1. Dun Karm Psaila was a Maltese Priest, writer and poet.
2. Dun Karm was from Zebbug Malta and born on the 18th October 1871. He died on the 13th October 1961 in Valletta at the age of 89 years.
3. Dun Karm a make his place in the local literary history by producing a prolific amount of works on Maltese identity and in the Maltese language
4. Dun Karm is best known as the author the verses of good number of popular religious hymns in Maltese including the national anthem.
5. Dun Karm compose some verses to a music score by Robert Sammut, that was the Maltese national anthem and was sung for the first time in 1923.
6. He was ordained priest in 1894. From 1865 to 1921 he taught various subjects at the seminary, Italian, Latin, English, arithmetic, geography, cosmography, ecclesiastical history and Christian archaeology.
7. He also was appointed assistant librarian at the national library of Malta in 1921 and in 1923 director of circulating libraries, till his retirement in 1936.
8. Dun Karm was one of the founding members of the ' Ghaqda tal-kittieba tal-Malti that was founded in 1921. He was also elected President and later editor of the official organ, il-Malti. He carried out these functions till 1942 and was nominated honorary President of the Ghaqda for life.
9. Dun Karm the national poet works also to give voice to his country's collective aspirations. His poetry reflects a background of village life with an atmosphere of family feelings and it also portrays the Maltese countryside with a prospective imagination.
10. In Malta Dun Karm Psaila remains with us always as one can find several streets named for him and a monument in the heart of Florian's to commemorate this giant person in the Maltese island.
1. Dun Mikkel is the son of Bartholomeo and Anne Xerri. He was born in Zebbug Malta on the 29th of September 1737.
2. Dun Mikiel Xerri studied at different universities in Europe. He lived under both the knights of St.John during their time in Malta and the French when they took over the Maltese Islands.
3. In June 1798 French forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte took over the islands from the knights. The populace accepted the change with the hope of a better government, however in months the French removed the rights of the Maltese mobility and decided to stand against the Maltese church.
4. In September 1798 the Maltese formed a national Assembly as they faced an unprecedented financial crisis by the draining of most of the cash. The islands were in state of rebellion.
5. During the blockade of the cities hundreds of people were dying from starvation and deprivation. In order to resolve the situation they decided to risk their lifes and Xerri was one of them.
6. The Maltese planned an attack against the French but they discovered the plot and 49 persons captured for investigations and one of them was Dun Mikkel.
7. In January 1799 Dun Mikkel and other prisoners were taken from St.Elmo to the Palace Square to be executed where a platoon of soldiers were waiting for them. Dun Mikkel demands a few minutes to talk to them and to encourage them. Xerri asked the official on duty to shoot him in the heart.
8. Before he was shoot Dun Mikkel turned on the crowd in the square and with the others prisoners shouted ' MAY GOD HAVE PITY ON US, LONGBLIVE MALTA'
9. Dun Mikkel Xerri died by shooting at the age of 61 on the 17th January 1799 and he is still remembered as the Priest and the political activist who died for his country. A Monument ofvDun Mikel Xerri is in Valletta.
1. Gorg Preca is the seventh son from nine children of Vincent and Nathalie. He was born in Valletta on the 12th of February 1880. In 1886 his family moved from Valletta to Hamrun and on the 22nd of December 1906 he was ordained as a Priest.
2. He was appointed assistant priest ast St Gaetano church and immediately devoted himself to teaching the youth. From there he never look back and on the 7th March 1907 a new religious movement was founded known locally as the M.U.S.E.U.M.
3. In 1909 all the MUSEUM centered were closed by order of the senior clergy as they began to suspect that the growth and popularity of Preca should have heretical implications. In 1916 the Bishop opened an enquiry ad the society was cleared from any negative behavior and was recognized by the church on the 12th April 1932.
4. During that period Dun Gorg claimed to have received a powerful religious experience in 1910 passed Marsa Cross and triggered by a child aged twelve pushing a cart with a bag of manure who had shouted Lend me a hand and Preca helped him and when he placed his hands on the car the felt profound spiritual calmness and understood that he had experienced a revelation as the boy symbolized Christ and the wagon, the work of evangelizing.
5. Preca became a third order Carmelite after being admitted on the 21st of July 1918 and made his profession on the 26th September 1919 with new religious name of Franco.
6. Dispute his ability in Italian and English, Dun Gorg taught and wrote in Maltese the Language of the common people, so that everyone could understand.. He wrote about 150 booklets, pamphlets and leaflets. To publish and spread his works, he obtained a printing press founded in 1920 and known as the Veritas Press which is still operating and its one of the main catholic companies in Malta.
7. In 1957 Dun Gorg wrote five mysteries which he called the mysteries of life which he had been inspired by John 8:12: Preca throughout his pastoral mission he was a popular preacher and a sought-after confessor.
8. Dun Gorg Preca was named as a Monsignor on the 2nd of October 1952 by Pope Pius XII and named him a Privy Chamberlain, much to his mortification. He held this title until the Pope died in 1958. He never wore the vestments that the title entailed. Late Saint John Paul the II dubbed him as the Malta's second father of faith. He also build a church in the vicinity ofvHamrun in Boats l-Bajda dedicated for the society of the MUSEUM members and noe known as ' Il-Kappella ta DUn Gorg'
9. Dun Gorg Preca died in the evening of the 26th of July 1962 atvthecagevofv82years. His funeral was held at Saint Gaetan Church in Hamrun and is marked as the one of the largest funerals ever held in Malta.
10. During a state visit by the Late Saint John Paul the II in Malta on the 9th of May 2001" Dun Gorg was beatified by the Pope in his country at the Floriana granaries granneriesin preparation to be declared as a Saint.
11. Dun Gorg Preca was canonized and declared as a Saint at St Peter's square Vatican city by the late Pope Benedict XVI on the 3rd of June 2007 after the same Pope approved the healing as a miracle by the Maltese Saint in three different occasions February 2006 October 2006 and February 2007. Good to know that Saint Gorg Preca is the second Maltese Saint as the first one was Saint Publious.