Province of St. Mark

Introduction

In the middle of the 18th century, the religious in Malta started feeling the need of separating themselves from their provinces in Sicily. Pope Benedict XIV, who was very much influenced by this agitation, issued a decree in favour of the separation of the provinces, without informing King Charles of Bourbon, the King of Sicily. This caused so much trouble between them, that five years later, this same decree, had to be withdrawn by the same Pope. However, the issue didn’t end here. Many friars felt that the King was meddling unnecessarily in the internal administration of their Order and thus, they continued to insist with Rome to separate themselves once and for all, from their Provinces in Sicily. The Maltese Augustinian friars didn’t remain passive. Although almost 30 years had passed since King Charles decision against the separation of the Maltese religious provinces from that of Sicily, in 30th March 1790, the General of the Order Fr. Stephen Agostino Bellesini separated the priories of the Augustinians in Malta from that of Sicily and declared Malta a new province within the Augustinian Order. However, since the rift was still strong, the Provincial Chapter of the new Province of Malta, which had to be celebrated half-way through the following year, had to be postponed to a later date. On 27th October 1791, in a decree, issued by Grand Master Emanuel de Rohan, the new province of Malta was dissolved and the Augustinian priories of the Maltese Islands had to rejoin those of Sicily. Apart from that, due to a command, given by the same Grand Master and on the insistence of the Sicilian Provincial, the novitiate house, which welcomed youths who wanted to embrace the Augustinian Order, had to be closed. Although the reason is not known, it is probable that the Grand Master thought that the novitiate house could have created a right for many religious houses to establish a separate province.

However, the Augustinians friars didn’t give up hope. In 1800, the Maltese Islands fell under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. The desire, that the priories in the Maltese Islands become independent, became a reality after Bishop Mons. Vincenzo Labini discussed this subject in his meetings with the English authorities. For this reason, Fr. Gaetano Cauchi was chosen as the General Vicar of the Augustinian Province of Malta. However, since some religious, both Augustinians as well as from other orders, weren’t very happy with these arrangements, a conflict cropped up between the English Government and the Bishop of Malta. Once again, after being separated for just ten months and aft er a lot of conflict and exchange of letters, the priories were left under the jurisdiction of the Provincial of Sicily, who on 29th July 1802, chose Fr. Giovanni M. Seychel as his Vicar.

On 30th May 1814, after many meetings and discussions about who had to rule the Maltese Islands, an agreement was reached between France and Austria and the Maltese Islands fell under the jurisdiction of Her Brittanic Majesty. Three years later, the friars in Malta asked the Pope to make Malta an autonomous and separate Province, from that of Sicily. This request was accepted on 14th September 1817 and thus, the Augustinian priories were declared a separate province, under the protection of St. Mark the Evangelist. Fr. Fortunato A. Vella was chosen as Provincial until the Provincial Chapter took place in 1820. From that day onwards, the Augustinian Province of Malta continued to expand, consolidate and serve the people of God in their spiritual needs.