With the Saints through Christmas (39): 2 February 2022, Simeon and Anna

‘The Presentation in the Temple’ … a window by James Watson in the Church of the Holy Rosary, Murroe, Co Limerick (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

Today looks like being a busy day. Although I am still in Dublin after a dental appointment and another consultation yesterday, I have a lot to catch up on. But, before this busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation today (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

Today (2 February 2022) is the Feast of the Presentation, the closing great feast of the Christmas season, and this morning I am reflecting on Simeon and Anna, who are two key figures – and not marginal figures – in this story, which is unique to Saint Luke’s Gospel.

A detail of Harry Clarke’s ‘Presentation Window’ in Saint Flannan’s Church, Killaloe, Co Clare (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

According to one Orthodox tradition, Simeon was one of the 72 translators of the Septuagint. As he hesitates on the translation of Isaiah 7: 14 (LXX: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive’) and contemplates correction to γυνή (‘woman;), an angel appears to him and tells him that he is not going to die until he has seen the Christ born of a virgin. This makes him well over 200 years old at the time of the meeting described by Saint Luke, and miraculously long-lived.

Simeon and Anna have been ‘waiting for consolation’ (Luke 2: 25). Simeon is righteous and devout. Luke assigns Anna a place among the prophets (v. 36). Both are very old: Simeon knows he is near the end of days; Anna is 84, well beyond the life expectancy of the time. They are reaching the end of their days when they recognise the Christ Child is in their presence in the Temple.

Saint Luke introduces Simeon with a word (προσδεχόμενος, prosdechomenos) that is normally translated as ‘waiting’ (see Mark 15: 43; Luke 12: 36, 15: 2, 23: 51). But it could also be rendered as ‘ready to receive to oneself.’ The term expresses an eagerness to welcome. In other words, Simeon’s waiting is not so much endurance as active anticipation; he has been counting the days until God reveals what he has promised to him personally.

As Simeon gazes into eyes of the Christ Child, he knows ‘God is with us,’ that ‘God with me.’

Simeon’s name is derived from a word that means ‘to hear intelligently.’ He listens deliberately listening to the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit rests on him, the Holy Spirit reveals things to him, and the Holy Spirit moves him.

The result of Simeon’s listening is one of the most tender moments in Scripture: Simeon enters the Temple to find the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph with their new-born child. He has the distinction of being the only person in the Bible who we is explicitly told held the Christ Child in his arms, and in almost Eucharistic-like movement, he takes the body of Christ in his hands. Any inner disquiet is calmed by Christ, and his soul is at rest.

Anna too has been in God’s presence for decades. She is a member of the tribe of Asher, and she turns her grief as a young widow into a life of prayer, waiting on the Lord day-by-day. For her, the sheer existence of the Christ Child is the only evidence she needs to recognise God’s redemptive work. A baby who cannot even walk becomes the focal point of her praise.

Anna makes a point of talking about Christ to all who were waiting for redemption. Again, Saint Luke returns to the word prosdechomenos. The countless crowds Anna tells about Jesus are marked by that same readiness to receive. As in the feeding of the 5,000, the gospel always multiplies itself to fill the hungry crowds with more left to spare. God’s comfort is intended to reach ever outward.

Anna did not wait for Christ’s life to unfold, still less for his Passion, Death and Resurrection, to spread the word.

Simeon’s body is said to have been moved between the years 565 and 578 from Syria or Jerusalem to Constantinople. Sometime around the Siege of Constantinople in 1203, the relics were seized and shipped to Venice, but ended up in the port of Zadar on the Dalmatian coast, where his feast day is celebrated on 8 October. In October 2010, Archbishop Želimir Puljić of Zadar sent a small silver reliquary containing some of Simeon’s relics to Archbishop Theofylactus of Jordan, representing Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, for the monastery of Saint Simeon the Godbearer in Jerusalem. The Chiesa di San Simeon Grande in Venice also claims to have his relics.

The Presentation in the Temple, carved on a panel on a triptych in the Lady Chapel, Lichfield Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford/Lichfield Gazette)

Luke 2: 22-40 (NRSVA):

22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’

33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (2 February 2022) invites us to pray:

Radiant God, we thank you for bringing light into the world through Jesus. May we be redeemed by you.

Yesterday: Saint Brigid of Kildare

Series Concluded; tomorrow’s reflection

The Presentation or Candlemas … a stained glass window in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

With the Saints through Christmas (38): 1 February 2022, Saint Brigid of Kildare

Saint Brigid of Kildare … a modern icon

Patrick Comerford

Today looks like being a busy day. I have travelled to Dublin for a dental appointment later in the day. But, before this busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation tomorrow (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

Today (1 February 2022) is the Feast Day of Saint Brigid, one of the three patrons of Ireland – alongside Saint Patrick and Saint Columba – and the patron of the Diocese of Kildare.

