Emily Barbaro Sant writes:
A telephone call from Maria Zammit to inform me her aunt Sr Celina Hili passed away really saddened me and my family.
My late husband Arthur and I had known Sr Celina since 1962 when she was still Mother Superior of Lourdes Home of Mġarr, Gozo. We came to know her through Fr Alan Fenech who was then parish priest of Munxar. Through the course of conversation, he told us the Home, which housed about 40 children, mainly abandoned, relied completely on Divine Providence, the generosity (which never lacked), mostly in kind, of Gozitans and money collected by two elderly women at Kingsgate, Valletta. A few days later, my husband and I decided to pay a visit to the Lourdes Home where we were warmly greeted by Sr Ludovica Ferro OP, now at St Catherine’s Convent in Attard. After welcoming us, the Mother Superior showed us around and explained how hard it was for the Dominican community to make ends meet. She also mentioned financial help she received from friends and benefactors from overseas after sending various written appeals for help during the Christmas season.
During those years, the US Sixth Fleet entered Grand Harbour from time to time and used to donate all sorts of material help to various associations in Malta. To my husband’s inquiry whether the Lourdes Home ever benefited from anything, Sr Celina replied with a smile and a simple “No”.
On our return to Malta, my husband had a meeting with the US Ambassador and explained the situation of the Lourdes Home. The Ambassador was very concerned and duly furnished my husband with the necessary information to contact the next visiting ship’s captain and explain the needs of the Home.
Up till the time the US Sixth Fleet berthed in Malta, the Lourdes Home kept on benefitting from all sorts of stuff – food, stationery, books, disposable nappies, paint, wood, etc. You name it and they got it. During one of the fleet’s visits some crew members decorated the Lourdes Home, did some repairs and odd jobs that where needed. Another time, they supplied the Lourdes Home with full functional equipment for a playing field.
Sr Celina, who had attended child training courses abroad, eventually built new wings to house children of different ages in small units, very much like the ordinary family. She loved and was loved by all. During her time, the children were allowed to mix with the outside world by attending state schools, Cathecism classes and some of them also attended music and sewing classes.
When the Home was officially inaugurated in August 1968, my husband suggested to Sr Celina to invite VIPs. This proved to be a success as all kept helping the Home in one way or another in the following years.
The British High Commissioner accepted to accompany Prince Charles to visit the Home while in Gozo on an official visit. Another visit that was really welcomed by the older children of the Home (and also the community) was that of Italian singer Orietta Berti who was their favourite.
At the time, Orietta Berti did not have children of her own and asked permission to hold some of the babies in her arms. Obviously, permission was granted and the singer cried with joy. While there, she sang some of her popular songs, which everybody thoroughly enjoyed.
Way back in January 2001, I remember her calling me expressing her deep sorrow on being told the news of my husband’s passing away a week after it actually happened. She was very upset as she would have liked to come to Malta for the funeral. The sisters did not want to break the news to her when it happened. She was 82 at the time and already had heart problems.
Mutual respect never failed. The last time I visited her, about a month ago, at the Annunciation convent in Victoria, where she had been for the last 35 years, I felt something inside me telling me that was the last time we were able to embrace and kiss each other.
At the venerable age of 92, Sr Celina was called by her Eternal Father to receive her reward for the holy life she led and for all she did towards all those, children included, under her care. She was truly a holy woman!
May God grant her eternal rest.