Fr Joseph Saliba, O.Carm., was recently elected and confirmed as prior provincial of the Maltese Carmelite Province of St Elijah for the next three years. Fr Mark Attard, O.Carm., Fr Charlò Camilleri O.Carm., Fr Jürgen Cucciardi O.Carm., and Fr Anthony Cilia, O.Carm., were also elected and confirmed as provincial councillors.
The election took place at the 2018 provincial chapter held at the Carmelite’s ‘House of Prayer’ in Lunzjata, l/o Rabat, in the presence of prior general of the Carmelite Order Fr Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., and general councillor for Europe Fr John Keating, O.Carm. This year the Carmelite province is celebrating the 600th centenary of its presence in Malta.
Fr Saliba was born on March 24, 1955, to Saviour Saliba and Annie née Gatt and baptised at the basilica of St Helen in Birkirkara. He joined the Carmelite Order in July 1973. He took his simple profession at the hands of the provincial Fr Eugene Tonna, O.Carm., on September 9, 1976, at the basilica sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta. He later took his solemn profession at the hands of provincial Fr Manuel Gatt, O.Carm., on July 9, 1979, in the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Balluta. A year later, on July 6, 1980, he became a presbyter in this same parish church under Archbishop Joseph Mercieca.
He studied philosophy and theology at INSERM between 1973 and 1980. In 1980, he was sent to Rome where he continued to specialise his studies in spiritual theology at the Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum, from where he obtained his Licentiate in Theology in 1982. Back in Malta, he continued his studies at the University of Malta from where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1988.
Fr Saliba has served in several offices within the Maltese Carmelite province, including prior of the communities of Fleur-de-Lys and Santa Venera, provincial councillor, provincial secretary, provincial delegate for the Carmelite Tertiaries, director for promotion of vocations and youth work, editor of the periodical magazine Il-Karmelu, rector of Mt Carmel College, member of the formation team, and head formator of the pre-novices.
He was also the parish priest of the parishes of Fgura, Fleur-de-Lys, Santa Venera and Balluta. For a long time he was also secretary of the College of Parish Priests of the Maltese diocese and a representative of the province in the Presbyterial Council.