1
West Street, Valletta
Situated on the western side of Valletta, West Street almost overlooks Marsamxett Harbour. In this street, a few metres away from the Carmelite Friary and the Anglican Cathedral of St Paul, in a house then numbered 53, George Preca was born on 12 February 1880, at 11.15 am, to Vincent, a sanitary inspector, and his wife Natalina Ceravolo. The Precas were a well-off middle class family with nine children and George, named after his paternal grandfather, was the seventh child. We are not sure if the photographed house is the same where the Founder was born.
Let us pray
O Lord, grant that we may spend our life in your sweet service, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
2
The Church of Our Lady of Pilar, Valletta
An imposing baroque church dedicated to Our Lady of Pilar whose devotion originated in Saragossa, Spain. The church was built to serve the adjoining Auberge d’Aragon. In the whereabouts, George, then a five year old and accompanied by Philomena, the family maid, met a young man in uniform who gave
him a golden watch. George was never able to account for this watch. When he grew up, he became convinced that it was the symbol of The Watch (the SDC book of prayers) and that the officer was none other than St Michael.
Let us pray
O Lord, grant that we ceaselessly raise our hearts towards you so that prayer eventually becomes our
life-giving breath, through Christ our Lord. Amen
3
The Church of St Dominic, Valletta
This church, built by the Dominicans and dedicated to Our Lady of Porto Salvo, is a sumptuous baroque temple adorned with many works of art. The painting on the ceiling and some of the titular paintings are of the renowned Giuseppe Calì who was baptised in this church. Here one finds an altar and a handsome statue of St Vincent Ferrer, the “prophet” of the MUSEUM Society. On 17 February 1880, in this parish church, the seventh offspring of the Preca family was baptised by the vice parish-priest Vincent Cousin. The child was given the names of George, Paul, Emmanuel, John and Pius.
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that we, who through our baptism have died to sin and rose to life, may live as true children of God, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
4
The Lyceum, Valletta
The Lyceum formed part of the Old University which, though formally instituted in 1769, owes its origins to the Jesuits and Bishop Gargallo (1578-1614). It is the oldest public secondary school in Malta and the cream of the Maltese intelligentia received its education there. George Preca was a Lyceum student from 1892 till 1896. During school breaks, the young George used to go down to the wharf in the Grand Harbour to teach cathecism to the Italian and Greek sailors.
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that your calls will receive generous response from young hearts so that they may bear fruit in abundance, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
5
The Jesuit Church, Valletta
This is the church of the Old University where graduations and religious functions were held. It takes its name from the Jesuits who for years administered the university. Here, on Sunday, 1 May 1932, Archbishop Dom Mauro Caruana, celebrated a thanksgiving mass to mark the canonical approval of the Society. It was a day of great joy for Fr Preca and the Members because after 25 years, the MUSEUM was approved by the Maltese Church. On that day, Fr Preca told Eugenio Borg, “Ìe©è, have you ever wondered what the Lord had in store for the Society!”
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that we may always live in a spirit of faithful submission and love towards our Holy Mother Church and be of service to its bishops, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
6
The Jesuit Oratory
This oratory, an annex to the Jesuit Church, is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Here, towards the end of January 1907, the young Fr Preca, just after confession, asked his confessor Fr Louis Attard whether he should proceed with his plans to teach young men so that they would in turn cathecize others. Fr Louis replied, “Proceed and make means.” This is exactly what Fr Preca did. If Fr Louis had advised him to do nothing, he would have refrained from doing anything.
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that we seek spiritual direction to discern the spirits that motivate us so as to fulfil God’s will always and in everything, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
7
The Greek Catholic Church, Valletta
This church meets the spiritual needs of the small Catholic community of the Greek Rite. Until 1530, this community had its church in Vittoriosa but, upon the building of the new city, it sought to have its church in Valletta. Destroyed during World War II, this church was subsequently rebuilt. Here one can find the crowned icon of Our Lady of Damascus brought from Rhodes by the Knights. Fr Preca, a great devotee of the said icon, was a frequent visitor to this church and delivered several sermons here. It is often said that Fr Preca, who knew Greek, carried out liturgical functions in the absence of the Papas.
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that we learn to imitate Mary, our Mother, so that through her example, we will dedicate our life to you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
8
The Archbishop’s Curia, Valletta
A magnificent palace in Archbishop’s Street. Until a few years ago it served as the Archbishop’s Curia. Here, most probably in 1909, Mons Salv Grech, the Vigar-General, ordered Fr Preca to close down the Centres of his Society. In 1916, when Archbishop Caruana ordered an investigation on the Society, Fr Preca, Eugenio Borg and Giannina Cutajar were summoned to the Curia to give evidence. This was a hard time for the Founder and the two Superior Generals.
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that we be always docile and obedient to the authority of those whom you have chosen to lead us to eternal pastures, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
9
St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta
This temple was built by Grand Master La Cassiere as the Conventual Church of the Order in the new city. Today it enjoys the status of a Co-Cathedral. It is dedicated to St John the Baptist, the patron saint of the Knights. Its most alluring features are the exquisite pavement which displays several funerary slabs and the magnificent vault frescoes painted by the Calabrian painter Fra Mattia Preti. Here, Fr Preca received his minor orders, his sub-diaconate (17 December, 1904), his diaconate (23 December, 1905) and finally Holy Orders (22 December, 1906) from the hands of Bishop Pace.
Let us Pray
O Lord, grant that all bishops be faithful to their ministry and ready to lay down their lives for their flock, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
