Għajnsielem parish steps in to hold funeral for man with no one to bury him
Despite efforts to contact the deceased’s relatives, no family member was in a position to make arrangements
Għajnsielem parish will be holding the funeral and burial of a person who had no-one to bury him. On the initiative of archpriest Joseph Hili, Canon Joe Cardona and Fr Gabriel Gauci, the parish will be organising the funeral of a foreign resident who had been living in Għajnsielem and who passed away over two months ago.
Despite efforts to contact the deceased’s relatives, no family member was in a position to make funeral arrangements.
In response to this situation, the parish has taken full responsibility for organising and covering the expenses of the funeral of Antonio Andolfo. The parish will also ensure that he is laid to rest in the parish’s communal graves at its cemetery. The parish’s Caritas group is assisting with the organisation of the funeral service.
Reflecting on this act of charity, Fr Hili said: “In laying our brother to rest, we place him in the loving hands of God, trusting in the promise of eternal life. Through this simple service, we wish to bear witness to our faith in the Resurrection and to the Christian duty of mercy and compassion.”
Fr Hili is making an appeal to anyone who wishes to offer help to contact the archpriest or Can. Cardona. He is also urging parishioners and others to attend the funeral mass as a sign of solidarity, prayer and Christian hope. The funeral will take place on Friday at 3.30pm.
St George’s basilica in Victoria organised a joint funeral for four persons in January 2025, providing them a dignified farewell with mass at the basilica and burial at Santa Marija Cemetery after no family came forward.