Xaghra Parish » Gallery » 2010 » 31 JAN 2010 CAN ANTHONY REFALO ELECTED MONSIGNOR OF THE CATHEDRAL CHAPTER
It is with great pleasure that we bring to you today`s announcement that His Lordship Mgr. Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo, hasbeen pleased to electCanon Anthony Refalo of Xaghra a Monsignor of the Gozo Cathedral Chapter. Born in Xaghra on 11 September 1943, Mgr Anthony Refalo is the fifth of thirteen children born to Nazzareno Refalo and Maria nee Zammit, both deceased. He is cousin to Xaghra Archpriest Mgr Carmelo Refalo and the latter`s brother Canon Anthony Refalo Rapa besides being the nephew of Canon Julian Refalo Rapa. His youngest sister Rita is Consecrated member of the Pro Sanctitate religious community and presently resides in Latvia serving on missionary work there. Mgr Refalo started his primary education at the Xaghra Primary Govt School and then his secondary education at the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Gozo. After completing seven years of studies for the priesthood at the Major Seminary, he was ordained priest on 11 May 1968 by Mgr Nicholas J Cauchi, today`s Bishop Emeritus of Gozo, then Diocesan Bishop of Gozo. After his ordination he took up pastoral duties at the Parrocchia della Trasfigurazione in Rome where he spent the next thirteen years. There he met Don Andrea Santoro and they became great friends until the Italian priest was brutally murdered doing pastoral service in Turkey. In Rome too, Mgr Refalo, used to look after the spiritual needs of youth with whom he built an everlasting relationship. Back home he was made Canon of the Collegiate Chapter and made its Cantor following the death of Canon Alwig Camilleri, a post he still held to this day. The Rome Youth experience he brought with him and back in his home town in the Parish of Xaghra, he dedicated himself body and soul for the spiritual and temporal welfare of young people. Towards this aim he took over the premises of the male Section of the Catholic Action in Xaghra which was in dormancy and opened the Xaghra Youth Centre. One of his first activities there was to start a race around Xaghra in April which yearly grew up into Gozo`s main athletic activity, the Gozo Half Marathon, still an annual event in the Sporting calendar of Gozo organized by the Youth Centre every last Sunday in April. For those acquainted with the Ecclesiastical Directory “ Malta and Gozo - this may not be fresh news as Canon Refalo`s name in the printing of 2008 appears with the title of Monsignor. We only pray that the gain of the Cathedral Chapter will not be Xaghra`s loss and Dun Anton will still be able to find time to give his valuable work to the Parish. AD MULTOS ANNOS MONSIGNOR ANTHONY REFALO
Not yet rated