Saint Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Traditionally, Irish people regard 1 February, the feast of Saint Brigid of Kildare, as the first day of Spring. There is a saying that Irish people start using at this time of the year: ‘There’s a grand stretch in the evening.’

Saint Brigid is a much-neglected saint in the Church of Ireland, although she is one of the three patrons of Ireland, alongside Saint Patrick and Saint Columba, and she gives her name to Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare.

If that neglect of Saint Brigid in the Church of Ireland is a response to some of the ‘new age’ myths and fantasies that have been created around her life and story, then the Post-Communion prayer for today invites us ‘to lay aside all foolishness and to live and walk in the way of insight.’

Three relevant points about Saint Brigid are worth considering on Saint Brigid’s Day:

1, Firstly, there is a lot of legend, a lot of myth, and a lot of ‘New Age’ style writing about Saint Brigid. But, in fact, we know very little about her. Some stories say she was baptised by Saint Patrick. She may have taken her vows as a nun from Saint Mel of Ardagh, who also gave her the authority of an abbot. Some legends say he made her a bishop – the only female bishop in the early church. But whether she was a bishop or not, what we know of her makes her a good model for those who would be shepherds and pastors in the church.

Saint Brigid was buried in Kildare Cathedral, but then, about the year 878, because of the Viking raids, her relics were taken to Downpatrick, where she was buried alongside Saint Patrick and Saint Columba, and they were reinterred in Downpatrick Cathedral in 1186.

The Book of Armagh claims that ‘between Patrick and Brigid, the columns of the Irish, there was so great a friendship of charity that they had but one heart and one mind. Through him and through her Christ performed many miracles.’

But the legendary nature of most of the accounts of her life means there is little we can say with certainty about her life. The earliest Latin ‘life’ of Saint Brigid was written around the year 800, so we can hardly regard it as a primary source.

However, if we confine Brigid to the shelves of ‘New Age’ books in airport shops and supermarkets, alongside crystal healing and Bigfoot, we take from Irish spirituality an interesting role model for women’s ministry.

2, Secondly, Brigid is not marginal: her legacy is part of our shared Irish cultural heritage. Hundreds of placenames in Ireland and Scotland honour her memory – places such as Kilbride, Brideswell, Tubberbride, Templebride, and so on. Several places in Wales are named Llansantaffraid, which means ‘Saint Bride’s Church.’ And in England, there are 19 ancient church dedications to her, including Saint Bride’s, the journalists’ church in Fleet Street, and Bridewell or Saint Bride’s Well, the parish in which Saint Thomas à Becket was born.

Her small foundation in Kildare became a centre of religion and learning that developed into a cathedral city. According to Giraldus Cambrensis, nothing he had seen ever compared with the Book of Kildare, every page of it was so beautifully illuminated. He says the interlaced work and the harmony of the colours left the impression that ‘all this is the work of angelic, and not human skill.’ Various Continental pre-Reformation breviaries commemorate Saint Brigid, and her name is included in a litany in the Stowe Missal.

But the rich insights of the monasteries are not only for men, nor for one tradition on this island; they are part of our shared, common Christian heritage, from long before the Reformation.

3, Thirdly, Saint Brigid is an interesting role model for the full place of women in the ministry and mission of the Church. From the sources for her life, we can see that – despite the legends and the myths – Brigid was celebrated for many reasons:

● She converted to Christianity at great personal cost, giving away her personal and inherited wealth.
● At a young age, she gave her life to God, choosing to serve God and to serve the poor.
● She balanced wisdom and common sense – something most of us find lacking in equal measure, most of the time.
● She was a spiritual guide to both men and women.
● She is known for her humility.
● She served the wider church as the main pastoral figure in a large geographical area.
● She built the church, laying both the physical and mission foundations.
● She was one of those Celtic saints who insisted that a vital component of the spiritual life is having a soul friend (anam cara).

More than anything else, though, Saint Brigid is known for her hospitality. When the poor and the infirm came to her in their multitudes, she provided for them, tending to the poor, the lowly and the forgotten, living out the Beatitudes in her daily life. She saw that the needs of the body and the needs of the spirit are inter-twined. And that to me is good enough reason to remember Saint Brigid this morning.

