Il-Kappillan tal-Parroċċa
• Il-Kappillan tal-Parroċċa hu Rev Dr Ray Francalanza OSA S.Th.D. Huwa rċieva l-Pussess tal-Parroċċa minn idejn Mons Arċisqof Pawlu Cremona f’quddiesa solenni konċelebrata li saret nhar il-Ħadd 22 ta’ Awwissu, 2010
Insiru nafu lil Fr Ray mill-qrib:
• Fr Ray Francalanza osa twieled fiz-Zejtun nhar l-4 ta’ Jannar, 1965. Il-ġenituri tiegħu huma ommu Marija (li mietet sentejn fl-2008) u missieru Emmanuel. Fr Ray għandu żewġ ħutu oħra: Jane u Robert. Oħtu Jane hi mizzewġa lil Dominic u għandhom żewġ t’itfal: Rebecca u Abigail.
• L-edukazzjoni tiegħu ħadha fil-Kulleġġ ta’ Santu Wistin fil-Pieta u wara kompla bl-istudji Terzjarji fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta.
• Fil-1985 hu għamel in-novizzjat tiegħu fil-Kunvent ta’ San Nikola ta’ Tolentino ġo Macerata fl-Italja.
• Fil-1988 huwa rċieva l-Professjoni Solenni fl-Ordni Agostinjan u ftit wara ġie ordnat Djaknu.
• Fis-6 ta’ Lulju 1990 Fr Ray jiġi ordnat Saċerdot mill-Eċċ. Tieghu Mons Arcisqof {uzeppi Mercieca.
• Fil-1991 Fr Ray jikseb il-Liċenzja fit-Tejologija – S. Th. Lic. – bit-tezi: The Mystery of the Church in the writings of St. Augustine.
• Bejn l-1991 u 1994 Fr Ray jibda l-ewwel ħidmiet pastorali tiegħu. Hu ntagħzel biex jkun responsabbli mill-formazzjoni inizjali tal-Istudenti Agostinjani f’Dar San Guzepp fil-Pieta u mill-ħidma vokazzjonali tal-Provinċja. Fl-istess perjodu hu kien qed jaghti servizz ukoll fil-kulleġġ ta’ Santu Wistin bħala għalliem tar-Reliġjon lil Fifth Formers, tal-mużika u bħala direttur spiritwali.
• Fil-Kapitlu Provincjali tal-1994 Fr Ray jinħatar Rettur tal-Kulleġġ ta’ Santu Wistin. Dan hu servizz li baqa’ jagħti sas-sena 2000. Fl-istess perjodu – 1996 – Fr Ray jintagħzel mill-Gvern biex jkun membru fuq il-Kummissjoni Parlamentari tal-Edukazzjoni. Hu serva wkoll għal xi żmien bħala Chairperson tal-iskejjel tal-Knisja.
• Fis-sena 2000 jibda l-ministeru tiegħu fil-Komunita’ ta’ Paceville u fl-istess żmien jibda r-riċerka dottorali tiegħu.
• Fis-sena 2002 Fr Ray jintagħzel biex jkun Definitur tal-Provinċja – servizz li baqa’ jagħti sal-Kapitlu Provinċjali 2010. F’dawn it-tmien snin huwa serva diversi drabi bħala Vigarju Provinċjali.
• Fis-sena 2006 huwa jintagħzel biex jkun Pirjol tal-Komunita’ ta’ Paceville u Rettur tal-Knisja ddedikata lil Ommna Marija tal-Parir it-Tajjeb.
• Fl-istess sena Fr Ray flimkien ma’ grupp ta’ zgħazagħ ohra taw bidu għal grupp taz-zgħazagħ bl-isem ta’ LIFT: Living In Friendship Together. Dan kien grupp li nibet frott l-esperjenzi pastorali ta’ Fr Ray ġewwa Paceville partikolarment mill-quddiesa li hu kien jqaddes kull nhar ta’ Sibt fid-9.30pm. Dan hu grupp attiv ħafna li welled esperjenzi sbieħ ta’ ħbiberija u fidi qalb bosta zgħazagħ – illum wħud diġa’ koppji mizzeġwa – minn Malta kollha.
• Fis-sena 2007 il-patrijiet għazlu lil Fr Ray biex jkun id-Delegat tagħhom biex jirraprezenta lill-Provinġja waqt iċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-Kapitlu {enerali Ordinarju li sar f’Ruma.
