On Saturday 31 August 2024, Malta lost a priest who spent his life generously serving Jesus in disabled people. Dun Anġ (or Father Angelo in English) was the founder of the Nazareth Foundation which magnificiently serves people with disabilities. He was 91 years of age.
Many people in Żejtun, where Dun Anġ hailed from, paid their final respects to this revered priest whose body was lying in state at the Oratory of the Sacrament. Hence, this opportunity to say goodbye to a beloved figure has attracted a large number of visitors who were eager to honour his memory. A solemn procession began when the hearse carrying Dun Anġ arrived. The late priest was received by the Archpriest of Żejtun, Canon Anton Galea Scannura, and Vice Parish Priest, Canon Bernard Micallef. Former President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, paid her respects to Dun Anġ, who worked closely with him during his life. The priest was dearly loved by his congregation.
Dun Anġ Seychell made significant and lasting contributions. He was instrumental in establishing Caritas Malta, and his efforts extended to the Dar tal-Kleru. He remarkably transformed his private residence into a sanctuary for people with disabilities, giving it the name of Nazareth Foundation. Following his death, numerous tributes poured in, including one from Prime Minister Robert Abela. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca referred to Dun Anġ as Malta’s Saint Francis, thus emphasizing his selflessness and dedication to others. Coleiro Preca reflected on his visionary nature, affirming that while he did not see all of his projects through to completion, he had the foresight to acknowledge their significance. She stressed his boundless compassion, saying he always put others before himself.
Dun Anġ was born on May 16, 1933, and ordained as a priest on March 17, 1956, at the age of 23 after receiving special permission from Rome. He felt a strong call to care for people with disabilities, whom he cherished throughout his life. Dun Anġ strongly believed that he had always felt compelled to care for people with disabilities who were very close to his heart. In an interview a few weeks before his death, he expressed his love for people with disabilities, saying, For me they mean everything, I have loved them since I was a child, I loved them as soon as I became a priest, as soon as I found out that there are disabled people who have no one to help them, I would bring them into my circle, visit them regularly, see what they need and I would take responsibility for them myself when their parents died. He went on to say that he visited all of the families to find out the truth regarding their situation.
Dun Anġ’s work with Caritas, the Clergy House, and the Nazareth Foundation for people with disabilities, which he established in his own home, made him a point of reference. In an interview Dun Anġ spoke at length about his life and what books mean to him. He believed that books are what make people. The Nazareth Foundation presently serves and cares for 30 disabled people within the same building.
He explained why he is nicknamed the priest ‘Ta’ Buttuna’, a nickname given to his grandfather, who used to play the game Boċċi with buttons. He discussed his upbringing, including how his father spent time hiding on British ships before going to work at the Shipyard. He loved to eat, especially soup!
In the past there were people on the balcony or in the basement who were never shown to anyone because of their disability and never seen in public. In this context, Dun Anġ worked to ensure that these individuals, deprived of public life and even their own families, could enjoy human relationships, as people deserve and have the right to have. He admitted serving his priesthood with utmost fidelity and sacrifice, but he smiled and said, I don’t know where I didn’t take the disabled: Italy, France, wherever I could, I took them with me.
Interestingly, he co-founded Caritas with Don Victor Grech, despite being discouraged by some. Don Anġ stated that he was his right hand and that they worked well together and remained friends. He was grateful to God for the opportunity to meet and work together. Furthermore, Dun Anġ was also instrumental in founding the Clergy House in Birkirakara, which now serves as a rest home for senior and retired priests. The Grima family built it with the money and generosity of the Żwieten (the people from Żejtun).
Dun Anġ’s vocation bore many fruits. He felt that the secret of his life was that he always trusted in God, in fact he said, God means everything, without him I do nothing, the motive is Him, I look to Him to animate the aspirations I have. Everything I did, I did it because He asked me to. I don’t regret being faithful to his inspirations.
His sterling dedication was acknowledged with numerous accolades, particularly the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika award by former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi, who delivered a poignant homily at Dun Anġ’s funeral, celebrated the life of a man who lived what he preached and wrote. Also, Bishop Galea-Curmi recalled the phrase Dun Anġ chose at the beginning of his priesthood: The priest is taken from the people to be given to the people. This sentiment, the Bishop observed, beautifully summarized Dun Anġ’s lifelong commitment to serving his community.
In his homily, Bishop Galea-Curmi said that Dun Anġ had a faith supported by the source of the Eucharist and he lived it in prayer, whilehighlighting how the spirituality of Saint Charles de Foucauld had a profound impact on Dun Anġ’s devotional life. Fittingly, the popular prayer of Saint de Foucauld, “Father in your hands I leave”, was chosen to commemorate Dun Anġ’s passing.
The Bishop praised Dun Anġ as progressive in the true sense of the word, citing his tireless efforts for societal progress, including his staunch advocacy for the unborn and the vulnerable. Dun Anġ worked hard for full respect for the weak man since his birth, Bishop Galea-Curmi emphasized.
Saint Charles de Foucauld wrote: It is not necessary to teach others, to cure them or to improve them; it is only necessary to live among them, sharing the human condition and being present to them in love. This has been the life of this great and holy priest, Dun Anġ Seychell, whose intercession we invoke to keep caring for the vulnerable, the disabled and the weak everywhere.