Saint Brigid depicted in a window in Saint John the Baptist Church, Kilcornan, Co Limerick (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

John 10: 7-16 (NRSVA):

7 So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.’

The west window in Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, is dedicated to the three patrons of Ireland – Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and Saint Columba – and is a memorial to Archbishop Edward Benson of Canterbury (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (1 February 2022) invites us to pray:

Let us pray for the Anglican Council in Malawi and their newly launched Church and Community programme.

Yesterday: Bishop Charles Mackenzie

Tomorrow: Simeon and Anna

Saint Brigid’s Well, off the road between Kilcornan and Stonehall, Co Limerick (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

With the Saints through Christmas (37): 31 January 2022, Bishop Charles Mackenzie

Bishop Charles Mackenzie, a key missionary figure in what has become the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG)

Patrick Comerford

Today looks like being another busy day, with a school assembly talk later this morning, and then travelling to Dublin later in the day for a dental appointment tomorrow. But, before this day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation, on Wednesday (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This day in the Calendar of the Church of England and many other member churches of the Anglican Communion recalls Bishop Charles Mackenzie, a key missionary figure in what has become the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG).

Charles Frederick Frazier Mackenzie (1825-1862) was a Scottish-born Anglican bishop, and the first bishop in the British colonial territory of Central Africa.

He was born on 10 April 1825, at Portmore, Peeblesshire,in Scotland, the ninth son of Colin Mackenzie and Elizabeth Forbes. He was a brother of Anne Mackenzie, editor of The Net Cast in Many Waters: Sketches from the Life of Missionaries, London, 1866-1896.

He was educated at Bishop Wearmouth school and Edinburgh Academy, and entered Saint John’s College, Cambridge in 1844. He moved to Gonville and Caius College, where he graduated BA in 1848, and became a Fellow of Caius.

He was ordained priest in 1852 and was a curate in Haslingfield, near Cambridge (1851-1854). He went to Natal in South Africa with Bishop John Colenso in 1855, and there he served as Archdeacon of Natal. Mackenzie aroused opposition among the English settlers by agreeing with the bishop to wear a surplice and sharing Colenso’s demand that African Christians share full equality with white Christians in all Church affairs.

Illness forced Mackenzie to return to England briefly in 1859, and he used his time there to raise support for mission work.

Mackenzie became head of the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa in 1860. UMCA was founded as a missionary society three years earlier by Anglicans in the universities of Cambridge, Dublin and Oxford. It was firmly in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, and the first to devolve authority to a bishop in the field rather than to a home committee. It was founded in response to a plea by David Livingstone, and the society established mission stations that became the bishoprics of Zanzibar and Nyasaland (now Malawi), and pioneered the training of black African priests.

Mackenzie was consecrated bishop in Saint George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, on New Year’s Day, 1 January 1861. Following David Livingstone’s request to Cambridge, Mackenzie took on the position of being the first missionary bishop in Nyasaland, now Malawi. At the time, he was known as the time (Missionary) Bishop in Central Africa.

Mackenzie moved from Cape Town, and sailed with Livingstone up the Zambezi and Shire rivers with a small group, including Horace Waller, to start work. He arrived at Chibisa’s village in June 1861 with the aim of setting up a mission station at Magomero, near Zomba, while Livingstone continued with his expedition.

Mackenzie worked for a year in the Manganja tribal territory, despite constant illness, breakdowns in communications and supply lines, and local tribal warfare. His direct opposition to the slave trade incurred the enmity of the Yao.

He worked among the people of the Manganja country until January 1862, when he went on a supplies trip with a few members of his party. The boat they were travelling on sank in the Shire River and their medical supplies were lost. Mackenzie’s malaria could not be treated, and he died of Blackwater fever on this day 160 years ago, 31 January 1862, on Malo Island in Portuguese East Africa.

He was buried at Chiromo. Livingstone erected a cross over his grave a year later.

UMCA marked its centenary in 1957 within the context of decolonisation. By then, UMCA was collaborating increasingly with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG). The two society’s merged in 1965, becoming USPG. USPG celebrated UMCA’s 150th anniversary in 2007, emphasising the continuing importance of global fellowship and mission.

Mark 5: 1-10 (NRSVA):

1 They came to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ 8 For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ 9 Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17 Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But Jesus refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (31 January 2022, Charles Mackenzie) invites us to pray:

Today we give thanks for the life of Charles Mackenzie, and his work as leader of the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa and Missionary Bishop of Central Africa.

Yesterday: Charles King and Martyr

Tomorrow: Saint Brigid

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

Bishop Charles Mackenziedied on 31 January 1862 he is a key figure in the history of USPG

With the Saints through Christmas (35): 29 January 2022, Saint Dominic

The Basilica of Saint Dominic, also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Fair Havens and Saint Dominic, is one of the three parish churches in Valletta (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Malta last week, and in Valletta it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint.

