Between 15 and 17 January Fr. Luis Marin de San Martin, Assistant General of the Augustinian Order, paid a visit to our Malta Province. He is the Assistant General responsible for countries in Southern Europe i.e. Spain, Italy and Malta. He was recently re-appointed for a further six years by the Order’s General Council meeting held last September.

Fr. Luis Marin was accompanied by Fr. Enrique Martin who presently is responsible for the Order’s Novitiate for Southern Europe based in Pavia. He fulfilled his wish to see at first hand the work of the Augustinians in the Malta Province and to meet his fellow Augustinas here.

On Wednesday 15 January both visitors participated in a meeting with all local Augustinians. This included preparations for the Intermediary Provincial Assembly due to be held next April and which Fr. Luis Marin will be presiding. During the meeting, animated by Fr. Paul Chetcuti s.J., we discussed and discerned the choices open to us for the future.

At the end of the meeting Fr. Luis Marin had the opportunity to talk about and share some thoughts with us all. During a meeting which both visitors had with the Provincial Council, Fr. Enrique explained the current situation of the Novitiate and, along with Fr. Luis Marin further discussions were held on the situation and challenges faced by the Provence.

On Friday 3rd January 2020 a festschrift “Non laborat qui amat” honouring the Rev. Prof. Salvino Caruana OSA on the occassion of his 70th birthday was launched at St Augustine's College, Pietà.

This festschrift includes fifteen papers on St Augustine’s life, theology and philosophy. It has congratulatory messages by the late Cardinal Prospero Grech OSA, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Augustinian Prior-General Fr Alejandro Moral Antón OSA and the Prior-Provincial Fr Leslie Gatt OSA.

Rev. Dr Jonathan Farrugia, Rev. Prof. Hector Scerri and Mr Andre Debattista are the editors of “Non laborat qui amat”. Fr Salvino Caruana is a former Professor of Patristics within the Faculty of Theology of the University of Malta and the present Director of the Augustinian Institute (Malta). He joined the Order of St Augustine in 1968 and was ordained priest by Pope St Paul VI in 1975. He is the author of various books and monographs on St Augustine and Augustinian spirituality. Throughout his distinguished career, he oversaw the translation into Maltese of various works of St Augustine.

The book is divided into five themes; “Theology, Christology and Mariology,” “Anthropology”, “Christian Living”, “Augustine’s Conversion” and “Pastoral Application”.

On Wednesday 8 January Cardinal Grech’s corpse arrived in Malta. The funeral cortege started at 4.30 to Birgu where he was born and baptised. This was followed by prayers in the Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence. At 6 p.m. the cortege left Birgu and made its way to the Augustinian St Mark convent, Rabat.

The following morning, Thursday 9 January, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, Cardinal Grech’s corpse remained in the convent’s chapel which remained open for the public to pay their final respect. At 1.40 p.m., the coffin was taken to St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina and at 2 p.m. a Mass praestente cadavere was celebrated for the repose of the Cardinal’s soul. This was presided by H.E. Archbishop Charles J Scicluna together with Archbishop Alessandro D’Errico, Apostolic Nuncio for Malta; Bishop Mario Grech, Apostolic Administrator of the Gozo Diocese; Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi and Bishop Pawlu Darmanin, Emeritus Bishop of Garissa, Kenya.

The Augustinian Order was represented by Vicar General, Fr. Joseph Farrell together with Assistant General Fr. Edward Daleng. Prior Provincial Fr. Leslie Gatt, together with a number of other religious from the Province, represented the Malta Augustinian Province.

The congregation was led by the President of Malta, H.E. Dr George Vella. After the funeral Mass there was a private burial.