It seemed a regular visit to his hometown and relatives in Munxar. Alas, it proved to be his last one. A stroke one day before his death on April 18 ended a 58-year span of intense pastoral work in Brazil.

José Agius was born in Munxar in 1941 and, invited by Dom Geraldo Fernandez, then bishop of the recently installed diocese of Londrina (1957), he left for Brazil as a seminarian at the age of 20.

He started his theological studies at the Seminário Rainha dos Apóstolos, in Curitiba, state of Paraná, Brazil. Fr José was ordained priest on July 4, 1965 and immediately started working in the diocese, first in Pitangueiras and then in Rolândia, some 25km from Londrina.

It was in the latter town that he remained for the rest of his life. Since 1969. He baptised all; he celebrated the marriage of all; he heard everybody’s confession; he celebrated the Eucharist for all; he helped all for their encounter with the Risen Christ.

In the 1970s, Rolândia was a single parish. Fr José helped in the establishment of four others, coupled with the creation of several social organisations for the sick, orphans and needy. Indeed, he was friend to all. He celebrated 50 years of a full life dedicated to the people of ‘his’ city in 2015 and last year he celebrated the 60th anniversary of his departure from Gozo with a thanksgiving mass in the parish of Munxar.

In a message to the faithful in the archdiocese of Londrina, the incumbent Archbishop Geremias Steinmetz wrote: “His example, his priestly ministry, his counselling and his friendship will remain treasured by many generations in the city of Rolândia.”