Before a busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation, next Wednesday (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Malta, which I visited last week. This morning I am reflecting on the Basilica of Saint Dominic, also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Fair Havens and Saint Dominic.

Saint Dominic (1170-1221), was a Castilian priest and founder of the Dominican Order. He is the patron saint of astronomers, and his feast day is 8 August. Another great Dominican saint, Saint Thomas Aquinas, was commemorated in the Church Calendar yesterday (28 January 2022).

The Basilica of Saint Dominic in Valletta, also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Fair Havens and Saint Dominic, is one of the three parish churches in the Maltese capital. It is administered by the Dominican Order whose convent is behind the church.

The land the church and convent are built on weas given to the Dominicans by the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John or the Knights of Malta, Pierre de Monte. The architect Girolamo Cassar was commissioned to draw up the plans. The first stone was laid on 19 April 1571.

The parish was formed on 2 July 1571 by a decree from Pope Pius V, considered as the benefactor of the construction of Valletta. It was dedicated to Our Lady of Fair Havens because of the large number of sailors who went to the small chapel built by the Dominicans before building the large church to thank the Virgin Mary for their safe return to harbour after long and dangerous sea voyages.

The papal decree also declared that the parish of Saint Dominic would be the principal parish church of the city.

The church was closed and declared unsafe on 24 July 1780 after it was damaged by earthquakes and severe storms. A new church was built on the same site of the original church 25 years after it was closed.

The new church was opened and blessed on 15 May 1815. The church was given the status of a minor basilica on 25 March 1816. The church was finally consecrated on 15 October 1889 by Archbishop Pietro Pace.

The wooden altar candle holders were stolen from the church, but were found online when their new owner tried to sell them.

The church is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

Saint Dominic (1170-1221) … a statue outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Fair Havens and Saint Dominic in Valletta (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Mark 4: 35-41 (NRSVA):

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’

The new church opened in 1815, became a minor basilica in 1816, and was consecrated in 1889 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (29 January 2022) invites us to pray:

We pray for peace and reconciliation worldwide, and an end to religious conflict.

Yesterday: Saint Paul’s Shipwreck, Valletta

Tomorrow: Charles King and Martyr

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

With the Saints through Christmas (34): 28 January 2022, Saint Paul’s Shipwreck, Valletta

The Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is one of the oldest churches in Valletta (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Malta last week, and in Valletta it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint.

I am back from Birmingham and returning to Askeaton today. But, before a busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Malta, which I visited last week. Tuesday was the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, and during this week I I have already reflected on Saint Paul’s Church at Saint Paul’s Bay (25 January 2022), Saint Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (Anglican), Valletta (26 January), and Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina (27 January).

This morning I am reflecting on the Collegiate Parish Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck, Valletta, also known as simply the Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck. This is a parish church in Valletta and one of the oldest churches in the Maltese capital.

Saint Paul the Apostle is patron of Malta, and his shipwreck on Malta is described in the Acts of the Apostles, where Saint Luke writes: ‘After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta’ (see Acts 28: 1).

The Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck traces its origins to 1570s. It was designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, and completed in December 1582. The church was handed over to the Jesuits and a new church was started in 1639.

The church hosts fine artistic works, including a magnificent altarpiece by Matteo Perez d’Aleccio and paintings by Attilio Palombi, and Giuseppe Calì.

A wooden statue of Saint Paul was carved in 1659 by Melchiorre Cafà, a brother of Lorenzo Gafà, who designed the dome. The statue is paraded through the streets of Valletta on the feast day of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck, 10 February, sometimes during heavy rain.

The church also claims to hold the relic of the right wrist-bone of Saint Paul, and part of the column from San Paolo alle Tre Fontane, on which the saint was beheaded in Rome.

The façade of the church was rebuilt in 1885 to a design by Nicholas Zammit.

The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

The Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck (left) in Valletta traces its origins to 1570s (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Mark 4: 26-34 (NRSVA):

26 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

30 He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

The statue of Saint Paul above the door into the Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (28 January 2022) invites us to pray:

Let us pray for the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, as they spread the Good News in the land of the Holy One.

The façade of the church was rebuilt in 1885 to a design by Nicholas Zammit (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Yesterday: Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina

Tomorrow: Saint Dominic

The noticeboard outside the Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

With the Saints through Christmas (33): 27 January 2022, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina

Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina, in central Malta, facing onto Saint Paul’s Square (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Malta last week, and in Valletta it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint.

