On October 11 at 17.15, at Dar tal-Kleru Christus Sacerdos, Fr. Joseph Benedict Xuereb OFM, passed peacefully away comforted by the rites of Holy Church at the age of 72.
The funeral leaves from the Franciscan Fathers, in Rabat Saturday 13th October at 8.45am, for St. Mary of Jesus church (ta’ Ġieżu) Rabat, where Mass praesente cadavere will be said at 9.00 a.m., followed by interment at Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery.
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Fr. Joseph Benedict was born in the village of Gharghur on 1 July 1935. He entered the Franciscan Order and became a priest. After completing his theological studies in England and Rome (specializing in Moral Theoloogy), he came to Malta and served as Master of Students, Secretary for Formation and Studies, and Guardian in the Valletta and Rabat friaries. He was also Definitor Provincial. In 1985 he was elected Minister Provincial. After ending his mandate in 1990 Fr. Joseph Benedict went to the Franciscan International Study Centre in Canterbury, UK, where he acquired a Diploma in Franciscan Studies.
He was then called by the Minister General to the office of President of the International College of San Bonaventura, in Grottaferrata, a centre for research in medieval Franciscan texts. After his experience in Grottaferrata Fr. Joseph Benedict continued to serve the Order as a Secretary General for the Pontificium Atheneaum Antonianum, nowadays, the Pontificia Università Antonianum. He then returned to the Maltese Franciscan Province, and was elected Definitor Provincial. For five years he was parish priest of the Franciscan parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Sliema. His last commitment as a Franciscan was that of National Assistant of the Secular Franciscan Order.
Fr. Joseph Benedict collaborated with enthusiasm in the publication of the Francsican Sources in the Maltese language. Just before he died he had finished translating various medieval texts of the Sources for the Life of Saint Anthony of Padua, which will be published in the coming months.
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