From time to time exemplary priests leave their mark on the particular Church to which they belong and on their society. In Malta, one such priest is Fr Alfred Gatt (1873-1937).

This priest, born and bred in Valletta where his whole ministry was focused, left his mark by the simplicity and silence of a ministry exercised in the confessional, in being available for those who walked his way, pointing them towards the face of the Beloved, which we are called to see in each other and which Fr Gatt clearly saw in the people that came to him.

As all holy people, he was misunderstood; unaccepted by some, hailed as a hero by others.

He held all the sufferings he endured and the sufferings of those who came to him in prayer and united them with the sufferings of the Lord.

Although some might want to dismiss the devotions he fostered as out of date, I believe that, keeping focused on the face of the Lord visible in the eyes of those who suffer and are marginalised is the real way forward, the only way to true freedom, the freedom that he enabled people to achieve through confession.

For both the particular Church in Malta and the Universal Church, he is an example of the urgent need of being available. This availability of Fr Gatt was pointed out to me by that gentleman, Ġużè Cardona, as a mark of true holiness and nearness to the Lord. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of Dun Alfred’s demise I trust that his joyful example will continue to inspire us.