I am in Birmingham today, attending to some family matters. But, before a busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Malta, which I visited last week. Tuesday was the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, and during this week I I have already reflected on Saint Paul’s Church at Saint Paul’s Bay (25 January) and Saint Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (Anglican), Valletta (26 January). This morning I am reflecting on Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul (Il-Katidral Metropolitan ta’ San Pawl), commonly known as Saint Paul’s Cathedral or the Mdina Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic cathedral in Mdina, in central Malta.

The cathedral was founded in the 12th century. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta, although since the 19th century it has shared this function with Saint John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

According to tradition, the site of Mdina cathedral was originally occupied by a palace belonging to Saint Publius, the Roman governor of Melite who greeted the Apostle Paul after he was shipwrecked in Malta. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Paul cured Publius’ father and many other sick people on the island (see Acts 28: 1-10).

The first cathedral on the site is said to have been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. But it fell into disrepair during the Arab period, when the churches in Melite were looted after the Aghlabid invasion in 870. In Arab times, the site was used as a mosque.

After the Norman invasion in 1091, Christianity was re-established on the Maltese Islands, and a cathedral dedicated to Saint Paul was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. The cathedral was built in the Gothic and Romanesque styles, and was enlarged and modified a number of times.

Bishop Miguel Jerónimo de Molina and the cathedral chapter decided in 1679 to replace the mediaeval choir with one built in the Baroque style. The architect Lorenzo Gafà was designed and oversaw the new building.

The cathedral was severely damaged a few years later in the 1693 Sicily earthquake. Although parts of the building were not damaged, it was decided to dismantle the old cathedral and rebuild it in the Baroque style to a design of Lorenzo Gafà, incorporating the choir and sacristy, which had survived the earthquake, into the new cathedral.

Work began in 1696, and the building was almost complete by 1702. It was consecrated by Bishop Davide Cocco Palmieri on 8 October 1702. The cathedral was fully completed on 24 October 1705, when work on the dome was finished. The building is regarded as Gafà's masterpiece.

Saint Paul’s Cathedral is built in the Baroque style, with some influences from native Maltese architecture. The main façade faces Saint Paul’s Square and it is set on a low parvis approached by three steps.

The façade is cleanly divided into three bays by pilasters of Corinthian and Composite orders. The central bay is set forward, and it contains the main doorway, surmounted by the coats of arms of the city of Mdina, Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful and Bishop Davide Cocco Palmieri, all sculpted by Giuseppe Darmanin.

The coloured coat of arms of the incumbent archbishop (Archbishop Charles Scicluna) is placed just below the arms of Mdina. A round-headed window is set in the upper story above the doorway, and the façade is topped by a triangular pediment. Bell towers originally containing six bells are located at both corners of the façade. It has an octagonal dome, with eight stone scrolls above a high drum leading up to a lantern.

The cathedral has a Latin cross plan with a vaulted nave, two aisles and two side chapels. Most of the cathedral floor has inlaid tombstones or commemorative marble slabs, similar to those in Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Victoria, Gozo. Several bishops and canons, as well as laymen from noble families, are buried in the cathedral.

The frescoes in the ceiling depict the life of Saint Paul and were painted by the Sicilian painters Vincenzo, Antonio and Francesco Manno in 1794. The Manno brothers also painted frescoes on the dome, but these were destroyed during repair works after an earthquake in 1856.

A new fresco was painted on the dome by Giuseppe Gallucci in 1860, and it was later restored by Giuseppe Calì. Gallucci’s and Calì’s paintings were destroyed due to urgent repair works in 1927, and they were later replaced by a fresco depicting The Glory of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by Mario Caffaro Rore. The ceiling was restored by Samuel Bugeja in 1956.

Three late 19th century stained glass windows in the cathedral are the work of Victor Gesta’s workshop.

Many artefacts from the pre-1693 cathedral survived the earthquake and were reused to decorate the new cathedral. These include a late Gothic or early Renaissance baptismal font dating from 1495, the old cathedral’s main door that was made in 1530, some 15th-century choir stalls, and a number of paintings.

The cathedral aisles, chapels and sacristy contain several paintings and frescoes, including works by Mattia Preti and his bottega, Francesco Grandi, Domenico Bruschi, Pietro Gagliardi, Bartolomeo Garagona, Francesco Zahra, Luigi Moglia and Alessio Erardi. The altarpiece by Mattia Preti depicts the Conversion of Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus.
br /> Some of the marble used to decorate the cathedral was taken from the Roman ruins of Carthage and Melite. Sculptors and other artists whose works decorate the cathedral include Giuseppe Valenti, Claudio Durante, Alessandro Algardi and Vincent Apap.

