Last Tuesday, the 29th of June 2010, as the Catholic Church was celebrating the solemnity of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, a young Maltese man hailing from the island of Gozo was ordained a priest in Scotland. It was an important event which though unknown to many members of the Catholic community of the Maltese islands is now part of the history of the Catholic Church in Scotland and another important connection between the two countries.

Fr. Anthony George Caruana was born on the 22nd of February 1982, the son of renowned Gozitan painter Anthony Caruana of Xewkija and Stella nee Camilleri of Victoria. He attended the Victoria Primary School and began his theological studies at the Gozo Seminary. After his intermediary year which he spent in the Edinburgh archdiocese he continued his theological studies at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. He was ordained a deacon in April 2009 by Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow.

Fr. Caruana’s ordination to the priesthood was presided by Cardinal Archbishop Keith Patrick O’Brien at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, on the 29th of June 2010. The Ordination Mass began at 3.00pm and many priests of the archdiocese of Edinburgh & St Andrews concelebrated with the Cardinal. Among the concelebrants were Mgr.Carmelo Refalo, Archpriest of the Xaghra Parish in Gozo and Archpriest Emeritus Ewkarist Sultana. I also had the privilege of being one of the concelebrants. The following day, at St Mary’s Cathedral, Fr. Anthony celebrated his first Solemn High Mass at 6.00pm. Mgr. Robson, Chancellor of the archdiocese, delivered a very touching homily reflecting of the importance of the Catholic priesthood in today’s world. Various relatives of the newly-ordained priests and even friends from the island of Gozo were present for both occasions. Fr Anthony will begin his priestly ministry in the parish of Falkirk within the archdiocese of Edinburgh.

An interesting fact related with Fr Anthony’s ordination to the priesthood is that the last Maltese priest to be ordained in Scotland for a Scottish mission was another Caruana: Dom Maurus. Dom Maurus Caruana was ordained priest on the 14th of March 1891 in Fort Augustus where a Benedictine Abbey used to stand on the shores of Loch Ness. Dom Maurus was to become Abbot of this very abbey and later on – on the 22nd January 1915 – he was elected by the Holy See to succeed Mgr.Pietro Pace as Bishop of Malta and titular Archbishop of Rhodes.

From these columns, we wish Fr Anthony G. Caruana many more years spent in the service of the Lord!

Fr. Geoffrey G. Attard.

Photo shows newly ordained priest Fr. Anthony George Caruana seated to the left of Cardinal Archbishop Keith Patrick O’Brien.

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