Appreciation: Rev. Prof. Salvino Caruana, OSA
He dedicated most of his religious life to discovering further knowledge about the richness of St Augustine of Hippo
Although I came to know you relatively recently, it was as if I had done so for decades. Our friendship flourished as a direct consequence of me attending the 7.30am mass on Sunday mornings which, in most cases, was celebrated by your good self.
I always looked forward to hear your sermon which, occasionally, had a three-dimensional perspective – the Word of the Lord, beefed up by possibly St Augustine’s perspective, but then reflecting all that on the circumstances of any Catholic pilgrim trying to practise faith in the midst of today’s troubled world. With your comforting word you always transmitted a positive trajectory of the Good News, reminding one and all that we are indeed the ‘beloved child’ of the Lord.
You dedicated the greater part of your religious life to discovering further knowledge about the richness of St Augustine of Hippo, the spiritual father of the Order you were called to join and proudly wore the habit. You made it a point to translate into our mother language as much as possible of those discoveries to widen the knowledge of this unique saint whose thoughts and teachings have great relevance to the troubles of our times.
Such an effort continues to support my own endeavours in emphasising the ever greater need of translating a set of financial statements into Maltese and to explain to the existing cohort of Maltese individual investors all the intricacies of the financial jargon so as to equip them further in effecting better informed investment decisions.
Your last publication in early 2025 was the translation of St Augustine’s Soliloquies wherein he speaks to himself, revealing his inner thoughts and feelings with the intended benefit for those who engage in reading them. With your unfading effort, you have now made this possible to those who, like me, enjoy reading in our mother language.
In writing this appreciation I found the personalised copy you had given me, and reading the first sentence in the preface becomes striking as you prophesised that this would be your last piece of work.
As a member of the University of Malta’s academic corps, we could obviously discuss academic issues, and I will always cherish those illuminating discussions. After you celebrated your 50th anniversary in the priesthood, an event I was unable to attend, you felt that I could give a positive contribution to the Augustinian Institute.
So after the delivery of a lecture by my dear friend and colleague Dr George Vital Zammit from the Department of Public Policy, you were very blunt in saying “next time it will be your turn!” I felt deeply moved by this initiative and looked forward to the introductory meeting of the institute for the coming academic year, held on October 4, 2025.
You very cordially introduced me as the Dominican in the room, with another participant thinking I am a Dominican friar! Rather, I am a lay follower of St Dominic who adopted St Augustine’s rule to bring his Order of Preachers into existence. Mentioning this detail, I cannot but refer to the date of your passing ‒ December 22, 2025. That marked the 809th anniversary of when Pope Honorius III published the papal bull approving the Order of Preachers.
Unfortunately, your physical presence to listen to my contribution about the ‘Catholic faith and the economy’ will not occur, but I am sure you will be accompanying me in spirit so that I may enlighten those attending the event, making you, St Augustine and my patron saint, St Dominic of Guzman, proud, even though I’ve never worn the habit.
Over and above your academic contributions, your disposition to offer solace to those who sought your spiritual guidance through confession, as I did, will stick around for years to come. Over the past 58 years of my presence on earth, a couple of priests have come along who left a mark in my life – Dun Alwiġ Micallef and Dun Salv Sammut. I can now safely add a third one, and that is you, dear Patri Salvinu, and until we meet again when my time comes, enjoy the fraternal discussions with your patron saint, St Augustine.
May you RIP.