johann Strauss and Gardel.

Archbishop Scicluna will celebrate a thanksgiving Mass at St Francis Church in Republic Street, Valletta, on Sunday, October 30, at 7 pm, during which the community will sing Schubert’s Mass.

For further information regarding the German Catholic community in Malta, call Fr John Sammut on 2142 0970 or e-mail german.chaplaincy@gmail.com.