• Fis-sena 2008 huwa jiddefendi it-Tezi Dottorali tieghu fil-Fakulta’ tat-Tejologija fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta. It-tezi jisimha – Sign and Signification: Networks of Discernment in the Church. Fr Ray iggradwa bhal Duttur tat-Tejologija – S. Th. D. – nhar il-25 ta’ Novembru, 2009.
• F’Marzu 2010 it-Tezi Dottorali tiegħu tiġi ppublikata.
• F’April 2010 il-Provinċja Agostinjana Maltija tiċċelebra il-Kapitlu Provinċjali tagħha, u fil-fazi imsejjħa Post-Kapitlulari, il-Provinċjal Fr Emmanuel Borg Bonello osa flimkien mal-Kunsill tiegħu jipprezentaw lil Mons Arċisqof in-nomina biex Fr Ray jintagħzel bħala Kappillan. L-Arcisqof ta’ Malta l-Eċċ Tiegħu Mons Pawlu Cremona op jilqa din in-nomina u jaħtar lil Fr Ray bħala l-Kappillan il-ġdid tal-Parroċċa ta’ Santu Wistin fil-Belt Valletta.
Dawn id-dati jagħtu indikazzjoni ħafifa tal-mixja li għamel Fr Ray f’dawn l-għoxrin sena minn kemm ilu li gie ordnat saċerdot. Kienu snin li fihom Fr Ray kien impenjat ħafna fuq livell pastorali. Fost dawn ta’ min jsemmi:
• Fil-Provincja huwa ħadem fil-Millennium Chapel f’Paceville (2000-2010), kien membru fil-kummissjoni tal-formazzjoni inizjali tal-istess provinċja (1990-1994, 2002-2010) u responsabbli mill-pastorali maz-zagħzagħ. Għal diversi snin huwa għallem fl-Istitut Agostinjan fil-Pieta’.
• Fuq livell ta’ Knisja lokali Fr Ray kien u għadu nvolut ħafna f’ħidma ma’ zgħazagħ u koppji mizzewwġa. Huwa impenjat fil-qasam tal-predikazzjoni u jagħti servizz ta’ direzzjoni spiritwali lill-bosta persuni. Dan is-settur jitlob minnu wkoll li janima irtiri, ezercizzi, formation seminars u gruppi ta’ life coaching lil diversi gruppi kemm reliġjuzi u lajċi.
• Għal diversi snin huwa ta’ u għadu jagħti sehmu wkoll fil-media lokali b’artikli u intervisti f’oqsma ta’ natura spiritwali, ekklezjali u soċjali.
Bio. note of our new Parish Priest: Rev Dr Ray Francalanza OSA
who was installed as our Pastor on Sunday 22nd August 2010
Rev Dr Ray Francalanza OSA was born in 1965 in Zejtun, Malta and in 1985 started his novitiate in Tolentino, Italy. In 1988 he undertook his Solemn Profession in the Augustinian Order and in 1990 he was ordained priest by H.E. the Archbishop Mgr G Mercieca. He read for his Licentiate in Sacred Theology and graduated S.Th.Lic. in 1991 with the thesis “The Mystery of the Church and the writings of St Augustine”. He pursued his studies in Sacred Theology and graduated with a Doctorate S.Th.D. in 2009 with the thesis “Sign and Signification – Networks of discernment in the Church”. His thesis was published March 2010.
Fr Francalanza has been very active in the Augustinian Order and has occupied a number of positions. In 1990 he was responsible for initial formation and vocations in the Maltese Augustinian Province. He held the post of Rector at St. Augustine College, Pieta between 1994-2000. In 1996 he was appointed a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Education and between 2002-2010 he was appointed as Provincial Counselor in the Maltese Augustinian Province and served on several occasions as the Vicar Provincial. In 2006 Fr Francalanza was appointed Prior of the Augustinian community at the Mother of Good Counsel Church, Paceville. In 2007 Fr Ray Francalanza was chosen to act as a delegate of the Maltese Provincial Order for the General Chapter of the Augustinian Order held in Rome. Fr Francalanza is also responsible for lecturing at the Augustinian Institute.
He has been very active in pastoral work. He was Assistant Director at the Millennium Chapel and a member in the Commission for initial formation and pursues pastoral work amongst the youths in the Augustinian Province. In 2006 he set up a youth group called “Lift” – Living in Friendship Together.
In his extensive pastoral work, which has made him a much sought-after spiritual director with couples and youths, he is responsible for conducting retreats, formation seminars and life coaching with religious and lay groups alike. Fr Francalanza authors articles in the media, never shying away from making his observations on spiritual, social and political issues, gaining in the process the reputation as a straightforward and an influential thinker.
