Name George Preca | Feast 9 May Beatified May 9, 2001 | |
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Patronage Malta, Society of Christian Doctrine | ||
George Preca
George Preca (in Maltese: Gorg Preca) (12 February 1880 – 26 July 1962) was a Maltese Roman Catholic priest who founded the Society of Christian Doctrine, a society of lay catechists. In Malta, he is known as "Dun Gorg". He was canonized on 3 June 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Contents
- George Preca
- Blessing of St George Preca statue
- Veneration and cause for canonization
- Canonization
- Statue and relic
- Luminous Mysteries
- Alleged homosexuality
- References
Blessing of St George Preca statue
Veneration and cause for canonization
Preca first came to the attention of the Ordinary Congregation of the Cardinals and Bishops of the Congregation for Causes of Saints, which examined the scientifically unexplainable healing of Charles Zammit Endrich in 1964. Zammit Endrich had suffered from a detached retina of the left eye. The healing was declared as miraculous, and was attributed to the intercession of Preca after Zammit Endrich prayed to him and placed one of the priest's belongings under his pillow. The healing took place outside of a hospital, overseen by the personal doctor of Zammit Endrich, Censu Tabone, later President of Malta.
On 24 June 1975, Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi issued a decree initiating the process of Preca's canonization. He was declared "venerable" on 28 June 1999, and on 27 January 2000 Pope John Paul II signed the decree that officially confirmed the Zammit Endrich healing.
In a ceremony in Floriana, Malta on 9 May 2001, Preca was beatified by Pope John Paul II as were Nazju Falzon and Maria Adeodata Pisani.
Canonization
On 23 February 2006 during the Vatican consistory, Preca was proclaimed the second Maltese Catholic saint, after Saint Publius. He was canonized in Rome on 3 June 2007 along with three other new saints. In his homily, Pope Benedict XVI called Saint George Preca "a friend of Jesus", and at the end of the celebration, he spoke in Maltese, saying the newly declared saint is the second father in faith of the Maltese and Gozitan people.
Statue and relic
A statue of Preca was unveiled at St. Cajetan Parish Church of Hamrun during a solemn Mass presided by Archbishop Paul Cremona on Thursday 17 December 2009. The statue was placed on the same spot where St George spent hours hearing confession. By the statue there is also his relic with a sample of his blood. The bronze statue is the work of sculptor Gianni Bonnici and was executed in Caggiati, Parma, Italy.
Luminous Mysteries
In 2002 Pope John Paul II introduced five new mysteries of the rosary known as the Luminous Mysteries. There have been claims that Preca is the author of these mysteries. In 1957 he wrote five mysteries which he called the Mysteries of Light, which are almost identical.
Alleged homosexuality
In 2010, a book was published by Joseph Chetcuti that made the claim that George Preca had been a (repressed) homosexual but who had nevertheless led a sexually chaste life. However, some arguing against this suggestion claim that the evidence presented is on "tenuous grounds".