Some mediaeval houses south of the cathedral were demolished in the late 1720s to make way for a square, the Bishop’s Palace and the Seminary, now the Cathedral Museum. The square in front of the cathedral was enlarged in the early 19th century after the demolition of some more mediaeval buildings.

The cathedral was damaged in another earthquake in 1856, and the 18th-century frescoes on the dome were destroyed.

Today, the cathedral is a Grade 1 national monument and is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

Inside Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, facing the liturgical east (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Mark 4: 21-25:

21 He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ 24 And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’

Inside Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina, facing the liturgical west (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (27 January 2022, Holocaust Remembrance Day) invites us to pray:

Today we remember the atrocities of the Holocaust. May we continue to commemorate these tragic events in the hope that it will never happen again..

Yesterday: Saint Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (Anglican), Valletta

Tomorrow: The Collegiate Parish Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck, Valletta

The High Altar in Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

In the side aisles in Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

With the Saints through Christmas (31): 25 January 2022, Saint Paul, Saint Paul’s Bay

Saint Paul’s Church, Saint Paul’s Bay, Malta … 25 January is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Malta last week, and in Valletta it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint.

Later this morning, I am taking part in a meeting of the Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland. But, before a busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Malta, which I visited last week. This morning (25 January 2022) is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, and I am looking Saint Paul at Saint Paul’s Bay, on the north coast of Malta, which I visited last week.

The town of Saint Paul’s Bay (San Pawl il-Baħar) is about 16 km north-west of Valletta. This is the largest town in the Northern Region and the seat of the Northern Regional Committee, along with being the most populous town in Malta.

The name of the town refers to the shipwreck of Saint Paul as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles on Saint Paul’s Islands near St Paul's Bay, on his voyage from Caesarea to Rome. Saint Paul’s stay is said to have laid the foundations of Christianity on the island.

Saint Luke recounts in Acts 27 to 28 how Saint Paul’s ship was lost at sea for two weeks during winter storms. Eventually, the ship ran aground on the island of Malta and was dashed to pieces by the surf, but all of the occupants survived and made it to shore.

Saint Paul’s Island, an uninhabited, rocky islet at the entrance to Saint Paul’s Bay, is thought to be the site where the ship wrecked. Acts 27: 41 states the ship ran aground on a piece of land ‘with sea on both sides.’

Saint Paul’s Shipwreck Church stands on the water’s edge in the town of Saint Paul’s Bay. The church is also known as St. Paul’s Bonfire Church and commemorates the traditional site where the shipwreck survivors, including Saint Paul, swam ashore and a bonfire was built for them.

The church was first built in the 14th century, but was rebuilt after a bomb destroyed the original building during World War II. The parish is run by the Franciscan Conventuals.

Saint Paul’s Church above the Menqa or boat shelter at the harbour in Saint Paul’s Bay (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Acts 9: 1-22 (NRSVA):

1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 5 He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ 7 The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ 11 The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ 13 But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ 15 But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ 21 All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ 22 Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.

Matthew 19: 27-30 (NRSVA):

27 Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ 28 Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

The colonnades in Saint Paul’s Church in Saint Paul’s Bay, Malta (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (25 January 2022) invites us to pray:

We pray for those outside of the Church, that they may feel God’s love. May we also pray for those responsible for evangelism in the Church, ensuring it is done in a sensitive yet effective manner.

Yesterday: Saint Wistin

Tomorrow: Saint Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (Anglican), Valletta

Saint Paul’s Islands in Saint Paul’s Bay … said to be the site of Saint Paul’s shipwreck (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

With the Saints through Christmas (30): 24 January 2022, Saint Wistin

Saint Wistin’s Church, Valletta … designed for the Augustinians by Girolamo Cassar, the architect and resident engineer of the Order of Saint John (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Valetta last week, where it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint. I have recorded a school assembly talk for this morning, but I am in Dublin today for a dental appointment and I have meetings later in the day of a number of Church committees involved in interfaith and ecumenical work.

However, before a busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Malta, which I visited last week. This morning (24 January 2022), I am looking at the saint behind the name of Saint Wistin’s Church in Valletta.

Saint Wistin is not some Anglo-Saxon or northern European saint, as I first imagined. Instead, Saint Wistin is the Maltese name for Saint Augustine of Hippo, and he gives his name to Saint Wistin’s Church (il-Knisja ta’ Santu Wistin), a new church built for the Augustinians at the creation of the new city of Valletta in the 16th century.

The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1571 and the church was designed by Girolamo Cassar (ca 1520-ca1592), the architect and resident engineer of the Order of Saint John or the Knights of Malta. Saint Augustine Hall, beside the church, is part of Cassar’s original plan.

