On Monday 22nd December, Fr. Salvino Caruana passed away peacefully at Mater Dei Hospital, at the age of 75. Fr. Salvino had been hospitalized for several weeks due to health complications. Last June, together with Fr. Salvino, we celebrated 50 years of priestly ministry.
Fr. Salvino was born in Żabbar on 28 December 1949. From an early age he began his formation in the Augustinian family and in 1967 he began his novitiate at St. Augustine Priory in Gozo. A year later, on 16 October 1968, he made his first profession of Religious Vows. After a journey of formation, on 10 February 1973 he made his Solemn Profession in the Order of Saint Augustine and then received the Ordination to the Diaconate.
During the years of his ministry, Fr. Salvino served in various priories and also worked at St. Augustine’s College where he taught and even served as Rector. But the work that most characterized his ministry is his commitment to the academic field and particularly in Patristic Studies. For several years he engaged himself in research, writing and teaching at the University of Malta, at the Augustinian Institute as well as giving lectures in several other entities.
In fact, Fr. Salvino was still serving as director of the Augustinian Institute within the Maltese Augustinian Province. Over the years, he published a large number of books and translated several texts of Saint Augustine into the Maltese language. This is indeed an area in which he will leave a great void.
The Maltese Augustinian Province recommends his soul to your prayers.