Fr Alfred Calleja, Minister Provincial of the Maltese Franciscan Conventuals, called Fr George Attard OFM Conv. to Rome in October 2012 because a friar who was serving at St Peter’s Basilica as administer of the Sacrament of Reconciliation had fallen sick.

The Franciscans are among the main suppliers to the Apostolic Penitentiary. Fr George started his new ministry in Rome on October 8, 2012, taking on the role as a substitute for Fr Albert Sammut OFM Conv at the Vatican, as well as look after Fr Albert’s health.

Many changes also took place at the Vatican, Pope Benedict resigned and a new Pope was elected. As the reign of the new Pope started, the Minister General of the Friars Minor Conventuals, Fr Marco Tasca, presented the name of Fr George Attard to take the place of Fr Albert permanently.

At the beginning of April an approval reply from the Apostolic Penitentiary reached the General Curia asking Fr George to present himself at the Apostolic Penitentiary on the 8th of May.

Fr George sat for the exam with two others and passed, after having had just a month to go through the list of books he was presented with. Immediately afterwards, an oath of serving God and the Church took place at the Chapel of the Penitentiary itself. He is now living at the Collegio dei Penitenzieri in the Holy See’s Tribunal Palace.

Fr Attard, who hails from St George’s Parish in Victoria, Gozo, is now Minor Penitentiary – since only His Eminence the Cardinal is called Major Penitentiary – at the Vatican Basilica, where he will be serving for the coming years.

He is the first Gozitan to be entrusted with such a place. He administers the Sacrament of Reconciliation in English, Italian and Maltese. St George’s Parish wish him Ad multos annos.

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