Cassar was admitted into the Order of Saint John in 1569. He was involved in building Valletta, initially as an assistant to Francesco Laparelli, before taking over the project himself. He designed many public, religious and private buildings in the new capital city, including Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster’s Palace and the auberges. His son, Vittorio Cassar, was also an architect and engineer.

The church was rebuilt in 1765 to plans by Giuseppe Bonici. The present church was consecrated by Giovanni Maria Camilleri on 1 July 1906.

Artefacts from the first church that can be seen today include a 16th-century painting of the Augustinian Saint Nicholas of Tolentino by Mattia Preti.

In the first chapel on the left is a painting of Saint John of Sahagun (ca 1430-1479), a Spanish-born Augustinian saint. This painting is from the school of Mattia Preti and some of its figures are also depicted on the ceiling of Saint John’s Co-Cathedral nearby in Valletta.

Beneath this painting is a small painting of Our Lady of Grace, undated and unsigned, also from the first church.

The church is also known for its statue of Saint Rita. Her feast is celebrated in May with a procession with her statue through the streets of Valletta.

Saint Wistin’s Church became a parish church in 1968, and it is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

Inside the dome in Saint Wistin’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Mark 3: 22-30 (NRSVA):

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— 30for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (24 January 2022, International Day of Education) invites us to pray:

Let us pray for teachers, professors and all those involved in educating children and young adults. May we care for them as they care for those they are educating.

Yesterday: Saint Andrew

Tomorrow: Saint Paul

Inside Saint Wistin’s Church in Valletta (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The statue of Saint Augustine in Saint Wistin’s Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

With the Saints through Christmas (29): 23 January 2022, Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew’s Church on South Street, Valletta … now a joint Church of Scotland and Methodist church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Valetta last week, where it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint. Later this morning, I am preaching at Morning Prayer in Castletown and presiding and preaching at the Parish Eucharist in Rathkeale.

Before a busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Malta, which I visited last week. This morning (23 January 2022), I am reflecting on Saint Andrew, who gives his name to Saint Andrew’s Church on South Street, the same street as the Osborne Hotel, where I was staying last week.

Saint Andrew’s Church on South Street, Valletta … the first neo-gothic building on the Maltese islands (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Saint Andrew’s Church, or the Scots Church, is a 19th-century church built to a neo-gothic design by the Maltese architect Giuseppe Bonavia, the first neo-gothic building on the Maltese islands, standing out from the Baroque buildings that surround it.

Saint Andrew’s is a joint congregation of the Church of Scotland, as part of the Presbytery of Europe, and the Methodist Church, South-East District, England.

The church stands on the site of the Casa Torrensi, built by the Order of Saint John or Knights of Malta in the 17th century. The site was bought by the Revd John Keeling in 1824 to build the first church outside the Roman Catholic tradition in Malta, and the first church on the site was built for the Methodist community.

The site was later acquired by the Church of Scotland for the Presbyterian community in Malta. The present church was commissioned in 1854 by the Revd Dr George Wisely and was designed by the Maltese architect Giuseppe Bonavia (1821-1885).

Bonavia was born in Valletta, and first worked as a clerk of works with the Royal Engineers, before becoming the Head of the Civil Service Works Department. He worked in a variety of styles, including Gothic Revival and Neoclassical architecture, mainly in the 1850s and 1860s. Saint Andrew’s (1854) was the first Gothic church built in Malta, while Bonavia’s masterpiece is La Borsa or the Exchange Buildings (1857).

Bonavia also drew up plans for the proposed Royal Opera House in 1859, but eventually the building was built to designs of the English architect Edward Middleton Barry.

Wisely was minister of Saint Andrew’s and Presbyterian chaplain to the British forces in Malta from 1854 to 1894. He also built a manse beside the church.

Since the turn of the 20th century, the church has a mixed congregation that includes Presbyterians, Methodists, other Protestants, and some Catholics. Ministerial appointments alternates between Methodist and Presbyterian ministers. The Revd Colin Westmarland, who was the minister from 1975 to 2002, was the first minister not to be a British military chaplain.

The Revd Betsi Thane is the present minister of Saint Andrew’s. She is from Poland, where she studied for her MEd degree at the University of Nikolaus Copernicus in Torun. She has lived in Germany, Waco, Texas, and in Scotland, where she studied at the University of Glasgow. She was ordained in the Church of Scotland in 2020 and moved to Malta later that year.

Saint Andrew’s sees its work among the poor and the marginalised as a vital part of its ministry. It runs Malta Microfinance, ‘Blue Door English’ Language Classes for migrants, and support missions in Malta and beyond, including an HIV/AIDS community in Zambia run by a Maltese nun.

