A Maltese priest, Fr Carmel Mercieca, who spent the last 50 years of his life doing missionary work in Brazil, died yesterday of prostate cancer.

Born in Qormi in 1937, Fr Mercieca was the eldest of eight children, four of whom dedicated their lives to the Church. He entered the Seminary at the age of 18 and in 1961 accepted the challenge to work in the diocese of Londrina, Brazil. In Curitiba, also in Brazil, he read theology for four years and was ordained priest by in 1965.

One year later, he was sent to Nossa Senhora das Graças, one of the remotest parishes in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná where, for 10 years, he showed many young people God’s ways while teaching them practical professions, such as carpentry and farming.

For the past 30 years, Fr Mercieca worked in President Prudente, a socially problematic south western region of the state of São Paulo until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year.

His funeral will be held today.