Saint Andrew’s Church was commissioned in 1854 by the Revd Dr George Wisely (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Luke 4: 14-21 (NRSVA):

14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (23 January 2022) invites us to pray in these words:

Liberator God,
you teach us to resist oppression,
lift up the disadvantaged
and centre the marginalised.
May we always pursue justice.

Yesterday: Saint Publius

Tomorrow: Saint Wistin

Saint Andrew’s sees its work among the poor and the marginalised as a vital part of its ministry (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

Saint Andrew’s Church has a mixed congregation that includes Presbyterians, Methodists, other Protestants, and some Catholics (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

With the Saints through Christmas (28): 22 January 2022, Saint Publius

The Church of Saint Publius is the parish church of the suburb of Floriana in Valletta (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

I was in Valetta for much of this week, where it seems as though every street – or every second street – inside the walls of the capital of Malta, is named after a saint. I am back in the Rectory in Askeaton, putting the final touches to tomorrow’s services and sermons today. But, before this day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.

I have been continuing my Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:

1, Reflections on a saint remembered in the calendars of the Church during the Season of Christmas, which continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February);

2, the day’s Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

For the rest of this week I am reflecting on saints and their association with prominent churches or notable street names in Valletta. This morning (22 January 2022), I am reflecting on Saint Publius, who is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta and who was one of the first Bishops of Athens, and who is commemorated on this day.

Tradition identifies this saint with Publius, ‘chief man of the island of Malta,’ who befriended Saint Paul after his shipwreck on the island (Acts 28: 7). According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Paul cured Saint Publius’ father of fever and dysentery:

‘Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. They bestowed many honours on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.’ (Acts 28: 7-10, NRSVA)

According to Maltese tradition, the conversion of Saint Publius led to Malta becoming the first Christian nation in the West.

Saint Publius became the first Bishop of Malta and later became Bishop of Athens. He was martyred ca 112 under the Emperor Trajan or ca 125, during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian.

Saint Publius is the patron saint of the suburb of Floriana in Valletta, and is also one of the two patron saints of Malta beside Saint Paul.

Saint Publius Church is the parish church of Floriana in Valletta. It was built at several stages between the 18th and 20th centuries. The church was originally part of the parish of Saint Paul of Valletta.

The original design of the church is attributed to Francesco Marandon. The first stone was laid down on 2 August 1733 by Bishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan, in the presence of Grand Master of the Knights of Saint John, António Manoel de Vilhena.

The sacristy was completed seven years later and it began to be used as a small church by the inhabitants of the then newly built suburb of Floriana. The building was completed by 17 January 1768, when the relic of Saint Publius was brought to the church.

The façade of the church began to be rebuilt in 1771, and the dome was built in 1780. It became a vice-parish in 1776, and the church was consecrated by Bishop Vincenzo Labini on 20 March 1792. It became a parish in March 1844, after a decree was issued by Pope Gregory XVI.

The naves and an oratory were built between 1856 and 1861. A new façade was built by Nicola Zammit between 1884 and 1890. Two new bell towers were also built in 1889 and 1892. The interior was embellished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The façade of the church consists of a neoclassical portico topped by a triangular pediment, flanked by a bell tower on either side. A statue of Christ the King stands on the top of the façade. The church has a cruciform plan with a dome and a richly decorated interior.

The altarpiece depicting the martyrdom of Saint Publius is the work of Antoine de Favray and his pupil Filippo Vincenzo Pace and dates from 1773. The ceiling is decorated with paintings depicting Saint Paul’s shipwreck and his stay in Malta. Other paintings in the church include works by Giuseppe Calì and Emvin Cremona.

The statue of Saint Publius was completed in 1811 by the sculptor Vincenzo Dimech.

Part of the façade and the dome were destroyed by aerial bombardment during World War II, when it was hit by bombs on 3-4 March and 28 April 1942 and 16 people were killed. The nearby Sarria Church became a temporary parish church until the Church of Saint Publius was reopened on 10 December 1944. Reconstruction was carried out by the architect Gustav Vincenti, and it was completed in the late 1950s. The interior was embellished in the following decades, being fully completed in the early 1990s.

The church is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

Saint Publius was canonised in 1634. His feast is celebrated on 22 January in the Roman Catholic Church, and on 13 March in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Mark 3: 20-21 (NRSVA):

20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (22 January 2022) invites us to pray in these words:

Let us give thanks for religious freedom and the ability to freely practise what we believe. May we remember those living in countries where freedom of belief is restricted.

Yesterday: Saint Elmo

Tomorrow: Saint Andrew

The statue of Saint Publius (1811) is by the sculptor Vincenzo Dimech (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org